Blood Born

by Jamie Manning

  Suddenly the scene changes. With a flash as fast as lightning, I’m no longer standing in the park waiting to kill my parents. Now I’m standing in an open field, with nothing around me but trees, thick with leaves and swaying heavily in the forceful winds circling me. I see the snow piling up on the ground as it blasts from the gray sky above, but I feel no cold. I feel only heat, intense and full of anger, running through every cell in my body. Anger toward the two people who were supposed to love me but didn’t, my parents. I begin to search the clearing, my eyes breaking through the wall of falling snow, trying desperately to see my mom and dad. I still have the uncontrollable urge to kill them, just like in the park.

  But someone is there to stop me. I can’t see them, but I know they are right behind me, eagerly waiting to keep me from killing, to keep me from ending my parents’ lives. The anger in me grows stronger, now including this person, this invader. My mind quickly alters its plan. Now I will kill three people today.

  Just like in the park, I finally see my parents walking toward me, their hands still locked tightly together. I move to take a step when large, familiar hands clutch my shoulders, the electricity from the touch mixing with the current already enveloping me. I don’t need to see his face to know who he is.

  “Why are you here?” I ask him, not taking my eyes off the young, happy couple battling the blizzard to get to me.

  “I’m here to stop you,” I hear Chance say from behind me. His voice is just as intoxicating as always, and I can’t stop my body from relaxing upon hearing it.

  “I have to do this,” I say, trying to force my legs to keep moving forward. I feel my fangs break through my gums, the venom flowing to their pointy tips, ready to release.

  “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, Ava. You have the power to end this.” I want to turn and look at his face, to see those beautiful eyes full of warmth, but I can’t. I can’t allow myself to be distracted by his beauty. I have to focus on what I came to do.

  “I have to make them pay for what they did to me. It’s the only way I can survive my life.” Even though the anger in me is still very strong and very present, and I want so desperately to end those who gave me life, I can’t help but cry at the pain of my abandonment. It always lives just below my skin. I can always feel it there, clawing away at me, each day taking a tiny piece of me and destroying it. Giving that pain to my parents is my only hope.

  “It’s not the only way, Ava, and you know that now.” Chance’s hands fall from my shoulders, leaving me missing his touch. Powerless to stop them, my feet spin my body and suddenly I’m facing him, that beautiful, chivalrous guy who saved my life. That’s when I realize that he’s right. I do know that destroying my parents is not the only way to save myself. But the urge is too strong for me to resist. Chance is smiling at me, his teeth gleaming even in the snowstorm.

  “You know what can save you now, don’t you?” he asks, reaching out for my hand. I smile back at him, knowing exactly what I have to do. I take Chance’s hand, letting him pull me to his body. He wraps his arms around me, holding me tighter than anyone ever has, the heat between us melting the snow falling above us before it ever touches down. I put my hands around Chance’s neck, pulling his face to meet mine. He is still smiling wide at me, and I can’t help but feel immense gratitude and loyalty toward him. I want to tell him I love him, but I can’t. I don’t know if I ever will.

  “I know you can’t say it, Ava.” It’s as if he read my mind. I look into his eyes and the secret to ridding myself of the pain of my childhood is lurking there, just waiting for me to take hold and pull it free. Knowing what has to happen for me to do that, I lay Chance’s head down on my shoulder; and just as he whispers “I love you, Ava,” his breath hot and perfectly enticing in my ear, I feel the tips of my fangs break into the skin of his neck.

  My mind destroyed the dream when my eyes flew open. I was lying in bed, my body drenched in sweat. I quickly got rid of the blanket on top of me, the coolness of the air chilling my heated skin instantly, the sweat cold and soothing. My mind immediately began racing.

  Had it not been a dream? Had I killed him for real?

  Panic set in and I sprang from the bed and threw open the door to Chance’s room, terrified of what I would find. Right away I could hear the water running and Chance’s voice trying to carry a tune. He was in the shower. I let the air out of my lungs and walked down the hall, careful of the hardwood floors that were prone to squeaking whenever I walked on them.

  “You almost done?” I asked through the bathroom door. My voice was incredibly shaky, and I had to concentrate on not sounding scared to death—which I was. The hum of rushing water abruptly stopped.

  “One minute,” I heard Chance yell back, and after a few seconds, the bathroom door swung open, a plume of hot steam hitting me in the face. “All yours,” he said with a smile, nothing but a towel covering the lower half of his body. The upper part—the part I couldn’t stop staring at any time it was exposed—was glistening with thousands of tiny water droplets, reflecting the overhead light like crystal. His dripping hair clung to his face in large, thick curls, only adding to his mesmerizing scent. I felt my face blush as he stepped around me and into the hall.

  “Thanks,” I said, and as he turned to walk to his room to get dressed, I stole a quick glance at his neck, smiling with deep relief that it was wound-free.

  I took a super-quick shower and threw on some clothes as fast as I could, still unnerved by that awful dream. I had no recollection of it before last night, but now it felt as if I had been having those thoughts my entire life. I couldn’t actually remember them, but the feeling of a memory was there. I tried to shake it off as I headed downstairs. Chance was seated at the kitchen counter, a half-eaten bowl of cereal beneath him. The same awkward tension between us yesterday eased its way back in once I saw him. I was still mad at him—a little at least—and I knew he felt the same toward me. I fake-smiled and fixed myself a bowl of cereal, opting to sit at the table across the room from him. I noticed as I passed the counter that his mom had left a note. A quick glance with my all-new super vision told me Ms. Caldon had been called in to work, and for the two of us to have a fun day. Yeah, like that was possible. I sat at the table and was nearly finished eating before Chance finally spoke.

  “We need to go see Aldric,” he said firmly as he placed his used dishes in the sink. He turned and leaned against the counter, staring hard at me as I finished my breakfast. I knew it was coming. Talking to Aldric had probably been on his mind all night. And yes, if I was being totally honest, I somewhat agreed that filling Aldric in was the right thing to do. I just hated the idea. The thought of something horrible happening to Erik and Lila because of me—though I didn’t fill as bad for Lila—made my stomach wrench. I didn’t argue, quietly adding my bowl and spoon to his in the sink and following him outside. Once we were in the car and on the way to Aldric’s, I tried one last time to change his mind.

  “I think you’re making a mistake telling him,” I blurted out, trying to fill my voice with confidence. I wanted Chance to believe me, even though I didn’t fully believe myself. I couldn’t be positive Aldric would kill Erik and Lila, or that he wouldn’t. I just felt that somewhere down the line, I would need them. Keeping their existence a secret seemed like the best idea. Chance didn’t agree.

  “I already said I’d leave Kayla’s name out of it,” he snapped back. “Don’t push it.”

  “I’m not pushing anything. I’m trying to keep two people from being killed.” I was sulking on my side of the truck cab, mad that Chance was being so obnoxious. “I know you don’t care about that, but I do.” I watched as he fought to control his anger, gripping the steering wheel and grinding his teeth.

  “I don’t care? How can you say I don’t care? Look what I did to save you?”

  “That was different. These people are innocent.”

  “And you’re not?” he asked, anger lacing his words. I tried to answe
r him, but I couldn’t. In my mind, I wasn’t. I was a vampire. So I didn’t feel very innocent. I opened my mouth to protest Chance’s faith in me, but he had already moved on.

  “They’re murderers, Ava. They spend their days looking for vampires to kill. You’re a vampire. See my problem?” I knew Chance was worried about me—he did too much worrying about me—but I couldn’t let him be the cause of two people dying, no matter what extracurricular activities they took part in.

  “I understand, Chance, I do. But who’s to say they would ever hurt me?” My mind immediately went to Lila’s threat against me, and the fact that they were vampire hunters; killing me would come naturally to them. But something in the back of my mind was telling me that these two—well, three if you count Kayla—were different. I couldn’t explain it, but I somehow felt safe around them. “And you’ve killed vampires yourself.”

  “One vampire. I’ve killed one. And that was to save you.”

  “Either way, you’re no different.”

  “I don’t go around hunting them. I’m completely different.” He was right. I knew that.

  “What if you’re wrong? What if they’re okay? They might be able to help us.”

  “I can’t take that chance, Ava. If I can stop something bad from happening to you, I’m gonna do it. Whether it makes you mad or not.” His voice was still so full of anger, though his face somewhat relaxed. “I wish you could understand that. I’m here to help you. If that means risking the life of someone who might try to kill you one day, then that’s what I have to do.”

  I really didn’t know what to say to that. Chance was right. I barely knew Erik and Lila. And Kayla, for that matter. Who was to say that they wouldn’t try to kill me? I didn’t think it was possible, not really, but I could see how Chance would. I really hated him being involved in all of this. I hated the fact that I was the reason he had to make life-and-death decisions at only seventeen. It wasn’t fair to him. I wanted desperately to understand the position he was in, but I just couldn’t let him have the blood of innocent people—of humans—on his hands. I had to do something to stop him from telling Aldric. My mind was spinning out of control as we pulled up to Aldric’s house. Before we got out of Chance’s truck, an idea struck me. I knew it was a bad one, one that would probably hurt him in the long run, but I couldn’t stop the words from pouring out of my mouth.

  “If you really wanted to help me,” I said, looking over at him, “you wouldn’t do this.” I hated making such a statement knowing what damage it would cause, but I had no other choice. And I could tell by the pained look on his face as we walked up to Aldric’s house that Chance’s heart had just been stabbed by my words.

  1

  6. LIFE REVISITED

  Aldric’s house was not what I expected for a vampire. I thought I would see a castle or some other dark, foreboding structure with cobweb-covered eaves, peeling paint, and maybe a moat. What I saw was a house like millions of others, plain and ordinary, with what looked like a fresh coat of paint and a perfectly landscaped lawn coated in freshly fallen snow. The tan and white-trimmed facade blended in with other houses on the street; no one would ever know it belonged to a lethal killer. I guessed that was what Aldric had been thinking when he chose it. The modest house did sit back far from the road, though, buried behind several trees and thick brush. The rustic seclusion would make it easily overlooked by the common passer-by.

  Chance walked a few feet in front of me as we approached. I couldn’t be sure, but it looked as though his shoulders weren’t standing wide and broad like they normally were. They were sort of slumped and drawn, like he had been scolded. He looked defeated. I hated what I said to him, knowing that all he wanted was to help me. But I had no choice. I only hoped I got through to him. I felt tiny nerves prickling my skin as he knocked on Aldric’s door. I hated the anxiety I felt whenever I was around Aldric, like he had some sort of hidden power over me. I figured it must have something to do with him being my Creator, which totally freaked me out. Even though I wanted nothing to do with him, I found myself drawn to him constantly, and that freaked me out, too.

  “Come in,” Aldric said in his usual somber tone once he opened the door. “I’ve been expecting you.” I was curious as to why he thought we would drop by, but then I remembered that I had agreed to a more extensive training session sometime over the weekend, so naturally he would have been looking for us.

  The inside of his house was night and day different from the outside. It was much closer to what I imagined a vampire’s house would look like; thick, heavy drapes of blood-red velvet hanging over every window and doorway, making me feel like I was standing inside a heart. The walls were such a dark gray they looked black, and the floors were a rich cherry hardwood. I felt like I had just walked onto the set of some Gothic horror movie.

  “I wanted the outside appearance to appease the neighbors,” Aldric offered, watching me stare around the room. “But I simply had to make the inside feel like home.” His face held a wide smile, but something dark sat behind his eyes. I knew he was hiding something, him and Chance both. I wanted to call him on it, but after the way things had gone when I confronted Chance, I thought it best to wait on that.

  “It’s, well, different,” I said, trying to sound polite, though I didn’t really want to be.

  “Only to you,” he answered. “I’ve decorated it to look like the last place I called home. A sixteenth century castle in Ireland. Of all the places I’ve lived, that one was by far my favorite.” Aldric offering even the tiniest bit of his past was surprising to me. He didn’t strike me as the type who even thought about such things. “Can I get you something to drink?” His being nice was creeping me out.

  “I just want to get started.” I hoped he would pick up on my urgency. Suddenly I wanted nothing more than to leave his house. I wasn’t really in the mood to train, but if it would keep Chance from telling Aldric about the hunters, then I was willing to do it.

  “Of course.” Aldric’s pleasantries dissipated, and he was once again his usual cold, brooding self. “Shall we?” He looked at me as he gestured to a velvet curtain hanging on the wall to his left. I glanced over at Chance before I moved. His face was practically screaming ‘what the hell,’ and I tried to reassure him that he would get his chance to tell Aldric what he wanted—which wasn’t an easy thing to do only using hand signals. He couldn’t even look me in the face, his head lowered and his eyes focused on his shifting feet below, and I felt a sudden surge of guilt course through me. I was mad at him for trying to protect me, and now I was looking to him when something didn’t feel right. The term ‘hypocrite’ came to mind as I reluctantly followed Aldric through the curtain, with Chance once again lagging behind.

  The curtain hid a very dark, very creepy staircase leading down to what I imagined was a basement. The walls felt cold to the touch, made of rough stone and raw cement. Not what I imagined a typical New England basement to be, but I was becoming a pro at misjudging things lately. I watched as Aldric gracefully took each step, impressive due to the lack of lighting. Though my eyesight was markedly improved from before I became a vampire, his was obviously better. Had I tried to mimic him, I would have ended up tumbling the rest of the way down. Instead, I carefully planted both feet firmly on each step before moving to the next. I knew that being a vampire made me strong—and immortal—but I had no clue how well my new body could handle a bunch of broken bones. Aldric was waiting patiently once I finally reached the bottom landing.

  “Let’s begin,” he said, walking further into the basement. The room itself was adorned with burning candles scattered haphazardly along the walls, which were made of the same rough stone as the one flanking the stairs. I could only imagine that the castle he had lived in looked exactly like this room. The flickering glow of candlelight made the walls appear as if they were moving, alive, almost breathing. The effect definitely upped the creepy factor.

  I tried to force the uneasiness to the back of my mind and focu
s solely on learning what Aldric had to teach me. I felt good about my ability to sense when a vampire was close. It wasn’t perfect, but I could at least protect myself and the people around me. So I was more than ready to learn something new. I wasn’t ready, however, for Aldric’s roundhouse kick to my chest. His speed was so fast, catching me off guard.

  My body went flying across the room, crashing hard into an antique piece of furniture shoved against the far wall. It splintered into a million pieces that flew around the room. I crumpled to the floor, intense pain filling my chest. I didn’t black out, but I couldn’t really see, either. Bolts of electricity were surging up my body into my head, making opening my eyes nearly impossible. I could hear shouting and scuffling around the room, mostly Chance telling Aldric he was going to kill him. I knew by the garbled sounds of scurrying footsteps that he was charging at Aldric, and I knew that it would end badly. I fought hard to open my eyes and get up, the pain excruciating. I felt I would pass out at any moment. I used my hands to push my body upright, leaning back against the wall. A sea of black dotted with bursts of color filled my vision, making me nauseous and lightheaded. I used all my strength to open my eyes, the swirling colors slowly fading, leaving me with a hazy view of the room before me.

  I saw Chance standing inches from Aldric, the two of them looking more like warriors ready for battle than a vampire and his helper. Rage was clearly fueling Chance’s actions, squirming across his face like blood. And speaking of blood, the scent of his was massive. It instantly flooded my mind, pouring over my senses and clouding my thoughts. I fought harder than ever to ignore it, to push it away so I could focus on him. I could tell by the rapid rise and fall of his chest that he was mad, madder than I had ever seen him. I knew what he wanted to do, and I couldn’t let him try and tragically fail.