The Progeny

by Shelley Crowley

  “You sound like you hate your life. But being a vampire isn’t going to solve that. It’s going to extend your life. And you were just complaining about being too young. If you get Turned you are going to be this age forever.”

  “But it wouldn’t be the same life,” he replied, almost pleading. “I’m sick of being the victim. I wish people would just leave me alone. I never sought out the fights I ended up in, they found me. And being a vampire… people would fear me.” A twisted smile rose on his face.

  Caius’ hope flickered out. This kid was trouble.

  “You can’t just become a vampire for revenge.”

  Robin shook his head vigorously. “I don’t want revenge.”

  “It looks to me like you do. You don’t have to be a vampire to have a taste for blood.”

  His bottom lip quivered and a clear tear leaked from the corner of his eye. “I don’t want to hurt people. I just want people to stop hurting me.”

  But how long would that last? It’s one thing not wanting to fight because you physically couldn’t. It’s a whole new ball game when you were guaranteed to win.

  “I just don’t want to be this person,” Robin continued, probably noticing Caius’ apprehension. “But I don’t want to die. I want to be born again as someone else.”

  Okay, that did sound promising. Caius couldn’t help but let that spark of hope reignite. He had no ties to his life so he wouldn’t miss anything if Caius pulled him away from it. He had a scarred past and serious emotional issues but they could work on that. No one was completely clean cut. And truthfully, he knew that it would be impossible to find someone who was willing to give up their life but also be completely sound of mind.

  Caius studied the kid appraisingly.

  Robin squirmed under his gaze. “So, do you think I need a strait jacket, too?”

  Caius shook his head. “I believe that I can help you.”

  Robin scoffed. “Okay, that’s new. But seriously, dude, you can’t.”

  Caius moved to stand squarely in front of him. Robin gulped and looked up at him, his eyes sparkling. “Is that so?” Caius parted his lips and let his fangs unsheathe with a click.

  Robin seemed to shrink in on himself as all the tension in his body dispersed. His brown eyes grew the size of saucers and his jaw hung loose.

  “No fucking way!” He bounced with a mixture of awe and excitement. “Are you shitting me?!” He was shaking with a stupid grin on his face as he went from slapping Caius on his chest giddily to fist pumping the air. “Dude, dude, you are… Oh my God. Seriously. Is this happening? Five months I’ve been looking for you, dude. Five fucking months!” He yelped a laugh and started running his hands through his hair. “This is happening. This is really happening. Are you seriously going to help me? Are you going to Turn me?”

  Caius stayed still as the kid bounced with glee in front of him. “We need to lay down some ground rules first.”

  Robin nodded frantically. “Sure. Sure. Anything.”

  “After you get Turned you’re not the same person.”

  “I know. I know. I want that.”

  “Will you let me talk?”

  “Sorry.”

  “Things are shaky at first. Your body is still in battle with the change. You’ll fear your new urges. To bite. To feed. To kill. But then you’ll just go numb. And that’s when things start to get very real. You can’t let that become you. You’ve got to find that thing that made you, you. I know you say that you want to change completely but you can’t let that happen. There has to be a part of you that stays human. If you let the monster take over-” Caius squeezed his eyes shut as memories flooded his mind of when he had lost control. When he had let the beast take over because Milah had encouraged it. “-it’s damn near impossible to come back from.”

  Looking a little sicklier than he had been before, Robin nodded. “I understand.”

  “Luckily for you, it just so happens that I am looking for a progeny. Someone to take under my wing. I will be your Maker.” Robin grinned but Caius’ stoic expression never faltered. “That means a lot more than just Turning you. I’m not just going to Turn you into a vampire and leave you on your own to carry on your new immortal life. If I am to Turn you, you will have to stay with me until I know you are safe to look after yourself. Do you understand?”

  Robin hesitated for a moment. Clearly, he didn’t know how the whole Maker and progeny thing worked. But then he nodded. “I understand.”

  “I need to know that you are willing to accept my guidance. I can’t have a rogue vampire on my hands. I need to know that you are going to take this very seriously. That you are going to do exactly what I say. I’ve been a vampire for a thousand years and I have gone through a lot of struggles that I do not wish upon you. I was barely strong enough to pull through. I was nearly lost completely. I can’t let that happen to you. I won’t. But you have to help me.”

  Robin nodded vehemently.

  Caius still wasn’t a hundred percent sure. But he knew that the longer he took to Turn someone, the more danger he was putting Evie in.

  “When I Turn you, you will be linked to me. I will be able to know your whereabouts at all times and you will feel me searching for you. But you won’t be able to find me unless I want you to. And if I want you to, I’ll summon you. If I summon you, you will have no choice but to obey me. Also, in times of great discomfort, we will share each other’s pain through visions or dreams. Those are called ‘Cries for Help’,” Caius paused, knowing the information was overwhelming and figured that Robin needed time to adjust. Humans knew very little about vampires. They knew that they drank blood and were susceptible to silver, a wooden stake to the heart and the sun, but other than that, they were clueless.

  “I will always be there for you. I will help as much as I can. But it’s a two-way street. You need to be there for me, too. The bond between us will be strong and you will be loyal to me no matter what. Even if you decide to hate me.”

  “I would never hate you,” Robin replied, almost sounding offended by the accusation. “You would have given me the greatest gift I could ask for.”

  Caius watched him for a moment. “You can return a gift.”

  Robin’s mouth opened as if he were about to say something but thought the better of it.

  “Are you still up for this?” Caius asked.

  He nodded.

  “Okay. Then we will proceed.”

  A flicker of apprehension danced across Robin’s eyes and he shifted on his feet. “How does it actually work?”

  “How do I Turn you?”

  He nodded.

  “I will feed you my blood and then I will kill you.” Robin flinched a little. “You need to die with your Maker’s blood in your system.”

  “So… I actually do have to die?”

  Caius nodded. “It will be painless. I promise.” Not like Evie’s death. His throat felt tight. Nothing like Evie’s death.

  “O-okay.”

  “Are you sure you want to do this? Once I do it, there is no turning back.”

  Robin straightened, regaining composure, and stared into Caius’ eyes unflinchingly. “I’m ready.”

  With his eyes still on Robin, Caius lifted his bare forearm and sank his fangs into his wrist. His own blood, hot yet lifeless, burst from the wound and filled his mouth. Robin gulped, his eyes widening at the bloody wound.

  “I have to drink from your arm?”

  Caius’ gaze with dark and flat. “You’ll have to start getting used to it.”

  Gulping again, Robin took a hold of Caius’ arm and pulled it closer to his lips. He sniffed and winced before closing his eyes and pressing his mouth hard against Caius’ wrist. Caius stiffened as Robin’s lips parted and he started drinking for the open wound excitedly, his grip on his forearm tightening. Caius’ eyes closed in bliss, remembering the intimate moments he had spent with Evie sharing everything. Their blood. Their bodies. Their love.

  “That’s enough.” Caius yanked
his arm away when his heart swelled so much he thought it might burst. Robin gasped and stumbled forwards, reluctantly letting go. Blood was smeared over his pale cheeks and chin. When he smiled, his teeth were red.

  “Now what?” he asked.

  Caius held either side of his head and Robin’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second before Caius snapped his neck and he dropped to the floor.

  Caius managed to return to Robin just as he was waking. He turned the corner of the side street with his new companion close behind as Robin lifted himself up weakly with both arms and dropped against the wall with a groan.

  Caius squatted before him and watched as his eyes rolled around in his head. “How are you feeling?”

  “… weird,” he groaned and rubbed the back of his neck. His eyes found Caius, his gaze unfocused. “Am I a vampire?”

  “Almost.” Caius’ eyes flicked up to the woman stood beside him. She smiled down at him and ran her fingers through his hair cherishingly. Caius bit back the urge to snap at her and turned back to Robin. “You need to feed. You are currently between states. Not human but not fully vampire. If you don’t drink soon, your body will shut down and you’ll be dead. Permanently.”

  Robin’s eyes lost their glassy quality and he was suddenly aware that they weren’t alone. He looked up at the red-haired woman stood in front of him and a goofy smile filled his face. “Well hello.”

  “This is Anna-lynn. She works at the Dial-a-bite. You need to feed from her,” said Caius.

  Robin’s grin widened. “Okay.”

  Anna-lynn thrust out her arm to him and he stared at it, at the blue veins that were visible through the thin skin of her wrist. The only light was what pooled from the street lamps at the opening of the alley. But Caius could see just fine regardless and knew that Robin would be able to, too. Robin pressed his nose to her wrist and inhaled deeply.

  “Wow.” Caius watched as the veins corded under Robin’s eyes and he jolted, smacking the back of his head against the wall when his fangs burst free. “Shit, that hurt. Does it always hurt?” He touched his fangs carefully.

  “You’ll get used to it.”

  He looked up at Caius, his brown eyes now dead black tunnels. The tips of his fangs rested on his lower lip. He licked Anna-lynn’s wrist with a soft swipe and she shuddered but otherwise stayed still. Then Caius saw it- the primal instinct took over. Robin sank his fangs into her and grabbed her arm with both hands, tearing at her skin. She gasped and swallowed a moan.

  “Be careful,” Caius warned. “Don’t get carried away.”

  The smell of her blood hit Caius in a wave and he felt the force of his fangs trying to burst free. He knew how she tasted and the thought of it made his stomach growl.

  “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” said Anna-lynn with a slight strain to her voice as she watched the new-born vampire feed from her. “The new ones are always dangerous. How did you talk me into this?”

  Caius kept his focus on Robin, timing how long he fed. He had not talked Anna-lynn into helping him at all. He had walked into the Dial-a-bite building and asked for someone who could be of service right away. As soon as he had told the woman behind the counter his name, Anna-lynn had come running out of the back room and offered herself immediately. Apparently their encounter had been memorable for her. It had been for him, too, but in a completely different way.

  He couldn’t get the image of Evie’s look of complete horror when she had entered the house to find them together. It had looked wrong. He should have known better. But he had been so hungry, he hadn’t been thinking. He just knew the right places to bite for maximum blood flow.

  Just as Caius was readying himself to tackle his new progeny, Robin pulled back with a gasp of delight and sank against the wall, his eyes fluttering closed. “That was awesome.”

  Caius couldn’t help but smile. He straightened and gazed down at his new progeny as he wiped blood off his chin and licked it off his palm.

  “Now you need to heal her.”

  Robin squinted up at him. “How?”

  “Prick your finger and rub your blood onto her wound.”

  Anna-Lynn was staring at Caius with all consuming passion. It unnerved him and made him step away slightly.

  Robin did what he said and pricked his finger before pressing it to Anna-lynn’s ugly wound.

  “You know, you never healed me afterwards,” she said to Caius, her voice low and husky. Her long lashes brushed her cheekbones as she looked him up and down.

  “Sorry about that,” he replied, trying to focus more on the healing wound.

  “It’s okay.” He flinched when she leaned closer to him. Her breath was hot against his neck as her lips brushed against his ear. “I like the scar. It reminds me of you.”

  He jerked away and saw Robin looking up at him from the ground with a knowing grin. “Now I’m a vampire, will I become a complete stud, too?”

  Caius ignored the remark and held out a hand to him. He took it and Caius hoisted him to his feet. Now fully healed, Anna-lynn took out a tissue from the pocket of her cut off denim jacket that she had thrown on over her floral dress and wiped away the excess blood. She wasn’t dressed for the cold winter weather.

  “Right. That’s twenty for the wrist,” she said, stuffing the bloody tissue back into her pocket.

  Caius’ eyes widened as he patted the empty pockets of his jeans. “I don’t have any money. Do you?” he asked Robin.

  He stuffed his hands into his jeans pockets and pulled out their contents. “I have… a bus ticket and two pound ninety. Oh, and a paperclip.”

  Anna-lynn crossed her arms over her chest and arched an eyebrow at Caius. “Then how do you expect to pay me?”

  Caius hadn’t thought this through. He had just known that he needed to find Robin someone to drink from. And blood whores were the only legal source. He could have gotten a blood bag but the hospital was too far away and there was always a fuss about rationing. He had needed to be there for when Robin woke up.

  “Erhh...” Caius shifted his eyes to Robin who just shrugged back at him.

  “Tell you what, you can pay me some other way.”

  Caius’ eyes shifted back to Anna-lynn and he gulped at the sultry look in her eyes. He was almost too afraid to ask. “How exactly?”

  She grinned, making her emerald eyes glimmer. “Kiss me and we’re even.”

  An iron fist gripped his stomach and Caius found himself stepping back.

  She arched her eyebrow. “Either that, or you can give me your shirt.” She held out her hand.

  “It’s not my shirt.” Alexander had given it to him after his blood had ruined the cool baja jacket he had found. But even if it was his shirt, he didn’t really fancy walking back to Evie only half dressed. That would have raised far too many questions that he really didn’t want to answer. Evie hated Anne-lynn already. This wouldn’t help.

  But kissing her? That wouldn’t help either.

  “So, which is it?” She tugged on the hem of his t-shirt impatiently.

  “How about if I kiss you, would that settle anything?” offered Robin, coming to his aid.

  Anna-lynn glanced at him. “No. No it wouldn’t.”

  Caius shifted awkwardly. “One kiss.” He hadn’t kissed any other girl than Evie for a hundred years.

  Her eyes shone again and she nodded. “Just one.”

  “Finmmm-” His agreement was smothered by her lips. Her grip on the hem of his t-shirt tightened as she tugged him forwards against her body. Caius pursed his lips and squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for it to be over. And, after a little longer than necessary, the kiss broke.

  She exhaled a sigh of delight and plunged her hands into her jacket pockets with a grin as if she’d just won the lottery. She spun and headed down the street the way they had come, turning to Caius just before she rounded the corner. Her red hair blew across her shoulders in the breeze. It was the only thing that made her look remotely like Evie. The shape of her face was very har
sh and severe whereas Evie’s features were soft and gentle and perfect. “Let me know if you need any more favours. I’ll be waiting.” She winked before leaving.

  Caius looked back to Robin and felt instantly embarrassed by the look on his face. “Dude, that chick is seriously into you.”

  Caius sighed. “Come on, let’s go. We have a long walk before sunrise.”

  They headed down the main road. “Please tell me I’ll get that much female attention now. Vampires are hot, right?”

  Caius casted him an exasperated glance. “You’ve been reading too many young adult books.”

  He shook his head. “No. They are. Have you seen the queues at the vampire bars? Chicks dig vampires. Because they’re all dark and mysterious. I mean we’re all dark and mysterious.” He slapped Caius on the shoulder. “Oh dude, I can’t believe this has actually happened. I’m actually a vampire. This is the best night of my life.”

  Robin talked nonstop as they made it out of the city. Caius was hoping he hadn’t made the wrong decision as he massaged his temples to calm a brewing migraine. He didn’t even know that vampires could get migraines.

  After discovering his new superhuman speed, Robin had started to run rings around his Maker, becoming a black blur until Caius stuck out his arm and seized his shoulder. Now the new vampire walked a step behind him, still jabbering to himself.

  “Man, I wish I could like… go creep up on all those guys who used to beat me up. Sneak into their bedrooms and make them shit their pants,” he laughed to himself.

  “You have to be invited into someone’s house before you can enter it.”

  “Oh yeah.”

  “But you didn’t want to become a vampire for revenge, right?” Caius looked to him.

  “Yeah, totally. I was just saying it would be fun.” He grinned. “It would also be fun to beat them up. See how they like having three fractured ribs and a severely bruised tailbone.”