He had been beautiful once. Earlier today, he had been beautiful. His eyes were as green as the pinewood trees surrounding the clearing, his hair as red as the flames which had danced across his body hours ago. His skin brought pearls across the globe to shame.

I shouldn’t have watched him. His life was none of my business. But from the second I saw him I knew I wanted him. I wanted him in ways I hadn’t even thought possible for someone like me. The more I watched him the more enthralled I became by him. He was magnificent. Smart. Clever. Well-liked. I was in over my head with this obsession.

I emerged from the pines, leaving them behind me and clearing the distance between me and the boy. I tried to tell myself I was just going for a closer look, but I knew what I was doing. I had been planning on doing this ever since I heard of his sacrifice.

It was so wrong, I tried to tell myself. It was wrong. But that didn’t stop me. I didn’t stop walking until I made it to the remnants of the sacrificial pyre. I climbed it and stopped by the pole he was bound to, his arms above his head.

He was breathing, though his body was completely burned. He wasn’t really alive. Not like he had been earlier. I was the one keeping him here in this realm.

I bit down on my lip with my fang, puncturing the tender skin, drawing blood. I cupped the burned boy’s cheek and tipped his head up. A soundless whimper rocked through his body. He was in pain.

I’d take away that pain right now.

I leaned in and kissed him. At first, he didn’t react, but then he must’ve tasted my blood. He started to hesitantly kiss me back. Strength returned to his body as it healed.

I breathed life into his frail body, softly running my hand up his arm to where his wrists were bound above his head. I broke the rope with little effort and his arms came down around my neck, pulling me closer to him. He was rapidly healing now, hungrily kissing me, drinking the blood from my lip.

I gently guided him down on the burned wood. I had to complete the ritual but I kind of forgot how it went. The fire had obviously burned his clothes and his naked skin pressed against my body.

He started pulling on my tunic, pulling it over my head. I raised my arms for him and then he was back at my mouth. He was so wild. He hadn’t even said anything. Neither had I. All we both needed was this right here.

I moved down to his neck, kissed it briefly and then sank my teeth into it. He whimpered loudly, the sound of his voice sweet music in my ears. As I fed on him, he started undoing the belt holding up my trousers. Without stopping I helped him pull them down. My hands ran over his body as his ran over mine. Before long I was inside of him and he was moaning. And I fed on him. I could taste the fire in his blood.

His lean body was squirming under me, moving more than I was. I wasn’t sure what he’d like so I let him do what he wanted. Whatever he wanted, I wanted.

I finally released his throat, brought my wrist to my mouth and bit down on it, drawing blood. I tipped his head up and with my fingers on his chin, I opened his mouth. I let the black drops of blood fall down into his mouth. His eyes were closed, and he just submissively let me feed him.

This was so stupid, but I had never felt like this before. I had never encountered any mortal like him before. I knew I needed him more than I’d ever needed anything in my life.

He gasped and his eyes flew open, meeting my gaze. He wasn’t alarmed though. His cheeks had the most delightful rosy colour and his eyes were hooded as he just continued to observe me. I was done if he was, and he was done. I lifted off him, brought him into my embrace and carried him back to the small hut I had found abandoned.

It was well sheltered, and no one would come looking for us here between the pinewood trees. It was just a small thing with only one room, a small fireplace and then a bed. It was all very rustic and not fancy. But it would do for a while.

I gently put him down on the bed and was about to rise, but he held on to me, pulling me down with him. He didn’t want to be alone. I could feel it.

I lied down beside him and pulled the various furs over us. He snuggled close to me, his forehead against my chest, both of us laying on our sides, facing each other.

He didn’t even question me. He said nothing as he calmly fell asleep. I couldn’t possibly fall asleep. Not now. Not when he was finally in my arms.

Min fakkel. My torch.