physically changed. With the scent of blood fading, Arianna
stared at the broken glass on the floor.
“But,” she began, not knowing what to
say.
“It’s not a life I wish upon anyone,” Molina
said quietly. “Like us all, you are now trapped by the need for
blood. Do you remember how sick you felt last night?” Arianna
nodded. “Every time, when you need blood, you will feel that
way.”
“But vampires in the movies are always evil.
They kill people for blood,” Arianna complained. “I don’t want to
be that.”
Molina smiled. “I only said the movies are
based on truth, not that they are true. There’s a lot we need to
teach you, but we don’t have time tonight. This is why Lilly and
Dean brought you here to live.”
“To live? So, I’m not going back?” Arianna
asked. She already knew the answer to her question. There was no
way she could now live amongst her friends in her hometown. She
finally understood why Aunt Lilly wouldn’t give her date of
return.
“You need to stay here. For now, this is the
best place for you. Everyone here, humans and not, know about night
humans,” Molina replied.
“There are more?” Arianna asked, now looking
at Devin.
“I’m human,” he replied, holding his hands
up in surrender.
“I wish we had more time to explain
everything, but we need to get you to the dance.” Molina
replied.
“She needs to feed first,” Devin replied,
digging in the winter coat Gabriel had draped over Arianna earlier.
He tossed a plastic packet to Arianna. “Drink that before we
leave,” he ordered, all joking gone; he was serious again.
“What is it?” she asked.
“You don’t want to know,” he replied,
knowing she would reject his order. Arianna stared at the packet in
her hands unsure what to do with it. Devin took it from her and
pulled at it until a flexible tube hung from it. He handed the
packet back and disappeared into the additional room with Mori and
Molina.
As Arianna pulled the top off the tube, she
immediately knew what she had been handed to drink. Arianna
recapped the tube and stared at it. The scent was similar to
Devin’s blood, yet somehow different. Dressed in a tux, Devin
returned to the room to find Arianna still holding the full
bag.
“Are you still having problems?” he
asked.
“It’s blood,” she replied, disgusted.
“And?” he asked, impatiently.
“I’m not going to drink blood,” she
replied.
“You already have,” he responded. “I’m sorry
if this is strange to you. You can get blood from drinking it, or
injecting it, but we don’t have time to set up an IV.” Arianna
nodded, but still didn’t uncap the blood. “Not this again,” he
complained.
“Again?” she asked.
“You turned last night,” he explained. “To
stop the pain, I gave you my blood. You drank only enough to
slightly stop the pain before you passed out. At the safe house we
brought you to, you refused to take any blood given to you. I
figured this should be okay since it’s from your uncle,” Devin
continued to explain.
“It smells like your blood,” Arianna agreed.
“Why?”
“That would take more time than we have to
explain. Please, just drink the blood,” Devin begged. “We don’t
want anything to happen before you meet your grandfather.” Arianna
nodded, but still hesitated. In her hands, she was holding real
blood. Arianna pinched herself to find she wasn’t dreaming, but she
still didn’t feel like the situation was happening.
“Fine,” Devin replied. “We will do this the
easy way.” Devin opened the cap on the bag in Arianna’s hands.
Reaching down to the table, Devin flicked open a knife, and pricked
his finger. The blood began to bead up on the tip of his
forefinger. Arianna felt her face go warm at the scent of his
blood. Without thinking, she reached for his hand. Devin gently
pushed the bag in her hand to her face. Arianna felt an urge inside
her long for his blood, but she was satisfied with the blood from
the bag.
stared at the broken glass on the floor.
“But,” she began, not knowing what to
say.
“It’s not a life I wish upon anyone,” Molina
said quietly. “Like us all, you are now trapped by the need for
blood. Do you remember how sick you felt last night?” Arianna
nodded. “Every time, when you need blood, you will feel that
way.”
“But vampires in the movies are always evil.
They kill people for blood,” Arianna complained. “I don’t want to
be that.”
Molina smiled. “I only said the movies are
based on truth, not that they are true. There’s a lot we need to
teach you, but we don’t have time tonight. This is why Lilly and
Dean brought you here to live.”
“To live? So, I’m not going back?” Arianna
asked. She already knew the answer to her question. There was no
way she could now live amongst her friends in her hometown. She
finally understood why Aunt Lilly wouldn’t give her date of
return.
“You need to stay here. For now, this is the
best place for you. Everyone here, humans and not, know about night
humans,” Molina replied.
“There are more?” Arianna asked, now looking
at Devin.
“I’m human,” he replied, holding his hands
up in surrender.
“I wish we had more time to explain
everything, but we need to get you to the dance.” Molina
replied.
“She needs to feed first,” Devin replied,
digging in the winter coat Gabriel had draped over Arianna earlier.
He tossed a plastic packet to Arianna. “Drink that before we
leave,” he ordered, all joking gone; he was serious again.
“What is it?” she asked.
“You don’t want to know,” he replied,
knowing she would reject his order. Arianna stared at the packet in
her hands unsure what to do with it. Devin took it from her and
pulled at it until a flexible tube hung from it. He handed the
packet back and disappeared into the additional room with Mori and
Molina.
As Arianna pulled the top off the tube, she
immediately knew what she had been handed to drink. Arianna
recapped the tube and stared at it. The scent was similar to
Devin’s blood, yet somehow different. Dressed in a tux, Devin
returned to the room to find Arianna still holding the full
bag.
“Are you still having problems?” he
asked.
“It’s blood,” she replied, disgusted.
“And?” he asked, impatiently.
“I’m not going to drink blood,” she
replied.
“You already have,” he responded. “I’m sorry
if this is strange to you. You can get blood from drinking it, or
injecting it, but we don’t have time to set up an IV.” Arianna
nodded, but still didn’t uncap the blood. “Not this again,” he
complained.
“Again?” she asked.
“You turned last night,” he explained. “To
stop the pain, I gave you my blood. You drank only enough to
slightly stop the pain before you passed out. At the safe house we
brought you to, you refused to take any blood given to you. I
figured this should be okay since it’s from your uncle,” Devin
continued to explain.
“It smells like your blood,” Arianna agreed.
“Why?”
“That would take more time than we have to
explain. Please, just drink the blood,” Devin begged. “We don’t
want anything to happen before you meet your grandfather.” Arianna
nodded, but still hesitated. In her hands, she was holding real
blood. Arianna pinched herself to find she wasn’t dreaming, but she
still didn’t feel like the situation was happening.
“Fine,” Devin replied. “We will do this the
easy way.” Devin opened the cap on the bag in Arianna’s hands.
Reaching down to the table, Devin flicked open a knife, and pricked
his finger. The blood began to bead up on the tip of his
forefinger. Arianna felt her face go warm at the scent of his
blood. Without thinking, she reached for his hand. Devin gently
pushed the bag in her hand to her face. Arianna felt an urge inside
her long for his blood, but she was satisfied with the blood from
the bag.
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