Chapter 1: Awakening

Gabriel awakens in a strange new world...

Gabriel slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurry at first but it soon cleared. He was in a dimly lit room lying on a cold stone slab of some kind. Heavy satin curtains draped the ceiling to floor windows. He tried to sit up but instantly slumped back down.

"Whoa there, son, don't try to move just yet" came a voice from the shadows.

Gabriel panicked. He shot up from the stone table he was laying on and jumped to the floor. His legs shook, then gave out from underneath him; his body was shaking, and not entirely because of fear. He steadied himself on the side of the table he was laying on and looked around the room.

"Hey it's alright, just calm down" came the same voice.

Just then Gabriel saw a figure emerge from the darkness. He was cleaning his hands of what looked like blood with a white cloth.

"Don't over exert yourself, your body is still healing" he said.

The man who spoke was an older looking man, around his late thirties, early forties. He wore a blue hip long jacket, a white t-shirt and black slacks. He looked almost like a doctor. He had jet black hair and dark, almost black looking eyes. His features were gentle and fatherly.  

"Who…who are you?!" Gabriel demanded. The man put his hands up in a defensive manner and chuckled lightly.

"My name is David" he said calmly. "You don't have to be afraid. Your safe now" he added.

Gabriel frowned with disbelief, moving shakily around to the far end of the table, away from David.

"Safe?! I don't even know where I am or what's going on! Where am I? How did I get here?" Gabriel spat, obviously terrified.

David lowered his hands and sighed at the sight he saw. Gabriel's moving around tore open some of the stitches he had put in earlier. He took a step towards him but stopped as Gabriel pulled out a switchblade pocket knife.

"Stay back!" he demanded. "Don't come near me" he added nervously looking around the room.

There were candles everywhere and there was a slight chill in the air. He didn't like it. For all he knew, this man was one of those creatures.

"Now where am I?" he asked again. David smiled kindly.

"Right now you're in the initiation chamber" he said. Gabriel looked at him with a baffled expression. "As for where the initiation chamber is, you're in The House of Sidane" he added.

"House of what?" he asked, struggling now to keep himself standing.

"Why don't you sit down and let me tend to your wounds? You're tearing open those stitches I gave you" David said, concern in his voice.

Gabriel looked own and saw blood seeping through his bandages. He wavered on his feet a little, trying to keep his balance. He started slumping to the ground but David quickly caught him. He pulled him to his feet and sat him down on the cold stone tablet. He started undressing the wounds to re-do the stitches.

"It's odd his body hasn't reacted yet" came a sweet, feminine voice. Gabriel looked around.

"Who was that?" he asked David weakly.

David smiled. "That's Shera" he said taking out his surgical tools. "She helped bring you here" he added.

Just then a tall, slender female figure loomed over him. Her long, wavy purple hair dipped into his face.

"Oops! Sorry" she said pulling her hair back giggling. "Is he going to be ok David?" she asked.

"He'll be just fine. If he stops moving around so much" he gave a wink to Gabriel.
Shera walked next to David, the heels of her boots made an echoing clinking sound as she walked. Gabriel saw she was wearing a skin tight outfit, made from what looked like leather. She wore a black jacket and lacey hand gloves with the fingers cut out. She was indeed attractive, but her plunging neckline made him a bit uneasy. He turned away, blushing a little.

"Aww! How cute!" Shera said as she saw him blush. "What's wrong? No pretty girls where you come from handsome?" she said.

"Oh leave him alone Shera" came another voice.

This one was a bit deeper and huskier. A thin, athletic figure emerged from the shadows. He had on heavy boots, evident from the sound they made when he walked. He had on a dark green vest, decorated in tribals and black, fitted pants. He wore a dream catcher necklace and his arm warmers had numerous detailed tribal's and symbols as well. He had dark skin and piercing bright green eyes. The iris of his eyes looked like that of a cat. He appeared to be Native American.

"Can't you see the poor kid's been through enough? He doesn't need some skimpy dressed girl jiggling in his face like that" he said teasingly. "Besides, I thought that was only for me" he added with a smirk.

Shera smiled, rolled her eyes and flicked her hair over her shoulders.

"Now, now children, play nice" David said as he continued his work.  "Thresh, did you manage to get him some clean clothes?" he asked.

"Got 'em right here" Thresh said holding up a black duffle bag.

Gabriel sat up a little. "Hey…that's my-"

David pushed him back down. "Yes, we got it from your residence. Be still now" he said reaching for some more bandaging.

Thresh moved closer to Shera and whispered something to her. Gabriel couldn't hear what they were saying, but their expressions got real serious all of a sudden. Thresh and Shera had a long, complicated relationship. Recently both hadn't been speaking to one another due to some issues.

"Hey, David" Thresh said walking back over to him. "About that…um…thing" he said. David shook his head.

"Now isn't the time Thresh" he said carefully re-bandaging Gabriel's arm.

Gabriel winced in a bit of pain. He hadn't realized it until now, his arm didn't hurt as much anymore; it was no longer broken but was still badly lacerated.

"Hey…my arm" he said looking at it.  David nodded.

"It's practically healed" he reassured him. He sat Gabriel up slowly to re-bandage his chest and stomach.

More thoughts floated into his head and his memories of how he got injured started to come back.

"Oh my God…" Gabriel said under his breath.

David stopped and looked at him. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Aeva" he said lowly looking straight ahead of him into the darkness.

Thresh and Shera exchanged confused looks. "Who?" Shera asked him.

"Aeva! Where is she?! Is she here? Did you bring her here too?" Gabriel asked in a panic.

"Son, when we found you, you were alone. There was no one there with you" He sighed. "Everyone who was there…was dead" he added.

Gabriel shook his head furiously. "No! When I…left, she was alive! She was still alive damn it now where is she?!" he demanded. "Tell me!"  

They all looked at one another confused and not sure who he was talking about.
"Who's Aeva?" Shera asked. "Is she your girlfriend? Your wife? Who?"  she asked kindly.

Gabriel sighed, obviously getting frustrated. "Where's the button down shirt I was wearing?" he asked looking around for it.

Thresh looked around and grabbed it off a chair, handing it to him.

Gabriel looked through the pockets, looking for a locket he always wore. Not finding it, he felt around his neck. He looked around. "Did I have a silver locket around my neck when I came in?" he asked. David motioned towards another small tale where Gabriel's personal effects were. Shera went over and got it, then brought it back to Gabriel, sliding it into his hand. Gabriel opened up the locket and pointed to the young girl inside.

"Aeva" he said. "She's my sister" he said, his voice saddening. "She….she's all I had left in this world" he added. "I hid her before…I got attacked" he continued. "Please" he looked at them. "You have to find her and bring her here, please" he begged.

Shera took the locket studying it.

"She's very pretty" she said before looking to him. "Don't worry. We'll find her" she said reassuringly. "Thresh?" she asked turning to him slipping the locket into her jacket pocket.

He nodded in agreement. "We'll find her for you" he said. "You just take it easy meanwhile ok?" he said.

They both turned to leave. Gabriel slumped forward, putting his hands to his head in a praying motion. "il caro dio…lasciala prego essere sicura" he said under his breath.
David tilted his head. "What did you say?" he asked.

Gabriel shook his head. "It's nothing" he said sadly.

"Well, your all patched up. Again" David said cleaning his hands in a basin of water. "Try not to tear these open ok?" he asked.

Gabriel nodded. "Why…is my arm healed? I thought it was broken…how long was I out anyway?" he asked.

David looked to the side before answering.
"About two days I gather. You've been tossing and turning so much in your sleep you've been tearing open your wounds constantly" he said.

"Two days?!" Gabriel said in disbelief. "I don't…even remember much" he said.

"As for your arm" David continued. "It's because of what you are now"  he said, not sure how he'd react.

"Because of what I am?" Gabriel asked inquisitively. "What do you mean?"

"Well…you've been turned" David said.

"Turned?" Gabriel asked in disbelief. "But…No! I don't feel any different. I…I can't be one of them"

"You mean…one of us" David corrected.

It was the first time Gabriel had realized it; David was a Vampire too. He just now noticed his fangs. His were different though. Not like the creatures' who attacked him two days ago. David's teeth appeared normal, but they were a bit pointier and sharper.

"But…your teeth" Gabriel said leaning in a bit closer to him. "They looked nothing like the creature who attacked me…he was a Vampire as well. I know because he…tasted some of my blood" Gabriel said, his face grew grim at the thought of it.

David chuckled. "All Vampire's teeth are the same. We just have different levels or...forms if you will" he said pulling up a chair, sitting next to him. We have our 'normal' appearance which is what I'm in now. Then we have our 'feeding frenzy appearance'" he continued. "The Vampire who attacked you must have been in his feeding mode. Hence why he looked different" he added.

"So…is that why he looked so…grotesque? And demon like?" he asked. David nodded.

"Will…I look like that too?" Gabriel asked, clearly not wanting to turn into such a hideous creature.

"In time. Once you learn to control your forms. For now, we'll take it nice and slow, alright?" he asked placing a reassuring hand on his knee. Gabriel nodded. He held the arm he broke. It was an alien sensation to him, knowing his arm was broken, and now it was as if nothing never happened.

"I am a bit concerned though. These minor injuries should have healed almost instantly once you were turned" David said rubbing the back of his head. "Curious" he added.

"So..its true then. What they say about Vampires?" Gabriel asked. David blinked, then smiled.

"Depends on what you mean" he said.

"Well, you know…like, do you burn in the sun? Can you go near crosses and churches? Can you cross running water...um…do you have a weird obsession with untying knots? You know, those type of things." David couldn't help himself but laugh.

"I'm sorry Gabriel" David said whipping his eyes of tears he was laughing so hard.

"Those are all totally untrue fabrications of superstitious fools" he said.

"The only part of that that was true was the sun part. We can't go into the sun. At all" he said more seriously. "I must say, the one about untying knots and crossing running water were very funny" he said stifling another laugh.

Gabriel cracked a smile.

"They've come from stories and such that I've been told…and some I read myself" he said leaning back against the pillows David set up for him.

"Vampires aren't some purely evil force that reeks havoc in the countryside Rickter. Were not blood thirty, lustful beasts who feed blindly. Were very careful to how we feed, who we feed on and when. It's highly looked down upon if a Vampire were to feed as a rogue" he said.

"Though, I'm not too fond of the entire house feeding at once. I still think it should be divided up by groups. It causes more chaos...and makes the humans more furious with us when an entire house goes to feed at once. It's drawing un-necessary attention to us and putting us in danger. Were already in a big enough mess as it is" he said.

He looked up, Gabriel obviously not too sure what he was talking about.

"Heh…Vampire politics…I swore I'd stay out of such things but sometimes I can't help myself" he said.

Gabriel smiled a little then looked towards the door. He felt uneasy all of a sudden. Like something was wrong. Suddenly David stood and placed his hand on Gabriel's shoulder. "Be quiet and don't speak unless your spoken too" he said softly.
Just then the heavy metal door creaked open. A small child, looking to be around ten years old entered the room.

"He wishes to speak with you" the child said walking in further.

Following behind the boy was a tall, very slender built male. His skin looked the color of alabaster stone, and he had enchanting silver/blue eyes that appeared almost icy. He had long flowing white hair.

"How can I help you, Adonis?" David asked in a proper tone.

Gabriel looked at David, then at the new man before him.

"By introducing me to your new guest David. You know I don't like secrets" Adonis said as he stepped closer to Gabriel.

Gabriel swallowed hard. This man made him feel uneasy and frightened. He wasn't sure what to make of him.

Adonis extended his hand, brushing some hair from Gabriel's face. "What happened?" he asked.

Gabriel went to speak but David interrupted him. "Thresh and Shera brought him from an Orphanage in the Parisian Country Side " he said.

"An orphanage?" Adonis asked in disbelief. "How old are you? You must be at least nine teen" he added, looking him over.

"I'm...actually eighteen" Gabriel said.

"And you grew up in The City of Water?" Adonis asked seemingly kind.  

By "City of Water" he meant Venice, Italy. Gabriel was born and raised in Italy. He came to Paris on his own, with his sister, when he was about ten after the death of his parents. He used the money his parents had left him to care for him and his sister.

Gabriel nodded. "Yes, in the countryside. My family lived in a Villa by the water. I lived there all my life" he said.

"So what made your parent's give up such a precious thing like you?" he asked.

"Well, it's not that simple…" Gabriel added lowering his head.

"I see" he smiled. For a brief instant his eyes caught the light, making them glow.

"Very well, David. You may bring him back with you when he's able to make the trip" he said. "Come Jamen" he added as he turned to leave.

The boy nodded and followed behind him, shutting the door.

David sighed, almost in relief. "That was Adonis Si`lencer. He is the master of The House of Sidane" he explained.

"Houses? I'm not sure what you mean" Gabriel said.

"All Vampire, except rogues, belong to houses or families"  David explained.

"Each House has a different master and, sometimes, different powers. For instance-"

David slipped off his jacket and turned around, pulling down the collar of his shirt, exposing a flame tribal marking. Gabriel looked on in awe.

"I am a son of the House of Grismore. My Master, is Akale Gritskay." He explained. "The marking you see on the back of my neck area symbol of what house I belong too.  My House-"
David turned putting his jacket back on. "-specializes in the fire arts" he added, lifting his hand.

He slipped off a wrist band he was wearing and instantly his hand began to glow and suddenly it caught fire. Gabirel jumped back in surprise.

"It's alright" David smiled. "I can control fire elements and produce them on demand" he added as he slipped the band back onto his arm.

Gabriel motioned to the band. "Then what's that for?" he asked.

"It's…kind of like a safety net" David said. "Sometimes, Vampires become so powerful, they start to gradually loose control of their powers and need..inhibitors to regulate them and make sure they don't lose control" he explained.

Just then, the heavy door swung open and Shera andThresh emerged.  David saw the saddened looks on their faces and knew it couldn't be good news. He went over to them, out of ear range of Gabriel.

"Well?" David asked.

Shera shook her head. "It's not good" she said.

Thresh glanced at Gabriel, who was trying to listen to them talking, then back to David. "We found the girl" he said lowly.

"But…she was already dead" Shera added looking down.

David sighed heavily. "He needs to be allowed to see her" David said. Shera's eyes widened as she shook her head.

"No, David. He can't" she said.

"Why not? It's his sister…he has a right" he said sternly.

"No David...it's not that he cant…it's that he…shouldn't. Not with the condition her body is in" he said.

"What those rogues did to her…whoever they were…it's horrible" Shera said.

David rubbed the bridge of his nose between his eyes. "Still" he said. "He needs to learn the horrors of our world. I'm not going to shield him from them…it'll only do more harm then good if I do" he said looking back towards Gabriel.

"David…what is it? Did they find her?" he asked sounding hopeful. D

avid looked back to Thresh and Shera before walking over to him.

"Well?" Gabriel asked.

David put a hand on his shoulder. "They found her" he said. Gabriel's face brightened at his words.

"Well let me see her, take me to her" he said starting to get up. David helped him stand.

"Gabriel…there's something you should know" he said. "She's been" he stopped as Gabriel turned to him.

"What?" he asked. "She's ok isn't she?"

David shook his head. "When Thresh and Shera found her…she was…already dead" he said. "I'm sorry"

Gabriel's eyes widened. He fell into a state of mild shock. He didn't want to believe the only person he had left from his family was gone. Aeva was like a little version of his mother. She not only looked like her, but acted, in some ways, like her. The idea that Aeva sometimes spoke for her mother during hard times, was comforting to him. Even though he was older, he would  go to Aeva for advice and just used her as someone to talk too. Some how, Aeva always knew just what to say to make everything seem all right.

"N-no…she can't be" he said. His legs gave out and he fell towards the ground, but David caught him in his arms.

"I'm sorry Gabriel" David repeated.

Gabriel's body started to shake; David held him tighter. He did his best to hold back his tears. He knew the idea the creatures found her was possible and that she really was dead. Though, it just wasn't fully sinking in. He knew it would hurt, but he had to see her. He had too.

"Take me to her…" he said with a shaky voice.

"Are you sure?" David asked him. Gabriel nodded.

"Please…I want to see her" he looked at him, tears swelling in his eyes.  

David sighed and nodded, helping him stand.

David helped him over to the door and led him out into a dark hallway.
"Where did you put her?"  David asked Thresh. "I'll show you" Thresh said walking past him.

The four walked down the long winding hallway. Torch lights lined the walls, giving it an eerie effect. The halls echoed with their footsteps. All Gabriel could think about was his sister; his thoughts revisited happier times. Aeva was always smiling, always happy and cheery, no matter what was going on. Gabriel would watch her sometimes, reading old journals that her parents left behind. Gabriel knew she wanted nothing more then to have known her parents; Aeva was only about a year old when they died.

Thresh led them to a room that was used mainly for weapon storage. Shera and Thresh put together some boxes and laid Aeva's body on top and covered her with a white sheet. The air was cold and smelt musky and heavily with blood. His new heightened senses were on over drive. He smelt the staleness of the blood that hung in the room; it made him nauseous.

"You have to understand Gabriel…her body has been mutilated" Shera said. "Are you sure?"

Gabriel nodded as he looked up, seeing the sheet covering his sisters body. The sheet had some blood spotting. He swallowed hard and made his way over to her. He looked down at the silhouette; he felt the tears starting again. He looked down and removed her hand from the sheet and held it. Her hand felt like ice and her skin felt almost rubbery. It gave him an eerie sensation. He felt like she would spring back to life any minute. A single tear fell down his pale cheeks as he braced himself for what he would see as he lifted the sheet.

As he lifted the sheet, he nearly vomited. He gagged and turned his head away, nearly throwing up. Composing himself he looked back, horrified at the condition her body was in. Her hair was matted with blood, as were her clothes.  Her clothes were ripped and shredded, consistent with claw marks on her skin and multiple bite marks on her neck; she was clearly fed from. Gabriel lifted his shaky hand, stroking her cold cheek.

"I'm so sorry" he said lowly, blinking hard, making more tears fall.

He slumped down to his knees and buried his face into her stomach. It was then he started sobbing hard. The others simply stood by and watched; not knowing how to respond.

"Where…did you find her?" Gabriel asked through his tears.

Thresh and Shera looked at each other before answering.

"We found her about ten miles up the road from your orphanage" Thresh said lowly.

Gabriel looked up, seeing the cross around her neck. He reached over and removed it from her neck. He held it in his hands, looking it over. He rubbed it on his shirt, removing the blood stains from it.

"She never took this off. Not since I gave it to her; it was our mothers" he said smiling a little.  He lowered his head shutting his eyes tightly, trying not to burst into tears again.

"I can't leave her here" Gabriel added. "I need to bring her home...to bury her" he said cupping her cheek in his hand.

David looked at Thresh and Shera before answering. "We'll go with you. You'll need the help" he said. Gabriel nodded.

"Can we leave tonight?" Gabriel asked. David shook his head.

"The sun rises very soon. We'll have to wait until night fall. Maybe you should try and get some rest now" David said.

Gabriel smiled sadly. "I won't be able to sleep" he said lowly. David walked behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner.

"Things may seem hopeless now…but I promise, they'll get better" David said helping Gabriel stand.

Gabriel stood shaking his head. "I don't see how…I feel so…alone now" he said whipping his eyes with the back of his hand. "She was all I had left"

Shera took a step forward. "Yeah but…you have us now" she said sweetly. Thresh nodded.

"We've always been a tight knit group here" Thresh said. "We look out for one another" he added.

Gabriel forced a smile but, honestly, he didn't feel that much better. Though he did take some comfort in the fact that he was finally feeling like he would be safe with them. It was nice.

"We'll go back to David's" Shera said happily. "You'll love it there" she added.

"We'll worry about your sister tomorrow night. We have to hurry now, it'll be light soon" Thresh said with a smile. Gabriel nodded.

"Ok" Gabriel said turning and covering his sister's body again. With a heavy sigh he turned and walked out with Thresh and Shera.

"You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up" he said. David would stay behind a little while longer, to figure out what those rogues had done to Aeva.

Shera locked arms with Gabriel as she walked with him and Thresh down the hallway. "He's going to need some more clothes" she said.

"We'll worry about that later. Geez, what is it with you women and your clothes?" Thresh said teasingly.

"Oh hush" Shera said in an almost pouty manner. Gabriel smiled a bit.

"Aw! Now that's better. You have such an adorable smile!" she said brightly, exposing her petite looking fangs.

They soon reached the end of the long, winding hallway and entered out into a large garden like area. The sky was fading from a deep blue, to a light purple color, dusted with light shades of pink and orange. The fading stars dotted the skyline and twinkled in the distance. It was truly beautiful.

"We have to hurry" Thresh said quickening his pace. Shera and Gabriel followed behind.

"We'll give you the grand tour later" Shera promised. Gabriel nodded, taking in what he could of the impending dawn and how it almost made the garden come to life.

When they reached the other end of the compound, they entered through a massive iron cast gate decorated in angels. They then hurried down a stone walk way and through two giant sized French doors. Shera flicked on a light and the living room came to life with bright lights. It was a sight like no other; Gabriel felt as if he were in the home of a high ranking diplomat. Thresh pulled the two heavy velvet curtains shut and walked over to a chair and sat down.

"So…all of this is David's?" Gabriel asked. Shera nodded as she sat down next to Thresh.

"Every higher ranking Vampire has a house similar to this. If you think this is something, you should see the house of a master or an elder" she added.

"You two live here too?" he asked. Shera and Thresh both nodded.

"It's customary for a sire to take in his surling" Thresh said. He chuckled at Gabriel's perplexed look.

"In laments terms Master and Servant" he added. "David is my sire and I his surling" he explained.

"And I'm Thresh's surling" Shera said. "Thresh turned me" she added.

Gabriel nodded. "Oh, I thought your eyes looked a like" he said.

"Well that's because sometimes a surling takes on some physical traits on his or her sire" Shera explained.

"Well…my eyes were blue and my hair was black…what color are they now? Did they change?" Gabriel asked curiously. Thresh and Shera got a perplexed look on their faces.

"There…exactly the same" Shera said. "That almost never happens" she added.

Gabriel sunk into his seat. "That doesn't make me…a freak does it?" he asked. Shera giggled.

"No no" she said moving her hair from her face. "It's just..uncommon is all" she said.

"I wonder what's keeping David" Thresh said looking towards the door.

Just then the French doors opened and David walked in. Gabriel caught a small glimpse of sun light; it burned his eyes, being in darkness so long. He also realized, that it was the last time he would ever be able to view the sunlight. That image alone, would be vividly stuck with him for the rest of his life.

"What took so long" Gabriel asked. David seemed out of breath; he waited a minute or two before answering.

"Had to get your things" David said laying Gabriel's duffle bag in his lap.

"Racing the sun…I forgotten how fun it is" he said sarcastically as he removed his coat hanging it on a coat rack.

Shera stretched, then slipped off her coat laying it in Thresh's lap. "Well. We should all get some sleep"

Thresh looked down at her coat, then at her. "What am I?" Thresh said getting up hanging it on the coat rack.

Shera smiled sweetly and stood. "Thresh why don't you be a dear and show our guest to his room?" she said.  Gabriel looked around at them.

"Are you sure there's room?" Gabriel asked. "I don't want to cause any problems"

Shera waved her hand dismissively.

"There's plenty of room" she said taking his arm gently, helping him stand. "Now, you go with Thresh and I'll see you in the morning" she said sweetly as she headed towards the staircase.

Thresh's eyes followed her as she went. He sighed heavily and looked back at Gabriel picking up his duffle bag.
"Follow me" he said heading towards the same winding stair case Shera had went up.

The staircase was a winding metal staircase that led to the second floor of the building. The first floors hallways were decked out in paintings and exotic plants. The smell coming from them was heavenly. Gabriel was reminded of his mothers flower garden that she tended too with the same care and devotion she would a child. The paintings were of various houses and villas, along with flower gardens and some ancient statues on lake beds.

"Did David paint all of these?" Gabriel asked. Thresh shrugged.

"I think he did some of them. He used to paint, but not so much anymore" he said leading him down the hall way.

The carpet beneath their feet was soft and plush and was very detailed with different shades of reds and blues.  The chandeliers that hung from the ceiling were brightly lit and had beautiful crystals hanging from them. Gabriel came across one picture of what looked like David and a young boy.

"Is that David?" Gabriel asked. Thresh nodded. "Who's the boy in the picture?" he asked.

Thresh reached Gabriel's new room and set his bag down taking out a key. "That's Michael. He was David's son" he said unlocking the door walking in. Gabriel followed.

"Is his son here too?" Gabriel asked, his voice trailed off  as he saw the beauty of his new room. His room, to his surprise, had a bit of an Italian decor to it. There were paintings of the Venice Canals and the Villas and bridges that bordered them. He had a full sized bed that was made up with satin sheets that felt so soft to the touch. He had two floor lamps, one by a big plush reading chair.

"Well? You like it?" Thresh asked tossing the duffle bag on his bed. Gabriel nodded.

"Its beautiful here" Gabriel said walking further into his new room.  

Thresh smiled. "You have your own bathroom, your own terrace, a walk in closet. All the amenities of home" he said crossing his arms.

Gabriel found the door to the bathroom and gasped at its majesty. There were cream colored Italian tiles, similar to the kind his parent's house had. The tiles had a brown crack design in them. The sink was made from a cream colored porcelain and he had Egyptian cotton hand towels and bath towels.

"When we have some time we'll go bring over more of your stuff" Thresh said as Gabriel walked from the bathroom, looking almost eager to see the terrace but remembered the sun was out.

"I don't have a lot of things" Gabriel said. "It's no trouble, I can get it" he said. Thresh lifted an eyebrow.

"Well, fledgling, you can't exactly go running around traveling without someone going with you. Other Vampires can sense you're a fledgling and will try to attack you…it's a silly attempt at trying to establish dominance. So for the time being, for your own safety, you need to be with one of us at all times" Thresh explained.

Gabriel nodded walking to the closet, which was huge too. He sighed, almost contently and closed the doors walking to his bed.

"Where's your room?" Gabriel asked. Thresh headed towards the door.

"I'm one room over to the right. Shera is one room over to the left. David is the master bedroom at the end of the hall to the right." He said gesturing with one hand; the other grabbed the door handle.

"Now, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. And I do mean anything" Thresh said. "It'll take some time getting used too, but it won't be so bad. I promise" he said with a warm smile.
"Now you get some sleep" he added.

Gabriel nodded. "Ok" he said starting to untie his shoes.

Thresh closed the door and left Gabriel alone. Gabriel took his shoes and put them in his massive closet.
"I'm going to have so much space. I really don't have that many clothes" he said scratching the back of his head going back over to his bed. He took his duffle bag and emptied out what Thresh and Shera had brought for him. They grabbed pretty much all he had in his closet. Some of his personal items were in there too. He folded all of his shirts and walked over to a dresser and placed them neatly inside. He put his hair brush and toothbrush with toothpaste in the bathroom. He wondered if Vampires even brushed their teeth. He shrugged it off, deciding not to worry about it. He changed out of his clothes and into some sleepwear that he noticed was left for him in the bathroom with a little note that read 'Welcome'
'They seem like nice people' Gabriel said to himself as he buttoned up the shirt of his new pajamas. He walked over to his new bed and sat down, swinging his legs around so he lay down. He looked around and found a light switch that turned off the night table lamp. He snuggled into the soft plush sheets and, just for a moment, felt like he was back home. He was half expecting his father to open his bedroom door and wish him goodnight. His face saddened at the thought; he turned over on his side, cuddling up to one of the big, soft pillows clutching it tightly. It was very quiet here. He was too used to the sounds of the orphanage; children constantly running around; playing and laughing. He now missed the sound of the dorm mother telling the children it was lights out and the children complaining about it. He closed his eyes suddenly feeling very sleepy. He yawned.

"Buona notte, padre, madre… Aeva"


-Chapter 1: Fin-

Author's Note

"il caro dio…lasciala prego essere sicura is Italian for "Dear God, Please let her be safe"
And
"Buona notte, padre, madre… Aeva" is Italian for "Goodnight Father, Mother…Aeva"

I used a translation service for the translations. I do not speak Italian and I have no Italian speaking friends to review the translations. If you speak the language, and see they are wrong, please feel free to contact me with the correct translation. Thank you.