Blood Mage (Dark Impulse Book 1)

by Edmund Hughes

  Or… There was a third option. He’d enthralled Gina. It would be easy to show up at her house. He still planned to, anyway, to deal with Johnny and resolve the murder he’d inadvertently let happened. He could feed off Gina while he was there, and maybe even keep her around to feed off again, in the future. And hell, the mansion had plenty of rooms. Would it be so weird for him to host a guest for a little while?

  Yes, he thought. It would be incredibly weird, and Katie would see right through it.

  “Jack?” Katie was frowning at him. She’d just said something, and he’d totally missed it.

  “Sorry, what?” he asked.

  “What are your plans for today?” asked Katie. “And for tonight, too. I want to keep tabs on where you are and what you’re doing from now on.”

  Jack scowled at her. His annoyance was directed at Katie, but also at Ryoko for consistently reporting his movements to Katie. Though, given how much longer she’d known Katie for, he couldn’t really blame her.

  “I have no plans,” said Jack. “I’m still new to this island, remember? I don’t even really know what there is to do.”

  “Somehow, I get the sense that you usually had ‘no plans’ even when you lived a normal life,” said Katie.

  “Hey!” said Jack. “That’s a low blow.”

  “Come by the gym around lunchtime,” said Katie.

  “You want me to attend one of your yoga classes?” he asked.

  “I can’t picture you doing yoga,” said Katie. “No. I just want to check up on you midway through the day. It’s apparently necessary, given how fucking mysterious your behavior has been recently.”

  Jack sighed and shrugged.

  “Whatever,” he said. “It’s not like I have much better to do.”

  Katie kept looking at him with her intense gaze for another few seconds, then left without saying goodbye.

  CHAPTER 26

  Ryoko had set out a simple breakfast of toast, bacon, and eggs. Jack took his time eating, though given how muted the flavors were compared to the taste of blood, he chewed slowly out of necessity, rather than choice.

  “Sir?” Ryoko appeared at the door that connected the kitchen to the dining room.

  “Good morning, Ryoko,” said Jack.

  “Good morning,” said Ryoko. “I was wondering if you had any plans for dinner tonight?”

  “Are you asking me on a date?” He grinned, taking a certain amount of enjoyment in the way the question left her flustered.

  “Oh, no, I’m so sorry, sir!” Ryoko brought her hand to her mouth and hurriedly gave him a deep bow. “I just meant that it’s a Friday night, and… well…”

  Her face reddened as her explanation only served to dig her in deeper.

  “I’m just teasing, Ryoko,” said Jack. “I’m fine with anything. I’m heading to the gym for the afternoon, but I should be back by the evening.”

  He’d be back, and he’d be ready to finish taking care of Gina and her boyfriend Johnny. He’d need to come up with a proper excuse to give Katie, in case she expected to spend the night hunting Mira.

  “Okay,” said Ryoko. “Thank you, Mr. Masterson.”

  Jack wasn’t sure what she was thanking him for, but she bowed again and then hurried out of the dining room. He finished his food and returned to his room.

  He spent a couple unproductive hours playing a phone game, and then got ready to head into town. Ryoko had packed gym clothes into a small duffel bag. Jack opted to change before he left so that he could jog down the slope rather than having to ask for a ride.

  It was bright outside, so bright in fact that Jack had to double back into the mansion to find a pair of sunglasses. He was becoming more and more aware of the way the sun affected him, immediately cutting him off from his blood magic, and stunting his enhanced strength and speed.

  It wasn’t as bad as the way vampires in folklore were described as reacting to the sun, but it still hampered him. He ran at a normal pace down the slope toward Lesser Town, feeling a prickling sense of paranoia in wake of how vulnerable he was.

  The island was apparently hosting tourists for the weekend. A large cruise ship dwarfed Lesser Town’s small port, visible over the houses and buildings from a distance. The town hummed with activity, with gift stands set up and restaurants packed with customers.

  It felt strange to be a part of it, even on the outskirts. The mayor had described Lestaron Island to Jack as a waypoint, a place that people passed through, and Jack saw what he meant. He could tell the locals apart from the tourists at a glance, and the way they moved through the area with an air of exploration about them neatly showcased the mayor’s point.

  He jogged past it all, heading for the Lestaron Gym. It was a medium-sized building with long rectangular windows, through which pedestrians could experience a small guilt trip in watching the physically fit gym members exercising.

  Jack headed inside through the front door and waited at the front desk for the gym’s manager to greet him. The cost of a day pass was a relatively small fee, and the manager waived it entirely when he mentioned Katie’s name.

  “Are you sure?” he asked.

  “Positive,” said the manager. “Katie is a gem. I’ll leave it to her to convince you to sign up for a membership.”

  “Is she here right now?” asked Jack.

  “Teaching a class in the group fitness room,” said the manager.

  Jack nodded and slowly made his way into the weight room. It was sunny outside, but he still wanted to spend some time getting an idea of just how much stronger his improved physique had made him. Though admittedly, he was a little lost at where to begin amongst the weights and exercise machines. There were only half a dozen or so other people in the gym, and they all seemed to know exactly what they were doing.

  “Hi.” A dark-skinned woman with straight black hair, a pink tank top, and black boy shorts walked up to him. “Are you new to the island, or the gym, or both?”

  “Both.” Jack smiled at her. “I’m Jack.”

  “Synda,” said the woman. “You wouldn’t happen to be the same Jack that Katie was talking about, would you?”

  “The one and only,” he said.

  Synda laughed. She looked to be in her late twenties and had a lean body with just the right amount of curve left on it. Jack found himself liking her instantly, and it took him a second to realize why. She smelled amazing. A lot like the cherry trees outside the mansion, except with more depth and intrigue.

  “I’m one of the personal trainers on staff,” said Synda. “I can show you how to use some of the equipment, if you’re interested.”

  “I am very interested,” said Jack.

  His bloodthirst was still sated from the night before but having Synda in close proximity to him stirred it back to life. Did she smell better than Katie? Maybe, though it was close. What did that say about what her blood would taste like?

  “Jack?” Synda frowned at him. “Hellooo? Are you home?”

  “Sorry.” He shook his head, feeling a wave of shame come over him at the direction his thoughts had been heading. “I’m not used to the, uh, gym environment.”

  “Yeah, I kind of picked up on that.” Synda flashed a somewhat condescending smile and gestured toward some weights. “Why don’t we start with something easy?”

  She led him over to an empty weight bench and then looked him up and down.

  “Since you’re a fitness rookie, let’s just start with you lifting the empty barbell to build good form,” she said. “Lie down on the bench with your legs out to either side.”

  She walked Jack through a basic bench press, correcting his form and encouraging him. They were next to a window, and the direct sunlight sapped at his strength. When Synda added a small amount of weight to each side, it was almost too much for him to handle.

  “You’ll have to build up from here,” she said. “Don’t be embarrassed. It takes time.”

  “Right,” said Jack.

  A thick, rumbling blac
k cloud slid in front of the sun, and just like that, he felt his vampiric strength seeping back into his muscles. He grinned, feeling as though he had no choice but to use it as an opportunity to test his limits. He stood up from the bench and started sliding more weight onto the bar in 45-pound increments.

  “That’s… almost four hundred pounds,” said Synda. “I appreciate your enthusiasm Jack, but I don’t want to see you hurt yourself.”

  She tried to get in between him and the bench. Jack slipped by her, flashing a coy smile as he got back into position.

  “Let’s just see what happens,” he said.

  CHAPTER 27

  He gripped the bar, lifted the weights up slightly into position, and then lowered it to start the bench press. He could feel the weight, but he could also feel his body, his muscles, and the supernatural advantage of his vampiric condition. He managed ten reps in quick succession, and could have done more, but he played it safe in case the sun came back out in the middle of his set.

  “That… was unbelievable,” said Synda. “You lied to me!”

  “Must be beginner’s luck,” said Jack, grinning at her.

  She made a face and looked him up and down, as though expecting to see fifty pounds of hidden muscle that she’d missed on first examination.

  “You know, the way Katie talked about you made me expect some dopey little kid,” said Synda.

  Jack winced.

  “What kind of things has she been saying about me?” he asked.

  “No, I just mean, well, she mentioned how the two of you were together, as kids,” said Synda. “She said that you made her promise to marry her when you both grew up.”

  “I didn’t make her promise that!” snapped Jack. “That was her idea.”

  Synda laughed. “You do get flustered pretty easily. She was telling the truth about that, at least.”

  He sighed and did another ten reps. Synda watched in fascination, and when he finished the set, he felt her hands settle on his shoulders.

  “Your muscles must be sore after that,” she said. “I give massages, you know. There’s a private room with a massage table in back. And my rates are pretty low.”

  “This was your plan from the beginning, wasn’t it?” Jack sat up on the bench and crossed his arms. “You just wanted to sell me a massage.”

  “Well, maybe,” said Synda, looking abashed. “It’s a small island, and I don’t have many clients. A girl’s gotta eat, you know.”

  And so do I, thought Jack. A massage in a private room. A chance to be alone with a pretty girl with a fantastic smell and a beautiful neck.

  “Jack!” Katie’s voice cut in before he could decide either way. “I thought I told you to check in with me when you got here.”

  Katie was watching him from the door that led to the yoga room with her hands set solidly on her hips. She was wearing workout clothing, tight black leggings along with a white and pink top.

  “You were teaching when I got here,” he said. “Besides, your friend was here to help me out.”

  Synda still had one hand on Jack’s shoulder, and she only reluctantly seemed to pull it back. Katie looked more irritated than usual and shot an accusatory glare at her.

  “I was just showing him how to do a bench press,” said Synda. “And seeing if he was maybe interested in getting a massage. Why do you look so mad?”

  “I…” Katie scowled and shook her head. “I’m not mad at you, I’m mad at him.”

  “I didn’t do anything wrong,” said Jack. “And my muscles are feeling pretty sore. I think I’ll take you up on that massage, Synda.”

  “No, he won’t!” snapped Katie.

  Synda looked confused, and she started backing away from them slowly.

  “It’s fine,” she said. “I have another client, anyway. Why don’t I give you two some space?”

  Katie seized Jack by the wrist before he could follow Synda off toward the massage room. He felt his head clearing as Katie pulled him out of range of her scent, and then fogging up again as it was replaced by Katie’s. She smelled sweet, like lemons, except mixed with a post-workout, musky edge.

  “You’re incorrigible,” said Katie, as they left the gym through the front entrance. “The entire reason I wanted you to stop by was so I could make sure you weren’t doing things like that.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like thinking about fucking biting someone!” snapped Katie. “One of my friends, no less.”

  “You’d rather I bite you instead?”

  He’d meant the words in a teasing way, but as he spoke them, the idea instantly began to appeal to him. He had to take a slow breath to keep from fixating on Katie’s neck. The gym, he decided, wasn’t a good place for him to hang out. At least not on days when Synda was around, trying to tempt him into buying a private massage.

  “I’d rather you not bite anyone,” said Katie. “But, I mean… If it’s between an innocent person and me, then yes. But only after I’ve taken the potion. We’re walking a dangerous line, Jack.”

  Her words were surprisingly reasonable, but they weren’t what Jack needed to hear at that moment. It made it so much harder for him to hold out. He didn’t want to wait. He wanted to bite her, right there and then, and drink as deeply as he could. Drink until the two of them were both writhing from the intensity of it.

  “I just need some space,” he said. “God. It’s really hard to control myself, sometimes. I think I should just head back to the mansion for now.”

  “I think that would be for the best,” said Katie. “I have a couple’s date night with Bruce and some of our friends tonight, but I should be able to get back to the mansion around midnight so we can hunt for Mira.”

  “Right,” he said.

  She nodded to him and then headed back into the gym, watching at the door until he started walking in the direction of the mansion. It was a little annoying, but he understood her reasoning for being as suspicious as she was.

  And admittedly, hunting Mira had almost become a secondary concern for him. His desire to return to normal seemed less compelling than it had been in the beginning, though it was still on his mind. He needed to take care of Johnny and Gina, first. Given that killing Mira was the only way to free himself of the curse, he’d also need time to train his abilities if he wanted to be a match for her in a fight.

  He took his time, walking instead of jogging like he had on his way out. The tourists were still around, but Jack could tell that most of them were already starting to get a little tired of the island. He understood that feeling, a mixture of cabin fever and boredom. He also understood how much lay beyond a place like Lestaron Island, a place remote enough to be overlooked.

  It was late afternoon when he arrived back at the mansion. He took his shoes off in the foyer and started to head up his room to change. He’d only made it to the stairs when he heard the sound of shattering glass, followed by a pained cry.

  Jack reacted instantly, surging through the lounge and dining room, and sliding as he came around the corner into the kitchen. Ryoko was down one knee, one hand clutched over her stomach, where red oozed out through the space in between her fingers. She’d been attacked. Was it Mira? Or was it Johnny and Gina, taking retaliation for his intrusion the night before?

  “Ryoko!” He started toward her side, but she held up a hand, urging him back.

  “I’m sorry, sir,” she said. “Please, don’t come any closer.”

  “It’s okay,” he said. “Ryoko, I can-”

  “Mr. Masterson!” she snapped. “There’s still broken glass on the floor. Let me clean it up first.”

  Ryoko had let her hand fall away from what Jack had assumed was a stab wound. He could see now that the color wasn’t right, or the smell. And one of the larger glass shards amidst the mess on the ground had a tomato sauce label stuck to it.

  “The cover was stuck,” said Ryoko, glaring down at the unfortunate stain on her outfit. “It tried running it under hot water, and it almost worked, but t
he jar slipped out of my hands.”

  Jack breathed a sigh of relief and started laughing. Ryoko blushed even harder and gave a deep, apologetic bow.

  “It’s okay, Ryoko,” he said. “I misread the situation. I’m just glad that you’re okay.”

  “I’m fine, sir,” she said. “And I have more tomato sauce, so the pizza should be, too. For tonight.”

  He quirked an eyebrow at her.

  “What’s happening tonight?” he asked.

  “I thought you knew, from what you said this morning,” said Ryoko. “Peter always hosted a pizza and movie night for everyone in the mansion on Friday nights. Um… including the servants.”

  “He did?” The revelation didn’t contradict anything Jack knew about his grandfather, but it did give the old man a new dimension. “But you’re the only servant still here, now.”

  Of course, Jack realized. Ryoko was the only servant working full time at the mansion. She’d probably had a social life before, when Peter had more staff in residence. Friends, maybe even a boyfriend. Now she just had her job, and a new boss to go with it.

  “Pizza night sounds like a great idea,” said Jack. “Let’s keep the tradition going, Ryoko.”

  She bowed again, and Jack wasn’t sure if it was out of appreciation or to hide the smile on her face. He grinned at her as she stood up straight again, and to his delight, her own enthusiasm won out over her guarded mannerisms. She had a beautiful smile.

  CHAPTER 28

  Jack took a long, luxurious shower while the pizza was in the oven. His night was shaping up to be a busy one, but he still felt confident that he’d be able to cover his bases. He’d watch a movie and eat pizza with Ryoko, slip out to take care of Johnny after getting in touch with Gina, and be back in time to continue the search for Mira with Katie.

  He changed into slacks and a white t-shirt and headed downstairs to check on dinner’s progress. Ryoko was in the middle of pulling the pizza out of the oven, and he was surprised to see that she’d also changed her clothing. She wasn’t wearing her maid uniform anymore but casual clothes for the first time Jack had seen since meeting her.