Don't bother

We all walk, making our way back to The Crossroads, in silence. Yes, even Arlo. Shocked by the oracles revelations and feeling a bit despondent. No plan and no idea what to do next. Where do we even go from here?

I'm going to turn human. I can't remember my human life. The notion of my fate, is so foreign to me. 500 years a vampire. Not just any vampire but the vampire queen. Unimaginable power and abilities. I'm struggling to adjust to my new standard vampire form.

As if he reads my thoughts, no doubt he did. Thorne stops me and places a hand on my shoulder. "It will all be well my love, I will turn you again" I nod, not really paying attention to him.

We arrive at The Crossroads, in the centre. Looking at each of the paths ahead of us. Then it hits me like a bus. 'I will turn you again'. I feel repulsed at the thought. "NO!" I shout out. All eyes fall on me, questioning my sudden outburst.

"I won't let you turn me" Thorne laughs "You say that, like you have a choice. What you wish to be human?" He scoffs. "I will not be turned by you, without my queens mark to strengthen me and protect against you"

He takes a step towards me, but I take one step back "I will not be with a human" Arlo comes to my side and strokes my arm "It's all good Queenie, I will turn you" My eyes narrow at Arlo. "You can't turn anyone. You are not a pureblood or a Queen"

He tilts his head to the side "Well a queen made me. She was turned by the prince. Surely that changes things a bit?" I've never thought of it like that. "Arlo may be on to something but I will not risk your life to test his theory" Janice adds.

Arlo starts striding down the path to the human kingdom. "Bro? where are you going?" Dante asks jogging to catch up to his twin. "To test my theory". Yup, you know what happens. Dante strikes again. Litrally.

Thorne continues ahead of him. "I love a good experiment. To the human realm!" He exclaims "I will not allow it, changes can take up to 10 years". Thorne walks back and starts dragging me with them down the path. "We haven't fed in over a day, Besides if the change doesn't start they will die. No harm done" Oh yeah no harm done, besides the dead person !

I do need to feed. I feel my jaw tighten and my throat feels like I'm swallowing sand as the cravings start. I follow the others in search of food. "Question!" Dante starts as we continue walking. "I thought oracles were blind virgins, and that was no blind virgin" The beautiful seductive oracle flashes to my mind.

"That's human lore, and it's backwards. An oracle is born when a new ruler takes the throne in the witch realm. The child will be blind with pure white eyes and be able to have intermittent visions. Once an adult and succumbs to the desires of the flesh, her vision is restored and enhanced. Seeing all. It's all natural. Being free and one with nature always strengthens out abilities" Janice tells us.

"She must have x-ray vision cause that was a lot of fucking" Arlo chimes in. Janice shakes her head. "You boys, next you be asking about dragons" The boys both turn to Janice "DRAGONS AREN'T REAL!?" The twins exclaim in unison.

Thorne laughs, his deep and beautiful laugh. "They are but no bigger than a fingernail you certainly wouldn't be able to ride into battle on one of them" Dante turns and continues to walk mummbling to himself "This suuuuucckks" Arlo whines.

We are walking down a busy street. Humans pass by in a hurry, as the nightlife buzzes around us. The perfect hunting ground. "Can I even haze people anymore? I really don't want to cause a commotion of screams."

The thought troubles me. I really don't need the serpentine army finding us. "Yeah, we can haze but it's not like you or the masters. Limited. We can reassure them, get them to stay quiet. We can't control them. We can't haze other vampires like you can, or could.... Sorry" Dante explains looking at my with sympathy.

I narrow my eyes at him. hoping he gets the message, that just because I'm no longer Queen doesn't mean he can look at me that way. "Hard to believe that you of all people don't know that. 500 years and you don't learn about your people" Thorne is starting to get under my skin more so than usual.

We enter a nightclub. Not as nice as the twins one. I suppose, they would look to find us at their nightclub. I weave my way through the crowded dance floor and start to work my magic. I sway to the music. The people around me notice, and are transfixed.

I am incredibly beautiful to humans. Standard vampire or not.  Arlo and Dante are by me picking their prey. I smell one to my liking and beckon her forward. She smells so good. I'm sure it's because at this point I'm starving.

Thorne comes up behind her and she backs up, grinding against him. His eyes are focused on me as his hands slide down her sides. I move forward to the front of her, We are dancing together. Entangled and grinding away.

Thorne nods to me. Giving me the honours. "You will be fine, you'll enjoy this. We are dancing and that's all you know" I wait for her eyes to glaze over. Thorne bites down on one side of her neck from behind and I bite the other side from the front.

"mmm just like old times, my love" he reaches out to my mind. Sending a flurry of memories of previous encounters just like this. We feed on the girl, still moving to the music. His hand tangles and pulls my hair. I moan against her skin.

We both retract from her and heal her. To onlookers it just looked like 3 people having a good ol' horny time together. I bring her out from under my gaze and send her on her way. The moment her body slides out from between us, we collide.

His arms around me, His mouth on my neck. He moves his mouth up to mine. His fangs are still bared nicking my lips but I don't care, I'm lost in this moment. We are broken apart as Arlo and Dante knock each one of us, with one of their shoulders as they storm passed. I run after them.

Outside I'm confronted with the angry pair. They won't even look at me. "Arlo, Dante. I ..." I don't get the chance to finish "HE KILLED MARA, HE TOOK HELLY FROM ME, YOU HEARD THE ORACLE. HELLY IS GONE" Arlo screams at me, it breaks my heart. The one person I'd neve think to turn on me. "I'm sorry, I can't help it. You know he has a hold of me. The lights, the music and the blood" Dante raises a hand to me and puts the other on his brothers shoulder. "Don't bother" They leave me alone outside.

For the first time since my change, I feel my eyes water. Tears threaten to escape me. "My lady, your hair is white. Your eyes are violet" Janice gasps. She places her hand on my cheek, wet with tears. "Tears? How is that possible? We mustn't have as much time as we thought. Your changing" Great! Yaayy for me.

Suddenly the oracles voice comes back to me "Choose her own path and if she likes another". I take Janice down an alleyway beside the club. "Do you think it's possible that once I'm human, I will no longer be bound to him?"

She looks at me confused. "The oracle said I'd be free to choose another. If I choose another then I won't be bound to him, No?" She thinks for a minute. "He is your anam cara."

I grip her arms "How else do you explain, all those claims on me at the crossroads? If I choose another, he will no longer be my 'anam cara' meaning the binding curse could potentially be lifted and I could kill him" She shakes her head "Mistress, I'm not so sure there's no guarantee It's a theory"

Another idea comes to me and I grin the biggest, devious grin to ever pass my face. "If I give myself to the lycan king, their people mark one another. They bind themselves to each other. If he marks me, I'd be bound to him and not the 'Thorne' in my side. I could turn lycan and kill him!" Her eyes widen "That, that could work"