“What the hell?” a deep sounding male voice said from the hall. The steps stopped for a second then started anew, twice the speed as before.
I pulled the baton off my belt and held it at the ready, waiting patiently for my chance to strike. A tall bald man wearing a black suit entered the room. He took two steps in before he noticed us, but by then it was too late.
I shoved the tip of the wooden baton into his chest, aiming at the spot just below the rib cage while aiming up. As the wood pierced his skin he jerked his hands down, splintering the baton in two. But the damage was done. The tip of the wood had pierced his heart.
He convulsed while reaching out to grab us, like we held the key to stop his rapid shaking. Blood oozed from his mouth, nose, and ears and flowed down his pale, yet flawless face, eventually soaking into his suit jacket where it soaked into the fabric. He dropped to his knees and stared at us, the color in his eyes faded as he did, like the pigment was being erased before our eyes. The seizure went on for two minutes before he dropped to the ground and stopped moving all together.
Within moments the skin started to smoke, then wrinkle, before it collapsed onto the ground in a cloud of dust. His white eyes shrunk into his head, disappearing seconds later in a sickly hiss. By the time the process played out, there wasn’t anything left of the man who had entered the room except for a bleached white skeleton wrapped in the suit.
“Holy shit!” Aiden said, backing into the opposite corner while holding his chest. His breathing was harsh and labored. I knew if he didn’t settle down soon he’d have a panic, or possibly heart, attack.
“Easy. It’s OK.”
“What the hell was that?”
“He was a vampire. They do that when they die.”
“Vampires are real?”
I nodded. “Lauden, Julian, and probably Walt are all vampires.”
“That explains why they only came out at night.”
“And why you never saw them eat or drink. Human foods make them violently ill.”
“So the blood thing is real too?”
“Probably why they had you tied up.”
“They did that to beat the crap out of me.”
“Doubt that. They wouldn’t need to tie you up to do that. They might have a new vampire in the mix and need to get it to feed. It’s easy to trick the psyche of the mind when the first meal is someone the new vampire wants to die already. It’s not unheard of for a group to hold or tie up a human like that to make the initial transition a lot smoother.”
“I’ll have to ask you about that later.”
“You think you can find the other way out?”
He shook his head. “The house is probably the best option.”
“Then let’s get out of here.”
“What about Julian and Walt?”
“Let me get you to safety first, then I’ll worry about them.”
“I’m going with you. They’ve tried to kill me three times now. I want to see them suffer.”
“More the reason you need to get out of here. Vengeance makes you do stupid things in the name of revenge. Stupid things against a vampire get you killed. Besides. Its going to be hard enough for me to kill them both. You won’t stand a chance.”
“Not going to do it,” he said, crossing his arms. “You take me with you, or I’m going to go myself.”
“Don’t do this,” I begged. “I don’t want to lose you now.”
He gave me a puzzled look. But before I could explain myself, I saw the dancing light of a candle as it moved down the hall. We were about to have company, and it wasn’t going to be good.
- 29 -
We ducked against the wall next to the door and waited for our chance to ambush the new threat. I’d initially planned to head down the other corridor and face them back in whatever room they were in back there, but wouldn’t scoff at the chance to do this the easy way.
Aiden cracked his knuckles and got into a fighting stance while I held the shattered baton in one hand and the pistol in the other. Before the figures got too close I chambered a bullet, held the gun up to my lips and whispered, “Illumino solara.”
The next few seconds were the longest of my life. Each footstep seemed to amplify through my ears the closer they got. For good measure my heart rate increased, nearly matching the cadence of the approaching steps.
The candlelight got bright a moment before a figure walked through the doorway. The black haired man I assumed was Julian entered the room, eyes focused on the clothed pile of bones in the center of the floor. Before he could say a word I leapt at him, thrusting my baton up under his rib cage and into his heart.
I was about to throw a celebration in my frantic mind until it registered the blow had pierced him too easily. Even with the now serrated tip, it should’ve been much harder to do. I got my answer when the illusion faded into nothingness.
I felt the slap against my cheeks long before I saw it. The force of the blow sent me flying across the room, head narrowly missing one of the brass candle holders as I slammed into the wall. The force of the blow sent both the gun and the baton out of my hands and onto the floor.
Aiden stepped in and landed a blow on the back of Julian’s head. I could tell by the look on his face he was expecting a bit more of a reaction, or at least a wince from him. Instead, all he ended up getting was a backhand of his own that bloodied his lips again.
“Illusions are wonderful things, are they not?” he asked. Julian bent over and rubbed his thumb across my rapidly swelling cheek. It flared in protest as he pressed the skin into my jaw.
I clenched my teeth to keep from screaming out. If he was going to kill me, I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of knowing I was scared, even though deep down I was terrified out of my mind.
Another man entered the room. Unlike Julian, his skin was tanned. He wore a black suit like the two vampires did, though his was a lot cleaner, like it had never been worn before.
“Walt?” Aiden asked, wiping the blood from his lips.
“The one and only,” the new guy said. I wondered if I was right. If he had been turned recently and brought here to feed for the first time. He didn’t make me wait long for an answer.
Walt bent over and grabbed Aiden by the neck. He lifted him, first to his feet, then nearly to the roof by sliding him against the wall. Aiden tried to pull his hands free, but he was already too strong. If the transformation was complete, he was nearly at his peak already and he would be until he fed.
“I thought I’d have more of an issue with the first time,” Walt said, licking his lips. “But considering it’s you, I think I might actually enjoy it.”
“Creating new vampires is strictly against the treaty. Or is that not important to you anymore?”
“Who’s going to tell?” Julian asked as he placed his finger under my chin and tilted it to look me in the eyes. “You?”
“No. I’m just going to kill you. When I’m done though, I’m going to make a phone call to the wizards and let them deal with this.”
“Kill me?” Julian laughed, sending echoes throughout the room and corridor. “Dear girl, it’s a shame your wits don’t match your beauty.”
Walt snorted. “I like my women that way.”
Julian chortled. “Me too, oddly enough. I just hate the ones that fight back.” He glanced over his shoulder to the corpse in the center of the floor. “I suppose you got Lauden with your little trick.”
“He tripped and fell. Must’ve been a bit of wood on the ground already. He went out screaming like a little girl though.”
“They all do,” he smiled. “They all do. Even you will go out screaming.” His hand jerked forward and he grasped my head and slammed it back into the wall. A groan escaped my lips as the pain from the blow radiated through my head. It wasn’t hard enough to knock me out, but was just enough to make any attempt at spell casting near impossible. I almost wished I had the shock collar on instead. At least with it, I could sling spells between bursts.
“Which one are we going to do first?” Walt asked, eyes still focused on Aiden, who’s face was turning blue from a lack of air.
“The girl,” Julian said. “Maybe we can save the narc for another night. Let him wallow in his despair for a while longer.”
Walt dropped Aiden to the ground. He crumpled to a heap the moment his feet hit the ground and grabbed his throat while his lungs struggled to bring in air.
I jerked my body, trying to break myself free, but Julian’s grip on my head was too strong. I almost felt like my neck would snap if I tried to move too fast. For the slightest moment I considered doing it. Dieing that way was preferable to dieing to blood loss. It would be quick and relatively painless instead of long and agonizing. But I held my resolve. I wasn’t ready to give up yet.
“Couple of big scary jerks like you have to team up on a little girl like me.”
“You aren’t fooling anyone, witch. I know who you are. What you can do.”
“You don’t even begin to know what I’m capable of.”
“I’ve done my research. I know all about Tuscaloosa.”
My eyes grew wide. How did he know about that? I hadn’t told anyone what happened there. Never. Not even Greg, my closest friend, had a clue what happened on that trip. The fact someone else knew had me terrified. If he knew, others knew. That meant it might be too late already.
“What do you want?”
“I believe you know what I want. I need you and your little narc friend to die. You are far too pleasant of a prize to just let go now. I hate killing someone with your talents. Not everyone can take out a pack of pups like that. I’d love to have someone like you on my side.”
Walt stepped in and punched me in my ribs. “It’s a territory grab, sweetheart. The dogs have put a bounty on your head. Dead or alive.”
“That usually implies they want me alive, dumb ass.”
“Oh they do,” Julian said before Walt sent another jab into my ribs. “But it’s worth the loss to see your little friend suffer.”
“The wolves don’t deal with your kind. What makes you think they’ll pay up when they see who is trying to claim the bounty?”
“I’m many things. Businessman. Leader. Lover. Killer. I’m all of those things are more. There’s one thing I’m not, however. That’s stupid.”
“You saw a taste of my operation the other night. I have enough people and customers to fill that property ten times over.”
And plenty of humans to send with my corpse to claim whatever bounty the wolves were offering. I was stuck in a hard place. Not even death would free me from my past, as accidental as it may have been. But there wasn’t much I could do, considering I was being held by one vampire while being a punching bag to another.
Another blow cracked my ribs, sending a sharp stabbing pain into my side. My lungs ached as they tried to take in air as the lungs expanded, putting pressure on the ribs from the inside.
But even through the pain I held in my screams. I was ready to die, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of breaking me first. If I was going to go down, I was going to do it the same way I lived. Defying those who believed they were better than others.
Walt hit me with another shot to the ribs, forcing what little air I was able to take out of my lungs. They burned as fresh air replaced them, all while sending pain through my chest.
Blood pooled in my mouth, forced up from the punches. I held it in, waiting for the perfect moment to let it go. Walt hit me again and I spat the mess on his face. The bloody mucus ran down his face, across his lips, and down his chin. As the blood crossed his lips, his demeanor changed. Where he’d been calm and collected, if not violent before, he was shaking jittery now. He was fresher than I’d thought. If I guessed right, he’d been turned tonight. Probably just revived hours ago.
Julian let me go to focus on Walt, who’s eyes clouded in a rage that would only be quenched by blood. I collapsed to the floor, sending another shot of searing pain through my chest when I landed. My one chance to do something was going to be ruined by a few fractured ribs.
Luck just wasn’t on my side.
I looked back and noticed Aiden on his feet. He moved slow and purposefully, trying to stay out of the vampires’ line of sight. In his hand he was holding the shattered wooden baton. But even with the advantage of stealth, he’d be caught unless I did something.
Stupid wasn’t quite the word I was looking for, but it was the most apt. Before Aiden could get close, I pulled myself to my feet and spat on the ground. “What’s the matter? Can’t control yourself yet?”
“You bitch…” Julian released his grip on Walt and lunged at me. I felt the fist on my already shattered ribs long before the pain registered. When my body hit the wall I did something I didn’t want to do, but my body forced it anyway.
I screamed out.
But before the vampires could relish their small victory, Aiden was behind Walt. He grunted as he plunged the shattered baton into the young vampire’s chest.
“No!” Julian shouted as he darted across the room, smoothly backhanding Aiden into the wall while catching Walt before he fell. He pulled the shattered baton from Walt’s chest. Blood oozed from the wound and pooled on the concrete pentagram below him.
Unlike the older vampire Lauden earlier, Walt’s death was not as drastic. The young vampire didn’t say a word as his unnatural life ended without much of an incident. Julian stood there holding him in his arms, clinching his teeth, looking genuinely pissed off.
Which was fine by me.
I crawled over a few feet and grabbed the gun off the cold pavement. The cold steel was in my hands, the my finger on the trigger long before Julian could turn to look at either of us.
“Shame you lost your little baby, asshole.” I said, aiming the gun at him. “Hate to keep you lovebirds apart, so you can join him in hell.”
Julian turned around as I pulled the trigger. The loud crack of the shot caused my ears to ring while the flash from the shout nearly blinded me. I dropped the gun and shielded my eyes, knowing the muzzle flash was only the beginning. I opened my mouth to tell Aiden to cover his, but no sound came out. Deep down, all I could do is hope he followed my lead.
A loud flash of light filled the room. Tendrils of light pierced my fingers and made my skin glow against the darkness of my face. The bright flash lasted all of ten seconds before plunging the room into darkness.
I opened my eyes to see Aiden in the corner, his head held tight against the concrete wall. On the floor Walt’s dead body laid awkwardly on Lauden’s bones. All that was left of Julian was a cloud of dust, his black dress shoes, and the flaming remains of his black suit.
It was over. We had won. The cost was high, but the world had three less vampires preying on the population. On the personal side, two less people knew my secret, though it had been replaced by one. He might not know the full story now, but I knew I’d have to explain it to him sooner or later. Ideally sooner since it was clear I needed to make amends before it was too late, if it wasn’t already.
I crawled along the floor, sticking to the walls until I reached Aiden. I grabbed his pants leg and gave it a little yank to let him know I was near. He backed his head away from the corner slowly though he kept his eyes closed. He kept them that way until they were on me. His lips formed into what could only be described as a grin though I had to admit it could’ve easily been a frown the way his lips were swollen.
“Nice shot,” he said, voice muffled.
“Nice stab.” He bent over and helped me up, with just a hint of difficulty on my side. Now that the vampires were dead I wasn’t as intent on keeping the pain to myself.
“Easy,” he said, as I grabbed his arm and pulled the rest of the way up. “Broken ribs aren’t any fun.”
I smiled. “Either is a swollen face.”
He returned my smile. We stood there for a while, staring into each other’s eyes. Not for the first time, and I hoped it wouldn
’t be the last, but I felt a connection with him. I knew we’d been through a lot the last few weeks, but knew it was more than having shared a brush with death with him.
Before the moment passed, I sucked up my courage, leaned in, and planted one on him. Granted, given his condition it probably wasn’t the best idea, but he returned the sentiment without hesitation.
We stayed there like that for a few minutes before I relented and let him help me walk out of there.
- 30 -
After talking to the police and explaining everything that happened, we took a cab back to Aiden’s house to get some much needed rest and relaxation. We decided not to call Greg to fill him in just yet. Partially it was because we didn’t want to stir up any more problems than we already had. After all, I’d spent much of our last few conversations assuring him we weren’t a thing. While it was true when I’d said it, things rapidly spiraled down that path since.
That and I wasn’t ready to have that conversation.
Not yet.
I slept on Aiden’s grand queen sized bed while he took a spot on the floor, even though I assured him I don’t bite. He was a true gentleman though. More worried about me now I was nursing some cracked ribs I intended to get checked first thing after I woke up. The pair of us looked like we got in a fight with a freight train and lost, but both agreed we didn’t like the idea of spending the night in a hospital, even though we probably should’ve.
It took a while to find a comfortable position to lay in that didn’t put pressure on my ribs. In the end it took every pillow in the room, other than the ones we were using, three couch cushions, and a plush fold-up chair he had for playing video games in the bedroom. I placed the plush chair in front of me and the cushions behind me to hold my battered body in place. Sleep took me soon after.
Far Too Young To Die: An Astraea Renata Novel Page 19