Destined for an Early Grave (Page 59)

"Very appropriate," I noted, to cover up any butterflies in my stomach. "You look like the perfect Grim Reaper."

He stared at me for so long that I cleared my throat. "Okay, it was a bad joke…"

"Are you certain about this, Kitten? It’s not too late to change your mind."

"I want this." And I did. I was ready.

Bones walked over to me with a slow, leashed grace, stopping when he was only inches away. He took my hands, bringing them to his lips. His eyes never left mine.

"You decide when. We can wait until later. There’s no rush."

I’d been gearing up for this all day. Waiting wouldn’t make me more ready, so there was no time like the present.

"Now. Should, ah, we go somewhere else to do this?"

"Here is fine."

I glanced around the room. It didn’t look secure to me, considering the humans nearby, but I didn’t expect I’d stay long here after…well, after dying. I wondered how long I’d be dead. If death would be like dreaming, or if I’d not be aware of anything until my eyes opened again. Only one way to find out.

"All right."

I’d seen people being turned when Bones changed Tate and Juan, so I knew what to expect, but seeing it and being the one it was happening to felt worlds apart. My heart began to thump. Guess that would only help in this case.

Bones’s eyes went green, fangs extending from his teeth. He smoothed my hair back, holding me close next to him. I closed my eyes as he leaned down, touching his cheek to mine. His skin was cool. Soon I’d be the same temperature.

"It’s normal to be nervous, but there’s nothing to be afraid of," Bones whispered. "I’ve done this many, many times, and at no point will you be going anywhere beyond my reach."

The reassurance was helpful. One doesn’t stare death in the face and just give it the finger, no matter the circumstances.

"Are you ready, Kitten?"

Asked against my skin as his tongue probed my pulse. Finding the best place to bite.

"Yes…wait!"

That instant’s pressure of his fangs ceased. I took in a deep breath.

"No live meals, even if you think the person has it coming. Give me bagged blood. I don’t want to wake up with a face full of someone’s artery."

Bones pulled back to look at me, stroking the nape of my neck. "It’s already taken care of. Don’t fret. You’ll wake up and I’ll be there and everything will be fine."

I slid my arms around his neck, glad it was him who would be bringing me to the grave and back instead of anyone else.

"Bones."

"Yes?"

"Make me a vampire."

Certain things I knew I’d always remember. The look in his eye when he lowered his head. That slow, deep piercing of his fangs into me. His hand pressing me closer while the other one curled around mine, lacing our fingers together. That rush of blood spilling into his mouth from a bite far deeper than I’d ever received. The flush of warmth sweeping over me. My heart, beating so fast at first, then gradually, inexorably slowing. Growing sporadic as the life and that warmth began to ebb from me.

My thoughts became chaotic. The buzzing’s not as loud now. Can’t see much anymore. Funny, there were lights a moment ago, thousands of tiny little specks. Pretty. Where’d they go? Colder. Where’d that wind come from?

What was that? Something’s pulling me. Where am I now? Can’t talk. Am I moving? Can’t see. Why can’t I see? Why can’t I move? Where am I? Where am I? WHERE AM I?

What? I can barely hear you…yes! Yes, it’s me, I’m here! I can see you now. I’ll be right there, I’m coming. Wait, don’t go away. Come back! Stop, please, I haven’t seen you for so long.

No, take me back! I need to see them one more time…

I was in hell.

The fire that ravaged me burned with a ferocity that told me the stuff we had on earth was just a tame impostor. This fire was pitiless, and it was everywhere. Burning me without killing me. Tormenting me with unspeakable agony. I couldn’t scream, though I didn’t even know if I had a mouth anymore. The only thing I could focus on was the pain. No more stop stop hurts HURTS HURTS!

And then – something cool washed over me, slowly extinguishing the flames. With all the desperation of the damned, I strained for more of it, since at last the pain began to lessen. More, oh God, it still hurts, please give me more, more, oh please, need more, a little more…

Sound again, like a drumbeat. Light. Voices over that sluggish, banging drum. So many different smells.

I opened my eyes and saw not a flaming lake of fire but plain concrete walls. It took a second to recognize the people staring at me, then cognition hit. That’s right, I was at Bones’s house, and he’d turned me into a vampire. I wasn’t in hell, I was changed into a vampire, and everything was okay, because the pain was gone. I could see, hear, feel, smell, taste, oh God, taste –

Something delicious was in my mouth. Oh, yes, that was good. So good.

The last lagging bit of reality clicked into place. Holy shit, I had someone in my arms. I hadn’t been drinking a bag of blood, but a person. My mouth was pressed to their neck and blood dripped from my fangs – f**k me, I had fangs! – and there was no pulse under my lips.

"Jesus!" I shouted, shoving the person away with a rush of horror. "I told Bones no people! Where is he?"

I looked around for Bones, sickened that he’d let me kill someone, but Spade’s expression stopped me. He looked almost dazed.

"You just threw Crispin to the floor."

I looked down. The corpse I’d flung away from me pushed himself into a sitting position and stared up at me with disbelieving brown eyes. A full, untouched bag of blood was in Bones’s hand.

That’s when I became aware of my second problem.

"Uh, guys…" I began hesitantly. "Why do I still have a heartbeat?"

Chapter Twenty-Eight

THE STEADY DRUMBEAT I’D HEARD BEFORE was coming from my own chest. For a second, I was confused. Didn’t it work? Those two new fangs jabbing me in the lip seemed to indicate otherwise, but why was my heart still beating?

"Is it going to stop soon or something?"

Had they forgotten to tell me an important detail? Like, "Oh, you’ll hear some thump thumps for the first few minutes, but then it’ll quit." And from the expressions aimed at me, this wasn’t normal.

"Anytime one of you wants to answer me, that’d be great."

"Don’t you want the blood?" Spade blurted.

I gave the purplish bag in Bones’s hand a cursory glance. "Not really."

Bones got to his feet. He looked at me in the strangest way, then he ripped the end of the blood bag with his teeth and held it out to me.

"Drink."