Who's the Enemy?

2

"Master!" Malia bursts into the bedroom that Jeffrey Masters is in. He's watching his guest lying so still and white on the bed. He's worried that his blood hasn't healed her sufficiently for her to wake yet. Malia bursting into the room brings him whipping his head around to her, his eyes blazing in anger.

"Malia?" He narrows his eyes and this brings Malia up short.

"Forgive me Master, I meant no disrespect. It's just I just saw on the news some information on your guest." Malia pants out and waits for her master to speak or give her permission to continue. 

Jeffrey nods and his anger dissipates a bit. "They found the bodies of the demon tainted. The report says that they were killed by some sort of unknown animal. They said that your guest was last seen with them and is now presumed dead."

"I see, have they given any further information about the boys or my guest?"

"Just that her name is Alana Matthews and was staying with the boys and their uncle. They've issued warnings about staying out of the forest until such time as the animal that killed them is caught and killed."

"Good, then more idiots won't be coming onto my land. So, she's presumed dead." Jeffrey smiles and it isn't a nice smile.

"You did very well in bringing me this information, Malia. Thank you."

"Master, there's more, the day you came with Miss Matthews there was a message for you. I forgot it when I saw you with Miss Matthews. I have tried to tell you several times these three days." Malia is terrified when Jeffrey turns his hard stare on her once more. She's never been so scared of him as she was in that moment.

"What is the message?" Jeffrey asks softly. Malia pales and does her best to not start shaking.

"You are at a crossroads in your life. The proud prince has lost his key and you will find it. If you give the prince the key it will lead to the destruction of the world. If you don't give him the key he will find out that you have it and he will come after you. It is unknown if you will survive the fight." Malia manages to finish the message, barely. Her mouth is dry and her throat tight. The look Jeffrey is giving her makes her wonder if she will survive.

"Malia, who gave you this message?" Jeffrey asks in the softest voice she's ever heard him use and it's all she can do to not drop to the floor in terror.

Jeffrey goes up to her and holds her face in his hand and her throat in the other one. "Malia, I'm not going to ask again. Who is the one that gave you the message to give to me? I need to know just how trustworthy that message is."

Malia swallows or tries to past the terror in her throat. "The hag, it was the hag that gave me the message to give to you. I tried to tell you several times, Master, I swear I did." Malia is crying in terror. She's had a good relationship with Jeffrey during their time together. She's never feared him. She knew what he was ever since he offered her life in exchange for her service more than a hundred and fifty years ago.

Now she wonders if her life will be ending today, and not the way she wants. She's begged him for years to allow her to turn, but he's always denied her request. Now she expects she'll be meeting her mother and sisters in heaven by the end of the day. She closes her eyes not wanting to see Jeffrey even more angry with her as he crushes her throat.

He lets her go and steps away from her. Not completely, but enough that she is able to warily watch him and him not touch her.

"Thank you, Malia. Forgive me, I didn't mean to scare you like that. What would you like as a reward for the information you gave me?"

Malia is more wary of Jeffrey than she had been before. He has a tight rein on his anger, but she doesn't wish to say anything that would make him lose that control.

"Forgive me, Master, I don't know the value you've placed on this information. I have no wish to insult you by asking for something that is too much or too little. You are aware of my wants and desires, I would ask that you grant me something from those." Malia manages to say in a regular voice, but she is still beyond terrified. Jeffrey has been known to talk soft and with an affable look then turn around and rip out the throat of his enemy.

It's always when he speaks softly that he's at his most dangerous, when he's about to pounce. Malia hasn't ever heard him speak in such a soft voice ever.

Jeffrey caresses her face and feels her shake in fear. Sighing he speaks, "I'm not angry with you, Malia. I'm angry with myself. Indeed, I remember you trying several times to tell me something and not letting you speak. I would instead load you with things to do for Miss Matthews."

Jeffrey feels her calm down a little and so he continues, "Do you still wish to turn?" He waits for her to reply and when she nods he continues. "That's a foolish question really, you are close to turning already another blood exchange, possibly two at most and you will turn whether I wish it or not.

"I offer you three choices: First, I just end your life quickly and painlessly. Though with how you've been wanting to turn I don't think you will wish this option. Second, I will inject the venom directly into your body and then break your neck so you won't have to go through the pain of the final transformation. Your body is already mostly turned, but when it reaches the heart and makes that final change it becomes excruciating. The third option is doing the blood exchange or me inject the venom and not kill you. If you choose this option you will be a living vampire, one of the few that exist. Since you won't have died you will tolerate the sunlight better and, under the right circumstances, you'll be able to have a child. A full vampire child that will live and grow.

"I will allow you the decision. Just remember, once you make the decision there will be no going back. If you choose the last option I will do my best to make it so you don't feel the pain, but there is no saying for sure that you won't."

"You will allow me to turn? You've always denied me before." Malia is still trying to catch up with all that's happened in just the last few minutes.

"The turn is inevitable at this time unless I kill you without that last blood exchange. This is the last time you will be allowed the chance to join your family. Once you turn you will become one of the damned." Jeffrey hides the bitterness these words bring but Malia is well aware of the reason he denied turning her all these years. He doesn't want her to become a monster like him.

"Master, I would like the third option please."

Jeffrey sighs, "Don't call me Master again. Once you wake after your turning you will be my daughter, no longer my servant. Come," Malia steps up to him and readily accepts his kisses.

She had been an innocent when she had laid dying in 1863. Her mother and sisters had been all her family still living. Then the deserting soldiers had found her family. She could hear their screams until the soldiers had finished with them and killed them.

Jeffrey had come, he's smelled the fresh blood. He found her too weak to even sit up in the bed. She doesn't know why the soldiers hadn't done to her what they did to her family, but they never bothered her. When Jeffrey saw her near to taking her last breath, he offered her life in exchange for serving him. She never regretted it. 

He gave her the first blood exchange and told her to sleep. While she was sleeping he prepared her family and buried them. Then he left and hunted down every single deserter that had violated and killed them.

Jeffrey never asked more than her helping with things that he would have trouble doing during the day. It was herself that asked Jeffrey to take her innocence some time after she'd been with him.

Jeffrey allowed her freedom to find lovers if she wished, but never asked her to be with any one and never forced her to be with him.

Now as he makes love to her for the final time as a human he's just as gentle as he had been her first time. Just as they both finish her injects his venom for the last time.

He wipes a drip of blood off his chin as a voice above him on the bed says, "Well that was more than a little awkward. I really wish you would have allowed me to leave first. I had no desire to see any of that."