The Turning (23 page)

I woke up screaming and swinging. “Get the fuck off me. I’ll kill you all!”

“Kelly, honey, you are just dreaming. You are just dreaming! It’s okay,” Brian yelled. I opened my eyes and looked at him. I shook my head and looked around, completely confused. “Are you with me now? It was just a dream, my love.”

I looked over my body, and there were no chunks missing. I was in bed with Brian, and when I looked at the clock, I saw it was two in the morning. It really had been the worst dream yet. I was covered in sweat and felt trapped.

“I have to get some air,” I rasped and bolted. I grabbed Andre’s smokes and lighter on the counter and went out to the balcony. I leaned against the railing and looked out into the night.
They’re dead. They are all dead
, I reminded myself. But I hadn’t seen them die. I mean, I trusted Brian. Logically I knew they were dead, but I was still scared.

I lit the smoke as Brian walked out onto the balcony. “Kelly, are you okay?”

“No, I’m not,” I admitted quietly.

“Is this the first nightmare?” he asked me.

I shook my head. “They are getting worse, more vivid, more violent, and it’s harder for me to wake up. I need to know, Brian, please. I need you to tell me what happened. I only have bits and pieces of memory, and I know that they are dead, but I don’t know what happened. That might be why I’m still scared.”

“Are you sure about this?”

“No, but I think I need to know.”

“Okay, well we got to the warehouse. Andre and I went in first and I immediately went for Dante. We caught him by surprise and I ripped out his throat, before he really even saw me. Andre took out one of the big guys. At the same time Julie and Charles followed us in and Nicholas came in covering Trent.

“We were not sure if you would be tied with silver. Since Trent knows about us, and knew you were kidnapped, he offered to help. That way one of us would not be weakened by the silver. So Nicholas covered Trent and they ran straight for you as planned.

“Julie and Andre went through to the other side where you were being held, and worked their way towards me and Charles. Julie and Charles each took point. Since they are so much older than everyone they are nearly impossible to kill. Andre and I took on the guys who tried to attack them while they were fighting. Nicholas got hurt and Andre went to back up him and Trent while Nicholas healed.

“Trent got you free, and he picked you up and ran with Nicolas while Andre covered them. Once you guys were out the door, we only had about five vamps left. Two gave chase after you and Trent. So I grabbed one whose head ripped right off, and jumped on the other one right as he got out the door. It took me a little bit to rip his throat.

“Ripping out their throat does not kill them, but they bleed so fast that they cannot heal quickly and it keeps them out at least for a while. So we finished off the rest, and threw their bodies in a pile in the middle of the room. Most of them were still alive, but could not fight back at that time.

“Julie and I ran to you and the car while Andre and Charles set the fire, and made sure everyone in the pile stayed there and burnt to ash. Then they joined us at the car. By then Nicholas had healed and you had started to come to. The rest you pretty much remember, do you not?”

“What did they do to me? I mean how did I look?” I whispered.

“Oh, Kelly, please do not make me tell you that,” he begged, starting to choke up.

“I’m sorry, Brian, but I need to know. I can ask Julie if you want?”

“No, I can tell you.” After a moment as tears started to roll down his face. “You were bad. You had a huge wound on your scalp and your hair was soaked with blood. You had bites all over your neck and shoulders. There were bites and chunks missing from your arms and they had tied you down so tight with the chains—” He paused for a moment, I knew this was tough for him.

I was crying and trying to control the sobs. I wanted to go to him, have him hold me, but I just couldn’t be touched right then. “The chains had been so tight that you had almost no skin on your arms, back, and chest from struggling against them. You also had a big gash on your leg that they tied with some dirty, oily rag.”

I knew he was done then. “Thank you, thank you for telling me, Brian. I know that was hard, but I had to know.” Then I finally let it out. I started sobbing, and he tried to put his arm around me. “No please, I can’t. It’s not your fault and you did nothing wrong. I just need to be alone right now, please.”

I saw him open his mouth to say something, but then shut it again. He lowered his head and walked back into condo. I knew it hurt him that I rejected him like that, but I just couldn’t be touched right now. I just needed to breathe.

Well not in the literal sense, but just slow down the whirlwind of emotions that swirled around me. I was so sad, and angry, really angry. Like I wanted to go on a killing spree.

How could this have happened to me?
Why
did this happen to me? I had a plan and I followed the plan to the letter. It all got screwed up in an instant, the moment I was taken from the bar.
Brian
took me from the bar.

How could I forget that? It wasn’t some random person, it was Brian. The instant I realized that, I focused all my rage on him. I ran back into the bedroom, closing the door behind me, and launched at him.

“You did this to me, you bastard,” I screamed, beating on him. “You took me that night at the bar and screwed my entire life up. I hate you. I
hate
you!”

“Kelly, do not say that!” he cried out. He didn’t hit me back. All he did at first was hold up his arms in defense. “I turned you because I wanted you to be with me, be in my life. I wanted to give you this life of being a vampire.”

“You never asked me if I wanted it!” I yelled even louder, infuriated that he seemed to miss the big picture. “You did what
you
wanted. Maybe I wouldn’t want this life? I already had one of my own! You scared the shit out of my parents, my friends, and me. I woke up alone and freaked out. I had no idea where I was or what was going on. Did you do that mesmerizing thing on me? Is that why I never got mad at you?”

“No, Kelly, I swear, I would never do that to you. Vampires cannot even do that to each other.”

“How can I believe you? I don’t know you. All I know is that you turned me against my will, messed up my plans and my future. My life has been turned upside down by what
you did
and because I’m in your life.”

“I thought you liked me?” he whispered, dropping his arms so I could wail on him more. “I thought you wanted to be in my life.”

“Because I was in your life, I was kidnapped, and tortured!” I exclaimed half yelling, half crying. “I was tortured for days! I’ve been disrespected, called all kinds of names, been in bad situations. I’ve lied to everyone I love. How could you do this to me?”

Just then Julie came into the bedroom, and pulled me off Brian who had red tears running down his face. I realized Charles and Andre were there with her too. “Charles, hold Kelly and keep her here. Brian, come with me,” she ordered. Charles sat on the bed and wrapped his arms around me and I continued to sob. Andre sat next to us and rubbed my back and hair. Brian went out of the room with Julie. He was still crying.

“Tell me what happened, Brian,” Julie demanded. I could hear them easily through the door.

“She had a really bad nightmare,” Brian explained her. “It took me a while to wake her up and when I did she was like a deer in headlights. I do not know what the dream was about, but she said she needed some air. So I followed her out to the balcony and she asked me to tell her what happened the day we rescued her.”

“Did you tell her?”

“Yes, I told her everything that happened and how we found her. We were both upset. I tried to comfort her and she asked me not to touch her and to leave her alone. She said she needed to be alone, so I left her out on the balcony for a few minutes, and the next thing I knew she came into my bedroom, screaming and crying. From there you know the rest or at least what she said. I am not sure I have it in me to repeat the words she said to me.”

“I heard everything, Brian,” Julie sighed. “I am very sorry. I know you are upset and hurting. I wish I could tell you she did not mean any of it, but I cannot. I do not know what she feels. All I do know is that she is very upset. She has been through something very traumatic and she has not been a vampire long enough to be able to control her emotions or be shut off.

“There is a lot she has to deal with. All the transitions, becoming a vampire, being kidnapped and tortured as well as ending medical school and starting her internship. To top that all off, she is at the bottom of a new hierarchy that is strange to her. I am actually surprised this outburst did not come sooner.”

“Sooner?” Brian rasped.

“Yes, sooner. Do you remember how mad you were at me after I turned you?”

“No, I do not remember ever being mad at you.”

“Everyone is at some point in time,” she said softly. “Every vampire gets upset at their maker for being turned. It is a huge change and it is confusing, and with confusion comes anger, and there is only one person to focus it on. Are you glad I turned you? Knowing what you know now, if I had let you choose, would you have wanted me to turn you?”

“Of course, I know I lost out on some things. But I have had lifetimes and centuries instead.”

“It will take her time to come to that decision too. You have to give her that time. You will have to ride her moods and take the good with the bad, and hope it turns out the way you wanted. If it does not, you will have to deal with that then, okay?” Julie’s tone was very firmly.

It all made sense when Julie said it but I had a feeling the reality of it would be harder. I just hoped I could handle it. I wasn’t sure if I cared whether Brian could deal with all of it or not. I still saw this as his fault.

“I do not really have a choice. I just want her to be happy.”

“I know you do, just be patient.” They came back into the bedroom where I had collapsed in Charles’s lap. Andre had run and gotten a small shot of Valium to give me and a few minutes after administering it, I was like a kitten. Passive and not fighting anyone. “Charles, you stay with her tonight,” Julie ordered. He must have nodded because she turned to Andre. “Make sure we are all up by eight tomorrow since she has to get ready. Brian, you sleep on the couch tonight and give her some space. I am going to stay here with Kelly and Charles.” With her last orders everyone went to their designated spots and I must have gone to sleep because I remember nothing else.

* * * *

Another nightmare woke me, but with the Valium in my system it was fuzzy and I knew it was a dream. I just couldn’t seem to get out of the nightmare. “Get away, let me out!” I screamed in panic. Opening my eyes then, I was laying all over Charles, his arms around me, with Julie spooning my back.

I threw her off me and bolted up from Charles and across the bedroom in a second, ready to pounce. Brian burst into the room, looking scared, and I darted my glance between the three of them, still fuzzy and trying to figure out what was going on.

“Kelly, Kelly, look at me,” Julie coaxed softly. “It is okay, my dear. You had a nightmare. You still might feel the Valium we gave you last night. We could not get you to stop crying and calm down. We gave you something to help, so you might feel unclear as to what is happening. No one here is going to hurt you. You remember all of us?”

I nodded slowly, feeling everything getting less hazy. “Julie, Charles, Brian,” I muttered pointing to them around the room. “I had a nightmare. Someone was on me, and I was surrounded. They were biting me again.” I checked out my body to confirm that it was just a dream. Satisfied it was, I let out a big sigh. “How long am I going to feel fuzzy? I have my graduation today, and I need to be clearheaded.”

“It should take you another hour or so,” Andre said, coming into the room. “I didn’t give you much, but I figured you would sleep longer than you did. Sorry about that, babe, it’s only about seven in the morning.”

“That’s okay. The graduation isn’t until two.” Closing my eyes to try to see what I had to do: shower, dress, run home, get camera—I jumped when I felt someone wrap their arms around me from behind, and opened my eyes to find Brian. I froze and shrugged him off. I walked over to Julie, hoping Brian would stay where he was when Julie was by me.

“Kelly, you are going to have to drink from all of us again. We need to get your strength up before our flights leave,” Julie said calmly. I nodded and sat next to her on the bed, realizing everyone was still watching me.

“Is this like the vampires equivalent of girl on girl action that human males fantasize about?” I asked, somewhat annoyed, but then everyone started laughing and the boys left the room. I turned back to Julie, biting my bottom lip while thinking what to say. “I know I deserve some kind of lecture or Q and A about last night, but I would really like to put it all on hold and not deal with that today. I have been waiting for my graduation for almost six years, and I want to immerse myself in it, if that’s okay?”

Julie nodded her head. “I understand. You do not owe me any kind of explanation, but you do Brian. So if he can sit on it for today, that is up to him.” I nodded back and leaned in, bit her neck, and drank for several moments before I stopped myself. I felt that surge of power and my head instantly cleared with the new blood flowing through me. I also suddenly remembered
every
detail of last night, which I wish I hadn’t.

“Julie, can you please send Brian in here, I need to talk to him?” I asked as I sat on the bed with my hands folded in my lap. She walked out of the room without a sound and Brian walked back in looking like a beaten puppy, coming back for more. I took a deep, cleansing breath.

“I know we need to talk, but I hope we can push it off for tomorrow. I really want to focus on today.” He nodded in response, careful not to touch me. “I don’t hate you, Brian. I’m just not sure how I feel. I know I like you, but I am still processing how I feel about you turning me. You didn’t deserve all of what I said last night, I know that much, and I know my being kidnapped was not your fault. I was just so angry last night. I’ve never felt so much rage and you were just the easiest person to take it out on.”