“This cannot go on forever child…” The man began but he was cut off.
“Please father. Together now.” The voice he knew pleaded.
A moment later she felt a sting on one of her wrists but it was faint, very faint. Almost as if it were happening to someone else she watched and she was only feeling the pain through empathy. It was quickly followed by the other wrist and then her neck. At first she felt only the sting but soon she felt something more, something deep down. A fire inside her just out sight, just out of reach. It raged like a tumultuous volcano, glowing red hot magma, bubbling and boiling, ready to erupt. It's warmth, it's blessed heat was calling to her, inviting, promising protection and relief… promising power. The stinging on one wrist stopped and the fire inside her ebbed. Then the other stopped and the raging magma was snuffed out in an instant like wet fingers closing over the wick of a candle. Desiree groaned inside at the loss, her body now colder than ever.
“I am so sorry honey.” The other woman’s voice whispered sadly. “It is too late.”
Desiree heard crying then. It started small but quickly grew to deep heart wrenching sobs.
“Oh honey,” The woman spoke again, sounding at the edge of tears as well.
“Wait!” The man said suddenly. “Did you see that?” He asked as if he himself needed convincing.
“Saw what?” The other voice asked.
“I swear she moved,” The man replied so low that Desiree barely heard the words.
The crying stopped abruptly.
“Are you sure William? I saw nothing.” The woman's voice he did not know sounded skeptical.
“I am sure.” He replied, sounding anything but. “We need to try again.” He said suddenly, in a strong voice that held the command of a President or even a King. It was the roar of a pride leading lion. The bass of it moved through her both startling and soothing at the same time.
“Oh! I think you are right my love!”
“We must begin at once, straight away.” He commanded
In a moment she felt the pain on her wrists and neck once more but even fainter than before. She was not entirely sure that she was really feeling it, only remembering to feel it. At first nothing happened except she became icy cold and then impossibly her body became even more cold. She felt as if she were encased in a block of ice and then buried 20 feet in the ground in the heart of Antarctica. She was so cold she thought that if she moved or were touched by something even as light as a feather, her bones would crack open and shatter into a myriad piece of tiny, frozen shards. And then she sensed the heat, the cascading, raging sheets of white hot flame. It beckoned to her, whispered to her, called her name like presents under the tree on Christmas morning when she was a child. She reached out to it… and found… bliss.
All three vampires jumped back in alarm as Desiree jerked up with a gasp. She looked around, the ornate table she sat on, which was covered in pools of blood, creaked ominously as she shook, breathing hard. She was in a large room with a high ceiling and oversized pictures on the walls, mostly of people. She recognized Meilin in one of them. The picture looked a hundred years old and she turned to see the gorgeous woman in the flesh looking not a day older.
“Desiree! You are alive!” Meilin gasped in disbelief.
She put her arms around her, squeezing her in a tight embrace. Desiree hugged her back until she stopped shaking.
“Meilin...” She began and then had to clear her throat and tried again. “Meilin, why am I naked.” She asked curiously.
Meilin laughed then and was joined by her mother and father. Desiree continued to hold onto the vampire in an attempt at modesty, ignoring the fact that she was getting blood all over her fine clothes. Meilin’s mother stared at her in bewilderment, while her father now had his back to her, though she could see his broad shoulders shaking with laughter. Meilin tried to pull away but she held on tightly.
“You have been practically dead for nearly three weeks and the first thing you say on waking is about being naked?” Meilin asked incredulously.
Desiree nodded in response, not finding anything peculiar about it. Meilin just shook her head.
“Dad, can you get her a robe or something please?”
He nodded and left the room through a large door, the only one Desiree could see. Once the three women were alone, the Lady Uvarii moved in close and began separating her from Meilin.
“Here, let me have a look at you.” She said and Desiree reluctantly let her.
“Remarkable!” She said with raised eyebrows. “I would have never believed it possible had not seen it with my own eyes.” She exclaimed, eyeing Desiree from head to toe. “There is not a scratch on you, Child. No would have ever known you were injured let alone the state you were in.” She shook her head, a bright smile serving to soften some of her sharp features. “Utterly remarkable.”
Desiree looked to each of them in confusion. It was Meilin who tried to shed some light while her mother continued to look her over in abstract fascination. As if she were looking at a living miracle, Desiree thought uncomfortably. A vampire, a magical, fantastical, mysterious vampire who had lived for centuries, looking at her as if SHE were the special one. It was all she could do not to laugh.
“When you got here, you were in… bad shape.” She said cautiously.
“Bad shape?” Desiree asked, hoping for more, though she sensed Meilin was purposely being vague.
“Everyone thought you were dead.” Meilin replied, dodging the question.
“I certainly thought you were dead.” Lady Uvarii admitted. “You looked dead.” She added defensively at Desiree’s frown.
“Three days dead.” Meilin agreed. “But I knew you still lived. I knew.”
“That you did honey.” Her mother congratulated. “You never gave up.”
Meilin’s father entered then and Desiree hopped off the table to hide behind the other women. Meilin tsked and walked forward to claim the clothing. Desiree scrambled to keep Meilin between her and the man's searching eyes.
“Stop embarrassing me girl.” Meilin said, sounding annoyed. “We have been staring at your scraggly bones for 3 weeks now. Nobody cares about seeing you naked.”
Desiree took the robe and covered herself as quickly as she could.
“Well, you certainly look well enough. What do you remember, Child?” William Uvarii asked her when she was comfortably decent. “What can you tell us about the dead zone.”
“Later!” His wife shot in. “The child needs food and rest. Later William. You can come speak with the child in her rooms and I am sure she will tell you all she knows dear.”
He nodded reluctantly.
Desiree realized just then that she was hungry. Certainly not the most famished that she had ever been, but not just merely ready for some sustenance either.
“Take her to her rooms daughter. I will have food sent to her there.” Lady Uvarii commanded and Meilin bowed formally, sporting a huge smile that had hardly left her face since Desiree awoke, before gathering her into her arms.
“I can walk.” Desiree protested weakly.
Meilin sniffed. “I saw how your legs wobbled when you scrambled off that table like a bashful 12-year-old. You wouldn't last 10 steps.”
Desiree let herself be carried reluctantly though her face screamed affronted dignity. Were my legs really wobbling? She couldn't recall. She fell asleep before she was halfway there.
She woke up warm and snug in a large comfortable bed, the thick, soft bedding pulled all the way up to her chin. She had a dream about Meilin and her parents feeding off her repeatedly while she lay on a table, a bloody mess. She was wondering what that meant when she remembered that it really happened. Her cheeks grew hot at the thought of God knows who seeing her laying there naked as the day she was born while she was unconscious. Smells drew her attention and she raised her head off the pillow just enough to see a tray on the bed in front of her. The delectable smells were coming from it. With more difficulty than she
liked, she managed to free an arm from her bedding and lifted a lid off one of the shiny silver dishes. There was some sort of soup inside, still steaming hot. She grabbed a large spoon, a soup spoon she supposed and tasted it. It was a beef and vegetable mixture and it tasted a little salty but pretty darn good though the first swallow hurt a bit going down. She was so tired. She managed about five spoonfuls before she had to lay her head back down. Just for a moment. Just...
She was soon fast asleep.
The next time she awoke, she felt much better. The same tray sat in front of her and she was surprised to see steam still coming off the top of a few of the silver dishes. She sat up, all the way up this time, pulling the tray closer. She lifted the top off the soup again, only to find a plump chicken breast smothered in some sort of cream sauce inside instead. It could not have been there long. Steam wafted into the air carrying it's succulent aroma to her nostrils. Her belly gave a rumble in protest at not being attended to for so long. They must be replacing the food pretty often for the food to be still hot every time I wake.
That did not sit well with her. She was no one special to deserve such treatment. But the thoughts did not stop her from digging in greedily however. She did not bother mixing dishes or observing any sort of dinner etiquette. She opened one dish at a time and finished off it's contents before moving to the next, be they peas, chicken, rice pilaf or chocolate custard.
When she was almost finished, a door opened on the other side of the large room and her friends walked in. They all stared at her openly and she smiled at the looks on their faces.
“Yes, despite what you heard, I am alive and kicking.” She told them grandly.
Eric approached, a broad grin, that impish, playful grin of his on his face.
“I have to say, it is very good to see you Desiree.” He began, sounding genuinely pleased. “Though, we didn't expect to see THIS much of you.” He finished, openly staring at her chest area. She noticed then that they were all staring and not even trying to mask it. Well at least Kennedy was trying, unsuccessfully, but he was trying. Martin and the girls just stared openly. She looked down in confusion and gasped. The bedding had settled to her waist when she had sat up to eat and she just now realized that underneath she was starkers again. She pulled the bedding up to her chin in a flash. What is up with these people and leaving me naked all the time? Meilin!
She didn't even feel that embarrassed, just angry really. In fact, the only one in the room who seemed to be out of sorts was Kennedy. His face was red as a beet.
“You are so beautiful Desiree.” He stammered and then his face got even redder as everyone turned to look at him in surprise.
“Awe…” Desiree found herself whispering softly and she couldn't help the smile and color that suffused her features. She did feel embarrassed then.
“I, I will go let Lady Meilin know you are awake.” He stammered and quickly turned back the way he had entered, actually bumping hard into the frame before passing through the doorway. They all watched him go, shaking their heads.
“What happened to you guys?” Martin asked after a small silence.
“Yeah, where did you and Stasha go?” Olivia added. “We looked everywhere. You guys were missing for days.”
“And then Stasha was so hurt and everyone said you were dead.” Patricia said worriedly, continuing the barrage.
“More than dead.” Eric said cutting in, sounding twice as curious as everyone else. “People who saw you being carried in said that you looked torn to pieces. Torn to pieces they claimed, people I know and believe.”
“What are you talking about?” She said to Eric. “I am fine, I mean, do I look torn to pieces to you?”
“You look BEAUTIFUL.” Olivia said in a remarkably accurate, yet completely mocking version of Kennedy’s voice.
Everyone laughed except Eric. He only frowned at her, looking thoughtful. Desiree stopped laughing under his scrutiny. She was about to add more when she thought about what the others had said.
“Wait, hurt badly?” She blurted. “Where is she? Why isn't Stasha here?”
Their expressions fell at her words, including Eric’s.
“She's in the hospital.” Patricia said somberly. “She has been in there for weeks. I… I don't think she’s doing well.”
“No!” Desiree gasped. She started extricating herself from the tray of food so she could climb out of bed when she remembered her unfortunate state of undress and slunk back down.
“What are they all staring at! This isn't a darn peep show!” She practically growled under her breath in frustration.
“Where are my fucking clothes!” She cursed uncustomarily, anger giving the words an even sharper bite.
“I have them here.” Meilin said, sashaying into the room with an armful of clothing.
Kennedy followed close on her heels. She set her bundle down at the foot of the bed and then clapped her hands together sharply.
“Give her some privacy now. Move!” She added when they did not move fast enough to suit her.
Her friends stammered apologies as they made their way out, Eric looking back regretfully. None of them had time to dally though for Meilin continued to shoo them until slamming the door practically on Eric’s heels.
She jumped out of bed, her feet hitting the floor in unison with the sound of the slam. She went straight to the clothes and began putting them on, not caring that it was a dress.
“I want to go visit Stasha at the hospital.” She said, pulling the dress over her head. “Can you take me sister?”
“I don't think it wise that you leave the Sanctuary for a while.” Meilin replied. “Everyone thinks you are dead, including your enemies. Let's keep it that way.”
“She is in there because of me Meilin. It was my fault.” She admitted. “I was the one that took us into the darkness.”
“Why in bloody hell would you go in there Desiree?” Meilin asked, walking up as if she was going to shake her. “What would possess you to do something so stupid?”
“We were attacked,” She replied. “By vampires.”
“No,” Meilin said in disbelief almost as if Desiree were saying that she had participated in the attack personally. “None in the Sanctuary would do that.”
“Well, we were and they did,” Desiree assured her with the unflappable calm of absolute certainty while she continued to dress. “They wore masks, like the ones many wore at the festival so we didn't see their faces.”
Meilin’s face grew hot with rage.
“When I find out who it was I will rip their heads from their bodies with my bare hands.”
Desiree knew it was no wild boast. She had seen her do as much on more than one occasion.
“I wouldn't mind getting my hands on them either.” Desiree admitted.
“What did they look like. What did they sound like.” Meilin asked. “Anything will help.”
“I promise I will tell you everything that happened. Every detail I can remember… on our way to see Stasha at the hospital.” Desiree promised.
“You are not going to let this go, are you?” Meilin asked, sounding as if she already knew the answer.
“I would do the same if it were you Meilin.” She replied.
The vampire eyed her for a moment and Desiree thought that she might refuse again but then, to her utmost relief, she nodded reluctantly.
“My dad is going to throw a fit.” She murmured under her breath, but Desiree heard and smiled.
Her friends were waiting for her in the next room, Meilin’s room she realized and told them her plans. They all wanted to accompany her but thankfully Meilin refused, claiming she was not going to babysit so many humans. Normally she would have loved their company and support but she had important things to discuss with Meilin. Private things.
It was midday so they saw almost no one on their way out and the few they did see, Meilin avoided with ease. Once outside she told her everything that happened from the moment she had woken that morning befor
e the Cornucopia Festival, to the time she woke up naked on the table. She left out nothing she could remember. At the end of her tale Meilin was staring open-mouthed.
“The darkness… parted for the 2 of you?” She asked in disbelief. “That is how you were able to survive inside? How? How did you do it?”
Desiree shrugged. “I didn't do anything. That thing was dragging us along and then suddenly the darkness began to move away from us.
Meilin shook her head.
“My dad and Saerce has to here all of this.”
“Saerce?” Desiree asked but Meilin waved away the question as unimportant.
That was fine with Desiree because something else was on her mind and she was itching to ask about it.
“Today, when you came into the room with the clothes, I knew it was you before I saw you. I mean, I didn't have a feeling it was you, I knew!” She said, pulling some of the loose hair out of her face. “I could feel you coming closer. How is that possible?”
“It is the bond.” Meilin replied.
“But we haven't…” She stopped what she was going to say as the vampire's fair skin began turning pink. “We are already bonded.” She said finally, not asking, knowing, and feeling as if deep down she had already known for some time.
Meilin nodded.
“I don't understand. When?”
The vampire shifted uncomfortably. “The day you were shot.” She admitted.
“What? Way back then? I thought you said that you respected me, that we were sisters. That I had earned your trust. Why would you do it without asking me first?”
Meilin said nothing and turned her face away.
At first, she was murderously angry, feeling completely violated. She was so angry she couldn't even form a proper sentence but then she began to feel shame. Utter shame, hot and hard though she had no idea why she felt that way. She felt angry with herself for feeling that way but she softened her voice unable to deny its influence.
“I guess it's as well you did or I would most likely be dead right now.” She admitted reluctantly. “I think feeling you through the bond is what lead me and Stasha out of that black hell.” She clarified.
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