She sat on the corner of her bed, staring at the only window inside the room. Embroided drapes hung on either side of the casement, enclosing the room in a caliginosity that clasped the whole castle in its tight clutches. A small slit formed, where both curtains met. The tiny opening allowed some rebellious sun beams to enter the room, tinting its interior with murkiness.

She had spent the whole day cooped up in the said room. Henry only came to take the dishes away or bring her lunch in the afternoon. Another day was wasted and she had yet to have a proper talk with Ares. She glanced again at the glass window. The sun rays had started to retreat. A sign of the fast approaching night. She climbed out of the bed. 'I'll find him myself to talk.'

Grabbing her phone, she walked out of the room. 'Where to? Where to?' She decided on going to the throne room first.

The hallways came alive with the echo of her light footsteps. She observed her surroundings as she walked leisurely towards the big hall. There were no longer any black marks on the castle walls. They were free of any pictures or portraits. Only sconces were attached to the bare walls, providing a shadowy light to her surroundings.

After taking two or three turns, she finally reached the end of the hallway where those giant doors stood proudly. She held her breath standing before the mahogany doors. Carefully raising a hand, she tried to push it open. Th door didn't budge. She tried again by applying a bit more force. Nothing. She placed both of her hands on its surface, trying to force it open with her weight. The doors remained closed. Huffing with annoyance, she knocked the door impatiently, calling out his name,

"Ares." No one answered.

'Isn't he in there?' She called out his name again. "Ares!"

"Yes?" He sounded drained.

"Open the door!" She glared holes at the poor doors.

"What door?" He asked in an aloof tone. 'That guy can hear my thoughts but he fails to hear the banging mere feet away from him?' She halted. 'There's something wrong. His voice.. it doesn't seem to be coming out of the throne room.'

"A-Ares?" She hesitantly called out his name again, to test her theory.

"Yes?" She was right. It wasn't coming from inside the throne room. It was coming from her. Fear spread across in her system at the unknown occurrence.

"Why are you scared, Regina mea?" He had sensed her terror.

"Where are you?" She forced each word out of her mouth.

"Behind you." His voice didn't come from inside her this time. It came from right behind her.

She spun around at his voice to meet his gaze. "H-How?"

"How did I come here? I walked." He stated it in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I'm not talking about this. How could I hear your voice in my head?!" She was getting agitated.

"The bond, Faith." He maintained his casual tone.

Fed up of his carefree ways, she grabbed his collar bringing his face closer to hers."The bond had been established about two months ago yet I only heard your voice today. Why didn't I hear it before? Why don't you tell me more about this bond? Stop using seduction to get out of difficult situations!"

He raised an eyebrow at her feral behaviour. "The Bond enables us to read each other's thoughts. I can read yours because you're weaker than me. You'd be able to read mine as the bond gets stronger or if I get weaker."

"Did the bond get stronger?" She looked at him with inquisitive eyes.

"No." He placed his hands on top of hers. She felt herself freeze at his ice cold touch. He gave her a threatening smile, his sharp fangs glinting in the dull lighting. She let go of his collar, backing away immediately. He straightened himself up. "If you allow me, I have some things to take care of." His face was wiped clean of any emotion as he said this.

She opened her mouth to retort before she noticed something unusual in him. She pursed her lips as her eyes scanned his weary appearance. She could see visible differences in his features which she had failed to detect yesterday, in the blackness of the throne room. There were dark circles under his green eyes, blemishing his prefect skin. His cheeks looked hollow and sunken. His dark mane was scattered over his head as if he had run his hand through it countless times. If it were possible, he looked paler than usual. 'What happened to him?'

"Are you okay?" She asked stepping towards him.

"Don't come any closer." The same warning he had given her yesterday.

"Why are you keeping me away from you?" Her voice came out strained.

"Did you already forget my warning? Or do you intentionally want me to sink my teeth into your pretty little throat?" He asked as he leaned against the railing.

"Throat..?" She was confused. Again. 'Wasn't he talking about.. something else, yesterday?'

A knowing smirk took over his lips. "Animalistic need. Mark. My scent. Did you misunderstand something, Regina mea?" He was in front her before she could even blink. "A vampire feeds on their beloved's blood after forming a bond. Every other blood tastes bland to them. They can still drink it but their system needs small amounts of their own beloved's blood to keep functioning normally. It's another way of strengthening the bond. Marking your territory, as it leaves their beloved covered with their scent. That's my animal instinct. To drink your blood."

She contemplated over the words he had just revealed to her. "Then why haven't you?"

"Because you already lost a lot of blood due to that head injury. And.." He left his sentence hanging in the air.

"And?" She pushed him to continue.

"You're human." He said the word like it was some abomination.

"Do you hate humans?" She asked reluctantly.

It took him some seconds to reply, "I didn't used to."

She remembered Duke telling everyone how town's people burnt Ares alive. But he never said anything about turning him to stone. She looked at his worn out appearance. 'Does he consider her a threat too?'

"I've recovered. You can drink my blood." The words were out before she could think them over once again.

He looked hard into her eyes for some time, before starting to walk away. "Not interested."

She ran after him, crossing him to stand in his way. "I said, you can." She said firmly.

"Do you think you can stop me with the strength you have?" His asked sarcastically.

"It's not about strength. I want to help." She couldn't see him losing his strength because of a mere bond he formed to save her. He had already suffered enough at the hands of humans.

He scrunched his eyebrows. "Help, huh?"

"Yes." She affirmed.

"You can't help me. Move." He tried stepping to the side before she blocked his path again.

"I can. You won't let me." She stood her ground.

"You can't do anything." He didn't give in either.

"I'm your beloved!" She threw her hands in the air.

"What has that got to do with it?" He remained calm.

"Doesn't that mean anything to you?" She came closer jabbing at his chest with her index finger.

"If it didn't, you'd be dead." He said it like it was no big deal.

"Won't you give us a chance?" She was almost pleading.

He turned silent for a moment. She watched as his eyes hardened. They lost any warmth they held in the first place. He looked right into her eyes as he said his next words,

"No."

"Why? Because I'm a weak human?" She mocked his earlier words.

"Yes. You're a mortal. You cannot always remain by my side. I have much more enemies than the years you've lived on the face of this earth. Do you think they'd let this golden opportunity, to bring me down, out of their hands?"

"So you'll leave me alone just like that?" She asked incredulously.

"Would you rather have me turn you into one of my kind?" His question was met with silence. He waited for her to say something. He let out a humorless laugh when she didn't. "You have your answer, Faith."

It didn't go unnoticed by her that he used her name instead of his new endearment for her. She was perplexed at his question. She hadn't thought it through. She wasn't thinking about the future, only focusing on sorting out the present situation.

"Humans are like that. They're uncertain about the things they want. They're.. unreliable."

He said his last word in a small whisper. His voice held a tinge of grief. He seemed to be recalling a bad past event. She didn't stop him this time as he side stepped her, walking away.

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes. She didn't know whether it was the bond or her own emotions, that made her feel this way. she didn't care anymore. She could only focus on the emptiness engulfing her from inside out. It hurt to hear his rejection. It hurt to think that there might never be a way out for them. It hurt to realise that the cost of being with him was losing her own humanity.

A sob escaped her mouth as tears rolled down her soft cheeks. He clutched his hand tightly digging his nails deeper inside his palm. Warm tears fell down her chin, with a silent splash. Cold blood dripped down his injured hand, splattering on the ground beneath. She closed her eyes unaware of the crimson trail left after him on the oak floors as he disappeared into the shadows.