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When Shuri was a young witch, she found a vampire dying on the beach.
He was along the bottom of the cliffside, hiding in a shallow cave that barely shaded him from the sunlight that was slowly creeping into his hiding spot as the day progressed. Upon closer inspection Shuri could see the edges of a ragged wound on his stomach that he hid with his hand, and the hollowed cheeks and dried lips that revealed his starving state.
Shuri ran all the way home, climbing the small incline that led up to her and her mother’s cottage. She made sure to avoid her mother, who was tending the gardens, and grabbed an umbrella. When she came back she was relieved to see that he was still alive. She sat in the sand near him, unafraid, and opened the umbrella to better shade the two of them from the sun.
The vampire instantly sighed in relief at the added shade, but he still had to remain tightly coiled to avoid his leg from slipping out. He opened his eyes to peek at her, a pained smile gracing his features when she came into focus.
“Hello, lovely one.” He said low and weak.
Shuri lived on an island, on the outskirts of a large town on a cliff that overlooked the ocean. She loved it here, and had come here when she was still in her mother’s womb. The island was a mixture of old world magic and modern technology. To everyone who lived there, she was considered the ‘village witch’, even though the village was actually a thriving city.
The city was built in spiraling roads along the incline of the mountainous area, the large parts of the population at the base of the mountains themselves.
She lived alone in a home passed down from her mother, who had passed about 5 years prior at the ripe age of 250 years. Shamans from her bloodline, the Golden Tribe, had much longer life spans then normal humans. With Shuri being only 30, she had a long life ahead of her. Her mother had had her late in life.
Shuri was working early in her garden, located in a wooded area to the side of her home. Her mother had spent decades infusing the land with her magic, cultivating the dozens of herbs and flowers that spanned across the grounds. And when Shuri was old enough, she helped her mother plant even more. It did not matter what was in season, what was not in season, what temperature the plants needed to grow at; year around these plants grew. Creating a lucrative business to give them a quiet yet fulfilling life on the isle.
She went through the garden, taking only what she needed, mentally checking off each herb and flower she placed into her woven basket.
Sage dried then ground to be added to drink for a defense for the body, Ashwagandha mixed with tea leaves to bring clarity, Red clover for fertility medicine, Moon poppies for a sleep tonic, and of course roses for her specialty; love potions.
A LOT of young people came to her for her love potions much to her annoyance.
She picked a few red roses for her ‘most potent love potion’. Which just meant she was going to make it rose scented. To Shuri, the spell worked mostly from the belief that it would work, but maybe also a bit of her magic helped as well.
Despite her displeasure of making it all of the time, she was pleased with how she had modified the potion. She mixed a bit of science with her magic and figured out a way to alter it so it was not all consuming like the ones of old. Hers would wear off after a month or so, then the people could make their own decision to stay or not. And it became less effective if used multiple times on the same person.
“Good morning, Princess.” a voice sounded softly behind her. The voice was alluring in a way that made her think it had something to do with his nature of being a vampire. A predator leading his prey to an enticing end.
Although it didn't affect her do to her own nature.
“You’re early.” She glanced back quickly to take him in, standing well dressed in the shade of a tree. He was wearing an ocean blue suit with a cream colored cloak, looking annoyingly handsome. Eyes gleaming with mirth.
“I am a very busy man with a lot to do today. I wanted to see you first.”
“Then why bother coming at all?” Shuri gathered her things and stood up, hitching the basket onto her hip. Her shoulder brushed into his as she walked past him, her heartbeat spiking at the touch. He smoothly turned around to walk with her, tugging on the hem of her sleeveless shirt collar to straighten it. Shuri instantly smacked his hand away, causing him to chuckle.
“I owe you a life debt, and besides,” Namor leaned in close to her ear, "I like you quite a lot. I consider us friends…even though you never let me inside your home." He joked.
“ No one can come into my home, because of all the dangerous poisons I keep there." It was a half truth and he knew it.
Witches and vampires had a long standing dislike with one another. One worked with nature while the other’s existence actively worked against it. Her mother had always told her to never trust a being who belonged to the night, and her mother especially could not stand Namor whenever he came by to visit. Ramonda was perplexed by both Namor’s interest in her daughter along with his very existence.
He was the only vampire known to be able to walk in daylight.
As they walked out of the protective shade of the surrounding trees and into the morning light, Shuri snuck a glance at Namor, as his warm brown skin seemed more alive in the sunlight. She had thought that the sun would have somehow given his nature away, make him look more gaunt. Instead it made him look healthy and incredibly human.
Her eyes traveled down his arm to where her hand swung near his, comparing the darker shade of brown of her own skin to his and briefly wished that they both were simply two humans enjoying the other’s company.
Namor must have been watching her because he suddenly placed her hand in his, intertwining their fingers. “May I ask what you are thinking?”
Snatching her hand back, Shuri moved the basket of herbs and flowers onto her other hip. Creating a small barrier between them. “You may not.” They reach her home, plants and flowers lining the edge of the dwelling. The most recent edition being the heart shaped herb placed right next to the doorway. Shuri had modified it to be just a normal non-glowing flower, but she had planted it in honor of her mother when she passed.
One of the few things her mother had taken with her from Wakanda, a gift to their bloodline from Bast.
“I will come again tomorrow, shaman of Bast”
“Don’t bother, spawn of Camazotz.”
Namor snorted, leaning on the doorframe, careful not to step on her plants. “Not a bother at all.”
Shuri rolled her eyes and shut the door on him, but then immediately opened the door to his amused face, “Here.” She handed him a small bag with several small bottles. “I worked on an emergency suppressant in case you and your family don’t have access to blood. Theoretically it should only hold for an hour, and I want that bag back…ok bye.” She slammed the door in his face yet again.
There was a small sincere smile on his lips at her gift that she caught a glimpse of before she shut him out. She pressed her forehead against the back of her door and let out a shaky breath. There was one other thing as to why she did not invite him into her house. It had nothing to do with her mother’s words or the fact that she had a basement full of poison.
It was due to the simple fact that she was head over heels in love with Namor.
And she had already come to terms that it would never happen.
With a shake of her head, Shuri turned on her heel and went to the side of her room where she had set up her lab. She had work to do and had no time to dwell on a feeling she couldn’t expand on. As much as her heart would like to.
When Ramonda had passed on, Shuri changed the layout of the home to fit her tastes. Some things she kept the same; the kitchen was untouched, the various herbs and flowers drying up above on the ceiling were left alone, and her mother’s desk in the secondary room was untouched.
What had changed was that she moved her bed into the main room on one side, and on the other side she set up her own makeshift lab, making her room just another place for storage. Her mother would have hated it, but it made Shuri very happy.
“Go through the list.” She whispered to herself. For the rest of the morning she prepped the glass bottles, clay pots, cloth pouches for various medicines, poultices, and potions for the list of orders that she had received. Her house filled with the scent of roses, for the multiple love potions ordered. And the sounds of clinking glass and clay pots filled the room as she filled her basket for delivery.
The work occupied her mind from unwelcome thoughts, but also filled her with a sense of pride. Her work was well known and she was constantly sought out for her medicines. Shuri knew her mother would be proud…although she wouldn’t like the use of science that she liked to mix in, but her mother was always one to stick with the old ways and Shuri thought that it too stifling for creative opportunity.
When she finished filling small clay pots with the last of her cold and flu medicine, she thought it would be a good time to move on to working in the gardens hidden below her home. She needed to pick more herbs for her medicines as well as pick a few more plants to complete today’s order.
She wiped her hands on her long skirts and made her way to the back of her home, past the kitchen to a locked door. Symbols and circles were etched around the door that kept it physically locked. There was no handle or key to open it. Shuri placed a hand on one of the circles and dragged her hand down the edge of the frame whispering, “Vula.”
The door swung up to reveal a long stairwell, glow worms embedded in the ceiling and stone to give a faint blue glow as she made her way down the steps. When her mother had first come here, the first thing she did was make this underground garden.
It was to protect the heart shaped herb. The plant, if the rituals and elixir were done properly, imbued the drinker with longevity, knowledge, and power from all of their previous ancestors. Generations of her bloodlines abilities kept alive with this one glowing flower. No one would be able to know how to even prepare it, but even Shuri knew the importance of keeping it safe.
The rest of the garden was an abundance of poisonous plants. If a normal mortal were to wander down here, they would die in a matter of minutes. Which was a shame because the place itself was quite impressive. The ceiling was several feet high, and large enough to house a few trees, and the grounds itself was twice the size of her home up above. There were also several two inch wide moats that kept fresh water flowing through the garden.
All of the plants took well to the magic placed in the soil to stay independent of sunlight, but there were a few flowers that Shuri was unable to find a way to hide within the basement. Moon poppies, for example, were quite dangerous, but again like the heart shaped herb, most people would not know how to use it. Unfortunately Moon poppies, as the name suggested needed moonlight to truly flourish.
Shuri tied a small cloth around her face and slipped on a pair of thick gloves. As a disciple of Bast and one of the golden tribe, she could survive being in the garden for a long period of time, but one still had to be careful. It would surprise most people that most of the poisons used here were for the more potent medicines.
A little of a poisonous plant could go a long way.
She picked up a basket with palm sized disc tins to store and separate the plants, to avoid cross contamination, and went through her list.
Brugmansia flowers to be mixed with black tea leaves and flavored with nutmeg for the Incubi demons, Nightshade for a truth serum, and lastly Tadeaus Aj K’uk’ulkan. It was a locally grown flower on the island that grew tall like a small serpent, with colorful petals that looked like feathers. They were normally found reaching for the sky at the top of mountains nearest to the sea, and Shuri was proud to have cultivated them in her garden basement.
The preparation of the plant was known mainly to the locals of the island. If eaten raw, it was a deadly poison, but if you boiled on low for 4 days it could be used as a potent medicine for colds and flus. Shuri would mix it with a little honey, distilled water and a sprinkle of sea salt.
Once done with her work, it was past midday, so she slipped on her shoes and strapped a basket of her potions to her back and left for her deliveries.
Although Shuri thoroughly enjoyed her walks through the city, there was always a strange feeling of disconnect. She was born on this island, and grew up here, but there was still something there at the back of her mind of not quite belonging. And she knew that even if she went back to her mother’s homeland that feeling would follow her.
It was an uncomfortable feeling, but it made her feel better knowing that she probably wasn’t alone in that sentiment.
The city itself was an interesting mixture of old world magic, with fire sprites working happily in bakery’s, charmers with their enticing live music, and there was a bookshop Shuri quite liked owned by an old Jinn. The amount of magic that lived here made it hard for technology to get its claws into the island, but it was still used plenty by all the inhabitants. Even little duendes enjoyed their daily tv soaps.
Of course there were plenty of normal humans on the island as well, which made up a huge base of her clientele. Shuri made quick work of her deliveries, keeping an eye on the sun, and making small talk with the locals. She kept her more dangerous deliveries for the end of her trip, which left Valentina’s brothel of demons and Namor’s underground club of vampires.
The city itself was kept rather peaceful but there was always some sort of power grab between the two creatures, making the nights a dangerous place to be.
Shuri went to the brothel first. It was a gaudy looking building, with large stained glass windows, ironic golden religious motifs, and neon light signs to flicker on when the night would come. To mortels, the Incubi demons would look otherworldly and beautiful. To Shuri, they looked as unappealing as a bowl of cold oatmeal.
“Little miss witch.” Smiled a large demon with silver hair and a face that had seen better days, raising his arms well above his head in genuine affection. Shuri actually quite liked him. He was endearingly friendly, which was why they probably had him man the doors, but it didn’t fool Shuri into thinking that he wasn’t dangerous. “To what do I owe this great pleasure.”
“Business as usual, Gio.” She pulled out four metal tins and handed it to him, a slip of paper with the name of the buyer and instructions on how to brew the tea. Not like they didn’t know how to do it by now with the amount they ordered from her.
“Ah yes, what is poisonous to humans is a delightful high to us.” He opened the tin of tea and took a sniff, releasing a huge sigh of delight at the aroma.
“Just remember if I find that it is being used to poison humans any further business transactions are done.”
“Of course, of course.” Gio waved his hand dismissively, like it wasn’t that big of a deal. Which to them probably wasn’t.
After they made their goodbyes, and Shuri made it about a block away from the brothel, a voice called out to her, “Hey WITCH.” She turned to see three young looking demons leaning and hanging on a disgruntled looking Gio. “We heard you got it good with the Vamp’s. Any info on their weaknesses? We can pay you good money.”
“A generous offer, but I think I’ll pass.” Instinct told her to run. Friendly and dangerous was one thing. Young, brash, and dumb was a different beast altogether. Demon or not. The trio jeered at her, but thankfully Gio shoved them back into the brothel, waving at Shuri apologetically.
She honestly should have just gone home right then, with the sun being so low, but she only had one more delivery. And she was nothing if not reliable.
Namor’s club, Little Talokan, was at the base of the mountain near the edge of town. It would make for an easy walk home after she was done. The building itself was unassuming, just a small square dark blue building with Talokan written in Maya on a corner, but everyone in town was well aware of it.
“Miss Udaku! I was hoping to see you today.” Ana, a young mortal, practically leaned out of her station where she took the guests coats. She reached out a hand to take Shuri’s and gave it a friendly squeeze. “I’m guessing you have a love potion on you?”
“You know who it goes to?”
Ana sighed and sideyed the door leading to the club. “One of our clients was complaining loudly that you haven't delivered it yet. She’s down stairs, sitting in booth five.” The young woman reached under her desk and pressed a button to unlock the door.
“Thanks Ana.” Shuri dropped a few coins on the desk which Ana swiped immediately into her pocket.
“You know I just buy us pastries with the tips you give me.”
At the door the witch turned to grin cheekily at the mortal, “Then you better get us ones with chocolate this time.” The door led down a small hallway that led to an elevator with a metal gated door. Shuri was greeted by a large vampire who simply smiled at her in greeting and slid the gate open for her to step inside. The elevator creaked as it went down to the underground club, the electric lightbulb above her flickering the closer they got to the bottom floor.
The club was surprisingly cozy, lit by a combination of candle light and glow worms embedded in the ceiling. There were plenty of dark wooden tables in the middle for food and alcohol, a live band on the stage with a beautiful vampire singing with a smoky low voice, and booths along the walls. However the booths were specifically for certain clientele only.
A vampire’s bite was considered to be euphoric to the person receiving it, the effects of the high lasting almost an hour. They offered the ‘drug’ in exchange for a bit of blood. It was a rather effective business. And the food at the club wasn’t bad either.
Shuri’s eyes briefly roamed over the booths to see the all too intimate transactions and quickly averted her eyes, not in embarrassment but fear of seeing Namor in one of the booths.
“Finally!” A woman slipped out of one of the booths and held out her hand to Shuri. “I thought you would be here earlier, I had to trade my appointment with Namor for a later slot because of YOU being late.”
Shuri bristled at the mention of Namor and shoved the bottle in the woman’s hand. “You did not specify the time.”
“Whatever. You're here now and I’m next with Namor.” She read Shuri’s instructions briefly, whispered the name of her heart’s desire, and downed the potion.
In Shuri’s opinion the woman was a fool. Everyone knew that love spells did not work on those who weren’t mortal. And even if it did, it would not work on Namor, for that wasn’t his true name. Shuri huffed out in annoyance and took one last look around the room.
Her eyes immediately landed on Namor who was in the middle of an ‘appointment’ with a pretty young man who looked to be moaning but the music drowned it out. Shuri felt her skin go tight at the sight, and when Namor’s eyes flicked up to hers, she left.
Blood roared in her ears as she slipped through the crowds, the music and chatter no longer distinguishable.
She barely got on the elevator when Namor caught up with her, his hand shooting out to grab the closing gate of the elevator. Namor tilted his head to the vampire in the lift to get off, closing the two of them in alone. “I did not think I would see you so soon.” He spoke once the elevator began to ascend, handling the controls himself.
“Don’t you have an appointment to get to?” Shuri asked bitterly, unable to scrub the embrace of his last appointment from her mind. She hated feeling this way. It was irrational to be jealous at such a thing, but there it was, ugly and twisting in her gut.
“They can wait. I would rather walk you out.”
“I’m not helpless.”
“Of course not, but it gives me pleasure to spend time with you.” He looped her arm through his, leading her out of the elevator and into the reception room, grabbing his cloak from Ana before stepping out with her. Namor then turned and wrapped his cloak around her shoulders snugly, his fingers lingering around the collar, brushing against her skin. Shuri stayed still, allowing him to fuss over her. “It is getting late, I can walk you home.”
“It’s fine. You worry too much.”
In reality she should have taken the offer, the two of them not noticing three pairs of eyes watching them.
Shuri made sure to adjust the umbrella she held every so often, making sure that the sun did not touch his face, but at this rate it would reach the lower half of his body and all of this would have just been prolonging the inevitable.
She learned that his name was Namor, and was caught by some demons that wanted him and his people dead. Looking at his current state though, it was clear they didn’t just want him dead, but to suffer as well. Watching him like this, made her stomach twist uncomfortably. Shuri didn’t like not being able to help.
“I would offer my blood, but Mother tells me that it’s poisonous to your kind.”
The mostly dead vampire’s eyes widened a fraction in realization to who she was. “Ah..the little witch from Wakanda. Although I am sure you go by another name.”
“Shaman of Orisha, guided by the teachings of Bast.” It was nice to be able to tell someone her full title. Witch, although a fine word on its own, felt inaccurate to her. “You must go by something as well?” She asked eagerly, scooting closer to him.
He chuckled at her interest, but he seemed to understand. “Child of Camazotz, once favored by Chaac.”
“Once favored?”
“I had another home like yourself, but was forced to leave. It was…a long time ago.” Namor’s eyes went distant, remembering the life he had before all of this. It reminded Shuri of the look her mother would get when she asked her about Wakanda.
A memory of a life they could never get back.
Shuri wouldn’t push, instead she offered to get more shade but he stopped her. Removing his hand slightly to show her the wound that wasn’t healing due to the lack of blood.
“If the sun does not get me, then this will.” He motions for her to sit still, a grimace of a smile on his face. “Please. Stay. Your kindness is enough for now.”
The sun set before she got home, walking through a wooded path, and Shuri knew she was being followed.
She tried to keep her pace steady, unsure what was behind her. Depending on the creature, running was not always the smartest decision. There were a couple of options left to her, so with a quick decision she shifted her path slightly to walk towards her garden instead of her house.
Once a good distance from the city, the trio of incubi she met at the brothel earlier stepped in front of her path. Almost as if they slipped out of the shadows themselves. Shuri’s heart dropped at the sight of them, she didn’t realize they had circled in front of her. They jeered and whistled as they formed a small circle around her to block her path.
“We just want to do business with you.” Spoke the one in front of her, the ugliest out of the three. Meaning he was probably, to mortal eyes, the most handsome. Which confirmed that they were not very bright, considering that it was basic knowledge that her kind could not be swayed by the glamors of an Incubi. “Everyone knows you sit on a mountain of poison. Why not give us a little to take out a few vamps. No one will miss them.”
One grabs her arm, pressing a taloned thumb painfully into her skin, thinking she would stay put, but she rips away from them. The move leaving a deep gash from elbow to wrist. Shuri ignored the biting pain of the cut and ran deeper into the woods towards her gardens.
They laugh and call out to her, taunting, and darting around to surround her. The darkness and surrounding trees effectively hide them from her, but these are her woods. Her home. She knows exactly where she is going and is rewarded by the cluster of glowing white plants ahead of her.
She makes it to the plant she was looking for and grabs a handful of moon poppies, allowing some of her blood to drip on the flowers and whispering, “Umlilo,” instantly setting them ablaze. The smoke curls and disperses its scent through the air, her magic keeping the fire burning but not disintegrating the flower entirely. She presses Namor’s cloak over her mouth and nose, raising the burning flowers above her.
The demons come close to her but then blink sluggishly at the scent.
“Feeling a little sleepy? Breathe in deep or go back home because the moment you fall asleep I won’t hesitate to kill you!”
They laugh and mock her albeit a little slower.
“You won’t be able to pierce our skin, you foolish little witch. We thought you were smart?” And normally they would be right. Demons had annoyingly thick skin, the density increasing with oncoming danger. However-
“Do you feel that numbing sensation in your fingertips?” The trio cautiously flex their hands, looking increasingly unsettled. “The smoke from these flowers affects your sensory output, meaning, your bodies won’t feel the oncoming danger. MEANING I will slit your throats if you don’t leave right now!”
She took a step closer to them and they all flinched away.
They were dumb enough to follow her thinking that she was helpless, but they were young enough to not want to test whether she was bluffing or not. One by one, they begin to back away and leave, the last one giving her a withering glare.
When they were gone she stamped out the flowers and went home, each step increasingly slower. She crashed through her front door, stumbling into her work table to grab a bottle of cleanser, and doused the wound quickly to ward off cursing and infection, but she didn’t have the energy to properly wrap her arm. So she crashed onto her bed before the moon poppy took full effect and knocked her out cold, still in Namor’s cloak
The steady pounding on her front door was what woke her from her dead sleep, the light from her windows glaringly bright. A pounding headache was beating behind her right eye. Blood crusted between her arm and Namor's cloak, leaving an unpleasant feeling when she had to rip the two apart.
Ugh.
A muffled 'Shuri!' from the other side of her front door had her croaking back in response. The moon poppies were still lingering in her system. She hoped those demons tripped off a cliff on their way back home.
Shuri opened the front door, more to stop the loud pounding which wasn’t helping her headache, and realized her mistake in doing so.
Namor stood on the other side, his eyes instantly on his bloodied cloak wrapped close around her body. She was so used to his calm confidence, that when she saw the murderous glint in his eyes as he stared at the dried blood, a chill went up her spine. His voice was much softer, but edged with something sharp, “Who did this to you?”
“I took care of it.” Shuri put up a hand to calm him, but the second it went past the threshold of her home he snatched her outside with him. He quickly found the wounded arm, twisting it carefully to inspect the damage. It was deep and looked worse than it felt, most likely due to the moon poppies, but she was also lucky she had managed to lay on top of her arm to staunch the bleeding.
“ And are they dead?”
She weighed the options of lying to him, not wanting to start any trouble, but his eyes moved slowly from her arm to her eyes, “No.” Shuri whispered.
“Then who did this?”
“Nam-”
“SHURI.” He tugged her further into him, so close that she could feel his breath fanning her face. Close enough for her to breathe in the faint warm scent of his cologne. “Tell me.”
With a swallow and a sigh, she did.
Shuri doesn’t see him for the next several days.
Her anxiety steadily increased with the lack of his daily visits. She threw herself into her work, keeping an eye on the wound on her arm to check if the Incubi had cursed her in any way, but the grace of Bast seemed to be on her side.
However as time moved forward her work could no longer distract her. She had so many things made in advance that she would only have to worry about making deliveries for the next two weeks. Everything was stacked into crates and lined against the wall.
Finally on the fifth night there was a soft scratching at her door.
Normally she knew that answering the door late at night was a way to invite danger into your home, but she instinctively knew who it was.
Namor was kneeling on the ground, leaning against the door frame, and holding onto his bleeding side. His clothes were shredded, and his hair matted with blood, but his face was smug when he looked up at her. “ Now, they are dead.”
“You idiot!” Shuri fell to her knees, taking his face in her hands to check for any damage on his head. When she found none, she tugged him into standing and invited him into her house. Kicking her door shut, she dragged him to her bed then went about gathering fresh clothes, water, cleansers, healing salves, and blood suppressants. “You should have left it alone. Now you have blood all over my bed.”
Carefully she unbuttoned his shirt, kneeled before him, and ignored the trembling in her fingers as she took in the state of him. There were several deep gashes haphazardly decorating his body, his chest heaving with the obvious effort of trying to breathe normally. She dumped cleanser on his wounds, watching as the curses sizzled out of his skin, making him hiss at the sensation.
Namor watched her fondly as she worked, cleaning the blood off of him, and rubbing a healing salve into his wounds to help numb the pain. When she passed the blood suppressant to him he finally spoke, pushing the bottle away gently. “Who knew I had to be on death's door for you to let me into your home.”
“Shut up.” She huffed, smacking the wound on his chest with the back of her free hand. He grimaced in response, but his smile held. “I'll give you some clean clothes and you can go stay at one of your many lovers' homes.”
At this, Namor looked genuinely confused. “…lovers?”
“One of the many people I see you with.”
He hummed contemplatively, leaning a chin on his hand to look at Shuri who had still been kneeling on the ground in front of him. “They simply give me blood Shuri. A business transaction. There is no one.”
Shuri got flustered and stayed quiet, quickly gathering the leftover medicines and his bloodied clothes. Trying to ignore the fact that she had a half naked Namor on her bed, and that she may have shown her hand with her idiotic jealousy.
However Namor continued to press, leaning forward to better look at her. “Is there a reason why you are upset about their possibly being someone?”
“Who says I’m upset? You're an adult who can have their own relationships, as can I.” She got up to move away from him.
His hand shot out and held onto her wrist loosely, it was only to have her look at him. Namor’s face looked deeply unamused. “I have never smelled anyone else here…or on you.”
“Maybe I just visit them in the town and shower before I come home.” Shuri teased, shrugging his hand off and walked over to her work station, dumping the soiled clothes, and empty bottles into a basket.
“Truly?” His question was soft but it hung heavy in the air between them.
“No.”
The sudden relief that flooded his face, made her heart flutter. A dangerous hope gripping onto her heart. She shook her head. “Look it doesn't matter, you look better, go back to your business transactions to get your blood or you won’t heal.”
The room went quiet again as she turned her back to him and worked. Cleaning the leftover bottles to be reused, and soaking the bloodied clothes to clean later. She could feel his eyes heavy on her back, and tried not to jump out of her skin when he spoke again. Shuri had not heard him get behind her.
“There really is no one else Shuri.”
She glanced over her shoulder to see him, his eyes half lidded as he stared at her. Her heart leapt and she attempted to move away, to get away from his intoxicating warmth. “Who cares?”
His hand shot out to stop her movement, then his other joined on the other side of her to completely trap her. “I think you do.” Namor leaned in close, his lips brushing hers, but then he immediately stumbled, nearly fainting.
Idiot. Shuri sighed, biting her lip. Her mother would be turning in her grave right now if she knew what Shuri was planning to do next. Carefully, deliberately, Shuri tugged the collar of her shirt to offer her neck to Namor.
“No.” The vampire instantly recoiled but Shuri stopped him.
“Go on, I trust you, just a thimble's worth.” She gave him a small teasing smile. “Remember, my blood can kill you…a little goes a long way.”
Namor did not resist a second time and slid his hands around her to hold her against him. He pressed a firm, open mouthed kiss on the juncture of her neck and shoulder. The contact of his lips sent a shudder through her, but his teeth through her skin was something else entirely. There was a flash of pain at the initial breaking of flesh, but the immediate feeling of pleasure followed close behind.
Her legs buckled at the sensation, racing along the pattern of every single nerve and lighting her up from the inside out. Shuri’s breath hitched, and she didn’t care at the sudden moan that slipped out of her mouth. Namor took a single sip of her blood, then licked her wounds shut.
He pulled back slightly, his arms still around her, as he leaned his head back to revel in the feel of her blood healing him. The witch watched in mild fascination as all of his wounds sealed completely shut. Her chest heaved, the euphoria still in her veins, and vaguely thought about the time when she had given him blood once before but this was the first time he had bit her.
When his body was fully healed, he finally brought his face back down to look at her. His eyes colored gold from the single sip of her blood. “Even after all these years I will never forget this taste, but somehow it tastes much richer, such a gift you have given me, twice I am in your debt.”
Shuri swallowed thickly, slowly wrapping her arms around his neck to bring him closer to her lips. The bite must have made her bold. “You better take good care of me then.”
Namor kissed her hard then, their teeth slightly clashing at their eagerness, but they quickly learned the rhythm of the other. It was now clear to Shuri that Namor had been waiting for her too, his hands careful not to hurt her, groaning into her mouth when his tongue found hers.
It was a relief to finally give into her feelings, and she melted into Namor, her fingers gripping into his hair. He wrenched up her skirts and lifted her onto her works station. The glass bottles jump and clank against one another erratically and they even manage to knock one over.
The smell of roses fill the air from the spill and Shuri almost laughs at the realization that they had knocked over a love potion. “Ch’ah.” She whispered playfully against his lips.
The sun was at an angle now that Namor only had a few minutes, leaving Shuri to think up a reckless plan to save him. Her mother would be so mad. She scooted closer to him, her knees at his chest. He looked at her in question, but his eyes widened at her offering her wrist to his lips.
“No, no little one.” Namor pushed her offered hand away weakly. “You are but a thimble and I am in need of a pitcher.”
She huffed in annoyance, bringing her rejected hand to her own mouth. “You’ll die without it, might as well try. It will be an experiment, just a few drops.” Shuri bit her hand as hard as she could, her eyes immediately stinging at the self inflicted pain. It took a long agonizing moment before she finally broke skin and brought her hand back to his lips.
A few drops landed on his lips, and his tongue automatically lapped it clean. His own body betraying its need for the denied blood.
The vampire looked stricken, as his skin began to smooth out and his wound began to seal shut. He looked revived and healthy. “You-” In his shock his leg slipped out of the shade, but nothing happened.
The sun harmlessly touched the skin of his ankle.
Both vampire and witch stare at each other in shock. Namor reached out, carefully pushing Shuri’s hand down to lower the umbrella, flinching when the light reached the rest of his face. But again, nothing happened.
If anything, he looked healthier.
Namor did not speak for a long time. He walked over to the edge of the surf and sat down, Shuri following him close behind. The umbrella is long forgotten.
They stayed that way until the sun set, its reflection on the ocean almost too bright, but Namor kept his eyes on it the entire time. And Shuri kept her eyes on his face, never having seen an adult cry before, let alone a vampire.
When the light was gone Namor finally turned to Shuri, a sudden fierce determination on his face. “You must not tell anyone of this or they will come for you. Do you understand? Others will come for you if they find out.”
“Not even mother.”
“Especially not her. I do not want to die.” The vampire joked, letting out a low chuckle.
“Hmm.” He wasn’t wrong. Her mother would surely kill him if she found out. Shuri thought on it a moment longer, letting her instincts speak for her. “Alright, I won’t. It would be a waste since I just saved you.”
“You have given me a true gift, and I do not mean just saving my life. For that I will protect you for the rest of my life, Shuri.” As they sat side by side on the beach, Shuri could feel the truth of his words. Learning right then and there that Namor would be someone she could trust to keep his word, and she gave him a brief nod at his vow.
“Promise?”
“I promise.”