“We should go down and find some blood for you,” Xipe said softly. He was sitting with his back against the backrest of the bed, slowly tracing the tattoos on my back. I was lying on his stomach, my arms around him.

“No,” I murmured and clenched my grip around him.

“No? You can’t just say no. You must be starving.”

I grabbed his arm and sank my teeth into his skin, not wanting to leave. This had to be good enough. He groaned loudly and tipped his head back, his eyes sliding shut. He started stroking my head, urging me to keep going.

“Oh gods,” he murmured under his breath.

I ran my tongue over the bleeding sores and Xipe gasped. He softly pressed down on my head to make me bite him again, but I pulled up. I sat up, my knees on either side of him and kissed him.

“You still need human blood,” Xipe said against my lips.

“I don’t want any. I just want you,” I breathed and moved down to his throat.

“My blood is not enough, Fakkel.”

“Yes, it is,” I said and bit down on his throat. He winced but didn’t stop me.

We had been gone all day. We had barely slept and Xipe had been a horrible host to his guests. But he preferred to stay here with me. Letting me feed on him.

“Listen to me,” he murmured.

I licked the blood off his skin, a trail having formed down his chest.

“You’re so annoying,” he chuckled and repositioned a little, giving me an easier access to the other side of his throat.

“You don’t think I’m annoying,” I said and bit down his skin again. He groaned softly and ran his hand over my chest and lifted his hips a bit.

“That’s enough, Frej,” he said and very gently pushed me back. “You’re practically glowing already.”

“But you’re tasty,” I snorted and kissed him. He flicked his tongue over my lips and then pulled back.

“I want you to feed on a human today. It’s better for you. My blood… It’s not really something you should feed on regularly.” He softly kissed me, his hand on the back of my neck. “It’ll make you stronger but I’m not sure what else could happen to you.”

“Why is it any different from the humans’?”

“Because they’re alive. I’m not. Not like they are. And neither are you. We need the life they have flowing in their veins.” He kissed the corner of my jaw and I tipped my head up. “And when you have their blood in you, you’ll feel stronger. Better. Warmer.” His voice was as soft as the silk linens on the bed, and so were his hands as he started caressing me. “I’ll have a servant come here and you’ll feed on it.”

I didn’t want him to do that, but before I got time to protest, he was out of bed, dressed in a robe and out of the door. I sighed loudly and slapped my arm over my face. He still hadn’t explained anything. He was so bad at actually explaining things to me and I was ridiculously bad at asking the right questions. We kept getting so distracted.

There was a knock on the door, and I removed my arm. Zitzi stood in the opening, leaning against the frame of the door.

I hurried to cover up. but she just smiled and shook her head at me. “Don’t hide, Frej. You’re a lovely sight.”

I felt my cheeks burn with a passion and I held on to the covers as if I’d die without them around me.

“Your tattoos are magnificent. I can understand why Tec would want to hide you away.”

“He’s not hiding me...” I murmured.

“He most definitely is.” She pulled her silk robe closer around her shoulders and smiled. Her hair was loose, hanging down in soft curls below her waist. “Our world won’t accept you two. They’ll look down on you, Frej. Just know that I won’t. Watching my brother be happy for once is a nice change.”

I didn’t know what to say. I felt like I should be grateful for how she didn’t condemn me, but at the same time, I didn’t understand what she was trying to tell me. Why would people not be okay with Xipe and me? That’s what I truly wanted to know and something no one felt a need to tell me, apparently.

He returned, kissed his sister on her cheek and led a servant into the room. He was a young man, the servant. Large. He knelt down in front of me, in front of the bed. Then he raised his hand, wrist up.

“He’s under a compulsion, Fakkel.” Xipe looked expectantly down at me.

When I hesitated, he looked back at Zitzi. “I’ll leave you to it.” She bowed at me and closed the door after her.

“Frej, you have to feed.” Xipe was clearly losing his patience.

I looked back at the servant. His skin was as pale as mine, but his hair was jet black. Startling blue eyes were glued to the floor and he was patiently waiting.

“It’s yours while we’re here. It’ll stay clean of anything for you, while it feeds you.” Xipe sat down next to me and took the servant’s hand in his. “Feed.”

I clenched my jaw. I didn’t like this. Xipe was willingly letting me feed on him but this servant… Was he even aware of what was happening?

“What’s your name?” I asked.

The servant didn’t even react.

“It doesn’t have a name, Frej. It’s food, not a person. Now feed.” His impatience was overflowing and… I didn’t want to disappoint him.

I lowered my head to the man’s wrist and bit down. His blood tasted nothing like Xipe’s. It was more bitter. Not as sweet or as warm, but I was hungry. I hadn’t even realised until I was feeding on this human how hungry I had been.

“That’s enough,” Xipe murmured. He dismissed the servant who didn’t even look phased by what had happened. “You feel better?”

I nodded and felt drowsy. With Xipe’s blood, I always felt more awake, but humans’ blood just made me tired. I lied down on my back and waited for the room to stop spinning.

“Don’t fight me on this again, Fakkel.” He was whispering in my ear. “I need you to trust me. When I ask you to do something, you’ll do it.”

I nodded very slowly and opened my eyes. “I don’t like hurting people.”

“It doesn’t matter, lover. They don’t matter.” He kissed me softly and chuckled. “You’re so beautiful, you know that?”

“You’re just trying to change the subject,” I muttered and snuggled closer to him.

“Maybe I am,” he whispered. “Maybe I just want to seduce you.”

I chuckled and circled my arms around him, pulling him down to me.

***

I very softly opened the door and poked my head in. Ton, Zitzi and Xipe were occupying the little sitting room, chatting casually to each other.

“Frej,” Xipe said softly and beckoned me to come in. “Ton was just telling me of how it’s going at home.”

I tentatively entered the sitting room and sat down next to Xipe, our thighs pressed against each other. He leaned in and kissed me softly on the cheek, taking my hand in his.

“You should see it someday, Frej. Our temples are in the process of being built as we speak.” Ton smiled at me.

I softened up a bit and leaned against Xipe as he put his arm around my shoulders.

“I would love to see it.”

“It’s so warm there compared to here. Much better weather,” Zitzi chimed in and took a sip of her goblet. “You’d love it, Frej, I’m sure.”

“I’m not too fond of warmth. The winter is my season,” I said hesitantly.

“Well, you have fire in you. No wonder you don’t like more heat.” Ton winked at me and I ran my hand through my hair. I liked Xipe’s siblings.