Chapter 3: sacred birthright

Blood.

So much blood. Lilith winced at the carnage, trying to look away. The scene changed. That snake – coiling around the school – its massive teeth bared.

Then the scene changed again. Lilith was standing in a house – much bigger than her own – looking down a hallway. She could hear sobbing and ran toward the sound. A doll with blonde hair hanging from its ankle.

Another scene change. A girl with bleached blonde hair was laying on a bed with a canopy with pink curtains. Blood was splattered on the white sheets. Lilith went to her, wanting to comfort her. Then the scene changed yet again.

A girl in a cheerleading uniform was doing a routine. Something was wrong – her face was filled with fear and flames were forming all over her body, burning her. Another scene change – an office. A man with a wicked smirk and a goatee crunching down on a spider.

Again, the scene changed. A man with dark sideburns was standing atop a tower with a girl of about twelve, holding a knife to her throat. Then Lilith was standing in a cemetery. A little boy was holding out his hand to her. She was walking toward him, ready to take his hand. Something was telling her not to, but she couldn’t stop walking.

Lilith sat bolt upright in bed. She let out a shuddery breath. Nightmares. That little boy had been in a lot of them lately. Who was he and what did he want? Probably worth mentioning to Barton in the morning. Lilith lay back down, hoping to get at least twenty minutes of uninterrupted sleep tonight.

Ally was supposed to officially start classes tomorrow. Lilith wanted to be at her best. Something about Ally’s demeanor always felt like a challenge, even when she wasn’t saying a word. Perhaps it was just that there was another girl just like Lilith but also so different.

For so long Lilith had lived in her happy little ‘chosen one’ bubble. Well – not happy. She was alone. But she was special. She was the only one of her kind – the existence of another? A girl who also happened to be perfect in just about every way from her flawless makeup to her meticulous fighting technique? Lilith just wanted to be at her best, that was all…

The dark streets of the bad side of Sunnydale were almost abandoned save a junky laying on a bench, a couple of drunk college girls giggling, and a vampire with a soul. James left Willy’s – the vampire and demon hub of Sunnydale -and leaned against the building, lighting a cigarette. He’d grabbed a to-go cup of the pig’s blood Willy bought from the local butcher, and he took a sip from the straw, his fangs appearing for a moment at the taste of blood.

James stepped into a phone booth and inserted a few quarters before dialing Lilith’s pager to let her know he was on his way home as it was nearing morning. She had the receive only kind and James hoped she wouldn’t even wake up. She was always insistent on knowing when he was going home though.

Lilith had always been a worrier. James had met her about halfway through last school year. He’d come to Sunnydale to help her defeat the master – not that she’d needed much help in the end. Ever since prom though, things were different.

Lilith had always taken her calling seriously but ever since her temporary death, she had become obsessed. When James said it like that, it caused fights. ‘And you’re not obsessed? Because I’d call a hundred-and-thirty-seven-year long vendetta pretty obsessed.’ Lilith’s argument was fair, so James tried to drop it. He was worried about her though, not getting enough sleep, not taking care of herself.

The arrival of the new slayer – Ally – wasn’t helping as much as James had hoped. Ally had been in town a few days and if anything, she was just as obsessive about training and patrolling as Lilith. Maybe more. James didn’t like Ally.

He stepped out of the phone booth, lighting a new cigarette and walking in the direction of the cemetery where his crypt was. The thing about Ally was – actually, James didn’t know what the thing about her was. She was just annoying. Always smirking like she was better than everyone else. Or maybe she just bugged James because she bugged Lilith.

Of course – Lilith wouldn’t admit that. She was determined that she liked Ally and was glad to be working with her. But when Lilith and Ally interacted it was like every conversation was a competition.

James turned into the entrance of Restfield Cemetery and walked down the path lined with tombstones. As he walked further and further into the cemetery, James became aware that he was not alone. He could sense the eyes on him from somewhere just out of sight.

“Alright,” James said, looking around. “Whatever monster is lurking in the shadows, make yourself known.” He glared around at the many headstones and mausoleums lining the grassy hills. “Well?”

James was tackled the ground. The to-go cup of blood he’d been carrying splashed everywhere, getting all over his leather jacket. Stupid vampire. Wait - no. The person now wrestling James against a mausoleum had a pulse. James glared, recognizing the perfect topknot.

“Ally?”

“No, it’s your other natural-born enemy. Oh wait – you’re seducing that one.”

James was about to say something further when she punched him in the face. His eye swelled with pain. “Bitch.” James punched back.

Ally was fast. She flipped James on his back. He was up in an instant though. She swung again, but he was ready this time and dodged. James kicked Ally in the face, knocking her backward into the mausoleum he’d been pressed against moments ago.

“So, you’re not entirely useless in a fight,” Ally said, leaping into the air and kicking off a headstone. She did a midair flip, landing on James’s other side before punching him in the face again, knocking him to the ground. She was on top of him, holding a wooden stake to his chest in an instant. “You’re still going to regret having the audacity to lay your disgusting hands on a slayer.”

“What?” James asked, staring at her. He realized he’d vamped out during the fight and closed his eyes for a moment until his face went back to normal. “You attacked me.”

“I’m a slayer,” Ally said. “It’s what I do. The real question is – how is it possible Lilith doesn’t know the truth about you? I’ve been studying her. She doesn’t seem like an idiot. Do you have her under some sort of spell?”

“What? No!”

“You’re a vampire, she’s a slayer.”

“I can explain!” James said. He felt the wooden stake digging into his chest a little harder.

“Talk fast, leech.”

“I have a soul.”

“That’s not possible.”

“Lilith trusts me,” James said. “Have you even asked her about this?”

“You’re trying to confuse me,” Ally said, glaring. “But it won’t work. Your undead life is over, vermin.” She lifted the stake, getting ready to bring it back down.

“What would Lilith think if you killed her boyfriend without even talking to her about it?”

Ally hesitated. “She really knows that you’re a vampire?”

“Yes! Ask her!”

“We’re calling her.”

“It’s almost morning, she’ll be asleep,” James said. Ally held the stake threateningly. “But I guess we can wake her up,” James said in a hurry.

“I assume you live – or whatever it is you vampires do – around here,” Ally said. “Take me to your crypt.”

James rolled his eyes. Ally climbed off him, still keeping the wooden stake in her hand, aimed and ready. James headed for the Hawley Monument, an old mausoleum that he had made his home. He opened the door and stepped inside. Ally followed, her expression disdainful and cautious.

James watched as Ally’s eyes wandered from the coffin in the middle of the space to the sofa and television to the side. The refrigerator. The coffee table covered in cigarette butts.

“I don’t see a phone.”

“It’s in the basement,” James said.

Ally scoffed. “How stupid do you think I am?”

“Worried you can’t take me?”

Ally glared. “Lead me to the phone.”

In the basement, Ally peeked into the messy bedroom. Sex Pistols, Ramones, Green Day, and Nirvana posters on the cement walls. The unmade bed with dirty clothes on it – including a pair of panties Lilith had left. Ally walked into the bedroom, fixated on the lacy underwear.

“These yours, vampire?”

“Uh…”

Ally turned, glaring. “I’m telling Lilith.”

“That you found her…?”

“Oh,” Ally said. Suddenly her cheeks were pink. James had to laugh. Ally glared at him. “Hers," Ally said. She cleared her throat. "So, you two really – oh.” She wrinkled her nose. “With a vampire? Ugh.”

“Ugh yourself,” James said, walking over to the half of the room where he had a shelf. On the shelf was a lava lamp from Mark who was disgusted by the ‘lack of class’ in the crypt, a handful of framed photos of the group – James, Lilith, Mark, Alvin, Jenny, and Tiffany – and a row of VHS and DVD horror movies. And the thing they’d come down here for – a phone. “You knew we were dating.”

“Yes, but I just – I suppose I’m just really processing it,” Ally said.

James dialed the phone number for the corded phone in Lilith’s room. It rang a few times, and she picked up, sounding anxious. “James? Are you okay? I got your page.”

“I’m good,” James said. “Guess who’s here with me?”

“Um – I’m not really in the mood for guessing games right now,” Lilith said, yawning.

“Ally.”

“Ally?” Lilith asked. “What’s she doing there?”

“She wants to talk to you,” James said, handing the phone to Ally.

“Are you aware your creepy older boyfriend is a creature of the night?”

“Oh,” Lilith said. James could hear her even as he walked across the room and lay down on the bed, yawning. Vampire hearing. “Um, yeah. I was gonna tell you.”

“You should have,” Ally said. “I came very close to ensuring your prom date this year was a pile of ashes. I’m not sure if that’s better or worse than the skeleton of the ancient vampire who drowned you in a cave.”

“Oh my gosh,” Lilith said. “Is he okay? Are you okay?”

“Tell her you gave me a black eye,” James said, from the bed, touching the place she’d punched him.

“Everything is fine,” Ally said. “Now.” She hung up the phone, glaring at James. “You really have a soul?”

“Yep.”

Ally was just staring at him. James waited for her to ask more questions – or maybe to leave – but she was just standing there, looking very serious and thoughtful. After an awkward pause, James laughed.

“I know. It’s a little unusual.”

“I’ll admit,” Ally said. “I’ve been at this less time than Lilith. But from my understanding, it’s not unusual it’s unheard of. My uncle told me that vampires were no longer the people they once were. That vampires are demons, wearing the skin of the deceased like a mask. Perhaps retaining some personality traits and memories of the person they killed and took over.”

“Your uncle?” James asked. “Your watcher, you mean? The one who died?”

Ally hesitated. For a moment, it seemed like she wanted to say more. Then she nodded. James was getting very curious. He lit a new cigarette, tilting his head.

“Why don’t you sit down?”

“I should go,” Ally said, without moving a muscle.

“I can tell you more,” James said. “About vampires.”

Ally seemed to make a decision. She walked across the room, hesitating by the bed and looking down at her high-heeled boots. She eyed James’s dock martens, right on the bed. Then she climbed up and sat beside him, looking stiff and uncomfortable. The tip of her boot touched the pair of panties that belonged to Lilith, and she jerked her knee upward as if she’d been burned. James laughed.

Ally glared at James, her eyes filled with contempt but also something else – curiosity? It seemed deeper than that. Almost desperation.

“What else can you tell me?”

“What do you want to know?”

“How did you get your soul?”

“Oh, that’s a very long story. The short version is – I fought for it.”

Ally raised her eyebrows. “What?”

“Series of demon trials. Like I said, it’s a long story.”

“So, you chose to seek out a soul. Why?”

“Why do you care?”

“I don’t,” Ally said. “You offered to tell me, so if you’re not going to do that, I’ll just go.” She made to stand up.

“It had to do with – there were people I cared about,” James said. “And I did things…” he trailed off. “I saw what I’d become, and I wanted to change.”

Ally stared at James, an intense expression on her face. “But my uncle is-” she stopped. “Was. an expert on demon lore. He knew everything there was to know about vampires. And he had no idea about anything like this.”

“If he was trained by the watcher’s council, he knew,” James said. “They’re aware of me. You’ve only been training a summer. You really think your uncle taught you everything?”

Ally scoffed, standing. “Of course. Yet another thing I’ve been left in the dark about. Is there anything the watcher’s council does think a slayer can handle? Besides being responsible for the fate of the world?”

“I’m pretty sure I’m the only vampire that’s ever been on this journey,” James said, frowning. “It’s more a history lesson for down the line. Your uncle probably wanted to focus on basic combat and planned to get to vampire history later.”

“Whatever,” Ally snapped. “I have to be at school in a little over an hour. I should go.”

Ally stormed off in a huff. James watched her go, curious. He supposed he understood why a slayer would be curious about a vampire with a soul, but Ally’s curiosity had felt a little more personal. James supposed maybe it always was, for slayers.

Lilith was like that. Understanding the history of slayers past was deeply important to Lilith, as was having a firm grasp on what it meant to be a vampire. She wanted to not just master the art of killing but understand it.