Jules’s mouth opened and closed a few times before she was able to speak. “I don’t, I, I don’t understand,” she whispered. “He’s so, beautiful...like, I can’t describe it...” She mumbled to herself, shaking her head incredulously. After a moment, she gathered her thoughts and turned to Nick. “Ok. You have my attention. Tell me everything. And I mean it, don’t leave anything out.” She sat down with exaggerated slowness on the edge of the bed.
“It is a bit of a long story; perhaps you would like something to drink?” Nick asked, trying to make it easier for her, but he doubted she would be thirsty for anything humans would drink.
“No, I’m fine. Just get on with it,” she claimed impatiently.
“Here it goes then. Like I said, I am a vampire half breed. My father, Victor, is a vampire. My mother, Mary, was a human. When I told you she died a long time ago, that was the truth. She died giving birth to me. My father left after that, leaving me with my aunt to raise me. Father returned to find me after I was full grown, about ten years later. I have not aged since, nor do I think I ever will.” He looked in her eyes to try to gage her reaction. All he saw was calm. Her eyes had turned a shade of yellow and blue, a mixture of her natural color and anticipation.
“I have been with Father ever since. My aunt is now a vampire too, as she was unwilling to leave me after raising me for so long. It was her choice, and Father granted her wish. She knew everything it would entail, and she accepted it gracefully. I sometimes wonder if their relationship has grown past what it was before, now connected by blood.”
“Blood?” she asked.
“I was getting to that part. We are not humans, although we are a related species. Most things you read about in books or see on TV are simply not true. Myths. We are the product of evolution. You know how there are many different breeds of dogs? We are a different breed of human. We are just different, in many ways. I could tell you the story of how we came to be, but I wouldn’t get it right. I will leave that to Father at a later time.” He saw his father nod in agreement out of the corner of his eye.
“We are predators by nature. We are designed to hunt. All of our senses or heightened; smell, taste, touch, hearing, you get the idea. Our bodies run more efficiently than any other creature known. Vampires do not have the same internal structure as humans. Our entire circulatory and digestive systems merge into one, allowing us to simply absorb our meal. We cannot make our own red blood cells, so our bodies evolved to counter that problem. That is why we drink blood. Our brains do not work the same either. The average human uses nearly ten percent of their brain. We use nearly all of ours. This gives us abilities unique to us, things you could only imagine.”
“Wait,” Jules said, “you have a heartbeat, I’ve heard it. I hear it now. How is that?”
“Vampires are not the undead,” Nick muttered. “We are still living, breathing creatures. We may live a very long time, but I assure you, we are very much alive.”
“Oh,” she seemed to be ok with this. “So, do you sleep in coffins?” she asked sheepishly.
“No, when I sleep, I sleep in my bed. I can go long periods without sleeping, but I like to sleep. It is relaxing. And, since I am what they call a day walker, I have no aversion to the sun. Neither does my father or Rachel. There are night walkers as well. For whatever reason, day walkers have eyes that change color with their emotions.”
“This is a lot to swallow,” she remarked.
“We have many gifts that make us stronger, more efficient hunters. We move much quicker than any other creature. We are ridiculously strong. And we are equipped with fangs in our mouths. Its purpose is to draw blood from prey. It is illegal to drink someone dry. In fact, we try not to bite.”
“So you don’t kill people?” she asked.
“No. You remember that blood drive center on Twenty-Fifth Street? We own that. We pay for our supply. Most of us do, in some form or another. But there are still a few savages out there. Like the one in your apartment, for example.”
That sent off a bell in her head. Nick could see the recognition of what she had endured crossing her mind. “It seems so long ago, so faint.”
“Yes. He was what is called an incubus; a vampire that likes to torture his victims in a sexual manner before feeding. They are out there, but I assure you, it is not the norm. I was on my way over to check on you when I caught his scent outside. I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t gotten there in time,” he let his words trail off, not wanting to relive those memories.
“Will you tell me what happened? I don’t remember very well.” Her request was only natural, so he obliged with a long sigh.
“He broke in through your window I think. When I got there, he was hurting you. I didn’t know if he had bitten you or not, only that I had to stop him. I ripped his head clean off his shoulders and scooped you up and ran you here. I was hoping Phoenix could heal you, but he was not here. I had only minutes to react, or else you would have died for certain.” Nick paused to take in her reaction. From the horrified look in her eyes, he figured it was now or never. “So I did the only thing I could do. I changed you myself. I was hopeful you would understand how I couldn’t let you die, and that you would forgive me.”
“Changed me?” she was only confused for a moment. Then she understood. “You made me like you?”
“Not like me, like my father. You are now, and will forever be, a vampire.” He waited for her reaction. It was not what he thought it would be.
It was much worse.
In a flash, she flew off the bed and lunged for Nick. Her eyes were deep crimson red now, and anger contorted her face. Before he had time to react, she was on his back. Her nails dug into his shoulders with ease, and his blood spilled from the wound. A hiss escaped her throat and he felt her teeth on his shoulder. Nick spun around trying to get a hold on her, but she was perched on his back in just the right way. He could do nothing to stop her. It looked like a scene out of a cartoon, the way he was turning in circles trying to get a grip on her. He heard someone chuckle behind him, confirming the humor. He didn’t personally think it was funny. She fought like an experienced vampire, not someone less than a few hours old. He tried to call out for help, but her left hand was around his throat, constricting his voice. Then suddenly, just as quickly as she had attacked, it was over. Victor had forced her off of him.
“You have condemned me to HELL!!” she shrieked in Nick’s direction, flailing her arms and legs against Victor’s iron grip. He was holding her around the waist. “I thought I was dying! I was going to be with my husband! Now I will never be there! You don’t know what you have done!”
Nick quickly moved away from her, apologies scratching their way out of his throat. The truth and sincerity of her words stung. His own heart sank down into his gut. He would have preferred she killed him than to know how he had hurt her. “Nick, let’s go,” Phoenix was yanking him out of the room. “Give her time to calm down.”
They moved quickly down the stairs, Phoenix holding pressure on his shoulder. Nick was still gasping for air as they reached the living room where Jolice was waiting with the fallen angel. He was nursing a cup of coffee. “How did it go?” she asked playfully.
Nick scowled at her. “How do you think it went? She hates me.”
“Give her a bit to calm down, it’s a lot to take in, you know. I have a feeling she will come around.” Jolice always had a way of making him feel better. “Why didn’t you make her feel calm?” she asked.
“I tried, but I couldn’t. She seemed to be completely oblivious to the emotion I was sending her.” Nick had tried to keep her calm, but again, it was useless. He wondered why that was, exactly. Was she immune? Would she be immune to other vampires as well?
He could hear his father talking to Jules in a calm voice. Her responses were not so calm. Nick listened to the screaming coming from upstairs and wondered if he had made the right choice.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
“Let me go!”
Jules screeched at the man holding her in his arms. She threw her arms and legs wildly at him, trying to get in a good swing. Victor. It was Victor who had her locked in iron fetters.
“I will let you go when you calm down, dear. I know you do not want to hurt anyone, but until your temper is positively under control, this is exactly what will happen.” His logic was irritating.
A strange growl bubbled up from her chest, surprising her. “But he made me a monster!” she hissed.
“He saved your life,” Victor calmly explained.
“What if I didn’t want to be saved? What if I would rather die than be like this?”
“Well, that is certainly an option, though I wish you would give Nick a chance.” His grip around her waist loosened a little. “If I let you go, will you listen to me, or are you going to attack me?”
Jules’s breath came out in a humph, but she nodded. “I’ll behave myself, just let me go,” she said. She was calmer now, but still pretty peeved.
“You always have a choice, Julia,” he said as he let her loose. “I have no intentions of making you stay here, or even stay a vampire. I only ask that you give it a chance before making any rash decisions. Nick did what he did to save you; he cares for you more than you know. He did not do it lightly. We understand how you feel.” He talked to her in a calm voice, his eyes an intense yellow. It was strange. To Jules, he looked about twenty five, not old enough to be a father. His light hair was short and styled back away from his face, his shoulders wide and muscular.
“Of course,” he continued through her silent appraisal, “you may want to go your own way, and we will not try to stop you. If this life is really too much, I will arrange to have you terminated, if that is your desire. That is, after all, what would have happened to you had Nick not intervened. I could not do it myself, as Nicolas would never really be able to forgive me, but I know a few characters that would be willing to help. But first, look around. Tell me what you see.”
Jules rolled her eyes, but did as he asked. She looked around the room with her new eyes. She saw the bed she had laid in, its white down comforter in a bunched up mess. She could see the curtains, the floor, and all the things she would have seen anyway. What was amazing, were all the things she would have never seen before.
She saw an ant in the far corner of the room scurrying away under the baseboard. She saw each and every color around her, brighter and more vivid than before. She could see out the window and through the tree line into the forest. A robin was nesting high in a fir tree deep in the woods. She could see everything!
Ignoring her loss for words, Victor continued, “Now, what do you smell?”
Jules sniffed at the air gently, taking in the aroma of something very much like cinnamon, but not quite. It was a mix. Like pumpkin and cinnamon mixed. She smelled the trees, their woodsy aroma, the damp dirt, and another smell. This one sent her mouth watering and a yearning from her stomach that didn’t work like it used to. It was a salty, coppery smell.
She looked where the delicious scent was coming from, and saw a small amount of blood on the floor. It was Nick’s. From where she had bitten him. She suddenly felt sick with remorse.
“Oh my God! Nick! Is he all right? I hurt him!” She began to sob uncontrollably. She had hurt the man who was her best friend, who saved her, her angel.
“He will be just fine; Phoenix is a healer. I am sure by now Nicolas is well and waiting for you downstairs. Please, child, give him a chance. My son is the most decent being I know. He would never do anything to cause you harm. Go to him, give this a chance,” he urged her.
She thought about all the times Nick had been there for her. He always listened when she ranted about some stupid thing at work, he always took care of her when she needed it, even if she didn’t want to be taken care of. She knew deep down that Victor was right, and she knew Nick would never do anything that caused her pain in any way. She had only one choice now, she would have to give this new life a chance. It was the least she could do for Nick.
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Hours passed. Once Victor had gotten Jules calmed down, she asked to be alone with her thoughts. Everyone waited downstairs for her to come around. Victor had explained to her, better than Nick could have, the way things were handled around their home here, and that Nick had acted out of love, not malice. Nick could easily understand how she was shaken by the recent turn of events. If he had not been born into this world, he couldn’t say with any certainty that this is the life he would have chosen for himself.
Phoenix also had healed the wounds Jules had inflicted on his neck and shoulders. It was one of his many talents that came in handy from time to time.
Nick had also met the angel in the living room. His name was Michael, but he did not say much else. He was tall and dark haired. His angular face was shadowed by a beard that was in serious need of trimming. Nick questioned Jolice as to why Phoenix had to find him, and her reply was shady. “All I know is that there will be more to join us. There is something we must do together. I cannot be sure what that is yet, only your girlfriend upstairs is important to this.”
“You misunderstand,” Nick told her. “I am not seeing her. Just because I am helplessly in love with her doesn’t mean she feels that way for me. I doubt she ever will now, as I have stolen her eternity with her true love from her.”
“She won’t see it that way for long,” she retorted. “She will forgive you, Nick, just give her time.” Jolice was glowering at him, growing impatient with his pessimism.
Jules came down the stairs then, flowing like an angel. Victor had given her a change of clothes from Rachel’s closet. The silk white dress hung from her body like water, cascading down to her knees. She looked even more beautiful than before. As she approached, he could see her eyes had returned to a hazel mix. She was back to normal, almost. As much as possible.
“Nick, I am so sorry for attacking you. I should get a better control of my emotions.” Her face burned with regret.
“Of course, it is all right. Phoenix fixed me right up,” he said, patting his now healed shoulder. “I can’t blame you for your reaction. How do you feel now?”
“Better. Victor explained to me that it was this,” she waved her hand over her new body, “or die. After I looked in the mirror, I was a little ok with it. I have never been so pretty. My skin is perfect, my hair is soft and manageable.... it was a bit of a shock, though. And you, well, I understand why you did what you had to do.”
“Did Father explain your options to you?” Nick asked, not really knowing if he really wanted her answer.
“You mean stay or go? Or die?” She smiled a little. “Yes he did. And I told him like I will tell you; I don’t know yet. But since this is the hand I have been dealt, I will give it a fair chance. I don’t relish the idea of killing people, so you will have to teach me what to do.”
“Of course, you must be famished by now!” Nick remembered the craving for blood all too well. When he was very young, it kicked in with a vengeance. He couldn’t seem to get enough blood to satisfy it. “I will get you something. I don’t suppose you have a preference?” He smiled cautiously at her, but she returned it with a genuine smile of her own.
“No, I don’t guess I do. Just whatever you like.”
She followed him into the kitchen area. Blood was kept in stockpiles in eight freezers, with another stash in the refrigerator for more immediate use. In addition to the freezers, the food preparation area consisted of a small stove, a microwave, and lots of counter space. And of course, there was a pantry and refrigerator for human food.
Nick retrieved a bag out of the refrigerator and a pan from the cabinet. He filled the pan with water from the sink and put it on the stove, dropping the bag inside it. “We heat it on the stove because microwaving takes away so much of the flavor,” he explained. She watched intently as he prepared her drink.
When the blood was the right temperature, he grabbed a tall wine flute from the cabinet. He poure
d the blood into it and held it out for her. She took it tentatively from his hand, uncertain about what she was supposed to do with it. “If it helps, just pretend it’s wine,” he suggested.
“Not a good idea, don’t you remember what happened last time I drank?” She smiled at him. He remembered, all right. He had to put her to bed after the violent vomiting subsided.
“Well, maybe not wine, how about fruit punch?”
She laughed this time, as raised the glass to smell. “Mmm, smells good, actually. Here goes nothing.”
She tasted the blood, uncertainly at first, and then took a real drink. Nick watched as she finished off the glass. “Would you like more?” he asked her.
“Is there any more already fixed?”
“Yes,” he said as he poured the rest of the contents of the pan into her glass. She was sipping more gently now, so he decided it was time to clean up. He washed the pan and her glass when it was empty, returning them to their original places.
“I feel better now,” she commented, “is it normal to be grouchy when you are hungry?”
“Yes it is. But vampires are not known for having even tempers. We are only so calm because we have had years to practice it,” he replied to her.
“Can I ask you a question, I mean; Victor explained to me how most of you don’t kill anymore, but, what about all the myths? I mean, sunlight, in particular?” A valid question.
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