New Blood: Embrace of Forbidden Wine
S.R. Montvilas
My natural talent involved escaping. I spent most of my life evading vulnerability as taught to me by my adoptive father. Any sign of human weakness deemed tragically dangerous for a being such as myself. It took me seventeen years of my life to finally succumb to the temptation of falling in love and to discover the caution behind those much heeded words.
I took the I-57 south placing as much distance between my current "boyfriend" Dylan and myself as possible. I acknowledged that remaining an object of his infatuation would undoubtedly put me back in harm's path one way or another. Dylan would not be so understanding. I relayed to him in the beginning that I would never be the type of woman who could maintain a healthy, loving relationship with anyone. Now that vampires and other supernaturals were announcing their presence on a daily basis, I had to remain stronger than ever. I had no inclination about my abilities other than I am not able to be harmed physically unless I am in a human state of vulnerability and that to upkeep this level of invincibility, I must absorb others' emotional energy.
My father's former T.A., Lukas Ashby, told me to head toward Louisiana and he would meet me in a small town called Bon Temps. He said I could start my life over there and he'd be able to set me with a room at the motel he managed in town. Without much contemplation, I naively set a course for unbridled adventure.
As I drove toward a somewhat desolate bar named, Fangtasia, I could spot a sign stating "Help Wanted." Apprehensive as usual, I questioned whether or not this could be an appropriate monetary gain and if I'd be able to absorb the most amount of emotion through customers. Normally, I enjoyed performing with any instrument and singing. I could flawlessly captivate an audience, especially those already inebriated, and drain them slowly and carefully enough not to harm them. If I lost myself fully then I'd end up hurting someone or causing them to lose consciousness. I had never murdered anyone through the use of my ability, but as a child unbeknownst to her own powers, I had some fairly close calls growing up.
I parked precariously in the gravel sea of a parking lot. My blue stratocaster, Betty, welcomed me as I cradled her gently, slamming my passenger door shut. Though, I'd never knowingly met a vampire or another supe like myself, I thought surely I'd be able to shine bright enough to prove my worth as a musician. My wavy, auburn ponytail swayed gingerly with each step toward the awning. I viewed a leggy blonde woman eyeing me with disdain. Adorned with a black and red corset, shiny leather pants, and heavy eye make-up the woman roared at me, "Are you serious, little girl? With the rock star showboating..."
"Do you work here or are you just here to keep all these crazed customers out?" I joked as I whipped my head around the empty lot for dramatic effect.
With her fangs emerging in an instant, I sensed her anger and reveled in the opportunity for an emotional snack. I locked onto her piercing deep blue eyes and attempted to drain her hostility, but it proved worthless. With confusion swept across my face she spoke brazenly, "Listen you little shit, if you want into our bar I need a little less arrogance...and your I.D."
I removed my driver's license from my back pocket and the blonde ripped it from my hand eagerly. She studied my information carefully, as if to stalk me at my residence. Of course, I had nowhere to stay currently as I'd just made an arduous road trip from Indiana.
"Helluva trip to make to come to our fine establishment, Caevyn Winchester." sneered the woman. With a side step she allowed me to cross the barrier into the bar. I had to wonder, the blonde referred to "we" so often that there had to be a more reasonable owner I could plead my case to. She seemed to hold little patience for my attitude and likely would refuse me employment.
The techno, gothic music and lack of patrons on the dance floor was disheartening. The bar itself harbored a wannabe goth woman dressed to the tee in black garb and dyed onyx hair. As she turned toward me, the girl wearing a white button down blouse exposing slight cleavage and a pair of ripped flair jeans, she scoffed at how out of place I looked. A panic of uneasiness cascaded through me as I viewed the vampire bite marks up and down her neck and chest. Where the hell was I? The blonde owner smiled grimly at me as I noticed she followed closely behind the entire time I scoped the place out.
"Can...I see the owner?" I finally spit out to her. "I saw you had a help wanted sign in your window."
With a flash of evil in her eyes she gestured to a light haired man sitting upon a throne in utter misery. By her mannerisms I could tell she knew he'd never hire me or worse, she wanted him to tear me apart, literally. My fear of pain was intense. I had such few experiences of pain in my life that terror through recollection proved my greatest nightmare. Fortunately for me, I did fairly well in masking my feelings and covering my weakness. I stepped carefully to the tall, handsome detached man who barely lifted his eyes to mine.
"Yes?" he said coldly.
"I'm Caevyn, err, I mean Kaye Winchester. I heard you were hiring at this establishment and was hoping you would allow me to play for you. I absolutely am capable of drawing in a crowd." I tried not to overstep my bounds with avalanching arrogance.
"I don't need a musician, especially one with an egotistical presence."
"Look, I just came passing through from Indiana. I have no money, nowhere to live. I need this job. I'll do whatever you want." I choked on my words. I despised showing submission to anyone, especially attractive men.
With sonic speed he erected himself from the velvet throne and circled around me, checking me out carefully. I stood silently as I suffered being visually violated by a vampire stranger. His gray specked green eyes widened in surprise and he addressed me once more in a cool voice. "Strip."
The blonde across the room chuckled, as she savored her boss commanding me to degrade myself for his pleasure. At first I felt insulted, but as I motionlessly kept stoic a realization came over me. With the possibility of dancing for people I'd be able to use their lust as energy. It wasn't exactly my area of expertise, but perhaps if I could bring more patrons into their establishment, they'd allow me to perform musically.
"...Okay." I said point blank, removing my hair from my ponytail and setting my beloved guitar, Betty against his throne. "I didn't catch your names though."
"I'm Eric Northman and the lovely woman you met at the door is Pam Swynford de Beaufort." Grinned the blonde haired man, still not believing I'd strip for them.
There seemed to be four or five humans in the building so it'd be difficult for me to prove my worth, especially in an area I wasn't comfortable with. The pole in the middle of the dance floor called my name as I stepped up to it with pseudo confidence. I waited for some livelier music to begin playing and as it did, I concentrated on feeling the energy of the sound waves. I swirled around the pole gradually losing myself in the music and allowing my anxiety to melt away. All eyes followed me while I performed as I'd never had before. The shame entombed in my body prior to this escaped as a new found confidence materialized. The men in the bar hurried to the platform, ogling me as I started unbuttoning my blouse.
The icy, stainless steel pole prodded my stomach as I swung around it erotically. The longing lust began to trickle out of the lewd spectators into me. I glanced over at Eric who seemed more fascinated in the customers' reactions to my performance than my half clothed, curvy body. I didn't know whether to feel offended or impressed that he was able to break from the spell of my seduction. With a snap of the button on my jeans, I could hear the men practically moaning at me. The goth woman from the bar finally appeared next to me clearly aroused by seeing my breasts bounce in a lilac bra and matching boy shorts. Pam looked half amused at the humans drawn to me, but also a bit disgusted by their stupidity. The vamp barkeep didn't seem fazed by anything around him.
I kept time with the beats and began to lose control with how I felt. Emotions from the others poured into me more gradually, and I gave into the euphoric feeling with ease and reckless abandon. Even though I usually controlled myself from ultimate self indulgence, I endured to compel and captivate the vampires' attention. They proved dispassionate in the show I produced, and my power remained ineffective on them. The song ended abruptly, and as I opened my eyes, a room of unconscious patrons and various paper bills thrown upon the platform greeted me. I hoped that I didn't kill them.
Eric flashed forward at me within a second. I froze, unsure of what he desired from me. Towering over me, asserting dominance, he studied my face. With his pale, rugged hand he took my auburn locks into his palm, smelling them. Terrified of this behavior I backed away endeavoring to collect my belongings and money.
"Stop. What the hell are you? I swear to God, if another bitch like Sookie comes in here and royally fucks with our lives again I'm going to eat her." snarled Pam as she rushed behind me.
"I'm not fucking with anyone's lives...well except for them," I spoke as I eyed the floor. "Which was a mistake. I'm not used to dancing for people. I lost control. I'm sorry."
"Control of what?" Eric said. "You smell like nothing. How is that even possible?"
"I'm not sure, sir. Listen, can I have this job? I'll learn to handle the situation better. Maybe take off less clothing?" I almost laughed out loud to my own suggestion. I barely stripped as it was.
"Yes, everyone loves a stripper who doesn't get naked." Pam said with even sarcasm.
"These humans do apparently," began Eric looking around the floor. He felt the pulse of one of the patrons. "Still alive. Explain and you might have a job."
"I have an ability. I'm not sure what I am labeled as. I'm a supe. I feed off of emotional energy to maintain...resistance." I didn't want to expose myself too much. I had to lie to cover my ass. If these vamps thought I was invincible they may try to feed off of me. I had no inclination if vamps could harm me or not. "I can lure people into a trance to drain them. I usually can stop myself before they become unconscious. I'm used to my music and a larger audience."
"Resistance?" Pam raised an eyebrow.
"To diseases." I fibbed.
"You're not making me want to eat you any less." Pam spoke firmly.
"Capable of drawing a crowd..." said Eric aloud. He pulled Pam aside and they whispered about the situation before them. I once again attempted to retrieve the cash I earned lying beneath me on the platform.
"Leave it," commanded the barkeep.
"Yeah I don't think so," I gathered the bills in my hand and felt the vamp rush into my body which knocked him straight to the floor. My body, a boulder of strength, dropped a being far more powerful than myself like a sack of potatoes casting a smile upon my face. Eric and Pam surrounded me, obviously stunned by my resistance to brute force.
Pam took a swing to my face, her fist stopped abruptly and my face did not move more an inch. I felt unsure of whether I should flee or stay since my secret of invincibility was exposed. Eric grabbed my shoulders and pulled my body in alignment with his. With a deepness in his voice and a longing gaze in his eyes he attempted to manipulate me, "Caevyn, you're going to remain calm and let me taste you."
My sarcasm flew to my defense, "Oh, I am ,am I?"
With a twinge of anger his sharp teeth emerged from his mouth and with magnetism he went straight to my jugular. I couldn't feel anything other than a hard surface coming in contact with my flesh. Eric was unable to penetrate my skin.
"Ahh!" he called, his hands drew up to his fangs as if in pain.
I almost cowered unable to comprehend what would happen next. The barkeep grabbed a shotgun and ran toward me. I tried to stay calm, breathing as normally as I could. I knew he would shoot me. I wondered throughout my life whenever someone attempted to harm me if that moment would be my last. When would my invincibility give out? The blast came toward my stomach and dispersed all around me, ricocheting off of various chairs, the bar, and hit Betty. The rage inside me began to grow as everyone took shots at me both literally and figuratively. They damaged my property, degraded me, and tried to kill me.
"What in the ever loving fuck, is wrong with you vampires?!" I screamed. "I came here for a job, and you made a lot of unnecessary carnage, pain, and destruction to your establishment. I don't know who that 'Sookie' was you were referring to, but you sure royally fuck with your lives enough on your own."
With haste I grabbed the remnants of Betty, my clothes, and money emerging from the bar less than what I was when I arrived. I felt aggravated, annoyed, and depressed. More than anything I needed to continue on to Bon Temps and rethink my battle plan for being away from home. I began my journey anew driving past a sign that read 22 miles to Bon Temps. I carried on toward the town as the night drew darker. I hoped this place deemed somewhat safe away from vampires or other hostile supernaturals.
I finally arrived, absorbing the eerie still of the night air. The emotion of fear draped over the town like a down comforter. Human emotion poured carelessly through my car windows as I cruised leisurely down a winding road. I could almost taste the scraps of terror and devastation wafting through the atmosphere.
"Jesus, Christ." I thought to myself. "Safe? This place looks like hell swallowed it up, shit it out, and swallowed it again. Lukas better know what he's doing."
Pulling up to the motel, the emptiness of the parking lot didn't bode well for business. I began realizing Lukas probably offered for me to come down here to help his motel flourish. Aside from my father, Curtis, Lukas knew somewhat of my abilities. I never pegged him as a man who'd take advantage of my skills, but if I were to stay here free of charge, I suppose it'd be the least I could do.
I entered the office, greeted by a vacant front desk, and a phone cord wrapped around the back room. I glanced along the walls, basking in the cliché mounted deer, rebel flag, and the phrase "Git R done!" that screamed one's arrival in southern territory. I rolled my eyes at the idiotic pride that hicks had in such foolish rhetoric.
"See, what did I tell ya?" I overheard Lukas' trying whisper through the opened doorway. "So 'bout the money..."
"Lukas?" I questioned walking back toward the desk.
The phone slammed down with a clattered ring as Lukas appeared before me. The beefy man, a few years my senior, combed a bandaged hand through his lengthy, mahogany locks. He dressed in a Louisiana cut off tank and a pack of cigarettes wound tight against his thigh in his torn jean pocket. Lukas grinned warmly.
"Kaye, you made it!" he practically jumped over the desk to give me a bear hug. A rush of embarrassment and excitement fluttered through me as I'd forgotten how much I'd been attracted to him. I brushed my hair back in a daze attempting to distract myself from my feelings.
"Nice digs," I scoffed.
"You in the south now suga', better get used to my people."
"As long as my room doesn't have dead animals in it, I'm copacetic." I remarked coolly.
Lukas unloaded the luggage from my crimson 1970 Buick Skylark, as I waited patiently by the desk. Such a kind man, that Lukas was, though where I come from most would offend easily by the words, "Just sit back, sweetheart, and let me get those heavy bags for ya."
As he dragged all my loot up the stairs to show me to my humble abode, I felt the need to ask, "Where is everyone?"
"Everyone? You mean guests here? No one visits Bon Temps anymore, the vampers got normal folks scared."
"There's vampires everywhere though, not just here."
"In case you hadn't heard, they pretty much run the south now."