by R A Browell
The pendant was now glowing the purest, brightest white imaginable. Venetia watched as her hand started to change colour; the heat penetrating flesh first, then bone, as it started to cook her hand; the searing heat rising up her arm, conducted along the charred meat that was once living tissue. She screamed in agony, finally releasing her grip, hoping to switch hands, but it was too late. Valens seized the moment, lifted Lily’s dead weight and set off running for the balcony, his feet slipping on the broken shards of glass and scattered soil. He was seconds from the edge but Venetia was already there. She caught hold of Valens’s leg with her good hand. Already, the partly cooked flesh on the other was starting to repair itself. Valens kicked out violently as she slid along the floor holding tight but it was no good, he couldn’t shake her off as she threw her head back and sank her long needle-sharp fangs deep into his calf muscle.
He stiffened with the initial pain and then felt nothing as the anaesthetic in her venom took hold. He could feel the anti-coagulant being pumped into him, allowing his blood to flow freely from his body and into Venetia’s hungry mouth. He tried to kick her off with the other leg but it was useless, he just couldn’t see how he was going to get her to release her jaw from his leg, without first letting go of Lily. He kicked out again, but she was strong. The others were deep in combat. The movements so fast that there was no way he could catch anyone’s attention. Charlie was managing Mareena, but it needed two against Aurora.
And then he felt it.
Lily’s body started to rise and his feet began to leave the ground as the two of them rose into the air. He stared upwards. The featherstone pendant was lifting them, pulling them upwards against gravity and towards the storm clouds that had started to gather from nowhere.
Lily opened her eyes, blinking as she found herself in Valens’ arms. He was holding her tight as the pendant carried them higher and higher. She could feel the tension of the chain around her neck, but no pain. She glanced down. Venetia was still clamped onto Valens’ leg, her teeth embedded deep into his flesh as she fed. He couldn’t feel where she’d bitten him but Valens knew that he had to be released from her bite. She wasn’t feeding from a main artery but he was still losing too much blood, transferring his bokwus strength to this insatiable leech and he knew that within minutes he’d be unable to keep hold of Lily. He had no option, he needed help to get Lily away and fast. Valens shouted for assistance. James was there in a blink, but at a price. Hari had been left to fight the older, more experienced girl and was now alone and vulnerable.
‘Just get her off me and get back to Aurora,’ Valens yelled as James leapt into the air, reached up and placed his thumb and index finger on either side of Venetia’s jaw. He squeezed hard, releasing her grip as she dropped with another hideous, bloodcurdling scream. She recovered quickly, returning to try and attack again but James gave her no opportunity. He picked her up and with all his strength, threw her across the veranda towards the balcony. The stone balustrades smashed but she was strong. She reached out, clutching one of the pillars to stop herself from falling down the cliff face and reappeared, hissing like an angry reptile, clambering over the smashed stone, wiping Valens’ blood, which was oozing from the side of her mouth, with the back of her hand.
‘Don’t you ever give up?’ asked James through gritted teeth.
She glared at him and then screeched as she launched herself once again into the air, reaching out to grab Valens but it was no good, he and Lily were too high and Venetia could only watch in frustration as the Protector’s blood coursed down his leg, splashing her face and shoulders before running between her breasts and staining her exquisite dress.
Aurora looked up from fighting Hari and saw the pendant start to move away from the villa, carrying Lily and Valens down the cliff face towards the beach. ‘Follow them!’ she screamed, taking advantage of an unguarded moment to jab at Hari, slicing into his flawless cheek with her long nails as Venetia slid over the balcony and slithered down the almost vertical rock. James watched her. It was now up to Valens to get Lily safely home and he needed to help his friends.
As the pendant deposited the two teenagers safely on the jetty, Valens glanced back towards the villa. The vengeful vampire was coming after them, but Valens felt weak and dizzy.
‘Valens, your face,’ whispered Lily, her voice was hoarse as she touched his pale skin. ‘You’ve lost too much blood.’
‘Lily, we haven’t got a lot of time. You’re going to have to trust me. We can’t outswim her, she’s too strong, too fast, but we can go deep. I’m good in deep water, I can shape shift, go really deep into the ocean trenches. She won’t be able to go that far down; the cold and the pressure won’t allow her to follow. It’s the only way we’ll be able to shake her off but there’s a risk.’
‘A risk?’
‘You’ll probably be okay, but going so deep is not something usually possible for land lovers,’ he replied, trying to reassure himself as he tore roughly at the hem of Lily’s dress and held the swab of fabric against the two raggy puncture holes in his leg. ‘James seems to think you’ll be fine with the cold. He thinks you’ll go into some kind of hibernation and I’m relying on the fact that you can’t drown. At least that’s the theory,’ he said uneasily.
‘What do you mean I can’t drown?’ Lily whispered as she rubbed her neck.
‘Silky’s got your caul at home,’ he explained. ‘She kept it safe. It means you’re special.’ He took a sharp intake of breath as he pressed the torn edges of his two open wounds together and tied them with the makeshift bandage to try to stop the flow of blood, ‘but I already knew that!’ he said, looking up into Lily’s deep brown eyes. ‘It also means that theoretically you can’t ever drown.’
Lily nodded.
‘Mum said something about it in her letter. What is it?’ she asked.
‘It’s pretty gross really,’ he smiled. ‘You were born with the membrane that held all the fluid around you still intact. It protected you as you were born. You’re a land lover and a true water baby. You can’t ever drown.’ He caught both her hands in his. ‘Listen to me Lily Carfax, after nine months in that water, a couple of ocean trenches should be a breeze.’ He kissed the top of her head. ‘You’re going to be just fine, trust me and in any case,’ he glanced at the cliff and the lizard-like figure which was moving towards them at an alarming speed, ‘there really isn’t time for anything else. This is our only option!’
Lily looked towards the cliffs and the snarling sanguin who was approaching fast.
‘We’ll find a gateway down there,’ said Valens.
‘A gateway?’
‘No time to explain. I know this sounds mad Lily, but I need you to get rid of all the air from your lungs, and then once we’re in the water to just try and breathe normally; let the water take the place of the air.’ Lily reached up and placed her long arms around his neck.
Venetia had reached the beach and was starting down towards the jetty after them.
‘Remember what I said,’ he reminded her, holding her close in his arms as the storm clouds rumbled overhead.
‘I’m trusting you to wake me up,’ she whispered and then exhaled as hard as she could as Valens jumped into the dark waters and the two of them disappeared.
*
‘Aurora, she’s gone!’ Hari shouted, catching his breath. ‘Let it go. We’re done. She’s gone!’
He and James stood facing their opponent. They were drenched in sweat, and blood was streaming down Hari’s face from where he’d been caught by her manicured talons. They were both slowing, growing tired, but so was she.
‘Never!’ she hissed at them, baring her teeth as she caught her breath. They were stronger than she’d expected.
Charlie had Mareena cornered. He moved with a natural grace as though he were fencing as he darted towards her and then quickly moved back, seeming to brush her top lip with his finger, lightning fast, with one swift movement. It was a move so slight and so sensual that it even cau
ght Hari’s attention as he watched and waited for Aurora’s next move.
‘What’s he doing now!’ he frequenced in exasperation, shaking his head. ‘Any female and he’s there, like some kind of Don Juan, while the rest of us are getting pulverised!’
‘No Hari, wait,’ James replied silently as he jumped high into the air to dodge another swipe from Aurora. Hari covered James, keeping one eye on Mareena as he saw the youngest Seleni start to slow. She slumped against the wall, smiling to herself like a happy drunk as she gradually slid down the smooth surface.
‘Vandelrot!’ Hari gasped.
‘Blimey, it works!’ said James breathlessly.
Mareena gently retracted her teeth and closed her eyes. Her breathing was now slow and shallow as she fell into a deep sleep.
Aurora stopped her attack momentarily and stared. She was more experienced, more used to fighting than the other two but even she was tiring. She was outnumbered and out manoeuvred and felt a sudden fury rise up through her whole body. It infected her, clouding her judgement as it drove her on.
‘Aurora, stop! It’s pointless,’ yelled Charlie as he joined his two friends but she ignored him, snarling at James, as she lashed out again but this time it was three against one and even though their reflexes were slowing, the boys worked together like when they hunted back home. Charlie and Hari moved in different directions, distracting Aurora mid jump as James saw his opportunity. He turned, grasping hold of her body and whipping around quickly so that she was caught; trapped in a vice-like neck brace. She screamed, her red lips parting as she spat her venom. James kept hold with his strong arms and wide shoulders, turning his face to avoid any direct hit.
‘Aurora. We don’t want this fight. Stop! It’s over!’ Charlie gasped. He was bent over double, his hands on his hips, breathing hard to try and catch his breath. Aurora continued to snarl like a caged animal.
‘Never!’ she declared. ‘How dare you. How dare you!’ she screamed. ‘Get your filthy hands off me!’ she hissed, surprised at James’ strength.
‘Aurora, listen to me. Lily isn’t yours to take. She’s not a possession, she’s her own person. You have no rights over her. This has to stop!’ Hari demanded.
‘And who are you to tell the Seleni what they can and cannot do? You, who are little more than children,’ she screamed.
‘What do we do?’ James asked the others silently, his muscles quivering as he struggled to hold Aurora against his chest.
‘Remember what Ilia said,’ replied Charlie. ‘She warned us that this might happen. Look at her, she’s dangerous. We have to decapitate and then burn and walk away,’ he said coldly.
‘But do you think that’s the right thing to do?’ Hari asked. ‘We’ll be killing our own kind; another sanguin…’
James and Charlie looked at him.
‘Look at her. Think about it,’ frequenced James. ‘Once I let go of this whirling dervish, it’ll all start again and she’ll be the one trying to decapitate us! I can’t imagine her deliberating over the morality of destroying any of us, can you? Did you see Valens’ leg? Venetia didn’t waste any time sinking her teeth in there,’ he reminded his friend.
‘Yes, but Valens isn’t one of us. He isn’t a sanguin,’ replied Hari. ‘We’ll be killing one of our own.’ He paused. ‘I’ve never killed anyone before, no one,’ he said quietly.
‘Look, we need to make a decision, I can’t hold on forever. Where’s the other one?’ James had barely finished frequencing when an incandescent, soaking wet vampire flew over the balcony.
‘Here we go again!’ sighed Charlie. ‘Keep hold of that one,’ he yelled to James but Hari had already been warned by the scratching sounds from the cliff face and had launched himself towards the dark-haired beauty, colliding with her in mid-air. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her roughly down.
‘You definitely have a place on the first team, next season, mate!’ frequenced James, but Hari didn’t reply. Venetia had recovered some of her strength from Valens’ blood and had thrown him off. He landed with a crash, but she was tiring and was taking longer to recover her position. Her arm had healed but for some reason the hand where she had grasped the featherstone pendant, was still withered and charred.
Charlie started to get up but Hari held back. He was watching for a gap in her defences and at last it came. She couldn’t help herself, she lunged at Charlie and Hari took his chance, tackling her again, pinning her against the warm marble with his knee fixed firmly in the small of her back.
She writhed, screaming and hissing in fury; her razor-sharp teeth ready to clamp down on his exposed flesh but Hari held tight, pushing down on her with all his remaining strength. Eventually she lay limp and exhausted; her breath heavy and laboured beneath him.
‘Aurora, Venetia, listen to me,’ said Hari, his face was now fixed and emotionless. ‘Lily has gone. Valens has taken her home where she’ll be well protected. You have two choices, you can either agree to peace, or it ends here. The choice is yours!’
‘Hari!’ Charlie said tersely.
‘My friends here think we should finish you now,’ Hari continued, ‘but we have no real quarrel with you. This whole situation could just be a mistake; a case of misplaced affection.’ Charlie shook his head in obvious disagreement but Hari ignored him.
‘We might not agree with your lifestyle,’ he continued, ‘but we work on the basis that our existence should be all about shared experience. We live and we let live. Provided you leave us and Lily in peace, you are free to go,’ he offered.
‘Hari,’ frequenced Charlie, ‘remember what Ilia said. You’re making a huge mistake. James, tell him!’
James’s arms were still under massive tension as he held Aurora tight.
‘Charlie’s right, Hari,’ warned James silently. ‘Ilia knew this would be our weakness because we’ve never fought our own species or even killed a sentient creature before… But we also have to go with our gut feeling,’ he added thoughtfully. ‘We’ve all made the decision not to take human life if we can help it. I think that stands even more for our own kind, unless our own lives are under threat.’
‘And like we’re not in that position now?’ demanded an exasperated Charlie. ‘Okay,’ he conceded, ‘let them go…but one step out of line…’
Aurora watched them carefully. She couldn’t hear them, but she could sense disagreement between the three boys and she knew that a break in hunt unity was a weakness, and that weaknesses were there to be exploited. She frequenced across to Venetia.
James felt a slight relaxation in Aurora’s muscles and looked across to Venetia who lay quietly under Hari. Something didn’t feel right.
‘Suppose we agree,’ Aurora asked. ‘Would you still allow us the freedom to visit Lily?’ Her previous hisses and snarls had been replaced by the hypnotic musical tones she used when she was hunting.
‘If you come peacefully and allow Lily to decide her own course of action, then of course you’d be welcome,’ replied Hari. ‘We don’t agree with your lifestyle but that remains your choice.’ Hari watched her carefully. ‘Do I take it you accept peace on behalf of the Seleni?’ he asked. ‘On the honour of your sisters’ lives?’
The two vampires paused. ‘But what of Mareena?’ asked Aurora.
‘She’ll be fine. She’s drugged but she’ll wake eventually,’ James replied, watching both girls with narrowed eyes.
‘Then we agree,’ they replied in a honeyed unison which was far too coordinated for Charlie’s liking.
James and Hari simultaneously released their hold.
‘We have an agreement,’ reminded Hari as Aurora and Venetia straightened themselves. Although their hair was tousled and they looked a little flushed, they were as lovely as when they had first greeted the boys. They smoothed themselves down, Venetia still with one hand ruined, smiled sweetly, and then they flew. They couldn’t help themselves, the fury of the caged predator was again released as both girls threw themselves against their former jailors
; their fangs fully exposed as each of them threw back their heads ready to bite.
Aurora was on James, with Venetia crushing Hari against the smooth marble, both boys totally overwhelmed by the speed and agility of the two females. James felt the warm, sweet breath on his neck and then Aurora’s moist lips as they momentarily hovered over his exposed skin. It had all happened so fast. He tried to push her away, but it was no good. He strained and then lay back, waiting to feel her teeth sink into his neck, hoping that Charlie would pull her off… Any second now…
Aurora was the first to release her grip. She fell to the floor, clasping her throat. Venetia followed. Both girls were on all fours, gasping for breath, like exotic fish out of water, struggling for every molecule of air. James reached up to his throat and felt the sticky stream of warm blood on his fingers. He was relieved that it was already starting to thicken. Aurora hadn’t had time to inject her anti-coagulant before the tibast ointment had taken effect.
‘Quick, remember what Twizell said, the tibast won’t last long against a vampire. We’ve got to move quickly. Come on, MOVE!’ James shouted.
He stood over Aurora and watched as Charlie did the same, standing astride Venetia’s prostrate body. She writhed and wretched, her eyeballs popping out of their sockets; her lungs screaming for the sweetness of air.
‘Ready?’ Charlie shouted
‘Do it!’ Hari agreed, nodding his approval. ‘They were given the chance. They swore on their honour and on each other’s lives that we had a deal. Just get it over with. Do it and let’s get out of here!’ he said in disgust.
James and Charlie simultaneously reached down and placed their hands on either side of each girl’s head. Aurora and Venetia looked up, pleading for their lives with their exquisite eyes, unable to speak or scream, their throats engorged by the tibast ointment but the two boys ignored them. They each quickly twisted and tore the delicate white necks from their perfect pale bodies. Two deadly decapitations as the centuries old Seleni finally gave way to their own mortality.