Vampire Experiment: Book One of the Vamp Virus Series

✧✦ Chapter Eighteen ✦✧

After sleeping for five hours, Odette woke up feeling much better. Her arm hurt from all of the injections she had received, but she wasn't shivering or dizzy anymore. Getting to her feet and stretching, she left the room and wandered around until she found his study. She could hear Jasper and Harland talking with each other.

Opening the door silently she peeked inside and both men immediately turned their heads toward her. Their acute senses were scary but she was glad to see that the two seemed to be talking civilly.

"Come on in dear." Harland smiled as she approached slowly and stood before them. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better, thank you."

"That is good to hear. I still don't know what caused such a reaction, but I am doing research on it to find out." He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Thankfully I found the right thing to help cure it. Speaking of cures, I managed to finally figure out a personal cure to turn you human again."

"You won't like what it is though." Jasper said quietly. He motioned for her to sit.

"That's great!" She sat down and leaned back, feeling fairly relaxed. Thankful that she was starting to become more courageous about everything, she smiled up at the men who were watching her. "What won't I like about the cure?"

"It requires a ritual and you..." Jasper let out a sigh. "We won't be able to be friends after this, Odi. If you go through with this there is no way we can talk to each other. You will never see Lestat or I again. Your memory will be erased. This part of your life will never have existed."

Jasper's eyes met hers and he looked away quickly. He felt pain through his chest and he wanted to get up and hold Odette but he knew that was the worst thing he could do. She was probably going to yell at him or freak out but he was ready. He had no choice in the matter. The cure was going to turn her back into a human and if she was a human she had to know nothing about the vampires. There was no way to even make her a familiar, she was too far gone. Jasper let out a sigh and ran his hands through his hair. It was one way or the other.

"What?" Her eyes widened as she paled drastically, her skin taking on a grey hue. "J-Jasper? But-but..." She started to shake as she shrunk into the chair. "No." She whispered. Was everything falling apart now that she was finally getting used to everything? "NO! I won't do it! I refuse to forfeit our friendship... everything... If we can't be in a relationship together, that's okay. I'll live." Tears started rolling down her face, "But... but to call off our friendship? To not know you anymore... I can't do that... I really can't do that... I'd rather be dead."

"Odi." He whispered and got up, not caring what Harland thought. He pulled her close and kissed her forehead. "I told you you wouldn't like it, Odi. There aren't many choices. I don't know what else to do." He whispered, tears falling down his own cheeks. He listened as Harland got up and left the room, leaving them alone.

"Odette, I never meant to hurt you." He frowned. "I honestly just don't know what to do."

"I know..." She pulled him close and buried her face into his shoulder. "Why can't we just stay as we are."

He let out a sigh and cupped her face. "Odette, then you need to completely embrace vampirism." He said with a serious face. "Either you choose to be human and forget all of this, or become a complete vampire and leave your old life behind."

She looked hesitant, but took a deep unnecessary breath and replied with a steady voice. "What do I need to do to embrace vampirism?"

"We need to get away from Harland for one. We need to run away from everyone. You don't have many good choices in this Odi. If you turn into a human you will forget about us. If you turn into a vampire you will have to forget your family."