Past Life

by C S Winchester

  Whilst the water was running she got a good look at herself in the mirror and thought that she looked pretty grim. Her face was covered in soot stains and somehow she had managed to cut her cheek, though it was healing already. She stepped into the bath and sank slowly into the water then leant her head back and closed her eyes, letting the hot water sooth away her aches and pains.

  The next thing she knew, someone was knocking on the bathroom door.

  “Francis? Is that you? Are you all right?”

  Frankie wiped her eyes and sat up.

  “I'm fine, Mum, I just fell asleep. I'll be down in a few minutes.”

  The water was cooling now so she quickly washed her hair, got out and dried off. She found an old pair of pyjamas to wear and pulled her gloves and a robe on before heading downstairs to see her parents, who had settled in the living room and were watching the late news.

  “Hey, did you have a nice evening?” she asked, taking a seat next to her Mother on the sofa.

  “Lovely! Cecilia smiled, turning to her daughter. “We went to- Oh my God, what happened to your face?”

  “Nothing, Mum, it's just a scratch. Besides, we caught the bad guy,” she said, gesturing to the TV where a reporter at Rosslynlee Hospital was reporting on the details of the case and capture of Pietro.

  “The suspect fought with authorities and during the struggle, he sustained a head injury. He has now been taken to Edinburgh's Royal Infirmary but his status is currently unknown,” the reporter said.

  “You say suspect,” the anchor in the TV studio began. “How certain are the police that they have the right man?”

  “Very. While they haven't released any specifics, they say that he had a number of items in his possession which are very damning. They also have a lot of forensic evidence, including DNA and finger prints, which they expect will take weeks to process, but they have said that they would be highly surprised if the forensic evidence didn't back up their existing findings.”

  “We're hearing reports that MI5 might have been involved with this case, can you give us any more details on that?”

  “The police have confirmed that the suspect was a person of interest to the Security Service, and that they have been very helpful in helping to apprehend the suspect.”

  “You caught this man?” Frankie's dad asked.

  “We did.”

  “Did he give you that?” her mother asked, pointing to Frankie's cheek.

  “I got it in the fight with him,” she confirmed.

  “But you're okay otherwise? He didn't hurt you, did he?”

  Frankie had never seen her mother look so concerned so she reached out and took her hand.

  “I'm fine, Mum, honestly. Just a few bumps and bruises.”

  “Good, I'm glad.” Cecilia smiled in relief and patted her daughter's gloved hand. “Are you hungry? I can make you something?”

  “Actually I'm starving,” Frankie smiled. “Can you make me one of those omelets like you used to do when I was young?”

  “Of course, sweetheart. I picked up some eggs while we were out the other day.”

  Frankie could have sworn that she'd ordered some to be delivered with the shopping, but she let the remark slide.

  “Why don't you come through and we'll talk while I make it, like we used to when you were little?”

  “Sure.”

  Frankie sat at the kitchen table while her mother worked.

  “Now I know I'm not wearing gloves,” Cecilia said, “but the truth is I've already touched all this stuff anyway, so it would be a little pointless to wear them now. Dan assured me that he'd make sure you had everything new anyway.”

  Frankie smiled that at least she was trying even if, as she pointed out, it was too late to make any difference on this visit.

  “So, did you talk to Dante today?”

  “Who? Oh, you mean Dan. Yes we had a nice little chat.”

  “And did he tell you what he is?”

  Cecilia turned to look at her daughter, her expression slightly puzzled.

  “An accountant?”she asked.

  “Yes, Mum,” Frankie smiled. She should be mad that he had vamped her mother but in all honesty, she couldn't blame him. “I mean an accountant.”

  “Well, it won't set the world alight,” she said, returning to her cooking, “but it's a steady job; the world will always need accountants.”

  “Yes,” Frankie agreed.

  “He also explained your gift a little more. He was very helpful, actually.”

  “What did he say?” Frankie was curious.

  Cecilia looked up at the ceiling. “Do you know, I can't really recall, but it was very helpful anyway.”

  More vamping, Frankie guessed.

  “And while we're still friends, I wanted to talk to you about your cousin's wedding tomorrow.”

  “It's okay, Mum, I'll go. It would just mess up her seating plan if I cancelled now,”

  Cecilia smiled. “Are you sure? I know I should have asked you before replying but-”

  “I'm sure,” Frankie smiled.

  Cecilia turned to her daughter.

  “I know we have our problems, but I do love you, you know?”

  Frankie got up from her chair and hugged her mother, though she was careful not to make any skin to skin contact. She kissed her hair.

  “And I know I don't show it, but I love you too, Mum.”

  They held each other a little tighter for a moment then pulled away.

  “Well, sit yourself down, darling, and let me feed you up a little. You could do with gaining a few pounds.”

  Well nothing lasted forever, Frankie thought.

  “Mum, please. If anything I need to lose a little weight.”

  “Nonsense, you're beautiful. I always wished that I could gain a few pounds and be a little curvier, like you, but I put my weight on around the stomach, never in the right places.”

  Frankie just sat and listened, as her mother seemed happy to continue chatting without needing an answer. It had annoyed her as a child but now, at least for the moment, Frankie found it endearing.

  Epilogue

  Frankie smiled as she watched her mother and father dance; she hadn't seen them this close in... well ever.

  She was glad she'd come now. She wasn't close to her cousin, or indeed anyone here but at least being here, she felt as though she was part of something; she was sharing the occasion with these people, even if she was only watching from the sidelines. A few people had asked her to dance but so far, she had refused.

  “Is this seat taken?”

  She turned to see Dante sliding into the seat beside her and she smiled at him.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “Well, we are meeting later to go ghost hunting.”

  “And do you often wear a tux to go ghost hunting?” she laughed.

  “You caught me. The truth is, I heard that Cinderella had been invited to the ball, but had refused every Prince Charming who asked her to dance.”

  “How did you know that?” Frankie frowned.

  “I'm very intuitive,” he said with a smug grin.

  Frankie laughed.

  “Well whatever you came for, thank you for coming. It's nice to talk to someone who I actually know for a change.”

  She looked back to her parents and Dante followed her gaze.

  “They look happy,” he said.

  “I think they are,” she smiled. “I think learning the truth has lifted a weight from both their shoulders.”

  “And what about you?” he asked.

  “I don't know.” Frankie sighed. “Things are better but she's still the same woman.”

  “You don't think she can change?”

  “I hope so,” she answered honestly. “But I'm still cautious.”

  “Give her a chance,” Dante insisted. “She might surprise you.”

  Frankie looked at him.

  “You vamped her, didn't you?” she asked.

  “Me?” he r
aised his eyebrows, imitating shock. “Would I do that?”

  Frankie shook her head. She should be mad at him for using mind control on her mother, but she couldn't fault his intentions. Besides, things had been a lot better with her mother and if mind control was the reason, she could live with that.

  “Come on, dance with me,” he said, taking her satin gloved hand.

  “No,” Frankie shook her head. “Thank you but no.”

  “Come on, what can one dance hurt?”

  Frankie opened her mouth to answer then closed it again. Finally she sighed and admitted the truth.

  “I don't dance.”

  “Everyone can dance.”

  “I said I don't, not I can't.”

  “I'm not asking you to do the Argentine Tango, just a simple slow dance. Come on.”

  “No!” she pulled her hand from his.

  “Why not?” he snapped.

  “You know why!” She regretted telling him the truth almost as soon as she had said it; she blushed as she looked down at the table. She had been forced to endure dance lessons as a child, and dancing always brought back bad memories for her.

  Dante regretted being short with her. She looked so normal that sometimes he forgot that she was different, just as different as he was. If she had asked him to go for an afternoon stroll, he would have reacted just as defensively.

  Still, a dance wouldn't kill Frankie.

  “I think it's time we started changing some of those bad associations,” he said, smiling warmly at her. “Replace them with some good memories instead. Come on, I'll even let you stand on my feet if it helps.”

  Frankie didn't want to be cheered up but nevertheless, she couldn't help the smile that crept onto her lips as she imagined dancing on his feet, much like a child.

  “I'll make a fool of myself,” she argued.

  “I promise that if you do, I'll make an even bigger fool of myself to distract everyone.” He grinned and held his hand out again. “Come on, Frankie, it's not every day that you get an offer like that.”

  “Fine, you win,” she slipped her hand into his and Dante rose to lead her onto the dance floor.

  “now just relax and go with the music,” Dante instructed as he took hold of her waist.

  Frankie tried.

  “I love this song,” Dante said to distract her.

  “Bruno Mars? Really?”

  “What, you think because I'm old I can only enjoy classical music or something?”

  “Um, I don't know, I guess I thought something along those lines,” she admitted with a smile. “I suppose next you're going to tell me that you also like Eminem and My Chemical Romance.”

  “Well, I'd like them more if they didn't swear so much,” he confessed. “I don't get young people these days; all this profanity, what's the point of it? In my day we-”

  Frankie started laughing.

  “What?” he asked.

  “I can't believe you just said 'in my day'. That's what old men say.”

  “Well, I am an old man.”

  “I know, it's just... well you look younger than I do; it's easy to forget.”

  “I can't win with you. First I'm too old to like modern music, now I'm too young to say 'in my day'.”

  “Sorry,” she smiled. “I guess it's hard being my friend.”

  “Oh, it's a terrible burden,” he agreed. “I don't know how I put up with you.”

  Frankie lightly hit his shoulder before moving her hands around his neck.

  “And talk about mixed signals,” he teased.

  Frankie smiled and they moved in silence for a few moments. Dante's smile faded and he looked a little uncomfortable.

  “I never said,” he began. “Thank you. You saved my life.”

  “You weren't dying,” she said, brushing his thanks off.

  “He wouldn't have kept me alive forever.”

  “You would have fed eventually.”

  “No, I wouldn't,” he confessed. “When I got a taste of your blood it set up a craving and I literally couldn't stop but until that first taste, my willpower was holding. I had no intention of giving into him again. I...” he swallowed. “I was ready to die; willing even.”

  “Why do that to yourself? Why not just give him what he wanted?”

  “I created him. Without me he would have died centuries ago. Who knows how many other people fell prey to his sadistic desires in that time? How many other young women... and all because I was so desperate for a family, that I blinded myself to his faults.”

  “Everyone wants a family,” she assured him. “There's nothing wrong with that.”

  “Maybe not, but I'm no longer sure that blood is thicker than water. I think that maybe family is about more than blood ties. My blood kin kidnapped me and used me, but someone who I take pleasure in annoying the hell out of, saved my life.” He smiled warmly at her.

  Frankie looked into his eyes, unsure how to answer that.

  “And now?” she asked. “Do you still want to die?” She remembered Josh warning her that Dante was at a difficult age for vampires, and that many took their own lives as the loss of loved ones began to take its toll. She couldn't help but feel that Josh had also known about this additional burden that Dante carried. No wonder he had been so concerned.

  “Now?” he asked, as though considering the question for the first time. “Now, I don't know. For so long I've lived every day wondering if I should kill myself, because at least then it would stop him; it would be over. Now I feel free, and that's thanks to you.”

  Frankie smiled slightly. Sure, he was annoying and arrogant and half the time she wanted to slap him, but somehow she cared about him too. She had lost too much recently; she wasn't sure she could have lived with losing him too.

  She didn't know how to say that though, so instead she closed her eyes and leant her head on his shoulder.

  Dante smiled and rested his cheek against the top of her head.

  He had thought that Josh was getting overly sentimental in his old age for the faith and trust that he had put in this woman. He had viewed Josh's request to look after her as some kind of karmic punishment for having unleashed Pietro on the world.

  Now though... now he thought that Josh might just have been onto something.

  Dante was used to being superior to those around him. He had lived for so long that he had seen and done almost everything and as a vampire, only another vampire stood a chance of beating him in a fight. This little human though? Not only had she saved his life, she had managed to neutralise Pietro, something that he had been trying to do for over three hundred years.

  Maybe humanity did still have a trick or two to teach him.

  The End

  Past Due

  by

  C.S. Winchester

  Francis 'Frankie' Wright thought she was an old hat at dealing with the supernatural, until she was reassigned to Edinburgh, the most haunted city in the world.

  Her latest case soon takes a deadly turn. Young women are being slain in satanic rituals and it's up to Frankie to find the murderer before he kills again.

  Frankie must juggle vampires, shapeshifters, witches and zombies, all the while trying to keep the truth from her sceptical ex-boyfriend, Will Campbell, who just happens to be heading up the police investigation.

  The clock is ticking and she soon finds herself forced to team up with the vampires and shapeshifters in order to stop the killer before he can literally unleash hell on earth.

  Half Past

  by

  C.S. Winchester

  Simon Hamm was a run of the mill con man, lying, cheating and stealing his way through life until met Marilyn, a vampire. Enthralled by her power, he courted her and made her fall in love with him, whereupon Hamm was reborn as a child of the night and Marilyn was dead by his hand.

  Unwilling to play by the rules, Hamm turned rogue and cut a bloody trail across Britain in his quest to build himself a private army of vampires, courting the wrath of the vampire counc
il in the process.

  Employed by MI5 to police the supernatural community, Frankie Wright's life is far from normal but when Joshua asks for her help in tracking Hamm down, her life quickly begins to spiral out of control.

  Forced to stay away from her boyfriend, Frankie begins to realise just how important Alex is to her but deceived and betrayed, she soon finds herself fighting not only to bring down Hamm but for the right to even exist.

  Bemused

  by

  Catherine Winchester

  When self-made property developer, Niall, is attacked by vampires on his way home, his neat and ordered life soon begins to fall apart. His rescuer, the effervescent Mel, declares herself to be his Muse - better known in modern times as a Guardian Angel - and offers him a business proposition; she wants them to go into business as supernatural detectives,

  Slightly sceptical to say the least, Niall eventually agrees to work one case with her - helped in no small part by his rather strong attraction to Mel.

  Mrs Hart's house has been plagued by a series of deadly and inexplicable events, culminating in the death of a local boy. As they look into possible causes, Niall finds himself growing even more fond of Mel, although she seems determined to keep him at arm's length.

  He discovers why she she is so reticent but that is soon overshadowed by the cause of Mrs Hart's problems; a foe so powerful that even the immortal Mel seems terrified!

  How to Train Your Zombie

  by

  Catherine Winchester

  The zombie apocalypse, which has devastated the world, is in its final throes when Meg's husband is bitten. She has lost so much already that she simply can't face losing him too, so when it becomes apparent that he is about to join the ranks of the walking dead, she decides to employ her skills as a dog trainer and takes it upon herself to train him.

  Not only must she face the dangers inherent in close contact with a zombie, she must also protect him from outside forces that mean him harm. Can she convince the handsome yet stern Colonel MacDonald that he deserves a chance? Can she stop him being used for vivisection? What about those who want to use him as bait for other zombies?