Fledgling (The Vampire Manifesto, Book Two) (7 page)

“You’re a Vampire.” She noted. “Like him.”

“Yeah, I am.” Score one for Captain Obvious.

“But you weren’t one last week.” She was staring at my eyes now. They must be glowing again. “What happened to you?”

“You were just my Principle last week.” I declared. “What happened to you?”

Nevertheless, the main question on my mind was what happens to us? Where do we go from here? After giving me the information that I need on the Eden Complex, does she just go back to being my Principle? Do I just go back to being her student? She knows my secret now, can I trust her with that knowledge since she’s already betrayed us before? Yet, even with all of those questions racing through my head, in the back of my mind I knew it didn’t really matter because Connor was going to kill her regardless and I wasn’t going to be able to stop it. I couldn’t protect her every hour of the day. The little bit I do know about Connor is I doubt he’ll let what she did slide.

He’s way to psychotically vindictive for that.

“I’ve never met one before.” She was in reverence, I could sense it. The way she was looking at me, studying me, like a scientist that just found a brand new species. “A Vampire I mean. I’ve read about them, read about Connor extensively, I did my dissertation on him for the Modus Operandi, but I’ve never really met one before.”

She did a what on him?

“So I’m confused, this cult that you’re in…”

“It’s not a cult Madison.”

“Whatever. So this thing that you’re in, this Modus Operandi, what is that, it’s like a university or something?” I realized that she was possibly the first human that I’ve been around in which I haven’t hidden the fact that I’m a Vampire and not endeavored to murder them directly afterwards. Well there was that one time in the Red Room, but that was more like me just intimidating her and she is still alive, so that doesn’t count.

Yay me!

“Well there is lots of schooling involved and even then, after graduating you still might not be recognized into the upper echelons. I was fortunate. I made it on my first attempt. I know scholars that have been applying for operational status for years and have yet to be granted the honor.”

“So, you just like, study creepy shit?” I could hear a roar of an engine approaching.

“Well yes, there’s that of course, but there is a whole versatile syllabus of things that we analyze. It’s kinda like Hogwarts.” She explained. “But without the spells.”

“Then it’s nothing like Hogwarts.” I replied.

Connor was speeding towards us now, in a convertible something, driving way to fast then called for.

“He’s going to kill me isn’t he?” She asked solemnly.

I didn’t find the need to lie to her. “Yes.”

“Well you help me?” Her eyes were becoming damp with tears. “Please?”

“I won’t be able to.” I admitted. “He’s going to wait until that one moment when I’m not around and do it then. Or maybe he’ll do it in front me, just to demonstrate that he can.”

The car pulled up, an all-black convertible Lexus with cream interior. Why couldn’t he have just stolen a Toyota? We are trying to keep a low profile.

“Or maybe I’ll just kill you now.” He was out of the car and in front of us before the vehicle had fully come to a stop. “Like when someone says they are going to do something on the count of three and they do it on two instead, just to save you from the horrible suspense of it all.”

I pushed him away. “Get in the car Connor.”

He gave Staci Girard one of his razorblade smiles before appearing in the driver’s seat. I took shotgun, while she hopped in the back and we sped off. Even though I only lived less than ten minutes away from where we were just at, it took Connor over an hour before he pulled into my driveway. He sought to make sure we weren’t being followed and doubled back and rerouted so many times that even I was confused. It took me second to even realize we were at my home when we pulled up.

“Look Girard, none of this Vampire, Werewolf insanity or any of that Modus Operandi shit once we go inside. This isn’t the place for it.” His tone was deathly serious.

“They don’t know about you do they?” She was astonished. “How would you even conceal something like that from them? Wouldn’t they be able to tell that something about you was…different?”

Connor became agitated. “Hey, what the fuck did I just say?”

“Sorry.” Girard hastily apologized. “My lips are sealed.”

“Good” He said. “Because we have other things to worry about right now.”

I didn’t say anything, I wasn’t concerned about either of them at the moment, the burden of what I was about to face finally hitting me. I got out of the car and headed towards the front door when it opened suddenly, the light from the living room inundating the front lawn. Aiden appeared, running out to meet me, engulfing me in his arms.

“Where the hell have you been?” He was in tears, hardly able to hold it together. “I’ve been calling you for nonstop, but it’s going straight to voicemail.”

“I…” I wasn’t sure what to say. “I…lost my phone.”

“You lost your phone, wait…why are you covered in blood?” He was ushering me in the house and in the back of my mind, I could hear Connor calling out to me, but I just ignored him. I was finally safe, at home with my brother with people who loved me and for just five minutes, I wanted to feel normal again.

“We…we got...” As soon as I entered the house, it was challenging for me to concentrate, that dull throbbing in my head returning again, drowning out my thoughts. “We got into… a car accident.”

Great Madison, a car accident? You got into a car accident? The same thing that just killed your parents, that’s what you tell him happened to you?

It was so difficult to think. I could see Abigail on the sofa, I think Ethan was there or…my head is killing me, the pain so penetrating that I dropped down, Aiden catching me before I struck the floor.

I screamed out in pain.

Connor was there, along with Girard, they were attempting to separate me from Aiden, but I was fighting them, the pain was just so extreme, like spikes being driven into my eyes.

“I know what’s wrong her.” Staci whispered to Connor.

“So do I.” He said. “I’ll run interference.”

“I’m going to take her to get some fresh air.” She expressed to everyone.

“Wait, Principle Girard?” Abigail was getting up now. “What are you doing here?”

Girard was shepherding me back outside, but everyone in the house was following after us. That’s when Connor stepped in the way.

“There was a little calamity at a red light…” He was explaining, doing that thing that Vampires do with their eyes to get people to listen to them. I had stopped paying attention however; the pain was so intense I assumed my head was going to explode. I couldn’t walk any longer and Girard literally had to drag me the rest of the way, pulling me outside.

I collapsed on the front portico, yet as soon as I did, I felt substantially better; as if someone had decided to take the screws they were twisting into my temples out. I just rested there, trying to regain my composure. My nose and ears were bleeding; blood was running down the side of my face and forehead, oozing from out of my scalp itself. I wiped my face on my shirt, just more bloody stains for it to soak up and watched as Girard walked back into the house, stopping just after she passed the threshold.

“You’re a Vampire now. You have to be invited into someone’s home before you enter.” She bent down and held out her hand. “Madison, won’t you please come in.”

It was odd the way she said it, as if it was such a simple thing, but I took her hand anyway and tentatively made my way back into the house. To my amazement, the pain didn’t return at all. It was hard to imagine that only moments ago, my own home tried to repel me, but now, everything was as safe as…houses?

“I don’t understand.” We stayed by the door momentarily so we could talk. “I live here. Why do I need to be invited in?”

“I don’t know.” She admitted. “It’s just one of those things you don’t need to understand to know that it works. You should be fine now.”

“Earlier, when I crashed through the window of this condominium…”

Staci’s eyes grew wide. “You what?”

“Never mind that, when I was inside this condo, it kinda felt like what happened here, but it wasn’t that intense.”

“How long were you in there?”

I thought for a moment. “I don’t know. Two, maybe three seconds tops.”

“Well there’s nothing preventing you from entering uninvited, it’s the staying that causes problems. You just weren’t in there long enough for the pain to take ahold of you. But if you had stayed…”

“Madison!” Abigail was rushing over. “Connor explained everything. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, everything is fine.” I lied. “What do you know about my parents, Abby?”

We headed towards the living room. Aiden was sitting on the couch, just staring at the floor, counting the patterns on the tile. I haven’t seen him do that since we were eleven.

“I’ve been dealing with all the particulars.” Abigail stated. “Your brother…” She glanced over at him. “…he just hasn’t been able to handle everything.”

In the distance, I heard the bathroom door close and Ethan walked in. “Madison.”

“Ethan.” His name was like honey on my tongue. I turned back to Abigail, but she was just staring at me, trance like.

“Abigail.” I said softly. “What happened?”

“I...uh…” She appeared rattled, confused and she backed away suddenly. If I didn’t know any better, it was as if she was frightened of me, but a split second later, she was fine. “Well…the police are saying that it was a drunk driver. There was a high speed chase, they were pursuing him...”

She hesitated, looking back at Aiden. He wasn’t counting anymore; he was staring directly at us.

“The drunk driver, he uh, well, he lost control and… he was speeding through an intersection and he hit…” She couldn’t finish, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Oh...” It was all I could manage.

Abigail wiped the tears from her eyes quickly. “So, I’ve talked to your cousin.”

“Cousin Frankie?” I asked.

“Yeah, I explained to him what happened. He’s on his way up here now. Should be here sometime late tonight or early tomorrow morning.” She clarified.

Everyone was watching me, staring, waiting on me to tell them what to do, how they should act. Specifically Aiden, sitting there on the couch, eyes swollen red with tears, contemplating what’s going to happen next. Connor and Girard were both in the kitchen, while Ethan, my beautiful Ethan Blackwood was leaning up against the wall and all of them, every single one of them all looking at me, like I’m supposed to know what to do next, like I have all the answers, when the only thing I do know is that I wanted to kill every single one of them and drink their blood.

Oh God, I have to get out of here.

“I’m…I’m going to…I’ve got to get out of these clothes.” I stammered. “Take a shower.”

I hustled off immediately, not wanting to witness any accusatory glares at my apparent lack of emotion. I flew up the steps, taking them three at a time, much more then I typically do, but I didn’t care, I just needed to get the hell out of the living room. I reached my room and slammed the door a little too hard, a piece of the wood frame splintering off.

I sat on the bed, my hands quivering. Their scents were so robust, even in here; it was hard for me to think of anything else. Arduous for me to even concentrate, let alone muster up emotions to parade in front of an audience, emotions that I don’t even think I have anymore.

Connor was right. I wouldn’t listen to him, but he was right. He told me not to come home, regardless of my parents death because I just wasn’t ready to be around all the people I love, that I was already blood drunk of off Dakota and that…was…oh…Dakota…I’d…forgotten about her, forgotten how soft she felt in my arms, forgotten what her skin tasted like on my…

Fuck!

I need to concentrate. I’m losing it. I’m losing control. He told me not to come here and that was before I got my back broken by a goddamn government issued Super Soldier. Who I’ve apparently made an enemy of. I need…I need…what Madison? What do you need? I need to get the hell out these clothes first off; they’re covered in blood, mine and the Defense Initiative Agents I was fighting. That can’t be good. No, blood-spattered clothes to a Vampire can’t be very good at all.

I started to strip out of them, peeling my shirt off my body. I opened the window and threw them out. I needed to get them the hell away from me. I closed the window immediately and felt better; the fragrance of blood was not underneath my nose anymore. What I needed to do was sneak off, just for a little while and grant someone a special little death, something swift and painless, their blood bequeathing me the strength to get through this night.

That sounds like the perfect plan.

I opened the closet and grabbed the first shirt I could find, something with a picture of Gollum from The Lord of the Rings on it, then I took off my chinos, grabbing a clean pair of jeans and slid them on. Even though I was still grimy from earlier, I could shower later. I grabbed a pair of Timberlands, something I’d hadn’t worn since we moved from Baltimore. It was just too hot for them here in Palm Coast, but the heat didn’t affect me like it did before. Plus, after the night I’m having, wearing a pair of boots over sneakers just seemed logical.