by Donna Ansari
I somehow felt only marginally better. Nevertheless, I closed my eyes and said, “Alright, then. I guess I’m ready.”
I felt Alex move next to me, and the side of my neck felt cool as he licked it. My entire body tensed up and I grabbed him around the shoulders.
It didn’t hurt at all when he bit me, and I tried to will myself to relax. The sensation soon became pleasant, and I felt like I was almost floating. My hands, which had been tightly clenched, also relaxed and wrapped around Alex, trying to bring him closer to me.
Too soon, I started to feel myself fade. I waited for the fear to come back, but it didn’t. Trying to open my eyes, I managed to get them about halfway just as my vision started to fade to black.
I struggled to try and keep my eyes open, but the lids felt exceptionally heavy, and eventually they closed. The sounds in the room now seemed louder. I thought I could hear Alex drinking my blood as my heart beat slowed, as well as the loud traffic sounds from outside. The last thing I heard was an ambulance siren.
When I woke up, I was surprised to find myself by a stream, in a pleasant forest glade. The sun was shining, the bright red flowers blooming, and the stream was babbling away. It all looked vaguely familiar.
“Chantelle?” I whispered. When I had visited the astral sanctum of the zombie master, it had looked exactly like this.
The plum tree that I had eaten from during my previous visit was still there. Remembering how wonderful the fruit had tasted last time, I picked another one.
But when I bit it, the fruit tasted of mold and ashes. Holding it away from my mouth, I saw it rot and shrivel up before my eyes. I threw the remains into the stream, and as it hit the water, the light started to fade and the stream started to dry up.
“Chantelle?” Now I was yelling her name. ”Chantelle, are you here?”
I spun around, looking for her, but the light continued to fade, and soon I couldn’t see anything.
The blackness was total, and I started to panic. Even though I couldn’t see anything, I could swear that I heard things moving around in the darkness, and they were all coming for me.
My throat felt parched, and my lungs tight. I didn’t think I could manage to make a sound, let alone scream, but soon enough I heard myself screeching all the same.
Chapter Nineteen
My eyes opened for real, then, and I managed to stop screaming. I was still in Cora’s bedroom, but other than that, everything had changed. My vision was oddly blurred, and I realized it was because my contact lenses were still in. I fished them out, holding them in the palm of my hand.
It was then that I saw that the bed next to me was empty.
“Alex?” I called out. “Cora?”
The bedroom door opened, and Cora popped her head in. “How are you, Emma?”
“Fine, I guess,” I said. “I’m very hungry.”
“Just one minute.” She popped back out of the room, and I stood up. I felt better than I had in a long time, since I was last a vampire, in fact. I pulled my cell out of my purse and saw there were multiple messages from Tammy.
“Here you are.” Cora handed me a mug filled with blood.
I started to drink it, but the coldness of it bothered me in a way it hadn’t before. Handing the mug back to her, I said, “I can’t drink this.”
“Why not?” Cora asked. “You really should drink it.”
“Don’t you have any blood dolls in the building?” I realized that what I was craving was fresh, warm blood, taken directly from a living person.
“I do,” she said. “I can call one of them if you need more than this, but you should drink it first.”
“Where’s Alex?” I asked.
“Something happened last night,” Cora said. “I’m sure he’ll be back here shortly.”
“What happened?”
“It’s best for him to tell you. I’m not really sure either.”
Again she tried to hand me the cup, and this time I knocked it out of her hand. “I don’t want that. It’s disgusting.”
Cora stared at the red stain I had made on her cream-colored carpet. “Alex told me you wouldn’t be a problem.”
“Can you call one of your blood dolls now?” I asked. “Why am I even asking you? I can just go around to your neighbors and hypnotize them.”
I started to walk out the door, and Cora grabbed my arm. Without thinking, I pulled my arm back and punched her. She staggered and took a step back, staring at me. When I saw she wasn’t going to fight back, I left the apartment.
Since one human was just as good as another, I went directly across the hall and knocked on the door. After a few minutes, a middle-aged man opened it. “Yeah?”
I locked eyes with him and said, “I’m coming into your apartment, and you are going to keep quiet and not struggle.”
The man’s eyes went blank and he stepped aside. I slammed the apartment door behind me and grabbed the man. He stood perfectly still as I licked his neck and then bit into it.
At once, I felt relief wash over me as the blood filled my mouth and I swallowed hungrily. In fact, I couldn’t remember ever feeling so hungry before. I started taking bigger mouthfuls, and it still wasn’t enough. The man started to collapse where he was standing at about the same time I felt a tickle of electricity go up my spine.
Falling to the ground with him, I continued drinking, as the pain of electrical jolts started to feel more uncomfortable. Suddenly, I remembered what the problem was, and reached around his back, trying to pull the silver spell ring off, even though I knew my efforts were futile.
Perhaps it was stubbornness, but I refused to let go, even though the pain was almost blinding. In fact, I bit harder, hoping to get as much blood as I could before I passed out. Eventually though, it got too much, and everything went black.
“Emma, wake up.” The voice seemed to come from very far away. Then I felt someone slap me across the face.
Before I could think about what I was doing, I grabbed the person’s wrist with one hand, and then punched with the other.
“Emma! Enough!”
Finally, I opened my eyes and saw Alex. “Oh, hi.”
“What happened to you?” he asked.
“I should have taken this spell ring off when I had the chance, because it just knocked me out again.”
“What I’m asking is your reason for acting this way.”
“What way?”
“Like someone who has just been turned into a vampire for the first time ever,” he said. “Like someone who has almost no control over their thirst and actions.”
I blinked at him and stood up in one fluid motion. “I have control. What the hell makes you say I don’t have control?”
Alex gestured to a spot behind me, and I turned to see the body of the man I had killed.
“Oh,” I said. “Yeah, sorry.”
“This isn’t like you,” he said. “You’ve rarely killed before, and when you’ve done so, you’ve shown extreme regret. What has changed?”
“Look, everyone makes mistakes,” I said. “Where did you go last night?”
“I went to the open court.” Alex took my arm and pulled me across the hall and back into Cora’s apartment.
“Cora, I have to ask you to deal with your neighbor,” Alex said as we passed her in the hall. She didn’t respond, but gave me a nasty look that spoke volumes.
“What happened at the open court? Was Michael looking for me?”
“Call your roommates. This is something we all need to discuss,” Alex said. “Not the werewolf.”
“He’s not a werewolf anymore.” I picked up my phone and read all the texts Tammy had sent me. They ranged from How’s it going? to Are you ok? to Are you a vampire now?
When I dialed her number, she answered immediately.
“Em! How are you? Are you undead?”
“Yeah.” I handed the phone to Alex. “Here.”
While he was talking to her, I realized I was still hungry and started to leave the r
oom in search of someone else to eat.
Alex reached out and grabbed my wrist. “Emma, you need to stay here.”
“But I’m still very hungry.”
“Give me a few minutes and I’ll go with you.” He turned his attention back to Tammy, but held onto my wrist. I sighed dramatically several times before he hung up and handed back my phone.
“Get your things,” Alex told me. “I think you’ve overstayed your welcome here.”
As I was still in my clothing from the previous night, I hadn’t taken anything out of my bag yet, so I simply put my boots back on, and picked the bag up from where I’d left it.
“I’m ready,” I said. “But I’m really hungry.”
“Come on.” He opened the bedroom door and we went back into the living room, which was empty. I assumed Cora was still busy with her former neighbor. Alex closed the door behind him and knocked lightly on the door across the hall. “We’re leaving. I’ll be in touch.”
If there was a response, we didn’t wait for it, but went instead to the elevator.
“Are we going to eat?” I asked. I realized he had said as much a few minutes ago, but I just wanted to be absolutely certain.
The elevator doors opened on the third floor, and Alex walked out without answering me and rang a doorbell.
The apartment was opened by a young, attractive woman, who Alex greeted by name. Then he walked in and I followed him. She smiled at me and sat on the sofa with her arm outstretched. I didn’t need more encouragement than that, and went over to sit next to her.
As I brought her arm to my mouth, Alex clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Remember, you need to count to five to avoid taking too much blood.”
“Sure,” I said. Then I licked the woman’s inner elbow and let my teeth sink in. I tried to remember to count to five, but I was so overcome with the sensations of the blood flowing into my mouth that I forgot.
A hand squeezed my shoulder. “That’s enough.”
Reluctantly, I let the woman’s arm go.
“Really, Emma, what is wrong with you?” Alex grabbed my hand and pulled me up. “I hope you’re sated, because we have to go out in public now.”
He said a few words to the woman, and dragged me out the door.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“We have to meet your friends to discuss what’s going to happen tomorrow night at the ritual,” Alex said. “We’re meeting them at a diner, so please try to control yourself.”
I made a face at him, but allowed myself to be led into a cab. As the car turned into traffic, I started looking at the driver through his rear-view mirror.
“Emma, please, he’s driving.”
“Why are you being so mean to me?” I asked.
“Why are you acting like someone who has just been turned into a vampire for the first time?”
I shrugged and looked out the window until the cab pulled up in front of a diner. It was one I was very familiar with, as Tammy and I had frequented it during our college clubbing days after many a long night at a club. As soon as the car stopped, I opened the door and got out, starting for the entrance.
A second later, Alex grabbed my hand and said, “I would appreciate it if you didn’t leave my sight.”
I rolled my eyes at him, but allowed myself to be led into the diner. Almost immediately, I spotted Tammy and Amy sitting across from each other in a booth. I started to slide in next to Tammy, but Alex wasn’t letting me.
“If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like her to sit on the inside, so she doesn’t attack one of the servers,” Alex said.
“Em!” Tammy jumped up and looked like she was about to hug me, but then stepped back. “What’s up? You look, like, feral or something.”
“I’m fine,” I said. “Why is everyone making such a big deal?”
Tammy slid in next to Amy, and Alex pushed me into the booth, then sat beside me.
“Yeah, you do look like crap,” Amy said, squinting at me. “But I guess you’re just an average vampire now.”
“Oh, I get it,” Tammy said. “You mean her witch potential is gone.”
“Could that account for the difference in her behavior?” Alex asked. “She was always so calm and reasonable, especially for a new vampire, and now I can barely control her.”
“Oh, please.” I rolled my eyes.
The waitress came over then to take our orders. Amy and Tammy went first, and then Alex asked for a coffee, I suppose to just order something.
“And for you, miss?” she asked me.
“Um, yeah, could you explain what this is?” I pointed to a random item on the menu in front of me, hoping she would lean closer.
“A bagel with cream cheese?” she asked. “It’s just like a plain bagel, and then cut in half, with, you know, some cream cheese?”
“Is it toasted?” I asked, trying to lean over Alex.
But he had apparently had enough, as he grabbed the menu from me and said, “She’ll just have a soda.”
She looked at me. “Regular or diet?”
I was so annoyed and frustrated by then that I growled at her, and she walked away, saying, “Diet, then. Some people shouldn’t have sugar.”
“Is this how most vampires act when they’re first turned?” Tammy asked Alex.
“Yes,” Alex answered.
“And for how long does this usually last?”
“It depends on the individual, but usually not more than a few years.”
“Well, we have until tomorrow. How are we going to control her at the ritual?” She looked at me. “Is the spell ring still working?”
“Yes, but it didn’t help,” Alex said.
“Will you let me answer for myself?” I asked. Then I turned to Tammy and said, “Yes, but it didn’t help.”
“What does that mean?” she asked.
“I ate him anyway.”
Tammy gave me an incredulous look and opened her mouth as if to say something, but was interrupted by the waitress arriving with a tray.
After she had handed out the food and beverages, Amy said, “Can we get down to what we’re really here for?” She shoved a fry in her mouth and started sketching something on a napkin. “How many witches are going to be at the ritual?”
“About a dozen,” Tammy said. “That’s about as many as are left in the city. There could be more if some of the people from Westchester show up.”
“That should be enough. How many vampires can come? I’ll need at least four.”
“There are only three of us,” Alex said.
“You can’t get even one more?” Amy asked. “There’s going to be blood in it for them.”
Alex shook his head. “I’m sorry, but there isn’t anyone else.”
“What do you mean?” Tammy asked.
“As of last night, all of the vampires in the city were drained of their powers.”
“Was it the demon?” she asked.
“I assume so,” Alex said. “There were reports of him being seen, albeit very briefly. It was a mandatory event, so every vampire in the city was there.”
“We’re the only vampires left in the whole city?” I asked. “That’s fantastic!”
“No, it’s not,” Alex said.
“Why not? It means we never have to deal with Michael again, and I don’t have to move to the suburbs.”
“Why the heck would you want to move to the suburbs?” Tammy asked.
Alex turned to me. “There are reasons why this is a very bad thing. I will explain later.”
“Okay, have a look at this.” Amy shoved the napkin she had been writing on to the middle of the table. The cryptic scribbles didn’t look like anything to me.
Tammy must have felt the same way, because she asked, “What are we looking at? A giraffe riding on a unicycle?”
“No, it’s my father’s sigil in a binding circle. The squiggles around it are all the witches who show up. Then at the five points of the pentagram are me and four vampires.”
“Thr
ee vampires,” Alex corrected.
“Here’s an idea,” Amy said. “Why don’t you just turn someone else into a vampire tonight?”
“No. I can only handle babysitting one new vampire at a time,” Alex said.
“Hey!” I protested.
“I can look after her for one night,” Amy said. “I’ve never had a babysitting job before.”
“No,” Alex repeated.
“Here’s another idea,” Tammy said. “What about turning a vampire who’s already a vampire? Like all those people who had their powers drained last night.”
“That’s an interesting idea,” Alex said. “It’s certainly worth trying.”
“But I was already a vampire before and you’re all still complaining about me,” I said.
Alex put a hand on my arm. “You’ve only been a vampire for a few months. Henri, for example, has been one for over fifty years.”
Amy slurped loudly at her soda. “Okay, so tomorrow night after sunset, you guys bring two other vampires with you to the ritual. Right before it starts, you’ll all drink some of my blood to confuse him.”
“That’s a good idea,” I said, mostly hearing the part about drinking her blood.
“Anyways,” she continued, “He’ll then appear in the circle between us, and the witches will start chanting to hold him in the circle. Meanwhile, I’ll do the banishing ritual. And then it will all be over.”
“There’s a lot of things that could go wrong here,” Tammy said.
“Whatever.” Amy threw the pen down and picked up her burger. “I don’t see you coming up with anything better.”
“We should be going now.” Alex stood up and turned to hold out his hand to me.
“I can get up by myself,” I huffed.
“I would prefer it if you would take my hand until we are in a less public area.” Then he took me by the arm and pulled me up.
Tammy stood as well. “Em, I can’t believe this has happened to you? Don’t you have any control at all? Why are you acting like this?”
“I think I need a hug,” I said, holding my free arm out.
But Alex pulled me away, calling back to them, “We’ll see you tomorrow night.”
Chapter Twenty