Sacrum - 4. Chapter 4: Friend or Foe?

4. Friend or Foe?

I buried the book deep in my backpack, feeling as if I was going to get caught red handed at any moment. I couldn’t read it at the library, I needed privacy. I practically sprinted back to my room, slamming the door shut behind me before locking it with a resounding click.

My hands shook as I unzipped the bag and pulled the book back out, sinking into my desk chair. What things would I learn about myself from the manual? The book, now liberated, felt heavy with anticipation. What secrets did this manual hold about me? Would the revelations shock me to my core, or merely surprise? With a mix of apprehension and morbid curiosity, I cracked it open.

Seventeen years ago, after the fall of the Carandini family, the newly formed government began to slowly rebuild trust with the humankind. The governing body, made up of ten vampires hailed as the wisest throughout the vampire world, put in place various mechanisms and laws to ensure that a tyrannical ruler would never again come to power. Many famous vampires were tasked with creating programs that would ensure equality between the human and vampire world, and that would help suppress any potential bad seeds if they tried to overtake the free government.

Vinicius Antonius Valentini was one of them. I reread the name again and with great sorrow realized that I had never asked Vinicius to tell me his full name. How did I know so much about him, without knowing almost nothing at all? I kept on reading. Vinicius had grown up as a human and had been a famous scientist in his time. He continued his studies after his transformation — which was involuntary, the manual noted. He contributed to bringing vampires out of the shadows and modernizing their way of life. He invented the procedure which allowed female vampires to become pregnant and give birth to the dead — vampire children. Because of his huge scientific breakthroughs, he was chosen as the head of the Specials program, tasked with creating a handful of secret vampire weapons — one of them being me.

He was the one who helped to infuse them with unique gifts — chosen by their distinct mentor — that would be used if there ever was the need for them. I stared at the list with disbelief. There it was, right in front of my eyes. I read it out to myself.

Mentor # 1 was Francesca Normani from France. Her Special was named Antoine Debesse. His gift: the power of psychokinesis. I gasped, just looking at this information felt completely illegal.

Mentor # 2 was Rebecca De Rossi from Italy. Her Special was named Maurizia Tocci. Her gift: the power to heal.

Mentor # 3 Aurori Altieri, currently residing in Austria. His Special was named Luciana Elise. Her gift: the power to incinerate.

A fresh gasp escaped me as I recognized Mentor #4. It was none other than my new teacher, Maratoni. His chosen Special, Demetrius Algano, sent shivers down my spine. His gift: the power to cause pain. Of course, I thought to myself. It felt like a sinister reflection of Maratoni himself, solidifying my unease about his true nature.

My eyes moved over to the last name on the mentor list, the founder of the program. Mentor # 5 Vinicius Antonius Valentini from America. I read my full name out loud. Daniele Aleksander Marchesi. Our last names were given to us based off of famous vampires who had contributed to forging the peace between the vampires and humans. Then my eyes rested on my gift: energy transformation.

I had held great resentment against Vinicius for a long time for bestowing me such a gift. As a small boy, I felt slighted that out of all the cool things he could have chosen, he picked something so seemingly useless. I could have had the power of invisibility, or shooting daggers out of my hands, anything but this power to manipulate energy, which I could barely understand, much less control.

One instance burned particularly bright in my memory. I'd whined, yet again, about the fickleness of my gift, years of practice seemingly in vain. Vinicius, ever patient, offered, "It will take time." Patience was a foreign concept to my younger self.

“It’s pointless! It doesn’t work. What’s even the use? I won’t be able to help anyone when the time comes,” I replied bitterly. Vinicius regarded me for a while.

"Dani," he said gently, “You don’t need a special gift to help others. You just need the will.”

I plowed through the text, furiously scribbling notes for my essay. Things Vinicius was at liberty to have shared with me but hadn’t. Things that would get Maratoni off my back.

A sharp rap on the door sent my head snapping up. Shoving the book into my bag, panic clawed at my throat. Had someone discovered my secret?

Relief washed over me as I recognized Vincent's face. Ushering him inside, I slammed the door and hissed, "What the hell is that doing here? And why did you give it to me?" My mind reeled with a hundred unspoken questions.

He met my frantic gaze with a nonchalant shrug. “Never mind how I got it. And I gave it to you because it seems like you could use it, especially with Maratoni breathing down your neck.”

My voice hitched. “You know what would happen if someone found out you had this?”

"Then let's keep it a secret, shall we?" he said smirking, as if he was amused by my panic. He leaned closer, his amusement palpable. A long, slender finger brushed a stray hair from my cheek, and I found myself frozen, captivated by his touch.

His touch lingered for a beat too long, then his lips met mine in a spark that jolted us both apart. We stared, wide-eyed, at the sudden intensity crackling between us. Like a shock to the system.

"Whoa," he breathed, a mix of surprise and something else flickering in his gaze.

"Yeah," I echoed.

He moved back towards me, slow and deliberate. Cupping my face in his hands, he offered a hesitant smile. "My little transformer," he murmured, the endearment causing me to look down, embarrassed.

“I can’t believe you know,” I mumbled.

He took my hand, leading me gently towards the bed where we lay facing each other. Logic screamed at me, reminding me of the secrecy, the danger. Yet, somewhere along the way, I'd placed a silent trust in Vincent, a reckless gamble against my better judgment.

A comforting silence settled between us as he stroked my hair. "I don’t have a lot of control over it, Maratoni says I’m behind all the other Specials," I confessed, the words tumbling out in a rush.

"That's natural," he soothed. "Yours is one of the most challenging powers to master."

"Really?" I perked up, surprised. He gave a reassuring nod. "That and the power to heal... they tap deeply into a Special's own reserves. You're not just projecting outward, you're transforming energy within yourself. It’s a capricious process."

No one had ever explained it like that before. Suddenly, it seemed less like a burden and more like a complex skill waiting to be unlocked.

Unable to resist the pull any longer, I leaned in, closing the distance between us. He met me halfway, a smile playing on his lips. The kiss was electric, sending shivers down my spine. I pulled away quickly, breathless.

He chuckled playfully. “We have to pace ourselves. I don’t want you to pass out on me again,” he said.

"Seriously though," I said, trying to shift gears, "how did you get that book?"

His smile faltered, replaced by a flicker of frustration. "Dani," he began, "there are some things I can't tell you yet."

My frustration mirrored his. "Why? You seem to know everything about me."

He sighed, his eyes pleading. "I don’t want to lie to you, so please don’t force me to," he replied. "Consider the book a gesture of good faith. And don’t make it too obvious in your paper that you have new information, Maratoni will know, he’s not stupid.”

I reached out, tracing the outline of his jaw with my thumb, trying to soothe his worry. "What have I gotten myself into?" I whispered, a mix of fear and excitement swirling in my gut.

He smirked, his features softening. "It's just the beginning," he murmured, and before I could respond, he drew me in for another heart-stopping kiss, momentarily chasing away all my doubts.