by J. L. McCoy
“Do you think that maybe she’s an Empath such as Nathaniel?” someone asked.
“Nay,” said a different voice. “The divine gift of Empathy is something she would have felt immediately upon awakening. We performed the Test of Divine Power moments ago and she was unaware of any gifts at that time.”
“Maybe she is absorbing the Divine Power like Amun is able to do when he drinks from one of us,” Hagan whispered.
Sudden fear coursed through me and not all of it was mine. I knew my pitch black eyes told of Amun’s strong influence in me but I hadn’t wanted to believe that I was truly like him. I whimpered in fear as I looked up at Trey.
“No, sugar,” Trey shook his head and rocked me gently as he held me tighter. “Don’t even think it. You are nothing like that bastard. You are good, sweet, and yes… a bit different than the rest of us, but you are not him honey. You will never be him.”
I glanced up at Ruarc from under my eyelashes and he was staring down at me with a mix of emotions on his face. I couldn’t feel what he was feeling because Trey was pushing so much of his positivity, love, and comfort on me, so I reached my hand up for Ruarc’s. He stared at it a few moments before gently touching the tips of his fingers to mine.
Ruarc’s emotions crashed over me like a tidal wave and for a moment, I felt like I was drowning. His emotions were very strong, overriding Trey’s instantly. Ruarc was feeling confusion, awe, surprise, and curiosity. The hate, disapproval, and disgust I saw from him yesterday right after I awoke were nowhere to be found. I briefly wondered what had changed as Ruarc slipped his fingers from mine and took a step back. He spoke quietly to the room in Gaelic and a wave of hushed whispers washed over the entire basement.
“Trey,” Ruarc spoke quietly, “thank you for your participation. You may now go back upstairs.”
Panic hit me hard and fast as I realized that, without Trey’s emotions helping me, I would be left to the mercy of everyone else’s. What I had experienced briefly before Trey wrapped his comforting arms around me was enough negativity to last me a lifetime.
Trey nodded his head and whispered a few positive words to me before letting me go and walking out. Tears welled in my eyes as I watched him leave, the emotions in the room weighing heavily on me. I was thankful that they weren’t as bad as they were before. Mostly, everyone was curious and confused.
“I would like a volunteer from the room, please,” Ruarc spoke, commanding the basement’s attention. “I want to see if power absorption is indeed what is happening when she feeds from us.”
No one said anything and no one moved. Finally, after a long pause, someone from the Army stepped forward. “She may drink from me,” the man said after taking a deep breath.
I looked up into his deep chocolate brown eyes and saw kindness there. Ruarc stepped back and allowed the man to help me up off the floor. The second his hand touched mine I gasped. His emotions were confusing to me at first. All I picked up from him was concern and soothing comfort. I could tell that this man tended to see the best in people and I was thankful that he had chosen to come forward versus someone who hated me and saw me as an unholy abomination.
“My name is Patrick,” he whispered to me as he began to unbutton the sleeve of his black dress shirt and roll it up. “I’m very anxious to see how this test comes out.”
He held up his bare wrist and nodded to me. I took a deep breath and tentatively grabbed it before biting into his soft flesh. I only allowed myself two mouthfuls before I pulled my fangs out and licked his blood from my lips. I didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable so I wasn’t taking any chances by feeding from him longer and allowing my potent venom to do its job.
Feelings of anxiousness swept the room and it almost brought me to my knees again. This Empath crap was for the birds! All eyes were on me and you could have heard a pin drop in the stark silence.
“I-I don’t feel anything,” I whispered, looking up at Ruarc’s blank face. As soon as the words left my mouth the tingling started once again in the tips of my fingers and spread throughout my body. I looked down at my arms and the hair on them was standing straight up. A surge of static electricity surrounded my body and then vanished as quickly as it had come. I looked up at Patrick and questioned him silently with wide eyes.
He turned to the sparring equipment in the corner and raised his arm out, pointing to a focus mitt on the ground. It easily levitated into the air, hovered for a few moments, and then gently resumed its spot on the floor.
My eyes felt like they were going to pop out of my head; I couldn’t believe what I had just seen. “No way,” I breathed in shock.
“You try,” Patrick said with a small smile on his face. “Focus on the object you want to move and do it. It’s rather simple.”
My brow furrowed hard. He’s got to be kidding, right? I can’t move objects with mind! That’s insane… But I did just see him do it with my own two eyes. I took a deep breath and turned to Ruarc. I seriously doubted I could actually levitate something, so I tried for the antique rosary around his neck. I lifted my hand and zeroed in on the necklace. Nothing happened at first so I focused harder and flicked my finger in Ruarc’s direction. The rosary jumped from its spot on his chest and smacked him in the face.
I gasped and then giggled when I saw his lips purse; he obviously was not amused. I turned to Hagan and pointed at his long brown pony tail. It lifted with ease and stayed raised until I put my finger back down. “Holy shit,” I whispered in awe.
I spun back around and looked at Ruarc with wide eyes. “You guys are so seriously cool! Do all of you have powers like this?”
Someone growled from the back of the room and I immediately felt his anger. The room was awash in sudden emotion and I had to put my hand on my heart to try and stumble through them; anger, excitement, concern, fear, surprise, pride, and unease were abundant.
“Divine gifts are not a toy, Miss Morrison,” Ruarc frowned.
“Of course not,” I looked down at my hands, properly chastised. “I apologize, sir. I’m just a bit overwhelmed at the moment. A lot has happened this morning and I’m just now getting my first chance to discover what it means to be me… well, the new me, a vampire. I didn’t mean to offend anyone, honestly.”
“Well, I guess that answers the question of whether or not she can absorb powers,” Patrick said as he turned and rejoined his brothers.
“But what does this mean for us?”
“Is she dangerous to us or is she an asset?”
“Will she try to take our powers like her maker?”
My head snapped up at that comment and I frowned angrily. “Archer is my father, not Amun! I don’t care what he did to me. I’m Archer’s!”
“Tóg go bog é, child,” Ruarc sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes.
“I don’t even know what that means, sir,” I crossed my arms over my chest, still pissed.
“It means calm down,” he snapped his head up and glared at me.
The door opened to the basement and we all turned to see who was coming down. I heard a human heartbeat before I saw the person’s feet. I took a deep breath in and immediately smelled Jason, the human feeder I had enjoyed yesterday.
He came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs and looked around at all of us, unsure and a bit worried. “Uh, sorry to interrupt… whatever this is… but I was told my services were needed?”
“Come,” Ruarc said simply, holding his arm out.
I watched as Jason side stepped a few members of the Army and allowed Ruarc to put his hand on his shoulder.
“I believe you know Skye?”
Jason’s eyes found mine and instantly lit up. I felt his lust and excitement and my breath quickened with desire. I knew how delicious Jason’s blood was and my mouth watered in anticipation. I had noticed that the hunger one felt as a vampire never truly sated, even after a meal. I secretly hoped that it was because I was a newborn. I’d hate to live an eternity always being hungry. I
wouldn’t dare voice my concerns to this group, though. Some of them were gunning for my death, even if their faces didn’t show it. Now that I had absorbed some of Trey’s Divine Power of Empathy, I could feel it.
“Oh, yeah,” Jason leered, a sexy smile playing on his lips. “I know Skye.”
“Hey,” I greeted with a wave.
Someone pulled a folding chair out and placed it between Jason and me.
“Have a seat, Jason,” Ruarc commanded and Jason instantly obeyed. “Skye is going to feed from you again. Will that be alright?”
Jason licked his lips as he took a seat; his eyes sweeping me head to toe. “Oh, yeah,” he breathed in anticipation.
I took a step toward the chair and Ruarc’s voice stopped me. “He is here to test whether or not you can control how much venom you deliver in your bite. When you first start out, I want you to see if you can withhold it. When I say to, let him have it as you normally would. Is that clear?”
I frowned and met his emerald eyes with mine. “I can try, sir. I don’t know that I can control anything but I’ll do my best.”
Ruarc nodded his head and I resumed my walk to Jason’s chair. I stopped in front of him and smiled. “It’s nice to see you again.”
“Oh, I assure you, the pleasure is all mine,” Jason breathed as he stared hungrily at my large chest.
“Behave, big boy,” I winked as I straddled his lap. Jason took a deep breath in as I got more comfortable. His manhood was starting to make its appearance as his lust and need overpowered my senses.
I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the feelings of the others in the room. It was the only way I could get through this without being completely turned on. I could immediately see how empathy would be a great thing if you were making love to your partner, but drinking from a human in front of a room full of judgmental killers was nerve-wracking.
Focus. No venom. How the hell do I do that? I remembered Angelica and the horror I felt when I was forced to drink from her. I didn’t want her to feel the sexual feelings that Jason had and I remembered praying while I fed. Pray! That’s what you do. Pray that he doesn’t feel it. I sent up a silent prayer to God to help me get through this and bit into his yielding flesh as I continued it.
Jason’s hot blood pumped quickly into my mouth and I tried to stifle my moan of pleasure. Damn he tasted good! I focused on the horror I felt when I fed from Angelica as I swallowed my next mouthful. Jason’s emotions told me that he wasn’t feeling the hard core lust that he had last time. By the fourth mouthful I was getting ready to pull back because I was afraid to drink too much when Ruarc’s voice told me to feed normally.
I sighed in relief as I fully allowed myself to enjoy the meal. Jason moaned as his hands became a flurry of activity in my hair, on my back, and then finally as he gripped and kneaded my ass. He pulled me down harder against his lap as he shamelessly rubbed himself against my center. My spandex pants were thin and the combination of his lust, the hard feel of him, and the taste of his blood became overwhelming. I jerked my fangs out with a gasp and struggled to control my need. I looked down into Jason’s hooded eyes and his ecstasy was plain to see. His breath suddenly quickened and I jumped up from his lap as he came. His emotions overtook me and I groaned as I felt my own body climax just as his did.
I leaned over and put my hands on my knees as the aftershocks trembled through me. Good God, I hope this Empath crap wears off soon. It was absolutely exhausting. No wonder Trey looked so drained at the end of every shift.
I heard a chair scrape the floor and looked up to see Oleif escorting a wobbly Jason out of the room. I worried briefly that I had taken too much blood.
“I’ve never seen anything like you,” Ruarc whispered and I glanced over at him quickly. He seemed to be studying me and I wasn’t sure if he had addressed me or if he had said it to himself, so I remained quiet as I got control over my emotions.
“Well, it’s very plain to see that she can control her venom output,” Hagan said, addressing his brothers.
“It’s never been done before.”
“How can she do it?”
“It’s not natural.”
“Aye, not normal at all.”
I listened to everyone speak and some argued back and forth. When I was able to, I stood up straight and took a deep breath. Ruarc silenced the room with a hand and I watched as everyone turned back to me.
“The Test of Intake is now complete. The subject was able to control her thirst around a human child, an adult, and also a vampire. She did not consume more than the safe amount and surprisingly, she drank very little from the child. She did not handle bagged blood well and that is curious, but not cause for immediate concern. The Test of Intake has shown that the subject can control venom output, which is unprecedented, and most importantly, that she can take on the powers of the vampires she feeds from. While this revelation is startling, I do not judge it to be a cause of concern because of the outcomes of the other stages. She does not show malice, and does not seem to hold a hate for us or our race. For those reasons, I judge that she has passed the Test of Intake. What say you?”
I felt the heavy stares again, but this time it was overwhelming now that I could feel their emotions too. Some were feeling better about my condition, while others were angry, untrusting and fearful.
“Aye.”
“Nay.”
It seemed the room was divided, but how divided, I could not tell. I worried at my bottom lip as I watched Ruarc nod to them and then turn back to me.
Chapter Fourteen
“Are you ready for the fourth test, Miss Morrison?”
I sighed and closed my eyes as I nodded my head. How many more tests do I have to go through? I felt like I had been drug through the wringer and back. Emotionally I was raw, but physically I was fine.
“Brothers of the Army of The Faithful, the fourth test shall be The Test of Temperament,” Ruarc spoke as three men stepped forward out of the group; Oleif being one of them. My brow furrowed in confusion as I watched Hagan leave my side and join his brothers. As I looked up at Oleif’s towering form, I felt his anticipation at what was about to take place.
“The Test of Temperament will focus on how well you can control your anger in a fight. These men will engage you in battle and you are to refrain from seriously injuring them, as they will refrain from seriously injuring you. We will be judging how you handle yourself and how strong Amun’s evil influence is on you. Take heed of this warning: if you kill one of my men, you forfeit your immortal life. Is that clear?”
I clutched my hands to my chest and tried to calm myself. I was positively panicking right now. Oleif had been waiting for his chance to kick my ass and it looked like he was going to get it. There was no way in hell I could handle Oleif, let alone two other soldiers. Soldiers! Men trained to kill! Oh Heavenly Father, give me strength! My stomach rolled with anxiety and I suddenly wanted to vomit.
Ruarc cleared his throat and I tore my eyes away from Oleif. It was clear Ruarc was waiting for my answer and I quickly nodded my head. “Yes, sir. I understand.”
“No weapons,” Ruarc barked and the men took out their swords and daggers and threw them to their brothers.
I chanced a quick peek at Hagan and he was staring at me intently. His previous words floated through my mind. “You can do this. Remember who you are.” I nodded my head letting him know that I would remember everything he taught me and he nodded back.
“This is going to be fun,” Oleif sneered, drawing my attention back to the test at hand. He was rubbing his gigantic hands together like he couldn’t wait to get started.
“For you maybe,” I groaned as I readied myself for their imminent assault.
I focused on the three men as they stalked the few feet to me. The redheaded one flashed out of the back and immediately slammed into me. I grabbed his shoulders, allowing his momentum to carry us, and rolled backwards. We landed with me straddling his waist and I dodged his fist as it shot out toward m
y face. Someone grabbed me from behind and dragged me off the redhead as he flashed up and came at me again. I kicked Red as hard as I could in the stomach which sent me, and the man who had grabbed me, flying backwards. We crashed hard into the ground but I didn’t have time to feel it because Oleif was standing over me with a sick smile on his face.
“My turn,” he sneered and I rolled away from him as fast as I could.
I flashed to stand and slapped Oleif’s hand away as it reached for me. He growled and came at me again. I wasn’t going to let this asshole put his hands anywhere near my body, so we ended up furiously grappling; his hands reaching for me and my hands knocking his away. Someone put me in a choke hold from behind and I head-butted them as hard as I could, my hands still busy keeping Oleif’s off me. I felt the man let go and I flashed a few feet away, putting some distance between Oleif and me. The black haired man engaged me next and when he threw his first punch, I stopped it with my hand. I held on to his fist and jerked my hand to the side, breaking his as I delivered a hard front kick to his chest.
My feet were unexpectedly swept out from under me and I hit the ground with wide eyes. Oleif straddled me in the blink of an eye and punched me in the face. I brought my hands up and tried fighting him off, but he seemed to anticipate my every move and I couldn’t stop his hits as they unrelentingly rained down on me. His next blow made me see stars and I caught the first scent of my blood. It infuriated me that I had let this asshole intimidate me and get the upper hand in this fight. I knew I was a strong fighter and I needed to regain control of this fight before I lost my temper and in turn lost my life.
I brought my legs up, hooked my ankles around Oleif’s throat, and pulled him off me. I dove on top of him and let him have a little taste of his own medicine. My first punch broke his nose and my second crushed his windpipe. Talk about poetic justice. The bastard had crushed mine just this morning. Oleif lost some of his fight as he was obviously in pain so I stood up, kicked him hard in the ribs to keep him down and turned to engage Red.
