Covenant (A Lapidot Fanfiction)

Chapter 51: Protector

Peridot's warm fingers were tracing my neck, mostly the two scabs that had formed over my vampire bite. She was staring at the bite suspiciously, as if it were still malicious to me. Dangerous. It was only scabs now. It wasn't dangerous. Just my own clotted blood. No danger added. I still had Turquoise in my arms. She felt warmer than she usually did. I couldn't tell if that was me, or if she had become warmer. It would only bother me if it was me. Peridot's fingers were noticeably warmer as well.

"...do I feel cold to you?" I asked.

"A bit colder than usual," Peridot answered. "Since you were in your little coma at the hospital. You've felt slightly colder. You also smelled wrong for a bit because of the blood transfusions, but that's beside the point."

"...what are you searching for?" I asked.

"I'm not really sure," Peridot answered. "I'm just...suspecting."

"Suspecting what?"

"What's going on with you."

"Do you have an idea?" I asked, watching as she moved her hand to my heart.

"...I think I might," Peridot answered, sitting up. Turquoise shifted in my arms. "So your shield works against vampire powers, right?"

"Right," I said.

"I think..." she seemed to trail off in thought for a moment. "...you were bitten there on your neck...not abnormal, of course, but one thing is abnormal. Most people don't survive. At least, they don't survive human."

I blinked and found myself touching the scabs. I was anxious. Very anxious.

"I wonder if the venom managed to get to your brain."

My hand was on my forehead.

"And...it activated something in it. Whatever created your shield." Peridot was smirking as her theory came together. "And it amplified it. Then Topaz saved you before you could transform." She looked at me with a childish smile I hadn't seen in years. "You're superhuman, Lapis! You're not a vampire, but you had some venom working up there. You're superhuman!"

"I wouldn't call it superhuman," I said. "Just bitten. Got lucky. Now I can protect you guys like you've protected me."

"Indeed you can," Peridot responded. "How does it feel to know that making the decision for you to go on the battlefield will be much easier to make?"

"Awesome," I answered.

"Good," Peridot said. "Though I do feel you should take a little break. I would imagine that type of thing would be a lot of strain on a human body."

"I don't know," I responded. "I feel fine."

"You should take one just in case." Peridot kissed my forehead. "Okay?"

"Okay," I said.

Turquoise looked up at me in that moment, inspecting me as usual. I leaned down and kissed her head. Knowing that I could protect her now lifted a huge burden off of my shoulders. Peridot and Topaz were capable of protecting themselves from most things, but Turquoise was only a baby. A defenseless baby. She needed someone to protect her, and that someone was now me. I held her little hand. Only then did I notice Peridot watching us intently. I felt my face turning pink for a reason I couldn't exactly put my finger on.

"You love her so much," she whispered. "Since the moment you found out, you were loving her. I just...I love watching you love my family like I love it. I wish I could be more interactive...but...I really, really do love how you love her and me. She probably adores you. She probably has since you conceived."