Legacy of Blood - By J. L. McCoy Page 0,5

to his chest. He hugged me tightly as I tentatively lifted my arms and hugged him back. “I was so afraid we had lost you. I didn’t know if the change took or which side you’d come out on.”

“Side?” I whispered against his warm chest, letting myself sink into his comforting arms. “Change? I-I don’t understand. What’s happening to me? Why did I wake up in a coffin?”

“Shhh,” he gently shushed me as he drew back to look me over. “There’s plenty of time to answer your questions, baby. Let me get a good look at you.”

He stood at arm’s length and I held still as his eyes roamed my body. “Wow,” he whispered as he studied my body. “You are so gorgeous…but you smell horrible.”

His statement offended me and I felt a low growl sound again at the back of my throat. I gasped when I realized I did it and covered my mouth with my hand, embarrassed. “Sorry.”

Archer looked into my eyes as he chuckled lightly. Concern suddenly flashed across his face as his laughter immediately died. “Uh, there’s something you should probably see,” he said carefully.

“What?” I asked worriedly. “What’s wrong?”

“Your eyes…” he whispered.

I turned, panicked, and flashed from the room. I need a mirror! I was shocked to find myself in the sparring room of the basement. I spun around and glanced back at the hidden door I had just come from. So many secrets in this house, I mused unhappily as I turned again and flashed to the wall mirror by the stairs.

The first thing I saw in my reflection was my disheveled, bloody appearance. Dried blood was encrusted in my hair and all over my body. I took a good look at my face and stopped cold. My eyes were completely black. There were no whites, no irises, just complete blackness. My hand flew to my mouth as I gasped in horror.

I heard Archer flash next to me and take a deep breath. “Wow. You’re fast.”

“Huh?” I inquired in a daze as I pulled my gaze from my soulless black eyes and looked up at him.

“I was commenting on your speed,” he answered gently as he put a comforting hand on my shoulder. “You move very fast now; faster than I expected. It’s unusual for a newborn vampire to be able to move so quickly.”

“My eyes,” I screaked as I started to turn back to the mirror, but stopped and did an immediate double take back to Archer. “Vampire? You said vampire…”

“I know,” he answered cautiously. “There’s a lot we have to discuss, Skye. There are things I must explain to y…”

“Vampire,” I repeated in shock. I knew deep down something wasn’t right; something felt very, very different about me. But I was in such a state of shock/confusion/disbelief that nothing had made much sense to me since I awoke in that dark cell.

“It’s okay,” Archer said soothingly. “Take a deep breath. I know this is a lot to handle, especially since you weren’t prepared ahead of time for this. It’s going to be okay, baby, just breathe.”

I fearfully thought back to my fuzzy memories and tried my hardest to remember anything before I woke up in the coffin. Flashes of bloody vomit, screams, and Archer’s face looking down on me filled me.

“What?! I’m turning? As in turning into a vampire? Oh God no! I don’t want to turn into a creature like them. I don’t want to be a vampire at all! Kill me. Kill me now!”

“I have to end your life. I can’t let you become what he is. I love you too much for that. I’m sorry Skye. I’m so sorry.”

“You were supposed to kill me,” my brow furrowed with sudden fear and anger. “I begged you to kill me. Why didn’t you? Why am I alive? Why am I standing here still talking to you and not waiting in line at the pearly gates?”

“Páiste, please” Archer said sorrowfully. “Don’t be angry with me. I couldn’t end your existence…I just couldn’t. I did the only other thing I could think of to save you…I gave you my blood. I turned you.”

“Why are my eyes black if I’m supposed to be like you?” I asked, fearfully looking back into the mirror. “These are not the eyes of a Day Walker, Archer. These…these are the eyes of a monster. I’m evil Archer. I’m just like Amun. You have to kill me.”

“No, Skye,” he said firmly as he put his hand on my shoulder.