Wuya had been keeping an eye on Jack since last night using what little magic Chase hadn't taken from the witch so she could do so without detection. It was a simple spell that functioned basically like Chase's spy-orb. Her sneaking out had earned the Heylin woman a threat of being thrown out with the trash if she didn't follow the house rules. Anger had burned in what heart she had; Chase had treated her like a misbehaving teenager.
That had settled it; Wuya was definitely going to get revenge for being treated like a child, but not now. No, she would get her retribution later, maybe when she had another powerful partner, like a vampire. Chase had ordered his servants to watch what she did and where she went, but she found a little food easily bribed them to obey iher/i instead.
As soon as Jack had started showing serious signs of transformation she had left. The stages of the change were simple: first, a thirst for blood and a loss of desire for human foods; second, the accumulation of powers; and third, the loss of humanity. The third was the most important, as soon as he no longer cared for the human race he would kill more efficiently.
She knew the weak boy wouldn't yet have the stomach to kill ianything/i, not even a rat, for his first meal as one of the undead. Despite his claims of being evil it was more than obvious that he wasn't even close; if anything, he was a misguided attention seeker. He was too squeamish, too green, yet not feeding would make him wild and difficult to control until his changing body got what it needed. So along the way she had found a stray dog, killed it, and drained the blood into a flask. The youth would be more likely to drink it in that form.
He wouldn't be able to live on animal blood, not that he'd even iwant/i to, but he was not yet a full vampire. For now animal blood would suffice, probably for tomorrow as well. Only tomorrow he would have to get it himself; he had to learn to hunt after all.
When Wuya finally arrived Jack was sitting on the floor of his little playroom surrounded by his toys as he shivered and writhed in pain. Judging by the stench in the air he had vomited up any human foods he may have eaten. The boy's back was propped up against the leg of a table covered in blueprints and machine parts. His breath was coming out in pants while sweat trickled down his forehead. Overall Jack looked absolutely pathetic.
"How are you feeling Jackie?" she asked, trying to sound sympathetic.
"Wuya?"
"That's right."
"Wha-what are you doing here?"
He looked like a mess. The witch supposed it was fair; in essence he was changing species.
"Checking up on my old partner; after all, you're going through some tough times."
iYeah right./i "What do you know about it?"
Jack knew he was prone to "blond moments", but he wasn't an idiot. Wuya never came over to just to see how he was doing, and this motherly-act didn't ease his suspicion.
"I know ieverything/i about it," she said, a wicked smile growing on her face, "My dear boy, you're becoming immortal."
Whatever Jack had been expecting her to say it was definitely inot/i that. He was completely taken off guard by it and his suspicion was instantly replaced by questions. Wuya saw his change of expression and knew she had him now.
"iImmortal/i! But-" She cut off his questions before they could start.
"How? It's simple really, tell me, are you aware of what an 'Upir' is?"
"Uh, yeah actually…"
It was true, a few years ago when Jack has first began his interest with the Gothic sub-culture he had gone through a vampire phase; not an uncommon thing among his age group. In that time he had read every book he could find that featured the blood-suckers. 'Dracula', 'Interview with the Vampire', hell, he'd even tried reading 'Twilight' at some point but had barely gotten through the beginning before announcing to no one in particular that the book was terrible.
Wuya didn't know this, and still gave him a skeptical look that made him blush in frustration.
"I do!" protested the Goth boy, "It's a Russian vampire right? They usually go after families, and Vlad told me 'upir' is also slang for mother-"
"Yes," Interrupted the Heylin woman, "so you know."
"Yeah, so…what about it?"
"Think about it Jack; where was the Shen-gong-wu yesterday?" she questioned, a hint of impatience creeping into her voice.
"Uh, Russia?"
"Yes, and iwhere/i are Upir found again?"
"Russia."
"So what could all that have to do with you becoming immortal?"
Wuya wanted to face palm at the oblivious look on his face. Instead she forced herself to be patient and decided to spell it out for him.
"For Evil's sake, a vampire followed you home from Russia." It came out angrier than she had intended but his ignorance had been getting on her nerves.
Jack's eyes went wide and instinctively his hand went to his neck feeling the previously unnoticed bite mark that could be found there. The realization that everything the witch was saying was true hit him like a shovel; ihe had almost bdied/b last night. Instead he was turning into a bvampire/b./i
"I saved you, you know."
iThis can't be happening/i "What?" He'd barely heard her; he was ready to go into shock.
"That creature would have drained you dry if not for me."
"R-really?" He was too astonished for him to wonder why she had been at his house that late at night in the first place. Everything was happening too fast.
"Yes…but now, you're turning into a vampire Jack. That's why you've been sick, your body doesn't want food anymore; it wants iblood/i" She made sure to sound kind and empathetic.
"Blood?" His response came out like a squeak.
"Yes. That reminds me…" Wuya took out the flask she'd brought with her. The evil boy genius looked warily at it, everything he'd had today had made him sick and the thought of blood didn't sound much better. That's what it had to be: blood.
The witch crouched down to the boy's level and offered it to him. He took an experimental sniff.
It smelled wonderful.
It was the most beautiful smell in the world at that moment. Sweet and spicy and salty and warm and just an utterly perfect fragrance like nothing he'd ever experienced in his short life. It called to him, he wanted to guzzle it down, to chug it like an alcoholic would a beer. It was a drug, one sip and he knew he'd be addicted. His head was swimming; he iNEEDED/i it.
"…drink up Jack."
He needed no encouragement; he all but snatched it from her hands. Wuya merely smiled at his enthusiasm and watched as Jack took his first sip of blood.
O8o8o8o8o8o8o8o8o8O
Chase hadn't been surprised to find Wuya gone again; however, today he would pretend she had gotten away with it. That she thought she could bribe his warriors was just arrogant, of course they would accept free food, but that doesn't mean they would iwork/i for her. She seemed to get a kick from acting like a teenager; no, that was an insult to the monks, more like a bratty child.
He felt no need to check on what she was doing; obviously she had gone to check on her protégé before he could become too blood thirsty and to possibly answer his questions. He already knew all he wanted about vampires; like Wuya, he had known a good many of the leeches during his long lifespan. He recalled the first one he had met, her name lost to time. It had not been long after he had locked Hannibal Bean in the Ying-Yang world.
The Italian creature had captivated him at first; she had seemed so beautiful and exotic with her blond hair and blue eyes. It was the first time he'd been so far away from his home in China and the fact that there were people in the world who looked as she had seemed truly amazing. Looking back it was very amusing to see what things he thought were wonderful. However, things change, like his attitude towards her.
A few centuries down the line and she hadn't taken care of herself iat all/i. Immortal life to her had been one big party so she had taken no measure to preserve herself. She had fed irregularly, often forgot to find a proper hiding place so she could rest during the day without detection, and was constantly making herself sick by feeding of ill or diseased people. Chase would not have been surprised if she hadn't known vampires weren't true immortals; it would have explained much about her actions. He had put her out of her misery.
He would likely have to do the same for Spicer.
As annoying as he found the boy he had never made an honest attempt to kill him. He'd thought about it and he wouldn't save the boy if he was dying, but going out of his way to slaughter him? It would have been petty and childish. Spicer wasn't a threat to him, just irritating. Besides, he would die in a mere sixty years or so anyway.
Things would be different when the youth was a vampire. With Wuya mentoring him he'd be tricky to deal with at best, and as soon as he realizes he doesn't need the witch he will turn on her in an instant, just as Chase had turned on Hannibal. To be full a vampire you had to lose your humanity and doing so made you loyal only to your own species. Wuya is a fool if she thinks she can control him forever once Spicer has fully transformed.
Immortals of other species rarely get along under normal circumstances; just look at the way the witch and the dragon lord fought all the time. Even on the off-chance he doesn't turn on her he will still be difficult. Immortal powers trapped with the mentality of a snot-muffin of a teenager like Jack Spicer with no concern for anyone but fellow vampires was a dangerous thing. And if that danger was suddenly pointed in his direction he was certainly going to do something about it.
Even if that meant he would have to kill the boy.