Scarlet Masquerade

by Jett Abbott

  “Kevin….”

  “Look A.J., I’m doing the best I can. Brax isn’t answering his phone.”

  “Keep trying. Let me know when you get him. I want to talk to him.”

  “Okay.”

  “And Kevin, call Selene and tell her to get back to Clarissa’s and let her know what we suspect about Brax so she’s prepared. Just in case.”

  “A.J., I think you’re way off base here on Brax.”

  “Wanna stake your life on it? Pun intended.” A.J. waited for Kevin’s reply. When she didn’t get one she keyed her ear piece again and tossed it on the seat next to her. “Kevin, you’re just way too trusting. You’re lucky you’ve made it this far.”

  ###

  Clarissa tossed the rest of her students’ papers into her briefcase. It was an exercise in futility trying to grade them. She had been on edge ever since coming home from Knight Pharmaceutical and couldn’t concentrate. She had struggled to control herself as she sat talking to Kevin Alexander about the funding he was offering. The whole experience had put her into a frenzy and she was grateful Mr. Alexander had rushed their meeting. Something was off, and she felt it. Her soul felt it. Clarissa had thought that when she got home she would be able to work through her demons, but she was wrong. She was restless, hungry and wired. Nefertiti caught Clarissa’s attention pacing on the window ledge. Stopping, Nefertiti focused on something outside, alerted like she was when she was watching a mouse in the yard. Clarissa stood, walked to the window, and peered into the darkness. Suddenly, Nefertiti hissed and ran past her, hiding under the couch. Looking back outside again, Clarissa felt her skin prickle and a tingle shoot throughout her body, alerting her something was out there.

  “Come here silly girl. What’s wrong?” Reaching down, she grabbed at Nefertiti just as the cat swiped her paw at Clarissa. “Hey, what’s gotten into you?” Pulling back, Clarissa felt her skin jump again. Now, she definitely knew something was wrong. Even the cat felt it. She wished she didn’t live so far out from town. At least being around people gave her cover. Living remotely provided the solitude she craved, but it didn’t afford her the luxury of having living energy around her to keep her safe. Bolting the doors wouldn’t keep anyone out that wanted in, but she checked her locks anyway. Turning the lights off throughout the house, she positioned herself by a window that gave her a decent view of the driveway and the front half of the house. If something was coming, she at least wanted to be prepared.

  Things were changing around her and now she knew it was time for a move. Thinking about how many times she had moved, she knew that nothing lasted forever. Not friends, not lovers and not living arrangements. She considered giving her notice at the university and moving on. At least she had a while before she needed to make any permanent changes, hopefully.

  For the fourth time in as many days, she felt like someone was watching her, stalking her. Looking out the window, she scanned the side yard. Nothing. Not a movement, not a sound, nothing. Maybe she was just being paranoid? Taking a deep breath and holding it, she heard it. A groan. Stepping back further into the shadows, she surveyed the yard again, squinting to try and block out the glowing light from the moon. The ominous shadows from the tree line did little to help assuage her fear. Another sound, a grunt, pulled her attention further back into the forest that bordered her driveway.

  “Shit.”

  Skirting the island in her kitchen, she made her way to the bedroom, tossed her robe and pulled on a pair of sweat pants and a sweat shirt. She knew if anything was going to happen, she was going down fighting. The recent events had left her too unsettled not to take whatever was happening outside seriously. It could be an animal, she reasoned. Living in the country, she had definitely seen her share of snakes, deer, and raccoons. Then she felt it again. Her skin was like an internal alarm lately and she knew enough to trust her instincts. Clarissa pulled a gun from the dresser drawer. The weight of it felt calming in her hand. Pulling the clip, she checked to make sure it was loaded. Nine rounds caught her eye as she slipped the clip back into the automatic, clicking it into place. As she pulled the slide, she heard another sound. This time it was different, like branches breaking.

  “Fuck.”

  The way her body was reacting she knew it wasn’t a mere human close by. It was a vampire. Clarissa gently slid the sliding glass door back and eased onto the porch. A gentle step and then another put her on the outskirts of her deck. Looking into the darkness, she still couldn’t see anything, but she definitely heard something now. The protection of the house had muffled the noises before, but now she could make out what sounded like a one-sided conversation. Someone was on her property, but not just anyone. Squatting down in the shadows, she listened as another groan reached her, then a thud. The smell of blood filled her senses and she felt a hunger start to control her. The thud, the smell of blood and a conversation told her that two people were close by. Standing still she tried to control her breathing, but the smell of blood was pulling her.

  “Yeah.”

  Clarissa stopped dead in her tracks. A woman’s voice drifted up the hillside. “He’s dead…”

  Clarissa felt a panic race through her. Did the woman just say someone was dead? Now what was she going to do? Frozen, she waited. She couldn’t make out the rest of the conversation and she didn’t want to move. Whoever was down the hill was, hopefully, too busy to have heard her movements above them. She sat waiting in the shadows as she listened again.

  “Thank God it’s downhill,” said the anonymous woman, followed by another grunt. Clarissa could hear footsteps walking and sliding down the hillside. When there were no more sounds, Clarissa slowly made her way to the side of the slope. Crouching down, she could barely make out the form of someone carrying something down to the street below. Letting the smell of blood guide her, she made her way to a partial clearing. It was clear there had been a fight. The leaves and broken branches gave away the evidence of the struggle. A dark patch caught her eye. Fingering it, she brought the stain to her nose and could smell the freshness of the blood. Snaking her tongue out, she sampled it and then spit it out. Clarissa’s stomach started to clench as the blood lingered on her tongue. She hated the taste of human blood. In fact the reaction was so visceral that she started to heave and puke. She had survived without human blood, but that hadn’t always been the case. When De Marcus changed her, he had forced her to consume, rather gorge, on the red gore. He told her it was her destiny and she should embrace what those whom he brought home gave so she could live. He invited his “lady friends” over for a party and would then force Clarissa to watch as he languished in the blood orgy. When he was finished, he would force her face into the lifeless body and make her finish his victim. Clarissa shuddered as she thought about the pain that had etched itself on each of his victims. The mask of beauty and suffering were never far from her memory when she thought about feeding. Focusing back on the dirty stain, Clarissa knew it was old blood.

  Peering back into the darkness, she chastised herself for being so afraid. She had grown soft and weak in her advancing years, and now she had paid the price for not paying attention to what was happening around her. After tonight, she would be on her guard.

  Chapter Seventeen

  A.J. drummed her fingers on the steering wheel speeding through town towards Clarissa’s place. Her soul felt like it was drowning in her need for Clarissa. All she could think about since Clarissa had come to the office that day was how badly she wanted her. Her body ached. She was in a constant state of arousal since seeing Clarissa in the bar. A.J. would have to take care of business when she got home that evening. She had learned that the solitary life had certain requirements, and lately she had been meeting those requirements, a lot. A.J. shuddered through another phantom touch across her body, her nipples hardening at the memory of Clarissa.

  She needed to explain things to Clarissa. That was if Clarissa would even talk to her. Why wouldn’t she? A.J. hadn’t been the one to leave Clarissa
in her hour of need. Clarissa’s parents had seen to it, but did Clarissa know that? A.J. could only imagine the lies they had probably told Clarissa about her. Another hurdle she would surely have to overcome with Clarissa considering everything else her parents had told her.

  A.J. thought about De Marcus and what he had probably done to Clarissa. She knew him as a ruthless vulture that preyed on young women. Usually though, he didn’t let them live after he had his fun with them. He had been a known sadist in the coven and rarely apologized for it. If the truth be told, it was an excepted idea in those circles. If a vampire could suck the life out of someone, why shouldn’t they have their fun with them before they died? It was thought that the adrenaline in the body enhanced the blood somehow, but A.J. doubted it. It was only an excuse for those that loved violence.

  A.J. slowed down somewhat trying to think about what she would do once she actually got to Clarissa’s house. A.J. couldn’t risk exposing herself yet to Clarissa. But she could no longer just sit by and let everyone else take care of her business. Selene had killed the vampire that was stalking Clarissa, but according to Kevin, whoever hired him wouldn’t stop even if he was killed. The very idea that a vampire would rather die by Selene’s hand than go back and face his boss let A.J. know the assassin’s master was ruthless and not someone to be underestimated. Death at Selene’s hand wasn’t pretty.

  The interstate had changed to two lanes as she entered the foothills. A.J. would be easy to see now driving into the narrowing canyon. She hadn’t had her window blacked out like most vampires did, opting to let in the daylight instead. She had lived in the shadows so long she didn’t like who she became when she hid in them. The light gave her a different perspective on life and how she wanted to live it. But the darkness was always lingering just off her shoulder, never letting her forget who she was.

  Turning her lights off, she slowly cruised down the street edging closer to Clarissa’s driveway. She could see two people at a tow truck hitching up a car. Watching from her vantage point, she couldn’t make out if they were men or if one of them was Selene. Except for today at the office, she hadn’t seen Selene in decades, which was fine with her. As she watched the tow truck drive off, the other person walked towards their car, but not before they were tackled to the ground. A.J. gasped as she saw the glint of a knife arc in the air and then descend on the lone figure. Gunning her SUV, she sped at the two wresting on the ground, her high beams aimed right for them. As they rolled towards the hill, A.J. saw Brax flashing his fangs in her direction as he tried to straddle his victim, Selene. Slamming on her brakes, she slid into the combatants. The light blinded Brax, causing him to shield his face, giving Selene the time she needed to send Brax head over heels. A.J. watched as Selene jumped to her feet, fangs bare, and ran after Brax up the hill.

  A.J. waivered. Should she chase after them, exposing herself to Selene? Or did she wait and see who came back and deal with them then? If Brax came down the hill, A.J. knew she would have to kill him. He had double-crossed her for whoever hired the other assassin. Brax had been hired to watch Clarissa and being AWOL proved he was dirty in A.J.’s mind. A.J. was sure Kevin had made it clear this was a life or death mission. If he wanted to live, he would take care of Clarissa, regardless of whoever was stalking her. If he failed, death was his only option. Now she was certain of his betrayal. If Selene came down the hill she would remain in the shadows.

  She parked her SUV down the road and around the bend. She grabbed her cell phone from the passenger seat and started to dial Kevin’s number, but stopped. Kevin had been positive that Brax was trustworthy. He almost staked his life on it. What was she missing? Was Kevin in on whatever was going on? Had he betrayed her too? Turning off her phone, she slipped it into her pocket. She knew Selene would call Kevin if she killed Brax. How would he explain Brax’s death to A.J.? He had been so certain about Brax. No, she would wait to see what Kevin would do. She needed to think about what she would do when he told her. Presentation is everything, Kevin my man, she thought, quietly getting out of her car.

  A.J.’s skin tingled at the smell of fresh blood. Her body surged, but she had to control the urge to change and run towards the fight she knew was happening above her. She hadn’t hunted in decades, but her natural instincts fought with her present day logic. The need to feed was hard to ignore for a vampire and she had felt herself begin to unravel earlier in the week when she was attacked in the park. Seeing Clarissa walking out of the garage was the only thing that kept her from killing and feeding off the seeker. Now, though, she fought hard to maintain what little control she had. Her mouth watered as the scent of blood grew stronger. She reached deep into her pocket and pulled out two “safety pills”. Popping each one, she placed them under her tongue and waited. The energy around her shifted as she darted behind trees, making her way up the hillside. Wave after wave of energy hit A.J. as she made her way closer to the fight. It was hard to maintain control fighting the change that lay just under her skin. She knew Selene would be engrossed in what she was doing and too overcome with bloodlust to feel A.J.’s own bloodlust surfacing. The autumn breeze blew again and the smell of something else caught A.J.’s nose. A familiar scent, Clarissa!

  ###

  Clarissa had stood transfixed, still staring at the bloodstain in the dirt. Her senses taking over her body, a shift was taking place and she fell to her knees. The blood pounding in her head was so loud it blocked out everything around her. Her nose flared and she inhaled deeply, the blood calling her. Rational thinking was slowly ebbing from her mind, a deeper need taking its place. Opening her mouth, she let her fangs drop. Her vision sharpened as she watched the tow truck down the hill drive off. She watched as the person left behind was tackled, the flash of a knife catching her attention. Then the lights of a car skidding towards the two helped Clarissa see the fangs of a vampire as he faced the headlights. She didn’t know him, she was sure. So why was he here and who was the other person he was fighting? She wasn’t alone anymore, but now what? Was he the person responsible for the bloodstain before her? She watched him tossed like a rag doll onto the ground. The person beneath him was obviously stronger even with a stab wound.

  Fully transformed, she quietly made her way down the hill edging closer to see the two fighting. As she watched, the man started running up the hill towards her. Shit. She realized she couldn’t risk being seen. Turning to run back up the hill, she knew she would never make it before they were on top of her. Looking up, she saw her only chance for cover, the trees. Scrambling up a redwood, Clarissa concealed herself almost at the top and tried to slow her out of control heart beat. There was no telling what would happen to her if she was found out. The blood stain already revealed the depths that someone would go to, and she didn’t want to be next. Peering around the massive trunk she watched as the two pummeled each other, neither having a big advantage over the other. Each punch moved them closer and closer to Clarissa and she wondered if they would eventually make it under her location. The energy buffeted her and she felt her body responding like an animal in heat. Vampires gave off energy when they fought, fed or when they were intimate, and only a very experienced vampire could tell the difference. Right now Clarissa could see the difference, but her body was responding not to what she saw, but to what she felt. A cut had opened under the eye of one of the attackers and the other’s nose had started to bleed. The smell beckoned to Clarissa and she slid a tongue across her lips, savoring the scent that hung in the air. To expose herself would mean certain death, especially since both attackers were deep in bloodlust. She watched the male slide his tongue across his knuckles.

  “You’re gonna taste even better after I beat your ass,” he taunted his rival.

  “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. You see, I already killed your buddy. I’m sure you can smell his blood, can’t you?” A husky female voice answered.

  Clarissa stood staring at the woman. She had heard that voice before, she knew that woman. It was Selene.
>
  ###

  A.J. slowly inched her way up the hillside towards Selene and Brax. Her senses were on overload smelling fresh blood and Clarissa’s fear. Or was that excitement rolling off Clarissa? She struggled again to maintain control. Each wave of sensation was stronger than the last washing over her. The backlighting from the house exposed the fighters as they punched, kicked and rocked each other over and over again. Selene was slowly starting to lose ground and A.J. could only think it was because of the stab wound she had suffered at the bottom of the hill. A.J. wondered if she should insert herself into the fight and help Selene, but movement caught her eye as something in the trees moved. Clarissa was watching the same fight from the top of a tree, almost directly over Selene and Brax. That was her answer. If she exposed her position and helped Selene, Clarissa was sure to figure out who she was. No, this wasn’t the time or place for a reunion, or a rebuff. Selene would have to make it on her own if she was going to survive.

  A.J. watched Brax raised his knife again, aiming for Selene’s throat. Selene dropped to the ground and swept Brax’s feet out from under him, the knife still swinging wildly towards her. A.J. observed Brax land on his back, the wind knocked out of him for a brief moment, but long enough for Selene to stand and land a kick to his jaw. A deafening crack echoed through the forest as Selene landed another kick, this time to the ribs he exposed reaching for his now shattered jaw. Then she was straddling him, pummeling his face. Selene arched her back, bared her fangs and buried them in Brax’s neck. A slow gurgling sound was the last thing to seep from his lips. The air around Selene electrified with energy, heat and intensity as she pulled the life from Brax’s body, savoring each intense blood pounding moment.

  A.J. looked up at Clarissa and wondered how she could keep her position watching Selene feed. Vampires had a pack mentality when it came to feeding and once it started they wouldn’t stop until the body was drained completely. She slowly eased her way back down the hill, moving backwards as she watched Selene and Clarissa, making sure she wasn’t spotted by either. A.J. watched as Selene’s body pulsed with each suck, the outline of her muscled arms holding Brax down shimmered with sweat and slowly engorging with the energized blood. Selene’s body pulsed as if it was orgasming. The heat was almost too much for A.J., feeling herself start to tighten in anticipation of her own orgasm. Selene’s energy pulled at A.J.’s body and she felt her clit harden and her skin tingle. An orgasm would be a welcome release as she closed her eyes and absorbed the intensity. Her demon coiled and pulsed throughout her body. Her mouth watered again and she knew she had to do something quick. Pulling her “safety pills” from her pocket, this time she popped four, rather than her normal two. She had to make sure she could control herself enough to get the hell out of there. Letting them rest under her tongue, she watched Clarissa slowly squirm as she had done in the office earlier. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do to help Clarissa, but she knew she needed to do something or Selene would have a dining partner soon. Pulling her phone from her jacket, she dialed Kevin.