Blood Lies

Chapter 53

The others are sitting in silence, waiting for us to hurry. I wipe the blood from my mouth before approaching them. They all glare at us with anger and impatience in their eyes. I can see they are not happy with us. I blank their minds from mine, so I cannot read them. I can hear Josh worrying about how much power I have accommodated from his venom. I take a quick glance at Josh as he wonders, and then take my luggage in my stride, which I left on the floor.

We continue our journey. It seems so far in the dark, the walk is dull and boring. The coldness of the night turns everyone sour except me and Josh who are still very happy in some ways, in others a mixture of emotions. I find this with humans, being one once I understand how their emotions change so suddenly. They all seem to turn solemn when there is no sun, or they have had a bad day.

Casting my mind away once more, I recall Josh saying something about only masters who bite someone can give them the powers I have. I wonder out of curiosity, do masters have special gifts like I do, or are they like any other vampire? I can do things which Josh can't do, so how does this all work? Josh has a lot to explain to me; firstly he can explain about the masters, who are they? If Josh was a master then, how did he become one? This is all abstruse to my mind; I cannot make sense of it all.

I lift my head up from thought, realising I still haven't placed a jacket on. I assume I best put one on otherwise the others will become more curious than they already are. Without stopping I take my bag off my back, and open the top. Before it seemed a little heavy but now I don't feel the weight of it at all. I seem to be a lot stronger than I was. It is just coincidence that I placed a jacket on the top of my stuff. I pull it out, quickly slipping it on while I hold my bag in my teeth; hoping the others aren't watching.

Josh eyes me with a warning look, panicking slightly; of course if I were human a bag with that weight I wouldn't be able to hold it in my teeth. My jacket doesn't go at all with my other clothing, its bright green; it clashes with my dark top and jeans. I assume it doesn't matter much as it may be the last thing I'll be seen in. In an acting attempt feeling eyes on me as I replace my bag on my back I shudder pretending to be cold.

I keep my eyes fixed ahead of us, gliding swiftly down the path, however keeping a small distance behind my friends like a protector. The others must be exhausted; they haven't slept since the night before. Of course I do not feel tired; however I know full well if I was human I would do. I feel the same as I woke for my last time, I feel bright, alert and I can feel energy rushing through my body. I suddenly feel a hand of my own temperature slide into my hand. I look up to see Josh beside me. His face is as blank as a rock and as white as snow.

He has no expression; however his mind has thousands of tiny little cogs turning at full speed as he thinks about everything all at once. Finally I know what he is thinking; I don't have to wonder anymore as he opens his mind up to me. He glances quickly at me, looking into my eyes ever so briefly; I see a glimpse of worry and concern. It makes me sad to see him worry. He really shouldn't worry about me anymore, I am not fragile like I was and he doesn't have to control himself around me.

I have a certain scent, vampires and other supernatural creatures can pick me out in a crowd of humans... Humans all have distinctive smells, their scents are strong, and Vampires scents are very faint but easy to pick out. I touch his face with my free hand, wanting to calm his sorrow. Suddenly he flinches and flicks his head away from my hand. I yank my hand back, I felt a surge of energy flow ever so quickly through my fingertips, and I couldn't control it. Josh suddenly stops, pulling his hand from mine. He rubs the side of his face where I had stung him. How could I have done that? Vampires don't feel pain...

He keeps his eyes on me as I stare at my hands. If my heart wasn't frozen I would have felt it racing by now. I can feel the throbbing in my brain... I can also feel my wintery finger tips throbbing with energy. I can hear Josh's mind again, he is afraid of me, afraid of my capability. I look up at him, he glares back at me.