by M. Cheykota
“No! Come here!” I demand.
He circles around and comes up to me from behind.
I take his sword from his hand, mentally gauging the weight quickly and hand him my remaining dagger.
The vampires attacking us seem to renew their attack on me now they no longer have to watch their flanks.
“Guard him. If he dies, I’ll kill you myself.” I call over my shoulder to the vampire behind me.
Roman’s voice carries over all the fighting around me. “Jess, move your ass!”
Sword in hand, I leap into the air and remove the head of the vampire leading the charge. The others seem to pause in their fight, wondering if they underestimated me.
I take advantage of their hesitation and attack them with lightning speed. It takes a few minutes for me to turn them all to dust, but the final vampire falls when I pierce his heart, twist the sword and yank it out of his heart violently in anger as his body disintegrates.
I pick up my dagger off the ground that fell out of the vampire when he disintegrated, and tuck it into my belt as I return the sword to the vampire while retrieving my second dagger from him. He nods and returns to the barricade of vampires closing in fast.
Taking a chance, I wrap my arm around Tyler’s waist and move towards the stairs. I drag Tyler up the few steps, closer to the door. As we get to the porch, another two vampires come at us from each side in blinding speed. I throw Tyler at the door, causing him to become airborne and grab my other dagger from my belt. I run towards Tyler who is at the door, but picking himself up off the ground. Seeing that I am a bigger threat, both vampires come at me at the same time. I duck under the hook the first vampire throws and sweep at his feet. He jumps over my leg.
I block the kick the second vampire aims at my head and follow up with a quick punch in the ribs. The first vampire kicks me in the back, sending me to my knees. He tries to close in on me, but I spin on my knees with my dagger out and slice open his stomach. He covers his wound hunched over with his arms. I change my direction while on my knees and with the other dagger, I remove his head.
I am on my feet and ready for the next attack before the vampire’s ashes create a pile on the ground. The second vampire comes straight at me. I leap into the air, flip over him turning my body in the air so I can land facing his back. As he passes me, I kick him hard on his back and he falls into the wooden porch railing. The railing breaks causing the vampire to land in the grass below. I get to Tyler who is barely getting back to his feet at the door. I open the door, push Tyler inside, and slam the door behind me.
Chapter 34
Tyler collapses on the floor in the foyer, wheezing.
Kayle appears at my side, startling me. He moves me aside and picks Tyler up without saying a word.
“Wait! Where are you taking him?” I ask, concerned about moving Tyler in his condition.
“My master has requested that you and this young man wait downstairs. I am here to see that you do as you are told.” Kayle responds bitterly.
Kayle takes Tyler down a short hallway to the left of the foyer to a narrow staircase at the end of the hall, leading down. He easily carries Tyler down the narrow stairway.
Worried about Tyler, I follow on Kayle’s heels.
At the bottom of the stairs, there is a long hallway to the left. On each side of that hallway, there are rooms. All the rooms on the left side have large observation windows so people in the hallway can see inside the room. The rooms on the right have no windows visible from the hallway.
Kayle takes Tyler into the first room on the left. The room is smaller than I thought it would be. It is about the size of a small bedroom. There are only two matching leather couches on opposite sides of the room. The only light in the room comes from a single bulb on the low ceiling.
Kayle lays Tyler down gently on the couch farthest from the doorway.
Tyler is unconscious now so I direct my question to Kayle. “Do you have a doctor here?”
He gives me an annoyed look, stepping away from Tyler. “Vampires do not need doctors.”
I reply acerbically. “You do have humans here, don’t you?”
Kayle just shrugs.
I can hear Tyler’s breathing becoming more erratic. “Find me a doctor or I’ll go find one myself.”
Kayle smirks. “I would like to see you try.”
I move towards the door and Kayle stands in front of it, blocking the doorway. I try to move around him but he does not budge.
I snarl at him angrily, grinding my teeth in frustration. “I will fight you Kayle, move!”
He just stares at me.
I punch him in the stomach and kick at his leg, trying to dislocate the joint. He dodges both moves and grabs my arm. I turn into his arm grabbing it and drop to my knee, throwing him over my shoulder. Before I can get through the doorway, he swipes my feet from underneath me with his arms and manages to pin me to the floor. I knee him in the groin with vampire strength. He crumbles in a ball, grasping his privates. Getting to my feet, I kick him hard in the head.
Without looking back, I run up the stairs to the front door leading outside. I open the door and Christien is standing there.
I breathe a sigh of relief and move aside to allow him to enter.
I blurt out urgently. “Tyler needs a doctor.”
“You cannot leave Jessica.” Christien states firmly.
“Then send Kayle or someone for a doctor.” I demand, unsure why Christien is being so uncooperative.
“Tyler does not require a doctor Jessica. He only needs to be secure so he can regain his strength. I’ll explain everything when I can.”
Christien moves down the hallway and goes down the stairs. I stay on his heels.
Kayle is picking himself up off the ground when we reach the bottom of the stairs.
Christien raises an eyebrow at me then smirks at Kayle.
Kayle scowls at him, finally getting to his feet.
Christien and Kayle transfer Tyler into a more secure room. They put him on a small bed and tie him down.
After moving Tyler to the secure room, Christien leaves to rejoin the fight requesting that I stay inside and take no further risks by trying to go outside.
Minutes pass but it feels like hours. The noise outside from the fighting seems to be dying down. Staying by Tyler’s side, I hold his hand, listening for worsening signs of distress. Kayle is keeping his distance by leaning in the doorway glowering at me.
If Tyler gets worse, I will just open a vein to heal him.
I am still waiting in the secure room with Tyler when Christien returns. Kayle immediately leaves the room. Christien looks a little battered, but it just gives him a rugged sexual appeal. He walks towards me. I don’t stand to greet him, but I do look up and meet his eyes.
Tyler is sweating profusely.
“Did you find a doctor?” I ask, concerned for Tyler’s welfare.
“No. The vampires have retreated for now, but I am sure they will be back very soon.”
“Master…” Tyler whispers, looking at Christien.
“What?” I look down at Tyler.
Christien looks at Tyler for a moment before moving closer.
“Me… vampire…” Tyler adds. “Thanks. Need... blood.”
Christien searches his thoughts. He nods in understanding. “Turning you into a vampire resolves the problem we were previously facing. Your mind will be stronger. You are still very weak though. It is possible you will not survive the process. In addition, I am a little busy right now with all the vampires trying to get to you and Jessica. I will not be available for a few hours to assist you.”
“You are not a vampire, Tyler.” I interrupt.
“If you search his mind, you will see that he is.” Christien admits.
When I search Tyler’s open mind, I see that he has wanted to become a vampire for some time. He has been struggling with a way to ask me to turn him for years. I pull out of his mind and look him over.
“You
know I want this, please.” Tyler says weakly.
Christien looks at the door and Kayle reenters the room.
Kayle bows. “It will be done.” He walks back out the room and down the hallway.
Christien turns to me. “I cannot stay and finish the change with an imminent threat on us all, but I will have him very well cared for until I can return.”
I shake my head in uncertainty. “Christien, are you sure you want to do this? You don’t even know him.”
He looks at Tyler then back at me. “You trusted him with one of the biggest secrets in your life and he has told no one in all the years you have known him. He has been a loyal and good friend to you. If this is all he asks in return, it shall be done.” He kisses me on the cheek and walks to the door.
I move to follow and he stops me. “Take care of your friend. I will take care of you, ma chatte petite. Do not let him feed from you.” He leaves, shutting the door behind him.
Kayle returns moments later with an older woman in tow carrying pillows and blankets. I watch as she fusses over Tyler, doing her best to make him comfortable.
“He probably will not survive the change anyway. He is too weak.” Kayle remarks callously.
I move in blinding speed and punch Kayle hard in the face, breaking his nose and jaw. “What in the hell is your problem?”
He turns to face me, blood flowing freely from his nose. He is holding his jaw. His eyes flash silver in anger. We stare at each other and I watch his nose slowly stop bleeding and straighten.
“How can you heal so fast? I can actually see the bones reforming.” I ask completely fascinated, forgetting the animosity between us.
He works his jaw a bit as if testing it. “The older we are, the faster we will heal.”
“How old are you?” I ask before I catch myself.
“My master turned me in 1105.” He replies coolly.
“Humph.” I respond remembering my anger. “You better not let anything happen to Tyler.”
“I follow my master’s orders. He will not come to harm, for now.” Kayle states ominously.
“Or ever. If he does, I’m going to blame you, Kayle.” I respond, walking back to Tyler.
“You are the one who threw him into the door, breaking his ribs.” He mumbles under his breath.
I flinch at the reminder. I refrain from responding because it’s the truth. I ignore Kayle’s parting shot and sit on the floor next to Tyler.
Chapter 35
The attacks finally stop around midnight.
Roman enters the room and throws himself on to the couch across from Tyler’s bed. He has blood caking all over his body. Scratches and bruises cover his face, chest, and arms.
“Are you okay Rome?” I ask, crawling across the floor to his couch.
He pats my head roughly and sighs. “I am just exhausted. Everything okay here?” He asks looking at Tyler.
“I think he might have a collapsed lung or something. I’m not a doctor, but I’m trying to keep him comfortable. He seems to be in a lot of pain.”
“Christien tells me that he wanted to be turned into a vampire. That true?” Roman asks, looking between Tyler and me.
I nod. “Yeah, I checked myself to be sure. This is what he wants.”
Roman lets out a huge sigh. “Good. So I don’t need to feel bad for telling Christien to turn him.”
“You asked Christien to turn him? Why?” I can’t hide my surprise.
“I know how close you and Tyler are. I knew you would not take it well if he were killed protecting you. If Tyler wants to be a vampire, then we are all spared of guilt.” Roman confesses.
Christien, Kayle and two other vampires come into the room. The two vampires move to the bed with Tyler on it and lift it, carrying it and him out of the room. I begin to follow but Christien stops me.
“They are only taking him to a more secure holding room to prepare for the final transformations. Please do not interfere. We have much to discuss and very little time to talk. Are you sure no one could have pulled the location of your blood storage from Tyler’s mind?” Christien’s face is full of concern.
“No one knew anything about it so they wouldn’t have a reason to look for it, until now. Tyler doesn’t even know anything about it.” I reason with him.
“They could have obtained the information and not know what it was until they put the information together.” Christien tries to explain. “I told you, Demetri and Jacques are not stupid. They are very cunning and are excellent strategists. If you have even hinted to Tyler about its location, they’ll be able to figure out where it is. Has he ever been to your house?”
I shake my head for emphasis. “No. He doesn’t know where I live. Even if he did, he would not have known how to get to the storage room anyway. No one, except me, has seen the actual place where I have stored my blood. Not even Roman. I had the warehouse modified for another reason and used it later for this purpose. It’s supposed to be used for hiding.”
“A warehouse?” Christien says with obvious contempt in his voice.
My face reddens in embarrassment.
“Exactly how much blood are we talking about, ma chatte? You gave me the impression it was only several bags of blood.” He says with an anxious look on his face.
I look around to see Christien, Roman and Kayle watching me closely.
Roman speaks up. “Christien…”
Christien turns towards Roman.
Roman studies me for nearly a minute. I squirm under his scrutiny. He looks back at Christien and sighs. “It must be really, really bad. She doesn’t usually take a defensive stance unless she knows I am going to be angry.”
I cross my arms defiantly. “Hey, that’s not true. I am not defensive. It’s my blood. I should be able to do what I want with it. No one knows where it is and vampires cannot force me to tell them, so the location is safe. I will admit Tyler knew more than he should, but I’m not stupid.”
“Okay, it’s going to be very bad. We’re talking a lot more than a few bags here.” Roman says translating my rant.
“Rome, stay out of this!” I snap at him.
“Jessica. There were hundreds of vampires out there. Can you imagine the war or chaos my sire, Hassan, could create with an army of angel-blood powered vampires? Even if he only uses the blood for himself, Demetri and Jacques, it could end up with the same results. We have to destroy the blood and you know it.” Christien explains, holding firm in his belief.
Lowering my head to avoid contact, I begin to squirm in uneasiness. “Um, that’s going to be a problem destroying my blood.”
“Why?” Christien asks, exasperated.
“It’s an angel thing.” I respond softly.
Christien throws up his hands and groans. “Roman. See if you can figure out what she is talking about and decide how we should handle this. I need to go to Tyler. He is weakening. He will need strength for the transformation.”
He and Kayle turn to leave.
“I want to watch.” I demand weakly.
Christien looks over his shoulder at me, anger still evident on his face. “Only after you give Roman the location of the blood and figure out a way to destroy it. It will take at least a few days for the entire transformation to be complete.” He walks out the door with Kayle close on his heels.
Roman tries without success to get me to confess how much blood I have stored. I do finally admit to him that Tyler and I have been harvesting my blood for nearly five years. After many relentless interrogations with no results, he and I decide to move on to discussions about Hassan.
For hours, Roman and I debate on different strategies on how to kill Hassan. Without an idea where Hassan, Demetri and Jacques are hiding, deciding on which strategy we will use is coming together slowly.
Running out of brainstorming ideas, I return downstairs to check on Tyler while Roman goes to bed, most likely not alone.
On my way down the stairs, I hear Tyler screaming. I sprint the rest of the way down, ski
pping many of the steps along the way. I get to the room where they moved Tyler to find Christien holding and rocking Tyler in his lap. There are bags of blood spilled all over the room. Christien and Tyler have blood on them too. Christien picks up another bag of blood from a nearby tray. I watch through the window as he holds Tyler’s hands with one of his and pops the bag onto Tyler’s fangs using his other. Tyler calms immediately. He finishes the bag of blood then starts thrashing around and screaming again. Christien is speaking softly in Tyler’s ear while smoothing down his bloody, sweaty hair tenderly. Christien glances up and sees me watching them through the window.
Kayle exits the room and comes to stand beside me. “My master does not wish for you to watch right now. Your friend would not want you to see him like this. Christien will join you in his chambers when he can.” Kayle waves a hand towards the stairs, in a very direct way, that he wants me to leave.
“I’m not leaving.” I say half-heartedly, unsure if I am being stubborn or if I’m feeling guilty.
If I had not spent so much time with Tyler, would he even have been a target for Hassan and his vampires?
Kayle must see the guilt on my face. “Our master will not leave him. Your friend will be very well taken care of.”
