by Nicole Marie
Victor stepped through the door and he looked surprisingly happy to see me. The lines on his face were somehow less severe, and he smiled and bowed as he came into the room. “Ah, Miss Rose. A pleasure to see you here. Thank you for coming on such short notice.”
I looked at him curiously and then nodded my head. “Of course, I’ll do anything to help. What’s going on?”
“Come this way, please.” He turned on his heels and walked down the hall towards the room that I had met Erik in before. I followed him eagerly, and when darkness consumed the hall again, I put my hand on Victor’s back and followed closely behind. He didn’t flinch or say anything, and I imagined he had gotten used to my strange presence.
I gained comfort from the touch of his cold back for some reason, and I closed my eyes and followed him down the hall. Victor led us through the same door I’d come through before and I followed him inside. I nearly gasped when the mental connection flared to life in my mind again, and I knew Erik was in the room. I ran forward in the darkness towards the shadows where he lay, and kneeled beside the large stone ledge. I could hear the mental chatter again, as if he was renewed with some sort of new life energy.
“Erik, how are you doing?” I couldn’t see the vampire in front of me, but I could feel his presence. I placed my fingers on the edge of the stone ledge, and listened intently in my mind for his voice. I could hear the soft movement of fabric as he turned his head towards me, and spoke to me telepathically, Charlie, what are you doing here?
“Victor messaged me, and I came as soon as I could. This whole driving to Oxford thing has posed a bit of an issue, considering I live in London,” I replied out loud. I laughed an awkward laugh and then ran my hands nervously through my hair.
“Victor called you, did he?” His voice was forced and ragged, and I knew his body was still weak.
I felt the vampire behind me tense as he bowed deeply and then turned and left the room, leaving us alone. I listened to his footsteps echo down the hall and then turned back to Erik expectantly. “Can you please explain what’s going on?”
There was a pause and finally Erik spoke out loud, his voice sounded strained and hollow, no stronger than it had before. “I seem to have gained some energy from your presence here before. I cannot explain it, but you simply being in the same room seemed to renew me with the new life energy I hadn’t thought I’d be able to have again.”
I reached my hand out in front of me into the darkness to find where his body lay. My hand finally found the soft silk fabric of his shirt, and I ran my hand down the length of his arm. “Can you sit up?”
Erik laughed in my head, and the sound was almost joyful. His sharp but sweet voice echoed in the back of my mind and I listened as the sound slowly grew quiet again.
“I’ll take that as a no?”
“My body, unfortunately, still proves quite useless to me. But my mind is reinvigorated with a new sense of vigor. A new sense of life, so to speak.”
I laughed out loud just then. “So to speak,” I repeated.
Why did you come back? Erik finally asked in my mind.
I shook my head and continued to stroke his arm with my hand, the cold hardness of his body steadied me somehow. “I told you, Victor messaged me.”
I barely heard the sound of movement as he slowly shook his head back and forth as he lay on the hard stone surface in front of me. That’s not what I meant, Charlie. I asked why you came.
I wasn’t sure I understood the question, and I sat there in silence as I thought to myself a moment. “I came here for you,” I finally said. “I came because if there was any chance that I could help you, I knew that I had to try.”
The silence consumed the room as I heard my heart beat in my chest loudly, and as a sense of calm and relaxation coursed through my mind, I knew that he was listening to the beating as well. The steady rhythm held our presence and our attention momentarily.
“You didn’t have to do that for me,” Erik finally said out loud. I extended my hand forward and placed it on his chest. I lingered there a moment, but I immediately pulled away when his chest didn’t rise. Of course, it didn’t rise. He was a vampire. He wasn’t actually alive, after all. That thought made me pause as I wondered exactly what the hell I was doing here, saving the life of something that was wasn’t even living to begin with.
I shook my head from that thought, though, as in our day and age, I knew we had to respect all walks of life. All walks of undead, too, I supposed. In a world filled with all sorts of paranormal beings, it wasn’t right to consider humans the only ones worth living. I reached my hand forward again and placed it on his chest, and I sat in silence waiting for him to speak.
“Your presence gives me new life, Charlie. You being here seems to have brought me back from uncertain death.”
I ran my fingers up and down his cold thin chest, and traced his rib cage through the thin silk of his shirt. I shook my head and frowned as tears welled up again in my eyes and I couldn’t control them. “But your body, Erik. Your mind is one thing, but if your body is wasting away. How can you live?”
Pleasure echoed through my mind and I knew he enjoyed my touch. I continued to trace my fingers along his chest and up his collar bone, down his shoulder and back again. A soft moan escaped his lips and I couldn’t help but smile.
Finally, Erik spoke. “I know not the answer to that. All I know is that by you being here, I have a new desire for life. A new will to live.”
I rested my head on his chest and held it there. “It’s not really life if your body can’t sustain itself.” I looked down at the dark shadowy form in front of me and willed my eyes to adjust, but the moonlight barely illuminated the space and all I could see was darkness.
“We’ll figure that out soon enough, Charlie. For now, I’m just happy with your presence.”
We sat there and simply kept each other company for a long while in silence, listening to my heartbeat echo in my chest. I could feel the link in our minds growing stronger as I sat next to him and the tug that I felt that pulled me toward him grew stronger in my chest by the moment.
The part of me that hated him for it had completely melted away and I simply felt the longing for his body. It wasn’t anything too jarring, but I simply felt a pull to him that made me want to be near him. It wasn’t sexual and it wasn’t even anything unnatural. It felt more like I simply wanted to be near him as his mind grew strong because of me.
After a while, I heard footsteps approaching us and Victor finally stepped in the room again. “Is there anything I can get you, Master?”
Erik slowly turned his head towards the door, or so it sounded like, at least, and he spoke softly. “Nothing, thank you, Victor. You have been most kind by reaching out to Miss Rose, here.”
Victor stepped forward into the small beam of moonlight that flooded in from the small window above my head and I could barely make out the trace of his body. He bowed deeply and held himself in that position for a long moment. He then stood up straight and nodded his head. “I live to serve, Master. I cannot begin to express how relieved I am at your renewed mental state.”
I smiled at him as I recognized the sheer devotion in his voice. Victor obviously loved Erik, and I could tell from the faint trace of his eyes that I could see that he didn’t want to lose his master for sheer sake of the coven falling apart. He loved him and wanted to see him survive.
“And is there anything I can get you, Miss Rose?” Victor asked me.
I shook my head, but I wasn’t sure if he could see me in the darkness. “Nothing, thank you, Victor. I’m fine as I am.”
Victor nodded and stepped forward to hand me something. I noticed it was my jacket I had left in the other room, and I placed it on the ground beneath me to soften the hard floor below my knees. I thanked him, and he turned and walked out the door in silence, leaving us alone again.
I turned back towards Erik and placed both hands on his chest, and asked him in my mind, So, what now?
> My mind was filled with silence as the chatter of his mind quieted. Finally, after a long moment simply sitting there next to each other, enjoying each other’s presence, he replied, For now, I just like to stay here in this room with you. If that’s okay with you?
I smiled down at the vampire that I couldn’t see in the darkness, and nodded. “Of course, Erik. I’ll stay.”
“You are most generous. I do not deserve your attentions.”
I shook my head at his silliness. “It’s the least I can do. Besides, I’m not giving up anything by spending time with you. I’m happy to offer my company if that means that you’ll get better.”
My eyes began to slowly adjust now as our mental connection grew even stronger. I wondered if I was taking on his abilities again when my sight grew sharp and my sense of hearing grew stronger still.
I sat there with my hands on his chest, listening to the sound of the clouds passing above us through the window. I shook my head in disbelief at the wondrous sensation, and wondered what else the vampire must be able to hear and sense at any given time.
I stared down at his thin form as he lay on the ledge in front of me, and I could make out the shape of his body now. He looked up at me, his eyes a cold ice blue. The expression he gave me was one of longing and devotion.
I looked down at him, my eyes filled with confusion, wondering just what was going through his mind. I closed my eyes and tried to feel for his thoughts, but I could sense that he was blocking his emotion from me for some reason. I opened my eyes again and looked down at him, and we sat there in silence gazing into each other’s eyes as I could feel him grow stronger in my mind.
I grew sleepy, though. As if my own energy seemed to drain now. I lay my head on the stone in front of me as I waited for Erik’s mind to grow stronger. I waited for my chance to invigorate him enough to restore his full mental state.
I lay there, waiting, as my own energy seemed to disappear.
6
I must have fallen asleep since I was awakened by the bustle of bodies moving through the room. Victor and his angry looking companion stood next to me, and a handful of young men and women, all human-looking, stood along the far wall. I looked up at them confused and then back to Erik, and he looked up at them with eyes just as confused as I was.
“What’s going on here?” I asked. I looked around the room at all the newcomers, concerned what their presence meant for us. For me.
The woman, Alexandra, that I met before stepped forward. “It’s time for you to feed, Master.”
I looked back and forth between her and Erik, and Erik frowned and looked angry. “You know that is not a possibility, Alexandra.”
Victor spoke then as he stepped forward and placed a hand on Erik’s shoulder. “Master, the girl is right. You must feed or your body will waste away and your rejuvenated mind will be for naught.”
Erik shook his head slowly back and forth on the slab, and then turned to look at me, his eyes full of sorrow. “I cannot feed and you know why. End of question. I will not discuss this matter further.”
“You risk us all, Master.” Alexandra stepped forward now, and I noticed her arm still bandaged from where she cut herself before.
“Do not overstep your boundaries, girl,” the vampire that stood next to Victor snapped at her angrily. I didn’t know his name, but I knew enough to fear him. He was so angry looking all the time, and I feared what he would do if provoked.
Alexandra glared back at him and approached Erik with confidence. The scent of her blood suddenly filled my mind and I gasped. She stepped forward still, and as Erik could sense the smell of her blood, in turn it went rushing through me in an overwhelming sensation. I fell to the ground and clasped my hands over my ears and screamed. “Please, no more. Make it stop.” My body convulsed with the need for blood, and the pain was overwhelming that I nearly blacked out.
Victor stepped forward and grabbed the girl by the arm and dragged her back, but she fought him. She pulled herself forward, but she was no match for the vampire. He dragged her back and out the door, and I heard her struggle as she was dragged against her will down the hall, shouting.
I lay on my hands and knees on the ground panting, trying to force myself to pull my mind away from the overwhelming craving that the blood had caused my body to feel. Erik stared at me, his eyes strained and I looked up at him in pain. I knew how much it hurt him not to feed, and I could hardly imagine what he was really going through. The pain I felt was so strong, but it must be magnified for him tenfold.
“The girl is not wrong, Master,” the angry vampire in the room spoke. He took a step towards us and then froze. “We need to find a way for you to feed, or else there’s no reason for Miss Rose to be here. If you’re not going to allow us to save your body, there’s no sense in preserving your mind.” He clenched his hands in fists and released them multiple times, and he looked ready to strike.
I watched Erik in silence as he looked from his people and then back to me. He then shook his head. “That is, unfortunately, not an option.”
“There might be another way,” a young dark-skinned man stepped forward out of the shadows. I hadn’t seen him before, but by his youthful complexion and his bright eyes, I suspected he was another one of the human servants. He bowed to Erik and then turned to me. “What effect will it have on Miss Rose if she is the one to feed him?”
My mouth hung open and I immediately shook my head furiously. “Oh no, absolutely not. There’s no fucking way I’m giving my blood like a fucking pathetic dinner course.” The man raised his eyebrows and I quickly added, “No offense, or anything.”
The man rolled his eyes. “None taken, Miss Rose.”
I looked back to Erik, who continued to stare at me with his piercing eyes. I would never do that to you, he whispered in my mind. Know this.
He slowly extended his arm out and I could feel the pain course through his body in response to the forced motion. He held his hand up against my cheek, the icy coldness of his skin felt incredible against my burning skin.
I nodded into his hand and feigned a small smile. “I’m sorry, Erik. But there is no way I will let myself do that. I can’t.”
“I understand. I would never ask you for such a thing.” His voice was growing weaker.
“There may be a way to do this without you having to be bitten, Miss Rose.” Victor spoke calmly as he came marching back into the room. He walked up to me and knelt down beside me as he traced his finger along my neck where Erik’s bite marks were scarred into my skin. “What if there’s another way? A way you can help without sacrificing your human life?”
I thought of all the possible alternatives and knew that I wouldn’t be happy with any of them. I shook my head at him and frowned. “I’m sorry, Victor. I’m not food. I’ll help in any other way I can, but I’m not letting anyone take my blood. Do you understand?”
I swallowed hard and hoped my voice sounded confident, but deep inside I was wavering in fear. If they decided I was going to be food, I knew there was nothing I could really do about it. One girl against a group of vampires. I laughed out loud nervously and shook my head again. “I can’t.”
“Please, think about it. For all of our sakes and yours. For you know not what will happen to you with your connection if Master Erik dies.”
I glanced at the other humans in the room and they all looked angry and desperate. They bore the same expressions that Alexandra had had when she threatened my life before. I didn’t know if I would survive Erik’s death, but if I did, I knew I would be hunted.
I looked up to Victor and nodded. “I’ll think on it. I promise. I just need time.” I already knew the answer, but I didn’t want to have to deal with the consequences just yet. I wasn’t going to give myself up. I wasn’t going to give in. Not after hiding for so long and preserving my life so desperately.
Victor smiled and then nodded as he stood back up and left the room. The rest of the group followed him out, leaving me and Erik alone
again.
Erik’s thumb traced my cheekbone as his hand remained up against my face and I nuzzled into it. “I promise, Charlie. It won’t come to that.”
“What if they’re right? You’ll die without feeding, and what if there’s a way that I can help?”
A tear fell down my cheek as I fought with my own mind over what to do. I felt guilty for the position Erik was in, even though I knew deep down that it wasn’t my fault. But if there was something I could do to make this whole thing stop, I knew I should at least try.
I swallowed hard again as I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to think clearly. I was exhausted and my body felt weak. But I knew in my heart that I would never allow myself to join the ranks of vampires. I spent my entire life fighting such things and I wasn’t going to give in now just to save one man’s life. “I’m sorry, Erik. I just don’t know what to do.”
Erik wiped the tear from my cheek and pulled his arm back down on the ledge and rested it on the hard stone. I could feel his own exhaustion in my mind and sleepiness took over again. I leaned against the ledge and tilted my head back against him and rested in silence, consumed by the sound of my own heartbeat again.
“Erik, can I ask you something?”
Of course, Charlie. Anything.
“Why protect me like this? What do you feel you owe me? Why not just let me suffer so you can feed?”
Erik lay there in silence a moment as I waited for his answer. Finally, with the slow and steady voice, he spoke into my mind. I can’t explain it, exactly. When I bit you that night, that night you were sent to kill me and our minds forged together, I experienced something that I hadn’t experienced in a long time. I felt, for the first time in over two centuries... I felt human.
He paused and I waited for him to continue. An overwhelming guilt flooded through my mind, and I knew it to be his. He felt guilty for what he was, for what he had done these past centuries. The hurt I felt in my heart completely broke me. I had no idea a vampire could feel so much pain.