The Voyage of Galilea

The hours passed slowly, I discovered fresh and new passion with every kiss. I learned an everlasting lesson of love and I subdued my nakedness to my lover’s will. The Count’s thirst for my body was infinite. I loved him so much it was dangerous and I became addicted to him, hopelessly. I had reached the point of no return.

I must have given in at some point. I opened my eyes and I saw myself lying naked on the bed. His body leaning over mine. The net of the bed covered us and I could feel the gentleness of the night breezes dancing their way around the room. A few lamps no longer burned oil, and so the shadows of our bodies in bed, reflected on the walls. Sometimes my lover’s shadow would be moving around, though he continued to rest by my side.

My limbs were partially numb. My exhaustion was divine. My breath was shallow. My eyes filled with tears as I looked at him. I was crying of happiness. I wanted this moment, so badly to be eternal. A vampire lives forever. I wanted to live forever with him. My thoughts were much too loud. My heart and my mind were speaking, yelling, crying, and begging him for more and more and more.

My lover didn’t speak. He had a nice, soft smile on his lips.

I touched his face. His hair came over his face. He looked gorgeous. I buried my fingers in his hair and I leaned forward to kiss his forehead. As I did, tears began falling down my face. I couldn’t nor wouldn’t stop them. I let myself weep. I gave in to my sadness and my nostalgia and my love.

-“Galilea…I promise you every hour of this night…and I am not a man to make any promises…”

My lover pulled the sheets away from me, unveiling my nakedness once again. His hands already knew my body by heart and they needed not, nor wanted, any directions. His fingers were content, getting lost in the soft curves of my breasts. His fingers got lower and lower, finding a favorite spot, where they could touch and feel at will. I was impossibly wet still. My lover easily slid his fingers inside of me, awaking brand new sensations every time. At one point, I yelp. It hurt. He immediately stopped.

The wound he had inflicted a few moments ago was still fresh. I was bleeding a little bit.

My lover positioned his body in between my legs. He kissed my thighs softly, spreading them out. I sighed and let my body relax at his touch. With the softness of a feather, he licked the blood of my wound, stirring a blissful sensation, which made my body cry for more. He gave me more. My lover filled me completely and I close my eyes. Only the sound of our moaning prevailed…Our shadows waltzing on the ceiling. I licked his chest, his nipples…the skin of his throat…My hands pressed themselves against his buttocks as his motions soon began to accelerate themselves. My hips followed his will and, this time, we both climaxed at the same time. His body stayed on top of mine, our legs entangled…our arms about each other.

My hair, my body completely was damped with sweat. I loved the smell of my body. I didn’t want him to move. He didn’t move. He looked more beautiful by the second and I thought I was going to go crazy just by looking at him.

It was then I noticed a mark on his neck, it was faded, yet it was the one imperfection on his body. The mark went down almost touching his shoulder blade. The mark of the werewolf. He noticed I had noticed and it was only then he moved and he turned his body away from me.

-“How did you survive?”

I asked. The Count didn’t answer. I asked again. No answer.

I used, then, a more defiant tone of voice, as I softly whispered in his ear.

-“The Devil bailed you out, didn’t he?…Just like he did once before, when your father locked you in that miserable ice fortress…Lucifer gave you wings…so you could fly around, torturing your fellow Transylvanians…”

I laughed softly and he turned around. He looked at me. His eyes were filled with tears. He touched my face a bit too harsh for comfort.

-“I think the Devil no longer favors me, Galilea…He has brought to me to punish me. I shall be forever tortured with my memories of you, knowing than I cannot have you. I cannot feel joy. I won’t be able to feel the sorrow when you are gone…”

His words made me cry. I had more tears blinding my eyes. I had found his heart. I had found his heart and it was dead. I wept for the loss of his heart. God among gods in heaven, I pleaded. Let me rekindle his heart!

-“My dear Count…At this point, I swear to you. At this point I am ready to bargain with the Devil…I’d go down on my knees if I must. I’d beg him to return your soul to me, just so that you can have a glimpse of how much I love you….”

As I said these words I got lost in my own weeping and I felt my lover’s arms embrace me with desperation. I pulled myself closer and closer to him, wishing I could melt into his own skin.

More pleasure came. Yes. More. More. We had the blessing of a night of one thousand hours. I was completely deceased with my desire for him. My love had turned me into a madwoman. I had waited too much for what I was being given. The fire was intense. Infinite.

The moon was exhausted too, and soon, she too, had to rest…The first rays of the sun came shyly, as if they were afraid to awake me…afraid I’d curse them.

When I opened my eyes, Aleera was sitting next to me. At first, I could hardly see her. My eyes hurt me. I tried to move, and my whole body was in pain.

-“My precious child, you have a fever…You must rest…I too broke into a fever the first time he touched me. It’s inexplicable….”

-“Where is he, Aleera?”

-“He left. He is back in Transylvania…Galilea you touched him. I have never in all of this time, and it is a long time…I have never seen him weep. When he left this room, knowing you were deep asleep, he came to me. I was frightened by the look in his eyes. He crumbled in my arms, like a young child and wept…Swear to me, child, that he shall never know I told you this.”

A servant cooled the skin of my forehead with a cold, fragrant compress.

I didn’t know what words to say. I chose the words of silence.