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“No, I’m not. I just happened to be in the wrong place at the right time.” She nodded as she took a sip of her tea. I noticed she had changed from her clothes into a nightgown that Meredith had sent over. With the gown, I could see how thin she truly was. She noticed I was staring as she reached for the covers.

“I was just noticing how thin you were. Do you think you might be ill?”

“No, I don’t think so. I mean I feel fine except for when I think of that night. I do think I might be hungry.”

“You look like you haven’t eaten in ages.” She nodded as she looked down at her arms then felt her stomach.

“I don’t know why I’m like this. I feel really tired too.”

“I could have my friend look you over, he’s a doctor.” She set the mug down as she stopped then plucked it off the nightstand.

“I feel badly for putting this on your furniture. I’ll take it back to the kitchen.” She began to stand when she stopped and sat back down. I could see her legs were shaky. I grabbed her as I sat her down slowly.

“My head feels strange. Do you think I hit my head?” I nodded as I sat down beside her,

“Yeah, I’ve been trying to observe you. Are you sure you don’t have any memory of where your from or where you were staying?” She shook her head,

“Not a clue, you said your friend was a doctor?”

“Yes, he might not be able to get here until later. I could drive you over to his place.” Her eyes blinked slowly as she nodded,

“I think I’d like to go to him, please.”

I carried her through the door. I could see a smile on her face as she patted my arm,

“This feels almost childish to be carried like this.” I laughed as I kicked the door closed behind me. I looked up to see Octavius descending the stairs. His long dark hair was pulled back, he was wearing a dark suit now. He nodded to us as he said,

“Bring her into my office and I’ll examine her.” The lights in his house were dim, already the sky was filled with rain clouds. I set her down as she walked slowly beside me. Her hands were cold as she pressed them into my own. I held her as we headed to his office. He glanced back, I already knew what was going through his mind.

“She’s very weak Octavius.” He nodded knowingly as he took her from my hands,

“I think I have coffee in the kitchen, I’ll talk to her and when we’re done you can come in, ok?” She nodded as I let her go.

I stood looking out at the pool. The sky was dark and I knew the rain would come soon. I wondered if I still had an umbrella in the trunk of the car. I drank the last of my coffee as Octavius entered the kitchen. He patted me on the shoulder,

“It looks like she did hit her head pretty hard and the fact that she hasn’t eaten in days has made her weak. You know I don’t think she ate anything before her accident.”

“I figured she was one of those girls.” He nodded as he took a bottle of blood from the fridge and heated it up in the microwave.

“I think after some rest and a good meal – she’ll recover. We could take her to dinner at Bella Luna tonight.” I agreed, it was time to take her out. Maybe something would jog her memory and she could tell us where she came from.

“I think it’s an excellent idea.”

“No, I don’t think so.” I turned to see her leaning against the doorframe. Even now she looked very pale, “The person that did this to me is out there. I don’t want to go outside.”

4.

It was late when I left the house with her at my side. It didn’t matter that I promised to keep her safe, she would not give in.

“The man that did this – there are others out there like him. No, I would much rather stay in your house. I feel safe there.” I had hoped Octavius would put her at ease but he didn’t.

“I agree, Rent you should take this girl back to your home. Keep her under lock and key. I think it is dangerous for her to be in the streets.” I stared at him openly as he smirked. I knew he was playing a game now.

“You’re rotten,” I muttered as I took her into my arms and headed for the door. She felt smaller than before as we headed to the roadster. She turned to face me as she reached out and touched my face,

“You’re not like him.” I shook my head as she sat down in the passenger seat,

“No, I’m much stronger than him.” I stared down into her blue eyes as she smiled, I shut the door as I wondered what Octavius had told her about us. I walked around and got into the drivers seat as I looked back at his house. He waved to us as he backed away from the window. At that moment, I wanted to go back and punch him in the face. I reversed from the driveway and headed back to my house. We rode in silence, if only for the ipod playing an electronic tune. She stared out the window, I watched as the houses bounced off her irises. Nothing caused even the slightest tinge of her memory. She turned to face me as I turned into the driveway of my home,

“I like your home, Rent.”

“Thanks, hey are you hungry?” She shook her head as she held out her arm, I could see the blue liquid running through her veins. I cursed inwardly for what he had done.

“He said that I would get plenty of nourishment from this.”

“It will also make you ill. Let’s get some real food in you.” She nodded quickly as I parked the car and got out.

I found her sitting on the porch staring into the backyard. She was wrapped in a black cashmere blanket from the master bedroom. I stood beside her as she wiped her face. I kneeled beside her as she reached out and took my hand into her own. Her skin was like ice, I looked down and noticed she was barefoot. I pulled her into my arms as I carried her back into the house.

“What made you go out there? Its really cold…” I could feel the weather and was sometimes guilty of walking out in the wrong clothing at times. I feigned that the air had been cold outside. She stared into my face as she looked down at the plastic gold ring on her hand.

“I feel like I’m not mourning him. Do you think he was that awful of a person?” I shook my head as I reached down and took her hand. I brought her fingers to my mouth as I took her ringer finger and slide my tongue over it. I pulled at the ring and removed it from her hand. She watched me as I took it from my mouth and tossed it across the room.

“Why did you do that?” I shook my head as I covered her mouth with mine. I held her in my arms as I pushed her back onto the sofa. She pushed at me as she turned her head away from me.

“Don’t do that again!” Her face was flushed as she backed away from me. I shook my head as I said,
“Then stop feeling sorry for him. He’s gone, I’m here.”

“I don’t even know you,” she cried out as she got off the sofa and headed for the stairs. I stared down at the cashmere blanket on the sofa then looked up to her as she climbed the steps slowly. I grabbed the blanket and headed for her again. She raised her hand as I shook my head and picked her up. I carried her up to the bedroom where I lay her on the bed and covered her with the heavy duvet cover. As I moved away she shook her head and took my hand. She pulled me until I was sitting beside her. Her arms held onto my waist as I lay beside her. I stared down into her face as she fell asleep. What mystery lay within her?

I cheated. I couldn’t be close to her without knowing who she was. I had leaned over when she was deep in sleep and kissed her throat. She had turned away from me as my teeth grazed her skin. I ran my hands over her arms; she was still very cold. I gripped her wrists as I applied pressure. I opened my mouth and without a second thought bit down on her flesh. Her eyes had flown open as she let out a cry. I felt her body jerk underneath me as I held her down. I felt her legs kick beneath me as I drank now. Already I could taste her every thought and dream. I could see her as a child running along the water laughing, the shadows of her family in the distance but most of all I learned her name.

“Aerin! Come back from the water, I don’t want you to fall in!” The woman would me her mother. I could see her as a child smiling into the sun. Before me I watched as she grew into a young girl curious of the world around her. I pulled back just as the images of the night I found her flashed before me. I cursed, I had taken too much. I stared down into her face as she lay silently. Her mouth was moving now, she was saying a prayer. I turned her to face me as I whispered,

“Aerin, I have something I can give you.” She mouthed the words “gift” as I nodded slowly. Her eyes drifted off onto something in the room as I replied,

“I will make you strong again.” Already her skin was going gray before me, I knew there was little time to spare. I bit down on my own wrist as I brought it to her lips. She didn’t fight me as she drank the blood I gave her. Her eyes were fixed on me now as she drank. I nodded at her as the color began to return to her cheeks. Her blue eyes seemed to glow now as she stared at me.

“And that’s enough,” I said as I pulled my wrist away. Her lips were covered in my blood as it seeped into her pores.

“Do you remember everything now, Aerin?” She lay still for a moment as she nodded slowly,

“Yes, I do. I feel as if I’ve been a fog…oh my body hurts.” I nodded as I helped her to her feet and led her to the bathroom,

“Yes I know…the transformation process can get a bit ugly. Let’s get you into the tub.” Her body jerked as she fell back onto the floor and began to convulse. I held onto her as she twisted on the floor.

“Make it stop! Help me! God, why is this happening?” I held her tight as she continued to jerk wildly then stopped. I set her down on the floor as she turned away from me and let out a low growl. I yanked her off the floor and dragged her into the master bath just as she vomited the blood she had ingested.

“I forgot he gave you that little bit of Styce. It seems like it never went well with my blood. Don’t worry, we won’t have any more reactions like that.” I wiped her brow as she looked back at me.

“What have you done to me?”

“I gave you my gift,” I said flatly as she closed her eyes.

“No, I mean what am I now?” I sat beside her as I pushed her hair from her face.

“Well, I have many names but the closest that you may have heard is vampire.” She opened her eyes slowly as she shook her head,

“That’s impossible – they only exist in books and movies.” I smiled as she caught sight of my teeth; she inhaled sharply. I knew this night was nowhere near being done. I looked to the clock on the nightstand as I looked back at her,

“It’s almost dawn, we should get you to bed.”

“But you walk in the sun…”

“I’m far more stronger than you. Plus you must be exhausted from the transformation.” She sighed as I took her hand and pulled her along back to the large bed,

“Stay with me,” she said as I nodded.

“Are you insane?” I awoke to see Octavius standing at the foot of the bed. He gestured to the bath still covered in blood. I shrugged as I replied,

“I don’t have a cleaning service and I was too tired to clean up.” He cursed as I got up and looked to her sleeping soundly beside me. She would be much too tired from the night before to be bothered.

“Oh, so you couldn’t wait for her memory to come back. Let me guess, you sampled her blood and got carried away. You drank too much and oops I made a baby vampire. This is just great!” I shushed him as I pushed him into the hallway.

“My fledgling is sleeping, lower your voice.”

“What was that? You’re fledgling…do you know the great care and work that goes into one of those? No, because the great Rent Tres makes them and then leaves them! I can’t count the times I’ve had to save all your girls.” It was a blow I knew was coming,

“You didn’t have to save them.”

“Great, how long before this one wanders into my office with a Styce problem?”

“I think you got a good handle on that last night.” He cursed again as he turned away from me,

“You know in humans, the Styce has amazing healing powers. You just couldn’t let her come around on her own. What am I saying? You won’t listen. I’m out of here, good luck with her and god how I wish you would have let her be.”

“You’re walking out just like that?” He had started to descend the stairs as he looked back,

“Yeah, I’m not here for you anymore.” I watched as he headed for the door. He was shaking his head as he opened the door and refused to look back as I called his name. I couldn’t recall a time we had argued like this before. I cursed as I turned to see her watching the events that had unfolded.

“I can go if you want…” I shook my head as I walked over and pulled her into my arms,

“No, I have to watch out for you now. It’s not safe out there for you.” She looked into my face as she nodded slowly.

“Why was he so angry?”

“That’s just the way he is. When you’re stronger we’ll go to see him again. But you have to rest now. You’re still very weak.” She was nodding again as I pushed her back into her room. I thought about what Octavius had said. Had I really done him wrong many times before? I couldn’t recall a time when I begged him to take a girl off my hands. I would prove to him that Aerin was different from the others.

I was back in the Quarter looking for a random tourist to feed from. I thought of Aerin sitting in her room with a growing hunger. I would bring her what I could from the hunt. I caught Matthieu standing at the balcony of his apartment. I waved to him as he shook his head in disgust. I looked away as I took in the tall woman with long black hair stepping out from a town car. I couldn’t get wrapped up in dealing with Matthieu now. I followed the woman into the nude bar. Already she was inviting me to her table as I nodded in her direction. Her skin was lightly tanned from an island getaway. I inhaled the scent of coconut from her as she turned to face me. Her lips were stained red as she smiled at me,