On the Edge of Humanity (30 page)

I didn’t want to fall sleep; I wanted someone to kill me. I laid in the bed, frozen in a fetal position as the pain ramped up again and this time nausea swept over me. I heaved, but like before, nothing came out.

My father lifted me up and positioned me over the side of the bed. I opened my eyes and the room was darker now. The beeping noise had stopped, but my eardrums still vibrated. The only sound echoing in my ears was my father’s heartbeat. I counted the beats as he held me.

“My throat. It’s burning,” I whispered.

“That’s normal. It’s a vampire’s thirst,” Dr. Vieira said.

As he said the word
vampire
, a cluster of cramps gripped me, spreading throughout my body, each one more intense than the last.

“When can you give her blood?” my father asked.

“When her fever breaks. I inserted a mild sedative into her IV. She’s probably through the worst of it, so it shouldn’t stop the final process.”

There is a final step? I can’t take any more of this pain. I pray the last step doesn’t kill me.

My father eased me back down onto the bed. The heaving had stopped. I curled up and held onto my stomach for dear life, afraid it was going to disintegrate.

“Can I have some water?” I asked.

Dr. Vieira held a cup in front me while I lifted my head. I sipped through the straw as the ice water seeped down, cooling the parched skin that lined the back of my throat.

I dropped down onto the pillow and resumed my fetal position. The pain had dulled, and for the moment I could relax. I closed my eyes.

God help me
. I didn’t know if vampires believed in God, but I needed to believe he existed, even in the world I was about to enter.

As I looked up, the sky was dotted with bright, twinkling diamonds as if someone had sprinkled fairy dust and it had stuck to the background. Where was I? Was I in the planetarium at school? My gaze roamed from side to side. A blanket of sand stretched for miles in both directions. No, this wasn’t school. I looked out in the distance and a stream of water ran by just beyond the sandy carpet I was sitting on.

I rose and walked over to the edge, stepping into a cool stream of liquid that tickled my toes. I turned and thick, dense trees filled in the landscape behind me. It appeared I was on a beach—a deserted one. How did I get here? The bright moon shone down, its reflection dancing on the water. I took two steps into the stream, looking down through the crystal clear water, the sand glistening beneath it. I inhaled the fresh clean air, reveling in the beauty that surrounded me and made a wish as my gaze roamed the horizon. As I stepped farther into the sparkling water, an electrical charge skimmed up my legs and my body shivered. My chest tightened like someone had wrapped a rope around me and pulled it tight. Every sense and shiver told me to go back, get out of the water, but like a magnet drawing me to it, I kept walking into the stream, which was only ankle deep.

The farther I walked, the stronger the force, pulling me forward. I continued my journey, stepping slowly into the velvety sand. The breeze played with my hair and for the first time in my life a true sense of freedom washed over me.

My vision was sharp as if it had been altered, enhancing every detail of the sandy floor beneath the crystal clear water. A soothing sound sang in the distance.

A soft breeze blew, the sweet aroma of honeysuckle tickled my nose. As I waded through the stream, the splash of water grew louder, piercing my eardrums. The water around me became turbulent and the clear liquid turned red. My pulse quickened. A sudden fear of danger lurked ahead, but I couldn’t stop.

I kept walking, stepping slowly through the red water, which became darker the closer I got to the waterfall. I willed my feet to stop, throwing my arms out in front of me, trying to balance myself. But my right foot hit a rock sending me over the edge into the blackness below.

As I soared downward, my body relaxed, allowing the world below to swallow me. I was no longer afraid. It was as if my destiny were pulling me down into my new world—the Superior world.

All the inhibitions that suffocated me were melting away one by one, leaving the Inferior world behind. I inhaled, taking in the salt from the red water that sprayed on me as if the fairies had released their magic dust. As I got closer to my destiny, the cloying scent of jasmine and lavender filled the air. I closed my eyes, bracing for the impact, when my body began to slow like someone were applying the brakes. A slow burn crawled up the back of my throat and, suddenly, I couldn’t breathe.

I sat up and grabbed my throat, choking, gasping for air. Where was I?

“Jo. It’s all right. I’m here.”

I opened my eyes. “Sam is that you?” I asked between coughs.

“No, my dear, it’s your father. You were dreaming.”

“Water. I need water.” I sat still rubbing my throat. “It burns.”

“Her fever is gone,” Dr. Vieira said.

I looked over and Dr. Vieira was adjusting the IV bag. His heartbeat was sharply distinct, so defined. I glanced at his jugular, then up at him, then back to his neck.

“Give her the blood now, Steven,” Dr. Vieira said in a sharp tone.

I turned to look at my father. I forgot his name was Steven. I cocked my head to one side and the vein in his neck look appetizing as well.

Suddenly, my gums ached. I dipped my fingers in my mouth and the tip of my forefinger caught the edge of my right eyetooth, which was pointy and longer than the rest. My eyes widened in horror and I drew in a sharp breath.

Holy Crap! I’m a vampire.

I quickly removed my hands and covered my mouth.

“It’s okay. It’s normal to want blood.” My father handed me a tall glass with a straw in it.

No, it was downright strange that I wanted blood, but I grabbed it anyway. Not certain if I should drink it, I shifted my gaze between him and Dr. Vieira looking for approval.

They both nodded.

I raised the glass and wrapped my lips around the straw. I inhaled and the sweet candied aroma made the flame in the back of my throat burn brighter and hotter in anticipation of that first sip. I released the straw and moistened my lips.

“Go ahead and drink.” My father guided the glass towards my mouth.

The first sip entered my mouth, sliding over my tongue, coating the wall at the back of my throat. The burn lessened with each sip, awakening every cell in me. I finished drinking and within seconds I wanted more.

I handed the glass to my father and Dr. Vieira had another one ready for me. I grabbed it and drank, not stopping to breathe. I finished drinking the second one and still wanted more. It was like a revolving door. When I finished one glass, another one was handed to me. After five tall glasses of the sweet nectar, the room started spinning.

My father handed me another glass.

“No, no more. I’m dizzy.”

“Very well, she’s had enough,” Dr. Vieira said. “She should be well sated. It’s been a long twenty-eight hours. She should sleep through the night.”

I eased myself back onto the pillow. “What day is it?”

“It’s Wednesday evening,” my father said as he rubbed his eyes. “Your change is complete. How do you feel?”

I watched him as he studied me, his hand holding mine as if we were best friends. His eyes were pleading, begging me to forgive him. While my hatred for him was still there, I decided to keep it hidden for now.

I wasn’t sure how to answer him. The pain, the burning sensation and the vomiting were gone, replaced by… I wasn’t sure yet.

“Sleepy right now,” I said as I yawned.

“Get some rest. Tomorrow will be another long day.” My father stood up and walked over to the empty twin bed beside me. “I’ll be right here if you need me.”

Dr. Vieira had left the room—I imagined to get some sleep as well.

I closed my eyes and picked through my brain, trying to take inventory of my body. How did I feel? I lay still, reaching out to every cell within me trying to find a difference between human and vampire. I couldn’t find anything.

As I thought about the blood that tickled my tastebuds, I jolted to a sitting position. My gums throbbed and I winced as my fangs descended. I inserted my fingers inside and touched the tip of my left fang. The back of my throat burned. Suddenly, my skin itched. I wanted blood, needed blood. I inhaled and grabbed my pillow, curling myself into a fetal position. I took several breaths in and out. Slowly my fangs retreated. I closed my eyes, willing myself to sleep. A layer of warmth coated my skin as my muscles relaxed.

Webb had said I was going through vampire puberty, but that was before the change. Now that I was a vampire, what stage was I in?
Blood lust?
Whatever it was, I had a feeling it was going to be far worse than any type of puberty—human or vampire.

Chapter 18

I
woke the next morning to
an audience of people watching me as if I were some caged animal that they were admiring. I wiped my eyes trying to remove the sleepy crust that glued the corners together. I sat up, not sure if I should speak or not. What were they all staring at?

Webb leaned up against the sidewall at the edge of my bed. His wavy brown hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. He trained his eyes on me. Was he waiting for me to give him a command? Directly in front of me at the bottom of the bed, Tripp straddled a chair, resting his arms on the back of it. Next to Tripp, Dr. Vieira stood with his hands in his lab coat, head tilted to one side. Was something wrong with me? Did I look like a zombie again? I bet that was it.

I raised my hands to smooth back my hair and stopped. A purple color sparkled from the light overhead. I looked down and swallowed hard. From what I could see, my straight black hair had grown an inch and was now hanging down past my breasts. However, that wasn’t what had me spooked. I splayed my fingers through the ends of my hair. A mixture of black and purple streaked through the strands. How had my hair turned purple?

“Who did this to me?” I demanded, my voice frantic.

Dr. Vieira walked over. “Interesting. I will have to run more tests,” he said as he leaned in and examined the ends of my hair.

“Don’t you have enough of my blood?” I asked, trying not to snap at him.

I thought I would at least look as pretty as all of them. Nope. Ugly as a human and now I was the
ugly
vampire.

I dropped my head in my hands.
Can I ever catch a break?

The door opened and Kate bounced in. “How’s my newborn?”

“Don’t call me that,” I barked.

“Wow, what side of the bed did you get up on?” she asked.

“Look at this.” I grabbed a handful of hair and waved it in her direction.

“Cool,” she squeaked.

I wanted to strangle her. It was okay for her to look beautiful, but me, no way. I’d thought that at least one of the benefits of being a vampire would be for my appearance to change for the better, which reminded me of the scar on my cheek.

I released the wad of hair and rubbed my hand over the left side of my face. My fingers dipped in-between the scar, which was still on my cheek.
Great!

I hated this new body already.

My father traipsed in. Tripp jumped off the chair and stood at attention. Webb pushed off from the wall, hands at his side.

“I need everyone in the war room in fifteen minutes,” Commander Mason instructed.

He was clean-shaven and had changed into tan cargo pants with a navy blue t-shirt, which bore the SEAL emblem in the upper left corner of his chest. Over the top of the emblem in an arc was the word
Jupiter,
and under the emblem in an inverted arc was the word
Sentinel
. His right forearm was imprinted with some type of hieroglyphics, a series of symbols that looked as if Pythagoras scribbled a mathematical formula on his arm.

While most of the symbols were foreign to me, one wasn’t. The fancy number four overpowered all the surrounding symbols—the same one Olivia had on her arm: the mark of the Jupiter Sentinel.

I smirked as I watched him. The most powerful vampire, Commander Steven Mason, barked orders at his troops, while each of them stood at attention, listening to my father’s every word.

Kate sat on my bed, talking about something, but I tuned her out. I wanted to hear what my father was saying. As Kate’s voice dominated my right ear, I strained my left one, trying to eavesdrop on the other conversation, but my father’s voice had dropped to a whisper as he talked with Tripp and Webb. I hoped they were discussing Sam’s rescue.

Kate was still jabbering when my father walked over to my bedside.

“Gentlemen and lady, let my daughter get ready.” He sat on the edge of the bed as everyone else, including Kate, evacuated the room. “Everything okay this morning?” He fanned the ends of my hair. “I like the color. It’s very becoming against your silver eyes.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re my father.”

“Once you look in the mirror, I’m sure you’ll agree. You’re beautiful.” He let go of the strands and stood up. “I need you in the war room. I know you probably want to take a shower so I won’t hold you to the fifteen minutes. Kate is going to take you to my room.” He leaned over and kissed me on the forehead. “Don’t take too long. Sam needs us.”

He had his hand on the door when I asked, “So what should I call you?”

A confused look washed over him. “I would love it if you called me Dad, but I know I haven’t earned the right. Steven is good for now.”

“Um, how’s Ben? Can I see him?” I held my breath, hoping my friend was okay.

“Ben is still in a coma. His vital signs have improved, though. I prefer it if you got dressed first and meet me downstairs. You can see him later.”

Before I could protest he was gone. As he disappeared, Kate stood in the doorway.

“You ready?” she asked.

I pulled off the sheet, unfolded my legs and planted my feet on the floor. My head spun, making me plop back my butt on the bed. Thank the Lord it was there. I slowly inhaled, then pushed off and stood upright. My legs wobbled. I stood still for a moment before I tried to move my feet.