Chapter 8:
A New Life

I woke up to two faces staring down at me. My vision was blurry and my head was pounding. As my vision became clearer and clearer, I began to see who was staring at me. The boy had a frightened look in his face. His face was pale and fangs were protruding from his mouth. I immediately noticed it was Vlad. I tried to lift my head up but it felt like it was cemented to the pillow I was lying on.

"How'd I get here?" I whispered, struggling for the words to come out.

"James! You're awake!" Vlad screamed an exuberant look on my face. Was I really that unconscious?

"Hi, Vlad."

"James, you're an idiot!"

"What?" I stammered.

"Why did you run away? You were almost killed! I tried to warn you but no, you ran away to the death trap, Elysia! Did anyone ever tell you not to talk to strangers, let alone blood thirsty vampires?"

"I thought they were like us."

"They're not! They're monsters! All of them!"

"But they drank bottled blood."

"That was a trap, James! They wanted you to expect that they were nice! They lured you in!" He was fuming with anger. His face was red and his fangs were longer than ever.

"I'm sorry." I replied.

He growled and turned away.

"Settle down, boys!" a man said. I slightly turned and saw a man with a purple top hat. He looked like he was from a circus the way he was dressed. But he was not a human. His face was pale and fangs were shining in the light from the lamp. The face of a vampire.

"Who are you?" I asked. My body was shaking. I had enough of vampires for one night.

"My name is Otis Otis. And you're name must me James."

"Otis Otis?"

"Yes, I know it's a very strange name."

"No, no it's not strange! I meant, are you Vlads, my, Uncle Otis?"

"Yes."

"I've been waiting to meet you! I have so many questions!"

A wide grin spread across his who face.

"I am glad you've been expecting me."

"Can you teach me to hover? Can you tell me about my mother and father? Can you…"

He cut me off short.

"Not now, young one. I will teach you later, when you are rested."

"Aw man."

He chuckled.

"Don't worry. I shall teach you everything you want to know."

He nodded his head. Vlad stared back at me, but this time he had a grin on his face. His came down and sat down next to Otis on the edge of my bed.

"That was a brave thing you did. But I am very confused." Otis asked a puzzled look on his face.

"Why?" I asked.

"You were hit by the Lucis, James! That's a vampire killer!" Vlad shouted over me.

"I thought only stakes kill a vampire."

Vlad started laughing hysterically. Finally, Otis was able to settle him down.

"You are right, James. Stakes do kill a vampire. But a Lucis is another vampire killer." Otis explained.

"What is a Lucis?"

"I do not exactly know but I know that it shoots a blinding light at you which is an immediate killer. Light harms vampires."

"Really?" I asked.

"That's why I carry around a tube of sun block!" Vlad smiled. He held up a bottle of sunscreen.

"Why didn't I die?"

"I…. really don't know." Otis replied.

"Oh, come on Otis! Isn't it obvious? James is another Pravus! Why would D'ablo hunt him?"

"Vlad, that's a legend. Besides, there is only one Pravus."

"What's a Pravus? I know it's a human born vampire but what else does it stand for?"

"According to legend, a Pravus will overrun both the vampire and human world. The pravus will enslave all vampires and will destroy off all humans. Of course, it is a legend."

I gulped. Was that my future?

"You do believe I am the Pravus, don't you?"

"I've told this to Vlad, James. I believe one day you will be a great man, prophecy or not. You will be just like your father."

I nodded. But I knew me and Vlad were different in some way.

"Otis?"

"Yes?"

"Tell me more about my father, Tomas?"

"Ah, that's a very good question. It is a long story. Are you sure your up to it?'"

"Yes! I want to know!"

Otis turned to Vlad and he looked at me.

"I am really not your father's brother. I am his half brother. We were created by the same maker. Your father was hunting one night and found a beautiful girl named Melina walking home in the night. He was about to kill her, when she saw how beautiful she was. The sparkle in her eye and her immense beauty overwhelmed Tomas. He decided she was too beautiful to die. Your mom spotted your father and asked him to walk home with her. They both fell in love and soon they got married."

I felt tears building up in my eyes but I fought the tears back.

"Your father was an outlaw in Elysia. D'ablo banished him and he and Melina ran away. Your mom became pregnant with Vlad. Tomas thought he would be deformed. He was to be the first human born vampire. Amazingly, he came out perfect. D'ablo became to hunt down Tomas and his family. Against the laws, your mother and father decided to have one final child. You. But D'ablo was close to finding Tomas. Melina decided to give up you to a close friend. Your father put a charm on you so you would never discover that you were a vampire. Sadly, when Vlad was only eight, Tomas and Melina were killed mysteriously in a house fire. The charm weared off. Soon after, your step- parents were killed also. D'ablo had too found out about Tomas and Melina's secret child and he sent a slayer to go and find you."

" Demetri." I whispered.

"He wanted you dead. He obeyed his master. Demetri was created by D'ablo and felt that D'ablo was his father, his maker, his creator. He obeyed his every will."

Hot tears dripped down my face.

Otis put his arms around me and tugged me in closely to him.

"I thought I had lost you, James. I have to protect all children of Melina and Tomas."

He started to cry too. Dabs of water stained my shirt.

"How… how did you find me?"

"Vlad had a sense where you were. Mind Telepathy helped us out too. Vlad is gifted at that'." Otis chuckled.

"You read my mind!" I shouted at Vlad.

"Sorry." He shrugged.

"When we arrived at the scene and saw you lying on the ground motionless, D'ablo holding the Lucis and laughing. Vlad lunged at Demetri and attacked. I attacked D'ablo." Otis explained.

"Did they die?" I asked shakily.

"Unfortunately not. They ran away. D'ablo and Demetri are on the hunt for both you and Vlad."

I gulped. Vlad put a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't be afraid, James. We are now in this together," He smiled and I managed to smile back.

Vlads stomach growled.

"Boy am I hungry!" Vlad said.

"Mind if we leave? Will be just down stairs if you need us." Otis asked.

"Sure. Can you bring me up a blood pack later? I'm parched."

"I will bring you one later during training."

"Training." I mumbled under my breath, I grin spread wide across my face.

Otis and Vlad stood up and walked out of Vlad's room. They closed the door.

"Finally, I am home." I thought in my head. I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep.

"Wake up, James." I jumped up and looked around. Surprisingly I felt better. The pain was gone. I managed to stand up out of my bed, Uncle Otis supporting me as I got up. I looked at the mirror on the dresser. Bandages wrapped my forehead and a sling was around my arm.

"I look like a mummy!" I shouted.

Otis chuckled. It seems like everything made him laugh. I turned and faced him with a pout on my face.

"Brought you some lunch." In his hand was a steaming blood of red liquid. He handed the cup to me and I slowly gulped it down, letting the sticky, sweet substance run down my throat.

I wiped my mouth on my sleeve and placed the mug on the dresser.

"Thanks." I replied.

"Are you ready to train?"

"Yes!"

"You said you wanted to learn how to hover?"

"Yes. And to learn how to read minds."

"I am not the correct teacher to help you read minds, James. Maybe next year, I will bring you and Vlad to meet my friend in Siberia. He's a very old vampire but is amazing at teaching to read minds."

" Darn."

"But I can teach you to float."

"Better than nothing." I sighed,

"Follow me outside." He turned and left. I followed after him downstairs and out the door.

"Where's Nelly?" I asked.

"At work. She'll be home soon."

We walked to the front lawn and stopped in the middle. Otis looked everywhere, making sure no one was by to see.

"Now, James. Concentrate, Think of floating. Think of you feet lifting off the ground. I trust in you. Now trust in your self."

I focused my mind. I saw my feet lifting of the ground and set my mind to it. Soon I felt like I was floating and slowly opened my eyes. I was frightened at what I saw.

I was high above the ground and noticed I had coal black wings. I was not floating but flying. As a bat!

"Get me down from her!" I screeched.

"Don't worry, James! I'll come and get you!" He started to float, his eyes closed, his face relaxed. He made it up five feet but stopped there.

"I can't float any higher!" He yelled up to me.

I screeched even louder. My wings flapped frantically, afraid I was going to fall.

"Think of shape shifting back into a human!" Otis yelled up to me.

I shut my eyes tightly. When I opened them again, I was lying face down into the grass. I struggled up and spat dirt out of my mouth.

"That was strange." Otis said.

"You said I would float!" I said as I wiped the grass and dirt off my clothes.

"You're only a young vampire and yet you learned how to shape shift into an animal."

"Why didn't I float?"

"Maybe you can't. Every vampire is different. Maybe it's because you're not a full vampire?"

I sighed.

"So, I'll never be able to float?"

"Probably not. But look at the bright side. Only Vlad can float. He can't shape shift. You can!"

"Well, that's a start." I grumbled. Suddenly, I smelled blood. I looked down at my wrist and noticed that my sleeve was stained in red. I lifted up the sleeve and saw that my wrist had been cut. I raised my arm up to my mouth and started to suck on the wound.

Otis stared at me, his eyes bulging and opened wide.

"What?" I said through a mouthful of blood.

"Your wrist does not bear a mark." He gasped.

"Do have to have a mark to be a vampire?"

"Well, no, but it will bring you closer to Elysia. It will remind you of your vampire brotherhood. The mark is usually given the day after your creation, but since you were not created, you don't have one."

"How can I get the mark?"

"Someone must bite you to give you your mark."

"Can Vlad?" I asked.

"I would presume so. Let's go see if he is prepared."

We walked into the house into the only room we knew Vlad would be in… the kitchen.

"Vlad?" Otis asked as we entered the kitchen.

"Yeah?" he replied. He put down his mug and turned to face us.

"James has a request for you."

"What is it that you need, James?"

"Well…. I was wondering…. If you can……. Give me my mark?"

He spat out the blood he had in his mouth.

"The mark of a vampire?" he shouted, a surprised look on his face.

I nodded.

"Why can't Otis do it?"

"He wants you to do it, Vlad." Otis said in a stern voice. Vlad sighed.

"What if I hurt him?"

"I trust in you, Vlad. Believe me; you have the power to do it." Otis said to him.

Vlad looked down at his mark and then looked up at me.

"Come over here, James."

"Thanks!" I screamed.

"Don't push your luck." He replied.

I slowly walked over to him and held out my exposed wrist. The cut on it had already healed.

Vlad took a deep breath and leaned down, his fangs exposed. He was prepared to bite.

"Will it hurt?" I asked.

"A bit but as my Uncle Otis said…"

"Your mark will open you up to a world that you did not know existed." Vlad and Otis recited to me in unison.

"O.k. Go ahead." I shut my eyes tightly and bit my lip. Vlad bit down tightly around my wrist. His fangs pierced my skin. I flinched at first but then I suddenly began to feel very woozy and dizzy. Vlad lifted his head up and we all stared down at my wrist. Black lines started to form in a sign. Otis walked by my side and held my arm gently. He patted me on the back.

I tense as it started to burn around the bite.

"Relax, James. Look at your mark. It is starting to form."

I felt a little lightheaded and my stomach growled as I watched the blood coming from the wound drip down my wrist. But I was in awe as I watched the wound heal. A glowing scar was on my skin. Slowly the scar closed up leaving a black outline of a strange symbol. My mark.

"That's your name in the Elysian language, James." Otis said to me. Tears filled my eyes.

"Thank you, for everything."

"You're welcome. James." Otis replied. He stared at the clock.

"It is time for me to be on my way." Otis looked at me and smiled.

"Wait! You can't stay?"

"I promise James. I will see you soon. And don't worry. I will keep in touch." He hugged me tightly. I gasped for air.

"Take care, Vlad."

"Bye, Uncle Otis!" Vlad ran to our Uncle and gave him a hug. When Otis was released, he nodded to both of us.

"You guys are growing up so fast. You both look like your parents. Stay safe."

"Don't worry." Vlad replied. A grin appeared on his face. Vlad pulled me closer to him. I felt his cold, pale skin touch me.

Otis turned away and placed his top hat on his head. He walked over to the front door and slowly opened it. Then, in a flash, he was gone. I was crying. Vlad was tearing, too. His tears were like diamonds running down his face. He brushed away a tear and let go of me. He ran upstairs and I heard the door slam to our room.

I took a seat at the kitchen table. I finally felt at home. Like everything was just a faint memory. I looked down at my mark. It was slightly glowing. I touched it. I felt different. Vampire blood surged through my veins. I felt my blood pulsing, the power flowing throughout my body.

I now understood what it meant to belong to Elysia. I thought of what it was like when Vlad got his mark from Otis. I smiled, my fangs exposed. I finally knew that I was now part of something bigger. That I was a vampire. I would never be truly alone.

I knew things were not over yet and that things were just going to get worst. The road would get dangerous.

But I knew, in my heart, that this was just the beginning of my new life.

(|///|)