I wake up in the midst of cool sheets, feeling somewhat sore but mostly itchy. I keep my eyes closed as I try to comprehend that I was now a vampire. My memories are far from hazy, everything actually feels like it's never been clearer before. I hear voices around me – although to be honest they don't sound that enhanced. Was I really a vampire now?
I finally decide to open my eyes, expecting to squint with my newly enhanced vision.
The intricate ceiling fills my vision, but nothing really feels any different. A sinking feeling hits me as I realise Meredith was right. My immortality would bring me back as I am – physically weak but underneath I still harboured my lethal blood. Not to mention the biggest give away I hadn't changed into a vampire was the fact I was craving some eggs and bacon.
I know, random right? But I was fairly confident vampires didn't crave human food.
I turn my head to the voices to see Darrius and Rory sitting on the couches having a chat.
"I'm awake guys," I call out, slowly sitting up I bring the sheet with me because Darrius had undressed me until I was completely naked. In a flash, Darrius sprints to my side and Rory stands up smiling, winking at me.
"How do you feel?" Darrius asks me, reaching a hand up to cup my face his hand pauses as his eyes catch something behind me, "What the heck?" he changes tactic, instead of gently trying to see if I was okay, he puts a forceful hand on my shoulder and shoves me forward into my legs.
"Ow!" I call out, my voice muffled in the sheets as he rips the sheet completely off my back.
"Come here," Darrius growls at Rory, "What the hell is this?"
"Let me up," I yell, Darrius loosens his grip off my shoulder and I spring back up, my blood had rushed to my face and I scramble out of the bed, pulling the sheet with me, I stand up and try and look over my shoulder to my back, "What – oh my god, what the hell?" I try not to panic as I see large black scribbles covering my back, "Is this your idea of a joke?" I glare at Darrius and Rory as they come closer, "Draw on me while I'm knocked out, huh?"
Darrius just glares at me, crossing his arms over his chest, "I can think of far better things to do to you, sweetheart, now turn around so we can inspect what's on your back, now."
I want to argue with his condescending tone but I didn't have time to worry about that. I wanted to know what the hell was on my back.
As I turn for them to come inspect me, an image flashes through my mind about the horror of seeing Jay decapitated right on top of me. I don't know why it comes back to me now, but I instantly feel like throwing up.
I start to shake thinking about it and Darrius has to put another hand on my shoulder, this time to steady me.
I saw my love, in another body, killed. Jay wasn't Darrius but the thought of losing Darrius in such a unspeakable way suddenly makes me anxious to kill Eddrick as soon as possible.
"I didn't expect this," Rory says, intrigued, "Your blood helped reform her body to it's truly natural state."
"She isn't a vampire, she just woke up with this –" Darrius is confused, but Rory sounds content examining whatever was on my back.
"The power to save humanity... only one can bond with her, once found light or darkness will ensue," Rory generalised the prophecy, and I suddenly feel his finger on my back pointing at something, "She has more than just that ability, you have now joined."
"Eddrick said he was the darkness to my light, not Darrius," I say, bewildered by the whole situation.
"Well, say what you like, but did you somehow get Eddrick's blood into your system? Besides Darrius?" Rory asks.
I look down at the floor, shaking my head – when I suddenly remember Dr. Ann Drysdale injecting me with a red substance.
"Maybe... maybe I did," I explain to them what happened and they both go silent as they continue to observe my skin.
"The prophecy has appeared on your back, Jennifer," Rory looks at Darrius, who nods in agreement, while I try my best to look over my shoulder and read the words. I needed a mirror.
"What's the point of that? That doesn't help me save humanity if that is my purpose," I snap.
"Yes it does, it is the correct prophecy, the right interpretation – and we've only ever had parts of it. Well that's what conspiracies suggest – now it can be proven that those conspiracies were correct. There is one more part," Rory puts his finger on it and it's on my lower back so I definitely can't see it now.
"Kill the light, kill the darkness," Darrius mutters under his breath.
"Maybe you should inform Xavier of this news," Rory suggests.
"I'll have to, Jennifer, I won't be long. Rory, look after her and I'll come back with some food and drink," Darrius leaves for the exit and I turn to see Rory trying not to laugh at Darrius' departure.
"You got him to leave easily," I state suspiciously.
"Fairies have stronger compulsion than vampires, dear Princess."
"That's great," I say, getting impatient because now I wanted to know why he wanted to be alone with me, "What did you want to tell me with Darrius out of hearing range?"
"Eddrick is ultimate darkness, Jennifer. Meredith is his opposite, ultimate light. It has always been impossible to kill Eddrick, as everyone believes him to be one with death. However if you kill Meredith, you kill Eddrick."
"You could have told me this with Darrius here," I say, "Is there more?"
"There is always more," Rory sighs and sits down on the end of the bed, "If you want to kill Eddrick so badly, and you succeed in killing Meredith, fairies will be banished back to their realm and supernatural creatures will cease to exist."
"How do you know all this?" I ask, perhaps it was a stupid question. Rory knew more than he was ever going to let on.
"I've studied this prophecy, I know my kind," there is a green glint in his eye and his teeth sharpen as he smiles, "The only way to save your precious human race, is to eradicate supernatural creatures and banish the fairies from the human realm."
"So to kill Eddrick, we kill Meredith, which in turn kills everyone I've ever cared about – to save the whole of humanity."
"No," Rory shakes his head, "Not every spell can be so unbalanced that it would have such a dark outcome."
"Then what?" I ask.
"Fairies would return to their realm and supernatural creatures would revert back to their human forms, it's that simple Jennifer," he smiles because he knew this all along.
"If Meredith and Eddrick are dead, who will 'rule' in their stead, if that's the right word, in the fairy realm?"
"Me, of course," Rory rolls his eyes like its obvious, "I told you, do you not remember? Fairies rule their lives by desire."
"Oh, but... how will fairies just accept you as their, uh, king? Lord? Or whatever."
"My mother and father give me that right of passage, dear Jennifer," Rory comes over to me and places a hand on my shoulder, pushing me towards the bathroom, "Have a shower and get cleaned up, you still have some blood on your back from my father's attempt to kill you."
Rory ushers me all the way into the bathroom before he shuts the door for me.
I just turn and stare at the door, in shock.
This whole time, Rory had not just been an undercover fairy residing in a vampire palace.
He was the son of Eddrick and Meredith!
Suddenly the door opens again and he pokes his head in to see me once more.
"Oh, by the way," Rory winks at me again, "Don't feel sad about Jay, darling, he never even existed. When I thought of this whole plan I needed to take someones form – so I chose one you knew you could trust. A familiar body and soul and all that, ha! The look on your face is priceless," he grins, shutting the door and chuckling to himself as I slowly turn towards the shower, my mind feeling numb.
Ok.
I wasn't expecting to hear that.
I get in the shower feeling light hearted, and a little bit better. This whole time, there had been a silent hero, an unseen one.
There was far more to Rory than anyone ever knew about.
***Updates every Monday***