Immortals

An Unexpected Guest

Lola:

I expect the person to be Selena, and turn around, a slightly exasperated look on my face. But it's not Selena. It's a stranger, a man slightly shorter than Dan, with light coloured eyes and silvery hair. I feel Dan tense up beside me, as if he recognizes the man. I glance at him out of the corner of my eyes, and he looks terrified.

"Who are you?" I ask, my voice hard and cold. Anyone that made Dan react like this was bad news, and I refused to back down. "My name is Issac, pretty one," he says, and I feel a shiver run down my back. Well, at least I know his name now. "Why are you here, Isaac?" I ask, my voice like flint. The corner of his mouth quirks up in an amused smirk, and I can feel my face harden. "I'm here to talk to my fledgling. He needs to be taught," he says, his voice quiet, but lacking malice.

"Fledgling? What do you mean?" Dan asks, before I can reply to Isaac. "You mean you don't recognize me?" Isaac asks, an exaggerated pout on his face. "I recognize you," Dan spits out, and his voice is filled with a hatred that terrifies me. "Fledglings are newly created vampires," Isaac says after a moment, his voice serious. "I want to teach you about life as a vampire."

Dan moves in front of me. "Fine. But before I agree to listen to you, promise me that you won't hurt Lola. Or any of our friends," he says. Isaac's head bows down slightly, acknowledging Dan's demands. "Your lover will not be harmed, nor will your friends," he says, just as the main door to the flat opens.

I know in a second that it's Selena. No one else would be here. Just as I stand up, I hear Selena's voice call out from the hallway. "Lola? Are you alright? Who is this?" I move to push past Isaac and answer her, but he answers for me. "My name is Isaac. I'm the one who turned Dan. Shall we move into the kitchen, so that there's room for all of us?" he asks smoothly. I'm reluctant to do anything he wants, but we all agree, so we go sit around the table.

Dan still looks terrified, and I realize that his transformation was probably horrifying, unlike mine. "What do you want to know?" Isaac asks, as soon as we're all settled down. It's silent for a few heartbeats, and I can hear Selena's pulse from across the table. Mentally, I shake myself. "Why are we able to survive in sunlight? Or is the sun thing a myth?" Dan asks, after a moment. Isaac looks terribly confused. "We can't," he says slowly. "Do you mean to tell me that you can?" Dan and I nod. Isaac looks amazed. I guess, in the vampire world, that this is a miracle.

"Is it normal for vampires to be able to communicate mentally?" I ask, after a moment of Isaac's stunned silent. He shakes his head. "No, it isn't," he mutters. So Dan and I are a couple of freaks even as vampires, I think to myself in amusement. After an awkward, five minute pause, Isaac speaks again.

"I'm sure you'd like to know why I turned you?" he asks, and Dan nods silently. "I wanted someone to train. Living for eternity, alone, is torture. That's actually why most vampires are made." I look down at the table. It wasn't why I was made, but Isaac doesn't know that. "Is there anything we should know about being a vampire?" Dan asks, finally beginning to look like he wasn't terrified, though still a little wary of Isaac.

Isaac smiles. "Well, first of all, the whole garlic thing is a myth. It doesn't have any effect on us at all. Usually, the second thing I tell fledglings is that the sunlight is deadly, which it is for most of them, but obviously that's not the case for you two. Also, for the first year of your vampire lives, you have to feed every day. If you don't, you'll get weak and sick, and maybe even go mad. During your second year, you'll be strong enough to feed once a week, and then after your tenth year you can feed once a month." I must have made a face, because I can feel Dan smirking at me.

"There's also vampire hunters," Isaac continues, "so don't be alone. I don't want my child, or his fledgling to get hurt," a protective edge creeping into his voice. "I'll stay in the same area as you to protect you," he finishes. I like the sound of being protected. I've been nervous and skittish ever since I got attacked a few nights ago.