Once Awakened: Chapter Eight

This was how it went. I was always beautiful, unchanging. Had I been a human I would have been dead by now, but I would live forever. Waking with the moon, hunting or being fed by Romulus, I became strong, very strong. Not as strong as he was of course, but I did learn to control fire. He spent almost a hundred years teaching me to fight with it as he did. I could form the knives though I still carried my own dagger. And like him I could cause things to burn with my thoughts. 1

I wasn’t attacked again. No vampires came for me and I seemed to have forgotten I was ever even in any danger. I lived in peace just as before. I sometimes searched for others. Just to see if there were other vampires. But I never found them; if they existed, which I knew they did somewhere, they hid themselves very well. 2

I never found them, but they found me. Just when I had given up they struck. The worst thing that could happen, happened. They came for me, immortal soldiers, older then me, older then Romulus. 3

I had been in my room, Romulus in his studio when they came. Three of them had burst through my window, two through my door. Fire was the only weapon I had. I wasn’t going hunting so my knife was not on me. I heard Romulus calling to me, to far to help me. Strong though I was, I was no match for five immortals older then I. I killed only one of them before they took me. 4

They led me away from the castle, I could hear Romulus shouting to me, but I couldn’t reply. The ones that held me had covered my mouth. Flames were held at my neck and my hands held tightly apart at my wrists, somehow cutting off the flames I willed to rush to my fingertips. I was powerless and I had no choice but to be led away from the one I so loved.5

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You should know this is one of the most terrible things to ever happen to me. Yet even still, I feel I must record it, if not for the mortals that will read my work it must at least be done for myself. I don’t wish to talk about it much, but it is something important, and such an importance makes any wishes irrelevant. I shall go over the first and the last nights only, however. Forgive me for leaving so much out the story, but the pain it causes me to speak of the little that I do is terrible far beyond any words can say. Surely you will understand my situation, those of you who read this. But you must know this was more then a few miserable nights. No, I was held for almost a hundred years in that damned city and while this is the worst part of my life, I got something wonderful, and terrible, from it.7

Now, let’s get on to the rest of my story.8

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They locked me in stone coffin that I could neither escape nor break, and I don’t know how long I was trapped in it. I don’t know how long I struggled to get out of it, beating the top and scratching at the sides, before the dreaded sleep of day took hold of me and rendered me powerless. I do remember when we arrived there though. The same one who had locked me in that god-forsaken coffin now pulled me out and led me up a set of black, stone stairs and into a grand hall brightly lit by torches. He forced me to my knees with a strength that far surpassed my own and held me down with the same strength. 10

“My lord,” he whispered softly, “I’ve brought her here.” Into the hall walked an immortal as pale as the death that had long since claimed him, his long white-blond was pulled away from his face and tied with a black ribbon, and was dressed in a black and red tunic over black pants. My eyes, sharpened to their preternatural strength, could see the fine cloth they were made of, this was clearly the lord that my captor had called, no servant dressed like this. 11

He turned to the one that held me.12

“Thank you for bringing her, I was beginning to think no one could do it.” He slashed the crimson ribbon of a small matching bag tied at his waist and threw it at the speed of a bullet at my captor who caught it effortlessly.13

“Just as I promised,” He continued, “One hundred thousand, in gold. Now go before I change my mind.”14

I couldn’t help but notice that dagger he wore on his belt, he wore it in plain view unlike I had worn mine before it was stolen from me. Seeing me staring at it, he pulled it out 15

“Does it frighten you?” he said in an almost mocking way “No matter.” and handed it to a servant who took it away. His voice chilled me. He spoke in a voice that sounded more venomous then that of a snake. It sent shivers running down my spine. 16

He then turned away from me and addressed the whole court, “leave us” he ordered in a harsh voice, no one hesitated.17

He finally turned his chilling gaze directly onto me 18

“You must pardon them, he didn’t hurt you did he?” It was clearly his attempt at kindness but I was in no mood and I merely shook my head and he continued “I’m sorry how rude of me, I am Ahmano el Malvado, lord of Teirma” He held out his hand to me and but I shook my head again in refusal to his offer, 19

“Things will be so much more peaceful here if you were to be more agreeable.” Ahmano said to me and held his hand closer. Most reluctantly and going against everything I ever knew or believed I took it and he closed his fingers over mine until I could neither move them at all or call up any of my power in either hand. He had paralyzed my hands. Dammit Sithandra, I cursed myself, I should have expected something lie this. After all Romulus could do that as well.20

“Have you nothing to say to me?” and again I shook my head. 21

“That’s fine” Ahmano replied lifting me up “for I have much to say to you, Sithandra. Surely you’re hungry?” he asked offering his wrist to me, and yet again I shook my head rather defiantly. Oh, I was hungry, I needed blood very much, but not from him. 22

“You’re not going to drink from anyone else.” He said but still I did nothing “You will tire of this soon enough. Ah well, we should enjoy this night, should we not?” He led me to the door which most of the servants had left through. 23

“Bella!” He called and a young woman of about twenty-three mortal years and an unknowable number of years in blood came seemed to materialize out of thin air in front of him.24

“Yes sir?” She said, she was very beautiful, her alabaster skin glowed slightly in the firelight and she had soft golden curls halfway pulled over her shoulder. She had a sweet voice that almost made her words sound slightly like a song. And there was a certain grace about her, one that Ahmano did not possess. I also saw something in her gaze that Ahmano missed, she hated him. 25

“Take Sithandra and find her a room, find her something decent,” he shot a disapproving glance at the dress I wore, one that Romulus loved, before continuing, “to wear and bring her back to me, and” his voice dropped to a whisper that I could barely hear, “for the love of god get her to speak.” Ahmano let go of my hand and gave me a look that silently ordered me to go with Bella. 26

Seeing I had no choice in the matter, and I wanted nothing more then to get away from him ,I turned to go with her and the moment Ahmano was out of earshot I rounded on this Bella, 27

“Why am I here?” I demanded of her, “What does he want with me?” Bella looked at me for a moment, obviously in surprise at the fierceness with which I questioned her, and answered my questions with a slight hint of laughter in her voice that I almost questioned aloud.28

“Well he only wanted to meet you, but after you killed to two he sent to invite you here he decided to wait until your guard was down and bring you here. He wanted to meet you because you are the only Vampire he had seen outside of this city. After they brought you back he realized your maker also was with you but had no chance of getting him here. I’m sure you hate him, a lot of us do, but if you at least pretend to love him he will let you go quicker. And I can tell you now, if you want to be released, don’t try to escape. That would be why I’m still here,” she looked at me with a guilty look on her face and went on, “He brings to the city the ones he has watched in his mind for awhile, the ones he infatuated with, and tries to get them to love him back. He acts like it’s a game. I can’t help you escape but I can help you while you’re here. You won’t drink from him will you?” 29

“No” I said forcefully to her, “I would die first!” 30

“I’d be careful with that, you wouldn’t be the first.” She told me, “You need blood I see it, it’s the same with everyone he gets. Your skin has lost its glow and is rougher.” Bella softly felt my forehead, “I won’t let him kill you, here, in here.” She led me through a door I had not seen. Though I hated to admit it the room was really quite beautiful, the walls were red and torches lit the room brightly. I saw coffin in the middle and other furniture as well. A desk of black wood, a table that matched, several full bookshelves, and more, it was very nice. There were even a few windows, out of the way of the coffin of course. 31

“Sithandra,” Bella said “take from me what you need. Not enough to change your skin back, but enough to survive. He’s going to try to get you to drink from him, and you mustn’t, ever! You will never get away from here if you do. He would use the connection to control you.” 32

“I couldn’t, no he would know, he would kill you.” I replied her request had surprised me, “I need blood, yes, but not enough to risk your life.” 33

“You’re risking your own life if you don’t. It’s all I can do. I’m going to be in this city forever. The most I can do is at least help one who is against him. Please, if you drink from him you will be here forever, I can’t let it happen.” She pulled one of the beads on her dress and to my surprise it came out. I saw that it was actually a cleverly concealed knife. She cut her neck, not deeply, but deep enough for the blood to rise to the surface, 34

“Drink,” she said “drink to your freedom.” 35

Reluctantly I stepped toward her. I saw her eyes close as I grabbed her arms. 36

And when I took that first drink from her she let out a soft moan, whether it was of pain or pleasure I do not know, but I was careful not to hurt her. And I let her blood fill my mouth only three times before kissing her neck and letting my own blood work the healing magic. 37

“Thank you,” she whispered breathlessly, “my conscience is now clear.”38

She took a deep breath before continuing, “In that closet,” Bella pointed to a door that I hadn’t noticed, “is a white dress, he loves it and you’ll look beautiful in it.”39

I found the dress and put it on. To my immense disappointment it did not have a concealed knife like hers. But it wasn’t like I got a chance to use one on him anyway. 40

She then led back to Ahmano, who led me through another set of doors. I saw a room lit by torches and walls that glittered as if made of crystal. I felt Ahmano slide a glass into my hands. 41

“It’s not blood,” he told me “its wine.” 42

I looked suspiciously at the contents of the glass. It did not glitter as our blood would, and when I had tasted it I found out that he had spoken the truth. I drank red wine, not blood.43

I might as well speak to him, as Bella had said, if I loved him, or at least pretended to as I knew I never would, perhaps I would not be here as long. That did not mean I would speak kindly to him, however.44

“So, my lord” I said putting as much hate into the last syllables as I could, “ you tear me away from my home and the one I love, then you treat me as you might treat a daughter.” He smiled at me, the snake. “Ahmano, please” He said “I only wanted to meet you, and you killed my messengers.” He pulled me to the middle of the room “Dance with me?” 45

“Never” I said rather venomously.46

“Very well then,” Ahmano replied simply as though I had agreed, “I shall dance with you.” And somehow he managed to guide me perfectly through the dance. I didn’t make it very easy, but he barely seemed notice. It seemed he could control me effortlessly. I was the puppet on his string. 47

He did this to me all night, dancing with me, attempting to get me to drink from him, which I would not. I had no desire to taste the poison I was sure lurked inside of him. Had Bella not given me her blood I knew I would have passed out. I was sure he was doing this on purpose. And when dawn was close he summoned Bella again to take me back to the room I was to call my own while I was imprisoned there. 48

By the time she had led me back I could not stand any longer and I collapsed at her feet. She knelt down to me and held me in her arms. 49

“My god, child. Drink now, please take all you need.” She said softly, and this time I was so hungry for the blood, so craved it that now I did not question her. I sank my fangs into her neck and heard her slight gasp of pain. 50

I knew I drank too much from her, I didn’t need to see her eyes grow dim or her skin lose its sheen to know it. But Bella never told me to stop, never said a word. I not noticed it until I had stopped. I had almost knocked her unconscious. I had almost killed her. Though she tried to refuse, I gave her some of my own blood. But she would only take enough to be able to walk again, no matter what I said to her. 51

She left the room before Ahmano could find her and I was left to my fears. I didn’t know what Romulus would do without me, he had told me many times that he saw no point in living in a world where I didn’t exist but he wasn’t suicidal and I wasn’t dead. But how did he know that? For some reason my connection to him seemed broken and no matter how much I tried I could not contact him with my thoughts. I felt as though I was broken to pieces. I had not known just how much I had depended on him and loved him until I lost him for a hundred years.52

I worried about Bella as well. Not the way I worried about my maker, but she seemed too comfortable here. If she was kept here by force why wasn’t she miserable? Or at least not as happy as she was. She later told me that she didn’t remember enough of her previous life to miss it. 53

I realized now that I loved her. Her simple kindness had stunned me. The way she had fooled Ahmano amazed me, for he believed that she loved him. Her gentle ways touched me. If I could have taken her with me when I left Teirma I would have, and I had asked her to come with me but she refused. She said she had to stay. Others would come here; she had to help them as she was, after all, a servant there. 54

I remember the day Ahmano released me. He said I could go but before I left he sent some one with me. He left the room for a minute and when he came back he was leading a child by the hand, a mortal child no more then five years old. 55

She was beautiful, she had brown hair that was just longer then her shoulders, green eyes that shone but not with a vampiric glow, and the palest skin I had ever seen on a mortal. She was beautiful.56

“Take her” Ahmano had said to me “raise her as you were raised, she has no family, and she doesn’t even have a name.” He released her hand and she ran to me. Obviously he had told her I would be her mother. I fell in love with her immediately, and I named her Narcissa. 57

We left quickly and I kept her by my side or in my arms constantly. I did not know the way back to Sorridin, back to my beloved and the connection that bound child and maker seemed to have shattered between us. It seemed he believed me to be dead. 58

There was no way I could find my way back that night so I focused on finding a place to hide from the coming sun. A cemetery was my first thought. I knew there was one around; I could smell the stench of the corpses, a scent mortals cannot detect. 59

And sure enough, there was one a little ways outside the city. I searched through it for ten minutes before finding a tomb that could block the sun completely. I opened the stone door and stepped inside. 60

Narcissa was frightened at this and held my hand tightly. She didn’t have to speak her fear I could sense it. I could sense other things about my surroundings as well. 61

There were three coffins in the room. Only two of them had bodies in them. Now I do not know much about human customs so I did not question this but opened the coffin that was empty and stepped into it.62

“Narcissa” I said “Come, you have nothing to fear.” She still looked terrified, however.63

“But it’s a coffin, Marie” She replied in that songlike voice of hers. And she looked nervously from the coffin to me.64

“Yes, my child, it is. But coffins are not only for the dead, the living may enjoy them too.” And at my words she slowly came toward me and the coffin and lay down beside me in it.65

“But why must you sleep in them?” Narcissa said as I closed the lid of it.66

“Because of the sun, Narcissa. If the sun touches me I will burn.” I didn’t mention the other reason, the coffin itself comforted me. It was symbol of what I knew with Romulus, it was even black. But she seemed comforted by my answer and quickly fell asleep.67

When I awoke she was still in her dreams and had her small fingers curled around a lock of my hair. I didn’t move for fear of waking her, but stayed there for another hour until she awoke.68

She seemed far less afraid of the coffin when she awoke then when she had slept. This was good because it would be a long time before she got to sleep in a bed again.69