Soniaawakened to fire. Every ounce of her skin felt like flame ate at her, sinking through her pores and diving deep into the marrow of her bones. When she was able to open her eyes and focus through the pain, the agony was even more disconcerting, given her surroundings. She was in her childhood room. The soft luxury was a harsh contrast to the boiling blood pulsing through her veins.
She stared through her open bedroom door, through which she could see the huge picture window overlooking Balboa Park. The comfort of her room shielded her from the events of the night before for only a few moments, and then the memories flooded into her mind, causing her blood to boil even more. The monster chasing her through her home, forcing himself on her, drowning her in his blood.
“She didn’t even hear us come in. Not until that damn dog started barking.” His voice changed the fire flowing through her into ice. At the mention, she became aware of Sapphire, her little Maltese, barking hysterically on the floor below where she lay on her bed.
Slowly, she turned her head, terrified by the face she knew she’d see. Instead, her mother’s blank gaze met her eyes. In confusion, Sonia jerked back, and as she did, the face behind her mother came into view.
The same tormented green eyes set inside that charred, mottled skin. “She was very accommodating, your mother. Didn’t even scream when I wrung her scrawny little Asian neck.”
Sonia’s heart clenched as he lowered his head and licked at the two puncture wounds in her mother’s throat. Then her stomach gave an agonizing twist, causing her to clutch at her abdomen.
“You know, I’m breaking all my rules for you. I typically don’t go for women, and I definitely don’t go around looking for Chinese food. There’s something special about you, girl.”
She wanted to scream. Wanted to cry. Wanted to run. Instead, she lay there, grasping at her cramping stomach and mesmerized by her mother’s wounds.
“De! Can you get the damned dog to shut up before I have to throw her out the window?” Piao’s voice carried into the bedroom from somewhere in the house.
“Hmmm, is that Daddy?” He looked through the bedroom door, not waiting for a response before turning back to Sonia. His gaze captivated her. “Go.”
Doing as he commanded, Sonia slid off the bed and stood. She’d only taken a few steps when her stomach clenched and she crashed to the carpet.
Letting the pain ebb, she forced herself up to her hands and knees.
Again, her father’s voice reached her ears. “De? Are you okay? What’s wrong with Sapphire?”
The little white dog bounded up to Sonia, still barking, but then stopped and began licking her face. After a moment, the dog paused and took a step backward, a tiny low growl building from deep in her chest.
Without conscious thought, Sonia’s hand flashed out and snatched up the little dog. Crushing it to her with both hands, Sonia sank her teeth into the spot behind the dog’s skull—bones shattering as her stonelike fingers pressed the warm body deeper into her mouth.
A few deep drafts and Sapphire was drained. Without looking, Sonia flung the dog behind her, not caring where she landed.
The monster let out a satisfied laugh from his reclining vantage point with her mother. “Go!”
She didn’t need to be commanded.
As she stepped out of her bedroom, she could hear the water echoing from her parents’ bedroom suite.
She walked smoothly through the open bedroom door and made a direct path over to the bathroom entrance. Another wave of cramping clutched at her belly, but only enough to give her pause. She steadied herself on the doorframe and waited for it to pass.
She had the shower door open before her father turned around. “Thanks for getting Sapphire to shut up. She was driving me crazy. What was wrong with her, anyway?” He pivoted, and his eyes widened. “Sonia!” Confusion flashed across his face, and his hand shot downward to cover himself. “Sweetheart, what are you doing here?” It was then the crazed eyes and blood-soaked state of his daughter registered.
She was on him before he could scream—diving with such force, the back of his head cracked the shower tiles before he sank to the floor.
Warm water cascaded over them, carrying the blood down the drain as Sonia tore at her father’s body. Noticing the wasted blood, she reached up and slammed the water off, then turned back to her father, ripping and devouring chunk of flesh after chunk of flesh before sinking her teeth deep enough to open the floodgates of his blood.
Soniahadn’t grieved for her parents, not for herself, not for anyone. The only moment since her transition to a vampire that had given her a second of grief was the night Brett had found her in that family’s house. She couldn’t remember which family it had been, wouldn’t be able to retrace her steps back to the house if her immortality depended on it. However, Brett’s expression as he realized what she’d become still haunted her if she let it.
No tears had been spilled for any of them. The only feelings she knew were hunger and fear. And hatred. More than any other sensation, she hated. By the time she’d returned to her mother’s body in her old bedroom, the monster had left, satisfied with the pain and chaos he’d fashioned. The vampire that sired her hadn’t only birthed a child of sorts, but had given breath to his own death. Visions of his end played on a never-ending reel in Sonia’s head—an endless carousel of ways to die. She wasn’t sure which method she would wield, but she knew she would be the one to end his immortality. Seeing him from a distance in the Square was nearly more than she could handle. She was overcome with fear each time, but more and more hate began to devour the fear he inspired. It took all her will to not attack on each occasion he crossed her path, but she knew enough to know that the time hadn’t come. It would. She promised herself it would.
That hate had been enough to keep her from feeling any other sensations than what her new vampire body required from her. Until now. Seeing that familiar mix of death and hunger in her mirrored eyes had broken her. The tears that hadn’t been allowed to exist now forced their delivery as she relived the entrance of her death and first few hours of her creation. Even though the tears finally came, she couldn’t grieve. There was still no loss to be felt for her parents or her own existence. Only tears of helpless rage and hate.
“It is quite a show you provide.”
The voice ripped her out of her dark reminiscence and yanked her back into the present, startling her so much that she skittered backward until she once again smashed against the bathroom wall.
“I will not hurt you.” The voice was soft, almost childlike, indistinguishable between male and female. “You are too captivating of a creature.”
Sonia wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. The blood from her self-inflicted wounds still covered her skin, and it smeared in streaks across her face. Through the red haze and gloom of the restroom, a slender form took shape in front of her. The back of the shape was reflected in the mirror, causing her to think there were two others with her in the small space. However, when the body raised a hand and the reflection mimicked, Sonia saw that she only had one guest witnessing her cessation of sanity, if there had been any left.
