BloodGifted (4 page)

‘What is it and why can’t I take it off?’

‘It’s called the Serpent Ring—for obvious reasons. It was mine for fifty years and now it’s yours.’

I gazed
at it in horrified fascination as its two blood-red eyes stared back at me. Whether they were either garnets or rubies I had no idea, but they looked alive, almost as if they knew me. It was the oddest sensation.

‘It’s the symbol of the
Ingenii
or Bloodgifted—the name by which we are known,’ my aunt said.

‘What’s going on?’

‘Exactly as I’ve told you. That’ —she pointed to the ring— ‘was no trick. I’d never deceive you, Laura. This is just too important and you mean too much to me.’

‘No, no… I can’t…’
There’s no such thing as vampires and magic rings,
my poor brain was telling me. Pity the rest of my senses weren’t listening.

She grasped me by the shoulders. ‘My dear, dear girl, there are things in this world that
are beyond explanation and we—you and I—are a part of that. This is something you can’t ignore or run away from and if you don’t accept what I’m preparing you for tonight, your life will be in danger and not even Matt will be able to protect you.’

I pulled out of her grasp. ‘What do you mean, danger?’

‘Unless you have a protector, every vampire will try to claim you. Our blood contains a substance that enhances their already considerable strength and power, but above all, it gives them the ability to daywalk. For creatures of the night, this is a coveted gift.’

I was
shocked into stunned silence as my rational mind struggled to accept my aunt’s words. Yet there was no denying what I had just witnessed. The ring felt warm on my finger, its unnatural eyes gave off a slight glow in the slowly darkening sky.

There’s no place to fit batteries, if it is a trick,
I thought as I examined the ring from all directions. But my aunt would never play such a sick joke on me, that much I knew for certain.

‘It’s all true, Laura,’ she softly said. ‘I would never do that to you.’

‘You read minds, too?’

‘Your face, dear, and if it’s any consolation, I reacted exactly the same way when I was told.’

‘When was that?’ My throat constricted.

‘The age you are now—fifty. It’s known as our coming-of-age.’
She paused before going on. ‘I’ve rehearsed this scene a thousand times in my mind; exactly what I would say to you when the time came. You think this is easy for me, Laura? It’s not very flattering when my favourite girl looks at me like I’m an idiot or bordering on dementia!’

I bit my lip for that’s exactly what I believed! ‘
It’s just that… this whole thing…’

‘I know, I know. This doesn’t happen in the real world, but Laura dear, for the Dan
tonvilles down through the ages this has been
our
reality.’

She paused momentarily, then as if speaking to a child, said slowly, ‘because w
e are descended from a vampire—an individual who was cursed into that form. His altered genetic structure has been passed down through the generations to us. That’s why our blood is unique. In the human world it’s not even classified, as you well know, and the reason we don’t age as everyone else.’

Now I understood the term, being struck dumb! I had no a
nswer to this latest revelation.

‘Our g
uardian,’ she continued, ‘is also descended from our ancestor, but in a different way—a parallel family line. But you’ll learn more of that when the time comes. Suffice to say, our blood also provides him with further enhanced supernatural qualities such as strength and more acute senses so he can protect us from others of their kind; those who would use us to wipe out their enemies and use humans as vampire fodder. He has striven to reign in the more bloodthirsty ones and impose laws to protect humankind.’ She paused in thought. ‘Almost like a kind of police force in a way. This is the price of our youth and longevity, Laura dear. It’s the only reason we have this inheritance. Did you never question why you were different?’

It took a while to find my voice. Eventually I croaked, ‘Yes.’ I cleared my throat. ‘Of course I
did, but… well, nothing like… this.’

‘Everything has a cost.’

‘Yes, but…’ The thought occurred to me, ‘Does that mean I’m—we’re—part… vampire?’ That last word came out in a whisper. I simply couldn’t say the word out loud as my rational mind rebelled against it.

‘No, we’re the human side of the family. The only thing we have in common with them is our eye colour.’

I felt like pinching myself to prove this bizarre conversation was actually taking place, that I hadn’t somehow stumbled into the twilight zone.

‘I k
now how difficult this is for you, dear, and I do understand, believe me, but I still have so much to tell you and there’s not much time.’

She quickly glanced around.

‘What do you mean?’

‘T
onight is very important—learning what you are and your meeting with Alec. So I’m asking you to bear with me and hear everything I have to say.’ She looked almost imploringly at me.

‘Tell me
then,’ I conceded.

Sh
e gave a relieved sigh. ‘As I said, it’s not just your fiftieth birthday. In vampire reckoning it’s also your coming-of-age. That means you’re entitled to know the full extent of your heritage and what will be expected of you. For the last fifty years Alec has been feeding from me. That ends this night. According to vampire tradition,
you
must now replace me—for the next fifty years.’

‘No! This is too much! I’m not listening to any more!
’ I started running back to the house.

‘
Laura! Please—’

The catch in my aunt’s voice stopped me.
I turned to see her running after me. ‘I’m not lying to you and I’m not mad!’

I
stood there.

‘Look at me, Laura!
’ she said as she reached my side. ‘Do I look terrified or hurt or damaged in any way?’

I shook my head.

‘You’ve known me your entire life. At any time did I appear to you afraid or unhappy?’

‘No.’

‘Then trust me in this.’

I loved my aunt almost as my own mother and if all this was true then I had to do just that. ‘What do you want from me?’

My aunt
took hold of my right hand. ‘I hoped the Serpent Ring would convince you if I couldn’t.’ She turned it to the light. ‘It’s your destiny, dear, as it was once mine, and for the record, being bitten isn’t as horrific as it sounds. Actually, the experience can be quite pleasant.’ She smiled.

Before I had a chance to come to terms with that incredible statement, she added, ‘There’s no one else but you, Laura. I can’t continue. It’s forbidden. My blood is l
osing its potency, unlike yours which has just reached its full strength.’

A small period of silence ensued as she let me digest that last shocker.

‘I have no choice then.’

‘No, dear, y
ou don’t,’ she said and squeezed my hand. ‘Just like I didn’t, nor your grandfather, nor the countless number of Dantonvilles before us who carried this rare mutation. At our coming-of-age a hormone is released into our bloodstream that vampires alone can smell. They home in on it like hounds on a scent. And if you don’t have a guardian, they’ll swarm here and fight amongst themselves to claim you. So whether you like it or not, you need a guardian to protect you.’

‘And in return, you allow him to bite you? Is that how it works?
’ Talk about a bargain from hell! ‘Then why aren’t you a vampire?’

‘It doesn’t work that way. Don’t believe what you see in the movies. Blood has to be shared between donor and recipient. A vampire has to practically empty a person of all their blood then let their own be taken in return. A few bites here and there won’t transform anyone, otherwise half the population would be vampire.’

‘Oh, right. Okay.’ I really had no idea what to say.

‘
And one other thing.’ Her eyes travelled to the Serpent Ring on my finger. ‘
This
has the ability to shield your presence from other vampires.’

‘
Shield? As in… invisible?’ I stared at the beautiful serpent ring on my finger and the golden scales appeared to shimmer as if knowing it was the subject of our conversation.

‘Not exactly. Vampires have a type of sixth sense that enables them to detect the presence of others
long before they see them. The ring blocks that. I’d love to tell you more, but unfortunately we need to get back before it gets dark.’

‘Why?’

‘As of this night, your blood is like a pheromone to any vampire within a ten mile radius. And I don’t want to be out here when they rise.’

‘This is all like a dream.’
Nightmare, more like it.

‘I
know this has come as a shock, but it’s going to be an integral part of your life from now on.’

‘Understatement,’
I said.

‘Oh, Laura,
I know it seems frightening, but believe me when I say Alec will help you.’ Her eyes warmed when she spoke his name, making me wonder what sort of relationship she had with him. ‘As I said earlier, a meeting has been arranged for tonight. It’s best you and he get to know each other before the change over. There are some practical details you both need to discuss.’

‘Are you
sure
he’s not just some sicko who
believes
himself to be a vampire?’ Somehow I knew I was clutching at straws. The golden serpent coiled around my finger was proof of that.

‘No dear, he hasn’t aged a day in the half century I’ve known him. And before you ask, no, it has nothing to do with botox o
r plastic surgery.’ She shook her head.

I closed my eyes and shook my head. How on earth was I
going to explain this to Matt? ‘Aunt Judy, did you ever share this with anyone else?’

‘Good heavens, no dear! I could never tell anyone. Who’d believe me?’
Her eyes widened and she had the look of someone speaking to an idiot!

‘Yet
you’re expecting me to!’

‘It’s the world we belong to,’ she answered emphatically.

‘I’ve got to tell Matt.’ I turned to look in the direction of the house. Matt was in there right now, watching the cricket, blissfully unaware that the world held creatures outside his sphere of reckoning. And up until tonight, so had I. Yet how could I keep this from him?

‘Why
?’

‘We’
ve been dating for a few months now. You think he won’t notice bite marks on my wrists? I won’t be able to fob it off on large mosquitoes forever!’

‘How serious is your relationship?
’ she asked. Again I saw that concerned look in her eyes.

‘I think it is
.’ I smiled when I thought of him.

‘
I see.’ She linked our arms again and we headed back to the house. ‘Be warned, Laura. If you share this with him, it might cause him to act irrationally.’

‘You mean Matt might go and plant a stake in his heart or something?’ I asked hopefully. Isn’t that the traditional method used to kill a vampire?
Now, there’s a way to end this so-called legacy!
I thought with perverse glee.

Aunt Judy gave me a
disapproving look. ‘Laura, don’t even think of such a thing. Vampires are secretive creatures. They don’t like their existence to be known, for obvious reasons. If Alec believes Matt to be a danger he will act. If you’re… fond of Matt, you can’t tell him.’

The old adage, between a roc
k and a hard place, came to mind.

‘So
, where do I meet this Alec Munro?’ I sighed.

‘St Andrews Cathedral.’

‘In the city?’ I didn’t know what I expected, but not somewhere teeming with people.

‘It’s a convenient halfway meeting point for the two of you.’

‘Mmpphhh!’ I snorted. ‘Isn’t that rather ironic—meeting in a church?’ Weren’t vampires meant to be anti-Christian and allergic to holy water and crucifixes?

‘He’s not the Prince of Darkness, dear. A church is just another building. Walk in, he will find you.’

‘Swapping the old for the new is he?’ I couldn’t help but be a little bitchy with the whole situation.

My aunt looked at me soberly, but said nothing. We reached my parent’s house and I was about to turn into the gate, when she softly laid her hand on my arm. ‘One last thing, a—delicate matter.’

What new surprise is she going to spring on me?
I thought.

‘Sex.’

I raised my eyebrows at that one. ‘Go on,’ I said when she paused, searching for the appropriate words it seemed.

‘Part of your coming-
of-age means your libido will substantially increase. You already know that we don’t normally have children until after fifty, that we simply can’t conceive before then. But that same hormone that kicks in now enables you to conceive. It’s part of being one of the Bloodgifted.’