8 comments/ 35332 views/ 45 favorites Negative Space By: _bloom_ The negative space of the reflection in the subway car's window dipped into my neck, rounding off over my shoulder and ending at the seat back. I sat, eyes vacant, braid tossed over my shoulder, my head hanging to the side so far my muscles were clearly outlined in the reflection of the window across from me. The train screeched into a station and the doors opened, crowds shifting to make space for newcomers, shifting to absorb the spaces left behind by those who exited. My head dropped down to my chest and I awoke, jerking it back up to stare impassively at the leather bag of the girl standing in the aisle in front of me. My eyes began to close again, the weight of a difficult nights' sleep added to the motion of the subway car impossible for me to fight against. The subway shifted quickly, and my face fell directly into the thigh of the girl with the leather bag. I apologized, pulling myself together and settling my own bag on my lap to be ready for the hiss of opening doors and the rush of escaping cooled air. Lurching to my feet I sidestepped the laundry bag of the woman next to me, and lost my balance again in the swaying subway car, tripping over a man's well-loved boots. He grabbed my sleeve, holding it just long enough for me to catch my footing. I turned to smile at him, embarrassed, registering only briefly his unshaven cheeks and charming wink. Another time, I thought to myself, nodding and pushing through the bodies by the door and out into suffocating heat of the subway station. I hurried out to the street, late again for my job as a nanny. The doorman nodded to me as I rushed through the marble foyer and stuck my arm into the elevator to stop the doors from closing. The couple inside chuckled, and I rearranged hair and clothes as we rode the elevator up to the 11th floor, trying to make my haste in clothing choice look purposeful. A deep breath, and I rang the doorbell, ready to care and tend and clean. Again. Negative Space Ch. 02 I hesitated before getting dressed that morning, both aching to impress the mysterious subway man, and hoping that he wouldn't be there on a Saturday. I wanted it to be coincidence, but if I were honest I really wanted him to be there for me. I pulled on a formal skirt and sleeveless blouse that I thought accentuated my body well while making it look like a happy accident for a professional woman. I slipped a silver necklace on, earrings, and bangles. I pulled my long hair up in a stylishly messy french twist. Liking how I looked, I ate a quick breakfast, and walked down to the subway. When I first entered the car I didn't see him where he usually sat, so I sat down in the closest open seat, leaning back to feel a hot, smooth arm beside mine. I looked to the person beside me, shocked to see the man himself, wearing a casual v-neck t-shirt and jeans, looking absolutely fantastic. I felt a rush of adrenaline, and tried to lean away, but the older woman on my other side made space impossible. His arm settled back in to touch mine, raising my hairs in anticipation. My breath quickened, and I sat tensely, feeling every centimeter of his hot bare skin against mine, as the subway rushed into the darkness, the lights going out. The subway car was silent except for the pounding of a teenager's headphones in the distance, and suddenly I found myself aware of my surroundings in a way I hadn't been in years. I could hear his breathing, smell his sweat and his cologne, and feel his muscles tightening and relaxing below his skin. He shifted, and I could feel his breath gently lifting the hairs that fell down around my neck. I shivered, feeling the familiar fear of unknown men, but also an excitement that located itself suspiciously low in my abdomen. I tried to take a calming breath, but it came out haggard, catching when I felt smooth lips brushing my collarbone. I froze, and the lights came back on to show him seated comfortably and appropriately distant from me. Turning to him, I caught a mischievous smile before he looked back and me innocently. Saying nothing, I sat straight forward, trying not to notice each time his arm brushed mine, sending chills up to my shoulder and down my spine. The rest of the subway ride was suspiciously long, and I was frazzled by the end of it, so intensely aware of his body, his movements, and mine in reflection to his. When we finally reached my stop I jumped up, rushing out of the car immediately, only turning around when the train started to pull away, catching his grin in the window. Completely spaced out as I took the kids bowling to escape the heat that afternoon, I missed my phone ringing twice. At the end of the second call, Annie looked up at me, her sweet little brow furrowed. "Aren't you going to pick up the phone, Lanie?" she asked. "What? Oh, did you hear my phone ring?" I looked around for my bag, finding the two missed calls from their mother. I called her back immediately. "Hi Allison, so sorry to miss your call!" "Where are you?! I told you last week that the Annie and Lyall have a doctors appointment today! Right now!" I slapped my hand over my face, groaning. "I'm so sorry Allison, we must have lost track of the time. We'll be there right away." I gathered the kids quickly, carrying Annie out in tears because of the unfinished game, and hopped in a taxi. As we stepped into the doctor's office their mother kissed each on the head and ushered all three behind a nurse into the exam room at once. Then she closed the door and turned to look at me. "And what if that had been an emergency, Lana?" Her tone was cold and hard. "I'm really sorry Allison, honestly. It was simply too hot to be outside, and the kids were excited to go bowling. I promise I won't loose track like that again." "How can I be certain?" "Give me another chance, please--I can prove to you by making sure the children are excellently cared for and always on time to their appointments. I'll carry my phone on me in case you need to talk with me or one of the kids." "Well, Lana, I can't say I'm pleased with the way this turned out. I know the kids are feeling sentimental towards you, but that won't stop me from finding another nanny if you mess up again." "Absolutely, I understand. Again, I'm terribly sorry." "As you should be, Lana, as you should be." She turned and walked into the exam room with the kids, leaving me outside. Sunday, my day off, I slept late, curling my body around the sheet in the cool breeze of morning. I finally gave in to wakefulness, reading in bed like I did every Sunday morning. Angry at myself because of the telling off the day before, and anxious about my mysterious subway man, I eventually dropped the book, getting dressed and going out to the park nearby. I took a brisk walk, the exercise doing me good and helping me to work up an appetite for once. The day passed uneventfully, with another long call from Tom bemoaning the patients at his practice. The girl had indeed had MG, and I congratulated him for the diagnosis. "Ah, well, you know how it goes--there are some symptoms one can't put out of one's mind. For example, her weakness in the months preceding her medication for Lyme's Disease. Others might ignore that, but those are the sorts of things I don't miss." I groaned. I doubted he had completely forgotten that I was the one who gave him the diagnosis, but having told so many other people it was his idea, he must have convinced himself a little bit as well. He was always so impressionable. Monday morning I stood, sweat cooling in the air conditioning, not a single seat available. I clung to a pole in the center of the car, pressed on either side by other commuters. I was just relaxing into the acceptance that he had not returned that day, when a familiar heat burned through my shirt at the small of my back. His smell, the muskiness of his sweat and his cologne, and the electricity coming from where he rested his hand on my back--I didn't even have to look to know it was him. The train jolted and sent me backwards into his body and he wrapped his arm around me like a lover. Although I wanted nothing more than to sink into his body, I pushed away from him, turning to scold him for touching me without permission. "Excuse me sir, I do not know you." My voice quivered, unused to confrontation. "Well," he smiled his mischievous smile, "would you like to?" I almost laughed at the predictability of his answer, slightly disappointed. He had turned out to be a regular old creep like anyone else on the train. I shook my head and turned away from him. "No thank you, and please stay away from me." "Wait--" he grabbed my wrist and a shock of electricity went straight up my arm and down between my legs. He smiled knowingly. "I'm sorry, but you just set it up so well. How could I not answer that way?" I was silent, and he continued. "Look, come have have a drink with me after you get off tonight." "No, I--how do you know I'm going to work?" "Aren't you? It's what most people do when they commute 6 days a week." I sighed. "No, I'm sorry, but I can't. I don't know you at all and wouldn't be comfortable." He stepped closer to me and leaned close to my ear. "I do know you're interested, though," he whispered, sending shivers down my back. "Like that--I can smell how aroused you are." I gasped and pulled away from him, but he leaned farther forward, whispering again, this time so close his facial hair brushed my cheek. "Just think about it. If you'd like, we can meet on your day off. Next Sunday evening, if you're interested, come meet me at the Hungarian Pastry Shop on 110th and Amsterdam at 8." He pulled away and my ear was suddenly cold where it had been so hot under his breath. He stepped off the train, and I looked around, cursing myself as I realized I had missed my stop. I got out at the next station and forked over the cash for a cab, not willing to be late again after last week. The rest of the week went slowly, each day following the pattern of the last without the excitement of my mysterious man. He hadn't been on the train since Monday, and by Thursday I was as deflated as normal, sleeping through the train ride and watching TV by night before bed. I thought his forwardness would make him less appealing to me, but the imprint he had left on my stomach where he wrapped his arm around me was still throbbing. Without any lover or friend to hug me over the past six months I had become an addict to human touch, little brushes on the street or the comforting squeeze on the subway of human bodies all around was the extent of it, and each one brought me joy. Tom called again Friday night, having stepped outside the bar to ask me what I was doing. "Don't you have better things to be doing than checking up on me?" I asked. "Who's there with you? Melissa? Robert?" "Robert, Marco and his new girlfriend, and yes, Melissa." "Well go nag Melissa then. You always did find her much more fascinating than me." "Oh come on now, Lana! You know I only hooked up with her twice. And I always came back to you." "Tom, do you really want to have this conversation? Now go--I am actually quite busy." "Busy doing what? Research on how exactly to make the kids' breakfasts tomorrow morning? Or, let's see, just exactly how to change the three-year-old's diaper? Lana, what are you doing with your life?" "I'm not fucking wasting it with you, that's what. Now fuck off, Tom. Seriously, I'm sick of listening to you babble about your hard life and trying to boss me into coming home to you. This is my home now, and I'm no longer engaged to marry you, so go do what you've always loved doing--fucking other women." I hung the phone up and sat dismally on the bed. 10:30 on a Friday night and I was sitting alone in my grimy room, eating leftovers and watching cop shows. I turned off the mute on the television and lay back on my bed, watching the reflections of light on the ceiling. Sunday morning I woke up early, unsettled. I rolled out of bed to sit naked at my desk, the day already hot enough for clothing to feel irrelevant. I checked my email and looked up free events in the city that day. Kayaking lessons, walking tours, book signings. Nothing that interesting. The computer hummed and blew out hot air, so I turned it off and took a cold shower, bringing my body temperature down, taking deep breaths and calming myself. In the way that one discovers one has already made a decision the moment the coin is flipped, I stood looking into the mirror, knowing that even though it was a terrible idea to go meet the strange man, I had already made my decision. I made it the moment he whispered it to me, the moment I felt his breath on my neck when the light went out in the subway car. I dried off and dressed, the simplicity of my dress meant to be an indication that I was merely curious, not interested in showing off for him. I slipped on earrings and pulled up my hair, guiltily imagining his mouth on my neck where I could still feel the brush of his lips. Stepping out of the subway and into the light of the early evening I decided to walk for a while before I went to the pastry shop. I was early, but I hadn't been able to stay in the apartment any longer, so I walked slowly up the street to the edge of a park, watching the bikers and rollerbladers fitting in one last lap before dusk. Having made the decision to come meet this man, my body responded with adrenaline and sensitivity like I hadn't felt in ages, except, of course, for those few days on the subway with him. I thought about his rough charm and expensive suits. He must be wealthy, I decided, and bored enough to want a little excitement with someone like me. I turned back towards the pastry shop and walked in, scanning the room for him. The place was packed, but he wasn't there, so I ordered a cappucino and a croissant, and found a little booth in the back where I pulled out a book and waited. Twenty minutes passed, and I began to be nervous that he wouldn't show, berating myself for assuming he would remember, that he was serious. The dusk was just thickening into dark as I decided to pack up, and as I closed my book I saw him sitting at the bar, watching me. "What are you doing?" I asked, "How long have you been there?" He just smiled, slipping off the bar stool and sliding into the booth across from me. "I didn't think you'd come," he said. "I'm glad you're here." I traced the shadows down his face with my eyes, amazed as his grace of movement, the way nothing, not even shadows, seemed to stick to him. The light always seemed to quiver slightly around him, as if he were repelling it. "What now?" I asked, finishing off my croissant and continuing to try to figure out the refraction of light in his eyes. "Well, first, I thought I'd introduce myself. I'm Theodore Wagner," he said, slipping momentarily into a thick accent, pronouncing his 'th' like a 't,' his 'w' as a 'v,' and even rolling his 'r's. I smiled--it was an appropriately romantic name for such a mysterious man. "But please, call me Theo." The accent slipped away again, and the waitress came by with a single small shot of espresso for him. He thanked her and she laughed, winking at him and letting her hand fall on his shoulder before leaving. A low laugh left him, and as I turned away in embarrassment he caught my hand. I gasped as a bolt of electricity flew through my fingers down through my core and landed between my legs. I pulled my fingers from his and the circuit stopped, but I remained painfully aware of his suggestive smile. "And what, may I ask, is your name, Madame?" He reached as if to touch me again and I curled my fingers under, away from him, making two fists. "My name is Lana Crane." "Lovely to meet you Ms. Crane," Theo said, pulling my hand towards him, sending waves of excitement through my body as he slipped his fingers into my clenched fist, loosening my hold, and bringing it up to his mouth. He barely grazed my hand with his lips, but I had to close my eyes to hold back the moan that would have certainly come from me otherwise. His fingers on their own sent me into a spin, but his lips gave me a sensation I had never felt before. The skin where he touched me burned, radiating outward. I looked back over at him, my lips parted and my cheeks reddened. He smiled, leaning forward over the table to question, "Were you about to say something?" I closed my mouth and shook my head, breathing deeply to calm my shivering diaphragm. "Are you alright, Lana?" He had to know he was doing this. He had to be doing it to me on purpose. I willed myself to get it together. "Oh, I'm fine, Theo, thanks. Are you?" "Well, no, Lana, I'm not quite alright," he mimicked my tone, but quickly became more serious. "I'd be a lot better if we could get out into fresh air. Would you come walk with me? This place is too crowded right now for my taste." I had sort of liked that it was so crowded, that this man who I didn't know, but who had such lasting control over me would have to be respectful of that. As if he knew exactly what I was thinking, though, Theo grinned. "We can stay under the street lamps, if you'd like." I guess it would have been easy enough to fake, but under his joking I sensed a nervousness, a concern. It was as if he could joke only so long as he knew I would agree, but if I said no, he would actually be hurt. I studied the shadows that slid over his face as he leaned closer to me. Carefully reaching out, I touched my finger to his forehead, this time prepared for the rush of arousal and attraction that came, tracing it along his eyebrow, dipping into his temple, and stopping at the corner of his mouth. Eyes focused on mine he moved his head to kiss my finger, letting his lips fall open and breathing gently through his mouth. I shuddered and pulled it away, unable to decide how dangerous he was. "Come on," he muttered gruffly, standing up and grabbing my bag. He tucked his hand under my arm and pulled me to my feet, leading me out the door. Still dazed by the warmth of his breath on my skin, I followed, stumbling along behind him until the door of the cafe shut behind me. The darkness brought me back, reminding me that I did not know him. "What do you want from me Theo?" I looked over to see his eyes clamped shut, a grimace on his face. "Are you alright?" I asked, placing a hand on the side of his face, turning it towards me. I ignored the warmth that gathered in my abdomen at the touch, and took both thumbs, running them firmly along his eyebrows, gently massaging his temples. He breathed deeply, relaxing into my hands, and his eyes slowly opened. He winked. "You got over your nervousness fast! I should try that more often with girls." I snorted, pulling my hands away, but he grabbed my wrist. "If...if we find a bench, do you think you could keep doing that?" His voice was so quiet and hesitant I would not have heard it if I were not standing so close to him. "What's wrong, Theo? Are you in pain?" I bent my head forward, looking to see if his pupils were dilated, and for a moment his irises shone metallic silver, as if he had reflective, silver marbles instead of eyes. I blinked, and they were back to the mysterious grey they had always been. "Theo, did you hear me?" "I..." He stopped, clearly holding something back, willing something that I could not possibly know. "I just need to sit down. I think I have a bit of a headache." I walked him back to the park I had seen earlier, glad for the warmth of the evening and the multitudes of people it brought out after dark to keep us company. We sat on the bench, and he closed his eyes, pressing my hands to his temples. I sighed. "Well if we're really going to do this, let's rearrange." He opened his eyes curiously, and watched me scoot to the end of the bench and shift so that I was sitting with my back to the arm rest, facing him. "Lie down with your head in my lap." Theo grinned. "And no funny business, buster! Just lie down on your back and relax." He did as I said, and I slipped my hands underneath the back of his head to his neck, gently massaging the muscles there and moving up to the indent where his neck met the back of his head. From there I moved my hands around the sides up to his temples, then pressing behind his ears and down along his jaw. A low humming came from him, and the muscles in his jaw started to relax, his lips falling open just a little bit. I moved my fingers up to the bridge of his nose, pressing gently but firmly, then moving down to the dips beside his nostrils. Back up over his cheek bones, and he let a deep, unconscious sigh out. "You're just so... unfazed." Theo murmured. Unsure of what to say, I was silent, continuing to massage his face and dragging my fingers through his hair. "I mean," he continued, opening his eyes to look straight at me, and I saw the shimmer of air again, as if it couldn't stay put on him. "I mean, I'm just some dumb guy who asked you out from the subway. I could be anyone, and you're just sitting here with my head on your lap, massaging me." "Well," I countered, "I am a medical professional, so I did take an oath to do no harm. And you are clearly in a lot of pain." I was silent a moment, pulling lightly on his ears. "Are you going to tell me what's causing you so much pain?" Now Theo was silent, closing his eyes again to just let me move my massaging back down to his neck and shoulders. "It's something like a migraine. I've had them all my life. Nothing to worry about." He seemed to drift off, but suddenly perked up. "Though, I have to say, no one has thought to do this before. It's great!" And with his eyes closed and a smile on his face he began to hum, clearly delighted in such an honest way I could not help but feel a rush of endearment towards him. After a while I stopped massaging him, content to run my fingers through his hair. His breathing had become suspiciously slow, and I looked around, realizing that I must have been sitting on that bench for a half hour already. Negative Space Ch. 03 Theo's eyelids jumped, something fantastic happening behind them, and I knew he was asleep. His eyelashes had blond tips, and the skin surrounding his eyes creased gently, showing his fondness for laughter. There was a small scar cutting through his eyebrow, a gap where the hair didn't grow. I brushed my fingers along his eyebrow, testing that spot, and following the scar down to its end above his eyelid. What had I gotten myself into? His nostrils flared softly as he breathed, the hairs that stuck out below his lips wavering slightly at each breath. I lifted one hand, lightly tracing a fingertip along his bottom lip, its softness surprising me. His mouth fell open, and as his breath warmed my hand, the arousal I had been containing so fiercely in order to massage him broke free. I gasped, the tingle from his breath spreading quickly up my arm, down into the core of my abdomen. I held myself still, letting the aftershocks of that single breath run up and down my legs, radiate to every corner of my body. With more curiosity than self-preservation I touched my finger back to his lips, prepared for and accepting the rush this time, feeling my nipples harden and something between my thighs quiver. I slipped my finger between his lips, fascinated by the sensations he caused in me, gliding it to the tip of his tongue. The warmth and the wetness against my finger had me nearly jumping off the bench, each new flash of excitement pounding through my body. As he exhaled I lost my control, jerking my finger slightly, catching it on something infinitely sharp. A pinprick of blood slipped from my finger into Theo's mouth, and suddenly my world was a blur of motion and I felt my back slamming into the cement. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move. All I saw were metallic silver eyes staring at me from inches away. I struggled to pull in oxygen, managing to wheeze feebly, and something changed. The weight that had held down my chest disappeared, and I could feel my arms again. The silver eyes closed and turned away from me. I heaved and coughed, turning onto my side to pant heavily, touching my ribs to see if they were broken. I pressed my fingers to the back of my skull, finding gravel pressed into my scalp. I picked it out and sat up, looking for Theo. He sat, head in his hands, on the bench across the path from where we had sat earlier. He rubbed his chin, looking up at me wearily, sighing. "I'm sorry." His voice was haggard, his breathing labored. "I--" he stopped. "You just surprised me, is all. I didn't mean to hurt you." He seemed resigned to something, I just wasn't sure what. His eyes were wide, terrified, and yet the rest of his body betrayed a deep exhaustion. I didn't know what to say. "How did you do that?" I asked, getting up from the pavement. Theo looked at me sharply, suspiciously. "I told you. You surprised me." His voice became hard and cold. "Right, I get that. But you moved so fast, and your eyes..." I trailed off, looking to him for answers. His confusion was clear, and yet his suspicions overrode anything else. "Training, I suppose. What were you doing with your fingers in my mouth anyway?" "What were you doing falling asleep on my lap?" I countered. Suddenly his entire face changed, his lips tugging upward in a smile he could not contain, his eyes surrounded by wrinkles as he let out a barrel laugh, his entire body shaking. He laughed so hard tears welled up in the corners of his eyes, and he fell carelessly to his side on the bench. "Oh jeez, Lana. Oh boy." He could barely get a sentence out without stopping to laugh. "I just," and he started laughing again. Now I was slightly annoyed. I had been quite patient with this bizarre man, and now this? "Alright Theo, enough." He settled down and sat himself back up, apologizing to me. "You see, Lana, you were just so earnest, and affronted, it was adorable! I haven't fallen asleep on anyone's lap in centuries." He stopped suddenly, nervous, but continued quickly. "I mean, it can't have been since I was at most 5 years old." "And this gives you lease to laugh at me why?" "I wasn't laughing at you! Just at the situation." He looked at me very seriously, suddenly. "Honestly, it is amazing I was able to. That is the type of leisure I thought I had entirely given up." "Well it's clear that you take yourself entirely too seriously." I glared at him, touching the back of my head gingerly. "That really hurt, you know." Theo stood up quickly, crossing the path in a stride and kneeling behind me. He took a sharp breath, and began puling my hair away from the spot that had become sticky with blood. I felt something cool, and wet, and a tightening of the skin. I heard him exhale, and realized he had been holding his breath. "There," he said, combing my hair back down. "It should be fine, just don't touch it for a little while." "What'd you do?" I asked, putting my hand up to touch it as he caught my hand and brought it back down again. The cool skin of his hand shocked me again, and I shivered as the lust from earlier began burning between my thighs again. I leaned my head back against his shoulder, breathing deeply. His smell was fresh and clean, but distinctly male. "I just cleaned it," he said, his facial hair scratching my cheek as he talked and his breath warming my neck. I hummed slightly, rolling my head away from him and exposing my neck just a slight bit more, unable to control myself or the warm rushing flooding through my body from each point of contact. I heard his breathing deepen and quicken, his head shift to press his nose into the depression behind my ear, inhaling deeply. He groaned. "You smell so good, Lana." He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my neck. My skin screamed at the touch and I felt every nerve in my body pulsing with need. My nipples tightened impossibly, the brush of his scruff on my neck tingling throughout my core. He opened his mouth, breathing onto my ear and gently nipping it, the sharpness of his teeth surprising me as I gasped for breath, my chest tightening inexplicably with passion. I pressed back against him, my breath coming so fast now I was almost whimpering for more from him. He pressed his hot open mouth down on my neck and I moaned out loud as he sucked and nipped the skin pulled tight there. At the sound of someone on the path he quickly stood up, pulling me up with him, and walking me forward so fast he had to carry me as my legs dragged behind. When I was able to register what had just happened, I began to walk next to him, staring at him. His face was determined and hard and he didn't even look at me. I pressed my hand onto his chest and stopped walking. "Theo. Wait. What are you doing?" "We've got to get out of here. You've--you've got to get home. This has been fun, but I'm not sure it'll work." He kept pushing me forward, and when I refused to walk he picked me up again, carrying me forward at an alarming speed. "Whoa, hold on! Theo, stop!" I pressed against his chest, trying to get him to let me down, but his grip was like iron. I decided to change my tactics. I leaned close to his ear and whispered, "But we were just starting to have some fun," and ran my tongue along the edge of his ear, biting it lightly. He stiffened, but kept carrying me forward. "It's not going to work, Lana. I have things to do, and this is simply not important right now." I kept at it, though, breathing and licking and nibbling down his neck, ending it with a sharp bite to the base of his neck. I could feel his hardness growing against me, and at the sharp bite he gasped out loud, turning to press my body up against a tree at the side of the path. He held his face close to mine, breathing heavily. I could see the anger in his eyes combating with his desire. "Lana..." he moaned, his forehead sinking to lean against mine. I turned my head slightly and leaned forward, catching his lips in a kiss. He froze for a beat before his self-control disappeared, and he sucked at my lips passionately, hungrily. I kissed him back, wrapping my legs around his waist and pulling him towards me. My dress slid up and his erection pressed directly into my cotton underpants. I groaned and threw my head back, letting him suck and kiss my neck and chest. He pressed his body into mine needily, pulling my lips back towards him to devour them. Suddenly he froze. "She smells delicious, Theo. Sort of like night-blooming flowers. Like jasmine." It was a woman's voice, so close to us she could whisper and we heard her clearly. She stepped forward and leaned her face in close to my neck, smelling me. I pulled away from her, confused, and she grinned, showing the same peculiarly pointy teeth that Theo had. "Truly delightful! Where ever did you find her?" She was stunning, her pale white skin glowing in the darkness and her golden blond hair shining in the light from the city around her. Theo disentangled himself from me, making sure I had both legs on the ground before he stepped back, but kept his eyes focused on the woman the whole time. "Lana, allow me to introduce you to Mariella, a friend I hadn't expected to see this evening." Mariella nodded towards me graciously, her eyes trained on Theo's. "It's true, this is an exciting surprise, Theo, but it's not for socializing. Your sister sent me." The atmosphere suddenly changed, the tension dropping out and an anxiety setting in. "Why? What's the matter?" Theo's voice was strained, and his body poised as if to set off running if need be. "Well, she told me to tell you not to worry, but she thinks she's in labor." "She thinks?" Theo's voice started to get louder. "She thinks?" He was yelling now. "How can you not know?! Not to worry? Well what the fuck does she want me to do?!" I took a deep breath and allowed myself to slip into emergency mode. I put a hand on Theo's shoulder and turned to Mariella. "Mariella? Were you with her when she told you she was in labor?" The woman turned to me, surprised, as if she had forgotten I was there. "Yes, I was. What of it?" "Can you tell me how she was acting? Was she having contractions?" "Yes." The woman looked at me closer now, a crease growing between her eyebrows. "They were coming every five minutes or so." "How long are they lasting?" "Well, when I left they were lasting for about a minute each, but I couldn't be sure." She paused, glancing at Theo, who I saw shake his head slightly from the corner of my eye. "Who are you now?" "I'm a family practice physician. I did most of my fellowship on the Labor and Delivery hall at Columbia University Hospital. Does she have an Ob-Gyn or a midwife?" "No, she hasn't found anyone to...suite her needs. We had assumed she could do this on her own." "Ok, well, women give birth at home all the time, but without a midwife there, she needs to go to an ER to make sure everything is going smoothly. Where's your car, Theo?" I began walking up the path again, only to turn and see the two staring at each other intently. "Look, this may be a surprise to you, but we need to get to her quickly to make sure that everything is ok, and after that we can all calm down and make decisions about where she'll deliver and so on." Neither of them moved. Mariella lifted her hand up and touched Theo's face, her anxiety beginning to show through where before she had only seemed relaxed and disinterested. Theo pulled his head away, shaking it. "No. She won't be able to help us," he said to Mariella. "This is not the moment." He turned to me. "Thank you for your help, Lana, but I'll go see to my sister myself. I'll call you later." I didn't even mention the fact that he didn't have my phone number, and just stared at him. "Theo, I get that you don't know me very well, but I am a physician, and your sister needs someone, even if you won't take her to a hospital." "No. Thank you, but my sister has quite a few...complications that would make it difficult for you to care for her." His voice was steel cold and I felt a shiver go down my spine. "I appreciate your offer, but now you have intruded too much into my personal life, and I need you to leave." He made as to turn back to Mariella, but now I was mad. I didn't care what the state of our relationship was, I wouldn't let him endanger a woman and her baby like that. "You just quit it right now, Theo. You may think I'm some dumb cunt you can seduce and leave whenever the fuck you want, but I am an educated, stubborn fucking woman, and if you do not take me to your sister this instant, so help me god, I will go straight to the police and bring every fucking charge against you that I can, including attack, sexual assault, and intentional harm to another." "You simply do not understand! You are not trained to help someone like her." "I have seen more types of birth than you would know what to do with! Do not fuck with me, Theodore Wagner." There was a stillness, and the silence echoed fiercely between the two of us. Suddenly Mariella turned. Theo's head snapped over to look at her, growling warningly. She glared back at him and walked straight over to me. "I don't care what Theo says, you sound like you know what you're doing. I was there with her earlier, and I'll be the first to admit that I was scared. I am scared. We need you." She took my hand and looked over her shoulder at Theo who was silently fuming. "This may be a little uncomfortable, and a little distressing, but if you're coming with us, you're just going to have to get used to strange things happening, ok?" I nodded, confused yet willing, and I felt a tug behind my navel. The whole world went blurry and I felt a wave of nausea and dizziness. It was almost as if I were weightless, and yet moving at an extreme speed. It felt endless, but only moments later I felt pavement beneath my feet and I fell forward to my knees on a long dark driveway. At the end of the driveway was an imposing house, not quite a mansion, but definitely very classy and very secluded. We were surrounded by nothing but trees. I took a few deep gulping breaths, feeling the ground beneath my knees and my hands, letting the dizziness subside and I looked up to see both Mariella and Theo looking at me curiously. I pushed the thousands of questions out of my mind and looked up to the house. "Is that where she is?" I asked, trying to stand up. Mariella nodded, stepping forward to grab my hand and help me up. She held my elbow firmly, giving me solid boost and directing me towards the house. I was still terribly dizzy, but I allowed myself to relax into it, and just moved my feet as I let Mariella steer me. Most important right now was to keep Theo from seeing me weak--I didn't want him to have any excuse to stop me from seeing the woman in labor. By the time we reached the front door I had my sense of direction back again, and Mariella let go of me to unlock the door, leading me into a long, dark hallway. I heard a moaning coming from the top of the stairs where a single light leaked out from the crack of a door. I pushed past Mariella and Theo, walking up the stairs. I knocked on the door and pushed it open a crack to look in. It was a large bedroom decorated very tastefully but in the most expensive materials. Folded over the end of the bed was a woman on her knees, her head pressed into the comforter. Next to her was a tall man whom I assumed usually looked imposing and serious, but now only looked scared. I strode over, placing my hand on her back. She looked up at me suddenly, scared and confused. Mariella spoke up behind me. "It's ok, Inga, she's a doctor. She can help." Inga looked up at me and I was amazed by her beauty. Even so scared as she was she radiated warmth and grace, her hair a stunning red gold held back in a long braid. I sat down beside her, moving my hand down to massage her lower back. Immediately she closed her eyes and dropped her head back to the bed, moaning. "You just relax, Inga, and tell me when you're ready to talk. My name is Lana and I'm here to help you." I moved my hands down a little bit, searching for the sweet spot I knew so well. Having worked for so long in the Labor and Delivery hall I knew the process of birth front and back, and I knew just where she was hurting. I looked up at the man again. "Are you her partner?" "Yes, I'm Lux." "Okay Lux, I need you to come here and massage Inga." He kneeled down behind her and I grabbed his hands, feeling the same burning attraction I had to Theo. I shook it out of my head and pressed his fingers right into the small triangle of her sacrum. "That's right. Now move in circles, right. Okay." I turned to Mariella. "I need you to go find clean towels, lots of them--big, small, anything. I need a bin for the dirty towels, and I need gloves. Do you have any sterile gloves?" "I think there are some in the first aid kit--I'll go look." Mariella hurried out the door and I looked to Theo where he stood, face unreadable, by the door. I turned away when I heard my name being called by Inga. She looked weak and her voice wavered. "Lana, I can talk now for a moment." "Wonderful. Can I give you an exam?" "Yes, of course. What do you need me to do?" "I'll need you to get on the bed on your back. It'll be quick, and I'll let you guide me, okay?" Lux and I helped Inga to stand up and lay back on the bed. I shoved pillows behind her so she could sit up a bit, and I directed Lux to massage her hands while we waited for Mariella. When she came back she held up one package of sterile gloves. I sent her out to make tea and bring back some toast, water, and juice, but everyone just sort of looked at me. Mariella shifted uncomfortably. Theo snorted. I looked over at him. "What is it?" I asked, disliking his expression. "Go ahead, Mariella, tell her. You're the one who brought her here. Tell her why you don't have a scrap of food in this house." Mariella looked straight at me, and handed me the gloves. She seemed torn, but a moan from Inga, who was very uncomfortable on her back, and she looked back at me determinedly. "We are vampires, Lana. We only drink blood." I laughed, and said, "Are you serious?" thinking it must have been a joke. Mariella opened her mouth and pulled back her lips, and I watched her already unusually sharp canines lengthen into fangs. I froze, feeling scared for the first time that evening. She must have seen my terror and she put them away hastily, smiling apologetically. "I'm seeing things, right? "No...we honestly are vampires. I'm sorry to have to break it to you this way, but that's why we couldn't bring her to the hospital." I took a deep breath. The dizziness I had felt upon the otherworldly travel earlier came back. I closed my eyes, breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth when I heard Theo laugh scornfully. "I told you this was a mistake. Now we're going to have to deal with Inga and a catatonic human. Jesus, Mariella, why couldn't you keep your big mouth shut!" I looked up at him, furious. "How dare you speak to her like that? You selfish ass! Your sister is in terrible pain right now because she's scared, you don't know what the fuck to do about it, and Mariella is only trying to help! Now it has become quite clear to me in the past half hour that you find me terribly dull and burdensome, but no matter how you personally feel, please do not insult my professionalism. If you would be so kind as to explain to me how you feed, I would like to make sure that Inga gets some energy because she is looking quite weak now, and she has a long, tiring process ahead of her." The room was silent and I could practically feel Theo's anger at me it was so thick in the air. The laughter was so quiet I might not have heard it, but I turned around and there was Inga, laughing harder and harder at her brother's furious face. Negative Space Ch. 03 "Oh Theo, where did you find her? She's fantastic. I truly miss hearing someone scold you like that." She laughed harder, stopping only to lean her face into Lux when a contraction came. We waited for it to pass, and she looked back at me. "We drink human blood. Usually we have a stash of donated blood in the house, but since we only just moved here, we are completely out." I didn't give myself a chance to think about it, but simply blurted out, "You can drink from me, so long as it won't turn me into a vampire, and you don't kill me." Immediately all four of the vampires turned to stare at me, incredulous. "No, it won't turn you into a vampire," Inga said, pausing. I took advantage of her break and stepped forward, leaning over her with my neck bared. "Wait," Inga said, pushing me far enough away to look into my eyes, "Are you sure you want to do this? I can send one of the others out to get something for me. It won't take too long." "Yes I'm sure. We need to get this all taken care of so that I can examine you and make sure this baby is healthy. I don't want to wait any longer." I leaned forward, and heard all four of the vampires in the room breathing in. Inga licked my neck, and I immediately felt a rush of energy and attraction. I felt first her cool lips, then a sharp pain, but it dissipated immediately, an overwhelming pleasure filling me instead. I felt my blood rushing out into her mouth and I gasped, panting heavily as my whole body tightened and burned with desire. I felt my panties get wet and wanted nothing more than to press my fingers into my pussy, to feel something inside of me. Inga pulled back, licking my neck and sealing the holes, and I almost grabbed her to force her to continue. I closed my eyes, knowing that everyone in the room was watching me, knowing what I was feeling. "What an experience," I said lightly. "Yes, I am sorry about that bit," Inga said, smiling. "Well I'm not! That was amazing!" I grinned at her, "How are you feeling?" "Definitely better." "Okay. Then I'm going to examine you, if I can?" Inga nodded and closed her eyes as another contraction rushed through her body. I pulled on the gloves and when she was ready I checked her dilation. "So your amniotic sac has not broken, which is good, and you're actually at about.... hmmm, six centimeters dilation." Inga looked at me confused. "Do you have any idea how labor works?" I asked. She shook her head. "Okay. Let me explain." I told her everything, as Lux and I helped her back onto her hands and knees where she was much more comfortable. I had Lux keep massaging her, and I helped her to breathe through contractions while I explained to her why she was feeling the way she was, what was happening in her body, and why 6 cms meant that she was already halfway done. After about an hour of massaging and coaching, I stood up to find the bathroom. When I found it I saw there was a huge, deep jacuzzi in it. I leaned over and turned on the hot water, filling it up. I went back to Inga, explaining to her that she could get in the tub and it could really help her loosen up. She agreed quickly, and we helped her into the bathroom. She took off her clothing and stepped in. Immediately as she sat down I saw the muscles in her shoulders and her thighs relax, she closed her eyes and smiled a bit. "Yes, you're right. This is perfect." I had Lux strip down to his underwear and get in with her, sitting behind her so she could relax onto him. He blushed, and I saw his sweet boyish smile for the first time. In the tub together it was clear how dearly he loved her, and how pleased he was to have something to do to help her. "Okay folks. I'm going to step out now, but if you need anything, and really, I mean anything, you just call me. Inga, if you feel like you need to push, you call me right away." Negative Space Ch. 04 "Okay folks. I'm going to step out now, but if you need anything, and really, I mean anything, you just call me. Inga, if you feel like you need to push, you call me right away." I closed the door behind myself, content that they would be able to handle themselves on their own for a little while. This way, hopefully, they would be able to loosen up together, relaxing and preparing for their baby. I walked downstairs, turning on lights as I went. I came into the kitchen and opened the cabinets, looking for food or drink before I remembered that they wouldn't have anything. I grabbed a glass anyway, and poured myself some water. As I stood over the sink drinking, I felt something behind me. I turned around to find Theo looking at me intently. His previous anger was gone, but now he just seemed wary. "Why are you down here? Shouldn't you be up with them?" "They're in the bath for now. They'll be fine, and if they need anything I've told them to call me." He still looked suspicious, so I went on. "It's not an emergency anymore. I've checked her out, and I know there's no prolapsed chord, I listened to the fetus' heart beat and it's going fine, her ankles aren't swollen--all that sort of stuff. I know now that everything is going smoothly, and I can let her body take its course, preparing itself for the birth. At this point me being in the room would just be getting in the way of things." Theo looked down at my neck, brushing his fingers over where his sister had bitten me. I felt the rush that was quickly becoming familiar each time I touched one of the vampires. Every nerve in my body called out for attention, ached to be closer to him. I sighed, letting my head fall to the side so he'd have better access to where his fingers slowly stroked. "Did you like that?" His voice had become deeper that before, smoother, more melodic. "Mmmm-hmmm," I smiled as he leaned down to lick my neck. I breathed in quickly, excited and aroused, breathing out a "yes..." as he pressed his fangs to my neck. He didn't break the skin though, just lightly dragged his fangs down it, releasing torrents of electricity through my body, my sex becoming immediately wet and slippery. "And that?" I couldn't get my body to do as I told it to, and instead I just let out an almost pathetic wail of desire. Theo chuckled. He slipped his cool fingers down to where my dress ended mid-thigh, tracing patterns on my bare skin before moving his fingers up incrementally below the dress as he whispered in my ear. "I can smell how wet you are. I can hear how fast your heart is pounding, and I can feel your arousal thrumming through the air towards me." His hands reached my underwear, and he allowed his fingers to trace the top elastic along my stomach. My muscles knotted and clenched, every nerve in my being strained to pay attention to his fingers and his whispering mouth. I whimpered. "Mariella was right when she said you smelled like flowers, like night blooming jasmine, or honey suckle, or even lilies. There's something about you that smells warm, like summer nights, and the humid breezes that bring those flowery scents to you in the dark." His fingers traced farther up my body, running along the underside of my breasts, circling my nipples through the sheer fabric of my bra. I gasped, grabbing onto Theo's shoulders as he let his knuckles drag lightly over my sensitized nipples. He lifted his fingers away and pulled my entire dress over my head. I didn't even notice, just held my arms up to help him. How strange that only this morning I had been deciding which dress to wear. My apartment and my message machine felt like they were countries, years away. I stood now, wearing only my bra and underwear in front of Theo, not worried in the slightest, just over charged with sexual energy. Theo groaned appreciatively as I reached behind myself, unsnapping my bra and letting the cups fall away from my breasts. Placing his hands lightly on my waist, he leaned forward, barely touching the tip of his tongue to my puckered nipple. The explosion of electricity broke my passivity, and suddenly my desire rushed forward. I grabbed Theo's head and pulled his mouth to my breast roughly, moaning aloud. My aggressiveness triggered something in him, breaking his control and immediately our playfulness became needy and frantic. He sucked and bit my nipple, moving to the other while pinching the first between his fingers. I wailed, the shock of his fingers against my sensitive skin bringing the fever to a new pitch. I pushed him back and pulled off first his shirt and then his pants, stepping back to pull off my own underwear as he stripped out of his. He clasped my body to his, hungrily sucking and kissing my lips, his tongue in my mouth, his bare skin against mine. I reached down, grasping his hot, hard erection and he groaned deeply, pressing himself into my hands. I began to stroke it, tracing my fingers lightly over the silky head while pumping the shaft with the other hand. I could feel Theo's need as he growled into my mouth, breaking away to lift me up onto the kitchen counter. He dropped to one knee, pressing his face between my knees, kissing along the inside of one thigh before moving to the other. He came dangerously close to my lips, breathing heavily, and I shivered with the almost-contact, feeling my juices drip down my crack in anticipation. He leaned forward, licking quickly at my clitoris and I almost screamed, the feeling of his tongue driving me crazy. He licked up the side of each of my pussy lips, circling my clit teasing me. His hot breath sent spires of longing through my pelvis deep to my core, each gentle lick releasing torrents of tingling desire to radiate outward and through my whole body. "Theo!" I shouted. "Please!" He complied, licking fully up my pussy to my clitoris, pressing hard with his tongue and sucking deeply on my small bud. My whole body was shaking, even the counter top below me felt erotic and soft, even the sharp cabinets behind me felt like they were caressing my back. I was on fire as he sucked and licked, slipping a finger into my drenched cunt. "Oh, yes!" I cried pushing my hips forward, and he added another, pumping them furiously. My whole abdomen began to tighten, even the muscles in my thighs were clenched and flexed. The wave began to build deep in my pelvis, radiating up towards my breasts, my neck, my ears, wholly consuming me. I moaned aloud as it crested, and at that moment I felt Theo's fangs sink into my labia. The wave expanded and burst within me, the feeling of him drinking from me overwhelming my body completely and exploding within me. Finally the shock began to wear off and Theo pulled his mouth away from me, licking the wound shut. I collapsed back on the cabinets behind me, panting. That had been the most satisfying sexual experience I'd had in years, if not ever. I couldn't stop from smiling. I opened my eyes to see Theo smiling back at me. He leaned over to kiss me, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, our kisses quieter now, less frantic. "How was that?" Theo asked, nuzzling my ear. I could only hum happily, smiling like a fool. Theo laughed and leaned closer to me, his cock touching my over sensitized cunt, and I cried aloud. "Oops! Sorry about that," he said, beginning to pull away, but I grabbed his erection and pulled it to me rubbing it against my clit and jumping slightly from the contact. He moaned my name, pushing himself gently into my wet cunt. I stretched wonderfully around him, the walls of my pussy gripping him as he eased into me. I clasped the back of his neck as he lifted me off the counter top, his cock deep within me as all my weight pressed me down onto him, and he turned around, pressing me against the wall. He pulled back slightly, pushing back in quickly. His size was almost painful, but the pumping quickly made me forget any other sensation, and I sank into his arms. My head thrashed from side to side as I felt my orgasm building, the hard knot of desire expanding below my navel. Every curve of his cock caressed the inside of my vagina, the angle of my body against the wall bringing his knobbed head into contact with my g-spot with each thrust. Theo's moans became groans of escalating pleasure as he pounded my cunt, pressing himself deeper and deeper. He leaned down and bit my nipple, throwing me over the edge immediately, my orgasm crashing over me in wave after wave of bliss. I felt his cock swell even larger inside me, exploding with cum at the same moment that he sunk his teeth into my neck, drinking from me again. The pulling sensation of blood leaving me was deeply satisfying, and yet this was the third time I had been drunk from that evening. My body was still thudding from the orgasm I'd just had as my light headedness dwindled to dark, the lights of the kitchen looking farther and farther away. Theo didn't pull away though, still pumping into my body, and the black consumed me entirely. I awoke to soft pillows and a gentle stroking of my hair. I kept my eyes closed, rolling back into the person who was spooning me. I sighed contentedly, feeling one hundred percent comfortable at that moment. The person behind me shifted away from me, calling my name. I snuggled closer, pulling the warm, naked body closer to mine. "Lana, Lana! Are you awake?" I shook my head, uninterested in getting out of this fantastic bed, and I heard a familiar chuckle. I opened my eyes to see Theo propped up behind me on one elbow, clearly relieved. I remembered the amazing sex, and then, oh yeah. I winked at him. "Did you think you'd drained me?" "Oh Lana," Theo pressed his face into my neck, breathing deeply. "I don't know why, but I lose my control with you! You just tear it right away from me." "So it would seem!" I laughed, sitting up, feeling a rush of light headedness. "Whoa." Theo caught me, holding me upright, as he reached for a glass of water. "I am really sorry about that, but you honestly taste amazing. And you feel amazing. Mmmmm," he groaned, rubbing himself against me, "you really do feel amazing." I chuckled, drinking the whole glass at once. Suddenly I had a terrifying thought. "Inga! Is she okay? What's going on? How long has it been?!" I jumped off the couch, looking for my clothing. I slipped on my panties and pulled my dress over my head, forgetting the bra. "It's fine, Lana. They're fine. I think Inga even got a chance to have a nap herself. She told me she's feeling great." "Well I need to go see them. I can't believe I got so distracted!" Theo chuckled and pulled me against his naked body. He was warm and tossled, and I felt my heart clench just a little bit at the comforting feel of his body against mine. He placed a chaste kiss on my lips, then one on my forehead. Then one slightly less chaste on my lips and I pushed away from him. "I see what you're doing, buddy! Don't you even try that with me!" I smiled and pushed past him into the hall, up the stairs to the bathroom where I had left Inga and Lux. I knocked softly and followed the call to come in. "Hey there, how's it going?" Inga looked up and me smiling peacefully, and Lux jumped in. "It's great! We've been doing like you said, breathing and relaxing through the contractions, and we feel wonderful!" I smiled at his enthusiasm, glad to see him open up a little bit and become a part of the process. "Inga, do you think I could give you an exam? I just want to know how close you are to delivering." Inga nodded a moment, concentrated on moving through her contraction, and I grabbed the second of the sterile gloves, pulling it on and waiting for a pause between contractions, at which point I put my hand in the tub, down between her legs to do an exam. "Wow! How are you feeling? It looks to me like you have got to be nine, almost ten centimeters! I got back here just in time! Are you feeling like you need to push at all?" Inga shook her head, and I nodded. "Well, are you comfortable the way you are, or would you prefer to move at all?" "I'd like.... ooooooohhhhhh" She was cut off by a contraction so I waited, massaging the muscles around her shoulders. When the contraction had gone she started again, "I'd like to stand up, but... I'd like to stay in the water." I thought for a moment, then asked, "What about squatting? Can you imagine that feeling good?" Inga nodded, and Lux and I helped her to move into a squatting position. I had him sit in front of her so she could balance on his shoulders, and immediately I heard a change in her breathing. "How does that feel, Inga?" "Ooh, ooh," she looked up at me, scared, "I think I'm pushing!" Lux looked up excitedly, and I smiled at their beaming faces. "Okay, Inga. That's great. You tell me when the next contraction starts, and you go ahead and push right through it. You'll figure it out no problem." Inga dropped her head, already moaning at the start of the contraction. "Alright now, push with it." Her moan stopped, and she began to push in earnest, the muscles in her back and neck gleaming in the low light. "That's right!" I cried, excitedly. Mariella and Theo slipped into the room behind me carrying towels and other supplies. Mariella carried some bags of dark red blood. Inga continued pushing with each contraction, and after fifteen minutes or so I reached down to examine her again. "Wonderful. You're pushing that baby right down the birth canal. Excellent." Lux helped to hold Inga in place, keeping her from getting tired and coaching her to keep pushing. Another ten minutes or so passed, and I put my hand in again, this time to feel the baby's smooth head crowning. "Okay Inga, that's amazing! Now I need you to hold off for a moment, yes I know that sounds impossible. But I need you and Lux to just pant through this next contraction. Your baby is almost here, and I want to do it slowly so you don't tear." Inga nodded dutifully, panting away instead of pushing, and I felt her skin slowly becoming accustomed to the stretch of a baby's head. "That's great. Alright, with the next contraction I want you to give me one solid push, but then hold off again, okay?" Almost immediately Inga began pushing again, and her baby's head came rushing out. I slowed it with my hand, and coached her through the next contraction panting as I checked for the cord around the baby's neck. It was not there, so with the next contraction I let her push one final time and her baby came sliding out into the water. I grabbed the baby, and as Inga sat back down against the side of the tub I handed the baby to her, still underwater. She pulled him up from the water against her chest and began to cry, holding him tightly. Lux leaned over to kiss her and his baby and cried as well, hugging them and laughing. I waited till I heard the baby begin to wail, confused at his sudden change of scenery, before grabbing Theo and Mariella and pulling them out of the room. "Aren't you going to do anything to the baby?" Mariella asked me anxiously. "No, the baby's fine. He's crying and stretching his fingers, responding to his parents--no problems. Let's just give them a moment with their new baby, and we can cut the cord and handle everything else later." I moved to the couch in Inga's big bedroom, relaxing onto it and sighing. There's nothing like birthing a baby to get your adrenaline rushing. "Is that where you were? Going to get extra blood?" I asked, watching Mariella slip the bags of blood into a concealed minifridge. "Yes. It took me longer than I thought I would, but I figured it'd be important once Inga needed replenishing. No point in draining the human, since it seems you're the only one who knows anything at all about healing." She looked over at me then, her eyes piercing. "No need to ask where you were, though, I can smell him all over you." I blushed, uncomfortable under her gaze. "So how can vampires have babies?" I asked, trying to change the subject. "I thought you were immortal, frozen corpses." "No. We can have children, but it turns out to be rather rare. Something that changes family to family, I suspect. Theo and Inga were siblings before they were turned, and their sire is an ancient with more power than a human could even imagine. Lux's line is also very old, very potent. Something with the power in the lines probably made it possible. It has only happened a handful of other times." I stared at Mariella. Was she kidding me? Was I kidding myself? I went in an out of complete acceptance, at times thinking nothing of the fact that these people called themselves vampires and sucked my blood. At other times, though, I couldn't believe myself, so easily going along with it. And having sex with Theo just out of the blue like that! I should have better control over myself. I should be watching myself around these people. "Can you read minds?" I asked, not sure if I wanted to know the answer. "Clear sentences? No. 'What color am I thinking of now?' kind of thing? No. But emotions, yes. I can tell you're confused, scared, and debating running out of this house right now. But on the other hand, you have a serene grace, a sincerity that is keeping you together. So no, I don't know the words in your head, but I can feel your emotions." I shook my head, baffled. Theo walked back into the room, smiling at me lazily. A shiver ran down my spine just looking at his lips so soft beneath that scruff. He sat down beside me on the couch leaning over to whisper, "And we have very attuned senses, too." His soft breath on my ear sent me off again, a feeling like warm gel oozed through my body, puddling between my legs. "For example," he continued, "I can smell just how much my breath on your neck turns you on." I gasped, turning bright red and standing up quickly, knocking him back. "I need to check on that baby," I said determinedly, marching towards the door while Theo and Mariella laughed. I stepped through and sighed at the idyllic picture before me. Inga and Lux were relaxed in the tub, holding the baby between them. Their foreheads were resting gently on each other's, and they were whispering lowly in a language I had never heard before. The baby had settled down, his eyes wide and bright, staring at everything around him. "How's it going, you two?" I asked, kneeling down in front of the tub to see the little baby. "What a beautiful baby you've made." Inga blushed. "Thank you so so much, Lana. I cannot tell you what a huge difference your presence here made." "Well of course. It's not even a question." I smiled at the two of them, my hands clasping each of their shoulders. "Are you still having contractions, Inga?" "Yes--is that okay? Is something wrong?" "No, not at all. It means that your placenta is on it's way out--that's the organ that has been feeding your baby this whole time and is attached to the other end of the umbilical cord. If you don't mind, I'm going to check your uterus to make sure it's contracting the way we'd like, and then help you to push the placenta out, alright?" "Sure, sure. How would you like me to move?" I helped Inga out of the tub and over to the bidet. I wrapped her and the baby in some towels, and felt the cord. It was no longer pulsing, so I looked around for some string to tie it off and scissors to cut it. Lux grinned. "I'm not sure you're going to find scissors strong enough to cut Vampire flesh," he said. "I'll do it with my teeth. That's the way I've heard it being done, anyway." He kissed Inga on the forehead and pulled the umbilical cord to his mouth. The long, sharp teeth extended slowly, and he used one fang to slice right through the cord. As the blood began pouring out, he clamped his mouth down, tonguing the ends to seal them off. ************ My head was throbbing. My forehead hurt--something was wrong. I brought my hand up to my forehead and realized the throbbing was actually my phone vibrating against it. I pushed my eyes open enough to see it was Allison, my employer. I stared at it for a moment as it stopped vibrating and a Missed Call popped up on the screen. I knew there was some reason this was bad, but my brain was staying frighteningly blank. I sat up, rubbed my eyes, and looked into the mirror. What a mess, I thought. I have work today-- FUCK! I grabbed my phone and looked at the time. Dialing Allison frantically I began hopping from one leg to the other trying to get dressed at the same time. Negative Space Ch. 04 "Lanie!" Annie's sweet little voice answered the phone. "Puppy pooped all over the place! What should we do?" "Oh! Annie! It's you. Oh thank god. Is your mother there?" "No. She and Daddy are both gone." "Okay sweetie. I'll be there so quickly, you might even catch me flying. Stay away from the stove, leave Harry's poop for me to clean up, and don't call your mom, okay?" "Okay! Do you have wings?" "Oh, I can't tell you, you know that! You'll just have to keep an eye on the window, see what you can see." "Okay!" Negative Space Ch. 05 "Okay sweetie. I'll be there so quickly, you might even catch me flying. Stay away from the stove, leave Harry's poop for me to clean up, and don't call your mom, okay?" "Okay! Do you have wings?" "Oh, I can't tell you, you know that! You'll just have to keep an eye on the window, see what you can see." "Okay!" I scrambled out of the cab and found Annie sitting on her bed crying. Lyall was running back and forth in her room, flailing her toy truck over his head. It was an hour an a half before everyone got settled in and the dog shit cleaned up. I made the kids promise they wouldn't tell their mother I had been late, and took them to the water park as a thank you treat. Sitting on the bench with their towels and watching them scream, running through the jets of water, I finally let my thoughts drift to the missing hours that came after the failed date I had with Theo. I had gone outside with him when he complained of a headache, and then....I had very few memories after that. My mind seemed to just go blank until I came to my less than enthusiastic wake up this morning. Fuck, I though. Did he date-rape me? I certainly felt like a powerful drug had knocked my entire body out--the achyness of my joints and the way the whole world felt as if it were 2 seconds behind me each time I moved my head was reminiscent of some of my more regrettable experiments in college. I sighed deeply and made a mental note to head to the Planned Parenthood for STI testing, silently thanking my parent's insurance for still covering my birth control. I was taking the kids to their piano lessons a few weeks later, trying to convince Lyall that they could not bring the puppy in to their teacher's apartment. I left the puppy with the obliging doorman, and shepherded all the kids up into the elevator. Ever since that night my body had been feeling better and better, but I couldn't help but feel like I was missing something. The clinic had called and told me I was clean as a whistle, so nothing to worry about there, but I couldn't help but continue to be unsettled by those absent hours. Even more than that, I felt like I was being watched. My comfortable anonymity in the city had disappeared, and now I felt like people were noticing me everywhere I went, making eye contact with me, and reappearing disturbingly frequently around my house. I'm just getting to know the neighborhood, I told myself, but I had never been a very good liar. These people didn't look like the people who lived near me. They were tall, gorgeous, and they seemed to shimmer under the streetlamps. It wasn't something you could really pin down, but the light seemed to move about them like they were surrounded by tiny mirrors or prisms, or perhaps as if they themselves were a prism, bending the light around their bodies instead of it reflecting off them. Ellen knocked politely on the door and it swept open silently, letting a puff of incense out. It was a trial every week at piano lessons--the kids were more interested in the teacher than the piano. Her name was Anya. She always kept the blinds shut and used low dim lamps scattered about the one room apartment. Most of the space was taken up by her piano, and the rest by her bed. She had pillows everywhere, dried flowers, framed photographs of herself with various famous musicians and actors, and scented candles. She acted like an old woman, but had the face of a goddess, soft, sweet, and keen. Her temper often flared up and her goddess-ness truly came out then, her face becoming hard and smooth, her eyes fiery and focused. She reminded me of Hera, Zeus' ever-vengeful wife in Roman mythology. Usually she would sweep us all into the apartment in a puff of smoke and the tails of her kimono sleeves, but this time she stopped and looked at me. We made continuous eye contact for about 20 seconds before she looked away, smiling and the children and ushering us in. I was quite unsettled. What was it about people and making eye contact with me these days? Never before had she really even bothered to acknowledge me except for when I handed her the check. I settled on the stiff oriental carpet with the children as they got up one by one to have their lessons at the baby grand piano. After all three had plunked their way through the songs they had practiced, she turned to me. "Lana, my dear. I say there is something we need to discuss about my upcoming vacation. I trust you will be able to relay this information to your employer?" I nodded, curious and nervous. She took me by my elbow to the corner of the room while the children fought over the stuffed animal Annie had brought with. Anya looked straight into my eyes and whispered, "Who was it?" I had no idea what she meant, and pulled my arm out of her grasp, shaking my head an furrowing my brow. "Who was what?" "Who marked you?" She asked, leaning closer to me as her eyes began to shine. "Honestly, I don't know what you're talking about, Anya. Marked me? What does that mean?" "Are you kidding me girl? You still reek of him, whomever it was. And look--" she reached out and yanked down my shirt collar. She moved so I had a clear view of myself in the mirror over her bureau. "Look at that brand--clear as day." There, above where her cool fingers pressed into my collarbone, were two faint scars. Two milky white half circles about an inch and a half apart. "I--I've never seen those before." I leaned closer to the mirror, touching them gingerly. "You've got to be joking. You can't get marked like that without knowing the person intimately. I mean, you belong to whomever it is now. They can feel you at all times." "What on earth are you talking about? I'm sorry Anya, but you're not making any sense. And I believe I have to go." "Okay, well just tell me this. Have you had any blackouts recently? Any missing hours or days?" "Well--I--" "How long was it?" She asked immediately, not even waiting for me to fabricate some sort of a lie. "From about 8:30 the other night until 8 the next morning." Anya nodded, opening her mouth to keep speaking, but suddenly Annie was crying, and it was time to go. I gathered up the kids belongings and was about to leave when Anya caught my arm again. "We need to talk more. When do you get off work?" "Uh--at 7. Why do we need to talk?" She released my arm and opened the door for us. The kids immediately bounded through and over toward the elevator. "I'll meet you outside their apartment when you get off," Anya whispered, and shut the door behind me. Absolutely confused I hopped into the elevator, quickly plastering a smile on my face and complimenting the children on how well they had behaved. That evening as I left their apartment, Anya was standing across the street waiting for me as promised. I walked over to meet her, confused, slightly annoyed at the secrecy of this whole mystery, but deeply curious nonetheless. How had I not noticed those scars on my neck? Where did they come from? And how had Anya known they were there? She took me down the block and into an air conditioned cafe, saying nothing the whole time. When we were settled she finally looked at me, her eyes narrowed and her lips pressed together. "So tell me, Lana, do you know what Vampires are?" I laughed. "What on earth are you talking about? You mean like Dracula? Sure. Of course." "Well, you've been bitten by one. But not only that, you've been marked by one." I shook my head. Enough is enough, I thought. "This is getting ridiculous, Anya. What are you talking about?" "Okay, so tell me about these missing hours of yours. What were you doing before you blacked out?" "Well, I was on my day off, and I went to a cafe to meet a friend. We went outside cause he had a headache, and... well, that's when it goes black." "A 'friend'? How well do you really know this person?" She arched her eyebrows and smirked. I sighed. No reason to be vague with her, I was as curious as she was about those missing hours. "Well not at all, really. I'd met him on the subway and he asked me out. I couldn't help but accept." "Do you know his name?" she asked, sipping on her water. "Theodore Wagner." I replied without pause. Her face contorted and she choked, almost spitting water all over me. Composing herself she leaned forward, incredulous. "Theodore Wagner? Are you shitting me?" I had never seen Anya so...un-elegant. She absolutely did not believe me. I nodded, worried about what that meant. "Tell me what he looks like, then." "Well, he's tall, with brown wavy hair, scruffy look, and wears suits and leather boots." "That could be anybody," Anya said, huffing, but I could tell that she knew I wasn't lying. "Why is that such a big deal?" I asked. "What? That you were marked by His Majesty the Prince of New York?" "The Prince? I didn't realize there was royalty in the US." "Not in your US, for sure. But in ours..." she trailed off, thinking hard. "Look, if that's true, then you need to confront him. You've been marked by the Prince--you're going to be a target for all sorts of things. Kidnapping, media, privacy intrusion--everyone is going to want a piece of the Prince's new gal, especially if he just marked you and wiped you clean, like it seems like he did." "Wait. Anya. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT VAMPIRES. I don't know what you think you're on about, but it doesn't make any sense. Not only that, but I have no way of contacting him. I don't even know where he lives. I met him on the subway, for goodness sake!" "Well that's easy enough to solve," Anya said, leaning forward and grabbing the back of my neck with her hand. She pulled my head forward and leaned into my neck, letting her teeth graze the two pale white scars she had pointed out earlier that day. She did it so fast I didn't even move, but the speed did not stop me from experiencing a rush of adrenaline and attraction so immediate I began to tingle all through my body. I reared back away from her, clasping my hand over the burning skin of my neck. "What was that for?" I gasped, trying to hold myself together. Anya smiled, baring two long, sharp fangs that I had not seen before. "He'll come now, whoever he is. No vampire can resist that challenge to their property." "Property?" I shook my head and began to gather my bags together, ready to be done with this craziness when Anya suddenly stiffened. I turned around to look at the door, and there he was, glaring cruelly. Theo walked up to us, set his hands down heavily on the table and leaned forward towards Anya. "Just what do you think you're doing?" His face had none of the charm I had seen on it when we first met--instead it was fierce, thudding with blood, red and violent looking. I could see fangs, just like Anya's, hanging out from behind his lips which were pulled back in a snarl. His voice had been soft and musky before, but now it was hard and un-human. Anya looked back up at him bravely. "Just checking to see if you were still around, your Highness." Theodore reached forward with one hand and grabbed her face, squeezing her cheeks like an insolent puppy. "Do you dare confront me like that, child?" Anya's eyes burned with anger, but she made no move to respond to him. "Theo, what do you think you're doing?" I cried out. "Stop this at once!" Theo turned to look at me for the first time. "Ugh. You. You cause nothing but problems. First you push yourself into my personal life, then you become some sort of phenomenon and now it's all I can do to keep them off your doorstep. You should be thanking me, not allowing others to defile you." "Excuse me, Theo. I have no idea what is going on here. Last thing I remember is meeting you at the cafe, but ever since then I haven't seen you once. You're talking about your personal life, and phenomena, and my doorstep--I don't think you even know where I live! In fact, I hope you don't. So please. Either sit down, let go of Anya, and explain yourself, or leave the restaurant immediately. You are upsetting the other guests." Theo closed his eyes, dropped his hand from Anya's face, and sighed. He pinched the bridge of his nose, and I scooted over in the booth to give him space to sit down. I took his hand from his face and held it in my lap, massaging it. I gently kneaded the muscles between his bones, pressing into various pressure points just enough to elicit another sigh from Theo. Anya stared at me wide-eyed, absentmindedly rubbing her jaw. Theo leaned his head back on the wall behind him and began talking again, eyes closed and hands limp in my lap. "The thing is, after you birthed my sister's baby, word got out. It has been years since we've had a healer we could trust. And since we trusted you, everyone wants to trust you." I still had no idea what was going on and began to say as much, but Theo just placed his hands on each of my temples. The restaurant around me faded and I found myself watching Theo and a distant version of me leaving the cafe. I watched the whole evening in a blur of motion, the labor, the birth, the clean up, even having sex with him. Afterwards, I saw him come to my face, place his hands like he was doing now, and wipe my memory. I tore my head away from his hands and the room materialized around me once again. "How dare you take my memory from me? You ass. You act like I'm owed to you, like I belong to you, and you treat Anya like shit just because she was kind enough to try to help me figure out what the fuck is going on with me. Jesus Christ. You fucker. Whatever you did to mark me, I want you to take it back. NOW." Anya and Theo stared at me. I had the impression I'd done something so beyond acceptable no one even knew how to respond. "You want me to rescind my protection over you?" "Yes. You had no permission to do so." "Lana, if I take back my mark, any old vampire can come and take you. Right now you have a very powerful family behind you. But since you're associated with us, and if I take back my mark, I'll be hanging you out to dry. Everyone will want a piece of you, and everyone will try to use you for leverage with us. We're royalty, Lana. We're more powerful than you can even imagine." I thought for a moment. I was incensed by Theo's use of me. He had sex with me, used me to care for his sister, then marked me as his personal property and cleared my memory. Without another thought he dumped me back in my shit apartment and left me there to play babysitter once more. Just thinking about it made me furious, but I leaned my head over into my hands, and began a meditation to calm myself down. As my anger cooled I began to search for its source. Was I really angry because he had sex with me and dumped me? That wasn't it. I took a few more deep breaths and pushed myself to be honest. In truth, I realized, I was angry because he had left me back in my old world of nannying and scrambling for rent. After such an invigorating evening with vampires of all things, I didn't want to go back to "normal". I was thrilled by finally having a purpose. I made up my mind. "Ok Theo," I said as I looked up at him and Anya again. They were both still totally quiet and staring at me intently. "I will stay under your mark. But only if you do the following things: you must promise me no jealousy, so if I want to do anything, with any other person, human or vampire alike, you will not freak out and kill them. In addition to that, you must take me back to be your healer, and let me see others who need help. And, you can never wipe my memory again." Theo shook his head. "Lana, you don't want to get involved in this life. Go back to your human life and take comfort in knowing that I will always keep you safe, if only from a distance." "No. Either you bring me in all the way, or you leave me be. I will not be left knowing that vampires exist, knowing that they are out there, and knowing that I am missing out. That is my only and final offer." Theo stared at me for a moment, and I felt like I could feel him in my mind. It wasn't necessarily painful, but it was definitely an uncomfortable feeling, as if someone was peeling back layers of my memory and taking up all the extra space in my head. I didn't back down though, and stared straight at him, while trying to use my rusty meditation techniques to keep him out. I took a deep breath, cleared my mind, and closed the lid to my memories, envisioning locking a huge old padlock to keep him out. I placed my mind in a desert, hot, dry, and empty, with nothing but mountains in the distance and hard packed earth beneath me. Theo grimaced and looked away. "Ugh. How did you do that?" He asked, shaking his head. "That hurt." "I'm sorry, but like I said, even though I bare your mark, I am my own being. You do not own me, and you have no right to be going through my memories." Theo smiled then. "You are so unbelievably stubborn. It's cute. But I still don't understand how you even knew that I was in there. Humans usually have no idea." He was silent for a moment and then turned back to me. "Alright. You may be our healer. I can see that you will not back down. But if you get killed, I hold no responsibility. It's your life and you can throw it away if you'd like." He stood up, nodding and Anya and turning to me. "Go home and pack up your belongings. Get ready to leave your life. You will disappear. You will not be able to return. Think long and hard about this. It is a permanent decision you are making. If you are still willing, I will pick you up from your apartment tomorrow night." He turned and walked out, leaving the restaurant suddenly silent. Anya looked like her eyes were about to drop out of her head. "YOU? You're the one who attended the princess' birth?" I shrugged, "I guess so. I mean, you know as much about it as me, I suppose." "But they said she was a great healer! Some sort of all-knowing mage!" I laughed. "Well, I don't know who was saying what, but I've been around enough births to know how to handle an uncomplicated homebirth, even if it's with vampires." "If you know all of that, why on earth are you a nanny?" "Oh, god. I just--" I was silent for a moment. This is what everyone wanted to know when they found out that I graduated from med school with honors and a place in one of the most prestigious residencies available. "I just couldn't do it anymore. You know? There's a while that it's exciting to hold all that control, and that's what we're taught, to enjoy the control we hold over others, to exercise our god-like powers with caution and reverence. But I got sick of the people around me who constantly abused their abilities. People who talked shit about patients while they were operating on them, or claimed that certain policies existed just so that they wouldn't have to go out of their way to help a patient. Doctors who coerced some patients and ignored others. And to add to that I had a cheating fiance, pressuring parents, and no free time. I was just done with that life. I resigned my residency, moved to New York, and got the first job I could. I was just waiting for something to make more sense than that hospital world, and now.....now I think I've found it." Anya was quiet, and for the first time since I had made that decision, she nodded. No one had every heard my spiel without telling me that I was making a mistake. "Yes, I can see that. When I was turned, many years ago, it was because I thought I was in love. I was wrong, of course, and my Sire disappeared immediately after he turned me, but I turned the need and desire I had felt for him towards vampirism as a whole. I devoted myself to finding a community, making my place in the world. It felt amazing not to be held back by what was assumed of me--in the 1800s no woman could do anything for herself. This way I knew I was powerful, and I knew I could do whatever I wanted to. It was the best decision I ever made." Negative Space Ch. 05 Anya's story was surprising. It was sort of like the first time you realize that your grandparents were once children too--bizarre to think that someone so aloof and impenetrable had an origin, and at that start that person had not been as strong or invincible as she now seemed. She smiled and grabbed my hand. "Now you're changing my life even further. Who knew that today I would sit at the same table as the Prince? Who could have guessed I would have seen him stared down by a human? Bowed to a human's will? I love it." She grinned now, and squeezed my hand. I began to giggle, the tension breaking so quickly I was overwhelmed with laughter. The two of us laughed until we cried, heaving breaths and collapsing into our seats. ********** I returned to my apartment and began to take stock. Of all this stuff, what was important? What would I need? I quickly packed up a small bag of clothing, my scrubs, my lab coat, and my other medical supplies. Speculum, stethoscope, extra box of gloves, fetascope, and so on. I packed up my medical books, my computer, my journals, and my photo albums. No television, no telephone. Did I need bedding? Should I bring towels? The hugeness of my decision suddenly hit me. I knew it was what I had to do, but how would it feel never to go back home to my parent's house again? Never getting to talk to Eliana again? They would all think I was dead--did I want that? They would think I had been kidnapped, raped, killed, who knows. They'd probably think I had it coming for moving to such a sketchy neighborhood so far from all the luxuries I'd had laid at my feet my whole life. Did I have the strength to let them think the worst? I called up Eliana and just chatted with her about her new boyfriend, her job, Tom, and a new guy I mentioned that I'd met. "Oh my god, Lana! What does he look like? Did you fuck him? What was it like? How'd you meet him? Oh oh tell me everything!" I laughed. Eliana was just what I needed when I wanted to giggle about nothing and act like a fool. "Oh, let me tell you. It. Was. Fucking. Unbelievable. I have never come so hard in my life! You have no idea the things he did to me." "Is he cute?!" "Oh my god he is beautiful. He's got brown wavy hair, scruffy beard, you know my type. He looks like he should be a model. And he's rich, too!" We gossiped for an hour before she had to go. Before she got off the phone I told her I loved her, and missed her. She was silent a moment. "Do you think you'll come back soon Lana? I miss you too. It's really hard doing all this on my own without my best friend." "Oh Elie, I miss you so much. I hope so. I really do. Now go, I'm sure you've got way too much work to be sitting here and giggling with me." "I do, it's true. Okay. Well be safe, dearest. I love you too!" After I got off the phone I laid back on my bed. It was hard to know that was the last time I'd talk to her. But I was ready. I set back to packing, and called my parents and Tom to say good bye. They all seemed surprised that I called, and did their best to pressure me into coming back. I told them I loved them and got off the phone. The next day I spent clearing out my bank account, leaving my roommates checks for rent and utilities, and settling as much debt as I could. Even though it was my day off I went around to the kids' house. Allison, their mother, opened the door, surprised. "Can I help you Lana?" She asked. Always one to make others feel right at home I thought, and chuckled. "Yes, I have some presents for the kids. Can I come in to see them?" "Alright, but we're leaving for lessons in half an hour." She stepped out of the way and I found the kids in the living room. I doled out the presents--my favorite books went to Ellen, my fancy watch went to Lyall, and my beloved childhood dolls went to Annie. I hugged them tightly, and explained that I wasn't going to be coming back anymore. When I turned around I saw Allison staring at me. "Is there something you'd like to tell me Lana?" She asked. "Yes. I quit. You cannot treat employees the way that you have treated me, no matter your class difference. Just so you know, my mother is a congresswoman, my father a lawyer, and I am an MD. Not that it matters, but since you never bothered to ask, I thought you would like to know. Also, your children accidentally call me Mom sometimes. I would encourage you to try spending more time with them if you really want to know them or be part of their lives. *********** Negative Space Ch. 06 That night I waited, impatiently, alternately sitting on my bed and pacing my tiny room. Eventually, after darkness had settled through the apartment, the shrill bell rang. I rushed to the intercom and buzzed Theo in. He came up, his nose wrinkled slightly. "How on earth could you live here?" He asked. "Oh, just shut up and help me move," I said, but he grabbed my hand and pulled me to him. He tucked his nose into the crook of my neck, and inhaled deeply. He groaned. I groaned--the rush of air and his electric touch had my head swirling and my whole body tightening and pulsing. I collapsed forward onto him, grabbing tightly onto his shoulders, and he carried me without effort into my bedroom. He set me on the edge of my bed and kneeled between my legs. He pushed up my sundress and began licking the sweat from the back of my knees, slowly kissing and licking his way up the inside of my bare thighs. I shuddered and lay backward on the bed, breathing heavily. The sensations his tongue was causing in me made me lose track of up and down, gravity and physics. I was floating, flipping, flying--his teeth grazed my cotton undies and I gasped. He licked around my undies and up to my hip bones, gently biting and sucking. He pulled my dress up even farther, and then all the way off. He unclipped my bra and leaned over me, sucking and licking my nipples. He moved to my neck, sending showers of stars straight down to my pussy, and I pulled his lips to mine. His lips tasted sweet, their coolness refreshing in the sticky heat of my apartment. I sucked on his lips, pushing my tounge into his mouth and pressing all my desire into this kiss. He groaned and leaned his forehead into mine, panting slightly. "You taste so good, Lana." He dove in to kiss me deeply, before pulling away again, and making his way back down my body. I lifted my hips slightly, and he pulled my undies down and off. His cool breath on my pussy lips shocked me, and I jerked my hips back. He gently opened my legs, leaning forward to delicately lick my lips, sending electricity through my whole body. He pressed his tongue into the fold between my lips, carefully avoiding my clit. I began to moan as he started to fuck my pussy with his tongue, licking down to my asshole and back up again, licking the sensitive skin around my clit, above it, and right below it. My orgasm was building steadily, curling and uncurling in my abdomen. Suddenly he clamped down his lips on my clit and I screamed--the sensation was so intense. He pushed his fingers into my pussy and began fucking my hard. He was deep within me, touching everywhere my other lovers had never bothered to. I still hadn't come, and was panting with desire and need, but Theo wouldn't push me over yet. He was stretching and curling his fingers and sucking on my clit. Just when I thought I would die from the feelings, he slipped an extra finger into my asshole. I gasped, and immediately my orgasm crashed over me as I felt his fingers in my pussy and my ass. He sunk his teeth into my thigh, drinking my blood and sending a huge surge of orgasms through me again--I hadn't known I could come that much and that hard. He kept fucking my until I had to actually pull his hand out of me, panting and laughing. "Oh my god, Theo," I breathed, when I finally stopped shivering. He crawled up to me and lay down on his side, his head propped up on his hand. He licked the blood off his lips, almost feline in his contentedness. He leaned forward to kiss me and I tasted my own coppery blood on his lips, but somehow it didn't turn me off. His clear desire for my blood turned me on--it made it all much more attractive to me. "Shall we get going then?" He murmured into my ear. "Although I delight in you, I cannot stand the stench of this apartment building. Come to my home." When we finally got downstairs and out onto the street there was a sleek back limo waiting, and several suspiciously perfect people standing around reading newspapers and pushing baby carriages. The front door opened and a man in an impeccable black suit stepped forward to take my bags. Theo opened the door for me and I got in, overwhelmed by the service. "You certainly have quite a following," I said as we settled in. "You can't expect me to march around New York City without bodyguards." "What about when we met? You seemed alone then." "Not the first few times. I am almost always followed by at least 3 guards. After that, though, we met alone. I told them to stay at home. You were too ...interesting to share with others." "Why are you so special that you get bodyguards? I guess you're some sort of prince, but how does that work?" "Well, I'm the prince of New York. That means that I have a cabinet, advisers, and I will one day become King. Although for all intents and purposes I am the sole ruler, my Sire is still the official King. Vampires don't ever get old, and never die except through violence or sunlight, but my Sire is, essentially, getting old. He's too tired of existence, too frustrated by the infidelities of his staff. Currently he is on vacation." "How long has he been on vacation?" I asked, knowing for some reason that it was a significant amount of time. "Seventy years." "And you have been ruling all that time?" Theo nodded. "So how old are you?" I asked. Theo looked at me and smiled. "Five hundred and forty five years old." "Oh man. You old fogey. So you were born in..." I struggled to do the math, while he quietly laughed at me. "1466? Jesus. Well, how do you like the New World?" "It certainly has changed quite a bit in my time. My Sire came here in the early 1500s, looking for a little piece and quiet, and took possession of most of the east coast, from New York down through Virginia. Later, as more of our kind came over, he began to have to fight more and more to keep his property. By the 1780s the International Coalition on Justice came to a conclusion about the states, deciding that each state would be ruled by its own leader, as if each were its own country. This way they could have more control over the country as a whole--no vampire could become too powerful for them to crush and replace. My Sire, Prometheus, was uninterested in being squashed, so he appointed his own rulers to the kingdoms of each state he had control over, and created an alliance between them. For many years it was all those rulers needed to be content with their power allotment, but soon, as always, they began to argue that he held too heavy a hand over them, even though in the eyes of the Coalition he had no more power than the other State Kings or Queens. I had come over in the the late 1700s and was acting as his leading adviser by the late 1800s, and ended up doling out my fare share of punishment upon the Kings and Queens of the other states in his alliance. It was enough to make me hated and feared, so when my Sire announced his desire to go on "vacation," he chose me as his prince with very little argument from the others. When he dies, or if he officially passes his Kingdom on to me, I will be King of New York, and head of the Eastern Seaboard Alliance." I thought about this for a moment. "So, I bagged myself a hotshot, you're saying?" Theo laughed out loud. "See, Lana, this is why I marked you. I can't stay away from you. You're just something beyond me. Hilarious, snarky, stubborn, and you have absolutely no respect for my title. When you yelled at me in the park the other day it was the first time anyone, my family included, had talked to me in hundreds of years. It's absolutely refreshing." "Well, like any self-absorbed celebrity, you need to be taken down a level or two, and you know it. So that's why I'm here to help." Theo laughed more, wrapping his arms around me and kissing my face. "Speaking of me being here to help--I want to start work as soon as possible. Do you have a way to contact all the people who needed a healer? I may not know much about vampires, but I'm a fast learner, and I don't want to be living off your wealth and name without holding my own in some way." "Absolutely. I'll put out a notice that we have a healer available for treatment, set you up in one of my offices, and you'll be in business, no problem. Do you need anything in particular?" "You mean like supplies? Yeah, I'll need a lot of them, but I'm not sure yet what sort of issues I'll be addressing. Are there any other healers around I could talk to?" "Not around here--the last one died in 1895, and we've sent people to Europe occasionally to train from the few left there, but they are loath to share their secrets. That's why we've been without for so long. Most of the healers that are left are from the same inbred family of humans who've extended their lives through magic for as long as they possibly can." "Well, until I know what I'll need I guess I should just ask for the basics. I'll write you a list, and I should probably have a nurse or two--do you have any employees or subjects who are trained in medicine?" "A few. I'll talk to them and see if they'd like to work with you. I don't think they'll take kindly to a human claiming to be a healer, even if I back you. It would be humiliating for them to have to take orders from you." I was about to start in on how idiotic that was, but the car pulled up at a beautiful, old Upper West Side apartment building. As I stepped out of the limo I gasped at the live flames in the ornate lanterns that hung on either side of the door. "Aren't you being a little obvious?" I asked, pointing to the elaborate Gothic carvings and gargoyles all over the building and the immense, mysterious men standing at each door. Theo laughed and marched ahead of me into a door that had been opened for him. "I didn't build this building, I just bought it from a human family in the steel business back in the day. You should see the houses my colleagues on the Coalition have over in Germany and Poland. Those are three times as old as this one, and much more Dracula-esque. At least this building has electricity and heat!" Theo whispered to a manservant in another language and grabbed my hand. "Let me show you the house!" For the next few hours I felt a bit like a fairy tale beggar who just found out she was a princess. There was gold and velvet everywhere. The room Theo had set up for me was small, but perfect. There was a balcony that looked over Central Park, a canopy bed, a private bath, a desk and a dresser. There was a living room, a parlor, a kitchen and many bathrooms on each floor, not to mention a beautiful conservatory in the courtyard. Theo grew plants of all types in the conservatory, after which he would go for a dive in his private pool. I knew this was what royalty was like, but somehow it still shocked me. So much opulence! At around midnight I finally started yawning. "Theo," I said, "I have to go to sleep. I'm not nocturnal, even though playing house here with you is immensely enjoyable." "Oh, come come, don't sleep just yet. There's much to be done! Don't you want to see your office?" Theo wrapped his arms around me from behind and kissed me face. "Besides, you're going to have to get nocturnal fast! How do you expect to treat people while you're asleep?" "Alright. Fine. But you'll have to order your brilliant chefs to make me up a cup of coffee to beat all others, cause I'm exhausted. You certainly wear a girl out!" After some delicious coffee and another drink I could not identify--Theo said it was for keeping my blood count up--Theo and I headed out the door. "It feels weird to be up and doing things while everyone else is asleep," I said, looking at the empty street. "Asleep? Not hardly. This is the city that never sleeps. There have got to be thousands of people in just these couple blocks, who are all awake, fucking, watching TV, futzing on their computer, anything but sleep. You will quickly find that vampires are hardly unusual in that characteristic." Theo led me down the block and turned down a cross street, bringing me to a brightly lit office building. I had always wondered who worked after 5pm, but clearly there was a large contingent of the working population that worked all night long. He brought me into the lobby, and walked up to the front desk. The woman behind it almost choked when she saw him, standing up hurriedly and bowing to him. "Your Majesty. How may I help you, sir?" "Ah, yes, what is your name?" "My, my name, sir? Uh--" The poor woman looked like she had forgotten her own name, she was so surprised. She looked back and forth between us frantically, and I smiled gently. I stepped forward and extended my hand. She responded in kind out of terror, rather than politeness. "My name is Lana Crane. I believe an office is being set up for my medical practice in this building, am I right?" It was just enough for the woman to regain a sense of what her job was supposed to be. "Oh yes, Ms. Crane. Absolutely. My name is Megan Addy. I'm your receptionist." She scrambled frantically in one of her drawers, pulling out a huge set of keys. She flipped through and pulled off one that was seemingly identical to all the others. "Here is your key, and if you take the elevators to your right up to the ninth floor, you'll find your office is 9D." She handed me the key and bowed erratically to the both of us, clearly unsure of whether or not to be bowing to me as well as the Prince. I smiled and waved, getting into the elevator behind Theo. "Level nine." Theo said to the elevator operator who bowed and mumbled, "Yes, Your Majesty," before closing the doors and pressing the button that displayed a 9. When we got to the floor I walked straight to the door with a big 9D emblazoned on it, and unlocked it. When I stepped inside I gasped. The hallway lead straight to a beautiful waiting room with one wall made up of only windows looking over downtown and Central Park. The city's nightscape was breathtaking to behold. Next to the waiting room was a dusty but passable office, a receptionist desk, and another hallway. Down that hallway were various empty rooms that Theo told me could be outfitted in anyway I desired. Immediately I began listing things that I needed and wanted, and Theo snapped his fingers. I stared at him blankly, but suddenly a woman appeared, her long black hair barely moved by the breeze of her apparition. "Do you guys really just appear whenever you want to? Is it magic?" I asked, amazed by her appearance. Theo laughed out loud, and the woman's lips twitched suspiciously, but she remained silent. "No, we don't appear. It's just that your human eyes cannot catch the movement of a vampire's natural speed. In fact, vampires have to go out of their way to train themselves to move as glacially slowly as humans do in order to blend in. So she just walked here, but at a speed that is natural to us." "Well, why is she here then?" Before I had even finished asking, she pulled out a clipboard, and curtsied to Theo, who nodded. "Ma'am, my name is Sandra. If you'd like, I'll be your personal assistant. In fact, if you'd like to continue dictating, I'll have all these items in place as soon as possible." "Oh, well, nice to meet you Sandra. Thank you. In fact, I think for the time being we could really use some exam chairs in here. Let's see, we have five rooms back here..." I talked a few minutes before Theo stopped me. "Dearest, I have some business to tend to--can I leave you here with Sandra to get things set up? I'll be back before you know it." "Oh, certainly. No need to come back though, Theo, I know how to get back to the house." "Well, I'm not sure I want you walking around at night by yourself--" Theo cut off when he saw the glare I sent him. "Either way, I'd love to walk back with you. I'll be up on the 14th floor. Let me know if you have a problem." I walked through the whole office with Sandra, telling her what I needed, occasionally asking her advice. She always knew exactly what I needed or what I couldn't think of. I was amazed by her perceptiveness and told her so. It caught her entirely off guard, and for once she didn't have a smooth answer. "Well, thank you, Dr. Crane. It is a job I enjoy doing." "I can imagine. I'm really excited to get to work with someone who knows so well what she's doing. Do you think you'll continue to be my assistant even when the office is up and running?" "I'd like to, ma'am." She answered. Her smooth exterior deteriorated just a little bit and she offered up an honest and warm smile. "It has been a long time since an employer talked to me like an equal. Although I'm not sure I deserve it, Dr. Crane, I certainly appreciate it." I grinned and grabbed her hand. "Of course you deserve it Sandra. And please, call me Lana." Over the next hour or so, Sandra and I became good friends. There was something about her long black hair and serious, long face that made me trust her immediately. Like all the other vampire I had met, Sandra was pristinely beautiful, but she had a wholesomeness to her that I hadn't seen anywhere else. Most of the other vampires oozed sex and seduction, but she just seemed like a hardworking, quite young woman. Not to mention that every time she opened her mouth it became clearer that she was absolutely brilliant. The next day I woke around 2pm, shocked and slightly embarrassed to have slept in so late. We hadn't gone to bed until dawn, but still, I should have been up before then. I hurried to pull some clothes on and rushed out the door of my bedroom. I saw no one as I walked to find the kitchen on my floor, and found no one when I went down to the next floor. I couldn't remember where Theo had said his room was, but I looked all over until I got to the ground floor and found an elderly butler carefully folding napkins in the grand dining room. "Good afternoon, sir," I called out, and the butler jump. "Excuse me, ma'am, I was not aware that anyone else was awake! Can I bring you a meal?" "Awake? It's two in the afternoon! Where is everyone? Where is Theo?" The butler smiled. "His majesty is currently in his bed. As for the others, I expect they are as well." "Is everyone in this building a vampire?" "Indeed, I'd say all but a few of us are. If you'd like, I can point you to his majesty's room?" "Sir, can I ask you a question?" "Of course, madam." "I'm sorry--I don't even know your name. My name is Lana." "Yes, Dr. Crane, I know. My name is Stevens." "Well, Stevens, forgive me for seeming like an idiot, but I could swear I've interacted with vampires during the daytime. Am I just crazy?" "Surely not, Dr. Crane. The lord of this house, and those of his type, do indeed wake during the sunlight hours. Not often of course--they've got to sleep sometime--but not impossible. Sunlight will burn their flesh, but a heavy curtain and some sturdy walls are all that's needed to keep that at bay." "Oh, of course." I felt like an idiot. I should have noticed that Anya kept the windows in her one-room apartment heavily draped, despite the heat. "I'm sorry to bother you more, but I would, in fact, like to be shown to Theo's room, if that'd be alright?" "Certainly. Please follow me." The butler marched ahead of me, leading me down the hall. He was a little man with silver, pristinely coiffed hair, and his every movement was sharp and crisp. He brought me to the back of the house where he opened up a door I hadn't noticed the day before, and showed me an elevator. "It'll be the 7th floor, ma'am." "Thank you so much, Stevens. I'll see you at dinner?" "Breakfast, ma'am," he said, smiling and nodding, as I closed the door and pressed the button for the 7th floor. The elevator beeped and the doors opened right into a large, extremely dark bedroom. I padded barefoot across the plush rug and came to the softly breathing body of Theo. In the gleam from a few nightlights I could see his bare chest rising and falling, his toned abdomen, and the soft curls of hair where the sheet covered his lower half. His hair was tossled and he had one arm thrown over his face. His skin was smooth, flawless, and I could smell the warm, sweet odor that comes from sleeping bodies. I sat down gently on the edge of the bed and let my fingers trace along the indent between his lungs and down to his belly button. He didn't move. I carefully peeled back the sheet covering his body and leaned over his soft, flaccid penis. There is something incredibly endearing and vulnerable about a flaccid penis, I thought. I breathed in his musk, and without disturbing him, got close enough to put my warm, wet mouth over his penis. Immediately he shifted, and moaned, but didn't startle or wake. I sucked more of it into my mouth, running my tongue up and down the shaft as I felt it begin to harden and grow. I let my mouth get wetter and looser as I bobbed up and down on his quickly stiffening dick. Theo groaned now, shifting his weight and sitting up on his elbows. Negative Space Ch. 06 "You're lucky I didn't try to kill you for waking me up unannounced," he panted, and I laughed around the cock in my mouth. I took that moment to push it as far deep into my throat as I could without gagging, pressing my nose into his hard abdomen, and swallowing deeply to keep him there. He gasped loudly and let himself fall back onto the bed so he could grab my head with both hands. "Oh, Lana, that feels incredible!" He cried, and I quickened my pace, feeling the gathering wetness between my pussylips as I shifted my weight. I sucked and licked and nibbled and kissed his cock while he writhed and moaned, calling out my name. It felt like he was getting close, so I lifted my mouth of and sucked each of his balls into my mouth instead. I continued to touch his dick with my hand while swirling his balls around in my mouth with my tonge. "Oh my god, Lana-- Lana I'm going to come!" He shouted, sitting up quickly, and taking over, stroking his dick furiously until he exploded all over my face, groaning and gasping for breath. "Oh, fuck." He mumbled, collapsing backward again. "That was incredible." "Are you done so soon?" I asked, pulling his dick into my mouth again. He cried out, grabbing my head and trying to pull me off as I continued to suck his sensitive cock. I was getting more and more exited, loving the power I had over him. It didn't take much to get him hard and ready for me, and I tore off my pants and crawled over him. He held up his dick and lined it up with my pussy, and I sunk down slowly on it, feeling his huge dick filling me inch by inch. Now it was my turn to call out, and I grabbed his shoulders and squeezed as my hips finally landed on his. "Oh god Theo, that feels so fucking good. I love having you inside me." I began to pump up and down on top of him, putting all my weight on his chest. He barely seemed to mind--his eyes were rolling back in his head and he was murmuring words in languages I didn't even know existed. I shuddered as he shifted and suddenly began to hit a spot deep within me that gave me a completely new sensation. It vibrated up through my body and I closed my eyes as I felt my pussy begin to clamp down. Each thrust brought me closer to coming, but it wasn't until he pulled my head down, kissing my face and neck, and sunk his teeth into my vein. The sensations double, flying through my body and shorting all the circuits in my brain. I gasped once as I felt my blood draining into his mouth, and then I collapsed on him. He gently tounged closed the two small punctures, and I rolled off him. He leaned over and nuzzled my face with his nose. "You awake, Lana?" "Mmmmmm, yessir." My eyes were closed and I snuggled closer into him. "Uh huh, sure," he said, but he grabbed the sheet and pulled it over both of us, quickly falling asleep again. *********** Negative Space Ch. 07 Over the next few weeks I lived in a dream. Although I technically still had my own room I woke up each night in Theo's bed, ate a professionally prepared breakfast, and walked down the street to my office. There I met up with Sandra, and we spent all night planning, ordering supplies, organizing, and putting together my practice. I had never worked with someone so accomplished, and I had never worked with such an endless stream of money to back me up. When the exam tables arrived only a week after I had ordered them, I was amazed. A little money and a little power can make miracles happen. Sandra even got me a few young vampires who had trained as nurses within the past 20 years, and I'd weeded through them till I found one who really knew what he was doing. Nurse Elliott was a medium sized, sturdy man with a mouth like a pirate but an amazing eye for detail and healing. I met with him twice before deciding to hire him, since I was nervous his age and his attitude would keep him from giving me the respect I felt I deserved. On the second time that I met him, however, I grilled him, asking him every trick question in the book, trying to catch him in a wrong answer. Finally he turned to me, saying, "Listen, Doc, you're just not going to know if I'm the right one for the job unless you try me out. I heard about what you did for the princess, and I want you to know that I would have done the same. It's not training, it's not brains, it's just something that is born within a person--that need to be of aid, to help and to cure. That deep guttural feeling when you're in the room with someone in pain that forces you to help them out of that pain. I have that. So I do hope that you hire me--I'd love to work with you, but please don't keep drilling me. You know I'll answer every one right." I was quiet for a moment, and smiled. "Well of course you've got the job, Elliott. That's just what I wanted to hear." About three weeks after I first went home with Theo, I decided to open the clinic. It wasn't ready by any means, but I was getting anxious just filling out paper work and ordering medications. It wasn't like most of my usual training would apply--vampire skin is impossible to break by anything but fang, silver, or fire. No syringes, no scalpels. Vampire sicknesses range from delirium, hunger, and sunburn to certain more mysterious illnesses that were cropping up more and more often, and no one knew how to heal them. In most cases the vampire would simply waste away, drinking as much blood as possible, but receiving no sustenance. Occasionally vampires went mad and sometimes they were wounded--all things I would probably deal with. I was nervous, but thrilled. I came home that night and sat on the edge of Theo's bed. "So, do you think I'd have patients if I opened this week?" I asked him as I bent over to take off my shoes. Theo came over to help me, holding each foot in his smooth hands and kissing my arches and ankles. "Of course. And if not, I have quite a few subjects I could order to go to you." He smiled, nipping at my calves. "Oh shut up, Theo. I mean really. Do you think anyone actually wants to see me?" I laid back on the bed and Theo pulled up my shirt and softly kissed around my belly button. "Absolutely. Stevens has been fielding hundreds of requests for your contact information since this whole debacle started." I put my hands on either side of Theo's face and pulled him up to me. "Debacle? Is that what I am?" I asked, acting distressed, but knowing that Theo meant nothing of the sort. He chuckled and leaned forward, letting his lips gently graze mine. I closed my eyes--no matter how used to the sensation I was, Theo's lips made me feel like I was falling backward, rotating, drifting, every piece of me spreading away from my core. He leaned closer, lightly licking my bottom lip and all the wandering pieces of me came zooming back and smacked together at full force, deep in my abdomen. I sucked in, inhaling his warm, cedar scented breath, and caught his lips in mine. Immediately he began sucking and diving his tongue between my lips, sending me hurtling backward into space. He shifted between my legs and grabbed my legs by the knees, pulling them up to my shoulders. Breaking free of my lips he held my knees with one hand while freeing his dick with the other, lifting the hem of my skirt and pulling aside the thin cotton of my panties. The feeling of his knuckles grazing my pussy had me panting and gasping, but I didn't move. He had me pinned with my ass in the air--I stop him if I wanted to. I watched his huge cock come closer, nuzzling my wet entrance. His broad shoulders blocked out the lamp, throwing me into shadow as he teased my slit with the tip of his cock. I tried to push my pussy forward so that he would enter me, but he pulled away, shaking his head. "Not till I say so." He growled, slapping my upturned ass. I shouted as the smack resonated through the room. "Ow, Theo, that hurt!" I cried, but he responded only by smacking the other cheek as well. The sharp pain burned through my body. "Ow!" He smacked me again, shaking my whole body. "Theo," I shouted, angry now. I began to push with my thighs and wriggle my shoulders to get him to stop, but I was pinned. There was no way I could move anywhere, and he was in complete control. He slapped my ass again, and I could feel a flush rise to the skin. He slapped the other cheek now, and I gasped. The heat and the prickly pain was flooding through my body, embarrassingly landing right in my pussy. With the next slap I felt a gush of wetness squeeze from my cunt and dribble down my asscrack. Again he slapped me, growling now. "Look at you, you slut. You love this. Don't ever try to tell me what to do." His voice had become hard and cruel, and it filled my body. He slapped me again, and another dribble of wetness eased out and dripped over my asshole as I closed my eyes in shame. I had never done this before, I thought, and started to say, but another slap took my breath away. Suddenly he pulled his cock away from my burning cunt and leaned down, dipping his tongue into the pool of wetness he had created. I gasped and jerked, but couldn't move my hips away from his mouth. He licked straight up to my clit and I felt my whole body exploding, torrents of sensation and desire overcoming me. He smacked my ass again and caught the next rush with his tongue, groaning. He dragged his tongue down, touching it to my little puckered asshole and I screamed. Bouncing and bucking I tried to push off his arm, but his tongue kept contact with my asshole and licked around it in circles that mirrored the rolling waves of heat inside me. His tongue slowed, settling right on the opening, slowly adding more and more pressure until I cried out and my sphincter gave in, letting his tongue enter me. I could not believe he was putting his mouth there but the soft, wet, warmth of it had my whole body aching to come. My blood was pounding and my pussy was throbbing. I moaned and tossed my head side to side as he tongued my ass and sent my orgasm crashing over me, completely taking over my whole body. He licked up all the come that rushed from my pussy and stood back up, thrusting his cock into me before I realized what he was doing. Again, I screamed. My sensitive tunnel was full and swollen and he groaned with pleasure as he pushed himself farther into me. He fucked me as hard as he could, letting go of my knees, grabbing my hips, and with his big hands pulling my whole body up into his. My pussy sucked and slurped as his cock rammed into me and I felt the orgasm I thought had just finish begin to build again, wrapping around my core like a snake, tightening and squeezing me as he slammed his dick as deeply into me as possible. I began to cry out and moan as he slapped my ass one more time, grabbed my leg and sunk his fangs into my calf. He sucked deeply, pulling my blood out of me and into him and I came, clamping down hard on his cock. He let go of my leg and lifted my hips off the bed as he came, pumping his seed into me. Theo collapsed on the bed next to me and let my legs fall down again. I rotated my ankles to let the blood back in and rolled on my side to look at him. "Fuck, Theo... That was amazing." Theo smiled, my blood still on his lips. "Listen to me when I tell you what to do, and you'll always come like that," he said, still grinning. I shook my head, a little disturbed by the sincerity in his words. I sat up and pulled my clothing back to its place. "I'm awfully hungry, you need anything?" I asked, walking to the door. "No, I'm perfectly satisfied." He mumbled, sliding underneath the covers. I walked down to the first floor, thinking hard about that experience. I had loved it--being told what to do and feeling like there was nothing I could do about it. But that was the thing. There actually was nothing I could do about it. I needed Theo to understand that even though I liked the sensation, he needed to respect the fact that as a human there was no possible way I could push him off me. I was a strong human, definitely, but vampires could hold me down with their little finger, no problem. I found Stevens in the first floor receiving parlor speaking with a few guests. As I walked in, everyone turned to me, staring. "Oh, excuse me, I didn't mean to intrude." "Not in the least, Dr. Crane. Is there anything I can do for you?" Stevens responded, ever polite. "Oh, I was looking for some dinner," I said, hesitantly. "Also, um, do you mind if I ask you a question real quick?" "Absolutely, Madam. I'm certain these guests will not mind." He said, eyeing them coldly, as if suggesting that they leave. The group of men and women shuffled their legs, but no one moved to go. "Oh, well, I just wanted to let you know that I've decided to open the clinic on Monday. I know that you have been handling all the messages for me about matters of healing, and I was wondering if you could send out a notice to let everyone know I'll be taking patients starting around 8pm?" The crowd began talking loudly to each other, making quite a bit of noise. When I turned around, however, they were entirely silent. Stevens shook his head. "Here are some of those people in the flesh," he said. "I tried to get them to leave, but they insisted on seeing you. Even when I told them the clinic would be open soon, they refused to leave. I'm sorry, milady." "Oh, don't be sorry, Stevens. I'll handle this, no problem." I walked over to the crowd. There were seven vampires there, four men and three women. "How can I help you?" I asked. One woman stepped forward, and bowed. "Dr. Crane, ma'am," she began, looking at me straight in the eyes. "We understand that you'd like to wait until you officially open your clinic, but we were wondering if you would do us the invaluable favor of coming tonight to see someone who is very dear to us?" She paused, as if hoping I would respond immediately. Of course I wanted to, but I thought I should be safe. I was in a new world now, one where people were often persuasive, vindictive, and very good at manipulating others. "Tell me more," I said, attempting a cool I certainly did not feel. "Our coven leader, the most gracious and just woman any of us has ever served under, has fallen ill. We cannot identify the cause, nor do we know a cure. We just--" and here she faltered, her face betraying her emotions. "It would be a terrible thing to lose her, milady. Please help us." I sighed. So much for a cozy dinner and some sleep. "Alright. Stevens, please secure me three guards. I'd rather not die tonight in an ambush." Stevens nodded, respectfully bowing and rushing out of the room. I left the crowd of vampires in the receiving room and hurried to my bedroom to change. I packed up a bag with snacks, a change of clothes, a few books on vampires that I'd gathered over the last few weeks, and my medical kit. I was heading back downstairs when I ran into Theo. "Where are you going?" He asked, growing large and blocking the way. "I've been requested for a house-call. I'm heading out. I'll be back as soon as possible." Theo didn't move. He growled slightly as I tried to push past him. "No. Not tonight. I do not trust those peasants." I turned to Theo, shocked and angry. "When I entered into this agreement, I made it clear to you that I will not follow your orders, and I will not stand for jealousy or dominance. I work for you like any other employee, except I am not replaceable. So, if you want to say something, you may, though you risk me quitting. If I quit working for you I will work for others, and neither you nor the rest of your kingdom will be welcome at my clinic." I pushed him aside and marched past. He grabbed my wrist at the last moment, jerking my whole body backward. "Well at least take some guards," he said, venomously. I scoffed. "Not to worry, I already have them stationed out front." I continued down the hallway and down to the front door. Stevens was waiting for me with a cellphone. "Here, ma'am. Take this, and call for anything. All our information is programmed into it already. The guards are waiting for you at the car." I thanked him and left, hopping into the car with two large, grizzled men, and one wiry, springy woman. The car sped away. There was a single crystal hanging from the rear view mirror that was swaying slightly as we pulled up to the building. The car ahead of us stopped, its brake lights glaring red through the crystal and glowing on the seat beside me. I could feel my heart thudding, and knew that every vampire in the car could hear it as well. The group of vampires that had come to me at Theo's mansion piled out of the other car and I took a deep breath, steadying myself. The door swung open, and I stepped out, following behind the woman who had spoken to me back in the receiving parlor. It was an old railroad apartment building and we marched up 6 flights of crumbling stairs before she opened up the door to apartment 6C. I walked in behind her, unprepared for the stench of rot that wafted over me. She turned. "Dr. Crane. I have to tell you: we're not rich. We're not trying to trick you into anything. This is our leader, Helena. Please tell us you can fix her." She pointed to what looked like a skeleton. The skeleton moved, and I nearly peed myself in fright. I controlled myself, though, and knelt down beside her. The vampire's skin was withered and sunken in, her eyes looked hollow and dead. I introduced myself, and placed my hand on her arm. She was cold to the touch, and even though vampires rarely decided to exert the energy to make themselves warm like Theo did, I was a little unnerved. I used my fingers to gently touch her forehead, moving the pads of my fingers down her face, neck, chest, and shoulders. I gave her a breast exam, though there was little left of her breasts, but when I touched the space between her breasts her whole body jumped, and a faint but high-pitched keening sound came from her mouth. The woman from earlier knelt down next to use, holding Helena's head between her hands. "It'll be alright, love, it's me, Augustina. I'm here, sweetest. Don't worry--I've brought the doctor to make you well." Coven leader indeed. I could see the love flowing forth from Augustina, and wrapping itself gently about Helena. I lifted up Helena's shirt and saw an orange-sized wound in the middle of her chest. It looked like something was eating away her flesh. "Have you seen this before?" I asked Augustina. "Yes, it's been growing larger. When she first started feeling ill wasn't there, but it quickly turned from a small rash to an open sore, and then grew larger and larger. We've tried cleaning it out, putting all sorts of antiseptics on it--nothing helps." I nodded, slipping on a pair of gloves and taking a ten inch thin steel rod. I placed my left hand in Helena's hand, and used the other to prod the sore gently with the steel rod. Helena's crooning came back and she grabbed my hand desperately. Tears of blood welled from her eyes as I investigated, but I found no sign of fungus, infection, or foreign object. I sighed. I checked the rest of her body and found nothing unusual, except for the starvation state she had gone into. "And you've tried different kinds of blood?" "Certainly! From men, women, children, the elderly. We've gotten her cold blood, blood straight from the body, blood from humans who are healthy and from those who are ill. We even gave her lifeblood, but it did nothing!" "What is lifeblood?" I asked, curious but nervous. Augustina's head dropped a little, as though she were embarrassed. "It is said that the best curative of all, for vampires, is the lifeblood of any young human. Lifeblood is the very last blood to come before you drain and kill them. It is that which if left behind, would allow them to continue living." I nodded, disgusted but understanding. People will do anything to save their loved ones. I took from my bag an instrument I had devised and was made for me the next day. IT was a long, silver tube with a flap at the end. "I'm going to have to biopsy this flesh here so that I can analyze it in my lab. I need to know if there's some sort of infection that I'm missing. It is going to hurt like hell. Can you please hold her arms so that she does not try to kill me for this?" "Of course," Augustina said, her eyes fearful and slightly mistrusting. I took that moment to push the instrument into the wound, and the flesh sizzled and popped. I clicked the button on the end of it and the flap snapped shut, cutting off a piece of flesh. I withdrew it from the now-smoldering biopsy, and placed the sample in a jar. "Now I need blood. Can you open one of her veins for me?" Augustina nodded again. I pointed out the vein that I wanted and she extended her fangs, nicking her lover's skin just perfectly so the blood came running out into my test tube. As it filled I pulled away the test tube so that Augustina could lick Helena's puncture wound shut. I packed away the samples, and took vital signs, even though I knew they would not reflect human numbers in the slightest. I found an extremely low blood pressure and very faint heart rate. Her temperature was the same as the room, so I didn't even bother writing it down. I shined my flashlight in her eyes to check her pupillary responses, and they responded, slowly but surely. It looked to me like her body was just breaking down, entering a starvation state. I leaned over her and asked her if she was able to respond to me. She nodded gingerly, wincing. I took her medical history as quickly as possible, trying to identify any potential causes, but it seemed like nothing had changed, she hadn't been exposed to anything, and for all I could tell, there was no reason for this illness. I thanked her, thanked the group, and took their contact information. "I'm going to do some tests on the samples I took and do as much research as I can. If anything changes, call my cellphone, and I'll come as soon as possible. I promise I will do my absolute best to care for Helena." They showed me out the door, and as I stepped back out into the hot night I took a deep breath. The air was heavy with humidity and subway steam, but it felt good to breathe it deeply into my lungs, washing away the stink of that apartment. I shivered, despite the oppressive heat of the night, thinking about her dry, withered skin. I rolled down the windows of the car, thinking hard about the wound on her chest. "Um, excuse me, driver?" I asked, leaning forward. The man looked up, making eye contact with me through the rear view mirror. "I'm sorry, what's your name?" "Michael, ma'am." His voice was low and quiet, and I leaned forward to hear him. "Well Michael, do you mind taking me to my office instead?" I gave him the address and he nodded, changing course as he came upon our neighborhood. As he dropped me off in front of my building he got out of the car and held his hat in his hand, looking expectant. Negative Space Ch. 07 "Oh, excuse me, is there something you wanted?" I asked, worried that I was supposed to tip him. "Well, ma'am, I was wondering if you'd like me to wait for you." "Oh, no, Michael, I can walk home on my own. I'll keep a guard with me. Thank you, though." Michael seemed relieved and thanked me before driving off. I liked his earnest bearing. I decided to ask that he always be my driver. I marched into the building nodding to Megan and heading straight up. When I arrived at my office, though, the door was unlocked. I opened the door carefully and peeked my head in. A couple lights were on in the back, and I nervously pulled the cellphone out of my pocket. I flipped to the number of the guard I'd left downstairs, and held my finger on the call button. I closed the door quietly, and moved down the hallway through the semi-dark, watching my footing in the lights of other office buildings shining through the floor to ceiling windows. I came upon the door to the exam room and pressed it with the tip of my finger, letting it creak open to show an empty room. Nothing was disturbed, so I moved to the next room, my heart beating faster and faster. No one there either. I took a deep breath and headed for the lab door, which was the only other room with a light gleaming from below it. I pushed the door open and saw nothing, stepping in as my adrenaline rushed hard in my ears. The lights were on at the far counter, where a coat was hanging over the chair and a couple notebooks were open. I walked down to look at them when some one whispered, "boo!" so close to my ear I could feel the breath. I jumped and dropped the cellphone, turning around to see Elliott laughing at me. "Oh my god, Elliott. You scared the fuck out of me. You're lucky I didn't pee myself!" I shook my head, trying to catch my breath and stop my core from shaking. "Jesus Christ. You sure know how to scare a girl." "Well, Dr. Crane, do you honestly think you could sneak up on a vampire? If I had been some sort of intruder, I certainly would not have simply been waiting patiently when I heard someone come into the office. I could hear your heart beating all the way out in the hallway." I smiled. "It's true, there is nothing I can do about that pesky heart of mine. But it serves me well for the time being. So what are you doing here so close to dawn?" "Well, I came back because I forgot my coat, but I realized that no one had gone over the medical store charts, so I was just making sure we had everything we'd need." "Thank you! That's fantastic. I knew I hired you for a reason," I said, smiling, but caught myself thinking about his lips, which looked so soft in this sparsely lit room. He smiled in turn, and casually stepped closer to me so he could lean on the counter-top. "Well, someone has to do it. And since I'm the only one around here with any brains, I figured it should be me." He grinned now, and I felt a little rush of lightheadedness as he bared his fangs. A few weeks ago something like that would have sent me running, but now the sight of fangs inspired an almost Pavlovian response. All I could think about was the overwhelming orgasms I experienced regularly as Theo's fangs sunk into my flesh. I blushed, and Elliott's eyes caught fire. I bent over to pick up the cellphone I had dropped, and when I stood up again, Elliott was only a foot away from me. I took a deep breath, and smelled the clean smell of aftershave and shaving cream. "Well, I just came back here to run a few tests. I did a house-call tonight and I have no idea what to do about the patient," I said quickly. I pushed past him, reeling when I accidentally bumped his skin with my elbow. My previously boring, purely functional elbow suddenly became a fire of sexual attraction. I could feel the skin there yearning to come back into contact with his, and it went straight to my core. I pushed forward, not bothering to look back to catch the look I knew would be on his face. I went out into the hallway to grab the bag I had dropped there, and brought it back into the lab. I pulled out the samples and without even looking at Elliott I began making slides to look at under the microscope. I moved slightly and bumped into Elliott who was suddenly right behind me. I took a deep breath and turned to face him. I glanced accidentally at his fangs and noticed that they were only inches from me. He winked. I closed my eyes and mentally shook myself. "Okay, buddy. If you want to help you can get another microscope out and boot up the computer so we can begin running tests. This sample is from a wound on our patients chest that seems to be deteriorating just like a fungal infection, but it shows no cause." I went on, and Elliott just smiled at me, but did as I said, and began working. At around 5:45 AM he looked at the clock and shook his head. "Shit. I should have been out of here by now. I won't make it home in time to lock myself in." There were no windows in the lab, but the door was open and I could see the waiting room down the hallway beginning to go grey with the dawn. "You'll have to stay here then. I'll close up the curtains and set you up with a cot, but I expect you to keep working for at least a few more hours." Elliott smiled and bowed facetiously. "Certainly, milady." I scoffed and marched out of the room, pulling huge, light-blocking curtains across the whole of the waiting room. I pulled curtains across the entrance hallway and the hallway leading back to the lab. In the store closet I found the cot we had ordered precisely for this purpose, and rolled it back into the lab. There was space on one side of the room, so I pushed a few boxes out of the way and set up the cot. As I bent over to put sheets over it I could feel the burn of Elliott's eyes on my ass and the tingle of his mental fingers moving through my thoughts. I pushed them out, hard and fast, and spun around to face him. "I can tolerate you looking at my ass and crowding my personal space, I can tolerate your flippant tone and disrespectful manner. But you may not EVER go through my thoughts again. Do you hear me?" Elliott looked shocked, but nodded respectfully and turned back to the computer. I felt bad for snapping at him, but there was a clear disadvantage to being a human surrounded by vampires, and if all I had was my privacy, then I was going to cling to it. I walked over to see what he was working on, and leaned over his shoulder to peer into the microscope. My body tightened as I looked through and Elliott's hand accidentally caught mine as we both reached for the dial that moved the slide left to right. He held on, guiding my hand to the dial and turned it to show me the suspicious changes in cellular pattern. He talked low and placed his other hand on my back. I stood up quickly from the microscope and pulled my hand away from his. My blood began pounding with nerves though, just knowing that he could hear it, and could tell how turned on I was by his touch. His hand slipped from my back, grazing the curves of my ass and it fell to his lap. "Well, what do you think about it then?" I asked, trying everything I could not to imagine those hands grabbing my hips and grinding them into his. "Well, it's highly irregular. I compared it with a sample I took from my own flesh while you were outside," he turned up his arm and showed me the small silver burn on the inside of his forearm. I took his arm with my hands, holding it still to see the incision. He had done well, taking only flesh with the same consistency of Helena's wound. His incision was still smoldering a little, so I grabbed for a cotton swab and a vial of a chemical solution I had put together that worked to counteract the effects of silver on vampire flesh. I dipped the swab into the vial and dabbed it gently into the puncture. Elliott sighed. "That stuff is a miracle. If you sold it commercially you would make millions of dollars." "I don't need to make any money, at least not right now." I had a sudden idea, and grabbed a clean test tube. "Open your mouth." Elliott looked at me strangely, but opened his mouth. I took a deep breath and braced myself against the rush. I held his jaw in one hand, and used the other to press the tube up around his fang like I had seen done with poisonous snakes on the discovery channel. Nothing came though. I was so disappointed. I tried different angles and different pressures, but after a little bit, Elliott pulled the tube away from his mouth. "If you don't mind me saying, Dr., it's because I'm not ready." "What do you mean? You have performance anxiety?" Elliott blushed. It was incredibly endearing. "No, I mean that I'm not making any vampire venom because I know that I'm not about to bite someone. In the same way that your mouth waters when you see or smell food, the coagulant fluid only comes in when I'm about to bite. Or..." Here he drifted off, blushing again. "Or what?" "Or when I'm turned on." "Well can't you just imagine that you're about to bite me?" "Well I can, and I have," he said bringing his hands up to wrap around my waist. "But imagination simply isn't doing it." His hands were surprisingly warm, and I felt their heat melting through the cotton of my shirt. I swallowed deeply, feeling a rush of desire flooding my body. "Eh-excuse me, Elliott..." I started, meaning to scold him, but he leaned forward and brought his lips to the edge of my shirt where a slice of skin showed above my pants. My words caught in my throat and I stammered, closing my eyes to try to gain control of the lust and lightheadedness swirling through my body. He nudged the shirt higher with his nose and pulled my hips in towards his parted lips. I felt his tongue gliding down my hipbone and it turned into a a river of sensation, the tension and lust I had been feeling all night poured through my body and down to where his tongue now lingered, suspiciously close to my pants button. "What were you saying?" Elliott asked, his warm breath spreading across my bare flesh, giving me chills. I was silent, focusing on slowing down my breathing, and Elliott smiled. Letting go of my hips and leaning away from me, he took the vial out of my hand and pressed it up around his now elongated fangs. I watched as if in a daze, and sure enough, a slow trickle of clear fluid filled the test tube. He popped a cork in it, filling a second one from his other fang. He handed them to me, and I shook my head quickly, blushing under his steady gaze. "I'm getting back to work. You can as well, if you'd like, but if not, the cot is all set up." I turned away briskly, taking the shimmering vials of vampire venom and carrying them over to the part of the lab I had been working on earlier. I heard Elliott's quiet chuckle as he stood up and scooped his papers together. "Here are the notes I took on analyzing the differences between the wound flesh and my own. Ideally you would check with a couple other vampires as well, just to make sure I'm not the one who's highly irregular, but you can find my conclusion there anyway." He handed my the sheaf of papers and I nodded, caught momentarily by Elliott's blue green eyes and long, dark lashes. I imagined how they would feel, lightly brushing my cheek--the tingling it would send flying through my body--fuck! I thought, noticing Elliott's distinct smirk. Negative Space Ch. 08 So sorry for the wait with this one--so has been going on. I just graduated college, and I'll get back to work on the story now, I promise! Thanks so much for all the encouragement, it's been really great in helping me to get back to work. Enjoy! ~~~~~~~~~ "I'm heading to bed, then." He said, turning away from me. "And I'm sure your Keeper will be wondering where you are." I flared in anger. I did not have that type of relationship with Theo. "He is not my keeper! I am my own woman--he may be my boss, but he has no claims to my body." "Well actually, he does. I didn't mean to be crass when I called him your Keeper, but that is the name for a vampire who marks a human. Soon enough you'll hear other vampires talking about the humans they Keep, either for feeding or fucking, and you'll know what they mean." "Well, I have an agreement with Theo. I can do what I like with whomever I like, and his only claim to me is as a prince and an employer." "That's not what that mark means, though. When taking blood from a human you don't have to mark them. Marking a human usually means that the vampire and the human have entered into an agreement together in which the vampire will provide for the human in exchange for "keeping" them. Which really means owning them." I shook my head, growing angry to hear that Theo not only marked me without my permission or knowledge, but also kept the rest of this information from me. "In the vampire legal system, you belong to him." Elliott continued. "If you did something he was unhappy with, he could bring you before any court in the country, and demand that you be killed or punished as per his preference. And it would be done." "This is true?" I asked, certain that it was. Elliott nodded. I was horrified. I walked out of the room and sat down in the early morning sunlight of the lobby. What would I do? I could confront him, but I knew his temper, and it could quickly flare up and make him much more dangerous than he already was. On the one hand, his mark on my body kept me protected from potential threats, but it also kept me from doing as I wished, if he were not in agreement. I could hear Elliott getting onto the creaky cot in the lab, and I felt a huge wave of exhaustion hit me. My whole sleep cycle was entirely thrown off, and the constant adrenaline rushes I was receiving kept me from feeling the gradual build of tiredness. Instead it came in a huge wave, and I'd have to find a bed as soon as possible or risk falling asleep on my feel. I didn't want to return to Theo's house, though, the weirdness of being at the beck and call of another had just been doubled, knowing now that I honestly had no choice. I pulled out my cellphone and scanned through my contacts, trying to figure out where I could go now that I had left my old life behind. I paused as Sandra's number came up. I didn't want to impose, but I didn't know where else to go. I texted her, hoping she was still awake, and closed my eyes for a moment while I waited. I had seen the beginnings or ends of days as I switched over into the vampire lifestyle, but hadn't been awake in such full sunlight in a while. It felt wonderful on my face, and I stood up to look out the window. The whole city was there, as it had been this whole time, but I felt like I had left it, moved into another country, another dimension, when I moved into Theo's house. My cellphone vibrated and lit up, startling me back to the office. Sandra had texted back, inviting me to stay as long as I'd like, and giving me her address. I went out to the street, carrying my med pack and coat, shocked by the number of people bustling about in the day and the feeling of sun on my face. I hopped in a cab, gave the driver Sandra's address. As we pulled up to her apartment I paid the driver from the allowance Theo had given me and rang the bell. The door buzzed and I tramped up five flights to her door. She had unlocked it already, but ducked back behind the curtain in her hallway so that she'd be protected from the sun. I slipped in, locking the door behind me, and a stepped past the curtain to find a small but sweet apartment. Sandra was sitting at the kitchen table and looked up, excited to see me. I hugged her and dropped my bags, slightly winded by the steps. She laughed. "That's something that's just fantastic about being a vampire," she said, grinning. "You don't get tired! No huffing and puffing as you climb a million steps." I laughed, and gulped down the glass of water she handed me. So early in the morning and it was already dripping hot. "Thanks," I panted, wiping the water off my lips with the back of my hand when I caught sight of another woman leaning against the counter in the semi dark of the kitchen. I froze as her beauty washed over me. She had olive toned skin, completely unblemished, dark, entrancing eyes with long black lashes, and the biggest, most beautiful lips I had ever seen. As I stared, the lips pulled back into a big, easy smile, and she moved forward, holding her hand out to me. "Hi, I'm Knox, Sandy's roommate." I moved forward as if in slow motion and placed my hand in hers, unprepared for the entirely new sensation of lust that came over me. Unlike when I was touched by one of the male vampires, I didn't feel hot and dirty so much as entirely overwhelmed by excitement and interest. I caught myself staring at her lips--big, beautiful, perfectly shaped--and I shook my head, stuttering a moment. "I--I, uh, my name is Lana Crane. Sandra works for me." I took a deep breath and told myself to get it together. "Yes, I know. She told me you were coming over." Knox paused for a moment,running her hand through her hair, a short, asymmetrical fauxhawk of some sort. The front of it stuck almost straight up, and she tugged on it thoughtfully before swooshing it out to the side. "Can I ask the impertinent question?" I would have answered anything she asked me if she bit her lip and winked her eye the way she did just then. "Sure," I said, sitting down at the kitchen table beside Sandra. "Why are you here? We all know about your torrid romance with the prince--why aren't you over there with him?" I laughed. "Impertinent indeed. Well--" I stopped myself. Even though this woman was beautiful, charming, and incredibly sexy, I needed to start being a little smarter about how I interacted with others. I had no idea who she really was, or even, to be honest, what Sandra's deepest loyalties were. "I was working late at the office, and I didn't want to go home and bother him. I know that he has an extremely important meeting to prepare for, and I didn't want to disrupt his beauty sleep." We all chuckled, and I used my chance to change the topic of conversation. "Did you know," I leaned in conspiratorially, "that he wears concealer and sometimes even lipstick?" "What?" Sandra laughed, shaking her head. "No way. He would never need it!" "It's true! I'm not even kidding. If he's afraid that he'll look overly tired before a big council meeting or something like that, he puts concealer under his eyes!" "Okay, but when does he wear lipstick?" Knox joined in, sitting next to me. "Same time! He thinks it makes him look imposing." The ladies shook their heads disbelievingly. "Honest! He borrowed mine just the other day. He had a meeting with Russia and Germany, and he put just enough on to make his lips look bloody. I mean, it actually did look like he had just ravished someone." Sandy poured us each a glass of wine, and before we knew it we had finished off two bottles, it was almost noon, and we were laughing so hard at Sandy's impression of Theo that I was having trouble breathing. I dropped my forehead to the table, still hiccuping with laughter and Knox let her hand rest on my back. I giggled and shivered, sitting up as my core began to warm and loosen. She left her fingertips touching the skin above the collar of my shirt, and traced them back and forth along the edge. I closed my eyes, opening them again to see her staring intently at me, eyes deep and focused. Sandy smiled knowingly, and excused herself for bed. I closed my eyes again, feeling how light the wine had made me. Knox's fingers kept contact with my skin, tracing my neck to my hair line, then over to the soft indent behind my ear. I opened my mouth to breathe, suddenly warm and wet between my legs. Her fingers were so light I couldn't be sure they were actually touching me, but they had my skin burning. I looked up and Knox was much closer to me, her lips almost touching mine. I leaned away from her a fraction, but she followed me and scooped in to press her lips against mine. The warmth of her kiss burned through my body but I pulled away, nervous. It wasn't that I wasn't interested, or that I hadn't slept with women before, but the strange burning at my neck reminded me of Theo's control over me. Anger curled deep in my belly, tightening and growing, filling me quickly. Knox just winked, her hand on my cheek. She traced my lips with her fingertips, fighting off the anger with gentle kisses to my jaw bone and earlobes. I was aching for her, but the burning in my neck grew stronger. It worried me. What if he decided to hurt her, or imprison her, or kill her for it? He had nearly torn Anya's face off for just touching me, even when he had sent me back to my human life with no protection. His possessiveness soured in my mouth. I sighed. I put my hand up to Knox's face sliding it to hold just under her chin. She smiled and closed her eyes--an invitation. I leaned forward and kissed allong her chin, biting gently at the joining of her jaw and her neck. She drew in her breath, haggard. "I can't," I whispered in her ear. "Not while Theo has such strong control over me. Just give me a little while to get rid of this mark. I won't be his for long." Her eyes opened, and the dark, clear green of her eyes held me, paralyzed as she thought. "How can I wait?" She finally asked me, "if you'll be sleeping right here on my couch?" "You'll have to. He's..." I stopped what I was saying. I understood it only as I said it to her---Theo was dangerous. He was an unknown force that I could not control, nor could I understand. "He's wild," I told her. "I never know what he will do to whom, or why. I cannot trust him. His mark burns my neck each time I touch you." Knox's brow furrowed, and she growled, her face turning not-quite-human. "He has no right to use you in this way. I-- I will not stand for it." I felt like I was in a movie, suddenly. The vampires, the mysteries, the magic, none of it had made me feel so fake, so surreal, but now, with people fighting over my virtue, my freedom, suddenly it all felt silly. Like a farce. I turned away. "It'll be fine, Knox. You're tired, I'm tired, and we've all got to be up in only a few hours. Go to bed and we'll chat later. I have a lot of work to do tomorrow. There's a woman dying." Knox shook her head, but she backed off, the angry lines in her face smoothing out, the rigidity calming down. I smiled at her and she sighed, smiling back only slightly. I walked to the couch and lay down, blowing a kiss to Knox and pulling a blanket from the back of a chair over my body. She sighed again, but walked out, shutting her door quickly. I didn't want to have to deal with any more drama like this--I felt like I'd been on a roller coaster all night. Now it was almost afternoon and I knew I'd be woken up by Theo as soon as the sun set, so I closed my eyes. I slept immediately. My head was pounding so loudly it drew me from my dream. I rolled over to press my face back into the pillow when a crash awoke me fully, and I was lifted by my armpits before I could focus my eyes. I squinted into the darkness before me as a hand grabbed my face, squeezing. "Aghh! Who is that?" I cried, tearing my face away from the hand and pushing the body away from me. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness I saw the familiar build of Theo outlined in the hallway's meager light. "Ugh, Theo. What are you doing?" "You didn't come home," Theo said, his voice low, hard, and sharp. "And all day, all I could feel were the pangs of you being unfaithful. I could not sleep, the pain was so sharp and drawn out." His voice grew steadily louder, and his face glowed red. "Who did you have sex with?" "No one, Theo. Not a single person." I looked around and saw Knox and Sandra standing in their pyjamas at the doors to their rooms. "Jesus, how can you storm in here, burst into someone else's house, and begin shouting and yelling? How can you touch me like that?" The anger in Theo's bearing broke suddenly, and he looked away, rubbing his eyes. "I've been awake all night. Come home and let's get some rest." "No! Not without some answers. How come you never told me that you have legal authority over me? I told you I wanted to be an autonomous entity, and you assured me of the fact that I was only marked by you for protection. Do you--" The breath was torn from my lungs and I cried out, grabbing my head. The sensation of a vampire rifling through my thoughts was usually gentle, almost ticklish, as they tried to do it subtly. This time I could feel every move, as if Theo were actually pulling my brain apart with his hands. White pain burst in front of my eyes and I screamed, pushing reflexively against it, against the fingers tearing through me. I pushed again, moving by instinct alone--I needed to get him OUT. I leaned into the pain, letting it explode inside me and suddenly it was dark again, the ringing in my ears that must have been my screaming was replaced with the buzz of silence, and I felt deliriously light and pain-free. Theo staggered backward, fingers to his temples. "Aargh! What have you done, you bitch?" His words came out strangled and stunted, as if each one cost him great effort. In fact, I had no idea what I'd done. I leaned into the space where the pain had been once more, and as Theo cried out, I began to see flashes of the room, but from his point of view. Through his vampire eyes I saw everything clearly--the dark was no problem. I could smell everything, even my own terror. I had a sudden inspiration and began to push backward in his mind. Suddenly lights and color were flashing before me, and as I tried to pull back, they slowed, transporting me entirely so that I was sitting at Theo's desk, signing documents with his huge hands. Then I was sitting on the subway, noticing for the first time a sleeping woman across the car from me who was startlingly beautiful--I realized it was myself, as seen through Theo's eyes. I gasped, and the touch of a hand to my face, my real face, brought me back. I realized just then that Theo was on his knees, holding his face and head and moaning. I must have been causing him the same pain he had caused me when he thrust himself into my mind without warning or finesse. And I certainly had no finesse. I looked up at Sandra who was holding my shoulders gently, concern outlining her face. I stood up hurriedly, and rushed over to Theo, wrapping my arms around him. "Oh, Theo, I'm so sorry, are you alright? I'm so sorry!" Theo was panting, his torso quivering slightly. He pulled away from me with anger and something else I had never see in Theo's eyes before--fear. "I don't know what you are, or what you're trying to do. But I won't have you in my house. And I will no longer protect you." "Theo, wait! It was an accident. I didn't know I was hurting you!" I was panicking now--I had given up my whole life to act as Theo's physician, and now he was abandoning me? "I will not allow you to renege on our agreement. I will find Anya, if I must, and have her testify that you agreed to hire me as a physician. Just because you are too afraid to face the consequences of holding secrets from me, you may not fire me. I will not enter your home any more, but I will start seeing patients next Monday, no matter what you say." Theo glared at me, but I didn't flinch. He could decide to kill me, if he wanted, but that would be no worse than banishing me back to the human world. I had only been here a few weeks, but I could not tolerate the thought of leaving it behind. It felt so.... natural to be in this demi-world of magic. I was in the exact same places as before, but everything looked clearer, felt more realistic, more imperative. I didn't feel like I was just dealing in what-ifs and long future plans, but instead everything I needed was immediate, important, and most importantly, possible. I had dreamed of a world like this since I was a child, but I had no idea how right it would feel. How quickly I would adapt. Theo shook his head. He stood up. "I will think about this. You are correct in that I gave you my word. However, you are some sort of abomination. No human should ever be able to sense that a vampire is reading their mind, nor should they be able to read the minds of vampires. It is highly dangerous. When I have made my decision I will contact you. Do not come near me or my home until then." He turned and left so suddenly, I almost missed it. I turned around and Sandra rushed toward me. She tilted my head to the side and sighed. "He's taken it away," she said. "You're no longer Marked." I wasn't so sure if that was a good or a bad thing, now, but at least I knew where I stood. Now I could do as I wanted, but I wouldn't necessarily have the name of the Prince to fall back on. I sat back down on the couch. Knox walked over and put her hand on my shoulder, and the electricity of the shock jittered through my body, but quickly dissipated. "What are you going to do now?" she asked. I sighed. "I have no idea." ********* For the rest of the weekend I laid low, sleeping on Sandra and Knox's couch, ignoring the persistent sinking guilt in my stomach. I did everything I could to pretend that everything would be fine, so long as I just showed up for work Monday, ready to heal. I hadn't gotten a chance to keep working on the samples from the sick woman I visited, but I had to admit to myself that I was terrified to go back. What if he had posted someone outside the door? I didn't want to deal with any of that until I absolutely had to. Monday night came faster than I wanted it to--all Sunday I couldn't sleep. The rushing of adrenaline tingled through my whole body, and I began to notice that the nervousness had expanded my consciousness to a size where I could sense not only the other people in the apartment, but the people in the floors above and below as well. Somehow I simply knew they were there in that same strange way I had noticed the light sliding off Theo on our first date. It was as if I could feel a concentration of a uniquely alive energy, whether or not there were walls in the way. I felt the slow, paced energy in the rooms beside mine that told me that both Knox and Sandra were asleep, and above me I felt the excited energy of two humans, one much larger than each other, playing a game. I had no idea how I knew it was a game, but it simply... made sense. I could also feel the cool, lifeless energy of machines--the power chords lacing through the whole building, a TV, a dishwasher, the air conditioning, but those felt very different, and were much quieter. As I paid closer and closer attention to this new awareness, I realized I could tell the difference between vampire and human and small animal. Vampires glowed and vibrated on a completely different level than humans. As if it were an entirely different tone of colors, or a song played in minor instead of major. I couldn't exactly pin point it, but I knew the difference immediately. Which is why I found myself extremely nervous as I noticed the vampire walking up the stairs to the apartment right at sundown. My roommates hadn't come out of their rooms yet, so I sat up, anxiously testing the new spaces in my head where I knew, well, I thought, I could press to cause severe pain in any vampire. A second vampire came into my range, and I panicked, rushing to Sandra's door right as she opened it. Negative Space Ch. 08 "It's okay, Lana. I sense them too. Knox will be out in a moment. Don't worry." She led me to the kitchen table and sat me down before heading to the fridge to pull out a dark red, stiff bag. She popped it in the microwave and I watched the seconds count down as I felt the vampires walking closer. Moments before the microwave dinged, there was an ominous single knock on the door. Knox stepped out of her room, then, and opened the door. Sandra took the blood bag out of the microwave and snipped off a corner, pouring the warm blood into glasses. "May I help you?" Knox asked the hallway, and I shifted impatiently to see who was out there. Sandra shook her head at me, and I settled down, straining my ears to hear the words being exchanged. I watched Knox nod, glance at me, and the step back, as Stevens and a vampire I did not recognize walked into the apartment. The other vampire was an Asian woman who stood taller than Stevens with a waist-length braid down her back. Her clothing clung to her in ways that the most graceful human could never achieve--it seemed first as if there was nothing there at all, and then as if the view could not possibly have any idea of what lay beneath that dress. Her eyes were a cool grey that pushed into me, and I lowered my head, knowing innately that this woman was extremely powerful. Knox turned to me, her eyes wide and blank. "Lana, this is Iyasu Akemi, His Majesty the Prince's Sire and mentor. She would like a word with you." Knox's voice was strangely unlike normal. I allowed myself to re-enter the state of calm I had felt earlier and I saw a glimmering web of strings of light wrapped about her. They lead back to the strange woman, whose body warped slightly in my plane of vision as if she were standing behind a heat vent. No, I realized, that wasn't quite it. It was as if she were the heat vent, as if she were merely a beam of light wavering back and forth. I felt as if she wasn't even there at all, as if I could pass my hand right through her body. Her eyes narrowed--I realized she was still staring at me. I stood, feeling the heaviness of the energy in the room that I had previously never noticed. "Madame Iyasu, nice to meet you. How may I help you?" She was close to me suddenly, and I felt high with the energy that was swirling through the room as it began to enter my body. Up through my throat bubbled a golden sensation of loss of control and suddenly I felt my mouth move of its own accord, and I heard my voice. "You are privy to things most humans have never and will never know exist. They do not know because upon understanding the limitations of their own life, they must protect themselves from the dreariness by either refuting the evidence, or by condemning the otherworldly by insisting on their evilness. Clearly, this presents a problem, as either the human has a mental breakdown attempting to protect themselves through proving the impossibility of what they see, or they undergo a religious conversion that pushes them over the side of insanity. However, you have done none of these things. As Theodore's Sire, I am particularly sensitive to his emotions, and the spike of emotional activity that I have been accosted with over the past few days has outstripped any I've felt from him in the past. Tell me what you are, and who you are working for." As she spoke I struggled to pull away from the trance of her eyes. I hated the calmness and acceptance that surged through me, and I pushed away from her in the same way that I pushed against Theo the other day. She didn't cry out in pain the way he did, but with a polite cough she released me, and I gasped, breathing on my own finally. "I thought," I panted, "I thought that Theo's Sire was a man." The woman's image flickered, and before me stood a handsome man of about thirty. "Is this what you had in mind?" He said. Something in my reality was peeling away from what I saw—something was not right. Although his mouth was moving, the sound I was hearing was coming from within my head. "Yes, that was just what I was imagining. Only a little shorter, and darker." The man made a little noise I assumed to be a forced laugh. "Now tell me why you're here, sir." "I'm here to asses you. Theodore is, shall we say, concerned. For a human, you have a few unprecedented abilities. Even to begin with, you accept our presence with calm. That is unheard of. Beyond that, though, you can feel when a vampire is hearing your thoughts. And even more than that, you can respond, not only controlling the vampire when he is within your mind, but within is own as well. And so I'll ask you again, what are you?" The silent hum in the room, the eerie vacancy of both Knox and Sandra, and my enhanced sensitivity to the shimmering light that indicated some form of magic made the ticking of my watch even louder. I stared at it a moment before I actually registered the time. "Oh, Madame, or Sir, excuse me. I can only tell you what I know about that. I am a human and a healer. Most important, right now, is that I am able to tend to my patients—the clinic should be open already, and I'm not even dressed. Please do excuse me, but I'm certain we can, and will, pick up this conversation another time." I grabbed Sandra's hand, jolting her from the strange spell, and we hurried about the room to prepare. As we finally turned to leave, however, the stranger was still standing in the way. I had been thinking as I got ready to leave, though, and I had come to a rather risky conclusion. This person was probably not here at all. And if so, it was merely our acceptance of his, or her, presence that allowed him to be there. I closed my eyes, and began to feel through my mind. Where were the cracks? Where were the places he could have seeped through to place himself? When I found it I almost laughed—he had simply placed this image where he could not himself go. As we saw the apparition, it would move, talk, act, but it was only a light show. The words and sounds came from within our own heads. I snapped the space shut, building a rudimentary fortification about Sandra and myself. There was a look of small surprise on his face, and he disappeared. "What did you do?" Sandra asked, her eyes wide. "I just... I closed him out. But come on! Let's get to the clinic before anything else happens." The elevator doors opened with a whirring, and I stepped through to face a line of vampires, each staring at me with thirsty eyes. I nearly stepped back into the elevator, but the whirring took up again and the doors shut behind me. With a deep breath, I walked between them, forcing myself to stare over their heads at the door behind, unlocking it quickly and closing it behind Sandra and myself. One more deep breath. "Okay, so where is Elliott?" I asked, shuffling through the papers on the desk and trying to tidy as quickly as possible. "I'll call him. You should leave this all to me, Lana. Go into an exam room and set up. As soon as I'm ready, I'll open the doors, and you can start seeing patients with or without him." She reached out to me, elongating her body and gracefully pulling my hand out towards her. She squeezed it. "Don't worry. You've managed to take care of everything just fine so far. This will work out." I smiled and nodded, rushing into the first exam room to set up, putting out sterile gloves, medications, and turning on the machines. I listened to Sandra's voice echoing through the hallways, catching moments of her conversation with Elliott, but not enough to know what was going on. I went to the next exam room and set up there as well. Now I listened to her inviting the waiting vampires in, taking names, information, and asking about ailments. Her voice mingled with the lower or higher tones of women and men, even a particularly young sounding voice that startled me—would someone honestly turn a child? As I placed syringes in a row, I felt a change in the energy of the room. I spun around to find Elliott standing in the door way. "So you finally got here just to stare? What am I even paying you for?" "I was here on time, actually. However, there is only a certain amount of pacifying I can do with an anxious, eager group of vampires. When it became clear you were held up somehow, I stepped out, telling them I'd return with you. But that's enough for now. What can do?" I sighed. This was a rocky start for all of us. But it would be okay. It would be okay. "Alright. Just... please bring the first patient in. Check with Sandra—I'm sure she has a way of evaluating who was here first." I swung the door almost closed behind him and pulled my white coat from the hook behind the door. Certain things, like white coats, do a great deal to inspire a sense of authority, even when one has no idea what one is talking about. That was one of the most important things I learned in med school. Act as if you are a god, and everyone else will assume you are. I leaned against the counter and pulled out a note pad so I could seem busy as the patient came in. Elliott knocked politely, and let the door fall open to present a young man with an arm missing. Where it should have been was instead a large gauze pad that was dark with blood. "Oh dear. Where's your arm?" I chuckled, helping him to sit down on the exam table. "I lost it last week in a... well, an altercation, but that's not the problem." "Okay, so tell me what is." "Well, I've never lost a limb like this, but I've lost fingers before, and they always grow back. It takes a while, for sure, but by a week the skin has always healed over already. This one still looks the same as the night I lost it. I've had to drink four times as much blood as normal to keep up with the amount I'm loosing." I nodded. That could certainly be a problem. "Well, can I have Elliott here take off that bandage so we can have a look?" The young man nodded, nervously gripping the side of the table. As Elliott began peeling back the bandage, the man's face blanched. I placed my hand on his back. "I'm so sorry, I realize I forgot to ask you your name!" "Oh, it's okay," he grimaced. "I'm Jacob." "Well Jacob, don't you worry about this. We'll take care of it no problem. Tell me, how long have you been a vampire?" I squeezed his remaining arm, and brushed the hair out of his face. He smiled at me somewhat like how a little boy looks at his mother. I smiled back and engaged him in small talk, rubbing his back, and helping him to get in the most comfortable position. When the bandage was off I moved to the other side of the table, listening to Jacob tell me the story of how he met his wife, and began to examine the wound. It was clearly a knife wound of some sort, in fact, it seemed like it had been a difficult endeavor. The person with the knife must have held Jacob down somehow, and labored to use a short, non-serrated knife to hack at Jacob's arm until he had managed to cut it all the way off. The joint had been cut just so that the ball of the humorous just popped out of the socket. I decided that the best thing to do to begin with would be to wash it out, since the only thing I could think of was that there was something, either on the knife or sprinkled into the socket, that was stopping the vampire's natural healing abilities to function. Elliott fetched a basin and saline solution, and I carefully poured it over the wound, catching the bloody water beneath in the basin. Jacob's voice hesitated, the knuckles on his remaining hand going completely white. "So what were you studying at college when you met her?" I asked, hoping to prompt him to continue his story. He sighed thankfully, closing his eyes and retreated to his happy memories. "Well, it was my third BA, so I figured I'd study something totally different that time. My true passion is history, but there's only so much an unchanging vampire can do in the history field, while all his colleagues whither and age." I lifted a flap of muscle, and poured some saline below it. "That time I was studying French poetry, and luckily too, since I had to take Intro to French Literature in order to pass my sophomore year requirements, and Leah was a Lit major. We were put together for a class project." After I finished cleaning the wound, I took the basin of water, and on a hunch, I dipped in a tab of paper covered in a chemical designed to detect silver. The little beige tab slowly turned a deep shade of blue, the sign that there was indeed silver floating in the water. Now confident in my guess, I filled a clean basin with water and poured in some of the solution I had created to counteract the effects of silver on vampire flesh. As Jacob kept telling me about his first date with Leah, after the class project, that is, I sat him up on the table in a way that he could let his arm stump hang into the basin. I let him soak there for a moment, and gave Elliott instructions to dry and bandage the wound after it showed signs of reduced blood loss. I thanked Jacob for his patients and good will, and stepped into the waiting room to bring the next person in. There were more vampires than before, some even standing about, waiting. I took the chart from Sandra, and invited a young woman into Exam Room 2. "Clara?" I asked, and she nodded. "Hello, I'm Dr. Crane. It's nice to meet you." We shook hands, and I noted a softness and quietness about her that made me take note to be particularly careful to make sure she was being heard. "What can I do for you, Clara?" "Um, I just, oh..." She trailed off, nervously fidgeting with the button on her sleeve. "You know, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come here. You have so many other patients. I'm just in the way." I let her finish her apologies, and I placed a hand on her arm. "Clara, I'm really glad you came in today. Even if we don't talk about the big stuff right now, it's really good to meet you and get to know you. That way, if you come in another time, we can talk more like friends, and less like strangers." Her fidgeting slowed, and she looked at me with a mixture of suspicion and relief. "Why don't you just tell me about yourself right now?" I continued. "Tell me how long you've been a vampire, and about your family." When she realized I wasn't going to quiz her on whatever reason she came in for, she relaxed. I listened to everything she told me about her background, her job, the things she loved, and took notes. I encouraged her as much as I needed to, and after 20 minutes, I took advantage of a natural break in the conversation. "Well, Clara, again, I want you to know that I'm really happy that you came in today. If you're willing, I'd love to make an appointment for a less crowded day, so that we can talk for longer. What do you think about that?" Clara agreed, and after arrangements were made, I walked her out, and invited the next person in. This time it was a woman with a child. A distinctly vampire child. I brought them into the exam room and excused myself for a moment to check on Jacob. Elliott was just cleaning off the stump as I entered, and I saw that the wound was already beginning to heal again. Jacob was thrilled, talking a mile a minute about how he couldn't wait to tell everyone how good of a doctor I was. I laughed. "What a great advertising ploy! Unfortunately I can't pay you, though, Jacob." "Oh, I wouldn't dream of doing it for money. This is really fantastic." "Well, let's be sure to make a check-up appointment for next week so that we can make sure it's still healing correctly, and this hasn't been some sort of fluke." I took a deep breath before I stepped into the other exam room—the child disturbed me. There was something beyond unreal about the porcelain look to her skin and the glassiness of her eyes. I opened the door to find the little girl sitting on the woman's lap, rooting through her purse, just like I used to do as a child. In boring places my mother would just hand me her purse, and I would take everything out, organize it, and put it back, content to have something to occupy my mind. I smiled, reminding myself that she really was just a child, no matter her pristine prettiness. "Hello! I am Dr. Crane." "Nice to meet you Dr. Crane," the woman said. "My name is Sarah, and this is my daughter Lucy." She hesitated a moment, searching my face, and continued. "Lucy is my daughter by birth—I didn't turn her. And I just, I just thought, you know, all the human children have check ups, make sure they're growing right and all that, and I thought I'd ask you to give her a check up too." Lucy had looked up from the purse and was staring intently at her mother's face. She didn't care about being here, she wasn't at all bothered, but her mother's nervousness was incredibly important to her, and it was clear she was worried about her mother. I sat down facing them and smiled again. "I have to come clean with you, Sarah. I'm entirely new at this. I know how to do human pediatric check ups, but I don't know even the slightest bit about vampire growth. I will absolutely check her out, make notes, and set an appointment with you to give her another check up next year so we can track her growth. In the meantime, I'll do some research, and together we'll figure this out." I turned to Lucy who was staring at me now. "What do you think about that Lucy? Do you want me to show you how humans have figured out how to listen to heartbeats with our weak ears?" Lucy nodded, too intrigued to play coy. I showed her the stethoscope, took her measurements, and chatted with her and her mother about her health, energy, appetite, growth spurts, and so on. I assured Sarah I would let her know as soon as I had some more information, and escorted them back to the waiting room. It seemed as if I hadn't even made a dent yet, but I brought the next patient back and set to work. Negative Space Ch. 09 An hour before dawn, I saw my last patient and collapsed on an exam table. "Sleepy?" Elliott asked, chuckling as he cleaned the countertops and put away medications. "It's easy for you to make fun, buster, but we humans have to work for our energy! No easy supernatural abilities to keep us going. Sheesh. I love my job, I'll say that over and over again, but somewhere in between that scuffle with the older guy about prices for my services and the 27th patient, I honestly thought the night would never end." Elliott laughed outright. "What was his problem?" "Oh, he just thought that since I was backed by the Prince it would be some sort of government handout. I told him the mistake was understandable, and sent him on his way with a bill only for the materials he used. No use in trying to force him to pay for my services as well." "Oh gosh, I almost throttled him!" Sandra shouted from the front room. I listened as her footsteps came into the exam room, lifting my head to see her lingering in the doorway. "Oh Sandra, you are my savior. I cannot believe how incredibly polite and composed you stayed ALL night! Thank you so much." "Only doing my job, boss." I let my head fall back on the table and turned to see Elliott just finishing mopping up. "And Elliott, my darling Nurse Elliott. Thank YOU! You were phenomenal. There when I needed you, out taking care of others when I didn't—I have rarely worked with better nurses." "You flatter, my lady," Elliott smirked, but I could tell he was pleased. Although the table was feeling more and more comfortable, I realized I had to get up and keep working. I'd put off my research for too long, and there was a woman in desperate need of a cure somewhere in the city. I heaved my body up from the table and nearly fell off it. Sandra grabbed my arm and steadied me, but I realized that I hadn't eaten in nearly 8 hours, and it was certainly taking its toll on me. "I'm going to order some Chinese food, either of you—" I broke off, laughing. "Of course you don't want any. Sheesh. Sometimes I completely forget that you monsters suck human blood." "And if you don't watch your tone, you juicy human, we'll suck yours!" Elliott joked, handing me my cell phone from the pocket of my white coat that I had slung over the back of the chair. I called the restaurant and ordered my dinner. I was exhausted, but I would do anything rather than think about the mess I was in. If I was honest with myself, I was seriously scared of Theo and his Sire. Although there was something about Theo that attracted me intrinsically, I was always just a little nervous around him. He was so... self-assured of his royalty. That must have been it. I had certainly never dated a royal before, but I could tell that he simply assumed many things that I never would have. After the food was delivered and Elliott and Sandra headed home, I sat in the waiting room to watch the sun rise. As the glow of the morning began to leak up from the cracks between the sky scrapers, I pulled two of the arm chairs to face each other and sat back with my feet up, my dinner on my lap, and my notebook beside me. It was lonely, watching the grey-gold light spreading over the city, knowing that everyone I had ever known in my old life thought I was dead, and everyone from my new life had their own families, friends, and lives to go home to. I was floating between worlds, and desperately lonely for someone to hold onto to anchor me. I could go back to Theo, I thought, but was the argument worth a warm body to sleep next to? I sighed. I just didn't have the guts for it that night, but maybe soon. The room was still half dark when I woke up to the cramp in my neck, completely turned around. After a few minutes of my mind remaining startlingly blank, I noticed that the room I was sitting in was steadily getting darker. I stood up to turn the lights on and empty take-out cartons clattered to the floor. Ooooh....I had fallen asleep in my seat before I got a chance to get any work done. I massaged the hard knot at the base of my skull, but it did little to ease the sinking feeling of having missed an opportunity to get important work done. I checked the clock—it was coming on 9pm, and the doors were about to open. Shit, I thought. I'm a mess—I'm even still wearing the same clothing! Quickly I picked up the cartons and napkins and threw them away with one hand while I undid my blouse with the other. I rushed along, pulling it off as I went down the hallway, starting to undo my belt buckle and pants as I opened up the door to the back bathroom. I had insisted to Theo that there be a full bathroom with bath and shower, even though he thought it was absolutely ridiculous. Still, I knew that besides the times that I stayed late or arrived early needing a shower, there would also be instances when sick people would need to be dumped in a cold bath or clean their bodies. I left my clothing in a pile on the closed toilet lid, and turned on the water. As I waited for it to get warm, I glanced into the mirror. My mascara was smeared, and my skin looked clammy and dull. My hair was curling in wisps by my temples, and the green of my eyes had folded into a sluggish grey. The two little puncture scars at my neck were fainter than the day before, and I was slightly relieved and slightly unnerved. Would I be attacked when Theo's mark completely vanished? Curls of steam wound their way through my legs as I fought to pull the hair band out of my knotted bun. The water was hot and soothing as I clambered into the shower, tilting my head back to soak my hair. It was so good to get wet. The slickness of the soap on my skin made me loathe to wash it off, and I let my hands take extra circles around my nipples and stomach, gliding lower and lower. There was very little time before everyone arrived, but maybe I could touch myself just a little bit? I let my fingers drop lower, and they slid over my puffy lips, suddenly slippery in a new way. I dipped a finger into my hot pussy, and I gasped. It may not have been that long since I'd had sex, but I was aching already, missing the feeling of someone inside me. Just thinking about it made me hotter, and my breathing began to deepen as I circled my clit with one finger, just gently teasing it. With a finger tip on either side of it I began to stroke my clit, bringing my playing to a distinctly more serious level. I leaned back against the shower wall, toying with my nipples with one hand while I plunged my fingers into my cunt with the other hand. Oh god, the sensations were coming stronger and stronger, and unbidden I saw an image of Elliott fucking me with abandon—I gasped and stopped for a moment. What? I shook it from my head, allowing myself to just dwell on the feelings, but suddenly the bathroom door opened, and a body slipped through. "Who's there?!" I called, grasping the shower curtain to cover myself. I looked around and saw Elliott, chuckling. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's just that you're practically shouting!" "What? Elliott, this is highly inappropriate. Get out of the bathroom." He didn't seem to be moving, so I glared. "Now!" I growled, and I pushed on him with my mind the way I did to both Theo and his sire. Elliott cried out and I pulled back, slamming the curtain shut. The door slammed, and when I closed my eyes I could feel Elliott's fury and pain as he stormed through the hallway. With a deep calming breath that I could feel in my abdomen, I rinsed off the soap and got out of the shower. I let all the adrenaline leave my body as I wrapped my hair in the towel and put my clothing back on. Out in the waiting room I found him with his head hung between his knees, almost hyperventilating. "Elliott, what's wrong? What are you doing?" I sat down beside him, my anger vanishing, but as I touched his back he shrunk away from me. "What did you do to me?" he gasped, rocking back and forth, his head cradled between his hands. When it became clear he was in so much pain that he wouldn't say anything more, I became desperate. I couldn't treat him if he wouldn't tell me what was wrong—I stopped, realizing that maybe I could use the same technique to heal him that I had used to hurt him. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and let my mind search for his. I felt a sort of thickness that I knew was his consciousness, and he gasped, and gagged, retching on the floor. I pulled back sharply, and tried to find a softer way to enter his mind. I imagined his mind as a semi-solid conglomeration of a clay-like substance and many small odds and ends in a box. I couldn't pinpoint exactly what it felt like, so I just let it sit there in front of me, and I looked for the injured part without touching. There was something to the side that seemed to be almost bruised or bloody—as much as clay could bleed. There was a cloud of concentration over it, and I blew lightly at it to disperse it, causing Elliott to wince and whimper. I took a closer look, and saw that in my surprise and anger, I must have pushed harder than I ever had, essentially punching his consciousness and wounding it. I knew that to touch it would cause Elliott such pain he would throw up again, so I held it in my thoughts, and tried to pull back on it with my mind. Elliott screamed, and I stopped. Another deep breath. Nice and slowly, I told myself. I can do this. What would I do if this were a physical injury? I would want to place a soothing salve on it, something to cool it down and help it begin to heal. Okay, so what did I have to do that ephemerally? I remembered the golden strings and clouds of magic that shimmered between and around vampires and the things they were affecting. Maybe I could use something like that? There were no other vampires around I could pull from, though, so I looked to myself. I suddenly saw hundreds of strings flying out from my core, some through the walls, some out the windows, and many connecting me directly with Elliott. The base of the strings looked like someone had pinched off a piece of the sun, and it was burning molten hot below the hollow between my breasts. I focused on a small piece of the glowing and carried it out in front of me. With another deep, slow breath I steadied myself and moved as slowly as possible into the cloud of Elliott's consciousness. I felt the small glowing ball almost pulling me towards the wound, and I held it still in my thoughts, allowing its gravitational force to move it forward in small increments. When it finally touched the wound Elliott's whole body spasmed, then went still. The breath he had been holding let out, and his muscles all began to relax. I snapped my eyes open just in time to see him about to fall, unconscious, into his own vomit. I caught him and heaved his body up, dragging him to one of the exam tables to lay him down. I could still see the golden strings that connected us, and I followed one, listening to what I could of his emotional state. He was so soothed, it seemed, that he had simply fallen asleep, the stress of his experience taking such a toll that he could no longer remain alert. I pulled up the side rails and covered him with a blanket. As I was pinching the bridge of my nose to soothe the overwhelming headache that just came on, the door opened. I jumped, nervous for anyone to find us like this, but noticed that one of my golden threads was burning brighter. I followed it out to the person in the hallway, and felt the soothing presence of Sandra. I calmed my nerves and she came in, confused and worried. "Lana, what's going on? You feel like you've just run from an assassin! Are you alright?" "I just—I don't know what happened. I was so scared," I started, and broke off in a sob as I tried to tell her. I didn't know why, but suddenly it was so real and overwhelming. I had finally done something to actually hurt someone I cared about, and I felt awful. The look of hatred he had given me was burned into my mind and I didn't know what to do about it. As I sobbed Sandra managed to pick the story out of my cries and wrapped me in her arms. Finally I quieted. "Well, he's fine now, isn't he?" she asked, and I nodded. "I don't know if he'll ever forgive me, though. And what if I accidentally do this to someone else? I seem to have some sort of massive control over the people connected to me, and I don't even know what it is!" "Well clearly this is something we need to deal with. We should find you a teacher. You're an amazing healer already, and just imagine what you could do if you trained your power? Come on, now, Lana. We've got to get you pulled together so we can open the clinic. Why don't you go clean yourself up, I'll clean up the lobby, and we can start taking patients." "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I can pull it together. I just—" "No. We can deal with this later. Now you have to hold it together." "Right. Right." I wiped my eyes and took a deep breath. What a relief to have someone like Sandra around. Usually I could hold myself together pretty well, but those moments that I lost it always felt like the end of the world. Sandra pushed me out of the room and closed the door behind us. I took another haggard breath and went into the office to set up. Within minutes the first patients were walking in, and I pushed the whole event from my mind. It only came back when I would reach for something that Elliott would have had ready for me and find I had to do it myself. Each time I felt the gutting sensation of guilt sink through me. After that sinking feeling nearly made me mess up an injection, though, I stopped myself, pushing it away. I knew how to do this—after years in medical school and slaving through residencies I knew how to bind off my emotions, tucking them away for later. Now was the time to focus, make diagnoses, offer treatment plans, and most simply, make vampires feel better. I took a break at around 3 am when the crowd slightly calmed, and went to check in on Elliott. His eyes fluttered as I stood over him, the eyelashes a gentle decoration to his dark, worn skin. I touched his temple and he sighed, pressing his eyelids closer together, and moving to roll over on the table. My hand slipped along his cheek bones and down to his lips. I pulled his bottom lip down, and gazed at his fangs. They hung out carelessly and I shivered as his warm breath spilled over my hand. I pulled away quickly when I realized that he was awake and watching me. In a moment of silence tears started to come to my eyes as I tried to figure out what I would say. "Elliott, I'm so sorry. I did not mean to hurt you. I was just so scared—are you alright?" Elliott was quiet, but he smiled. "I've never felt such excruciating pain, but I suppose I have you to thank as well for the unbelievable relief I got when the pain went away." He chuckled slightly and I blinked furiously, trying not to cry. "I've never hurt anyone like that in my life. I promise I'll never do that to you again. I'm going to try to find someone to help me figure this stuff out, and I'll master this crazy business. Honest." Elliott raised his hand to mine and held it against his cheek. He smiled and nodded. "I can tell. It was horrifying, but I know that you didn't mean it. I shouldn't have scared you like that." He tried to sit up and moaned. "What's up? Does your head still hurt? Are you okay? What do you need?" I moved to help him, but he just laid his head back on the pillow. "Don't worry about it, Lana. It's just a little quick for me to get back up. I'll be back up in no time. I'm just going to rest a moment longer." I nodded and moved my hands to his forehead, smoothing the wrinkles out and massaging down to his temples, cheekbones, and chin. He relaxed and his eyes closed. Within moments he was sleeping again, and I left the room quietly. As I walked into the lobby I immediately knew something was wrong. There was a man standing, urgently speaking in low tones to Sandra, whose face was polite but cold. The other vampires in the room were standing back away from him in what clearly looked to be defense positions. Sandra was coolly shaking her head as I came up, saying, "I'm sorry sir, but we only serve vampires here." I looked back and forth between the two, and stepped in, offering the man my hand. "Hello, my name is Dr. Crane. May I help you?" "Yes, thank you." He said, struggling to pull his eyes away from Sandra, his voice low and gravelly. "I would like an appointment for my mate. I am certain she is dying." I could not figure out why this would be a problem, but I decided to test the situation. I felt out to him in the way that I had been practicing all morning to see what his energy felt like, and found that he felt very different than the vampires, and very different than the humans. I couldn't tell what he was, though, so I decided I would just ask. Too much quietness and speculation would make this overly difficult and cause more drama than was necessary. "I'm so glad you could make it here, Mr.—? " "Lobovic. Felix Lobovic." "Well, Mr. Lobovic, if you would be so kind as to explain to me what is going on, I'll be able to assess the situation and let you know whether or not I can serve you. Please step into my office, and I'll be there in one moment." I showed him to the door, and shut it behind him. Sandra was immediately next to me. "Lana, that's a werewolf! You can't leave him in there—for all you know he could be a spy, here to steal information on vampire weaknesses!" "Whoa, Sandra, wait. A werewolf?" I looked at her incredulously, but her face betrayed no amusement. "You think vampires are the only ones? Of course not. There are all sorts of non-human entities. And weres are the worst! They do nothing but kill, fuck, and attack vampires." I was shocked to hear Sandra talking in this way, but it gave me a sense of the strangeness and urgency of this man showing up here. I nodded. "Thank you, Sandra. I'll talk to him and figure out why he's here." She looked wary, but I stepped into the office and saw him sitting awkwardly and nervously in the chair facing my desk. He looked up immediately. "Doctor, I know what the vampires must think about me being here—" I cut him off, shaking my head and speaking sternly. "I'm not interested in sides. Here I work as a healthcare provider, and so if you'd like my help for something I can help with, I will absolutely give it to you. If this has anything to do with vampire/werewolf violence, you can see yourself out immediately." He nodded. "My mate is sick. She has been bedridden for a week now. Normally I'd just let it go, see what I could do to make her comfortable, but I honestly think she's dying. She can't keep anything down, she can't get herself out of bed. She's never been this sick. No one in the pack has." I took a moment to scribble down the last of the notes I was taking on his story, and looked him squarely in the eyes. He seemed innocent, but I knew and trusted Sandra with every facet of my consciousness. Why would she speak so poorly of someone who was really just here to find a little healthcare? I decided to keep both of their opinions in store while deciding what to do. I couldn't trust the weres completely, but I also couldn't assume that the vampires' prejudice was the truth about weres. "Okay, Mr. Lobovic. I'm going to do a housecall to visit your mate, but I'll be bringing vampires to ensure my safety. This is non-negotiable. Is this acceptable to you?" "Yes ma'am. I will make sure that the pack knows what is happening for everyone's safety. When will you arrive?" "I will be able to arrive this early morning at around 3:30 AM. Can you give the information to Sandra, my secretary?" "Yes, I will. That would be amazing if you came. I'm just so worried about her—" he began to make the face I had seen so many times on widowers, and I closed my eyes and held up my hand. Negative Space Ch. 09 "The tears are for later. Good luck, god speed, and I'll see you in a few hours." After Felix Lobovic left, however, the office was still in a tizzy. I saw a couple of vampires for non-healing incisions, one who was feeling weaker than usual, and a young woman who had only recently become a vampire and did not know much about pregnancy, vampires, and contraception. I told her only what I knew, and suggested condoms. She was very appreciative. After that, I turned to Sandra, nodded, and packed up to make a werewolf housecall. Sandra was extremely nervous, and I realized that I could feel her nervousness through our connection. After I finished putting together my bag, I took one of her hands between mine. I laced the junction of my right pinky and ring finger into the junction of her pinky and ring finger, and then did the same with my left and linked it into the webbing between her pointer and thumb. I stretched her hand out, using my thumbs to gently massage the cramped muscles in her palm. She looked confused and surprised. "That feels amazing. Thank you." I just smiled and continued massaging her. I took a couple deep breaths, and she followed suit, letting the muscles in her palm relax. As soon as they smoothed out I could see the rest of her arm falling limp, her shoulder following suit, and, I hoped, her neck and back. I moved to the other hand. "I promise that this will be alright, Sandy. I'm sure of it. As far as I can tell this man is honest and sincerely worried about his mate. I need you with me, because I trust you more than anyone else. Will you please come?" "Of course, Lana. Of course. It doesn't change the fact that I don't like this, though." I smiled and nodded. "That's fine. I'm just relieved to hear you'll be with me." I finished massaging her hands and hugged her quickly. "Let's go then." The address Felix had scribbled out for me brought us to one of the wealthier neighborhoods north of the Bronx where the apartments morphed into houses with lawns and shrubbery. Number One-Oh-Seven Shady Grove Court, however, spoke of wealth beyond the commuter's Lexus or Audi. In fact, there was no house to be seen at all. Instead there were two towering brick fence posts and a wrought iron gate between them with nothing visible but the house number, a security camera, and a long, curved drive leading back into the woods. "Since when were there woods so close to the city?" Sandy asked me, nodding at her back-up, a young man she recruited from Theo's extensive security detail. He stepped out of the car, checking the surroundings and opening the door for the two of us to exit onto the pavement. It smelled sweeter here, in the way that foliage freshens the air, and I took a deep breath, letting the cool air fill my lungs. The security camera blinked ominously, and I stepped forward. "What are we supposed to do? Knock?" I asked, searching for some sort of bell. My search was unnecessary, though, as the gates creaked and moaned and swung backward to let us in. I decided to forgo the car, and Sandra, the body guard and I marched defiantly down the drive. A good walk later we found ourselves overlooking an 18th century brick building that could very well have been an old boarding school. It must have been nearly a quarter of a mile of floor space in total, but it twisted and turned with little additions popping off the sides like a centipede of sorts. Little bell towers, balconies, and widows' walks were sprinkled along the slate roof, and the whole thing looked almost as if it had taken on a life of its own, growing out of control in all directions. As we walked down the hill to the front of the house I could tell that Sandra and the body guard were on high alert, attuned to every snapping twig and shift in the wind, but I could only gaze at the beautiful landscape around me. It had been highly manicured, but the look of rolling hills, distant woodlands, and wildflower-strewn meadows was so enticing I quickly forgot how much energy must have gone into crafting the whole property. Instead I was blown away by the natural beauty of it so that I almost missed the front door opening before us. Felix rushed out and my attention snapped back—he had that look of someone searching for help in an emergency. "Dr. Crane, please come quick! She's throwing up blood, and her body won't stop!" I followed him inside, paying no attention to the numbers of people, presumably more werewolves, who were standing about, staring at me and my two vampire companions. Felix led us back through a series of dark hallways, spacious common rooms, and spiral staircases. Finally he flung open a door and behind it was a small, cozy bedroom that smelled of illness. A young woman was hanging over the side of the bed, quietly alternating between whimpering and dry-heaving. I lifted her up, sitting her against the backboard and began to check her vitals. None of the numbers made sense, and I realized I would be very hard pressed to discover what exactly was wrong if I had no idea if everything was off because she was a were or because she was sick. "Felix, tell me about werewolves. How are they different from humans?" I asked, and Felix stuttered. "I—well, I'm not sure this is relevant. They, we, turn into wolves—" "No no, I mean, in their bodies. Do weres have a faster average heartrate? Do they generally run at a different temperature? What else? I need to know what is normal in order to figure out what is wrong here." "Oh. Well, you can check me if you need to. Were blood does move faster, and we do maintain equilibrium at a higher temperature than humans. We generally eat a mixture of cooked human food and raw meat that we hunt, but that's all. We heal faster, and no one we know of has ever been this sick." While he was talking I was palpating the woman's stomach, liver, kidneys and other organs. She was wincing and moaning. "Hey there, love. My name is Dr. Crane. I know you're feeling really awful right now, but can you tell me your name?" I held her head up, and made direct eye contact. "Nora," she panted. "Okay, good, Nora. Wonderful. Now, I know you're hurting all over, but can you try to tell me where it hurts the most? You can point if you want." Nora winced and brought her hand to her left side, just above her hip. "Okay, so does the pain move? Can you tell me what it feels like?" I brushed her hair out of her eyes as she grimaced. "Oh bunny, I'm so sorry you hurt so bad. Let's try to figure this out as soon as we can, okay?" "It feels—" she broke off, dry-heaving for a moment. "like an... explosion." I nodded. I settled her back on the bed, and rifled through my bag. I pulled out a syringe, filled it, and pulled down her pajama bottoms a couple inches. Without saying anything to her I leaned her over just enough to inject the medication directly into the muscle. "That was a medication to calm down your body," I told her as she cried out. "It'll take down your nausea a little bit. And this," I told her as I injected a second medication into the slowly pulsing vein in her forearm, "Is a pain reliever. You should start to feel a little bit better in a moment, but since I don't know the right dosage for werewolves, I might have to give you a second dose." I left the needle port in her vein, taping it in place, since I assumed I'd have to give her more pain medication as soon as I started my manual examination. I had a suspicion of what was going on, but I was nervous to find out. If it was what I thought it was...well, it would be a sad, dangerous few hours. But we'd see what we could do. I connected an IV tube to the port I had left in, and set her up to get some fluids in her body. "Sandra, would you call Theo for me? I need an ultrasound, ASAP." She was already on the phone as I continued. "I need a suture kit, a scalpel set, and—um, Felix? What's your mate's blood type?" "Blood type? Werewolf. I don't think we have blood types." "Okay, so I need a blood transfusion set, then. Felix? Are you prepared to give a little blood from your mate?" "Yes ma'am." "Alright, Nora. Are you having any vaginal bleeding right now?" Nora nodded, some fear and understanding in her eyes for the first time. "I hate to ask you this, but is there anyway you could be pregnant right now?" Both Nora and Felix blanched, and nodded. "Nora, I need you to be really strong for me right now. I'm about to touch you right where all the pain is coming from, and I need you to hold as still as you can. Okay?" Nora nodded, tears slowly filling her eyes. I gently touched her right side, which was without pain, and then moved over to the left side to compare. Nora gurgled with pain, but she held her body as still as possible, and as soon as I was done I withdrew and she collapsed in on herself, sobbing. I took a deep breath to steady myself. I had found exactly what I did not want to find. Sandra tapped my shoulder. "The messengers are standing outside, waiting for an invitation in." "Felix. Go now and bring everything the vampires have brought directly to me." He nodded and ran off down the hall, probably not entirely remorseful to leave the sickness and sadness of his bedroom. While he was gone, I had Sandra help me clear off the other side of the bed, strip off the sheets, and replace it with sterile paper. We helped Nora undress, wiped down her abdomen with alcohol, and laid her out on the sterile paper. Felix stumbled in, carrying a box full of supplies with a couple vampires behind him carrying the ultrasound machine. For the first time in days I thanked god for Theo and his ability to organize and demand the best for me. It might just save this woman's life. I set his minions to work. When the room was sterilized, the ultrasound machine set up, and Nora had been given an extra large dose of morphine, I started to scan her abdomen. It was what I thought. "Nora, darling, are you still with me? Can you come back for a moment? Felix, can you come here?" Felix rushed to Nora's side and grabbed her hand. Nora's eyes fluttered and opened, and she strained to focus her eyes on me. "I think there are two things going on here, which is a mixed blessing. First of all, you have an ectopic pregnancy, which is when you become pregnant somewhere not inside of your uterus. Your pregnancy is inside your fallopian tube. The other thing going on is that you've been having some serious morning sickness associated with the pregnancy. On the one hand, it has weakened you and made you seriously sick for the past week, which is no good. On the other hand, it did alert Felix here to the fact that there was something seriously wrong, and got him to come see me, which was seriously lucky, since it seems like your fallopian tube is about to rupture, which could be fatal. I can't take you to a hospital, since you're weres, but I can try to perform the surgery here. Are you willing to allow me to do that? I can promise you nothing except for the fact that you might die if you do not try something." I knew I was laying it on strong, but she was in serious danger, and I needed to do something for her. The two seemed to understand, though, and nodded immediately. "You have our complete trust and permission to do whatever you need. Please, just make her feel better." Felix looked like he was about to cry. I put my hand on his arm and continued. I went through all the risks, and explained exactly what I would be doing. He still nodded and agreed, so I decided to start. Negative Space Ch. 10 Author's Note: Hey there friends! I have been having SO much fun writing these past few chapters. I'd love to know what you think about them, and what direction you want this story to head in. So if you have any ideas, suggestions or comments, please rate and comment or send me a message and let me know what you think. And thank you so much for all your amazing support and wonderful comments so far! I really appreciate it. ~~~~~~~ I wiped my eyes with the crook of my arm, but it didn't do any good. I snapped off the latex gloves and threw them into the same trashcan Nora had been throwing up into for the past week. After fixing my hair and washing my face, I turned back to her limp body. Almost done, I told myself. Almost done. Felix was asleep in the corner of the room, the vampire messengers had been sent out hours ago, and Sandra had left me before dawn to return to her apartment in one piece. I could see the sun patiently ticking away through the sky, reminding me of how much time was passing. With no nurse or back up of any sort, I took advantage of my bare hands to open up another suture kit and put a new fluid bag on Nora's IV. I drank a little water, pinched the bridge of my nose, and went back to work. *** "Lana. Lana!" I was so comfortable. Waking up was simply not appealing right now. "Lana, get up!" I pushed my head deeper into the pillow. Nothing would get me up. Nothing. "Lana, she's bleeding out!" I bolted up, looking around the room for my pager, a nurse, or at least a lot of blood. Instead I was in a dark bedroom, surrounded by people staring and smiling at me. "Oh no fucking way. Fuck you." I collapsed back on the bed. There was no way they were going to get me up on some false fucking pretenses— "Lana, I'm going to take you home. Don't worry, you can sleep all you want there. But first, you have to check Nora and make sure she's safe for the time being." I didn't respond. "Come on Lana, what if something happens while you're asleep? No one here knows how to handle this. We need you to at least check out first." I sighed and opened my eyes. Sandra smiled. Nora was asleep on the bed next to me, the wrinkles around her eyes finally smoothed out after so much pain. She looked years younger. I sat up, washed my hands, and put on some gloves. The bandage looked alright except for a crusty red patch where the blood had soaked through. I peeled it back, tossing it expertly into the trash, and reached for some cleaning swabs. Five black stitches ran down into the valley below her left hipbone, crusted in blood and puss. I could have done way better in an operating room with a team of nurses, but even so I knew that I had done the best for her that I could. Now all I had to do was keep and eye on her and wait. "What time is it?" I asked Sandra. "About nine thirty. I let you sleep in a little bit, but Felix and I decided you'd sleep best in your own bed—well, in my roommate's bed, and he would just keep your number on speed dial." I grunted, setting to work to clean the incision. "Felix, you there?" I asked the room, not bothering to turn around. "Yes doctor. Right here." "Okay, so I need you to listen. Nora is in extremely delicate condition. Watch me clean these stitches. You're going to need to do this for her while keeping everything sterile. You need to keep an eye on her, take her temperature, check her pulse, her blood pressure, her wound, and anything else she might mention to you every hour. You write it all down, and when I come back tomorrow I'll be able to know if everything is alright." I finished up, gave Felix a few more pointers, a few warning signs, and turned to Sandra. I tried to stop turning but the room kept moving and suddenly the floor was very close, in fact it was on my face— Sandra caught me and heaved me up into her arms. "We're going home now," she said quietly, and I let myself collapse into her. *** There was something incredibly soft against my face, something smooth and comforting that smelled like warm, honey sweet skin. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the semi-dark, but I saw that the sweet, soft thing was attached to a body. Who's body? I wondered, looking for a face. I craned my neck up, realizing suddenly that the soft thing was undeniably a breast, and found myself eye to eye with Knox. "Good evening, doctor," she said in the most seductive voice I had ever heard. I smiled and hummed. "Good evening yourself, Knox. Who let you into my bed?" Her eyelashes were longer than I remembered, her lips softer. "I should be asking you the very same thing, though I suspect I know the culprit." I looked around, confused. Where was I? The room was unfamiliar. "You're in my bed, sweetheart. Sandy didn't know I was coming home today, so she let you use it, I guess. I tried to wake you when I got home, but you cursed me out something awful and refused to move." "That certainly sounds like me," I chuckled, relaxing a bit. "Besides, it's surprisingly cozy in here with you. No wonder I wouldn't leave." I laid my head back down on her chest and wrapped my arms around her. It felt incredibly good to hold someone. Knox laughed deeply, her whole body shaking as the laugh echoed through her room. "What day is it? I realize I've completely lost track of, well, everything." I eyed the smooth dip of her collarbone and the graceful curve of her neck. "It's about four," she glanced at the clock, "Friday afternoon." "Friday? Oh fuck. So that means I slept for—" "About 36 hours. Yep." I shuddered and started to panic, getting up from the bed, but Knox grabbed my wrist. "Wait a minute. You can't go do anything now, it's still light out. You'll just have to stay here with me a couple hours more." "I'm not a vampire, I'm a human incase you hadn't noticed. I can go out during the light." "Oh, I certainly did notice. Trust me, you smell...incredible. Like Lily of the Valley." "What is it with you vampires and smelling me?" I asked, acting offended, but suddenly feeling very flattered by the intensity of Knox's gaze. She smirked, leaning forward ever so slightly, and inhaled. "Our senses are just that much keener than yours, and every experience is a chance to indulge in the richness of the smells," she smelled my hair, "the feel," she traced her fingertips down the inside of my arm, sending chills all throughout my body, "and the taste of what's around us." She leaned forward and licked my neck, slowly and delicately. I felt an immediate rush to my core as my nerves began tingling. "And oh," she murmured against my skin, "you taste so good." I could feel her tongue tracing the tendons in my neck up to the back of my ear, where she bit gently into my earlobe, and my whole body shivered in anticipation. Her hot mouth began to move down my throat, sucking and kissing and occasionally scraping my skin ever so softly with her fangs. My nerves were on fire, burning down the back of my neck and straight into my cunt. I drew in a haggard breath as she bit me harder this time but still not breaking the skin. Knox detangled herself from my limbs, rising above me like a hunter intent on her kill. She pulled off the tank top and shorts she was wearing, leaving only a black thong that did little to hide her wetness. As she leaned over me I couldn't help but lift my head to capture one of her dark, swollen nipples between my lips. She moaned as I teased it with my tongue and gasped as I bit down hard. Pushing me down on the bed she yanked up my shirt, biting and sucking along my breasts to my nipples, where she teased one with her mouth and gently rolled and pulled the other with her slender fingers. I could feel the deep thrumming of my attraction to vampires expanding and deepening each time she touched her bare skin to mine. Her mouth moved steadily downward, and as she sucked and kissed along my hips, I bucked and moaned, my breath catching in my throat. Gentle pressure on my waist band was all I needed to lift my hips as Knox carefully swept her fingers into the warmth of my undies, pulling them down to my knees. The lift felt like an offering, a gift to her, and I threw an arm over my eyes to let myself block everything out but sensation, sinking into the experience. My skin prickled and tingled as she exhaled, her warm breath caressing my lips. With nothing to distract me I focused every fiber of myself on the feelings shooting through me, and practically screamed as her tongue came into contact with the soft, sensitive flesh of my inner thigh. She leaned down again, licking slowly along the very tips of my labia, refusing to touch my clit. And again. Knox teased me and tortured me, never quite satisfying my bucking hips and needy moans. I was so wet I could feel my juices pooling below me, when finally she stroked from my cunt up to my clitoris with her tongue, latching on as I jumped, crying and groaning with desire. She sucked on my clit, slipping a long finger into my cunt and curling it up as if beckoning to me. "Yes!" I cried out, my hands grasping her hair and pulling. "Yes what?" She asked, lifting her head away from me for a moment. "Yes please! Oh god, fuck, please!" I could barely spit the words out, but she understood and went back to licking and sucking and stroking me. She slipped a second finger into my sopping pussy and stars literally shot before my eyes—colors and shapes swirling past in an unintelligible jumble as my sense-deprived eyes attempted to decipher the misfiring nerves and electrical signals spiraling through my body. I felt a small, sharp sting as Knox sunk her fangs into my labia, but it quickly disappeared as the feel of her fingers slithering within me suddenly magnified. I could feel her sucking my blood from my body and I came, my pussy clamping down on her and holding her there as the orgasm crashed over my whole body, each wave flying out to my extremities and back into my core. Suddenly she was gone. I opened my eyes, searching the darkness for her, and saw her standing, victorious, holding a long rubber dildo in her hand. My blood deprived brain could only fixate on how ravenous she looked, licking a little of my blood from her lips. Her eyes gleamed and her fangs hung low over swollen, wet lips. I quivered, slightly from fear, slightly from anticipation, and mostly from desire, just gazing at her. I got up onto my knees and pressed my mouth to hers, greedily licking and sucking at her lips and carefully teasing her fangs with my tongue. She growled and I felt my pussy tremble. I pushed her back on the bed now, hungry to taste her as she had tasted me. I took much less time than she had, however. I tore off her thong and dove in—she groaned and clamped her thighs around my head. "Oh god, Lana, that feels so fucking good." I plunged my fingers into her cunt just as she had done to me and she gasped again, moaning through her open mouth. "Yes, oh oh fuck—La—Lana! Here!" She passed me the dildo, and though I had never used a double-ended dildo before, I could grasp the general idea. I gently pressed one head against her lips, watching as they sucked it in and clamped down. I pulled it out again, and slid it back into her cunt. A couple inches in, a couple out, until finally it was all the way in. I loved the way her pussy lips looked, stretched out around the base of the cock. My cock, I imagined. I sat between her legs then, wrapping my legs around her as we both leaned back, semi-sitting. I inched my bottom closer to hers, and pressed the other head of the dildo into my cunt. The stretching felt amazing, and as I pressed myself closer and closer to Knox, her fingers slipped down between us to touch both of our clitorises at once. The sight was so erotic I groaned and Knox looked up at me immediately, hunger glowing in her eyes. She shifted forward, changing the dildo's position in my cunt and I cried out, it felt so good. We quickly fell into a rhythm, shifting back and forth, each of us fucking the other and taking turns touching each others breasts and nipples. I leaned forward to suck on her neck and sunk my teeth into her soft flesh. She whimpered, fucking me harder and faster. I licked and bit up along her neck, but she stopped me, roughly pulling my head up by my hair and sinking her fangs into my neck as she fucked me as hard as she could. I came immediately, and as she tasted the orgasm in my blood she came as well, pumping the dildo slowly as I clung to her. She groaned into my neck and tenderly licked the holes shut. I shivered, clenching the rubbery dildo in my cunt and beginning to tremble. Knox nuzzled my neck a moment longer, kissing the side of my face and my hair. We lay back together, tossing the dripping dildo to the side. I snuggled into her armpit, and she leaned down to kiss me, the coppery tang of my blood still on her lips. "That was fun," I murmured sleepily, and she giggled. "You taste good. Honestly. Your blood tastes really good." "Well shucks. You certainly know how to make a girl blush," I joked, pushing up and looking for a clock. It was five thirty and the sun wouldn't be down for another three hours. "I'm not kidding, Lana. It tastes—different some how. I don't know. I just fed before I came home so I wasn't very thirsty, but if I had been, well, I don't know if I would have been able to control myself." I turned to her sharply then. This was something that I did not like to hear. "Knox, I am trusting you deeply by staying here with you and making love to you in your bed. I am trusting you even more deeply when I let you sink your fangs into my flesh and drink my blood. You need to have control over yourself or I can't allow you to be this close to me." "Calm down, drama queen." Knox rolled her eyes and leaned away from me. "You're fine. I'm fine. The whole situation is no big deal. I'd never put you in a dangerous situation—you mean too much to Sandy. I was just being honest with you. I figured it'd be something that you'd like to know about yourself." I sat up, reaching for my clothing and sighing. "You're right. Sorry. I've just been sort of overly nervous ever since Theo overpowered me. I guess I forgot just how different humans and vampires are." My clothing smelled of sweat and nerves, and it reminded me of the last time I had been wearing it. "Oh god, Nora! Oh fuck. Okay. I have to go. Thank you for the, uh, hospitality," I said, sort of lamely motioning toward the bed. Knox just laughed and pulled my face in towards hers. Her lips connected with mine and my whole body felt the shock; a deep, pulsing need for more. I leaned my forehead against hers, using it as leverage to pull my lips free. I took one more movement to kiss her chastely on her lips, and pulled away before I could be distracted again. Knox just laughed. She was so beautiful when she smiled I couldn't help but smile with her. "Tell Sandra I'll meet her at the office tonight?" Knox nodded. I slipped out of the bedroom and found my doctor's bag. I realized I was almost nervous as I skipped down the steps—it would be so exciting to see the sun! I'd seen it from dawns and dusks and distant windows, but not in full for weeks now. How crazy was that! I might as well have been a vampire by the amount of time I spent awake in the dark. The door burst open in front of me and I was momentarily blinded and overwhelmed. People were rushing this way and that on the sidewalk, cars were honking, buses were swerving and a bicyclist almost hit me as he skidded along the sidewalk. The city was roaring. I ditched my plan to take the subway up to Nora's—this was all too much for me right now. The time I had spent away from this world had completely wiped me of any strength to deal with it. After a moment of rubbing my eyes and blinking I dodged a skinny, focused business woman and stepped into the street to hail a cab. *** The taxi driver pulled up to 107 Shady Grove Court and looked over his shoulder at me, proudly pressing the total button on his meter. I winced at the price, but swiped the business card Sandra had set up for me and charged it to the clinic. The gates opened immediately as I stepped out, and as soon as I was out of sight of the road a large wolf came pacing up to me. She was dark grey with yellow, ferocious eyes. I smiled. "My name is Lana Crane. I'm here to see Nora. I'm her doctor." The wolf blurred and twisted, elongating and shrinking and stretching and suddenly I was looking at a young woman standing entirely nude before me. "My name is Elli. Thank you so much for coming back, Nora's been asking for you. Come, I'll walk you down." She had dark brown skin, long braided hair, and those same ferocious, yellow eyes. On her hip was a small tattoo that I couldn't quite place. It had certain Celtic qualities, but also reminded me of Norse symbology and even a little bit of Roman symbols. Elli noticed me looking and smiled. "It's our pack's symbol. In the middle here, see this rune?" It looked like a P, but all the angles were sharp and it had no curves. "That's the ancient rune for W, the rune we use to symbolize Varg, the Swedish word for wolf. The rune itself also means joy, something we try to not forget." She paused, and looked straight at me. "Facing it you see the same rune backwards, right? Well, here's where we took our own interpretation. When those two symbols touch in the middle it makes the rune for mankind, or humankind. We have them separated just a bit to remind us that the joy of being a wolf comes along with the equal and opposite weight of responsibility, dedication to the pack, and self-reflection, and when you put the wolf and her maturity together, you get a human. The knot around it was added when our pack merged with another ancient pack here in the states. They were from Ireland originally, so when we became one they placed a Celtic ring of protection around our mark." "Wow. So much history in that tattoo. Does everyone in the pack have one?" "Yeah, as soon as they turn 16 and decide to enter the pack." "You speak as if you're part of the Swedish pack rather than the combined pack. Are you more connected with that one?" "Well, I am Swedish." She smiled now in a resigned way as she caught my confused look. "Even the Sweeds had slaves until 1847." Here she leaned over, winking conspiratorially, "And don't tell anyone, but they liked to fuck them too." I laughed at that and grinned. I liked Elli. "Please excuse my ignorance. You've got to remember that I'm completely new at all of this." We arrived at the door and Elli nodded. "I get it. I've been having to give that talk ever since I came over from Sweden with the pack in the 1800s." Again, she caught my confusion, but this time just laughed. "I've got to get back to patrol now. We can talk more later if you'd like." And just like that she began to shrink and thicken and blur and there she was, a beautiful grey wolf with blazing yellow eyes who trotted quickly off into the woods. Shaking my head I knocked on the door and was walked back to Nora and Felix's room by a polite, young boy who stared at me with huge blue eyes the whole time. Again I knocked, and after a moment a weary Felix stuck his head out. "Oh, Dr. Crane! Thank you so much for coming. Come in, come in," he babbled, opening the door and ushering me over to Nora's sleeping form. "How is everything?" I asked, and Felix took a deep breath to begin talking to me, but the influx of air must have triggered something and he suddenly crumbled. Big fat tears slid down his cheeks and his body hiccupped as he tried to sob quietly. I sat beside him and held him tightly. "I just—I just, just..." he broke off, crying again. "Take a deep breath, Felix, in your nose," I took a deep breath in my nose while making eye contact with him, "—and out your mouth." He followed me in breathing for a few minutes, breathing deeply and calming his body down. When he could finally relax a bit he put his forehead on my shoulder. "I'm sorry Lana. It has been really hard these past few days. We were really looking forward to having pups." Negative Space Ch. 10 It was a simple statement, but it held all the tragedy he could muster. I held him a moment longer and pulled him back to look into his eyes. "I did everything I could during the surgery to make sure that she would be able to have children in the future. The problem was that the fertilized egg was growing in her fallopian tube, not her uterus. If we had waited any longer, the tube itself would have ruptured and she would have had serious internal bleeding and a host of other problems. This way she still may not be able to use this tube anymore, but she still has the other one. And we'll just make absolutely sure, in the future, to monitor all her pregnancies very carefully so that we know what's going on." I couldn't promise him that everything was going to be alright, but I could tell him the truth, and it seemed to ease his mind a little. I looked over to see Nora watching us. "Hey there Nora, how are you feeling?" "Sore, but alive. Thank you so much for listening when Felix asked for help. I know you usually only take care of vampires, but I—I would have died without you. Thank you." "Oh Nora, you are so welcome. I am so happy I was able to be there for you. Do you mind if I check everything out?" "Not at all," she said, but she grimaced as she worked to roll her body over for me. I pulled up her shirt a little bit to check out the bandage and saw that it was fresh, clean, and professionally done. "Who placed this bandage?" "Elliott did that early this morning before dawn." "Elliott? Really?" I pulled it back to inspect the stitches, covering my confusion with work. "Yeah, he—didn't you send him? He's been coming every chance he could to check on us, thank goodness. It has been such a relief to have him around. At first I was really nervous to have a vampire touching me like that, but he said he was only there because you were too sick to come yourself." "He's an excellent nurse, isn't he?" I smiled, thrilled that Elliott had been there, but also beginning to feel particularly guilty I had just crashed and not checked on Nora at all myself. "Well, Nora, do you mind if I check it with the ultrasound now? It will probably have to hurt since I'll be pressing down, but that was I'll be able to see inside to see what's happening in your fallopian tube." Nora nodded and braced herself as I turned the machine on and gently placed the probe on her abdomen. I scanned the area, extremely relieved to see how clear it was. There was one little pocket that showed up as an unclear dark patch on the scan that I was a little nervous about. I checked it from as many different angles as I could, coming eventually to the conclusion that it was a waste pocket, just pus that hadn't been able to drain because of the stitches. Since I didn't have the appropriate tools here in Nora's bedroom, I decided that instead of setting up a drainage catheter, I'd prescribe her a particularly strong brand of antibiotics instead. I explained this to her and Felix as I injected the antibiotic into her IV and noted it in the rudimentary medications chart we had made. The notebook was well filled by this point—both Elliott and Felix had been making all sorts of notes about vitals and moods and all sorts of info that was actually quite useful to me. I figured I'd use this as a basis for any future interactions I had with werewolves as a healer. This gave me an idea. "Felix, is anyone else here in your pack feeling sick or needing a checkup of any kind? I might as well go through and give everyone the healthcare they need right now while I'm here if it would be appreciated." "Oh, well, I don't know. Let me, uh, let me go talk to our Alpha." Felix hurried from the room and I set about to cleaning and bathing Nora. Technically that sort of stuff is not a doctor's job, but I've always felt that the type of intimate healthcare that a nurse provides, including the bed baths, the tooth brushing, and even dealing with bedpans provides an intimate relationship with each patient that all doctors should be able to boast about. By the time I was finished bathing her, Felix returned. "So yes, there are quite a few people who would like care. Do you think you can do that now?" "Of course! Let me just finish up in here, and we can go." Felix lead me to large living room type area full of people. Men and women and children, all in various states of dress, or rather, undress. It was refreshing to see so many people completely unconcerned with body image or type. Their heads all perked up when I walked in and I found myself wanting to bow or curtsy to the crowd. Instead I just smiled broadly and introduced myself. Felix showed me a small room off to the side I could do the private meetings, and so I put all my stuff in there and when I looked out again everyone had gotten into an orderly line. There must have been about 20 people there and I groaned, shaking my head. My big mouth would have me here probably through to tomorrow. I only had a two and a half more hours until 9, when I should be at my clinic. I put a big smile on my face, though, and called the first person in. One pack member after another walked through the door, and I treated each of them with all the respect and consideration I could. Some had infected injuries, some had other small coughs, colds, or gastrointestinal issues. A few just came to see what I was all about. The last woman came to see if I had pregnancy tests. I didn't have them with me but I promised her I'd give her a test for free if she wanted to come by the clinic any time. She stared at me with the most sincere look on her face. "What is it, Elke?" I asked the woman, pulling a chair forward to make sure I was eyelevel with her instead of towering over her. "You seem a little—well, I'm not sure what you seem. Maybe unsure? Confused? Tell me what's up." If anything, the look in Elke's eyes only intensified. "I guess I just want to thank you. I really appreciate the way you treat us." "Well of course! I wouldn't treat anyone any differently. But it feels like there's more to it than that." "Yes, I suppose there is. You know my name, doctor, but you do not know that I am the Alpha of this pack. I agreed to allow you to come here as an experiment, and I was so impressed with your care of Nora that when you offered to see anyone else as well I readily complied. Still, I was somewhat disbelieving that you could possibly be so wonderful as everyone said, so I decided to come here to see you as well." "Oh ma'am," I interrupted, suddenly very nervous. "Please excuse me if I did anything to offend you. I'm not sure of the were customs, so please accept my apologies. I mean no harm." "Yes, well, that's just it. You're so—intuitive. Without being told of my rank, you treated me with absolute respect and kindness, something that no one in were culture does to someone as low ranking as I was pretending to be. And the fact that you were able to convince vampires to come care for us? Absurd. Beyond imagination. Vampires have always loathed werewolves. They talk about us like stray dogs. And yet you have them rushing around to make sure we're all right? Who are you? Where did you come from?" I laughed a little, and told her my story. "Honestly, Elke, I'm nothing special. Just a human who has a knack for getting herself into scrapes." "I'd be very surprised," she said after I finished, "if you were only a human. There are lots of variations out there—God certainly did not get bored creating new races." I laughed and walked Elke out. "If you find out which one I am, please let me know. It'd be a great relief." I meant it as a joke, but Elke took it seriously. "Dr. Crane, I want you to know: My pack is deeply indebted to you. You have saved the life of one of my children, and improved the lives of many more. We will do everything we can for you, and come to your call should you ever need us." She handed me a small piece of paper. "That is my private phone line. Only call it in an emergency, but know that I will always answer it and come to you immediately." I was so overwhelmed with this woman's kindness that I hugged her without thought. She was stiff at first, but softened into my arms after only a moment. When I pulled back I suddenly realized that I could have just done something very inappropriate and apologized profusely. Elke just smiled and patted me on the arm. "I suppose it would have been quite inappropriate if the circumstances were different, but right now it was just fine. It speaks your thanks more eloquently than any words could have." I checked on Nora and Felix once more and found them content and comfortable, so I left in one of Elke's cars. The driver took me straight into the city in less time than I thought possible and deposited me in front of my clinic's building only 15 minutes after 9. I rushed up, nodding to Megan, the receptionist, and squeezing into the elevator right as the doors began to close. I was a total jumble, still wearing the clothes I had been wearing for days now, my hair a mess and probably smelling through and through like sickness. I wasn't even thinking about the other people in the elevator until I heard my name. I spun around instantly to see Inga and Lux standing right next to me. Inga was grinning broadly and Lux was beaming. A little shifting bundle was attached to his front in a fabric sling. "Inga! Lux! How are you?" I hugged them, smiling and laughing and peaking into the bundle to see the most beautiful baby I had ever encountered. "Oh my goodness! Wow! Look at that gorgeous baby!" Inga blushed. "His name is Leo. He—well, we were going to name him after his uncle Theo, but since that would be a little confusing, and because we really wanted to thank you and honor you, Lana, we named him Leo. The 'L' from you and the 'eo' from Theo." The elevator doors swung open and I almost began crying. "Oh Inga, Lux, you have no idea how much that means to me!" I hugged them both again and as the doors began closing Lux stuck his hand in the way and we all got off. "Thank you so much. I hope you know that I will give little Leo all the love and adoration he could possibly need." "I'm so glad to hear it," Lux chimed in. "In fact, we were coming here to bring him for his first check up! We hear you're some sort of expert now." The family followed me into the clinic and immediately all the vampires in the waiting room stood and bowed reverently. I turned around in confusion to see, just in time, Inga and Lux nodding regally to the crowd. "Come on into my office," I said, leading them down the hall. As soon as the door was closed I turned, eyes wide. "Are you some sort of royalty?" I'd lived with Theo for a several weeks, but he'd been very guarded with what he told me of the vampire world. I really knew very little more than he had told me the first day on the ride over to his house. "Of course Lana! Didn't Theo tell you?" I simply shook my head, and Inga explained. "OK. Um, maybe I should start with some basics. It's very rare that a vampire turns a human into a vampire. The process itself takes two or three days, and then you're in for many years of caring and teaching and parenting until the new vampire can be trusted not to rape and kill everything in its sight, much like human parenting." "Well, that's not exactly what human children are like, but I get your meaning," I interjected, smiling. "What's different, though, is that you are interminably linked to your progeny through your bond. And that means that you are able to feel all their emotions, sense their needs, and cannot help but feel drastically, desperately protective and mindful of them. Even though the bond dims over time or if a Sire stops having contact with his or her progeny immediately, most vampires are simply too selfish to put themselves in that vulnerable, protective state. Because of that, it was a big deal when Prometheus, my sire, decided to turn me and Theo, partially because it's so uncommon and partially because he is an ancient." At my confused looks Lux stepped in. "An ancient is—" he glanced at Inga, "well, I'm an ancient. I've been on this planet for longer than you can possibly comprehend. I'm nearing 2,200 years old. Prometheus is, in fact, younger than me, but only barely. I didn't meet him until I myself was 1000 years old, but when he decided to become a Maker, I was already quite close to him." I leaned my head back on the wall behind me and let this sink into me. 2,200 years old? Older than Jesus? Older than our calendar system? He was right—it was too much for me to comprehend. Nonetheless, I pulled myself out of confusion, doubt, and certainty that I was insane, and nodded to Lux. "Go on." "Immediately both Inga and Theo were granted high ranking positions in Prometheus' court. He ruled Greece at that point. The Prince and Princess were highly respected all over the continent, and soon Inga left to be an independent politician of sorts, eventually finding herself in my court. I was, I guess you should know, the Emperor of Italy." Here Inga jumped in. "You're taking too long to tell this story, Lux. I'll be all the people outside are practically dying in pain and we're just in here boring her ear off." "Oh, not at all. I'm absolutely fascinated." "Well, let me finish up for Lux anyway. He gets a little carried away when he talks about how royal he is." She grinned at me, and even Lux chuckled a little bit. "I was in charge of the southern provinces when I first arrived, but only shortly after Theo and I were turned there was a major overhaul of the leaders of Europe. In order to avoid the inevitable bloodshed, some of the leaders peacefully took the resignations they were offered and came to the US. Prometheus never would have before, but once he became our papa he found himself more concerned with our safety than anything else, so he left, convincing this fellow to go with him. Lux ruled the southern states with the same judiciousness as Prometheus in the north, and I stayed behind to look over the transfer of power to Lux' own child. After a couple hundred years of helping him to become the Emperor that Lux had been, I came home to my family here in the states. Theo had come over only a few years before, and I was thrilled to be near him again. I went down to Lux to report on how the Empire was after he left, and, well, we fell in love." I grinned. Their adoration for each other was so clear and warming it completely refuted any myths about the coldness and cruelness of vampires. It made me feel better just to be in the same room as them. "Why don't I give little Leo here a check up? You two can keep making doe eyes at each other in the background and I'll just write down his info." They laughed and Lux gently lifted the baby out of his sling and handed him over to me. I smiled at his precious face and saw his big, wide eyes staring back at me. He waved his arms frantically as I set him down on the scale. "He isn't quite used to not being in someone's arms—we like to hold him as much as possible." Inga said, nervously getting closer to him. "That's totally fine. This will only take a minute." I wrote down some numbers and turned back to her as I picked Leo up again. "But wait, you never finished. What about now? Are you still royalty?" "I guess now that Lux and I are together you could call me a number of things. At the same time that I'm Princess here in New York, I'm also Lux's wife, so Queen in Maryland, but what I do most of the time is work in DC as a judge." It seemed like the more information I was given, the more questions I had. I wrote down the baby's temperature and heart rate before asking what on earth Inga meant by that. "We decided to mimic the humans' governmental system by keeping Washington DC a non-state and using it as a place to come for treaties, conferences, and all sorts of political issues. We still run monarchies, though, so when two kingdoms have issues with each other, but do not want to engage in war, they come to DC to meet before an appointed judge like myself. I hear both cases and give my ruling, but both kingdoms have to agree to accept it beforehand. That way we avoid having an even higher, overbearing government that would be necessary to enforce law upon the kingdoms." I thought for a moment while I tested the baby's reflexes. They were much faster and stronger than a human baby's would have been at that age, but that made sense. All the vampire politics I was learning about seemed to make a certain sort of sense too. "So what do I call you then, oh princess-queen-judge?" Lux chuckled and took Leo back from me, tucking him into the sling. "You can call her Inga. Most people call her Princess, it's easiest, but you are our trusted healer. YOU can call her whatever you'd like." As I was wrapping up I thought of the visit I had from Prometheus and how unnerving it had been. The way Inga was portraying him he was just a concerned father, but to me he had seemed like a calculating, manipulative...vampire. Nothing more human than that. I was going to just let it go, but Inga turned to me, her eyebrows furrowed. "What are you so skeptical of?" She asked me, her hand going to mine. "What do you mean?" "Well, one of the interesting things about you is that you really fill the air with your emotions. More than any other human I know, I can tell if you're upset from anywhere in the building, even outside of it. It's like you're shouting your emotions to me. So right now, I can tell you, you're feeling skeptical. What's that about?" "I guess I was just thinking about what you'd been saying about your Sire. Prometheus. Well, I met him, sorta. He didn't seem anything like the loving father that you describe." "What? When did you meet him?" Inga was shocked and confused. "How?" I explained to her how he appeared to me, first as a woman and later as a man, and how I realized that it was just an apparition and was able to block him out of my mind. "But why? Why did he come to you?" She asked, clearly quite skeptical herself now. "He said that I was really doing a number on Theo, and he wanted to check me out for himself. I guess he can feel all Theo's, and your, emotions at all times?" "Yeah, but he doesn't usually get involved. I mean, he hasn't come to see me, even, since I had the baby." She looked at me closely, and was about to talk when Leo began whimpering. I smiled to see Lux immediately start the baby jiggle that all new parents quickly adopt to calm their kids. It didn't do much, though, so when Leo started crying in earnest, Inga turned to me. "Well, thank you so much for seeing us. We need to go now, but listen to me. If Prometheus is showing an interest in you, you shouldn't squander it. He's very powerful. Go talk to Theo. I know that he hasn't been wonderful to you, but he has provided you with many opportunities, and I know he misses you. Just—go talk to him about your work. Thank him for the clinic. Become friends again. It'll come in handy, I know it." The family left and again everyone in the lobby stood and bowed, nervously tittering after the door closed behind them. I thought about Inga's words as I saw patients. She was right, I realized. It was a strange position to be in, and I didn't necessarily like it, but I was at Theo's mercy in regards to the clinic. And he had responded immediately and without question when I asked for, no, when I demanded an ultrasound and other supplies for Nora. Who is a werewolf after all, not even another vampire. After a few hours I opened the door to exam room 2 to find Elliott prepping for me. He paused only a moment to look straight at me, and smile. I couldn't quite read his eyes, but he was completely courteous an helpful through the whole exam. When the patient left I closed the door before Elliott could follow him out and I placed my hand on Elliott's arm. Negative Space Ch. 10 "Hey there." "Hey yourself, doc," his smooth voice responded. He turned to face me. "I'm feeling much better. And before you start in on the crying and apologizing, I have to tell you that I understand. And it's fine. And I'm glad to be back at work." I looked at him closely, and felt out that golden thread that linked the two of us. He felt—he felt good. Cheery. Satisfied. I smiled up into his eyes. "I'm so glad Elliott. I missed you. And thank you so much for taking care of Nora for me." I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him closely. He smelled clean and I giggled. "What?" "Gosh, I bet I smell awful. I've been a mess this whole week, and I think I'm still wearing the same clothes, even." "Oh, you smell okay. A little dirty, but the thing you don't realize is that you smell incredibly good. All humans smell delicious, sure, but YOU smell amazing." Elliott said, smiling. "Honest," he added, when it was clear I didn't believe him. "Uh huh, sure. Now why don't you tell me what you're so satisfied with yourself, buster." "Well, I have to admit that I hung out here a lot while you were busy sleeping over at Sandra's. While I was resting before that, I heard from a friend of mine that his partner has come down with what turned out to be, I think, the same sickness as Helena, that vampire you saw last week before the clinic opened. So I did some more research, studying the samples we took. And I think I have a good idea of where to start!" "Whoa, really? Oh my goodness, Elliott, you're the best!" I was ecstatic. I'd been so busy with everything else I'd almost forgotten Helena, the desperately sick vampire, but I hadn't forgotten her entirely. Only at lull moments when I was totally unable to do anything else would I remember all the work I had yet to do to try to save her, and my stomach would sink in guilt. But this, this was amazing! I decided to close the clinic early tonight to get in some extra work. Elliott decided to leave to go do a little recon in order to find out whether any other vampires were suffering the same symptoms. He promised to be back by 4 am, when the two of us would sit down to make a game plan. I was excited. Negative Space Ch. 11 Author's Note: Thanks so much for all your comments and suggestions! I wanted to get this to you a lot sooner, but life did what it always does and got really really busy at just the right time. Again, please let me know what you think, I love to have your input. ~~~~~ When Elliott returned to the clinic, he and I worked steadily through until dawn. During his little trip about he had found out that more and more vampires were experiencing similar symptoms to Helena. They couldn't quench their thirst, no matter how much they drank, and as they withered and wasted away sores were opening up over their body. Vampires, who had never had to deal with anything like a wound before were suddenly finding themselves prone to some sort of infection that seemed eat away at their flesh. In fact, in the first hour of contacting friends and talking to acquaintances, Elliott found that everyone knew at least one person with the sickness. It had been slow at first, but vampires were showing the first symptoms in alarmingly high numbers, even within the past week. He counted 45 of his personal acquaintances (and their acquaintances) who were infected. I was amazed. I had Sandra begin contacting these people once more to get information from them—the time frame of the symptoms, the intensity, the patients histories—so that I could attempt to make some sort of database out of the information. From there I hoped to find a general pattern that could point to a cure or at least a cause. Elliott and I studiously set up a number of different tests for the infected tissue samples and were working our way through them when the sun snuck up over the buildings and pushed her first rays into the lobby windows. I pulled the curtains shut and closed off the doors. "I'm feeling so close right now that I don't want to leave," I said to Elliott who was already slipping out of his scrubs and into a t-shirt and boxer shorts to sleep in. "Keep working then—I won't even notice you, I'm so tired." He must have been, since the minute he finished talking to me he slid into the cot, pulled the blanket up tight, and passed out. I smiled. I hadn't known what to think of Elliott at first, but I could tell now that he was incredibly dedicated to healthcare. He kept working, constantly coming up with new and fascinating ideas and techniques, and it was because of him that we had made any progress at all. I was beginning to get a sense of the disease, but even though we still new very little I felt like I finally knew where to look. We had been able to identify the bacteria that seemed to be causing the infection, but so far we had no idea what was actually going on. In fact, we merely identified the fact that there were unknown bacteria in the infected tissue—something that could or could not have been actually related to the symptoms. I rubbed my temples and went back to using an eyedropper to put a controlled amount of a solution infused with the bacteria into test tubes containing pieces of vampire tissues taken from various volunteers from the clinic. It would be a rough study, but we didn't have time to make a well researched, perfect clinical study. This was just to figure out whatever we could as soon as possible and hopefully save a few lives. I worked for another hour and a half before feeling the indisputable pull of sleep at my eyelids. I finished up my round, shut off the machines, and crawled into the cot alongside Elliott. I was too tired to go anywhere, and I hoped Elliott wouldn't mind. As I lay there, feeling his warm body pressed against mine, I felt a thrill of attraction. My core began tingling. I shook my head with frustration. What was this? Any time I found myself in close proximity to a vampire I began to feel totally overwhelmed by attraction to them. First Theo, then Elliott, then Knox—even when Inga drank from me at her birth, I was overwhelmed by the sensations. It was almost like I needed something from them. I needed the touch, I was almost hungry for them. I thought back to Elke, the werewolf Alpha's words to me, insinuating that I might not just be human. Well, at this point I figured that I certainly couldn't be generic variety human because of all the messy powers I had. I just...I didn't feel any different than normal. Should I have been feeling suddenly superhuman? Should I be craving blood or invisible to others? Was I always like this? A memory struck me suddenly. I hadn't thought of it in years—maybe it was one of those self-protective denial things—but now it rushed at me, filling my mind. I stood, as a four year old, in the hallway of the house I grew up in. I was wearing footie pajamas, and I remembered hoping that my parents wouldn't be able to hear the sticky soles of the feet sucking gently at the floor as I took each step. I had wanted someone to help me fall back asleep, but my parents were talking in that tone of voice I knew was serious and not to be interrupted. "—but why now?" my mother was saying, fear and anger in her voice. "I don't know. Isn't it her right though?" my father paused, I imagine leaning forward in his characteristic way to touch my mother's shoulder. "You have to give some weight to the fact that she gave birth to the girl." "No. No. That's it. Lana is my baby girl, no matter who she grew inside. Kate may have been my friend once, but after abandoning her own child, I have no interest in her anymore." "Are you sure? I'll support your decision no matter what, but do you really want to lie to Lana for her whole life?" "It isn't lying if I tell her that I'm her mother and you're her father. It's true. We're the ones who stepped up to take the baby in when Kate disappeared when no one else in her family bothered to." "All she wants to do is visit with Lana though. She doesn't want to take her back." "No. I won't confuse my daughter with that. No." Whoa, I thought, my breath suddenly coming fast and hot. Whoa. The impact of that experience had been so soul-shaking that as a four year old I just couldn't handle it. I'd tucked it away so well that I hadn't thought of it again until just now. I was adopted? What a cliché! I could have laughed, but the feelings of betrayal started to creep over me almost immediately. I was suddenly unmoored—everything I knew about myself and my history was a lie. Well, not everything, I reminded myself, trying to not be overly dramatic. But certainly a few very basic, important things were withheld. Who was my mother? Some woman named Kate. I'd never heard my mother, my adoptive mother, talk about any friends named Kate. My mind was running overtime thinking about every aspect of the conversation I overheard, and all at once my extreme tiredness crashed over me. Within moments I was fast asleep. *** I opened my eyes slowly to see Elliott...dancing. Little white earbuds were wedged into his ears and his eyes were clenched shut as he shimmied past the microscope, dipping and spinning and flailing around the table. I could hear a very distant thudding of the beat coming from his head, but other than that and the sound of his breath, the room was silent. I chuckled, laughing harder and harder as I watched him. Finally he spun round to see me laughing at him, and turned bright red, pulling the headphones out of his ears immediately. "I didn't know vampires could blush," I giggled, sitting up out of bed. "Yeah, well, they don't. I don't. I'm just red with, with, uh, viciousness! Yeah!" Elliott gave up being serious and laughed with me. I walked up to him and pulled him in tight for a hug. Again I noticed the sweet smell of him and suddenly how intensely hungry I was. "Oh my goodness, I don't think I've eaten in at least a day!" I said. "How on earth could I have done that?" "You're on a vampire sleep schedule now—maybe you're eating like one now too." The hunger was intense and I felt like I had an idea of what it must be like to be a vampire—the hunger was all mixed up with pain, desire, and deep, deep need. I held my stomach and closed my eyes. "Whoa, Lana, you okay? I'm going to go get you food. I'll be right back." Elliott whooshed away and I sat down at his bench. Take deep breaths, I told my self. I breathed slowly in my nose and out my mouth, calming my body down. When Elliott reappeared a few minutes later he found me totally immersed in the notes he had been working on before I awoke. "Elliott—this is brilliant! Do you think you have enough evidence to be sure this is how the bacteria replicate?" "Why don't you eat a little something, doc," Elliott chuckled, handing me a carton of Pad Thai, "and then we can chat." I devoured the food, quenching the hunger, but not the need. I wasn't sure what that emotion was, but I didn't say anything to Elliott. Instead I asked Elliott to explain his notes to me, because if what he wrote was true, I could begin to craft some sort of antibacterial that would fight this specific infection. After about an hour of working in silence I suddenly remembered him dancing that morning. I chuckled and looked over my shoulder at him. "So why were you dancing with such exuberance when I woke up?" "Well, I had just figured out the last of the bacteria's transduction period, and it felt," he blushed again, "it felt good to be working on something so meaningful. I mean, we're really going to be helping people here. I hope I didn't wake you up." "No, I think I would have woken up anyway. And actually, it was quite nice to start my day with so much laughter," I smiled at him, tapping my pen on my forehead. "And you're right. It does feel good to be doing something worth while. But you know, I'm worried that we're not going to be able to keep going at this rate. I have to keep seeing patients, and it makes it a hell of a lot easier when you're around to help me take care of my patients. I think I need to talk to Theo, and ask him for some more employees." Elliott eyed me covertly, but I caught him. "Oh come on now, it'll be fine. I'll go to him in peace. In fact," I checked my watch. "Why don't you keep working, and I'll go to him right now. You can see the first patients that come who just need basic check ups and anything else you think you can handle. We're outside of the jurisdiction of the AMA now, so you do what you feel capable of doing, but know that if you injure one of my patients I will hurt you very badly." "Yes ma'am," Elliott replied, pretending to act scared, but clearly thrilled. "I'll be back as soon as possible." The big old building was so familiar, and yet within the space of about a week it had become entirely unwelcoming. The gothic decorations I had found so cute and quaint when I first arrived now felt intimidating and medieval, and the previously refreshing coolness of the stone now chilled me deep within my core. I waited for half an hour before the door swung open and Theo strode through, looking impressively royal. His hair had been combed back into a coif and his typical rumpled shirt and tie was replaced with a fine silk suit and shining black loafers. Even his eyebrows gleamed in the beams of blue light that fell across his face from the stained glass windows. "Dr. Crane," he boomed, his voice smooth, deep, and distant. "What can I do for you?" He stared at me while I stuttered for words. I realized that I hadn't thought this visit through at all. Maybe this had been a bad idea. I started to stammer and apologize, trying to pick up my belongings and get out as soon as possible. I had forgotten how golden his eyes were. "I'm sorry, ex—excuse me. I'll get out of your way," I looked up just as I was getting to the door, and I saw his perfect royalty crumble just for a moment. "Lana! Wait." He sighed deeply. "Tell me what's up." He came to the front of his desk and sat down in one of the leather chairs, pointing to the other one for me to sit down again. When I hesitated he pulled out a small, wavering smile, and gazed at me. "Come on now, let's talk. We need to talk." "Theo, I'm sorry," I said as I sat down, suddenly finding I had much to say to him. "I'm sorry about all of this. I came here for two things. No, three. No, well, maybe more. But three specific things." Theo chuckled and his smile steadied a little bit. "First," I continued, "I want to thank you so so much for providing me with such an amazing clinic and such incredible employees. And thank you for coming to my aid when I needed to perform emergency surgery on Nora, the werewolf. You saved her life without even thinking of it, and I have to admit I don't think I would have been so generous and, not, well, petty." "Of course, Lana. You know you can ask for whatever you need. At this point you're my only healer, and you do an amazing job. I have nothing but positive reviews from your patients." "Well, thank you. I guess that brings me to my second point. Can I have more employees?" I smiled shyly, knowing how transparent I sounded, but wanting to show him that those two points were not linked. "I need help doing research." "What research?" he asked, leaning forward. "Well that's my third thing. It seems as if there is a disease that is speedily infecting vampires and causing what may end up being the True Death for many." "What are you talking about?" Theo's eyes widened and his eyebrows furrowed. "This cannot be true." "Well I've got some print outs here," I pulled some slightly wrinkled papers from my bag and handed them over to him. "These are graphs Sandra, Elliott and I have been working on in which we've collected data from as many infected vampires as we've been able to locate. At this point the number is 45, but that is only by contacting our own personal acquaintances. I'm certain there are many more beginning to exhibit symptoms even as we speak." Theo was quiet as he studied the tables I had passed him. "These are my subjects. How could I not have known?" "It seems to be coming on very quickly, and most people only acknowledged experiencing the symptoms when Elliott outlined it for them. They hadn't been putting much stock in their unsatiated hunger or weakness." "We'll need to do something about this immediately. I'll send envoys out to other heads of state and individual messengers to every registered vampire in my kingdom to find out who has it. What do you need for your research?" "I think I need at least 4 or 5 more assistants who can be constantly working in the lab, and access to a few specific chemicals." "Certainly. I'll have assistants sent to the lab as soon as possible. Do you have a list of supplies you need?" "Yep." I handed him another sheet of paper. "And another thing, even though it seems like I shouldn't be thinking about this during such a crisis." "What is it?" Theo asked, his voice softening, as if he knew this was hard for me to ask. "Well, you know about these powers I've been discovering in myself?" Theo nodded. "Do you think there is anyone you know of, some sort of teacher, who would be willing to help me learn to control them?" "I don't know exactly who would be best for you, but I'll talk to Prometheus. He'll know exactly who to ask for help." I nodded now, and paused. "But that isn't all you wanted to ask for, is it?" Theo said. "One other thing, I guess. Oh, I'm sorry Theo. It must seem as if I only come to you when I need something, and I guess that's true, but I want you to know that I really do want to become your friend again. I was terribly angry at you, and for good reason, but I think we could come to a sort of relationship that doesn't just revolve around the clinic, don't you?" Theo smiled gently and sighed. "Why don't you ask me for what it was that you wanted." "Oh, okay." My voice sounded small and girlish. "I've just rediscovered that, I guess, I'm adopted. So I was hoping for help finding my birth parents. I wonder if they could have an idea about what my, well, what I am." "I'll get someone on it as soon as I can spare them." "Oh, that would be amazing. Thank you." It felt so lovely to be around Theo. I understood now how much I had missed him. I suddenly wanted him terribly, in a way that I couldn't explain. "Now Lana," Theo leaned forward and let his hand drop onto mine. Immediately we both felt the shock and he pulled his hand away as if he'd burned himself. A look of slightly wild terror crept up into his eyes, pushing away his evident desire for me, and he stumbled off the chair and backed up to the wall. "What was that?" "I don't know! I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean to do anything!" I pushed my hand back down to the table even though it had seemed to follow him of its own accord. "You need to go. You need to go now." His voice was strained and rough. "I'll get your supplies to you as soon as possible." Even as he backed up away from me I felt that more mysterious, unsettled hunger overcoming me again. I wanted to touch him, I wanted to pull whatever it was I needed from him—I needed him, I needed something he could offer me. The door slamming behind me cleared my mind and I realized that I'd been advancing on him. I turned around quickly. Stevens was standing there eyeing me suspiciously. "Your car is ready, milady." Ever polite, he even bowed to me as I scrambled to grab all my things and rush out of the room. Back at the clinic the patients were getting kind of rowdy. As always Sandra was a blessing, keeping everyone as calm as possible, but I could tell something was bothering her when I walked in. I took her aside and asked her what the problem was. "Well, there are some people here who claim they were sent by Theo? To be your new assistants?" "Oh yes! Already? How fantastic. Sandra, this is great. They're going to help us to work on finding a cure for that disease." Sandra was visibly relieved, and I realized that she had thought they were there to replace her and Elliott. I laughed and hugged her. I instantly felt myself drown in hunger and desire, but I pulled myself out of it. God, what was this? I felt like I wanted to either eat her or kiss her. No. This was Sandra. I didn't even have fangs to eat her with! Without missing a beat I put a smile on my face and acted as if nothing had happened. "You know I could never replace you! You know this clinic better than I do and run it better than anyone else possibly could." "I mean, that's what I thought, but then they showed up, and you hadn't told me anything about it—" "I really only asked him about 40 minutes ago. In fact I came straight here from his house. I would have absolutely told you if I'd had the time." "That's good to know," Sandra smiled, looking quite bashful. Quickly, though, she wiped her face and set it back to its usual seriousness. "I'll get them set up then. Are you ready to start seeing patients?" "Yes absolutely. Thank you again, Sandra, for being such an amazing assistant. Without you I don't know what on earth I would do." Sandra handed me a clipboard and hurried back to my office where the new research assistants were waiting. I scanned the clipboard and called out the first patient's name. The patient followed me back to an exam room as I took a few deep, steadying breaths. This was going to be a long night. *** Sitting across from me was a teenaged girl, exhibiting in every way the typical teen-ness one would expect. She was chewing gum, slumped backward in her chair, and picking at her fingernails. "Look," she said, tossing her highlighted ponytail hair back over her shoulder. "Seriously. You can just fucking drop the doubt right now, cause if Prometheus sent me, he sent me for a fucking reason, bitch. I'm the best at what I do, the fucking queen. And seriously, I can read you like a fucking picture book." She sat forward and stared at me. Although we had my desk between us I felt like we were suddenly too close for comfort and I moved backward. She laughed. Negative Space Ch. 11 "So what? You're just going to stare at me? I come here all the way from fucking LA and you can't even open your goddamn mouth to say something to me?" I couldn't let her intimidate me, so I smiled. Whatever this girl thought she was must be something special. I knew she'd just keep reading me and figuring out my moves before I could do them myself, so I closed my eyes for a moment and started building a wall, pulling in my emotions, my awareness, my personhood that had been floating out in all directions, and I locked them into me and away from her. I heard her jingling and I opened my eyes immediately—she was standing now, leaning close to me, her palms flat on the desk. "How the fuck did you just do that? I just lost you completely!" Deep breath. Forget the fact that this teenager was probably born centuries before I was even a figment in my parents' imagination. "Excuse me, ma'am. Please sit back down, and lower your tone in my office. I don't care who sent you. If you can't offer me any common courtesy, I will have you kicked out of my clinic." The teen smiled, baring particularly sharp teeth. "Oh yeah? You think you deserve my respect cause you're some old hag?" She let her fangs drop down just enough to scare me. "I think I deserve your respect because you're a guest here. I know you're probably older than I can even conceptualize, but I don't take kindly to threats." Her grin widened, and she began to walk around my desk, dropping her fangs all the way. Her glee at having a chance to challenge me was clear, but I didn't agree. I knew I was nothing against her physically—why did things always have to be harder than they needed to be? I thought Prometheus was supposed to send me a teacher, not a teenager. I backed up, but while I was doing that I pressed at her with my mind. She frowned. I must have been doing something right. I pushed even harder, following my instincts. I had no idea what I was doing, or how I could even begin to describe the action I was taking, but it was instinctual. The need to protect myself was foremost in my conciousness, and suddenly she shouted, gabbing her head. She backed up away from me, clutching her temples and moaning. "Stop...this...now." She pushed the words out of gritted teeth, but I didn't do anything. I simply watched her, wondering if she would stop threatening me, or just actually hurt me now. "Please! I can't...hold off...ugh...this pain...any...longer." I pulled back from her in my mind, and looked to see if it made a difference. My instincts had helped me hurt her, but I had no reflex to guide me to heal her. What was I, though, if not a healer? I did what I had done for Elliott, taking a pinch of my molten core and passing it over her, covering her in it. "Thank you." She collapsed into the chair she had been sitting in before. I didn't move to help her though. "Who are you?" "My name is Florence." She pinched the bridge of her nose, shook her head, and sat up straight, dropping the teen shtick for the first time since I'd come into my office to find her here. In a very businesslike way she continued, "I was sent here by Prometheus since his progeny, Theodore, requested it." I nodded. This much I was already aware of. "I am a historian of sorts, you might say. I study the history of humanoid variations. Those would be the different races that have evolved to cohabitate with and survive off of humans. So werewolves, vampires, succubae, fae, etc. There are quite a few." "And you're here to study me, I guess?" "Well, you certainly have a fascinating ability. And it's not the only one, I'm certain. Do you know anything of your parentage?" "I'm sure Prometheus has already passed on the information to you that I've recently discovered that like in any good story, I'm more mysterious than I thought. I was adopted, I suppose." "Right. Well, we'll figure that out. Now, I have to apologize for provoking you so, but I needed to see what you would do. Anyway, it tends to give most humans the chills if I don't act more the way I look." I nodded, anxious to hear if she had any idea what I was. As if she knew what I was thinking, she made direct eye contact with me, and spoke again. "So here's what I'm thinking. We'll have to set up a few tests, but I certainly know we can rule a few races out right off the bat. You're not a vampire, not a werewolf, and not a banshee. Do you feel an overwhelming urge to be in water all the time?" "No..." "Well then you're not part of the esteemed family of Merpeople. Which, I'd have to say, makes things much easier, as most vampires are uninterested in spending much time underwater." She ruffled through her snake skin purse and pulled out a salt shaker and a little leather pouch. Dumping the contents on my desk, she organized a flat, square black stone, an even smaller leather pouch, a knife, a curl of cinnamon bark, star anise, and a mysterious root. "Are you excited for the fun part?" She smiled at me, a little wickedness glinting in her eyes. "I have to admit I get very few chances to actually use all this stuff, but don't worry. I'll explain everything to you as we go along." She shook salt out in a circle around the black stone, and began cutting pieces of all the herbs and roots and set to grinding them into a paste on the stone with a small pestle. After a moment she grinned at me and asked for my hand. I held it out for her, somewhat unwittingly, and in one swift moment she pulled my wrist to her mouth and used a tooth to slice open my radial artery. "Oww! What the fuck was that for?" I cried out as she held my bleeding wrist over the herbs. Instead of any cool magic tricks, though, they just turned sort of muddy brown with my blood and Florence just leaned over and licked my cut shut. "Now for the final addition." She opened the small leather pouch and pulled out five stones, each with a symbol engraved. The first one had squiggly lines drawn over it, and Florence placed it next to the black stone and inside the circle of salt. "That's water. And this one is earth," she said, placing a stone with many sized splotches carved into it a few inches away from it around the black stone. "After that comes fire," a stone with fire etched in, "then air," this stone had the curley cues of wind, "and last, but not least, is Khrusos." The last stone had a simple star in its middle. "What is Khrusos?" "It would take way to long to explain now, but I suppose you could call it magic, for lack of a better term. It's that which is life, that which creates, and that which destroys. If humans encounter it in a true form, they call it "god" and reinvent it as an old white man in the sky to make it easier to believe. I don't quite understand how that makes it more palatable, but at least makes our lives easier. Honestly, the beauty, elegance, and mystery of Khrusos is so much more breathtaking than the human god ever could be. Sometimes it makes me quite angry, but then I meet someone like you, who is so tapped in... it's amazing." She took the knife and laid it on top of the blood soaked herbs. "Okay, now hold my hands, and close your eyes. I'll guide you, but let yourself fall outside of your body. Let the barriers of your skin, clothing, and culture all fall away from you." Her voice was so soothing I fell almost instantaneously into a trance after I close my eyes. Like she said, I let my consciousness leave my body, and as it expanded out and away from me, in my mind's eye, everything it covered turned to gold. Something began to whir, so I opened my eyes to see the knife spinning wildly on top of the pile. Florence was staring at it steadily, muttering something under her breath. Her hands were squeezing mine uncomfortably and I thought about pulling away from her, or at least rearranging them, but I didn't know what would happen to that highly unpredictable knife if I did so. I closed my eyes again and decided to let things move on their own. After a moment Florence made a curious noise in the back of her throat. I looked down and saw the tip of the knife pointing to the fire stone. Florence was nodding and pulling her hands away as it began spinning once more. The shock in her eyes told me this was not something that happened often, or ever. This time the knife tip ended pointing at the star, or the Khrusos stone. One last time it spun, rapidly and dangerously, and landed on the stone decorated with air symbols. After it had been still for quite a few minutes I nervously pulled my fingers out from between Florence's. Mine were sweaty pale even though hers were still the beautiful tone and warmth of all vampires. "Well I've certainly never seen that before, but I think it makes it easier for us to figure this out. We know now that you're some sort of mix. I'll do my research, but I think I can say pretty strongly that you're at least one part succubus." "Oh my goodness, really? Is that something you could tell from the stones?" "Actually no. I just have been finding myself more and more attracted to you since I stepped in the room, and every time our skin touches I just feel like I want to surrender to you. It's pretty potent magic you have there, even though a little unusual, so as I research the rest of it, you should try really hard to learn ways to control it. You're all over the place." "I know, but I don't know what to do! How can I control it if I don't even know what it is?" "We'll figure it out together. We'll practice, I'll research, and hopefully it'll become easier for you to control yourself." There were dark, brooding clouds, and it occurred to me only secondary that it was light out, and I was outdoors. Something quite unusual these days. Still, it wasn't quite sunny—the whole sky was a deep, charcoal grey, and as I looked up and down the New York streets I was standing on something else occurred to me—it was silent. Much too silent. Not a soul, human or otherwise, was on the street or in the shops or windows of the apartments above. I felt an immediate rush of terror—what did this mean? Was I in some sort of danger? As I began to run down the street, frantically searching for somebody to talk to, to ask for help, I felt a deep, rushing dizziness, and as if someone grabbed my belly button through my back I was jerked backward and up into the sky. Gasping for breath I opened my eyes. Sandra's comforting, cool hands were touching my forehead, wiping away my sweat. "You okay, lady?" "Oh, I'm alright." I closed my eyes, trying to push away the wave of nausea that had refused to dissipate with the dream. "What time is it?" "About 8pm. You've got an hour before the clinic opens, and Elliott asked me to wake you up—he has important information, I guess." "Right. Okay. Let me change and I'll head over to the clinic as soon as possible." Ever since Florence had appeared in my life I'd been closing the clinic early to train with her and anyone she could convince to act as my punching bag. In the few minutes in between sleeping, training, and working in the clinic, I would drop in to check on Elliott as much as possible. He was heading the research team, and every time I talked to him it sounded like they were closer. Last week they had identified, by some method entirely mysterious to me, where the first breakouts of the bacteria were. Apparently they started out in Washington DC and had spread from there and appeared in NYC within the month. All in all it had been almost 4 months since the first cases, and already vampires were dying. I'd been fielding visit after visit of people showing symptoms, and since I felt awful about having nothing to do for them, I started a newsletter of sorts sending out updates and encouragements. It was after my third newsletter update that I got the call that Helena, the first vampire I'd seen with this sickness, had died the true death. It was horrible. There was no service, just a mourning coven, so I went and sat shiva, spending the night with them, hearing their stories of her life, her good deeds, and putting an arm around whomever needed it. It was sobering, to realize that this illness, the plague as we'd begun calling it, was affecting real people. Well, real vampires. But valuable souls nonetheless. I ran down the steps from Sandra's apartment and hopped into the car that Theo had been providing for me since I'd decided to accept Florence's help, even though I refused to move back in with him. It had been a tense moment, and we did our best not to touch one another, even though the yearning grew deeper and deeper every time I saw him. There was just something about it that made me feel like he belonged to me, that I could tell him what to do, and it would be alright. I fought against that yearning, the desire to take from him what I wanted. I told myself over and over again that if I couldn't make the commitment to give back to him everything that I took, and I certainly wasn't ready to be in any debt to him, then I wasn't going to take anything at all. Well, except for the car, and the clinic, and maybe a few extra supplies every here and there. But in those cases, I told myself, it was alright, justified. He was getting a very valuable service for his subjects, and I was getting a business. Vampires had been coming even from other states to visit me, and it gave him quite a leg up in political negotiations when he was able to bring up the fact that his Kingdom had certain very necessary resources. The car dropped me off in front of the clinic, as usual, and I rushed up the elevator and almost straight into Elliott as he was about to close the door behind him. "Oh! Sorry. Where are you going?" "I was just coming out to find you. Did Sandra tell you what I wanted to talk to you about?" "No. Is it something serious?" "Well, it seems so. Come on in, let me show you what we've been working on." I followed Elliott back into the lab and greeted the other vampires slaving away there. Instead of the single cot, there were now four, a clothing rack, and a mini fridge stocked full of blood. It seemed like they rarely left the lab anymore. "So here's the thing. You know already that we've been able to track the plague back to DC, and it has led us to wondering what caused it to begin with. The thing is that these bacteria, they're highly unusual. They don't function the way we'd normally expect, and no antibiotics we can find will work on them. Nothing will. The only thing we've been able to use so far is fire, but only if it lasts for longer than an hour, and burns at a temperature of at least 450 degrees Fahrenheit. You know that fire kills vampires too, though, so we can't very well just burn everyone." I was silent for a moment. Fire. Interesting. "Okay, what else?" "Well, the thing is that we can only imagine these bacteria functioning this way by the hand of a person. Either a vampire with a vendetta, or well, anyone with a vendetta. These are not natural bacteria. There is something very clearly magical about them." Elliott paused a moment, ready for me to laugh or scold him, but I'd seen enough magic in the past few days that it didn't even phase me. "Do we have any idea who could have done this? I'm no fool, I'm certain vampires have many enemies, but which of these enemies would have the power, resources, and abilities for this?" "That does make an interesting point. I don't know who would be able to craft magic at this skill—it is really amazing. Most spells work for a short period of time, or make a single, irreversible change, but this is a growing, mutating, hungry magic, and it has a plan." "Yeah, it certainly seems so." I sat down and thought about what he'd said about fire. Fire could kill these bugs? This was certainly something that I'd have to talk to Theo about. Maybe he could help me figure out what about this sounded so... apt. "Well, back to work then," I said, smiling. My arms twitched as if to give Elliott a hug, but I needed to stop touching vampires...the resulting desperate hunger and almost incompacitating starvation pangs weren't quite worth it. I thanked him heartily instead, and got to work setting up the clinic. *** Staring at the impressive doors of Theo's building made me nervous. It wasn't just the indimidating wrought iron or the way it seemed to be more of a dungeon than a home, it was more about what I was going to do. It was nothing new, going to talk to Theo about updates, just always a challenge. Ever since we began working together again to try to fight the plague I'd had regularly scheduled meetings with Theo. Every time I'd calm myself before hand, practice a little of the medication techniques Florence had taught me, and try to go in confident, assertive, and concentrated. It was impossible though. The minute I saw him those pangs came back—Florence thought maybe it was because we had already had sex. "Because Succubae can take possession of their prey, you know, sort of like how vampires can mark humans. You might have done it accidentally, but I think you made him yours." She had looked at me sort of curiously at that point. "I don't know, I'm not sure I could do that, Theo is an incredibly powerful vampire. He has abilities I haven't even seen, and control over himself in a way that still baffles me." "But didn't you say he began to lose control when it came to you? He began to get obsessive and protective? Whether you admit it or not, I think you were causing him to forget everything but you, to be dependent entirely upon you." I had denied it fervently when she said it, but something rang very true. Although we hadn't yet figured out what the rest of me was, the simple knowledge of having Succubus in my blood was a weapon in and of itself. It made it easier for me to understand the deep cravings—I could probably survive off of sexual energy alone if I wanted to, but I simply didn't have the time for it. However, I'd practiced my power over people in the street, and found that it was way more potent than I'd expected. I actually had to get one of my body guards to intervene at one point and stop a man from giving me his bank account number. It was all very exciting, but at the same time I felt as if these powers were sort of cheating. I'd grown up without them, expecting to have to pay for everything I wanted, having to walk everywhere I went, having to do things the hard way. What did it mean about me if I started cheating? Asking for a little something extra here, skipping a step there...it made me nervous. I was determined not to use them on Theo, but that was when the urge came the strongest. I just felt such a strong pull to him. The door swung open. I followed Stevens in, making myself as comfortable as possible in Theo's office before he arrived. My heart was pounding—I felt it move up into my throat. No. Deep breaths. Meditation. Calming thoughts. But again the door swung open, and Theo walked in. "Lana," his voice carried through the room, resonating in my chest. "It seems like I have some good news. We've managed to find the missing persons report for a Kate Peterson who attended the same college as your mother. The timing works out just right. I think we've found your birth mother." I took a moment to inspect my fingernails and tamp down the sudden rush of emotions. I needed control. "Oh, okay. Wow. Thank you." I allowed myself one deep breath, and tried to ignore Theo's smell of leather and dusty books. "So did she ever return?" Theo sat down on the edge of his desk facing me. He glanced at a sheet of paper. "My people are working on it now, but it seems like she may not have." The little shoot of hope that I had been trying desperately to hide withered. "At least," Theo picked up again, "not in the same place as the same person. If she is non-human, the way it seems she might be, she won't have simply disappeared. We have a network for this sort of thing, and I'm looking into it." Negative Space Ch. 11 Theo's knee brushed mine. I could feel my core warming already. I tried not to think about it, but his eyes caught mine, and immediately I could tell he was feeling my emotions, feeling my desire wash over me. I closed my mind, locking him out. "Thank you so much for doing this for me Theo. I have some important news for you too." I told him everything Elliott had passed on to me about the plague, and together we brainstormed about what it could mean that the bugs were susceptible only to fire. Theo sat down in the chair beside me at that point, and we both scooted up to the desk to flip once more through the many reports and papers we had from the research team. I could feel Theo's warmth as he sat beside me—he must have been doing it on purpose, I speculated, as I knew he didn't always have to be warm. He could let his body go cold if he wanted to, but I knew that he knew I liked it better when he was warm. I closed my eyes for a moment while he was talking and let our bodies talk to each other. He was leaning toward me and I was leaning toward him, but that could have just been due to the work we were doing. I could smell him, I could feel him, I could hear his beautiful voice. I imagined touching him and remembered the softness of the skin between his shoulder blades. His voice broke off and I looked up at him, startled back into the present. "What's up? Are you alright?" "I..." he trailed off, a strange look in his eyes. "You let your guard down." For a moment I didn't realize what he meant, but with a shock I understood. I'd let him back into my thoughts, my particularly private thoughts. My whole body flushed pink. "I'm so sorry Theo, honestly I was paying attention. I just got a little distracted. It's... it's been a while." Theo's own guard seemed to break down a little bit, and I saw a deep sadness as he quickly looked away. "Lana—" "Theo I'm sorry. I'll leave." "No Lana wait. Don't you, are you, well," he sighed and looked back into my eyes. I felt pinned down by the intensity of his gaze. "Stay here. Sleep here today. Don't go back to sleeping on a couch in someone else's livingroom." My heart was trilling in chest, and no matter how much Khruso I had, I couldn't will it to slow down when I was gazing at Theo like that. I was suddenly so nervous—would it be right for me to give in? To say yes for one night, even if I didn't know if I could promise to stay for longer? Right as I was about to talk Theo traced my chin with his finger and I gasped. The rush of desire almost knocked me off my chair. I could suddenly smell him so much stronger, I could feel the blood coursing through his veins, whether it was his blood or not, but I could still not look away from his eyes. My core melted and I squeezed my thighs together. He smiled, his sweet, plump lips parting ever so slightly to let his fangs show through. This time he touched the other side of my face and I leaned my head into his hand. To touch him was so right. A little voice in my head reminded me that this was a very bad idea. What if he turned out to be obsessive and possessive and violent like he had been before? I wouldn't allow that, I told that little voice. We would take it slowly. The little voice didn't disappear though, it just got louder—don't do it! The voice cried. You should leave now, think it over first. Don't let his magic win you over. It got so loud I closed my eyes and pulled myself away from Theo. It was true, even if I did decide to be with Theo again, I shouldn't do it in one rash moment, no matter how hot he made me. I stood up, risking opening my eyes only when I was facing away from Theo. "Thank you for the offer," I said, my voice trembling as I walked to the door. "I'll consider it for the future." I had my hand on the doorknob as Theo reached me, twirling my body around and pushing my back up against the door. He pressed his nose into my neck, smelling me deeply. "Lana, please—" his voice broke. "Oh god you smell so good. I miss you." He let his tongue slip out of his mouth and quickly licked the outer edge of my ear. I nearly melted right then. "Lana you turn me on so much." He groaned and pushed his body against mine, kissing and biting along my neck and clavicle. I was so wet I knew he could smell it, and I knew I couldn't leave. He lifted up his face and looked into my eyes, and then his lips were against mine, pressing me even farther into the door. I felt almost high with pleasure, kissing him, sucking on his lips, biting his lips, licking his neck and nibbling his ears as he did the same to me. I was overwhelmed. It felt so incredibly right. Suddenly Theo pulled me away from the door and pushed me up onto his desk. I unbuttoned my pants and lifted my hips as he pulled them off, stopping quickly to kiss along the inside of my thigh. As much as I loved the sensations, I really just wanted him inside me though, so I yanked on his hair and pulled him up to my mouth. I unbuttoned his pants and pulled them down while he kissed me. His cock sprang free, and he pushed me back onto the desk, almost crawling on top of me. I could feel the warm velvet of his head against my opening, and suddenly he pushed himself all the way inside. The sensation floored me, sending sparks of fire throughout my whole body. As he slowly began pumping into me I clasped my hands around his neck and my legs around his waist. Moving my legs made him slide even deeper inside of me and he groaned, pumping faster and faster. "Oh god, Lana, fuck. You feel so good." I could feel my orgasm building, but it didn't go over the brink. He was fucking me harder and harder, the whole desk shaking, and then I felt the pierce of his fangs entering my neck. It hurt for a moment, but then everything doubled, my pleasure, his pleasure, the burning in my body. As he drank from me, he came, and as he came, a million things happened at once. I felt myself drinking his orgasm from him, sucking it deep within my body. I felt something change and realized that I was looking at myself from above, I was feeling the most intense orgasm of my life coursing through me as I came... well as I came into me. I could see and feel everything Theo was seeing and feeling and the intensity of his orgasm threw me over the edge as well. My pussy clamped down hard on his cock and I felt the orgasm all over again, this time with my own little alterations to the sensation. Theo licked the bite mark shut, and pressed his face into my neck. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed the top of his head. When he looked up at me I smiled. "I missed you." Theo chuckled. "I missed you too." Negative Space Ch. 12 Phew! It's finally winter break, and I can FINALLY get you this chapter. It has been waiting so patiently at the back of my to-do list for a couple months now, and it is due to the persistent notes and messages of admiration from all of you that I have had the encouragement I needed to finish it. So THANK YOU for your help! Please continue to comment and rate and message me and so on, and I will continue to work on this. I hope you all have wonderful holidays! ~~~~~ A phone rang, very far away, but I decided it was entirely unimportant. More important was the warm, silky body pressed against mine. The body rumbled, growling softly in frustration when the phone began ringing a second time. I giggled, wedging myself deeper between his limbs. "What are you laughing at, you demon?" his deep voice rolled over me, vibrating through his chest. "Oh, who would have thought the magnificent King would be so grumpy in the mornings?" "It's NOT morning. It's only just dusk, and I want to sleep in. So shush. And get that phone to stop ringing!" I giggled more. "It's not my phone! I think it's your royal wake up call." His hair was messy and he had pillow marks on his cheek, but it only served to endear him to me. I crawled up and kissed the red marks, then as he began to smile I kissed his forehead, eyes, nose, and eventually his lips. Now the rumbling chest had started up again, but he was practically purring, not growling. He wrapped his arms around me and pressed his face into my chest. "That's a good kitty," I cooed. "Now go get that phone! That's the 4th time someone has called it. It might be important." Theo groaned, and rolled over, pinning me beneath him. "No. I'm sleeping. Now be quiet and go back to sleep." He nuzzled his face into my neck, and proceeded to fall asleep again immediately. This felt so right. He felt so good right there, cuddled up to me. The phone stopped ringing for a moment, but started up again almost immediately. I groaned now, but slipped out from beneath Theo and skipped naked across the room to grab it. I hopped quickly back into bed and pressed "talk." "Hello? Uh, Theodore's line." I fumbled, realizing I had no idea what kind of a phone this was, and who would be calling it. The voice on the other end fumbled too, clearly confused. "Who is this?" The woman sounded more bewildered than angry, so I decided to go easy on her. "I'm taking His Majesty's calls for the moment. Would you please let me know who's calling?" "This is Her Majesty the Queen of California. Please connect me immediately." Oops. I guess I should have realized this was a royalty-only line. "Thank you ma'am, just one moment." I put the phone on mute and shook Theo vigorously. "Wake up, you miscreant! Slacker! Malcontent! You've got a very important-sounding Queen on the line, and I don't want to get in any more trouble with her than I'm already in!" Theo reached out for the phone and I turned off mute and handed it to him. Without even opening his eyes launched immediately into a flawless conversation about regulation of trade, taxes, and a bill that would soon be voted on in the human congress. I had just begun to doze again when he hung up. "Now why on earth would you do that to me? I was ignoring it on purpose!" Theo finally opened his eyes as he rolled over to put them directly in front of mine. I sighed, entirely absorbed by their endless gold. He inched his head closer to mine, and I mirrored him, pressing my lips to his. They were warm and soft, pulling me towards him, contrasting entirely with his scratchy stubble. He was just beginning to grin with the glint of desire I loved so much, when the phone rang again. He rolled his eyes and huffed. "Now look what you've done. Oy. You good for nothing meddler!" He reached for the phone while nibbling my ear. Tingling rushed up through my spine and my whole head buzzed with desire. "Hello?" Theo didn't bother with any introduction. He stopped nibbling on me, though, and his expression became annoyed. "Oh just shove it, Flo. I'm trying to get some rest." He was silent for a moment and then winked at me. He began to move down my body, licking and sucking, coming very close to my nipples, but not touching them. I arched toward him as he grumbled, "Well there's just nothing I can do about that. You tell Prometheus yourself. I don't care." When he finally licked my nipple, biting in gently, I gasped out loud. Theo rolled his eyes at me. "What, that noise? Oh, I just snapped a pencil in half, trying to vent my anger away from you." Again he was quiet. "Flo— Florence! Okay. Okay! I give up. Here she is." He handed the phone to me and shrugged. I held it up to my ear. "Hello?" "Well, did you at least feed yourself?" Florence's no-nonsense, snappy voice came over the line. "What do you mean?" "I mean, did feed from him?" "Again, I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm not a vampire! And how did you even know I was here?" "History isn't my only talent. I also have a particular knack for knowing when people are having sex." "Really?" I asked, amazed. "No, dumbass. I asked your secretary. She said you'd never come back from Theo's after you went over for a meeting." "Oh. Well, what do you mean about feeding?" "Well, do you feel hungry?" "No, not entirely. But that doesn't mean anything." "Yes it does. You haven't eaten food in hours, almost a half a day, and yet you're completely satisfied. You fed from him when you had sex. You absorbed his sexual energy and nourished yourself." I was silent. Whoa. Really? I guess that would explain the strange out-of-body experience when I felt and saw everything through Theo's eyes. "Are you sure, Florence? I mean, I've been sort of moving back and forth between vampire and human sleep schedules and it has really thrown my appetite off. It could be that." "No," she said, and that was that. She was certain, even if I wasn't. "Now, I've been doing some searching, and I have an idea about where to look next for your species. Shall we meet tonight around midnight?" "Well, I was planning to be at the clinic. I could meet you at 3, though. I've been generally closing up around then to work with Elliott. Would that be okay?" "I suppose. Why don't you come to my house? I'll have a car waiting for you." "Alright then. Thank you. See you tonight—" The phone clicked off. She certainly wasn't one for pleasantries. "So what was that all about?" Theo asked, gently scraping his fangs over my hipbones. I shivered, pressing my head back into the pillow, and lifting my hips to feel the sharp points a little closer. Theo shuddered in response, pulling his head back and making direct eye contact with me. His eyes were solid silver, almost as if they had been made out of mercury. "Be careful what you do there, hotstuff. Don't taunt me unless you want to follow through on it." "Mmmmm, well, maybe I do," I murmured, opening my legs for him. The lines in his face suddenly became deeper, more rigid, and he moved to my thigh, gently licking, nipping, and sucking closer and closer to my hot core. I gasped as the sensations ricocheted through my body, up to my chest and back down to my cunt, burning and tingling with more and more ferocity. I shook my head, trying to center myself, trying to keep myself grounded—I decided to pay attention this time as I drank from him. Knowing the power I had over him was too heady though, and I couldn't help but giggle when he pressed his erection against my leg, desperate for contact with my body. I decided to tone it down a little—it was getting out of my control too fast, and if I wanted to pay attention to how it felt when I fed, I needed to not be too out of my mind with desire and lust when it happened. I pulled back, realizing that without meaning to, I had sent little tendrils of gold thread out like a spider's nest to ensnare Theo. I pulled them back from him, letting him be there with me of his own accord. He looked up for a moment, confused, almost as if he'd just sobered up. He could remember everything he'd been doing, but he hadn't had any control over himself as he'd done it. I worried for a moment that he'd blame me and be angry that I'd ensnared him so. I was about to say something when he let his eyes trace down my body, feasting on my heaving chest, my hard nipples, the thin red lines where he'd marked my skin with his fangs, and his eyes colored again, the dark desire painting his face. "God, you are so fucking beautiful, Lana. I just want to be inside you." He crawled up my body and I luxuriated in the feeling of his hot, smooth skin sliding along mine. Every fraction of my body was on fire, and any contact with his sent shockwaves down my spine. "You feel so good against me," I panted, excitedly holding my hips up to line up with his cock. He eased his way into my cunt and groaned aloud, closing his eyes and letting his fangs elongate even more. I lifted my head up to kiss his mouth, licking his fangs and sucking on his lips. With a growl he began to pump into me, his hips moving faster and faster, and I began to spiral outward, my orgasm building steadily. But I wanted him, and I wanted to own him, to drink from him, absorb him. I pushed him over onto his back and pressed his shoulders down to the bed. "What?" he panted, confused. He must have seen something in my eyes, though, because he stopped talking and his eyes glazed with desire. I crawled over his legs, bringing my mouth down to his cock, and licking once from the root to the tip. A strangled cry left his mouth and his hips jumped, trying to keep in contact with my tongue. Without warning I sucked him all the way into my mouth and this time I watched his knuckles turn white as he clasped my wrist. I shook him off and went to work, sucking, licking, holding him as deep in my throat as I could. I could not remember a time I had been more turned on by giving head, but I was so wet I could feel my juices dripping down my thighs. I wanted to consume him, to bring him so far out that he couldn't help but explode in my mouth. He began to whimper, alternating between trying to push himself farther into my mouth and pulling back from the sensation. I wrapped my hand around the bottom of his cock and began to pull it up toward me, keeping my tongue out so that the head of his cock laid on it as I used my hand to bring him closer. He groaned and leaned up on his elbows, his eyes trained on my mouth, my lips, my tongue. I alternated between using my hand and my mouth, my other hand at his balls, his sensitive skin, digging my nails into the flesh of his cheeks. "Oh Jesus, Lana, fuck! Oh fuck I want to be in you! Come here." He demanded, pulling on my arms and heaving me up onto him. I began to protest, but he arranged me above his cock and as I felt its wet head touching my cunt my whole body shivered. I rotated my hips slightly to line up perfectly, teasing his head as I sank down only half an inch before coming back up. After a few minutes of this he groaned, "please!" Without warning I sank down on him till we were fused together. I threw my head back in pleasure—he filled me so perfectly I almost came immediately. The sensation was so sudden, so perfect. I let the gasp leave my lips and dropped down to my hands and knees so I could begin to seriously fuck him. I rode him hard, grinding my hips down, gyrating so that I pulled his cock in every direction, changing the angle so my tightness varied. I was euphoric. And that euphoria had to be—I pulled myself back, closing my eyes so that when I opened them I could see through that magical veil. I could see us glowing, not with the golden strings I normally saw, but this time we were smack dab in the middle of a single, glowing orb of golden light. Right then he began to growl, and I knew he was close. His eyes snapped open to show me the steel eyes from before, and he grabbed my wrist and sunk his fangs into my radial artery without hesitation. As always, I gasped quickly at the pain before reveling in the feeling of my blood pulsing into his mouth. My cunt began to spasm as I delighted in feeding him, and his cock responded, jerking suddenly as he began to come into me. I rode out my pleasure, letting it surge through my body, but I kept my eyes open, watching the glowing orb burn brighter and brighter until it began to suck into my body. It came in closer and closer, until I felt a slight tingle as it sunk in through my skin, leaving my whole body to glow faintly as I slumped down onto Theo. Theo nuzzled my face, leaving a streak of blood on my cheek and licking it off. "I love the way your blood tastes as you come." ****** Flo's apartment was a conglomeration of every image I had of her in my head—Flo the teenager, the sorceress, the ancient vampire, the herbalist, the envoy from Prometheus. There were pristine couches and a tv and a wall of old leather bound books and herbs in jars and a ipod with speakers—none of it fit quite right. Flo herself sat on a cream white couch without a single stain, snapping gum and flipping through a teen magazine. I didn't know what to say, but somehow she realized this and organized herself for me, making it easier on the human. She sat up, closed the magazine, and effortlessly shook of the teen-ness that had poured through her posture and facial expression just a moment before. Immediately she was professional, and not to be messed with. She gestured to the matching couch opposite her. "So like I said, I've been going through our databases. And I'd like to do one more test, but then I think I can surely say what you are." "What do you think I am?" I asked immediately, unable to play cool. Flo just smiled, settling back in her chair. "Let me tell you a story. In the days of fur and iron, in places that required fire and the ability to survive, there lived a young girl. This girl was the daughter of a man and his sister. As incest was normal in this family's home town, nothing was thought of it. The little girl and her brother lived happily in their parent's house, learning the things children might about fire and hunting and surviving. Their mother and father loved them dearly, and taught them all they could. However, time passed, and things changed, forcing the family to move to a bigger town, a more regal place, almost a city. Quickly it was discovered that their parents were siblings, and as incest was frowned upon here, they were split apart, and the children were thrown into the night. On the streets of this town, the girl quickly learned that to be a young woman, just barely 16, warranted her no assurance of a job. She tried what she could, digging through trash heaps, cleaning up for the fish sellers at the market for a meal, and her brother did the same. It kept her alive. "It is important to remember, though, that alive is not the same as happy, or even tolerable. Living in constant starvation is—" Flo broke off for a moment, an expression crossing her face as if it could to easily have been her in the market place. She knew what it felt like to starve. "Living in constant starvation is more than torture. It is the complete recreation of who you are as a person, what you aim to be. Not only is the old you torn to shreds with each night you try to fall asleep to an empty stomach, but you begin to understand the phrase 'willing to do anything' in an entirely new light. It's not even just willing, it's eager, determined. So you can clearly understand that when she stood up from cleaning the last of the fish guts from the gutter she was easily entranced by the glitter that came from the alleyway to her right. "She slipped away from the main market and moved slowly through the shadows of two hulking stone buildings coming close enough to rub shoulders over her. At the end of the alleyway she saw the most beautiful thing she had seen in her short, desperate life. A gold necklace being pulled from the forge at that very moment, still molten, burning, and glowing. She could feel the magic, the Khrusos, or in this language, the seiðr, churning, rolling within it. She knew it was her Khrusos. She knew she had to have it. And it was at that moment that she saw the four men staring at her, a silhouette in the doorway, blocking the last of the afternoon sun. "The man holding the necklace out of the flames was the first to speak. 'It is beautiful, is it not, Freyja," calling her Freyja, or Lady, for the first time in her life, even if in jest. She could only jerk her head in gesture that was taken to be a nod. The men all laughed, but it was not a warm laugh, it was a tired, bitter laugh. It was the laugh of the downtrodden as they cheer themselves up by pushing others down even farther. As they turned to ignore her once more, she couldn't stop herself from asking, 'How much is it? The necklace?' This time they didn't even laugh. 'More than you can afford, little Freyja. Go home to your hovel and leave us to work.' She wouldn't be put off though. "She went home that night, but could only bear it a few hours. She had to touch the necklace, to feel the Khrusos emanating from it. Somehow she knew, without being told, that if she could only wear that necklace for a moment she would change her life irreversibly. So she crept back to the market, abandoned and pitch black at this time of night, and felt her way along the stone walls of the buildings until she came to the alleyway. She hurried to the door of the forge, trying to make as little noise as possible, and easily slid a small knife through the rudimentary lock to open it from the outside. As she stepped inside the building she knew immediately where the necklace was—she could feel it calling to her. It needed her. In her haste she forgot to check the room and walked straight over a sleeping human. One of the men from that afternoon. He awoke immediately and grabbed her, throwing her to the floor. In no time the other three men were there and the lanterns were lit. 'So, little Freyja,' he teased, 'you really want that necklace?' She nodded, terrified beyond belief, but determined. 'What do you say, brothers, should we make the little Freyja a deal she can't resist?' He turned to his companions, and they all turned to her. Grinning. Drooling practically. "'Well, Freyja, we will give you the necklace.' She knew something was wrong now, and shook her head. "But I have no money!' she replied, and the men laughed. 'We have all the gold we could ever want. We need no more. But we are lonely.' Still, Freyja's brain must have been moving slowly, and she shook her head again. 'How can I solve that?' Like earlier in the afternoon, this time the men didn't even bother to laugh. 'If you spend one night in each of our beds, we will give you the necklace.' Of course, the girl gasped, and shook her head, and cried. She ran from the building, but the next few weeks were hard on her. The weather dipped, and she and her brother were unable to find anything worthwhile in the trash heaps. Perhaps it was the season, or simply her luck, but there seemed to be no work anywhere. Freyja could not stop thinking about the necklace, and got so far as to convince herself that she could even get it from the men and sell it somewhere else. Something. Anything to soothe her and her brother's empty bellies. One afternoon she showed up at the forge, eyes downcast and shoulders slumped. The men knew why she was there, took her in, and locked the door behind her." Flo stood up and poured me a glass of water in the kitchen. I stared at the carpet, listening to water rushing into the glass, and trying to decide how personal this story was to Flo. If I hadn't known better I would have thought she excused herself to wipe away tears, not pour me some water. "About a week later she emerged looking quite the same, feeling dirtier than she ever had in her life." Flo continued, sitting back down across from me. "And she clutched the necklace in her hand. She could feel it vibrating against her callused palm, but was unable to put it on right away, wondering if it had been worth it. Negative Space Ch. 12 "So you understand, then, that when she finally did put the necklace on, and she embraced the Khrusos that flew immediately through her body. She had a lot of rage, and a lot of determination behind her. Freyja became a priestess, in fact she became the goddess of love, sex, war, death, and witchcraft in the eyes of the Norsemen. And her power, her beauty, and her grim determination made it necessary to try to take it from her, and made it necessary to build up stories to desecrate her name. So after years and years of thievery of her necklace, her cloak, her various powers or powerful possessions, she finally flew into a rage and cursed each and every one of her belongings. Not a soul can touch them unless they are directly related to her by blood. She had given birth to two daughters, you see. Both of them dedicated their lives to their mother and the witchcraft she wielded. They became the first two Vala or Völva, or Huldra, or Spakona—shamanic priestesses, prophets, seers. A tribe of strong, just, and unrelenting women that took back some of the power that had been used against them for so many years. "And again, you can understand why they were picked off. Not quickly, but thoroughly. Christianity didn't quite see eye to eye with the Vala, who reveled in their sexuality, carrying wands crafted to look like phalluses. This is why I waited until I had ruled out every other option for you. We were certain all of Freyja's descendents had been destroyed, but I cannot think of anything you could be BUT a Vala." My head was spinning. This was a lot of information, a lot of fairy tale, to be loading onto me at once. Flo was pulling out an ebony box, not much larger than a cigar box. She set it in front of me and handed me a small key. "Open it." The key screeched against the lock as if it had not been used in many years, but it worked, and I felt the bolt fall away. It was easy to open the lid then, and there lay the most beautiful golden necklace I had every seen. Flo had been right—it hummed with energy, with the promise of beauty, of magic. It was more than magic, though, and now I began to understand what Flo was always talking about, how the word magic, or witchcraft, meant nothing in the face of true Khrusos. It was promise, the feeling of pure joy in the simple existence of a loved one, the delight of the creation of life. It was so much more than I could even begin to explain. "Go on, try it on." "I thought you said there was a curse?" I couldn't say more, because I knew, even beyond my weak protestations, I knew it couldn't touch me. "Yes, for me, or almost any other being on the planet. But I'm quite certain it won't affect you. Besides, I could always turn you into a vampire before all your skin falls off." I wasn't paying attention to her anymore, and gently lifted the necklace from the box. It buzzed in my fingers, tingling them, but I didn't begin to feel any ill effects. I opened the latch and draped it over my clavicle and closed it behind my neck. Just like in the story, I felt a huge jolt of raw power flush through my body. This is it, I knew. THIS is my life source, my calling, my power. When I opened my eyes Flo gasped. I'd never known her be startled, but she merely grabbed my hand and pulled me to the hallway mirror. I startled even myself then—my eyes were gold. Not a startling amber like Theo's, or a soft yellow like the eyes of some humans I had known, these were true gold. An irrational image of someone grabbing my eyeball and biting on it to see if it were real gold flashed into my mind and I began laughing. I think it unnerved Flo even more though, so I closed my eyes for a moment, and when I opened them again they were as before. "So I am what? A succubus slash Norse god?" "Not a god. Just a descendent. It means that somewhere along the line a strain of the family of Freyja managed to hide their powers by mixing with others. Succubae, in this instance, and maybe something else in others. This explains a lot." I returned to the couch, eyeing the box the necklace came out of. I didn't know whether I was supposed to replace it now, but I wasn't sure I'd be able to. The weight of it made me feel so alive, so complete. I didn't want to give it up for anything. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Flo excitedly dialing something into her telephone. Whomever was on the other line picked up after a few rings and jumped immediately into conversation. "Yes! I know!" Flo responded, grinning almost maniacally. "I don't think I could take it off her if I tried. She's practically glowing." I had a feeling I knew where this conversation was going, so I walked over to the window to peer over the dark city with its veins of light spreading throughout. So many little humans rushing around, going to school, going to work, trying to make money, trying to take money, trying to do a myriad of things. How little their lives seemed to me right now. And yet, Freyja was a goddess. She was in charge of love and sex and fertility, but also war and death. She chose the valiant soldiers from their bodies, strewn across the battlefields, to take them to Folkvangr, her half of the afterlife. A heavenly retreat for slain warriors. I looked down upon the surging, broiling beast of the city and thought again about what it meant to offer comfort and peace to those who've died by another's hand. I closed my eyes for a moment and allowed myself to spread out over the block, falling through apartments and elevator shafts, bedrooms and bathrooms, and slipping out into the street. Then I let myself feel for the presence of the people I knew to be there. What were they doing? Who were they? I was overwhelmed by the amount of information I received—personalities, desires, pasts, hopes, potential futures. I tried to look for victims, for people who could do nothing to save themselves, and I was pummeled by the endlessness of the numbers. They were everywhere. It seemed everyone I encountered was at another's mercy in some way, shape or fashion. I heard some noises behind me, a shriek perhaps, and I finally opened my eyes to see that the room had been completely rearranged. I couldn't find my bearings. After a moment of trying to focus on Flo's face, which seemed to be floating in a strange way, I realized that the room hadn't been rearranged, I had merely fallen back to the floor. I was the one who had been rearranged. "What'd you do, Freyjlet, little Lady?" Flo asked, her voice surprisingly soft and kind. "I was just trying to do a little something. I was trying to feel out the people around us." Flo just sighed as if she knew what I had been doing, and knew that it was simply the stupidest thing in the world. I shook my head. "There are a lot of sad people, Flo, even just in this building. I need to do something about them. I need to help them." "Oh little healer, I know you want to. But first we have a lot to work on. First we have to do something about the people showing up at your clinic with a terrible plague. And then we can do something about the humans. You have responsibilities though. Let's get you back to the clinic before the night's out, and maybe you can check in with Elliott in the lab, see if you can help out." Flo helped me back upright and we gathered our things. "Flo—" I started, as she picked up the box the necklace had come in, but she put up her hand and just shook her head. "I won't make you take it off. I know how hard that would be right now. But soon we'll need to start you learning how to properly use it. And we need to make sure that you thank the person who it used to belong to. It clearly can't belong to him any more, as you have claimed it, but he put a lot of money into locating it, so your thanks would be appreciated, I'm sure." "Who is it?" "Prometheus, of course. Now let's get downstairs—the car is waiting." *** A very nervous young woman sat before me, twisting her fingers together. I had told her she didn't need to put on the paper gown, so she sat in her street clothes still, ragged, dirty, oversized clothing that smelled like the gutter. I pulled my chair up close to hers, and put my notebook on the desk behind me. "Alma, there are a few check ups I want to do today, but I notice that you seem really nervous. Do you think you would be okay with me using my hands to touch your body when I give you an exam?" Alma's eyes widened and flashed away to the ground. She was silent, and absentmindedly moved her hands to her large, taught belly. I could hear her swallowing, and she turned back to me. "What do you need to do?" "Well, why don't you tell me? Was there any specific reason you came in today?" "They said you would take care of me. That you'd make sure my baby is safe, and you don't mind that, that I'm not a human." "That's true. I don't mind at all. And I do want to make sure that both you and your baby are safe. Have you had any check ups yet?" "Not since before I became, um, a wolf." "Did you become pregnant before or after that change happened?" "After." "Technically I have to ask you a whole list of questions about your medical history, but before I bring up specific things, could you tell me about your body? I want to know anything you think is important, whether it's health related or not." Alma was quiet again, nibbling on her fingernails. She closed her eyes for a moment and then began. "I used to be pretty healthy, and I went to the doctor for all my check ups and shots and everything, but then I got bitten by some jackass rogue wolf in an alleyway. And my parents threw me out of the house when they thought I was doing drugs. But really, I was just trying to keep the shifting a secret. So it was then that I actually did start doing drugs. I lived with this guy and we had a lot of fun together. He was also a wolf. I bought some meth from him once and he told me I smelled like him and of course I didn't know what he was talking about, but when he explained, he showed me the really awesome ways to get high as a wolf. But when I got pregnant, he kicked me out. He told me he didn't want anything to do with me, so I've been living off the street, but I just thought, you know, maybe you could help me out? Cause I remember from health class that you're really not supposed to do drugs or drink or shit when you're pregnant and I've been trying really hard not to. But maybe you could check my baby out? Make sure its okay?" "Of course, Alma. Checking your baby out will be easy and quick. There are a couple of tests I can do right away that will tell me if we need to do more tests. Let me call my nurse in to take some blood from you and while he's doing that we can get all the facts out of the way about the last time you had your period, what drugs you've been doing and when, all that kind of stuff. I think you made a really good decision to come in, because it is clear to me that you have been trying really hard to be a good mother. Now that you're here I can do whatever else you need to help you keep doing that." Alma flashed me the first smile of the night. I sighed. I had been really worried that she would be more reluctant to open up, but it was clear to me that she really wanted someone to know all the difficult things that were going on in her life. I was happy to be her witness. Elliott took some blood samples and I got all the other more specific info down and we sent her to the bathroom to give us a urine test. I had closed the clinic early that night to work with Elliott on the plague—we were feeling certain that we were very very close to SOME sort of break through—when there had been a knocking at the door. Alma just seemed so desperate, I let her right in and took a break from using an eye dropper to test chemicals on petri dish cultures. She handed the warm urine container to Elliott and sat back down on the exam table. As he went off to test her blood and urine for various signifiers of fetal distress or anomaly I talked with her, gave her an ultrasound, and took her vitals. I was in the middle of palpating her abdomen when Elliott came back in. "I'm so sorry Alma, but I had a small accident in the lab and need to take a little more blood." "What happened?" I asked. "Oh, nothing serious. I just spilled the sample—it is getting particularly crowded back there. I promise I'll be careful with this one, though," Elliott said with a smile and charmed Alma into happily stretching out her arm again. I confirmed for Alma that her baby was a little girl, and gave her a little lesson in nutrition and general health. "It makes sense when you think about it. If you were planting a garden you wouldn't fill it with garbage. Instead you'd do your best to make sure that all the dirt was the best you could find, the water was clear and pure, the plants were fed with rich compost and so on. Right?" Alma nodded. "Of course." "So when you're trying to grow a little baby you want to do the same. Think about filling your body, the garden, with the best food you can find, and watering it well. Avoid anything that you think your baby wouldn't want, like drugs, tobacco, etc. If it's hard to do, I can absolutely help you work out a plan for you to try to plant the best possible garden." "It sounds so easy when you put it like that!" Alma said, smiling. It was lovely to see her smile. I didn't want to give her this pep talk and then send her back out to the streets though—I wouldn't really be changing anything for her. I stepped outside while she tidied up and went to my office to see if I could find some resources for her. Do shelters accept werewolves? How could I get her off the street? Elliott came rushing around the corner then, this time his eyes wide and almost frantic. "Lana!! Come, come! Quick!" I jumped up immediately and ran after him. "What? What's happened?" "Look!" Elliott shouted, leading me into the lab and pointing to a section of petri dishes. I leaned over and slipped one of the dishes under the microscope. Like every other one I had looked at that day, this dish had a section of infected vampire tissue in it, but unlike any of the others, the bacteria in this one lay still. Unmoving. "Are they—are those bacteria dead?" I asked, not wanting to hear anything but a resounding YES. Elliott grinned. "Those are the dishes that I accidentally spilled Alma's blood on! I finished running the tests for her and came back over to clean this stuff up and noticed that they seemed sort of unusual." "Oh my god. Quick, give me some of your blood." Elliott bit into his wrist and I held a fresh sample under the dripping blood. I watched the sample, but nothing changed. "I guess that makes sense. Vampire blood does nothing but feed this infection. So its not just blood cells or serum or something like that. It must have to do with the actual composition of Alma's blood. Let me try mine." I held out my wrist to Elliott now and he gently slid his fangs into my vein, letting a slow dribble of my blood fall onto the same dish. We watched in silence, but again, nothing happened. "So, were blood?" Elliott asked, and I realized that Alma must have been waiting for me in the exam room still. I rushed back over to the room. "Oh phew, I thought you had forgotten me!" She laughed. "Well, something huge came up, and I almost did. I was in the middle of trying to find a place for you to stay when Elliott noticed that the blood of yours he spilled had done something amazing." I explained the whole situation to her, and she was baffled. I brought her back to the lab to try again. I held her wrist out to Elliott like I had done with my own, but this time he shook his head and stepped back. "Sorry Lana. It's nothing about you, Alma. But werewolf blood makes vampires incredibly sick, and my vampire venom can kill werewolves. I'll just have to take her blood by traditional means." "So do you think that maybe these bugs could be enhanced versions of yourself? Vampires who feed on vampires?" I asked, taking the Alma's blood from a pin prick and squeezing it onto the same sample that had not reacted to either Elliott's or my blood. "What do you mean by that?" Elliott asked, setting up the microscope. "I mean, these bugs can only be killed by things that kill vampires: fire and werewolf blood. And they can't be killed by vampire venom or anything like that, because that's what they run off of. Not only that, but they feed off the victim, leeching him or her until they can no longer support themselves. Again, just like a vampire." "Well, that's not exactly what vampires are like—" Elliott began, but I cut him off. I was on a role now, finally seeing this disease clearly. "But it IS what vampires could be seen as, to someone who hates them. And that someone would think it was just the perfect revenge to give vampires a taste of their own medicine. That's it! I'm going to call Theo. Alma, can you just wait for me in the lobby? I want to talk about a few more things before you leave." Alma nodded, so I headed back to my office and called Theo, telling him everything. He was thrilled to hear what we knew, even if we couldn't be sure how we could use the information in the long run. Something he said during the conversation gave me an idea, though, so when I hung up the phone, I pulled out my wallet. There was a business card in there somewhere, and it had Elke, the local were pack's alpha's private phone number on it. "Hello?" came a groggy voice on the other end of the line. I glanced at the clock, realizing that I had completely forgotten that it was 4:30 am. "Oh goodness, Elke, I'm so sorry to call you this late. Or, early. I'm just, well, you told me to call if I ever needed anything." "Who is this?" "Oh, jeez. It's me, Lana Crane, the doctor who came to see Nora." "Hi Dr. Crane. It's no problem at all. What's up?" "Well, I have two favors to ask of you." I quickly explained the plague to her and what we had just discovered. "So, what I wanted to ask you was if we could come to some sort of agreement in which you would allow us the use of some of your pack member's blood to attempt to fight this disease. I know that sounds super sketchy, but I promise that I would only ask for volunteers, I would compensate anyone who volunteered generously, and I would sign all manner of contracts to promise that the blood would only be used in this research, and it would never be used to affect the donor in any way." Elke was quiet for a moment, but then she sighed. "Yes, I definitely think we can work something out for you. It would be not so much for the vampires, but for you and your research. Maybe in creating these contracts we can work in a little of a peace negotiation, of sorts, between us and the vampires. Something political so that our aide isn't forgotten about after this time of need is over." "I think that's a great idea! I'll get talking to Theo about it, and see what we can come up with as soon as possible." "Theodore Wagner? The Prince?" "Yeah, he and I work pretty closely together these days. I think he would be well disposed to listening to my requests about a peace agreement." "Well that sounds pretty great. Thank you for understanding my hesitations to give aide." "Absolutely, Elke. Honestly, I understand quite well. But there was another favor I have to ask of you too, before I let you go back to sleep. Remember the young lady I mentioned whose blood it was that was spilled? Well, she is a were without a pack, turned by a rogue and left to fend for herself. She has been kicked out of her parent's home, kicked out of the home she created with her baby daddy, and now she is completely alone and in definite need of some support. I can't take her back to live with the vampires since it would be awful for everyone involved, and I don't have an apartment of my own right now. Do you think she could stay with you a little while, at least until we find something more permanent for her?" Negative Space Ch. 12 "Absolutely. My pack actually has an entire department devoted to watching for rogue action in our area. They track new turnings and try to deal with the rogue and offer the victim a home. She will be welcome here until she is ready to either move on or decide to join our pack." "Excellent! Thank you so much for your help, Elke. As always, you are a pleasure to talk to and a delight to work with. Thank you thank you thank you." It took only a moment for me to explain the situation to Alma and only a moment longer for her to agree. It was the promise of acceptance that had been completely elusive for her since the minute that rogue decided to bite her. I decided to try one last blessing for her before she left. I was supposed to be some sort of descendent of the goddess of fertility, no? I placed my hands on either side of her full belly and closed my eyes, feeling the life between them. I felt it out carefully, and watched for any damage to the tiny being's consciousness. I almost dropped my concentration when I shocked myself by actually finding what I was looking for. There WAS damage to this little fetus, damage that had occurred during development. Most people know that folic acid is extremely important for the development for human children, but what they do not know is that folic acid is necessary because it helps to seal off the spinal cord during pregnancy. As the fetus develops it turns one single mass into the entire nervous system including the brain, spinal chord, and nerves. When the spinal chord section doesn't close off it can cause numerous life threatening or debilitating side effects. I felt for the baby's nervous system, and magically I could see it glowing in perfect relief. I let myself follow through to the damaged out-pouching of nervous tissue, which I covered with and pressed on with my Khrusos, as I was beginning to think of it. The golden lava that sat at my core—that was my healing power, THAT was my magic. The injury to the spinal cord shrank and shriveled, and finally it was gone. I sighed. What a miracle that I was able to do this for her! "Whoa!" Alma shivered. "That really felt funny. Did you do something to my baby?" "I just fixed a little problem she was having developing. I'll explain it all to you at your next appointment, which is next week, okay?" "Okay." "Don't forget! I'll be waiting for that appointment. I want to hear what it's like at the pack compound." "Oh don't you worry, I'll keep you updated on ALL the gossip," Alma laughed. Negative Space Ch. 13 Thanks for bearing with me everyone--I know I just keep getting slower and slower as I write these, but I promise I'll keep working! I want to know as badly as you what is going to happen to Lana next. Many thanks to my step-in editor GimletEdge for the wonderful encouragement and suggestions, and thank you to all of you for your fantastic comments. As always, please leave more! Tell me what you want to hear, and I'll do my best. ~~~~~ I walked out of my office one morning about a week later, the clinic quiet and dim so close to sunrise, and I laid my head on Sandy's shoulder. She smelled like unscented lotion, warm and motherly. "I feel like a vagrant." "What?" she absentmindedly responded, alphabetizing files without pause. "A vagrant." I sighed and let myself curl up on the ground next to her chair, leaning my cheek on the soft fabric of her slacks. "What on earth do you mean?" "I have no home. To be honest, it is really amazingly lovely to be living with Theo again, but it's not my home. I have nothing there except for a pile of clothes at the foot of his bed that I couldn't be bothered to fold for the life of me." Sandy chuckled gently and I pulled back so that she could spin her chair around to face me. "So why don't you convince your royal boyfriend to buy you a home that YOU can be in charge of?" "Oh, that'd be silly. His fortress should be good enough for me. I mean, it IS a fucking castle." Sandy watched me as fiddled with a spot on my pants. "Hmmm, okay. If you say so." She finished putting away the 'L's and then turned around again. "Oh Lana—I forgot to tell you. Elke called around midnight, she wanted to check in with you about something for Alma's care. You were in with Mr. Andrews, and I didn't want to bother you." "Thanks. I'll get back to her later on. Maybe I'll actually stay up till 7 or 8 this morning and give her a ring then." "Good. Here are your other calls," she handed me a list of phone numbers and messages, "and here are your appointments for tomorrow night. There are no appointments until later, around 1am. After talking to Elke I figured you'd probably want to head out to the compound a little while, so I kept that time free." "Oh my goodness, Sandy, you are amazing. Have I ever told you how amazing you are? You are the best." I scanned the appointment book and made some notes in my own notebook. I wanted to remember to get all the supplies for the appointments I had coming up. I knew I'd need a couple of vaccines, some new bandages for a patient I knew had a major wound, and the ultrasound machine for another patient with a curious mass in his abdomen. It was funny to be my own nurse, medical assistant, counselor and technician, but I felt so much better here, really knowing my patients, knowing what they would need, and providing it for them, than I ever had when I was working in a hospital or a private practice. The way the medical system is set up there I was required to be ONLY a physician, and stay away from anything other than diagnosis and prescribing. I wasn't allowed to spend the time to chat with my patients, to center the assessment around them. I had to ask them the questions on the sheet, check off the boxes that applied to them, and then give them a solution and send them on their way. I actually got in trouble once from my professor for following up with a patient on the phone when I was worried she hadn't quite understood my instructions. After Sandy, Elliott and the research crew left for the day I stayed to clean up the exam rooms, do some paperwork (I still found it really hard to get rid of the habits of recording everything. I wasn't entirely sure I COULD be sued by a non-human, but I didn't want to risk it), and make some early morning phone calls. Elke, it turned out, was worried about some potential contractions that Alma was having, and I had wanted to go out to visit Nora anyway, so I packed up my nifty little doctor's bag and headed over. The compound was as idyllic and welcoming as always, and as I walked through the gates and over the hill I felt a little bit of longing. What a wonderful thing it would be to have such a huge family. The fact that they would even taken in this unknown pregnant woman and care for her and offer her home and protection without even expecting her to give back was amazing. I had been working on a contract with Theo and Elke, working some sort of peace treaty with them, and the whole time I was so amazed by Elke's graciousness and her willingness to forgive. Millennia of confrontation, fighting, and cruelty have passed between the two groups, and there she was, shaking Theo's hand, preparing to sacrifice the actual blood of her people to save those who had been hunting them since they could remember. Theo, on the other hand, was clearly a business man in all aspects. He was certainly interested in a truce of sorts, but much more interested in the possible financial gain. Although it disappointed me a little to think of it, I understood that for him, the state of his Kingdom outweighed all else, and if benefitting it meant amassing more finances, he would do what he had to. At that moment I felt a tingling under my skin that started at the nape of my neck and rushed forward around my face and down my spine. It felt like I had just stepped under a shower of electricity. I stopped walking down the path to the compound and took a deep breath, allowing the rush to move to its completion. The woods were quiet but every chirp and rustle of leaves felt magnified, intensified at that moment. I could smell the moist freshness of the earth, the warm dustiness of a nest above me, the green leafiness of the baby trees struggling to grow up into the sunlight. The rush didn't abate, though, so I closed my eyes, and explored it. There were new emotions in me, strange ones of determination, focus, and self-preservation. Where did these emotions come from? Thoughts popped unbidden into my mind. 'The sun's already up, I should go to sleep,' I heard myself think. 'I thought Lana would be home by now. What's she gotten herself into this time?' My stomach cramped suddenly, and I became overwhelmed with a hunger I had never felt before. A deep, needy, soul-hunger filled me, and my thoughts spoke without me again. 'Ugh, I'm hungry. I wish Lana were here. She tastes so damn good.' I shook my head vigorously moved away from the spot I had been standing in, rubbing the back of my neck and trying to get the sensation to stop. It wouldn't go away though, and instead it almost started to come on more intensely. I knew it was Theo, from the way he'd been thinking, and it pissed me off that he would think about me just as a tasty but mischievous pet. And why wouldn't the damn feeling go away? I didn't like being in his head and I just wanted it to STOP! I felt a little pop and the electric humming under my skin went away immediately. The super sharp senses dulled back down again, and I felt content in knowing that I was the only one in my head. I scanned the area—no one had been watching. It was warm out still, even though fall was finally beginning to creep up, and I realized I had been sweating. I took a deep breath and felt the stretch in my lungs—it was calming enough to bring down the thudding of my heart to a more reasonable rate. Just another side effect of drinking so much of his energy, I had to tell myself. Must have been. Another deep breath and I continued down the path. I had work to do. As if in a fairy tale, the front door swung open before I even reached the steps. The beautiful Were guard who had escorted me to the house the first time stepped out. "Dr. Crane. Welcome back." "Thank you so much, Elli! It is so good to see you again. Can I ask you a question though? How did you know I was here?" "The way you stomp along? Ever Were from here to Kansas could hear you. And not to mention the fact that you smell so particularly. I noticed it the moment you got out of the car." "Oh man. I'm always out done by you fantastical creatures. How are you?" "Creature? Hmph. Not even," Elli said, feigning anger, but her lips twitched into a smile nonetheless. "I'm fine really. Things have been slow around here, and the inaction is making me weak." "Do you have some sort of crazy training regimen that all you guards do together?" "Of course. Every morning at 5am." "But you're still feeling tired?" I couldn't help but say something—there's a look people get when they say something in front of a doctor on purpose, something they wouldn't mention outright, but they secretly hope the doctor will hear. "Oh, I'm fine, Dr. Crane. Honest. Thank you though." Elli ushered me into the house and began leading me to Elke's office. When I saw that no one else was in the hallway, I turned around. "Are you sure you're alright, Elli? You seem a little off." "Really, I'm fine. Thank you though." Elli was determined not to talk about it though, so I figured I'd leave it be for the time being. I could always ask her again later. "Well you let me know if you want to talk about anything. Or even if you have a small question. I'd be happy to talk to you any time." Elli nodded and opened a door, indicating for me to enter. I thanked her and walked into Elke's office, admiring the simplicity of it. I eased myself into the plush seats she had set up facing one another and let my body sink into the cushions. The light pouring in the window was bright and I realized it had been a couple weeks since I last stayed up past dawn. No wonder Theo had been so curious about my absence. I shook my head again, still annoyed at his comments. After a few moments Elke walked into the small room and leaned over to shake my hand—always the perfect business woman. "Thank you for coming out. Alma has been having contractions since last night around 11pm, and is nervous they might be the real thing." "How far apart are they?" "They're coming every 10, 15 minutes or so." "And can you tell how long they last?" "No idea. I can bring you up to her, if you'd like?" "Yeah, thank you Elke. I would like to just check her out." The line of Elke's mouth was rigid and I realized suddenly how worried she was. "It might be practice contractions, or it might be the real deal, but either way it should be fine," I added, and she looked at me closely, carefully evaluating how honest I was being with her. "Really? She's almost a whole month early." "I know, but at this point her baby's lungs should be almost fully developed or already developed, and although it would be ideal for her to stay inside her momma's womb longer, we can definitely take care of her out here too." Elke calmed a little bit. She nodded and waved me over to a door behind her desk. "Come on, I'll take you up to her." Alma's room had two beds—the pack currently had so many youth that they were beginning to double up and almost every one had a roommate by now. Alma was leaning back on a pile of pillows, her eyes closed and her belly jutting out into the air. I hung back a moment, watching her body, her movements careful and gentle. Her shoulders were relaxed, but her eyelids fluttered—I could tell that she was not able to concentrate on her meditation. This told me more than counting contractions or measuring dilation. "Hi there, Dr. Crane," she said, eyes still closed. "I figured you'd be here today." "What makes you say that?" I asked as I walked up to the bed. "Elke was so worried about me!" She finally opened her eyes, smiling and waving that I should sit on the bed next to her. I did. "Yeah, it seemed like it. But I'm not worried. Do you mind if I place my hands on your belly a moment?" Alma shook her head, so I pulled up her shirt and gently touched her taught, warm skin. Pressing a little harder I felt through the skin and muscle and make contact with the little baby butt poking up to the top of her uterus. "Great! Your baby is head down, which is how we like them. Here, feel that little nub?" I took Alma's fingers and pressed them in to a lump under her muscles. She nodded. "That's your little girl's butt. And over here—" I moved her hand, "those are her feet." She grinned. "Do you think I might actually meet her soon?" "Well, could be. I was thinking that if you're going into labor now, it'll be fine in the long run, but we'd like you to stay pregnant for a little be longer. Sometimes this happens when you're body is trying to get your attention about something. What do you think about that?" "Oh, that sounds like me, for sure. My body is always giving me messages. When I get stressed I get all sorts of rashes, or if I'm really nervous, my stomach gets really upset." "That's exactly the sort of thing I'm thinking about. Can you think of anything that might be prompting it?" Alma was quiet for a moment, but she came to a conclusion, it seemed, and she looked at me, slightly nervously. Her cheeriness seemed to dissolve, and her bottom lip began to tremble in an entirely too-young way. This poor girl, I realized, has been completely on her own trying to figure this all out. I thought I might know what she was about to tell me, and I didn't want her to think I was blaming her. I smiled, pulled down her shirt, and squeezed her arm. "I've just been trying so hard, and I know you said I could call you, but I was so ashamed." Alma's eyes began to fill with tears. "I just had to get high, and I heard one of the other kids here talking about some coke they had, so I bought it from them. I tried really hard not to do it, I swear. I thought maybe just a little bit would be enough to get rid of the craving and wouldn't hurt my baby." I could hear Elke gasping and pacing behind me, but I knew how difficult admitting something like this and getting help for it could be, so I ignored her and focused on Alma. "Yeah, that sounds really difficult. You're lucky, actually, since cocaine doesn't have much research history to show that there's actually any long term affects to the fetus to using cocaine during pregnancy. What it can do is cut off oxygen, at which point your baby sends out a stress signal that starts a feedback loop with your body, getting it to go into labor. That might be why you're having contractions now. I have some meds I brought with, especially for this purpose, that might be able to stop your contractions and dilate both your blood vessels and your baby's. Let me take your vitals first, so we can make sure that's what's going on." I made my way through the vitals, taking temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen levels and blood pressure. As I expected, her blood pressure was quite high from the cocaine use, and I decided to try to give her a medication to help dilate her blood vessels, bring the pressure down, and allow blood to get out to her baby's entire body. While we were waiting for the medication to kick in I had her lie on her side with a pillow between her legs, under her neck, and squeezed on either side of her to support her. I showed Elke a few massage techniques, and instructed her in how to help soothe Alma. It would end up calming them both down, and that was exactly what they needed. I stepped out of the room for a moment and leaned against the wall. Something had caught my attention while I was in there talking to her. I'd been worrying about her drug use and whether or not she had any diseases I hadn't originally tested for. If she had been sharing needles she could have a whole host of diseases—and that was when it clicked. The plague had to be transmitted via blood, because vampires could only contract diseases if they ingested the human's blood. Of course, viruses like HIV or Hep C weren't lethal to vampires, it would merely make them sick until they could fight it out, but that was the only time they really ever got sick. The plague must have been transported by humans. I had a new idea—I'd get all the sick vampires who still could help out to find the humans they had drunk from in the weeks before they got sick. We'd take samples from them and wipe their memories, sending them back out on their merry way. Theo had said something about how vampires could track humans they'd drunk from, even if it was just once. I flipped open my phone and called Elliott at once, waking him up to impart the news and ask him and Sandy to get to work making phone calls to the infected. After a moment, Elke came out into the hall. She looked tired. "Alma fell asleep. I have a lot of work to do, tracking down the kid who sold her coke and any other Weres indulging in illegal drugs, so I'm going to have to excuse myself now." "Elke, thank you so much for your help here. I know you think of your pack as your family, and I can imagine how distressing this would be. It is more helpful than you know to have you being supportive of Alma and massaging her and soothing her. She really needs that right now. Once this is all under control we need to chat about getting her to detox and also about the blood we've been taking from your pack. Some new things have come up, so let's just make a plan to chat sometime this week, okay?" "Of course. Thank you." Elke turned and walked away, her whole body sagging. It was going to be hard for her to discipline her pack, but that was what being an alpha entailed. I went back into the room and tried to take Alma's blood pressure without waking her up. It wasn't possible, but Alma stayed relaxed and we chatted lightly while I took her vitals and administered some more medication. After about an hour of taking her vitals every 15 minutes, Alma's blood pressure was back down to normal and her fetus' heartbeat was once again within normal range. The contractions had petered out, and I felt pretty confident that things were going well. I decided to let her sleep for an hour and went down to the big family room I had seen earlier. There were a number of Weres hanging out, watching tv, chatting, and reading. It only took a moment for them all to smell me and look up, curious and cautious. I smiled and waved, feeling a little like I was walking into the cafeteria at a new high school and acting like the shy new girl. I picked a table and began to set up my laptop and paperwork, writing up notes from my interaction with Alma and sending a quick email update to Theo to let him know about my thoughts on humans as vectors for the bacteria. I had only been working for about 10 minutes when a young man came up to me. He was tall, lanky, and had a mischievously charming smile to him. There was something definitely un-human about him, but at the same time, he didn't seem wolfy in the way that the others all had. Not that any of them looked like wolves, or even looked the same—I wasn't sure what it was that gave me that sensation. He sat down on the table I was working at and leaned on one arm over toward me. "Hey. You're the doctor, aren't you?" I nodded. I couldn't tell if his obvious self absorption was obnoxious or cute, so I refrained from making any judgments about him. "Could you give me a check up, doc?" "I'm a little busy, buddy. Are you sick?" The boy just laughed, and I felt something tighten in my abdomen when he did. He was so carefree and his laugh was catching. "Oh, I just wanted to get a chance to show you my sculpted abs," he winked at me. I decided to play along. "Well, go ahead, but let me warn you. I'm currently sleeping with Prince of the Vampires, and if I had to pick perfect abs, well, to be honest I haven't ever seen anything quite like his." All the other Weres in the room were watching, not even blinking, but this young man didn't seem to think anything of it. "Hmm, well I'll just lie down here," he did as he said, pushing my computer out of the way and lying over all my papers. "And you just give me a little physical assessment and tell me what you think. His can't be quite as warm as mine." I grinned. Negative Space Ch. 13 "Okay then, Mr....?" "Palo. Aurelius Palo." He was grinning now, thinking he was about to get his way. "Ok, Aurelius. Well, I can give you a check up, but it'll cost you $140. And you'll need to make an appointment through my secretary. She'll probably be able to fit you in sometime in the next couple months. I'm pretty busy though, so I can't promise anything." Aurelius rolled off the table, sending my papers everywhere, but he didn't seem too put off. "Don't you worry, Doctor Crane, I'll be there. I understand—it'll be much more secluded at your office," he said, eyes gleaming with mischief and pleasure. I couldn't help be annoyed with him, and just packed my stuff back up and put it in a neat pile. "I've got to go check on a patient. Watch my stuff." I had to check on Alma, but I knew that if I told him NOT to look at my stuff he definitely would. This way he'd make sure no one else did. Alma was still doing great, so I came back down stairs to write all her vitals down in my notebook. The family room was empty now, except for Aurelius, who was diligently reading on the other side of the room. He glanced up when I came back in, and checked the room before he came back over. There was no one here anymore, and I was a little nervous to see what he would do now. I didn't want to actually have to put him down—he was arrogant but cute, not a bad kid. I was relieved though, when I saw the seriousness in his eyes. "Hey doc. Um, sorry about before. I've got a reputation, you know?" I snorted, but kept listening. "Anyway, I just was wondering if you'd help me out. I've been having really horrible stomach aches, and um, really bad diarrhea." He finally stopped fidgeting and blushed deeply. "It's making me exhausted. I can't do the work I used to be able to do." "Of course. Come here with me." I took him into the private room I had seen patients in the last time I was at the compound. I sat him down on the couch there and started a physical. I placed my hands gently on his temples, checking for pulse, and was shocked at his heat. "Do you have a fever, Aurelius?" "No, no. I'm always hot like that. We run even hotter than the wolves do." "We? What are you?" "Oh, I forgot you're human. I'm a Jaguar. A Werecat." "Oh. Okay, well this is a normal jaguar temperature then?" Aurelius nodded. I swept my fingertips along the back of his skull, checking for unusual bumps, lesions, bald spots. I touched down the back of his neck and up and down either side of it checking his lymph nodes. He closed his eyes when I began touching his collar bone and I could almost hear him purring. His lymph nodes where fine, though, so I moved on, pulling out an otoscope and checking his ears, eyes, mouth and nose. All looked good. I listened to his lungs and heart, finding that he was indeed purring. It made listening for dysrhythmias quite difficult. A couple times I asked him to stop it, or warned that I would quite all together if he couldn't hold himself back, but the purring would start up again once I moved to a new spot. Eventually I had him lie down and began to listen to his stomach. The normal clicks and gurgles had been replaced by high pitched whining and groaning, and I knew that wasn't a good sign. I lifted his shirt and began palpating his stomach and he winced. "I'm sorry, but please don't push so hard!" "You know that I've got to if I'm going to feel what's going on in there." As I was speaking, though, I noticed that he had completely tensed up in a way that he hadn't the whole time I'd been touching him. His color had faded, and he forehead glistened with sweat. "Okay, Aurelius. Now you need to talk to me honestly. When did this start?" I got a quick history from him and realized that he definitely had acute appendicitis. I needed to do something about it right away. Last time I had done surgery here at the compound, but I wanted him back at the clinic where I could watch over him more closely. He could easily die from septic shock within the next couple days if I didn't operate immediately. I was amazed he had seemed so normal before, but he had completely lost his composure the minute I touched his abdomen, so it had to be bad. I called Elliott immediately, and within 30 minutes a car was there to pick us up. I had no way to transport him out, so I apologized and told him to get up and walk. About halfway down the drive he lost steam and I pulled him onto my back and carried him the rest of the way. He was moaning and groaning, and it sounded like it had just gotten worse. I hoped that my palpation of his abdomen hadn't caused his appendix to rupture, but the difference in his pain level was huge. The driver was waiting at the gate and helped me to pull Aurelius into the car. I called Elke and alerted her as we were driving away, and gave her instructions for keeping an eye on Alma until I was able to get back. I called Theo then too and warned him that I wouldn't be back for probably another day. ~~~~~~~~ It was getting to be late in the afternoon as I set up the makeshift operating room. I pulled one of my medical text books from a high shelf—I hadn't done this surgery since medical school and I wanted to make sure I wouldn't totally screw it up. I read the chapter through twice and went out to check on Aurelius again. The sweet boy had been moaning and groaning so much that I gave him a nice hefty dose of morphine and knocked him out since I couldn't start until my nurse got there anyway. Elliott told me he was awake and ready, and would try to get over as soon as he could, maybe even heading out in the evening with many layers of clothing in between him and the last rays of the sun. I didn't want him to be burned, but I needed him to get there as soon as possible, so I just called a driver with special tinted windows for him. The next few hours had me pacing in the lobby, nervous and sweaty. What would happen if I messed up? What if I had waited too long? I'd head back up to the office and check on Aurelius who was completely unconscious, check the IV I'd given him, administer his next dose of antibiotics and morphine, check on my operating room, make sure I'd put out all the supplies I'd need, and then head back down to the first floor lobby to wait for Elliott. Around 4:30pm I saw woman in a full burqa get out of the car I'd sent for Elliott. She walked up to me and spoke in a deep familiar voice, "Hey Lana. Shall we head up?" I laughed for a moment when I realized that it was Elliott in his sun protection get up. "Come on," I chuckled, "We've got work to do." Aurelius' arm hung at an unnatural angle off the side of the table and I used my knee to push it back up. It could be seriously injured if it hung like that for long, and I couldn't use my hands to touch outside of the sterile field. Elliott came back in to the room and held a cup of water up to my mouth. "You're doing great, Lana. I think we just need to rinse the retroperitoneal cavity, and then we can stitch him up. You're really close." Although I had originally been sure I could manage the surgery, it had really been Elliott who coached me through each step. His usual snarkiness had faded away to a calm, soothing presence. He caught the mistakes I was about to make, and reminded me respectfully to keep the sterile field. I vacuumed the rest of the saline out of Aurelius' abdominal cavity and turned to see that Elliott had already set up the suture kit. A few small stitches, some tape to make sure they held him together, a bandage and a last round of vitals, and I collapsed, exhaustedly on the floor. Elliott laughed at me and began cleaning up the make shift operating room. After a moment of rest I began to help him, and we worked in silence, moving in tandem. Quickly the room began to look like the exam room it had been earlier in the day, so I took a break to check on Aurelius again. He was starting to come up from his sedation, so I pulled the ventilator out from his throat so he could begin to breathe on his own. His chest began heaving and jerking, his diaphragm struggling to shake off the anesthetic and pull in air. Two long deep breaths, and I relaxed, knowing that he could breath on his own now. Sandy poked her head into the room. "All done? You've got patients." It was about midnight, and I hadn't slept in 30 hours. "Oh, Sandy, I don't think I can do it. I'll tell them, but I have GOT to go home and go to bed." I was gathering my stuff when I realized that I couldn't leave Aurelius without someone to keep an eye on him. There was no way I was leaving him alone at the clinic, and Elliott had already done enough. I was packing Aurelius up to come home with me when Sandy came back into my office with a stiffness to her neck that I knew to be the only indication she gave when she was seriously disturbed. "There's a man demanding to see you." "What's up, Sandy? I know you'd be able to fend someone off normally." Sandy's mouth twitched and she shook her head quickly. "He's...there's a knife. And he says he's in danger. You HAVE to see him." "Absolutely. Send him back." I could feel the exhaustion in every bone in my body, but the day wasn't over yet. I pulled in a big breath and tried to push the sleep out of my head, but it didn't do much. The metal clanked too loudly as I put tools in a stainless steel tray, echoing through the room and jarring me back to reality. I could feel someone watching me and I spun around. At first all I could see was the handle of a knife, but as my eyes focused I realized that there was, in fact, a severely bruised and bloodied face as well. The knife handle was sticking straight out of what should have been an eyeball, and the man to whom the eye belonged was slightly swaying in the doorway. I swallowed compulsively, holding back my disgust. "Come here, come, sit down." I led him to the chair and was just reaching for my tray of tools when he grabbed my arm. "Please, you have to protect me. Please, I'll do anything!" His words came out slightly garbled—it looked like he had lost a number of teeth in this fight and his lips were so swollen he could barely use them, but his grip was tight and strong around my wrist. "What do you mean?" "Promise me, please, promise me that you won't tell anyone. Promise me!" He pulled harder on my wrist and I felt the particular slickness of blood between his hand and my skin as a wound on his forearm dripped down onto mine. "Sir, I'll have to tell someone if you are in danger, but I can make sure that you are protected. I work closely with the prince and his Cabinet, and I'm sure we can work out a way to keep you safe." "NO! You can't tell anyone!" "Sir, the longer you have this knife in your eye, the more likely it is that permanent damage will occur. The person who did this obviously knew you were a vampire, and came very close to making it entirely through your skull. You know that would have made it very likely you would have died the True Death. Let me take it out now, and you can tell me what happened as I do it." The man was quiet for a moment and nodded curtly. My stomach lurched slightly as I watched the knife handle swoop through the air. He leaned back in the chair obediently, but I could see his fingers clenching and flexing with anxiety. I pulled my stool up close to him and began cleaning the outside of the wound and trying to figure out what might be the least damaging way to pull it out. With a human I would have worried about the punctured brain tissue swelling and causing a coma, but with a vampire I was pretty sure that it would just immediately begin knitting back together and healing itself. Once everything was cleaned up I decided to just go for it and pull the knife out slowly. I warned my patient and instructed him to hold tight to the arms of the chair. He clenched his teeth and hissed as I touched the handle, crying out and knocking my hand away as I began to move it. He apologized immediately, but I knew that wouldn't work, so I set up an IV with straight morphine. Not much will take a vampire down, but enough morphine straight to the vein would slow him down long enough for me to pull the knife out. About forty five seconds after I started the morphine he relaxed and I took my moment to grab and yank. It came out with a squelching noise and I almost retched at the sight of what should have been his eyeball. I grabbed my vampire cure-all and just poured it over the bleeding, oozing hole. Within moments it was healed over with a thick, grey cloud. He wouldn't be able to see for a while yet, but at least he wasn't going to bleed out. I took the morphine IV out of his arm and waited next to him as it wore off. He moved one arm over to me and grasped my wrist again. "I have something important to tell you. You must promise to protect me though." "Friend, I would be happy to protect you, but I have been awake for far too long now, and it is time for me to pass out for at least 24 hours. I will give orders for you to be protected but you must come with me, obey me, and not try to kill me or anyone I care about. Okay?" "Yes. I will tell you—" "We can talk about everything else later. I NEED to sleep." Elliott helped me, Aurelius, and the stranger down to the car. I barked at the driver to tell Theo to protect the stranger, watch over Aurelius and let me sleep. Sleep came over me before I could buckle my seatbelt, my head awkwardly crammed between the window and the plastic buckle holding the seatbelt in place. It was possibly the most comfortable place I had ever slept. My body was heavy, big, rubbery, almost as if it weren't my own. The air around me felt thick and each breath I took was full of it—I felt like I was suffocating. Drifting back to sleep was easier than fighting though, and the steady gravity of sleep pressed me back into the mattress. Again, maybe hours or minutes later I understood myself as existing in a space other than my mind, and tried to push back against the unconsciousness. I was trapped, drowning. With a sudden bloom of fright in my core, strength blossomed down my arms and I pushed myself away from the mattress. A distant rumble sounded familiar, swirling around me and holding me up. Slowly things in the distance began to make sense. That wasn't a glowing silver rectangle, it was the moon's light pouring in a window by what I now recognized was the bed I shared with Theo. The rumbling organized itself into distinct sounds that fitted themselves into words I could barely make out. Theo's voice. I pressed my palms into my eye sockets and rubbed vigorously. Moving my body around to find the door I saw dim light filtering through the open doorway. A pair of yellow eyes focused on me. They blinked, disappearing entirely in the darkness, and then opened again, low to the ground at the end of my bed. The dipping and swaying as they came closer was an unusual, lilting motion, and I scrambled backward, grabbing at the lamp by the bed. Light flickered and filled the room and showed me a beautiful black and yellow jaguar at my side. A low growling emanated from his tensed body, his muscles rippling and rolling as he landed silently on my bed. I gasped and scrambled backward, but before I could get away he put one massive paw on my chest, pushing me back down onto the bed. I could feel my blood pulsing frantically through my veins, my heart thudding valiantly against the gentle pressure of his paw. His head dipped down so close to my face that I could have kissed him, but instead of biting my face off, he licked my cheek. I just stared as he nuzzled my face and lay down next to me, purring happily. I stayed perfectly still, terrified that this crazy animal would change his mind again. After a moment he huffed, almost as if in annoyance, and hopped off the bed, graceful as ever. He stalked over to the long curtains that hung on either side of the window by my bed and slipped behind them. The curtains moved and the shape that had been the jaguar shrank and lengthened and all of a sudden Aurelius' head popped out. "Oh my god, Aurelius, you almost gave me a fucking heart attack!" I shouted. "Well I couldn't very well shift back in all my naked glory right in front of you. Not that I wouldn't love to, but Theo is right outside." Aurelius had wrapped the curtains around his waist and was perched lightly on the window sill. I shook my head. My heart was still pounding furiously and I imagined how satisfying it would be to throttle Aurelius. "Okay okay. But what are you doing up anyway? Shouldn't you still be in bed? You've just had a major abdominal surgery!" "Weres heal fast. Not to mention that you've been out for almost a day and a half." "Really? Oh god. I'm going to be so behind when I get back to work." I started to try to get dressed, looking for something I could wrap myself in. "Wait a second though, Dr. Crane. Um, there's something going on in Theo's office. You might, uh, find it interesting." Aurelius looked away from me, studying the floor. "What do you mean?" I tossed him a pair of shorts I found on the floor, and he grabbed them out of the air without even looking. "I just...I don't know what's going on. They were talking about you and I thought maybe you should listen a while before you let them know you're awake." I studied Aurelius for a moment and decided he was telling the truth. There was no reason he would have to lie to me right now. I pulled a robe on and walked as quietly as I could out of my bedroom and down the hall to Theo's cracked open office door. My toes sunk into the thick carpet as I lay my head against the cool stone wall so that I could hear as much as possible. I shivered. Aurelius was right. They were definitely talking about me. "I'm just saying, Marked or not, she's living with you," a man insisted, "so I thought I'd pay you the courtesy of checking with you first." "And again, I have to respond to that by asking if you are threatening me somehow, Mr. Eaton. I'm not sure how else to take it." Theo's voice was unusually chilly, and I thought of the times his eyes turned hard, his face rigid. I was glad not to be at the other end of that stare right now. A woman began to chuckle. Softly, exquisitely femininely, but with a very clear cruelty behind it. "Theo, darling. I don't think I've ever seen you so riled up about a human before. Have you, Miles?" Mr. Eaton agreed, and the woman went on. "Think about it this way. We're not here to take away your perfectly good toys. We're just working in your best interest, cleaning up after you. She's making too much of a mess, and it's time for you to let us do our job and take care of her." My stomach flipped. 'Take care' of me? That could only mean one thing. "I'm sorry, Ms. Reemes, but I disagree completely. The doctor is my find, and works within my territory, and I have a very close eye on her. Do not consider me 'done' with her simply because I removed my mark." "Oh but that's the thing, Your Majesty, it doesn't even matter what you'd like. Our orders came from the Top." Theo was silent then, and even though it had sounded innocuous enough, I could tell by his tense response that it was a very serious situation. Whoever was at "the top" were far and above more powerful than Theo, someone I had thought was almost at the top of the food chain himself. "Thank you for your visit, Mr. Eaton, Ms. Reemes. I always delight in the comfort you bring me. Please let your boss know that I will have an answer for him by the end of the week." "You're not being given a choice, Theo." The man said gruffly. "Excuse me, Mr. Eaton?" Theo's voice became not only cold but loud and cruel as well. "How did you want to address me?" Mr. Eaton sputtered and apologized. "I'm so sorry Your Majesty. Please excuse me." Negative Space Ch. 13 "Perhaps. You two may come bringing a message from the Top, but you have NO authority in my house and in my territory. Get out before I change my mind and decide to make an ashy example of you." I rushed back to my room as I heard their chairs scraping and the door opening. I saw Aurelius eyeing me warily. I had forgotten that he listened to the entire thing also. I held my finger up to my lips and he nodded. Walking back down the hall to Theo's office I mimed a yawn as I opened the door. "Good morning schnuckums." I said, smiling broadly. "I bet you missed me!" "Don't even try it, Lana," he sighed, "I know you were listening." He didn't even look at me, just hung his head between his shoulders, elbows propped on his desk, and his hands trying to rub away the stress from his forehead. I swung one leg over the back of his chair and sat down on it behind him. Wrapping my arms around his front I laid my head between his jutting shoulder blades and just held him a minute. "Thank you for trying to defend me. I don't know what any of that was about, but I'm glad I have you on my side." Theo chuckled a little. "I don't know what I'll be able to do for you, to be honest, if they're telling the truth. If the Top wants you, they'll get you." He leaned back into me, laying his hands on top of mine where they clasped his front. "The Top is exactly what it sounds like. The three oldest and most powerful vampires alive. But it just doesn't make sense! There's no reason why they should want you. They have more pressing things to deal with than a pseudo-human doctor fixing a few broken bones and stitching up gashes." I suddenly remembered my other patient. "Is the vampire still here?" "The one with the funky eye? Yeah. In fact, I tried to get him to leave but he wouldn't go until he had talked to you." I kissed Theo three times on the back of his neck. "We'll figure this all out, don't worry. Is he in the 2nd floor guest room?" "I expect so." "I'll see you later. Don't leave without telling me." "Yes ma'am!" Theo chucked again, pulling my lips to his for a kiss. I leaned my forehead into his and sighed. He always tasted so good. Negative Space Ch. 14 I'm trying as desperately as possible to get these to you quickly, but you know how life is. Still--here it is in all its glory--chapter 14! Please let me know what you think. I'm really looking forward to writing the next few chapters. It looks like we're getting closer and closer to figuring out just exactly what is going on. Leave comments--tell me what you think, what you want, how I can make your wildest dreams come true, anything. And don't forget to favorite me! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My body was heavy, big, rubbery, almost as if it weren't my own. The air around me felt thick and each breath I took was full of it—I felt like I was suffocating. Drifting back to sleep was easier than fighting though, and the steady gravity of sleep pressed me back into the mattress. Again, maybe hours or minutes later I understood myself as existing in a space other than my mind, and tried to push back against the unconsciousness. I was trapped, drowning. With a sudden bloom of fright in my core, strength blossomed down my arms and I pushed myself away from the mattress. A distant rumble sounded familiar, swirling around me and holding me up. Slowly things in the distance began to make sense. That wasn't a glowing silver rectangle, it was the moon's light pouring in a window by what I now recognized was the bed I shared with Theo. The rumbling organized itself into distinct sounds that fitted themselves into words I could barely make out. Theo's voice. I pressed my palms into my eye sockets and rubbed vigorously. Moving my body around to find the door I saw dim light filtering through the open doorway. A pair of yellow eyes focused on me. They blinked, disappearing entirely in the darkness, and then opened again, low to the ground at the end of my bed. The dipping and swaying as they came closer was an unusual, lilting motion, and I scrambled backward, grabbing at the lamp by the bed. Light flickered and filled the room and showed me a beautiful black and yellow jaguar at my side. A low growling emanated from his tensed body, his muscles rippling and rolling as he landed silently on my bed. I gasped and scrambled backward, but before I could get away he put one massive paw on my chest, pushing me back down onto the bed. I could feel my blood pulsing frantically through my veins, my heart thudding valiantly against the gentle pressure of his paw. His head dipped down so close to my face that I could have kissed him, but instead of biting my face off, he licked my cheek. I just stared as he nuzzled my face and lay down next to me, purring happily. I stayed perfectly still, terrified that this crazy animal would change his mind again. After a moment he huffed, almost as if in annoyance, and hopped off the bed, graceful as ever. He stalked over to the long curtains that hung on either side of the window by my bed and slipped behind them. The curtains moved and the shape that had been the jaguar shrank and lengthened and all of a sudden Aurelius' head popped out. "Oh my god, Aurelius, you almost gave me a fucking heart attack!" I shouted. "Well I couldn't very well shift back in all my naked glory right in front of you. Not that I wouldn't love to, but Theo is right outside." Aurelius had wrapped the curtains around his waist and was perched lightly on the window sill. I shook my head. My heart was still pounding furiously and I imagined how satisfying it would be to throttle Aurelius. "Okay okay. But what are you doing up anyway? Shouldn't you still be in bed? You've just had a major abdominal surgery!" "Weres heal fast. Not to mention that you've been out for almost a day and a half." "Really? Oh god. I'm going to be so behind when I get back to work." I started to try to get dressed, looking for something I could wrap myself in. "Wait a second though, Dr. Crane. Um, there's something going on in Theo's office. You might, uh, find it interesting." Aurelius looked away from me, studying the floor. "What do you mean?" I tossed him a pair of shorts I found on the floor, and he grabbed them out of the air without even looking. "I just...I don't know what's going on. They were talking about you and I thought maybe you should listen a while before you let them know you're awake." I studied Aurelius for a moment and decided he was telling the truth. There was no reason he would have to lie to me right now. I pulled a robe on and walked as quietly as I could out of my bedroom and down the hall to Theo's cracked open office door. My toes sunk into the thick carpet as I lay my head against the cool stone wall so that I could hear as much as possible. I shivered. Aurelius was right. They were definitely talking about me. "I'm just saying, Marked or not, she's living with you," a man insisted, "so I thought I'd pay you the courtesy of checking with you first." "And again, I have to respond to that by asking if you are threatening me somehow, Mr. Eaton. I'm not sure how else to take it." Theo's voice was unusually chilly, and I thought of the times his eyes turned hard, his face rigid. I was glad not to be at the other end of that stare right now. A woman began to chuckle. Softly, exquisitely femininely, but with a very clear cruelty behind it. "Theo, darling. I don't think I've ever seen you so riled up about a human before. Have you, Miles?" Mr. Eaton agreed, and the woman went on. "Think about it this way. We're not here to take away your perfectly good toys. We're just working in your best interest, cleaning up after you. She's making too much of a mess, and it's time for you to let us do our job and take care of her." My stomach flipped. 'Take care' of me? That could only mean one thing. "I'm sorry, Ms. Reemes, but I disagree completely. The doctor is my find, and works within my territory, and I have a very close eye on her. Do not consider me 'done' with her simply because I removed my mark." "Oh but that's the thing, Your Majesty, it doesn't even matter what you'd like. Our orders came from the Top." Theo was silent then, and even though it had sounded innocuous enough, I could tell by his tense response that it was a very serious situation. Whoever was at "the top" were far and above more powerful than Theo, someone I had thought was almost at the top of the food chain himself. "Thank you for your visit, Mr. Eaton, Ms. Reemes. I always delight in the comfort you bring me. Please let your boss know that I will have an answer for him by the end of the week." "You're not being given a choice, Theo." The man said gruffly. "Excuse me, Mr. Eaton?" Theo's voice became not only cold but loud and cruel as well. "How did you want to address me?" Mr. Eaton sputtered and apologized. "I'm so sorry Your Majesty. Please excuse me." "Perhaps. You two may come bringing a message from the Top, but you have NO authority in my house and in my territory. Get out before I change my mind and decide to make an ashy example of you." I rushed back to my room as I heard their chairs scraping and the door opening. I saw Aurelius eyeing me warily. I had forgotten that he listened to the entire thing also. I held my finger up to my lips and he nodded. Walking back down the hall to Theo's office I mimed a yawn as I opened the door. "Good morning schnuckums." I said, smiling broadly. "I bet you missed me!" "Don't even try it, Lana," he sighed, "I know you were listening." He didn't even look at me, just hung his head between his shoulders, elbows propped on his desk, and his hands trying to rub away the stress from his forehead. I swung one leg over the back of his chair and sat down on it behind him. Wrapping my arms around his front I laid my head between his jutting shoulder blades and just held him a minute. "Thank you for trying to defend me. I don't know what any of that was about, but I'm glad I have you on my side." Theo chuckled a little. "I don't know what I'll be able to do for you, to be honest, if they're telling the truth. If the Top wants you, they'll get you." He leaned back into me, laying his hands on top of mine where they clasped his front. "The Top is exactly what it sounds like. The three oldest and most powerful vampires alive. But it just doesn't make sense! There's no reason why they should want you. They have more pressing things to deal with than a pseudo-human doctor fixing a few broken bones and stitching up gashes." I suddenly remembered my other patient. "Is the vampire still here?" "The one with the funky eye? Yeah. In fact, I tried to get him to leave but he wouldn't go until he had talked to you." I kissed Theo three times on the back of his neck. "We'll figure this all out, don't worry. Is he in the 2nd floor guest room?" "I expect so." "I'll see you later. Don't leave without telling me." "Yes ma'am!" Theo chucked again, pulling my lips to his for a kiss. I leaned my forehead into his and sighed. He always tasted so good. **** "Hello there, friend. How are you feeling?" I asked as I poked my head into the library. My guest hadn't been in his room, the dining room, or any other place I looked. Finally a rather unsettled maid pointed me in the right direction and I found him hunched over a book in Theo's grand library. The moment I spoke he whipped his head around and glared until he realized it was me. "Dr. Crane," he said as he stood, "It is good to see you again." Perhaps it was his calm demeanor, or perhaps it was that when he wasn't cowering in pain my patient stood much taller that he had originally seemed, but there was something much more intimidating about him now. I stepped closer and stuck out my hand. We shook, formally, and he waved to a seat beside his, indicating that I should sit. I felt as if I had just interrupted him in his office. "First, I must thank you for treating me and offering me asylum. Your care has been excellent." I nodded my thanks, and he continued. "Secondly, I made you a promise. There is some incredibly important information that has been imparted to me, and I intend to relay it to you, as I believe it will affect all your future actions. Are you interested?" I took a moment. My life was certainly getting weirder and weirder, but that was no surprise. What was strange here, though, was the complete change of attitude my patient had shown—while I could tell it was the same man, his entire personality was so changed that I couldn't recognize him. "Before we get to that, sir, do you think you could tell me your name?" "My apologies, madam," he said, actually looking quite upset by his mistake. "My name is Julian Rowlands. I am an agent with the FBI within the Criminal Investigations Division, and I swear fealty to Prince Theodore Wagner." "A vampire FBI agent?" I asked as I inspected his badge—not that I knew what I was looking for. "No body minded that you only signed up for night shifts?" "It's.... It's more complicated than that. But you might be surprised to find out that there are quite a few of us within the government's employ. Usually only for 20 years or so, but we watch each other's backs. Cover for one another. We fly under the radar." "No," I shook my head. "It doesn't surprise me at all. You always manage to be everywhere you want to be." Julian Rowlands looked at me strangely and leaned back in his chair, folding his hands across his abdomen. "I've been working within a small task force within the larger Criminal Investigations Division that focuses on illicit non-human activities. We report directly to the Shadow Director of the Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch. For the past—" "Wait, the Shadow Director? Who's that?" "The Director of the FBI is a human, as you know, who is aware of the number of non-human species within the United States, their status, numbers, and events occurring within or between the species. However, he has too much to do to monitor that directly. Instead, he nominates a Shadow Director for each of the branches of the FBI who may or may not be human, and who works directly with issues concerning the non-human communities. Since it is such...sensitive information, the existence of these Shadow Directors and their taskforces is shielded from the public, and actually from most of the government employees as well." I nodded as he drew out a diagram showing which divisions responded to whom about what and who responded directly to the director of the FBI. "The unusual thing is that my task force was recently shut down. I haven't been able to figure out who gave the order yet, but we were told that if we didn't stop our investigation immediately, our contracts would be terminated and we would only have one chance to evacuate the premises." "What were you investigating?" "That's the thing. I was part of a three-man op looking into suspicious money funneling within the FBI shadow divisions. There were signs pointing to the involvement of a number of high ranking human officials, making it a more complicated situation." "Who initiated the task force?" "It was actually originally intended to investigate the financial dealings of certain well-to-do vampires and witches. There has been some peculiar activity in the DC area recently, and as soon as the normal human ops teams followed the money back to non-humans it was transferred over to our division. We followed it even farther, to a few extremely high ranking vampires before getting shut down." "What kind of peculiar activity?" "Disappearances, bribery, cooption of corporations, large amounts of Class A chemicals being imported to local laboratories, all sorts of shady things." Julian leaned forward a moment, and I was caught by the silver glint to his good eye. The rest of his face was broad with high cheek bones and a flared nose. His hair was military cut and his brow was prominent. His shoulders were wide and strong—all these things I hadn't noticed about him at all last time. His wounded eye was still grey and filmy—it probably wouldn't heal for a number of months, if not a year. He was an imposing figure and the eye only added to it. "So when were you attacked, Mr. Rowlands?" "Please call me Julian. I expect we're going to get to know each other well in the coming months," he replied, flashing me a rare smile that transformed his face into that of a boy's, but in an instant it was gone. "I know that a lot of my colleagues in the shadow divisions are simply serving their time, working their way up into the top so that they can move from there to the top positions of their own locality's Kingdom. I really believe, on the other hand, that we are in a privileged position to make changes in the patterns of abuse against humans and lower ranking species that occurs at the hands of those in control. Even just within the vampire communities there is a huge discrepancy between the rich and the poor, the old and the young—but ALL consider humans to be way below any of them. So you can imagine that when I was told I had to stop the operation I had been working on for months for an unknown reason, I didn't take the suggestion. I decided to go to speak with an informant that had just called in from NYC about Delgarth Hubbard, the Shadow Director of the Critical Incident Response Group. One of my colleagues decided he didn't want to risk it, so I went with the other, Amanda Helling, a vampire I have been working with for the past 12 years. We took the train up here from Washington DC and waited at the meeting spot for 15 minutes, after which we were summarily attacked and Amanda was murdered." Julian's face was blank as he recounted the events as though he were giving report to a senior operative. "A vampire put that knife through my eye without even touching it—it flew out of his belt the minute that my attention was caught by Amanda being killed. There are a lot of vampires with special abilities, I know, but none of them have the power to make that happen. They had to have been working with witches. I ran away as fast as I could, and finally lost them somewhere in Chinatown. From there I ran to your building, and I'm so glad you decided to see me. I was honestly about to collapse. And if I had, the next human who woke me would have ended up as dinner." "Did anyone here get you some sustenance?" "Yes, they've been incredibly considerate. His majesty did at one point try to convince me to leave, but only because I think he was worried that I would do something to you." I put my hand on Julian's and squeezed a moment. "Thank you for telling me this. I know this has been an incredibly difficult time for you. Do you need anything right now? Do you need to contact someone? Let them know you're still alive?" "I don't think so. I don't think I'm going to tell anyone at my job that I'm alive, since I don't know who I can trust. If there's any way that I can stay here a little while? I just don't know where else to go." "Of course, we'll find you something. I'll talk to Theo and we'll figure this all out." I was going to get up and leave him then, but I realized that I still didn't know what it was that had brought him to me. Why had he come to me, and what did he think it was that would change all my actions? "But why me?" I asked, sitting myself back down in front of him. He sighed and hung his head a moment. "Well, thing is, I heard your name only a little while into the investigation. There was chatter about what a threat you were. I did a little research on my own and figured out who you are. At first I thought they were interested in you just because you were related to Prometheus, but—" "Wait, what? Prometheus?" "Yes, please elucidate," came a voice from the door, "What were you about to say to my friend here?" Theo looked as cold as I had ever seen him—angry and excited to take his frustration out on this man. "Excuse me, your grace," Julian stood immediately and fell in to a deep bow. "I have spoken out of turn. My lady," he turned to me, "please forgive me. I will take my leave now." He rushed to leave and Theo just stood aside to let him pass. "Theo, what was that about?" "I don't like that man. He gives me the creeps. I think he has lived among humans for too long." "And what's so bad about humans?" I huffed. I knew it was a petty come-back, but I was frustrated that Theo had just scared of the only person who had been speaking honestly with me. Theo just snorted and turned to leave, waving over his shoulder. "Come talk to me when you've grown out of your petulant teen-age phase. I have some info you'll be interested in." God that man irritated me. There was simply nothing I could do about the fact that he was a good 500 years older than me. I couldn't age on command just to stop his endless belittling comments about how young and inexperienced I was. I sat back down in the library. First things first, I had to make a few calls. I spoke with Elke and gave her a run down on important things to watch out for with Alma, and ways to help her cope with detoxing. It would be painful, and scary, and difficult for Elke, but if Alma did coke again this close to delivering, she could tear her placenta right off the wall of her uterus, cutting off all blood and oxygen supply to her baby. Not to mention that she might bleed out then as well. I was satisfied to hear that Elke had put together a group of supportive Were adults who would all take turns being with Alma at all times. I checked in with her about Nora, who was doing incredibly well, it turned out. In fact, she was really looking forward to helping Alma with detoxing and childcare after her baby was born. It was a huge relief to hear it. I put the phone back down and rubbed out a crick in my neck. These were easily the weirdest hours I had ever kept, even compared to college. At least then I could always be counted on to be awake for a few hours each day. Now I went days awake, days asleep, and as often as not, I wouldn't see the sun for weeks. Negative Space Ch. 14 I called Elliott, checking in on the clinic and the research. As we spoke I walked around the library, touching the backs of books, smelling the dust and ink. The books were ancient, beautiful, and endless. I loved it there in that library. Elliott gave me a rundown of recent patients he had seen, and I pulled a particularly beautiful book off the shelf. It had a leather binding that was imprinted with gold and a deep red. The cover was littered with Nordic runes, some by themselves, some making up larger words. I held the spine to my nose and inhaled the dust—a clichéd thing to do, I suppose, but I could not help but try to almost ingest the book, get it as close to me as possible. Old books always smelled so....right to me. I was only half paying attention to the book as I agreed to new protocol over the phone with Elliott, but when I opened the front cover of the book I forgot there even was a phone. There, below the runic title was an illustration I would have recognized anywhere—a basic sketch of my necklace. The Freyja necklace. "Hey Elliott?" I cut him off midsentence. "Do you mind if I get back to you? Something's just come up." "Sure sure. Just call me back tomorrow night." I hung up immediately, slipping the phone into my pocket. The first few pages of the book were just writing, but after that there were illustrations woven in between the lines of text. The book had obviously been hand illustrated, and I could see when the artist's pen had creased the page, or accidentally splattered ink. There were water colors of Freyja with the necklace or trying to find it, there were pen and ink drawings of her in her feathered cloak or gathering souls from the battlefield. In the middle of the book I came upon what looked suspiciously like a family tree. It was carefully drawn to look like a root system with Freyja's name on the trunk, and a number of roots spreading down and out from her. I couldn't read any of the runes except for "Freyja," so I set the book down and quickly scanned the library. Right where I expected to find them was a whole shelf of Nordic tales and histories. I gasped out loud when I actually found the book I was looking for, a runic dictionary, and rushed back over to the table. Rune by rune I pieced together the runes and was in no way astonished to see that there were no sons in Freyja's family. Only women who passed the family name to their daughters, all the way down till the last line. It was there that something strange happened. There was a name, Birna, attached by a red line to the name Sylvans, which was written in gold. In parentheses below the name, someone had scribbled in English "(Incubus)." From the merging of Birna, the daughter of Frejya, and Sylvans, an incubus, there was a pregnancy, it seems, that provided twins. The two names were both written in red and gold: Kata and Karl. Again, someone had scribbled in underneath Karl's name in English "(Prometheus)." I thought back to Theo's furious eyes and cold words as Julian had begun to speak to me about the fact that, what did he say? I was "related to Prometheus." If I was some sort of succubus-Vala combo, I must have been from the part of the family that descended from Kata, Prometheus' twin. Kata couldn't have been my mother, that was entirely too long ago, but the twins had clearly been still rather young when the book was written, as Prometheus hadn't changed his name yet, and they were at the very end of the family line. If Kata had given birth, that could easily have passed both the succubus line from her father, Sylvan, and the Freyja line from her mother, Birna on down to me. Why didn't Theo want me to know about that? Someone was...watching me. I could feel it, their focus, their persistence. I turned around quickly and saw a flash of shirt disappear around a bookshelf. I rushed over to the end of the shelf and peeked around it—no one was there. I went back to the books. Maybe I was seeing things. Or maybe I was about to be found out sniffing through Theo's private books. I took the scrap of paper I had used to translate the runes with. It had almost the whole tree scribbled down on it, so I stuck it in my pocket and put the other books back exactly as I had found them. As I walked over to the other section of the library to put the Runic dictionary back I felt the intensity again. Someone else's energy was tingling up my spine, tickling the fine hairs at the nape of my neck. I spun around—no one there. I pushed the dictionary back on to the shelf, closing my eyes as I did it. I could feel the energy, feel where it was coming from. Behind me and to the....to the left. I opened my eyes again and checked the room. Walking quickly in the other direction of the watcher, I slipped behind a shelf and waited for the watcher to come closer. I moved around the back of the shelf then, as quietly as possible, and found myself staring at Aurelius' back as he tried to peer around the other side of the shelf he thought I was still behind. "Snooping around?" I asked, and Aurelius practically jumped in shock. He looked up at me somewhat sheepishly. "I just wanted to know what you were doing in here for so long." "Hmmm." I let out, and shifted my weight. His face flushed a deep red, and he kept blinking his long and staring at the floor. I walked a little closer to him. He finally looked up at me and made direct eye contact. I couldn't help but notice how red and soft his lips were. I had always had a thing for big lips. Suddenly his demeanor changed entirely—maybe after he realized I wasn't going to yell at him. He stood up straighter and leaned one elbow up on the book shelf next to his head. He grabbed my hand and pulled it up to his mouth. After looking in my eyes for a moment, he inhaled. "Smells like you've been playing with books. With the old, expensive kind." "Maybe. Or maybe this whole place smells like old, expensive books. What are you doing, using your jaguar senses?" "Maybe. Or maybe I'm grasping at any excuse to touch you." I laughed and took my hand back. "Grasping is right. Who do you think you are, Don Juan?" "Don Juan has a lot to learn from me. He kept moving on from one woman to another. I, on the other hand, have just one woman I want to spend my time with." Aurelius winked at me and turned on his heel, sauntering out of the library. I leaned back against the bookshelf, sighing. That kid...he riled me up! Honestly, he couldn't be that much younger than me, but I felt like I was in such a different space in my life than he was. He just seemed so youthful, like he hadn't been beaten by life yet. Maybe he never would be. And maybe that was why I was so drawn to him. My head sank back into the row of books, pushing them back on the shelf. I rubbed my face, massaging my jaw. I hadn't realized just how strongly I had been clenching it. I fixed the books, grabbed my things from the desk, and headed out to find Theo. I glanced out the window in the hallway and saw the empty pavement of New York streets at 5 in the morning. Again, I was jolted a bit, surprised to remember that the entire world was just outside this building. I felt like I was tumbling farther and farther down the rabbit hole of this non-human world. It was too surreal. I opened Theo's office door, peering into the darkness. I couldn't see him, but I could smell him. His body always smelled so rich, like bare, sunny skin, leather, and maybe even rosemary. I heard him chuckle. "Are you listening in on my thoughts again, mister?" I called into the dark, closing the door behind me. "I keep telling you," he whispered in my ear, startling me, "we can't hear thoughts." I turned to face him, or at least where I thought he was. "Then why were you chuckling?" "Well maybe I can't hear thoughts, but I could tell that you were dwelling on me. And I can smell that you're aroused." These last words he murmured while nuzzling my neck, nipping gently at the skin. I shuddered. Theo bit my ear gently and a gasp escaped my lips without my control. The sensations he was sending through my core vibrated down through me to my knees, which began to tremble enough that Theo swooped one arm around my middle to steady me. "Theo, we need to talk," I began, but I lost the second half of my sentence as he licked the side of my neck. He nibbled down to my collarbone, sucking and kissing it. "Wait, Theo—" I tried again, but was cut off when he pushed me forward so that I leaned over his desk, bent at the waist. He squeezed my hips, digging his fingers into the soft flesh next to my hipbones. I shuddered. Theo pressed his length against my upturned ass, groaning. "I missed you," he muttered. As I began to lift my head up from the desk to talk to him he placed his hand on the back of my neck, gently, but immovably, holding it down. "Wait—" I began a third time, but suddenly I heard a tearing, and my pants fell away from my body. Theo leaned his face to the bare flesh of my ass, gently skimming the pale orbs with his fangs. I closed my eyes to let the sensations rush through me. How was it that he knew so well how to make me his? His hot tongue ran up over my ass, coming dangerously close to my little pink bud. I shivered, dreading, and yet yearning for him to continue. I could see the condensation of my breath on the desk as I panted, unsure of what he would do next. Suddenly I felt the most excruciating pleasure throbbing through me as Theo sunk his tongue deep into my cunt. He pushed it into me over and over again, fucking me with his tongue, until he came down a little farther to suck my clit into his mouth. I gasped. "Oh my god, Theo, please—" I could barely spit out the words as I became dizzy with delight. He sucked and twirled his tongue around my clit, alternating between that and my sopping hole. As I felt myself getting closer and closer to coming Theo brought his tongue even higher and licked my little rosebud. My knees buckled as the unfamiliar sensations drove me crazy. He licked around it in circles, and finally dipped it into the center, humming to himself. I had never felt anything quite like this—the last time he had put his mouth there I was angry and upset. This time it felt like I was going to explode—burn up into a million little pieces. I ground my ass back onto his face and dug my fingers into my hair as he sunk his tongue into my sphincter, wriggling it back and forth. I couldn't believe he was in my ass! I felt so vulnerable and open, and surprisingly I couldn't wait for more. The sensation was spreading throughout my body and I was speechless—I couldn't ask for more even though I needed it. Suddenly Theo's tongue disappeared and I almost started crying. My body wasn't my own anymore. He HAD to continue. Instead, I felt the hot, sticky tip of his dick pressing against my ass. "No—no, your tongue!" I cried, but he nudged it in, deeper and deeper, and I was overwhelmed. I couldn't even understand the feelings ricocheting through my body. I was on fire, I was being electrocuted. I was so full. I could feel his balls pressing up against my cunt, and when he finally began pumping his dick into me they slapped me there. He was part of me. I was so full and open and entirely there for him to use as he wanted. I began to come like I hadn't ever come before. The feeling flew up into my stomach, and spread out through my fingers, leaving them tingling and numb. My whole body spasmed and I gasped, unable to breathe or think or respond to such a huge wave of pleasure. As I finally began to come down, I heard Theo groaning. "Oh fuck, oh my god, Lana, you're so fucking hot." He was holding on to my hips with a death grip, and fucking me as hard as he could, murmuring over and over again how good it felt. His cock became even harder, and bigger, and I knew he was about to come. I flipped my hair away from my neck and stretched it out, guessing accurately that I would feel his teeth there next. He sunk them in, and my pussy began convulsing over again as he used my body for blood and sex. I poured out into his mouth and he came, pumping into me two more times before stopping, gulping my blood down. As the haziness of oblivion settled down around me Theo licked my neck shut. "That was fucking amazing, Lana. Fucking incredible." I hummed my assent quietly, and surrendered myself to the blackness, welcoming sleep. ***** I woke up later that day, snuggled deep into Theo's arms. I always felt so secure right there, so comfortable. I pressed my eyes shut again, hoping I could fall back asleep, but the rumble of Theo's voice reminded me that I had to talk to him. "Good evening Lana," Theo said, nuzzling my neck. "Do you feel okay?" I laughed and nodded. "Every time, Lana. Every time. I just can't control myself when I taste you! You're so incredibly good." "Don't worry about it, love. I feel fine." As if to emphasize it, I sat up in bed. I was immediately hit by a wave of dizziness and nausea, and fell back to the bed. "Oh boy," Theo muttered, lifting my head up so that I could drink from the glass of water he offered me. "You've got to stay in bed, tonight, baby." "Don't call me baby! I'm not an infant, and you're not some high schooler taking me out to the movies, okay?" "Okay! Consider it done. But no matter what I call you, or what you are, you're not getting out of bed tonight. Stay here and I'll send up some food. You're not scheduled back at the clinic for a few more nights, so don't stress. This is vacation time." "Alright, fine." I was starting to see the appeal of falling back asleep as my eyelids got heavier. "Come in to check on me?" I asked, looking over at Theo's beautiful long eyelashes and incredible gold eyes. They crinkled up at the corners as he smiled. "Of course, beautiful. Now go to sleep." He kissed my eyes shut, and left one warm, soft kiss on my forehead. I sighed, and let sleep come over me immediately. ***** I woke up again closer to midnight, suddenly keenly aware of another presence in the room. I felt along the headboard for the silver dagger I knew Theo kept, and sat up slowly with the dagger's smooth ivory handle in my palm. I scanned the room and gasped when I saw the same glowing eyes that had awoken me the first night. "Jesus, Aurelius! You keep doing that!" I took a deep breath to calm the thudding of my blood. A last, solitary spiral of adrenaline unfurled in my stomach, but I shook it away. I was already practicing what I would say to Aurelius so I could escape to look for Theo. 'Thanks for waking me,' I might start, or maybe, 'It's so good you came to wake me up—I have something important to talk to Theo about.' But I didn't get that far. The mattress sunk under Aurelius' weight as he perched on the edge, crossing his leg awkwardly so that his foot jutted out into the dark space of the empty room. I watched as the swaying beams of headlights passed across the room, highlighting his beautiful high cheek bones for a moment, lengthening his long, delicate eyelashes before plunging him again into darkness. To disguise my staring I slipped one hand behind me, absently massaging the back of my neck. "Are you sore?" Aurelius asked, his voice soft and hesitant. Something in me shivered at the intimacy of the question, but I nodded anyway. Aurelius leaned over to me, his long, smooth-muscled arm curling underneath my neck, his warm, soft fingertips dipping into the muscles in my shoulders, my neck. My mouth sprung open of its own accord, but I managed to hold back the gasp. The feeling was amazing. Without even thinking about it I rolled over onto my stomach and he began to massage me in earnest, scooting closer to me on the bed, using both hands. I sighed into my pillow as his fingers danced along my spinal column, sending shocks through my tense and abused muscles. "Aurelius, that feels amazing," I muttered. "Shhhh, just relax. Go ahead and close your eyes." So I did. I let myself just focus on the amazing sensations of calmness and relaxation that spread through my neck and shoulders. I felt shivers floating up over my scalp as each muscle in my back eventually gave in to his skillful manipulation. I hadn't even known it was possible to be sore in some of the places he found, but he smoothed out the ache no matter what. I didn't think about the fact that I was naked under the blanked, either, until he came to my lower back and he used his thumbs to press deep semi-circles into the flesh beside my sacrum, loosening the tendons that held those bones together, letting the tension dissipate in little shocks that reverberated through my pelvis. It was when that familiar warm feeling started expanding up through my core that I remembered that I was naked and alone in here with an extremely charming, handsome young man who seemed particularly interested in me. I sighed again as he lifted his hands back up to my shoulders to work on my neck. "Where did you learn to do this?" I asked, hoping to put my mind on something besides the insistent yearning coming from somewhere between my legs. "Oh, no where in particular," he chuckled. "I've just always loved giving massages, and I love the way that almost anyone will just melt under my hands if I give them one." "So what you're saying," I began as I rolled back over, pulling the sheet up to cover my breasts, "is that you use it to get girls." Aurelius threw back his head and laughed, joyously and freely. He was completely comfortable, completely certain of himself. I envied him. "Of course! Think about how much the other jaguars girls like it. They're big cats! They love to be pet." "Anyone in particular?" I asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. This is ridiculous! I told myself. He's practically a kid. And not to mention that, you have Theo already. "No, no Werecats right now. They're too self-absorbed for me. Too much drama." I propped myself up on one elbow, combing out my hair with my other hand. He was making this too easy for me. I had to do something to remind this was a bad idea. "I guess I should give you a proper assessment sometime so you can head back to the den as soon as possible." "Oh, I don't mind it here. It's kind of strange, but I've been having fun exploring." "Don't you miss your friends?" "Sure, but you're not bad company," he smiled shyly, batting his lashes and looking away. It was almost too much, but even though I knew he was playing me, I fell for it. "You're such a flatterer," I mumbled as a lock of hair fell into my face. Aurelius chuckled and leaned over, sweeping the hair out to tuck it behind my ear. He stayed close for a moment, and my heart began racing. That same spiral of adrenaline unfurled, but this time it was something more, it was a deep desire for this man, quickly getting out of control. Suddenly Aurelius pulled back, a little nervous, and stood up from the bed. A moment later the door swung open and Theo broad shouldered silhouette stepped into the room. "Oh there you two are," he said, a little amusement in his voice. "You scoundrels. When Elke called and I couldn't find you, I was so worried you'd run off, little kitty. Instead I find you here, taking good care of Lana. Thank you for that." Although Aurelius looked like he was about to bolt from the room in fright, I could tell that Theo was just joking. He knew I didn't belong to him, and thankfully, he seemed to think this was more amusing than anything else. I gave him a little glare to remind him not to terrify the jaguar, and just he winked at me. Still, he shook off a little of the predator stance he had been holding, and smiled genuinely at Aurelius, clapping him on the shoulder. "She's on the phone in my office. I think she just wants to know what your plan is, but you should probably just check in with her. Go right ahead in there and just press the red button to take her off hold." Negative Space Ch. 14 Aurelius relaxed a little bit, thanked Theo, and rushed from the room. Theo smiled at me. "I could smell your arousal from down the hall," he chuckled. "Well you've got to let me have a little fun, at least. He's cute." "Yeah, he is." Theo's eyes were twinkling. I was shocked. I thought he would have been more...protective of me? Is that what I meant? Maybe just more jealous. But he wasn't. Instead, he just smiled and ran his fingers through my hair. "What do you think. Should we invite him to join us sometime?" "Wait, really? You'd do that?" "Of course! I love seeing just how turned on you are by him, and," he leaned over to whisper in my ear, "I think he's pretty cute too." "Oh my gosh, Theo!" I laughed. "I had no idea you swung that way!" "Well, I don't really, but I'm always up for a little fun. In our community we don't really make distinctions like humans do. We're not so focused on gay vs. straight or anything like that—we just enjoy the things our bodies can do to make us feel good." "Well, if you'd really be okay with it," a vision of Theo and Aurelius fucking my mouth and my pussy at the same time flashed into my head and I shivered, "then I think that could be really fun." Theo swooped in for a kiss, and I wrapped my hands around the back of his head, pulling him into bed with me. "We have to talk, you know," I murmured between kisses. "I know. But, can we talk after I make you come?" "I, aahhh, I guess that would be okay," I panted as his hand slipped between my thighs, grazing my hot, sticky cunt. Theo growled and bit my ear, rubbing his tremendously hard cock against my leg. That sensation of spinning and falling that I got from touching vampires still hadn't gone away—I let myself fall into it, lose myself to his skill. He ducked his fingers into my cunt and I gasped, grabbing his cock and pumping it as I fucked my pussy down onto his fingers. I was so riled up from earlier that it didn't take long before I felt my body tightening and straining, thinking about the different ways the two men could take me. I rolled Theo over onto his back and straddled him, thrusting his cock into my cunt with abandon. He growled and grabbed my ass, squeezing and kneading the flesh. His eyes rolled back into his head as my pussy got tighter and tighter. "Oh fuck you feel so good! You're so fucking tight—yeah, keep fucking me, just like that!" I ground down on his cock as he slipped on finger into my ass, increasing the pressure and throwing me over the edge. I gasped and screamed, clamping down on him and forcing him to come with me. He spurted deep into me, and I collapsed on top of him, sticky, sweaty, and panting. "Oh I needed that." I sighed. Theo laughed. "I could tell!" Negative Space Ch. 15 I woke up to the clacking of typewriter keys echoing down Theo's castle's stone hallways. I rolled over to my stomach, pushing up from the mattress to stretch my arms and my back. Looking up over my shoulder to the ceiling I saw the painting Theo had above his bed—a small farm house on a grassy hill, the paint thick and textured, the sky dark and grey. I could practically feel the gusts of warm wind that were flattening the tall grasses, warning of a storm. I wondered why Theo would have this painting over his bed. Was it some place special to him? A painter somehow connected to him? He didn't seem the type to decorate based on appearances alone. Even though I had essentially moved back in with him, I still knew so little about his past. He was always quite generous with me, sheltering the people I brought to his house—Julian, the FBI agent, as well as Aurelius, the jaguar. He had even invited Aurelius into bed with us. I shivered and smiled, rubbing my temples and coaxing myself awake. Slipping out from beneath the covers, I pulled a thin cotton robe around myself and followed the sound of the typewriter down the hall, passing under the wooden cross beams, through the heavy doors. I sat down at Theo's desk and gazed at his furrowed brow while he scribbled furiously with a quill. After a moment he looked up at me. "What?" He asked, playfully. "What do you mean, what?" "Why are you smiling like that?" He leaned back in his chair, dropping the quill back into the ink well. "You use a quill! You're darling." "Honestly, you have no idea what you're missing. Using a ball-point pen is like trying to carve stone with my fingernails. There's an art to quilling." "I believe you," I smiled. Theo smiled back, his golden eyes crinkling at the corners. "Okay," he sighed, setting the inky feather in its well. "Let us talk." "I'm related to Prometheus, aren't I?" Theo's Sire, Prometheus, was a mystery to me. After showing up in my mind at the apartment where I had been staying, he had made me a gift of one of the most valuable magical artifacts in existence, the Norse goddess Freyja's necklace. Since then I hadn't heard a thing from him, but I had the chilling feeling that he was quite aware of what I was up to. "Yes. Before he was turned, my sire was the only male member of Frejya's family. He was born after a major attack on the Vala, the supernatural descendants of Frejya. They had been so scattered and so many had died, that one, Birna, decided to hide herself and her future children. The way she contrived to do that was by mating with an incubus. His name was Sylvans. When Birna went into labor, instead of giving birth to a baby, she birthed a single, large white egg. When it cracked open, out came a baby girl, Kata, and a baby boy, Karl. Both had powers from each side of the family—Incubus and Vala. Kata continued the Vala legacy, but when Karl was 26 he was bitten by a vampire. That's when he changed his name to Prometheus." "You knew this," I said, stating it more as a fact than a question. "Only in the last few weeks." "Why didn't you tell me?" "Prometheus required my silence. He—he has some sort of plan, I am led to believe." "And you just do everything he asks you to?" "He's a very powerful vampire. And he's my sire." I shook my head. "Theo, you deliberately kept this information from me. Why?" "I believe I made it clear," he grunted, angry now. "Prometheus asked me not to!" "Ugh, Theo come on. You know how important this is to me. I need to know this stuff. Not to mention the fact that I deserve to know that I've been fucking my great- great-great-cousin!" "It would require a few more 'greats' than that. Kata existed thousands of years ago. With her Vala powers hidden by her succubus powers, she managed to live a long life with many children, all of whom were hidden equally well. We don't have record of any Vala since the 1300s. You're from an incredibly powerful family, Lana. Prometheus wanted to be very careful with all of this. He needs you on his side." "Then he shouldn't lie to me!" "He wasn't lying, Lana. He just needed to be careful." I rubbed my eyes. Theo was in a hard position right now; I got that. He had to do what his sire asked of him, but that didn't mean he got to be an ass about it. "Theodore, please. I know this is difficult, but I need to find my mother. Dead or alive, I need to know what's happened to her. If she's alive, you need to bring her here." "I can't just up and run off to search high and low for your missing family. I have a Kingdom to run." "So send someone else. Someone you trust." Theo stopped for a moment, thinking. Then he nodded. "I could send Florence. She knows the history and is adept at ferreting things, and people, out." "Thank you. Please do send Flo. She was great at helping me to figure out what I was—I'm sure she'd be great at figuring out other mysteries." Theo scribbled down a note to remind himself. I continued, "In the meanwhile, I'm going to figure out what the fuck is going on with the government. I'm going to go back to the clinic for a week to finish up all the appointments I had to put on hold, but then I'm going to go to Washington, DC with Julian. We're going to figure this out. I'll come back when I'm done." Theo glared. "That is idiotic. You're merely putting yourself in danger." "Think about this: Hundreds of vampires are dying from a mysterious plague; a vampire FBI agent lands in my lap with a knife through his eyeball after following a lead here to NYC; and directly after that, two messengers come from "The Top," a mysterious band of ancient vampires who suddenly want me dead. Do you think I should just sit around here and be waiting for you to screw whenever you want?" "At least if you were here I'd be able to protect you. You won't even let me mark you." "We've talked about that." "I know. I just can't stand that you won't let me protect you. I'm not trying to own you." "But by vampire law you would, and you know it. I know it's hard," I leaned over and put my hand on his, "but you just have to accept it. I accept you when you go off and do things without telling me. It's frustrating for me too, but I understand that you have your own life. Come on, you're always goading me for being so much younger than you, but YOU'RE being the immature one right now." Theo's eyes flashed in anger, but he calmed himself down. He picked my hand up and kissed it. "You're right. You just make me want to protect you. You drive me crazy!" "Don't blame me for your inability to control yourself. That's your own problem." Theo rolled his eyes. "All right, feminazi. Let's go burn our bras, why don't we?" I took a deep breath to calm myself. "You cannot speak to me like that." I tried to keep my voice neutral, but my fury was close to the surface. "I am going to talk with Julian, and then I'm going to head over to the clinic. You have one week to apologize to me before I leave for Washington." I turned on my heel and was halfway down the hall before I remembered to breathe. I was so furious that after everything we had been through already, he would pull the oldest trick in the book. It's easy to drive someone over the edge if every time they say something you don't want them to, you make them feel like they've overreacted or said something crazy. I'd had men doing it to me my whole life, any time I called them on their behavior they'd say, 'Jeez Lana, you don't have to get so intense about it,' 'You know I was just joking,' or 'You're really making a big deal about that? God, you're more dramatic than I thought.' I couldn't take it from him too. If he didn't apologize soon, I'd— I didn't know what I'd do. Theo was such a mixed bag. Sometimes he was sweet, loving, adoring, and other times he was arrogant, angry, and patronizing. I knew a lot of it was the vampire culture he'd been in for the past five hundred-odd years, but he would just have to get over that if we were going to be together. I forced myself to take another deep breath and slow down my pulse. *** I found Agent Julian sitting on his bed, the door to his room hanging a jar. "Hey," I called out softly, leaning against his door post. "Hey," he responded, looking up from his book. He was leaning back against the headboard, knees akimbo and feet bare. He smiled. "I've been thinking about your predicament. I think it has a lot to do with my predicament." "What do you mean?" Julian closed his book and sat farther up on the bed, patting the blanket beside him to encourage me to sit. "Well, I think it's all connected." I explained what had happened with "the Top" right after I had brought Julian back to Theo's, as well as what I had been working on at the clinic with the plague. He chewed carefully on his fingernails, working his way down his hand from one finger to the next. "So what are you planning on doing about it?" he asked, finally. He gazed at me for a moment, his face unreadable, his eyes blank. "Let's go to DC. Let's just buckle down and figure out where all this is coming from. My research crew that's working on the cure also spends time each night trying to locate where the outbreak started. We've narrowed it down to the DC area, but maybe they can give us a few leads to follow up on. Maybe we can find something substantial?" "I have an idea," Julian added. "We can start at the FBI's adjunct building, where the most influential people in the organization have offices. It's set up so that they don't have to go in and out the same doors as everyone else, but it also makes it easier to conduct meetings out of the public eye. It's really just around the corner from the Hoover building where the rest of the FBI is headquartered, but no one really knows it's there." "But why go right to the big names? I'm sure we can find plenty of info by just going through the archives." "There won't be any record of any of this. The whispers that I picked up about you and your work on the plague were all communications between the Science and Technology Branch and the Office of the Deputy Director of the FBI. I don't know why they were talking about you, but it makes it quite clear that there's not going to be any info about those conversations left behind. I'm sure that since I've been missing, all the data my partner and I compiled has been burned." "Are you sure it's safe for you to go back, then?" "No, it definitely will not be safe. But if I were to just disappear right now, it would give them everything they want." Julian's voice settled into a steely, cold tone. "And I will not tolerate being attacked and having my partner killed." I shivered a moment at the ridges and lines that had deepened in his face while he spoke. He was terrifying. He saw my fright, however, and shook the anger away. "We'll leave in a week." I said as I left, glad that his anger was focused at someone other than me. *** The week went quickly. Elliott and I must have made the world record for numbers of patients seen each night. I had injuries, check-ups, plague victims, and silver allergies. I even had one female vampire come in thinking she had the plague, but none of the symptoms were quite right. When I questioned her a little more closely, I had an idea of what it could have been the sudden change in her bearing. I asked her to get me a urine sample, but she laughed at me. "You think vampires urinate?" "Well you drink blood, don't you?" "Yes, but every iota of that is converted into energy that is used by our bodies. There is no extra to waste." I was stuck. I was pretty sure the woman was pregnant, but if I couldn't do a pregnancy test, I didn't know how I would prove it. I thought of taking a blood test, but I didn't even know what I would be looking for from a vampire. Did they have the same hormones that humans tested for? Neither did I have access to an ultrasound to look for a pregnancy. The idea of trying to create an image of what was inside her gave me an idea, though. I asked her to lie back on the examining table and I placed my hands side by side over her uterus. Closing my eyes I funneled my concentration through my hands, feeling down through her body and into her uterus. Was anything there? I felt the changes in tissue consistency—here was blood, and here muscle. Finally I came to a small pocket, no larger than lentil, of rapidly dividing cells. I pulled back. The woman was staring at me intently, the light behind her causing her dark brown curls to glow. "You're six weeks pregnant," I said. No need to make any great statements on top of that—I had no idea how she would take it. She let her head fall back on table behind her. "How?" She asked, quietly. "It can happen for some vampires. Usually the particularly old bloodlines are more fertile than others, but one can never be sure." I was quiet for a moment, and so was she. I didn't want to alienate her since I didn't know what her politics were, but she seemed surprisingly unenthusiastic about this pregnancy. I decided to remind her of what was possible, and let her know that I would be there as a care provider no matter what. "Now that we know you're pregnant, we have a few decisions to make. Don't stress about it since you have plenty of time to make them. I'm just going to put this out there, and you'll come back for an appointment in two weeks, if not sooner. To begin with, you need to decide if you'd like to carry this pregnancy to term or not. If not, I can provide you with those services. If you do want to, I can provide you will all the prenatal and birth services you'd need for that too. If you decide to carry to term, you then need to decide if you'd like to parent. Otherwise, I can arrange plans for possible adoption. If so, we'll find you some support networks, like a postpartum doula, someone who can help out around the house after birth. All of these things are a million miles off right now so you don't have to worry about it yet, but I just want you to know what I can do for you. And most importantly, I want you to know that I will always be available to answer any questions, listen to anything you have to say, and help you to follow through with any decision you make." The woman smiled slightly, still staring up at the ceiling. She slid her hand off her abdomen and placed it on top of mine, squeezing my fingers. "Thank you," she whispered. She did not let go. I sat with her until she was able to get up. "Can I make another appointment with your receptionist?" "Of course. Whenever you'd like. I'll be away for a little while, but I'm always available by phone." Right before she left, the woman turned to me one last time and hugged me before slipping out the door. *** The day before we left I sat up late—or early, as the sun was high above our heads—not sleeping. I tried to put all this information together. We had a plague attacking vampires, clearly fabricated by something or someone, and the only things that could kill off these bacteria, so far, were fire and werewolf blood. The plague acted like a vampire itself would—leeching the victim of blood and energy, eventually causing full-scale organ failure. At the same time we have suspicious, almost Hollywood-worthy, FBI scandals that lead back to high profile names on the one side, and me on the other. Only a few months before, I had been slogging through the drudgery of my life as a nanny. I didn't have anything more difficult to deal with than the drama of sibling rivalry. Not that it was any less tiring than this—the everyday things tend to be more exhausting than anything else. When I realized that I hadn't slept in a day and a half after performing a number of different surgeries and offering care to all sorts of non-humans, I realized that the sleepiness I was experiencing was that of a satisfied worker, not that of an exhausted, depressed, gruelingly tired nanny. I let myself sink into the mattress, closing my eyes and feeling along the border of my body—letting myself hear the magic in everything I touched. Here was the pillow pushing against my cheek, the sheet pulling across my shoulder, its magic holding it tightly together, its weave defying chaos. Here was Theo's body, cool to the touch, motionless, curled away from my body. We touched only at the small of our backs, my warmth spreading out into his skin. If I could have seen it right then, I was sure it would have been easy to see that one patch of rosy lifelike-ness on his back, just there where it had been pulling from my heat. *** Washington DC was grimy. The store windows were greasy and gray, the sidewalks were covered in gum. The expression on every face we passed seemed to have been etched onto it with acid. We walked through the downtown, passing hordes of frowning men and women hurriedly ignoring the homeless people at their feet. I snorted my distain, and Julian only chuckled. "Every business person, politician, and journalist here thinks they're the cream of the crop. They forget that it's easy enough to just show up here in this city, but growing up here is harder than growing up almost anywhere else. You can almost taste the torment." Julian shook his head. "Where did you grow up?" I asked him. "Just 20 minutes south of here. Alexandria, Virginia, right on the Potomac River. It's a small city, just big enough to be lonely, but small enough to feel crowded. I got out of there as soon as I could—I graduated from high school early just so that I could go to college in California." "When were you turned? And who turned you?" "Didn't you're mother ever teach you that it's not polite to ask about someone's turning?" he asked, winking. "Somehow I'm not entirely sure my mother could have even begun to fathom this conversation we're having right now." Julian laughed. "I was turned by a low level politician when I came home from college in 1974 for Thanksgiving. I went with my father to a political rally and I really thought I was lucky when I ran into him after his speech in the back of the crowded building. He actually asked me to come to his office so that he could give me a business card—I really thought I was about to make an awesome connection. Instead he just ate me, and left me for dead. It was only when he came back in to his office later that night and saw that I wasn't dead that he decided I was resilient enough to be a vampire." Julian smiled at me, his eyes quiet and his lips thin, and then he pointed up ahead. "That's the Hoover building. Remember, the FBI headquarters?" "Oh yeah! Wow. It's so....ugly." "I know," he laughed, this time warming his eyes a little. "We always used to call it the FBI Hindquarters." "You miss it already?" "Of course. I spent all my time there. I loved my job." I was about to respond, but I felt Julian tense. He pushed me back against the nearest building and pressed his lips eagerly to mine. Clasping my face with both hands, he sucked my bottom lip into his mouth, opening my mouth and thrusting his tongue in. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't ignore the tingling his touch sent through me—he was a vampire after all. His fervent kissing and sucking slowed and he nuzzled my face a moment before pulling away as businesslike as ever and continuing down the street. When he noticed that I wasn't following him, he grabbed my hand and pulled me along. "Sorry. My ex-boss just walked by. He has an amazing knack for faces. I couldn't think of any other way to shield yours." I took a deep breath and calmed my body down. "Well it seems like you were successful. Do you think he would have known who I was?" "Yes, I do. In fact, I think he was one of the people who put your name on the investigation list in the first place. He has definitely seen a photo of you." Negative Space Ch. 15 "Who is he?" "He's one of the Shadow Directors. He's nearly four hundred years old. He claims that he was the first vampire ever turned in the new world, but I know that to be entirely false." We lapsed into silence again, and I thought of the feel of Julian's lips. He was clean shaven, so he didn't rub against my cheeks the way Theo did. His mouth had felt almost indecently soft, intimately smooth and slick. He reached out and took hold of my elbow and guided me into a small alleyway behind the Hoover building. We squeezed past a dumpster and threaded between two towering buildings that seemed to yawn over us like a forest canopy. At the end the alleyway opened up again, leaving us in a forgotten space. It was tucked between four separate buildings, none of which had taken advantage of the 10 by 10-foot dirt and gravel square. A single tree grew up high, leaning lovingly against one of the buildings. "Follow me now," Julian said, his voice low and quiet. "And if you can, use some of that glamour you have to protect us." "Protect us? What are we going to do? I thought we were just going to walk by the building, get a sense of how to access the info!" "Well, when we saw my boss I realized that we were here just in time for the night shift's dinner break. We'd be fools to ignore this opportunity." Julian began climbing the trunk of the tree and paused to call back over his shoulder, "Don't waste time arguing with me." I sighed and followed him, grasping the trunk and heaving, clambering up awkwardly until I reached the first branch. Julian stretched down and grabbed my wrist, hoisting me up so I could stand on it. Just beyond Julian's shoulder I saw the first row of windows, one of which was left conveniently ajar. "It won't help us," he said, following my gaze. "That one won't open any more than six inches or so, not enough to slide a body through. But we can use the sill to get up to the second row of windows, which DO open all the way." "How on earth will we get up there?" I eyed the sheer face of the building. Adrenaline seeped into my system, inching bile up in my throat. Why was I doing this? We didn't even know what to look for at this point—and why on earth was I letting myself be talked to scaling the outside of an FBI building? This was stupid. Before I could voice my opinions, though, Julian lifted me up by my waist and pushed me up to the ledge of the window that sat ajar. Gritting my teeth I scrambled to get my feet beneath me on the cement window sill, glaring at Julian still balancing on the tree branch. "You need to climb up to the windows above," he said, pointing up the wall above me. "We'll be able to open those wide enough to squeeze through." "I can't do that!" I shouted in a stage whisper. Julian just glared back at me. I turned back around and pressed my palms to either side, bracing them against the window frame. If I couldn't get up there, what use would I be? I clamped down, pushing back against the bile that threatened to rise up and scald my throat. I clung to the wall and managed to inch my way up until I could reach the ledge of the window above. I pushed and pulled and finally manage to sit my butt on the ledge in time to see Julian following me up, with absolutely no effort expended. I accidentally glanced at the ground, about three floors below us, and had to lean back against the window to soothe the sudden whoosh of fright. Julian pulled out a pocket knife and fiddled with it in the window crack, flipping back an unseen lock. I clambered through the window onto some unwitting FBI worker's desk while he was out for the night. Once the window was closed behind us, Julian crossed the room in two steps and locked the door. "Now's your chance to give us a little protection. I can't help at all since vampire glamour only works on humans. Very few of the people on this floor are human." "God, I don't even know what I could do! I'm not a witch." "Yes you are. To a certain extent anyway." He sighed. "Look. Start by giving yourself a mental shield. I could feel how nervous you are from anywhere in this building right now." I closed my eyes and tried to pretend that I wasn't currently trespassing and in danger of being arrested, or worse. I built a little wall in my mind, closing out all the interference. It was strange, not being able to feel the other beings around me. I realized then how strange it must be that my baseline was being able to hear the emotions and feel the life forces of all the people nearby me, whether I could see them or not. "Good. I can't hear you anymore. Do something to make us invisible. I'd like to be able to walk down the hall without worrying that someone is watching us." This was a little more difficult. How could I make us invisible? After focusing for five minutes on making my hand transparent, I realized that was impossible. Instead of making us invisible, I'd have to make us uninteresting. I thought of my protective Khrusos, the energy I had generated to heal Elliott the time I bruised his mind. It was easier for me to manipulate if I imagined it as a substance, a fabric I could drape over myself and Julia. "Whoa." I heard Julian murmur. I opened my eyes and realized what he had been talking about—I couldn't see him. Or, it wasn't exactly that I couldn't see him, since I knew he was there, it was just that my eyes slid right off him each time, and I couldn't quite remember what I had just been looking at. "Good job. Let's go." The door opened up, and for a moment I couldn't figure out why—but I realized it was just Julian. He grabbed my hand and pulled me out, then down the brightly lit hallway. We waited patiently by the elevators until a woman in a suit walked up and pressed the button. Slipping in after her I was sure she'd be able to smell us—I could tell she was a vampire, but any time she looked over in our corner of the elevator she just shook her head and looked away. She exited on the fourth floor, and when no one else got on, I heard Julian sigh in relief. The button for the ninth floor lit up, and the elevator shuddered and heaved, moving upward again. "Once we get up there," he whispered into my ear, "stay close. Try to make less noise when you walk. We'll go into the fourth door on the left." I did as he said, certain that every person we passed, vampire, were, or other, knew we were there. No one looked twice, though, and soon we were safe in an empty office. "This was my desk, and that one was my partner's. I doubt there'll be anything left, but let's look through these papers. You get that stack, and let me know if you find anything." We leafed through pile after pile of papers, stacks of folders, and entire book shelves, moving from one office to another. Nothing unusual, nothing out of the ordinary. "That's fine," Julian muttered. "I figured that'd be the case." "Should we get out of here then? They've got to be coming back soon." "Just one more office." "Are you sure? We've been here an hour now. You can't take more than an hour's dinner break. We should leave." "I'm sure. It's gonna be painstaking to try to get back in here another time—I'm sure they'll notice the disordered papers we left behind. Let's do one last office while we have a chance. We'll keep an eye out." He led me out of the office we were in, closing the door as carefully as possible, and down the hallway to the fancy smoked glass door at the end. Pulling out a lock picking set, he didn't even try the handle before he had the pins in the keyhole. With an expert jiggle the door swung open, showing a clean, stylish office. The lights from nearby buildings lit the room through a wall of ceiling-to-floor windows. A shiny metal plaque on the desk read "Vivian Carl" in thinly etched letters. "Who's she?" I whispered. "Vivian is the Deputy Director of the FBI. She answers only to the Chief of Staff and the President. Not to mention that she is in charge of my old branch, the Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services branch, as well as the Science and Technology branch. Both were involved in all the money funneling and other underhanded business, so if this goes all the way to the top, there has got to be record of it here somewhere. You search her desk—I don't think you'll find anything, but give it a shot, and I'll grab the file cabinets." We set to quickly flipping through as much as we could without missing anything, but most of it was notes from meetings and reminders about important legislation she needed to deal with. There was nothing interesting in the desk, and I was about to move on when I decided on a whim to check for a hidden compartment. If I were in the FBI I would definitely have one. I sat down on the floor and felt the underside of the desk, working my fingers along the sides of the drawer banks and looking for some sort of seam or latch. I pulled open each of the drawers again, searching for missing space or unusual markings. I noticed that the third drawer down wasn't as deep as the others, something I had missed the first time. Using my nails, I pried the back wall of the drawer forward and suddenly it clicked, falling open. Behind it was a stack of envelopes. "Damn." I muttered as I flipped through the envelopes. "What?" Julian asked, pausing in his rifling. "I found a secret compartment, but all that was in there were love letters." "Love letters? Vivian's not in a relationship. She's never been married." "Well, maybe she's in one now." I shrugged, reaching to put them back in the compartment. "Wait, who is it?" "Um, some guy. Signs with an I." "Just an I? No name?" "Here," I handed him the stack. "Look for yourself. I'm going to start on the bookshelf over here." I had just started sifting through the books when Julian let out a dramatic gasp. "What?" I asked, freezing for a moment as someone walked past the door, darkening the glass with their shadow. "This is not just some GUY, Lana. This is Ishkur. She's dating Ishkur!" "Does it really matter? I don't know who that is, and I don't think the Deputy Director's sex life has anything to do with us. I think you should put that back. We need to leave." Julian was about to argue with me, but a shadow fell on the door and didn't leave this time. He quickly tossed the stack of letters back into the secret compartment, closed the drawer, and ran over to the wall where I stood. I heard some jingling, and a key was slipped into the lock. The door opened. Julian held my hand tightly, looking like he might try to run for it, but the woman closed the door immediately. I held my breath. She had long blond hair pulled up in a professional French twist, and wore a perfectly fitted pant suit and heels. It must have been Vivian Carl. She stood facing her desk and scanned the room, her eyebrows furrowed. When she made direct eye contact with me I thought we were about to be found out, but her eyes slipped right over me and she just rubbed them as if there was something irritating them. Vivian sat down and set her purse beside her. Flipping through the papers on her desk, she sighed, stretched, and reached for the phone. "Yes, can you postpone my appointment for tomorrow afternoon? Please apologize to the minister for me, but I simply cannot make it. Yes. Next Tuesday should be fine. Good." The phone clicked back into its cradle and Vivian rolled her shoulders. She glanced down at her desk and froze when she saw the open drawer. Julian must not have closed it all the way in his rush—I held my breath again as fright filled even my arms and legs. Taking a handkerchief out of her pocket she used it to slowly open the drawer. The papers were all out of order. With infinite patience Vivian took the papers out and organized them, assuring herself that nothing was missing. Reaching deep into her drawer I heard the click of the compartment and she pulled out the stack of envelopes. They were clearly tampered with. One of the letters wasn't even in its envelope. She looked up sharply and glanced around the room searching for us. She rushed to the windows and tried each of them—locked. She opened them and looked out, but there was no way that anyone could have gotten out that way. There was no one in the closet or in her private bathroom. She paced back over to her desk and grabbed the phone. "Ish—I need you," she said after a moment, her voice startlingly different than it had been before. "No, I mean really. Someone has broken into my office. There's stuff from you here. They saw it." She sounded almost scared. The voice on the other end was suddenly loud, and from the way she flinched, extremely angry. "I know, I'm sorry. I had them in a hidden compartment. I didn't think anyone would do such a thing! I'm—I'm sorry Ishkur. Please, tell me what to do!" I felt a sudden pity for her. She seemed far out of her depth. Maybe she was the Deputy Director for the FBI, but she sounded entirely unused to having secrets, as if she had no idea how to keep them. The voice on the other end quieted and she nodded twice, murmuring her assent. "And what about Delgarth? Should I contact him? Okay. No. I'll leave right now. I love y—" she called out, glancing at the phone as if she had been hung up on. She grabbed her purse and her coat and rushed out of the room, locking the door. I exhaled. Julian let go of my fingers and I realized then just how tightly he had been squeezing them. He put up his hand, reminding me to stay still. He walked to the door and closed his eyes, listening for passersby. After a moment he waved me over, unlocked the room, and we slipped out, running down the hall to the elevator and sliding in right before it closed. We disembarked on the ground floor and snuck behind the guards as they watched people passing through the metal detectors. As soon as we were inside I let my Khrusos snap back inside of me—holding it out over Julian and myself had been exhausting. *** As soon as we got back to the hotel room I collapsed onto the bed. Julian had been quiet the whole way back, and now he stood, pacing between the bed and the kitchenette. "Who is Ishkur, Julian?" Julian's head snapped up, as if he had forgotten I was in the room with him. "He's Anu's fledge." "Who's Anu?" "You don't know who Anu is? Jesus. Okay." Julian sat down at the desk and crossed his legs. "How's your Sumerian mythology?" "Um, slightly lacking?" I rolled onto one side to look at him. "Well, do you at least know that the Sumerians were one of, if not the first civilization? Cradle of civilization? Remember any of that from school?" Julian snorted his distain at my shrug. "So their gods are some of the oldest gods, then. And Anu is the sky god. The king of gods, lord of constellations, ruler of sprits and demons, leader of the star warriors who destroy the wicked. I'm sure you would not be surprised to learn he is the second oldest vampire known to us, and therefore one of the three who make up the Top. The oldest is Ket'thul. He was known as a god as well, but to a now-forgotten civilization. The third is Arachne, a Greek. Together they are the single ruling body that holds more authority than any other in the entire world." "Okay, and so Ishkur is some sort of god too?" "Actually, he was the Sumerian storm god. But none of them were really gods, just vampires living in impressionable times." "So why is it a big deal that Ishkur is with Vivian?" "Vivian is human. Ishkur has long been known to be a vampire supremacist. There's no way he would be 'dating' her without an ulterior motive." Julian stood up again and popped open the plastic container that held two Styrofoam cups by the sink. I listened to the rattle of the pipes and the rush of the water as it filled his cup. "I think we need to talk to someone with some real information," I said quietly. Fingering the Freyja necklace beneath my collar, I let myself sink into it. It held the magic, the history—all of Freyja's blood line. Since only those related to her could touch it, every moment it sat against my skin felt like a blessing, a gift. The magic in her godliness was able to be passed down through the generations in the necklace, and now it sat with me. I hadn't practiced with it much, but as I let myself explore it now, it felt as if I were falling head over heels into the necklace. Nausea clenched my stomach, and I struggled to push down the bile. Suddenly I could see everything. I was surrounded by my entire family. I felt around for Prometheus. He had to be here somewhere. I felt close to him, and there in a vague mist in that surreal moment I saw his face. He looked up at me and made eye contact. "I have a question." I said. He nodded. I let go of the necklace and reality snapped back, leaving my ears ringing and my stomach pushing up through my mouth. I leaned over the side of the bed just in time to grab the trashcan and retched violently. "That's what happened to me the first time I used it like that too," a voice floated over, clearly not Julian's. When I opened my eyes I saw that Julian was down on his knees with his eyes wide, his mouth slack. On the divan beside him sat the unworldly flickering image of Prometheus, same as I met him the first time. "Thanks for coming." "Certainly, granddaughter. What question did you require an answer to?" "Can you tell us about Ishkur?" "I'm sure you know enough as it is," he said, gently flipping through my memories. I clamped down, feeling as if I had snapped the lid shut on his fingers. He chuckled. "My apologies. I'll stay out of there from now on." "What we need to know is what on earth Ishkur would be doing with Vivian Carl, the FBI's Deputy—" "The Deputy Director, yes, yes I know." Prometheus waved as he cut me off. "What do you mean 'doing with'? Are they engaged in a relationship?" I grinned. "Please tell me this is something I know that you don't! We found love letters between the two when we were searching her office today." Prometheus shook his head distractedly, scratching at the base of his neck. "That can't be." "I know," Julian butted in. "But that's the thing. I saw them with my own eyes." "Grant me access, child?" Prometheus asked, extending his hand to Julian's head. Julian sputtered a little and frowned, shrugging his shoulder. "Sure, I guess." Prometheus sunk his flickering hand into Julian's skull, closing his eyes and rummaging. When he withdrew I took one look at Julian and offered him the trashcan, but he smiled a thin, pale smile and held himself together. "I see. That was pretty risky of you two," he said, winking at me. "I have a theory I have to test out before I say anything more..." I tensed. "Please, Prometheus, if we're the ones doing the heavy lifting here, you have to be straight with us. We need to know why Ishkur is involved, and what you know about everything." Prometheus was silent a moment, absently picking at his immaculate fingernails. He looked at me once more, and made a decision. "Alright, little granddaughter. Since you are my blood, I suppose I shouldn't leave you uninformed. My guess is that, as you have already presumed, Ishkur is courting the human woman with an ulterior motive. Since she wields substantial power, I expect it could be anything. However, there are more hints that indicate that he plans to eradicate the vampires of the Eastern Seaboard Alliance." "Is that the alliance of states that Theo is running?" "Officially, I am the one leading it. But yes, that is now Theo's cross to bear. Ishkur has always hated me and the ease with which I rule and exercise power. Ishkur has never been as adept. I wouldn't put it past him to stage a full-scale annihilation of all the vampires on the East Coast just to obliterate a few." "All the vampires? What do you mean?" My thoughts raced, and suddenly clicking into place. "You mean the plague?" Negative Space Ch. 15 "Yes. Your studious researchers have come up with a clear understanding that it is a crafted bacterium. Even more suspicious is that the outbreaks seemed to stem from Washington, DC. I couldn't figure out what that was about until you told me that Ishkur is here now." My mind filled with expletives, but I held myself back in front of such an imposing vampire. "That's terrible news. I'll call Elliott and update him. Then we need to figure out how they made it, where they made it, and how they're spreading it." "I have a few contacts I can go see," Julian added. "They would know if FBI funds were being used in the labs to craft something like that." Prometheus' image began to flicker a bit more and fade. "You leaving us, Prometheus?" I asked, leaning forward to touch his arm, remembering only as my fingers sunk through his imaginary flesh that he wasn't actually here. "I'm going to do some research of my own. I'll contact you when I have more information." "One last question, Karl," I said before I could chicken out. Prometheus froze and glared at me. "Where did you hear that name?" "I read it in an old book. Just tell me—did you know my mother?" Prometheus shook his head slowly, some of the tension leaving his body. "When I parted with that name, I left everything of my old life behind. I have been keeping an eye on the family, of course, but when they disappeared they vanished from my sights as well. I'm sorry." He suddenly seemed embarrassed, which was strange given his imposing demeanor. "I hear she was a wonderful woman." "From whom?" He frowned, having said too much. I could see him practically grasping for the words that had just left his mouth. "From WHOM?" I asked again, blood rushing up into my head. "Just know that we are looking for her. Searching for her. We will find her as soon as it is possible." Without a single good bye or second glance, Prometheus disappeared. After a moment I grabbed the bag out of the trashcan and tied it up, sticking it in the hallway outside our door. That was enough vomit for me, I didn't need to smell it all night. I washed off my hand hands and my mouth, letting the anxiety spill out as I spit water back into the sink. Julian followed me in and pulled my long hair out of my face. "Come on to bed. We'll worry about all of this in the morning." I glanced at his earnest eyes, his good guy eyebrows furrowed with just the right amount of concern. He took me by the elbow and lead me back to the bed. It was only then that I considered the fact that there was one bed and two of us. "Don't worry about it," he chuckled. "I'll sleep on top of the covers. But first, lie down here, on your stomach." I did as he asked, and felt his weight settling next to me on the bed, and his fingers begin to knead my tangled muscles and knotted flesh. "Whoa buddy," I said weakly, enjoying the touch so much it pained me to object to it. "You know you're not getting any, so don't even try." Julian chuckled again, swatting my hands away and continuing his administrations. "This isn't for you, it's for me. I won't be able sleep if you don't stop worrying so much. This whole room stinks of anxiety and it's not getting any better. Just relax a little." I felt the grip on my heart lessen a little, as if someone were peeling back the fingers. Blood rushed to it, filling me with a warm comfort. I sighed into the pillow, and before I realized it, I was asleep. Negative Space Ch. 16 Wonderful friends!! I am so sorry I have been totally absent since last spring – things have been so crazy around here. I'm sure you're not surprised. This is the LONG awaited chapter 16, which I hope will both soothe your desires for more and excite you once again about our intrepid doctor, Lana, and all the trials she must go through. Quick refresher: Lana was a nanny who completed medical school, but never finished her internship because she was tired of the rat race, the distrust of patients, and something else, deeper, that nagged at her. She moved to the city, left her cheating fiancé, and worked as a nanny until one day she was drawn into the world of vampires. Prince Theo of New York asked her to be his vampire physician, and after working with both vampires and werewolves she is thoroughly embroiled in the controversy about a mysterious plague that is killing vampires, the involvement of the FBI Shadow Division, and the involvement of one honest agent, Julian, with whom she has traveled to DC. There she has begun to discover the involvement of certain Ancient Vampires and their vendettas. Please please let me know what you think, and leave me many comments, send me many messages, and vote!! Xxoo _bloom_ _______________________ It was hot. The air was full of the crooning of the crowd, the syllables and coughs and gasps all surging together into a single moan that grew louder and quieter as if conducted by a single invisible baton. They were my own clamorous orchestra, chanting along as I built up the nerve to follow Julian's instructions and break into the lab he had traced the plague back to. He had pulled a few strings and gotten me an access card to the building, but I'd be on my own once I got inside. I wiped sweat away from my eyes, unsure whether I was perspiring due to my anxiety or the fact that I hadn't actually been out in the sun in weeks. Julian and I had decided that it made the most sense to break in during the day when I could hide in plain sight. I thought back to all the spy movies I had ever seen, and tried to emulate those suave and collected spies. I started giggling, the absurdity of my situation showing itself in this small moment. Catching my reflection in the window of a shop I stopped for a moment, looking at my drabness, my long, limp hair, the basic khakis and button up I was wearing, the darkness under my eyes. When had this happened? Halfway between pretending I was a nanny before I even met Theo and pretending I was a superhero-spy-goddess? I shook my head and kept walking, feeling the stretch of my muscles and the rush of adrenaline surging up between my breasts, threading itself around my lungs and up into my throat. I took a deep breath and stretched out my lungs, pushing everything out of my chest. My watch read 2pm, and I walked up to the door of a non-descript office building. Nothing set it apart from any other downtown building on this street close to the center of DC, except for the fans and exhaust chimneys that scattered the roof. No one would have noticed that, though, unless they had been doing research on the building for the past few days like I had been. After we discovered that the plague that had been killing vampires up and down the east coast was most likely started by Iskur, an ancient vampire sired by Anu (who himself was one of The Top, the most powerful vampires alive), Julian used his FBI contacts to follow the link to Ishkur and find the building where the bacterium was being crafted. So here I was, supposed to get in somehow and put an end to all of this with enough data to prove Ishkur's guilt, as well as all the info we needed to craft an antidote. Sure. And then I'd solve world hunger, while I was at it. The door was heavy, and when I swung it back it rushed out to me in a wave of air conditioning. I flashed my card at the main desk and walked straight to the elevators. Okay. I stood anxiously, trying to push calmness into my body. The elevator carried me quickly to the seventh floor, which stretched out to my right and left as an empty marble hallway. The walls were a latticed pattern of steel and smoked glass, and each of my footsteps echoed terribly. I fingered a crumpled post-it note in my pocket—Julian had scratched onto it the number 7783. When I found door number 7783 I knocked twice, but there was no answer. I knocked a third time, but when no one answered, I let myself in. Immediately I felt like I was in another building entirely. Maybe another world. Instead of the same marble, glass, and steel design of the hallway outside, this room was entirely paneled in an auburn mahogany. Hanging by copper wires were clear glass globes which in turn connected to long tubes and beakers bubbling with substances of all colors. A giant black table stood waist high in the middle of the room, covered in what seemed to be a menagerie of mechanical creatures. Vellum accordions wheezed air through brass canisters, strings of leather hung vials from the ceiling, twisting and untwisting to dip the vials repeatedly into pots of boiling water. One entire wall was covered in shelves crowded with bottles of strange powders and herbs. My hip bumped a rickety side table, knocking off an oily notebook filled with brown ink scribbles. The author's pen had dripped and sprayed making it difficult to read, but I was able to make out one entry a few pages in. 'May 23rd. I was shown a photo of Elke today, hunched over her desk, writing with focused anger on her face. Today's paper sat on the table next to her, the date clearly visible so as to assure me it is a current photograph and they haven't killed her yet. But as much as it was meant to soothe, it was also meant to threaten, as the panes of the window the photo was taken through were clearly visible. Just remember, it seems to say, even though she's not dead yet, we could make it happen.' Here there was a section completely scratched out, but the entry continued on the next page. 'I've decided to think about Elke, though, instead of their threats. What is she working on there? A treaty with a nearby pack? An apology to another alpha for the foolish mistakes of a young wolf intent on proving himself? Not a single year goes by when one of the young males doesn't do some idiotic thing he thinks will make him daring and attractive to the others. It never works. I remember when—' The next page was torn out. I ran my fingers down the fringes. Questions began to arc through my brain, building tiny bridges between my thoughts and memories and all this new information. I flipped forward to the next legible page. 'June 7th. Messrs. H------- and E------- visited me today to politely encourage my work. It's not enough, they imply, that I have already crafted a virulent virus that is flooding through the city as we speak. No, it seems it is not moving fast enough. They want more volume. I explained the' ...footsteps shook me from the stranger's craggy handwriting. I tucked the journal into my pocket and crouched down behind a towering pile of books. Two loafer-clad feet entered the room, padding toward the center before pausing. Immediately I tried to pull on my magic, my Khrusos, to make myself invisible, but the loafers crossed the room in two strides and the books in front of me flew against the wall with a smack, a giant hand hanging in the air where they had been. The man towering above me had a solid, broad face with three white, fleshy scars that ran from left his ear to his chin. His eyes were feral and he panted, virile and eager to destroy. I leapt back, knocking into a table and sending a stack of glasses hurtling to the floor. The shattering triggered a shift in the man's face, and he stepped backward, his hands suddenly awkward. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to break anything—" I started, my mind frozen. "Who are you?" The man growled, the ferocity back in his eyes. "I—I—" Something stuck in my throat. I could see nothing but this man's furious eyes, deep green and gold, a vein pulsing in his temple, his lips gently parted as he panted. His massive hand was still hovering in front of me, and I noticed a familiar brown ink smudged on his thumb and first two fingers. A part of me fell loose, deep within my chest, and I suddenly felt as if my soul was rushing out of that new hole, that chink in a wall I didn't realize existed. I gasped at the sensation—I had never felt so open, so full. The man's eyes darkened, and as his mouth opened to say something to me, but he snapped his head toward the door instead. "There's someone coming," he growled, and pushed me toward a closet. "Get in there and stay quiet." I pulled the doors shut on myself and tried to calm my pounding heart. I pulled my Khrusos back out, struggling to control it as my world was unleashed, my body was new, and a deep desire I had never experienced before threatened to collapse me into myself. It sucked the oxygen into itself in between my breasts, pulling on me, my consciousness, my Khrusos, the closet around me. I had never desired, needed, yearned quite so fervently as I did now. I took another deep breath and focused on being quiet. I could deal with these emotions later. The door to the room swung open. "Dr. Sterling, there's an intruder. You need to go straight away to the safe room on Sublevel 3." "No." This was the voice of the man who had hidden me. "Not an option, wolf," came a third voice. "Get down there now." "No." The silence was full and heavy. "I said, that's not an option, wo—" there was a shuffle, a thud, and a strangled cry. The voice of the man who hid me came back again. "I have been holed up here in this godforsaken prison long enough, forced to do your bidding. First you tell me I'm not working hard enough, fast enough, and now you say I need to stop working and go sit underground where I'm surrounded by blood suckers? No." "You'll be in danger," the first voice came back, hesitant and distant. "I can handle myself." There was a shuffle, and then the door slammed shut. The room was silent. I released my shield and collapsed to the floor of the closet. The door swung open and there was the man, Dr. Sterling, staring at me again. A familiar coil of attraction pulled tight in my core, surprising me. This was not the moment to be thinking about getting laid. "Who are you?" he asked me again. His voice was so soothing I had to fight to focus—something was going on with me that I had never experienced. "My name is Lana Crane. I'm here to help you." "Who sent you?" "I did. I'm a healer. And you're a mass murderer." I braced myself as his muscles tensed, and he leaned in close to me. "What the fuck," he said in a low voice, "are you talking about?" "You have crafted a strain of bacteria that is killing hundreds of vampires at random." The scientist closed his eyes and sighed, leaving me in the closet as he walked across the room. "You have no idea, do you?" he muttered. I scrambled out of the closet and followed him. "Yes, I do. I know that you're being forced to. But now you can stop. I'm here to get you out." He looked at me with pity. "I can't leave until you can assure me of the safety of my family. At this point anything I do assures their deaths." Slick, scaly tendrils of jealousy crept around my heart when I heard him talk about his family. The emotions were so strong and sudden I almost said that I didn't care if his family was killed. I shut my mouth forcefully and pushed those words away. Why was I so angry that this man would have loved ones? Of course he would. He was a handsome, brilliant man, it's no surprise he'd be married with children. "Tell me who they are so I can do something about it. I need to get you out of here, so tell me what I have to do so that you'll come." "You won't be able to do anything about it. The vampires who have me here more ancient and powerful than you—" "—Than I could even imagine, yes, I know. But I have vampires on my side too. You tell me who to protect and I'll do it, while we're sitting here." Dr. Sterling snorted and hung his head, chuckling at his shoes. I watched the three scars on his face glint silver in the low light, and as his head swung up I realized I had unconsciously moved closer to him. Our eyes were now a mere foot and a half away from each other. The scientist's words died on his lips, the sneer dropped out of his mouth, and he shivered almost imperceptibly. I waited, but he didn't argue, and didn't look away. He was still looking at me when he finally whispered, "My sister's name is Elke. She's the pack master of the Noje-Whelan clan. My parents and my brothers Alder and Henric are there too, with their mates and children. I don't know if they'd try to punish me by hurting anyone else, but those are the specific people they've threatened me with so far." I was loath to break our eye contact, but work needed to be done. I stepped back into the closet for a little sound protection and called Theo. The phone rang three times before I heard his groggy voice. "Lana, are you okay? What's going on?" My guilt washed over me immediately. I forgot it was still day, so of course Theo would be asleep, and here I was, about to ask him to go against his own kind in order to save the family of a stranger. A werewolf stranger I was suddenly and intensely lusting after. "Lana, are you there? Dear girl, what's going on?" "Theo, good. Thanks for picking up. I need a huge favor." Telling the story took less time than I had expected, and Theo was hugely gracious, as always. Before we had even gotten off the phone he had already sent people to the Noje-Whelan pack lands. "Just, Lana?"—I could see the wolf through the crack in the door, rushing to pack up important documents—"Promise me you'll come home safe? I've been thinking a lot about the argument we had"—Dr. Sterling caught me watching him and looked away quickly—"before we left, and I feel really bad about it now. Do you think we could have a lengthier conversation about our relationship when you come back?" I watched the wolf's muscles shift under his shirt as he lifted a box crammed with books, and I wondered what he planned to do with them. "Lana, are you there? Are you listening to me?" "Oh Theo, yes. Of course." What had he been talking about? Coming home? "I'll be back as soon as this is taken care of. You just give me the signal when Dr. Sterling's family is safe, and I'll have him out of here lickety split. Thank you, Theo. You are such an amazing help." I stepped out of the closet a second time, and Dr. Sterling looked up at me. "Who was that?" he inquired, his face cautious, guarded. "My secret vampire brigade," I said, smiling shyly. "I've been um," I did not want to tell him that I'd been 'seeing' the Prince of New York, but suddenly I didn't know how to get around it. "I've been living with Theodore Wagner, and he has just sent a crew out to the wolf pack to protect your family." Something huge and strange was going on in the scientist's head, and it betrayed itself as a major confusion. He began to shake his head. "You're seeing someone?" It seemed to slip from his mouth by mistake, and immediately he was embarrassed and shook his head. "I meant, you're seeing the prince of New York?" "Yes. He, um, he sponsors my clinic." It sounded frail and almost incestuous when I said it. I had meant it to be a validation of our relationship, but it made him out as my Sugar Daddy instead. "I've been away a long time, then, if a human is treating vampires in Prince Theodore's court. What day is it?" "September 12th." "They grabbed me when I was on patrol of the eastern border sometime in early May. It must have been the first week of May, since the daffodils were still blooming." "What's your name?" I asked him, my eyebrows furrowed. He looked at me strangely and chuckled. "Luca, after the town my parents met in." A warmth filled me, a soft endearment. "Bringer of light," I spoke softly. "What did you say?" Luca stepped closer to me, inclining his head. "Luca. It means Bringer of Light. A beautiful name." "So what does Lana mean?" Luca rested his hip on the center table, one arm propping him up and the other clasping the back of his neck, his elbow jutting out into the room. "Oh, it has a myriad of meanings. My favorite is the Hawaiian. To them it means 'afloat, calm as still waters.'" Luca's eyes had lost their previous fervor, and now they were soft, calm, and crinkling as he smiled at me. For a moment we were both quiet, feeling comforted by each other's presence. Arousal began to curl its way through me again, and I blushed and looked away. "Why is your last name Sterling, if you're Elke Noje's brother?" "When I became a biologist back in the '40s I realized that I should distance myself from the pack in case I ever got involved in anything that would bring them undue attention. I took my father's name from before he joined the pack." I was about to ask which '40s he meant when a noise sent us crouching to the ground and watching the door. A second buzzing reminded me of the phone in my pocket. Theo's voice was scratchy and garbled, but I understood him when he told me the entire pack was under close vampire guard. I nodded to Luca who grabbed his pack, and we walked to the door. With my ear pressed up against the wall I listened for footsteps, slightly distracted Luca's warm breath on my neck as he waited behind me. "There's something I have to tell you," he whispered, his voice scratchy and hoarse. I looked back over my shoulder at him. "Now?" "I think you're not going to like it, but I should tell you before we go out there." I sighed, listened a moment more at the door and as I was sure no one was coming, I turned to face him. "What is it?" "Your vampire prince. I've heard his name around here." "Well of course you have. They're trying to kill him." "No, I mean, I think he has been here." I was silent a moment, confused. I could see the blue-grey of Luca's five o'clock shadow sprinkling his cheeks. I gazed at his scars again, the raised silver flesh slinking down his face like a cat. "I think you must be mistaken," I responded finally, my heart quiet now, the thudding and pounding and pouring and flowing from earlier reduced to a soft whoosh. Luca watched my face, and even as I tried to keep myself neutral, I could tell that he saw me, and in that instance, he knew me, my deep feelings for Theo, and my confusion. His eyebrows shrugged slightly, pulling down on the corners of his eyes, offering me a look of pure self-sacrifice. "You must be right, then, Lana. Excuse my hasty assumptions." His voice was quiet, the echo in it matching the sound of my heart, the ocean of my love filling this room quickly enough we could drown in it. I looked away quickly. "Let's go while we have the chance," I murmured, and cracked open the door. Luca followed me out, and we walked quickly, purposefully down the hallway. Adrenaline spiked through me—I could feel every inch of my skin prickling and sensitive, my eyes wide and my hearing focused. But as I marched around the corner I came face to face with two tall, dead-eyed vampires. Fright spiraled up through my core and my mind went blank—I almost lost control of my bladder. The form of the vampire in front of me blurred and suddenly he was behind me, clasping my wrists with iron-like, clammy hands. I gasped and the sudden oxygen reminded my lungs of what they could do. I screamed, the terror flooding my head, and someone nearby chuckled. When I could finally stop myself from screaming, I looked up to see a vampire watching me, smirking, and I knew immediately that it was Ishkur. His face was sallow and his skin clung to him, sunken in and leathery like the hide on the face of a drum. Time seemed to roll off him. I could almost smell his age. Negative Space Ch. 16 "Miss Crane, so good to finally meet you! I've heard about you from just about everyone." He waited, clearly hoping I would ask him what he had heard. His eyes were pure black and seemed to rest in the eye sockets as if nothing but gravity kept them there. "That's Dr. Crane to you," I responded, my voice still shaking. The guard slapped my face. It took a moment for the sting of the slap to register, but my eyes watered immediately an ache quickly built up in the back of my head. I closed my eyes and swallowed. "Enough of this." Ishkur said, waving his hand at me. "Take them to the basement. We have enough of the bacterium now, we don't need him any more." The guards grinned in unison, and Ishkur laughed. "No, don't kill him yet. We may come across something he's useful for. You can mess around with her, but don't kill her either. Someone is bound to want to pay a handsome ransom for her." Ishkur leaned over to me to look me in the eyes and before I could stop myself, I spat in his face. The ancient god's eyes flashed and with two fingers he wiped the spit off his cheek. Using his other hand he grabbed my chin and forced open my mouth, sticking his spittle-coated fingers deep into my throat. The foul smell of death and old blood flooded my nose and the taste of his dirty fingers made me gag. His long nails scraped my throat and bile rose up into my mouth. With a disgusted snort of his own, Ishkur withdrew his fingers, spat into my open mouth, and then held it shut with one hand on top of my head and one below my chin, forcing me to swallow my own vomit. I struggled to open my mouth against his greasy palm, but he just smiled at me. When I finally calmed my esophagus he let go of my head. My chest heaved and I panted heavily, but silently. "Don't do that again." His voice echoed, cold and metallic as he walked away. I shivered as the guards shoved me and Luca into the elevator. The basement was a musty, dank, cement cellar. We must have been seven or eight floors below ground, and the luxury of the upper floors clearly did not extend to this one. The guards pushed and shoved and pulled us by the elbows through a labyrinth of hallways and locked doors and eventually tossed us into adjacent cells at the dead end of a hallway. The vampires took our phones and watches and locked our doors with exaggerated bravado before they blurred and disappeared. I lifted myself from the heap where I had fallen to scan my cage. Steel bars about four or five inches apart surrounded me. I had enough space to stand and to lie down flat in one direction, but cell was only four feet across. On one side I had a cinderblock wall, and on the other a row of bars separated me from an identical cage in which Luca stood, carefully watching me. I took a deep breath and tried to push back the enclosing panic. Claustrophobia had threatened me my whole life, but I had never been in a situation in which I was forced to confront it. Another deep breath. Luca's face was clear—I wasn't hiding my terror at all. Tears started to well up in my eyes as I gasped for breath, struggling against my suddenly closing throat. Luca thrust his arms through the bars immediately and waved me over. Holding me close to him he massaged my temples and crooned to me quietly. "You're all right Lana. Close your eyes. Feel me here. I'm here and we won't be separated. You're okay." I tried to nod as I gasped and sputtered and cried, and Luca kissed my forehead. "Listen to me now, little lady. Are your eyes closed? Okay. Picture us in a wide open field. Are there flowers?" "...yeah," I mumbled into his shirt which was already wet with my tears. "Dandelions." "Okay. Dandelions everywhere. Some of them are already seed puffs. Why don't you pick one? Make a wish and blow it." I focused fervently on the image he was creating for me. I needed it so desperately right now. I screwed my eyes even tighter and wished for the field I was imagining. When I blew the dandelion puff I pictured him holding toward me, I blew out some of the pressing anxiety. "What's surrounding us?" Luca asked, kissing my forehead again, and stroking my back with his huge hands. "Umm, mountains on one side, and forest on the other." "Oh lovely. Big, bushy pine trees, I can see them now. Mmmm, can you smell them? Like sweet tar and dusty dry leaves." Luca kept petting my back, kissing my hair, and talking me through a big, beautiful, open space until I could calm down enough to pull away from him. I looked up at him to thank him, and I saw the most conflict in his eyes I had ever seen. "Luca—" I started, but he cut me off. "Don't worry Lana, we'll get out of here," he said brusquely, and glanced away. "I'm not worried about that. I mean, of course I am, but that's not the big thing." I hesitated a moment, embarrassed by my meltdown. "I just want you to know that I can take care of myself usually. But, um, thank you. I'm, uh, I'm really glad you're here with me." My voice was quiet and wobbled, and two big, round tears slipped out of my eyes and rolled down my cheeks one after the other. Luca looked back over at me and smiled softly. "When was the last time you slept, human?" He asked, nudging me gently. "I don't actually know." I chuckled a little too, now. "Why, do I look terrible?" "Yep," he smiled, transforming his face. "You look like you've been dragged into a basement by vampires." We both giggled at that, our laughing lasting way longer than it should have. Something needed to be released, and soon we were both lying on our backs, laughing hysterically, our stomachs aching and cheeks hurting from so much smiling. When we calmed Luca rolled onto his side and wished me good night. The floor was cement, but I couldn't stay awake any longer now that I had realized how tired I was. *** When I woke up Luca was leaning against the back wall of his cell, staring at the ceiling. Nothing had changed in our basement—there was no window to let in sunlight or starlight, no clock to tick maddeningly, no open door to let voices echo down to us. We were floating in florescent lighting, nothing to tether us to the real world or whatever that meant to us. Nothing but each other's voices. "Good morning," his voice skimmed over me, a low flying cloud, wispy and desperate for the touch of the mountain top. "Good morning," I responded, stretching my arms and twisting my back. A giant yawn opened me up, and I sighed loudly as it passed. "Did you sleep well?" Luca looked me straight in the eye and I had the urge to crawl right over to him and get in his lap. "Mmmm, quite." I smiled. "Cement does wonders for a girl's back. And you?" Luca's eyes twinkled and I felt a stab of guilt as I thought of how sweet Theo's eyes crinkled when he smiled in just the same way. "Sleep? Are you kidding me? It's cement!" We smiled together again, a moment of quiet and understanding passing between us. No matter how often I pulled Theo to the forefront of my mind, either to think about why Luca thought he had been here or to try to recall my suddenly distant love for him, Luca slipped back in there. I'd had crushes before, and I'd even fallen in love suddenly and swiftly, but nothing was like this. I couldn't even comprehend the difference I felt. The huge need, the ache to be touching him, to hear his voice, for him to be inside me...I blushed and Luca smirked. "What are you thinking about?" "Nothing!" Luca laughed and began asking me about myself. I quickly forgot our situation and just reveled in our conversation. Hours later, the screech of an opening door reached us, and a vampire whooshed in carrying two trays. He left immediately, and Luca and I crawled forward to pull the trays into our cells. "Do you think it's poisoned?" I asked, poking the lifeless meatloaf. "Doesn't smell like it," Luca said, almost sticking his nose in his food, "but I wouldn't even mind if it was. I'm starving!" It was true, I was starving too. Luca was shoveling soggy vegetables into his mouth, though, when I put my fork down. "Do you really think Theo is involved in this scheme? I just don't see how that makes sense." "I don't know," he responded honestly, his face open. "I don't say it just to be difficult. I just actually am certain that he was here, in this building, talking to Ishkur." I nodded. The mashed potatoes were sandy in my throat and the meatloaf was mealy. I swallowed it anyway. Luca was already done with his plate and eyeing mine. I thought about giving him the rest of mine, but my body rebelled, my stomach growling at that exact moment. We both smiled and I set to work finishing my plate. Julian had to be back at the hotel waiting for me, worried out of his mind. I could see him pulling on his earlobe in the way he did when he was anxious. He'd put one hand up to his ear, the other arm he'd cross over his belly and grasp his own elbow. He never noticed he was doing it. And Theo? Was he wondering about me? Or did he know what was going on? I slid the empty plate back out of my cell and lay back flat on the smooth, cool surface. "Is anyone looking for you, Luca?" "They think I'm on a research trip in Poland. Good old Rzeszów University. They treated me to such a generous Professorship that I couldn't turn them down." Luca's lips twisted into a wry smile. "Unfortunately I was unable to make it home for the summer break, but I'm hoping to visit for Thanksgiving." As he lapsed into silence I thought of his family, and I saw the longing on his face. "I've met Elke, you know. I've worked with her." Luca looked over at me sharply, his brows furrowed. "That was you?" "What was me?" "They let me keep emailing my family to avoid suspicion, even though they monitored everything I said. She told me about a healer, a woman who saved the life of a good friend of mine. Nora and I grew up together. I'm a really big fan of her mate, Felix, too." "Felix was very brave to come to me. He had heard about me taking care of vampires and came to my clinic in the city, to a building full of vampires, and insisted on seeing me. It was a good thing, too. Nora was in bad shape." "Elke liked you. She wrote about you. I was impressed—she doesn't usually talk about strangers as effusively as she did about you." I thought about Elke, too, so worried about her pack—what must it have been like to feel as if her brother had just abandoned her to take care of everything on her own? Of course she wouldn't have said anything to anyone, but Luca had explained to me how close they were and it made sense that she would feel left behind. "I like Elke too," I said, conscious that he was waiting for an answer. I eyed his full, sweet lips and sighed. Even in the most inappropriate moments everything he did had me on fire, imagining the feeling of his bare skin on mine. I made eye contact momentarily and flushed. Quickly busying myself with my fingernails I tried to push the image out of my head, but I was empty now, open and empty and aching for him. Certain of him. I looked back up and found him still staring steadily at me. I couldn't break away from his eyes, they were so steady. There was a rushing in my head and my heart was thumping and I was pushing against myself, trying to pull away from his magnetism when I saw him shudder slightly, the desire and emotion and pure animal need suddenly so clear on his face. Moving slowly, his hand rose up from his lap and came carefully, gingerly through the bars between us, to gently touch my arm. My whole body shivered in response to his fingers grazing my skin. I gasped, feeling the tingling and burning spiraling between my legs, the juices from my pussy already leaking through my cotton underwear. Luca's eyes were dark now, heavy with lust and need, pinning me in place. "Luca—" I started, but my throat stuck and my heart pounded and adrenaline shot through my core. His hand settled on mine, hot, smooth, powerful, and I shuddered. I was drowning in him, my response to him almost more than I could handle. Why here? Why now? I shook my head, trying to clear it, trying to be reasonable. "Luca, what's happening to me?" I finally managed to mumble. He sighed deeply, pulling his hand away from me and rubbing the bridge of his nose. He shook his head quickly, a small, sad smile on his face. "I'm sorry, Lana. That was presumptuous of me. I understand that we barely know each other. I'll leave you alone." "Wait, don't leave me alone! Just tell me what's going on!" Luca was quiet, his eyes lighter than before, but still serious, almost despairing. "Do you know about Were mates?" Luca began. I shrugged, certain I had heard about it at some point. "Well growing up—" A huge crash interrupted us as the door flew 10 feet into our room, banging against bars and walls and skidding to a halt, wedged diagonally across the hall. Smoke and dust and shouting followed it, quickly filling our little cages. I leapt to my feet moments before a body came flying past, hissing and yowling before collapsing and exploding in a puff of ashes. Julian marched over to the pile of ashes and sorted through, lifting up and shaking of a set of keys. With quick, judicious movements he crossed to our cages and began jiggling the different keys in my lock, eventually coming across the right one. "Come on, Theo's holding them off upstairs, we've got to get you out." I looked at Luca, proud that Theo had come through for us, and realized that Julian had no plans to free him. "Julian! I need him. Let him out!" "Sorry, Lana. Theo's orders. I can only get you." He started off down the hallway, but I couldn't move. "NO!" I shouted, and reached out my arms, throwing all my rage and frustration and confusion at him. Julian crumpled into a little shaking ball, his arms crossed over his head, and I ran over, pulling the keys out of his hand. I ignored Julian's moaning as I ran back to Luca's cage and unlocked the door. Luca looked at me with a cold apprehension, but followed me out. Julian was still rocking himself on the floor and I suddenly felt horrible, realizing that I was punishing him for Theo's orders. I placed my hands on either side of his head, sending a flood of golden healing energy through him. His body relaxed, but he didn't move. Luca pushed me out of the way and lifted Julian up over his shoulder, limp and unresponsive. "Come on," he muttered, ducking to get through the doorway. We ran down the hallway, pausing at each corner for Luca to smell if we had been there before. When we finally found the elevators we stood, anxious after the rush of trying to get out as fast as possible, and listened as the elevator rumbled slowly down toward us. I glanced over at Luca—he was clearly focused on something. I wanted to apologize to him, make him realize that I wasn't as cold hearted as I seemed at that moment, but I knew it would be a misplaced apology. Words versus actions, and all that. A cool hiss announced the elevator's arrival and Luca and I both reflexively stepped to the side of the elevator doors in case someone was in it. A polite bell rang and the elevator sat open, empty, reflecting our panicked, sweaty faces. Luca and I made eye contact uncertainly, through the mirror, and looked away quickly as we stepped in. The surreal calm of the elevator hushed us, and Luca shifted uncomfortably under Julian's weight, heaving his slumped body up higher on his shoulder. "What did you do to him?" Luca asked, finally looking at me. The small display panel next to the door flashed Sub Level7, SL6, SL5. "I don't know. I didn't know I could do anything like this until I started hanging around vampires." We passed SL4, SL3. "I only barely even understand what I am." "So what are you?" SL2, SL1. "I'm some sort granddaughter of the goddess, Frejya." The elevator shuddered to a stop. "Be ready," Luca muttered, and when the doors opened I realized why. A full-fledged battle was taking place before us. Vampires were yelling and scowling and hissing, tearing each other's limbs off, gouging holes in faces. I froze, my limbs tingling. I knew I just had to get to the door on the other end, but something wasn't working. "Come on!" Luca shouted and grabbed my elbow, but my throat was closing—I was trying to breathe but nothing was coming through. The scene before me was turning grey and focusing on specific images was getting more difficult. I had almost given in to unconsciousness when I noticed a familiar face. "Theo!" I shouted, my lips moving on their own. There he was, beautiful and strong and tearing the head off a younger vampire. Blood spurted from the vampire's throat for a moment, splattering Theo's lapel, before quickly dissolving into ash. Theo moved slowly, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He was still moving slowly as he turned toward me, making clear, perfect eye contact with me and smiling gently as he tore the face off another vampire. His eyes shifted past me, and his brow furrowed as he watched Luca yank on my arm and push me in front of him toward the door. "Go, Lana, keep – fucking – moving!" Luca panted as he shoved off an attacking vampire and tried to keep a hold of Julian, still slung over his shoulder. That was my fault, I realized, and kicked myself into gear. Moving forward I watched a vampire running towards us with a gun in his hand, his eyes intent on Luca. I fueled up my anger and threw my Khrusos, cautiously, at him. I wasn't sure how wide spread the effect would be if I somehow missed him, but my aim was true and he crumpled mid-stride. I turned to a young female vampire stalking Theo from behind and in a moment she was falling to the floor, shrieking and keening in a way that made me shiver. "No time to dawdle," Luca muttered, shoving me again toward the door. I nodded and made my way, squeezing behind hand-to-hand combat and dodging chunks of plaster that were set free from the wall by flying bodies. I heaved open the heavy doors and stepped out into the street, shocked to find that it was both warm and dark out. I began to feel moist almost immediately and turned around to say something to Luca, but he wasn't there. The door had swung shut behind me, and I found myself staring at my reflection in the quiet street. A car drove by, and steam seeped from a sewer. I could hear nothing of the fight going on behind the door, but I waited. Still, Luca did not come. The entire evacuation attempt had been so that I could be free, but people I loved were behind that door, potentially dying. I tore it open and rushed back into the fray, scrounging the floor for a discarded firearm. A small, black handgun was lying beside a moaning vampire with no arms so I grabbed it and ducked behind a pillar. The gun was cool and heavy and sticky where it had lain in blood. I knew nothing about guns, but I inspected it closely. Here was the trigger, the safety, and where the bullets must have been. The safety was off. A dark shape flew into my view and I looked up to see a woman advancing on me, her teeth glinting in the florescent lighting. Without thinking I drew the gun up, clasped between my two hands, and pulled the trigger. My whole body was thrown backward, but I caught my balance and looked back up in time to see the woman fall to the floor, gasping at the stump where her arm had been. Her long fingernails sunk into the ragged flesh and she yelped, gritting her teeth and focusing on me. I froze. Shooting a vampire's arm off was one thing – it would grow back eventually. But sending one to the true death? I wasn't sure I could do that. The sweat I had gathered from my few moments outside congealed in the air conditioning, my body tight and my blood pounding. The woman scrambled back up to her feet, growling low and steadily, advancing on me. Again, I allowed myself to react without thinking – I lowered the gun and shot towards her legs, removing one from the knee down. If she didn't bleed out, she'd be fine, but she wasn't coming after me now, I thought as she moaned from the floor. Negative Space Ch. 16 I edged out from behind the pillar and scanned the room for faces I recognized. Julian was unconscious, slumped in a corner where Luca must have dropped him, and Luca himself was not far off. He was facing me, but in the middle of hand-to-hand combat with a grizzled, muscular vampire. Another was coming at him from behind, and I made up my mind, training the gun on that second vampire, closing my eyes, and pressing all my intent, my magic, my Khrusos into the bullet, aiming everything I had at that vampire who was now raising his arm to wound Luca. Something moved close to me and I flinched, accidentally pulling the trigger. The shot was louder than the last, and the moment between the gun's recoil and the vampire crumpling to the floor was endless. It happened though, and Luca thrust his own claws through the bowel of the other vampire he was fighting. He looked up as he shook pieces of intestine off his fingers and saw me, still grasping the gun, my heart shuddering. He nodded. My relief was instantaneous. I discarded the gun – its accuracy was too inconsistent, its desires not necessarily my own. I could have hit Luca. I searched the room for Theo. My heart began to thud as I could not locate him. Quivering, almost hyperventilating, I began marching to the center of the room, shoving my Khrusos with the flat of my palm at any advancing vampire. The crowd gradually became quiet around me as vampires backed away to the walls, watching their comrades on the floor, moaning. I made my way toward the guard's desk where two vampires continued to fight, their wrestling obscuring their faces. The adrenaline flooding my body focused me, shutting out any extraneous information. I could see only them, the black edging into the corners of my vision, not only blocking out what I didn't need to know, but also threatening to overcome me. With a grunt, the man underneath tossed his foe off, and for a moment I saw Theo's sweet face, drenched in blood from a cut above his eye. That was all I needed to see, and pulling on the absolute dregs of my energy I thrust my palms out toward his attacker and funneled everything I had toward him. He collapsed instantaneously. Theo looked up at me just in time to see me to stumble and fall, finally surrendering to the darkness.