[https://img-v3.deepdreamgenerator.com/1842510/tonjpf_7d1d8c4777b57f82f18aff35199f2a240d107535.jpg]
The restroom was clean, but small and lacked many facilities a US customer would take for granted. Soap dispenser, hand dryer, and more than one cabin. Nevertheless, it was what it was. Grace was about to pull up her skirt and sit on the toilet, when something wet touched her cheek, and a hand grabbed her neck.
“Not a word!”
She tried to scream, but couldn’t. Her muscles were paralyzed, and she barely breathed. Like a rag doll, she was handled and turned toward the mirror. Grabbing her from behind was the Vampire. Tall, sexy, blonde, but with such a look in her eyes that she felt horror creeping down her spine. Grace’s eyes became watery. She wanted to live, for herself, for Rowan, for Lizzie, most of all.
“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you,” the blonde whispered in her ear, then licked Grace’s cheek, her tongue going up to the eye’s corner, playing around, sipping the tears. The dizziness and disorientation increased.
“I’m here to deliver a message,” Grace’s captor continued, her voice’s airflow running down the young woman’s cheek, and neck. “Tell your demon boss this: Father decided not to piss against the Karmic Wind anymore. He wants to talk. I’ll give you a Gift, to prove we’re serious.”
In the mirror, Grace could see the Vampire grimacing, her pointy canines playing with her lower lip. Grabbing Grace’s chin between her thumb and index, she turned her face toward hers and kissed her.
Trying to struggle, Grace found it was impossible. The Vampire’s tongue went deep inside her mouth, to the back of her throat. There was a gag reflex, and then she fell on all fours, freed. She threw a hand up, grabbed the sink, and pulled herself up. The blonde was nowhere, only a whiff of cigarette smoke lingering behind.
Then came the burning. In her throat, in all her body. She screamed and ran out, slamming the door on the wall. The restaurant’s owner appeared behind, alarmed, then she bumped into Rowan, in the doorframe of the eating room.
“What happened?”
“The Vampire, she ambushed me in the bathroom, and did something to me!” Grace screamed.
“Did she bite you?” Isla arrived, pulling her eyelids up.
“Yes… no… I don’t know… but it hurts…”
“There’s no notification, DOT, or anything,” Rowan said, helping Grace to sit down.
“Nothing shows on Inspect,” Isla added.
A most terrifying thought crossed Grace’s mind.
“I don’t want to turn into a Vampire! What if I hurt Lizzie?” Then resolve came, and a solution inspired by her Tactical Planning perk. She jumped on her feet. “Kill me! You have to kill me before it takes effect. I’ll rezz.”
“What if she wants exactly that, and she disabled the Resurrect?” Rowan objected.
“Err… What Resurrect?” Carla asked.
“You asked about our town’s perks. One is Resurrecting,” Isla explained. “If we kill her, she will Resurrect safely back into our town.”
“Or permanently die,” Rowan said, his fists clenched. “I’ll ask Cory.”
“Do it,” Grace blurted. “I won’t risk Lizzie’s life. A stake… That’s it… a wooden stake, through the heart, right?”
“I can’t get Cory,” Rowan complained. “Their internet is too slow!”
“Sorry….” Giovanni lowered his eyes. “I should have taken the Mana 1000G network when I had the chance.”
“A stake, do you have a stake?” Grace yelled at the owner, who was following the conversation with confused eyes.
“You want a steak?”
“NO! A wooden— Give me that!” She snatched Giovanni Lepastrina’s umbrella, rested against his chair, and broke the handle. It was wood. Now a barely sharpened stick, but it had to do. “Here.”
“I’ll do it,” Isla offered. “You hold her.”
“Wait!” Rowan said. “Let Carla do it. She might gain some XP. They need it more.”
There was a coldness in him, sometimes, that frightened her, making her fear he would leave her, and Lizzie. She felt the urge to kiss him, to feel his lips, to try to convince him with her warmth that she deserved to be loved… but there was a risk of infecting him too.
“Take care of Lizzie, if something happens,” she begged.
“I will.”
Rowan caressed her forehead, then grabbed her hands, while Isla held her legs, stretching her on the table.
“I c-can’t do it,” Carla, now the improvised weapon in hand stuttered.
“Do it,” her boss said. “It’s a precious gift, and the best chance they have.”
“O…K.”
The pain was intense and kept coming, as she instinctively struggled.
“Lower!” Isla shouted, and blackness finally descended upon Grace.
----------------------------------------
She did not gasp when she woke. Instead, she held her breath, like she had forgotten to inhale.
Am I a Vampire?
[Cory]: No you’re not. Just shocked, it can happen the first time you are Recalled.
Struggling to draw breath, and looking around, Grace realized she was in her bedroom.
[Cory]: Keep it quiet. We need to talk.
Did it work?
[Cory]: What, the Rezz? Obviously. Did she bite you for real? There was no sign of infection detected during your reconstruction.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
I… don’t remember exactly… she said weird things… and kissed me…
Grace felt her cheeks flushing, remembering the sensation. It had been horror and bliss… like fear and animalistic attraction had met in her throat. Could that woman just have made a pass on her?
[Cory]: What exactly did she say?
That her master… no, father… wants to talk face to face… with you I suppose. Because he’s fed up with pissing against the wind.
[Cory]: Karmic Wind?
That’s it. And she said something about a gift, to prove they’re serious. She called you a demon.
[Cory]: Ouch!
“What?” Grace asked aloud.
[Cory]: Nothing. My virtual body hit a virtual desk in anger and hurt a toe. Let me Inspect you, stay still… Yeah… there it is. She did not bite you, she let you drink her blood.
“Will I turn into a Vampire?” Grace blurted, feeling panic going up her throat, together with bile.
[Cory]: Not from such a small amount. I’ll show you.
You have received a Blood Gift from a True Vampire. The next time you reach a Threshold in the Constitution stat, it will offer a special perk.
What the fuck does it means?
[Cory]: Why don’t you invest your points and see?
But I don’t have… What?… I’m Level Forty and have twenty-six free Attribute Points. How?
[Cory]: You were Level 36 this morning, went to 37 in the Sewers, 38 and one AP from saving Lepastrina, 20 APs for saving Rome’s monuments, then got another level and an AP for sacrificing yourself and helping an ally in the process. After you departed for a better world, or better said for a Rezz pocket universe, Rome pledged allegiance to Rowan. That helps me a lot, both towns share perks now. But you guys got another level and a few APs from that. That’s the Karmic Wind working for you.”
Sorry, still don’t get it…
[Cory]: This System was written by Superior Beings who ascended to a Higher Place. It rewards challenges and Heroes. Killing a defenseless friend should not have granted XP to Carla, but the System took into account your self-sacrifice and her effort to overcome her aversion to killing—she never did it before—and granted you both rewards… Now, how about seeing what this Perk is about?
Focusing, Grace invested twenty-five points in her Constitution, leaving one aside. The notification gave her food for thought.
Constitution Perk, Threshold 2 reached. Please select from the following options:
Seer Class:
1: Enhanced Toughness Physical resistances +50%, immune to small arms bullets.
2: Enhanced Regeneration (HP): You heal 2x faster.
Assassin Class:
1: Dotting (Rare): Your CON synergizes with your DEX. Enhance any DOT you apply by 0.5%/HP second.
2: Parry, Don’t Tarry: Your CON synergizes with your STR. +25% to parries or deflecting physical hits or projectiles
3: Blood Gift: Sexy and Dangerous (Legendary)
There is a reason why Vampires are seductive. Your body will be permanently infused with Mana, gaining properties that can be used both for debuffing an adversary, helping an ally, or in recreational activities. Synergizes with the Body Control and Death with a decolletage perks.
Your touch can inflict or deliver the following effects:
Antipyretic, Sedative, Truth Serum, Mind Manipulation, Paralytic, Seduction, Aphrodisiac
Intentional activation is required. These effects cannot be set on automatic. Macros (combining them) are possible.
Warning: Nonconsensual application to non-hostile targets carries the risk of accumulating Negative Karma and becoming a Pariah and Bounty Hunted.
What do you think?
There was silence from Cory.
Something wrong?
[Cory]: Yes. The Perk is powerful… but I hate dealing with those guys. They’re despicable beings…
Why don’t tell me everything, Cory? Who are they? And why do they call you a demon?
[Cory]: Because for them, I’m the guardian of Hell, keeping the damned in. Or out. Imagine you’re an escapee on a newly awakened planet, what do you do to be safe? Cut deals, right? Try to get inside an Awakened Town, the safest place to be. They helped the Special Forces challenge us and failed. Then tipped the Knyaz about how to fight Rowan. Failed again. What next? Try to get someone to activate a core for themselves, but Artifact users are rare. A weak target like Lepastrina was the best choice. Failing at that too, what next? Cut a deal with the ones that beat them every time: us.
I guess that makes sense.
[Cory]: Enough politics. Why don’t you go and show Rowan and the others you’re back? I’ve told them the Rezz is very difficult and has a ninety percent chance of failure.
It was so close?
[Cory]: No. There was no risk, but one cannot fully appreciate what they have until they’re almost losing it. When the moment comes and I’ll ask my favor, remember that.
I’ll go for the Blood Gift, in Assassin, and the immunity to bullets for the other…
A sudden influx of power made her feel inside a vertigo tornado. Nevertheless, she tried to ignore it and supported herself on a piece of furniture here, another there, and then the railing, finally getting downstairs.
“Mommy!” Lizzie erupted in a bomb of hugs and tears. “I’m so happy you’re alive. I prayed, and did all my homework…”
“Thank Goodness,” Isla said. “I’ll leave you be.” There were dark circles around her eyes. She nodded a slow salute and left. Then Rowan arrived and hugged and kissed her. Her hair, eyes, ears, cheeks, and mouth, almost like drinking her in.
“I… I…”
“What hour is it?” she asked, seeing the darkness outside.
“Five in the morning… It took twelve hours to get you back. We couldn’t sleep… Nor did Dmitri, but he got drunk and I helped him in his bed.”
“Let’s take some rest. Lizzie...” she gestured with her head toward the girl, now sound asleep in her arms.
“I’ll carry her,” Rowan proposed.
“No, I’ll do it.”
She was not in top form but willed herself to the task. After putting Lizzie in bed and pulling the blanket over her, Grace joined Rowan in the bedroom. He had put on his pajamas, but was still awake, looking at her. She went and sat on the bed, near him.
“I’m sorry…” he said.
“For what?”
“For not loving you from the start… I had doubts… not about you, about how I could fit near you… I’m… just a simple guy, you’re an artist. It was so strange… For a while, I felt I could love Lizzie completely, but—”
“You couldn’t love me the same.”
“Yes… I had this idea, that true love would come and smite me down from the first moment, like a hammer to the head. That I’ll know… Last week, when you… did what you did for me and the County, I started to realize you’re my soul mate. The one I was waiting for…”
“Silly me, thinking musicals and sex were our common points… I should have started murdering people earlier.”
“Grace! I feel like I can’t live without you… The pain I felt today… The thousand scenarios going through my mind… Suiciding… then not doing it, because of Lizzie, stupid thoughts… I’m sorry for not falling in love with you from the first day like I should have.”
“You silly man,” she fondled his cheek. “There’s more than one way to love, Rowan. Hammers, or seed that grows. I’d rather have the growing seed. What are you holding there?”
It was a ring, hidden in his right hand. “Lizzie did her homework, and I bought a ring. I swore that if you’ll get back, I’ll propose.”
Tears filled her eyes so hard she couldn’t repress them any longer. They cried in each other’s arms. She put the ring on and rose.
“I need a shower…”
In the bathroom, she threw her clothes everywhere and tried to be as brief as possible. She exited in less than five minutes, naked. No bathrobe or lingerie. She looked into his eyes.
“Do I have your consent to do some naughty things to you?