Chapter 70 - FLASHBACK. Star-crossed

Christina was much more accepting of the knowledge about my true nature and name than I expected. At the time, the legends about vampires were scarce and portrayed us purely as monsters, not even remotely human. But Christina believed me instantly.

"I always knew there was something special about you, otherworldly. Even if you are a demon sent from Hell, I don't care. My heart is yours, Jean-Jacques," she said.

Her entire face shone with joy as Christina looked at me. A heartwarming sight, yet sorrowful as well, as I knew that whether she agrees to become a vampire, we were star-crossed. And on Christina it would be much harder than on me, as she wasn't yet used to the ways of immortals.

You see, while normally two vampires can't stay next to each other without having an urge to attack and chase away or kill what our instincts define as a rival, there's one exception. Two exceptions.

First is a connection between a sire and his fledgling. During a period between three and five years, after the fledgling's making, he and his sire won't feel each other as rivals. Their instincts will be calm in each other's presence. This allows a vampire to teach their fledglings what they need to know before they will have to move onto their own territory.

The second exception is… well, it's me. Consider this my special power, like Christina's ability to transform into a battle form. It's not to say I don't possess that hostile instinct, but it always has been weak. So weak, in fact, that I struggled to believe sometimes that for other vampires it was impossible to resist for long.

It's not a thing many people know about, and I didn't mention it to Christina either, but it will be relevant later in my tale.

I explained the things to her. My offer, everything she will be and everything she will and won't be able to do if she agreed. There was much to lose. As a vampire it would take centuries for her to be able to feel the touch of sun without protection again. She won't ever feel the taste of food, won't ever give birth to children, will be doomed to see people around wither into old age and die while staying timeless herself. Without me, too.

The latest part was the one I cautioned Christina the most about. The rest seemed pointless to worry about when you were on a verge of death.

Christina didn't doubt for a moment. "If I accept your gift of life, I will have an eternity to abandon it later, but if I refuse now, it will be final. Please, do it, my love!"

It wasn't as simple and quick as that, though.

Christina was too thin for the change. She would've been stuck with stick-like limbs and skin that sag on her bones for eternity, and I didn't want that for her. So, before I turned her, I fed her doses of my blood each week for three months.

Vampire blood can heal and prolong youth, but one should never drink too much of it, because then it brings inevitable madness. In retrospect, perhaps even three months of feeding it to Christina was stretching the limits. I didn't see any adverse effects then, though, so I kept at it.

These three months during which my blood held off her sickness were barely enough for Christina's body to fill again with muscles and fat, despite all her efforts. But while not as invitingly soft as she had been, Christina looked healthy. This was what mattered the most.

The making of a vampire is not a simple process. It requires a sharing of power that leaves even the mightiest vampires weakened for a while. The weaker ones cannot do it at all, which is another reason while there's so few of us despite our prey being abundant everywhere. I've never done it before, but my sire taught me the principles, and I still remembered her words.

It had a lot to do with instincts, as she taught me, and it did. The same instincts told me I had enough power in me to do it. On the fateful moonless night, I drank all the blood from Christina's body, replacing it with my magic until she opened her eyes again. But this time, as an immortal.

For her family I made up a story of Christina's tragic death, while the two of us moved into another, more secluded house. While I didn't amass wealth like many vampires do—I always was a vagabond—it's embarrassingly easy to make rich people share some of that with you when you have my magic gifts. It was very convenient for a vagabond like me.

There, in the privacy of our house, I taught Christina all the things a vampire needed to know. The Three Commandments, the simple etiquette between vampires, how to hunt, how to pick and hold a territory, how to use glamour and hypnosis and much more.

Christina was an apt student. I guided her to the best of my abilities through every hurdle of vampire existence. Coddled her, even. I felt like she had enough suffering in her life already and needed no more if I could prevent it.

In the spirit of this, I intended to treat her only as a pupil and a friend during that time, to Christina's anger. She knew that eventually her instincts will wake up and we will have to separate, but was sure that there was nothing I could do to prevent the pain of it. She was determined to convince me to spend the years we had together, enjoying each other's presence the best we could.

"I know… you never loved me. But you were the one who taught me that the love wasn't necessary for enjoying what our bodies and hearts could give! My heart is yours already, had been for long ago. If you don't want me anymore, then say it, but if you do, then stop denying me that," she told me then.

It would be a lie to say that I wasn't enticed to teach Christina about all the pleasure her new, immortal flesh could give and take. And I do dislike lying.

The truth I admitted was another step on the road to Hell.