The Hunter's Den: Dead of Midnight Book 1

by Byron Thorne

  Jules hadn’t called or texted him. Classic Jules. When she wanted to give the cold shoulder, she would be sure to give the coldest. She was so stubborn it was almost funny. He had given her a few hours at least, so he figured there was no harm in calling her. It rang a few times before the machine picked up.

  “The voicemail box you have dialed is full. Please try back another time. Goodbye.”

  It still got him every time. When was she going to empty that thing? Who was he kidding, the answer was never. It was his fault he kept calling. Instead, he opted for a text asking her what she was doing. She liked texts better anyways, but he kind of liked hearing her voice on the other end of the phone. Maybe he was just old fashioned- or his fingers were too big to hit those tiny letters.

  The successful vampire slaying had worked up quite the appetite within him. Maybe Jules would want to go grab something to eat, and he could talk her off the ledge. He needed to come up with a better pitch…why couldn’t his biceps just do the talking for him? Because Jules was too complicated for that. Still, there had to be a way to get through to her, to make her see that maybe she should spend less time hunting and more time thinking about the future. It’s probably what Sam would have wanted.

  When Daniel pulled up, he could see the lights on in her place. No surprise there, Jules never turned those things off. He killed the engine and checked his teeth in the mirror. Looked pretty good, but he’d have to shave pretty soon. Maybe he should have brought flowers. No, that would be ridiculous. This wasn’t a date, and he didn’t have anything to apologize for- at least as far as he was concerned.

  He rapped on the door a few times with the back of his finger. Nothing inside, so he checked his phone to see if she’d gotten back to him. Nope, so either she was really that mad or she just passed out. He knocked one more time, and when there was no answer he tried the knob. It was unlocked and the door swung open.

  “Jules?” Daniel called out. “You better have pants on, cause I’m coming in.”

  Daniel walked inside and shut the door behind him. He found Jules in her normal lounging spot, eyes glued to the wall.

  “Hey, you can’t answer the door? Or text me back? Also, your door’s unlocked. Also, hey.” Daniel opened her fridge and popped open a Coke, which he downed in about a gulp. “You know how much sugar is in this stuff? Pretty bad for you. You alright, Jules?”

  Jules finally turned to look at him. He could tell her face had taken on a reddish tone, even in the low light. “Oh, hi Daniel. I didn’t hear you walk in,” she said.

  “What do you mean you didn’t hear me walk in? We’ve been having a conversation the last two minutes. Kind of. You OK?”

  “Hm? Oh, yeah, I’m fine. Thanks. I just feel a little out of it, you know?”

  Daniel could tell there was something off about her. Maybe it was how her cheeks had turned all rosy, or maybe it was that kind of vacant look in her eyes. On the bright side, she didn’t seem to be mad at him anymore. On the downside, he was worried she might have had a little too much to drink- or too much of something else.

  “What’d you do tonight, Jules?” Daniel asked as he went back to rummage through the fridge. Not much of anything in there.

  “I dunno,” she said as her eyebrows furrowed, “mostly just hung out here, I guess.”

  “You didn't go out at all? You usually hate being cooped up.”

  “Oh, well I went out for a little while, yeah. Just to clear my head, you know?”

  “Where did you go, Jules?” After he said it, Daniel knew he was taking a risk forcing it. It didn't pay off.

  “Nowhere, why? What did you do all night, Daniel?” Jules snapped. Her tone had jumped from confused and gentle to harsh. “Why does everyone always have to be breathing down my neck?”

  “Whoa, what's that all about? You still mad about earlier?” Daniel asked, and he wondered to himself who everyone was. Before he had a chance to push the issue, Jules changed her tone again.

  “Sorry, Danny. I don't know what's going on with me. I've just been kind of out of it.”

  “Yeah, I noticed,” Daniel said and sat down next to her. “I'm just worried about you, is all.”

  “Don't be. I feel good, really good, actually,” she smirked. It sounded to Daniel like she was trying to convince herself more than anything else.

  “You kinda look like it, like you got this aura to you now or something.”

  “Aura?”

  “Yeah, I don't know. Something just seems different I guess.”

  “Huh, I dunno.”

  Daniel never did have the best timing, but he decided to push his luck while Jules appeared to be in such a good mood. “Look, Jules, there's something I been meaning to talk to you about.”

  “I'm pretty tired, Danny, can it wait until tomorrow?”

  “It’ll only take a minute. I gotta go get some food anyways. You don’t wanna come with?”

  “No, I’m not really hungry.”

  “That’s weird, you’re always hungry,” Daniel laughed.

  “Jeez, thanks, that’s so nice of you to say. Anything else?”

  “That’s not what I meant!”

  “Now I know what you really think of me. I’ll make sure I never eat again.”

  “Are you finished?” Daniel asked. Sometimes it was so difficult to have a serious conversation with the girl. That was part of her charm, of course. On the other hand, it could also be pretty frustrating.

  “You tell me. You’re the one who wanted to talk.”

  “I just wanted to apologize.”

  “What, for the food thing? Don’t worry about it,” Jules’ voice wavered just a little. Daniel could tell something was up. It was just one of her many defense mechanisms, one that he would have to break through.

  “No, for earlier today. For not taking you and vamp hunting seriously, you know?”

  “Don’t worry, Daniel. I’m way ahead of you.”

  “OK, I’m glad you aren’t- wait, what do you mean?”

  “You always told me I was strong, right? That I knew how to handle myself. Well I did,” Jules said, like she was proud of herself, but usually when she wanted to brag she’d shout it from the roof. This was a far quieter reaction.

  “Where'd you go, anyways?” Daniel asked, trying his best to drop the judgmental tone. That never got him anywhere with her. Maybe he really was learning.

  “I just wanted to prove that I could do it, alright? I wanted to prove it to myself and I wanted to prove it to you, too.”

  “And where’d you go, Jules?”

  “Some place in Hollywood, we must have missed it the other night. It had… a gigantic door, like from the middle ages. I knew he would be in there,” Jules said, her voice much quieter now, like she was still trying to put it together.

  “Place with a big door, huh? I think I know the spot. Jules, you can’t be going out there by yourself. You’re lucky nothing happened.” This was the point in the conversation where Daniel figured he’d lose her, she’d tell him to stop babysitting her or something like that. Instead, she sat there, silent, with that kind of vacant look back in her eyes. “I’m just saying,” he continued, “that vamp could have been there. It could have taken a bite out of you and you might not even remember.”

  “What do you mean, I wouldn’t even remember?” Jules asked.

  “As much as we do know about the vamps, we haven’t learned everything. We know that there’s something about their bite that messes with humans. I don’t just mean it messes with them in that they leave the experience with a severe lack of blood.”

  “What else does it do? I thought you said that a human that gets bit doesn’t turn into a vampire.”

  “Yeah, that’s right, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I mean vamps can mess with your head, even if they don’t kill you. They do all that creepy hypnotic eye stuff, chow down, and you might wake up in an alley with no idea what just happened. And that’s just if you’re lucky.”

  “
I didn’t get bit, alright? I think I found the vamp. But…I didn’t go up to him. It was too crowded; I didn’t want to hurt anyone else on accident.”

  “You went looking for the vamp and you found it. Jeez, Jules, what in the world were you thinking? Let me see your neck.”

  “No, you can’t just check out my neck, weirdo. You can see it from there. Nothing even happened.”

  “Seriously Jules, let me see it. I knew I shouldn’t have left you alone. So stupid of me.”

  Daniel was mad at her and furious with himself. He knew what was best for her, and should never have let her out of his sight- whether that’s what she wanted or not.

  “Back off, Daniel. There’s no bite, alright? Nothing happened to me. I bailed out before he could get that close. Besides, I’m not your responsibility.”

  “Yes you are, Jules. It’s my job to look out for you. I just want to help you, whether you’re going to keep acting stubborn or not. You could have gotten yourself in a really bad situation tonight, alright? Don’t act like you have some kind of death wish or whatever, because I care about you and I’m not going to let you do anything stupid to hurt yourself,” Daniel had to cut himself off. There was so much more he wanted to say, but he couldn’t slow down his brain and he couldn’t find the right words. Instead, he waited for Jules’ reaction. She just stared at him. Not mad. She was calm, collected.

  “I don’t know why you’ve been acting like this lately. It’s like you think you’re my boyfriend or something. Well, you’re not my boyfriend. I need to go to sleep. Good night, Daniel.”

  She turned, walked into her bedroom, and shut the door behind her. He sat there in silence, thinking about Jules, thinking about what he could have said differently. The sun would be up soon, so he didn’t have to worry about her for what little night there was left. She’d come around, he thought.

  12

  Like a Dream

  Jules forgot about Daniel the moment that she shut her bedroom door. She collapsed onto the bed of pillows and sleep wrapped itself around her immediately. She had never been so exhausted in her entire life, but it was not a restful sleep. Dreams as vivid as reality danced through her head as the sun rose higher into the sky.

  Jules could paint a picture from the memory of his face. If only that would do it justice. Her mind was filled with him. The sight and smell and taste of him. Then, Morgan was there, in the bedroom with her. His sad, grey eyes cut through to the middle of her, filling her with emotion. Then, he smiled, and her heart melted and suddenly everything seemed like it was going to be just fine.

  She had seen him earlier that night. She knew that much was true. So much of the rest of the evening felt off. Was it the vial of blood she had consumed? Had she really kissed the vampire? Did the taste and the smell of him now come from memory or some wanton desire?

  Morgan reached out his hand and she grabbed it. It was cold, but it made her feel the opposite. It sent heat running through her. She stepped out of bed, fully dressed.

  “Come with me,” Morgan whispered, his voice as clear as the night sky. Jules had to wrap her head around the prospect, even from within the confines of the dream.

  “But, it’s daytime. We can’t,” she protested. She couldn’t tell if she really cared, or if she was just searching for an excuse to say no.

  “Not here,” Morgan said and he dropped her hand. She wanted him to pick it up again. He glided over to the door to her bedroom, only it had been replaced with the massive wooden one from the bar in Hollywood. He chuckled at her bewilderment. When he swung the door open, Jules could see the brilliant, shining moon, and beneath it a sea of twinkling lights. She walked over to Morgan and took his hand in hers.

  “It’s beautiful,” she said and held his arm close. Although they were thin compared to Daniel’s, they felt solid as stone. In fact, she wouldn’t have been surprised if the whole form of him wasn’t carved out of some ancient, polished rock.

  “You’re beautiful,” he said and stared deep into her eyes. “Now, shall we?”

  Jules nodded her head, and the two of them stepped out into the night together. Her worries about falling to the ground below were alleviated when they stepped out from her room and onto solid ground. She looked over her shoulder. The door was gone and with it the remnants of her old life.

  “Follow me,” Morgan said as he walked along the sidewalk towards a familiar, domed landmark. She recognized the arched building as the observatory. She hadn’t been since she was just a girl- yet the detail of her memory was meticulous, like she had been there every day. They didn’t go inside, instead opting to continue to the back of the building. Jules found Morgan stopped at a balcony that might as well have been overlooking the entire rest of the world.

  “Do you like it?” he asked. She could barely make out his shadowy black hair in the darkness up there.

  “Yes, of course!” she exclaimed. He could have shown her anything, and she would have reacted in the same way.

  “You could have it, if you wanted. I could give it to you,” Morgan said and gazed back out into the glow.

  “Give me what?”

  “The city. The night itself.”

  “I don’t understand,” Jules said. She wanted to comprehend it so bad, for herself and because she didn’t want to disappoint him. Something about it just didn’t quite make sense. Morgan just looked and her and smirked.

  “We can start smaller,” he laughed, “come on.”

  The two of them turned away from the view and began to saunter through the parking lot, into the street. The whole place was devoid of any life other than the two of them. They walked hand-in-hand down the middle of the winding road, and any concerns that Jules might have had were alleviated simply by being in Morgan’s presence.

  If the stroll had lasted forever, Jules would not have minded. She felt so calm and relaxed, sensations that she thought would never return to her. Somehow, the emotion was the strangest part of the dream- not the stunning vampire in front of her, nor the endless and empty night.

  As the two companions rounded the bend in front of them, the hills faded away. In their place sprouted familiar buildings of the city, and some not so familiar.

  “Where are we going?” Jules asked. “I liked it up there.”

  Morgan didn’t answer. Instead, he kept pulling her forward, now through the newly-formed crowd of people moving in the opposite direction on the sidewalk. Jules wished it would just go back to being the two of them again, but she followed anyways. It was the same street she and Daniel had spent the past few nights. It seemed to be intertwined with her, now.

  Morgan stopped in front of a beautiful old building that looked particularly out of place, due to its size and the style of architecture. Statues of gargoyles and demons watched over the entrance. The detail of the stone was stunning- had Jules seen that building before? Or did her mind really create such detailed elements?

  “Would you like to come up for a drink?” Morgan asked.

  “You live here?” Jules said.

  “At the moment,” Morgan smirked, “so, what will it be? Come with me, or shall I take you back?”

  Jules searched briefly for any kind of better judgment, but couldn’t find it. She didn’t want to go back, wherever that was. “Yes. I’d love to,” she offered.

  The lobby of the building might have been even more beautiful than the exterior. The arches of the ceiling stretched so high she practically had to strain her neck to see them fully. They walked along ancient marble, past the elevator, to the stairs. Morgan opened the door for her. “I hope you don’t mind. I don’t trust the lifts.”

  “Not at all, but, I’m afraid I don’t have the right shoes,” Jules said and looked at her feet. It’s a wonder she got so far in those heels to begin with.

  Morgan extended his arms to her. “Not a problem. If you don’t mind my assistance.”

  “I suppose that’s alright,” she said, and before she had finished Morgan had scooped her up off the gro
und as if she weighed nothing at all. Jules took in a deep breath, and by the time she exhaled Morgan had already traveled to the top of the stairwell. She couldn’t possibly have counted the number of floors they had climbed, but the ground looked awfully far away. He placed her back on her feet and they walked down the hallway.

  Morgan stopped in front of a door, presumably the one to his apartment. “This is it,” he said. She could hear something inside, muffled at first, but growing louder. She began to worry about it. It sounded too familiar, but not in a good way.

  “Is there something wrong?” he asked her.

  “Don’t you hear that? Is there someone else inside?”

  Morgan just looked at her, that placid expression on his face. All the signs she gave him seemed to tell her everything was going to be alright, but with that music blaring, she felt quite the opposite. His lack of a reaction made her that much more anxious, and why didn’t he care about the music?

  Both Morgan and the door began to extend further and further away. She reached out for him, but he was so far away now. She was all alone in that endless hallway, just her and that obnoxious music.

  Jules opened her eyes and found herself in bed. Her right hand flailed around all by itself, using muscle memory to grasp for her phone. She hated that stupid alarm so much. How anybody could wake up to the noise of that thing and be in a good mood she didn’t know.

  She hit snooze, even though she knew there was no way she would be able to get back to sleep. It was so hot in her bedroom she had practically sweated through the sheets. She just lay there with her eyes closed, breathing, letting the details of her dream swirl around inside of her head.

  It was by far the most vivid dream she had ever experienced. It felt so real, like she had actually spent the night with a vampire. That Morgan had stayed in her thoughts all night, or all morning, should have upset her. Instead, it was the fact that she found the whole thing so intriguing that bothered her more than anything else.