VK3 Dark Savior Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Bethany had strange dreams and in those dreams a nagging pain in her stomach she couldn’t quite get rid of. The hours before were a blur. As she woke from her heavy sleep she remembered a crazy pledge and Loken lying next to her but nothing else. She sat up and looked around the dark room, the curtains tightly shut. There was a small crack of light which let her know the sun was out. A sudden movement from the corner of the room drew her attention, though she wasn’t sure if it was the movement or the sound.

It sounded like it was right by her head but it came from across the room. Bethany blinked the blurriness from her eyes and saw it was Loken’s sister. She was getting up from a chair setting a book down. Had she been in there reading while she slept…? “What’s going on? Where is Loken?” Bethany asked immediately. Isabel sauntered over, her hips swaying as she moved. Bethany noticed that more than she wanted too and not of her own will. It was like she saw movement in a different way, more exaggerated.

“Loken had to leave but I promised him I’d help you.” Isabel said. “Help me… what?” Bethany wanted to know, watching her. Isabel sat on the edge of the bed. “Teaching you to feed, easing you into living as we do.” Isabel explained calmly. Bethany’s entire body went cold, though actually she had already felt an unearthly chill. He had turned her… it wasn’t a dream. “I’m… I’m a vampire…?” Bethany asked but she could hardly hear her own words over all the other sounds pouring in now. This one bird was going to get shot if it didn’t shut its little pie hole.

“Where is Loken, why did he leave?” Bethany demanded. She knew that fledglings felt a sense of panic when the Master that sired them was away but this was beyond a simple word. She was scared and she needed him. She really needed him. “He’ll be back soon, he’s just on patrol. I know how frightened you must be but I promise you, it will be alright. If you start to feel too panicked, Daddy will help.” Isabel reassured her. The idea of her ‘daddy’ helping was even more terrifying to Bethany. “You know, when a little girl dreams of marrying a prince, this isn’t exactly what she has in mind.” Bethany muttered.

“No… but Loken is the kindest prince you’ll ever know!” Isabel defended. “I miss him… but if anyone can break the rules and not go insane without their Master near, it would be me.” Bethany said, steeling herself. “Alright… what happens now?” She asked, watching Isabel. “Well, right now you need to feed or you should, at least. Are you hungry?” Isabel asked. Bethany was hungry but the idea of drinking down a gallon of blood made her stomach turn. “I guess so.” She answered.

“Follow me, then!” Isabel said perkily, turning on her heels and striding out of the room. Bethany crawled from the bed and followed. Her stomach was churning painfully with hunger but she tried to ignore it. Everything felt different and unsettled. The sounds of the house and outside were deafening but it wasn’t so when Isabel spoke, she wondered why. Movement was odd as well. She hardly had to make an effort to walk, her body felt light, weightless. “Once you have fed then we can work on other things… I can’t teach you how to hone it like Loken but I’ll get you comfortable!” Isabel said. “Why is it that all the other sound are nearly breaking my eardrums but not your voice? Bethany asked as they made their way downstairs.

“I’m whispering. I told Daddy to be quiet too but he knows how to act around fledglings… he’s had millions after all.” Isabel laughed. Yeah, Bethany imagined he had. He was the progenitor of the entire race after all and Bethany had just let his son turn her. Her father was probably rolling in his grave. There was some guilt but not as much as she would have thought. She loved Loken, even when she wanted to kill him. Deep down part of her knew they were made for one another. God-shipped was what she liked to call it.

Isabel took Bethany to the kitchen, which was huge but somehow made homey. She had pictured something almost profession but then why would a vampire even need a kitchen? “Daddy likes cookies. Actually the kitchen was more professional before but Mom… she wanted something homier…” Isabel said. Her words more somber than before. “Sorry, your thoughts are spilling out like mad…” She added getting into the large refrigerator. “Yeah, about that, how do you stop that?” Bethany asked, glad she hadn’t thought of anything embarrassing yet… or had she?

“I was born a vampire and naturally knew how to hide my thoughts… I have no experience turning anyone but I’ll do all I can.” She said taking some blood out of the fridge. It was in a large carafe which was sealed tightly.  Isabel removed the lid and poured. Bethany expected to feel nauseous at the sight but it was entirely the opposite. Her stomach growled loudly and her mouth nearly watered at the sight of the thick red liquid pouring into the glass. “Let me nuke this quick, you don’t want it cold the first time…” Isabel said and placed the glass of blood in the microwave.

Bethany had the sudden urge to tackle her and rip the glass from her hand but she managed to stay still. “So… is that Volven guy here still?” Bethany asked, trying to keep her mind off of the blood spinning tantalizingly in the microwave. “Haedren? No, he left for a while, he feels awkward being here with Daddy.” Isabel said. The microwave dinged and she took the blood out and offered Bethany a seat at the modest little table in the center of the room. “Here, go slowly. Trust me, you don’t want to puke that back up.” Isabel said handing her the glass. Bethany tapped it, expecting it to be hot but it wasn’t.

“When you are this low on blood you get very cold and it’s hard to feel heat or anything when you are that hungry.” Isabel explained. “Right now you are ice cold because your body is trying to use what little reserve you have to stay alive.” She went on. Bethany sipped at the blood at first. Still, she expected to be sick but the taste was amazing. She took a larger sip, then a full drink of it. It was impossible to describe how it tasted to her. The fowl tin flavor wasn’t there at all. It was like she tasted it on a different level.

She drank slowly as told despite wanting to chug it down. She felt refreshed and amazing. She had never felt quite as good as she did right then. But she was still hungry. “I thought I’d be flooded with memories…” Bethany muttered looking at the glass. “That only seems to occur when you drink from the host. I’m not a scientist so I have no idea why it is like that but…” Isabel shrugged. “Can I have more?” Bethany asked, holding the glass up. “Sure!” Isabel said and went to refill. “Most fledglings don’t give in to the hunger so easily… you are a fast learner.” Isabel said popping a full glass back into the microwave.

“I’ve always been a fast learner. When do I get to actually bite someone, not that I am eager but I should know how.” Bethany said. She felt around in her mouth for fangs. She knew they retracted and extended but how, was the question. “Loken needs to cover that with you. Your first meal should be from your master.” Isabel said and smirked. She set the warm glass of blood down and Bethany could actually feel the heat now. She drank slower this time. “I have to feed from him?” Bethany asked lowering the glass.

Isabel nodded. “Yes. It’s a precaution so you don’t go out and try to bite someone and have no idea how to get your fangs working, you know?” She explained. Bethany wondered what it would be like to drink his blood. The idea gave her the chills but not in a bad way. More than anything, Bethany wanted to get out and teach that bitch in the red suit a lesson. She wanted to test out her new body and thump some goons while doing it. “Oh…My, you are quite a warrior, aren’t you?” Isabel giggled, pushing a thick wave of hair from her face.

“How about we work on you not reading my mind?” Bethany said dryly. Isabel giggled again. “That’s actually a good idea! This should be fun, now just try and use the techniques you know already just put more will behind them. Okay, go!” Isabel said. She had the funniest concentration face and Bethany started laughing. Isabel started laughing too. “Okay, for real now, ready?” She asked. Bethany nodded. This time without the face, Isabel stared at her and Bethany could actually feel her inside her head. She imagined it like a karate point match, blocking and carefully planning each move.

“Very good! Now, more fun, try and read my mind.” Isabel said. Bethany wasn’t even sure how to try to read a mind. But then she realized that all the noise she was hearing were thoughts from people nearby. “I… I don’t know how to…” She said. “Force out the others, think about me, think about my mind and want it, want to get inside.” Isabel said. Bethany closed her eyes and concentrated. A sudden pain shot through her head that broke her concentration but when she opened her eyes she wasn’t looking at Isabel, she was seeing something else.

“Isabel???” She called but the house, kitchen, everything was gone, replaced by a long white hallway made of marble or some similar stone. Her voice echoed throughout the empty space until the low murmur of voices began coming. Like ghosts from another time, people appeared suddenly, walking down the hallway. They were all tall and pale with strange ears and hair. All wore long elegantly adorned robes. “Where the hell am I???” Bethany gasped as the figured passed by her and vanished.