“You don’t?!”
“Nope. Not in the way you were told. Our race did once, at the beginning mostly, but we learned, we grew, and we adapted to the world around us as any other intelligent being would. We may have left mortality behind, Natasha, but our humanity remained inside us. Becoming a Vampire was just another change of life, nothing more, nothing less.”
Vanessa’s gaze went across the street, to the dance studio she had created as part of her life in the human world. Both appreciation and nostalgia glistened in her eyes.
“I live here, surrounded by humans, because Supernaturals have a duty to defend them. There are forces in this world far more dangerous than you can ever imagine. And if you isolate yourself from those you are meant to protect, how can you remember what you are fighting for?”
The words thundered in my being over and over again, finally answering a question I’d been asking myself my entire life. If theShadow Born Packwas created to protect humanity, why were we forbidden to go to the human world?
“I understand…”
Her smile returned, and she took another bite of her cookie.
“So, what do you eat?”
“Anything we want, really. Our bodies are still part human. Wedoneed blood to survive but we don’t drink from humans, and we certainly don’t need it every second of every day. We use what we calldonor bags. There are places where humans know about us, and we live in the open with them—cohabiting cities, and even full countries. They willingly donate their blood, which is collected into a special bag for us to drink, and we giveourblood to them to cure life-threatening illnesses. It’s a symbiotic relationship.”
“So, your blood can heal?” I asked, flabbergasted. “I thought you were venomous creatu—uh, beings,” I corrected myself in time, seeing her eyes narrow, but there was amusement behind them.
“Technically, we are venomous.” Her nose wrinkled as she cringed, telling me she didn’t like that part. “It’s the venom that turned us into who we are today. But it turned us by healing everything that weakened us, limited us, and made us mortal. That is the power it has, so it can heal pretty much any ailment, and we use that to help humans when we can.”
“Oh.” Glancing around to make sure there was no one around, I leaned closer. “So, Vampires don’t drain humans or turn them into blood slaves?”
Discomfort marred her expression, sadness tingeing her gaze.
“I’m sorry, I?—”
“No. It’s okay,” she assured. “There are Vampires that still do that, unfortunately. And those are the ones we fight against.”
Taken aback by her answer, I blinked a few times. “So, it’s a Vampire against Vampire war?”
“It’s more than that. Good and evil are things that transcend species. They exist everywhere, regardless of whether you are human or supernatural. There will always be someone who wants more, who hates what’s different, and who thinks they are above others because of the power they possess. There will always be someone trying to control the world.” A heavy sigh sunk her chest, and she leaned back on the booth. “The Vampire vs Vampire war was fought twenty years ago, and the right side won… but evil is never truly banished, is it?”
The burden her words carried weighed on me too. Still, I remained silent, not knowing what to say. The pain in her eyes said it all.
“You know, when I first turned, my biggest fear was that I would become a monster,” she confessed, and understanding drained the blood from my face.
“Vanessa, I?—”
“No. Let me finish… I believed that, just as you did, but from all the movies and books I was exposed to during my life. Even when I assumed Vampires were only a myth, I thought becoming one was the worst thing that could ever happen to someone, and then my brother turned.” She chuckled humorlessly. “Let’s just say that there is nothing I won’t do for him.”
“So, you chose this life because he was turned into a Vampire?”
“No.” A brief smile curved her lips. “I chose this life because the Viscountess showed me my future, and it was unlike anything I could have ever imagined. After what D witnessed, there was no choice for him. He knew this was the purpose he had always yearned for. And when it was my turn, I realized I’d been called to be part of something bigger than myself. Plus, my brother would die without me, so it was a no-brainer.”
That made me chuckle, seeing how close they were, and how D defended her after what I said, I agreed with her. They needed each other.
“Still, the transition to my new self—accepting who I was, and what I craved—was the most difficult thing I ever had to do. I feared I’d become the very thing I swore to destroy. So, I did everything in my power not to let this turn me into someone I was not, to save my humanity… to never become a monster.”
My eyes stung with the hurt resurfacing in her, the hurt I unknowingly caused, because of the ignorance imposed on me. “I am so sorry, Vanessa. I never knew, I didn’t think, I?—”
“I know.” Her hand cupped mine, squeezing it tightly as the tears escaped her, and I returned the gesture, holding her hand fiercely. “And you can call me Vane.”
“Okay, Vane. You can call me Tasha.”
A grin replaced her sadness, and she dried her tears with a napkin, careful not to mess up her makeup, before stuffing a sugar cookie into her mouth.
I took another sip of the delicious hot chocolate. “I’m glad I get to spend this time with you, getting to know the real you. Thank you for bringing me here.”
