"You are a psychic," Mikhail announced. "However, you deal with emotions rather than telekinesis or precognition. You are able to gift the ability to our males to feel emotion, much like you have with Diego. When he exits your mind, the gift will be gone. However, that is a great power you wield, Esmeralda."
"Thank you…my prince."
"Please," said Mikhail with a smile. "Call me Mikhail." I nodded.
"And we haven't been properly introduced," Raven stated. She shook my hand. "I'm Raven, lifemate to Mikhail."
"And I'm Esmeralda." The room fell silent for a moment before Diego brought up the reason why we were here.
"My prince, I've brought Esmeralda here because she is a Carpathian woman. However, she has not found her lifemate yet." He turned to me. "Usually the women are turned by their lifemate, but you're a special case." He then directed the conversation back to Mikhail. "I want your approval to convert her. She needs to be protected and she's vulnerable as a human." Mikhail nodded.
"Yes. Jacques is due tomorrow with his lifemate, Shea. She is a renowned healer," he said, looking at me. "She can help you with the conversion." I nodded. I had little to no idea about the conversion, but I was ready for my new life. "It is late, or early by Esmeralda's standards. The sun is about to rise and I must go to ground." Ground? Go to ground? The fuck?
"Carpathians sleep in the soil. The nutrients replenish our powers as we sleep the healing sleep of our people. We do not dream; we just sleep and wake."
"You don't sleep…in a coffin?" The three Carpathians laughed.
"No, we do not."
"How do you sleep in the soil?" I asked. Raven rose and everyone followed suit. I followed her down a flight of stairs to the basement, where there was a room full of soil. Raven swept her arm and a crack in the earth formed. My mouth dropped to the floor in surprise.
"You too will learn these powers," Raven said. "I will see you momentarily, lifemate. I will show Esmeralda her room." Again I dutifully followed Raven out of the basement and up another flight of stairs. She stopped at a richly furnished room and led me inside. There was a king sized mattress along with various works of art strewn across the room. "You will sleep here tonight. Do not worry; Mikhail has strewn his best safeguards this night. Even Diego has added to the spell."
"Safeguards?" I questioned.
"Well…They are spells, essentially. They are powerful magics designed to keep us safe during the day, when we are most vulnerable."
"Thank you, Raven." She placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Remember, you're no longer alone. You are one of us now, though you haven't gone through the conversion. Sleep well, Esmeralda." She left the room and shut the door behind her.
"Where are you, Diego?" I asked telepathically.
"I'm going to ground as well." For a slight moment, I felt an overwhelming sense of panic. "Don't worry. I will be there if you call for me."
"But you said you just sleep."
"It is true. We stop our hearts and lungs while we rest, but if you call me for me, I will wake. My mind is firmly entrenched in yours. I will feel you if you are afraid." I was quiet for a moment.
"Why do they need a healer for a conversion?" I felt Diego's mind still but I waited.
"It is a painful process. Your organs will be reshaped and you expel your human blood as well as any toxins inside of your body."
"But…that would kill you!"
"Many of the Carpathian women have gone through the process."
"Really?"
"Yes. Raven was the first human women to be converted and she is the catalyst that is slowly bringing our race back from extinction. Since human women have the ability to be converted, many of our hunters have been saved from the darkness. She will be with you during the conversion. She will help you." I felt Diego's mind finally begin to still. "Now I must sleep, my love. You should sleep too. You will need your strength." As he spoke his last statement, his mind finally shut off, leaving a blank void. It was disconcerting to say the least. I was used to having him with me. Now I felt kind of lonely. I crawled into bed and clutched Rhiannon's necklace in my hand.
"Rhiannon," I prayed. "Give me strength." Almost if my necklace heard me, it warmed in my hand.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
I woke only to see darkness. I had slept the day away but I didn't get up. I was afraid of the conversion. I knew it was cowardly, to be sure, but Diego had made it sound…scary. Not at all like the simple vampiric bite-and-you-go-vampy.
"Come downstairs, Esmeralda, my love. It's time."
"I'm not your love," I argued, a smile on my face. I heard Diego's laughter and I sat up only to spot clothing at the foot of my bed. I inwardly thanked whoever had left them for me and I dressed quickly and bounded down the stairs. I spotted Raven and Mikhail immediately. She was sitting beside of him on the couch I had occupied last night. Diego was sitting on a chair, and two other Carpathians sat across from Mikhail. I could tell they were Carpathians because of the haunting, ethereal beauty they excluded. The redheaded woman came to her feet.
"You are Esmeralda? I have heard so much about you. I'm Shea."
"Shea's gone through the conversion and she is alive and well." Diego's information helped kindle my spirits. If Shea and Raven could do it, then I could do. I would just have to have faith in these women and men.
"I'm Esmeralda," I said. "But you knew that already." She gestured to the Carpathian beside of her. He sported a thin scar across this throat but he still oozed elegance and Carpathian sensuality.
"I am Jacques," he stated, placing his arm over Shea's shoulders. She smiled up at him and he kissed the top of her head.
"Please," Raven said. "Sit down. We must discuss the details of the conversion." Diego gestured to me and I walked over to him. He pulled me onto his lap and I grabbed his hand for mental support. I felt his soothing touch in my mind, but I was still nervous about the conversion. "The conversion, as you have probably heard, is a painful process. But to begin the actual change, you must swap blood three times with a Carpathian male. Ordinarily, it is your lifemate, but in this case, it will be Diego." I couldn't help the relief in my mind and Diego began to softly stroke my hand with this thumb. "After you have finished, you will be brought down to our sleeping chambers so we can help you." I nodded once. "After you have rid yourself of the toxins inside of your body, you will be put into a healing sleep, where you will rest in the earth to recover your strength. Is there any questions?" I shook my head.
Raven nodded once to Diego and he stood in one fluid motion, transferring me into his arms. He carried me from the room and led me back where I had slept the last night. He sat me on the edge of the bed and stroked my jaw.
"Do not be afraid, Esmeralda."
"I'm trying."
"Your lifemate is going to kill me for this." With that, Diego leaned forward and kissed me senseless. I stiffened, but Diego knew what he was doing. He kissed a path from my mouth to the side of my neck. He licked my pulse once and began to nibble. I was dying with anticipation and Diego didn't disappoint me. He sank his fangs into my neck, which brought an initial pain. However, the pain faded and brought such an intense pleasure that I moaned in ecstasy. All too soon he pulled away, but he sliced his chest with a talon formed on his hand. "Drink, Esmeralda." I shuddered but dutifully lapped once at the blood. "You need more blood than that, my love."
"How much," I asked, immediately suspicious, "do I need?"
"I will put you under a compulsion." I shrugged, knowing it was the only way that I was going to drink his blood. True to his word, my mind slipped firmly into Diego's control, taking away my consciousness.
As I came around, I noticed that all of my Carpathian friends were gathered around me. I was in a cave of some sort, which sparkled with beautiful crystals. A small bubbling pool was a mere foot away and a small waterfall cascaded into the pool. It helped relax me as I came completely to my senses.
"Hello, Esmeralda," the sweet voice of Raven said. "The conversion will start very soon. We are all here to help you." As I looked around, I saw Raven kneeling by my head, stroking my hair. Mikhail stood beside of her. Shea and Jacques were by my stomach both murmuring a chant. Diego knelt beside of Jacques, his voice also adding to the chant. However, this wasn't an ordinary chant. I could sense the power of the words, and somehow I knew this was an ancient, nearly dead language.
"The chant," Mikhail said, probably sensing my confusion, "is a healing chant, one sacred and imprinted on our Carpathian people at birth. It will help with your conversion-" He was cut off by my exhalation of breath. My gut seemed to have taken a blow and suffice to say, it hurt. Instead of the blunt pain, it began to worsen to the point that it felt like my insides were being tortured by a blowtorch. Sweat broke out on my forehead.
"Do not worry," Diego said, breaking away from the chant. "This is the conversion. Breath slowly and easily. Do not fight the pain. Accept it."
"Who is hurting you?" the enraged voice of my god bellowed. "Tell me!"
"It hurts…" I managed to think. "I thought I could go through the conversion…"
"They are converting you? Without me?"
"It hurts…I never want to do this again…Please…make it stop!" There was silence and I felt a kiss on my brow.
"If I could, I would. I would give you anything, but I cannot do this for you."
"Easy for you to say," I ground out between clenched teeth, the pain subsiding momentarily. "You guys don't give birth and you didn't have to go through the damn conversion." This earned a slight laugh from Raven but I didn't have time to appreciate it. The pain came again, this time making my body jerk with the pain. I flipped over, crawled a few feet away from the Carpathians, and hurled, much to my shame. However, instead of feeling better, I hurled a few more times, the taste bitter in my mouth. Yet as soon as that thought registered, the taste disappeared as well as the toxins on the ground. The pain subsided again and I dropped onto my stomach, breathing. Yet the wave of pain came again with a vengeance and I writhed violently. I was unsure of how much time passed after that moment; I was no longer sane. Yet I welcomed the sound of Mikhail's voice as he said,
"It is safe to put her to sleep."
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
I woke in small degrees, noticing that I was in the room I inhabited before my conversion. As I looked around, I realized that it was indeed nighttime. My body, however, wasn't sore at all, as if it didn't feel any adverse effects from the conversion. I rose from the bed slowly and walked into the bathroom. When I looked into the mirror, I was amazed. Ironically, I was impressed I could see my reflection, which disproved that myth.
On the flipside, my reflection was beautiful. My hair was longer, thicker, and more luxurious, my lips plumper, my facial features more elegant like those of an aristocrat. My lashes were thicker and longer and my vibrant eyes seemed more beautiful. As I looked down at my body, the faint traces of fat I had once had were gone. I was perfectly toned and shaped like a model. Even the chest region was well stocked.
"Oh my god," I murmured, touching my now flawless skin. "I'm beautiful!"
"You were always beautiful to me, love." My eyes glanced behind me, through the mirror, and I spotted Diego. He was leaning against the wall behind me, watching the scrutiny of my body. "You have also survived the conversion. I am impressed and proud of you." I smiled gently.
"Thank you, Diego." He smiled, knowing the thoughts running through my head.
"I will always watch over you, Esmeralda. I will never abandon you." He hugged me from behind in a brotherly embrace and kissed my cheek. As I watched him through the mirror, I gasped. My eyes were flaring red! Diego stiffened and I felt him take hold of my mind. As he gripped tighter, I realized that I was not alone in my mind. My god had stealthily invaded the private corners of my mind to retaliate against Diego. I felt Diego's pain as he fought against my assailant, so I added my power to the mix. It wasn't much, though it was enough to throw my god from my mind all together. I heard a howl of defeat and felt possessive hands on my waist as my god left me. Again, I felt that irritating regret, as if I was losing something special to me.
"This is getting annoying," I muttered.
"You must be careful. He is no mere fledgling."
"Fledgling?"
"A baby of our people. This man is an ancient, one of our most powerful. I feel his strength and his resolve to come for you. We must leave this place."
"But Mikhail-"
"Wouldn't want to keep you from seeing Scotland, would he?" Oh, the miserable wretch. He knew my weaknesses well. I eyed him with suspicion.
"Would we actually go?"
"Yes."
"Can we go to the Highlands as well?"
"Yes."
"Can we go to Stirling Bridge?"
"Yes."
"Hadrian's wall?"
"Yes." I eyed him closely and even felt for any signs of a lie. When there was nothing to base my suspicions on, I smiled.
"Good. When do we leave?"
"Tonight. We will head to Slovakia by dawn and then we will rest."
"Are you sure he will let us leave?"
"Of course." Sure enough, ten minutes later I found myself on a balcony beside of Diego. "Since this will be your first time," he began. I snorted and he fought to keep a smile from surfacing. "Immature brat."
"I am not a brat!"
"Since this will be your first time," he began with a small glare, "I will hold the picture in your mind. The importance of shapeshifting should be obvious. If you do not understand and realize even the smallest details, you could potentially die." I gulped. "Fortunately, I will hold the image for you so you can focus on flying."
"Flying?"
"Yes. You will become an owl, much like the white one in your head." I stared, confused, then it clicked.
"You mean Hedwig?"
"Yes. That owl."
"I'm going to have to make you read Harry Potter."
"And I will endeavor to make you read The Art of War." I glared.
"Couldn't you have picked a better one?" He only smiled then held out his arms. Before my eyes, I saw his bones pop and his skin shrink to soon become feathers. I shivered, uncannily aware what was going on. Once he was completely transformed, the owl turned its head toward me, pushed off with its feet, and flapped its wings. Once it was airborne, I watched closely how to hold my wings. After a few seconds, he landed on the balcony, talons first, flapping his wings to balance himself.
"Are you ready?" I nodded and I immediately saw the picture of Hedwig in my mind. Then I felt my bones popping and skin stretching. I wanted to shudder, but my own body physically couldn't. However, the transformation was smoother and over quickly, which made me glad. I blinked my eyes furiously, trying to get used to the night vision I now possessed, and looked toward Diego. He blinked owlishly at me, as ironic as that sounds, but I recognized that he was only waiting for me to begin to fly.
Instead of using the balcony like he did, I tested out my new wings, stretching them and getting a feel for my new muscles. It was a different, yet exhilarating experience to behold. I folded my wings again, the hopped around. The talons were a bit on the tricky side, and I fell over. I scrambled back up, embarrassed, but I felt waves of encouragement from Diego. Once I felt comfortable with my new body, I flapped my wings furiously, gaining a bit of air to latch onto the banister railing. I held my breath, then made the leap of faith. I flapped my wings and was surprised to find myself climbing higher into the sky.
Diego, who leapt when I did, was below me, making sure to catch me if I fell. Suddenly, I felt an upward draft and simply soared to a higher altitude. Once it was gone, I leveled out, and Diego took his place by my side. As I looked around me, I saw the most pristine picture I had ever seen. This Carpathian Mountain range was the most beautiful place on earth, especially with a bird's eye view. After a few minutes of flight, Diego suddenly dove, then pulled out. Grinning inwardly, I folded my wings and hurtled myself towards earth. After a few exhilarating seconds, I pulled out of my steep dive and flapped my wings to gain my altitude again.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
After many hours of fast and phenomenal flight, we finally made it to the borders of Slovakia. Diego, who saw a nice landing strip (otherwise known as a farming field), banked until he was skimming the ground. He then ran a bit, holding his wings out for balance, then finally came to a halt and folded his wings into the ground. I circled above, not really wanting to land. The landing was always the hardest part of the trip. Though I had not actually tried to land before, I somehow knew it would be a bitch. To my surprise, Diego transformed back into his human form and turned to me. Again, I was taken by his startling masculine beauty, though it didn't stir me in the ways of a woman. Was there something wrong with me?
"There is not, Esmeralda. Come, land and we will go to ground." I finally made the last loop and made a straight line to land. I banked, wobbled a bit, and nearly flapped my wings to gain altitude. "Trust me, Esmeralda," he murmured, holding out his arms. On a random impulse, I adjusted my descent and flew towards him. As I neared him, I flapped my wings to slow myself, but he was able to gently catch me. I folded my wings in and he held me tenderly to his chest.
"Come, Esmeralda. Let us sleep." He placed me on the ground and I underwent the transformation again. This time, it wasn't as bad as the first and I managed to transform with only one shudder at the end. All in all, it wasn't too unpleasant, just…an odd sensation. He then took my hand and walked me to the edge of the farmer's crop. He waved his hand and a crack in the earth formed. He held me in a light hug and we literally floated into the hole. With another wave of his hand, the earth closed and my chest tightened.
"Diego-"
"You no longer need air to breath, Esmeralda." Though my logic may have prevailed in other times, my human side violently rebelled and I began to hyperventilate. "Esmeralda," Diego said sharply. "Listen to my heart. Allow yours to match my pace." Oddly enough, I felt the frantic beat of his heart and my heart match. Slowly his heart began to slow and I concentrated on lowering my own heartbeat. As our hearts returned to a normal beat, I realized that the whole time, I was breathing! As soon as my attention was brought back to the fact, my human side began to rebel once again, but this time, Diego was there to help me breathe.
"Thank you, Diego."
"Do not fight this battle any longer. Allow me to send you to sleep." He felt his assent in my mind and I heard his command to sleep. As I succumbed, my last thought was of my god, and what he wanted of the prince.
