Relaxing by the Poolside

Leahandra sat beneath the water and thought about the night she had been turned. About the look on William's face before he realised it was her that he was drinking from. He may have been a vampire, but she loved him, still loves him but she had ran away from him. Now she had a friend that apparantly had a death wish and she had no one to turn to. She began to think about other places she could go. She could just up and leave the following night.

Vladen rip's a strip of T-shirt off and wrap's it around his palm. What had he done? He had upset Leahandra and forced her hand.

He was a fool..had she meant what she said..Had he hunted those he loved..Was he truely an animal.

Hissing in frustration, Leahandra turned and dived into the pool, making sure she sank to the bottom. When she did, she sat on the floor of the pool and crossed her legs, staring blankly at the pool wall. She didnt intent on resurfacing for a while and hoped no one else wanted to swim that night.

Vladen's shoulder stiffened visibly and he drew himself up to his full height. Slowly and deliberatly he look's over his shoulder at Leahandra. A Single tear running down his cheek as he speak's softly.

"Hunt how you want Leah..I will see you in class"

Vladen turn's and slowly moves away from her. His step measured and deliberate.

''I am not lying to myself. I left transylvania for two months, I fed from animals all that time. It made me violently ill, it left me weak. I stayed in another town just after that, drinking blood from the bank. My hunger was never satisfied. Now stop being a martyr and let me hunt how I want. It isn't that when you hunt the people you supposedly love!" Leahandra smacked her hand to her mouth as soon as the words rolled off of her tongue. She couldn't believe what she had just said to her friend. She wouldn't have been surprised if he now turned on her

" Your lieing to yourself Leahandra..you can beat this if you let yourself..you don't want to because you think it link's you to him..William.."

Vladen say's softly, in an almost defeated tone. His mind was so full of Rhiane. Why had he done this..could he truely help Leahandra..Would he let him?

''Well I am sorry that Rhaine is dead, but this is how I hunt. Don't you think I have tried other ways? Blood from the bank doesn't keep me saited for long and animal blood makes me violently sick for days. And don't turn your back on me!" Leahandra leapt across the pool to catch up with him, clenching her fists so hard that her nails dug into her palms so far that she could feel them break the skin.

" Did he teach you to hunt this way Leah?..Did he?..Do you not see there are other way's that to pray on human's..Alice..another student at the Academy can control herself..So can the other's..so can I..Why cant you?"

Vladen's head was pounding. Fearing he was going to loose control he simply turned his back on her and spoke quietly.

" No..your not Rhiane..She is dead..and im starting to think Leahandra died with her...I will see you in class." Vladen speak' softly as he makes to leave the poolside. Had people seen this exchange. He was sure someone must have.

''I am not, and I will never drink from you Vladen. I will continue to feed -my- way. I'm not Rhaine. And if you don't stop this stupidity you will never see nor hear from me again!" Leahandra could feel the rage building up inside her. Why was he being so stubborn. She wanted to hunt the way she always had, the William had taught her Why couldn't he understand that she wanted to do the only thing that kept her connected to William in some way, however cruel?

Vladen sail's across the pool with a strangelled grunt. Standing a little shakily he clutches his rib's with a grunt of pain. Schooling his expression he stares at Leah.

"Scared aren't you Leah..Rhiane was the same..She refused too..She would hunt from the Village. I couldn't help her..but i'll be damned if i cant help you" Vladen say's barely above a whisper.

His palm was bleeding freely now and he knew that would push Leah's self control to the limit. He had to help her..Even if he was going about this the wrong way.

Leahandra jumped down from the tree, baring her fangs. She was tempted by teh blood but she was not going to drink it. Lashing out, she used all her strength to kick him across the pool away from her. His blood would make her ill like he had said, but she couldn't stand the smell of pine that eminated from him at teh best of times, how could she drink from him?

"No Leah..My Sister Rhiane went through this in exactley the same way..Now get down here and sit down..or i'll open the wrist up next"

Vladen say's with a cool calm, laying his wrist against the same edge of the lounger. He knew he had tempted her and he knew what he was doing. This had worked for Rhiane..Would it work for Leah too?

Leahandra hissed at him and bared her fangs upon smelling his blood. How could he tempt her like that? Although she didn't want the days of violent illness, she was still tempted by his blood. Deciding she had to get away from him quickly, she swiftly jumped onto the topmost branch of the highest tree that was close by.'' I will not drink from you! Don't you understand, I will kill you!" she yelled down at him, hissing again. ''Now wrap something around that!"

In that moment listening to Leah, Vladen came to a silent decision. Looking at the edge of the sun lounger, Vladen rip's his hand across the catch with a growl as he open's a cut into his palm. Holding the hand out to Leah Vladen speak's softly and slowly.

"Rhiane felt the same Leah..you are not what you think you are..you are whom you choose to be..Im coming to realise that..Now drink..and i promise when it is over..I will be here.."

''You wanna know why I don't wanna drink from the blood bank? I like the taste of fresh blood okay. I like how it tastes as I'm draining some poor soul of their life source!" Leahandra raised her voice slightly. She didn't like why she didn't want to drink blood from the bank, but in all honesty, drinking from the veins of her victim was the only way she liked to drink blood. And now she had told her friend. She wouldn't have been surprised if he yelled at her for being a heartless person and stormed off. She knew she was heartless, that she was willing to kill for her own survival, but it was how she functioned now, it was in her nature and who was she to change her design?

"I've tasted it myself..It's from the local donation site..That's why it dosent smell right..but trust me it taste's fine." Vladen smiles softly and supresses a shudder at his memory of tasting blood. It hadnt been fun..

''I can smell the blood bank from here, I don't think they store the blood right, and it smells old," Leahandra just didn't want to spend every waking moment on campus. She decided that she would go hunting tomorrow in some little village in a far off place. She could be back by morning anyway. No one would miss her.

" Leah..The Academy has a blook bank..It's attached to the Cafeteria..Just walk in..Speak to the woman at the desk and you'll be fine. No need to go and hunt"

Vladen sensed that talking about her feeding habbit's was awkward and a little painful for Leah. He wasn't sure he would find it as easy to talk about his..But Mel was the only one who had asked before..So..He had no idea.

''I think I'll pass, I'll go hunting tomorrow, I can smell a town or something nearby...least it smells nearby, they might have a blood bank, if not...well...yeah," Leahandra trailed off, she didn't like talking about her feeding habits. And as for feeding off of Vladen, well, she didn't like the prospect of being violently ill.

" Leah..My blood has this thing in it...Making it repulsive to Vampire's. It would make you seriously sick..We are talking bad food poisoning sick here..You wouldnt even be able to think about your thirst for a few day's" Vladen replies honestly in a serious tone.

Why on earth was he telling her this? Did he honestly think it would help her being ill like that at the pool?

''Giving me your blood is bad, I feed so I am full all weak, I think Mel would be upset if I drained you dry,'' Leahandra said, looking at the sky above her. She would never drink from a friend. Once she starts to feed, she can't stop. She would never dream of taking a friends life. Especially not if it broke anothers heart. It was bad enough that her own betrothed, probably on his way here to talk her into coming home, had turned her into a Mistress of the Night. but she had neither the strength nor will to inflict that on another. The pain of transforming alone is unbearable, nevermind the constant fight not to bite your classmates

" I don't know Leah..Sometimes..well im lieing all the time i would rather be a vampire..than this.." Vladen shakes his head with a soft and sorrowful smile..

"The Academy has one..but if you don't mind throwing up for about 15 minutes..i can help you out" Vladen waves his wrist at her, The air filling with his pine and earth scent.

''I think I would prefer that to what I have to do to survive,'' Leahandra gave Vladen a fangy smile while sniffing the air. She could smell so many different types of blood. It annoyed her and pleased her at the same time. Pleased that she could smell them all but annoyed for the same reason. She reminded herself to check the local area for a blood bank. ''You don't know if there is a blood bank nearby do you?'' she asked him while sprawling herself out on the lounger she summoned to herself.

Vladen look's at Leah and shakes his head. " You think you have it bad..I now like to eat raw meat and during certain times of the month..Leave fur all over the place..Sheesh..Life can be a harsh Mistress"

Vladen grin's as he said this in playfully sarcastic tone. Reading her unsure feeling's from her scent he was trying to set her at ease.

''I didn't disappear exactly. I just kinda...hid from the world, only going out when I was hungry, and yes, I can juggle,'' Leahandra looked at her old friend, he was a lot different than she remembered him. Whoever Mel was, she was having a good effect on him. And she didnt realy want to depress him with the details of why she disappeared, hiding herself from the world until she was ready to take one more life from it just so she could live.