"You haven't eaten in days. Do you think it was going to go unnoticed?"
I slammed the door and plopped on the couch cushion next to her. "What does it matter? Why does anyone even care?"
"I don't know. You're bossy, mean, and sometimes downright rude, but you're our sister, of course we care about you."
I grabbed a nearby pillow and clutched it to my chest as I slouched in my seat. "Well, you won't have to worry about me anymore."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that I refuse to live on this cold cruel Earth any longer. I've seen enough death. I’ve caused enough death in hundreds of lifetimes. I'm sick of it. It's never ending and it needs to stop."
"What are you talking about?" She turned to me, lifting her knee up onto the cushion. "You love being a vampire. You love the hunt, our powers, the sex...oh wait a second." She drew in a long breath and her eyes lit up because she finally put the pieces of the puzzle together. "It's Rhett isn't it?"
"No, it isn't. Don't be ridiculous. I would never want a human other than to be used as a food source."
She grabbed the pillow from me and hit me with it. "Liar!"
"Keira!"
"You love him don't you?"
"Now that's absurd." I lied as I straightened my back and tried to slide off the sofa, trying to make a quick exit.
"Hold on one minute my poor diluted sister. I know such a feeling is foreign to you, but who are you kidding here? We all know you love him and its time you admitted it to yourself. That man adores you, I don't know why, but he does. Plus, he's hot. What more can you ask for?"
"Let's say I do love him..."
She me a sugary smile. "Which you do."
"He's human Keira."
"So what? Noah was human too."
"Caressa may have felt comfortable breaking the rules, but I don't. I won't subject Rhett to our lifestyle. He'd not only be miserable, he'd be hunted for the rest of his immortal life because of what he was."
"He's a grown man Gia, why not let him make his own decisions. Tell him. What do you have to lose?"
I inhale a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. "Everything."
CHAPTER FIVE
RELUCTANTLY, I WENT upstairs to the club with my stomach still empty and my heart still broken. The only reason I left my apartment was because Caressa asked me to be a part of a meeting. I do owe her because she saved my life so many years ago when Marcus was killed.
"Well, welcome to the land of the living, or is it the undead living?"
I shook my head and smiled in spite of myself. "You're such a dork Noah." I looked around the room, the whole coven was there, even Luna was sitting in the back of the room. She was slouched against the leather seat of the booth with a glass of water on the table in front of her. I plopped on the seat next to her. She had a thin red straw in her hand, twirling the ice around in the cold liquid. Around and around and around. I've been sitting next to her for less than ten seconds and already I'm annoyed. I grabbed the straw out of her hand and flung it. It didn’t go far, but it was far enough that she wouldn’t be driving me crazy with it anymore. "Okay, why was I forced out of bed?"
"You look like shit Gia." Caressa observed as she planted herself on a stool by the bar next to Noah.
"I hope you didn't call me up here to talk about my make-up habits."
"No, I didn't. I called you all up here because we have a serious problem. Two Hunters were spotted here tonight."
I straightened in my seat, now on high alert as soon as I heard the news about the Hunters. "In the club?"
"No, not inside the club, just outside. I went to sign for a delivery and saw two of them in the alley a few doors down. There were only two..."
I finish her sentence. "But there will be more."
She nodded. "Yes. I've spoken to Noah and he agrees we should hire some security."
"Why do we need security?" Keira chimed in. "We're vampires. We can take them."
Caressa looked at Keira. "Yes, a few at a time, but what if ten, twenty, or even thirty of them come waltzing into the club, then what?"
"Then let's just make more vampires. We can have an army full in just a few nights."
"Keira, you know the rules. We don't turn undeserving humans into vampires." Caressa continues. "New bloods are too unpredictable and need to get accustomed to their special powers."
Keira stood and stomped her foot on the ground like a child throwing a tantrum. "We don't have time for that. If Marcus were here..."
Caressa's hand was around Keira's throat before she had a chance to utter another word. "Marcus isn't here, I am. I am the leader of this coven and I make the decisions and if I ever hear anyone so much as even whisper that man's name in my presence again, I will drive a stake right through their cold undead heart." Caressa let Keira go and very gracefully walked back to her chair as if she hadn't just throttled her sister.
"So, what do you want us to do then? You've already decided on what the plan is, why bother having this meeting and disrupt me?" I was upset and preferred to be in bed. Obviously my opinion wasn’t going to mean anything no matter what I said.
"Because Gia, we all need to start paying more attention to what is going on around here and not be holed up in a room all day and night."
"Are we done here?"
"Yeah, we're done for now." I could hear the annoyance in Caressa’s voice, but her attitude wasn’t going to change my mind about any of the decisions I had already made.
I stood and walked towards the kitchen heading back to my apartment. I took the elevator, too weak to take the stairs. I shuffled my feet all the way to my front door and threw myself on the bed again. What was the point of me going to that stupid meeting anyway? If I was feeling like my old self I would have given Caressa an argument, but I don't have the strength nor do I care anymore.
Maybe the world would be a better place if we weren't in it. We wouldn't have to prey on innocent people and we would no longer be a threat to society, not that we are now because the humans have no idea we exist. Our kind has stayed hidden for centuries by perfecting our secrets; the only people who have cracked our codes are the Hunters.
For as long as there were vampires in existence, there would be Hunters trained to exterminate our kind.Hundreds of years of animosity between the two beings have led to many wars. It has been over a hundred years since the last one, the war when Marcus was killed, but they will not stop until every single one of us is dead.
I think it's time for us to fade out. Keira was right; I had loved being a vampire. The thrill of the hunt, the euphoric sensation when I fed, and my immortal beauty all contributed to the fulfillment I always possessed. All that changed when I'd met Rhett. The moment he stepped into the bar, my senses went on overload. I tried my best to stay away from him and turn down his advances every chance I got, but he wore me down.
Day after day I had to endure the burning desire in my gut because only his blood would satisfy my uncontrollable craving. It wasn’t too long before I couldn't take it anymore and when I finally succumbed to that aching need, my body wanted no other.
Now, I've come to a crossroads. Do I feed on humans simply to satisfy my body's nourishment and stand by my sisters to help fend off the Hunters? Or, do I rid this world of an inhumane monster and starve myself because only Rhett fills that empty hole in my heart? I think the latter is the best choice, not only for me, but for Rhett as well. I need to think of him above all else.
I rose from the bed and shuffled my feet over to the closet on the other side of the room. I flicked the light on and grabbed the square felt box on the shelf. I wiped the dust off the top and untied the red ribbon that held the tattered box together. I gently laid the worn case on my bed and carefully lifted the garment out.
No matter how many times I've moved or how many times we had to run without taking a thing with us, I always found a way to stash this piece of clothing away and take it with me. This was something I refused to part
with.
I've worn it many times in my immortal lifetime, but haven't put it on in a long while; the particles of dust that collected on the box were proof of that fact. I turned the garment around, wrapping the red bodice around my breasts and stomach. I closed the back over the shirt I was wearing and smoothed out the small wrinkles. My fingers skimmed over the tiny beads sewn into an intricate pattern and I smiled. Wearing my mother's favorite bodice always gave me the strength I needed to get through hard times.
All I had to do was put it on and I could remember how proud, how brave she was on the day she wore it. She'd worn it the day she died. The same day the townspeople waited in the square for her execution and watched her die. My thoughts quickly shifted, just as they'd always done to that one woman who tried to save my mother, but paid with her own life instead.
This article of clothing wasn't just an old piece of fabric; it was a symbol of the unity and bravery two women shared for a brief moment in time. I've always held that memory close to my heart and kept it in the forefront of my mind.
When they'd buried my mother and everyone finally went home, I had snuck out into the graveyard of nameless souls and dug through the mud. I needed something to hold on to, to remind me that no matter what the situation, I could always hold my head up high and be proud of who I was; and since that bodice was my mother's favorite, I knew I couldn't let it be destroyed. She'd felt so beautiful when wore it. Her face would light up instantly the minute she put it on, as does mine when I picture her wearing it in a passing memory.
I wished I was as brave as my mother had been that day. I wish I could tell Rhett what I really was, but I'm too weak for that. I have been reduced to a sniffling, whiney brat that has no business being a vampire anymore. Vampires are supposed to be strong, unrelenting, beguiling, and beautiful. I am no longer worthy to walk amongst my kind. Even my beauty has faded to one that is ordinary and bland because of my malnourishment.
My sisters may think that I'm overreacting, but I have always prided myself on being the strong one, the one who all the others could count on to get them out of a jam, the one who would die to protect them. I'd never let anything come between me and my sisters before and now I had. I'd let my heart and desires take control of my mind and my better judgement. Everything that Marcus had taught me about not letting anyone get close went right out the window the moment Rhett stepped into my life.
With him I didn't have to take charge. I didn't have to make any decisions. All I had to do was feel; an emotion that had become foreign to me over the years. My heart, my mind, and my body had been awakened with just one glance into his dark eyes.
I could never go back to the uncaring monster I had been for centuries. That creature was never who I really was, but something that had manifested itself into my very soul until it took over me completely.
It was who my sisters expected me to be. It was who they needed me to be. At the time we'd been alone after losing so many of our own kind, so the coven looked to Caressa and I for guidance because we were the oldest and wisest. But, truth of the matter was, we were just as scared as they were.
We'd gone days, sometimes weeks without feeding continuously and lived in a place that was strange to us. We didn't know how long we'd survive, or how long it would take for the Hunters to find the remaining few of our coven and eradicate us. Caressa and I had no choice other than to take charge and find a way for us to sustain our existence over time; something that would keep us thriving.
All that was a distance memory now and if you were to ask me even one year ago if we’d be victorious against the Hunters, without a doubt I would have said yes. I would have clung to that idea until I took my last immortal breath. How things can change so drastically within such a short amount of time.
I removed my shirt and adjusted the bodice into place and laid on the bed. It's my turn to be brave now that I'm going to die. It’s my turn to choose to leave this world with pride and dignity, not at the hands of the Hunters. If I can't have Rhett by my side, then there's no reason for me to prolong my eternal life as a night stalking blood sucker. No, I think I'll go out under my terms and not be dictated by anyone, whether I'm making the right decision or not.
CHAPTER SIX
I DON”T KNOW how many days it's been since I've had any blood. I haven't had one drop and no one was the wiser. A bottle of the substitute liquid was placed in front of my door daily, which I made sure to bring inside so the others thought I drank it. So far, it worked. They probably think I'm still sulking about Rhett. Little do they know, it's much more serious than your average broken heart.
My heart no longer broke for Rhett because my soul had completely shattered. At least the pain from the hunger in my belly distracted me some of the time. I'm becoming weaker by the minute and I could feel the darkness beginning to take over my body. I smiled inside knowing that it would all be over soon. I won't have to suffer any longer. There would be no more pain. There would be no more death. There would be only peace; only nothingness.
I shut my eyes tight as I started to drift away, allowing the shadows behind my lids to calm my busy mind. I hope my sisters would be okay without me. I hope Rhett will one day understand why I decided to do this. I tried to clear my head of everyone other than my mother. I need to embrace the memory of my mother's last moments and remember how proud she was. Only I'm not proud of the monster I had become over the years. I had never even given my way of life another thought until I met Rhett. Damn it, why can't I just forget about him already?
A loud bang shook me awake. The sound of a metal door slamming closed and screeching open again made me cringe as I rolled onto my elbow. What the fuck are they doing upstairs? Can't a vampire die in peace? I sat up and hung my feet over the side of the bed. I swayed a bit, dizzy from not consuming enough blood. I'd had the crazy idea of getting up to scream at whoever was making all that racket upstairs, but quickly came to the conclusion that I wouldn't be able to take one step away from this bed.
Another slam of the door was followed by a piercing scream. I squeezed my eyes shut, covering my ears with the palm of my hands. Trouble has finally come to our door and I'm in no condition to help, but I have to. As long as I'm still alive it was my duty to stand with my sisters and fight with them. I cannot be that heartless and sit idly by listening to what could be the end of our coven.
I slid off the bed and fell on the floor, too weak to stand on my own two feet. I knelt beside the bed and braced myself to try and get up. My stomach felt as if it were being turned inside out from the over exertion. My hearing became murky as the noise from the back of the club mingled with the pounding beats of speakers from the inside of the bar. At least no one else would be able to hear the commotion because the music was so loud.
I finally got to my feet and stumbled all the way to the door. I slid my hands along the hard rock walls of the hallway, doing my best not to fall flat on my face. My legs gave out when I reached the bottom of the cement steps that lead outside into the alley behind the club. A few loud crashes against the metal door and my heart began to race. With every beat, my shaky legs felt as if they were getting weaker. Leaving my room was a bad idea, but I couldn't let my coven fight alone. Besides, what better way to die than to fight by my sister’s sides?
I stumbled to my feet and placed my hand on the railing for support. A few steps and I collapsed, crashing onto the staircase. I had to keep going. I need to keep going. I crawled up the rest of the way as my hands and knees scraped against the stony ground. When I reached the top of the landing I inhaled a deep breath and pushed the metal bar across the door to open it. It swung open and I was awestruck at the sight in front of me.
Hunters filled the alley. Not just one or two, but twenty or thirty of them. If it weren’t for us being so fast we'd definitely be toast right about now. Bodies flew overhead into the side of the building one by one as Noah fought them off of Caressa. She'd had a few holding her down ready to drive a stake through her heart, but l
uckily Noah got to her in time. The rest of the girls were holding their own as the number of Hunters began to dwindle.
I had to get up, I had to get the fuck up and help them. I scrambled to my feet and gained some balance but was quickly knocked to the ground. One of the Hunters grabbed me by the back of the neck forcing me back down onto my knees.
His hatred for our kind was apparent in his voice as he called out to one of his comrades. "Hey Reggie, bring that stake over here, we're going to have us a little fun."
The tall, well-built man sauntered over to us and stopped in front of my bent head.He dropped to one knee and placed the wooden implement under my chin, lifting my head to meet his disgusted gaze. "I think I'm going to enjoy killing this one. Look at the fire in her eyes. It's going to be so much more enjoyable when I snuff it out. But first I'd like her to beg for her life. Lick my boot vampire."
There's no fucking way in Hell I'm licking this asshole's shoe. No. Fucking. Way. I squinted my eyes at him, then gave him a little smile. He smiled back at me and I knew he fully expected me to do exactly what he demanded.
I lowered my head as if to do what he'd asked, then at the right moment I rammed the back of my head into his nose, breaking it in the process. He fell on his side, hitting the ground hard. I cocked my head back gathering saliva in my mouth and spit on the fucker.
He wasn't down long. He quickly rose to his feet and kicked me in the stomach as his friend held me in place. If I'd been in better shape that strike wouldn't have hurt, but since I hadn’t eaten a thing in days, it fucking hurt like a bitch.
"You're going to pay dearly for that you soulless creature."
I was pulled to my feet as he raised the stake over his head. His smug grin told me he thought he’d won and at this point there was no way for me to feel differently, so I braced myself for the impact and impending death, but it never came, someone tackled him to the ground, hard.
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