The Hunted

by Heather McAlendin

  “Where?” Drake asked as he turned his head back and forth, squint eyed and trying to find any sign of a building or movement in the night. His skin was now waxy and pale. I could tell he would not be able to hold his senses together if he didn’t get fresh blood soon.

  “Not quite that obvious in order to survive without direct human contact for so many years. The Clans have lived hidden this way for centuries.” I answered sharply. My voice sounded more irritated than I would have liked but I too was hungry and dreading my reunion with Andrew.

  I led Drake to a densely wooded area and pointed toward a tight cluster of brush and trees.

  “Jump,” I said.

  A quizzical look came over Drake’s face, a look that quickly became amusement as he took a breath and leaped as gracefully as a vampire could over a thirty-six-foot wall of trees. I followed suit but not quite as gracefully as my legs were significantly shorter. It was liberating to feel the power as I glided over the tops of the tree branches and landed in the garden below.

  I breathed in deeply as the familiar scent of the midnight blossoms filled my senses. Home.

  “I can see why you chose this place, Silver. It’s breathtaking!” Drake moved forward into the garden, my garden that I had planted so many years ago. It had been a refuge, my place to think and revel in the moonlight.

  The light of the midnight moon outlined Drake’s large frame. He sat down on the same bench I had, only months earlier when I had made the decision to leave my home and seek Hannah and her fledgling bastards.

  Ruby-colored tears trickled from my eyes and down my cheeks as I got lost in a wave of emotion. A loud thud startled me from my thoughts and I turned just in time to see Drake crash to the ground.

  I hurried to his side and with every bit of strength I had, I managed to lift him and drag him to the outer door of the compound. His body was pale and limp, his skin was damp and almost translucent.

  I heard a commotion within the compound and was startled as the door opened to see Marie’s face staring at me from within the darkness. She was as lovely and delicate as I remembered. No longer dressed in her typical black, she had on a lovely transparent shift of white and her shorn locks had grown long and flowing around her shoulders.

  “Silver!” Marie exclaimed, her eyes wide in surprise. “I should have felt you here!”

  The young woman flew toward me and wrapped her slender arms around my neck, kissing my face, eyes and cheeks. It was not the greeting I expected. Grateful for the display of affection I returned her embrace and kissed her forehead.

  We stayed like that for a moment before reality jolted me back to my senses. I pushed Marie away and pointed to Drake’s body, which was laying on the path where I had dropped him.

  “So, this is Father Drake?” she asked. “Ironic isn’t it? A former nun and former priest, now vampires.”

  It came as no surprise to me that Marie knew of Drake. Andrew would have shared that information and our past with her.

  With more power than I had ever had, Marie walked over to the vampire giant and easily lifted him over her shoulder. “How long since he fed?” she asked plainly.

  Once I closed my mouth from the shock of what I had witnessed I shook my head and responded quietly. “It has been a couple of days for a full feed that I am aware of. Same for me but he is much larger than I.”

  Marie smiled and carried Drake forward. I followed close behind; a feeling of cold dread filled my stomach. I was a stranger in what once was my home.

  As we walked inside the large, stone house, my heart lurched. Standing at the base of the staircase near the main hall was Andrew, looking every inch the King of the Vampire Clans.

  His long, butter-colored hair was in a smooth, neat ponytail at the nape of his neck. Dressed in dark, pin-striped dress pants and a black silk shirt, he looked lean and powerful. Andrew’s cheeks and lips were flushed with color. He had just fed.

  He granted me a dazzling smile; for a moment, I was back in time and greeting my lover. However, this was not that time nor was it the place to review what was likely ancient history.

  “Silver, you look lovely; tired but lovely as always,” Andrew stated as he held out his hand to me. I moved forward slowly as if deciding whether going to him was the best idea.

  Please don’t hesitate. His eyes pleaded with me but I could tell something had changed. “Drake will be attended to. You need to feed and then we have a lot to discuss. I know why you are here but I am sure you knew that already. Come with me.”

  Hesitantly, I placed my hand in Andrew’s and allowed him to lead me up the staircase to the rooms above. The long fingers and strong hand felt so foreign to me now. It was disturbing yet somehow a relief that Andrew and I both recognized our relationship had changed.

  The house itself had not changed. I noticed a few more books here and there; Andrew had always enjoyed literary pursuits. It was not so much the things that had changed but the feeling of the place. A new era had definitely begun and was continuing here.

  When we finally arrived at the door outside what I assumed was Andrew’s resting place, I pulled back. I felt a presence behind the door, a male presence but I could not determine who it was. An unexpected sense of fear jolted through me like electricity. I knew without a doubt if I entered that room, I’d never leave.

  Forcing calm upon myself I attempted to smile at Andrew as he placed his hand on the door handle.

  “Not just yet,” I said, trying to sound calm as I needed to get a better idea as to who or what was waiting for me. “Let me look at you Andrew, it seems like leadership agrees with you. You look wonderful!”

  My former consort grinned broadly and pulled me close to his chest, guiding my head to where his heart beat. “I have you to thank. You have given me the opportunity to see life in a whole new way and with a new sense of purpose.”

  I could hear his heart beating wild and erratic as he spoke. The voice was the same but there was an uneasiness in his words that I had never heard before. Was he trying to warn me of something?

  “Silver, please know how much I loved you,” he continued. “Although we shall not rule together now, be strong and retain your sense of purpose.”

  Pulling my head away, I looked up into his blue eyes and saw tears forming. It was enough to reassure me that something was seriously wrong. As we locked on one another, I mouthed one word to him silently. “Set?”

  A slight nod and a blink was my answer. I gathered my strength and pushed myself away from Andrew. With one, swift movement I grasped my dagger and steadied myself for what I was sure would be an onslaught.

  “Go, now!” Andrew’s voice was low and strangled and he placed one hand on the side of his head in obvious anguish. “I can’t do this much longer. It is taking every ounce of mental power I had to stop Set from sensing us here. He means to murder you and Drake and I was to help him. All of this sickens me but he is very powerful, Silver. Go!”

  Without another word and resisting the urge to look back, I jumped backward and turned to scale the stairs. I had to find Drake and leave this place before Andrew completely lost any control and Set unleashed his wrath.

  The entrance was empty as I jumped down the final four stairs to the floor below. I closed my eyes and sought out Drake with my mind. I had never perfected this talent but I held on to the hope that it would be enough. It was. Drake’s presence was weak but discernible and directly below my feet.

  I was familiar with the layout of this place as it had been my own original design. In case of emergency, I had secret passages leading to the basement and escape routes that lead underground and into the city. To my knowledge, no one had ever used them. I rushed to the far side of the staircase and placed my hand on a particular spot. The slight movement was enough to release a panel which revealed a hidden door and stairs to the basement.

  As I entered, I heard a loud wail from the top floor of the house. My worst fear had come to true and I knew Set had discovered Andrew, alone
in the hallway. Now all I could wish for was that Andrew had the wherewithal to hold Set off as long as possible so we could make our escape.

  I am so sorry things had to end this way my love. I hurried down the stairs to the bowels of the house.

  As I made my way down a darkened corridor, I could hear a muffled sound coming from the room I used to keep for bloodletting ceremonies. Andrew and I had bonded there in what seemed like a lifetime ago.

  With one well-placed heel, I shattered the door in two pieces and made my way inside. There, splayed out on a large bed was Drake with a very young female hovering above him. He had his teeth latched to one breast and was suckling like a babe. The young woman had thrown back her head in what looked like ecstasy.

  “Drake! I hate to interrupt but we need to get the hell out of here. It’s Set.”

  I did not have to repeat my words as I watched Drake tear himself away from the nubile young girl. Blood covered her throat and breasts. It tinged Drake’s mouth and eyes.

  Drake had taken enough blood to render the young girl almost unconscious. “She’ll sleep it off,” he said sarcastically as he wiped his mouth on a loose bed sheet.

  “Nice to hear you are back to yourself again,” I said. “We have to leave now. It won’t take long for Set to discover where we are. No one here can be trusted anymore. Set has gotten to them all with some kind of psychic hold. Andrew was strong enough to hold them off for awhile but now...” My voice strangled to finish as I thought of Andrew, most likely dead and all because of his love for me.

  “You haven’t been fed yet?” Drake asked as he hurried to button his shirt and pants.

  “Not yet, I’ll be alright for a bit. We have to get back to town and hide for now. I just don’t know where. Where’s Marie?”

  “She left after bringing me here. I have not seen or heard from her since. Funny, I don’t sense anyone right now. That is highly unusual.” The concern on Drake’s face was enough to move me forward. I pushed passed him and pointed down the corridor.

  “Follow me. Let’s see if I can remember how to get out of this place.”

  We hurried together in the darkness until I found the chamber I had been looking for. The door was marked with an ancient vampire symbol meaning “above,” it was my way to remind myself where it led.

  The air was musty and damp as I entered the chamber. No one had been here for many years. It was a small glimmer of hope that we may actually be able to escape.

  Drake pushed me forward and I landed on my knees in the dust and dirt. “There is movement down the hall if you have a way out, let’s get to it!”

  This was worse than any nightmare. I was escaping a place that had been my home and refuge for centuries.

  Not bothering to dust myself off, I grabbed Drake’s shirtsleeve and propelled him forward into a deep tunnel. “Keep bent over, you are tall and this tunnel was not meant as a luxury,” I said.

  A grunt greeted me as a reply. We moved forward into the darkness. As a precaution, before immersing myself the whole way in, I kicked a few strategic places in the dirt and stonewall, and watched as the entrance filled with rock and clay.

  “Impressive,” Drake said. “Now I am starting to see why you were Queen for so long. You have the ability to anticipate. Smart.”

  “To be honest,” I began, “I hoped to never have to use these tunnels. This will be the first and the last time for me.”

  The next few kilometers we spent in silence. It was so dark, even with enhanced vision it was rough to determine each step. Then, my own hunger started to gnaw at me, distracting my thoughts and sense of purpose.

  “Drake,” I said as I waved my hand in front of me, hoping to attract his attention. “Drake! Stop!”

  Concerned, Drake stopped dead in front of me and turned around, his face close to mine. “You need to feed. I am surprised you have lasted this long. Take from me, please.”

  I blinked, trying to adjust my eyes to inky darkness. Did I really want to feed from Drake again? At this point, I could not afford to argue. If my hunger was not satiated, I would descend into madness and all would be lost.

  “Fine,” I managed. The strength was draining from me and I could barely speak let alone think. I hungrily brought Drake’s wrist up to my mouth. His scent was strong and my mouth watered in anticipation. With my lips drawn back, I drove my extended fangs into the large vein that pulsed just under his skin. A delicious geyser of blood filled my mouth and throat and I swallowed hungrily. With each swallow, I latched on tighter and tighter, suckling as if I had never eaten before today. A warmth spread from the core of my body and radiated outward. Ecstasy!

  I was lost in the flood of strength returning to my body. With excitement, I bit down hard.

  “Enough!” Drake yelled. “You will kill us both if you gorge yourself. Enough.”

  The loud, shrill voice felt like the sting of ice water pouring on my skin. The shock brought me back to reality.

  “I…I am so sorry,” I replied. “I got a bit carried away. Are you alright?” I was worried I had taken too much and then we would both be in danger of weakness.

  “I’m fine, Silver, but I think the sooner we get out of here and back to the land above, the better off we will be. We are sitting ducks down here. We are both strong enough for now to make the journey with no further interruptions.”

  For once, I agreed with Drake without any complaints. With a renewed sense of urgency, we moved forward into the darkness. My desire to get out of this dirt cavern came as a surprise to me. As a vampire, I was used to darkness but it was as if claustrophobia was setting in. I desperately needed fresh air.

  “I think we may have company ahead,” Drake said. His voice was exceptionally low and quiet. I stopped and strained my ears to hear any sound that may have clued in Drake to any unwelcome visitors.

  A barely discernible intake of breath was all the alarm I needed to steel my body against any enemy we may be facing. I could feel Drake’s body tense as he crouched low in front of me; not unlike a panther waiting to pounce on its prey.

  Even though I could hear breathing, I could not hear or feel any thought. Set had certainly done his best to make certain I was unaware of who or what was head of us.

  With my heart pounding, I placed one hand on Drake’s large shoulder and we moved together as a unit. Neither one of us wanted anything to catch us unaware.

  Suddenly, and without warning, Drake lunged forward and a female voice shouted. I could hear a struggle just ahead of me.

  “Damn it, Silver, call off your dog!” The female voice shrieked and then Drake let out a loud grunt. A stream of expletives spewed forth and then silence.

  “Marie?” I called out, hesitant that the voice was just a trick played by Set to smoke out my position.

  “Yes. Please let this big lug know if he tries to bite into me one more time, I will slit his throat for him just as I did Hannah.”

  A sense of relief flooded through me. Only three of us knew that the fledgling vampire had murdered Hannah. I could only hope she had escaped Set and was here to help us.

  Once again, I heard a loud male grunt. “Drake, it’s alright. We can trust her.” I said.

  “We can trust no one, not even one another truly until Set is gone,” was his reply. “As far as I am concerned she is just another pawn in his chess game; vampire or not.”

  “For God sakes Drake,” I said impatiently.

  “God has nothing to do with this.” Drake’s voice had gone sterile and cold. I shuddered as a chill ran down my spine.

  “Marie, I am so sorry about Andrew.” The emotion caused my voice to sound thick and ragged as I thought of Andrew giving up his life for mine.

  A sob escaped Marie’s throat as she forced her way past Drake. I felt a pair of slender arms find their way around my waist as Marie buried her head in my shoulder and cried.

  “I am so sorry,” I said again as I stroked her hair and back.

  “As I am for you, Silver. I know
no matter what happened over the last few months that you loved him. The Clans will be so lost and Set has taken over the majority of the members, save a few Ancients who had power enough to stave him off. What can we do? How can I help?”

  “Does he have Hannah’s brood with him?” I asked as I released her. The warmth of her tears seeping though my shirt to leave a wet, bloody imprint on my skin.

  “I think so.” She sniffed. “They are horrible creatures. They have no knowledge of the Code and they attack and kill humans without thought or mercy.”

  A large presence moved between the two of us, pressing Marie backward against the damp, dirt wall of the tunnel. “I hate to break up this touching reunion ladies, but we have to get moving and get up topside so we can find a safe place to hide and plan what needs to be done about Set.” Drake’s voice trailed off as he moved back up the tunnel toward the surface exit. I certainly understood his impatience as we had wasted precious moments.

  Wordlessly, Marie and I hurried up the tunnel to the surface, where Drake stood waiting, cross armed and stern. Dirty, and so far alone, the three of us looked like bedraggled underworld dwellers. The stars lit our way down a lonely road that led back toward the center of the city.

  “Where are we going?” Marie asked.

  “I was hoping you could help us with that,” I answered.

  Drake stopped and quickly turned to face us, his face was a mask of confusion. “How do you expect this little one to help us? She is barely months old in terms of her abilities.”

  I was about to speak but thought better of it. I knew Marie would enjoy the opportunity to set Drake straight about his misconceptions.

  I stifled a laugh as Marie stood as tall as she could and placed one hand on each of her slight hips. It was quite a sight against Drake’s imposing figure. She stared him down for a moment before beginning her reprimand. Her eyes glittered like diamonds in the white light of the moon.

  I recalled when we first met. Marie was a nun who had run away from the convent. After discovering she had psychic abilities and doubting her own sanity, she felt her best course of action was to hide away from humanity, until I found her that fateful night in the Sacred Heart Cemetery. Her strength of character and the way she had learned and adapted to vampire life in such a short period was astounding even to me. Drake was not going to like this confrontation.