after life | Page 2

io la te d a v a m pir e t a boo b y b it in g s o m eone a noth er v a m pir e h ad b it te n fir s t — w ho h ad, in
e ffe ct, b een p re pare d fo r t h e t ra nsfo rm atio n fro m liv in g t o u ndead. L u ca s w as s u ppose dly m in e t o t u rn , o r n o o ne’s . B ut
C harit y h adn’t c a re d a bout a ny t a boos in a lo ng t im e. S he d id n’t c a re a bout a nyo ne o r a nyth in g e xce pt h er t w is te d
re la tio nsh ip w it h B alt h aza r.
Where ve r s h e w as n ow , s h e w as n o d oubt re ve lin g in t h e fa ct t h at s h e’d b ro ke n m y h eart , a nd t h at s h e’d t h ru st L u ca s
in to t h e v e ry la st p la ce h e w ould e ve r w ant t o b e.
I’d ra th er b e d ead, L u ca s h ad a lw ays s a id . W hen I w as a liv e a nd s o m uch m ore in noce nt, I h ad d re am ed o f h im
b eco m in g a v a m pir e w it h m e. B ut h e h ad b een ra is e d b y t h e h unte rs o f B la ck C ro ss, w ho lo ath ed t h e u ndead a nd p urs u ed
t h em w it h t h e p assio n o f a c u lt . T urn in g in to a v a m pir e h ad a lw ays b een h is u lt im ate n ig htm are .
Now t h at n ig htm are h ad c o m e t ru e. “ H ow lo ng?” I s a id .
“M in ute s.” B alt h aza r t o ok o ne s te p fo rw ard , s a w t h e e xp re ssio n o n m y fa ce , a nd c a m e n o c lo se r. “ V ic s h ould g o.”
“W hat’s h appenin g?” V ic ’s v o ic e w as s cra tc h y w it h s le ep. H e p ush ed h im se lf u prig ht, a nd h is e xp re ssio n s h if t e d fro m
c o nfu sio n t o h orro r a s h e lo oke d a t L u ca s’s b ody, b lo ody a nd p ale o n t h e flo or. “ O h! — fo r a s e c, I t h ought I ’d ju st h ad a
n ig htm are o r s o m eth in g. B ut t h is — it ’s re al. ”
Balt h aza r s h ook h is h ead. “ I’m s o rry , V ic , b ut y o u n eed t o le ave .”
I re aliz e d w hat B alt h aza r m eant. M y p are nts , w ho h ad a lw ays w ante d m e t o fo llo w in t h eir fo ots te ps, h ad t o ld m e
a bout t h e fir s t h ours o f t h e t