“What would you have us do? We can’t let them multiply, the problem will only get worse. It’s not the boys it’s the mothers. We can’t have a bunch of women with poisonous blood out there. We have to identify and eliminate them for everyone’s sake. If you stay here that includes you. Although more boys eventually make more mothers of course.”
I felt myself weaken, doubling over at the waist and trembling. Putting my hand to my mouth I tried to stifle the wave of nausea that swept over me. Without a word Christina moved to the couch and offered me her wrist. “For Christ sake Joshua, think next time you do something. I can put you back in the ground again if I have to. You know I will.” A guilty look crossed Joshua’s face again and he made a quick exit. “Here, eat. My blood will help you heal and I’ve prepared a room for you to lie down in.” She saw me hesitate. “You’ve fed from me before with no ill effects. Go on, you need to.”
She bit down on her wrist opening the vein for me and brought the wet crimson close to my nose. Her blood smelled like none I’ve experienced before or since. I took the wound to my mouth and sucked deeply, taking in as much of it as I could before I knew the wound would close. It tasted so rich and sweet that after a few mouthfuls I felt almost drunk. Gulping and swallowing in haste, I knew I’d have to bite her again, but to my surprise, the wound didn’t close. The blood kept flowing and I fed heavily, gorging myself on its abundant flavor.
Finally, my stomach was filled with it and I let go of her wrist. The blood ran onto the floor as she took her wrist to her own mouth and licked the wound, causing it to close. Upon finishing I felt the same sense of wonderful euphoria that I’d felt the first time I’d fed from her. My limbs surged with power and I moved my neck around feeling my physical body go quickly back to normal. All the pain and discomfort now only a memory. “You didn’t heal,” I said. “Why not?”
Christina chuckled a bit and rubbed her wrist with her other hand as if she’d sprained it. “I guess you could say I’m a…different breed of vampire.”
“What kind of vampire are you?”
“Rachel you are less than a year old. There will be time enough for everything to be explained. Now, the sun will be up soon and I must sleep as well. I insist that you stay here until this evening. We’ll have dinner tonight and talk. Don’t make any major decisions until then ok? You don’t have a vehicle anymore anyway. If by tonight you decide you still want to leave town I won’t stop you, and I’ll replace the one we so carelessly destroyed on you.”
It seemed I was stuck, and even though I had just slept for an entire day, suddenly I grew exhausted at the suggestion of sleep. I nodded. “Ok,” I said.
“Great. Now that it’s settled I’ll show you where you’ll be staying.” We stood and she led me into a small but very opulent room. There was a large window with a big black curtain that was open to the night. The sound of the city cried out around us as I settled into the large queen size bed with beautiful black silk sheets. Certainly much better than the flea bag motel I’d been living in for the past six weeks. “I trust you’ll be comfortable here. There’s a phone over there,” she said, gesturing to the bedside table. “If you need anything simply dial 0 for the desk.
“The desk?”
“Yes, that will get you the concierge. This is my building. Everyone who lives here is a vampire so if you need anything: food, blood, UV glasses, just let him know. Now if you’ll excuse me I need to rest. You should rest for the sake of your little one too.”
I was growing more exhausted by the second. Sleep wasn’t going to be a problem. She said her final goodnight and closed the door behind her, leaving me alone. Quickly stripping down I slid in between the sheets and buried myself in the pillows, sighing. It felt good to be here in this strange place. Almost too good. A small pang of dread made itself known in the back of my consciousness, but something in me quickly recognized it and quashed it so as to keep myself in a positive frame of mind. There was something untoward about Christina, and yet something so familiar and comforting that it was intoxicating and impossible to ignore. A part of me knew I should leave. That I should get up and walk right out of here this very moment and get as far away from her as I could. It wouldn’t be until later that I would realize what that something disturbing me was, but for now I felt too good. All thoughts of the past, both good and bad, left me and I shut my eyes, falling into bliss in the softness of the strange bed, comforted by the darkness of the unknown room.
Chapter Fifteen
Despite having felt drunk upon falling asleep I woke up feeling anything but hung over. I jumped out of bed with renewed vigor and a craving for human food. An outfit had been laid out for me on the large easy chair next to the bed sometime while I’d slept and so I showered, dressed and headed out into the living room. Christina and Joshua were sitting there having a glass of wine, their faces so close they were almost kissing. “Oh, I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to intrude.”
“Not at all,” Christina said motioning to a chair. “How did you sleep?”
“Surprisingly well.”
“You must be hungry. Head on into the kitchen,” she said picking up the phone on the table behind the couch. “I’ll have somebody bring you something, and Joshua is heading out in the next hour or so to get you some blood. Do you have a preference for type?”
“Any type is fine.”
“Wonderful. I’ll join you in a little while,” she said. I could tell they wanted to be alone and so I stood and entered the dining room, closing the door behind me. In a few moments a woman appeared with food. A dish of rich stew was placed before me and I ate every bite. Just as I was finishing up Christina came in and sat down. “Everything to your liking?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Good. So, have you thought over what you will be doing?”
The slight nagging feeling that something was wrong resurfaced, and although I had ignored it in favor of sleep due to sheer exhaustion, I was thinking more clearly now as the feeling made me uneasy, sitting at the forefront of my mind. “I thank you for all that you’ve done, Christina, but I think I should be moving on.”
A look of disappointment crossed her face and she dropped her shoulders. “That’s too bad. I’d hoped you’d stay. It’s not every day I run into someone like you.” She picked up her head forcing a smile. “I insist you blood feed with us before you go. It will give me time to get everything prepared for you anyway.”
Although I felt I should say no I simply nodded. “Christina, can I talk to you about something?”
“Of course,” she said taking a spoonful of stew. “What is it?”
“Isn’t there another way? A better way?”
“Unless you could suggest something I really feel it’s the best course of action. There are very few of them in the area right now but in ten or fifteen years that will change drastically, once they are joined by their offspring. Then a few years after that they’ll multiply again. It will just continue to get worse if we don’t face it now. But I can understand your point of view. If you have a better idea I’m all ears.”
“Couldn’t you negotiate something? Can’t you all share this territory? It seems like there are a lot of people here so it shouldn’t be a problem. We have lots of satyrs in Soldiers Cove and this has never been an issue.”
Christina’s eyes softened as I spoke. She was looking at me in a way that I knew meant she wanted to ask something, but was reluctant to do so. “What?” I said.
“How did it happen, Rachel? How does a young vampire, not fully transformed, get away from her maker long enough to be taken by a satyr?”
Up until that point I hadn’t talked about it with anyone. Who was there to talk to? I had lived all alone in the city since the night it happened. Holding it in, not realizing how badly I needed to unburden myself until the opportunity was put before me. “I did it to save my maker.”
“Save them?”
“Yes. His life was in danger and I couldn’t stand the
thought of living without him. The satyr saved him in exchange for a son.”
“So, under threat of severing a blood bond and vulnerable he took advantage of you. This…creature gets his child, and where are you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you said you couldn’t stand to be without your maker, and yet, here you are…without him.”
Sadness washed over me as I leaned against the table, my head in my hands. “I may be without him, but he’s alive and that is all that matters.”
“Does he not want you anymore because of it?”
“No, he does, or at least he did. But I’m unworthy of him anyway. It’s best for him if I move on. I don’t want to hurt him anymore.”
“I have never been away from any of my progeny in their first year. That would be unthinkable. He must be suffering greatly.”
“He is. He has Blood Bond Syndrome too. But it’s better this way. Better to suffer in my absence than forced to be in my presence.”
“That sounds very wise on the surface, but I assure you, if he says he wants you with him you should be with him. Is he your lover as well?”
“Yes. He’s my husband.”
“Why not at least go to talk to him? Or you could have him come here. I could send for him if you like.”
“No, I want to leave him alone. For now anyway. I can’t face him. I was a bad wife.”
“It sounds more like you are having trouble facing yourself, Rachel.”
I sighed. “Perhaps.”
Before we had a chance to talk any further, Joshua entered the kitchen, grinning in spite of himself. “Ladies. If you’d care to join me in the living room I have something I think you’ll really like.” Then turning to me he said, “I have a nice B positive especially for you my dear. I hope it will make up for my bad behavior last night. I was out of line and went way too far.”
He came closer and offered his arm to Christina who took it and motioned for me to do the same. I took Joshua’s other arm as he escorted us out into the living room where two men, both youthful and muscular were seated side by side on the couch. Nobody had to tell me which one was the B positive. The scent was seeping out of his pores and crawling up into my senses overtaking any rational thought. I was hungrier than I realized and took a step forward, needing to taste him.
I stopped for a moment remembering the incident in my motel room with Kira. “What’s the matter?” Christina said.
“You were right the other night. I’m not sure I can feed without killing anymore. I haven’t done it in so long. I’m afraid I might…”
“Don’t worry,” Christina said, resting her hand on my shoulder. “You’re among friends here. We won’t let you go too far. Go on.”
With that I quickly rushed to the man on the left as Christina overtook the one on the right. They had both been masterfully blood influenced and so we were free to feed as we pleased. Christina took only a few mouthfuls before standing and wiping her lips. I, however, drank greedily. So much so that the young man was beginning to turn cold underneath me. I tore myself away for a moment looking down at him. His eyes rolled back in his head. He would be stone cold dead if I continued on. The heat and predatory instinct flooding my body made me want just that, and I growled, piercing his flesh once again.
In mid swallow someone lifted me up and away from the boy. “Get them out of here,” I heard Christina say as she turned me to face her. Joshua moved swiftly and within seconds carried both boys out over his shoulder at once, kicking the door closed behind him.
She smiled down at me, cocking my head back by my hair and with a strange, deep tone I’d never heard before said, “Take from me, child. Take all that you need. Drink and be satisfied. Then you will sleep again.”
Christina’s blood was too good to turn down and so I yielded as she drew me to her, this time to feed directly from her throat. I bit down hard and heard her gasp as I broke the skin above her jugular. Blood filled my mouth, sliding down my throat, hitting my system with the roar of a freight train. Hungrily I sucked, never even stopping to take a breath. I was sure I’d drain her. I had never ingested this much blood, either vampire or human, at one time and couldn’t understand how she was still standing upright. Any other vampire would have at least been weakened by now, but Christina just stood there, pressing her hand into the back of my head silently willing me on.
The more I took the more I wanted. The blood was not filling me this time and as hard as I tried, the hunger could not be slaked. My senses came alive as never before and the euphoria returned, making me break away and throw my head back for a moment, laughing as I did. I intended to go in for another bite but before that could happen I felt a burning sensation in my throat, sharp and acidic.
Christina registered a look of shock. “What is it?”
The burning quickly spread to my chest, then my stomach and before I knew it my entire body was on fire. I stood but fell to my knees rolling onto my side. “Burning!” I gagged.
“Joshua!” she screamed. When there was no response she flew to the door and flung it open, yelling out into the hallway. “Joshua!” Quickly he appeared and Christina began barking orders. “Get her into the bed as fast as you can.”
“What happened?”
“It’s my blood.”
I felt myself being lifted and put swiftly into bed. Christina tried to cover me up but I threw the sheets off, rolling around in agony as I did so. The sensation was becoming worse by the second and the more I moved around the worse it seemed to get. “Oh god, help me.” I begged. “Please help.”
“Everything’s going to be alright, Rachel. It will pass, I promise.”
Joshua appeared with several large ice packs, placing them all over my body. My head, my stomach, my legs. Each of these places turned the ice to water almost immediately. More icepacks were produced with the same result. This was repeated about five or six times. “The ice isn’t working,” I heard Joshua say.
“Rachel, you should will yourself to sleep ok?”
Before I could even give it a try I began retching violently and leaned over the side of the bed, vomiting out blood in large heaves. It went on for so long and was so forceful that I was certain I’d be dead by the time it was over. Finally it stopped and massive relief replaced the pain as it ended. The relief was short lived however because just then, instead of feeling hot, I began to feel cold. The ice being placed on me before had not been of any help, but now it felt as though my entire body was made of it. I shook and convulsed all over with chills and Christina was now able to cover me up. She got into bed next to me, hugging me close and speaking softly in my ear.
“It’s alright. I’ve got you. You’re going to be just fine.”
“My baby…”
“Your baby will be fine.”
“Christina,” I choked out, “what the hell did you do to me?”
Looking up at her through blurred vision I wasn’t sure, but I thought I saw a semblance of a smile as she spoke. “Trust me, Rachel. You’ll wake up feeling much better.” Before I had a chance to ask her how the hell she could possibly say that I was pulled under into darkness.
Chapter Sixteen
I opened my eyes to complete blackness. My usual ability to see in the dark seemed to have left me for the time being and I sat up, disoriented and unsure of my surroundings. Night vision returned after a few moments of confusion and looking around I saw I was still in the bed. The sheets had been straightened and the room had been tidied. Christina was resting next to me with her eyes closed. I wasn’t sure if she was sleeping or not so I lay back down, keeping silent, afraid to move. She spoke a moment later.
“You’re awake,” she said, causing me to startle. “You look much better.” We both got into a sitting position and she took my face in her hands examining my eyes.
“What the hell happened?” I said.
“What do you think happened?”
“I have no idea.”
“Well, think ab
out it. Do satyrs ingest blood?”
“As far as I know they’re mostly foragers.”
“That’s right. They especially don’t ingest vampire blood. I’m afraid my blood doesn’t agree with you right now. At least as far as we can tell. The further you get into your pregnancy the more you’ll continue to suffer. You need blood, but your body may start to reject it.”
I thought it was strange that Holly never warned me of this consequence, but I never questioned the validity of Christina’s argument. Upon thinking about it I convinced myself it made sense. “What will I do? How will I feed?”
“I’m not sure, Rachel. I’ve lived a long time but I have to admit, I’ve never known anyone in your position. I’ll put out some feelers though and try to find someone with knowledge of a solution. I always figure things out, I promise you that.”
“Thank you,” I said. While I may not have agreed with her philosophy she seemed sincere in her desire to help. “How old are you? If you don’t mind my asking.”
Christina smiled, and in the most businesslike way possible said, “I’m about a thousand years old.”
“Wow, that’s as old as Duncan.”
Her eyes widened in shock and she pushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. I saw that she was taken aback but quickly worked to maintain her composure. “You know of Duncan?”
“Oh yes. He helped me and my clan out a few months ago. He even came to my wedding.”
“You’ve met him?”
“A few times, yes.”
“Where is he now?” Although I wasn’t entirely sure, I thought I detected a note of panic.
“Kelly’s Mountain. Do you know him?”
“Yes,” she began, “I’m afraid I do. And it’s best if we avoid each other. I didn’t figure he’d still be there. Duncan can be viscous when he wants. He’s a vampire that’s best avoided.”
The Vampires of Soldiers Cove: The Unborn Page 8
