Blood of Gold by Duncan McGeary Page B

so full of grace. When she plopped herself down in his lap, his heart seemed to melt into the rest of his body.
    She sneezed in his ear.
    “I’m serious,” he said, frowning. “You are so vulnerable to everything: bugs, accidents, anything at all. If you Turned, you’d be safe from those things.”
    “No, thank you.”
    “Why not?”
    Her face was against his shoulder, but he could tell she was seriously considering the question. “Because… it isn’t natural.”
    “It is completely natural. According to Michael, it is just evolution.”
    “No, it’s not the natural order of things. I don’t think it is something that someone chooses. It happens to you, but you don’t go seeking it. You remain what you are until you aren’t. I know that doesn’t make much sense, but that’s how I feel, Terrill. I’m human and should remain so.”
    “But you love me, right?” he said, genuinely puzzled. “If you think I’m OK, then why wouldn’t you be OK?”
    “I love you in spite of you being vampire,” she said quietly. “I don’t love you because you are vampire.”
    “What about Jamie? You could be like her. She’s renounced all killing, and she seems fine with it.”
    “I’m not ready,” Sylvie said.
    Terrill left it at that. He’d always worry about her, and the fact that she was, like all humans, vulnerable to a thousand little things. At least she hadn’t completely shut the door on the idea. She just wasn’t ready.
     
    #
     
    They spent the rest of the day packing, and it was dark by the time they were done. They decided to wait for morning, then leave.
    Not long after sunset, there was a knock at the door. Jamie went to answer it.
    A strange vampire stood there, his eyes glowing with religious fervor. He was skinny, dressed in rags and smelled of the charnel house.
    “‘The Blood of Gold shall transform you, absolve you, make you one with God,’” the vampire said without preamble. “‘Partake of Terrill’s blood and thou shalt be redeemed, reborn in God’s grace.’”
    “Terrill? It’s for you,” Jamie said.
    Terrill sat frozen at his desk, uncertain what to do. Sylvie got up, went to the door and led the vampire into the house. “What’s your name?” she asked kindly.
    “Parks,” he mumbled. “Jon Parks.”
    “Are you hungry?”
    “NO!” he shouted. “I will not drink the blood of the innocent!”
    “How about some raw pork?” Jamie said. “I’m sure this pig was guilty of something.”
    Terrill laughed. He couldn’t help it. The whole thing was ludicrous. This poor creature was under some delusion that Terrill was holy, somehow. That he would wash him clean of his sins.
    Terrill looked down at his arm. His skin had taken on a kind of bronzed tone, as if permanently tanned. It was the gold blood. There was no denying the gold blood.
    “You’ve got to do it,” Sylvie said, as if she could read his mind.
    After Jon had eaten some pork, they led him to the living room and had him sit down in the middle of the carpet. Terrill wondered what he should do next. Sylvie went to the kitchen and brought back a knife.
    “A few drops should do it,” she said.
    Terrill stood over the skinny vampire, who was trembling and blinking rapidly in excitement. His fangs had grown, and he was nearly vibrating with anticipation.
    Reluctantly, Terrill cut into his forearm, and a line of gold blood grew until it began to drip. He held his dripping arm over Jon’s open mouth and found himself saying, “This is my blood. Accept it and be one with me.”
    The others were looking at him with wide eyes. He ignored them, for at that moment, he truly did feel something awe-inspiring.
    I can save the vampires , he thought. I really can.
    The vampire Jon Parks suddenly stiffened and lay down on his back. Then he began to shake.
    Uh oh, Terrill thought. Not again.
    “Tell me you haven’t fed off a human recently,” Terrill said, feeling cold.
    “I wanted… I wanted…” Jon muttered, looking