Aphrodite
Chapter 16

Throughout the night, Rachel was caught in a restless slumber, her mind besieged by harrowing visions of the Abaddon. The nightmares were vivid, filled with memories of the flame that had scorched her flesh and the merciless chill of ice. In the depths of her dreams, the frozen wall emerged again, its presence marked by a mournful, distant cry that chilled her to the bone.

The cry morphed into a deafening roar as it approached, and beyond the icy veil, a dark shape took form—it was him, the Abaddon. He hammered against the ice with a ferocity that matched his howls, cracks webbing across the surface yet holding firm against his assault. His voice, a menacing promise in the chill air, declared, “Aphrodite, I will break through. I will replace you.”

Rachel’s eyes flew open, her body quaking, drenched in a cold sweat. In the darkness, she fumbled for the blanket. Though it remained wrapped tightly around her, it provided no warmth. The dream had felt disturbingly real, her fingertips still tingling as if they had actually touched the ice.

Longing for the night’s terror to fade, she turned away, only to replace her eyes stinging and her body wearied from the relentless turmoil of her sleep. Yet, as she sought refuge in the darkness once more, the Abaddon’s roar echoed anew, this time with a horrifying immediacy, as if he prowled just beyond her sight. Jolting upright, she gasped for air, the room filled with the spectral howls of the creature, a sound so agonisingly close it seemed to emanate from within the walls themselves.

Rachel flung aside the blanket and sprang from the bed, noticing the dampness of her sheets from sweat. Her heart racing, she bolted to the door, attempting first to wrench the handle open. When it wouldn’t budge, she resorted to kicking it, and then, in desperation, began to bang on the door as she called out for help.

The response was not immediate. The sound of footsteps eventually reached her, but they did not rush; they approached with a deliberate, measured pace. Rachel stilled as the steps halted just beyond her door. Panting, she awaited the turning of the lock, the opening of the door. Yet, the moment of rescue she hoped for never came. Instead, the footsteps, frustratingly calm, began to retreat down the hallway.

Frustrated, she struck the door again, causing the wood to splinter and her hand to bleed. The figure returned but made no sound, only heightening her unease.

“Let me out,” she implored into the silence.

The response came chillingly calm. “You should stop hitting the door. The smell of your blood will only make me hungrier,” Vlad’s voice filtered through the door.

Taken aback by his strange and unsettling words, Rachel took a step back. “Open the door, Vlad,” she demanded, her voice firm yet edged with a growing panic.

“For your own safety, you will remain there until the sun rises,” he declared, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

Rachel felt a wave of claustrophobia wash over her; the room felt increasingly like a prison. “For my sanity, please let me out,” she pleaded, her voice echoing her desperation.

“I appreciate you asking so politely, but I must insist.”

Throwing her bleeding fist against the door, she hammered the hardwood repeatedly, though he remained silent. Finally, drained of energy and in pain, she ceased her efforts. “Let me out.”

“When the sun rises.”

“Or what, Vlad? What will you do?”

He paused, then cleared his throat, an audible sign of his discomfort. “It is not me I am worried about.”

“The noises. They’re real?”

With a soft click, the door unlocked and swung open, the hallway light cutting through the darkness of the room.“You heard noises?”

Rachel’s acknowledgment was silent, her eyes locked onto Vlad’s. There was a depth in his gaze as if he had just stepped off a battlefield. This vulnerability, so out of character for him, made her pause. “There’s a creature here, isn’t there?” she dared to ask, her intuition whispering that not all was as it seemed.

“There is nothing to be afraid of as long as you remain here until sunrise.”

“But you said this place was safe. These noises... I haven’t been able to sleep. Is there something here with us? You seem...different,” she pressed, her concern mounting at his uncharacteristic tenseness.

In a surprising gesture of tenderness, Vlad reached for her injured hand. She watched, as he delicately inhaled the scent of her blood. The sight of his emerging fangs should have terrified her, but instead, she found herself caught in his intense gaze. “I could offer you a different form of...distraction.”

Vlad’s unexpected release of her hand left her seeking more contact, her fingers replaceing their way to his chest, brushing against the fabric of his white t-shirt.

His eyebrow arched in response. “You should go back to bed,” he said as he began to close the door.

She reached out, her hand clasping firmly around his upper arm, halting him. “Please. There’s this sound, like a creature in agony, and it’s unbearable. I’m haunted by dreams of an ice wall,” she poured out her fears, “and then I hear him—his cries, his rage, his despair. It’s all too real.”

He faced her once more, his touch soft against her cheek. “It’s just a dream.”

But Rachel knew better. The vision of the Abaddon and the mark it had left on her had been too vivid, too intense to be mere figments of imagination. “If you could only hear what I hear, see the visions, then perhaps you’d understand.”

Sharing a peaceful silence, she took the opportunity to explore him. Her fingers traced over his chest, feeling the defined muscles that hinted at a strength not just for show but born from necessity, from endless conflicts that perhaps never truly ceased.

“What are you doing, Aphrodite?”

Narrowing the gap between them, she looked up into his eyes. Standing before her was someone who shared her desires. Behind his eyes lay the soul of a creature, barricaded behind a shield forged by battles and wars.

Emboldened, her hand reached up, hesitating only for a moment before her fingers grazed the tip of his left fang. She anticipated its sharpness, yet the slight puncture it made on her fingertip caught her by surprise. She withdrew her hand, a small bead of blood welling up and sliding down her skin.

Vlad’s eyes turned black. His breathing was heavy; no doubt he was trying to control himself as the scent of her precious blood lingered beneath his nose. She couldn’t help but admire his restraint amidst the temptation she unwittingly presented. Yet, she was acutely aware of the risk her actions posed.

When she began to retract her hand, Vlad’s response was swift but careful. He clasped her wrist and delicately traced his tongue over the droplet of blood on her finger, cleansing the wound. With a soft release of her wrist, he stepped back. “What are you doing? Are you trying to tempt me on purpose?”

“We are bonded. Keeping me locked away like some fairytale princess won’t change the reality of our connection. Please, stay.”

Vlad exhaled deeply, turning to shut the door. In one fluid motion, he stripped off his shirt and discarded it to the floor. As he faced her again, Rachel caught her breath, her gaze drawn to the defined contours of his chest now laid bare, noticing his eyes had reverted to their natural colour.

A sudden warmth flooded through her, dispelling the persistent cold that had lingered from her nightmares, filling her with an unexpected sense of comfort.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“You wanted me to stay, did you not?” Vlad’s voice softened as he placed his hand against her cheek, his touch warm against her cool skin. “Your skin is cool, and my touch seems to bring warmth. Will you return to bed, or shall we spend the time until sunrise standing here?”

“Where will you sleep?”

“Trust me, having me close will make you feel safer,” he said with a gentle confidence that somehow made her heart flutter.

“Um, alright.”

Moving back towards the bed, she felt a shiver run through her as the room’s chill enveloped her once more. Pulling back the blanket, she hesitated for a moment before sliding into the bed. The sheets were still cool and slightly damp from her restless sleep.

As she settled onto her side and drew the blanket up, she felt the mattress dip on the other side. The sheets rustled as Vlad positioned himself behind her, his chest pressing against her back. Initially, she stiffened, but soon warmth spread through her.

“How do you do that?” she asked.

“Do what?”

“Make the cold disappear? I’ve been struggling all night under this blanket to get warm, but I couldn’t shake off the cold sweat. As soon as you’re next to me, everything feels...right again. And now that I think about it, those eerie sounds stopped the moment you came in.”

“I think you know why.”

As Vlad’s fingers glided over her skin, a trail of goosebumps followed his touch. Starting from her shoulder, he traced down her arm with the gentlest pressure, until his fingers reached the tattoo on her wrist. There, he paused, encircling her wrist with his hand. The sensation of his touch was intense sparking a warmth that radiated deeply into her very being.

“The stronger our bond is, the weaker his hold on you,” he whispered. “It’s not the portal itself that needs protecting. You need to be protected to maintain the portal.”

As Vlad’s words lingered in the air, Rachel felt an undeniable pull towards him, a connection that went beyond the need for warmth or protection—it was as if his very presence kept the darkness at bay. Each of his touches ignited something within her, deepening her feelings.

She shifted to face him, their eyes meeting in the darkness. His eyes, a captivating shade of emerald with flecks of gold, flickered with an inner fire. She reached out, her fingers weaving through his hair, marvelling at its unexpected softness.

A subtle smile curved Vlad’s lips as his hand caressed her cheek, his thumb grazing her skin, sending a cascade of tingles down her spine. This simple gesture awakened a deep longing within her, a desire that seemed to echo his own. The intensity of their connection was almost overwhelming, as if their souls were reaching out to one another, seeking solace and understanding.

As they continued to explore each other’s presence, the world around them seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them and the unspoken bond that continued to grow stronger.

In that moment, everything else seemed to fade away, leaving them in their own little universe where only they existed. What had begun as an unintended connection had blossomed into a realm of new possibilities for Rachel. This growing bond between them, once a mere accident, now felt like the guiding hand of fate, drawing them together.