The Beast

3 - Desire

I woke up with a jolt as the door to my room flew open and banged against the purple wallpaper. With sleepy eyes I tried to figure out what was going on, but my body was still adjusting to the transformation and I felt dizzy and weak from lack of sleep.

"You have to stop!" an angry voice ordered from the foot of my bed.

"Stop?" I asked in confusion, rubbing my forehead. "Is it breakfast already?"

"No, you fool. It is early morning and I have not slept a wink. Your dreams and thoughts of your family plague my mind."

As my eyes adjusted to the dark room, I realized that it was Luis standing by my bed in just his nightshirt with a forlorn face and tired eyes. "I'm sorry." I muttered apologetically. "I don't understand, I mean, I can't choose my dreams?"

He sighed at my words and sat down on my bed. "They were beautiful, your wife and child, you seemed happy with your life with them." He leaned forward and took my hand in his, caressing the top of it with his thumb. "Anthony has personally dealt with their killer. He is very keen on following rules, my brother."

I nodded and studied his face. "So I don't have to see him again?"

"On the contrary, my dear." He smiled as he spoke. "He is chained in the dungeons. We thought you would want to end his life yourself." He gave me a wink. "When you are strong enough."

I took a quick breath and felt my heart beat harder. "I want to do it now!" I hissed and got out of bed, but his hand stopped me and all I could do was give him a begging look.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, you make my heart melt." He laughed and took a step closer to me. "Everything has its time and place, young Watchmaker. And now it's time to sleep," he said, guiding me to the bed. "You have an early appointment with Lumiere, right? And you must be alert and learn everything he knows."

"I thought vampires slept during the day?" I asked like the child I was.

But Luis didn't judge me, he just smiled and stroked my cheek. "The fragile ones do, but you have the blood of a prince flowing through your body. Daylight will not harm you."

I nodded a few times before settling back into bed again and watched as he pulled the covers up to my chin. "I can't promise I won't dream about them again," I whispered, meeting his unnaturally green eyes.

"I know," he said, placing his fingers on my temples. "That is why I will give you the gift of a dreamless sleep." Then he left me with a gentle kiss on my forehead, surrounded by darkness in a deeply needed sleeping state, and true to his words I did not dream of anything.

Becoming a vampire had turned out to be quite complicated and confusing. Most of my emotions felt numb, almost neutralized. But then suddenly I could be overwhelmed by something. Ever since this morning I had been feeling lonely, like an abandoned child looking for its parents in a crowded market. And I couldn't shake the feeling. After a full breakfast, I followed the butler who agreed to help me find Lumiere's room, and as we walked through the endless corridors I felt the feeling grow stronger, almost unbearable.

"Good morning." My brother's cheerful voice surprised me when I entered the room.

I gave him a brief nod and a faint smile, but could do nothing more because the pain in my chest was piercing, like a knife stabbing me in the muscles over and over again. And I quickly sank into one of the chairs. "I-I feel sick," I stammered, hiding my face in my hands to force myself to take a few calming breaths.

It wasn't long before I felt a comforting hand on my back and Lumiere crouched down in front of me. "Talk to me," he said, and asked the nearest maid to fetch a glass of water.

I nodded and did my best to push the feelings away and find my way back to a calm state. "I think I'm having a panic attack."

"And why would you have that?" he asked calmly as he continued to stroke my back.

"They have left me," I said, realizing that I meant the princes. "I can't feel them anymore."

Lumiere giggled and accepted the glass that the maid had brought me. He handed it to me and as soon as I had taken it, he left my side to go and sit at his desk.

"Yes, they left this morning. But they will come back to you in a few days."

"Why do I feel this way?" I gasped before taking a few sips of water. The liquid did not help and suddenly I longed for my Prince and his precious blood.

"As a newborn, just like a child, you are soothed by the presence of your creator and your body reacts to his absence. I will teach you how to avoid this."

"My dreams tormented Prince Luis," I told him and was met with a nod.

"So, let's work on that too," he said, walking over to a cabinet and pulling out a bottle and a glass for me. "This is for you."

I looked at the red liquid inside the bottle and raised an eyebrow, "blood?"

"Yes, this is from one of our human guests, our Lord believes you are ready to taste it. And I think it is a good time to do it now, it will numb your suffering from his absence."

Without hesitation, I removed the cork and poured myself half a glass, sending a questioning glance at my brother who made a motion indicating that I should fill it to the brim. As soon as I finished, I drank it all in one go. The taste was very different from the Prince's. His was sweeter, and it had made me feel stronger, more powerful. The human blood just made me feel refreshed and satisfied for the moment.

"Better?" He asked and I gave him a nod and a smile. "All right, let's get started with your training."