by Amy Cross
And then, with no warning, she felt herself falling back until she landed against the rocky ground, back in the chamber far beneath the network of mine tunnels.
“Izzy!” Natalie called out, rushing over and kneeling to check on her. “John, are you okay?”
“What happened?” Izzy whispered, turning and seeing a bloodied, burned figured on the floor next to her.
“John forced his way through to rescue you,” Natalie explained, with tears in her eyes. “He sacrificed every drop of his blood to make the journey. I told him it wasn't possible, I told him that even Gaal needed someone else's blood, but he wouldn't listen. He refused to leave you on the other side of the gateway, even if it meant...”
Her voice trailed off as she stared in shock at John's battered body.
“Is he okay?” she stammered, crawling toward John. Reaching out, she felt for a pulse, and she immediately began to panic when she realized his body was completely still. “Dad?” she called out, crawling closer and grabbing his shoulder, shaking him as hard as she could manage. “Wake up! You have to wake up!”
“Izzy,” Natalie said cautiously, “I don't think -”
Letting out a cry of pain, Izzy forced her wrist against John's mouth, making sure that his fangs slipped through the flesh.
“Take it,” she gasped, her heart pounding as she waited to feel him feeding. “Come on, I know it'll work, just take some of my blood!”
“Izzy,” Natalie said again, “please -”
“It'll work!” she hissed, watching John's charred and bloodied face, hoping for some hint of movement. “Blood will make him wake up. It has to. Blood will revive him.”
“I'm not sure it works like that,” Natalie told her. “The effort required to reach through the gateway and grab you was immense. The fact that he managed it at all is hard to believe, but the idea that he could possibly -”
Suddenly John let out a faint gasp, tilting his head back slightly.
“I can feel the blood going in,” Izzy said with a sigh of relief. “He's feeding!”
Natalie watched in shock as blood flowed from Izzy's wrist into John's mouth. Nearby, the gateway finally fizzled out, breaking the connection between the chamber and the other world.
Letting out a groan, John flinched and then pulled his fangs out of Izzy's wrist.
“It's okay,” Izzy said, smiling as she saw him opening his eyes. “We made it. We all made it back.” She looked toward the spot where the gateway had previously opened. “Except Gaal” she added, remembering her last sight of Gaal as his body had been devoured by shadows. A shudder passed through her chest. “I think they killed him. I think they realized he was never going to stop until he'd destroyed everything.”
***
With Natalie and John supporting her weight, Izzy managed to limp through the remains of the shattered metal door. Rubble from the explosion was still strewn across the floor, but they began to make their way toward the rope at the far end of the chamber before, suddenly, Izzy stopped.
“Rita,” she whispered, spotting some packaging from the dynamite. “Is she...”
“I'm sorry,” John replied, with blood running from his lips. “Humans are very fragile creatures, Izzy. They're easily extinguished. Compared to the life of a vampire or a werewolf, humans are extremely delicate.”
“Hey!” a voice hissed from nearby. “Watch who you're calling delicate and...”
She gasped.
“And easily extinguished!”
Turning, Izzy saw to her shock that a figure was slumped against the nearby wall, clutching a bloodied wound on her arm.
“Rita!” she called out, pulling away from John and Natalie. Quickly clambering over the rubble, she reached Rita and dropped down onto her knees, although she immediately saw that her friend had suffered some serious cuts and bruises in the explosion.
“The timer kicked in at the very last moment,” Rita said, wincing as she tried but failed to sit up. “It only gave me three seconds, but that was enough to get behind one of those goddamn metal containers. Still hurt like a bitch, though, when the dynamite went off. The damn container flew through the air and almost squished me against this wall.”
“We need to get you to a hospital,” Izzy stammered. “I think you've lost a lot of blood!”
“Oh, I sure did,” Rita replied, reaching down and picking up an old plastic soda bottle filled almost to the brim with thick red liquid. “This much, to be precise. But don't worry, I...” She paused, as if she was struggling to stay awake. “It's okay, I... I managed to save it for you. I hope you don't mind that it's...”
Her eyes slipped shut.
“Cold...”
With that, she let her head slump forward, leaving Izzy to take the bottle of blood from her hand.
Chapter Fifty-Eight
“Grandfather?” Rita asked, raising an eyebrow.
“No idea,” Izzy replied, stopping next to her and looking up at the picture of an old, rather stern-looking man. The painting had hung halfway up the stairs for years, but she was only now starting to really pay attention. “It's always been there, but I have no idea who it is. He doesn't look very much like anyone in my family.”
“Apart from the teeth.”
Izzy was about to ask what she meant, before realizing she could just about see two faint, fang-like teeth in the mouth of the painting's subject. Not only that, but for the first time she noticed that the fangs were slightly crooked.
“Maybe your grandfather was Dracula,” Rita whispered.
Izzy rolled her eyes.
“Seriously,” Rita continued, nudging her arm as she fought to contain a growing smile. “You should check into this shit, it might be important!” She paused. “I'm really sorry you didn't get your mother back. I guess that really sucks, huh?”
“You can't change the past,” Izzy replied, staring up at the painting for a moment before turning to her. “Only the future. I need to learn about the past, I know that, but it can wait for another day. What do you feel like doing this afternoon? I guess you're still a little sore, right?”
“Oh, just a little,” Rita replied, holding out her right hand and wincing a little as she slowly closed and opened her fist. “You're lucky, healing so goddamn fast. Us mere mortals have to make up excuses at the hospital to explain our injuries. I really don't think the doctor believed me when I said I'd been attacked by a bear.”
“So do you want to go exploring?” Izzy asked. “Nothing too strenuous, but we could go for a wander in the forest. Let's just keep out of any abandoned mine-shafts, okay?”
“Actually, I was thinking we could grab a coffee and then later find somewhere to... sit.”
“Sit?”
“Yeah.” Rita paused, before reaching into her pocket and pulling out an envelope. “I kinda... I know this is gonna sound weird, but I'm totally a big fan of trying to do new things. You know, like, expanding my cultural horizons, that sorta thing.”
“Sounds good,” Izzy said cautiously. “What's in the envelope?”
“Um...” Taking a deep breath, Rita seemed to be on the verge of turning and running out, before finally she held the envelope out toward her. “The opera company's in town for one more night. I snagged these from a friend of a friend.”
“Opera tickets?”
Rita nodded. “Opera tickets. I figured it'd be totally weird for you and me to sit there, surrounded by a bunch of fancy folk, so... Why the hell not?””
“But -” Izzy took the tickets and stared at them, and then she froze for a moment. “Right. Sure.”
“We don't have to,” Rita continued, trying to snatch the tickets back. “It was a lame idea. I'm dumb.”
“No, it sounds good,” Izzy replied, keeping hold of the tickets. “I should...” She paused, feeling a strange tightening sensation in her chest, and a kind of nervousness that she couldn't quite explain. “You're full of surprises, huh?” she continued. “Just let me get changed. And I should tell my father wh
ere I'm going first.” She turned to head through to the office. “I'll go and -”
Before she could manage more than a couple of steps, she bumped into the hallway table.
“Back in a moment,” she mumbled, “just wait right here. I need to tell Dad, and then I need to grab a change of clothes. I want to look my best for the opera, right?”
“Sure,” Rita said, with a faint smile. “Says the girl with crooked little fangs.”
“Whatever,” Izzy replied. “Says the girl with a tail.”
Heading through to the office, she found John making notes from one of the many, many books piled on his desk. She paused for a moment as she got closer, enjoying the sight of him working so hard.
“So how was your date last night?” she asked finally.
“Date?” He glanced at her with a frown. “What date?”
“You went out with Natalie again.”
“That was just for coffee,” he replied.
“I thought you grabbed something to eat after?”
“We did, but -”
“And then you went to see a movie?”
“Yes,” he continued, “but...” He paused for a moment. “Maybe I did go on a date,” he muttered finally. “I should probably call her and ask what we were really doing. It never occurred to me that...”
He frowned.
“I'm sure I'd know if it was a date,” he added. “Wouldn't I?”
“Did you get a goodnight kiss?” she asked.
“Izzy, that's not really a very appropriate question.” He turned to another page in the book. “Maybe,” he admitted finally, “but anyway, we have plans to go to the ballet next week. And maybe dinner beforehand.”
“You're dating her,” Izzy said with a smile. “I'm so proud of you. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it eventually.”
“And I'm sure you'll get the hang of Pre-Modern Vampire History,” he replied, trying to change the subject. “It's a fascinating book, and it lays out some of the key issues concerning our species. You have the Mard Accords, the resettlement of Assadan, the prophecies of Cerulesis, and that's just the juiciest part. There's also an entire chapter on the private life of Gothos before he ascended to his position as head of the council.” He paused for a moment. “Then again, I hope these books aren't a little too dry for you. I understand if -”
“I want to read them,” she replied, before hearing someone opening the front door, “but not right now. Do you mind if I go out for a while?”
“Go ahead. I have some reading to do.”
“I'm just grabbing something to eat in town,” she continued, “and then going to that opera show. The same one you and Natalie saw.”
“Oh?” He glanced at her again. “Izzy, are you going on a date with someone?”
“No!” she said quickly.
“But if -”
“It's definitely not a date,” she continued. “I'd know if it was a date.” She paused, before a moment of doubt crept into her mind. “Wouldn't I?”
“Be home by ten,” he replied.
“Eleven?”
“Be home by eleven.”
Heading across the office, Izzy reached out to open the door.
“And are you sure you're okay?” John asked.
She glanced back at him. “I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?”
“Well, I mean...” He paused. “It's only a week since we were down in that mine, and since... I'd understand if you were still a little shaken. After all, you watched your father getting torn apart and killed.”
She stared at him for a moment, before allowing herself a faint smile.
“No I didn't,” she said finally. “I'll be back around eleven, Dad.”
Epilogue
A full moon hung in the sky high above, as shuffling figures made their way across the vast muddy field, between huge piles of ash that rose up on either side. Most of the figures were hunched, with ropes over their shoulders that allowed them to pull a wooden cart. Seated on the cart, so as to keep well out of the mud, a figure sat slumped on a rickety wooden chair, completely motionless save for the constant bumping of the cart as it rolled along the muddy ground.
“Here!” a voice cried out suddenly, and the men slowed until the cart came to a halt.
Rushing through the mud, a figure approached the side of the cart and looked up at the seated man.
“Show him,” one of the cart-bearers said darkly.
The breathless figure turned to him. “There was mention of a reward.”
“Show him first,” the cart-bearer hissed, “and then he'll decide whether or not you deserve a penny.”
The figure hesitated for a moment, as if he was having second-thoughts, but finally he held his hands up toward the seated man, offering him a six-inch fragment of glistening white bone.
“I found it in the mud,” he explained. “There wasn't any more, I think the rest had been ground to fine dust by the shadows, but this part survived. I humbly...”
His voice trailed off, and finally he simply bowed his head and waited, trying not to tremble too much.
After a moment, the seated figure reached down and took the fragment of bone, holding it up so he could get a better view in the moonlight. A pair of calm, youthful eyes examined the bone for a moment, before he held it closer and sniffed one of the broken ends.
“I'm sure it's his,” the figure below stammered. “I mean, it has to be, doesn't it?”
The man on the seat merely let out a faint murmur, as he turned the bone around to see it from a different angle. After a moment, however, he took hold of the other end and gave it a twist, breaking the bone in the middle and then frowning as he examined the broken section. With the nail of one finger, he began to dig into the hollow of the bone, carefully scraping out some of the thick, blood-red marrow from within. He sniffed the marrow, and then gently slipped some between his lips so he could taste the richness.
“This is him,” he whispered finally, with a hint of awe in his voice. “So the rumors were true after all. Gaal RaYuul really is dead.”
“So do I get my reward now?” the figure asked. Receiving no answer, he turned to the nearest cart-bearer. “Do I... When do I get my reward? Do I get it soon?”
“Reward him,” the dark figure muttered. A moment later, ignoring the sound of a neck being snapped, he tasted the marrow once again.
“Should we move on now?” the cart-bearer asked. “Should we continue eastward or -”
“North,” the dark figure replied, still marveling at the fragment of bone. “The death of RaYuul brings many possibilities. Now that he is no longer in the way, I see a fresh path to the gates of the lost cathedral. First, though, I must look into the eyes of whoever ended RaYuul's reign of terror. I must determine whether this new player is a friend or an enemy.”
“Turn us around!” the cart-bearer called out, and the other men immediately took hold of their ropes again so that they could start turning the cart.
“The last of the old men is finally gone,” the figure whispered. “Now a new generation can take charge and propel the vampire race onward. From death, there always rises opportunity.”
With that, he dropped the piece of bone, letting it fall off the side of the cart until it fell into the mud. A moment later, the final fragment of Gaal RaYuul's body was crushed between the cart's wheels.
Coming Soon
VAMPIRE COUNTRY BOOK 2
Also by Amy Cross
PERFECT LITTLE MONSTERS
AND OTHER STORIES
A husband waits until his wife and children are in bed, before inviting a dangerous man into their home...
A girl keeps hold of her mother's necklace, as bloodied hands try to tear it from her grasp...
A gun jams, even as its intended victim begs the universe to let her die...
Perfect Little Monsters and Other Stories is a collection of short stories by Amy Cross. Some of the stories take place in seemingly ordinary towns, whose inhabitants soon discover something trul
y shocking lurking beneath the veneer of peace and calm. Others show glimpses of vast, barbaric worlds where deadly forces gather to toy with humanity. All the stories in this collection peel back the face of a nightmare, revealing the horror that awaits. And in every one of the stories, some kind of monster lurks...
Perfect Little Monsters and Other Stories contains the new stories Perfect Little Monsters, I Hate You, Meat, Fifty Fifty and Stay Up Late, as well as a revised version of the previously-released story The Scream. This book contains scenes of violence, as well as strong language.
Also by Amy Cross
ANNIE'S ROOM
1945 and 2015. Seventy years apart, two girls named Annie move into the same room of the same remote house. Their stories are very different, but tragedy is about to bring them crashing together.
Annie Riley has just broken both her legs. Unable to leave bed, she's holed up in her new room and completely reliant upon her family for company. She's also the first to notice a series of strange noises in the house, but her parents and brother think she's just letting her imagination run overtime. And then, one night, dark forces start to make their presence more keenly felt, leading to a horrific discovery...
Seventy years ago, Annie Garrett lived in the same house with her parents. This Annie, however, was very different. Bitter and vindictive and hopelessly devoted to her father, she developed a passionate hatred for her mother. History records that Annie eventually disappeared while her parents were executed for her murder, but what really happened to Annie Garrett, and is her ghost still haunting the house to this day?