by Jen Pretty
I ended up in front of a tall building made of glass. The pull was coming from within. Pity that there were so many humans about, but I would not stand by while enemies walked my city. I would send a message to that fool, Vernon. He might find it amusing to play games with Lark, but I was not a toy.
The elevator carried me up to the 17th floor. When I exited, I could feel them very close. Nearly beside me. I took a right, my boots tapping across the hard tile floor. I stopped at a closed door and sent out my senses. Four, at least. I called the knife to me and it sat in my palm like an extension of my arm. I raised my boot and kicked the solid door, knocking the whole frame into the room. All four vampires pounced on me at once, but I was stronger than these young demons.
I slid my knife through the neck of one of the vampires before the first of their blows reached me. Without Lark to hold me back, the fist to my head barely slowed me down and I sliced the second vampire across his torso. As I swung my arm back, the knife dragged across his throat, ending his miserable existence.
Teeth dug into my shoulder as the third vampire wrapped his arms around me, pinning my arms to my sides. I dropped towards the ground, sliding my knife into his foot as I went. Then I jumped back up, kicked the vampire in front of me away and spun to finish off the one who had tasted my blood. My blade cut through his neck so fast and hard that his head hit the ground before his finished crumpling.
That left me with only one vampire, I turned to find him kneeling on the floor. I stopped and looked at him, my breaths coming hard and fast. Making my body twitch with untapped energy. I wanted his head.
“Please, Durga. I knew nothing of this plan. I swear it.”
Lies.
“I just wanted to come here and live a quiet life.”
More lies.
The vampire began to sob, but I could see through his fake cries of innocence. I pounced and knocked him back on the floor, slicing his face to let the blood mingle with the air. He hissed and snapped his teeth at me, proving what I already knew from the scent of his blood. He was a liar and a murderer. His head sliced clean from his body like it was nothing more than a rope mooring a boat to shore. I rose and straightened my back. My neck cracked as I turned my head, feeling much more relaxed now that my city was free of the vermin.
Perhaps this was a better way to go about my work --no interference from humans or useless vampires. Lark need never know.
I left the tall glass building, my black clothes hiding the blood stains, and walked to the bus stop. I boarded the bus, flashing Lark’s bus pass at the driver and took a seat in the back row. A young human man sat across the aisle from me and he kept glancing my way. Lark was beautiful and I was glad to have the attention of a young human man. I stared at him until he looked my way again. I smiled and he smiled back before turning his eyes back out the window. How adorable, these humans.
I got off the bus and walked back towards the mansion that shared the backyard with Vincent. I passed joggers and women pushing baby carriages. One of the mothers called out a hello, but I continued on my way. I scaled the fence and walked through the small forest between houses. The ground was wet from recent rain, bringing the scent of pine and decay to my nose. I climbed the side of the house to get back into Lark's room. After changing, I put the bloody clothes into the laundry hamper and climbed back into bed. It was getting on in the day and Lark would rise in another hour or two. She would have no work to do tonight. I had taken care of it on my own and no one regurgitated any food.
It was an excellent night.
CHAPTER SEVEN
LARK
I woke up exhausted. My arms and legs were as heavy as my eyelids. My clock said I only had an hour before I needed to be at the studio for my mom and tot yoga class and I had flaked out on a couple of them recently and couldn’t miss anymore.
I rolled off the bed and stood up, eyes still mostly closed as I staggered to the shower. I had never felt this tired before. Even after a full night of drinking with Frankie, I always woke up the next evening ready to go. I was worried there was something wrong with me, but had no time to deal with it now. I would check in with the healers after classes.
I had a quick shower and got dressed, still having trouble keeping my eyes open. A stiff breeze came in through my window. I slid it shut and tried to remember if I had opened it before I went to sleep. My mind was mush. Coffee would fix me.
In the dining room, I skipped the dinner foods and went straight for the good stuff. I filled a mug and added lots of sugar to give the caffeine extra help in reviving me and then I slumped down in a chair next to Drew.
He took one look at me and did this exaggerated startle thing that he liked to do. It was annoying. I rolled my eyes back into my head.
“Rough day, Lark?” Vlad asked from across the table.
“I guess I’m not sleeping well. I have no energy at all.”
“That isn’t normal,” Vlad muttered, sitting back in his chair to survey me.
“Stop looking at me. I need to drink extra coffee and I’ll be good to go,” I said, taking a long sip of the hot beverage.
“Hmm.” He grunted in reply.
“Hey, Lark, could I join your class tonight?” Trevor asked from down the table.
“Sure, Trevor. It’s a mom and tots class though, so as long as you don’t mind being the only guy there, I’m sure the moms wouldn’t mind you joining them.”
“That’s not a problem; I love children,” he replied before getting up and trotting off, I assumed, to get changed.
Two cups of coffee later, I was less like a zombie. I met Trevor at the front door and we walked out to my waiting SUV. Vincent was interviewing humans for the job of house manager, but it would be a long process because he couldn’t just post an ad in the paper. He had to find a human who already knew about vampires. Either born into a vampire house or accidentally initiated somehow. There was a list. It wasn’t very long.
In the meantime, the mechanic had been bringing our vehicles up when we called. It wasn’t a big deal, but having another person in the house who didn’t drink blood, would be nice.
Trevor and I climbed in and pulled down the long driveway to the road. We cruised along, I was lost in thought for a while, until Trevor cleared his throat, bringing me back to the car.
“Can I talk to you about something, Lark?”
“Sure, what’s up?”
“I would like to have something to do during the day, like the rest of the vampires. A job, maybe. Uhm, could you talk to Mr. Crowden for me?”
“Sure, I’d be happy to talk to him for you. What kind of job would you like?” I asked as I pulled into the parking lot at the studio. There were already a few cars in the lot, including Randy’s.
“I’m not sure. I worked at a clothing store for a while and that was nice and easy. Before I was turned, I had dreamed of being a reporter, like for a newspaper, but I would have to go back to school to do that. If I had a job, I might be able to afford it someday.”
I shut off the ignition and turned to face the young man. I could see him being a reporter, carrying a notebook and asking questions.
“Alright, I’ll talk to Vincent for you. Come on.”
His face lit up like a sunrise. “Thank you, Lark.”
We stepped out of the SUV as one of the moms was unstrapping her laughing toddler from her car seat.
“Oh, hey, Lark,” she said lifting the child to rest on her hip and grabbing her yoga mat. “I didn’t realize you lived in my neighbourhood.”
“Oh?” I asked, perplexed.
“I waved hello this afternoon. You waved back, didn’t you see me? It was around two pm or so?”
“Hmm, I don’t think so. In the Parkland Heights neighbourhood?”
“Yeah, some of the other moms and I go for a walk around that time every day. I’ve never seen you out before though.”
I glanced at Trevor, who had a perplexed look on his face. It probably matched my own. I let it go. There was
no way it was me. Maybe she had seen someone who looked like me. Weird that it would be in Vincent’s neighbourhood though.
“Hey, Randy. Thanks for taking care of things for me yesterday,” I said as I stopped at the reception counter.
“No problem, I’m wondering, though, if you might want to hire on another instructor for emergencies.”
I hadn’t thought about that. It was a good idea, business-wise. Perhaps I could give away some of my classes too. I wasn’t expecting to have so many students.
“That’s a good idea. Do you want to post an ad?”
“Will do. Have a good class, Lark.” Randy smiled and went back to furiously typing on the keyboard.
Trevor wandered into the men’s changing room and I got set up at the front of the class with my yoga mat.
The room filled quickly. Lots of little ones tottering and crawling around as we went through some basic routines to warm up and tone muscles. Trevor only made it through half the class before toddlers surrounded him. He read them stories and played games from the box of toys I pulled out to keep them entertained. He was a natural with children and I was a bit jealous. He made it look easy.
By the end of class, not one mom had needed to leave with an upset child and none of the kids wanted to go. Trevor was a baby whisperer. The moms all thanked him as they left.
“You were a hit,” I told him as the last mom walked out the door.
“I told you I like kids. I didn’t have any siblings so I don’t know where it comes from, but I used to entertain the kids at the clothing store I worked at while their moms tried on clothes. They are so much fun,” Trevor said.
I shook my head. “I have no idea what you are talking about. If I look at a baby too long, it will start crying. Every time.”
Trevor laughed and pushed the door open to leave.
“Thanks again, Randy,” I called over my shoulder.
“No problem, Lark. Take care,” he replied, waving.
We drove home, and as I parked the vehicle, I yawned for the fifth time.
“Are you ok, Lark? You look worn out.” Trevor said.
“I don’t know. I’ve never been this tired before. I don’t think I can get sick so maybe I’ve just been pushing myself too hard.”
He still looked concerned, but we got out and went into the mansion. I had promised to ask Vincent about Trevor getting a job so I wanted to do that before I got involved in something else.
I knocked on the door and Vincent’s stern voice said “come” from within so I opened the door and walked in. Taking my usual seat in front of his desk, he got up and came around to lean against it. Standing much closer to me than necessary.
“You don’t look so great,” he said.
I sighed. “Yeah, I don’t feel so great either. I’m exhausted. I’m thinking about going back to bed for a couple of hours.”
Vincent’s intense eyes trailed over my features, making me suddenly self-conscious. I sat up straighter in my seat and adjusted my wayward hair.
“Maybe you should stay in tonight,” he said, finally breaking the awkward silence. “Get some more rest. I don’t have anything specific for you to look into.”
“Ok, sounds good. I wanted to talk to you about Trevor though.”
He straightened and put on his boss face. “What has he done?” His tone implied he would take care of the problem. Except there was no problem.
“Nothing, Jesus, don’t jump to conclusions. He wants a job or something to keep him busy during the day when everyone else is working and he’s alone.”
“Hmm, I had thought about sending him back to school when he was ready. Do you think that might suit him?”
“He wants to be a reporter,” I said quickly. If Vincent was willing to send Trevor to school, that would be a fantastic opportunity. Something for him to work towards would probably help improve his health too.
Vincent smiled. He owned both local newspapers.
“I’ll talk to the dean at the college and see if we can get him in.”
“Thank you,” I stood and waved a goodbye, then headed back in the direction of my bed. My yawning had become chronic.
That had gone way better than I had hoped. Maybe Vincent’s sharp edges were wearing off.
I changed back into my big sleep shirt, tucked into bed and fell asleep immediately.
***
“We have a problem.”
“Good morning to you too,” I said, my eyes still closed. I tucked my head under my blanket and tried to go back to sleep.
“This is serious, Lark,” Vincent said, his voice reaching my ears even through my covers.
I rolled my eyes. I didn’t care what the problem was. I was too tired to deal with it. He sat in silence while I hid under the blanket. I couldn’t stay there forever and I could feel his eyes burning into me. I flung the blanket off and walked to my closet. Pulling on yoga pants and a big hoodie, I walked back out to face the newest drama. I prayed it wasn’t in Alaska.
“What is it?” I asked, sitting down on the bed across from where he sat in his favourite chair.
“This.” He held up a grainy picture of me on an elevator.
“I don’t recognize that place. Where was it?”
“Today, at the plaza tower downtown. Around 1 o’clock,” he replied, shoving the photo back into an envelope and pulling out a different picture. This one was a photograph, not a still from a video, so the photo was clear and in colour. The fact it was in colour showed the extent of the carnage. There were bodies strewn about the floor and blood sprayed the walls and ceiling in the otherwise white office space.
My heart started pounding. The scene was a massacre. Adrenaline rushed into my bloodstream. I stood up and started pacing the room.
“I was asleep at that time. There’s no way. I was here. It’s a trick of the light or someone who looks like me.”
I remembered the mom from yoga who had said I waved at her.
Vincent stood and stepped in front of me, stopping my pacing. He held my shoulders and looked me in the eye.
“There are muddy boot prints on your carpet, Lark.” I looked over to the window I had closed when I got up earlier, but the muddy boot prints were there, just as he said. I followed the trail. It went into my closet.
I pushed past Vincent and went back into my closet. I was too tired to notice the mud on the carpet. My boots were there, caked in it and sitting at the end of the trail. My mind was foggy like I was still asleep and this was a weird dream. Did Durga do this while I was sleeping?
“Oh, God,” I whispered.
“We will figure it out, Lark,” Vincent said from right behind me in my closet.
“Wait, where did you get the photos? How did you find out about this?” I asked, biting my lip and fearing the worst.
“The police found the scene,” he said, matter of factly.
“I’m going to jail?” I asked in a shaky voice. I had never felt like what I did was wrong. I only killed vampires who were killing humans. “Tell me they were vampires.” They looked human in photos. I knew that my magic didn’t work on a photograph. I had to see the vampire in person to know that’s what it was.
“Yes, they were vampires. Here illegally. I checked their names and they came in on the same flight as the one who attacked you in the house. No, you are not going to jail.”
“The police have that photo.” I covered my mouth, feeling like I might puke. My hands were shaking. Durga was utterly silent inside me. Not a single stir. This was her fault. I never even imagined she could do this. I knew she could easily push me out of her way, but to control me while I was asleep? I was helpless. She could do whatever she wanted, and I had no control.
“The photo is so grainy; they won't be able to make an ID. I promise you will not go to jail.” He wrapped his arms around me as I shook and the first tear ran down my cheek. All I did in the last three days was kill people and cry about it. My life was finally coming together; now it was completely out of control
.
Vincent leaned back and slid his hands up to cup my face. He brushed away my tears with his thumbs as I sniffled and tried to wrap my head around Durga’s actions. Why wouldn’t she lead me to them? Crazy fucking deity.
“Come on, let's get some food and then we will meet with the team and figure out what to do.”
I followed Vincent down to the dining room and when we walked in all the voices hushed. I put some food on a plate, though I wasn’t hungry.
When I turned around, all the vampires were staring at me.
“Come on,” Vincent said and I followed him back out to his office. I set my plate down on his desk and collapsed into the chair as he walked around and sat in his chair behind the desk.
“So, is there any way you can talk to Durga, Lark? Maybe we can find out what is going on.”
“She kicks me or pushes me. I don’t hear voices in my head or anything.”
Frankie poofed into the room. I gasped and my knife appeared in my hand.
“Jesus, Frankie, you scared me! We need to put a bell on you or something.” I said. Vincent hadn’t even flinched when Frankie popped in unexpectedly. Maybe Vincent had summoned him, however that worked, I didn’t know. The adrenaline spike caused by Frankie's sudden appearance crashed hard and I was more exhausted than when I got up.
Frankie came over and sat in the chair beside me, turning my chair with his foot so I was facing him.
“I saw the photo on the news,” he said, completely ignoring my teasing comment. “Who would recognize you?”
“I don’t know. Arnie?”
“He’s a warlock, Lark. Anyone outside of the supernatural world?” he asked impatiently, leaning forward and staring at me with a strange intensity.
“It's not clear enough for anyone to positively ID her,” Vincent chimed in. We both looked at him and then Frankie looked back at me, ignoring the vampire in the room.
“Who, Lark? Think.”
“Fuck, I don’t know. No one.” I pressed my palm into my forehead and thought about it for a moment. “Maybe Mr. Fellum?”