Chapter 1 - Clair

Sitting in a booth at the coffee shop I stirred my coffee, adding some sugar to the toxic brew. Around me people stared, glares boring into me from the bravest, quick glances of unease from most. Ignoring the unwelcome atmosphere I rummaged in my jacket for something. Before I got a chance to pull out my book a man walked up to my table.

“I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

My eyes lifted from the coffee to the man’s face. He was about fifty, hair peppered with age, eyes flat disks of earthen brown. Pulling out a small black book I set it on the table next to my coffee, one hand fanned over it.

“Tell you what,” my eyes flicked down to his name tag, “John. I’ll leave when my business is finished here.”

He looked shocked I had spoken like a sane person. I frowned at him, disappointed by his reaction. Clearing his throat John crossed his beefy arms over his chest. I raised an eyebrow. Intimidation is it?

Below that fine mask of anger I felt his fear. It rolled over my skin like a breeze of air, warm and alive but trembling and fleeting in power. Under that was something else, something not his. I had found what I wanted.

“I urge you to rethink-“I shoved a wad of cash in his apron pocket silencing him. “What’s this?”

“A tip for being so annoying. Too bad really, I would have been a daily customer.”

Sliding out of the booth I smiled at John, the café owner. He just blinked. Turning I let my gaze run over the crowd slowly, intimidating searching them for someone. They all stiffened, turning back to the food and drinks in front of them. All but one that was. From the far corner of the room one man didn’t shrink away from my devilish gaze. No he took it, stared right back at me, and flipped me off.

I felt a jolt of surprise run through me. I had just been given the middle finger by a human, Ballsy. Giggling at the man I waved. His face twisted into something stuck between disgusted and interested. Oh I fried his brain, poor baby.

Normally I wasn’t this cruel, but his little stunt had pushed my buttons and that energy I had been sensing disappeared with his confusion. Folding my arms over my chest I walked out of the café and out into the cold winter morning.Heels clicking along the shoveled sidewalk I let my eyes fall to the ground. I’m not a monster people, why can’t you see that?

Crossing my arms tighter I turned the corner to head home. I had spent all night tracking someone down only to come up empty handed. Then when I finally get a lead daylight has to come. I need some sources that won’t burst into flames at the very thought of sunlight, I grumbled to myself mentally.

Chapter 2- Saoirse

As I pull on my black leather jacket I sigh, why does this hunger drive me so? My teeth chatter as I step out of my apartment and into the gentle breeze of the night. I can't feel the cold, none of my kind does but the pain in my stomach is growing fiercer by the hour, like a deadly beast skinning me from the inside.

I need to feed, a month ago I only consumed a little of the red liquid, I was almost caught by some dumb cops getting their noses in places they weren't wanted. Since then I've been trying to keep my head down. My tight white silk shirt sticks to my skin as I walk down the silent hall and over to the stairs. 

I dart my expert eyes left and right to make sure I don't have another soul watching me, I also sniff the air but the only blood I can get is from the ancient pensioners in the apartments beside me. My stomach demands food of me as I focus on the steep stairway below me. Grinning I quietly leap into the air and land roughly on my convers. Something tells me I'll be running tonight, so I didn't want to bother with some six inches. 

I stand smug as I lift myself of the ground and look behind me up at the tall staircase, "yeah, bitches!" I whisper to the night itself and set out for a Hunt. 

Even though its past midnight, the streets are alive with humans, or Mensen, ( Dutch for 'Humans') many Vampires call humans Mensen because the first ever blood larker actually came from Denmark, not your average Dracula but the true side behind our society. I smile but bite my lip as the smell of warm blood reaches my nose; my lust for the red liquid is increasing quicker than normal. 

I turn into a dark alley way and tilt my head to a sleeping homeless man. "Aren't you an ugly sod?" I say quietly as I perch my lips, staring at the beaten up bloke with hardly any teeth and a revolting stench.

For a Mensen this would be disgusting but for a highly developed nose like mine, it could bring tears to my eyes. Another thing I envy, but the super speed and strength is still pretty awesome! 

I walk over to the man and squat a few centimetres beside his neck. My gut growls with vicious excitement as I gently streak his soft, delicate neck. My fangs pierce through my gums, one centimetre in front of my old teeth, strangely once we are re-born we don't receive new teeth but we do gain MANY more. The old fashioned myth about Vampires only having two sharp fangs is pure bullshit. 

We actually have many sharp fangs at the bottom and top of our gums, they are not extremely thick but are out of bounds strong, they once let me chomp my way through a prison cell but that's another story. I breathe out a toxic gas that makes Mensen's unconscious for a couple of hours and drag him to the back of the alley. 

Once again I look left and right to make sure the ghost is well and defiantly clear, making sure my sharp ears and quick eyes don't detect an intruder. Confident I'm alone I hold the man's neck up to my face by his hair and sink my many razor sharp fangs into his soft buttery neck. The irony liquid fills into my mouth as he man squirms slightly.

I force myself to gulp the tangy warm solution and drag more out of his quickly dying body. Many think Vampires actually enjoy the taste of blood but, as simple Mensen's normally are, they are wrong. We think blood tastes as revolting as any other normal person do; we just need to consume it to survive. After so many years of gulping down the necessary liquid I still find it repulses me. 

As I feel the man's heartbeat fade I dump his corpse into a large bin beside me. As soon as the heart starts beating you stop drinking, many young Vampires have grown gravely ill or died over such stupidity, blood may not taste nice but it is addictive. Dead blood wouldn't kill a Vampire as old as me but it would make me weak and very sick.

I look up at the shinning moon and quickly hurry out of the alley, whipping any remaining drops of blood from my rose red lips. I rush into the bar across the street and take a seat in front of the bar man. I quickly glance over my clothes, not one dropped spilt down me, mother would be so proud. 

The sexy bar man grins at me and eyes me up and down, "what can I get ya', gorgeous?" He winks at me and leans against the top of the bar.

"A bolt white whiskey . . . and your phone number if that's going too," I purr as I lean closer to him.
He chuckles, "commin' right up," I fix my dark red hair and brush any of the cold winters night of my clothes; I'm game for a little fun tonight. 

I lean over the bar and check out the bar tenders ass, and that's defiantly fun. A tall skinny man takes a seat next to me, keeping his hood up and his head down. "I heard you were looking for me," his venom like voice stings. 

"Show me your wrist," I demand as I hold out mine. 

He quickly shoves his arm into my hand; I check his wrist and smile sheepishly. They have been cut twice, a mark of a Vampire. Vampires have to transfer some of their blood into their chosen humans body, the way they do this is by drinking you until the point of death from two cuts in your wrist then they cut their own wrist and hold it to your as the blood a Vampire is pulled into your body. Once the blood touches yours you have forever left humanity behind and walked into the shadows of the Nightcreepers. I quickly show him my own cut wrists and he settles down. 

"Welcome, sister, what purpose do you have with calling me here?" His crackly voice surprisingly gently asks. 

I brush my fingers delicately over left eye to my right, a sign of respect or welcome to a fellow Vampire. "Brother, I need your help finding someone . . . "

Chapter 3 - Clair

Sitting in the dark corner of the bar I sighed. Instead of going home I ended up tracking down the person with the dark aura from the café once night fell. Stirring my long island iced tea my eyes darted from the drink to the pair sitting at the bar. 

“Brother, I need your help finding someone…”

A small group of barely legal humans walked by cutting off his response. Leaning back I stared at the girl asking for his help. She was tall, curvy, and dangerous. She was one of them. Pushing some stray strands of hair back out of my face I let my eyes see her. The dark light interior of the bar turned even darker as my powers took over.

It was one of the perks of being a daywalker that I liked, I saw a person’s true self and was still able to go to the beach. Hunching over something the girl whispered to the boy. I strained to hear what she was saying. The noisy group of people who had first interrupted me had taken a booth right between the night breed pair and myself. It was annoying.

When the blindingly bright aura of a drunkard stepped in front of the girl I turned to the boy. His dark silhouette stirred as the evil aura within him waned like a flickering candle light. I felt my shoulders stiffen as the aura swept out into the room. He was different, more powerful then the girl, maybe even different like I was.

That bright aura swept in front of him too before I could really distinguish anything from the shadows. I felt my face pull into a frown as an aura brighter then the sun glared in my eyes.

“Come on sweet thing don’t glare at me like that.”

I blinked, the room returned to its comfortable semi dark state. A biker reeking of alcohol was standing just inches from my face. I pulled back. No wonder it was so bright. 

“Hey now don’t be that way I just want a little company.”

A low growl crept out of between my sneer. “Back off.” I commanded.

A pair of deeply silvered eyes bored into me over the bikers head. I glanced at the boy at the bar then slid out from behind the booth. The biker reached after me, grabbing my wrist and pulling me back down in the leather chair. I fought the urge to bite him.

I growled at him again, low enough that the boy wouldn’t hear it. “Let go of me.”

“I just want a little company take it easy pretty thing.”

I opened my mouth to curse at him but someone cut me off. “You heard her, let go.”

I turned and to my surprise met another pair of silver eyes. I smiled crookedly. “What are you doing here?” I asked the tall man standing over us.

Chapter 4 - Saoirse

"And this is where I'll find him?" I ask as I stare at the address on the piece of paper he had given me.

"Do you doubt me, Saoirse?" He chuckles lightly. 

"Off course not, brother, I just need to be certain. Can you not come with me?" I ask once more, folding up the paper I put it into my leather jacket pocket.

He shakes his head and takes a sip of his red wine, his hood still up. "I am too old, and not as strong as you." 

I huff loudly through my nose, "me, strong? I have lost every fight I've ever fought with my fellow Vampires, I'm hardly strong." I fold my arms over my chest annoyed.

He leans over to me and brushes my long red hair from my face and kisses my forehead, the age of many centuries of battles and blood in the number of wrinkles painted on his face. "You are strong, it just takes time for your strength to really come out, in some it is a matter of minutes, others years. It will come, like always." He gulps down the remaining wine and stands. "I smelt the kill of you earlier, make sure you slit his throat," he warns as he gently brushes his hand over his left eye to his right. 

I repeat his actions and stand myself, "may the gods protect your path brother," I smile.

"And you, Saoirse." He bows his head and leaves the bar. 

Sighing I quickly walk out into the night and run across the dead street to the alley were I had made a kill only hours ago. I rush over to the bin and open it, luckily the man is still there and in the same condition I had left him in, the cold of the night has touched his body and luckily there is no smell apart from his natural, repulsive, body odour. I bend over to pick him up when a scent catches my nose. 

I quickly turn around and see a small, curvy woman walking out of the bar and straight over to me. Snarling, I hide behind the bin and wait. As soon as I'm covered her heels click across the stone path and straight into my direction. 

"It's not polite to hide, y'know." She grins, looking in the opposite direction to were I'm hiding. There's something I don't like about this Mensen. 

Then I hits me, I smell through her odour and detect the blood of a Vampire. Growling I step out of my hiding place and stand my ground. Even though the cold doesn't affect us, she is wrapped up in a thick fur coat and scarf.

"Ah, now that I see her, I can talk." She smiles sweetly, trying to bend my mind to her will with a Vampire trick that works on Mensen's and freshly blooded Vampires but not on more powerful Vampires.

"You can stop your little mind game, I may look young but I'm powerful," I growl, silently reaching for the knife strapped to my lower back.

Her smile slips and she twists her mouth playfully, " I can see that but it was worth a shot wouldn't you say?" She takes a threatening step near me but I don't budge. "I only want to talk," she says as she stops and shrugs.

I shake my head, "I don't discuss with sly snakes that masks their blood with the scent of Mensen, that's why I didn't detect you in the bar." She grins at my knowledge and sighs,

"I've been told you are more of a showdown than I, a sneaky being who could prove useful to me." She says while walking to the left wall and then to the right, back and forth as if pacing. 

"Who are you hiding from?" I ask, snatching my blade and counselling it in my sleeve, like every other Vampire I could use my long extremely strong and razor sharp nails to kill this girl, but that's what she would be expecting. 

She barks a laugh and turns to me, glee withering in her dark eyes that match mine, "a question for a question, is that fair?" She asks, folding her arms. 

I nod, sounds fair. "What were you and that man talking about in the bar?" She asks seriously.

I grin, a little pissed, I wanted my question answered first but ce la vie. "I was getting the hideaway of a rouge Vampire, I blooded him. He's responsible for many deaths and must be put down; since I blooded him he's my responsibility." I answer honestly, she searches my thoughts quickly, and I let her rummage through my mind but keep certain things locked away from even her gaze. 

She smiles, "you're telling the truth," I nod my head. "I never lie, why should I start now? So tell me, who are you hiding from?" I ask, holding the blade with my fingertips, reading to pounce if she decides an attack is the way to go. 

She sighs, "I'm hiding because someone is looking out to kill me." I bark a humourless laugh, "every Vampire has someone out to kill them, it's an unwritten law that we have more than one person up our arse!" I rant, speaking the truth of our cursed culture once again. 

"Isn't it always like the Irish to exaggerate things? Never the less, I answered your question." She says with a smug smile glistening on her cherry red glossed lips. "I believe it is my turn for a question, what are you doing in this disgusting alley? Catching a bite to eat?" She grins, the slight nick of evil shinning through her innocent face.

I smirk, the kind of smirk that has seen so much evil that it welcomes such pain and death to its sight, and walk over to the bin. I open it with the hand that isn't holding my still hidden blade and reach in and drag the man's body out. "Just settling unfinished business," I hold the man's head back with his hair and using my blade slice open his un protected throat.

Even though I had feed form him already, blood gushes out of its fleshy prison and spills to the ground a few meters in front of the girl. She breathes in sharply and takes a steep back as the blood creeps near her as I attach my blade to my lower back again. She knows as well as I that dead blood will make her ill. 

"What's wrong, sister, not feed yet?" I ask as I wipe my hands on my jeans.

"Not for a couple of weeks, no." She answers, completely transfixed on the red liquid as it slowly stops forming a pool around the slowly rotting mortal. 

I crack my neck side to side, "well, you better grab a bite soon, the sun will rise in," I stick my tongue out of my mouth and taste the air. Quickly I pull it back in and swish my tongue around my mouth, "the sun will rise in about two hours." I concur and turn to leave. 

"It's fine, I'm a Daywalker." She says without even a little slither of pride.

"Well, woopty-fucking-doo for you, have fun at the beach." I snap, pushing past her and heading home.

"Can I stay with you?" She blurts out before she can control it. I turn round slowly and stare at her. Words creep up my tight throat but refuse to come out. She hangs her head, a shy young girl behind her cocky attitude. "I will have no luck Hunting in the day, if I return with you; I could feed of you . . ." She whispers, "with your permission of course, just until nightfall." She adds quickly as she looks up at my startled face. 

I look at her once more and something stabs at my black heart, even as a mortal I had a soft spot for lost puppies. My senses finally kick back in and I groan loudly. "OK, sure. Just until nightfall, but then I must leave. You can stay there if you wish, I won't be returning." I say quickly and walk out into the alley before I see her reaction. 

Hearing her heels clicking against the pavement I turn to her, brushing my hand gently across my left eye to my right I say, "my names Saoirse, what's yours, sister?" I ask, picking up my speed, I don't want to be caught in the daylight. I rather like my skin and I would prefer it not to catch fire, granted it takes a couple of hours before it actually bursts into flames but it still feels like I'm taking an acid bath.

"I am Clair," she smiles as she drags her fingertips over her left eye to her right. I nod and we quickly walk to my flat that I've been sharing with my snake for the past month, hope she likes reptiles!

Chapter 5 - Clair

I stared at the girl lying on the mattress. She had brought me to an apartment in the middle of town and let me feed off her. She had offered me shelter and for one night friendship. I smiled crookedly, half heartedly.

“It almost makes me feel bad, using you like this, Saoirse.”

I whispered her name. It almost made me feel worse knowing a little about who she was. Licking my lips I sat on the bed next to her. The snake in its glass terrarium rattled its tail angrily. The beautiful shimmering scales of its skin made me smile. I was a lover of reptiles, snakes especially. It seemed she was as well.

Brushing her hair out of her face I pressed my cool fingers over her throat. She didn’t move. As old as you are you aren’t quite old enough to wake during the day. Lifting her wrist I held it just in front of my face. Just an hour before she had willingly let me drink her blood to satisfy my thirst and now I was doing something else, something unforgivable.

Pressing the cuts to my mouth I felt my fangs snap down into place. Pulling my lips back I sunk my triple canines into her flesh. There was an unconscious twitch from her hand as I pulled back. Taking my own wrist I did the same thing, biting deep enough to draw out the dormant blood cells hiding in my veins. My fangs retracted.

My tongue ran over the gums where my fangs had disappeared. I never really liked using them, it felt strange. I was one of those vampires who liked to pretend to be as human as possible. That was mainly because I was so different from the other vampires. I didn’t have a mouth full of sharp teeth, I was awake during the day, and I even went weeks or months between feeding without problems.

Shaking the depressing thoughts off I pressed the two heavily bleeding writs together. My body jerked as her blood flowed into my arm. It burned like acid washing down my veins. It’s all worth it, I told myself. I pressed my wrist harder against hers. If I wanted to get all her repressed memories and feelings I had to take as much blood in as possible.

Sighing I leaned my head back, holding her arm to my chest. Brief flashes of old memories were flickering through my head. I wasn’t too sure what I was seeing, or feeling, but one thing stood out to me. The person she was so desperate to find. I jerked my arm back. Standing I gave her one last glance before walking out. She would wake up in eight hours with blood stained sheets and no memory of what I had just done.

“Now to find Janus.” I grumbled.

Chapter 6 - Saoirse

My eyes snap open as pain explodes like a bomb inside my body. I try to sit up but my head cries out with bright white pain. I roll over and fall onto the floor. My skin has become incredibly sensitive and the touch of the floor has made it burn. I jump to my feet, ignoring the pain flowing through my body look a cruel mistress.

"By the gods . . ." I gasp as I stare at my recently slit wrists. 

New blood has entered my body, and it's killing me. I scream and fall to my knees, cradling my head in my hands. This is the end of me, after five hundred years and this is where it ends. I can't even say I completed my mission. I make peace with the gods, being brave and fighting the tears as the acid like blood courses through my veins and sets my skin on fire, I squeeze my eyes shut as if it will help with the increasing pain. 

I curl up into a ball and curse the day I set eyes on that bitch Clair. Suddenly the pain stops. I open my eyes and look left and right. My heart rate returns to normal as I try to stand up. Many believe that Vampires heart does not beat, but if they didn't beat, then how would we live? Our bodies function properly apart from aging, every one hundred years is one year to a Vampire. I stand up and hold on to my bed railings, my snake hisses with worry.

I hush him with a quick glance. I slowly walk to my front door and look outside. The sun is shining and blood bags walk past, looking at me strangely. My door is in the shade, I gulp as I stretch my hand out into the sunlight. Sweat trickles down my head as the suns powerful rays touch my skin, it stings but only mildly. I walk out of the door and into the light; a shiver runs down my spine as I look up at the clear blue sky for the first time in five hundred years.

I flick back into reality and start running down the hall, not bothering with shoes or even closing the door. I rush down to the bottom of the stairs and inhale deeply, trying to catch the scent of the scumbag Daywalker. It's extremely vague, she must have left hours ago but I just about snatch it up. I start running down the street, getting strange stares from the nosey crowd of the city. I keep running, not in full speed otherwise I would get WORSE stares, and I don't need that shit happening again.

I eventually make it to a small coffee shop; I can see her sitting on her own through the glass wall. I barge into the shop, hell bent on beating the shit out of this girl. She looks up at me quickly and curses, "Saoirse, I, uh, didn't think you'd . . ." She babbles before my anger cuts her off.

"Survive!" I roar, grabbing her by the hair and dragging out of the shop against her protests, she tries to pull away but my fury is more powerful than her strength. I pull her round the back of the café and throw her against the wall. "What the fuck is your problem?!" I scream, throwing my hands into the air. 

"My problem? You're the one who just dragged me out of the shop by my hair!" She growls, brushing down her hair and standing up straight, even though some blood drips down from her scalp.

I charge forward and pin her to the wall. "What did you do to me?" I roar in her face but she doesn't cringe. 

"I needed to know more about you," she answers calmly, she's not trying to get away, she knows I need to get it out of my system or else there will be hell to pay.

"SO ASK ME THEN!" I growl, pushing my face even closer to hers, trying to intimate her.

"And would you have answered?" She snaps back, with the same amount of venom as my snake. 

I back away from her and shake my head sadly, "so you do this to me?" I whisper. I gulp, "you trade bloods? You turn me into a Half Blood?" I snap, running my hands through my hair I pace up and down.

"I had to make sure you were not someone after me, I had to be sure." She tries to say coldly but her bucket of guilt is overflowing and I see through. 

"Are you satisfied I'm not someone out to kill you, you self-centred bitch?" I growl. She nods sharply and grinds her teeth against my insults. Nearly EVRY Vampire has someone after her, she's no better than a freshly blooded Vampire. Scared that the world wants her dead, what a cunt! "I shared my home with you, helped you. And you sentence me to death?!" I roar. 

"I didn't sentence you to death!" She screams, anger spilling out along with the guilt. 
My face turns red and my true, boiling, fury is unleashed. "When was the last time a Half Blood lasted longer than a year?" I roar, throwing myself at her and lashing out with my fists.

I get I could couple of blows to her face, but in my weak condition she easily flips me off her and throws me against the wall. With a groan I thud to the ground, pain once again swallowing me up. She stands over me, blood leaking down her face.

"I did nothing wrong." She whispers and then in a blink of any eye speeds out.

I groan a Pure Blood Vampire is a good thing; a Pure Blood Daywalker is a good thing. A Half Blood is not a good thing, the Vampires have tried to do it before but they never succeeded, why would I be any different?

Chapter 7 - Clair

Running around the corner of the alley she had drug me into I sighed. She was a stubborn one, that Irish blood of hers really shows. Biting my lip I risk a glance around the corner at her. She hadn’t moved since I had left. She was still slumped against the wall I’d thrown her against. Just sitting as still as stone in a thin strand of sunlight, staring at the ground, like a dead person. She was so dejected it made me feel guilty I had used her for information.

Hooking my fingers in my belt I stomped down the street a couple of feet. When the pressure constricting my chest became too much I stopped. She might have been a stranger, she might have been a full night breed, but she was now my responsibility. Frowning I kicked the stone sitting in front of me. After having her open her home to me I’d betrayed her trust. 

I’ve really turned into a monster if I can do something like that and then just walk away while they die, I thought to myself. She was going to die now, I could sense it. And for some stupid reason I was thinking I could fix it. Or at least I could try.

“Oh hell”

Turning I stormed back down the sidewalk and into the alley where I had last seen Saorise. Glancing up from the drying splatter of blood I paused. She was gone. Looking around the dim interior I frowned. Small tendrils of power emanated from the area. She was trying to hide from me. I didn’t really blame her. Shifting my weight to one side I ran a hand through my hair, sighing loudly.

“You know, if you had just stayed asleep like a good little girl and not gone out into the sun like a moron this wouldn’t have happened.”

An agitated growl crept from behind me. She didn’t like being called a moron it seemed. Had she still been a pure breed I would have be decapitated but because of the chromosome that now circulated through her body I was faster, matching her in strength and speed. As her claws closed around my neck I dropped, slipping through her grip before she could tighten it.

Reaching into the pocket of my jacket I pulled out my Ruger. As I dropped Saoirse growled, taking a step back so she could grab my hair again. I whirled, ripping a couple strands of hair out by the root when she pulled in the opposite direction.

“Stop” I said as calmly as I could manage.

She was starting to piss me off. When she opened her mouth to hiss at me I shoved the small LCR Revolver in her diagram. There was a small shutter through her body as the hardened steel object became apparent. She understood the dynamics of it but I felt the need to voice her demise.

“I’m sure even you realize that at this range your heart will explode if I pull this trigger.”

“What do you want.”

Smirking at her obvious distain I shook my head. “I thought about helping you, but if all you want to do is get revenge for a misunderstanding forget it.”

“Misunderstanding!?” She shouted, “I’m a fucking half breed, what is to misunderstand about that?”

I wasn’t going to go over my plan to ditch her when she was asleep. At first it had actually worked. During the day she was a corpse, a little blood exchange wouldn’t hurt her. As toxic as my blood was to a pure breed it wouldn’t harm them unless they came into direct contact with gamma radiation. In other words if she had stayed in the dark she would have been fine.

“Do you want to reverse the effects or not?”

“You can’t reverse a blood exchange.” She snapped.

Rolling my eyes I lowered the gun slightly. “Hear me out before you jump to conclusions.” When she didn’t move I tried a different approach. “It’s not like you have anything to lose.”

She half barked at me. Releasing my hair she stepped back, eyes full of hate. Clicking the safety on I pocketed the Ruger LCR Revolver. I was about to do something I knew I would regret.

“Follow me, there is someone you need to meet.” I said slowly.

When she didn’t answer I just turned and leapt over the wall separating the highway from the small chain of shops. I could only hope that for Saorise’s sake Janus was in a good mood. I hoped for my sake he was in a good mood.

Chapter 8 - Saoirse

I roar at the top of my lungs and send my fist into the hard concrete building. My hand erupts with pain and I scream again. "Why the fuck did I do that!?" I growl as I cradle my poor broken hand.

"That was intelligent," Clair's sarcastic words make my blood boil. 

"Go take a stake to the heart!" I snap, she edges closer but I growl under my breath and she stops. 

"I'm trying to help you," she rolls her eyes but guilt radiates from her skin like heat.

"Really? Buy me a new car then, don't try and cure the incurable." I rage as I try to stand up but the strength in my legs and I go crashing to the ground. 

Clair rushes over to me and is about to touch me but then she looks at the pure hatred dripping from the pores in my face and backs off. "The blood poisoning is making you as weak as a common Mensen, you should have stayed out of the sun," her cold voice says as she kicks the ground.

"Well, when a thief steals your secrets you tend to risk a bit of a sun burn!" I try to stand again but for the time being I seem to be paralysed from the waist down; and with a broken hand I'm not in the safest position. 

Knowing my only weapon is my weak unbroken left hand Clair squats down beside me and smiles; it's a forced smile and makes me feel edgy. "You need my help and you're a fool if you don't see that." She says simply.

I roll my eyes but see the danger I'm in staying out here. I'm unable to transport myself and because we are behind a rather popular café, someone is bound to discover me half dying from the lack of blood I need to mend my broken bones and the constant sun damaging my skin. Once people discover my state I will be sent to the hospital and the doctors will scratch their heads at the slow heart beat and the retractable fangs. Closing my eyes I silently curse the gods of fait, wishing desperately that I could have had a change in my destiny, but if this is the road the gods have chosen for me then I must walk down it, or in my case me carried. 

I nod my head, "I'll go with you, but if you step out of line or I suspect you're a danger to me . . . I'll rip your fuckin' throat out!" I hiss through my clenched teeth. 

I wish I could think of a better threat but my mind is a swirling vortex of grey mist and I'm finding it difficult to sort my words out. Slowly Clair lifts me up bridal style and walks out onto the street. I thought she'd take a more secret route but she trudges through the street, oblivious to the harsh stare of the public or she doesn't care. A small woman carrying a taller woman with sliced wrists and in a pair of boxers and top is going to attract one or two eager eyes. 

But as other eyes widen at such a sight mine begin to grow heavy, the madness of the day finally starting to strike my beaten body. "Saorise you have to stay awake," but Clair's gentle words have no effect on the bone shacking tiredness attacking me.

I lose the battle that my body is trying to fight and slip from conscious and into the welcome arms of dreams. ". . . but there has to be something!" A woman's irritated voice reaches my ears. 

I'm lying on a steel table and I'm awake but I haven't the energy to open my basically glued shut eyelids. "I am sorry; Clair, but even I can do nothing. The best thing for her is to be put down!" This time a man's voice snaps, clearly Clair has been yapping for some time. 

"You won't harm her, you will save her!" She growls, she must be close to me because I can hear her more clearly and the frustration in her voice is enough to match my own.

I can't move any part of my body, it's like the nerves that controls my movement has been sliced away from my brain and now I'm left to rot like a potato. I try to speak but along with my useless legs and arms my vocal cords will not obey my wish. Now would be a perfect time for Vampire Hunters to attack! 

The man sighs and I hear footsteps walk closer to me, "I cannot save her, the blood has already spread through her body, also she was in the sun for too long. Even if she had stayed in the shadows it would have been difficult." I feel the man rest his hands on the table. 

"But I've seen you do it before!" Clair snaps as she hits her fist of the metal table. My eyes remain close but I can feel her looking at me. "Please, Janus, I owe her." Once again the man sighs and tuts like a school teacher of old. 

"I am sorry, my child, but there is nothing to be done. The poison has spread, I suggest we get her some blood so her arm can mend and she can regain consciousness." 

This time Clair sighs, "very well, I tried and if she must remain a Half Blood, then so be it." She tries to say it with the same coldness as ice but her voice cracks and her guilt drips from her words like the deadly blood swarming through my veins. 

"I am afraid that is the way it must be. Now, Clair, I am certain you did not come here just for this young woman." He moves away from the table and I listen to him walk across the room and sit on a creaky chair.

It's only now I realise that there is a large fire place and the heat swarms my grateful body."No, I wanted to help her but I'm not here just for Saorise," Clair sighs and I feel her stare turn away from me and she walks over to the Janus man.

I don't hear her take a seat so I assume she is standing up and pacing. "Why are you here, Clair?"

Chapter 9 - Clair

“Why are you here, Clair?”

Lips twitching I frowned at my creator. Normally I would have been nervous; worried I would push him too far and get myself killed. But now, now I had Saoirse to worry about. Spearing the blonde pure blood with my eyes I snorted.

“To cure Saoirse,” I barked. Janus’s pale lips parted, “I’ve seen you do it before, Janus.” 

His brow crinkled under his disappointed glare. “I told you there is nothing I can do.”

I glanced at Saoirse. She was still, but something told me she was conscious. I wasn’t entirely sure why I thought she was, her eyes were closed, body as still as stone. Shaking my head I took three steps closer to Janus. Bowing my head I glared at the floor. I wanted to do this; I wanted to risk his anger.

“Shall we talk outside, Master?”

There was a long moment of silence as Janus contemplated my request. I stared at the floor so nothing on my face betrayed me. There was one defiant way to make him cure her. I had no reason to believe he was giving me the whole truth. With Janus if there was one way, there were several.

Which gave me the hope that, if he couldn’t cure her, maybe I could. There was a light tap on my shoulder. I glanced to my left. I saw Janus’s arm shut the door behind him before he disappeared. Straightening I growled curses at the door. Taking the few steps back to Saoirse still form I sighed.

“Saoirse,” there was no answer, “I know you heard us, don’t ask me how I knew, but I’ll straighten him out. There is a way, I just know it.”

“How sweet, the one friend you have in this world and you’re killing her.”

I jerked away from Saoirse. A tall almost lanky woman sat on Janus’s throne. She smiled wickedly at the dying half breed behind me. I slid to the left so my body was in her direct line of sight. Her lip curled back unhappily like she was some kind of feral dog.

“Back off Charlene, she’s mine.”

I saw her pale hands twitch. I’d pushed a button using her real name. Taking one hesitant step back I reached for the gun in my coat pocket but it was too late. Flashing to my side I watched in terror as she wrapped her long fingers around my neck.

Using the momentum from her jump Charlene drove me back over the table Saoirse was laying on. My hands braced themselves around Charlene’s wrist just before she slammed me into the floor. I coughed, back arching from the pain. She hadn’t done it nicely, she hadn’t just thrown me across the room, she drug me.

“Insolent brat,” she spat in my face, “I should have killed you years ago.”

Clawing at her wrist I growled as defiantly as I could. Picking me up she slammed me into the floor. Again I coughed, a rib or two cracking from the second impact. If I didn’t do something soon she would crush me to death before she even got around to killing me. 

I hated to do it but I had little choice. Biting my lip I sucked on the cut until I tasted blood. Purposefully struggling I stretched my neck out so my face was even with Charlene’s. Her lip twitched into an unpleasant snarl. Smiling at her I spit the fresh blood into her eyes.

She shrieked, smacking me. “Augh, you contaminated me you filthy day walker!” Pawing at her face she rubbed the blood away. Now was my chance. Twisting to one side I drew the Ruger, concealing it with my body. “You, I’m going to kill you.” 

Using her clawed hands Charlene ripped the jacket off my shoulder as she drug me across the floor. I didn’t even have time to aim at her she was so fast. The gun clattered across the floor out of my hand when she twisted one arm behind my back.

Taking a fist full of my hair she craned my neck back at a harsh angle. “You have such a pretty face, why don’t I add some make up to make it prettier? I think some rouge would be nice.” She forced my face down close to the fire. “Of course only a bloody red would suit you.”

I clenched my jaw, fighting against her strength. I didn’t have a chance, I didn’t have my gun and she was a pure breed. Closing my eyes tightly I dug my nails into the floor. I really hated Charlene, but did I hate her that badly? Did I want to kill her? But if I didn’t then not only was my life in danger but Saoirse’s as well.

Grinding my teeth I let my fangs drop from their hidden place in my mouth. The power of my blood boiled within my veins. The blood still left on Charlene pulse in time to my heart. I had a connection, I had a weapon. As I stared into the fire I began the chant that would activate my true power. The power of a day walkers tainted blood.

“Blood of my blood-“

Familiar hands wrapped around my mouth before I could utter the next phrase. Charlene’s hands were pulled away from my face just in time. I rolled to the side, hair singing in the blaze. Panting for air I closed my eyes tightly, feeling every cracked rib. Charlene was lucky Janus had good timing. As the pain swelled and the hum of blood in the air dyed down I felt darkness engulf me.

Chapter 10 - Saoirse

Janus lifts the squealing Charlene towards me. I have been watching the pitiful fight between Clair and Charlene since the hit against the table that I am still unable to move from. Apart from opening my eyes and turning my neck, I can do nothing else. Janus drags her over to me; a pure blood has the same nutrition as a human. I can smell her frightened blood swarming through her body as her heart rate increases as Janus holds her unprotected neck over my mouth. I try to open my mouth but I still haven't the energy to even open my mouth. 

Janus grabs a handful of Charlene's hair and opens my mouth. "You're gonna pay for this, Janus!" Charlene growls as she tries to wiggle free. 

Janus takes a knife from his belt and slices Charlene's throat. The blood sprays all over my face, the irony liquid spilling down my throat. Charlene gurgles but she won't die, this is an easy wound to fix but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt like hell. The vile liquid has an instant affect on my body. I lean forward and put my lips over her wound and gulp more of the additive blood. I feel strength return to my legs and arms and my broken hand mends quickly. 

I want to drink her dry but Janus pulls her away when she looses consciousness. I jump of the table but wobble slightly; I still feel a bit dizzy. Janus chains Charlene to the wall. Now that I've got a good look at him, Janus is an odd looking fellow. His long white hair reaches just bellow his stomach and it makes him look older than he is but his tightly cut black bear removes the many years that his hair adds. 

I stretch my arms over my head until the bones pop back into place and I stretch my legs forward until they click back into place, too. I walk over to Janus and run my hand over the chains holding Charlene to the wall, her neck has sealed shut, and she will be fine, a bit weak when she wakes but not much damage. 

"Silver chains?" I ask as I study the many chains wrapping around her body.

"Off course," Janus mumbles as he attaches locks to the chains. 

Ironic how Werewolves can break through silver chains but Vampires cannot, the legends of old really do get twisted. I sigh and walk over to the very unconscious and bloody Clair. I lift her up and fling her over my shoulder and walk over to the sofa across from the fire place and dump her onto it. Janus passes me a bowl full of water and damp cloth, I kneel beside the sofa and dampen the cloth in the water and start wiping the blood from her face. 

"Is there really nothing you can do for me?" I whisper as I brush Clair's hair from her face to get to the slowly healing gash on her forehead.

Janus sits down on a seat beside the sofa and sighs, "there is nothing I can do," he says as he picks at his long nails.

"Then why does Clair think there something you're not telling her?" I snap, I may be a Half Blood but my strength has been regained and it will not falter me now. I may only have a year to live but I'll make it the best fucking year ever! 

He sighs again but this time from annoyance. "Clair believes in the myths in the gods and an ancient cure." I stare at him confused. 

I lick my lips and put the cloth back into the bowl of water. "A cure for Half Bloods?" I question as I become a little more interested. 

"A cure for Vampirism!" He barks a laugh and puts his hand on his forehand. That is not possible, a Vampire is cursed from the moment they are Blooded by another, to surfer the world in darkness and lust after another's blood. There is no cure! "There is a legend that the curse of Vampires can be reversed by a blood sacrifice and body swap." He explains but I can tell he doesn't believe a word that leaves his lips, to him this is nothing more than a fairy tale, a tale to be enjoyed but not something to waste your life chasing.

"I wouldn't be a Vampire?" I whisper as I juggle the new information. 

"Yes, you sacrifice a member of your family and you take their humanity and they die," he coughs and shifts in his chair uneasily. 

"Well, it's a good thing I don't have any family then, huh?" I half laugh and stare at my hands.

"I wouldn't be so sure, no matter how far apart you are it will work. It doesn't have to be close blood, it could be your sixtieth cousin and it would still work." Janus barks a laugh and brings himself back into reality. "But it is a lot of nonsense, I have seen many people try to perform such old, dark magic and have never worked. Unless the Vampire who is casting the spell and the Vampire who wishes to change are both beings of magic it will never ever work." He sighs and smiles at me, "I am sorry, my child, but it is impossible." 

Suddenly Clair leaps of the sofa and glares at Janus. "I knew you were lying! There is a cure. How can you sit there like that?!" She rages at Janus, her anger bubbling to the surface like lava in a volcano. 

Janus interlocks his fingers and laughs at Clair's obvious anger. "And what do you propose I do?" He asks as if he was asking for a cup of tea.

"TRY!" She roars and then points at me, "try to save her, not just sit and chuckle!" 

Janus smiles but its forced as I can clearly see he is not enjoying be given orders. 

"It is not possible the thing you say, many have tried but many have failed." He says simply as he stands up and begins to walk away. 

"But some have succeeded?" She questions as she chases after him.

He sighs and turns to her and nods, "a few, really a small few, have managed to reverse the curse." 

Clair grins and looks at me quickly, "fantastic! Then it's settled! We search for her family and-" she begins to praise before I leap to my feet. 

"I don't want to become mortal!" I snap walking over to the odd couple.

"But you will survive; you won't die in a year." Clair smiles, trying desperately to win me over with a small gesture.

I shake my head and frown, "I would rather die in a week then set myself below and become human!" I growl, folding my arms over my chest I set my stubborn mind.

Clair tilts her head back, frustrated and looks back at me, "Saorise, don't you understand? You will be OK, you won't die? Why are you being so fucking stubborn?!" She snaps annoyance riddling in her words. 

"I'm not becoming human just because your guilt is overwhelming you! You can live with the guilt as I will live with my mistake of offering you help!" I snap. She instantly shuts up and gulps, ashamed of what she has done. "Let the knowledge that my death is your doing, and let it tear your conscious apart." I growl as I push past them both and out the door. 

Where the hell am I? I'm on a beach. "For fuck sake!" I roar.

I walk over the golden sand beach and on to the road. Cars blaze past but one pickup truck pulls up beside me. I look through the window and see a young man at the wheel. "you shouldn't be out here on your own, ma'am." He says, his hungry eyes looking at my exposed body.

I pull at the boxers I'm wearing. I'm up for some fun tonight. I get into his car and look out the window as Clair rushes out of the small cottage on the beach. She swears as we drive away and she turns back to the cottage towards the waiting Janus. 

"So, miss, why are you out at this time of the morning?" The young man asks, he tries not to look at my bare legs but he drastically fails as his hungry eyes eat up every inch of me.

I glace at the radio and see its past three in the morning. I lean my head back and look at him from the corner of my eyes, "looking for some fun," I whisper seductively. He gulps and I know he's mine.

Chapter 11- Clair

“Saoirse” I whispered after her disappearing figure.

“You plan to track her don’t you?”

My hand twitched, the urge to slap the vampire hovering over me strong. I resisted, barely turning my head to glance at him. His blood shot eyes bored into to me. I flinched away quickly. I had angered him tonight, angered him greatly.

“Yes, Master.”

“Don’t ‘yes, master’ me, you know you were out of line, being obedient now won’t save you.”

I swallowed a lump in my throat. Charlene was considered to be Janus’s favorite among his horde. I was probably his least favorite due to the fact that I didn’t bow down and kiss his shoes as much as he liked. If he blooded Charlene by slicing her throat, what would he do to me? I might survive something like that, but I wasn’t entirely sure.

“Clair,” I turned back to Janus. His tone of voice had drastically changed. It was no longer boiling over with anger, but quiet and calming, “take this with you.”

Reaching behind his back Janus pulled a small black book from behind his back. It was the same black book I had left at the café some days ago. I balled my hands. He had been the one I sensed in the café, the one who was following me. All fingers pointed at Janus stalking me. Only there was one problem. It had been daytime when I left that notebook.

“You were following me?” I said outraged.

“Perhaps, perhaps not.” I starred at the extremely old and secretive vampire. “It does not matter how I came across this book, only that I am giving it back to you.”One eye brow rose as he stretched his hand out to give me the book. I took it, the black leather feeling comfortable in my hands. Taking my eyes away from Janus’s blank face I opened the book. A hand wrapped around mine, shutting it before I really got a good look inside. My head snapped up, another outraged accusation forming on my lips.

“Not yet child,” Janus said as he pressed his index finger against my lips. I blinked, “I want you to read what lies within those pages after you leave my presence.”

“YOU made an entry?!” I mumbled from behind his hand. It sounded more like, “Ew day enter.”

Janus laughed, hands pulling back from my book and face. “Go, Claire, find your friend.”

And with that he disappeared into the safety of his house. I glanced over my shoulder at the sun. It had been up for a couple of minutes before Janus came out after me. I wasn’t surprised he had kept the conversation to a minimum. Running a hand through my hair I thumbed a few pages of the book around. They were old entries I had obtained from other vampires. 

I stopped at the one right before what I assumed was Janus’s entry. The crimson script still had the faint smell of death even though it had been a week since I had splayed the elder vampire for his bloods information. Licking my lips I slammed the book shut. If I was going to find Saoirse I was going to need my powers.

Turning to the road she had hitched hiked down I inhaled. As much as we both hated it my blood ran through her veins yet, and for once I was kind of glad. I smelled the gas exhaust from the truck, the thick scent of a man, and Saoirse. I followed her scent for about a mile before I lost it in the chaos of an intersection.

“Guess it’s time to get serious.”

Closing my eyes I inhaled again. Saoirse was there, somewhere, in the mess of body scents. I forced myself to distinguish further between the smells. I searched the bloods. My own scent, however diluted thanks to Saoirse’s blood, drifted to me on a tail wind. I smiled, I had her. Rushing forward I kept to the trees that began to parallel the road. She wasn’t more than a mile from me at best.

As I closed in I swallowed. I had used my vampire senses to find her and now my vampire was wanting out. I shook my head, slowing to a light jog. I didn’t want to let that monster loose, I didn’t like what I became when I did. The rhythmatic shifting of a truck bed pulled me out of my internal fight. Moan drifted from the back of the pickup truck.

I resisted the urge to smile. Leaning against the shifting truck I crossed my arms, clearing my throat to get their attention. The man grunted head snapping up to stare at me. He seemed embarrassed, face glowing a bright red. Saoirse glared at me, not really stooping. I turned my head when she straightened and gave me a face full of her bare chest.

“Saoirse, we need to talk.” I said quietly.

Chapter 12 - Saoirse

He drives down a dusty country road, trees consuming each side of the road. He keeps licking his lips, desperately trying to keep his aroused attention on the road. “You never did tell me your name, miss,” his slight country accent mixing in with the casual tongue of the Americans. I pulled my left leg up against my chest and opened the window to let some air in. 

“Nor am I going to, it is best we keep things strictly... confidentional.” I smirk and look at him through my lashes. Mother always said never to play with my food, but it is so much fun, I cannot resist. He gulps loudly but tries to remain head strong.

“I don’t think you know what you’re saying, miss,” the young man croaks. “To lose your innocents, that’s not something you should do lightly.” He straightens his back and for a moment I think he may pass out from the will power its taking him not to attack me.

I stifle a laugh and look away from his gaze. “Are you telling me, you’re a virgin?” I mumble through my clenched teeth. This lad must be at least twenty years old, he may not be drop dead gorgeous but I could think of many girls who would lie with him for the night. 

He coughs awkwardly and shifts in his seat uncomfortably. I try to contain the laughter bubbling in my throat but it bursts free and smacks the poor boy in the face. His face crumbles as he looks like a crushed man, “I was raised to wait until marriage, it’s what our Lord tells us to do so I do it,”

“Correction, you don’t do it,” I giggle. I have to show this man a good time. I slowly lean over to the driver seat and take the keys out of the ignition. “So you listen to everything the Lord tells you to do, huh?” I whisper, throwing the keys over my shoulder and into my seat I pull him into the back seats. 

He nods dumbly, his golden hair getting into his brown eyes. I smirk and bite my lip as I push him onto the seat and then sit on top of his lap. “Our Lord speaks the truth and He tells us how we should live our life and to love Jesus with all our heart and soul,” he mumbles, his hungry eyes eating up every inch of my body which he has been so cruelly forbidden to go near let alone enjoy. 

“Trust me, Jesus’ love won’t even come close to what I can offer you,” I purr slowly and seductively in his ear. He gulps loudly as I begin to kiss his neck gently, gradually making my way to his lips. My hands work on their own as they slide up his thighs and to his belt. Pulling his shirt out from his jeans I rip the buttons of and begin to kiss his chest. He gasps loudly at the surprising strength I posses but doesn’t interrupt me. I pull back and slowly peel my t-shirt of over my head; the only clothes remaining on my body are my blue bra and stripped boxers. “Still think Jesus is worth missing this?” I question, leaning devilishly close to his hungry lips. 

“Fuck Jesus,” he snaps and crushes his lips to mine, instantly connecting our mouths to one another his eager hands begin to devour my body. I kiss him back passionately, tugging at his hair lightly, trying desperately to hold back the raging monster that wants to crash threw me and not only devour this man but consume every last bit of raging sex he has to offer.

He struggles with the hooks of my bra as he tries to multi task, kissing me and trying to stare at my boobs. I grin against his lips and push my hand against his chest and push myself away from him and tear my lips from his. He moans loudly with disappointment as his starvation for the body has not even come close to being satisfied. I easily unhook my bra and shrug it off to fall to the floor. 

He once again gulps loudly and stares at the bodacious breasts consuming his view. I crush my lips to his, my breasts slamming against his chest. He moans loudly into my mouth as he rocks my hips against his crotch with his arm by wrapping it around my waist. I follow his movements, teasing him to what is to come....

Someone clears their throat. I instantly remove my mouth from his and stare at what kind of perv interrupted such a potential plan.
“Saorise, we need to talk.” Clair said quietly. I look up at the arrogant Vampire, pissed while the young man flusters with humiliation. Clair removes her eyes from my bare breasts. 

Sighing loudly I quickly put my bra and t-shirt back on. “What’s going on?” The young man asks. 

“Shhhsss,” I say slowly while breathing out a gas that causes Mensens to fall unconscious for a couple of hours. He slumps to the side; I pick up his checked shirt and wrap it round me. I climb out of the truck and stand in front of the Vampire that’s so politely stalking me. “What do you want? I was kinda busy!” I snap, folding my arms over my chest.

She barks a laugh, “yeah, I can see that.” I glare at her attempt to be friendly, like a friend catching up with another friend. Which is defiantly not happening here! She sighs and shakes her head, “please consider the possibility of becoming mortal,” She tries to continue but I cut her short. 

I shake my head slowly and sigh as well. “No, Clair, it’s not going to happen. I would rather be struck through the heart a thousand times over than become a mere mortal pig,” I snap.

She scoffs loudly, “you refuse to become yet you’re more than happy to sleep with one?!” 

“If you must know I was going to kill him after and feed from him, but that’s not really any of your concern.” I turn on my heal and begin to walk down the road and hear her steeps behind me. 

“If we do the ritual then there is more of a chance of you surviving,” she pleas as she walks beside me. 

I roll my eyes and shake my head slightly, like we were disagreeing over flavours of ice cream not the fate of someone’s life. “Even if I wanted to become a diseased ridden rat, the ritual still wouldn’t work. It calls for two beings of magic. Now, being a Daywalker and everything, I’m sure you possess hidden qualities but I am afraid I do not,” I smirk as I continue to walk on. I’ve won this battle and she knows it, the scum can give up and go home now. Leave me alone to die.

“Saorise, you can’t lie to me... I was inside your memories,” She whispers. I freeze in my steps, shock consuming every nerve in my body. “I know about your mortal life,” she continues. 

“Shut up,” I hiss quietly.

“I know you are a witch, and I know you watched your parents and brother burn and that’s why you became a Vampire...”

“Shut up,” I growl again, memories of old grieving my heart. 

“And... I know about Toby,” she mutters, knowing herself the cruelness of her words sinking into my very heart. “I know how they made you watch as they kill-” she whispers.

“SHUT THE FUCK UP!” I roar leaping in front of her face, pain and guilt washing over me like a storm. “You can’t say that to me, don’t you dare mention him to me...” Tears stream down my face as I remember the small child from all the years gone. “He was kind and gentle and... mine. And those bastereds killed him because of what I was...” I fight against the sick creeping up my throat as I remember his pleas and cries for my help.

“They murdered him to get to me, so don’t you dare mention his name EVER again,” I scream, the loss of a child is something no matter of words can describe. All the negative feelings of this universe and beyond could not even come within a millimetre of the pain that consumes you when you lose something so dear. I fall to my knees and weep. 

 

Clair hovers over me for a second, before saying. “It wasn’t your fault,” 

Those four words hit my like a truck. I leap t my feet and grab Clair by her shoulders and with all the strength the gods gave me throw her against the trees surrounding the road. She goes flying through the air, breaking many trees before crashing into the dirt, squealing all the way. She hits the ground and tries to get up again but she falls into the dark pits of the unconscious. By the time she wakes up I will be gone... along with her hope.

Chapter 13 - Clair

Groaning I rolled onto my side. Sharp needles of pain shot up my right arm. I cursed at the strange angle my forearm was bent at. I can’t believe she did that. Clutching my arm I struggled to stand, using the tree I had landed against as a support.

“Next time I won’t take no for an answer.” I growled inhumanly.

Blinking I frowned. It had already begun, the awakening of my darker side. Face falling I starred at the leafy ground. My thoughts drifted to my friend. Saoirse refused to take this one chance to be saved. Even if she did become human she could be turned again later.

Why didn’t she realize that? Maybe she did, maybe she just didn’t want me to be involved. I shook my head, shoulder sliding down the rough bark of the tree some. Even if that is true I owe her, I will help her whether she likes it or not. She was mine after all.

She was a child of the morning sun that came about because of my blood. As unconventional as her change had been it was still a change, a bond forged by blood. A bond both of us refuse to acknowledge.Groaning I twisted, slamming my back into the tree. Glancing up at the sky I grinned.

“You’re not a very good distraction Saoirse.” I grumbled.

That’s right, I need a distraction. If I didn’t keep my mind busy it would fall prey to the beast lurking within. Swallowing I wrapped my fingers around my arm. It burned, the sensation making me wish the limb would just fall off. One, two, three!

A sickening crack echoed around the silent forest. Shivering I bit off a scream. Naturally my eyes wondered down to my arm. It was straighter but still a little lumpy. I needed to feed so it would set faster. No, I can’t do that. If I didn’t then I would-

“Miss, are you alright?!”

My head snapped up, heart pounding. The man that Saoirse ran off with came charging through the forest, shirt missing. What? Didn’t she knock him out? How long have I been out? Jogging to a stop the man let his hands hover over my arm.

I bit my lip as he fumbled with my arm. Not because it hurt, it did, but because he was so close to me. I thought I was alone. I had been too careless because of the monster bending the bars of its cell. A human hanging around a vampire was dangerous. A human touching an injured vampire was dangerous too. But I wasn’t a vampire. I was an unstable mixed breed hungering for sustenance.

“You need a doctor. I can take you…”

His words faded out, my surroundings becoming blurred. He was human, a human with blood. Touching his shoulder I drug him towards me. He shrieked as I slammed him into the tree. Smiling I ran my tongue over my lips. 

The smell, the sound of the pulse, the warmth radiating from him, it was all so intoxicating I couldn’t stand it. Digging my nails into his shoulders I pressed my face into his neck. I inhaled once, all sense of right and wrong melting away with that scent. Forehead dropping against his bare skin I started to laugh.

“Wh-what’s wrong, what are you doing?”

Twisting my face I smiled at the man. “You are terribly unlucky you know that?”

“What-“

Whatever he had been planning on asking was cut off by my hand. Smiling like some druggy getting her fix I ran my tongue down the length of the pulse in his neck, bending his head at a painful angle in the process. He whimpered, struggling against me. Digging my nails into his chin I whipped his head back.

“You are no vampire, but your blood will suffice for now.” I purred.

A scream tore through his chest. Hissing I reared back, fangs snapping down. I couldn’t take it, the thirst was too much. My lips clamped down over his jugular, incisors tearing into his flesh. That gut retching scream of his cut off replaced with the sound of gurgling.

Pausing I came up for a breath. Choking the man weakly pushed against my face. I snapped at his hand making him cry out in fear. Chuckling darkly I tore into his neck again, letting a river of blood slosh down my body. I wasn’t as nice as a pure breed.

I didn’t care whether they were comfortable, I just ate. Though my normal prey would be more resilient to such bites as these. When I felt his body begin to go limp I released him. He collapsed in a bloody heap at my feet. I starred at his fading eyes.

When the last beat of his heart sounded I turned away. Wiping my mouth with my sleeve I looked to the sky. Darkness had already started to stretch over the land. It was going to be a fun night. The dark would set the prefect mood for slaughter.

“Shall I start then, Saoirse?”

Chapter 14 - Saoirse

I walk down the dusty road, the city in clear view. Biting my lip, I turn around for the millionth time, the guilt swarming my body trying to force me to turn around. I did a couple of times and walked for a few minutes before I realized the danger I would be putting myself in. 

I shouldn’t have thrown her at the trees, even for a Vampire that must have done some damage… but the way she talked about my Toby… 

I swallow the lump in my throat and force back the tears threatening to leak from my red raw eyes. My legs start to shake, the Vampire blood was enough to mend my broken hand and give me enough energy for simple activities but I didn’t consume enough of the red liquid to sustain me for a while. I need fresh human blood, that is why I was going to feed of the lucky country boy, at least now he can live a little longer, as for me…

I run a hand down my face and groan out load, it’s been a long three hours and I can see tips of buildings; I am getting close to a city, but which city? The internal battle with my conscious continues as I come closer to a familiar but annoyingly dull city.

I’ve been wandering these filthy streets for a good two hours now. The endless maze of concrete roads in the ridiculously large forest of buildings, cramped together as if desperate to consume every inch of this once green world is enough to drive the most cold-hearted SOB to the ground in tears.

Trying to ignore this once great worlds remains is easier said than done, I try humming a song this world has not heard for centuries to keep my mind of the increasing lack of strength in my muscles but it does no good. I must feed. Or I’ll die. 

I creep down a dark alley, threatening to fear ridden humans but for a creature of the night a perfect place for hunting prey. The floor is sticky with some type of grotesque slime and a foul odour is thick in the air, I know for a fact I’m breathing in more than just oxygen. As I continue to walk down the cold, (because of the lack of blood, I am feeling the cold just like any other human would) the dark is darker than I’m used to because along with my withering strength, cold seeping into my bones and the continues nag at the back of my mind, my eyes have decided they want to act up like the rest of my body. I take a turn, steam spilling out of three grates on the floor, and amongst the steam…something. 

I squint my eyes and try and make it out, a figure. A male figure, tall and broad and something unnerving about him. He begins to walk through the steam towards me, only now I notice what he holds in his hand, a knife. A silver knife. Vampire Hunter. 

The state I’m in I couldn’t fight off a squirrel let alone a large Vampire Hunter, and he knew about the silver knife, so he is experienced. One clean slice to the throat with that knife, no matter how powerful the Vampire, they are dead meat walking. Fear strikes my heart before his knife can and I turn round but my path is guarded by two monasteries people, a large buff man and an even bigger woman. Vampire Hunters sure have changed in the past five hundred years, these guys are huge! They are both holding silver machetes and smiling evilly down at me.

I back away a couple of meters, throwing my head over my shoulder to check out steam guy, he has stopped a meter or two from me and is waiting with frightening enthusiasm. I quickly dart to the side and try to climb up the mossy bricked building but after a couple of meters my strength drains, my nails brake and I go crashing to the ground with a sickening crack. I roar with pain as I collide with the concrete, my creams echoing of the walls, the three Hunters grouped around me. I can do nothing as they corner their prey, my strength abandoning me at a very fatale moment.

“Looks like this scum hasn’t been drinkin’ anyone lately!” The overly muscular woman snarls, already raising her machete, wanting more than anything to take my head off. Her over eagerness rubs off on her pal but the man who came from the steam glares at her and she restrains her rage and drops her hands, weapon at her side.

The man who came from the steam squats beside me and leans his face close to mine. My eyes may not be as polished as usual but I do notice that he has three scars dragging down the left side of his face and his shaggy red hair, matching my own, almost covers his blue eyes. He grabs my chin and gently twists my face from side to side. “She is in very bad shape, Minitra. You are right; I say she hasn’t fed for a couple of months at the least!” Months? Do I really look that bad?

 My body is aching all over from the fall, a humiliation I could have done without, and with no blood to repair myself these Hunters have me in a very deep disadvantage. It is taking all my will power left in my broken down body not to cry out with pain, but my cries would go unanswered, unless a cat here’s me! He smirks, “but I don’t think we should be so hasty to kill her,” he says with a soft voice but with malice poisoning his words. I pull my chin from his grasp and he fakes concern but with a smile playing on his lips it’s hard not to smile back. I always did love the rough lookin’ ones.

“Touch me again, and I’ll bite your fuckin’ fingers off!” I croak; my desperation to look fearsome goes unanswered as pain and hunger floods my body, causing me to roll into a ball.

“Let’s just kill her and be done with it, the boss won’t care if we bring another dead one home. One less and all that!” The large man beside the woman known as Minitra groans, the hand which is holding the silver consumed machete twitches. “She’s pathetic anyway, look at how she squirms!”

“You would squirm too if you hadn’t ate in months, Smokey!” The red haired man laughs, moving away from me, he faces his two companions. “And the boss will care, we brought ‘im a dead one the other day, he want a live one!” He snaps at them, missing letters in his words as he spoke.

They think over the idea for a few minutes, suggesting ways they think they could try to contain me. Then the woman snaps her fingers and gasps cheerfully. “I say we cut off her legs, pull out her fangs and blind her, that way she can’t fight back!” Minitras surprisingly squeaky voice purrs longingly. They want to hurt me…in the most gruesome of ways, yet they do not even know me, only my kind.

“I agree with Minitra, defang her, paralyse her and fuck up her eyes. She’s no use to us healthy.” Smokey grunts with the same softness as a broken piece of glass wedged into an eye.

Red, I have not heard his name, this is just made up. Even if the name is incorrect I like putting names to faces, even if they are about to chop my feet off. “I agree,” Red mutters. I spread my body out, ignoring the bloody pain swarming through my veins, I may not have the strength to stand but I have the willpower to look my enemy in the eye.

He slowly pads over to me, face dark, his hair one again shading his eyes causing him to look like a creature of the night. The gleam in his eyes make him look like he is already regretting what he is about to do but the hidden smirk on the corner of his lips turn even my stomach. I breathe out a jagged breath through my nose as he slowly reviles a hidden silver machete from a sheath concealed under his shirt. He grips it tight and rests on one knee beside my bare legs, the checkered shirt doing nothing to protect me from the fierce cold.

He cocks his head and looks me with a sly smile on his face, a face that has seen pure evil at the core; and instead of striving to do the opposite has walked down the path of destruction, hand in hand with the devil. “Don’t worry,” he coos gently, brushing some of the fire I call hair out of my face. I snap at his fingers but my jaw creaks with pain as I do and I end up whimpering. “This won’t hurt…” He brings the machete far above his head. “much…” And with all the power the gods gave a man brings down the toxic silver weapon.

Chapter 15 - Clair

Cloaked in darkness I glided over the deserted street. My eyes flickered from side to side scanning for any sign of the disobedient vampire Saoirse. As I walked I began to feel a heavy sense of dread ease through the darkness. A frown creased my lips as I came to stand in the center of a small circle. It seemed to be the center of the town.

That sense of dread poured over me like a waterfall. Something to my left stepped on a twig. My head swiveled to the sound. A man, nearly seven foot tall, stood under a lone lamp. It shone on him like a spot light.

He leaned against the post like some kind of cowboy model, hat, chaps, and boots included. His arms were crossed over his chest, shirt so tight I thought it would rip under the strain. Something shinny under his arms caught my attention. Instead of taking in his features I stared at the glistening weapon in his hands. It was a machete coated in silver.

My frown deepened. Damn it Saoirse, of all places you could have gone you just had to pick a Hunter’s town. While I had been caught looking at the cowboy others had gathered. More street lights flashed in the darkness, illuminating a small army of humans. I turned in a circle, taking in my surroundings.

Twenty, twenty Hunters circled around me like a lion stalking its prey. Most of them were men, clad in the same western style gear as the first man. Only a dozen looked like woman. They wore leather chaps and corsets lined with knifes. Of the few faces I caught in the darkness I actually recognized one. The situation had just gone from bad to worse.

“Just what I needed.” I mumbled to myself.

As I grumbled curses I stared at the man under the first light post. His hat tipped back to reveal a darkly tanned Latino with a wad of pale scar tissue lumped on his cheek. I smiled at him darkly, fangs showing. He flinched. Ah, their numbers may be great but not all have taken a vampires head before it seems.

The thought made me smile wider, more genuine. I felt that bizarre power fluctuate, one person standing out from the rest. My body naturally turned so I was facing the o ne how stood out from the crowd. A man, nearly as tall as the Mexican, took two steps away from the gathering Hunters. He wore an old duster, sawed off shot gun in one hand, machete in the other.

He frowned at me. The people around us seem to disappear as I focused on that one man. Green eyes stared at me like a pair of broken mirrors; nothing was given away by them. It was like looking at a stranger. I lowered my face, eyes on the ground.

“It seems I didn’t have to go looking for you after all,” my eyes flicked up to see the man’s reaction, “hum, Alex?”

He never acknowledged our connection, just played it off as a misunderstanding. “I don’t know why you would need to find me.”

I laughed the sound coming out harsh and broken. “So that’s how it is. Do you really want to play games with all these cattle standing around?”

I waved a hand in the air to motion to the Hunters. They hadn’t moved since they came into the light. It made my muscles tense with anticipation of the kill.

“You have lost yourself.” Was all he said.

My eyes narrowed. His voice sounded low, empty and emotionless. Seems I’m not the only one. Instead of snarling at him I cocked my head to the side. I let my face slacken, eyes going a little wide.

“What do you mean?” I said as innocently as I could manage.

He grumbled, the first expression I had seen from him making his face crumple into a fearsome glare. “Don’t bullshit me, Claire.”

“Then don’t act naive with me, Alex.” I snapped.

We glared at each other for a hand full of minutes. He broke away first, face turning away from me to look at the ground. “We have nothing to talk about.”

My voice edged from my lips like venom. “Then just get it over with.”

His face snapped forward, an unexplainable emotion flashing across his eyes. “Goodbye baby sister.” He whispered brokenly.

The Hunters standing in the ring of lights moved. I hadn’t seen Alex give a signal, but then again maybe it wasn’t his to give. I stepped back, the hair on my neck rising as the Mexican cowboy came within reach. I whirled grabbing the arm that held the machete.

“It’s only goodbye if someone dies.” I called back to Alex.

Dragging the Hunter forward I popped his elbow out of joint, making the arm useless. He screamed in pain, making me hyper aware of my surroundings. Everyone was moving in, maneuvering to be the first one to kill me. My eyes flickered to the closest Hunters. Using the Mexican’s body as a shield I flung him into the four advancing males.

They crashed to the ground in a tangled mess of limbs and weapons. The downed Hunters gave me a brief moment of stillness as everyone turned to see the fallen group. I took a second to glance back at Alex during the confusion. But when I did all I saw were unfamiliar faces. He had been lost in the crowd.

That second of calm ended, the other fifteen Hunters having recovered themselves for another attack. I didn’t think about where to run or how to move, I just moved. I was in that state of mind where everything seemed so slow and yet fast at the same time. That bizarre state let me sense rather than see seven Hunters circling around me to restrict my movements. I spun on my right leg, using my left to kick another machete out of a Hunters grip.

A woman ran up on me screaming as she sliced at my arm with two knives. I bowed my back, reaching for the ground as I pivoted on my heel to avoid her blade. My right leg kicked out hitting the woman in the chest. She disappeared as my hair fell forward into my face. I kept the momentum going thou I was blind to the other six Hunters surrounding me.

When my weight shifted from my legs to my arms I spun. Weapons and limps went flying from the impact. From the corner of my eye I saw the dark glint of a gun barrel level itself at my chest. I flipped, barely escaping the silver plated shells. Straightening my left leg I came down on the shooter, throwing my calf into his shoulder for a wicked axe kick.

Landing in front of the stunned and defenseless Hunter I smiled. He was just too easy a meal to pass up. Grabbing a fist full of black hair I wretched his head back, teeth sinking into his neck. The second his blood spilled into my mouth I felt my body pulse. Someone screamed and I turned shoving the donating Hunter into his comrade’s blades.

I saw the horror on the woman’s face as her own sword slid from the back of the man’s chest out through the front in a bloody spray. Smiling I threw my head back in a gut busting laugh. The Hunters around me yelled curses at me for feeding off one of them. That evil grin widened into a full blow smile. Opening my mouth I started to sputter curses back but stopped.

A familiar voice broke through the night. The sound was shrill and terrified, a wordless call that could only belong to someone who was withering in agony. I was charging through the crowd before I realized exactly what I had heard. Saoirse. A small group of able bodied hunters threw themselves in front of me. I swatted them away like flies, fangs finding the necks of two of them.

I bulldozed my way through the few battered and bloodied ones who dared stand in my way. Emerging on the other side of the clearing I glanced down at myself. My shirt had a huge tear in the front that split from just below my bra to the hem. The one sleeve was missing along with two of the top buttons. My face, as well as my clothes, was soaked with blood by the time I made it to the edge of the clearing.

I glanced back at the carnage. The ones I had disarmed in the beginning were lying in crumpled piles of torn flesh near the center. The rest looked like bloody bread crumbs, dying where the fell as I pushed my way through them. The stone paved circle looked like a small lake of blood. I smiled at the corpses.

All that blood I had drunk, all the blood I had spilt on the ground, excited me. Another scream tore me from the breathtakingly beautiful destruction. I had to get my priorities in order. I could fawn over my work later, first was catching Saoirse. I turned into the darkness of a street, eyes scanning the area for any alleyways hidden behind the shadows. Something metallic caught my attention.

Turning towards it I noticed that every foot or so was a round metal bar. It was a latter. Fingers wrapping around the cold steel I flew up the bars until it ended just before the edge of the roof. Using my inhuman strength I coiled my legs on the last bar. A third scream cut through the humid night air, I jumped.

I was moving forward before my feet even made contact with the slick tiles. Saoirse was in danger, I could feel it. There was no other explanation for her to be screaming so loudly, so desperately. My body moved as swiftly as the hot wind that blew through the trees. As silently as the dark that seeped from every crevasse of the town.

“Hold her still, Smokey!”

My body jerked to a stop. The voice was coming from behind me, I had gone too far. Flying across a small opening I let my shoulder take the impact of my landing. My body rolled to a stop on an adjacent roof, closer to the voice. Crawling along the roofs steep angled top I let myself drop down into the passage between the two buildings.

Energy vibrated in a low hum around three bulky shadows. I inched closer until the shadows gained definition.  Three Hunters crouched in a circle. A whimpering cry drew my attention from the Hunters to the thing they had trapped between them. From the crate I was hiding behind I couldn’t make out what it was.

But I could see one thing. Rich fiery red hair was splayed across the ground in messy waves between the blood stained cowboy boots of the Hunters. The hair alone was enough to tell me it was Saoirse. I glanced back up at the Hunters. Two of them had Saoirse pinned to the ground, one of them a woman.

The last one was straddling her, a pair of pliers in his hand. My eyes flicked to the small pool of blood on the ground. A fang glistened in what little light surrounded us. I growled. The woman whipped around, Saoirse forgotten for a second.

I only had eyes for the blood. It was blood from Saoirse, the reason behind her cries of pain. Anger built in me until I thought I would explode from the heat rolling down my body. Mine, they dare hurt what is MINE.

“Cian we got-“

The sound of the woman’s voice drew me back to the rest of the world. She turned this way and that trying to find me, her voice slow and high pitched with fright. Pain, she caused Saoirse pain. She unintentionally took a step closer to the crate I was crouched behind. I didn’t hesitate, I was too angry to think straight.

Standing I took the two steps forward to close the distance between us. She saw me, hands going for a blade in her belt. My hands seized her face, cradling her cheeks gently in my palms. Her eyes widened for a second, voice coming in a rush of words.

“Vampire, another vampire.”

My hands twitched as I jerked her head to the right. A wet snapping sound filled my ears as I broke her neck. I let go, taking a small step back so that when her body fell it didn’t touch me. The sudden silence drew the other Hunter’s attention.

“Minitra!”

The man holding Saoirse’s shoulders shouted the woman’s name again as if she would answer. When his calls were meat with silence his face flushed purple, the color of rage. My eyes fell to the ground to look at the heap at my feet. It nothing as I stared into her unblinking eyes. She was called Minitra, I had killed her and I didn’t give a damn. Something rammed into me while I had been distracted. I stumbled back a couple of feet, eyes locking onto the man’s face.

“You, I’ll kill you for this!” the man roared.

My eyes narrowed, the moment of empty calm passing. Anger flared in me again. I had, had, just about enough of these Hunters. Raising my arm I back handed him so hard he flew back, skidding to a stop next to Saoirse. The last Hunter, a red haired male, pulled the bleeding vampire up off the ground, placing a knife at her throat. I hissed at him.

“I’ll kill her.” I bared my fangs at him, taking three steps forward. “I said stop!”

I was almost close enough to touch them when I saw something from the corner of my eye. I gave the glistening object a side long glance. What I saw stopped me in my tracks. A hand was pressed against my face, a miniature cross bow strapped to the persons arm. My eyes followed the length of their arm till I saw their face.

“Alex, how nice of you to interfere once again.” I seethed.

“Stand down Clair.”

“Bite me!” I growled.

The second I said it Alex’s hand twitched, an arrow loosening from the contraption. The world slowed down, the arrow the only thing I could see. Twisting around the silver tipped arrow I slammed my fist into Alex’s stomach. He crumpled over me, hands grabbing my shoulders as I lowered him to the ground.  I grabbed his face with my hand, slamming his head against the stone street.

He went limp. Sorry Alex but I can’t let sibling rivalry get in the way of saving her. My back prickled with that energy as I lay my brother on the ground. I didn’t question it, just turned. The sharpened blade of a machete glared in my face.

I had just enough time to throw up my hands to block it. The blade bit into my left palm drawing blood. I snarled. Jerking on the blade I pulled it from the Hunter’s grasp, breaking it in half as blood dripped down my hand. The man, who I had bitch slapped across the street, did a double take, unsure how I was able to take a blow like that and not even bat an eye.

Answer, I was pissed.

Without looking I flicked the broken end of the machete in Saoirse’s direction. If it killed the red haired man holding her fine, if not he would be dead in a second anyway. The Hunter facing off with me turned to look at them. I lunged, ridding him to the ground as my body slammed into his. Shoving my hand into his chin I snapped his jaw shut, pushing it up so his throat was exposed like I had done with the man in the forest.

My fangs pressed into the side of his neck making him scream. I dug my fingers into his face to muzzle him better. Pulling back I drug my teeth across the front of his neck, ripping it open. Sitting back I licked my lips, smiling as he whimpered and tried to reach for his mangled neck. His blood is rich, just what I needed.

I turned to Saoirse who lay alone and whimpering just a few feet away. Vaguely I scanned the area for the Red haired man but he was nowhere to be found. Coward, I thought. I glance back at Saoirse. Her eyes were fixated on the blood pooling under the man I was straddling.

 I smiled, bloodied left hand reaching out to her. She looked from him to me then back. I knew she was hungry, I knew she needed blood. And I would give it to her.

 “Come my daughter and join me.” I breathed.

She crawled. I didn’t wait for her to reach me. Leaning over I licked a long clean line down the man’s neck. He shivered. I did it again, Saoirse grabbing the hand I had left out to her.

I pulled her forward, cradling her like a child, or a possessive animal. She was mine and no one else’s. Leaning forward I guided her hands to his neck. My cheek brushed her hair.

“Feed.” I said quietly.

She bent down and I followed soon after. Together we would bleed him dry.

Chapter 16 - Saoirse

As I felt the blade’s air whoosh across my leg, it stopped. I prepared for my legs to be taken from me but this Hunter must have had a change of heart. I look up at him. His mouth twisted playfully as he thought. “What are you waiting for?” The squeaky voiced hag snaps.

Red sighs, “if we take away her legs, then we are gonna have to carry her,”

“So?” She growls.

Red’s eyes set fire as he glares up at her. “Do you want to carry it?!” He strains through clenched teeth. “If we chop her legs, then we will have to clean the bloody mess and get medical care. Do you want to explain to the coppers why she has no legs?!” They both shake their heads stiffly. “No, best not try to make her incapable of walking.” He puts the machete back into its hidden sheath. I mentally sigh; my legs remain attached to my body!

“Look at ‘er!” Smokey waves a fat hand at me. “She can’t walks anyways,” his words having an unnecessary ‘s’ sound on them. “She can’t even blinks, she won’t walks very fars!”

“True,” Red’s face turns an evil shade of malice. “Then I guess…we will have to drag her!”

I gulp with fear as his hands disappear into a bag slung over his shoulder. He places it on the ground and dives in, rummaging through it with clanks and clinks accompanying his movements. A simple ‘a-ha’ expresses his treasure has been found. He pulls out two, silver coated, thick, long hooks. My eyes bulge out of my skull as I stare at the cruel instruments of torture, memories of old flashing through my mind.

He grins, “so, you have meet before?” He says as he attaches some wires to the ends of the hooks. “But just for fun, let’s explain this practical as we do it!” His voice turns to that of a sweet peppy child. I try to squirm free as he grabs at the flesh of my thigh. Smokey and Minitra leap over to me without even being ordered to. They rest on my shoulders, keeping me to the ground, but I couldn’t move if I wanted to. The lack of blood is making my eyes go blurry and I’m not even certain if I’m conscious or not. “This is how it works,” he holds the flesh up on my thigh and puts the hook beside it. “All we do is slip this in here,” the hook pierces my flesh, the silver in it burning my body, as it forces its way through my thigh and out again, precious blood leaking from the wounds and on to his hands. A roar of pain bursts from my lips as agony explodes inside me. I grit my teeth against the throbbing pain inside my leg, normally Vampires can hold up against torture but with the lack of blood inside my stomach, I’m basically human right now. Red laughs, his minions join him, “see that wasn’t so bad, was it?” I whimper in response as he repeats his actions on my other leg. Another scream breaks through me and I beg him to stop.

He stands up and pulls lightly at the cables attached to the hooks, now buried inside my thighs. Smokey grunts and nods at the pool of blood forming around my aching legs. He leans down and whispers roughly in my ear, “how does it feels to have the tables turned, hmm? What’s it like for you to be bleed dry?” He barks a laugh and sits back up.

“Now, that the mode of transport is sorted, we can start on act two!” Red laughs at his own joke and leaps to the bag, undoubtedly filled with more instruments of torture. Grabbing hold of my head, Red sits on my torso, forcing me to face him. In his hand, a pair of sliver pliers. Only a fool would be ignorant to what is about to happen, I face him head strong, not bothering with a plea or beg for him to stop. He opens and closes them a few times, and forces my mouth open. “Let’s see what you have hidden in here?” He pushes at my upper lip he tries to release my fangs but with no success. I almost grin at his pathetic attempts. “Come on, now. The easier you make this the quicker it will be done!” He pushes against the inside of my lip, where my fangs lie dormant. Eventually he gives up and sits back. His face lights up with an idea. He grabs a hidden knife from his boot and opens a gash along the palm of his hand.

“What are you doing?!” Minitra spits, trying to grabs the knife from Red.

“It’s the only way we can get those fangs,” he smiles back. The smell of blood floats to my nose and I inhale deeply. Instinctively, my fangs pierce through my gums and glisten in the light of the moon. I clamp my mouth shut and turn my head away. Red chuckles darkly, grabs my chin with his icy fingers and twists my head towards him. The hand he cut gets placed above my lips, having no control over it my body takes a chance and opens my mouth. As soon as lips creek open, Red shoves the pliers into my mouth and grabs hold of the closest fang. Clamping it into the silver tool, he uses all the strength in his body and pulls…My back arches as my fang comes loose and screams ring through the air. Blood from where my fang once stood tall and proud, floods my mouth and leaks down my chin. Laughing, he holds the fang above his head and inspects it in the light of the moon. “Not bad, not bad at all!” I wriggle free of the woman and start spitting the blood out. “Hold her still, Smokey!” Red yells. Smokey nudges Minitra and they both lean down harder on my arms. Red places the fang down gently in the small pool of blood near my head. He fiddles with the pliers for a moment but then a growl reaches my ears. Minitra stiffens as she has heard it too. She gets off me and walks over to where she heard the noise.

“Cian, we got-” She begins but stops when someone struts out of the darkness. The figure takes hold of the ridiculously large woman’s face, gently caressing her cheeks. “Vampire, another Vampire!” She screeches before the figure snaps her neck. She falls to the ground like a sack of worthless shit; I can’t help but feel a sense of relief as her body thuds against the cold concrete. I look at the figure who defeated one of my foes, but my vision still remains useless to me and I cannot make out any details of my savoir.

“Minitra!” Smokey roars, leaping of my shoulders. I sigh with relief as his weight is an instant pleasure, even though my body aches from the hooks in my legs, the missing fang and the loss of blood, I can’t help but relish in this small mercy. As Smokey charges towards the figure, Red leaps of me. “You, I’ll kill you for this!” He roars and barges the figure back. The person doesn’t blink at the damage and bitch slaps Smokey back over to us.

The person tries to step closer to us but Red grabs hold of my hair and drags me to my feet. Pressing my back against his chest, he holds a silver knife tightly to my throat. “I’ll kill her!” He spits at the person, but they continue to walk a few steps. “I said stop!” His voice quivers slightly. One of his companions is already dead and the other bitch slapped so hard he flew back. The sheer size of these people compared to the petite figure in front of me, they should be able to kill them with a fucking fart!The figure tried to walk closer to us but then an old man sprouts out and holds a small cross bow to their face. They swap words, my weak ears cannot pick up. As they argue the old man lets one of the silver tipped arrows towards the figure, but the person expertly doges it and punches the pensioner in the stomach. They grab the man’s neck and crashes his face into the ground, killing him instantly. Red takes this fight as the perfect time to bolt. He releases me and I fall onto my side with a heavy grunt, he bolts away as Smokey tries to defeat this person.I drag my body over to the wall and sit against it. Using any hidden energy in my body, I rip the hooks from my thighs, just in time to as they speed of down the alley, probably Red pulling on the wires. Two deep gashes bleed on my thighs and I sigh. Gurgling noises reach my ears and as I look up I see Smokey trying to stop the large gash across his neck. Blood…it pours from him like a waterfall, my eyes stick to it as it forms a pool around him.

“Come my daughter and join me,” the person says holding out their hand. That voice… Clair? My mind whizzes as I stare up at the Vampire I was desperately trying to get away from… she saved me… I grabbed her hand “Feed,” she says quietly and we both feasted on my dying capturer. The blood instantly has an effect on my beaten body. Alas, my fang does not grow back but my eye sight improves along with my hearing. I take a glance at Clair and instantly stop drinking. She is covered in blood, head to toe and her top is torn. She catches my eye and she gently puts my lips back against the almost dead man. I gulp down the revolting but none the less refreshing liquid. The gashes on my legs close over and the lack of blood in my body goes up. When the man’s heart beat finally fades, I’m back to myself. I sit back and sigh. I look over at Clair and smile awkwardly. “Thank you,” my voice cracks slightly and I scratch my neck uncomfortably. She nods in reply and we both stand up.

“What about the other one?” She snaps, eyes ablaze with pure blood lust… Oh fuck, she’s gone overboard. When Vampires have too much blood they tend to… freak out a little. Like drugs, when you take so much you think you’re invincible, kind of the same deal. I shrug and look around the alley, then at the three dead bodies. “Can you walk?” She asks gently, lightly touching my shoulder.

“Aye, I’ll be fine,” I stretch my arms over my head. “Let’s go, before somebody see’s us.” I begin to walk, Clair’s hand still on my shoulder, unnecessarily supporting me.

Clair laughs to herself. “I don’t think that will be a problem.”

We walk out of the alley and into the cold night (thanks to Smokey’s blood, I can no longer feel the cold but the way our breath swirls in front of us, it’s hardly warm!) and I welcome the view of the cloudless sky. “So, do we go back to your house or shall we-“ Clair begins before she is cut short by a hard bow to the head. She flies back and she hits the building, instantly falling unconscious due to the surprise attack. I dodge the next blow towards me this time, now fully aware of this attacker and instincts on guard. The man slices again but with a machete this time, that’s when I recognise him.

“Red?” I step back as he holds a large pipe in one hand and the silver coated machete in the other.

“So it talks now!” He throws his head back and laughs madly. “Who did you have to drink to let that happen, huh?” He growls, eyes wide and furious. He has lost two friends tonight and doesn’t want the murderers to run free.He tries to hit me over the head with the pipe but I grab hold of it as it swings to me and knee him in the stomach. He goes to the ground groaning, I tear the pipe from his hand and hit him over the head with it. Not as experienced as I thought. He slumps to the side, out for the count. I dump the pipe and walk over to Clair. I check over her and determine she’s fine. I lift her up and sling her over my shoulder. As I walk past Red, I kick up his leg and grab his ankle. I bring them over to a car across the street. I dump Red down and open the passenger side door (luckily left unlocked) and carefully place Clair in and belt her up. Then I throw Red into the boot and slide into the driver’s seat. Hot wiring the car, I reverse out and head for home.

It’s a few hours before I reach my flat. It’s 07:37am and I can say with a heavy heart that I’m ready for bed, luckily it’s a Saturday and not many people are around my flat. I put Clair on one shoulder and Red on the other, both still in the world of dreams, poor babies. With the weight of two other people it’s another twenty minutes before I reach the top off the stairs and in front of my door. I take the key hidden on top of the door frame and unlock the door. Someone must have locked it for me…

“Saoirse?” I hear someone call. I fling the door open, chuck the bodies into the room and slam the door shut. I turn to see my neighbour come out of his flat. I sigh with relief.

“Hey, Dustin, what’s up?” I lean against the door, trying to act natural.

He forces his wheelchair closer to me. Dustin was in an accident when he was seven years old and he damaged his legs so bad that he had to have them amputated from the knee down. Eleven years on you’d he barely cared about his condition, being the happiest person I’ve ever known. “Just doing my morning round,” he laughs patting the duffle bag filled with drawings and photos he made for people around here. He was such a perfect person, it almost made me want to marry him.

I laugh nervously, “you know people hate being woken up at this time! Even if it’s for free shit!”

Dustin shakes his head, “everyone loves free shit!” We both grin at each other. “Speaking of shit, that’s exactly what you look like!” He twists his mouth to the side, looking at my blood covered legs and tattered clothes. “Are you OK?”

I quickly glance at myself and grin. “Fine! I was just at Brendies monthly party. Had to dress up, so I picked a zombie!” I say quickly, opening my door, trying to give the hint that I need to leave.

“Alright then,” he nods and wheels past my door as I slip inside but keep my head poking out. Clair groans as she begins to gain consciousness. A quick boot to the face sends her hurtling to the ground again. I’m gonna regret that later, sorry, Clair! “Me and the guys are going out for some shots tonight, for my birthday. Wanna come?” He grins.

I bite my lip and steal a glance at the bodies in room. “I dunno, Dustin, I might be busy or…” The smile on his face slips and my heart tightens in my chest. Damn, it’s the puppy deal all over again! “I’d love too,” I nod. He grins back and tells me to be ready at nine. I shut the door and lean my back against it. “Have an over doused Vampire and a frickin’ Hunter to deal with…so, let’s get pissed!” I sigh and shake my head. I drag Red through the living room/kitchen. And dump him on a chair, running over the cupboard, I get some ropes and silver chains. I put Clair against the wall and wrap the silver chains around her petite body. No matter how powerful the Vampire, no one can break silver chains, not even a Daywalker. I attach the chains onto a hook on the ceiling, her feet only a few centimetres from the ground. Making sure she is as comfortable as she can be, I move over to Red. The ropes are thick, long and easily go around the chair many times. I make it a little tighter than it needs to be then sit on the coffee table in front of him. “You are gonna wish Clair killed your dumb ass!” I whisper, dragging a sharp nail down his face. Getting up I pour a cup of scotch and stand in front of Clair. She is gonna need A LOT of alcohol to bring her back to normal. Even though alcohol dulls the senses of humans, for blood crazy Vampires it does the complete opposite. The alcohol attacks the substance that makes us crave the blood of another and brings us back to our normal selves, it takes a lot of booze but it works. If we aren’t coo coo for blood and decide we wanna a drink, and after many drinks, we will get drunk. Simple.In simple terms, blood crazy the antidote is alcohol and we go back to normal. I take a sip of the toxic brew and sigh. This is gonna be one long day.

Chapter 17 - Clair

A jolt of pain ran from my head down into my spine. I jerked, trying to pull away from the pain. Chilled fingers curl around my face, forcing my mouth open. My lips part only because I didn't have the energy to keep them closed. When the first drop of liquid caressed my lips I whimpered, attempting to pull away.

The fingers dug into my cheeks harder, the liquid flowed into my mouth and down my throat like fire. That fire filled my chest, spreading to the rest of my body before being over powered by pain. Tiny slivers of glass racked down my throat, chasing the fire, forcing me to wake. My eyes flew open, blurred images of white, black, and red filling my vision. A tightness in my muscles I hadn't noticed before released now.

Shadows pulled back from my mind, allowing me to think and move. I tried to breath but all I found was fire. Fire that was suffocating me. I thrashed, hands clawing at the vice like grip holding me. A voice cut through the silence, a voice I recognized.

"Easy, easy, it's just me damn it."

My body stilled, mind fighting to catch up to it. "Saoirse?" I choked, voice ruff.

"No I'm death come to reap your ass," I stiffened, "Yes it's me you idiot." I relaxed again. She cursed. "Drink this."

"What is it?" I asked sleepily but didn't fight when she pressed another glass to my lips.

"Liquid"

The liquid was alcohol. I started to fight it but something in me snapped before I could find enough strength to turn away. I sat up, hands reaching for the glass. Saoirse let me have it. I up ended the small glass cup, swallowing the amber colored liquid like it was air.

The fire flared but that was all. The pain never came, just the fire, just the warm fuzzy fire. Something tapped my forehead. I blinked, glancing up at Saoirse. She glared and I smiled back, the edges getting a little hazy but she was clear.

"You think my ass is nice?"

She stared at me for a couple of seconds. "I what?" She half growled.

"You want to reap my ass. You like it, you like my ass."

I heard her sigh. "God your one of those drunks, just great, just fucking great."

I patted her angry face. "Aw Sawhorse don't be mad, I like you!"

"Sawhor- No I don't even want to know." I reached out to her for a hug. She shoved me back against the wall. "Just shut up and stay in here."

"But I want to go with Sawhorse!"

"My name is not fucking Sawhorse, it's Saorise!"

I smiled, lips parted to say her name when she disappeared. I heard a door slam then silence. A frown pulled at the corner of my lips. How had she done that? She just disappeared like it was magic. Drawing my knees up to my chest I stared at the swirly floor.

"Is it because I kill people? Because I have to feed it your blood?" I blinked that one work filling my mind. "blood" I whispered.

I scrambled to my feet, a sudden urge to find Saoirse filling me. I stumbled a couple  of times but managed to get to the door. The handle felt cold under my touch. I shoved it open, leaning forward as I took a step out the door. My face slammed into something hard. Head tilting back from the impact I laughed, legs going out from under me. It made me laugh harder when my butt hit the floor.

"Just what the hell is so funny?"

My eyes rose from the swirly floor to the woman standing over me in the doorway.  "Sawhorse!"

She buried her face in her hands, a muffled scream coming from them. I blinked the crimson color coating her hands fascinating me. Using the wall to stand I clawed my way up into an upright position. My fingers touched the paint on her hands. She jumped like I had burned her. My eyes lifted, skipping over her face.

"Red, it's so red."

"It's called blood, now stop making weird noise when I leave."

She turned to go and I grabbed her shoulder, falling into her when she tried to break free of my hold. Wrapping my arms around her shoulders I ran my fingers through her hair. She went still, turning to glare back at me.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

I buried my face in her curly hair, smiling to myself. "Sawhorse," I shook my head, "Saoirse has such pretty hair, I'm jealous."

I closed my eyes, pushing my face as far into her hair as I could. My eye lids fluttered shut, the sound of her calling my name fading out. When I opened my eyes again she was in front of me, yelling my name.

"Clair, het a hold of yourself!"

I pouted, arms wrapping around something soft and warm. I glanced down and saw a man staring at me with wide eyes. I smiled at him, laughing as my lips brushed his. The sensation felt so familiar. I leaned in to press his mouth harder to mine.

Saoirse jerked my wrist so hard I nearly fell to the floor. I whined, turning my attention from the blurry man to a blurry Saoirse. She glared at me from behind the man. Shifting my weight from the man's lap I rose up on my knees, pressing the man against my stomach and almost burring his face in my chest.

"Uh, Saoirse.." He whispered.

"Clair, stop it, stop-"

My mouth found hers, cutting off whatever she would have said. The iron like grip on my wrist loosened, my tongue forcing its way into her mouth. Something hit my face and the world spun, all the colors running together at once, sensation leaving me, sound turning into white noise.

Chapter 18 - Saoirse

As I made sure Red and Clair were tightly secured, I drag my beaten body to my room. I barge through the door and my snake taps against the glass, glad to see me. Smiling I take him out of his tank and kiss his nose, he licks mine in response. Laughing I place him back into his warm home and drop and dead rat in with him for something to eat.My bed calls my name and I gratefully fall into its cushiness arms. Sleep instantly finds me and consumes me.My eyes are ripped apart by muffled screams. Groaning, I tear my body away from my longing bed and crawl into the kitchen/living room. “You can kill me! But I’ll never talk!” Red’s confident voice roars in between maniac laughter. Rolling my eyes I place my butt on the coffee table in front of the seat he is still firmly tied to. “It awakes!” He tries to spit at me but misses his target and it flies over my shoulder.

“This is what’s gonna happen,” I grab hold of his neck and sitting on his lap I whisper in his ear. “You are gonna keep your little mouth shut, unless you want me to rip your dick off.” He gulps and stiffens beneath me. I get off him and pat his shoulder. “Glad we had this talk,” I walk over to Clair and start to cut her down but then Red starts to run his mouth again, threat this, insult that. Eventually, annoyed by his foul mouth, I walk over to him and bash his head with a trainer. His eyes roll back in their sockets and his head slouches forward. “I said quite!”My eyes are drawn to the clock. Eight o’clock, Dustin’s party is in an hour.

Stretching, I unhook Clair from the ceiling and take the chains off her. Her body instantly straightens out and she sighs in her dreams. Dragging her body against the wall, I squat in front of her and I open her eyelids to make sure she’s fine. I grab a sponge and damp water and begin to wash the blood from her face and arms. I strip her clothes and put a pair of pink PJs on her. I pat her curly hair gently and stand up, walking towards the bathroom. Taking a long shower, I wash the blood of my body and from my hair. I hop out and dry off quickly. I wrap the towel around my body and walk to my room, glancing at the uniquely different pair in my flat. Shaking my head, I enter my room and slip into a white flowing dress; that stops just at my knees, a pair of tanned tights and ankle high black boots complete my outfit. I gloss some red lipstick over my lips and some mascara. Normally, I would allow my hair to dry in its own time, but I’m against the clock. So awkwardly I blow try it, and allow it to sit in its natural waves. Sighing I walk out of the room, ten minutes to spare. Going behind the island in the kitchen, I pull out my amber scotch. Strong stuff, should give just the right kick. I strut over to Clair and pour a small glass of the alcohol and press it against her lips. When there is no response I pry her mouth open and let the liquid find it’s own way down her mouth. She thrashes at me, trying to get my hand from her face.

“Easy, easy, it’s just me damn it!” I try to say softly but snap slightly.

“Saoirse?” Her rough voice chokes.

“No I’m death come to reap your ass.” I say seriously but she stiffens with fear as she believes my words. “Yes, it’s me you idiot!” She relaxes and I curse a foul word in Irish. “Drink this,” I order.

We talk for a bit more, her asking me if I think she has a good ass and her calling me ‘Sawhorse’. Eventually I leave her in my house and order her to stay put. Closing the door behind myself, I walk into the night; and sighing deeply and pad two doors down and knock on the bizarrely painted wooden object. Dustin does love his colours!The door slides open and light music greets my ears like a welcomed guest. “Saoirse!” Dustin grins; I lean down and hug my friend. “Come in,” he gestures me in as he lets go off me. I walk into the warm atmosphere of Dustin’s art buddies, a few people in wheel chairs. “Everyone, this is my friend Saoirse!” He introduces me to the whole room. Many eyes glance my way and are accompanied by smiles. Dustin grabs my hand and drags me across the room to his family. His sister stands out to everyone, golden locks spill over her back and sapphire blue eyes seem to pierce right into you. She makes even me sweat! I nod at them as we give and gain names.

After meeting friends and family alike my brain kicks into action. “Shit, Dustin!” He looks at me worried. “I forgot your gift!” He grins and we walk over to the door, and face him, “I’ll be one minute.”

“I’m timing you!” We both laugh and I turn to the door when someone knocks into my back. Clair falls over and lands on her butt, in hysterics. “What the hell is so funny?” Dustin laughs, trying to look past me.

“Sawhorse!” Clair grins. Oh.Fucking.Awesome. Clair leaps to her feet and grabs a hold of my shoulders. Laughing she runs her hands through my hair.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I go still, glaring at her on my shoulders.

She buries her face into my hair and smiles against it. What the hell is up with this crazy, drunk bitch? “Sawhorse,” she repeats as she shakes her head deeper into my hair. “Saoirse has such pretty hair, I’m jealous!” After that she slips from my shoulders and lands on Dustin’s lap.

“Clair, get a hold of yourself!” I yell at her, calling her name a few more times. She pouts and wraps her hands around Dustin. Opening her eyes she looks at Dustin, smiles and presses her lips against him, still laughing! I roll my eyes and grab her wrist. She whines and throws her eyes in my direction and I just glare back at her. She gets onto her knees and presses Dustins face against her chest.

My eyes pop out of my skull. “Uh, Saoirse…” He whispers, mumbled by her chest!

Popping my eyes back into their sockets, I’ve had enough of this Vampire for one day! “Clair, stop it, stop-” I begin to rant but Clair leaps up and cuts me off with her lips. They gently caress mine as her tongue forces it’s way in to my mouth. I stand frozen, not believing what’s happening! But then Clair slumps to the ground as a hand crashes against her face. I spin to see a bulky woman reading to murder me, and just like Clair, very drunk.

“I wanted to kiss her!” She wails. Mouth hung open; I fight the urge to break this woman’s nose. Hurting the person I’m supposed to be looking after, she should be hung! Dragging a hand down my face, I dismiss the fact everyone is staring at me and lift Clair up bridal style. Pushing past everyone, Dustin shows me to his room and closes the door behind him. As soon as the wood blocks us from the rest of the party, the music starts up again and I lay Clair onto the bed.

“Is she gonna be OK?” Dustin asks as he wheels beside me.

I sit on the bed beside her and brush her hair from her face. “She was pissed; she probably won’t remember any of it!” I half laugh. “How you feeling?” I ask, turning towards him. “I mean, you were basically raped out there!”

He laughs, “what about you?! I wasn’t the only one to get some!” We both grin at each other, glance at the unconscious but smiling along with us, Clair and burst out into gasps of laughter.“What made her kiss you?” I look over at him. “Me?!” He straightens his collar. “Me, I can understand, but YOU!”

“Oh, cheers!” I say sarcastically. “They loved me kissing Clair than they did you!” I fold my arms over my chest and wait for his quirky response.

“A chick kissing a chick? Who doesn’t love that?!” He grins.

I perch my lips. “Homophobes?” We both burst out laughing again. I glance round the room and spot some artificial legs hidden behind the wardrobe. “What are those?” I ask as I get up to walk over to them.

“Don’t,” he mutters as I pick them up and glance over them.

“Are you learning to walk with these?”

He looks at his thighs embarrassed, “I didn’t want anyone to know,” he sighs and comes over to me. Pushing the black mop he calls hair from his blue eyes that match his sisters he gestures for me to sit on the end of the bed. I hold the legs on my lap and wait for him to talk. “I’ve been trying to do it, but it’s hard…” He licks his lips and coughs uncomfortably. “I haven’t walked for eleven years and I’ve…” He swallows his pride and tries to speak but no words will reach his tongue.

“You’ve forgotten how…” I finish. He nods and I sigh. “That’s nothing to be ashamed about,” I smile, placing a hand on his thigh. He takes my hand and mouths the word thanks and smiles at me. Playing with my fingers; his gaze leaves my hands and comes to my face. He licks his lips as I bite mine. We lean in slowly, shutting my eyes… a pair of gentle lips brush against mine.

“What the hell?” Dustin laughs.

I whip my eyes open and see Clair staring at me. I leap back and fly of the bed. “Clair!” I yell, lying on the ground.

“What?” She snaps. “Oooh, what’s this?!” She grabs the artificial leg and places it on her head. “I’m a turtle,” she laughs as she walks around making swimming actions. Groaning, I climb to my feet and push the leg of her head. “Hey!” She complains.

“I’ll see you later, Dustin!” I say over my shoulder as I grab hold of Clair’s upper arm and drag her from the room.

“Are we going to the carnival?” She giggles as we walk through all the party people and out the door.

“Yeah, Clair, we are going to the carnival.” I push her through my door and bring her into my room. “Into bed!” I snap.

She giggles and crawls into my bed. “Aren't you gonna join me?” She grins, patting the space beside her. I roll my eyes and close my bedroom door behind me. I slide down the door and lean my head against it. If this is her drunk what is she gonna be like hungover?!

Chapter 19 - Clair

Eyes fluttering open I stretched, sleep still trying to pull me back under. Sighing I started to curl into a ball but my left arm wouldn't bend. In fact my wrist couldn't hardly bend at all. Frowning I rolled onto my stomach so that I could see my arm. My side hit something warm and solid.

My head turned, red flaming hair screaming at me. I blinked, attempting to force the fog of sleep back enough to think. The cloud of crimson locks gained definition, a face peeking out from under the frizz.

"Sa-" I coughed, the sudden jolt making me head exploded. "Shit, shit, shit."

Dropping my face into the pillows I groaned as my head rattled, pressure beating against my brain. What was wrong with me?

"What?" I rolled my face to the right, eyes just barely peeking out of the pillow. Saoirse glared at me, face inches away. "What?" She repeated.

"That," I swallowed twice, trying to force my voice to be more than a whisper. "That's what I want to know."

She sighed rolling out of bed. I watched her walk out of the room without even explaining things to me. Frowning I followed her example, or tried to. When I went to sit up my a sharp pain shot up through my wrist and into my shoulder, head exploding it an array of lights. I slumped back on the bed, a string of curses flowing from my lips.

"You can't just stay still can you?"

"What the fuck is going on?" I snarled.

She stared at me like I had sprouted a second head. Shaking her head she grumbled to herself. I only managed to catch the words, pervert and hangover. My face crumpled into a fierce glare.

"Hangover? I don't drink."

She gave me a sidelong look. "More like you can't handle it."

Another wave of pain clawed its way through my head. "No shit." I grumbled through clenched teeth.

Squeezing my eyes closed I rolled back over onto my side, curling into a ball as best I could with my arm stretched out over my head. Stars rolled around behind my eyes making me think I had more than a possible hangover to worry about. My entire body ached, my right cheek and head the worst. Cool fingers pressed against my forehead.

My eyes opened everything going white. I shut them quickly. "What?"

"Drink this."

I frowned, pushing away from the glass Saoirse pressed to my lips. "What, you going to get me drunk again?"

"Hell no."

There was something about those two words that made me raise my head and stare at her. Just what had I done yesterday? I tried to recall what had happened. I saw blood, lots and lots of blood, and my brothers face, but nothing else. Groaning I pressed my face into the pillow. everything was hurting, even my brain.

"It's water, now drink it, come on."

When she touched my shoulder I pushed her away. "Go away."

I heard the glass hit the floor and Saoirse curse. "After you cry half the fucking night for me to sleep with you now you won't even look at me? You pain in the ass-"

I don't know what she said after that because her accent got thicker the angrier she got. I rolled onto my side, staring at her angry face. She paused in her ratings long enough to glare at me.

"I cried because you wouldn't sleep with me?"

"Yes" she waved her hands in the air imitating my voice. "'Sawhorse, Sawhorse, let me cuddle with you! Don't leave me alone Sawhorse. Pretty Sawhorse should sleep with me!'"

I blinked at her, the action slower than it should have been. "There is no way I would cry over something so stupid." She stared at me. Dropping my gaze I grumbled at her. "I wouldn't."

"Sigh, whatever just shut up and go to sleep, I have things to do."

Rising Saoirse kicked the broken glass aside. Another image of blood rolled through my head, this time sensation was attached. I felt flesh under my lips, the scolding scent of blood drenching me, the feel of the liquid rolling down my throat. I grabbed Saoirse's arm before she got too far. I thought she was going to rip my head off but when she turned all words seemed to fail her.

I blinked, trying hard to force back the swirls of crimson I saw just below her skin. My mouth was suddenly dry, not the kind of dry that regular old water could help. I needed something more, something redder. I needed blood. Digging my nails into Saoirse's arm I pulled her closer.

"Sorry, Saoirse," Jerking on her arm I forced her down to her knees. The sweet scent of blood filled my nose. I knew then that I would bite her, that I would feed from her. Burying my face in her hair I sighed, head protesting against anything and everything. "I let it roam to freely last time, it seems to have left me a little parting gift."

"What the hell are you blabbing about?" She hissed in my ear.

"Bloodlust"

Jerking away from me Saoirse started at me for the millionth time today. I smiled slowly, brokenly. "Get out"

"What?" She blinked

"I said, GET OUT!!" My voice roared over her.

I didn't want to do this, to make that last jump from me to it. To become the vampire that could easily slaughter and drink without a second thought. I knew I wouldn't purposefully hurt her, but I wasn't a hundred percent sure I wouldn't do it accidently. 

Chapter 20 - Saoirse

Clair sat on the bed, anger flaring through her, panting hard. I swallow and walk over to the bed."I said go away!" She sneers as I set myself down beside her. I pull the key to the cuffs out of my pocket. "No! Stop!" She yells.Leaning over her I unlock the silver bonds keeping her from attacking me. They click open and her wrist plummets onto the bed. She rubs her wrists and glares over at me. “Fool! I could kill you right now!” She snaps.I shake my head, “you won’t. I’ve been with someone with Bloodlust before.” I cut my wrist slowly and put it in front of Clair.Her eyes freeze on the red liquid leaking from my arm. Inhaling deeply she scrambles into a corner in the room. “I can’t let it out again,” she whimpers, hiding her face behind her mass of brown waves.I sit on my knees in front of her and push back her hair. “If you don’t take this tiny amount, you will go kill crazy!” I encourage her by pushing my bleeding arm inches from her lips. She pulls back but an internal monster forces her forward. Her mouth bites hard into my wrist, I grunt but ignore the pain rippling up my arm. She wills the blood from my body and down her throat, silently knowing at my arm. “OK, that’s enough...” I mumble but she continues to devour the fluid. I try to pull my arm away but she digs her nails into it and growls. Tugging my arm does no use; I pull back my head and send it hurtling into hers. She yelps with pain, the instant her mouth is open I snatch my wrist back. I leap onto my bed and cradle my wrist. Clair licks her lips. “Better now?” I say while licking my wounds shut.“Much, thank you.” She nods her head in embarrassment and stands up. “Why am I wearing pink pyjamas?” She looks down at her clothes and brushes them down.Shrugging I stand up and walk out of the bedroom. “You were covered in blood and you smelled…pretty bad.” I shiver at remembering the odour.

“You try fighting with twenty Hunters, see if you smell like a basket of roses after!” She complains. I laugh under my breath and we walk through the living room and into to the kitchen. Clair’s eye’s glance over the room and they immediately widen when she sees an unconscious Red. “What are you doing with a Hunter?!” She snaps, turning towards me.

I smile nervously and wrap a cloth around my wrist. “For a chat?” I joke. Her eyes bore into me, demanding the truth. I sigh and through down the cloth. “We went to that down and were ambushed; Hunters have never swarmed together in one place in such quantities before.” My eyes snap to Red and back to her. “When they had me, they were talking about some kind of ‘boss’, who they seemed terrified off. We need to find out who is giving them orders.”

“You mean torture?”

“Have any other ways to make him talk?” I sigh and shake my head. “I don’t like it either, but what choice do we have? If there is some big time boss telling people about Vampires and the best way to kill them, we will last a month!”

She nods. “I understand, it’s just…” I gesture for her to continue. She peels some hair out of her eyes. “He’s just a kid…”

Once again I glance at the hot headed male siting in my living room, when I notice he can’t be any more than nineteen. “Fuck…” I growl. Clenching my jaw, “we still have to do it, for our kind.” I mutter through my clenched teeth. I’ve tortured teenagers before but only for valuables or information, we need to know where this guy is but I can’t help and feel bad about doing this.

I strut over to Red, trying to keep my ‘mean bitch’ attitude plastered on my face but inside silently hoping there may be a way out of this. Sitting on the coffee table in front of him, I throw a glass of water in his face. He splutters awake, suddenly jumping out of dreams and being thrown into a cruel reality. I put on a fake grin. “Hi, Red, I have some questions for you…”

Chapter 21 - Clair

Shivering I sat up, a dull ache forming in my head. I licked my lips, gasping when a familiar taste exploded in my mouth. Vaguely I remembered that Saoirse had let me feed off of her earlier. I shivered again as I cleaned off the last remains of Saoirse's blood from my lips. She still didn't understand just what I was.

She was to careless around me. Hanging my head I stared at the floor. The beast that had broken my chains before now stood dormant, satisfied by all the blood I had taken the night before last. Another tremble ran down my spine. Hugging myself I swallowed. My body felt cold even though I had just fed.

It was a new sensation, one that I thought I would never have as long as I was sane. I was lost in a spiral of uncertain thoughts when as scream tore through the house. I was on my feet and running before the hangover caught up to me. The walls melted in stings of white and grey, my feet getting tangled up with each other. I felt the world tilt and cursed myself for moving so fast.

Instinctually I threw my arms out to catch myself. My right hand hit the door frame, the left one going through it. My shoulder slammed into the frame, twisting me so that I landed on my side half in, half out, the door. I cursed, half screaming in frustration. A pair of blurry white sneakers appeared in front of me.

Squeezing my eyes shut I waved them away. The light they gave off was just making my head pound worse. Something tapped my shoulder.

"Put them on, it will help."

I frowned, not opening my eyes to see what Saoirse was offering me. She sighed, taking my out stretched arm and shoving what felt like glasses into my hand. Fumbling with my tangled hair I slid them on. When I got up enough courage to open my eyes I blinked in surprise. The room looked like a cave it was so dark.

"Where did you get these?" I grumbled from the floor.

"None of your business." She snapped.

Rolling up into a sitting position I raised an eyebrow. "You stole it?"

"Can't steal from the dead." She mumbled then hauled me up off the floor.

"You killed someone for a pair of heavily tinted sunglasses?"

Glaring at me she crossed her arms over her chest. "Do you really care?" I just stared at her. "For fucks sake no! I found them on him after I finished feeding."

I shook my head, started to sway, and stopped. Holding my head between my hands I glanced at the glowering Saoirse. She stood there, arms crossed, fiery red hair framing her defiant face, blood rolling down the side of her cheek. My head snapped up, the headache suddenly gone. I touched her face and she flinched.

"What?"

"You're bleeding." I whispered.

She pulled back. "Who cares, I'm busy, go back to sleep."

Turning she walked out the door, leaving me standing in the frame. I frowned, following her down the darkened hallway. When I safely navigated my way around the corner and into the kitchen I stopped, shocked by what I saw. A man, the one from the alley that I had missed, was stretched out over the kitchen table, wrists and ankles bound to the legs. He was naked from the waist up, blood pooling over his chest.

Saoirse bent over him, growling quite threats in his face. He spit on her cheek, calling her a whore bitch. A knife I hadn't seen Saoirse grab trailed its way down the man's chest, a thin crimson line following the point of the blades she ran it down his unmarred skin. He tensed, cursed at her again, then tried to spit at her. She dodged it, growling at him.

It was obvious she was torturing information out of him. She looked Like she knew what she was doing, but I wondered if she had ever taken a Hunter before. Most people would break, or not be as defiant once they got marked like he was. But a Hunter wasn't most people.

"You're doing it wrong." I said.

That got a glare for Saoirse. Throwing the knife onto a counter she stormed over to me. Lowering her face close to mine she seethed in my ear.

"You think you can do better? We've been at this for five hours already. He wouldn't break yesterday, he will today."

I stared at the man on the table behind her. He might have been tired and bloodied, but the way he glared at us, the way he held tension in his body. It all said he was far from being broken. I had to give her credit, she was good, but out of her league with this one. If five hours of her didn't break him some already he wasn't going to spill his guts today, or tomorrow, or maybe even this week.

Hunter's were tough sons of bitches for a reason. I shook my head, something within me stirring at the sight of the nearly defenseless man on the table. The thoughts I was having weren't mine, not the me I wanted to be.

"I don't want to do better." I whispered back. "But he won't break today. He's to resilient to your type of torture."

"What the hell does that mean? Do you have any other ways to make him talk?"

I suddenly had a feeling of déjà vu. Had I already had this conversation with Saoirse about torture? I shook my head. Yesterday was to foggy for me to remember, but something told me yesterday was actually the day before. Somewhere, somehow I had lost a day in the chaos.

Thinking about the conversation brought up a faint memory of something Saoirse had told me. 'Hunters have never swarmed together in one place in such quantities before.' She was right, and she was wrong. Hunter's had gathered like that before, in a town called Transylvania. That had been the last attempt to purge our kind for the world, but not the biggest.

I stared at the man harder. Did the presence of another Hunter's town mean they were gathering for another purge? I frowned. If that was true, then so many people and vampires could die. I had to stop it to save both myself and Soairse, as well as my brother.

But the only way I could get answers was to torture a this stranger. But I couldn't do something like that. It wasn't in my nature. But it was the nature of that demons.

"Clair?"

I blinked, turning to Saoirse who was watching me worriedly. I shook my head, dropping my face so my hair swung forward and hid my eyes. "I can do it, I can break him. But it might break me in the process."

"What does that mean?"

I frowned. It meant I was about to purposefully let my vampire out. Something I never did because it was to wild, to blood crazed. It was a beast I kept caged inside me, separate from me, until it was starved for sustenance. Only when it broke free and over took my sense would I let it out. I had let it out in that town where I slaughtered so many people. Saoirse touched my shoulder and I jumped.

"Clair, you're freaking me out."

"I'm freaking myself out." She frowned. I shook my head. "I can do it. Just don't let me kill you."

"What the, bloody, hell are you talking about?"

My face dropped again. "Not important, just shut up and listen to me."

I felt her glare at me. Ignoring her I exhaled slowly, feeling for the locks I kept on the cage within my heart. The beast stirred, intrigued by what was happening. I almost didn't do it, but the risk of losing Saoirse and Alex pushed me forward. The second I let down my guard warmth spread over my skin, sickening thoughts filling my head, the fear of what I had done drowning in them.

My consciousness, my humanity, was swallowed by the force of my vampire until all that was left was the beast. Saoirse cleared her throat and the beast raised its head to look at her. That was the last conscious thought I had before I became one with the thing I so dreaded. When it, I, smiled at Saoirse there was an edge of darkness to it.

"Clair, what-"

"Nothing, nothing that concerns you happened."

Her mouth shut, opened, then shut. I turned away from her, giving the man on the table my full attention. He glared at me when I stood next to his left hand. A flicker of uncertainty spread across his eyes when he saw me then the glare was back in place. I smiled at that flash of fear.

Smiled the way a demon smiles at a saint that it had made sin. Darkness, crept over that smile making it more of a curling of lips. I reached out towards him and he filched away.

"Smart man." I whispered, touching his left hand.

"What," he swallowed when I opened his clenched fist with ease, "what do you want?"

I snapped his pinky back so that it lay parallel to the back of his hand. He shrieked. Saoirse came up to grab me. I pushed her away, leaning over the panting man. I ran my fingers though his sweaty hair like I would if I were going to kiss him.

His throat convulsed, jaw moving. I covered his mouth as his lips formed an O shape. Hot liquid ran against my palm. He had tried to spit at me. Digging my nails into his face I leaned closer to him so that when I exhaled I could feel my own breath wash back against my skin.

I whispered to him. "What do I want?" My left hand found his again, twisting the finger I had broken. He screamed against my hand. "To play with you."

Chapter 22 - Saoirse

I continue to watch as Clair twisted Red’s broken finger. It was defiantly a technique worth giving a go, but she won’t break him. Inexperienced he might be, but he was strong willed and had no intention of reviling the hole the Hunters where hiding in. The man’s screams echo through the room, I am covered in blood and hungry for the thing ironically covering me. Slipping into the bathroom, I take a long shower and get changed into a tank top and shorts. Just feel like flaunting it today. “I’m going out to Hunt,” I tell Clair as I walk past her. She barely gives me a second glance, eyes fixed onto Red. His veins are bulging from his neck and he is trying to squirm free. I shake my head lightly and open the door, torture, messy business. Something whacks my ankle, being distracted; I awkwardly fall on my face. “Oh shit, Saorise, are you OK?” I look up and see Dustin hovering over me; his wheel chair must have hit me.

“Fine,” I groan as he grabs my arm and helps me to my feet. I glance down at my leg, that has started to pulse slightly due to the large gash sliced up it.

“Aw fuck, that looks soar,” he brushes his fingers around it. “C’mon, we should clean that up,” he twists his wheel chair around and starts rolling towards his flat.

“No, really, it’s fine, I can’t even feel it!” I protest, walking along side him.

“Then you might have sliced a nerve!” He wails dramatically. He unlocks his door and pushes it open. “Well, you’re here now, so you might as well come in,” he grins.

I steal his glasses and put them on. “Since you asked so nicely.” I pretend to limp slightly as I walk into his flat.

Closing the door behind himself, he gestures to the living room. “Sit, I’ll find something for your leg.” He wheels into the kitchen.

I flop down onto the sofa and glance over my leg, the skin is already starting to weave back together. If he comes back and it’s all healed, I’m gonna have some major explaining to do! As he starts to come back in, I scratch at my leg with my nails, opening some more cuts to make it look like nothing has changed. He wheels beside the sofa and grabs my leg.

“They’re really is no more gentlemen left in this world, is there?” I laugh as he puts a cool pack onto my leg.

He looks up at me confused, “what? You mean grabbing your leg isn’t being a gentleman?” I laugh as he over dramatically wraps a bandage around my leg to try and stop the blood flow, although, it’s probably already starting to heal now.

“Can you even see without these?” I ask, pushing the glasses up and down from my ear. He gently puts my leg down and pulls himself out of the wheel chair and into the seat beside it.

“Yeah, I normally only wear them when I read.” He answers as he massages his thighs, wincing slightly. I glance at his knees, how his jeans have been tucked in under them, no longer any need for them to be longer. To be in such a horrible position and yet be such a happy person, it confused me, but I respected him more for it.

“You’re always wearing them,”

“I always read,” he quips, looking up at me challengingly.

I raise my eyebrows at him. “Fair enough, grumpy,”

He shrugs and we sit in silence for a few moments. Before I announce I should be going, he speaks up. “Who was that girl you were with yesterday?”

I pull my lips in, not expecting such a question. I put some hair behind me ear. “Just a friend, she can’t handle her drink very well!”

He laughs, “I guessed that, Saorise. She did make out with you, twice!”

I scoff loudly. “What about you?! You got a face full of boob! I wasn’t the only one assaulted!”

He flicks his shirt. “Well, look at me, I’m gorgeous.” He makes an overly dramatic disgusted face and looks me up and down. “But you...”

I laugh, “you were the one trying to kiss me last night!” I grin, folding my arms behind my head and leaning backwards.

He shakes his head. “Nope! You made the first move, I just followed you’re lead,”

I sit forward and stare at him with disbelief. “Oh, no no no, you can’t pin it on me! You were the one who was coming in for it!”

“You wish! I was just... leaning to pull something out of your hair.” He smirks causally.

“What?”

He looks at me. “Huh?”

“What were you going to pull out of my hair?”

He opens his mouth and cuts his eyes. “You’re...hair?” We both laugh.Dustin, nerves clearly spread across his face, looks up at me. "So...if I had kissed you yesterday, not that I was going to, what would you have done?"

I stare surprised he asked, not sure how to reply. Fidgets and then is like to hell with it. "Why don't you try it and find out?"Dustin looks down at his legs awkwardly and turns silent. I sit for a moment but when it’s clear that he is just going to stay silent. “Guess that settles that, then,” I sigh and get up to leave but he grabs my wrist and pulls me back.

I lose my balance (almost deliberately) and fall onto his lap. He brushes some of my hair from my face. “You didn’t think I’d let you walk out of here without taking you up on that offer, did you?”

I blush and look away, but he gently pulls my face to his, smirks and presses his lips to mine.

I sit shocked for a moment, not sure how to react, but when his tongue gently pries my mouth open, I snap back into reality. One of his hands rests on my thigh but the other brushes up and down my thigh. I grab fist fills of his hair, breathing in sharply through my nose, I kiss him more aggressively. “I can’t,” he mumbles into my mouth, gently pushing me back by my fore arms. “I can’t,” he repeats. “You’re my friend,” he licks his lips and looks away from me.

“Friend? Is that all you ever wanted us to be?” I whisper, putting my face in front of his, even when he moves it. “Is it because this is wrong? And bad? And you know we shouldn’t?” I purr, leaning desperately close to him. He caves in with a small whimper and crushes his lips to mine, aggressively and filled with lust. He pulls my top of over my head, breaking the kiss for a second then going straight back into it. Feeling something dig into my thigh, I grin against his mouth and place my hands on his belt. Dustin breaks away from me for a second and yanks his t-shirt off. I raise my eyebrows to his quite muscular body. “Someone’s been working out!”

“Only for you,” he smirks, grabbing the back of my neck and dragging me back to his hungry lips. Awkwardly, I unbutton my shorts and slide them off my leg, grinning like an idiot as I flick them off my foot. Dustin smiles sweetly, before he stares at my breasts, gulping he picks at the bra’s hook, revealing my boobs for show.

He leans towards them but I catch his chin before he touches them, “not yet,” I purr, connecting my lips to his neck. Lightly nipping at the soft, delicate skin, I venture down his chest, listening to his increasing heart beat. Once at the tip of his belt, I unbutton his jeans and sit up straight, hooking my finger tips deep into the sides of his jeans and boxers, I pull them down. His erection springs out, Dustin blushes slightly but I take his hands and guide them to the sides of my underwear. He pulls at the elastic slightly but rolls them down my leg; my pants slide of down my leg. Leaving me butt naked in front of him, his breath becomes jagged as his lustful eyes consume my body.Hair falling into my face, I lean in and kiss him while rising my body over his manhood and slowly sitting down, gently but surely pushing him inside me. His head struggles a bit but slides in, forcing my walls apart for the rest of his member to enter me. I bit his lip as I take every inch of him inside me; placing my hands on his shoulders I rock my hips lightly, and rest my chin on his head. He runs his hands all over my back, causing chills to run down my spine, and gasps of pleasure to escape my mouth. Having Dustin inside me feels so right, it sends throbs of pleasure coursing through me and I almost yelp when he bites down on one of my nipples. The seat slides back and forth slightly at our constant movements, my hips rock faster against him, our gasps of pleasure transforming into loud groans. I wrap my arms around his neck and roughly kiss him, more desperate and animalistic. Pleasure consumes my body and I dig my nails into his soft back as I feel myself realize, but Dustin continues to rock my hips against him, but not long after me he growls into my mouth, and I feel his load explode inside of me. I gasp for rough breath as I part my lips from his and snuggle my head into his shoulder, sleep controlling me and sending me into the world of dreams...

Sighing, my eyes peel open to the smell of blood, CLOSE blood. My vision comes accustom to my surroundings, I look down and see a blanket wrapped around me as I sit curled up in someone’s lap. This must be the close blood! My stomach gurgles with hunger and excitement. Without even realizing I’m doing it, my fangs pierce through my gums and into the soft flesh of my victim, blood gushing into my mouth instantly. They jolt awake from the pain and yelp. I ignore them and continue to suck more of the liquid out of their body. “Saorise, what are you doing?!” They cry, but my body over powers their struggle to break free. I growl as more of their essential fluid leaves their body and into mine. “Saorise, please...” they whisper, their voice sounding familiar. I pause, as memories of the night return to me.

I shriek and realize my grip on his neck, his blood dripping down my chin. “Dustin!” I yell, grabbing his limp face. “Dustin! Wake up, please, wake up!” I repeat, slapping his face lightly, begging him to wake up. I press my ear against his chest and find a weak heart beat.Suddenly the door flies open, and Clair barges in. Her eyes connect to me and Dustin, worry seeping from her gaze at just the look of fear on mine. “Help me!”

Chapter 23 - Clair

Winding my fingers through Red's hand I smiled at the three broken fingers. A small whimper escaped his lips drawing my attention from the mangled hand. Glistening trails of tears rolled down his cheeks, eyes turning red from all the crying he had been doing. I wasn't sure how long I had been breaking parts on him, I lost myself there for a little while in the fun. Blinking at the trembling Hunter I leaned over him, pressing my upper body across his slightly bloodied one.

"Want to say anything that would interest me?"

There was a sharp intake of breath but where I expected words there was only silence, defiant eyes glaring at me in their place. Sighing I flicked his middle finger. He shrieked, the digit flopping on his hand. I must have torn the ligaments and separated the joint without realizing it. I sighed again, pulling away from the trembling Hunter.

Frowning at the man stretched out on Saoirse's kitchen table I crossed my arms. Just thinking of her name made me aware of her. A sudden wind blew across my face, stretching though my body down into my chest. I mentally pushed the sensation aside. Whatever Saoirse was doing was none of my concern, my eyes fell from the door to the man, but Red was.

"You know, this is the most fun I've had in a long time." His face crumpled as I ran my fingers along his jaw line. Instead of defiance he showed me fear. It sent a thrill down my spine. "I wish we could continue to get to know each other, but I have a deadline to meet."

I didn't think he understood where I was going with the conversation. Leaving him I went to the kitchen, searching the drawers for something that would replace my normal equipment. I took the first sleek, sharp, looking knife I could find. It was a paring knife, dull by my standards, and small, but just as efficient for my plan. I went back to Red, flipping the knife in the air.

I caught it by the handle and flipped it again, glancing at Red as it landed in my palm. His eyes widened, then went flat. He was getting worse at hiding his fear. That little bit of knowledge made my lips curl into a sadistic smile. Holding the blade gently between my hands I ran the edge over my thumb, testing it.

A thin line of blood oozed over the tiny cut. Licking it my eyes flicked to Red's face. He flinched. My smile widened. If he had any idea about what was running though my head he would have been doing more than just flinching.

Flicking my wrist I sent the knife flying across the room. A dull thud echoed in the silence as the blade embedded itself inches from his family jewels. Eyes on his face I crossed the room, my hips swinging seductively. He paled, jerking away from me where ever I touched him. Crawling up on the table I jerked the knife out of the wood below so that I could straddle him.

"What," he chocked, swallowed his fear, and tried again to speak through gritted teeth. "What are you going to do with that?"

I laughed at him, a sudden booming sound that made him jump under me. "Well, if you really want to know. I might just," I rested the blade on his thigh, "cut something off." The tip pressed against his nether region. He shivered.

"Please." He whimpered.

I leaned forward, brushing my hair behind one ear. The gesture made the knife dig in more. I felt his body draw away from the blade. "What did you say? I didn't catch that, something about why Hunters are gathering in towns?"

He whimpered again, trying to wiggle out from under me and away from the blade. I took the opportunity to reposition the knife so that instead of jabbing at his balls I was at the best angle to slice something else off if I really wanted to. The feel of the sharp edge so up close and personal to his business made him still. I tried again, with a more direct question this time.

"Why are the Hunter's gathering in large groups, Red?"

"Purge," he breathed, voice barely above a whisper, "another Purge."

I frowned, pushing the knife against him harder because I was pissed off. He actually squeaked. I stared at him, easing off the pressure. "What else, Red, where are you gathering?" I paused thinking of something better. "Under who are you gathering?"

"Abandoned cities, from the old times."

He didn't answer my second question. Did that mean there wasn't one big leader? No, Hunters need one all powerful leader if they gathered like this. Otherwise they kill each other. He didn't answer, but he didn't deny it either.

"Who is gathering you?" I asked again.

His eyes flicked to the door. "No one."

I dug the knife in until he screamed for me to stop. I drew away, straightening my spine and driving the knife into the table where there was room. Blood stained his pants, eyes rolling back in his head, breath coming in quick pants, he whimpered prayers for me to stop, to spare him. I hadn't cut it off, but I had gotten halfway there.

"Don't bullshit me, Red, I don't have the patients for it." He trembled. Grabbing his hair I yanked him up off the table as far as the restraints would allow. "Who leads you?" I snarled.

He shook his head. "No, no, not that. I won't tell you that."

"So there is someone." He showed me frightened eyes. "Who?"

He shook his head, whispering no over and over again. I threw him down on the table. The last remaining traces of the smile I had given him before slipped from my face. A coldness fell over me, all emotions washed away in the defining silence that filled my head. I had one thought, and one thought alone. Face, I wanted to see his face bloodied and raw before me.

Yanking the knife from the wood once more I slammed the muscular man's head into the table. Digging my nails into his face I pressed the blade into his right cheek. He bucked under me. I made the first cut, his jerky movements making it deeper then I wanted. I heard him shuck in a lung full of air, readying to scream.

Blood welled in the gash, flowing over my fingers as I repositioned the blade closer to the surface. The first sound of terror eased from Red's lips as I drug the knife across his cheek. When the tip of the blade passed over his eye the small scream turning into a full blown wail. I leaned back, the loosened skin rolling onto the floor, my head pounding from the force behind his cries. Rolling his face to the side with the blade I used my free hand to cover his mouth.

He screamed himself horse against my hand as I lowered my face over his trembling body. When my own breath wash back against my face I stopped. The raw wound of his cheek sat inches from my lips, blood rolling down his neck just out of reach. My tongue flicked out, catching a few drops of his rich blood. The sound of Red's whimpering made me draw back enough to see his face.

Tears rolled down his face, mixing with the blood on his right side. Vaguely I remembered telling Saoirse that torturing him would be wrong, that he was only a kid. But that had been before, been another more sane me. The me that looked down at the exposed muscles and jaw bone of the nineteen year old male was different. Knowing that I had inflicted such damage to him, broken both his hands, knees, both major bones in his legs, and dislocated his one shoulder, I could still look at him and want to do more.

Pressing my face into his hair I purred in his ear. "Want to give me a name now?" I released his head, allowing him enough room to talk. He whimpered but never uttered a word as he cried. My lips twitched, my version of a smile once I entered this state. "Good, I would have been sad if this was all the fun we got to have."

Raising my weapon I set it against his forehead. He screamed before I even drew blood. When I finally made the second cut he screamed so loudly his voice cracked until he was merely staring at me with his mouth agape. My eyes lifted from his agonized face to the blood pouring down into his eyes. I focused on that blood.

Focused on the way it oozed and swelled from the wound. When I had a flap of his skin peeled back over his face I felt myself go. I let myself get lost in the feel of his flesh giving as I carved him into one large, open, bleeding, unrecognizable, wound. Silence filled the room as I flicked the last bit of skin off the table. That lack of noise, of pure agonized screams, brought me back.

Blinking I glanced down at Red. He was motionless on the table. The front of my shirt was soaked with his blood, the cloth sticking to me as the crimson liquid cooled. Pressing my finger tips against his neck I checked for a pulse. It was there.

I cursed myself for getting letting the fun of skinning someone alive get to me again. Pulling on his hair I raised his head up off the table. His eyes stared at me, his eyelids somewhere on the floor with the rest of his face. I slapped him.

"Wake up." Silence.

Flipping the knife in my hand I slammed it down into his thigh. It was like I had flipped a switch. Red rose off the table, a scream tearing from his throat. I slammed him back down on the table and he cried out again. Wrapping one hand around his throat I squeezed. His body instantly stilled, eyes focused on my face.

"Name?" I asked.

A name forced its way from his blood stained lips. "Gregory Wrigth."

I smiled. "Good boy, now here's your reward."

I slammed his head into the table. His eyes went unfocused, body limp. I sat there for a minute or two staring at his unconscious face. How much time did we have? Could I afford to play just a little longer?

My eyes flickered to the on the wall. Three hours had passed since Saoirse had handed the Hunter over to me. It would be another three before nightfall. I glanced back at the Hunter. If what I had gathered from him was right then I needed to warn Janus about what was coming our way.

Sliding off Red's lap I pulled the knife from his leg. He didn't move. Cutting his restraints I drug him off the table and into the entrance way. Dropping him on the carpet I took a pillow case out of the small closet, covering the bloody mess of his face with it. Reaching for him I paused.

I needed to get to Janus, warn him about the coming Purge, but what about Saoirse? I felt that strange wind blow over me again. I welcomed it, wrapping it around myself. I was suddenly aware of Saoirse's scent, and her presence. Even though she was across the hall I could still feel her.

It was like what I had experienced back in the Hunter's town, but more concentrated. Opening the door I drifted out into the hall, inhaling Saorise scent. I paused in front of the door directly across the hall. Touching it I blinked, surprised it just swung open without any resistance. Stepping inside the dark room I stuck to the walls, the scent of a strange man filling my nose.

My eyes darted around but the only thing in the room was furniture. I drifted away from the wall, following the strange wind that was Saoirse. The odd sensation lead me down a hallway, passed two open doors. Two more stood at the end of the hall, both closed. I had my had on the closest handle when her voice tore through the silence apartment.

"Dustin!"

Whirling I pushed on the door, it didn't give. Glaring I kicked it, nearly sending it flying across the room. Saoirse turned, eyes desperate. I took in the motionless man on the bed, the blood on his neck, the blanket around Saoirse. My face went slack, fear striking me like a lightening bolt.

"Help me." She beagged.

 

Chapter 24 - Saoirse

Clair rushes over to me. “What happened?” She snaps, falling to her knees in front of Dustin. 

I gesture to the multiple bite wounds on his neck and the blood dripping from my chin. “He fell over!” She looks at me stupidly. “What the fuck do you think happened?!” I growl, fury and guilt for my actions spilling from me and being taken out on Clair.

“He’s just some dumb human! Why do you need help? I’ll finish him up for you if you want,” she says calmly, eyes fixed on the red liquid spilling from Dustin’s neck.

Kicking her away from Dustin, Clair flies over and hits the wall. “If all you’re gonna do is insult him, then you can fuck off!”

She growls and stands up, muttering words I wouldn’t even say! “Fine, if he means that much to you then I will try and help... but put his pants on,”

Silently thanking her, I put Dustin’s boxers and t-shirt on. I slip one of his suit shirts over my body and wrap the blanket around his shoulders.

“Grab his other arm,” I tell Clair as I put one of his arms around my shoulder. Clair nods obediently and grabs his other arm. We walk out of his flat and stand in the hall, luckily there are no humans scouring the place.

“We need to get him to Janus, he can help him,” 

“We can use the car I stole from the Hunters,” I begin to walk down the hall but Clair stops. “What’s wrong?” I snap.She let’s go of Dustin and carefully places his body on my back, as if I was giving him a piggy back.

“You will have to carry him, I need to carry that scum,” she rushes over to the entrance to my flat and pulls a man’s body out, face hidden by a crimson dyed pillow case. 

I nod my head at the man. “Red?” She nods. “I can see your handy work paid off, he squealed?”

“Like a pig!” She grins, an evil glint washing over her eyes. 

Gulping, we quickly rush down the stairs. Clair dumps Red into the boot and slips into the driver’s seat. I gently place Dustin into the passenger seat and sit beside him. I brush his raven hair from his face, pressing my head on his chest I listen to his faint heart beat. “Clair, I can barely hear his heart, I drained his blood more than I thought,” I whisper.Licking her lips, she hot wires the car and it roars into life. Putting her foot down, she U turns out of the estate and speeds down the road.

“We have to get him to Janus, we need to warn him!” Clair says.

Wiping the sweat from Dustin’s forehead, “warn him about what?” I ask without really caring, completely focused on my dying friend.

“The Purge,” she whispers, glancing away from the road to look into my eyes.

“Another one?” I say quietly, holding my hand against Dustin’s neck to try and cease any blood flow. “The last Purge was years ago, centuries! Why would they try again?”

“Because,” she sighs. “Hunters are regrouping in huge numbers, trying again to rid the world of Vampirism.”

Gulping, I begin to reply but Dustin grunts and his eyes creek open. “Saorise?” He whispers, eyes only half open.

Cupping his face I kiss his forehead, “just stay awake, Dustin, just stay awake,” I tell him gently.

 “Wha-what... what happened?” He murmurs, head falling forward slightly. 

“Nothing, just keep your eyes open and everything will be fine,” I smile, but it doesn’t last long and fades from my lips.

A wee while later, we pull up outside the beach that I woke up in when my blood was first mixed with Clair’s. “Come on,” she pulls herself from the car.

I grab Dustin’s arm and put it around my shoulder. “Just hold on to me,”He looks at me half heartedly, probably not fully conscious.

“You...you won’t...be able to carry me,” he gasps.

“Trust me, I can carry you,” I kiss his head and drag him from the car.

Clair has, the still unconscious, Red over her shoulder. “Come on, we have to get him to Janus, fast!”She rushes over the beach and I follow her, the cottage on the beach catching my eye almost instantly, the afternoon sun is barely shinning.Clair bangs on the door. “Janus! Let us in!” She roars.The door flies open, revealing the Vampire.

“What is it, Clair?” His eyes fix on the body on her shoulder, then to me and Dustin. “What have you done?”

Chapter 25 - Clair

"What have you done?"

My eyes flickered from Dustin's pale face to the vampire standing in the door. He stood there, framed by the darkness, just out of the light glaring at me. I gave him a similar look.

 "Not a fucking thing." I snarled.

Pushing the six foot vampire aside I stormed into the darkened house. A pair of vibrant emerald eyes stared at me just inside the threshold. Perfectly curled ringlets fell down passed a very feminine waist, hands clenched at her sides. My lips curled into an unhappy sneer.

"Why if it isn't my favorite vampire bitch Charlene." I seethed at the female vampire.

She made a disgusted noise, lips parting to insult me. My smile widened, daring her to say something, anything that would give me a reason to kill her. Janus placed a hand on my shoulder. I blinked, looking from the female vampire to him. He gave me a warning look, a tightness around his eyes.

"What the hell is that thing?"

The oddly musical voice drew my attention back to Charlene. She was pointing passed us to the door way.

"He's not a thing." Saoirse snarled.

Charlene waved at the floor, indicating her legs. "Look at it then tell me you don't think it's a thing."

A growl tore through the hallway. Charlene blinked, glancing at me. I speared her with a glare. She ignored it, walking those few precious feet closer to me. I stopped growling, because she was almost close enough to touch.

Janus either sensed or knew what I was thinking because he pulled me away from Charlene so that I had to take back those three steps if I wanted to touch her. I glared at Janus. He glared back, that tightness around his eyes increasing.

"You think so to right?" She pointed at the man slung over my shoulder. I had completely forgotten about Red. "That things like that should be put out of their misery."

A string of curses and insults burned on my tongue, wanting to be let free. I took a breath, readying to let those few choice words go when someone beat me to it. I felt a spark of energy from Saoirse. She was pissed, and I couldn't blame her. That energy spark opened that strange bond between us, a cool wind washing over me.

I don't know how I knew, but something told me to move. Grabbing Janus with my free hand I stepped back, pulling him with me. Saoirse's fist flew by us, smashing into Charlene's pretty face. She flew back into a table, flipping over it from the sheer force Saoirse had put into that one strike. Janus bolted from me, going to an unconscious Charlene.

Saoirse screamed at her even though it was unlikely Charlene could hear her. "Shut up you stupid bitch!"

I laughed, I couldn't help it. Saoirse stared at me. I motioned for her to come closer. She turned away, her focus all for Charlene. Janus sent me a plea with his eyes.

I sighed, going to Saoirse since she didn't want to come to me. She didn't notice, she just stared at Charlene, eyes practically glowing with hate for the vampire. I reached out to her. She stepped forward, as if sensing my arm hovering over her shoulders. Grabbing her I pulled her back.

That earned me a glare. I laughed again. Jerking out from under my arm Saoirse turned, Dustin turning with her. Since she had picked him up from the car she hadn't let him go.

"And just what the hell is so damn funny?" She snarled at me.

I smirked at her, the corners of my mouth curling into another sneer. Using my free hand I pointed at the woman sitting up on the floor, touching her face like she expected it to just fall apart if she didn't hold it together. It made my smile widened, darken.

"Do you know how long I've wanted to do that?"

"I can only imagine how hard it was for you to resist such temptation." Saoirse grumbled.

I nodded, the smile lightening again. We looked at each other, a cheery grin on both our faces. Someone shrieked and the shared moment of Charlene's pain was gone. I gave the woman shrieking threats a sideways glance. She caught my eyes, then turned to Saoirse.

"You, you, you." she stopped, took a breath, and glared like she had never glared before. "You will die for what you did to me, you scum. You and your pathetic thing will die."

With every heated word that spilled from her lips I felt myself go cold. White noise filled my ears, one word pricing all that static. Die. I felt rather then saw Saoirse start for the vampire again. Grabbing her hair I jerked, throwing her behind me.

She yelled at me, her words lost to the white noise. Janus stood, lips moving quickly, earnestly. But he too was lost to the noise. Only one voice could reach my ears in that moment, only one person mattered. That voice priced the static again.

"Bitch, you should just die, you and your thing. It's a waste of air to have such scum br-" The voice stopped, Charlene's rich emerald eyes glaring up at me. "What do you want, stupid Walker?"

The white light that filled my head turned black. Solid darkness filling my mind, a sense of calm washing over me. A slow smile spared across my face and I knew that it was like the one I had shown Red right before I skinned him. Charlene flinched like I had struck her. Janus suddenly appeared in front of me, his face taking up everything, blocking me from seeing Charlene.

My eyes narrowed and Janus stepped back. His lips moved again but no sound would come out. I took a step to the side so I could see Charlene. Janus touched my shoulder. A jolt of power ran through me.

My head swiveled, eyes boring into Janus, he flinched, fighting to keep eye contact. That power jolt ran through me again. Words slithered through my head. I hissed. He was trying to mind fuck me into submission.

"Clair, stop."

Grabbing his shoulder I shoved. He disappeared, and Charlene screamed. She screamed off to the right where I had thrown Janus. And she screamed at me. She screamed the word Bitch.

I grabbed her hair, pulling her off the floor. She screamed at me again. I smiled. The sound of her confusion, the slight hint of terror, was like ecstasy to me. Jumping at the pleased look I gave her she struck out.

I took a step to the right, catching her wrist. She started to curse at me but her voice was lost when I spun her. Slamming her body into the nearest wall I pulled her arm up at a painful angle behind her back. She whimpered then got that arrogant courage again.

"You too." She seethed through gritted teeth. I leaned in, face pressed next to hers. My fangs dropped down and I turned, biting lightly on her neck. She jumped. "You too!" she screamed. "You should die with the rest of your scum."

Anger flared through me. Leaning back I ran my fingers through her hair. Pulling her head back I growled. Her eyes flashed white, wide with fear. I pushed, slamming her face into the wall.

She screamed and I did it again, blood blossoming on her face. Cursing she told me to die, to crawl in a hole with my little pets and die. Her face bounced off the wall three more times, the bricks cracking under the pressure.

"Maiden!" I jerked. "Blood Maiden, hear me!"

I released Charlene, letting her fall in a bloody heap at my feet. That white noise disappeared, the darkness that had become my mind fleeing with it until all the sights, sounds, and smells I had blocked out were with me again. Janus towered over me, his extra foot and a half being used to its full advantage. I glared at him, my voice coming out in a long hiss.

"What did you say?"

"Blood Maiden."

I flinched, balling my hands. "Don't use that name."

"Why?"

A low growl bubbled in my throat. I took a step closer to him. "Because I said not to."

His eyes flinched but his body gave away nothing. "I am master here, you cannot order me around." He tried to snarl, to sound intimidating, but it fell flat.

I searched his eyes, head tilting to the side. That tightness at the edge was there, more defined like he was trying not to flinch, or let me see some deep emotion in them. I suddenly realized what I was seeing. That tightness was Janus version of fear. I smiled.

He blinked. "What?"

Reaching out I ran my fingers through his hair, tucking it behind one ear. He jerked, started to lean away and jerked again to keep himself from take a step back.

"You're afraid of me." I whispered.

He swallowed hard. My smile widened. "Only an idiot isn't afraid of the Blood Maiden." He whispered through gritted teeth.

I frowned, glaring at him again. Shoving him away I snarled at him. "Don't call me that!" Dragging Red up off the floor I stormed passed Saoirse and Dustin. "Come with me." I called to anyone who would follow.

Repositioning the Hunter on my shoulder I kicked the door to the cellar open. Darkness surrounded me, room as unlighted as the rest of the house. The boards creaked in the hall. I glanced back finding Saoirse standing with Dustin clinging to her. She looked pale, sweat showing on her forehead, pulse in her neck beating against her skin.

She tasted like fear. My eyes flickered to Janus. He looked grim. I glared at him.

"Is it true?"

My eyes drifted back to Saoirse's shocked expression. "Is what true?" I snarled, eyes back on Janus.

"That you are the Blood Maiden. The vampire who feeds on the memories of other vampires."

A jolt of fear ran through me. I forced the emotion away, pushing it into the pit where everything else was. The second I pushed aside the fear anger griped me. My fangs tingled in my mouth, eager to rip Janus's throat out. I swallowed that emotion too, giving them both blank eyes.

"What of it?" I growled.

Saoirse swallowed, Janus took a step back like he knew how much I wanted to hurt him. "Is that why you..." Her voice faded whatever she had wanted to ask dying with it. "Dustin?!"

I looked at the dying man for the first time. His skin was damn near translucent, hair damp with sweat. His eyes were open and he was looking at me but something told me he wasn't awake anymore. The way his body sagged against Saoirse's, the way his pulse barely beat against the side of his neck, the way his chest didn't move when he breathed. It all told me he was at the point of no return. Either we acted now or he wouldn't be around to argue over.

"Janus." The vampire jumped. "Met me down there." I demanded.

His eyes widened for a second as the meaning behind my words set in. I was about to jump into a pit so deep it would be impossible for anyone but Janus to jump out of. It was the pit he left the young vampires in when he first turned them.

"Are you sure?" He asked, voice breathy.

"Yes, it's the only way to keep him alive at this point."

"What are you talking about?"

I turned to Saoirse. "Turning him."

Her mouth opened, outrage clear on her face. I smirked, stepping back into the shadows. Darkness consumed me, wind wiping my hair around my face. My eyes closed, the sensation of falling calming me. Thoughts filled my head, images I hadn't thought about for years raced though my head.

A man with short black hair, a shadow of a beard covering his jaw, dazzling hazel eyes stared at me from the other side of my lids. My eyes opened, pulse in my throat, lips burning with the need to call out his name. I swallowed it, swallowed the pain threatening to break me. Curling my legs I rolled so that when I landed my feet hit the ground with a loud thud. Janus landed next to me.

I glanced at him. Saoirse was cradled in his arms like a child, Dustin motionless in her lap. He looked so small compared to her. I let my eyes travel down his body to his legs where they ended in soft stumps at the knees. Charlene had called him an incomplete thing because of his disability.

Being a vampire wouldn't change that, he would still be leg less. I was sure Saoirse didn't care, but I was about to force her to let us turn him. He would hate us for doing something so monstrous to him. Saoirse would hate me for it too. I felt a jolt of pain in my chest.

I actually cared, it actually hurt me to think Saoirse would hate me. I glared at the floor. She was making me soft. Standing abruptly I threw Red out into the darkness. We were alone, I didn't have to worry about any blood crazed baby vampires eating him. Shrugging out of my jacket I lifted a black book from my pocket.

"What is that?" Saoirse asked.

I ignored her, lifting the book so that I was starting at its edge. Power swirled around me, drifting from the book to caress my skin like a lost lover. I was still frowning when the power swirled out to touch Saoirse. She gasped, falling when Janus set her down. He stepped back into the darkness so far I couldn't see him.

He didn't want to be touched by my blood magic. I didn't care. But I did care about Saoirse, and with her under the blanket of my blood magic I could feel how much she cared for the human in her arms. I could even feel Dustin and his love he had for Saoirse. They loved each other.

I nodded, almost to myself. I would do it. I would make Janus turn him, but I would give him something back in return. I whispered to the book, calling on that part of me that was Day Walker, that part that had earned me the name Blood Maiden.

"Blood of my brothers," the power flared, a small dust cloud swirling around my feet, "hear my call and aid me. Show me Dante's memories, show me regeneration." 

Chapter 26 - Saoirse

A small swarm of dust wraps around Clair’s legs, as if she is willing it to hug her. I feel some sort of draining sensation course through my body. Magic of a Blood Maiden can increase in strength if they take some energy out of any living creatures around them. I can feel her taking some of mine, which I do not argue, but when I feel some slip away from Dustin, I almost leap sneer in her direction causing her to stop. Her once chocolate brown eyes have coated over with sharp silver and her fangs have been realised from their hidden sheath in her gums.  Janus has stepped back into the shadows, away from the three of us, being cautious around her magic. I can’t blame him; it isn’t a particularly pleasant experience. For a Blood Maiden the magic is warm and gentle, but to those around her it feels like an itchy blanket with broken needles poking into your skin.

“Saoirse,” Dustin mutters, his head leaning on mine. I can feel his heart rate slowly decreasing.

“I’m here,” I whisper, a lump forming in my throat and my eyes stinging.

“Saoirse!” Clair snaps. I glance up at her; she looks like she is radiating some form off heat, but the room remains gold. It wraps around her like a thin fog, slightly intimidating. She nods to a metal table a few feet in front of her. “Lie him down,”

Obediently I grip Dustin’s waist and lay him down on the metal table gently, his hand never letting go of mine. His eyes are shut and he’s breathing is coming out more jagged by the second, the torn flesh off his neck pulsing a light flow of blood. I brush his hair out of his face, causing him to lurch up. “Saoirse?!” He calls, hands frantically searching blindly for me.

I grab his hands and hold them down on his chest. “I’m not going anywhere, I’m right here.” Leaning over his face I try to force a smile to my cracked lips, causing them to split, but his eyes remain shut and he lets out a whimper.

“Am I going to die?” He croaks, fingers entwined with mine and surprisingly gripping my hand tightly considering the condition he is in.

My bottom lip trembles, cupping his face with one hand, I shake my head. “No,” I lie. “You’re going to get through this.”

“Off course he is,” Clair scoffs. I lift my head to see her opposite me, hovering over Dustin. “I’m going to save him,” she grins, showing off her sharp canines.

She peels my hand away from Dustin’s, with a soft moan of protest from him, and holds it in front of her face. She mumbles something under her breath, brings her see through nails against Dustin’s veins and slices them open, and then makes another a few millimetres beside it. Dustin squirms slightly in pain as Clair puts her lips against the wounds and starts to drain his blood. “What’re you doing?!” I shout, leaning over to snatch his arm away from her mouth. Clair easily swipes me aside, causing me to go flying across the dark room. “We can’t change him! He’ll hate me for it!” I climb to my feet and rush over again.

“Do you want him to die?!” Clair growls, having almost drained him completely, and dropping his wrist and slicing her own. His skin has gone a white lighter than snow and his chest is heaving slower than can be registered healthy. “You must understand, this is the only way we can save him,” she says with no emotion. She presses their wrists together and fights the urge to jerk back.  Dustin’s back arches with pain as soon as their wrists are together. His human blood being pulled away and replaced with the cursed blood of Vampires, something I remember well. He grinds his teeth down harshly and tries to not scream out in pain.  “And now…” Clair mutters to herself. I glance at her as she opens a gash on the stub were Dustin’s leg end, being so caught up in the blood transfer, Dustin doesn’t even notice. She does the same thing to his other leg and holds her other wrist, I have just noticed it slit and pours with crimson liquid, against his wounds for a few seconds. The blood is instantly sucked into his legs and he cries out with pain, glistening fangs piercing his gums. The flesh around his knee starts to pulse, I stare in slight horrific fascination as a bone forces its way through his skin. Blood spurts out, Dustin howling with pain, as muscles and flesh wrap around the bones, and forming the rest of his legs he lost so many years ago. Suddenly Dustin stops screaming and Clair collapses. I jump over to her, she’s shaking slightly and her eyes have returned to their natural brown. “Told you I’d save him…” she whispers with a sound, I assume it’s a laugh.  I glance over at Dustin; his face is a mixture between pain, confusion and terror. His mouth is open but nothing is coming out. “He needs to feed,” she groans trying to get to her feet but falling again. Pulling her arm, I help her to stand, she is resting her body against my hip and her arms are wrapped around my neck.

“You need to feed, too,” I say glancing over her beaten body, as if all her life force had been drained.

“I’ll take care of her,” Janus walks over to us and picks Clair up, bridal style. “You just look after that man; use the human’s blood over there.” He nods to where Red is lying in a heap across the room; the pillow over his head stained with his blood, but amazingly his chest is still falling and rising.

I nod and turn to thank them, but Janus and Clair are already out of the room. Rushing over to Red, I grab his ankle and drag him to the table Dustin is lying on, his eyes fixed on the ceiling high above, his eyes the colour of blood, no white or pupil visible. This is how young Vampires look when they have just been blooded. Holding Red over Dustin’s face, I pull the pillow case off and gasp. His face is practically missing, his muscle visible due to his lack of skin, even his eyelids is missing but they are glazed over, he’s unconscious. How is he still alive?!  I slice his jugular and push it over Dustin’s mouth, as soon as the blood drops on his tongue, his lips clamp over the gash and start to drain the Hunter of his precious red liquid.  Dustin groans with satisfaction as the blood causes colour to return to his face, the wounds on his neck knit back together and he sits up, still holding the slightly squirming Red against his face. His eyes lazily return back to their electric blue and connect to me; he instantly drops Red, who slides of the table, dead. “Saoirse?” He whispers, fingers gently grazing my face. A tearful laugh erupts from my chest and I wrap my arms around his neck and tightly hug him. “Saoirse,” he sighs contently and buries his head in my flaming hair.

Chapter 27 - Clair

Leaning over Dustin I feel his heart shudder in his chest, trying desperately to keep what blood was left in him going through his body. Eyes lifting to search the darkness surrounding us I frown. I wasn't entirely sure how he made it this far without dying in Saoirse's arms, he was on deaths door, eating calamari with him now, but he still fought. He still called out Saoirse's name. My eyes flicked to her.

Her eyes are a little red around the edges, stained form unshed tears pooling behind her lids. I glance down at  their hands, hers having never left his. I listened to her voice whisper to him that it would be ok. I felt that crushing feeling of lose that was starting to surround her heart and felt pity for them.

"Am I going to die?" Dustin asks weakly, drawing my attention back to him.

Saoirse brushes his hair, eyes going wide, voice slightly shaky. "No, you're going to get through this."

I glare at her, at the lack of hope, belief, even trust in me. "Of course he is." I say darkly.

Her head raises form her dying lover to me. Her eyes are still a little to wide, chest rising and falling a little too fast. But her eyes remain dry, only the pinkish stain showing she had been on the verge of tears before. Defeat radiated form her, its weight putting a sour taste in my mouth. I glared at her again, that distant memory of the black haired man nagging at me as I pried Saorise's hands from Dustin.

He whimpered weakly, fingers grabbing for her blindly. Taking his hands I press them to his chest. With Saoirse's pain, her sense of loose, crushing me I put my nails to one of his wrists, making a pair of incisions spaced an inch apart. Somewhere deep inside my heart I felt desperation hit me. A lose so strong, so old, it made me physically weak.

That was the kind of lose Soairse would go through, the feeling she would carry with her for most of her unnatural life. It was a feeling I didn't want her to experience, the lost of a lover. Unfortunately the only way to keep her heart from shattering involved break it. Dustin whimpered again, drawing me back to the task at hand and out of memory lane. A very thin line of blood rolled down his oh so pale arm, beckoning me to lick it. Keeping his other hand on his chest I lower my face to the fresh blood and begin devouring it.

Soairse screamed at me, outraged by my actions. "What are you doing!?" Fingers wrapping around Dustin's arm she pulls. I shove her away, half growling at her. A quiet thud echoes through the room, Saoirse's voice distant when she starts ranting again. "We can't change him! He'll hate me for it!"

I speared her with a glare, dropping Dustin's wrist. "Do you want him to die?!" I snap, snarling at her.

She flinches, face barely visible in the shadows she stands in. Turning away from the half hysterical Saoirse I slice my wrist in a similar manor to Dustin's, lifting his limp hand and pressing the two different cuts together. The second my blood touches him I feel a jolt of power pass between us. His body screams at me, drawing in the blood through the two cuts on my wrist. I start to pull back, pain winding its way up my arm, but stop myself.

Grinding my teeth I growl at Saoirse, trying to distance myself from the pain slowly worming its way up my veins. "You must understand this is the only way to save him." I tell her.

Another jolt of pain runs through my body, my limit fast approaching. Glancing at Dustin's legs I frown, knowledge filling my head, knowledge I took from another vampire and stored in the black book sitting on the table by Dustin's trembling body. I saw sights and images form a past that never involved me, but drifted through my head as if I had truly been there. I remembered bleeding a young woman to the point of death, then slitting my wrist I gave her the barest amount of my own blood, the amount that would turn her into a vampire. That much of the process I, myself, knew how to perform.

It was the next step that I had never done before, yet knew how to perform as if it were second nature to me. I knew this because the vampire I had slaughtered, the vampire whose blood I had drank and feed to the book, knew how to re-grow something that was lost or damaged beyond repair. He knew how to perform regeneration, and now so did I. Looking down at Dustin's agonized face I nodded to myself.

"And now..." I mumble, nails dragging across one of the stumps that hand become Dustin's legs.

Nails digging into the slightly tender flesh I tear open two slits, just like on his wrist. Yanking my still bleeding wrist from his I hold it over his legs, letting a handful of precious crimson drip over the ends. Dustin jerks, a scream erupting from his throat. I force the sound of his agony into the background, eye focused on the little drops of blood that were being sucked into his body though the cuts on his legs. A ghostly image of the woman whose arm had been severed at the shoulder imprinted itself over Dustin.

It was like seeing double, the past and present converging into one multilayered image. A whispered voice filtered through my head, passed the sound of Dustin's howling. The voice pulsed with power, with an ancient magic that flowed through my own veins. So filled with rawvpower, so frightening, the voice muttered one word. That word slipped from my own lips, power flaring for only a second as it was uttered.

"Grow"

Muscles and tendons that hand long since been lost to Dustin tore their way through his body. I felt them gather inside him and uncoil like they had been lying dormant all this time, waiting for someone to call them forth from his flesh. Sleek white bones slide out of his leg, growing from what little bits were left floating below his knees and into their full form. The muscle and other tissue I had called forth knit themselves around the bone, nerves rising from the bubbling flesh seconds before a thin pinkish film flowed over the muscle. A second layer rolled over the first, his skin turning a pale white color to match the rest of his body.

Dustin's howls suddenly stop, emptiness filling my ears in a thunderous silence. I blink stepping away from Dustin I felt myself stumble seconds before my ass hits the floor, my legs having given out. Saoirse rushes to my side, I wave her off, eyes going to a confused Dustin laying on the table.

"I told you I would save him." I laugh, the sound harsh and breathy. Saoirse looks at Dustin, concern making her face crumple. "He just needs to feed." I tell her as reassuringly as possible.

Shaking my head I force my limbs to straighten, to make them take the burden of my own body weight as I try to stand. Rolling up onto all fours I push away from the ground, spine straightening just as my knees start to quiver, buckling for the second time under my own weight. I crash to the floor, cursing under my breath. Saoirse's fingers wrap around my arm, lifting me up off the ground. I groan, entire body aching as I lean on her.

"You need to feed too." She whispers, eyes giving me a once over.

I wanted to laugh, to tell her that rather than feeding I needed to kill a couple vampires, but I kept my mouth shut. I doubted she would understand the need for more powerful blood, that to me the taste of an old vampire was better than drinking from the youth of humankind.

"I'll take care of her"

I half jumped as Janus's deeply accented voice filled the darkness of the hole. I had forgotten he was even here with us. Once he stepped out of the circle of my power it was like he stopped existing to me. Only Dustin and Saoirse were there as far as I was concerned. I glanced in Janus's direction, surprised to find him within touching distance.

Reaching out to me he swept my legs out from under me, pulling me from around Saoirse's neck and into his chest. My body went still, the sudden change from struggling to stand even with Saoirse's help to being carried as if I were a newlywed bride was too much for me.

“You just look after that man; use the human’s blood over there.” Janus says, head pointing in Red's direction.

My lips part. "Why-"

And he went airborne, the deafening roar of wind cutting off what I was trying to say. My stomach lurched making me feel dizzy enough that I had to close my eyes and bury my face in Janus's shoulder to keep from throwing up. Head spinning I swallowed back the bile rising in my throat, nails digging into his shirt I clung to Janus like a scared child. Arms tightening around me Janus's body vibrated, a quiet thud the only thing letting me know we had landed in the closet above. Pushing away from him I tried to swing my legs around, feet touching the wooden floor of the closet.

Janus let me crawl out of his arms, lips parting to give me aw warning. "I don't think you should-"

My head did back flips, world blurring in streaks of dark colors as I collapsed, mind going blank.

Chapter 28 - Saoirse

Slowly and rather reluctantly, I peel myself out of Dustin’s arms and take a small step back, examining him. His legs are sitting still and bloody, his nerves must not have connected to his brain completely yet, so he I don’t think he’s noticed them yet. The dead Red’s blood is smeared over his mouth and chin, a few glistening drops sliding down his neck. Again, I don’t think he’s noticed the red liquid staining his skin, despite the fact he was just jugging Red’s blood like… well, like a Vampire.

Sometimes when a Vampire is first created they black out slightly from the overwhelming change their body is forced through. They drink blood, because it’s our instinct, but other than that, it probably all feels like a dream. Clearly Dustin doesn’t know what’s happened to him. I’m going to have to tell him… Smiling sadly, I push stray strands off his midnight black hair out his electric blue eyes.

“Where are we?” Dustin croaks, sitting up slowly with great effort and pain visible in his features. His eyes stay fixed on me, not even noticing his brand new limbs even though he’s sitting up. “And why are you wearing my funeral shirt?” Barking a laugh, my gaze sweeps over the large man’s shirt covering me, stained crimson in places with Dustin’s blood.

“You’re safe, that’s all that matters,” I whisper, gently laying my hand on top of his.

Dustin’s eyes fall to my hand, his own fingers looping round mine. “What am I safe from? I remember us…” he falls silent and a smirk plays in the corners off his lips. “*Y’know*,” he chuckles and shakes his head. “But after that, no idea…” His eyes flicker back up to me.

Biting my lip I try to look away but his eyes remained focus on mine. Avoiding telling him that I tried to drain him off his blood would be the most selfish thing to do right now but… I can’t tell him, I just can’t. Sighing, my hand runs up his arm, Dustin’s eyes following it.

“You’ve not noticed, have you?” I mutter.

“Noticed what?” Dustin frowns, eyes tearing away from my hand and up to my face, curiosity and something else… suspicion?

My chest tightens lightly but I smile at him anyway, my gaze sweeping down his body to rest on his legs. Gasping, Dustin body’s starts shaking violently. Trembling hands reach out and touch the top of his legs, making sure they are real and not a cruel dream in his head. His fingers dig into the tender flesh and he yelps, snatching his hands back.

“Saoirse, what is this?” His voice brakes half way through his breathing so uneven you’d think he was drowning.

 Wrapping my arms around his face I pull his head into my chest, petting his hair. “It’s a favour from a friend,” I say quietly petting his hair.

“Do you want to stand up?”Dustin nods his head quickly like a child.

Letting go of him, I place a hand on his shoulder as he stares at his legs for a few more moments. Breathing deeply, he slowly swings one leg over the side off the metal table, the other one shortly after. Worried eyes lock onto mine, his body still trembling; Dustin takes one off my hands in his. Gulping and giving him a reassuring smile, I squeeze his hand back and pull gently. Whimpering lightly, he slides off the table, his feet hitting the hard floor and wobbling.He almost crashes to the ground but I grab his arm and put it around mine, my other hand pressed against his chest keeping him steady.

“You alright? Do you want to sit back down?”

Dustin shakes his head again, panting like a thirsty dog that’s been deprived off water for months. Gradually, he puts one leg out in front of the other in a slow motion version of walking, moving a small step forward. A genuinely joy filled laugh brakes free of his chest as he moves another step forward, still clinging to me and I him.

“This is…” Dustin gasps continuing to walk on his new legs. “There aren’t words…”I grin as I walk beside him for a few more minutes.

He hovers for a few more minutes in one spot before taking a deep and shaky breath, then moves his legs forward some more as he gets used to their muscles. Something he has been deprived off for many years, I cannot even imagine how he must be feeling right now. I will try to be as positive about this as I can but I still fear having to tell him that he is a Vampire. How will he possibly react to something like that?

“How’re you feelin’? Are you still hungry?” I ask quietly.

Dustin looks at me strangely, smacking his lips lightly, tasting the oh-so addictive blood on his tongue. The sharp retractable fangs in his gums and the way his heart rate is slowing down at an impossible rate. His eyes go wide and his breath comes out unevenly. “Saoirse? What have you done?”

Impressum

Texte: Ideas by Niamhmolloy and Verbayne
Bildmaterialien: cover picture from Google, title layout by verbayne
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 26.01.2013

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