so you see now

Alone in her room, Bassey weighed her options. 

Owa was present when Ansa said she didn't want Bassey to talk to Oghogho which meant that no one was going to let Bassey leave the compound. No one was going to give her a phone. No one was going to be on her side. She considered going down to the spell room in the basement and unsealing the door but Ansa had prisoners down there. There was a chance she had security down there too. Someone would see Bassey and return her to her room.

But would they? She wondered as she dragged herself to the door and opened it. She moved to the railings, peeking down into the sitting room where she saw Isaac sitting in front of the TV with his shoes on the couch.

She opened her mouth to tell him to drop his feet when a bright idea slipped right into her mind. No, it was a stupid idea. No, a bright one. A smart one. A very crazy one that could get her in serious trouble.

"Hey, Isaac?" Bassey called down as he leaned back over the chair to look up at her. "Can you come up here for a second?"

He sighed, looking at the TV. But then, a second later, he was standing in front of Bassey.

"What is it?" he asked.

She could still hear the TV playing downstairs because he'd come up without turning it off. She wanted to nag about that, but she needed him so she relented, ushering him into her room as she moved slowly, always keeping a hand on the walls so that she wouldn't topple over and faint again.

"Are you okay?" he asked, watching her closely.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "You're moving a bit…" he trailed off, frowning at her like he wanted to cringe.

"Don't worry. I need your help," she said, closing the door gently.

"With what?" he asked, leaning on the wall as she took a seat on the edge of her bed.

"What time does Okonidiok usually come to look for you?" Bassey asked.

"Six, seven sometimes. Why?"

"I want to send you on an errand. A very small one. Before he gets here."

Isaac frowned in uncertainty. "I'm not sure how that's going to be possible. The sun is usually still out-"

"You can drink my blood," she said, holding out her wrist.

Isaac's eyes grew ten times in size as he stared at the weak hand she was holding out.

"What?" he asked, his voice a small gasp filled with shock.

"I need you to go to Akpata and you'll need my blood to get in there."

"I'm sorry," Isaac said, standing straight as he shook his head as if trying to clear cobwebs. "What?" he asked, louder. "You want me to drink your blood AND go to Akpata? Because as I understand it, those are two huge cardinal sins."

"I'm desperate so it's that kind of day."

"You're trusting me with this."

"No, I'm down to no other option."

"Wh-" Isaac said, sputtering uselessly as he stared at Bassey. "To do what?"

"I want you to go to Akpata and find Oghogho. It won't be hard. Akpata is a small village. Once you get in, finding her won't be hard."

"What do I need to find her for?"

Bassey needed Isaac but she couldn't trust him. She had no choice. There was no one else. But even then, she couldn't give him all the information. If, for some reason, Ansa found out about this, then Bassey would be in trouble anyway. But if that never happened, the last thing she needed was to give Isaac more information than was necessary.

"Tell her to burn everything and then, I want you to take her to my house."

Isaac squinted at Bassey, pressing his lips together as if he couldn't quite understand the nature of Bassey's insane request.

"Find Oghogho," he counted against his fingers. "Burn things. Take her to your house. Is that right?"

"Yes," Bassey nodded.

"After I drink your blood?" he asked, still not sounding like he believed she'd actually let him. "From the vein?"

"Yes."

"So I'm going to drink from you?" he asked again. "Just to be sure we're on the same page. I'm to bare my fangs and bite you. Poison you," he said.

"Yes," Bassey said.

"I don't know." He tapped his chin. "Bush-babies-" he cleared his throat. "Bushers die from vampire venom."

"I won't die. I'll just drift in and out of consciousness until Ansa feeds me her blood."

If it was possible, Isaac looked even more confused. "Say that again?"

"Look, all you need to know is that I'll be fine."

"You already look half dead."

"Which is why she won't notice." She gestured for him to get close. "Let's get this over with if you want to leave before Okonidiok shows up."

Bassey shifted into her bed as she kicked off her slippers and went beneath her blanket. She wanted to be covered up when Owa showed up with her dinner.

"You'll have to drink from my wrist so that they don't see it."

When she was firmly in place, she looked up but Isaac hadn't moved at all. He just remained by the wall, staring at her with discomfort.

"Isaac, we don't have time."

"This feels like a trap."

"This is sincere, I promise you."

Hesitating, he moved towards the other side of her bed, watching her like he expected her to attack him at any moment.

"I have a…" he pointed at his neck. "I might not be able to bite you."

When he sat on the bed, Bassey reached up to the spot where the control collars normally rested beneath the skin as she pressed against it, feeling the metal rattle against Isaac's skin, sharp and brittle like it was itching to rip its way out of him.

"You'll be able to feed. It won't be much because I don't have much to offer."

"If you say so."

She offered the hand that she'd used to touch the collar. "Drink."

He took the hand, leaned down, and bit into it.

Bassey groaned as the pain like pins and needles shot through her arm, attacking Bassey from within as his venom coursed through Bassey's veins.

"Oh god," she said, wincing as she turned away, feeling the blood drain right out of her. "Stop," she said. He ignored her. "Stop," she said more insistently.

Isaac gasped as he came away from her hand, blood licking down the side of his mouth as he licked it away with his fangs still visible. From the side of his face, Bassey could see the dark, etched lines of his face, carved out as his true form revealed itself in a moment of physical satisfaction. Quivering from head to toe, Isaac got up from the bed and stared at his hands, walking closer to the stream of light in her room where the curtains remained minutely open.

"Why do I feel like, why does everything suddenly… feel?" he asked, slowly reaching out to evening sun rays as they rolled over his skin, illuminating but not burning. Isaac moaned, turning his hand over. "Oh," he said, looking back at Bassey as his fangs began to recede and the lines lightened into his skin color.

"You must go fast," Bassey said, struggling to breathe as the dizziness returned.

"How long will this last?" Isaac asked.

"I don't know," Bassey replied honestly. "Which is why I suggest you go now."

Nodding, he turned to go.

"Wait," she said. "No one can know what happened or that I gave you my blood. None of this. Please."

"I know," he said.

"As discreetly as possible."

He smiled at her. "I'll try my best."

As the door closed behind him, Bassey's eyes closed along with them.