The Silver Cross - The Path Of A Monster (Book One)

Chapter Nine - The First Taste

Finally, he looked up and smirked. "Wipe that look off your face, I can't hurt you in here." Cain shook his head, still looking at Jack with a pained look in his eyes, having never seen such a look before on his brother but Cain couldn't stop the worry, or hide it in his voice. He bit his lip, watching his brother as the look in his eyes seared into his memory. Jack merely stood up, rolling his eyes as he stepped towards the bars.

"Jack?"

"Don't worry about me, I know what's to come... I've accepted it, prepared myself for it."

"You saved me," Cain whispered with regret staining his voice, he could not help but close his eyes, letting a tear roll down his cheek. "You are in here because of me, because of what you did."

Jack stood by the white line, knowing not to cross it, for fear of what would happen. The lights bothered him slightly, a little annoying at best and yet he shrugged them off.

There was no way to comfort his brother, nothing he could say that would make his death better, hurt less and yet it was coming, coming with the change, he could feel it boiling under his skin, first a dull ache, becoming stronger, worse. He gripped his own arm, his long nails sharp like glass as he dug them into his skin, relieving the pain.

"I regret nothing, if I could do it again, I would, changing nothing."

"What?" Cain asked in surprise.

"This was meant to be... one way or another, I've followed my destiny, my time is coming to an end... the curse... is spreading 'round my body... get out, now."

He didn't leave but stood in surprise. With enough sense left, Jack turned around, refusing to look his brother in the eye. There were things he didn't need to see, things Jack would never want him to see, the face of a monster wasn't easily forgotten, the changing face of a creature so blood thirsty was another thing altogether.

"Leave," Jack managed as he gripped his chains, hoping the guards would come running, hoping his brother would be spared a sight he'd never forget. He wrapped the chains around his hands, his skin sizzling at the pain as his blood dripped onto the floor.

There was no stopping the change, it gripped him in its stone hand, refusing to let him go as it choked the life out of him, the pain almost unbearable as the vampire blood within him began its final conversion, it had waited so long to do it, to break him, he had resisted but the pain had only intensified, scorching hot and cruel to punish him for his resistance.

Finally, after waiting so long, someone ran in. He did not dare sneak a look, only hoped his brother was forced to leave, so he'd not have the image of a monster forever stuck in his head, the monster that was once his brother, that was on its way out to greet him with a cruel, cold stare, one of hunger and thirst, the mind of a hunter but a different type of hunter, a monster.

"Jack, hands in the air or we'll have no choice but to shoot," a guard warned with a sympathetic tone, his hand trembling even as Jack lifted his freed hands. With his strength, his chains were almost nothing to him, their weight didn't shackle him, they could barely contain him. "We're going to cuff you, if you resist, we'll shoot."

"I... understand," Jack replied, considering his options.

It would be a quick death if he turned around, they'd stake or shoot him and finally, he'd know peace, he'd die feeling something, knowing that he had no regrets about what he'd done, no innocent lives taken for his lust for blood. Knowing that made it easier for him to accept death, to want it.

"Nicola's waiting for you," the guard whispered as Jack began to turn towards them, to face them.

He stopped dead in his tracks, still as his grave as they cuffed him, thoughts of her racing in his head, her long strands of red hair, those eyes, something he'd never forget. Fear took hold of him for just a moment, shaking it off proved to be a difficult task and yet he wanted to see her, just one last time before he died. He bowed his head, chained up like a dog, he hoped Cain was not close, hoped they were not lying merely to gain his trust.

There was an odd silence as they took him out of his cage, their heartbeats calm as he walked with them, his handcuffs burning his skin, weakening him carefully. He guessed they were silver, poisonous to a vampire's bloodstream, harmful to the skin, good for weakening powers. They stopped him outside of the room, switching his cuffs for chains as they led him in, chaining him like an animal to the table.

He waited there, for her or for death. Perhaps it was her job to put an end to him, that thought brought a feeling of comfort to him, yet kept the state of distrust, vulnerability. He would have preferred to not have her see him as a monster, better remembering him as the man he once was, not the monster he'd become but it wasn't him that requested the visit, it was her.

Pain soured through him, ripping into him like shards of glass but he stayed still, a near perfect statue, fearful and yet fearless. He welcomed death like he'd welcome a lover's hand, their soft skin in his rough hand, ready to guide him to the end of his path.

"Let me pass," she ordered in a cold tone as she opened the door. "Stand outside, I'll call you if I need you, but unless I do, you are to stay outside, is that understood?"

"Yes, of course, but he is a danger to himself and others."

The door flung open without the guard's assistance. He looked up at her, the red hair he knew so well, the autumn colours he had come to love.

"Nicola," he whispered softly, trying to stand up without thinking. He grunted, falling back onto his seat.

"I came as soon as I could, I'm so sorry... if only I'd gotten here sooner, this wouldn't be happening, we'd have done something... tried to get you out of this mess," she promised as she sat down opposite him. She lowered her voice to just above a faint whisper as she looked into his eyes, "can you hear me?" she asked.

Jack nodded once, looking out at the blackened windows. He wasn't convinced they couldn't see him, doubtful they'd leave a human on her own without having some ability to protect her.

She walked towards him, a knife glistening in her hand. He did not struggle, he was not going to fight, if death had come for him in the sight of a beautiful one like her, then he was ready to accept. Her red hair swayed as she knelt down, slicing into the palm of her hand. She let the blood drip onto the ground, the smell travelling quickly through the air, so strong it was all he could smell, all he wanted.

"Get... away," he stated quickly.

"Jack..." she started.

"I don't want to hurt you, get away!" he ordered, growling at the scent of fresh blood. He covered his eyes as they stung, calling out for the liquid that matched their colour.

She did not say a word, just remained calm as put one of her hands on his head. Without a warning she covered his eyes, pulling his head back as her cut hand dripped on his cheek. He struggled for a few moments as the blood continued to drip. She adjusted the palm of her hand, resting it over his mouth as she let the blood drip, silently watching him like a hawk.

At first it was horrible, like licking a rusty pole but as the blood continued to drip, the smell began to match the taste. It took just a few moments for him to stop fighting, for the monster to tolerate it, enjoy it. He no longer fought for such a taste, instead he welcomed it, almost begging for every drop as the wound began to close. He licked his lips, hungry for more even as she pulled her hand away from him, wrapping it up until the bleeding completely stopped.

"Nicola... why?" he asked as her fingers hovered on the alarm. She pressed it without a word, watching as guards swarmed in. "I tripped with the knife... blood... he drank it."

"Then he'll die tonight," a guard snapped out of disgust.