Indulgence (226 page)

“The warm liquid provided temporary relief. The dryness that
occupied his throat was gone...for the moment, at least. Cain came out of his
haze and looked down at the carcass that was his meal. He was confused, unsure
of what had just happened. He decided to head home and on his way there, the
fire in his belly began to burn again. He sat on a rock to rest, only to look up
and see a whitetail deer. The deer did not sense Cain as the creature could not
smell him. A now familiar sensation overcame Cain and he sprang and took that
creature as he had taken the gazelle.

“Confused by his actions, Cain wandered towards home. As he
approached his village, he saw his wife washing laundry in the river. Cain
began to run towards her, and then felt the dreaded feeling. The inferno came
alive in his core as a sweet perfume – his wife’s scent – tickled his nose.
This time Cain realized what was about to happen. If he approached his wife,
she would surely suffer the same fate as the gazelle and the deer.

“Cain, feeling deeply ashamed, knew he could never return
home. He wasn’t sure he could keep his wife or the rest of his family safe from
the threat he had become. He somehow resisted her sweet scent and exiled
himself.”

Vincent paused again. He stood still, over the edge of the
stone ledge, just the tips of his boots holding him in place, and waited for my
response.

“Well if this is true,” I started, “I can definitely see why
this was kept out of the Bible. This is the stuff horror movies are made of.”

“Yes, but unlike fictional Hollywood tales, this is true,”
Vincent replied matter of factly.

“Great tale, but you’ve given me no solid proof that
vampires exist or how any of this pertains to me.”

“I’m getting to the part about you.”

“Good,” I retorted.

“Cain roamed the earth, realizing that he, once God’s
creation, was now the devil’s masterpiece and only existed to inflict damage on
mankind. He tried to subsist himself by feasting on animals alone, to save
mankind from his damnation, but soon realized he could not resist that
temptation. The smell of humans was too overpowering and Cain could not always
control his urges. He quickly realized how much more fulfilled he felt after
consuming human blood. It made him stronger, more powerful. Animal blood can
sustain a vampire but mortal blood is like a drug – intoxicating and
addictive.”

The flecks in Vincent’s eyes seemed to glisten at the mention
of human blood. I wondered if that was lust I could see in his eyes.

“Cain realized he couldn’t exist by himself; he craved
contact with another individual of the female variety. He needed a companion
but could not stand the idea of transforming a mortal without her having full
knowledge of what she would become. So Cain staked out village after village,
looking for the ideal companion. And one day he found her.

“Ina lived in a small village in what is now known as
Poland. She lived a life of poverty where she slaved in the fields and was
beaten by her father. She was about to go through with an arranged marriage,
and he could see the pain in her life and he wanted to help her. One night,
Cain approached Ina and said he could save her, but it would not be without
great sacrifice. She would have to forgo everything…her life, her family, her
soul. Ina, desperate to escape her miserable existence, jumped at the
opportunity and that night, Cain transformed her.

“Cain watched in horror as Ina withered in pain, first
turning colder than death, and then hotter than the flames of hell.” Vincent
stroked my flaming cheek with the back of his fiery fingers, as if trying to
make a point. He grabbed my hand and led me deeper into the woods, jumping over
crevices and scaling the trail with ease as he continued the tale.

“After several hours, Ina was converted; she was a vampire
just like Cain.

“The two of them roamed the earth, happy to have each other.
Cain was pleased Ina was willing to join his existence and she was happy that
Cain saved her from her desolate life. Together, they vowed to inflict as
little pain on man as possible, even trying to survive on animal blood alone.
Of course, there was the occasional mishap but never any transformations.

“Then, one day Ina disappeared and never returned. Cain was
distraught and searched all over Earth for her. After several decades of trying
to find her, and still craving companionship, he took up with a mortal.

“This mortal in particular was very pleasing to Cain, but he
did not want to transform her. She had a good life, a loving family and was
about to be married. Her name was Amelia. Two weeks before Amelia was to wed,
she discovered she was pregnant. Amelia was mortified, ashamed of her
condition, and so she pushed Cain away, never telling him of the child. She
opted instead to get married and pass the child off as her husband’s.”

Vincent paused and stared at me. He grabbed my hand and led
me to another clearing where we were surrounded by trees and rock formations. I
searched his face for the next part of the story, but he was waiting for me to
say something.

“So you mean to tell me, Amelia had a child that was half
vampire and half human?” I asked in disbelief.

“That’s right.” Vincent replied, nodding his head. “But
Amelia didn’t know what her offspring truly was. Cain never told Amelia that he
was a vampire.”

“And how exactly do you know this?”

“Because my brothers, sister and I watched over Cain. We
knew of the affair and the child, though he never knew about us and never knew
anything about the child.”

“But that doesn’t make sense. You said Cain and Ina survived
on animal blood and killed their human prey, so how were any other vampires
ever created?” I paused, thinking over the words I had just heard. “Wait. Are
you saying…you…Ina…what about your siblings…” I trailed off.

Vincent picked up where my thoughts left off. “Ina converted
some humans without Cain ever knowing. She had her reasons for doing this. Of
course, she always asked the mortal’s permission first, showing them the same
consideration Cain showed her. We all consented.”

“You consented to eternal damnation?” I asked in disbelief.
“But why?”

“We each had our own reasons,” Vincent snapped, his voice
uncharacteristically irritated. He smoothed his demeanor and continued, “The
fact is, Cain conceived a child with a mortal. My siblings and I, we called
ourselves the Secret Coven, kept watch over the child, keeping this secret to
ourselves. We did not want other vampires to know such an event could happen.
We did not want to encourage the behavior because none of us knew what to
expect. We wondered if the child would be born at all, and if so, if it would
be human, or vampire or something in between. But through the generations, we
watched Cain’s offspring, looking for signs that the progeny was something
other than mortal. No one has ever exhibited signs until…”

“Until what?”

Vincent lowered his head, his eyes glaring at me. He cocked
his head to the side like I should know the answer.

“Until me?” I asked in disbelief.

“Yes, Allison, think about it.” I tore my hand away from
his.

“Think about what?” I shouted. “Your story, although a good
one, is just fiction. Vampires do not exist!”

“You heard the story of Cain and Ina’s transformation. They
turned ice cold, then blazing hot. You have felt my skin. It’s cold as ice
during the day and hot as the fires of Hell at night. Think about yourself.”

Flashes went through my mind of perfectly warm afternoons
when I bundled up in jeans and sweatshirts while other people were comfortable
in shorts and t-shirts. And at night, my body was usually so hot it prevented
me from sleeping. And even tonight, I was so hot I had to press my body against
the cool stone for relief.

“That doesn’t prove anything.”

“You exhibit other signs as well, my darling.”

“Like what?” I demanded.

“Your sleeping patterns. You have been getting less and less
sleep yet you are full of energy. Vampires need rest but they don’t need
sleep.”

“Great, so my insomnia and body temperature are proof that
I’m one of the living dead? I don’t think so.”

“Have you thought about your appetite? You don’t crave human
food anymore, do you? When was the last time you ate – and yet your throat
aches for relief, doesn’t it?”

“Oh come on,” I shouted, rage in my voice. “I can be around
humans without sinking my teeth into their necks. I don’t have any urges for
any sort of blood.”

“For now,” Vincent replied.

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“You’re not 100% vampire but have many of the traits. More
than any of your ancestors ever had. And your characteristics are materializing
quite fast. Not only is it your body temperature, your sleeping habits and lack
of diet, but think about it Allison. You were a clumsy girl most of your life
but have been remarkably well coordinated as of late. Think about your
motorcycle ride here. Did you notice how you took the corners on the wet
pavement, your knee just fractions of an inch from the ground? You never had
the gusto to ride like that before. And what about your other senses? You have
always had a keen sense of smell, but your vision has improved too, hasn’t it?
And then there’s your infertility. The doctors you visited could never diagnose
the cause for that because it’s something they’ve never seen before;
you
are something they have never seen before. Female vampires cannot conceive.”

My mouth dropped in utter shock. “How dare you! Why are you
doing this to me?”

Vincent ignored my question. “But there is one definitive
symptom and you know it well. For your whole life, as far back as you can remember,
you have had a burning deep inside of you.” Vincent placed his hand on my
stomach and I smacked it away. “You always thought it was a higher calling,
another career path or hobby, but it was something much more than that. It is
Cain’s seed, burning deep inside of you, telling you that you are something
other than mortal. You are a direct descendant of his. Why do you think you
have the sense of belonging when you visit the garden in your dreams?”

I shook my head back and forth, tears streaming down my
face. “I don’t know,” I choked out.

“You feel calm and belonging in the garden because that is
where your family was created! That is your
home
!”

“I don’t believe you,” I yelled at the top of my lungs,
straining the back of my throat. “I don’t believe you,” I sobbed in a lower
tone as I fell into Vincent’s chest.

“I know, I know.” Vincent whispered in my ear, rubbing my
back. “But I can show you.”

I pulled back from his chest and wiped my tears with my arm.
“What are you talking about?”

“I can show you and maybe then you will believe. But you
need to clear your mind and concentrate.”

“What…” I started as Vincent cut me off.

“Can you do that? Concentrate?”

“What are you up to?”

Vincent didn’t respond; he only stared into my eyes.

“I suppose I can try.”

Vincent grabbed my hands and led me to the middle of the
rock platform on which we stood. He gently turned my palms face up and lifted
my chin so that my eyes were looking directly into his. It was easy to
concentrate staring into the beautiful blue abyss of his eyes. His eyes were
hypnotic, the gold raindrops sparkling around his pupils. He placed his hands
on top of mine.

I drew a deep breath as I felt a slight shock run through my
body. It appeared that I was staring at a white screen and then the visions started.
I saw every bit of the story Vincent had just recounted in vivid detail. There
was Cain roaming the earth, he found Ina and transformed her. I witnessed the
transformation in gory detail which looked extremely painful. I saw the two of
them roaming the earth. I felt Cain’s grief when he realized he could not find
Ina. I saw his first glimpse of Amelia and the attraction he felt. I
experienced the love those two shared. I saw the birth of the child, a boy
named Grant, and then saw pictures of other people that I did not know. One by
one, each picture gave way to another stranger until I saw an image of my great
grandfather Peter. The next picture was of my grandmother, Camille, followed by
my mother’s photo. Then there was an image of me. I realized this was a family
tree, Cain’s lineage, my family’s history.

I pulled out of my daze, Vincent’s crystal eyes boring into
mine. I dropped my hands to my side, held his gaze and whispered, “What was
that? How did you do that?”

“It’s a gift,” Vincent replied. “You could say it’s the
dominant trait I carried over from my mortal life. I’m sort of a historian and
that was your story.”

“I don’t understand. Why are you telling me all of this?
What do you want from me?” I asked, surprisingly calm. It was as if his story
was starting to make sense, starting to sink in with me. This could be true. I
could be part vampire. All I could do was wonder what the onset of all of the
vampire-like traits meant.

“Allison, you are the first of all of Cain’s descendants to
exhibit signs of vampirism. I’m not sure what it means, but we, my siblings and
I, don’t think you are safe.”

“I’m not safe? Who’s threatening me?”

“You are a danger to yourself. You have been going through
changes at an accelerated pace. We’re afraid that you may be so frightened of
yourself, of what you are turning into, that you will try to hurt yourself if
you didn’t know the truth, or worse, you would go on a hunt. And an
uncontrolled hunt like that is dangerous to all of our existence.”

“What are you saying?” I knew where Vincent was going but I
needed to hear it to believe it.

“Allison, I need to transform you; you must let me do that.
But I need your consent. Either that or we wait until you lose all control and
then I would have to destroy you. And believe me, I don’t want that.”