It was the vampire’s fault that they hadn't gotten in the village in time to avoid the rain after all, according to her anyways.
He gave half a grunt, letting his arms sneak up slowly around her waist, trapping her stealthily against his body. His eyes caught on a tiny freckle resting right over her vein, swaying just slightly with every pulse of the vein as blood rushed through it. He parted his lips, slowly bringing his mouth closer to the softness of her skin.
She suddenly began speaking, and Ellis, thinking he'd been caught, jerked backwards so hard that he banged his head against the stone wall.
"You know, there's something that's been bothering me." Nia whispered, and the way her voice dipped and the way her eyes lowered away from him made him anxious enough that he momentarily forgot his hunger and the scent of her throat.
She stayed silent for some time while Ellis simply stared at her, occasional rainy spray leaving glittery specks of dampness on her cheeks, red hair in a mop of dripping mess around her circular face.
"The tunnel that we escaped from…it was made-"
A sudden boom of thunder made Nia jump and shove herself against Ellis in shock, wrapping her arms around his neck and clinging as though her life depended on it.
Once again, Ellis found his face against her neck, irresistible temptation just centimeters from his mouth.
How was he supposed to help himself? He was vampire, he was basically pure survival instinct wrapped in a deadly package. A deadly handsome package, he would reckon smugly.
His arms, already around her, suddenly tightened into a vice grip, though Nia didn't argue, she was probably cold.
"Are you scared, Ellis?" She asked, voice muffled against the side of his head, “I didn’t think vampires were afraid of thunder.”
When he didn't answer she repeated her question, confusion betraying the permanently cocky lilt of her too high pitched voice.
"Kid," He hissed hoarsely, the word so acidic and harsh that it caused Nia to jump, "I'm sorry."
She grabbed his shoulders, bewildered, and tried to shove away as much as was able in their tiny, cramped space, only to find his hold unrelinquishing.
"S-sorry for what?" She sputtered, still awkwardly squirming and yanking away, surprisingly, however, no plants attacked the vampire.
Clearly, Nia didn't feel that she was in that much danger. She was confused, that much was sure, and a little apprehensive, but trusting. Too trusting, it would shortly prove.
Unfortunately, her trust in the vampire was misguided.
His large hand forcefully grabbed the back of her head, fingers knitting in the messy, damp curls, forcing her to be still as his teeth sank into her neck without a second’s more hesitation.
She cried out sharply from the pain, clenching her hands hard onto his shoulders and trying to shove him away, whimpers muffled against the sopping chaos that was his own dark hair.
Finally, after what seemed to be days and days of crying and pain and limp struggling, Ellis slowly lifted his fangs away, staring at the red trails of liquid that slowly dripped down her neck and blossomed into tiny red flowers on the neckline of her white blouse.
His eyes hesitantly lifted to meet Nia's, only to find them vacant and heavy lidded, confusion laden, and somewhat empty.
Had he stolen that much? He’d been sure, so sure, that even through the delicious meal that was her blood, he’d been careful. Of course, accidents and miss-measures happen rather frequently in the bloodthirsty world of a vampire.
Guilt instantly flooded him, he grabbed her closer, giving her a gentle shake in an attempt to steady her gaze, "Hey, tater tot, talk to me."
She opened her mouth slowly, only to close it again, green eyes drifting sleepily shut.
He'd put so much effort into saving her and keeping her alive when they were held captive, she was not allowed to die by his own hand. The shame that would bring him. All of his other vampire friends would mock him forever.
If he had other vampire friends.
He gave her another rough shake, glaring into her blank face, "I said to talk, stupid!"
"…don't feel…good…" She whispered, before passing out limp in his arms.
Ellis panicked, then flew awkwardly out of the broken down altar, Nia bundled up tight in his arms. He ran towards the village, still sheltered by the trees, cradling the tiny redhead close in her arms, shielding her from the downpour and holding her as though she were a fragile baby in a most un-deadly vampire-like way.
All too soon, Ellis had reached the crest of the forest, giving a tentative glance towards the sunless sky and another glance towards the village, then took an unsteady step forward onto the unshaded ground, squeezing his eyes shut tightly.
He did not run, he carefully put one unsteady foot in front of the other, face directed towards the village, Nia still cuddled close into his chest. He continued cautiously moving towards the village, focusing as deeply as possible.