Our Destiny Is Blood

by Clare Daly

  ‘I wondered when I would see you,’ she said. ‘I felt you bring the darkness with you when you arrived in these parts.’

  ‘Do you know why I’m here?’ he asked.

  ‘You got vampire trouble,’ she said, nodding her head. ‘Messy business. And they are after you? Are you hunted?’ she asked with a glint in her eye.

  ‘No,’ he said, ‘at least, not for now. It’s my sister. She was turned and I need your help to free her from them.’

  She reached out her frail fingers and put her hand on his chest, feeling his heart thump inside.

  ‘You are strong. Your sister is also very strong. You are very alike but there is no cure for this disease of the blood. Free or not, your sister will always remain one of them. I see fear in your eyes. Do you fear her?’

  ‘Yes,’ he whispered.

  ‘A wise answer,’ she said. ‘How they do crave that blood. Makes them do crazy things.’

  ‘How can I free her from her captors?’ he asked.

  ‘You kill them,’ she said matter-of-factly.

  ‘I didn’t think that was possible.’

  ‘There are ways,’ she said moving close to him. ‘Now, listen to me very carefully for you walk a very dangerous path. These creatures will kill you before you’ve even realised they are there. They are quick and strong, but they walk only in darkness for the sun burns their skin. At dawn, they must recede to the shadows until the sun falls again. If you can capture one, which is a feat in itself, the sun’s light will burn and destroy it. The second way is a blade through the heart. Wooden stakes work equally well but require close range and more force, a blade will kill more efficiently.’

  Meega put her hand on his suddenly, gripping it tightly, her eyes losing their brightness for a moment.

  ‘You need to be careful,’ she said releasing him. ‘I can feel other forces watching. Maybe it’s a crow high in the trees or a snake writhing through the earth outside, but I feel their eyes on me, and you in turn. They are trying to find you.’

  She stood up, straightening her back as far as it would allow, as she shuffled off into the corner, among the boxes and crates piled high.

  ‘Think I still have it…’ she muttered. ‘Ah yes, here it is.’ She took out a small tin and opened it carefully as she sat back down, emptying its contents in Michael’s palm. At first sight, it looked like a pebble you might find washed ashore. It was small, fitting neatly in Michael’s hand as he closed his fingers over it, it’s exterior cool and smooth. It was grey but for a thin streak of flesh-coloured pink that ran through it.

  ‘It’s a sun stone,’ she said. ‘Keep it with you and you will feel its heat when a vampire is near. It may give you just enough time to act if you’re lucky.’

  ‘Thank you, Meega,’ he said, putting it in his pocket.

  ‘Good luck. You have a fire within you. You’re a strong one. I just hope the thing still works.’ She let out a chuckle then, before tapping him lightly on the chest and nodding her head in affirmation.

  When they reached the edge of the woods, dawn was almost upon them. Michael held Salome close for a moment, his head resting on her shoulder. He took a deep breath, inhaling the essence of her, that it may last him until he would hold her again.

  ‘You’re going to go back for her, aren’t you?’ she said. ‘You’re going to fight.’

  ‘I want you to come with me to New York. Can you do that? Can you run?’

  ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I’ll go with you. I’ll go anywhere with you.’

  ‘We’ll leave tonight,’ he said unable to contain his excitement. He kissed her, not wanting to let go and she pulled away, her hand eventually dropping his, as they parted. Michael watched her as she disappeared among the trees. One more day. That’s all it would take. He would keep her somewhere safe in New York as he tried to free Evelyn, and both of them at last would have the freedom that belonged to them. He turned back for his cabin, taking care to make as little noise as possible but from the trees behind him, someone watched. They moved slowly as they followed him, taking great care not to be seen or heard. As Michael crept back to his cabin, carefully turning the handle and slipping inside, the figure stopped behind the bark of a nearby tree, consumed with only one thought.

  New York? I don’t think so.

  39

  As dawn broke in Manhattan, a glaze of white frost covered the city. Snow had yet to fall but the clouds lay overhead, in wait. All along the banks of the Hudson, the edges of the water froze to the sides, ice breaking off to float downstream into the harbour, swallowed by the flowing current. Gabriel and Evelyn sat on horseback, each of their steeds snorting steam into the cold air as they made their way north through the city. Gabriel looked uncomfortable in his clothes, like he was suffocating beneath their many layers, but their task was to blend into their surroundings – to act and travel as humans did, avoiding unwanted attention. Over his black suit, he wore a heavy grey coat and a gentleman’s top hat, tilted ever so slightly on his head. Evelyn too was dressed for the weather, a long woollen coat fitted to her body, a ladies riding hat on her head, three tall feathers complimenting its design.

  Gabriel had explained the reason for their journey, but as they reached Kings Cross Bridge, she could see the doubt in his eyes. The decision to leave the island, even for a few hours had not been taken lightly. He would be exposed. It was imperative that they reach Olivia by noon, for he wanted the security of his Manhattan lair come nightfall. The small hamlet lay east of Sleepy Hollow, a tiny, self-sufficient community nestled between mountain and lake that rarely bothered the world around it. For almost a hundred years, Olivia had thrived, free of the maladies that gripped many parts of Westchester County. Founded by Reverend Marshall Hooksbury, he had led his small group of sixty parishioners on a mission to find the place ‘chosen by God himself’ in which to take shelter from the growing world. A widower, he had lost his wife to tuberculosis and with her their unborn daughter, who never took a breath outside her mother’s womb. He had named her Olivia and when he saw the beauty of the setting, he knew God had led him to this place, and that he must name it for her, as surely as she was at the Lord’s side.

  It was snowing as they reached the outskirts, the first of the houses dotted on the mountain side among the trees. They followed the road as it led them into town. A few inches of snow formed a blanket on the deserted main street, untouched by footprint, hoof or cartwheel.

  ‘Do you hear that?’ Gabriel said, slowing his horse.

  Evelyn listened carefully, not picking up any sign of life and shrugged her shoulders.

  ‘Exactly,’ he said.

  Two rows of wooden store fronts faced each other, and at the end of the street as the road narrowed, stood a large church, its cross pitched high above the rooftops. Its wooden lattes were painted white as if made from snow and ice, the crystals glistening as Gabriel and Evelyn rode towards it. At the top of the steps, stood a tall figure dressed in black. Evelyn could not pick up his scent and she looked at Gabriel, who was smiling. The man wore a black cassock that kicked out at his heels, a small crucifix sitting smartly around his neck, his blond hair trimmed close to his head. He gave a welcoming bow to Gabriel as they dismounted their horses.

  ‘I didn’t think you would ever grace this town with your presence,’ the man said.

  ‘I needed to talk to you.’

  ‘Come inside. Aren’t you going to introduce your companion?’ he asked.

  ‘No,’ Gabriel said curtly, ‘I’m not.’

  Evelyn slid her hand back into her glove.

  ‘She is not here to meet you. I am. Stay here a moment,’ he said to her, removing his hat. ‘This could be over quicker than I thought.’

  Evelyn nodded, turning her back to them, taking in the deserted street. She could hear their voices inside.

  ‘I didn’t think you were fond of vampires,’ the p
reacher said.

  ‘I’ve learned to be fond of many things I once disliked,’ he said, walking up the aisle. He turned at the altar and sat on the step facing the empty wooden pews. The man looked wounded for a moment.

  ‘You know I feel you sometimes, watching me, even after all this time. I find it somewhat comforting that you still take an interest. But now you come to see me in the flesh. Why?’

  ‘Woltacht.’

  The man looked surprised. ‘I heard he was dead.’

  ‘Not so. He brings new followers now on New York.’

  The preacher sat in the front pew, silent, lost in thought.

  ‘We fought hard for Moscow,’ he said after a time. ‘I don’t have any fight left in me. That’s why I came here to disappear, to be among them and preach His word.’

  ‘Redemption is a foolhardy pastime, Jude,’ he said.

  ‘And yet you find yourself also playing the game. Why not just let Woltacht have his way? Isn’t the Earth damned anyway?’

  ‘Perhaps, but I like my part in it. There is a balance. Woltacht will destroy that and then we will find nothing here but misery,’ Gabriel said.

  ‘Who’s the girl?’

  ‘A friend.’

  ‘And there was me thinking you never wanted any,’ he said.

  ‘Perhaps I’m too choosy,’ said Gabriel. ‘Have you seen anything or heard of any vampires in these parts?’

  Jude shook his head. ‘Maybe you’re wrong and they’re not coming.’

  ‘That may be, but he’s had years to plot his retribution on us. Also, one of his breed is with us now.’

  ‘A defector. How interesting. Do you trust him?’

  ‘Yes,’ Gabriel said without hesitation. ‘Do you remember when we came here first, sent to this purgatory to redeem ourselves? You asked me if He would ever need us again, ever reach out to us or whether we would be doomed to endure the mortal world, trying to find an existence in it for ourselves?’

  ‘He will never need us again,’ Jude said wistfully. ‘There are just some things you can’t undo.’

  ‘He needs us now,’ said Gabriel. “Whether He realises it or not.’

  ‘You don’t need me,’ said Jude letting out a sigh. ‘You are the stronger and more powerful one.’

  ‘And you have always been the wiser one, Jude. Together we’re stronger. I don’t know if you feel it but something pulls at my powers. My visions now are poorly drawn at best and without them my knowledge shrinks, putting us all in danger.’

  ‘He said he would never take our gifts.’

  ‘Exactly, so if it’s not Him, then the other options may be too dangerous to comprehend.’

  ‘Close your eyes. Let me see inside your mind,’ said Jude.

  Gabriel shut his eyes, welcoming the darkness. Jude closed his too but he opened them almost immediately, shaking his head. He rose from the pew and came to sit beside Gabriel on the altar, turning into him, placing his hands carefully either side of his head. It was the closest thing to an embrace for both men and Gabriel looked at Jude, his eyes closed in concentration and felt a sting of regret. After a moment, Jude took his hands away.

  ‘I can’t do it,’ he said. ‘Something clouds my mind, blocking our sight and strength. It means to disorient us.’

  ‘You must come back to Manhattan with me,’ said Gabriel.

  ‘My place is here among my people.’

  ‘These are not your people Jude. I am.’

  Jude stood putting his hands into the folds of his cassock.

  ‘I am trying to atone for the things I did, the things we did Gabriel. I have carved out this life in the hopes of finding some sort of peace. I won’t ruin it by jumping into a conflict with you. It’s no longer my fight.’

  Gabriel pushed himself up from the step. ‘Then God help us all,’ he said standing eye to eye with him. He put on his hat, straightening the rim and turned briskly towards the door. As he reached it, Evelyn flung it open.

  ‘I think we’ve company,’ she said.

  40

  ‘There,’ Evelyn said pointing to the hillside. ‘Look.’

  A cloudy trail of snow kicked up into the air as something moved rapidly through the trees towards them, shaking the firs as it descended – three white streaks of danger, gaining ground by the second.

  ‘Secure the horses round the back,’ Gabriel said, running to his, the ground crunching beneath his boots. Grabbing the reins, he handed them to Evelyn. Jude came to the doorway, his eyes following the trail down the mountain. Quickly he slammed the door, shutting them out. They heard a key turn in the lock.

  ‘Seems you picked a side after all,’ Gabriel shouted.

  Evelyn ran to him. He was standing in the middle of the road, facing down the row of storefronts. The trail could no longer be seen in the trees and the snowfall had stopped, bringing with it an eerie stillness.

  ‘They’re watching us,’ he said. ‘How are you with dogs?’

  Up ahead, some thirty yards away, a large hound crept across the snow, it’s head hung low, it’s eyes fixed on them. It was a beast of an animal, muscular and strong, its black coat long and shiny. It stopped in the middle of the road and raised its head, to let out a long howl, summoning its companions to join him. Two others emerged, one as white as the snow, the other grey, each as menacing as their leader. All three looked to Gabriel and Evelyn, their long noses bowed, eyes bright for the kill.

  ‘Go!’ shouted Gabriel, pushing Evelyn in the opposite direction. She moved at speed, the white beast breaking into a run after her, while Gabriel darted to the right, the grey one taking after him. It was fast and it slid on the snow as it tried to catch him in its jaws, but he made good ground, disappearing behind the first building.

  Evelyn made it into the store on the left. The white hound had stopped and was now pacing in front of the large glass window, watching her inside. It was a general store with all sorts of goods and she looked around for anything she might use. At the back were the apothecary shelves, stacked with medicines and potions. She threw them to the floor, the glass smashing, the contents spilling out onto the floorboards. Through the window she saw the dog move back to the street, before turning and running towards her, straight for the glass. It flung itself into the window as the glass shattered and Evelyn went down on one knee, pressing her palms to the floor as the alcohol in the liquid ignited.

  The dog landed on a sea of fiery waves. If it was in pain it didn’t show it, its eyes narrowing as it looked for her in the flames. She ran towards him, her coat on fire, consumed by her own defence. The dog bared his teeth as it leapt up to meet her. She swung a punch to the side of its head, the force sending him to the floor, his body splintering the wood. Evelyn came at the beast again but this time it was ready and it rolled over on top of her, the flames high around them. Its jaws pressed close to her face. Drool dripped from its sharp teeth onto her cheek and she thrust her hand upwards with all her might into the flesh of its belly, holding it there as she spread the fire to its insides. The dog didn’t even have time to yelp in pain. It was dead within seconds and as Evelyn pushed it off her, a long mournful howl came from the black hound on the road outside.

  Gabriel had rounded the corner. At the back of the property was a door and he threw himself inside. He slammed it shut as the body of the grey dog pounded against it, its sharp nails screeching as they tore at the wood. Even in daylight, the store was dimly lit but there was no mistaking the industry inside. Coffins lined the walls, a variety of wooden resting places, their lids leaning against them, waiting for their passengers to the next world. Gabriel plucked a claw hammer from the nail where it hung, letting go of the door. The grey dog burst inside. He twirled back to bring the hammer down on the dog’s head. It missed its skull but severed its ear, as it moved sideways. He swung it again but he wasn’t quick enough and the beast went for him, knocking
him back into a pile of curled wood shavings, the hammer flying out of his hand. Something in his coat pressed hard into his side. He reached into his pocket and found a small silver pistol. Jude – it had to be. As the dog came at him, with snarling jaws, he aimed and pulled the trigger. With a loud crack, the bullet hit the dog in the face, shattering it into a bloody mess. Skin, hair and matter spattered the walls. Through the window, he saw the general store erupt in a ball of fire as the black dog howled outside, watching the flames.

  Stepping over the fallen beast, he walked out the front door, wiping the blood from his eyes, his pistol aimed at the remaining dog. Evelyn walked through the flames, facing him on the other side. The trigger clicked but no bullet discharged from the chamber. He squeezed it again and again but nothing happened.

  ‘Damn it,’ he said, tossing the gun as the animal ran at him, Evelyn giving chase. Gabriel sprinted up the wooden boardwalk until he reached the end. Only forest lay beyond it. He threw himself into the last doorway, the beast not far behind. At first glance, it looked like a sheriff’s office, but it had abandoned the rule of law for that of religion. Instead of gun racks, the walls were a library of religious tomes and scriptures, overlooked by a crucifix hanging on the wall. Reverend Hooksbury’s legacy it seemed, had held fast. There was a holding cell at the back complete with iron bars and shackles. Fresh blood ran down the wall. Someone had atoned for their sins quite recently. Gabriel backed himself in to the cell, waiting on his attacker. The beast charged in, its jaws salivating at the sight of him trapped there. It leapt into the air, extending its nails, ready to tear him apart. But it did not meet its prey. Instead, it met the brute force of the back wall. Gabriel appeared from the shadows outside and flung the iron bars shut, capturing him.

  The dog whimpered. Blood ran from its mouth and broken nose. Evelyn marvelled at Gabriel’s trick. Of course, he had appeared on an ocean of ice for her. He could project his image anywhere.

  ‘Evelyn, will you do the honours?’ he said, pointing to the animal.