Dark Heirloom (An Ema Marx Novel Book 1), page 11
The maids restocked the refrigerator every day just before dawn, bringing fresh bags of blood from a cellar by the box load. I wasn’t sure where the blood came from, and I didn’t ask. I wanted to believe it came from a normal human-operated blood bank, and not something horrifying like a vampyre butcher shop. Either way, I was happy no one expected me to hunt for my food.
Jalmari went on a business trip to Helsinki, the capital of Finland. Maria went with him, saying something about seeing her husband. Leena wanted to go too, but Jalmari refused to let her. She spent the days and nights stomping about her room, screaming to herself and breaking things. I heard all this while reading about vampyre history in the library, where I passed most of my daylight hours.
Sometimes the black cat curled up in my lap while I read. I tried to think of a name for him, and toyed with Felix, Shadow and Scout. Each time, the cat shook his head and hissed at me, not liking my ideas.
At night, Jesu and I tried out the many different vampyre powers in the secrecy of my bedroom. I learned that flying and turning invisible were two separate things. I could do one without the other, which was nice since it meant I could fly without losing my senses. I also figured out I could phase different body parts one at a time and, as long as I didn’t phase my torso, my clothes stayed in place.
I broke a number of items while trying to figure out what I could do. The walls had several more holes in them, and a wide crack split the wardrobe in half. Good thing I didn’t own much more than the clothes on my back.
In addition to phasing, flying, and walking up walls, I could also shape-shift into a bat and a wolf. I definitely had Strigoian blood in me. The wolf transformation meant I also had Vrykolakan blood. The small, Greek clan could also absorb human energy. Jesu said that adaptation was responsible for the Vrykolakan clan’s survival. Today, Jesu wanted to see if I had the energy-absorbing ability as well.
I stood before the bathroom mirror and brushed my black hair into a ponytail. “I don’t see how we can test this one. There aren’t any humans in the castle.” I tossed my brush into the backpack, grateful for remembering to bring it before going to visit my mother.
Jesu leaned against the wall just outside the bathroom door. “We are not staying here for this one, we are going out.”
I opened the door just enough to stick my head out. I didn’t have a top on over my bra yet. “Out? As in, out in public?”
He smiled. “Yes. You need some new clothes anyway. The things in your backpack are not going to last forever.”
I bit my lip. “Do you think I’m ready for that?”
“What is there to be ready for?”
“What if I attack someone? What if someone finds out what we are? What if—”
“You will be fine.” Jesu grinned. “Think about it this way; when you were human, you did not glut yourself every time you passed a restaurant did you?”
I narrowed my eyes. “That’s different. I couldn’t smell the food a mile away.”
Jesu sighed. “You will be fine. I will be with you the entire time.”
I popped back into the bathroom to put on my top. “Fine, but don’t blame me if the entire town is chasing after us with pitchforks and torches by the end of the night.”
Dressed and ready, we made our way to the foyer in the first wing. As we walked, I phased my right hand into a shadowy ribbon of smoke and let it glide through furniture, paintings, and anything else within reach. I hated phasing my entire body. Doing so made me blind, deaf, and mute. But phasing an arm or a leg was awesome because I could feel things when I did.
Of course, my skin was still numb and useless. I didn’t actually touch anything when phased, and it wasn’t my fingertips that told me how objects felt. Instead, the vibrations in the air, given off by the molecules of every single object, rippled through the molecules of my phased hand. My brain read the ripples of energy like Morse code and put a name and a feeling to everything.
And it didn’t end there. I could also feel sound waves when someone spoke or made a noise. I could feel ripples whenever something moved, and I could feel rays of heat penetrating my molecules when the sun was up.
The crisp, early-spring air greeted us as we stepped out into the night. The forest smelled fresh, and the stars sparkled bright in the hour of early dusk. A breeze whipped my ponytail against my face, yet my body remained at a comfortable temperature.
However, waves of ice blew against my phased hand and my molecules told me how truly cold it was.
“It’s freezing out here,” I told Jesu. He glanced down as I unphased my hand. The left corner of his lips stretched into a grin.
We walked side by side down a mud-laden path toward the wrought iron gate. Jesu pressed a tiny black button on the brick fence. The gate creaked to life, sending a screeching warning to all the inhabitants of the woods. The vampires have come out to play.
The aroma of dry wood and frozen earth overwhelmed my nostrils. The musky scent of fur and the sour stench of animal droppings surrounded me. Except for the scattering of dead leaves blown across a bed of dry pine needles, and the rush of gallons of icy water crashing against cliffs in the distance, the forest was as silent as death.
The animals heeded the gate’s warning. They were not absent, though. I could look in any direction and spot a bird or a squirrel. They stared at me with beady eyes, not daring to move a muscle. I was a predator now, and they were trying their best not to look like a meal. It didn’t work. Every heartbeat awoke my instincts. I wanted to hunt. Lucky for them, I clenched my jaw and ignored the urge, but could I control myself when I came face to face with humans?
Jesu took my hand, jostling me out of my thoughts. “How are you feeling?”
“Nervous,” I admitted. “The birds make me thirsty, and they’re so tiny. I don’t know if I can hold back from something larger and more appetizing.”
“You will be fine. Do not think that, just because you are a vampyre, you have to eat every living thing you come across. You do have self-control. Just tell yourself that.” He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze before letting go.
We walked on. Dead pine needles cushioned the ground and crunched with each step. The trees grew thicker, and the forest grew darker, yet the clarity of the night sky gave off plenty of moonlight and painted vivid details onto every leaf and tree trunk we passed. Once in a while, the thin spruce branches grew heavy and dumped piles of snow and ice on the ground. Rainbows of light reflected off the ice, creating a mystical aura that transformed the forest.
“These woods are beautiful.”
Jesu smiled. “You should see them in the winter when the Northern Lights are dancing.”
“I would like that.” A jolt of guilt shot through my core. Staying to see the Northern Lights implied spending the year here, and I didn’t intend on staying in Finland any longer than necessary.
The rumble of water crashing against the cliffs grew louder and curiosity gnawed at me. “Jesu, do you have a boat?”
“No.”
Of course not, that would be too simple. “Then, how are we going to cross the lake?”
A sly grin inched up his left side. “You are going to fly, I am going to swim.”
I rolled my eyes. “Let me guess, you have some sort of super swimming ability?”
“Of course.” His cute smile stretched wide, dimpling his left cheek.
“Won’t you freeze?”
“No.”
“All right, then there’s only one problem.”
“What is it?”
“I have no idea where we’re going.”
Jesu snickered. “Do not worry. I will point you in the right direction once we reach the clearing. There is only one village within fifteen kilometers of Kaamassari, you cannot miss it.”
“That’s almost ten miles. You expect me to fly ten miles?”
“Yes, and I expect you to fly fast if you want to have time to shop.”
I grumbled. “Why don’t you fly with me, and I’ll follow you?”
“I am not Neo-Draugrian. I cannot fly.”
“Then what are you?”
Jesu smiled. “I am a true Draugrian, like my mother.”
That explained why he never phased through doors like the others did. I remembered the journal I read by Mr. Goudy, and Jesu saying he was born human. I opened my mouth to ask if his mother had bitten him, but he interrupted me.
“Here we are.”
The forest gave way to a circular field blanketed in snow. The crescent shape of the waning moon smiled down on us, and the constellations of stars brightened like Christmas lights, welcoming my air-bound journey.
The animal side of me bounced with excitement. My human side gulped down an acidic mix of nerves and fear. I used to think flying would be the most amazing super power, but now that I really could fly, all I did was worry about falling.
Jesu put both hands on my shoulders. “You want to fly southeast all the way there.” He turned my body to the right so I faced the direction I was supposed fly. “Like I said, there is only one village within fifteen kilometers, so just look for the synthetic light.”
“Uh huh, sure. No problem.”
“One last thing; try not to land any place where you will be seen.”
“Land in the center of a big crowd. Got it.”
“Ema!” Jesu’s brows furrowed.
“I’m kidding.” I lightly smacked his hands away and smiled. “I can do this. I’ll just land on the outskirts and wait for you to find me.” But I wasn’t sure who I was trying to convince more, him or myself.
“Okay.” He nodded. “Go ahead. I will see you off.”
“What’s the name of the village? You know, in case I need to stop and ask for directions?”
He sighed. “Nellim. Now go.”
I stared at the black sky, squinting in the light of the moon.
“Ema?”
I answered without looking at him. “Yes?”
“Do not think about it. Just let yourself soar.”
“Thanks for the advice, Confucius.” I closed my eyes and imagined myself becoming weightless. Taking in a deep breath, I relaxed every muscle just enough to lift off the ground, but not enough to de-solidify. I wanted to be able to see, and there was a thin line between flying and turning invisible. Breathing out, I opened my eyes as my feet left the ground behind.
I could have flown as a bat, but this was easier. I didn’t have the knack for flapping my batty wings correctly yet. Plus, as a bat, I had to get used to the way things were from a tiny blind mammal’s perspective. Flying Neo-Draugrian style didn’t require much technique. Very simple— Up, up, and away. To infinity and beyond!
The spruce forest stretched on forever, like green fingers trying to poke the stars. This was the highest I’d ever flown, and soon to be the farthest. Compared to the ten-by-fifteen foot limit of my bedroom, flying over the forest felt both liberating and terrifying. I noticed the wind only by the way it tugged at my hair and clothes, making them flap against my skin. I worried a strong gust would blow me off course, but there wasn’t a single cloud in sight, and the night lay still.
My animal instincts screamed for joy. I decided to let them take over for a while. Surrendering to what I assumed was my Nephilim side, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the weightless glide.
Opening my eyes a moment later, I gasped, surprised at how high I was. The forest fell at least twenty feet below me. I teetered a little and panicked. I’m going to fall for sure.
My logic kicked in. You won’t fall if you calm down. Pay attention. Look ahead. Relax your muscles. Remember what Jesu said; don’t think, just fly. My flight smoothed and felt more natural, as though the air carried me across the sky of its own will, and I sighed in relief.
As I approached the end of the island, I gasped in awe at the scene laid out before me. A dozen smaller islands, each one a shade of jade and amber, dotted the sapphire blue lake. The crystalline water stretched on for miles, and embraced the black night at the horizon.
Before now, the only other natural lake I’d seen was Lake Michigan. It was bigger, but it wasn’t nearly as beautiful as this one. I slowed to take in the exquisiteness, wishing I had a camera.
Soon the shore crept forward. I worried about boaters spotting me and kept an eye out for them, but the lake seemed devoid of human life, as did the mainland, which continued in more dense forest.
As I drew closer, I searched the area for artificial light, but I saw nothing suggesting anyone lived anywhere near here. I landed on a cliff, stepped into the thick layer of trees, and took a good whiff of air. I could smell just about everything, except people. Was I blown off course after all?
For a brief moment I considered running away, but I had no idea where Nellim was or how to speak a word of Finnish. Okay, think. All these vampyre powers have to be good for something.
I shrugged out of my clothes and kicked them into a pile under a shrub, then transformed into a wolf. My skeleton cracked like bubble wrap as my body’s structure shifted and forced me onto all fours. Thick tufts of gray fur sprouted everywhere while my nose elongated into a snout. In wolf form, my vision was blurry. I could still see well in the dark, but I now saw the world in shades of blue and green. However, my sense of smell was sharper, keener, and more exact than as a vampyre.
With my nose to the ground, I circled in search of human scent, hoping I could sniff out a trail and follow it to the town. After making several wide loops, I came to realize that I had no idea what humans smelled like. I tried following the scent of blood, but that only led to a number of small animals. They smelled so delicious, and I wanted so badly to chase after them when they ran. The yearning was worse as a wolf; both the Nephilim and the wolf in me wanted to hunt, and that could cause problems.
I had to find Jesu before I became seriously lost. I searched for his scent, but every trace of water led me back to the lake.
I am definitely the worst wolf ever.
I trotted back to the shrub which concealed my clothes and transformed back into a vampire. I quickly dressed, then flew over the treetops so I could cover more ground. Flying in a zigzag pattern, I went eastward in search of Jesu and the town. I knew the lake was to the west, and Nellim was southeast, but I had no idea how far north or south I was when I landed. I decided to go south, hoping I hadn’t passed it yet.
The moon drifted across the sky as I continued searching. Vampyres may not get tired, but I was growing thirstier by the minute. Logic ebbed away as my animal instincts became more aggressive. I could stop for a small snack, couldn’t I? Just something quick, like a squirrel, wouldn’t be bad.
I landed and shook out of my clothes, letting them fall unsupervised around me. I transformed into a wolf in the blink of an eye, and licked my chops in anticipation of all the tasty woodland creatures in the area.
A new scent leaked into my black nose. It was faint and far away, but my brain could still name it. Reindeer. I’d never seen a reindeer in real life, but I knew they were big and full of warm blood. I salivated just thinking about it. I followed the reindeer scent, letting instinct guide me.
Fresh blood, hunt, hunt, hunt!
The aroma of thick animal hide and droppings grew excitably strong in a short amount of time. Soon, I could hear them stomping their hooves, chewing on feed, and swishing their tails. They all smelled so delightful, I couldn’t wait until their blood was in my belly. I couldn’t wait for the euphoria and the rush of adrenaline. Just remembering the sensations fueled my momentum and I ran faster.
Blood. Fresh blood. Mine, now.
I stopped just before the forest ended. Crouching low, I sniffed the air and counted at least a dozen of them standing not more than ten feet away. They sensed my presence and nervously rustled around. Surely, they’d run soon and I would get to chase them.
Instead, though, they snorted and whinnied and called out in a high-pitched note that sounded almost like a moo. Why were they crying and not running away? I inched closer on my haunches. The shrubbery that leaked out a little past the forest ended a couple of feet down. Just beyond the last few shrubs, I could see the antlered beasts penned up in some sort of farm.
How delightful! My own personal vampyre fast food.
I felt disappointed that the creatures could not run, and knew they would be more dangerous this way. They would fight back if they couldn’t flee. No matter, I was no ordinary wolf, and I was fully prepared to vamp-out if needed.
Studying them, I picked out the weakest; an elderly reindeer with a low, drooping belly, graying snout, and swollen joints stood alone near a bucket of ice water.
Fixating on my target, I stepped out from the cover of the shrubs and exposed their worst nightmare. Wolf. Their black eyes widened, showing the whites. They stomped their hooves hard against mud, each one taking several steps back. They mooed and snorted, and bumped into each other clumsily. Up close, the reindeer were much larger than I expected. Instead of scaring me, their colossal size made me giddy.
More blood!
Pushing my body under the wooden pen, I came within feet of the senior reindeer in the corner. The old beast lowered its thick antlers and stared with crazed eyes as it realized its life was on today’s menu. I laughed internally at the reindeer’s attempt to defend itself. The fight would make up for the chase I had longed for.
Crouching low with my ears flat, hackles raised, I growled at the creature. It jerked its head up in panic, just an inch, yet more than enough for me to make my move. I lunged at the mighty animal’s neck. At the same instant, a thunderous crash bellowed through the night and a sharp sting shot through my shoulder.
I dropped to the ground before I could reach the reindeer. A noise like a fire alarm rattled my brain. My body grew cold, faint. I could smell blood, but I didn’t think it was the reindeer’s. I saw a boot at a sideways angle. How odd. The image blurred and then became a silhouette of a man bending over me.
