[Anthology] The Paranormal 13- now With a Bonus 14th Novel!

by Dima Zales

"Isn't it needed to survive?" I asked in shock.

  He shook his head. "No, it's not something that we need daily to survive. We use it for various functions and obviously it is enjoyable but it doesn't replace our blood or anything like that. Vampires who allow themselves to be consumed with it feel the need for it. It's like a drug."

  "I always thought that vampires needed it to survive."

  "You also thought that vampires were mythical," he pointed out. "There are a lot of misconceptions out there about us. It's similar to the mosquito. People think that they take human blood to survive, but it's used for reproductive purposes."

  "So we're basically mosquitoes?" I asked. "Do we need blood to reproduce too?"

  "No, we're not mosquitoes, and yes, reproduction is one of the purposes that we use blood for," he said. "We also use it for healing, some blessings, and obviously for enjoyment value. There are many uses and needs."

  The day at school went by in a blur, and I didn't care as much about my classes or grades. I was on some kind of high after my first feed.

  People were talking about my rush to leave the game, but it didn't sound like anyone had noticed my eyes or anything else unusual. They too were focused on the sight of the blood, but for entirely different reasons.

  Everyone was under the impression that I had become sick at the sight of the blood and had to leave.

  Except one person.

  As I was heading to my locker after eating a quick lunch, Tanner stopped in front of me. "Rumor has it that you were really grossed out by the sight of that blood," he said with a smirk on his face. "Apparently you ran out so fast to puke."

  "You did that on purpose. You're cruel. Those guys could have really gotten hurt."

  He laughed. "Those two are fine. Now I want to see you deny what you are."

  "What is it that you're trying to prove?" I asked.

  "We both know what you are," he said. "I can help you in ways that your friends won't…and can't."

  "What do you know about what my friends can and can't help me with?" I asked, glaring at him.

  He curled his lip. "Probably more than you do."

  "Where did you get this information that you think you have?" I asked.

  "I told you. I had a friend not too long ago who told me all that I needed to know about the topic."

  "Does your friend have a name?"

  "She does, but I'm not going to give you any information if you don't give me any," he said.

  "I think I gave you plenty of information yesterday at the game." I stared him down.

  "Your eyes are a lot less red than yesterday," he said. "I'm surprised that nobody else noticed, actually. But it was a lot of blood, so everyone had to look at that. Just like when you're driving down the road, and there's a wreck."

  "If you aren't going to give me any names, then I am going to get going, Tanner. I don't have time for this. I don't feel like being late for my next class."

  "Let's meet up tonight so we can talk," he whispered, leaning close to me. "I know that your boyfriend is keeping tabs on you here at school. Why don't you sneak out around 11:30 tonight so we can meet on the football field?"

  "The football field doesn't sound like such a great hideout," I told him.

  "You got a better idea?" he asked.

  "Yeah, I do, as a matter of fact," I told him. "Meet me at that field off Rochester Lane at eleven."

  "Don't be late," he said and walked away.

  "What was that all about?" Cliff asked from behind me.

  I turned around. "You startled me. I'm working to find out what he knows about vampires. He wants me to meet him tonight, and I'm going to find out if he knows a Moretti vampire. He sounds pretty eager to talk to me."

  "It could be a setup," he said. "You should go, but Brooke, Steve and I will be hiding nearby just in case we're needed. We'll have Rachel and Charles on backup too."

  "If you want," I said. "But I think he just wants to find out what I know."

  "I'm pretty sure he has some ulterior motive," he said. "I need to talk to him to see if I can read his mind. I want to find out what's really going on."

  "I can read his mind too," I snapped.

  "Are you still mad about this morning?"

  "Being treated like a criminal? Why would I be mad about that?"

  "Alexis, we were trying to protect you. We probably went about it the wrong way, but we had to do something."

  "You didn't have to do that," I said.

  I decided that I would handle Tanner on my own.

  When I got home from school, my mom was sitting at the kitchen table, and I could tell by the look on her face that she wanted to talk.

  I sighed and sat down across from her. "What's going on?"

  "Brooke's mom called me today," she said.

  My mind raced to think of what she might have called about. Certainly not about me going through a wall.

  She continued, "It seems that she remembers us discussing a foreign exchange student a few years ago. She says that they have one lined up, but due to some upcoming travels, they can't follow through. She wants to know if we would like to host the student."

  It all came back to me. A vampire pretending to be a foreign exchange student in order to keep a close eye on me at home. It wasn't bad enough to have Brooke's visions of me or Cliff's watchful eye a block away and at school. They wanted to add a home security system.

  "She said something about a foreign exchange student," I said. "I guess I wasn't paying too much attention."

  "I think that it might be a nice thing to do," she said.

  I tried not to laugh, imagining how differently she'd react if she knew that the student was a vampire.

  "What's so funny?" she demanded.

  I thought quickly. "You really want three teenage girls living in this house?"

  "I think that now would be a good time," she said. "You're starting to be more pleasant. This could be a lot of fun."

  "Do you know where this student is from?" I asked.

  "I think somewhere in Europe," she said.

  "Sounds interesting," I said, standing up from my chair. "Let me know what you decide."

  As soon as I put my backpack down in my room, my cell phone rang. It was Cliff, and for the first time, seeing his number didn't make my heart race.

  "Yes?" I asked into the phone.

  "Did you happen to hear the news?" he asked.

  "You mean about my family getting a vampire exchange student?"

  "What? No. I mean the real news, as in the TV and online."

  "Nope. Why don't you fill me in? You're probably going to anyway."

  "That blood is sure making you feisty," he said. "It's all over the news that some farmer was slain last night. They discovered evidence of over ten murders in his house. All girls who had been missing, but never found."

  "Now their families can have some closure."

  "That's not all. They're saying that all of the blood from his body was drained out."

  "Is that good or bad?" I asked.

  "Bad, Alexis. It's horrible. We are trying to keep a low profile, and now there's a broadcast to all vampires that there are others in the area. At least you managed to get 50 miles from here."

  "Okay, so next time I won't drain the body completely."

  "You don't get it. There isn't going to be a next time."

  "I am not going to deny myself," I told him. "The craving is so strong that I can't handle it."

  "We will get you weaned down to not craving it so strongly," he promised. "It will be like our plan to slowly introduce it to you. Only we will wean you. We'll have to raid some blood banks to keep this under control if we have to."

  "Why does it need to be under control?" I asked. "You guys said that vampires were originally created to help the human race. I can help them by getting rid of horrible people."

  "Alexis, that is not the way that we royalty handle things. That is how common vampires handle things."

  "Look Cliff, I
have to get started on my homework now. Especially if we're going to have that powwow with Tanner tonight."

  "Just stay close to home, please."

  "See you later." I hung up and dialed another phone number.

  "Hello?"

  "Tanner, change of plans. Meet me at Aunt Betty's Coffee Shop in a half an hour."

  12

  I entered the coffee shop and squinted into the darkened room to see if Tanner was already there. He was sitting at a table in the back. I ordered a flavored mocha and then sat across from him.

  "I'm not in the mood for games," I said. "Just tell me what you know."

  "Hello to you too," he said, smiling.

  "What was the name of your little friend?"

  He sipped his iced coffee. "Her name was Samantha Erikson and we were good friends for about a year."

  "How good?"

  Really good. "We had a great thing going and that's what I want to talk to you about."

  I was glad that I could read his mind, because I needed to find out for sure if Samantha had anything to do with the Morettis. "Did she introduce you to any other vampires?"

  "No, she wanted to protect me from harm." And give me indescribable pleasure.

  Suddenly, I wasn't so sure that I wanted to keep reading his mind. "She didn't mention any other vampires? Any Italian vampires?"

  He gave me a funny look. What is she getting at? "No, she was the only one. She knew some others, but she had broken away from a family, a coven. They were all newly changed, and she thought they were too immature. She wanted to live on her own."

  "You're sure that she wasn't involved with any other vamps?"

  "She hated being a vampire and hated all vampires," he said. "She was changed against her will. The vampire who was going to kill her thought she was beautiful and hoped that she would be his partner, so he changed her. She was hiding from him." I know he killed her. That's why she disappeared.

  "Do you know anything about him?" I asked.

  "He was some loser redneck vampire. Who would have even thought it was possible? Can you even imagine a redneck vampire? Do they seal up their victims with duct tape?" he asked.

  I couldn't help laughing out loud.

  I want nothing more than to get my hands on that loser for what he did to Samantha.

  "So what is it that you need from me?" I asked. "And did you seriously pick up on what was going on just from my running?"

  He put up a hand. "So many questions. One at a time."

  I sighed. "Fine. What do you want from me?"

  "I want something that will benefit both of us," he said. "Samantha used to feed on me, and it's been very difficult on me since she stopped."

  I raised an eyebrow. "What do you get out of being a human volunteer?"

  "So your friends did tell you about that," he said. "You've got the vocabulary down. Have you ever fed on anyone?"

  "Nobody that's lived to tell about it."

  "Was that you who got that farmer over in O'Dell?" he asked. "The way that you reacted to that blood yesterday, it was obvious that it was your first exposure. It's too big of a coincidence that the farmer was drained of blood just hours later."

  "Watch out or you'll be next." I threatened.

  "I knew it was you. Anyway, if you feed in smaller intervals you won't need to go out and drain a body. You can stay on the down low and blend in easier."

  "I just love how everyone knows more about what I'm going through than I do," I grumbled. "Even you, a mere mortal."

  "I only know because Samantha and I spent hours and hours talking, and she shared everything she knew with me," he said. "She even told me when she started to notice that you were beginning to transform. She'd seen several transformations and recognized it immediately."

  "How long was she a vampire before she met you?" I asked. "It sounds like she knew a lot about vampires."

  "She was young as far as vampires go," he said. "She had been a vampire for about twenty years. She spent too much time as that redneck's plaything."

  "So you think that he eventually got her?"

  He gave me a funny look. "Yeah, I do."

  "What did she tell you about me?"

  "She noticed little things about the transformation process, things that were so small I couldn't see," he admitted. "After she disappeared, I kept my eyes on you to see if what she said was true. When I saw you running at the speed of light, I knew it was true."

  "What do you get out of being a human volunteer? I don't see what could possibly be pleasant about it."

  He smiled. "The vampire venom that goes into my system is at such a low level that it ends up working like a drug. It makes me feel amazing, more alive than ever before. It even gives me a little extra strength, which has helped me a lot in football."

  "That's definitely interesting," I said. "I can see how that could be useful since someone has thrown my whole life off course by exposing me to a huge amount of blood. I was supposed to have been exposed to one drop at a time."

  "Okay, that was my bad. It's only right if you use me to regain some control in your life," he said. "Would you like to start today?"

  "Did you see the size of that guy?" I exclaimed. "I'm not going to need blood for a while."

  Dang it! "As soon as you start to feel the need for blood, just give me a call," he said. "You don't need to deal with the headaches or urges. Just call me, feed a little, and feel normal."

  "Is it really that easy?" I asked.

  "It is, and it's the perfect solution for both of us," he said. "I need the small doses of venom to boost my football game and you need the blood fix without turning into a monster."

  "That does make a lot of sense," I admitted. "I'm sure you like it because they don't run a vampire venom panel when they do drug tests for the team."

  "Yes, that's definitely a bonus."

  "I'll let you know when I am ready," I said, standing up.

  "Good, I'll drop whatever I'm doing when you're ready." I can't wait for that incredible high.

  I smiled at him. "It was nice doing business with you."

  "Today was nothing, just wait for next time. It will be unbelievable," he said, standing up also.

  "For you," I said.

  "You might get a bigger high than me," he said. "Don't you remember how it felt this morning with that farmer?"

  "Point taken."

  Just as I was starting to drift off to sleep, I felt that someone was in my room with me again.

  "Who's there?" I asked, unafraid.

  "It's me," Cliff said right next to my bed.

  "You can go through walls too, can't you?" I asked.

  "Of course," he replied. "Why are you in bed? We have a meeting to get to."

  "Oh yeah, that. I ran into Tanner in town and talked with him this evening. I can fill you in if you'd like."

  "You ran into him? That sounds very convenient," he said. I could hear the disappointment in his voice, and I felt bad.

  I flipped my light on and looked at him. "I'm sorry, Cliff. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just felt like I needed to talk to him on my own."

  "You could have put yourself in danger."

  "But I didn't. If I had been, Brooke's vision-radar would have gone off like a four alarm siren."

  "That's not the point, Alexis. You are the future leader of our entire kingdom. You really need to be more careful. We are trying to protect you, but we can't when you go behind our backs."

  "Don't get all high and mighty with me when you guys locked me in a room." I narrowed my eyes.

  "It was for your own safety."

  "A lot of good that did," I said.

  "There is still so much that you don't know or understand yet. We need you to trust us."

  "Why don't you guys just tell me what I need to know? Just a few days ago, I thought that vampires weren't real, and now I am one. Not just that, but I'm going to be leading all of vampire land. It's a lot to take in, especially with everything that this transformation brings
."

  "You're right," he said. "It's a lot to take in and it's been a very short period of time. We have barely had the time to fill you in on very much at all."

  He sat down on the edge of my bed and grabbed my hand. "I can see that you're frustrated and confused. What can I do to help change that?"

  I looked into his eyes and felt my heart soften. What was it about those chocolaty brown eyes that turned me into a puddle?

  "You could take me some place that serves dessert and tell me how wonderful I am," I told him.

  He smiled at me, and I melted even more. "I'll give you a few minutes to get dressed while I call Steve. Then meet me down the road at my car. We'll grab some dessert."

  "I'll be down there in a few minutes."

  We were eating at another restaurant that I had never been to before. We were having some very exotic cake that sounded awful, but tasted like a dream.

  I looked into his eyes and got lost, as if I had literally left where I was and gone somewhere else.

  "You wanted me to tell you how wonderful you are?" he asked with a grin.

  My heart fluttered. "I don't know what you see in me. I love that you do though."

  "I've known you since the day that you were born," he told me. "I was seven years old, so I was old enough to remember meeting you. I fell in love with you that very instant. You were the most beautiful and innocent thing that I had ever seen. I vowed then and there to always love and protect you. I failed when you were stolen from the castle, but I will not fail you again."

  I put my hand on top of his. "You didn't fail me, Cliff. You were only a boy, and not even my parents knew what was going on. I remember your love, and even though I had forgotten it living in the human world, it never left me. It was just waiting for you to come and find me."

  "I'm glad you don't hold it against me, but I have never forgiven myself. I won't stop until I make it right."

  I pointed to my necklace and said, "Cliff, this is proof that I've always loved you and have never forgotten you. I had been told my whole life that this was just a piece of costume jewelry. Yet it's the one piece that I never got rid of because I was waiting for you. I just didn't know it at the time."

  "It's not over," he said with fire in his eyes. "The Morettis are still out there and they want our lines wiped out. They were behind your disappearance, which was supposed to be your death."