Blood Born

by Jamie Manning

  “Because she’s the one who wants to learn, L. Why not let her decide how to start?” Erik called his sister “L.” Did she call him “E?” I kind of hoped not. Talk about ridiculous nicknames.

  “I want to learn how to stake the way Kayla does.” I blurted it out before Lila had a chance to protest further. “The way you all do.” My heart was beating so fast and hard in my chest I was sure they could hear it. I swallowed the lump stuck in my throat and tried to look as confident as possible.

  “Staking it is.” Erik smiled at me, rolled his eyes at his overbearing sister, and pulled a stake from his back. Of course he carried them around all the time, just like Lila. She didn’t have one on now, but I couldn’t help but wonder if Kayla strapped stakes to her back when she went hunting, too. I smiled back at Erik, excited that he actually cared about what I wanted. He walked over to me, stopping a few feet away. Without speaking, he turned the stake around and held it out toward me. I reluctantly took it from him and stared at it.

  “It won’t bite you,” he said with a tiny laugh. I felt the too familiar rush of embarrassing heat on my face. I was sure I looked like a dork staring at a piece of wood. I brought my gaze up to Erik’s eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes. Focus on training, Ava, not the hottie in front of you. I had to agree with my inner voice this time.

  “I know,” I answered back sharply. “It’s just the first time I’ve ever held one of these. Feels kind of weird.” I kept rolling the chunk of pointed wood around in my hand, fully aware that I was holding the weapon of choice in killing the undead like me. I caught Lila rolling her eyes at me in my peripheral, obviously finding me ridiculous and childlike. I hated her more every minute.

  “Try to stab me with it.” Erik’s statement caught me off guard. Did he just tell me to try and kill him? No, silly, he said ‘stab,’ not kill. He spread his arms wide, exposing his torso. I could see his chest moving as he breathed, the rise and fall very hypnotic. I found myself imagining my head lying against it and falling asleep. I quickly blocked those images from my mind, totally confused as to why I was having them to begin with.

  “You’re kidding, right? What if I hurt you?”

  He laughed a little louder at that. “Don’t worry, you won’t.” I saw the confidence in his eyes and knew he was right, I wouldn’t. But, being stubborn and overly-sure of myself, I lunged forward with the point of the stake aimed at his heart, all my strength behind my move. I barely made it two feet closer to him before he suddenly sidestepped and pushed me past him, ripping the stake from my hand in the process. I fell, the rough, snow-covered gravel of the workout area jamming into my knees. I was sure there’d be a bruise there tomorrow, but I was too mad to worry about it at the moment. I quickly stood back up, brushing some loose snow from my jeans, and turned to face Erik. He was smiling and very sure of himself.

  “See, told ya.” Lila and Kayla stood a few yards behind him, both of them smiling wide. I felt like the village idiot, and I didn’t like it.

  “I didn’t ask to be made a fool of,” I snapped, wanting to run inside to get away from the embarrassment. Instead, I snatched the stake from Erik and got into attack position again. “Now show me how to not let that happen again.” Judging by Erik’s sudden shift in attitude, he understood from my overheated expression that I meant business. I wanted to be trained, not ridiculed. He quickly stepped into position in front of me and took a deep, calming breath.

  “Okay. First, you need to relax. You can’t let your emotions control you. They’ll get you killed, every time.” Erik’s voice was stern yet comforting. I could tell he was being honest with me, that he really wanted to help. “You have to feel what you’re about to do, instead of just seeing it. Try to let your mind show you what to do, not your eyes. Got it?”

  “I’ll try.” I kind of understood what he was saying, but I was also super nervous and afraid of screwing up, so I couldn’t clear my mind and focus the way I wanted. I gripped the stake tightly and lunged forward just like before. And, just like before, Erik maneuvered around me and I completely missed him. I did manage to stay on my feet, grateful that I didn’t totally embarrass myself a second time.

  “That was better,” he said. I tried to brush off my second miss and not let it bother me. I refocused and moved back in front of him. “Just keep focused. You’ll get there.” Even though it sounded good, I had trouble believing it. But I wasn’t ready to give up, so I kept trying.

  For the next few hours, Kayla, Erik and Lila used everything they could think of to train me: stakes, metal rods Kayla fished from the tool shed, even the pool—Lila “graciously” showed me how to control my jumping, using the icy water as a deterrent to falling. I was completely exhausted when Kayla finally decided we were done for the day and Erik and Lila left. I was tired, but my body felt like it could have gone on forever—obviously the vampire in me gave me super stamina. My human side, though, was ready for a hot shower and sleep.

  We drove to Chance’s house in near silence, Kayla focused on driving and me nodding in and out of a much-needed nap. I waved goodbye to her as she left and went inside, heading straight for the bathroom and the relaxation the hot blast of the shower would surely bring. I took my time showering, glad that the house was empty and I could relax in quiet. Not that Chance and his mom were noisemakers, but total silence was a welcome change.

  I waited until the water was almost cold before leaving the shower, trying to enjoy the warmth as long as possible. As I was getting dressed, a strange noise pierced my ears and my vampire senses shifted to high alert. Someone was in the house with me.

  I slowly left the bathroom, careful not to let the door squeak as I crept into the hall. I could tell right away that whoever was there wasn’t a vampire; the blood smell hitting my nose wasn’t rancid. It was strong and sweet, and after only a few steps down the hallway, the familiarity of it hit me. It was Chance.

  “I’m so glad to see you,” I said as I walked into the kitchen. Chance was putting the finishing touches on a sandwich that looked really good. “Got enough to share?” He smiled and took half the sandwich from the plate, sliding the other half over to me. I quickly took a large bite, the honey-flavored ham making my stomach growl even more. I hadn’t even realized I was hungry until I finished the sandwich in four bites.

  “Wow,” Chance said, still eating his half. “Hungry much?” I laughed and washed down my tiny meal with a glass of water.

  “I guess so. And I always thought vampires didn’t need food.” I regretted saying it as soon as the words left my mouth. I saw Chance’s expression change. His eyes grew dark and his smile faded. “Chance, I’m sorry, I—”

  “It’s okay. I need to get use to it.”

  “No, you don’t. No one should have to get use to being around vampires. It’s not natural.” I slowly stood up and walked to the other side of the kitchen. “I’m not natural. I’m a freak monster.”

  “Hey,” Chance said, “don’t say that. You are not a freak or a monster.” His face was soft again, his voice soothing. “Vampire or not, you’re you.” Even though he smiled when he spoke, I could tell that he didn’t fully believe what he was saying. He obviously still had a problem with me being a vampire. I did too, so I understood.

  “Okay.” I smiled back, though only half-heartedly. I didn’t think of myself as not a monster; not completely, anyway. I just wanted to get my humanity back so I would feel normal again.

  A moment of awkward silence lingered in the air before Chance cleared his throat to speak. “So, I know you heard there’s a dance at school three weeks from Friday. The Valentine’s dance? And I was just wondering, well, you know, if you maybe would want to go with me?”

  Talk about being caught completely off guard. I had gotten used to smelling vampires, having vampire-hunting people around, and even training with a thousand-year-old vampire. But this? Total surprise.

  “Um…” I honestly didn’t know what to say. I was so shocked. I mean, sure, there was definitely s
omething going on between Chance and me—sometimes. Other times, I wanted to strangle him he was so aggravating. But I had no idea that he wanted to move things to the next level, whatever level that would be.

  “Just as friends,” he threw at me. And then I understood. He felt sorry for me.

  “Out of pity?” Again, the words flew from my mouth before I had a chance to edit them.

  “No, not out of pity.” And I believed him. It was a knee-jerk reaction to assume he felt sorry for me. Chance paused a moment, the two of us staring at each other. I could feel that something floating between us, like it wanted both of us to reach out and take hold of it and carry it with us. But neither of us wanted to. I wasn’t ready for that, and I honestly didn’t think he was, either. “I think it’ll be fun,” he went on. “But if you don’t want to, it’s cool.” He actually tried to shrug it off like it was no big deal, and I couldn’t stop the laughter.

  “Laughing? That’s your answer, laughing?”

  “I’m sorry,” I said, forcing myself to stop. “Um, yes, I’ll go with you.” A tiny smirk crossed his face before those stoic features returned. “Who knows, maybe it will be fun. I could use some of that.”

  “Me too,” he answered with a half smile. I couldn’t remember ever going to a school dance—gee surprise—so the idea of it both excited and scared me. “So it’s a date?” As soon as he said it I felt my body tense. I could tell his did the same. “Sorry,” he blurted, blushing and moving away from me.

  “It’s okay,” I stammered, not really sure what to say. Was it a date? Were we a couple now? Chance had said we were going just as friends, but was that really true? Did he want more than just to be my friend? I dug my fingers into my temples to ease the sudden headache brought on by the bombardment of questions.

  “You alright?” Chance asked, now standing just outside the kitchen by the front entryway.

  “I’m fine,” I said. “Just a little headache. I stopped rubbing my head and did my best at trying to look happy. “So a dance,” I added. “Are those fun?”

  “They can be, if you go with the right person.” He smiled and turned to go upstairs, leaving me alone in the kitchen.

  I quickly washed the dishes and wiped down the counters with a genuine smile on my face, the first time since waking up in that coffin. It took a moment before I realized why I was suddenly so happy. I was silently hoping I was the right person he had in mind.

  2

  0. FEEDING

  For the next couple of weeks, I had a hard time focusing on my training. After Chance basically asked me out (okay, technically just as friends) I could barely think of anything else. I worked as hard as I could to learn what Kayla, Erik and Lila had tried to teach me—while pulling double duty training with Aldric—but I didn’t think very much of it was staying with me. Thoughts of stake-handling and long-distance running were sharing space in my mind with thoughts of Chance and me having a great time at the dance. The latter of the two was definitely winning the race.

  When the week before the Valentine’s dance arrived, I was a basket case. I couldn’t focus on anything. My training was going horribly wrong, and I somehow managed to make both my vampire teacher and my vampire hunting teachers mad—something I’m sure no one else could ever say. Aldric had been respectful enough to not be mean, though he wouldn’t give me time off to get prepared for the dance. Erik and Lila, on the other hand, weren’t as laid back. Well, Erik was, but Lila was really ticked off, and told me after our training lesson on Sunday afternoon that she wouldn’t be back until I grew up. I had gotten mad and told her to shove it, though I totally deserved it. Erik said she would calm down after a couple of days, and that they would see me next week. I was grateful that with such an important night only days away, I only had to deal with Aldric’s training, which I was surprisingly beginning to enjoy. And that scared me. All this time I had been railing against my vampire side, and now, suddenly, I was starting to embrace it. What did that say about me? Honestly, I was too scared to find out.

  I had butterflies in my stomach when Chance pulled us into the school parking lot, scared of what would happen when I saw Kayla. She hadn’t really said much yesterday after our workout, other than she would see me at school, but I could tell by her tone that she was upset. So I was nervous that I may have ruined a truly important and great friendship. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to see her until gym class, so I had to spend the day with my stomach tied in knots—something else I probably deserved.

  I made a beeline for the girls’ locker room once inside the gym, my nose telling me that Kayla was already in there. I was so glad that I had just about perfected my sense of smell. I noticed Lacey pow-wowing with a group of look-a-like girls at the far end of the bleachers—where she and I had had our first run-in—and decided to be the bigger person and give her a wave and a smile. She politely responded with a go-to-hell glare and pursed lips. I felt a tiny twitch in my gums that I quickly made go away. I had managed to get a somewhat decent grip on that during my month-long training, too.

  “Kayla?” I whispered into the locker room, not wanting to call attention to myself if other girls were around. “You in here?”

  “Back here.” I heard her tiny voice from around the corner and snuck to the back of the room. I found her sitting on a small wooden bench. She had, already changed into our garish gym clothes and busily tying her sneakers. “What’s up?” Her friendly tone surprised me. I had half-expected her to be bitchy toward me, but was so thankful she wasn’t.

  “Not much. Just wanted to talk.”

  “What’s wrong?” She stood up and took a very quick look around the room, her lifetime of being on alert for danger obviously taking over.

  “Nothing like that,” I said, waving off her paranoia with a flip of my hand and a smile. “No activity for awhile now.” A look of relief passed over Kayla’s face. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  “I’m fine,” she said, tossing her gym bag into a locker behind her.

  “Good.” I hesitated before adding, “Are we okay?” Kayla turned around and stared at me like a deer caught in headlights.

  “Why wouldn’t we be?” she asked.

  “Well, I thought you might have been mad about the way I’ve been acting the past couple of weeks. I haven’t been the greatest friend.” I knew that Kayla’s dad’s birthday had fallen within the past few days, and I hadn’t even said anything to her. She had been obviously upset over the fact that her father was missing, but I was too consumed with my own drama to console my hurting friend.

  “It’s cool. I know you’ve had a lot on your mind lately. No biggie.” She sauntered past me to the bank of sinks on the wall and quickly checked herself in the mirror. It was the first time I had seen her show the tiniest bit of concern for the way she looked. It was sweet.

  “Great.” I was a little caught off-guard by her kindness. I think that on some subconscious level, I was actually hoping she would have at least been a little pissed off. But she was obviously not the type to dwell on pettiness; something I hoped would rub off on me. “But I’m sorry anyway.” I figured apologizing for my attitude toward her and Erik and Lila was the least I could do.

  “Apology accepted.” She quickly turned from the sink. “Now, let’s run.”

  “What? Run? Where?”

  “Well, just because Erik and Lila put off your training doesn’t mean I have. And since you don’t really have time after school this week because of your date,” she paused long enough to flash a wicked smile, “I decided we could use P.E. to get in some running.” She stood strong, her tiny frame looming as large as possible. She was a good foot shorter than me, but I was a little intimidated by her confidence.

  “Oh. Okay.” I had really hoped she would give me the week off too, since Friday was the dance and I was super-nervous, but that wasn’t happening. And I guessed that putting in some extra exercise would only help make my ‘one hundred kills’ goal a little easier. I was act
ually surprised and a little upset that not a single vampire had shown up for weeks. Even though I hated having to kill them more than anything—technically I hadn’t killed any of them, but still—I needed to do it if I ever expected to be all human again. “And it’s not a date,” I added, quickly changing into my own horrible gym clothes. “We’re just friends.”

  Kayla cut her eyes at me and smiled. “Whatever you say.” I chose to ignore her taunting—and that sly little grin she kept plastered on her face the entire time I was getting changed. Once I tied my shoes, she was practically bouncing off the walls. “Finally,” she said with a huff. “Let’s go.” I rolled my eyes at her impatience, but dutifully followed her outside, where the strong, icy wind was whirling around the gymnasium like a tornado.

  Dead leaves were scooped up and then dropped over and over by the wind as Kayla and I broke into a full-on run right out of the gym door. It caught me off guard, giving Kayla a pronounced lead. I almost had to use my super speed to catch up to her—which would have definitely made her mad. She and Erik and Lila had made me promise after our first day of training that I wouldn’t use any of my supernatural advantages unless it was absolutely necessary. They had wanted me to train as a human, swearing it would make me stronger in the end. Apparently they were right, since after only a quarter mile or so, I had almost caught up to her. We left the open space of the field where Chance and the other sports nuts were deep into a football game, hitting the track that wound around campus. As we jogged along at a steady pace—Kayla several feet in the lead—I was so grateful that someone had bothered to salt the asphalt track to keep it from icing. I really didn’t want to show up at the dance Friday night wearing a cast because of a stupid fall.

  The brutal New England winter air pounded my face, making me feel alive and human, as Kayla and I followed the track into the dense forest at the farthest end of campus—the same woods where Chance killed that first vampire. I was overcome with an eerie sense of unwanted nostalgia once we slipped under the blanket of trees and brush, the dying face of the girl flashing in my mind over and over. Perfect. Just what I needed, a reminder of the unlife I was now forced to live. I suddenly felt like I was a fraud, an imposter. Here I was, trying to pass as an ordinary girl, when I was really a deadly monster. A killer. I was pathetic. I couldn’t pull this off. I couldn’t blend in and go unnoticed when I had to run around town killing people. And I sure as hell couldn’t get into a relationship with Chance or anyone else.