by Zara Novak
He swayed a little while holding his arm against the girl’s mouth. Feeling light headed? Wraith said in the recess of his mind. Just wait until the withdrawal starts. You haven’t fed properly in days.
Jack ignored the voice and held his wrist firmly against Ellie’s mouth. When it looked as if she were starting to heal he pulled his wrist away and sat back. She held onto him slightly as he tried to take his arm away, which made Jack smile. Vampire blood quickly made most humans into addicts if they consumed enough. It was amusing to see how Ellie’s reluctance had readily transformed into begrudging dependence.
“I think I need more,” she gasped as she lay back on the ground, staring up at the ceiling.
“I think you’ll be fine,” he said and smiled to himself, leaning back to sit against a haybale behind him. Blood letting was a fine way to help heal humans, but it was damn tiring too. Ellie sat up after a moment, invigorated from his blood, and full of energy once more.
“Damn!” She marveled while bouncing around the hayloft like a child. “I feel great! What was that?! Do you feel like this all the time?!”
“Pretty good, isn’t it?” Jack said through drooping eyes. “Glad you’re feeling better.”
“I’m great!” Ellie said. She would be riding a high from the blood for the next half an hour at least. Feeling like she could take on the world, thinking that she could conquer anything. She glanced over at Jack, noticing that he was nearly out for the count. “…What’s wrong with you, Jack?”
“Blood letting is a little tiring for vampires. I’ll be all right in a few minutes… probably. I just need a second to rest.” The first ache of pain flashed across Jack’s body, making his muscles cramp uncomfortably, causing him to shout out loud. “Ah!”
Wraith was right. He’d given too much. Withdrawal was beginning.
Concern flashed over Ellie’s face and she skipped over to crouch by his side. “Are you hurt?”
He sat up slightly and shook it off. “I’m fine. It’s just a side effect of blood-letting. Sometimes you get these aches and pains across the body. They’re just cramps, but slightly worse. I’m not in any danger, I’ll just have some pain until I feed again.” Another convulsion of fire flashed over his muscles and Jack trembled, yelling as pain took over him again.
“Jesus Jack,” she said and took the vampire’s hand. It felt good to him. “Why do this to yourself if you knew it was going to happen?”
“To help you,” he said with a smile, squeezing her hand back, finding relief in how smooth her skin felt against his. He used that feeling as anchor to ignore the pain. Pain flashed once more, worse this time, and he let out another cry.
“You should have just left me!” she said, tears brimming in her eyes now. “I wouldn’t have let you if I knew this would happen!”
“I’ll be fine,” he laughed, wincing again as another flash of pain came. “I’d do it again in a heartbeat if I could.”
“You’re having withdrawal. You need blood. This wasn’t worth it.”
“It was,” he said while sliding down to lay on the floor. “It got you out of pain, and that’s all that mattered. It was worth it to see you smile. That’s worth all the pain in the world.”
“You’re crazy,” she said, brushing a tear from her cheek. “I’m not worth this.”
“You are to me.” Jack coughed as the edge of sleep came over him. He tried to push himself up. Blood. He needed blood.
“Where are you going?” Ellie said, pushing Jack back down as he tried to sit up.
“I need to hunt. I need to get blood.”
“Oh no you don’t,” Ellie scoffed. “Stay here. I’ll go get the blood.”
Jack wanted to protest, but with his strength rapidly fading he found he couldn’t. Eyes closed, he nodded at her words and his hand slipped away, hoping that she could find some in time. Blood would be good. The pain was bad, but it didn’t matter. He’d saved her. That was all that mattered.
14
Ellie had no idea where or how she was going to get blood when she set out, but the task wasn’t as hard as she realized when she actually put her mind to it. A life time of camping out with the Order had prepared for her surviving outside in the wilderness. Her overbearing father had always been insistent that learning to fend for oneself was the most important thing a person could do.
“This will save your life one day Ellie,” he used to say. She’d never believed him back then, but it seemed he was half-right now. Using her knowledge, Ellie set up a basic trap on the edge of the abandoned farmhouse using an old net and some wire she found behind an old feed bin. Using a branch from a sapling, she set up a net, so it would drop down and tie itself around anything that triggered the trap.
After that she set more impromptu traps up around the barn. If she’d had weapons she could hunt and find something for Jack much faster, but as things stood she’d have to rely on luck. As luck would have it, she wasn’t waiting very long. Ellie had barely finished setting up a second trap around the back of the barn when she heard the first trap go off. Sprinting, she made her way back across the yard and saw a large hare trapped in the net. Valdis would have been proud.
Christ, Ellie thought to herself as she made her way over to the trap. If only Valdis could see her now. He’d taught her these skills so she might one day save herself. Bet you never thought I’d be using them to save a vampire. Picking the net up, she swung it over her shoulder and made her way back to the barn. The captured hare moved little. Probably trying to remain invisible.
Reaching the door, she stuck her hand out to pull it back when she stopped.
Hang on a second. Just what the hell am I doing here? Turning her head, she looked back across the farmyard. Dawn was breaking. Night was over. It dawned on Ellie that this was her chance to escape. Jack was incapacitated inside the barn from his blood-letting. The sun would come up soon and he wouldn’t be able to give chase until it was nighttime again. She could try and find the bike again. She’d cover a lot of ground in that time.
Her hand remained hovering in the air as her mind whirled with internal debate. But what about Jack? He had helped to save her after all. He’d given her his blood, knowing full well that it would cause him pain. He’d acted selflessly. He hadn’t wanted her to suffer. Could she really leave him like this now, after the kindness that he’d extended her way?
Kind or not, you’re still his prisoner. He wouldn’t let you go if he had a say in the matter. He’s worked his spells and you’ve fallen for his vampire charms too many times already. Nothing good will come of staying here. The best thing to do is get out.
And where would she go then exactly? Back to the White Order? Back to her overbearing and emotionally neglectful father? The last few days with Jack had certainly been interesting ones. They were a far cry from the years she’d spent with the Order. She thought of all the people she knew there. The soldiers she had grown up with. The members she worked alongside. She hadn’t missed a single one of them since Jack took her. She’d barely even thought of them, and she very much doubted that they were thinking of her.
That’s right, the voice in her head said. Go back to the very people that despise the thing you now are. You have the mark. You’re one of the daughters. Do you really think they’d let you live now, knowing what you are?
That voice scared her most of all. It sounded like hers, but she felt as if it had come from somewhere else. Shaking her head, she suppressed the feeling and tried to think of a plan. If the Order wasn’t safe to return to then she could always go somewhere else. She could start again anew.
As she stood there, Ellie imagined a life somewhere far away from the valley. She imagined a house of her own. A new life. A new city. Maybe doing something new. Maybe being normal for once in her life. She could get a nice job, a nice apartment. Maybe a dog? When the day was done she could make her way back from home, kick open the door and greet Jack with a big—
Wait. Jack? She shook her head again. Why was
Jack in that scenario? She was running away from all this. Couldn’t her mind just keep him out for one second?
But it would be nice, she thought. Coming home after a long day and falling into those strong arms. Melting into that barrel chest while those soft lips kiss you all over. A strange feeling filled Ellie at that thought. It was a sparkling warmth, starting in the pit of her stomach and flowing up through her body, until she almost felt as if she were flying. Was that… was that happiness?
A gentle dawn breeze brushed through the trees, bringing her back to the spot in front of the barn. She placed her frozen hand onto the door and stepped inside, closing it again behind her.
“Christ. My head really fucking hurts.”
“Easy! Just relax and take it easy!”
Jack blinked hard as he pulled himself up to sit upright. He squinted around the dim barn, screwing his eyes at the thin slats of light shining through the woodwork. “I have the worst hangover in the fucking world.”
“I heard hydration is the cure to any good hangover,” Ellie said while pulling her stool closer to him. She held up the cup of blood to his mouth and tipped it back. “Drink.”
Jack’s eyes flushed with black as he tasted the blood. He took the cup in both his hands and threw it back, downing it in one. He dropped it to the ground, sighing in relief.
“Better?” Ellie asked.
“Some. Thanks for that. Where did you get the supplies?”
“Cup was in a sink downstairs. Blood was courtesy of a hare I captured. Figured I’d put my hunting skills to use as we were both close to starving.” Ellie jerked a thumb back at the pot of stew bubbling away on the floor behind them.
“Crikey,” Jack brushed his hands over his face and eyes, shaking himself awake. “You made all that from one hare?”
“Three actually. I set up a few traps while you were out. I came back up here as soon as I caught the first, so I could give you some drink. You were in pretty bad pain, but you fell asleep soon after that first cup.”
“I appreciate that, thanks. Sorry you had to see me go through that.” Jack looked around the dim loft and slowly stood to his feet. Ellie joined him. He walked over to the stew and took a deep breath, looking back at Ellie with an impressed look on his face. “You’re quite resourceful on the sly, hey?”
Ellie smiled. “The Order might not be good for many things, but we take outdoor survival seriously. Are you sure you’re okay again now?”
“Fit as a fiddle,” Jack said and stretched his limbs. “No memory blanks either as far as I can tell. Name’s Jack. Or Wraith. Depends who is in control. You’re Ellie. We’re in a barn. We’re on the run. That’s about it right?”
She nodded. It was about as much as she knew too, but it didn’t feel like very much. “Yeah… You still haven’t really made it clear where we’re going, or why we’re going there… don’t suppose you want to finally clue me in?”
Jack flashed a devilish grin at Ellie and wagged his finger at her. “Ah. Nice try, darling. Don’t think you can catch me off guard that easily though. Wouldn’t be much fun if you knew all the answers, would it?” Pacing away from her, Jack strode across the loft floor, dodging a stray beam of sunlight as he did so. “Say… why do you reckon this place is abandoned?”
Anger stirred inside Ellie. She’d spent long enough being stringed along and didn’t have a single thing to show for it. Changing the conversation wasn’t going to work this time. “No,” she said. “I want answers. I’m willing to accept that maybe I’m a part of this… thing. Whatever that might be.” She paused for a moment, thinking about the mark on her back. “But if we’ve been pushed together for some reason then I want some goddamn answers.”
Fists clenched, Ellie marched across the loft and stopped a foot away from the vampire, staring at him in defiance. A small grin broke over Jack’s lips, and he stared back at her in surprise. “Damn girl. You got some fire in you since last time. Maybe I did forget something?”
“Stop it,” Ellie snapped. “I want you to tell me where you’re taking me Jack. I want to know what the plan is.”
“Plan…” he said, slowly stretching the word out through the air.
“Yes! Why are you taking me into the north?! There’s nothing up here but snow and mountains!”
Jack stared back with guarded silence, looking Ellie over as he considered the question. Those red eyes of his were examining her, weighing her up, dissecting her. For the longest time there was nothing but silence, but then he finally spoke, slow and calm. “Do you understand what happens when I black out?”
Ellie looked at Jack, shaking her head. “No. What?”
“I always wake with no memory of what came before. There are flashes of things of course, there always are. I have a vague idea that I’m this chaotic vampire that comes from a big fancy family. I know I’ve got a reputation around these parts. I know I crossed most folk at some point in my life, and most would like to see me burn in the sun if they had a chance.
“Outside of those vague impressions, there is nothing. Every time I wake I’m a fresh slate. It can be pretty terrifying sometimes, let me tell you. Despite it all, I can remember the first time I woke without knowing who I was.”
Ellie felt herself leaning forward. “You can?”
“Yes. It was over a year ago. I came to in a river. I was floating downstream on my back. Naked from head to toe. The water was ice cold. The night was black. The only thing I could see was the leaves in the trees above me as they moved on by. After a while I found the strength to stand, and I made my way to the riverbank. It was there I took my first steps as a man with no name. Looking down at myself, I saw that my body was covered in hundreds of tiny red lines. Like little roots. Squiggling across my flesh.”
“Scars?” Ellie said, glancing at his bare torso, noticing the lack of marks.
“Not scars,” he shook his head. “Burns. I theorized I’d been hit by lightning. It explained a lot. The memory loss. The strange marks. I think I’d seen them on a person once before, that’s how I knew what they were. Anyway. I set off into the forest, searching for answers. Searching for survival.
“Those first few days were pretty terrifying. I didn’t understand why my skin smoked when the sun first came up. I didn’t understand why I kept vomiting up everything I tried to eat.”
“You forgot you were a vampire?” Ellie gasped.
“I just about forgot everything,” he answered back. “It came back to me soon enough of course. The body has a way of telling you what you need. I learned to hunt again. Learned to avoid the sun. I even had to learn to fight again pretty quickly when I crossed paths with a local shifter pack. You can imagine how surprising it is re-learning for the first time that werewolves exist. Turns out they’re not the biggest fan of vampires.”
Jack paced across to the other side of the loft, circling the floor aimlessly as he spoke. “Everything after that kind of blurs though. I know it didn’t take me long to make enemies. It didn’t take long to get into fights either. I think I royally pissed off some of your boys, but I can’t recall how.”
Ellie nodded. Her old boss, Anderson, had become obsessed with tracking Jack—or the feral as she had known him them—down after he killed several of his men. “I was part of a small hunting group,” she explained. “It was run by a man named Anderson. The Order assigned him with the task of stopping the prophecy. I was part of that group. We spent time in the valley, camping out, trying out various strategies to complete our task. Things were alright for a while, fairly normal, but then you started showing up. It’s not unusual for us to have run ins with vampires, it’s part of the job, but you… you just kept coming back.”
Jack raised his brows as he turned back to face Ellie. “Anderson probably had it in his mind that I was out to finish his group.”
“He did,” Ellie said. “The strangest thing is that you never attacked us first. It was almost like you were just following us. Watching. It was only when someone saw you and
started attacking that you fought back. Anderson was determined to get you after that, dragging us across the forest. He wouldn’t rest until you were dead.”
Ellie broke away momentarily, thinking how Jack had appeared to her back then. The feral with the mysterious powers. “Each time he attacked, your counter-attacks became worse, until—” she broke away again, thinking of the night the vampire had brought a storm down upon Anderson and her group. “You seemed to… control things.”
“Things?”
“Yeah…” Ellie nodded. Thinking of that fateful night when they had stormed the Belmont train. The feral, or Jack, seemed to have controlled the storm that came down on Anderson and his men. “Lightning. So much. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that much in my life before. It all came down at once, raining down upon the earth, blasting everything. It killed almost half the group, that night we raided the train. You held bullets in the air… suspended like they were nothing.”
Jack’s eyes widened slightly with the admission, he shrugged and paced back toward her, hands held palm up in front of him. “It’s all news to me. Lost in the black hole of my memory.”
“But you were following us,” Ellie said, staring at him in question. “Weren’t you?”
He nodded, stopping just a few paces away from her. “In a way, yes. Anderson was half right. I was following your group, but it had nothing to do with a vendetta against him or his men. I was following the group because of you.”
Ellie swallowed. “Me?”
“Yes. Every time I woke I had to start from scratch again. Nothing lingered in my mind until I saw you. You, Ellie. I still remember the first time I saw you. I awoke in a tree, perched among the branches after resting. I looked down and there I saw you, walking alone in the forest, looking like an angel walking upon the earth. I climbed down from that tree and followed you in secret, simply mesmerized. I felt bewitched. I had to know who you were. I had to know where you were going.