Chapter 47

Chapter 47: Chapter 47

Ruoxi didn’t have to wait long; he settled by the window to watch the festival, intrigued, but not enough to leave Dulce’s side. The doors of the inn room remained untouched, the missing Demons materializing directly in the room.

Ruoxi turned to face them, his good mood undeniable. "How improper," He tutted, "Barging in without warning."

His presence and his words were both ignored, their gazes immediately shifting to Dulce. The state of things was far calmer than either had been expecting, but there was no disputing that the Incubus had eaten - Vampires didn’t sleep.

Ruoxi didn’t ease off despite being ignored, the confused anger the others wore was far too entertaining an expression not to take advantage of. "I would recommend being distressed in your rooms, Dulce needs rest..."

Asael made no move to stop the Fiend from charging at Ruoxi, his gaze probing as he looked the Vampire over. Ruoxi was being aggravating intentionally, and he couldn’t care less about the satiated Incubus starting up trouble.

There were far graver matters that needed to be considered, like his peculiar reaction to the Incubus feeding from Dulce, and even worse, the Fiend having a similar reaction.

Kath’tan’s rage had cooled, his current upset born from how piercing the Incubus’ words had been. He tossed the vexing Incubus out the open window, waiting for him to return so he could do it again.

Ruoxi laughed freely as he fell out of the wide windows, his black hair streaming past both sides of his glowing face. He warped mid-air, returning to the inn room just as Kath’tan predicted.

Dulce roused at this moment, right in time to watch the Incubus get thrown out the window again. "Was that Ruoxi?" He asked with concern, sitting up.

Kath’tan just quietly closed the window like it would prevent the Incubus from returning, scoffing, an epithet of ’foolish Vampire’ on the tip of his tongue.

Asael closely watched the Vampire get off the bed, not quite sure what he was looking for. Dulce was completely unchanged, no different from before, the white flower still retained its petals.

Dulce hurried across the room, throwing open the windows in silent panic, only to find the Incubus hanging from the ledge beneath the window. He quickly offered Ruoxi a hand, only to have it smacked away.

Kath’tan nudged the Vampire to the side and offered the Incubus a hand instead, keeping his expression level.

Ruoxi stared at the offered claw with a blank expression, losing interest in the offer. He vaulted through the window without help, nearly mowing the Fiend down.

Dulce was relieved when everyone was safely in the inn, room, doing up the last few buttons on his dress shirt and his sleeve. "Have you both eaten yet?" He asked guilelessly.

The topic of eating was a tense one, brows lowering, jaws tensing.

Ruoxi was the only one with a smile on his face, "How unfair, you both went off to eat without us-"

The harsh grip around his throat then was well deserved, Asael stepping in front of Dulce so he wouldn’t immediately run to save the Incubus from his own foolhardiness.

"We haven’t eaten yet," He answered quietly, noting, "You look pale."

Dulce tried to look past Asael’s shoulders, a fruitless attempt because he couldn’t see past the wall of Shadow Demon. He did feel a bit faint, and it wasn’t a hunger food could fill. "I need to feed." He admitted.

That drew Kath’tan’s attention from his attempt to prevent the Incubus from ever speaking again, walking over to stand next to Dulce. "You can drink from me." He offered without warning.

A brief silence fell over the room, but neither Demon could protest because neither Asael nor Ruoxi could offer their blood in the Fiend’s stead. One was an aphrodisiac and the other an antidote.

Dulce was startled by this offer, drinking from a Demon would no doubt be more filling than a human, as Demons were the far more powerful species. "Thank you," He said simply, "I’ll trouble you with my hunger after we get some food."

The silence stretched a little longer, Kath’tan the most shocked. He didn’t expect the Vampire to accept so easily, it brightened his sour mood, and he no longer felt as inclined to snap the Incubus’s neck.

Dulce didn’t notice this, he wandered off to gather the rest of his clothes, putting on his waistcoat, cravat, and overcoat. His thoughts were elsewhere as he got ready, thinking of how frequently Ruoxi would need to eat, perhaps he should pay more attention to acquiring blood.

He had planned to go the entire journey without feeding, used to being in a state of near starvation. But at the state he was in, if Ruoxi had to eat again, it would take several days to recover, and then he would cause a delay in their already lengthy journey.

He also couldn’t rely on Kath’tan for sustenance, blood was as important to the Fiend as it was to him.

"There is a festival, so we can eat in the tavern today," He turned to the Demons when he was all dressed, his hair tied neatly behind him. "Or would you prefer to eat in your rooms?"

Kath’tan was already heading out the door, "Let’s just go eat."

Asael walked out after the Fiend, holding open the door so Dulce could step out. He slammed the door in the face of the approaching Incubus without remorse, his expression unchanging when Ruoxi simply warped outside with a lingering smile on his face, pleased with himself.

Dulce started down the stairs, muttering more to himself. "It would have been nice to experience the festival, but it’s better to lie low now that we’re in Alderth..."

Asael couldn’t understand the Vampire’s constant distress over possible capture. Even if Dulce wouldn’t lift a hand to defend himself, it would take far more than a measly group of human guards to keep a Demon occupied. And with three, they would need all the armies of Alderth to keep them distracted enough to take the Vampire.

"...But we can certainly indulge and eat in the tavern today," Dulce kept saying quietly, still worrying.