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  “Yes I know…the transformation process can get a bit ugly. Let’s get you into the tub.” Her body jerked as she fell back onto the floor and began to convulse. I held onto her as she twisted on the floor.

  “Make it stop! Help me! God, why is this happening?” I held her tight as she continued to jerk wildly then stopped. I set her down on the floor as she turned away from me and let out a low growl. I yanked her off the floor and dragged her into the master bath just as she vomited the blood she had ingested.

  “I forgot he gave you that little bit of Styce. It seems like it never went well with my blood. Don’t worry, we won’t have any more reactions like that.” I wiped her brow as she looked back at me.

  “What have you done to me?”

  “I gave you my gift,” I said flatly as she closed her eyes.

  “No, I mean what am I now?” I sat beside her as I pushed her hair from her face.

  “Well, I have many names but the closest that you may have heard is vampire.” She opened her eyes slowly as she shook her head,

  “That’s impossible – they only exist in books and movies.” I smiled as she caught sight of my teeth; she inhaled sharply. I knew this night was nowhere near being done. I looked to the clock on the nightstand as I looked back at her,

  “It’s almost dawn, we should get you to bed.”

  “But you walk in the sun…”

  “I’m far more stronger than you. Plus you must be exhausted from the transformation.” She sighed as I took her hand and pulled her along back to the large bed,

  “Stay with me,” she said as I nodded.

  “Are you insane?” I awoke to see Octavius standing at the foot of the bed. He gestured to the bath still covered in blood. I shrugged as I replied,

  “I don’t have a cleaning service and I was too tired to clean up.” He cursed as I got up and looked to her sleeping soundly beside me. She would be much too tired from the night before to be bothered.

  “Oh, so you couldn’t wait for her memory to come back. Let me guess, you sampled her blood and got carried away. You drank too much and oops I made a baby vampire. This is just great!” I shushed him as I pushed him into the hallway.

  “My fledgling is sleeping, lower your voice.”

  “What was that? You’re fledgling…do you know the great care and work that goes into one of those? No, because the great Rent Tres makes them and then leaves them! I can’t count the times I’ve had to save all your girls.” It was a blow I knew was coming,

  “You didn’t have to save them.”

  “Great, how long before this one wanders into my office with a Styce problem?”

  “I think you got a good handle on that last night.” He cursed again as he turned away from me,

  “You know in humans, the Styce has amazing healing powers. You just couldn’t let her come around on her own. What am I saying? You won’t listen. I’m out of here, good luck with her and god how I wish you would have let her be.”

  “You’re walking out just like that?” He had started to descend the stairs as he looked back,

  “Yeah, I’m not here for you anymore.” I watched as he headed for the door. He was shaking his head as he opened the door and refused to look back as I called his name. I couldn’t recall a time we had argued like this before. I cursed as I turned to see her watching the events that had unfolded.

  “I can go if you want…” I shook my head as I walked over and pulled her into my arms,

  “No, I have to watch out for you now. It’s not safe out there for you.” She looked into my face as she nodded slowly.

  “Why was he so angry?”

  “That’s just the way he is. When you’re stronger we’ll go to see him again. But you have to rest now. You’re still very weak.” She was nodding again as I pushed her back into her room. I thought about what Octavius had said. Had I really done him wrong many times before? I couldn’t recall a time when I begged him to take a girl off my hands. I would prove to him that Aerin was different from the others.

  I was back in the Quarter looking for a random tourist to feed from. I thought of Aerin sitting in her room with a growing hunger. I would bring her what I could from the hunt. I caught Matthieu standing at the balcony of his apartment. I waved to him as he shook his head in disgust. I looked away as I took in the tall woman with long black hair stepping out from a town car. I couldn’t get wrapped up in dealing with Matthieu now. I followed the woman into the nude bar. Already she was inviting me to her table as I nodded in her direction. Her skin was lightly tanned from an island getaway. I inhaled the scent of coconut from her as she turned to face me. Her lips were stained red as she smiled at me,

  “Let’s go somewhere quiet,” she whispered into my ear. I nodded already intoxicated with the scent of her blood.

  Aerin sat before me with her lips on my wrist. I watched as she drank then turn away in disgust,

  “I don’t like it.”

  “You’ll get used to it, now drink more.” She shook her head quickly as she backed away from me. I reached out to touch her; she shut her eyes.

  “I can’t…I have a husband.”

  “No you don’t, he’s dead!” She started to cry openly as she got to her feet and ran up the stairs. I followed her as she slammed the door shut. I opened the door to find her sitting by the window. It was then that I looked at her closely. Her pale blonde hair had taken on a golden hue. The skin that had once looked unhealthy was now glowing. My blood had cured her illness. I sank beside her as I took her face into my hands. I stared down and realised that she was much younger than she had first appeared.

  “I don’t love you.” I smiled as I replied,

  “Not many people do.” I moved forward to kiss her once again as she bit down on my lip. I cursed as I grabbed her tight against me,

  “What was that for?”

  “I won’t kiss you, I can taste that woman on you!” I backed away from her as I realised that she would now have insight to the women I fed from. I watched as she wiped her lips.

  “That woman’s blood is running through your veins.” She began to cry then stopped as she wiped away the red droplets on her face. She stared openly at her hands as she let out a low cry. I reached out to grab her hands as she got to her feet then stopped as she looked back at me.

  “Tell me everything! Please, I don’t want any surprises. Ah, I don’t like this. Make it stop. Rent…please.” I nodded as I got to my feet and walked over to where she stood. I leaned over and with my tongue licked the blood tears from her face. She bowed her head as I wrapped my arms around her.

  “I’ll tell you all I know.” It was a lie. I had lived so long that even the old tales of holy water and crosses were fiction. I knew a great many of god-fearing vampires in my time. Of the few that had died it had been from either fire or a great will to die. I had been in the latter category for as long as I could remember.

  “You’re lying to her again,” I looked to my side as I walked down by the water. It was late and I had walked out on her. The air within my house had grown too thick. I was standing beside the only person that knew me for me.

  “Chloe, what the hell are you doing here?”

  “I heard you have taken a girl hostage in that enormous house you acquired. I want to meet her. I hear she is disgusted by you.” I let out a laugh,

  “Who said that?”

  “Octavius. Is he lying? I couldn’t imagine anyone turning their back on you.” She was saying what I wanted to hear right now. I put my arm around her as she leaned over and whispered,

  “Be honest, is she prettier than me.” I took in Chloe’s dark hair and eyes, the lack of color in her skin. It hit me that most of our kind went without food longer than most. I thought of Aerin sitting high atop her room with her glowing skin and golden hair. I sighed as I forced a lie,

  “Of course you are prettier.” I only said what she wanted to hear that night. She smiled as she leaned over to kiss me. I made a mental note to keep my dist
ance from Aerin when I returned home. I could recall a time when life with Chloe was chaotic. She was holding onto me as she said,

  “Stay with me for a few days. I miss having you around.” I shook my head as I thought of Aerin.

  “I fear my little fledgling will grow curious and leave the house. I can’t imagine what trouble she will get into.” She laughed as she said,

  “Well, then come back to my place for tonight.” I stared into the dark pools of her eyes as I nodded,

  “But only for tonight.” She nodded quickly as I followed her from the moonwalk and toward the Quarter. I knew she kept a small apartment off Ursuline. I stared up at the lavender building where a man stood looking out at the city below. I watched him until he was out of view. Chloe was calling my name as I hurried across the street. I looked back but the man was gone.

  I stopped the car before my house as I looked up to see her looking down at me. She waved as I waved back. I felt horrible for the things I had done. I turned off the car and headed indoors. I headed up the walk to the house as the door opened. She smiled at me as I neared her; I watched the smile fade. She backed away and headed for the stairs once more. I knew she caught Chloe’s scent almost immediately. For a fledgling, she was incredibly intuitive. I called out her name as she ignored me. I cursed as I turned and headed back for the door. I stopped as I held onto the door handle. This is what Octavius meant. I cursed as I turned around and started after her.

  “Aerin, please, it was nothing. She’s nothing to me now.” I had her for a moment as she stared into my eyes. Lying was not my greatest asset, as her eyes grew dark,

  “Stop lying to yourself,” she replied in a low voice as she headed for her room. It had occurred to me that I had all but moved into the guest bedroom since I had brought her home. I followed her to the master bedroom as she look back at me,

  “This is my room,” I said flatly as I began to undress. She looked away in disgust as she retreated from the room and headed for the guest room.

  I awoke to the sound of thunder outside the house, I lay for a moment in silence. I waited a moment then heard the bedroom door fly open. I sat up as Aerin ran to the bed,

  “There’s a woman outside, she’s screaming your name.” I patted her head as I got out of the bed, Aerin was watching me as I headed for the stairs. I could see a figure outside the door pounding on the glass. I flipped on the light to the foyer as I heard her voice,

  “Let me in! It’s raining out here, I need to talk to you.” It was Chloe. I inhaled deeply as I said in a low voice,

  “This is not a good time.” I could hear her breathing heavily as she growled against the door,

  “I will not forget this the next time you come looking for me.” She eased off the door and was gone into the night. I could hear the crack of thunder overhead as I looked back to Aerin watching me.

  “Was that her?” I nodded; this was not a lie. I could see that I had peaked her interest as I climbed the stairs once again and pushed her along. She looked back toward the door as I shut the lights off.

  “What did she want?”

  “She wanted to meet you,” I said as I put her in bed beside me. She didn’t protest as I put my arm around her waist and pulled her close. I inhaled the smell of jasmine from her skin as I fell into a deep sleep.

  I left her to hunt once again. I knew the time was coming when I couldn’t feed her. Already she was taking more than I would like to give. I ran into Matthieu in the Quarter as he put his hands up,

  “Rent!” I pulled him into an embrace,

  “It’s been too long.” He laughed as he patted my back,

  “I’m so sorry for being hard on you. I didn’t think you had it in you. You actually are pulling through with this one. But man you look tired.”

  “I am…I also have Chloe trying to get back into my uh life.” His smile was wide as he said,

  “My wife was right, you are having women problems.” I stared at him as I let out a laugh.

  “Oh Matthieu, she is right! Tell me how is Octavius lately? I really miss him.”

  “Keeping an eye out for you,” he said in a low voice as he leaned in, “He actually has been watching the girl too. I think he’s worried for you both. Things are not what they seem these days. Too many crazy people looking to do us in.” I nodded, it was always present even when Samara was around. They would hunt us in the daylight. Whole households would vanish and no one had any idea where they went. Samara had once said it was like her uncle to take out a whole house.

  “Never leave anyone alive,” she would say. I had witnessed her people break into homes and pull the weaker ones into the sun.

  “Are you keeping safe?” He nodded as he looked to the dogs on his balcony,

  “The dogs came with the man we hired to look out for us. These are strange times we live in. There are people that love us and want to be like us…”

  “And others who would take us out in an instant,” I finished. He nodded as he looked into my eyes,

  “You have to keep her safe.” I nodded as I thought to Aerin sitting in my house alone.

  “Be safe, my friend.” We embraced once more then parted as I headed back Uptown.

  “I went to the hotel that we were staying in when I was attacked,” she said in a low voice as she sat across from me at the table. I looked up into her face, she had been crying. I looked to the bags sitting by the door.

  “They only had my luggage. They said that someone had collected his things. Rent, I have a family. I have a father and a sister…why have they not come looking for me? Do they not love me? I don’t know what kind of people forget a loved one.” I shook my head as I noticed she had a small frame sitting before her. I picked it up to see it was the Polaroid from the chapel where they had married. I cursed as I threw it across the room. She let out a cry as she lashed out at me,

  “Why do you do that? He was my husband! I loved him! You don’t know what he meant to me! And he’s gone…” Her voice gave out as a sob caught in her throat. I held onto her as she collapsed into my arms.

  “He didn’t love you Aerin. That night in the cemetery; we all saw it.”

  “You all were watching us?”

  “Yeah, we couldn’t figure out what the hell you were doing there. I mean what kind of people go into the cemetery after dark?”

  “I don’t even remember. He thought it was stupid to go there. We were on our way to Miami to be with his friends. I didn’t know them well.” I felt bad that we knew what was in his heart. He was going to dump her when they got there. He had already planned to force her into a divorce and a hefty payment. I stopped myself as I looked at her,

  “Aerin, what sort of work does your father do?” She shrugged,

  “He travels a lot. I see him at Christmas.”

  “Huh, well maybe he figured you were busy with your husband and couldn’t meet him. That is strange that your father didn’t attempt to find you.” I recalled that in her memories he was like a distant shadow in her mind. It was strange that her father was no more than something very vague in her mind.

  “My mother died when I was very young, it’s even a wonder that I recall her voice.” It was true, in her mind the only thing that stood out was her voice. I remembered Octavius mentioning how his son would always react to his mother. It was an imprinted memory from the womb, he reminded me.

  “And your sister?” She shook her head quickly. The dark haired girl with the angelic face flashed before my eyes. Cate.

  “We weren’t close…you think that’s it? Maybe they in some way were happy to be rid of me from their lives. I mean how odd is it that no one called the hotel to check on us?”

  “I think you’ve put too much thought into this, Aerin. I’m sure they left you alone because they saw how in love you were. Noah was very charming.” She managed a smile as she replied,

  “And you know this how?” I touched her on the brow as I whispered,

  “It’s what your soul told me.”
/>   “Why can’t I taste what’s in your soul?” I laughed as I kissed her. She didn’t resist me now, we parted as I said,

  “Everything you want to know is in your blood now.” She stared into my eyes, those deep blue eyes searching for answers as she looked away from me.

  “I fear it would take a lifetime to learn everything about you.” I smiled as she welcomed another kiss.

  I stood out by the moonwalk again. I felt the sun on my face as I stood silently. It was one of the things I enjoyed every now and then. I didn’t have to worry about anyone walking up behind me. Everyone I knew and loved was sound asleep in their beds. I thought about Aerin lying in her room dreaming about her absent father. I still hated that his image was a shadow in her mind. It reminded me that my son was becoming a fading memory fast. I turned to see a town car sitting at the curb not far off. I watched as the door opened and Marc stepped out. He wore large wrap around sunglasses and was covered with a thick layer of sunscreen. He nodded to me as I walked toward him. He was dressed in a dark suit, I imagined he had yet to retire from the evening. He looked nervous standing before me.

  “How goes it?”

  “It’s going and your father?” He laughed exposing his filed teeth. His lips were freshly stained and I knew he had fed not too long ago.

  “He’s well. I think he misses you. I’ve watched him pacing the house and practicing how he will greet you when he sees you.”

  “That’s absurd, Marc. Does he know you’re here?” Marc shook his head as he looked down to his skin, which was turning a shade of pink as he climbed into the car,

  “It’s amazing that he has yet to create a sunscreen that can withstand the sun.” I looked to the shining orb, which was now moving fast across the sky and into place for the day.

  “What do you expect…we’re already cheating a life underground?” He glared at me as he replied,

  “And what of you? How did you escape this curse?”

  “You know I’m not sure but I think it was because I pissed someone of great importance off and was banished to walk the earth with the lot of you.” He laughed as he shook his head,