We stayed on the island for a few more days. It's so we can clean up and bury the dead. We also need to preserve the destroyed village within the mountains, and to ensure that the three vampires won't lose control of themselves.
It's already late afternoon when we reach the shore. Princess Kissa and the others are waiting outside. She runs to Theo's embrace and smothers him with kisses. I look away. It still hurts seeing him holding another woman.
I walk towards Ami and see that she's wounded. "Hi Kaiya, how was the inside of the island?"
"Crazy," I reply.
I kneel before her and check her wound. "You are being careless. You slipped on a rock?"
"She did," Elroy's voice comes. "We were walking earlier on the other side of the beach, when she suddenly screams, and then, a thud."
"It was slippery!" Ami defends.
"Flat foot," he teases.
"Oh, that's a nice view. See the King and the Princess? They're kissing a lot."
"Maybe we'll hear some steamy sounds coming from their tent tonight?" Elroy asks.
"Hey!" Ami scolds. I even notice the way her eyes go from them to me.
I laugh. "You should disinfect this."
"Ahm, excuse me, Lieutenant Kaiya?"
I whirl towards the voice and see the young warrior I have saved from one of the vampires.
I stand up and face him. He looks to be in his early twenties. "What is it?" I ask.
"I would like to thank you for s-saving me e-earlier," he stammers.
"No problem." I am about to turn my back to him when he calls for my attention again.
"Actually, I would also like to apologize."
"Apologize for what?"
"I am one of those who thinks that you only got promoted because of your sexual relationship with the king," he says.
"Sexual?" My mate bond has been disparaged as merely sexual?
He lies his head low and presses his fingers together. "I am sorry. I didn't know."
"Well, at least, I am no longer in that relationship with him."
"Even if you are! I know you deserve it! Especially now! After what happened!" he suddenly exclaims.
I frown. He seems to be more passionate than I am. "O-okay…"
Then my eyes shift to Gezer and the other vampires. The sun is already low, but they seem to hide from the sun.
"I'm not even surprised if General Klevon is in love with you. And-" the young man continues.
I raise my hands to stop him. Are vampires find it difficult to be under the sun? I walk towards them and ask, "What's up?"
Gezer turns his eyes on me. "As you can see, we are not very good with the sun."
"By 'not very good', you mean?"
He steps away from the shade and places his arms in direct sunlight. It did nothing at first until it starts to burn. It's just a small smoke wafting from his skin upwards. He takes his hands away and says, "See? It's not instant, but we sizzle under the sun."
"Hmmm," I mutter. "Pitchford Kingdom is an island. There are trees but it's not as many as here."
"Then, we'll need a setup so that we can only come out during the night."
Night shift, huh? The other warriors will be happy if they don't have to guard at night. "I will ask the others. I think the warriors will be happy with that."
"A better way for them to accept us, huh?" he comments.
"What is this about?" It is Klevon again. He is looking suspiciously at us. He places his arms around my waist as if he is showing ownership. I remove his arms and pull back from him. Besides, he doesn't have that right.
"You should look for another mate, Miss Kaiya," Inanna whispers. She looks at me and Klevon from head to toe and back again. "This one might match, but his personality… I doubt women will find it endearing."
"Who are you saying my mate is?" I ask. I glance at Klevon. He has a huge smile on his face.
"This mage hunter," she answers.
"Klevon is not my mate," I correct.
"Oh!" she exclaims. "I am sorry about that."
"Please pardon Inanna, Miss Kaiya," a deep, growling voice says. It's Ninus. "She became blind when she was turned into a vampire."
I move towards Inanna and peer at her eyes. Her eyes are a swirl of gray and white. It's continuously moving like the atmosphere and clouds in the sky. It's disconcerting, and it's easy to get lost in it.
"Inanna, how did you mistake that he is my mate? You are blind, but somehow, you can see?"
"I am the Blood God's appointed Vessel Priestess. So, he took my eyes in exchange for sight. It's still new to me. I am still unfamiliar with its usage, but I perceive things deeper than I could when I have my eyes."
"And me and Klevon? Why did you say we are matched?"
"Leader Gezer mentioned that you've been a tampered vessel. And that mage hunter…" She points in Klevon's direction. "He has his blood tampered, too. It's not as altered as yours is, but I can see it."
"Ah, so we are a match made in heaven," Klevon teases as he drapes his arms around me. I pinch his side.
I move closer to Inanna. I reach for her arms and make her point at Theo. Princess Kissa's arms are still around him. Annoying.
"That's my current mate, Inanna," I say. With her forefinger, I point at Theo. "What do you think?"
"Hmmm," she mutters. "I thought Vessels will only mate with those with King's blood? To make the offspring stronger." She looks at Gezer, unsure.
"He is a self-made King," I answer.
Suddenly, Gezer laughs. It was the first time I heard him laugh since meeting him. Inanna and I look at him.
"You are trying to cheat the gods! You guys are interesting," he comments. "Did you know, Miss Kaiya? When we became the Blood God's vessel, some of his knowledge flows into us. Just a fraction, though."
I frown at him.
"It's the reason why we successfully rebelled against him. It's the reason why we can push him back to where the gods belong. But you… same as us… you also have the same information as we have, right?"
"I lost the majority of my memory."
"Well then, if you are going to rebel against the Moon Goddess, count me in," he says. "I think I have a fetish for rebelling against the gods," he adds.