Chapter V : Listen to Your Heart

Kane and Firouz had walked out of the tent, leaving Sinbad and Maeve alone. The captain was relieved as his beautiful sorceress looked more lively than when Kane carried her out of the castle. Her skin, so pale after Crimson had drunk her blood, was slowly recovering its natural color. She still felt weak, but at least she was out of danger.

Sinbad reached to her and started caressing her cheek gently. ‘’I was worried about you’’, he told her.

‘’I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for you to be worried’’, she answered, smiling.

‘’Why didn’t you tell me about it ? Offering your blood …’’ he shuddered at the thought of how the vampires had treated his beloved sorceress. Like wild beasts fighting over a piece of meat.

‘’I thought you would dispise me, I guess’’, she thought out loud. ‘’You looked so shocked when I told you about my task. Telling you about the nature of the trade … I thought I would have disgusted you,’’ she admitted.

‘’Never’’, Sinbad protested. ‘’They’re the ones disgusting me, not you’’.

‘'Well, I’m glad to hear it’’.

‘’The port is about half an hour from here. We will catch the tide, in a few hours’’, he informed her.

‘’What ? No way !’’ she protested vehemently. ‘’I’m not running away like a coward. And I sure won’t leave the villagers at their mercy’’.

‘’The villagers fear you, and your blood-sucking friends were ready to kill you. Obviously, none of them actually want you here’’, he replied a bit too harshly.

‘’Is that really you talking ?’’ she scolded. ‘’I recall you didn’t mind we all risked our lives for causes we felt were noble and good. And now, you’re expecting me to run away ? Well forget it, captain. I don’t need you to rescue me !’’

‘’Are you out of your mind ? Do you really think you have any power over them ? If Kane hadn’t asked Xander to get Crimson off you, he would have killed you. So yeah, maybe you should allow yourself to be rescued, since you’re acting suicidal !’’

She glared at him, infuriated. ‘’I do have power over them. I’ve played Crimson’s game from day one. I flattered him, convinced him I should hunt for him. And he convinced Xander. I made my own terms, so the villagers would be safe. None of them have been slaughtered since I came here. None.’’

She paused. ''I'm not going with you, not until I find a solution that will keep the villagers safe''. Her voice had softened.

Sinbad immediately felt guilty about his attitude. ‘’What you’ve done … it’s very courageous. I should have known better’’, Sinbad admitted as an apology. ‘‘And I’m sorry I misjudged you’’, he added, thinking about how he had insulted her with his insinuation, the morning before.

‘’Apologies accepted’’, she smiled. She sighed and said : ‘’I’ll find a way, trust me. I just haven’t figured it out yet’’.

After a few minutes, Sinbad broke the silence.

‘’I really feel stupid for asking this, but…’’ he hesitated. Maeve raised her eyebrow. He gathered some courage and asked : ‘’Did you… Hmm… Do humans actually enjoy being bitten by a vampire ?’’

Maeve frowned. ‘’Why are you asking me this?’’

He chuckled, feeling slightly embarrassed. ‘’Whenever they would bite you… the moans and sighs you made were ehhhmmm… well, in other circumstances, one could think it was actually pleasurable’’, he grinned.

Maeve blushed. ‘’You want the truth ? You’re right, the biting in itself doesn’t really hurt, although it does feel painful after. Anyhow, I guess the feeling while you're bitten could be described as ‘’pleasurable’’, but not in an… intimate way. See, your whole body feels the vital energy being taken away from you. It’s a very scary, yet powerful feeling’’.

‘’I see’’.

He frowned as he noticed she had been shivering for a few minutes already. The bedding she was lying on wasn’t that thick. It was well passed midnight by now, and the soil under her bedding was probably slightly damp and cold. He was also well aware of her nakedness under the cotton sheet she was covering herself with. He wished he had brought his woolen cloak so it would have warmed her up, but he had left it onboard. He would have to improvise.

He laid down beside her. Her eyes questioned him, but she didn’t resist nor protest when he curled up against her, resting his left arm over her waist in a gentle and protective gesture. They stayed like this, without moving and without talking, for a few minutes. Maeve was unable to decide whether the wellbeing feeling that overwhelmed her was because her body had stopped shivering or because his arm embraced her. Sinbad smiled when he felt Maeve’s hand over his, her fingers pleading shyly to entwine with his. They gazed at each other. His right hand reached for her hair, caressing it gently. Their faces were only a few inches apart.

Maeve struggled with her feelings. On the Nomad, she used to play hard to get with Sinbad, both because it amused her and because she wasn’t ready to fully open her heart to him yet. Part of her felt guilty for giving herself so easily, so soon after they had reunited. But she had mourned for him while they were apart. Was it a sign ? Was her heart finally ready to love him?

Sinbad hesitated. Was this too fast ? Not so long ago, when she was still on the Nomad, he wouldn’t have dared to initiate such intimacy with her. On the other hand, he couldn’t get off his head what Mala had said to him, three months earlier. *Sometimes, when we lose someone we love, we pretend not to hurt. We pretend we’re too tough to care.* Someone we love … the thought of it had been torturing him.

‘’The hell with it. I’ve wasted so much time already’’, he whispered, his lips almost brushing against hers. She smiled and he kissed her.

Making sure her sheet wouldn’t slide off her chest, Maeve lifted her arms and wrapped them around Sinbad’s shoulders, pulling his face down against hers, thus allowing them to exchange a deep kiss.

He positioned himself on top of her, but rested his weight on his forearm, steadying his balance by placing his leg over her. His free hand rested on her hip for a moment, but soon started to wander over her body, fondling her gently : first across her belly, then along one side of her body, slowly moving up until he reached her lower ribs. His hand stopped there, undaring to venture over her breast. Maeve couldn’t help but feel appreciative at how respectful and considerate his gesture was. Not lustful nor hasty, but loving and sweet.

He reluctantly broke the kiss. She looked at him, silently questioning him. His blue eyes were telling her he was unsure. ‘’You’re still weak…’’ he whispered, and she understood his concern. She kissed him softly, first on the lips, then down to his chin. Her lips left a trail of soft kisses along his jawline until they were close enough to his ear. ‘’Then be gentle..’’, she whispered back. He grinned and started kissing her neck, moving down slowly to the sheet’s edge. His hand reached for the fabric. He looked at her as he was about to uncover her breasts. That’s when he heard a loud voice yelling : ‘’Little brother! Dinner’s ready !’’

Sinbad glanced at Maeve. He shook his head, sighing with frustration. ‘’Alright Doubar !’’ he yelled back, trying to make his voice sound as normal as possible. Maeve chuckled. ‘’Saved by the bell,’’ she teased her disappointed captain. ‘’Now go, I’ll catch some sleep’’.

He got up, wished her a good night and stepped out of the tent, working hard to keep his composure. He joined his crewmates by the fire. To his relief, nobody seemed to notice how troubled he felt. As he was beginning to feel reassured at the thought that no one suspected he was about to make love to his beloved sorceress, he caught a quick glimpse of Kane’s red eyes mocking him. Sinbad flushed as he understood the vampire knew, and he glanced away, thinking *damn it*.