Page 20 of Sundowners
Take from them only what is necessary to survive.
“Blessed be.”
I placed my lips over Mr. Fletcher’s wrist and my canines pierced the old man’s thin skin. He exhaled with a sound likeahhhhhhh.
Contrary to popular lore, the bite from a vampire is not necessarily an orgasmic experience. In fact, if it weren’t for the chemical I released before I even approached Mr. Fletcher and the use of acupressure, it could even be painful. Without those steps, Mr. Fletcher would have tensed up and he wouldn’t have received the healing benefits from our Exchange. His blood for my healing energy.
I took a few short pulls of Mr. Fletcher’s rich blood, made healthier from the time spent in my care, and then I focused my concentration on knitting the cells back together and erasing any signs that I’d punctured the skin. I sat up and felt a rush flood my body with strength and power.
“There. Not even a bruise. Feeling better?”
Mr. Fletcher snored soundly, and I chuckled. I picked him up easily, despite the fact he had about sixty pounds on me, and I carried him to his bed. I stripped him down to his boxers and undershirt and tucked him in. He wouldn’t remember this in the morning, but he’d wake up with a little pep in his step and be feeling frisky by the time I arrived for my shift at six tomorrow evening.
It was important that I be there when dinner was over. That was when I was needed most. And while I couldn’t work seven days a week, I could be there for my patients five days a week, to keep them happy and as healthy as possible.
It was the least I could give them for sharing their excess energy and, sometimes, their blood. It was all about the Exchange and the manipulation of matter. There was no fairy tale or magic involved. Vampirism could be explained by science. Once exposed to the Source’s energy and exceptional blood, those who trained as I had took the blood we were freely given—taking without permission was a violation—and offered our healing energy in return. In the early days of our practice, that violation carried a penalty of death.
We learned to pull from blood the energy required to heal and sustain life, and for some, we were able to extend their lives. Elderly folks at the end of their existence sometimes experienced a breakdown of their mental capacity that was due to an overproduction of negative energy. I learned early on that when it came to sustaining my own existence, the negative energy elderly people let off was even more potent than the blood. I was able to absorb it and draw strength from it. In return, the elderly in my care found a peace that was otherwise unavailable to them.
Sundowner’s syndrome was a real problem for those suffering from Alzheimer’s. Confusion and forgetfulness were part of the disease, but for some victims, a terror that came on with the waning light and played out in harmful behaviors was a very real experience that I wouldn’t wish on a single soul. Just by being with them, I could take in that excess harmful energy produced by the Sundowning and act as something like a processor, sending out warmth and calm instead. Basically, vampires were human-sized energy filters that only required a little blood for longevity.
I was grateful I’d found The Source back in my youth, had been accepted into their ranks and received their teachings, even if I’d been misled. If I would have known what it would cost me… Well, I tried not to dwell on that. Things happened for a reason, that was part of my education, and without the tragedy that befell my cohort of trainees, I never would have had the wide array of experiences I’d had, and I never would have discovered how my abilities were particularly helpful to the elderly. I would be eternally grateful for the people I’d come across on my long journey, even though I’d lost so much…
“Creed?”
I’d been so preoccupied with my thoughts I hadn’t realized I was back at the nurses’ station where Lexi was waiting for me to walk her outside.
“Sorry. Let me just grab my coat.”
Lexi smiled then she sucked in a breath. “Oh! I almost forgot to ask! I got tickets to see Barns Courtney at The Catalyst tomorrow night. It’s your night off, right? Please say you’ll come with me?”
“What’s the matter? None of your girlfriends will go with you?”
She rolled her eyes. “None of them have good taste in music like you do. Please?”
“Sure. I’d like that.”
And I would. All that frenetic energy in one place? The psychic high would be delicious.
8
CHAPTER EIGHT
Roman
“Thank you, Officer.”
Reynaldo nodded at the young mother as he walked back to the patrol car. I was on a ridealong with him, doing unofficial research on these bizarre attacks that continued to confound the police.
I’d stood by while he’d taken a report, listening to the details and making my own notes. We’d responded to a call at the municipal lot across from Hula Grill, and found a young mother with a half dozen kids and a busted car window. Nothing had been taken. Her registration and insurance papers were strewn about the passenger seat, but she’d been smart and taken all valuables out of the car. She had her hands full with all of the kids, and so the report she needed for her insurance had taken a bit longer than usual to fill out.
A familiar laugh caught my attention.
“Oh! Officer Cabral. Everything okay?”
I whipped my head around at the voice and couldn’t immediately place the man and woman walking towards us.
“Hey,” Reynaldo said, immediately relaxing his posture, his hand slipping from his holster’s snap. “I didn’t recognize the two of you out of your scrubs.”
