The Embrace

by Jessica Callaghan

  “Just tell me why. Why would you do that?” I could feel the power rising behind my voice. I was speaking with a new found conviction and he knew I meant what I was saying.

  He opened his mouth but no words came out. He was trying to work on his performance, perfecting his role as the apologetic lover, but I wasn’t interested anymore.

  “It wasn’t like that.” He didn’t look at me. He was too much of a coward to look me in the eyes.

  I felt every cell in my body raging. There was a fire growing in my stomach and my fangs began to protrude through my gums. Any strong emotion can bring them out, and this fury was almost suffocating me.

  “Don’t lie to me.” I heard my voice but it didn’t sound like me. It was a harsh, grating shriek which made my skin crawl.

  My hand was reaching out before I even realised it. There was a small coffee table near the wall with glass decanters displayed proudly on it. It felt like a stranger who reached out and picked up the heavy glass, but it was me.

  The anger and adrenalin pumped more furiously. I could no longer hear, it felt like I was trapped underwater. Gabriel was talking to me now that he could see the glass in my hand, but I couldn’t hear him anymore. His voice was muffled, but either way nothing he said could stop my rage.

  I threw the glass at him. A moment from my past flashed through my head as I did it. Just after I had been turned into a vampire I had thrown a glass at his head, enraged by the new sensations in my body. Back then my aim had been shoddy and I had missed, but I was stronger now.

  The glass collided with his head and fell to the ground in jagged shards. My body was still in a predatory state of tension, but there were no more tears.

  The rusty smell of blood hit my nose. Gabriel was bleeding from a shallow wound on his forehead. It would heal quickly but that wasn’t the point. I had finally been able to hurt him the way he was hurting me.

  “I’m bleeding.” He said, touching the wound in shock. “What the hell is wrong with you?” I could feel the waves of fury coming from him, and my confidence was almost shattered.

  I felt as if he was towering over me from across the room. There was a dark shadow over him in a way I’d never seen before. I was scared of him, more than I ever had been.

  Before he could even move towards me the moment was interrupted by our forgotten house guest. In all of the panic I had forgotten that Dahlia was becoming more lucid.

  She began wailing and shouting, her sounds puncturing the tension. Gabriel and I had managed to intimidate our neighbours but we didn’t want to draw attention to ourselves if possible. Dahlia’s screaming could put our secret in jeopardy.

  Gabriel redirected his gift for intimidation towards her as he threw himself down to her level, slapping his hand over her mouth to silence her.

  She began to calm down and eventually he removed his hand. The way she looked at him jarred on me. There was something tender between them, a look that was more than just a victim and her kidnapper. She had real feelings for him. I had never had to share my love for Gabriel with anyone else and I was already sick of it.

  “It’s ok. You’re with me, remember?” He whispered to her.

  My stomach gave a sickening rumble, reminding me of my need for blood. I had thought the tears were gone but I felt a lone tear trickling down my cheek. I was both weak and threatened, a deadly combination for a vampire.

  “Don’t turn her, Gabriel. Please don’t.” I begged.

  It was the only request I had, and I knew he could sense my desperation. We had a lot to talk about but that would have to wait until a better time. We had to calm Dahlia down before she attracted attention, and that came above our issues.

  He looked up at me from his crouched position. The black clouds above him had faded and he seemed like the Gabriel I knew. As he turned back to Dahlia I expected him to put her under his spell again. We could deal with her if she was under his compulsion, but I wanted nothing more to do with her.

  But to my surprise he bent down towards her neck, and before I had time to take stock of what had happened, his fangs were embedded in her jugular.

  I hadn’t expected him to taste her, but I thought he must be hungry after our fight. We hadn’t hunted yet and I was finding it hard to control my own hunger pangs.

  He took his head away from the wound. Dahlia was almost at the point of death already. Her eyes had rolled back and her sweat stained skin had turned a sickly pale shade. Blood was coated around Gabriel’s chin and I could see the effects of her taste taking hold of him.

  I saw him bend down and press his lips against his own wrist, coating his skin in Dahlia’s blood. He used his fangs to rip at the veins and then, before I had time to stop him, he pressed the exposed wound to our victim’s parted lips.

  My body was frozen and I let out a guttural noise. I knew this had been coming, and I knew what it meant. He had taken her blood and then replaced it with his own. It had been less than a year since he had completed this very transaction with me. He was turning her in to one of us.

  My legs collapsed under me and I fell to the ground. Gabriel pulled away from Dahlia and began to dry the blood with a blanket that had been placed on the sofa behind us.

  As I tried to process what had happened, I found myself staring at this poor woman. I remembered the embrace all too well. There had been a burning pain and then a feeling of release, as if I was letting go of the human world for something better. It’s a unique experience and I had never seen it from an outsider’s perspective.

  Her whole body convulsed violently and a trickle of blood fell from her lips. She was dying before my eyes, but I knew this wasn’t the end. In a few hours or days she would be back in front of me, more alive than ever.

  Gabriel joined me. The cut I had inflicted during my moment of anger was almost non-existant now. The only sign of my fleeting power over him had all but disappeared.

  “Why?” I was still crying but that one word conveyed everything I need to say.

  He smiled at me in the patronising way an adult smiles at a child. “I’m the one in charge here Louisa. You hurt me and I hurt you, that’s how it works.”

  He left me crouched on the floor and a few seconds later I heard the door slam shut. I was left in the nest by myself once again, watching Dahlia transition before my eyes.

  Every few seconds she let out a strangled cry. It was a desperate, animalistic sound which left me chilled. It felt strange to watch the transformation from the other side just months after going through it. I could almost feel the way Gabriel’s blood was flowing around her body, tearing her veins apart. I knew that the pain she was experiencing was excruciating, and despite my jealousy I felt sorry for her. I had chosen this life, but I had no idea whether Dahlia had.

  I crawled over to her. I couldn’t stand yet as my legs still felt weak after the shock of the night. Her skin was deathly pale and her glorious red hair had been plastered to her forehead in a cold sweat. Her clothes and skin were coated with a mixed concoction of her blood and Gabriel’s.

  After a few minutes I saw her body relax. The rhythm of her heart, which had been beating at full strength to replace the loss of blood, had now slowed right down. If I didn’t know better I would have said she was sleeping.

  After a few moments, her heart stopped. She was finally dead. I didn’t know how long a human usually spent in limbo before being reborn but I knew I couldn’t leave Dahlia, just in case.

  I took a leaf out of Gabriel’s book and carefully brushed the dead girl’s sweat soaked hair from her brow.

  “You’re going to be fine.” I whispered to her before kissing her gently on the forehead. I felt threatened by her, but I had to put that behind me and make sure she had someone waiting for her when she woke up. I knew from experience that this wouldn’t be easy on her.

  Chapter 26I must have drifted off while I was waiting for Dahlia to change. I finally awoke when the hunger began to tug at me and I realised how desperate I was to start my nightl
y hunt. For a moment I thought Gabriel might bring back a victim for me as a peace offering, but that was foolish. If that night had taught me anything it was that I didn’t know Gabriel as well as I thought.

  I buried the pangs of thirst deep inside and tried to focus on Dahlia. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been resting but I wanted to be certain she wasn’t alone when she became one of us. From a selfish perspective, I knew she could be a powerful asset to have on my side too.

  I looked over at the spot where Gabriel had tied her up and my whole body froze. She wasn’t there. The rope he had used to keep her in place was still hanging over the railings but the new vampire was no longer at the other end.

  I calmed myself and tried to think logically. She couldn’t be too far away. I closed my eyes and reached out to see if I could sense her location. The soft sound of falling water hit me, coming from the bathroom.

  Obviously I had used the bathroom, in fact I had slept there during my first major argument with Gabriel, but we had never used the bath the way humans would have. I knew it must be Dahlia in there.

  The water stopped as I made my way to the source. I hadn’t expected Dahlia to finish the transition before I could wake up, but I had so many things I wanted to talk to her about.

  The door was ajar. When I pushed it open it made an eerie creaking noise. The bright bathroom lights were on and the opulence of the room was on full display. The bath tub was one of those antique, claw footed ones that always seems to make a room more beautiful.

  The bath was filled with water and there was a layer of bubbles on top. Dahlia was lounging in the suds with her back to me. Her red hair was piled high on her head, free from the sweat and blood that had coated it the last time I had seen her. Her alabaster skin was flawless and I could make out her figure beneath the water. She was truly beautiful, even more so now that she had joined our ranks.

  “Nice to see you again.” She said.

  She didn’t need to turn around to know I was there, and so I knew the transition must have taken hold. It seemed as if there was a smile in her voice that I hadn’t expected from a newborn vampire.

  “How do you feel?” I asked. It felt like a pointless question but it was all I could muster.

  She still didn’t turn to face me. “I’ve been better.”

  She was just like the Dahlia I’d always known but there was something more intense about her. Her confidence had strengthened in to something far more intimidating.

  I walked over and perched on the edge of the bath, facing her. Humans always place an emphasis on the eyes, as if they’re the centre of the soul. Vampires don’t have souls but the eyes are still seen as a key to understanding what’s going on inside, and Dahlia was no different.

  Her eyes were a glittering green shade, like a field of grass. There was a knowledge and a wisdom there which she had possessed as a human. It had been enhanced now that she was a vampire and despite my experience, I found myself feeling intimidated by her.

  She looked back at me with those piercing eyes and I saw a sarcastic smile grow on her face.

  “Want to join me?” She laughed, clearly mocking my interest in her.

  She lifted her leg out of the water and flexed her toes. The way she moved, the way she let her skin soak up the water, reminded me of a mystical water nymph.

  I tried to move the tone back to something more serious. “Dahlia, we have a lot to talk about.”

  She nodded but I don’t think she was really listening. She was too busy caressing her legs and admiring her new found perfection.

  “He told me I’d look better after he turned me but this is just...” She hadn’t listened. She was too concerned with her own beauty. I was about to raise my concerns again but she cut in before I could speak. “So how are we going to do this?”

  I was confused. I felt very uncomfortable around this newborn monster. There was something unsettling about her confidence and brazen attitude, the very things I had admired while she was a human.

  “Do what?” I asked. My brow crinkled in confusion and finally she seemed to take notice of me.

  She laughed. It was even more grating this time than before. “Well I’ve never been in a menage-a-trois so I don’t really know how it works.”

  She could see by my blank face that I was still perplexed. She sighed and rolled her eyes as if she was talking to a simpleton. “Gabriel. You don’t expect him to stay monogamous do you? He created me to be another mate to him. He’s not a one woman vampire anymore.”

  I was stunned. Dahlia stood up in the soapy bath and stepped on to the bathroom floor. I had always had a slender build so Dahlia’s curves felt like another weapon to show she was better than me. She took the clip out of her hair and her red waves fell down her back like a subject in a baroque painting.

  She gently dabbed at the soapy bubbles on her legs and caught my glance. “See something interesting?” She asked.

  In a moment of shame, I quickly looked away from her while she wrapped her body in a towel.

  She left the bathroom, walking with grace, and I followed her out. I still had things to talk about so I knew I couldn’t just leave her with so much unsaid.

  “Wait. We need to talk.” I called after her. She stopped in her tracks and turned round but I could see she wasn’t particularly happy about it. “You’ve been through a lot of changes and there must be something you want to ask me. I went through this less than a year ago, I can help you.”

  She walked towards me with that beautiful, womanly gait. Her hips moved with a fluid sensuality and the atmosphere around her almost intoxicated me. I had fed on her blood just days before and it had overpowered me. Now that she was a vampire, her effect was even stronger.

  She stopped just in front of me. Had she been human I’d have been able to feel her breath on me but now there was no sign of the life she once had. It took all my strength to look away from her gaze. She touched my chin and moved my face back so that she could lock on to my eyes.

  I took in her countenance and her stature like an artist laying eyes on his newest muse. The cupid’s bow of her lips was pronounced and full, while her cheeks had a natural pinkness. She was taller than me and so she had to tilt my chin up to look me in the eyes.

  She leaned in and those perfect lips pressed against my own. I saw her lids close over her shining eyes and I followed her. The kiss grew more powerful and primal. I felt as if she was sucking all of my energy out as she placed her hands on my cheeks in the moment of passion.

  I don’t know how long we stood there. When she pulled away I wanted to go with her. The advantage of being dead is that you never have to break a kiss for air. It can last as long as you want and Dahlia pulling away left me empty. She left her face lingering just inches in front of mine and kissed along the crease of my chin like Gabriel used to.

  I could feel her lips opening against my ears and she whispered gently to me. “You’re nothing like he said. I don’t understand why he wants to trade you in for a better model.”

  I pushed her away. The feeling rushing through my body turned to anger in a flash. I felt as if she had done all of this to degrade me. She had tricked me into making myself vulnerable and then she had insulted me.

  She laughed again in that taunting way. I could hardly stand it. I had felt such a connection to her but it had all turned around in a second, and now I wanted nothing more than to run away.

  “Stay away from me.” I yelled. I was growing more agitated and her nonchalant attitude made me crazy.

  “Lighten up. It was a joke.” She turned to walk away from me but I couldn’t let her. My blood was boiling and I needed to show her that she couldn’t mess me around.

  I grabbed her arm and pulled her back. The coldness behind her emerald eyes turned to anger. She may have impressed me with her new found power but I still had the edge in terms of experience, and my grip was strong.

  “Get off me, you psycho.” She yelled.

  I felt tears fall from my eye
s but it wasn’t down to sadness. They were the signs of raw emotion. I had gone through so much over the night and her taunting had pushed me over the edge.

  I felt my fangs extend and a flash of fear pushed through Dahlia’s confident exterior. I hadn’t seen any vulnerability in her up until that point, but I knew it meant I was gaining the upper hand. She tried to push me away but I grabbed her other arm and held her tightly in place.

  She wriggled as much as she could, and I could see pain in her eyes. Somehow she managed to loosen my grip and she began to run away from me across the tiled floor. Her feet were still wet from the bath and she slipped on the tiles as she fled, hitting the floor with a violent thump.

  I seized the advantage and ran up behind her, wrapping my hands around her neck. She clawed at my skin, her long nails leaving tiny grooves. She didn’t have any breath so I wasn’t choking her but I still had enough strength to decapitate her with my bare hands, and we both knew it.

  She reached forward as far as she could and grabbed a box which had been left discarded on the floor. She threw it behind her with surprising precision and I only just managed to move out of the way in time. I let my hands leave her neck for just a second and she turned, pouncing on me and pinning me to the ground.

  Her fangs were now fully extended for the first time. She truly was a magnificent creature. For a second I forgot how deeply I hated her, and the feeling of admiration resumed.

  She leaned down to press her lips against my neck again. “Nice try.” She whispered against my skin.

  That was all I needed to reminded me of my abhorrence. I managed to pull my leg from underneath her and I kicked at her stomach with full force. She flew through the air, colliding with a mirror on the opposite wall. The glass shattered as she fell to the ground, her body covered in tiny cuts.

  I walked past the coffee table and broke the table leg off in my hand as I passed. I knew every inch of the room and I didn’t even need to look to make sure I had picked the right object.

  My vision was blinded by my old friend, the red curtain of hunger. I stopped in front of Dahlia and she looked up at me with those cold eyes, licking blood away from the corner of her lips.