Fangs for the memories
Now Valarie can admit she's had some weird and confusing dreams.
Like when she was in stokley and she dreamed her best friends family was trying to kill her.
But that turned out being her time in the dream world.
However this particular dream took the cake.
Fear filled her entire being.
She was going to die, this was the end.
The sun was rising and she couldn't get free.
Her dress wasn't helping.
Since when did she wear dresses?…… and strappy heels.
"Help!"
She kept pulling and pulling on the robe that tied her to the open courtyard of the school but they just wouldn't budge.
"Somebody help me!"
The sun was getting closer, it was beginning to burn her feet.
It hurt!
So much.
With one last attempt, Valarie let out the loudest and biggest scream she could get.
There was a thud from behind her.
Her saviour.
Silky hair she longed to run her fingers through.
Hazel eyes that only had eyes for her.
Her caped saviour snapped his fingers the binds holding her captive fell away.
Her saviour strode towards her pulling her into his arm and away from the sun.
Val wrapped her arms around her knight neck, hands threaded through her hair.
Their forehead pressed together and noses touching.
"Bertrand you saved me."
"I will always save you."
He leaned down and connected our lips.
"Val."
Valarie eyes snap open, right above her was the subject of her dream himself Bertrand.
If val could blush she would be bright as blood.
"What's put that smile on your face?" Bertrand used a baby voice.
Oh ya know, you saving me for a morning death and then the two of us kissing underneath the archway.
Of course she would never tell Bertrand that.
It was probably just one of those weird dreams teenagers will sometimes get, like the video they watched in health class said.
It meant nothing.
"Don't creep up like that."
"What's the problem
"Nothing are we training or what?"
She hurried out her coffin room with Bertrand on her heels.
...
...
Soft cry's filled her eras as she walked down the corridor.
Erins cry's.
Poor half fang still was finding it hard to adapt.
Valarie couldn't blame her.
Val knew she had training but she couldn't leave Erin like that.
She turned to Bertrand.
"I'll catch up."
Bertrand looked as if he wanted to argue but eventually nodded and continued forward.
Taking a breath val gently knocked on the door.
"Can I come in?"
Val waited for a response, when she didn't hear anything the braved the door.
Erin was in her coffin crying.
"What's wrong? Is it this place?"
She knows it's not exactly what normal breather homes look like, she remembers the first time she went to robins house, it was like walking into another world, bright colours, carpets, radiators, modern day appliances, TVs and stereo's.
It was everything she could of ever wanted, but even though she desired a home like that, she didn't mind the cobwebs, candles and Victorian furniture she had grown up with all of it, first in Transylvania where she was surrounded by multiple vampire family's or their castle in stokley, it was just normal for her, but for a half fang like Erin she supposed it was daunting.
"I know it's not exactly homely, but we can customise your coffin if that would help."
She had the insides of her coffin lined with beautiful teal silk and a soft pillow also silk.
Perhaps she could get Erin a pillow.
Erin simply shook her head.
"It wouldn't."
"Then what is it? You can talk to me."
She knew what it was like to feel like you didn't have anyone who understood.
"No I can't, leave me alone please."
Erin turned from Val and huddled in on herself.
An idea came to Valarie's mind, she raced back to her room and grabbed the stuffed toy before returning To Erin.
She knocked on the door before letting Herself in.
Val held out the stuffed monkey to Erin.
The blond girl looked at the teddy then back to the girl confused.
Val looked down at the monkey with fondness.
"Mr Cuddles, the second."
"The second?"
"Mr Cuddles the first had an unfortunate accident." Her father had ripped mr cuddles head off with his fangs, stuffing was everywhere.
"It was a million years ago."
Val tried to brush it off.
Erin roses an eyebrow at the relatively modern looking teddy.
"Million?"
"Well ten…. Five…..four."
At least Erin was smiling again.
"A vampire with a teddy bear."
Valarie held the stuffed animal in her arms.
"He's pretty much the only thing I managed to save from Stokely."
When Ingrid took the castle, she wanted everything linked to her and their dad destroyed.
"You miss that place, don't you?" Erin asked gently.
"I had a life there, I had friends. Well, one friend."
"Another vampire?"
"No, he was normal."
well….
"OK, He wasn't normal but I still miss him."
She often wondered what Robin was doing, was he still Robin or did the memory wipe take away everything that made him well…Robin, what about chloe was she happy, was Mr Branagh still as chipper as he was before, was Mrs Branagh still the sweet and devoted mother, Val even thought about Ian and Paul did they finally have girlfriends or were they off at collage?
"Why did you leave?"
"After what Ingrid did, we had no choice. If we didn't escape when we did, she would have killed us."
She still remembers that fateful day, val had put on the crown and her sister had literally stepped over her to take the Dracula throne.
"Your sister wrecked your life?"
Valarie gave Erin smile.
"It's kinda her thing."
"But you saved her from the slayers and let her move in?" Val could tell Erin was having a hard time wrapping her head around it.
"She's my sister."
Beside she's pretty sure most of her family has tried to kill each other at some point.
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"
Erin never spoke of her life before she joined them at Garside, heck val didn't even know her last name.
"A brother."
Oh.
"And does he know…"
"Yeah. He...didn't take it very well."
Breathers never do.
"The idea of turning into a vampire...He couldn't handle it, it drove us apart."
"Where is he now?"
"I don't know. He won't tell me."
Val could understand his reasoning, becoming a vampire isn't something that should be taken lightly.
"It's probably for the best For both of you, he'll reject you, maybe even try to slay you. He's better off remembering you as you were."
Erin gave Valarie an accusing look.
"So that's it? Once you're a vampire, you're cut off from your friends and family forever? For eternity?"
Val tried to reassure her.
"Your not alone you have us."
Erin still didn't look convinced.
Perhaps she needed something a little sweeter.
"I happen to know of that the cooks keep pint of ice cream down in the freezer fancy getting some?"
As suspected the thought of ice cream brought a smile to erins face.
...
...
Two bowls of strawberry ice cream later Erin and Val were walking into an empty room.
Erin was looking at the candles, Val clicked her fingers and the candles lit up.
"Does it hurt?"
Val turned curiously to Erin asking her to elaborate.
"The fire thing."
"No, don't even feel it."
She felt the flame but not the heat.
"When your fangs come through..."
That was a right pain.
She winced just thinking about it.
"You don't want to know about that."
Erin houngan her on the couch.
"No I do, I want to be prepared…How bad is the change, really?"
Val shrugged her shoulders.
"It's OK,That's the worst of it, but vampire life's not all bad. The speed thing's pretty cool, you can hypnotise people…"
"Does it work on everyone?"
"Not people you're in love with. Otherwise, yes."
"Even on other vampires."
"Oh yeah."
She still remembers the day she hypnotised her father……
Fun times.
"Vampires are tough, but breathers are easy."
"Have you ever used your powers to ya know attract a guy."
Val snorted.
"Have you seen the guys at this school! No thank you."
She had already had enough of that, seriously why did all the guys seem to think she wanted them to walk her to class or hold her books for her.
"When will I start wanting to...you know?"
"Drink blood?" Val Finnishes for her.
Erin weekly nods.
"Not till you're fully changed."
"How long have I got?"
"That's a tricky one Some people turn straightaway, Others, their blood fights it. It can take months."
"Do some people never change?" Erin asked hopefully.
"No, It happens eventually. Once bitten, there's no going back."
Erin worded her next question carefully, she didn't want to draw attention to it, but she needed to know.
"I heard if you wipe out the clan of the vampire who infected you, it can cure you."
Valarie provided a sympathetic smile.
"That's just a legend, hasn't stopped people from trying though."
"But does it work?" Erin pressed.
Looking at her straight in the eyes Valarie spoke clearly.
"No, but That was your plan all along, wasn't it?" Valarie accused figuring it out.
Erin tried to deny the accusations.
"I don't know what your talking ab-"
"Yes, you do. You plan to go after the vampire that bit you."
"No, I'm not going after the vampire that bit me, I promise."
It was the truth, she wasn't going after the vampire that bit her.
Not detecting the lie Valarie eventually nodded.
"Good Because violence is never the way."
"Says the vampire queen"
"Chosen one, actually." Valarie corrected.
"I didn't choose this job, it chose me. I didn't even want to be a vampire."
Trust her if she could redo her life, she would of chosen to be born into a normal breather family, be able to go out in the sun, go to school, live a normal breather life.
"So you never found a cure?"
Valarie shook her head.
Never.
"But I learned to live with it, and so will you ."
"You were born a vampire. This is all normal for you, Sleeping in mouldy coffins, hiding in shadows..."
"Running from slayers... No normal life, no friends, no sunshine...it's ok." Val added on at Erins expression.
"Your dad and sister don't seem to have a problem, with the vampire thing."
"That's because they're power-hungry maniacs." Erin made a face val was quick to reassure her. Realising how that must sound. "Oh, for vampires, that's a compliment, Dad's loving this Chosen One thing."
These last four years her father had been more attentive to her than he had been since she was born, when she was a child she would be lucky if her father even acknowledged her, now that she was to be the chosen one, he was crowding her and eagerly offering his "knowledge" on all things vampiric.
"So, once you're bitten, you become a vampire…. you crave human blood."
"I Don't drink blood, I get cravings sometimes it's all I can think about but I'm determined to keep drinking soy."
"A vegetarian vampire?"
Valarie laughed at how it sounded.
Erin wasn't in the mood though.
"So basically, there's no way out of it, Your family will reject you and eventually some slayer will hunt you down and stake you."
Trying to lighten the mood val joked.
"You make it sound so negative."
It didn't get the chuckle she wanted.
"I'm sorry this has happened to you."
What else could she say.
"I'm never going to see my brother again, am I?"
"Maybe."
"How can I? After everything you've told me, Breathers and vampires can't mix!"
"That could change."
"How!"
"All my life I've been living up to other people's expectations, It's my life, I'll make this Chosen One thing work for me."
"How're you going to do that?" Erin was genuinely curious.
"When I get my full powers, I'll do things my way, They want me to lead vampires out of the shadows, take over the world,Fine But nobody gets hurt, I want vampires and breathers to live together in peace I want the bloodshed to end, forever."
Valarie spoke with such determination Erin genuinely believe her.
Bringing herself back to the present Val hold up the bowls.
"We best get these back to the kitchen."
The two girls got up from the couch and walked out the door, if they Had been paying more attention they would of seen the dark silhouette hidden at the back of the room.
Bertrand watched the pair exit with a scowl on his face.
...
...
That night Valarie swore she was going to collapse, Bertrand was really pushing her hard.
Just when she thought she might be getting somewhere with him and she might actually start like him, he goes and does a full 180.
Only this time he's started insulting everything she did.
What he hell was his problem!
"What are you doing!"
"That's wrong! Do it again!"
"Do it again!"
"Some chosen one you are!"
How she ever thought she could like someone like him was beyond her.