Chapter Two

My eyes followed the movements of one of the newborns as Maria led them out, longingly. It was one of the older newborns. He had just destroyed another of the newborns. The two who had arrived after me where already dead. The one that was leaving was the last of the ones who had been here before me. It had been a while since I had got in a fight. Most of them avoided me. No new comers had arrived for a while either. I had been in three of four fights and each time I would be taken out to hunt and I could get to drink more blood. I hadn't lost. I fingered the matches in my pocket that Maria had given me. I could pick anyone of these newborns and destroy them, even though I was newborn myself. But I never picked fights unless they gave me cause.

Harsher crimson eyes now stared out on my face. Most of the others had darker eyes, apart from one or two or had just won their first battles. I traced a scar that was on my alabaster coloured arm. One of the older newborns had given that to me. He had been more sensible than the first two who had battled me. I had found out that they were a few weeks new to this life. The one who had given me this scar had been a few months old. My throat had felt like it was on fire when Maria led the other vampire out to hunt. I wanted to take his place so much. This had been the longest I had spent away from human blood. One week. Others had spent longer away from human blood. The ones who didn't fight. But they could show potential. Sometimes, it was the ones who kept away from the fight that won.

Briefly, I considered starting a fight. I really did want human blood. It tasted so good, the texture, the warm. It was so perfect. Never in the whole of my human life had I tasted something so desirable. Nor had there been women as beautiful as Maria, Lucy or Nettie nor men that could match how hansom my comrades and were. For that was what the fellow newborns were, I had found out and I had yet to meet my true enemies. Maria told me on the last hunt I had been on that we were comrades and that was why we shouldn't destroy each other so readily. That was a reason why I didn't start any fights. I knew it made Maria put out. She needed us for more important fights that loomed on the horizon, like a rain cloud after a harsh summer. The effects would benefit us but during the time it would be dangerous and we would be likely to get hurt or killed. The wait for the storm brought tension.

Every single pair of eyes glanced nervously around the room, resting on one vampire, than another. Waiting for one to snap out at another. For a chance to drink blood to arise. The room was dark, I could see perfectly well, yet the crimson eyes seemed to glow like a bright furnace. Your eyes couldn't help but be drawn towards them. They carried menace behind them. Menace that was contained. I knew my eyes shone similarly to my brothers in arms. We all carried the same wild look in our eyes. We shared the same lust. Just thinking about the lust would make the throat burn, another thing we all had in common. The longer you went without it the more it burned. But if you could forget about it than a week or a half was needed for it to come forward to tell you that what your body needed, craved was the blood. Then, we became dangerous. Well, more dangerous than we are with human blood. I had seen how wild it drove some who kept out of the fight. But they became weaker, easier to beat. The weakness grew greater the older a vampire was. A four month old vampire would be weaker if he hadn't drunk blood for a week than a three week vampire who had gone without blood for the same period of time.

Eyes flickered nervously around; everything was silent, waiting for when the oldest newborn would return. I didn't know any of the newborns names. They were here today gone tomorrow. Not worth getting close to them. The oldest newborn was about twenty-four; he had been in this life four months. Four years older than me physically, and about four years, two months and two weeks older than me mentally. I knew that at some point we would have to fight and I wondered, as my spare time went past who would win? What would the outcome be? Would I live to see a real battle against enemies instead of those I should be learning with? Then again, I supposed that we did learn when he killed each other. This was practise for when we would fight against others like us. Created for the same purpose. A real fight would seem like almost nothing.

Without moving, I counted the number that we currently had. Six; including me and the newborn who had gone hunting. It wasn't much of a force but more would come. They always did and more would die. It was just the way of things. I did not know if Maria had meant it when she had mentioned that I might get promoted and be above the others. I had already killed more, survived. But then again, what if I were drawing with the older vampire? What if he had been offered the same prospects? Life wasn't easy nor was this half-life that I now seemed to lead. I looked up as I heard the door to the house open. All of us turned our heads to look at the flimsy wood that would soon be opened. Steps, two pairs, coming down the stairs that led to the first part of the cellar. Moving towards our door. Then, the steps stopped. The door opened and I could see the oldest newborn. His eyes bright crimson; showing that he had feasted. Maria was just behind him. As he walked in, she closed the door behind him. We were alone. I wasn't surprised by the emotions coming off the oldest newborn. Most came back feeling like this. Wanting to pick a fight so that they could taste the sweet blood that was always given as a reward.

However, I was surprised when he headed towards me. Usually you'd go for someone low down. Lower than me. It would be too close a fight. I tensed as his steps drew closer to me, my eyes never breaking contact. I took in everything. I was ready, everything about me was alert. He gave a nasty smile.

"Poor you! You must be so thirsty! When was the last time you drank?" he mocked me. I remained calm. We had to remain calm in the human army, it was no different here. Apart from the fact that now the stakes were higher. I let no emotions pass over my face.

"One week ago." I replied in an even tone, as civil as I could make it.

"One week! Such a silly amount of time. I never have to go that long without blood. Are you weak or something?" he taunted me. I tried not to give in.

"I'm not violence mad, like you are. Keep that in mind." I said, ignoring how much I wanted to attack him, to kill him. Then I could hunt, taste human blood on my tongue, and feel the warmth on my lips as the red liquor of life rushed into me.

"What advantage does that give you? The ability to not feel the thirst?" I could feel the thirst. It burned in my throat and I just wanted to kill. I didn't break my gaze, but I didn't reply either. He would know the answer. I still felt the thirst and it was strong.

"Ah! So you do feel it. So why don't you attack any of the others?" he asked, his voice patronizing.

"Maria needs numbers for her army." I replied, evenly, looking casually at my opponent. I knew there would be a fight. Why try stop it? "Maybe you should try and think more about the future."

"What? Is that your best attempt at having a go at me?" laughed the other, sarcasm in his voice.

"Do you want to see what a fight between us would look like?" I asked quietly and softly.

"You would die!" he snarled and then lunged at me.

I was up and side stepped his clumsy attack with ease, all within a second. He turned to face me and lunged again. I side stepped but then lunged as he flew past my side. I caught him easily. Quickly, I moved my hand to his head, wrapping my arm around his neck. I twisted sharply and pulled up. The sound of marble breaking echoed around the room. I kicked over the body of my fallen enemy and who might have been comrade and dropped the head. I pulled some matches out of my pocket and light a match. Then, without any ceremony, I dropped the flame on the body. It lit up, a funeral pyre and I watched as my older comrade burned. I was now the oldest vampire out of us. Maria and her sisters were still ahead and in terms of places I was still among my brothers in arms. But to them, I was set above all of them.

Then I heard footsteps, moving swiftly. Maria would have heard the sounds of a vampire's head being torn off and the scent of smoke would mean that one was defiantly dead. I remember once seeing a fight when a vampire had been dismembered but not burnt. They had somehow managed to reform. That took his opponent by surprise and the one who had been dismembered had actually won. Both were dead now. That was just the way of things. Everyone died. I knew that my death would probably be coming soon. It was surprising that I had managed to last this long. It was a lot longer than some of my predecessors.

The door opened and I watched as Maria came in. The rest of the newborns backed away, knowing that this moment was mine. The meal that she would give was mine. If any of them argued with that, they would be dead. I watched as Maria approached me, my gaze cautious, as her footsteps brought her closer, hearing each foot fall. Then she was in front of me, a smile on her face. "Come." I walked forward and she held out her hand, as if I were to accompany a weak lady on some trip to the theatre. I took her hand, as it gave me an opportunity to hunt and that I longed for.

Maria led me up through the house as usual, but then she turned to face me.

"Jasper," she started, staring into my red eyes, as if seeking some answer to be found in the crimson colours of my eyes. "You have been most useful to me and I think that it is time for you to be promoted. You will look after the newborns to the best of your ability; however you will not need to stay among them all the time. Try not to destroy them, or let them destroy each other. You will be able to hunt when you like, but first come to me to tell me, it would be best if you had my permission, especially while you are still in the stage of this newborn life of a vampire."

I nodded, keeping my face devoid of emotions, but secretly I was pleased that I was being promoted, it was something I had grown used to in the human army and now it continued to this life.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Thank you, Jasper, I will continue to bring home more soldiers, now, go hunt, you must be thirsty." Maria smiled at me.

Again, I gave a curt nod then I headed straight outside, it was night and I hide in the darkness, no human would be able to see my pale skin in such darkness. My crimson eyes looked around at the empty streets that would be teaming during the day, this late, very few would choose to wonder from the supposed safety of their homes. Only the ones who wouldn't be missed would remain out here. If none of them were around, I could always leap through a window; drain a person then burn the house. However, Maria preferred it if we did not do that in this area were we lived, that only was allowed to happen when we went to other towns, which was something we were only able to do with her, otherwise we would be punished. Looking around I took a deep breath of air, trying to find a recent scent of a human to hunt. No scent came to me, so I moved through a few more streets, my footsteps silent, even animals didn't run away and I could see creatures that humans never usually saw. Pets that shied away from the strangers had no time to escape my gaze, the rare mountain lions that lurked along the edges of the civilizations were something that was never seen to humans.

Finally, I reached a fresh scent of human and I automatically dropped down into a hunting crouch and slowly pulled myself along the trail. Following the scent, I can to a street urchin dragging himself along the ground, heading towards another poor person, likely his mother who was walking on ahead. For a second, I thought about this, I was dedicated to the hunt, so I would have to go in for it, but I would have to kill both. Leaping forward, I snapped the boy's neck in an instance and then I sunk my teeth into the mother's neck and held my hand over her mouth to stop her screams, My other arm was wrapped around her, holding the withering body still so I could drink in peace. As the first taste of blood touched my tongue, the frenzy began and I pressed my mouth closer to the wound I had made, drinking heavily and even I could hear the small moan of pleasure that escaped me. It had been too long since I had last hunted.

When I had drained the body I closed my eyes, summing up the taste and pleasure I had just felt and I gave a little sigh. Turning I headed for the carcass of the boy and drained him quickly, the blood in this would have been nicer fresh, but young blood was often the best blood, so it was as good as the one I had just drunk, just not as filling. After draining the two I checked around, no one had seen me. When the bloodlust settled in, you really were in no control and it was impossible to break out and kill any human who saw you. Best thing was to check the scent around and if any were fresh, follow that scent as quick as possible and dispose of the problem.

Turning back to the corpses, I picked up the boy with one hand and slung him over my shoulder like some sort of prize to take home, then I picked up the woman and slung her over in the same manor. Silently, I then moved into the darkness, walking a good fair few metres from the town before I started to dig a grave for the two humans I had just killed. Soon they were buried and their bodies lost and I headed back for home. Silent as a ghost, I slipped quietly through the sleeping town, if anyone looked out, they wouldn't see my, if I were carrying a torch, the golden flames illuminating the pale vampire skin, they would of thought of me a spirit, passing through. But, of course, I was not so stupid to do that, I was not going to show myself to the herd, I followed Maria's words and I had been able to gain a higher rank than my peers.

My strides were long as I moved, but I was moving at a speed that would be acceptable if a human saw me, it was the way Maria had told us to walk, how we were to blend in, in case a human saw the impossible. Sometimes, it did seem pointless, doing something that was not going to help at all, the chances of a human seeing me were almost next to one, and if I were moving at the normal vampire speed, the certainly wouldn't have time to notice me. They'd just think that it had been some weird figment of their imagination. Within a minute I arrived back at the house which we were contained in and I opened the door, as usual, the door creaked softly, a human would have had to listen for that however, we vampires found it easy to hear, I was sure that most of the newborns would of picked that up.

Maria certainly did, her figure appeared in front of me in less than a nanosecond, lifting one porcelain hand up, and she pushed my hair back and looked into my eyes.

"Good," She said softly. I was a bit confused by her actions and words; I guessed that she was checking that my eyes were a suitable red colour and that I was therefore ready for whatever lay ahead in my new duties. I waited patiently for what my order would be.

"Come to the living room with me," Maria smiled, taking my hand in hers. "We shall discuss some plans with you." This sounded similar to a debriefing and it would probably give me a firmer grasp on what was to happen, I followed Maria, keeping pace with her but always just on step behind. She was my superior and should thus go in front. However, if we were going into battle, it would be safer for her in the middle, or even staying out of the war zone.

Entering the living room, I looked around, curiously, Lucy and Nettie were seated around a polished table, and Maria walked over to the head, Lucy was at the other head. I was designated a place opposite Nettie, who looked at me with curiosity, Lucy was also curious, but she hid it better than her counterpart. I guessed that Maria alone had made the choice to promote me and this interested the two others. Clearing her throat, Maria looked out at us and I raised my eyes to meet her crimson eyes.

"As we are aware, we have begun to build an army, which will hopefully be great enough so we can take the prize, Mexico City," This was knew knowledge to me. I had known that Maria wanted to increase her hunting lands, but not about Mexico City and the way she said it, it sounded like that was going to be a hard fight.

"Seeing as we now have Jasper to oversee the training of the newborns, we will have more time to change humans to build up an army. Jasper, how long do you think it will take for our army to be ready to take on a force of… let's say ten?" Lucy said, casting a cold glance towards Jasper.

For a second, Jasper thought about this. He had not had enough time to see the full forces of newborns; yes he had seen the fights when they were one on one, but a full force battle? Also, I didn't know how well they would fight with uneven numbers or against more mature vampires, how well they would work together and a lot more information.

"Looks like you soldier may be incompetent." Smiled Lucy and I looked at her, understanding that she was trying to point out a flaw in Maria's judgement.

"Nonsense, he just hasn't been given the right amount of information to make such an important decision. Jasper, I trust that you will inform me when you consider our soldiers to be ready to fight." Maria said, her voice calm. I gave them a nod to show that I would, and Nettie got up. I turned to look at her and saw that her eyes had grown dark, she was going hunting. Lucy also got up, her eyes were darker and they both left. Maria sighed then turned to look at me.

"They've gone hunting. I will be leaving to get more soldiers for our army. I would be grateful if you could start to teach those we have remaining not to kill each other and also give them some tips on how to fight." Then, with that, Maria got up and left. I was in charge of the house while they were away, I was in charge of the newborns below. I wouldn't fail in my duty. Slowly, for a vampire I moved towards the basement, it was good to keep my movements slow and human. Humans did not notice humans and practise made perfect. I could hear the breath of the newborns hush as they heard my almost silent footfalls on the stairs and I could feel the tension coming from them before I opened the door. I knew how it felt to be at that moment, so I did not rebuff them. Opening the door, I cast my gaze over them, none of the soldiers had eyes bright like mine, and none were recent enough that they would consider not fighting until the next day.

"Why you?" snarled one of them angrily at me. Without emotions, I let my gaze slowly fall upon his face. He shuffled nervously.

"Stay inline." I ordered him. Slowly, he shuffled back and I could see that the rest where nervous. No one other than my creator and her sisters had used such power on them. This was new, and everyone was scared of new things.

"Will we still get blood?" came a nervous call from the back.

"That is up to Maria to decide, but I do not want you fighting," I said sternly, looking across the newborns as I spoke, hoping that they would be taking this in. "Maria needs numbers if we are to feed in peace. If we wish to have enough blood, we cannot go killing each other and hope to get enough blood! We must fight against true enemies!" I could now hear my voice hissing as I looked across at the dark crimson eyes that looked at me.

"So we are only just preparing?" came a scared voice from the corner. This time I turned to see a vampire with black eyes, one of the nonviolent ones.

"More will come, and we will need to be strong and together for that!" was all I could tell the newborn.

"So are you going to be training us?" asked one of them.

"Yes. And if you don't pay attention you will all die." I snarled back, the questioner shrunk into his corner.

"When do we start?" asked one of the moer older newborns.

"No." I informed him.

That sent them all shuffling back nervously, as if they expected me to kill them. I remained calm and soon they settled down.

"Look, no one will be killed; all we need to do is learn how to destroy our common enemies." I told them.

"So… what we are learning is going to save our lives?" asked one of them. Suddenly, I was at his side, lifting his legs up over his head and grabbing his neck.

"You need to think quick, react." Stepping away from him, I turned to look at the group in front of me.

"Practise that move. Then, after you have mastered it, I want you all to try how to evade the attack and how to get out if you fall into it." I ordered.

It pleased me to see how they all jumped straight to my orders without question. Sometimes, I would step in and demonstrate the attack or a way to defend yourself from it. They learnt well, training went by rather quickly and already they had learnt several more moves by the time Maria, Lucy and Nettie returned. Maria called me and I left the newborns to practise. I saw her carrying the bodies of two screaming humans, they were changing. Immediately, I moved, slinging on over my shoulder and carrying him to the table I had first awoken on. Maria smiled as I helped her.

After settling the screaming men down, Maria turned to look at me.

"Thank you, you have been most helpful." She smiled.

"No problem, Ma'am. I am here to serve you." I replied.

"I know." Maria smiled and she places a hand around my neck, looking into my eyes. I kept still, although I was feeling uncomfortable with her action. After a few seconds she walked away, laughing to herself.

"I thought so." Her words echoed down the hall. I blinked once, then went to keep an eye on the newborns.