“I thought he’d never leave.” Danny looked up at me with a toothy grin.
I watched as short, dark sprouts of hair erupted from his bald scalp and my bloody symbol disappeared into his forehead. “You’re alive,” I whispered.
“I can smell blood, and other things,” Danny said, shifting to sit up.
“How do you feel?”
“I feel…great.”
“You’ll be a little uncoordinated for a while. You need to get used to your new strength and speed.”
He jerked forward and gave me a hug that almost broke my ribs. “Can I call you Mum?” he asked.
“No.”
“No worries.” He got up and walked toward the sleeping John. His movements were graceful, and I noticed that his frail frame had also bulked out a little in the transformation. The magic had fixed what the illness had taken from him. This was what he’d have been like if he’d not been sick.
“Do I just bite him or something?”
I smiled. He had control, too. He reminded me of Lyle. I’d been there the night Philippe had made him. Tate and I had waited anxiously as Philippe summoned the magic over our half-dead friend. Lyle had been shot in a hunting accident. It had always been in Philippe’s plan to bring him over, but the impromptu bullet had sped things along. Instead of being a vampire in his mid-twenties like Tate, Lyle was only nineteen when he’d been brought over. His near-death state had taken away most of the initial inconvenience of new vampire-hood. It would appear the same had happened to Danny. He’d skipped the first stages of awkwardness because his body had needed healing, probably even more so than Lyle’s had.
“Yes, you can bite him. Try the wrist, though.” I moved off the couch to hover over him as he fed.
“It tastes weird,” Danny said as he pulled away.
“It does, I’m afraid. You can still eat normal food if you wish, although it will do nothing to sustain you.”
The air around us was saturated with blood, so I sat on the other side of John, picked up his free wrist, and finished him off. There was no way we could trust him now, and as Nicholas had said, waste not, want not.
“I’m going to let you get used to your new…newness,” I said. “Stay here till I can prepare the others, okay?”
“Sure, Brit,” he replied through a grin.
I left him in the office and walked over to Tracy, who was still sifting through the goodies we’d stolen.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“Yes. Danny’s fine, and John is no longer a concern.”
“That’s good.” I pulled out the necklace I’d stolen, the delicate silver cross. “Here, I brought you something.” I handed it to her.
“What is it?”
“It’s kind of a joke, really.” I shrugged.
“Oh, it’s lovely, thank you.” She smiled and put it on. “Is it for warding off Nicholas?”
I laughed. “Something like that. Crosses have no effect on us, but you guys seem to like the idea.”
She hugged me, and I patted her shoulder.
“I put your stuff over here.” She pointed to a pile of blue hair dye and my dress.
“How did you know I picked the dress?”
“Just a hunch.” Tracy looked over to where Josh and Green were talking.
I scooped up my goodies and went into the ladies’ toilet. I cleaned myself up, washed my hair, and dried it beneath the hand dryer. It was a little curlier than I liked, but when I put on the dress, I looked more like a lady than a murdering monster of the night. I went back to the office and found Danny also had cleaned up and changed. He was wearing the union jack T-shirt I’d picked up from the museum.
“Danny, you look…adjusted.”
“Thanks. Umm, Brit?”
“Yes?”
“I’d like to change my name, now that I’m not, well, human anymore.”
“I like Danny. Why would you want to change it?”
“Danny was a sick kid who spent his entire life in and out of hospitals. I want to be someone else now, someone who’s strong and useful.”
“What would you like us to call you?”
He grinned and pointed to his T-shirt. “You’re called Britannia. I’d like to be Union Jack. Jack for short.”
I smiled. “Jack it is then.”
The mood wasn’t as strained as I’d thought it was going to be. Everyone had gotten to know Danny, and the emergence of Jack was considered a win in more than one way. They got to keep their friend, and they also got a third protector. Jack was still young, and his enthusiasm was contagious. No one was afraid to hug him, and even Satan wagged his tail when he saw him alive and well.
That night was a good one. We all sat around talking and laughing. Only a random zombie or two knocked on the door, and Nicholas was all too willing to show Jack how to deal with them.
We formed a plan to get us up north and, as we all turned in for the night, I found myself sitting with Josh as he fiddled with his army radio.
“Any good shows on?” I motioned at it.
He laughed. “Naw, just hoping I pick up a signal. Maybe make contact with a base that isn’t overrun or something.”
“Good thinking, Batman,” I said, batting my eyelashes for all they were worth.
He gave me a lopsided smile. “So, what you did for Danny, I mean Jack. Could you do that for everyone?”
“No. There would be anarchy if the world were populated with my kind...”
“You gonna confirm to me what your kind is now?”
“I think most people have guessed what we are. Although, British manners forbid them to openly point it out.”
“You don’t say it either.”
“I’m British, too.”
“Stiff upper lips are harder with fangs.”
“I know no other way, Josh.”
“You could learn?”
“I’m too old to learn new tricks now.”
“No, you’re not.” He leaned over and put his hand on my cheek. I wanted to lean into him, for our lips to hover together, but I hadn’t kissed a man since Langdon, and I was pretty sure that many things had changed since then. Popular erotic novels nowadays made women feel inadequate if they didn’t know every trick in the Kama Sutra. I certainly had no tricks up my sleeve when it came to sex, and as much as I had had a million day and night dreams of this moment, I still couldn’t bring myself to make the first move.
Fortunately, at that particular moment, I didn’t have to. The radio buzzed with a distant voice. Josh looked down at it and played with the knobs until the voice was clearer.
“Is anybody out there?” A man’s voice came through. A man’s voice I instantly recognized.
“Tate, is that you?” I clutched the radio handset and cradled it like a newborn baby.
“Brit? My God. I knew it. You’re alive. Is Philippe with you?”
Being a private, Josh knew when an awkward conversation was above his pay grade. He put a hand on my shoulder and walked away to join the rest of the group.
I let the white noise stretch out between us. How could I tell him his maker was now a deranged, half-zombie psycho?
“Brit? He’s not with you, is he?”
“I’m so sorry, Tate. He’s been bitten and, he’s not our Philippe anymore. Is Lyle with you?”
I used to think that Tate and Lyle had a relationship similar to Nicholas’ and mine, but it turned out that they took only the love part from our love-hate relationship.
“No, he was in Ireland when this all went down. He’s found some massive fenced-off town to lay low in. I’m on my way to him with my survivors.”
“We’ll see you both in Argyle then?” Hope dripped from my words.
“No.”
“Oh, Tate, what’s happened?”
A myriad of tragic events paraded in front of me. Had he been bitten? Was Tate turning into a vambie?
“The Elders can go suck themselves. Do you know what they’ll do to the humans that make it there?”
“Tate? What are you talking about?”
“Ever been to a battery farm, Brit?”
In truth, I hadn’t even thought that far ahead yet. It had been such a struggle to just keep everyone alive.
“Brit?”
“I’m still here.”
“I’m going to Lyle’s place. It’s secure, and he’s already got quite a few humans there.”
“Free-range humans?” Even that sounded awful.
“We’re creating a symbiotic society.” He sighed. “I want you here with us, Brit. Philippe always said that if anything”—he stifled a cry—“if something happened to him, we were both to look to you.”
Had I just gotten guardianship of Tate and Lyle? They were both over three hundred years old. It wasn’t like they’d need any babysitting, but…they were strong and skilful. They held similar, even slightly more radical, beliefs to mine. I could trust them.
I nodded, and then realized he couldn’t see it.
“We’ll meet you at the docks. Liverpool is the nearest. We’ll go by ferry to Ireland.”
“Love you, Brit.” He’d been saying goodbye with that statement since I’d known him.
I gently caressed the side of the radio. “You’re meant to say over and out.”
“You’re meant to say it back.” Tate laughed.
The humor was strained, but it was there.
“I’ll be with you soon. Put the kettle on.” And I clicked off.
Chapter Fourteen
I didn’t need to tell Nicholas about my discussion with Tate. The moment he’d heard his voice, Nicholas had been eavesdropping from the shadows.
“Are we off to Ireland then?” he asked.
“I think it’s the right thing to do.”
“Better be sure, Britannia. The Elders don’t take too kindly to traitors. Surely you remember them setting you on a fair few back in the day.”
Of course I knew of the dangers of defying the Elders. I’d killed on their behalf on a number of occasions. I’d stopped my work for them when Lyle’s name had come up on their to-do list.
“Tate put it best. They can go suck themselves.”
“If humans become scarce, they’ll send others after us.”
“The Elders have been around for more than a millennia. They’re not stupid enough to come after me.” I stood straight and put my hands on my hips. It was my defiant superhero pose.
“I suppose not under normal circumstances. I think the one thing we can agree on is that these are not normal circumstances.”
“Hey, I can hear someone outside,” Jack called to us.
We both ran to the door and put our ears to it.
A deep chilling chuckle rumbled behind the door. It was Philippe. He’d followed us out of London.
“Was that my Tate I heard earlier? If so, I would so like to catch up with him.” I heard him lick his lips.
“I’m giving you one last warning, Philippe. Back off!” I shouted through the steel shutters.
“I’ll back off…a few feet, give you enough for you to send out your humans. Then me and mine will have some dinner.”
“There are hundreds of zombies out there,” Josh shouted.
“There’s more on their way, too,” said Green.
They had both been on watch on top of the factory’s skylights.
“What are we going to do? We can’t get out.” Tracy said.
“There really is only one thing we can do,” I said, stating the obvious. “Kick some undead ass.” I pulled my scythes from my bag.
Nicholas looked at the blades. “Agreed. It’s time to take Philippe’s head.”
“It would have been cooler to say, ‘it’s harvest time!’” Jack said, coming to stand beside us.
Nicholas hid his smile behind an eye roll.
“You’re not going out there with us,” I said to Jack.
“What? I can help!”
“We need a second line of defense. That’s you.” It wasn’t the truth, but it was close enough.
“Ah, come on! I want to kill some more zombies. You’re ruining it!” Jack whined.
“Don’t sass your mother,” Nicholas said through a smirk.
I felt my scythes heavy in my hands, but raised an eyebrow at him rather than a blade.
“Please stay with us, Jack.” Rose was by his side, threading her delicate hand into his. He looked down at his little steadfast protector and melted.
“I’d never leave you, Rosy.” He picked her up like she was made of cotton wool. “What do you need me to do, Brit?”
“Keep everyone back from the door, and if they break through, take out as many as you can to give our wards the chance to run for the bus.”
He nodded.
“What about us?” Green and Josh had put their army issue jackets on and had their guns in their hands.
I didn’t care what Green did, but I couldn’t lose Josh. I almost hugged him he was so close. Safe in my arms, nothing would touch him. I bit down on my impulse.
“Get back up the skylights, and give us some cover fire,” I ordered.
“How much ammo do you have?” Nicholas asked.
Green and Josh looked at one another.
“Not enough.” Josh tried to smile.
“Just try not to shoot me,” I said. I nodded over at Nicholas. “Feel free to shoot him, though.”
They both smiled. Green turned to head up to the skylight, but Josh lingered. He moved with almost vampire speed, and suddenly, I was in his arms.
“Don’t be a hero, Britannia,” he said, then dipped me like a Hollywood actress. Our lips barely touched before I was yanked from his arms by Nicholas.
“We’re not heroes, we’re villains. Isn’t that right, Brianna?” he seethed.
I was too flustered to even think of a witty comeback. So I punched Nicholas in the gut.
“That’s my girl,” Josh whispered. He turned and followed Green up through the skylight and onto the roof.
My girl. Two words that would get me safely through an almost impossible fight.
Henri and Taylor took positions by the shutters. They readied themselves to open them for us.
“Be strong. Be fast. Be deadly,” Nicholas whispered.
I wasn’t sure if he was saying it to himself or to me. Either way, it was good advice.
The doors opened, and I saw hundreds of pairs of zombie feet turn our way. We both slid beneath the shutter and kept low. I spun around with my leg outstretched, knocking over every zombie around me. They fell over one another. Packed in tight, they were a like a conveyor belt of grabby hands and razor sharp teeth, but they were also too close to one another to not knock the next zombie over if they fell. I forward rolled through them and then, when I found a space, I flipped myself upright. I couldn’t see Nicholas.
A zombie behind me took a bullet in the eye and dropped to the floor. I round-housed the next one and used my blades to cleave off its head. The rest then began to close in on me. I needed room to move. If they mobbed me, I’d be dead—
Well, deader.
I went to put my scythes in my belt and realized I was still wearing my pretty white dress. Crap. I settled for lopping them through my bra straps—a sharp, dangerous push-up bra. I took a step back then began to cartwheel into the zombies. They might be dead, but they moved when something was coming at them. I back flipped up and found I was meters from the bus. We couldn’t kill them all. The best plan would be to make a safe path and get everyone on the bus and run.
I booted back a zombie encroaching on my personal space then pulled out my blades. I cut a path through to the driver side and wiggled in. I started the bus up and plowed into the gathering zombies. It was hard to see through all the bad blood on the windshield, and the bodies were like a constant barrage of speed bumps, but I got the bus to the doors, backed it up, and honked the horn. I felt the impact of two bodies hitting the top of the bus, and suddenly, Josh and Green were pushing themselves through the top windows. They
barreled down the bus stairs, and Green took the wheel for me. I saw Jack in the rear-view mirror, pushing people up and out of the skylight. Josh then helped them get onto the roof of the bus and in through the windows.
I jumped onto the bonnet of the bus and began kicking off climbing zombies. It was then that I saw Nicholas. He was fighting with Philippe. I only caught glimpses of it as they were fast and I was pre-occupied by the last of the die-hard zombies. I saw Nicholas go down. Philippe was over him, laughing. I pulled up one scythe and threw it back-handed with as much strength as I could muster. It sliced through the heads of about twenty zombies then embedded itself in Philippe’s chest. He looked down at it and then across at me. He narrowed his eyes and pointed at me. It was odd and menacing at the same time, but the distraction gave Nicholas the opportunity to pull himself up. He grabbed my scythe from Philippe’s chest then kicked him over. I didn’t need to watch him as he made his way back to the bus. I could hear his string of profanities as he came closer.
Jack had thrown all the supplies we had left into the bus, and he was by my side. He was fast, perhaps even faster than me.
Nicholas leapt onto the roof of the bus, and I propelled myself up to join him. I knocked on it when I did, the engine came alive, and Green started knocking down stray zombies as we got back on the road, leaving only the body of John behind to be devoured by the random zombie survivors.
Chapter Fifteen
“Tate, are you there?”
The radio crackled and clicked. “Brit!”
“Thank God. Listen. Philippe has an army of zombies, and I’m betting he’s still following us. Get your survivors away now. Don’t wait for us.”
Dead air.
“Are you there Tate?” The panic in my voice was foreign to both me and him.
“I’m here. And I’ll still be here when you reach the docks. We’re not leaving without you and your people.”
Secretly, I sighed with relief. It was one thing to play the hero, but quite another to survive your noble choices.
“Love you, Brit,” Tate almost sang over the radio.
Bad Blood (Battle of the Undead Book 1) Page 11
