Raven knew she had fallen asleep. After her fight with the blondes… disciples… how could she not? She was still leaning on the wall and had her forehead to her knees, her hair hiding her face. With a stifled yawn, she raised her head to rub her eyes and push her hair from her face. Opening her eyes, Raven stiffened with a gasp to find Mr. Muscle standing in front of her, holding a tray.
“Relax,” he said with a small smile, eyeing her arm that had reached for her blades. “I didn’t mean to surprise you.”
Raven didn’t answer as she watched him crouch down to set the tray in front of her slowly. Then he moved back a step and sat down in front of her. Slowly, Raven forced herself to relax as he made himself comfortable. She looked at the tray to see a variety of food: melon cubes, toast, orange juice and a bottle of water.
Raven looked up again to see Mr. Muscle’s… Isaac’s… pants had pulled up slightly on his leg. She noticed that the shoe on it was connected to a thin metal pole. A prosthetic leg… no wonder he limped. He still functioned really well despite this so she didn’t feel sorry for him. Though she did feel a little curious to find out the story behind the leg.
She let her eyes snap up to see him looking at her. He cleared his throat uncomfortably and pulled the pant leg down.
“Don’t ask, please,” he said with an easy smile. “It’s not the kind of story someone likes to hear.”
Keeping eye contact, Raven reached forward and grabbed the water bottle. Her side roared in pain and she recoiled slightly as she leaned back again. She broke the seal and let the water moisten her lips without taking a drink.
“We can take a look at that,” the man offered, nodding toward her side.
Raven rearranged herself to cross her legs and gave him a steady look, hating that he’d noticed her discomfort. “What are you?”
Isaac glanced away quickly and began to speak when she interrupted him,
“Don’t lie to me.”
He met her eyes. “I’m sorry if I frightened you. I truly mean you no harm.”
Raven didn’t speak but he didn’t continue. She looked him over, memorizing his features before meeting his yellow eyes again. He was watching her closely but she didn’t allow her emotions to show on her face. The nap did wonders for her senses and control. She reached to her ribcage and pushed the nerve to numb her side.
“It’s handled,” she met his eyes again. “What are you?”
He frowned slightly. “Handled?”
Raven pushed down her annoyance. “Shall I guess?”
He straightened up and sighed. “Be my guest.”
Raven looked him over again as she went over the possible reasons for his speed… his strength… the fangs…
Crap, she cursed and her eyes fell onto the tray. She stared at the fork for a second and noticed his eyes reflect in it. If she was correct, how was that possible? Making up for the quiet, she reached for a melon cube and leaned onto the wall behind her to meet his eyes again.
“I put my money on vampire,”
His eyes narrowed but you’d hardly tell… unless you were as perceptive as she was. “You believe in such a thing?”
Raven didn’t break eye contact as she slightly tilted her head. “I shouldn’t. It makes sense, though. You’re impossibly fast, very strong, and you can sit like a statue,” he fidgeted when she said that and she smirked. “Forgot to breathe there, huh?”
Isaac frowned at her as she finally ate the melon, his own eyes looking her over. Slowly, as if forcing himself, he nodded.
“And the others you mentioned yesterday… your brothers… also vampires?” she asked and he nodded. “Are they all as massive as you?”
“We’re all different but compared to you I guess they are,” Isaac said with a smile.
Raven allowed herself a smirk before masking it again. She really wanted to ask more about what it was like being a vampire (strengths and weaknesses) because this was a very interesting kind of moment but there were more pressing matters. She figured he could have killed her multiple times since they’d met, or at least put more effort into it, but surrendered to the idea either way. If he tried to kill her now that she knew what he was, she’d have to put up a hell of a fight. Given that she was still a little battered after the fight with the blondes in her apartment, she’d most likely lose.
Yet, he’d brought her food and was speaking to her calmly without eyeing her like he wanted to drink her dry. She needed to heal properly before even thinking of fighting him off. The fact that he’d mentioned there were other muscled vampires was also a problem. She had to find out more about these monsters first because healing would take time.
“So, are you going to give me a full run-down of my predicament or do I have to agree to vampiric protection first?”
Isaac didn’t answer for a while, staring at her curiously. He was trying to figure her out.
Good luck, Muscles, Raven thought as she picked up another cube.
“Have you decided?” he asked.
“I wanna know the full score before I do decide,” Raven said and popped the melon in her mouth, speaking through it. “But odds are looking good.”
Isaac smiled again at her joke before becoming serious. “The blondes are part of a group known as the Disciples. They may look like humans but they lost that rite when they gave their souls to Abaddon.”
“Abaddon?” Raven asked.
“I suppose it’s like a Satan times twenty,” Isaac explained. “In exchange for immortality and superhuman strength and speed, the disciples trade their souls. They become servants for Abaddon. Their main goal is to kill vampires.”
“So, they’re technically a group of soulless vampire slayers,”
“Yes. Though opposite to Hollywood’s major belief in my species, we are not blood thirsty monsters. We do not feed off humans unless it’s absolutely necessary. We’d rather feed off our own,” Isaac said and Raven stared. “Anyway, we have been at war with the Disciples for centuries. We are...”
“Let me guess, a group of the most skilled warriors of the vampire race. Born and sworn to protect the species at all costs,” Raven cut in and Isaac stared at her, surprised.
“How—?”
“Lucky guess,” Raven shrugged, picking up a melon cube and eating it quickly before continuing. “The fact that you’re massive is a hint. Now how in the hell do I fit in to all this?”
Isaac took a deep breath. “The blade that the slayers carry is cursed. It is the blade that was used to make them and it is an extremely effective way to injure or kill one of us. You have been exposed to what I can only describe as the toxin on the blade.”
Raven froze, not liking where this was going but didn’t speak at his pause. Then she snapped, “So? What does that mean?” when he didn’t continue.
“It means… that you are slowly becoming a disciple yourself,” Isaac said.
Raven didn’t move. She felt as if she’d fallen into the same rabbit hole Alice had except this was not Wonderland. It was hell and no matter what she did, everything got worse and worse. But after everything she’d seen, she couldn’t deny that this was reality. It was her new reality. Where vampires were real and good and super humans were bad and cursed daggers were also a thing. Oh yes, she had just lost absolute control of her life as she knew it.
“What are my options?” she forced herself to sound calm even though her mind was in an uproar.
“Raven, you have to understand that you are not alone in this,” Isaac said softly. “We can help you.”
“What are my options?” Raven repeated, irritated.
“You can accept our help and get treatment for a possible reversal,” Isaac said. “Or you can deny and count down the days until the disciples find you and speed up the process.”
“How long do I have?”
“I already gave you a deadline to choose—”
“I meant until I turn into… a…” she couldn’t say it.
“We give it two months,” Isaac said and Raven felt her shoulders slump.
“And are you sure that you can cure this?” Raven asked, meeting his yellow eyes.
“I am sure that we will do everything we can,” Isaac said and Raven knew it was an evasive answer.
“You mean I’ll be a lab rat?” Raven narrowed her eyes and watched him shift slightly.
“This kind of thing doesn’t happen often,” he winced. “But we will do everything we can to keep you comfortable for as long as you need.”
In case I’m doomed…
“Have you told me everything?” Raven asked.
“As much as I can at the moment,” he answered.
She didn’t move or respond for a long time.
“Raven, your decision?” Isaac prompted and Raven almost laughed hysterically at him. Like she had a choice?
“I agree to your protections and cure.”
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