Hades gave Ambrogio a magical wooden bow and some arrows. He has to hunt animals and give the bodies to Artemis in order to gain her trust and favor, so he could steal her silver bow.
To contact Selene, Ambrogio used his bow and arrow and killed a swan. He used its feather as a pen and its blood as the ink. He wrote her a note telling her that he could not meet with her, but he promised to find a way for them to be together. He left the note in their usual meeting place.
Selene found the note and was really upset and sad.
For 44 days, Ambrogio killed a swan and used its feather and blood to write Selene love poems. After he wrote the poems, he gave the body of the swan to Artemis, the Goddess of hunting and the moon. Ambrogio thought if he couldn't steal the bow from Arthemis she would still be honored by the swans and he thought she would be able to convince her brother Apollo to remove the curse," Andrew pauses for a minute and sighs. "On the 45th night, Ambrogio shot a swan with his last arrow and missed.
Ambrogio then started begging Artemis to let him borrow her bow and arrow so he could kill a swan and leave one final note to Selene.
Artemis ended up feeling bad so she let Ambrogio use her silver bow and an arrow. Ambrogio took the bow and ran to the cave that led to Hades.
Artemis ended up casting her own curse on him. The curse made it so Ambrogio couldn't touch silver. If he did it would burn his skin." Andrew looks at the ground as if he feels the pain of Ambrogio.
It takes him a minute to start talking again. I want to ask him what's wrong, but instead I decide not to interrupt him.
Still staring at the ground, Andrew starts to finish the story, "Ambrogio ended up begging her for forgiveness. He explained his whole story to her. He told her about the deal he was forced to make with Hades, his curse by Apollo, and his love for Selene. Artemis ended up feeling bad for him again and she gave him another chance. She decided to make him a great hunter, with speed and strength of a God and fangs so he could drain the blood of the beasts to write his love poems for Selene. She would only do that in exchange for his immortality and Selene and Ambrogio would have to worship Artemis forever. The only catch was that Artemis was a virgin goddess, so they had to stay unmarried, they couldn't touch or kiss each other, or have children. Ambrogio agreed. He really didn't have any other choice. This was the only way for them to be together.
He left Selene another note telling her to meet him on a ship. When she saw the note, she ran away from Apollo before he could notice she was gone.
The two of them sailed to Ephesus. They lived in a cave during the day and worshiped Artemis at her grand temple every night. For many years, they were happy and never touched or kissed each other, and they didn't have children.
Years started to pass by and Ambrogio stayed young because of his immortality, but Selene still aged because she was a mortal and began to get deathly sick. Ambrogio was sad because he would not be able to join Selene in the after life because Hades still had his soul. So, he begged Artemis to make Selene immortal. Artemis made him a deal, he could touch Selene just one time so he could drink her blood. When he did this, her blood mixed with his could create eternal life for Selene if she drank from him afterwards.
He bit her neck and took her blood into his body. She then drank his blood and became the goddess of moon light. They had children that were newly created vampires that carried the blood of Ambrogio and Selene, together," Andrew looks at the lake and then looks at me. "They ended up living happily ever after together for eternity."
We sit there for a few minutes just staring into each others' eyes.
"That was beautiful." It truly was. Ambrogio did everything he could to be able to spend his life with the one he loved, Selene.
"That's the love story that started it all," he announces. "I do enjoy hearing that story. It shows how much someone would do anything to be with the one he loves."
"Are Ambrogio and Selene still alive?" I ask.
Andrew hesitates to answer my question for some reason."It has been said that they still live in Ephesus and are still happily in love," he confirms and then clears his throat.
"So, the main aspect of this story, vampires can't walk in sunlight, touch silver, they have no souls, and they're fast and strong like a great hunter. Am I right?" I ask.
"Correct."
"Wait, how can you walk in sunlight," I ask.
"A witch cast a spell on my family and me," he admits. "It's a sunlight spell. So I can walk in the sun without getting burnt."
"How did you become one of them?" I wonder.
"My mother and father made that decision," he clears his throat again because his voice begins to crack at the sound of those words. "They wanted to be just like Ambrogio and Selene. They loved each other so much they were willing to be vampires so they could stay together for eternity," he begins to struggle to finish the story.
"What are your parents' names?" I ask. After I ask that question I immediately regret it. I'm not sure if talking about his parents is a touchy subject for him.
"Eva and Samuel Madsen," he says. "Our family friend Abena was a witch. She brought them a vampire so they could turn and be immortal," he sighs and then starts again, "Not only did this vampire turn my parents, but he turned me, William, and Alex also. My parents wanted all of us to be a family for the rest of time."
"How do you become a," I can't seem to get out that word. It's just weird to say, but it finally comes out, "vampire?"
"A vampire has to feed on you, drink most of your blood. After he drinks most of it, the vampire will have the mixture of his immortal blood and your human blood in his body. You then have to drink his blood that contains the mixture of both of yours," Andrew turns his head and stares at me. "Then, the turning process begins."
"And that means what?"
"Your mortal body starts to die and your immortal body starts to grow." Andrew gave me more information then I thought I was going to get. I think he really does trust me enough to tell me these things. The only way you trust someone with a big secret like this, is because you love them. I can tell Andrew loves me.
I want to know what happened to his parents. So, I ask. "What happened to your parents?"
He picks up some pebbles on the ground and starts throwing them so far into the lake. It's unbelievable how far they're going. I can barley see where they land. The only thing that helps me is the splash they make into the lake water. "They left us," he admits.
"Why?"
"I guess we were too much for them to handle. They could barely handle themselves. The cravings for blood was so strong. They weren't expecting that because it wasn't in the story," he chucks a bigger rock into the water this time and it creats a huge splash. "They told William that he was in charge of us and to keep us safe. Then one day they were gone. They said we would all reunite soon, but it's been 108 years and they still haven't come," he says as he's shaking his head toward the lake.
"I'm sorry, Andrew."
"It's not your fault. It wasn't that hard on me. I was too concentrated on my cravings for blood, then to think about my parents. It was Alex that took it really hard," Andrew says as he stands up and throws another rock into the water. "Ten years after they left she searched for them. She told me she would never give up until she found them," he pauses for a few seconds. "But, twenty years later she just gave up. She was hurt, I could tell, but she never once said it or showed it."
"Do you kill humans?" I ask as I gulp the saliva that's filling in my mouth.
"Not anymore." Did he really just say, 'not anymore' to me. I'm taking it that Andrew Madsen has killed people before. This is horrific.
"How do you eat then?"
"We drink human blood, but we don't drain them."
We sit there in silence watching the birds fly across the lake. The silence is filled with the chirping of the birds. It's beautiful here.
Andrew starts walking over toward me. "Are you ready to head back?" I think today was filled with more than enough
information. I need to let my brain sit and process all of this fantasy talk.
"Sure," I say and then we start walking back through the trail that lead us here, in absolute silence.
* * * *
When we reach my car, he opens the door for me and I smile at him. "Thanks," I say. I was thanking him for simply being honest with me about everything.
"Did you get all of your questions answered?" he asks.
"Yes," I begin to say. I look right into his eyes and speak truthfully. "I won't tell anyone. Your secret's safe with me."
"Thank you, Nina. I don't want you to be scared of me. I will never do anything to hurt you." Andrew starts to walk closer to me. He puts his hands on each side of my face and stares into my eyes and then his eyes start to shut and he leans in toward me and kisses me.
He presses against my lips with his and it's gentle and soft, but absolutely exhilarating. His hands are wrapped around me tightly and I'm clinging to his hard muscular chest. I feel these intense feelings lingering through my body. I find myself lost in his kiss.
His lips lose mine and we're both looking at each other. Then, he starts whispering the words I have been waiting to hear. "I love you, Nina. Always and forever," he says with a slight smile on his face.
I repeat the words back to him, "I love you too. Always and forever."
CHAPTER 15
Love at First Sight
Dear Diary,
My boyfriend is a vampire. My sister is dating a vampire. No human knows, but me. It's still unbelievable, but I love him no matter what he is. Is that bizarre? The feeling that lingers inside my body is astonishing. It seems impossible.
The first time I ever fall in love, the first time I ever find a guy that is incredible, irresistible, and unimaginable, he turns out to secretly be a vampire that was born in 1886.
Is it wrong that I'm in love with someone that's 127 years old, but he's trapped in a teenage body? It feels right, but it sounds so wrong. He has lived a fulfilling life before I was born. Before my mom, dad, grandparents, great grandparents were even brought into this world.
Andrew is a vampire. He's my vampire. I'm in love with a vampire.
Love, Nina
* * * *
I walk up to Andrew's door and my hand rises up to knock on the door, but I feel myself pause. All I can think about is that there is a bunch of vampires living in this house. Probably blood thirsty and waiting for their next meal. I really hope they ate lunch. I knock on the door. It immediately opens. Andrew's fast. I guess that's a perk of being a vampire. "Hello, Nina," Andrew says in a soft voice.
I embrace him with a hug and a kiss on his cheek. Andrew returns the same thing to me. "Can we talk?" I ask.
"Sure. Come in." He holds the door open to the side and welcomes me in. I pause and think about his request for a moment. "It's okay, Nina. Trust me," Andrew says with reassurance.
I take a few steps in and look around as I hear the door close behind me.
In an instant Andrew is standing in front of me. "Jesus!" I scream. "You can't do that to me."
Andrew just smirks, "I'm sorry."
The house is magnificent. It's huge.
We walk into a room and there's a fireplace bursting with flames. A wrap around couch surrounds the fireplace. This must be their living room. Book shelves take up the space on the walls. There must be hundreds of books everywhere. The Madsen family must love to read.
William comes bursting in the front door and I turn around and jump. He starts rambling on about something. I don't think he notices me standing here. "The Sulivic brothers are such," William stops in mid sentence as he sees me. "Nina, nice to see you."
"You too," I lie.
"Since you now know about what we are because of Andrew," William says as he looks at his brother and back at me, "let's just get a few things straight. 1. We don't sleep in coffins. 2. Yes, we have hearts. No, they don't beat. And 3. We can't turn into bats!" William clarifies.
"Got it," I say a little astonished. He likes getting right to the point.
"Brother, be nice," Andrew says.
I walk over to William. Since he wants to be a wise ass, I will too. "My turn to get some things straight. 1. Caroline never finds out about your secret. 2. Keep your fangs away from her body and keep her blood where it belongs. 3. Keep her safe or stay away from her."
"You're feisty today, Miss Nina," William says with a smile on his face with his fangs showing.
"I found out the guy I love and his family are vampires that feed on peoples' blood, of course I'm in a feisty mood today," I say with a strong voice.
"I know, it's kind of strange, isn't it?" William asks, still continuing to be a wise ass.
"Kind of?" I ask.
"OK, from your point of view, very strange."
"Promise to keep my sister safe?" I try to ask as a question, but it comes out of my mouth more like a demand.
"I promise to do everything in my power to protect Caroline," William says with complete confidence and honesty. I believe him. I just stand here with my eyes piercing his and nod my head in agreement. "I do love her you know," William blurts out like it was an accident.
"Why haven't you told her that?" I ask curiously.
"There hasn't been a right time. Keep this between me and you."
"I'll try," I say and I wink at him.
William walks over to me and gives me a hug. It reminds me of Andrew's hugs, very gentle, like he doesn't want to break me. "Welcome to the real side of our family. You're the first mortal to know about us on this kind of level," William admits. He puts his mouth up to my ear, "Don't break my brother's heart. I don't think he would ever recover from it if you did," he whispers.
I nod in agreement. I don't plan on breaking Andrew's heart. I don't think that's possible for me to do such a thing. I love him. I would never want to see him broken.
William begins to walk out of the room. He must know we both want privacy to talk.
Andrew motions his hand toward the couch as if he's asking me with movements and motions to take a seat on the couch if I would like too.
I don't move from the spot where I'm standing. I meet his eyes with mine and just stare at him for a moment. "I don't care what you are, Andrew. I love you and I want to be with you," I say. I'm not trying to beat around the bush. I want to get right to the main idea.
"You sure you want to be with me? It isn't going to be easy. It's definitely going to be very hard, but I'm willing to do anything to keep you safely in my life," Andrew confesses.
"Do you believe in love at first sight?" I ask.
"I do," Andrew replies.
"I do too," I say slowly and take a deep breath. "Love at first sight is something that is difficult to happen, but easy to discover. The feeling when two people glance at each other and look deeply into each others' eyes, they get that feeling in the pit of their stomach, that this is meant to be. That this person is the only one for them." I stop talking for a moment to collect my thoughts. "In that moment, when I woke up in the nurse's office, we stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds. You remember that?" I ask Andrew.
"Of course," he says as if he would never forget.
"I fell in love at first sight." I say as I walk over to him and hold his hand. "I know that this isn't going to be easy, but I feel in my heart that every obstacle we have to face will be worth it. I want to be with you, Andrew Madson." I have never believed anyone could fall so much in love with one person the first time they look into their eyes. You don't recognize the feeling at first, it's mysterious and unknown. You realize later in time what that feeling truly is. Love. Now I believe that love at first sight is possible, I believe anything is possible at this point.
Without saying a word, Andrew cradles my face into his hands, puts his satiny lips to mine and starts to kiss me. It's not just a peck on my lips. It's a full-on romantic, sexual, and sensational kiss that takes control over my whole body.
One minute we're standing in his
living room with our lips connected. The next minute he's picking me up, with his hands gripping onto my back intensely and we're in his room.
Andrew lets me down and looks at me and whispers, "Are you ready for this?"
At first I'm voiceless. I know exactly what he's talking about, but I don't hesitate to answer his question. "Yes." As the word flows out of my mouth I feel this vibe burst through my body. Butterflies fill my stomach.
Gently, Andrew lifts my shirt up over my head and throws it to the side of his room. We start looking at each other with a delicate gaze.
I lift up his shirt just a little bit and caress my hands on his stomach. It's perfectly flat and smooth.
He rips off his shirt and throws it.
Still looking at him, I reach down and unbutton my pants first. I pull them down in one swift motion. Andrew does the same with his pants.
I slowly start to reach my hands to my upper back and unclasp my bra. As I get my bra undone, I drop my hands in front of me and take it off.
Andrew stands there and starts looking me up and down like he's examining my body. He licks his lips and takes a piece of my hair and slides it behind my ear. He gently picks me up and sets me onto his bed.
The silk sheets underneath me feel cold. His bed feels soft. My body feels warm.
I lay there on his bed with him on top of me. His body is pressed against mine.
We start kissing again. It's getting more intense. The feelings that are lingering through my body are unexplainable. The way his body feels against mine is perfect.
We start to make love to each other for the first time.
* * * *
My head is resting on Andrew's chest. The silky sheets are wrapped around our naked bodies. I find my hand caressing his chest. We both are just laying here silent and staring off into the dim light that fills his room.
"I've never been in love before," Andrew mumbles as he stares at his ceiling.
"You lived for 127 years and you've never been in love?" I ask.
"Don't take this the wrong way, but I've slept with a lot of women and I'm truthfully speaking that you're the only one I've made love too." Should I be disgusted with his truth or be happy that I'm the only one he's made love to in his 127 years of existence? Instead, I just smile and look away. "When I was watching you sleep in the nurse's office, that day that I caught you when you fainted, I couldn't help but be infatuated by you."
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