Chances

Preface

Have you ever felt as if someone was watching you? As if you’re never really alone? Well, I have. Every day of my life since I had turned sixteen, I’ve had that feeling. It was like I was a prisoner in my own skin.

When I was sixteen I was marked by an undead creature. I had received a vampire’s insignia which allowed him to know my every movement, my every thought. Ever since I was sixteen, I have been able to sense the presence of the undead. But there is some thing more important than my being marked.

When I turn twenty-three, I will die.


Chapter 1

Life is a mystery. There are so may twists and turns that throw you in so many situations that you never know what to do or think or say. Has that ever happened to you? Well, it’s was happening to me right now.

“Shove off,” I said trying to walk away as the man in front of me watched my every move. “I’ve got better things to do than mess with you.”

“You’re Alistair’s girl are you not?” the man said. “Desari?”

Oh joy, another vampire who knew who I was. This would only add to the irony of things.

“What of it?” I asked brushing my fingertips across the back of my neck.

On the left side of my neck, hidden by my waist high silvery hair, was the insignia. It was similar to a rosette but had two little daggers that crossed through it to make an X. It was about two or three inches both wide and tall. Each dagger was a little more than that.

The similar thing between all of it was the silver. Dark, metallic silver; the blood of a vampire…

“If I take you,” he said grinning widely. “Then I can get everything that Alistair owns.”

My jaw clenched as he leapt for me. But, thanks to the powers that Alistair had given me, I was able to dodge as the vampire’s body whirled past me. I stood up strait, not one hair out of place.

“You’re not going to be able to take me down,” I said loudly. I turned around slowly. The vampire had disappeared after he threw himself at me. “I’m a half-breed but I can still kick your—”

He dropped from the ceiling of the maintenance building and I cursed below my breath. Something on him had sliced a perfect line across my cheek as I moved out of the way.

I cursed again as I yanked a dagger from my waist belt. It paid off to be prepared for the…well, unprepared.

Unlike most daggers—basically all human daggers—were just metal. My dagger was fashioned by the Vampire Hunter’s Association so it burned through a vampires flesh if they touched any part of it.

It was made with metal and a wood called snake wood. It was ironic that the most weak of human weapons happened to be the most powerful against the strongest creature ever.

“Snake wood,” he said; his eyes wide. “You’re a hunter?!”

“No,” I said brushing the blade with my fingertips. Pure, smooth metal and it was one hundred percent lethal. “But I like to protect myself.”

Before he could respond, I threw the dagger at his heart and it hit perfectly. He choked and blood came in violent streams from his mouth. The dagger had hit but it hadn’t hit hard enough.

I jumped and kicked the handle in to where he screamed as the dagger went through and he erupted into ashes. It was a sight I commonly saw since every able body vampire seemed to be after me.

“Bye loser,” I said picking the dagger up from the ashes and putting it back in its place. “I might see you in two days.”

The wind blew away the remains as it always did and I continued walking. At this point in time, towns had no names. About seven years ago, all town names had been simply forgotten. Their real names anyway.

The towns did have names, but it seemed that the vampire’s who had taken over the world were renaming the towns. I was now in Carolyn’s Valley.

I stepped into my black Ferrari and drove away towards Carson. Carson was originally called Jackson, but a vampire named Carlos had renamed it. The next town over was Quinston—my goal.

Two days was all I had. It was two days left of freedom before I died, before the venom in my blood stream reached my heart. It took seven years to fully become a vampire and spasms followed even now and then as the venom moved.
I reached Quinston the next morning.


Chapter 2

“Screw you!” I told a vampire as he turned into ash. That was the fifteenth one since this morning. “Dig a hole and rot away in it for all I care!”

The vampire’s name had been Daniel and he had decided to punch me instead of rip me apart. He was a very sensible vampire, but he was too much like the humans who had died out eight years ago.

“Desari?” a voice whispered behind me.

It was a vampire. The buzzing in my head made that completely clear. But, it was just the power in the voice, the authority, which had startled me.

This vampire was one that had scarred my shoulder; three long claw marks that went from the top of my shoulder to the end of my shoulder blade after he had first been changed.

“Quinn,” I said turning. Quinn was the vampire who had taken over Wellston. He was also one of my best friends as a child. He had been there when I was attacked by Alistair and that was when the two had exchanged blood. “How’ve you been?”

“Fine I guess,” he said shrugging. “You’re birthday’s coming up isn’t it?”

Damn him to hell. He knew that I was dying yet he acted like it was nothing. He had exchanged blood with Alistair seven years ago in exchange for eternal life. Then, he came after me to speed up the process of my becoming a vampire.

“Yes,” I said through clenched teeth. “It’s my twenty-third.”

He stared at me, his pale face growing—if possible—paler. He stuttered out, “Tw-Twenty-third?!”

I smiled and started to walk past him. “One day.”

“You can’t be serious!” he said grabbing me shoulders and forcing me to him. “You’re lying!”

“No,” I said shaking my head sadly. “I’m…going to die.”

He shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut. Fighting tears maybe?

“You just can’t die,” he whispered in her ear. “I…”

“You what…?” I asked slowly. I already knew, but if he meant it, he would say it.

“I love you Desari,” he whispered. “You can’t die. So…one way or another, I’ll change you!”

My blood went cold as he drew back, his canines lengthened to a piercing point. No, he couldn’t. He knew how I felt. But, how far would he go to save me…?

“No!” I screamed grabbing the dagger and stabbing his shoulder blade. He instantly released me.

“I don’t want to fight,” he said angrily. “But to save you, I will!”

I hissed out an inaudible response and we were instantly fighting. My mind wavered back to the time when we were little and played together until the late hours.

It was nostalgic to feel that way again. But, I couldn’t go easy on him just because he had once been my friend. This was my life and I couldn’t let him take it.

He threw a punch at my head and I ducked as his legs swept mine out from beneath me. His hand grabbed for my shoulder but I rolled and was out of his line of fire.

“You can’t run forever!” he said menacingly. “You’re only human!”

“Wrong,” I said holding my dagger towards him. “I’m a half-breed; half human, half vampire.”

“Stop lying!” he said lunging for my throat.

He wouldn’t believe me no matter how much I tried to persuade him. All he had to do was cut my left arm. That was where the vampire venom had first been injected. It was the part of my body that spilled silver blood. It was the part where my vampire self had first been activated.

He swiped at me and I put my left arm out purposely. He sliced it open and silver blood spilled from the wound. The proof he needed was right there.

“There’s your proof,” I said. I slit a thin line across my right arm and watched as red blood spilled. “Half and half; I don’t belong to either world.”

He stared at my two arms in both shock and surprise. I was half human and half vampire and he would have to accept that about me.

“So now you know,” I said sighing as I licked the wounds. A vampire’s saliva had a healing agent that sealed and disinfected wounds. It came in very handy. “My secret, that is. The thing you thought was weird about me when we were little. It happened thanks to his royal pain.”

He used his preternatural speed and was beside me in an instant. His hand cupped my face gently.

“You belong in my world,” he whispered. “In my life…”

“As a vampire,” I asked curiously. “Or as a human…?”
Quinn pressed his lips together then parted them slightly to speak.

“Can I…kiss you?” he asked me quietly. “You can go about your business but can I without you hitting me?”

I froze in place unsure of what would come from my mouth once I opened it. Did I want him to kiss me? Did it really matter since I was dying?

“S-Sure,” I said slowly closing my eyes.

His hands went to my arms as he stepped closer to me. One hand went behind my neck and the other around my waist allowing me no escape.

“Thank you,” he whispered before gently pressing his lips to mine.

It felt odd. It was an unfamiliar sensation. Sure, I’d had human lovers, inexperienced lovers, when I was a teenager. But nothing could beat the kiss of a real vampire.

A vampire’s kiss, if they wished it, was powerful but restrained. It allowed just enough of a taste that got you addicted to the sweet adrenaline spike that came from the taste of a vampire.

“Quinn!” I gasped trying to pull away. He followed my movement and his lips captured mine once more.

Quinn forced my lips open inevitably deepening the kiss. His lips were sure and strong against mine but somehow amazingly soft and tender. Was this the vampire in him?

After what seemed like an eternity, he pulled away. His catlike eyes watched me painfully.

“I have to go,” I said touching my waist belt to make sure my dagger was there. “And can I have my dagger back?”

His eyes shone a playfulness that had seemed to be there all the time when he had been human.

“Here.”

He tossed the blade at my head and I caught it between two fingers.

“No one knows my blade better than my self,” I said smiling wryly. “Want to play a little game called ‘Catch and Fire’?”

He raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you were that daring.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” I said playfully turning around. “We need a secluded area.”

“Why?”

I looked over my shoulder and smiled widely. “It may get messy.”

His eyes grew wide and he smiled happily almost…shyly.

“Afraid?”

Coded. All of it. It was something we had created before this entire vampirism world had come into existence. Created when we were teenagers—young and oh so naïve. It basically meant I didn’t want to leave but I still wanted to spend time with him; preferably doing things to him.

I took his hand and led him towards a pond that, truthfully, I had just noticed.

The water was warm and inviting and it allowed us to connect on a more emotional level; more so than when we were younger since this new Quinn had developed the affinity for water.

When we were starting to become more…aware of each other and the things we could do, we had spent late summer nights swimming at the local lake. Most of my fondest memories were of that place.

“I’ve missed you,” Quinn whispered as he drew me into his arms.

Quinn and I—when we were both human still—had, in the past, an on and off fling. That ended when Alistair attacked us. Truthfully, I still felt special feelings towards Quinn.  Besides, I had one day and night left before I died. Technically, I shouldn’t be here doing this.

He kissed me again and I responded just as I had always. But, as I came to realize what was occurring, I grabbed his hand and pulled away.

“I’m going to die,” I said narrowing my eyes into chilling slits. “We shouldn’t be doing this. I must speak with Alistair.”

“About becoming a vampire,” he said automatically.

I glared and he jumped back.

“No silly boy,” I said smiling. It was a smile that would turn the blood cold of even the devil him self. “About what he wished to do with my body after I die.”

“I’ll take you to him,” he said in defeat.

“If I make it through this,” I whispered slowly, “then you can take me out to dinner.”

He smiled ruefully before tugging me out of the water. His face was glowing all the while he was holding me.


Chapter 3

“Where are we going?” I asked him looking out the window of my Ferrari. If memory served me, Alistair lived in the other direction. “I thought you said we were going to Alistair’s.”

“Trust me,” he said smiling.

I breathed then relaxed closing my eyes. When I opened them, everything was pitch black.

“Quinn!” I gasped as I started to take off the blind fold. “What are you—?”

“Trust me,” he repeated. “He has to believe that you are not there to hurt him. If he hints at even the slightest bit of hostility, we won’t make it through the front door.”

I swallowed.

“Then why am I blind folded?”

“Protection,” he said automatically. “You may try to run if things get rough. If so, then you must not be allowed to run away so easily.”

“Quinn?”

“Yes?”

“None of this is making sense,” I frowned. “You say it’s for my protection but how is it protecting me?”

“He’ll believe that you’ve been captured,” he told me slowly. “If he thinks that, then it will be much easier to get in.”

“Like he’ll believe that…”

“It’s worth a try,” he said.

I bit my lower lip to keep from saying anything else. From this point forward I would have to act like I had been captured. But…what about my dagger? If I was ‘captured’ wouldn’t I be disarmed?

I ignored anything else my brain threw at me as time past. Seconds went to minutes, minutes went to hours. Every second counted. If I wanted to live, I had to kill Alistair. Kill Alistair or become a vampire. My only two choices. Unless, of course, you counted dying.

The car slowly stopped and Quinn whispered something in another language that I didn’t understand. Something that dealt with me.

Another minute past and I heard the click of something and then the car proceeded forward.

After another couple of minutes, the car stopped and a door opened. I waited patiently as Quinn made his way around the car and opened it. His arm grabbed mine forcefully.

“You’re drugged,” he whispered in my ear. “Act like it.”

That wasn’t hard considering that I hadn’t slept a minute in the past four days and that the vampire blood wasn’t far from my heart which slowed down everything. Those things, and the fact that I was as blind as a bat with the stupid blindfold over my eyes.

I stumbled around as I tried to look for something to hold onto. Eventually, Quinn lifted me into his arms and carried me in.

“It seems my little cara mia has had a rough night,” a voice said from above me.

My body tensed instinctively. One word—no, one name—could answer everything.

Alistair.

As the blind fold was removed I could see him. Every detail about him. And, it sickened me.

“Devil,” I whispered angrily. “How dare you try to act as if I am still a foolish child!”

Quinn put me down when I glared at him. Our cover about me being captured was shattering as I spoke.

“You vile, iridescent,” I said angrily.

He stood, his honey colored eyes blazing with furry. His was trying to make me loose my ground, drop my guard. Well, I had news for him, I wasn’t.

“Spineless, irrevocably despicable—”

Lips cut me off as I was about to say something that would have been very rude. Very rude and pretty long. Seven letters to be exact.

After a moment, I realized they belonged to Quinn. I felt myself slip off  until he pulled away.

“I’m sorry,” he said “I’ve kept secrets of my own.”

“Good work Kristopher,” Alistair chided happily. “Tell her the truth.”

“What…truth?” I asked as he held my shoulders and held me closer to him. “What are you talking about Quinn?”

“I go by Kristopher now,” he said slowly. “I always have. I’m six hundred years old and I’ve lied to you every day of your life. And, it wasn’t Alistair who attacked you and caused you to be like this.”

“No,” I whispered. “No, it can’t be!”

“It was me,” he said looking away. “I bit you in an attempt to change you. Alistair gave me blood to heal me. You just don’t remember.

“You were too shocked to understand, too confused by my façade, that you deluded yourself into believing that it was Alistair who attacked you.”

I felt my heart drop as he spoke. It wasn’t true, it couldn’t be true! Quinn the man I had been in love with several times had been lying to me? He had been the one to attack me, not Alistair?

“No,” I said shaking my head violently. “It’s not true! It’s not true!!!”

Fire exploded from me when Quinn—no Kristopher—refused to release me. I had powers now, an affinity. And, an affinity for fire no less.

Through the flames I saw a clock which read eleven fifty nine. One minute before the clock chimed. On the twelfth and final time, I would die.

The fire flowing around me stopped as the clock turned twelve. Twelve o’clock. Midnight. My death.

My vision blurred as the grandfather clock chimed.

“Goodbye Quinn,” I whispered falling to my knees then onto my stomach. “Seven…Eight…Nine…”

Three more, I thought sadly.

It struck again and I heard Kristopher cry out and lift me. It was so odd. Like one of those movies where time slows before the final bell.

Again, the clock struck.

I felt teeth sink into my throat for an instant before something flowed into my mouth. Somehow, beneath all the pain and anxiety I was feeling, someone made me swallow…something.

I closed my eyes and heard Kristopher cry out  painfully before murmuring over and over that he loved me and that he was sorry.

Alistair said something to him and Kristopher replied. His voice showed he was crying. Why? It was him who did this to me. Why should he care? More importantly though—

Why was I still here?

I could feel my body becoming colder and colder but for some reason I wasn’t going to heaven or hell or wherever you go after you die. What was going on?

“Listen,” Alistair said as I drew in a breath. “She’s—”

“Desari?!” he gasped as my eyes fluttered open. Where was this newfound power coming from?! “Are you—”

He was cut off by my slap. It was clean and precise. It even drew a bit of silver blood.

I rolled and stood away from him.

“What did you do to me?!” I screamed. The clock read twelve eleven. I should be dead right now. “I’m supposed to be dead!”

“I saved you!” Kristopher said standing. “I—”

“I know what you did!” I yelled angrily. “But…why?! You knew how I felt!”

“Desari—” he started taking a step towards me.

“Say my name again. Take another step near me,” I said menacingly. “I dare you.”

He froze and looked at Alistair.

“That goes for you to!” I yelled at him. “Trust me, if you don’t wish to die a fiery death, don’t follow me or send any of your goons after me.”

I ran and jumped out the window that was conveniently beside me. From there, I just ran.


Chapter 4

I sat beside the pond I had been at yesterday morning. It was amazing how fast I got here.

Originally, I started from Quinston  and it took all day and almost all night for us to get to wherever we had been. I had achieved going from there to here in less than a minute. I would say that was pretty good considering the fact that I had no idea where I had been.

All I knew now was that I was a vampire, ‘Quinn’ never existed, and I was alone now.

“Happy birthday to me,” I said bitterly.

“Happy birthday to you,” a voice said from  behind me. “Hope your day has been grand.”

“Kristopher,” I hissed. “I warned you!”

My new found affinity for fire flowed through me and dance around us in a ring before dropping to the ground allowing no escape.

“If memory serves me,” he said smiling hold out a bouquet of dazzling red roses, “you owe me a dinner since you’re still alive.”

“That offer was made to Quinn,” I said menacingly. “If memory serves me, your name is Kristopher.”

He flinched at the mention of his name. His smile, though, never wavered.

“Seeing as I’m both—”

“Seeing as you are not,” I said interrupting him. “Any respect for you is now shattered.”

He sighed then he used his affinity for water to douse the flames.

“It seems—”

I ran towards the pond and dived in. My intent was to drown myself. I was better off dead than alive.

Unfortunately, I found out that I could go forever without oxygen when Kristopher pulled me from the water and told me.

“I told you to stay away—”

He pressed his lips gently to mine like he had this morning. So light, so happy…No! I couldn’t! He had lied to me, deceived me! Then,  why was I letting him kiss me?

I brought a hand up as a warning and he caught my wrist. His mouth forced mine open, deepening the kiss, and his tongue delved inside the  hot cavern that was my mouth. I pulled away instinctively.

The amount of power I was feeling was both actual electricity and solid emotion. His kiss was more than passion. It spoke of truth and sorrow and a willingness that almost had me wanting to let him back into my life.

“Stay away from me!” I spat turning my head away from him. “What are you—!”

After I broke away from his kiss, his lips sought refuge somewhere else. He trailed kisses down the length of my neck then a few at the gentle curve where my neck met my shoulder, before stopping and looking up at me.

“N—”

He continued his assault on my senses before I could get a single word in. At this moment in time I could neither feel nor sense what was going on.

Sure, I was completely of aware of the man in front of me and the things he could do with just his hands alone but it was different somehow. Usually, I had an adrenaline spike but now I didn’t have that and ever little move he made distracted my thoughts for a fraction of a second.

“Quinn!” I gasped out as his teeth grazed my collar bone and threatened to go lower. “Stop! I can’t…!”

He looked up at me then smiled.

“You called me Quinn,” he chided somewhat happily. “I thought I was Kristopher.”

“You can be James Bond for all I care!” I snapped. “Just let me go!”

He responded by tightening his hold on me. And to which caused me to stomp on his foot. Finally, he released me and I kicked him in his stomach knocking him on his ass.
“Be happy my kick wasn’t one inch lower or…!” I shuddered then smiled chillingly.

He shivered then stood to his feet.

“We do need to get together sometime,” he said ruefully.  “After all, you’ll be fine now that you are a vampire.”

“Don’t remind me,” I said narrowing my eyes into thin slits. “But, I do need to figure something out.”

“Huh?”

He watched me as I lifted my shirt and pulled my snake wood dagger from my waist belt. I turned it over in my hand several times and wonder why it did burn my flesh.  It was almost toxic to vampires.

“How are you doing that?” Kristopher/Quinn asked me curiously. I hadn’t really decided what to call him yet…

I shrugged. “Hold it. “

He held the blade in his hand but it slowly began to sear his flesh.

“It still works,” he said licking his hand. “That’s for sure. Ow.”

I looked at it then ran a hand through my hair.

“I guess we’re up for that date Krisinn,” I said sighing.

“What did you call me?”

“Krisinn,” I told him playfully. “It’s Kristopher and Quinn mixed. You don’t like it?”

“I love it,” he said hugging me around my waist. “I love you.”

It was ironic that in the course of fifteen minutes I had went from hating him with my entire being to having some feeling for him to hating again and now dating him.

I took a rose that had been saved from the frenzy of the past few minutes from Krisinn and kissed him.

Every girl wants that ‘Happily Ever After’ right? Well, I guess this is mine.


THE END…

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