I stepped outside to take a break from arguing with my brother and my mother. I looked up into the night skies of New York, the stars hidden behind the smoke coming from businesses around our house. It reminded me of the times with my friends just sitting under the night sky searching for the stars hidden.  I, Elizabeth, have been hanging with the rich kids when my family was just a middle class home. That one thought brought longing upon me, a longing to see those friends again. But they were away traveling with families and I'd barely had a chance to contact any of them. I seemed to be the only one of my friends who was not rich. I was brought back from my thought by a shadowy movement. I wasn't sure of where it had come from, but I knew I wasn't alone. I had that tingly feeling that you get when you know someone is watching you. I searched the yard around me, not finding anything unusual. The chill increased causing goose bumps to ride over my bare arms. I hadn’t noticed until just then that the night air was a little chilly for a summer night. I rubbed my hands over my bare arms, hoping to rid myself of the chill.

              Something caught my eye from the side causing me to look to the willow tree that stood across the other side of my yard. I saw a dim shadow lurking beneath the long wisps of the branches. The branches seemed to guide the shadow in the wind. It seemed to study me, dancing back and forth between the branches before it came out from the shadows of the tree. It formed a shadow in the darkness, moving incredibly fast, the movement almost too quick for me to watch. It seemed to float rather than walk or run across the yard. I backed up and leaned against the door dizziness washed over me while I continued to watch the shadow move. I wasn't afraid of it just curious to what exactly the shadow was. Some part of my brain was yelling at me to turn and go inside, but as i turned to grab the doorknob I froze. I felt compelled by the shadow as it traveled closer. I couldn’t just ignore my curiosity and get to safety beyond the door. Maybe I would pay for it later but I had to see who and what the shadow was. and I wasn't able to turn my hand around the doorknob.

            When I had turned back around the creature had stopped and was weaving with the wind, that light summer wind that made the willow tree look as if it danced to the winds silent music. I saw the darkness that followed the creature making a glow of black but I'm not sure whether glow is the right word for it didn't exactly glow but drew into the sucking space. It suddenly dove forward at me with such grace and speed that it was on top of me before I had even a chance to think of being afraid of this creature. As it came down from the air it pinned me too the door, the doorknob pressing into my lower back. The only part of the creatures face I was able to see with that long black hood covering its head, was those strange golden eyes that seem to glow like the sun itself. But another wind blew, a stronger gust of wind this time, blowing the hood back from its face, his face, showing the beautifully pale skin. His face was seemingly handsome and revealed from inside his mouth as his pale red lips spread open in a way of a smile. But it was a scary "I've got you now smile" that you see in those horror movies when the villains have their prey.

            My eyes traveled back to those lovely sun filled eyes only to see that the color had slipped to a greenish golden glow that I felt was full of greed and pushed away the dark around its face. His hand came up tot he side of my face and I flinched as his hand trailed down my cheek, to my neck. I couldn't help but flinch, after that little display of power I was scared, my pulse raced, and i could hear my blood rushing through my body. My blood was actually one of the only things i could hear besides my breath coming out in long puffs as i tried to calm my nerves. The nerves were racked up for no reason as the creature before me just laughed, making my skin tingle, bringing my pulse faster than i thought was possible. His hand then pushing my head to the side, making it so i looked out upon my yard. That’s when the pulse went to an alarming rate when his breath blew over the side of my face and tingled along the side of my neck.

            I tried to push against his hand but i knew as soon as my face was pressed into the door a second later, that i shouldn't have done anything to fight against it. But god damn it, i wasn't going to let it do anything to me without a struggle.  And i wasn't going to make my death any easier to accomplish then it had to be. I struggled harder against the hand, lifting my head from the door and inch and gaining hope that i might be able to push away from him. The hand suddenly lifted off m head so i lifted my head completely from the door only to have my head slammed against the door seconds later. The creature was coming closer and closer to the left side of my head and my neck. Its breath traveling along my skin sending shivers along my spine. I was paralyzed it was as if that tone length of breath had stolen every muscle and every movement that i may have been able to make. And my pulse sped in a steady line, so fast i could barely tell one heart beat from another.

`          A whisper of a voice traveled into my ear, so close that the voice seemed louder than it actually was. “I hope you believe in vampires, for I am an example of their existence." The voice smoothed along the edge of my face and sat along the line of my jaw causing a shiver to run through my body. At the thought of vampires i thought of the books i had read on their existence. Their magical essence to which i had always been too fond of, to which i loved to learn about. As I felt the breath become warmer against the skin of my neck i remembered why they were feared. I brought my senses back enough to want to scream out to my family to help me but it was too late. I felt those oh so sharp points sink into the clean and innocent skin of my neck. There was no hesitation on the vampires part, his fangs had broken my skin quickly and gracefully with that first moment of sharp pain before the dizzying pleasure hit me. The world was spinning as the vampire sucked at the blood that seeped through the wounds in my neck. I knew that i would probably die but the soothing feeling that came; the pleasure was so overwhelming that i didn't care either way. To experience such pleasure as this was even better than a chocolate bar and a diet coke. To which those were my favorite to eat, more like addictions then anything.  The only thing that helped me keep my ground was that i felt something was happening, i felt a change and it brought me back full force as the tongue of the vampire made a quick and sharply painful lick across the puncture wounds.

             I gasped coming fully back to my senses, the vampire walking away from me with a content smirk upon his face as i slid down the door. I was unable to even hold my own body weight up, collapsing onto the ground, darkness overwhelming my vision. It was as if the night itself were shrouding my head. My body felt limp and lifeless and i couldn't even move my head slightly to be able to watch the vampire as I felt it come close to me again. If I was able to I would have ran from him and tried to get away but in my condition all i could do was wait for him to approach me, wait for the last of my life to fall away. But to my surprise the vampire kneeled next to my body and as if smirked down at me it took one of its long nails and slit a line on its wrist, blood rising to the surface. I tried to focus on the vampires face to see anything but the creeping smirk stained with blood red lips. This mythical creature then leaned that wrist to my face, allowing the blood to drip into my lifeless lips.

            The blood hit my lips and I was hesitant to retrace the liquid but i could smell the richness and it smelled lovely and wonderful, like if i could just taste it one I would feel better. I knew it probably wasn't the truth but the tempting urge to lick along my lip and taste such a wonderful smelling liquid was too much for me to deny. It took all the effort and strength left in my body to reach out with my tongue and slide it over the blood that flowed on my lips. I knew that this wasn't a normal thing that everyone does but i couldn't help the overwhelming need to feel more of the velvet liquid rushing down my throat making it slick with blood. In a flash of movement I had pulled the vampires wrist to my lips, sucking on the wound playing on the wound with my tongue to be sure that his wound didn't close before i could have my share of blood. The rush of blood that now flowed through my body made me feel wondrously alive with that slip of royalty blood. The taste was so wonderful, so addicting, that when he tried to pull away to stop me from taking more blood, I pulled down on his hand with more strength then i ever remembered possessing. Even the strange strength of my arms didn't stop him from finally slapping me across the face with such force in the motion that my face was slapped away from his wrist, leaving me to cradle my face where i had been hit.

            I had expected him to be angry after such stubbornness of me, but he was laughing, laughing with such pleasure that a puzzled look crossed my face. I hadn't expected him to be please with what i had done but he seemed to have no worries of my actions or what i had just so inhumanly done.

            " Ahhh... such magnificent creature we have become, look at yourself, now one of us." he continue to laugh and his head tilted back to let his eyes look upon the night sky. His eyes back to the golden glow of the sun, suddenly enchanting and so beautiful among the darkness that suddenly surrounded us. I then realized that there was no noise around us, everything was quiet behind the laughter of the vampire. He knew nothing of me and my family but yet he seemed to be so comfortable, laughing, with me supposedly a vampire too. He finally seemed to see my confusion and stopped laughing to explain to me what he was so happy about.

            “Feel your teeth, Ezmera."

            “My name is Elizabeth, why the hell are you calling me Ezmera?" A sudden feeling of dread came over me, was he supposed to do that to me or was it someone else. But why was i dreading that it be a mistake? Did i actually believe i was a vampire? Shouldn't i want to be human then? It was all too confusing but i reached up to touch my teeth and suddenly realized what he was so happy about. My canine teeth were at least an inch longer, they had extended into fangs. “What have you done to me?" But i still was amazed at the length of my teeth it was all so sudden, how could my teeth have grown like this unnoticed?

            “What have i done to you, you ask? Don't you mean, what have you done? You’re the one who drank the blood from my wrist. Weren't you therefore making yourself a vampire? Your were meant to be on, your name, your rue name to which you were always meant to have will be used now; Ezmera the vampire. As my true name is Lodok." As he sternly looked at me as if trying to force me to understand, to obey, motioning me to follow him onto my feet. But the stare in his eyes as he watched me get to my feet, unsettled me.

            “What do you mean I was meant to be a vampire?" I spoke barely noticing that i was angry at him. I had my full strength back and i was starting to feel upset that my life had been taken from me that my normal human life was gone and I was now forced to become a vampire. But he never stopped to turn around; he never even attempted to answer my question. I was beyond pissed now; he had the audacity to make me like him, make me a vampire, but not to explain anything to me. Fuck this I wasn't going to deal with some macho guy that thinks he is the world.

            " LODOK, I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!" I exploded, he didn't have the time to stop and turn around to see my angry face before i ran towards him. I was suddenly in front of him though, i had whisked forward, traveling with the wind, faster than i had ever experienced before.

            "You learned to use speed so quickly, what was that a minute or so. It took me three days." A look of amazement was upon his face, which he quickly hid, but not quickly enough for me to miss it. “Do you believe me now?" I stayed quiet for the time that it took us to travel, he hadn't said where we were going but i knew that he would not be answering any of my questions until we had at least reached... well wherever we were going. I knew to bother him would only anger him and at this moment I wasn't going to test the lengths of his patience more than i already had.  We had traveled fro miles on end sometimes the miles would go slowly, the pace at which he sat more relaxed. But as the sun started to rise, and the sky lightened his pace quickened to the lightening speed that i had used in my anger. During the times where we traveled that fast i let him take me hand and lead me past houses with beautiful bloomed gardens, with the morning dew shinning on their petals as the sun rose to light the sky. The gardens were then replaced by gloomy buildings that were barely lighted, the pure blackness still lurking between the buildings, where the light had yet to go. The buildings were so tall and wide it seemed that at this super speed it took minutes to get by them all. At this point i didn't know whether it was my imagination that had taken over to cause such shadowy effect on the land that we passed or if in actuality this land was cursed y such darkness. That maybe there were powerful things that lurked in the shadows and buildings causing the air to feel this thick, causing it to waver between black and blackest. Maybe there were more of Lodok out there, except not here to help him, but to stop him.

            I hadn't noticed that we had stopped in front of one of the warehouse buildings until Lodok's voice broke the silence around us. " Ezmera, we have arrived, at what is to be your new home." I turned and looked at this building which looked no different from the rest, except more damaged, more used.  It looked as if the government had decided to leave it here in case an offered for buying ever came up. For if i had owned it I would have demolished it or at least repaired it enough to be appealing to a buyer's eye. But it was as if it was left here on purpose to serve as a home for the homeless.

            We approached the door that was shined upon by a single street lamp making al the shadow near the door dance in the light. Lodok never hesitated at the dancing shadows but just the play of light made my heart race. I wasn't sure if it was actually the light or what i might see behind that door. But i had no time to think of other things when Lodok knocked on the door six times in the same way, same sound, same pressure, same spacing between knocks each and every time. I really didn't want to see what lay behind the door but it had been a couple of hours since I had sat down and i didn't think I would be able to stand up for too much longer. The door had immediately opened as if they had been waiting all along for us to arrive. But all thought had left me when the sweet coppery scent of blood reached my nose. That scent overwhelmed me, and a hunger so strong filled me as if my whole essence was this hunger, everything i was, was this hunger. I couldn't breathe over it and I was gasping for air as if there was none left to breathe. I knew i wasn't going to die because i was hunger, hungry for blood. But the way i needed the blood made me see what a monster i may be turning into. I was seriously starting to regret becoming a vampire.

            Lodok i guess sensed the hunger for his words whispered into my ear “Calm yourself you will be able to feed soon." His words sent fear through the still somewhat human part of me. Feed? Why had he used the word feed instead of eat? And how had he known what was going on? How had he known i had felt a hunger of blood inside me? How could he have known that it wasn't an asthma attack or a heart attack?  But I remembered that he was a vampire and who knew what abilities he had gained. I was really glad that I knew something about vampires for if i didn’t I would have been completely overwhelmed by this experience. But from reading an autobiography of a vampire's life I knew somewhat of the society of vampires. Even with this knowledge thought, walking into that room overcrowded with vampires, the crowd watching me continuously, and trying to focus on other things than the pulses beating in the room. It scared me to hear the pulses beat from such a distance. Usually i would have to put my ear against their chest and feel the rise of their body against my face. For my blood hunger would not go down from hearing this and i almost wished i wouldn't hear anything, that i was def, and maybe blind too. So that i wouldn't see the eyes of the vampires around me. Then the thought of eating their necks came to mind and just those inhuman thought brought times back to myself some.

            The only other thing that unnerved me when we walked in was the way the vampires had made a pathway focus to walk between them, all for them moving in one graceful movement. It seemed as if they all knew what the other would do, that they were all connected together as one. We continued through the crowd some for the other vampires giving angry stares, others trying to reach out to touch me. I flinches at the nearness that some came and after the fear of being touched by one or two all the others ceased to try the same thing. It was as if the crowd either feared me or hated me. None saw me as a friend. but i wasn't sure if that was actually a good thing or bad thing. Right now i didn't want anybody to touch me but I could deal with Lodok's hand on mine. That one simple touch did not scare me; the touch of everyone on me was what i feared. I could understand their hatred and fear being that if I saw strangers just pop in among my family I would feel the same way. And here I was a stranger among the vampires.

            I was half relieved and half frightened when we walked into a les crowded room. It was a smaller room with bare grey walls, the color of cloudy day sky, but it contained several vampires rather than a crowd of them. I wasn't sure whether I should have been relieved when I was suddenly encircled by the vampires. The click of a lock sounded behind me and i jumped with my heart as it leapt to my throat. I had never known such fear as i experienced now. The room was somewhere in the back of the warehouse but suddenly it seemed as if all the walls were closing in around us because of the power that rose off the seven vampires surrounding me.

            I decided right before the vampires touched me that if i didn't fight them I wouldn't get as hurt. So i let them bring me to my knees, two of the vampires still stood behind me, looming over me. I couldn't help but feel panicked, something was happening, something that i knew i wouldn't like.

            " Lodok? What's going on? What are you doing?" the panic and fear showing in my voice, but i didn't care; i didn’t want them to touch me. They were getting ready to hurt me and I could feel the aura of pain around us, it was going to be bad.

            “This is your final test and the only way you will become part of our family, but only if you survive." I didn't like the answer he gave me. I wasn't panicking anymore, now that i had the knowledge that i would most likely die tonight, i didn't panic. Nothing ran through my head and I glared back at him, anger actually sparking beneath the blankness which had swallowed my thoughts. But he didn't say anything more, he just returned the gaze, blank, emotionless which i knew couldn't be true. He had to care some about what was to happen. Didn't he? But i knew that he would be of no help in this, I was on my own.

            “You can't do this to me; you brought me over just to kill me! I hate you! If I don't die I swear I will kill you myself!!!" I couldn't help but scream at him with my anger a power sparking below the surface powering the words with more than just built up emotion. The two vampires behind me suddenly grabbed my shoulders and I pushed them away and stood up trying to push my way tot he door. But i was thrown to the ground, my head hitting the cement floor, but not hard enough to even make me dizzy. But i was on the ground too long, long enough for six of them, Including Lodok to put all their eight on me, holding me down.  I tried to struggled against their hands but I froze when i saw the seventh vampire in the room, turn to me with silver stakes in his hands.

            The knowledge of vampire’s allergy to silver raced through my head and my heart once again jumped to my throat. They really are going to kill me!  My head screamed move, but my heart failed on me and caught me in my place.  I was too scared now to do anything but watch him walk up to me.

            “No, please, no" The words whispered uncontrollably again and again until he stood over me. I think only the one vampire closest to my face could hear the breath that spoke it as he had stepped closer to me. The seventh vampire kneeled next to me in the space the vampires had left for him. In a movement that was too quick for me to follow, he plunged the first silver stake into my left shoulder. As soon as the silver entered my body I felt the burning sensation and then a wave of pain so powerful. Rushing though my body was the silver's affect, the allergic reaction, as a poison to the body of a vampire.  I felt the burning and the pain struck again overwhelming any of my natural functions. Then another wave of pain hit and my body bucked with a second silver stake stuck in my shoulder. Without even looking i knew that he had plunge the other stake in me. My back arched with the pain and the only thin keeping me from coming off the fround anymore than i already was, was the press of the vampire's weight upon me. Even their strength and weight hadn't kept me completely on the ground. I lay on the ground continuing to wither in pain, trying to push against the hands that held me, so that i may pull the stakes out of my body. But they held study, my arms staying completely still; they stayed there holding with all their might until i started to lose consciousness, till i stopped struggling.  As the time passed on to where I was sucked of all my energy they just held me to the ground, making sure that i wouldn't be able to move, to relieve myself of the pain. I knew that i was fainting that soon i would be unconscious. So i let myself relax and be taken over by the darkness. Who cares if i die? I’ve already lost part of my life.  I let myself fade into death, and that is when the hands released me and I barely heard the voices, sounding off as if miles away.

            “Ardrea" I barely heard it as Lodok

            “Yes, Lodok" A female voice sounded

            “Take Ezmera to her room she must rest." His voice again but more distant this time, as if he had moved farther away. My eyes felt immensely heavy even with them closed and I felt my thoughts drift off and I knew that I was so close to unconsciousness. I was teetering on the edge of the cliff, about to fall to the darkness.

            More words sounded through the suddenly silent and dark air, light words, so far away as if floating about the air. “Yes Lodok....."

            I slept for days briefly waking to see Ardrea standing over me wiping cold water over my face. The cold water seemed to wake me and put me back to sleep. But I knew that it was the sleep that wrenched my strength from me, which brought me into the darkness that somehow seemed welcoming to me.  I knew that I would wake up again but for the moment I would enjoy the lovely darkness that welcomed, that surrounded me.

            It had seemed like such a short amount of time had passed when I had woken up but it had been a week. Startled at first to be looking at a ceiling that was snot my room ceiling. I tried to sit up and felt pain shoot up my arm and I remembered. I remembered being brought over and I remembered being staked by silver and I remembered Ardrea. I found the strength enough to be able to sit up in my bed. I looked around the room and all I found was darkness. The calming presence of it seemed to help me clear my head. When usually the dark would make me paranoid, make me want the light around. For the time being it seemed that this had changed. There were no windows and only one door that had a small lantern placed near the door of the room. The glow from the lantern seemed magnified against the wavering dark shadows that spread around the doorway. The glow over the door was eerie, and hurt my eyes to look directly at it. But it was light enough for me to see that only a chair and small bedside table sat in the room. I turned my head around the room and was careful not to move to fast because of as I moved to look around the room spun in my vision. My head started to pound, but I was glad that all I had was a headache.

            I felt the blood start to rush in my body as I became more alert of my surroundings. I couldn't remember ever having this peculiar feeling, this feeling of welcome to my surroundings, a feeling of knowledge of my complete atmosphere. It was as if my sight, sound, hearing, touch, and emotional touch to the world around me had become magnified. And just by the movement of m blood i became dizzy. I forced myself to sit still and wait for the dizziness to pass.

            “Well I see that you are up already." A man had appeared in the doorway and the voice floated in the room as if it were the darkness itself. I recognized the man from the night when he had struck me with the silver stakes.

            I felt anger rise in me and was surprised by the extreme amount of power that I felt surge forward to support it. It was as if a stream of water were rushing behind the anger felt words that spouted from my mouth. “Who are you anyway?” I couldn't help but show the emotion in my voice,  Before that night I never showed my emotion in  my voice unless I meant to, but now I couldn't keep the tone in control.

            “I’m Artimis, sorry for such an awful introduction the other night but that is how everyone is accepted." I heard his words and the anger exploded as if a ticking time bomb had just run down to zero. He had known the introduction wasn't pleasant, that he had done it purposefully at the first meeting.

            I put my legs down off the side of the bed and slowly pushed myself off the bed, my hands sliding against silk. When I felt the silk I turned back to look at what had been silk and jumped out of what I saw, out of the coffin. I had slept in a coffin and was appalled and shocked enough to blindly back up from it. But by backing away, I had moved too quickly and I was now falling to the ground, pain exploding inside my head. My arms aching in the push against the wounds, waiting for my body to hit the ground I clenched my eyes together anticipating the intense pain to come.

            The ground never hit, and I realized that I lay in someone's arms. I opened my eyes and stared up into Artimis' face. “Why am i so sick?" I asked not really angry anymore, the anger having receded when the pain overcame me.

            "Vampires are allergic to silver; it burns our skin, our insides whatever it may touch. But the only way we know if you are of Royal Vampiric blood is if you survive a wound from a silver stake. And it seems that you are by far more of Royal Vampiric blood then most of us here." Artimis spoke as he lifted me up into a standing position but keeping me held so that my back rested on his body. Normally I wouldn't have allowed the support, I would have stood up on my own but i wasn't stupid enough to let myself fall.

            “What do you mean of Royal Vampiric?" Those two words had caught my attention enough that when he spoke of my curiosity wouldn't let it slip. Then remembering that i had already known about the silver from the autobiography book that I had read. The vampire had spoken and hated that weakness too much to keep it out of his novel.

            “Royal Vampiric is a type of blood that has been passed on fro centuries between the humans. But each time it is passed on to an offspring the blood is weaker and less pure, so the vampires became human instead of vampire.  So we the heirs of Royal Vampiric, find the others that because of the weakened blood were not changed at birth and we change them.  Why do you think you were able to see Lodok's movements? A normal human being would not have seen his quick movements as you did." He explained to me speaking with caution as if speaking about a god that might hear him. But he didn't say anymore about that he seemed to think I completely  understood everything about them just from that explanation. Maybe he just was a person who needs a question to answer before they can answer anything. But I was betting that he just wasn't going to explain anything more to me because he wasn't allowed to

            But before I could test my theory he started me towards the door. " We must go downstairs there are important information you must hear and a special ceremony that must be performed in your honor." Artimis leading me toward the stairs spoke in a more direct and sturdy voice then his previous whisper. I decided that I was probably better off waiting and seeing why I was had to be present at this, rather than trying to get an explanation out of someone that I wasn't even sure would tell me.

            I never really was allowed to walk on the full weight of my body the whole way down the stairs.  He seemed to be in such a hurry that I just let Artimis take most of my weight hurrying me down the flights of stairs that I didn't even remember traveling to get to my room. I actually didn't even remember being put in the room. Everything i remember was darkness, the smoothing comfort of the dark pressing around me like a blanket. There wasn't even a moment of fuzziness in my memory of anything, all there ever was, was the sweet darkness that had somehow healed me but then had also taken all of my strength

             I came back to myself at the bottom of the stairs, to the sight of all the vampires spread around a circle that had been drawn on the floor. The circle  was a dark red color, the smell of blood rising to my nose as I stepped closer. My eyes swept to the center of the circle where Lodok was creating a second circle, within the circle of blood, with more of his own blood. It seemed like he was loosing an awful lot of blood to still seem so strong and alive looking. But I still wasn't sure exactly what he was able to do for powers, and I wasn't sure whether I wanted to know or not.

            As I remembered back to some of the vampires books I had read, I knew there was the possibility that Lodok could be one of the vampires who didn't need as much blood to survive on. From what i had read those vampires only need a small feeding every once and a while, and can be almost completely drained of blood before they lose their beauty and strength. The vampires didn't even really know what caused them to be so different, just a talent of that type of vampire. As it was also seen that vampires can vary in the amount of power to which each holds when transforming, or when being born into the vampire life. Obviously, Lodok is one of the stronger vampires.

            I was brought to the center of both circles, the eyes of the crowd watching me with such interest that it scared me to see the curiosity in all of their eyes. I had thought that the hatred and the fear of me had been bad, but the curiosity frightened me to whole new extent. I really didn't have time to concentrate too much more on the curiosity that shone through as i was pushed to my knees, gasping at the feel of the cold floor to my bare knees. This bringing me back to the fact that i was still wearing the shorts that i had worn on the night Lodok had shown up. The shirt i wore was not one of my own though, it was something that was blacker and lacy that helped me to fit into this crowd.

            Lodok's voice brought me to look into those sun shine, golden eyes. The strength showing clearly through his gems. A power so strong, that for a moment it soothed all my doubts and the curiosity that had built up, disappeared. There was no fear in me as i heard him speak to the air.

            " Rain down your strength and power on yet another heir to complete your return! COME FORTH NOW!" His voice screamed throughout the building, it shook and the sky bellowed out its miraculous waves of hunger. Lightening struck down through the building, flowing through the air, sparking the very breathes we took. The magic built with a speed that was too quick for me to comprehend, the air surging through the breathes i gulped out of the now heavy air. All of the lightening combining, twisting together, its final destination me. Surging through my body, shaking me and grabbing a scream form my throat as the electric shock took over my body. I tried to breath again, to shake out  another scream, but the air was too thick, there wasn't even a whisper of oxygen that my lungs could breathe. Power shivered through my body filling me to the brim and it felt as if I was to explode with the amount that soared through me. But nothing more filled me, the surge of power and lightening disappeared as quickly as it had appeared and I was left gasping for air with my head down, only my two hands on the floor keeping me from collapsing.

            A young vampire stepped forward, and somehow, in the back of my head, i knew his name was Judiaho, it was like whispering a voice in the back of my head telling me his name. He walked forward with the grace that only vampires would have, but the walk was still somehow human. Judiaho grabbed my arms and brought me to my feet, a wave of dizzying power brought up at the touch of hid hand. But I didn't have time to concentrate on the amount of power that was now contained in my body before Ardrea came over to me.

            " It's time to feed you, but I won't just give it to you, I tell you that now." Looking into her face she seemed to frown on upon me, and anger boiled under my skin. These vampires never really just come out and tell  you what was too happen, and right then I just wanted to smack her until she came clean about what was to happen. But inst4ead i just followed her outside the warehouse to the oh so familiar surroundings of the night. Today there were a couple different lights across the way that glowed down onto the bottom portion of a telephone pole. At the base of the pole was a human and even from this far I could smell its fear, it knew what was to  happen. That fear made it so that I wanted to come closer to it and see its face. But right now I had other things to concentrate on and that happened to be Ardrea herself who stood five feet in front of the human with a smirk on her face. And now i knew what she had meant inside. My meal was going to be the human, and i would have to fight her before I could feed and i was betting that if I didn't win, I didn't feed.

            "Come on, fight me if you dare." I heard that oh so confident tone in her voice and I knew that she was hungry and she was ready to prove that she was better than me. But she didn't give me time to reply, she just dove straight at me  with more speed than what Lodok had shown me many nights ago. Her arm was suddenly striking me down, leaving me only enough time to bring my hand up a before her hand hit.  Hitting my arm with the force of her blow had pushed me back slightly, but not enough for me to lose my balance. And that's when my hunger rose strong, I could tell it was a hunger of some sort. I wasn't sure exactly what it was, all I knew was that I was very hungry.

            I dodged her next aggressive attack and  quickly went behind her and as she turned to meet me again, I slammed my fist into her stomach with a strength that I hadn't know  I'd had. After this fight i would have to ask some questions about what was happening to me but for now. I just have to live through this fight. But as i saw her knocked into the outside wall of the warehouse, i was even more amazed that it had caused her to become air born.  I should have been completely surprised and in shock from all these abilities, but right now, nothing but the raging hunger was running through my thoughts. I could now basically taste the pulse of the human that was now behind me, it was as if his pulse was already in my mouth, and that it was running down my neck.

             I came back from my thoughts to see that Ardrea had fallen to the ground, and she was just starting to back up to where Artimis stood and was obviously showing that she wasn't willing to continue this fight. But I saw the anger that flamed through her eyes, her eyes sparkling and licking the night with their silver coloration, the total opposite of the sunshine glow Lodok has.  The intense glow, all the same, even in the different coloration.

            I brought my concentration to the human behind me and slowly walked towards my prey. I controlled the hunger for I simple wanted to rip its throat out instead of giving it the mercy of a pleasurable bite. My still human mind came to the surface, and made it so I didn't want to kill another human being. So I settled for the sweet pleasurable bite that I knew I could offer. But I didn't exactly know how to do such.

            I turned back to Lodok, the hunger almost overwhelming my every thought, questioning him with my eyes to what was next. His voice seemed to drift to my ears through the darkness, yet it wasn't in the darkness, just inside my head. For no one seemed to hear him besides me, no one reacted in question to the idea that I didn't know exactly what I was doing.  All my study and research could not have prepared me for the actual experience that I had come to.

            Just let your senses guide you. Your mouth will lead you to the vein, and think of nothing but giving pleasure, think of a pleasurable experience and feed it to him.  The thought of it being that simple, just to imagine the pleasure, to think of something pleasurable as you bite reassured me, and sated my hunger a bit. Just the idea that I would feed upon him brought a calming measure to the hunger that boiled inside me.

            I gathered myself up once again and actually approached the human before me. His eyes were wide as i got closer, the whites of his eyes too big to be healthy. Yet I ignored his fear of me, my eyes sliding down to the beating pulse in his neck. Gently tilting the neck for the human brought a whole new meaning to the word sight. I could see every little pulse and all of the blood that rushed through the veins, it was as if the skin didn't exist, or that it had taken on a transparent coloration. Allowing me to view everything below the surface. The pulse in my sight made it impossible for me to resist anymore and no matter how disgusting this felt to me it was a need, not a want, and whether my true desire was to let him go and starve, I had no choice but to sate the murderous hunger.

            As I lowered my mouth down to his neck, I remembered last minute to think of something pleasurable. Pausing long enough to evoke the emotions of pleasure from looking upon the night stars, I then sunk my teeth, my fangs into his neck. It was like a spark of power circling between us, the circuit completed. That without the puncture of my fangs the circle, the circuit would have remained incomplete and would not have allowed such pleasure to roll between us. It was as if I was watching the stars but with ten times the pleasure, the pleasure so pure and rich that it engulfed both of us completely. There was nothing we felt but the absolute enjoyment of the night stars and night view.

            I immediately felt the blood rush down my throat, the warm liquid like drinking hot cocoa on a cold blistery day. The warmth spreading completely and quickly throughout my entire body. My hunger calming as I sucked at the wound, drawing more blood out of it, the next swallow and the next more intoxicating then the last.  I felt compelled to lick the wound to draw more and more blood out of his body until he was drained. But the human part of me swam up again, as the human emotions and human memories I was obtaining from him raced behind my eyes. My human existence pulled me back from his neck, leaving me gasping, wanting more, but i knew that I’d had plenty, more than plenty, my hunger had been satisfied but I had kept at it. A pang of guilt hit me and I took a step backwards to look at what I had done.

            I turned to Lodok after realizing that it was no use to dwell on it. I would have to get used to this, it’s the way I would be living. I told myself that a couple times, trying to reassure myself that there was nothing I could do to change it, that I am who I am.

            But as I truly looked at Lodok the sight froze me to my spot, freezing all thoughts with it. Every vampire had gone down to one knee in a bow, none of them except Lodok looking me in the eye, my confusion obvious.  Lodok came over to me, those golden eyes and a smile on his lips pursed with pleasure. It was warming to see the pleasant look, but what was he pleased about? I really wished i had read more, maybe I would know what the hell was going on. I just wish for once someone would explain something in clear understandable language to me.

            Lodok's smile suddenly widened and he reached his hand to take mine, and that alone made my heart beat faster, but also made me wonder if I actually wanted to now what was going on. “My wife and Queen welcome to the Royal Vampiric Family."

            "Thank..." I started to thank him hearing only his words of welcoming into what they call the Vampiric family, but then the whole entire statement sunk in.

            "What?! I'm not a Queen or a Wife! What... I..." I managed to spit out wit a some what stable voice but then was halted by the nausea and emotions that swept through me that I couldn't recall being my own. I remembered a touch of this feeling when feeding on the human, so I was guessing I was having left over from him. But I didn’t think I would feel his emotions after I had pulled away from him. It kind of felt like he would be permanently part of my mind and emotions. I didn't like having him in my head, and I didn't like the idea that I knew I would have to go through the entire process again and again to survive. Looking back on the fight to get right to my food, I remembered the strength to which I had defeated Ardrea with. And now I saw that it came with a price, which i had to be willing to pay to survive in this family as well. But the question was would I do the same thing again? Would I hurt someone so easily just to feed on the human's blood? In my heart I wanted to say no, I wanted with all my being to just be able to be human in that one aspect, but with the powers I had and the strength of the hunger. I knew that no matter what I wanted or said I would end up feeding again. To reassure myself, I tried to remember that no matter how monstrous it seems to feed off them, I had given them some pleasure. But that thought wasn't too reassuring.

CHAPTER 2

             I was brought back inside the warehouse and this time I could see that there had been tables behind the crowds of vampires. Many of them had come back inside and taken seats and were staring at me while I walked to a table hand in hand with Lodok. I was still confused to  how I was becoming Queen when all I had done was fight someone and fed on a human. But I guess Lodok was peeking in my thoughts because he answered my question before I had asked it out loud.

            “Look Ezmera, you beat out the top and only other Royal Vampire female. And before that you were able to see me move as if I were a human. Then you were able to stop me from pulling your my wrist away from you as you feed. Plus you were ale to complete a "Vampire kiss" which was even impossible for me to do as a beginning vampire. You have over powered Ardrea, forcing her down from her position as Queen, and you have only been here a week." His voice was one with awe, but with agitation as well. He seemed agitated that i didn't notice or see my amazing abilities as he saw them. I was speechless after his little speech, looking back at all of the things he had pointed out and I realized that I had done a lot. I saw the way I had recovered in his eyes, like I was actually in his body. I looked through his eyes as he checked my wounds, my eyes closed, my body resting and healing. But the wounds healed quickly and I started to sleep  normally. Then I saw my battle once again through his eyes, the struggle in the beginning and then the total destruction of Ardrea. There was no chance she would win, that’s why she had stepped down. I knew that next came watching me feed off of the human, but it stopped there and I came back to look into the golden sun shines next to me.

            “But why isn't here any other woman." I was so curious about this, that I really couldn't let that thought rest. I had to know why there weren’t any other women around. When in human population there was basically more women then men.

            “Many of them have been killed off by others who have turned against us. " He sounded so tired speaking about these others, that I almost told him not to continue talking about them, but I had to know. So he continued." Some who have joined us, mostly the men, wanted nothing to do with the royals or being vampires. So now they live on the streets plotting revenge against us and killing most of the woman because we had changed their lives, made their lives worse to them." His voice grew soft and now he seemed more disappointed or sad and I knew that he would say no more. But as I now looked into his eyes, seeing but a dim glow of light, I wanted to comfort that light and make it glow again. I thought about the fact that I wouldn't have wanted to be comforted but maybe he was different than me.

             I put my hand to his cheek.. taking the other to put upon his other cheek and turn his face more fully towards me, my arms sliding down to embrace his arms. I wrapped my arms around him and settled my cheek on his chest. At first he didn't react and I was about to pull away, feeling awkward, but then he pulled his arms around me and held me too him. The tight embrace warming me from head to toe, my entire body melting into his.  My entire being seemed to join with his as he embraced me tighter, placing his head on mine. And even though he was a vampire, his heart beat sounded against my ear. He had fed, yes, that was the reason his heart beat, but yet it was the most comforting sound at that time. And for just that short while in his arms, i felt safe, I felt like everything would be alright, that for once, I completely and utterly belonged. I knew i had some things to get through, some things to learn, but i would learn them and i would figure out how things worked. For I would do anything to keep this safe feeling.

            His voices speaking while i leaned against his chest, made vibrations reach my ear, a sigh escaping. " Will you be our Queen.? Such a soft, sweet voice filling the silence that we had created, a comfortable silence. I stared into his now golden bright eyes, happy that id made them glow again. His eyes so suddenly beautiful that i couldn't help but stare in them, through them, discovering their every hidden secret. Then realizing that I was staring full out, I brought my gaze down to the table. Compelled to look back up, into the eyes that suddenly surrounded us. Staring into Judiaho's icy blues. I stared into those blue eyes of his, a paler blue, like the clearest ice I had ever seen. But they were so beautiful, more beautiful then the golden suns of Lodok's gaze. There was entire warmth to Judiaho's gaze, different from that of Lodok's. It was pleading warmth, desperate warmth.  And that was when i realized they would be hopeless without a Queen; even as Lodok for a leader they would also need a Queen. And I couldn't help but say yes to his pleading eyes, for it seemed evil to deny them.

            “Yes," A soft but sure answer. I was so cautious in saying it that I thought no emotion had showed in my voice, but I heard the slight reluctance. And i realized that I didn't really want to be a Queen or a leader, that it would just be much easier to say no, and be one of the "common vampires" but somebody had to lead them. And I guess I was lucky enough to be their selection.  

            A great cheer rose around me and then they all shouted in unison. “QUEEN!". The rest of the vampires rose from their seats and applauded, cheered filling the building with sounds such as was supposed to be saved for parades. I turned to look at Lodok and found him smiling at the entire crowd, all traces of sadness gone and the glow of the golden sun had fully returned to his eyes. Then I remembered that I was supposed to marry him now. To be queen I was supposed to marry him. I was only 17 and I was being put into marriage. I hadn't even finished high school yet and look at all the stuff I’ve been through. They say that the big step is going off to college but at this rate I won't even get to that part of my life. I will be forever the leader of the Royal Vampires.

            I jumped to the feel of hands on my shoulders and relaxed when I saw that it was only Lodok who was now standing behind me. He motioned me up and i got up following him to another back room in the ground floor of the warehouse. I had already seen one of the back rooms but this one was bigger and contained two coffins, both lined with red silk. But what caught my attention as I walked in was that the coffins looked centuries old. I ran my hand across the deep ridges in the wood and found the touch immensely soothing. I smiled to myself as I felt that so velvet silk, that I had also slept with in my coffin.

             Lodok kept my hand in his and then turned me back to face him" As my Queen and Wife I promise that you will be happy." I thought about what that may mean, but I couldn't think of anything it would mean, but me being as comfortable as possible. But from the books that I read about vampires, they can be very good with words and sometimes others will not understand the true meaning behind them.

 But something against the far wall caught my attention, bringing me out of my thoughts in time to see Ardrea and Artimis kissing passionately over near the corner of the big room we had just come from.

            A sharp dizziness swept through me and I would have fallen if Lodok hadn't held me to him with his left arm around my waist, his right arm still holding my hand. I couldn't seem  to figure out why the rush had hit me , but Lodok didn't seem worried and I knew something couldn't be wrong if he wasn't worried. But then why can't I stand on my own?

             Ezmera the sun is rising soon, it is too close to dawn to keep walking around. His voice wasn't heard to any but the inside of my ears, more like a feeling of telepathy than anything. And maybe he could, but for now I wasn't going to worry about what he could or couldn't do. As he said, the sun was rising, my energy was being sucked from me and soon I would be dead to the world as many of the humans would say in the books that were written by the humans. I was betting that only a select few humans actually believed in vampires, but if they had gone through what I had all of them would believe. If all of them had seen this world than maybe they would take vampires seriously for these creatures, my creatures should not be forgotten.

             I went back to the room where Lodok was already waiting for me since he had left my side, the moment the dizziness had worn off. All that lay left to think now was that I was tired and that I had to sleep. And as Lodok laid me in my coffin I thought of how beautiful those eyes were and how much i wished to see those eyes everyday for the rest of my life.

             I thought that as he leaned down and gently kissed my forehead in a sweet, but short gesture. " Good night , My Queen." and with those words a shiver ran down my spine but also somehow relaxed me  and led me down into that deep, deep sleep.

             I was slipping up from the darkness and in the distance I could feel the sun dropping around the other side of the earth and night arrive. And I opened my eyes expecting to see my mom leaning over me, waking me up fro school, but it was Lodok's golden gaze that held my eyes instead. He was leaning over the coffin, looking as if he had been waiting there a while.

            “Good evening, its time to get ready my midnight sunshine.” But he didn't make an attempt to help me out of the coffin. Instead he leaned down to my face and kissed my forehead, and then brought his lips down to mine gently pressing.  Then escalating to a harsher, more eager kiss as I started to sit up. The kiss stole my breath so when he pulled away, I let loose a small sigh.

 It felt so different from my first kiss, a slight smile playing on my lips as I remembered the shy boy that I had dated, the boy who was so scared to kiss me. I had been the one to make the move, and even to this day I laugh at how nervous he was, because I had been just as nervous as he.  The kiss that I felt just now, was so much more, more powerful, more intense, everything that a kiss should be.  My eyes widened as I realized what I had been thinking, and how right that felt. Where had my human instincts gone? Did I still have at least a small part of me as human? Or was it all devoured in that kiss?

I pushed the thought behind the wall I had been building. I didn’t need any more complications right now. It was hard enough just dealing with my new powers never mind thinking about what I had lost.  I reached out to Lodok who was glad to help me out of my coffin, smiling at me the entire time. His eyes looked quickly sideways and back, but not quickly enough for me not to see and to follow his eyes. And that’s when I saw the black dress that lay at the foot of my coffin.

 Just looking at the dress took my breath away. The sleeves were of intricate detailed lace with the body of it made of the finest silk I had ever seen. The moment I saw the dress I wanted to run over to it and wrap myself in it. Lodok gave me a knowing smile and walked out the door. I picked up the dress and felt the extravagant silk, running my hand down its length I sighed. The silk was so smooth, so pleasurable to the touch, more so than the richest silk I had felt as human. I wrapped myself in this wondrous feeling as I slipped the dress over my head. I felt like never before, a new power behind my eyes, a new feeling surrounding me, and the lingering taste of Lodok’s lips on mine. I was ready to step out and do my best as their queen. I couldn’t remember ever feeling so great

            As I walked out of the room I caught a glimpse of Lodok in his black silk outfit, before a bolt of lightening struck through the room causing the lights to go out as the lightening faded to darkness. Thunder traveling throughout the building fading away into a deep silence. The silence so thick that it was like the night itself was waiting for something to happen.  The darkness was suddenly interrupted by the flames of candles above us, all around the room. The candles hung in the air, nothing seemed to be keeping them floating, yet there they were.

I walked forward by the light of the candles dancing on the walls, coming up next to Lodok. Lodok wore a silk robe accompanied by a pair of silk pants. On the robe there were ancient symbols that were so strange yet fascinated me. They could only be one thing, the symbols of Royal Vampiric Ancestors.

            “It’s time for our King and Queen to join together as one and for Ardrea to be no longer recognized as the Queen.” Lodok spoke, never turning his eyes from mine. Our hands were brought up to meet and Ardrea stepped up to bind our hands together with a thick elastic rope. Ardrea knelt on one knee next to Lodok, not moving until Lodok nodded his head at her. She immediately stood up and started to draw a symbol or design on the back of our hangs. I was so confused to what this had to do with being King and Queen but didn’t dare speak up. I wasn’t sure what they wished to have in appearance. And whether I asking a stupid question like that would ruin the look they might have been going for.

            Ardrea was concentrating so hard that I thought she might not see anything other than what she was drawing. Ardrea then suddenly move around us forming a circle with a golden powder.  She took the rest of the golden powder and released it on Lodok and me, creating a golden glow around us.

            “Let the king and new Queen be bonded by mind, body, and spirit.” Ardrea’s voice spread throughout the warehouse, magnified in the empty building. A huge slap of power hit us as she blew a silver powder just obtained from one of the other vampires. The power took both of us tour knew, a burning running through my hands. I tried to pull my hangs away to stop the burning, but the bindings held well. The pain grew worse in my hands, as if thousands of hot needles pierced my skin and almost brought a scream, but just as suddenly as it came, it was gone. I relaxed leaning my head on Lodok’s shoulder.

            I felt Ardrea’s presence over me or more like the power that came from her, and I knew that she was hesitation before coming near us. It seemed as if she were afraid of us and what might happen if she touched us too soon. But she finally stepped forward and started to unbind our hands, having to peel the elastic rope from the surface of our skin. But after minutes of careful peeling the rope was off our hands and we sagged against each other, only then bringing our eyes to stare at one another’s hands. And as I stared don at Lodok’s hands, I saw a burn mark, exactly the same mark that had been drawn on the back of our hands. But how had the burn gone through the hand and left the hand whole. Then it hit me, if his hands are like that then... and as I looked down at my own hands I gave a sharp hiss for the same thing was placed upon my hands. That’s when the burn started to hurt. I hadn’t noticed the injury before but when I looked down at it and finally realized I had been hurt, the pain seared through my hands. And I was betting that no matter how fast vampires heal, this injury would be permanent.

            I looked back to Lodok and he helped me get to my feet without the use of my hands, and we both used each other for support as we slowly walked to the nearest table, fight to keep our balance.

            Sitting down, Lodok never took his eyes off of me, as if he were studying me and my reaction to this whole process. “Judiaho get me a cool cloth, quickly!” is voice was so loud next to my ear that it caused a ringing to start through my head. I knew then that there was worry in his voice, and that worry was for my health. I must have looked as bad as I felt.

            Judiaho rushed down the hallway that lay in front of our table to what I guessed was either a bathroom or a kitchen, and almost instantly he was back with a damp cloth in his hand. I stared at him amazed at the haste he had retrieved the cloth with. It seemed more likely that he would have popped the cloth from thin air then have traveled that distance and back so quickly. I don’t know how long I had stared at him standing in front of me before Lodok grabbed the cloth and layer it across my forehead. The cool wet cloth on my forehead soothed the ringing and I started to feel better within minutes. I wasn’t sure if it was the wet cloth or just having a little time to adjust to what we had just endured. I didn’t understand why the marriage had to be so violent among the vampires when the humans just took vows to be together for life. I guess the vampires really want to be bound together for life.. And at that I almost laughed, a smile spread across my face and I thought of how ironic the situation was. I laughed to myself making sure not to laugh aloud, for explaining what was so funny to the rest of vampires, would surely be hilarious.

            My laughter and fun was cut short by the faint feeling of hunger, or what the vampires would call blood list, rising up. I knew I would have to feed in a short while. Although the idea of feeding on a human again was weird, I mean I had read about the vampires sucking blood and known that it was a type of hunger. But it wasn’t just a hunger, it was a necessity as well. They wouldn’t live at all without the blood.

            “You will be able to feed soon enough, control it while you can.” A whisper which I knew to be Lodok’s, came into my head, and at that moment I cold feel what Lodok felt, our thoughts connected. Whatever I thought, he could hear and at this point I could hear his thoughts. It was the most amazing thing I had ever felt, it was like I wasn’t a separate person form him. That we were the same mind, part of the same universal space in our head. I felt like I belonged somewhere, and I realized that after all that time being part of my family, part of a popular, rich crowd of teens, that I had never felt like I had belonged. All this time I had believed that I belonged among my biological family and my friends, when I had actually belonged here.

            I look3ed up into his face and all Lodok said was “ I know,” and he smiled so big it must have hurt his face. He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me fiercely and it felt better than any hug I had had before. I know it sounds lame but being hugged so strongly by people you belong with, is comforting and it was something that made me feel better than ever before.

            “ Judiaho, we need a human sacrifice, her hunger is rising, and mine is coming around as well.” Judiaho once again didn’t ask anything but just took off on his duty to find a willing human. And suddenly I felt my skin become dry, my body suddenly feeling weak and I knew it was the blood I needed. All vampires needed was blood to sustain them and as Queen I had to make sure I received my filling or else I would be useless. I was shocked to find the knowledge at the tip of my tongue, and knew it was due to my sudden connection with Lodok.

            Once again Judiaho appeared out of no where, with a male human. But as I looked at him I felt the horror at my own thoughts. I shouldn’t be thinking of a human or a person as just human cattle. But as I looked at him that was the only thought present.

            The muscular arms that hung from his broad shoulders only increased my appetite, as his good looks made him more attractive to my blood lust. It was as if my attention to his handsome looks made the blood lust greater than the idea that it was a human. The man was more of a youth rather than an adult. He wasn’t lacking in height or in hair, he was six feet tall and had hair down to his shoulders, he looked muscular and strong, but as I clanked at the hand Judiaho had put upon the back of the humans neck, the human seemed to be weaker, like his life force wasn’t nearly as strong as Judiaho’s, making him nothing but prey.

            “He is yours Ezmera, but think wisely about whether your will finish him of, for what’s left will be for the rest to share.” Lodok’s voice sounded distant even though he sat right next to me. And it took a lot to be able to hear his voice, to actually think about what he was saying. And I heard it well enough that what I didn’t finish went to everyone else. And at that moment, I couldn’t resist any longer.

            I used my inhumanely speed to surprise him, moving to appear right in front of him. And I smiled as I felt his fear rise; I knew he would taste really good. I slid my hand down his cheek, forcing him to turn his head as Judiaho let go of him. I ran my hand down the line of neck that lay bare, and he shivered under my touch. And that last shiver pushed me to the limit. I leaned my head down quickly and bit into that that fast beating pulse, blood immediately rushing to the surface. I gasped as the blood rushed down my throat and that one break between my mouth and the blood drove me to a point of such madness that I dove back to the wound. Sucking the blood and swallowing enormous amounts of blood. The human’s thoughts and emotions spilled into my mind, past memories of childhood and such.  And then it was over and I backed away from the wound, not even a trace of horror at what I had just done.

            And as the human fell back a loud thump emanated from the contact against the cold floor before the vampires dove upon the human making sure to drain it of all the blood that ran through its veins. But before I could even think about having an attack of conscious Lodok had grabbed my hand and pulled me into the air. The sudden change from ground to air left me in shock as I felt the wind in my hair and saw us hundreds of feet in the air, outside the building. For a second I questioned at how we were able to arrive outside the building when seconds before we stood in the middle of the warehouse. But then we went higher, the layered black night and the tree tops below me, the house and people barley visible in the blackness of the night. And we stayed there swaying with the wind and my eyes took in everything with a touch of ground amazement

            I looked down at the world and heard Lodok’s voice, almost as beautiful sounding as the night around us. “Isn’t it amazing?”

            I couldn’t help but reply with the amazement showing in my voice, “It’s the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen, and it’s... its amazing.” Lodok slowly brought us back down to the ground, and I knew that I should have been afraid as we quickly dropped down to the last few feet above ground. It had seemed so slow of a drop compared to how fast we had arrived at the frightening height. But there wasn’t any fear in me at all as I watched the ground come closer and closer to our feet. At this point I realized just how much I trusted Lodok now and that I truly trusted them but never did I trust anyone with my life.

            As we touched the ground outside the warehouse man of the streetlights shined, it was the first time I had seen the outdoors with more than one street light on and it made me feel more at peace with the area, like I was used to the dark but I still had that desire for some light. The desire that humans always have when the dark is upon them, when they have to do something in the dark it is more of a feeling of necessity of that was how it felt to me when I was human. That I actually needed light now was funny, me, a creature of darkness feeling relaxed by the presence of light. It almost made me want to laugh but on the other hand it scared me. Would I truly become a night creature would all of my fears of the night turn to fears of the light? I felt the thought at that and followed Lodok to the door.

            “I have some things to attend to; you should talk with the others but promise me, Ezmera, you’ll stay inside the warehouse. There are many people that will want you dead.” Lodok’s voice actually revealed f revealed a little bit of worry that showed in his eyes and his words. The words he chose to explain though were very cautious and very mysterious as if he thought giving away too much information might put me in even more danger than I already was.

            “I promise,” I spoke making sure he knew I meant it and that even with his discreetness on the topic that I would listen to him and trust him at his word. And I watched him take off into the night sky, his robe billowing after him, making him disappear into the night sky.

            As I stepped inside the warehouse Ardrea walked over to me and stood in front of me, with such a saddened look upon her face. And a thought occurred to me, curiosity gripping me.

            “Umm if you don’t mind me asking did Lodok change you too?”  It seemed that Ardrea looked a bit confused at first but I saw something change in her eyes when I think she had understood what I had asked.

            “ No.. I was changed over into the Vampiric blood by Artimis.” But when she spoke those words her eyes faced the ground and I saw the redness spill into her cheeks. She was blushing. And when I didn’t say anything to her, she explained more about it. “He had found me in my home with no one else around and I don’t know why but I just invited him in, like I knew it was for the best. And after he changed me well…”

            “Your lovers.!” I broke in talking a touch too loud and a few of the vampires looked our way. “       

            “ Shhhh… not so loud will ya, yes we were lovers and are again and that I should owe thanks to you for.” She said smiling up at me now.

            “ Its not like I came here on purpose so I guess your better off thanking Lodok not me he’s the one who found me.” I said with somewhat of a sarcastic tone in my voice because I knew that thanking Lodok for giving Ardrea her lover back wouldn’t be the most pleasant thing to say to him.

            “I was the only female before and it was coincidence that I happened to be quite strong, so I had to take the place as queen but now it’s your job and I can go back to Artimis, for we have missed each others company.” Ardrea’s  voice sounded a touch heavy with emotion like if she talked about it anymore she would sob with joy and sadness because of her reuniting and because of being so forbidden form each other for so long.

            “But why did Artimis change you and not Lodok?” I asked and knew it wasn’t that important to know but it was something off the subject of having to be queen and away from the topic of lovers.

            “Artimis was the one who changed me because among the top males it is in turns to w ho is to change the next child of the POWERS.” Ardrea made it sound so simple that I thought for a second that I should have known it before. It was the feeling of a child sitting in class who asks the stupid question and gets laughed at.

            “The powers?” I mean what the hell were the powers it was a name that seemed like it was made by someone who was a little full of themselves or that of people who were Gods. And that second thought made me a little uneasy about learning who they were but as my Aunt used to say “Curiosity gets what curiosity wants.”   But thinking about my Aunt didn’t’ seem like the best thing to do. That just made me long to see her again for she was always so nice to me, she made me feel at home no matter when or where we were going she always made me feel safe. But what would she say to the thing I had become? The vampire I was would not be accepted by her no matter what and that thought alone brought me out of my trip in memories.

            “Yes, the POWERS are the ancestors and the spirits that give us our strength, thirst, speed, sight, and hearing. WE are descended from these POWERS like you are descended from your grandmother as well. The POWERS choose our changers or as they are called Carriers. And the blood from them is what renews our vampire blood that has decreased over the generations.”

            Artimis joined us and spoke lowly to Ardrea but with my improved hearing I heard what he said anyway. “She knows enough for now Ardrea; remember she is only a newcomer.” He took her hand in his and walked away to a farther table to talk on their own. From the way Artimis acted towards me I would say he doesn’t like me and what does he mean by reminding her that I am a newcomer? What should that matter what I am the Queen if I was not to be told stuff because I am a newcomer, than I should be told information about the culture and the rights of the Royal Vampiric blood  because I am queen and have to rule over them.

            I just let it go though because I was sure that as soon as Lodok came back he would be able to explain things to me, and it would be his right too, because he was King of the vampires. But why was he being so precautious about what I knew? Artimis too? I thought that I hadn’t understood vampires’ actions from the novels I had read but in the actual company of them they were even more frustrating but I guess I had to live it out. No one would just tell me things because I demanded of it anyway.

            All of a sudden I didn’t want o be inside anymore it was just too much to think about all these things and not a damn thing of importance when so many vampires surrounded me. So I stepped outside and took in that fresh night air sighing as I leaned against the side of the building. The moon gleamed down on all of the buildings around this area and a straight beam of light came down to rest at my feet as if trying to put me in the spot light. The moon was as bright of a white as it could ever get but I had never been able to see the moon this clearly before. I just hadn’t been able to see through the sky into the moon so well.  And in the distance I saw the moonlight glimpse down on the far forest are, the trees such a dark luscious green that it looked like velvet form this distance.

            I immediately spun from the magnificent sight when hearing a slight thumping noise to my side. My heart beating fast as I remembered Lodok’s words earlier that night.

            “I thought you promised to stay inside?” As the sight and sound of Lodok, my heart rested knowing that it was only him, and no one was out here to kill me. But Lodok stared at me sternly with an angry yet worried look on his face.  How long have you been out here Ezmera?” He came towards me and hurried me into the warehouse.

            “Why is it so important to be inside? I can take care of myself!” I was annoyed by the discreetness at which everything was done and how I was being put into hiding, as if I would break at the slightest pin drop.. And at that point I knew it sounded childish but I wanted to know what the hell was going on or else no one was going to cooperation from me.

            Lodok sighed and I knew I had won. “Sit,” he said and pointed to a dirty grey table a couple feet to the right of us. “There is a cult of Priests who seek to end our entire existence. That is their one and only purpose for their life. The thing is that they have our inhumanly strength and our inhuman speed.  They are trying to capture and destroy the POWERS. WE are all in danger especially you. For the Queen is the key to calling upon the POWERS.” He voice filled with such weariness that I knew he hadn’t wanted to exp