I'm really sorry this took so long to write! The endings are always the hardest! There's one chapter left-an epilogue. This is a really long chapter and it was difficult to write-I needed to get it just right! So here you go! Please review! :)
**Claire**
"Claire, how nice to see you," Myrnin says grinning as I enter the lab and plop my backpack down. "What brings you here today?"
"Amelie has completely lost it." I say flopping into an old armchair placed haphazardly in the middle of the lab.
"What do you mean?" Myrnin asks with a frown as he stands in front of me, crossing his arms.
"I mean she's gone crazy. She killed Jason, threatened to kill me if I cause problems and basically declared herself the town's dictator."
"Oh my," Myrnin says eyebrows raised. "She has lost it."
"Yeah, and I have no clue what to do."
"Who says you need to do anything?"
"Of course I have to do something!" I say in disbelief. "She could hurt people!"
"And when did the well being being of the entire town become your responsibility alone?"
"Since Eve and Michael are comatose and Shane is freaking evil!" I explode. "Someone has to make sure everyone isn't destroyed! Captain Obvious and his stupid ban of followers want to kill all the vampires and I just so happen to be friends with a lot of them. And everyone else is too scared to do anything!" I finish with tears in my eyes.
"So you believe that leaves you Claire?" Myrnin asks softly. "Have you never considered that things cannot possibly change as dramatically as you would like them to as quickly as you seem to expect?"
"I know change takes time Myrnin but it seems like I'm one of the only ones who wants any change that will help everybody. I'm just fed up and tired of it all. And everyone else seems to think I have to save this town too. They think that I'll just take care of everyone's problems and make it all better. No one seems to get that I'm just as scared and tired as the rest of them, I'm just better at hiding it I guess." I admit much to my surprise.
"Claire, come here." Myrnin says spreading his arms wide. I stare a t him a moment before I jump up and bury myself in them as I let the tears flow.
"Shh, my little bird, it will be alright, I promise." He murmurs as he kisses my tears away, one by one.
"No it won't," I sob miserably. "Shane is gone and Eve and Michael might never wake up. Things in this town are just getting worse and worse and I'm trapped here for the rest of my life. There's nothing alright about this Myrnin."
"There's one thing that you do have Claire, and that is me," He says looking me in the eye, his brown eyes wide and sincere. "I promise that I will not leave you unless you tell me to, no matter what happens I will keep you safe."
"I don't know what I'd do without you Myrnin," I say burying myself in his arms. I feel him stiffen and I look up at him in confusion. "Did I say something wrong?"
"No," He says with a strange smile. "You just have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to say that." And with that, he kisses me. It seems to be hours that I stand in his arms as he takes away my pain and worry before he abruptly pulls back, leaving me breathless. He stares down at me, long black hair disheveled, brown eyes intense.
"Do you trust me Claire?"
"What?" I say perplexed. "Of course I do Myrnin." He leans down and kisses my neck and I can feel the sharp pin pricks of his fangs.
"Do you trust me?" He repeats voice low and dangerous. I only hesitate a moment.
"Yes." I whisper. And he kisses me again before his fangs prick my skin. I gasp in pain, but it only lasts a moment before it seems I am immersed in Myrnin's mind.
I am surrounded by a shimmering kaleidoscope of changing colors, still in Myrnin's arms and I gasp in wonder. The lab has completely disappeared leaving us in an almost cave like room. I remember when I briefly entered his wonderful, brilliant mind as he brought me back to life, but that was nothing compared to this. That was like comparing a pretty, sparkly, little rock, to an enormous glittering diamond.
What is this? I think in amazement.
What you already think fy annwyl, my mind. Myrnin says without moving his lips.
You can hear my thoughts? I think tentatively.
Yes. I hear, well not really hear, it's like I'm thinking in his voice. Weird. His brown eyes sparkle with amusement as my jaw drops.
But how? This never happened with—with Shane. I finish after a slight hesitation. Myrnin stiffens and pulls me tighter to him.
It is something only very old and experienced vampires can do. He says tightly with barely contained rage.
I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned him. I say hurriedly. I hear a mental sigh.
It is quite all right Claire. I should not have reacted in that way.
Is everyone's mind like this?
No. Everyone's is different.
Can you see mine?
Yes, but not that clearly. Yours is full of this pure, dazzling white light. There are a few patches of color as well. I see him frown and he hesitates, like he doesn't want to tell me something.
What is it Myrnin? You can tell me.
There are several places where the light has gone out entirely, where there is only blackness. I turn cold, what the hell did that mean? I step away, and wrap my arms around myself, suddenly freezing.
It is nothing too serious. He rushes to assure me.
Yeah, then why didn't you want to tell me?
I did not want to upset you. It only means that you have encountered some very dark times in your life.
That can't be all it means Myrnin. I insist, beginning to panic.
It just makes me angry to see that they have sucked some of the happiness out of you. They altered your mind.
You're telling me. I think bitterly.
Come here my little bird. He says holding his arms out, and after a second, I do.
It will all be fine, I promise you. You are not the only one with dark patches in their mind. I have dozens; they are just carefully hidden beneath the bright colors you see.
All of a sudden, the colors shift and darken, revealing large expanses of darkness with shimmering colors much more sparsely placed. I see now that at least somewhat, his crazy eccentric personality is just a facade to veil all of the turmoil he faces every day. I knew that it was there, to some extent, but I didn't realize it was this bad.
I had no idea. I think hugging him tight. I'm so sorry you have to go through that all the time Myrnin.
Most don't. He thinks voice tinged slightly with sadness. But I do not like to hide things from you Claire.
I'm glad you didn't Myrnin, thank you for trusting me with it. He smiles and lightly puts his lips against mine.
Then we are kissing, clinging desperately to each other. Doing our best to help the other forget their problems, if only for a few minutes. Its strange thinking that we aren't really kissing, that this is really all in our heads and that in reality, we are in the lab, his mouth on my neck, drinking my blood. I wonder how long we've been here, it feels like hours, but it can't have been more than a few minutes.
Kissing here is the strangest and most amazing thing that I have ever experienced. As we kiss, I can hear his thoughts; feel his emotions, so much better expressed here then out loud with mere words. I can hardly tell where my thoughts end and his begin.
Claire, my little bird, fy annwyl don't ever leave me. Promise. I see myself the way he sees me, a brilliantly glowing flame amongst the darkness that nothing has ever been able to brighten for countless years.
I love you Myrnin. I whisper, finally saying the words for the first time. I promise you, I won't leave.
Dazzling, impossibly bright colors flood his mind at that word, love and I hear a bright musical sound that I guess is laughter here.
You have no idea how long I've wished to hear you say that fynghariad. Well, I can guess what that means and I hug him tighter, kissing him sweetly again on the lips.
We have to go. I say gently, a few breathless minutes later.
No we don't. We could stay here forever. He says fiercely, his voice filled with hope.
How long have we really been here Myrnin? Isn't it dangerous for us to be here for so long?
It has been no more than five minutes, time passes much slower here. But I suppose that you are right. Unless... He trails off, knowing I understand what he means.
No Myrnin, please don't ruin this with that again. That is a conversation for another time. I hear a mental sigh and he pulls back, gazing at me sadly, but he has a small smile on his face.
So you are saying that we will discuss it?
Maybe. I relent. Now lets get back. Please?
All of a sudden, the bright, sparkling world of Myrnin's mind disappears in a dizzying rush and I am once again standing in Myrnin's arms feeling light headed. I sway a little and he holds me tighter, before gently leading me back to the battered armchair where I collapse.
"Are you my dear?" He asks anxiously. "I did not think I took that much."
"I'll be fine," I say giving a weak wave of my hand. "I just want to rest a bit if that's all right." My eyelids where growing heavy and all I really want to do is sleep.
"Of course," He says before disappearing momentarily and coming back with a worn looking quilt. "Sweet dreams my little Claire." He whispers before placing a light kiss on my cheek as I drift off to sleep.
**Two Months Later**
It's been two months since I've last seen Shane. Two months since Michael and Eve were attacked. Two months since Amelie killed Jason. There's this invisible wall of tension surrounding the town and everyone in it, one wrong move and it will all explode.
There are a few good things though. About three weeks ago, Eve and then Michael several days later, opened their eyes and actually began to talk. The first things out of each of their mouths were, "Is Michael okay? Is Eve okay?" Apparently, they were semi-conscious the entire time, only unable to move or speak. I can't even imagine how awful that must have been.
Now they can even walk a bit on their own. Everyone proclaims it's a miracle. And it really is, I don't know what I'd do if I lost another person I loved.
Today I'm going to visit Shane. I know that it sounds completely crazy and suicidal, but I've heard that he's doing really well. I mean, he's chained up with silver so how much harm could he cause me?
"Are you quite sure about this Claire?" Myrnin asks, looking at me anxiously. "He's still a dangerous criminal. Perhaps his recovery is false, who knows what he has planned?"
"Myrnin, you heard how heavily he's guarded. He's chained when he's awake and at night, he's in a vampire enforced straight jacket, and even then his ankles are chained. Plus, there's ten guards posted outside and there's like ten cameras in the cell, and if he pulls anything, the collar he wears will inject silver into him at the push of a button."
"Yes but—"Myrnin begins to protest but I put my finger to his lips to silence him.
"No buts, I'm going Myrnin, with or without you. Which will it be?" He sighs gently takes my finger off of his mouth.
"Fine, but I thoroughly disapprove."
"I realize," I say rolling my eyes. "Now let's go."
After passing through a metal detector, we are led down a dimly lit, sterile white hallway filled with barred doors. Myrnin puts a protective arm around me as the doors shake with the frantic escape attempts from the prisoners within, their deranged cries emanate from the cells.
"Who's kept in here?" I whisper in horror.
"This wing here is for the crazies." Our vampire guard says casually.
"Is Shane kept here?"
"No, he's kept with the criminals labeled highly dangerous. We're only cutting through."
"Good. I don't think I could stand being here another minute." I say with a shiver as we pass the last cell with a moaning inmate.
We turn down a hallway that looks eerily like the one in Silence of the Lambs. I half expect Hannibal Lector to be waiting with a "Hello Clarice.", at the end. So not the picture I want right now. So when I hear a voice call my name, I nearly sprint back down the hall.
"Hello Claire." A quiet voice says from the last cell. This one seems the most secure, with a solid steel, or maybe even silver, door with only a small barred window up top and through it, I can see Shane's very sad looking brown eyes. I freeze in my tracks, all of memories of him, the good and the bad come at me in a raging torrent. I can't do this, I think and I start to panic, breathing so fast that I feel like I might pass out.
"Claire," Myrnin says softly as he puts a cool, steadying hand on my shoulder. "Breathe, everything will be all right. I'm not going anywhere." I take a deep shaky breath and manage a small smile.
"I know. Thank you." I say leaning into him.
"Would you like to go in Miss? Or would you prefer to talk to it out here?" The guard asks looking at Shane with obvious contempt.
"Out here is fine thanks."
"All right then, well there are two chairs over there," He says nodding over to two chairs in the far corner at the end of the hall. "Just holler if you need help. We'll know." He says pointing to where I can see the glint of a camera lens.
"Great thanks." I say again and with a nod, he heads off down the hall whistling. That leaves me and Myrnin awkwardly sitting in front of Shane's cell.
"I am so sorry Claire," Shane whispers and I see his eyes well up with tears through the bars. "I don't know what went wrong with me." I want to say that it's all right; I mean that's usually my response after someone apologizes. But I don't think I'll be able to forgive him for a long, long time and we all know it.
"How are you?" I ask after an uncomfortable amount of silence.
"Fine, three square meals a day, comfortable enough chains, I can't complain," He says in a weak attempt to make a joke. "How are you Claire? How are Michael and Eve?"
"Like you even care, you son of a bitch." Myrnin snarls, his eyes flashing a dangerous red. Shane flinches and I see remorse in his eyes.
"Myrnin," I say firmly, placing a hand on his arm to calm him down. "Can you calm down or do you need to go?"
"No," He says and closes his eyes, taking a deep shaky breath and when he opens them again, the red has receded. "I'm fine."
"To answer your question," I say turning back to Shane. "Eve and Michael just got out of a coma. Captain Obvious nearly killed them." Shane's eyes widen.
"Are they going to be okay?"
"They'll recover. Are you getting therapy then?" I say wanting to change the subject.
"Yes, two hours a day, it's really starting to work."
"A psychopath like you needs all the help they can get." Myrnin mutters. Okay, I was completely done with him.
"Myrnin, why don't you go find a guard to talk to or something?" I say jumping up. "I want to talk to Shane. Alone."
"But Claire," He protests. "Who knows what he's capable of! This could all be a trick to get me away!"
"Well, you should have thought of that before you decided not to keep your mouth shut!" I say crossing my arms. "Now go!" I say pointing back down the hall.
"Claire—"He starts again but I cut him off.
"It's okay," I say more gently. "I'll be fine. He's chained up in there, and surrounded by cameras."
"Fine," Myrnin says eyes hard. "I will be back in fifteen minutes." And with that, he stalks off back down the hall.
"I'm sorry about Myrnin," I say once he's out of sight. "This whole thing has really upset him."
"And hasn't it upset you?" Shane asks, sounding curious. "After nearly having killed you twice and ordering over a dozen of others killed, has that not upset you?" I was beginning to wish that I hadn't sent Myrnin away already, Shane was acting really—weird was the only way I could describe it. Totally different from a few minutes ago.
"Of course it has," I say cautiously. "I only came because I heard you were getting better and I didn't think you'd want to be alone all the time."
"How very considerate of you Claire," He says, brown eyes suddenly hard. "You never think of yourself do you?"
"I do. But despite everything Shane, I still care about you a little. I still hope that you can get better."
"I'm trying," He says earnestly. "I'm taking pills to help with my anger and other emotional problems. I've actually told my therapist some things about what happened and everything."
"That's good." I say and we drift into an awkward silence again.
"So you're with Myrnin now?" He says after a minute.
"What? Oh, I guess." I say not comfortable with where this conversation was going.
"You moved on that quickly huh?" He says like he's joking but somehow it sounds sinister.
"Moved on—? No Shane, I looked for you for months. I put up posters, looked everywhere. I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep. It took me forever to forget you Shane!" I say practically shouting. "But I knew you weren't coming back," I say after a minute, calming down. "At least not for a long time."
"So you think that I can be saved Claire?" He whispers. "You still have hope?"
"There's always hope Shane," I say firmly. "Anyone can be saved."
"Are you so sure Claire? That everyone can be saved? Because I'm not."
"What do you mean Shane?" I ask turning cold.
"I'm saying that I'm not sure I can be saved Claire. I'm not sure I want to be saved."
Suddenly, the door to the cell flies off of its hinges and slams in the wall, mere inches from my head. I scramble out the chair and start backing down the hallway, eyes wide with horror, heart racing. Because Shane is standing in the doorway. Shane is standing unchained in the doorway, grinning wildly as he begins to come towards me.
I scream, hoping to get attention as I race down the hall, knowing that it's impossible to outrun him, but maybe I can lose him in the maze of hallways.
"Now do you think I can be saved Claire?" I hear Shane call, laughing behind me, taking his time. He knows that I'll eventually get tired. He knows that I don't know my way out of this labyrinth.
I turn down a hallway, still screaming for help when I reach a dead end. A blank wall with two doors on either side but after I desperately rattle both doorknobs, I know that there's no way I can get them open. I have no choice but to turn back into the hall where Shane is waiting. But I don't get the chance. Shane appears at the end of the hall, grinning like the maniac he is.
"Please Shane, just let me go. I won't tell anyone you escaped. I promise."
"Claire, Claire, Claire," Shane says shaking his head. "How stupid do you think I am? I know you'll find some way to stop me eventually. No, you'll just be a problem. It's not that personal, but you've just got to go. I promise it won't hurt. Much."
He steps closer and I back against the wall, mind racing, trying to figure a way out. Both of the doors had small windows up top, but even if I managed to break the glass, it was too high for me to reach through and unlock it from the other side and too small to crawl through. I was trapped.
"Help!" I scream again. "Please! Help!"
"Now, now," Shane chides, waving a finger back and forth like he's scolding a small child. "We'll have none of that." He zips forward, vampire quick and reaches out to grab me, I scream again and try to dart away but he grabs me from behind. He wraps one hand tight around my waist with a painful iron grip and puts the other over my mouth. My screams are muffled against his hand, and I try to bite him, kick him anything, but he just laughs as he easily avoids my attacks.
"Now do you think I can be saved Claire?" He whispers in my ear, his cold breath making my stomach churn with revulsion. He takes a deep breath, smelling me and chuckles. "My, my Claire, you've been letting Mr. Crazy bite you? Now you know that's not safe. You never know when we might lose control."
I'm going to die. The thought comes suddenly and clearly, and I know that it's true. I know that there is no way out of this. And I am not okay with that. After all of the shit I've been through, my crazy ex-boyfriend was going to kill me? Seriously? Well I wasn't going down without a fight. I let my body relax, go limp and it works just like I'd hoped it would. His hold loosens momentarily and that's all that I need to elbow him in the stomach, which admittedly hurts me more than him but he let's go and I dash off down the hall again. But he's on me in a second.
"You little bitch," He hisses grabbing me from behind again but this time with a bone crushing grip and I hear a bone snap just as my arm is filled with an excruciating pain and I can help but scream from it. "That's right, no more mercy, I'm going to make this hurt." And with that, he rips into my neck.
I scream again as he pulls me back into the dead end hallway. This was nothing like when he or Myrnin had bit me before, he was doing his best to make it hurt and he was succeeding. It was the worse pain I'd ever felt and I was only making it worse by struggling. But I had to try. I continue to kick and scream and it only makes his teeth dig in deeper, he hadn't just used his fangs, he used all of his teeth, ripping out a huge chunk of my neck I was pretty sure and making my death faster. I try to hold back the sobs, knowing it's only increasing his satisfaction but I can't help it, pain shoots through my body as more bones snap and pain shoots through every inch of me.
After a few minutes of useless struggling, I begin to feel weak and I slump in his arms too weak to continue fighting. I start feeling numb pretty soon after that, which was wonderful that and the feeling that I was just floating along. Was this even real? No it couldn't be, this stuff didn't happen in real life, it was only a dream. A terrible, terrible dream and I would wake up nice and warm in my bed.
"Claire!" I hear a distant voice scream in horror. "Oh God no!" I feel myself being dropped unceremoniously onto the hard floor and the pain returns. I groan as it wracks through my body and I desperately try to go back to that pleasant dream state.
"You're too late," Shane says, and I can hear the sneer in his voice. "She's dead old man and there's nothing you can do about it."
"Get away from her!" The first voice, Myrnin snarls.
"Gladly, my work here is done. Take me away boys." He says cheerfully and I assume that there are guards.
"I'm sorry," A voice says quietly. "I don't think there's anything that can be done."
"Leave us!" Myrnin roars and I feel myself being gently picked up, but even that makes me whimper in pain. "Claire my little bird, my little light, you promised you wouldn't leave me!" He whispers fiercely and I feel something blessedly cool touch my face, tears. Myrnin was crying over me, how strange. He didn't need to cry, I was going to be in a much better place, or so everyone said. A place full of light and happiness, free of pain. That sounded nice.
"Claire,fy annwyl, fy nghariad, please wake up!" I manage to crack one eye open and then immeaditly shut it against the harsh light. ""Claire, listen to me, you have perhaps five minutes left. There is nothing a doctor can do, you will die. Do you understand me? You will die and you can not die, because you promised you wouldn't leave me!" He says desperately, sounding almost insane. "Will you let me help you Claire? Will you?" I feel his cool lips on the other side of my throat that Shane had not ripped to shreds. "Do you trust me?" He whispers.
Did I trust him? Did I trust Myrnin, my boss, my friend, the man I was in love with? Of course. And I knew what he was offering. I knew what he said was true. I was dying and I wasn't ready for that, I was too young, had too much left to accomplish and see. There's was too many people that would be left behind. So I give him the only answer I can.
"I trust you Myrnin," I manage to croak through my dry lips. "Do it." I hear him sigh in relief and then there is the sharp prick of fangs before once again, I am in his mind.
Claire! Myrnin shouts in delight once again speaking into my mind as he rushes forward and swoops me up, spinning me around and around laughing as I laugh with him. Thank you. He whispers after he releases me and holds me tight to him. I was sure I had lost you for good. I do not think I could have beared it.
You don't have to worry about that now. I say putting a gentle hand on his cheek. I'm not going anywhere, just like I promised.
I know, and I can hardly believe it. Oh the things we can see and do now! He says breaking into a broad grin. We can leave here together, after we finish the machine of course. You can go to your MIT and we can live free from the clutches of this Godforsaken place.
But we'll have to come back won't we? I ask sadly. Amelie will never fully let us go.
Yes, we will have to come back from time to time, but not forever. After a minute's hesitation I ask what I really need to know.
How did Shane do it Myrnin? How did he manage to get out? Myrnin's eyes turn a deep, terrifying shade of red and he holds me tighter.
He apparently had one of the guards working for him. The guard unchained him and disabled his collar today once he heard we were visiting when he went to give him food. Before that he played yesterday's security footage from in the cell on a loop so no one would notice. Now he'll be kept in a six by three cell with no hopes of getting out for decades to come. I shiver, remembering the cold calculated look he had worn as he attacked me.
Why did it take you so long to find me? Did he mess with the outside footage too?
He made them seem broken so they only played static after I left. I had gone to the security tape room to keep an eye on you and I wanted to rush right down affter the static started, but they restrained me. They grabbed the guard that was helping Shane and he confessed right away, well after they had broken both of his arms and legs actually. By that time, Shane was after you and I used our blood bond to find you. But this damned place is a maze, we were almost too late.
Well I'm here now Myrnin. I say again, hugging him tight.
Yes, I know. He whispers, gently brushing my hair from my face. Now we must get back, there is something you still have to do.
Wha-oh. I have to drink your blood or I'll die. I say quietly suddenly terrified. I had almost forgotten all that was happening, that where we were wasn't really real. That my life as I had always known it was ending.
Yes, I'm afraid you must. He says, looking sad for some reason. But I'll be right there with you, everything will be fine. I promise. I nod shakily and step back from his embrace. He and the world around us fades away bringing me cruelly back to where there is only pain and exaustion. That conversation with Myrnin seems only like a dream now a dream that happened years ago.
"Claire," An insistent voice whispers. I feel something cold pressed to my lips and a strange tasting warm liquid infiltrates my mouth, choking me. "Claire!" The voice sounds worried now, desperate. "Claire you must drink!"
Drink? I think distantly. What good will that do? I'm dying. But I don't like how desperate the voice sounds, how scared. So I comply, somehow making myself swallow the odd liquid-it's sweet and bitter and I don't like it. I try to spit it out, but the object is pressed tightly against my mouth and I have no choice but to comply or drown in it. I begin to feel cold uncomfortably so and I think the liquid is the cause of it so I try to squirm away but it still won't budge.
"No Claire," The voice whispers gently. "Not yet."
The cold grows, seeping into my bones, freezing my organs, my blood, sending sharp needles of pain deep into me. I should turn numb from it but I don't. I scream but no one hears me. Warmth comes slowly, taking away the cruel biting cold after an immesurable ammount of time. The warmth builds and builds and I scream as it feels like I've been dipped into a volcano full of bubbling lava. Like every ounce of my flesh is melted from the bone and then the bones are incinerated as well, leaving me nothing but ashes. But ashes can't feel this much pain. Then the cold is back this time blessedly cool, soothing my scorched body and it stays, settling over me like a comforting blanket.
My eyes snap open and I can see everything with an almost frightening clarity. The individual grains and scratches in the floor and walls. I can see little particles of dust floating around. The incandescent lights are painfully bright, like staring directly at the sun so I squeeze my eyes shut against it. I can hear the guards laughing in some far away break room and the crazy prisoners moaning and screaming.
"Claire," I hear Myrnin ask cautiously and he lays a tentative hand on my shoulder. "How do you feel?"
"Weird." I say simply my throat scratchy. Myrnin chuckles.
"Yes I suppose that about sums it up. Come, I need to get you out of here and back to the lab."
"Through a portal?" I ask getting up, my eyes still closed against the brightness.
"No," Myrnin says sounding worried about something. "Portals cannot be made here, security reasons. There are tunnels beneath here, one leads directly to the lab. But we must hurry." He says grabbing my hand and pulling me down the hallway.
"Why?" I ask still in a daze.
"It is only a matter of time before you lose control." He says sounding very matter of fact about it.
"What?" I ask stopping in my tracks coming back to reality with a shocking jolt and I open my eyes despite the pain.
"You know what I mean Claire." Myrnin says sounding a little sad.
I did, I did know what he meant. Oh, God. I pull my hand away from his and wrap my arms around myself, sinking to the floor. I was a vampire. Oh, God. Oh,God. I'm pretty sure I'm hyperventilating but all I'm aware of are those same words going over and over in my head.
"Claire," I'm dimly aware of Myrnin saying gently as he sits down beside me and wraps me in his arms.
"Claire, everything will be fine. I promise. But we must leave."
"Okay." I whisper, getting up again. He keeps a comforting arm around my shoulders and we continue down the hall. We come to what looks like a janitors closet and he simply rips off the doorknob when he finds it locked.
He ushers me into a mercifully dark room and down a flight of stairs into a round cement tunnel. I'm surprised when I can see in the pitch blackness as well as I could have an hour ago in a brightly lit room. The tunnel branches off in multiply places and occasionally we turn down one, there are also doors put in seemingly random locations. Within a few minutes, we arrive at a nondescript steel door and Myrnin turns the knob. Surprisingly, we are in the lab, I'd never noticed a door there before.
"Sit here," Myrnin says ushering me to the beat up armchair that still remained haphazardly in the middle of the lab. "I'll be right back." He says before disappearing.
I gaze around the lab, taking in how much different it looks now. Ten times more messy and dirty. Yuck. I really needed to get on top of Myrnin about that.
My throat was really dry and scratchy,like I really needed a drink of water. It was beginning to get very uncomfortable. I clear my throat, but that does nothing. That's when the pain starts.
I had thought it was all over, that I wouldn't hurt again, but I was wrong. This is far, far worse. Every breath I take sends fire into my lungs, my throat burns and the flames race through my veins. I'm sure I'll die of it. Something must have gone wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong. I collapse onto the floor, the world dims.
"Claire!" An anxious voice calls. I feel myself lifted up and something is pressed to my lips. "You must drink! I am sorry it took so long my dear but you will die if you do not drink!"
I force myself to swallow the strange tasting liquid and it immediately extinguishes the flames. I already feel stronger. I sit up on my own and take the cup, greedily drinking its contents down. It is warm and rich, sweet. Once its gone, I toss it away, gasping.
If things were clear at first, its like Hy-def times a million now. And I feel incredibly strong, like I could literally do anything. Myrnin chuckles.
"Amazing, isn't it Claire?"
"Yeah," I whisper. "Amazing." All at once, I burst into tears, everything suddenly overwhelming me. Shane, the attack, the fact that I was a vampire, the fact that my life was forever changed. Myrnin engulfs me in his arms rocking me back and forth.
"It will all be all right Claire," He whispers. "I promise."