[Anthology] The Paranormal 13- now With a Bonus 14th Novel!

by Dima Zales

“Leave her alone, Zac.” Another man had appeared beside the first out of thin air.

  The first man, Zac, rolled his eyes. “I wasn't going to eat her, brother, if that's what you're thinking. She's a witch and I don't want her to cast any witchy juju spell on me.”

  “You're both dead,” she stammered.

  “As a door nail,” Zac grinned.

  “Forgive my brother,” the other man said, stepping forward. “I think you know what we are. We can't hide from you, but we mean you no harm.”

  “Vampires,” Gabby said, finally realizing. The only undead creature that she was aware existed.

  “Ten points to Glinda,” clapped Zac. Glinda the good witch from The Wizard of OZ?

  “Ignore him,” said the man. “I'm Sam, the moron is my brother Zac.”

  It took her a while to trust the vampire brothers, being their mortal enemy and all. She quickly came to realize that they were different, despite all their faults. Zac was always an asshole and Sam was always kind hearted, but they never hurt anyone. They'd ingrained themselves into the town as normal young men. Sam had even got a job as a gardener with help from her childhood friend, Alex.

  So, when Gabby walked into Max's, the bar they frequented after work, she smiled when she saw them sitting in a booth along the far wall.

  “Happy birthday you musty old man,” she elbowed Zac as she sat down.

  “Please, don't remind me.” His eyes rolled in exasperation.

  “Can I get you a drink?”

  “Go for it, Glinda.” They watched her retreating form. “I've been looking for you all afternoon,” Zac hissed, once Gabby was out of earshot.

  “I was out with Liz,” Sam fidgeted.

  Zac didn't notice the gesture, he was too busy eyeballing Alistair, who had just walked in. “Uh oh.” He gritted his teeth.

  Sam frowned. He knew all too well from his tone that Zac had gotten himself in trouble again. “What did you do, Zac?”

  “I didn't start it, just so you know.”

  “Start what?” Like they needed more trouble.

  “Big bad, super creepy vampire over yonder is out to get us.” He gestured towards Alistair, who was now over at the bar. “He's looking for some black haired, blue eyed woman who's pissed him off and he seems to think we know something about it.”

  “Obviously we don't.”

  “I told him as much, but I don't think it matters anymore.”

  “You couldn't help but talk back, could you?”

  Zac raised his hands in defense. “Hey, he came in talking like he was out of Lord of the Rings, even you couldn't pass on the opportunity.” Looking over to Alistair, he noticed Gabby standing next to him. They were talking, and he was buying her a drink! Bloody hell, did she know he was a vampire? What kind of witch was she?

  Sam snorted his disagreement, and before he could speak Zac interrupted, “Yeah, yeah. Don't say it, bro. I get it. We can't afford to be exposed as blood sucking parasites. Believe me. I get it.”

  “We have another issue to deal with.”

  Zac raised his eyebrows expectantly. Like they needed more issues with a vampire bent on making their life hell.

  “Liz and I had a run in with the werewolves,” Sam said, not looking at his brother.

  “Oh, so you want to have a go at me when you've been out pissing off the puppy dogs?” Zac scowled. “Did you piss in their territory?”

  Sam nodded, reluctantly agreeing with his brother. “Seems like they want to claim the land bordering the manor.”

  “Sounds like they already have.”

  “They warned us off, but given any opportunity they will attack us anyway,” he said through gritted teeth. “They're getting bolder.”

  Zac felt anger rising inside him. The dogs had threatened his brother and Liz. She was his brother’s girl, but he had fallen for her just as hard. He knew the only thing that had stopped the wolves from attacking was the fact that the moon wasn't even half full yet. He was thinking about the many ways to kill the werewolf pack, when Gabby sat back down at the table.

  “I see Sam told you about the pack,” she said, when she noticed the scowl etched on his face.

  “Wait until you hear who Zac pissed off today,” Sam said, changing the subject.

  “Your boyfriend over at the bar.” Zac inclined his head towards Alistair.

  “He's a … ” Gabby stammered.

  “Yeah.” Zac rolled his eyes. “What kind of witch are you that your witchy compass doesn't work?”

  “It's serious Gabby. He could expose us all or kill us. So stay away from him, okay?”

  Gabby fidgeted nervously and pushed away her glass, as if she was suddenly wary of drinking it.

  Zac snorted. “What, do you think he put a vampire roofie in there?”

  “Shut up,” she hissed.

  “I'm going to have a word with him.” Zac stood. “You better leave. I don't want you more involved than you already are. You better split too, Tabitha.”

  “Just don't go doing anything stupid,” Sam warned, more out of habit than anything.

  “Too late for that.”

  Zac sat next to Alistair at the bar. Gesturing at the bartender for a drink, he caught the glass that slid down to meet him.

  “You don't know what's good for you, friend,” Alistair said, lifting his own glass to meet Zac's.

  “What can I say? I have a knack for trouble,” he replied with a note of irony.

  “Are you ready to tell me what I want to know?”

  “Well, gosh darn it, Alistair. I can't tell you what you want to know, because I don't know anything about it.” Zac took a mouthful of scotch.

  Alistair downed a mouthful of his own drink before saying, “I see the werewolves aren't too pleased about your little brother and his mate running about their forest.”

  “It's not their forest or their town,” Zac snarled, not wanting to play games anymore.

  “I believe they would beg to differ.” Alistair swirled his drink around the bottom of the glass, ice clinking. “And I believe they would like to do something about it, given the right persuasion.”

  “Be careful what you say, Alistair.” He stood abruptly, his expression dark with anger.

  Alistair stood gracefully and stared at his adversary with disdain. “Do you know how old I am, vampire? I am over five hundred. I could squash you like the pathetic ant you are.”

  Zac stood eye to eye with the vampire and snarled, “Maybe you shouldn't come to my town and threaten the people I care about.”

  “This is your town? We’ll see about that.” Grabbing Zac by the scruff of the neck, Alistair dragged him through the kitchen, no one paying them any attention, and out the back door to the service lane. Before he could try and wrench himself free, he was thrown clear across into the fence opposite, the chain link rattling.

  Zac groaned, rolling onto his front. “I see you pre-compelled the staff so they wouldn't piss in your soup.”

  Ignoring him, Alistair walked over to the chain link fence and pulled free the iron cross bar effortlessly. Weighing it in his hands, he nodded in appreciation before approaching Zac, who was trying to drag himself to his feet. The vampire swung once, an audible crack as the pole broke both of Zac's legs, and swung again, breaking his spine.

  “Consider this a warning,” Alistair said as Zac groaned in pain. “Piss me off again, and I will put this through your heart.”

  The iron bar clattered to the ground and Alistair disappeared, leaving Zac on the ground with nothing to do but wait until his spine healed itself.

  Best birthday ever.

  2

  The half moon had risen high in the sky by the time Zac reached the gates of the manor. It had taken an hour before he could drag himself to his feet, his spine healing enough to restore feeling to his broken legs. Limping all the way from town to the house on the outskirts was a seven-mile journey and he fumed all the way, anger filling each step. He could’ve run, but he wanted time to think about the rev
enge he would have on Alistair before Sam could talk him out of it.

  His thoughts travelled to memories of the many fights he had gotten into with fellow soldiers, conscripts and volunteers alike, when he was in the army. He'd given his fair share of black eyes and bloody noses and received just as many, but fighting as a vampire was a different experience altogether. His ability for healing made for more painful injuries. Gashes, broken bones, pulverized flesh, internal bleeding. Painful, but irrelevant. His body would heal all but a severed head and a torn out heart, among other things.

  He trudged up the driveway to the manor, feet dragging in the dirt. The house that they had once lived in as children and young men and had been the location of so much death. They had reclaimed it from disrepair and despair alike, spending much time and money renovating and restoring the interior. Sam still held the deed as he was more responsible with those things, and with little effort they could claim to be the rightful owners. Despite all of this, the grounds and the house were of historical significance, so as they wanted to do things by the book, they were unable to do much to the exterior. Two vampires who never locked their door couldn't argue with the fact that the house didn't look lived in because of this. It kept visitors away, along with the locked gate.

  Zac slammed the front door closed behind him and barged into the parlor, throwing down his jacket moodily, glaring at his brother who gave him a familiar look of disapproval.

  The parlor was where the action was. It was also where Zac kept the alcohol, so they tended to gravitate here because of it. Right now, he needed alcohol…lots of alcohol. His clothing was covered in dirt, mud caked into the knees of his jeans. All glaring signs pointing to what he'd been up to all night.

  Sam eyed him up and down. “What happened to you?”

  “What do you think happened?” he sneered, pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace, seething. The walk had done nothing but fuel his anger into a burning inferno.

  Sam sighed and placed his head in his hands, knowing that Alistair had beaten him up. They had a nice peaceful life for the past year. It shouldn't come as a surprise that it was now ending. It was part of being a vampire, getting into trouble.

  “I'm not going to let that bastard get away with it,” Zac raged, waving a finger wildly at Sam.

  “We can't afford any trouble, Zac. If anyone found out who we really are…”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Zac waved him off. “He broke both my legs and my spine. I want to beat the crap out of the bastard and stake him to a tree.”

  “Did you even try and talk reasonably with him?”

  “He came there looking for a fight, I didn't have to do anything. It's down to him or us. And I'd rather it be us,” he said pointedly. Zac couldn't begin to understand himself most days, let alone vampire politics. He supposed he'd become a little mad as well once he hit five hundred. Couldn't wait for that.

  “What do you suggest?” he asked, knowing full well what the answer would be.

  “The only option there is,” Zac said, deadly serious. “We kill him.”

  “What's this we business?” Sam scoffed. “So, we kill him and then what happens when his friends come looking?”

  Zac stared his brother down. “Next time I won't look away.”

  Liz wiped her brow, grimacing. That was the billionth time she'd dropped coffee grounds all over the floor. Distracted wasn't the right word for it, off the planet was closer to the truth. Ever since being threatened by the local werewolves, she’d been skittish. Sam had dropped her off at work that morning before going to the gardens across the street with Alex. Gabby was coming to get her soon, so she wouldn't be alone if there was trouble. It was silly, as a vampire she should be able to take care of herself, but it was something she’d struggled with since day one. She was too kind-hearted, which contradicted everything she’d become.

  Working at the coffeehouse was not the most glamorous job in the world, but it was something to take her mind off the fact that she was A; a vampire and B; a vampire who was undecided if she was going to college or not in the spring. At twenty-one it was later than most, but last year she'd had to defer because she was busy learning how to control her bloodlust. The year before was spent working full time at the same job making coffee, earning money for tuition. Her family thought she was just ill, with a little help from some vampire persuasion.

  Liz had spent the entire day worrying about the werewolves. So much so, that she kept dropping things and messing up orders. Mixing up caffeinated with decaf, cream, and non-fat. There would be a lot of people hyped up today. The last thing she needed was for one of the wolves to come into the cafe. She might not be able to explain herself if they did. Mrs Greene, the owner had asked her if anything was wrong. Most of the staff asked her if she was okay, even some of the regular customers. She had to get a handle on it.

  She was cleaning the coffee machine as Gabby opened the front door, the bell ringing merrily. They'd closed for the day already, but everyone knew her friend, so they didn't mind that she ignored the closed sign and barged right in.

  “Are you ready yet?” she asked, grinning. “I'm starving.”

  “It's only 5 o'clock!”

  “Yeah, but I had to skip lunch today. My stomach is eating itself I'm so hungry,” she grinned.

  Giving the bench a final wipe, Liz waved to Mrs Greene and they made their way along the three blocks to Max's bar, laughing about her uncoordinated day.

  It was great to catch up with her friend; it had been ages since they had the time for dinner. She didn't need the food, but it was still nice to indulge in something human. Nothing bad would happen to her from eating a burger and fries, she'd just get no sustenance from it.

  They’d just sat down when gabby said, “Aw, crap.”

  “What's wrong?” Liz asked, turning towards the door, catching sight of a blonde man she suspected was a vampire.

  “That's Alistair,” she said evenly. “He's the one who threatened Zac.”

  “Oh,” Liz bit her lip, frowning. Sam had warned her about him that morning when he'd picked her up at home. The fact that he was lurking about must have been the reason the werewolves were absent. The thought made her blood run cold.

  The vampire caught her eye and she looked away quickly, glancing at Gabby, wondering if she should text Sam. Before she could decide, the vampire slid into the booth beside Liz, trapping her against the wall. Gabby eyed him uncomfortably, steeling herself for whatever stunt he was about to pull.

  “Ladies,” he said. “I believe you know who I am.”

  “Alistair.” Gabby grimaced. She was not in the mood for games, especially the games of vampires.

  “You're the witch.” He pointed at her before turning to Liz. “And you must be the newborn.”

  Liz couldn't help shuddering as his cold eyes raked over her body.

  “What do you want, Alistair?” Gabby asked firmly, her strong brown eyes staring down the five-hundred year old vampire.

  “I'm just coming to examine my prize.” He put his arm around Liz's shoulder, grinning at her. “When I'm finished with that annoying Zachary and his brother, you and I will have some fun.”

  “Unlikely,” Liz spat at him, trying to shrug his arm away.

  “I can show you things you’ve never dreamed of.”

  “Back off, Alistair.” Gabby's eyes narrowed in warning as Liz slid away from him as far as she could get, which wasn't very far at all. The wall was hard on her back, trapping her against him.

  “Oh, my dear,” he said silkily, leaning closer to Liz. “I will have you at least once before I'm through.” He slid his hand up her leg, coming to rest on her upper thigh. Her body stiffened at his touch, making her shudder in revulsion.

  She glared at the vampire and snarled, “Get your hand off me, or I'll … ”

  “Or you'll what?” Alistair's grip hardened on her thigh, his fingers beginning to bruise her.

  Liz stared him down, refusing to betray her fear at the sudde
n malicious gesture. She wouldn't be the damsel in distress. Suddenly, Alistair grasped his head, grimacing in pain, his fist banging against the table top in frustration. Gabby was scowling at him, deep in concentration, eyes narrowed.

  “Argh,” he growled, his voice betraying the pain that was exploding in his head. “Alright, alright. You've got this round, witch.”

  Gabby relaxed and Alistair gripped the table, his knuckles white, glaring at the witch in front of him. “Leave,” she said. “You have no claim here, vampire. Leave before it's too late for you.”

  The vampire laughed, then, as if he knew Gabby was bluffing. Her expression was darkness, but Liz knew that her power was limited and no match for a five-hundred year old vampire. What she’d just done, that was the extent of what she’d learnt to protect herself.

  Alistair rose from the booth and bowed to them mockingly. “Next time we meet, I'll make sure the tables are turned.”

  They didn't tear their eyes from him until he'd exited the bar. Shit, shit, shit, thought Liz. Old as vampires who wanted in her pants and werewolves hell bent on harassing her out of town? How much more complicated could life get? Reluctantly she said, “Perhaps you should call Zac and let him know.”

  Gabby shook her head. “Not right away, lets just enjoy our food first. He won't be back tonight. We need this, and I won't let that jerk ruin our night.”

  Liz smiled, understanding her friend’s sentiment. “Lets do it.”

  Zac had thought about the many ways he could kill Alistair all through the next day. He was thankful Sam had gone to work; the constant badgering about his intentions would have pushed him over the edge. This was one thing he wouldn't be talked out of. His train of thought was broken as his cell began to vibrate across the coffee table.

  “Gabby,” he said sharply as he answered it.

  “Zac, Liz and I were just confronted by Alistair,” came her concerned voice. “I was able to fend him off, but he'll be back.”

  “Where are you?”

  “We're outside Max's.”

  “Go home,” he snapped. “I will deal with Alistair.”