Azrael Embraces Joshua

    Azrael waited for the detective to wake.  Silently she pondered her decision to Embrace him; it was not what she had wanted to do, but her hand had been forced.  Still, he was under her protection by order of the prince of New Orleans; she did what she had to do to keep him...well...alive.

    Joshua stirred, groaned and opened his eyes.  The archon gave a slight grin and held out her hand to help him to his feet.

    "Welcome, neonate."  She noticed the alarm in his eyes, and continued, "You should not have jumped in front of me. The bullet would not have harmed me."

    He took her hand and rose, unsteadily to his feet.  He felt a burning sensation throughout his body.  He looked about the room in wonder; to his amazement everything was extremely clear although they were apparently in complete darkness. 

    "What...happened? The last thing I remember is the sound of your voice telling me to...drink. Oh, my God." He sat in the chair by the table in the center of the room, his head swimming.

    Azrael walked towards him slowly, her face suddenly sullen, whispering, "You were dying, Joshua. Don't you remember my asking you if you wanted to live? If I didn't act you would be dead right now." She knelt in front of him, took his hands in hers. "I know you're confused. I also know what you're feeling.  Your entire body feels as if it's on fire. You feel a hunger like you've never felt before, am I right?"

    "I...I don't know what I'm feeling. What the hell is happening to me? What did you do to me!"  He was panicking now and she knew this.

    "Don't be afraid, detective. This is normal for us. You are going to be fine.  I'll teach you what you need to know. Right now, you need to feed." She stood and motioned for him to follow her.

    They walked several blocks east on East Houston Street to a dilapidated building on the corner of First Avenue.  He could hear breathing from inside the building, and this amazed him.

    "This is a favorite spot for addicts, the homeless and other dregs of society. It is one of the many hunting grounds for the Kindred of this city."  Noticing his uncertainty she continued, "Don't worry. Instinct will take over once you see your prey. There are several ways you can approach the situation; you can stalk them and strike when they least expect it, or you can engage your victim in polite conversation and compel him to allow you to feed...or you can seduce him."

    "You make it sound so easy. I'm afraid. What if I fuck up?"

    She chuckled at this. She had almost forgotten her first time. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. There's one more thing; whatever you do, don't kill him or her. Drink deeply, but be sure to listen to the heartbeat. Don't allow it to stop. Now go.  I'll be watching in the shadows."

    Josh composed himself, walked into the structure and quietly climbed the staircase to the second floor, following the sound of breathing and muffled voices.  There in the darkness several feet away from him were two squatters, a man and woman, cooking what looked like heroin. The female saw him first, and nudged her partner. Despite his hunger, the fledgling smiled at them and raised his hands, indicating he was not a cop.

    "Hey. I'm jonesing. Got some extra?" He stood, waiting for a nod, a gesture of some kind inviting him over.

    The man, an unkempt blonde, looked him over a moment, then shrugged his shoulders and waved him over. "You got money?"

    "Yeah."

    Azrael watched from behind a cement column, and decided to wait before she made her entrance, not wanting to alarm the junkies, knowing the heroin would not affect her childe in the least. 

    The female was began to nod, the effect of the narcotic began to work its magic, and before he realized, Joshua had her in his grasp, bared his fangs and took her.  Azrael at the same moment came out of nowhere, a blur to the male addict who had no idea what hit him.  She watched the neonate as she fed, and to her delight noticed he had listened to her every word: he stopped feeding before the girl's heart slowed too much.

    They left the two lying there, and moments later were walking down St. Marks Place in the East Village.  Here they were met by Gabriel and Michael, who had been waiting, amused, at the doorway of the Hotel St. Marks.  Gabriel saw them first, and could not resist making a comment.

    "Ah, look at that! What a sight! I never thought I'd see the night when you'd decide to become a babysitter!"

    Azrael smirked and walked over to him, pushing him playfully. "It's not my idea of a good time, but it is what it is. Did you see Sebastien?"

    Michael nodded his head, all the while looking over the newbie, "Yes. I explained to him what had happened. He's not too pleased." He smiled at Joshua. "So, I guess a welcome is in order, eh?  I'm Michael. Your name is...?"

    The detective extended his hand in greeting. "I'm Joshua. Joshua Landry. I'm happy to meet you, Michael."  He was surprised at the strength of the archon's grip as he shook his hand.

    "Archons are endowed with a strong grasp, newbie. It's needed, trust me."

    Azrael motioned for them to walk. "The prince wants to see me, I suppose..."

    "Wants to, yes. Demanded, actually", Gabe replied. "I wish you could have seen the look on his face."

    "Oh, I can imagine he was quite incensed." She was almost positive that there would be repercussions for what she had done.

    Michael shrugged. "He'll get over it. You are his childe, after all. He can't stay mad forever. He loves you too much."