To Cure A Vampire (To Cure Series Book 1)

by Jade Farhill

  And how the hell did he know what she was thinking? “No, Little Hunter. I won’t abandon you. I didn’t abandon you in the den, and I won’t abandon you and those hundred other humans to face the queen.”

  “Then we’ll have to plan.”

  Abby thought for a moment. “Okay. You need more of my blood, Little Hunter. You all do. I’m not going to face a horde of angry vampires with half-dead hunters.”

  He went to discuss this with Paddy and Scotty. After a heated argument, they all agreed that it was for the best.

  One by one, she offered them her arm. They drank deeply.

  “Give us any more blood than that, Vampire, and you’re likely to Turn us,” said the little hunter, a hint of smile a on his face. He was clearly feeling better if he was joking.

  But not that much better if he was joking with her. “Don’t worry, I would never condemn myself to an eternity with any hunter, especially you,” she said.

  He widened his eyes.

  With that, Abby left the cave to hunt. She returned with four giant deer, some leafy greens and an armful of root vegetables. She had killed and drained a deer by herself.

  The humans made soup out of the food.

  After they’d eaten, they strategised. Given how there was only one entrance to the cave, the hunters suggested laying cure dispersal units along its length, just in case vampires got through Abby’s defences. But they wanted more than Abby was willing to give them. She pointed out that the vampires might try to make another entrance by tunnelling by themselves, and the hunters allowed Abby to distribute the units as she saw fit. Together, they booby-trapped the end of the tunnel, just before it opened up into the main cave. The humans would hide in the main cave tonight, along with most of Abby’s arsenal of cures.

  Abby tested how far she could jump in a blood rage. She planted units strategically wherever she landed.

  As the sun set, Abby put her gas mask on and stood in front of the cave, waiting for the night of horrors to start.

  CHAPTER 27

  Abby stood guard with the hunters at her back. Even when she was defending them, they still put themselves between her and humans.

  She had oral spray canisters at the ready; the hunters had their blades and dispersal units.

  At the edges of the defended perimeter, a puff of green smoke exploded from a unit. Vampires further back hissed and leapt at a newly created human, who screamed and ran towards Abby.

  Other units exploded, turning more salivating vampires into more terrified humans. Before long, another hundred vampires had been cured.

  “Humans are on their way,” Abby said to the hunters at her back.

  “It’s just the vampires we’re interested in,” Paddy replied.

  Of course it was. Abby reminded herself that she needed to work with the hunters, which meant she shouldn’t let bitterness cloud her judgement.

  Humans ran up the path leading to the cave; Abby stepped aside to let them pass. She didn’t even look at them—her eyes were only focused on what was happening to her ever-shrinking defensive perimeter.

  But she didn’t need to worry. The decrease in the vampiric forces made the hungry undead stand back, probably to re-evaluate their approach.

  As dawn approached, more vampires tried their luck. They jumped in, turned into humans and ran towards Abby.

  By the time sun rose, another two hundred and thirty humans needed refuge. Abby breathed a sigh of relief—they had made it through the first night. She gave the hunters more blood, then left to hunt for food.

  Abby stood guard at the cave entrance, not able to go further inside without activating the units. The hunters called out that they’d sleep in there with the humans. Abby agreed, and sat down to take inventory of their remaining resources and figure out how to survive the second night.

  Later that day, the hunters emerged from the cave with a former vampire. Abby raised her eyebrows—most of the humans were shy of her, knowing the urges that she would feel around them.

  But this human took one look at her and gasped. Then he walked up to her and wrapped her up in a hug. Abby couldn’t believe what was happening.

  “You’re alive!” said the man. “I thought you looked like her but it was so dim last night I could barely tell. But now I see you, the resemblance is so clear that only a blind person would miss it.”

  Was this man talking about her sister? She grabbed hold of his arms and gently pulled him away from her. He had forest-green eyes, hair that was golden in the sun and whiskers sprouting on his face. And he was tall—almost as tall as the little hunter.

  He put his hand on her cheek and said, “You look so much like her.”

  Abby dropped her jaw and asked, “My sister? You know my sister?”

  “She’s my wife,” he said, laughing. “I’m Arthur Pendley, by the way. A four-hundred-and-twenty-three-year-old vamp—er … former vampire.”

  “Abby—I mean, Abigail Rormton. But call me Abby. And I’m a five-year-old partial vampire,” she replied, feeling tears come into her eyes. She blinked them away, not wanting to cry blood all over her brother in-law. “I knew I was close to finding her!”

  He shook his head in disbelief. “For years she tortured herself for killing you. When we heard about the cure, we began to wonder if you’d somehow survived. Then she started feeling guilty for leaving a freshly Turned vampire to fend for herself.”

  Abby shook her head. “No, no! It’s not her fault! Things went wrong with the hunters and I set her free, but by that time, she was already in a blood rage. She attacked me, but then broke out of her blood rage and Turned me. She taught me what was possible as a vampire. She had to leave to protect me.”

  Arthur stared at her sadly. “She thought she’d killed you.”

  “I’m alive! Well, undead, but alive!”

  “It’s incredible! You were the only stable thing in her early life.”

  Arthur hugged her again, and she cried harder than she had in a long time. She held onto the back of his shirt like it was proof that Sharon was alive and well and close.

  When she was calm, Arthur told her how he’d met the vampire who was more disciplined than any other. Sharon had apparently adopted a strict diet, only eating what was necessary to keep herself alive. She didn’t need to drain humans, and didn’t Turn them for her own amusement.

  “I was fascinated by such self-discipline. When I asked her about it, she’d say, ‘My sister taught me how to survive’. When I asked further questions, she closed up. Soon I was hunting with her every three days and she’d stop me when I was about to take too much.” His eyes became distant as he looked out over the countryside. “When I finally asked her why she referred to herself as ‘Sister’, she said, “That’s what I am. A sister’.”

  The hunters were listening intently to this story. They’d known Abby had a sister, but they had no idea what Sharon was like. It seemed to Abby that the little hunter was paying more attention than the others. Perhaps because he had wished her luck finding Sharon.

  Arthur touched Abby’s arm. “It really warms my heart that my wife will be reunited with you after all this time.”

  “Don’t worry. I won’t stop until she’s a human again.”

  “I know.”

  “So, tell me,” the little hunter interjected. “How is it that you knew your wife’s sister wouldn’t kill you when you hugged her?”

  Arthur’s face hardened. “You’re keeping dangerous company,” he said to Abby.

  Abby was glad he understood.

  “We did wonder how the hunters managed to get their hands on a cure,” he said. “Did they abduct you?”

  “They tried. But eventually, we struck a deal.”

  “And did they treat you well?”

  Perhaps silence was best here. She didn’t want to tell her new brother in-law about the harassment she’d suffered. And she certainly didn’t want to tell him that in front of the very instigator of the harassment campaign.

  “W
e didn’t treat her well,” the little hunter said.

  Abby snapped her gaze to him, amazed that he would admit to such a thing. He wouldn’t look at her.

  Arthur pursed his lips. “We worried as much. Hunters don’t have the best reputation when it comes to compassion towards vampires. I hear that even your captive vampires are treated badly.”

  “Not anymore. Not since Don Cooper stood down—we have a new president now.”

  “I take it that all it required was the loss of one of the most revolutionary scientists before the hunters changed their ways?” asked Arthur, his voice tight.

  “We knew we needed a change when our kitchen staff were murdered in a sneak infiltration. The hunters blamed the vampire scientist until they realised that she’d disappeared without a trace. Then they started questioning why she’d disappeared without warning—some were suspicious, and others said it was because of how we’d treated her. It was such a shock to the community that an enquiry began. That’s when it was discovered that Don Cooper had organised to traffic the vampire scientist to another country without her permission.”

  Abby had been right to believe that her position there had been unsafe. That the full might of the law wouldn’t have stopped the hunters from moving her so she could remain a slave to them.

  She turned her back to the hunters, breathing hard. This betrayal didn’t come as a surprise, but that didn’t make it any less painful to hear about.

  “Abby?” asked Arthur, concern threading his voice.

  “I never felt safe in that place. I felt even less safe when the British and American hunter representatives tried to recruit me and told me that I could do amazing things as a human. When I refused, they didn’t seem to accept it. I felt so vulnerable, like I could be attacked at any time.” Abby rubbed her forehead. “Now those very people are on their way. They’re coming for me.”

  But she couldn’t run away. The sun was setting. She was needed here. Sharon’s husband needed her. The humans needed her.

  And so did the hunters.

  In different circumstances, this might have made her laugh. Hunters needing a vampire—what a ridiculous thought! The hunters had never cared about her—only about what she could give them.

  The faces of Harriet, Kenny, Louise and Annette flashed through her mind. But they were the exception, not the rule.

  Abby swallowed her tears. Right now, she had to stay focused on keeping these humans alive. And getting Sharon back.

  CHAPTER 28

  The second night was different. The vampires prowled along the edges of Abby’s barrier for a long time, but then carved a path straight through the centre, taking the shortest route to the cave and sacrificing one of their own every ten metres, so those behind could advance further.

  And this tactic would work if Abby didn’t do something soon. But what? She couldn’t go out and throw units at them—the moment she got near, the bombs would go off.

  The only ones who could do something without harming their defences were the hunters—and they barely looked like they could stand.

  “They’re getting closer,” muttered Paddy.

  Abby sighed. “You might need to go out there and disperse them. If they get any closer, they’ll jump to us and overrun the cave in minutes.”

  “All right,” the little hunter said calmly, as if he weren’t about to go out into the night, with only two other hunters, to face a highly motivated horde of vampires. “Let’s get going,” he said to Paddy and Scotty.

  The other two hunters accepted this grimly, as if not caring that they may be going out to certain death.

  How the hell were they so calm about this? “I’ll keep an eye out for you,” Abby said. “If you get into trouble, I’ll help.”

  The little hunter nodded, but the others didn’t look like they believed a word.

  “Wait,” she said, and bit into her arm. “This should keep you going.”

  They each drank without meeting her eye.

  Arthur joined her a minute later. “I hate to admit it, but my respect for them just increased.”

  Abby nodded. “They didn’t even complain.”

  “Brave, smug gits,” Arthur muttered.

  “I’m not sure they were smug.”

  “But they were gits.”

  Abby smothered a smile. Then an explosion of aerial cure scattered the single line of vampires. Most of them turned into humans and ran for the cave. “At least they aren’t trying to kill us.”

  “That’s a very low bar, Abby. And how long do you think this truce will last? Until their deaths? Until the other hunters arrive?”

  These were questions she’d been avoiding asking herself. The other questions she was avoiding were: What would happen if the hunters tried to catch her again? Would she grab Arthur and run? Could she abandon Sharon a second time?

  No. She wouldn’t run. Not when she was so close. She would cure Sharon and go off grid with her and Arthur, getting the hell out of there as fast as she could.

  Humans ran up the path towards the cave. One stopped when she saw Arthur.

  “The queen’s still irate,” she warned him.

  “Abby,” Arthur said, “this is Janine—she and I were friends in the den.”

  Janine gaped at Abby. “You look so much like Sister, it’s uncanny!”

  “Never mind that,” Arthur replied. “What else can you tell me about the queen’s plan?”

  “The usual. She’s trying to figure out who stole her hunters. Her first thought was that it might have been Irena, but when she discovered that most of the top level was cured, she discarded that theory. She’s so desperate to know who did it that she swore we’d be safe if we returned with any useful information.”

  Arthur snorted. “She always keeps her promises—but who in their right mind would go back there, knowing what we all know about the vampiric appetite.”

  Janine’s wide-eyed gaze landed on Abby.

  “I’m not interested in your blood,” Abby told her quickly.

  Arthur gave Abby a one-armed hug, bringing her close to his exposed throat. “Nothing to worry about with this one. She’s as disciplined as my wife.”

  “Anyway,” Abby continued, keen to change the subject, “what else is the queen doing?”

  “She’s sending in her most loyal subjects,” Janine replied, looking pointedly at Arthur.

  At Abby’s shocked gaze, he smirked. “Don’t worry—I’m not as loyal as she seems to think. Besides, no one else is rushing back out of your protection to tell them who you are.”

  “No one’s that insane—or loyal.”

  The hunters returned at that moment, looking like ghosts. Their heroics had taken its toll. Abby gave them more blood to restore some of their strength. But her sacrifice made her hungry—and she was surrounded by humans.

  “It might be best if you two go back inside,” Abby told the former vampires.

  Janine didn’t even hesitate; Arthur eyed her with worry.

  “Are you okay?” asked the little hunter.

  Abby hesitated for a moment. “I … I need blood.”

  He offered his arm. Her mouth watered, but she turned her head away.

  “It’s better this than you going into a blood rage, Vampire,” he said.

  Abby shook her head. What was with him being so willing to give her his blood?

  “No, Abby,” Arthur said, glaring at the hunters, “have mine.” Now he offered his arm.

  “This isn’t a contest,” the little hunter replied. “You don’t even know if she’ll drain you—”

  “I know enough about hunters to know that you’re trying to manipulate her into being cooperative,” Arthur snapped.

  Paddy and Scotty appeared at the little hunter’s side, standing in solidarity with him.

  “We do what we need to do to survive,” stated Scotty.

  “That doesn’t justif—”

  “Enough!” said Abby sharply. “I’m not drinking anyone’s blood, okay? Yes, I need b
lood, but no I don’t need any of yours!” She turned her back on them all. “Especially you hunters!”

  “Told you so,” Arthur said smugly.

  Meanwhile, the hunters’ attack seemed to have kept the vampires at bay. They stayed on the outskirts of the perimeter for the rest of the night.

  As the sun was rising, Abby prepared to leave. “I’ll go get some animals—there are about four hundred and fifty of us to feed now. Good thing this cave is deep.”

  “If this keeps up, they won’t have many vampires left when the hunters arrive. It’ll be easy to cure the whole den—even the queen,” said the little hunter.

  Would Abby be working with the hunters to cure the queen if they all survived this? Did she want to owe them that? Arthur looked as conflicted as she felt.

  “When I spoke to my squadron captain, she told me that they’ll have aerial dispersal units with them. Enough to cure two thousand vampires,” the little hunter explained. “They’re not as sophisticated as your units, but they get the job done. I wonder if the organisation will offer to pay you for providing them with blueprints for your aerial dispersal units and the oral sprays. I imagine they’ll be very interested in them.”

  “They’ll probably just try to catch and enslave me, forcing me to work for them until I give them what they want. Then when they’re done with me, used me up so I have nothing left to give, they’ll turn me human and say, ‘We’re hunters. We’re not in the business of releasing vampires into the world’,” Abby said bitterly. “I wonder if I really want to survive this.”

  Arthur ruffled Abby’s hair. “Don’t worry, Abs. I won’t let them touch you.”

  She sent him a smile. “Thanks, but don’t call me ‘Abs’ again.”

  “What about ‘Abster’?”

  “Abby!”

  “The organisation has changed since you were there, Vampire,” the little hunter said. “I promise. And what about your sister? If you don’t survive this, you’ll never see her again.”

  Abby hated that he knew precisely what to say to motivate her. He was a natural leader, and leaders knew how to motivate others. But coming from someone who’d made her life a living hell, his words were almost too much for her to handle.