Chapter 19
NINETEEN
Sloan
“I feel like a million dollars!” Babs squealed. As soon as she walked outside into the courtyard, she ran and embraced Sloan. “Thank you! I feel like I can lift a unicorn and out-race any winged creature.”
Sloan stood rigid under the woman’s embrace. Not only was Babs invading her personal space, but sweat laced the woman’s skin in a thin layer of stickiness.
“Okay, there’s not going to be anymore hugging while we train.” Sloan gently un-clamped herself from the woman and patted her on the arm. “How are you feeling, hunger-wise? How’s your temper?”
“I feel great.” Babs shrugged, looking down at her toned arms and legs. “Hey, does being a vampire mean you’re all of a sudden in great shape? Because I was in decent shape before, but now, I really fill out my pants with muscle, if you know what I mean.”
“Babs.” Sloan fought back the urge to smile. The woman was so optimistic, it was practically contagious. “Have you felt the need for blood yet?”
“Nope, not the slightest urge.” Babs rocked back and forth on her heels and toes. “I didn’t feel the need to sleep last night, either, and I haven’t had a bite to eat today. And you know, that’s a first for me. I just love breakfast.”
“When you do feel the thirst come on, you know what to do, right?”
“Yes.” Babs nodded, jogging over to a bench in the outside courtyard. She picked up a brown flask with a silver cap on top. “Edison gave me this. He said Elwood named it Vampire Coffee. It’s supposed to take the edge off needing blood.”
“That’s right.” Sloan felt for her own flask she now kept on her belt opposite her mage sword. “It’s untested. As soon as you start feeling anything, you come to me. And we’ll get you to drink your Vampire Coffee, together. I know exactly what you’re going through, and I’m here for you.”
“Understood.” Babs licked her dry lips. For the first time in their conversation, her smile had disappeared from her face. “What … what does it feel like?”
Sloan didn’t have to ask what Babs was talking about; she already understood.
“Think of the strongest urge you’ve ever felt, then think of dying of thirst. It’s more than a craving; its an inevitability.
Hopefully Edison’s concoction works. Even if it does, we’ll still need to go out and hunt.
That’s something I haven’t even done yet. We’ll figure this out together.”
“Right.”
Sloan looked past Babs and out into the dying light of the day. The courtyard provided for the Azra guards to train in was located in the rear of the capitol building. The low walls allowed the guards a view of the massive ocean that spanned as far as the eye could see.
“We’re stronger at night, aren’t we?” Babs sidled up next to Sloan, also staring out over the ocean to the orange orb disappearing below the sea-line. “I mean, that’s what Edison said about the vampires in New Hope, at least.”
“No, I don’t think the darkness aids or weakens us.” Sloan turned to her trainee. “We’re a different breed from what Leah has made in New Hope.”
“Good, I’m glad to hear it.”
“We should turn the others.” Sloan took in a deep breath of the salty ocean air.
She could see the dots of tiny boats below on the dock coming into berth for the night.
There was something peaceful about the scene, despite her next words.
“They need to begin their transitions. As soon as we navigate all of your first cravings, the better.”
“I can show you to their barracks,” Babs offered. She was already walking through the courtyard and to the opposite side that led down the back half of Azra. “They’re stationed together.”
Sloan followed behind Babs. They passed through the massive training courtyard set aside for the Azra militia. There were crates of wooden practice weapons, padded equipment for sparring, and lockers for changing, all found outside.
Babs caught Sloan’s eye. “I know it’s not much. Probably nothing like what you were used to at New Hope. Guards would be here training now, but most everyone is shoring up supplies and defenses for the attack.”
“I’m not judging.” Sloan shook her head. “I’m just thinking of how different, in a good way, Azra is from New Hope.”
Babs nodded.
The Azra guard, recently turned vampire, unlocked a black iron gate that led them from the training courtyard to a row of large, square buildings that followed in line with Azra’s architecture: clean, white structures with high roofs and simple but thought-out landscaping.
“Pia, Harrison, and Doyle were given an officer’s quarters. I moved in, too, and I thought we should get to know one another better, since we’ll be Azra’s crack squad and all,” Babs said in a gush of words. “Oh look, here they are!”
Sloan and Babs rounded a corner of one of the larger buildings to find themselves in front of a line of smaller structures that looked like actual homes instead of military barracks. The three New Hope escapees were outside on a porch.
As soon as they caught sight of Sloan, all three of her former soldiers snapped to attention.
“Do we still need to salute you?” Pia grinned at her former captain. “I mean, I gave you a hug the other night when I saw you.”
“You can all rest easy. And no more hugging,” Sloan said as she came to a stop in front of her three friends. “It’s just Sloan now, no more captain. How are you three doing? Rested?”
“Rested and ready to go.” Harrison stretched his large arms. “It’s starting to get boring around here.”
“We’re good. Glad to see you back safe.” Doyle walked down the few steps from the porch to close the distance with Sloan. “And we’re ready.”
“You all understand what this means?” Sloan already new the answer, but she had to give them every chance to back out.
This was a lifelong choice they would never be able to take back.
“It’s not only the thirst, it’s the prolonged life, the responsibility you will have to others.
It’s the self-restraint it’ll take to know when you should use your abilities and when not to. ”
“We’re ready.” Doyle looked Sloan straight in the eyes, his gaze unflinching. “We’re ready to do this.”
As she looked all three of her friends in the eyes, Sloan made herself a promise there and then: She would never let them down. No matter what, she would be there for them, through thick and thin. They were bonded to her now in a way that Aareth’s werewolves would be part of his pack.
“All right.” Sloan pointed to the house. “Let’s go inside. We can’t have people gawking at us while I turn you into supernatural predators.”