Dhampirica

XXIII

BILE SPLUTTERED FROM HER LIPS, dribbling down her chin and into the toilet bowl. Yvanna's chest heaved as she emptied the contents of her stomach yet again — another failed attempt at breakfast. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, got to her feet, and flushed the toilet.

When she exited the stall and approached the row of sinks, another dhampirica cast her an odd glance. Yvanna ignored it, instead rinsing out her mouth with the tap water. When she was done, she looked back at the other minder.

"You wouldn't happen to have a mint, would you?"

It had been nearly two days since that eventful night. Two days of not being able to keep any food down. No matter what she ate, she regurgitated it all, her body no longer satisfied by what she had consumed for the past two decades. Instead, her mind kept wandering over to the idea of blood. She tried to wrestle back such thoughts, but she could always feel the lurking claw of hunger which raked at her insides.

She felt the brunt of her unwilling food strike as she accompanied Lord Dante to his lunchtime feeding session on Monday. She stood to a corner, feeling restless, her gaze darting around the room every few seconds.

"Are you alright?" Lord Dante asked her.

Reluctantly, her gaze flickered back to him. She imagined how he looked a moment ago, his lips closing around the bloodletter's throat, teeth sinking into her neck. Even now, she could see the faint gleam of red on his lower lip. Her mouth went dry.

"I'm fine," she said, her voice coming out slightly more hoarse than usual.

He frowned. "Are you sure? You seem distracted. Is something wrong?"

"I'm fine," she reiterated. She noticed her shoe was tapping against the floor repeatedly and ceased the movement.

He did not look convinced, but thankfully did not press the matter any further. He bid the bloodletter goodbye and got up to leave. Yvanna followed, trying to keep all images of blood firmly out of her head. If Lord Dante had noticed her odd behavior, then his father surely would. She needed to do something about it before that happened.

When night came and she confirmed that Lord Dante had no more plans for the evening, she excused herself, telling him there was something that she needed to do. Once her watch ticked to 9:00PM, she left the house. Soren drove her to the city at her request. When he asked her how long she would be and if she wanted him to wait for her, she declined and said she would make her own way home. 

Yvanna found herself pacing through the streets, walking around the block in a consistent restless circle, unsure of what to do. Part of her regretted not getting any blood from the cafeteria when she was on campus earlier, but then she decided that was for the best. Lord Dante would have noticed or maybe even smelled the blood on her, and then the questions would surely come. How was she to explain her sudden desire for blood, after having refused it for so long? And what if he mentioned it to his father? Lord Riccardo had once been impressed by her restraint. She did not want him looking down on her any more than he already did.

Yvanna stopped in her tracks as the dazzling neon sign caught her eye once again. She swallowed, the ache flaring up in her throat for the thousandth time. No, no. She shook her head. There was no way she could go in there, dressed as she was.

Her fingers reached for her hair, yanking out the pins and undoing the bun until her tresses fell loose. She removed her jacket, tucking it under her arm. She looked a little less like a dhampir now, but was it enough?

Deciding that it would have to do, she took a step forward. No! She stopped again. What was she thinking? She was a minder for the Romaniello family. Even if she had money to spare on a bloodletter, Soren had warned her not to use her allowance on unseemly things. If she used her watch to make a purchase at an establishment such as this, it would show up on her account. She would not get away with this. She would have to find another way.