The Complete Vampire Project Series: (Books 1 - 5)

by Jonathan Yanez

  “Watch your mouth when you talk about the dead.” Sloan stalked forward, ready to continue the fight. “He died a hero.”

  “Well, not all of us are so eager to die as heroes.” Aareth jumped to his feet. His mouth was bleeding, but it didn’t seem to faze him. Without another word, he rushed Sloan, diving through the air, tackling her to the ground.

  Sloan hit a table on the way down to the floor, cracking the piece of furniture in half. Splinters flew as the two struck the cement ground. All of the air was forced out of Sloan’s lungs. Ignoring the feeling, she twisted to land on top of Aareth and started to rain down blows.

  “Stop, you two!” Edison was yelling from somewhere behind them. “You’re friends. The real enemy is the queen.”

  His shouts were lost on Sloan as she lifted a snarling Aareth off the ground by his neck and threw him against a rack of brown rifles on the opposite wall.

  Aareth practically bounced off the wall, already running at her again. What followed was a fury of blows as both of them struck one another in the face and torso. Sloan was aware of the bruises sure to be present the next day, but in the moment she didn’t care.

  The two warriors locked arms again. This time Aareth twisted her arm behind her back. Sloan slipped free, grabbed both his shoulders with her hands, placed her feet together in the center of his chest, and kicked out hard. The impact was so strong, it sent both of the combatants flying in opposite direction.

  Aareth slammed against the ground. Sloan crashed against a wall that held an assortment of shields.

  “Bebebasdasdasdsa!” Elwood ran to stand between Sloan and Aareth, his arms out to either side of his stocky torso. “Shiggedigydo!”

  Sloan touched her temple where blood trickled down. She looked over at Aareth, whose face was still intact despite her best efforts. The blood that came from his mouth was the only real evidence he had taken blows.

  “Yeah, what Elwood said.” Aareth wiped his mouth with the back of his left hand and walked out of the room.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Sloan

  “I’m not going to take any sides,” Edison said as he took a third vial of blood from Sloan. “As far as I’m concerned, you were both wrong.”

  Elwood stood with his tiny arms crossed, shaking his head at Sloan. The gnome spoke a word of gibberish at her, but as usual, she had no idea what he was saying.

  In the minutes after Aareth stormed off, Sloan was already sorry for her actions. They had both said things they shouldn’t have, but she had thrown the first blow.

  “All right, band aid,” Edison instructed Elwood, then realized his error with an embarrassed twitch of his lips. “Oh, you heal lightning-quick, so there’s no need.”

  Edison took his vials of blood and went over to one of the three tables that had not been destroyed in the fight. He immediately went to work placing blood from one of the vials on a glass slide to observe under the microscope.

  “So let’s talk this out,” Edison spoke over his shoulder as she examined Sloan’s blood. “We injected you with Phoenix Serum and the vampire elixir. We know you’re fast and strong but still tire like anyone else. Along with these internal changes, you said you’ve noticed your canines elongate and your eyes redden when you’re in conflict. Anything else?”

  “I don’t know how much I need to sleep anymore.” Sloan stared at the far wall like she was in a daze. “I didn’t sleep at all last night. I was dead tired this morning and went to bed after the funeral, but I must have only slept a few hours, and I feel … I feel fine.”

  “Interesting.” Edison played with the magnification on the microscope’s lens as he jotted down information on a pad beside him.

  Elwood, in the meantime, climbed onto a table and began mixing ingredients in a wide-bottomed beaker. He swirled the amber liquid together and placed it above a small flame to warm.

  “Careful, Elwood.” Edison raised an eyebrow to his assistant. “Don’t let the Phoenix Serum boil; it just needs to be heated.”

  Elwood looked over at his boss and gave the thumbs-up signal.

  Sloan sat quiet in the presence of the inventor and his assistant doing what they did best. Along with her sense of inadequacy in being able to help when it came to the science aspect of their journey, Sloan felt ashamed once more. The cellar was a mess of broken shelves, tables, and weapons strewn all over the floor.

  Instead of sulking in her guilt any longer, Sloan hopped off the table and began gathering all of the broken wooden furniture. She placed it into a pile in the corner of the room. She did the same with the weapons that were left without shelves to hold them. In minutes, the area began to look cleaner.

  Sloan was grateful for the distraction from her guilt. It also took her mind off wondering what Edison would find.

  “Well, let me tell you what I know, and then I’ll tell you what I suspect.” Edison finally came away from his microscope with his pad of notes. He pursed his lips as he looked at his own writing. “When Doctor Livingston and I were first creating the vampire super soldier elixir, we were looking to enhance a soldier’s strength, speed, and healing factor. Along with this came side effects of an aggressive and almost manic state around the sight of blood. This varied on levels from subject to subject, but they all struggled with it to one extent or another.”

  Edison paused, thinking back to his time with the experiment in the early days. Sloan could tell this by the way the scientist’s gaze fell over her shoulder to stare at the plain brick wall behind her.

  “I have a lot of regret.” Edison shook himself free of the feeling. “If I had known what the queen was really planning our work for, I wouldn’t have continued, and I know Oliver wouldn’t have, either. At least he suspected something. I had no idea.”

  “It’s not your fault.” Sloan’s nature wasn’t necessarily the nurturing type, but she felt like her friend needed her in this moment. She went forward and placed a hand on his arm. She squeezed him gently. “The queen fooled us all. None of this is your fault.”

  “Okay.” Edison winced under the pressure he felt in his arm. “Do you mind letting up? We aren’t all gifted with that super healing factor.”

  “Oh, sorry.” Sloan released her grip and took a step back. “I forgot.”

  “It’s okay.” Edison looked back down at his notes with renewed vigor. “With training, the vampire soldiers were able to better control this blood rage, but who knows what form that will take in the future? So, now on to what I deduce will continue to happen. As your body finishes the change, you’ll get less and less tired. Blood may play an important factor later in the transformation, as well. The other subjects became weaker in the light of day, not quite back to their human level of strength and speed, but lessened dramatically. That doesn’t seem to have happened to you, perhaps due to the Phoenix Serum. We’ll have to keep a close eye on you for any changes that continue to occur.”

  Sloan was hoping for more, but she realized Edison was doing all he could; a voice inside her head screamed for more answers, but at the moment there were none to be had. Part of her wanted to tell Edison about her dream of the woman with the fiery red hair, but what new information had that really given her? It was just a dream, right?

  “Thank you, I’ll let you know if anything changes.” Sloan gave Edison and Elwood a small smile.

  “Chin up,” Edison’s voice followed her out of the room. “The other subjects saw an end to their transformation within a week. Whatever last enhancements are being done to your anatomy will be over soon.”

  Sloan left the cellar feeling a bit better about the news. If she’d known what was in store for her the following day, she wouldn’t have felt happy at all.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Jack

  “I look like an idiot.”

  “You look like a gentleman.” Abigail lifted a hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh.

  After the pickpocketing expedition, the two had found a store named Bateman’s Boutique and had g
one inside to find new clothes. The store was jam-packed with circular clothing racks; walls with shelves, floor to ceiling bursting with clothing and accessories; and the rudest clerk Jack had ever seen, until the clerk saw how much money they had.

  As soon as Abigail waved her folded green bills in front of his nose, his tune changed. A different person entirely had come out from within the husk of the scrawny man.

  “This is the latest fashion in New Hope, darling,” he crooned at Jack. “Trust me, sweetheart, you’re going to be the bell of the ball, mmm-hmmm.”

  Jack turned again to look at himself in the full-length mirror. He wore a brown suit complete with a vest and a top hat. The suit coat fell down past the back of his knees in two coat tails.

  “It doesn’t seem like a bit much?” Jack looked into the flawless mirror to catch Abigail’s eyes.

  “We need to … fit in with the fashion worn here in New Hope.” Abigail looked over at the store clerk to see if he had caught any of her cryptic talk.

  It was clear the man hadn’t. He was rifling through a rack of dresses, already choosing one for Abigail.

  “Okay, I guess we’re doing this.” Jack adjusted his pants. “It just feel so weird and … uncomfortable.”

  “Welcome to the world of a woman.” Abigail accepted the clothes from the clerk. “I’ll be right back.”

  She disappeared into a changing booth. A long, dark purple curtain shielded her from the rest of the store. Jack could only see the very bottom of her feet as she changed.

  “So, are you two here visiting?” the clerk asked as he sidled up to Jack. “Where are you from?”

  Jack was sure the clerk was only trying to make polite conversation, still something in the back of his mind told him they needed to be careful.

  “We’re here visiting our family.” Jack did his best at a lie. He had never been comfortable lying, but he needed to now. Both his and Abigail’s safety depended on it. “We’re from just outside New Hope. I got a raise at my job so we thought we’d come in and buy some new clothes while we were here.”

  “Oh, how fantastic!” The clerk clapped his hands together. “You look like a go-getter. What company do you work for? Wait, let me guess, you seem like an accountant.”

  There was a snort from inside the changing area as Abigail tried to contain herself.

  “Yes, how did you know?” Jack was trying to keep track of all the lies now. His new persona was proving to be difficult and the hole he was digging for himself was only getting deeper. “I work for a firm that deals in gnome job placement. You can imagine there is a high demand for those skilled little workers.”

  “Oh, how interesting!” The clerk feigned admiration as a plastic smile twisted his face. “My brother-in-law does the same thing. What firm do you work for?”

  “What’s that?” Jack’s eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as his mind worked on overdrive.

  “I said my brother-in-law also works for a job placement company for the paranormal.” The clerk had slowed down his speaking as if it would help Jack understand. “He works for Martinez and Sons. What company do you work for?”

  “Oh, what company do I work for?” Jack repeated the clerk now. He could feel his face grow hot as panic began to set in. “Well, that’s actually a funny story. I work for Martinez and Sons, too.”

  Jack bit the inside of his mouth as he realized what he had just said. Not only had he doomed himself to be found out as a liar, but he was also sure the clerk would be able to see the sweat forming at his brow.

  “What a coincidence.” The clerk’s mouth opened in the shape of a large O. “You must know Jerry, then. The company isn’t that large. I think there’s only a handful of employees.”

  “Oh, yeah … yeah that Jerry.” Jack nodded along. His throat was so dry, it was hard to swallow. “He’s a heck of a guy. We go way back.”

  “Well, what are the odds?” the clerk asked with a high-pitched laugh. “I’m going to have to tell him I met you. What was your name again?”

  “Ja—”

  “Jeremiah, what do you think?” Abigail pulled back the curtain, revealing her new outfit. She wore a black-and-red sleeveless dress that came down to her feet. The dress billowed at the bottom, making her look as elegant as any lady of New Hope. In Jack’s eyes, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

  “You look amazing.” Jack felt a cool rush of air wash over him as he realized she had saved him just in time from putting his foot into his mouth.

  “Oh, you two just make the most amazing couple!” The clerk handed Abigail a black cloak she could wear in the evenings. “It does get chilly in New Hope at night. Be sure to also buy a cloak. Now, please allow me to ring you up at the counter.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Jack

  “Are you kidding me?” Abigail was practically giggling as they exited Bateman’s Boutique and reentered the busy streets of New Hope. “You’re officially the worst liar I have ever heard. You were even going to give him your real name?”

  “Ugh, I know. I fold under pressure. Put me in the middle of a fight and I can keep my cool, but ask me to tell a bold-faced lie and I fold.”

  “It’s not the worst attribute.” Abigail winked.

  The two made their way through the busy city streets. The sun was still high overhead, with the buildings to either side of them rising high in the sky, creating a kind of canyon they traversed. Jack and Abigail had asked the clerk in Bateman’s Boutique where the largest pub was located. With a knowing grin, he had directed them to a place called The Wolf where the scene was always lively.

  As they were walking down the cobblestone street, Abigail bumped into a well-dressed elderly man. Although the collision wasn’t violent, Abigail stumbled and fell to her knees.

  “Oh, my.” The man reached down to lend a hand. “I’m so sorry, young lady.”

  Jack also moved to help Abigail to her feet. A twinge of regret touched at his heartstrings as he realized the man would be left a wallet short once their interaction was finished.

  “Oh, I’m fine, thank you.” Abigail accepted both men’s assistance to her feet. “I really should be careful where I walk. I’m just so clumsy.”

  “Please think nothing of it…” The man continued on, making his apology and polite chatter with Abigail.

  Jack lost interest in his words as a feeling of being watched crept up his spine. The hairs on his neck stood on end. Jack had hunted and been hunted enough times in the Outland to cultivate a kind of sixth sense when it came to these things. He was sure that they were being watched at that very moment.

  Jack turned around, but in the middle of such a busy street, there were people in all directions. A young boy stood at a corner, shouting the headline of the daily newspaper that was for sale; a gaggle of young girls strolled by, glancing in shop windows; and a horse and carriage trotted by under the direction of a tall man in a top hat.

  Jack looked all around, but there was no obvious answer to the feeling he had. Then his eye caught movement on a rooftop. A shadow ducked down behind the roof’s ledge at the last moment.

  “And to you, too, young man,” the elderly gentlemen that had bumped into Abigail addressed him. “Have a nice day.”

  “You, too.” Jack nodded in his direction. He motioned to Abigail to move down the street. “We’re being followed.”

  Her face immediately went a shade whiter. “By who? We escaped the palace dungeon. Who else would be following us?”

  “I don’t know.” Jack quickened his pace. “I caught sight of them on a rooftop. There’s one, but there could be more.”

  “Leah? Did she allow us to escape after all?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine.” Jack altered his pace again so he was just under a jog. “Come on, we’ll lose him on the way to the bar.”

  For the next few minutes, Jack and Abigail weaved in and out of traffic. They stayed away from areas easily accessible to someone who was traveling on the rooftop
s. They ducked in and out of alleys through side streets and even went into a few stores and out the back doors. With time, the feeling Jack had of being followed died.

  “Do you think we lost him?” Abigail finally asked as the two left out through a rear door of a building called Vivacious Luxuries.

  “I think so, I hope so.” Jack pointed down the alley to a building across the way, whose swinging sign had thick, black lettering designating it as The Wolf. “There it is.”

  “You should probably let me do the talking once we get in there.” Abigail gave Jack a playful grin, then a peck on the cheek. “If I let you do the talking, we’ll be back in the queen’s dungeon by the end of the day.”

  Jack followed Abigail across the street. The ache of hunger that had been growing in his stomach over the last few hours demanded he take action soon.

  “You can do all the talking you want, as long as we can get something to eat while we’re here.” Jack placed his left hand on his stomach. “I feel like I could eat a unicorn.”

  “Here”—Abigail pressed some stolen bills into his hand—“get us a table. I’m going to see what I can learn. Someone here knows something about what’s going on at the palace. There’s bound to be some kind of information that will be helpful to us.”

  Jack accepted the bills, once again feeling that same stab of guilt for having stolen from the old man. It would have been a lot easier to accept the idea that he was stealing from people if their targets were rude or dismissive. The old man had been neither.

  The building they approached roared with noise. Like some ancient beast of the past, it was prehistoric, with peeling paint and a sagging roof. The bar stood three stories high. Made mostly from stone, open windows provided a glimpse of the madness inside.

  Men and women ranging from Jack and Abigail’s own age, to white-haired patrons, yelled and laughed. Drinkers clashed mugs together and shouted to be heard over the cacophony of noise. Jack grabbed the wrought iron handle of the door and swung it open.