The machine she was hooked up to started to beep slower and slower. The peaks and valleys were further apart now and he knew that she was close. He watched her chest as it rose and fell slowly, her breathing far more shallow than he would have liked, but he understood wat was happening and whether he liked it or not…It was happening.
Daemon held Mariska’s hand in his own, dropping his head and pressing gentle kisses along the tips of her fingers. They were cooler than he was used to and it made his chest tighten. She was slipping between his fingers and there was only one thing he could do about it.
The Taltos had left a while ago, realizing that there was nothing they could do now. It was in Daemon’s hands. Elso was seated in a chair in one corner of the room, glancing down out of the window so she could watch Jamesson pace back and forth. She hated that she’d all but kicked him out of the room, but it had been too damn crowded. The last thing Mariska needed was to be overwhelmed when she came to again.
Elso glanced up at the beeping machine and sighed. “She’s ready…She’s floating between this world and the next.” She said, standing up and disconnecting Mariska from the machine.
Daemon nodded and looked up at her for a moment, clearing his throat. “Could we…Um…Be alone? I don’t really want an audience…” He whispered softly, reaching out and touching Mariska’s cheek.
Elso nodded slowly. “Of course.” She whispered, turning and stepping out the door. She hesitated at the door for a moment and turned to look at them, smiling softly. “You’re doing the right thing, Daemon.” She said gently.
He sighed and closed his eyes, looking down at Mariska. “I hope so.”
Elso closed the door behind her and left them alone. Daemon leaned over Mariska, taking in her scent, knowing it was the last time she would ever smell like a human. He swallowed thickly and ducked his head, his teeth sinking into her tender flesh as if it were little more than paper.
A spurt of bitter, coppery liquid filled his mouth and for the first time in his life, he did not enjoy the taste. He knew he was taking away what made his lover uniquely human. Every drop that drained from her made his heart ache.
In a way, he felt like he was losing the love of his life.
Chapter Two
Mariska’s world was black. She swam in the darkness for a long time, enjoying the peace it brought. Her world had been so hectic for so long that it was rather nice to just swim in a dark abyss for a while. She felt as light as air and it was like nothing could break through. The sound of water rushed through her ears and her body was warm and weightless. She imagined that it was what being in a womb would feel like, safe, warm and protected.
The world around her disappeared into nothingness and she felt alright for the first time in a long time. Maybe this was just an incredibly deep sleep. One could hope, anyway. She had no way of knowing that she was on death’s door and that her life was about to change forever. How could she have possibly known?
As she enjoyed the solitary warmth a sudden light came into view, illuminating her whole world. Her eyes snapped open and the smell of fresh, wet grass filled her nose. She wasn’t in the castle anymore. Mariska frowned a little and pushed herself up on her elbows, looking around a bit. She found herself in a warm patch of grass surrounded by wildflowers.
She sat up fully, her hand immediately going to her belly to make sure her baby was alright. She looked around, trying to find the source of the blinding light but found nothing. She was alone in the field…At least she thought she was. A voice behind her suddenly brought her back to reality, making her gasp and sit up.
“Welcome, child.”
Mariska nearly screamed in surprise, whipping around to stare at the dark haired woman before her. She had long, braided hair that was as dark as night and eyes that were the color of fresh honey. She blinked and stared into the woman’s face, trying to get a sense of what the other woman was feeling. She was surprised when she found it impossible to read her emotions.
“That won’t work on me, Mariska.”
Mariska frowned a little. “I…How did you know-“
“I am not human. It’s easy for me to feel you poking around in there.” She said with a little smile, tapping her temple.
Mariska swallowed and looked around for a moment. “Where…Am I?” She asked, meeting the woman’s eyes.
She sighed and looked around as well. “It has many names…Heaven, Enlightenment…Valhalla.” She mused.
“Wait! What?! I’m dead?!” Mariska asked, surprised that the woman breezed right over that fact and did not seem to expect Mariska to notice.
“No, you aren’t dead.”
“If I’m not dead then what am I doing in heaven?” She demanded, her eyes wide and full of fear.
“Let me start from the beginning.” The woman said, adjusting her sarong and sitting down beside Mariska in the patch of grass. “My name is Katya.” She hummed. “I don’t actually have a form because I just take the form of whatever is most comforting to you.” She said gently. “I’m what you would call an angel and normally we welcome spirits into the afterlife.” She explained.
“So you’re here because I’m dying?” She asked weakly, touching her belly.
Katya smiled and put a hand over Mariska’s “Don’t worry. Your child will be born.” She assured, nodding and wrapping an arm around Katya. “It is not your time to go yet.” She finally said. “You are not ready to be here and we are not ready for you to come.”
“Then…What…?”
“You are teetering on the edge of life and death and when things like this happens, the universe often likes to take the opportunity to have a little chat.”
“So now you’re the whole universe?” Mariska whispered, dropping her head into her hands.
“You could say that,” Katya said with a little chuckle. “I want you to know that you are doing the right thing.” She said simply. “You’re on the right path and I know…It seems scary, but you need to know that you’re doing the right thing and that you will be victorious. You just need to have faith in yourself and those around you.”
Mariska looked up, her eyes wide. “So…The universe…It already knows what is going to happen?”
Katya paused and put a finger to her chin as if thinking about the question. “Yes…To some extent anyway.”
“To some extent…What does that mean?”
“It means that nothing in this world is promised,” Katya said, offering Mariska a look that said she had a lot to learn. “Everyone seems to think that the world is preordained. Everything is planned and there is no variation.” She paused a moment. “I personally think that would get incredibly boring.” She chuckled. “Humans impact their fates far more than they like to think they do. Your life is entirely up to you…Well…With some interference from the universe.”
Mariska frowned a little, her confidence suddenly gone. “Oh…” She sighed softly.
Katya put an arm around Mariska. “But I can tell you, without a doubt that you are doing the right thing. Follow your heart Mariska…It hasn’t let you down yet.”
Mariska nodded slowly and smiled up at that strange woman. Katya looked like Mariska’s grandmother and it brought her a strange amount of comfort. Katya smiled and touched Mariska’s cheek gently.
“Your gift was not a mistake…” She whispered, wrapping her arms around Mariska. “I want you to use them and I want you to change the world.”
Mariska wrapped her arms around Katya, enjoying the warmth and comfort it brought. She nodded slowly and pulled away, smiling. “Thank you…” She whispered. “Thank you so much…”
Katya grinned a little and pulled away, reaching up and putting a delicate finger to Mariska’s forehead. “Any time.”
She gave one hard push and Mariska was tumbling back into the grass, though the ground opened up and swallowed her whole. She was tumbling back through that same darkness from before, Katya’s word’s echoing in her mind.
‘Change the world
.’
Chapter Three
The sensation of falling into one’s body is strange by any account, but knowing that your soul was latterly tumbling back into your physical body was even harder to reconcile. The darkness and peace slowly gave way to searing heat and an enormous pain she could not quite place. It was like a stab in her stomach.
She gasped sharply and shot up from the bed, reaching out for nothing. Her vision was a pin prick and she could barely see a few inches in front of her. A pair of strong arms caught her and pulled her back down, stroking her hair slowly.
“Mariska…Mariska, it’s alright.”
She recognized the voice as Daemon’s but she could not see him and that was putting her into a bit of a panic. Tears were streaming down her burning cheeks and sweat was pouring from her forehead. She was panting so quickly she was afraid she might hyperventilate.
“Daemon…DAEMON!” She sobbed, wrapping her arms around him, trying to ground herself in reality.
He held her close and rocked her gently. “Shhhh…Shhhh…I’m right here.” He whispered, pulling her close to his chest.
“Why can’t I see?!” She demanded.
A sudden flood of emotions was hitting her and she wasn’t sure if it was hers or someone else’s. There was a wave of sadness, regret and longing. Those emotions did not make any sense. Why would she be feeling these emotions?
“It’s part of the process, darling.” He whispered, his voice strangled and panicked.
“Process?!” She demanded, pushing him away. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN PROCESS?!”
Even though she was pushing him and panicked, Daemon still pulled her close, forcing her to stay near to him. “The process of turning.”
Sobs were starting to bubble up from her chest as the panic set in. She was shaking, clinging to Daemon with a desperateness that could only be described as panicked.
“I don’t…I don’t understand!”
Tears were pricking Daemon’s eyes, but he forced them back, blinking over and over again. He did not want to be weak. He did not want her to know how much this killed him inside. He swallowed thickly and shook his head back and forth.
“I had to…I’m so sorry, Mariska. I’m so sorry, but I had to. You were going to die if I did not do something!”
“WHAT DID YOU DO?!”
The heat was starting to spread through her entire body and it was no longer the gentle, caressing heat she’d been used to in the darkness. It was a heat that threatened to swallow her whole and devour her until she was nothing but a smoldering pile of embers.
“I turned you.” He whispered.
“W-What?”
“You were going to die Mariska!” He said quickly, his heart pounding so hard she could feel it in her own chest.
Her hands shook from the pain, but she brought them to tangle in his hair, clenching her teeth and groaning against the pain. Her jaw felt as if it were shifting and her bones cracked. Even her teeth were moving around, making way for the larger canines that were trying to come in.
He wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair, swallowing and looking towards the sky. “I’m so sorry…” He whispered finally.
Mariska wanted to be angry. She wanted to be angry because the pain was eating at her and chipping away at her self-control. She hadn’t known it was going to be this painful. She swallowed, sweat pouring down her face as she pressed her forehead to Daemons.
“You were…trying to do…what was best.” She whispered, her eyes fluttering open. “I love you…”
A wave of relief washed over him, but it did not completely wipe away the guilt and pain. Mariska was still suffering. She was still shuddering in his arms, whimpering as tears rolled down her cheeks. In the end, he’d done this to her. There was no real way around it. He’d gotten her pregnant and he turned her. He was going to have to square with this guilt someday, though he wasn’t sure he could.
A relative silence settled between them, though it was often broken by the sounds of Mariska sobbing softly, covering her mouth and trying to silence the sounds of her pain. Molten lava was coursing through her veins and her entire body was shifting, her stomach rolling uncontrollably. She knew this was how it had to be, but it did not make it any easier to deal with.
They spent the night huddled up together, Mariska buried in his neck, sobbing softly and shaking her head back and forth. She would wretch but nothing came up as her empty stomach bubbled and gurgled, silently pleading for food. As hungry as she was, the idea of consuming anything made her skin crawl. She knew she could not eat real food anymore. She would sustain on the blood of creatures. She could only be thankful that she wasn’t going to have to kill to get that blood.
The pain seemed the last an eternity, but as the sun began to rise on the next day, the pain slowly started to ease and she finally went limp in Daemon’s arms, her eyes fluttering closed and then open again. She was exhausted and honestly unsure of how she was still awake. She curled up against Daemon, panting softly.
“Is it…Is it over?” She whispered, her body feeling sore and tired.
Daemon nodded as Elso walked into the room, gliding across the floor as if she was walking on air. She carried a glass filled with dark red liquid and offered it to Daemon.
“She needs to eat. She needs her strength.”
Daemon nodded slowly, reluctantly. He held the glass for a moment and turned it, watching as the light caught the ruby liquid just right. A feeling of dread washed through him, but as much as he did not want to, he pressed the glass to her lips and tilted it back, watching her drink eagerly. She did not miss a beat. Her body was craving the life-sustaining fluid, and she drank every last drop.
As she emptied the glass, they both shared the same feeling of lost humanity. She was no longer human and it could not be reversed.
Chapter Four
As soon as she drained the last of the blood from the glass she collapsed against Daemon, sighing happily as her eyes fluttered and she drifted off into sleep. Daemon just held her, shaking just a bit. He prided himself in being a very well put together man. He held himself together in rough situations and rarely buckled under pressure. It was a skill that had taken a lifetime to hon, but here he was, falling apart over Mariska.
“If you’re going to fall apart over something…The love of your life is a good thing to fall apart over.”
“Get out of my head, Elso. I’m not in the mood right now.” He whispered weakly, closing his eyes as he laid her back down into the sheets.
“I’m not in your head…But your thoughts are so loud…They’re impossible to ignore.” She said, settling on the edge of the bed. “I know this was hard for you, Daemon.” She said, reaching out and touching his shoulder gently.
He swallowed and leaned back, trying to get away from her touch. It was comforting and made him want to lean into her, accept the warmth she was offering. His throat felt tight and he was afraid he might crack at any moment.
“I…This is how it had to be.” He said simply, watching Mariska as she slept.
“You made the right choice. I know it wasn’t easy for you, but you did the right thing.” She said gently.
Her tone was motherly and caring and it lulled him into a sense of ease and comfort. He nodded slowly and looked up at her. “I just…I’m not sure how she’s going to handle it. It’s such a hard thing to adjust to and there’s so much other stuff going on. I’m…I’m worried about her and I’m worried about the baby.” He admitted, allowing himself to be weak for a moment.
“I know you are…We all are.” She admitted, touching his shoulder. “Every single one of us is worried, but we have to trust her and we have to trust the fates.”
“Fate…” He said softly, reaching out and touching her cheek. “I feel like all I’ve been doing is trusting fate.”
Elso nodded sympathetically. “It’s a hard thing to admit that we aren’t in control of our own lives.” She said gently.
Daemon closed his eyes. “Is
she okay?” He did not want to talk about all this fate business anymore.
Elso ran her hand over Mariska’s sleeping form, assessing all of her body functions before nodding and offering a tender smile. “She’s doing just fine. Her body is worn out from the change, but she’ll be fine.” She assured.
Daemon nodded and put his hand over her belly, enjoying the feeling of the taut skin. She was barely showing, but just the tiny baby bump was enough to bring him comfort. He smiled weakly and looked up at Elso.
“I can’t wait to be a father.”
Elso chuckled and leaned back on her hands. “We were all rather surprised to learn how excited you were to have a baby. No one pinned you to be the type who wanted children.”
“I didn’t…Not until I met Mariska, anyway. She’s changed everything.”
“I think it’s a good change.” Elso said, watching Mariska sleep. “She’s so strong.” The Taltos said with a soft smile. “You two will be wonderful leaders, and your little prince will do just as well.” She said with a soft smile.
“Prince…?” He whispered breathlessly. “I thought your powers of foresight were…diminished.”
Elso nodded. “They are.” She assured, sighing. “But I don’t need foresight to know she’s having a boy or that you two will raise him to be a strong leader.” She said with a knowing smile.
He smiled softly and nodded. “Thank you Elso…That means a lot.” He whispered, running his fingers over her knuckles.
“Any time…Any time.” She said softly with a chuckle.
Silence fell between them, but it did not last long. Jamesson made himself known. He burst through the door, wide eyed and breathing heavy. “Is everything okay?! Elso was supposed to come get me after she changed!” He said quickly, barely able to get his words out fast enough.
Elso crossed the bedroom and wrapped her arms around Jamesson gently. “She is fine, but you ought to be quiet or you’re going to wake her.” She said, patting his cheek.
VAMPIRE:Vampire Guardian Series: Paranormal Mystery Vampire Alpha Male Romance (New Adult Contemporary Paranormal Royalty Fantasy Romance Collection)) Page 15