Legacy of Blood (6 page)

“How do you feel?” he asked from his place across from me.

“Clean,” I smiled appreciatively, “and ravenous.  How many bags of blood will I need to drink a day?”

Archer relaxed forward and put his forearms on the table.  “You’ll drink four to ten pints a day usually, depending on activity.  It’s different for all vampires, though.  I normally don’t need more than three.  Quinn over there eats like it’s going out of style.  He usually puts away nine or ten a day.”

“I’m a growing boy,” he defended with a chuckle as he slammed a domino down on the card table.

“Yer over a century old already, yih gimp!” Seamus howled from the sofa.  “Growing boy my arse.”

I giggled as I watched Quinn playfully launch a domino at him.

“Oy!  I was about to use that one!” Lochlan piped.

“Well, will you look at her,” Aoife remarked, drawing my attention back to the table.  She was looking at me and smiling.

“What?” I asked, not understanding.

“You actually laughed.  No one has heard you laugh in a long time.”

“Oh, yeah,” I bit my lip as I looked down at my hands, “I’m really sorry about that.  I guess I’ve been a complete nightmare to be around lately.”

I opened my mouth to explain to Aoife what I had learned about Amun sharing his soul with me and how his rage had been effecting my emotions, but a swift kick to my shin stopped me.  I looked up at Archer with wide, surprised eyes as he very minutely shook his head once.

“Your blood is ready,” Trey sang happily as he walked up to the table.  I eyed Archer for a second longer, confused and wanting to ask why I couldn’t say anything to Aoife, when suddenly the metallic scent of my first meal drew my attention.

Trey set a wine glass down on the table in front of me and carefully poured half the bag of blood into it.  It smelled downright delectable.  My fangs descended with a familiar pinch as I stared at the now full glass.  I didn’t know whether to wrinkle my nose in disgust or lick my lips.  My former human self would have been appalled at what my new vampire self was about to do.

“Well go on, honey,” Trey encouraged.  “Take a sip.”

“That wine glass doesn’t hold much.  Why didn’t you just put it in a regular glass?” Hunter inquired in his deep southern drawl.  “She’s going to be ripping the rest of the bag out of your hand in two seconds flat?”

Aoife and Archer chuckled knowingly as Trey defended his decision.  “I wanted her first meal to be a sophisticated experience,” he shrugged one shoulder with a coy smile.

I heard movement behind my back and jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder.  I looked up to see Hagan and Oleif standing behind me.

“Take it slow, Morrison,” he frowned as he nodded to my drink.  “Your first meal as a newborn can send you into a frenzy of bloodlust if you let it.  Prepare yourself now.  Breathe deeply; know you can handle any excitement you may feel and overcome it.  Remember who you are and most importantly where you are.”

His warning to me was received loud and clear.  If I lost control and let the part of my existence that was fused with Amun’s came forth, Oleif would probably kill me on the spot.  “Yes, sir,” I nodded to Hagan, my eyes meeting his and hopefully conveying that I understood the seriousness of what I was about to do.  “I will.”

The house was eerily quiet as I turned back to my glass.  Not a breath was taken by anyone as I picked it up and looked across at Archer.  “Well, here goes nothing I guess.”

I tentatively brought the glass to my lips and felt the warmness of the thick blood as it passed my lips and hit my tongue.  The coppery thickness first coated and then exploded on my taste buds.  I was expecting the most amazing thing I had ever tasted based on the smell of it but was sorely disappointed as I swallowed.  The blood tasted old, like the dried blood on my fingers had.  I was also picking up heavy notes of plastic and some sort of… anticoagulant agent maybe?  It was hard for me to know since I had never drank blood before, let alone bagged blood.  But I can tell you one thing, it was absolutely disgusting and definitely undrinkable.

After I swallowed my first sip, I carefully put the glass down and dabbed at my lips with the napkin Trey had so thoughtfully put down next to me.  “How do you guys drink this crap?” I asked, meeting Archer’s anxious eyes.

A light chuckle sounded around the room as Archer smirked.  “It’s not the best, but it meets our needs.  You’ll get used to it in time.”

“I don’t think so,” I said, scooting my glass to the center of the table and further away from me.  “I’m not drinking that shit again.  It’s revolting.  It tasted like plastic and it’s just…wrong.  It’s seriously disgusting.”

Archer’s brow furrowed as he picked up the bag the blood came in and studied the label.  “It was drawn three days ago, so it’s still relatively fresh.   It’s O negative, maybe we should try another blood type and see if you like that one better.”

I sighed, not thinking it would help, but nodded my head because I was willing to try anything at this point.  The pangs in my stomach had started to become overwhelming.

Trey heated up every blood type they had, which had been all of them, but nothing tasted any better than the O negative.

“Archer, I can’t drink any more of this garbage,” I bit out in frustration as I pushed the last glass away from me.  “I’m sorry, but it’s making me feel really sick.  I need to eat something… right now.  The pain is becoming unbearable.  There has to be something else.  Can’t I just eat an orange or maybe some crackers?”

Archer’s brow furrowed deeply as he stared at the multitude of full glasses on the table before us.  “Human food will only make you vomit.  It is not compatible with our needs.  I just don’t understand it, Skye.  Can’t you force yourself to drink any of it?  It’s not that bad really.  We all do and it doesn’t taste as bad to us as you say it does to you.”

Oleif reached around me and picked up the glass I had just pushed away.  I glanced over my shoulder to see him sniff its contents and then guzzle the blood down.  “Tastes like bagged blood.  What is the problem here?  Drink it or starve,” he shrugged with indifference as he set the empty glass in front of me.

An unexpected wave of nausea slammed into me and I flashed from my seat, knocking my chair and Oleif and Hagan several feet back, as I ran for the kitchen trash can.  Every bit of the blood I had just swallowed came heaving out of my stomach in a rather loud and unglamorous
bluuugh
. 

 I felt a soothing hand rub my back as another pulled my long hair out of the way.  “Well, this isn’t good,” I heard Trey mumble next to me.

“Aye,” Archer replied with a sigh.

“Why don’t we try a feeder?” Hunter offered in solution.

“That’s a good idea,” Trey said as I spit the last of the fetid blood from my mouth and leaned back up.  “Would you be willing to try that?”

An involuntary whimper from my extreme hunger was my only answer.

“I don’t advise this,” Oleif growled, crossing his thick arms over his broad chest.  “We don’t know of her control yet.  What if she tries to kill the human?”

“She won’t,” Trey frowned as Archer stood up.

“We won’t allow that to happen,” he explained as he pulled out his cell phone and hit a few numbers.  “And, I doubt you will either, brother.”

Oleif scoffed and turned his head away from me.  Hagan shot me an encouraging smile as Trey led me to the couch to lay down.  Trey fluffed the throw pillow as Seamus pulled my feet into his lap.

“You jus’ take a few deep breaths, wee wan,” he said as he patted my shin.  “We’ll get ya a proper meal ‘ere soon.”

“Just try and relax, honey,” Trey smoothed my hair before he went back into the kitchen to clean up.

“Well, come on boys,” Aoife called from the table.  “Let’s not let all this good blood go to waste.  Grab a bag and a glass and drink up.”

Oleif sat down in the overstuffed chair across from me and studied me silently.  His face was a jumbled mix of anger, confusion, disgust, and boredom.  I was so tired of him always staring at me and I wanted to stick my tongue out at him, but I refrained.  I had a feeling that antagonizing him would only make the situation worse.  He didn’t want to be here any more than I wanted him here… which was not at all.

“I have four feeders on their way here now,” Archer said as he kneeled down next to me and took my hand.  “We normally do not invite outsiders to our house but I will make an exception just this once.  Quinn will have to alter their memory of where we live, but that won’t be a problem.  If this doesn’t work, Skye… I don’t know what else to do.”

“It’ll work,” Trey piped up from the kitchen.  “She’s a vampire for crying out loud.  Vampires need blood.  End of story.  Stop worrying so much.”

“Never has a vampire turned their nose up at bagged human blood before let alone vomit it right back up,” Oleif gruffly pointed out, his eyes full of accusation.  “We do not fully understand the ramifications of creating such an abomination.  What if humans aren’t enough?  What if she starts draining vampires like her sire?”

“I am not an abomination!” I growled, flashing upright.  I felt my anger consume me as my eyes flickered once, changing. 

“Yes,” Oleif growled deeply as he slowly stood up from his chair, “you are.  Your eyes betray you, creature.”

Everyone in the house, except for Emrick who was outside patrolling the grounds, flashed to create a protective shield between Oleif and me.

“Control your temper!” Hagan yelled at me as he put his hand on my chest. 

I didn’t appreciate him yelling at me, let alone touching me, so I roughly pulled his hand off me and threw it to the side.  I heard a sickening crunch as I did and Hagan immediately hissed in pain.

“You protect this monster even after she breaks your bones?” Oleif shouted as he pushed at the bodies in front of him.  “I don’t have to see it to know you are injured.”

“Dammit, Morrison!” Hagan yelled as he roughly shoved me back onto the couch.  “You crushed my fucking wrist!  Sit your ass down and if you get up again, so help me God, I will make you regret it.”

“I-I’m sorry, sir,” I said, shocked I had hurt him. I felt my eyes flicker again and I knew they were back to being devoid of color.   “I’m so sorry.  I didn’t mean to.  I-I guess I’m stronger than I realize.”

“You’re a lot stronger,” he huffed as he cradled his wrist and turned back to Oleif.  “And you, stop antagonizing the girl.  You are here to watch her, nothing more!”

“I am stationed here to kill her if given just cause,” Oleif growled fiercely in response.  “Assaulting a sworn member of the Army of
An Dilis
is more than just cause.”

“I didn’t mean to!” I shouted fearfully.

“Brother,” Archer said calmly as he stood in front of Oleif, “I do not believe Skye honestly meant to hurt Hagan.  She knows not the strength she carries.  She would never purposely hurt him.  He has been her mentor for the past month; teaching her to defend herself should the creature Amun ever try to kidnap her again.”

“That’s right,” I verbally stepped in as I wrung my hands from my place on the couch.  “I respect Hagan immensely and would never hurt him intentionally.  I’m sorry I let my anger get the better of me, but it won’t happen again.”  I felt tears of frustration and fear cloud my eyes. 

Oleif took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose as he squeezed his eyes shut.  With a frustrated growl, he dropped his hand and met Hagan’s eyes.  “I leave her punishment in your hands, Hagan.  But I grow increasingly weary of her.”

Hagan glanced back at me and pursed his lips.  I didn’t like the look he was giving me and started to panic.  After a long few seconds, he turned back to Oleif with a smile.  “Would a sparring match please you, brother?”

Oleif’s eyes grew wide and he scoffed.  “A sparring match between you and her?  She’ll be defeated the moment it starts.”

“No, brother,” Hagan smiled.  “I was suggesting one between the two of you.  Now, you can’t kill her but you can play with her a bit.  What do you say?”

“Hagan?” I whispered fearfully.  “What are you doing?  I can’t fight him!”  Oleif had almost a foot on me and he was easily 245 pounds of solid muscle not to mention he was a trained killing machine.

Oleif smirked again and crossed his arms.  “You mentioned you had been training her.  How much knowledge does she have?  It wouldn’t be any fun if she doesn’t know what she’s doing.”

Oh,” Hagan chuckled, “she knows what she’s doing.  She has been training in
Gráscar Lámh
and
Scianóireacht
.  She can also use a sword or dagger and she formerly trained in Israeli Krav Maga in her human life.  I think you’ll enjoy the fight.”

A wide smile spread across Oleif’s face and he nodded his head.  “Aye.  A fight is what she’ll get.  Just tell me when and where, brother.”

“Isn’t anyone going to ask me if I want to do this?” I asked worriedly as I stared at the two soldiers.  “I may be a vampire, but there is no way in hell I’m fighting him.  He’ll kill me for sure and say it was an accident.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Oleif laughed.  “I can just tell God you died.”

I gasped loudly and sank as far into the couch as I could.