CA – Chapter 82
Chapter 82
In a dilapidated house, within a cramped space, thick curtains covered the window, shutting out the moonlight and the whistling night wind. The room was pitch-black, save for a few faint moonbeams filtering through the roof, spilling onto the bed where two figures could be vaguely seen, cuddled and entwined together.
The house was simple, and the bed was certainly not comfortable. Only a thin white sheet was spread over the hard wooden planks, which felt cold to the touch. Though Tang Qiu's breathing was ragged, she spared a thought for Lucille's comfort. She lifted her head slightly from Lucille's neck and took out all the thick cloaks from her Space Gem.
The moment the cloaks were placed on the bed, Lucille wrapped an arm around Tang Qiu's waist and pressed her down onto them. Tang Qiu turned her head, rubbing against the soft fabric with a smile as she looked at Lucille. Her voice was a little hoarse, but surprisingly pleasant. "I haven't finished teaching you yet."
Vampires were unaffected by darkness, so Lucille could see that the usually composed golden-haired priest now had a hint of urgency in her features. Her sky-blue eyes shimmered with moisture. Lucille's gaze darkened. She reached out, tore open Tang Qiu's collar, and the delicate buttons popped off, clattering crisply on the floor.
Lucille buried her face in the crook of Tang Qiu's neck, opening her mouth to bite down on the soft skin. Warm, delicious blood flooded her mouth, slightly easing the restlessness in her heart.
"Lucille..." Tang Qiu tilted her head back and couldn't help but let out a soft gasp. Her hand on the bed rose to grip Lucille's arm tightly. Lucille lifted her head from Tang Qiu's neck and immediately sealed her lips, cutting off the rest of her words.
No matter what Tang Qiu had taught her, Lucille's favorite part was kissing. She was mesmerized by the feeling of their lips and teeth meeting, and for the first time, she realized that kissing could be addictive.
To Lucille, the taste of kissing the golden-haired priest's soft lips and swallowing all her gasps was even more pleasurable than drinking blood. It was a dual satisfaction of body and soul.
The rich, metallic taste of blood spread through their mouths. Tang Qiu frowned slightly and turned her head to avoid it a little. She guided Lucille's hand under the hem of her clothes, her voice low and husky. "Do what I just taught you... help me." Her patience had reached its limit.
The skin beneath her hand was delicate to the touch. Lucille froze for a moment. Under Tang Qiu's guidance, the back of her hand was already touching her leg...
Lucille was a good student, but she was also a vampire suppressing her wild nature. To be intimate with a vampire, one had to be prepared to have their blood drawn when she got excited.
When Tang Qiu woke up the next day, her head was no longer dizzy, but her body felt so heavy she didn't even want to move. Her waist, thighs, and shoulders ached faintly. Without even lifting the cloak to look, she knew there were definitely reddened bite marks in those places.
The moment the person in her arms stirred, Lucille sensed it. She hugged her tighter from behind, burying her head in her golden hair. Though her tone was calm, it held a faint, almost unnoticeable trace of anxiety. "Are you all right?"
She had lost control last night and left too many possessive "marks" on Tang Qiu's body.
Tang Qiu moved Lucille's arm away and sat up, stretching her stiff body. She was draped in a cloak, but the exposed skin still showed traces of their wild night. Lucille sat up with her. Seeing the marks on her body, she recalled something, and her originally cool gaze grew heated again. When she realized Tang Qiu had noticed her stare, she subconsciously looked away.
Tang Qiu, who was using a healing spell on herself, paused. She turned to look at Lucille, her gaze shifting from her face down to her long, fair hands. Her eyes flickered, and she said with a smile, "You worked hard last night."
Lucille turned her gaze back, looking at Tang Qiu with some confusion. Just as she was about to speak, the golden-haired priest suddenly leaned over and pushed her down. Lucille instinctively raised her hands to support her waist.
Tang Qiu lowered her head and kissed Lucille's lips. Her hand slipped under her dress, lighting fires on her skin. Licking her lips, she said with a smile, "Here's your reward."
Lucille's hands, which had been resting on Tang Qiu's shoulders, slowly relaxed. She let her body go limp, cooperating with Tang Qiu and tilting her head up to ask for a kiss. Her long red hair fanned out across the black cloak.
A priest's touch was always gentler than a vampire's, but Lucille faintly sensed that something was wrong. She raised a hand and grabbed Tang Qiu's wrist, letting out a soft gasp. A hint of confusion flashed in her dark red eyes. "...This isn't how I treated you last night." She hadn't used such a soft touch to tease the golden-haired priest, leaving her hanging and unsatisfied.
Vampires were tireless; their speed and strength could absolutely satisfy their partners.
Tang Qiu buried her face against her body, her gentle tone unable to hide the thick amusement within. She defended herself, "I'm just a frail little priest. This is all the strength I have."
Lucille was speechless.
It wasn't as if she hadn't felt the "frail" priest's strength last night!
Lucille was silent for a moment before she lifted her head and bit down on the wrist Tang Qiu had propped up beside her head.
Tang Qiu trembled from the pain. She looked down at Lucille, who was feeding on her wrist in an attempt to ease her restlessness, and a trace of helplessness flashed in her eyes. There were so many needs to satisfy when being intimate with a vampire.
The heavy curtains in the room were finally drawn open only when night fell again. Having spent another day tangled in bed with Lucille, Tang Qiu had changed into a new priest's uniform and was now standing by the window, rubbing her wrist as she stared into the night outside.
Indulging in carnal pleasures was enjoyable, but it couldn't solve her current predicament.
Cambecus's ill intentions, the corruption of the Central Church, and many other dark things she had yet to encounter were all surging toward her in silence. The higher her position, the faster the darkness rushed in, as if a single moment of carelessness would leave her besieged by it. And her werewolf identity was a time bomb, ready to explode at any moment.
When it did, the darkness would only swallow her whole. What she needed to do was to grasp enough power to suppress that darkness before the bomb went off.
Abandoning her identity in the Holy See to live a life of hiding and evasion on the continent was not her style. She had the ability to protect herself and had worked painstakingly for so long. Her decision would be to continue advancing through the mire of darkness and then snuff out its source.
As Tang Qiu stood by the window lost in thought, Lucille walked up from behind. She glanced at her and asked, "What are you thinking about?" She noticed Tang Qiu was still rubbing her wrist and, remembering something, silently averted her gaze.
Tang Qiu didn't notice Lucille's small movement. Hearing her question, she said thoughtfully, "I plan to leave tonight and return to the nation of the Holy See."
Lucille was taken aback. "So soon?" She frowned. "You still haven't told me why you were poisoned."
Tang Qiu briefly recounted what had happened in Eden. Seeing Lucille's expression turn icy, she reached out and squeezed her arm reassuringly. "Don't be impulsive," she said softly. "Cambecus is a Red-robed Archbishop. Don't make a move on him until you're absolutely sure you can succeed."
A Red-robed Archbishop wasn't someone you could just get close to and kill. Who knew how many protective artifacts they carried? The aura of light they emanated was a natural defensive barrier in itself. If they managed to create distance, it would be incredibly difficult to break through their light magic to get close again.
Lucille was silent for a moment before asking, "Are you going back to Eden?" As she spoke, she plucked a golden hair from Tang Qiu's head, intending to make another summoning scroll.
"No." Tang Qiu shook her head, her expression somewhat indifferent as she gazed into the night. "I'm going to find Reese."
"Next, I plan to go directly to the Gosse Empire." The power of light within her had actually reached the threshold of a bishop. In her view, it was enough to undergo the Light Baptism Assembly.
Tang Qiu turned her head, her gaze softening as she looked at Lucille. "Wait for me in the Gosse Empire."
Lucille lowered her eyes slightly. She leaned down and kissed Tang Qiu's forehead, saying faintly, "Alright."
Under the cover of night, the nation of the Holy See no longer looked as sacred as it did during the day. Even the statue of the Light Goddess, standing over ten meters tall in front of the Central Church, was so immense that anyone looking up from below could only see its lifelike skirt; they couldn't even make out the ring on her finger that symbolized power.
However, that ring never belonged to the Light Goddess in the first place. It was a symbol of the Pope's status.
Gods had no need for such worldly things, but humans were hopelessly mired in them.
Tang Qiu stood before the statue of the Light Goddess and reached up to pull down the hood of her cloak. Her long golden hair seemed to add a touch of light to the night.
A carriage stopped in front of her. Mario, sitting in the driver's seat, studied her carefully before gesturing for her to get in. "Archbishop Reese is inside."
Tang Qiu gave him a slight nod and boarded the carriage.
Before the golden-haired priest entered, Reese had been somewhat distracted. The carriage door opened, and she watched as Tang Qiu calmly sat down across from her. After a moment of silence, she curved her lips and said softly, "You've surprised me."
Tang Qiu unfastened her cloak and casually set it aside. She met Reese's gaze, a faint smile on her lips, but her eyes held no trace of amusement. "If you hadn't hidden the matter with Cambecus from me, I would be much more composed than I am now."
Reese met her gaze for a while before saying calmly, "I just wanted you to experience the darkness of the Holy See for yourself." She didn't tell Tang Qiu that she had also gone to Eden that night, and that she had gone to save her.
"Those who have never experienced despair will always hold out hope for the Holy See." Reese lowered her eyes, concealing the dark emotions and coldness within them. "But for those who hold out hope for the Holy See," she said faintly, "there is no other path but death."
Tang Qiu looked at her in silence. The carriage swayed, and soon they arrived at Reese's manor in the Holy See's capital. Mario knocked lightly on the carriage wall, alerting the two inside.
Tang Qiu was the first to rise. She pushed open the carriage door and said in a low voice, "You're overthinking it. I never had any hope for the Holy See to begin with."
The only one she trusted was herself. And perhaps, now, she could add Lucille to that list.
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