Chapter Eighteen
Kip
The Dungeon Master
The high-pitched humming buzzes through my head and skin as Tyson presses the cattle prod against my chest again. “Fuck!” I roar.
“If you could control yourself around the blood, I wouldn’t need to do this, dude.” Tyson sighs exasperatedly, like my pain is an inconvenience for him.
Through clenched teeth, I hiss “What do you fucking expect? I’ve been a vamp for like a week, and you haven’t taught me shit during that time.”
“I’m so sick of this back and forth with you, Kip. You shut me out, not the other way around. The sooner you get control over yourself, the sooner this stops.”
“I’m fucking trying! Jesus. Give me a minute to catch my breath, and then we can try again.
” I eye the cattle prod in Tyson’s hand warily.
He’s shocked me with it five times already.
At this rate, the sight of any amount of blood is going to send me into a panic for fear of pain.
“What happens when after this I can’t feed because I’m terrified of the pain?
Did the council think of that when they chose this method of instruction? ”
With a tool that looks suspiciously like a trash grabber, he thrusts a vial of freshly procured blood towards me. And no, please don’t ask where the fresh blood is from, because I don’t want to know. I have a feeling it’s not from a willing source.
Instantly, my fangs drop and my claws grow.
This time, instead of going absolutely feral, I breathe through my mouth instead of my nose, trying to escape the scent of blood.
I manage to turn my head away, continuously mouth breathing.
I’m doing better this time than I’ve done the past five attempts.
Before, I couldn’t control the bloodlust that washed over me at all.
Now, I’m fighting it with everything I have.
“Good job, Kip. That was much better. We still need to get you to the point where your fangs and claws don’t descend automatically.” He pulls the blood back, but at the same time strikes forward with the cattle prod, catching me in the throat this time.
The electricity thrums through my skin, making me jolt and gasp through the pain. I keel over, my knees hitting the concrete with a crack. “Why?!” I rasp, tears gathering in my eyes.
“Until you can control yourself completely and reliably, you’re going to keep getting shocked.”
“I feel like you’re enjoying this.” My chest heaves while I try to steady my breathing.
Tyson huffs. “When have you ever known me to be sadistic like that? This isn’t how I want to be spending my time. This is what’s required of us by the council.”
“Yeah? Well I’d like to fucking meet this fucked up council.”
“You really, really don’t. Anyway, I have to get back to the gym. I have clients still this afternoon. Don’t go anywhere while I’m gone.” Tyson snorts.
To Tyson’s retreating back I call out “Can you at least give me a blanket and a flashlight before you go?! And also, please take care of Nacho for me!”
He waves over his shoulder, not bothering to look back, before slamming the door and leaving me in darkness again.
I find myself sitting with my back against the cold, damp cement wall.
Every surface in this jail is slightly wet and very cold.
Before turning, I always ran hot, so the chilly temps of my prison wouldn’t have bothered me.
Then again, I wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place if I was still human.
So far, my cons list of vampirism far outweighs the pros.
In fact, I don’t have a single pro to list. This shit sucks, dude.
Would not recommend. Being a vampire looked really cool in Twilight.
I rest my head back against the wall, shutting my eyes and imagining I’m anywhere but locked in this fucking basement.
I hope Charlie doesn’t think I’m ghosting him again.
Tyson must’ve taken my phone when he broke my neck, because it’s not in my pockets.
Unless I left it in my locker at the gym. This morning is a blur.
I really hope that Nacho is okay. I haven’t seen him since before my impromptu date with Charlie.
I left him full bowls of water and food, but I hope that Tyson actually checks on him.
I kinda wish Nacho was here with me, I could use that little ball of fluff to snuggle with and keep me company in the dark.
I startle awake, having dozed off while sitting up against the wall. A slight scraping sound is what woke me, and as my eyes peel open I see a small shaft of light from the now propped open door.
My eyes take a few seconds to un-blur from sleep. When they connect with a cloaked figure standing outside my cell, I flinch back and a sharp intake of breath. “What the fuck, bro?!”
A throaty chuckle reverberates lowly off the walls. “I’m not a bro, and even if I was, I wouldn’t be yours.” The low voice of a woman comes from underneath the hood of the cloak.
“Ooohhkay…I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, but uhhh…who are you?”
She lets out a humming sound. “Did Tyson tell you nothing about our community?”
Am I going to throw him under the bus? Old Kip wouldn’t have done that, but he’s not here at the moment.
What’s the Taylor Swift lyric? Old Kip can’t come to the phone now, why?
Because he’s dead. Literally. I snicker, not meaning to.
I’m not used to sitting un-entertained for hours like this.
My brain is used to constant movement and thoughts.
And sure, most of the time those thoughts are about how many reps I’m going to do the next time I work out, but I have thoughts in my brain. I swear.
Pulling myself together, I finally respond to the stranger’s question. “Honestly, Tyson hasn’t taught me shit. He’s the worst vampire mentor in history, I’m pretty sure. Fuck, he’s the reason I’m in this whole mess.”
“Yes, the council heard about his unorthodox feeding regimen with you, as well as the accident that led to your turning. We are not pleased with him, and he will be dealt with, be assured.”
“In the same way you’re dealing with me? Jail cell and cattle prod? Because let me tell you, this is pretty medieval.” Woah, sassy Kip, where did you come from? Charlie must be rubbing off on me. I audibly groan, oh man, how I wish he was rubbing off on me instead of me being locked in this cell.
“It’s proven to be effective in the majority of cases similar to yours. But no, Tyson will not be dealt with in the same manner that you are.” She speaks so formally, every word precisely picked and pronounced.
I’ve never wanted to hurt another being, but truthfully, a small (very small, or so I tell myself) part of me wants to have a go at poking Tyson with the cattle prod.
Just to show him how it feels. He acted like he was offended when I suggested he was enjoying my torment, but I saw the gleam in his eyes each time he jabbed me with the prod.
“Okay, so you came here to assure me, or what?” My tone comes out more annoyed than I expected. I think I’m on edge, not only from being locked in this cell, but also from the unnerving presence of this strange lady. Something about her gives me the creeps.
“No.” She says shortly. “I came here because it’s my duty to check on the council’s prisoners, seeing as I’m the warden of all the supernatural prisons in the United States.”
“Wait, how many prison’ are there?”
“One in each region of the country.” She answers.
“How could you possibly look over all of the prisons in the country? You’re one person. What happens if there’s an emergency in like, New York, while you’re here with me?”
I can tell from the aura leaking off of her that she’s annoyed by my line of questioning.
“I have my ways to get where I need to be, rather quickly.” She shuts me down. “Now, do you know what will happen if you do not get your bloodlust under control?”
“Tyson said that I’ll be exterminated.”
“Incorrect. That is what those who are not imprisoned are led to believe. The truth is that you’ll be tortured until you break, and then you’ll be forced into service for the council.
Your brain will become so addled that you’ll be a mindless thrall and will serve the council until you inevitably die from a stake to the heart or your head being severed from your body.
If not by the council, then while you’re on a mission for them.
” She says it in a monotone voice, like she’s speaking about something boring and not at all horrifying.
“Uhhh, wouldn’t Tyson have heard about that though? If that’s actually what happens, I mean?”
“No, the only ones who know are those on the council. After our meeting, you won’t remember meeting me or having this conversation.”
I’m really tired of vampires. They never give clear answers, and I feel like they all have ulterior motives. “Okay…so what’s the point of this conversation then?”
“There are those on the council who wish to see you broken. Someone with a vendetta is working against you and Tyson. They want to see you fail. I’m here to tell you that you shouldn’t fail, at any costs.
If you do, you and your friend Tyson will be condemned to a life of servitude for the council, and your human, Charlie, will be killed.
No trace of the three of you will remain, as if you never existed at all. ”
“Look, lady, I’m not the smartest bulb in the tray but how am I gonna remember not to fail, to work with Tyson, and to protect Charlie, if you erase my memories?
And if you’re part of the council, why are you even telling me this in the first place?
” My head is beginning to hurt. Why is this my life now?
“You will not remember our conversation, but you will have this overwhelming urge to succeed. You may dislike Tyson right now, but you’ll also be compelled to work with him rather than against him.
And your fated bond with Charlie will grow, the tether between you pulling to closer together. This is all you need to know.”
“Fated? I fucking knew it, dude! I knew there was something special between us. I can’t wait to tell him about it…ah…shit, I guess I won’t remember you told me that, huh? You sure you can’t let me remember this?”
I’m met with silence, which I take as a no.
The cloaked woman stands up and strides towards the bars of my cell. “You will forget everything about this conversation.”
“Hold on, can I at least ask a couple of questions about being a vampire? I have no idea what I’m doing dude…” I’m desperate. “Please?”
The cloaked woman sighs. “Fine. You get three questions.” I can practically hear her eye roll.
Ah, shit. I kinda didn’t expect her to actually answer any questions.
“Uhhh…oh yeah! Okay, so why did I go into bloodlust over Allie? The first time I fed from Charlie I was able to control myself. I mean, the second time I attacked him, but Tyson said that was because I had just transitioned and my instincts took over.”
She crosses her arms, and even though I can’t see her eyes, I can feel them boring into me.
“You weren’t a full vampire when you fed off of Charlie for the first time, so that’s part of it.
Also, I believe your fated bond helps you control yourself around him.
When you transitioned, you were in a stasis of sorts, and you weren’t really aware you were attacking him.
Once you came to, and realized it was him, you were able to pull away. ”
“Okay…yeah, that sort of makes sense…” I nod. “So…this fated bond thing…what is it? What does it mean?”
“Are you using two of your questions for this topic?”
Fuck. “No, nope. I have another one related to something else. So I guess, just tell me what it is.”
“Wise choice.” The figure replies. “Fated bonds are super rare. Especially between a vampire and a human. Typically they occur between two supernaturals, and usually it’s between two who were born supernatural, such as witches or shifters.
No one really knows how or why they happen.
Since I’m a witch, I’m able to see the aura of the bond around you.
It’s golden. I happened to go check on Charlie before this, although he wasn’t aware of my presence, and he had the same aura.
The bond simply means that you two are destined to be together.
You’ll both likely feel an incessant need to be near one another, and to protect each other.
That’s about all that’s known about bonds. ”
I knew something was different about Charlie.
Since my parents died, I’ve stayed away from deep and meaningful relationships, scared of being hurt.
I put on a playboy persona, only ever hooking up and never looking for anything deeper.
People see me as a happy, carefree dude, but on the inside I’m terrified of getting close to anyone.
I know what it’s like to have those you love ripped away from you.
I said I’d never put myself in that position again.
But then I met Charlie. It’s soon, really fucking soon, but…
I can tell I’m already falling for him. If we’re fated, surely that means that he won’t break my heart?
“Wow, this is a lot to take in, cloak lady…” I hum, considering my last question. “Okay, so what about food? I tried to eat a burger and fries, and it didn’t go well. But I was able to drink alcohol and stuff just fine.” It might seem like a stupid thing to waste a question on, but I gotta know.
She nods. “Ah, yes. Vampire bodies are unable to digest solids. The food probably tasted disgusting, and that’s your body’s way of preventing you from getting sick.
Drinks are fine, as long as there aren’t any solids.
That was your last question. As for those answers, I’ll let you keep that knowledge. Everything else, you will forget.”
“Wait, wait! Before you go, can you at least tell me your name?”
She sighs. I’m getting really tired of people sighing at me too.
“Lisette. Now, Christopher Kohl, I hope you succeed.”
My eyes begin to get heavy, the lids drooping while I start to slump down against the wall. I force my eyes open in time to watch as Lisette’s cape flows out of the door, slamming it shut behind her.