Dark Love

by Olivia M. Howe

  "Don't give up hope. You can heal her, remember that," Andrew says and breaks the awkward silence between us. He reaches his hand over to mine and gently connects them.

  "There is still a chance that I might not be able to heal her. What then?" I ask as I still continue to stare out the window.

  "You're giving up hope," Andrew says.

  "I'm just trying to be realistic and to prepare myself for the worst possible outcome."

  "Why would you do that to yourself?" Andrew asks as he stares at me in disagreement. "You never give up hope, Nina."

  "I feel like if I prepare myself for the worst and the worst ends up happening, I will already be expecting it. So, it won't hurt as much," I pause. "And I never said I'm giving up hope or faith. They just seemed to always fail me in the past."

  "That's why hope and faith gave up on you in the past."

  "Why's that?" I ask as I stare at him.

  "Because you always gave up on them first," Andrew says as he stares at me back. His words are echoing through my thoughts. I never looked at it that way. Even when I did have hope that things would get better, it never happened. Maybe I did give up hope first.

  "I should get some sleep," I announce as I feel myself yawn and my eyes start to water.

  "I think it would be best if you stay home for the rest of the weekend. Give your sister some time to adjust to the way her body is feeling and the new changes she developed," Andrew pauses and looks at me. "It will take us a couple of days to get her to calm down. Then, we will try to inject her with some of your blood."

  "Why can't you do it right now?" I ask.

  "Well, because we," Andrew takes a long pause. It's like he doesn't want to finish his sentence, "don't know exactly how she's going to react to your blood. We want her to be as calm as possible."

  "What do you mean you don't know exactly how she's going to react to my blood?" I ask.

  "Honestly, every healer's blood is different."

  "Why don't you test my blood on a different vampire first?"

  "Do you think any vampires are going to want to be experiment runts?" Andrew asks me.

  "Maybe they will, if it means they have a chance at being human again," I argue.

  "I'll talk it over with Lilah and I'll call around. OK, love?"

  "Thank you," I say as I get ready to get out of the car. Andrew is instantly by my door to let me out. Sometimes I like how fast he is, but only when I'm expecting it.

  I get out and immediately kiss Andrew on his soft, cold lips. He graces his hands on both sides of my cheeks and pulls me into him more. Our bodies are now connected. The way Andrew touches my body makes me tingle inside. I feel like I could live a million years with him by my side.

  CHAPTER 26

  Wrong Type of Healer

  Dear Diary,

  Imagine seeing a side of your little sister that has always seemed impossible, being opened up to a world that's only supposed to exist in the fiction section of the library. The past 48 hours, I was almost killed by very old and strong vampires, I had a front row seat to see the killing of a vampire named Gavin, and my sister has turned into a vicious, blood thirsty vampire. I'm not going to say my life can't get any more complicated because I would end up jinxing myself and something horrible would happen.

  I had a dream about Gavin last night. It was such a vivid dream of what happened that night in the barn. His eyes are just piercing my memory and I can't shake it. I'm the last person he saw as he left this world. I feel like his death is haunting me because I know I had a part in ending his immortal life.

  The main thought that won't leave my head is the chance I will not be able to heal Caroline. Andrew said every healer is different. Just because I inherited the blood of a healer doesn't mean it's going to be the same as my father's. That's what worries me and stresses me out, the possibility that I won't be able to cure my sister.

  Love, Nina

  * * * *

  Sitting at the kitchen table doesn't feel the same because Caroline is missing. Right now I would be hearing the banging sounds coming from the upstairs because she couldn't find her shoes that would complete her outfit. Ali and I would be sitting here laughing and shaking our heads at the sounds. These are the little things in life we don't ever take the time to cherish and hold on too. "You're very quiet this morning, baby. What's wrong?" Ali confronts me. She always could read me like a book. I have to learn to stop being an open book and learn how to close myself.

  "I'm fine, just tired."

  "I talked to your sister," Ali announces. She what?

  "You have?" I ask in shock.

  "Yes, I have. She and Kali have been in complete cheer mode for days," Ali responds. "Have you been to Kali's to see them?" She questions as she hands me a plate of breakfast. It's pancakes, my favorite.

  No, I haven't seen Caroline because I'm not aloud to. She's a vampire and won't be returning home anytime soon. Oh, and did I mention she tried draining the life out of me last night?

  I hear the door bell ring. I'm saved by the person standing on the other side of my front door. "I'll get it," I announce as I jump up and walk briskly to open the door.

  Andrew and Lilah stand on the other side of the door. Sometimes I really think vampires can read humans' thoughts. They saved me from lying to my mother even more. I don't know how long I can keep lying to her and I especially don't know how long she'll keep believing me. "Hey, what's up?" I ask.

  "You're in high spirits this morning," Lilah spoke.

  "I'm just glad to see you both. I was just saved by the door bell is all," I admit.

  "Is your mom asking questions?" Andrew asks.

  "She talked to Caroline."

  "That was me," Lilah admits.

  "You called my mom?" I whisper.

  "I had to buy you some more time. At least she believed it," Lilah speaks. She's right.

  "How's Caroline doing?" I ask.

  "She's doing fine. She's just out of control which is normal," Andrew announces. "We actually came by to get some of your blood."

  "We found a vampire that's willing to try your healing blood. She wants to live a human life more than anything," Lilah confirms.

  "I want to come with you," I say instantly.

  "No, it could be dangerous," Andrew implies.

  "Carina is absolutely harmless, Andrew. Calm down," Lilah says and looks at me. "Of course you can come, Nina." Andrew looks at Lilah with condemning eyes.

  "OK, I'll go get my car," Andrew says and he runs off into the trees on the side of my house.

  * * * *

  Andrew and Lilah were planning on running to see Carina instead of taking a car because it would be quicker. That plan changed as soon as I asked to tag along with them. Andrew can't carry me and run fast because I get way too nauseous and dizzy. It would have taken them a few minutes to arrive in Savannah, but now it's going to take an hour since I tend to make things difficult because I'm human and can't run a million miles per second.

  The car ride is mostly silent. I'm just staring off into the scenery that's passing by me within seconds. The CD player is playing the CD that Andrew made for me. The Cure and Nirvana songs are playing one after another. It starts with "Love Song" and ends with "Something In The Way" by the time we make it to Savannah.

  Savannah is a small place just like every other town near Scarlett Hills. The grocery markets look more like convenient stores. It's mostly filled with forests and more forests. It's a good place for a vampire to live unnoticed.

  We pull onto a dirt road that looks like a long stretch. It takes us about ten minutes to drive down it and make it to Carina's house. Her house is a dark and quiet place. I'm contemplating whether or not I want to get out of the car. I'm thinking about sitting in the car with all of the doors locked tight, but I remember that Lilah said Carina is harmless. I'm going to take her advice. I feel safer with my arms wrapped around Andrew anyway.

  Before Lilah can knock on the front door, it opens. A bright, smi
ling face is staring at us with her dark eyes. This must be Carina. "I've been trying to wait very patiently for you to arrive, but my excitement is getting the best of me," Carina says as she greets Lilah with a hug. "Come in. Come in."

  We enter Carina's home and it's filled with the latest inventions of the present. Her kitchen is the first room we walk into. It looks like a modern woman's kitchen with the counter tops made of marble and the cabinets made with nice shiny wood that looks homemade. She even has a flat screen TV plastered on the wall in her kitchen.

  We enter her living room and I make myself comfortable on a long, wrap-around, red couch. She has another flat screen TV planted on the wall. She has a cooking channel on the television screen. I wonder why she's watching it; it's not like she'll eat any of it.

  "This is Nina. The healer I was telling you about. She has only healed one human from cancer so far," Lilah introduces me.

  Carina comes over and offers me her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Healer."

  "It's nice to meet you too," I say as I shake her hand.

  "I want to explain to you again that we don't know how her blood reacts to vampires. A human is all we have tried on," Lilah confirms.

  "It's a chance I'm willing to take," Carina adds.

  "Why don't you want to be a vampire anymore?" The words slip out of my mouth. Sometimes I just don't think before I speak. I need to work on that.

  "Being a vampire is a nice life to have. Immortal life is just not for me anymore," she pauses. "My husband Kin died recently. We were together for 215 years. He's the one that transformed me into an immortal because we wanted to spend the rest of eternity together. I was just 25 years old when I meet him. He was my rock and my foundation. I gave up my human life for love, for my soul mate." I saw Carina holding back her tears. "I'm 241 years old. It's time for me to be human, to be normal again. I just don't have a reason to want to live forever anymore since Kin died. He was my forever and now he's gone." I'm feeling the tears come to my eyes. Carina sacrificed her human life to be with the one she loved. She was willing to give up everything to be able to spend eternity with Kin. That's deep love. That shows how far people will go to be with their one true love.

  I look at Andrew and slide my hand into his. I cannot imagine each day going by and not being able to look into those beautiful, dark eyes of his. Every time I look into them he makes me fall in love even more. I cannot even bare the thought of what Carina is going through. She was with Kin for 215 years. Humans don't even live close to that long. I would never want to be in her position. Guilt is passing through me.

  "I don't want to raise your hopes, Carina. We aren't 100% sure what's going to happen when I give you Nina's healing blood," Lilah admits.

  "I'm ready," Carina announces as she takes a deep breath.

  Lilah walks over to me and gestures for my blood. I lay out my arm so she can take some of my blood. The poking of the needle always pinches me. It's the most uncomfortable feeling, but not nearly as bad as the doctors do it. They don't have a care in the world when they jab me in my arm extremely hard, enough to leave bruises and aching pain.

  After Lilah retrieves some of my blood, she walks over to Carina. Carina is sitting in a chair with her eyes closed. "Ready?" Lilah asks.

  "Yes," Carina confirms.

  It all happens so fast. Lilah sticks the needle into Carina's arm and pushes the blood slowly into her veins. Carina let out a gasp and starts to scream in agony. Smoke starts to rise from her body and Lilah steps back a few steps. Carina starts rolling on the floor and screaming in pain. I see sores start to form on her face. They're bubbling out like Carina has a bad case of sunburn. I see Lilah run out of the house in a rush. "What's happening, Andrew?"

  "I don't think your blood is working," Andrew confesses to me. My blood isn't working? This can't be happening. Carina is laying on the floor with smoke rising from her body. Lilah rushes inside with a human girl. She hands her to Carina and I see her fangs pop out of her mouth and dig into the girl's neck. The girl starts letting out moans of pain. Carina is drinking her blood. I stand and watch as Carina sucks the life out of this young, poor, innocent girl.

  I fall into shock. I wasn't expecting any of this to happen. I was waiting to see a vampire transform into a human in the sight of my eyes. I didn't want to see a vampire suffer in pain from my blood. I only wanted the satisfaction of healing, not hurting.

  Once Carina is done feeding, she gasps in delight that the pain is over with. The remaining smoke drifts away and the bubbling sores start to vanish in a matter of seconds.

  "It's unbelievable." The words come out of Lilah's mouth in shock.

  "What just happened to me?" Carina cries.

  "I haven't seen a healer like Nina in hundreds of years," Lilah says, still in shock.

  "What do you mean?" I ask. I'm completely shocked and confused with what just happened in front of my eyes too.

  "You're more special than I thought." Lilah looks at me. "Way back in the past, very gifted healers had the blood that could heal the humans of the world. They also knew about the world around vampires. Their blood protected them from vampires feeding on them. The healers always thought it was a gift from the heavens. Your blood is like a weapon towards my kind. It's like injecting us with silver, we burn."

  "I can't heal my sister." I look at Lilah. "Can I?"

  "I'm afraid not. The only way you can heal her is if you turn into a vampire." As the words leave Lilah's mouth, I'm speechless. I never even thought of myself becoming a vampire. Lilah knows I'm at a loss for words. "Vampire and healer blood together is the only way you can heal both human and vampire kind."

  "It doesn't make sense though. Vampires can't turn me because they will burn inside if they drink my blood."

  "That is very true, but it's the only way," Lilah speaks the words we all don't want to hear.

  All that's running through my mind is hope and faith let me down once again. I won't be able to heal my sister unless I'm a vampire. It's either I'm miserable for the rest of eternity or she is.

  * * * *

  On the car ride home from Carina's house, the only thing I'm thinking about is changing myself into a vampire to save my sister's human life. Why can't I ever catch a break in life? Sometimes I wish I never met Andrew or knew about vampires and healers. It hurts me to say that because I love Andrew with all of my heart. He's my soul mate. I would be lost without him in my life. I just hate what has become of my life since I met him. It has turned upside down. If I was to turn myself into a vampire though, then Andrew and I could spend the rest of eternity together. I just don't want to leave my mother and sister behind.

  Lilah decides to run back to the Madsen residence so Andrew and I can have some alone time, even though we're sitting in absolute dead silence right now.

  "I know what you're thinking," Andrew confesses and breaks the awkward silence between us. "Don't do it, please!"

  "What are you telepathic now?" I ask, trying to make myself laugh. It works. I start laughing so hard that my stomach starts to hurt.

  "Are you OK, Nina?" Andrew asks me. I guess he doesn't think my joke is too funny.

  "No," I say as I let the last giggle out. "I'm a complete mess."

  "I'm sorry, my love."

  "My sister is going to be a vampire for the rest of eternity. I let my family down because I didn't protect them. The only way I can fix this all is by giving up my human life and everything I have ever wanted in life and turning myself into a vampire."

  "No," Andrew slams on his breaks. I would have gone flying forward if it wasn't for my seat belt being on. "I will not let you do something that will make you miserable."

  "You seem like you don't mind being a vampire. Why not just turn myself and save my little sister?" I look at Andrew.

  "I didn't have a choice to be a vampire or not, Nina. I embrace who I am because if I don't then I'll just end up being a miserable, reckless vampire for all eternity. You have a choice," Andrew confe
sses.

  "No, I don't," I admit.

  "Yes, you do!" Andrew yells in anger. "Your sister is a vampire and now she's going to have to embrace this kind of life just like the rest of us because she doesn't have any other choice!"

  "She didn't ask for this life. It's my fault she's in this mess and it's only right if I'm the one that saves her."

  "Most of these vampires that live among us, didn't ask for this life. It happens. The world keeps spinning no matter what. The only thing we can do now is show her how to live a life like we do. She can be good, Nina. It's not up to you to save the world!" Andrew keeps yelling. He starts to drive again and we're minutes away from my house.

  I don't have anything to say back to him. I have so much to think about as it is. Not only do I have to think about the choice I have with Caroline, but I also have to think about what the hell I'm going to tell my mom to keep her from worrying about Lynns.

  We arrive at my house and Andrew pulls into my driveway. "I love you, Nina. I want what's best for you, nothing less."

  "Let me make my own decisions. Stop trying to tell me what's best for me. My sister is a damn vampire and it's all my fault. If I want to save her, then I will!" I yell and jump out of the car.

  Andrew meets me at the front of his car and blocks my way. Of course I'm not faster than him. What was I thinking?

  He definitely isn't leaving until he gets his point across. "Just promise me that you will consider what I'm saying, love."

  "I promise I will make it an option, but I'm going to make the decision I think is right for my family. That's the most important thing right now."

  "We can figure this all out. It doesn't have to be this way."

  "Hope and faith gave up on me once again. This time I don't have choices."

  "Just try and get some sleep tonight and we'll talk more about this tomorrow."

  "You're right. I do need sleep. I'm sorry for getting so upset. My life is just getting more screwed up by the minute."