The Fledgling

By Diana Vincent

The Fledgling is the story of a 52-year-'young' vampire, receiving his first instructions in hunting from his parents, during a night out in New York City. But vampire is not actually the race of young Marcus D'Capilla; rather he is of the Sangrinista, more educated and civilized than the beastly lower class of vampires. After hunting, the family celebrate by attending a night club, where they will seek additional snacks before returning to their Manhattan apartment. By chance, young Marcus runs into a classmate, discovering she has her own secret to hide. An unlikely friendship develops.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Diana Vincent
• Release date: Mar 25, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311022936

Book preview

The Fledgling

By Diana Vincent

The Fledgling – copyright 2012 Diana Vincent

All Rights Reserved

Part 1: Schooling the Young

∞∞∞∞∞∞

Can’t I at least have a little drink before we go?

No, Marcus, his father answered, measuring his son with his deep set eyes the color of wet iron and an expression equally as unyielding. Hunger is a strong motivator for a successful hunt.

I don’t need motivation, Marcus mumbled under his breath, even though he knew his father’s hyper-acute hearing would pick up every word.

You’d be surprised, Orion D’Capilla said. His features softened as he studied his son sprawled on the sofa in front of him with his arms tightly folded to his chest, one leg to the side and the other stretched forth with his heel on the floor and the toes wagging back and forth, a sign of his nervousness. He looks so much like his mother, but he has my eyes. But why must he wear..? He eyed with disapproval his son’s attire – faded jeans that rode low on the hips, a hole in one knee and frayed cuffs, a black tee-shirt with the screen-printed emblem of a rock band across the front, and worn black sneakers without laces or socks. The influences of sending him to a public school, he sighed inwardly, can’t be helped. He thought back to his own early education when flamboyant cravats in shocking colors had been the rage. He recalled one in bright pink and purple…ah well, youth; but that was over three centuries ago. A slight smile wafted briefly over his countenance.

Darlings! Elizabeth D’Capilla glided into the living room wearing a sleek, dark red sheath and matching heels. Diamonds sparkled in her ears and from settings within a gold chain around her elegant neck. Her thick blonde hair waved to her shoulders, framing the attractive angular features of her pale face. Are we ready?

I don’t know why we have to do this now. Why can’t it wait until after I graduate? Marcus grumbled, his position on the sofa unchanged.

Marcus, his mother admonished, her patience strained. You are fifty-two years old. Most youngsters your age have been hunting for at least a decade.

What about Jocelyn? She’s seventy-five.

What a cruel thing to say! Elizabeth’s voice rose a decibel.

You know very well Jocelyn has some…difficulties, his father replied.

Poor Jocelyn…I don’t know if she’ll ever… Elizabeth sighed, her beautiful mouth turned down sympathetically. Brain damage at birth, she added in a softer tone. Then remembering tonight’s purpose, she steeled her features to glare at her son. We have been feeding you for over fifty years. It is well past time you are fledged. We won’t be around to care for you when you leave for Harvard.

I’ll have all summer to learn to hunt. I have exams to prepare for. It wasn’t that Marcus objected to learning to hunt; he knew it was inevitable and crucial for his ultimate survival in a world hostile to his kind. In fact, just a decade ago, he use to beg his parents to take him with them on their bi-weekly evening rounds, only to be told he was too young. He looked forward to becoming a proficient hunter, just not now.

Four years ago his parents enrolled him in Beacon High School in Manhattan, and he had submerged himself in its culture; enjoying the camaraderie of his classmates, bantering with the boys in the locker room and between classes, flirting with girls, and best of all, playing basketball. Now in his last year, with his superior speed,