“The point of turning was to escape from these feelings. To be immune to them. But if I am no longer subject to them, then why does it hurt so bad?” Taylor sat beside the river. It wasn’t like he could really drown now, he had no way out. “God is cruel. No matter what style of life I live, it always seems like I am stuck in Hell.” He put his head in his hands and he cried.

“Are you in the habit of talking to yourself about how much everything sucks?”

Taylor turned to see a young woman, in her late teens, coming to sit beside him. “Only because there’s no one who would want to listen, and I need to get it out.”

“I’m here.”

“You don’t know me, I don’t know you…”

“So we’ve got some time, let’s get to know each other.” She had large eyes, her pupils large trying to take in as much light as possible.

He nodded his head and stood up. “I don’t believe we were properly introduced. My name is Taylor.” He extended his hand.

She smiled “And my name is Olivia.” She shook his hand.

“Would you care to take a stroll in the moonlight with me, Olivia?”

She laughed. “I would love to.”

“Zac, you are wicked.”

“Only with the right inspiration.”

Venisa laughed, her head resting across Zac’s chest.

“No wonder Taylor was so intrigued by you. You’ve got to be the pinnacle of all women.”

She shook her head. “Believe that if you really want to.”

“I do.” He got up and dove to her feet, tightly holding on to her hands. “We could take over the world. Together no one can stop us. You see what a perfect team we could be, don’t you? Don’t you?”

“Zachary, world domination has never been something to interest me.”

“But I, on the other hand, would love to control all the fools who have tortured me and diminished me.”

“Zac you were never…”

“Don’t tell me what happened to me! You didn’t experience it! You weren’t there! You weren’t the one who heard your brothers tell people you were crazy, that you were incapable of serious thoughts. You weren’t the one who heard your bodyguards telling people that you were the worst of the group. You weren’t there. You don’t know what I went through.”

“Zac, Taylor never said that.”

“But Ike did.” Zac bowed his head.

Venisa let her arms engulf him. If Taylor had needed her in life, Zac needed her in after-life. But was she ready? She had no idea what Zac truly was. The turn brought out different traits in each person. Taylor’s sensitive, and somewhat sensual side, along with his solitary cravings had been brought out most by his transformation, but Zac? What was he?

Zac grinned at he saw his plan working. He wanted Taylor out of the way. He wanted Isaac never near. He wanted Venisa all to himself. He had never owned anyone, and he had never owned anything. But now he was strong, he was powerful, and he was never going to be their beating bush again.

He let his fingers comb through her hair. “I’ve never felt anyone love me.”

“But your family…”

“Screwed me over.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I caught my brother with my, well not my girlfriend, but my lover, I guess. In any case, I saw my brother with a woman that I cared greatly for.”

“Oh Taylor, I’m so sorry.” She nuzzled him softly against her chest, as if comforting a small child.

“Will you stay with me?”

“No, I need to go.” The hotel room they were in was small. There was one twin bed, and no electricity. It was an abandoned hotel, so it didn’t matter, the room was free.

“Why won’t you stay?” His blue eyes penetrated deeply into hers.

“Because. Look at this place, it’s filthy, and falling apart. I can’t sleep here, it gives me the creeps.”

“Can I come to your house?”

“No, my parents.”

“So your parents don’t care if you’re out at 2 in the morning, but you’re not allowed to bring people home?”

Olivia held down her head.

“Liv, are you okay?”

She sniffed and whiped away a tear. “I’m fine…I just...”

“You just what?”

“My parents don’t care. They don’t care about me at all, and that’s why I come out here. Where being alone isn’t so lonely. I go down to the river, and I watch the moon and the stars. The night is so beautiful…I just…”

“Don’t feel so alone, when you’re out there?”

“Yeah.” She rested her head against his shoulder.

“Stay with me.”

“This place is creepy.”

“I’ll keep you safe.”

“You promise?” She smiled.

“Nothing will hurt you again, after your night with me.”

“Wow, such a promise. What do I get when you are proved wrong?”

“I won’t be wrong.” He laid down, and she lay next to him, a tiny smile playing the corners of her mouth.

“Dream well,” he whispered. “May Heaven treat you sweetly.”

“Taylor?”

“Venisa.” Taylor’s voice had the rich lull it always did after feeding, but it also held an icy tone which he had never used when speaking her name.

“Oh, Taylor, don’t be angry with me.”

“Angry? With you?”

“Taylor, don’t speak to me that way.”

“Then don’t you kiss my brother the way you kiss me! Don’t make love to my brother the way you did me!”

“It was not making love! I do not love! I don’t and have never loved! It was just sex, that’s all.”

“Yeah, that’s all.”

“It’s not as big of a deal as you’re making it. We are a vampire family! I thought that’s what you wanted! I thought that was why you turned him!”

“I couldn’t stand him as a human, I thought he’d be better as one of us, but he wasn’t.”

Venisa bowed her head. “I’m sorry that you feel that way. He’s a perfect vampire. All the right lusts, all the right strengths. He’s beautiful.”

“He’s a demon.”

“Isn’t that what vampires are supposed to be?”

“No, I’m not. You’re not.”

“Yes I am. You only see one side of me, because that’s the only side I know you want to see. Zac sees my other side. He is my other side.”

“He’s evil.”

“And that’s perfect.”

“Why aren’t I evil.”

“You had too much soul Taylor. As a human you had too many emotions too much soul, and it carried over. You still have a soul. A soul is a horrible thing, and I pity you for still being burdened with one.”

“No. A soul is the only thing that keeps me from being a monster like him.” Taylor pointed to Zac who lay on Venisa’s bed, eating some grapes.

“A soul is was keeps you from being a vampire, what keeps you from being him, what keeps you from being with me.”

“Then maybe I don’t want to be with you.”

“Don’t say that.”

“Why not?”

“Because you don't mean it. You can’t make it without me. You need me. You’ll always come back.”

“No I won’t.”

“You came back tonight.”

“To tell you, I’m not coming back, and that I’m going to find a way to turn Zac back.”

She snorted. “That’s impossible.”

“What about slayers? And magic?”

Venisa threw her head back and laughed. “Slayers don’t exist and as far as magic goes, nothing there will help him.”

“Then I will hurt him in the only place his heart still feels.”



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