My Blood on Your Lips, Your Money in My Bra

Chapter 19: Becoming a Monster

Warm blood filled my mouth with each pull, blood tasting of sweet, sugary candy. Necromancer's blood. I released the neck my long, sharp, vampiric fangs had pierced and let the body fall forward. Black hair spilled about the girl to hide her face, and it reminded me vaguely of Kyrianna's.

I licked my lips and moaned softly at the blood I found there, still warm and fresh. I wiped a drop of it away from my chin as well, licking it away from my skin before it could lose its heat.

I stood then, looking around for another source of blood, be they human, necromancer, Were, or even vampire. I could still taste the sweet blood I'd just drunk, yet I thirsted for more. It was this hunger that urged me on in my hunt for prey.

I walked down the hall of what appeared to be my own apartment, stopping at my closed bedroom door. Is there someone inside? I wondered, my head tilting slowly to the side. I opened the door and went in to find out.

On the bed, I found someone lying face down. His clothes and shorter red hair gave the impression of a male. His scent was that of a vampire. Without a thought, I leapt onto the male, straddling his back and grabbing a handful of his hair. I yanked his head back and bit into his pale neck even as his initial cry of surprise hung in the air. The blood was cooler than the necromancer's had been, lacking the candy flavor, but I found it enjoyable nonetheless. Blood was blood, after all.

A powerful need to drain the male of every last drop urged me to tear his head off in an oddly familiar manner, with a twist and violent yank. I held his head by the hair and lifted it over me, tilting my head head back to let a few leftover droplets of blood fall onto my outstretched tongue.

I lowered the head after this and found myself gazing into the gray, dead eyes of a vampire. The male's features reminded me of Eli's other than those empty eyes, but I disregarded this. I wanted more blood. I needed more blood. Was there anyone else here?

I carelessly tossed the vampire's head aside and slid off of the bed, now making my way out the door. I crossed the hall to the bathroom, feeling the need to check inside. Perhaps someone was hiding here.

Entering the room, I found nothing. It was merely the dark bathroom I'd used day after day for quite some time, free of anyone else possessing the blood I so desperately craved.

I turned to leave, but a bright light reflected upon my face when I turned to the mirror. I stepped closer to it, cocking my head at the image the glass showed. It was some strange-looking creature, with the pale, silvery skin of a necromancer, but other features of something entirely different. The eyes glowed, much like those of a necromancer, but their coloring was off. They were a deep red color, the very same color as the blood I was lusting after. The teeth were different as well. Where a necromancer possessed a vague imitation of fangs, this creature had fangs that were almost superior to those of a vampire.

An odd thought struck me as I studied the creature in the mirror.

It had blood, right?

I climbed onto the sink to bring me closer to the thing in the mirror, looking into those crimson eyes as I laid a palm against the glass. It mimicked me. I cocked my head at our hands, puzzled, but I leaned down toward the possible source of blood nonetheless.

Pain struck me suddenly as I bit into the wrist of the creature. I leaned away from the mirror and clutched my arm with my free hand, holding my wrist to my lips so I couldn't withdraw it.

The blood I drank was the most delicious I'd ever had, possessing the sweet taste of a necromancer's as well as something I couldn't quite place. This added flavor made the blood richer, though, more irresistible even than necromancer blood.