Page 37 of Blood Ties
Remembering that I did and desperately so, I moved towards Grayson even though the tether pulling me towards Sebastian was still tugging at me. It was like walking against the wind. I asked Grayson if he would be alright.
“Of course, baby,” he replied then placed a soft kiss on my lips. I tensed as he did. For some reason it felt awkward. Never had I reacted like that to his touch, let alone a kiss. I wanted to think it was because he kissed me in front of my father, but I knew I was just lying to myself. Not liking how I felt about it and seeing the confusion on Grayson’s face, I quickly stood on my toes and pulled him to my lips.There it is.The familiar sensation I had always felt. The one that made the rest of the world disappear. I could feel my body starting to react to the kiss and remembering that we were still in a room full of people who had in fact not disappeared, I pulled back and beamed up at the love of my life, who seemed surprised that I had pushed it that far.
“Don’t let us distract you,” Jade announced. “I don’t mind the show.”
Later,I mouthed the wordbecause in a room full of supernaturals, I knew I’d never be able to whisper it quietly enough for them not to hear it. Grayson chuckled then nodded. I turned to Damien, who gave me an approving smile. Not in a creepy way. In a way that said he approved of my happiness.
Once we were outside the room, we began walking the floor. “As I’m sure you are obviously aware, I once made my first vampire too.” I had never really thought about it, but of course Damien had to make at least one vampire for the race to begin. I nodded. “I did not know what to expect. I had been cast down from heaven for some time and had fed from many humans. It became clear to me that if I did not predict my cravings, I would savagely kill without meaning.” I looked at him, slightly shocked that he too experienced the same hunger we all did. “It was the way God wanted it. Angels were never meant to stay on the human plane for long periods of time. The hunger was his way of making sure we didn’t. It was also his way of cursing me.” His stride stopped and he turned to me, stopping me too. “I know it may seem surprising, given that I am the father of a savage race, but I am remorseful for what I have done to mankind. The guilt weighs heavily on me as it was meant to.” I nodded, seeing the pain in his eyes. Damien began walking again and I followed. “As I was saying, my first vampire was never something I planned. I was trying to save a girl’s life the same way I had once been saved; by feeding her my blood. I did not think. Instinct and the need to save her took over. I bit my wrist and fed her from myself. When she died, I thought I failed and nothing more. The next night, however, at dusk I felt this light turn on in my head. It was the sire bond clicking into place, like a beacon directing me to her, but I did not realize it at the time. I tried my best to ignore it, which I regret now, but at the time I did not know what it meant. It was not until sunrise that I found her…” He trailed off. I could tell whatever he was remembering was bad. “I knew then that God had forgotten to remove the task he had assigned me.”
“What do you mean?”
“I am still the angel of death; just instead of killing them permanently, I touch them with death and turn them like me, to feast on the blood of humanity.”
“What happened when you found the girl?”
He paused almost like he was trying to summon the strength. “She had killed her entire family as they prepared her body for burial. I found her weeping over her little sister, with the sun beating down on them both.”The sun?“That image is something that will be burned into my mind until the end of time. She begged me to help her sister, but it was too late.”
I felt guilty for making him relive that, but my curiosity hadn’t been satiated. “What came of the girl you turned?”
Just as Damien opened his mouth, another voice cut through. “Are you telling our story again?” Jade pried, peeking her head out the door.
“You’re…” I couldn’t even finish, I was too shocked.
“The first vampire ever turned? You bet your sweet ass I am.” I couldn’t believe it. Almost like she heard me, she elaborated, “I know, right? I look damn good for my age, but you don’t need to keep checking me out. I mean Jesus, your boyfriend is right in there.”
“Fiancé,” Grayson corrected from inside the room.
“Mazal tov,” she exclaimed before turning to Damien, “The witch says she’s almost done, if you wanna come back.”
“Are you even Jewish?” I questioned as she turned to reenter the room.
“Have you ever seen a ginger jew?” she muttered with a roll of her eyes. “But I’ve got nothing against them. Jesus was a pretty awesome guy,” she spoke as she disappeared, the door swinging shut behind her.
“She met Jesus?” I queried.
He chuckled. “She did. She is an easily adaptable soul, which is good considering she is well over two thousand years old.” My eyes widened. “Being adaptable is extremely important to an immortal.”
“How is she a day walker?” I pleaded for answers before Damien entered the room while the remained shut hoping that since I hadn’t heard anyone while in there that it meant the room was soundproof.
“The first always is.”
“I don’t understand. So Grayson will remain a day walker?”
“Yes,” he stated, but when he saw the confusion on my face he elaborated. “Imagine your essence as an orb,” he made a circle with both his hands. “It’s what you share with those you create. No matter how many you turn it doesn’t deplete your personal power, but you have a certain amount you are allotted to share with those your fledgling. Every time you make a vampire your orb is cut in half.” He pulled one of his hands away showing the essence split. “The first is always the strongest. They are closest to your strength. The day walking capability is only there for the first vampire created. Grayson is your first. Even though you are my daughter, you are still a first vampire as far as strength. The essence you share may diminish with each, but at the same time it never runs completely out. It splits and splits forever.”
“So it has nothing to do with feeding on my blood,” I mumbled to myself. It had been my second greatest worry. The first had been my fear for Grayson.
“Absolutely not. I can understand the uncertainty you must have been feeling over that, but you needn’t worry. Your blood is not the key to day walking” He placed his hand on my shoulder in a comforting gesture before opening the door and leading me into the room.
“Are you ready?” Maria stood in front of her makeshift altar with her concoction bubbling away.
“We’re doing it here? Can’t we take it home?” I walked over to Grayson needing his touch to ease my anxiety along with the pull towards Sebastian I felt the moment I reentered the room.
“It won’t maintain its properties once the blood of the fallen has been added. You have no choice but to do it now.”
Grayson’s hand gripped my hip, pulling me against him. He turned us until his back was facing the room giving us the semblance of privacy then bent down resting his forehead against mine. Placing a gentle finger under my chin, he drew my gaze to his.
“Hey, it’s going to be fine.”
