by Avery Kloss
“That’s kinda the least of her problems now, don’t you think?” Gabe glanced at me. “I should take you home. I’m sorry, honey.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“Yes, it is. This one’s on me. If we weren’t involved, this wouldn’t have happened.”
Clive came to see what the issue was, standing behind me. Being human, he did not want to get any closer to a newborn vampire either. The room smelled badly. Gabe noted his arrival.
“I know you need help. I’ll be up in a second.” He glanced at Miller. “She needs to feed. That’ll help settle her down a bit. All we can do now is feed her and make her comfortable. It might be months before she’s out of this stage.”
“Yes, boss.” He strode from the room.
“I’ll take over behind the bar,” said Gabe. “You’re under the weather.”
“I can do it,” said Clive. “I took some Pepto-Bismol. I’ll survive.”
Gabe gently touched my shoulder. “I’m sorry, Brie. I’m sorry you have to see this, to even know it exists. I’ve ruined the night, I’m afraid.”
“I don’t blame you.” I hugged him, feeling a rush of emotion, wishing we could be alone. “I’ll wait for you in your office. I don’t want to go home.”
Reese knelt before Maven, the newborn hissing at her. “Hey there, Sis. You won’t remember any of this.” She frowned at the state of the girl. “Maybe I can try to wash her. She’s a mess.”
“They aren’t cooperative at all like this,” said Gabe. “But, you can try.” He motioned for me to follow. “If you really want to, you can wait in my office. But, I should just take you home, honey. The night’s pretty much ruined.”
“I’ll stay.”
“You should go home.”
“No.” I remained defiant, needing a moment to think about everything, not wanting to go home just yet. “Go run your bar. Don’t worry about me.”
“This is the worst place in town for you to be. You realize that, don’t you? This is vampire central, and you’re smack in the middle of it.”
I grinned at that, yet I felt perfectly safe with him. “I can take care of myself.”
He kissed my forehead, his lips cool to the touch. “I’ll pour a coupla drinks and see you in a bit. Let me know if you need anything.”
I grasped him tightly. “Just this. This is all I want.”
The situation with Maven bothered me endlessly. To explain her absence, Reese told her mother she went away to stay with friends in Portland. Maven suffered because of her association with me, and that miserable bastard, Thorn, who turned her into a bloodsucker on purpose. As prom approached, I felt even worse. I had wanted to attend with Maven. Now she would miss this momentous occasion and graduation.
“Finally!” said mom, smiling. “Let’s check it out, okay?”
I sat at the bottom of the staircase, and patiently waited for her. “Sounds exciting.” Never having been in the carriage house before, I did not know what to expect.
“I did some digging. The old caretaker used to live there back in the day.”
We headed for the door. “Fascinating.” I wasn’t all that interested in doing this, but mom wanted me to tag along, fearing there might be spiders or snakes in there.
Following the driveway, we arrived at the structure, which stood closest to the street, the building the size of a large house. Big enough to hold carriages, sleighs, and buggies, it also provided stalls for horses, with a tack room and hayloft. Mom inserted the key, which produced a clicking sound. The door swung open.
“So far, so good.” She glanced about the space, the air smelling musty. “It needs a window open.”
I followed behind her, and stood upon well-worn wooden floors. Paint peeled from the walls, exposing wood boards. Not having any heat, the interior felt as chilly as the outside. “It’s in teardown shape, Mom. I wouldn’t even bother.”
She gazed upwards. “It needs work, that’s for sure.”
“A bulldozer, yeah. Just knock it down, and call it a loss.” Less than impressed, I went into the room on the right, where I found an office, with a dusty desk in the middle.
“Let me look around. I’ll decide later what I want to do with it. It has possibilities.”
I could not agree with that statement, heading into another room, where I opened a creaky closet door. Old clothing hung on rusted metal hangers, the smell of mothballs assailing me. “Ugh.”
Mom’s heels clunked on the wood floor, the sound resonating. “I can see making a bedroom here, a kitchen there. It’s not completely out of the realm of possibility. It could be a nice guest house.”
I ventured over to another door, and opened it, which showed a basement area, although it appeared entirely dark. Feeling the wall for a switch, I found one a moment later. A row of single light bulbs glowed dully. I hesitated, experiencing a sudden sense of dread. Finding that emotion odd, I grasped the dusty railing, and took a step into the cold, moldy-smelling space.
Packed dirt made up the floor, with brick walls and a thick layer of cement, which held everything together. The sudden flickering of the lights worried me. I prayed they did not go out, leaving the room in complete darkness. Seeing something odd across the way, I moved towards it, and found a cot that stood a few feet above the ground. Upon closer inspection, there appeared to be a person in a dark blue sleeping bag zipped up to the top.
Stunned, I sucked in a breath of stale air, particles of dust floating before my eyes. With a sickening sense of dread, I reached for the metal tab and pulled it down slowly. This revealed a man’s face, his eyes closed. Pale, nearly white skin glowed beneath the yellowed lights. I did not need to lower the zipper further, recognizing the man at once.
“Wow,” I murmured. “Hello, Thorn, you creepy bastard. You’ve been here all along, haven’t you?”
Vampires slept like the dead, nearly comatose in this state. Glancing around the room, I wished a sharp stake lay nearby, but there wasn’t anything like that. Closing the zipper, I knew what I had to do—what I would do—to rid myself of this problem once and for all. An amazing opportunity had just presented itself.
“Brie? Are you down there?”
“I’m coming up, Mom. There’s nothing here.”
“It sure smells.”
“The whole house smells.” With clear determination, I set forth a plan, and hurried up the stairs, desiring a breath of fresh air. “Can we go?”
She grinned. “Absolutely. I’m glad you came with me. I didn’t want to do this alone.”
“I’m super glad I came too.” We left the building, and mom locked the door. “Yeah, this was worth the effort, that’s for sure.”
“I’ll have to think about what I want to do with it. I’ve some money left over. It has possibilities.”
I glanced at the carriage house over my shoulder. “It sure does.”
Once home, I quickly left again. I ran across the lawn to the Flake residence, where I stood on the front porch and pounded on the door. Anna answered after a moment, wearing an apron. The smell of something delicious assailed me.
“Hello, Brie.” A cat snaked beneath her feet, and purred.
“Smells good, whatever it is.”
“Cinnamon Bundt cake.”
“Yum.”
She eyed me expectantly. “You didn't come over to eat dessert, did you?”
“Nope.” I grinned. “I most certainly didn’t. I’ve some news you might want to hear.”
“And?”
“I found Thorn.”
She blinked. “You did?”
“Yep.”
“Okay.” She waited for me to explain, those green eyes piercing.
“Do you know how to kill a vampire?”
“Of course.”
“Good. I need your help. There’s one sleeping in our carriage house as we speak. I’d like to … get rid of him ... permanently.”
44
The cat rubbed against my ankle, and purred noisily. I bent to pe
t the animal, hearing Anna speak with her mother, who sounded upset. I waited in the entryway, and inhaled the smell of freshly baked cake, my mouth watering.
Anna appeared then, her mother right behind her. “She’s coming with us.” She turned to look at her. “This is Brieanna from next door. Brie, this is my mother, Sandra.”
The older woman approached, and reached out a hand. “Hello, my dear.”
I took it, watching as her smile flattened. Her eyes were the same green as her daughter, with faint wrinkles around the edges. “Hi.”
She had yet to let go of my hand. “That’s extraordinary.”
Pulling free, I asked, “What is?”
“You’ve a certain energy, a potent one.”
“We don’t have time for this,” said Anna. “Thorn’s in her carriage house right now. The day grows late, and we need to kill that son of a bitch. We’ll be free then, and you know it. We can debate later why she’s … special.”
Her mother mulled that over, all the while, staring at me. “I’d love to know more about her, but it’ll have to wait.” A determined look hardened her features. “If we’re going to battle a vampire, we need supplies we don’t have. I haven’t sharpened a stick in a good long while.”
“We don’t need sticks, Mom. We can drag him out in sunlight and let nature take its course.”
“That all sounds easy, but it’s never really easy.” She glanced at herself, saying, “I’m dressed for the occasion.” Wearing a pair of track pants and a sweater, she appeared comfortable. “I don’t care if this gets blood all over it.”
That alarmed me. “Blood?”
“I’m bringing a knife at least and maybe a hammer.”
“You can’t beat him to death,” laughed Sandra. “He’s already dead.”
Anna brushed past her. “You guys go. I’ll catch up. I have a bad feeling about this.”
“Can’t you just say a spell and get rid of him that way?”
“That won’t do a thing.” Sandra went to the door. “Let’s go.”
I fell into step with her, the woman shorter than me, her hair styled in a bob to her shoulders, the color like a golden pumpkin. “So, you’ve lived here all your life?”
“We have.”
“And … you know everyone who’s owned my house?”
“I don’t personally, but the family does. I knew Mrs. Weintraub. She was a nice woman. She’d invite me over for coffee and cookies.”
“And the people who lived there before?”
“My mother knew the Moore’s, Suzie Moore and her family, although Suzie met a bad end. That’s what you get when you associate with vampires.” Anna ran up to us, holding a broom in one hand and a serrated knife and a hammer in the other. Her mother’s eyes widened at the sight. “Please don’t trip and fall. You’ll hurt yourself, honey.”
“Should I have a weapon?” A prickle of fear drifted down my spine. “I’ve never killed … anything before and certainly not a vampire.”
“All of that’s unnecessary,” said Sandra. “We’re going to lift him up and take him outside. Easy peasy. The sun will work wonders.” She smiled at the heavens. “Thankfully, it’s a beautiful day. We might’ve had trouble, if it was overcast.”
Upon reaching the building, I unlocked the door. I stole the keys from my mother before I left the house. It stank of stale air and must and the floor creaked in places from loose planks.
“It’s this way.”
Anna glanced around. “I’ve never been in here. I can see why he chose it. It’s the perfect hiding place.”
We stood before the door to the cellar. “Down here.”
“Of course.” Sandra nodded. “He’d have to be underground. It’s safest.”
I flipped the switch on the wall, which made the strand of bulbs glow yellow, but a few of them flickered. “He’s on a cot in a sleeping bag.” I led the way. With each step, I felt my anxiety grow and a cold sweat appeared on my forehead. “Over there.” We came to stand on the dirt floor, the smell of mold quite strong. “See. That’s him.” I pointed to the cot.
Sandra cleared her throat. “Perfect hiding place.” Approaching the sleeping vampire, she unzipped the fabric, and slowly exposed him. “Ah, I remember you well.” Distaste flittered over her face. “I never cared for you. You were always a bully. Some immortals have nothing better to do with their time than seek vengeance on old enemies. This one will never stop. The pain he’s caused has ruined many a life.”
“Can we just kill him, please?” Anna gave me the broom. “Here.”
“What am I gonna do with this? Sweep the floor?”
“I don’t know. I just grabbed it. I always feel better with a broom.” She shrugged, and gripped the knife, which looked lethal. “I’d like to chop his head off before we move him. Just in case.”
“He’s in a vegetative state,” said Sandra. “Look.” She poked his face with a finger. “He can’t feel that. He’s oblivious to anything during the day. I could have a five piece orchestra in here, and he’d not know it.”
“Great, but I really want to get this over with.”
I nodded, agreeing. “Yes, absolutely.” Once Thorn died, Gabe would be free to live his life without having to look over his shoulder any longer. I could not wait to tell him the good news later. Thorn deserved everything he got, especially for turning my best friend into a bloodsucker. He had made it personal when he did that. “Let’s kill him now.”
“If you want to cut him in half, be my guest,” said Sandra.
Anna approached. “Hold this.”
Her mother gripped the hammer, and made a face. “This is ridiculous. Shall I beat him to a pulp? He’d only regenerate. They heal their wounds quickly.”
“Okay, whatever, Mom. I'm glad you’re enjoying yourself, but there’s work to be done.”
“I am enjoying myself. This is a happy day. We’ll never have to deal with this moron ever again. I’m celebrating tonight, that’s for sure. Champagne and Bundt cake soaked in brandy. What could be better than that?”
Anna, her hand trembling, placed the knife to his pale, white throat. “Here goes. It’s gonna be gross, but it has to be done.”
I took an involuntary step back. “Good luck.” I squinted, not wanting to see this. Would blood squirt everywhere?
She ran the blade over flawless flesh and cut an uneven line, a hint of darkish blood appearing. “I’m almost there. It’s like cutting through butter, weird.” No sooner had she said that than the vampire’s eyes flew open, a dark, angry glare emerging. Anna screamed, dropping the knife, which landed soundlessly on the dirt floor. A hand shot out, and grasped her wrist, while the man suddenly sat up.
“Mom!” she screamed, hitting him with a fist. “Let go of me, you freak!”
Sandra’s look of horror betrayed her fear, the woman wielding the hammer, lifting it to strike the man’s face, where it made deep dents, darkish blood appearing. He pushed Anna away, and hissed, exposing two sharp teeth.
“You idiot women,” he rasped, then laughed, the sound rough. “You think to kill me?”
Anna began to chant, saying something in a language I did not understand, possibly Latin. She held up her hands, her voice growing louder and louder. Sandra swung the hammer again, the metal end embedding into the side of his head. He shoved her with one hand, which sent the hammer flying.
“He’s not supposed to be awake!” I shouted, and backed up, while I held the broom before me. “What’s happening?” Nothing about this had proceeded as planned, our quarry climbing out of the sleeping bag. The man wore shoes and slacks, his shirt a crisp white, although spots of blackish blood marred the expensive fabric. “Um … Anna? Sandra?” He was not comatose at all—far from it. A murderous glint flickered in his eyes.
His attention fell on me, the vampire striding across the room, which made me take a few steps back. “So, we meet again, Miss Thompson. I’ve been waiting for this.”
I swallowed, feeling slightly ill.
“Anna!” She continued to chant, shouting in Latin. “Do something useful, please!”
“This isn’t personal, my dear. This actually has nothing to do with you, but … you’re going to have to die, I’m afraid. I can’t let you live.”
Anna and Sandra attacked him from behind, although he seemed to know they would, shoving them to the floor easily enough, as if they were no more than pesky flies.
“This is going to be so good. I know he’s fond of you, just like he was of Suzie. You may or may not know the history, but Gabe’s responsible for the loss of someone very close to me. I’ve made it my mission to never let him forget about it, to suffer eternally, just as I suffer.”
Remembering the ring, I planned to go invisible, not knowing what else to do. I fingered it, praying to disappear, my body tingling from head to foot. I began to fade. He noted this, a frown appearing.
“Oh, you won’t play stupid tricks with me, girl. No.”
Despite his warning, I vanished completely, and ran for the stairs, meaning to get away. He grasped my sweater and pulled me back. A sharp pinch tore into my neck, his teeth sinking. He let go a moment later, having ripped away a good portion of flesh. With every beat of my heart, blood poured from the wound, wetting my clothing. I felt dizzy then, the room spinning before my eyes, while I glimpsed my fingers, the invisibility cloak failing.
Laughter filled my ears. “That should do it.”
“You horrible man!” cried Sandra. “How could you? She’s nothing to you!” She flung the hammer at him, which dented his chest.
“Bastard!” Anna swung the knife, and sliced open his shirt. “You go straight to hell!”
“I’ve been there,” he laughed. “It isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.”
Slumping to the floor, I experienced the sensation of dying yet again, my senses dulling. The voices in the room sounded as if they came through a tunnel.
“Brie!” someone shouted. “Brie!”
“Don’t let him get away!”
The last thing I noted was the sound of feet stomping on the steps, wondering if the vampire had secured his freedom, no matter what the cost. Then everything faded to black.