Page 84 of Beyond the Ruby River
In the meantime, he had to feed.
Daka crept quietly through the back door of Arham’s smithing shop and up the creaky wooden staircase to the lodgings above. The familiar scents of smoke and molten metal permeated the cramped quarters. Arham wasn’t expecting him, so Daka could only hope the man was alone. He knew he wasn’t Arham’s only lover.
At the top of the stairs, he paused to listen carefully and only caught one heartbeat. Satisfied, he pushed open the door to find Arham already asleep, his naked backside exposed to the evening’s chill. Another man might catch a cold, but Arham ran hot.
Kicking off his shoes, Daka’s gaze wandered the sloping curves of Arham’s back, the muscles of his strong shoulders. He’d chosen the smith for tonight’s feeding because of all Daka’s sources, Arham looked most like Mahu.
Arham was also least likely to care if Daka happened to be pretending he was with someone else.
Daka slipped out of his clothes and approached the bed. He let out a puff of sway, gently nudging Arham to wake.
The man grumbled to himself, his eyes blinking open. When he saw Daka, he rolled languidly to his back, a slow smile stretching across his broad face.
Daka could always count on him to be in the mood—it was one of the main reasons he’d kept the attachment—but Arham was a brute of a lover. Not mean, never that, though he liked it rough, and while Daka didn’t mind, the style wasn’t his favorite.
“Hungry?” asked Arham on a yawn.
Daka had the bad habit of honesty with his human sources. His family had long since given up arguing for secrecy. Daka had perfected a way of sprinkling in the truth of his identity and needs over time which gave humans a chance to slowly come to acceptance without panic. Those who rejected the beginnings of his admission he let drift away, and those who embraced it he kept around. Arham had proven himself a keeper.
“So much.” Daka licked his lips and drew closer to the bed. “I need you.”
Arham tugged him down. “Of course you do.”
Sprawling on Arham’s furred chest, Daka leaned in for a quick kiss.
“Turn over,” Arham rumbled against Daka’s lips.
Daka raised up enough to catch his gaze. “I want a favor.”
Brow raised, Arham’s expression remained open. “What kind of favor?”
“Be gentle tonight. Pretend you love me. Please?”
Arham swept a lock of Daka’s hair behind his ear. “And what will you be pretending, little Daka?”
“Do you really want to know?”
Arham considered him. “Maybe not. Turn over. I’ll give you what you want, and you may call me by any name you wish.”
Daka knew there was a reason he liked Arham.
* * *
Mahu
Sachi proved a delightful travel companion. In a way, she reminded Mahu of Daka, with her wide eyes, her keen expression, and her joy in every new experience. She held nothing back in the way she explored the world.
Mahu deeply enjoyed her company. He’d fed from her several times since the first, to ensure his recovery she’d said, though he felt renewed from the very start. Her generosity knew no limits. She’d allowed all of Bran Vigny’s elder vampires to drink before they’d departed, so none would need fear the impending aging sickness while she was away.
They’d traveled from Bran Vigny to Constantinople on foot because Sachi didn’t want to miss a single town, a single view, or a single chance to observe the starry night sky from a new angle. She knew of Mahu’s desire to arrive in Egypt as soon as possible, and she swore she didn’t mind being rushed. So they moved fast, covering hundreds of miles each night.
In the sprawling capital city of the Byzantine Empire, they’d split up for several nights so she could explore on her own, and so Mahu could arrange meetings with vampires who might give him a lead on Dakarai’s whereabouts.
His search had begun with only the knowledge that Daka must be in Egypt. It didn’t take long to acquire the rest of the information. The family had relocated from the northern coast southward to Cairo. No one seemed to know where Daka lay his head. Apparently he’d become a bit of a recluse in recent years, showing up in Cairo randomly, then disappearing to the countryside north of the city for days on end. But surely Niyarai would know where to find him. Whether she’d give the information to Mahu, he didn’t know. Once Mahu obtained the location of Niya’s personal residence, he had all he needed.
He sought out Sachi to arrange their departure and found her in the midst of a lively group of theology students explaining to her the merits of the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas.
She parted ways with them graciously, leaving Mahu ever thankful for her understanding. He’d realized along their journey the extent of her wanderlust, her ravenous desire for new experiences and information. She’d love Egypt, but she wouldn’t be content with one country for very long, not when the entire continent of Africa awaited her exploration.
