Theodore just sat there, I didn’t try to get in to his thoughts, but it was hard not to see the image I placed there. I was wild, red glowing eyes, my fangs showing, my attack and murder of my best friend turned enemy.
“Kat, what was your real name?” Theodore’s question shocked me, I had heard his heart pick up, I had smelled the fear, but his heart was returning to normal and he just asks a simple question.
I was so shocked I just simply answered. “My name was, is, Katyla, daughter of Johan, High Priestess of Atlantis.”
“High Priestess? Atlantis?” Theodore was shocked.
“Yes, I was a ruler. As my father and his mother before him, I did not lie about my mother dying in childbirth, or the age I was, my father taught me everything I was his only heir. There use to be another part of my name when I was introduced while I was human it was Katyla, daughter of Johan, wife of Triremes, High Priestess of Atlantis, I removed the wife part after I killed myself. The way we became to be, was my fault.”
“But Atlantis, the real Atlantis, the myth?”
“Yes, we were becoming to advanced and if they kept that rate of advancement up, well it would have ended in war, and people were becoming to corrupt. So they destroyed themselves. The call to do so was made by my sixth cousin. Who took over leadership four hundred and seventy five years after I died; he made the right choice, it would have been the same I had made if I was in his shoes. So Atlantis, my home, became nothing but a myth, the land that it once stood on, was torn down by the last invention that I had made, I had hid the plans, it would cause a disaster so great it would kill whatever was in a hundred and thirty seven mile radius, the exact radius of our island. My cousin built it and set it off with a remote, as he rowed from the island the last living soul to leave. I left moments before the blast, I needed to come and say good bye and to collect my hidden books and plans. He only found the plans because I left it in my old desk for my family to find. I knew what was going to come what was going to happen, it was Marcus’s first vision, he was only a child, right after I turned, he was just two, so I waited and snuck back to the island and placed it in my desk that my cousin’s wife was using. I have everything but those plans, that device should never be built again, it would destroy this world. I made sure that the device destroyed itself and the whole island and everything we had every written everything we had ever discovered, most went over to Egypt after all they were very advanced, or to what is now Central America, with the Mayans and the Aztecs. The only proof we ever existed are my journals and my work from my human life, and those will never see the light of day.”
“Sorry Kat, but the REAL ATLANTIS, you were the ruler of a mythical country?”
“It is only mythical because of the lack of evidence we existed. But yes I was born into royalty. My father died when I was thirteen I took control, I married soon afterwards just before I turned fourteen, and my husband was twenty. I had Marcus when I was fifteen. After that my husband and I had separate rooms, I had my heir that was all I needed so I turned a blind eye to his affairs. I did not love him; he was the warrior of our community, similar to the top general in the military, so it was a marriage of convenience. When I was seventeen I died, and now my soul is stuck on this planet, I came back as a monster that can not die. Now vampires existed long before me, but we are a different breed, the original vampires, turn human only during the winter months they feed and kill then hibernate until the next winter. There are many branches of vampires, our branch was created by me, by mixing of blood both human, bat, and unknown.” During this whole story Theodore just sits and listens, I see a range of emotions flash across his face from disgust to confusing to what I would guess as acceptance. “Anyways in the end I changed the person who once was my best friend and now we are enemies.”
“So what were you besides a queen when you were human?” Theodore was suddenly curious about my human life.
“I was what you could call a doctor or a scientist. We were medical people. We, I mean Argos and I, were working on a cure that was destroying our people. It was very similar to the flu, except it drained the body of fluids within days of the symptoms starting, they could lay dormant for days, weeks, months, but they would show all the same.”
“What happened?”
“It burned itself out, about two years after I died.” I stood up then. I had some spells to do, and I needed to find a place full of wildlife to do them. After getting my supplies. “I have to go now; I have magic to do before the sun sets.”
“But it is noon, the sun is at its highest now is it safe for you?”
“There is a lot of cloud cover today, so it will be fine. And I will be out in the woods performing the spells. Then tonight I shall take care of those who allowed Gavin close to you and Marcus.”
“Can I come with you?”
“NO! I mean no, I will need a lot of blood after I do the spells, if you are near me…” I couldn’t bring myself to finish the sentence, though it flashed through my mind and it hurt me just to think of it. At that moment I heard Marcus waking up. “Marcus is waking.”
“Good then we can have a sit down and discuss some things before you go off and do what you have to do.” Theodore stated as he walked up stairs to get Marcus.
I sat down defeated. I knew that we would have this talk before Theodore let go of the crazy idea I turn him before I turned Marcus. I knew that having this discussion so soon after meeting them was crazy. Why was everything moving so fast? Another question was why was time feeling like it was moving so fast after living over six thousand years. I was about to yell up to them that I was leaving when I saw them coming down the stairs.
“You were about to leave weren’t you?” Theodore said coming to sit next to me on the loveseat.
“Well, yes. There is a lot I have to get done before tonight.” I answered honestly.
“Dad wants you to turn him now.” Marcus blurted out. “If you turn him you should turn me!” Marcus wanted to be turned sooner rather then later.
“No! Look I know I don’t have the right to act like your mother, but Marcus I care for you and right now is not the right time to turn. You just need to be a bit older. Please. Finish high school at least.”
“How many times have you gone to high school?” Marcus asked.
“More then I care to remember, but you only do it as a human once there is so much to being a human. You don’t have to worry about losing control and killing your whole class. You can go out for sports. You can be a normal kid!”
“As normal as a kid can be, as a reincarnated vampire! Oh, and my dad wants to turn now before me! And you are older than the whole school put together, and you are connected to me as a mother figure because I am a reincarnation of your son.” Marcus paused for a second but I knew the question he was about to ask.
“Marcus, you would have remembered everything and everything would have happened as is, almost, if I hadn’t been here.”
“What do you mean almost?”
“Your friend would have died, your father and yourself killed by Gavin, he was Argo’s assassin.”
“What do you mean would have died? What happened?”
“Gavin showed up. He tried to kill your father that is where he got that scar on his hand. If I hadn’t been there it would have not ended as it did. And of course what happened last night. They would have figured a way out to get invited in, and they would have killed both of you without thinking. I still don’t know why Triremes is following Argos.”
“Who is Triremes?” Marcus asked, and I remembered I never told him who is father was, even back then.
“He was my husband.”
“Your husband?” Marcus was confused.
“My human husband. Argos turned him thinking I would want him around. Argos never married so he really didn’t understand the marriage of convenience that I had with Triremes.”
“So he was…”
“The other half I needed to have my son? Yes. Back then even though I was the ruler I still needed to have an heir. Which meant I had to get married. I never loved him.”
“Never?”
“No, he was the great warrior of our people, like the main general in the military today. I was the daughter of the late ruler who had taken control and was ruling a country since the age of thirteen. It made since.”
“Did you get a divorce?”
“I think death did that for us, there was no connection between us anymore.”
“Who was with him?”
“Kleopatra, the queen of the Nile, he had a thing for queens it seems.” I said with a kind of a sad smile. “I turned her for him. The other two I don’t know, I picked up on their names, but from what I felt, it seems Kleopatra made them only a couple of centuries ago.”
“Wow… So are you going to turn dad?”
“No. I will not turn anybody without them thinking this through.”
“You are going to turn me.”
“I have no choice. I wish I did. I don’t want this for you. I never really did. I was selfish when I let Argos change you. But if I don’t and Argos is allowed to control, then humanity is doomed.”
“Dad seems he really wants to be changed now.
“Will you stop talking about me like I am not here?” Theodore spoke up for the first time.
“We are having a rational conversation. He knows you want me to turn you I have to let him know where I stand.” I stated to Theodore, and then turned back to Marcus.
“Don’t get me wrong, if he wants to turn and he has thought it through then I will. But a new vampire is not able to be around humans very much. The need for blood is so strong in the beginning. And though I live on animal blood it never smells as good as human blood, nor does it taste as good. They can’t be in any type of sunlight. They would die.”
“But you walk in the sun.”
“But I do burn, just not as bad, after a while it will be fine for a new vampire to walk in the sun if that is what they want. Most vampires believe that the sun will destroy them so it does. It is all workings of the mind and of nature. I have only met a few other vampires that can walk in the day like I do.”
“So if you turn him…”
“We would have to leave. You could stay of course if you liked, as this is a boarding school. And it might be better if you allow your father to change before you. After all you are not turning until you are at least seventeen.” I stated with finality in my words.
“Well that is only about a year away. It is dad’s choice if he wants change now that is fine. I can stay here for another year.” I could tell that Marcus, my Marcus was coming out. The need for revenge. He really didn’t care if his father turned early. In his mind, even though he was just told that I was his soul’s mother and Triremes was his soul’s father, he only had one dad, and he wanted him around forever. I knew he had made up his mind about turning and he wanted his revenge against Argos. Though Marcus, this Marcus, loved his father, and he knew what was waiting if I turned him, he was okay with that, and with Theodore and I being an item. That last thought was a surprise. Such a surprise I almost missed the next words he stated. “Actually I think it is a good idea. Then I will have both you and dad to help me once I am turned.”
“See even he agrees.” Theodore said with a smug smile.
“That look does not become you.” I stated glaring at him. “This is forever, there is no going back. There is no natural death after this. And we would have to leave before I changed you. It would look very strange if both you and I left at the same time.” I was going to try everything to postpone the moment I would I would have to cause him his last moments of human pain.
“I will just tell the school I resign due to the fact I fell for a student teacher. That is against rules.” Theodore stated.
“Actually it isn’t, just sleeping with that student teacher and that hasn’t happened!” I was going to try any little loophole.
“They don’t know that.”
“You know you guys fight this out, I am going to up to play my X-box. Better yet, I am going down to Chris’s.” Marcus stated as he grabbed his coat and walked out of the door leaving Theodore and I alone.
“Now that we are alone we can have a serious conversation.” Theodore stated.
“No. I have to go get my supplies and then do what I have to do.” I stated and then bent down kissed him and then left before he could say another word.
I went to my contact here for my supplies. When I walked in I knew something was off. “Stephy? What is going on?” I walked in and found her sitting in front of her tarot deck; her long light brown hair was a mess, her make-up running.
“The cards they state that my ancestors have betrayed someone. This betrayal brings death.”
“Stephy are you relate to the Salem coven?” I asked.
“Distantly, but yes.”
“I need to do a truth spell. I need to know who betrayed me.”
“What happened?”
“Someone who shouldn’t have got though the concealments did get through.”
“Here are the candles, feathers, oils, and other supplies that you need.” Stephy stated she grabbed all the required ingredients needed and put them in a bag. “Don’t kill him please.”
“If he was not involved his life will be spared.” I stated, and then left before she could respond again. I could not know if her love was part of those who betrayed me but I knew he was much more closely related then she was, that is why she was going to be able to live.
It was two o’clock by the time I found an empty bit of woods, which had plenty of wildlife. I set up the alter and put out the bowl of water, the candles, the feathers, the athame and the herbs of the earth. I called to the heavens to show me the truth and suddenly I was standing and watching the betrayal.
“I shall not kill you if you allow me in to the school.” Gavin was stating.
“I don’t know how you found out about this place!” Franklin was stating.
“The other witches in your coven told me, but they stated you placed the final protection of the spell in place and only you can break it. Do so or I kill you and it breaks anyways.” Gavin responded.
“I shall never betray those who showed loyalty to my ancestors!” Frank said and Gavan, then at that moment drained him and dropped his body. Breaking the spell that protected my loved ones, and I now know the truth. Stephy’s love was killed because he refused to betray me, but the other witches of his coven gave the information to betray me, they would die tonight.
After I had hunted and filled up, I waited for dusk. Once dusk came I went to the coven. “I, Katyla, promised to protect you as long as you never betrayed me. You have broken your oath for that your death is called upon.” I started to do my worst, I tried to shut off my feelings, and I could barely feel the fire and the knives they threw at me. When it was done, I could barely look at what I had done. I cleaned up and left a letter for Stephy, as this was all hers now. I also told her about Frank.
Then I went back to my dorm to clean up. By nine that night I was back in front of Theodore’s and Marcus’s home.
