The Violet Line

by Bilinda Ni Siodacain

  Jade’s power had grown since he had first met her. She had much better control over it now and she could also control how much she wanted her victim to feel. Of course there was the odd time that she forgot to hold it in check, usually at the most inopportune moments, and he had found himself flat on his back. Looking back at it made him laugh; her face was always such a picture when things like that happened she never intended for it to escape her but heightened emotion tended to make it a bit unpredictable, and well he didn’t mind it happening. Sure it hurt like hell at the time, but once that passed everything was fine with no lingering side effects.

  He frowned; their scent had become a lot stronger since he’d been crouched here. Peering around the wall of the building he was behind, he glanced up and down the road. Nothing; a few leaves blew across the empty street but that was it.

  Letting his breath escape in a whoosh, he slid around to the back fire exit. Slipping his long fingers into the gap in the door, he gave it one sharp tug and the lock gave way, letting the heavy fire door swing outwards.

  He used this same facility every time to collect blood. The workers here weren’t too particular and never seemed to notice a few packets of blood going missing. Either they were heedless or perhaps they too agreed it was better for vampires to get blood this way rather than attacking humans. He shuddered at the thought; if he slept anymore or could even dream, he was sure it would be haunted by the memories of those he had killed when he had been young and dismissive of the human race.

  Raking his hand through his hair, he shook his head as though with just this simple action he could clear his mind of all the horrors that threatened to overwhelm him. Burying the thoughts and images down inside himself, he strode in through the now wide open door. He was feeling a bit reckless and knew deep down that he should be more cautious but for some reason he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

  Walking down the well lit corridor to the metal double doors at the end, he heard footsteps hurrying towards him. He ducked back into a darkened doorway as a man in a smart suit rushed past him. Sam waited until he could hear the man talking to someone else in an office down the corridor. The other voice belonged to a woman and it sounded as though they were having some sort of argument. Sam didn’t waste any more time listening to them; he had business to attend to and Jade was waiting for him. Feeling satisfied that there was nobody inside the storage area, he ran to the double doors and pushed them open.

  Slipping inside, his eyes immediately adjusted to the dark room; he could see just as clearly in the dark as in the light and he navigated the room without issue. Collecting the packets and putting them into his rucksack, he wondered what Jade was doing at that moment; was she thinking of him as much as he was thinking of her? Rushing he closed the bag and flew out the door. To a human he would appear as little more than a blur speeding past them, but luckily he met nobody in the hall.

  He knew the woman had left while he was in the storage unit because he had heard her slamming the door on her way out. His head filled with thoughts of Jade as he reached the fire exit and freedom once more. Stepping out into the fresh night air he felt light and free. He couldn’t wait to get back to Jade and just hold her in his arms, be close to her; he could quite happily spend eternity breathing in her intoxicating scent, he thought to himself. Reclosing the fire door, he turned and came face to face with his very own personal nightmare.

  He stood in the alleyway not fifteen feet from where Sam was frozen to the ground. His six foot seven frame was draped in a long black leather coat and instead of hiding his build it seemed to emphasise it. His ice blond hair was short now, cut into spikes that stood at various angles. Very modern, Sam thought; it seemed they had embraced the new life they were given and wore all the appearances of a very fashionable group. He was flanked by four others that Sam didn’t recognize but they all wore the same type of very expensive designer clothes that meant they could only have come from one place.

  Sam inclined his head. “Raphael, to what do I owe this pleasure? I see Marianne has not accompanied you this evening, how unusual.”

  He let his voice trail off; at least if Marianne wasn’t here it meant he could lie to Raphael and very easily get away with it. Marianne was one of the high council’s pets and Raphael’s partner; they very rarely went anywhere without each other. Perhaps she had been sent on council business someplace else and this was just a coincidence, Sam hoped but didn’t feel particularly confident.

  “Ah Samuel, still eating like an animal I see.” Raphael’s heavily Italian accented voice drawled over the words. “Why you insist on pursuing this type of behaviour is beyond me and the council. Don’t you miss the taste of fresh blood, the sheer delight as it gushes hot and sweet into your mouth? Feeling your victim’s body as it grows limp in your arms and you drain the very last drops from their body, absorbing their life? I can see from your face you do indeed still miss it. I shan’t tease you anymore by describing the heady pleasures of dining on tasty morsels.”

  Raphael’s face broke into a cruel smirk as he watched Sam’s discomfort read in every line of his body. Sam knew he was taunting him; Raphael enjoyed inflicting pain and was known for his cruelty towards his victims. He very rarely used his gaze to lull them into a peaceful death, preferring instead for his victims to struggle and scream as he bit them multiple times in many different places before finally draining them. Raphael had been a sadist when he was alive and now that he was dead he put his tendencies to good use by working for the council.

  “As for my beautiful Marianne, why she is indeed here; she was simply hungry and stopped for a bite to eat.”

  Sam felt his hope sink at the news that Marianne was here also; this was very bad. He knew he wasn’t going to like whatever news they had to bring him from the council; he could only just hope it had nothing to do with Jade. As Raphael gestured, the others that were with him stepped aside to reveal Marianne on her knees cradling the body of a woman. Marianne’s mouth pressed against her neck and Sam could see her gulping as the blood poured from the wound on the poor woman’s neck.

  The woman turned her face in Sam’s direction as the other vampires moved and he could see the blissful empty look that filled her eyes. Marianne lifted her head then and grinned at Sam, her mouth and sharp fangs were smeared in the rich glistening red of the woman’s blood.

  “Do excuse my manners; I was simply famished, but I think I’ll leave what is left of her for the pets.”

  The mention of pets sent a cold shiver of disgust down Sam’s spine. The pets were revenants or vampires that had lost their minds when they were turned; they had no control over themselves and the council kept them chained in the dungeons like guard dogs. The thought of this woman being given to them was sickening; none of the revenants had the power to put anyone into a trance and unless one of the other vampires did, this woman would wake up just before she was fed to them alive.

  One of the silent vampires near Marianne stepped over to the body of the woman, licking the tips of her fingers she ran them over the wound on her neck; to Sam’s surprise it closed, leaving nothing but two small scars where Marianne’s fangs had sunk in. Marianne stood and skipped over the prone body of her victim, her small red tongue darted out of her mouth as she licked the blood that smeared her lips. As she reached him, Raphael grabbed her roughly by the arm and swooped down on her mouth. They stood for what felt like an eternity to Sam, kissing and groping each other’s bodies.

  Marianne finally broke from the embrace and giggled her high pitched girly laugh. “Later my love,” she said brushing the blood that now also stained Raphael’s mouth. Raphael growled his ascent and watched Marianne as she stalked towards Sam.

  “I’m glad you finished your little display; I thought I would get sick.” Sam told her, his voice flat and bored. He was hoping that perhaps he could make her angry enough that she’d forget why she’d been sent here.

  No such luck. Marianne was ruthless and persistent and if she tho
ught she could sink her claws into somebody, she would quite happily take any slurs they threw at her; she was very confident in her abilities. She giggled again and ran her sharp fingernails down over Sam’s chest,

  “Awww, I bet you’re just jealous I didn’t share that with you. I still can if you want me to, Sam; you and I could just walk back over there and finish her together. Would you like that?”

  Her eyes which were normally a deep dark forest green had begun to glow with a purple light. Sam had only ever witnessed her power being used on others and hadn’t actually ever felt it firsthand. It felt as though lots of tiny hands were sifting and sorting through his mind. She continued to stare at him and the feeling intensified. His jaw clenched. “You already know the answer to that,” he ground out between his teeth; he couldn’t break eye contact with her.

  “Hmmmm you’re right I do,” she answered him smirking. “It’s such a pity though, don’t you think? I mean, can you imagine what we could achieve with your power and my power combined?” She giggled again, the sound grated in Sam’s ears. “But I know you, Samuel, remember who made you; you do seem to have forgotten that. Perhaps it’s high time the council taught you a lesson in creation?”

  She leaned in close beside his ear and whispered, “You should have chosen our side, Sam; you should have taken the offer when it was given to you. Now you’ve spoiled it for yourself. But,” With this change in topic, her face brightened once more and the glow left her eyes. Sam no longer felt as though she was sifting through his brain. “You can redeem yourself, you know. The council want to meet; they have a proposition for you.”

  “You can tell the council I’m not interested in their proposition. I walked away from that life over a hundred years ago I’m not going back now.”

  Sam stared hard at her; he could feel her beginning to sway under the weight of his gaze.

  “Am um, yes, Sam.”

  She began to fail and stutter over the sentence. He knew that in just one more second he would have her completely under his control again. He’d done it once before many years previously and he was sure he could still achieve it.

  Suddenly, a fist slammed into his face sending him spinning across the tarmac. He tried to get up only to feel himself being kicked into the ribs. Raphael drew back to kick him again only to have Marianne call him off.

  Raphael sprinted back towards where she lay and crouched down beside her; she must have fallen when Sam had lost his hold on her after Raphael had landed his giant fist into his face. Sam could taste blood in his mouth. It didn’t concern him, he healed quickly; he was more concerned by what Raphael and Marianne planned to do.

  Pulling himself to his feet, he watched Raphael lift Marianne up; she looked like a small doll in his arms, her long fiery red hair fell in waves to her waist and all five foot of her small petite frame was in perfect proportions to her. She was mean and cruel and heaven help anyone who ended up on the wrong side of her.

  “I knew you might try something like this, Sam; it’s why I came prepared. You know, you really should listen to the council; what they want is for the good of us all.” And with that, she nodded to the other vampires that had stood by silently watching the events unfold.

  Sam readied himself as the four vampires launched themselves at him. He didn’t stand a chance; he knew this but he wouldn’t go down without a fight and as they piled in on top of him, he was determined to injure them as much as possible.

  He was eventually subdued and a bag was thrown over his head. His hands and feet were bound and the last thing he heard was Marianne’s high pitched laugh before Raphael kicked him full force in the face and knocked him out. His last thought was of Jade’s worried and tear-stained face; it swam before his eyes as he slipped under an enveloping blackness.

  Chapter Four

  I skidded to a halt in front of my wardrobe. There were clothes scattered everywhere on the bed and on the floor. Twice now I had tripped on some discarded item that lay forlorn and forgotten but I didn’t care. I had to get ready. I had no idea how I was going to find Sam, but I knew I had to do something; if I had to sit around here and wait, I’d go out of my mind. Picking the phone off the bed and pressing redial, I waited anxiously for him to answer but was met for the hundredth time with the same old droning voice telling me that this ‘user could not be reached’. Throwing the phone away, I let out an impatient moan; why couldn’t I contact him? Sitting on the edge of my bed with my head cradled in my hands, I tried to think of sensible reasons for why Sam hadn’t come home or called me or answered his phone. Every time I tried this, however, my imagination would kick in and I would begin thinking of even more terrible things that might have happened to him. It just didn’t make any sense.

  Suddenly my phone began to vibrate and ring where I had flung it in my frustration. I scrambled around looking for it, trying to follow the buzzing. Grabbing it I slid it open and answered it.

  “Hello!?” My voice sounded breathless and strained. I hadn’t checked the caller ID to see if it was Sam. The voice on the other end of the line was hushed and frightened but it was female. My heart sank; it wasn’t Sam,

  “Jade, is that you? Please, you have to help me; its Aidan, he’s…” she trailed off.

  “Annie, what’s wrong; what’s happened?” My voice sounded stronger than I felt.

  “It’s a… he’s a… vampire.”

  “Oh Annie, I’m sorry,” I began, but her panicked voice cut me off mid sentence.

  “And well, he’s so new at it and I think he’s gone a little mad and Jade, I don’t know if I can stop him. He’s out in the hall trying to get in! I think he’s going to kill me!” Her voice was a tangled frightened mess and I felt afraid for her. I knew what the new ones were like; they tended to go after their loved ones simply because they were attracted to them, but there were so many stories on the news about new vampires draining their families or girlfriends. They didn’t have the control that an older vampire had and they certainly shouldn’t be around humans for at least a year or two after they were turned; it was too high a risk.

  “Annie, open your curtains and make sure you stay standing in the light from the window. Whatever you do, don’t step out of it even if he begs you or seems hurt; it’s just a ploy. I’ll be right over, o.k.?”

  “O.K.” she replied before the phone went dead.

  “Damn,” I muttered, grabbing my jumper.

  I dragged on my jeans and hopped around the apartment trying to find my trainers. Grabbing my car keys, I sprinted for the door. As I raced down the stairs, I slid my phone open again and tried to call Sam just to tell him what was going on. He’d be furious if I didn’t tell him because he’d want to help, even though it was daylight. Sam wouldn’t let me face a vampire without his presence and he knew how much Annie meant to me. After the first three rings, it hit me like a physical blow to the stomach that Sam was missing and wouldn’t be answering his phone any time soon. Shoving my phone back into my pocket, I raced full tilt for my parked car and prayed I wouldn’t be too late; I couldn’t face losing somebody else I cared about today.

  Driving across town I tried my best to dodge as much of the traffic as possible; it was a difficult task because the shoppers were out in force. Pedestrians crowded footpaths and dodged and weaved in and around the traffic. I narrowly avoided hitting a crazy cyclist with my little Corsa but I arrived outside the apartment block without the loss of any human life. Stepping out of the car, I glanced around cautiously. I didn’t want to be caught out with this; newborns were unpredictable and I had to be ok so I could find Sam. Hurrying towards the front door of the apartments, I swung it open. The inside was gloomy and no proper light filtered into the foyer; I could see plenty of shadows that a vampire could hide in. What I didn’t understand about all of this was why did the vampire who created Aidan let him go? They were supposed to take them under their protection for usually up to a year; they never let them rampage out on their own, not like this. It only ever happened if
something happened to the master vampire that created them or if a master had gone rogue and was just randomly creating newborns. If that was the case, it was a far more dangerous scenario than I had originally anticipated. Perhaps the vampire that created Aidan knew something about what happened to Sam.

  When one vampire sires another, the exchange of blood allows them to share some of their memories; it was a long shot but it was still a possibility. I crept towards the stairs, picking my way gingerly through the gloom. I tried not to make a sound, but with each step my shoes were squeaked on the shiny floor. I hoped against hope that Aidan was too busy trying to get into the apartment to notice my squeaky movements. Climbing the wooden stairs I tried to keep my eyes and ears alert for any movement or even the slightest noise that might alert me to his presence. I prayed the other people in the building had the good sense to stay indoors.

  Reaching the second floor I cautiously peered around the banister. I could see Annie’s door at the end of the corridor; it stood wide open spilling light into the hall. I frowned; where was he? I edged along, staying close to the wall. As I crept closer to the door and the square of light, I could hear a faint high pitched keening that became louder the closer I got to it. Bracing myself for whatever lay ahead of, I stepped in the door of her apartment and stood in the warm sunshine.

  The first thing I noticed about the apartment was just how bright the place was. Annie had taken me at my word when I’d told her to open all the curtains. Not only had she opened them but she’d also partially taken them off their railing hooks so there was now no chance of them being closed again. Walking further into the room I glanced at the front door. The lock hung at an odd angle from where Aidan had forced his way in. I saw her then. She was sitting in the window alcove, her legs tucked up under her body; she watched me anxiously and as I signalled to her to indicate where he was. She shrugged in the direction of the kitchen.