A Different Silas

"If it isn't the devil himself," Deric said, his eyes glazing over in the way they normally did when he was prepared to attack. I had seen it before, back in the club when he had almost bitten me. I could see that he was bracing himself to intervene if something went wrong. Fear sat heavily inside me; if Deric was this alert about Silas, then something must be very wrong.

"I asked you a question," Silas said, narrowing his eyes at the other vampire. "What are you doing here?"

"Searching for any humans that might have been left behind. We still need them, all of them."

"You know very well that there are no humans left behind. Your father was in charge of that aspect. But I did notice your absence; it makes me curious where you’ve been—or why you reek of human."

"Where I was is none of your business. How I smell isn't either. Go help your father with that pretty mansion you're setting up in Fayette."

Silas smiled, his sharp fangs evident. This was one of the few times I had ever seen his teeth; he always hid them around me, as though not seeing them would make me forget he was a vampire. But here was Silas displaying them proudly, and they looked sharper than before. One bite from him could easily pierce the skin. The thought made me curl up into myself in fear.

There was something different about my stepbrother. He seemed colder, more dangerous. It was hard to believe I had seen him just hours ago when he’d been nothing but kind. What could have happened to make him change so drastically?

"You know, all other vampires are moving back to Fayette. The werewolves and other supernaturals can stay behind, and the humans will come with us—every single one of them."

"What are you getting at?"

"My point is that I don’t see why you’re hiding one of them." Silas’s eyes turned toward the closet I was hiding in, like he could see me through the door. "Why hide, little human?"

"That's none of your fucking business," Deric growled. "She’s mine, and you have no right to touch her. Now get lost before I make you."

"You’re so pathetic. I never thought you’d protect a human. I’m taking her with me."

"You will not lay a hand on her."

I could feel the tension between them. At any moment, a fight would break out, and I didn’t want either of them to get hurt because of me. The only way to stop it was to show myself. Silas would recognize me—he had to.

Taking a deep breath, I shuffled to my feet and pushed the closet door open.

"Stop."

Both vampires turned their glares away from each other to look at me.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Kerry? I told you to stay put, dammit!"

"I can’t just sit around and let you fight. Besides... I think he’ll remember me. He has to."

I stepped forward, gazing at my stepbrother with hope. There was no way Silas didn’t know who I was.

"S...Silas, I... I know you don’t remember me, but we’re very close. You’ve always protected me for as long as I can remember. I want to protect you, too."

Silas raised a brow, his lips twisting into an amused grin. "Pathetic human."

I gasped as he moved faster than I could see. His hand wrapped tightly around my neck, suffocating me. I struggled, desperately trying to catch my breath.

"I don’t know who the fuck you are."

"Get your hands off her, dimwit!"

A loud crash echoed through the room as Deric's kick sent Silas smashing into a nearby table. Deric turned to me, shoving me toward the window.

"Get out of here! Keep running until I find you."

"You fell for a human? That’s so unlike you, Deric."

"Oh, I’m not the one who fell."

"Don’t you remember? You and I used to hunt them. It was fun, wasn’t it? You used to say how delicious human blood was—sweeter when we struck fear into their hearts. How could you let yourself fall for our food? Our prey?"

Silas rose from the floor. Despite his disheveled appearance, he bore no injuries. My body shook as I edged closer to the window, moving slowly to avoid drawing attention.

"That was centuries ago," Deric said. "Things are different now."

"You wish." Silas sneered. "Just because you fancy this human doesn’t mean her fate will be any different from the others. She’s nothing more than a feeder!"

"If you hurt her, you’ll regret it more than I will."

"Don’t talk nonsense. Let’s finish this!"

The two clashed like gladiators in an arena. Growls and the sound of claws tearing into flesh filled the air. Blood scented the room. I couldn’t keep up with their movements; they were too fast. Knowing this was my only chance to escape, I slid out the window.

The house was two stories tall, but there was a tree beside the window. I had used it countless times before to sneak out. Memories of Silas fetching me after those nights flashed through my mind. Tears blurred my vision as I ran down the empty streets. The brother who had cared so much for me now saw me as nothing more than food.

Hearing footsteps behind me, I froze. A hand grabbed me and slammed me to the ground. Silas loomed over me, his face bloodied and his eyes glowing a deep, terrifying red.

"Shut the fuck up!" he snarled. "If Deric wanted to keep you, he should have turned you himself."

"S...Silas," I choked out. "D...don’t you r...remember me? It’s Kerry. Please, you have to remember!"

"Shh." His cold finger pressed against my lips. "I’ll do you and Deric a favor. Since he’s incapable of turning you, I’ll do it myself."

His hand gripped my throat, pulling me upright. As he leaned in, fear paralyzed me. His tongue darted out, licking my neck, and his teeth brushed my skin.

"Ahhh!" I screamed as his fangs sank into me. The pain was excruciating, and my body convulsed as he drained my blood. My heartbeat thundered in my ears until my vision began to fade.

When Silas finally pulled away, blood stained his lips. He looked at me with disgust.

"You should have turned by now. Guess you’re too useless for even that. Whatever. I’ll leave you here to die peacefully."

He stood, wiped his mouth, and walked away. His footsteps faded into the distance. Weak and barely conscious, I heard Deric's panicked voice calling my name.

Then everything went dark.