by Skyla Madi
There went that thought. “You’re so annoying.”
Tay opened his mouth, no doubt to say another smart ass comment, but his words never came out. His phone rang, interrupting whatever it was that he was going to say.
“Mr Aleksandrov,” he answered. “Yes, the classes were fine… Okay.” He hung up and slid his phone into the front pocket of his jeans. “I have to go.”
I was going to ask him why but then I realised I didn't actually care.
Being stuck in this cabin was great at first, but with every minute that passed, it became more and more intolerable; there was nothing to do. No videogames, no magazines, no novels, only boring textbooks. I grew hungrier and hungrier by the second. I jumped as two loud knocks thundered through the wood on the front door.
“Come in.”
The lock jerked, rattled, and the door opened. It was Eli; my stomach fluttered a little as I met his deep green eyes. The moment of slight joy didn’t last long as the dazed woman from the underground holding cell drunkenly stumbled in after him. The sympathetic expression that filled Eli’s face told me he’d noticed my frozen features.
“What is she doing here?” I asked slowly.
“Do you want the good news or the bad news?” he said, escorting the woman over to the couch, opposite to where I was standing.
He stood next to her; I ignored his question and eyed them cautiously. It was getting harder and harder to hold back the hunger that was burning inside me. I couldn’t help but wonder if starving me would make me more inclined to drink from the human.
“The good news is Gwydion, the wizard that’s going to transform you, will be here any minute. The bad news is you have to be full, which means she will be your meal,” he explained, pointing to the dazed lady, who was humming to herself.
I bit my lip nervously. It was all too much to take in. I started pacing rapidly; my breathing and my heartbeat began speeding up. I wanted to chew my nails but forced myself to keep my hands by my side.
“I… I can't do that,” I stuttered.
I wanted to, so badly.
“Yes, you can,” the woman cooed. “I want you to.” There was a look of extreme desperation in her eyes. I stared at her painfully, suddenly feeling ill, but at the same time my stomach and my fangs throbbed with longing to taste human blood directly from the source again.
“I’m here; I won’t let you hurt her.”
I met Eli’s eyes. They were so beautiful, captivating, intelligent and honest. I didn’t know him, but I felt like I could trust him. I walked over to the woman and she shivered in ecstasy as her body prepared itself for the bite. The woman presented her neck to me, she closed her eyes and a victorious smile stretched across her face.
Eli stood less than an inch away from me, the sweet smell that guardian angels have, that Eli had, poured in through my nose along with the human blood that radiated from the woman. My fangs shot out of my gums with a click. I leant down to her neck and pierced her flesh. She gasped in pain but immediately began to moan with pleasure. The sweet blood flowed into my mouth like a river that flowed down the rocks. For a few seconds I was lost in my need to quench the burning thirst in my throat. I watched as blood rolled off her neck, past my lips and down her back. My skin tingled as the warm blood entered my bloodstream and my fangs pulsated in time with her heart beat.
“You're done.” Eli placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed slightly.
Reluctantly I pulled away and headed straight to the bathroom. As I expected, there was blood smeared around my mouth. I turned on the tap and washed my face vigorously. Afterwards, I stared at my appearance. I could have sworn my eyes had grown darker and my skin was a little paler.
“Is everything okay?” an unknown male voice called through the door.
“Uh, fine,” I replied, stammering at the unfamiliarity in his voice.
I splashed water onto my face; still I could see and feel blood around my lips. More knocks rattled the bathroom door and I looked back at my face; it was clean.
“Ruby, do you need help?” Eli murmured, his voice was deep and it carried through the wood.
You can do this. I took deeper breaths as my chest grew heavier. It’s okay, don’t panic, change is good.
Cautiously I opened the door. I recognized everyone in the room except the old man sitting across from Mr Aleksandrov. The stranger was clearly older than Aleksandrov but his beard was shorter and whiter. My breathing became more rigid as all eyes fell on me.
“My, my,” said the older man. “You look just like your mother, except well, more vampiric.” His voice was kind and knowing, but despite his kind tone, I didn’t appreciate his observation nor did I acknowledge it.
“Ruby, this is Gwydion, the wizard that has come to help you.”
I suspected as much but the shock still hit me. “Wow, you’re here already.”
“When I heard that the daughter of Meredith Moore was a vampire, I cancelled all my errands and I jumped at the chance to help. Did you know that your mother saved me from an angry group of vampires once? I never got a chance to repay her, so here I am.”
He was very energetic and happy despite his rather large size. Gwydion turned to Mr Aleksandrov. “Do you mind if I test her life force?”
Aleksandrov nodded.
Gwydion, in his long deep purple robe, waddled over to me with his hands extended out in front of him. I shot a look at Eli and he nodded his head in reassurance.
“Give me your hands,” the wizard commanded.
His warm chubby fingers tightly gripped my hands. He shut his eyes and his face fell serious. A few seconds later he opened his eyes and smiled.
“Oh my dear, you are powerful. Just like your mother.”
“Why do people keep saying that? She wasn't that powerful. She couldn't even fight off a newborn vampire.”
Gwydion pulled his hands back, looking disgusted.
“That’s because your mother left our world behind and married a human! She went against the natural order and defied the higher power. Everyone knows that goddesses can only be with gods. If they don't marry gods, then they don't marry anyone; they will die alone until eventually their souls return to the one who created them. As a result her powers became weak. I respected your mother, until she broke faith and became a whore. Look how that turned out, look where that got you.”
I clenched my fists. I couldn't believe that a second ago he was praising my mother and now he was completely disrespecting her name. My hand went flying from my side and it didn’t stop until it came in contact with the wizard’s chubby face. My body met the cold hard floor and my wrists were bound by a long silver chain before I even had a chance to react to what I had done.
Familiar Faces
I howled in pain as my skin melted into the silver.
“Stop it,” Gwydion demanded.
It took all of my strength but somehow I was managing to keep my tears in check. Tay didn’t let up, he keep the silver wrapped around my wrists, squeezing tighter and tighter. Eli stepped forward and grabbed Tay firmly by the shoulder. It took a few seconds before Tay released me. As the silver peeled off, taking pieces of my skin with it, I cradled my burnt wrists and fought back the tears. The quietness in the room was unsettling as all eyes were on me. Gwydion took a few steps closer and I tensed, I was either going to get slapped back or he was going to turn me into a frog. Instead he watched curiously as my wrists started healing themselves.
“The devil’s magic,” Tay scoffed.
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, ignoring Tay's close-minded statement. I wasn’t actually sorry, he was lucky that I didn’t kick him where the sun doesn’t shine.
“That's okay, it’s not you. It’s that vampire rage,” Gwydion stated, rubbing the throbbing red hand print on his cheek.
I didn't dignify him with a response. Anyone would have done the same thing. Who sits by silently whilst another person talks bad about a dead relative? No one; they aren’t here to defend themselves, s
omeone has to do it for them.
Pride surged through my chest as the welt on his face became more prominent. He deserved it. I became increasingly tired, like I always did when I needed to heal.
“Are you ready?” Mr Aleksandrov asked Gwydion.
“More than ready, come, lay down.” The wizard grabbed me behind my elbow, helping me off the floor and escorted me over to my bed. “Lie Down.”
I did what I was told. I stared at the ceiling not making eye contact with any of the men that now circled my bed. I jumped as a small knock rocked the front door. Eli answered and in stepped a girl about my age. Her long blonde hair draped over her narrow shoulders. Were all goddesses so pretty?
“Hi,” she said cheerfully, gliding over to the bed. “I'm Mila.”
“Ruby.”
“Okay, now we are ready," Gwydion called. He threw four ties over to Eli.
“Tie her down.”
“Wait, tie me down? Why?” This was becoming increasingly undesirable by the minute.
“If you thought the first split-second of a vampire bite is painful, you’re in for a rude shock.”
Eli bound my ankles with the cloth and tied them to the bottom two bed posts. He did the same with my wrists. Meanwhile, Gwydion was pulling potions and parchment from his knitted handbag. I couldn’t help but make connections to a deep black cauldron and a makeshift house in a cave.
“Aha,” he exclaimed as he pulled a little clear bottle filled with white liquid from his bag. “Drink this.”
I opened my mouth and he poured it in. I swallowed hard, screwing my face up in disgust as the 'off apple' bitterness ran down my throat.
“The reaction is always the same,” Gwydion said, highly amused.
Slowly, my eyes grew heavier and a bout of nausea coursed through me. “What's happening?”
“We aren't that cruel. You’re not going to be awake when this happens… although you might as well be. It’s going to be excruciating. The potion you were given isn’t an anaesthetic, but it puts you to sleep and immobilizes you so you can't scream or move. I guess it is pretty cruel.”
“But I’ll still feel it?”
Gwydion nodded. Worry burned at my chest. I was so scared of what was to come.
Happy thoughts, think happy thoughts, I urged myself. My vision went black, pain and fear began dominating my mind. I glanced around the nothingness, frantically searching for something, anything at all, but there was nothing. My heart leaped out of my chest at the sound of a scream, my scream. Fire tore through my insides; I tried rolling onto my side and bringing my knees to my chest but it was hopeless — I couldn’t move. I was paralyzed, left to cry alone in the darkness, When the pain subsided, a small light floated towards me; it got bigger as it came closer. A video clip of all my memories played, there was Hank killing my mother and then biting my neck; after that, I watched myself kill and eat a bunch of humans. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping the images would stop. Screaming and tearing flesh filled my ears as the memories replayed themselves over and over. Another scream escaped my mouth when another flare of pain ripped through me.
“Please, please, stop. I can't do this,” I begged, my voice echoed around my own mind. It was useless, no one could hear me and no one could help me.
I opened my eyes. It was morning and I was no longer tied to the bed. The last thing I remembered was an agonizing pain and then nothing, I must have fallen into a deep dreamless sleep. My brain pounded in my head as a headache surged over me. It felt like I'd been hit with a brick and the bright light that cascaded in through the window wasn’t helping. I slid out of bed cautiously, trying not to lose my footing as my feet came in contact with the floor. I stood for a while and closed my eyes. I couldn't hear or smell anyone. Opening my eyes, I drifted over to the bathroom, consciously I put one foot in front of the other, steadying myself as I went. I came to an abrupt stop when I ended up face to face with myself in the bathroom mirror. I stroked my cheek with my hand; my skin was so warm and alive. I was still a little pale but at least it was the kind of pale you develop through winter and not the kind of pale that resembled death. I stared at myself. Underneath my long lashes were two bright ocean blue eyes.
“My eyes…” I whispered.
As the ray of light glinted off the mirror, I couldn't help but to shed a tear as my emotions set in. Even my long black hair seemed more ‘alive.’ It flowed in waves, adorning my new glowing, porcelain-like skin. I rubbed my fingers over my teeth… no fangs. I was no longer a vampire. Never again would I crave blood every second of every day, suck blood from a bag, or pierce the flesh of a human. I'd have a normal life, a life where the only things I'll ever need to worry about would be sleeping or boys or food.
My body began to shake and a lump formed in my throat. I tried to fight back the tears that pushed against my eyes but I couldn't. Tears poured down my face, so clear and perfect. I don't know whether I'm happy or sad, maybe both. I’m happy I’m no longer a monster, but at the same time, I'm sad that I was lucky enough to get a second chance and my mother wasn't.
I leaned against the wall and slid down to the ground, angry at myself for this imbecilic reaction. Drawing up my knees, I rested my forehead on them. I felt the cool tiles against my skin; my body went into shock and suddenly everything overwhelmed me. I didn’t want to do anything but curl up into a ball on the cold tiled floor. It seemed that not long ago I was in more pain than anything I’d ever experienced; now, I’m normal, I should be happy… but I don’t know how I feel.
“Ruby?”
A deep, calming voice echoed through the bathroom. It was Eli. I didn't open my eyes to look at him; I probably couldn’t if I tried. His crisp aftershave and clean sweat wafted into my nose as he sat next to me, not saying a word, just providing company. He still smelt amazing even now that I couldn’t smell his blood. I waited until the tears slowed before I leant my head against the wall next to him.
“How long was I asleep?” I sniffled.
“Twelve hours.” His lips arched with a trace of a smile, and my eyes were drawn to his lips.
My heart pounded, he has such a sweet smile.
“How are you feeling?” he asked softly.
“Sore, overwhelmed, hungry, I think…” I wasn’t sure if it was hunger or nausea. I had forgotten what being hungry with a normal digestive system felt like.
“Hungry? Why didn't you say so?” Mila’s cheerful face peered into the bathroom. “I actually planned a picnic for us in the clearing not far from here; there’s a waterfall and everything!”
“Mila, I think we should give Ruby some time to adapt to everything,” Eli replied.
“No, it sounds great,” I blurted. “I want to go outside.”
His green gaze held mine and his lips formed an impassive line. He was not happy with my decision.
“Are you sure?”
“I feel like I need to get some air.”
His eyes searched mine, looking for something. Eli exhaled as he stood up. “Okay, we’ll leave when you’re ready.”
I sighed in relief; I didn't really want to go out but I needed a distraction. I just wanted to forget about what happened to me for the time being.
The shower was a godsend. The hot water rolled down the back of my neck and trailed down my spine. The cool air clung to my body when I opened the shower door and stepped out. It was strange, feeling all these new sensations that weren’t actually new. All these new feelings reminded me that I was alive, that I was me again.
Slight panic washed over me when I realized I hadn’t brought any fresh clothes in.
“Thank god.” I exhaled when I saw a new shelf had been attached to the wall.
Amongst the underwear and jeans that were stacked on the shelf there was a very pretty white summer dress, perfect for a picnic and catching some sun.
When I was a vampire, I would apply make-up so I could look more ‘alive’ and less, well, dead. Today, I didn't have to put any make-up on, my dark lashes and once agai
n full red lips had already given me that natural beauty look. I grasped the handle of the bathroom door and drew in a big breath before walking into a room full of people. Whatever the discussions in the room were, it went silent as soon as I stepped into the room. All eyes fell on me. Gwydion, Mr Aleksandrov, Tay, and my teacher Lillian stared wide-eyed and pleased. My eyes rested on Eli, I seem to always find his face when I need reassurance, and it helped, a lot. Eli’s eyes glazed over with such astonishment and awe. When he realized my eyes were on him, his hard gaze returned. I approached Gwydion and hugged him.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
He simply nodded and smiled.
“And thank you, Mr Aleksandrov. I’m finally me again and it’s all because of you.”
“You are more than welcome, Ruby. You will be a great asset for the school, I just know it.”
I nodded. I completely forgot that after this I would be attending SS as an actual student.
“We must leave,” said Gwydion. “We need to attend to that issue, Ivan.”
“Yes, very well. We shall see you shortly.” Lillian, Gwydion and Ivan left the Cabin.
“Time for that picnic,” Mila called. “Eli, can you help me carry the basket?”
Eli and Mila left the cabin, leaving Tay and me alone. Tay was sitting on the arm of the lounge.
“I’m sorry for all the mean shit I did to you. Since you’re no longer a child of Satan, I have no reason to kill you,” he said, approaching me.
“Thanks… I guess.”
“Are you two ready?” Mila’s voice carried through the open door.
I slipped on a pair of white flats and exited the cabin.
“Good, let’s go!” she called cheerfully when she saw Tay and I step onto the concrete path. Tay grabbed the basket off Eli and followed closely behind Mila.
“Who is that girl?” I asked Eli as we proceeded to walk.
“Mila is Mr Aleksandrov’s niece. She’s a good girl and a great friend for you to have.”
Mr Aleksandrov seemed a little old to be an uncle; a great, great, great uncle maybe; but not an uncle.