Bleeding Tears, Crying Blood

I sat within the bathroom, cuddling White’s body for a long time. At first everyone left me alone to my tears and sorrow. But as the night was growing old, voices began to murmur beyond the door. I knew it was Wolfram and Cian and it sounded as if they were debating. I wasn’t bothered to focus on the words, if anything I hid from them and ignored them, but I knew they were going to come in here now. I didn’t want them to. I just wanted to hug White and keep myself from everyone. I didn’t want to lash out at them too.

White has been very quiet since he arrived. He didn’t move nor did he say a word. He simply stroked my hair with his ghostly hands, quietly letting me cry. It helped a little but the memory of what I did to Leroy kept hounding me. I couldn’t believe what I had done to him. That I had bitten him. That I had made him sick.

I flinched and looked up when there was a gentle knock at the door.

“Alma. Come out now.” Cian’s deep voice said.

I pressed my back harder against the wall and press my face against White’s head.

“If you don’t open the door I’ll force it open. Either way, I’m coming in.” He said.

I didn’t move but White sighed.

“Talk to him.” White said and, before I could stop him, his mind fiddled with the lock and the door clicked.

Almost at once the door was pushed open and Cian’s frame stood bowed so he could fit inside. He gave me a sad look but he smiled at the same time, as if he was amused.

“Come with me. I’ll tell you what happened.”

I hesitated but White quickly uttered sharp words and demanded I did as I was told. Slowly I stood and let Cian take my hand in his. He guided me through the small quiet hut to the porch outside. I stood awkwardly by the door, clutching White and observing that the rain hadn’t died down at all. Cian sat on the step and indicated for me to sit next to him.

“Where is everyone?” I asked quietly.

“Wolfram has returned to bed and Kenny is watching over Leroy.” His eyes softened when he noticed me flinch visibly. “You have done your friend no harm.”

“I bit him. I did not mean to but I bit him and hurt him. Now he’s unconscious.” I said almost hysterically. “How have I not done him harm?”

“He sleeps, that’s all. His body is just adjusting to the venom. In a day he’ll be awake and well again.” He smiled at my miserable doubting stare. “It is time you learnt about the Core and what makes us truly so important to the Clans.”

“Do I need to leave?” White asked.

“No, you can stay.” Cian said and looked out to the rain. “Within us Alma is a very special organ. It is in the throat and connected to our teeth. Once a month the Core will force venom into our fangs, making them grow and ache. You can either eject the venom early, bite a fruit or, as I always did in my imprisonment, yourself, or you wait for it to become too much and for your body to act on instinct. Either way, the venom must be released.”

“But why?” I asked quietly.

“Because the dhampir are what keep the Clans pure, Alma. The venom will destroy all human blood and genetics within a vampire. It purifies them.” He said gently. “You instinctively knew Leroy needed your venom, to be cured of the humanity. So you bit him.” He patted my shoulder. “You did no wrong to him. You only did what your instincts told you.”

I stared at him, utterly bewildered. “I cure vampires of humanity?”

“Yes, you do. Only the dhampir are capable of curing a vampire and making them pure.” He said and fingered his own stumpy fangs. “Think of the venom like vampire matter. Witch Matter is highly dangerous to an immortal. Dhampir venom is just like that to a human.”

“So what if I bit a human?”

“The human would grow sick and die after a few weeks.” He said without hesitation. “A wolf and cat will only become sick. A vampire will become pure over many years and sometimes generations.”

I sniffed and rubbed my tired red eyes. “But Leroy didn’t want to become a vampire. I’ve turned him without his consent.” I said miserably.

“You have not.” Cian said heavily.

I looked up. “I haven’t?”

“No. Leroy is too human. The venom will work, yes. He will become stronger and his senses will heighten as he grows. But he won’t gain immortality. He will grow old and die before the venom has a chance to take a strong enough effect.” He explained. “His grand-children may have a chance at becoming more vampiric. They may gain fangs by then and need for blood. But Leroy himself will remain mostly human.”

I was faintly pleased by this. While I may have bitten him and infected him with a human killing venom, he’ll remain human, just as he wanted. But curiosity at the knowledge the dhampir were so valuable to the Clans grew. We purified the vampire. We made it strong. We stopped the fading of Clans. So why was it the dhampir are so hated or forgotten?

“If the dhampir cure the vampire, why did the kill us?” I asked.

Cian glanced at me then back at the rain. “It is an old history, an old war that happened when I was quite young. There are only three Clans who can breed with witches and birth dhampirs. They were valued and guarded by the Sinclair Clan. One such Clan, the Lionhart, who was also Silver blooded, was large and powerful. They ruled over what is now France, Germany and Italy. The other two Clans, the Kwan and Pluvia, were quite quiet compared to the Lionhart. While Kwan ruled over most of Asia, they barely influenced the human world at all, and the Pluvia, while old, was small and ruled over only Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales. The Lionhart became boisterous though. They began to harvest humans, enslave them, torture them. All because their glorious Head, a Silver, was beginning to view humanity as something lesser than the worms in the ground.

“He started a war because of this. The witches couldn’t sit by and watch. They began to voice their concerns, asking him to back off. He didn’t and the Clan continued to abuse and murder as they pleased. Eventually the witches went to arms against them and this included the dhampir. They had the mindset of a witch, the sense of balance, and couldn’t stand by. Even the dhampir of the Lionhart Clan turned. The war was quite bloody and savage but in the end the Lionhart Clan was annihilated. Completely destroyed.

“The result wasn’t in the witches favour, even after Theodor Sinclair woke. Vampires were livid with the Families for slaying a rare Silver harbouring Clan. They couldn’t see the justice and reason behind the war. They eventually believed that the Families just wished for the entire destruction of the Clans. Theodor managed to calm them and stop them hunting the Clan bound Families who were involved in the war against Lionhart. But they hatred remained and it probably still does. Witches were hated and distrusted.

“The worst of all was the result of the dhampir. Shortly before Theodor woke, while the Families were hunted, the dhampir were also hunted. All were gathered, chained in the painful-iron and their cores were harvested. They knew the significance of the dhampir, knew they were vital, but they also knew they were of the Families. They couldn’t trust as anymore and instead killed us and took what they needed from us.” Cian rubbed his mouth hard. He looked so old all of a sudden but his eyes looked hurt and pained. “By the time Theodor awoke, I was the only one left. Annie and my Clan were barely keeping me safe and any trust between the witches and vampires had completely gone. There was no chance of another being born.”

I frowned and stared at the rain. I remembered the wariness some members of my Clan had with witches. I remembered the spitefulness, distaste and revulsion the older vampires’ tones took when speaking of witches. Even after so many years they still hate the witches for slaying an entire Clan. A Clan they valued.

“It is terrible that they turned on the dhampir and witches.”

“The Lionhart was a very influential and favoured Clan at the time. It was powerful and had the mind-set of most vampires at the time. That the Old World shouldn’t hide and should make the mortals cower in fear. In their eyes, the witches had no reason to start that war and the dhampir, especially the ones born within the Lionhart Clan itself, were traitors and monsters. So they took what the needed from us. They harvested us.”

“And that works?”

Cian nodded. “Harvesting the core correctly and processing it will give enough venom for fifty vampires. If done properly at least. There were few vampires who could get that amount. Most could only get enough for ten at the most.”

“So the reason why the Clans are failing now is because there is no venom to keep them pure?”

“It is.” He said with a hefty sigh. “Vampires are bigoted, prideful, untrusting and violent creatures. They also don’t forget those who wronged them. If they still hate witches with as much venom as they did two thousand years ago, it’s going to be a very long time before the dhampir are born in abundance again.” He said sadly. “Their stubbornness may kill us all.”

“The Lady has a cure though. It’s slow and she can’t make much of it but it works.” I said in attempt to raise his spirits.

He gave me a curious look. “A cure? There is no such thing. Only the venom can purify a vampire.”

“You have been locked away for four hundred years, Cian. Technology and medicine has changed.”

He hummed but there was a very thoughtful look in his eyes. One that told me he would want to go see the Lady after I was safe.

He looked at me sharply and gave me a soft smile. “I am glad to see your tears have stopped.”

I smiled faintly. “You’re certain Leroy will be fine?”

“I am certain.”

I breathed out heavily. “That is good then. I will apologise to him when he wakes up.”

“And I am sure he will forgive you.” He said and looked up at the sky. “Now let us go inside. The sun will be rising quite soon.”

I nodded and followed him inside. I went to my room and curled up on my bed after pulling off my boots. I didn’t realise White was still there until he spoke.

“So the vampires are rejecting the dhampir over a war with the witches?” He said curiously.

“Apparently so.” I said, stifling a yawn.

“I will tell the Lady about this.” White said.

I nodded and looked up at him when he stood on my chest and placed his nose on my chin. “Will you come back?”

“Of course I will.”

“I mean will you come back to me. You have been avoiding me lately, been angry, and I don’t know why.”

He was silent for a moment. “I am…struggling at the moment.” He forced out and refused to look at me.

Instantly I understood. He never spoke of what it was but something had happened before I met him. Something bad. While I didn’t know about it and while I knew he struggled with it sometimes, it had never affected our friendship. He had never been cold or distant with me. I wondered if he was using it as a cover for what was truly bothering him. For one so closed off and untrusting, I felt that was more the truth. It hurt me a little.

“I’ll come back in a few hours.” He promised.

I frowned, trying my best not to let the sorrow back. “Okay.” I replied.

White gave me a long torn stare before he finally nuzzled my nose, curled up next to my face and faded. But by then the sun had climbed just high enough to force me to sleep.