Ichabod's vision had changed dramatically; he could see ten times better than before drinking the woman's blood, and things that he knew were far away seemed much closer. He also felt somewhat lighter on his feet, like if he were to take a step he might float into the air. But the most noticeable change came from his mouth; his teeth had grown considerably and they were stronger, he could tell. He felt stronger, his body was refreshed.
"How do you feel now, Ichabod?" the woman asked, placing her hand on his face. Her connection to him seemed to complete in that instant and a physical need for him presented itself.
"Like I've just sold my soul to the Devil himself," Ichabod replied honestly. The woman smiled.
"Herself," she corrected. Ichabod looked at her with a flash of fear still visible in his eyes. "But think of everything you have acquired, Ichabod!" she said excitedly, her hand gripping his tightly. "All the freedom, the fear..."
"Fear?" Ichabod questioned.
"Yes... everyone you meet shall fear you. Except, of course, for others like us."
"What are we?" he asked, stopping in the middle of the road.
"We are better than humans," she said angrily. "They were put here to serve as food for us."
"Us?"
"Us. We defy gravity, we possess the capabilities of invisibility..."
"There must be a consequence to what we are," Ichabod argued.
"Yes, one," she replied, her tone sounding reluctant. "We must stay out of the sunlight."
"Stay out of the sunlight?"
"Darkness is now your best friend, the sun your enemy. It will kill you should you choose to step into it."
"This is preposterous!" Ichabod exclaimed. The woman turned in the direction where the sun would soon be rising in only a matter of minutes.
"You chose to live and this is all I could offer you!" she yelled.
"And I will not kill for food!" Ichabod yelled as well. The woman arched an eyebrow and tilted her head.
"No?" she asked. "Then you shall die the most horrible way a vampire can die."
"Vampire?"
"If you do not feed, you will watch yourself waste away into nothing... it will take a lifetime." Ichabod's breath caught in his throat.
"A lifetime?" he asked with a frightened tone. "Care to elaborate?"
"I've given you the gift of immortality... not only will you never age, you will never die," she explained. Ichabod stared at her incredulously.
"What have you done to me?" he asked.
"I have given you powers beyond your wildest dreams," she stammered angrily. "You should be gracious."
"Gracious that you have prolonged my life so that I may watch everyone around me die? You have given me a stomach that shall only ingest human blood and to get that, I must kill!" Ichabod yelled. The woman grinded her teeth and because of the strong enamel, Ichabod could hear them rubbing together.
"Your lingering respect and love for the humans disgusts me," she growled, "you will not survive if you continue this way and you'll slow me down as well. That I will not have. I'll leave you now and never return."
"No! Please don't!" Ichabod cried, grabbing her arm as she began to walk away. She gazed into his eyes and regretted ever discovering his presence only a few years before. "You must understand my position."
"I do," she agreed quietly. "But your position must change and change rapidly or you will become a target." Ichabod's eyebrows furrowed.
"Target of whom?" She didn't want to answer and she was almost thankful when she felt the first rays of the sun in the air.
"The sun rises," she announced. "We must hurry." She placed her hands on his face and gazed into his eyes. By doing so, she was able to read his mind. He was frightened. Confused. Curious.
"Your name, please, Miss," he said quietly. She smiled at his manners; it would be extremely difficult teaching him the vampire ways.
"Raiyne," she whispered. "My name is Raiyne."
Ichabod couldn't reply and tell her what a beautiful name she had because of the sudden change in the weather around him. The wind picked up, blowing hair in every direction and the silk cloak Raiyne wore flew into the air behind her. The scenery all around began to disappear right before Ichabod's eyes and fade into utter blackness. His feet no longer stood on the ground, there was nothing under him and common sense told him he had to be flying. The only thing he could see was Raiyne, which was somewhat comforting. She wouldn't leave him, he hoped.
"How do you feel now, Ichabod?" the woman asked, placing her hand on his face. Her connection to him seemed to complete in that instant and a physical need for him presented itself.
"Like I've just sold my soul to the Devil himself," Ichabod replied honestly. The woman smiled.
"Herself," she corrected. Ichabod looked at her with a flash of fear still visible in his eyes. "But think of everything you have acquired, Ichabod!" she said excitedly, her hand gripping his tightly. "All the freedom, the fear..."
"Fear?" Ichabod questioned.
"Yes... everyone you meet shall fear you. Except, of course, for others like us."
"What are we?" he asked, stopping in the middle of the road.
"We are better than humans," she said angrily. "They were put here to serve as food for us."
"Us?"
"Us. We defy gravity, we possess the capabilities of invisibility..."
"There must be a consequence to what we are," Ichabod argued.
"Yes, one," she replied, her tone sounding reluctant. "We must stay out of the sunlight."
"Stay out of the sunlight?"
"Darkness is now your best friend, the sun your enemy. It will kill you should you choose to step into it."
"This is preposterous!" Ichabod exclaimed. The woman turned in the direction where the sun would soon be rising in only a matter of minutes.
"You chose to live and this is all I could offer you!" she yelled.
"And I will not kill for food!" Ichabod yelled as well. The woman arched an eyebrow and tilted her head.
"No?" she asked. "Then you shall die the most horrible way a vampire can die."
"Vampire?"
"If you do not feed, you will watch yourself waste away into nothing... it will take a lifetime." Ichabod's breath caught in his throat.
"A lifetime?" he asked with a frightened tone. "Care to elaborate?"
"I've given you the gift of immortality... not only will you never age, you will never die," she explained. Ichabod stared at her incredulously.
"What have you done to me?" he asked.
"I have given you powers beyond your wildest dreams," she stammered angrily. "You should be gracious."
"Gracious that you have prolonged my life so that I may watch everyone around me die? You have given me a stomach that shall only ingest human blood and to get that, I must kill!" Ichabod yelled. The woman grinded her teeth and because of the strong enamel, Ichabod could hear them rubbing together.
"Your lingering respect and love for the humans disgusts me," she growled, "you will not survive if you continue this way and you'll slow me down as well. That I will not have. I'll leave you now and never return."
"No! Please don't!" Ichabod cried, grabbing her arm as she began to walk away. She gazed into his eyes and regretted ever discovering his presence only a few years before. "You must understand my position."
"I do," she agreed quietly. "But your position must change and change rapidly or you will become a target." Ichabod's eyebrows furrowed.
"Target of whom?" She didn't want to answer and she was almost thankful when she felt the first rays of the sun in the air.
"The sun rises," she announced. "We must hurry." She placed her hands on his face and gazed into his eyes. By doing so, she was able to read his mind. He was frightened. Confused. Curious.
"Your name, please, Miss," he said quietly. She smiled at his manners; it would be extremely difficult teaching him the vampire ways.
"Raiyne," she whispered. "My name is Raiyne."
Ichabod couldn't reply and tell her what a beautiful name she had because of the sudden change in the weather around him. The wind picked up, blowing hair in every direction and the silk cloak Raiyne wore flew into the air behind her. The scenery all around began to disappear right before Ichabod's eyes and fade into utter blackness. His feet no longer stood on the ground, there was nothing under him and common sense told him he had to be flying. The only thing he could see was Raiyne, which was somewhat comforting. She wouldn't leave him, he hoped.