They Say That True Love Hurts, Well This Could Almost Kill Me

The past few nights, I had been locked up in the room with Tempest. No one came in, and no one came out. He hasn’t been eating, or drinking blood, for that matter. Neither did I. As long as he was unhappy, I couldn’t leave, or eat. I felt bad for him, very bad. Every once in a while, I would hear him sniffle. I’ve never seen a vampire cry.

But I would cry, too, if my father died, let alone be assassinated. And, since his father had been a vampire, I’m sure he had lived for a long time, I’m sure this killed him.

And so, I watched him lay in his bed, for the third night in a row. He sniffled again, and I felt sadness overwhelm me. Should I do something?

Of course, I made the stupidest decision of my life.

But, this decision could save me from starving.

I slipped off my cot, and edged closer to Tempests’ bed. He didn’t move at all, so I kept going.

With every step, my mind kept screaming at me to turn back. To retreat, and never look back. A small part kept telling me to run to the door. But the most of me was determined to do what I was about to do.

I went to side of the bed, and leaned forward, my hands on the bed. “Tempest?”

He didn’t answer, so I put my hand out, ready to touch him.

But he grabbed my hand and yanked to forward. I toppled onto him, my knees on the mattress, and my chest on his. I sat there in shock, looking into his metallic silver eyes.

“What are you doing?” He sneered.

“I-I wanted to help.” I stammered.

He let go, and I stumbled back. There were red circles under his eyes, and they were watery.

“T-Tempest?” I asked.

I sat there for at least a minute, trying to figure out what to do, when….something just happened.

I slipped in the bed, and stared at his back a moment, my arm outstretched. I shivered, not in disgust, but out of fright, but put my hand on his arm, rubbing him reassuringly. I could see him tense under his clothes at my touch, and I felt at about tears, realizing how much trouble I would in for even touching the prince.

“I….I really am sorry.” I said. I knew it wasn’t my fault his father died, but it was probably what he needed to hear right now. He shuddered, and I knew he was raining down tears, so I wrapped my arm around him, laying my face against his back. He seemed to relax, though for some reason, now, I didn’t want to pull away.

I fell asleep like that, that night. Though, I move a lot in my sleep, so I probably pulled away. But still, he never hit me. I never felt pain anywhere.

Tempest’s POV:
As the night went on, I could feel Blaze pull away, twisting to turn the other way, and I felt cold.

I twisted around also, wrapping my arm around her waist and pulling her closer. I buried my face in her back, and fell asleep for the first time in about three days.



The sun through the window from the balcony, and I rubbed my eyes irritably. I tried to sit up, but an arm was restraining me to the bed. I looked to my side, and suddenly, last night came back to me. But hadn’t my arm been wrapped around him? How did it switch around?

I pulled his arm off me, and in response, he stirred, turning the other way. I slipped from the bed, and walked to the door. Even while twisting the knob, I kept my head turned to make sure he was asleep. I closed the door behind me, as quietly as I could.

The door didn’t come down, there wasn’t a roar or growl of anger coming from behind. It was completely silence.

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I had been holding, and continued down the corridor. Making my way toward the kitchen, as you would expect from being locked up in a room for three days.

I just made a simple sandwich and ate it quickly, before digging in the fridge again.

This time, searching for blood.

It wasn’t very hard to find, it was sort of just….there. I grabbed one, and set it on the counter, before grabbing a tall cup, filling it, and then putting it in the microwave. I wasn’t sure how to warm it up, or how Tempest usually did, but I started at thirty seconds and kept going higher till it was warm enough.

“Psst!” Someone said, and startled, I jerked around to the voice.

There was a woman, in maids’ garbs who stood at the kitchen doorway. She had brown hair that went to her shoulders, and her face looked especially smug. She had thick lips that especially stretched across her face when she smiled, which would thin them out. She had a full body, very full. I felt self-conscious just looking at her.

“Yes?” I asked, turning to face her.

“I heard you had some fun with the prince last night.” She said, arms crossed over her chest.

“What?” I asked sternly. I searched her eyes for some explanation, but came up with nothing.

“You know. When you slept with him?”

The fierce hatred in her eyes told me she was talking about sex, not just “sleeping.”

“What are you talking about?” I demanded. Why would she say that? And what would she have against me?

“You skanky bitch, you know what I’m talking about!” And with that, she picked up a chair, and threw it at me. I flinched, but it only hit the counter behind, and beside me.

“I don’t—“

I didn’t even finish. She attacked me, her hands on my shoulders and forcing me back to the counter. I gasped, and tried pushing her back. Her nails dig into Tempest’s t-shirt, but I kept pushing. She won over, and forced me sideways.

I landed on the table, which collapsed under me. How did she do that? She was a maid, right? Could she possibly be a vampire?

No, that’s no vampire.

Her eyes turned to charcoal black, and black flames licked at her fingertips. I gasped, trying to scramble up on the broken wood, but she grabbed me by the shoulders once again, and threw me to the counter.

The counters edge stabbed into my back, and I screamed.

I guess, for a way to shut me up, she threw her hand at my face, and her nails clawed into my skin. My scream turned into a pathetic whimper, as I felt her black fire burn into my skin.

My hands searched the counter, for a weapon, and just as she came at me again, my hand gripped the glass full of blood, and slammed it on her head.

I sat there breathing heavily, looking at her body that lay on the tile. Blood was everywhere, and I sure hoped that most of it was hers, not the blood packets.

Just then, Ella came in, running. “Oh, my—“ She stopped. “What happened?”

Then, behind her, Tempest appeared.

I ran into Ella’s arms. She wrapped her arms around me. “It’s okay, darling. What happened?”

I shuddered at recalling what she did.

“I c-came down here to eat. And she—appeared.” Ella nodded. “She accused me of things, and then she attacked me. She….she had black fire—coming from her hands.”

“What did she accuse you of?”

I looked desperately between Ella and Tempest, trying to find an easy way of saying, but of course, there was no easy way out. I swallowed and said, “Of sleeping with Tempest.”

Ella’s mouth formed into a tight line, and she went to check the girls pulse. “This is Melanie.” She said, her voice calm.

“M-melanie?” I didn’t know who she was, then again, I didn’t know a lot of people here.

“Yes. She….had an unhealthy crush on the Prince.” She stood, and looked between me and Tempest. “Her family had been killed by vampires, and I don’t know what made her get such an obsession. But, early this morning, I….” She hesitated, looking down, but then back up to meet our eyes. “I opened the door. I wanted to check on Blaze. But, she had somehow ended up in my room, and was looking over my shoulder.” She looked guilty as hell, and I knew she was scared of being in trouble.

I wouldn’t let anyone touch her though.

“W-Why did she have those flames?” I asked.

“She’s studying witchcraft.” Tempest guessed, and Ella shot up at that.

“But how?” She asked, astonished.

“We have witchcraft books in the library. She probably got it from there.”

The room was silent, as Ella looked for Melanie’s head injury. “I don’t see any injuries on her.”

I breathed in, and explained, “I had a glass of blood out, and when she came at me, I slammed it on her head.”

There was silence, but then, “Ella, get the guards and tell them to burn her body.”

“But—“ I tried to put in. The girl just had problems. Strangely, I didn’t blame her. She had fallen in love. Was that her fault? She saw me in bed with him, and that probably broke her heart. When Ella said she had an unhealthy obsession, I knew that meant she needed “mental help.” That wasn’t her fault.

“She needs to be burned.” Tempest had jerked around at my voice, coming about an inch away from my face. “That’s the only way to kill a witch.”

I looked up at him, and after thinking through, I nodded.