It took us approximately half a minute to get from where we were standing to Maria's 'residence', if I could even call it that. It was never permanent - it was purely a place to stay and be trained for a few days, before moving onto a different setting. Maria preferred it that way. Nettie and Lucy were somewhat unlike. I could only assume that they stayed with Maria simply for the human blood she had provided. After all, three attractive women would gain a man's attention better than one or two could.

I would know.

Maria's temporary dwelling was simply an old storage barn situated on a secluded body of land - a desert really. The wide wooden doors of the barn shut out light, making it easier for them to go unnoticed - that is if anyone passed by and caught a glimpse. It seemed to me that not many people would voluntarily walk in this part of town or even find it. It was forsaken and unkempt but it was the perfect hideout for a group of vampires. The earth around the barn was so dry and dusty that waves of dirt were spread just by walking. The inside wasn't any better. The ground was the same and in the far corner of the barn laid bones of an old animal, possibly a goat. In the other corner seemed to be a small workspace. That was where I had woken up. It was a dingy little area and the termite-attacked desk had fallen to the floor but I suppose that was where the farmer would have worked if he weren't busy rattling up his animals and selling them to the local butcher or even procrastinating by the looks of it. There were still heaps of unfinished documents: orders, bills, money notes and checks that had still to be placed in the bank. He must have left in a hurry or most likely, Maria got to him first. It certainly would have explained the worn out clothes that covered the books I had woken up on.

"Lucy and Nettie are luring a couple of men here - unscathed, I hope," Maria spoke, her voice an octave lower than usual. "Those girls would kill them if they had the chance," she finished, sighing nonchalantly. A death to another human wasn't something she worried about. Not that she was worrying. Her emotions told me that she was unconcerned, yet a slight bubble of excitement was rising up inside of her. I could only feel anxious as I awaited my training. I didn't know what it consisted or what I would have to participate in. Maria turned to me and smiled. "You needn't fret, my sweet. It gives us our kind such pleasure." Suddenly I was feeling more than one person's enthusiasm but it was expectant, mixed with curiosity and apprehension. I had a feeling that Nettie and Lucy were back, their props retrieved for this particular demonstration. The entire ordeal felt slightly unnecessary but when I caught the scent of the two men that came in with them, nothing else mattered. The warm blood that was pulsating through their veins had me on a high. I hadn't even been thirsty but their scent was enough to make my throat ache, a dull discomfort that gave me a constant reminder of what I was. However, I no longer cared.

"Sorry we're late!" Lucy remarked, winking to Maria. "The first two attempts didn't work out so well. You see," she spoke, standing in front of the man she had brought as she teasingly began running her hands over the his mucky shirt, "Nettie got overexcited and well…" I couldn't understand how she could resist his blood. He was standing right in front of her, completely unprotected, vulnerable and tempting. It was so easy to just… bite… "The other male saw and got frightened, the poor thing. I took care of him though." As she said that, she grinned and faced Maria. We knew what that meant. "But don't worry, sister. These ones are just as pathetic." The men didn't seem to mind being named as that. They were just like I was: incredibly irrational and unaware to their danger, so much so that I almost - almost! - felt pity on their behalf. One of the men noted that I was there and filled up with misunderstanding, until he took the time to count that the number of females matched the number of males. What a waste of shameless optimism...

"Good work, girls. You've already been rewarded for today. Stand back and observe whilst I take care of these gentlemen. Jasper, my sweet, you must watch." Maria hadn't made eye contact with me as she said that. Her gaze was upon the men's ripe necks, as was mine. "And Lucy, be a dear and hold back Nettie and Jasper. You know they won't be able to control themselves." As she had said that, she glanced over at me, a stern expression formed on her face. "These men are mine and you must resist their blood." I had an inkling she had directed that comment mainly to me. I suppose it was necessary. Without even realising, my breathing had become rapid from attempting to take in as much of their scent as possible. It wasn't a good idea - what, with them in such close proximity and all. Lucy was stood in front of Nettie and I, her arms outstretched, like she was shielding us. What a silly notion... It wasn't us that needed protection. Maria swiftly approached the men, her elegant movement capturing the humans. I could suddenly feel their confusion - or what it mine? - to what was going to happen. I only had a slight idea because the same thing had happened to me. At the time, I knew I was in danger, yet -

"Ignorance," I muttered under my breath. It was still loud enough to be heard by the three vampires that stood with sophistication. I could see Nettie smirk in the corner of my eye, her feelings of amusement escaping as she grabbed at my arm.

"Watch. This is the best bit."

Maria lent into the younger man, he couldn't have been older than twenty-five, and brushed her lips across his jaw, to his chin, until she reached his throat. The man stood rigid, not breathing, not blinking, and allowed her to press her mouth against his skin. He quivered a little as the icy lips trailed along his Adam's apple to his neck. The older man, I'd say in his forties, was intent on what Maria was doing, narrowing his eyes every now and then as she glimpsed at him. I'm sure he had never seen such beauty in his life. He began feeling wonder and impatience. He'd get his turn of course. Maria finally ran her tongue down the man's skin before it all ended, concluding his life as his screams left his mouth more like a gasp, with added wheeze. She had really dug her teeth into his gullet. Too painful to scream, too painful not to. It was then the older man's eyes gaped wide and he gulped, terrified, obviously. I could feel it. However, I couldn't focus on him for any longer. Maria had pulled away from the young man and allowed his sweet blood to trickle out of his neck. He collapsed to the ground and continued rasping, clutching at his neck and pleading for death. It was then Maria made her way over to where the man stood, back pressed against the barn's walls.

"No, no," he pleaded. "This was not my idea to come here, I didn't want this!" But it was too late, for Maria had wrapped her arms around his body, and like a spider to a fly, he was finished. He fell to the ground beside his friend and they both lay there, shaking like twitching corpses - still, they weren't dead… Not yet anyway. The smell of their blood filled the air and my mouth watered. Nettie's too, as feelings of ravenous hunger washed over her. Maria advanced towards us, inhaling deeply the scent of the air. She smiled at her own feelings of accomplishment and reached for my hand.

"Move, Lucy." She did so. I was pulled into Maria, her wicked smirk tugging at her bloody lips. "Control, Jasper. It's what everyone needs. You do not necessarily need the control you have just witnessed. You need emotional control. Take just now for example: your feelings of envy were as clear as daylight. No need to be jealous, my sweet. You'll get your share, if you just help me."

Help, she had said. Help, like she were in trouble. Help, like I would be the one to save her.

Perhaps I would.

Twenty years of living and it was only with death that my life seemed to be established. I laughed at the word life. Now, of course, it will always be used in a hypothetic content.

"How?" I breathed, attempting to sound at least a tiny bit confident but as I looked into her eyes, my self-reliance broke. I felt dependant on her. I mean, why wouldn't I? She had given me this life, after all. Maria smiled at me, obviously feeling my emotions and shook her head.

"In more ways than one." That's all that she had told me. I suppose I would find out sooner or later. In the military, we trained. It wasn't for long, of course and it was extensively dangerous, considering it was more 'being taught on the battlefield'. I hadn't realised it before but it was incredibly likely that I would be skilled in a whole new level of murder. Just like with hunting, it wasn't guns we used. What I found even more bemusing were Maria's intentions behind this training… My enemy… who would be on the backend of that title? The convulsing bodies on the ground caught my attention, as they struggled with the pain that consumed them. I couldn't quite understand the process of becoming a vampire but it certainly felt as if the venom were spreading through me like fire. Perhaps that's what it was. It was the same with anything poisonous - spiders, snakes, even frogs… Spiders and snakes use their toxin to paralyse their prey - same with vampires, I suppose. It's frogs that use their poison to defend themselves… but what would a vampire need defending for?

My thoughts were interrupted as Nettie roughly tugged at my arm.

"That's not fair!" She whined, almost childishly, at the brunette in front of her. "You bit him!" Nettie gritted her teeth. I didn't need to be an Empath to see that she was angry.

"I'm glad. You would have killed him." Maria was nonchalant as she walked away, stopping at the half-dead men on the floor. She kicked at their shaking feet, before having a sudden feeling of curiosity. "Jasper?" She called, without looking around. "Try to feel calm." My eyebrows raised. Calm? How could I feel calm? "Just try," she replied to the emotions of confusion I had just felt.

'Just try.'

I inhaled, slowly breathing in and out… Like that was going to help.

"But I can smell them - their blood. It's difficult -" She cut me off.

"Control, Jasper. It's now a virtue within you. Do not take advantage of this ability by not using it." I could control? How is an Empath meant to control someone else's emotions when they can't even control their own?

I concentrated hard - I really did! - and kept my gaze on the men. It wasn't working! I closed my eyes and frowned. I couldn't! My throat was burning. Blood still ran through their veins! I shook my head. No! Can't.

Maria exhaled and was now furious at me. My eyes shot to the ground and I kept them there. I didn't need to look at her right now. On Maria's orders, Nettie released my arm and followed Lucy out of the barn.

"Hatred, fear, worry, confusion - you can feel all those things but you can't feel calm? Picture yourself feeling it and hope that it'll happen! You have felt calm before, Jasper! It's within you, so feel it again!" She grabbed my arms and pushed me hard against the wall, so much so that it almost hurt. "Feel it! If you can't manage your own emotions, how are you going to handle me?" She was shouting now but all I could feel from her was disappointment. I had let her down? I had a tendency to do that. So many people continuously felt frustration at me. I couldn't do anything right. Not in life, nor in death. Forever just… Jasper.

Do something right!

I couldn't even obey my own commands.

"How can I hope if I can't even feel it?" As I had said that, Maria pulled away from me and narrowed her eyes, as she let out a small hiss.

"There is hope! It lies with me! Besides, each newborn is different. Some find dealing with their abilities to be easy, others don't have extra abilities and then there's you. You are about being in control. You don't have that sense yet but you will learn and when you do, that's when you know that hope has been there for you. I will be the one to provide it and I can help you, if… you… just… help me."

Again with that word help. She felt strong determination about this, before shooting me with one last glare of dissatisfaction and turning around, exiting the barn.

I had to prove my worth to her. I needed to help her.