Married To Darkness-Chapter 391: Mixing In Her Blood

The silence between them wasn’t awkward, it was weighted, intimate, full of unspoken questions and answers.

But eventually, her voice broke the quiet.

"You didn’t eat," she said softly, tilting her head to look up at him in the dim light. "Not really."

Alaric’s gaze remained fixed on the ceiling. "I liked the look of it," he murmured. "The smell, the color. I even wanted to taste it. But... you know" He frowned. "I can’t. It makes me sick. It’s like trying to swallow sand."

"But Lucius ate," she pressed gently, eyes narrowing. "He seemed to enjoy it."

Alaric let out a quiet, bitter chuckle. "Well, he’s not exactly as complicated as I am , he’s a Normal vamp maybe that’s his advantage." He turned to her, brushing a strand of her red hair off her face. "And maybe my loss."

Salviana nodded slowly. "My fire prince," she said carefully, "Aren’t you starving?."

He said nothing. His jaw tightened.

She nestled closer, looping her arm around his waist, anchoring him.

Her voice lowered to a whisper, soft as a sea breeze. "You need to feed, Alaric. Before we get on that ship. You know how dangerous it could be out there."

"I’ll be fine."

She pulled back to look at him. "That’s not an answer."

"There’s no one here I want," he said simply, voice flat. "I’m not going to terrorize these people. They’ve been kind. They don’t deserve to wake up screaming."

She searched his face. He meant it. His restraint was not pride,it was shame, and something older. Fear.

"You haven’t taken blood since we left the castle," she whispered.

"No," he admitted. "Not since the prisoners."

Her throat tightened. That night had been an accident. Or so she told herself. A moment of weakness.

She’d let him bite her after a wound had reopened. But he’d fed from her like a drowning man gulping air.

And afterward... he hadn’t looked at anyone else the same.

Now, she heard it again,the faint grinding of his teeth, the way his jaw pulsed.

Even in the moonlight, she could see the sharp glint behind his fangs. He was holding himself together with raw threads.

She exhaled softly, laying her head back against his chest.

"I’ll figure something out," she said, voice barely audible.

"Don’t," he whispered.

But she smiled in the dark. "I already have."

She closed her eyes and tried to sleep, though her mind spun with secret resolve.

Her blood,the blood of a divine, of an ancient lineage touched by prophecy and spirit,was the only thing that could truly satisfy him. It had once sustained him for weeks.

And she remembered the way he’d clung to her hand after, like it tethered him to the world.

So tomorrow, she would give it to him again,but this time, on her own terms.

She smiled softly, feeling the weight of his arms around her, his breath shallow but steady.

Tomorrow would come with wind, with sails, and with danger. But tonight,tonight she would rest with a plan curled behind her lips like a secret kiss.

And in the silence that followed, the sea outside whispered its approval.

The sky was still dark when Salviana stirred, the silver thread of pre-dawn barely breaking across the horizon. A cool hush lingered over the house, the kind of quiet that only exists between the last breath of night and the first cry of morning birds.

She slipped from Alaric’s arms carefully, so as not to wake him. His skin was cool, his breath shallow. He didn’t stir as she rose. That worried her more than anything.

Wrapping herself in one of the woven shawls hanging by the door, she padded into the kitchen barefoot.

To her surprise, someone was already there.

Jess turned at the sound, eyes widening. "Your Grace,! I didn’t expect, I mean...good morning." She bowed, nearly dropping a fish scale-covered knife in the process.

Salviana smiled gently, waving her off. "No need for that. You’ve done enough bowing. I couldn’t sleep. Thought I’d help."

"But... you’re royalty," Jess said, still half in awe, half in disbelief.

"And you’re tired," Salviana said, glancing around the kitchen. "Your mother stayed up all night stitching and sorting clothes for us. You’re up before the sun cleaning fish. Let me do something useful. I may be a divine lady," she added, tugging her sleeves up, "but I can still flip a skillet."

They worked in silence at first. The aroma of garlic, sea herbs, and spiced oil filled the kitchen as they grilled flatbread and salted shellfish, frying diced vegetables from the market stalls. Jess eventually relaxed, watching Salviana deftly handle the food with the grace of someone who had once lived without titles.

"I never imagined royalty could cook," Jess said after a while.

Salviana gave her a conspiratorial smile. "I don’t know how to cook, i just want to join you."

Jess blinked, unsure if she was joking.

When the final platters were nearly ready, Salviana’s expression shifted,serious now. She glanced toward the stairs, ensuring no one else had yet risen.

"I’ll take his," she said quietly, collecting one of the plates.

Jess looked puzzled. "Of course, Your Grace. Do you want–?"

"No, I’ll serve him myself. Thank you."

Jess nodded and turned back to the fire, humming softly.

With the plate in hand, Salviana moved to a darkened corner of the kitchen. Her heart was thudding now. Her pulse roared in her ears louder than the sizzle of oil.

She reached into the folds of her shawl, pulling out a tiny knife,the same ceremonial blade once used for oaths in her temple rites.

With a hiss of breath, she drew the blade across the pad of her finger.

Blood welled instantly. Rich, crimson, almost glowing in the firelight. Her divine blood shimmered faintly, like wine mixed with starlight. She clenched her fist over the food, letting it drip onto the salted dish,over the fish, into the herbs. The scent was faint, but she could already feel the energy shift in the room. Her stomach turned in anxiety. Would it be enough?

She bit down on her lip as she pressed her finger tighter, letting a final drop fall before watching the wound slowly close. Her skin knitted itself back together,smooth, as if nothing had happened.

But something had just that only she knew.

She stirred the food slowly, blending it together until nothing could be seen. Her hands trembled faintly, but her eyes were resolute.

Then, steadying her breath, she turned and climbed the stairs.