by Emma Mills
‘You are one tasty piece of meat… one I’m going to enjoy feasting on,’ the other said, as I swung my leg out to kick him in the ribs.
This time I wasn’t so lucky. With viper-fast reaction he caught my foot and pulled me forward, knocking me off balance and sending me careering onto my back. I heard the floorboards crack as I landed and barely had time to curl my legs in before the vampire landed on top of me. I kicked out and sent him flying, but the other was already in his place, his hands holding my head, his thumb digging under my chin. I screamed, aware it might be my last chance and the vampire lunged for my neck.
I writhed underneath him and, seeing a blue flash, had moments to take in what was happening before pressing my body back into the floorboards with everything I had. Blood came spurting out of the vampire’s open mouth and poured onto my chest, making me gag. He writhed and rolled off me, Leo’s sword embedded all the way through his spine, till it came out of his chest.
‘Oh god, I hurt you, I’m so sorry, it was so hard to tell,’ Leo said, his worried face looking down on me.
I moved my hands down to my belly and could feel wet blood there, but I wasn’t sure if it was mine or the vampire’s, and I didn’t have time to find out because another was already running at us and the last had already managed to pull the sword out and snapped it in two.
‘I think we’re out of luck,’ I said, as I scrambled onto my feet and backed up towards the door with Leo by my side.
They came at us together, a blur of fangs and outstretched arms.
‘Burn in hell!’ Saffy and Brittany yelled, appearing behind us.
Tiny mini suns shot out of their palms and scored direct hits, sending both vamps reeling across the room, their bodies quickly turning black as the glowing balls hit their chests and turned into bright white sunlight.
I closed my eyes, screaming as Brittany dragged me out of the cottage and outside. She placed her hands on my chest and soothed me with freezing jolts of ice-cool energy. I opened my eyes but couldn’t see anything except bright yellow circles burned into my vision, just like I’d looked at an eclipse.
‘My eyes… I can’t see,’ I sobbed.
‘Shhh, you’ll be fine. It’ll pass, just close your eyes,’ she whispered, placing her cool hands over my eyes.
I relaxed back, allowing the realisation that we had survived to calm me, and the adrenaline that had increased my heartbeat to dissipate.
‘Is she okay?’ Leo asked, minutes later.
I didn’t hear Brittany’s reply but I felt movement through her hands so I guessed she was nodding… or shaking her head, one or the other. I smiled a little, but my skin felt parched, itchy.
‘Did no one teach you not to look at the sun?’ Saffy drawled. ‘You should also maybe think about wearing sunscreen,’ she added.
I scowled, and regretted it.
‘I wasn’t expecting you to throw balls of sunshine into the room,’ I mumbled, trying not to move my mouth too much. ‘What’s wrong with fireballs?’
‘Sorry Jess, it was a last minute plan. It took ages to find a way to reverse the null bomb, and when we came back into the cottage they were about to finish you. Fireballs would have burnt the cottage down, and we might not have got out in time. We needed something vampire specific.’
I nodded and opened my eyes, smiling up at Brittany.
I could see her outline now, but there were still rings of light interfering with my sight. I looked around us and could see nothing more than the outline of the trees and shrubs against the sky.
‘It’s still so dark. What time is it?’ I asked, feeling my skin begin to regenerate.
‘Nearly six,’ Saffy said, sitting down on a rock beside me. ‘We’ll need to move soon if you want to fly before the sun comes up.’
‘The Council will want to question us about the attack. They’ll want to clear up and try to identify the vamps,’ Leo said. ‘Did you recognise any of them?’
I shook my head.
‘Maybe one of them seemed familiar, but not really,’ I said.
‘And there are only two bodies left in there and a load of ash,’ Brittany said.
‘I think we’d better stay here until the Guard arrives. I’ve already called them,’ Leo said. ‘The Scottish Guard can get here in about fifteen minutes.’
I nodded.
‘Works for me. We can tell them what happened and I can get some energy back before we fly home. The sun won’t be a problem till noon, so we’ve got time.’
‘I’m going to see what food Brooke’s got in the kitchen. I’m starving,’ Leo said. ‘Anyone else?’
The girls nodded and followed him in.
‘I think I’ll go and have an icy Scottish shower,’ I said. ‘I’m not fond of wearing vampire blood.’
The shower was blissful. I sighed as the freezing water poured over my still too hot skin and washed away the dried rivulets of vampire blood that covered my body. I winced as it cleaned the fresh scar on my shoulder and inspected it. The skin had knitted back together but as the vampire had bitten a chunk out there was now a dip, a shallow recess where the bone and flesh should have been. I frowned and wondered what Daniel would make of it, if he’d even made it back to Manchester…
Chapter Nine
We had waited with Leo until the Scottish Guard arrived, going through everything that had happened, and left them clearing the house and arranging for transportation of the two vampire prisoners. Leo was flying back to report in at his HQ in York, so it was Saffy, Brittany and I who flew back to Manchester.
It was mid-morning and the sun was about as high as it was going to get by the time we sank down out of the freezing January clouds into Daniel’s garden.
‘Do you think he’ll be home?’ Brittany whispered, as we made our way through the trees and onto the lawn.
I shrugged. I desperately wanted to see him, but he had acted so strange lately, and Eva’s words were still needling.
‘You’re back! Oh my goodness, what happened to you?’ Susannah asked as she crossed the lawn to join us.
Brittany smirked.
‘I thought I’d healed,’ I whispered, squinting at Susannah through the golden ring of fire that still burned in my irises.
‘Four vamps turned up at Brooke’s house whilst we were napping. They had a null bomb, so there wasn’t much Saffy and I could do…’ Brittany began, before trailing off. ‘Jess?’
‘He’s home,’ I said, taking off at a jog across the lawn, my eyes glued to the tall silhouette in the upper window, my bedroom.
Racing through the kitchen, I ran through the hallway and took the stairs three at a time. I pushed open my bedroom door and stopped. He was home.
‘Jess,’ he whispered, his voice hoarse.
‘Hi,’ I said uncertainly, suddenly worrying how I looked, for Susannah had noticed something from halfway across the lawn.
‘Oh God, Jess… what happened?’ Daniel said, striding across the room and reaching over my shoulder to push the door closed behind us.
I gulped, lost for words, as he gently reached up and slid Brooke’s borrowed t-shirt off my shoulder. His finger trailed slowly across the wound, making me shiver and I felt my arms slipping automatically around his waist.
‘Jess?’
I was unable to talk, and all the worry, stress and shock from my recent battle formed a huge lump in my throat. I looked up at him, taking in his familiar earthy scent. His russet eyes shone down at me and switched on the furnace deep inside my belly.
‘Your eyes, they look strange?’ he whispered. ‘You’re so pale… and your shoulder. Who did this to you?’ he asked.
I shook my head and managed to speak.
‘Kiss me,’ I whispered. ‘I missed you so much.’
With his thumb caressing my cheek, he gently tilted my head back and I felt his lips brushing mine gently. I closed my eyes, luxuriating in the sensation, ignoring the halo of yellow that refused to disappear from my sight, regardless of whether my eyes
were open or closed. I pulled him closer and felt him gasp slightly as I opened my mouth and flicked my tongue against his.
I pulled back, feeling slightly dizzy with exhaustion and, taking his hand, led him to my beautiful Victorian bed. He pushed me back and kissed me again. The drag of his sharp canines pressed into my lower lip, making beads of blood rise to the surface. I moaned and pressed my mouth harder against his. He pulled back slightly before gently lowering himself down to suck gently at my lip. My lazy pulse began to beat faster, a leftover from my human days, a reaction to the emotions zipping round my body like fireworks. Everything became a little fuzzy around the edges as I reached up and under his t-shirt and raked my nails down his back. He moaned and pressed himself into me, pulling back so I could tug the t-shirt over his head.
He looked down at me and smiled, his dark hair falling in soft waves, framing his high cheekbones and glittering ruby eyes.
‘Kiss me again,’ I demanded, pulling him back down to meet my lips, my fingers sliding through his hair as his lips met mine.
I gently pushed at his shoulders, rolling with him and we moved across the bed, this time me on top, placing fluttery kisses along his cheekbone and down towards his neck. Once I reached his neck I pressed my lips against the taut skin, grazing my now extended fangs against his flesh, hearing him growl with pleasure. I pulled back and looked at him, silently asking permission for something I knew he wanted. He nodded and pushed my head gently back towards his neck.
Straddling his bare chest, I bit down hard, my fangs easily slipping into his skin and felt his blood flooding my mouth. I closed my eyes and lost myself in its taste, feeling Daniel’s hand slip under my top and caress my skin. I pulled back and licked my lips, he pulled me back towards him and our mouths met, kissing each other ferociously this time, our teeth clashing clumsily, the pain in my shoulder becoming a distant memory as nothing but pleasure assaulted my senses.
‘Oh Jessie,’ Daniel murmured as he rolled me gently off him and we lay facing each other on the bed.
I leant in again offering more kisses.
‘Don’t think you’re going to distract me. You still haven’t told me what trouble you got into and how you ended up with such injuries. Eva told me that you had disappeared on some mad-cap scheme to save the world, but she said you wouldn’t tell her what it was…’
‘Really?’ I spat, anger rising easily in my throat. ‘Actually, I went over to tell her the entire plan. Leo and I realised that Brooke… remember, the elemental witch that’s Leo’s girlfriend? Well, she is the only witch capable of turning back time. She has the power to go back in time to pre-warn the Council of last night’s events. Therefore we thought we’d better get to her before one of the rogue vampires thought the same thing…’
‘Oh, Jessie!’ he said, sitting bolt upright so suddenly that I almost fell off the bed.
‘Hey!’
‘Sorry, but you were bang on. I can’t believe we didn’t think of her…’
‘You vamps are always so wrapped up in your own kind that you think you’re bigger,’ I grumbled. ‘Try having a foot in both worlds sometime!’
‘But Eva didn’t mention any of this,’ he said ignoring my jibe.
I shook my head.
‘She was being particularly pig-headed, ever since she got back from London. Well, once it all kicked off she went into a huddle with Sebastian’s cronies and when I went over to talk to her, she didn’t want to listen. So I told her we were going. I didn’t even know if you were coming home or not…’ I paused, feeling emotional.
‘You should have made her listen, Jess.’
‘Easier said than done, especially when she’s acting like a souped-up vampire from hell!’
‘She’s had a really hard time recently. I’m sure she didn’t mean to… you know she really cares about you,’ he said quietly.
‘It’s fine…’
‘No, it’s not. You nearly got killed. So you flew off to find Brooke then?’
I nodded.
‘She wasn’t there. She’s gone. It looks like she went in a rush sometime around the news breaking. The kettle was still lukewarm when we got there.’
‘Do you think they have her?’
I shook my head.
‘Definitely not! There was no sign of a struggle and the ‘they’ you talk about all turned up a couple of hours later, when we had decided to have a nap before flying home. They had a null bomb, Daniel. Saffy and Brittany were powerless, so it was just Leo and me… against four of them.’ My voice caught in my throat as I relived it and told Daniel the rest of the story.
‘My god! I could have lost you,’ he mumbled, leaning down to kiss me.
I pushed him back and stared into his eyes. Did he want me to let him go? I couldn’t believe it.
‘Daniel, what’s going on with us? You’ve been weird lately, distant…’ I said, almost whispering, half dreading the answer.
He pulled away and sat up, moving back so he was resting against the headboard. He was backing off, pulling away from me! All of a sudden he looked like a different man, and his face had lost its gentle admiration and taken on a faraway look.
‘It doesn’t matter, it’s fine. Just forget I asked, okay,’ I said hurriedly, regretting asking the question in the first place. My stupid big mouth!
‘Jess, come here,’ he said, patting the pillow next to him and smiling.
I stayed put, my back to him but my face half turned towards him.
‘Eva says I should let you go,’ I mumbled. ‘Do you want that? Is it true?’ I asked.
‘What?’ he asked, his voice incredulous.
‘She did. She said that I wasn’t a normal vampire and you should have a chance to sire a true vampire partner!’
He laughed out loud and I turned round to face him full on. He was gorgeous and I didn’t care that he was laughing at me. He eyes sparkled and his full lips curled upwards, lighting his face. It was infectious. I laughed with him and crawled over to him.
‘I knew she was wrong,’ I whispered.
‘Or maybe she’s not,’ he whispered back wickedly.
‘Shut up and kiss me some more,’ I said, pulling his face towards mine.
‘Seriously, Jess, how could you think that?’ he asked, frowning slightly and pulling away from my embrace.
‘I told you, I didn’t believe her, but she’s been a right cow and then I haven’t been able to get hold of you. You stopped calling me…’
‘I called you only yesterday,’ he said.
‘For about ten seconds and you were weird,’ I accused.
‘How was I weird?’ he asked, his eyes sparkling.
‘You have been weird and aloof all week, and then Eva comes home and tells me to give you space. What the bloody hell am I supposed to think?’
He sighed.
‘I’m sorry. I don’t deal with time apart from you well and work has been…’
‘Shit?’ I suggested.
He nodded, grinning.
‘I need to talk to you more,’ he said.
I nodded.
‘But you weren’t allowed. All because I refuse to go on Sebastian’s books,’ I said.
‘Jess, that shouldn’t matter. I was wrong. I should still have talked to you. There were things I could have talked about. These last couple of days have been crazy. We thought we were the only ones that could sort it out. It was vampire business and Sebastian didn’t want anyone else involved… but now we are all involved anyway. And you! Without any of our leads you go and destroy the entire northern half of the New Year plot and help catch four key vampires. Sebastian said that the girl you saved was going to be bait for a vampire reveal that would happen in Manchester straight after the London one, and you stopped it, Jess.’
I smiled.
‘I am pretty awesome,’ I whispered, bending to kiss him again.
‘So we’re okay then?’ I asked.
He nodded.
‘Very much my darling, we are more than
okay.’
‘Will you be able to stay here now?’ I asked.
‘I hope so, we’ll have to see.’
‘Well I’m coming to London with you, if you go back. You said it yourself; you’re not good with us being apart… well, neither am I!’
‘Oh Jess, I’d love that, but the Council will want you here. Your work is here.’
‘Not for much longer, I’m handing my notice in next week,’ I said. I’ve been thinking about it for weeks, and now I’m going to do it.’
Chapter Ten
By the following morning the London New Year celebrations were all over the world. Pick any news channel and… ‘Do Vampires Really Exist? What Should We Do About Them? Is it a Hoax? Monsters Stalk Humans in Our Cities!’ or some similar headline would be scrolling across the bottom of the page. I had been to visit my boss in the Northern HQ council buildings after my chat with Daniel, and we had come to a surprisingly easy agreement that worked for both of us. I would officially hand my notice in and be free to choose my own work, which is what I wanted, and in return they would unofficially use me for undercover jobs. I was thrilled.
‘It must be because they saw how I handled myself in Scotland,’ I told Brittany later. ‘They don’t doubt that I’ll fight my own kind if necessary.’
‘It’s weird how easily they agreed though,’ Eva said quietly, when I told her and Daniel.
‘I don’t care. Maybe for once someone actually believes in me,’ I said, staring at her.
As soon as the Big Ben footage had hit our screens the Angelic Guard had mobilised and, by the time the report had switched over to the newborn Vampire, in what had turned out to be Hyde Park, the Guard had arrived at the first location where, unseen by the humans below, they had cast a memory bubble over the frantic crowd. Within five minutes all those who had not fled, which was the majority, were cleaned. The camera crew were also cleaned and everyone was told the same story, that it was an elaborate hoax set up by the renowned street magician, David Dynamite. David himself was tracked down and the new story was implanted into his memory. It was the biggest cover-up in history, but with only a handful of witnesses left to be found the Council said they were feeling optimistic. Even the Prime Minister had been taken aside by an aide and told the new story.