Chasing Shadows

by Rebbeca Stoddard

  I was sitting on one of the bar stools at the kitchen counter when Sebastian walked in. My mom had made me some breakfast before she left for work. He smiled at me, and my heart raced. As I chewed on some bacon, Sebastian sat next to me and stole a piece of sausage. With a devious wink he popped it into his mouth and closed his eyes in pure joy. Sebastian’s hand tried to reach for more of my food, and I poked my fork toward the stove. Even though he was a vampire, he still occasionally ate human food, which was confusing at times. I made a mental note to ask him about that again during our lessons. He stood , headed for the stove, and came back with a plate full of eggs, bacon, sausage, and hash browns. We laughed when he scooped up a large portion and shoveled it in his mouth. Once I was done, I washed my plate, covered the leftovers, and put them in the fridge. It took Sebastian a few more minutes to finish up, and he rinsed his plate off before we headed upstairs.

  We left my bedroom door open as we settled down to start my lessons. Sebastian picked up my reading chair and set it down gently beside my bed. He waited for me to get comfortable before he started in on teaching me about the supernaturals. “In the beginning, the gods and goddesses of all civilizations watched humans take advantage of the earth and her treasures. They grew wary of the way humans forgot their ways and backgrounds, even the diligent sacrifices they made to appease the gods. After a few hundred years of this, the gods convened. Some say they met in Garden of Eden, others say Babylon. No one really knows which place, or if it was somewhere else. As they met with each other, they argued, fought, agreed, and decided on a plan. If humans were no longer appreciative of the gods and what was given to them, then the gods would create a new species to help the earth, keep populations down, and to give them the praise they deserved. Each god and goddess had the opportunity to create a species. Zeus decided which species were good ideas and which were not. You have seen or heard of a few of the supernatural creatures, but there are many more. There are werewolves, trolls, elves, goblins, spirit walkers, shape shifters, healers, banshees, pixies, mermaids, sirens, and the others that you already know. If there are more, they keep very well hidden and out of the way.

  “Zeus did not want the u da yv la dv to exist at first. But Hades fought against him with everything he had. He manipulated and lied in order to get Zeus to agree. After the supernaturals were created, laws were set in place for them. None of the supernaturals could create each other or procreate to make more. This way, they would never overpopulate, and take over the world. With this in place, the gods chose certain families to carry the bloodlines, or genes, that the supernaturals would carry. Spirits are reincarnated into families with those specific bloodlines. However, Hades disobeyed Zeus’s laws and allowed the u da yv la dv to create others and procreate. Zeus forced the u da yv la dv to live in a different world inside of our own, never allowing them the light of day. But even Zeus’s magic could not keep Hades from going in and out. So Hades continued to pass through their world as well as his own, giving the u da yv la dv new magic and even bringing them humans to change.

  “After Zeus and the others noticed this, the gods began to recycle pure souls faster and faster. Your soul was one of them. You were born into three bloodlines, which is completely rare; in fact, you are the only one that has been recorded. The gods were very careful not to allow something like this to happen—until you. We do not know why or how. But the deities are happy it happened.” Sebastian stopped long enough to take a breath and drink some water. “So now that you know how we were created, I am going to tell you about specific supernaturals. Unless you have any questions for me, that is.” He looked at me with a curious glance.

  “If Zeus locked them away, how did they come out of their world into ours?” I asked.

  “Hades found a way. I don’t know if there was a traitor in the gods’ realm who helped him, but he found a crack in the seal. And along with giving them more power, he also gave them the ability to enter and exit as they pleased, but only the strongest of them can do so. Not all of them have that capability. Any more questions before we move on?” he asked.

  I shook my head and waited for him to continue with the next subject.

  “I figure I will start with the beings that you are: vampire, witch, and fairy. First, I think I will choose the vampire. You haven’t been told too much about it. Now, is your chance to learn.” Sebastian winked at me with a gleam in his eyes.

  I swallowed hard and nodded my head.

  “Vampires were one of the first supernaturals created. Athena and Aphrodite created us. We are creatures of love and habit. We walk this earth ready to protect and guard what the gods want us to. Vampires can walk in the daylight; after all, we were created in it. Legends are mostly incorrect, which is how the gods wanted it. They wanted people to believe that we were just scary stories you told your children so they would eat their vegetables and sleep at night. But we are not. Garlic and crosses do not harm us, nor does holy water or anything that comes from a Bible. Wooden stakes can hurt us, but not kill us. We are immortal. For the most part, that is. If a u da yv la dv bites or uses any kind of dark magic toward a vampire, it can be fatal. However, there are only few that can heal us. And I think you will be one of the few.” He paused for a moment before continuing, “We do drink blood and have longer canines. But we can eat normal human food too, as long as we keep blood in our system, and as long as it meat based it will taste all right. The canines are on top and bottom, so there are only four. As you can tell, yours haven’t elongated yet. They won’t until we start training on the abilities that come with being a vampire. Your weaknesses and strengths will be a little different from mine and other vampires’, but we will figure out what they are as soon as we can.”

  “What kind of abilities come with being a vampire?” I asked Sebastian with curiosity.

  “I was getting there, my little darling.” Sebastian chuckled at my eagerness. “Vampires can run faster than you could ever imagine, see clearer, farther, and things that the human eye cannot see. We have incredible strength and can make people do what we want, or make them forget. Some vampires call it dazing, charming, bewitching, or even hypnotizing. There is no true name for it; these are just names that vampires have come up with over the years. We do not have venom, and our blood cannot create other vampires as some would believe. However, it does heal humans and other supernaturals. Unfortunately, our blood does not heal other vampires.

  “I will teach you how to channel your vampire skills after you are finished learning about your inner witch. It may be a long process and a very tedious one as well. But I will help you every step of the way.” He smiled softly and squeezed my hand. “I am going to go. You need your rest.” Sebastian gave my hand one last squeeze before rising from the chair.

  “Same time tomorrow?” I asked him, hoping I would see him early in the morning.

  “Huh?” Sebastian turned with a confused look on his face.

  “Will you be here the same time tomorrow?”

  “Ah, yes. I will.” He smiled and winked as he left.

  I looked at my alarm clock and yawned as I saw the time. It was a quarter to four in the afternoon. My eyelids felt heavy, and my stomach growled angrily. With tired muscles, I made my way to the kitchen to get some soup. After moving containers around, I found leftover chicken potpie soup. Getting a bowl, I poured in some soup and placed it in the microwave. While I waited for the timer to stop, I tapped my fingers on the counter impatiently. When the timer beeped, I grabbed my soup and went upstairs. As I ate I thought back on everything that I had learned. Knowing that myths and legends had a lot of it wrong felt strange. All I could think about was how excited I was to learn more about the supernaturals. The soup felt warm as it settled in my belly, and the more I ate, the sleepier I got. Within minutes of finishing my soup, I fell into a heavy sleep.

  Loud footsteps startled me awake. My head hurt, and my mouth was dry. A tickle in my throat made me cough, and I got up and ran to the bathroom. Still cough
ing, I choked and puked in the sink. I coughed a few more times then gagged at the taste of vomit in my mouth. Not wanting the sour taste in my mouth any longer, I turned on the faucet, rinsed my mouth, and swished mouthwash to finish the job. Once I felt safe enough to return to bed, I carefully walked back into my room. When I was finally under the sheets, I looked at my clock. It was only seven thirty. As soon as I rested my head back on the pillows comfortably, my eyes closed quickly.

  People were talking too loudly, and bright lights filtered through the blackness of my closed eyes. Buzzing sounds irritated my head, and far-too-cold hands touched my face and neck. I wanted to cringe away from it all, but for some reason, I couldn’t even move. Scrunching my nose and squeezing my eyes, I focused on who was talking and why they were being so loud. There was a woman’s soft and concerned voice—it almost sounded like she had been crying or worrying too much. But she wasn’t the only person talking. A voice that was all too familiar called to my soul, begging it to reach out and tell him I was okay. I tried to wiggle a toe or a finger to let everyone know I was okay, but I couldn’t understand why they were so worried, or even who was worried. Mentally, I sighed and pushed harder to hear the voices and connect them with people I knew. The woman, she was important to me, very important. Push harder. She had a maternal voice. Ah, that’s it. She’s my mom. And the boy, who was he? Another push in my mind and I had it. Sebastian. Happy with the progress I had made, I let my mind relax back into the darkness that I had woken up from.

  I was released from the dark place that I had succumbed to earlier, and heard the woman’s voice again. No, that wasn’t right. She was my mom, wasn’t she? “She’s been like this all day. What did you do to her?” She was demanding answers from someone.

  “I already told you, I gave her lessons on supernatural creatures, but she stayed in bed the entire time. Then I left in the afternoon to let her get some rest. Well, I stayed outside until you came home, and she slept the entire time after she had gotten something to eat. I swear to you, Mrs. Lukenson, I wouldn’t do anything to harm AubrieAnna’s life.” The same boy from earlier was talking to her, and he sounded genuinely upset that she would even question him.

  “She needs to feed.” If I could have jumped, I would have. Whoever spoke startled me half to death.

  “No. It isn’t even her time to do that yet. How can that be possible?” The boy sounded frantic and scared.

  “Do not question me, child. If she does not feed, she will die. Now you either find someone to feed her, or you rob a blood bank—I do not care. Leave, and by the time you are back, she will be awake enough to do what needs to be done. After she is finished she will need a few hours to wake fully. Then, and only then, will I answer any and all questions you may have regarding this particular situation.” After she had finished speaking to the boy, silence filled the room.

  Chills fled up and down my spine as I waited for someone to speak or move around. Yet nothing happened. It felt like I had been waiting for hours when finally the darkness was lifted just enough so I could finally move again. I felt like crying. Carefully, I sat up and waited for him to come back to feed me. Nothing had felt better than being able to move after being forced into a heavy sedation by my vampire side. Sighing, I smiled softly, and he came rushing through the door with a cup in his hand.

  Red liquid sloshed around as he walked toward me. My heart sped up at the sight of Sebastian. I felt guilty that I couldn’t remember his name, and I felt my cheeks get warm. Dizziness clouded my head and little black spots appeared in my line of sight. As he came closer to me, my stomach growled in hunger. Sebastian smiled sweetly and handed me the cup. Scared of what was in it, I sniffed. Whatever was in the cup smelled delicious. Part of me knew it was blood, but the other part wanted to deny it so I wouldn’t get sick at the thought of drinking the red stuff. With a deep and heavy sigh, I took a sip. Warmth spread through me and my head grew lighter. A tingly sensation broke out along my skin, and I hungrily drank more. Once I was finished, Sebastian took the cup and smiled. Happy and satisfied, I lay down and closed my eyes. Just before I fell back into the dark and heavy sleep, I felt Sebastian’s lips caress my forehead.

  The room was completely dark, and I realized I had no idea where I was. Thankful that my feed was a success, I got up faster than I had intended. I skidded to a stop and looked around. Tile floors, heavily shaded windows, antiseptic smells, three chairs, and a small twin bed that sat disheveled and at an odd angle made me think one word: hospital. My mom had brought me to a hospital. Scrunching my forehead, I looked down at my outfit. Nope. No hospital gown. Confusion clouded my brain, and I paced around the room trying to figure out where I was. Releasing a deep breath, I tried to focus. After minutes of pacing, I realized that it wasn’t helping, so I plopped down on the cold hard floor. With crossed legs, I leaned my head against the wall and started to meditate. Since I had been in some sort of a supernatural coma, I hadn’t seen or heard anyone say where we were. There was no hospital bracelet on my wrist, no IVs in my veins, no breathing machines or heart monitors. I had to be in some sort of a supernatural hospital or care facility. But Sebastian had never mentioned anything like that. Grumbling, I got up and walked out the door and into a busy hallway.

  I was in a normal hospital, with human patients and doctors. Cautiously, I walked around the halls until I found the waiting room. Sebastian sat on the couch, and my mom sat at a table trying to put a puzzle together. Careful not to alert my mother that I was up, I sat down by Sebastian. Once he felt the weight next to him, he looked at me. His eyes filled with joy as he saw that I was okay. A bright smile light up his face, and I couldn’t help but smile back. As quietly as possible, I pulled him from the room. When we were a safe distance from the waiting room, I asked him in a hushed voice, “What happened to me? Why am I in the hospital?”

  “The first is not a question I can answer. I do not know what happened, only that you needed blood to get healthy once again. But you are in the hospital because your mother thought they could help. However, Clamora knows a few supernatural doctors who work in this hospital, and she worked something out so only they would be checking your vitals and testing you. Supernaturals do not have separate hospitals yet. We have been working on it, but it is not a priority.” He looked at me softly and cupped my face in his hands. “I’m so glad you are okay.” With that, he kissed me deeply. Sebastian let go of me too soon for my satisfaction. As I sighed, he took the chance to plant a kiss on my forehead. “I suppose we should go get your mother and head out of here.” Once he finished speaking, he let out a soft breath.

  The ride from the Silverton hospital took less time than I had thought it would. My mom kept sneaking cautious glances at me, making me wish that I had ridden with Sebastian. Before we left the front doors of the hospital, he told us that he would meet us at my house. There was no telling how my father was feeling about me being so sick, and who knew if Amelia and Little Micheal knew what happened. A small twist in my stomach made me scared that everything between my family and me was about to change. We pulled up the drive and stopped in front of the house. Still scared about what everyone was going to think, I searched for my dad’s car and listened for sounds of my younger siblings. But there were no signs of either. I let out a small sigh of relief when my mother told me that she didn’t want to worry my father about my illness unless I wasn’t getting better. She forced me to sit at the table while she cooked something for dinner. Within five minutes, the smell of fried chicken floated in the air and Sebastian walked through the front door. My heart stopped at the sight of him. He smiled when he saw me sitting at the table. It took all of my effort not to run up and hug him tightly. His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, though, which told me that he was worried about what had happened and why.

  “Sebastian, dear, would you like some dinner?” my mom turned from the stove to ask him and smile politely.

  “Thank you, but unfortunately, as delicious as it smells, I think I will ha
ve to pass this time.” He flashed a dazzling smile at her.

  My mom turned back to focus on frying the chicken and cooking noodles. When Sebastian found her to be preoccupied enough in her work, he turned toward me. His smile turned soft and then fell completely away. Careful not to push too hard, I reached for his hands and offered a small smile in hope of encouraging him to tell me what was on his mind. After holding my hand for a minute, he looked at me through dark lashes. He sighed deeply before starting as much of an explanation as he could offer. “Your vampire cells have officially changed fully. We were informed, and as I know from experience, it shouldn’t have happened this soon. You were weakened without having the proper nutrients that that part of you craves, therefore you slept—or passed out, whichever you would like to call it. Athena appeared at the hospital to tell me what needed to happen in order to wake you, and then she left, promising an explanation later. She will be back to explain what happened soon. So when you are finished with your dinner, you must retreat to your room and wait. I will be up there waiting for you to finish.” Sebastian rose from the seat across the table, kissed my forehead, and excused himself from the room.

  Chills crawled and pricked my skin all over. I was nervous to meet the goddess so soon. It made me think back to when I had accidentally called upon Aphrodite. She had been the epitome of what she was goddess over. Her beauty was beyond compare, and she radiated love and sex. Even though she seemed nice, I could tell by the way she commanded attention that she was not to be crossed. Surely if someone crossed her, there would be hell to pay. But after all that, she was still admirable and showed traits that strong women around the world should have. The clatter of a plate startled me out of my thoughts and into the present.