Forbidden Embrace (3 page)

“
The two children that stayed became reckless in creating new
vampires
and fifteen clans were formed. The clans fought each other for power and rule, and numbers reached unhealthy proportions. The mortals began to fight back. They would drag
vampires
one by one from their lairs to burn in the sun. Once the
vampire
was weakened and burned enough, the people would tear the
vampire
apart and behead them, thus ensuring death to the immortal.” I gaze at Nathanial and we smile at each other. He gives my hand a little squeeze, his eyes still wide with interest.

I carry on with the history lesson. “Around the fifth century, nine of the fifteen clans joined in an organization they called ‘The Renata’. They suppressed the radicals and began their conspiracy of silence. They ruled that
vampires
shouldn’t kill openly and should conceal their natures from the mortals. This began the great myth of
vampires
. The Renata created six Laws to be followed by all and to continue the conspiracy, laws that Cain would have seen fit to live civilly. The Laws are...

1
^st
Law

The Conspiracy

Thou shall not reveal the nature of thy being to anyone.

2
^nd
Law

The Empire

Thy Empire is thine own concern and no other shall interfere.

Only the leaders may intervene if rules are forsaken.

All others owe thee respect while in it.

3
^rd
Law

The Ancestry

Thou shall only Embrace another with the permission of thy leader,

Until one’s own Empire is formed and one is released from thy leader.

4
^th
Law

Accountability

Thou art responsible for thy creations; rule them in all things.

5
^th
Law

Respectfulness

Honor one another’s Empire.

Thou must be respectful to the ruler of another Empire.

6
^th
Law

Destruction

Thou art forbidden to destroy another’s Embraced;

The right belongs only to thy ruler.

The radicals who didn’t join were driven into the wastes, and later the Cerberus cult emerged. The wars between the two groups continued for centuries, and still happen today. Now, as with any law the six laws have been broken, bent and slightly changed to fit with the times. The sixth law has been altered to, ‘thou may destroy another of thy kind to protect thine Empire’.”

Nate interrupts, “That is so cool. Does your family follow these ‘Laws’?”

“
Yeah, we do.”

“
Where is this Renata located?”

“
Okay, don’t laugh, but they’re from Transylvania.”

“
Seriously? So like Dracula?”

“
Yeah, actually he’s one of Cain’s grandsons.”

“
That’s so freakin cool! Please go on.”

“
The newest of wars were the riots of New York in 1882. By 1905 the worldwide
vampire
population hit one million. Now, here is a quick rundown of
vampire
history. In 1943 President Franklin D. Roosevelt unveiled the ‘zozobra project.’ The government created a vaccine to fight against the millennia of vampire activity. In 1950 a man in New Mexico was given the first
vampire
vaccine. The new vaccine was able to weaken the virus but wasn’t able to simulate the antibodies to protect against it. The USA and the Soviets began testing the blood, believing that immortality was in the DNA. In 1967 the United Nations placed a ban on
vampire
and
zombie
blood testing. In 1986 President Reagan lifted the ban on this testing and research. Things have been fairly calm for the last few decades, until two days ago when Constance had a vision.”

“
What kind of vision do you mean?” Nathanial asks.

“
I guess I should just spit it out; the Cerberus has risen from the wastes of New York. They are on a killing spree and heading our way.” I ramble this out fast, just to get it over with. I feel a sense of relief by sharing, although I can see the concern in his eyes.

“
Okay, wait a second; dangerous
vampires
are headed this way? How concerned should I be, and do you know what they want?”

“
Well I’m not quite sure yet, but we’ll know more once we talk to Elijah. He’s in contact with the Renata and my family is working hard to try and figure things out. I’ll tell you what I know once I explain a little more. Are you okay?”

“
Not quite sure yet? This is a little more than scary. I guess we just have to see what the plan is once we get back to your place. So what else can you tell me?”

“
Well, that is the cliff notes version of
vampire
history. Would you like to hear about my family history next?”

“
Yeah, I do. I’m just shocked that the American government knows about all this! I would not be surprised anymore if you told me area 51 is real,” he jokes.

“
Well, aliens are real if that’s what you mean,” I laugh. “And most members of the government do not know all of this to be truth; only a select few know of the supernatural. They like the majority of elected officials and public to believe it to be myth.”

“
So
vampires
,
witches
,
aliens
…what else is real?” Nathanial questions with a bit of shock.

“
I’m really just kidding about the aliens…that I don’t know about. But yes,
vampires
,
witches
, and
werewolves
,
banshees,
angels
,
demons
,
wizards
, and
warlocks–
those kinds of creatures all exist along with many others.”

“
Okay, well, will you tell me about your family now? I’ll let all that sink in later.” He smiles and squeezes my hand.

And so I begin again. “I was born Sophia Suvanto, on October 17, 1876. I was the oldest of three girls and my twin brother Alex was the only son; my family were socialites in Italy, considered a low ranking royalty. Although extremely privileged, I was expected to marry up the social ladder; my family was all about social advancement. My hand had been promised to a suitor, a duke I had only met once, and he was fifteen years my senior. I was extremely unhappy about the arrangement; I wanted more, and I wanted love, but I was bound by duty to my family.” Knowing I've finally found the love I was looking for, I glance over at Nathanial and smile. “I decided to go for a walk one evening to clear my head and focus on the task at hand. I walked the streets of my town in Italy, but I took a wrong turn and ended up down an alley I didn’t know. It was very dark, almost eleven o’clock at night. I felt an unsettling presence behind me, and before I could run someone grabbed me. He began twisting my arm behind my back, shattering almost every bone. I screamed in agony. He beat me, and then bit my neck and began to drink the blood pouring out of my wound. He was having fun and laughing, as if it were a game to him. I heard footsteps running toward the alley.” I shudder at the memory.

“
My attacker left and hid in the shadows before the footsteps reached me. The footsteps I had heard were Alexander’s; he’d come to my rescue. Alex tried to control the bleeding, and screamed to the man he saw at the other end of the alley for help. What he didn’t know is that man was not a man; he was a monster. I tried to warn him but couldn’t speak. It was the same monster that had attacked me, and he then attacked Alex,” I continue to explain, just as Alexander did when showing Ebony and her sister with his telepathic powers.

“
So you and Alex are not only twins by birth, but also by the day you became
vampires
?” Nathanial asks.

“
Yes, we are both birth and immortal twins. I think it’s kinda the irony of the whole situation. Alex didn’t even realize it was me at first. We entered the world together and entered eternity together. We were both Embraced by Elijah’s clan on the same day. It is Alex’s kind heart that made him a
vampire
. He thought he was helping some strange girl, and would have done it for anyone. Alex and I were left for dead, barely hanging on. Constance had a vision of us, and that is what led their clan to us. From that moment on Alex and I were considered missing persons; our bodies were never found. It was August seventh, 1894, shortly before our eighteenth birthday and my upcoming nuptials. Thus we became immortal.”

I can see Nathanial getting very upset; I sense the fury raging within him. “Are you okay?” I ask.

“
I will be; it is just hearing of someone…something doing that to you for fun…I just wish I could get my hands on him!” he rages.

“
No need for that, Elijah already took care of him,” I reassure. “From that moment on we became the Pierce family. Is this helping you to understand?” I ask.

“
I enjoy learning about you, though I don’t enjoy hearing of the suffering you endured before becoming a
vampire
,” he says and hugs me, holding me tighter than ever before. “Can you tell me about Ebony and her family?” he requests.

“
I’ll tell you more about our family and Ebony’s a little later,” I insist. “I’d like to tell you more about the vision Constance had the other night…it is fairly important,” I add.

“
What is it? You seem so serious–is everything alright?” He appears very concerned now, but tries to comfort me. He rubs the back of my neck and looks deeply into my eyes.

“
As I mentioned earlier, on New Year’s Eve Constance had a vision. She saw the Cerberus cult rising from the wastes of New York. There have been several murders in New York lately. The police believe it to be a serial killer, but Constance envisioned the Cerberus being responsible, and they are on their way to the New England area.”

“
Do I need to tell my family to leave?” he asks.

“
Well, we’re working on a plan to keep the entire town safe,” I ensure.

“
The Cerberus knows about the history of the area and the mystical powers around here. The Cerberus cult wants to collect powers and build an army of sorts. Their plan, as Constance saw it, is to challenge the Renata. Elijah has contacted the Renata and our family is preparing for battle; they have entrusted us to handle the matter,” I explain.

“
What do you mean ‘handle it’?”

I can see his concern growing even more, as he begins to wring his hands together.

“
Could people from here get hurt? Could you get hurt?”

“
We all could, but we aren’t going to let that happen,” I reassure.

“
I want to be involved,” he insists.

“
Absolutely not! I will agree to have you in the know, but you will not be anywhere in sight when the fight happens. You could get killed…it’s way too dangerous,” I argue.

“
You don’t want me around because it’s is too dangerous, but what you don’t realize is that I don’t want you to be in danger either,” he disputes.

“
Okay, I see your point, but I’m immortal. I won’t get hurt,” I persist.

“
Wow. Pretty intense. We’ll see what happens, but I want to know everything, full disclosure,” he demands, and I agree.

“
I do want to warn you that the Renata will not be happy if they find out about us telling you our secret. It breaks the first law. They could destroy my family and you as well. We must be very careful,” I say with a hint of fear.

“
What about Ebony and her family?” Nathanial wonders.

“
They are fine; the law has been modified to include others of supernatural decent.”

“
Okay, so we will have to be careful now that the Renata is involved.”

“
Yes, you can’t let on that you know anything. My family will have to behave even more human when you’re around. Most of all we have to try to conceal our relationship. If anything, I have to make it appear as though I am scouting you to join, because you have something to offer. What worries me about that is they may make it happen if we’re not careful. Do you understand?”

“
Yes. Please calm down…everything will work out! Just so I am clear, you’re worried that they may ‘Embrace’ me, as you call it. My question is, what’s so wrong with that? I realize I promised you I wouldn’t bring it up, but I would be honored,” Nathanial admits.

“
Honored? There is nothing honorable about becoming a
vampire
. For more than a hundred years I have felt trapped, stuck in a teenager’s body and all alone. Everyone else in my family has had someone to share their eternity with, and even though I have you now I want you to have everything I never did and never will. I just won’t allow that to happen! You don’t know what you are asking for–it just isn’t an option, so you can stop asking and hinting!” I start to get upset now. I love Nathanial for who he is, and I don’t want to do anything to change it or him.