Zoë was beaming as she entered her room. Since her father was over in Bulgaria, she was staying at the house of her friend Helena, the girl Eric had seen her with at the Christmas banquet. It was late, going on one in the morning, and Zoë noticed Helena's parents were asleep. Helena was still awake, waiting for her friend.
"Goodness, Zoë, where were you?"
"Relax, Lena. I'm fine. I'm more than fine." She smiled, and Helena's eyes widened.
"Oh no, Zoë, you didn't go with that man from the dance, did you? I don't like the look he had."
"Why? You're not my father." Zoë slid out of her dress to climb into bed, but she had forgotten a certain new feature on her.
"Lord in heaven, what is that?" Helena peered at the two red dots below Zoë's collarbone.
Zoë waved her hand. "It's just a bug bite."
"What kind of bug leaves that?" The two dots were right next to each other, a bit less than an inch apart, and the sheen of dried blood could just be seen around it.
Helena's jaw dropped. "What was that man from the dance, and what did you do with him?"
Zoë smiled. "We both enjoyed it. When you get a husband, you'll know what we did," she teased.
Helena shook her head. "I know you really don't care what's proper and not, but that was wrong, Zoë."
"So?" Zoë crawled into bed, and Helena sighed.

The next morning, the two young women were dressing, and Zoë was becoming impatient with Helena, who was barely talking to her. After a short time, Zoë tossed down her hairbrush in anger.
"What is it, Helena?"
"Well, I don't like what you did with that man."
"Why? What does it have to do with you?"
"Come on, Zoë, I'm your friend. I don't want to see you hurt."
"Helena, I'm not being hurt. The feelings I've found, I can't describe-"
"You're acting like a harlot."
"Excuse me?"
"A harlot, going off with that man. The church says you should wait-"
"Phooey with the old priests."
"Zoë! But you wouldn't be saved-"
"Who says I am going to die?" Zoë grinned. Helena gasped.
"If you keep seeing him, I don't want you around then. Who knows what that man could do-"
"He has a name, you know."
"And I know you know a lot more about him than I ever would! You've gone loose!"
"Because I seized the opportunity." Zoë stood up, a strange light in her eyes. Helena stammered.
"I-I don't want to see you again!" And the girl ran from the room screaming. Zoë shook her head. She'll calm down.But Zoë didn't expect Helena's parents to have the same opinion as their daughter, and to cast the noblewoman right out. Zoë had no choice but to try and talk to her cousin, the Emperor himself, but before she got to him, a courier found her and gave her a letter that shattered her world.

Zoë knocked on Eric's door. The Viking opened to find her standing there, tears running down her face.
"What happened?" he asked before she shoved a piece of parchment into his hands and ran past, sobbing. Eric unfolded the paper, scanned it, and instantly realized why she was so upset. The letter was from the officials in Sofia, notifying the poor woman that her father had been killed in an accident near the Danube River.
Eric let her sink into him, sobbing. For a long time, he let her curl up next to him. The main feeling coursing through the Viking was pity for her, as he still recalled the pain of losing everyone from his human life. And now this poor girl was an orphan and an outcast. He whispered in her ear. "I know exactly what you're going through. You can stay here if you want."
She nodded. "I remember reading with him, riding by his side in Greece."
Eric rubbed her head. "What about your friends, do they know?"
"Helena threw me out this morning because I spent so much time with you." Her voice sounded weary.
"I am sorry." Eric's blue eyes peered into the distance, as if he was wrestling with an idea.
"I have no one left but you."
"But you do have me."
Zoë looked up. "But you've said that a human and a vampire never works out."
Eric hesitated before saying, "There is always something new."
"You waited before saying that. Eric, you're the only one I have."
"Now Zoë, that's not true. You have your cousin, the Emperor-"
"Who is over in Sicily running around. He doesn't care. I'm just another helpless cousin to take care of, and I don't like it. I'm done with this life!"
"Zoë! Don't say that. You have a good life ahead of you"
"Like what? Marrying some old nobleman who hates the fact that I can read and only wants me to pump out child after child until I'm worn out? I'd rather die than face that!"
Eric knew what she would say next, and realized why she was so fascinated with him: he was her way out of a boring existence.

"I want you to turn me."

Eric nodded. "You should think carefully about that choice. You would become a vampire, something reviled by everyone you know. I will give you until tomorrow at dark. If you are still serious, come here, and it will happen." Zoë nodded, and left. It took a few moments for the significance of what he had just done to hit Eric. If this plan was carried out, this woman that had so entranced him would be by his side forever. The prospect filled Eric with glee. I must tell someone about this.

Heroditus heard the news, and smiled. "She will be welcome. I feel for the poor girl, losing her father at such a tender age."
Eric nodded. "Yes, it is. I still remember the pain of losing my parents. But Zoë will not lose me."
Heroditus grinned. "Well then, what are you waiting for?"

The next day, Zoë arrived right after sundown. She had meticulously prepared herself, dressed in her finest gown. All day, Eric had been pacing back and forth. He knew the headstrong young woman would arrive, and the whole day he had talked himself out of doing it, then right back into doing it. He had turned several people before, but Zoë was the first person that he had planned to turn. She looked up at Eric. "Have you done this before?"
"I have, several times, to both men and women. Now, Zoë, this process can't be undone. Once we do this, we've done this for good."
"I understand.." She leaned up, and he kissed her, instinct rising in him. The gown slid from her shoulders as she arched her neck. Eric ran his face along her neck, sensing the blood flowing beneath the skin. Zoë sighed as desire and anxiety filled her. Eric felt his fangs lurch forth.
"Now, Eric." Her voice was a barley audible whisper, and Eric gave in to his animal side.
One quick plunge, and his teeth slid cleanly into her neck as her knees gave and they sank to the floor.

Eric hurried out of Constantinople, Zoë hidden under a sheet in the back of the wagon, the horses snorting in the cool February air. The blood had been exchanged, and now Zoë was turning into an immortal creature. He knew Constantinople was no place to turn someone. New vampires awoke thirsty and bold, and a city of half a million posed too many dangers. Also, once it was realized Zoë was missing, word would reach the Emperor about her being last seen with the Swede, and Eric would no longer be welcome at court. But right now he didn't care. Constantinople was a city of humans, and Zoë was no longer one. The city walls flew past, and the land climbed into the highlands of the Greek mountains. His destination was an olive farm he owned. There, he would have the privacy Zoë deserved.

The next evening, Zoë Nekratous rose with an unearthly sheen to her cold skin, and Eric was waiting. "Here, this will make you feel stronger," and he was holding a cup of sticky red.
Zoë gulped down the cup, and licked her lips. "I feel really tingly all over."
"That's the vampire blood in you, sustaining you. We have no idea how it works, but you will not age a day from now on."
Zoë nodded, and felt her new fangs. Eric handed a mirror, so she could see.
"Vampi-I mean, we,-show up in mirrors? But the legends say we don't."
"We do. It's just a myth we created ourselves. It's much older than I am, it goes back to the old Roman Empire."
She looked at her new self, and laughed. "This is so amazing." She ran her fingers down her new fangs. "So, how many of us is there."
Eric shrugged. "Millions. We may outnumber humans, we do not know."
"I've entered a whole new world."
Eric nodded. "Welcome, my dear, to the world of the night."

So Zoë has retreated from the human world. However the human world will interject one more time in a tragic turn, and someone will not survive.