Vampire Lessons #3
“Her life had a tragic beginning.” He exhaled and pointed to the next scene. A war camp littered with tents, small fires, weapons and warriors, and in the center of it all, a chieftain and a young woman.
“Cursed with exceptional beauty from a young age, she captured the attention of a warlord from an enemy tribe. His warriors had ransacked their village searching for food and weapons when they found her, hiding amongst their destruction. Ruelle was only ten when she was taken from her home. Her formative years were spent in service to the warlord.”
“What type of service?” I assumed the answer, but I wanted Oddo to know I was listening.
“Any kind he desired, unfortunately.”
A shiver crept its way down my spine thinking about what she likely had to endure at the hands of unkind men. “That’s terrible.”
“It is.” He gave me a tight-lipped smile and we honored her in silent reflection.
We stepped to the next scene, a man and a woman in a lover’s embrace.
“Ruelle lived that way until her early twenties, when a soldier who had become enamored with her aided her escape.” He gestured to the next.
Underneath a blood-red full moon, the four sisters surrounded a man’s body.
“Ruelle returned to her family and once home, she murdered the lovestruck soldier, stabbing him dozens of times.”
“Can’t say I blame her,” I muttered louder than intended.
“The warlord had many captives. One of them had been a witch, a master of dark magic. Little is known about this woman, although we call her The First Crone. Before her escape, the Crone provided Ruelle with instructions for a spell to get revenge on the soldiers who had stolen so much from her.” Oddo’s words quickened, the story igniting his adoration for history.
“So it wasn’t just a murder of passion. It was part of the spell,” I stated.
“Very astute and correct, Lady Reyva.” Oddo’s white sleeve fell up his tan arm as he pointed at the tapestry. “Ruelle had been away so long, her two younger sisters didn’t recognize her and were understandably horrified by the scene.”
“What about Lorana?” As the eldest sister, I felt a natural kinship with her and committed her name to memory.
“She held the soldier down while her sister bled him,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Oh.” Hearing about the devotion from an estranged sister sent a pang of jealousy through my chest. If it had been Cova and me, she would have found a way to twist it to her advantage. Deep-seated anger bubbled in my gut, chased by a hollow mourning for the dead relationship.
Oddo chattered as we moved to the second to last scene. “The sisters fed on the dying soldier as part of the Crone’s directions.”
My eyes went wide. “Even the younger two?”
His dark hair swayed as he nodded. “They turned that very night.”
“That’s it? That’s all it took? What about cannibalism during hard times for early humans?”
“Fantastic question. And no, there was more to it than that. I guess I’m abbreviating for the sake of time. We can go deeper into it another day, so for now I’ll just say there were other circumstances impacting the change to the sisters."
I shifted my weight and chewed on my cheek. “But being turned is different now?”
Oddo nodded over his shoulder. “There are three ways to turn. This was just the first. And no vampire has turned this way since.”
“And the others?”
The master faced me. “A vampire can offer their shadow. If accepted, a human’s soul becomes bound to them. It’s a sacred bond—a promise, really—and it’s what we practice here.”
I nodded, familiar but not fully understanding the concept. Offering a shadow, becoming bound. It was inconceivable.
I swallowed. “And the final way?”
“The final way is the least ideal and the most messy. It’s something we’ve outlawed here but is rumored to be practiced elsewhere. Although it’s frowned upon.” Oddo scrunched his pointed nose.
I had to know. “And what is that?”
The master ran his hand across his jaw. “As a descendant, I would give a human my blood and they would need to die while it was still in their body to trigger their change. But from an Original, it would only take one bite.”
Icy dread emptied into my stomach. Rhazien had given me his blood, and had I been killed, I could’ve turned last night. I could be standing here as an undead being right now. My gut writhed.
“Lady Reyva, you don’t look well. Let’s pause here for today,” Oddo remarked, his dark brown eyes filled with concern.
I wasn’t well. I felt ill. The overwhelming emotions I’d been suppressing threatened to retch from me, but I was determined not to vomit on centuries-old tapestries.
Oddo’s eyes flicked to approaching steps. “Gorvin, perfect timing. We just finished for the day.”
Gorvin’s discerning gaze bounced between Oddo and my pinched expression. He twitched an eyebrow at the young master, who gave the steward a subtle nod.
In the softest tone I’d heard him speak yet, Gorvin said, “Come. I’ll escort you back to your rooms.”
We exited the hall and returned to the open library, where Dommik was returning his text to the shelves.
“I look forward to feeding your curiosity in future sessions, Lady Reyva,” Oddo called from the large, round desk.
“Thank you again, Oddo,” I mustered between steadying breaths.
“You’re very welcome. Oh! And, Lady Reyva, take this.” The Master of Archives handed me a thick text titled Nobles and Notables Portraits. “You’ll want to study before the Solstice events.”
Without hesitation, Dommik relieved me of the heavy tome.
I smiled at the Commander and thanked Oddo again before we took our leave. The minute I was back in my quarters, I vomited into a vase.