She let out a heavy sigh. “Wherever you are, Lucious, I hope you’re feeling better.”
11
Make Me Yours
Helena grabbed her duffel bag from the collection belt and found Maya and Ben waiting for her at the arrivals. Both of them sat on the plastic bench with bored looks on their faces as if they had undergone this same scenario a million times.
She clutched her luggage closer to her side and strode over to them. “I’m done.”
Maya grinned, jumping out of her seat. “Nice. Let’s get going. I can’t wait to explore.”
“You shouldn’t wander around by yourself, Maya,” Ben grumbled as he picked up his bag.
Maya hugged Helena close with one arm. “I won’t be alone, right, sis?”
Helena lifted her free hand in defence. “I’m not getting involved in this.”
“Please?” Maya begged. Her large green eyes bore into Helena’s.
With a sigh, she finally caved. “Fine.”
“First, we must find the meeting place,” Ben said.
“We could take a cab,” Maya offered.
“None of us have enough money to do that unless you’ve robbed a bank when I wasn’t looking.”
Maya glanced at Helena with a hopeful look.
“I’m broke. Alexander pays the bills,” she replied.
Maya’s shoulders fell and a pout found its way to her face. “That vampire could have given us some cash for travelling expenses. Not only did we have to buy tickets ourselves, we flew Economy. I hate Economy!”
“We always fly Economy…” Ben said in a bored tone and aimed for the airport exit.
They trailed behind him as Maya grumbled curses and scratched her neon-red hair. Her dark roots were showing, making Helena recall the time she had her hair dyed purple. Since meeting the Council members for the first time, she hadn’t bothered changing her hair colour, leaving it her natural chocolate brown.
Ben led them to the tram station where they took a seat on the metal bench, putting their bags between their feet as it if was natural. Helena found it strange how they seemed to get along much better as the time went by. Could she put her faith in these people? She stared blankly at the pavement and lost track of time.
Maya nudged her side with her elbow. “It’s here. Let’s get on.”
Blinking into awareness, Helena found a red-bellied and white-roofed tram sitting on the tracks with its doors wide open. People pushed their way inside with large suitcases and overstuffed backpacks.
Within minutes, the three of them were squished between the door and other passengers who sucked the air out of the cramped compartment.
The heat in the carriage grew unbearable, but she couldn’t do anything about it. There wasn’t enough room for her to take her jacket off. If she did, she could hit someone, so she remained stationary and worshipped the coldness the glass window behind her provided.
Forty minutes later, they were nearing their destination. There was enough seating available for them to relax and enjoy the dusty air that had lingering scents of strong perfume.
Helena stumbled out of the tram, inhaling the late afternoon air. They were at the Wien-Mitte, close to a massive shopping centre. Groups of people carried colourful paper bags out of the building the front of which was perched on green glass-encased pillars.
“So where are we going from here?” Maya asked, seemingly unaffected by their journey.
Ben checked his phone, typing something on its surface. Once done, he shoved it back into his jeans pocket. “It’s a ten-minute walk from here. Apparently, the place is famous.”
Maya grinned. “Really?”
“Yes, it appears that vampires like the oddest of places,” Ben commented but didn’t offer anything else as he merged with the crowd of people.
Maya nattered about the European cities she had visited on their travels. Half-listening, Helena studied the buildings. The ones she recognised were of Baroque architecture and stood out amidst the sea of glass and steel, yet both styles seemed to complement one another. Vienna truly was a beautiful sight to see.
As Ben had said, they arrived ten minutes later at the Landstrabe district, on the corner of Kegelgasse and Lowergasse according to the signs they passed.
Helena marvelled at the multi-coloured apartment building. It was like a mosaic with each apartment painted blue, white, orange, or red to distinguish them.
“What’s this place called?” Helena asked him.
“Hundertwasserhaus.”
She repeated it in her mind. After a dozen times, she started doubting her mind’s pronunciation.
At the main entrance stood a man in a black hoodie, tracksuit bottoms, and sneakers. He waved them over with a half-smile on his bearded face.
“You must be Mr Grekov’s friends, no?” the man spoke with heavily accented English.
Ben said something in German, and the young man sighed in relief. The two of them resumed their conversation in the foreign language, leaving Helena out of it. Maya injected herself into the discussion with ease. To Helena, they sounded like they were arguing, but the smile on Maya’s face remained unmistakable—she was having fun.
According to Maya’s translation on the stairwell, one of the apartments in the building belonged to Alexander. The mention of his name caused Helena to furrow her brows. She had received no word about Lucious or his condition.
Upon entering the apartment on the third floor, Helena half-expected to find only beds and sex toys scattered around. To prove her wrong, the place seemed down-to-earth and cared for. The furniture was simple, monochrome, and scarce. A black carpet spanned the whole living room and, thereafter, the glossy polish of the dark oak parquet reflected the sunshine as it peeked in through the large windows.
“This is kind of cosy for a vampire lair,” Maya commented, scrutinising the room with her hawk-like stare.
“But, for some reason, I feel like something is going to go wrong,” Helena replied.
Maya snorted. “Never expect things to go right. Realistically speaking, they never do.”
“Is that your life’s motto?”
Maya scratched the back of her head. “Now that I think about it, yeah. It is.”
“Great, I never thought I would be learning life mottos of hunters.”
“And I never thought I would talk to a vampire instead of killing him. I’m half-expecting those vampires to pull one over on us.”
Helena frowned. “One what?”
“Don’t worry about it.” Maya walked to Ben. He was talking to the man who was handing him a key which Helena assumed was for the apartment.
The guide left, and Maya was engrossed in a conversation with Ben.
Helena looked out the window at the tired grey apartments across the street. The only lively piece of architecture in the vicinity was the apartment complex they were in. The rest of the neighbourhood appeared exhausted with an endless flow of tourists arriving outside to snap pictures.
Ben’s heavy hand landed on her shoulder. “Are you nervous?”
She took a step to one side, creating some distance between them. “A little.”
“I’ve looked into Reaver. Some hunters I know tried tracking him and failed. He never comes to the meetings in person.”
“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
Ben’s silence did nothing to reassure her. When he did not offer anything further, Maya waved at her.
“The sun will be setting soon, we should train while we can,” Maya said and shot Ben a hopeful look. “Are you coming with us?”
“Not tonight.”
Helena mentally groaned at the word ‘training’. Her muscles were sore from the non-stop exercise Maya put her through. But, she didn’t see the need to complain. No matter how tough the training was, some part of her wanted to get stronger. She didn’t want to rely on Lucious anymore. He couldn’t keep both of them safe without bearing the burden of getting hurt.
Maya took possession of their b
ags and carried them into the hallway.
“Where are you taking that?” Helena called after her, trying to keep up.
“To our room, why?”
Helena froze. “How many bedrooms did the guy say this place has?”
“One. Why?”
“How are all of us supposed to stay in a one bedroom apartment?”
Maya shrugged and pushed the door open. Curious about the arrangement, Helena followed behind. The room was simple with one double bed and an inbuilt wardrobe with mirror doors. She looked at the way the mirror reflected the bed and rolled her eyes. This is definitely Alexander’s apartment.
The hunter dropped the bags on the bed and rummaged through her belongings. She turned around, presenting Helena with a silver dagger. “Here. This should give you an edge when you’re in a fight.”
“I don’t know how to use knives as weapons.”
Maya placed the heavy-hilted object in Helena’s palm. “It’s kill or be killed in this world. Don’t be a child and keep it close. You’ll need it.”
“You say that as if it’s a certainty.”
“I have lived with you for a week. I can already tell that unless you learn to keep yourself safe, you’ll be dead within a year.”
Helena studied the dagger in her hand. The blade was thin and sharp. The handle was much heavier than it looked, but it wasn’t unpleasant as the metal warmed in her hand. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it. Keep it with you at all times. We’re in their territory now. Hunter groups were driven out of Vienna a decade ago. Vampires roam the streets without having to look over their shoulder.”
Maya’s pained expression made Helena ask, “You care a lot about other people, don’t you?”
“You’re wrong. I do this because I like killing,” Maya retorted, heading for the door. “Let’s get going. We’ve got to do some training.”
Once they changed, and Maya informed Ben of their plan, they left the building. A waft of algae from the nearby river greeted them. Helena hadn’t noticed the smell earlier. She had been too absorbed in the architecture, but now it caused her to wrinkle her nose.
“You’ll get used to it,” Maya replied.
“How did you know?”
Maya shook her head. “It’s because your thoughts are written on your face. You should try developing a poker face.” She jogged the way they came from earlier, and Helena followed.
“Was it that obvious?” Helena called after her, catching up.
“It’s one of the reasons why I like you. You are honest and don’t deceive others. Sometimes, I wish I was like that, too.”
Helena snorted. So far, honesty hadn’t gotten Helena anywhere. It did quite the opposite by inviting trouble, one after another, to her doorstep.
They ran until the shadows swarmed the streets and the street lights came on, bathing the footpaths and roads in orange light.
Maya stopped abruptly in front of a pitch black alleyway and held out her hand, halting Helena mid-stride. She pointed into the unlit area next to an office building.
“What is it?” Helena whispered, although her eyes were already adjusting. Two figures were standing next to each other—a couple. The man held a woman in his arms in what seemed to be a passionate embrace. Only when Helena squinted, she made out the details. His face was buried in the woman’s neck, and her body was limp against his large frame.
“Vampire,” Maya whispered and ducked. She lifted the hem of her tracksuit bottoms and drew a small gun out of a holster. “We’ve got to stop him.”
Helena’s eyes bulged. “Are you serious?”
“Consider this to be part of the training. Try to distract him while I come in from behind.” Maya jogged off before Helena could offer a word of protest.
A heavy feeling budded in her stomach as she watched Maya vanishing into the shadows. She grabbed the dagger taped to her leg and hid it behind her back.
With each step, her breathing grew heavier and cold sweat broke on her damp spine. Helena stopped, what she hoped was a secure distance away, and gripped the dagger. She cleared her throat.
The vampire’s glowing grey eyes zeroed in on her, and he dropped the woman without a shred of concern for her landing. The vampire said something in German which she didn’t understand.
He took a step towards her, and she took one back, her heart hammering in her ribcage.
“I-I don’t speak German,” she said.
The vampire chuckled and extended his arms as if he was ready to envelop her in a welcoming hug. She knew better than that. Most of his features were hidden by the shadows wrapped around the alleyway. His clothes merged with the dark, and her stomach was close to hitting the floor.
She swallowed. The voice in her head kept screaming for her to run, to get away from this creature. It was a bad idea to be out here without Lucious or Alexander to take him on. Why am I so weak? She wanted to be away from them and now she had the chance to break out of the endless cycle of dependency.
Behind the vampire, Maya was closing in but not fast enough. He seemed too busy enjoying Helena’s shivering to notice her advance.
When he stopped in front of her, Helena’s breath hitched and her mouth went dry. Who was she trying to prove wrong? She could die here.
She turned on her heel, trying to escape. The vampire was faster. He grasped her by the ponytail and yanked her back into his arms. From up close, Helena watched his mouth falling open. Cool dark liquid stained her right hand where she gripped the hilt of the dagger.
The vampire barked something in German, and his face contorted in pain. The glow in his eyes faded.
She stumbled backwards once his hold on her hair loosened. Her chest heaved when she realised what happened. She struck the vampire with the dagger before Maya could get close enough to take him out. The silver hilt protruded from his chest as he fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes.
“Wow. You did it. You killed your first!” Maya cheered.
Helena couldn’t move. Her body was frozen by the memory of Andreaz’s body turning to dust and the torment she underwent in the Council’s prison. She glanced over her shoulder, searching for any bystanders who may have witnessed the scene.
Maya grasped her by the shoulders. “Don’t look so worried. We can dispose of him after I make sure the girl is okay.”
Helena focused her attention on the woman lying limp against the wall then stared at the dark liquid on her hands. She wiped the blood on her shirt, eager to remove the evidence of her actions from her skin.
Maya ran up to the woman and checked her pulse. She pressed her ear to the victim’s chest.
“She’ll live,” Maya said. She smeared some vampire blood on the woman’s neck and rose. “Let’s get the vampire out of the way.” She scanned the surrounding area. “We can shove him in the trashcan and torch it.”
“You want to burn the remains?”
“Yeah.” Maya removed the dagger from the body with ease and lifted his torso by looping her arms under his. “Some help would be nice.”
Helena grabbed the vampire’s booted feet. This man had to be a newborn vampire since he didn’t change much after death. His weight remained over two hundred pounds, making it difficult to manoeuvre the body. After five minutes of adjusting their stance and lifting, they tossed him into one of the large bins at the end of the alley.
“Back up, I’m going to light it,” Maya ordered and fished out a lighter from her pocket.
“Won’t this attract unwanted attention?”
“That’s a good thing. That girl needs to go to a hospital and since we’re not carrying her there with you covered in the vampire’s blood, it’s best to bring the police here.” She clicked the button and lit the vampire’s blood-soaked shirt and the thrown away newspapers on fire then shut the lid.
As they sprinted back to the apartment, Helena spent most of the time avoiding any source of light while passing people by. A few streets away from the alley, she ended up twisting he
r t-shirt and tying a knot under her chest. She shivered as the evening air brushed her exposed skin.
Once they reached the building, Maya wiped the dagger on her tank top and handed it back to Helena who tucked it behind her back and out of sight.
At the apartment, Helena heard Alexander’s and Lucious’ voices coming from the living room. She forgot about the stains on her clothes and rushed in, searching for the voice of the man she had not seen in days.
When his eyes found hers, a sudden chill washed over her. Lucious stopped communicating with the others and strode over. He dragged Helena behind him. His hand gripped her wrist hard enough to make her wince.
She wanted to tear away from him, but couldn’t do it. It was her fault that he was hurt, and she needed to know if he had recovered from his descent.
He pushed her into the bedroom and slammed the door behind him, locking it to prevent the others from entering.
“I was gone for five days, Helena, and this is how you act? You’ve become friends with the hunters, enough to hunt my kind!”
“What? How do you know about that?”
He ran his hand through his dark hair. His pale face remained a perfect blank. “When I arrived, I sought you out and found you killing a vampire with the female hunter. Should I also expect a silver dagger to the heart when I am not looking?”
“I was defending myself,” she retorted and crossed her arms. “We didn’t plan on finding any vampires during our training. It was an accident.”
“You did not seem too rattled when it happened,” he said, taking a menacing step forwards.
She glared at him, standing her ground. “Don’t talk to me like that. I’m not the one you should be keeping an eye on. Your girlfriend made that pretty clear.”
Lucious frowned. “What are you talking about? I am not involved with anyone.”
“The gorgeous brunette with an hourglass figure and eyes darker than black, ring any bells?”
His expression darkened. “What did Zafira tell you?”
Helena flinched at the mention of her name. A fire burned in her chest, and she couldn’t contain it any longer as it shaped into another kind of anger. “Oh, it’s Zafira. I forgot her name. Glad you could refresh my memory.”
Demon Gates (Helena Hawthorn Series Book 2) Page 16