Chapter Two- Adjustment

Isis stepped outside, gasped, and put a hand above her eyes. Gods, I never realized how bright the sun is. Wait. Vampire were rumored to be sensitive to sunlight. It would seem the eyes are, but not the body. Isis blinked until her eyes had adjusted and then took stock of her body.

Her skin was still tan and warm to the touch which she guessed helped her blend in among humans. Her tongue brushed along the flats of her fangs and recalled that once she had some blood, she'd be able to shorten them. I also need to drink some today. She looked at the vial in her hand and almost dropped it. Her nails had grown out and looked like claws! They're not too noticeable. Hopefully, no one will notice. She uncorked the vial, hesitated, and then proceeded to drink. The blood was cool and not very pleasant but she drank it, anyway. She gagged and shuddered when she finished. I don't think I'll ever like drinking blood. But now that I have, I can shorten my fangs to normal length. She put her fingers to them and visualized them to normal length and felt them move up and away from her fingers.

She smiled at this. That was easy, actually. Perhaps the easy powers come first and then the hard ones come later. I would settle for short fangs and healing bite marks, but I will receive other power every day until I've gotten the ones I'm mean to have and since I must drink every day, perhaps I get those powers after I drink. It was an intriguing theory but Isis, despite being turned without her consent and disliked being turned, looked forward to testing that theory the next day.

She headed back home, dwelling on how being a vampire could have contributed to that foreboding sense she had felt today. She hadn't asked for this but now she had no choice: She had to spend her days as a vampire.

Clearly, I will have to hide this; despite sometimes revering vampires as royalty, people still fear vampires and with good reason. My situation is ironic: I am a vampire priestess but I will not drain people and I do not have to according to Mut. Isis had to admit that she felt better that she did not have to kill; she would rather die than kill.

Speaking of die; how does a vampire die? What are my weaknesses? Now, Isis regretted refusing Mut's offer. The older vampire had knowledge Isis needed to know if she was to live. However, she was closer to the palace now. I will ask her tomorrow. She passed through the gates and straight for the Court Tower to do her duty of fire visions. The pharaoh counted on her and her Necklace to reveal those vague visions of the future. As she climbed, she was visited by a deep concern: What if she could not use her Item or was infected with its darkness due to her being a vampire? If I cannot use it, I will have no choice but to tell the pharaoh what happened to me. She sat before the fire, closed her eyes, and focused on her Item. She sensed its glow and was relieved: It still worked for her.

There was darkness, the kind that was the calm before a vision. The next several moments brought a jumble of images to her and her eyes opened from the barrage and a hand went to her forehead as she tried to sort out what she saw. She had seen herself in Mahad's arms, the kingdom under the sun happy and peaceful, then under a dark cloud, and then happy again, and finally a shadowy figure with menacing red eyes and fangs. It was this last image that frightened her for the figure looked female! Did Mut lied to me? Are all vampires fiends? Will I be that way? Is the kingdom threated by vampires? Or am I overreacting?

"Isis."

Her head whipped around and she saw Mahad in the doorway, looking amused. "You did not sense me coming?"

"Perhaps I would have if I had not received a vision just now."

"I see. Is it bad? That is, do you sense it is?"

"I do sense that but the first image does not match those that came after it."

"Oh?"

She nodded. "It showed me in your arms."

Mahad shook his head as he sat beside her. "Your Item is cruel to you at times. It mocks you with a happy vision before barraging you with dark images."

"I hadn't thought of my Necklace being cruel to me but I see what you're saying."

He nodded before a mischievous smile appeared. "So, you were in my arms. What say we make that come true now?" He pulled Isis closer and enfolded her in his arms. She smiled at being held by the one she loved.

Suddenly, Mahad pulled away from her, confusion in his eyes. "Isis?" he asked, that confusion also in his voice.

"Yes, Mahad? Is something wrong?"

"Usually when I hold you, I can feel your heart beating against my chest but not this time."

Not this…? Oh, of course. A vampire's heart does not beat which is why they must drink blood.

"Isis, what is happening? Why can't I feel your heart beating?"

"There's a reason, but I don't know how you'll react."

"Isis, I love you. We have no secrets from each other."

"That is true. We don't. Mahad, while I was on my walk earlier, I encountered a female vampire who used a curse on me to turn me into a vampire."

"What? A vampire?"

Isis nodded sadly and willed her fangs to grow longer briefly before shortening them again. "She said she gave me a gift, but I fail to see how. I must drink just a little blood every day and will gain a set of powers, one per day. I had some blood from a vial and gained the ability to change my fang's length.

Mahad listened with sympathy as Isis talked. He could see a few good things about being a vampire, though Isis clearly didn't. "And then there's the visions, the last one showing a shadowy female with red eyes and fangs. I'm almost sure it was me!" She sounded almost hysterical as she finished.

"Isis, calm down. It may not be you."

"We don't know that!"

"Maybe, but I know the person you are. You care too much about the people to harm them."

"And yet I must attack for blood. I consider that harming them."

"But only for a little while. Isis, it is clear that in a couple of ways, being a vampire is not so bad."

"How?"

"You still walk in sunlight. Your skin is still tan and warm. In short, you still look human."

"Except for these." She held up her hands and Mahad stared at them.

"Are those…claws?" He brought one hand up closer and examined it. The nails definitely had the hard look of claws but the length was only a little longer for human nails. "The difference is only noticeable up close."

"Mahad," she said as he released her hand. "Do you…still love me?"

"Isis, of course I do. Despite being turned, you are still the woman I love."

Isis smiled as she was pulled into another embrace. She knew Mahad was right: She still had her humanity despite being a vampire. She still looked human and had human feelings, especially love. Mahad still loved her, he didn't care she was a vampire but she felt that others wouldn't be so understanding. It was clear that she would have to conceal it from everyone else. She felt bad at this decision but knew it was necessary.

I will need blood tomorrow and, after I have, I will go to Mut and get the information I need. Hopefully, what she tells me will be enough to dispel the notion that I'm the vampire I saw in my vision; that it was my imagination.