Turning by Dawn Kirby

Heavy Burden 

Nicholas watched as Alana paced from one side of the room to the other, her eyes never leaving the window. Her long brown hair disheveled, nails bitten to the quick. Her beautiful light blue eyes had heavy black bags underneath them. Every noise drove her further to the edge. For two weeks it’d been this way. And until the prison decided to tell the truth about Ben’s fate he knew it would stay this way.


"Why lie?” he thought. Drained or not, Ben was still dead. Why they felt the need to cover up his death was beyond him. “His death was well deserved.”


“Lie?” Thomas’s voice asked. It’d been so long since he talked to another vampire telepathically; it took him a minute to realize what he’d heard.


“Yes lie,” he said.


“Ah…Did you do something you shouldn't have done?” Thomas teased. “Who am I kidding? Of course you did. You love this girl.”


“That I’m not sure of yet,” Nicholas said quickly. “I do know I care about her.”


“That’s what blinds you.”


“Blinds me? What are you talking about?”


“Go to the back door and I’ll show you,” Thomas said. “Careful though. The young man has a visitor. We wouldn't want to blow your cover of invisibility.”


Nicholas reluctantly stepped into the hallway. With a sad glance back at Alana he walked down the stairs and towards the back door. He could hear Matt’s voice coming from the living room as well as the voice of a female, but he had plenty of time to investigate her when he finished with Thomas. Besides, Matt hadn't pushed Alana earlier when he thought she was sleeping. He’d simply closed the door and left. Some privacy of his own was warranted.


Thomas smiled as he watched Nicholas step through the door. A few more seconds and he’d make him regret ever making a meal out of Ben. He walked across the yard and embraced his friend. Behind him Ben stayed hidden behind the trunk of a huge Willow tree. Inside he was dying to get inside the house. Now that he had the power of a vampire, nobody could stop him.


“What is it you want to show me?” Nicholas asked.


“Why in such a hurry?” Thomas asked, smiling coyly. “Afraid your little treasure’s gonna disappear on you?”


“She’s not in any state to be left alone,” Nicholas told him shortly.


“That’s not my fault,” Thomas said, the smile still plastered on his face. “You brought this on her.” He waved to Ben, who gladly stepped into view. Nicholas froze. “If I've told you once, I’ve told you a million times. Make sure they’re dead before you leave them.”


“You did this?” Ben asked. Thomas nodded his head, clapping his hand on Nicholas’s shoulder. Ben grinned. “I wanna shake your hand mister. Had you not tried to kill me-”


“Easy boy,” Thomas warned. Nicholas’s fangs had suddenly made an appearance. “Let’s remember why he tried to kill you.”


“Yeah, well, when do I get her?” Ben asked craning his neck to look past Nicholas.


Nicholas stepped back, blocking any path Ben might try to take inside the house. “You don’t.”


“Stay!” Thomas commanded when they took a step towards one another. “Nicholas, he is my protégé. I forbid you to hurt him in any way.”


“You can do that?” Ben asked, frowning at Nicholas.


“I made him,” Thomas said. “I may have let him go, but I still hold some power over him.”


“And this is how you use it?” Nicholas asked incredulously. “By bringing a killer into your life?”


“Seems as though I've brought in two.”