The Dark Gift

[Callie]

Mikah

I stared after him for a minute, not really wanting to follow him, but... I needed food, and he was right; who knew when I would eat next? I headed out of the room and into the larger room, my eyes widening slightly. Right. I wasn't in the car anymore.

Blade

I just shrugged and smiled slightly. "Who knows anymore," I said flatly.

[alex]

Ivan

I ignored her as I leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes. I wasn't tired, of course not, but I just had to press a pause button and think for a second.

Truda

"Most people know," I said.

[Callie]

Mikah

My hands were still bound, so I had no idea how I was going to get any food out of the fridge. Honestly, it didn't matter - I was going to eat something. I opened the fridge with my foot, then examined the fridge. I could figure something out. I was not asking the vampire for help.

Blade

"I've had a lot of different opinions throughout the years."

[alex]

Ivan

Out of curiosity, I opened one eye and looked over my shoulder. What was she doing? Out of amusement, I didn't help her. Also, I didn't think she wanted my help anyway.
Then, a cartoon of milk slipped and fell to the floor. In a second, I was by the fridge, grasping the cartoon with my hand and putting it back. I untied the rope around her hands in silence.
"Don't make a mess," I hissed irritated before walking back over to the couch.

Truda

I smiled. "Why did we come to your brother's house?"

[Callie]

Mikah

I wanted to pick up the nearest thing and throw it at the back of his head, but bit my lip and took something out of the fridge, deciding that attempting to injure one of my captors wouldn't make this any easier on me.

Blade

"To have somewhere to stay," I told her, looking at her curiously.

[alex]

Ivan

I hoped she would behave, I didn't have the energy to get up and teach her a lesson. Yeah, that was why I didn't feel like hurting her.
I grabbed the tv remote and turned it on, letting the current news run as background noise.

Truda

I grinned sheepishly. "I'd rather kill a family and steal their house, anything to avoid going to the brother I hate and who hates me."

[Callie]

Mikah

I made myself a sandwich, then leaned against the counter as I ate it, keeping my eyes on the floor. It was hitting me for the first time that I was going to be used to hurt people. Who knew what these people would do to the people of Russia when they had their very own puppet on the throne? At least if I turned into a vampire, I wouldn't have to do what they said, but was I willing to give up my life to save other peoples'? I wasn't a fucking saint - I couldn't. Could I?

Blade

I just shrugged. "I never said I hated him. Did I? I said he wasn't meant to be a vampire even less than you or me."

[alex]

Ivan

After sitting still for a few minutes, just hearing the sound of the TV and the girl eating a sandwich, I turned to her. "Finish up as soon as you can, I have to lock after you, you know."

Truda

I bit my lip. "Well... I just... assumed," I whispered. "Because you, you know... Your parents."

[Callie]

Mikah

I finished off the sandwich and headed back for the hallway, holding my hands out to him. I'd just along with everything until they told me to do something completely outrageous. That worked, right?

Blade

I smiled faintly. "He told you about that." It wasn't a question, not exactly.

[alex]

Ivan

I smirked at her, grabbing the rope I'd previously tore off her. I walked over to her and began to tie it around her wrist.
"And here I am, waiting for you to try and escape. Seems like I might be waiting for something that won't happen."

Truda

"Yes," I replied, even though he already knew Abel had.

[Callie]

Mikah

"Well, it's like you said earlier. I'm nothing without my weapons," I said blandly. "Besides, it'll probably be less painful if I cooperate." I kept my eyes on the ground, wondering how long I would even survive all of this.

Blade

"Well... shit happens," I said as Abel appeared in the doorway, holding a very familiar book. Had I really left it behind? I froze in my seat, but only for a split second. Then I'd grabbed hold of him, ripped the journal from his grasp, and thrown it out the door. I pinned him to the wall outside of Truda's room. "What did you read in there? Where did you find that?"
Abel managed to shove me off of him. "You could've just told me, Blade," he said quietly.
I glared at him. "That's personal," I hissed.
"No, that's telling me our parents aren't dead after all. And that you - "
"Shut up," I growled, heading for the door. I slammed it behind me, running a hand through my hair. I needed a walk. Right now. This wasn't supposed to happen. I thought I'd burnt it! Along with everything else that might tell him the truth!

[alex]

Ivan

I grinned widely at her. "You sound clever. Finally."

Truda

I sat down on my bed, my expression a mix between surprise and anger. The anger directed toward herself. She was an idiot. Yet, it was Blade's fault. He let people think he killed his own parents. I sat still as I heard someone slam the front door. "Abel?" I called out carefully.

[Callie]

Mikah

I walked into the room I'd been staying in and flopped onto the bed, pulling the blankets up as best I could with my fingers. Honestly, I was surprised I'd even been given a bed in the first place.

Abel

"Hmm?" I asked, turning around to look at her. I was still sort of in shock. But then, had I been expecting for him to apologize? To quietly say that it was for my own good? To repeat the words he had written in the journal? I didn't know what I was expecting.

[alex]

OOC: Skip to the next morning for Ivan, Mikah and the gang?

Truda

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

[Callie]

OOC: Sure. XD

Abel

I shrugged. "I... Well, I guess he's not the bad guy I made him out to be."

[alex]

Ivan

Seven AM. That seemed as an appropriate time to wake up the girl. I walked over to her door and opened it. "Wake up," I said before walking back to the living room. "It's morning," I then said in my normal tone of voice, knowing Vlad and Blaise could hear me anyway.

Truda

"I won't turn him in," I said, deciding quickly. "Though hopefully they won't find us before you guys..." I was gonna say 'become friends', but it felt kind of stupid. "Repair some damage," I said instead.

[Callie]

Mikah

I tried to sit up, but I couldn't, so I just rolled myself off the bed, then out of the covers. Once that was all over with, I rocked back and forth, then jumped to my feet. I guess gym class actually paid off. Who knew?

Vlad

I groaned and glanced over to Blaise, who was already out of bed and heading for the shower. "Take one for me so I don't have to?" I asked her.
She just laughed and signaled for me to follow her. Well, that worked too.

Abel

I smiled wryly. "I don't know if we will." I paused. I wanted to, now. I felt horrible for all of those years, but if he'd told me in the first place, this wouldn't've happened.

[alex]

Ivan

When I heard the shower starting, I snickered. Of course. "They'll probably be a while," I said to the girl. "Since you behaved yesterday, I suppose untying you isn't a horrible idea." I walked in to the bedroom again, loosing the knot for the second time.

Truda

"Maybe you should get revenge, then," I said. "Find the vampire who turned him."

[Callie]

Mikah

"Thanks," I whispered, leaning against the bed. I had to think of something. I couldn't just sit here!

Abel

I scoffed. "I'm... well, I'm not a strong vampire." I figured she'd noticed, from the way Blade threw me around like it was nothing.

[alex]

Ivan

I left her be as I went in to Blaise's room. As I suspected, both of them appeared to be in the bathroom. I opened her closet, picking the least expensive (but still okay to look at) clothing and walked back to the girl. "You need to look respectable," I explained and tossed it on the bed. Knowing she was gonna change, I exited the room again.

Truda

"Well, you weren't meant to be a vampire," I said softly. "Or so I've heard. But Blade's strong."

[Callie]

Mikah

I stared at the clothes for a minute, then got up and changed into them, looking at myself in the mirror. My hair looked like crap, but I managed to find a hairbrush in the dresser and tug it through my hair. It still didn't look very good, though, so I put it up in a small side ponytail that ended up looking more like a loose bun. Whatever. I also failed to see how I'd look classy, what with my hair and tattoo combo.

Abel

"Exactly. So he's probably been after whoever turned him, and if Blade can't get him..." I didn't finish my sentence. What chance do I have?

[alex]

Ivan

It was raining outside and dark clouds were like a lid over the city. Perfect weather for us. I walked around the room, picture frames catching my attention. Anyone else would have thought of them as regular pictures, but I could see Blaise in them... and no matter how old the things around he looked, she never aged a day. I snickered.

Truda

"I don't know if he has," I said with a shrug. "But you know what they say, a man who defends his limitations gets to keep them."

[Callie]

Mikah

I shoved my clothes in with the brush and shut the dresser drawer. Cooperative Mikah wouldn't wear them anyways. Whatever. Being my usual self that yelled at people and fought for what she believed in wouldn't get me anything. Not right now, at least.

Blaise

I put on a cute miniskirt and a dressy top, grabbing a bag, too. Vlad walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom after me, and I threw a pillow at him. "Put some clothes on," I said, laughing. "We have guests."
He sighed, but obliged me. I darted out of the room and shut the door behind me, fixing my hair as I walked. "Sleep good?" I asked Ivan, heading over to the refrigerator.

Abel

I looked at her curiously. "What does that even mean?"

[alex]

Ivan

I laughed. "I slept all right" I replied. "Did you have a good night?"

Truda

"If you say you're not good enough, you won't be," I said to him as I walked over to the mirror and finished fixing the rest of my make up. "Just saying."

[Callie]

Blaise

I smiled slightly. "I did, thanks for asking," I said, pulling out a blood bag from the fridge. I made a face. I didn't particularly like blood bags, and we had a guest I could snack on, but the poor girl was already going through so much.

Abel

"I guess that makes sense." I paused, looking up at her. "Thanks, Truda. Really."

[alex]

Ivan

I grimaced. "Is it easier getting those here than in the US?" I asked her. I never got blood bags, they tasted off, but I suppose she had her reasons.

Truda

"Don't mention it," I said as I put my hair up in a bun.

[Callie]

Blaise

"If you know the right people," I said with a wink as Vladimir walked out of our bedroom, fumbling with his tie. I rolled my eyes and set the bag down, going over to him and tying it for him. "Over two-thousand years you've been roaming this hellhole and you can't tie your own tie. If you still had to cook for yourself, you'd have died a long time ago," I said teasingly, walking back over to the counter and drowning the rest of the blood bag.
He stuck his tongue out at me, then arched an eyebrow at the plastic bag. I threw it in the trash and met his eyes. "What's with the blood bag?" he asked.
"I was thirsty."
"We have a human in the other room, dear."
I crossed my arms. "You think I don't know that? I just don't want to drink from her. The poor thing's been uprooted from her family and her home to be made queen of Russia so we can take it over. I think she's been through enough."
He scoffed. "Don't tell me you're feeling sorry for her?"
"Does it really matter if I am?" I shot back.
He looked away eventually and went to go get the girl.

Abel

I opened my mouth to say something else, but then I heard the door open, then shut. I glanced over to Truda, then slipped back outside. Blade was back on the couch. He had his hands on either side of his head, and he was staring at the ground. I stood at the end of the hallway, but didn't say a word. I had a feeling he'd say something when he wanted to.

[alex]

Ivan

I didn't butt in to their argument, which was a first, but I followed Vlad with my eyes as he went in to the girl's room. Blaise was right, though, it was stupid to hurt her more when she was better to us when she cooperated. I felt my fangs burning slightly. I reminded myself to sneak out and get something to drink before Vlad forced me to hurt her. I had a feeling that would just motivate her to be as annoying as possible. And frankly, I didn't have the energy for that.

Truda

I walked out of the room as well, but stopping before I entered the room Blade was in. I instead sat down against the wall, putting my arms around my knees.

[Callie]

Blaise

I glanced over to Ivan, then reached in the fridge and tossed him a blood bag, telling him with my eyes he'd better drink it quick before we both got in trouble.
Vladimir wasn't the same man he used to be.

Mikah

The man - Vlad - came into the room, apparently to get me. He looked shocked for a moment, and I looked around. I knew I was changed, but it didn't seem to be me he was looking at. Maybe it was that woman from last night. I hadn't seen her, but I'd heard her voice, and she'd appeared in my dreams.
"Don't you clean up nicely," he remarked, looking amused. He grabbed my arm, and I looked around the room one last time before I was dragged out of it.

Blade

"I'm sorry," I admitted eventually. "I should've told you. I just..." I bit my lip. "I didn't want you to know they were out there killing things just like I do. Just like you do. It'd... I didn't want to change your opinion of them, I guess."
I couldn't see Abel, but I didn't hear him move. "You don't always have to protect me, Blade."
"You're my little brother; it's my job." I stood up and folded my arms. "Now stop. I admitted how I actually feel and all that good stuff. Emotional powwow over; I don't think I can take much more of this."

[alex]

Ivan

I caught the blood bag, but there was no time to drink it as I heard steps walking around the room. I threw it under the coach as Vlad came back in to the room, dragging the girl with him.

Truda

I stayed silent, knowing that this was a rare sibling moment. Maybe the last one they'd ever have.