Epilogue
The Vampire watched her as she slept the sleep
of the undead. In all of the centuries of his existence, he had passed the
Dark Gift to few others. This one time he regretted the most while hoping it
would be the most successful. He wouldn't know if he had reached her in time
until she awoke--if she awoke. It was well past sunset, but oversleeping
wasn't unusual in a fledgling.
As the last moments of her life slipped away, he had drained her, drop by
drop, then slashed his wrist for her to feed on his immortal blood. She had
suckled greedily, like the newborn that she was, but she would remember nothing
of the transference. She would awaken with a hunger like no other in her
experience; yet she wouldn't know what her body craved.
He had brought her to his lair, removed her torn and stained clothing, and
tenderly dressed her in the nightgown she had worn the second time he had seen
her. He watched over her the rest of the night. When dawn came, he lay beside
her and held her close. Even in his sleep, he was aware of her and was comforted
by her presence.
He had emerged during twilight, left and returned quickly, having fed on
one and bled another into a winebottle. Neither was dead and, enthralled,
would remember anything. Long ago he learned he didn't have to kill his prey
to survive. Sometimes, such as after his forty-year interment in the Heidecker
basement, he couldn't control the hunger; and, sometimes, he sought the thrill
of conquest. She would soon discover this exquisite pleasure.
She moaned and stirred, and he moved to sit by her side. He would guide
her, show her the way. She wouldn't be left alone to find her path as he
had been.
"John, no..." she groaned and clutched her abdomen. She relived the moments
just before her death, felt again the last remnants of pain. The wound had been
healed by his blood circulating through her system, but the memories would
remain for a long time.
"Christina, can you hear me?"
When she didn't answer, he probed her mind. She was wracked with pain and
fear, completely buried by her emotions. Gently, he led her into consciousness.
Her eyelids fluttered open. "Anton?"
"I'm here."
"Oh, Anton, it hurts."
She also experienced the sweet agony of transformation as his blood
seared its way into her cells, changing their basic structure.
"It won't last much longer, I promise," he said and uncorked the bottle.
"Drink, Christina. It will help ease the pain."
"Wine?" She shook her head.
"Not wine, but it's what you hunger for."
Her eyes widened, filled with fear. "Am I-- Did you--"
"I had no choice! You were dying--"
"John!" she cried out and closed her eyes.
"He's gone. I couldn't save him." He was glad she hadn't witnessed John's suicide.
The bullet in his brain had ensured he couldn't be saved.
She took a deep, shuddering breath and looked at him. "He wouldn't have wanted
you to."
"No," he agreed and offered her the bottle. "Drink."
He helped her to sit up and placed the bottle to her lips. She drank of the
nectar that would keep her alive an eternity.
"I'll teach you," he said softly. "I'll be with you and show you how. I wish
there had been some other way."
She lay a hand over his and nodded. "I do, too. But there's one thing I've
learned and that is we have to adjust to what we are dealt in life. I have
to admit, I was curious about what it would feel like to live forever. I do look
forward to the wonder of it all."
"And the adventure. There will be many adventures," he promised with a smile.
The End
©1999/2000 by Lanette Curington. All rights reserved. Vampire
II: Damnation and Desire is permanently archived at the
The Official Richard Lynch Website,
located at http://officialrichardlynch.tripod.com. Not to be reproduced in any form,
electronic or otherwise, whole or in part without previous written consent of the author.
That said, this is written permission to print this text for later reading enjoyment of
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