Reborn to Bite (Vampire Shadows Book 1)

by Mark Gronwald

  The group placed their orders in a daze, and the waitress got to Sabine last.

  "I'll just stick with my Vampire’s Bite, thanks," Sabine told the waitress.

  The waitress got their drink orders and collected the menus before walking away. A bus boy refilled their water glasses and departed, everyone still staring at Sabine.

  Sam raised his glass. "I think it's time for a different toast."

  "Let's hear it, Sam," Gabe said as everyone raised their glasses.

  Sam smiled. "To Sabine: for saving Robert's life; for defending Kim; for her promise to help my neighborhood."

  "What about me?" Darren asked.

  Kim piped up. "She didn't kill you."

  Gabe nodded, raising his glass.

  "How about just 'to finding the vampire that bit us'."

  CHAPTER 9

  Darren, Robert, Sam and Gabe said their goodbyes and headed for their cars, ready to start their vampire hunt. Not wanting to participate, Kim was ready to take the bus to head home.

  Sabine took one look at Kim's shaking hand. "We'll give you a ride."

  "Thanks. I'm kinda nervous about being out alone after dark," Kim said. "You really won everyone over."

  "I'll say," Trent exclaimed. "I have to say that I'm amazed."

  Movement across the street and a tingle of awareness caught Sabine's attention. A biker ducked into the liquor store on the corner, holding a cell phone up to his ear. He'd been facing away, but she could see his that his eyes tracked her and Kim in the reflection of a store window.

  "So, Trent, we didn't talk much about you in there. How do you know Sabine?" Kim asked.

  "I'm a private investigator. We met earlier today through a mutual friend."

  "So are you and Sabine an item?" Kim asked, looking between them.

  "No," Sabine said before Trent could open his mouth.

  Sabine scanned the street for more bikers while Trent tried to dodge answering Kim. Plenty of people were walking around, but none of them looked suspicious to Sabine. She had the feeling she was being watched; which usually meant she was. She had set herself up to be stalked too often over the last year to miss the signs that a trap was about to be sprung.

  A couple hurried toward them on the sidewalk, casting furtive glances towards whatever was around the corner a few steps ahead. Their thoughts about the bikers around the corner painted a lot of worst-case scenarios. Sabine tapped Trent on the arm and pointed to the corner while Kim talked. She sensed four heartbeats, one more elevated than the others.

  As they turned the corner, the mouth of a small alley came into view. It pierced the corner of the block diagonally, which created an interesting hiding place behind a Deli.

  Kim started to say something, but paused as they heard the clinking of chains.

  "That's them," a woman's voice said, causing Kim to stop mid-thought and freeze.

  Beatrice and three tough looking biker guys stood in the alley. One was holding a metal pipe, another had a knife, and the third had a chain wrapped around an arm. They all had matching leather jackets and scruffy beards.

  The one with the chain was holding Beatrice by her jacket lapel. He let go of her and stared at Kim. "Bitch here says you roughed her up. Time for you to find out what happens to people who mess with the Outlaws."

  Trent flexed his arms and smiled, cocking his neck. "Oh, I'm gonna enjoy this."

  Sabine stood with arms akimbo next to Trent. "Didn't Beatrice warn you about us?"

  She used their eye contact to send a wave of glamour into their minds.

  Trent cursed. "You know, I could have handled this."

  Sabine rounded on him, and caught sight of several more bikers approaching. She pointed behind Trent. "More coming."

  "Great," Trent said, as he turned and counted a dozen more bikers approaching from every direction.

  "Oh my God, Oh my God..." Kim said, panic filling her voice as she looked wildly between the bikers. She started hyperventilating.

  Sabine's fangs came down at the scent of fear. She grabbed Kim's flailing hands and looked into her eyes. "It's going to be okay, Kim. Trust me. I won't let anyone hurt you."

  Kim shook her head, avoiding Sabine's gaze. "There's too many of them."

  Sabine put a hand on Kim's cheek. "It's okay. The more the merrier. Trust me, okay?"

  Kim looked up at Sabine and her breath caught at the sight of a fang-filled smile. "Your-"

  Sabine nodded and smiled wider. "Fangs, yeah. I promised to protect you, remember? Watch me work, and calm down. I'm on the job. You're safe."

  Trent loosened his jacket so he'd be able to reach his gun better. "What are you going to do?"

  Sabine gave him a wicked smile. "Glamour them all."

  The bikers slowed their approach. They were within twenty feet. She calmed herself, putting aside her doubts and let the power flow. She didn't know what it would take, so she just opened the flood gates.

  Traffic on the street in both directions rolled to a stop.

  That was the first sign she had used too much. Sabine pulled back on the wave as quickly as she could, but it felt like closing a door while water was rushing through it. Her control shuddered against the torrent of power until she was finally able to reign it in.

  Hundreds of minds filled her consciousness. Thousands, even. She looked at Trent and Kim, and they were in the same trance everyone else was. Everyone on the sidewalks and in the cars on the street had just... stopped. She couldn't focus. Sabine started to panic, not knowing what to do next.

  The voices in her head went from small club chatter to something like a baseball stadium during the last game of the World Series. She sat on the sidewalk, crossed her legs and assumed a meditation pose, trying to go for calm and peace. She broadcast that feeling as the world started to get darker, and Sabine thought someone might have screamed. Strange. It felt like it came from her own throat.

  "That was amazing," Kim was saying.

  "Those bikers turning out to be nice?" Trent asked.

  "Yeah, I thought we were gonna die when Sabine fainted like that."

  Sabine felt the leather of Trent's back seat on her face, and bounced up as they hit a bump. She sat up and rubbed her head. Her fangs were out, and she felt dehydrated and thirsty. This day had been really draining.

  Trent saw her in the rear-view mirror and glanced back. He smirked. "Sleeping beauty has awakened."

  Kim looked back and giggled.

  "What?" Sabine asked, wiping hair out of her face.

  Kim smiled back at her. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking about how you said you'd protect me. We had to protect you!"

  Sabine shook her head. "But I-"

  Trent laughed. "Yeah, that was pretty interesting."

  Sabine frowned. Then it hit her. Maybe they didn't even know what she had done. "The bikers were nice?"

  Kim twisted in her seat to look back. "Yeah, they offered to help us get you to the car, but Trent picked you up like you were a rag doll and told them it was okay."

  "So we're headed to drop Kim off at her place," Trent added, taking the turn onto Kim's street.

  Trent parked the car in front of a low rise apartment complex. Sabine and Kim got out and stood on the sidewalk.

  "I'd like to start jogging tomorrow night if that's okay with you. Can you meet me here at seven?" Kim asked, adjusting her bandolier of stakes. A group of kids in costume with their parents walked by, accompanied by giggles and nudges.

  "Happy Halloween!" One of the parents said as they passed.

  "Ditto!" Kim said, smiling back.

  One of the kids stopped and stared at Sabine.

  Sabine smiled at the little boy, showing her fangs. "Happy Halloween kiddo."

  "I'm a fairy! In your face!" The kid said, and stuck out his tongue before strutting away. One of the parents grabbed him and whispered something sternly at him before smiling and apologizing.

  Sabine stared at the kid until the trick-or-treaters rounded the block and were
out of sight. "About the bikers-"

  "It's okay, really. I would have fainted if you hadn't."

  Sabine stared at Kim for a minute, fatigue dragging at her before she remembered her promise to be a bodyguard. She forced a smile, fangs still showing. "So I guess I'll see you tomorrow night."

  "Great!" Kim said, and spun on her heels. She ran up the steps to her building and went in.

  Sabine watched the blonde cheerleader bounce away and felt amazed. If nothing else good came from the day, at least there was Kim's rediscovered spirit. Taking the front seat Kim had vacated, Sabine closed the door to Trent's Caddy. She turned to face Trent and took in his mischievous smile.

  "What?" She said it like an accusation, his smug look annoying her.

  "You fainted."

  "Did you not feel what I did before that?"

  "A little tickle but that was it."

  "Has it occurred to you, that maybe the bikers weren't nice to begin with, and to question why they suddenly were?"

  He glanced over at her, then shrugged and pulled into traffic. "Maybe we just misjudged them initially?"

  Sabine shook her head, trying to concentrate on her fangs. She gave up after a block, reasoning that nobody would pay any attention to them on Halloween night anyway.

  "So you're saying that you used glamour on them," Trent said after percolating for a while.

  "I fainted because I lost control of the power."

  "If you say so."

  "Believe what you want. Can we stop someplace soon? I need to find someone to drink."

  Trent glanced at her, his shoulders tensing. "Maybe Janet has another donor for you."

  "She knows I've fed twice today. I don't want her to think that I'm a crazed three-meal-a-day vampire."

  "Then don't let her see the look in your eyes right now," Trent said, smirking.

  Sabine's phone rang, distracting her from her otherwise perfect death stare at Trent.

  She rose up off the seat to fish in her pocket, hitting the button to answer it on the third ring. She didn't recognize the caller's number. "What!"

  "Hi, Sabine. It's Esmerelda. Did something happen to you a short time ago? Over near St. Francis church?"

  Sabine paused and looked at Trent. "Yeah, as a matter of fact."

  "What happened, dear?"

  "We had dinner at the Stinking Rose, across the street. A few bikers attacked us. Why?"

  "My phone has been ringing off the hook. Every witch in the city felt a power surge from that area, including me, and I recognized the feel of it. Was it you?"

  Sabine stared out of the window of the car in shock. "You felt it?"

  "Sabine, this is important. Was it you?"

  Sabine sighed. "It was an accident. I was trying to glamour the dozen bikers that were threatening us, and I'd never tried that many at once before, and... it got out of hand."

  "Dear, you panicked three covens of witches with that display."

  "I didn't mean to."

  "I know, and we can tell them that together. If you can convince them you're not a threat..."

  Sabine's jaw dropped. "A what?"

  "Two of our witches have gone missing."

  Sabine almost bit her tongue with a fang. "Regina and Michaela?"

  Esmerelda's sharp intake of breath sent a jab of panic through Sabine.

  "They're my friends! I haven't seen them for a year, and I just saw them today coming out of a laundromat, but I had nothing to do with-"

  "Trent has been with you this whole time?"

  Sabine glanced at Trent. "Yes."

  "Excellent. You need to meet with the covens, as soon as possible. We're gathering at Golden Gate Park to meet you."

  At that moment, Trent pulled into a parking spot, and Sabine looked across the street to where Gabe, Sam, Robert and Darren were standing in the trees of Golden Gate Park. The twilight dimly illuminated the sky, but to her eye it was as bright as daylight used to be as a human. The guys looked impatient.

  Sabine unfastened her seat belt. "We're there now."

  "Yes, I know."

  "How?"

  There was a smile in Esmerelda's voice. "I'm a witch, dear."

  Trent got out. Sabine hardly noticed as she closed her phone and sat there wondering what was going to happen when she met with the witches. Her fangs ached. Her stomach grumbled. She felt agitated and close to losing it.

  Trent held her door open, smiling.

  Sabine took the hand he offered and climbed out of the car. She turned and reached back to get her bag. Trent cleared his throat as he admired her backside. She realized what he was doing and scowled back at him. "Would you like a picture? It might last longer."

  Trent reached in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. "Good idea!"

  Sabine hurried to extricate herself from the car and huffed at him, getting a laugh in response. He put away his phone and held out his arm, patiently waiting as she put the bag over her shoulder. "May I escort you, milady?"

  She tried to focus on something other than the beating of everyone's hearts and the call of their blood. Hold it together, she thought to herself, taking his arm. They walked over and joined the vampire hunters.

  Darren smiled, raking Sabine with his eyes. "So you decided to join us."

  Gabe passed out night-vision goggles to Sam, Darren, and Robert. He looked at Trent and Sabine. "Sorry, I only have enough goggles for us."

  "Um, vampire. Night vision comes with the package," Sabine said, looking to Trent.

  "I'll manage," Trent said, and the group returned their attention to Gabe.

  Gabe started walking as he spoke and the others followed. "We'll do a pattern search. If we run into a vampire, Robert will do his thing and I'll shoot it through the heart with the crossbow. If that doesn't work, we improvise."

  "I can help too, you know," Sabine said.

  Gabe ignored her and continued walking. Robert gave her a studious look before following Gabe. Sam readied his cross and stake, following the others. Darren checked his gun and went off to their right flank, donning the goggles.

  "Fine. I'll just protect your backs then." Sabine felt the hair rise on the back of her neck. She tried to concentrate for a minute on what might give her that feeling, but the source eluded her.

  They walked into the gloomy darkness without a word, following the path leading into the park, watching the shadows cast from the faint light of the moon and listening for signs of life. The group paused at a small street for a car to pass, then continued into the trees beyond, heading diagonally through the park.

  Trent paused to check his phone after it buzzed in his pocket. Sabine stood with him and waited while he typed a response as the rest of the group blundered on through the darkness.

  "Who was that?" She asked, eyeing Trent's jugular as she waited for a response.

  He closed the phone and put it in his pocket. "Esmerelda. We need to head for Stow Lake."

  "Did she mention who all would be there?"

  Trent shook his head and started walking.

  Sabine felt too drained to try reading Trent's mind, so she settled for trudging alongside him. She wasn't looking forward to the mile walk or meeting the witches. She sniffed the air and reaching out with her senses. Her stomach cramped in response to her exertion. Her mind taunted her.

  Blood, blood everywhere, but nothing to drink!

  Squirrels scampering through the trees, and the heartbeats of dozens of people punctuated the sound of rustling leaves, buzzing bugs, and the flow of traffic in the distance. She'd never find a meal with a group of vampire hunters watching, though.

  Sabine came up even with Gabe as he scanned the trees with his crossbow. "You should be careful with that. You could shoot someone's eye out."

  Gabe turned to her, his night vision goggles making him look like a nerdy alien. "That's the idea."

  "Just please don't hurt an innocent person by mistake."

  Gabe rolled his shoulders, annoyed. "I can manage that, I think. Th
ese goggles have thermal coloring. We can differentiate warm blooded from cold blooded. You're colder by twenty degrees it says here."

  Sabine felt a tickling in her mind and glanced at Robert. She was getting a bad feeling about him. "You know what? I'm gonna jog ahead. The witches are at Stow Lake, and I can make sure the way is safe for you guys."

  Gabe opened his mouth to say something, but Sabine was already gone. He stopped and looked back at the group. "How did she know where the witches are?"

  Trent pushed past him. "I got a text. I'd better go after her and make sure she doesn't get shot in the back with a crossbow."

  Sam and Robert shared a look with Gabe as Trent disappeared into the brush ahead of them.

  "Where's Darren?" Sam asked.

  They looked around, but Darren was missing.

  "I said no!"

  Sabine ran to the sound of the woman's voice, her feet barely touching the ground. A quarter mile separated her from the vampire hunters when she stopped at the edge of a small clearing. A man wearing a fancy jogging suit and a sideways baseball cap was climbing all over a woman in a sun dress and denim jacket. His prodigious fake gold chains dangled in her face as he struggled to hold her arms and lift her skirt.

  "Eddie," the woman implored, trying to break the man's grip. "Let go!"

  "Just relax, it'll be over in a few minutes," the pig said, trying to get a decent grip on the struggling woman's underwear. He outweighed her by fifty pounds, and used that advantage to hold her wrists one-handed.

  Sabine rushed over and grabbed Eddie's neck, lifting him up off the woman as easily as if he were made of paper mâché.

  The woman gasped. "Oh my God!"

  Sabine turned the man to face her and pulled him in close, avoiding a few attempted punches and kicks. Staring into his eyes, she said "Date rape playtime is over, Eddie."

  His eyes glazed over as his mind fell under her control. She held him immobile, but he would still be aware of what was going on.

  Sabine turned her gaze to the woman. "Are you okay?"

  "Y-Yes, thanks," she said, pulling herself together and scrambling back. Her eyes were like saucers, staring at how Sabine had subdued her would-be rapist.

  Sabine sent out a little bit of glamour. "You should rest for a few minutes, to get back your strength."