Today was finally the day of the wedding and time for the plan I had made last night with Ilona and Josef to fall into place. I gave Ilona my wedding dress and all my jewels before leaving with Josef at sunrise. Many would have called this cowardice and a disgrace but all I cared about was my sister's happiness. I had no clue though how right my feelings of danger were.
Josef and I were hiding from sight in an abandoned shop, watching as everyone went to the church. I saw the coach pass by that my sister was in and I prayed for both her happiness and that I would never be found again. Once all the streets were clear, Josef and I started the long ride out to the outskirts until we came to an abandoned hut.
Three days passed since we had left when Josef told me "We need to change you."
"Change me" I asked curiously as I finished mending my cloak. That's when I saw that he had fangs.
"You'll have to become a vampire Zarita. It might protect you" he answered.
"Does this have to do with the Order" I asked, looking at him.
"It does and that's the danger you felt. I can only hope we aren't too late to save your sister" Josef warned.
"What will they do" I asked, worried now for Ilona.
"They're trying to bring Vlad back to their side after he threatened to expose the truth about them. How they are darker than they claim. They'll go after the one person he values now" Josef told me.
"Ilona" I whispered and cried softly.
"We might still be able to save her. Let me turn you" he offered.
"Is this going to hurt" I asked softly. I was terrified of what exactly he might do to me.
"Yes but I warn you that this change takes a day. It will give us enough time to get back" he answered.
"What do I have to do" I asked, looking at him.
"Just give me your wrist" he instructed, moving me to rest on the fainting couch.
I hesitated and he took my wrist. "Just relax" he told me, caressing my wrist softly and he ran his tongue along my skin which elicited gooseflesh. That pleasure soon became a cry of pain when his fangs pierced my skin and I heard him drinking my blood.
As he drank, I felt light headed until I heard him say "Drink now." That's when I saw his wrist was oozing with blood. I could barely move my head so he stuck his bleeding wrist in my mouth. I drank his blood, almost greedily until he took his wrist away. With that, he healed the spot on my wrist and his before he carried me out of the cottage. We got on his horse and after putting our hoods up, he held on to me and we started the journey back.
Along the way, he taught me how to feed and by the time we got back, I was much stronger. We found that they had captured Vlad and Ilona and were now about to perform some kind of torture ceremony. I climbed up further on to the roof that I had perched myself on. That's when I realized that they were about to burn Ilona at the stake, forcing a very tortured Vlad to watch. I wanted to help but I didn't want to risk Vlad seeing me after I had tricked him like that. Somehow though, I think the Order also knew that I had switched places as well and I knew they would arrest me as well.
I ran after they lit Ilona on fire and hid. 'Oh Ilona, forgive me please' I prayed, grabbing the crucifix I kept in my pocket, forgetting that I was a vampire now. Strangely, it didn't affect me.
When Josef saw me clutching the cross, he stayed back but he stared. "You are different in your powers Zarita. A cross doesn't repel you. Do you have any idea what this means" he asked.
"Not really" I answered, still in shock. Vampires weren't supposed to be anywhere near a cross.
"Zarita, it means you aren't an ordinary vampire. You have the ability to conceal your powers. It means that you can go out in sunlight and a cross doesn't repel you. You will be able to do more and without suspicion. For now though, you must leave this place before the Order decides to seek you. I think they know that's not you. Never let them get to you" Josef warned me.
"I won't and godspeed to you Josef" I told him, getting down and taking off on my horse. I stopped by the palace and grabbed myself a few things including a couple stashes of coins before riding off to start over.
As I rode out of the city, I felt a tear slide down my cheek. 'Ilona, I am sorry and I pray you forgive me for putting you in danger like this. I signed your death warrant when I begged you to switch places. It should have been me on that stake, not you. Please forgive me my sister. May you be happy in paradise' I thought softly. I finally urged my horse to hurry on, just wanting to leave all this behind me.
I had no clue what would come in my new journey or that fate would come back and bite me on the heart. Was I ready to eventually fall in love with the one I had run away from in the first place?