into the mansion.

* * *

Chapter 5

A Tooth for a Tooth

The Mansion. The Next Evening.

Two was used to the state of waking, now. Instantly alert, instantly aware. The silk sheets that enveloped her were cool. Vampire bodies lacking in blood cast little warmth. She stretched, ran a hand through her hair, sat up. The room was empty. Theroen had not returned before sleep had taken her the night before, and he was not here now.

The house had been devoid of life, when she had entered it the previous evenings. Melissa’s room was dark and empty. No noise came from the cell in the basement. Two had made her way to the room she shared with Theroen, exhausted and horrified, and promptly collapsed into unconsciousness.

A shower seemed like a good way of prolonging the time before she would have to leave the room and face the dark things growing outside. Two sighed, padded her way to the bathroom on bare feet, and lost herself for a time in torrents of warm water.

* * *

One of the televisions downstairs was on. She could hear it as she left the bathroom. Two pulled on clothes, ran a brush through her hair, and departed. She descended the arching staircase and turned into the room she had come to think of as the media center. Large televisions, three of them, each at least four feet tall, lined one wall. Discreet wooden units housed their audio components. Couches were arranged haphazardly in front of the screens. Most of the clutter that seemed to choke the rest of the mansion was missing from this room, perhaps because it was one of the few areas of the building which received frequent use.

Theroen reclined on one of the couches, and his presence confirmed that it was Melissa who sat on another. Two found it unlikely he would tolerate Missy, particularly given recent events.

As if to confirm this, Melissa turned to her and spoke. “We were wondering if you were ever going to wake up.” She tried for a smile, managed something like one, and then looked away. Two sat down next to Theroen, who adjusted his position to allow her to recline against his chest. He said nothing.

“It was a long night,” Two said.

“Tell me about it.” Melissa sighed, shook her head.

“I’m sorry, Melissa. For whatever that’s worth.”

Melissa offered her another smile, sad, but more sincere than the last.

“I know. We need to talk about it, don’t we?” She asked. Theroen nodded. Two felt the movement. Melissa bit her lip, glanced at the TV, muted it.

“Where do we start?” Two questioned. Melissa shrugged. Theroen sighed.

“Let’s begin with a lesson on vampire biology,” He said. “How do you feel right now, Melissa?”

“Exhausted,” Melissa admitted, after a moment.

Theroen nodded. “Indeed. Certainly not in any shape to undergo the rigors of finishing the process that was started last night. In fact, your blood is so weakened at the moment that the process would not even advance. Missy is, of course, unaware of this, but at best Samantha will remain a half-vampire for decades or centuries.”

Two turned her head up to glance at Theroen. “Why?”

“Melissa’s blood needs time to rejuvenate itself. But to remain a half-vampire, Samantha needs periodic infusions of that blood. Before Melissa could strengthen enough to complete the process, she will either have to give Samantha blood in order to keep her a half-vampire, or allow Samantha to revert. If she allows the latter, then when she begins the process again, it will be to the same result. Melissa will not be prepared to create a fledgling for hundreds of years yet.”

Melissa rolled her eyes. “Great.”

“Such is the nature of our particular strain. This, of course, is the least of our current problems. It is just the most easily discussed. There are other things that we need to speak of, Melissa.”

The dark-haired vampire on the couch across from them was quiet for a long time. Finally she said, “I’ve known Missy for a long time. There, I said it. I’ve never said her name before. Missy. I hate that name. I hated it before she even existed. But I knew her before she existed. She... Abraham didn’t create her, exactly. He just woke her up. She was just a dream before that; something that only came occasionally, and brought nightmares with it where I did awful things.

“I hated those dreams. Not because they were frightening, or awful, but because in the moments right after I woke up, I could feel her.