Loving the enemy

Chapter 22

My skin is hot and my head is spinning.
Through blurry vision I can see Able towering over me.
"It's a bitch isn't it?" His words feel empty. Empty of sympathy. "It took me 24 hours after I was bit before I could even think straight." He crouches down beside me, gazing at me like I'm a science experiment. "I can make it hurt less. You can feel better in just a single hour. Do you want that?" I nod dumbly. My tongue feels so thick in my mouth and behind my eyes are green flashing lights of nausea. He pulls his sleeve up to his elbow, exposing his flesh. He puts his arm out in front of me. "My blood still has human properties in it, it'll help ease it into your system." Then he gives me the one worded command I was waiting for. "Drink."
•••••
I'm standing now, and the pain has subsided to a dull ache. Able is leaning against the wall across the room, a smug smile on his face.
"Better?"
"Yes." I say. The thing that feels the worst is the guilt in my chest. I didn't even think about the consequences this would bring. Will Shane want me back? Honestly, I'm not even sure if I want to go back.
"It could be worse, I could be purebred. If I was you'd still be suffering." I nod quietly, grateful I didn't have to experience that much longer. "You and me are the only half human half vampires, did you know that?" My eyes connect with his in surprise.
"Really?" My voice isn't as raspy as I expected it to be.
"Others have tried, but they didn't survive the transformation. They didn't want it enough. You and me, Max. We wanted it enough." He steps away from the wall, coming closer to me. "That's how I know I can trust you. I'm so happy it worked out like this." He stretches out his arms from a hug. I step into his hold, wrapping my arms around him as he does to me. I can feel a burning sensation against my stomach as the silver of my blade presses against my skin. I bite my tongue to hold back a hiss and pull away from the hug. The blade moves off my flesh, but I can still feel the aftermath of the sharp sting. Able doesn't notice.
"Come with me. It's time to introduce you to our army."
•••••
In a matter of minutes we are standing on a balcony. Thousands of vampires crowd the inside of a large ballroom. Some rest on pillars used to support the ceiling, others perch on stair rails but the majority seem to be shoulder to shoulder on the ground. I stand next to Able, and once we step out of the doorframe and into sight the vampires start yelling and yahooing. They swing their firsts in the air and crash into each other. It reminds me of a mosh pit, and me and my brother are on the stage.
Able rises his hand high above his head with a swift movement before slicing it down through the air with the sharpness of a guillotine. Immediately the vampires silence. Nobody would believe that just a second ago they were acting like a bunch of hooligans.
"Family," he begins "you have all heard of my sister, Max." Some of the vampires hiss to themselves in distaste and one in the far back let's out a cry so bloodthirsty I shiver, reminded of what almost happened to me when I approached the castle doors. "There has been a change of instructions. A change of power." Able pauses, and the vampires are silent with anticipation. "She is one of us now." He reaches to the side of my face and pulls back my hair, revealing the fresh bites in my neck. They go crazy at this. Yelling and screaming. They shove eachother and leap from the ceiling pillars to the crowd below. It's a strange chaos, as I can tell they are not doing it out of anger or distress. The air is filled with excitement, and it's strange. They seem happy I am one of them. Why are they accepting me so well? Shane's people weren't this accepting. "She rules beside me, and before her strength is regained I can trust none of you will harm her. If you do, you'll have to answer to me. And you all know what happened to the last person to touch her." I flicker my eyes to him. The man he struck, the one who tried to rape me. Had he been killed?
Able looked more sure of himself than he had ever been in the tree house. He was in power, and he was loving it. He turns and leaves the pedestal, me following. Even though the vampires were still screaming as he said his last sentence, I know they heard.
•••••
I'm in my own room, alone. There is a bed, but it's not there for sleeping. I lie on it, holding the handle of the silver blade in my hand. When the vampires are not together in a large group, it's even more evident the high respect they hold for Able; and because he respects me, so do they. They move out of my way as I walk down the corridors, and some even have bowed down to me. I understand now how Able's ego has inflated to so much since he's been here. All the worship makes you feel important.
I look at the knife. I've killed many things. Things not quite human. But my little brother is different. He loves me. He may be worshipped here, but I can still see ignorance and oblivion in his eyes. All he wants is power. Revenge. What will he do if he gets his way and the werewolves are killed? Will he be content, or will he long for more blood. Maybe he will attack the humans in the city.
After an eternity of thinking, I narrowed down five options:
- I could kill Able and go live a normal life in the city. In this scenario I'd be hunted by his vengeful army and if they were to find me, I'd have to fight them alone. Shane ensured that if I was to leave his pack would never bother me again.
- I could kill Able and go back to Shane. He said he loved me, but now as a vampire everything's different. He would do one of theee things. Kill me, send me away or love me regardless. If he still was to love me, I know he would protect me unconditionally, and over time his pack would accept me and I'd have their protection too. Yet, because the vampired know where Shane's pack is I would be fighting much more of them, but I wouldn't be alone. Yet, I'd risk endangering all of them.
- I could stay with Able. Turn on Shane and help kill his pack. The werewolves who don't trust me would all die, but so would those like Dan.
- I could stay with Able, and beg him not to harm Shane and the others. I imagine he would kill me instantly.
- I could thrust this knife into my throat right now and leave the rest to fate.

A flash of light glints off the blade and deep down, I know what I have to do.