Jill woke up the next night not feeling well in the least. She had a pounding headache, her body was sore, and she still felt extremely tired, despite having slept quite well. She groaned as she tried to move to the side of the bed, feeling like she’d pulled every muscle in her body. Getting out of bed was a chore in and of itself; getting dressed was going to be another matter entirely. Looking across the dark room she could easily see another outfit had been left for her. She wondered if she was going to have to protest this choice in her wardrobe as well, but found it was something more to her liking. A simple pair of khaki shorts and a simple black blouse made out of some stretchy material. It almost looked like some sort of training outfit turned a notch classy. The fare was simple yet still smacked of the flair for the dramatic she’d come to expect from Jack. On top was a note indicating that a supply of items of a more personal nature could be found in the drawers on the other side of the room. Jill was relieved to find a supply of undergarments that had been chosen with her in mind rather than someone else.

Getting dressed, Jill found that if she didn’t make any sudden movements or move her head in any direction she could keep the pounding to a minimum. She accomplished the task quickly though, giving herself another look in the mirror. The top conformed a bit too much to the line of her body for her taste but she could move easily in it. The neckline was low but not so much as the dress yesterday so she felt she could tolerate it. In all actuality, she realized she’d never really had to worry so much about necklines and moderately inappropriate garb. A life more or less on the run didn’t permit a large amount of time for fashion concerns. On the topic of fashion she looked at her hair and was surprised to see that it looked pretty good for her having just woken up. Still, it needed just a little adjusting.

As she picked at loose ends she was surprised to find that it more or less obeyed her will, doing exactly what she wanted. With only the slightest effort she found she could make her hair do whatever she wanted, and upon closer inspection discovered that the hair itself was now, for lack of a better word, perfect. Granted she had bathed just the other day for the first time in God only knew how long. Her hair had a shine and softness to it she had never had before. Getting more curious she looked at her skin, and that too, short of a growing paleness, seemed to be perfect. No wrinkles, no dry skin or any other common maladies. Taking in her face as a whole she realized, for the first time that she was truly beautiful. Her hair, her skin, her face, her body; all seemed have changed, just subtly enough to make her, in a word, gorgeous.

She shook her head in wonder at the changes that had been wrought on her since her transformation and instantly regretted it as pain echoed through her skull. She was amazed at the difference but didn’t know what to think of it. Granted, she’d thought she’d been pretty before, and the woman looking back at her in the mirror was clearly her but now she was … different. On an impulse she drew her lips back to see her teeth. As expected they were perfect white and straight, a miracle for an age where dental care consisted of a bottle of moonshine and a pair of pliers. There was just one difference. Her canines were slightly extended, not much, but just enough, ending in sharp points. She ran her tongue across them experimentally, noting just how sharp they were. There they were though. Fangs. She went and sat down on her bed, running her tongue absentmindedly over the two sharp points as she contemplated the ever increasing changes she noticed. One thought kept echoing over and over in her mind. “I’m not human anymore.” The only question that remained was, if she wasn’t human, then what was she?

A polite knock sounded at the door, but Jill ignored it, just wanting to be alone with her thoughts at the moment. The knock sounded two more times, but she remained silent hoping that whoever it was would simply go away and leave her be. The knocking did indeed stop so she returned to her thoughts, still idly running her tongue over the two sharp fangs.

“Fascinating aren’t they?” Jack’s voice spoke, his mouth a mere inch from her ear, soft and intimate. Jill felt her heart leap straight into her throat as a small scream escaped her lips. Instantly she shut her mouth tight, fighting the embarrassment as she listened to Jack’s laughter. Not dark, spooky laughter, much as she would have expected from him, but an honest, deep laugh that filled the room. Jack didn’t know how long it had been since he’d laughed so hard that his sides hurt, but her reaction had been far too grand. Jack had found that sneaking up on a vampire was much akin to sneaking up on a cat. It was nigh impossible, but when one could do it, the most fantastic reactions could be observed.

Jill was not nearly as amused as Jack was and reacted with fiery anger. The sudden shock, and the resultant jump had set her head to pounding and she lashed out in anger, aiming a solid punch at Jack’s stomach. There was a small blur though, and suddenly Jack was safely out of range of her fist, sitting casually on her bed, fighting off the last peals of laughter and rubbing his eyes. Scowling Jill crossed her arms over her chest and regained control over her breathing. “What are you doing in here?” She snapped at Jack angrily when he had stopped as well.

“I thought I would come and fetch you for … “. He paused. “Dinner.” He finished with his customary smile, flashing a little fang. “I knocked but you weren’t answering, so I let myself in.” He leaned back, totally relaxed, while Jill had backed as far away from him as she could. He was looking at her intently with his eerily glowing eyes. She noticed that it wasn’t really bright light that emanated from them, but a low and steady one. Something that you wouldn’t notice at all if there were some other light in the room, which she found herself wishing for at the moment, even though she could see perfectly.

“Dinner? I don’t feel like eating anything.” She answered, but the mention of dinner sparked a sudden hunger in her that she could not name or place. She put a hand to her throat as she felt a slight tickle in the back of it, as if she had gone for a great while without water, and was only now becoming aware that she was thirsty. Thirst. The word struck a cord in her mind and she instantly knew what Jack was referring to. Her mind recoiled from the thought in disgust. Of course, she had known that vampires drank blood, and she’d thought about that reality on a couple occasions but here she was now, feeling this new kind of hunger for the first time. Moreover, she realized that she had felt it since yesterday, but now it was becoming sharp. The pain in her head and body had masked it before, but now she recognized it plainly for what it was. A thirst for blood. She shivered at the realization, wrapping her arms more tightly around herself as Jack watched. “No, I’m fine.” She lied. “And just what do you think you’re doing, breaking into my room.”

“Well,” Jack began, “To be perfectly honest, this is my house, and thus my room and, as such, I feel that I should be able to come and go as I please.” He stood up, his long black hair moving fluidly behind him and the fabric of his black clothes hissing in the in the darkness. Except for his pale skin he was a shadow against the darkness as he spoke. “Secondly, no. You are not fine. I remember well enough what the first few days were like for myself, long ago as they were. I’m sure you’ve noticed the other changes your body is going through. What do you think is fueling those changes? The food you ate a few days ago? Your body destroyed it and flushed it out of your system within a few hours of your change. You most likely didn’t even notice.” All hint of the former humor Jill had witnessed was gone as he lectured her. Oddly though his body remained completely still as he spoke. No odd gestures with his hands, no pacing, he didn’t even move his head as he talked. His voice didn’t sound as if he were angry, he just spoke as if he were explaining something to a child for the first time. In many ways he was.

“I’m afraid that this is another of those things that you don’t have a say in.” Jack continued. Jill was, understandably, not happy to hear this. She was not used to being given orders much less having to obey them. “I know it seems unbearable now but either you have something now, or your symptoms will get progressively worse.” Jill’s anger paused as she heard that concern in his voice that betrayed the calm exterior he projected. Her well-being mattered more to him than he was letting on, but why? “Come, everyone is waiting downstairs.” He smiled again as he made a small movement with his hand and the door opened. He was showing off a bit, and she knew it. Making a great show of her reluctance she stood and followed Jack out into the hallway, her eyes adjusting to the torchlight. Jill remained absolutely silent as she followed, partly to let Jack know she was still angry, partly because she was once again lost in her own thoughts.

The truth of the matter was that she was mad at Jack. It was his fault that she was questioning her humanity. His fault she was watching herself change in the mirror, his fault that she had been dragged to the meeting with Orlock and most importantly, his fault that she was not going to have to go feed on human blood. The thought still churned her stomach, but at the same time she ran her tongue across her new fangs in anticipation, wondering what it would feel like as it slipped down her throat. She shook her head violently to clear out the thoughts, but her thirst was still there. Jack didn’t even seem to notice as she wrestled with her own inner demons.

Yet, even though she hated Jack, she wondered if she could keep on hating him. What if Topaz had been right, and Jack wasn’t a monster? What if he’d honestly done what he’d done to save her life, and as some sort of twisted joke? Behind the arrogance and the distance she could sense that there was much more. If she hadn’t seen it a minute ago she would have never thought to see Jack laughing in pure merriment, just like a normal person. Monsters didn’t laugh like that, they laughed like Orlock had last night. She wondered that if perhaps Jack was not a monster, then could she come to see herself as not being one either.

The dining room was actually much smaller than Jill assumed it would have been. She had been expecting something grand and opulent much in keeping with Jack’s somewhat excessive tastes. The dining room though, was in sharp contrast to the rest of the house, small and intimate. Jill had been expecting something of a large cavernous room filled with one table that stretched the entire length; instead the room was simply adjacent to the kitchen, brightly lit with various paintings and knick-knacks on the wall. Jack stood at the door indicating that she should enter first, noting the questioning look in her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” He asked simply, holding the door open.

“Nothing.” Jill replied. “I was just expecting something…bigger.” She shrugged and entered the room.

“Ah. I enjoy a little conversation at dinner. I’ve found that shouting down the table is very inconvenient to those ends.” He said as he followed her into the room. The dinner table was smaller, to seat at most eight people, but was still made out of a finely polished wood that had a light finish, adding to the general cheery effect of the room. A fire burned on one side of the room, providing light and a little warmth, but not making it uncomfortably warm. Topaz and Maila were already sitting at the table in uncomfortable silence, Maila absolutely refusing to meet Topaz’s concerned gaze. Vallov towered in one corner, completely silent, seemingly just content to stand and loom above everyone. Jill had never ceased to be impressed by the sheer size of the man, she was also confused as to the exact nature of his role here as he did not seem to be a vampire, but not human either.

The table was set with four large crystal goblets, filled with dark red blood. Seeing them and knowing one was for her, Jill wanted to run from the room, but she found at the same time she couldn’t keep her eyes off of it. Without thinking she took a seat next to Maila, who seemed none too pleased at her choice of seats but said nothing for the time being. Jack sat next to Topaz, who was right across from Maila, and reached for his glass. At that unspoken signal Topaz and Maila also took their glasses; they all raised them in a sort of toast and took a drink. For her part, Jill simply sat and stared at her glass, fighting the instinct to pick it up and drink down the thick red liquid. While her new instincts battled with everything she had ever learned growing up, Jack and Topaz carried on an animated conversation while Maila remained silent, glaring at everyone with angry eyes. Vallov remained like a statue in the corner until it finally seemed to get on Jack’s nerves.

“Vallov,” Jack said, faintly annoyed. “You’re looming again. Just sit down and prove to me that you can bend at the elbows.” Obediently Vallov pulled a chair out and sat down, which still put him head and shoulders above the rest of them, but made it less pronounced now. As Jack and Topaz talked and drank Vallov actually did seem to relax a little, occasionally smiling at the various jokes of Topaz and the ironic smile of Jack.

Jill took extremely little notice of these events as she wrestled with the choice in front of her. She didn’t want to but she could feel her hand sneaking forward to grasp hold of the glass. She pulled her hand back quickly though, as if she’d been burned, her eyes still locked on the deep red contents of the glass, her mind in turmoil. She was holding onto the last ragged threads of what she thought was her humanity with all her strength, but her hunger kept growing, even more with the proximity of the blood. She ran her tongue over her fangs once again, except this time with a much more predatory intent, testing the sharpness. All the changes she was going through, her current company and the experiences of the last two days all flashed through her mind, especially the feeling of Jack’s fangs sinking into her throat and she realized that no matter how hard she tried, she wasn’t human anymore. “I’m a vampire.” She thought to herself, finally, totally accepting it, realizing that, perhaps, she could be a vampire and not be a monster. Finally giving up her resistance to her new life Jill confidently reached forward, grasped the neck of the glass and raised it to her lips, her stomach twisting with a mixture of fear and anticipation.

The thick liquid touched her lips, salty and still warm, with a metallic tang. It was like a dam breaking. The instant it touched her tongue she began drinking, as if she’d gone days without water and a week without eating all at the same time. She raised the glass higher, drinking more and almost instantly felt the pain in her head and her body vanish. She finished the blood quickly, letting the last drops drip into her mouth actually enjoying the coppery taste. She realized that she’d closed her eyes somewhere along the line and opened them to see Jack grinning at her with his slightly evil grin. He raised his glass to her in a kind of toast. “Welcome to the family.” Topaz raised his class as well and they drank. Jill wiped a bit of blood from her lip with her fingertip and quickly popped licked the tip, thinking that it was quite odd, how it did feel like a family.

Chapter 4 – Family 

Jack smiled as he raised his glass and drank, honestly relieved. He could tell that Jill had been waging a sort of war inside herself for the past few days. It was completely normal, of course, but some didn’t survive that particular battle. Honestly, Jill had been forced into the choice by rather dire circumstances and with very little time to think it over. Either way, she was going to die, Jack had provided a way to beat death though and she’d taken it. Now finally, she had embraced it, or at least accepted it. He chuckled silently to himself as he noticed Jill looking awkwardly at her empty cup, a touch of hunger still showing in her eyes.

“Vallov,” he said quietly, “Would you be kind enough to go fill Jill’s cup?” Vallov nodded, and stood, towering once again over the rest of them and silently left the room with Jill’s cup in hand. He returned a minute later with the filled glass and handed it back to Jill. She was still hungry, but now she didn’t have it clawing at her. Without that urgency she decided to mimic the others, raising the glass to her lips, taking polite sips while observing the others. Her eyes connected with Jack’s who smiled, and raised his glass to her as he drank the last of the blood in his glass and set the crystal goblet down in front of him.

“Feel better?” he asked politely after she had drank a little more, leaning back in his chair and lacing his fingers behind his head, completely relaxed. Jill nodded, still ill at ease and unsure of how to act with her new ‘family’. “Good.” Jack smiled. “I am truly sorry about having to take you to Orlock last night. I’d be lying if I said that he’s something you get used to.” At the mention of Orlock’s name Vallov actually became more tense and frowned, as if he had a bitter taste in his mouth. Jill remembered being surprised last night when they’d been asked to leave and the silent giant had actually growled, like a dog protecting its master. “I would really appreciate it though, if in the future you would do everything in your power not to antagonize him. Don’t question him, don’t criticize. I know it goes against the grain, but trust me Jill, Orlock’s anger is something you don’t want to experience.”

A mix of emotions flashed across Jack’s face and voice, almost too fast to read. He was guarded, and it made it difficult for Jill to get any sort of read on him, but she could have sworn he was afraid. Afraid for himself, afraid for her, perhaps for the rest of them as well. For Jack, the memory of what had happened after Jill and Vallov left was still fresh in his mind, the pain still something of a bother. The blood helped, but it would be another day or so before he was completely himself again. He imagined that Vallov and Topaz noticed; Maila might have, but she wasn’t paying attention to anything other than her mostly drained glass.

“I …” Jill began cautiously. “I’m sorry if I caused any problems with him.” It took a lot for her to say and really mean. She didn’t know what happened between the two of them after she had left, but she was realizing that it had been intensely unpleasant for Jack, who, perhaps, wasn’t nearly as bad as she’d thought he’d been just a few minutes ago. Still spooky as all hell, but perhaps she could see around that. She was a vampire after all and a decent amount of spookiness seemed to be part and partial to the whole vampire lifestyle.

“Don’t worry. It’s not your fault.” Jack reassured her. “I think his amusement of my finally taking on a sireling bought us both some breathing space. Let’s both be more careful the next time though.” He smiled again as if nothing had happened at all, as usual, flashing her a little fang.

“I’m just glad you’re doing better.” Topaz said smiling and setting down his empty glass while Jill drank some more. Maila was done as well, and just sat quiet in her seat, her head down, wisps of her purple hair concealing her eyes. Topaz, not seeming to notice her continued, “You had me a bit worried last night. Jack too.” Jill found herself becoming quite fond of Topaz, who, completely out of place with his surroundings, maintained a cheerful and joking attitude. Jack and Maila seemed to fit right in, Jack being distant, mysterious and just a bit creepy with Maila picking up with depressed quiet and dreary. Although, Jill reflected, Jack’s trademark creepiness was appearing more and more like it was a show, a sort of disguise that he hid behind. She wondered just what he was hiding.

“I didn’t mean to worry all of you.” She said, setting down her glass. “I’m just not quite used to …” She paused looking for the words. “Well, all of this.” She said, moving her arm in a big circle indicating everything. “It’s a rather sudden leap for me. The house, drinking blood, all the other changes I see in the mirror. How do you deal with it?” Jack and Topaz looked at each other briefly and laughed for a couple seconds. “What?” Jill asked, furrowing her brows in confusion.

“Jack and I had a very similar talk when he first took me in. I was still young and confused, scared out of my mind at the prospect of being a monster. He told me to … “ Topaz began, still smiling.

“Pick up the shattered pieces of your small, pathetic life and move on.” Jack reached over and clapped Topaz on the shoulder, smiling. “Granted, it wasn’t what he wanted to hear but it was what he needed to hear.” Jack paused looking at Maila who took no notice. “In fact, I can remember having a similar discussions with Maila when she joined our little ‘family’. Although, Topaz, more than myself, helped her realize that she could be more than a monster if she wanted to be.” Jack hoped that by bringing her into the conversation that she would begin to come out of her depression. He felt his anger flair though when she pushed herself away from the table, keeping her eyes downcast and stood quickly, her body shaking with anger and the tears she was fighting back. She flashed an angry look at Jill before she turned on her heel and walked out of the room.

“Uhm…” Jill had definitely caught the hint that Maila did not feel she was welcome, although she didn’t understand why. “Anyone care to explain what just happened and why I got the evil eye just a moment ago?” Jill asked, directing the question at Jack.

“You’ll have to forgive Maila.” Jack said slowly, his voice thick with rage. He wasn’t angry at Maila, he was absolutely furious at Raff. This was not the same Maila who had been with them for so long. Casting a sidelong glance at the wall he considered if he didn’t have time to run and have a quick fight with Rendal, after which he could brutalize Raff for a bit before tying him to a tree to greet the sunrise. “She’s mad at the lot of us right now. You for blowing up her and her worthless boyfriend.” Jack followed that thought up with a string of very creative curses, some old enough that Jill didn’t recognize. “Me for killing him and Topaz for not siding with her like she feels he should.” Jill still looked a bit confused so Jack expounded a bit. “When that waste of flesh Raff was still around he used some magic to get a hold on her, mentally, to make her easier to control. Its still affecting her, I’m afraid.”

“Do you think we’re going to have to forcibly remove it?” Topaz asked, frowning.

“Most likely, even though I don’t know what effect it will have.” Jack too frowned, knowing full well the risks one ran and the intense pain it would cause Maila.

“Wait.” Jill said, interrupting. “I thought you said Raff was dead. Not that I’m complaining, but how can he still be influencing her after he’s dead?” Jill was confused at the entire conversation, especially why both Jack and Topaz seemed reluctant to remove the influence.

“Sometimes the mana of a vampire can linger even after their death. It’s very dangerous to meddle with magics that affect the mind. At the very least it will be excruciatingly painful, but there’s also a possibility of doing permanent damage, although I don’t think Raff was smart enough to make something that permanent.” Jack felt kind of bad about having to lie to her about the fate of Raff, but it was something best kept between himself and Topaz. The last thing he needed was for Maila to find out about Raff through Jill and go on some damn fool mission to rescue Raff, and then get killed in some insane way by Ren. Rendal was nuttier than the sun was hot and Jack’s one relief about the entire situation was that Raff was most likely undergoing tortures that even he couldn’t have thought up.

“Oh.” Jill said simply. Her glass was empty again, but she found that she full, for all intents and purposes. “I guess I still have a lot to learn about who I am now.” She smiled awkwardly as she gave voice to her thoughts. She was slightly unnerved though to see both Jack and Topaz smiling in response.

“I wouldn’t worry about that, Jill dear.” Jack said with a wicked smile, Topaz smiling mischievously as well. “The night is still young, and now that we’ve all had a bit to eat I think we’re about ready to begin your education.” Vallov gathered the empty goblets in his hands and silently took them back to the kitchen as Jack and Topaz stood purposefully. Jill stood up as well, wondering what the two were smiling about and feeling a bit of a chill go down her spine. “Shall we go outside?” Jack asked pleasantly. Jill was completely thrown off and puzzled. He actually seemed… cheerful. She didn’t know what she found more unnerving, the spookiness or this happiness.

“What’s up with him?” Jill whispered to Topaz as she followed him warily out of the room. She wasn’t frightened of Jack anymore…mostly, but she did have the distinct impression there were unpleasant things in her future. Topaz’s smile broadened, the sharp points of his fangs showing clearly.

“Are you familiar with the old human term ‘initiation’?” he asked deviously as he opened the front door for her, followed her out into the cool night air and shut the door behind him, the latch clicking loudly in the still darkness of the night.