Chapter 14:
The Devil's Child
My stubborn alarm clock rang at 11:00AM the next day. It was a different day than any other in my whole entire life of existence. Almost sixteen years ago, my life was all a lie. Even my name seems like a lie. I thought I was a vulnerable human being, a human being that only needed to worry about school, jobs, and staying alive. Now, I have to worry about what lies beyond my life, or may I say a soulless life, after I have transformed. I kind of already liked the idea of dying and being buried next to my grandparents, maybe even my mother. Now, I'll never see them again; never rest in paradise with them. There was no more time to think about them. Our clock had run out of hours in a day because our days had run out of months, and our months had run out of years, and our years had run out of calendars. I wonder if Vlad ever felt this way. He, after all, did get to know my mother, our mother. But I guess I shouldn't be so negative about it. Maybe, I'll never get to say hi to my grandparents and my mother, but at least I still have Vlad and Aunt Maggie.
"Can I whack your alarm clock with my bat," Lexie mumbled half asleep.
"I don't know, can you?" Lexie grunted and placed her pillow over her head. I got out of bed and ended her torture. I silently made my way to the shower room to get ready to meet my nightmare.
Once again, the warmth of the water was exhilarating as it massaged my back dripping down to the heel of my feet. I brushed back my nappy, dark ash brown strands with the drops hailing from the faucet. I closed my eyes. I tried to picture myself as a full vampire, but my imagination had run out of ink, out of lines to paint the picture. I slowly opened my eyes and proceeded to shampoo my hair, then condition. Slowly, because I had an eternity, I massaged my repugnant, vibrant skin with coco shear butter body wash. I stood under the pouring blueprint rain to wash down the white fluffed bubbles that were clinging to my lucid skin. I turned the knob before me, and the faucet stopped crying. I stood there again. I attempted to see my future one more time, but all I got was error. I walked out of the shower room hugging my towel around me. I no longer felt the cool air scar my skin.
When I walked into the room, I found a conservative outfit resting on top of my bundle of blankets.
"What is this?"
"It's what you're wearing for the assembly today," Kayla replied from behind me.
"Assembly?"
"That's what we call our important meetings with the Conclave."
"It sounds weird."
"Will you just hurry up and get dressed," Kayla bickered.
"What's the rush? It's barely-"
"11:45AM," Kayla interrupted me.
"What? Already?" I slipped on my underwear beneath my towel, but let my towel fall down when I hustled putting on my bra. I stuck my legs inside a beige, or khaki like color skinny jeggings, I then pulled over me a simple white long sleeve shirt where the sleeves end around my elbows. I wrapped an ashy, light grey wool scarf around my neck overlapping half of my shoulders. And then, my nightmare began. There were light grey, low-top, heel boots waiting for me to slip on.
"You can't be serious?"
"I am. Now, hurry up, it's 11:47. Nope wait, 11:48." I rolled my eyes and slipped on the heels. To my surprise, I was able to walk in them. My theory, vampire ability. I squatted down to get the locket from my drawer that grandpa had given me before Vlad's father killed him. I admired the golden circle outlined with snow crystals on the edges embedded with their initials, J.B and C.B. A thin outlined heart surrounded them. I opened it. On the left side, there was a picture of them two holding me when I was one year old. Grandpa's eyes were filled with awe and a thick, pink smile lying about on his frail face. Grandma's eyes were filled with sorrow, while her smile tried to cover it up with awe. On the right side was a picture of my mother smiling, she glowed with innocence, but on her lap was a toddler smiling as well. Vlad. I closed the locket it, put it over my head, and I let it hang in between the shirt and scarf.
"You miss them, don't you?" Kayla asked in a gentle voice.
"A lot." I could feel myself tear up. I made my way to sit on the thin desk chair, so that I could do my eye-liner and mascara.
"11:52," Kayla said when I was done.
"Ready," I said unsteadily.
"You sure you can do this?" I nodded and walked out the door before I could change my mind. It was time to know. What? I'm not sure, but I'm definitely sticking around to find out.
We met Vlad outside. Stan was there as well with his arm over Alma's shoulder. Mason wouldn't stop looking at me. Malik was smirking as his eyes drifted from Mason to me.
"Shall we go," I croaked.
Vlad placed his hands on my shoulder.
"I'm here for you, don't ever forget it." I smiled at him and hugged him tight.
"You're riding with me," Mason told me. I nodded and followed him to his black GT Mustang.
"Where is everyone else going to ride?" I asked Mason when the both of us were already in the car.
"Malik is taking his care. Edward, Kayla, and Vlad are going with him. My mom and dad are taking their own car." He ignited his car and sped off, out the school campus, past the hospital, and up into an open field leading to well-groomed trees that were huddled together as if they were telling a secret. Mason sped down in between them, this was our secret.
We stopped in the middle of an opening surrounded by rigid trees hugging one another. We walked down a narrowed path that led to a large cave.
"Don't tell me we're going in there?"
"Don't worry. It leads to a passage door." I hugged his left arm, the same way I did when I was six, and I was hiding behind my grandpa so that the clown at the carnival wouldn't eat me. He led me down in the deep where there was a massive wall made of rock. Mason knocked on it, but not a normal knock. It had some sort of rhythm, a pattern. Then, it automatically slid open. He pulled me in further. There was an elevator before us.
"Going down," Mason joked when we stepped into the elevator.
"Are we almost there?" I asked him when the doors opened again. There was a long corridor that was lit by candle light.
"It's just down there." He pulled me by my hand; there was a light shock than usual. Mason turned to look at me and away when I met his eyes. He led me down the dull corridor until we hit a massive wooden door that must have been ancient. He knocked his synchronized knock and the doors opened wide.
"Awe, Alexandria," I heard a melodic voice vibrate toward us. Before us were three red thrones on a miniature, one step stage. Before the stage were antique red cushioned chairs for all of us. The beige room was wide, lonely. The floor had abstract drawings that filled the room with life. Everyone was seated. Xavier was seated to the left of a pale man with black shoulder length, volume strands of slick hair. His eyes were golden butterscotch. And to his right was Xala.
"Please, take a seat," the pale man said. I proceeded followed by Mason.
"I'm so glad to finally have you here before me," he said. His smooth face smiled and exposed sharp fangs. I lost my breath for a while.
"Who are you?"
"I apologize. I didn't even introduce myself. I'm Vincent. Head of the Conclave," his voice echoed through the walls. He still had his lips outstretched into a smile.
"Do you know why you are here today?"
"They wouldn't tell me."
"Well, I'm going to be telling you an interesting story about a nightmare that has overshadowed our world with the humans. You must pay close attention." His eyes squinted a bit in mystery. I nodded.
"Do you know the story of Judas?"
"I'm not so familiar with it," I said sheepishly.
"Well, the point is Judas betrayed Jesus. Judas felt guilty for what he had done and committed suicide. Because of such an unforgivable act, Satan resurrected him to walk the Earth as a curse. It was to be an 'unholy example' to mankind. Judas soul became Satan's. Angels were cast out of heaven and into hell. Unfortunately, a woman named Lilith climbed out of the core of hell, breeding with Eve's son. When she gave birth, her children killed her and became known as half breeds. Half demon, half human. They began feeding off humans. When God saw what was happening, he sent two indestructible beings to kill them. Unfortunately, the two vampires couldn't kill them fast enough, so he sent the flood. All the half breeds were dead, but the eternal beings were still alive. They began to feed off the dead half breeds, but after a while they ran out. They became crazed. They discovered all the humans and drank their blood. From draining their blood, they killed them. After a while, one of them couldn't take the killing anymore," Vincent paused for a moment. The look in his eyes was distant, cold, yet fragile.
"He decided to search for an alternative. His second option became the animal's blood. It satisfied his hunger, not as much as he wished it did, but it was much more productive. He wished his brother would do the same. He tried it, but it wasn't good enough for him. That was the beginning of the war between vampires and humans. The humans didn't fight though. He fought for them, while the brother fought back to make the world vampire domination. His brother grew an army of vampires. It was too much for him to handle. He swore he wouldn't take a humans life and transform it into just a walking body, but if he wanted to fight back he had no other option. He only turned to those who were dying of sickness. However, before he turned them, he would make them promise him one thing. 'Help me fight my merciless brother for mankind's survival. We will only feed off of animals.'" Vincent recited with emotion being brought to his eyes, but then it washed away.
"The war grew. Innocent people were killed. Vampires drained completely and burned to assure their death. His brother began to get weak after he had succeeded to puncture his skin with iron. A weapon of destruction for vampires. His brother needed a second hand in command. His brother had found a helpless man one day and transformed him. He brainwashed the humble man, made him evil as he was. Unfortunately, for his brother, the humble man had become crazed with anger and power. On a blue moon, the humble man had attacked the brother by striking him with an iron knife to his heart. The brother became too fragile to fight back. He was then set to flames." Vincent closed his eyes as he looked up to the crystal, gold, chandelier hanging serenely in the middle of the ceiling.
"The humble man was no longer humble. Especially, after he had lost the love of his soulless life to a child, a child that was born half breed. We," he gestured to Xavier and Xala.
"Didn't set out to kill the half breed because there was something special in the child. More specifically, because the child's father is utterly powerful. He possesses three special abilities, animal mimicry, telekinesis, and psionic blast. They're very powerful abilities, especially if they're being used for evil. We believe the child will possess powerful abilities to help us fight him off. More importantly, the child will transform and possess these special abilities on the twenty-third of November," Vincent finished saying as his golden eyes relaxed onto my hazel eyes. It then hit me.
"November twenty-third?" I whispered the date to myself.
"That's my birthday!" I exclaimed to Vincent, my body suddenly standing tall.
"Indeed it is," he cooed.
"But-but-but," I couldn't find the words to say.
"Let me add one more thing," Vincent said, turning to Vlad.
"That once humbled man," he paused.
"Is your father," he said to Vlad. Vlad grew stiff. No sign of unnecessary breathing. After a while, he relaxed.
"Thank you Alma," said Vlad. Alma gestured a slow nod.
"Why, didn't my father say anything to me?"
"He became too busy plotting war. He became even more crazed when he found out your mother had the child. He knew what was of the love of his life. You know what happens when a vampire loses his soul mate."
"They look for vengeance, and they won't stop until they have succeeded." Vlad's eyes drifted into the distant as he tried to put the pieces together. I, on the other hand, didn't want to know the truth anymore.
"Do you know now what you need to know?" Vincent asked me. I sat myself back down on the edge of the fabric chair.
"I don't think I want to know," I whispered.
"But you do know." I shook my head repeatedly in my hands. I felt my throat tie itself into a knot, and I tried to fight back the tears.
"Say it," Vincent said. I shook my head.
"Say it," Vincent's voice became louder. I sat still, looking down at the heels that I never would have found myself dead in.
"Say it!"
"Vincent that's enough!" Mason sneered.
"Say it!"
"Vincent!" Mason and Stan hissed. I began to tremble in my seat.
"Say, it!"
"No!" I screeched. My body was still trembling. I began to rock myself back and forth.
"Say! It!" Vincent pushed.
"Stop it!" I rushed to face him face-to-face. My teeth gritted. My jaw clenched. My eyes cried.
"You're his child," Vincent said calmly. My body lost its senses. I then began to walk backwards, away from his words, away from the truth. My knees landed on the marbled floor, my body limp. I then, felt a sudden urge of electricity pump my un-beating heart. I didn't mind though, I let my body fall into his arms.
"Alexa," Mason whispered in soft harmony. I let my sobs break loose.
"No. No. No. No! No! No!" I said between sobs.
"Shhhh," he comforted me.
"Why didn't you tell me he was my father!" I rushed to Vlad's side and began to beat on him, no desire of stopping.
"Alexa! Alexa!" he said trying to stop me. He got a hold of my arms, and I began to fight against him.
"Why?" I yelled in his face, mascara frying my eyes.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. I saw a tear escape his right eye.
"I thought you had enough trouble with finding out about what happened to our mother," he said exasperated.
"The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you this way. I didn't know it was this bad," he said between tears. The look in his eyes was sincere. Being angry at him wasn't going to make the pain any less severe. After all, I loved him; he filled the wound in my bloodless heart. He also had just gotten unbearable news about his, our, father. So, I did what I could do best at the moment, and that was cry with him, holding him close to me, afraid of him being part of the nightmare I wanted to wake up from, soon.
I turned to glare at Vincent.
"So, I'm the child who you believe will be able to help you?"
"We believe and hope so," he said sternly.
"Do you know he's out to kill me?"
"We are aware of it. But we will help you train to fight him off when the moment comes," he had a look of hope in his transparent, butterscotch eyes.
"That brother," he said when I hadn't responded to him.
"Was my brother," he sighed, and took his seat on his throne.
"I need you," His golden eyes showed despair. I looked away.
"This is too much for me. How can you be so sure I will be able to help?"
"We will find out after your sixteenth birthday." I turned to look at everyone else who was seated, almost unconscious. I turned to look at Mason. His eyes had the heartwarming look of awe. The look that shot an arrow through my decreased pumped heart. My eyes made the clouds jealous. I hadn't noticed Mason in front of me. His arms extending, slowly, toward my cool body. I waited for him to embrace me, to reassure me he would be there, most importantly, to say he cared about me. There we were, his body wrapped around my petite figure. I buried my face in his neck. He stroked my curls gently.
"You can do it," he spoke in my ear.
"I believe in you." My tears drenched the collar of his black shirt. I wanted to remain this way forever, and I had the chance to do so. If only he felt the same way.
"Alexandria, we need to know," Vincent interrupted.
"Can I please just think about it?" I pleaded not looking at him. He sighed.
"It's better than no." I made my way out the wooden door, up to the cave, and out into the real world that awaited me. Inhale. Exhale.
"Do you want to go back to the school?" Mason asked. I shook my head.
"What do you want to do?" I walked up to him, to feel his body next to mine, to feel the current bring my heart back to live, to feel his love.
"Can't we just stay like this for a while?" I whispered. He nodded lightly.
"Of course we can." He pulled me in closer.
"Will you be alright?"
"I don't know. It's not every day that you find out you're the devil's child."