Blood Born (17 page)

1

I was actually kind of nervous when I woke up the next morning, and I wasn’t exactly sure why. I knew it wasn’t Kayla; I was totally comfortable being around her now. And even though I didn’t know Erik and Lila that well, I figured that they had to be somewhat normal for Kayla to like them. And that’s when I realized that I wasn’t just nervous about being around Erik and Lila. I was nervous about being
a vampire
around them. Of course they knew I was a vampire from what happened at the mall, but they had never
seen
me as one. They hadn’t witnessed my exposed fangs, or my crazy eyes, or the fact that I could run as fast as a speeding car. What if they freaked out when they saw me like that and decided to kill me instead of train me? I tried to ignore that nagging inner voice telling me to forget about going to train and just stay in bed, focusing instead on being open to learning all I could from Kayla and her friends.

I stood on the front porch of Chance’s house, watching him leave for his Saturday detention. I was still a little curious about what had happened to get him in trouble, but I let it go, hoping he would want to talk about it one day. I really wanted him to be with me the first time Erik and Lila were around. Tiny fears of what might happen kept gnawing at me like rats. I was a novice at best when it came to using my new super-strength, and I had no clue if I would win in a fight against two experienced vampire killers. I didn’t
plan
on anything going wrong, but lately my plans hadn’t been working out too well. But Chance couldn’t be there. I’m sure he wanted to be, he told me as much, but he couldn’t. So I was on my own, with only the little bit of training Aldric had given me to defend myself if the need arose. As Chance backed down the driveway and Kayla pulled in, I said a prayer that I wouldn’t need any of it.

“Excited?” Kayla asked with a smile and squeaky inflection in her voice as I hopped into her Volvo. Well, I’m sure it was her
mom’s
Volvo, but nice nonetheless.

“I don’t know if excited is the word I’d use.” I tried to be as honest as possible, figuring that was the best way to handle the day. I definitely didn’t want Erik or Lila—especially Lila—to catch me in some sort of lie and lose any trust they might have for me.

“Scared?” It was like she read my mind.

“That obvious, huh?” I was practically sweating I was so nervous. I was busily wringing my hands, my left leg was trying to leap from the car it was shaking so fast. Kayla just gave me an ‘I understand’ look and smiled.

“Try not to get too nervous,” she said as we pulled up to her house. “They’re cool.” I knew she was referring to Erik and Lila, and as far as Erik went, I was prone to agree. But for Lila, the jury was still out.

“I’m taking your word for it,” I said as I reluctantly climbed from the car and followed Kayla inside. I had guessed from the tiny black compact car parked at the curb out front that Erik and Lila were already there. Noises from the kitchen and the sound of laughter confirmed it.

“Hey guys,” Kayla quipped as we joined them in the kitchen. Lila was snacking on a bowl of potato chips while Erik was waist deep in the refrigerator. He pulled himself and some lunch meat and mayo out when Kayla spoke, smiling and looking directly at me. Wanting to look happy to be there, I smiled back. Without the hype of vampire hunting and the harsh lighting of the mall corridor, Erik was actually good-looking. I mean, he wasn’t Chance, but no one was. Chance was in a league of his own when it came to hotness. But Erik definitely wasn’t far behind. His features were striking, perfectly proportioned for his face. I kept looking from him to Lila, and Erik’s good looks were copied on his sister’s face. I could tell they looked alike in the mall that day, but seeing them in clear daylight showed how
much
alike they appeared. Their personalities, however, couldn’t have been more different. Lila proved that when she caught me staring.

“I have my cell phone handy if you wanna snap a picture,” she quipped. “That way you can stare at me any time you want.” She was steadily dipping chips into a small bowl of creamy dip, but she never took her eyes off my face. I could see the venom swirling behind them.

“Sorry,” I said, breaking my gaze. “I was just noticing how much you and your brother look alike.” I stared at Erik, who was busy building a massive sandwich at the other end of the counter. He looked up at me and smiled. I wished his sister was as cordial.

“You’ve never seen twins before?” Lila asked through a mouth-full of chips. She chewed her food the same way she spoke, fast and nasty. Tiny crumbs dropped onto her black cashmere sweater, and she quickly brushed them into the floor.

“Um, I think once,” I answered. I originally said it just so I wouldn’t look like a total moron, but my mind quickly recalled an image of a set of totally annoying twin boys, Parker and Riley Stewart. I had no clue where that memory came from, but it was there. “They were both boys, though. And they didn’t look as much alike as you two.” Lila glanced at Erik before turning back to me.

“So you’re saying you’ve only seen twins
once
?” I nodded in agreement and she slumped back in her chair. “Wow,” she added. “Weird.”

“It’s not weird,” Kayla interjected. “She just hasn’t seen as much as most people, that’s all.” She stepped next to me as she spoke, patting me on the back like I was a little kid. I was grateful for her being there, though. I couldn’t have handled the twins on my own.

“No problem,” Erik said between giant bites of his sandwich. The muscles in his face and neck flexed as he chewed, causing the veins running down his neck to bulge. I felt my mouth twitch as I watched. After a few seconds, Erik must have sensed what I was looking at, because he quickly swallowed the food in his mouth and set his sandwich back on its plate.

“So,” he said, crossing the kitchen to stand next to Lila. “Ready?” He was looking at me and semi-smiling, but I couldn’t smile back. The edgy nerves sitting just under my skin were beginning to claw their way to the surface, and the fear of what we were about to do settled into my spine.

“You okay?” I heard Kayla ask, only then realizing that I had been shivering.

“Oh, yeah, I’m good.” I lied. I was so far from good it wasn’t funny. I was nervous and scared that I was going to go all vampire during my training, and Erik or Lila or both of them would try and kill me. But, I put on a smile and stood up from the bar. “Let’s get started.”

“Well this is something we’ve never done before,” Lila said, staying put in her seat and continuing to plow through the bowl of chips.

“What is?” I asked.

“Teaching a vampire to
kill
a vampire,” Erik answered as he joined his twin sister and dunked a chip into the dip.

“It’s like feeding a cow hamburger meat,” Lila quipped. “It’s unnatural.” Kayla giggled, and I finally saw why they were friends. It had been puzzling me why someone as sweet as Kayla could stand someone like Lila, but now I got it. They had the same weird sense of humor in common. Well, that and the whole vampire hunter thing.

“I’m not a vampire,” I snapped back, boring holes into Lila’s face with my eyes. She threw one of her smart-assed smiles my way and crossed the kitchen to grab another soda from the fridge. I felt flames of anger lick at my neck.

“Ignore her,” Erik said, his voice soft and melodic. It was sweet like Chance’s, and made me flutter the same way. “And by the way,” he added, “you
are
a vampire. Better get used to it.” He smiled at me, too, but unlike his sister’s, his smile was genuine. The anger building in me eased a bit, replaced by jittery nerves and butterflies stirring in my stomach. Was I attracted to Erik? I mean, he was hot, no question about it. I liked his eyes, the way the sunlight made the blue sparkle. And his smile was pretty near perfect. But like him? I barely knew him. Of course, I barely knew Chance any better, and that didn’t stop me from liking
him
. Well, I
thought
I liked him. I honestly had no clue what was going on between Chance and me. Just one more frustrating thing in my life. I tried to throw the idea of Erik and me being together out of my head and get my mind focused on training.

“Okay, fine,” I said with a bit of attitude. “I’m a vampire. Whatever.” I stood up from my seat at the bar just as Lila popped the top of her soda can and took a huge gulp. “Are you guys going to teach me or what?” I kept looking from Lila to Erik to Kayla, trying to see if any of them were judging me for being a monster.

“Oh we’re gonna teach you.” I could barely make out Lila’s words through her mouthful of chips. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. She washed it down with half a can of soda before adding, “One more vampire killer is a plus for our side.” I could feel a twitching in my fangs that was hard to ignore.

I saw Kayla roll her eyes. “We’d be glad to have you on our side, Ava,” she said with a smile. “And I think you’ll probably learn fast. I imagine having super powers will make it easier for you.”

“I don’t have superpowers, Kayla.”

“What would you call it?” Erik asked as he downed nearly an entire can of soda. “You can run faster than a car, reach the top of a building in one jump, and not die. Sounds superhuman to me.” He smiled as he tossed his empty can into the trash.

“That’s it Erik,” Lila chimed in. “Give her a big head, because the world doesn’t have enough vampires with huge egos.”

“Or smart-assed vampire hunters,” I added, shocked I actually said what I was thinking. Erik and Lila were surprised, too; the giant, identical bug eyes they had were very revealing.

“Touché.” Lila smiled at me again, though this time not quite as condescending. I smiled back, thankful I had finally shut her up.

“And I can die,” I said, regretting it immediately when I saw the wicked grin on Lila’s face.

“Well there’s some good news,” she snapped.

“Maybe I should just go,” I said, stepping toward the front door. “Obviously you don’t like me being here.” I was looking directly at Lila as I said it, hoping she knew I only meant her. She finished off her soda and stood up.

“Calm down, princess,” she said with her trademark aggressive tone. “I was just messing with you. I’m actually looking forward to this.” She walked over to me, coming to stop inches from my face. “I’ve wanted to fight with you since we first met.” The sly little smile she held on her face made me want to knock her teeth out. I actually had to fight back the urge.

“Ready when you are,” I snapped, the tips of my fangs breaking through my gums.

“Enough of that, you two.” Erik stepped over and pulled Lila away from me, replacing her petite frame with his much broader one; another difference between them. At such a close range, the smell of his blood was overwhelming. I could feel the venom in my fangs swirling with anticipation.

“You need to get away from me, Erik,” I said, trying my best not to let his scent invade my nostrils more than it already had. Erik didn’t move, standing his ground and smiling at me.

“I’m not worried,” he said. “You won’t hurt me.” I was amazed at his confidence. Had I been in his position, I don’t think I would have been so comfortable.

“How can you be so sure?” I had to force the question out through clenched teeth. The need for blood was trying to take control of my mind, trying to force me to sink my fangs into his neck. I was struggling to keep myself from doing it right there in Kayla’s kitchen.

“Because like you said, you’re not a vampire, so it’s not in you to kill an innocent person, right?” Even though his body language was calm and collected, I could tell by his tone that he was a little worried. That made two of us.

“And,” he continued as Lila stepped up beside him, “if you bite me, my sister will have a stake in your heart before you taste the first drop.”

1

I could feel the muscles in my back twitch with nervous energy. My fangs tingled and my head was swirling. The scent of Erik’s blood, mixed with my growing anger at he and Lila and the whole situation, was fighting for control. I knew that what Erik said was possible, if not true; Lila would do her best to kill me if I touched him. She might not succeed, but she would definitely fight me to the death. I didn’t want that. I didn’t want another innocent person’s death on my conscience. I already had enough of that from the girl in the woods that I didn’t save. I couldn’t handle any more guilt. So I forced myself to calm down, and after a few seconds of a very odd stand-off with the vampire-hunting twins, I stepped away.

“Wise choice,” Lila said, her voice tight in her throat. I hadn’t noticed when we were face-to-face that she had already pulled a stake from its holder on her back. I wondered if she always wore it. Probably, knowing her. She seemed like the type who went looking for a fight. I looked from the stake in her hand to her face, which was frozen in a state of anger mixed with excitement. I knew she didn’t like me—probably wanted to kill me—and obviously didn’t care about hiding it.

“So,” Kayla said with mock enthusiasm, trying to diffuse the situation. “Why don’t we go out to the backyard, put our energy into something productive?” She had very bravely stepped in front of me, serving as a human shield for her friends. Her boldness surprised me, until I remembered that she was just like them. She was born a hunter and had probably spent most of her young life fighting.

“Ready when you are.” Lila pointed to the French doors behind me and smiled, though I knew it was not to be nice. I gave her the same fake smile back, thankful that my fangs had receded.

Kayla’s back yard was impressive. A large swimming pool took up one half, complete with diving board and lounge area, while the rest of the snow-covered lawn was dedicated to what looked like an adult jungle gym. Several different pieces of stark metal equipment sat at various angles along the length of the yard, eagerly awaiting human consumption. As we made our way past the pool, I imagined Kayla (and maybe her dad?) putting in hours upon hours of training on each machine, perfecting her defense and offense skills. I hoped to become at least half as good as she no doubt was.

“Where do we start?” I asked no one in particular, a little intimidated by the sea of equipment sprawled out before me.

“Up to you,” Erik answered, stepping up to a large, black bag hanging on a hook and giving it a few quick but strong punches. The bag swayed from the movement.

“Up to
her
?” Of course Lila didn’t agree with her brother’s strategy. I could practically hear the steam shooting from her ears. “She doesn’t have a clue what to do. Why would you let her pick?”

“Because she’s the one who wants to learn, L. Why not let her decide how to start?” Erik called his sister “L.” Did she call him “E?” I kind of hoped not. Talk about ridiculous nicknames.

“I want to learn how to stake the way Kayla does.” I blurted it out before Lila had a chance to protest further. “The way you all do.” My heart was beating so fast and hard in my chest I was sure they could hear it. I swallowed the lump stuck in my throat and tried to look as confident as possible.

“Staking it is.” Erik smiled at me, rolled his eyes at his overbearing sister, and pulled a stake from his back. Of course he carried them around all the time, just like Lila. She didn’t have one on now, but I couldn’t help but wonder if Kayla strapped stakes to her back when she went hunting, too. I smiled back at Erik, excited that he actually cared about what I wanted. He walked over to me, stopping a few feet away. Without speaking, he turned the stake around and held it out toward me. I reluctantly took it from him and stared at it.

“It won’t bite you,” he said with a tiny laugh. I felt the too familiar rush of embarrassing heat on my face. I was sure I looked like a dork staring at a piece of wood. I brought my gaze up to Erik’s eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes.
Focus on training, Ava, not the hottie in front of you.
I had to agree with my inner voice this time.

“I know,” I answered back sharply. “It’s just the first time I’ve ever held one of these. Feels kind of weird.” I kept rolling the chunk of pointed wood around in my hand, fully aware that I was holding the weapon of choice in killing the undead like me. I caught Lila rolling her eyes at me in my peripheral, obviously finding me ridiculous and childlike. I hated her more every minute.

“Try to stab me with it.” Erik’s statement caught me off guard. Did he just tell me to try and kill him?
No, silly, he said ‘stab,’ not kill.
He spread his arms wide, exposing his torso. I could see his chest moving as he breathed, the rise and fall very hypnotic. I found myself imagining my head lying against it and falling asleep. I quickly blocked those images from my mind, totally confused as to why I was having them to begin with.

“You’re kidding, right? What if I hurt you?”

He laughed a little louder at that. “Don’t worry, you won’t.” I saw the confidence in his eyes and knew he was right, I wouldn’t. But, being stubborn and overly-sure of myself, I lunged forward with the point of the stake aimed at his heart, all my strength behind my move. I barely made it two feet closer to him before he suddenly sidestepped and pushed me past him, ripping the stake from my hand in the process. I fell, the rough, snow-covered gravel of the workout area jamming into my knees. I was sure there’d be a bruise there tomorrow, but I was too mad to worry about it at the moment. I quickly stood back up, brushing some loose snow from my jeans, and turned to face Erik. He was smiling and very sure of himself.

“See, told ya.” Lila and Kayla stood a few yards behind him, both of them smiling wide. I felt like the village idiot, and I didn’t like it.

“I didn’t ask to be made a fool of,” I snapped, wanting to run inside to get away from the embarrassment. Instead, I snatched the stake from Erik and got into attack position again. “Now show me how to not let that happen again.” Judging by Erik’s sudden shift in attitude, he understood from my overheated expression that I meant business. I wanted to be trained, not ridiculed. He quickly stepped into position in front of me and took a deep, calming breath.

“Okay. First, you need to relax. You can’t let your emotions control you. They’ll get you killed, every time.” Erik’s voice was stern yet comforting. I could tell he was being honest with me, that he really wanted to help. “You have to
feel
what you’re about to do, instead of just seeing it. Try to let your mind show you what to do, not your eyes. Got it?”

“I’ll try.” I kind of understood what he was saying, but I was also super nervous and afraid of screwing up, so I couldn’t clear my mind and focus the way I wanted. I gripped the stake tightly and lunged forward just like before. And, just like before, Erik maneuvered around me and I completely missed him. I did manage to stay on my feet, grateful that I didn’t totally embarrass myself a second time.

“That was better,” he said. I tried to brush off my second miss and not let it bother me. I refocused and moved back in front of him. “Just keep focused. You’ll get there.” Even though it sounded good, I had trouble believing it. But I wasn’t ready to give up, so I kept trying.

For the next few hours, Kayla, Erik and Lila used everything they could think of to train me: stakes, metal rods Kayla fished from the tool shed, even the pool—Lila “graciously” showed me how to control my jumping, using the icy water as a deterrent to falling. I was completely exhausted when Kayla finally decided we were done for the day and Erik and Lila left. I was tired, but my body felt like it could have gone on forever—obviously the vampire in me gave me super stamina. My human side, though, was ready for a hot shower and sleep.

We drove to Chance’s house in near silence, Kayla focused on driving and me nodding in and out of a much-needed nap. I waved goodbye to her as she left and went inside, heading straight for the bathroom and the relaxation the hot blast of the shower would surely bring. I took my time showering, glad that the house was empty and I could relax in quiet. Not that Chance and his mom were noisemakers, but total silence was a welcome change.

I waited until the water was almost cold before leaving the shower, trying to enjoy the warmth as long as possible. As I was getting dressed, a strange noise pierced my ears and my vampire senses shifted to high alert. Someone was in the house with me.

I slowly left the bathroom, careful not to let the door squeak as I crept into the hall. I could tell right away that whoever was there wasn’t a vampire; the blood smell hitting my nose wasn’t rancid. It was strong and sweet, and after only a few steps down the hallway, the familiarity of it hit me. It was Chance.

“I’m so glad to see you,” I said as I walked into the kitchen. Chance was putting the finishing touches on a sandwich that looked really good. “Got enough to share?” He smiled and took half the sandwich from the plate, sliding the other half over to me. I quickly took a large bite, the honey-flavored ham making my stomach growl even more. I hadn’t even realized I was hungry until I finished the sandwich in four bites.

“Wow,” Chance said, still eating his half. “Hungry much?” I laughed and washed down my tiny meal with a glass of water.

“I guess so. And I always thought vampires didn’t need food.” I regretted saying it as soon as the words left my mouth. I saw Chance’s expression change. His eyes grew dark and his smile faded. “Chance, I’m sorry, I—”

“It’s okay. I need to get use to it.”

“No, you don’t. No one should have to get use to being around vampires. It’s not natural.” I slowly stood up and walked to the other side of the kitchen. “
I’m
not natural. I’m a freak monster.”

“Hey,” Chance said, “don’t say that. You are not a freak or a monster.” His face was soft again, his voice soothing. “Vampire or not, you’re you.” Even though he smiled when he spoke, I could tell that he didn’t fully believe what he was saying. He obviously still had a problem with me being a vampire. I did too, so I understood.

“Okay.” I smiled back, though only half-heartedly. I didn’t think of myself as
not
a monster; not completely, anyway. I just wanted to get my humanity back so I would feel normal again.

A moment of awkward silence lingered in the air before Chance cleared his throat to speak. “So, I know you heard there’s a dance at school three weeks from Friday. The Valentine’s dance? And I was just wondering, well, you know, if you maybe would want to go with me?”

Talk about being caught completely off guard. I had gotten used to smelling vampires, having vampire-hunting people around, and even
training
with a thousand-year-old vampire. But this? Total surprise.

“Um…” I honestly didn’t know what to say. I was so shocked. I mean, sure, there was definitely something going on between Chance and me—sometimes. Other times, I wanted to strangle him he was so aggravating. But I had no idea that he wanted to move things to the next level, whatever level that would be.

“Just as friends,” he threw at me. And then I understood. He felt sorry for me.

“Out of pity?” Again, the words flew from my mouth before I had a chance to edit them.

“No, not out of pity.” And I believed him. It was a knee-jerk reaction to assume he felt sorry for me. Chance paused a moment, the two of us staring at each other. I could feel that
something
floating between us, like it wanted both of us to reach out and take hold of it and carry it with us. But neither of us wanted to. I wasn’t ready for that, and I honestly didn’t think he was, either. “I think it’ll be fun,” he went on. “But if you don’t want to, it’s cool.” He actually tried to shrug it off like it was no big deal, and I couldn’t stop the laughter.

“Laughing? That’s your answer, laughing?”

“I’m sorry,” I said, forcing myself to stop. “Um, yes, I’ll go with you.” A tiny smirk crossed his face before those stoic features returned. “Who knows, maybe it
will
be fun. I could use some of that.”

“Me too,” he answered with a half smile. I couldn’t remember ever going to a school dance—gee surprise—so the idea of it both excited and scared me. “So it’s a date?” As soon as he said it I felt my body tense. I could tell his did the same. “Sorry,” he blurted, blushing and moving away from me.

“It’s okay,” I stammered, not really sure what to say. Was it a date? Were we a couple now? Chance had said we were going just as friends, but was that really true? Did he want more than just to be my friend? I dug my fingers into my temples to ease the sudden headache brought on by the bombardment of questions.

“You alright?” Chance asked, now standing just outside the kitchen by the front entryway.

“I’m fine,” I said. “Just a little headache. I stopped rubbing my head and did my best at trying to look happy. “So a dance,” I added. “Are those fun?”

“They can be, if you go with the right person.” He smiled and turned to go upstairs, leaving me alone in the kitchen.

I quickly washed the dishes and wiped down the counters with a genuine smile on my face, the first time since waking up in that coffin. It took a moment before I realized why I was suddenly so happy. I was silently hoping
I
was the right person he had in mind.