Rosemary stared at Kayci, fascinated.
“What’s going on? What’s wrong with her?” Elise asked, panicked.
Rosemary answered without taking her eyes off Kayci. “She’s responding to the spell and the stone. We must wait.”
“She looks as though she is going to pass out,” Elise squeaked.
Rosemary continued to observe Kayci closely. “She might, my dear, but we must not interfere.”
Elise frantically glanced from Rosemary to Kayci and back. “Are you sure?!”
“Yes.”
Kayci’s temperature spiked. Her skin glistened with sweat. In the background she could hear voices but couldn’t make out the words. She mentally tried to stabilize her own body and control the peculiar energy within it. The effort stifled her breath. A disorienting fog clouded her eyesight, disrupting her thoughts. The fog seemed to whirl around her, penetrating each and every pore of her skin. The only object she recognized was the table beneath her hand. She focused her energy and concentration on her hand holding the table. Her fingertips seemed to indent the wood. With her disorientation she couldn’t identify if she truly had. A wave of pain ripped through her abdomen once more. She squeezed the table and swallowed down the bile rising in her throat. She focused hard on not collapsing or vomiting. She forced herself to will the very energy threatening to overtake her.
“What’s wrong with her eyes, Rosemary? They’ve changed. Her eyes are normally blue!” Elise stared at Kayci in shock. Her eyes had glistened and then sparkled with a hint of gold flecks before transitioning entirely to a bright-golden color. She remembered seeing the same gold eyes when Adrian was standing on Kayci’s porch.
“Kayci, can you hear me? What’s wrong?” Elise asked frantically.
Elise stepped toward Kayci and gently reached out her hand to touch Kayci’s arm. Elise’s surroundings became fuzzy and her senses disoriented, yet still she felt unusually calm. Her panic dissipated. She felt strangely tranquil. Too tranquil, she thought. Elise looked toward Rosemary. Rosemary’s figure appeared indiscernible. Elise squinted to see Rosemary more clearly.
“Wha…is…goin…on?” Elise’s speech came out slurred.
“Step away from her, dear,” Elise heard Rosemary say.
Elise released Kayci’s arm as instructed and quickly moved several steps away from her. Within moments she regained clear vision and senses. Her heightened emotions rushed back. Elise looked at Rosemary with concern.
“What the hell just happened?!” she screeched.
“The spell is obviously working. You just reacted to her enchantment. It takes vampires years to harness that ability, but apparently Kayci is rushing through a few steps during her transition.”
“Transition,” Elise whimpered.
Kayci recognized the feeling developing in her stomach. It had gone from pain to nausea to now insatiable hunger. As the pain subsided, her grip on the table eased. She was gaining control over the energy pulsating and whirling around her. The haze was clearing, and she was beginning to hear actual words now. The fog had dissipated but hadn’t left her. It wasn’t fog at all, Kayci realized, but unleashed, unruly, disorganized, and powerful energy. Her energy. Energy she could control if she willed it. She took several deep breaths and stood up straight. She gently released her grip on the table and pulled her hand back to her side. With her vision restored, she peered down at the table. She had indeed damaged it. She was surprised by the amount of strength it must have taken.
Kayci’s eyes shifted around the room, studying everything with her new eyes. The colors were all brighter. It was as if a new world had opened up in front of her. She delighted in the sights and smells before her. Details she hadn’t noticed before emerged. A smile spread over her face.
“Kayci, my dear.”
Kayci heard Rosemary’s voice and whipped her head in the direction of the sound. Kayci caught both of their startled reactions from her sudden movement and wondered how fast she had moved. Rosemary stood several feet away from Kayci, but her voice sounded much closer and louder. Kayci remained silent, studying both of them. They looked stunningly beautiful. Their hair glimmered in the dim light of the room. Their skin took on a new glow. Kayci could even see the fine hairs on their arms glistening beneath the light. Their clothes appeared brighter and more attractive.
Kayci stopped smiling at them once she heard it. The thumps. Two thumps. Rhythmic thumps. Repeating over and over. They echoed in her ears. She looked away from them, startled by the feelings. The insatiable hunger had returned. Their heartbeats rang so loudly in her ears, she couldn’t think of anything else. She glanced back at them only to notice the veins of their necks expanding as blood rushed through them. She looked away from them, embarrassed and fearful.
“Kayci, my dear,” Rosemary said once more.
The sound of Rosemary’s voice broke through the echoes. Kayci focused on the nervous voice and forced the other sounds out of her head.
“I’m okay,” Kayci said awkwardly. Hearing her own voice sounded strange.
“You looked awful there for a bit,” Elise told her with distress in her voice. “And your eyes are different.” She waved her fingers toward her own eyes.
Kayci blinked with surprise. “Startling, aren’t they?” Kayci asked, remembering the first time she’d seen Adrian’s eyes change.
Elise nodded.
“Sorry,” Kayci said.
Rosemary pulled out one of the chairs for Kayci to sit in. “How are you feeling?” she asked, as if she were the doctor and Kayci the patient.
Kayci took the chair in her hand. The soft wood felt different now. She found herself rubbing her hand across the chair a couple times, enjoying the feeling of the soft, worn wood. Kayci stopped rubbing when she noticed Rosemary and Elise staring at her. She quickly sat down.
“I feel…alive,” Kayci told her. “Like a part of me was missing, and now I’m whole. I don’t know what happened when I first put the stone on though. It was painful and overwhelming, but then I somehow gained control over it. Now that I have control over it, I feel good, really good.
“Do you think my eyes will stay like this?” Kayci asked suddenly. She glanced from Rosemary to Elise, admiring the details of their faces, the mountains and valleys in their skin, the designs in their irises. Kayci caught Elise’s shiver.
“My eyes are freaking Elise out,” Kayci said to Rosemary matter of factly. “Probably won’t go over well with the clients either.”
Rosemary smiled. “You’re currently experiencing what I think vampires call the vampire high. All your senses are heightened, and you are seeing everything differently now. It will fade, and you’ll become accustomed to it. What seems amazing and new now will become normal to you.”
“Oh,” Kayci replied, disappointed. “So as my excitement settles, so will the color of my eyes.”
“Yes.”
“Well, that’s good news,” Kayci lied. She didn’t want the newness and excitement to end.
Elise studied Kayci’s expression. Elise always knew when she was lying just by looking at her. Elise shivered again. She quickly glanced away from Kayci, obviously uncomfortable looking at her. Kayci felt relieved. She didn’t want Elise to know she utterly enjoyed her new state.
“There is one thing though,” Kayci pointed out.
“Yes?” Rosemary invited her to continue.
“I…how do I explain this? I have hunger pains and am more attentive to…ah…”
“Our blood?” Rosemary finished for her.
“I don’t need to drink blood, do I?” Kayci asked uncomfortably.
Kayci watched Elise lean as far back in her chair as she could.
Rosemary looked at Elise and then Kayci, giving them a reassuring smile. “I noticed you didn’t sprout fangs, so I think you’re in the clear. However, I imagine you’ll crave it but won’t need it. You’re still part human. Regular food should sustain you. Maybe order your meat a little more rare, and you should be fine,” Ro
semary jested.
Kayci smiled at Rosemary’s intent to make light of the situation. “Thank you, Rosemary. Thank you for everything,” Kayci said as she sat back in the chair, finally feeling relaxed since she first put the necklace on.
“Oh, thank god!” Elise suddenly blurted. “You’re eyes are changing back.”
Kayci grinned. “They really freak you out, don’t they?”
“You don’t look like you when they’re gold colored. It’s freaky.”
Kayci laughed before returning her attention to Rosemary. “How much do I owe you for the spell, stone, and necklace?”
“I’ll calculate that at the register.” Rosemary motioned toward that part of the shop as she rose from her chair. Kayci and Elise followed after gathering Elise’s items at the end of the table. Kayci immediately noticed the incredible smells and colors as she walked into the shop. She stood for a moment, taking it all in. The herbs and candles were a frenzy of odors, their scents intoxicating and difficult to differentiate. Reds, oranges, and yellows stood out more than any other colors. She was visually drawn to the items with those colors. She had an overwhelming impulse to run her hands over everything she saw. To feel the materials with her new and heightened senses.
In her peripheral, Kayci could see Rosemary and Elise staring at her again. She didn’t want to frighten Elise with her golden eyes, so she closed them, taking two deep breaths while holding her fists firmly at her sides. Once her feeling of elation began to subside, Kayci opened her eyes and slowly walked to the register, intentionally ignoring everything around her.
Rosemary smiled at Kayci as she stepped up to the register. “You’re learning to control your emotions quite quickly, my dear. It’s impressive.”
It was more difficult than it looked. Admittedly, she did it for Elise’s sanity.
Rosemary quickly rang up their items, giving them both discounts. They expressed their appreciation for her kindness and said their good-byes.
“Ladies, feel free to come back if you need anything. Anything at all. I’m happy to help. Kayci, my dear…” Rosemary’s caring face became serious. “Take care of yourself.”
Kayci nodded.
As they strolled out of the shop, Rosemary turned the closed sign behind them but not before giving one last kind wave.
Kayci stopped walking as soon as she stepped outside. The sights, scents, and sounds hit her like a tidal wave. She immediately closed her eyes and tried to settle her reaction to the multitude of sensory igniters.
“I can’t believe we spent the whole day in there!” Elise proclaimed as she headed toward Kayci’s car. Kayci was brought back to the moment by Elise’s voice breaking through the flurry of stimulants. She centered her focus on one thing and stepped forward, trying not to reveal her inner turmoil to Elise.
Kayci nodded. “I’m not surprised. Happened to me the last time I was there.”
“Rosemary is fascinating. I’m glad you brought me with you today. Even if you did vamp-out on me.” Elise looked at Kayci as they settled into the car. “So are you hungry at all?” she asked apprehensively. “Because I am starving.”
“Yes, actually, I am pretty hungry. I better not get too excited about eating though, or I might vamp-out on you again,” Kayci mocked.
Elise rolled her eyes. “All right, all right, I freaked out a bit. I’ll try not to be so awkward the next time.”
“Thanks. So where to?”
“Amigo’s,” Elise suggested.
“Sounds good,” Kayci replied as she put her car into drive.
***
The cement grave gave way to the hands of the vampire as he lifted and slid the cover away from the coffin. The crypt he had been residing in for the last twenty-six years was pitch black. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust. He made his way toward the stairs by memory. His hunger came as relentless waves, reminding him of how long it had been since he had last fed. He moved sluggishly up the stairs, supporting himself by placing his hands along the wall as he went. As he came to the entry room of the crypt above ground, the air became thinner. He breathed it in deep, smelling the life that flourished just outside. His eyes, an intense gold, reflected the light of the moon streaming in through the small window of the crypt. He pushed open the crypt door only to be overwhelmed by the smells beyond it. His hunger was uncontrollable. He immediately followed the scent leading to the humans in the small village. He would need to feed a great deal in order to replenish his body. It was essential for the long journey ahead of him.
Chapter 8
Danika watched as Kayci’s car pulled up in front of her house. She whistled to the other two vampires with her and nodded for one of them to come in from a different direction. She stayed with the other vampire and waited.
“I’m impressed with how well you held it together at the restaurant. I think your eyes filled with gold specks only about three times,” Elise teased.
“That burrito was amazing,” Kayci enthused. “It was like eating food for the first time. So delicious.”
“Must be nice to have all your senses so heightened?” Elise asked. “I still can’t believe that my best friend is a half-breed vampire. Although it fits when I think back over the years and all the crazy things that happened and your strange attributes, as you would call them. I wish you could have seen the way you looked after you put on that stone. Those eyes will definitely take some getting used to. And when I touched you, I felt like I was drunk. Rosemary said it was an enchantment. What’s the deal with that?”
Kayci stepped out of the vehicle while internally smiling at Elise’s rambling. This was her friend’s way of working through everything that had happened.
“I’m not entirely sure. I guess you felt part of my vampire energy. Rosemary said vampires have adapted the ability to feed from humans without hurting them. You must have felt whatever that ability is.”
“Yeah, well, I definitely don’t want to ever feel that again,” Elise stated firmly.
As they headed toward the front door, a strange new sensation rose up Kayci’s spine and across her arms, similar to goose bumps but without the actual bumps. The sensation was followed by a strange scent drifting through the air. The sun had gone down at least an hour and a half ago. It didn’t take much for Kayci to comprehend the warning signs. She grabbed Elise’s arm just as she saw a figure moving through the brush near the woods.
“Kayci, what’s wrong? Your eyes are changing.”
Kayci leaned in toward Elise and brought her voice to a whisper. She put her keychain with her car and house key on it into Elise’s hand, making sure the house key was what Elise took hold of.
“Stay calm and listen to me. There are vampires nearby. When I let go of your arm, I want you to run inside the house as fast as you can.”
Kayci let go of Elise’s arm. Elise took off for the front door. Her hands shook as she shoved the key into the lock. Her right hand turned the knob as a vampire grabbed her from behind.
Kayci was there instantly. She kicked the vampire’s knee in from behind. His leg went down. He released Elise as he tried to catch his fall. Elise took her moment of opportunity and rushed through the door. Kayci put full strength into her swing and punched the vampire in the back of the neck. He buckled onto the porch floor. Kayci grabbed a fistful of the vampire’s hair and directed his gaze right toward the talisman hanging on the door. She saw a bright light flash and squinted as she turned her own gaze away from it. A moment later the vampire’s skin was covered in flames. His screaming pierced Kayci’s ears. She looked away from the disgusting sight and forced down the bile rising in her throat, induced by the foul stench.
Elise held the door open for Kayci to follow her in. Kayci saw another vampire running toward the porch.
“Close the door!”
The second male vampire reached the porch just before Elise closed the door. Kayci had no time to react. The vampire rushed past her. He opened the door so forcefully, Kayci heard the hinges splinter. Elise
screamed in terror. As the vampire tried to enter, he hit an invisible wall. Kayci was incredibly relieved. Rosemary’s spell had worked. More comfortable with Elise safe inside, Kayci jumped off the side railing of the porch and took off for the back of the house, intentionally leading the vampires away from the entrance. The female she’d spotted with Adrian—Danika—closed in behind her. As she took the corner of the house, she felt Danika’s powerful grip on her shoulder. Kayci lost her footing and hit the ground hard. Danika fell with her.
Before Kayci could get up, Danika was on top of her, trying to bite her. Kayci wrapped her legs and left her arm around Danika’s body, pulling her in closer, giving her the opportunity to punch Danika’s face and side. Danika wiggled out of her grip, then jerked away before quickly standing up. Kayci rolled away from Danika, just missing a kick to her side. Kayci stood up and took off toward the front of the house.
The second male vampire clotheslined Kayci in the chest, knocking the wind out of her. She didn’t get up quickly enough. Danika attacked her again. Kayci kicked Danika in the stomach as she lunged at her. Danika fell back momentarily. The second vampire charged as Kayci tried to pick herself up. Kayci kicked her leg sideways, knocking the vampire out from under himself. Danika leapt onto her from above. She hit Kayci in the face this time. Kayci recognized the familiar metallic taste as the blood oozed from her lip. Danika’s eyes flashed gold. Her fangs extracted. She leaned in to bite Kayci.
Kayci used all the strength she had left to avoid being bitten. Her adrenaline had been pumping for a while and was beginning to wane. She worried she wouldn’t make it out of this. As she blocked her face and neck with her arm, Danika’s fangs sliced across her skin, causing blood to pour out. The laceration blazed with painful heat. A knot developed in her throat. She tried to swallow it down. Her vision became hazy. She thought she heard the other vampire groan in pain, but she wasn’t sure. She swung her fist at Danika but missed, as Danika was suddenly pulled off her and thrown to the ground.
Embrace The Dawning (The Covenant Series Book 1) Page 13
