Talisman 01 - The Emerald Talisman

letting out a loud humph, and he laughed. Life with Nicholas was certainly proving itself interesting.
    “I was wondering,” I began as I popped a grape into my mouth. “Where do vampires come from anyway? I mean, they started somehow, right?”
    “I knew this question was coming,” he remarked, taking the last bite of his sandwich.
    “You don’t want to tell me?”
    “No, it’s not that. It’s just . . . involved.”
    “I’ve got all day; I think. Well, until sunset, right?”
    I laughed generously, but hoped he caught my slip. I wanted to spend at least until then together.
    “Very funny,” he said with a surly look.
    “Please, I want to know.”
    He took a deep breath. “From what my father told me, it’s believed it all started back with Cain. You know, Adam and Eve?”
    “Yes.” I couldn’t believe a vampire was giving me a Sunday school lesson on the Bible, of all things.
    “Well, because of Cain’s jealousy of his brother Abel, he murdered him. So God put a curse on Cain, marking him to be a wanderer his entire earthly life.
    “Legend tells us, the serpent who tempted Eve took advantage of Cain’s situation. He offered Cain immortality in exchange for his soul. Cain, who underestimated the value of a soul, agreed readily thinking this deal would put him on the same level as God. When the serpent bit Cain, the venom transformed him into half-man half-snake and he became immortal.
    “A vampire’s immortality can be perceived to be a pretty gifted life. To come and go as you please, to be incredibly strong and have no limits, to be alluring and beautiful forever, but most importantly to not have a conscience against what you do for sport; killing humans without a thought. It’s a downright evil lifestyle, just as the serpent wanted, with a few drawbacks of course; the Achilles’ heel being the sun and wooden stakes to the heart.
    “The first person he sired was an accident. When Andronicus Vampiro didn’t die from Cain’s bite, it gave Cain a new weapon in his fight against God. He could make an army of soul stealers all loyal to their Father, their King. But the serpent gave Cain only so much power and after each vampire was sired, Cain found he’d become weaker.
    “But after some of the new offspring didn’t survive, the power returned. It was easy for Cain to enforce a decree that the coveted vampire life be given only to those chosen because all of them are selfish, little, power-hungry, bloodsucking . . .” Nicholas’ nostrils flared and anger tripled. “Sorry, I shouldn’t talk like that.”
    “It’s okay,” I said with a blush.
    “So the Royal families keep tight reigns on all their kin, only allowing the youngest to wander. They also don’t kill their own kind because if you killed someone in your lifeline by mistake, it would be over for you as well. Like the thread of their life-force severs.
    “So, you can imagine my reputation. Since vampires don’t kill each other, they have no natural predators, except me. And I kill indiscriminately and don’t leave any witnesses. They don’t know who or what I am.
    “You’d think, since they know where I’m physically located, they’d send their smartest and strongest after me. But they never do, proving that they’re nothing but a bunch of power-hungry cowards who feed off the weak and strive to be important amongst themselves. Funny thing is they don’t even need human blood to survive—it’s more an addiction than anything.
    “But this has created my lifelong dilemma. I know how to stop them permanently, but it would kill my father and possibly me in the process. Maybe one day I will, but all I want to do right now is protect you and not worry about the rest. And that has proven to be a challenge, for you’re the biggest vampire magnet I’ve ever encountered in my life.”
    I forced out a fake chuckle at the remark, but became overwhelmed with the thought of something bad ever happening to Nicholas. I could never bear it. But then the psychic’s prediction rang through my head.
    The innocent that saves us all from them.
    Remembering her words sent a chill down my spine and I felt the blood drain from my cheeks . Nicholas responded to my horror-struck expression and stared back with a face full of concern.
    “You okay?” he asked.
    My mouth went dry. What could possibly happen that would possess me to go after Cain? Maybe if I were a vampire I’d be able to fight them, but even then I wouldn’t want