Rose brought me breakfast in the bright morning. I was sleepy, happily leaning on my love as she fed me oats and the last of the blackberries. Sated and sun warmed, the brain fog of sleep faded. I lifted with a jolt.

      "Did Bab come by this morning?" I asked with alarm, "fuck, Rose, I'm fired for sure." She was shushing me before I finished.

      "Don't worry," Rosaria cooed, "no one's been over, no one needs you."

      I sighed a breath, hand to my hammering heart. The worry was completely forgotten when I was pulled into a kiss, responsibility dissolving into Rose's mouth. She moved me deliberately and forcefully, returning some of the energy I had spent on her the night previous. My body was limp before Rose let me rest. My face was wet, my belly, my thighs. "Stay there," Rosaria whispered in my ear. She balanced me onto my feet and disappeared behind me. I did as she said, partly because I couldn't feel my legs as they shook and made me unsteady. When she returned a minute later, she announced herself with my name. "Ivy," she said from the other side of the bed. "Be still please." I listened to her footsteps approach then I felt a wet rag wiped across my back. Rose patiently cleaned me off. Even though I'd had to lock my knees to keep upright, I didn't rush her, enjoying every moment of her hands on me.

      "Come here," Rose's voice was a whisper in my ear. Her arms wrapped around me and she turned me against her chest. "Do you like how I make you feel?"

      My response was a breath. "Yes."

      Rose ran her fingers through the limp waves of my hair, flashing lily orange in the sun. "I like the way you make me feel," she said with a smile, "please run away with me. We can feel this way forever."

      Oh god, was there even a reason to say no? Shit friends, shit job, shit room, fantastical lover. At the end of the day, it was an easy choice.

      "Where are we going?" I asked. I leaned into her, weak and delighted.

      "Anywhere you want," Rose was grinning, light in her eyes. She kissed me, briefly, then lifted me from my feet to drop my dead weight on the bed. She stood beside me and leaned over so our faces were close. "I need to ask... You can become like me, the healing, the strength, the vitality. Do you want that?" She paused, searching my eyes. "We'll be beautiful together for an age."

      "Is it hard?" I asked, bewildered and intrigued.

      "A little, but I can help."

      "I want it."

      At my words, Rose vanished from my side to leave the room. I closed my eyes and listened to her feet on the stairs, wondering what she needed to bring back. It was a filet knife. She woke me from half sleep to show me her prize to my shock.

      "Do you trust me?" she asked.

      I swallowed my fear and nodded, thinking that she hadn't let me down yet. Rose placed a cup on the sill beside the bed. Hand hovering above the rough metal vessel, she stabbed the knife into her wrist and twisted. I flinched for her but her face didn't even twitch. Nearly black blood filled the cup by the time she healed enough to stop its flow. The last step was to spit on top before she turned away.

      Rose removed my pillow then pulled my chin back. I recognized the throat straightening position and almost gagged at the thought of what she was about to do. My heart quickened as she brought the knife toward my lips. I hesitated then opened my mouth.

      "Take a deep breath," she said, "and hold it." I did and the clock started. Tongue held down by Rose's thumb, I opened my mouth wide and shut my eyes tight. "Don't breath, don't swallow," she warned me, "or I'll cut your tongue in half."

      My heartbeat was so loud in my ears now I just barely heard her praise as the knife passed my teeth. Not swallowing was hard, saliva quickly filled the back of my throat so it overflowed the corners of my mouth. It made me want to gag but I kept picturing the filet blade exiting out of the back of my neck.

      Blood coated my mouth when the knife nicked the back of my tongue. Panicking, I shot out a hand to grab Rosaria's thigh and squeezed so hard I felt the difference between muscles.

      "I'm going to let you go," she said and she took her hand from my chin.

      The second I had to support my own head was terrifying as more blood followed the knife where neither should have been introduced.

      "Three," Rose started to count. She had picked up the cup and lifted it above my mouth. "Two." She started to tilt her blood to stream down my open throat. "One," she said and shoved the knife forward, "swallow."

      I couldn't have followed her command if I wanted but it just so happened my initial defense was to swallow the invading steel. Blood mixed with bile and I could smell it when I gagged. Rose slipped the knife free so swiftly, my lips were cleft for a second. I could feel four distinct sections of lip before they came together again. There was a metallic clang and Rose was pulling me up to sit. She held me for a moment while my body adjusted.

      The familiar boost in energy hit me and hunger followed. Rose offered me her arm, a new wound open and bleeding. I leaned forward for a taste before I could even think about it. She was delicious. Instead of drawing away in horror, she pressed into me, encouraging me to drink.

      "Use your tongue to keep it open," Rose instructed.

      The flow was already lessening as her skin refused intrusion. I bit, hard as I could so a piece of flesh came away, and shoved my tongue into the muscle. Rose hissed and I felt her hand hold the back of my head, keeping me in place. I started to flag, my stomach was already full, but she wouldn't let me up when I tried to move.

      "Finish it," Rose commanded me, "you have to drink all of my blood."

      I moaned into her, briefly terrified, but I could barely stop if I tried. My throat opened easily to empty her of the miracle fluid she generously shared, even though I could feel the pain of my belly overfilling. How much blood did a person even have? Hand kneading my taught stomach, liquid kept flowing in. I thought I would vomit at some point but I never felt the need, grateful for the magic Rose had wrought.

      "Okay, okay," Rose was muttering, shifting herself beside me. I refused to let go until she told me. I felt her breath on my neck as she spoke. "You're almost done. I'm going to bite you then you're going to fall asleep. When you wake up, I have something to show you."

      A relieved sigh muffled into Rose's flesh and I felt a burst of energy knowing the task was almost complete. I felt the brief pinch of her teeth then the strong suction of her lips. As I started to fade, she pulled my head back with a fist in my hair. I gasped at the coolness of air on my tongue then sucked in a deep breath. I felt like a new born babe with her first meal.