Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Hard times, part 2

Nikola's eyes looked in all directions, not seeing a thing. Who was hiding in the shadows? Who was whispering commands at him?

Was it Amides? He had tricked him once to bring famine to plentiful Egypt so that they would bow their heads. Promising him Penemue's blood, but giving him his own instead. Had the demon finally realized the lie?

Or was it Lilith? She had tried to become the patron goddess of Atlantis, but Nikola had killed off her children, both the ones she had with Lucifer and the Creator, and had used their blood to make sure she was banished.

Where to, he knew not. She was still alive and would like nothing more than to suck out the marrow from his bones, he knew.

Or was it…

Fingers were opening his mouth forcefully, and his teeth were touching the skin now. He breathed deeply in and then out. The arm that had been around him left his waist, blood touched Nikola's tongue.

So sweet that he couldn't hold himself back anymore.

He bit down, the fingers holding his mouth open letting go just in time, and then he was in Heaven.

He was gripping Wei Caihong desperately as the other murmured something to him, but Nikola was too far gone to listen.

The former emperor had eaten during these past three days, and he had drunk, yet he felt as if he had taken ashes and tar in his mouth instead, for how could normal food and drink compare to this?

He felt his hand getting better, the haze which had dominated his gaze clearing.

The shadows stopped moving.

He looked down at the neck he was biting, defeated. It didn't matter if he said no. He would simply be forced to comply. With disgust, he took his teeth out, swallowing the last mouthful of the precious liquid.

"Are you proud of yourself? Forcing me like that," strength was returning to his limbs, but it was a slow process. He didn't dare to try to use magic.

"I am happy you are getting better. That we both are. And I didn't force you. Had I done it, I would have used your weakness to disrobe you and have you."

Nikola shuddered at that. He moved so that he was as far away from Wei Caihong as he could get. Wei Caihong reached out and gripped his outer robe, stopping him from tumbling out of the bed.

Nikola realized with a start that he was hanging halfway out of the bed.

"Things have to change between us," Nikola said, and he meant that they couldn't share the same bed anymore. Nor the same bathing barrel or each other's embrace.

Wei Caihong agreed with him, but for different reasons. He had been starved. If Nikola believed that he could do this to them once more, then he was mistaken.

"They must. I am tired of your hot and cold game. First you keep moaning another man's name, and now you deny me the bliss of having you altogether. The next time you are this far gone I'll take you even if you cry while I do so!" Wei Caihong hissed, his eyes red like rubies.

Nikola screamed in frustration, pushing himself off the bed. His head hit the small bedside table, and he raised a hand to rub at the spot.

"I will not let you rape me!" He snapped at Wei Caihong, who had moved to the edge of the bed so that he could stare at Nikola.

"I'd rather we made love, my Emerald," the noble said, and he half got up and knelt on the bed. Hands reaching down to pull Nikola up. "But if I must threaten you to get you to drink from me, I will. Except I will go through with the threat, be sure of it."

Nikola tried to resist being pulled up, but he was soon half-laying on top of Wei Caihong and the noble's hands were drawing comforting circles on his back.

Nikola buried his face into Wei Caihong's chest, for he wanted to avoid having to watch his face. There was regret there and hurt, and it seemed that Nikola's feelings for the noble hadn't cooled enough for him not to be affected by such emotions, so clear to be seen in the still red orbs.

"I do love you, my Emerald. If I had a chance with you without all the lies, I wouldn't have said them…"

"Yes, you still would have!" Nikola snapped. He was using the little power that had returned to him to check Wei Caihong's words for lies. He wanted to see his true character.

"I want more from you than your power," the noble said, arms tightening around Nikola's body. This time he hadn't lied to him, Nikola knew. For how long would he remain truthful, the former emperor wondered.

"And in the beginning?" Nikola still remembered Wei Caihong's admittance that he had wanted to steal his immortality. He felt vicious glee when Wei Caihong's breath hitched.

"I already told you. Don't make me repeat myself. It shames me," Nikola raised an eyebrow at that. The truth had been spoken again. He still needed to press on.

"Has Azazel told you something about my new blood addiction?"

Wei Caihong remained silent, and Nikola groaned. Of course, there was another catch.

"Well? Answer me!"

He was entitled to know if he was ingesting poison. Because if he were, then he would run away. Drink the flask of invisibility potion they had brewed together and take to the woods.

He'd find someone else to become his assistant once he became clean of Wei Caihong's blood. He still remembered the incantation from the night he had turned Wei Caihong into a blood drinking fiend.

"Our magic will become collected. Azazel said that since you have a thousand-year-old pool to draw on, more and more of your strength will flow in me. You are still human, after all. He said that you don't even use your full potential."

Nikola's hands flew to Wei Caihong's throat, and he squeezed.

How dare that wretch!

He had worked hard for his power, for his knowledge! And now it was going to get stolen from him? Well then, he was not going to drink another drop of Wei Caihong's blood!

"I don't need to breathe, you know," Wei Caihong said calmly. They were staring into each other's eyes now. Nikola's nose being close to the noble's face.

He squeezed harder and ropes appeared around him, and he was suddenly on his back. Tied up and with his last strength leaving him.

"Parasite!" He screamed in Wei Caihong's face as the noble begun to wrap himself around him. Holding him gently. In a few hours Nikola would be out of these ropes, but until then, Wei Caihong could do anything, he wanted to him.

"You won't become helpless, and I have a limit on how much of your power I can take, or so Azazel told me. Everything will be fine. You will replenish what you have lost in time. And…in a hundred years, my blood will have no slay over you whatsoever."

Nikola laughed bitterly at that. To be robbed every day for a hundred years? Why, that sounded marvelous!

"Untie me, I have things to do," his demand came weak even to his ears. He yawned. He hadn't been able to sleep in the past three days. Wei Caihong hugged him tighter.

"I'll take care of you. Just sleep."

Wei Caihong begun to hum and despite himself, Nikola yawned again. The ropes disappeared, but the strong arms around him remained.

Closing his eyes, Nikola decided to allow for this to happen. He drifted off to sleep to the soft tune, and to the feeling of being bundled up in Wei Caihong's warmth.