Elysium (6 page)

“A human can’t become an Arcane. Do you understand what I mean when I say that?”

The obviousness of his statement I understood, but I knew there was more to what he meant th
an what lay on the surface. “Not really.” I shook my head, so completely confused at the conversation we were having.

“You used to be human … and now you’re not. You have changed to Arcane—something which has never happened in all of our existence.”

We stared at each other, what he said to me slowly sinking in. “If this has never happened, then how did it?” I watched him pace the small room, starting to get dizzy from the repetitive motion. “Why am I hooked up to blood?”

It took him a moment to answer. “You were very sick.
That was the change you were going through. Your body needed blood in order to properly make the completion. Once I realized that, I immediately started an IV. Once the blood hit your system, you completed the transformation. I have never seen anything so … incredible before.” He sounded awestruck as he watched me inquisitively.  Something flickered in his expression, which unsettled me. “I did extensive blood work on you, trying to decipher how this could have happened. It is still unclear, but the only thing which makes sense is that one of your parents was an Arcane, a vampire more specifically.”

I just stared at him. I knew nothing about my mother or father. The only knowledge I had was my mother had died in childbirth with me. No one seemed to know what had really happened, that or they chose not to tell me. It was probably for the best anyway. “My mother died during childbirth, and I didn’t know my father. So I’m sorry, I can’t really help you there.” He just watched me, and I wondered what he was thinking about right then.

“I’m very sorry. It truly is a tragedy to lose someone close to you.”

He spoke the words like he truly knew what it felt like to lose someone. I never knew either of my parents, but there w
ere emotions inside of me that flickered at the knowledge that I never would. “Yeah, well, it happens. Isn’t that the way of life? We are born to die?”

“Such dark thoughts for a child full of life.”

“I’m not a child. I turned seventeen on Saturday.” He outright laughed at me, and I couldn’t help but glower slightly. After a moment I too started to laugh. This whole situation was downright crazy. “How can this all happen? I mean, it is so surreal.”

“In time you will be acclimated to this life. I can’t say everyone feels the way you must be feeling. Like I said, there has never been anyone like you. An Arcane and a human are not able to procreate. At least they never have before. More tests will have to be done of course.”

“Of course.” I said those words without emotion, my focus on the television in front of me again. I felt so tired, so drained that all I wanted to do was sleep. “Can I just sleep?”

“Absolutely. If you need anything, just push the call button, the red switch on the side of your bed, and either I or Cadeon will be in.”

Out of the corner of my eye I saw him walk towards the coffee table and scoop up the papers scattered there. He made his way towards the door without a backwards glance in my direction. “Dr. Iverson?”

He stopped and turned, a small smile on his lips. “Please, call me Mikhail.”

“How long do I have to stay here?”

“Well, at least another couple of days in the clinic, after that you will be moved to the Manor. We can talk about that later though.
Sleep now, Meadow.”

He smiled and walked away, not giving me a chance to respond. The door shut with a light click, and I was left in the sterile room with just my thoughts and the muted TV.

The days slowly passed, as I sat in the hospital room. Mikhail had come to see me several times a day, checking my vitals and changing out the blood bags as they ran empty. I hadn’t asked him why I still needed all the blood. I mean, I wasn’t stupid. I was a vampire now, but wasn’t the change over? Damn, would I ever get used to that? It was still hard to get my mind wrapped around that idea, but soon the denial was replaced by sad acceptance. Marie had always told me to accept the things I can’t change. This was one of those things I so could not change. I thought about Marie a lot, and about the kids. I missed them terribly, but maybe one day, when all of this was over, I would be able to see them again.

It was weird to think that one of my parents had been a vampire, kind of creepy in a way, but I couldn’t help a small bit of happiness that invaded me at the thought. I lay on the bed every night, picturing what my mother or father looked like, which one had fangs, which one was forced to drink blood to survive.  I wondered if they had loved each other. I actually wondered that a lot.

I hadn’t seen Dr. Frost since that first meeting, and I didn’t like how I felt disappointment at that thought.

“Good morning, Meadow.”

I hadn’t heard the door open, but then again, I never did when Dr. Iverson came in. “Don’t you mean good evening?” It was six in the evening, but I was only half teasing with him. Mikhail had told me that things worked differently at the Manor, backwards from what I was used to. Most of the creatures couldn’t tolerate the sun, and because of that, the schedule catered to them. Today, I would get to leave the clinic, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t terrified.

“How are you feeling?”

“Fine, I guess.”

He smiled as he unhooked the IV and removed the needle from my arm.

“I’m sure you will have a million questions, and rightly so. As soon as you are situated in your quarters, I will have Cadeon stop by and speak with you.”

At the sound of his name my heart picked up. I didn’t know how well vampires could hear, or how keen their senses were, but I assumed they could hear pretty well if the big smile on Mikhail’s face was anything to go by.

“I will let you gather your things and change. I brought you a set of clothing which I put on the couch. As soon as you are ready, I will take you to the Manor. It is just a short walk, but I thought you could use some fresh air, and it’ll give me a chance to show you the grounds.”

I nodded and waited until I heard the click of the shutting door. I made my way towards the couch and unzipped the black leather bag I hadn’t seen him set there. Inside was a pair of blue jeans, an unopened package of underwear, a bra with the tags still on it, socks and shoes, and a coat. Everything was brand new, and all designer. I looked at the price tags and whistled under my breath. I hoped Mikhail hadn’t picked my “unmentionables” out … how embarrassing.

I quickly changed, surprised everything fit me perfectly. I slipped on the jacket and walked over to the door. It opened before I could even put my hand on knob.

“I heard you coming.” He smiled at me as he moved out of the way to let me by. “Have everything?”

I shrugged and stepped into the hallway. “I didn’t have anything when I came here. Everything I own is at Marie’s house.”

I stopped and looked at him, and he gave me a sad smile. “You miss her, don’t you?”

Was I that transparent? I thought I had been hiding it pretty well. I nodded, moving my feet around in the uncomfortable silence.

“You can’t see her again, I’m sorry. Her memory was wiped clean to protect you and her.”

I stared at him in shock, so amazed that he would have done that to her—violated her. “Why did you do that?”

“I didn’t personally, wiping memories is the Enforcer’s duties, but it had to be done. She witnessed you changing, like I told you, something which has never happened before. She still remembers you, but she thinks you moved to another foster home, as do the children.”

A deep and profound sadness slammed into me. They didn’t remember me like I remembered them. Tears pricked my eyes, but I refused to cry in front of him. It wouldn’t have made a difference anyway. When I was alone I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep them at bay. “What about my school and the town? Surely, you couldn’t have altered
everyone’s
mind?”
Could he have?

“That’s also been taken care of. Your peers, as well as anyone you have ever come in contact with in Serenity Springs, now think you have moved on.”

Unreal.
What was I supposed to say to something like that? It was like I had never been, not really. That was the story of my freaking life. I didn’t want to ask how they managed to alter a whole town’s perception on something, thinking it best if it were left unsaid.

“Please, Meadow, don’t look so distraught.
It truly is for the best.”

He said it so softly, like he really did care I was upset. I didn’t say anything, though, and as much as I hurt right then, I had to keep telling myself it was for the best. Of course, I could have told myself that over and over again and it wouldn’t have made a difference. My life would never be the same.

****

I followed Mikhail through the clinic. Everything was so white and clean, and it smelled like disinfectant. It was eerily silent, not one person anywhere to be seen.

“Where is everyone?” We walked through what I assumed was the main lobby, a white couch and a couple of white chairs pushed against the walls. Magazines were lined up in little cubby spots on the walls, and a fish tank sat off to the side. The tank gave off the most color in the whole place—the water so clear and blue it looked like the Caribbean.

“It’s first meal, so everyone is in the dining hall. We usually have at least one nurse here at all times, but everything has been pretty slow lately. A good thing, of course.”

“Oh. Do … Arcanes get sick a lot? I mean, I thought you guys had like super powers. I thought you never died and could heal instantly.” We had somehow made our way to the fish tank, and I stared at the fish swimming around. They all looked exotic, not like the goldfish Marie had at home.

“Some Arcane do have the ability to heal instantly, and some have immortality. But a serious injury to the right student or faculty member could prove fatal. Not everyone has ‘super powers’.”

We both laughed at his comment, and he gestured me towards the main doors.

“So, am I immortal?” I was almost afraid to ask, but that seemed like a pretty big deal.

“Well, I don’t know. Every Arcane is different, Meadow. Everyone has a unique power and life span. I have to do more tests on you to fully know what we are dealing with. Like I said, you are a rarity. It is possible you have immortality; it is also possible that you can walk out in the sun.” He turned and stared at me seriously. “Don’t try it though, not until I have done more tests on your blood.” He was quiet for a while and then breathed out, like he had something more to tell me. “Listen, it would be better if you kept your identity to yourself. Like we discussed earlier, your background is unlike anything we have ever come across. There is no record of a human and Arcane procreating.” When he said the last part, something flickered behind his eyes, something that led me to believe he might be hiding something. Of course I was horrible with reading people and knew nothing about what the hell was going on, so I pushed the thought away. “The danger of someone knowing what a rarity you truly are is very possible. There are those out there that wouldn’t hesitate to harm you for their own gain.” He watched me intently, no doubt pausing to let it all sink in with me. “You understand what I’m saying, Meadow? You must not let anyone know you were once human.”

I nodded meekly. His words were firm, and I could almost hear a hint of worry and fear laced in the deep timbre. I needed to change the subject, but when he spoke of people harming me the most logical question popped into my mind. “Could I die?” I really didn’t want to think about someone actually doing it, so I remembered anything I had heard about vampires. Just because I lived in a world filled with mythical creatures didn’t mean I knew everything about them. I had tried hard to keep myself distant from the unknown. It had proved to be a great buffer in my life. “I mean, if I walked out in the sun?”

I could see the gears working behind his eyes and wondered what he was thinking about. Finally he sighed and spoke. “What do you know about vampires and the sun?”

I thought it was a trick question, but as he stared at me intently, I knew he wasn’t joking. I shrugged, not sure what he was talking about. “What do you mean? Like from movies and stuff?” He nodded, his arms crossing over his chest. “Well, I don’t know. I guess that they burn in the sun, catch on fire and all that.” He didn’t say anything, just stared at me with that
look
adults tend to give a child. “Oh. So they, I mean,
we
, really burn like that?”

“More or less, yes.”

“Huh.” It was the only word I could muster as I thought about what he said.

I followed him out of the door and into the cool night air. It was a little bit chilly outside, and I zipped up my coat. The outside was beautiful. Everything was perfectly landscaped, every tree and shrub trimmed and precisely placed. We took a left and followed a cobblestone path which sat between rows of Aspens. Tiny white lights were strung along the branches on each side of us, lighting our path delicately. Up ahead, I could see an enormous mansion. It was built to look like a castle, with giant towers on each side and peaked tops. The closer I got, the clearer the castle became. Every window was stained glass, a different scene etched into every pane.