[color:"#aoff80"]
I stopped pushing buttons when Kiya told me what was happening if I pushed too many at a time. Damn! How to do this. I glanced over and saw Nero had managed to break open the hooded woman's cage, but that she hadn't walked out of it yet.
"Kiya, hold on a minute." I pointed back to where Nero was standing. "I'm going to go see why she won't come out - maybe she's frightened of Nero. He's a guy, maybe she's afraid of men? Or maybe she's just afraid of half-demons? Maybe I can talk her out and you can figure out how to make this contraption," I pointed in disgust at the box on the wall. "Damn machines! I can't even figure out a copier half the time." Huh? What's a copier? Somebody who makes fun of you by doing everything you do?
I walked over to the cage, hearing Nero trying to coax her out and she adamantly refusing to budge even an inch. I shooed Nero away, "Nero why don't you go help Kiya? It's some kind of machine and we don't know how to make it work."
I held out my hand to the hooded woman, but she just violently shook her head refusing to come forward. "What's your name? I'm DQueene and the one who helped Feartherwing is Kiya. The man who broke you free is Nero." I tried to project as much sincerety into my voice as I could. "None of us would hurt you..." She just started laughing, sadly ..."My name is LaShandra and ... No, I know you wouldn't hurt me. I ... I would hurt you." She turned away as if in great shame.
"Why would you hurt us?" I asked gently. She shook her head again, "If you learn what I am, you will hate me... I am cursed and damned. My immortal soul is doomed for all eternity." I stepped forward a pace and I could see a shudder go through her entire body. She whispered, "Please come no closer, I am starving and your very nearness tempts me almost beyond my control."
I stopped, understanding dawning in my mind. "Are you a vampire?" She put her hands up to her face and I saw tears start to seep through her fingers, her tears were blood, she was losing even more of her life force in her sadness. Her tears were her answer to my question, I asked hesitantly (and to be honest a little hoarsely myself), "Do you have to kill the one you feed from?"
She shook her head, "No, not normally; but, I haven't fed in ages and I fear once I start to feed I will lose control." I stepped forward again, "So feed on me. If you don't stop, Nero can slug you and that should snap you out of it."
She raised her head and slowly pushed her hood back from her face. I gasped, I'm sorry I couldn't help myself she was practically a skeleton - a little muscle and soft tissue on her bones and her eyes stared out from her eye sockets. She questioned me sadly, "Are you sure you can let something like me feed on you?" A nervous laugh escaped from my lips again, and I let out a long breath, "I won't lie and say I'll enjoy it; but yeah, I can do it."
I turned around and whistled, getting Nero's attention. I waved for him to come back over. When he arrived I could see the stillness in him when he saw her face. I looked at him and sent him a message Don't say a word or we'll lose her. He nodded, "Whatcha need DQueene?"
"LaShandra needs to feed and I'm going to provide the blood. She's really afraid that she will lose control, because she's starving. We want you to slug her if that happens. Think you can do it?" His mouth tightened a little, but he just nodded.
I turned to LaShandra and held out my wrist noticing that the 'scales' on my arm had receded to my elbow, almost as if they knew she wouldn't be able to break through them to drink. "Will this do?" She licked her lips and nodded and then she bent her head to drink. I felt a sharp pain and then a feeling of euphoria crept over me, "Hey, this wasn't so bad. Kind of nice, in fact."
I glanced at LaShandra and she was changing in front of my eyes. A beauty was forming, floor length black hair, white skin, dark eyes, bright red lips. I saw her sigh and withdraw her teeth from my wrist. She licked the pinpricks and they sealed, leaving no trace of her bite. Her eyes were luminous when she looked at me and she said, "I didn't know, thank you for honouring me with your blood, my queen."
I looked at her in total confusion, but she just laughed and shook her head, refusing to explain herself. [/color]
