Fractured (Deep In Your Veins, #5)(11)
“I met Marco when I was human. We dated for a while. Many Kejas can put humans in a trance before feeding from them, so that the humans have no memories of the event. He put me in that same trance, and then he Turned me. One minute I was human, the next I was in agony and going through the transition with absolutely no idea what was happening to me.”
That made the mercury glint to Sam’s irises flare—it was the marker of a hybrid. “Unfortunately, that happened far too much until we gave it a death sentence.” She flicked her dark hair over her shoulder. “What happened after that?”
“Like all newborn vampires, I was struggling with bloodlust and fighting for control. And he just dumped me on Lazarus.”
Jared’s face hardened. “He abandoned you?”
“Yep.” As if it wasn’t bad enough that he’d effectively stolen my life from me, he’d then carelessly put me aside. Sires typically monitored their vampires while the person went through the transition, overcame the bloodlust, and their gift surfaced. “I was in shock, I was scared, I was confused, and I was surrounded by people I didn’t know. All I wanted was to go home. That was all I kept saying—that I wanted to go home. Lazarus said I couldn’t, but that he’d teach me control so that I could exist in the human world if that was what I wanted.”
Jared’s forehead creased. “If Lazarus was watching over you, he must have seen your gift manifest itself.”
“He did.”
“But he didn’t make you stay?”
“I thought he’d go back on his word when he realised what a good weapon I’d make.” After all, I could be used to separate mates against their will. In fact, a vampire had tried forcing me to separate Sam and Jared by using Paige as leverage. “He didn’t. Like me, he and his sister were Turned against their will. So maybe he took pity on me. I left, and I severed my bond with Marco. He didn’t try to track me.”
“Are you sure?” asked Sam. “You’re not just one of his vampires. You’re his first-born. That’s pretty significant.”
It was, which was why a lot of acknowledgement and respect came with being a first-born. We, for whatever reason, were the inspiration that led to our makers starting their own line. It was a serious thing to run a line and it involved a lot of responsibilities. To become one was a huge decision. First-borns were the catalyst of that decision, and so they were deeply respected and their Makers tended to have a soft spot for them. As such, it was odd that Marco would just overlook my existence. “I know, but he never came looking for me.”
“I was going to ask if he Turned you because he cared about you and wanted to keep you,” said Sam, “but if that was true he wouldn’t have abandoned you or let you go.”
“Marco doesn’t care about anyone other than Marco. Given everything, I’m sure you can understand why I ran from him.”
“You didn’t just cut your ties with Marco, you cut yourself off from the entire nest,” Jared pointed out. “That left you very vulnerable; completely without protection. Why would you do that?”
It seemed melodramatic now but… “You have to understand that at the time, I still didn’t see myself as a vampire. I was convinced I could return to my old life, pretend to be human. Both Lazarus and Annalise warned me not to cut all contact, but I just wanted to be away from that world. I didn’t listen to them.
“Once people heard of a vampire that could sever bonds, I was hunted. I had no protection, so I became a drifter. Paige was sent to track me, only she joined me instead of taking me to her Sire. In return, I severed her bond with him so she could be free. That was all she really wanted. To be free.”
Sam leaned back in her chair. “Have you had any contact whatsoever with anyone from your nest since leaving?”
“When Lazarus and Annalise watched your ascension via V-Tube, they caught a glimpse of me in the background and also heard you offer me a place in the legion. They contacted me shortly afterwards to pass on their congratulations. Annalise and I now occasionally exchange emails. She’s even invited me to the Binding anniversary of two of their vampires, which is taking place in six months’ time.” Binding formed a powerful psychic connection between two vampires, joined them on a level that far surpassed any marriage or other type of bond.
“You plan on going, even though it will mean facing your Sire again?” asked Sam.
“A year ago, I would have said no. I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere near him. I’m stronger now. I’ve cut myself from my nest for long enough. Lazarus, Annalise, and the rest of the nest are, for all intents and purposes, my family.”
“They are,” agreed Sam. “And maintaining connections outside The Hollow is a good thing. Most of the legion are in regular contact with their nests; life shouldn’t always be about work.”
“You say Lazarus knows about dragon shifters,” said Jared.
I nodded. “Yes. Lazarus is a scholar, and he’s knowledgeable about a lot of things. He admires and respects dragon shifters for their strength, power, and viciousness. I heard that Marco had negotiated a peace treaty between Lazarus and the local dragon drove.”
“You think Lazarus would be happy to share information with us?” asked Jared.
“I don’t see why he wouldn’t,” I replied.