“We’re not discussing that,” he said, his eyes hard. “There’s no time. Besides, I will not turn you—or any human, for that matter—into a vampire.”
“What if it’s what I want?” I was challenging him, but from the way he was staring at me, I knew he wouldn’t back down. At least not right now.
“The change might kill you,” he said. “Or drive you to kill yourself.”
“I’m willing to take that risk.” I raised my chin, not backing down. “I would rather be dead than a victim for the rest of my life.”
“It’s more than that.” He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Do you believe in an afterlife, Annika?”
“I don’t know.” I backed away, surprised by his sudden change of subject. “Maybe.”
“Well, I do,” he said. “As a human I was far from perfect, but I never did anything that would doom me to Hell. As a vampire…” Darkness passed over his eyes, like clouds over twin moons. “No vampire who survives the transition is able to control their bloodlust enough at first to stop them from killing. We’re murderers—all of us. Is that the sort of creature you want to become? A monster?”
I gulped, frightened by his confession. Because no, of course I didn’t want to kill.
But I didn’t want to be a weak human for the rest of my life, either.
“I wouldn’t let myself be around a human until I could control it.” I straightened my shoulders, not wanting him to doubt me. “And I would control it. I would learn how to do it.”
“How would you know you could control it without testing it on a human?” He smiled, showing me his fangs. For the first time since discovering what he was, it sunk in that he’d killed before. I knew I should feel scared of him… but I didn’t. Because I trusted he wouldn’t hurt me.
I pressed my lips together, because he had a good point. “I would test it on someone who deserved it,” I said. “On a murderer. A serial killer. There are plenty of humans in the world who don’t deserve to live.”
“So you would play God?” He took a step toward me, but I didn’t back down. “You would doom your soul to Hell for strength and immortality?”
“Not for strength and immortality,” I told him. “For the freedom of knowing I would never have to be scared or helpless again.”
We held each other’s gazes, neither of us saying anything for a few seconds. Just because he was turned against his will didn’t mean he could get me to change my mind. And if he wouldn’t agree to turn me, then somehow, somewhere, I would find someone who would.
“Well, luckily for the both of us, you won’t be turning into a vampire today.” He bit his wrist again to open the wound and held it out to me. “But it won’t be long until Camelia and her guards come after us again. This time, they’ll have wormwood on them, so I won’t be able to compel them. We need to be out of the Vale before they find us.”
I reached for his arm, and fire rushed through my veins as my skin connected with his. His breathing slowed at my touch, and for a moment we stood there watching each other, neither of us saying a word. My eyes roamed to his lips, and I remembered what it had felt like to kiss them. Back in the alley, when I thought he was a human named Jake and that whatever attraction we felt together could be the start of something new.
It was the start of something new all right—just not in the way I expected.
“If you plan to survive what’s coming, you need to do this,” he said. “It’ll give you the strength you need to get out of here.”
“Temporarily,” I reminded him.
“Yes.” His eyes were hard—there was no changing his mind, at least right now. “Temporarily.”
And so, I lowered my lips to his wrist and began to drink.
Jacen
I shuddered the moment her lips touched my skin.
Why did this girl—this stubborn, fiery human girl—have such a huge effect on me? Why was I risking so much to help her escape? Why couldn’t I just hand her over to the guards and forget about her?
All I knew was that since meeting her, I’d felt more alive than I’d felt in the past year since being turned into a vampire. I didn’t want to lose that feeling.
Therefore, I didn’t want to lose her.
She continued to drink, pressing her mouth harder on my wrist and letting out a small groan as my blood passed her lips, as if she never wanted to stop.
But she’d taken more than a sufficient amount. If too much blood left my system, my strength would begin to weaken and I would need to feed again.
“Enough.” I pried my wrist from her mouth, allowing my fingers to brush through her hair.
Her tongue lapped at the blood that remained on my skin, but I forced myself to pull away from her. Desire burned in her eyes as she looked at my wrist.
I used my other hand to tilt her chin up, forcing her gaze to meet mine.
She looked at me the same way she’d looked at my blood, and hot desire rushed through every inch of my body. I wanted to kiss her again. No—I wanted to do a hell of a lot more than kiss her. I wanted to lose myself in her entirely.
But did she still want me after knowing I’d lied to her?
We didn’t have time right now to find out. Instead, I used my thumb to brush away the drops of blood that remained on her lips.
She sucked in a sharp breath as my skin touched hers, and reached for my other arm to steady herself.
Her touch felt colder than before—less human.
My blood must be working.
“How do you feel?” I asked, allowing my hand to drift back down to my side.
She still held onto my wrist, and I made no move to pull away. I told myself that that was because she might need to steady herself as the blood took affect, but really I knew—I just liked the feeling of her skin against mine.
“Strange,” she said, her voice soft and breathy. “Aware.”
“The heightened senses of a vampire.” I gazed down at her, slammed once more with the urge to kiss her.
“Yes.” She looked around as if in a dream, although her hold on my arm tightened, making my heart pound faster.
It took every ounce of control to keep myself from pulling her to me and kissing her—especially knowing that this time, with my blood in her system making her stronger than the fragile human she normally was, I wouldn’t have to hold back.
“I know it’s night, but I can see as clearly as if it were day.” She gazed around the mountains as if seeing them for the first time. “I can see the details of every leaf in every tree, and hear the soft chatter coming from the village, even though it’s miles away. And I can hear something else—a river. It’s soft, like it’s calling to me…”
“My blood,” I realized. “You’re hearing the sound of my blood.”
“You hear it too?” She refocused on me, looking startled. “In me?”
“I hear it in everyone.”
“Is this what it feels like?” She swallowed. “To crave blood?”
“No,” I told her. “When humans drink vampire blood, they don’t experience the bloodlust like we do. In fact, right now, with my blood in your system, your blood doesn’t call to me like a human’s. I hear it, like I hear it in every supernatural creature, but I feel no urge to drink it. Until my blood leaves your system, that’s what you should feel when you’re around all types of blood—including human blood. You’ll notice it, but you won’t crave it.”
“Oh.” She frowned. “For a moment I thought it meant that if I were to turn into a vampire, I would be able to control my bloodlust.”
I went silent, studying her. She looked paler than before—thanks to my blood—but her eyes still glimmered with hope and anticipation. She was full of so much life. Why was she so determined to have her mortality ripped away from her? To become a creature doomed to Hell?
“You don’t need to become a vampire, Annika.” I spoke slower this time, as if I could drill my opinion into her soul.
“It’s easy for you to say tha
t,” she said. “You don’t have to worry about always being the prey.”
“Neither will you,” I promised. “Once I free you from here, I’ll make sure you’re hidden in a place far away, where supernaturals will never find you—a place where you can live out your human life free of fear. Free from creatures like me.”
“You know of such a place?” she asked.
“I’ve heard rumors,” I told her, since it was true—I had heard talk of a location safe from supernaturals. An island accessible only to humans. “It’s called the Sanctuary. Once we’re out of the Vale, I’ll find it and bring you there.”
“And what about you?” she asked. “Will you go there too?”
“I can’t.” I chuckled. “In case you’ve forgotten, I’m a vampire. I would never be permitted inside.”
Her eyes flashed with hurt, and I pulled my arm away from her touch. Because giving into the attraction between us would only result in pain and loss. So despite how much I wanted to pull her into my arms and kiss her again, I couldn’t. I wouldn’t.
I had to be strong for the both of us.
“Let’s see if you’re able to run fast enough to keep up with me,” I said instead, changing the subject. “See that tree over there?” I pointed to the tallest tree at the end of the clearing.
“Yes,” she said. “Every detail of it.”
“Race me to it.”
I took off, sensing her close behind. Ever since turning into a vampire, running felt more like flying. It was smooth and easy, leaving me exhilarated instead of breathless. I could run for miles on end and not get winded in the slightest.
Her hair—dark against the surrounding snow—flickered in my peripheral vision, and seconds before I arrived at the tree, she reached a hand out and beat me to it.
“Impressive,” I told her. “Are you a runner?”
“I got a fair share of practice in the village,” she said. “What about you? Were you a runner—before being turned?”
“A swimmer,” I said quickly.
“I knew it!” She smiled. “You are that swimmer. The one who was going for the Olympics.”
“I was,” I said, my chest hollow at the reminder of who I used to be. “But I’m not that person anymore. Not since I was turned.”
She lowered her eyes, saying nothing.
For once, I’d left the chatty human speechless.
Then she lifted her eyes back up, her strength returned. “I don’t think you’re a monster,” she said softly. “I know you think you are, but you’re not. If you were… you wouldn’t be helping me right now.”
“Maybe I’m only helping you to try to make up for every awful thing I’ve done this past year,” I said, since that was easier than telling her why I was really helping her—because something about her made me unable to resist doing anything else.
“A true monster wouldn’t care about repenting,” she said confidently. “So… thank you, Jacen. This means a lot.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” I said. “We’re not even out of the Vale.”
She glanced around the surrounding forest, worry crossing her face. “Are you sure the wolves won’t attack us?” she asked.
“The wolves only attack humans,” I told her. “With my blood in your system, they’ll think we’re two vampires. They’ll have no reason to bother us.”
“Okay.” She took a deep breath, shaking away her worries. “I trust you.”
“You shouldn’t.” I regretted the words the moment they were out of my mouth. Hadn’t I been the one asking her to trust me back in the alley? Saying it had been instinctual, since once my blood was out of her system I would want to drink from her again. But I needed her to trust me now. I was her only hope. “I mean, you can trust me now. But in general, you should never trust a vampire. Always remember that.”
“If you were going to hurt me, you would have already,” she said. “I know you think you’re a monster, but you’re not.”
“Tell that to me after we reach the Sanctuary,” I told her, since as much as I wanted to believe I wouldn’t give into my bloodlust, who knew what would happen between now and then? I wouldn’t feed on Annika, but I would need to feed eventually. Would she be so sure I wasn’t a monster after witnessing such a thing?
“I will,” she promised. “Now, which way out of the Vale?”
“Follow me.”
I took off in a run, and she followed at my side.
Annika
The boundary was clear—like a dome over the Vale—but it had a slight glimmer visible to those who knew it was there. I’d seen it as a human, but with vampire vision it was even more apparent. My instincts told me to slow as I approached it, but Jacen made no sign of slowing his pace, so I kept running. As I passed through the boundary, electricity passed over my skin—magical energy—and then it was gone.
I glanced behind, and sadness passed through my body. As much as I wanted to leave, there were people I didn’t want to leave behind. Tanya, Norbert the bookshop manager, and all the others at the Tavern—these people had been the reasons why I’d survived my year in the Vale without giving up.
Now I was abandoning them.
But I wouldn’t leave them forever. No—once Jacen and I found this Sanctuary, I would free the blood slaves of the Vale and bring them there. I wasn’t sure how, but I would find a way. I owed it to them. I had to find a way.
Suddenly, Jacen thrust his arm in front of me, bringing me to a stop.
I looked to find out what made him pause, and that was when I saw them.
Wolves—an entire pack of them—surrounding us. Their teeth were drawn back, and they glared at us, looking ready to pounce.
“I thought you said the wolves wouldn’t bother us?” I said to Jacen under my breath.
“I’ll take care of this.” He sounded sure of it, and he turned to face the wolf that was front and center—a big red one who appeared to be the leader of the pack.
The wolf’s coloring reminded me of another wolf—one from nearly a year ago. But there were so many wolves in these woods. What were the chances I would run into the same one again?
“I am Prince Jacen of the Vale.” He stood tall and proud, his tone conveying all the confidence of royalty. “My companion and I have done nothing to warrant this ambush. Let us pass.”
The wolf snarled again, and then she shifted into human form. She was beautiful—tall, with bright red hair that flowed down to her waist. She wore a tight fitting, black body suit—it appeared that the suit shifted with her. I assumed it was created with magic. A necklace dangled from her neck, with a charm that resembled some sort of plant.
All of the other wolves remained in their animal form.
“That girl is no vampire,” the redhead said calmly. “She’s a human.”
“Did you not see her running with me?” Jacen smirked, looking every bit an arrogant prince. “No human could run at that speed.”
“She has ingested vampire blood. Most likely your blood,” she said, and then she turned to me. “Did you not recognize me in my wolf form? I would think that night all those months ago would be one you would never forget…”
“You were the wolf who attacked me.” I stood straighter, readying for trouble. “When I tried to escape the Vale.”
“My name is Valerie, and I am the leader of this pack.” She stuck her nose haughtily in the air. “When I attacked you all those months ago, I was perfectly within my rights. You were a human blood slave who’d crossed the boundary of the Vale. And I know enough about the ways of the vampires of the Vale to know that no blood slave of theirs has ever been approved to become a vampire. Queen Laila would never allow it.”
“There are exceptions to every rule,” Jacen said steadily. He still sounded confident, but he took a step closer to me, ready to protect me.
My stomach surged into my throat—hopefully it wouldn’t come to a fight. I had no doubts that Jacen was a fantastic fighter, but two of us against this entire pack? The odds were n
ot in our favor. Especially since my best skill was running—not fighting. And I knew better than to think that a bit of vampire blood would suddenly transform me into a trained warrior.
“True.” Valerie held his gaze. “But a wolf’s sense of smell is over ten times better than a vampire’s. Vampires may not be able to smell the difference between a vampire and a human who has ingested vampire blood, but we can. Now—tell me. Why has a vampire prince given a human a taste of his blood and brought her out of the Vale?”
“The reason is irrelevant.” Jacen glared at her and flashed his fangs. “We have an alliance. So unless you intend to go against a prince of the Vale—and therefore go against the entire kingdom—you will let us pass. Now.”
“The alliance is less and less relevant to us as of late,” she said with a wave of her hand. “Centuries ago, vampires stole a piece of our land—the area you now call the Vale. The treaty stated that to avoid a war between the species, we would keep the Vale safe from intruders as long as the vampires let us live in peace and didn’t expand further into our territory. At the time, we were outnumbered and had no choice but to agree. If we hadn’t agreed, we would have been slaughtered. However, we’re growing in numbers faster than you can imagine. And you’ve transformed the land you stole from us into a kingdom far more bountiful than we could have ever imagined.”
“Queen Laila created the kingdom of the Vale from the ground up,” Jacen said. “It never would have become what it is now if it had been left in your hands.”
“Maybe not.” Valerie shrugged. “But while the vampires of the Vale may have forgotten who that land originally belonged to, I assure you, we have not.”
“What are you saying?” Jacen bristled. “You’re going to fight for it back?”
“You’re free to make any assumptions you want.” She smiled sweetly. “Not that it matters… since once we’re finished with you, there will be nothing left for anyone to find.”
Jacen
The Vampire Wish: The Complete Series (Dark World) Page 11
