Jake drove a camper van with blacked out windows. He assured me the sun’s rays would never be able to infiltrate the cabin beyond. He had also fitted heavy wooden shutters, and they would be closed and locked from the inside during the day, for added security. I admired his ingenuity.
I remembered the necessity of being able to mingle unnoticed among the crowds, so I had dressed in old Doc Marten boots, faded and torn denim jeans, secured by an old black leather belt with a heavy brass buckle and a black vest t-shirt. I added an ancient gold Celtic symbol on a leather thong around my neck, and took my oldest black leather jacket, in case the English summer decided to erupt with thunderstorms and torrential rain, as is its wont. Not that adverse weather affects me particularly, but I needed somewhere to keep my cigarettes dry. I also took a pair of dark glasses to protect my over-sensitive eyes from the stage lighting rigs, which I knew would be a major part of the various shows.
Stevie decided to come with us at the last minute, leaving Errol to manage the club. I was relieved in many ways to have his company. As a werewolf the sun holds no problems for him, and having a day-walker with us would certainly alleviate my feelings of insecurity. Stevie and I also wanted to check out some of the lesser known bands, with a view to booking them for the club.
Of course the main reason I wanted to be present was Elinor. I was, and am, drawn to be near her whenever it is possible. Strange for me – since my rebirth as a vampire I have had no allegiances with any one woman. Plenty of dalliances of course, for being a vampire does not change one’s urges, and I like women – rather too much sometimes. But the moment I laid eyes on Elinor, some six months before then, I knew nothing would ever be the same. I wanted a partner for eternity, and that, as they say, is a whole different ball game. I want her, but I refuse to turn her against her will, she must have the choice. I do not know as yet how this will play out, but I am convinced she is the one. It is something I feel deep within me. The Prophecy of Porphyry foretells what is meant to be, and I am sure I am right. Only Stevie and Luke know of the Prophecy. I have kept the details from the others for the moment, and it has to be this way.
Once we had parked the van Jake and Roxy went off for a look around, and I wandered toward the nearest stage with Stevie. Massive trucks and generators were scattered everywhere, the huge stages were already assembled, and hoards of large sweating men were setting up various PA systems and complicated lighting rigs. To a seventeenth-century man it looked like witchcraft, although I actually consider myself more of a twenty-first-century man now, in many ways. I’ve been to so many bloody rock concerts in the past year – mainly to catch sight of Elinor – that I have become an expert on a lot of current music. It is helpful for the club at least.
Stevie and I stood together, and watched the activity for a while. He knew I would disappear to feed quite soon, just as I knew he would go somewhere quiet to ‘change’ and hunt. We had agreed to meet at the top of the Tor later, leaving the two young vampires to do their own thing, whatever that might be.
I wandered over the fields, watching crowds of people converging from all sides – it is always interesting, being among so many people with pulses. I needed to feed and feed soon, so I watched for an opportunity to arise, whilst keeping my eyes hidden behind my dark glasses.
A pretty little blonde emerged from one of the toilets, and began to pick her way over the hard, sun-baked grass. I swiftly moved in front of her to grasp her arm. Thinking she had in fact stumbled, she looked up at me with a smile on her lush lips.
‘Thanks,’ she said.
I pushed the sunglasses on top of my head, giving her the full effect of my vampiric gaze. She stared back at me with her lips parted and I knew her mind was already mine. She was ready to be taken. I smiled at her with closed lips, there seemed no sense in scaring her. Without speaking a word, I drew her arm through mine, and began to walk away from the main crowds. She just stared at me the whole time with instant infatuation, which is one of the many useful attributes of a master vampire. I led her to an oak tree at the edge of the first field, and pulled her behind it. Pushing her gently against the bark of the tree, I kissed her on the lips, gradually moving my own lips across her cheek and down her soft, white throat. She smelt of sunshine and fragrant freesias, but underneath I could smell her warm blood. The pulse beating in her neck tempted me to run my tongue over it. She moaned softly and I ran my hands up her back, pulling her in closer to my body. I kissed and nuzzled her soft neck, then swiftly sank my fangs into the vein. Sweet, warm blood filled my mouth. She was young, and the blood was like an aphrodisiac. I drank from her, as she moaned in ecstasy beneath me.
Most humans experience orgasm at the moment of feeding, and luckily for us, that’s usually all they remember afterwards. I took enough to sustain me, but not enough to either render her unconscious or harm her. The saliva of a vampire makes blood coagulate, and I made sure that she no longer bled from the jugular vein. Her eyes were still closed in utter bliss, and she trembled a little as I propped her limp body against the tree. She would rest awhile now and never remember what had actually happened.
‘Thank you,’ I whispered.
I made my way swiftly towards the Tor and spotted Stevie near the top of the grassy hill, leaning back on his elbows, and watching a group of musicians playing tribal drum music. There was always some kind of weird shit going on at Glastonbury Tor.
The Holy Grail is reputed to be buried beneath Chalice Spring on this steep hill – buried supposedly by Joseph of Arimathea. I could almost believe it, the land itself seemed to pulsate with ancient life, and I do not just mean myself and Stevie. I dropped down to sit next to him, and he nodded towards the drummers. ‘They’re not bad.’
I nodded in agreement, and we sat for a while, smoking and watching the crowd.
‘Is she here?’ asked Stevie and I shook my head.
‘Not yet.’
I would know when she arrived. I would sense her – feel her presence. Already I am connected to her, and we haven’t spoken a word to each other yet. Strange things, prophecies.
On Friday afternoon I opened my eyes and wondered where I was for a moment. Then I looked around the dark interior and spotted Jake and Roxy entwined in each other’s arms on a narrow bed. In the distance I could hear conflicting music from several directions and the noise of the crowds in various different audiences. There was a soft knock at the door. I rose and crossed the floor to the door to unlock it.
‘Come in Stevie,’ I said, stepping back from the daylight I knew would pervade the van. Stevie came in, and hurriedly closed the door behind him.
‘I’ve booked a couple of new bands for the club,’ he said, ‘I think they’ll be big.’
I nodded my approval. I trusted Stevie’s opinion in all things to do with modern music, he’d never been wrong yet.
‘What’s the time?’
‘Half an hour to sunset,’ he replied, ‘and hotter than hell out there.’
We sat and chatted until the sun set. I knew she was here now, I could feel her presence and I felt anxious to see her.
Jake suddenly sat up as if an alarm had gone off, and Roxy followed suit a few minutes later. Stevie started to tell us about a man who had ridden to the festival on a Sinclair C5 from the other side of Oxford, which is more than a hundred miles away when travelling the back roads. It was the fourth year running he had travelled to Glastonbury in that way, in spite of getting heatstroke one year and a flat battery another year, resulting in the necessity to sleep in a supermarket car park. He was now clearly one of the festival’s ‘celebrities’. Mortals were getting madder with every decade and, thankfully, a lot more interesting too.
I stood up, anxious to seek out my quarry and the others stood too. Jake and Roxy were hoping to catch Primal Scream on the ‘Other Stage’, assuming a well-known band with a name like that would not have played earlier
in scorching sunlight. We left the van and Jake secured it behind us. I made my way to the Pyramid stage. I knew instinctively that Elinor would be there. Stevie followed me, whilst Roxy and Jake went off on their own. The air was thick with the smell of hamburgers, hot dogs, onions and beer. I had no doubt the smells would be of vomit and worse things later, but tried not to think of it.
I spotted her immediately, even though she was tiny – almost bird-like. Her lithe body was dressed in a black halter neck top, and tiny denim shorts, which showed her dancer’s legs to full advantage. Her glorious titian hair hung almost to her tiny waist, and I do not think I have ever seen anything more beautiful. Stevie followed my gaze and growled his approval. I raised an eyebrow in his direction and he smiled with a flash of incredibly white teeth.
Stevie is nearly as tall as me, and with his shoulder length dark hair and piercing blue eyes, he looks the epitome of an ancient Celtic warrior – apart from his pierced eyebrow and modern tattoos, which place him securely in the present day. He always gets more than his fair share of women, and, being a werewolf, he ages considerably slower than normal humans, although he is not immortal.
I felt more than happy to stay and watch Elinor, so Stevie took himself off to find something to eat. I wasn’t sure whether he would hunt rabbits and deer, or whether he would simply eat several hamburgers – the choice was his to make. Elinor stayed near the front of the Pyramid stage, and as time went by, I realised she had been making sure of a good spot to see U2. I watched her supple body sway to the music of Biffy Clyro and Morrissey, I could not take my eyes off her, she was completely mesmerising. I have yet to ever see another human or vampire who could entrance me even half as much.
In the early hours of the morning, when the music had all but finished for the night, I followed Elinor back to the tent that she shared with two other girls. I wanted to ensure her safety, and the last thing I wanted was another man anywhere near her. I stayed outside listening to their laughter for a while and then went in search of a snack.
The next night, Stevie and I had seen the Chemical Brothers and Alice Gold before we made our way to the Pyramid Stage again to see Elbow and Coldplay. The atmosphere was electric, the crowd deafening in their approval. Stevie and I managed to keep the immediate area around us completely clear of people. Even though no one would realise there was a werewolf and a vampire in their midst, we gave off enough of a dangerous aura to keep people from getting too up close and personal.
Elinor was in the crowd just as I knew she would be, and I watched her covertly from behind my dark glasses. Stevie was surprised I had not yet invited her out, but I want to watch her for a few months longer. I had to be sure.
By Sunday I was beginning to tire of the smells of Glastonbury: fried food, sweaty bodies, the stench of overflowing toilets and the underlying cloying, sweet smell of marijuana. Sometimes the enhanced senses of a vampire are more of a hindrance than a help. The music had been good, however. Stevie and I spent some time watching acts on the BBC Introducing Stage. He assured me he would be able to sign some of the newer acts for the club. The names of bands become stranger every year; Crow Black Chicken, for example, make names like U2 and the Rolling Stones sound almost boring. However, I found myself admiring the energy of Jake Bugg’s performance. Stevie was convinced he would be the ‘next big thing’. I watched the Vaccines and actually quite enjoyed the Kaiser Chiefs, although Elinor wasn’t visible in the crowd, and I needed to be wherever she was. So Stevie and I returned to the Pyramid Stage, where I could once again see my lovely quarry, and keep her in my sights at all times. The more I saw of her, the more I wanted her. I had become obsessed with her, and I knew I had to have her.
The Festival ended, unusually, with a performance from Beyoncé, hardly an expected finale for the Festival – although no doubt Elinor was interested in the dancing. There was, however, ecstatic approval from the sweating crowds, especially when hundreds of cascading fireworks filled the summer night’s sky.
After the last notes of music had died away, some of the festival fans bedded down for their last night, although many had already left, and the fields looked decidedly emptier than on previous nights. The different noises gradually lessened, and I walked amongst the debris of empty beer cans and bottles, greasy hot dog and hamburger trays, even a certain amount of used condoms. Some people had been sensible at least. I found myself walking towards Elinor’s tent and, to my surprise, I saw her sitting outside, drinking from a bottle of beer. She looked up at my approach and smiled. I felt a thrill of recognition run through my body as I smiled back.
‘I saw you watching Beyoncé,’ she said.
At least she had not realised I had been watching her and not Beyoncé, that would have been embarrassing. But I felt surprised she had actually noticed me. So much for my ‘under cover’ tactics. Admittedly I hardly look like one of Beyoncé’s fans.
Against my better judgement, I sat down on the grass opposite her. Pulling my cigarettes from the pocket of my jeans, I offered her one, which she refused politely. I lit one for myself, and sat watching her as she sipped from her bottle.
‘Do you always wear sunglasses at night?’ she asked.
Obligingly I pushed the glasses on top of my head. She drew in a breath as she looked into my eyes.
‘Green eyes,’ she murmured, ‘like a cat’s.’
I reached forward and ran a gentle finger down her smooth cheek. ‘You are so beautiful.’
She smiled, and, feeling encouraged, I leaned in closer to brush her lips with mine. I ran my hand through her lustrous hair, and when I deepened the kiss, she wound her arms around my neck, dropping her bottle onto the hard grass. Regretfully, after a few moments, I pulled gently away. I knew I should leave while it was still possible.
As I drew back from her, I held her gaze. Her eyes were beautiful. So blue and intense, fringed by thick lashes.
‘Until we meet again.’ I touched her hair gently, and stood up abruptly. She still stared after me as I walked swiftly away. Any lingering doubts I felt had been dispelled. From that moment on, her destiny was assured.
Chapter Fourteen
Nightmares
Vampires surrounded me. Beautiful female vampires. They appraised and held me captive with their eyes – dead, cold eyes. I tried to back away, but they simply moved closer. Even the air around me felt full of threat and menace. The vampire women were so near to me that I could feel their cold breath on my face.
I tried to tell them I was a vampire too, but they laughed. One of them was so close, I heard her jaws snap together when she ground her small white teeth. One of the other women put a cold hand on my arm, and I jumped. They all laughed again, and the sound was like shards of broken glass falling on ice.
I could feel sharp fingernails as they dug into my arms. I knew they had drawn blood because I could feel it trickling down my bare arms. I knew what they intended – they were going to rip me apart with their bare hands.
There would be no coming back from this. I knew that too, beyond any doubt. There were too many of them, and they were incredibly strong.
It was all too late. I was too late. Too late to be a real vampire, and too late to make things work with Will. Will.
‘Elinor.’ A deep, familiar voice. ‘Ellie, it is all right. Open your eyes. Come back to me.’
I tried to fight my way out of a black tunnel, but my arms hurt, and someone gripped me by the shoulders. Someone called my name over and over again. I struggled to free myself, but couldn’t move. Whimpering in fear, I continued to struggle.
‘Elinor.’
My eyes opened wide, and I took in the first frantic breath of the night. I trembled and shivered and tried in vain to sit up. Will knelt over me on the bed, his strong hands gripping my shoulders. The moment I looked at him, he pulled me into his arms.
‘What the hell was that? Some kind
of vision?’ My voice shook.
‘Ssssh. It was not real.’
‘There were so many—they wanted to destroy me.’
‘It was not real,’ he said again.
‘How do you know what I saw?’
‘I saw the same events,’ he said, ‘and I know who they are.’
‘How could you see?’
‘We have a connection, Elinor. I have explained this.’
‘Was it Khiara? Will she come here?’
‘Possibly,’ he replied. ‘But you will be safe with me.’
He cradled me in his arms, and I clung to him like a frightened child. He murmured endearments and gently kissed the top of my head.
‘They were almost certainly sent by Khiara.’ He said almost to himself. ‘She used to be able to invade my dreams wherever I was, but I am too strong now. It appears she can invade your dreams because you are connected to me, plus you are young, and not very strong as yet.’
He sat down next to me on top of the covers, and kept one arm around my shoulders as he pulled the duvet up and tucked it around me.
‘She can never hurt you physically through dreams, and the other members of her motley crew most certainly cannot.’
‘But they can scare the hell out of me.’
His lips twisted into a small smile, ‘They can indeed scare the hell out of you.’
‘What did it mean?’
Will was silent for a moment, his dark brows pulled together in a frown, while his hand played absent-mindedly with strands of my hair,
‘There is no denying that Khiara knows of your existence,’ he said at last, ‘and it is fairly obvious she is not too happy about it.’ His lips curved in a smile again.
I realised to my embarrassment that I was still clinging to Will, and made a movement to draw away, but he tightened his hold.
‘There will be no more running away,’ he remonstrated. ‘I think we have both endured enough of that.’
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