Reborn by Blood (7 page)

“Hey!” I yelped.

“What?” Beth asked.

“Oh, nothing.” I said as I felt the blush rising to my cheeks. It was a relief to know that when I had enough blood in my system, my body would behave exactly as a normal persons.

“What do you mean Sebastian is different?” Beth pressed.

“Sebastian’s tale is not mine to tell and to be truthful, he would not be happy if he knew that I had shared it.” Anna said with a heavy sigh to match her glum expression. “Suffice to say, if he has sired a new Vampire then he is planning something that will benefit no one but himself.”

“He did it by accident” I said as Tempest returned with a cardboard box, roughly the size of a large book, in her hands.

“By accident? Well that could mean something or nothing.” Anna said as she leant back in her chair thoughtfully and removed her glasses before polishing them on her dress.

Tempest thrust the box she carried at me and glared at me until I took it from her.

“You have an interesting name.” I told her with a smile that soon wilted beneath her contemptuous glare.

“Her mother gave it to her, blithering idiot that she was.” Anna said. “She was caught up with some hippy cult that was all about free love and drugs when she had Tempest and her sister. She probably thought it had some deep significance at the time.”

“Oh. Where are your mother and sister now?” I asked in an attempt to be polite and was ignored as the beautiful young woman turned her back on me and went to sit beside Beth on the sofa.

“You have your package for Sebastian, I think it’s time you left” Anna said with a look towards her granddaughter that was as full of sorrow as any I had ever seen.

“Wait, please.” I said, “I am new to all of this and I know nothing. Should I be worried about Sebastian? How much control does he have over me and can I break that control?”

Anna stared at me for several long seconds before sighing once more and glancing at her granddaughter. “Would you please give me a moment alone?” she asked.

Tempest nodded and rose from the sofa, “Call if you need me.” She said in her melodic voice that didn’t match the glare she sent my way.

“So what do you want to know?” Anna asked as Tempest left the room.

“I know the basics about being a Vampire, the need to drink blood, the sunlight and silver things” I began, “But you said that most Vampires start with compulsion straight away. What did you mean?”

“Vampirism is a parasite.” Anna said quietly. “When you first become infected, this parasite changes you physically and mentally. The physical changes are all things that the parasite would need for you to become an almost perfect hunter.”

“Being blind during the day is perfect for hunting?” I asked.

“If you hunted openly during the day you would soon be caught and killed or locked up, whereas if you hunt at night when few people are around your chances of surviving to keep hunting are greater. Now don’t interrupt again.” She explained.

“The mental changes are necessary to make sure that you are able to hunt. You need to see other humans as prey, nothing more than a meal.” She paused and looked towards me, “I can guess that you weren’t overly upset about the person you killed were you?”

“No.” I said thoughtfully, “I knew that I should be horrified but I didn’t actually feel that horror.”

“That is part of the changes that you underwent. You see people as little more than walking bags of blood, food for when you are hungry or tools to use when you need something. When you see people as nothing more than food, the idea of taking control of them and doing whatever you want isn’t repulsive. It’s just part of the natural order. Vampires are arrogant.”

“So I have a parasite in me?” I asked, “That is making these changes?”

“Yes, I am afraid so.”

“Then he could be cured of it right? I mean, if it’s a parasite then they must be a way to get rid of it.” Beth said.

“No, it is more of a supernatural parasite than anything physical.” Anna said, “If you ever went to a doctor they would find nothing inside of you that could be responsible for the change.”

“What does it want?” I asked.

“It wants to survive. It feeds off you; it remains alive as long as you do, so it alters you. It changes your body and your mind but that requires energy, a great deal of it. Blood is that energy source.” Anna looked directly at me with an intensity that I found unsettling.

“Every second of the day, the parasite is using its energy to keep you alive. To stop you ageing, to heal your wounds. When that energy gets low, you will feel the thirst and you will drink. The more damage you do to your body, the more energy the parasite uses to repair it, the more blood you will need. Do you understand?”

“Yeah, I think so.” I said.

“Then why did he have to kill someone?” Beth asked quietly with an apologetic glance towards me.

“The amount of energy required to make that first connection and those first changes is phenomenal. You could have taken a smaller amount of blood from a dozen people but the change is so urgent, the need puts you into a frenzy and you take all that you need at once.” Anna said sadly.

“So why am I not like the others?” I asked. “I don’t feel a need to compel anyone, I don’t feel a need to kill anyone or control them. Why am I different?”

“You are not that different. The changes are there and in time you will likely grow to be as arrogant and hungry for power as the rest of your brethren. You were an accident though, you were not chosen like the others would have been.”

“What do you mean?”

“If a Vampire is going to sire another, there is a cost. To create a new Vampire you lose part of your parasite. That small part goes into your chosen human and grows into a full parasite. Your parasite is still diminished though and with it, your strength and speed of healing. If you healed fully in ten seconds before then after siring a Vampire, you would only heal fully in nine seconds.”

“Really?”

“Yes. To make you a Vampire, Sebastian made himself weaker. That is also why he can compel you; his parasite is still connected to the newborn one within you.”

“What would happen if you made a dozen new Vampires?” Beth asked.

“Then the Vampire who did that would be little more than a human and easy to kill.” Anna said, “Which brings us back to choosing.”

“If you are going to make yourself weaker, you chose someone who has attributes that will help you. You chose the competitive human, the one who wants to be the best, the richest or the most powerful. You want someone who is basically a bastard, so that when they are a Vampire they are a super bastard and you keep them close.” Anna said with a slight smile.

“Yeah, well no one ever claimed that Ray had too much drive and ambition” Beth said with a low laugh.

“So it would seem. Which makes it surprising that Sebastian chose to make him a Vampire.” Anna said. “No, Sebastian has his own reasons for doing this and I am concerned as to what they are.”

“Why are you concerned? You work for him don’t you?” I asked.

“No. I do not work for him.” Anna said slowly, anger laced her voice. “We have an agreement and that package is part of it.”

“Sorry” I said quickly, “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“It doesn’t matter. Now if you have any more questions, ask them now and then leave me.”

“Can I break Sebastian’s control over me and how can I stop myself becoming like these other Vampires?” I asked, hopeful for an answer.

“You can’t.” Anna said, “The hold will remain until he dies and you would have more chance of walking to the moon than being able to raise your hand against your master.”

“Wonderful, I’m a slave for eternity then.” I said.

“What about the other thing” Beth asked.

“The changes have been made and you will find yourself distancing ever further from your humanity. You won’t be able to stop that any more than you could refuse your master.”

“There must be some way.” Beth said.

“If he worked at it, at seeing humans as people and not food then perhaps he would have a chance. It wouldn’t be easy and even if he succeeded then Sebastian may notice and decide it is against his plans. He would compel you to do the darkest deeds imaginable just to wipe out that last bit of humanity.” Anna said with sorrow.

“Well thanks for your time anyway, I better get this back to him.” I said with a nod towards the box in my hand. I didn’t want to hear anymore about how doomed I was.

“Before you go” Anna said to Beth, “I would like to ask you something.”

“What?” she asked wearily.

“Why did he not have to compel you to help him? What makes this all so easy for you to believe?”

“I don’t know.” Beth said.

“Please, give me your hand so that I can understand.” Anna said and held her own hands out towards Beth.

“Ok.” She said and offered up her own hand though she looked uncomfortable.

Anna took Beth’s hand in her own eagerly and held it for a moment with her eyes closed. When she opened her eyes she had tears forming.

“Oh child. I am so sorry for what has been done to you.” Anna said softly.

“I don’t know what you mean” Beth said as she snatched back her hand, her face had lost much of its natural colour.

“It’s ok...”

“No. Shut up right now.” Beth said as she stormed from the room.

“What the hell?” I said.

“Look after that young lady. If you harm her you will face my wrath.” Anna said before gesturing me to leave.

With a shake of my head at the absurdity of the whole situation I left the back room and then the shop. I had to squint behind the shades as I opened the door to the outside and stepped out onto the street.

“Hey, can you take that to Sebastian without me?” Beth asked, “I need a beer.”

“Sure, you ok?”

“I’ll be fine. Here, take my phone and you have a spare key to my flat so you can let yourself in. I’ll see you later.” She said as she handed over her phone and headed over to her car, leaving me standing on the pavement as I watched her go.

Chapter 8
      
      

It occurred to me, as I watched her drive away that I was standing in the centre of Leeds in the middle of the day with no money or transport and still damp trousers. I sent a text to Sebastian’s number asking for a location to drop off the package. I had no real desire to talk to him after everything Anna had just told me.

The idea that I had a parasite, even a supernatural one was decidedly icky and I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was watching me over my shoulder. I gave an involuntary shudder and glanced down at the phone as it vibrated in my hand.

It seemed that Sebastian’s address was outside of the city, almost into the countryside which made my lack of transport irritating to say the least. My options were to walk or, the thought occurred that perhaps I could use the compulsion ability to make someone give me a lift.

Two streets away from the Magik Earth shop; I encountered a middle aged man placing some of his shopping into the boot of a car. He seemed to be alone and the street was fairly quiet so I approached him with as much confidence as I could muster.

Of course I had no real idea how compulsion would work but Anna had said that it was the first thing that most Vampires learnt, which meant it should be fairly easy. Sebastian had just glanced at Beth and commanded her to be silent and it had worked, which made me think that it was all about willpower.

I tapped the man on the shoulder and he looked around in annoyance.

“What do you want?”

“I want you to give me a lift” I said as firmly as I could.

“Sorry mate, I have to get home.” The man said with a puzzled look.

“No you don’t. You will give me a lift” I instructed quite forcefully I thought.

“Look, sod off will you. I don’t have time for games.”

“You will do as I command” I insisted as I concentrated as hard as I could on making him obey.

“Alright mate, I think you need to back off.” The man snapped as he slammed shut the boot of his car and walked around to the driver’s side door.

“Do as I say” I said with a touch more desperation than willpower.

“Yeah, whatever mate. You need some help.” He said over his shoulder as he ducked into his car and slammed the door.

The engine started and the car pulled out and I watched as he drove away and wondered why it hadn’t worked. With little choice, I started walking.

I was not particularly unfit, though I avoided the gym like any sane rational person would and I had a preference for a beer and a kebab over a salad any day. I still tried to maintain a light exercise regime and at one point I had even been a regular jogger.

Despite that, an hour into the journey my feet hurt, I was sweating and in need of a sit down.

In the films and on television shows, the Vampires could run really fast and were never winded. They were incredibly strong and could Jedi mind trick anyone with a wave of the hand. I was starting to resent those shows for raising my expectations.

The pavement beneath my feet was cracked and dirty, covered in splodges of chewing gum. Sweet wrappers and weeds marked the boundary between pavement and garden wall. The sounds of children at play indicated that school had ended for the day.

It wouldn’t ordinarily have been a problem or even registered for me, but since I was now almost blind in the bright sunlight and forced to walk carefully anyway, pavements crowded with children were dangerous. I kept nearly tripping over the damn things.

After the third parent shouted at me for stepping on her little darling child, I ducked down a side street and found a park where I could sit for a little while on a bench until the streets cleared a little.

Summer was almost over and I assumed that when the days became shorter, life would be a great deal easier. For now though, the late afternoon sun was unpleasantly warm and the tingling on my skin had become an irritation and the faint breeze that touched my face stung as though I had sunburn.

With a sigh I realised that I needed to get out of the sun and the easiest way to do that would be to complete my task and deliver the package to Sebastian. I pushed myself to my feet and headed back to the road.