Taunt

by Claire Farrell

  I’d often had the instinct to drink blood, but now I had another instinct, one that compelled me to cleanse Peter of the darkness. Without thinking, I jumped off the counter and crept up to Peter, staring into his eyes and probing around him with my other sense. I had always assumed it was a vampire talent, yet I felt bound to battle darkness with it. It made no sense, but I didn’t have time to consider it.

  I kept exploring, ignoring Carl when he called my name. I had to find where it attached itself. I felt the darkness very definitely now, cobwebbing itself to Peter’s soul. Anger flared within, I had to kill it, whatever it was.

  Unsure of myself, I acted on a gut feeling and, ignoring his bewildered expression, I placed my hands on either side of Peter’s head. I pushed against him, not with my body, but with that other something I had inside me. I felt warmth bubble up from my stomach, into my arms and through my hands. The energy, if that’s what it was, moved from my fingertips into Peter, burning whatever linked the web of darkness to him.

  It reacted wildly and latched on to me instead. I took a deep breath and inhaled the black shadow. I saw it clearly, tasted the bitterness, choked on the pain of it.

  The cold look left Peter’s eyes; I could feel Carl pulling me away, but I couldn’t let go. Not until the shadow was all gone. Only when Peter’s light shone through did I let go and fall back into Carl’s arms, knocking us both to the ground. I left that shadowy level of existence and lay on the floor of the bookshop. I panted with tears rolling out of my eyes. My nose felt wet. I wiped it, and my hands came away crimson.

  I curled up, pain wracking my body as the shadow I had absorbed was burned up. My veins lit up under my skin, and I wondered if I was dying. The thought drifted over me but didn’t stick.

  I gasped loudly as Carl grabbed my arm and touched the flaring lights that shone through my skin.

  “What is this?” he cried out. “What’s happening? I’ll get Eddie.” He moved to lay me down on the floor, but I gripped his wrist.

  “Don’t,” I hissed. “Not him.” Eddie probably already knew.

  Carl nodded, trusting me completely. The burning stopped, the nausea cleared up, and I managed to take a look at Peter. His skin was grey and sweaty; he didn’t make a sound—not the best sign. He had his back to the counter and shook almost as much as I did.

  I stared at the ceiling and touched the floor beneath me, drumming my fingers to ground myself. I counted aloud, not caring that Carl and Peter could hear me. After a few crazy minutes of lying on the ground, I knew I wasn’t losing my mind or my life. I finally sat up, helped by Carl who did his best not to freak out at the sight of the blood all over my face.

  “Are you okay?” I asked Peter. He shrugged, speechless.

  “Please tell me if you’re hurt or anything.” I moved toward the counter so I could lean against a solid surface. Peter was the solid object of choice, but he didn’t look particularly welcoming.

  “What did you do to me?” he asked, disgust in his voice.

  “I reckon she saved you from something pretty bad,” Carl said. “I saw it. It was… unlike anything I’ve ever seen. All of this black smoke just poured out of you and into Ava. Her skin turned black, then it turned white, like something lit up inside her. Like the vampires when she sticks them with that little knife. It scared the crap out of me.”

  “You saw it?” I asked, relief sweeping over me. It made more sense when I wasn’t the only one who could see something.

  Carl nodded again, and I thought he might throw up.

  Peter looked at me. “Do you know what it was?”

  I shook my head, exhausted. “I can sense things. It’s like I have another pair of eyes that see energy or something. It’s how I found Carl, actually. I have to concentrate on using it, though. Sometimes I feel like something is off, and that’s how I know I should use it. One of the Guardians, the one we saw at Gabe’s bar, he makes me want to throw up when I see him. There’s something screwed up about him.”

  “Coyle?” Disbelief coloured Peter’s voice.

  “Yeah, him. I had that same sick feeling in the bar before that shifter attacked Esther. Do you remember?”

  He hesitated, then nodded. “You almost vomited. I remember that now.”

  “Yeah, well, it was the same feeling. Then I started feeling it around you and, just now, I thought I’d… take a look.” I fidgeted with my sleeves. “Sorry, but I needed to know. I saw Carl as normal but, with you, there was like a web of darkness over you, sticking to you. It was like it tried to get into your soul. I’ve no idea what it was, but Carl’s right about it absorbing itself into my skin. Then something in me just burned it away. It hurt, but it’s gone. Definitely gone.” I hoped.

  Carl helped me to my feet, then pulled Peter up, too.

  “Did you feel any different today?” Carl asked him. He had no trouble believing anything I said.

  Peter shrugged. “I felt like I was coming down with something, maybe, nothing serious. I don’t know what the hell she’s talking about, though.”

  Carl put his hand on Peter’s shoulder and spoke in a firmer voice than I’d ever heard from him. “She’s telling the truth, Peter. Something got to you.” He let that sink in, then turned to me. “Shall I get you something? To clean up?”

  Carl hurried off without waiting for an answer, leaving me alone with Peter. I felt like we were back at the beginning, back to when we first met. I half-expected him to punch me again.

  “You feeling okay now?” I ventured.

  He rubbed his face and looked everywhere but at me. “Yeah, I better go meet Esther.” He left without saying goodbye.

  Carl came back with a wet cloth and basin of water. “Maybe you should use this in the back room, if anyone comes in… hey, where’s Peter?”

  I grabbed the cloth and wiped my face. “Gone. He has to meet Esther.”

  “Damn, I forgot. Peter’s off to save the day.” Carl bit his lip, then slammed the basin on the counter, splashing water everywhere. “I have to go, watch the shop for me, please. You’re a star, see you!”

  He was gone before I could form a question. I finished cleaning my face and took Carl’s place behind the counter. Just when I thought I knew myself, I proved I’m even freakier than I ever expected.

  Eddie showed himself, a suspiciously innocent look on his face. The incident hadn’t exactly been silent. What had he been doing? My frown only deepened when I sensed his bliss. Smug happiness rolled off him, but the spirit spun around and around me. Another warning. This time I was tired enough to listen.

  “Where’s Carl?” Eddie asked, and I realised he carried two cups, one for him, and one for me.

  “He didn’t say. I’m taking his shift. You wanted to give me something to do.”

  He smiled pleasantly, but I did my best to keep out of his way for the next few hours, despite his insistence that he stay in the shop with me. He found the book I’d been reading and put it back on the shelves without a word. I made note of the shelf. As soon as Eddie turned his back, I went to retrieve it. I couldn’t find the book, no matter how hard I looked.

  I whirled around in frustration and saw Eddie watching me with an amused look. I forced a smile and sauntered around the bookracks, as if I were only perusing the shelves out of boredom.

  Esther and Peter arrived together later that evening. Peter did his best to avoid my eyes as Esther related her experience with Becca. Not good. Becca wouldn’t talk.

  “But what did you think of her?” I asked.

  “She looked awful.” Esther frowned. “But if she won’t talk, then we can’t point the finger. I believe something is going on, so I’ll do my best to convince my Circle we need to look into it. Illeana is a siren; she’ll be the most help here, I think.”

  “Why are you bothering that creature?” Eddie demanded.

  Esther shivered noticeably at his voice. “Council business,” she said, but her voice was small and pitiful. “It’s my duty to prevent trouble.”

/>   He opened his mouth to argue, but the door opened and interrupted him.

  “Carl!” I ran to him, horrified. He grinned through a split lip, as though his face wasn’t swollen, bloody, and bruised. My mouth watered in spite of myself.

  “What happened?” Peter asked, sounding as confused as I felt.

  “Bring him into the back room,” Eddie said. “I’ll close up and get something for his wounds.”

  “Don’t get mad,” Carl said, and my stomach sank. Not a good statement when it came from Carl.

  I narrowed my eyes as he settled in a chair in the back room. “What did you do?”

  “I went to see the volunteers. At Gideon’s place. I told them Becca had convinced me that volunteering was a valid lifestyle choice.”

  Peter whistled, but hot rage burned in my ears, silencing the growing thirst. Why on earth did I bother trying to keep him safe when he insisted on running headfirst into trouble?

  “What happened?” Peter asked, moving aside to let Eddie into the tiny room.

  “They welcomed me with open arms, and we had a nice little chat about volunteering and the possibility of being turned into a vampire, at least, until one of them recognised me and got suspicious. Then, they kicked me out… after they taught me a lesson.” He tried to wink, but his eye was already half-closed.

  Esther gasped. “You poor thing.”

  I gave a little snort. Poor thing, my arse.

  Carl laughed, although the smile turned into a wince when Esther dabbed at his face with something Eddie handed her. I hoped it stung. Bad.

  “Anyway,” he said hurriedly, seeing my expression darken. “They told me it’s possible to become a vampire, but you have to take a lot of tests first. Most people don’t make it past that point. Besides Becca, there have only been two other possible candidates. One lives with the coven, the other doesn’t. The formula arrives a couple of times a week, one of the volunteers usually collects it so they can feed the vampire who delivers it.”

  “Pretty good, Carl,” Peter said, giving him a nod.

  “Wait, there’s more. Becca needs the formula more often than the others now. She’s been picking it up from the delivery vamp so he can inject her and bite her straight off. The deliveries have been bumped up over the last fortnight—just for her.” He relaxed in his chair, looking satisfied.

  “Is that enough for you?” Peter asked Esther.

  “I can work with that.” She lifted Carl’s shirt to tend to a wound that was still bleeding. His scent filled the air, deliciously citrusy. My throat ached. As my anger lessened, my thirst grew. I panicked, unable to remember how to control the sensation.

  “I have to get out of here,” I said, sweat rolling down my forehead.

  Eddie took one look at me and shouted at Peter to get me outside. The disappointment on Peter’s face was like a jab to the gut, but I let him drag me out of the room. As soon as I was away from Carl, my heart stopped racing so fast. Peter kept pulling me until we got outside, and I was able to suck in deep gulps of fresh air.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, little more than a whimper.

  “Get in the car,” was all he said.

  Peter led the way in silence. I cursed my overt reaction to Carl’s blood. I had been completely unprepared for the sudden need.

  “You feeling okay now?” he asked, after a few minutes of us sitting in the car.

  I shrugged. “I was fine once we got outside.” I hesitated. “I wouldn’t have hurt him.”

  He looked over at me for a few seconds, but I couldn’t face him. “I know,” he responded.

  “I don’t know why I…” I heaved a sigh. “I just panicked.”

  “It’s a small room,” he said. “Too many people. Too much stress and nervous excitement. He’s not scared of you. He’ll be fine.”

  “Too bad he isn’t scared of me.” I remembered how stupid Carl had been. Even if they weren’t vampires, the volunteers were supporters of creatures who didn’t value human life. It had been an idiotic move on his part.

  “Don’t be so hard on him,” Peter said. “He did good. Now we know we have to keep a close eye on Becca. It’s all working out.”

  I stared out the window. “We gonna talk about earlier?”

  “Probably not.”

  I glared at him. “We have to find out what it was.”

  He rubbed the tattoo on his wrist. “And we will. When all of this is over.”

  “I think I’m scared.” I didn’t even mean the trial, although that was a weight on my shoulders. I meant of black shadows and dodgy Guardians, of Eddie with his trapped souls, of my thirst, and even of Peter. I was terrified.

  Peter’s hand found mine and squeezed. I wrapped my fingers around his and watched people go by, feeling comfort from his solid warmth. I knew he would be around until the trouble ended.

  “Becca cared about Maximus,” I said, letting go of his hand. He pulled it back to his body as if nothing had happened.

  “So?”

  “She cried about his death. He really meant something to her. Gideon took over by fooling Maximus, probably by working with Daimhín to help me kill him. Becca’s the only one who acted loyal.” I frowned, wondering how she could care about such a creature.

  “If she cared about him that much then she should hate Gideon, so why is she his pet now?” Peter said.

  “Maybe she doesn’t know the full story. Maybe we need to make sure she knows it.”

  He started the car.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “We’re going to your place so you can pick up some of your stuff. Valid reason for you to leave Eddie’s place, right? On the way back, we might as well pay another visit to Becca. Let’s test out your theory.”

  I felt like hugging him. I had hated being away from my small flat for so long.

  Peter was pretty quiet on the drive over, but it wasn’t as awkward as things had once been between us. Still, I tried to make conversation.

  “What’s with the tattoos?” I asked, as his sleeve bunched up to reveal the cross on his inner wrist.

  “Protection,” he said gruffly.

  “Tattooed crosses work?”

  “Yep. As long as the ink is blessed. Mostly, it psyches out the vampires when they see it.”

  “I can imagine,” I said, thinking of how I always reacted to it. “What about the other tattoos?”

  He cleared his throat. “Which ones?”

  “How many you got?”

  “A few.” His lips curved upward.

  “Okay, what’s the one on your arm mean?”

  “It’s an old Celtic inscription. It’s supposed to protect your soul.”

  I thought about the shadow that had clung to Peter’s soul. Although stuck fast, it hadn’t sunk in; I wondered if the tattoo could have really protected him from harm.

  There were no vampire followers outside my home when we got there. My landlord wasn’t around, and my neighbour wasn’t peeking out of her door. Bliss. I got inside and almost squealed with joy. I sank into my favourite chair and made a happy sound. Home.

  I opened my eyes to see Peter smirking at me, but I didn’t care. “I’m going to shower,” I told him. “Make yourself at home. Make sure that kettle’s full,” I added as I headed to my bedroom.

  For the first time, I was glad of the communal hot water because there actually was some in the taps. I removed my bandage carefully. I felt glad I wasn’t human when I saw how well it had healed, despite everything. Feeling ecstatically happy, I washed my hair with my shampoo and soaped my body with my shower gel so I smelled like myself again. I dressed, then towel-dried my hair as I joined Peter in the living room. I turned on the kettle and combed my hair, still finding joy in the most mundane of actions.

  “You’re looking very chirpy,” Peter said, his eyebrows rising.

  “I hate staying with Eddie. I love being home. Plus, no more bandages for me.” I headed back into the bathroom. I found my moisturiser and spent a whole minute
rubbing some onto my face. My skin loved me for it, and every familiar action brought me peace. The aching thirst vanished completely.

  When I returned, Peter was hovering by the counter, standing by some cups.

  “It’s okay. I’ll do that.” I moved past him in the kitchenette, the sudden proximity setting my skin on fire. I chanced a look at his eyes and saw they were flaring with the same intensity I felt. He wasn’t looking at me like Ava, the would-be vampire or Ava, the daywalker. He was staring at Ava, the woman, and that sent a shiver down my spine.

  “I take sugar,” he said, and I gulped. I wasn’t even sure why. I moved toward him again, expecting him to step aside. He stood his ground, and I had to reach over his shoulder to grab the sugar from the press. As I leaned away from him, I caught his scent. Instead of my mouth watering, my whole body suddenly heated up with longing. My cheeks flushed red as his body followed mine, closing the space between us.

  Scared I might drop it, I rested the sugar on the counter. I looked up at Peter, not recognising what I saw in his eyes. Still he moved, his body finally touching mine. I let myself lean against him, not even thinking about it.

  He slid one hand across my waist, then looped his finger through my waistband and pulled me close with ease. I gripped the counter to steady myself as his other palm cupped my cheek, his thumb resting on my lips.

  I froze, too scared to move in case I broke the spell. He licked his bottom lip, his eyes flickering from mine to my mouth. I barely covered the deep sigh my body couldn’t contain. He moved his face closer, leaning his forehead against mine, our noses barely touching.

  My heart raced even as his did. I realised I was holding on to him just as his heart began to skid rapidly along in his chest. I relished the effect I had on him and felt my stomach flutter at the notion. His eyes were heartbreakingly soft and young, the way he would have been if life hadn’t screwed him over.

  Holding his gaze, I lifted my chin. Braver now, I felt ready to take a risk, but a bang on the door interrupted everything. Just like that, the mood snapped; Peter moved away, avoiding my eyes. Frustrated beyond belief, I answered the door without checking and regretted it instantly when I saw my landlord standing there, his piggy eyes squinting with anger.