Never thought I'd walk on this street again.
Standing where it all began.
Tried to forget when I left this town,
But it takes me right back when I come back around.
,~V~,
We made it into town cutting it close. Willa had us take refuge under the church of all places. She knew the reverend and he had allowed her to take shelter from the sun there in the past when she had nowhere else to go. So now we were waiting it out so that she could meet up with her maker the next night. I laid sprawled out on a stored away pew while she was propped up in a broken down chair. The sound of a door opening and someone approaching had me sitting up, alert. Willa opened her eyes and looked up, unconcerned. I just shot her a look before I quickly hid myself away. I didn't care to meet any of these people.
"Willa?" a deep yet kindly male voice questioned.
"Hello Reverend Daniels," Willa greeted.
"I heard you left. What are you doing here?" he asked her.
"I did. Except that, well, I was called back for some reason," she explained.
"Maybe it was for Sookie's get-together. She's invited almost everyone," he mentioned.
"I hope so," she responded.
"Well the sun will be setting very soon. I'll leave you to whatever you came to do. It's nice seeing you again," he said in farewell.
"You too," she replied. I waited until I was sure he was gone before showing myself.
"He seems nice," I commented.
"He is," she confirmed with a nod. She glanced over at me.
"I'm not meeting any of these hicks, and don't make me either. Figure out what's going on and then let's get the fuck out of here," I told her. She sighed but nodded. We waited the last hour until sunset and then left the church basement. I followed Willa anxiously, keeping close to her and skirting anyone I didn't want to get close to. There were just as many vampires as there were humans. It was an odd sight to see them so mixed and yet living easily. I had thought people would start mowing them down when Hep-V was affecting them but with New Blood in production it negated the need for that.
"Where are we going?" I asked my maker.
"Fangtasia," she responded. I scowled at the name.
"Is that some kind of bar?" I guessed.
"Somewhat. It's like a stripper bar/club I guess, but for vampires. Humans can go in too but they're mostly humans looking for trouble. That, or they're fang bangers," she explained. I stopped at the new word.
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" I inquired incredulously. She stopped to look at me.
"Exactly what it sounds like. A derogatory word for humans who have sex with vampires," she answered. I rolled my eyes before beginning to walk again.
"What other terms am I missing out on here?" I asked sarcastically.
"Some humans might call you fanger but most are starting to just say vamp," she responded.
"I hate this place already," I remarked. She chuckled and then shifted into a jog. I caught up to her just as she took off in vampire speed and I sped up to follow suit. We stopped outside our destination. Willa looked around with creased brows.
"What's up?" I asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"This was the last place I saw any of them before I left," she said.
"What made you leave?" I questioned next.
"My maker. He demanded that I go with him, half-cocked, to hunt down some human he needed. I told him he was a shitty maker along with his other progeny. They both left me and my friend, his progeny's progeny, all on our own. They were supposed to be there for us and they weren't. So, I bargained for my freedom and left. I guess the information helped him because he's now the happy owner of New Blood," she explained. My eyes widened.
"He's the reason New Blood was created?" I said in awe.
"Yeah. Come on. Let's go," she replied. She moved to walk in the door and I kept close behind her. We entered the dim yet rowdy building. The music made me smirk and the atmosphere peaked my interest enough. I really wish I could get drunk again. Willa took me by the hand to keep me focused. She knew I was already thinking of running off to have some fun. I was seconds from doing just that when I saw a human woman letting two vampires feed from her. I groaned and Willa's grip tightened on me. I rolled my eyes. Killjoy. We pushed our way through the crowd and stopped in front of a throne. On it sat a handsome blonde vampire whose blue eyes locked on Willa instantly. The tall blonde vampire woman next to him raised a brow and smirked. He stood and made his way over to us. The woman left her post to follow.
"Willa, you came," he greeted.
"Yes, now tell me what you want so we can go," she replied. His eyes flicked to me before he walked away. Willa trailed after him so the woman and I did the same. He took us into an office where it was quieter and gave us some privacy.
"Pam, make our guest feel more comfortable while I speak with Willa," he instructed. The blonde woman, Pam, directed me to a seat and then looked in a small fridge for a can of New Blood which she popped open and handed to me.
"Sit down and shut up, newbie," she told me before walking over to sit on the side of the desk the blonde man was leaning against with crossed arms. He and Willa were speaking in hushed tones. I took a drink and stared at him until it clicked. I had seen him before, on TV. Willa said he owned New Blood, and now that she mentioned it, he was the vampire advertising it. His name was Eric Northman and Pam must be his progeny, the woman who was also in the advertisement with him. I scrutinized him a little longer before I noticed that Pam was doing the same to me. I narrowed a glare at her but she only smiled knowingly. I huffed out an irritated breath and looked away.
"Fine. I'll go, but not for you. For Sookie," Willa suddenly spoke louder, coming to a conclusion. She caught my attention and I stood.
"Ready to go?" I asked her, hoping she said yes. Eric scrutinized me before trading glances with Pam.
"Is this your progeny Willa?" he asked. She simply nodded.
"Jade West," I introduced myself confidently.
"You picked yourself a good one, didn't you?" Eric asked her, a bit taunting. She remained silent. He looked to me.
"An all American rocker. Do you miss the party scene?" he questioned me. His smirk held something different than Pam's did but I couldn't figure out what it was.
"Not really. All it was good for was the music and booze. I'm having more fun where I am now. Well, not here, but I'm sure you know what I mean," I snarked. Willa gave me a disapproving subtle shake of her head but I ignored her. Eric didn't look bothered at all.
"I see. Well maybe Pam can show you how much fun we can have here?" he suggested.
"Eric," Willa grumbled. He shot a charming smile her way before turning it on me.
"How about it?" he asked.
"It'd be a pleasure. Come on, Auntie. Show me the perks," I answered in a southern drawl, smirking at Pam who grimaced. Eric chuckled and Pam glared at him before grabbing me by my upper arm. I held a hand up to Willa as a half-ass wave and let Pam drag me out into the commotion. She swung me in front of a leggy and busty brunette barely wearing any clothes except for some strips of leather.
"Have some fun. Don't kill her. She's my best dancer," Pam told me. As soon as she sauntered off the brunette walked over to drape herself around me. I set aside the can in favor of feeding off her. We danced a little before my lips found her neck and my fangs slid out to bite. Fuck yes, fresh blood. I groaned and lapped at the open wound as she gripped me by my leather jacket. She left her neck exposed to me, her body still moving to the music. I leaned in for more when I was forcefully removed from her. I growled, ready to pick a fight, when I realized it was only Willa.
"Let's go," she commanded. I sighed but licked my lips of any stray blood and wiped at my face. She raised a brow at me, shook her head, and then led the way out. Now that we were back outside I felt a little more relaxed. That place reeked of tension, sex, and blood. It put my senses on edge and brought out that wild side Willa rarely showed but made a point for me to control.
"So what did he want?" I asked her as we walked back towards town.
"When a maker calls, the progeny has no choice but to answer. But when a progeny is released from the maker there is no need to answer. So I could ignore him, which I did, but he was being persistent. It turns out he was just drawing me back here for my friend, Sookie. She's gathering friends and family for a Thanksgiving dinner," she answered.
"It's November already? Shit, where did the time go?" I wondered.
"Gone, like most of it will be for us," she replied cryptically. I grunted, uninterested in depressing shit, and nudged her.
"Can we speed it up and get this over with?" I inquired. She gave me an amused smile that I waved off.
"Ok fine. Have it your way," she gave in.
"I always do," I teased in return. She laughed, pushed me, and then ran off. I sped after her. We stopped a little before reaching the big house that was our destination. Lights glowed and people of all kinds held multiple conversations. I stopped to lean on a nearby tree, watching them. I never had a family. Well, I did, but not a proper one. They didn't care about me. I took care of myself and left as soon as I could, traveling with my band. I never looked back. I never regretted it. But I did wish that it was better, that I was asked to come home once in a while like Willa had been. I wished that I had chosen to form a band and travel for the novelty of it, not to escape. I wished my parents would brag and tell everyone that I was their successful daughter, a rock star in my own right, and that they were proud of me. But no, I was promptly forgotten once I left. A low growl left me but Willa's gentle hand resting on my arm calmed me down.
"You want to hang back?" she asked, knowing what I would say. I nodded stiffly. She turned my head so that she could look at me. She offered me a smile and then joined the people she knew, leaving me to wallow in the shadows. I turned away and walked slowly through the trees, wondering what I would do with the second life I was given. I couldn't just follow Willa around forever. Maybe I could form another band? This time with all vampires. Or maybe even a mix to promote the equality of humans and vampires. Fuck, I sound like Willa now. Maybe she could be our manager? I smiled but shook my head. My thoughts continued to shift as I took steps one by one. A small noise was all I had as a warning before I was thrown back against a tree. A vice grip tightened on my neck and I hissed at my attacker, fangs out.
"Put those away before you hurt yourself, newborn," Eric Northman scoffed. I refused to listen.
"What do you want?" I demanded.
"I wanted to get to know you, up close and personal. I wanted to see who Willa deemed worthy of joining her for all eternity," he replied, sharp gaze inspecting me.
"Aww, is daddy concerned for his little girl?" I mocked. He chuckled heartily and then yanked me forward to slam me into the tree, cracking it.
"That mouth of yours is only going to get you in trouble. Do me a favor and don't let it get you and her in shit you can't get out of. Because if she meets the true death because of you, I'll make sure you go with her," he threatened.
"I get it. Now let me go," I growled.
"You do have attitude I can admire. You're a fighter, a survivor. You have the potential to be strong. But like I said, don't let those smart ass tendencies get you in trouble," he stated, his hand moving up to grip at my jaw. I jerked away from him with a sneer.
"Anything else, Gramps?" I spat in agitation.
"No, but feel free to come back to Fangtasia. I can see you having a lot of fun there. That is, if Willa will allow it," he taunted.
"I don't need her permission," I grumbled, moving to walk away, but he yanked me back with an arm around me and his hand at my throat again. His hard body was pressed up against my back as he leaned over my shoulder.
"Obey your maker," he whispered. I opened my mouth to retort when a shiver ran down my back. I looked off in the direction I knew Willa was at. She was calling to me. I could feel her. Eric seemed to notice the signs because he let me go.
"Good. You're taking my advice already," he commented with a smirk.
"Fuck you," I snarled at him before running at vampire speed to Willa. When I found her waiting where she left me I could see the relief on her face. She gripped me by the shoulders and looked me over.
"I sensed you were in trouble. I leave you alone for a few minutes and look what you get into. What happened?" she interrogated.
"Eric cornered me," I told her. Her worry lessened a little to be replaced by confusion and intrigue.
"Eric? What did he want?" she asked.
"He threatened me to be a good progeny and listen to you. He said that if I was ever the cause of your true death he would make sure I had the same fate," I answered. Willa frowned and then shook her head. Her hands slid down to grip mine.
"Let's go. I've spent enough time here," she decided.
"Well, since we came back here, why don't we go see how you do with California? Who knows, it might be fun," I suggested with a cheeky grin.
"California it is then," she agreed. She left to say her good-byes and then returned. We both looked back at the group of people Willa called her friends and then we left. We spent the day under the church again and left town as soon as the sun set. We were back on the move. Traveling was an adventure I didn't think I would ever get tired of.
,~TB~,
