by L. C White
“I’d love nothing more than to fuck your tight little ass over this fantastic oven.” He sweeps his hand over my butt.
Oh god. He’s a fuckin vampire. Black eyes, cold hands, and freaky pale gums.
“I’d love nothing more than to lick you all up,” he says in my ear, making my body shrink in fear.
I try to break away, but can’t. I’m too weak with terror. My shaky squeals muffle into his hand, and no matter what I do, his grip of me is solid.
“But you’re too valuable, apparently.” He sniffs the side of my face.
The silent vampire makes his way over. He’s holding a long drip line and needle. He pulls out my arm, and ties a rubber band around my bicep so tight, it burns and throbs. I scream and jerk as he pierces the long needle through my skin, and into a vein.
“Be the fuck still!” Mr Smith yanks me to the side, pushing me against the worktop.
“What do you want with me?” I cry.
The gushing sound of my blood has my eyes fall onto a blood bag. I gag and have to turn away.
“You are insurance,” he replies, as the silent vampire lifts up the half full bag.
“What the fuck for!”
“For a whole new world,” he sneers, running his hand over my tear coated cheek.
“This ought to be enough,” the mute vampire breaks his silence, yanking the needle out of my vein, causing me to yelp in pain.
“Now,” Smith pats my face. “We’ll be watching you, and your father.”
He thrusts me back, then they both leave me trembling and hyperventilating.
***
I slowly open my eyes to find myself on the kitchen floor of the flat. It wasn’t a nightmare. It was very real. There is blood all over my white shirt to prove it.
How long have I been out for? It’s no longer day time. It’s pitch-black outside.
I struggle up to my feet, fighting to keep the bubbling inside, but I can’t hold it in. I gasp and retch, vomiting into the sink.
I close my eyes, breathing in and out as I turn on the tap to swill away my puke. Shit. He told me he’d be watching me, and Dad.
Wiping the side of my mouth, I run across to my handbag and pull out my cell phone. I push on the backlight, but the damn screen remains black. I turn it over to see that the back is loose. The bastards have took the battery and sim out. Oh god, this can’t be happening.
My foot slips on a sheet of paper from the property file, as I frantically gather my car keys and bag. Tears seep down my face because I haven’t got a clue what to do. I could bang on the neighbours door, ask to use their phone, call the police, and come up with half-truths so they can check on my dad. But these aren’t your run of the mill thugs. They’re vampires. And I don’t think there are any fuckin vampire hunters in the police force, or in the damn phone book.
The keys drop from my clammy hand as I near the door. I quickly swoop them up then stop, hearing speedy footsteps on the stairs outside. What if they’ve come back, wanting more than just my blood?
I back up as a figure appears. What the hell.
“Liz,” I squeal.
“Maeve, we need to get you out of here.”
She walks toward me, but I back away more. I’m not going to trust a vampire again.
“Don’t come near me!”
“You have no choice Maeve… come on.”
She looks like she means business. Vampire business anyway. Tight black clothing so she’s free to sprint and attack. Her hair up in a ponytail, so her mouth has no obstruction when she’s sucking the life out of some poor soul.
“Fuck off,” I yell, holding out my keys so I can stab her with them.
She watches my shaky attempt to arm myself with a pissed-off expression.
“You want the truth. Then I will tell you the truth.” She paces back and forth. “You’re being watched. Your dad is dead. And my fuckin Son is lost. So it would be really great if you could just do as I ask.”
“What?”
My arm lowers and the keys drop to the floor. I’ve lost the ability to talk. My lungs don’t work and my heart feels empty. A cool clammy sweat forms on my forehead and top lip. My blood stops circulating, sinking to my feet. I’m trying to fathom out her words, ‘your dad is dead.’ He’s all I have in this world. He can’t be dead. He’s my hero, and to me more immortal than any vampire. I can’t imagine this world without him, so she’s lying.
“You’re wrong.” My leg muscles weaken. “You’re fuckin wrong!”
“Maeve.” Liz comes to my side and takes my arm, as my legs give way and I stumble. “I’m so sorry.”
I cry out and my head spins violently. My whole body shakes and I can’t keep myself upright.
“You… you…”
I can’t hear through the ringing. A fuzzy cloud has taken my view. My body goes limp and my eyes roll to a close.
Chapter 17: Destined Dark
Daniel
I don’t know this area of London. What I do know, is it took around thirty minutes to get here from that back alley, it’s near a place called Potters Bar, and I’m in some sort of warehouse. It reeks of blood, sweat, and alcohol. It’s all on one level. It’s heaving with bodies, swaying and bouncing to this really shit electric music. It’s not upbeat dance. It’s not dubstep. It’s dull, slow, and fuckin disturbing.
The lights strobe and bodies rub up against each other, almost fucking in full view. It’s like one giant sex party on the dancefloor, and no one seems bothered. The reason: this place is full of Sang and Vigore.
I keep my head down, walking through a mass of vamps. Eyes begin to follow me with curiosity.
“And who might you be?” Some female voice echoes in my ear from behind, a cold hand squeezing my shoulder.
I spin to face a pale face petite brunette, with the grin of a thirsty vampire whore. Her pupils darken as the strobe lights dance across her face.
“Warm and sweet boy.” She takes a step nearer, running her fingers over my chest. “Are you a donor, because I’d pay handsomely to taste and fuck you.”
Lillian flits, grabbing the girl by the roots of her hair, pulling her away from me. The entire nightclub seems to silence through the music. The brunette cowers, avoiding Lillian’s flaming red eyes. Every vampire backs away, petrified of what Lillian will do. I stand at the edge of the circle of vamps, surrounding the dispute.
“Kneel bitch.” Lillian rags the brunette’s hair right down, until she kneels at my boots.
This is fuckin crazy. I’m being watched from every angle, and now the vamps are backing away from me, as though I’m the goddamn devil.
Laurie strolls to my side, running his hand across my shoulders. “What do you want to do with her, Daniel?”
I watch the brunette struggling against Lillian’s grip. I’ve never seen a vampire so scared before, and for a second it fascinates me.
Laurie raises his hand and the music stops. I’m being viewed from all directions, I should be shitting myself, but I’m not. I feel this unexplainable calm aura around me.
“Do you know who you are talking to?” Lillian sneers down at the brunette. “My brother… your fuckin future. So you do not touch him, talk to him, or offer to fuck him, unless he asks you to.”
“Okay… okay,” the brunette whimpers.
“Let her go,” I utter awkwardly.
“More authority in your tone, Daniel.” Laurie pats my back.
“I said, let her go,” I growl through my teeth.
“You heard him, Lillian.” Laurie dips his head at her.
“You know what, Laurie.” I eyeball his fugly face. “You will get yours.”
“One word… Maeve,” he says through his fucked-up smile. “She’s worth her weight in gold to you. Wouldn’t want her to come to harm would we?”
I have to stop. I’ve no choice. He’s got the ball in his court. With my fingers wrapped tightly in my hands, I take my eyes off him.
Lillian smiles, releasing the brunette with a shove, b
rushing a clump of hair from her hands.
Laurie waves at the DJ, and the shit music booms through the club once more. This is so tense, I’m kind of glad to hear it. It’s drowning out some of the fear and interest in me.
I walk behind Laurie, and Lillian walks behind me. I’m shown through a grey damp corridor, then into a large open area, like a warehouse with shutter doors. Two shifty looking Sang hand Laurie a briefcase, nod at me, and walk away.
Laurie continues toward a door as I notice a stack of pallets containing polystyrene boxes; some being loaded into the back of a white refrigeration van. I know what they contain, blood.
Laurie opens the door and waits for me to pass by. I move into a dark mouldy room. There are no windows. No furniture. It’s just all damp brick. Laurie flicks on a faltering light. The bulb swings from the ceiling as I frown at Lillian, who smiles conceitedly at me.
“What the hell is this?” I yell.
I think I know, but need to hear it. I think I’ve been dumb enough to walk into a trap. I turn to the door, only to find it shut, and my wrist cuffed before I have the chance to move. Lillian flits to my other wrist, cuffing it to a chain that’s bolted to the floor. I fling out my shackled arms, hissing.
“Sorry, but this will be over soon,” Laurie says.
“What the fuck is this?” I hoist my hands, yanking at the chains.
“We’re on your side, Daniel. This is just a part of the whole process.” Laurie rubs his hands together, like his sick plan is coming along perfectly.
“What process?”
“Until you become what you are supposed to be, we can’t let that humanity of yours, get the better of you… of those you will lead,” he replies, pacing to the wall.
“You chain me up then,” I yell. “I fuckin came here of my own free will. You didn’t have to force me.”
“You only came with us to save the girl,” he replies. “You need to become what you were meant to be. Your powers need releasing. And unfortunately, you cannot lead, until you have accepted that.” He strolls to stand before me, just out of my damn reach.
“Say I embrace this. Say I become what you think I should be. What makes you think I won’t rip your head off for this!”
“Because you will see what I have done paving the way to your throne,” he says. “You will need me. You will trust me. I know everything about what you will become, and I’m the only one who can guide you. You’ll see.”
I laugh at him in anger, feeling what they want from me, my Dhampir, surfacing. I jerk and twitch, pulling at the chain. The tight metal cuffs, dig into my bone. I pick up on Lillian and Laurie’s glee at the sight of me changing, and I know I have to stop it. I can’t give these sick assholes what they want.
“You can keep me here as long as you want.” I glare from beneath my firmly puckered brow, slowing my tense breathing. “You won’t change me.”
“Daniel, you haven’t got the choice,” Laurie says. “What you are will come out one way or the other. It’s only a matter of time.”
“Well, be prepared to fuckin wait then!”
Laurie lifts up the briefcase he’s holding. He flips open the lid and a scents so powerful, a scent that I know, tears my soul from me. Agony spreads throughout my system, my muscle and flesh, as I fall to my knees.
“You fuckin hurt her!” I sneer, spluttering, clutching my head in my hands.
“No, I wouldn’t do that,” Laurie says. “It’s not my place to mess around with your Muse. This,” he pulls out a bag of Maeve’s blood, “this is just to lessen your pain.”
I can feel myself glaring at the bag with a violent screwed-up need. I know as soon as I drink it, the pain will go, like a junkie shooting up to rid withdrawals. But I’ll have a pain a thousand times worse, the knowledge I lost control and took her. I want her still in so many ways I can’t understand, but this way, I have to fight against.
“We have everything outside these walls under control,” Laurie states as my mouth waters, so fuckin tempted to give in. “The order has been eradicated. One remains, in hiding, but we’ll sniff him out. Blood distribution is now in our hands, and the Vigore council surrendered to our terms. Monies still outstanding, will be our debt to collect. Daniel, the world is your oyster. Take your time. I know you’ll make the right choice.”
He bends over and places Maeve’s blood on the floor, only feet away from me, then walks to the door.
“You two catch up.” He runs his hand over Lillian’s cheek. “It’s been too long.” He parades into the warehouse, like a goddamn king.
My eyes itch and burn as I remove my view off the bag. I need it. I want it. I’m losing my mind over it. I turn my back, the chains grating across the concrete floor as I move to the wall. I hit my head against the wet bricks, over and over.
“SHIT!” I bust my knuckles on the wall.
“It will get easier,” Lillian says.
I spin my body, back against the wall, smirking up high with a loud sniff.
“Really?”
“Look, I’m sorry this is happening to you. But if your parents did the right thing by you, you wouldn’t be going through this. You would have always been Dhampir.”
“What you mean is, allow me to feed from blood, so I’d be warped and twisted like you.”
“Yes, because that’s what we are.” She kicks Maeve’s blood near me, making me shuffle down the wall away from it.
“Laurie did a fine job with you,” I snap. “All this bullshit about us being these new age fuckin vampire leaders. He’s only doing it for himself.”
“Well, you have what you have,” she says. “I didn’t have the kind understanding words of our Mother. I had it hard. And do you know what, I’d do it all over again, because it’s made me who I am.” She flits right up to me, grabbing my cheeks with her blood laced eyes wide open. “I’m stronger than you. More powerful. And I choose to feed Laurie because he loves me.” She thrusts my head back and walks slowly to the door. “You are my family, Daniel. Be by my side.”
“I feel sorry for you,” I yell as she opens the door to leave. “Your shit of a Dad is using you, it’s me he wants. You just can’t see it, and that fucked up jealousy, is beginning to show.”
She sniggers and turns to face me, holding open the door. “I’m not the one in chains. I’m not the weak one. I have the freedom. And do you know what, I don’t envy you at all. All my loved ones are here, right under my wing. Yours are out there, trying to stop the inevitable. Do you really think once you have all that power, they’ll still love you? No, they’ll fear you. You’re on your own, Daniel.” She pouts her poisonous lips, pleased she’s knocking me down. “You should embrace me, because I’m the only real family you’ll ever know.” She slams the door shut and locks it.
I race to the door as the light is flicked off, but the fuckin chain doesn’t reach. I howl out, my body moving to the wall. My back hits the hard rough surface and I slide down to the ground. I’m here for good. Until I do what they want, I’m never getting out.
I hold my head in my hands. I can still smell Maeve, and it offers me the short-lived image of her naked, and in my arms.
God knows what’s going on out there. I don’t even know if she’s safe. If I take her blood, maybe I could break these damn chains, but at the risk of losing myself. And I can’t take that chance.
Chapter 18: Blood Mob
Maeve
I crumple up the soft sheets as my nails dig into the palms of my hands. I’m going to hurl any second as my dad’s safety springs me up into a frantic panic. I fill my chest until it hurts, opening my eyes, letting out an almighty roar.
My tight throat narrows more as I notice I’m not even in my own bed. I’m on a goddamn couch, in some huge apartment. I scuffle back on my butt, pulling the lilac sheet up to my neck. Oh fuck, I think I remember, flashes of me waking like this over and over again. Liz stroking my hair, then Dom appearing every time to stick me in the arm with a needle.
“It’s okay
, Maeve.”
I flick my stiff neck sideways to see Liz and Dom, heading right for me. I’m not going to let them near me this time. I shoot up from the couch and my limp lazy legs collapse. I manage to stay standing, and stagger back. They’ve kidnapped me. They’ve been drugging me. I release another scream.
“Will you sort her out; I need to think for fuck sake.” I look across the huge fancy apartment, and see Nathan waving his finger around.
Screw it. I race to the first door I can get to, to find myself in a small dark office with no exit. Oh god, what do they want with me?
“Maeve, please just listen to me,” Liz appeals with her hands up.
“What are…” I choke to clear my dry throat, “you doing to me? Drinking my fucking blood!” My eyes scour up and down my arms, looking for bite marks.
“No Maeve, we’re keeping you safe.”
Dom takes a step closer with a syringe in his hand. “Maeve honey, you know you can trust me, right?”
“Like fuck I can,” I scream at both of them.
Other faces gather in the distance, all standing around a large desk, scattered with papers. They all watch me breakdown in terrified tears. None of them look the vampire type. But I suppose I should know by now, categorising a vampire with a certain look, is useless. Every one I’ve met so far, has the outer body of a human.
“You’ve been drugging me,” I weep. “Where’s my dad?”
Liz tells Dom to put the syringe away, then looks at me with pity in her eyes.
“He’s really dead, isn’t he?”
“I’m so sorry, Maeve.”
“You killed him?”
“No, the Sang who attacked you did. Adrien tried to save him,” she replies. “But it was too late.”
“I… I want to see him.”
“Maeve, soon,” her voice is soft. “Right now we need to find Daniel, and keep you safe.”
Dom backs away, heading toward the gathering around the table. I take a brief look around the huge apartment, to find it’s more of a modern penthouse. I turn to the wall of windows. It’s night time, and I’m not familiar with the view. Lights from tall buildings shimmer under the stars. I can see the flashing lights from an aeroplane in the distance, so I gather this suite is near the top floor.