Welcome back! I'll be honest, I never thought this story would become as popular as it has. I'd like to take this time to thank everyone who has written in with their comments and suggestions. Thank you so very much; without you I don't know how far I would have gone with this project. And for those who have followed the tale, or are new to our little family, I invite you to write in and let me know what you think. Feedback is always appreciated. I live to write for my audience, and love to interact with them. Anyone who has written to me already knows that. I encourage an open exchange of ideas as to what you, the reader, would like to see as the story progresses, so please keep the letters coming.
Now on to the legal stuff (as always). This material is intended for mature audiences (adults). It contains scenes of graphic violence and rape, of both the mind and body. This is a story that involves a sexual relationship between two women, among other people. If this kind of material offends you in any way, shape or form you need to ask yourself, "Why the fuck am I here?" then leave. Or if it is illegal to view this sort of content in your area, please, do us all a favor and leave now. Same goes for those not of legal age to read about such things. Though inspired by true events, this story is borne of my own imagination. Any and all resemblance to any person, either living or dead, or actual event, either past or present, is entirely coincidental unless granted permission from those parties involved (they will be thanked and credited at the end of the chapter). As I've been saying throughout this project: I'll leave it up to you to decide what's real and what's not.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy part Nine of "Abandoned Blood".
Chapter 9
The dinner with my parents went about as smoothly as I could have hoped. They asked the usual series of questions. Things like how we met, what degree she's majoring in, what she wants to do with the rest of her life, and then the same question I've been asking this whole time: Why me?
What mad me so special to her? She answered them all with a total of about ten words, but my favorite was her last. "Everything." The looks on their faces cracked me up; I'm sure I wore something similar. I could tell mom was slightly amused, after all she saw the way Nadia carried me into the house, but I think her impression on dad left something to be desired. And the way she kept looking at me had the gears in his head turning. God, I sound like we're dating.
Well, I think we just might be. I invited her to come with us tonight--us being the usual crew. Travis is worried sick about his sister. He told me yesterday after class that he hasn't seen her in days. I told him that she'll be fine. I understood what she's feeling. The shame, the humiliation, but most of all, the need to run. In her mind, just like I knew in mine, no one would understand; Tiffany didn't trust herself, so why should anyone else? But I knew better. I eventually gathered myself and came home so I was sure she will too, even if it was with Nadia's help and that's part of the reason I invited her to come with me and the guys.
I'm still adjusting to my responsibilities as her Watcher. The blood ecstasy is hard to control. At least I wasn't lied to about that part. It's nearly impossible to not want to have sex after resting up. Fortunately for me, Nadia needs blood every OTHER day so I have time to recuperate from the last time. As much as I hate that... that weak feeling, the sex is always great. Nadia keeps trying to warn me about the addiction that it causes and I'm doing my best to curtail any budding desire for it. But like I said, it's hard.
Since Nadia's last bite was yesterday I've got the day off, so to speak. We decided to go to the Were-House for a friendly get-together and hopefully keep Travis from losing his mind. I still haven't told Tiffany what she's in for. It's hard enough just to see her the way she is; she looks so frail and weak already, and I'm afraid of what she'll do to herself if, and when, I tell her. Especially after the way we broke up--it didn't end well, for her anyway. Well, that day wasn't my greatest, but at least I managed to walk in a straight line by the time it was all over.
No, Charlie stop it. I decided today was going to be a good day. A guilt and drama-free day. After everything that's happened so far I think I'm entitled one. I am right? I mean, come on...
"Hello," I said after answering the phone. I was surprised to hear my brother's voice on the other end. "Sven, I thought you weren't going to be back in town for a while yet."
"That's you get for thinking, lil' sis," he said over someone next to him. "We'll be playing at the Were-House tonight. Just thought you'd like to know."
I rolled my eyes. "And I'd want to know because..."
"Oh, come on Charlie, you can't bullshit a bullshitter. You don't think I know you own all of our albums?"
I stifled a squeal. "You son of a bitch, you been in my room?" He laughed. "What's so god damn funny?"
"You," he answered forcefully. "Goddamn Charlie, you are too easy." He was laughing, I wasn't. I hate it when he calls me easy. I hate it when anyone calls me easy. "If you keep giving yourself up like that, you sure as hell ain't gonna survive in the real world."
Now I was laughing. The dumbass has no idea what the real world even looks like. His laughing died down as mine grew. "Now what are you laughing at?"
"You, dip-shit," I said relaxing. I went to say something, but caught myself. He didn't need to know what I've been through the last week-and-a-half. He'd tell mom and dad and I'd be screwed. "You don't know me as well as you think you do."
"That so?"
"Yeah, that's so." I heard Sylvia's voice then the line went dead. I guess she needed to get hers. I don't think I'll ever understand why she ever fell for my brother. I've always told myself that the bleach in her hair finally got to her--at least she laughs when I say that.
Pain in the ass. Well, at least they love each other. I know Sven would jump off a bridge if she asked him too--as secretly hoped she would sometimes. I could tell she loves him too. She's a completely different person whenever he's around. Was I the same way around Nadia? Maybe. But was that because of the vampire pheromones, or something more? Father Darien--asshole numero uno--told me that Nadia was a different person whenever she was around me, and that much I figured was true. He wouldn't have mentioned it if it wasn't important to him.
A rumbling in my stomach pulled me out of my train of thought. I looked at the clock. Two-thirty. Go figure, I haven't eaten anything since breakfast. If my memory serves me right, Travis and Henry would be getting out of class in about a half hour. I think I could walk to the campus by then.
I move faster than I thought. I made it to the Stanley-Andrews Center in half that time. The thing is, I don't remember half of it. The imagery was just a mass of blurred greens and blues, not unlike the last time I left the house. At least this time I didn't hear voices telling me to it. Small favors. Nadia was going to be in her Advanced Economics class for another forty-five minutes, so I guess a small chicken salad sandwich from the cafe would help shut my tummy up.
"Charlie!" Tiffany called out from across the room. "Charlie, wait up!"
I stopped like she asked. I lifted my shades and braced for the high speed impact that was coming my way. When she threw her arms around me I didn't budge. Father Darien was right again, my body was changing. The last time she did that I ended up on my back with my tailbone almost broken. We spun around a couple of times before I tried to get her to let go of my neck. "Um... Tiffany, you okay?" I asked when her grip tightened when I tried to back away.
Her answer came in the form of a violent head swing. "I don't know what's happening to me." I could hear the tears in her eyes. Hell I could smell them leaking down her face. "I'm so scared. He won't leave me alone... I can't make him stop..."
I held onto her for another minute before saying anything. "I don't know what to tell you, Tiff. I'm still trying to understanding it too."
She finally let me breathe. Looking into my eyes she asked, "How do you deal with it?"
"Nadia," I answered with a shrug. My ex's face fell. Everything that Nadia was trying to prevent me was standing three inches in front of me. Her eyes were bulgy and bloodshot. The bags under eyes told me that she probably hasn't slept, or bathed, in days, maybe even since the day we left Carlton's. It finally dawned on me just how frail she looked. We may not be dating anymore, but it still broke my heart to see her like this. I took her hands in mine, wincing when her unkept, uneven nails dug into my palms. "Well, I know you're not going to want to, but some food will do you some good."
She just nodded her head like the beaten child she was. I gulped in horror when I noticed a new pair of puncture marks on her neck. I held back my ire as I escorted her into the cafe. She didn't have to say anything. My own experience has taught me that vampires like to make their own mark on a person when they feed, so I knew they didn't belong to Father Darien. Horror turned to hatred. I'm going to kill that mother fucker, I told myself over and over as we waited in line with out food and drinks. I don't know how, but that little fucker was going to die in my hands. Suddenly my mind was bombarded by images of his face turning red as I choked the life out of him, then drove a stake through his heart for good measure. It only seemed right.
I paid for our stuff. I had hoped she would get more, but I knew that it had to come in small steps lest she be hurling it back up in no time flat. The grimace she made at the meatball sub took me back to the night I ran to the bathroom, right before I ran out of the house. I would have smiled if it was a happy memory. "You need to eat something, Tiffany," I prompted. "Trust me, you'll feel better."
She gave me a look that said, "I don't think so." I took a sip of my Sprite and gestured her to follow suit. Her face went from ghost-white to green at the idea of eating.
I don't think I've ever seen a person stare at their food like that for that long before. Tiffany just looked at it like she was about to throw up.
It would have been comical is it wasn't so serious.
She jumped when I said, "Eat it, Tiffany." She looked around as if she was lost.
"Charlie, where am I?"
I stopped sipping my drink and looked at her. "You're in the Stanley-Andrews Center with me eating lunch," I said slowly and calmly. "You picked out your favorite meatball sub and Coke combo." Memory loss was not fun; I knew it all too well.
"Oh, okay," she said meekly. I watched her pick her sandwich back up and put it in her mouth. At least she was trying to eat. I hoped I wasn't like this when I was first bitten. What I can remember of it all was tainted by the confusion and shame. Then Nadia's sweet voice. Then abandonment. I'm sure Tiffany was far worse off that that--she doesn't have anyone to answer her questions and protect her. I couldn't even begin to imagine what she's been through since I last saw her.
I don't know how long I watched her, but I do know that I didn't take my eyes off of her for one second. Is that what Nadia felt all the time? This urge... this need to look out for those weaker than her?
Wait, Tiffany wasn't weaker than me. Her strength was what attracted me to her when we were kids. She was always there to protect me on the playground. She would have my back every time I got into a scuttle in the hallways. She has always been the dominant one of us two, and to see her broken like this was just wrong. I feigned a smile when she looked over at me.
"What?" the girl asked after looking at me for a couple of seconds.
"When we're done, do you wanna play some pool?" I know I'm down for any sort of distraction.
"Yeah," she breathed. She looked at her cell phone then added, "Travis and Henry should be getting out of class in the next few minutes. You just wanna wait for them and we'll play some doubles like we did a couple of weeks ago?"
Shit, was it that time already? "Yeah sure. That be great." For her sake I tried to keep my voice high. She gave me a weak smile before going back to her food. Mine was already gone. I didn't even realize until I went looking for it. I whacked my head on the table when Tiffany blurted my name out.
"Ow," I said rubbing my skull.
"You okay?" I gave her that look. "I want to ask you something. Is that okay?" Since when does she need my permission to ask anything? I waited a moment before telling her she had it. "Was I a bad girlfriend?"
"That's a bit out of the blue. I wouldn't say you were a bad girlfriend. You had your moments, but I wouldn't call it bad. Why?"
She looked away. "It's just something that's been bothering me a lot lately." I started to feel my aura tingling. A soft touch like one Nadia gives me just before she sinks her teeth in. I figured it was all the emotion my ex was releasing. My instinct was to try and read it, like I did with those hookers, but she's my friend. She should be able to tell me what's up. "I keep hearing this guy's voice in my head telling me things. Awful things about what I put you through--"
"Now stop that," I blurted out, slamming my hand on the table. "I don't know what he's been telling you, but that son of a bitch is a pathological liar. He'll say anything to get what he wants. I know; I've been there. The reason I broke up with you was because I got tired of your drinking, and all the drama you would cause when you were drunk. That's it."
A tear dropped from her pain-filled eyes. "But he said you don't care about me--"
"Enough! I"m here aren't I? I warned you that day outside Carlton's about what was coming. You're my friend, Tiffany. Of course I care about you." I made a huff and reminded myself that today was going to be a good day.
"Where's all this coming from? Father Darien?"
Her eyes widened. "Is that his name?" I nodded. "He sounds so sincere when he tells me things. He pulls me in close to him, like you used to. I can't refuse him. I want to, but I can't."
I waved my hand. "Change the subject. I'm tired of talking about that asshole. He's a monster, Tiff. A monster that literally has his teeth in you. Nadia told me that once a vampire has tasted your blood and aura that his or her influence grows. If there was a way I could pull you away from him I would. You've got to fight him off."
Panic stricken, she grabbed my hands. "Tell me how. Please, Charlie, I can't stand it."
Suddenly I was sick to my stomach. He was toying with her, with my best friend. He led her to me and then let her off her leash knowing full well there isn't a damn thing I could do to help her. Tiffany was already losing her mind and it's only been about a week since he 'took her in'. I've seen her when she was down, but this was pure desperation.
"I don't know how I do it," I said, my blood pressure rising. "I just mentally block out his voice and try to ignore what he does to my aura. I don't know how to describe it." The broken girl just stared back at me like I was letting her drown. "I'm sorry Tiffany."
"Oh my god!" Travis shouted from the doorway. I looked up at him then immediately turned my head away. The overpowering light burned right into my retinas. He, with Henry in tow, sprinted across the now-empty center. "Tiffany where the hell have you been?" I almost cried when I saw his tears. He pulled her to him, refusing to let go when she asked.
The poor girl was too shell shocked to say anything, even after he loosened his grip. Henry gave me a little hug and kiss on the cheek. He would have done the same to my ex if her brother would let her go. "How about we discuss this over a game of doubles?" I suggested, trying to calm him down. I turned to Henry and asked, "You got quarters?"
We stood around our usual table, but the atmosphere was completely different from last time. Tiffany, on temporary leave from Father Darien's influence--I think--just sat on the leather bench and stared off into space. Travis was pacing over by the wall, the gears in his head trying to turn. Henry was in his usual place kneeling down at the coin slot. I was standing next to Tiffany, refusing to let her out of my sight. Even after all the shit the two of us have seen--I'd be willing to bet she's suffered worse than me--what I found most troubling was the silence. I'd rather take five PMSing renegades screaming in my face face over the quiet that now engulfed us.
"Would someone please tell me what's going on?" Henry asked after her deposited the four quarters.
I snorted. Not in a million years would he understand. Hell, I don't even understand it all.
"What?" he retorted.
"Okay," I started, trying to think of a place to start. I decided, what the hell. "What do you guys know about vampires?" Travis froze. Henry stared at me. Tiffany turned her head in my direction, curiosity shooting from her eyes.
Well, I guess the floor was mine. "Tiffany and I were both bitten by one, it's why we both seem to disappear for days at a time."
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Travis blurted out.
"Remember when I almost bled to death right over there?" He blanched when I pointed at the bathroom. "Well guess how it happened."
"Y-you said that you fell down some steps outside." The troll had betrayal written all over is face. "You lied to me? Why would you do that? You don't trust--"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence!" I interrupted. "Yes, I trust you, Travis. You're like the big brother I never wanted. You and Henry both. You guys took care of me as best as you could and I thank you for that. You didn't know that there was nothing you do to help me, but you did you could." His eyes were reddening, he was holding back a tear. "And before you say anything bad about Nadia, it was my fault that it got so bad. I didn't let her finish injecting the enzymes into me that coagulate the blood. And when I tried to fix it myself, as Nadia told me the other day, I made it worse by using the hydrogen peroxide. It killed anything she might have gotten into me. Then, in some weird chemical reaction, the iodine stopped the scar tissue from closing."
Tiffany's jaw dropped. I forgot that she didn't know... guess she does now. I could see the horror replaying itself on Henry's face. What I can remember of it all, I don't think I've ever seen either one so scared in their lives.
"Ch-Charlie, we've hardly seen you since we took you to Nadia's house," Travis stammered. His tone was soft and weighted down with worry. "What happened in there?"
I shrugged. "She told me almost everything I need to know," I said flatly. It felt weird explaining it all to my best friends like this, as if the situation with me and Nadia--and now Tiffany and Father Darien--wasn't awkward enough already. "She's still teaching me some things."
Henry started racking the balls. One side of my mouth lifted. He always was the one who kept everything halfway normal. That's why I love him like I do. He was never judgemental about Tiffany and me, nor did he ever ask for anything in return for his friendship. He simply gave it anyone who asked. Plus, he was the only guy I know that listened to whatever drama I laid on him. The man has put up with a lot of my crap over the years without ever once complaining about it. I've got plenty of fond memories of the two of us talking after my many girl-fights with Tiffany or whoever I was dating at the time. He's kinda like the gay friend that's straight.
"Like what?" Henry asked, putting the finishing touches on hi beautiful rack. "I mean is there some sort of initiation or something?"
I shook my head. "No, not really." I grabbed my stick and chalked it.
"So what is she to you exactly?" came Travis's voice behind me. "Or you to her?" I let him pause to choose his words carefully. "With the way she acted while you were passing out I figured you're pretty important to her. I saw the way she looked at you, and I know you can't fake that kind of concern."
I let out a breath. "She's my vampire." I said with a cheap, 'duh' smile. It didn't work. "I'm her Watcher." There I said it. Travis and Henry both cocked an eyebrow. "I'm her caretaker, provider, companion... that help?"
Henry whispered, "Lover?"
I shrugged again. "Maybe. We've had sex, yes, but that's mostly because of the pheromones that vampires exhume. Plus the bite itself is very sexually charged so wanting the sex is inevitable."
They took that at face value at least. I could practically smell their auras. Henry's was about as neutral as ever towards my situation, but still filled with uncertainty about Tiffany's. Travis, much like Henry, accepted what I told him as the truth which is good, because it was; however, he was practically falling over himself trying to figure out his sister's new disposition. He started pacing again.
I lined up my shot and hit the cue ball. Tiffany jumped at the sound of the break. She wasn't much better than her brother. I didn't like reading other people's auras, even if I was desperate to know--hell I still have yet to figure out how I knew how to do it--and calling Tiffany's situation desperate is a gross understatement. I lined up my next shot when the eleven ball rolled into the corner pocket.
"Is that what happened to my sister?" Travis asked. I could hear it in his voice that he didn't want to know the answer to that. But he needed to know.
I looked up from my shot, resting against the table. "I don't know exactly what happened to her. She sitting right there, why not ask her?" Even if she only has a partial memory of the last few days, and who the hell knows how accurate it really was? I thought. I toyed with the idea of telling him about Father Darien and what he did to her, but he was close enough to losing it. Telling him that she's going to become a 'blood whore' on the streets soon would push him over the edge.
"Is she her vampire's Watcher?" I really wish he would stop asking questions. "At least that seems safe... Nadia really cares for you."
I brightened at that last bit. "Yes, she does. She keeps me from dealing with a lot of shit." As much as he liked to hear that, I knew what he was really asking. He wanted to know if Tiffany was under the same blanket of protection that Nadia provided me. I stared into his eyes for a couple more seconds. He pleaded with me to tell him. My pulse increased.
"And Tiffany's vampire protects her too, yes?"
My mouth trembled. "I don't even know who her vampire is," I blurted out. It was true... halfway. I don't know who made that second mark.
Suddenly everything turned into anger. "Why are you asking me? I don't have all the answers! Why should I know everything?"
"Hey, hey, calm down, Charlie," Henry said, grabbing my shoulders. My vision started to change into that blue cloud. Must be all the emotions around and inside me. Instinctively I shut my eyes. That damn sun about burned them out of their sockets. I reached up and lowered my sunglasses. "What the hell was that?" the shorter man asked, bewildered.
"Sorry, the sun was in my face..."
"No, I mean that eye thing you just did." The next thing I knew I had both men in my face.
"Your eyes just changed color."
"Really?" I said bitingly. "To what color?"
"Pale blue then solid black." Now it was my turn to be weirded out. Nadia never mentioned that and she's seen me when that happens. "Seriously, Charlie, you're freaking me out."
"Yeah, well, welcome to the club." I lined my shot up again and sunk the nine. I was done talking about this. Nadia and Father Darien both said that I wasn't becoming a vampire, but I fall two steps short of vamping out on my best friends? Something about that didn't add up. Everyone just looked at me as I lined up my next two shots and sank the fifteen and thirteen. I didn't like the look in their eyes, or the fluttering of their auras, because it only meant one thing. They're all scared of me.
"What?" I asked when I re-chalked my stick. The guys refused to meet my eye. Tiffany came up to me and wrapped her arms around my middle making me that much more tense. "I'm fine Tiffany," I said, trying to wiggle out of her grasp. I shrugged harder when she didn't let go. "Get off of me, I'm fine. Let's just play some pool."
My ex retreated back to her seat. It wasn't fair to yell at her like that, but it wasn't fair that they thought I knew everything. This could be why Nadia is so eager to hurt people, I mused. All the pent up frustration has to be released somehow. I lined up my next shot, ignoring the woeful expressions of the guys.
I hit the cue and followed it around to the other side. I just kept sinking my shots as fast as I could.
After seven consecutive hits-and-sinks, I called my eight ball shot. "Off the two, two cushion, off the five, back into the near right pocket." Henry snorted. If nothing else, it broke some of the tension around us. I pulled my cue back, then Henry interrupted.
"Twenty bucks says you miss."
I grinned slightly. "Bullshit." I readied my shot again.
"Fifty bucks," he challenged. Even Travis relaxed a little.
I chuckled. "You're money." I hit the cue and watched that beautiful black ball do what I told it to do. Henry swore when it fell into the pocket I called. "And now it's mine," I said with my hand out.
"Damn it girl." Henry pulled out his wallet and counted out five tens. "Merry Christmas."
I felt a lot better about my day really quick. "Again?"
"Yeah, but guys break."
"You're on."
I put my four quarters in and started racking. Travis was still freaked a bit, but at least he lost that edginess. His and Tiffany's auras regained some vibrance. Their presence was more pronounced. My own unease was chipped away by it. Leave it to Henry to be the one who sparks their good moods.
"What time are we meeting at the Were-House tonight?" I asked when I finished. Travis and Tiffany shrugged their shoulders. Henry just gave me a look that told me to decide. "I was thinking about seven-ish. That cool?"
"Yeah, sure," the blond man said as he lined up his break. That surfer boy look seemed a bit out of place among us goths wearing black, but that's what made it so fun. I remember teasing him about being the wannabe punker that didn't quite make it. That was how we met actually, and his retort about me being the lesbian chick with no girl made me like him immediately. We've been close friends ever since. It wasn't long after that I started going out with Tiffany. I found out later that Travis and Henry had been "bros" since kindergarden. Nostalgia always made me smile.
The rack broke in a beautiful symphony of cracking porcelain. The seven rolled into a side pocket. Henry turned around to talk shit but stopped. He reciprocated my smile, thinking I was applauding his skill. I took a seat next to Tiffany as Henry sank his next two shots.
"Damn," he swore when he missed. "Sorry Travis. You sister's gonna kill us." The taller troll lowered his head in a mock depression. I felt better seeing him act like himself. Tiffany too for that matter. Her swagger to the table wasn't it's usual look-at-me walk, but at least she was trying to have fun.
Tiffany lined up her first shot, and without even looking, sank it. She smirked as the guys went crestfallen. I shook my head, my smile broadened. I see Father Darien didn't take the pool shark out of her. She paused when she got to the eight ball. "Care to make anymore bets?"
"Yeah," he said boldly. "If you miss this shot I buy you dinner tonight. Make it and you owe me dinner."
Her jaw dropped. "What the hell kind of bet is that?"
"A sure bet," he said, sounding too smooth. "Since almost every ball is off the table, I know Travis can come back and win it for us. You don't want to fuck up your record, do you? We play this game all the time and we've never beaten you girls once."
I had to hand it to him, as dorky as he could be sometimes the man knew his shit. If Tiffany were a guy, he'd have her by the balls. Since she's not does that mean he's got her by the tits? Weird how that doesn't sound right. "That's not fair!" Tiffany complained. Henry just shrugged, his face getting more smug by the minute.
He gestured at the table. "Call your shot."
My ex scowled at him. I've never seen anyone turn her ego against her. This was going to be interesting. Tiffany lowered herself back to the table. "Off the one, two cushion, back into near side pocket." She hit the cue. It clanked off the one and continued on the path Tiffany called. "Looks like I owe you dinner," she said halfheartedly.
"Damn it," Henry grumbled. "I thought for sure you'd fudge it. Oh well, I got some free food out of it."
Travis made a noise. "And I just lost twice and haven't even got a turn yet. You suck, Henry." I couldn't stop my giggle. Neither could Tiffany. Henry gave Tiffany her due hug and cheek smooch. Travis came over to me and did the same.
"Sorry I yelled at you earlier," I whispered.
He shook his head. "Hey you're stressing out just like I am. Just promise this: No more secrets."
"You know me better than that Travis," I said closing my eyes.
"The only guarantee I'll ever give you is that I guarantee I won't make you any guarantees." He chuckled at that. I said the exact same thing to him after he gave me his brotherly you're-dating-my-sister talk. It pained me to say it, but it was the truth and he'd go insane if he were to ever learn of it. "But how about this? I'll do my best to keep an eye on her for you. That work?"
He let out a breath and gave me a weak smile. "I guess it'll have to do." He looked up at the front door opening. I looked away since it let in all that light. I hope Nadia could help me figure out what the hell exactly I was becoming. This whole sensitivity thing was getting old. "But can you at least refrain from telling our parents?"
"That I can do." I looked up when I felt a warming sensation coat me. My mood brightened when my eyes settled on my vampire. She was saying something to Henry that I could hardly make out, but it sounded friendly. I tugged on Travis's arm. "There's someone I want you to meet."
Nadia was sitting on my bed, my overnight bag nestled in her lap. I was finishing getting dressed for our night out. Travis and Henry warmed up to her immediately, and not because of the pheromones. In fact she hardly expelled any at all. I felt a little tingling against my scar, and I'm sure Tiffany did as well, but it wasn't enough to bother either of us. She was giving a genuine attempt to get to know all of the people in my life. It felt pretty good to see her warm up to them so easily. We all got a laugh at the guys trying to pronounce her full name.
I decided on dressing down in a simple long sleeve tee with slits cut into the shoulders--my own handiwork I am proud to say--and my favorite pair of black jeans. I like how tight the cotton stretches over my skin, showing off my curves in all the right ways. I slipped on the studded and chain-riddled leather belt that Nadia gave me when I got in her car. I turned around and posed for her. "What do you think?"
She studied me for a minute. "Still needs something... I know." She set my bag aside and told me to close my eyes. "No peeking." She could be such a softy when she wanted to be. It showed me that she was, in fact, once a little human girl at one point. I was about to be sarcastic when I felt her slip a new piece of neckwear around my throat. She pointed at my vanity and said, "Take a look."
I ran my hand over the crushed red and black velvet. The beading on the edges was so intricate that it looked like lace. The pattern resembled something from a celtic artifact. Then I noticed the twin rubies on both sides, shining in stark contrast against their black background. Must be some sort of vampire joke. "It's beautiful Nadia. Thank you."
She stepped behind me and pulled me against her. Her hands rested atop my belt, her fingers interlaced. It made me feel secure, wanted, safe. "No need to thank me Charlene. You're my Watcher; you deserve only the best." I couldn't help but notice the ego fanning in that. I gasped when she kissed the skin behind my ear.
"We still need to get the stuff for this weekend," I reminded her. "Then we've gotta meet the others at the Were-House." As much as I didn't want her stop, we had to get going or we were going to be late.
She didn't say anything. She just continued to manipulate my body with her incredible skill. Her fingers lightly traced the underside of my jawline. Her lips brushed against my skin, her tongue barely touching me at all. My pussy started to moisten. My nipples hardened. Her aura overtook mine, sending both warmth and chills all over my body. Goosebumps rose as the wave traveled. I lolled my head to the other side, offering my neck to her if she wanted it. The vampire didn't take it. Instead her grip on my middle tightened. One of her hands cupped my chin and turned my head. Her lips met mine in a wet collision.
Her tongue followed the oval of my lips. Electricity shot through my groin making me moan. Usually me legs would start to get weak and rubbery. I would collapse into her fold and let her do to me what she desired. But not this time. Strength flowed through me. Her aura on mine supported my will. She kissed me deeply before pulling away.
"How do you feel?" Nadia asked, truly curious.
"Good," I said, opening my eyes. "Great," I amended. "What was that just now?"
"A reverse aura feeding." My vampire looked awfully proud of herself for some reason. "I offered you some of my aura and you took it."
"I did?"
"Yes, that was the stability you felt when your knees buckled."
"But I thought only vampires could feed off another person's aura." Now I was really confused. Why did she have to that? Couldn't we just enjoy the moment for once without furthering my education?
"Yes, I did, and you are no vampire," she said matter-of-factly.
"Then why...?"
"I don't know," she shrugged stepping back. "I'm still researching what you could be."
I waved my hand in the universal sign of "change the subject". "Let's just go and have some fun for a while. Can we do that?"
"I think we can do that."
After a quick stop at Home Depot, we made our way across town to the club. By now I was starving and I'm sure Nadia would like to get some grub, even if she really didn't need it. Since it was Friday, I dreaded making the walk from the parking lot to the front door. One of those Baptist Revival Churches--can't recall their name at the moment--shows up to protest. I hated these people with a passion. They spent so much time worrying about the "demonization of their community" that they fail to see the bastardization of their own children. Oddly enough, or rather, in a cruel irony, the Were-House normally where these children show up. I remember the first time I saw it. Let's just say it didn't end well for the protesters. The local news stations ate it up. That's when they scaled back their demonstrations to Fridays only, instead of every fucking day.
Those people were the very reason my grandparents stopped going to church. After that story broke, they saw the anger and hatred for themselves. The hypocrites that waved the signs, the ones who hid behind the "Good Book" are the only demons in the area. If they really wanted to see a demon, protest in front of Coven Darien, I mused.
"What's so funny?" Nadia asked as she laced her fingers with mine. We actually looked like a normal couple walking like this, and I must admit that I liked it.
"I was just thinking about the first time I saw a protest here," I said around my smile. "Those 'nice, churchgoing' people made themselves look like fools in front of the very news cameras they invited. It was awesome." Nadia started giggling. I guess she knew about it. "Anyways, I was just thinking, if they really wanted to spew their holy rhetoric, why not do it in front of Father Darien's place?" I started laughing harder, Nadia had stopped. "And when they piss him off, they wouldn't know what hit'em."
"That's not funny, Charlene," she said in all seriousness. Nadia stopped us about halfway up the little hill that separated the building from the parking lot.
"Yeah it is," I countered. "Think about it. They want to see the devil so bad, well, there he is." My laughter died down when I felt her grip tightening. Her aura expanded and threatened to overtake mine, and not in the good way.
"Charlene, I warned you once about talking about him like that," she said through clenched teeth.
My tone became both stern and caring. "Nadia, I know that you have a lot of love for him, but it's a false love. He twisted your head around so much that you can't tell the difference between love and hate. You told me yourself that you have just as much hate for him, did you not?" I stopped to examine her shift in mood; vampires have mood swings worse than bipolar people. "Isn't that what you have me for? To help balance you out... even if we haven't formed one yet?"
We started walking again. Nadia forced a smile. "Yes." Her grip relaxed a bit. I took a mental sigh of relief. The last time I screwed up like that, she pinned me to the wall and threatened to bite me in a room full of vampires. Then I didn't see her again for four days. "That's one of the reasons why I have you."
That couldn't have been and more open ended. The gears in my head started turning. "Other than blood and companionship, what else do you need me for? Sex? Because if so, I'm all yours."
Nadia chuckled. "Yes, the sex is fantastic. I've never had anyone who could do even half of what you do to me."
Flattery will get you everywhere, I thought. "And that would be...?"
"Cumming so hard it splashes against your face," she said, blushing. She looked so cute when she's embarrassed. "You can control me the way no one else could. It's like you tease me on purpose just to get a bigger rise from me. And I like it. Without even trying you hit every one one of my spots, push every one of my buttons... Those lips and teeth, that tongue, and those fingers... oh, god, they're just so wonderful inside me."
Wow. I didn't think she'd take it that far, but I'm glad she did. Nadia saw the stunned look on face, and the reddening in my cheeks. I heard her voice in my head telling me how cute embarrassment looked on me. "It looks cute on you too," I answered back. She leaned her head onto my shoulder and let out a contented sigh.
"Well, hello Charlie," Marcus said when we got to the door. "Who's your little friend? Or should I say your girlfriend?"
"Shut up, you pervert," I said, rolling my eyes. "This is Nadia, the coolest chick on the planet. Nadia, this is Marcus, the coolest bouncer in the world."
Nadia looked him up and down without moving her head. I'm sure she was saying something to him that I couldn't hear. Whatever it was, it must have been juicy. I've never seen a black guy blush before. "Nice to meet you, Marcus," I heard her say. "How do you know Charlene?"
"Charlene?" he repeated, lifting an eyebrow. Why can every do that but me? I rolled my eyes again. "That's funny. I've know this girl since she was in high school and that's the first time I've ever heard her real name." Nadia smiled, he went on, "We have the same Creative Writing class, but we met a couple years back when she and her little friend Tiffany tried to sneak in here without showing I.D. After that, I watched them like a hawk and we eventually hit it off." I felt Nadia warm beside me. "It's weird that I'm a senior and she's a freshman and we share a class, but hey, that's how things work out sometimes."
My vampire looked over to me. I swear I saw sparkles in her eyes. "Yeah. They do."
"A'ight, a'ight, let me mark your hands before you two get too mushy. Everyone else of your crew is waiting for you inside." The marks on our hands told the bartender we could have drinks if we wanted.
"Thanks, Marcus." I said, patting him on the chest as we entered.
"No problem... Charlene." He snorted. I pulled Nadia's arm to get away from him. I'm glad I've got such great friends.
I spotted Travis's tall ass standing against the railing of the upper floor. A weird feeling crept up my spine when we walked past the bathrooms. A shiver coursed through me so hard Nadia felt her hand moved. She followed my gaze and I swear I felt her grip on my arm tighten. I guess nostalgia worked its magic on vampires too.
"What took you two so long?" Travis asked when we made our entry. "Get lost on your way between her legs?" Nadia's jaw dropped. I would have slapped him if I wasn't relieved to hear him joking like that. I never thought I'd be happy to hear his dirty jokes. "I mean I know that it's slippery when wet and all--" Tiffany's well placed foot cut him off. "Ow."
She was looking a hundred times better than she was just a few hours ago. "How you feeling, Tiff?" I asked anyway.
"Thanks to Nadia's awful concoction, and a good nap I'm feeling much better." I knew exactly what she meant. That stuff was certainly different. I think that's a good word for it. "And before either of you tell me, I don't want to know. I'm just happy it worked."
"You're welcome," Nadia said, ending the discussion. "Charlene cares for you, therefore I will." I heard the collective gasp of hope. I didn't even tell her about Tiffany's run-in with the second vampire, but I'm sure I didn't have to. Father Darien was probably already bragging about how he corrupted another lowly human.
"That's very nice of you Nadia," Travis said, "But why do I feel a 'but' coming on?"
She shrugged. "There's only so much I can do. Tiffany's going to have to learn how to fight them off herself." The mood of the entire table fell a few notches. "I can heal her yes, even take care of her, but only if she comes to me and asks for it."
"And why's that?"
"It's hard to explain," I said, trying to ease him back down. "I mean, I'm her Watcher and I still have to go find her sometimes if I need her help." I don't know how I was going to tell him anything more without upsetting every one. I just wanted us all to have a pleasant, friendly evening. The last thing I wanted to do was turn this into a committee discussing how to keep Tiffany alive and off the streets. We'll deal with that later.
"That so?" Travis asked in that brotherly tone. "Why don't you explain it to me then?"
"How about I not and we just enjoy our evening?" I countered. "We'll have plenty of time for that when we get home." I hope. I turned to Henry and asked, "You guy ordered yet?"
He shook his head. "We were waiting for you guys." He looked around the table as if he needed permission to change the subject. "I hear that Kererbus is playing tonight. What time do they hit the stage?"
I lifted my shoulders. "Probably the same time as their last show. Sven called me earlier, but didn't tell me."
"I heard that you lost your job yesterday. What was that all about?"
I shrugged again. "I guess I missed too many days and didn't have a doctor's note. It's alright though, I didn't like the manager anyway. I think his engine was running, but there' no one behind the wheel, if you know what I mean." I got a collective head nod. "He'd give out these weird schedules that made everyone trade shifts and everything got confused. Oh well. I'm not overly worried about it."
"Word."
Nadia took my hand into hers. Tiffany scowled a little, but changed her mind when I gave her one of my own. Jealousy didn't look good on her. "So how did your test go today boys?"
"Aced it like always," Travis announced, sticking his chest out. "No sweat."
"Bullshit!" Henry said around a laugh. "You were the last one out that room."
"And you beat me by two fucking minutes. And who got the higher grade?"
"Quit talking shit, we won't know that until Monday," Henry reminded him. The big troll's pride deflated a little. "How's your classes going, Charlie?"
"About as could be expected. World History can only be so exciting. And we just entered into Seventeenth Century Europe. Bore-ring!" Nadia squeezed my hand tighter and looked away. "It's basically a series of chapters leading up to the Revolutionary War and all the political bullshit that surrounded it. You guys know me and that crap. Total snooze-fest."
Our usual waiter, Larry, took our orders and left. Actually, he just confirmed that we were getting our usuals. Nadia got the same thing I did, which surprised me. I've never seen her eat that much in one sitting. In fact the most I've ever seen her eat was four bite of blueberry pie and ice cream. She met my curious glance with a shy grin. "It helps me feel normal," she said without speaking. Made sense. Tomorrow was when she going to need blood, so maybe she would split hers with me to get my nutrients up; she said it'll help hasten my recovery. Whatever. I just knew I was hungry.
"Wow, Nadia," Travis said in mock surprise, "I didn't think dykes like that much meat." He's back to telling perverted jokes again. Good. That means he gave up fishing for information.
Nadia looked at him with a face that I couldn't describe, but cracked me up. Confusion? Disgust? Surprise? All of the above? But when she said, "What's wrong with you?" the whole table bursted out laughing. Good question, I thought. I have no idea, and neither id anyone else sitting here.
To be continued...