us?”
“I’m not sure. Perhaps I can't bear the thought of the void my life would become again if you cease being a vampire. Once I’ve tasted of your blood and you’ve tasted of mine, we’ll be eternal partners.”
“Do you know how selfish that sounds? I can never go back to what I once was if I taste your blood. I’ll have been this way for a hundred years come Christmas Day. You know what that means.”
“What makes you suppose you can change? You went to a priest today. Did he offer any help, or any consolation?”
“No, but I didn’t have the opportunity to ask him. I think he recognized what I am and it frightened him too badly. Still, I know I can turn back, if I find someone to help me. You know I was tricked into becoming a vampire and never became one willingly.”
He gave her a tender look, full of yearning and regret. “Don’t you think we were all deceived in one way or another before we became vampires? And yet, it was always our choice to make, because we had free will at one time.”
She pushed out her bottom lip. “It’s not the same thing. I’ve never drank the blood of anyone or taken a life.”
“You think I’ve taken lives?” His voice rose in indignation.
“How did you become the Lord Mayor Vampire of London if you’ve never taken a life?”
“It has only been other vampires, and only in self-defense when I’ve killed. I’ve never drank enough blood from any human to allow him or her to die by that means.”
“Yet you admit you sometimes leave humans in a weakened state, weak enough to become prey to the psychic vampire demons.”
“I don’t have to defend myself to you. I do what must be done to survive.” He stood and started pacing.
“I’m not blaming you, Darius. The world of the vampire is one of survival. Even I understand that.”
“Don’t you think I know what I’m capable of?" His quiet voice left her warned. "Don’t you think I know those damned demons are killing people, or even worse, turning them into their own and leaving behind evidence pointing to us?”
“I know it’s not your fault.”
“The psychic vampire demons want nothing more than to drive our community of vampires out of London and suck in more souls for hell. My job is to protect our own, no matter the cost, and that’s my purpose.”
“At least we have no souls, so we are safe from hell.”
“Then why are you so desperate to go back to the old human ways?”
She studied him for a moment, wondering if he’d understand. Darius was a man of action, one who took on great responsibility for others. “There is no heaven in our world either. If we are destroyed as vampires, we’ll be forever separated from those we loved in our former life.”
“What are you saying? Do you think I never had loved ones in the old days? That I’m nothing more than an inhuman monster now?”
“I don’t think that at all, Darius.” Her thoughts went back to her beautiful older sister who had been full of love and laughter. She remembered how her sister would hold her when she was frightened by storms or when her parents punished her for what they considered Elizabeth’s rebellious nature.
Her thoughts became more painful, recalling her own lovely little girl with black hair and lavender eyes, whom she’d sworn" to protect. She could still hear the screams of her daughter, her parents, and her sister the night their house went up in roaring, red flames so long ago. How could she bear the thought of never seeing them again throughout eternity?
A monumental sadness swept over her, so savage it gripped her heart, making it difficult to breathe. She had to leave before she told Darius of her great pain. It hurt too much to think about, and if she spoke of it aloud, her heart would surely break. She spun away from him and took up her cloak and mask. “I must go feed now.”
“Be careful of the blood of those small creatures," Darius said. "The plague sneaks upon London unexpectedly, and
“I’m not sure. Perhaps I can't bear the thought of the void my life would become again if you cease being a vampire. Once I’ve tasted of your blood and you’ve tasted of mine, we’ll be eternal partners.”
“Do you know how selfish that sounds? I can never go back to what I once was if I taste your blood. I’ll have been this way for a hundred years come Christmas Day. You know what that means.”
“What makes you suppose you can change? You went to a priest today. Did he offer any help, or any consolation?”
“No, but I didn’t have the opportunity to ask him. I think he recognized what I am and it frightened him too badly. Still, I know I can turn back, if I find someone to help me. You know I was tricked into becoming a vampire and never became one willingly.”
He gave her a tender look, full of yearning and regret. “Don’t you think we were all deceived in one way or another before we became vampires? And yet, it was always our choice to make, because we had free will at one time.”
She pushed out her bottom lip. “It’s not the same thing. I’ve never drank the blood of anyone or taken a life.”
“You think I’ve taken lives?” His voice rose in indignation.
“How did you become the Lord Mayor Vampire of London if you’ve never taken a life?”
“It has only been other vampires, and only in self-defense when I’ve killed. I’ve never drank enough blood from any human to allow him or her to die by that means.”
“Yet you admit you sometimes leave humans in a weakened state, weak enough to become prey to the psychic vampire demons.”
“I don’t have to defend myself to you. I do what must be done to survive.” He stood and started pacing.
“I’m not blaming you, Darius. The world of the vampire is one of survival. Even I understand that.”
“Don’t you think I know what I’m capable of?" His quiet voice left her warned. "Don’t you think I know those damned demons are killing people, or even worse, turning them into their own and leaving behind evidence pointing to us?”
“I know it’s not your fault.”
“The psychic vampire demons want nothing more than to drive our community of vampires out of London and suck in more souls for hell. My job is to protect our own, no matter the cost, and that’s my purpose.”
“At least we have no souls, so we are safe from hell.”
“Then why are you so desperate to go back to the old human ways?”
She studied him for a moment, wondering if he’d understand. Darius was a man of action, one who took on great responsibility for others. “There is no heaven in our world either. If we are destroyed as vampires, we’ll be forever separated from those we loved in our former life.”
“What are you saying? Do you think I never had loved ones in the old days? That I’m nothing more than an inhuman monster now?”
“I don’t think that at all, Darius.” Her thoughts went back to her beautiful older sister who had been full of love and laughter. She remembered how her sister would hold her when she was frightened by storms or when her parents punished her for what they considered Elizabeth’s rebellious nature.
Her thoughts became more painful, recalling her own lovely little girl with black hair and lavender eyes, whom she’d sworn" to protect. She could still hear the screams of her daughter, her parents, and her sister the night their house went up in roaring, red flames so long ago. How could she bear the thought of never seeing them again throughout eternity?
A monumental sadness swept over her, so savage it gripped her heart, making it difficult to breathe. She had to leave before she told Darius of her great pain. It hurt too much to think about, and if she spoke of it aloud, her heart would surely break. She spun away from him and took up her cloak and mask. “I must go feed now.”
“Be careful of the blood of those small creatures," Darius said. "The plague sneaks upon London unexpectedly, and
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