Chapter 50

The shower was nice, it was great to wash away all the blood and other liquids from my body, as well as the dirt from the basement floor, but afterwards i was exhausted i decided to sleep for a few hours. I don’t know why the days seem much longer than normal, maybe it is because my body is constantly changing, or maybe it’s the fact that i barely sleep anymore. But either way, spending a few hours just laying down with my eyes closed seemed to help.
When i did finally wake up, i went striaght to the bathroom, and threw up all the blood i had taken from Mihai. My throat burned, and my body ached, but i still got myself up off the floor and got dressed into some joggers and a jumper. It wasn’t much, but it did help me feel more normal.
“How are you feeling?” Garne asks, bringing me the water i asked for.
I lay my head against the sofa arm and sigh, “I feel like my body is raging a battle against me.”
And it is a fight i am not winning.
Garne hands me water, his face scrunched up in worry, “You should start to feel more like yourself again in a few weeks, when exactly is your twentieth birthday?”
“I don’t even know what day it is.” I admit, “Or what month, i haven’t checked my phone since i was in the hospital.”
“But that was three weeks ago, what have you been doing up here?” Garne says, sighing and shaking his head, “Anyway, it’s the thirteenth of April.”
“Two days.” I whisper, staring up at the ceiling. “My birthday is in two days.”
Would it be wrong to say i don’t want a birthday this year? So much has happened, and I'm not sure i have a reason to celebrate.
I have no father, no brothers, and the life i was born into was all a lie. I'm not human, I'm a monster.
I’m a Nati, or half of me is anyway.
But i don’t want it, i don’t want to change, i don’t want to drink blood, and i don’t want to turn to ash in the sun.
I just want to be mortal again.
“What?” Garne gasps, “You could have given me more notice, spitfire, i need to prepare the ceremony.”
My eyes widen, both in fear and shock, “what ceremony?” i ask, almost jumping to my feet. “Don’t tell me you have a stupid tradition or something because i really don’t want to take part in it. I just want to be left alone, and maybe eat my body weight in cake.”
“It’s nothing like that, and it is for your own good, when you reach the hour of midnight on your twentieth birthday you have to drink Nati blood, it strengthens you so that you will be strong enough for what comes next.” He explains, sitting down next to me, “And you don’t have to worry about it, it’ll only be me and Mihai there, no one else.”
I groan, throwing my head into my hands, “I really don’t think i can stomach it, Garne, i drank some of Mihai’s blood yesterday and that is what has made me so sick.” i peak up at him through my hands, “Do you think i could just skip that part?”
“That’s because your body isn’t ready to process the blood yet.” Garne smiles sadly, “And I’m afraid this is not something you can miss, spitfire, if you don’t drink from Mihai at midnight, you’ll die.”
I groan, screaming into my hands. Great, that’s just fucking great.
I either drink the blood of the man I'm fucking, or i die, that isn’t much of a choice if you ask me.
I know that Mihai likes it when i drink from him, but that doesn’t mean that i want to do it, yesterday was a one-time thing, or so i had hoped.
“I know that this is hard for you to understand, hell, if i was in your position I'd be freaking the fuck out.” Garne mumbles, rubbing the back of his neck. “I mean drinking blood has never been easy for me, i prefer human food, and the first time i did it, i vomited, i had to perform the ceremony three times before the blood stayed down.”
Wow. I didn’t need to know that, especially not now.
“You are not exactly filling me with confidence here, Garne.” i grumble, throwing my head back against the arm of the sofa.
“My point is that you are stronger than your fears, Mae, look at everything you have overcome.” Garne looks at me with a smile, “I would not want to face you in battle, put it that way.”
I laugh, smiling back at him, he may be strange, but he is the closest thing i have ever had to a friend, and I'm going to hold onto that as long as i can.
“Maybe you are right.” I say, slowly taking sips of the water, “Maybe i am worrying for nothing.”
Garne nods, patting my shoulder, “I certainly think so, you’ll be just fine.”
Maybe everything will be fine, and I'm just overreacting, i tend to do that when I'm nervous.
Maybe it’s all in my head.
But he’s right, I’m stronger than my fears.
Ayoung Nati bursts into the room, panting for breath as she tries to speak, “You have to go downstairs, miss.” She breathes in a panic.
I slowly rise to my feet, glancing at Garne nervously, “Why?” i ask, panic seizing me.
I've only been out of this room once, and I'm not sure I'm ready to do it again.
I've been pretty isolated over the past two months, and I'm not sure i want anyone else to see me, but this girl looks like her eyes are about to pop in fear, so it must be urgent.
“Mihai sent me.” She gasps, slowly regaining her composure, “He said that Lord Luthor has arrived and he is demanding to see you straight away.” She clings onto the door, “You can’t keep the lord waiting, miss, he’ll get angry.”
Fuck. Fuck it all to hell.
Just what i need today, i really do not want to meet the man who caused my mother's death, whether he meant to or not. He is the cause of all my misery.
I turn to Garne with wide eyes, “What do i do?” i ask him, hoping that he knows a way i can get out of this.
Garne stands, “Sorry Spitfire, but she’s right, you can’t keep a lord waiting, even if you are his daughter.”
The girl by the door gasps, “Daughter?”
I groan, pulling at my hair, “Yep, that’s me, daughter to a man who caused my mother’s death.”
He places a hand on my shoulder, gently urging me to move, “It’s going to be ok, I’ll walk you down.”
At least i won’t be alone, because god only knows where Mihai is, I'm starting to think he is never going to be there when i need him, and i seem to need him a lot.
I walk out of the bedroom with Mihai and the girl by my side, trying to calm my racing heart, it is time to meet my real father.