A Droplet Is Never Enough (1)

"I'll start by telling you my name. I'm Calista, I've been working for him for ten years until I got fired. Probably don't look the part, but I'm thirty-five." The redhead woman said while taking a swig from a metal flask she pulled out.

Although her lips were tinted a dark pink that bordered a Rosie color, they were stained crimson with a thick substance she licked off moments later. "He's never really...how can I put this," She thought with a twist of full lips. "Had someone like you working for him. Someone that seems more human than the rest of the world. I could see why he wanted someone like that around. Heard your files are a dead end too. Perfect for someone like you to work here."

Ari glimpsed back at the woman before heading to the counters for an intense scrub down. "I wouldn't have guessed you were anything over twenty five." The careful way Calista chose her words told her that there was something more. Like earlier, it felt like an inside thing she didn't quite understand.

In movies and shows the only good that came from having no real background for people to sift through was because whatever you were doing could get you killed. But wasn't he just making sex toys? Hardly a thrilling affair. Maybe his old secretary was just jazzing up the story.

Through their talk and her thinking, Ari actually managed to get quite a bit done although the rag had seen better days. The dirt was built up so thick the once white color was black. Along with her hands and nails. "Someone human and dispensable doesn't exactly sound like a good thing."

"It isn't about being dispensable. Never said that," She tapped her nails on the table, glimpsing up at her. "It's the fact that in this world there's a lot of humans but not humanity. You're one of the few I think he could learn from. If that makes sense. Not that we aren't human or anything." She flashed a fangy smile. "It probably isn't the reason he took you in. Hell, I never know what he's thinking."

"I suppose that makes sense. I don't have any other questions. Everything else is straightforward." Ari smiled her appreciation then returned to cleaning. Seconds ticked into minutes, minutes bled to hours until she wasn't sure how long they'd been down there but eventually the job was done.

Calista snapped her book closed, dust floating in the air before she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Now it is time to practice the most essential steps. Follow me." The redhead walked into the elevator and they ascended just as slowly as they descended before.

Wherever they were going seemed to be the highest floor in the mansion. A narrow dark walled hallway that had no doors but at the end. Two knocks, then Calista opened the door to Mr. Draconis standing in front of the mirror. "Prepare his bath."

Ari wheeled into the room slowly, a bit hesitant to fulfill what seemed to be a silly request to her. She sat there for a moment observing him in the mirror. Now that she was chair bound she realized how tall he truly was. Long but not lanky. With enough muscle to fill out the suits he wore although she was positive they were all custom tailored so would have been flattering either way. She shook her head at such vanity, finally speaking up. "How do you like your bath?"

"Scalding hot." Alaric said, raising a hand to shoo Calista off. She left without a word, only a roll of her eyes as he sat down on the edge of the bed with his gaze following Ari. There were dark circles under his eyes despite the fact his skin was always so nice and perfect, oddly seeming weak. Even for the short time she'd known him, he had never slouched like he was doing now.

Once she was at the tub and had the stopper firmly in place, Ari flipped on the hot water. "Are you sick? You aren't looking so well." When she turned back to face him even his eyes seemed dull. Like something had drained the life right out of him. She wheeled closer and placed the back of her hand against his forehead to check for fever. Meanwhile the tub slowly filled the room with steam from the burning waters. "I can't even pick on you if you're going to look like this."

Alaric's eyes lidded when she pressed her hand against his forehead, there was a bit of an impossible heat that rose up from the spot her palm rested on. "I'm fine," He grabbed her wrist, shifting her hand away before standing. "Stop my water, it's almost full. You don't have to worry about the wheelchair. If you trip I've got you. The wheels are squeaky and they're hurting my ears." Although they hadn't made a sound.

Her mouth set into a frown at his dismissal. She was pretty sure that he was running a fever but hopefully the bath would help. That had to be the source of his brusque demand. For the sake of taking it easy on him, regardless of her own anxiety around standing again, Ari complied.

"You get weirder by the minute," came mumbled while she carefully scooted off the chair into a stand. Again her legs were shaky but she moved slowly, one foot in front of the other. The bath hadn't been that far away. When she came close enough instead of forcing those last few steps, Ari stretched out with her arms and pushed the nozzle off.

When she turned around Alaric was standing behind her, and there was a slight feather of air that wafted around them like something had moved by fast, too quick and a short distance for anything else to blow from its place off the shelves.

Those usual grey eyes were so dark they looked like black clouds amidst a severe storm, readying to consume all the light in the skyline. Alaric stared at her for a long moment in silence, his gaze lowering to her lips then back to her own gaze.

Ari felt trapped by the intense feverish look in his eyes, so glassy she could make out her own reflection. The moment was tense as if she were waiting for something to happen to break the trance they both seemed to fall under. She hadn't expected him to be that close; where the lingering cologne on his skin wafted with the hot steam filling the room with a heady scent.

Unfortunately her legs were still weak and Ari tripped a little, grabbing onto him for support. "Sorry! Sorry..I just um..sorry." Normally she wasn't one to mince words but for some odd reason she found herself nervous beneath such heavy scrutiny.

His arm reflexively wrapped around Ari's waist, giving her more support than she needed since she was already leaned against his brought. Alaric's mouth was near her shoulder, and his gaze had lowered to her neck where the veins hid beneath her skin.

He brushed the tip of his nose along her collarbone, up her neck, then stopped where his mouth was by her ear. "You're clumsy, your shoe is on my toe, and you can get out of the bathroom now." Deep and raspy his voice came, though there was a tremble in his words and in his arm that was around her waist.

His nearness brought a flush of heat creeping up her neck all the way to the tips of her ears that burned red. Her heart stuttered at such a gentle caress coming from someone who seemed to despair of her.

Ari's grasp on Alaric's shoulder tightened reflexively though moments later his words grounded her once more. She took a step back but didn't move another inch. "You're sick." Her voice cracked and she had to clear her throat to continue. "I won't leave you by yourself." Especially not with vengeful ghosts lurking about.

"You are such a nuisance at times," Alaric managed to say, leaning close like he'd kiss her before he slumped forward against her, his pull weight sending them both down on the floor. He landed on his back while she lay on top, his eyes closed, chest still rising and falling. He seemed asleep.

Ari rose up on both elbows just watching him for a moment. He seemed exhausted for whatever reason. Maybe he worked himself into a cold. Either way the bathroom floor was no place to sleep.

Very gently she pushed his shoulder in an attempt to rouse him. "Hey, wake up! You can't just fall out of nowhere." Her plea was met with soft snores. She pursed her lips and snapped next to his ear. "I can't carry you. You have to wake up." Earlier he said that Benjamin never entered his room and he'd sent Calista away hastily.

Ari sighed in frustration. "And I'm the nuisance? You clearly aren't even taking care of yourself."

His eyes slightly opened when she stopped shaking his shoulders, using an elbow to push himself into a seated position. "And neither do you," He said deeply while leaning forward, leaving her trapped between him and the side of the quartz tub. A

laric remained extremely close to her like he had before, though this time he brushed his lips against her mouth before glimpsing into her eyes with his own dark ones that seemed to swallow everything whole. A primal sound was in his breathing. "You don't listen. I told you to go." He said again.

She barely seemed to breathe at the light touch of his lips. Never would she have guessed the man sitting before her knew how to be gentle. Her tongue trailed across her lower lip, wetting it against the sudden parched feeling in her throat. Even if she wanted to leave him, she couldn't.

Ari peered up at him through long thick lashes, pupils blown wide in the forever dim room. "I won't leave you here like this by yourself. Let me help." She reached up to smooth a few dark strands back into place. "You need me right now."

Alaric pressed his mouth against her own completely, parting her lips as he kissed her with a fiery passion that wouldn't change the insatiable hunger that burned the back of his throat. It was an itch he couldn't scratch, a wound he couldn't slap a bandaid on, and his hands held her face between them, thumbs digging into her cheeks just as roughly as he kissed her.

There was something about the way his kind had turned their feeding intimate, taunting the craving until it overflowed. He could hear her heart in his ears, the blood whooshing through her veins, fueling every breath she took.

The sensation of his kiss sent pleasant chills down her spine, surprising and anticipated all at once. Her hands clasped onto his wrists giving a gentle pull to ease his grip on her face. His hold was a cage that her brain couldn't discern whether it wanted to stay trapped or enjoy the sweet safety offered in such a gesture.

There was no room for air or sound between them with her mouth caught on his entangled in a deep kiss. Ari couldn't stop herself from welcoming the parting of her own lips even though her stomach flipped.

When her hand had tightened on his own wrist, he bit down on her bottom lip, drawing a little blood before he shifted his head so that his mouth was now on her neck. His body was trembling worse than it had been before. There was an odd rush he'd never felt before tumbling through him; a forest fire without an end. That craving he felt was a thousand times worse than when he hadn't had a drop of her blood.

He grabbed her by the throat. Those eyes were no longer black or grey, but an emberish color rising above the coals. Again, he went for her neck, mouth open, readying to extract the natural weapons that'd leave her a corpse on the bathroom floor, but a knock on the door stopped him.

Alaric pushed himself back forcefully. "Get out. I told you I was fine the first time." His voice was far deeper than before and he spoke with a growl entangled in the back of his throat.

Benjamin came inside. "Mr. Draconis, I'll handle it and get your pills for today. The shipment was late. Come, Madame. Without his medication he gets delirious, he doesn't wish to hurt you." He extended a gloved hand.

Alaric leaned forward gripping his chest, wet coughing as his dark hair fell into his face. His breathing somehow sounded monstrous, a rabbit dog or vicious beast. From his sitting position, he was hunched over on his hands and knees.

The moment she reached the door he was across the room, a terrifying sound leaving his mouth. Benjamin slammed the door shut. It rattled and thudded as though someone was slamming themselves against it.

"Ari, open the door." A sound that didn't quite belong to Mr. Draconis.

"Go to your room." Benjamin requested, gesturing to her wheelchair.