Forbidden Embrace (2 page)

“
Look, I'm sorry; I should’ve left a note or told someone I needed to get out of here. It was just too much for me to handle,” Danika defends.

“
Danika, I'm sorry, but if the party was difficult for you, you should have come and talked to one of us. That is what we're here for…that is what family is for,” Florence says as she opens her arms and wraps them around Danika.

“
I'm really sorry to worry you. I’m not used to having anyone care about me. I really didn't think anyone would notice I was gone. If you don't mind though, I'd really like to take a shower. Can we talk more about it tomorrow maybe?” She tucks a strand of hair from her little red bob behind her ear, looking at us with childlike eyes.

“
Can you at least tell us where you were Danika?” Elijah questions.

“
I was just exploring the woods; I needed to get away and be by myself.”

“
We will talk about this tomorrow. I think we all need to get some rest. We have a lot to talk about in the days to come,” Elijah insists. It is obvious that the upcoming threat is weighing heavily on him.

***

I’m restless and want nothing more than to wring that girl’s neck. Pacing back and forth in my room, my anger continues to consume me. I always knew she would be trouble, but I never thought it’d be this bad. How can she do this to us, after everything our family has done for her? What a selfish little brat to put our secret, our family, in danger like that. Something could have happened; someone could have seen her. That girl thinks about nothing but herself and she needs to smarten up before she brings all of us down with her. Eighteen months ago, Danika joined our family after being newly Embraced and left by her maker for dead or to ravage. Constance found her behind the hospital she was working at. My siblings Matilda, Alexander and I were forced to return to high school…to babysit. I’ve had a bad feeling about her since that first day, but it’s because of her forcing me to return to school that I met my soul mate Nathanial and my best friend Ebony, a young
witch
. I guess I can be grateful for that.

With a knock at my door, Alexander asks, “Can I come in?”

“
Of course you can,” I answer.

He sits next to me on the bed. “I can’t help but hear you freaking out about Danika. It’s not as bad as you’re making it out to be. Don’t you remember what it was like when we first became
vampires
?” Alexander has the ability to hear other’s thoughts and share his with them, along with memories that he can have play out like a movie.

“
We were nowhere as irresponsible as she is being,” I argue.

“
Really? Maybe you just don’t realize, since we were in the middle of nowhere and then were on our mission to find Miss Edwina and her mother. We were preoccupied.”

Miss Edwina is Ebony’s Grams, a powerful
witch
of Salem descent. Miss Edwina and her mother blessed our day crystals, allowing us to survive in the sun and live a life more similar to mortals.

“
I still have a bad feeling about her. I just know she is up to something.”

“
Okay, I understand that, but with the news we received today maybe we should focus on more important issues.”

I acknowledge this with a sigh. “I guess you’re right. We need to deal with the Cerberus, which is definitely a bigger threat than a teenage
vampire
.”
Are they,
I wonder?

Our family just found out the Cerberus, a rogue
vampire
cult, is heading this way. Elijah, our head of the family, contacted the Renata to instruct us on how to handle the situation. The Renata are the leaders of
vampires
.

“
So please calm down; we’ll find out more tomorrow about what happened with Danika and the Cerberus. I’m always here for you and hate seeing you so distressed.” Alexander leans over and hugs me before leaving.

Alexander is right; I need to calm down. Maybe I will work on my scrapbooking a little. I have so many wonderful memories to document. I still can’t believe how blessed I have become. After Caspian, my other brother, left the family, I was torn. Wenham has brought me a new found happiness and meaning–I will really miss this place when it is time to leave again.

Chapter 3

Details

Morning comes and Danika offers no more explanations for us. Elijah makes sure that the entire family understands the ramifications of our actions. Then we all agree it is time to begin work on stopping the Cerberus.

“
I’m going to spend the day with Nathanial. I think I need to do some explaining to him and prepare him for what’s coming,” I announce, nervously picking at my nails.

“
That’s a good idea. Do you need some back up?” Alexander asks, with a wink.

“
Thanks, I think I’d rather do this on my own. Stay here and help Elijah, there’s a lot to prepare for.”

Alexander agrees, and the men head to the office as I grab my coat. Nathanial pulls up in perfect time.

We decide to disappear for the day so we drive up the mountain to a spot I found when my family and I were out scouting animals. It’s beautiful, open yet secluded, surrounded by trees centuries old and a beautiful waterfall slowed by winter freeze. There is a lovely little hiking path with an old style wooden staircase up the hill. I imagine the area full of wild flowers in the summer with the sun shimmering through the trees.

This place reminds me of young families hiking to their favorite picnic spot. I picture the mother setting up their lunch as the children frolic in the area. I even imagine Nathanial and I in this spot with our children, although I know having children with Nathanial isn’t an option; but it is a beautiful daydream. Sometimes daydreams are all I have.

We relax, enjoying our surroundings; the light trickle of the almost frozen water fall is so relaxing, and the sound of small animals scurrying through the thickened brush is peaceful. On the cold hard ground ice flecks glisten in the sun, and looking around I realize this is the true beauty the world has to offer. But we’re here for a reason; I need to explain more to Nathanial and tell him the ugly truth about my world.

I need to give Nathanial more details about me, my existence and what is to come.

“
This place is wonderful!” He gives me one of those crooked half smiles and runs his hand through his truffle brown hair in the way that makes me melt.

“
I know. We found it one night when we were looking for food,” I explain. “I figure now would be a good time to explain everything to you.”

“
Perfect. I want to know everything.”

“
Well I’ll begin with a little
vampire
history; what do you know about
vampires
? Actually never mind, I’ll just explain if that’s okay,” I mutter, nervously tapping my foot.

“
Relax, you don’t need to be nervous. I’m not going to judge you–just explain and I will listen, saving all questions for after your explanation.” He soothes me within seconds.

“
Fair enough, but I do want you to stop me if it becomes too much for you to handle,” I insist.

“
From the beginning there has been a legend that the first of our kind was Cain, the son of Adam and the first murderer. Cain murdered his brother Abel because God preferred the gifts Abel gave to him over Cain’s gifts. It was out of pure jealousy that Cain killed his brother. God could not believe Cain had done such a thing, and as his punishment, Cain was cursed by God and transformed in to a
vampire
, forced to walk the earth alone night after night for all eternity. Cain was therefore exiled from the people and forced to stalk civilization. He feared the sun because it burned him and it was extremely painful. So he would come out at night to hunt the mortals; he was ravenous for blood.” I begin to pace a little.

“
Cain met a powerful
witch
named Lilith, who some believe to be Adam’s first wife. I personally don’t understand how that could be possible. I mean if you believe in God, don’t you believe that Adam and Eve were the first humans created? If that’s true, how was Lilith his first wife?”

“
Sophia, you’re rambling,” Nathanial chuckles.

“
Sorry, right. Okay, so Lilith has also been called the goddess of night, a
demon
and the bearer of disease, illness, and death. She showed Cain how to use his own blood for magic and evoke his unknown mystical powers. From Lilith, Cain learned how to create others of his kind. This process is called ‘Embracing’…a mortal must be bitten by a
vampire
, then the venom or poison in their saliva combined with a few drops of the
vampire’s
own blood begins the transformation. The mortal body ceases and the immortal body takes over. Now this can only happen as long as the mortal is not drained of too much blood–there must be enough to keep the heart beating. The
vampire
blood and venom enters the mortals system as the heart pumps it through the entire body, and the Embrace begins.”

I pause for a moment to gauge his reaction, which is nothing except complete and intense interest, so I continue with the story.

“
The full process can take hours or weeks, depending on conditions of the mortal body. Illness, broken bones, anything that ailed the mortal body begins to repair and heal. The heart beat slows and breathing is no longer much of a necessity as less oxygen is needed. The immortal must learn to use their new gifts, speed, strength, increased senses. A
vampire
needs very little sleep–although once they achieve fulfillment in their eternal lives a
vampire
will actually sleep more than they need–mortal food makes a
vampire
feel ill, and a thirst for blood increases.” I sigh and gather my thoughts. “Is this helping at all?” I ask Nathanial.

“
This is the most interesting story I have ever heard, please continue.”

“
Okay, well some of the other changes that the new
vampire
goes through include paling of the skin and feeling cold to the touch, both caused because of decreased blood flow in the body. Blood continues to circulate, just at a much slower rate and with less pressure than a mortal. The new
vampire
becomes feather light on their feet, and they have extreme photosensitivity. The increased senses include super hearing and sight, increased sense of smell and taste, and increased feeling or sense of touch. A
vampire
exudes sex appeal, and an increased release of pheromones. This helps to attract the mortals. Even the rogue
vampires
that live underground, who are not particularly physically attractive, have extreme sex appeal. ” I smile, and Nathanial leans over and gently kisses me.

With a small smile I carry on, “A
vampire’s
powers include, but are not limited to, creating others, extreme jumping almost to the point of flying, climbing or scaling, and swimming long distances; although, crossing moving water can be difficult, but there are always ways to get around it.
Vampires
can’t regenerate lost limbs but can reattach them; cuts and small breaks heal within moments, large breaks in minutes. There is also the power of persuasion or compulsion, hypnosis, and of course eternal life. Now, as you already know, there are also separate powers that can be different or are unique to the individual.”

“
If the heart slows can a
vampire
still bleed?”

“
Yes. But it doesn’t flow as freely as a living creature. Our blood is also the deepest red you can imagine…almost black.”

“
I guess the flow makes sense, but red blood? I thought the blood became red when oxygenated, and if you don’t need to breathe as much how does that work?”

“
Well we do still need to breathe, just not as much. A
vampire’s
body is much more efficient than a mortal’s; honestly, there are just some things that are unexplainable, and our blood and bodily functions are some of them. The most unexplainable
vampire
fact is our immortality and how we cease aging. There’s lots about us that can’t be explain by biology or physics.”

We both kinda chuckle and nod.

“
So what happened to Cain?” Nathanial asks.

“
Well, Cain became lonely and Embraced five others, to create his own family. These
vampires
ravaged the area, feeding carelessly, and used the mortals against one another. Outraged, Cain forbade them from creating any more
vampires
. Cain was said to have built the ‘first city’. Once he was exiled from Eden, a place where
vampires
and mortals coexisted peacefully, the peace didn’t last long. The younger
vampires
began fighting, believing they were better than the mortals. I would assume this was the first case of racism.” I smirk and continue, “They used the mortals for fun, killing uncontrollably, and the city was overthrown. Cain vanished, never to be heard from again, along with the three of the five
vampires
he created,” I elucidate.