Worlds Apart (Worlds Apart Vampire Romance, Book One)

by Emily Knight

A few minutes later found the four flying over the neighborhoods. The humans were in the clutches of the bats.

  Peter swept his eyes the familiar streets and less familiar rooftops. "This must be what Santa sees. . ."

  What foolishness are you spouting?" snapped the large bat that held him.

  Peter smiled and shook his head. "Nothing." His eyes widened and he pointed at a roof. "There! That's my house!"

  The bats set their load on the ground before they transformed back into their human forms. Peter turned to his strange assortment of guests and held up his hands. "Whatever happens, just let me do the-" A shrill scream interrupted his bold speech. His eyes widened and he spun around to face the house. "That was Val's voice!"

  Peter rushed forward, but the two swift vampires flew past him. They barged through the back door and raced through the kitchen to the living room. Peter and Roger followed, and both skidded to a stop at the entrance to the living room.

  Ana and Lysander stood on either side of Val who lay on the floor. She lay on her back with her head to one side. Attached to her neck was a black shadow as large as a cat. It lifted its head and revealed itself as a giant rat with blood-red eyes. Its long white fangs were tarnished with blood from two tiny puncture marks on Val's neck.

  Ana hissed at the creature, and the creature replied in kind. The creature expanded its body and extended a pair of black leathery wings that stretched two feet in length. The flapping of them created a gust of wind that whipped the air around the room. It lifted off Val and flew at the pair of humans.

  Roger pushed Peter aside and threw the cheese. The creature caught the slice in its long talons and swooped past them. The open kitchen door allowed the creature to escape into the night.

  "Smart girl!" Roger applauded as the vampires rushed past him.

  "Not now, Roger!" Ana scolded him.

  Peter pushed off the doorway where he'd been shoved and ran after the pair of vampires. He rushed outside in time to watch them transform into bats and follow the black form of the vampire rat. He sprinted across the lawn and leapt into the air. His vertical was terrible, and he ended up missing the bat legs by wide margin. The pair flew into the night after their prey.

  "Damn it!" he swore.

  A hand fell on his shoulder. He jumped and whipped his head around. Roger stood behind him. His lips were pursed. The old man nodded at the open door. "We will do what we can for your friend here while we rely on our friends there."

  Peter pursed his lips, but nodded and followed Roger back inside. They arrived at the door and Peter reached for the handle. The door swung inward an inch before his hand met metal. He lost his balance and stumbled forward until his face met something soft and squishy. Two pairs of soft and squishy, to be exact. Peter leaned his head up and looked between the valley of breasts to see Val's face.

  He yelped and stumbled back. Roger caught him on the back and stopped his retreat. The old man's bushy eyebrows were pointed down and his lips were pursed. "Steady. She needs our help sooner than I expected."

  Val stepped forward with her arms hung limp at her side and her knees stiff. Her eyes stared straight ahead and her expression was blank. Peter and Roger broke apart to let her pass between them.

  Peter stretched out his hand and grasped her shoulder. "Val, what are you-" Val whipped her head around and hissed at him. He jerked his hand back and his eyes widened. "Val?"

  Val turned to face them and crouched down. Her arms crossed over her chest and her fingers were splayed out like claws. She narrowed her eyes and hissed at them.

  Peter reached out to her. "Val, what's-" Roger blocked Peter's path with his arm and shook his head.

  "She can't hear you. All she knows is the call of her master," he told Peter.

  Peter frowned at him. "Master?" His eyes widened. "The rat is her master?"

  Roger didn't take his eyes off her as he nodded. "The master vampire calls to them every night, all night. They are compelled to go where the master goes."

  Peter's eyes widened. "Then the rat-bat was in the house! That's why the guy wanted to get here!"

  Roger dropped his arm and reached into his lab coat. Val stepped back and snarled at them. "I am afraid this, my dear girl, will hurt you a great deal more than us." He pulled out a garlic bulb.

  Val hissed and threw up her arms. Roger held the garlic toward her and took a step forward. His eyes flickered to Peter. "Get behind her, and on my signal grab her."

  Peter nodded and moved behind Val. She whipped her head between the two men, but her attention always returned to the garlic. The pair surrounded her, and Roger pulled back his hand.

  "Now!"

  Roger tossed the garlic. Val screamed and tried to dodge. Peter threw his arms around her and pinned hers to her sides. She thrashed and pushed against the ground. Spittle flew from her mouth.

  Peter was yanked to and fro. "A little help here!" he yelped.

  Roger pulled a handkerchief from his lab coat and scooped up the fallen garlic. He smeared the oil over the cloth while in the background Peter was tossed across the yard. Val hissed and screamed. She twisted around and spun Peter with her. He lost his balance and fell on his back onto the soft grass. She fell on top of him and one of her elbows jabbed the air from his lungs. His eyes widened and he wheezed, but kept his hold on his friend.

  Roger knelt beside them and covered Val's mouth with the handkerchief. She whipped her head to and fro, but her strength weakened. After a few seconds her eyes rolled back and her body became limp.

  Peter sat up and stretched his friend on the grass. He panted and looked up at Roger. "Is. . .she. . .all right?"

  Roger opened her eyelids one at a time. A smile slipped onto his lips and he nodded. "Quite fine. She is merely unconscious from the scent of garlic."

  Peter frowned. "So. . .what do we. . .do now?"

  Roger pursed his lips and looked up into the night sky. "Now we hope our other friends are successful in their hunt."

  Peter glanced down at his unconscious friend. His voice was a ghost of a whisper. "And if they're not?"

  Roger returned his attention to the young man at his side. His old eyes softened. "They must be."