‘She will be,’ Mitch said. ‘She’s strong.’
‘Yes, but vampires though? Seriously?’ Cain asked.
‘Seriously,’ Leah said, flicking her hair out of her face.
‘Fucking Christ,’ Cain said, moving into the kitchen and opening a bottle of wine. ‘I hope you know what you’re doing.’
Mitch waved away his worries, ‘we’ve done this before.’
‘I don’t even know what part of this I should be freaking out about the most,’ Cain said, hastily pouring gulps of wine into a mug. ‘That vampires exist or that my girlfriend has decided to hunt them down.’
Khalida sighed, ‘you’re just spiralling now.’
‘This is a worthy cause to spiral over,’ Cain said.
‘Look, we have to get going,’ Mitch said.
‘I’ll be fine,’ Khalida said to Cain, ‘please stop worrying.’
‘I won’t,’ he said, ‘you don’t worry enough, you need someone to do it for you.’
‘Cain,’ she said, ‘I love you, and you need to calm the fuck down. I will be fine, I promise.’
‘If this was a movie that would be what you say just before you die,’ he said, taking a drink of wine.
‘Jesus Christ, she’ll be fucking fine,’ Mitch said. ‘Come on, let’s go.’
Khalida rolled her eyes and gave Cain a kiss, brushing her hand against his face, his lips tasted like rosé. ‘I love you.’
‘I love you too,’ Cain said. ‘Have fun, then, I guess. And for God’s sake be careful.’
The three of them stepped out into the night. The air was a hard, pressing cold against them. It had been snowing during the day, however none of it had stuck and every surface was washed out with puddles now starting to freeze over.
‘So that’s your boyfriend then,’ Mitch said as they walked, his breath steaming in front of his face.
‘Yeah,’ Khalida said, wrapping her arms around her. ‘What are you getting at?’
‘Nothing,’ Mitch said, ‘I’m just surprised he’s your type.’
‘I think they’re sweet,’ Leah said. ‘He’s probably the one who stays at home a lot and does the cooking and cleaning while Khalida’s at work.’
‘We’re not the Fifties reversed,’ Khalida said. ‘And we both like to cook, though Cain mostly makes traditional British food and I like Asian food.’
‘What I meant by your type was that I was surprised you’re not gay,’ Mitch said. ‘No offense.’
‘Oh,’ Khalida said, ‘well, we’re both bisexual.’
‘Ah, that explains it,’ Mitch said. ‘I was getting a queer ambiance from you.’
‘Oh thanks,’ Khalida said, her voice sounding more reproachful then she meant it to be.
Mitch shrugged, ‘didn’t mean to cause offence, I’m queer too. My one and only serious relationship has been with Poppy, and we started dating before she transitioned.’
‘Does she mind us knowing that?’ Khalida asked.
‘Nope,’ Mitch said. ‘Not that she’s very explicit about it, at this point she just doesn’t care that much what other people think or say.’
‘Good for her,’ Khalida said.
‘Hey,’ Mitch said, ‘Khalida, are you going to be okay doing this?’
She nodded, ‘yeah, why wouldn’t I be?’
‘Because this is basically like killing a person,’ Mitch said. ‘Even though the thing you’re killing is a demon, they look exactly like a human. They react just how we would react.’
‘I’ve seen them before,’ Khalida said, her hand clutching the strap of her handbag, ‘I know what they’re like. I know what he’s like. I can do this.’
‘Good,’ Mitch said.
‘And a question,’ Khalida said, ‘so are vampires only born to other vampires, or is it through biting?’
‘It’s both,’ Leah said. ‘You’re either a vampire if both your parents are, or if you were bitten by a vampire.’
‘So...what about Gwen? That girl in my house?’ Khalida asked. ‘Is she a vampire now?’
Leah shrugged, ‘probably not. The vampire has to want to turn you for it to work. It’s like a chemical pheromone reaction trigged by a conscious choice.’
They came to Archway Station, there was a blast of warm stale air as they went through the barriers and down the escalator. The tube was loud with groups of people heading for a night out. Clusters of already drunk students, men in polo t-shirts with ruddy faces already smelling of beer, a gaggle of overdressed women, everyone smiling and laughing at something they couldn’t hear over the roar of the train. Heat burning out from skin. Khalida felt the weight of the stakes and water pistol full of holy water in her handbag, a sudden of nervous excitement ran through her. She looked across to Mitch; his body was glowing with raw excitement.
‘Ready?’ Mitch asked as the train pulled up in Angel. She nodded and followed him out with Leah close behind.
‘I’ve got everything,’ she said, patting the side of her handbag.
‘It’s not like this place is likely to check, anyway,’ Leah muttered. ‘I’ve been here a fair few times before. It’s partly why I wanted to come out with you tonight.’
The nightclub Leah lead them to was a brick warehouse cloaked in the haze of smoke from a group of people stood huddled together, bright orange dots of their cigarettes marking out their silhouettes. Even from the outside loud, pulsing bass penetrated the air.
They passed the long line of people queueing to enter, to the fast-track entry way, and gave their names to a pert, young woman with a headset and clipboard, shadowed by a bouncer. There was a token gesture of a bag search before they were waved into the building and given a hand stamp by another woman inside.
‘This seems fun!’ Mitch said.
The smell of smoke, both real and artificial, was saturated into the place, and hung low in the air in a purple haze. The music pounding through their bodies, Khalida could feel the beat in her bones as they walked forward. They made their way over to the crowded bar, lit by neon purple lights. It took several minutes before they were served. Khalida kept casually glancing around the area. It was difficult to see far beyond a few feet of people before her view was totally blocked.
‘Can you see anything?’ she yelled to Mitch as Leah ordered for them.
He shook his head, ‘nothing!’ he shouted back. ‘There’s a balcony up there which overlooks the dancefloor, we should head up there.’
Leah passed them back two Red Bulls and plastic cup of green liquid for herself.
‘Is that absinthe?!’ Khalida yelled over the music.
Leah nodded, ‘I hope so.’
They stepped up the metal stairs to the balcony, which overlooked most of the club. The dance floor was already heaving with people. They sipped their drinks and scanned the crowd below.
‘Can you see him!?’ Khalida asked.
Mitch shook his head, ‘not yet!’
Khalida sighed and gripped the railing, the lights plunging them into flashes of darkness against intensely colourful bursts of lights. She leaned out forward, casually sipping her drink as she ran her eyes across the club. From their viewpoint, they could see the entrance way and the entire bar, though part of the dance floor was blocked from sight by the ceiling.
‘He could already be down there!’ she yelled.
Leah shook her head. ‘He’ll have to go to the bar at some point!’
Khalida traced her finger around the edge of her can, peering down below them. The can was now empty, as a figure cut through the crowd, the lights catching on his profile; a strong jaw, pointed chin and Roman nose, outset by a slicked back mane of dark, paprika-crimson hair that just brushed past his nape, and two plaits from behind each ear fell forward down his chest. Khalida could see that he was wearing a leather jacket over a hideous Lisa Frank print vest top, tight jeans and thick boots as he leaned at the bar. Banes Intuneric looked normal, just a guy enjoying a night out, so unlike the creature which had smashed her door down.
Mitch slapped her hand away, ‘don’t fucking point!’
They clambered back down the stairs, across the shadowy back end of the nightclub, and came up beside Intuneric at the bar, where Khalida could see him clearly as a man for the first time. His ears were still covered in golden piercings, and peering out from his jacket she could see what appeared to be burn scars on his pale skin, edging around his right shoulder. He was handsome, with a playful gleam in his eyes and an easy grin, though as he smiled at the bar staff, she saw the glint of his fangs.
Leah ordered another drink as Khalida watched Intuneric. He ordered five double shots of straight vodka, and tipped them each back down his throat. He nonchalantly scanned his eyes over the bar, saw Khalida looking at him, and winked. She smiled back, coyly turning away to Leah. Intuneric’s abnormal red and yellow eyes were hungry.
Leah sipped her drink as Khalida studied Intuneric from the corner of her eyes, breathing in the sharp, sweet smells of alcohol, sweat and smoke. A static energy rattled on her skin as he looked up and down the bar. She felt Mitch move close in behind her.
‘You know what you’re doing?’ he said into her ear.
‘Of course,’ she said.
Mitch nodded and sunk away into the throng of people. Khalida steadied herself and took a drink.
‘Good luck,’ Leah said as Intuneric turned to move away from the bar. Khalida went after him. In a step she transformed herself, she became a girl who desperately wanted to fuck him. Air light and playful, a sexual pixie. A gleam in her eyes and a spirited smile on her lips she strolled over to Intuneric and stood right in front of him.
‘Hey, want to go smoke with me?’ she said in a voice unlike her own, high and honeyed.
Intuneric staggered for a second, his pupils were black pin-pricks and he was slightly sweaty, ‘um, what?’
‘I want to smoke, and I want you to come with me,’ Khalida said, grabbing his hand.
‘Sure, alright,’ he said. His hand was warm around hers.
‘I’m Saf,’ she said as she led him away from the bar. ‘Like Sapphire.’
‘I’m Scott,’ he said.
‘I like your accent,’ Khalida said, ‘where’re you from?’
‘All around,’ Intuneric said.
‘You sound American, are you American?’
‘No, I’m Canadian,’ he said. ‘I hope that doesn’t spoil it for you.’
She giggled, ‘not at all.’
The music became muffled as they walked, as they rounded a corner she let him overtake her so she was half a step behind him. She let her free hand dip down into her handbag.
‘I don’t think this is the way out…’ he began as they approached a fire exit which Leah had told her wouldn’t sound. She slipped her hand out of his.
‘It’s not,’ she said, still keeping her voice pert but she could see uncertainty and critical thought flare up in his eyes past the haze of alcohol. His body tensed. She grabbed the stake.
He fled. Khalida ran after him, one hand holding the water pistol. The fire exit door clattered open but no alarm sounded. Mitch was waiting on the other side in the back alley, stake in hand. Mitch struck out at him, the stake cutting through the air. Intuneric collapsed to the floor, falling back on himself below Mitch’s stake. Mitch’s eyes widened in bemusement as Intuneric rapidly scrambled past his legs.
‘Mother fuck!’
Khalida ran out into the alley and fired a stream of water, she saw him wince as it missed him by a hair-width. Intuneric got to his feet and ran. His movements had such a naturally graceful fluidity to them that for a second Khalida realised she was jealous of how easy he could move. She fired another stream of holy water at him. Another miss. And Intuneric was much faster than she was.
‘Fucking damn it!’
Icy winter air filled her lungs as she ran. Intuneric was ahead of her. Soft amber streetlight was reflected on everything, clinging to the melted snow and arising ice, catching his silhouette. They rounded a corner of a warehouse, ahead of them was a high chain-link fence blocking off access road. Mitch slipped as he came around the corner, crashing to the floor. Intuneric jumped and pulled himself up to the top of it. As he steadied himself to jump down the other side, Khalida grabbed her water pistol and fired. This time the water hit his thigh. He swore loudly and lost his balance, falling to the floor in a heap. A snarl pulled back on Khalida’s lips as she scrabbled up the fence, hurting her fingers as they bend around the cold metal railings.
She landed on her feet stiffly beside him and lunged at him with the stake. Intuneric leapt to his feet, the point of the stake grazing across his shirt. Intuneric’s face twisted into a snarl as he came up and knocked her back against the stained brick wall. She winced as her skin was forced against the rough surface. Intuneric’s fist came in hard towards her head. Her finger coiled around the pistol’s trigger. She twisted her body out of the way as his hand hit into the wall, fragments of brick coming away, and fired against his thigh.
Intuneric buckled and staggered backwards. She raised the stake.
‘Wait wait wait!’ Intuneric said, shooting back away from her reach, hands up. Khalida paused. Neither of them moved. A heavy silence weighed between them. She stood a step closer to him to box him in against the wall. His eyes narrowed. ‘Wait…who are you?’
‘What do you mean who am I?’ Khalida snapped.
‘I mean you’re not American.’
‘Do I fucking sound American?!’
Intuneric sighed in relief, his body sank, ‘you’re not American…’
‘What the fuck is going on?!’ Mitch said, appearing limping towards them from other side of the fence. ‘Why isn’t he dead?!’
Intuneric held up his hands, ‘I don’t fucking know either.’
‘I was going to kill him,’ Khalida said, not taking her eyes off him, ‘but then he just…stopped.’
‘Look,’ Intuneric began, ‘I think there’s been a big misunderstanding here. I thought you guys were involved with something which happened to me recently in America.’
‘You mean how you killed five people?’ Khalida asked. ‘Because we know about that.’
‘That really doesn’t speak well for British border patrol,’ Intuneric said. ‘Because they let me in no problem, didn’t even have to get a visa.’
‘Can we please kill him already?’ Mitch snapped.
‘Wait!’ Intuneric said. ‘Look, so you guys are just regular hunters then I guess? I can help you out.’
Khalida’s muscles jerked to raise the stake again as Mitch cut across her.
‘What have you got to say?’
‘You need vampires to hunt, don’t you?’ he said. His eyes were massive and flickered between the two of them. ‘I know vampires, I know how vampire society works, and I know who you can hunt and how you can do it.’
‘We can do that already,’ Khalida said.
‘You can hunt individual vampires,’ Intuneric said. ‘You’re missing the bigger picture, the vampire society.’
‘We work with a dhampir,’ Mitch said, ‘so I think we’re fine.’
Intuneric rolled his eyes, ‘dhampir’s are bastards. Not in the derogatory sense, it’s just what they are. They’re only half-vampire, so they only see half of the vampire world.’ Mitch blinked, they could both see a thoughtful doubt crept up behind his eyes. ‘Look,’ Intuneric continued, ‘you guys seem to be a shade above amateurs but you’re basically sleepwalking here. There is something massive going on in the UK right now and you will be killed without someone on the inside.’
‘What do you mean?’ Khalida asked.
‘There’s a group of vampires in Britain,’ he said, sitting up straighter on the ground. ‘An organised group, and they’re large, and they’re growing.’
‘And you know any of that, how?’ she asked, slowly replacing the stake with the water pistol, which she held steadily pointed towards his face.
‘So, what information can you give me?’ Khalida asked.
Intuneric smiled. ‘And now, we have an understanding.’
‘So, what do you know?’
His smile broadened. ‘Then I’d lose my leverage.’
‘Just fucking tell us so we don’t kill you,’ Mitch said.
‘I can give you names, places, what’s going on and why,’ Intuneric said. ‘And I can’t give you them all tonight, I just can’t. I’m fresh back in the country, I need to talk to people.’
Khalida glanced at Mitch, ‘what do you think?’ she asked.
Mitch shrugged, ‘it’s worth considering.’
‘Look,’ Intuneric said, ‘some of these vampires are people I want gone as well. We can work together.
‘So, you give me the vampires, and I kill them?’ Khalida narrowed her eyes into a frown. ‘And you think that could ever work?’
‘I’m just saying that there’s an overlap of vampires who we both want dead,’ he said. ‘Look, you know that I’m not a good person by your standards, but I don’t prey on humans for food.’
‘You’re still a murderer.’
‘I’ve killed people,’ he said. ‘So what? Look, you have options here. You can kill me tonight and sleepwalk into a clusterfuck, where you will certainly die. Or you can let me live, take my information, and have a chance at survival. But you can’t do both.’
‘I think we should keep him,’ Mitch said.
‘What?!’ Khalida shot him a hard look.
‘He’s right,’ Mitch said. ‘It’s a struggle to find vampires, it’s hard.’
‘No,’ Khalida said, ‘we need to kill him, now.’
‘Sweetheart, if you wanted to kill me then I’d be dead already,’ Intuneric said. ‘This can work for the both of us.’
‘We can’t trust him,’ Khalida said.
‘We have his name, and address, and bank details,’ Mitch said. ‘It’s all fake, but you can’t just get a new identity, and he must have gone through some very expensive trouble to get it.’
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