“First. Tonight. You need to meet Lord Stovall and understand the covenants of the local clan.” Amicula stood from the vanity and opened a cabinet. She pulled out what looked like a brandy decanter and a couple of glasses. “If you decide to remain vampyre, then you will be assigned a pedagogue to help you in your first few weeks of acclimation. All of your questions will be answered. I promise.”
Amicula opened the second cabinet door and removed what looked like a bottle of dark juice. The crack of the seal sent instant pleasure to my nose.
“Is that what I think it is?” I asked as I moved in the water toward the massive tub’s edge.
Amicula turned to face me.
“Mm – hmm.” She poured the blood into the cognac and offered me the glass. “Would you enjoy a taste?”
My mouth instantly salivated and my hands shook. Meth addicts had stronger control over their bodies than I did at that moment. She held the glass close to my face. I grabbed it with wet, soapy hands and raised it up to my mouth. I hesitated.
“It’s okay. Your body will digest the cognac as long as the blood is included.” She gestured for me to drink.
Still not entirely sure I bought this whole idea, I watched Amicula drink the same concoction she had made for me.
I downed it. I smacked my lips savoring the extraordinary heat and intricate flavors of the cognac melding in my mouth. The wood casks, caramel exploded across my taste buds. Delicious. The brandy warmed all the way down and didn’t make me sick to my stomach. I held out my glass in request for a refill. Amicula smiled and obliged.
After four more shots of my new favoritest drink, I considered my options while questions poured into my brain. Shampooed, conditioned – I stood up again and rinsed off the bubbles. Amicula handed me a warmed towel as I stepped out onto a plush white rug over the Crema Marfil tile. I stole a couple seconds to take in the beauty of the boat. I’d never been inside a yacht before, let alone in a tub on one. The sleek, streamlined design of the ship’s features screamed old money. Everything beautiful in its own right. I asked the first question weighing on my mind.
“I thought vampires were all powerful, all mighty except in sunlight. If I’m truly a vampire, then how come I can go outside and not become a pile of ashes?”
Amicula chuckled. “Really now, you do watch way too many movies. That is so cliché and so Interview with a Vampire. Depending on your maker’s dynamics, you may be better suited with more solar resistance than others. We do manage to keep a few sunscreen companies well-funded, however. I suppose that’s why we purchased them. Oftentimes, newborn vampires require quite a bit of sunblock intervention. Obviously the rogue who attacked you must have quite an affinity for sunlight because you aren’t sensitive to it.”
“I’m still not entirely convinced this isn’t a nightmarish dream.” I thought about this for a minute. The rogue vampire who attacked me. Why me? The scaredy-cat, afraid of haunted houses, turned vampire?
A knock sounded at the door. A man’s voice said, “Dinner will be served in thirty minutes.”
“Thank you. We’ll be ready,” Amicula chimed back.
I wondered if I was the dinner. I towel-dried my hair. “You’re telling me I need to meet this Lord Stovall. Is he like a vampire King or something?”
Amicula laughed out loud. “Oh dear gracious, no. Far from it. But he is required to follow in the reign of the Vampyre, under Queen Civetateo. Just so you know. We call ourselves vampires, but our family name is spelled a little differently. So when you are referring to us as an entity, we are Vampyre, with a y in the spelling. The same goes for vampyric. Not sure why. The Queen’s English, I believe.”
I nodded, trying to take it all in.
Amicula opened a door from the bathroom into an en suite. She disappeared and left me to wait for a minute in front of the ornate vanity. I noticed the skin around my mouth and neck. It looked as if I had never been attacked. Not a flaw on me. Even that silly red mole up in my hairline was gone. I tentatively smiled at myself trying to unravel the insanity of the situation.
She sauntered back through the door, put the cognac away and closed the cabinets. “By the way,” she asked with a knowing gleam, “Have you had any weird dreams lately?”
“That’s an understatement. You know I have. You woke me up from those nightmares yourself while in the hospital. I lied to the hospital shrink about the dreams just so I could get out of there.”
“I thought so.”
As I relaxed in the subdued deliciousness from my drinks, the ‘reality’ of my situation sunk in.
“I’ve laid out clothes for you in the next room for you to wear this evening.”
“Thanks.” I sipped my bloodcognac.
“Amicula, are there others like me? Who survived that room?”
“Many were killed that night outright from the amount of blood he needed to consume. In essence, his cells were starving from the abstinence. Some, like you, were bitten with a large enough amount of DNA transfer. We’ve had to track all of you down to either complete the change or call out the abstergers.”
“You mean there were more humans than just me who were bitten and survived?”
“About five or so have cropped up now.”
“Is that why victims were coming up missing after they were released from the hospital?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“So it wasn’t that they were in danger, or a serial killer was after them?”
Amicula nodded. “We hope there aren’t many more to crop up. We’ve had reports around Tallahassee and as far as Jackson, Mississippi but the clans have been successful at capturing the sucklings.”
“Sucklings? Is that what you call us?” I crinkled up my eyes in question. “Exterminated - because they didn’t want to become a blood sucking monster?”
“We didn’t ever get the chance to ask them.” Amicula picked up the brush and began to pull it through my red curls. I looked puzzled at her reflection. “You see when a vampire is born, they usually cannot maintain any control over their feeding habits and are often in a fugue such as you were when I found you. After the Halloween attack, the clans banded together to find any sucklings and bring them home for care and education. A couple of the newbies lashed out at us while being captured. If the Vampyric Lady or Lord did not see that the candidate would be an appropriate fit to the clan, then he or she was slated for elimination, or simply removed from the gene pool right then and there.” After a delay, she quietly added, “Oftentimes a suckling could not survive the changes in their bodies or minds.” A sad expression washed over her. “They can’t deal with it. Whether they wish to die or not, all too often, it is by their own hand which forces the decision.”
She stared at my hair with a faraway expression in her eyes, still as a stone, hairbrush in mid-stroke. Not quite sure how to respond, I reached for a robe draped over a chair.
Amicula animated back to life. “What have you decided?”
“Is there a checklist to fill out to see if I qualify? I don’t want to die, but I’m not sure about this whole vampire thing either. I don’t get it. I feel fantastic, but I’m dead. How am I going to be able to see my family and friends, my dog? Am I going to want to eat them? What about my job?”
With what seemed like sincerity in her voice, Amicula plastered on that practiced hospital smile I knew all too well. “You already have better faculties about you than ninety-five percent of the ones who were bitten. I don’t anticipate any problems with your new lifestyle. Your assigned caretaker will help you adjust to this new life. Not an awful lot will need to change, especially since one of your dynamics allows you to be in the sunlight. More than anything, you’ll need to learn how to manage your appetite and fly low under the radar. Vampyre have been doing this since the dawn of mankind. The Vampyric Canons actually state that mankind were placed here for the Vampyric race to feed upon. But somehow Lilith and Adam couldn’t figure out how to make it work, and Cain took over. But that is entir
ely an altogether different story.”
I thought about her words.
Whoa - humans were placed on the Earth to feed Vampyres? I can’t think about this right now.
I shook my head and dropped the towel. My reflection in the gilded mirror revealed no scars anywhere on my body. I was stunning. My eyes drifted to Amicula’s reflection. “Why can I see us in the mirror? What happens with my life now? Do I have to live in a towering castle, wear tight leather pants, and chase werewolves or something?”
Amicula fell over the bench in a coughing fit of laughter. “Now that’s one I haven’t been asked before. Absolutely hilarious. You’re certainly one to keep around just for entertainment, if no other reason.”
“Glad to keep you in stitches. So your job in this coven is the local vampire welcome wagon lady. Instead of delivering flowers and cookies, you deliver sucklings to your Lord?”
Amicula stopped laughing as her eyes flashed fire at me. “Tsk … tsk … there’s no need for snarky unkindness. I appreciate your frustration. All your questions will be answered by The Vampyric Canons.”
Not satisfied by her answer I opened my mouth to protest. She held her hand up to quiet me. That sickening sweet smile returned. “Just so we have complete transparency between us, Cheyenne. It was my decision to allow your life to be spared.”
I swallowed hard and looked toward the floor. I sat on the vanity seat not sure of anything anymore. Had I just insulted the woman who saved my life?
Lovely.
Chapter Twenty
The clothes Amicula had left for me on the bed couldn’t have fit better if they had been custom tailored. Obviously wanting to have fun at my expense, she’d given me a pair of black leather pants and a halter top. All I needed was a katana and a long black leather coat and I’d be that chick in my favorite books. The silk lining allowed the leather to glide on and not cling to my skin. In Florida, it’s was too hot to wear anything like this. Just now thinking about it, I realized I hadn’t been either hot or cold since I woke up in the hospital.
Someone knocked on the door. I heaved a deep breath and opened it. A tall man with raven black hair as straight as a pharaoh’s stood in front of me. His eyes emanated a verdant glow. He looked at me as if he’d seen a ghost. Tall, dark, and pharaoh opened his mouth and then closed it. He stared at me. I looked at him, turned my head behind me, and glanced around the room. Was there another person who had caught his attention?
Finally, he cleared his throat. “Good evening. My name is Khaldon Seters.”
Even though I was wearing high heels, he towered over me.
Why did every woman I know insist on making me wear heels?
I stared up at him. “I’m not on the menu tonight, am I?”
“Not that I’m aware.” His face softened. “However, things do tend to change at a moment’s notice around here.”
Butterfly nerves fluttered through my insides. I had a sudden urge to run to the bathroom.
“Please, Miss O’Cuinn, follow me. Dinner is ready.” Khaldon offered his elbow. “We don’t want to keep Lord Stovall waiting.” His eyes were mesmerizing as if he could see right through me. For all I knew – he could.
Still unsure if I was the guest or the meal to this dinner party, I walked alongside this Egyptian god. My fate was yet to be determined. Perhaps I might become both if I didn’t roll the dice in my favor.
Would I be deemed acceptable with this crowd? Will they eliminate me if piss them off somehow?
The cozy dining hall didn’t seem too ominous. No hanging chandeliers, no gargoyles in the corner, or blood fountains hanging off the walls. In fact, it looked nothing like what my simulation developers made their gothic castles out to be. The yacht had a normal nautical flare complete with fishing nets, buoys, and starfish hanging in nets on the wall.
Khaldon guided me to a seat next to the head of the table where a man in khaki cargo shorts was sitting. Amicula sat next to him across from me on the other side. I looked at the guests. Most everyone had on normal Floridian attire. Shorts, polos, even flip flops. I was the only one in high heels and tight leather pants. Several other people, or vampires – hell I couldn’t tell – seemed amused at my appearance. I became hyper-aware Amicula might not be one to trust regardless of whether she saved my life or not.
As Khaldon drew out my chair, the male vampires stood. The entire table sat after I was seated. This came across totally surreal. I mean, who did that anymore? I liked it, but had never been in a position to experience it firsthand.
“My dearest, Miss O’Cuinn.”
A man whom I guessed was head of this clan turned to me.
“My name is Lord Stovall, and these among you now are my high counselors. No need for names until a decision has been made on your part.” Stovall gestured with his hand down the table.
I looked at each person and greeted them with a courtesy nod.
“Please, let us enjoy our meal,” he continued. “You are acquainted with Amicula. You’ve met Khaldon. I take it your treatment since coming aboard has been accommodating?”
“Yes. Thank you for your kindness and generosity.”
That sounded lame. I just want to get on with this and get the hell out of here.
“You have been an odd case for us, Miss O’Cuinn. Amicula has been in charge of the Interspecies Human Relations unit. That’s why she was at the hospital as your nurse. She needed to watch over you while you made your transition.”
I nodded and tried to smile at her, secretly wanting to strangle her with these leather pants.
“Khaldon is currently a member of the abstergers team, but his specialty is in computer technology. I understand you’re a computer software programmer, correct?”
I nodded and looked at Khaldon.
“You two should get along handsomely.” Khaldon gave a sheepish shrug.
That’s like saying just because we work on computers, we must know everything Google and be lifelong best friends.
“Thank you, Lord Stovall.” I nodded at Amicula. “I am very gracious for your hospitality and … um … clothing.”
Khaldon tried to hide a smile under his hand. Amicula sat back with her arm draped across the back of chair next to her.
“If I may, Lord Stovall, I have made my decision. I have two sisters who are missing since the night I was attacked. I want to live, regardless of what new capacity, in order to find them.”
“Excellent! Now we won’t need to eat you.” Stovall’s voice boomed as tensions seemingly lifted in the room.
That could have been my own nervous perceptions. My eyes felt as large as silver dollars at his last statement. I looked at Khaldon. He shook his head at me and grinned. I shrugged my shoulders and returned his smile.
Stovall clapped his hands. “Let the meal begin.”
I heaved a huge sigh of relief. Large trays filled with cheese, fruit, and vegetables were set in the middle of the table. Steamed baskets of crawfish and fried catfish were placed in front of each of us. Our glasses filled with iced tea, water, or wine. No blood anywhere that I could see.
“What’s the matter, Cheyenne, are you not hungry?” Lord Stovall spoke with a piece of French bread half in his mouth. “You looked confused, my dear.”
I looked at Khaldon and then at Amicula and then finally back to him. I leaned over closer, hoping only he could hear me. “Well, to be honest, I kind of expected – more blood.”
“I told you she was blunt.” Light chuckles and small titters of laughter were almost drowned out by my ‘friend’ Amicula’s hearty laugh. “She’s pure Hollywood cliché, let me tell you.”
“You see, my dear, we do crave and require a certain amount of human blood every day. A diet of only one course is unhealthy over a long period of time, no matter what species you are.” Stovall picked up his tea. The ice sparkled in the glass. “And to be honest, it is dreadfully boring to have only one food source. We need nutrients from all the food groups as they are now known, for our bodies
to thrive and not simply exist.”
I looked at Khaldon for a hint of truth from Stovall’s words. He picked up a grape and popped it into his mouth. He bit, chewed, swallowed, and smiled. I grinned at his warm-hearted humor.
“In fact, one of the most common myths about vampires comes directly from a diet consisting solely of human blood,” Stovall continued.
Khaldon added to the conversation. “We learned our susceptibility to any direct sunlight occurred when our ancestors succumbed only to the blood cravings. Our varied diet allows a moderate amount of exposure to ultra violet rays. If we are malnourished, we can be reduced to almost mortal qualities with too much solar exposure. We live but do not necessarily thrive as well as we do at night. That being said, normally there is a blood chalice at each setting. A dessert, if you will. Everything in moderation.”
Servers appeared carrying an ornate chalice for each person seated at the table. A younger man filled the cups from a great amphora. My mouth sucked in the saliva which had pooled in between my cheeks and gum. Here was the blood I had been waiting for.
After each chalice had been filled, Lord Stovall stood, followed by everyone else. He turned toward me. “We have to observe certain formalities. Cheyenne O’Cuinn, you who have become Vampyre, must now make a choice to live or perish. Do you wish to live, learn, love, and embrace your immortality? Or do you wish to be set free from the confines of this existence?”
Immortality? I hadn’t even thought about that. How will this affect Roxas?
My sisters were still alive – I could feel it in my guts. If it meant staying alive forever, I needed to do everything I could to save them. I squared my shoulders and stood taller in my heels. “Yes, I accept this new life and will embrace my immortality.”
Lord Stovall drank deep from his chalice. Then he handed it to me and invited me to drink. I looked at Khaldon and Amicula. Khaldon encouraged me to accept. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. With a swallow, I bound my agreement with immortality. I licked my lips. The most delicious crimson silk coated the inside of my throat plunging the bond deep into the depths of my soul.
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