by Candy Crum
My eyes were wide. I imagined that I wore an expression somewhere in the middle of shocked and disgusted. I wasn’t quite sure which I was, but I assumed both. Definitely both.
“Well, that certainly sounds delightful. Remind me never to get turned by a Rogue,” I quipped.
Aeric’s brows furrowed. “There is no turning for you. You’re an Immortal. If a Vampire ever tried to turn you, you would be killed. Your body would immediately reject the change and turn on itself. In other words… You’d commit suicide without even trying. Your power would purify your body, destroying all of your organs and blood in the process. It would be a death even worse than the one that a Rogue suffers to transition. I’ve never seen it happen, but I’ve heard stories.”
My jaw fell open. That sounded even more horrid. Jeff was about to bite me. Had he been successful… Dear God. I didn’t even realize just how close to death I’d come that night, and I was certain I’d been close before.
I cleared my throat. “Okay. Next subject. Please continue with something else now.”
I felt Aeric’s hand touch mine. He gave it a light squeeze before letting go. It was a kind gesture. One that I hadn’t realized until that moment that I needed. I was far more terrified than I was fully comprehending because of the shock.
Aeric took a deep breath before continuing. “The other way to become a Rogue is by abandoning human lifestyle. You saw Brett and me eating. Well, you saw us about to eat. We consume blood, but it isn’t in quantities that a Rogue would need. We can’t eat a lot of human food, but we can eat it. More importantly, we need it. The physiological reason is that we are nourished with vitamins and other essentials from the foods. That keeps our organs working and our blood filtered, just like yours. If a Vampire lives strictly off blood, eventually, their insides begin to atrophy and then die. This is because blood is absorbed directly through the lining of our stomachs for swift absorption. It allows us to heal ourselves quickly if we are in dire need. With blood, the digestive tract isn’t needed at all. Underuse it, and it dies. That is why Rogues can drink so much and never seem sated.
“Once the organs die, their body no longer works properly. Their liver, kidneys, and other filtering organs no longer clean the blood. Their blood becomes toxic and even flammable, hence, the sun allergy. They become so pale because of their hearts slowing and organs dying that the skin becomes almost transparent. Going into the sun becomes impossible. Their skin acts as a magnifying glass and ignites the blood beneath.”
Holy…
Crap.
I had no idea what to think. Poor Amanda must have been freaking out a bit. Never did I imagine that they would be such complex creatures, though I should have.
“So, basically, you guys are alive. The Rogues are dead and live strictly off blood.” Aeric nodded in response to my words. “Wouldn’t the brain atrophy, too?”
“Actually, yes. That’s why they are so animalistic and cruel. They eventually revert to base instincts and go a little crazy. The only thing they can think about is where to get their next meal. Don’t get me wrong, they are still capable of complex thought processes and can be very conniving and smart, but it is all driven by necessity.”
“So, do you survive off human blood or animal?” I asked.
I saw a subtle smile form. “You mean to ask, ‘Aeric, do you kill to survive?’”
I nodded. “And?”
“No. I’m sure you’ve read books, or seen movies, or something where the vampires were efficient and lethal killers who were merciless and indiscriminate. We aren’t anything like that. Granted, I’m a much better hunter than I like to admit, but I don’t do that often. Only when I feel it’s necessary. We do drink animal blood sometimes, but we don’t typically hunt for animals either, unless it’s an emergency—which is rare. We eat a lot of red meat, and it is usually—as I’m sure you noticed—undercooked. It helps ward off the thirst. We prefer human blood, but since we have a friend that’s a doctor, it’s easy for us to get blood bags.”
“So, you never actually feed off humans?” Amanda asked. She seemed skeptical. “Because it sounds like you kill sometimes.”
“We do feed on humans. But no innocents die. You see, we do it by going to crowded places like Club Crimson Shadows and luring someone off. It’s not that difficult. Humans are naturally enamored with us and are easy to lead away. And before you ask, no. The human feels no pain at all. In fact, it’s quite enjoyable for both the donor and a Vampire. Our blood has healing properties, and a quick flick of our tongue across one of our sharp teeth will draw enough blood to close the wound we made. They will have no visible markings, though, some soreness resembling a stiff neck may be there the next morning. And last, the human will have no memory of the bite itself. Only a romantic memory with someone mysterious.”
He certainly wasn’t shy, though, he didn’t look proud either. He was simply being honest. I could tell that he accepted what he was, but that didn’t mean that he wanted to flaunt it.
“So,” Amanda said, scooting closer. “You’ve never killed anyone?” Again, I heard the disbelief and her voice.
“I never said that. I have killed many, many times before. But I have only killed those who deserved it. Before you ask—yes, taking only a small amount from a human every once in a while, bagged blood, and animal blood does not tame the bloodlust completely. It helps control it, but it’s always there. There are things that bring it to the surface and make it difficult for us, but for the most part, we tolerate and control it.”
“Things like what?” I asked.
“Rage, arousal, blood loss,” Aeric said. “Arousal is very powerful.”
I heard Amanda groan at the arousal comment. I almost laughed, but I remained silent as I remembered back to that brief time he pinned me to the floor. He’d looked ravenous then, but he was also trying to prove to me what he was. Still… part of me enjoyed it, and I hated that part of me.
“And, what do you do in those situations?” I asked.
“Control it. That’s when the bagged blood comes in handy because being around a human is difficult at those particular times. But back to the killing question—there are times when you have to simply embrace what you are. That is when I hunt, and by hunt, I mean: child molesters, rapists, and murderers. I take the lives of those who harm others by causing irreparable damage.”
“Eh,” Amanda said as she leaned back. “He’s alright, I guess.”
That time, I did laugh. But even though things had certainly lightened up, despite our dark conversation, there was still something weighing on my mind.
“You said that if a human was bitten by a dead Vampire, that they were turned. A bite was all it took.” He nodded at my comment, and I continued. “Jeff bit Rachel several times; I’m sure of it. Why didn’t she turn?”
“Do you remember, back in the alley, when I told you that you saved her? I wasn’t lying,” he said.
I remembered back to that moment. The instant that I touched her, it felt as though heat flowed from my hands and through her body.
“I healed her.”
“Yes. It’s another form of your spiritual abilities. You can speed up the immune system and healing responses if used properly. Though they’re no longer alive, there are pure spirits at your disposal that can’t wait for you to call on them for help. Their life force may not animate a body anymore, but when an Immortal calls on the power, she is temporarily putting a spirit’s energy into someone else, and it speeds up the healing process. You can’t do it actively, yet, but you will be able to soon,” he said.
Not much else was said after that. There was casual chatter here and there between Aeric and Amanda, but for the most part, I was lost in my head again. Aeric really seemed to be a good guy, and so did Brett. Why would Khia want to destroy that? Khanae, Aeric, Brett, and Sydney. All good Vampires. Why destroy them if they do no harm? Sydney even contributed to the world by saving lives as a doctor. How could that be bad?
I felt mys
elf drifting off, and I decided that I didn’t mind. It was kind of a bad day, and I was one of those people who loved to sleep. Sleep could make just about anything better. Well, for a bit anyway. When I nodded off, I almost immediately began to dream. The colors were familiar, and so were the scents and sounds.
The words, “only the need to learn from the past constitutes opening an old wound,” flowed through my mind.
I sat against the base of a large tree, staring up through the canopy of leaves at the same blue sky that I had seen the last time I was in the area. From where I sat in the woods, I could see the pasture off in the distance. It was still filled with the richest greens, and everything in the field and the trees around me gracefully swayed in the light wind. The world seemed harmonious. As though everything coordinated its movements together.
Footsteps approached me from behind, and without even looking, I knew who it was: Taima. He stepped around the tree and knelt in front of me. I returned his large smile. He gently grasped my hands and placed a kiss on each one. “My love,” he said softly.
I wondered what was happening, but I didn’t have much time to think on it as my dream-self spoke. “Have they come to a decision, my love?” I asked, voice soft, yet powerful.
I knew then that I was not inside my own body. I was having a dream of my great-great grandparents, and I was playing the part of Sayen.
“They have. They listened to my pleas, and they wish to save you. They see something whole and pure in you. They believe that we must use whatever means necessary to protect you and keep you with us.” His smile broadened as he spoke.
“Very well,” Sayen had said with another smile.
We stood and began to walk further into the woods. As we passed under a break in the trees, where the bright sun filtered through, the dream shifted, taking me somewhere else. It was now dark, and I could feel the dampness in the night air around me. It was cool, but not uncomfortable. As good as this place had smelled in the daylight hours, at night, it was even more amazing. It was the scent of tranquility.
There was a strange man walking toward me. He stepped forward and produced a clay cup with something inside. I sat on one side of a shallow fire, and my grandfather sat on the opposite side. The strange man sat to the west of us on the other side of the fire. When he spoke, though I didn't personally understand the language, I somehow comprehended it. Though it was confusing, I knew that it must’ve been because Sayen knew the language, and she was translating it for me.
“Severing the ties that bind us to the blood of our family is something that should never be taken lightly. Understanding the consequences is very important. Tonight, my grandson has asked me to perform a ritual that will forever separate this woman from the link that binds her to her ancestors. I do not do so lightly, though, I do understand why it is being asked. I have seen greatness in this woman’s eyes, though, I barely know her name. I have also seen grave peril in their blue depths. This ritual is everlasting. You should know one thing before we begin.
“Losing one’s family in this way means also losing your identity, a part of the soul. Your heritage is part of who you are, where you come from. Take that way, and it leaves a hole in the energy. The only way to save a lost soul from forever blindly wandering the earth alone after passing, is to bind your life’s essence with another. The other soul must accept you with his or her full heart. The linking of souls is also not something that is taken lightly. If they refuse you, you will be doomed to wander for eternity alone. My dear, do you have such a person?”
Though I cowered under the scrutiny of his stare and the meaning of his words, Sayen obviously didn’t. Since I occupied her body, I sat straight with my hands resting in my lap, gaze never faltering as I looked into the old man’s knowing eyes.
“No. I do this alone. I understand the consequences, but my soul’s burden is my own to bear,” she said.
He nodded his head and handed me—or Sayen, technically—a dagger about nine inches in length from handle to tip. It looked Egyptian, and I wondered if it was what was needed to sever the bloodline, since it was from her home, possibly a family heirloom.
He carefully explained the ritual to her so she knew what to do during every step. She would think and meditate on those she wished to purge from her life. Then, she would make a cut over her left breast, metaphorically taking the blood from the heart. She would then let the blood drip from the blade into the cup with the purifying elixir, and then drink from it.
Had she been able to bind to a partner, once she let her own blood drip into the cup, the partner would then do the same. They would both drink from the elixir, each one taking in the essence of the other, thus binding body and soul.
When the time came for her to drag the sharp blade across her chest, I watched in horror as she plunged the blade of the dagger directly into her heart.
“My family is strong, and I won’t take any chances. The blood should come directly from my heart.”
I immediately thought back to the words said to me as I entered this dream. This must have been the old wound that I was meant to learn from.
She let the blood run into the cup. But just as she started to put the knife down, my grandfather caught her by the wrist. He sat next to her and gently took the blade from her hand. Knowing that he would die if he pierced his heart the way that she had, he simply made a deep cut across his chest.
I thought back to the day that I’d spoken to him for the first time, when he’d initially brought me to this world. I’d seen the scar over his chest, but didn’t know what it came from. Now, I knew. He was trying to make sure Sayen was never alone in this world, or in the next.
Together, they completed the ritual. She drank the elixir first, and he finished it off. Wind blew through the area, putting out the fire as it swept through. There were loud cheers from all over the tribe, and I imagined the ritual had been completed. The man who had conducted the ceremony walked over and knelt.
“Welcome to the family,” he said with a large smile that Sayen quickly returned.
This was the ritual that Taima told me about. This was what Sayen did to try to protect all of us. She was able to grow old without Khia ever finding her. She was able to have children, and their children was able to have children, all without Khia knowing. But when my great-great grandfather died, the spell began to unravel, and she slowly regressed in age and eventually became a young woman again.
The power had already been passed to the next generation, but because the spell was no longer active, once the great-great grandkids were born, it made any one of us who was given the gift susceptible. When I was born, the spell was shattered the rest of the way. Now, Khia was able to track me and possibly Sayen. She would always be able to find me. That’s why I had that vision. To fully understand who I am and where I came from.
“Kailah,” I heard Amanda say. “I think we’re here.”
We were in the driveway of the guys’ house. Trying to ignore everything and pretend that it wasn’t happening wasn’t working. I could hate the world all I wanted for setting off that horrible chain reaction, but the fact remained that it did happen. It wasn’t anyone’s intention—aside from Khia’s—to hurt me, and as soon as Sayen discovered who I was, she took precautions to help me. I had to move on, or I might lose those closest to me: like Amanda and Rachel.
Today was a turning point, and I had only one option. As I stepped out of the car, I knew one thing was certain. When I crossed the threshold of their house, my new life would begin. My new life as an Immortal, gifted with elemental magic. I could help save the world from Khia, who was also the first and strongest of our kind. Sigh. No pressure or anything.
Chapter Two
When Amanda met Khanae, she had the same reaction to her that I had to Sydney. She had a panic attack and ended up throwing up—again. This time, I couldn’t ignore it. I needed to ask. Sayen came downstairs just after Amanda fled to the bathroom.
“Kailah, my love, I’m so happy
to see you,” she said. Her smile was genuine and her tone was pure happiness. I couldn’t believe that I’d ever thought to be rude to her. Love radiated from her every pore.
“Hi, Grandma,” I said.
Her breath caught, and she quickly pulled me into a hug. “You’ll never know what that meant to me. I love you very much,” she said. Her voice quivered a little as she fought back tears.
She must have been expecting me to still have hang-ups and not be so accepting upon my return. I couldn’t exactly blame her after the way that I acted when I left.
Sayen spoke again. “In time, I hope that you will come to love me, too. As for your worry…” She backed away from me, and I saw her blue eyes were slightly wet with tears.
“You knew about that?” I asked.
“You’re worried for Amanda. I saw the fight with Khia, as I’m sure you’ve realized. I saw Amanda get sick and knew you’d want to ask about that.” I nodded, and she smiled again. “When your sister was born, she barely registered on the radar. Granted, she had more energy than your cousins, but she didn’t have anything near what you possess. From what I’ve read from your sister, she’s able to sense things, see spirits, and potentially—with great concentration—may be able to see visions. It would take great effort on her part, and even then, I’m unsure she would be able to. The powers that were gifted to you weren’t given to her. That’s why she only got sick when meeting Khanae rather than being overwhelmed and blacking out like you did.”
It made sense. In fact, a lot of things were beginning to make sense. More and more all the time. Just when I thought I’d started to accept everything, something else came my way, and I realized that it managed to sink in a lot more than I’d imagined. I guess after a while everything quit being crazy and it just started blending in with the rest.
When Amanda came back, she, Mary, and I all sat down and got the rest of the story, though, I’d heard most of what was retold. Mary had a harder time grasping things than Amanda, considering she hadn’t really seen anything. It took a couple of hours to line everything out, but once we did, we ended up retreating upstairs to the family room to watch movies while Brett and Aeric made dinner for everyone. If anyone would have told me a few weeks ago that I would have two Vampires cooking me dinner, I would have laughed them out of the room and then possibly had them committed.
