“What is this?” I gasped, fighting the urge to open the vial as I knew, or more like felt, what was in it.
“This...” she allowed the word to hang on her lips as I struggled physically to not rip the seal off the vial and drink, “Is a leap vial.”
“What leap?” I was breathing in long deep breaths.
“Honestly, it is a way for us as vampire to impose our will over the humans who want to be one of us. While you might have become use to the act of drinking blood, it is far harder of a commitment than
you might believe for your average human to just drink a vial of blood. So, we give them the choice: stay human or take the leap. The odds vary every year, but generally there is a one in one hundred chance to get the vial, a single vial that contains the blood of an elder and a taste of true power.”
“Oh,” was all I could say.
“Maybe this will be the first year Lilith’s vial is drunk.” She flicked the vial and it made a ringing that reverberated for a moment through my whole body.
“Lilith?” I asked her.
“She is the donor for this year, it rotates every year between the three.” I didn’t respond; I was too focused on the vial around my neck. “I still have one last gift,” she slid the box into my lap and it broke the spell the vial of blood held over me. In the box was a black silk gown, when the light hit it right, it rippled like the surface of a pool of blood. “She couldn’t allow you to wear a black cloak, as you are still human. So I assume this is her way to include you as vampire as she already considers you one of us.” I was speechless for a moment. “This is an honor... A great honor,” she stressed the honor part.
“Thank you for bringing me this, I will have to thank Lilith in person as well.” I was still looking at the gown in the box.
“No problem,” she said as she headed towards the door; her hand was on the doorknob when she turned. “You have Lilith’s affection and Alik’s love... I don’t know what it is about you, but many female vampire would love to be in your shoes. Lilith can only protect you from the jealously for so long. So I will warn you, be careful and tread lightly, you are not even vampire yet and yet you have many vampire enemies. If I were you, I would have Lilith and not Alik change me as soon as possible.” Her eyes dropped to the vial between my breasts and I touched it without thinking.
“Would that make you an enemy or friend?”
“What do I know? I’m just a child," she said as she opened the door. "I wish I knew what it was that they love about you; it infuriates me like you couldn’t even imagine.” Then she slipped out of the room, closing the door.
I spent the morning on the couch, staring at the vial of blood and rotating it in the light to cast red shadows on my face. I brought the vial to my lips several times, imagining how it would taste to open and drink deeply from the tiny vial. An hour before the celebration was going to start I managed to take my mind off the blood and pull out the dress and slide it on. It felt like it was made for me as the silk filled out along my curves. I pulled the cloak on and it fell to just an inch above the ground, and I pulled the hood over my head, looking at myself in the mirror. Alik then walked into the room with the black cloak over an Armani suit. He stood behind me, placing his arms around me and I smiled until his fingers hit the vial of warm blood around my neck.
"Hey, I can see you in the mirror," I joked.
“Very funny." He gave me a quick kiss. "Did my mother bring you this,” he asked; I could see his eyes on the vial.
“In a way. Alisa did the actual delivery.”
“So that’s why she was here," he said, sniffing the air. "Did she say anything to you about it”
“Just explained the cloaks and vials, which you forgot to tell me about,” my voice turned accusatory.
“I hadn’t forgotten. They just arrived today; custom Egyptian cotton isn’t easy to get a hold of, especially for one hundred plus. As for the vial, I was going to leave you out of that.”
“Why?” I asked, a little to loudly. He thought about it for a moment.
“Trying to keep you from under my mother’s influence.”
“You could have still explained it all..." I said, smoothing
wrinkles in the cotton clock, "Are you sure that story doesn’t have any truth to it?”
“I can’t be certain, I'm not going to bluntly say my mother is lying to me. I just gave you my take on things. There are many horrors and wonders , truths and lies in the world that aren’t known by human or vampire. Still, the rules apply for us, too; all myths have a base in reality.”
He took my hand and we walked from the room and headed towards the lobby. The ballroom had still been under light construction when we arrived, its doors hidden behind a curtain of black velvet. Now there was a set of beautiful glossy black glass doors nearly invisible in the wall. Alik walked to one and gave it the lightest of pushes and the door chimed almost inaudibly and opened. Once through the doors, I could hear soft footsteps all around me, but the sight before me was what stole my attention. The floor was a glossy red with gold sparkles that was lit by pure white light from three grand chandeliers. Large floor to ceiling windows covered in red silk drapes glowed dimly as the light of the sun shone through them, casting a red glow on the white walls laced in a tapestry of black vines showcasing budding red roses. In the center of the room was an onyx black fountain; I admit that made me double take as I thought it was blood but realized it was just thick red water trickling from its top all the way down into a pool at its base. Directly behind that were three chairs made of a flat ebony wood, although throne was probably a better word for what they were. The fountain and thrones seemed to be the focus of the scattered tables that surrounded a grand dance floor; it was like a ballroom in some modern dark fairytale. Once I got over the majesty of it all, I focused and was able to see that there were vampire moving around the room, finishing off the decorations by placing white, black, and red roses on the tables and around the room.
“Do you like it?” asked Alison, appearing behind me.
“It’s amazing,” I said, not able to keep the awe out of my voice.
“I hope the Elders like it as well,” she sighed. “Lilith put me in charge of decorations this year.”
“Explore for a moment”, said Alik. “I have a few more things to
finish.”
Alison took me around the room, pointing out the different decorations and small touches she hoped would please the Elders and their guests. I could see the change in Alison, remembering what she used to look like when she was human. Not that she didn't look like herself, but she looked just that much better now. Her face and skin glowed and her voice that was attractive before was laced with seduction in every word. Alison was the youngest vampire I knew, and unlike our last meeting, she was much kinder. There was a question I had wanted to ask Alik, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it and maybe Alik wasn’t the right vampire to ask. Alison might be the better choice.
“Over here are the…” Alison started, but I cut her off.
“Alison, can I ask you a question,” I asked nervously, hoping I wasn’t about to offend her.
“Did I go too fast?”
“No, it’s not about the decorations. It’s something else.”
“What then?”
“How…” I tried to find the words.
“Stop, I know what you want to ask; it was on my mind up until the time, too,” she said warmly.
“Really?”
“You want to know about the bite; it doesn’t hurt. I could actually feel, or I thought I felt, the blood leave my body. It was the strangest sensation really. Breathing became harder and harder as the seconds ticked by, and it’s very disorienting to have a hard time breathing when you know there is enough oxygen around you. I knew Lilith wouldn’t hurt me, but the fear still came. She laid me down and made a cut in her wrist and commanded me to drink. That first drink was indescribable. I couldn’t explain the flavor or texture if I tried. When she move
d away from me, everything went black and it felt like my body convulsed. This might be oddly poetic, but it was like death’s cold hands were running over my body, slowly killing me. I don’t know
how else I can really explain death. Luckily, it was very fast as the cold hurt. As soon as the cold stopped spreading, I felt warm again. Everything got sharper and stronger and I was vampire. Lilith told me I had been out for a few days, but it felt like a night’s rest,” she explained, but when she explained how it felt like to die, she held something back. “But, those first few moments were an experience.”
“Alik made it a joke a long time ago; are your senses painful?”
“At times. Lilith told me it varies with the strength of the vampire who changes you, and with her being an elder and all…” she shrugged.
“Oh.”
“Are you still considering it?”
“Yes, a little stronger now, all things considered.”
“Could I give you a little advice?”
“Of course.”
“When she bit me, I numbered the days I had left with my friends. I had to give them up for something more. That was a hard decision and I will have to watch them slowly die of old age and be hurt over my disappearance. Of course, you will have Alik to spend your centuries with, but even gaining that, you give up a lot.” Her tone shifted so much when she said that that I could tell her transformation had taken a greater toll on her than she made out.
“Thank you for telling me what it would be like.”
“No problem,” she said, returning to her lax self. I then heard a sound, a footstep, many footsteps? I turned towards the doors.
“What’s going on outside?”
“It seems the others are arriving,” she said excitedly.
“You’re right,” Ayara agreed, suddenly next to us.
“They always do this,” Ario chimed in. “They do know the staff are off limits, don’t they?”
“They do,” laughed Lilith. “It was in the invitation.”
“Next year, we add no scaring the staff,” said Ayara. “I rather keep these humans.”
“I agree.” They were all in deep red cloaks around us. “Is everything ready, Alison?”
“Yes,” answered Alison.
“Very good. Vanessa dear, I would like for you stick close to Alik in the beginning.” Her eyes found the vial around my neck, and she smiled. “Once everyone is here, you should walk around and talk with the others. Many of them don’t talk to humans outside of business and are willing to let their guard down under the safety we provide, so they will be interested in you.”
“Okay…” I said, not sure if that was a good thing.
“Don’t worry dear, you will be fine. Alison, once everyone is seated, please bring the glasses out for the opening toast.”
“They are filled and waiting,” Alison glowed, being on top of everything.
“Perfect, we will take our places then. I leave the rest to you.” They moved to their chairs.
“Vanessa, let’s take our seats,” came Alik’s voice as he appeared behind me.
“You know, this just appearing and disappearing around me thing is a little nerve-racking.”
He chuckled. “I’m sorry, I forget to act more human with so many of my kind around.”
He walked me over to a table in the front of the others and we took our seats. I looked around again and there was a new black
cloaked figure at a table in the far back. Then, another black cloak appeared three tables away from ours. I listened for a moment and I heard the swish of wind and low footsteps as more cloaks appeared. Soon, I saw the movement of black shadows all around us taking seats, and quickly half the seats were taken and a few white cloaks took places beside the black ones. There were more humans than I thought there would be, but they were still nothing compared to the number of vampires present. After about ten minutes, the seats were filled and glasses appeared in front of us. Lilith stood and the rest of the room followed suit, raising their glasses.
“Firstly, I would invite up our guest who wish to take a leap of faith”, spoke Lilith and several white cloaks stood and walked to the dance floor to stand before the Elders. “I am your donor and pledge myself to you if you are the one to hold my chosen vial.” I felt Lilith’s eyes flick to me for an instant and Alik’s grip on my hand flexed. “I will take you into my own, teach you our ways, and show you true power. So I ask again would anyone else like to come forward?” she asked one last time, no one moved, a few even shrank back behind their vampire masters. “Very well, take the leap.”
The room was silent when the vials were pulled from their hiding spots beneath cloaks and shirts. Everyone pulled their hoods over their heads.
“Why did they put the hoods up?” I asked in a whisper.
“To shade the blood in the off chance that it is vampire blood in the vial, only the lack of oxygen in the vial is keeping them from bursting into flame,” explained Alik. “Most of them know they aren’t holding vampire blood, but the leap has come to show fearlessness and strength in a human to some vampire, many who take the leap will be vampire in the next few weeks even if it is not with Elder blood.”
One of the men drank the blood and coughed, spilling blood all down his cloak, while the other nine stood, some less sure footed than before others fighting to keep a look of pride on their face.
“You may be seated,” smiled Lilith and the humans left the dance floor and sat. Various black cloaks were watching the humans make their way back to their seats. “Each of you is descendant of us
and it warms us that you answer our call,” Liltih said, addressing the vampire in the room. “Of course, we three all come from our mother and your mother Aaliyah, and it is on the night of her creation and incarceration that we gather. It is Aaliyah who has given us our longevity and power. Over the year since we have come together last, we have lost others due to our own ambitions and greed; I see Lycuian among eighteen others are not here, most replaced by new faces, some missing still in the midst of selecting a leader.” A few tables away, a vampire chuckled under his hood. “It is on this note that I implore you to cease the fighting among our own kind; you are the leaders of our race and therefore must set an example for the young ones who have just joined us.” She looked over at Alison, who smiled. “And those who will soon join us.” her eyes move to meet mine again. “It is at times like this where we all gather under peaceful terms that gives me hope for the year to come. Please use this night to make new kinships and friendships, become reacquainted with old and ancient friends, and enjoy yourselves. In Aaliyah's name I welcome you all.” The rest of the guests chimed “In Aaliyah's name we greet you” back. I looked at my glass and it smelled sweet.
“Don’t worry, yours is only cherry juice,” whispered Alik and we all drank.
Then three cloaks moved: one sat at a piano that had been moved to a corner of the room while the others held a violin and a flute. A slow melody started to play and vampire and humans alike began to remove their hoods. Some humans I recognized: there were young up-and-coming political figures from the US Senate and Congress as well as some foreign diplomats and businessmen who had been in the news lately over some secret illegal transactions that they seem to have shared. Alik took my hand and introduced me to a few vampire: there was an Italian vampire who was nearly 900 years old who seemed a little twitchy, and the pair of African vampire who stayed in their room for the first few days turned out to be remarkably friendly and kind. As Alik moved me around the room, Alisa’s words came back to me; many female vampire would follow us with their eyes and looks that showed something other than happiness were on their faces. There was also a very young boy who looked like he was no more than 13 or 14 when he was changed from England named
Jeremy who was very engaging and talkative. Somehow, he had taken my hand and gotten me away from Alik, introducing me as Alik’s wife to some of his friends. The whole thing seemed nothing more than a large dinner party wit
hout the actual dinner. It had been about three hours since the start of the gathering and I was sitting next to the piano as its player, a vampire by the name of Lasatt, played a melody for Jeremy while he slept on my lap.
I learned that that vampire can sort of hibernate for long periods of time if the monotony of life becomes too great, but once they awake, it is hard for them to stay that way for a while. Lasatt laughed as Jeremy curled into a ball next to me, saying, “death just doesn’t want to let Jeremy go.” Jeremy had apparently become bored with the world after a few centuries and was asleep for 50 years up until six months ago.
Bitter Sweet Page 20
