Chapter 8

"YOU'RE CRAZY!"

I watched Darren back away from me as I stayed glued to the spot, he knew what my intentions were now and how he was the main part of it all. "There's no way I'll become your assistant! You must be mad to even thing such a thing…"

I shrugged and raised my voice a little to tell I was being serious about this whole thing. "Then Steve Leopard dies…" I announced and then he stopped retreating, he looked like he was going to get down on his knees.

"Please!" he begged, "there must be another way!"

"The issue is not open for debate!" I said sharply, "If you wish to save your friend then you must join me…If you refuse then there is nothing more to discuss…"

"What if I--"

"DON'T WASTE MY TIME!" I snapped at him, pounding on the table, the impatience I had been harboring for two weeks now powered into the fists--smashing the table in half.

"I HAVE LIVED IN THIS DIRTY HOLE FOR TWO WEEKS! PUTTING UP WITH FLEAS, COCKROACHES AND LICE! IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED IN MY OFFER SAY SO AND I WILL LEAVE. BUT DO NOT WASTE MY TIME WITH OTHER OPTIONS BECAUSE THERE ARE NONE!"

I watched the boy nod slowly and come forward, there was a taint of understanding in his eyes as he nodded, stepping forward with recognition "Tell me more about being a vampires assistant."

I smiled weakly, I told him the things he'd have to do, being my eyes and ears in the day, not exactly be my slave because that was too far, but it would be hard work just as it was for myself under Seba. I told him that I would teach him of our world, show him his old world through the eyes of a vampire…

"Do I have to become a vampire?" he asked and I nodded.

"Eventually yes…but at first you will only be half vampire half human so you will be able to walk in the day, you will not need as much blood to survive. You will have certain powers but not all…And you will only age at a fifth the regular rate, instead of the full vampires tenth"

He seemed confused so I explain in simple terms that he would grow one year every five years…"I dunno…" he murmured aloud. "Sounds dodgy to me…"

"It is your choice…" I stated, "I cannot force you to become my assistant. Of you decide it is not to your liking then you are free to leave!" I said, as another voice came through in my own, "But you can not do that even if you want to!"

My inner voice spoke true, Darren shook his head, "But Steve will die if I do that!"

"Yes" I agreed, "It's you're assistance or his life…"

"That's not much of a choice…" he grumbled, making my genius plan seem full proof,

"No." I admitted, "it is not. But it is the only one I can offer…Do you accept?"

I watched him think it over, it was like watching a war from outside the battlezone--I could sense his mind battling with his selfishness or his loyalty…when he looked up at me and sighed.

"Ok…I don't like it but my hands are tied. I just want you to know that if I ever get the chance to betray I will. If the opportunity arises to pay you back I'll take it. You'll never be able to trust me!" he said sternly and I couldn't help but laugh inwardly

"Nice kid!" I thought to myself sarcastically and then nodded, "fair enough…" I muttered

"I mean it!" he warned,

"I know you do!" I answered, "That is why I want you! A vampires assistant has to have spirit. Your fighting quality is exactly what drew me to you. I am sure you'll be a dangerous lad to have around I am sure! But in a fight when the chips are down I am just as sure you will be a worthy ally…"

I think my words startled him alittle, but there were the reason they were announced--that was what I believed…Darren took a deep breath.

"How do we do it?"

I walked forward, this was the part I knew would be the hardest, when Seba blooded me almost two hundred years ago it had been alarmingly painful for me…but for him it seemed ten times worse.

"Are you ok Seba?"

"Oh fine, fine…nothing a bit of spit can handle…"

"I hope I never have to do that again!"

"Well it depends…you will have to if you ever want to become a full vampire and it depends if you want to blood someone…which is more painful on the vampire's part than the humans"

"Then I don't think I ever will!"

"Well we shall see about that Master Larten…we shall see…"

I raised my right hand smiling at the memory, wandering if Seba knew then how troublesome and dangerous I was going to be for him just as I suspect Darren will be for me. I pressed my left hand's sharp fingernails into the fleshy points of my own ten scars…it was a sharp pain but I have felt worse…then I did the same to the other hand and turned to Darren shaking alittle.

"Lift your hands!" I grunted but he did not do as I asked so I jerked the palms up and dug my ten nails into his ten fingertips. He cried out and fell back rubbing at the bleeding tips in agony.

"Don not be such a baby!" I jeered, I thought Gavner was a wimp at times--

"It hurts…" he complained but I knew the worse pain was still to come. "Ofcourse it does!" I laughed, "It hurt me to! Did you think becoming a vampire was easy? Get used to the pain! Much lies ahead!"

I put his fingers in my mouth to test the blood, it was like a human tasting ice-cream, I swallowed it eagerly, I had not been hunting for a drink in a while and the blood gave me a burst of energy.

"It is good blood" I told him, "We can proceed."

Then I joined fingers with Darren, and waited…suddenly I felt my blood draining into him--a tingling painful feeling as though I was being sucked dry, whereas I was receiving Darren's blood in my other hand. I closed my eyes, waiting for the painful sensation to leave--I was shaking slightly but he did not notice. This was definitely more painful than I pictured it would be but then again nothing I could not handle when I got used to it.

I opened my eyes and wandered what Darren must be feeling…when I was blooded I remembered the feeling, tingly and bitter--but he wasn't shaking…I knew I had got the worse deal. I watched as suddenly in pure pain the boy pulled away, he fell to the floor looking as sick as dog. I too felt dizzy as I liked at the blood on my fingers, healing it over so the blood would stop--I now had new scars over my original ones…

"Give me your hands…" I muttered and he did so as I licked them. He was amazed as I healed them then I tossed him a rag which he used to clean his hand off--ten scars on his young fingertips.

I took the chance to sigh, "that is how you recognize a vampire…there are other ways to change a human but the fingers are the most simple and painful method…"

"Is that it?" he asked, "Am I a half vampire now?"

"Yes" I answered.

"But I don't feel any different."

"It will take a few days for the effects to become apparent." I told him wistfully, "There is always a period of adjustment. The shock would be too great otherwise…"

"How do you become a full vampire?" Darren asked me, I was getting sick of the questions already but I answered as truthfully as I could.

"The same way…only you stay joined longer so more of the vampire's blood enters your body"

"So what will I be able to do with my new powers? Can I turn into a bat?"

I laughed smiling, though I could not blame him…he was too into the fictional side of our lives to realize it would be scientifically impossible!

"A bat?" I said shocked, "You do not believe in them silly stories do you? How on Earth can somebody the size of you or me turn into a tiny flying rat? USE YOUR BRAIN BOY! We can no more turn into bats rats and frogs than we can turn into ships, planes and monkeys!"

"So what can we do?"

I stroked my scar again and considered telling him, when I remembered my deal. "There is too much to explain right now. We must tend to your friend. If he does not get the antidote by morning, the serum will not work. Besides we have plenty of time to discuss secret powers…" I stated and grinned, "You could say that we have all the time in the world…"