"Safe? I don't call having the bars almost fall on me and having my face pushed into asphalt while my butt was bitten safe.” If she considered that safe, I sure didn't want to know what danger felt like.
"Those were just warnings, a way to test you. To see if you were the real deal. Now that you bear their brand, we know they're aware of exactly who you are. Capture is not an option. Your blood would be used to generate more of their kind, and we cannot allow that to happen. My job is to mentor you. And help you understand what being a Vanator entails."
"What if I don't want to be a Vanator?” I snapped, my patience at an end.
She sat back down next to me, her face a mask of seriousness. “That's just it. You don't have a choice. You were chosen upon birth to bear the gene that makes you who you are. You cannot change that fact any more than a person can change his or her ancestry. What's done is done. And because of your precarious situation, you cannot hide from your duty. It would put you, your family, your friends, and your clice in danger."
I gritted my teeth until my jaws ached. The unfairness of the situation boiled through me. The last part of my former life had just been ripped from me in one fatal swipe. I squeezed my eyes shut, wanting nothing more than to escape into another place, another time. To wake up and have everything return to normal.
A vision of Ryan infiltrated my darkened world. I opened my eyes and he disappeared. I closed them again, wanting to gaze into his beautiful blue eyes and lose myself for just a moment longer. Nothing. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself staring at a frowning Nicoleta.
"What just happened?” she inquired.
I figured she would think I was a nut case if I told her what I saw, so I shook my head. “Nothing."
"Cheyenne, it's very important you don't keep any secrets from me. I need to know everything that happens, so I can guide you the best way I know how. There's one thing I do need to know. Have you experienced the pulling of the bloodcrave yet?” I frowned in confusion. “Have your parents not explained the bloodcrave?” She shook her head and pursed her lips as if chastising my parent's lack of guidance.
I raised and lowered my shoulders. “I guess not. They mentioned bloodlust, but not anything about a bloodcrave. What's the difference?"
"Bloodlust is your body's reaction to going too long without a blood supplement. Some vampires go insane and harm or kill a human in reaction to a deep, primal need that must be immediately fulfilled. A bloodcrave is your body's way of telling you it's time to supplement. Much like hunger pangs alert you that your body needs food for nourishment. Our bodies require more than just food as you know. When you get this craving and you take your supplement, everything will be just fine. It's when you ignore your need that you run into problems."
"What's this supplement, exactly? Mom and Dad said they would show me where they kept it, and Mom did this morning, but they haven't really talked about it. Too many crazy things have happened since then. And they haven't told me what a craving is, only that I'd know when my body needed it."
The thought of drinking blood made me sick. How would I deal with that part? I curled my lips up in disgust.
"Sounds like your parents still have a lot to discuss with you. I see by the look on your face you're not excited about this requirement."
"No, drinking someone else's blood doesn't make my mouth water or make me lick my lips in anticipation. Matter of fact, it makes me want to puke."
She laughed. “Who said you have to drink blood?"
I thought about that for a moment before answering. My parents hadn't exactly told me the specifics about getting the necessary blood into my body. They only mentioned that vampires no longer had to bite humans and drink directly from them. That they supplemented.
I chewed my bottom lip. “No one. I just assumed that was the way, so I didn't bother to ask.” I sucked in a breath and my pulse surged as a horrifying thought crossed my mind. “I don't have to give myself shots do I?” I hated needles about as bad as I hated closed in areas. Shoving a needle in my body would not be working for me. Last time I had to get the required shots for school, I about passed out.
She laughed again. Glad I could be her personal comedian. I sure didn't find anything funny about it.
"No. No. Most of us take supplements in the form of a tablet much like your typical vitamins. I must admit, it's nowhere near as satisfying as drinking from a human, but it works. And it keeps humans from becoming too curious about our feeding habits."
My eyes widened. “You've taken blood from a human? Like using your fangs?"
"I've been alive a long time."
I gathered by the closed expression on her face she wouldn't be elaborating on that subject. Probably for the best anyway. Not that it would have colored my opinion of my so called mentor. Yeah right.
"So, all I have to do is swallow a few pills in the morning with my SunnyD and I'm good to go?” I asked full of hope.
"For the most part, yes. If you're severely injured and lose a good amount of your own blood or contact some serious illness, tablets will not suffice."
"But I thought we heal really fast and can't get diseases?"
I started to realize I didn't know the half of what I should when it came to this vampire thing. Mom and Dad had made it seem so simple and so not a big deal. I couldn't wait to give them a piece of my mind. I really hate it when they treat me like a child and won't tell me everything. They act like I'm too young to understand or to be able to deal with things all at once. But then again, judging by my recent reactions, I guess I couldn't blame them. I hadn't exactly taken the news well. And they were only trying to protect me by taking things slow and not cramming a bunch of information down my throat.
"That's mostly true. However, even our bodies can't regenerate fast enough if we've lost too much blood. Granted, we heal at supersonic speeds compared to humans, but we still need time for our bodies to properly repair the damages. Sometimes it's not fast enough in order to keep from bleeding out.” She paused and chewed the inside of her cheek, her perfectly manicured, blood red nails drumming out a silent rhythm on her thigh. “And there are a few diseases we're not immune to that are almost always deadly if contracted—HIV, hepatitis C, malaria, measles, Lyme disease, syphilis, and tuberculosis."
"Oh.” I went through the list in my head of all the diseases.
I'd been given immunizations for some of them. The others I didn't really have much to worry about. I wouldn't be going to Africa any time soon or camping out in woods full of ticks. I hadn't had any blood transfusions or used bad needles doing drugs. And the other way to get HIV, well I didn't have to worry about that either, which ruled out syphilis, too.
"I sure hope you're not under the false impression vampires live forever and can never die? It's very possible for us to perish if the injuries are severe enough. Don't make that mistake. Teenagers tend to believe they are invincible as it is.” Nicoleta turned and seized my shoulders, staring intently into my eyes. “This belief will end your life very quickly. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"
I moved my head up and down.
She released her hold. “Good. What I'm about to tell you will not be a welcomed piece of information, but it's imperative you hear it.” She paused, letting the importance of her words sink in. “Vanators have a very short life expectancy due to the dangerous nature of their existence. That's why you must work with me, not against me. You're important to our clice, too. We've waited a long time for you."
I picked imaginary lint from my pajama pants, not wanting to make eye contact with her. I needed a minute to think. Or not to think. The whole situation freaked me out in a big way.
I lifted my hands in front of me. “So, how am I to learn how to protect myself or how to use these powers I'm supposed to be getting?"
"Most of what you need to know will be instinctive. You'll sense what to do when the time is right. I'll help to fill in the gaps and guide you based on past experience."
"And what about this hunting thing? Do I carry a gun and stalk this evil I keep hearing about?” I asked.
Nicoleta inhaled deeply, then slowly let out her breath. “I think you know that's not what happens. This isn't Buffy or Supernatural. This is real and very serious. I expect you to treat it as such."
My mouth dropped open at her sudden change of demeanor.
"I'll meet with you every day after gym for an hour for the next several weeks. You need to keep me informed of anything and everything that happens.” She dug into her purse and handed me a business card. “My cell phone number is on the front. Use it.” She stood and walked to the door. After opening it, she turned and said in a softened tone, “Everything will be okay. We just need to work together."
Nicoleta left, but I stayed, trying to digest all the new information. Now my parents would expect me to discuss everything we talked about, but I was too drained to deal with it. A nice hot bath sounded better than ever.
I quietly left the room, grabbed my backpack, and headed straight for the stairs, hoping Mom and Dad wouldn't stop me. But Mom's voice froze me in my tracks.
"I don't like the idea of a virtual stranger taking over. We're her parents. We can teach her what she needs to know,” Mom commented.
"No, that's where you're wrong. We can teach her what she needs to know about being a vampire, but we know very little about her special abilities and what's expected of her. We can only be here for her and help her through the adjustment. Besides, that's not our way and you know it. We don't have a choice,” Dad reasoned.
"But, I don't like it—"
"I don't like it either, but we must think of what's best for Cheyenne.” Dad's voice intensified. “We don't have the resources to show her the ways. It would put her and the clice in danger. All we can do is be there for her and help her through this."
Their voices faded as they walked toward the living room.
Great, now Mom and Dad were fighting because of me and my stupid new ability or whatever. I hated that they were so worried and couldn't do anything about it. It's not like they could help me. I had to rely on complete strangers to teach me. I continued up the stairs without bothering to look back.
After dropping off my stuff in my room, I picked out my favorite comfy pajamas—a white t-shirt with Happy Bunny on it and matching fuzzy pants. Once inside the bathroom, I turned on the faucet and poured some bubbles under the stream of warm water. The rich fragrance of vanilla filled the room. I lit two sugar cookie scented candles and placed them on the edge of the tub. I'd downloaded most of my music to my iPod, but I had way too much invested to take the chance of dropping it into the tub. My portable player sat to the left of my sink. Not sure what CD it held, I hit play. The gravelly voice of Hinder streamed into the room. That would do just fine.
My troubles didn't seem quite so bad in my secluded space where I felt safe from prying eyes and people telling me how to live my life.
I peeled off my clothes and eased into the steaming water. I hissed out a breath. The raw area on my thigh where I had straddled the beam stung when the hot water hit it. In light of everything that had happened, I had totally forgotten about that little incident. When I leaned against the back of the tub, a dull pain reminded me of the punctures above my mark.
Curious, I sat back up, then stood. I shook the bubbles off one leg then the other and stepped out of the tub. Steam had already fogged the mirror, so I wiped off a small circular area with my hand. I twisted my torso and turned my head around to glance in the mirror. I gasped. Oh, my God! The intricate mark had turned a kind of deep blue with delicate outlining. And the two angry, puckered wounds above it stood stark upon my slightly tanned skin. I reached back and rubbed my finger across the area. The deep indentations felt like inversed Braille for the letter C. Totally gross. It was his brand. Whatever that meant. I scrunched up my face and huffed out a sigh. I refused to belong to anyone.
The mirror clouded with steam, blurring my disturbing reflection. I climbed back into the warm water and let my mind wander to more pleasant thoughts, letting Hinder take me away to a different place. Careful not to hit the sore spot on my hip, I leaned back, silky bubbles filling the hole my body had left upon entering. Letting out a deep breath, I closed my eyes. Darkness enveloped me, peaceful and solitary.
Crystal blue eyes materialized before me. Even with all the turmoil, my thoughts kept coming back to Ryan. He had a hold on me, not the Liliac entity claiming to have branded me as his.
The aroma of sugar cookies strengthened, causing me to gag. Must be my increased sensitivity kicking in. Opening my eyes, I sat up. I leaned over to blow out the candles, but they sputtered and went out on their own before I had the chance. Mom hardly ever turned on the heater, so it couldn't be air coming from the vent above. And as far as I knew, we didn't have a draft.
Roxie stuck her nose under the door and whined. Weird.
"What's the matter, Roxie?"
She barked and tried to dig under the door. Her strange behavior puzzled me. She barked again and clawed at the door like she'd done the day before when the ancients had met in Dad's office.
"What is it, girl?"
She barked louder and kept scratching at the door, causing it to rattle against the frame. A chill settled in my bones.
Steam rose from the water, swirling as it ascended. A heaviness centered inside my chest, squeezing my lungs. My heart rate exploded, rushing adrenaline through my veins.
He was here—in my house, in my bathroom.
I covered my breasts with my arms, bringing my knees up in front of me. The steam moved toward the mirror, morphing into a finger-like extension. Words formed on the foggy mirror in reverse—each letter slowly traced. I held my breath waiting for the eerie message.
You belong to me!
I screamed and frantically exited the tub, water and bubbles sloshing over the side. I ripped a towel off the holder and roughly covered myself.
Roxie's barks reached frantic levels.
Mom and Dad beat on the door. “Cheyenne? What's wrong? Unlock the door."
My hands shook as I attempted to turn the lock. I couldn't manage the simple task. Pushing and pulling at the same time, I fought against myself. Panic destroyed my coordination.
"Mom, Dad ... help. I can't get the door to open.” The desperation in my voice caused a high pitched squeak.
"Just calm down and concentrate on turning the lock,” Dad instructed in his soothing way.
I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. Finally, I worked the lock and jerked the door open, falling into Dad's arms.
"What happened, Cheyenne?” Mom's eyes were wide with worry.
Roxie walked around the bathroom, her nose stuck in the air sniffing and whining, then sat next to me and licked my face.
"He was in here. He wrote on the mirror. It said I belonged to him. Look!” I pointed back toward the bathroom. “Look at the mirror."
Dad set me aside and walked into the room. Mom followed. No way would I go back in there.
"Do you see it? Do you?” I demanded.
Dad turned back to me. “There's nothing there."
"What? It was right there on the mirror. It was there."
I crept back into the bathroom, Roxie next to my side, and stared at my reflection. The mirror no longer fogged.
The message was gone.
[Back to Table of Contents]
7
A Great-Great Revelation
"Boo-yah!” Mandy yelled, startling me half out of my skin. “Guess what?"
I shut my locker door and gave her my best ‘annoyed’ look. “I give up, what?"
"Brad knows this guy who works at Inner Space. He has a key to the gate where the cable cars go down into the cave.” Her face beamed with excitement.
This wasn't going to be good. “And?"
"Well, this guy invited Brad and a few friends to come into the cave tomorrow night and hang out.” Mandy could barely contain herself. “And he invited me."
"I don't think that's such a great idea.” Actually, it sounded like a really bad idea. Visions of morphing humanoid creatures reaching out to grab Mandy resurfaced in my mind.
"Why? It sounds like a blast."
I hooked my backpack over my left shoulder. “For starters, you're not supposed to be in the cave at night. What if you get caught? Your parents would kill you."
We walked down the hall toward the doors that led to the parking lot.
Mandy huffed out a frustrated breath. “The guy wouldn't have a key if he wasn't allowed to go into the cave.” She widened her eyes and jiggled her head.
"He may have a key and he may even be allowed to go into the cave, but I seriously doubt he has permission to bring a bunch of people into the cave after hours,” I tried to reason.
I couldn't let her go into the cave without knowing the danger. And I couldn't come out and tell her why she shouldn't go. But knowing Mandy, she'd still go into the cave no matter what I said. Once she had her mind made up, she could be one stubborn girl. And Brad had a serious hold on her by the look of things. No way would she miss the opportunity to be with him.
"Then I guess you don't want to go with us?” she challenged.
I stopped in my tracks. “Huh?"
"Well, I planned to invite you to join us until you started on your motherly tirade. Brad said you could come, too. But I guess you're not interested.” She started walking again, leaving me contemplating what I should do.
Maybe if I went with them I could watch out for her. Nicoleta said I wasn't in danger ... yet. And it would give me a chance to check out the cave and see if anything had changed without a whole bunch of other people being there as well.
"Okay, I'll go,” I yelled after Mandy as I jogged to catch up.
She stopped and turned toward me. “Really? All of a sudden it's okay that I'm going into the cave at night?"
"It's just that I didn't want you going in there alone.” Lame reasoning, but nothing else popped into my mind at the spur of the moment.
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