Chapter 59

All five of us were crowded around the old TV set with a VHS player, as Jerry grumbles, 'Why is it that only old people still have VHS and tiny TV's?'

'How do you know this was an older persons home?' I ask.

Jerry snorts and says, 'Seriously, have you seen all the family photos from 1970 in the house, not to mention all the lace doilies on the furniture? This place reeks of old grandma's place.'

'Enough, let's watch,' Nick says impatiently as he presses play.

When I had seen the cameras I knew something had to have been recorded. I had scared Beck as I rushed back inside, having left the bags of coffee dumped on the ground inside and started tearing into the cashiers stand. It had scared her more when I rushed past her and slammed into the back office door, busting through it like a rampaging bull. Thankfully the person who owned the store hadn't seemed to go digital yet and the VHS recorder was still there.

Now as it played Jerry pressed the fast forward and we watched people scurrying around, getting gas, going inside, talking outside, throwing away trash, and someone sweeping the pavement of debris.

Suddenly I see the car that had been abandoned at the gas station and I say, 'Slow it down.'

Jerry presses play as it slows to real time. It was an older gentleman. He was getting out, using his debit card, and putting the gas nozzle in the car.

Suddenly it was as if the video pauses. I look at Jerry and say, 'What happened?'

'Nothing its still playing.'

Turning back I look at the man. He just stood there straight as a pin and I stare, holding my breath.

Then as if he saw something out of the view of the camera he walks away from his car. A few minutes later and three people walk out of the convenience,the cashier the last. Ki points at them and says, 'Look at them, their steps are in sync.'

'Like a marching army,' Nick murmurs.

Sure enough it was as Ki said as they left in the same direction as the older man. Slowly we all step away and sit down on the dusty couches and chairs in the old, weather stripped room, nature already starting to make its presence known, already reclaiming a wall, covered by mustang grape vines. Finally Beck asks, 'What happened?'

'They were glamoured,' Nick says, arms crossed and his face like stone, no emotion showing.

Beck looked at him in shock as Ki asks, 'But have you ever seen anyone do that?! I can glamour up to twenty people in one go. But a whole town? I've seen only a few older than I who can glamour up to fifty.'

Nick's stone face slowly morphs as he frowns and says, 'I can't think of any one Pureblood who can do that. Even a group couldn't collectively glamour a whole town of maybe up of thousands.'

This sobered us until Beck chimes in, 'What's a Pureblood?'

I answer her, 'A vampire who is born from two vampire who were also born vampire.'

Beck blinks in surprise and asks, 'Y'all can have kids?'

I nod and Nick growls, 'Pointless discussion. What we need to know is what is down in the cave under that house. Who can control so many humans and as you put it Nina, ghoul?'

It was true and it was terrifying. If someone - a vampire - could glamour that many humans, how easy would it be to control us? It made me shiver and my heart rate rise. Ki says, scratching his neck, 'What if all the people are down there?'

'What?' Beck asks in fright, and continues standing, 'We need to save them if that's the case.'

'No, Beck, it's not like that,' I reply.

She frowns at me as I continue, 'They aren't human anymore.'

'So they are like you now?' She spits out.

'No, worse,' Nick says, standing and dusting off his pants.

Ki sighs and nods saying, 'I need to call Igor and have a few of our trusted Night Hunters to come here and search the tunnel.'

I nod and reply, 'I would like to go and see about the Sheriff's office. Even if they don't remember Mart, there will be files they may have been made to forget.'

'I'll go with you,' Nick replies.

'But Beck and Jerry, they won't be...' I start but Nick continues, 'Kalvin can stay behind, right?!'

A voice comes floating from the hall, 'Of course, sir.'

So tomorrow night would be a busy one.

--D--

Jerry and I sat outside in a small overgrown park. My face was to the sun and I let out a sigh saying, 'Its been a while since I last felt daylight on my skin.'

Nick and Ki had taken to their rooms and Jerry had made sure sun light was streaming down the hall so they were literally caged in their rooms. My phone was left behind, the heartbeat recording proving useful once again. As for Beck, she had been exhausted from the night of searching and rewatching the videos we ended up finding in, not only the gas station, but the grocery store as well.

We both now sat, eating sandwiches and I say softly, 'Almost feels like we are back in New York City Park, eating our lunch.'

'Yup, you were crazy for the park. Now I understand why. So how are things going and what happened to your arm?'

Sighing, I look down at the bandage. The wound had healed the night I bite Nick, but I kept it on just because it terrified me how quickly it had healed. Such wounds took days for me, but it had healed so quickly. To keep Nick and Ki from asking I had kept it covered until the three days passed. For reasons unknown I found myself purging to Jerry, 'I was bitten by a ghoul a day and a half ago. It ripped out a chunk in my arm.'

Jerry winces and says, 'Ouch. Has it started healing?'

'Its already healed.'

'Huh... how come so fast, oh wait, no Tridium?'

Shaking my head, I murmur, 'No. There are two distinct possibilities. One is I drank Nick's blood that same night...'

Jerry puts up his hand and interrupts, 'Whoa, whoa, wait, you are telling me, that stone faced, blue eye Russin bear let you drink his blood?'

'Yes.'

'Why?!'

'Its unusal but I know why, I can't drink human blood.'

'STOP!'

I look at Jerry, he shifts in his seat to look at me full on and says, 'Ok, lets take a time out and rewind here. You can't? Or won't?'

'Do you actually think Nick would let me drink his blood if I refused to drink human blood?'

'Fair point, but... how?' He asks slowly, shrugging, palms out.

Shaking my head, I lean back on the park bench, listening to the soft call of birds in the trees as I murmur, 'To tell you the truth I don't know. I think it was when I was taken shortly after I told you to run. I was imprisoned and tortured for two months.'

'I remember you telling me.'

'But I had no blood during that time.'

'That you didn't.'

I cut my eyes to him and he says in surrender, 'Ok, ok, stop interrupting. I get it, go on.'

'I only had blood from Nick, it was a quick bite, but enough to heal me instantly. Then I have noticed as the weeks have past I've lost my taste for human blood. Now even if I smell it, it turns my stomach to rot.'

'Ok... but you can drink Nick's blood.'

'Yes and its terrifying.'

'Why?'

So taking a deep breath and blowing out my cheeks, I explain, 'Vampires have blood songs, so when we feed off each other we can see past memories of that vampire. So I saw some of Nick's.'

'Ok, what's so bad about that?'

I turn my head and just look at Jerry for a moment before it finally clicks, 'Oh right! Pureblood, long life, fountain of youth, superhuman god figure.'

'Correct, and the one who turned me.'

Now Jerry stiffens, his eyes going round as he stares at me. I turn away, looking up through the old oaks and continue, 'He doesn't remember me and I'm not surprised. Purebloods turn humans vampire often. If they stick around they will give the freshly turned blood. If they are given enough they can instantly become B ranks, and over time, if they live long enough, an A rank.'

'Hold the phone, are you saying that you think if you continue to drink his blood you will grow stronger?'

I bite my lip, hearing the whispers in my mind I had tried to push away since two days ago as I nod saying, 'I think its happening already. The arm is just one of the signs, not to mention hearing thoughts, but it shouldn't be possible.'

'Ok, stop, back up. Hear thoughts?'

It was so strange discussing this with Jerry, a human of all people. But he was the only one that knew I could walk in the daylight and pretty much knew my whole life story at this point. It felt so good to just talk to him, purge my soul. I nod like a little child, saying softly, 'Like how you think I'm a nut case right now.'

'Ok, mental note, only think about Grandma's cookies from here on out. But wait, you said it shouldn't be like this?'

Again I nod like a little child saying as I clasp my hands, 'When you are going through the process of becoming a vampire, it isn't sudden like movies depict. It takes a week for you to fully develop, maybe a month at most. During that time you lose your taste for food and sunlight becomes unbearable. However, if you are around your maker, he can give you blood to make the process go faster and strengthen your cellular structure.'

'So if you are bitten and left for dead you become a C rank.'

I nod and continue, 'And if you are around your maker, you can become a B rank.'

'You said if you live long enough you can become an A rank?'

'Yes, you' re blood refines like red wine or brandy and you become more powerful, though few B rank make it to that point.'

'But that doesn't explain the Russian Bear's blood?'

'No, no, its more than that. Transformations into a B rank can only happen in the period it takes you to become a full fledged vampire.'

Now I could see the lightbulb going off in Jerry's mind and he says, 'I see, so what does this mean?'

I shrug and reply, 'I don't know, it scares me. Because if I can only find sustenance from drinking Nick's blood and hearing his blood song I'll go insane.'

'Hold, ok. So what if you can see his memories, how is that going to make you go insane?'

Sighing, I look at the grass waving in the wind as I explain, 'He has lived for thousands of years. That much information is like a flashing strobe light in my mind, like being on meth, and it warps you. So I'm afraid I'll lose myself.'

'You seem like yourself right now.'

'Yes, right now. But right after it, I was so calm, calculating, and I felt powerful in a way I never have. Jerry, I'm scared over time I'll become as bad as him.'

Jerry stares at me for a moment, then snorts saying sarcastically, 'Seriously, you are the strongest person I have ever met. In that moment, you may have felt that because of how powerful his blood must have been and it took you a minute to process it. But you won't ever change, I know that for a fact.'

A small smile comes to my face, as he gives my cheek a quick one, two pat, and he stands saying, 'Well enough lolly gagging, what are we doing today?'

Author's notes: Sorry for my long absence, tech problems and a hectic schedule left me dully unprepared. However, I bring a treat in the form of several chapters.