Truce and Lies

Chapter 11: not human

I jolted awake from uneasy dreams, and then started out of bed when I saw Jackson sitting in the chair next to me. I couldn't tell what time it was; there were no windows.

"You are a sound sleeper," he noted.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded.

"I had come to talk, but you were asleep. I've only been here for a couple minutes, calm down." Jackson folded his hands in his lap. "Lacy told me about your conversation with her. I had expected to scare you more that I have so far."

"Oh, so is this you trying to scare me now?" I snorted. "Get out, Jackson."

He moved suddenly, but I prepared enough to dart off the bed and stand on the other side of the room. He wheeled, surprised.

"You're fast," he remarked.

"You don't survive with hunters if you're slow," I replied.

Jackson moved again, but feinted to pin me to the wall. My head slammed against the sheetrock, my breathing restricted with his arm pressed against my throat. I didn't struggle, knowing I was probably strong enough to pull him off me but then he would know I wasn't human.

"I could drain you dry and Stefa would be upset, but she would move on in five, ten, twenty years." Jackson told me. "We've been together for longer than you've been alive, child."

I let out a strangled laugh, knowing that I had only been alive for six years. Jackson growled.

"Then do it," I wheezed. "What's stopping you? Your sense of morality?"

He snarled once and sunk his fangs into my neck. I let him drink, but then managed to call out.

"Stop. Let me go."

Jackson, of course, did. He gaped at me as I inspected the damage. He hadn't torn my shirt, but there was blood on it. I pulled it off and handed it to Jackson.

"Get that clean and then back to me," I replied. "Stefa finds out you did this, then we'll both be in trouble."

"How... how are you..." Jackson stammered, but his feet walked him out of the room. I waited a moment, and then peeked out into the hall, looking for a bathroom to wash off. Jackson had not been kind, having expected to kill me, and Stefa would be furious, but there was nothing I could do about it now. More scars, I thought. Before vampires, I hadn't thought anything would scar me. I staunched the blood as best as I could and made it back to my bedroom. Jackson had returned with my shirt, the collar damp but not bloody. I took it from him and dressed, buttoning my shirt and then straightening my tie before pulling on my coat.

"How are you doing this?" he asked in a low voice.

"Oh, did you think Stefa was with me because I'm a pretty human?" I inquired mildly. "You don't give her enough credit. That was your first mistake, Jackson. Your second was your pride. Come on."

We entered the hallway. No one was upstairs, but of course, there was little need since vampires didn't sleep.

"Do not tell anyone what happened between us," I informed him as we walked down the stairs.

I had forgotten how angry I could get. I was furious with this vampire behind me and wished I could walk him out into the sunshine and watch him burn away. But no, Jackson didn't know how long these effects would last, and frankly, neither did I. I was a little dizzy; he had taken more blood from me that Stefa had the day before.

"Conor!" Stefa saw the two of us, her smile morphing into a frown when she saw Jackson. "Jack, what are you doing with Conor?"

"We were just chatting," I said, kissing Stefa on the cheek. "Is there any bacon in the kitchen?"