The Dark Proposal (The Claire McCormick Trilogy) (31 page)

“What’s wrong with you?” he asked. “Can’t you take my word that you cannot be in the sun anymore? Not for many years?” He grabbed her hand, examined the finger before biting into his wrist - the one he did not use the previous night - and let some drops of blood onto the wounded finger. Like medicine, the blood stung her but it healed her finger. She amazed by the quick process, but like when a child touches something burning hot, she learned she was officially unable to be in the sun ever again.

So, the night was her new daytime. The moon was her sun and the stars were now her companions. She would have to rely on her new vision to delight in the flowers, the green grass and trees, even though it would not have the same affect.
 

She tried her best not to mourn, but the feeling of loss resonated in her. She kept seeing her friends and family walking beside her, talking and encouraging her that all would be all right. She even saw images of Ava, smiling and giggling as she enjoyed the world around her. Whenever Claire wondered if her niece felt the same way as she did, being a newborn, she stopped herself. Her niece was not mad for blood, and she wasn’t capable of killing anyone. Claire felt ashamed of actually associating her new life to the baby girl.
 

A couple of nights later, she and Daniel finally went to Paris. The streetlights shone brightly in the night, almost creating a daylight sensation as they strolled along the streets, taking in the city just after sundown. His arm was wrapped around her shoulders, while her hands were in her coat pockets, her eyes darting around. This was the first time she was out of the mansion since her transformation, and she couldn’t stop herself from admiring the world around her. Sure, she was seeing the high end fashion stores with their expensive clothes displayed in their windows, but she was heavily distracted.

“You’re going to do more shopping,” Daniel was saying as they passed one of the stores. “You live in TriBeCa now, and you have no need to dress like a poor college student anymore. Take Hilde with you, or Yvette and Carys. Oh, and don’t hold back when everyone gets affectionate, you have nothing to hold you back now. No diseases, no judgment, certainly no pregnancies. Have fun with all of us. Also, when you do go shopping, let me know so I can time you. I can’t have you go out meeting with your old roommates, especially before you hunt. Your pale skin would make them suspicious. And be careful how much you contact them…”

His voice trailed off when he finally realized Claire was not paying attention to him. Daniel was irritated, but his face softened when he noticed her awestruck demeanor.
 

“You are not seeing things,” Daniel said. “Your new eyesight is helping you see in the night. Everything looks brighter now than before. I remember when I changed it was nighttime, but it looked like the sun was out. That’s how powerful your senses are now.”

How true. She could hear not only the thoughts of people as she passed them, but also the individual sound of cars driving and horns beeping at the Arc de Triomphe a few of miles away. She could even smell whiffs of perfume and cologne from people across the wide street from her.
 

But she could also smell their blood, right through their clothes and skin. The scent of blood was like a fragrance to her, because it smelled so sweet to her. But unlike any other fragrance, this one created a maelstrom in her. She could feel the hunger in her eyes and the taste of warm blood in her mouth. She also felt her upper jaw ache and her fangs begin to shape. All she wanted to do was pounce on the nearest person, sink her fangs into them and devour all their blood. It was pure insanity. Didn’t she realize she was passing human beings, people who had a right to live and weren’t to be at her mercy? Walking through the streets became more of a battle to control herself rather than simple sightseeing.

Daniel noticed and squeezed her shoulder. “Don’t worry, you’ll get use to this. Think of it as sort of a new reflex, only in time this reflex will subside as you mature.”

“Will I become less thirsty?” she asked.

He looked at her in disbelief. “Come on, Claire. You’ll never be less thirsty. This is your new existence, live with it.”

“But you said -”

“What I meant was, as a newborn vampire you are out of control. Just like a human child has to learn to control their impulses, you’ll eventually learn to control yours.” He then leaned in to hiss in her ear, “Until the time is right and then you can relish in your instincts.”

Instincts. It was becoming ever more clear to Claire that she was no longer a simple human being, and her life’s destiny had taken a sharp turn. She still couldn’t grasp the idea of never dying, and she really didn’t want to. All she knew was that she had a long road ahead of her and she hoped it was a path she had wisely chosen.