Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
Lila
Alittle bit later I receive a message from William asking me where I am.
When he tells me I am about to meet Saxon the vampire, and he is going to give me a self-defense lesson, I almost order another drink.
Screw the potency. Self-defense lessons with a blood drinking vampire?
Now that’s something I never thought I would ever hear, but if I’ve learned anything from my time on the ship, it’s that I just need to fucking roll with it.
If I worry too much, my brain will explode and leave chunky bits of Lila all over the place, and nobody’s got time for that.
I send him my location, and he tells me to wait for him.
“What was that all about?” Magenta asks, leaning back in her chair and studying me like I’m in a damn petri dish. “You look like you’re going to have a panic attack.”
“William just told me my self-defense lesson, which I was expecting later on in the week, is today. Quick, I need to know everything about Saxon, because my stupid ass didn’t finish my species research.
Dylan told me a little, but I’m really not sure if I can take anything he said at face value.
He told me all sorts of things about Xavier as well, and he’s been nothing but sweet to me. ”
Magenta’s eyes just about bulge out of her head at my description of Xavier. “Hold up a minute. Are you sure we’re talking about the same person? The warlock is sweet?” She looks incredulous, like I’m telling her Earth is flat or that I have three breasts and six nipples.
“Yeah, and he’s cuddly too.” The more I divulge, the more her facial expression changes to one of fascination.
“How is mist cuddly?” She genuinely sounds curious.
“Oh no, he removed the mist. He’s got these great forearms that feel really nice wrapped around your waist.”
I think I could have knocked Magenta over with a feather, because she’s speechless. When she finally gets her shit together, the words just burst out of her mouth.
“Powerful warlocks don’t show themselves to people very often. I don’t think many people in the circus can claim they have seen him in his real form. Maybe your grandpas and his harem. That’s probably it.”
I wave off her amazement. “Anyway, it’s not Xavier that I need to know about, it’s Saxon. Please give me the rundown on vampires.”
“Okay, sure. Saxon is from the planet Vilax. They are a race of blood drinkers with extraordinary senses and heightened speed and strength. It’s what makes them such great acrobats.”
“I haven’t seen their part of the show yet, but what you’ve described sounds much like the vampire legend from Earth.”
Cool, I’ve got this shit—crosses, garlic, no reflection in the mirrors, sparkling like Edward Cullen… I am a vampire aficionado. I love me a sexy vampire book with a bit of blood play.
“Yeah, but most of the rest of the Earth vampire lore is crap. And don’t call them vampires, they don’t like it.
The right term is sanguinistas. They prefer night to day because Vilax only gets five hours of sunlight everyday, so they are mostly nocturnal species.
They aren’t actually allergic to the sun or anything.
They live in family clans, and they are born, not made, so they are not dead.
They breathe, their hearts beat, and they eat normal food and drink, but they need blood as well.
They are also somewhat immortal. They can heal most injuries, even decapitation, if you put their bodies back together, but they will not survive if you burn their hearts—yes, they have two. ”
She pauses like she’s trying to figure something out in her head.
“It’s weird. They can drink from one another.
You’d think that drinking from the same species would defeat the purpose of drinking blood, but it’s not the amount that is the issue.
They can’t process the red blood cells that their own bodies produce, but they can process the red blood cells from either another sanguinista or other species, hence the need to drink blood from another source.
They form clans much like a warlock’s harem because the blood drinking process is quite intimate.
The sanguinista’s saliva produces an enzyme that makes it feel good, and if they don’t use it, it can hurt.
Some of them like the combination of pleasure and pain, and they say it makes the blood taste better. ”
I can practically see her thinking, because a cheeky grin crosses her face and I brace myself.
“I don’t know, I’ve never managed to catch the eye of one.
Maybe I’ll make that my mission, and then I’ll have some actual facts to tell you instead of hearsay.
Velorina, one of the flyers, is super sexy and doesn’t seem to be opposed to other species.
Maybe I’ll invite her out for a drink.” She giggles at her pun before leaning forward like she’s got a secret to share with me.
“The clan we have here tends to feed only from one another, but I did overhear two of them talking the other day, and they said that Saxon has been getting his blood and sex from someone else. So maybe there really is a chance for me. Oh, and they have their own version of soulmate, or fated mate I guess. They call it their sanguin rosala, or their blood rose. Apparently they know from the smell of the blood, but the bond is not sealed until they drink from one another.” She is full of the information I need, even though she said it’s hearsay.
“So they only mate within their species?” I ask, only slightly curious. I’m already juggling three men, so I don’t really need to add any more.
“As far as I know, yes, but so many species like to keep their secrets. There’s less chance of being wiped out if no one knows the key to your reproduction.
What I do know is that they are super territorial.
A lot of the galaxy species are. They are more primal than humans and Skarrians, and a lot less tolerant of other races. ”
I snort quietly. “No shit! I’m beginning to discover this for myself.
Even that cyborg nurse was staking his claim on Link.
I read about this kind of behavior in my paranormal romance books, but I can’t believe it’s true.
” I blink, not even sure how to process everything she’s told me before shaking my head.
“I don’t have time to care about their sex rituals or who is fucking and drinking from whom, or how they reproduce.
The real question is, and I need you to be honest, am I going to get my ass kicked?
” She laughs at me, noticing the shift from curiosity to downright worry.
“Oh yeah, most definitely. They are super athletic, and they are all required to do a term in their armed forces. I think it’s a minimum two-year obligation, and no one gets out of it.
They are considered one of the fiercest armies in the galaxy.
You do not want to fuck with the Vilaxians.
They are brutal, and because they drink the blood of their enemies, they don’t fatigue. They just keep going and going.”
She winks when she tells me this, but I’m nearly pissing my pants. Self-defense with a vampire warrior? Yup, my life isn’t strange at all. I frown. “They don’t sound like tricksters, they sound too noble to coerce someone into giving their blood.”
“Where did you hear that rubbish?” she asks, sounding shocked, but then she puts two and two together.
“Dylan, right? What a dick. From what I hear, he wasn’t opposed to offering himself up as a blood sacrifice to them.
Estrella, Radella, and Hale were always hanging out with him.
He has always had his eye on Saxon too, but as I mentioned, I guess Saxon has someone providing him with blood as well. ”
I think back to what Dylan told me.
“They cannot take your blood without permission, but be careful. They are tricksters, and words can often be twisted so you end up giving blood without realizing it. They don’t kill their donors, but they can make it as pleasurable or as painful as they like.
It’s not up to you which sensation you’ll get. ”
So I guess that was all bullshit. I wonder if the other bit was too?
“One thing you need to know is that although all of us may have a human-like form, we are far from it. Underneath our clothes, things may not be what you expect. Be aware of this if you decide to pursue any kind of physical relationship with anyone. You need to talk to your grandpas about Skarrian physiology too before you do anything like that. Educate yourself before you get into trouble.”
I shake off my memories with the promise to take everything Dylan told me with a grain of salt.
“Okay, so is there anything else I need to know?”
She snorts with amusement. “Oh, babe, you’ve opened Pandora’s box. I’m sure there’s a million things you need to know, but it’s not all going to happen in one day.”
Ashort while later, William is showing me into the gym.
It’s set up much like a human gym, but on steroids, and this one even has a course much like American Ninja Warrior.
A lot of the equipment is occupied, and people smile and wave to us.
We do the same in return, my grandpa more familiar with everyone than I am.
He doesn’t stop in the main area, instead taking me past everything to a door in the back wall which opens as we approach.
When we step through, I can see it’s a private but open space.
I guess it may be for classes or private lessons, but what catches my attention the most is what I think are two people sparring.
They are moving so damn fast my eyes can’t keep up.
It’s like watching everything in fast forward.
“That’s not even full speed,” William mutters out of the side of his mouth, and the two beings stop all of a sudden.
“Holy shit. Doesn’t that make you feel sick?” I ask. One of the guys, who has ice blond hair and bright, teal-colored eyes, winks at me and shakes his head, chuckling.