Sloane…10

Sloane realized she had crossed a line.  She’d never seen Devin the way she left him.  She knew blood was precious to vampires, but  apparently, even after all the years she lived with them, and killed them, she didn’t actually realize just how precious.  She knew that Devin was telling her the truth.  Miles would kill him if he bit her, but it was her blood, after all, wasn’t it?

“You’re a logical person, Sloane,” she said to herself.  ” There are rules, made up by others, sometimes for a reason you may not understand, but you have to obey them, or someone you don’t want to die, might.”

She wondered if Devin was okay.  She cared about him.  He taught her to how to fight, how to be strong.  What happened tonight, wasn’t his fault.  It was hers.  She was too relaxed around him.  Too used to him.  She went too far.

“May I come in?” asked Marie?

“Yes,” said Sloane.  “Is there something I can do for you?”

“Miles wants to see you,” she sighed.

“Thank you.”

Miles was sitting in his usual seat at the table.

“Sit down.”

She sat.

“What am I supposed to do with you?” he asked, sadly.

“When?”

“Now.”

“Do with me?”

“You did an unforgivable thing.  You offered your blood to a vampire.”

“I offered a goodbye sip to Devin.”

“You should have known better.”

“Where’s Devin?”

“That’s not your concern at the moment.”

“Devin is my concern. Where he is?”

“Let’s just say he’s indisposed.”

“Miles.  Tell me what’s going on.  I made a mistake.  I didn’t know just how bad a mistake it was.”

He leaned back in his chair and stared at her.  “It’s about what you did to Devin.”

“What did I do to Devin?  We were having a good time.  He answered my questions honestly.  He explained everything.  On the way home, I offered him a sip from my wrist as a way to say goodbye to the old me and thank him for everything he’s done for me, over the years.  From his reaction, I knew it was the wrong thing to do.  I’m sorry.  He shouldn’t be punished for what I did.”

“No, he shouldn’t be, but it doesn’t work that way.  I take some responsibility in this matter.  I’ve been to easy on you.  I let my feelings for you stop me from telling you many, unpleasant things.  I thought I was protecting you from the harsher realities of our lives, but I realize now, that doing so was a mistake,” he said.  “Do you remember when I told you never to offer your blood to anyone?”

“Yes.  I was twelve.”

“You were a child.  I didn’t give you enough information.  I can see that by not telling you the consequences of such an offer, I failed to impress upon you just how important that statement was.”

“Would you have killed Devin, if he bit me?”

“It’s complicated,” he muttered. “By making the penalty for one vampire drinking from another person’s family punishable by death, everyone is protected.  Devin is our family and he didn’t accept your offer, even though the smell of your blood from the tattoo must have been driving him a little crazy.”

“I never thought of that.”

“No.  Of course, you didn’t,” said Miles, nodding.  “Why would you?  But he was the one who suggested getting the ink, never thinking that you’d accept.  Devin is quite old and has excellent control.  He’s been with me for a very long time.  The control he showed by not taking you up on your offer, is more impressive that you can ever imagine.  I can’t think of a single vampire who could do what he did.”

“Miles, where is Devin?”

“He’s resting.”

“He’s asleep?”

“In a way.”

“I mean no disrespect.  But I am asking honest and simple questions and getting nowhere.  Your answers are cryptic and I am too concerned to try and figure out what you’re saying.”

“Devin has fed.  He has been put into a stasis like dream state, until I can figure out how to help him.”

“Where is he?”

“In the medical area.”

“What is wrong with him?”

“When you offered your blood, he had to fight his own vampiric nature to refuse.  But you two have been friends for many years.  He has been protecting you since he rescued you from your burning house.  He loves you, in his own way, and now that you invited him to taste you, he can’t think of anything else.  He doesn’t trust himself around you, at the moment.  He asked me to help him and I’m doing what he asked.”

Sloane stood up and started pacing.  “If I give him some of my human blood, that might calm him down.  He won’t have to fight himself,” she mumbled, to herself.  “Or, if Miles turns me right now, there won’t be any human blood in my body to tempt him.”

She turned toward Miles.  “I have a couple of ideas.”

“I know.  I heard you.”

“Will one of them work?”

“It’s possible that if you are one of us…”

Sloane rolled onto the table, grabbed the neck of her shirt and bared her neck.  “Do it now.”

And he did.