by Carly Fall
15
Vampire Mythology
As a young man born and raised in Italy, Ambrogio had always wanted to travel to Greece to have the Oracle of Delphi tell him his fortune. When he reached adulthood, he boarded a boat and sailed to Greece, landing near Astakos. He then traveled east until he reached the city of Delphi.
Apollo, the great sun god, kept his temple there, which was home to Pythia, or the Oracles. They would sit in a chamber within the temple and talk of prophecies to those who came to seek their wisdom.
When Ambrogio finally met with the Pythia, they spoke these cryptic words: ‘The curse. The moon. The blood will run.’
Ambrogio stayed up all night trying to unlock the secret to the words. He paced outside the temple until daybreak, when he finally headed back toward town. As he went, he saw a woman dressed in white robes walking in the direction of the temple. He introduced himself.
He found out that the woman’s name was Selene, and she was a maiden to the temple. Her sister was the Oracle, so Selene tended to her sister while she was in her trance state, and also worked to maintain the temple.
Over the next few days, Ambrogio met Selene outside the temple every morning. Soon, they fell in love, and on his last day in Greece, Ambrogio met Selene outside the temple and asked her to return to Greece and marry him. She agreed, and he told her he would make the necessary preparations and then meet her in the early morning hours of the next day.
However, Apollo had fallen for the beautiful Selene, and became outraged that Ambrogio would come to his temple to take one of his maidens from him. At nightfall, Apollo visited Ambrogio and cursed him so that if he came in touch with Apollo’s sunlight, it would burn his skin.
Devastated that he would not be able to meet Selene when the sun rose, he ran to a cave that led him to Hades, the god of the underworld. He asked the god for protection. Hades listened to his story, and offered a compromise: if Ambrogio could steal Artemis’ silver bow and bring it to him, Hades would give him and Selene protection in the underworld.
In order for Ambrogio to accomplish this, Hades gave him eleven wooden bows so that he could hunt and offer his trophies to Apollo’s sister, Artemis, to gain her approval. She would then appear to him, and he would steal the bow at that time. To guarantee he’d complete the mission, Hades would keep Ambrogio’s soul in the underworld. If Ambrogio failed, he would live forever with Hades, never to return to Selene.
Without a choice, Ambrogio agreed.
To contact Selene, he took the bow given to him by Hades and killed a swan. Using a feather as a pen and its blood as ink, he wrote Selene a note, telling her that he could not meet her, but he would find a way for them to be together. He left it at the temple, and then ran off to hide from the sun.
Devastated, Selene kept working at the temple as not to anger Apollo further.
The next day, she returned to the temple to find another note written in blood: a proclamation of Ambrogio’s love.
For forty-four days, Ambrogio killed a swan and left a note for Selene at the temple. After using the feather and the blood, he offered the body to Artemis, the goddess of hunting and the moon. He hoped that even if he couldn’t steal the bow, Artemis would appreciate his tributes and convince her brother, Apollo, to reverse the curse.
On the forty-fifth night, Ambrogio missed his kill and lost his last arrow. Without the means to write Selene a note, he collapsed to the ground and wept.
Artemis appeared before him, and he begged her to let him borrow her silver bow for once last kill and leave a final note for Selene.
She agreed, and he took the bow and ran to the cave leading to Hades. As Artemis realized what was happening, she put her own curse on him—all silver would burn him.
Ambrogio dropped the bow in agony.
He told Artemis of the deal Hades had forced on him, Apollo’s curse, and his deep, unending love for Selene.
She took pity on him, and offered him immortality. With it came great speed and hunting abilities, as well as fangs, so that he could kill his prey and continue to write notes to Selene. In exchange, he and Selene would only worship her, no other gods.
As a virgin goddess, all of Artemis’ followers had to remain unmarried and chaste, so therefore, he’d never be able to touch Selene again. There would be no children in his future.
He agreed, thrilled that he and Selene would finally be together. He left her one final note and told her to meet him on a ship at the docks.
When she arrived on the ship, she found a coffin in the hull, along with a note saying that she must not open the coffin during the daytime. After sunset, she did open it to find Ambrogio alive and well.
They sailed to Ephesus, where by day, they lived in a cave. At night, they worshipped Artemis in her grand temple. They lived happily together for many years without touching each other or having children.
Although Ambrogio never aged, Selene did. While she lay on her deathbed, Ambrogio became distraught. His soul remained in Hades, so he would not be joining Selene in the afterlife. He went to a lake and killed a swan, offering it to Artemis in hopes that he would make Selene immortal.
Because he had been so loyal, Artemis granted him his wish. He could touch Selene only once, and that was to drink her blood. It would kill her mortal body, but then his blood mixed with hers would create immortality for anyone who drank it. If he did this, Artemis said that he and Selene would be together forever.
Selene readily agreed, and Ambrogio took her into his arms and drained her body of her blood. He set her limp body down, and it began to radiate light. Her bright spirit rose to meet Artemis at the moon.
From then on, Selene became the goddess of moonlight and every night, her rays would reach down and caress her beloved Ambrogio, as well as their children that had been created by drinking their blood.
16
Connor awoke from dreams filled with silver bows and arrows covered in blood, unrelenting gods and monsters, as well as the bodies of swans lying all around him.
He definitely shouldn’t have read the book before bed, as he seemed more tired from his dreams than before he’d drifted off. Closing his eyes, he tried to sleep again.
A warm palm landed on his arm. He slowly opened his eyes and turned to find Sami gazing at him, and relief washed through him.
“What happened?” he asked. “Did you see who attacked you?”
“Well, hello to you, too.”
He grinned. “Sorry. I was just worried. Are you okay?”
She nodded. “I think so.”
“Did you see who did this?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t see anything. One minute I was getting out of my car, and the next, my world went black.”
“You didn’t hear anyone coming? Maybe saw something out of your peripheral vision?”
“Nothing, Connor. Absolutely nothing.”
It irritated him that someone had attacked Sami in that way and had been so cowardly, they couldn’t even show their face, or faces. They didn’t even give her a chance to defend herself. Based on what he’d seen in the parking lot, he knew exactly who had been responsible, and he made a silent vow that he would make them pay.
“Did you enjoy the read?” Sami asked, her voice just above a whisper.
He placed the book on the floor and turned on his side to her. “It was interesting and caused some crazy dreams.”
“I brought that for you. I meant to give it to you at the end of the night.”
He smiled as he pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and noticed the cut on her head was almost totally healed. “You were otherwise occupied.”
“I know.”
“The gash on your head is almost gone.”
She nodded. “One of the bonuses of having a little bit of vampire in me. I heal really fast.”
As he stared into her eyes, he felt as if he gazed up at a beautiful midnight sky. “Are you feeling okay?”
“Yes. I have a bit of a headache, but yes, I’m
feeling better.”
“I didn’t know where to take you. Should I have brought you to a hospital? I was afraid they’d take your blood and see something different in it.”
“It’s probably best you didn’t take me there.”
“Where should I have gone?”
With a wince, she rolled to her back and stared at the ceiling. “It probably would have been best for me to go home, but you don’t know where that is, so this is great.”
As always, he felt as if he weren’t getting the full truth from her, and he wanted to press her for it. However, she’d had quite the ordeal last night, so he’d lay low for now.
“Is that the history your people believe?” he asked, referring to the book.
She shrugged and rolled back to face him. “Some do, some don’t. I suppose it’s similar to humans. Were you created by God, or did you crawl from the slime of a puddle of water?”
He considered her question. Yes, humans seemed to have the never-ending debate of faith versus science. To him, the correct answer really didn’t matter. Humans populated the Earth, and had for a long time. Where they came from was unimportant at this point.
“I don’t know,” he answered with a shrug. “Are there other variations of vampire origin?”
“Nothing that you don’t know—just the stupid stuff they put in the movies and television shows. You know, the dead coming back to life to suck people dry, stuff like that.”
He was going to question her further, but she groaned and shut her eyes.
“You better get some more sleep,” he murmured, feeling pretty tired himself.
She yawned and nodded.
He stared at her for a bit until her breathing had evened out, her face had relaxed, and her lips had parted. He tried to see her fangs but couldn’t. She seemed so peaceful, a direct contradiction to her usual high-strung demeanor.
Shutting his eyes, he hoped for a more restful sleep, and as he drifted off, he tried really hard not to think of anything relating to vampires.
* * *
Later, he woke again when she groaned.
He opened his eyes to see her pushing the covers aside and then she sat up, placing her feet on the floor. Uttering a moan laced with pain, she settled her head into her hands.
He bolted from the bed, went to her side, and knelt in front of her. “Hey, where are you going?”
As she gazed down at him, he noted how pale she looked, as if she might pass out at any moment. “I need to get home, Connor.”
“Okay, I’ll drive you.”
She nodded, and he stood to help her to her feet. As she rose from the bed on rickety legs, a small trickle of blood seeped from her nose, and her skin blanched even more.
“I need to get home,” she repeated, then her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she collapsed in his arms.
He laid her back down on the bed and placed his fingers on her pulse, causing her eyes to fly open. It didn’t feel nearly as strong as it had last night. Panic raced through him. She’d seemed fine just a while ago, and now, it was as if her recovery had taken a hundred steps backward.
“Connor, call my mother. She can come and get me after it gets dark.” Her voice was raspy and weak, and it only scared him further.
“What do you need at home that’s so important?” he asked.
She seemed hell-bent on getting home when she should be resting. He couldn’t understand why she appeared so weak as she hadn’t lost that much blood.
“I … I need blood, Connor, and I can get it from the donor at home. So, please, call my mother. It’s late in the afternoon, right? I can wait a few more hours.”
He stood from the bed and crossed his arms over his chest. “Your phone is gone, so I don’t have the number.”
She sighed. “Oh, no. I don’t memorize phone numbers anymore.”
Beads of sweat formed on her face as her eyes fluttered closed, her skin becoming waxy. Her breathing grew shallow, and panic raced through him. Things seemed to have moved into critical territory very quickly, and he needed to find a donor immediately.
He paced in front of the bed, staring at her chest rising and falling. The situation seemed grave, and he had to help her. Whether he liked it or not, he’d become attached to having her around, and if he didn’t do something, it looked as if she may died right in his fucking bed.
Against his better judgment, he made a snap decision. Her life depended on it. “Take mine.”
She gazed up at him, a look of confusion crossing her face as he sat down on the mattress next to her.
“Sami, you look like you’re about two breaths away from death. If blood is what you need, I’m sitting right here. What do I do? Do I bend over you so you can get to my neck?”
“I can’t take from you, Connor,” she whispered as she shook her head.
“Why not? Is my blood bad?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
“It’s just …”
Her voice trailed off.
Jesus, he was practically begging her to take his blood, and she wouldn’t. What the hell was wrong with her?
“Take it, Sami. Just tell me what to do.”
Their gazes locked for a moment, and his heart pounded in his chest. He’d sworn he would never allow a vampire to drink from him, but here he was, offering up a vein.
But, this was Sami. She’d become very important to him in a short period of time, and he wouldn’t allow her to suffer any more than she already had.
She reached out and gently took his hand, turning his wrist toward her mouth. As her fangs elongated, a wave of stark fear rolled through him, but he couldn’t look away. He remained still, his heart hammering.
“Are you sure?” she asked after running her tongue over his pulse, the motion causing a shiver to travel up his spine.
No, not at all, but he’d come this far, and he wouldn’t back out now. He wouldn’t turn into a vampire—he’d witnessed feedings too often to even think about that. As far as he was concerned, there couldn’t be a downside, except that it scared the shit out of him out that Sami was about to sink her fangs into him.
He nodded.
The initial bite sent a jolt of white-hot agony up his arm and into his chest. He gasped and rubbed his sternum, certain that his heart had caught fire. He wanted to pull his hand away from her grasp, but instead, he concentrated on the fact that Sami needed this. She hadn’t said as much, but he could very well be saving her life. She wouldn’t die on his watch, especially when he could help her.
Too bad she couldn’t put him in the trance state he’d witnessed before. There never seemed to be any discomfort when he’d watched other vampires feeding. Closing his eyes, he waited for the feeding to end so that the horrific pain would subside.
Seconds later, it completely vanished, and a new feeling overtook him. At first, he had a hard time putting a name to it, but then, his body made it very apparent exactly what he felt.
His cock thickened painfully in his sweats; a low ache in his belly bloomed. His breathing came in shallow spurts, and a chill traveled over his skin, as if Sami had run her fingertips up and down his arm causing goose flesh.
Did everyone have the intense urge to have sex when a vampire fed off them? It certainly didn’t feel unpleasant, but he never would have expected it. He thought of the women in the nightclubs … he’d always thought they enjoyed the sensations when a vampire fed off of them—the way they panted and moaned as if they were sexually aroused. Apparently, they had been.
Sami’s eyes had closed, and color was slowly returning to her cheeks. With each pull on his wrist, he came closer and closer to orgasm. His blood raced through his body as he fidgeted on the mattress, trying to find a more comfortable sitting position.
He shut his eyes, the need for sexual release railing through him with an intensity he’d never experienced before, and he realized he wanted to be with Sami in the worst way. He thought of stripping her clothes off and settling between he
r legs and pumping into her slick, wet heat.
Oh, God.
As concentrated on calming his breathing, he tried to find something to think about besides sex and how he was about to come at any moment.
Sports. Sports were good. There was nothing sexual about sports. Baseball came to mind, but the bat resembled the stiff rod at his hips. Tennis—just a couple of people hitting the ball over a net with a racquet—nothing sexual about it. Except, he did love the short skirts women wore when they played. Football. Now there was a man’s game. Just a bunch of big guys overdosed on testosterone … shit. If he had any more testosterone pulsing through his body, he’d turn into the Incredible Hulk. Even thinking about men hitting the crap out of each other over a ball didn’t work.
He opened his eyes as he felt Sami disengage from his wrist. She stared up at him with hooded lids, her color returning back to normal before his eyes, her full lips seeming to beg him to kiss them.
She placed her finger in her mouth and tightened her lips around it. He knew she didn’t mean it in a sexual nature, but it almost became his undoing. He would not have an orgasm sitting next to her, but the need for release had now become crucial.
As she stared at him, she pulled it out and ran it along his wrist, then turned his palm so it faced the ceiling.
“I know what you’re feeling right now,” she said as she ran her fingertips up to his elbow and back to down to his wrist. He broke the stare and glanced at the area her mouth had just been. It looked a little red, but there were no evident bite marks.
Sitting up, she placed her hand on the side of his face, their noses just inches apart. “I know how my feeding from you affects you, Connor.”
He couldn’t look away from the small tips of the fangs that protruded from her mouth. Unbelievably, he wanted her to sink them into him once again.
If he leaned in just a fraction, his lips would be on hers, and sweet Jesus, did he want that.
However, he’d given her blood to help her. Granted, he’d had no idea how it would affect him, but it seemed like kissing her would be wrong. Mixing business, pleasure, and all that crap. Yet, she’d just taken his blood, and that was pretty intimate. Maybe a kiss wouldn’t matter at this point.
