by K. A. Poe
“I am, and I regret it with every fiber of my being...but at the same time, there is nothing more I could ever want in the world,” he half-smiled. “The alternative was…well, I’d rather not think about it.”
“You’re quite unlike any vampire I’ve ever met,” Richard commented when Salem took a seat at the table. “The next thing you’ll tell me is that you’ll try to tell me is that you don’t drink blood, I suppose?”
“Not entirely. It is true that I have to have blood to live, just as you need food for your body. I get all the blood I need from animals…deer, rabbit, never humans. Even upon turning Alex, I did not consume the blood I extracted,” Salem replied simply and explained to him how he had refused to hurt an innocent human.
“Unbelievable...” The old man mumbled.
“I intend to make sure Alex is the same way. That is if what you think is true and she does eventually turn completely. Do you really believe she will live through this, so to speak?”
“I do,” Richard confirmed, never taking his eyes off of Salem. “And what about this second vampire? I suppose I’m supposed to think she’s all nice and innocent too?”
“That would be my half-sister, Hannah,” Salem replied timidly. “She is sort of the cause of this whole ordeal.”
“Hannah is the one that attacked me,” I explained quietly.
“Nearly killed you is more like it!” Paul barked, “I don't see how you’re letting her live after that.”
“It was all a misunderstanding, dad...” It was hard to keep my voice straight, as part of me was still uncertain if we were making the right choice.
“I don’t understand you, kid. You take all these risks, ruin your own life, and look at you. Bah! I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. But don’t think that I won’t kill the lot of you if it comes to it.”
“You have nothing to worry about,” said Salem. “I have never wanted anything more than animal blood, and I know Alex will be the same. My sister is already doing quite well, also.”
“For someone that’s been feasting on humans for…however long, I don't imagine she’ll find it very easy to cope. You better watch her real close, and if I hear of her even licking someone’s paper cut I’ll put her down myself,” Richard warned.
“That shouldn't be a problem,” a familiar melodic voice filled my ears. It didn't surprise me in the least that no one had heard her enter the house. “There is one more thing we need to discuss, though.”
“Who is this?” Richard gasped, staring at the beautiful young woman that stood in the doorway.
“Don't freak out, but this is Hannah,” I said, watching my grandfather cautiously. “What is it, Hannah?”
“The vampire you spotted on the way to Littlehaven...I saw her.”
27. HYBRID
Hannah informed the four of us that she had spotted the mysterious auburn-haired vampire lurking out in the woods, but unfortunately her good streak of feasting on animals had become obsolete. The vampire had been seen crouching over a dead corpse of what Hannah said was a young child, and she fled from the scene before Hannah could get a better glimpse.
“This isn't good,” I groaned. “We need to go stop her before she kills anyone else.”
“Let's not get ahead of ourselves,” Salem said thoughtfully, “are you positive she was the one that killed the child?”
“Without a doubt,” Hannah frowned, “she was very obviously feasting on them at the time. I hate to admit it, but it was so difficult to ignore the smell of the fresh blood.”
Richard shot her a nasty glare. “And how do we know you didn’t kill the girl and are just covering your tracks, eh?”
“Grandpa! She wouldn’t do that!” I said, surprising myself by defending her. “Besides, her eyes aren’t red. If she had drunk human blood they’d be basically glowing by now.”
“If it is true that our new visitor out there has switched back to humans,” Salem added, “then she must be stopped.”
“Alexis should have no trouble hunting her, especially with her new powers,” Richard replied, and now all eyes were set on me – including Hannah's, a look of envy.
Richard smirked at me. “You are no doubt going to be stronger and faster now. Plus, your senses are heightened. I am curious though…”
“Curious of what?” I gulped.
“I'm not sure exactly. It’s just that, well...the raven part of you is affecting the vampire part of you in this form. I just wonder what, if anything, it will do to your bird form.”
“Well, go on then, get with it,” Hannah butted in bitterly.
“Wait, let’s go outside first. I don’t want to break anything if for some reason I can’t control the form anymore.”
I felt self-conscious as everyone surrounded me outside by the lake. The sky was darkening and I stared at the wide, luminous moon as it eased its way from behind the tall mountains. Averting my eyes, I focused my thoughts entirely on phasing. I blocked out everything else, including memories of Salem being in danger or hurt, as I knew now that merely concentrating on phasing would be enough to change.
I shut my eyes, picturing myself as the majestic ebony raven. Although accustomed to the twisting discomfort of my body changing shape, I didn’t know what to expect this time. Would things be different in this form too?
I had felt nothing, but was somehow certain I had taken form. The familiar feeling of floating above the air was not there, however. I opened my eyes and looked down to see nothing but my same old human body. Why hadn’t I been able to change?
As I looked up at my four companions to tell them the bad news, I noticed they were all standing in shock. If Paul’s mouth had been gaping open any further it would have been on the ground.
“What's wrong?” I asked with a twinge of panic. “Why am I not phasing?!”
“Well, I wouldn't quite say you aren't phasing...” Salem replied quietly and pointed toward the lake, “have a look...”
I obliged and approached the edge of the shore. The image reflected in the water made me scream. Falling to my knees, I glanced at the girl staring back at me and shook my head. This was all wrong. My hair was no different from this morning, but my eyes were piercing black orbs – the eyes of a raven. I glanced down at my hands and saw that my ordinarily short nails were long, fierce talons capable of shredding something – or someone – to pieces. My eyes focused on the reflection again and I noted two massive, shimmering black wings protruding from my back. I quickly turned and looked at Salem, a questioning look in my eyes.
“What am I supposed to do like this?” I cried.
“Unfortunately, I think you will have to figure that out for yourself,” he replied with a frown, “maybe you should adjust to it, learn what you are now capable of, and get accustomed to this new form before you go hunting again.”
“That's a wise idea,” Richard added, stepping back some as he marveled at my appearance. I could tell that he was frightened, yet enticed at the same time.
“Do you think I will still be able to fly?” I could hardly bear to imagine not being able to feel the familiar sensation of flying over the world, being one with the wind.
“Well, try it and find out,” Hannah gave me a surprising hopeful smile.
The wings expanded, and I willed them to move without even a single thought. My feet were hovering barely a foot over the earth in seconds and I could hear the loud beating of wings behind me. A grin spread across my lips as a thought swept through my mind. Salem backed away slightly as I levitated toward him, but the reassuring smile I gave him made him stop. My deathly talons retracted as though claws of a wild cat, and I enveloped him in a tight embrace and within moments we were hovering several feet above the lake.
“This is...lovely,” he said as he took in the surroundings. The water rippled beneath us, shimmering with each stroke of moonlight. Hannah, Richard and Paul gazed up at us in amazement as we grew ever higher. I stared deeply into Salem's eyes as we began twirling through the air, as if d
ancing on an invisible floor. He smiled at me, not an ounce of fear shown on his flawless face. Despite how he looked, his hands were clenched tightly onto my waist as though he was afraid I would drop him.
“Now you know how I feel every time you carry me upstairs,” I laughed. The wind whipped around us, blowing my hair about.
“This will come in handy, Alex,” Salem said as he continued to marvel at the land below from a height he had never before seen it from. “If ever you need to save someone, you can just whisk them up to safety and then carry on fighting.”
“I guess you're right,” I replied, “I guess it’s nice not being confined to that little bird body, but hopefully I'm never in that sort of situation.”
“Hopefully,” he agreed and smiled admirably at me. “In a way, I am thankful for what has become of you...but I still can never forgive myself.”
“You'll learn to forgive yourself, Salem. After all, you are stuck with me forever now. Plenty of time.”
“That is all I could ever ask for.”
“Me too,” I replied and pressed my lips against his tenderly then lowered us to the ground.
As our feet met the dew-covered grass, Hannah ran toward us with a wide smile. “Can I take a turn?” she asked pleadingly.
I laughed and pulled her into my arms. She felt thin and fragile, despite the strength I knew she possessed. “Just don't expect any kisses,” I said as we rose above the ground.
“You can save all of that mushy crap for Salem,” she made a disgusted expression, and then laughed as I spun us around above the lake. Despite her vast age, despite her past and what she had become, in this moment of laughter and giggles I could see the same little girl from the vision of Salem’s past, and knew we had made the right decision to let her live.
I lowered us to the water's surface and dipped our feet into the cool liquid as we skid across the rippling waters. Once we reached land, I released her and caught my breath. I was surprised I could already control my new strength and abilities so easily.
Everyone continued to stare at me as I stood at the water's edge, once more taking in the reflection that stared back at me. Salem approached my side and intertwined his hand with mine. I felt some relief at his touch, now admiring his figure next to mine on the water's surface.
“Do you still think I’m pretty, even like this?” I asked bashfully.
“I would consider you beautiful no matter what, Alexis,” he replied and pulled me close, “just as I know you would find me no less attractive had you met me and I was still covered head-to-toe in burns.”
I smiled, “Nothing could make you less beautiful to me. From the very first day I met you, I knew there was something special about you.”
The perfection of the moment was broken when an idea – a memory – dawned on me. Salem had told me that when Raziel turned him, he could see his past, present and bits of his future. What had Salem seen of me when he bit me? I was afraid to ask, afraid to know – even though I was almost certain I had no reason to be.
“Salem...” I uttered, “There is something I need to ask you.”
“Anything.”
“What did you see-”
“We should head inside,” Richard interrupted. “It’s late and I don't know about any of you, but I’m tired and twice as hungry!”
I sighed and looked up at Salem, “I guess this can wait until later...”
28. MEMORIES
After dinner, it was decided that Paul would sleep on the sectional in the living room and Richard could have the guest room. Hannah kept to herself downstairs while Salem and I retreated to our room. Before entering the house I had changed shape and felt much more comfortable as my ordinary self – if I could even consider it ordinary any more. It appeared that my hair would never be the same again, but I wasn't entirely upset about that. I found that I didn't feel an ounce of sleepiness yet and wondered how long it would take to get used to that once I had fully changed.—if I did fully change as my grandpa had suggested. I could do anything I wanted – within reason – and never lose a wink of time. I was overwhelmed at the fact that I finally had what I wanted. There was no longer the aching desire to become immortal, because I was slowly on my way there. Eternity with Salem was within my grasp!
Once we were both snuggled up on the black satin covers, I lay my head against Salem's chest and sighed heavily. I was afraid of the upcoming days. It wasn't just the idea of facing this new vampire, but also training myself to use this new form as a weapon – which didn't seem all too difficult – and the fact that sometime soon I would become fully undead. My heart would stop beating. The very idea was difficult to comprehend. How long was it going to take for me to adjust to the lack of the sound? How long would it take Salem to adjust to it? What concerned me more than that was the fact that I would grow a distaste for ordinary food. No matter how much I tried to convince myself, I knew I would never be comfortable killing innocent animals.
“What is on your mind?” Salem's pleasant voice was calm as it interrupted my thoughts and he ran his fingers through my hair. “You seem tense.”
“There is just so much going on,” I laughed dryly, “that's how things have been ever since I met you, though...so I guess I should be used to it by now.”
“I am sorry if I have caused you any stress, Alex. But, as you have said yourself, things would be like this regardless if you had met me or not,” he replied. “Well, maybe not entirely. You may still be fully human right now had I never become involved.”
“That's not what is bothering me at all. It was more to do with hunting this vampire; I have a bad feeling about it for some reason.”
“I am sure you will do fine, and if things get out of hand I will be there in the shadows waiting.”
“Thanks, but I’m still worried for some reason,” I paused and sighed again, “there was also something I wanted to ask, I was just about to before we were interrupted earlier...”
“I remember,” he said and moved to where he could see my face. “You can always confide in me about anything.”
“I know that...it's just that not everything is so easy to talk about,” I frowned and shuffled around nervously on the bed. “It's about something Raziel said.”
He cringed at the mentioning of his Sire's name and then nodded knowingly. “You want to know what I saw when I bit you?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
He smiled and stroked the side of my face, “Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer to find out on your own, in time.”
I shook my head, “No, Salem...I want to know now. I want to know everything, so I can be prepared for it.”
“You would rather know now, and ruin any potentially pleasant surprises?” he frowned. “The future is something I have often contemplated during my many years on this planet. While it is tempting and almost painful wondering what the future holds for you, in the end I truly believe it is wisest to wait to see the outcome when the time is right. Besides, futures are not set as firmly in stone as the past.”
Another sigh escaped my lips. It didn't seem there would be any persuading him tonight. “What about my past? Were there any glimpses of that?”
“Yes,” he smiled – it was a joyful, affable smile, “I saw portions of your childhood. The bond between you, Karen and Jason is impressive...beyond anything I ever shared with any friends. I witnessed the day Desmond deserted you. I never knew it hurt you so much. You became withdrawn and depressed for a long time. That was difficult to watch,” his expression didn't falter despite the subject matter. “I saw the day we met, our first kiss, your unfortunate kiss with Jason and your reaction, fights between you and Paul. I saw the night you flew away from me, as well as the day you went to the cafe.”
“Wow...” I muttered. “I wish I could see into your mind.”
“There is nothing in there that you are missing out on.”
“It would be interesting to be able to see what your life was like back when you were mortal,” I said though
tfully.
“Those memories were mostly all stripped from me. As much as it would be wonderful to witness some of them again…I think I am happier without them. I would like to focus more on my present now than my past. The memories of those times are ancient now.”
“No matter how old a memory is, it’s still important. Memories make who we are.”
“I suppose you are right,” he replied, then held my face in his hands. With a playful smirk, he swept his cool lips across mine and I returned the gesture. My heart raced – a feeling that would soon be forgotten – as he kissed me harder. The temptation was difficult to ignore as our kisses grew more passionate. I was unfamiliar with such intimacy, but I relished every second of it: the feel of his smooth lips as they traced across my cheek, down my neck and along my collarbone, the tender caress of his soft hands against my skin.
I felt an undeniable craving I had never experienced before – I wanted him in ways that I hadn’t even contemplated until this point. His kisses suddenly ceased and he stared at me apologetically. “You cannot believe how long I have waited for a moment like this, Alex…” he whispered soothingly, “however, I have made a promise to myself that I fully intend to keep.”
My eyes curiously examined his face, noting the subtle hint of bashfulness in his expression. “What promise?”
“While it may be ordinary for people these days to commit such acts without a ring identifying each other as partners, I am more accustomed to the idea of marriage before…intercourse,” he lowered his eyes for a moment. “I hope this does not affect your views of me.”
I couldn’t help but smile at his remark. “I think I can handle it,” I replied. “It’s not like I’m in any rush.”
“I want you to understand that it is not because I do not want to, of course,” he replied sheepishly.
