19th chapter
To say, Caroline slept well that night was an overstatement. Even to assume, she slept at all would be a highly exaggerated answer. Her body was tired but her mind kept spinning on that fateful day, her life would end; technically speaking. She showered longer than usual that morning; if she had to spend the rest of eternity in that body, she would make sure that she looked properly. She shaved her whole body, from her shoulders downwards. Caroline didn't really care if she was on time for work that day. It was her last day anyway and, truth be told, in the early morning hours, barely anything happened. She ate a sandwich, devouring each bite she took.
She made her way to her desk slowly, as if she tried to buy herself more time. Once she sat at her desk, she let her eyes roam over the documents on it. While the computer started, she took the papers for today's tour in her hands again. Caroline read the names of the tourists and a halfhearted smile spread on her face. Those were the last humans, who would see her alive, she thought. It was a stupid thought, Caroline knew, but apparently, when you face death, you see the world through different eyes. And it was nothing but that, her heart would stop beating in the next few days. She would be dead to the whole world.
Caroline kept thinking, wondering why her gift didn't warn her about being turned and dying in the process. Maybe because she would be still around and her, turning into a vampire, would only strengthen her physically and mentally. She let out a deep sigh and lifted her head as she heard footsteps nearing the entrance hall. She took a glance at the clock and realized that it was already time for the tour. When Heidi looked at her, she smiled encouragingly and nodded in her direction. Caroline smiled at her. "Good morning," she greeted and Heidi came closer to the desk. Her now blue eyes searched Caroline's and told her, that everything would be alright, without saying a single word.
"Today's tour," Caroline said and held the documents for Heidi to take. The vampire quickly read through the names and handed the papers back to the human. "You will be fine, I know it," she said and with a last smile, she went to the main door to greet the tourists. Caroline put on a happy façade for the tourists, as well as Heidi, and even answered a few questions while they waited for the few remaining people to attend. Once Heidi left with the tourists, Caroline sank into her chair. It was even more silent that morning than usual. No mail, no phone calls and only three emails, which were some spam messages, she could delete instantly.
Time dragged on and on and even during her break she sat almost unmoving at her desk. Only, when she heard Heidi returning from the tour, her body was filled with life again. She put on a fake smile, but her eyes still showed her worry. The tourists left the building faster than usual, why, Caroline didn't know. Maybe they felt her discomfort and wanted to get away, or they stayed as long as the other tourists and she just didn't notice. She couldn't tell by now. Her heartbeat increased and her breathing became uneven when she looked at the clock again. Her shift would be over in 15 minutes and it couldn't take long before she would be picked up.
Heidi couldn't stay with her any longer, she had other orders from the masters. And so, when her last shift was finally done, she retreated into her room. She couldn't help but shiver every so often from the uncertainty, when someone would come to get her. There was no set time, just some time after her shift. Caroline went into her bathroom to wash her face in an attempt to clear her mind as well. She took deep breaths and looked at herself in the mirror. The distress was clear to be seen in her eyes, so she closed them to calm down. After a few minutes, she went into her bedroom to change her clothes. She didn't want to wear her working clothes, but she wouldn't want to wear her more comfortable clothing in front of the masters. It seemed inappropriate to her. So, she chose something leger, as a pair of jeans, a plain white shirt and a black jacket. She felt comfortable in those clothes, but they weren't too laid back as well.
After that, she got back into the kitchen. She grabbed two apples and cut them into pieces. She put them in a bowl and took the yoghurt out of the refrigerator to mix it. She didn't feel like eating much, but she had to eat something. So, Caroline decided for her favorite evening snack and walked with the filled bowl to the couch. She watched a news channel, while eating her dinner slowly. She devoured every piece of apple, like she did with her breakfast. It was a reflex; she couldn't help it. The news reporter spoke about another massacre and as sad as it sounded, it didn't shock Caroline as much as it should. Unfortunately, news like that weren't uncommon those days and one could only dull with every new report about such a happening.
Caroline put the bowl in the dishwasher and put it on. She went to the bathroom to obey her still human needs and when she just dried her hands with a towel, she heard a faint knock on her door and her heart skipped a beat. Her breathing came uneven and her heart raced impossibly fast. She made her way to the door slowly, her shaking hand felt for the handle and in a slow motion she opened the door.
For a few seconds, she just stared at the familiar man in front of her. He didn't say a word, they just exchanged looks that told more than any word they could say that moment. "Are you ready?" He finally managed to speak and a small smile appeared on Caroline's face. "No," she whispered honestly and Demetri mirrored her smile. "What about you?" She asked back and he looked at the ground for a while. "Can't say, I am," he answered and looked back at her. Caroline turned her head back to the TV and she smiled apologetically to the man in front of her. "Just a sec." She went to turn off the TV and went back to the door. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment to remain as calm as possible. When she opened her eyes, she was met with another all too familiar sight. He offered her his arm, as he did when she had accidently stumbled into the east wing. Caroline smiled at the gesture and linked her arm with his. As the door fell shut behind her, she twitched slightly and breathed heavily.
They walked slowly and the more she trembled, the more she held onto him. It was nothing she did by choice, but he was close and his confident demeanor felt like an anchor to her. Though, she was pretty sure, that he wasn't as calm as he pretended to be. She took a few glances at him as she tried to desperately calm down her racing heart. "Are you alright?", Caroline asked quietly. A slightly amused smile appeared on his face at her words. She really was something else. "Your worry about my feelings is truly flattering," he said and looked at the smaller woman, who chuckled lightly at his answer. "We will get through this," he continued after a minute of silence. His voice was low but honest. Caroline looked at him, the way he emphasized those words, calmed her a little. She nodded slightly. "We will," she repeated and they continued their walk silently.
Caroline almost managed to calm down completely. Her breathing normalized and her heart beat in its usual rhythmical way. The only noise, that could be heard, where the footsteps of the two of them, echoing in the empty hallway. She had no idea, where she was; she had never been in that part of the castle. The almost relaxed atmosphere ended abruptly, when Caroline noticed, that they were heading directly to a door at the end of the hallway. Involuntarily, she slowed down which forced Demetri to look at her. He stopped and turned to the scared woman. Without any pressure, he put his other hand on top of her hand on his arm. "It's okay, I'll be with you all the way." Caroline looked at him and gulped hard. His voice calmed her a little in the strangest way. But she couldn't question her feelings or her mind regarding that fact, as the door was within arm's reach. Demetri opened the door and let the still slightly shivering woman in.
Caroline had no time to inspect the room, as Aro immediately got to her. "My dear Caroline, we couldn't possibly be any happier that the day arrived, when you would finally join us." The joyous smile on his face was totally off-putting to the woman and she just forced a smile on her face. He retreated a little to reveal a make-shift pallet, made out of stone. There was a blanket and a cushion on it, probably just to ease her discomfort, though she doubted anyone of those vampires would care. "As promised," Aro continued and took his stance between his brothers on the other side of the small room. "We grant you a painless turning. Our dear Alec will make sure of that." He gestured to the small boy next to Jane, Caroline saw some time ago. The boy just looked at her with a blank expression and Caroline grew even more nervous. Demetri, on the other hand, had his eyes on Jane. He hoped, that her presence was not needed at all. His eyes wandered to his masters to wait for their permission.
"Let's get this over with," Caius said seemingly annoyed and his piercing gaze was solely on the tracker. Aro nodded ever so slightly; the grin still on his face and Marcus observed the scenery in silence. Demetri took Caroline's hand, who flinched at the sudden contact. He guided her to the stone structure in the middle of the room. The nearer she got to that thing, the more it looked like an altar to her. Carefully she sat down on it, her eyes fixated on those of the man closest to her. Ever so slowly, she lay down but without taking her eyes off of him. She was afraid, that was more than obvious and he was the one she trusted the most in this room. He was the only one to make her feel safe in some strange way, as absurd as it might sound. Caroline tried desperately to remain calm and ignore the other people around her. Her breathing grew heavier with every passing second. She put her hands next to her body and her nails dug into the stony surface underneath her.
They talked about the procedure quite often, she knew what she had to do and what was to be expected. She turned her head in Demetri's direction, she didn't want to look at the masters, when she was bitten. Caroline blinked uncontrollably and when Demetri got closer, her breath hitched even more. With an almost tender touch, he put her hair away from her offered neck. He noticed her frightened behavior and, in a way, to comfort her and himself alike, he moved his left hand to hers. Carefully he pressed her hand and she immediately held onto him firmly, as if her life depended on it. A small smile flashed over his features at her behavior. He didn't mind the way she held his hand, there was no strength in her human body that could actually hurt him. He stroked softly over her skin in an attempt to ease her feelings and his alike.
It all happened in seconds and Demetri doubted that any of the vampires in the room even noticed this small but important gesture. Demetri took a last glance at Aro, who nodded eagerly. He took a second to sort his mind and take a deep breath inwardly. He braced himself for what was about to come and prayed that his self-control would get him through this. He looked in the slightly widened eyes of the human bared in front of him. She saw his inner struggle and she knew they had to get through this together. Ever so lightly she nodded at him and flashed a smile over her lips.
Demetri braced himself once more and moved a little closer, her quick heartbeat was almost deafening to his ears. He finally bent over and his lips brushed in a featherlight touch over her neck. "Relax," he murmured, only for her ears to hear. But before she could do anything, she felt a sharp pain on her neck, as his teeth sank into her skin, piercing her flesh and left an open wound. A gasp left her mouth at the feeling and she held onto his hand even firmer. When he drank her blood for the first time, she felt strange and closed her eyes to keep her voice low. At the second gulp, she began to feel lightheaded and a low whimper left her lips, she felt his tension, the movement of his body as he struggled to regain control over it. Caroline couldn't form any words, so she just started to move her thumb over his hand and suddenly he retreated himself from her neck. She heard him taking in a deep breath, but her eyes couldn't see his face. The throbbing feeling on her neck forced her attention back to the wound on her neck and her breathing intensified. She heard the masters talking, but she didn't understand a word. All of sudden, she felt a pain she had never felt before. She wanted to scratch on the wound of her neck, as she knew it started from there, but her hands were held down firmly. Wide-eyed she turned her head to look up as an agonized moan came over her lips. The last thing she heard was a voice mentioning a name and the pain, together with all of her other senses disappeared in an instant and everything around her turned into a welcoming dull mass of black.
Demetri stood, with his head held high, as he looked at his masters. A small amount of blood was still visible in the corner of his mouth and his eyes shone with the intensity they only had after feeding recently. Once, Caroline's body stilled through Alec's gift, the vampires in the room relaxed. Aro was the first to move, he stepped next to the tracker with a wide grin on his face. He nodded approvingly and with a last glance at the turning human, he left the room. Caius followed closely behind and Jane was a small step behind him, her services weren't needed anymore. Marcus was the last to move, his eyes only on the tracker. Demetri cleared his face from Caroline's blood and the remaining master was next to him. He put a hand on his shoulder and patted it slightly in a proud manner. Marcus gestured the guard to follow him and with that they left the immobilized Caroline with Alec behind.
"Well done," Marcus said as they roamed through the hallway. A small smile appeared on his face as he watched the way they were going. "Thank you for your trust, master," Demetri replied, his body still yearned for the taste he got from her blood, but he managed to control his inner beast. Marcus chuckled in amusement. "Don't thank me yet," he answered and got a confused look from the guard next to him. "That was only the first step, as soon as she awakes, her newborn mind will try to attack any vampire in the castle as a form of self-protection." Demetri eyed his master cautiously but remained silent. He knew how a newborn mind worked and especially the first few hours after their transformation, they could be wild and uncontrollable.
"With one exception," Marcus said after a moment of silence. Demetri furrowed his eyebrows but didn't interrupt his master's explanations. Marcus stopped and turned to the guard with a warm smile on his face. "The one who turned her. Her mind will immediately recognize the connection you share and therefore you will have to be around when she awakes." He continued his way and Demetri's mind began to race. An amused chuckle escaped Marcus' mouth at the thought, he was about to share. "I bet you understand, why Aro usually wants to turn new members." Demetri smirked slightly at the thought. Whenever he was alone with Marcus, they spoke freely about anything, they had a strange connection, that Demetri had with no one else. That was probably the reason, why Marcus favored him above anyone else from the guard. "I will keep that in mind," Demetri said after thinking about everything Marcus told him and they continued on their way in silence. Wondering, how long it would take for their newest addition to finally awake.