Chapter Six

Change

I ran down the narrow alley, my feet slapping the pavement, my right arm brushing the damp wall and my breath exhaling sharply as I ran and ran. Behind me I could hear heavier footfalls, quicker than mine ever could or will be. Taking a quick right turn I found myself heading straight towards a dead end, trash cans and debris lying in my path, I leapt over them and ran straight at the wall, I heard a low chuckle behind me and I smiled slowly. Right foot, left foot, arch of the back: just like Cynthia taught me and pushed back on the wall to arch away from the bricks to land behind Him. I tossed my long auburn hair behind my head and I almost felt my eyes glint with maliciousness as they turned from their dark blue to silver. He turned around slowly to face me.

'I should have known you would pull that move on me,' he said, his voice gravelly and shaky.

'Yet, you did not think to act upon it did you, Adrian.' I wrapped my hand lightly around my dagger, 'perhaps it may be time for you to simply accompany me to Morganville; your mind is slipping, clearly.'

He walked toward me slowly, his hands clenching and unclenching, the hair covering his eyes being blown around his face by the warm breeze, yet with the breeze came the putrid scent of rubbish and decaying animals and I couldn't help but to wrinkle my nose at the over-powering smell.

'My mind is not slipping.' I was suddenly pushed back to the graffiti ridden wall, his face in front of mine, so close our noses touched, 'I do not wish to be chaperoned to a restrictive pen, I enjoy living in the open, hunting when and where I wish,' he lent in closer, if that is even possible and I tried to lean away as his stinking breath polluted my personal space. 'I hear your heart, beating as fast as sparrows wings, it makes me thirsty.' I turned my face away and tightened my hand on my dagger as he leant in, his nose sniffing my long neck, paler than a human; though not as pale as a true vampire. 'So thirsty.' I felt his teeth graze my skin before I brought my knife up sharp, I felt the blood run down the palm of my hand and then the scent hit me and I felt my teeth sharpen slightly as I moaned. It had been so long since I had sampled blood, I lifted my hand to lick the palm clean all I could think about was the blood, abruptly Adrian was pulled away and thrown half way down the alley and another had taken his place.

'Lower your hand, Ana. You know you can't drink vampire blood it makes you sick.' His blue eyes burned into mine and I knew he was right, but I wanted it so much.

'Darling, please.'

My head jerked back up and I stared at him, my eyes burning into his, those dark blue eyes, I shook my head and glared at him.

'You have no right to call me that, get away from me.' I pushed past him and walked towards Adrian. The silver from my knife prevented him from healing and he lay on the concrete twitching slightly.

'Help me with this.' I said, 'I need to transport him to Morganville before sundown.'

I removed the knife and wiped the blood on his ragged clothing before grabbing his arms.

'Well, are you going to help me at all?'

Silence rang throughout the rancid air.

'Peter?' I glanced around and found a deserted alley; he had left me to deal with the scum on the street. 'Leave then, what you're best at,' I muttered under my breath as I lifted Adrian over my back and began to walk towards the end of the alley, 'what he's always been best at.'

1899

The first half-breed in vampire history. Would I want to drink blood? Sleep during the day? Never see a sunrise again, not that I saw too many before, but that's not the point. I twisted my fingers together and gazed down at them in shock, the finger I had lost years ago had, I couldn't think of another way to phrase this, but it had grown back, long and as supple like the others. I looked up at Amelie my tears falling fast down my cheeks.

'What does this mean? Will I have to drink blood? Sleep in a coffin?'

Amelie laughed an empty laugh.

'Sleep in coffins? No, that is something even true vampires avoid. It is possible that due to your human blood, the sunlight will merely burn you, not be a fatality. I believe that you will be able to live off food, yet your thirst for blood will overcome your hunger. It will be essential that you quench your thirst and do not allow it to overpower yourself.' All of this was said without any emotion, hollow and cold. I turned to Peter in shock, yet to my dismay he was gone. I looked around the room taking in every speck of dust and mite, but he was gone. He had left me alone with this woman, vampire, thing. He was gone. Gone. Amelie paid my pain no attention, either that or she didn't notice.

'I am in need of someone with your skills, Ana.'

'Skills?' I asked, my voice as empty as her own, 'I have no skills apart from that of the imagination and finding myself in unfortunate situations. How can I help you?'

She smiled a sinister smile and began to walk towards me. She looked me up and down with her eyes in seconds.

'You will require training. Extensive training.'

'Training for what precisely?'

'In time I shall explain, for now I shall take you to a vampire named Cynthia, she is very skilled and can perfect your skills in months rather than years. I expect you to listen to her and follow her direction as you will never find another more skilled, do you understand, Ana?'

I looked at her for a moment before I shook out my long auburn hair.

'Ma'am, take me to Cynthia.'