Daciana: Handsome Drink

Casimir had followed her that night and watched as she took control of the girl in the toilets. Dacina impressed him with how she handled the situation. There were concerns over the amount of blood coming from Daciana’s victims. His initial thoughts pursued the idea Daciana was a sloppy drinker. On further investigation with a sample sent to the Ministry, he discovered it was worse. Daciana had an imbalance in her biology. It seemed she produced an excess of draculin. She would need to be careful as this caused the victim to bleed out, even after she stopped drinking. In her training, he noted Daciana healed as a human would slow and painful. She bruised, bled and woke sore, moaning of her aching limbs. Casimir wrapped fractured and bleeding knuckles. He wondered if he was wrong to perfect her skills this way.

Patrick raised concerns for his daughter’s welfare. He understood she needed to train to contain her power and bloodlust. Daciana was a walking bruise. Patrick felt Casimir, with his advanced years, was hard on Daciana. Her sixteen-year-old body suffered and might never develop a vampiric endurance. The Ministry advised this was possible due to her production of draculin. She would never be a warrior like Casimir, whose true power and intention remained a secret. Daciana did need to find her place in this world, and it seemed her human form required a human trainer.

Layton Hunter, former fly-half at Newcrest High, had traded in his rugby ball. He was a personal trainer and martial arts coach. Daciana felt energised when they first met, the colours of his clothes imprinted on her mind. The gods blessed Layton with thick blonde hair and stereotypical blue eyes. Daciana found language became word salad in his presence. She spoke nonsense, trying to act like her sister in the grips of a hallucination. Daciana slipped in giggles at his awful jokes. Her skin hummed with his touch as they sparred. The punches received were a fist bump with her heart, and Daciana did all she could to pin him to the ground.

Casimir chaperoned the training sessions with a clear agenda. The plan to expel unutilised energy seemed flawed. As did the notion he could protect Layton from being on Daciana’s menu. He noted her conversations veered towards Layton. Casimir was not well versed in matters of teenage girls. The doe-eyed expression of his charge made him uncomfortable. Her discussion about Layton evolved around his physical appearance. If the boy said something witty, Daciana giggled as she repeated it. Since meeting him, Daciana had turned into her sister.

Daciana often arranged a daytime session, to Casimir’s relief. He requested Patrick attend for the human’s safety. Patrick was unsure what use he would be if Daciana devoured Layton as she never listened to him anymore. Daciana ordered her father to wait in the café, feeling his presence would be too distracting. Patrick raised his eyebrows, wondering how he would distract anyone. He no longer recognised his child but saw how becoming a vampire transformed Daciana. Her slender figure attracted the attention of men and women in the gym. Daciana seemed invigorated by the attention, as it made for easier hunting. The extra few inches she gained in height set her apart from Luliana. Her wardrobe was a personal taste, and the girls no longer swapped clothes.

Layton adjusted Daciana’s stance, straightening her shoulders. His hands applied a gentle touch, bringing her hands up to guard her face. Layton used his legs to nudge hers apart. Her dominant foot stepped forward, encouraging her to shift weight when punching. His body moulded to hers as they addressed the punch bag. Daciana could feel his hot breath on the back of her neck, making her shiver. Her cheeks burned red as their bodies moved as one to make contact with the bag. Daciana twisted in his grip to face him. Layton grabbed her waist, lifting her against the bag. Her legs and arms wrapped around him, and his heart pounded in her ears as she squeezed. He tasted salty, his lips smooth as butter as they glided against hers. Fireworks exploded in her stomach as her legs squeezed tighter. The aroma of mandarin and sandalwood flooded her nostrils as she breathed deeper.

She could feel his tongue circling in her mouth, tickling the roof and dancing with hers. Instinctively, she pushed it against her canines. Blood dripped onto her tongue, a milky, fruity flavour like the gummies Patrick gave her as a child. Layton jumped back, wiping his mouth. The initial shock turned to laughter. He liked her rough play but would rather keep his tongue intact. Daciana found herself pinned to the bag. Her vampiric strength could overthrow him, but she had no intention. Daciana knew what she wanted from Layton, and it wasn’t blood.

A voice cleared, snapping Daciana back to reality. She was standing in the same initial pose. Her hands had not yet made contact with the bag, and her eyes closed. Layton glanced at his watch. Their time was at an end. He needed to shower before his date. Daciana felt her heart sink, the heat of her cheeks and fists clenched. She lashed out at the bag, and it swung back, knocking her to the floor. Layton smirked, fuelling Daciana’s embarrassment. She scrambled to her feet and darted for the door.