The Clandestine Saga

Transformation Gone Wrong

Over the last century or so, Jamie had transformed many Hunters and Guardians using the serum method. He had not originated the idea or developed the serum, but he had made many improvements to the procedure, and while Cadence was still extremely nervous, she felt assured that she was in the best hands possible.

Cadence was lying in her pajamas on her grandmother's guest bed, still a little stuffed from the Thanksgiving dinner they had thrown together. It didn't have every dish one might imagine for the traditional holiday, but it was sufficient, and after the late football game had concluded, Jamie had asked if she was ready. Now was as good a time as ever so she had gone upstairs to prepare herself for a nice long snooze.

"Now, you should know, I've used this serum hundreds... maybe thousands of times to help both Hunters and Guardians Transform," Jamie said from his position beside the bed.

"Did you make it?" Cadence asked, hoping they couldn't hear the nervousness in her voice.

"No, but I've helped make it better," he replied.

The calmness of his voice was a reassurance, but Cadence was still unsettled. She looked to her Grandma Janette, who stood at the foot of the bed next to Eliza, and the reassuring look on the familiar face was comforting.

Aaron was lingering by the door, and she was thankful he wasn't so close. She couldn't imagine being any more jittery than she was, but something told her, if he was next to her, she'd find a way.

That was everyone as Elliott had been sent back to check on the situation in Shenandoah. She knew that Aaron would be leaving soon as well, but she had made him promise to stay until she fell asleep. For some reason, she just felt better knowing the man in charge was present while the procedure was taking place, though Aaron certainly did not have the same calming effect on her that Jamie did. Even now as she watched Jamie, whom she discovered was a doctor, removing hypodermic needles and vials from the small black kit he sat on the nightstand next to her, she felt as if she could trust him completely. That didn't make her stomach calm down any, however.

"How are you doing, Cadence?" he asked pausing for a moment to glance down at her.

She nodded her head. "I'm a bit nervous," she said, "but I trust you."

"Good," Jamie replied smiling. "Do you want me to explain to you what I am doing as I go, or would you rather just let me do it and get it over with? Either way works for me."

She considered the options. She already knew the gist of what was going to happen. Jamie was going to insert some sort of serum into her bloodstream, which would activate her DNA and make her Hunter abilities dominate her human limitations. She would be able to run faster, jump higher, aim more accurately, all of the skills she would need in order to successfully hunt and kill Vampires. She knew he was also injecting a medication that would make her sleep for at least twenty-four hours. This was essential for two reasons. First of all, it would allow her body to Transform while in a dormant state, which caused the process to happen more quickly and any damage to be repaired without delay. Secondly, while some Hunters never felt a twinge of pain while undergoing Transformation via serum, for others it was excruciatingly painful. Jamie had perfected this method so that no one need suffer for no reason. "You can just do it," she finally decided.

"All right then," he said, his smile reassuring her once again.

"Will it hurt at all?" she asked. She had asked that question earlier, and she felt like she got a non-answer so she decided to try again.

Jamie cleared his throat, an indicator that Cadence was not going to like his answer. "There is a possibility that it might hurt a little at first, depending upon whether or not you are predisposed for a painful Transformation."