In the Shadow of Darkness

by Nicole Stiling

She was back in Angeline’s face in an instant. Her fangs were sharp and her eyes flashed with gold. “I wouldn’t do that again, little girl. I could snap you in half before you even realized I’d touched you. I’ve been patient with you. Don’t do it again.”

  Angeline wanted to challenge her but nodded, her jaw clenching. She knew that she was no match for Kathryn. Not only was she considerably older, but she had honed her strength into a lethal weapon.

  “I know what you’re going through,” Kathryn said. She adjusted her jacket as her eyes resumed their regular shade of green. She breathed out heavily. “You’re still new to this, so to speak. Three years might seem like a long time, but trust me, eventually it will seem like little more than a day. You’ll settle in and embrace it. I struggled for a while, though it was a different time then. Women didn’t have the freedoms that we enjoy now. And be thankful you were lucky enough to miss the ‘Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God’ era. What a drag that sermon was, but people ate it up. My maker wasn’t as sympathetic to my plight as I am with yours. I’d go days without seeing him, locked in a crypt with only rats and bugs as companions. He was afraid that I’d expose us.”

  Angeline contemplated. Accepting a thousand lifetimes of staying in the shadows and feeding on humans to survive didn’t sound possible. Embracing it sounded absolutely ludicrous.

  “Where is he?”

  “Jonathan? Dead.” Kathryn’s face betrayed no emotions.

  “You never talk about him. How’d he die?”

  “Well, you know it was only one of three ways. Direct sunlight, fire, or decapitation. And he wasn’t sunbathing. It was a long time ago.”

  Angeline nodded. “Was it you?”

  “Me? Of course not. That would be the gravest sin any of us could commit. You don’t harm your maker. No matter what.” Kathryn looked long and hard at Angeline, who eventually turned away.

  “Who did it?”

  “Religious zealots. They found his resting spot in St. Lucius’s cemetery in Albany. In those days, it was a lot easier to stay hidden in cemeteries. Communities were too small for us to blend in. Usually they would just stake anyone they suspected of vampirism based on all of those old Dracula legends. Which is obviously the preferred method since that only weakens us, like anything through the heart would do, but it doesn’t kill us. Our heart doesn’t have much of anything to do with living. These guys weren’t taking any chances. They staked him, beheaded him, and lit him on fire.”

  “Wow.” Angeline grew quiet, again focusing her attention on the sand beneath her. Sometimes she forgot just how dangerous the world was for her now. Even though her strength had increased tenfold from her previous life, enough determined hunters could easily take her down. It was unusual for Kathryn to be so open. She usually brushed off Angeline’s questions and managed to change the subject. Angeline didn’t want to let the opportunity slip away.

  “When did you finally accept—sorry, embrace—this?” Angeline asked.

  Kathryn cocked her head in thought. “I don’t know. Early eighteen hundreds, I guess. I finally realized that unless I wanted to be a sad, pale waif for the rest of eternity, I’d better find a way to start enjoying myself.”

  “Am I the only one you turned?”

  “No,” Kathryn said, shaking her head. “There have been a few. Some I’ve grown tired of. Some met an untimely end. It happens.”

  Angeline scoffed. “How nice to know that I’m in such expendable company.”

  “I didn’t say that. I’m just saying that not everything has a happy ending. I’m sure it will be different with you. We’ll be toasting champagne over a bonfire in the year 3035.”

  The thought sent a swell of nausea through Angeline. “Why are there so few of us? Have you encountered many?”

  “Not many. Four, five. We’re a very territorial species. Like a dog pissing on the city limits. This is my space, this is yours. No intersection necessary. Or welcome, for that matter. Jonathan told me that every maker must forcefully engrain in their progeny that they are not to just go around making other vampires left and right. I’ve never turned more than one at a time. It’s another one of those unwritten rules we have to follow. I have no way of knowing what others do, but I’m confident that there aren’t vast numbers of baby vamps plodding around the world. Up to this point, at least, we’ve managed to stay undercover. Vampires popping up everywhere would be catastrophic. It’s not like it’s never happened. Go read those books that point to Romania, Moldova. They’re more than just fairy tales. As strong as we are, humans are a rascally bunch. They’d find a way to destroy us.”

  Angeline looked out at the shimmer glinting off the ocean. For a moment, she wondered if she should just walk into the water and keep walking until she reached the center. Surely a shark would eat her, or some unknown species inhabiting the Mariana Trench would make quick work of her, and that would be it. The end.

  She sighed, since the fear of drowning, or at least the claustrophobia of being submerged in mile-deep ocean, was still present in her humanity-fueled mind. Kathryn had said those feelings and thoughts would fade over time. Maybe she could find someone to pull the rope of a guillotine. That would be quick and there’d be no time to change her mind.

  “Will you please stop contemplating suicide? It’s not a good look on you,” Kathryn said. She didn’t even bother to look over at Angeline. She was slouched in a beach chair with her eyes closed.

  “How do you always know what I’m thinking? It’s creepy and invasive.”

  “Because I can read you like a book, Angeline. Some of it’s our shared blood, but mostly you’re just predictable.” Kathryn propped herself up on her elbow. “It will get better. I promise.”

  Angeline lay back on the sand, her eyes wide open, staring up at the stars. Maybe they’d both just fall asleep and daylight would turn them into a pile of ash. She shook the thought from her head and focused on the sky. Her despair was real. But so was her hope. There had to be a flicker of light somewhere in the darkness. Angeline just needed to find it.

  Chapter Eight

  Fog Hollow, Massachusetts, current day

  Megan sat on Stacey’s couch sipping her lemonade while Stacey answered the door for the pizza deliverer. The smell made her stomach grumble.

  “I didn’t realize how hungry I was,” Megan said, selecting one of the biggest slices and sliding it onto a paper plate. “I slept for like twenty-seven hours.”

  “Carlos was fine with it?” Stacey asked, biting into her pizza.

  “Yeah, he was great. Told me to take the rest of the week off. He’s going to cover my appointments for me.” Carlos was the owner of HomeSure Appraisal Company, and Megan had been working for him for nearly five years. She enjoyed their relationship. It was a perfect mix of professionalism, laughter, and nonsensical arguments.

  “Good. Take the time. You need it.” Stacey checked her cell phone. “Have you talked to your aunt yet?”

  Megan nodded. “Yes, I told her everything. Well, mostly everything. I left out the whole Angeline part of the story. She freaked out when I told her I’d been shot, but she had calmed down by the end of the conversation. I told her it just grazed me and that I was fine. She asked if I wanted her to come down from Laconia, but I told her absolutely not. Her arthritis has been killing her.”

  Aunt Susie had been her guardian for as long as Megan could remember. Her mother had taken off when she was just a baby. She was young and scared and decided that Megan would be better off with someone who was stable and loving and actually wanted to be a parent. She was probably right. Aunt Susie, who was technically her great-aunt, had been a wonderful caregiver, and Megan loved her with everything she had. She’d met her mother a few times over the years, and they’d been friendly, but Megan knew in her heart that Aunt Susie was her real mother. And she was perfectly okay with that. She was grateful to her biological mother for giving her the chance to be loved by such a kindhearted woman.

  Stacey looked at he
r phone. “Kristen’s on her way home.”

  “Did you tell her about Angeline?”

  Stacey looked guilty. “Of course I did! You didn’t tell me not to.”

  Megan closed her eyes. She wasn’t upset that Stacey had told her girlfriend about Angeline, but she didn’t look forward to the pitiful glances or questions she was sure would follow. Megan assumed everyone just thought she was whacked.

  “No, it’s fine. What did she say?”

  Stacey kept eating. “She’s super sad for the clerk’s family. I guess her mom knows his wife. It’s awful. The whole Angeline thing, on the other hand…she’s kind of intrigued by it.”

  Megan nearly choked on her pizza. “In what way?”

  “I think she sort of believes her! I told her everything, the healing deal, the showing up at your house, the arm thing. None of it makes sense at face value, but if she is telling the truth, then it all clicks into place.”

  “Stacey, she is telling the truth. I know it’s insane, and I know any rational person wouldn’t believe it. But I saw it. There’s no way someone could do that to their arm and have it heal like that. It’s just not possible. Have you ever heard of anything like that? Some medical marvel or something?” Megan sighed, still trying to convince herself that her eyes might have deceived her.

  “No.” Stacey pursed her lips. “But what about like, an illusionist? You know, you see those people on TV all the time who levitate or show up with someone else’s tattoo on their back. It’s all just sleight of hand and mind tricks.”

  The thought had crossed Megan’s mind, but motive was lacking. She had never met Angeline before the night at the gas station. Why would a random person feel the need to gaslight her after removing her from the scene of the crime? There was no rational reason Megan could come up with that made sense. Not that rational reason is my strong point these days. Megan shook her head.

  “I don’t think so. I mean, I guess it’s possible, but why? Maybe I should go talk to her.” Megan bit her bottom lip.

  “Do you know where she lives?”

  “No, but I know where she works.” Megan pointed to the logo on her shirt. “She was wearing those scrubs, remember?”

  “You really think she works there?” Stacey asked.

  The door flew open and Kristen went running over to Megan. She swept her into a hug. “I can’t even believe what you went through. You must be so traumatized.”

  Megan smiled into Kristen’s thick blond hair, which was quickly smothering her. “I’m okay. Lucky to be alive.”

  Kristen held her at arm’s length. “Seriously. Thankfully, that vampire swooped in and killed that dude.”

  Megan’s jaw fell. It sounded even more unrealistic hearing it from someone else’s mouth. “I don’t know that she killed him. Or that she’s a vampire. Maybe she’s just really off. None of it makes sense.”

  Kristen raised her eyebrow skeptically. When Megan looked to Stacey for help, Stacey concentrated even harder on her slice of pizza.

  “From what Stacey’s told me, it seems pretty cut and dried. She saved you, she told you how, she proved it. What’s not to get?” Kristen nudged Stacey over on the couch with her hip and grabbed a slice.

  Megan sat back down on the couch in disbelief. “How are you so okay with this? You just believe it? No questions asked? Vampires aren’t real!”

  “I think your lady vamp would beg to differ. Who says they’re not real? There’s been tons of documented cases of unsolved murders, people doing things under the influence of something they can’t remember, holy water turning people to ash.” Kristen shrugged.

  “You made that up.”

  “Okay, I made the last thing up. But the rest of it is totally true, so I don’t see any reason to doubt her. Not based on what I know. And there are still tons of things we don’t know about the world. People are still discovering new species all the time. Maybe she’s just one that’s gone underground, so to speak. Did you try to throw garlic at her or show her a mirror?” Kristen asked.

  “I can’t even believe this is a real conversation,” Megan said. “No, I didn’t do any of those things. I’ve been waffling between thinking that I’m insane, thinking that I misunderstood, and thinking that I can be on the cover of Time magazine for finally proving the existence of the supernatural.”

  “It’s probably a combination of all three.” Stacey swallowed a slug of beer and smiled.

  “Well, I think you should confront her. If you know where she is, why not go to her this time? Stacey told me that you think she works at the vet’s office?” Kristen asked.

  “I think. But maybe she stole those scrubs from some unsuspecting victim. I was just talking to Stacey about that. I feel like I should go talk to her, but I don’t know. It’s a long shot, to be honest,” Megan said.

  “Let’s go,” Kristen said, standing. She brushed the pizza crumbs off of her jeans.

  “Go where?”

  Kristen rolled her eyes. “To the vet office!”

  Megan’s eyes widened. “Why?”

  “Don’t you want to know the truth?”

  “I guess so, but if she is some sort of deranged serial killer, do you think seeking her out is the best idea? She might see me and go berserk and stab me in the throat. I don’t think it’s worth the risk.” Megan stayed seated on the couch and took another sip of lemonade.

  “Come on,” Stacey said, looking at Kristen. Kristen was clearly looking for backup. “If you have any inclination that things are about to go bad, we’ll swoop in and rescue you. Or we can just go in with you. But since she only told you about this vampire stuff, she might not appreciate me and Kristen showing up too. She’ll glamour us to forget everything and we’ll be walking zombies for the rest of our lives.” She paused. “You know what, Kris? Maybe Megan’s right.”

  “You two are such wimps. Don’t you think she would have killed Megan by now if she intended to do so? She’s had the opportunity, and both times she let her go. I don’t think she’s out for blood. So to speak.”

  Megan sighed. Kristen was nothing if not persistent. “Fine. Follow behind me in case you need a quick getaway. When you hear my bloodcurdling scream, get the hell out of there.”

  Minutes later, Megan pulled out of Stacey’s driveway with the other two in tow. The police department had released her Escape back to her earlier that morning, since nothing of interest was found in the vehicle. Not that she had expected there to be. Megan was surprised the blood results hadn’t come back yet. There was a tiny part of her that was nervous about the findings, even though she knew she didn’t have anything to do with the gunman’s murder. She’d seen so many shows where the innocent victim was caught in the crosshairs and had become the prime suspect. Disappearing from the crime scene certainly couldn’t have helped.

  They pulled into the Fog Hollow Animal Hospital parking lot, where Megan checked the clock on her dash. Seven fifty-three. A quick scan of their website showed they were open until eight p.m. on Thursday nights, so she still had a few minutes to check things out. Even if Angeline did work there, there was no guarantee she was working on that particular day.

  Megan shot a look at Stacey and Kristen, who looked giddy. They were shooing her toward the door. Stacey put down her window. “We’re right here if you need us! There are still some employees inside. I see someone at the counter.”

  “Yeah, thanks,” Megan mumbled. She took a deep breath and ran a hand through her hair. There was no reason to be there, other than to satisfy her curiosity. And her friends’ curiosity, for that matter. It was stupid.

  She was about to turn around and head back to her car when the door opened. A young woman walked out, her pug bounding behind her. The dog ran over to Megan’s ankle and snorted at her. She smiled and gave him a quick pat before pulling it together and entering the vet’s office.

  “We’re just about to close,” the woman behind the counter said, locking her cabinets. “What can I do for you?”

  “Jus
t a quick question. Is Angeline working today?” Megan’s heartbeat quickened.

  The woman frowned. “Who?”

  For some strange reason, Megan felt the tiniest hint of disappointment envelope her. “Oh, I must have the wrong clinic. Sorry about that.” She smiled and turned toward the door.

  “Oh, wait a minute. I just started here last week and I don’t know everyone’s names yet. Yes, she’s the overnight tech. Her shift starts in five minutes,” the woman said, checking a schedule laid out on the desk in front of her. “If you want to leave your name, I’ll have her give you a call.”

  “No need.” The door chime rang as someone came in. “How can I help you?”

  Megan turned to find Angeline standing there, her head cocked with an amused look on her face.

  “Hi,” Megan said, her voice thick. “I wanted to speak to you about, um, my cat.”

  Angeline nodded. “Sure. I remember Merlin. Sweet guy. Greta, I’m going to take Megan out back with me while I set up for the night. Let me know if you need anything on your way out.”

  Greta nodded, barely looking up from her open purse. She looked like she’d checked out long before the clock struck eight.

  Megan followed Angeline into the back room amid the sounds of barking and meows and possibly even a tweet or two. It was hard to tell. She lifted her phone and saw she had four text messages from Stacey.

  Is she there?

  HELLO?

  Should we come in?

  Are you alive??? WTF!?

  Megan smiled. It was a good thing she hadn’t needed them up to this point, or she’d very obviously be dead.

  She’s here. Ok for now. Don’t come in.

  Megan slid her phone into the back pocket of her jeans as Angeline hung her jacket up on a hook behind a small computer workstation. Angeline leaned against the desk and crossed her arms.

  “So?” she asked.

  “So what?”

  “What are you doing here?”

  Megan looked around the room. “I honestly don’t know. After our last…encounter…I felt like maybe I should, I don’t know, get in touch?” God, I sound stupid.