Touch of Flame

Chapter 319  Practice 

"Ares? Are you alright?" Ephraim's voice brought Ares out of his distracted state, noticing the paleness that had washed over him in just a day.

"Ah, I must need blood," Ares replied calmly, rubbing his forehead. "I feel dizzy." His gaze wandered toward Ephraim with piqued curiosity.

"Don't look at me," Ephraim said, his tone serious, but Ares continued to stare just to bother him.

"Perhaps I need human blood," Ares mused. "Your blood was... different. It was more... satiating."

Ephraim's mind began to piece together the puzzle. Marozaks were known to consume human blood, not dragon blood.

"Have you never taken human blood before?" Ephraim asked.

Ares shook his head. "No. I don't even know how to hypnotize or whatever it is they do."

"Since you're feeling ill, you need to ensure you get the right nutrition. We should arrange for a human donor," Ephraim suggested. "But have you ever tried hypnotizing? Maybe it comes naturally?"

"No," Ares admitted, feeling a sense of uncertainty.

"Then we should start with that," Ephraim proposed, recognizing the importance of exploring all possibilities for Ares' well-being.

Ares chuckled, envisioning the potential outcome. "If it doesn't work, rumors of me having a mental illness will start to spread."

Ephraim shrugged. "A mad pirate sounds intriguing. Perhaps you can confide in one of your trusted men."

Ares pondered the idea. While he didn't want to endanger his crew, perhaps it was time to share his secret at least with Noah. He had contemplated discussing it with Richard, but the family had already endured enough hardship, and he didn't want to endanger the man who had just escaped the clutches of death.

He paused for a moment, realizing that Aletta had suggested erasing Nazneen's memory, indicating that he possessed the ability to hypnotize dragons as well.

"Perhaps I can try it on you," Ares suggested to Ephraim, his mind seeking a willing subject for practice.

Ephraim raised an eyebrow. "I have made myself immune to such things with my magic. Perhaps you can practice with 'your woman,'" he teased, referencing Ares' previous words.

Ares nodded. Yes, he would have to start practicing soon.

As night fell, Ares anxiously awaited Nazneen's arrival. He knew she had been incredibly busy in recent days, assisting Ravina and Malachi after the attack. He wondered if she would even have time to visit him tonight. Despite missing her presence, he was proud to see her so dedicated and passionate about her work.

Restless, he retreated to his study, intending to focus on his duties as a governor. He sat at the desk, attempting to correspond to some letters with a solitary candle casting flickering light. However, his dizziness intensified, hindering his ability to concentrate and causing his work to take much longer than usual.

With sore shoulders, Ares left the study and made his way to his room when he was done, seeking much-needed rest. He couldn't help but feel a slight disappointment that Nazneen probably wouldn't be able to visit him tonight. The absence of her presence made his bed feel emptier and so sleep enveloped him faster than he expected.

When morning arrived, it felt like it had come too soon, robbing him of the rest he desired. As he attempted to turn in bed, a strong arm wrapped around his waist, restricting his movement.

Nazneen. A smile formed on his lips even before he turned to see her face.

"Ugh... no. Is it already morning?" she mumbled, holding him tighter, her face nestled between his shoulder blades.

"It is not. The sun just happened to rise too early," he replied, a hint of amusement in his voice.

He could feel her smile against his skin.

Shifting onto his back, he felt her arm come to rest on his chest her head moving to find a comfortable spot on his shoulder. "You're colder," she observed, her hands briefly roaming over his chest.

"Well, you weren't here to keep me warm."

She lifted her head, turning to look at him. "This mouth of yours," she said, tapping his lips with a finger.

"...needs a kiss," he finished the sentence for her.

She shook her head slightly, a playful smile on her lips, before pulling herself up, her body brushing against his as she leaned closer and placed a warm, slow kiss on his lips. Then, her watchful gaze swept over his face, her fingers gently tracing his cheek.

"You look pale," she remarked. "You need blood?"

"I do, but..." Ares took a deep breath. "I probably need human blood."

To his surprise, Nazneen didn't press for more details. Instead, she nodded in understanding. "We will get you what you need."

He caressed her face gently. "But before that, I need to practice hypnotizing."

A mischievous smirk tugged at her lips. "You want to hypnotize me?" she asked, a hint of playful skepticism in her tone.

He raised an eyebrow. "Yes."

"If you can do that, I won't like it at all," she warned, her expression serious.

He couldn't help but chuckle, deciding to tease her instead of assuring her. "Imagine all the things I would be able to make you do."

Her frown deepened. "That is if you want to lose a tooth. A front tooth," she emphasized, her tone laced with a hint of threat.

He laughed, genuinely amused. "I don't want to lose a tooth. I also have no intention of compelling you. I believe I am persuasive enough as it is."

She scoffed playfully. "Let's see," she challenged. "I need to go to work now."

"Oh, no, no, no!" Ares quickly sat up, reaching out to grab hold of her, but his fingers slipped, instead catching onto the waistline of her skirt, his touch slipping beneath the fabric.

She looked at him with mock shock, feigning disapproval. "Don't be shameless," she scolded playfully.

"Shameless?" He pulled her closer, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Maybe I should try and compel you."

She let out a sigh, relenting pretentiously. "Alright, give it a try. After all, you need to feed anyway."

Ares took a moment to focus his mind, looking into her eyes intently. With those amber eyes, he wasn't sure who was hypnotizing whom. This felt strange to him. What was he supposed to do now?

"Neena?" he said softly

"Yes," she replied, maintaining eye contact.

"Do you feel anything?" he asked, curious.

She suppressed a laugh, a playful gleam in her eyes. "Yes, I feel silly."

He sighed, feeling a bit frustrated. "Perhaps I can't do this since I am half-human."

"If you need to feed as a half-human, you should be able to do it. Maybe you can practice with your friend. I have to go now," she suggested, turning away.

But Ares didn't let go of her. Holding onto her, he playfully implored, "You're in such a rush. Stay for a while. You're the queen. You can be a little late."

"I wouldn't be a good queen if I did that," she reasoned.

He turned her around, his gaze intense as he locked eyes with her. His eyes, shifting from emerald to teal, were captivating. "Stay," he husked, brushing his lips against hers.

The word was simple, yet she felt a strange compulsion to listen.

"Stay with me, Goddess," he whispered, his lips lingering on hers.

Unable to resist, she parted her lips to kiss him, her arms wrapping around him. In an instant, they found themselves in bed, and it was only when he pulled away from the kiss that she fully regained her senses. "Are you staying?" he asked, his voice tinged with hope.

"No!" she exclaimed, still confused. Something felt amiss in her head as if fragments of memories were gone. "You just did it! You hypnotized me," she accused.

Ares chuckled, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Alright, that is funny."

She looked at him firmly. "No, Ares. I mean it. You did it. It was strange. I didn't even realize when you placed me in bed."

He furrowed his brow, genuinely surprised. "Really?"

"Yes, but... you probably need to practice more if I could tell, even though humans aren't aware of such things," she suggested, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Then you'll have to stay if I need to practice," he replied with a roguish smile. "I have the perfect idea of how we can practice."

Shaking her head, she chuckled. "You don't give up, do you?"

"Of course not," he said, straddling her playfully. "Now, let's practice."