Chapter 60

Clara

Making the decision to drink blood was the easy part. The hard part was actually doing it.

I shared my decision with Nora and Tracy first. Nora was uncertain, but supportive. Tracy was happy and of course supported my decision.

To my shock, Nora volunteered to let me take some of her blood.

“Are you sure?” I signed.

Nora nodded. “It won’t be like it was with Kyle. You would never hurt me.”

“No, never,” I signed.

“You’ve always done your best to help me,” Nora said. “Like I always tried to protect you. We’ve had each other’s backs since we were young. Why should that change now?”

I smiled and hugged her. I was truly afraid that learning I was part vampire would make Nora hate me. Instead, she faced her fears to support me.

“So, do you have to bite me?” Nora asked. “Is it okay if it’s on the arm instead of the neck? That feels kind of weird.”

“She doesn’t have to bite you at all,” Tracy said. “We only bite those who prefer to donate that way. Some people enjoy it.”

That mental image made both Nora and me blush slightly. Then I thought about Ronan, and how he would nibble my neck just a bit when we kissed. Maybe I could see the appeal.

“We use a small knife,” Tracy explained, “And just make a tiny cut. She won’t need much blood, especially the first time. You can squeeze a little bit into a glass of wine.”

“I can do that,” Nora said. “I mean, if Clara needs to bite me then she bites me, but a knife is much easier. No bad memories.”

“Kyle always bit you?” Tracy guessed.

Nora nodded and shuddered.

“He will be punished for that,” Tracy promised.

“What will happen to him?” Nora asked.

“Well, traditionally we imprison vampires who abuse their blood bonded partners for the lifespan of the partner. That way they can’t ever hurt them again. But we do not have the space or the resources to keep a prisoner locked up that long.”

“So he’ll go free?” Nora whimpered.

“No. It is likely he will be executed,” Tracy said. “We hate to do that. It’s a waste. But Kyle shows no remorse for how he treated you. And if he did go free, there is no way to guarantee he won’t hunt you down to hurt you again, or take a new partner and harm them.”

Nora sat down, hard. “Kyle is going to die?”

Tracy nodded, and sat down next to her. I sat on her other side, and hugged her close.

“It is all right to have mixed feelings about that,” Tracy said.

“I hate him,” Nora whispered. “I hate him so much. But. It felt like you punched me when you said he was going to die. Why does it hurt to think of him dying?”

“He was part of your life for a long time. Your wolf chose him, for some moon forsaken reason,” Tracy said. “It’s hard to imagine someone that tightly woven into you being gone.”

“Will there be a trial? Or has there already been one?” Nora asked.

“We waited,” Tracy said, “because you were not here to speak for yourself. We weren’t sure whether we should send an agent to gain your testimony, or just accept Clara’s word alone. But you’re here now, so you can speak against him if you want to.”

“Do I have to face him?” Nora whispered.

“No, you merely have to speak to our council of leaders. That’s Ronan, the lead healer, and the chief cook,” Tracy explained.

“Wait, Ronan is in charge here?” Nora squeaked. “Clara’s Ronan? And a cook?”

Tracy laughed a little. “Yes, Clara’s Ronan is on the council. He leads the scouts. They defend us, so their leader is also one of our leaders. The healers choose one of their number, and the artisans choose one. This term, they’ve chosen the cook. Sometimes it’s the blacksmith. Sometimes it’s someone else.”

“Wait, so you choose your leaders?” Nora gasped. “You don’t have a king or a lord or any nobles?”

“Nope. We’re all as common as dirt around here,” Tracy said. “So we just pick out who we think will do the best job. We get along.”

“It sounds insane,” Nora said. “I can’t imagine what would happen if the maids picked a leader among ourselves. Those little idiots would probably pick Ella.”

I nodded, and signed, “It seems to work here, though.”

Nora translated my signs for Tracy, and then said, “I guess it makes sense. Things are different here, so your leaders are different, too.”

“That’s right,” Tracy said.

“So I talk to Clara’s court mate and a healer and a cook, and I tell them all the ways Kyle hurt me,” Nora said after a minute. “And then it’s done? He’s gone forever.”

“Yes,” Tracy said. “We already believe Clara’s word, and Kyle admitted it under the influence of Ronan’s truth senses. So we know. Having your testimony is helpful, but if you don’t want to speak about it, you do not have to.”

“No, I want to. And I want him to know it’s me that said the final word that sent him to his death. Will they tell him that?” Nora asked.

“If that’s what you want, that is what we will do,” Tracy promised.

“Thank you.” Nora said. Then she perked up. “Where’s that knife? I want to give Clara my blood before I lose all this foolish courage I’ve picked up someplace.”

Tracy pulled out her own blood kit. Every vampire in the Warren had one. I didn’t ask Tracy who she normally drew blood from. I figured that she would tell me if she wanted me to know. She lived alone, besides me, and I’d never seen her with anyone in particular. Maybe she mostly drank animal blood. I’d learned that many vampires here did that.

“Here’s the cup. Clara, you hold that. I’ll pour a little wine. It’ll help with the taste. It can be overwhelming when you’re not used to it. Nora, here’s the knife. Would you like to make the cut, or would you prefer I do it?” Tracy asked.

“You do it,” Nora said. “I’m afraid I won’t cut deeply enough.”

“It only takes a little,” Tracy assured her.

Tracy made a shallow cut high on Nora’s arm, away from any major blood vessels. She kneaded Nora’s arm so that a trickle of blood ran into the cup. Once enough had flowed, really only a few drops, she pressed a bandage to Nora’s arm and wrapped it tightly.

“Go on,” Tracy said. “Your friend has fed you, accept her gift.”

I nodded, and took a tiny sip. It mostly tasted like wine. Rationally, I shouldn’t have been able to taste the blood at all. But I did. It was sweet, possibly the sweetest thing I’d ever tasted.

“Well, how do I taste?” Nora teased.

“Sweet,” I signed, and then downed the rest of the cup in one deep drink.

Tracy and Nora watched me. I don’t know what they expected to see. I don’t know what I expected.

What I felt was my wolf trying to leap out of my skin. I shifted, and ran around the room on all fours, unable to contain her energy. Nora laughed at my antics. Tracy looked confused, but she smiled when I settled next to her.

I shifted back to human form, and drew Nora into a hug.

“How do you feel?” Nora asked.

“Good,” I signed.

“So, does she get a power now?” Nora asked. “That’s where you vampires get your powers, isn’t it? Drinking blood?”

“It might take a little time, and more blood,” Tracy said.

“Well, I hope my blood gives you a good power,” Nora said. “I hope it happens before you finally reject Marcus, because I want to see it.”

I nodded, and then grabbed my throat.

“Clara?” Tracy asked, concerned.

Nora reached for me, obviously worried.

My throat felt so strange! It was warm, like I’d tried to drink sunlight, but it didn’t burn like it did when I was ill.

“Clara, what’s wrong?” Nora asked.

I opened my mouth, and a soft, strained whine emerged. It wasn’t a word, no, but it was a sound.

For the first time in my life, I made a sound.

I had a voice!