Author's Note: Thanks for taking a read of my newest fanfic! Although it isn't exactly new; this story was one I wrote under a different fanfiction account and I just enjoyed it so much, I thought I would bring it back to life, edit it and tweak it a bit until it was absolutely perfect! I hope some of my old fans of this story find their way back to it! It is rated T for now, future chapters may shift to rated M subject matter.
This story was titled "Blood and Champagne" in the past, now it's under a new title along with some new additions to the storyline. It begins directly after the final battle between Caleb and Chase. It is, like all of my stories, an action packed yet still indulging in the complexities of a dramatic relationship! All reviews are welcome and responded to immediately following each chapter. However, if you loathe my story, deem it unworthy to be read so you decide to flame me as such, you will be ignored. This is a site promoting and encouraging all forms of writing freedom and creativity, and in my opinion it is the duty of all writers to conduct ourselves with that in mind.
Well without further rambling, on with the story! I hope you enjoy!
Cursed Blood
Part One
I reclined slightly against the cold steel support of the bench. I detested waiting for bus; but I suppose when time has no relevance and you have nothing but time to spare waiting for a bus to pull up is somewhat fitting. I exhaled gently, watching a cloud of breath fading into the chill of the air. Winter; my absolute favorite time of year. Too bad I was spending here, alone and still…waiting for the bus.
I crossed my legs and continued my wait; it was times like this that I wondered what it is I was even doing anymore. I wasn't meant for such mundane things and yet here I was. Many people say they only have themselves to blame for their situation in life, others blame the government, their upbringing, their surroundings, or whatever excuse they chose to offer another upon asking but deep inside they know they too, have only themselves to blame. I wish I was lucky enough to be in control of my life but there were forces in this universe that decided I was a special case. I was brought into the world with another. My twin brother, ah yes, even in the silence of night I could not escape the horrid thought of my other half. Our souls were forever intertwined and it was he who took the reigns in my life. How I loathed him. It was a long, depressing and painful notion to explain why I hated my twin; I often couldn't begin to conjure the proper words to explain it to myself. Our relationship, simply put, had its…complications.
We've had more opportunities to settle our differences, burry the hatchet, whatever pathetic adage one would call it. But the fact of the matter is, I would never forgive my brother. I couldn't, it simply wasn't in me to forgive someone who decided my own fate for me. You see, my brother is cursed. A decision he made with his own selfish desires in mind. That much is forgivable; it was what he chose to do with that curse that is beyond my will to forgive. He put that very curse on me. He did not offer it, nor did he bother listening to my every objection against it. I fought him, screamed at him, did all that I could but the curse was placed upon me nonetheless. And this curse was created to be endured for eternity. I'm not talking about any voodoo nonsense or hocus pocus crap; no. It was far worse than that. It was inescapable, incurable and rips the very soul from your body leaving an empty shell of your former self. A walking corpse, unknown to life and refused by death. I was a vampire and I've been wandering the back country roads steering clear of his arrogant mug for nearly 87 years now, and yet I don't look a day over the age of eighteen. Twisted irony some might call it; but I call it yet another reminder that my life…sucked.
I suppose it was a blessing to become a so called "creature of the night" in this day and age when vampires have become the main topic of joyful, tteenage heart throb discussions. I find it both amusing and repulsive. As if a real vampire would do any of the things movies and television shows that people are filling their heads with and we certainly don't sparkle in the sunlight. We don't have superhuman speed or strength, most of us have learned to eat actual food in place of human blood…sometimes, and we don't fall in love with humans under any circumstance. There was nothing alluring about it. The idea of an immortal creature wasting their everlasting love and affection on a mortal is distasteful and is something that all vampires frown upon. Actually they do more than frown upon it, they forbid it. You don't love what you eat. You use them as amusement and that's it.
I allowed a few locks of my blonde hair intertwine around my freshly manicured nails. A vampire getting her nails done? Well you can't expect a girl to lose all of her humanity.
Suddenly the still of the night was filled with the sound of loud and clumsy steps. I barely flinched at the idea some lunatic might be making their way towards me; fear is the first thing that becomes irrelevant when you become what I am.
Without warning a young man plopped himself onto the bench a few inches from me. I could hear his heavy breathing and the quickened pace of his heart. Now what could this poor boy be so frightened of? There weren't any vampires in the area as far as I could tell.
I turned my head to take a full look at this fearful individual. He was pushing his late teen years and yet I could tell his face harbored the sense of knowledge. He was…different somehow; I could sense that this was no ordinary fly on the wall. Not in the least. My attention had been completely and utterly captured.
He pushed his legs out after sinking into a slouch; he then laid his head back with a loud sigh. I watched as his movements caused his brow to wrinkle and his eyes squeeze closed; he was wincing in pain. Bad boy routine I take it? Perhaps a fight gone wrong set his steps in motion, bringing him right here next to me.
"Rough night?" I asked playfully. I watched the young man curl his lips into a smirk before he turned and looked at me. I felt my jaw open slightly in astonishment at the sight of his eyes glistening in a stunning shade of black. His eyes were as black as the night that surrounded us; well that was unexpected.
"You have…no idea." He said, his tone was soft but harboring some serious suppressed anger. He moved closer to me, a preditorial expression now riddled his features. Trying to appear menacing to me? How adorable.
I then began sifting through my thoughts and experiences trying to find some explanation as to whom, or what he was. It's been awhile since I've been face to face with another creature from the supernatural realm. But I was quickly finding that I've never met a man with pools of black for eyes; I've met vampires, werewolves and the occasional ghost here and there, but this guy just wasn't ringing a bell.
"Can't say that I've met someone such as yourself, mind indulging my curiosity?" I asked while shifting my body to face him. The young man must have found my lack of fear amusing; a laugh escaped his lips.
"I'll give you a hint…I've got a pretty powerful family history, the guys in my family seem to know their way around a spell or two." He replied while allowing his eyes to flicker to a human resemblance. His words stirred up some scattered thoughts within my mind that I recall reading in books scattered about my brother's room in Chicago. He was a warlock; he had to be. Eyes black as night and the mention of spells was one of the key words within that chapter on magic. How very interesting, I was sharing a bus stop bench with a young and quite attractive warlock.
"What's a handsome warlock such as yourself doing here at a bus stop at two in the morning?" I asked once again; my interest in him was building as I watched him grab his side, pain was written all across his seemingly calm face. I could smell a hint of smoke upon his garments, the mystery deepened.
"Seems I'm not welcome in the magical boy band back in town." He spat; touchy touchy. But it was then that I realized what it was he was saying; there were more warlocks in the town he had just left behind? I couldn't help but smile at the thought that I may have the chance to check out an entire, hometown warlock exhibit on display.
"Enough about me, let's talk about you. Waiting here alone for a bus without the slightest fear for your safety when you saw my eyes, that's a rare find indeed. Who are you?" He asked while attempting to sit up slightly. I smiled at the thought that perhaps I had struck interest in him as well.
"Only if you tell me what happened to you back there." I said while watching him sigh in aggravation.
"I got my ass kicked, what the hell do you think? I barely escaped with my life; I had to run like a coward." He said while looking down at his blood crusted knuckles. I felt for the guy; those other warlocks he spoke about must have gone up against him, and clearly won.
"I'm Madison Greenwood." I quickly said in hopes to distract the young man from delving back into the sequences of his own defeat. I extended my hand to offer a handshake; it was the only human habit I couldn't break free from. However, I liked to think it just meant I was hardly the monster I was so often labeled, I had good manners at least.
I felt his warm hand slide into my handshake before he pulled my hand closer to him. I allowed the odd inspection my wrist was now receiving until I realized what it was his eyes had spotted. The scar of my brother's bite. Two small but still very tender puncture marks from the day my life had officially and poetically ended by the hands of the one person I trusted more than myself back then.
"That explains a few things." He smiled before releasing me; I quickly pulled my hand away and tucked it within the lapel of my leather jacket. He had officially found my one touchy subject; touché.
"I'm Chase Collins and I must admit that the pleasure is mine. Thought your kind had disappeared; glad to see I was mistaken." His words rolled seductively from his lips; it wasn't every day a human male could bring a smile to my face.
"So Chase Collins, I take it your taking the next bus out of here?" I asked while standing up.
"That's the plan." He replied with a smile.
"Well I wish you the best of luck; perhaps I'll see you again one day." I said while allowing my heels to echo down the path of the sidewalk.
"Thank you for the…kind sentiment; I suppose you are no longer planning to do the same?" He asked; I turned and faced him once again.
"Change of plans; I do believe I'll be paying those boys a visit." I said proudly; I was always so eager to find something or someone to indulge my curiosity. It was becoming a rare occurrence that anything tugged at my excitement in such a way; I wasn't about to board a bus leading me in the opposite direction.
"Word of advice, don't go looking for the Sons of Ipswich, they have a strong intolerance for anything that posses a threat to their pathetic little lives; even if it's in the form of a beautiful girl like you." Oh, he was good. Hearing someone refer to me as a beautiful girl was a compliment I had not heard in many years now. I was certainly going to find a way to seek this Chase Collins out once my business here was done.
"Who knows, I might just find a way to take care of those guys for you. Make you king of that town; if you so wish it." I winked; I figured such a flirtatious comment regarding a position of power would appeal to the defeated warlock but I was shocked to see that he did nothing but shake his head.
"Underestimating them is a death wish my dear. Take it from someone with experience." With that, my interest in the boy was quickly replaced with resentment for the so called lesson; I was more than triple his age, I knew a thing or two about handling myself in situations. Last time I checked, it was vampires that were the most powerful creature to walk this land, not warlocks. I wasn't given the power of speed, strength or a few spells but I had something far more powerful. I was a force of sheer cunning. My wish becomes reality; no one could alter my desires from coming to pass unless I allow them.
I dislike the term seductress; I'm not a pawn in the game of cheap and easy tricks of the flesh. I simply was a persuasion, a pull into temptation. Sex, drugs and rock and roll have nothing on me.
"Goodbye Chase." I said coldly as I began my stroll down the moon-lit path of the sidewalk. I tucked my hands into my dark denim jean pockets. I wondered how many warlocks there would be in the town I was approaching; what would they be like? I regret not asking more questions about them when I was sitting next to Chase. But it was obvious the topic of these sons of Ipswich was as painful to talk about as it was for the young man to move after whatever fight took place between them.
I sensed a slight skip to my step, I hadn't been this excited in so long I had almost forgotten what it felt like. I had been directionless and uninterested in all aspects of life; it was almost becoming unbearable. Could you blame me for becoming like that? I mean I was going to live forever, big deal. That just means I was stuck to see every horrible fashion trend and listen to the ever changing landscape around me; immortality was hardly the glamorous notion people believe it to be. It was a miserable and lonely existence. But now, there was something new on the horizon and they were called the Sons of Ipswich.
I wondered what my brother would think if he knew I was now on a quest to seek out these warlocks in the nearly constant overcast town. He was probably too busy enjoying the sound of his own voice to even wonder where on Earth I was. Not that he would even care at this point; our last meeting included a rather bloody fight. I left him with a scar, trailing down his eye whereas he left me with a small scar below my chest. He had tried to shove a stake into my heart; it was such an iconic attempt to kill a vampire. Our sibling love for one another knew no bounds.
Contrary to popular belief, vampires could be killed just like any other human. A drawback to being a vampire, we were hardly any different than a simple human being when it came to harm. I remember the stab from the shard of a table leg from my brother took months to heal from; very hard to feel as if you were the most powerful being on Earth when you're laid up in a hospital watching re-runs of the Golden Girls.
One benefit to our susceptibility to bodily harm is the fact that a single drop of blood could heal any wound, broken bone or disease. It was the one and only antibiotic for vampires. The cure all so to speak. I myself have given up the habit though, what can I say, even my badass, not a care in the world routine had its flaws. I was not a blood drinker. I about changed my mind on day three of my hospital stay, but I remained dedicated to my new moral standing. I am what you call a complex individual. I literally had no idea what it was I was doing or why it was so important to me to refrain from drinking human blood. I just had my way of doing things and change was not an option I was ready to offer myself.
Other vampires don't exactly welcome me into their meetings, their business does not concern me they tell me. My refusal to be like them has me on the forever uninvited list. A terrible loss? I think not.
I was ready to meet these warlocks. See how they handle being different in the world. Who knows, I may find myself going up against them myself. If that were the case, I sure wouldn't be the one running to a bus stop at two in the morning. But my eagerness was not based on conflict…yet. I just wanted…to meet someone new. Someone that I wouldn't have to compel to be unafraid of my fangs.
I sounded pathetic even to myself; I was a vampire, who refused to drink blood and was walking to a town in search of thrills and excitement. I guess it was true what my brother had told me before I left him that night, the mighty truly have fallen.
