III

Sartho’s right hand gripped the back of Ioana’s neck, forcing her face to his chest. A thin crimson stream trickled down to her mouth. He muttered, “Please, come back.”

But she did not respond. So he stopped feeding.

His back was against the wall as he cradled her head to his chest. The black, curly mane of his hair mingled with the white, short waves of her hair. His brows creased above his staring eyes. He said nothing for the whole day. Then the sun left, and the moon illuminated the world outside the cave.

His fingers found the bite mark. Finally, he found his voice. “I love you too.” Then he broke into sobbing.

And he gasped as the soft hand found his cheek. He looked down to see her awake. Her silver eyes fixed on his golden eyes.

She said in a hushed voice, wiping his tears. “Why do you cry for me?”

He did not answer but kissed her instead. She pulled his head down and returned the lingering kiss. Then they pulled away.

He muttered, “I thought you were gone.”

She smiled softly, “It’ll take more than a bite to leave this world.” She earned a chuckle from him.

“Of course, it would.” He then remembered something. “You must be thirsty.”

“Very.”

He looked at the wilderness through the cave mouth. “Then we hunt for the night.” He looked back at her. “Can you walk?”

Just by the wilderness’s edge, the blur of a sword sliced a wound on the deer. It bleated and started to sprint back into the woods. From the cut on the deer’s neck, the blood shot to her mouth. With her eager eyes, she slurped a scarlet stream. The deer collapsed to its side.

She looked at her sword and licked the stain off the blade. Sarthos crossed his arms, smiling approvingly. There was a morbid pride stirring in his chest as he watched his lover wipe her mouth with her fingers.

Then she noticed him watching. “Do you do this all the time?”

“Doing what?”

“Watching people eating.”

“No, just you. You’re learning fast.”

She glanced away. “Oh.” Then she switched his sword for a dagger and headed into the woods.

He arched his brow. “What are you doing?”

She smiled softly. “I understand you used to be a nobleman. But you need to wear something to blend in once we cross into the East.”

He looked at himself, still naked, save for a loincloth. Then he looked at her. “Oh. Your clothes must be dry already.”

At last, he got his clothes back as she put hers on. The scent froze him, and he leaned towards his recently torn tunic. It smelled like her.

“Get used to it,” she teased.

He glanced away. “Okay.” Then they turned toward the sound of crunching in the woods. She shouted, “Show yourself!”

The emperor and the empress came out. He held on to the reins. The reins came from behind the trees.

Sarthos said, “My liege.”

The emperor raised his free hand. “I’ve found out your deeds within your clan. You’ve broken the laws. Instead of championing one of your men, you slaughtered them. Now, there are no more of the Zurvos clan.”

He gently shook the reins, and the horse came out. “Therefore, I announce that you, Sarthos Zurvos, will be executed.” Yet he handed him the reins.

The exiled vampire understood the secret layer of the emperor’s order. He took the reins and straddled the horse. He pulled Ioana onto the saddle, sitting in front of him. He looked at the emperor and the empress. He said, “I’ll repay you one day.”

The empress smiled. “Dead men can’t talk. Now, go.”

Ioana said, “Thank you.”

The emperor waved. “Neither can dead women.”

Sarthos and Ioana rode to the entry, leading them through the border to the East. Then they arrived at the fog-haunted moor.

He said, “We’ve arrived.”

She nodded. “We did.”

“I’ve never been here.”

“I can show you around.”

“Where are we going?”

“Somewhere we can make a haven for us.”

“Close to civilization?”

“Just the edge of it.”

Sarthos looked back, seeing the shadows going back where they came from. Ioana still held to him, and she bowed her head. She muttered, “I’m sorry.”

The exile blinked at his lover, and he pressed his face to her hair. He asked in a hushed voice, “For what?”

“That you lost everything.”

He said. “To have you.”

She looked up. “Then you haven’t regretted it?”

His fingers found the bite mark on her neck. “Only one. I should be the one who’s sorry.”

Her hand found his inspecting hand. “What price is enough to be with you eternally?”

“Do you believe in eternity?”

“No. Nothing is truly forever. But I believe in us.”

“I don’t deserve you.”

“Then I’ll have to prove to you otherwise.”

“Why? After all the things I’ve done, why would you be with me?”

“Isn’t love enough?”

“I don’t know.”

“Then I’ll teach you to learn it again. We have all the time in the world.”

“Even if it takes years?”

“Even if it takes centuries.”

He looked ahead. “Will your clan hunt us?”

She shook her head. “No.”

“How can you be sure?”

“I’m the last daughter of the Blum clan.” She pulled his cloak around her. “No, I was.”

“Had I known that…”

“You would’ve stopped, I know. But it’s not as if you have any choice.”

“I would’ve rather die than doom you to wander with me.” Then he looked down to see her shoulders shaking. “Ioana–”

Her voice broke. “Let’s find a shelter to rest before the dawn breaks, okay?”

His mouth formed a grim line, and he said, “Okay.”

They rode their horse over the green, foggy moor as the stars started to fade into a black sea of oblivion.