Asmodeus(87)

She gritted her teeth and brought the phone to her ear. "Hello?"



"Hello, Brianna. My name is Ambrose. How are you feeling?"



Was he serious? She felt like choking the stranger with his own soft, Scottish brogue. "Just cheeky. Couldn't be better. How about you?"



"There's no need to make smart-ass comments. I don't like this any more than you do."



"Really? You get a blood bank for a day and I get to play Russian roulette with an embryo. What's not to like?" She felt bad for snapping at him just as soon as the words left her mouth. Raum and Naberius were only trying to help, as was the man on the phone, but all she wanted to do was sleep. Possibly never wake up.



"I'm leaving this decision up to you. I'm not sure what the outcome will be, since nothing like this has been done before. But the alternative is just as disturbing, isn't it?"



The vision of the Neph that attacked her flooded her mind, and she started tearing up. She got up from the chair and slammed the phone down on the kitchen table.



Panic attack, here I come…



She stomped into the living room and bumped into Valencia.



Valencia laid a hand on her arm. "Whoa. I… What happened?"



She couldn't speak; she merely shook her head. Valencia wrapped her in a hug.



They had become closer in the past few days. Naberius had demanded she move in so she wouldn't be alone throughout her pregnancy. Valencia had stood up for her, saying it was Brianna's decision. Valencia was the only one to realize more change would only push her further over the edge. She wished she were home that very second so she could mourn in private. All the talk of vampires, babies and the Abyss were too much.



She held on to Valencia for a few minutes before she finally spoke. "They want to turn me into a vampire." A laugh escaped her. "A vampire. Can you believe that?"



Valencia pulled away, holding her by the shoulders. "Did they call Ambrose?"



She knew him? "Uh…yeah."



Valencia glanced toward the kitchen, and then met her eyes in a conspiratorial manner. "I used to have the biggest crush on him."



"On a vampire? Are you serious?"



Valencia tilted her head to the side and studied her.



The look on Valencia's face gave her a bad feeling. "What?"



"I'm a vampire. Didn't you know?"



Brianna pulled away, seeing Valencia in a whole new light. Just when she was feeling comfortable…



"It's not as though I'm going to bite you. What did you think I was?"



Brianna made an attempt to regain her composure, something she found herself doing a lot of lately.

"I thought you were a demon like the rest of them."



"There are no women demons that I'm aware of. Women are smart like that. When we know we have it good we're less likely to throw it away."



Oh, like she was supposed to know that. It wasn't like CNN did special news reports on shit like that.



She made a wide circle around Valencia and settled on the couch. If only Asmodeus were here, she would ask him what he thought of the proposal. What if she gave birth to a monster? A hybrid VampNeph with demonic powers? Good grief.



"Brianna, if Ambrose agrees to turn you, you should do it. He's a former Warrior Angel who fell from grace. He's the first vampire. The only vampire with the ability to turn someone without taking too much away from them."



She'd heard all of this before, except for the last part. She really didn't want to ask, but found herself trudging ahead like a good little girl scout. "Take what away?"



Valencia sat next to her on the couch. "Let me put it to you this way. If I were to turn you, you would become a vampire, but the transformation would be risky. My blood isn't strong enough. Those who are made by Ambrose are just as they were before they were turned, only they drink blood to survive. In the beginning you can't go into the light, but within a century or two, the light will no longer bother you."



A century or two? She'd said it in such a nonchalant manner, as if living that long were completely normal. "So vampires are immortal?"



"Yes. I was born in the tenth century."



The age didn't surprise her much, as she had thought Valencia much older than that. Brianna's original assumption was that Valencia was a demon, and angels had existed from the beginning of time. "And who do you drink from? Humans?"



"I drink from Naberius. Demon blood is thicker, and can sustain me longer. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you drank from him."



She figured if she wanted to vomit just from the thought of drinking Naberius's blood, actually doing so could pose a problem. "Gee, thanks. Why don't we just do a threesome?"