The Ghost of Atlantis (BL)

The next morning, Nikola had a slight headache. Wei Caihong was still wrapped around him. Ever since Nikola had cured him of his little sun problem, the vampire had become capable of sleeping.

 He looked peaceful, and Nikola noticed that he had been drooling on his shoulder. Nikola shifted and pushed at Wei Caihong roughly.

 The man woke with a start, and then he looked at the annoyed Nikola. He smiled at him and leaned down to kiss the tip of his nose.

"I had the most pleasant dream, my Emerald. I was still human and you were my concubine. I was lapping up honey from your skin, and afterward I took you again in the bathing room. It was pure bliss," Wei Caihong even had the gall to smirk.

Nikola rolled his eyes. Oh, the man was still young, and his mind seemed to only care about one thing. Not that Nikola was willing to indulge him. After all, the only thing he needed from Wei Caihong was the man's blood.

"Well, that is enough sex for you, then," Nikola said, grumpy at being called a concubine. A glorified sex slave. He pushed further away from Wei Caihong. Chains appeared around him. He sighed. It seemed he wouldn't be left alone for quite some time.

"I need to teach you something," the chains disappeared and Wei Caihong got up, tracing the places where the chains had wrapped themselves around Nikola.

"In the bathing room. I am eager to learn how to freeze water and how to heat it," the noble even sounded eager, Nikola had to admit. That did nothing for his poor mood.

 Nikola huffed at that.

"You just want an excuse to see me naked!"

Wei Caihong sent him a look as if to say, why yes, is it that obvious? The noble moved himself so that he could bite Nikola's neck easier.

"We both need to drink. Don't resist," the whispered words were the only warning Wei Caihong gave him.

 Nikola felt fangs break his skin. He looked down on Wei Caihong's neck.

He craned his neck as well as he could and bit down too. Nikola told himself that he would do this until the ritual was complete. Once he no longer needed Wei Caihong, he would suffer until he got clean.

Penemue loved him, wanted him! Wei Caihong could not be allowed to step between them!

He would have Penemue with him. To hold his hand and support him throughout the process.

Wei Caihong would be left with nothing.

Releasing the flesh below from his bite after he had had his fill, Nikola waited for Wei Caihong to do the same. He took longer, Nikola waiting patiently, arms stubbornly remaining at his side instead of wrapping around Wei Caihong like he had done many times before.

 Wei Caihong finally released him and they both got up and went to the bathing room. Nikola's stomach grumbled, but that could wait. For now, he needed to uphold his end of the deal.

Wei Caihong seemed to be a natural when it came to freezing water. Heating it up proved to be a challenge for him. They were both inside the bathing barrel, ice floating around them. Slight steam rose from the barrel, but they were both shivering.

"Concentrate. You need to first feel the warmth inside you and then to project it," Nikola's voice broke from the cold more than once.

If Wei Caihong didn't heat the water, then he would catch a fever. Maybe Wei Caihong would catch one too, but with how cold he normally was, that was doubtful.

"I'm trying, but every time I do I feel so as if I am burning on the inside. Are you trying to turn me to ashes with this lesson, my Emerald?"

Nikola blinked. He hadn't thought of it this way. Perhaps everything that had to do with fire was simply outside of Wei Caihong's domain?

 But then the lesson wouldn't be complete, and he had promised to teach the noble two things. What else could he teach him that had to do with water?

"The exchange has to be fair. I need to teach you something else then. How would you like to learn to supplant your blood with water?"

Wei Caihong looked at him with interest.

"This is a healing spell, isn't it?"

Nikola nodded, taking Wei Caihong's hand and touching his wrist gently. A cut appeared. Nikola held the wound over the edge of the barrel, so it could drip outside.

He levitated some water and brought it to the wound as Wei Caihong watched. The water sipped inside the wound, closing it.

"Blood is made up mostly of water. Transfusions can't be made without magic. You got a good feel of the magic, didn't you?"

There was a glim in Wei Caihong's eyes for just a second. A glim which promised much and yet nothing at all.

Nikola did not know how to feel about the noble's gaze.

"Can I produce blood for drinking this way?" Wei Caihong asked, still staring at his wrist. "To keep a human captive instead of having to hunt and then drink from the transformed water?"

Nikola hummed, considering it. There was no reason why it couldn't be done. But that brought the problem of keeping someone captive.

"Focus on mastering this, so we can both leave here. The water is freezing, and I am still not recovered enough to heat it."

Hours later, for Wei Caihong had hurt himself more than once by freezing the water in his veins accidentally instead of transforming it into blood, they were out and into fresh robes.

Wei Caihong in rich dark silks with red trims, while Nikola was in more modest deep blue cotton ones.

"I'm going to go to granny Nuo Nuying. See what she has been up to," Nikola said.

When Wei Caihong moved to follow him, he turned around, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Alone," he added, his green eyes narrowed.

He turned around, not looking back. When he didn't hear any footsteps following him, his shoulders slumped in relief.

The kind old grandmother would scold him after hearing the truth from him, or at least, that, which he would be willing to share with her.

Nikola wanted the clarity her advice would bring him. Maybe it was because she had been the first person to show him kindness in these strange lands, but he could not imagine himself taking the advice of anyone else.

He walked slowly, but with purpose. No one paid him any mind, letting him get lost in his thoughts.

Letting him ask himself questions which he did not want to get the answers to.