AN: Hey guys! Sorry I didn't get this up yesterday, but I was super busy and it completely slipped my mind. Anyway, here's chapter 4. Hope you guys enjoy, sorry again, and please let me know what you think...

FOUR: Blooded

I opened my eyes to the sound of sobbing. Marie was curled in a ball next to my bed crying. At some point in the night, I had been moved back into my room in the fourth cellar.

"Marie, what's wrong?"

"It was horrible, Jesse. Just horrible!"

"What?"

"The body!"

A fresh wave of tears wracked my friend's body. Sitting up and swinging my legs out of bed, I sunk to the floor beside her. I held her, rocking her back and forth as I smoothed her long blond hair and whispered words of comfort into her ear.

"I wanna go home," she whimpered.

"Alright. Give me a minute to change and I'll take you."

Once I had put on plain blue jeans and a dark purple blouse, I led Marie out of the cellars and into the streets of Paris. We walked to her house in silence before I headed back to the Opera House alone.

I took off the blanket covering my mirror and gasped. My reflection was blurry, like I was looking at it through an unfocused lens. Acting as if I hadn't noticed anything weird, I headed into the sitting room and sat down at the pianoforte. I started playing a simple C major arpeggio.

"Something's bothering you."

"What do you mean?"

"You're playing arpeggios. That means something is bothering you."

"Really?"

I wet my lips as I sped up, switching the arpeggio into minor.

"Haven't you noticed that little quirk of yours?"

"Not really, no."

Erik and I were silent as I played, switching into a different key and putting it back in major.

"Have you looked in a mirror yet?"

"Prob-ab-ly," I replied, accenting each syllable with a note on the piano.

"That's what's bothering you..."

"Maybe."

"Jesse?"

"Erik?"

I stopped playing as he fastened a new necklace around my throat. Looking down, I saw the pendant was a medieval-style crown like a king would wear.

"What's this for?"

"For show."

I turned to look at him. For the first time I could remember, he looked nervous. Something was definitely bothering him.

"It was an accident, I swear."

"What?"

"Blooding you."

"Blooding me?"

The Vampire nodded slowly.

"Your blurry reflection: it's because your half now."

I didn't ask what that meant. I was half human, half vampire, I turned and resumed playing arpeggios, going back to C major.

"You only bit me once last night."

"Once is all it takes. I won't finish the process without your permission."

I swallowed, switching keys and putting the arpeggio in minor. After a few minutes, I stopped playing, allowing him to help me up and lead me down to the fifth cellar. When we got into his music room, I sat down on the settee while he headed to the piano to compose. We stayed like that for several hours until he came over and knelt at me feet.

"Jesse, there's more you need to know."

I swallowed, my blue eyes never leaving his amber ones. They seemed to burn with an intense flame.

"Since you've been...blooded," he continued, "you're required to come to the retreat in two days. We leave tomorrow."

"Retreat?"

Erik nodded before continuing.

"Every four years we have a...meeting. Everyone is required to attend. I packed you a bag already. Normally, it's a way to catch up; we discuss the needs of everyone in attendance. However, some of our brethren have turned on us and now we're at war. The majority of the time will be spent discussing battle strategies because of it. And then there's your initiation..."

"Initiation?"

"A series of tests to prove if your worthy."

"Won't I get-"

"I know," he interrupted. "Trust me, if it was up to me you wouldn't have to go through with it. But it isn't up to me."

"Who is it up to?" I inquired.

"The Emperor."

"You have royalty?"

"We are royalty, Jesse."

My hand automatically flew to my new crown necklace.

"What are we?"

Erik shook his head, indicating he wouldn't tell me. Before I could press for more information, there was a loud crash from the other room followed by a muffled curse.

"Our traveling companion has arrived. Stay here, Love."

My eyes widened at the new nickname, but I stayed seated. He stood to go greet our guest. I heard muffled noises coming from the other room, making out the liquid-silk tones of the Vampire as well as the rougher sound of whoever had arrived. After a few minutes, Erik returned wearing a sour expression followed by a thin, chocolate-colored man with twinkling green eyes. He wore an astrakhan cap on his head and a wide smile on his face.

"So this is Jessica Snow. Pretty thing, isn't she?"

I glanced down, feeling my cheeks burn.

"Watch it, Daroga."

"Oh, come on. I'm just having some fun," the man said.

"Daroga."

Erik's silky voice had turned to ice.

"Alright, alright. I understand."

I looked up as he introduced himself to me.

"Nadir Khan, formally known as the Daroga. Some call me the Persian."

"Nice to meet you," I replied, shaking the hand he offered.

He turned to Erik.

"Do you have anything to eat? I'm starved."

Nadir's words sent a shiver down my spine.

"The kitchen is down the hall, first door on the left," Erik said. "You can't miss it."

The Persian left and returned a few minutes later with a wine glass filled with a thick red liquid that I was sure wasn't wine. He caught me staring and winked before downing the beverage in three large gulps. I swallowed and bit my lip. Just then a rumbling noise came from my middle. I put a hand to my stomach and looked to the Vampire.

"Let's get you something to eat," he said.

I followed him down the hall to the kitchen.