۞ FIVE ۞

"DOES YOUR ITALIAN FAMILY KNOWS what you are?"

He's really getting on my nerves. I finished my cheese breads and began to eat my tiramisu. "I haven't met them yet, I'm going there to do it. And no, only my mother knows, and I won't tell them, unless I have no other option."

Isaak grinned, "Because the reds are the type of witches that are most scared of the prophecy being true, since they are the biggest sinners of all witches, right? And if they knew they are partially responsible for having the hybrid girl of the prophecy, they would go mad."

"Precisely." I took more cookies and the mini pizzas from my bag and shared with him.

"Then you are going as Arianna Sasso, then?" A nod. "Did you and your father took care of all the documents needed to use there? Are all in this name of yours?" Another nod. "And is your witch mom aware of this plan?" I nodded again.

"Enough about me. What are you going to do in Italy?"

Isaak rolled his shoulders, "I have to take care of some important personal matters," how mysterious. "So, what are your thoughts on devils again?"

"I hate them more than anything in the world, especially that King of theirs. And I find the prophecy ridiculous, as I said before. It's impossible for an immortal to fall for the Devil Himself. She would need to be the dumbest hybrid on earth. Besides, as I said, devils don't have feelings," I took one of dad's cookies and ate it, savoring it with devotion. "They are nothing more than a heartless shell made for pure evil and chaos. Unable to feel any kind of emotions, and soulless. Falling in love is impossible for them. That's why I think it's horrific how everyone believes on that."

It doesn't matter his opinion on it, I know for a fact that I'm right. It's pure logic. You just need to use your brain to get to that conclusion.

"When is your birthday?" What?

How random. "Today."

But he didn't seem fazed. "How old are you from today onwards, Arianna?"

I tilted my head to the side, "20 years old." He seemed worried and I glared at him. "Why?"

"You are really unlucky, you know that?"

Frustrated, I sighed, "Why, Isaak?"

"When a red turn 20, they have an initiation ritual, where they have to drink a sip of blood. The blood must be from someone powerful. It helps them awaken their magic to the fullest. Didn't you know that?" What?

Is that why mother wanted me to go to Italy when I turned 20? This is quite the immortal-ish ritual, nothing like witches. "What happens if I don't drink it until 00h?" Dad probably had no idea of this, or he would definitely had sent me yesterday. I bit my lip, "Because I won't be there until tomorrow."

He passed his fingers through his hair, "You will get weaker. Your magical growth will stagnate. That's why the reds are also called blood witches and wizards, Arianna. It's a secret almost only known by the reds, but not only them, since I happen to know about it too."

"Are you telling the truth?"

A nod, "Yes. You really are unlucky, Arianna. In the ritual, you would probably drink the patriarch's blood, since he's supposed to be the strongest there. However, if there's no red around you, you have to drink the blood of someone considerably stronger than you. That's how the blood witches function," he said it all calmly, while eating the spicy cheese pizza. "Hm, I love spicy food. It's the best."

I closed my eyes, trying to control my anxiety, "Are you really telling the truth, Isaak?"

"Hell above, of course, I am. Why would I lie about it? Besides, it would be quite fun to watch first seat how half of your power will vanish just because you didn't drink blood," he chuckled mischievously. "And to think the reds complain about how some immortals drank blood and turned humans into vamps. A bunch of hypocrites, drinking blood as a tradition," and the asshole looked like he was genuinely enjoying it.

"I… But… Since I'm only half-red, maybe my immortal blood won't make so I need to do such a thing, no?'

"It's almost adorable to see you trying to believe in that, if it wasn't pitiful. To think that such a thing will happen to someone who's 50/50 part of the two most prideful and arrogant races of all," he giggled, "how amusing can that be?"

Feeling nauseous, I felt my vision blurry again, and my canines began to hurt. "It counts from the hour I was born, or from the moment it turns 00h on the day of my birthday?"

"Hour you were born," then he ate a cookie, savoring, and when he turned to me, I bet he noticed how pale I got, because he sighed. "Oh, bloody hell, what hour were you born, Arianna?"

I blinked, feeling my eyes hurt as much as my canines, "2 pm… I was born at 2 pm."

He cursed in a language I surprisingly didn't understand, got up and kneeled in front of me. "It's be 2 pm is fifteen minutes, dumbass. Oh, shit." Isaak seemed suddenly anxious, nothing like the mocking clown seconds ago, "I don't really think it's a good idea to give you my blood, because I'm not a warlock, and I never did this. But I'm definitely stronger than you are right now."

"What are you… saying?"

Cursing under his breath, he took off his coat, pushed down his turtleneck, and held his hair, "It's on you, Arianna. You either drink mine or face the consequences. But you won't be able to turn back from it later."

My vision got red and the space between his neck and shoulder suddenly looked mouth-watering. I gulped, not understanding what the hell was I feeling. "How do I do this?"

Isaak scoffed helplessly and came closer, stopping in the middle of my legs, as he held me by my waist, spreading goosebumps down my spine, bringing me even closer. Then he bent his head to the side, held my head gently and turned it to his neck, "Immortals have pointy teeth like vamps, you can suck ones blood, it'll be easier. I heard that the first time you bite someone, it kind of hurts a little bit, but it doesn't last longer. Just… don't be thirsty and suck me dry, got it?" He whispered. His lips brushing the other side of my neck.

Licking my lips, I felt my canines grown longer than usual, until they looked like fangs, then I sank them in him, tearing his soft skin apart and tasting how sweet his blood was. It felt energetic, like the taste of it brought me back to life. There was a metallic scent to it, but it wasn't bad at all.

It was like what I imagined drinking the godly hydromel would taste like, when I read those mythology tales. And it was scarily addicting.

He wrapped his arms around me, and I held him closer, never opening my eyes. A burning sensation spread all over my body, and felt like I would melt from the inside out. He let out a low moan in my ear, and it made me even more thirsty for him.

My breathing was unsteady and my heart raced like a bitch. I couldn't stop. I drank, and I drank, and I drank. As my tongue tasted what seemed to be both heaven and hell at the same time, I held his back with one hand and his hair with the other.

And I went forward to push his body to mine until he fell down and I fell on his lap, but I didn't stop it. As if his blood tasted sweeter at each time I drank a bit of it, I felt it getting all over my system.

I had no idea of what I was doing, and with whom I was actually doing this. But I couldn't care less. At that moment, I needed his blood to live. That's what it felt like to me. If I didn't kept drinking of him, I would die. Death was going to claim me.

"Ari… Arianna…" Isaak moaned in my ear again. "I think it's enough. If this keeps going I might… lose control of myself."

But I couldn't help it. It was stronger than me. I feel like everything would crumble if I stopped. So much that body began shaking and so did his, but probably for different reasons.

He took a deep breath and held my head gently with his two hands, then took my fangs out of him by force. And as I tried to get back to it, he didn't let me, "I told you it would be hard to get out of it, damn it." But he held me hard on his lap, afraid that if I got up I could go and bite someone in the out-of-control state I'm in. "Take a deep breath," and it sounded more like an order than anything else. "Arianna Sasso-Saraiva," he whispered intensely, "get a hold of yourself."

Gulping, I tried to press my fangs inside again, but couldn't, so I decided to press it with my hand. It hurt me a little bit, but it'll be cured in a minute. I just need to…

"What the hell are you doing? Have my blood made you go insane? For fuck sake, Arianna," he exclaimed exasperated, holding my jaw with one hand and my hand with the other. "Come on, you are not a savage. Don't give in to this bloodlust that resides deep inside of you, Arianna."

"I… feel like I'm on… drugs," I mumbled, feeling numb.

Sigh, "That's why I didn't want you to do it. But it's not like you had a choice. Let's hope it works and you don't suffer from any collateral thing."

I giggled, "Why would I?"

"Because we don't know the consequences of a half red half immortal drinking blood, idiot. It doubles the thirst for blood a normal immortal would have. Meaning that it gets harder to resist. And that's dangerous. It may not kill you, but there are worst things than death out there," he exhaled.