Glamour (Rae Wilder #1)

TDG: Chapter Eight

"Starved, bruised, dejected. Nobody loves the broken and dying.”

– Silent Scream by @razzberrykisses

It was a statement of a lifetime, and my mouth fell open.

“But you’re immortal,” I said, as if that would explain everything.

“We’re dying, all vampires, and we have been for a while. There are few of us left.” Sadness briefly flitted across his face. “We’re starving,” he told me. “The nest I belong to is small, but is struggling to hold onto some form of dignity. Many of my kind have been reduced to senseless cannibals who would just as likely drain another vampire as a human. They have fallen into the madness of the dark.”

This was big. Huge. I didn’t know how to begin to respond. I decided to be polite but frank.

“Tomas, I’m sad for you, but I don’t see how this could have lead to you to me.”

“You know vampires used to be human.”

“No, you used to be pussycats.” I made a noise of frustration. “We don’t have time for this.”

He held a pale palm up. “You listen, or I won’t help you.”

Tomas had saved my life from the Lady Cleric. He had helped Breandan and me escape from the Temple at a risk to himself. Surely I could hear him out like I promised. I mashed my fisted hands into my side.

“Go on,” I huffed, bad naturedly.

“We used to be human, but changed and became vampire. We are not infectious. I cannot turn you; I am what I am because of genetics. Just like shifters are born human then discover the ability to change form, we too are born human and change at some significant point in our lives.”

“You mean, you’re not dead?”

He did one of those fast and annoyed movements with his hand. “Yes. My human body died.”

That explained a lot. “Oh, well, um, sorry about that.” It was an awkward moment for me, though Tomas seemed at ease. I talked over it, “But that does not explain why you’re dying.”

“What do we eat?”

“Blood.”

“Yes. Where do we get blood?”

I tapped my foot and rolled my eyes. He was leading me somewhere and was opting for the prolonged and dramatic route instead of spitting it out. “You drink from humans.”

“Where do the survivors of humankind live?”

I stared at him like he was dumb. “Uh, behind the Wall–”

It hit me between the eyes like a flying brick. Vampirekind had lost their food source. During the Rupture the demons, vampires in particular, had all but made humans extinct. Now they were paying the price, because the humans had locked themselves away from the rest of the world.

“You see,” he said. “We are starving. Some humans are gifted in magics and become witches. There were some vampires who could touch the Source before they turned, and we have such a one in the nest I was born into, gifted with the Sight. She saw you in my future, though she never said anything about the blood we have shared. You are the key to my survival.” He touched a cold hand to my lips. “Rae, you will save me.”

Oh gods. I opened my mouth then closed it again. I forgot what he was and prodded him in the chest. “You didn’t think to tell me this earlier?”

“I told you it was important.”

“No,” I hissed.

“You said so yourself. I took a great risk diving through the Wall so I could meet you. I’d been trying for a month. I have fairies hunting me. I slept in a wardrobe. Of course what I have to tell you is important.”