Awaken Me Softly

The inside of the assembly building was dazzling in its splendor. Decorated from top to bottom, crystal and chandeliers, flowers, tapestries hung on the walls. They mounted ancient weapons from the wars of old on the walls. I stopped to admire a claymore stained with blood. Alec pulled at my arm to urge me along. We walked through the foyer, through an enormous set of double doors, into a grand ballroom.

The room was packed. Vampires gathered, mingling and discussing with each other, holding goblets filled with sticky, rich blood. The crowd looked very young. People around the ages of eighteen to twenty-one shyly gathered in circles, discussing the upcoming ceremony. Their eyes were alight with excitement. I scanned the crowd, looking for oddities.

"Are you okay?" Alec's rich baritone came from beside me. I looked up at him. I gave a smile that didn't reach my eyes and shrugged.

"I just have a bad feeling." I whispered. He sighed and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, try to relax. Everything will be fine." He said, but he was also alert, his gaze running over the crowd. 

I noticed myself getting looks from the others around the room, they'd turn to each other and whisper. Flushing and crossing my arms over my chest, I saw a servant passing through with a tray of goblets, and I reached for one. Taking a deep sip of the rich liquid, I sighed and licked my lips. Alec excused himself to go speak to the Ares and some officials on the other side of the room, near the raised dais. I sighed and stared at my glass, suddenly awkward and alone.

"Nervous?" A voice came from next to me. A woman stood before me. She looked to be about nineteen or twenty. The girl had flowing golden blonde hair that cascaded down to her waist, and blood-red eyes. She pointed to her own glass and took a sip. I smiled.

"I'm not one for crowds like this." I admitted. I had been raised among events at the Areklides manor, but I had never liked them, and I felt like a doll dressed up.

"Me neither. Are you excited for tonight, though?" She asked. I bit my lip.

"Mostly just nervous. I'm not sure what's going to happen." I said, having never witnessed an awakening ceremony before. My father had not permitted it.

"We'll get through it together. I'm Lia." She said, holding out her hand. I grasped it briefly.

"Elysia." Her eyes widened a fraction.

"Ooh, the gossip is juicy about you." She winked. I rolled my eyes and laughed it off.

I felt a hand touch my waist, and I looked behind me to see Alec standing close to me. His body was tense. He looked around the room. I felt myself flush at his proximity. His eyes were stoic, as if he didn't realize. His palm burned against my waist.

"Boyfriend?" Lia leaned over and whispered. Alec snorted. I laughed and shook my head.

"Bodyguard." I winked. She nodded in understanding. She eyed him up and down like he was a piece of meat. The look in her eyes was hungry. 

I had never thought about it before. Women paying attention to Alec. I noticed some of the other vampires avoid him, probably because of his silver gaze. I'd seen the tattoos that littered his arms and back, the battle stars that lined his neck, marks showing how many he'd killed in battle. It made sense as a fierce warrior he'd have some admirers among the population.

They diverted our attention to the raised dais when Ares stood before the crowd. His arms were opened. His strawberry blonde curls shone in the ambient lighting, his teeth shone white and straight.

"Welcome, children. It is time for you to join the ranks of society, to awaken to your true potential. They have selected this ceremony to be in my city this year, and I am happy to host you all." He started; the crowd clapped for him. "I am Ares, head of my house, and I have been here since before the time of the titans. I bore witness to the curse. May we one day free ourselves." The crowd murmured after him.

"This year is special to me. As this year my daughter joins the ranks of the awakened. I look forward to introducing you all into society. We will fill the ceremonial cup, and then we will begin the process. Please form a line around the room, we will have you come up one at a time." He announced.

  The crowd immediately moved. I got in line next to Lia, around the center of the group of those awakening. The gods stood together at the head of the room, on the raised dais. One by one, each of them took the ceremonial gold dagger and sliced their palm. They held their hand over a large golden chalice, the blood freely dripping down into the cup. They passed until all of them had filled it. Then passed the chalice back to Ares, who held it aloft.

"With this sacrifice we unbind the powers of these individuals, we awaken them to their true form." He held the cup at chest level and nodded to the first initiate. A shy girl, with mousy brown hair and red eyes, strode up to the dais. She smiled at Ares, who handed her the chalice.

"Drink, my child." He urged. She took a sip from the chalice. Immediately her eyes closed, her face grimaced, and she shuddered. Her hair grew longer, thicker, her shape grew more voluptuous, her fangs sharpened. When she opened her eyes again, they had tinted from blood red to a metallic copper. Her new abilities would reveal themselves within the coming days, most likely. She retracted her fangs and nodded to Ares before stumbling off of the stage, unused to her newfound strength and balance.

They made their way through the candidates, each similar reaction to the last. The men grew taller, broader, their muscle definition enhanced. Fangs lengthened. Eventually, they were getting close to me and Lia. Lia gave me a wink as she headed up to the raised dais. She took her sip bravely, bracing herself against the onslaught of sensations. She grew taller, more voluptuous, and her eyes also turned metallic copper. 

Finally, it was my turn. I stepped up, one foot in front of the other, to the raised dais. I stood before my father. He smiled at me and handed me the chalice.

"Drink, my daughter." He said fondly. My hands shook slightly as I brought the chalice to my lips. The blood was the sweetest nectar I had ever tasted. It burned down my throat. I passed the chalice back, suddenly dizzy. I grimaced and clenched my fists, feeling my body changing. My hair thickened and grew out of my skull, my nails grew to sharp claws, my fangs extended, brushing against my lower lip. Fire filled my veins. It felt like I was being burned from the inside out. 

Finally, it subsided. I sighed and opened my eyes. My father gasped. I raised a brow but didn't question. I scrambled off the side of the stage, to where the new initiates waited. They continued their way through the line to the last initiate. When they had all drank, my father stood tall before the congregation.

"And now, we will drink, as a show of us binding to you new initiates, as your leaders." He took a deep sip from the chalice and passed it to the other gods.

The sound of glass shattering and a thud filled the room. A silver stake stuck out of Ares' throat. Blood pooled and poured to the ground. He clutched his throat and fell to his knees.