Fire

Chapter Five

    "Nicely done. I see you have learned to use your power to assist you," Kane said, coming up to me and resting a hand on my shoulder. "But, one thing I am worried about is whether or not you can control it."

    "What do you mean?" I asked.

    He gestured at Derek lying on the floor. "Well, if you kept that fire on him any longer, you would have severely burned him. It seems you stopped just in time, but it will take him a few days to recover from this," he told me. "And you took just enough energy from him to make him pass out, which is good so he will not feel as much pain."

    I gaped at him. "Is he going to be okay?"

    "We'll just give him a few minutes, then I will treat his burns."

    Kane tended to the damage inflicted on Derek by me, and I watched in awe at how quickly and gracefully he worked. "When I was sent to war, I was used as a doctor for the soldiers that were wounded in battle," he said, as if reading my mind.

    "You didn't fight?"

    "I couldn't then. I was weak as a human. I wore glasses, had asthma, and tripped over my own feet. The only thing that got me a job as a healer was my level of intelligence, which was relatively high compared to the other boys my age. And I continued to be a doctor nine years after that. It might be safe to say that becoming a vampire saved my life."

    "How were you Turned?"

    He did not look up at me as he wrapped gauze over Derek's arms. "Well, you see, a coven of vampires had gotten into our headquarters. They were crazed, on a rampage, and I just happened to be one of the few who were lucky enough to survive the attack. The others, my fellow doctors, were drained entirely of blood and energy. And those who were Turned never survived the transformation.

    "I remembered the pain so well. The moment I felt fangs pierce my skin, as the vampire's venom made its way into my bloodstream, moving quickly to my heart, I knew that I was never going to be the same person again. Even as my eyes shut and the world faded away from me, I could feel the power coursing through my veins. But I made myself sick, I had become a vampire, a monster, and it was disgusting."

    I nodded. "No human should ever have to go through that."

    Kane finished up with Derek's bandages and got to his feet. "Watch over him, and if he seems to be having nightmares of any kind, feed him your energy. You know how to take power, so you must know how to give it."

    And, with that, Kane was gone. He climbed the stairs of the basement, and shut the door behind him, leaving me in the dark.

    I lit a flame in the middle of the room, and the cold, dark basement became bright.

   For hours, I sat and watched Derek. Once again, I was viewing a vulnerable, barely-seen side of him. When he was asleep and injured, he looked to be at peace. Derek was not angry when he slept, and that was something rare.

    Deep in my thoughts of peace, serenity, and a time when I still had my parents, I did not notice when Derek awoke. And it startled me when he abruptly stood and backed away from me.

    "Derek, what's-"

    His deep, piercing gaze met mine and I stopped cold. We both stared at each other for what seemed like a lifetime. I wasn't sure if it was just me, but I could have sworn I was able to feel what he was feeling and hear his thoughts.

    Then, just as quickly as he had gotten up, he left without saying a single word.

    I watched as, once again, the door was closed on me. And I was alone in Kane's basement.