IM01 - Carpe Noctem Read Online Free PDF Page B

have a few pleasant benefits. You should already notice that your wounds are healing quite nicely. By tomorrow evening you will have completely healed, leaving almost no trace of tonight’s… unfortunate events.”
    I took a deep breath, attempting to calm my nerves, and then nodded at Lysander, thankful for the change in subject. I didn’t want to hear anything more about blood.
    “As you get stronger, your body will regenerate itself faster.”
    I gave him a half-hearted smile.
     “Also, you will no longer age. Your body is now essentially frozen in time. The way you look today is the way you will continue to look forever.”
    That, I had to admit, was a pleasant revelation; to be twenty-five forever, to never have to worry about wrinkles or gray hairs. I could enjoy the idea that I would stay young forever. At least there were some perks to this.
    Lysander returned my smile.
    “However,” he continued, almost cautiously, “the transformation causes you to lose the natural pigment in your skin. Without the melanin to protect you from ultraviolet light, you will sunburn … almost instantly.”
    I looked down at my hands. They did seem to be lighter. Blue veins showed more prominently under my pale skin.
    “The same goes for your eyes. They too, are also going to be extremely sensitive to light. Even with sunglasses, the sun’s light will be quite blinding.”
    Great, another truth to the old myths; real vampires aren’t allowed out in the daylight. It saddened me to think I would never be able to go outside during the day again. I had not even been given a proper chance to say goodbye to sunlight.
    Guess that means tanning booths are out, too.
    I wondered how hard it would be to live a nocturnal life. It seemed that now I would have no choice.
    Lost in my depressed thoughts, I was vaguely aware that Lysander was still talking. “We are creatures of the night, so to speak, and you will get used to this lifestyle soon enough.”
    His mention of being a creature definitely caught my attention.
    “Does that mean we have to sleep in coffins?”
    “Not unless you want to.” I detected a bit of sarcasm in his voice.
    He sat back into the couch; a slight smirk turned the corner of his mouth up. “They are quite confining and uncomfortable. Personally, I prefer a large bed. But, if you wish, we can find you one.”
    “What about the sunlight?” I asked. “Doesn’t a coffin protect us from it?”
    Lysander shook his head. “We sunburn easily, but we do not burst into flames, Alyssa,” he scoffed. “Proper window coverings are enough to keep us protected during the day. Sunlight is a danger and not particularly pleasant, but not immediately deadly.”
     I was silent, taking in all this new information. I desperately tried to remember the last sunrise I had seen, so I could burn the beautiful hues of orange and pink into my memory.
    Why did this have to happen to me? This sucks. No more daylight. I’ll never feel the warmth of the desert sun again!
    Lysander’s eyes locked on me. I felt an odd warmth radiating from him. The strange sensation broke me from my thoughts of daylight.
    Did he enjoy being a vampire? Did he ever have problems with this lifestyle?
    He broke the silence. “You’re undoubtedly very weak and in quite a bit of pain at the moment. I promise this will not last too long. It may take a day or so for your mortal body to completely change. Blood will help this.”
    I winced at the mention of blood.
    “You will need blood regularly,” Lysander said.
    “Please, no.” I waved my hands in front of my face. “I don’t want to talk about this. I can’t.”
    “I’m sorry, but it is unavoidable. The living energy it provides is what keeps your immortal body functioning properly. You will have to have blood … and soon.”
    I looked away, turning from Lysander to the bookshelf, letting my eyes blur out of focus. I did not want to deal with this reality. My mind teeter-tottered between fear