“Okay.” I pause. “So, with the healing blood, how does that work?”
“You would have to ingest it—not a lot but enough to heal your wrist. If you drink too much, the vampire you are drinking from becomes weakened. This is extremely dangerous in that if that vampire is exposed to say a rogue or a hunter, then they would not be capable of defending themselves,” Maria explains.
I try to hide the disgusted look on my face before I continue. “What is a hunter?” I ask with utmost curiosity.
“A hunter is the most dangerous being to us vampires. Hunters are unquestionably strong and brutal. They could kill a coven of unsuspecting vampires single-handedly in a matter of seconds. They too have immeasurable speed and are agile fighters. They hunt and seek out our kind to protect their kind and humans. They have a long history here in Italy that dates back centuries. They rid the cities of uncivilized vampires, ensuring they remain safe for the locals and tourists.”
“What do they look like?” I ask, alarmed.
“Like any other human. They are human, I might add. They are usually tall, masculine, and lithe in their movements. Most are male; however, some females among their families are born with the hunter trait. You would not be able to identify one if you walked past one on the street. You needn’t worry about them as they will not harm you. They cannot detect the changes that are leading to…” Maria stops mid-sentence.
“Can they detect what you and Sofia are if they come in close contact?” I ask, horrified.
“Yes, but they will not attack us as we have a mutual understanding. This only applies to when we are in Rome. Seeing as both of our kinds exist in the same city, it is understood that we vampires do not feed on anyone in the city, we do not turn any humans into vampires, and we do not roam the streets after eleven at night. On the chance that we are caught doing any of these, they will no doubt try to kill us. The hunters are aware that a few of us vampires are able to walk in the daylight but allow us this privilege so long as we abide by the city’s rules.”
“I never thought there would be rules to being what you are. I thought you all did as you pleased,” I mutter.
“We all need rules to control us, just like you humans have rules in place. Although we vampires must abide by our rules and the humans’ rules to an extent. The hunters aren’t the only ones that we need to be wary of when we choose to ignore the dictum,” Maria explains.
“I don’t understand,” I answer. My mind is ticking over all the information Maria is willingly sharing tonight. I am confused and intrigued and am becoming more aware that I am certain I want to take the elixir before it is too late for me. I am longing for before—before I learned the truth, before I had any telltale signs of what is coming.
Maria smiles at me. Her gentle smile sends warmth through my heart, knowing this woman would protect me if need be. “There is a ruling vampire coven that resides in Rome: the Romano family. All vampires answer to them. They have been in power for the last 500 years and have brought our kind a refined and sophisticated way of being. Although there are always the few that fight against the grain.”
“Like the rogue vampires?” I whisper as my thoughts flicker to earlier tonight.
“Yes, there are always going to be rogue vampires wherever you go. There always have been; you just didn’t know about them before.”
“Do you know this ruling vampire coven?” I ask.
“I have been acquainted with them for many years—long before they came into power. They live in the heart of Rome in a beautiful palace. They seldom roam the streets like the rest of us; they keep to themselves and are only seen in the public eye when they hold one of their annual galas.”
“This whole underworld of vampires is…I just…I cannot believe all this is going on unknown to the rest of the world,” I exclaim.
“Many humans are aware of us. They know the consequences if they out us. I have human friends who know what I am and are comfortable around me, and I also have human friends that have no idea. Vampires need to be extra careful when in public. They need to ensure they put on the human façade and for it to be believable,” Maria explains.
I stifle a yawn and blink heavily, only becoming too aware of my throbbing wrist again.
“I think that is my cue to stop talking and let you get back to bed.” Maria stands and places her mug in the sink.
“Goodnight, sweetheart,” Maria calls out as she climbs the stairs.
I sit in the dimly lit kitchen churning over what Maria has told me.
“Hey.” I hear a faint whisper coming from the hallway that leads to Toby’s room. “Kat, can you hear me?”
I stand cautiously and slowly walk toward the doorway. “Is that you, Toby?” I say to the empty hallway.
“Come in here,” he whispers back.
I round the corner and stand in his doorway. He’s standing at the desk in front of the window. “What do you want?”
“Shhh, come in and close the door,” he whispers.
I eye him with caution and hesitate, one foot inside the door and one foot out.
“Oh for fuck’s sake, if I wanted to hurt you I would have by now,” he growls.
I step into his room and quietly close the door. “What do you want?” I ask again.
Toby runs his hand through his hair and looks at the ceiling before turning his gaze back on me. “How’s the wrist?”
“It hurts like hell and there are no painkillers in this whole house,” I complain.
“Do you want me to heal it?”
“What?” I ask, alarmed.
“Do you want me to heal it?” he repeats himself, a little annoyed.
“No thanks. It will be fine,” I reply, my eyes wide open in horror.
“You know it’s not that bad—the taste of the blood, that is.” He smirks.
“Thanks, but I think I will be okay without having to eat your blood.” A shiver runs down my spine at the very thought of it.
He lets out a small laugh. “You don’t eat it; there’s no chewing involved. You only have to have a small amount.”
“You don’t have to laugh at me,” I snap.
“Sorry.” He smiles. “I’m being serious. You only have to have the smallest amount and your wrist will be healed by the morning.”
“Like a drop?” I cannot believe I’m asking this question.
“Maybe a few drops. You don’t even need to know you’re having any. You can close your eyes,” he says all too casually.
“How do you give the blood to someone? Where do they drink from?” I look at Toby with genuine curiosity.
“You can drink from the vein from my wrist or neck. If I had a vial I could extract some blood and you could drink it that way.”
I screw up my face. “I don’t think I could do any of those.”
“There is another way.” Toby grins at me.
“How? You know what, I don’t want to know.” I hold my palms up toward him.
“It’s not that bad, quite enjoyable for both parties actually,” he chuckles.
“Nope, don’t want know,” I exclaim and close my eyes.
“It’s really not that bad,” Toby breathes, his voice controlled.
I open my eyes and he is inches from me. I step back against the closed door. His eyes are locked onto mine and he seems determined to convince me.
“Okay, what’s the other way?” I stare up at him.
“Let me show you.” He steps closer to me and gently places his thumb and forefinger under my chin to tilt my face up to his.
I can feel my heart race and I am unsure whether I’m scared or excited. He takes another step toward me so that we are centimeters apart. He stares down at me, his pupils are dilated. Their pull is insistent, and I am unable to look away. His skin is lighter, translucent even, from this close, and his lips are almost swollen in appearance.
“Ready?” he whispers.
I place my trembling hand on his chest between us and gently press against him. “Is
it going to hurt? Just tell me what you are about to do. I need to know what you’re doing before you do it,” I let out in one breath.
“Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you,” he whispers. “I’m going to kiss you, but before I do, I will nip my tongue so that a small amount of my blood is transferred to you.”
“No, you can’t,” I whisper as I lean back hitting my head on the door. I look up at him with alarm. I can see he is serious and there is a hint of a smirk in the corners of his mouth. “Will I be able to taste it?” I look at him in what I presume is horror.
“I’m sure the taste will not be awful and besides I think you will soon forget about the blood,” he chuckles quietly.
“So sure of yourself. I don’t think I will be able to think about anything but the blood.” I scowl at him.
“Stop talking, Kat.”
Before I can say another word, his mouth is on mine. Both his strong hands cup the sides of my face. He is gentle and careful at first, parting my lips with his before he finds my tongue and slowly circles it. I close my eyes and lean into him; his smell is intoxicating. He gently pulls away from me and steps back to give me some space, his eyes alight with excitement. I gasp at the sight of his eyes; glowing red rings circle each pupil.
“Wasn’t that bad, was it?” He raises his eyebrows.
I cannot take my eyes off of his. The red rings are slowly fading.
“I got a little excited, comes with the territory,” he answers my silent question as he runs his tongue over his now elongated canines.
“I can’t believe you just did that,” I exclaim, my voice an octave too high.
“It wasn’t that bad. Come on, you’re hurting my ego here.”
“No, it wasn’t that bad but...” I manage to murmur under my breath, still shocked and a little pissed.
“Did you taste anything you didn’t like?” he interrupts.
“No, I didn’t, but you…”
“Your wrist will be healed by the morning,” he interrupts again and stares at me.
“Nothing is going to happen to me, is it?” I stand leaning against the door for support.
“Like what?” Toby looks at me a little confused.
“Will I feel any different?”
“No, nothing will happen. Relax, I’ve done this many times over the years and no one has had anything happen to them,” he answers, bemused.
“Do you think Maria or Sofia heard anything? Do you think they will know?” I ask, panicked.
“They are asleep. They didn’t hear anything at all.”
“Are you sure?” I whisper.
“One hundred percent. Scouts Honor,” Toby whispers holding his right hand up in a scout salute. “Why are you whispering?”
“Shut up. I don’t know. I’m just a little freaked out right now,” I spit through my teeth.
“Hey, it’s okay.” He grabs my hands in his, careful not to cause my sore wrist to move too much. “Nothing is going to happen,” he consoles me.
“It better not. Or I may just have to hurt you.”
“I will let you try. It’s the least I can do.” He laughs.
I pull out of his grip and stand against the door, my anxiety subsiding.
Toby continues to watch me. “Seriously, you will be fine. Do you want to stay here for a while to make sure?”
“I think I might go upstairs and go to bed,” I say as I open the door. I pause and turn around to look at him. “Don’t mention this to anyone, okay?” I ask.
“Sure.” He scratches his head and looks away from me. “Night.”
“Night,” I reply as I close his door.
I lie in bed, but sleep does not make an appearance. I toss and turn all night thinking about that kiss and what may come next with his blood in my system. I cannot believe I ingested his blood. A vampire’s blood. What was I thinking? The loud growl in the pit of my stomach makes me smile—a sign that I am still me and nothing has changed. I crawl out from under the snug blankets and head downstairs to the kitchen to eat, fixing myself a strong coffee and some porridge as there is not much else in the pantry or fridge apart from the food Maria brought with us. The light from outside is slowly becoming brighter as the sun rises. I am surprised that Sofia and Maria are not awake yet. I sit at the kitchen table gazing outside when Sofia sneaks through the back door. She stops in her tracks as soon as she sees me.
“Oh, you’re up,” she says, startled.
“I was hungry.” I smile at her to let her know her secret is safe with me.
“I won’t tell if you don’t.” She winks at me and slowly closes the door.
My heart rate escalates, which I’m sure she can hear. Does she know about Toby? I slowly move my injured wrist as my mind tracks back over last night’s events. It takes me by surprise that my wrist is completely healed.
“What are you eating?” Sofia sniffs the air with disgust.
“Porridge. It’s not exactly what I was craving, but it’s all there is,” I sigh as I look at the bowl in front of me. “What did you eat?” I eye her suspiciously.
“Just a local,” she replies, trying to keep a straight face.
“Yum.” I giggle.
“I was out for a run. This whole no phone reception is driving me crazy,” she complains as she takes my spoon and pushes the porridge around in my bowl. “I don’t know how you can eat that; it looks like lumpy cement.”
Toby walks through the kitchen door and our eyes lock for a moment too long. I break my eyes away from his before Sofia can notice and concentrate on my breakfast.
“Morning,” Toby grunts.
“Hey, I heard your evening was eventful,” Sofia flirts.
Toby looks at me. “Nothing out of the ordinary.” He stalks to the coffee machine and turns it on. The grey T-shirt he had on last night clings to his muscled back, and I notice a tattoo on his upper arm as he reaches up to grab a coffee mug.
“So, killing rogues is just an everyday thing for you?” Sofia eyeballs him.
“How’s the wrist, Kat?” he says my name with distaste, ignoring Sofia’s question.
“It’s okay,” I answer him without looking up.
Toby doesn’t say another word as he waits for his coffee. The silence is uncomfortable. Sofia gets my attention by glaring at me. She raises her eyebrows and looks at Toby’s back and then shrugs. I shrug back in response. I watch as Toby grabs his coffee and heads back to his room.
“He needs to lighten up,” Sofia states knowing he can hear her. “What do you want to do today?”
I push my porridge around in my bowl. “I think I might set up camp for a bit down the road where there is phone reception. Want to come with me?” I smile.
“Oh, I forgot about lover boy. You must be itching to see him again,” she teases.
“Something like that.” I blush hoping for some strange reason that Toby didn’t hear what Sofia said. I collect my bowl of half-eaten porridge and place it in the sink. I will no doubt be starving later. “I’m going to get changed and will head up the road if you want to come with me?”
The warmth from the sun is a welcoming comfort as I sit on the side of the road on a fold-up camp chair that Sofia managed to find somewhere back at the villa. The tree-lined road and the fields beyond the fence are glittering from the morning dew. I have my back facing the high stone wall that runs the length of the property with the tops of the pointy pine trees peeking over like sharp daggers waiting to spear unwanted intruders. Dominic has sent me two text messages and I smile as I read them, wishing I could be with him right now. I reply to his texts letting him know that I am sitting in the only place that has reception, so he better text me back.
I receive an instant reply. “Miss me yet?”
“I’ve had no time for that. This place is so busy and exciting,” I reply, hoping he catches on to my sarcasm.
“Feelings. Hurt,” he replies.
“Haha! What have you been doing with all your spare time?”
“Worki
ng. Riveting stuff. What fun things have you been doing in that overly exciting town?” Dominic texts.
“Where do I start? I’ve eaten and slept. I cannot wait for the festival to start. I’m so bored.” I sigh out loud as I hit send.
“Want me to come take your mind off your boredom?” Dominic replies.
“Yes, like right now.”
He doesn’t text back for a couple of minutes and I am left wondering what he is doing. Sofia stands and grabs the chair she has been lounging in.
“I’m heading back inside. You will be okay, won’t you?”
“Yeah, I will be fine. Hopefully I don’t have any unwanted visitors.” I smile at her as she rests the chair on her head and heads back up toward the villa.
My phone vibrates in my hand and I see Dominic’s name on the screen.
“Hi,” I answer the phone, a thrill of excitement rushing through me.
“Hi.” His masculine voice echoes through the phone.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“Talking to you.” I can hear his smirk through the receiver. “What are you doing?”
“Basking in the sun in the middle of nowhere.”
“Sounds dangerous,” he retorts.
“Oh, it is.” I laugh, although I doubt Dominic could imagine how right he is.
“So, when are you back again?” he asks.
“About two days, I think?”
“That’s too long to have to wait.”
“You really hate to wait, don’t you?” I say. I notice movement in my peripheral vision and turn my head toward it. Toby is heading my way with a scowl on his face.
“I told you to come get me the next time you came here to use your phone.” Toby towers over me with an accusing look on his face.
“I’m fine. Sofia was with me. She just left.” I eye him making sure I’m not the first one to look away.
Toby lets out a sharp breath and searches the road in both directions.
“Who’s that?” Dominic’s voice interrupts my grimacing.
Bequeathed Page 10
