Whispers in the Dark

by Niranjan K

  He nodded. “He's my brother first.” he said quietly. “He always has been.”

  Ray nodded before bending his head and started chopping the rest of the vegetables. “You know, despite everything, I've never thought of Jon and you as close,” he said. “Till today.”

  Jon had come to Alistair when he lost his fledgeling. Alistair had gone to Jon in similar circumstances. How many centuries had they been leaning on each other in times of need? How had he never thought of it before?

  “I wouldn't call us close, either.” Alistair said. “It's just... we feel more comfortable opening up to each other? Before you, I wouldn't have dreamt of going to anyone else when I had need of a shoulder to cry on, and Jon... It has always been me for him, and I know we should have discussed this, but-”

  “No, it's all right,” Ray smiled at him, showing both his support and his disbelief. “I mean if Dan or Anton or Eve or Mom needed me, even in the middle of the night, I would be there. He's your family.”

  “Jon can hardly be equated to the members of your family.” Alistair said. “I mean he's obnoxious, abrasive and has the ability to piss off just about anyone. But you're right. He is my family.”

  “Was he older to you?”

  Alistair shook his head, his spoon held suspended in mid-air. “Nope. He was the youngest.” Alistair's voice had softened. “Our father was a farmer. There were three of us. Edgar was the oldest, the one who was to be the Chief's standard bearer when he was old enough. I was the middle son, the one everyone's eyes slid off, as if I wasn't there, with the result I got into more trouble than any other boy in my village, vying for attention I suppose, and Jon... he was rambunctious, but in a way that made him everyone's favourite. He was the apple of my parents' eyes.” Alistair gave the pot a few vigorous stirs before turning off the stove and removing it from the heat.

  Ray started tossing the salad, while Alistair got out the bowls.

  “What was it like?” Ray asked. “Living on earth?”

  He wanted to ask more, about what happened to Edgar, about how Jon became a Vampire, about how he turned Alistair, but didn't. They had time after all.

  Earth, though. He had never been to earth; the mother planet had regulations that were a mile long and Dan had assured him it was nothing much. Ray had always been fascinated by it. About how life chose that planet, about how man evolved and promptly set out to destroy everything that kept them alive, about how the first vampire evolved sometime in the bronze age, about how the vampires survived and evolved, always staying hidden.

  “Earth was...” Alistair smiled softly, reminiscently. “Perfect would be an understatement. The village where we lived was on the edge of a forest and wild animals abounded. We farmed the land with instruments that were crude. We used animals for work. We were hungry more often than not, but we killed only for food and in defending ourselves.” His voice became wistful as did his expression, and Ray could not tear his eyes away. “We never took more than we needed, never cut down a tree except for our survival. To build our houses and to burn our fires. There was no money in those days. We gave away our grains, vegetables, milk and meat in return for furs and implements and knives and animals. We had little, but we fed everyone with what we had. It wasn't a perfect life, but it wasn't a bad one.”

  “Money, the root of all evils.” Ray murmured.

  “I think that humanity would have been better off bartering their essentials. Perhaps we would still have been on earth.” Alistair said softly, ladling the stew on to a bowl. The aroma made Ray's mouth water

  “Do you miss it?”

  Alistair shrugged as he poured himself a glass of blood. “I was one of the first on this planet. This is my home now, and earth... It's good that we didn't destroy it as seemed inevitable at one point.”

  Ray had heard the stories, of how people of all countries came together in what history called the biggest and most bloodless revolution of all time. They declared they would do no productive work, sabotaged every single machine they could and demanded that the planet be protected and that conservation of Nature had to take priority over development.

  “We are ready to go without better technology and more convenience if that means our children would have fresher air and water,” they had said.

  The Movement had saved earth, had forced people in power to focus on nature in lieu of money.

  They ate in silence, Alistair was probably remembering his life on earth, and Ray was thinking of all the history lessons he had. “When this hunt is over,” he said. “Can we go to earth together?” It struck him that this was an almost proposal. Earth was the most popular destination for couples on honeymoons.

  Alistair nodded. “I'd like that.”

  “We should get started on unpacking your last box.” Ray said.

  “It's only books.” Alistair said, his eyes flickering to Ray's bookshelves in the living room which were all full.

  “We'll get a shelf and we'll unpack your box. There's room for another shelf.”

  Alistair smiled at him. “If you say so. It's your house.”

  “And I have four more credits to increase the area of the house.” Ray said.

  This was why he had got a house instead of a flat. He went to the panel in the wall and entered his ID number and the area he wanted based on the size of Alistair's box. “Huh, took only one.” he said. “We're building a shelf after lunch.” He punched in a few more numbers on the panel. “What do you say?”

  “I'm game.” Alistair said.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  The shelf didn't take long. Alistair hadn't known Ray was good with work like this. It surprised him how little he knew of Ray even after knowing him virtually all his life. The unpacking was a different thing altogether because Ray had comments on every book.

  “Dracula. I loved it despite its many inaccuracies.”

  “He did his best.” Alistair said.

  “Whom did he model the character on?” Ray asked, openly curious.

  “On a man who was never a vampire.” Alistair said, taking the book and shelving it. “To the best of my knowledge, the author had never met a vampire.”

  “Huh,” Ray picked up the next book. “Dracula's Estate. Did you keep them sorted alphabetically?”

  “Some people like some order in their books.” Alistair held out his hand, but Ray was looking at the book with a nostalgic smile.

  “I loved this book, you know? Dad had a first edition which he wouldn't allow me to touch after I read it for the fourth time. I saved up my pocket money to buy a paperback edition that I then proceeded to read literally to shreds.”

  “It's a classic.” Alistair agreed, finally taking it from him and putting it in the new shelf. “I'm surprised you're not talking of the inaccuracies in that one.”

  “I never noticed them while I was reading.” Ray confessed, a sheepish look on his face.

  Alistair grinned.

  “Dracul.” Ray said. “Why am I not surprised? And do you have anything other than vampire books in here?”

  “I may have brought some fantasy as well,” Alistair said. “Everything else I left behind.”

  “And do you have anything written in, I don't know, the last two centuries?”

  “I don't read new books.” Alistair said with a perfectly straight face.

  Ray made a snort of disgust and as Alistair dissolved into laughter, he dropped Dracul back into the box and lunged at him. “You ass!”

  Alistair caught him and kissed him, still laughing.

  “Bedroom.” Ray said.

  “We always make it there.” Alistair murmured, kissing him.

  “I would like to get there at normal speed,” Ray stood up and pulled him up.

  “If we're interrupted again, I'll kill whoever it is.” Alistair said.

  “Better put the phones in silent mode then.” Ray whispered, unbuttoning Alistair's shirt. “We should get you some T shirts.”

  Alistair shut him up with a kiss. It was
sometime before either of them could speak. Alistair felt at peace with everything.

  “We should really get you some T shirts.” Ray said. “Much easier to take off.”

  “I am good, thank you.” Alistair said smiling.

  “I don't want to get up,” Ray declared as he half rose and picked up his phone from the floor.

  “There's a bedstand you know,” Alistair said.

  “And we might have knocked it off like we did with yours.” Ray said, smirking. “You can't knock it off the floor.”

  “Can't argue with that logic,” Alistair picked his up from where they had knocked it off.

  Ray had gone very still. “I need to go,” he said, bounding off the bed, and opening his shelf where he kept his hunting gear.

  “Ray?” Alistair was worried. “Do you want me to come with you?”

  Ray shook his head. “No, I've got this. It's not him. It's just another Rogue vampire who had been attacking long term patients in the Gyren Memorial Hospital.”

  “That's odd.” Where was Gyren Memorial? On the way to Criston, wasn't it? Half an hour's drive.

  “A friend of Dan's was dealing with it, but his wife went into labour an hour back, so Dan asked me to have a look since I'm the closest. It's nothing. Just routine.” Ray was dressed in black clothes and had his stake, gun and mini crossbow strapped on to his belt. He put on a white coat. “Don't worry about me.”

  “Why the white coat?”

  “Helps blend in the hospital,” Ray said. “Most people see the coat and assume you belong there.”

  “Be careful.”

  Ray nodded, kissed him and said, “Don't start on the books without me.”

  Alistair nodded. “I won't.”

  With Ray gone, the house seemed too big and empty. Time was passing too slowly. Alistair didn't want to go outside, because he didn't want to leave Jon. He might be waking up soon. He went into each of the rooms just for something to do. Jon was still sound asleep, his slow breath and the soft rise and fall of his chest reassuring.

  Let him sleep. His nightmare will still be waiting when he wakes.

  Alistair turned on the TV, but kept the volume low, as he flipped the channels and stopped on a nature channel about Earth and the animals there. This episode dealt with dolphins, and Alistair sat back to enjoy the show. Most of the earth aquatic animals were absent here since they couldn't adapt to the artificial water or much of the living conditions. Finally, scientists had stopped trying. There was still research going on how to replicate the large water bodies earth had so they could have the same aquatic life here. Though some species adapted to the artificial water, most didn't. Dolphins were a creature that was exclusive to earth.

  “Can I have something to drink?” Jon asked, his voice raspy as he came towards him, wobbling a bit. Alistair helped him onto the couch and brought him the bottle of artificial blood. Jon drank straight from the bottle and stopped only when the bottle was empty. “He didn't say that stuff makes you thirsty as fuck.” Jon said, slurring a bit.

  “You're still groggy.” Alistair said.

  “I know. Isn't that a great feeling? We always wake fully as soon as we open our eyes. I'd forgotten how it felt to feel drowsy, your limbs still heavy, and-” Jon yawned. “And everything seems distant, and all you want is to sleep again.” He yawned again. “I would have, except I was so thirsty.”

  He snuggled close to Alistair and threw his arms around him, burrowing his face in Alistair's chest. “You're a good brother. Always were. Sorry I'm so difficult. Get scared one day I'll drive you off too.”

  What the hell was in that pill? He had to ask Ray. If Jon remembered any of this, he was probably going to run as far as he could and never come back. “Jon?”

  But Jon was asleep already. Alistair didn't disturb him, going back to watching the programme on Dolphins.

  “You'll never drive me away,” he said to his sleeping brother, sighing as he thought of the nights he used to comfort Jon from his night fears. The made-up stories he used to tell till Jon fell asleep, and sometimes Edgar would join them, holding them both in his arms and telling them of places he'd been to, of all the others who were jealous because he was the one selected as the Chief's standard bearer, of the girl he hoped one day to marry. Edgar had always been such a shadowy presence in their lives that Alistair was surprised he remembered him with such clarity.

  Jon stirred, and muttered something, tears spilling from between his closed lids.

  “Hush.” Alistair murmured. “It's okay. I've got you.”

  He couldn't help worrying about Ray either, even when he knew he was perfectly capable of handling one rogue vampire.

  Chapter Forty

  Ray wasn't sure what to expect. Rogue Vampires were unpredictable and most were clever enough to pass their kills off as accidents. This was in a hospital, so that made it easier. No one had died yet, but Seth was certain some of the patients were being fed on. The council was focused on the rogue who was actually killing people that this one didn't catch their attention.

  At least he isn't killing anyone.

  Yet. It was only a matter of time. He went through Seth's notes and observations. Dan had always spoken highly of Seth and Ray could see why. He was thorough and meticulous.

  Ray visited one of the victims. Maria Brown, a coma patient for the last three years, and now some dirtbag vampire had thought to turn her into his personal blood bag. Ray clenched his fists and evened his breathing. It wouldn't help anyone if he were to get angry.

  He examined the tiny puncture marks on her wrist. They were evidently made by a vampire. He started examining the other patients too. The vampire had been careful. He drank a little from everyone, leaving alone only one. The patient named Don Severn. He was a frail old man who was on life support. Did the vampire leave him alone because even minor loss of blood would have killed him or because of his blood type? Seth had no theories. But then most hunters had not been vampires and didn't know of their aversion to the same type of blood they had.

  Alistair is lucky he and Jon don’t have the same blood type.

  Especially considering they were brothers.

  Ray had to make a decision. Seth could find no pattern to the vampire's attacks. It was completely random. The patients were not all in the same ward, so he couldn't watch them all. Seth had also said he was put to sleep on two nights and drank from. That was a risk Ray wasn't comfortable taking. Hunters often got bitten during hunts. Some wolfsbane mixed in rose water would fix the wound, but still Ray didn't like the thought of being helpless and in a vampire's power.

  Unless it's Alistair. He could feel his cheeks grow warm. Focus, Ray.

  All the patients were not in the same room, but they were on the same floor. All the wards had large windows facing east. There was a building across the street on the east side. Its roof should give him a good view of the rooms. The distance between the two buildings couldn't be more than ten yards. His mini crossbow had an effective range of thirty yards. He should be able to get an accurate shot at ten. It also had a telescopic attachment. Most vampires when they used their powers didn't put entire neighbourhoods to sleep, preferring only the people in the room or at the most in the building. Seth had been hidden in one of the patient's rooms when he was put to sleep.

  Ray left the hospital and crossed the street to the other building which was a cheap hotel. He went to the alley next to it, made sure there were no cameras, removed his coat, bundled his weapons in it, and went inside. He took a room on the top floor and once alone, took his weapons and exited through the window, using the fire escape it to climb to the roof. He assembled the telescopic extension and lay down, waiting.

  The roof was cold and hard against his stomach and his arms ached from holding the crossbow in the same position. He legs were stiff and he shook them slightly, flexing his arms too. When the vampire came, he would need to act swiftly, and he couldn't be slowed down by pins and needles.

  The vampire appeared in
the middle of one room so suddenly Ray had to blink twice. He took careful aim and shot. The wooden stake had a barbed end that would embed in the flesh and stop him from healing and it was made of ash, so he wouldn't be able to transport himself away without removing the stake. The barbed end would make removal extremely difficult and that was all the time he had.

  He fired three arrows in quick succession, each finding a different part. One was on its arm, other on its shoulder and the third on its thigh. He got up, dropping the crossbow, and picking up the stake, sprinted down the fire escape, putting on the white coat as he reached the hospital and sprinting up the steps, ignoring both the lift and the pain radiating from his calves and thighs. He was out of shape.

  The vampire had got out the tiny stakes from its thigh and arm and it was bleeding profusely. It snarled at the sight of him, and lunged at him at super speed. Ray was a fraction slow with the stake. The creature's teeth took a large chunk off his arm before his stake found its heart. It was one of the old ones, so it disintegrated, even the blood gone. But his own blood wouldn't disappear so conveniently. Fortunately, he was in a hospital and everyone on the floor was asleep. He found a supply room, and dressed his wound. He would take care of it when he got home.

  He went to a broom closet and got out the cleaning supplies and cleaned the blood off the floor. After putting the supplies back, he dumped the blood-stained cotton along with the coat and stake in the garbage chute and made his way out, going back up the fire escape of the other building to collect his gun and crossbow from the roof and climbing down to the room he had been in.

  Ray paused, surprised, as he saw Alistair in his room. Perhaps he shouldn't have been. Alistair's face was inscrutable, but Ray knew that was only a facade. When had he learnt to read Alistair so well? “Did you track my phone?”

  Alistair nodded, looking at him. “Please tell me that all the blood that I smell is not yours.”

  Ray shrugged, “It's not. But some of it is.” He smiled at Alistair. “Take us home?”