Dinner With a Vampire (20 page)

My eyes continued to open, the haze disappearing. Dazed, I managed to discern that I was lying partially sitting up on my bed, soft pillows supporting my aching back. My wrist was wrapped in a support – but not a sling. Kaspar, Fabian and Lyla stood nearby, their backs to me.

‘Violet’s awake!’ The girl dived at me, wrapping her matchstick arms around my neck, her knees digging into my stomach. I winced, groaning as my entire body erupted into joint-wrenching pain. She kissed my tender neck over and over, clutching me tighter. I felt her pass over fresh wounds on my body and I tried to cry out in pain, only to hear a screech. Immediately, the three vampires turned and Lyla rushed to pull Thyme off.

‘Thyme! Can’t you see you’re hurting her?’

I breathed heavily as the pain dulled. Thyme’s bottom lip quivered, and her lips swelled to a pout. She scuttled from the room, sobbing without tears. I watched her, before slowly beginning to prop myself up. I inched back, wincing as I put weight on my strapped-up arm. Kaspar stood a way back, seeming hesitant to move closer. His cold gaze lingered on me for a moment, before he averted his eyes and looked out the window. Fabian plumped the pillows behind my back, and remembering my last few moments at the ball, I scooted away an inch. He didn’t seem to notice.

‘Here, drink this,’ he said, passing me a glassful of water. My throat was so dry I downed it in one and he poured me another from the jug on the bedside table. ‘Violet, I am so sorry for what has happened to you.’

I made a small choking noise in the back of my throat, wanting to shake my head but finding my neck too stiff. There was an awkward pause.

‘I’ll go get Galen,’ Lyla muttered, leaving the room. Nobody spoke for the next few minutes as I managed to sit fully upright with the help of Fabian: until the King entered the room, followed by a tall, imposing man, who I presumed was Galen. Behind him was Eaglen.

‘I shouldn’t be alive,’ was all I could say. Fabian and Kaspar exchanged looks whilst Galan took my uninjured arm and pressed two fingers to my vein, taking my pulse. I tried to pull it away but he wouldn’t let go, shooting me a subduing look. Fabian smiled in a reassuring way and I allowed the man to continue, as he had me clench and unclench the hand of my injured arm. I was amazed when it didn’t hurt.

‘How do you feel?’ he asked.

Ashamed. Hopeless. Sick.
‘Stiff,’ I answered.

‘You will be. You have been unconscious for the past three days.’ I gawped.
Three days? That long?
‘She will be sore for a while,’ he continued, turning to the King and Eaglen. ‘And her wrist will need to remain in the support for two weeks. The wounds might take a little longer to heal, but other than that, she has made quite the recovery.’ He left my bedside and muttered something to the King, in a volume he obviously thought I couldn’t hear, but I could hear every word: ‘The long-term mental impact is quite a different matter. And I would bear in mind, Your Majesty, that this may greatly influence her decision on turning.’

I cleared my throat. ‘But how am I alive?’ Again, looks were exchanged and everybody seemed reluctant to speak.

‘You were drained of a third of your blood and went into hypovolemic shock,’ Galen eventually said with a clinical detachedness that told me I wasn’t about to hear good news. It was the same voice the doctors used when they told us Greg hadn’t made it; that Lily had cancer. ‘You required an immediate transfusion. Unfortunately, this meant there was not enough time to access human blood.’

My eyes bulged and the room went silent, waiting for my reaction. The only sound was the crackling of the fire in the hearth – lit for once – and the sound of my breathing, becoming faster and shallower.

‘Turning a human requires just over half the blood to be replaced with a vampire’s blood, which consumes the remaining human blood. A quarter of your blood was replaced with vampiric blood, meaning you are a half-blood, or what we call a dhampir.’

I didn’t pay much attention. I frantically checked my palm, checking to see if it was any paler than I remembered it. It wasn’t. In my chest, I could feel my heart beating.

‘You’re lying,’ I growled.

‘We’re not lying, Miss Lee,’ Galen countered.

‘But my heart is beating! You must be lying!’ I screamed at them all, refusing to believe it. Fabian stroked my arm but I wrenched it away so forcefully the joint clicked and I winced. ‘I don’t want to be anything like you. I’m human!’ Anger, such extraordinary anger, built up inside me, to the point where I wanted to hurl.

Kaspar was suddenly inches from my face, grabbing my flailing shoulders and pinning them to the headboard. He knelt with one knee on the mattress and his face was unreadable. Angry, because his eyes were flashing between their emerald and black, but something else was there.
Pity?

‘Violet!’

I jerked away from him, thrashing about trying to release myself. ‘Get off me!’ I spat.

‘Look at me, Violet!’ I turned away, refusing to do what he said. ‘I said, look at me!’ he shouted. Still I refused. He grabbed my chin roughly and yanked my head around to face him; my neck stung where I knew there would be bite marks. I looked down at the sheets, not wanting to meet his eyes.

‘For heaven’s sake, just look! What’s different?’ Stunned, I conceded, raising my gaze to meet his. I reluctantly studied his face for a moment. Something
was
different.
The colours.
The green of his eyes was brighter, standing out more against the white.

‘I—’

‘Listen. Smell. Everything is better, isn’t it?’

Yes.
‘No,’ I breathed. ‘No!’ I began thrashing around again, needing to get away. I screamed and screamed, without any rational thought.

Swiftly after my third ‘no’, however, a hand came into contact with my wet cheek and I squeaked, shutting up, stunned into total silence. My eyes widened and Kaspar breathed heavily on my face, looking shocked that he had actually hit me. He slowly released me, backing off to the corner of the room. I reached up with one of my now free hands to touch my stinging cheek. It hurt. But it worked.

‘Fabian said vampires struggle to cry. I-is this the only time I can cry?’

‘No,’ Eaglen replied. ‘If you would let us explain, it may not be as bad as you first thought.’

Galen stepped forward again from where he had stoked the fire. ‘We had very little choice. The shock would have caused your major organs to cease functioning and your chance of survival without a transfusion was nil. None of the human blood supplies stored here are tested thoroughly enough for anything but consumption and, thus, vampire blood was our only option. And of course, vampiric blood has the added benefit of being able to heal wounds at an extraordinary rate. You are very fortunate that His Highness volunteered to donate some of his own blood to you.’

I looked at Kaspar, my eyes wide in surprise, but when I caught his eyes he turned away again, staring at something interesting on the window.
I owe him my life – again.

‘So, if I’m a dhampir, why is my heart still beating?’

‘Because a dhampir is more human than vampire. You will function as before and you will not lust for blood in any way. Legally, you are still governed by humans and not the Kingdom. The only difference, as the Prince pointed out to you, is your slightly enhanced capabilities. Vision and stamina, for example. You will also live for longer than the average human.’

The King nodded. ‘Thank you, Galen. You may leave us.’

‘Should there be any problems, do not hesitate to send for me,’ Galen muttered, and now I understood why I could hear them when they were stood on the opposite side of the room. With that he bowed and left with Eaglen.

‘Fabian, Lyla, allow us a moment. Not you, Kaspar,’ the King said as his son went to follow the other two. When the door had shut behind them, he continued. ‘Miss Lee, you are under what we call the King and Crown’s Protection, meaning that harming you in any way is a crime punishable by death. Ilta Crimson has fled, but we will endeavour to find him. When we do, he will stand trial. It was Kaspar here who found you and he has therefore been called as a witness. You have no objection to this?’

‘No,’ I replied, feeling my lips quiver. Below the sheets, I pressed my fingernails into my palm, finding it stopped the tears from welling.

‘Then we will leave you. I suggest you rest. Someone will not be far at any time, if you are in need of anything.’ They began to leave, Kaspar lingering for a second. The room fell silent, and swiftly, something clutched at my throat.
Fear.
I stared straight ahead, eyes bulging. I could not be alone. He would return to finish what he started.

‘Kaspar,’ I whispered. He turned. ‘Please stay.’

‘What?’ he replied, going stiff.

‘Please stay. I-I don’t want to be alone.’ I closed my eyes.

There was a pause where nothing penetrated the silence. But then the door clicked closed and I was sure he’d gone. The fear rose again, gripping me. I couldn’t be alone. The floor creaked. My heart stopped. The sound of footsteps muffled by plush carpet, and then silence. Slowly, I cracked open an eye.

He stood there, leaned casually against the post of my bed. His dark, almost-black hair flopped lazily across his eyes – the sun-streaked tresses were fading now, as summer turned to autumn. The lack of light too had turned his skin more deathly, more haunting, although that may have been my eyes seeing more clearly.

‘You stayed.’ My eyes flitted up to his and he nodded slightly.

‘I’m not as heartless as you think.’

There was silence.

‘You saved my life.’ I frowned. ‘Twice.’ He looked at the carpet. I looked to the sheets.

‘Yes, I guess I did. But if you die … your father, so …’

I nodded hastily. Lips pursed shut, I averted my eyes out the window. I heard him shuffle slightly.

‘Thanks, though. If you hadn’t come, I don’t know what he would have done.’

He waved his hand in the air, silencing me. ‘You remember all of it?’ He looked horrified.

I nodded sombrely. ‘Everything, up until I passed out.’ My vision glazed over and a shudder of disgust passed through me as I remembered Ilta’s words to me.

When you are alive to feel the shame, Violet Lee, feel yourself violated, it makes it far more fun, you see …

But Kaspar had saved me from that fate – by the narrowest of margins. Kaspar had warned me away from him in the first place.

I was stupid, so stupid for trusting Ilta; for letting him close to me. Kaspar had been right. I should have stayed away. But I let him dance with me. I left the ball alone. This is my fault.

I buried my face in my hands, ashamed to let Kaspar see me breaking down like this.
I should be strong. I should just accept it.

‘Don’t cry,’ he said in a low voice. I looked up, surprised. His eyes were jet black and his fists were clenched. He had one arm wrapped around the post and was almost shaking. He might be staring at me, but he didn’t see me.

‘He will die for what he did to you. He’ll be ripped and torn and burnt until he is begging for mercy, which he won’t receive.’

‘Please, don’t say that,’ I breathed, as horrific images rolled through my mind. Bile rose in my throat and I gagged. His eyes snapped back to emerald.

‘Why? Don’t you want revenge?’

I shrugged, his words bringing on a fresh wave of tears. To try to stop myself from descending into sobs, I focused on my clenched palms and shuffled under the sheets, noticing how hot the room was and how a layer of sweat and oil coated my skin. The mud and blood might have gone, but I felt unclean and not in a way I felt I could wash off, but I wanted to try anyway.

‘Is there any chance I could have a shower?’

‘Yes, of course. You can have a bath, if you’d prefer.’ His eyes turned a faint pink colour. I nodded. ‘I’ll get one of the maids to run you one then.’

‘Don’t go!’ I insisted.

He smiled lopsidedly. ‘I won’t.’

Closing his eyes for a moment, I was forced to look at closed eyelids. His lopsided smile, something I had rarely seen, remained on his lips. It was partway between a smile and a smirk.

‘They’re running one now, in the bathroom opposite.’ He jerked his head towards the door.

‘Thanks.’ I twisted, throwing the sheets off and caught a glimpse of the clothes I was wearing: nothing but a long baggy T-shirt.

‘I’ll get you some clothes,’ he said, disappearing into the wardrobe, appearing again a moment later, handing me a pair of leggings, a long, light wool jumper and fresh underwear.

‘You need to keep warm,’ he explained, facing away from me, looking out the French doors. I took the clothes, tucked them under my arm and inched off the bed, gripping the post for support. Feeling like a child trying to take her first steps, I got to the bathroom, blushing wildly at Kaspar’s fussing.

‘Will you be okay on your own? I will be in my room, if, well …’

I nodded. Scented steam hit me as soon as I stepped in, wafts of lavender escaping into the corridor. The mirror was coated in condensation and all the fittings were dripping with water – so was my skin as I hung my fresh clothes over the rail furthest from the bath. Reaching to shut the door, I noticed that the key for the lock had been removed.

I grabbed a towel from the rail and stripped down as quickly as I could, wrapping the towel around myself. I did not dare look at my body. I fiddled with the support on my wrist, struggling with the Velcro, which might as well have been glued shut.

When I managed to free my wrist, I wiped a patch on the mirror, holding my breath. I did not want to do this. But I had to.

I let the towel drop and gasped. Most of the smaller scratches and cuts had healed; so had the larger wounds on my right side, but on the left, five strips of shiny, mottled skin ran across my breasts and down my stomach. I touched the top of one of them, wincing as it stung, noticing that the scars on my neck that had been pinpricks were now each as big as my thumb. I sank onto the edge of the bath, covering myself back up again.

His face, his laugh, his slick, oily voice filled my head, and I could feel him touching me once more, hear his panting breaths, smell the reek of blood.