Love by Night

by Stina

  “Dira, please. I know you can do it.” Kesh sniffled and closed his eyes. He hadn’t prayed in decades. When he was still a slave, he believed in the white man’s religion, but when he turned, Kesh never believed in a higher power again. He’d seen true evil in the dark world of vampirism. He’d been a leader in that world before, killing mortals with reckless regard for life. Kesh had lost faith in everything good. He didn’t believe any God would allow that type of evil to exist. But now Kesh felt so helpless, he mumbled a silent prayer under his breath. He called on his old higher power. He’d given up being evil, so why couldn’t his prayer matter?

  Kesh opened his eyes and looked at his love again. No change. Kesh inhaled and exhaled, trying to gain some composure. He had to pull it together for her and his clan. The pain was so raw, he felt like he’d die for good if Dira didn’t make it. Maybe that would be best, he thought.

  Kesh heard the members of his clan abuzz outside of the room. He knew they were all worried about him. Kesh wanted to stay angry at Vila for making Dira sacrifice herself to save him, but he understood why Vila had done it. He couldn’t remember everything, but Tiev had told him that his death was imminent before Dira let him feed on her.

  Kesh looked at Dira’s stiff form now and shook his head pitifully. His heart ached and his head pounded from the emotional roller coaster he was on. What would his life be like now if she didn’t make the transition? He wished he could tell her how to accept her new fate, but he knew she was stuck somewhere in the crossover from life to eternal existence. In that stage, Kesh realized, she could easily choose final death. The line was that fine. The thought of that made his insides churn until he was sick. He leaned over the trash can next to the bed and threw up, purging all the emotion and guilt that he was storing deep in his soul.

  After washing his mouth with mouthwash, he came back to Dira’s side and took her hand. As he quietly wept, he gently stroked her forehead. She lay motionless. Even though he wasn’t sure if she could hear him, he began speaking to her.

  “Dira, I’m so sorry. I didn’t want this for you,” he said between the hiccups of his sobs. “This is all my fault. I was supposed to protect you from all harm. I was supposed to be your king. I wanted you to be able to live, to love, and to choose your own fate. I didn’t want to force this life . . . this eternal existence on you like this.” Kesh shook his head and swiped at the black blood tears running in jagged lines down his face. “Just come back to me. If you do, I promise, I’ll never let anything happen to you for all eternity. We will be together forever, I promise.”

  “Has she turned yet?”

  Kesh was startled. He hadn’t heard anyone enter the room, and his instructions were for everyone to leave him alone. He turned to find Tiev approaching from behind, limping from his battle injuries. He was the one person whom Kesh needed to see at the moment. Tiev was his brother-in-arms, his confidant.

  Kesh looked at Tiev through his red-rimmed and swollen eyes. “They should’ve let me die,” Kesh croaked, shaking his head in despair. “I didn’t want this for her. We can’t control how this will turn out . . . what kind of vampire she will be. What if she doesn’t transition? What if the evil ones get her on the other side? And, her gifts . . . She will lose her mortal gifts.”

  Tiev put his hand on Kesh’s shoulder and squeezed it. “We’ve had to sacrifice mortals to save kings before, Kesh. This wasn’t the first time, and it won’t be the last time. It was unavoidable. We couldn’t let you perish in the battle, or else the Malum would have won. The fate of the whole clan rested on Dira’s shoulders. Therefore, no matter how it turns out, she will always be our queen. Just like you, she gave everything for the clan. And she will have a new set of gifts. The problem is, the Malum know that she has gifts. They’ve known all along. If she was a target then, she’s more of a target now. We will spend the rest of eternity fighting to protect her and you. The running will never end.”

  Tiev went on. “I fear that the Sefu Clan is in a worse position now than we were before. Tulum and Calum were defeated this time, but they weren’t destroyed. They’ll heal, and they’ll come back stronger than ever next time. We’ve lost some key people, and they know that you’re weakness is Dira. I’m afraid our hope of living in peace is all a fantasy now. There will never be peace,” Tiev said and lowered his gaze to the floor solemnly.

  “There’s one thing I have to tell you, Tiev,” Kesh said, letting go of Dira’s hand and standing up.

  Tiev looked at him and tilted his head. “What is it, Kesh?”

  Kesh looked at Dira one last time and then turned back to Tiev. “Walk with me, friend.”

  Tiev followed Kesh to the other side of the room, away from the bedside. Kesh swallowed hard and shook his head.

  “What is it, Kesh? You don’t look good.”

  “When I fed from her, I . . . it . . . she’s . . .” Kesh fumbled over his words. He closed his eyes, inhaled, and exhaled a windstorm of breath. He struggled to bring himself to tell Tiev what he knew. He didn’t want to believe it himself.

  “Tell me,” Tiev insisted, his brows knitted together in confusion.

  “Dira is—”

  Suddenly a shrill scream cut through the air. Kesh spun around, unbalanced. His words went tumbling back down his throat like hard marbles, and his jaw dropped until his mouth hung open. Tiev’s eyebrows shot up into arches, and he jerked around toward the piercing sound.

  “Dira?” Kesh gasped, rushing over to the bed. “Tiev, help me!” Kesh called out.

  Kesh tried to grab Dira, but her body twitched and bucked spasmodically. Kesh couldn’t get a hold on her. He stepped back to get a clear picture and figure out how to help his love. His eyes went round and his hands shook as he watched Dira’s head twist and jerk and her shoulders tremble like she was having a seizure.

  “Dira!” Kesh gasped, reaching out to her again.

  Tiev tried in vain to pull Kesh back. “No. Leave her be. You know she has to go through it,” Tiev barked, holding Kesh in a bear hug.

  “Let me go, Tiev. I have to help her!”

  “You can’t! You know this already,” Tiev replied, holding Kesh even tighter.

  “I can’t stand to watch her in pain like this,” Kesh whimpered, his muscles so tense, they felt like knotted balls of rope all over his body.

  “We’ve all gone through it, Kesh. It’s a natural process. At least you know she submitted to the transition and she will be back in your arms soon. You will have your queen, Kesh. Queen Dira will be good for all of us,” Tiev said.

  Dira made a guttural animal sound. Kesh turned his face away, but he could still hear her fighting the transition. She screamed again. Then Kesh heard the vomit spewing from her mouth and hitting the floor. He gagged and doubled over. He could almost feel every ounce of her pain. Dira hissed and spit and beat her fists on the bed as everything inside of her changed. Kesh was happy she’d turned, but he was afraid of what she might become.

  * * *

  Adirah collapsed on the floor, exhausted. The violent shaking of her body had tossed her right off the bed and onto the floor. She shivered. She’d never felt so cold in her life. Her chest rose and fell heavily. Every inch of her ached, even her ears.

  “Dira?” Kesh said.

  Adirah’s eyes shot open. She planted her palms on the floor and hoisted her body up. Her legs felt like two limp noodles. She growled low in her throat, and her eyes flashed with fire.

  “Dira, it’s okay. You’re okay,” Kesh said, reaching for her.

  She recoiled from his touch.

  “Tiev, leave us. Let me help her. Go tell the others that she has transitioned. We need to prepare things for her. She’ll need to feed right away,” Kesh huffed, his words rushing out in heavy, exasperated breaths. As he spoke, he never took his eyes off her.

  “What happened to me?” Adirah asked, her voice hoarse. “What did you do to me? What did you do to me?” Her voice rose ten octaves with each question. Adirah’s eyes were
wild, feral. Her fingers were bent, resembling claws. She tried to straighten them, but they wouldn’t move. Her muscles felt tight, and her insides felt like they’d been through a meat grinder. She was definitely different now. She felt a hunger inside that was animalistic.

  “Let me explain, Dira. Let me help you,” Kesh said, gently touching her arm.

  Adirah jumped back from his touch so far, she flew into the wall behind her. She hit it and slid down to the floor, dazed. She groaned. She was confused as to how she had flown against the wall. Had Kesh pushed her? She felt that she had retreated from him and had been in control, but then how had she traveled so far? She hadn’t put that much effort behind her retreat. She had begun to feel stronger before transitioning, but this was a new level.

  Kesh rushed over and grabbed her. He pulled her into his arms. “Dira, you have to get used to your new existence,” he said, rocking her. “It will take some time, and I will help you. I will teach you how to live this new life.”

  Adirah pushed him away. Kesh wasn’t prepared and was unable to anchor himself. He went flying. He was surprised. Adirah was stronger than any newly turned vampire he’d ever encountered.

  “Get off of me.” She scrambled up from the floor, her nostrils flaring. “What did you do to me?” she screamed, the veins in her neck cording against her skin. “You knew you’d do this to me all along. You set me up.”

  Kesh got to his feet. “Listen to me. I’m trying to explain to you what has happened. I would never do anything to hurt you. I didn’t want this for you, Dira. I swear it.”

  “Want what, Kesh? What has happened?” Adirah stared at him, waiting for him to say what she already suspected. She looked down at her breasts. She ran her hands over the flat of her stomach and over her hips. “Whose body is this?” She shook her head.

  “It’s yours, Dira. Your new one. You’ve turned. You’re one of us now.”

  “No!” Adirah yelled. “Why did you do this to me? You lied to me. You told me you would protect me.”

  Kesh pulled her into his arms and held her tight. “I didn’t do it, Dira. You did it to save my life, just like I saved yours. It was our fate. This was meant to happen. From day one, it was meant to be. You were always going to be my queen. Nothing about that has changed. You are Dira, queen of the Sefu Clan.”

  Adirah melted against him and sobbed. “So I’m . . . I’m dead?”

  “No, Dira. You’re more alive now than you’ve ever been,” he whispered as he stroked her hair and planted kisses on top of her head. “You are my queen, and the child that you carry is the heir to our greatness. We will be fruitful, as it is written in the books,” Kesh said.

  Adirah pulled away and looked Kesh in his eyes. “What do you mean? What child? How do you know?”

  Kesh put his finger on her lips. “Shh. When I fed on you, I tasted the freshness of the blood. It is coursing through your body. I can feel it. I can hear it. When you lay stiff and your own heart was frozen, the life you carry still lived. It is our way. There are only a few of us that can reproduce like mortals. This was written long ago. Dira, you will bring forth the life of a child born of a mortal and a vampire. That is one of the greatest gifts on earth. The child will be heir to everything great. But we have to protect you both, Dira. There will be many who won’t be happy about this. Even many among us won’t understand it. We will have to go away before they find out about this.”

  Adirah closed her eyes and touched her belly. She inhaled and exhaled, saddled with the weight of what she had just heard. She was a vampire, and she carried a vampire life inside of her.

  Chapter 14

  Kesh closed the door behind him and stepped into the hallway. Many of the clan members were milling about. Some were leaning against the wall, others were sitting on the floor, and a few were down the hall, in an intense discussion. The tension was thick.

  When Tiev saw Kesh, he rushed over to him. Kesh held up his hand. “She’s resting now. She will need to feed soon. I have so much work to do, Tiev.”

  “We have to talk, Kesh,” Tiev said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

  “What is it?”

  “The mortal girl . . . the one who broke in with Narum. She escaped while the clan was gone at the battle,” Tiev said gravely.

  “Why would I be worried about one little girl?” Kesh shrugged. “Vila will find her.”

  Tiev sighed. “That’s the other thing I wanted to tell you. Vila is gone. She has denounced our clan and run off.”

  Tiev’s words exploded in Kesh’s ears like tiny bombs. Kesh’s eyes flashed with fire. His nails extended and his fangs came out—all the things that he couldn’t control when he was furious. The disloyalty shown by Vila in a time of utmost importance was a treasonous act against the clan. Kesh sensed it could destroy the entire fabric of their universe.

  “I made her,” Kesh growled. “She can never escape from me. She is indebted to me. She can’t just denounce our clan.”

  “If she turns on you, there are ways for her to be free from you, and she can pledge allegiance to someone else. Kesh, this could prove disastrous for us. Vila knows everything about us. Her betrayal could completely destroy us,” Tiev said, hanging his head. “You should’ve done a better. . . .”

  “What!” Kesh boomed, getting in Tiev’s face. “I should’ve done a better what?” Kesh hissed.

  Tiev stepped back a few paces. “Listen, King, I don’t want to get into a battle with you. We are in enough crises right now. We need to stick together.”

  “You have the power to find Vila. Use it,” Kesh demanded.

  “Vila knows that we can connect with her. She’s not stupid, Kesh. You know this better than anyone. She won’t be somewhere where I can sniff her out or enter her thoughts. I’m telling you, Kesh. She’s gone. We will have to be worried about Vila turning on us, worried about the Lina girl gathering up her vampire hunters, and worried about the Malum rebuilding their clan with more newly turned vampires. Kesh, you and Dira are in grave danger. We could be facing attacks from all sides. You’ll have to go away now. We can’t follow you. It’ll bring too much attention. I’m afraid you will have to give up being king of the clan right now. You’ll have to hide away . . . for the sake of us all.”

  “Argh!” Kesh slammed his fists through the wall. “When you find Vila, you bring her to me. I will be the one to handle her. And I’ll decide if I want to go away. You concentrate on our enemies.”

  * * *

  Adirah awoke to Kesh shaking her. She smiled up at him. She had been in and out of sleep and consciousness for two days. The transition had taken a toll on her body. She needed time to adjust and replenish her energy.

  “Dira, we have to go away for a little while,” he whispered gruffly.

  Adirah sat up, still dazed from her deep sleep. “What’s wrong, Kesh?”

  “Something has come up, and we need to leave tonight.”

  “But I can’t. My classes . . . school . . . my life.” She fumbled over her words.

  “All that has changed now, Dira. We have to protect you and the baby. There are others who don’t want to see us together. They don’t want you to bring this life into the world,” Kesh said, his words rushing out in a string of breaths. “Now let’s go.”

  Adirah couldn’t think. She was being asked to make huge life decisions in a matter of seconds. It was all happening too fast. Everything around her had been upended. Two days ago, she had been a college freshman with big hopes and dreams. It seemed like overnight she’d been turned into a beast, a monster she didn’t recognize. Now this.

  The first night Kesh had taken her to feed, but Adirah couldn’t bring herself to bite her victim—a young college guy who’d stumbled out of a well-known campus dive bar. It had taken some prodding from Kesh and her body getting weak for her finally to do it. At Kesh’s urging, Adirah had walked right up to the guy, and she had immediately noticed his baby face and the peach-fuzz beard on his chin.

  “You all right?”
she’d asked, moving in front of the driver’s side door of his car.

  The guy’s car keys jingled with every staggering step he took. He laughed and scowled at her almost simultaneously. When his blurry eyes were finally able to focus on her, he sneered at her. “Who the hell are you? Don’t come giving me no lecture about designated driving and that crap,” the guy slurred. “Move . . . move out of my way. I’m driving my-myself.”

  “Now, Dira,” Kesh whispered from a distance. “You have to strike now.”

  The guy staggered and turned around so fast, he wobbled sideways. “Who’s there? Fu . . . fuck going on—” the guy began, barely able to keep his balance. Before he could finish, Adirah rushed into him and pushed him. The guy’s reflexes were so impaired by the alcohol that he was unable to get his hands in front of him to absorb the impact, and he landed face-first on the ground. His cheek was split open by the impact.

  “Wha . . . what are you . . . ?” the guy stammered as Adirah dragged him out of sight. “Help!” He struggled and tried to scream, but his efforts were short lived.

  Adirah straddled him. The smell of blood leaking from his cheek flipped a switch inside of her, and she covered his mouth with her hands and sank her fangs into his neck. Just like Kesh had taught her. The guy’s body thrashed. Adirah was able to keep him under control, and within seconds the loss of blood rendered him too weak to continue fighting. Adirah’s eyes had rolled up in her head as she drank the guy’s blood. Her insides had warmed up until she felt almost orgasmic. Kesh had warned her that feeding on mortals could become addictive. Every nerve ending in Adirah’s body had come alive and tingled. This was how she imagined she would feel if a high-powered drug had been introduced into her nervous system. Adirah growled, and her heart pounded so hard, her head felt light. When she was finished, Adirah felt so powerful, she thought she could run a marathon and move mountains.