by Zoë Fox
“No, but my thick skull might.”
He groaned as she started for the door.
“Where are you going?” He yelled after her.
“To see Lucas. What do you think?”
“Crap,” Sean mumbled to himself, before calling back to her. “Not without me you’re not.”
Alex rolled her eyes. “Fine, then quit holding me up.” She slammed the door behind her.
“If I end up dead and you somehow manage to get away,” Sean said as he stepped out onto the front porch. “I am so going to haunt you.”
“Yeah, of course you will,” she teased. “I’m the only friend you’ve got. Who else would you come back to bother?”
He ignored her. “You do realize that all three of the women who’ve been killed lived within five miles of the cemetery, don’t you?”
She shrugged. “How do you know that?”
“My mother’s garden society really ought to be called the gossip society.”
“Yeah, I bet they’re scared out of their minds right now.” She forced her voice into a very high falsetto, imitating the women she’d had the misfortune to meet a few times. “‘Oh, I do declare, I’m just in pieces over the whole thing. Pieces, I tell you. This is a perfect example of what happens to women when they go out at night alone. I would never do such a thing. It’s practically asking to have your head lopped off.’”
“Oh, come on,” Sean said, trying not to laugh. “They’re not that bad.”
“Sure, for brain dead Stepford bimbos, they aren’t that bad.” Alex hated the way they always stopped talking and stared at her when she walked into a room. She was sure Sean’s mom had told them all about her and they were just waiting for her to leave so they could say horrible things about her.
“Alex, that’s the point. People are dying and they’ve all been near the stupid cemetery.”
“I agree with Toad. All your evidence is circumstantial.” She was starting to wish he’d go away, at least until he could come up with a new topic to talk about. The your-new-friend-is-a-vicious-killer spiel was wearing on her nerves.
At the graveyard’s wrought iron fence, she turned to face Sean. “I think you ought to let Lucas know what you think he’s done.”
“Hell no!” Sean, who barely ever cursed, was shocked. “Are you crazy? He’ll rip my throat out.”
“Well, talking about him like this is just rude. So, I guess I’ll have to let him know.”
“Do you want me dead?” He asked, following her through the open gate.
“Not particularly…at least at the moment.” She touched her father’s headstone lightly as she passed by. It was her way of saying hello. “Look, here’s the deal. I don’t let people talk about you behind your back so why should I let you do that to him?”
He didn’t say anything.
“Remember that time in the ninth grade when I got suspended for punching Ricky Phillips in the face?”
He nodded.
“He wouldn’t stop talking about you in Biology class. I warned him, but he didn’t listen.” She glanced over at him. “I know you couldn’t take a direct hit from me, so just stop, okay?”
He shut up. She’d always refused to tell him what Ricky had done to make her hit him. Sean had assumed that the guy had made a pass at her.
“Now, can you be civil?” She asked once they were standing outside of the mausoleum.
“I’ll try.” He sighed.
“Good.” She pushed the door open. Darkness from inside engulfed them.
“This is weird.” Alex couldn’t see well so she stepped back outside. Lucas usually lit a candle for her as soon as he got up. It had been dark for over an hour now, which meant he should’ve been back from finding something to eat. “I wonder where he went.”
“How much do you want to bet they find another body in the morning?”
Alex glared at him, taking a seat on the ground.
“Oh, well. I guess we can go home now, huh?” Sean sounded hopeful.
“You can. I’m going to wait right here.”
“Fine.” He sat beside her. “But if he brings back a head with him, I’m running.”
Chapter Twelve
“Please, just let me go,” she begged. “No one will ever have to know you were here. I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”
He’d tied her to a wooden chair in her kitchen. Her arms were bound to its arms, her downward facing wrists suspended over the tile floor. She was completely helpless, at his mercy. The sight of her this way was so beautiful that it took his breath away.
He took a step back to admire her, breathing in deeply. The moment before he’d done anything, when they were still lucid, was one of his one of his favorites. The anticipation hung over him, thick and tangible. The sight of her, unable to move, made him think of a butterfly with a pin through its torso, framed for the world to see. Soon he’d be able to look at her whenever he wanted.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that.” He ran a hand down the curve of her cheek.
“You can’t do this,” she sobbed.
A slow grin spread across his face. “Yes, I can. I can do anything I want to.” He placed a large white bucket under each wrist.
“I’ll give you anything you want,” she was choking on her own tears. “Just please…”
He attempted to brush the drops away, but she turned her head. “You don’t get it,” he whispered softly in her ear. “This is what I want. This is what I need.”
It was hunger. An all-consuming burning sensation in his gut. There was no way to avoid it any longer, the force inside him—that violent thing he’d tried so hard to ignore for so long—had to be fed.
He reached behind him, retrieving the knife he’d brought with him. Turning her wrists slightly, he pressed it against the web of bluish veins. He positioned it back over the bucket and watched the blood begin to gather on its white plastic bottom.
“Don’t worry. It will only hurt for a moment,” he said as he made a similar incision on the pale flesh of the other joint. “And then it will be just like going to sleep. You’ll see.” He placed a light kiss on her forehead. “Just be patient.”
Chapter Thirteen
Lucas hummed to himself as he walked in the direction of the cemetery. Altogether he was pleased with how the evening had gone so far, though he’d been shocked to run into an old friend outside of the café in the small shopping center.
He’d been on his way to pick up a few items when Roderick had spotted him. Lucas’ mind had been so preoccupied with going over Alex’s instructions for utilizing his ATM card that he almost missed the blond gentleman. In his defense, he had never seen Roderick with short hair nor dressed in the jean workman’s pants everyone seemed to prefer now.
Lucas smiled, holding his packages close at his side, and absently wondered as to what Alex’s reaction was going to be when she saw his purchases. Realizing his suits would only draw attention to him, he had decided the night before to acquire more modern garb. Seeing Roderick dressed in a similar fashion had only strengthened his resolve.
The two had talked for an hour or so, with Roderick helping to catch him up on issues with the council. Apparently, upon receiving Lucas’ letter over a century ago, there had been a vote and Roderick was dispatched to the area in order to continue taking notes that might be relevant to Lucas’ project. Considering that Roderick had been Lucas’ one and only apprentice, it made sense that he’d been the one chosen.
The two had parted ways, both having errands of their own to attend to, with Roderick promising to drop off his notes later that night.
Undoing the wrought iron gate, Lucas spotted Alex sitting outside the mausoleum. His smile widened. He had so much he wanted to talk to her about. Tonight had been the first night he ventured outside of the neighborhood surrounding the cemetery and so much had taken place since he’d last seen the area.
“Good evening,” he greeted her.
She smiled at him, standing up. “What’s in t
he bag?”
Sean, who Lucas had conveniently failed to acknowledge till then, glared up at him from where he sat in the grass. “Let me guess, a severed head?” He mumbled.
Lucas stared at him for a moment before turning to Alex for an explanation.
“Ignore him,” she said, rolling her eyes. “He’s being juvenile.”
“Am not,” Sean retorted sullenly, following the two of them down the steps.
Lucas lit the candle he’d left near the entranceway before starting toward his study. “Why, may I ask, would I need a severed head?”
“I was going to ask you the same thing.” Sean was grumpy from having to sit for an hour in the grass waiting on someone he didn’t even want to see. His arms were covered in mosquito bites and he was convinced that he’d contracted the Zika virus. At this point, he didn’t care if the vampire decided to rip his throat out.
“Aside from being an impractical item to carry on the open street,” Lucas said, putting his packages down by his desk, “a severed head would be extremely unpleasant kept in such small confines as this.” He gestured around the room. “And I lack a refrigerating unit to keep the thing from entering into a rapid state of decay.”
Sean continued to stare at the bags Lucas had carried in. “Okay, so you keep them somewhere else.”
“Alex, please explain what this simpleton is referring to.” He took a seat across from the couch where she’d already made herself comfortable. Sean continued to stand at the foot of the stairs, as if he might bolt at any moment.
She took a deep breath. “Sean thinks you’re a serial killer.”
“Alex!” Sean gave her a dirty look.
“What? You brought it up.”
“I see,” Lucas leaned back in his chair. “Apparently, your friend is unfamiliar with the process of thought. It makes sense that the first of his attempts would prove unsatisfactory.”
Alex choked back a laugh. “Nobody seems to be on your side in this one, Sean.”
“Yeah, that’s because you’re all insane.” He crossed his arms over his chest in defiance.
“And why does he feel this way?” Lucas asked Alex, forgetting about the items he’d wanted to show her.
Alex quickly summarized the recent killing spree to the best of her knowledge, in case Lucas had skipped over that section of the newspapers.
“And you believe I am guilty of these atrocities?” Lucas asked, turning to look at Sean.
He shrugged. His face was pale, but he did his best to stand his ground. “I don’t know.” He kept glancing over at Alex, as if he could borrow some of her courage. “The timeline and the whole bloodless bodies thing seems suspicious considering that you’re a…well, you know.”
“Ah, yes. A newcomer.” Lucas offered.
“No!” Sean was annoyed. “A vampire.” He said the word like it was something dirty.
“I told him he was being a bigot, but he doesn’t listen.” Alex brought her legs up onto the couch with her.
“Seems to me, that you are exactly the type of person who would accuse me of these crimes, whether or not you knew what I am.” Lucas tried to keep eye contact with the younger man, but Sean wouldn’t stop fidgeting. “Were I a mortal man new to your neighborhood, without any of my exceptional traits, you would still suspect me. I believe that this is called ‘scapegoating’.”
“Huh?” Sean had no idea what blaming a vampire for murder victims found drained of blood had to do with a farm animal.
“Scapegoating,” Alex explained, “is blaming a convenient person or group for some crime or problem that is someone else’s or even no one’s fault. Like Hitler blaming the Jews. Duh.”
“Oh, yeah, whatever.” Sean threw his hands up in disgust. “Fine. I’m the bad guy.”
“Quit being so dramatic.” Alex was glad to see that Lucas was trying to talk about the situation instead of flying off the handle. But, then again, he didn’t exactly value Sean’s opinion, so it was possible he was just completely unfazed.
“Sean, let me ask you a question,” Lucas said, leaning forward, his hands clasp in front of him. “You’ve seen my incisors. Why would I cut someone’s wrists if I was inclined to kill for my meals, let alone remove the head?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you’re storing the blood in containers somewhere because you couldn’t drink it all at once.” He shrugged.
“Again, may I point out that I lack the refrigerating unit for such.” Lucas was doing his best to speak rationally to him, for Alex’s sake. Sean was important to her, although he couldn’t begin to fathom why. She was an open minded, highly intelligent woman. Beside her Sean was painfully normal, lacking all extraordinary qualities.
Sean was about to respond, but Alex cut him off.
“Quiet. Someone is coming.”
Sean jumped off the stairs, moving closer to Alex. Lucas was almost surprised he didn’t hide behind the couch. The boy seemed afraid of his own shadow.
“Don’t worry,” Lucas told her. “That should be Roderick, a colleague of mine.”
“Oh, great, more vampires,” Sean whispered to Alex. “What have you gotten me into?”
Chapter Fourteen
“Lucas, my friend,” said Roderick as he emerged in the doorway. In his hands he carried two large, brown boxes, one stacked on top of the other. “We will have to see to your living situation immediately.”
Lucas took the boxes and placed them beside his forgotten shopping bags. “Do you really believe I intend to continue spending my nights in a graveyard for all eternity, Roderick? I am simply taking my time finding an adequate place.”
“Wait,” Alex said, interrupting Roderick. “You’re moving?”
Both men turned to look at her. Roderick had apparently not noticed her until that moment. His eyes scanned over her briefly before his lip twitched upward slightly, showing his disgust. Although, like Lucas, not a hair on the man’s head was out of place, he was dressed in dark jeans and a black button up shirt. While Lucas’ face held warmth, Roderick had the appearance of someone who was more often displeased than happy. The way he looked down his sharp roman nose made her feel dirty.
“Ah, you ordered in,” Roderick said to Lucas. “Had I known I wouldn’t have eaten beforehand. But, maybe a snack.” He took a step toward Alex.
Throwing her hands up in defense, she leaned back against the couch, trying to increase the distance between them. “Back off buddy. I’m nobody’s Pop-Tart!”
Lucas, without seeming to move, placed his arm firmly across Roderick’s chest, blocking him from taking another step forward. “She’s not to be touched.”
The look on his face had gone from friendly to full of warning.
Roderick shrugged. “What about the boy hiding behind the couch?”
Seam whimpered.
“Him either. They are under my protection.”
Roderick turned his attention back to Lucas. When addressing the taller man, Alex noticed that Roderick’s features shifted to a casual smile.
“But isn’t it customary to offer a friend a drink?”
Lucas’ expression did not relax. “I apologize, but I am lacking in refreshment, my friend. I promise to be a better host next time.”
“Yet you’ve drunk from her?” Roderick, realizing it was against his better interest to move toward the couch, took Lucas’ seat at the desk. “She smells of you.”
“You did what?” Alex stared at Lucas. “I want an—”
“I’ll explain later,” he cut her off. Sitting beside her, he placed his hand lightly on her shoulder in an effort to offer reassurance. She shrugged it off and glared at him, letting him know that she wasn’t letting the issue go.
“Since when did you take to keeping pets, Lucas?” Roderick asked, resting the ankle of his right foot on his left knee, a way of sitting that Alex had noticed was often the most comfortable for Lucas. Roderick, however, looked much stiffer, as if he was trying to give the appearance of comfort instead of actually feeling it.
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Alex considered throwing something at him, but the tension in the air stopped her. As much as she hated being referred to as someone’s ‘pet’, she thought it best to let it go for the time being.
“I haven’t.” Lucas didn’t offer anything further. “Shall we look over your notes?”
“Well,” Roderick laughed, the atmosphere calming somewhat. “That might be difficult.”
“I’m aware of the state of your penmanship, my friend. I’m sure I will be able to decipher it eventually.” He smiled.
Alex was intensely aware of him sitting so close. He’d always left more than an ample amount of space between the two of them, but now his thigh brushed hers. It was as if he didn’t completely trust the other man not to come at her again. Alex, however, couldn’t figure out where she was supposed to put her arm. She kept moving it slightly, trying to find a way to sit without bumping him.
“Oh, I’ve taken care of that for you.” He pulled one of the boxes in front of him. Removing the lid, he revealed stack after stack of CDs, all labeled with various dates. “Just slide these in a computer and you’ll have everything I’ve written.”
Lucas nodded, refraining from asking him how to do this. He figured Alex could instruct him. From the corner of his eye he noticed she was fidgeting uncomfortably. Assuming Roderick was to blame, he gently took her hand in his, letting them both fall against his leg.
She sat up straighter and glanced over at Lucas who continued to listen intently to the other vampire. Her skin tingled where his fingers touched, causing her heart to beat faster. His hands were smooth and cold, although not unpleasantly so. He seemed completely unaware of the reaction he was causing.
“I appreciate the advice. I had been concerned as to how to go about looking over possible homes,” Lucas told Roderick, but his mind was elsewhere. Alex’s tiny hand in his pulsated warmth through his arm. He’d intended only to comfort her, yet now he found himself resisting the urge to run the pad of his thumb across the small bones of the top of her hand.