by Davis, SJ
He winced as he said the word and I found myself very aggravated all of a sudden.
“Yes… and?”
“You ought to be careful, Nila. I’m only thinking of you, so you don’t to get a reputation.”
My temper snapped and I abruptly stood, startling Malcolm.
“Reputation? SO of course you told them I wasn’t that kind of girl and the vampire in question was in a serious relationship with me?”
“Well…”
“No so you think I’m a vampire slut too huh?”
He shifted uncomfortably.
“Don’t answer Malcolm, do you know where you’d be if it weren’t for them? Do you? You petty minded little man, I thought better of you.”
“I thought better of you Nila, they aren’t even among the living.”
“God fucking dammit!” I hissed under my breath. “Fuck you Malcolm.”
And with that I left. What a fucking hypocrite, he was happy to be rescued, happy for the vamps to provide him with books and a cabin for his library but deep down he thought of them as freaks of nature. Maybe they were, but hell I was in love with one, and as far as I was concerned Horaldo had saved me. He’d rescued me from those… things and then he had mended my broken heart.
I headed back to my motor home because I was so fucking angry and I didn’t want to waken Horaldo with my fuming. I rustled up some pasta, washed and read a book. I half thought Malcolm would maybe knock on the door and apologise but it never came. Well good luck opening that library by yourself mate, I thought, he’d never figure out the netbook by himself.
I silently chuckled and when the clock finally dragged its way to three PM I headed back to the main house and slipped back into bed.
I hadn’t been beside Horaldo for ten minutes when he began to stir. He let out a yawn and stretched like a cat. He was so beautiful as he slept. His eyebrows perfectly shaped and relaxed, without worry. He had a nine o clock shadow, which he seemed to have permanently so I could only guess that he’d been made with it that way. I tried to image the things he might have seen in his life time, how much he had witnessed first-hand.
Without opening his eyes he reached out and his hand made contact with my stomach. He smiled and opened one eye.
“You are here.”
“I am. Good sleep?”
“God yes, like the dead, no pun intended.”
“I missed you.” I smiled and said simply.
“I didn’t miss you, you were in my dreams most of the night.”
“Oh really?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Oh yes. How was work?”
I was silent, should I say anything, I didn’t like Malcolm very much but I didn’t want him getting an ass whooping.
“Nila?”
“The guy… the guy who runs the library made it pretty clear that he doesn’t approve of vampire/human relationships. I left.”
“We’ve come across a few. Once they found out who and what we were they refused sanctuary, I didn’t think anyone inside the compound felt so strongly.”
He sat up and craned his neck, shaking away the sleep demons.
“Do you think he might pose a threat?”
“No, but to be sure I will have Kilvire give him a once over. I’m sure he would already know if the guy was going to act on his beliefs.”
“Okay. It’s strange, there are actually people who took their chances with the zombies rather than live with vampires?”
“Worse, there were families Nila, whole families at the beginning of the chaos when there were lots to be rescued who left with small children when we offered them protection. You cannot tamper with free will.”
“How utterly fucking stupid.” I said bluntly.
“Quite. We have a meeting to go to tonight.”
“We?”
“Yup I’d like you to meet everyone.”
I made myself comfortable.
“Can I ask something serious?”
“Sure.” He smiled.
“I take it from our current situation that you will not be making me a vampire any time soon.”
“Would you want that?”
“Of course” I want to be with you, indefinitely.”
“I have spoken to Vincent and we do need to wait. A newborn needs to feed at least once a day and they are extremely bloodthirsty. If it is your will then as soon as it’s possible I will.”
Chapter 15
Robin.
“I can do it tonight.” I said bluntly to the various members sat at the table. Red sulked beside me, as he had since his mother’s ‘little’ announcement. We hadn’t even made love or fucked either which was a first. He was mad but he was right, I could be making a huge mistake by helping to turn his mother. I caught Kilvire looking at me, obviously picking up on my worries; he smiled and winked slightly to reassure me. The reality of the situation was, Red had only just found his mother and he didn’t want to lose her again… permanently but she was a grown woman, able to make her own decisions.
Horaldo chose that moment to enter and he brought with him his new mate, Nila. I’d briefly met her that morning, Horaldo had asked me to waken her for her work in the makeshift library and I’d done just that. She seemed oddly familiar to me and I wondered as I saw her properly if I’d met her before.
We all said hello and she was introduced around the table to everyone. She didn’t seem to pick up on the tension between Red, Redvick, Ilona and I, she smiled politely and took her seat at Horaldo’s side.
I was absolutely made up for Horaldo; I’d come to really like him since he’d arrived in England. He and Vincent were hilarious when they got together, talking about battles they had fought and stuff they’d got up to.
“You can go tonight?” Ilona said eagerly.
“I can, I fed well, from Vincent.” Red shot Vincent a steely look.
“Let’s do it.” Her mate, Redvick gritted his teeth beside her.
“There’s no reason to delay.” Kilvire said confidently. “It will be fine.”
“That’s easy for you to say, you killed your soul mate.” Redvick snapped.
Nila gasped.
“Don’t worry.” Horaldo assured her.
“That was a long time ago, should it happen again I might reconsider having seen you all with yours.”
“Redvick, calm down.” Vinnie ordered. “The decision has been made by the person who is entitled to make it, Ilona.”
“I understand that, I just don’t see why she has to do it now, we need to practice a bit more. Turn a new born, experiment on them. Not my Ilona, I can’t bear it.”
I saw the hurt in his eyes and it was killing me but I had to do this. I’d come to both like and respect Ilona and I believed, truly believed that she deserved a shot at being normal. I also knew first-hand what it felt to be a Santorian, the immense power was a comfort blanket. I had been staked and I’d even had my arm chopped off, which hurt like a bitch. Ilona deserved that power too, I wanted that for her. I’d seen the mess Katrina had made of her and I’d seen her wince in pain for weeks after. Her leg still ached now, she had told me herself but kept it from Red and Redvick so they didn’t worry.
“Look can we please just do it Robin, now? You two,” Ilona pointed sternly at Red and Redvick. “Wait the hell here, I am so sick of the both of you right now, why can’t you just be happy for Christ’s sake.”
“Mother…”
“Don’t mother me, you have no idea Red, no clue and if you did, if you experienced my life for one second you would be doing it to. I’m gonna leave this room with Robin now and I’m mad at you both, but I will be back and when I do that, you’ll be lucky if I don’t beat the crap out of you.”
I sniggered a bit and Red looked positively shocked at his mother’s little outburst.
Nila, the poor thing looked really confused.
“Right, let’s do this,” Vincent stood, “Malachi, please report anything relevant to Horaldo, Danielle let them both now what supplies you need.”<
br />
“Mum,” Red said softly to Ilona, “I love you… please come back.”
“I will son, don’t worry.”
I stood with Vincent and so did Ginetta, Ilona and Kilvire.
I didn’t look Red in the eye as we left and made our way to the secure room we held all the experiments in. Ilona walked up front with Kilvire who was mentally telling me to stay calm and trust him. I gathered from the silence that he was talking mentally to Ilona too.
If I’d been human my heart would have been hammering wildly in my chest. I hoped to God I could give her enough blood to turn, I didn’t want to live with Red if she died.
It won’t come to that. Kilvire said.
“Get out of my head, you psycho,” I quipped back.
He turned and smiled at me.
We entered the bay and locked the heavy metal door securely, taking every normal procedure for these kind of experiments. Ilona led down on the bed while Kilvire and I went to the other side of the room.
You drain me until I pass out OK, take as much as you can. I thought, knowing he would read my thoughts easily. He nodded and took several needles out of sterile packets, placing them all on a metal trolley. He took empty blood bags from the drawer and began.
He extracted bag after bag until I began to feel a little woozy and my eyes began to close.
“Kilvire, stop!” I heard Ginetta say quickly.
I felt him leave the table and I heard then start to work on Ilona.
I’m good, I’m good, I hope it’s enough.
I drifted in out and aware that they were draining Ilona’s blood and at some point Ginetta handed me a plastic cup.
“Robin, drink, please.” She urged.
I groggily sat up and sipped the cup of Ilona’s blood feeling myself come to a little more. When I looked up Ilona was unconscious and they had begun pumping my blood into her veins. I drained my cup of blood and sat watching, every ounce of my being willing her to be reborn, to reawaken.
I saw Kilvire leaning in, mentally listening in to her brain waves. Bag after bag was administered and when they reached the last bag my heart dropped, half a bag, a quarter of a bag left.
Kilvire looked at me with panic in his eyes.
“Kilvire?” Ginetta said with worry.
“Shit!” I said and then faster than a human eye could see I jumped off the table, grabbed a scalpel from a medical trolley, slit my wrist as deep as could and poured it into her mouth. As the wound healed I reopened it and repeated it until… blackness surrounded me.
Epilogue
Ilona.
I was walking. The grass was brilliant green against a sunny cloudless sky. I smiled as it warmed my face. It had been so long since I’d basked in it glow, I had forgotten. I ran my fingertips against the tall blades as I walked, grabbing the odd stalk and smelling the thin leaves tinted with the scent of the sun.
As I cleared the top of the hill I could see a park. There were flowerbeds splashed with bright colours and people walking, sitting on benches and picnicking under the shade of the trees. I smiled and neared, eager to see all these happy people. I joined a path and followed along, smiling at the people around me. A little girl was playing with a yoyo in the grass next to her mother and she looked up, smiled and carried on. This was a truly wonderful place full of happiness and a feeling of home.
I dipped down a hill and saw a woman of African decent sat in the grass next to an old fashioned pram. Her hair was fastened high on her head and the skin on her bare arms glistened a rich chocolate brown in the blazing sun. She was leaning in the pram but seemed to sense I was watching and turned in my direction. My breath caught in my throat.
Silvie!
I ran to her and couldn’t find the words to speak.
“Ilona Hawkins, you never did like doing as you were told.” She smiled.
She was just as I remembered her, beautiful, young and so innocent looking.
“I… I… oh Silvie I am so sorry!” I threw my arms around her and sobbed.
“Now now, things happen for a reason, Ilona, and someone had to look after this little one now didn’t they?” She motioned to the pram and looked inside.
There was a little baby girl, a new born with a head of strawberry blond curls, her eyes, her face shape, they looked just like…
“Yes Ilona, that’s your baby girl?”
“Oh my, my baby, but she’s perfect… perfect.”
“Everyone is here, Ilona, everyone.”
“Can I?”
“Of course.” She smiled.
I bent and plucked the baby from the pram and she fitted in my arms like only your own child can. She looked up at me with her innocent blue eyes and I knew then, without a doubt that she was mine.
“Oh, my girl, my baby girl,” I cooed.
“I named her Lily,” Silvie said.
It fitted her perfectly, Lily.
“I’ll never leave you again my precious.” I planted a kiss on her forehead.
“I’m afraid you have to dear Ilona.”
“What, no!” I protested.
“It’s not quite your time but now you know what awaits you.”
“I don’t want to leave,” I said seriously.
“There will come a time, not long from now when your son will be in mortal danger.”
“Red?”
“Yes, only you will be able to save him Ilona so you see you cannot stay, not yet but Lily isn’t going anywhere and neither am I. She wants for nothing and I tell her about you every day. Look, see how she knows you.”
Tears streamed down my face as I stared at my beautiful daughter so like me and I suddenly lurched a little.
Silvie reached out and took her.
“You need to go now Ilona, go and be everything you wanted to be and when it is your time you will pass with peace my dearest friend.”
She smiled and cradled Lily. I lurched again, doubling over and falling to my knees. Pain washed over my body until I was engulfed in it and then I was there no more. I was nowhere, I felt… nothing.
I slowly opened my eyes and the first thing I saw was a fragment of hair floating through the air. Voices came into focus.
“Gina get her some blood quickly Goddamn it. Robin!”
I heard a family groan from beneath my position.
“Drink Robin.”
I turned my head to see Gina feeding, or trying to feed an unconscious Robin on the floor.
Robin groaned again but did swallow Gina’s offering. What had happened? I tried to sit up and then I saw my son. He’d been bent helping Robin but he looked up and saw that I was awake.
“Mother.” He said in awe. “We thought, we thought we were too late.”
He ran to me and threw his arms around me and I hugged him back squeezing him tightly. He would always be my little boy.
“Mum… OW!”
I abruptly stopped the hug.
“It worked…” I whispered in disbelief.
Robin had come around and sat up on the floor holding her head.
“Oh man, my head is fucking pounding!” She looked up and saw me. “Holey shit it worked!”
I laughed, trust Robin to break any tension with vulgarity, I loved her for it.
“How do you feel?” She asked me.
“How do you feel?” I retorted. “You look like crap. What the hell happened?”
My son hugged me fiercely as Robin shook her head and came too. Gina rubbed her wrist where she had fed her.
“We thought we’d lost you mother.” He said softly. “We didn’t get enough blood, we ran out and Robin fed you from her wrist until she passed out.”
“Where is Kilvire?” I asked.
“He went to get Vincent, Gina you need to tell Kilvire not to come back here.”
Gina nodded and left quickly.
“Why?” I asked.
“You have a blood tie to everyone in this room so you will not feel bloodlust towards them. Kilvire doesn’t, so the instant he approaches, yo
u will try to feed from him. He’s also ancient, so his blood would be a particular delicacy for you.”
“He smells like an all you can eat buffet.” Robin sighed.
“Vincent will come and feed you and that will enable you to be around other vampires. His blood was enough after one feeding to curb Robin’s appetite.”
“Am I really…”
“Yes.” Robin answered standing up. “I can tell, just like I can tell with Ethan.”
“I wonder?” I pondered whether my strength had improved. I looked around and could see that my sight was ten times better. I wondered also about my healing. Looking at the trolley near the bed I grabbed a scalpel and ran it over the back of my arm. The skin parted like a wild exotic flower and my blood surfaced. Just as quick the wound healed over and just the trickle of blood remained.
I smiled, big.
“Mother!” Red said in amazement.
“It worked, it really worked!”
I then bent the scalpel in half. It felt like I was bending cardboard. It was effortless. I was complete. No longer would I have to rely on anyone to feed or take care of me. I would be stronger more resilient than most in this pack and if Silvie had been correct my life had purpose. I was to save my son and then my daughter and I would be reunited.
My heart saddened. What of Redvick, my ever love. I would meet him one day again and our love would be stronger than ever.
Bonus Book
Slow Burn
Nikki Price
This Book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, duplicated, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Published by Hot Ink Press
Text Copyright 2013 by Nikki Prince
Chapter 1
How in the hell did she make the wrong turn into the staff men’s locker room? Devona Walker sighed as she turned to head back out the way she came. She’d gone in one door off the long hallway and managed to go into a smaller office space that held just one locker. That’s when she realized she was in the wrong place. Why in the world would there be only one locker? That’s when it dawned on her she wasn’t where she should be. This place was like a maze. She exited that room and was making her way through the other staff lockers with the hope that no one would catch her in there. How embarrassing.