The Vampires' Last Sacrifice

Unrelieved (Seventeen)

               Sleeping was difficult now, for everyone. Krey was up almost every night screaming. It wasn’t fair for her. I would do almost anything to relieve her pain. It wasn’t that simple, though. When we tried to talk to her during her fits she completely ignored us. Though, I don’t blame it on her. I’m sure she was in her own world where we didn’t exist. I have found that sometimes having Gren sit with her calms her down a bit. I suppose it’s because his mind isn’t here either.

               Vincent was still gathering everything we would need for the ritual. It needed to be done soon or Gren would be gone. Vincent estimates he has about six months before he loses it completely. The thought of having my brother-in-law gone made me sad beyond words. I didn’t like hearing about Gren’s situation, which was perfect because Vincent didn’t like talking about it.

               We were all sitting down for dinner. Sarah and Gren in the middle of the huge dining room table, Krey beside of Gren, me beside of Sarah, and Vincent at the head. No one was speaking, until Krey put on a look of horror as she looked into the direction of the kitchen doors.

               “What is it?” Vincent asked as he stood up and faced the doors. At first we thought she was just hallucinating again. There was nothing there.

               “Daeman, please don’t say that,” Krey cried as she stood up, tears already coming down her face. Her hands were balled into fists.

               Vincent walked toward her slowly as he spoke softly, “Krey, there is nothing there—”

               He stopped talking as I gasped. As I had taken a break from staring at Vincent and Krey, I looked toward the door. There stood an apparition of a tall man. I could see his muscles through his ripped, white shirt. His hair, which appeared to be a very dark color, was matted to his head with blood that was all over his body. To say his skin was pale would be an understatement. It looked white. His eyes were impossible to see because they were swollen shut. The more I stared at him, it became less likely that I too was hallucinating. His apparition slowly morphed into a person as everyone turned to look at him but Gren.

               “Daeman?” Vincent asked, tears already in his eyes. His head turned to the side as if to get another view.

               “V—” Daeman started, but stopped. He slowly began to sink to the ground, and because I was closest I grabbed him before he could hurt himself. Krey and Vincent both ran to his side. He was lying in a fetal position as we all tried to help him. I looked up at Gren and Sarah sitting at the table.

               “Why don’t you guys go play a game?” I asked in a tone that suggested there were no options. I assume they understood that they couldn’t be here right now because Gren grabbed Sarah’s hand and waited for her to blink them somewhere else.

               “I told you I wasn’t hallucinating!” Krey cried as she tried to stop his bleeding that happened to be all over his body.

               “Here, hold this on his stomach wound,” Vincent said as he handed me his shirt, which he had just taken off, “or does it make you sick? You look sick.”

               “I’m fine. Go get the doctor!” I screamed loudly.

               He was right, though. I did feel sick, very sick. I couldn’t imagine what Krey was feeling right now and I hoped I would never have to.  Her face was in pain and I’m sure she was wondering if she was going to have to watch him die again. I wouldn’t let that happen. My thoughts were blood. He needed it. I almost offered mine to him, but I knew it could result in the loss of our son.

               “Krey?” I asked in a rushed tone as I pushed harder on his abdomen, “I need you to bite your wrist and give him blood.” As I spoke, her face remained the same. The only movement was her rocking back and forth as she stared at her love. “Krey, can you hear me? He’s going to die if you don’t give him some blood!” I screamed rather loudly. It seemed to work. She snapped out of her trance and bit her wrist (hard). I watched as she moved closer to him and pulled him into her lap. Krey put her wrist over his mouth and he started to drink.

               The bleeding was slowing down, but there was no way her blood would be enough to heal him. I mentally screamed for Vincent to hurry and return, which worked. He and the doctor both appeared and rushed to Daeman’s side. I grabbed Krey’s arm and drug her away from Daeman as the guys worked on him.

               “Lucia?” Krey asked, biting her lip as she cried silently now.

               “Yeah?” I asked as I cried too.

               She grabbed my hand before she spoke, “Do you think he’s going to be okay?” Her voice came out as a whisper.

               “I—” I started to say, but the doctor interrupted.

               “He’s stable enough to move him to the hospital wing. He’s going to need blood IVs for a few days, but he should be alright. I’m going to stitch up some of these wounds so he will heal faster. We’ll have to carry him because blinking would be too much for him right now.”

               I didn’t realize until after he had finished talking that I was holding in a breath. When I looked at Krey her face held half of a smile. I didn’t blame her for not being ecstatic. She was still worried she could lose him again.

              

               “Krey, do you want to go and take a nap while the doctor works on him?” Vincent asked her as he got into position to pick him up with the doctor (whose name I still didn’t know).

               Every ounce of happiness that had been on her face disappeared as fear spread, “N-no, please?” she begged quietly.

               “It was just a suggestion; you can stay with him.”

************

               Once they got him upstairs we all waited until he was sewed up and cleaned off. He had several IVs in his arms and legs, and even one in his head. He looked horrible, but the wounds were healing quickly. It seemed like he was going to be okay. And still Krey was unrelieved.

               It was late, around 3, and we were all tired. Vincent yawned again, and so did I.

               “Krey, do you want me to move that other bed over here beside of him? You could sleep right next to him. So if he wakes up, he’ll know you’re right there,” Vincent spoke as if she was a child. Right now she could be a child. Krey was so fragile that I was afraid to speak to her. I was sure one word could make or break her world.

               She unwrapped one of her hands from his left hand as she turned to look at the bed on the other side of the room. Krey looked back to him and then to me followed by Vincent. “I guess so,” she whispered as she turned to tangle her hands in his hand again. I was certain that even if the bed did get moved she wouldn’t be leaving his side.

               Vincent silently moved the bed beside Daeman’s as I waited by the door. “Goodnight Krey,” I said softly as Vincent took my hand in his.

               She didn’t answer as we walked down the hall to our room only to fall into restless sleeps.