Of Royal Descent (26 page)

"Okay, I guess I should head back up and let someone else have a turn," he said as he stood.  "I'll see you soon." 

I listened to him make his way to the study and the sound of light footsteps replaced his heavier ones.

I could hear Jenny crying from the doorway.  We might not have been blood-related, but we grew up close, and she would always be my sister.  I hated knowing she was upset.

Crossing the room, she climbed into bed with me.  "Do you remember when we were little
, and I used to have nightmares?  You would always let me come lay with you, and I felt safe.  So I don't care what anybody says, you're not a monster.  Monsters don't let their little sisters tag along when they go to the movies with their best friend.  And I'm pretty sure if you were a monster, you wouldn't have talked Chuck out of shaving my head when I was six and wanted to play beauty parlor.  And I am absolutely certain, a monster would not let me call him
Dodo
even after I was old enough to pronounce his name correctly."

I mentally smiled.

"Addy told me you think you're going to be a monster, and I'm telling you it's not possible.  Do you understand me in there?  It's not possible."

We spent the remainder of her visit in silence before she kissed me on the cheek and slipped from the bed.

I did the math.  Only Addy was left.  She came quickly down the stairs once Jenny had reached the top.  Without wasting time, she dosed me with morphine and then checked my pulse.  Once she was satisfied I still remained with her, she lowered my wrist back to the comforter and strode to the other side of my cell.

"Chuck told me The Count of Monte Cristo is one of your favorite books
, and your mother told me that you just happen to have it on your bookshelf."

She made her way back to the chair and took her seat.

"I love you.  I always will.  Don't be afraid, I'll keep away the pain.  Try to focus on relaxing."  Her breathing caught, and I could tell she was trying to hide her tears.

"Chapter One..."

* * *

Addy had barely made it to Chapter Seven when I began to feel confused.

Why was she reading to me?
  I tried to look at her, but I couldn't move and she continued to read on.

I was pretty sure I had been waiting for something crucial to happen, but I couldn't remember what.  I struggled to sit up
with no effect.

Addy paused her reading long enough to inject me with more painkiller.  She had been giving them to me closer together since she began reading. 
At least, I think she had.

The morphine washed through me
, and I felt calm.  Addy's voice grew distant, like she was speaking to me from the end of a tunnel.  It echoed around in my skull. 

Something crucial, what was it?

Addy stopped reading and I felt her touch my wrist.  She yelled out for someone named Stephen.  There was a flurry of noise as people entered the room.

Another hand was on my leg and then on my neck.  A man's voice came from above me.  "This is it, give him another dose."

"Addy, give him another dose," it repeated, firmer this time.

"I can't
; it'll stop his heart," she choked out.

"Don't let him die in pain or in fear.  Give him the morphine."

A gentle warmness cycled through me as I tried to make sense of their words. 
Something important
.

Addy's voice, distorted by sobs, was against my ear.  "You come back to me Doyle Hawthorne.  You come back to me.  Please come back to me." 

The world faded away as I took my last breath.

20

I awoke leisurely, feeling well-rested.  After a couple of stretches and eye rubs, I got up and ambled into the bathroom. 
Man, did I have to go.

I took care of business and returned to my bedroom to find Chuck, Russell, and Stephen lined up on the other side of the bars staring at me.

"Sup?" I nodded.

"How do you feel?" asked Stephen.

"Pretty good, actually.  So what happened?  Somebody get the cure to me in time or something?"

They stared at me blankly.

"Dude, you died.  You're dead," answered Chuck.

"Huh.  Are you sure?" I asked.

"You've been dead for over four hours," Stephen replied.  "You don't feel any pain, right?"

I creased my brow and thought about it. 
"Nope."  I laughed.  "So this is what all the fuss has been about?  I thought I was going to be some kind of ani-"

Stephen slid a plate of raw meat through the dinner slot on the floor of my cage
, and instinctively I ran to it.  The room passed me in a blur, and before I even knew what I was doing, my canines were shredding apart the bloody tissue.  Hunger, so severe, ripped my insides apart, and I devoured the meal until not one bite remained.  I licked the plate and floor clean of bloody morsels, and still, I wanted more.

I looked up at the three bystanders.  Chuck was trying not to throw up.  Russell and Stephen appeared stoic.  I stayed low to the ground and closed the short distance to the front of my cage.  The hunger was
propelling me forward.  I pressed myself as far into the bars as I could go, never taking my eyes off Stephen.  I snaked an arm through the narrow slats and frantically grabbed for his leg.  Twist and turn as I might, I could not reach him.  I gnashed at the bars in rage. 

"Doyle?  Would you like more?" asked Stephen, seeming not to take my attempt to eat him personally.

I pulled my arm back through the bars in answer.

He walked around to the bottom of the stairs, just out of sight, and returned with another plate, stacked high with savory raw meat.  Again, I pressed into the bars and struggled to reach the food source.

"Doyle, you must move back so I can give you the food," Stephen said.

A low growl hummed in my chest.  I briefly considered forcing my shoulder out of socket.  Maybe then I could
have reached far enough to grab him.

"Doyle, do you understand?  You must move to the back of the cell
, and then I will give you this food."

I pulled myself up the bars to my full height and stared at Stephen.

"Look, see there, in the back of your cell.  There's a harness.  Walk over to it."

I didn't want to leave the nearness of the meat
, but the logical side of my brain was telling me to suck it up for just a few minutes so that I could eat it.  I did as Stephen directed.

"Good.  Step on the platform and face us."

I stood on the black square in front of the restraints.

"Now, take a step back and press yourself against the wall.  Straps will come out automatically.  Make sure you hold your hands up."

I followed the directions, leaning into each pressure point on the device.  The metal straps encircled my ankles, my neck, and my wrists that were placed on either side of my head.

"That's perfect, Doyle.  When all points are locked, we see a green light on this side and know it's safe."  He opened the cell door and placed the plate of food in the middle of the floor.

I bucked against the metal but it held me tight.

Stephen backed out of the cage, locked the door, and pressed a remote that freed me from the straps.  I lunged at the plate.  The warm, chewy meat was gone in seconds.  I licked my hands.

"How was it?" asked Stephen.  Russell still stood silently beside him, but Chuck was gone.

With the hunger temporarily sated, I began to remember the rules of common etiquette.  This time I answered him.  "Good, but it could have been a little
more rare."

Stephen gave me a small smile.  "We can't bring you live meat until your new teeth grow in."

I nodded.  "Sorry I tried to eat you."

Stephen's eyes widened and his smile grew.  "Are you?"

I concentrated on the question.  "I think I should be."

"But you're not, right?"

"I think I want to be," I answered.

"
But, you're not.  Right?
"

"No, I guess I'm not."

"It's okay, Doyle.  Right now you're only focused on yourself.  That's normal.  You can apologize at a later time.  Trust me, you're going to do things in the second shade you'll be genuinely sorry for in the third shade.  For now, just do your best to follow our instructions and maybe we can minimize unnecessary suffering for everyone involved."

I began to pace the length of the cell.  It felt good to be able to move once again and not be dependent on anyone else.  I took longer strides and moved quickly.  I felt fast and invincible, but in a confined space I was not
able to properly test the limits of my speed.  I stopped and realized I wasn't the least bit out of breath.  In fact, I felt positively glowing with health.

I went to the bathroom and pulled off my t-shirt.  Staring into the mirror, I noticed the muscle tone loss of being bedridden for two weeks had vanished and in its place was a solid, athletic frame.  I had never been so cut before
, and I smiled vainly into the mirror.

"Your muscle tissue houses the self-healing cells, which are busy now, preparing themselves to begin secreting in the third shade.  A muscular build i
s a side effect of the process,” said Stephen.

"Where's Addy?"
I asked, exiting the bathroom to better face my jailers.

"Well
that didn't take long," my father said, addressing Stephen.

"Where is she?  I want to see her."

"We think it would be best to wait before allowing Addy down to see you," Stephen replied.  "It'll give you some time to grow acclimated to your new body."

"NO.  I want to see her now.  Bring her to me now.  She's mine," I said firmly.

"No, Doyle."

I gripped the iron bars and pulled with everything I had.  They didn't budge.  Fueled by rage and having no therapeutic outlet, I began to shriek and climb the cage wall. 

"She's mine!  She's mine!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.  I half-crawled, half-swung from bar to bar until I faced Stephen.

"After a few days of feedings, you'll be slightly more capable of holding a rational conversation.  We'll consider it then."

I stared him in the eye and imagined what his flesh would taste like.  Would it be similar to the unrecognizable animal they had just fed to me?  I had the suspicion he would taste richer and more decadent because he were human, and sweeter still if he were a fresh kill.  Only the bars of my cell kept me from knowing for sure.

"I'll kill you if I get out," I hissed, dropping from the bars and landing on all fours.

"Then I guess we should be careful not to let you out," Stephen said dryly.  He turned to Russell.  "Are you sure you want the first watch?"

"Yeah,
I want to stay," answered Russell, reclining back into a couch that was facing my prison.

Stephen nodded and headed toward the upstairs study.  Long after his steps had faded, Russell and I continued to stare at one another.  I wanted to see Addy, badly.  Shrieking and death threats apparently weren't going to produce any results.  I wondered what I could say, what I coul
d do, to make him bring her to me.  I tried to think reasonably, but it felt like my brain was engulfed in fog. 

Time passed
, and I began to lose focus on my desire to see Addy.  It was being replaced with my desire to feed.  Russell cleared his throat and stood.

"It's time to eat again, Doyle.  Move to the harness
, and I'll bring you some dinner."

I moved swiftly to the restraints
, and again another plate was set before me.  I attacked it just as fiercely as I had the previous two.  As the blood ran down my neck, I thought of how Addy had kissed me there just the night before.  Heat seared my abdomen before splintering out in every direction.

As calmly as I could muster, I stood and regarded my father.  "What do I have to do to see Addy?  I need her."

My father sighed.  "Do you love her, son?"

I wiped the blood from my mouth with the back of my arm.  "She's mine."

Russell scratched his cheek thoughtfully.  "Even if we brought her in, we would never allow her in the cage with you.  You know that, right?"

It took a minute for the meaning of his words to penetrate into my understanding.  I was slow to anger and attempted to conceal it.

"I understand," I said, assuming this was the answer that he would want to hear.  The truth was, whether she were on my side of the bars or his, she would still be closer to me than she was right then.  I just wanted her near.  I needed to see her, smell her.  My body tightened in response to the thought of her.

"The more control you can show us, the quicker you will get to see her," Russell stated.  "It's getting late.  Try to get some sleep."

"Sleep?"  The word sounded foreign to me.

"Yes, sleep.  Your body is rotting.  Sleeping slows down the process."

I looked at the bed.  I wasn't tired, but maybe a few rounds of masturbation would take the edge off.  I crossed the room and sat on the mattress.

My father doused the lights
, and the soft, electronic glow of the television filled the basement.  He moved to a couch facing away from me and settled in.

I guess even caged, I posed too great a threat to be left alone.  Or I suppose it's possible they all agreed to keep someone with me in case I needed anything.  But, I was willing to bet it was option A. 

I stretched out on the bed and slung the blanket over me.  It wasn't cold, but I wanted a privacy screen for the acts I was about to partake in.  I closed my eyes and envisioned Addy.  Immediate arousal swept over me.

I could understand why Stephen and Russell were hesitant to allow Addy downstairs.  I didn't want to hurt her, but I couldn't swear that I wouldn't either.  What I did know is that every
moment that passed without her was torture.

I groaned and set out on my
path of self-release.  Unfortunately, this did absolutely nothing to alleviate my desire when I was through.  I tried again.  And again.  And again.  Still, I wanted her more than before I began.  I growled in frustration. 

Grateful for Russell not acknowledging me, I flipped onto my side and waited for morning.

* * *

The next few days were tedious. 
Hungry, angry, horny, repeat.  I wanted out of the cage.  I wanted to exercise my limbs, all of them.  I wanted to test my speed, my strength, and stalk my own prey. 

My new teeth had finally begun to sprout.  I ran my forefinger along the front of my bottom gums.  Tiny razors pricked at my skin.  When I had been human, I found the teeth of the royals terrifying.  Now I couldn't wait for my own set to be fully developed.  I wanted to hunt my own food
, and Stephen had assured me the teeth were all we were waiting on.

Russell, Stephen, and Gretchen all took turns in keeping watch over me.  Sometimes they would attempt a lesson in self-control.  I suspect these were born out of sheer boredom as I was expected to fail them miserably
, and I generally lived up to their low expectations.

However, in at least one area, I was slowly improving.  Stephen had been right.  After a few days of feeding, some of the fogginess in my mind had cleared.  My ability to reason, though not fully recovered, sometimes made an appearance.  For example, when my dinner was brought into my cell, I was able to force myself to approach it and eat it slowly.  Did I still want to attack it like Jaws on a sinking swimmer? 
You betcha.
  But I wanted to see Addy more, so I remained as reserved as possible and bided my time.

On the fifth day of the second shade, Stephen was relieved in his post duties by Chuck.  I was mildly surprised, as Chuck hadn't been back to the basement since after watching me eat my first meal.

I began to scheme how I could use this new turn of events to my advantage.  Surely I would be able to con Chuck into smuggling Addy downstairs.  I just had to press the right buttons.

Once Stephen retreated, I wasted no time.  "
How you been?" I asked.

Chuck assessed me with slanted eyes
, and I wondered what he had been told about my progress, or lack thereof, over the last few days.  He sat on the arm of the couch.

"Alright.
  You?"

"Could be better," I said, hoping to convey disappointment.  "It's a lot to deal with, these new feelings I have.  I'm so ashamed I tried to attack Stephen that first day.  What was I thinking?" I pressed the palm of my right hand over my eyes.  It was quiet and I was tempted to chance a quick peek at Chuck, to see if he
was buying it, but I forced myself to wait.