Dead and Everything (Eve Benson: Vampire Book 2)

by P. S. Power

  Morten, if Eric had described the right one to her.

  In all the noise, except for some pitiful moaning. It was kind of clear that these a-holes were a bit on the wimpy side, since they should have been quiet. Either pretending to be dead, trying to bargain for their lives, or attempting to sneak away, into the night. For all she knew a few of them managed it.

  Not Morten though, who was sitting there, his right arm gone at the elbow. It was a clean wound, and would heal. If she’d heard correctly, it would even grow back, eventually. That might take a while though, a year or two. If they pressed the arm back to the stump for a while, a day or so, it would probably set back together, she thought. To that end, she went and got the bit of bone and flesh, and handed it to the angry looking Vampire.

  “Hold it in place and answer our questions, and you can keep it.” She sounded dead, and like her energy was low. Really, she just didn’t want to tease the man. After all, they might well kill him, even given what she’d just said. She was playing it like a Greater Demon might.

  Lenore gave her a questioning look, but she didn’t explain her reasoning. He could be headless, and still have his arm back, for all Eve cared. Morten the bald Vampire seemed to think it was a decent start to negotiations at any rate. To her amazement, Bey smiled and stood back, watching the other moaning forms in the room, closely.

  “Perhaps, as you did earlier?”

  He meant trying to compel the truth from the guy holding his arm. She nodded at the idea, knowing it might not happen. Morten here wasn’t some fresh from the grave newb after all, with dirt still behind his ears. If he wasn’t ancient, he was still old. It showed in everything about him. It was hard to pin down, but it was there in his control, for instance. Even beaten and sitting on the floor, holding his arm, he didn’t whine about it, or beg for mercy. There wasn’t even screaming this time, though he was clearly in pain. He did start cussing at her, but she smiled and nodded along with it, until he glared at her for long enough that she managed to catch his mind.

  Sort of. It was a real fight, not to be taken over herself.

  The buzzing in her head became deafening, as she changed the tone of it, not letting the other guy win. That would be unfortunate, plus make her look bad, if it happened. So she stood there for half an hour, striving to make him heed her will, while he tried to do the same. Honestly she half expected the others to laugh at her, after she had him, finally. It did happen though, eventually.

  She won, and was in charge. Holding a steady sense of presence inside the other Vampire’s mind.

  She spoke, without inflection.

  “What’s your name?” Everyone turned to look at her, including the younger Vampires. Enough of them had died, sitting there, surging up only to be slapped back down by the others, that no one moved now.

  “Morten, known as The Iron Hand.”

  His accent was slightly British sounding. She couldn’t place it, not having a fine ear for that kind of thing, but it probably didn’t matter all that much in the moment.

  Eve gave him a set of orders, so that she wouldn’t risk losing him as easily as she might. That didn’t mean she could let her guard down however. Even as he sat there, explaining himself to them all, he fought. It was nearly brutal, the way it struck against her, battering the inside of her mind. Bey had to take over asking the questions, after a few moments, so she could focus on holding him.

  “The Iron Hand? I have heard of one by that name. Out of Scotland, if the memory strikes me correctly? Something of a hero. That was several hundred years ago, and attached to a being that was a good and loyal vassal to the Council. Is that you?” There was no doubt to the words, for all that it ended in a question.

  She didn’t feel any shock when the defeated Vampire nodded. Eve didn’t have that kind of range at the moment, needing to do nothing other than concentrate on holding him down. That some old Vampire might be able to respond like that, even while they fought, wasn’t that big of an issue really. Of course some of them would be able to do things she couldn’t.

  “Aye. That was me, back when I was but a pup, seeking the scraps from the high table. Now my master sets my course, and no being will be left free of will or thought, when she is done.” Then, as if they weren’t going to simply ask the obvious questions next anyway, the Vampire went still. Utterly silent, his bald head almost glowing it was so pale.

  Before Bey could get the words out, there was a strange scent in the room. It was like burning meat. Iron Head, or whatever the dork in front of her was called, burst into a brilliant white and blue flame, not even bothering to scream. Even as she held him in place. The only thing she knew for certain was that this wasn’t some kind of super power that he had, and was using against them to escape. Too much of his body started to fall away in burning clumps for that to be the case. It was gory, and set the house on fire. The cheap orange and brown carpet smoldered instantly, filling the place with smoke. Eve stopped breathing, but didn’t move.

  There was no letting him go either.

  “Who’s your master?” She spoke the words, using the last of her air. There was a vast struggle, in her head, and in the end, she couldn’t hang on. The buzzing broke, and the freak on fire started to run. Slowly, and staggering, not with the speed she would have if it were her burning like that.

  After a few seconds, the whole place on fire already, the walls glowing a normal orange and yellow color, the black and gray smoke reeking of plastic and wood, the Vampire died, and turned into ash. That left the place filled with trapped babies, but that wasn’t her problem. Moving into her best speed, feeling like agony was an old friend, she moved back to the hole in the wall, which was two rooms away, the flames not touching her. It was kind of interesting, both that she noticed it, and that it happened at all. The flames were nearly thick seeming, and slow, barely moving even as she rushed past.

  They all bent away though, like she had a force field on. It was probably the density of the air that she was moving out of the way, she knew. Or guessed, if she were going to be totally honest about it. What she actually knew was up for debate. That was probably a thing to learn about, if she ever got a chance. Maybe she could go to school and study that kind of thing? She had the time, even if it took fifty years for her to get free for long enough to make that happen.

  Stopping in the overgrown yard, which hadn’t been mowed in so long that she nearly wondered if the place had just been abandoned a long time before, she waited, to see who else came out. It was just her people, in the end.

  Nikki, the Proctor for the area, very carefully killed any of the babies that tried to rush out into the night, as the others stood there, watching it happen. Those that didn’t try to escape burned, and there was screaming after a very short time. It grew louder as multiple voices were added to it. The night began to glow, and even standing back a good long way, the heat and smoke became annoying. The heat was the worst of it, since Eve hadn’t started to breathe again yet.

  They all stood there, waiting and watching for hours, as the Proctor did her job. True, she was supposed to keep the kids alive if she could, but this situation called for death. They had no way to tell the difference between the half wild, but well behaved otherwise, Vampires on fire, and ones driven insane with blood frenzy, who would kill and kill, if they ever met with a Human population. Bey waved for her to help, after a while, his eyes dark pools in the night.

  It was clear he was a lot less than happy with the outcome. She was too, come to that. That didn’t stop her from moving in and ending the lives of the burning and screaming things that got past Nikki though. Near the end four of the Vamplings engaged the red headed and pierced Vampire Proctor at once, using their numbers to hold her, while the others tried to run past.

  Eve found a fairly clear patch of air and took a breath. Then she yelled.

  “Wait! If you have enough of a brain to stop, drop and roll, we might be able to save you. Do it now!” They were burning, after all. Only two of the
m did it however. A woman who was already burned into barely seeming like a person at all, and a small man in a jean jacket.

  She let them live, though she did hear Bey caution them that they needed to sit on the ground and not move, if they wished to continue doing so. The others were busily trying to pull Nikki toward the burning building, with Lenore holding her right hand on Edom’s arm, to get him to not help the other woman. It was ridiculous of course, and Eve stopped and stared at her for a moment. The grin on her face as her own sister, her real life, came from the same mother, sibling, was about to die was nearly joyous.

  Eve moved in and punched the young, but apparently clever, Vampires. None of them survived, since after the first two went down Nikki pushed them away and started to do some fast moving of her own.

  “Thanks. At least one of you isn’t an asshole.”

  Lenore looked around and instead of denying it, smiled. It was creepy, but she seemed to be enjoying herself.

  “Yes. Eve is delightfully friendly that way. She did just steal away my chance to be free of you though, so she’ll have to be punished. Perhaps locked in a box for a year? Or… Oh, I know! She can guide you through staying up all day. She’s managed this successfully with several others now.” There was a wicked bit of laughter in her words, as if she knew that none of that was going to be happening, but Bey, standing back, folded his hands, his friendly smile giving way to a much calmer expression.

  “I agree. It is past time for you to join the world of the true adult, Nicole. You sleep the days away, like a raw child, untrained and unready for your duty. Not,” his voice actually went sharp, and he turned slightly to glare at Lenore. Actually giving her a look that Eve associated with the one he gave beings that were about to die for the final time. “That this is a punishment for my protégé. The fact is that she’s had more success in this area than any other Vampire in history. I think perhaps it is part of her true talents. Bringing out the strength in others, as she has. Nicole, from this point until you learn to walk the day, unending, you are to report to Eve each day she is available. Is that understood?”

  Then, almost as if he’d forgotten himself, the ancient being turned to Eve, and gave a small bow. “That is if you have time for such a task? I do not wish to presume.”

  She nodded, and tried to smile a bit. Really, what else did she have to do? Work all the time? Nikki could stay with her for that. It would be harder if Lenore was around all the time, she didn’t doubt. The woman really didn’t like her sister. It was, if she’d heard right, mainly over silly bullshit, too, from back when they were both alive.

  “We can do that, if you want, Nikki? It’s a pain, but not that big of a deal after the first few days. We’ll just have to work out… Well, I do have some things to do. Barb can help with that?” She glanced at Edom, who looked at Lenore, who actually snorted. It was less derisive than it probably could have been. Not that it was easy to tell, since she was acting like a bitch at the moment.

  “Agreed. If Nicole is going to actually do something useful and not act like a little bint for once, I suppose that Barbara could be part of this. What do you have in mind for her, Eve? Not that I don’t trust you, but it’s best to make certain, at each step.”

  There was the tone of a lesson in that, but Eve already got that one, didn’t she? Go into that room for a piece of candy… and you were going to end up with a cock inside you. Every single time. After a while it hit home that there was no such thing as a good surprise.

  “Hanging out with Becky… With Krista Hall? I’m supposed to do it, and will, but she might be better for the job.” Eve turned to Nikki and shrugged. “She’s an actress, who’s in town to learn how to be a Vampire for a coming role. We were friends in high school. She’s… I think that she might be one of The Technician’s slaves, but I don’t know that for certain, so try not to mention that kind of thing too much, if you talk to her?”

  That got some rapid blinking, but the Proctor finally just nodded, agreeing. Looking at Bey, and then her, as if she were in charge of anything for real?

  The woman with her punk clothing, and silver piercings on her face, finally moved to stand near her.

  “I guess the orders have come down, then. So, what’s your secret to keeping people from dying during the day? Anal plugs, and electro shock?”

  Bey glared again suddenly, but Eve smiled, and shook her head.

  “Nope. You really just need to try. Well, running, and work. Keeping busy helps. It will only take a week or two and then you should be set on your own. Maybe three, but it isn’t some huge deal. You’ll wake up each night, too, so even though it will hurt most of the day, it won’t be all the time. You can still do your other job and all that, so it won’t be a big disruption to your life. I mean, other than the horrid pain all day, but what’s a bit of burning between friends?” She managed to say it in a charming enough manner, though every Vampire that was old enough knew what she was talking about. The sun freaking hurt, and that wouldn’t go away.

  Ever, apparently.

  They had to leave a bit after that, pulling back a ways into the trees, since night time or not, the fire department came, and tried to put the blaze out. They were needed, just in case anything was left alive inside and tried to feed on the hapless men in their yellow and red reflective fire gear. They did look tasty. Eve smiled though, and winked at Nikki, looking at them.

  “There was a time when I would have thought they looked delicious for totally different reasons, you know?”

  “Yeah. When I was a girl that kind of thing was improper, and not admitted to, but I really did enjoy it. Most often with my little sister’s boyfriends. I can’t help it if I’m the pretty one, can I?” She was saying it loudly enough that Lenore started to move, going fast. Bey caught her by the arm, and shook his head.

  “Girls! We will not have strife between you any longer. If you…” He sighed, and then looked away. “I have been too kind to you both. For far too long, allowing your bickering to go on. Eve, if they continue on this course, you have my leave to kill them.”

  Lenore froze, and glared at her, but Nikki laughed a bit.

  “That seems like a death sentence for her, father. I hear your words and will obey, but is it right to set such a heavy burden on one so very young?”

  Edom cleared his throat, and then smiled at the punkish looking woman.

  “It might be, but notice that Lenore didn’t try to claim that she couldn’t be touched? The Bey didn’t claim Eve as his protégé as a joke, Nik. Maybe you could beat her in a straight up fight, but given that, you have to know that isn’t what was just ordered. Think about it.”

  Eve got it, since it was probably the only way that it would work. She’d need to be sneaky about it, and ambush either of the women, if they needed to be killed.

  Lenore gave her sister a snotty look then.

  “Indeed, Nicole. Eve is a most capable young woman. Perhaps you’ll test her for us? I’m certain that it will be instructive.”

  Eve threw her hands up, and sighed, shaking her head.

  “Come on guys, we’re all friends here, so don’t make me have to kill you both. I don’t know if I can do it, votes of confidence aside, but… I get what Bey is saying. Let the past go already and stop acting like you’re little kids. I never had a brother or sister, myself. I hope that if I did, I would have gotten along with them, at least eventually. You two… Well, how many Vampires get to have anyone from their Human life like this? It’s a good thing, but you have to work to make it happen. I get that you don’t want to, but… Well, I don’t really get why.”

  She looked from one to the other, and then turned to watch the men working on the fire. How they were getting water was interesting since they had a tanker truck filled with the stuff there, with another coming already. There were no hydrants out there, after all. The blaze was going up well too, and they weren’t really trying to stop it, just control where the flames got to. The world was damp though, which should he
lp to keep it from spreading.

  Quietly, she kept talking.

  “Maybe you can let things go now? A few stolen boyfriends, a little gang rape, and murdering your dog, these things are small enough to let go of, given the time you’ve both had, aren’t they?”

  Nikki made a face, but nodded, being the sensible one on this set of issues, it seemed.

  “It didn’t even have the rape or pets involved. I guess I can do my part. Then, it really hasn’t been about me for a long time, has it, Lenore?”

  Whatever that meant wasn’t explained, but the other woman faked a sigh and then nodded.

  “I too, will try to do my part. We’ll have this done then. I suppose that we’re required to shake hands now?”

  They didn’t move, and Eve didn’t suggest they do anything at all. Instead they stood there, waiting for day to break, staring at the licking flames of gold. It was brilliant and intense, the heat still felt even from where they stood, chatting. Nothing stirred from inside, and none of the firefighters had to do anything more than their job controlling the blaze.

  As the sun rose, the five of them went back to the mall. Running, since that was how they’d gotten there in the first place. They had to go slower than she would have liked, since Nikki wasn’t all that fast. Not compared to the rest of them. About halfway back to the store, Eve dropped in alongside of her.

  “Push into the pain. It’s hard right now, with the sun up, but it will help later, facing it now. Make sure to let all the air out of your lungs first though, so the screaming won’t be too loud when we stop. Ready to run for real?” That got a nod, which seemed a little sad for some reason.