Barton’s door.
“Is that really important?” She whispers as we hear movement in the house.
“Come in.” The gruff voice answers. “Ladies first.”
“Mr Barton?” Savannah says opening the door and peering her head in. Everything is dark and although we see like its dusk in the dark Savannah is still cautious.
“Come in sweetheart.” He says, his voice smoothing out. He sounds like an old man and not at all like a human who was 30 years old when turned. “I have been waiting for you.” He urges when Savannah doesn’t move.
“You have?” She asks stepping in cautiously.
“Of course dear.” He says from the lounge room. Savannah gingerly steps forward. “You caused quite a stir the other night.” Barton says into the darkness and Savannah chuckles sheepishly. I follow her closely behind, placing a hand on her shoulder in a silent show of support. She squeezes my hand to let me know she's received the message and I want to do a happy dance. Progress!
“You know it was me?” She asks.
“Of course my dear.” Barton says patiently. He’s never been patient with me like that!
“I didn’t mean to cause such a scene. I didn’t really understand what was going on but.” Savannah blurts out walking into the lounge room. She stops just inside the doorway. The lounge room is light and airy. Not at all what you would think for a grumpy old vampire. Everything is in neutral tones of cream, light brown and white but it is modern and comfortable.
In the middle of the room the only odd looking piece of furniture is sticking out like a sore thumb. The brown and black striped recliner is gently rocking back and forth and I have to control myself not to laugh as I get a vision of Barton sitting there rocking on it twiddling his thumbs.
“I know my dear I know. No one is judging you.” Barton stands up and gone is my image of a grumpy old man. Instead the guy is smiling and dressed casually. He looks young and hip with his messy blonde hair tousled to within an inch of its life and his bright green eyes shining brightly at Savannah. She’s mine bitch so back off. I warn him silently through my look. He merely looks at me and laughs. He walks up to Savannah and grabs both her hands. “You’re a special one my dear. Such a shame your turning was done in such an ugly way.”
“Excuse me?” She squeaks as Tyson, Sam and I share a look. They are thinking the same thing I am. What the hell is he on about?
“You are special.” Barton repeats closing his eyes. They start fluttering as he takes in a big sigh. “You are going to do many great things. Have you tried either of your gifts?”
“My whats?”
“Gifts my dear.” He says as if talking to a small child. He opens his eyes when she doesn’t respond. “You don’t know about your gifts?” He asks her but looks to me with a deadly calm that would scare most. Not me. I know him. We have fought. I did not become a pure just because I look pretty. A lot of hard work and dedication happened to make me become what I am.
“No.” She says unsure spinning around and pinning us with an evil look too. It’s a cross between ‘you had made me look like an idiot’ and ‘I’m going to kill you for it’.
“You in big trouble now.” Sam murmurs in my ear and I punch him in the face. He doesn’t flinch, but does back off.
“What are gifts Mr Barton?” Savannah prompts again.
“Adam.” He turns back to her.
“Okay Adam.” She repeats. “What gift are you talking about?”
“Gift ssss. Plural. More than one. The one bitten into you and the one that is yours to have and give and because you’re you, Miss Savannah Greene. The one that is your destiny.”
Savannah looks over to us again clearly confused.
“All vampires get given gifts when they turn. We don’t know why or how but every single vampire so far has. We all get two.” I look at her, pleading for her to understand. “And just so you both know upfront,” I say looking between Adam and Savannah. “The reason I chose not to tell you was because you asked us to only tell you what you needed to know. Gifts don’t appear until after the first week so I figured it wasn’t a need to know.”
Savannah’s eyes instantly soften and she nods. Adam, seeing this loses some of his fight in his eyes. He’s got a soft spot for Savannah already… I don’t know if I like that.
“My gifts,” I say to change my thinking to something where I won’t rip my teachers head off, “Are to see the subjective future of anyone I lay my eyes on and the gift of auras. The future is my own personal, just me, gift and the aura one I got from my mentor.”
“Oh.” She looks at me like I am crazy. “Auras?” She says puzzled.
“He is not crazy my dear.” Adam says, eyes closed again, he is still holding her hand. “Every thing on the planet, living and not, has an energetic field. Humans’ energetic fields – or auras – change colour when things happen to them, when they feel certain ways. Please trust Dominic my dear, he is not crazy. He does know what he is talking about.”
“How do you know I was thinking that?” She squeaks.
“My gift is astral sight.” He replies. “The only power to override anything and everything.”
“Huh?” Savannah looks like she's going to fight. “How do you even know that?”
“I was an angel from above who was attacked by an old vampire a thousand years ago, then got stuck on Earth because he made a vampire so I lost my wings. They didn’t know what to do with me so sent me down here to live out eternity but let me keep my angel powers.”
“Huh?” Savannah says as I stare at Barton in shock. Even I didn’t know that. Why is he telling a reborn something like that? No wait. Why is he telling my Savannah that?
“Yeah huh?” I demand. “Angels exist?”
“Of course they do.” Adam replies looking at me like I am a few picnics short of a bunch.
“But how?”
“How do vampires exist? How do humans exist? How does planet Earth exist? How does the universe exist? We were all created. Given life to learn, to love, to be.” He ignores me and an open mouthed Sam and Tyson as he concentrates on Savannah. “And you my dear. Your fate will hold high challenges but I am sure you’re up to it.”
“My fate to do what?” Savannah asks. “Huh?”
“For one to become queen, evil must be undone but what must be undone must first be redone and only then will all be set free then with her king the queen will reign with dignity.”
“What on earth does that mean? Mr B… Adam?” Savannah asks and I nod along with her. She is standing there hardly moving.
“It means my dear you have a great journey ahead of you. Much to learn and much to master. Much to conquer. Your fate has you destined to do great things.”
“I’m not just gonna be a vampire who lives aimlessly forever?” She says and I grin.
“No my dear.” Adam chuckles. “You have many a hard times in store. But you, as long as you believe, will conquer. Your fate has been infinite.”
“Believe?” I ask. “Believe in what? My fate is infinite? What does that even mean?”
“Savannah your gifts are powerful. You must train, learn to master them. Control them so they do nothing but what you ask of them...” Adam lets go of her hand and blinks. “The others? Those you must overcome? They are dangerous and have far more forces working for them than even I anticipated.”
“Barton!” I bark at him. “What are you on about? You’re talking a whole bunch of nonsense!”
Adam looks at me coyly. “Patience dear pure one.” He smiles. “Savannah,” He turns to her again and she's standing there still stunned. “Come I want to see if your gifts work yet.”
“It’s only been two days.” Sam cuts in, stepping forward. “They can’t be.”
“Has anything about her turning been normal dear Sam?” Adam smiles at him knowingly. Sam stops short and thinks for a moment.
“No.” He relents. “She is one of the fastest, if not the fastest, I have ever seen turn.”
Adam
nods walking towards the kitchen, Savannah’s arm in the crook of his. “Come Savannah we must see.”
“I don’t have gifts.” She mumbles but allows him to drag her along. “Seeing the future is impossible. So is seeing auras. Why are you people talking like this? And conquering. Pfft we don’t live in the medieval times anymore. Strong forces? Seriously? When will this dream end?”
“This is no dream Savannah. Two days ago vampires were impossible to you. Yet today here you are two days later and you are one.” Adam says. No shit! I have seen it all. I think frowning. “You must believe otherwise nothing will work and everything will fall apart. Savannah this is important.”
Savannah looks at me and back at Adam. An internal war is raging inside her. “What are they then?” She asks finally as we all huddle around the kitchen sink.
“What are what?” I ask dumbly.
“My powers.” Savannah rolls her eyes like I should have known. “Why are we at the kitchen sink?”
“Yes.” I agree. I would like to know too.
“Move this apple to the stove.” Adam places an apple in front of her.
“Okay.” She says picking up and moving it.
“No my dear.” Adam chuckles, stopping her. “With your mind.”
“My mind?”
“Zeke gave you the gift of moving objects with your mind. That was his personal power and he gave it to you. Sam has the same gift.”
“Well he can take it back.” She says stubbornly, tilting her nose in the air and crossing her arms. “I don’t want that one. I do not want anything but to kill that stupid son of a