I suppose I should have yelled that he was out of his mind. I just sat there, staring blankly ahead. A whole society of vampires, witches and shapeshifters, walking amongst regular people, and never knowing until it was too late that they were there.
I should have been horrified, terrified or disgusted. But I wasn't. To tell the truth, I was fascinated. All that power, being there, all along...it intrigued me.
"You think I'm crazy," Zeke said fatly. "You don't believe me."
I laughed shortly. "I believe you, all right. It's not every day you see someone shift from human to tiger. You don't get tigers in Denver."
Zeke moved from where he was standing, looking out the window. He came to sit on the bed, and met my eyes directly. For a long time, he just seemed to look at me, his only movements reaching out to smooth back a lock of my hair, which was plastered to my forehead. I reached up to touch his hand, and there was...
I wasn't sure what it was. It was silvery and shimmery and linking our fingers together, wrapping a shining silver line around them. I knew Zeke could see it as clearly as I could. I looked over at him. Something like this had happened when he'd first kissed me.
And then he kissed me again. The white light began to shine again, engulfing our minds. But this time, he didn't pull away. He let me see, let me see him for who he really was. I knew he had done some bad things, but that didn't really bother me. I could see the darkness of the Night World etched into his memories. He was so powerful...
And I wanted to be like that. I wanted to be like him, to be strong and perfect and be able to read minds and live forever...
When he pulled back, he was smiling. "You know what?" he said. " I love you."
I smiled. I couldn't help it. I wrapped my arms around him and leaned against him. "I love you, too." I lifted my head and looked at him. "What is that? The lighty thing?"
"It's called the Soulmate Principle. It's the idea that there's one and only one true love for everyone on earth and when you find that person, you know them and you know you were meant to be together."
"When I first saw you, all I could think was how you were going to change my life." And he had certainly done that. My eyes met his. "I want to be like you."
He stared at me, stunned, as if not sure what he thought he heard me say. "Seraphin you don't know what you're asking for."
"No, I know. I do know. If we're the only person who can make the other happy then don't you think we should be together, forever?" I was desperate. I wanted so badly to be part of this new world. There was so much we could accomplish together, if only he'd give me the chance.
He sighed and closed his eyes. "I...its against the law..."
My head tilted. "Isn't telling me against the law too? And being in love with me? You might as well go the whole way."
He opened his eyes and looked at me. "You really want to be a vampire."
"Yes," I said impatiently. "I really want to be a vampire."
He sighed. "Why do I know I'm going to regret this? All right, all right, you win."
I smiled again. "You're easy."
"I know. I'm an idiot."
"Uh...and we do this like in the movies? You're gonna drink my blood?"
He smiled a little. "Yeah, I'm gonna drink your blood, and you're gonna drink mine."
I wasn't sure what to think about that. But I had asked for it, and it was going to happen.
"This is going to take a while," he admitted. "You generally can't change someone with one exchange of blood. It takes at least three, and in that time we're gonna have to figure out a way to fake your death and get you away from here."
I hadn't been prepared for that. I thought about my life. What was I really giving up here? It wasn't like there were any friends who would miss me. It wasn't like I was a great student. I hated studying. I hated living at home with snotty parents who really couldn't give a damn about me. It wasn't like anyone was really going to miss me. It seemed as if I might as well be dead.
"All right, go ahead."
This was it. I was stepping over the threshold of reality into something much, much better. At least, I hoped it would be, and I wasn't doing all this for nothing.
* * *
The whole change took over a week. It was...well, it wasn't like in the movies. It was, to tell the truth, the worst week I'd ever spent. I was sick, and miserable and could barely move. The only good thing was the blood exchange itself, the wonderful tasting, magic liquid cascading down my throat, always made me feel better, and the feeling of Zeke taking mine. The soulmate link between us made it all the more wonderful, trying to make our minds as one, merging us together. I knew him like I'd never known anyone else.
It was all worth it. I'd never been happier in my life. I admired my reflection in the full-length mirror. I'd moved in with Zeke now, and we'd successfully managed to fake my death. He'd dug me out my grave about two hours ago, and I'd just fed for the first time. The thrill of the hunt and kill was amazing, and something I hoped I could do again and again.
My skin, pale before, was now almost as white as marble, and as smooth. My eyes were a brilliant colour, a dazzling midnight blue I'd never seen before, and when my fangs grew, they turned silvery and shiny. My teeth glimmered like pearls. My hair was raven black, like Topaz's. I'd changed the streaks to silver. My nails looked better too, longer and sharper, now painted black. I wore a black silk corset and a long swirling black skirt, pattered with a twisted design, and high black leather boots with a heel that tapped on the floor when I walked. I looked better than I could ever remember.
"You read?" Zeke stuck his head round the door. The look in his eyes told me all I needed to know about how good I looked.
I nodded, and we left. Tonight he was taking me to a party at a club called the Black Iris, a chain of Night World clubs. I was really getting the hang of fitting in here, and I was still awed and fascinated.
"Remember," Zeke said before we went in. "You can't act like you've just stepped into your dream world. You've always been a Night Person, you're used to this."
I snuggled closer to him and nodded. I kept a cool look on my face as we headed inside. Inside was all heavy metal music, throbs of drums, beats of keyboards, and singers screaming incomprehensively at the microphone, the strobe lights flashed all around the dance floor. Around the upper level of the club, it was dark and twisting shadows. The people were like they were in the Black Foxglove, which I'd learned was another Night World club.
It was really true, all these people were everywhere. It made me wonder what else was out there.
* * *
Harmony Silverthorne couldn't believe her eyes. Zeke was really walking a line here. What was he doing with that Seraphin girl? Topaz couldn't seem to let it go, and her obsessions with it were driving her mad. But Seraphin was a human! What was she doing here, mixing with some of the most powerful Night People? Plus, it was Blaine Silverthorne, her cousin. Aurelia was going to be pissed about this.
Spying Zeke just coming from the bar she grabbed his arm and yanked him into a dark corner. "What do you think you're doing?" she hissed.
He looked down at the two drinks in his hands. "What does it look like?"
Harmony was annoyed. "That's not what I mean," she snapped. She pointed over to Seraphin. "What's *she* doing here?"
Zeke looked over, his face darkening seeing Blaine flirting with Seraphin. "It's none of your business," he snapped.
Harmony smiled sweetly. "What would happen to her if Blaine discovers she's human?"
Zeke gave her a smirk of his own. "He can't do a damn thing. She's not human. She's a vampire." He laughed at the look on Harmony's face. "God I wish I had a camera. The look on your face is priceless."
Harmony didn't say anything as he left, and practically dragged Seraphin away from Blaine. There was something off about all of this. As a vampire herself, Harmony could instantly tell another of her own kind. And there had been nothing about Seraphin that said she belonged to Night World. Night People had certain...signals about them, that let another one now you were there. Seraphin had none of these.
Getting closer, now it was obvious she had them. She was right out there, telling she was a made vampire. Harmony felt her lip curve. An illegally made vampire at that. She made er way through the mass of wild people to where Topaz and Monica were scowling at Seraphin and Zeke.
"Guess who's been a bad boy?"
* * *
So far, I was doing okay. I seemed to be making a pretty big splash amongst these people. Some of them seemed to really like me. The way they all seemed to keep asking rather personal questions bothered me, and it took me a few minutes to keep coming up with answers.
I found Zeke on the dance floor, a girl with blue hair trying to flirt. I wrapped my arms around his waist and whispered in his ear, "I think it's time we were going."
He looked a little disappointed, and sighed heavily. "Yeah, okay." I turned to glare at the blue haired girl, and she actually shuddered and stepped back, making me feel really good as we left. Nobody had ever reacted like that to my glares before.
It was late and the area the club was in was dark and seemingly deserted. This time, I wasn't afraid, though. Zeke was with me, and he wouldn't let anything happen to me.
"You two have been bad." Topaz's voice rang out of the darkness. It sounded eerie in the silence. More eerie by the fact that I couldn't see her.
"Shit," Zeke muttered. "We're in for it now." His face was cold and unreadable. And then I saw why. We were surrounded by dark figures, lead by Monica and Topaz.
~Run,~ Zeke said in my mind. ~Run and don't look back.~
~I'm not leaving you,~ I snapped.
~This isn't a game,~ he said angrily. ~ Go.~
~I'm not going anywhere, we might as well take that for given.~
He sighed and rolled his eyes. The people around us were making no moves. It seemed they were just standing there like black statues. The minute one of us made a wrong move, they'd end us.
"Give yourselves in and no one gets hurt," Monica said. She seemed so normal compared to the rest of them. But what did normal have to do with anything?
"Not a chance," I said stubbornly. She'd hurt me once, and wasn't going to again.
Topaz made a gesture, and the black figures began to move. And before I knew what I was doing, I was running. I was just doing what I was told. I couldn't help it. Something was compelling me to move away. I didn't know what it was, it was more than fear, it kept me going.
But no matter how fast I seemed to run, there were always people behind me. I turned a corner and came up short. Topaz was standing directly in front of me.
"Going somewhere?" Her smile was cruel, her voice cold.
I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out. Something struck me, a blinding flash of mental energy struck me, and I passed out.
* * *
Monica joined Topaz, looking over at the crumpled body on the sidewalk. "Do you want to kill her now?"
Topaz's head tilted. She had been all prepared to kill the little bitch, but then, another thought had struck her. She was an illegally made vampire. If they took her to Trinity and the Council, then the Council may pay them for upholding the law.
"I have other plans for her."
* * *
I should have been horrified, terrified or disgusted. But I wasn't. To tell the truth, I was fascinated. All that power, being there, all along...it intrigued me.
"You think I'm crazy," Zeke said fatly. "You don't believe me."
I laughed shortly. "I believe you, all right. It's not every day you see someone shift from human to tiger. You don't get tigers in Denver."
Zeke moved from where he was standing, looking out the window. He came to sit on the bed, and met my eyes directly. For a long time, he just seemed to look at me, his only movements reaching out to smooth back a lock of my hair, which was plastered to my forehead. I reached up to touch his hand, and there was...
I wasn't sure what it was. It was silvery and shimmery and linking our fingers together, wrapping a shining silver line around them. I knew Zeke could see it as clearly as I could. I looked over at him. Something like this had happened when he'd first kissed me.
And then he kissed me again. The white light began to shine again, engulfing our minds. But this time, he didn't pull away. He let me see, let me see him for who he really was. I knew he had done some bad things, but that didn't really bother me. I could see the darkness of the Night World etched into his memories. He was so powerful...
And I wanted to be like that. I wanted to be like him, to be strong and perfect and be able to read minds and live forever...
When he pulled back, he was smiling. "You know what?" he said. " I love you."
I smiled. I couldn't help it. I wrapped my arms around him and leaned against him. "I love you, too." I lifted my head and looked at him. "What is that? The lighty thing?"
"It's called the Soulmate Principle. It's the idea that there's one and only one true love for everyone on earth and when you find that person, you know them and you know you were meant to be together."
"When I first saw you, all I could think was how you were going to change my life." And he had certainly done that. My eyes met his. "I want to be like you."
He stared at me, stunned, as if not sure what he thought he heard me say. "Seraphin you don't know what you're asking for."
"No, I know. I do know. If we're the only person who can make the other happy then don't you think we should be together, forever?" I was desperate. I wanted so badly to be part of this new world. There was so much we could accomplish together, if only he'd give me the chance.
He sighed and closed his eyes. "I...its against the law..."
My head tilted. "Isn't telling me against the law too? And being in love with me? You might as well go the whole way."
He opened his eyes and looked at me. "You really want to be a vampire."
"Yes," I said impatiently. "I really want to be a vampire."
He sighed. "Why do I know I'm going to regret this? All right, all right, you win."
I smiled again. "You're easy."
"I know. I'm an idiot."
"Uh...and we do this like in the movies? You're gonna drink my blood?"
He smiled a little. "Yeah, I'm gonna drink your blood, and you're gonna drink mine."
I wasn't sure what to think about that. But I had asked for it, and it was going to happen.
"This is going to take a while," he admitted. "You generally can't change someone with one exchange of blood. It takes at least three, and in that time we're gonna have to figure out a way to fake your death and get you away from here."
I hadn't been prepared for that. I thought about my life. What was I really giving up here? It wasn't like there were any friends who would miss me. It wasn't like I was a great student. I hated studying. I hated living at home with snotty parents who really couldn't give a damn about me. It wasn't like anyone was really going to miss me. It seemed as if I might as well be dead.
"All right, go ahead."
This was it. I was stepping over the threshold of reality into something much, much better. At least, I hoped it would be, and I wasn't doing all this for nothing.
* * *
The whole change took over a week. It was...well, it wasn't like in the movies. It was, to tell the truth, the worst week I'd ever spent. I was sick, and miserable and could barely move. The only good thing was the blood exchange itself, the wonderful tasting, magic liquid cascading down my throat, always made me feel better, and the feeling of Zeke taking mine. The soulmate link between us made it all the more wonderful, trying to make our minds as one, merging us together. I knew him like I'd never known anyone else.
It was all worth it. I'd never been happier in my life. I admired my reflection in the full-length mirror. I'd moved in with Zeke now, and we'd successfully managed to fake my death. He'd dug me out my grave about two hours ago, and I'd just fed for the first time. The thrill of the hunt and kill was amazing, and something I hoped I could do again and again.
My skin, pale before, was now almost as white as marble, and as smooth. My eyes were a brilliant colour, a dazzling midnight blue I'd never seen before, and when my fangs grew, they turned silvery and shiny. My teeth glimmered like pearls. My hair was raven black, like Topaz's. I'd changed the streaks to silver. My nails looked better too, longer and sharper, now painted black. I wore a black silk corset and a long swirling black skirt, pattered with a twisted design, and high black leather boots with a heel that tapped on the floor when I walked. I looked better than I could ever remember.
"You read?" Zeke stuck his head round the door. The look in his eyes told me all I needed to know about how good I looked.
I nodded, and we left. Tonight he was taking me to a party at a club called the Black Iris, a chain of Night World clubs. I was really getting the hang of fitting in here, and I was still awed and fascinated.
"Remember," Zeke said before we went in. "You can't act like you've just stepped into your dream world. You've always been a Night Person, you're used to this."
I snuggled closer to him and nodded. I kept a cool look on my face as we headed inside. Inside was all heavy metal music, throbs of drums, beats of keyboards, and singers screaming incomprehensively at the microphone, the strobe lights flashed all around the dance floor. Around the upper level of the club, it was dark and twisting shadows. The people were like they were in the Black Foxglove, which I'd learned was another Night World club.
It was really true, all these people were everywhere. It made me wonder what else was out there.
* * *
Harmony Silverthorne couldn't believe her eyes. Zeke was really walking a line here. What was he doing with that Seraphin girl? Topaz couldn't seem to let it go, and her obsessions with it were driving her mad. But Seraphin was a human! What was she doing here, mixing with some of the most powerful Night People? Plus, it was Blaine Silverthorne, her cousin. Aurelia was going to be pissed about this.
Spying Zeke just coming from the bar she grabbed his arm and yanked him into a dark corner. "What do you think you're doing?" she hissed.
He looked down at the two drinks in his hands. "What does it look like?"
Harmony was annoyed. "That's not what I mean," she snapped. She pointed over to Seraphin. "What's *she* doing here?"
Zeke looked over, his face darkening seeing Blaine flirting with Seraphin. "It's none of your business," he snapped.
Harmony smiled sweetly. "What would happen to her if Blaine discovers she's human?"
Zeke gave her a smirk of his own. "He can't do a damn thing. She's not human. She's a vampire." He laughed at the look on Harmony's face. "God I wish I had a camera. The look on your face is priceless."
Harmony didn't say anything as he left, and practically dragged Seraphin away from Blaine. There was something off about all of this. As a vampire herself, Harmony could instantly tell another of her own kind. And there had been nothing about Seraphin that said she belonged to Night World. Night People had certain...signals about them, that let another one now you were there. Seraphin had none of these.
Getting closer, now it was obvious she had them. She was right out there, telling she was a made vampire. Harmony felt her lip curve. An illegally made vampire at that. She made er way through the mass of wild people to where Topaz and Monica were scowling at Seraphin and Zeke.
"Guess who's been a bad boy?"
* * *
So far, I was doing okay. I seemed to be making a pretty big splash amongst these people. Some of them seemed to really like me. The way they all seemed to keep asking rather personal questions bothered me, and it took me a few minutes to keep coming up with answers.
I found Zeke on the dance floor, a girl with blue hair trying to flirt. I wrapped my arms around his waist and whispered in his ear, "I think it's time we were going."
He looked a little disappointed, and sighed heavily. "Yeah, okay." I turned to glare at the blue haired girl, and she actually shuddered and stepped back, making me feel really good as we left. Nobody had ever reacted like that to my glares before.
It was late and the area the club was in was dark and seemingly deserted. This time, I wasn't afraid, though. Zeke was with me, and he wouldn't let anything happen to me.
"You two have been bad." Topaz's voice rang out of the darkness. It sounded eerie in the silence. More eerie by the fact that I couldn't see her.
"Shit," Zeke muttered. "We're in for it now." His face was cold and unreadable. And then I saw why. We were surrounded by dark figures, lead by Monica and Topaz.
~Run,~ Zeke said in my mind. ~Run and don't look back.~
~I'm not leaving you,~ I snapped.
~This isn't a game,~ he said angrily. ~ Go.~
~I'm not going anywhere, we might as well take that for given.~
He sighed and rolled his eyes. The people around us were making no moves. It seemed they were just standing there like black statues. The minute one of us made a wrong move, they'd end us.
"Give yourselves in and no one gets hurt," Monica said. She seemed so normal compared to the rest of them. But what did normal have to do with anything?
"Not a chance," I said stubbornly. She'd hurt me once, and wasn't going to again.
Topaz made a gesture, and the black figures began to move. And before I knew what I was doing, I was running. I was just doing what I was told. I couldn't help it. Something was compelling me to move away. I didn't know what it was, it was more than fear, it kept me going.
But no matter how fast I seemed to run, there were always people behind me. I turned a corner and came up short. Topaz was standing directly in front of me.
"Going somewhere?" Her smile was cruel, her voice cold.
I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out. Something struck me, a blinding flash of mental energy struck me, and I passed out.
* * *
Monica joined Topaz, looking over at the crumpled body on the sidewalk. "Do you want to kill her now?"
Topaz's head tilted. She had been all prepared to kill the little bitch, but then, another thought had struck her. She was an illegally made vampire. If they took her to Trinity and the Council, then the Council may pay them for upholding the law.
"I have other plans for her."
* * *