Chapter 8

Reina walked out of the bedroom and looked around. She became terrified when she couldn’t see Kevin. She ran out the front door and in her frantic search, she ran right by Kevin as he sat in a corner of the porch. It was the same position that she had found him in when she turned him into a vampire. “It’s ok Kevin. I’m right here,” Reina said, sensing Kevin’s fear, pain and anguish. “I couldn’t sense your presence.” Reina said.
“I know. I wanted it that way.” Kevin said.
“Let me in, Kevin. I need to know what you’re thinking and feeling,” Reina said. She could have easily gone through the block he had put up against her, but she didn’t want to violate him and drive him further away.
“I can’t right now, Reina. I have a lot of things that I need to figure out. I promise we will talk soon though. I have lots of questions,” Kevin replied.
“You aren’t angry at me are you?” Reina asked. It was really killing her not to probe his mind, but she was determined not to do it.
“No I’m not angry. I just wish I had known,” Kevin said.
“It’s really only ever used as punishment, Kevin.” Reina said.
“That’s not what I meant, but I believe you.” Kevin said.
“What did you mean then?” she asked.
“I feel like I should have known who he was, Nick, I mean, I feel like I led him right to you when you were most susceptible to being captured. Now I understand why you always had so many vampires around you, it was for protection against him,” Kevin said.
“That’s right, but you didn’t lead him to me,” she said.
After a long pause, Kevin asked, “Is he dead yet?”
“No. But he’s sleeping right now. He will probably sleep for several days,” Reina replied.
“Can we go back now?” Kevin asked.
“Sure. Tereth is going to stay here with Raynard until he wakes up. Then he’ll take Raynard home,” Reina said. “Then he’ll be plain old Nick, no side personalities, he won’t remember a thing. Normally, to make it a punishment we leave the vampiratic needs in the person, in this case, to keep the group together, we turned him completely human. He won’t die from not getting his needs fulfilled. He’ll be just fine.”
Half an hour later, Reina, Kevin and Halther were on their way back to Orlando. Halther agreed to drive back and let Reina and Kevin get some much-needed rest. There was no doubt that fighting Raynard off over the past twenty-four hours had exhausted Reina and staying up all night had weakened Kevin. So, Reina let him feed on her for a while.
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Halther had dropped Reina and Kevin off at Reina’s place. Kevin needed to talk to Reina. They both slept for the remainder of the day and well into the evening. When Reina woke up, she found Kevin in the game room in front of the pool table. Reina couldn’t help but notice how tired Kevin looked. “How did you sleep?” Reina asked.
“I didn’t.” Kevin said without taking his eyes off the table.
“Kevin you need to sleep to build your strength back up,” Reina said with great concern in her voice.
“I just have a lot on my mind, that’s all.” Kevin said.
“Are you ready to talk?” Reina asked.
“Would there have been any way to send me back at the beginning?” Kevin asked.
Reina sat down beside Kevin and said, “There is no way out Kevin. If you get sent back to the other side, then death is the only outcome.”
“Does anyone actually enjoy it?” Kevin asked.
“Not fully, well, no one that was brought here, if you’re born into it then you love every second of it, unless you’re me, or Halther, we have to watch out for everyone else. There will always be a part of you that will be unhappy. But it’s a different kind of unhappy,” Reina admitted.
“How do you do it Reina? How have you lived with this for so long?” Kevin asked.
Reina wasn’t used to dealing with emotions like these. She wasn’t sure how to answer all the questions that Kevin had. But she knew she had to find the answers. Deep inside she knew Kevin would not rest until he knew the answers. “Bear with me Kevin. I’m not accustomed to dealing with emotions like these. I was born a vampire, but, through speaking to others I can tell you, that I do know that as time goes on, the human emotions disappear. There is no unhappiness that regular vampire like me feels. For any ‘alien’ vampire there is unhappiness, but it’s more like an impatient feeling,” Reina said. “But most of it goes away when you find your perfect match.”
“Perfect match?” Kevin asks.
“No one is ever brought into this world of ours by accident, each of us is here for a reason. Each vampire has a perfect match, one other vampire whom they were meant to be with for their lives. Infidelity never occurs once a vampire finds its perfect match. If one of the vampires is an ‘alien’ then their unhappiness melts away once they have found their perfect match.”
“Are we?” Kevin asked.
“Yes, Kevin, we are, that’s why I didn’t turn you back into your former human self. I wouldn’t have been able to trust myself to stay away from you, and vampires aren’t allowed to marry outside of the circle of vampires. Vampires can have sex with humans easily, even after they’ve found their match, but they are never aroused as well as they are with their perfect match.”
“I don’t want this anymore, Reina,” Kevin said sadly.
“Think about what you are saying Kevin. You can’t just end your life. You have a very good life compared to every other human being. You live a glamorous life, Kevin. So what you’re a little different than the other people in the world? That just makes you special, and unique. Think about what it feels like to be performing for thousands of fans. Think about what it feels like to hear your songs, your voice on the radio. Do you really want to give all that up?” Reina said, feeling more emotions.
“I just don’t want to live it like this.” Kevin replied.
“Do you want your body to age? Do you want your mind to deteriorate? Do you want to lose me? I promise you, Kevin, we can’t be together if you’re not a vampire. Just think about what you have Kevin. It’s really not that bad,” Reina said as she stood up and left the room so Kevin could have some time alone to think.
Kevin tried to concentrate on the game he was playing, but he couldn’t.
Reina came back into the room. “AJ just called. He’s having a party over at his place. Do you feel like going?” Reina asked.
“Just tell him I already had plans for tonight.” Kevin replied.
“Kevin it might do you some good to be around the other guys. Howie and Brian are supposed to be there as well,” Reina said, hoping she could get Kevin away from his haunting thoughts.
“It has been a few weeks since I’ve seen any of them. Can you give me a few minutes to get ready?” Kevin said, changing his mind.
“Of course,” Reina said.

Read the next chapters:
Prologue / Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 / Chapter 7 / Chapter 8 / Epilogue

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