Chapter 79

Chapter 79: Chapter 79

Asael turned to the Hellhound in disapproval, "What’s wrong with your blood?"

Caedos frowned, watched Dulce shimmy out of his overcoat, tendrils of his hair sticking damply to his red face. "Nothing," He muttered but he didn’t sound like he quite believed it.

He had been about to encourage Dulce to drink some more when...

Caedos clenched his teeth, black smoke fizzing out. "I can make fire," He went on to add, "My blood might be hot."

Asael clicked his teeth, approaching the bed. "You were supposed to say that before he drank." He corrected impatiently, studying Dulce.

The Vampire had gone quiet, slumped on the bed like he had lost all the strength in his limbs. He had barely gotten the overcoat off, his eyes drooping.

Caedos reached out to touch Dulce’s red face, and despite his own elevated internal temperature, he could instead feel the warmth coming off him. "Is he in danger?"

"Just uncomfortable," He surmised, taking off Dulce’s overcoat completely.

Dulce sat up, red-faced and weak-kneed. The heat only got worse, it felt like he had drunk lava and it was now flowing through his veins, the heat making him dizzy.

"What are you doing?" Asael asked curiously as he watched the Vampire use his last burst of energy to get off the bed.

"I’m going swimming." Dulce said seriously, starting for the door on trembling legs.

There was a bathing house on the ship but due to limited fresh water, there wasn’t the luxury of bathing whenever one felt like it.

"Wait-" Caedos called out, shooting to his feet. He had been eager to help but all he managed to do was poison his savior.

"There’s no reason to come with me, I’ll feel all better after a dip in the ocean." Dulce was generous with his reassurances, nearly losing his footing and smacking into the door.

Asael was at his side in a moment to open the door. Dulce stumbled out of it and needed to catch himself on the opposing wall of the hallway.

The ruckus brought out Kath’tan who stepped out just as Asael was helping Dulce straighten up from the wall.

"I hope we didn’t wake you up with the noise," Dulce rambled as he stood on his feet, his low ponytail loose. "I apologize if we did, I’m just trying to get on the deck..."

"Is he drunk?" Kath’tan asked blankly, cutting off the Vampire’s delirious rambling.

"On the Hound’s blood, yes." Asael said shortly, giving up on guiding Dulce and just taking the Vampire into his arms.

Kath’tan turned to Caedos who was trailing after Dulce with a contrite expression on his face.

"Why didn’t you come to me to feed?" He demanded although his blood was hardly a better option, its potency was almost dangerous.

Dulce looked a bit better when they got on the deck, a cold wind was blowing, but it wasn’t enough to cool him down. "You need all your blood," He said calmly, trying to get down on his feet. "This is all a result of my own forgetfulness."

Asael glanced down at the Vampire in his arms, who was in a black waistcoat and light blue dress shirt, his cravat coming undone. "Can you swim?" He asked instead of putting him down.

"I can." Dulce reassured him, looking longingly at the ocean.

"I’ll keep an eye on him." Kath’tan offered, wearing an odd expression after hearing Dulce’s reason for not asking him for a drink the second time.

Dulce was put on his feet right by the guardrails, and without caring for his audience, he kicked his shoes off. His waistcoat went off next, then his cravat, his fingers deftly undoing the top buttons on his dress shirt.

Behind him, the silence was so heavy it could be cut through, it really did look like he planned to fully undress.

Dulce finally undid the ties that kept his hair out of his face, still wearing his dress shirt and pants. He gingerly got on the banister, crouching and clinging to it like a wild animal.

He turned around after he managed it, his pale hair streaming in the wind. "I’ll return soon." He promised, right before falling into the water.

Kath’tan was diving over the banister in the next moment, chasing the pale figure even as the boundless ocean threatened to swallow them both.

Caedos lumbered over to the banister, distressed. To think that his blood was far too hot to be of any use to his savior.

Asael hung back, taking his seat at one of the tables made available for passengers. Just tonight alone, he had counted twice that the lack of the ability to fly had limited him.

The sea was icy cold when Dulce took a plunge but he only felt it due to being overheated, the salty water sticking to his hair and face.

He broke out of the surface of the water and just floated a short distance from the ship. It felt like floating through the night sky, the darkness was absolute save for the ship.

Dulce pushed his wet hair out of his face, tucking back his long hair so he could see. The fire still burned through his veins, but sitting in such a large body of water made it manageable.

Kath’tan approached then, hovering over the water. He had kept his eye on the Vampire the entire time like he promised he would, but perhaps he should have also kept his distance.

The water made the Vampire’s voluminous hair lie flat, his skin still flushed red despite being in the sea. His dress shirt with the buttons undone had been disheveled even further by the water.

It clung to his skin now, nearly slipping down a delicate shoulder despite the wetness making the fabric stick to skin.

"I’ll give you blood next time, and every other time after." Kath’tan grumbled, looking away from the sight in front of him.

"You don’t have to..." Dulce started to dissuade him.

"But I will," Kath’tan cut him off, "You barely drink anything."

Dulce stared up at the Demon floating above him with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face, he wasn’t even looking back at him. "Which is why I’ll be fine, regardless." He didn’t give up, he didn’t want Kath’tan to feel obligated to keep providing him with sustenance. "I’ll sort it out after we leave the ship."