by C. L. Quinn
He sat there for several minutes. Then several minutes more. He looked at the young woman lying shredded and bleeding out on the aged wood floor. He looked at Park, who was asking the impossible from him. Changing someone implied so much responsibility and it wasn’t ever taken lightly. It was irreversible, and without this girl accepting the life she would be forced into, he didn’t want to do it. People died, that was just the way the world worked. He should let her go to her natural death. Only there was nothing natural about this.
His sigh was deep, his eyes haunted. Park could feel the pain of the decision as he considered the right thing to do. His eyes brushed across the woman who had only a short time to live to the one he was becoming more and more connected to by the minute. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t let either one of them down. He scooped the blonde woman up into his arms.
“I guess the reaper will have to wait for this one.” And he carried her inside, followed closely by Park.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“No. We’re going to the basement.”
“Do you want me to wait up here?”
“NO!!” He said the word explosively. Then more calmly as he carried the woman to the stairs. “Follow me, Park. I can’t risk him coming back for you. Don’t get out of my sight. And by the way, this isn’t pretty. You are going to see something few humans have ever seen. I hope you have a strong stomach.”
“I’m looking at a woman I really like with her guts ripped out. I think I can handle it.” Just as a reminder that she might not be right, a wave of nausea rolled up. She tamped it down.
Bas laid her on a roll of old musty blankets he must have found down there early this morning. Bernie actually moaned, which made Park smile. She was going to make it.
“Lock the door. It won’t stop him, but it will give us some warning if he decides to come for us.” Park did it immediately. Then went back to him and Bernie, but stepped back out of the way.
Bas pulled something out of his boot that caught the light of the bare bulb. It was a stiletto, sharp and pointed.
“The change takes several days. It’s started by feeding her copious amounts of my blood. It’ll weaken me. That’s where you come in.”
Park already knew. “You need to feed from me. Okay.”
“She’ll fight, when she’s strong enough. She won’t understand. The change will begin immediately when enough of my blood is in her, and begins to be digested. The pain will increase as the change increases.”
“Will she live long enough for that?”
“Don’t worry. Once my blood is in her, she will begin to heal. It will keep her alive long enough for the change to begin. Then, it’s up to her body how it goes. I’ve seen it go in as little as four days, but never easily. Usually, it takes a week or longer. Park, it’s extremely painful so you need to stay clear. And I have to tell you. Once in a while, a person dies instead of changing. It won’t have anything to do with her wounds if she doesn’t. It just means her body couldn’t adjust to the changes. Okay?”
Park nodded.
“We need to get to my secure property in Vancouver as soon as possible. I’m going to begin the infusion. You stay right where you are. I’ll come to you when I need to. Whatever you do, stay away from Bernie. And if someone comes through that door, don’t worry about us. Look in that bag behind you. There’s a flare gun. It won’t kill him, but it should stop him long enough for you to get in the car and get out of here. If he gets me, I don’t think he’ll come for you. He would only track you to find me. So, if I’m out of the picture, you should be free to resume your life.” He took a deep breath. So did Park. “Okay,” he said on an exhale. “Let’s do this.”
Bas went to the other side of the room where he took some cording he’d found in the corner, and tied Bernie’s hands to the roof supports. Then he sat near her head…and tore a hole in his wrist with the stiletto. Red blood flowed freely and he sealed his wrist over Bernie’s mouth, holding her by the neck so that her head would drop back and let the fluid flow down her throat. He kept this up for several minutes with no movement or reaction from the still waitress. Park watched in concern and fascination.
Because it had been so quiet down there, the first gag from Bernie seemed thunderous. She started pushing Bas away, but his greatly superior strength wasn’t even affected. He held onto her and continued to feed her, in spite of her now being fully awake and gagging on every swallow. Park felt horrible watching her struggle and try desperately to scream or get away from him. And she felt worried about Bas’s blood loss. Minutes later, he pulled back, stumbled a little as he got up, shakily, and stood for a moment staring down at Bernie, who was finally free to breath and cough. Unsteady, he backed away, watching Bernie open her eyes and glare at him. But her line of sight shifted when she saw Park behind him.
Bernie panted and tried to speak.
“Don’t…” Bas started to say, but then realized he, too, was too weak to do so and turned toward Park. She came forward and put her arm around him, led him to the other side of the room where she had laid some blankets too.
“She…took…a…lot…” he gasped out. Park planted herself in front of him and pulled her hair back. She’d already removed her shirt, the pink lacy bra her only concession to modesty. Then she presented her throat. He latched on. Harder than he meant to, but he knew the sting would be brief. As soon as he began to draw, his strength began immediately to return. He had no idea what it was, but her blood was different…stronger? If that was possible, but whatever it was, it took him beyond his normal self. He knew without a doubt that he would be faster, stronger, better, than ever before. Because whatever she was, she was liquid fuel to a vampire. God help them all if Shanks and his sire ever found out. He was able to pull back much sooner, take less, than he expected. He closed the wounds and rolled her into him.
“Thank you. I’m going to give her a little more and then we’ll head out of here. Your blood is extraordinary. Beyond anything I’ve ever tasted, Park. I feel an intense power that you don’t get from a normal feeding.”
Park didn’t know what to say to that, so she just said, “You’re welcome.” But her smile was wide and her eyes shining. She liked that he liked her blood. It struck her that nothing else she could say tonight would top that.
As Bas approached Bernie, she shoved herself backward. He tried to reassure her.
“We’re trying to help you. A very bad man tried to kill you and we are just trying to keep you alive. Do you understand that? I’m Bas and I’m…”
“Vampire!” she spat out. “So was he. Get away from me.” Her eyes shifted to Park. “She’s in on it. I should have known. Super…” Another coughing spell, “…metabolism.”
Park couldn’t help herself. She laughed. And started forward, but a harsh look from Bas stopped her. So, she spoke to her from where she was, safely distant.
“Bernie. You’re wonderful. Here you are, just back from the edge of death, and you’re joking.”
“Not…” cough, cough, cough, “…joking.”
“Sweetie,” Park said somberly, using Bernie’s term, “It’s okay. I promise. You have to trust us. Bas, touch her that way you do that will calm her.”
“Won’t work on her. She’s too infused with my blood. She needs more blood to carry her through the next few hours while we travel.” He headed closer and Bernie shrunk back.
“NO! No more, please. I trust you, I trust you, so you don’t have to…”
He grabbed her and pulled her head back down, and used his own teeth to tear his arm back open. It was the first time Park had seen his fangs. She was mesmerized. The second feeding was much more brutal now that Bernie was awake and fighting. Bas had to be extremely forceful, and Park thought it should disturb her. It didn’t. And she wondered how much she herself had changed in just two days.
Bernie struggled intensely, her strength obviously returned, although it couldn’t even begin to match Bas. Her arms and legs flail
ed, she struck him repeatedly, screamed when she could pull free long enough. After another fifteen or so minutes, Bas pulled up again, backing away from her as she shrieked at him. He stumbled toward Park, and she ran forward to grab him. His weight was too much and they crumbled to the ground. He tried to roll away to avoid landing on her but didn’t completely make it and he knocked the air out of her when his arm smashed into her rib cage. He rolled up and reached for her. His eyes asked if she was okay.
Regaining her air, she nodded. He helped her up and they both went toward the opposite corner of the room.
“I had to give her a lot to continue her transition while we travel. How are you feeling? Do you think you can let me feed again? A little?”
“Bas, other than the elbow shot just now, I’m fine. Your feeding did not weaken me at all.”
He shook his head as they both sat down very close together. “Your blood is something else, lady. I didn’t have to take as much as I normally would have to recover. Even so, you should have felt significant weakness from blood loss for a while.”
Park shrugged. “I didn’t. I’m good. Bas, you are not. You actually look pale even.”
He gathered her into his arms, choosing the same spot, and bit. The sharp stab was gone in seconds and Park felt his teeth scrape as he pulled the viscous liquid into is mouth. It felt stimulating. Sexually. Park let herself go lax and just enjoy the sensation, released her mind to seek his. He rolled in closer to her, fitting her body tight against his, and she felt regret that they were clothed. Her hands started plucking at this shirt and had it unbuttoned and off his shoulders before either of them realized it. Her hands slid across his chest and headed straight for the top of his jeans. She had the snap popped before he realized they were heading somewhere they couldn’t now. Plus, he’d drawn too much. He shoved her away and pushed himself upright, backing away from her.
“Are you okay?” he asked, breathless.
Her eyes met his lazily, glazed with passion. She touched her neck where the two punctures were beginning to close, then brought her fingers up. To her lips. A small amount of blood covered two of them and she kept her eyes on his as she licked it off, her tongue wrapping around her fingertips and then around her lips again. Bas thought he was going to explode.
In the other corner, Bernie was watching, her now alert eyes missing nothing. Bas pulled his shirt back together and started to tuck it in. Park sat upright, but stayed on the ground, still in a sexual haze. She wanted him, now, and knew she wasn’t going to get him. Now. But later…
Bernie was sitting upright now, too, and seemed to be feeling fine. Although the rips in her gut were still there, deep, and in normal circumstances, a death sentence. She didn’t seem to notice. Her eyes moved back and forth between Bas and Park. They had been pale blue, but were darkening even now.
She looked directly at Park. “So. You’re not a vampire.”
“No,” Park answered.
Then Bernie looked at Bas. “And you are. And you guys attacked me…why?”
Park got up and ran to her. Bas tried to grab her, but she made it to Bernie, now sitting on her knees right in front of her. Bas was right there. “Park, you need to get away…”
“No. Bernie, we didn’t attack you. I swear! Did you see the guy who took you?”
“Yeah, some tall skinny dude. Dressed in one of those godawful flannel plaid shirts. He grabbed me when I went to my car, slammed me in the face. When I woke up…I can’t exactly remember. I remember pain, horrible pain, and then I woke up here. With this guy feeding me blood! So you can forgive me for thinking you guys fucking attacked me!”
Bas was freaking a little, concerned for Park. He almost grabbed her and pulled her away, but his new changeling was acting…normal. Which was extremely not normal for a transition. The process was so painful, it often drove the person to madness. But she seemed to be doing…fine.
“It wasn’t us. We’re saving you. You remember how we felt a connection this morning? Well, that guy who took you is an enemy of ours and he took you to another vampire, who did this to you.” Park pointed to Bernie’s horrific wounds. Bernie looked down at her chest. Her head jerked.
“Well, what the hell? That should really be hurting.”
“No, that should really have killed you. But I liked you. So much. I didn’t want you to be dead. I didn’t think you would want to be dead. Bernie, was I right? You would have chosen to live, right?”
Bernie’s eyes hurt. The gaping wounds didn’t. What the hell. She looked at the beautiful girl she’d just met this morning who had her heart in her eyes as she asked the question. She looked at the vampire who had apparently saved her life. For what? How would she live now? She had no idea. But she did know one thing.
“I would have chosen to live. I’m only twenty eight. I don’t want to die yet.”
Park grinned up at Bas, who still towered over her, protecting her from the “violent” Bernie. “See? I knew it.” She turned back to Bernie. “This was the only way. The other vampire took you too near to death for human medicine.”
Bernie sat back. Her mind was reeling. She looked around the dirty, moist basement room, then at the two people who were strangers to her, and yet not, now. It took a few moments to even begin to process the events. But her mind seemed remarkably clear, more than it ever had, especially for someone so near death just minutes ago.
Bernie’s muddy blue gray eyes shot up to Bas. He was easily the hottest man she had ever seen.
“So,” she said slowly. “Am I…am I a vampire now, too?”
Both Bas and Park nodded their heads. Bernie nodded hers then too. “Okay. And what does that mean? Can I still be a waitress?”
Bas answered his new charge. “No. You’ll learn a lot soon, but one thing you must know right now is that sunlight will kill you. Ultraviolet exposure is deadly to vampires. I doubt that’s a surprise. Bernie, you can’t stay here. You can’t live your human life. We’re going to my stronghold in Canada and we’re taking you with us. You’ll complete your transition there. I know it’s very hard to leave your life…your family…your friends…”
“Not really. But not being human anymore. That’s going to be difficult. Isn’t it?”
“The hardest thing you’ll ever do in your life, yes. But there are a great many benefits.” Bas was amazed at how well she was doing. Right now, her internal structure was actually being attacked and altered by the vampire genome that was one hundred percent dominant. It would override her entire physical makeup. Her pain level should make it impossible for her to be sitting up and discussing this. Bas couldn’t stop staring at her.
“It’s amazing,” he commented quietly.
Bernie watched him, her eyes sharp and too focused. “You don’t get it? Why I’m doing so well with the change? You said her blood was like super blood or something. You drank from her and then you fed me. I have her blood in me, too, now. So I guess it really is super blood. So, if you’re not a vampire, Park, what are you?”
“I think I’m just human. He doesn’t think so.”
Bernie sat cross legged now and looked back at Bas.
“So, what do you think she is?”
“The mystery of the century. I haven’t had a chance to find out yet.”
“We’ve only known each other for two days,” Park told Bernie.
“Seriously? So this whole vampire thing, did you know about it before?”
“No. It’s still bouncing off my brain, too. Bernie, I hope you’ll be happy. I made this choice for you, so I feel responsible.”
Bernie leaned in. “I…I don’t know. But I will tell you, if I’d been awake, and he offered me the choice, I would have chosen to live. So I relieve you of your responsibility. You did right by me, Park. I’m grateful.”
Park leaned in, hesitated, and then hugged Bernie, who hugged her back.
Bas rolled his eyes.
“I guess you’re doing okay. So let’s get the hell out of here before Shanks and h
is sire come for us all.”
“We’re three now,” Park said. “We outnumber them.”
“You really are new to vampires, Park, or you would never have said something so naïve. Let’s just go.”
Park helped untie Bernie, who was way less steady standing than she expected her to be. Bas eventually swept her up and carried her up the stairs, her arms tight around his neck. Park felt odd about that. Seeing Bernie that close to him…it bothered her. She didn’t know why, he wasn’t hers, she had no claim on him. But she knew. She was jealous anyway. And when Bernie buried her head against Bas’s chest, I took everything she had not to yank her out of his arms. She groaned as she waited for him to get into the passenger seat after settling Bernie in the backseat. This was going to go well.
The rest of the journey was uneventful. Bernie began to have intense pain in her entire body, and spent most of the journey balled up in the backseat, whimpering or trying to muffle her screams. Now Park felt some responsibility for what she was putting her through. Bas gave her the “I told you so” look, but then felt sorry for her and reminded her what Bernie said, that it would have been her choice too.
Two days later, just an hour after dusk left the sky black, the Mercedes started a climb up a heavily wooded road back so far from town and so isolated, surely nothing was there. She remarked about that to him.
“It’s there. It’s a fortress, my stronghold, my most protected property. I’ve owned this land for two hundred years.”
“Oh, you actually paid for something?”
“Funny. I’ve paid for a lot of something’s, smartass. If you’ve been alive for three hundred years and don’t have enough wealth to do anything you want, you don’t deserve the gift of immortality.”
“So, you’re wealthy?”
“Obscenely. Not bragging, just happens to be a fact. Lady, we’re going to need it if we’re going to defend ourselves. I just received another text from Dez. A third vampire has been murdered. It’s war. Shanks, his Sire, and according to two other sources, three other unknown vampires. We have to assume he’s making himself an army. We have to assume he’ll be after us soon, if not next. He’s already sent us his calling card.” He glanced back at Bernie, still rolled into a tight ball.