Unbroken

Chapter 3: Turned

(Dahlia's POV)

Ashley's offer to run away from the coven was irresistible. I loved Andy, sure, but Ashley promised me a life of freedom, which appealed to my wild spirit. We would become nomads, at the cost of being on the run for eternity from Andy's clutches. That seemed like a small price to pay. I met up with Ashley as often as I could without seeming suspicious. We were careful not to think about the plans when we were around Andy. One sweep of our minds and he'd know what we were up to. 

After several weeks of very careful planning, I slipped into Ashley's room. Tonight was our last night in Cincinnati. It wasn't strange that our stuff was packed. Ashley and I were traveling light, just a knapsack of essential items. I was sure that everybody else was asleep. I could hear Jake's snores from across the hallway, silencing my footfalls as I crept into Ashley's bedroom. 

The lights were off. The bed was neatly made. The one window was open, letting in a chilly breeze and a large slice of snowy moonlight. Ashley sat on the window seat, staring out into the darkness. He was dressed inconspicuously in a plain gray t-shirt and blue jeans. Dirty motorcycle boots covered his feet. A brown leather jacket covered his shoulders. 

"Are you ready to go?" I asked in a whisper. He looked at me and smiled. He nodded and reached for my hand. 

"Are we jumping?" We were only two stories up, but I was sure my fragile human body wouldn't take the impact lightly. 

"Don't worry, babe. I got you," he chuckled, scooping me up. I giggled quietly as he positioned himself near the window. I clutched my knapsack to my chest and closed my eyes as we softly plummeted onto the Biersack's front yard. He wasted no time and broke into a swift sprint, determined to put as much distance as possible between us and the house before anybody noticed our absence. 

Our plan was to get me transformed as soon as possible. Then Ashley wouldn't have to burden himself with carrying me. Once we reached somewhere safe and hidden, we could begin the process of unlife. He knew of a small cave near Lake Ontario where we could hide while I went through the painful transformation. 

I fell asleep in his muscular arms. The next thing I knew, the sound of birds singing and squawking and water lapping at rocks filled my ears. The slightly metallic odor of blood assaulted my nose, along with the rich aroma of coffee. I opened my eyes and sat up. We appeared to be in some sort of concave within a large rock. 

"Good morning, sunshine," Ashley greeted me in a sing-song voice. A grin played on his thin lips. He held a feathery blob in his hands, which turned out to be a bird. His lips were coated in blood. I noticed a small heap of tiny birds near the entrance, all dead. Then I saw the bloody streaks on both of our outfits. 

"I smell like death," I complained, walking over to the mouth of the cave. There was water for yards, with only a sliver of shore to be seen. Some of it licked the cave's entrance in brown-tinged waves.

"Where are we?" I didn't know this place. It was unfamiliar. 

"Somewhere on the eastern coast of Canada," Ashley replied, his fingers meticulously ripping open the bird on his lap. 

"Come here. I have to smear this on you," he ordered. I stepped towards him, confusion on my face. 

"It masks your scent. If you weren't a blood siren, it would be much easier. But your blood sings, so I have to cover you up in a lot of animal blood to hide your scent," he explained. 

"Why can't you just turn me now?" I shivered as he rubbed the warm, feathery mess onto my clothes. 

"Your scent needs to be covered up while you're changing." He flung the carcass behind him. We both reeked of blood, but even my poor human senses could smell Ashley's lovely, intoxicating fragrance. He smelled spicy, like cinnamon and chili. 

Once he was done, he pushed a thermos of coffee into my hand and instructed me to drink it. It would help me relax, he said. 

I lied down away from the mouth of the cave. Ashley knelt down beside me and caressed my face. This felt wrong. It should've been Andy touching me, transforming me. Ashley gave me an apologizing smile and leaned towards my neck. 

It was quick, like a shot. I gasped at the pain of his teeth piercing my skin. I felt his cool tongue lap over my wound. Instantly, agonizing pain shot through my body, paralyzing me. My eyes remained open, my vision tinted red. I seemed to have swallowed fire. My throat burned. A fierce roaring filled my ears. I bit my lip a few times, my cooling blood dancing on the tip of my tongue. 

I passed out in the middle of my torment. When I finally came to, Ashley told me that I'd been out for three whole days. The stale stench of dried blood assailed my heightened sense of smell, and my sharper eyes missed nothing. My throat stung dully, like I had a bad case of strep. 

"How do you feel?" he asked. 

"Like I swallowed a bowl of pins," I complained. He chuckled and passed me a half-drained crow. I drank without protest, grateful for the warm fluid that soothed the discomfort in my throat. It tasted strange, meaty and unfresh. 

"Animal blood isn't as good as human blood. They usually taste like whatever their diet consists of, so that bird has got to taste like old rot."