“Ght ahead.” Sylvie offered and grabbed a small brush from her dresser. “Wao?” She questioned softly. “I did promise to make sure you were patched up.” With a quiiff of the air, Sylvie smiled. “You took care of it yourself.”

  Climbing onto Sylvie’s queen-sized bed, Casey pyfully bounced with a smile on her face. “Memory foam. I love this stuff.” Casey id ft a herself partly sink into the bed and closed her eyes, “Yeah, uh…I didn’t want to have you get hungry or anything” She paused, “I mean make you suffer..” She sighed and turo face Sylvie, “I was trying to sider what you might be going through.”

  When Casey flopped on the bed, Sylvie ughed and tossed the brush back where it was. “We won’t hat.” Lightly waving her hand, Sylvie sat on the edge of her bed and grinned. “You were fine before. I should be alright for a couple days, to be ho.” She watched Casey turn on her side and look at her questioningly. “Oh, She must not have told you.” Sylvie swung her legs onto her bed and leaned against one of her pillows. “Vampire blood is more filling. Though obtaining it is frowned upon and get you hunted by a troupe.”

  “Makes sense, I suppose.” Casey added, “I guess the troupe thing doesn’t apply to Viv, huh?”

  Shaking her head slowly, Sylvie caught herself staring at Casey’s exposed thighs. “I-um, No, not really. When you have that kind of power, you make the rules.” Her eyes shifted to full moons, “You don’t obey them.” Sylvie poked Casey on the shoulder, “You really want to talk about her?”

  “No, not really. Just making a e is all.” Casey pyfully batted at Sylvie’s finger. “You know, I felt pretty useless this evening. It was sheer luck that the one made me mad enough to do something.” Casey stared into the dual crest moons before her, “That was the first time I had felt anything beyond being sad in a few days.”

  “Thrall withdrawal.” Sylvie tered. “The others in the manor went through it as well. Cut off from their masters, they were desperate to find another vampire to serve.” She shrugged, “Some even got turned into vampires to get rid of the feeling.” Leaning over to pick up her phone, Sylvie tapped on the s and the down when music started pying. “I usually listen to music to trate when I meditate, I hope you don’t mind.”

  Rolling on her bace more, Casey rubbed her fad thought about what her friend had just expined. “Did any of them get over the withdrawal? I’m telling you now that it’s fug terrible. I ’t seem to get the worst things I have do of my head.” Clutg arouummy, Casey dug her nails into her tanned flesh. “It’s like fighting a demon every minute of every day.”

  Scooting a little closer to Casey, Sylvie ran her hand slowly through the auburn curls. “Sounds like our darkness.” Watg as Casey suddenly focused on her eyes again, Sylvie resumed. “Yep, being a vampire isn’t always immortal blood fun. We all have a darkhat take us over if we aren’t careful.” She sighed, “It’s a stant battle. Mine doesn’t speak, but fucks with my visions. It took me years to determihe truth from its fi.” Angling herself so that her rose tattoo was visible, Sylvie fided in her friend, “I get an eclipse to tell me when something is true.” Enjoying that Casey had settled down and had a light smile on her face, Sylvie kept stroking Casey’s hair. “The fusing part is when there are multiple parts to one and I don’t get the eclipse until way…ter.” She hesitated as the vision of the ke blinked in her memory.

  “Mmm, I..” Casey paused almost in a dream state, “..I never knew.”

  “It isn’t something that most of us like to discuss, that darkness is very personal and knows us almost better than we know ourselves.” When a quick shiver went down her spine, Sylvie gasped. “So..so I know the feeling of battling a demon.” Clearing the uainty from her mind, Sylvie added, “No, I didn’t see one of them recover.” Sylvie’s eyes shifted to bnk new moons, “I wish I had better news.”

  Exhaustion bined with Sylvie’s fingers, Casey felt the world slip away. Initially satisfied with the idea of falling quietly through a quiet darkness, the pleasant feeling disappeared when Brian’s face materialized and started mog her. ‘Peach tea, drink with me and we be together, you belong with meeee…’ Almost as though s were pulling her into Brian’s visage, Casey thought only to fight back the best she could. Screaming and boung on the bed, Casey shook herself awake and rolled against Sylvie hugging her friend tightly. “Help me, please..”

  “Shhh, Casey.” Sylvie felt a cool streak of blood careen down her cheek, “I’m here, though I wish I could do more.”

  Sav the feelings of both being held by another person and a vampire, Casey squished herself tighter into Sylvie’s grip and took a shaky and slow breath. “Why, why ’t you help?” When the warm st of baked apples permeated her senses, Casey felt as though nothing else mattered. “Are you..you…ch-charming me?” Casey worriedly asked.

  “Casey, you are siions so fast, I barely keep up.” Sylvie wiped the blood tear from her cheek and kissed the top of Casey’s head. “First, I wouldn’t charm you. Couldn’t is the more appropriate word.” Sylvie added, “I think you are like the other bloody bunnies.”

  Mildly insulted, Casey sniffled ond stayed as close to Sylvie as she could. “Thanks.” She muttered sarcastically.

  “Let me finish.” Sylvie pulled Casey up without any effort and looked into her brown eyes. “I don’t believe that you be charmed. They ’t. They’ve been around vampires so much, they have, I think, adapted.” Watg as Casey’s eyes filled with tears, Sylvie tenderly brushed the drops from her friend’s face as they streamed out. “Yes, the apples are me.” She chuckled, “I somehow emahe feeling and st. Pheromones I guess. I ’t trol it and it isn’t me trying to enthrall you.”

  Given that Casey was used to how she got information from Vivienne in the past, She was tent to sit there and listen to Sylvie as she went through and addressed the few things that had been said in desperation. When Sylvie’s hand rexed, Casey plunged herself into Sylvie’s fairly rge chest and once mripped the vampire. “Wh-Why ’t you help me?” Casey found that she was strangely fortable and happy to be led between Sylvie’s breasts. “All you have to do is..” She closed her eyes and saw the fsh dream, “..kiss me. I’ll be healed, I don’t mind serving you.” She paused for another deep breath, “You are making me lose focus with the apples, it smells so wonderful.”

  Aware that her body was about to betray her, Sylvie closed her eyes a her nipples stiffen in her creamy nightgown.

  -Damn it. Which is it? Is this just attention, the need or really me? Does it matter? Ached for this night and it’s here, what do I do?-

  Clearihroat, Sylvie pushed the emotional questions aside and focused on the real issue. “Casey.” Her tone shifted to almost sorrow. “I want to help you, but I physically ’t. You see, I am the only vampire I know that fails in making other vampires or thralls..excuse me wards.”

  -Please just one hand under my breast. Touch me. I’ll crumble for you.-

  Arg her back slightly to allow Casey the ability to hug her tighter, Sylvie took a deep breath. “I have tried many times. Failure meah.”