The next three days were slow and full of anxiety. All I did was stay in that same mansion, waiting until Friday. Also, my dad, Mai, and Taehyung took to teaching me all the different facts and myths of vampirism. As it turns out, vampires aren’t as evil as everyone thinks they are…
“The first thing you should know about vampires,” my dad had said. “Is that they can’t just live on blood alone. However, they do need a certain amount to survive. Other than that, they eat the same things that humans do.”
“And why is that?” I had asked.
“Vampires are simply humans who evolved differently than others,” Mai continued. “Their bodies work differently than normal humans. Their bodies can’t take in nutrients as well as humans. Therefore, they need a source that’s rich in vitamins and minerals. That source is blood, since it carries nutrients to every part of the body. A vampire’s digestive system has the power to draw the essential nutrients out of the blood they drink and take them into their own bloodstream.”
Taehyung picked up from there. “Since no human eats exactly the same, vampires will take long periods of time choosing a person to drink from. They always try to pick one that’s healthy and eats well. Not one that eats candy and sweets constantly. Also, vampires never kill the people they drink from. They treat them respectively and gratefully.”
“But don’t they change into vampires themselves?”
“That,” my dad said, “is one thing that vampires have control over. Their fangs contain a type of liquid, a poison, which contains the DNA code for vampirism. When a vampire wants to change a human, he or she injects the poison into the human’s bloodstream. It then permeates the body’s cells and the vampirism codon is inserted into the person’s DNA. A vampire can also choose to ‘blood’, as it’s called, a human halfway or completely. Either way, the vampire always has control over whether or not they blood a human. Of course, they can also do it subconsciously or on accident. In addition, humans who are only half blooded are called ‘halflings’. Humans that have been fully blooded are called ‘fledglings’.”
“So I’ll have fangs?”
“Yes, but you’ll be able to extract or retract them at will,” Mai said.
“Will I have, like, red eyes and white skin?”
“You’ll be pale, but not as pale as full-blooded vampires. And as for the eyes, no. Your eyes will be the same color as they are now. Maybe slightly shiny or silvery looking, but not red,” answered Taehyung.
“The only time your eyes will change color is when the starvation process starts,” Dad said.
“What’s that?”
“That’s when you go for long periods of time without drinking blood,” Taehyung explained. “The first stage is where you start to feel weak and light-headed. In the second stage, your eyes will start to turn a golden-auburn or topaz color and your skin will turn even paler than normal. The third stage, your eyes will turn to a violet-magenta color and your skin will have a lavender hue. The last stage, before you eventually die of blood starvation, your eyes will start to turn black and the lavender color of your skin turns to a violet-purple. And, well, we won’t get into what happens when you die.”
“Yeesh! That’s harsh!” Then I realized the two female vampires’ eyes were golden-auburn. They must have been deprived of blood.
“Other things you will want to know about vampires is that they are considerably stronger, faster, and more aware than humans, and they can use magic, sorcery, and necromancy just like hunters can. However, hunters can use their spiritual energy while vampires can’t. Their spiritual energy is different. It’s unstable. Magic and the like are the safest things that vampires can manage. Also, vampires have heightened senses and an advanced ‘sixth sense’ that’s more like intuition or clairvoyance. You’ll have all of this too. However, since you’re part hunter, you’ll be able to use spirit energy. Just make sure you don’t do it in the palace or around people who know who you are,” said Mai
“Remember,” Taehyung reminded. “Everyone will think you’re a full vampire. If they found out you’re not, it could cause problems.”
“Why? Are they prejudiced against people like me?”
“Some are and some aren’t. Every vampire is different, just like every human is different. It will be safer and easier if everyone assumes you’re a full-blooded vampire,” Dad said.
“So you said that blooded humans are either called halflings or fledglings. What are vampires who were born that way called?”
“You and I are called ‘half-bloods’. Full-blooded vampires are called ‘true-bloods’,” Mai answered.
Then Taehyung added, “And as far as vampire safety goes, stay away from crosses, holy water, too much garlic, and if you get stabbed with silver don’t keep it to yourself. Also, cat, wolf, bat, spider, and dragon’s blood are all poisonous to vampires, as well as another vampire’s blood. However, with most of this stuff, you’ll only suffer mild effects and will actually have time to be saved, whereas true-bloods would die instantly. But, there’s a catch. Skin contact with items such as crosses, holy water and garlic will only cause the mild effects. But if you ingest them or they make contact with your blood, well, you’re screwed. Cat’s blood and dragon’s blood, if you drink them, you’ll die instantly, even if you are a half-blood. The other types of poisonous blood, you’ll have time. As far as silver, if you get stabbed or cut you’ll have to act fast because if you don’t you’ll be gone within a day to two days tops. Got all this?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“Anyway,” Dad sighed. “I think that’s all for now. If there’s anything else you need to know along the way, we’ll tell you then.”
It was certainly a lot to learn and remember. But my determination and enthusiasm made learning all of it a lot easier. Friday finally came, and by midnight I had gone from a dorky, baby-faced teenager to a mature, chiseled vampire teenager. Major difference, I tell you. I was standing in front of the mirror, waiting for it to happen. Then, one minute I was normal and the next minute I was exotic. It was like I had gone through years of puberty in mere seconds, and then some.
My face and jaw line went from rounded and cute to strong and tough. My eyes weren’t as big and round. I could see my shoulder blades through my t-shirt. I was more muscular, yet fragile-looking at the same time. My shoulders and chest were broad and powerful. I was sure I had grown about an inch and a half too. My hair looked softer and healthier and slightly thicker. My lips seemed to look more of a peach color than before. But the most extraordinary things were my skin and eyes. My sky blue eyes now had slight tinges of navy blue and seemed to sparkle and swirl if I looked at them for long enough. My skin looked pale, but not too pale. It was like looking at moonlight.
I was beautiful, and I was strong. I was everything I had always wanted to be-felt like I should have been. For once in my life, I felt complete; like nothing was missing. Everything was in place.
And then, I felt homesick. Not for the normal, simple house that belonged to my adoptive parents. But for somewhere else. Somewhere where every day was as exotic and exciting as I was now. Somewhere I had never known existed…
I turned to my parents and my soon to be best friends and said, “I want to go home…Where my real family is…”
They smiled.
“All in due time, Kalin Nightingale. But first, you must learn to survive in the dark and harsh world that awaits your return.”
And so my training started. But I won’t tell you about it. It would spoil the action that comes later in the story…
