An indefinite amount of time later, Ikaris regained consciousness, his mind still foggy. He felt amazing, like a fetus immersed in his mother's warm amiotic fluid. He could feel his body bathed in warm water and the soothing fragrance of soap plus a much more pungent one tickled his nostrils as he inhaled through his nose.
Not far from him, he also heard two female voices whispering restlessly about what they were supposed to do with him. He also heard them repeatedly mention "the thing between his legs" and the awful stench that was emanating from him.
The teenager could have sworn that their voices were choking with bashfulness at these times, becoming nigh inaudible. He was even pretty positive that at least one of the two women was blushing.
What had happened before Ikaris lost consciousness suddenly rushed back into his mind, including the events that followed when his bestial instincts took over. He suddenly opened his eyes, a horror-stricken expression on his face.
"Are you finally awake?" Magnus' raspy, abashed cackle echoed in his head. "We screwed up... or rather I screwed up. I didn't expect that mixing a fourth Bloodline with the other three would produce such an explosive cocktail."
Ikaris didn't move right away, first brushing his eyes over the room he was in. He was in the bathroom, in the wooden tub that served as a bath. Someone had filled it with hot water and soap, but the foam and bubbles were almost all gone. The water was still warm, but it must have been almost boiling when he had been thrown into the bath buck naked.
Remembering Malia's last word, a pang of guilt gripped his chest as he recalled the deep gash that had almost gutted the young woman. The wound had been caused by one of his Werewolf claws while he was out of control.
"What happened after I fell asleep?" Ikaris then coolly asked Magnus. Right now, he mostly needed information.
The Vampire was mindful of this and refrained from making one of the sick jokes he was accustomed to. He recounted the facts and got straight to the point,
"After Malia put you to sleep, the two women first ignored you for a small hour. Having lost a lot of blood and consumed most of her Blood Energy, Malia first devoured all the meat in the cupboards to suppress her urge to pounce on Ellie to drain her of all her blood. She' s a good girl... I know many young Vampires, including old Vampire Nobles who would have given in to their thirst without remorse in such a situation. However, this is only a short-term solution. To quickly regain her Blood Energy levels, she absolutely needs human blood, but I digress...
"We have another, more pressing concern. Just like when you mutated into a Dire Werewolf, your body has evolved into a more perfect form again, and it has released a lot of impurities in the process. There wasn't as much as last time, but the stench was just as unbearable. Realizing the problem, the two women overcame their embarrassment and got rid of what was left of your torn tunic to give you a bath. If you remember the previous time, the soapy bath was not enough to remove all the grime and associated stench and so they scrubbed you... vigorously."
Magnus paused at this point and Ikaris could almost imagine him smacking his lips with a snide grin. At that moment, the teenager wanted to escape by sinking into his bath, but in the end he only let out a bitter sigh. That explained their whispers...
With a somewhat rigid rictus, he then grunted,
"I presume that's not the pressing concern you were referring to?"
" Sadly no." Magnus sighed back. "They found my jewelry box and the Bloodsparks inside. They're not stupid, they probably already figured out what they are."
Ikaris' shoulders slumped in the tub as he realized that what he dreaded had already happened.
"What do you suggest?" He asked with a glum look.
Magnus stalled for a few seconds and then said chillingly,
"If it were up to me, I would kill them to protect my secret. Mental bondage is not a foolproof method either, and I'm a control freak. But, knowing you, I doubt my advice will satisfy you..."
Ikaris' brows twitched. Indeed, this solution was not possible for him. If the two women were his enemies he could have settled for it, but they were among the few people in this world with whom he had managed to forge a bond, however tenuous.
"Any other suggestions?"
"...If my first recommendation doesn't work for you, then all you can do is tell them the truth and reveal my existence." Magnus replied cheerlessly. "Even if you concoct a convincing lie by telling them that you found this jewelry box by chance, the lie might sound a bit far-fetched to convince them. Ellie might fall for it, but Malia won't.
"Even informing them of the danger, my Bloodspark is still very attractive if not irresistible to a young Dhampir. By revealing my existence, at least I can intimidate them with my identity. I am only a soul remnant but they don't know that. By faking the spiritual pressure that my aura could emit when I was alive, maybe I can keep them in line. If they were to learn that it's all an act and decide to betray you through theft or by revealing the existence of these Bloodsparks, they wouldn't have much of a future either.
"Overall, the risk is small but not non-existent. If you choose to reveal my existence to them, you must also consider the possibility that they might one day be captured by an enemy. A Psychist Sorcerer and some higher races like mine have dozens of methods to make them talk or read their memories. In other words, if you tell them the truth, even if they are on your side, you have to make sure that nothing happens to them. You won't just have your life to worry about, but theirs as well."
This was no small decision to make. Ikaris remained silent for a long time, lost in his reflections and when he finally moved to get out of the bath, the water had long since turned cold.
Hearing the sounds of movement and the water stirring in the bathroom, the two young women stopped whispering in secret and cautiously stared at the door. A few minutes later, Ikaris came out dressed in the spare pants and shirt they had prepared for him.
"We need to talk." He stated flatly as he met their eyes, his gaze lingering a tad longer on the jewelry box in the Dhampir's hands.
Malia and Ellie nodded stiffly like two chickens pecking at grain and sat down on the sofa in the living room near the extinguished fireplace. Ikaris spoke for a long time and the two women listened in silence, their mouths opening from time to time to express their amazement.
At one point, the indistinct specter of Magnus emerged from the ruby ring, causing Ellie to shriek in fright, but after listening to the dead Vampire introduce himself and the circumstances of their encounter, the two women eventually calmed down.
After intimidating them for a couple of seconds, the Vampire had quickly returned to his ring, his energy already exhausted. At this moment, they didn't know it, but his spirit was so weak that a mental attack from Malia could have dissolved his consciousness.
"So, you two met the day Karragin was wiped out shortly after the Great Wall was destroyed." Malia realized with a wry grimace of reproach. No wonder she hadn't noticed. It was the moment she had passed out after the giant Narvath's spiritual howl.
She vaguely remembered that the monster had been attacked by several terrifying auras, but she could never have predicted that it would give Ikaris such an opportunity. In addition to stealing her Stele, he had also obtained the legacy of a venerable Vampire Emperor.
She was not jealous. On the contrary, Malia was now even more confident about the future. In addition to being unfairly talented, this boy's providence also seemed far better than her own.
The two women, especially Ellie, asked as expected if he could share these Bloodsparks with them, but after Magnus' convoluted and sappy explanation, they finally gave up. By describing all sorts of gruesome scenarios where they end up as brainless monsters, he was able to convince them. Ikaris' berserk mode earlier had also helped.
Especially since, as Magnus had explained to them, Ikaris could surely turn them in the future. His Werewolf and Vampire Bloodlines both allowed him to create new members with his venom under certain conditions.
But before he could do that, he had to make sure they wouldn't lose their minds in the process of being transformed. That would take time.
When the discussion ended, the night was already well underway and everyone went back to bed with their minds full of thoughts. Once alone in his room, Ikaris winced as he found his broken bed, but an eager smile lit up his face when he checked out his new status.
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