by L J C Fynn
It all felt too easy.
***
Rafe shook his head ‘no.’ “We don’t destroy by fire. Fire is too deadly to us.”
It hit me, what he said. I never thought of that. There were very few ways to destroy a vampire, stab to the heart, decapitation, and fire. “I went back to the clinic with nowhere else to go. I couldn’t shake the cramps. The clinic gave me those pills to help treat it. I felt better and I didn’t ask twice.”
He snarled his lips up. “Those… humans… have kept you in a limbo state for years?”
“Maybe they didn’t know.”
His full attention on me now. “Look at your wrists. There is no way they didn’t know.”
I looked down at my wrists and started to rub them. The pain was still there, but the wounds were healing. The cramps in body were still there, but not as bad earlier. But I knew from years of pushing the timeline of how long I could go without the pills, soon they would become debilitating again. I kept my gaze on my wrist when I spoke. “I won’t fight for you. I don’t know what to believe anymore, but I know that I won’t do that.”
He stood up, took off his leather jacket, and placed it on the table. He walked over to me and offered me his hand to help me stand. Slowly, I placed my hand into his cold palm. He pulled me up, and this time, more gently than I ever thought possible for a vampire with the name Death Bringer, Rafe pushed me against the far wall.
Just like before, my wrist was pinned above my head and my legs were pinned between his. This time, I allowed it to happen. He tilted my head to the side with his free hand, and inhaled against my neck again. “There’s something about your half-blood that is intoxicating. My body wants to drain every last bit of you, but my mind wants to learn more about you.” He skimmed his teeth against my skin, making me wish he would break skin. For the first time in my life, I wanted this. “We have run out of time.” He said against my neck. “You better make this look good.”
He handed me the electric device he used on me earlier. My eyes widened when I realized what he wanted me to do. The Death Bringer was going to let one of his orders go. I leaned into him, whispering, “Why?”
“Just do it before I change my mind.” Even though his words were harsh, his eyes were soft. He was really going to do it.
I took a deep breath and pressed the button. Rafe didn’t drop to the ground immediately like I did. When the currents started flowing through his body, the veins on his neck bulged out. His eyelids half-closed, and a moan escaped through his tight lips. After a few seconds, he dropped to his knees, and tipped his head back. He really does like pain, which explained the tattoos. I only took off running when his body fully gave out and stretched out on the floor. Before I left the room, I looked down at the holes in my shirt. I grabbed his jacket and buttoned it up. The jacket felt heavy, and I didn’t want to steal anything else of his, so I started to clean out the pockets. I gasped when I realized the contents in his pockets. That asshole had my knives and pills on him the whole time, I thought to myself as I smiled.
I opened the unlocked door, and off to the side of the exit, he left my boots in the hallway. He was planning this escape the whole time. I quickly tied my shoes and took off running down the hallway. There was only one way out, and it was blessedly an empty hallway.
The hallway ended, and led up a couple of flights of stairs. The stairs opened into a packed bar. As long as Blythe wasn’t here, I think my new haircut should conceal me enough to get me outside. I kept my eyes down, until I heard familiar laughter. I pushed to the back of the bar, looked up and saw Rhea straddling an infected man’s lap. Her hands were all over his black hair, as he was lapping up the blood spilt on her neck. Her head was thrown back in ecstasy as she was rubbing herself against him. I have never seen that look on her before. In mid-moan, she opened her eyes and made eye contact with me. She didn’t look guilty. She didn’t look shocked. Her expression told me everything I needed to know. She knew I turned her down tonight. She knew I would be out by myself, hunting. She knew I was this whole time. Rhea knew that I could have died tonight. She was here at Flamme éternelle the whole night, getting pleasured by the same group of people that were trying to kill me.
I turned to walk away, and ran smack into the chest of someone. I almost apologized until I realized who it was. “Captain?”
“What are you doing up here?” He asked as his face started to turn red with embarrassment. I looked at his neck, sure enough there were two fang marks on his neck. His words confirmed that he also knew where I was the whole time. I could have died tonight, and the ones that I thought cared about me, set me up. I covered my mouth with my hand so I wouldn’t say anything to either of them. I dropped my gaze back down to the floor, and made my way to the exit.
I was almost to the door, when I turned around one more time to watch Rhea get pushed off the vampire’s lap and onto the floor. I followed the infected man’s gaze, and saw Rafe sluggishly walk out of the same hallway I just ran though. The sound suddenly stopped at the bar, as everyone watched Rafe slowly compose himself. “She escaped.”
Rhea stood up off the floor. “She is over there.” Rhea shouted as she pointed in my direction.
All eyes were on me as I took off running into the night. We weren’t far from the lit Eifel Tower, so I ran as fast as I could away from the light. Blessedly, the vampires have yet to catch up with me. I turned down a dark alley way and squatted beside a smelly trash bin. This was good, it should cover my scent. Trying not to gag at the smell, I took a deep breath and slowed my heartrate.
As my heart was finally slowing, I heard footsteps run past the alleyway in search for me. I sat there for so long my thighs were burning from this position. I sat until I heard no sound but the mice digging through the bin beside me. I pushed myself up and walked out onto the empty streets. The vampires I would normally be hunting were hunting me now. I have somehow become the hunted.
I walked back to the compound, but stood outside in the shadows. I couldn’t go in. All of the orders they issued were unbelievable. For all I knew, they killed my dad. Making a mental checklist of what I knew for fact, I firmly believed they set me up. I made the kills on their order. Whether the Captain stood on his own or he worked for someone higher, it didn’t matter. What did matter was that every person tonight knew something was going to happen to me. They knew I wouldn’t take the night off. They knew I would go hunt, by myself. They knew where I was the entire fucking time.
I didn’t know where to go from here. My body was cramping, and I had limited pills. I could last for two weeks, if I fought off the cramps as long as I could before caving in. I opened the bottle to take some pills as my body was started to cramp real bad from the energy I used tonight. When I popped the lid, I noticed a paper tucked down inside. Curiously, I opened the paper and read.
Fatale,
I am assuming that you are reading this because you convinced me that you were worth saving. If after everything you have learned tonight you find that you have no place to stay, I have a safe place for you as long as you need. You are meant to be here for a reason, we just need to find out why. Besides, I have never met someone as mouthy as you.
Death Bringer
I smiled as I followed the address written on the back.
Chapter Six
5 a.m.
Trying to avoid vampires, it took me several hours to find the house on the other side of the city. By the time I got there, the sun was starting to light the sky. The infected should be inside, settling in for the day.
The door was unlocked and as I looked around, the place was incredibly homey. Somehow, in this part of the city, the housing remained in better shape than most of New Paris. I must be in the heart of vampire housing because of how quiet this street became when full morning hit.
I explored a bit before the cramps got too bad, forcing me to take some of my pills. As the pills calmed my cramps, I took a shower to get the funk of last night off of me. I couldn’t fin
d a way to wash last night’s clothes, so I scrambled through some drawers in a bedroom and found a t-shirt to sleep in. I tucked myself into a bed and rolled on my side. I looked around the room, and really took in my surroundings. There were silver studs laying on the dresser, black pants over the back of a chair. But what really took me back was his portrait staring at me tattoos and all, hanging on the wall. It hit me then. The safe house was his house. Rafe lived here, and he expected me to live with him.
I sat up, hoping this would wake him—wherever he was in the house. “Oh. Hell. No.”
Part Three:
Half Human
Damien
Fifteen Years ago
The year of the infection
Prejudices and superstitions were the bane of my existence since the infection spread to uncontrollable proportions. At first, the infected begged for a cure. When they organized and became stronger than the humans, having to survive on blood at night became a small sacrifice. Every single infected was stronger, faster, harder to kill, and, to some extent, smarter than their former human self.
The humans on the other hand, believed every ancient folklore on how to deter a vampire. Their houses were covered in crosses and garlic. Their families believe in churches now more than ever before. The irony of it all, this infection was spread by a man-made virus. This was not a curse. Unlike what the preachers would have the humans believe, this was not an act of a demon. Yet, the humans have gotten so bad they believe seeing an infected walking down the street could cause the spread of the infection.
Little did they know to check the donation of blood, long before the infection spread. My birth mother needed a blood transfusion while she was pregnant with me. The blood they gave her was tainted with infected blood. Contaminated blood and all, she died. I was cut from her womb. I looked like a normal baby. I wasn’t. I was the only baby born infected.
My thoughts stopped when I saw the house that me and the vampire who raised me go up in flames. I panicked. It was daytime, there was no way she could get out.
I usually hid the fact I had infected traits, so I could blend in both cultures. This time I didn’t care. I ran faster than possible for a normal human. The house was too far gone for me to get inside. I knew without a doubt the woman who raised me, the woman who I proudly call Mother, has burned in those flames. I turned around and every single one of my human neighbors were standing in their front yards looking at me.
I memorized each of their faces, because they were all going to die by my hands. I turned toward my house, and watched it until the flames died out—long into nightfall. The only reason I moved was when a hand grabbed my shoulder. “It’s time to let us help you.”
My mother tried to keep my history from the infected for as long as she could. The vampires discovered my half-blood secret, and, judging by her death, so did the humans. By no means did that mean she didn’t keep me educated on vampire politics. I knew exactly who this infected female was.
Blythe was stunning as always. But she was manipulative. With her, everything had price. I turned back to the destroyed home. “We can destroy every human who did this to the vampire that raised you. Is that what you want?”
My hands were hurting by how hard I clenched them into fists. I slowly loosened them, looking at my palms. I could fight, I knew how. I was damn good at killing. But that wasn’t a part of my life anymore. “I won’t fight for you.”
“She won’t ask that of you.” I looked over to Rafe the Death Bringer. He was Blythe’s right hand.
I knew him outside of the political circle. I was his tattoo artist. He wouldn’t hurt me, because in his own selfish way, that would mean he would no longer have me as an artist who wasn’t scared by how much he like the pain of silver threaded into his skin. I knew his addiction to pain. I knew that addiction would supersede his loyalty to Blythe, always has and always will.
Playing by the rules got my mother killed. I was done. “What do you need from me?”
She smiled and held out her hand. “Come…”
***
“Blythe wants her dead. What are we going to do with her?” I asked Rafe, watching Teeka sleep.
“You are going to take her to New York.”
I laughed. My laughter must have interrupted her sleep some because she began to moan as if she were in pain. She hissed, and fangs peeked through her lips. “She is going to need more pills. I gave samples to Faith. She has already duplicated the formula. This is perfect.”
Teeka curled back into the covers, calming down with just the hint of a snore. “Faith hates Blythe. I don’t think this will be perfect. Besides, who will do your tattoos?”
“You worry too much. Take her to your house in Brooklyn and get her set up with Faith. When it is safe to return, I will come and get you.”
I followed Rafe out of the room. I really didn’t think this was the best option. At the moment it was either head to a different city or hand Teeka over to Blythe to die.
New York it was.
Part Four:
Almost Human
Chapter One
One year after New Paris
Six Pills Remain
The crowd that gathered around the cage got bigger every fight. As much as I hated it, I was and always will be a fighter to the core of my being. Looked like tonight I had to win against one of the biggest vampires I had ever seen. He was no less than three hundred pounds of pure muscle. I wondered where Faith found this guy.
Some humans sold their body for basic necessities. Necessities like food, shelter, money, and sex. I felt no different. Instead of selling the blood in my body, I sold my physicality, my ability to fight. This was a win/win really. I found a way earn the one thing I needed to keep my body from turning into a vampire. Those little yellow and red pills that contained the vampire virus itself were my lifeline.
Back in New Paris, I’d been trapped, a victim even. I had no clue what these little pills were. Now, I understood the reality of the situation. If I didn’t have access to these pills, I would die, or worse, I would turn into a vampire. That wasn’t a fate I could accept.
On top of this, the winter this year was brutal in New York. The temp very rarely rose above freezing. It was like mother nature put a curse on this city and refuse to let life bloom again. When I first arrived here in New York, I was tempted to find the human stronghold. Joining them would have been the easiest thing to do.
Since meeting Rafe and Damien, I was a new person.
The actions of the humans in New Paris, the humans I’d blindly trusted, will forever be imbedded in my mind. Whenever I was tempted to join them, I remembered Rafe risking his life to sneak me out of town. He barely knew me, but he was the first person to believe I was worth saving. Well, him and his friend, Damien. They rolled in the same circle. Damien, though, was a mystery to me. A year later, and I really didn’t know much more about him now than I did the day we left New Paris.
There was one constant with Damien, though, it did not matter how many fights I was in; he was always there to walk me home. That was his one condition for letting me live in his house. I had to be completely honest about my fights.
Tonight, I was fighting a vampire twice my size. If I looked hard through the crowd, I would see Damien scowling at me—with his upper lip curled up and his metal fangs showing.
My body was already cramping on the walk over here. Ever since winter hit the city, I have been burning through pills. In the past, two pills, one of each color, would give me energy and fight off the cramps for a whole day. Now, I was lucky if two pills would last one fight. I was fighting for Faith more and more. I took two pills before I left the house, and I could already use more. Sadly, those were my last two.
I took off my two sweaters and got down to my sports bra. I kept on my puncture-proof pants and combat boots. My hair was still on the shorter side because nothing was off limits in a fight. I kept the top part of my hair teased up but had several rows of tight Dutch braids on each s
ide—creating a faux Mohawk.
As soon as I entered the cage, the locks clasped shut. That was it; there was no escaping until one of us died.
The big vampire had probably been a looker when he was human, but everything on him looked hard now. His eyes had no laugh lines. His lips were turned down, a glimpse of his fangs showing. Damn, everything on this vampire was huge.
“I’m going to beat you tonight, little girl, but I won’t kill you. I have something else in mind.” He turned to the crowd and grabbed his crotch.
Then he turned back around to me and curled up one of his large hands to make a fist. With the other, he reached behind his back.
I didn’t even bother with emotion; this was kill or be killed. I reached into the waistline of my pants and pulled out one of my blades. As soon as I had a firm stance with the blade in front of me, my fingers stung from a whip snapping the blade from my hands. The blade didn’t even have time to hit the ground, when the whip twined itself around my wrist. I looked up at the big vampire, whose face finally softened with a confident smile.
I didn’t pull on my end of the whip. Instead, I relaxed my arm, and as seductively as I could, I walked toward the big guy with a smile of my own.
I only stopped walking toward the vampire when I was real close to him—close enough to smell the blood of his dinner on his breath. Close enough to see a faint outline of a tattoo already fading on his neck. Close enough that I could see his itty-bitty erection pressing against his pants. All that muscle for such a small part. He was more focused on what he thought he could get from me, rather than paying attention to the new blade from the front waistline of my pants. I wasn’t even sure he knew he died. My sharp blade easily slipped through his skin. It was so smooth, I barely had to push his shoulders for him to fall like a tree.