Daughter of Night, Part 2

The cough that convulsed Shandri's entire body made her spit blood. She wiped it away with a trembling hand that he held out to offer. There was not the slightest trace of fear in the eyes of his beloved wife.

Vlad leaned down and placed the most tender of her kisses on the feverish palm of her hand, then licked the blood from her fingers. He closed his eyes to savor her. He tasted the pain he suffered. He hurt every fiber of his being, but he licked every last drop from his palm.

"Drink from me, drain me, let it be you who finish me off, prevent our daughter's first victim from being her own mother."

That he could do. Grant him that little mercy. He couldn't tell himself that he had never killed anyone. Although for Vlad the choice of words of Shandri, 'the first victim', was peculiar, that meant that she was sure, or at least suspected, of what would be the path that their daughter would follow.

"Is that what you want, my love?"