38. Sylvester’s Ego

"Hey! Come and get these chains off me, then you can go back to hating me or whatever it is you're feeling right now," Joana snapped.

[What's the holdup, Cara? Complete the mission,] Hagrit urged in her mind.

'She's barking orders at me. I want her to beg.'

[You know she won't do that.]

How would I know? I can't read her mind, remember?

[Let me ask you one thing: do you want to end the life you've just started living because you can't handle a powerful, arrogant woman?]

Cara hesitated, Hagrit's words cutting through her frustration. Joana yelled again, her voice raw with pain. "These chains are ripping through my bones! Get them off me now. Or wait, are you afraid the silver will affect you?"

Cara stepped closer, her expression unreadable. "No, I'm not afraid of the silver chains."

"Then what's stopping you from removing them?" Joana challenged, writhing on the ground.

Cara leaned in, her tone sharp. "I want you to ask nicely. I'm not your servant. In fact I want you to beg."

Joana locked eyes with her, her defiance waning under the intensity of Cara's gaze. After a moment, she sighed. "Only a man would be this egotistical. But fine, I'll be nice. Please, Cara, help me out of these chains. I'm begging you."

Satisfied, Cara quickly worked to remove the chains, careful to avoid their burning touch, even though they weren't actually burning her.

The scent of scorched flesh lingered as she tossed the restraints aside.

[Were you really going to let her die?]

'I think you know the answer to that question, Hagrit?'

[I still want to hear it.]

'I wouldn't have let her die. The way she spoke to me just took me back to how people spoke to me in my former life. I just couldn't let that happen again.'

'There's no need to talk about that again, she at least understand that she can't fuck with me.'

[I am surprised you didn't ask why the goddess wanted you to save her?]

'Why?' Cara asked, suddenly curious.

[Joana is your way into the vampire society, how else did you think you were going to get in?]

'Sorry, I didn't think about that.'

[There's always a strong reason for random missions. It is important that you know this.]

'Ok, got it.'

Joana's body began healing immediately, the deep burns and cuts vanishing before Cara's eyes.

"Wow. You heal fast," Cara remarked, unable to hide her amazement.

"Yeah, one of the perks of being a vampire," Joana said, flexing her arms. Her voice was steady now, though her body still trembled. "Now, what do we do with those two?" She nodded toward Mylo and Rodney.

Cara turned to see Mylo stirring, now fully conscious and awake, helping Rodney to his feet.

She approached them, but before she could act, the two brothers stumbled away, disappearing into the night, while Cara watched.

"So, you are letting them go?" Joana asked, leaning against a tree for support, clearly still weak.

"I can't kill anyone right now, it would be a lot of mess for me to clean up," Cara replied. "And don't forget, their brothers already ran off. If I kill these two, they will use it to get me arrested. I can't risk that."

Joana smirked. "That is probably smart. But don't forget to watch your back. Those men will come for you, and when they do, they'll stab you in it. They will rip your guts out and flay you. I can 100% guarantee it."

'Let them try,' Cara thought. 'Next time, I'll be ready.'

She turned back to Joana, noticing the vampire still struggling to stand. "Why are you still so weak? I thought you healed quickly."

"The chains did more than burn me. They drained my energy. And don't even get me started on the vervain drenched cloth they used to subdue and drag me out here. I can heal fast, but I can't regain lost strength instantly. It'll take a minute or two," Joana explained.

Cara checked her phone and cursed under her breath. More than 15 minutes had passed. Farrah would be furious.

"Are you gonna be okay? I need to go," Cara said, glancing at Joana.

Joana leaned her head back, her lips curving into a faint smile. "Oh, don't worry about me. I'll be fine….once I have had some fresh blood. Speaking of which, can I have a sip of yours?"

Cara's hand instinctively shot to her face, wiping away the blood from her bruises. "No, you can't. I know my blood is like cocaine to your kind, so don't even think about it."

Joana laughed weakly. "Cocaine? You're underselling it, Dear. Cocaine doesn't come close to how sweet and pure fairy blood is. It grabs you by your hair and takes hold of your body making you feel human again ...."

"I don't care how it makes you feel," Cara interjected, firmly. "You're not getting it."

"Fine, there is no harm in asking. But I still need fresh blood," Joana muttered.

"Figure it out yourself. I need to find Farrah before she kills me for missing the bus." Cara turned to leave.

"Wait," Joana called after her, standing upright despite her shaky legs. "Why would your friend be mad at you?"

"We were supposed to catch a bus home. It left ten minutes ago. Now there's no way to catch it," Cara said, frustration lacing her words.

Joana tilted her head thoughtfully. "I can take you and your friend home."

"Really?" Cara asked, skeptical.

"Yeah, really. You're a terrible Good Samaritan, but your friend seemed nice the couple of times we talked," Joana said with a teasing smile.

"I thought vampires didn't need cars," Cara remarked.

Joana laughed. "You think we all just sprint everywhere?"

"Well, yeah," Cara admitted.

"You're not entirely wrong, but many of us have embraced human habits, driving included. I actually enjoy it. Now, let's go," Joana said, now standing and visibly strengthened.

They began walking through the bushes toward the diner. As they passed the store, Joana smirked. "So, how do you feel about that mutt saving your life? You've got to admit, she really turned the tide."

"You mean the German Shepherd?" Cara asked.

Joana arched her brow, amused. "You know she's more than that. And she's got the hots for you. Admit it—do you feel the same?"