Legacy of Blood (14 page)

“Contact the service Archer uses and get Jason down here,” Ruarc said, turning back to me but still speaking to Oleif.  “I have a feeling she won’t be holding back when she feeds from him.  I believe we will soon have our answer.”

The men murmured their agreement and Ruarc took a few steps toward me.  “We will have to wait for his arrival so we will put the second stage of the test on hold until he gets here.  Are you ready for the third stage?”

I swallowed thickly and looked over at Hagan uncertainly.  He nodded his head slightly and I took a deep breath and did the same.  “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be, Ruarc.”

“The third stage of the Test of Intake will focus on consumption of vampire blood,” Ruarc said and Hagan made a strange noise in the back of his throat next to me.

“Vampire blood?” I asked, confused.  “I was told that vampires do not drink the blood of other vampires and that it’s only done for mating purposes.”

“That is mostly true,” Ruarc bowed his head slightly.  “Dark ones have been known to drink from their brethren on occasion and we all know Amun regularly consumes the blood of both the Day and Dark races to survive.  This test will determine how well you enjoy it and show us if you have similar qualities as the unclean one.”

I unconsciously wrung my hands with worry as I chewed at my bottom lip.  I was completely terrified of this stage of the test. 
What if I am a monster just like Amun?  What if I like their blood and turn into some vampire draining mass murderer?
 “I don’t want to do this, Ruarc,” I whispered with fearful eyes.

“You must,” Hagan whispered from his place beside me.  “Your refusal to partake in a test is an automatic death sentence.”

“The choice is yours, Miss Morrison,” Ruarc stated sternly.  “You can take the test or accept the final death.  Choose now.”

A small squeak slipped out of me as he said the words ‘final death’.  I had no doubt he would end my life right here on the spot.  I nervously glanced around the room and saw every eye on me.  As much as I didn’t want to participate in this stage, I knew I had to face my worst fear.  I needed to find out if Amun’s influence on me was that strong.  If I needed to consume immortal blood regularly in order to live, I didn’t want to live.  I would be a monster just like him and there was no way I could live with myself.

I folded my arms protectively over my stomach and slowly conceded.  “Okay.  I’ll do it. Can… can I choose the vampire?”

Ruarc pursed his lips and thought my request over.  “You may,” he said after a few silent seconds and I sighed in relief.

“I would prefer Trey, sir,” I said without hesitation, “if he’ll agree to it.  I don’t want him to be forced to though.”

Ruarc nodded to one of his men and they flashed upstairs to retrieve Trey.  I immediately turned to Hagan and spoke to him in a whisper.

“If something happens… if I can’t control myself or stop feeding from him, you make me stop Hagan.  You kill me if you have to but don’t let me hurt Trey.”

“You are not Amun, Morrison,” he growled lowly as he put both hands on my shoulders and leaned down to my eye level.  “You can do this.  Remember who you are.  I know you won’t hurt Trey but if it makes you feel better, I promise I’ll stop you if you can’t.”

I nodded my head and thanked him as I heard footsteps on the basement stairs.  Trey came down wearing tight skinny jeans and a cerulean blue deep V-neck t-shirt. He had a small smile on his full lips but his blue eyes betrayed the worry he felt.

Ruarc quickly spoke to Trey in Gaelic and Trey nodded his head a few times as he listened.  He kept peeking glances over at me and I was afraid that he would decline to partake in the test with me.  After a final nod of his head, Trey started walking over and he gave me a big smile when he stopped.

“This is quite the gauntlet these boys are making you run.”

“Yeah,” I whispered, shame filling me for what I was about to have to do.  “You don’t have to do this if you are unsure, Trey.  I would never ask you to do something like this under normal conditions, but you are the only person I feel this comfortable with.”

“Honey, I’d go to hell and back for you,” he said pulling me into a tight hug.  “You’re my girl.”

“Trey,” I swallowed hard, “I have to get something off my chest before I allow you to do this.  I-I owe you a massive apology for the way I treated you in the days before my rebirth.” He opened his mouth to argue, but I shushed him quickly.  “Please, honey, just let me say this.  I had so much anger in my heart, so much anger… and I took it out on the wrong people, you included.  I’m sorry for the things I said to you and for the way I acted.  It was selfish and stupid and not something I would have ever done if I had been in my right mind.  You’re my best friend Trey and I never, ever want to hurt you.”

Trey sighed and put one hand on my cheek as he looked deeply into my eyes.  “Are you finished?”  I nodded my head and he continued.  “It’s me that owes YOU an apology, sugar.  I kept feeling how upset and angry and miserable you were and, while I sympathized with what you had been put through when Archer thought Amun may have been controlling you, I thought you were just being a bit overdramatic.  I feel so horrible; I feel like I failed you.  The signs of your suffering were there all along and I dismissed them as you just being a cranky human drama queen.  I’m ashamed that I didn’t pay more attention to what you were going through.  Instead, I focused on Jameson’s pain and criticized you.  God, I’m so sorry, honey.  I feel like the worst best friend in the world.”

“No,” I shook my head, “you’re the BEST, best friend in the world.  So we forgive each other?”

“Like it never happened,” he managed a small smile and hugged me again.

“As touching as this is, this is an official gathering and we are wasting time,” said a bored voice from the group. 

Trey stepped back and offered up one delicate wrist.  “You know this means that you owe me a drink later, right?”

I smiled despite my somber mood.  “If I somehow make it through this alive, we’ll be drinking a whole bottle, Trey.” I picked up his wrist and started to bring it up to my mouth, but stopped at the last second.  “Uh, there is a possibility that you might experience a… uh… well a…”

“Sugar, just drink,” he smiled sweetly as he whispered patiently.  “We all know about your little gift, honey; you can’t hide anything in this house.  And you don’t have to feel ashamed about it.  Hell, this’ll be a first for me… you know, with a woman and all.  It might be a little fun.”

“I love you, Trey,” I whispered, tears welling in my eyes.  I was so grateful to have a friend like him in my life.  “Thank you for saying that even if you didn’t fully mean it.  You can’t hide anything from me either, remember?  I can tell when you lie.  You get that little twitch in your nose.”

I didn’t wait for his reply as I called forth my fangs and bit gently into his wrist.  Trey’s blood was different from the blood I had tasted previously.  It packed less of a punch than human blood did, but the appeal and satisfaction was still there.  His blood tasted really good and I was enjoying it.

As I was swallowing my second mouthful, Trey made a high pitched moaning noise and started to wiggle around, stepping from foot to foot.  He was doing what I refer to as ‘The Pee-Pee Dance’.  I could tell my venom was having an effect on him and I didn’t want Trey to feel uncomfortable, so I gently pulled my fangs out and licked the rest of him off my lips.

“Whew,” Trey said, closing his eyes momentarily as he swayed.  “Girl, you pack some serious feelings in those fangs of yours.”  I saw him reach down and adjust himself in his jeans and I immediately looked away.  That wasn’t something I wanted to take notice of on my gay best friend.

“So, did I pass your test?” I asked, turning to Ruarc and his Army.  “Trey tasted good, but I didn’t have any trouble stopping.  Frankly, I prefer human…”  I was unable to finish my sentence because at that exact moment, the strangest thing I had ever felt started happening to me. 

It started out as a tingle in my finger tips and quickly spread to my entire body.  Within seconds I was on the ground and alternatingly clutching my head and heart.

“Skye?” Trey called worriedly as Hagan pulled him away from me.

As quick as a bullet from a gun, I was waylaid by a debilitating bombardment of emotions.  I was experiencing overwhelming feelings of disgust, anger, hatred, worry, concern, fear, and confusion.

Trey called out something in Gaelic and then he was on the floor comforting me.  “It’s okay, sugar.  Breathe… just breathe.  Don’t fight it.  Let the emotions wash over you,” he cooed as he stroked my hair and held on to me.  “I know it’s overwhelming at first but just keep breathing, honey.”

“What’s happening to her?” Ruarc asked.

“From what I can feel coming off her, she is somehow picking up the emotions of everyone in this room,” Trey said gently as he slowly sat me up and wrapped his delicate arms around me.  “She’s feeling exactly what I’m feeling as an Empath and it’s not an easy thing to handle if you aren’t used to it.”

All the negative feelings of disgust, hate, and anger were becoming less pronounced as feelings of love started to take the forefront in my heart.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” someone whispered, sounding about as shocked as I was feeling myself.

“Impossible.”

“Can it be true?”

“Silence,” Ruarc barked as he kneeled down in front of me.  “Speak.  Tell me what you are experiencing.”

I was beginning to be able to handle everyone’s emotions now that Trey’s love was the strongest since he was wrapped protectively around me.  I tried to explain what I felt to Ruarc as best as I could but it was hard to put into words since it was like nothing I had ever experienced before.

“So, you are telling me you started picking up the emotions of those in this room after you fed from Trey?” Ruarc asked as he stood up and stared down at me.

“Y-Yes, sir,” I whispered as I clutched Trey’s arms tighter and closed my eyes, trying hard to focus on his feelings of calm and love.  I would forever be grateful to him for sticking by me and shoving his emotions to the forefront of all the others.

“Do you think that maybe she’s an Empath such as Nathaniel?” someone asked.

“Nay,” said a different voice.  “The divine gift of Empathy is something she would have felt immediately upon awakening.  We performed the Test of Divine Power moments ago and she was unaware of any gifts at that time.”

“Maybe she is absorbing the Divine Power like Amun is able to do when he drinks from one of us,” Hagan whispered.

Sudden fear coursed through me and not all of it was mine.  I knew my pitch black eyes told of Amun’s strong influence in me but I hadn’t wanted to believe that I was truly like him.  I whimpered in fear as I looked up at Trey.

“No, sugar,” Trey shook his head and rocked me gently as he held me tighter.  “Don’t even think it.  You are nothing like that bastard.  You are good, sweet, and yes… a bit different than the rest of us, but you are not him honey.  You will never be him.”

I glanced up at Ruarc from under my eyelashes and he was staring down at me with a mix of emotions on his face.  I couldn’t feel what he was feeling because Trey was pushing so much of his positivity, love, and comfort on me, so I reached my hand up for Ruarc’s.  He stared at it a few moments before gently touching the tips of his fingers to mine.

Ruarc’s emotions crashed over me like a tidal wave and for a moment, I felt like I was drowning.  His emotions were very strong, overriding Trey’s instantly.  Ruarc was feeling confusion, awe, surprise, and curiosity.  The hate, disapproval, and disgust I saw from him yesterday right after I awoke were nowhere to be found.  I briefly wondered what had changed as Ruarc slipped his fingers from mine and took a step back.  He spoke quietly to the room in Gaelic and a wave of hushed whispers washed over the entire basement.

“Trey,” Ruarc spoke quietly, “thank you for your participation.  You may now go back upstairs.”

Panic hit me hard and fast as I realized that, without Trey’s emotions helping me, I would be left to the mercy of everyone else’s.  What I had experienced briefly before Trey wrapped his comforting arms around me was enough negativity to last me a lifetime.

Trey nodded his head and whispered a few positive words to me before letting me go and walking out.  Tears welled in my eyes as I watched him leave, the emotions in the room weighing heavily on me.  I was thankful that they weren’t as bad as they were before.  Mostly, everyone was curious and confused.

“I would like a volunteer from the room, please,” Ruarc spoke, commanding the basement’s attention.  “I want to see if power absorption is indeed what is happening when she feeds from us.”

No one said anything and no one moved.  Finally, after a long pause, someone from the Army stepped forward.  “She may drink from me,” the man said after taking a deep breath.

I looked up into his deep chocolate brown eyes and saw kindness there.  Ruarc stepped back and allowed the man to help me up off the floor.  The second his hand touched mine I gasped.  His emotions were confusing to me at first.  All I picked up from him was concern and soothing comfort.  I could tell that this man tended to see the best in people and I was thankful that he had chosen to come forward versus someone who hated me and saw me as an unholy abomination.