Curse of Night

by T C Galinari

  She can hear me thinking? Is she telepathic?

  Shaking her head, she stops and turns to face me as she places her hands on her hips.

  “Dear God, dude,” she starts, but I interrupt.

  Snickering, I call out, “Did you really just ‘dude’ me? What generation did you grow up in?” I quickly catch up to her.

  “Trust me when I say you don’t want me to answer that question. That said, my benefactor had a lot of what you would call old movies on all the time when I was younger.”

  “Benefactor?” I question.

  “Sorry. He’s more like my adoptive father,” she explains as we walk side by side.

  She's so intriguing, but can I trust her? It’s as if we’ve known each other for years, but I don't truly know anything about her.

  We walk in silence for a bit before Giselle stops. We’re in the middle of nowhere, it seems to me. As I scan the fields in front of us, all I can see is farmland. My attention comes back to Giselle as she opens her mouth as if to speak before closing it and saying nothing. Glancing around, she doesn’t seem as at ease as she had been, and I’m not sure what to make of it.

  “Giselle, is everything okay? Why did you bring me out to an open field? Are you going to kill me or something and didn’t want to do it in the graveyard?” I quip, trying to make a joke, but it falls flat even to my own ears.

  Grimacing, she bites her bottom lip, and I must say, it’s kind of cute how nervous she is, but it’s not really easing my anxiety. In fact, she’s making me a little jumpy. As I stand here waiting for her to respond, my chest tightens as my breathing accelerates, and there’s this undeniable thirst clawing its way up my throat.

  “Shit. I knew I wouldn’t do this right. Sebastian, breathe. I need to explain what happened.” She’s biting her lip as she berates herself under her breath.

  “Explain what?” I growl out, not recognizing my own voice.

  Her eyes widen as she focuses on my face. Taking a sharp inhale, she pinches the bridge of her nose and starts. She explains what happened the night we first met, and how I’ve been sleeping for days, ever since I was taken downstairs at the hospital for testing.

  “Anthony, my uncle, sent a black witch who he’d turned into a vampire into your dreams.”

  I interrupt her, holding up a hand.

  “Your uncle is after me? Why?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at her. “Vampires don’t exist.”

  With a heavy sigh, she breaks eye contact, turning to look off in the distance. “I don’t know why Anthony wants you. My guess is to get to me. As a dream walker, you can invade my dreams. If you were one of his vampires, he’d probably send you into my dreams to kill me. Vampires do exist. They have for centuries. Some are good, and some are not so good. My benefactor is a vampire, and he’s offering to help you.”

  “Why would your uncle want you dead? Why would you have a vampire adoptive father?”

  She remains silent for a minute or so as she rubs her face with both hands, a gesture I know well. I do the same when I need to release my frustration.

  “I really wasn’t expecting to have this conversation with you right now. I wanted to get you somewhere safe first. But I’ll give you the shortened version of this crazy tale. I’m what’s called a Dhampir. If you’ve ever seen the Blade trilogy, it’s kind of like that. My father was a very old, very ruthless vampire, and my mother was a black witch, though I’ve recently learned she wasn’t always one of those. Unlike in the movie, my mother wasn’t attacked and raped. She simply wanted to be with my father and wanted to have me. And that’s a different story altogether. Because of their union, I was created. I was born a hunter, that is what Dhampirs are, and I’m the best. Being the best hunter had a lot to do with my two benefactors. One was a compassionate, law-abiding inquisitor, and the other was a vicious, vindictive, and extremely vengeful prince turned vampire. Vlad––the vampire––had all of those bad qualities before being turned. During my childhood, I hunted my uncle and his people until it was time for me to go into a sort of centuries-long hibernation. Which you woke me from,” she explains, yet her words don’t help me understand.

  “You didn’t really answer my questions,” I remind her, watching as she clears her throat.

  “After my benefactors killed my parents for their evil deeds, they took me in and trained me. They became my family. As for my uncle, if you were being hunted by someone who was determined to kill you, wouldn’t you want to kill him or her first?” she clarifies.

  Good point.

  “I can honestly say I would,” I agree. “Do you know how your uncle found out about me? Do you know, exactly, what the witch did?”

  “I don’t know how he found out about you, or when,” she starts to answer my questions, but I interrupt her again.

  “When?” I ask as she rolls her eyes. “Okay, okay. I’ll stop interrupting.”

  “I’m guessing he didn’t learn about you until recently. Otherwise, he would’ve come after you when I first woke up.” She pauses, waiting to see if I ask more questions. I don’t. “As for what the witch did, my understanding is that she bit you, and you’re going through a change, but not like other newly-turned vampires.”

  A vampire?!

  "I'm a VAMPIRE?!" I scream at her and start pacing, my breathing becoming quick and shallow.

  She gives me a pointed look, but I ignore it. She continues, “With our strange connection, I thought I’d be able to see your dreams, but I’m not the dream walker. You are. It took a very unlikely source for me to be able to find you.”

  I’m freaking losing my mind. My grandmother warned me this could happen if I dream walked too often. I should’ve listened.

  "Are you hungry, by chance? Vlad gets”––she gestures to my pacing––“like this when he’s hungry.”

  Befuddled, I stop in my tracks and face her. And just like that, my breathing evens itself out as I truly think about what she’s asked.

  “I’m not really hungry, but this crazy thirst has increased since coming out of the coffin,” I admit as my speech changes at the thought of being thirsty.

  Two sharp pinpricks pierce my bottom lip, and my eyebrows raise. I know my eyes have to be as big as saucers. I quickly cover my mouth with one of my hands.

  “That would be your hunger. You need to feed, but I’m not sure if we’ll find any cattle or pigs in this dream. And I can’t really get a message out to Vlad. It took a spell to get me into your dream state, so without you waking up, I’m not sure what to do. Any thoughts?” Giselle frowns as she glances around the space.

  At her words––and the realization that I have fangs––my body goes rigid, and I feel frozen to the spot I’m in. A knot forms in my stomach, and I really want to hurl as the knot is quickly followed by overwhelming nausea.

  Asshole…man-up and overcome this shit! You’ve played through excruciating pain. You can fight this.

  Closing my eyes, I suck in a long, deep cleansing breath like my mother taught me to do all those years ago.

  I can do this.

  Letting out the breath and opening my eyes, I scan the field, finding nothing that can help this thirst except Giselle, and that’s a line I am not going to cross.

  “Well, hell. This is a new one for me. I’ve never had a guide when dream walking. Can we sit down for a minute so I can get a handle on this?” I request, motioning to the ground, and she nods in agreement. “Thanks.”

  We both squat down before taking a seat on the grass. Even in this strange dream, the ground is hard and cold, just like it would be if I was awake. But it helps get my mind off being thirsty, and now, I have more questions.

  “You said a black witch did this to me. She turned me without my consent. I feel violated,” I tell her, not really expecting Giselle to answer.

  “I would too if I were you. I’ll be honest, we don’t really know what’s going to happen to you. Since she went into your dream, and I’m guessing bit you, we don’t know whether or not when you wake
up if you’ll fully turn. Hell, you might only be a vampire when you dream walk.”

  “Hmm…that would…ah,” I stammer. “I’m not sure that’s going to be much better. How would I find blood? And by the way, what kind of blood do I need to drink? You said something about cows and pigs.”

  She grins. “Yes. Vlad and I call it the vegetarian option. A lot of vampires choose this option rather than biting any humans. My uncle is one of those that doesn’t believe in eating anything other than humans. But he’s a sadistic asshole that needs to die.”

  “You really don’t like your uncle,” I point out, appreciating that she is trying to ease my mind.

  "He's a complete asshole. He's also what you would call a chicken shit. He stays in hiding so I can't find and kill him," she complains as if this topic of conversation is an everyday occurrence, and for Giselle, it may be.

  “Good to know. Remind me never to piss you off.” I crack a smile.

  “Deal. So you about ready to get out of here? Your friends and family are waiting in your hospital room for you. Vlad, my adoptive father, is there too. He has blood waiting in case this change follows you. We really have no clue what’s going to happen, so if for some reason you can’t get out of this dream because of the witch, do you want Vlad to turn you? I have to ask because that’s the worst-case scenario,” she adds, laying back on the ground to watch the stars.

  “If anything happens, will you be there? It would be nice to have a friendly face with me.”

  “My physical body is at your house. I went there to see if I could find something to help wake you, and in a way, I did, but it wasn’t what I was expecting. Don, Luke, and the rest of their family are with you and Vlad at the hospital.” She glances at me from the corner of her eye.

  “I didn’t mean it like that, though having you there to protect my friends would’ve been nice. If anything goes wrong…will you kill me?”

  “Sebastian, I’d prefer not to have to do that, but if that is truly your wish, I’ll do it for you.”

  “Thank you. When we get back to our real lives, and I’m not killing people, could I maybe get your phone number?” I ask shyly.

  A soft smile curves the corners of her mouth up. “Yes,” she agrees on a soft laugh.

  “Then, I think I’m ready.” I lay back next to her and grab her hand. Lifting it to my lips, I kiss it. “Close your eyes,” I whisper.

  A harsh, loud beeping noise has my eyes opening to the bright fluorescent lights of my hospital room. Giselle was right. My room is full of my chosen family, but all I can think about is her…and my growing thirst.

  Son of a bitch! The witch actually turned me.

  Chapter 11

  Sebastian

  Since waking a week ago, I've had so many damn tests, it’s not even funny. The only saving grace has been my company. Between Luke, his family, Giselle, and her people––I guess you'd call them family––I've been thoroughly entertained. When I first woke, there had been a bit of tension between the groups. More so from Luke and his brothers than Don. It seems that during the interrogation Don and Vlad had with the witch, they hit it off, but they won't discuss their friendship. And believe me, I've tried.

  It turns out I'm not fully turned after all, which has helped when dealing with the hospital. My heart rate has dropped, though, and that little quirk has the staff scratching their heads. They keep waiting for me to die, so they have me hooked up to every machine they can think of and won't let me leave. Bunch of assholes, if you ask me. I'm sick of being here. And don't get me started on my breathing. Let's just say I can probably swim across the English Channel only coming up for maybe three breaths. Which is kind of a cool superpower, but it means I'm getting poked and prodded like a pincushion. Not to mention the blood cravings I get every once in a while. Vlad's helping out with those, thankfully, and no one is saying anything about that fetish to the hospital staff. I'd be sent to some government testing facility if they knew about the blood. I'm actually shocked I haven't been moved yet. Luke thinks I'm nuts when I mention everything that’s happened to me, but with the looks Don and Vlad give each other, I know I'm not far off the mark.

  "Hello," calls a voice I recognize before Brie steps further into the room.

  “Can I get out of here yet?” I whine.

  Brie stops inches from the bed rail, placing her hands on her hips and rolling her eyes at me. She doesn’t even respond to my question as she logs into the computer and enters all the information the machines hooked to me are displaying.

  Guess that’s a no.

  “Brie, are the doctors giving any timeframe for my release? I’m fine, and I want to get out of here. I have things to do, including school,” I remind her, trying to implore her to make inquiries.

  “Ian, considering what happened, and you being unconscious for days, I wouldn’t count on being discharged anytime soon.”

  Well, hell. Maybe I can talk to Kristy.

  “Do you know if Kristy is working here today?” I inquire, a bit of hope seeping into my voice.

  “What, you think just because Luke’s mom is a doctor, she’ll help you get out of here any quicker? I think not. Anyway, she’s an OB doctor, and last I checked, you’re not having a baby. Besides, I’m sure she wants to know what’s going on with you just as much as everyone else.”

  I seriously doubt that considering I know she’s been informed of my…situation.

  “I’m just curious,” I counter.

  “I’m not sure, but I’ll find out. If she is, do you want me to see if she’ll come down?” Brie asks as she finishes entering the data.

  “Please,” I reply.

  She nods before leaving the room.

  Time seems to trickle by after Brie’s departure, giving me too much time to think. Since waking and being cooped up in here, I’ve done a bit of soul searching. Before all this happened, I had thought I wanted to own my father’s restaurant while working as an engineer. Now, I’m just not sure what I want to do. I haven’t tried to snack on anyone, thankfully, but there have been a few near misses. Some of the hospital staff have gotten on my last damn nerve, and if it hadn’t been for Vlad or Don being in the room, I might have taken matters into my own hands. Vlad wouldn’t have had to bring me blood that day.

  I should see if I can change my classes to online ones. It’s not like I’m getting out of here anytime soon.

  The murmuring of voices I recognize filter into the room even though Luke, Seth, and Don are probably only halfway down the hall.

  I’m such a freak now.

  Two more voices join the conversation, but those I’m not as familiar with. I think they resemble Giselle’s and Vlad’s cadences, though.

  I can’t make this decision on my own, so here goes nothing.

  Seth enters the room first with a big ass grin on his face. “What up, freak?” he greets me, snickering.

  “So mature of you, asshole,” I admonish as he comes closer to me.

  Instead of a bro hug––you know the one that’s one-handed with a hard thump on the back––Seth holds out his hand for one of his I’m-cool-with-the-kids-these-days type of handshake. When he’s not on duty, Seth mentors at the Boys & Girls Club here in town, so he tries to be hip for the kids. I’m not that old, but I’m too old for this shit, so I just laugh my ass off at him as he stands there awkwardly holding out his hand.

  Don pushes Seth out of the way, hugging me before moving around the bed to the open chair. Today is the first day I actually notice Don showing his age. There’s a bit more gray in his hair, and I hope I’m not the cause. When my parents passed, I didn’t think he was going to make it. It’s not that he’s all that old, but losing my parents took something from him, and he really hasn’t been the same since.

  Giving him a silent, meaningful look, he shoos me off as my room quickly fills with more people.

  “Vlad, can you close the door, please?” Don requests, his lips pressing together in a slight grimace.

  Vlad nod
s and closes the door behind him before taking his position next to Giselle again.

  Don’s gaze ping-pongs between everyone in the room, but he doesn’t make direct eye contact with anyone, and with that simple eye twitch, I know something is very wrong. As the sheriff of our town, Don never shows his discomfort. Not even when he had to tell me about my parents’ plane crash, and that nearly killed him.

  “What?” I prompt him, not wanting whatever he has to say to be drawn out.

  On a long exhale, Don leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees and finally meets my gaze.

  “Yesterday, one of the hospital staff made a call,” Don starts before Luke interrupts, and my stomach drops with an emptiness filling the space.

  “Made a call?” Luke questions, his brows knitting together, trying to figure out what his father is getting at. “Dad, what the hell are you beating around the bush about?”

  But I’ve already figured it out. It’s what I’ve been dreading.

  Guess this makes my decision that much easier.

  Tipping my head all the way back, I glance skyward and study the ceiling. There’s no way I can tell my family I’m leaving. Not like this.

  “I understand. In fact, I was going to talk an idea over with all of you,” I start, and realize I can’t chicken out by not looking at some of the most important people left in my life.

  Releasing a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding in, I glance around the room and make eye contact with my family, beginning with Seth, then moving to Don, and finally, Luke, my best friend that’s more like a brother who’s standing at the foot of my bed with his arms crossed, glaring at me.

  I’m such an asshole. I should have talked to him first.

  “The last few days, I’ve been thinking about taking some time to figure out what I want to do with my life. With all the shit that’s been going on, I’m really contemplating whether or not I’m truly doing what I want to do or if I’m just doing what’s expected of me.” Luke starts to interrupt, but I charge on. “After Mom and Dad’s accident, I stayed the course we chose for me. The only thing that changed was that I took over the restaurant. No, I’m not giving it up, but I will hire someone to watch over it and make sure it’s running the way it needs to. However, that’s the only aspect of my life I’m absolutely sure about.”