CHAPTER SEVENTY THREE

EPIPHANY

DANIEL MERRYWEATHER:

The first forty eight hours trapped in Leah and Etienne's bedroom were the worst. Possibly even worse than when Leah had changed me. Back then, my blood had boiled and a terrible fire had consumed me but I knew it would end and I knew the outcome would be to my satisfaction. This situation was different. I had never felt such pain and anguish. I needed to feed. I needed to hunt. Most of all I needed to see Leah, even though she had betrayed me, my addiction to her was just as powerful as my thirst. How could she leave me here like this? Obviously all her words and actions had been complete and utter lies. I had really believed I could make her mine. What a fool! Etienne and his beautiful wife had cooked up some plan which had led to me being trapped here. First the honey trap, then the mystical plant which bound me here. I could not see the prison walls but they were there for sure. I had exhausted myself in the hours after they left trying to escape. How could that substance which looked like dead grass have such an effect? There must be sorcery involved!

Now I was calmer I had time to think. The all consuming blood lust was leaving my system bit by bit, but even I knew that seven days here could be really bad for me. Vampires needed to feed every few days or else we would become weak and insubstantial. Our skin would start to wrinkle and wither, depending on how old we were. Luckily I had youth on my side as I had only been changed six months ago. Etienne would really suffer if he did not feed. He may be powerful and old but he needed blood just like I did. Except Leah and her husband drank animal blood. Where was the fun in that? A little voice inside my head was telling me it wasn't right to kill humans, they weren't our prey, murder didn't need to be done in order to survive. Maybe I could drink the blood bags? My eyes would stay red. Leah would always regret changing me. She would never speak to me again. I reckoned I had now been trapped here for three days. How I wished vampires could sleep! I was stuck here alone with my thoughts! I focused on Leah a lot to help me through my incarceration. Her perfect kissable lips and her athletic, stunningly attractive, body. Her topaz eyes which sometimes shimmered with amber highlights, and sometimes flashed darker and mysterious. I loved her eyes, they were precious jewels set in that unbelievably beautiful face. If I didn't have the urge to drink human blood would my eyes turn out as dazzling as hers?

I think it must be day four now. I am weak and my mind can't focus on one thing for long. I haven't got the energy to think about killing but I am longing for blood. I am so thirsty. I am so hungry. I am sad too because I know my Leah is out there somewhere but she isn't with me. She's with him. I also think of Victoria, the flame haired demon of my astral dreams. Where is she now? If I had never set eyes on her that fateful night I wouldn't be in this position now. She ignited my acute interest and fascination in vampires and ever since that night I had dreamed of becoming one, of changing into something otherworldly and mightily powerful. Her red eyes haunted my waking and dreaming moments since I looked into their scary depths. I imagined her to be invincible and strong. I wanted to be like that too. She had possessed my thoughts for so long. Then I had fallen in love with Leah, first as a human and then triple fold as a vampire. She was irresistible to me. I saw how Etienne and Leah were together and I chose to ignore it. If there was any couple so in love and so devoted to each other it was the Luciers. I had never had someone like that. Victoria spoiled everything for me. I only glimpsed her for a very short time but she prevented me from looking for someone to love. Her possession of my mind was just too strong and all other women looked very shabby and second best compared to her. Just so very human. Until Leah. As soon as I gazed upon her I was irrevocably in love with her. Victoria paled in comparison. I saw Victoria for what she really was. Leah had risen high above the cruel flame haired one in so many ways. I should have listened to Leah. I wanted to be a better man for her, now look at me! I was a monster. Worse still, I was a monster in her eyes!

Another two days passed by. Slowly, tortuously. I was getting beyond hunger now. Sure, I needed blood but the thought of killing someone was abhorrent. I thought of the disappointment in Leah's kind amber eyes. She had made me and I had failed her. I didn't even try to be a good newborn. I had just plunged head first into a hedonistic and monstrous state of mind. I was selfish. I had drank her blood so I could control her. I should know there is no way you can force someone to love you. If it isn't given freely then it isn't really love. If I was Etienne I would want to kill me too. Yes, she cared for me. I was her friend before I became her fledgling. Now I could see what damage I had caused our relationship. It was tearing me apart and my still heart was breaking with sorrow. I had hurt the one thing I held dear. In fact I had hurt someone else I loved too. How could I forget my dear departed friend Lukas? I had pushed him out as soon as I had woken up to this new life. A new wondrous life that I didn't appreciate! My poor Lukas had been dead for years, yet did he bemoan his fortune or turn into someone unrecognisable? No. He became even better than he had in life. He was an angel who only wanted to help people on the earthly plane. He had wanted to help me but I had abandoned him. I conjured up his face in my mind and I silently apologised to him.

I felt a soft breeze beside me on the bed. Lukas. He was here! "Oh Daniel! What a mess you've made!" he shook his head sadly. If I could have cried I would have. "Tell me it's not too late Lukas? Please, my dear friend, I am so sorry!" I stated hoarsely. He smiled benignly at me. Today he was dressed all in white, looking more angelic than ever. He reached out for my hand and I felt a slight electric shock on my skin. I had never seen him on this plane of existence before. Usually I met up with him on an astral level, but since I was undead I could no longer talk with the spirits like I used to. This was better. Much better. "My dear Daniel. Ever since we were children I swore I'd look out for you. Nothing has changed. You just lost your way. I am not fond of your new state I have to say, but I am here for you, always. Leah does care for you, but she will never love you. She loves Etienne. Those two are bound for eternity. All is not lost for you though" he smiled. I tried to sit up but I was so weak. "I have a plan for you Daniel. It will all work out, you have to trust me!" he exclaimed enthusiastically. I was too tired to get excited but I managed a weak smile in return. Lukas stroked my hair gently. I didn't deserve his unwavering friendship. He placed his delicate pale wrist against my blue cold lips. "Drink from me Daniel" he whispered. I was horrified and shook my head unwillingly. "I am an angel Danny! You can't hurt me. It will revive you. It will restore you. Let me do this for you please. I love you, you've always been like family to me! Now let me be your blood brother!" he exclaimed as he lifted my weary head up so my lips pressed against his wrist forcefully. This wasn't Leah's marble skin but soft delicate angel skin and my sharp teeth slid through easily to the vein below.

I have no words for the taste nor sensation which assaulted my senses forcefully. Only one cliché, which seems fitting for an angel. Heavenly. Lukas's life nectar flowed down my throat and gave me back my strength in seconds. I only took what was necessary. I was different now. I had changed. If I could have wept I would have cried tears of joy, sadness and relief. I took my mouth away from Lukas's wrist with a sigh. He clasped me to him in a warm hug. "Thank you" I whispered gratefully. His response was to hug me tighter. Then he slowly disappeared until I was hugging thin air. I heard him laugh playfully in my mind and I laughed too. I easily got off the bed now and I picked up a handful of the strange plant which had kept me prisoner here. It fell through my hands like sand. Now it had no hold over me. I was free, not only physically but emotionally and mentally too. I felt reborn. I wanted to fly away, taste my freedom and all it had to offer, but I owed two very special vampires a very big apology and I wasn't going to shy away from my responsibility. Tomorrow was day seven. My captors, my saviours would return. I would wait here calmly until then. Tomorrow was a new start, a new beginning, a new me. I couldn't wait for it to come. I gasped aloud as brand new conceptions and ideas hit me forcefully.

The sudden realization and comprehension of the bigger picture and meaning of my existence suddenly gripped me with it's intensity.