Chapter 3
No soul.
I have no soul!
No soul, nothing to bargain with. My last feeble attempt to bring back my father is ripped away faster than I thought imaginable.
And it hurts.
Finally knowing for sure that there isn't a single thing that I can do to bring him back hurts me more than ripping a very sticky bandage off. I sigh, my thought running too fast for them to be coherent. All I can say is, "Can't say I didn't try, right?"
"No, they can't. Now come on. Let's find you a room."
Shayna replaces everything so it's as if nothing was disturbed. Then she finds me an unoccupied room to call my own.
I remain isolated in that room for several days, turning down company. The burning in my throat increases with each passing day, the monster inside of me itching to come to the surface and be nourished.
Images flash through my mind, tormenting me over and over. I see Dad's face from all the times I had disappointed him, which wasn't often, but that makes the occasions on which I did all the worse. I see his face in his final seconds, his expression; hear the disgust in his voice, as he disowns me. And most of all, I practically re-taste his blood flowing into me. I remember being grateful to find the thing that would quench my burning thirst. I had enjoyed drinking his blood because of that.
And that's what disgusts and angers me. Finally, I can't take it anymore and I go out in search of food.
Shayna catches me in the hallway and asks me where I'm headed.
"I'm going hunting."
"Let me come with you. The first non-arranged hunt is always rough. It's best to have someone experienced with you."
"Sure. You can come along if you want."
Since I still don't know my way around the castle, Shayna leads. I'm surprised when after only a few minutes we come to an opening that, even though it's dark out, reveals tall, snow-covered mountains. Although I probably should be a little chilled, I'm not.
I follow Shayna through miles of snow, flitting most of the way. I find myself mesmerized by the beauty of the night; how the full moon's light reflects so peacefully over the snow. There are no clouds in the sky so stars shine by the millions. Gazing up at them, knowing how far away they are, makes me feel tiny. With all that has happened, I'll believe in anything-even aliens!
After quite a while, we come to a city bustling even this late at night. We flit into the heart of the city and scale the side of a tall building with ease. I listen to the streets below and realize that I don't know the language.
"What country are we in?" I wonder aloud.
"Romania."
"City?"
"Who cares? They're food no matter where they are from. Now there's something you should establish before we proceed. Would you prefer to kill or would you like me to stop you before you get too carried away?"
"Stop me, please."
"I will try to the best of my ability."
We leap from rooftop to rooftop until we're on the outskirts. Then, we scale back down and find an alley with a couple of homeless people. We hide in the shadows. It's hard for me to resist the calling of their blood coursing through their veins, promising relief from the fire burning in my throat. I hear their hearts in a healthy rhythm.
