Please point out the distracting mistakes!

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6.

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I tried not to let my nervousness show as we entered the Headquarters. Sure, we weren’t walking in the main entrance, but it was still an unfamiliar place. It was nicer than any house….or office, or whatever…I’d ever been in.

I have seen nicer places than this. 

In that black hellhole you come from? I doubt it, I retorted.

A mere human could never see my world the way I see it. She sniffed disdainfully.

Maybe you should go back there, if you appreciate it so much.

Why would I do that, when there is so much life here? Now get over this pathetic emotion you’re feeling. They can probably smell it.

I internally sighed with resignation. My dark passenger was going nowhere soon.

“This is the lounge, more or less,” Kaz remarked, and I was brought to attention, glancing around me. The room was very large, big surprise there. Several bookshelves stood along one wall, and I made a mental note to come back here and see what books they had. On the other side of the room sat a few plush couches surrounding a fireplace. In the middle of the room, to my surprise, was a pool table. For a house full of vampires that spent their time….well, hunting other vampires, for a start….it was incredibly normal.

There were no others in the room, and the curtains were closed. We walked up a few steps and into the next room, which looked like an office. As we exited the office, however, I stopped in my tracks.

The next room was enormous. I got the impression that it was once a few rooms, but the walls were knocked down to make it open. Several tables were scattered across the room, and I guessed it was some sort of cafeteria or mess hall. There were windows all along one wall, but naturally, the curtains were all closed. The room was also empty at the moment. In the nearest corner sat a bar, relatively small for how big the room was. Bottles of alcohol were stacked behind it, catching me off guard. I would have expected gallons of blood, maybe, but could vampires even drink alcohol?

Along another wall stretched a long, low countertop area where I assumed the food was distributed…..that is, if vampires even ate food. Why would vampires need a cafeteria anyway? Maybe to distribute the blood? The thought made me nervous, but also made my stomach stir in a not-quite-so-unpleasant way. I opened my mouth to ask, but an unfamiliar voice spoke up.

“Kaz, Adam! Good to see you made it back in one piece!”

I quickly—much more quickly than I was used to, in fact—turned to face the newcomer. He was very tall, and very skinny, with a mop of brownish-red hair and warm brown eyes. Cute, in a cheek-pinching sort of way. He had the faintest hint of a southern accent.

Even so, the graceful way he strode towards us, and the unnerving intensity of his stare as his gaze flicked towards me, indicated that he was a vampire. It was much easier to pick up on now, or maybe it was because I already knew everyone here was not human.

“Zack. Hey.” Adam greeted, and I was surprised to hear that he actually sounded friendly. The two shook hands, and then Kaz greeted Zack with a half-smile and a nod. “You’re up late,” Kaz remarked. I realized that “late” for them must mean morning, seeing as how they probably got up in the evening. 

Zack stepped to the side, then, giving me a quick survey. “Didn’t want to miss the new recruit. Fresh from the grave, huh?” He tossed a look at the other guys. “Well you could’ve at least let her bring a change of clothes after crawling out.” Kaz just shrugged.

He gave me a sloppy grin, displaying a set of dimples. “I’m Zack.” He extended one hand and I warily took it, making sure to give a firm handshake. I knew there was dirt smeared on my face and clothing; not the best first impression, but what else could I do about it?

“Lucy.” As was customary, I felt a prickle of unease and all-around awkwardness when speaking to the opposite sex. It wasn’t as intense as before, though. I wondered if this Spirit was the reason for my newfound bravery.

“Nice to meet you, Lucy.” His brows pulled together in a split second of confusion. “Hmm. Who is your Spirit, if you don’t mind me asking?”

I wondered if that was a normal question for vampires to ask each other. Adam had stiffened and Kaz said nothing, so I wasn’t sure how to respond.

“Uh…I don’t know yet. She won’t tell me.” I shifted a bit nervously. 

“I don’t mean to seem rude. Abrach is just acting strange. It’s as if he recognizes her, but he doesn’t seem to know her name, either. Or he knows but he won’t tell me.”

“Abrach?” I echoed, feeling out of the loop.

“Sorry, I forget you’re new to this. Abrach is my Spirit.”

“Oh,” I responded hollowly, having no clue what to say to that. Were we supposed to introduce our Spirits? Kaz and Adam hadn’t.

Also, why couldn’t I be less awkward in conversations?

This Abrach knows me, but I do not know him, nor should I be expected to affiliate with those of his rank.

His rank? I asked, not even addressing the first part of her comment. To my frustration, she refused to say more.

I sighed heavily, realizing Zack was staring at me shrewdly. I wondered if he could guess at what was going on in my mind. Hopefully not; my Spirit may be rude and condescending, but I didn’t want to give off that impression. “Sorry, she’s very frustrating. She won’t tell me anything.”

Zack’s face relaxed into a smile. “Don’t worry about it. It takes some time to get used to them.” He turned and began speaking to Adam, and I took the chance to ask Kaz a question. It was surprisingly easy to address him now, considering how nervous I’d been when I first saw them in my hospital room. 

“This looks like a cafeteria,” I remarked. “But do vampires really need one?”

He shrugged. “It’s also used for announcements, social gatherings, that type of stuff. But the blood is distributed here twice a day, and food once a day. You don’t need human food to survive. But trust me, when all you can drink is animal blood, you’ll want to taste something else. You can only eat small portions of human food, but it breaks up the monotony.”

“Who works the kitchen?” I glanced around, seeing a small doorway beyond the low countertop. I didn’t want to address the “blood” subject just yet.

“We do. We trade off because it’s too risky to bring in outsiders. You’re a new recruit, so you’ll probably end up working here once every other week. Adam only has to work once a month.”

I was interested. I couldn’t help myself. Adam was still talking with Zack, but I lowered my voice to a near-whisper. “How long has Adam been here?” Unless he became a vampire as a child, he didn’t look old enough to have been here more than a few years if he was recruited around the same age as me. For all I knew, though, he could’ve been taken in as a baby.

To my surprise, Kaz’s expression instantly became closed off. I wasn’t sure why, but I got the impression that this was a taboo topic. “You’ll have to ask him that yourself.”

Yet another deflection, she muttered. For once, I agreed with the Spirit.

I pursed my lips, the curiosity gnawing at me, but I knew better than to push. “So what do you do all day?” I recalled some of his words from earlier. “Work? Train?”

Kaz nodded once, sharply. “Mostly training, yeah. But you’ll learn more about that tomorrow.”

“Now what?”

“Now, we go to bed,” Adam broke in. Zack, with a little wave towards me, walked off towards the office. 

“Vampires sleep?”

“If you want to be in peak physical condition. We don’t need it to stay alive, but it keeps us sharp,” It was Kaz that answered.

“No coffins, I’m assuming?” I asked. I was mostly joking…but you never knew.

“Yet another thing humans came up with,” Adam replied. “Pretty lame, too. They could’ve thought up something better.”

“What’s creepier than a coffin? Corpses go in them!”

He looked back at me, raising an eyebrow. “Really? And all this time I thought they were used for food storage,” he bit back sarcastically. 

I narrowed my eyes and irritation pricked under my skin. Everything about his demeanor was infuriating. Kaz cleared his throat, trying to cut the tension before I could say something spiteful right back. Adam certainly got under my skin, and I hated it.

You two could ease some tension together, the Spirit said silkily. I bit my lip, feeling a hot blush threatening to rise.

 Will you please just drop the subject?

Well, since you said please…

I blinked, pleasantly surprised. Really?

No. 

I scowled. There was a glimmer of understanding in Kaz’s eyes and I realized he was watching me. “Internal battle?”

“How did you guess?”

“It happens to a lot of vampires in the beginning. Some Spirits are snarkier than others.”

“I think my Spirit is the snarkiest of all,” I muttered under my breath, knowing he could still hear me.

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“Ready to meet your roommate?” Kaz asked once we’d exited the mess hall, traveled through a very impressive entryway, and made our way up a glossy spiral staircase. We had only come across a couple other vampires and I hadn’t been introduced. Not many were up at this hour of the morning, it seemed. Adam had remained silent as Kaz mentioned brief facts about the Headquarters, save for a sarcastic comment here and there. Typical.

I turned to Kaz, surprised. “Roommate?” That was the first I’d heard of it. I felt a brief moment of unease. I wasn’t quite ready to share a room with a vampire yet—even if I was one. It still felt surreal.

He must have correctly read my expression, for his own softened. “Gabby is one of the nicest vampires here. You two will get along fine.”

Adam made a derisive noise, and I scowled at him. Anyone had to be better than Adam as a roommate, I figured.

I do not understand why I have to share a room with another weak, fleshy human. Is sharing a body not enough?

You aren’t SHARING this body with me. It’s mine. You’re just a pest that won’t leave.

You are extremely ungrateful, considering that I am the one keeping your frail form alive.

I was caught off guard, and had nothing to say in response. She was right….she was keeping me alive, in some form or fashion. As annoying as the Spirit was, she did make me stronger.

Good. Maybe now you will keep your spiteful comments to yourself.

Only if you stop pushing those sexual images into my brain, I retorted.

I have to keep myself occupied, do I not?

“I hope she’s nicer than the Spirit,” I muttered aloud, as we arrived at a door numbered “30.” It was near the very end of the plush, carpeted hall on the second floor. I idly wondered how many rooms there were.

“Don’t worry,” Kaz responded, before raising his fist and knocking once, twice. I hoped we weren’t waking Gabby up.

Seconds later, the wooden door swung open to reveal a girl that looked about my age. She was very pretty, with smooth, dark skin and long, thick black hair. Her eyes were a very deep chocolate color and framed by lashes that made me quite envious. After her eyes flickered over Adam and Kaz, they fell on me. She smiled then, revealing a set of pearly whites. To my relief, her smile seemed warm and sincere.

“You must be Lucy!” She exclaimed. “I’m Gabby.”

“Nice to meet you,” I replied politely. 

“I’m sure you’re ready to get away from these two,” she said, but there was a teasing note in her voice. Kaz shook his head, but I saw amusement on his face.

“We’re going to start training her tomorrow evening,” Kaz stated.

Her forehead wrinkled and she looked perplexed. “So soon?”

“She has a lot of work to do. I doubt she can even throw a punch,” Adam muttered. Gabby’s eyes shifted to him, and narrowed slightly.

“I hope you’re being patient with her, Adam. She’s new.”

I snorted aloud, unable to help myself. Adam? Patient?

That seemed to give Gabby her answer, for she placed her hands on her hips. The gesture almost looked motherly—not vampire-like at all. “Really? You’re already making a bad impression on her?”

Adam’s eyes slid over me, briefly, like an icy shadow. “She should be more grateful. I’m the one that Turned her in the first place.”

Even as he said it, I felt a little tingle from where he bit me. The Spirit seemed faintly amused.

For some reason, this caught Gabby completely off guard, and her dark eyes widened. “Wait…really? I thought you were bringing Zack with you to-”

“Well, we didn’t,” Adam replied shortly.

“But you said you didn’t want-”

“I changed my mind, obviously.” Yet again, a very closed off answer. Gabby huffed with exasperation, but didn’t push it. I could tell she would eventually bring it up again, though. She was one of those people with a face like an open book, and her curiosity was not sated.

“Well, anyway, come in!” She gestured towards me and stepped aside so I could enter the room.

I walked forwards, but hesitated and turned back towards the other two. “Uh….thank you, guys. For everything.” I still wasn’t sure what I had gotten myself into, but my father had raised me to have good manners. Most of the time. Besides, whatever had happened, my sickness was gone.  I may have been looking at Kaz as I spoke, but I was thanking both of them.

Adam, after all, was the one that had Turned me, and the way Gabby acted indicated that it was a big deal. I just couldn’t bring myself to make eye contact with him for more than a second. He still made me uneasy, and it wasn’t just the attractiveness.

Kaz gave me a half-smile, while Adam nodded once in my direction, before they turned to leave.

For some reason, I had to swallow my disappointment. What was wrong with me?

You just need to-

Don’t go there. Just….don’t. I cut the Spirit off before she could take me in the wrong direction. Again.

Gabby shut the door, then turned to face me. “I’m glad you’re here now. I was one of the only ones without a roommate. What do you think?” She broadly indicated the room.

It was bigger than my bedroom at home. There were two twin beds, one on each wall, and still enough room for a loveseat positioned in front of a large, flat-screen TV. A thick, plush rug covered the floor. There were two sets of sliding doors on one wall, and I assumed they opened to reveal closets. Pictures of Gabby, her friends, and family took up every inch of both dressers and the nightstand.

“Oh! I’ll move those, don’t worry,” she quickly said.

“You don’t have to,” I replied, not wanting to impose.

She tossed me a wry half-smile. “I’m not going to be that roommate. I’m sure you had enough roomie problems in college.”

I smiled, remembering my freshman roommate, although Gabby didn’t know I’d only been through one semester of college. Something must have shown on my face, though, for she immediately looked apologetic.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t think! I forget that everyone comes here at a different time.”

I waved her off. “Don’t worry about it. Really.”

Seemingly eager to change the subject, she indicated the near side of the room. “That bed, dresser, and nightstand are all yours. You’ll get to visit your family soon to get your stuff. For now, there should be a few things in the dresser that may fit you.” She gave me the once over. “You’re a bit taller, but my boobs are bigger, so it should be fine.” I smiled despite myself.

“Oh yeah! I’m sure you noticed, but there’s a bathroom across the hall, and two others further down. There are about eight of us to a bathroom, but don’t worry. They renovated it so there are multiple showers and toilets.”

“Thanks, Gabby.” It was nice to see someone that was normal...not overly serious like Kaz, or a big asshole like Adam.

“Anytime.” She leaned against the wall nearby, cocking her head slightly. “I’m sorry, I know we just met but I have to ask….Adam really Turned you?”

Why was my neck tingling? “Er…yeah.”

Her eyes glimmered with something I couldn’t decipher. “Interesting. You’re his first.”

This caught my attention. “Really? He hasn’t…Turned anyone before?”

“He always acted like he didn’t want to. It can be a lot of responsibility. If you screw up, he has to take the credit.”

I frowned. “Hmmm. Maybe Kaz talked him into it.”

“Maybe,” Gabby replied, but she didn’t look convinced. I could practically see the gears in her head turning as she tried to figure it out. Even the Spirit was interested.

I, too, was curious. It seemed there was a lot more to Adam that I’d initially realized. Why did he decide to Turn me?

The question still plagued my thoughts half an hour later, when Gabby crawled in bed and I grabbed some nondescript clothing from the dresser and a towel. I needed to shower; I’d been trying not to think about it, but I was still caked with dried dirt and I felt absolutely disgusting. It was a good thing I’d never been overly self-conscious about my appearance.

Luckily, nobody else was in the bathroom. I blinked, a bit startled as I caught my own gaze in the mirror. I looked pale; then again, I’d always been pale, but was I just imagining my slightly creamier complexion? How could a Spirit even alter my physical appearance?

I knew for certain that there was something different in my eyes. They were still the same shade of brown, but burned with a new intensity, different from before. It was a bit unnerving. I looked ever-so-slightly unnatural, like Adam and Kaz. I doubted that the average human would be perceptive enough to notice it, though.

Slowly, my gaze slid to the bite mark on the side of my neck. It was already fading. I brought my fingers up and brushed them against the wound. The resulting tingle made me shudder, and I quickly hurried into the shower.

After I’d taken a hot shower (Gabby had told me I could use her labeled shower caddy), making sure to wash my hair several times, I climbed into bed wearing Gabby’s t-shirt and gym shorts. 

My mind was a whirlwind, but it kept coming back to two things: my family, and the reason Adam had Turned me. As I pulled the covers up, I was worried that I’d never be able to sleep.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to ponder long. I may have been mentally exhausted, or maybe my body was used to needing sleep, but I soon drifted into dreamland, vampire or not.

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A/N:

The next chapter should be up tomorrow afternoon. I’d love to get some wonderful comments on this chapter like I did last chapter!

What do you guys think will happen next?

Pic is of Gabby.