Authors Note-This chapter contains lesbian sex. If that's not your thing, you might want to move along. If it is, enjoy.
*****
For the first time I woke up alone. How many days it had been since my turn I wasn't sure. All I knew was the hunger, and the headache it brought. Nezrah promised it would get better once my body got acclimated to the change. When that time would come he couldn't say. It was different for all of us. Lu heard of it taking months for some vamps. I hoped that wouldn't be the case for me, all the love in the world wouldn't stop me from barreling into a stake chest first.
By the eerie glow of the room I could tell I was in complete darkness as I stumbled out of bed on weak legs. There were three doors that led out of the bedchamber and all of them were locked from the outside. I pressed my ear to the one that led out to the hall, unnecessarily. I could hear people moving around outside without putting my face to the wood. Could smell them even. A few humans, their various pulses beat loudly in my ears. I felt my body changing as their scents intensified in my nostrils, nearly blocking the aroma of the few vamps I had encountered since my turn. Lu was among them, as was Yuri and Tybor, Nezrah's advisor of all things related to court. I had the pleasure of all their flavors and was treated to the side effects of over a thousand years of collective life experience. As Lu put it, I was a force to be reckoned with. And Tybor assured me that the day of reckoning would come.
"So you best be ready to keep your seat lass," he told me in his thick Irish accent once he recovered from my feeding. Even added a condescending pat to my head. I broke that hand before he could pull away and he smiled at me like a proud father might as his mangled bones mended before my eyes. "Yes lass, you will do."
He didn't have to tell me. I could hear the whispers now, could feel the envy. No turnling had been afforded the level of acceptance I had received in Nezrah's court so quickly. He had discerning tastes, it wasn't my fault that he so enjoyed my flavor. But I'd be damned if I allowed a little jealousy put fear in my heart. I may have been very recently mortal but as a human I was far from a slouch. My father was the type of man to teach his babygirl to defend herself, not hope she would find a man to do the job for her. When most little girls were putting on ballet slippers, I was learning to dance around a boxing ring. I didn't compete, I wasn't interested. It was purely for defensive purposes. Didn't mean I wasn't any good. By the time I was in middle school, I was sparring with the boys. And winning. As I got older my tastes for martial arts broadened to include capoiera, Krav Maga, and muay Thai. With all that training I wasn't one to go looking for a fight but if one found me I had little doubt in my ability to end it. Super speed and strength only added to my prowess. I hadn't asked but I was almost certain all that factored into Nezrah's choice. He followed me long enough to see me emerge sweaty from more than a few classes. He probably kept that little tidbit of my back story to himself.
"She's awake," I heard someone say, well whisper, from the other side of the door. A woman, human but I didn't much like the smell of her. There were notes of bitterness in her scent that made me snort and step back from the door.
"I'll get Yuri. Father said she can't be let out until he gets back," said another woman and now I was angry, which translated to fury in vampire terms. I took a few steps back from the door, then took a few more. The air snapped around me as I took off at a full sprint. My shoulder low, I collided with the door and heard wood split. The walls shook too, I may not have gotten it open but I was impressed enough to give it another go. I thought maybe I needed a little more distance so I backed up to the opposite wall and took off again.
The sound of the lock turning brought me to a skidding halt just as the door opened. Yuri stood in the way of my escape, his thick arms folded across his barrel chest. A small smile lay on his thin lips as he looked down at me. "You scare the help," he said with a shake of his head as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him. "How you feel?"
"Terrible," I said and he let out a little chuckle as he put his arm around me and led me to sit on the chaise in front of the fireplace. "Where is he Yuri, and why can't I come out?" I asked him desperately and he sat down beside me.
"Chief go get you gift... Can you keep secret?" He asked in hushed tones and I nodded. "I like you Smitty. You like my sister. Do what you want and not care of what world thinks. Strong and bullheaded. I know why Chief pick you for his..."
"That's real sweet Yuri. I appreciate it, really I do, but what the fuck does that have to do with why I'm being kept prisoner. " I started to get up but he held me firm with his arm around my shoulders.
"You not let me finish," he said with another chuckle and ran his hand down my back. Soothing. "You not in mood for story. I get to point."
"Yes, please," I said as I lay my head on his shoulder and he rest his head in mine.
"A test of will," he said quietly and I felt him glance around behind him. "Chief not like killing humans. We can learn feed fresh without death. He think this only way we survive. Is why we have so many familiars. Most clans treat them like cattle. Breed them like animals. Keep them in cages. Not us..."
"Geez Yuri you're about as bad as him," I said with a heavy sigh as I collapsed on the floor at his feet. Albeit exaggerated, I was actually feeling weak from the lack of sustenance. He laughed and rolled his eyes.
"A twin for Katya you are," he said with a hand on the back of my neck. He squeezed a little and pull me back up to face him. "You must be strong. Resilient. Not let hunger consume you. Is only way Chief will trust you alone. You not belong in cage Smitty but you must prove you feed without kill..."
"And the only way to test that is if I'm starving."
"You smart girl Smitty," he said with a pat to my hand as he got up, but I held on tight. "Chief choose well. Another secret. If he thought you not able, you would not be here. Rest now. Relax yourself. I leave you now?"
"Yes Yuri you can go," I said as I let go his hand. I didn't want him to leave but I didn't want to hold him hostage either. Understanding my situation did put my mind at ease a little though it didn't lessen the hunger pains. But instead of allowing them, and boredom, to consume me I figured I better find something to occupy my time. Testing the limits of my new abilities seemed like a great idea. I could never really do a handstand before. I could get up but I couldn't hold it for more than a few second, so I gave that a shot. When I counted out 30 "Mississippis" without so much as a slip of my hand I decided to take a few steps on my hands. That accomplished with relative ease I tried a few legless pushups and was pretty impressed when I made it to 15 without much trouble. I allowed my legs to slowly drop down behind my shoulders and let them settle to the floor before I stood, impressed with myself.
I scanned the room looking for something else to do and my eyes kept coming to a wooden arm chair. Not the throne Nezrah supervised my feedings from. It was not so grand, just a simple chair for sitting. I went to it, gave it a little shake before I set it in the middle of the floor. Just because I could heal instantly didn't mean I cared to hurt myself. It took two false starts before I did it, reenacted Janet Jackson's chair stunt from the "Control" video. I'd knocked out two teeth trying to do it when I was five, they were going to come out anyway but it was still traumatic. Now, twenty plus years later I could stand with one foot on the back and the other on the seat with the chair balanced on the back legs. Triumphant wasn't a strong enough word to describe how I felt. I even got a little fancy with it, working my feet onto the arms and rocked the chair to balance on one back leg. That took a little doing, and a lot of concentration but I did it.
The door opening startled me off my perch. The chair came crashing to the floor but I landed easily on my feet, my back to the door. I stayed quiet, listening at the two sets of foot steps barely muffled by the thick carpet. I didn't have to look to know that one set belonged to Nezrah, the other to a human woman. The dilemma of who to pounce on first kept me rooted in my spot, but I did turn to face them. Try as I might I couldn't keep my eyes off her as she moved behind Nezrah, her bare feet moving in his steps. I could smell her fear, the air around her was thick with it. But that isn't what made her heart race. There was something else. I moved to her but Nezrah blocked my path with his body and she didn't shy away.
"Easy now Urbi," he said quietly as he ran his hand along my back and I felt his displeasure at the cotton that blocked his touch from my flesh. It was barely a nightgown and I wasn't wearing anything underneath but still I was overdressed for his taste. I took it off without being asked and he smiled down at me. "Good girl," he said with an offered kiss but I turned my face so that his lips landed on my cheek. The woman behind him giggled at that and I shift my eyes to her, taking in her features.
The long deep scar that ran from her chin up to her high cheek bone on the left side of face. Her dark skin was like cinnamon and in striking contrast to her blue-gray eyes. There was another scar across her neck, this one a little more jagged but it wasn't as deep as the one on her face. Her indigo hair was cut short, in a sort of mohawk but was only shaved on one side. There was a moon and stars cut into that side. I had always been a little envious of women who were bold enough to pull off such a style. I was so attached to my hair that mere trimming brought tears to my eyes. She was beautiful in an unconventional way, that is to say I thought she was gorgeous. She had a story and I wanted nothing more than to know it.
Nezrah must have picked up on my curiosity, stepping away from us with a smirk to go to his throne. We stood looking at each other for a few more moments before she reached to touch my locks, ran her fingers through them. There was electricity in that touch, literally, when her finger grazed my ear a shock passed between us and we both laughed. That broke the ice enough for her to speak.
"I know you can see me but I'd like very much to see you," she said, her voice a raspy whisper. I guessed that scar on her neck wasn't as superficial as I initially thought but that made her more intriguing in my eyes. I took her hand and lead her carefully to the chaise then went about lighting the chandelier in the center of the room. I put the nightgown back on and I heard Nezrah suck his teeth from the shadows as I went to sit with her. "There, that's much better," she said as she slid closer to me, our bare thighs touching. She wasn't naked but her curves were barely contained in her short wrap dress. She wasn't fat, thick was a better way to describe her hour glass shape. "So you are the infamous Smitty? The human that has Father so taken," she said but her tone was a playful one. "Well not human anymore I presume, else you wouldn't be fooling around in the dark."
