A Hunger for Darkness

by Cooper Flynn

  “I told you, I don’t think I can do it,” Kenzi said.

  “You don’t have a choice,” Connor said with sigh.

  “What do you mean? Can’t vampires starve to death?” Kenzi said, although the truth began to dawn on her. A forgotten lesson returned with icy steps into her mind.

  “You know it’s not that easy. You’ll go insane long before you starve. Left alone, you’ll end up attacking people on the street. The hunger can’t be repressed for long.”

  Kenzi felt a rising panic. “Please let me die! I’ll go back out on the balcony, just let me go! I won’t become a monster.” Kenzi sank to the cool concrete floor and began to sob.

  “Kenzi,” Connor said gently. “It’s time I told you what I have in mind for you. Please hear me out; if you want to go out into the sun, I won’t stop you. But you can’t do it now.”

  “Why not?” She asked as tears crept down her cheeks.

  “It’s past midnight,” Connor’s serious expression faded into a grin.

  Kenzi stared a moment and started to laugh herself. Soon Connor was chuckling through his own pain.

  “So talk, vampire. We have some time to kill.” Kenzi finally said. She came back and sat carefully next to Connor on the bed.

  “I told you before, I was a beat cop in Manhattan just before the turn of the century; the twentieth century, that is. I had been a poor Irish kid with nothing in my pocket when I got to America, but through some family connections I joined the police. I was actually a pretty good cop. I walked my beat at night, and I tried to take care of my neighborhood.

  “I’d been at it a few years. I’d put a little money away, had a girl I was going to marry; all in all I had a pretty good life. But one night at of nowhere, I became food for a vampire.” Connor spat the last words. “I never even saw him; he grabbed me from behind, drained me and cast me aside like I was nothing.”

  “The next thing I remember, I’m looking up at this angel; this beautiful woman. She had me pressed to her chest and I was suckling at her breast like an infant, but it wasn’t milk I was drinking. She’d made a cut on her breast, and I was sucking at her blood. Still don’t know how I was compelled to do it, but I felt like I was drinking some kind of intoxicating fire; my whole body felt like it was glowing.

  “That’s how I met Rebekah; she saved me. She had seen me taken, and had felt some kind of pity and seeing I was a cop, thought I might be able to help her.” Connor paused, obviously fatigued.

  Kenzi watched him for a moment, waiting for him to continue. In the silence she realized she could hear the noise from the street, and the low murmurings of people passing on the sidewalk five stories below. She wondered briefly what it would be like to drop on them from above, and feel the hot blood pulsing in their broken bodies. Connor began to speak again, and broke the chain of thought. She shuddered.

  “Rebekah was hunting vampires herself. By the time I met her, she was already well over two hundred years old, still fairly young by vampire standards. Her entire family had been wiped out, husband, three children, all of them by a vampire who had thought it amusing to turn her.” Connor paused again.

  “How did she survive? What did she do?” Kenzi focused on the story rather than explore the changes she was beginning to recognize in herself.

  “Vampires live for pleasure; the animal side of human nature becomes completely uninhibited. Imagine those powerful urges unrestrained in a body so much stronger than an ordinary human. We are very careful about whom we choose to join us, but sometimes a vampire seeks entertainment in a certain kind of perversion. Sometimes one of us will turn one family member in order to watch as the hunger drives them to destroy and feed from their loved ones. The vampire that turned Rebekah did so because she was particularly virtuous in some kind of Puritan way. It amused him to try to turn her into a lustful, ferocious killer.”

  “Did it work?” Kenzi asked.

  “For a while,” Connor answered. “He carefully kept watch as Rebekah was buried. He had given her only a small taste of his blood, and it took some time to work. Eventually Rebekah awakened in her casket and fought frantically to get out. She was weak, and only the vampire would have had hearing keen enough to hear her. When he judged that she was sufficiently unhinged by fear and hunger, he let her out. He set her free.”

  “And?” Kenzi barely breathed the question.

  “He taught her well. In a single night they destroyed the village. She fed as much as she could and killed everyone else alongside her new mentor in an orgy of blood and murder.” Connor’s voice dropped in what sounded to Kenzi like pity.

  “My God,” she said.

  “But something strange happened,” Connor continued. “As the blood-lust left her, she remembered who and what she was. In the faces of her slaughtered neighbors she saw her former self. She told me that when she finally calmed she formed a plan; she would learn from that vampire and in time she would destroy him and all his kind. She swore a vengeance that became her consuming passion. Her mentor was delighted in her savagery that night and was fooled by her pretense. They became lovers, and she stayed by his side as he taught her all he knew. She killed sparingly, and preyed on thieves and other criminals, passing off her choice of prey as presenting the greatest challenge. The vampire that made her eventually let his guard down completely, that’s when she ripped his heart out of his chest.”

  Connor stopped speaking, and Kenzi felt her pulse pounding through her body. Her imagination had run wild, and the thrilling combination of her own hunger and the lust that seemed to accompany it burned in her mind. Her vision in the dim light of the apartment seemed tinged in red.

  Connor grabbed her wrist, and she jumped in his grasp.

  “Kenzi, she showed me how we could destroy vampires by hunting them ourselves. She wanted to create a number of us who could hold on to our humanity and our sense of justice and wipe them out for all time.” Connor’s voice was urgent, and his eyes held Kenzi’s as though trying to force her will to join his.

  “Where is she now?” Kenzi asked as she struggled to control her breathing.

  “Sometimes we forget that although vampires are mostly a solitary breed, there is some communication. We traveled the country together, back and forth for decades, killing vampires in every city we came to. Eventually word got out. In 1958 we were in Tulsa chasing a vampire who had created a wave of disappearances when Rebekah and I split it up. It was a trap, and Rebekah died.” Connor had settled back with his eyes closed as he finished his story.

  “I’ve been at it alone ever since. It’s hard to find a person who can resist the blood-lust that takes hold of a new vampire. I’ve tried a few times, but I’ve had to destroy them all.”

  Kenzi sat in silence for a few minutes before she spoke.

  “Is that what you plan for me; to wait and see if I can keep some kind of conscience?” She asked.

  “Yes,” Connor watched her without expression.

  “And if I don’t you’ll destroy me?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Then I accept.”

  Chapter Seven

  “It’s just that easy for you to decide?” Connor asked, now studying Kenzi closely.

  “Yes. You want me to help you destroy vampires. If I lose my way, you’ll kill me. It’s actually the best deal I can imagine.” Kenzi nodded as she spoke, as though convincing herself with her own words.

  “You will have to feed soon,” Connor said. “That will be the first test.”

  “I know. I already feel this strange hunger tearing at me. It’s like I’m starving and incredibly horny all at the same time.” Kenzi tried to laugh but failed.

  “This hunger is incredibly difficult to master. First, there’s euphoria like the most powerful drug you’ve ever taken. You feel like you’ve never been stronger, like you’re invincible. Then you feel an almost sexual rush. The energy you’ll have will make you want to go out and find another victim. This is the most dangerous stage. Many of us
are destroyed in this manic phase, as the urges overwhelm any caution.” Connor closed his eyes and sank back into the bed.

  “The virus makes feeding an addiction. You’ll only need to feed every few days, but you’ll crave it constantly. In time you’ll only need it every week or so, and you will master your self-control, but it won’t come easily.”

  “I still can’t imagine how you can survive on so little food,” Kenzi said.

  “The virus changes our metabolism, everything works differently. We lose a lot of our ability to regulate body temperature, which is why we feel so cold to humans. We also prefer not to live in extremely cold climates for that reason,” Connor explained.

  “I remember some of that, but to be honest I never paid as much attention to the biology lessons. I just wanted to kill vampires, not study them.” Kenzi laughed at the irony.

  “You’re going to see changes in the way you hear, even in the way you see. Bright light becomes painful, and you’ll be able to see into the infrared part of the spectrum. Every sense will become heightened.”

  Kenzi thought for a moment before shuddering. “All I have to do is learn to feed.”

  “I have your first victim already selected. I had planned to bring him in and let you feed from him without the drama of having to hunt him yourself.” Connor again closed his eyes, his voice growing fainter.

  Kenzi fought the urge to weep at the idea of drinking another’s blood.

  “Who is he?” She asked.

  “A low-level member of an organized crime family. The local head of this family is working with Gabriel to supply him with victims. In return for this, the boss hopes to become a vampire himself as part of Gabriel’s plan to build a new vampire community here. Your first prey has helped supply these victims for Gabriel, although he doesn’t know what happening after he turns them over.” Conner sounded like every word was a struggle.

  Kenzi let the remark about the new vampire community pass for the moment. Her hunger was creating its own urgency.

  “So what do we do? You’re too weak to hunt anyone, and I’m not experienced enough to be let loose on my own.”

  “I have an idea, but you’ll have to trust me a great deal.” Connor roused himself enough to stare into Kenzi’s eyes.

  “Go on,” she said.

  “I’m going to have to feed from you. I’m betting you have enough human blood still to give me what I need to find and bring back this man for us both to feed properly.” He said it simply, as though afraid to try to sway her.

  Kenzi thought for a moment, staring back in to Connor’s face as though searching for a clue.

  “Alright, I must be crazy, but I’ll do it. If you were going to kill me, you could have done long before now. How do we start?” Kenzi was already bracing herself.

  “Lie next to me,” Connor said while gesturing to the space next to him on the bed.

  Kenzi felt and stifled an urge to scream or laugh or both. She was willingly making herself a victim to a vampire. She forced herself to stretch out next to Connor, clenching and unclenching her fists as a lifetime of training urged her to strike out.

  Connor rolled to his side next to her and felt the tension in her as he ran a hand down her arm.

  “Easy, Kenzi. This won’t hurt,” he murmured into her ear.

  She heard him gasp in pain as he shifted closer. She could smell the faint odor of singed skin, but also a warm animal scent she couldn’t describe as his face moved to her throat. Despite her will, she felt her body tense until he touched the side of her face. As her turned her face away to expose her neck she felt almost like a young lover allowing a man to part her legs, exposed and vulnerable but also with a strange anticipation. His lips caressed her skin softly. Without words she stopped him and rolled into his arms, exposing the other side of neck as she tucked her face below his. Her heart was racing as she waited for the sting of his teeth piercing her. She had felt the same way the night Joshua had taken her virginity in an abandoned warehouse one night after a kill. The same fear coupled with a longing to join her body to his.

  My God, she thought, I want this creature to take me!

  Connor smoothed the hair away from a spot just behind her jaw and brushed her skin with his lips. Kenzi felt a low electric tingle creep from the spot and throughout her body, drawing a moan she tried and failed to contain.

  Fangs tore into her skin, so sharp they were almost painless. He pushed them deep and pulled down, widening the holes. His grip grew tighter; she felt defenseless in his arms as she began to struggle from some deep instinctive urge to fight. Her body tried to resist, but another compulsion pulled her the other way. She longed to surrender as she felt her hot blood stream from her neck. The sucking of his mouth felt more intimate than any sex she had ever experienced. Her hands clawed at him, and she felt muscles like iron beneath his skin. He pushed her to her back and leaned over her, his weight crushing her body in a way that made her long to wrap around him. She became aware of the thin layer of silk that separated their bodies and wished that it were gone.

  Kenzi began to feel faint as she lost any sense of time. The sensual thrill became a lighter sensation of floating. Connor growled as he began to pull away. Kenzi tried to pull him closer but lacked the strength. Connor finally rolled away and Kenzi felt suddenly colder, and whimpered. The silk shirt no longer concealed much of her body, but she couldn’t stir to cover herself.

  Connor looked down with a strange fire in his green eyes. There was blood; her blood on his mouth. His face showed a savage conflict, as though he was being taken from what he wanted most. As he panted over her, his face grew calmer.

  “I’m sorry; I haven’t fed in so long. I hope I didn’t hurt you,” he said softly.

  Kenzi looked down his body and saw the skin healing as she watched. It became smooth, but still darker than normal, and faint lines still crossed it in fine scars.

  “Is that what it’s always like when a vampire feeds on you? It didn’t feel like that with Gabriel.” Kenzi’s voice was a hoarse whisper.

  “That is up to the vampire. We can put our victims at ease, or even make it pleasurable.” He smiled down at her as he rose from her side. “We can release a certain pheromone while we feed that acts almost like a drug to a human. They can experience pure pleasure while we feed.”

  Kenzi wanted to beg him to join her again on the bed, but fought the urge successfully. She managed to pull a satin sheet over her and she gloried momentarily in its cool silky feel against her nearly-naked skin. Sleep began to pull her under.

  “Rest, Kenzi,” Connor said. “I’ll be back soon.”

  Even in the glow that carried her to sleep, she felt a lingering foreboding.

  Chapter Eight

  Kenzi lingered in that languid fog between sleep and waking, her mind drifting over her life at Center, and before that at Hexum House. They had gently weeded out those who would not be fit for hunting. Classmates left without notice as they failed one test or another. At the time none of the children remaining knew why a child would disappear. They always removed the failures at night, and they vanished without a trace.

  Those who would go on to do battle with monsters were a strange lot. For them only one thing mattered; revenge. This desire was carefully stoked and nurtured. It drove them when their bodies longed to quit, when their very souls grew weary. This was why the school and Center discouraged romantic entanglements. Any other desire might sway them from their course.

  Kenzi had not known love. She had felt lust; her first had been Joshua Pike. In all the years since, they had occasionally quenched the fire of battle in each other’s bodies, and she had felt a true fondness for him, but no more. In Katerina she had found a friend closer than a sister. They had shared adolescent dreams and dramas, and even a fumbling attempt at intimacy before they recognized the true nature of their true bond.

  She opened her eyes to see Connor standing over her, the body of a man slung carelessly over his shoulder as though the w
eight was nothing. He had the green fire in his eyes again, which both frightened and thrilled her.

  Without a word Connor eased the body to the floor. Kenzi was almost too weak to move, but she forced herself to look down at the body from the bed. She could hear him breathing, and could also hear the faint sound of his heart beating. The heightening of her senses no longer surprised her, or perhaps her current condition dulled her mind past caring. He was young, not over thirty. He was handsome, with dark curly hair. With his face completely relaxed he looked innocent.

  “You will have to feed, Kenzi.” Connor spoke gently, as though aware of the cost of the action.

  “What did you do to him?” Kenzi asked, her eyes never shifting from the body.

  “He’s just unconscious,” Connor’s voice was somber and without pity.