DEAD SEED (AKA "Vampires Don't Exist")

TWENTY-SIX: A New Woman

Aralyn's eyes shot open a few minutes later. Blood-red and consumed by a dark shadow. The pain was completely gone. She felt rejuvenated. Better than she had ever felt in her entire life. Her vision was sharper than ever. She could see in the darkness of the room as a predator could. Her senses were overwhelmed. Blood. The room was covered in it. Or so it seemed.

She was smelling the blood of every being in that room. She heard two hearts beating: one fast and frightened. The other slow and lazy. The fast heart belonged to Maggi, who looked as though she were trying to climb the wall. Her eyes were wide with shock at everything she had just witnessed.

Aralyn sat up and searched for the source of the other heartbeat: her baby. He had stopped crying. Aimeric had swaddled him and was holding him close to his chest. There was a hole still burned into Aimeric's shirt from where the cross had touched his skin; a scar in the shape of the cross stamped on his flesh, though it was already fading.

"How do you feel, my love?" Aimeric asked when she sat up.

Aralyn looked at her arms; her hands; down at her stomach. She was back to her old self; her stomach was flat, no sign of being pregnant. Her skin was pale and like porcelain. Her dark hair fell to her waist in waves. Her lips matched the blood-red color of her eyes.

Her mind was clear of all confusion and contradiction, every disgusted thought she had ever had of Aimeric vanished. He was no longer just her master but her partner; her love; her reason for being.

She smiled at him and he smiled back.

"I feel ... great," she sighed, falling back onto the pillows. "Let me hold him."

Aimeric shook his head. "Not yet, darling. You must learn to control your strength first. You may hurt him if you try to hold him now."

Aralyn frowned, her eyes darkening. But then she caught sight of the intruders. Wes was still holding Orrin in a headlock. Morgan, Sadie, and Mabel held onto Claire, who had slumped to her knees as if she had lost all hope. Looking to her left, she saw Maggi fall to a sitting position on the floor. She looked straight ahead, not blinking. She was in shock, the poor thing.

"Kill her, Aralyn. She is of no further use to us," Aimeric said. "Besides, you need the blood of a mortal now to complete the transformation."

"No, Aralyn. Don't give in, it's not too late —"

"Shut up." Wes tightened his hold on Orrin's neck to keep him from talking.

Aralyn looked at the woman thoughtfully, then stood from the bed and made her way to Maggi. She knelt beside her and cocked her head, staring into the woman's wide eyes.

"No," Aralyn said slowly.

"What do you mean 'no'?" Aimeric said.

"She showed loyalty. She could have run the moment she was afraid, but she stayed to help me and ensure the safe delivery of our son. I think she deserves better than death, don't you? I want to keep her."

Maggi blinked, then shook her head, coming out of her trance and whispered, "I won't tell anyone, please just let me go."

Aralyn giggled. "Oh, we can't do that."

"Please. I have a family."

"They'll forget about you eventually," Aralyn said gently as if that would make Maggi feel better. "Morgan. Prepare a room for Maggi. Give her Claire's old room."

"Master?" Morgan looked at Aimeric, appalled that Aralyn was now giving him orders.

"You heard her, Morgan. She is your queen, and you will obey her."