This Is Not a Tragedy

22 | The True Hearts of Vampires

Friday, October 19, 2007

The needle of the syringe pierces Nina's skin as she lies on the bed of Sergius' office.

"Don't move," Sergius orders. The vacancy of her eyes and the stillness of her body are like death.

I am only here because Nina has requested it of me. I've realized she's become increasingly needy. She won't even go clothes shopping alone. Luckily, she has Emina for that.

"Stay lying for about 5 minutes before you get up. It should be a few hours before it takes effect," Sergius explains.

Honestly, though, Nina's choice to do this is baffling. She specifically said she was tired of being a test subject. Yet, upon hearing the IVA labs are doing the final tests of a new drug that allows Transformatis to sleep, she pleaded with Sergius to try it.

"Pathetic," Valerian says under his breath from the doorway, his arms folded and eyes disdainful. And this jerk is only here for some legal reasons dealing with there needing to be some witness, and everyone else happens to be busy, and I don't count. Frankly, it feels like a bunch of B.S.. I don't even want to give Valerian the satisfaction of a glare. "So eager to pretend to be human," he spits with a sneer. "You're a naïve child," he says, glancing at Nina. Then he turns his eyes to Sergius, "But you, you all―"

"Valerian," Sergius cuts. "Do not forget the rules of the house and your position as a mentor."

"And I abided by those rules for decades, did I not?" he replies, raising his voice. "But you develop more and more of these concoctions, manipulating and looking down on Transfor―"

"Valerian!"

"And the ones leading these developments?" He gives a nasty smirk. "Nativus who don't even have to―"

"Valerian!" Sergius warns again, standing up.

"―deal with vampirism to the extent that we Transformatis do."

"Valerian, this is your last warning."

"Or what?" He raises an eyebrow. "You need me here. I'm doing you a favor. Can't I at least express how repulsive I find it?" Valerian's blue eyes turn to me. "You, especially. The Hidden Prince. You disgust me the most." He pivots on his feet and marches out of the room.

I stare at the empty doorway, confused. Hidden Prince? "What does he mean?" I demand from Sergius, noticing Nina looks even more confused.

Sergius sighs and runs his hand over his beard. "It seems Emina was wrong."

Wrong? I recall the day I met Emina when she immediately saw my father's face in mine. Hidden... He knows who my father is? Is that why he hates me? Because my father is the one behind the drugs and developments he abhors so much?

"Don't worry. If he wanted to tell, he would have by now."

Nina begins to sit up. "Tell what?" she asks, sending a frowning gaze towards me then Sergius.

Sergius pushes her back into a lying position by her shoulder. "Forget about it."

"Natsu?"

I look at Nina, surprised she thinks I'll reveal anything to her. "Don't worry about it. Or what Valerian said. It's your body; you can do what you want."

"Well said, Natsu!" Sergius points a triumphant finger towards the ceiling.

"I'm going to my room," I say and leave without looking back.

Close to midnight, it's considerably dark. There are no stars. There is no moon. Time seems to be moving very slowly, and the whole atmosphere of the house is depressing. The light from my desk lamp illuminates the book I read. Admittedly, I'm not reading. In truth, I'm thinking about the things Valerian said. IVA Labs' purpose. My father, a Nativus, using his "persuasiveness" to gather support for Transformatis to "pretend to be human." And how Nina feels about living as a Transformatis.