by Jeff Hale
I seriously considered letting this end up where it was heading. The world had gone to crap and I was still a virgin. But we hadn’t died, and I was pretty sure we weren’t going to.
I liked Cody, but I wasn’t sure I would ever love him. Right now, he was one more life experience under my belt; I just wasn’t sure I wanted the loss of my virginity to be part of that experience. It wasn’t that I was particularly set on saving it for Mr. Right, but I didn’t just want to throw it away completely casually either. I was still debating, still enjoying the feel of Cody’s hands on my skin, when I felt the car rock. We both stilled, pulling away from each other, and felt the car rock again, followed by laughter.
“Cody?” My voice cracked with fear on his name.
“Ssh, Kat, maybe they’ll go away.” But he was just as scared as I was, and he moved so that more of him covered me, so that I was almost hidden underneath him.
The car rocked for a third time, and continued to rock, as whoever was outside of it, several whoevers from the multiple voices in laughter, pushed at the vehicle.
I clung to Cody, stifling a cry against his shoulder, and then I heard glass shatter as a fist went through the back window and Cody was dragged from me, screaming. Another hand reached through the window and I rolled to the floor to avoid it, but the doors on either side opened as well. My face was to the floor and I couldn’t see our assailants, but I felt cold hands on me, caressing my skin, before I was pulled roughly between the front seats and out of the car, my shrieks ringing through the air. It was just past dusk, but I could see them clearly.
There were nine of them, four women and five men, all with deathly pale skin. All but one of them was dressed in dark jeans and dark shirts that only accentuated their pallor. A few of them were good-looking, the others were not.
The one not dressed like the others was a woman; she wore flat heeled boots, a knee length skirt and a spaghetti strapped tank top. She had hair that was almost white. On her upper right arm she sported that same tattoo I had seen before, the hooded and fanged skull. She and one of the lighter haired men held Cody between them while two of the darker haired vampires kept a grip on me, the rest circled around us.
And they were vampires, I had no doubt.
“Kat?” Cody whispered my name, terror etched on his face.
I shook my head, not knowing what I could say to him.
The white haired female vampire seemed to be the one in charge. She had Cody by the hair and she shook him hard enough that she almost pulled him from the other vampire’s grasp.
“You didn’t think that after Seth failed they wouldn’t send more of us after you, did you?” she asked, her voice having a quality to it that was almost like dead leaves rustling.
I shook my head again, gasping in pain as my arms were twisted behind me. I had no clue what she was talking about, had no clue what I had done that would have any vampires wanting me dead.
Quick as a snake, she sank her teeth into Cody’s neck. Cody tried to struggle, to scream, but I knew how useless it was, remembered the panic that had flooded me as my body had sunk into paralysis.
The vampire kept Cody turned so I could see his face, watching as he faded right in front of me, his eyes locked on mine as the light went out of them. The vampire jerked her head away, tearing a chunk of Cody’s throat with the movement and spitting the gobbet of flesh at my feet before letting his lifeless body hit the ground. Then she walked over to me, her face covered in his blood, a cruel smile on her lips. I smelled Cody’s blood, the raw tang of it in the air, and something inside me woke up, roaring to the surface as it felt my fear.
She reached out and put a hand on the back of my head, pulling her face towards mine, before locking her lips to mine, kissing me savagely and forcing some of Cody’s blood into my mouth. It was warm as it hit my tongue, salty and metallic, full of life. The animal inside me reveled in the taste, but the human part of me gagged as it slid down my throat. She pulled away, rubbing the blood from her chin and face onto my skin.
“Tastes good, doesn’t it?” she purred at me. “Too bad you’re not fully human, or I’d consider just turning you, making you a part of our family.” She sniffed disdainfully at me. “Then again, if you were just a human, the Mistress wouldn’t give a shit about you. So I guess you’ll just have to die.”
My eyes were still frozen on Cody’s body. I could see his face, the life gone from his features, and I felt something inside me snap. He had died because of me, because of my stupidity. The vampire backed away from me now, and I tore my gaze from Cody, panic and hysteria trying to take over. I felt that monstrous thing inside me rise to the surface again, rippling under my skin
“I’ve had my fill for tonight,” she said, her tongue coming out to lick at her lips. “The rest of you can share her. No fighting, though.”
I was thrown to the ground, two of the male vampires and a female vampire holding me down as they prepared to bleed me dry while the others hovered restlessly.
I screamed and the beast swam under my skin, snarling in my head, and I pleaded with it to break free, to unleash its anger and rage on those who were tormenting me. I gave into it as best I could, promising it that it could do what it willed once it was free.
I felt my skirt pulled up and fangs pierced the flesh on the inside of my thigh. The helpless feeling flooded me, but it was short lived. My screams turned to growls and snarls, and that thing waiting beneath my skin broke its way out.
The wind picked up, howling around us as I felt my muscles stretch in ways they never had before, reshaping themselves to the creature that wanted out so badly. Lightning cracked the air, the immediate resultant thunder vibrating through my body, little electric tingles making my skin buzz. My bones moved in new and interesting ways, shortening, bending, straightening, curving, lengthening, all to form a new body that was mine, yet wasn’t. I blinked dust and dirt from my eyes as my skin pulled and shrank, itching horribly as fur sprang from the follicles.
Alex was right; it didn’t hurt. It felt good, in an odd way, like shedding clothes that were uncomfortably binding.
With a howl, I bolted from the surprised vampires just as another bolt of lightning struck the ground not ten feet away, blinding me briefly. The paralysis causing agent was burning from my system, and I ran on all fours for all I was worth, hearing them give chase behind me. I didn’t know where I was going, only that I had to get away from them. Maybe if I wasn’t a new shifter, unaware of what abilities I might have, I might have stood a chance. But untrained, against nine vampires, I was as good as dead.
I ran until I was out of breath, noting that the streets were empty, devoid of traffic and life. It must be after ten, the curfew keeping people in their homes, in safety. I saw a patrolling police car, but I didn’t dare stop. There was nothing to keep them from shooting me as a wild animal when they first saw me, and if by some miracle they didn’t kill me and I managed to shift back to human form and tell them of my plight, those vampires would only kill them as well.
So I kept running, terror pushing me, even though I knew that I had lost them, until I collapsed in exhaustion, not sure where I was. As I lay there in the grass, trying desperately to catch my breath, I felt my body shudder, skin and bone and muscle reforming themselves again, until I lay there naked in the warm night air.
I pulled myself to my hands and knees, knowing that I needed to get help, letting my instincts guide me to a nearby darkened house. I peered through a window; either everyone was in bed or no one was home. I didn’t care. I put my fist through the glass, yelping as the sharp shards cut into my hand, then pulling myself through the opening as carefully as I could, earning several deep cuts along the way.
I searched for a phone, finally finding a landline in the kitchen and coming to the conclusion that the residents had fled by the wide open refrigerator door and its already rotting food. Once again I let instinct guide me, dialing the first number that came to mind.
It rang several
times and I could feel tears spring to my eyes. I knew I couldn’t stay unmoving for long; the vampires were still somewhere behind me, and I was sure they would pick up my trail. It was with a sense of relief that I heard the click on the other end as it was answered, and a familiar male voice ask with suspicion, “Hello, who is this?”
“Aerick?” My voice broke on his name and I clutched the receiver as though it were a lifeline.
“Who is this?”
He didn’t recognize my voice. I didn’t blame him. I was scared out of my mind and had been running for my life the last half hour; I was sure I didn’t sound like me.
“Rick, they’re going to kill me, I don’t know what to do! I need help!” I cried into the phone, furtively glancing out the kitchen window. So far it still seemed safe.
“Kat? Who’s trying kill you?” There was worry in Aerick’s voice.
“I don’t know, Rick, I think they might be part of some gang, they all have these tattoos and they’re—”
“Tattoos?” he asked sharply, cutting me off. “What kind of tattoos?”
“I… a skull, with a hood, and fangs… and, Rick, they’re vam—”
“Oh fuck me!” he exclaimed roughly, interrupting me again. “I know who they are, Kat. Fuck!” He let a heavy breath out. “This is all my fault, dammit, I should have known. Just hold tight, Kat, I’ll be there as soon as possible!”
“But, Rick, I need to tell you…” I trailed off as I realized the line was dead. I hadn’t gotten a chance to tell him the most important part, that they were vampires. I looked out the window again and I was sure I saw movement. Panic hit me again and I dropped the phone, darting out of the kitchen and diving back out the broken window, sure they had caught up with me. I ran again, heedless of the fact that I was naked and covered in my own blood, mindless terror spurring me on.
Why had I called Aerick instead of Darien or Matt, or even my mother? I didn’t know, couldn’t explain. I wasn’t sure how he was going to help me considering he was human and lived over a thousand miles away, but I hadn’t been thinking clearly when I had made the frightened phone call, had done the first thing that had come to mind. So now I did the next best thing that came to mind, trying to get my bearings and head to safety, to home, and hope that I wasn’t bringing death with me to my mother and Kris.
I didn’t make it very far, overwhelming and unexplainable exhaustion catching me again. I managed to find a thick patch of bushes to crumple in, unable to force myself to shift again, and lost the fight to keep my eyes open. I didn’t know how long I had lain there, half dozing, when I felt a hand touch my leg. Adrenaline surged through me, pushing fear and desperation ahead of it. I shifted involuntarily again, and I readied myself, not waiting for them to make the first move, attacking blindly to defend myself and feeling flesh tear under my claws and teeth.
I heard a muffled low scream, tasted hot blood as it filled my mouth… and then I realized that the creature I had hold of was warm, struggling against me, and most definitely not a vampire.
I let him go, seeing the older man before me, dressed in rags that indicated he was probably homeless, bloody claw marks raking his chest, a ragged bite mark on one arm. He was still alive, but looked in shock, much as I was feeling right now, and the beast retreated, reducing me back to human in front of his fear widened eyes before he sagged onto the grass.
I backed away from him, horror over what I had done replacing terror, and vomited up blood. I thought I heard my name called, but I wasn’t sure, my arms wrapping around my middle as I fell forward on my knees, my face pressing into the earth. I felt another touch, on my back, and I shrieked.
“Kat! It’s me, Aerick! Shit, what the hell happened to you?”
“Aerick?” I whispered the name, lifting my head, wanting to believe, but afraid that this was just something my mind had made up. After all, how would he have managed to travel that far in so little time?
“Yes, Kat,” he said softly, pushing his dark-brown hair back from his face and looking at me with bright blue eyes. He held a hand out to me and I regarded it cautiously. “It’s me, it’s Aerick, don’t be afraid. You’re safe now.”
“Aerick.” I sighed the name, something inside me breaking and letting loose.
I gripped his proffered hand in mine, bringing it to my face, rubbing my dirty cheek against it as I inhaled his smell: his skin, some sporty aftershave, dryer sheets, and underlying that, what I thought could only be… sulfur? Tears welled up, running down my cheeks, silently at first as I began to shudder uncontrollably, then giving way to loud, desperate sobs as I fell forward into his arms in relief. Every breath I took brought his scent deeper into me, imprinting it permanently in my memory as safety, as home, a deepening of the strange attachment I had felt for him since the first time I had seen him.
And then I caught sight of the homeless man again.
“I killed him, I killed him!” I wailed at Aerick, trying to bury my face in his dark t-shirt. “I didn’t mean to, I thought he was one of them!”
I felt Aerick shift slightly, then he patted me gently on the back. “He’s not dead, Kat, not yet anyway. I can call 911, he’ll be—”
“No one’s calling anyone,” a female voice called out, one I recognized. It was accompanied with laughter. The female vampire that had killed Cody.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” I muttered into Aerick’s shirt. “They found me, and now they’ll kill you too, just like they did…” I could feel the screams rising within me, ready to be let loose, at the vision of Aerick lying dead at my feet as Cody had.
“Fucking vampires.” He said the words with disgust… and no surprise, as though having supernatural creatures threatening your life was an everyday occurrence. He pried me away from him, standing and turning so that he was shielding me with his body, and I swear I heard a laugh come from him.
Light flared, warm and bright, followed by another that was cool and white, and I stared, open mouthed, sure that I had lost my mind, as Aerick was suddenly wielding a sword in each hand, one of brilliant flame, the other of frost rimed ice.
He gestured at the nine vampires, who were regarding him with respect and no little fear now, as though motioning them forward, and two words fell from his lips, almost gleefully.
“Bring it.”
SIXTEEN
Katelyn
A part of me had always suspected, deep down, that there was more to Aerick than he let on. But I hadn’t expected this.
I wasn’t sure how long I knelt there in shock, the vampires almost forgotten. Aerick’s magically conjured blades flickered above me as my thoughts warred with themselves, first with surprise, then with elation over the fact that he wasn’t human. But I had only dealt with shifters and vampires, and from what I could see, Aerick was neither.
So could the vampires. Eight of them circled us, the lead female staying a little farther away. The air shimmered around Aerick, that same kind of shimmer you get over hot asphalt in the middle of summer. Now that I saw the wary way in which the vampires watched him, the function freezing terror in me was starting to lighten. My brain was telling me that we just might come out of this alive after all, letting me focus on something other than flight.
I rose shakily to my feet, standing side by side with Aerick. “I’m going to try something,” I told him, my voice hoarse, “and I’m not sure if it will work, but you gotta promise not to skewer me if I succeed.”
His eyes flicked to me, flames burning in their blue depths, and he gave me a tight nod. I knew that Alex and Darien were able to shift at will, they had told me as much, so it stood to reason that I should be able to as well. Overwhelming fear had triggered it the two times I had, but now that it had happened, I might be able to control it.
I concentrated, searching within myself for the cat, found her watchful and wary not far under the surface, and urged her forward. She prowled under my skin, not responding, and I shook my head in frustration. Maybe I was taking the wrong tack.
>
I found her again, that animal part of me, and instead of pleading, instead of asking, I took hold of her, bending her to my will, and forced her outside of me.
Bone and muscle, skin and hair, it all writhed and shifted, a snarl coming from my throat as I found myself on all fours, my head barely coming to Aerick’s thigh. I didn’t have the finesse to shift to that in between form yet, the one that was both animal and human, but this would do. I was stronger, quicker, more lethal, in this form than in human.
“Holy shit!” Aerick exclaimed, briefly distracted by my transformation. “You turned into a fucking lynx!”
The vampires took advantage of that opening, the eight of them closing in on us with exceptional speed. One of them, a dark-haired woman, leaped toward Aerick, only to have him step forward to meet her leap, bringing the wicked fiery blade up in a right to left arc and slicing through her midsection, her body vanishing in a burst of iridescent energy motes. He reversed his grip on the blade, spearing another that was coming in on his left, while bringing the ice blade around in a back sweep to lop off its head. It, too, disappeared in a shower of light.
As its motes blinked out, Aerick crouched and spun almost a full three hundred and sixty degrees, bringing the fire blade along with him and cutting through a third vampire so that its body came away in halves before erupting into shiny specks. It was quick, unexpected, and the other five took pains to stay away from the magical weapons. They directed their attacks toward me, but my shifted form was actually slightly smaller than my human form, and I dodged and snapped, threatening with fangs and claws. I didn’t think I would be much help to Aerick in killing the vampires in this form, but I would be better able to defend myself.
