Authors: Renee Travis
"Oh Rho, no," he pulled his hand away and there was blood. I swallowed and tasted blood in my mouth, I licked my lip but it wasn't bleeding anymore, realizing what it meant I closed my eyes and listened to myself. My heart wasn't beating fast anymore it was skipping two or three beats at a time. My breathing was shallow and I began to feel peaceful and quiet. Within seconds my neck wouldn't support my head, slowly my chin lowered to my chest and lolled to the side.
With eyes half closed I watched as the door behind Athol burst open and Avalon and Julian came crashing through it, both of them looked like they'd popped out of a horror movie. Their eyes were glowing red and their fangs were long and pointed.
I shut my eyes and found I couldn't open them again I was so tired. I heard sounds of fighting, flesh hitting flesh, grunts and groans. Strange growls filled my ears as cold tiny hands touched me and untied me from the chair. I was afraid for Julian but still too exhausted and hurt to open my eyes and watch them fight.
I was laid on the ground and warm breath touched my ear, "I've got you Rhodanthe," honeysuckles filled my nostrils and for the first time the scent of vampire breath didn't make me feel better.
I flinched as a horrible scream filled the concrete building, then there was silence, all I could hear was my own frightened gasping. I forced my eyes to open and could barely make out the shape of Avalon holding me.
"Julian will be right back, he had to hide Athol's body." A hot blood tear fell on my cheek, "Oh Rho you're really dying."
But I knew that already, I could taste my own blood mixed in with the bitter flavor of my mortality.
"He's going to have to turn you as soon as he gets here." Avalon was still talking, I wasn't sure if it was for my benefit or hers. I tried to feel sorry for Athol because at one time he'd been my friend, but I found I had no sympathy.
Then Julian was there, I smelled him before I saw him. He took me from Avalon and kissed my forehead, I felt rather than heard his breath hitch, I was almost chillier than he'd ever been. He pressed his mouth to my check and began to leave a warm trail down my face and chin to my neck. He licked the skin a couple of inches below my ear and I shivered in a good way. The warmth of his tongue and breath sent pleasure goose bumps over my skin.
The bite was quick, it hurt and the pain was only a little worse than when Athol had cut me. My stomach turned as I felt his cold fangs in my skin, but before I could throw up, ecstasy surged through me. It was a rush like every inch of me was filling with fire that felt better than a thousand kisses.
The lightness in my head got worse and travelled through my whole body as Julian drank my blood. I seemed to float out and away as I enjoyed the sensation of him sucking at my neck. I raised high above myself. I could look down at Julian holding me and what I saw wasn't pretty. I looked gray and lifeless. As I came to the conclusion I was dead I watched Julian jerk away. He bit his own wrist and forced it to my mouth.
BAM! I was forced violently back in my own body. I was aware of everything and now the fire in my veins began to hurt. I grabbed his wrist, pulling myself up, tongue lapping at the open wound; I craved the taste of the liquid gushing from him. I knew that if I was to survive that I had to drink, and drink enough to appease the awful sensations wracking my body. Agony began to wash over me; I dropped his wrist and fell back to the concrete, almost writhing in pain.
"Calm down baby, try to listen to my voice." I met his eyes and stared at Julian, everything becoming clearer and brighter. I breathed through my nose. I could smell Avalon's shampoo and the detergent Julian used. Every smell assaulted me, even the room had a faint odor I'd never smelled before, I also could smell.... death, Athol's and mine.
As I started to feel like I'd had the crap beaten out of me, Julian talked and I could only listen.
"Your body goes through a rapid change my Rose blossom, everything must adapt to your new life style and that's why it hurts. In a few minutes to finish the transformation your body will shut down into a sleep that completely mimics death. You have to be found by the police." Sirens were wailing close by and I knew that police and medics were about to stumble upon us. The pain was receding, leaving only lingering aches.
He leaned down and kissed me again, just feathering his lips across mine, "They will find you dead and cold and take you to the morgue."
The morgue! Nuh-uh, no way! I began to fight the sleepy sensations that my body was having, I tried to grab Julian and haul myself up but he scooted out of the way. I was having a hard time getting my mouth to move, but the panic must have been evident on my face.
"You won't wake up there my love, I promise. Don't worry I wouldn't let you wake up alone in a morgue." Julian reassured as he gathered me in his arms and began to rock me. "I love you, and you're going to make such a beautiful vampiress."
I relaxed in his arms and let the blackness overtake me, I was tired and sleep sounded better than anything else. My last memories before I became comatose were of Avalon telling Julian they'd better leave because they couldn't be caught with me and then the shout of police and the sound of a door being splintered open.
Chapter 15
I slowly regained consciousness, my eyes opened to a room that was not mine. I just laid there for a few minutes getting used to the soft light, I was staring at a gold colored wall but my head was turned facing a window with black curtains.
I frowned and stretched, I felt good, better than good! I gazed down at my chest and jumped as two golden eyes peered back at me. My kitten! I reached a hand out that looked shimmering white and healthy; I paused, blinked a couple of times and then reached for her soft orange fur. I could feel every hair on her body and she felt twice as soft as she had when I got her.
I sat up slowly and took in my surroundings. The ceiling was a deeper gold than the walls and I was in a queen sized bed with black bedding. There were bookshelves and among the knickknacks and books were some of my own things. The items I had marked to take to the Daramonth's.
Right across from me hanging on the wall was the collage Mel had made me. I felt tears fill my eyes and roll down my cheeks, brushing them away my fingers came back tinged pink. I sighed and bit my lip as I remembered that vampires cry blood tears. It was going to be difficult knowing that I couldn't call Mel anymore or ride with her to school. I mean, I'd thought about it since I was diagnosed; what my afterlife would be like without Mel joking with me, the smell of her coconut perfume as we hung out or just her bright smile as she tried to give me reasons why my life didn't suck.
I blanked my mind, I didn't want to cry anymore and I didn't want my mourning her to overshadow the fact that I had a new chance at life. As Grandma had once told me, "make the best out of whatever you've got Pumpkin, don't throw away your chances like Kleenex." I pushed back the covers, eyes going to the collage one more time. I decided I needed to get up out of bed and go downstairs before my melancholy destroyed me. So I slid from my bed, upsetting Nora who was trying to clean herself.
I felt a little embarrassed, I was naked and a little worried about who had undressed me until I remembered Julian had to rescue me from the morgue and usually corpses are naked. Curious about how I looked I wandered over to the closet; its doors were made of mirrors. The girl in the mirror was beautiful. She looked like me but a me I'd never seen before, except in my dreams.
My body had become full and lush, healthy. My skin shimmered white like crystal snow. My hair was the same length but it was more vibrant blue black with more bounce and volume. It was my eyes that were the most shocking, they had become a glowing purple, like amethyst.
In the closet were Julian's clothes mixed with mine. I gave a silent yip, this was my boyfriend's room and I had been sleeping in his bed! I'd never been in a boy's room. Before I could continue to feel immature I reached for a pink princess style skirt and matching black velvet top. A few more minutes and I had located my under clothes, a hair brush and was standing in front of the mirror again. As I stood there staring at myself my stomach rumbled in a fierce way.
I smiled sheepishly and placed my hands over where the noise had come from, I glanced at Nora who was looking at me with her pretty eyes.
"I think I'm hungry," she gave me a very duh stare and began to wash her face. Running my tongue over my top teeth I felt the sharpness of the new additions, knowing I'd better feed, I left the safety of the room.
Following the noise of people talking I hurried downstairs. I got to the second floor landing and the people in the living room stopped what they were doing and turned my way. I hadn't made it down two steps when Julian was there.
"You tried to break our bond." Were his first words. He looked angry and I took a step back.
"I didn't want you to get hurt." I bit my lip. He laughed and it was cold and harsh, almost a bark.
"That mortal hurt me? Please, you wouldn't talk to me, you put yourself in danger." The dark shadow I’d seen before crossed his features. I heard a sharp intake of breath and then he was pulled away from me and I saw Antoinette's hand on his shoulder.
"Julian, rein in your anger, she was doing what she thought was right." Julian looked at his mother and the darkness was gone.
"You're right. I' m sorry." He glanced down at his shoes. She smiled at me and went back down the stairs.
"What was that all about?" I asked, still amazed that he'd gotten angry with me.
"What?" He asked.
"That darkness, the anger..." I was puzzled.
"It's the part of me that is truly a monster, and I was afraid for you." He explained.
"A monster?" I questioned.
"We may be just like people, but we do have the ability to do great harm, we are closer to the dark than humans, but my family controls it quite well. I am sorry." Then he was pulling me into his arms and nothing else mattered. His mouth found mine with more passion than he'd ever given me before. I pushed my hands into his hair without the fear that my heart would act up.
We stood there locked together and then a throat was cleared, stopping, we turned around, Julian's hands never left me as we walked the rest of the way down the stairs.
Avalon, Antoinette, Loretta and my Nana were all gathered and greeted me with love and joy, yes even Antoinette. It surprised me more than anything else that she seemed genuinely glad to see me up and about.
I sat down between Julian and my grandmother, "How long was I asleep?"
"Almost two weeks honey, that's normal, we had to force feed you blood every day to keep up the transformation." Nana explained.
"Wow how did you get so much blood?" I asked.
"We all donated, it wasn't bad; I've seen transformations that take almost a month depending on the strength of the blood given to the fledgling," grandma answered again.
“But Avalon and Julian, they’re changes didn’t take that long.” I was confused.
“Well your body had a lot of damage to heal from the years of medicine and health issues.” Loretta explained.
"How did I get here?" I looked at Julian, and tried to show him with my eyes how grateful I was I hadn't had to wake up at the morgue. As I listened to them it dawned on me each of them was wearing black.
"Julian and I stole you! It was so much fun. We had to use mind control on the guards and everything!" Avalon exclaimed, jumping out of her seat. "Ever since we met you Rho things have been so exciting."
I laughed at her joy and was glad that my almost-death had been good for something, but that didn't explain what my parents thought had happened to my body. Before I could give the question voice Loretta explained.