Fire and Ice

Sorry for the delay. It seemed that I had reached a suitable pause in the story for a while. Also, I noticed (thanks to a helpful comment!) that I made a typo in Chapter 3(ish). Adam was born in BC, not AD. So my math was off, but it's right if you place Adam in BC. Sorry about that! Also, you'll get a bit of a different perspective in this chapter. The entire story so far has been told from Emma's point of view. I'm keeping it that way, but for a while in this chapter she's a little...out of commission. Keep that in mind, sound good? And one more thing: you may have noticed that when I first posted this story, I had another under my name entitled "A True Duet." That was my first story, and I didn't like it much, so I'm planning on rewriting it. However, one of the characters from that story appears in this one. Alright, enjoy!

Chapter Six

Pain. It was the first thing that registered in my mind after my eyes snapped open. Indescribable pain; a feeling of being slowly frozen to death from the inside out. Everything burned cold. I felt my back arching off of the bed, heard myself making sounds that could only be described as carnal. Adam was kneeling frantically next to me, pressing a cool cloth to my forehead. But I was already freezing. I was freezing from the inside out. Didn't he know that? Hadn't he been through this before?

I wanted to scream at him, tell him to warm me up, tell him to do something,

anything

, but the words wouldn't come. Only noises—moans, groans, grunts, cries. I felt tears leaking from my eyes as my body twisted and turned in the dark. I could feel the sweat running down my neck, didn't have the capacity to wonder why I was sweating if I was so cold. Sobs wracked my body and I screamed one last time before passing into oblivion.

****

Adam ran his hand through his hair as Emma passed out. He was pale, his face drained of all blood. Even as she slept, Emma whimpered in the dark, writhing on the bed.

He was a monster. What had he done?

He'd thought with his dick, that's what he'd done. He had been so happy to find Emma alive and well, so overjoyed when she had said that she wanted to stay with him forever, to give herself to him, that he had given into the lust that had overtaken him the very first time he had seen her. As she lay on the bed, twisting, shivering and sweating at the same time, he thought back to when he had been changed.

It wasn't like this, was it? He didn't remember screaming, crying in pain. He didn't really remember anything.

A groan from Emma broke his thoughts and he focused on her. Maybe if he could just get some medicine in her system, do something to make her sleep. How long was this transformation supposed to take?

Guilt welled deep within Adam. She trusted him. She loved him. And he had put her through this without finding anything out. However old he may be, the fact was that he knew almost nothing about being a vampire. He should have found out before doing this. He should have researched, should have done everything in his power to make it as painless a transition as possible.

Instead, he had acted like a hormonal teenager. He'd taken Emma without understanding the consequences. His behavior was inexcusable. But he refused to believe that she wouldn't be alright. She had to be alright. This was what every human went through when they were turned, wasn't it?

God damn it!

He didn't know anything! What if she wasn't going to be alright? Who was he supposed to talk to? There was no one to turn to, no one to ask. There wasn't another vampire in the world. Not that he knew of, anyway. And he had done his fair share of searching when he had so foolishly left Emma alone and traveled to Europe and the Mediterranean. He had poked and prodded, looking everywhere for even a sign of someone like him, but to no avail. As far as he was concerned, it was him and Emma against the world.

A strangled scream echoed from Emma's throat, and Adam shuddered, placing a firm kiss on her forehead. She would be ok. She had to be. The night went on. Emma would wake, screaming at him to warm her up, sobbing, twisting in delirium. Silent, Adam would continue to press the cold cloth to her hot forehead, dying a little bit each time she yelled at him. As the dawn broke and thin slivers of light made their way through the cracks in the blinds, falling on Emma, Adam began to be afraid. She was so, so pale. Sickly looking. What if her body couldn't take to the vampirism? What if he had killed her?

Suddenly, her groans stopped. She fell still, her heartbeat slowed. And kept getting slower. Her breathing seemed labored. She looked like porcelain lying on the bed, and felt just as fragile. His instincts screamed at him, yelling that this silence was bad, but Adam tried to convince himself that it was a good thing. Perhaps she was getting better. He crawled up onto the bed with her and took her up into his arms, rocking her softly and slowly.

"Please, Em. Stay with me. Please.

Please.

"

Unbidden, a tear rose into his eye, and he pressed his lips against the top of her head, rocking them both gently as he held her fevered body close.

Adam stayed like that, holding her close, until the silence was shattered by a loud knock on his door. His hazel eyes shot towards the door, his senses went on alert.

What the hell?

Laying her down gently, eliciting a whimper with the movement, he slipped into a pair of jeans and walked to the door, opening it slightly.

"Can I help you?" His voice was a near-growl; being distracted from Emma put him on edge.

"I'd appreciate a word with you, Adam." An olive-colored, masculine hand pressed against the door and opened it with surprising strength.

Suspicion flooded his body, and Adam struggled to remain calm as the unwelcome visitor stepped over the threshold of the door. Unwilling to reveal himself as inhuman, he had no choice but to step aside as he allowed the stranger into his home. He fought the urge to snarl at the intruder, pressing his lips shut and crossing his arms, letting his eyes peruse the man before saying anything.

The figure that stepped inside was tall, at least his height. There was a distinctive olive hue to his skin, and his eyes were a honeyed-brown. A cropped, dark mass of curls covered his head. He was dressed in business attire, wearing a grey suit with a black dress shirt underneath it. He had neglected to put on a tie and his shirt was open at the collar, adding a slightly more relaxed look to his whole ensemble.

He eyed Adam's bare chest with a slight look of disapproval before bringing his eyes back up to his face.

Adam's posture stiffened as he unconsciously widened his stance and assumed a defensive pose. "Can I help you?" he repeated once again. The man cleared his throat, then began to speak. "I'll keep this clear and to the point. I know who you are, Adam. More importantly, I know

what

you are. You are a vampire."

Adam's stance faltered as the man continued, confidently.

"In fact, you're one of the oldest of all vampires around presently, outranked by a select few. You've adapted yourself extraordinarily well to fit in with the humans, but I've come to escort you back to Greece, to be with your own kind. This isn't a choice. You'd best dress yourself and follow me."

Adam's arms had slowly dropped to his sides as the man spoke. A variety of different emotions flew across his face, shock, surprise, and outrage.

"Who the fuck are you?"

The dark man's gaze faltered slightly at Adam's response, "Excuse me?"

Adam quickly perused the man's form again, this time noting everything that he hadn't before. His movements were too calm, too controlled. He was too sure of himself to be a human confronting a vampire. His heart wasn't even pounding, there was no smell of adrenaline. That left only one conclusion in Adam's mind.

"Who the fuck are you? Who the fuck do you think you are? You come into

my

home, tell me that I need to leave, pack my things and go to Greece, and it isn't a choice? You must think that I'm either remarkably naïve or remarkably stupid. Since you've already admitted that I'm one of the oldest beings alive on this planet, I'm going to assume that you don't think that I'm naïve, and instead think that I'm stupid. That's an insult that I cannot tolerate, especially from a vampire whose name I don't know."

The other vampire couldn't help the smile that flitted across his face. Adam was remarkably quick. He was also extremely defensive and edgy. A quick perusal of his clean, orderly surroundings indicated that he wasn't normally like that. Something was making this vampire nervous, and it wasn't him.

"My name is Iain Dibari. I'm one of the oldest living vampires, sired before you by two centuries, Adam. I outrank you, which means you'll do as I say or garner the consequences. The High Coven needs to debrief you; you've been off the grid for a remarkably long period of time, and they need to know what you've been doing. Who you've sired, how many people know what you are, how you've managed to remain anonymous for so long, etc. You shouldn't be in any danger, but you will be if you refuse to follow me back to Athens."

Adam crossed his arms once more. He hadn't fought with another vampire in millennia, but it would be the mistake of a youngling to jump to the conclusion that this 'Iain' was a threat. It seemed foolish to overestimate the dark sanguisuge, though, and Adam couldn't risk anything happening to Emma. Eyeing Iain up and down, Adam prepared to speak when a moan from the bedroom drew the attention of both vampires.

Forgetting Iain, Adam was in the room in milliseconds, kneeling next to Emma, stroking her forehead.

"Shh...it'll be alright, Em. I promise."

"Goddamn it!" Iain exclaimed when he had followed Adam into the room and laid eyes on the pale figure writhing in pain on the bed.

Adam quickly placed himself between Emma and Iain, growling instinctively.

"Don't you dare touch her. Don't lay a finger on her; she's mine."

Iain wasn't stupid; one glance told him that Adam had sired the girl. His behavior seemed to indicate that she was his

enósei

, a Greek word meaning "mate" or "unite". Vampires did not typically lay claim to someone in such clear terms unless they were to be

enoménos

, or united. Still, the girl did not look well. Adam's inexperience in siring was clear—she was pale and in pain. Adam himself looked weary, indicating that he had been caring for her for a while, perhaps all night. That meant that she didn't have much time left. Iain didn't care much for humans, but this girl was already partially a vampire, which meant she was his duty to protect. He protected his entire coven religiously; it was why they had survived for so long.

His chocolate eyes locked onto Adam's pale hazel ones. Swallowing his anger, he snapped at the other vampire, "Do you want her to die? Have you any experience with siring? Swallow your pride and stop acting like a newborn. Step aside and allow me to look at her."

Adam glanced first at Emma, then back at Iain. Slowly, crushing the protective instinct that had welled up within his soul when Iain had entered the room, he took a step aside.

Iain quickly filled the void left by Adam and felt the girl's pulse. He had been right—death was close. Her pale, grey skin told him what he needed to know.

Turning to Adam with fury, he yelled at him, "Are you an idiot, bloodsucker!? Get her some blood! She will die unless she feeds!"

Adam's eyes went wide. Blood. He quickly stepped out, forcing himself to leave Emma alone with the strange vampire as he took a bag of blood from the fridge and brought it back to her. He sliced through the plastic with one of his fangs, then held it to her cracked lips.

As the first drops of blood hit her lips, Emma's eyes flew open and with a hiss, she pressed her mouth against the bag, sucking hungrily. Iain had allowed Adam to feed her and gone to the kitchen, returning with a handful of blood bags. Emma had finished the first bag and continued sucking hungrily as the second was pressed against her lips. Adam watched as color slowly reappeared in her cheeks as she drained the third and fourth bag. By the fifth, she was slowing down, and she couldn't finish the sixth.

Instead, she relaxed against the pillow, sleeping more peacefully than he'd seen her sleep all night.

Iain tossed the empty plastic bags into a small trash can next to the dresser and crossed his arms.

"You could have killed her. What do you mean by starving her like that?"

Adam ignored the question, pressing his forehead against Emma's, comforting himself by the strong, steady sound of her heartbeat. He stayed in that position, with his eyes closed, just listening, until Iain spoke again.

"I need to speak with you, Mr. Ilios. I realize that the timing is inconvenient, but that cannot be helped. There are matters to discuss."

A kiss on Emma's forehead and a deep breath had Adam prepared, and he turned to Iain slowly. Motioning for Iain to leave the room so that their conversation wouldn't wake Emma, he followed the dark vampire, grabbing a grey t-shirt on the way out and pulling it over his exposed chest. He shut the door softly, then cleared his throat,

"I should think that it would be obvious to you that I can't leave just yet. Not with Emma in this condition. Once she is well, we can travel to Greece. Together. I'm not leaving her alone. Not again." The last words were said too quietly for a human to hear, but Iain's ears picked them up perfectly.

"I figured as much. However, I shall have to tell the Coven that I have found you. And I cannot return to Athens without the both of you. Be that as it may..." at this point, Iain made his way to the couch and took a seat, propping his feet up on the ottoman placed in the center of the room, "...I am quite anxious to get back. So, once the girl, Emma, I think you said her name was, is well, we three shall return to Athens." Adam ran his fingers through his hair, mussing it even more than a night awake could. His face wore a concerned expression, "This is all so new to her, Mr. Dibari. I'm going to have to show her what it's like to be a vampire. I'm going to have to help her cope with her new food source. I'll have to make her understand how to control the urge to feed every time that a human comes around. It's a big responsibility, as I'm sure you know, and I just don't think that I can take her to a completely different continent while she's trying to learn all of that."

Iain shrugged, "You'd be surprised how fast they pick it up. Instinct, you know. Either way, I'll stick around until I decide that she's fit enough to travel, and then we'll go."

Adam felt the frustration welling up inside of him and stifled the urge to growl, "I don't think you quite get the picture, Mr. Dibari. Emma and I aren't going anywhere until

I

decide that she's fit enough to travel.

You

will have nothing to do with the decision. I've already told you that we will meet you there—that's more than you should have expected. Now, I'd appreciate it if you'd leave."

Iain's posture had slowly stiffened as Adam continued to speak. Standing up from the couch, he strode over to Adam, standing directly in front of the vampire.

"Did you not hear me when I said that I outrank you, Mr. Ilios? This is not a request. This is a command. As yet, you have no position on the High Coven, and therefore no authority. At all. This means that you will do as I say or face the consequences. And since the girl in there is so important to you..." Iain's eyes traveled to the closed bedroom door "...I suggest that you cooperate."

The threat to Emma's safety raised the hackles on Adam's spine. He could feel the instinct trying to take over and stifled the urge to rip Iain's head off of his neck. His fingers clenched themselves into a fist and the growl rising in his throat was swallowed as he exhaled a long, quiet breath.

Iain watched Adam's control, impressed. He may have had limited contact with other vampires, but the man had taught himself well. When Adam spoke, his voice was deadly calm.

"Threaten her again, Mr. Dibari, and they shall be the last words you ever speak."

Iain fought the urge to smile. So, she was his

enósei

as he had thought. Well, the vampire had obviously waited long enough. He was almost two millennia old. Placatingly, Iain held up his hands.

"Allow me to make some calls, and I'll see what I can do,

friend

." The last word was said sarcastically, with a small smirk. Adam nodded at him, and Iain turned and walked to the door, letting himself out onto the patio. Adam heard the tones of the buttons, then tuned him out as he walked back into the bedroom, opening and closing the door quietly.

****

I watched as Adam closed the door silently, examining him as he turned to face me. My eyes locked onto his grey ones. Strange how they seemed to change color with his mood, but I could still see the hazel in the background. I watched the emotions wash across his face—relief, joy, love. He was at my side in a second, gently running his finger along my lower jaw.

"You're awake! Dear god, Em, I was so worried. Are you hurting? Is anything wrong?" His eyes seemed to scour my whole body, returning to my face when he was satisfied that I was alright.

I could feel my lips stretch into a smile at his concern. It seemed out of character from his usually relaxed attitude.

"I'm fine..." I trailed off, my voice was hoarse; it sounded like I had been a smoker my entire life. I winced when I tried to swallow. Adam noticed and furrowed his brow.

"Need some water?"

I just nodded; water sounded amazing. He quickly stood up and left the room. I lay my head back on the pillow and closed my eyes, taking stock of my entire body.

Everything felt normal. Wasn't being a vampire supposed to feel different?

I looked down my arm and wiggled my fingers. Normal.

I wiggled my toes. Fine.

I could feel my heartbeat, my lungs filling and emptying. My eyes stared at the pale grey ceiling, watching the fan rotating over and over again, casting moving shadows on the wall in the pale morning light.

Yep, I felt the exact same.

Adam walked back into the room and set the glass of water on the bedside table. I sat up to reach for the water, and as I did so a belch echoed from my gut. I felt the blush creep up my cheeks long before I said "Excuse me," sheepishly.

Adam smiled, "You drank a lot earlier."

I raised a brow quizzically, then followed the direction of his eyes to the emptied, plastic blood bags in the trash. No way.

"I drank that?" It was almost unbelievable. I had already drank blood, and I wasn't even conscious for it?

Adam just nodded gravely, "I almost lost you, Em. I had no idea that you would need to feed so soon. If it hadn't been for Mr. Dibari..." he trailed off, and I was left wondering what his words meant.

"Mr. Dibari?" I asked, reaching for the glass of water and taking a long, refreshing gulp. It seemed that no matter what species you were, water would always taste amazing. I could feel Adam's eyes on my tongue as I licked my lips of the excess water. It made me want to blush, but surprisingly, I stifled the urge.

He nodded at my question, "He's another..." Adam paused, taking a deep breath. "He's another vampire, Em. We aren't the only ones."

A shiver of pleasure traveled up my spine at being included in the group with Adam. I was a vampire. It all seemed so...unreal. But after the pleasure, the reality of his statement hit me.

"He came to you? He found you?"

Adam nodded once more. "He showed up while you were unconscious. He saved your life, Em. I've only known of him for an hour, but I'm already indebted to him, more than I could ever repay."