Innocent Darkness

A New Home

Nadine POV

I woke up on a hard floor. I rolled onto my stomach trying to grasp my surroundings. My whole body felt as if it was on fire. It felt like every inch I moved my body that the pain increased even more. Oh no, Trent is really dead and I'm feeling his death engulf me. I felt tears escape my eyes as things slowly came into focus and I was staring at several pairs of feet.

The feet were behind bars of some sort. I tried to push myself to a sitting position but the burning sensation that was plaguing me currently only caused me to cry out in more pain. I was caged again, and it's New Orleans all over again. I continued to cry as the burning pain wouldn't stop radiating through out my body. I closed my eyes and passed out again from the pain.

Liam POV

I had made it back downstairs just in time to see Nadine stir awake. She let out cries of pain as she moved around for only a few moments before passing out again.

Her body was obviously rejecting the blood in her system. She'll need blood to survive and unlike the vampires she's been around, I do not have easy connections with a blood bank.

"She's going to need blood." I said causing the three boys to turn their attention to me.

"She can't have ours, and it's not like any of us can stroll into a blood donation center and ask for a few bags." Charles said with a slight attitude in his voice. "You shouldn't of taken her from her own kind. We can't keep her here."

"You don't know what they did to her!" Brent shouted at him. "She was miserable there and she never moved from her window. She's better here then anywhere else."

"SHE RAN AWAY FROM US! SHE OPENED HER DOOR AND WALKED OUT INTO TRAFFIC!" Charles shouted back.

"That's enough!" I said with a raised, but calm voice. "For whatever reason, she needed help. She needs people around her that won't treat her like a lost child. And we still owe her for helping you three and several others in New Orleans."

Charles let out a huff before storming back upstairs. Issac followed behind him, probably going to make an attempt to calm him down with a voice of reason.

I looked at Brent who continued to watch the girl on the floor inside the cage. The basement was large and the cage took up almost half of the room. It's main purpose was for werewolves that were going through their first turn.

"She's going to need blood." Brent said before looking back to me. "I've never seen a vampire act the way she does, but in New Orleans, she was--"

"Prince Jones was an Elder vampire. She inherited some of his power, Mr. Brugger. I'm unsure on his reasons for not training her properly, but I've encountered only one other vampire like her." My arm was still feeling like it was burning as a rubbed my other hand against the bandage. "I'm sure she will be much more stronger then others give her credit for. But you are right, she does need blood."

I pulled out my phone from my pocket as Brent turned his attention back to the girl. "She should be fine once she wakes back up. You can lay her in my room so that she is a little more comfortable. I'll make a few more arrangements so that she's better taken care of."

I start to head back upstairs before Brent spoke up again. "Why are you putting so much effort? I know you owe her, but keeping her here? Shouldn't we just arrange for her to be with her own kind?" He asked.

I stepped back toward him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Even though she could be better off among other vampires, the young miss has a certain," I look into the cage before looking back to him. "Innocence about her. She's better off here and in doing so, she will turn out a lot more powerful then other vampires."