The Blood Bond (Chapter One): Quis Ego Sum

We are different, unique, brave, fearless. We walk among them, and they never see beneath the surface, beneath the fake tan and the contact lenses, the blusher and the false teeth. We wear this shameful attire only in the painful light of the sun. For at night the disguise comes off, revealing the monster inside us all. We hunt, to quench our undesirable thirst for blood. Police officers can see a CCTV picture, but can never view our faces, occasionally no part of our body. For we are vampires. And we are lethal.

I saw her first as I entered the Malo Castle, my home, with my mother and my twin sister Avalie, after making my first kill. I didn’t feel particularly pleased about it, but put that down to the fact that she was only a four year old girl, lost in the wind and rain. There was very little pride to be found in killing something so vulnerable, so weak. There is now none.

The door creaked close as I entered the grand entrance hall of Malo Castle; its rough, wooden edge slowly evading my grasp as I stared at her in shock and amazement. She was an angel, in our home. The heart-stopping moment when I saw her, I knew that we must be staked. Angels never visited the home of a vampire, not unless we had done something extremely grave, like biting one of their kind. The death of an angel can suck the good, the joy and the cheer out of anyone. Sometimes, depending on the power of the angel and the vampire combined, it can cause the entire planet to feel a shudder of hurt. The first thought to strike me, was one which I found rather frightening, the worrying possibility of that little girl in the alley being an angel. They do occasionally visit Earth, to spread joy and goodwill, mostly at special mortal holidays and celebrations. But this one seemed different, unnatural. The energy emitting from her was so fiercely strong that it very nearly made me collapse, though I managed to regain my balance before I could fall. Even Mother - perhaps the strongest creature to enter these doors - stumbled slightly.

“Who are you?” Mother demanded to know.” What is it you desire?”

The angel ruffled her slightly greying wings.

“I am Devina.” She snarled. ”I wish only to assist, and convey a message.”

“Angels can snarl?” I wondered out loud, clamping my hand over my mouth when I heard the sound of my voice.

“Ha!” Devina laughed. ” I am no angel. I was, once upon a full moon, but a vampire bit me, and I became this half-breed.” She explained. “Now, however i work for Professor Valicia at Empous Academy for Young Magical Creatures.”

I looked at her in astonishment, as did Avalie. This surely meant that we had been accepted to the prestigious school, did it not. Our mother stood behind us, beaming proudly, so we assumed we had been accepted, though I was still not entirely certain.

“Well, Avalie, Alite, do you want to go?” Mother asked.

We both nodded eagerly, though we both knew that we didn’t really have any choice in the matter.

“Perfect.” Devina said. “ This shall make our mission so much easier.”

She winked, smiling her glistening white smile, and took off into the dark night, her now black wings camoflaged against it, leaving us to our thoughts on what this mission could possibly be.

“Well girls,” Mother said, eventually finding her voice, and breaking the awkward silence.” I suppose we must leave for Filvene soon to collect your school supplies.”

I wasn’t certain where Filvene was, or what it contained, but I did have a few faint memories of I Scream parlours, and shops filled with magical items. The thought warmed my stone heart a little, just enough for my mouth to twitch up slightly at the sides. This was a rare occurrence for vampires. Avalie looked over, and saw the smile on my face. She frowned and opened her mouth to speak, but i vanquished this movement with a smirk and raised eyebrow. That expression on my face never failed to frighten her.

Mother turned slowly to nod at us, appearing to be oblivious to our silent exchange. We both went upstairs to sleep, for it had been both an eventful and a tiring night for the two of us. Avalie closed her eyes almost the second her ice-cold back hit the mahogany wood and red velvet of her coffin. I, however, found it a little bit more difficult to drift into Dreamworld, and when I finally did, I believe I got lost. In memory world.

I was running through the dark town, hidden in a full-length black dress with a blood red lace corset. Avalie and mother were behind me, in similar attire. We ran down the dark alley, though slightly unladylike, if I might insult myself. Mother turned her pale nose up in distaste at the pungent odour of greasy chips and fish. They simply had to be cooked as well, of course. She sighed, trying not to inhale the stench. She snapped her fingers, suddenly transforming the wasteland of a street into a rather nice place, ridding it of all the repulsive odours which had earlier consumed the place. A small girl was huddled in the corner, her eyes wide with fear and astonishment. We snarled at her, narrowing our red eyes. I smirked, giving the girl the same look I was going to give Avalie, later that night. I closed my eyes fully then, imagining a cloak of darkness consuming me, enveloping me in its velvety arms. I bared my fangs, moving in silently for the kill.

I woke up suddenly, shivering as the warm morning light filtered in through the deep velvet curtains which were draped over the transparent panes of glass. Some fool must have forgotten to close them the night before, most likely me. I sighed, closing my eyes, and edged quietly over to the window. Even with my Auxilium, the harsh light burnt through my skin, reaching my stiff bones. Mid-day is always the worst time of day, especially for young vampires, such as myself. I pulled the curtains closed, shutting out the horribly radiant beams of the sun.

Now that I could finally connect the power of darkness to me, in order to concentrate, I began to hear voices drift up from the bottom of my tower staircase.

“I think she has something to hide mother.” I heard Avalie say.

I rolled my eyes as I heard this, though in full knowledge of Avalie’s infuriating ignorance.

“I am, certain she does not.” My mother sighed.

I could hear the exasperation in her voice, and imagined a visual image of her face in my mind.

“But-“ Avalie began to protest.

“Avalie!” Mother broke in, sternly. “Please can you find it in yourself to be quiet?” She asked, not expecting an answer.

I heard the arguing voices fade away, and-after I had deemed it safe-left my room to go to the grand old kitchen in the basement, for blood quenched my thirst, but not my hunger. A cold draught blew in from a gap in the large, dark grey boulders which made up the walls. The coffin-shaped fridge stood open, blood dripping from a severed human hand, which I hoped was fake- the hands contain the worst type of blood. I shuddered, for I had never supported my ancestors gruesome traditions anyway. I spied a pack of sausages and opened it fully, before guzzling the delicious meat down my throat. My enhanced hearing picked up the sound of shoes on the polished hardwood floor. I turned around to see mother and Avalie standing in the doorway, analysing me, trying to work out what thoughts were ricocheting around my head.

“What did you do?” Avalie asked, a hint of superiority on her face.

“Sorry.” I mumbled, thinking about how I had raided the fridge.

“For what?” Avalie asked again.

“Sorry for eating all of the sausages.” I replied, thinking that it was obvious.

Avalie’s shoulders sank, most likely because of her failed attempt to make me tell her and mother why I had smiled last night.

“Well, no matter, no matter.” Mother said. ”It’s time to go to Filvenenow, you can have your breakfast there Avalie.”

I nodded, and exited the kitchen after them, mother’s long dress swishing so far behind her Avalie could only take a few minute steps.

We walked through ther narrow cobblestone streets of Vinlig, the hidden place where most mystical and magical creatures dwelled. It was law that every vampire family must have a hidden entrance somewhere in their household, though it has not always been clear if the same rule applied to the others, such as merpeople and werewoplves. Ugh, werewolves. The specdies all despise. Their itchy, coarse fur and ear-splitting shrieks. The most dastardly creature to encounter.

A small bar lay at the end of the road. A battered sign hanging off the exterior wall on its rusty hinges told us that the place was called Ghoppihs Blood Bar.

“This is it.” Mother said, eying the filthy place with distaste.

Her words surprised me, for we would usually skim over the rooftops as bats, as that method was the easiest way, and the most exciting. As though she could read my mind, though the expression on my face was probably a good clue, mother spoke up, in a tired voice, the kind mortal parents would use to explain something to children, something which would be obvious.

“This is the traditional way for young vampires to travel to Filvene, on their first visit to the fang engravers.” Mother explained, stating what I had already been thinking.

Avalie shot me a superior look, as though she was the better child, the better vampire. In my mother’s eyes, she most likely was.

Inside, the pub was cold and damp with the sticky feeling of dried blood, mingled with the fresh. A staircase with a gleaming golden banister seemed to reflect a bright, non-existent light. Mother flounced elegantly across the room wrinkled her nose up in disgust at the sweet and sickly smell of strawberries. We exited by means of a small door, which was well concealed by a table. There in front of us was Trilley, the first stepping stone to my new life.