Chapter 41: Changes
As I dropped his body, I felt a huge surge of his power hit me, it nearly blew me off my feet. I was gasping and groaning as the pain and power flowed into me, trying to find a place it belonged. After a minute, it seeped away somewhere, finally the pain fading out. I felt so much stronger and so different as I stood up straight, pulling my claws back, but not before noticing how much longer they grew. I lifted a finger to my teeth and felt that my fangs were also almost twice as long as they used to be.
I wasn't sure what was going to happen now, but I needed to get rid of his body, I didn't want anyone to find out. I grabbed his arm and lifted his body up into my arms and turned to see Neville and the trio standing there, their eyes wide with surprise and fear. Neville rushed forward and began to wipe my mouth, but I shrugged him off. "No point in it Neville, they have seen me. Just let me remove this filth from here please. Go back to the party." "Aethna, you're covered in blood." Harry said, coming over and the others followed slowly. "Is that guy dead?" Ron asked, his face trying to look around to see the face. "Are you a-" Hermione started, but Neville faced them.
"Hey guys, let's get back. I'm sure my grandmother is wondering where we went. Aethna just needs to freshen up, she is coming to join us in just a minute." he didn't let them take no for an answer, but I could still feel Herimone's eyes on me as they walked off. I sighed and began to walk away, into the woods. I walked for a while, not sure where I was headed, but I felt it wasn't far enough so I kept on.
I finally stopped and realized I was standing at the edge of a cliff, the sky was beginning to lighten, I had walked the entire night and now the sun would be coming up soon. I laid my father's body down and sat beside him, feeling free for the first time in so long. "Aethna?" I jumped and whipped around to see Nikolaus standing there, his clothes tattered and his face showing his worry and happiness at me. He rushed over and looked down to see our father's bodies unmoving. "You killed him…truly?" I nodded and he sat beside me, seeing my clothes ripped and dirty, along with the blood all over me.
"How?" "I guess I am just like him…a monster." I breathed out, feeling his power flowing in my blood, his strength is now mine…I wasn't sure how I felt about it. It was just so fast, it just happened. "You aren't. You stopped him. He was the monster. You saved everyone…even me. He was right, I'm barely a vampire at all." I took his hand, feeling his skin was a lot warmer than my own. "You are lucky then. I don't like this power inside me, even before I ended him, I hated the vampire side. I wish I was more human than vampire. Maybe then I could fit in more and have a normal life."
He gave my hand a squeeze and smiled, the light beginning to lit up his face. "We are family. You are who you are meant to be. We will be in this together from now on." I chuckled, he was so young and unaware of what the world was truly like for our kind. The sun rise finally reached us and I turned back to my father's body and watched as it began to burn and crisp until it was nothing but ash. "He was truly a monster…but he was still our father. He was a part of us and will remain until we are ash as well. I will not miss him, but he did raise me to be strong and taught me my history. I learned many things from him, both evil and good. I will forever hate him for what he was…but I also can't completely hate him. Goodbye father, rest."
Nikolas mumbled a goodbye, but I knew he barely knew our father, if he showed none or very little vampirism powers, he would have been disposed of or sent away. It wasn't long before the ashes were gone, fading away in the wind. I rose from my spot and breathed deeply, it was finally over, he was really gone. "Aethna, are you alright?" Nikolas asked and I blinked, turning to see worry filling his face. "I'm fine, what's wrong?" "Look at your hands." I looked down and saw my skin was peeling, crisping and turning to ash as it blew away.
I took off running into a dark spot of the trees and open and closed my hands, I felt no pain, but I could see my skin healing and growing back from what burnt off. I shuddered, unsure of what was going to happen now, I took every drop of my father's full vampire blood. What would that do to my body? Would I turn into a full vampire now? I didn't want to be like that. I wanted to be able to go into the daylight, I've lived my life in the sun, I didn't want to go away from that. I didn't want to go away from Neville…
I felt the tears dripping from my face when Nikolas came over to me, his face filled with concern. "Are you in pain?" "No, it's jus-just…I may turn into a f-full vampire…I don't wa-want to." I choked out, letting him pull me into a hug. "Let's get back to the Manor, I'm sure that guy is going to be worried about you." I nodded, taking his hand and letting him lead me through the woods, keeping to the shadows and rushing out of the rising sun. I still couldn't believe I didn't feel the pain of my skin literally burning off. It was almost mid-day when we arrived and I saw Neville pacing near the tree, chewing on his nails.
The sun was right above the yard, there was no way for me to get to the house without going into the sun. I may not feel the pain, but I didn't know what would happen if I went out fully exposed. "Nikolas, please go tell Neville that I will return tonight. Ask him if you can stay at the manor until nightfall. I'll hang out here and try to test the light on my skin in small areas. Just tell him I need some time and I will come inside tonight. Don't tell him anything about the sun on me or anything. Swear to me." he did and then stepped out, getting Neville's attention and he met him halfway.
They spoke briefly and Neville's eyes fell onto the forest, unable to see me in the thick brush. He took a step toward me, but Nikolas grabbed his shoulder, stopping him from going further. I listened hard, hoping to hear what he was saying to him, but it was lost, the distance was too far. I slid behind a tree, retreating from the ray of light sneaking through the trees. I sank against it, unsure of what I was going to become, what I was going to do if I did become a full vampire. I kicked my shoes off, they were covered in dirt and blood from the fight and I stuck my toe into the light, watching as it began to redden and crisp.
I pulled it back and sighed, still no pain, but clearly the sun and I wouldn't be getting along anymore. I watched it heal quicker than normal, no mark left when it was finished, however I felt so tired, like the day was draining my strength right out of me. I leaned back against the tree, closing my eyes for a moment before realizing that I couldn't go to sleep. It was possible that I got into the sun and wouldn't feel the pain before I was dead. I stood up, looking around for somewhere for me to get some rest out of the sun completely. There was a small pocket behind some rocks and I sighed, it would be uncomfortable, but safe. I wedged myself into the space and closed my eyes, feeling more tired than ever before.
I went to stretch and hit the rocks, waking up and seeing the sky darkening with the sun set. I crawled out of the hole and took a few minutes to move around and get all the knots out of my body from being so cramped up. I stepped out and seen the sun finally disappearing and the yard was clear. I started the long walk across it and paused beside the tree when I ended my father's life and caused this to happen to me. I glanced over and saw the door open and Neville and Nikolas came running outside and over to me. Neville grabbed me and pulled me into a tight hug, mumbling that he was happy I was alright and that he loved me.
"Neville, there's something I need to tell you." "Are you worried about Harry and the others? They promised they would keep what they saw a secret. They wanted to talk to you, but I told them that we would see them at school. So don't worry." I smiled, that was the last thing on my mind, no matter what, Neville would always be too good for me. "No, it's not that. Neville, I really need to tell you what's happened." I looked at Nikolas and he nodded, understanding that we wanted to be alone and excused himself. I sat down with Neville following me and he listened quietly.
"When I fought my father…I had to do something terrible. I was losing, I wasn't strong enough. He had won, he was going to go to the party, to attack and feed on all of you. I couldn't allow that, so I did what I had to do. I used his blood to get the upper hand. I felt his power pushing me forward. It gave me the rage and strength to injure him, allowing me to finally kill him. But I couldn't stop myself from drinking his blood…all of it." Neville's face was shocked, but he said nothing and held my hand tight, even with the dried blood on my dress and arms.
"We went to let his body sit in the sun to burn away when Nikolas noticed something about me. When I was in the sun, my hands began to burn…like a real vampire. I didn't feel the pain, and I healed quickly. But I have no clue what my father's blood will do to me. I could turn into a full vampire…meaning I-" "Don't say it. I can't believe that." he cut me off, making me turn and look into his eyes. "You are perfect. This changes nothing about you or us." I let the tears fall over, feeling so thankful that he accepted me no matter what. "Neville, I won't be the same if that happens. I won't be able to go out during the day, I won't be able to eat normal food, everything will change!"
