“Glad you could join me, sleeping beauty”
Gabriel’s cold voice pierced through the fog around me. He was sitting on the sofa, his back to me..
I was ready to face him, once and for all. I hadn’t had a long life, human or vampire, but I had found Robert during my months as a vampire and I knew that made me luckier than most.
“Are you going to kill me?” I asked. I thought it was best to be forward.
Gabriel finally came towards me. The look on his face gave me chills. There was such determination in him, no regret or sadness. Clearly the thought of killing me didn’t even worry him.
Something in his hand caught the light shining from the fixtures in the ceiling and caught my eye. Any confidence I had held disappeared from my mind when I worked out what the object was. The glinting prize he was holding was a dagger.
He crouched down to my level and lifted the knife up, staring at it like a magpie enthralled by a shiny object.
“All in good time. I think we have some issues to discuss before we get to that.” He pressed the tip of the dagger with his finger and a tiny drop of blood fell on to the tile floor. “You know if I stabbed you right in the heart this wouldn’t kill you. It’s extraordinary how hard it is to kill a vampire. It would hurt like hell, but it wont kill you.”
He flipped the dagger over, now staring intently at the odd, pointed hilt. I tried to pull at the ropes to see if there was any room for maneouvering but they were tied too tight. I was trapped, waiting to die at my lover’s hands.
“However this end is made of wood. If I stab you in the leg for example, you wont die, but if I stab you in the heart with this wooden end...”
He raised his arm slowly and then, with an almost impossible speed, brought the dagger crashing down towards me. I closed my eyes, expecting to feel the wooden stake plunging through my chest, but all I heard was Gabriel’s taunting cackle.
I opened my eyes and looked down. Gabriel had stopped the dagger barely an inch above my chest. He was teasing me with my impending death, just like he had teased so many of our victims in the past.
“You know I lied about the vampire I was with. I love him and he loves me. We’re going to be together and there’s nothing you can do about it.” I said to him, spitting venom with every word.
Gabriel just chuckled away to himself, ignoring my empty threats. “Next you’ll be saying ‘my boyfriend’s bigger than you. He’s going to get you.’ I expected you to try and talk me out of it but really, this is just pathetic.”
He leaned forward, his face lingering just above mine. He kissed me on the lips, just as he had during our years together. There was no love there but his touch still brought back memories of better times. I remembered everything we had been through, good and bad. I knew now that it was all a lie, but I had spent 8 years believing it. I felt ashamed that I could be so easily taken in by the first creature who looked my way.
He pulled away and touched the blade of the dagger to my breastbone. Slowly and carefully he dragged the blade down my skin, with just enough force to pierce through but not enough to create a deep wound.
I felt searing waves of pain ripple through me as he dragged the blade down my chest. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the wound as the dark blood bubbled to the surface and trickled down my skin.
“We have so many fun things to do before I kill you.” He said, looking intently at the wound with menace in his eyes.
He was going to kill me, so I had no reason to restrain myself. I glared at him and spat in his face. I had never done anything like it before, but it was a perfect expression of how I felt. He was nothing more than dirt to me now.
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed to slits and he wiped the spittle away with the back of his hand. He hadn’t expected it, and I knew he hated surprises, especially if they made him look weak.
“That was a mistake” He was seething with rage, but he had become an expert at keeping his true feelings in check.
Before I could even respond he drove the hilt of the dagger in to the flesh on my calf. The pain was unbearable, more agonising than even the strongest hunger I had felt. I knew what Gabriel meant when he had mentioned the wood’s power over the metal. Although both caused physical pain, the torture inflicted by the stake almost made me feel like I had lost a part of myself. A tiny part of my vampiric nature had been ripped out of me by the roots.
“You know, I’m not really doing anything that isn’t expected of me. Vampires are demons who are created to kill, humans or otherwise. We’re solitary predators, that’s it.” I could tell by Gabriel’s tone of voice that he was gearing up for a lecture.
I had been given lectures by him dozens of times while I was his mate, and I liked them even less now. I almost rolled my eyes, but I had to stop myself. I didn’t want to provoke another outburst while Gabriel still held the stake in his hand.
“You know what actually happens when vampires are created?” I didn’t care, but I had a feeling Gabriel was preparing himself for a lecture. “Our blood is like poison for humans. It flows through the body and destroys the victim from the inside out. Blood is what makes a vampire what they are, so when it mixes with human blood it’s like a battle. Every human element is wiped out and the vampire blood seeps in to your cells. It changes your DNA, makes you something completely different. All of this nonsense about mates and sires, it’s too human. Vampires are meant to live alone. Humans are just there for a meal. Other vampires? They’re just there to make life easier. We use each other and we move on, that’s the way it’s supposed to be.”
Gabriel wasn’t even looking at me anymore. He was on a tangent. Obviously he had been waiting for the chance to tell someone all of his twisted principles. I could imagine him preaching these beliefs to the other vampires in the Order. Now that everything was out in the open, he was rapidly losing his grip on his sanity.
“We’re too sentimental these days. We have attachments that we spend far too long dwelling on. Our sires and our mates just makes us weaker.”
“Then why can’t we leave our sire? If it’s so meaningless then why can’t I just leave you for good.” I asked, no longer caring if I enraged him. I half expected him to plunge the dagger in to my skin again but he didn’t. He had the calm exterior that is often more terrifying than the rage itself.
“Don’t get me started on that. We should be looking to the animal kingdom. These creatures are born, spend a little bit of time with their parents for some guidance, and then they are free to make their own lives. Every creature they encounter brings them closer to the next stage of life. The only reason we have these ridiculous attachments is because of habit. I told you once about my theory on invitations, didn’t I?”
I nodded and the memory flashed before me. Gabriel had been sure that invitations were a product of years of superstition. When vampires started to believe the superstitions created by humans, then eventually they came to pass. If you believe something enough you can make it happen, or so Gabriel believed.
“I think the original vampires, millions of years ago, had only a few flaws. Sunlight, fire, beheading, and of course the old stake to the heart.” Gabriel picked the dagger up and eyed it lustfully. “Eventually they started to believe the nonsense about invitations and the sire, the things humans made up, and soon they couldn’t escape it. That’s the truth. You don’t actually need to be with me at all, it’s just the product of centuries of false belief.”
He started to pace backwards and forwards and I could see sweat forming on his brow. The more he talked, the more he seemed to fall apart right in front of me.
“I was an orphan. I was created in 1647 in Belgium. My sire was about 300 years older than me, a female. She looked a bit like you, blonde and sort of angelic despite her demonic nature. I met her in a brothel, of all places. I was about 26, and a drunkard. I visited the brothel regularly but when I got there one night there was a new girl. She was exquisitely beautiful but far too innocent to be a whore; she was j
ust like a little doll. Everyone wanted to be with her but she chose me. She took me to the bedroom and then she killed me.
When I woke up she told me her name was Eleanor and that she was a vampire. We stayed together for about 6 months or so. I was like a little puppy dog, following her around and begging her for attention. I was just like so many other weak vampires who rely on their sire for everything. She had such control over me it makes me sick to think about it now. She was more powerful and manipulative than I am, even today. She was a true master of her craft. After those 6 months, she forced me to kill her. I didn’t want to but she convinced me.
It’s funny how things like that work out, don’t you think? She chose to torment me by forcing me to kill her but I choose a different approach to torture my victims. I like to make someone destroy themselves. I use love, the most destructive emotion of all. You were a bit of an experiment for me, I guess. It worked out well, didn’t it?”
He started to laugh. I was growing tired of all of Gabriel’s nonsensical, egotistical ramblings. He had never been particularly trustworthy or reliable, but I was worried that his crumbling sanity would make him more likely to snap at a moments notice.
“Why did you pick me? Why not any of the other girls?” I asked.
“You look just like Eleanor. You were practically her reincarnation. I watched you for a long time before the night of the murders. I saw you when you were walking home with your parents from the cinema one night. Your hair caught the light and it was like meeting Eleanor all over again. It was one of those moments when everything falls in to place, and I knew I had to have you.
I watched you for a long time, working out your routine and the personality of your family. Your sister was pretty but vacuous, your brother was rebellious and in love with a girl who was only interested in the fairytale notion of a romance with a soldier. Your father had no back bone, and your mother was a social climber. She barely showed you any affection compared to your dad. I knew keeping your mother alive would torment you the most. You had the most difficult relationship with her so I kept her alive to make sure you would be unhappy with your life after the murders. I wanted you to be as weak as you could during your human life, to make sure that you would be eager to be turned by me one day.”
It felt strange to hear the truth behind those eight important years. I had already been told that they were a lie, but hearing the details hammered it home. I knew that being a vampire was my calling but I still felt a pang for the experiences I had lost.
I felt like such a fool. Robert and Aiden both knew the truth about my former mate, but I had been so gullible. Despite being closer to him than either of his foes, I had been fooled every time. Like an idiot, I was taken in by his charm and good looks.
“So who is this other vampire who has stolen your heart? I have to say, I didn’t factor that in to the plan. I was doing so well, you were falling apart in front of me, and then this other vampire appeared. It did derail the plan a little, I have to admit.” He sighed and I saw some loss in his eyes.
For a second I thought that maybe he wasn’t that cold, but then I realised the sadness came from the thought of damage to his meticulously thought out plan.
I didn’t want to tell him. If I was going to die the I had to be certain that Robert was safe. I couldn’t mention him, or Aiden. I had to be strong for the sake of those I would leave behind. I could tell that Gabriel was mentally deranged and someone like that can never be trusted.
“He’s ancient and far more powerful than you. He’s been following me for a while and when I met him, I fell in love. It was so simple with him. He is the complete opposite of you, but he is exactly what a vampire should be.”
Every word I said was the truth. Gabriel listened but as I finished I saw rage flashing through him. He clearly didn’t want to be compared to the lover who had ruined his plans so close to their completion. He grabbed me by the throat, hard enough to leave bruises on my skin.
“Let’s just get one thing straight, Louisa.” He whispered threateningly. “I am what a vampire should be. I am a predator and I am designed to kill. That’s what a vampire should be. Your little fling is nothing compared to me, and he never will be.”
I could see Gabriel shake as his fury gripped hold of him. My time had run out, but I was proud that I hadn’t revealed Robert’s true identity. That was more important than any futile attempts to save my own life.
With rage clouding his judgement, he lifted the dagger up in a slow arch, the dagger end pointed towards my heart. I knew that if Gabriel stabbed me it wouldn’t kill me, but each wound he had inflicted had been more painful than the last. A dagger to the heart would hurt just as much as a stake, but without the release of death at the end.
I didn’t want to die, but I had accepted that it was going to happen. Gabriel was older and stronger than me, and there was no way out. If he wanted me to die, then I was going to die.
I closed my eyes and prepared myself for the waves of pain that were about to shoot through every inch of my body.
Chapter 34The pain didn’t come. I waited a few seconds before opening my eyes. Gabriel was still crouched in front of me but he was looking around wildly, as if trying to find something which had been carefully hidden.
I stopped for a moment and tried to pinpoint what had distracted him. There was a tiny movement in the back of my mind, as if something was running rapidly around the nest too quickly for me to pick up any clear information.
A strange feeling of peace fell over me, and I realised that there was another vampire in the building. There had to be, if they had the power to alter my emotions and calm me down. Gabriel had obviously sensed a supernatural presence in the building too, hence his sudden change of heart about plunging the dagger in to my heart.
He stood up in a slow, careful movement and pressed a finger to his lips to urge me to be silent. I felt like screaming out but I knew that it wouldn’t do any good. Whoever was in the building would be able to find us whether I screamed or not.
The stirring in my head grew stronger and then the door to the apartment was thrown open with a loud boom. There was a streak of black, blurred by the speed and skill of the creature. I could tell that someone had entered the room but they moved too quickly for any details to be visible.
The creature stopped beside us and the owner was unmistakeable. Standing next to us with an intimidating, chilling look on his face, was Robert. Somehow he had managed to follow my trail, just in time, and his presence filled me with hope. He was older and stronger than Gabriel, and fuelled by his love for me, so surely he could kill his rival without any exertion.
“Nice to finally meet you Gabriel.” Robert said with surprising calm.
He grabbed Gabriel by the throat and threw him across the room as if he was nothing more than a scrap of paper. I wanted to laugh. It finally felt as if I had caught a break after all these months of bad luck.
Robert leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. “Sorry I didn’t get here earlier.”
I wanted to ask how he had managed to get to the flat in the first place but Gabriel was slowly standing up at the other side of the room, and I knew Robert would have to fight him. All my questions, all the things I had to say, could wait until after this was done.
I twisted my hands in every direction, desperately trying to free myself. My feet were tied together too but I thought freeing my hands first would be the best plan. I tried every way I could think of but the restrictions still didn’t loosen. I could squirm all I wanted but I wouldn’t get anywhere.
I wanted to stand up and fight alongside Robert to give him every advantage, but I would have to sit and watch as these men struggled over me. If Robert won then he would become my new sire, and we would be together for the rest of time. I would finally have a chance to be happy, with someone I knew I could trust. But if Gabriel won then both Robert and I would potentially lose our lives. Even if he let me survive, I knew I would live a life worse than death. Gabrie
l would never let me forget my attempts to derail his plans. There was so much riding on Robert’s victory, but all I could do was sit and watch.
Robert had reached Gabriel now and he threw a punch at him. Gabriel, driven by pure madness, launched himself at his opponent, pushing him backwards on to the sofa. I hadn’t expected Gabriel to have this much power when fighting against such an ancient foe. I suppose he had no attachments and nothing to lose. He was willing to fight to the death just to prove his point.
Robert got up quickly and ducked out of the way as Gabriel threw himself forward. He moved with lightning speed until he was by my side again. He reached down and pulled apart the restraints on my feet as easily as if there was nothing there. He moved to undo the ropes tying my hands but Gabriel had recovered quicker than expected and so my new love had to return to the fight.
Gabriel brandished the dagger, waving it around and stabbing the air like a mad man. Robert needed a weapon if he was going to fight his way out of this. I looked around the room to find something. I couldn’t move my arms but I could still be of some use.
I looked around frantically and my eyes landed on the fireplace. Sitting just beside it was a small container, holding all of the tools humans use to build a fire. There was a poker in amongst the objects which immediately grabbed my attention. It didn’t have a wooden part to it but it was enough to fight Gabriel off for a moment, and hopefully give Robert a precious few moments to regain the upper hand.
I wanted to yell out but Gabriel’s position meant that he could block off the fireplace in a second. Robert had communicated with me, during his period as my stalker, by placing visions and thoughts in my head. I had taken his blood so I knew we had a connection, and I would still have some of his strength left in me. Hopefully I could plant the thought of the poker in Robert’s head using our connection, and my gift. At this point anything was worth a shot.
The Embrace Page 31