Chapter 36: A Vampire?

In the warm, bright room of the castle, Ophelia sat beside the bed where Nikolai lay unconscious, quietly spooning creamy yellow porridge into her mouth. She glanced at him, half-covered by a blanket, his eyes closed, looking more vulnerable than she had ever seen him. Despite everything she knew about him, despite the danger he represented, there was a fleeting moment when she smirked at how deceptively gentle he appeared. “Can I choke him?” she asked, her voice dripping with a mix of frustration and curiosity as she turned to Rhaziel, who was standing stoically by the closed door. The demon, ever the silent sentinel, merely fixed his gaze on Nikolai, his expression as unreadable as always. Ophelia rolled her eyes at the lack of response and scooped another spoonful of porridge into her mouth, the creamy texture doing little to soothe the questions swirling in her mind. She had eaten a lot since returning to the castle, her hunger driving her to near gluttony, but her curiosity abou