The Darkest Song (The Eternal Darkness Duet #1)

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I followed him up the rickety steps, into the house. The entryway was small, with a narrow staircase on the right and a long hallway leading toward the back of the house. Directly to the left was a doorway, which he passed through. I followed him into the room, stopping just inside the door to look around.

The age of the house was evident in the warped floorboards and peeling wallpaper, but it was clean and somewhat furnished. A long sofa with a sheet draped over it took up most of the room. There was a fireplace on the far wall, and in front of it was a small wooden table with two chairs. Long dark drapes covered the windows, but unlike the rest of the room, they looked new.

He waved a hand towards the couch. “Please, sit down.”

I walked over and sat, watching him warily. The whole situation seemed surreal. He picked up a wooden chair from in front of the fireplace and carried it over, placing it across from me.

He sat down and looked at me expectantly. “Tell me everything.”

So I did. I told him about the attack in my apartment, and how I woke up the next day alone and horribly sick. I told him about how the wounds on my face had magically healed, then I had to backtrack and tell him about being attacked on the street a few days before. I told him about my trip to the grocery store, and what happened in the park.

“I killed a man.” My hands began to shake as I remembered.

“It’s okay,” he said soothingly.

I leaned back against the couch. “This is crazy.”

He studied me for a moment. “What’s your name?”

I blinked. “Sarah.”

“Well, Sarah, there are so many things wrong with what you just told me, I’m not sure where to begin.” He leaned back in his chair and ran a hand through his hair. “There are laws in the vampire world that protect us and keep us hidden from humans. To change a human without their consent is forbidden. To change a human without the consent of the Strategoi is forbidden.”

“The Strategoi?” I repeated, trying to wrap my head around what he was telling me.

“The Strategoi. The high council, made up of the eight most powerful vampires. They are our Supreme Court, if you will, and almost every trial ends with execution.” He rolled his eyes. “Another law, and this one definitely pertains to you, is that a vampire cannot abandon a newborn.

“A newborn?”

“When a human is turned into a vampire, they are called newborn. The vampire that changed them becomes their sire. It’s your sire’s responsibility to teach you…” he paused and shrugged. “Well, how to be a vampire. These mentor relationships last for decades, if not centuries.”

“Where’s your sire?” I asked, hoping another vampire wasn’t about to appear.

He smiled slightly. “I’m well past that point. My sire and I parted ways eons ago.”

Well. “How old are you?”

“Old.” He sighed and straightened in his chair. “I don’t think you’re grasping the real problem here.”

“Other than the fact that I’m a vampire?” The words came out more sarcastically than I intended.

He gave me a look. “To change a human without permission from the Strategoi is punishable by death. When that happens, they will either kill the newborn, or appoint them a new sire.”

I clenched my hands into fists to keep them from shaking. “How would they find out?”

“Just look at you.” He waved a hand in my direction. “You killed a human in public. The Strategoi have eyes everywhere. They will find you, there's no doubt about that.”

“But this isn’t my fault!” I cried, jumping up from the couch. “I didn’t ask for this!”

“Calm down,” he said, standing. “You can stay here tonight while you figure things out.”

“With you?” I looked at him incredulously.

His eyebrows shot up. “Do you have a better idea?”

I hesitated, but he was right. I had no other options.

“Okay.” I finally said. “Thanks.”

“Come on, I’ll show you your room.”

“My room?”

“Well, technically it's my room-” My eyes shot to his, and he laughed. “No, not like that. There’s only one furnished bedroom. I’m not used to having houseguests.”

“I can’t take your room.”

“Of course you can. I’ll take the couch.”

“But-”

“I’ll take the couch,” he said firmly. “It would be better if I stay down here, closer to the door, in case anyone else arrives. The Strategoi might already know of your existence.”

That was all I needed to hear. Put me in the bedroom. Put me as far from the front door as possible. I nodded my agreement. “Okay. Thanks.”

As if in a trance, I followed him upstairs and down the hall to the bedroom. He opened the door and motioned for me to enter, and I stepped into the room and looked around. A large four poster bed took up most of the space, covered in a dark blue comforter that matched the floor to ceiling curtains covering the far wall. The bedding and curtains looked new, but the furniture looked like antiques. Against the wall next to the door was a small dresser with an old, oval mirror hanging above it.

“The bathroom is through there, if you want to get washed up.” He pointed to a door to the left. “There’s no hot water, but the cold won't bother you now. You can borrow something of mine if you want to change your clothes.” He waved a hand towards the dresser. “They obviously won’t fit well, but they’ll be clean.”

“Thanks,” I murmured. We stood there a moment, looking at each other. Then he nodded and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

I don’t know how long I stood there. It could have been a minute, it could have been an hour. Eventually a noise roused me from my stupor, a soft ticking sound. I turned my head towards it and saw an old-fashioned pocket watch laying on the dresser. I walked over to look at it, and when I caught sight of myself in the mirror, my eyes widened.

My hair was a snarly mess, with bits of grass stuck in it. My mouth, chin and neck were covered with dried blood, and my shirt was stained with it.

I turned and ran to the bathroom. I saw the clawfoot tub and quickly turned on the water, then I tore off my clothes and jumped in. I sat on my knees and leaned forward, splashing myself with water. It ran off me in dark rivulets, turning the bottom of the tub reddish brown. A sob escaped me and I leaned over and stuck my head under the water.

I scrubbed my hair, then my body, not bothering to look for soap. I scrubbed until the water ran clear, then I tucked my knees up under my chin and wrapped my arms around my legs.

I sat like that for a while, letting the water continue to run. I became lost in thought, reliving all that had happened to me in the last two days. When I thought about Allie, I started to cry.

Tears ran down my cheeks, and I felt one splash on my knee. I looked down at it and saw that it was red. Confused, I rubbed it away with my fingertip and stretched my legs out in front of me. Another red drop fell, landing on my thigh. I wiped at the tears on my cheeks and looked at my hands. I was crying blood! The realization only made me cry harder, and soon I was scrubbing myself down again.

I eventually cried myself out, washed myself one last time, and turned off the water. I stood up and grabbed a folded towel off the nearby shelf, wrapping it around me as I stared down at my dirty clothes on the floor. There was no way I was putting that bloody shirt back on.

I wandered back into the bedroom and crossed over to the dresser. I looked in the mirror to check for any missed spots of blood, and when I saw myself I froze. My skin was perfectly clean, perfectly smooth too, but it was my eyes that held my attention. They had changed color, and were entirely green now. Bright green, like cat eyes. I leaned over the dresser, putting my face close to the mirror, and stared at them with disbelief.

Eventually, I leaned back and let my gaze move over my reflection, searching for any other changes. I looked the same, but also different somehow. My skin looked flawless, except for the two small holes on my neck from where I’d been bitten.

I raised a hand to touch them, wondering why they hadn’t healed like the scrapes on my face, then noticed how perfect my hand looked. My hands were normally dry and cracked from constant washing at the diner, and my fingertips calloused from playing my violin. Now they were as smooth and soft as baby skin.

I squeezed them into fists and opened them again, almost expecting them to change back to normal. But they remained soft and perfect. I let out a shaky breath. This would take some getting used to.

I reached down and opened the top dresser drawer. Looking through Adam’s things felt like an invasion of his privacy, but I needed clean clothes. The drawer contained neatly folded shirts, and I grabbed one and quickly pulled it over my head, knowing if I thought about it too long I’d chicken out and end up back in my own blood-stained clothes. It was a plain black t-shirt, which hit me mid-thigh.

I found pants in the next drawer, but knew they'd be too big. Luckily there was a pair of gym shorts. I pulled them on and cinched the drawstring at the waist, tying it in a knot to hold them in place.

I stepped back, trying to see my entire body in the mirror. I looked ridiculous. I grabbed the waistband of the shorts and was about to slide them off when I heard a knock at the door.

“Sarah?”

“Yeah?” I called. “Come in.” My heart started pounding as the door opened.

Adam stepped into the room, and his eyes moved over me. The corner of his mouth ticked up in a half-smile.

“I’m glad you found something that fits,” he said, his hand still on the doorknob.

“Um, yeah.” I nervously smoothed the front of my shirt with my hands. “Thanks.”

“It's still early. I’d like to talk some more if you’re feeling up to it. There are things we need to discuss.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

I followed him down to the living room and sat on the couch. He took the chair across from me, and stared at me for a few moments before he finally spoke.

“I discovered this property a few months ago,” he said, looking around the room. “The drive leading in was mostly swallowed by the forest, telling me no one has been here for years.” His eyes met mine. “You’re safe here.”

“Where did you live before this?” I asked.

“Oh, here and there.” He leaned back in his chair. “Vampires move around a lot. If we stay in one place too long, humans start to notice we don’t age.”

“Oh,” I said, not knowing how else to respond.

“You know you can’t ever go home, Sarah.”

“What?” The word came out louder than I intended.

“You can’t go home again.” He looked directly into my eyes as he spoke. “If you return to your family, you’ll eventually lose control and kill them. Or the Strategoi will find you with them and kill you all. Either way, if you return to them they’re as good as dead.”

“I’ll never see Allie again,” I whispered.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “That’s the hardest part about becoming a vampire.”

I blinked quickly, trying hard not to cry. The thought of shedding more blood tears was too much to handle.

“Who’s Allie?” he asked after a minute.

“My sister.” I clenched my hands into fists, digging my fingernails into my palms. “She’s the only family I have. My parents are dead.”

“I’m sorry.” He sounded sincere when he said it. “There’s no one else? No husband or boyfriend?”

I laughed harshly. “No.” I glanced at him. “What about you? Do you- I mean, do vampires have families?”

“Most do, yes. When a vampire changes a human, they become that person's sire, and the newborn vampire becomes their progeny. A vampire’s sire is like a parent, in a weird sort of way, even though they are often your lover as well.”

“Gross.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, that didn’t come out right. It's hard to explain, but if the same vampire changed both you and I, we’d be part of the same family.”

“Where’s your family?”

“As I told you, my sire and I have parted ways.”

“Do you have any vampire siblings? Or progeny? I mean, have you ever changed anyone?”

“I have no family.”

His tone told me not to pry, so I changed the subject. “Will sunlight kill me?”

“You? Yes.” I looked at him questioningly. “Vampires grow stronger as they age, and can develop a tolerance for sunlight. It takes centuries, mind you. A newborn such as yourself would be killed, but an elder can walk in the sunlight just like a human.”

“What else can kill me?”

“Several things, I’m afraid. Fire, beheading, being stabbed through the heart.” I shuddered at the thought. “But if you manage to avoid all that, you are indeed immortal.”

“Immortal,” I murmured.

“You don’t sound too impressed.”

“Living forever while everyone I know dies? It sounds sad to me. And lonely.”

“You have no idea,” he said softly.

“And we can fly.” I shook my head in amazement.

He smiled slightly. “Like a tolerance for sunlight, it is a skill that’s acquired with age.

“Oh.” That was disappointing. “What about hypnosis? Can vampires really put people into a trance?”

“That is true, to some extent. When we feed, our fangs produce a venom that will put a human into a drug-like trance. A short while later, the venom wears off and the human should have no memory of what happened.”

“What happens when they see the holes in their neck?” I asked, lifting a hand to touch my neck.

“Simply rub a drop of your blood over the wound and it will heal before they wake from their trance.”

“My blood?”

He stood and moved to sit on the couch beside me, and I turned my body so I was facing him. His fangs dropped down so quickly, I jerked back against the arm of the couch.

“It's alright,” he said softly. He pressed his thumb to the tip of one fang and then held it out for me to see the drop off blood gleaming on it. He reached towards me and I sucked in a breath, holding it.

Our eyes met, and without breaking my gaze, he lifted his hand to my neck and rubbed his thumb over the bite mark. My skin warmed and tingled at his touch. For a moment we stayed like gazing into each other's eyes, his hand cupping my neck. Then he let his hand fall and the spell was broken. I blinked and cleared my throat.

“One drop is all it takes.” He looked down at his thumb, which had already healed. “Vampire blood has amazing healing abilities.”

“I’ve noticed.” I rubbed a hand over my face, remembering how my wounds had disappeared.

“Now let's talk about you,” he said, leaning back against the arm of the couch.

“O- kay ,” I said slowly. There wasn’t much to tell. Nothing about my depressing life would fascinate a centuries-old vampire.

“I’ve given it some thought, and I think you should stay with me a while. I can help you. I can teach you how to live as a vampire, and how to remain undetected by the Strategoi.”

“Why would you do that?” I asked. “Wouldn’t that put you at risk?”

“It would.”

“Then why? You don’t even know me, why would you risk your life to help me?”

“Because like you, I was not given a choice. My sire,” he said the word with distaste, “did not seek my permission before changing me.”

My eyes widened. I don’t know what answer I’d been expecting, but it wasn’t that.

“And because you were right earlier. Being immortal is lonely.” He sounded sad when he said it, but then he laughed. “And boring .” He rolled his eyes dramatically. “I’ve been bored for a century, Sarah, so stay and let me help you.”

I slowly nodded. “Okay. I’ll stay.”

We spent the next couple of hours in the living room, while I peppered him with questions. “How often do I need to drink blood?” I asked.

“As a newborn you must feed every night.” He told me. “But as you age, you will learn to control your hunger and be able to go a night or two without it.”

“And I don’t have to kill them, right? I can hypnotize them, or whatever, and they’ll be fine?”

“Correct. Or you could survive off the blood of animals. It doesn’t taste as good, but it does the job.”

I swallowed, finding it hard to believe that I’d ever enjoy the taste of blood. Then I remembered how I’d tore into the man in the park and I cringed.

“You’ll get used to it,” Adam said, as if reading my mind.

“Are there a lot of vampires?” I asked, changing the subject.

He shrugged. “A few million probably.”

“A few million!” I exclaimed, dumbfounded. “How do millions of vampires stay hidden from the rest of us?”

“When you remember that there are billions of people in the world, the vampire population is a fraction of a percent.”

“Oh.” He was right, of course.

“Besides, we don’t really need to stay hidden. We can walk freely among humans after dark. You’ve probably encountered a vampire or two without realizing it. Most city dwellers have.”

“Vampires don’t live in the country?”

“Small towns make for nosy neighbors.”

“You’re right about that.” I muttered.

We continued to talk until he eventually stood and told me it was time to sleep. I looked to the wall of curtains, but not a hint of light peeked through.

“Is the sun coming up?” I asked worriedly.

“Not yet, but soon.”

“How- How will I know when it's dark again?” I squeezed my hands together nervously. “What if I wake up and it's still light out?”

He stepped forward and took my hands in his. “I will come for you when it is time. If you need me before then, just call out and I’ll hear you.” I stared at my hands in his. He was rubbing his thumbs over the backs of my hands, and I was surprised by how good it felt. Then he released me and stepped away. “You are safe with me, Sarah. I promise.”

I went upstairs and sat on the edge of the bed. It felt strange climbing into the bed of a stranger, but I didn’t feel like sleeping on the floor. Slowly, I lay down, resting my head on his pillow. Immediately, his scent filled my senses, and without thinking I rolled onto my stomach and buried my face in his pillow. I inhaled deeply and desire hit me hard, causing me to grind my hips against the mattress. A growl escaped me and I froze. Did that sound come out of me?

I quickly pulled my face out of the pillow and rolled onto my back. I stared up at the ceiling, astonished that I could be aroused after everything I’d just been through, and just from smelling his pillow. This had to be a vampire thing . I yanked the pillow out from under my head and tossed it to the bottom of the bed. Then I curled onto my side and prayed for sleep.