Sweet Oblivion (Shady Arcade Book 2)

by Sharon Stevenson

  “Where am I heading?”

  “Towards the sea.”

  Larry nodded and drove. “We picked up a hitcher.”

  “I see that.”

  “I need to get this silver out of me.” Mark sounded out of breath, which was an odd way for a vampire to sound.

  “Silver?” Larry asked.

  “He shot me. The bullets seem to be silver tipped. At least I hope that’s what’s wrong. If it nicked my heart I might just be taking a long time to die. Who knows?”

  Turner rummaged around in the glove compartment before passing Mark a pair of plyers. Larry winced at them. He tried to avoid the rear-view mirror as Mark gasped and the clicking and wet sloppy noises started up. It sounded gross enough. He didn’t need to see it.

  He watched out for the car Mitch and Zack were in, catching sight of it up ahead and letting out a relieved sigh. “I think we’ve got them.”

  “Just as I suspected,” Turner muttered.

  “Oh, thank God for that,” Mark said, sounding much better all of a sudden.

  Larry glanced back. He was sitting with the bloody plyers on his lap, examining the bullet he’d extracted. He turned back to the road.

  “Slow down,” Turner said. “We’ll park up in this next street and go into the graveyard on foot.”

  “They’re going to a graveyard?”

  He nodded.

  Larry swallowed as he followed Turner’s instructions. “This is creepy as fuck.”

  “That’s Mitch, down to the ground.”

  “What exactly is he doing bringing Zack to a graveyard?”

  Mark shrugged, but Turner had an ominous expression on his face.

  Larry didn’t like the sound of any of it, but it didn’t look like he was getting a choice in the matter.

  “Park up here. We need to go.”

  “What do we do when we catch up to them?”

  “I’ll tell you what to do. Don’t get too close to Mitch. He’s dangerous with that super-compulsion deal he’s got going.”

  “That’s not making me shite it, at all,” Larry muttered as he parked and passed Turner his keys back.

  “Any weaknesses you’re aware of?” Turner directed his question at Mark.

  Mitch’s twin shook his head. “Aside from his arrogance? None that I’ve noticed.”

  “You got any problem killing him if need be?”

  Mark opened and closed his mouth before he shook his head.

  “Well, then. Let’s get moving. We have a psychic vampire to take down.”

  Chapter Forty

  Nights bled into days, bled into nights. Chloe was vaguely aware that these were days that had long since passed into dust. But they refused to end. She spent so many nights with Zack in his room that she didn’t think she could tell most of them apart anymore, but memory proved her wrong. Every detail was etched out in vivid colour. The only difference was it hadn’t stopped raining out there. The storm she remembered falling asleep listening to after her first night with him, that had been real. There were other rainy nights, but the downpour hadn’t let up since she’d found herself tangled in this endless cycle. It was almost as if Zack was still hers.

  “Why aren’t you going?” He sat up and she frowned at him as she found her vest and pulled it on.

  “I told you why already.” She didn’t want to go over this again. Once was enough.

  “No. You avoided the question.”

  She was avoiding it again too. She always would. “I’m tired. Can you just let me sleep?”

  “I don’t want you to think…” He didn’t finish. He never could.

  She climbed over him and snuggled under the covers behind him. “Don’t want me to think what?”

  He wouldn’t finish his thought and she knew why. He was as scared as she was. They were just afraid of different things. She wrapped her arm around him.

  “I’m not going out of town for college. End of story,” she told him, wishing that would be the end of it. If he didn’t know she’d gotten accepted to her old ‘dream’ pick, he wouldn’t even be bringing it up. She didn’t want to say why she wasn’t going out loud, because she knew it sounded pathetic. She knew it would sound like giving up on a dream.

  He turned in the bed and hugged her, his bare hands touching her shoulder and hair. She knew he’d want to tell her not to stay, she knew he’d lie to get her to go. He’d think it was what was best for her. She didn’t think it was, at least not any more.

  He kissed her lips first, then her cheek, then her neck. At first it felt the same way it had the first time it. Then something weird happened. He ran his tongue along her throat before he bit her, hard.

  She gasped in a breath and pushed, trying to get him to stop. “No. What are you doing? Stop, Zack. Stop!”

  Her panic heightened, her scrambling did something to the memory. Suddenly she wasn’t in Zack’s bedroom anymore, she was in a weird, poorly lit room with some incredibly muscular guy with blond hair chewing on her neck. She sucked in a breath. A vampire was drinking from her! She calmed herself as quickly as she could.

  “Stop,” she said, loudly, making it a command.

  The vampire stopped drinking. He didn’t withdraw his fangs. She cursed inwardly and commanded him to get his filthy goddamned teeth out of her. Screwing up her nose she realised she was going to have to command him on at least one more thing. If she wasn’t afraid she could bleed to death she might have just pushed him off and gone looking for a stake.

  “Kenny. Fucking typical,” she swore. “Lick my wound and then get the hell away from me.”

  He grinned before he licked her to seal the wound, making it slow. “Don’t try to pretend you didn’t like it.”

  “Go fuck yourself.” She pushed him and moved back the way she’d come.

  He followed her and she turned. “Do not follow me.”

  He held up his hands. “Hey, there is a quicker way out of this shit-hole. It’s no skin off my nose.”

  She shook her head as she marched away from him. The passageway felt incredibly long, but she came to the exit door and managed not to jump out of her skin when the black cat Larry had been petting blinked at her from the bloodied steps. She stepped over it to get up the stairs. She’d be glad when she was the hell out of this place. Clearly, Turner had left her behind when he’d gone after Mitch. Of course, she was only assuming that by the lack of dead bodies in the passageway.

  If she hadn’t been so pissed at Kenny for biting her while she was sleeping, she might have questioned him. He had to know something. He’d at least been conscious.

  And a freaking vampire, she reminded herself. That didn’t seem so shocking if she was being honest with herself. He’d been sleeping with Bridget. He was hardly disgusted by the bloodsucking undead.

  She walked through the oddly empty house, pushing open doors she passed by. Mitch had been thorough. There were messy black mounds all over the place. Former vampires. His clan, or the clan who’d taken his life from him. She snorted at the thought. This was heaven for that creep, clearly. The power-trip he was on was super-charged.

  When she got outside she growled at the realisation that Turner really had left her behind. His car was gone. He’d left, to chase after Mitch, doubtlessly. She didn’t even know where he’d gone.

  “Shit,” she hissed.

  Kenny’s piece of crap motor was sitting there, but she didn’t suppose he’d have left the keys inside. Sighing, she glanced around as she walked towards it. The man himself was walking across the grass towards her, or towards his car, more likely. He jangled his keys at her, smarmy grin on his blood-stained face. She looked him over. He was covered in blood. T-shirt, hands and face.

  “Who did you kill tonight anyway? Besides yourself?”

  He laughed. “Funny bitch. Guess what, I know where your boyfriend is.”

  She smiled tightly. “Give me the keys.”

  He shook his head, so she made it a direct order. His scowl was her prize as she took
them.

  “I’m coming with you.”

  “Screw that.”

  “You don’t know where you’re going.”

  “I know Turner’s car was leaking transmission fluid.” She’d noticed when she got out, though it hadn’t registered as important at the time. “I think I’ll figure it out.”

  He cursed under his breath and opened the passenger door anyway. “Can’t stop me.”

  She could, and he knew it, but they had precious little time to argue. Zack was in danger. He climbed in and started cursing, moving something to the back seat before she jumped into the car and started the engine. He touched the radio dial and she slapped his hand back.

  “No thanks.” She’d heard his choice of driving music and it was of the kill your braincells with noise variety. She didn’t have the patience.

  Driving out, she followed the trail of leaking fluid. There was more than one path but she knew the way they’d come. It was pretty much a no brainer. The slow drive was making her crazy but even in full-beam the trail wasn’t overly easy to see.

  Kenny rolled the window and positioned himself as if he owned the place. She supposed he did, being his car and all, but the manspreading stance made her roll her eyes.

  “Did you see anything back there?” She made the answer compulsory.

  He shrugged before he spoke. “You mean before, or after, I died?”

  “Both.” She supposed she should know what happened.

  “Mitch has some kind of super-charged powers of compulsion. He forced me to shoot myself. He had Zack, and he took my gun. Then I was dying and his brother came out the other side of the passageway. I forced him to turn me. I think he was going after Mitch. That’s about it.” He folded his arms.

  She concentrated on following the trail until she saw Turner’s car. She parked next to it and looked around, her senses on full alert.

  Kenny came out and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “You can’t figure out where they went?”

  She frowned at him. “What?”

  He pointed behind her. The pathway to the cemetery was a few meters ahead. She rolled her eyes. “No way.”

  He shrugged at her. “Where else would they be going at four in the morning?”

  He went back and leaned against the car. She scowled at him. “You’re coming with me, and you’re holding your tongue. I mean it, you’re a mute until I say so.”

  She stalked towards the path, checking behind her to make sure her new slave was following. He didn’t look happy about it. She smiled and rushed on, quickening her pace when she picked up the gritty sound of Mitch’s voice.

  Chapter Forty-One

  Zack walked to the grave and his bad feeling quadrupled. It was empty, a mound of dirt at the side. Just waiting to be filled. He swallowed.

  “Don’t you just love the smell of a freshly dug grave in the middle of the night?” Mitch poked him in the back with the gun. “Just me then? Oh well. We never did have much in common.”

  He moved the gun up Zack’s back, positioning it. His other hand grabbed Zack’s shoulder, keeping him in place standing over the grave.

  “This is usually a more ceremonial moment. But since we’re stuck for time, and there’s a bunch of idiots hiding behind those bushes over there, this’ll have to do.” Mitch raised his voice. “I see you, Mark. And your little friends too. Why don’t you come over here and witness history in the making?”

  Zack tried to calm his racing heart. He was about to die. That might be okay if he wasn’t also about to be brought back from the dead as a bloodsucking monster.

  “Put the gun down,” Turner said, rising and walking towards them. It was a command, Zack knew, but Mitch laughed it off, merely tilting the gun downwards slightly against his back.

  “No thanks,” Mitch said. “Why don’t you go jump off that wall back there though. Thanks.”

  Zack’s jaw dropped as the big burly necromancer about turned and jumped over the wall. It was a straight drop down into the sea. The splash made his stomach churn.

  “Who’s next?” Mitch asked. “How ‘bout the little vampire boy?”

  “Leave him alone,” Zack said. “You want me. Stop fucking around. What are you afraid of?”

  Mitch’s hand tightened on his shoulder. “I’m not afraid of anything, Z. And don’t you forget it.”

  The click made Zack’s heart stop. The sound of the trigger being depressed. The bang didn’t follow. He shook as the weapon was removed from his back. Had he just not felt it, not heard it? He glanced down, but there was no hole, no blood.

  “Fucking cheap arsehole,” Mitch muttered, letting go of Zack’s shoulder.

  Zack took the chance to turn and push him into the open grave. The man was too busy fiddling with the gun to stop the fall. He stumbled and took a dive head-first into the hole, the gun going off in his hand. Zack saw the blood blooming on the back of his cream jacket as he used his arm to swipe mud into the grave and over Mitch’s prone form.

  He didn’t know if the guy was okay and he didn’t want to find out.

  Larry and Mark were by his side a moment later.

  “We should get the hell out of here,” Larry said, his blue eyes wide.

  “Where’s Chloe?” Zack watched Larry shake his head, dread filling him.

  “I’m here, Zack,” Chloe called out, approaching from the entrance path with someone walking a fair distance behind her.

  Zack squinted and did a double take. “Is that Kenny?”

  She nodded. “Oh, don’t worry. He’s a vampire now.”

  “Where’s Amira?” Larry marched towards Kenny.

  Zack’s attention split as the two squared off. Kenny’s smirk made him wince. This was the last thing they needed. “She ran into the woods,” he revealed, attempting to stop the inevitable fight they were courting.

  “Which woods?” Chloe was alert suddenly, and looking at Kenny. “We need to find her.”

  “Stupid bitch ran straight to Winter.” Kenny snorted. Larry’s punch landed on his jaw before he could side step it. The brawl that ensued was too fast moving to keep track of. Zack glanced at Chloe as she moved towards them.

  “Stop fighting,” she commanded, halting their actions.

  Larry was glowering when he turned his gaze on her. “He needs to die.”

  “He needs to help us find Amira,” she disagreed, shaking her head.

  Kenny had blood running down the side of his face, but he smirked when he seemed to realise Chloe wasn’t about to allow her friend to exact vengeance on him. She smiled tightly at him.

  “He can die once we find her.”

  “Screw you,” Kenny muttered, getting up from the ground and dusting himself off.

  “Or we could kill him now and let Zack show us where Amira ran into the woods.” She shrugged, folding her arms. “Either way’s good with me.”

  He scowled at her. “You wouldn’t.”

  “Don’t test me.” She started walking and Zack rushed to keep up as the vampires followed her out of the graveyard.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Mark watched his brother crawl out of the grave, his red eyes fixed on Zack. Bloody and dirt-stained, he moved slowly. He focused to see inside Mitch’s head. He was doing something but it wasn’t obvious what, exactly. And the scuffle between the two new vampires seemed to keep Zack and Chloe busy enough not to notice the rising threat behind them. Mark had already looked around for something to use to hurt Mitch. There weren’t exactly any large pointy wooden objects just lying around the cemetery.

  So, he shifted his attention to finding out what his brother was up to. Relief flooded him when he realised Mitch was actually hurt. All he was doing was making the others forget about him so he could escape and get his strength back up.

  For a second attack. One Zack wouldn’t escape from.

  Mark moved slowly towards the grave as he slipped out of his brother’s disturbing mind. He had to find the gun. It had hurt him once. It could do so again.
<
br />   He glanced up as Mitch slunk into the darkness ahead. Zack and Chloe were moving towards the exit. They were safe, for now. But he had to make sure they stayed safe.

  He picked the gun out of the mud and wiped it off on his trousers. Somewhere, deep down, he’d always known this day would come. As soon as they became vampires he’d known the clock was ticking. Knowing this was it now wasn’t the same as feeling that inevitable countdown. His hand shook as he jumped out of the grave and took off after his wayward brother. It was time to face it. He had to kill Mitch.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Kenny’s car didn’t feel big enough for the four of them, even after she threw out all the junk that was piled up on his back seat, aside from her umbrella which she was a little confused to find until Zack explained he’d brought it. Kenny’s annoyance was mildly amusing, but they had too much to think about to really twist the knife. She glanced at the boxes on the pavement. It seemed like Kenny had been getting ready to move house. They were full of his clothes. He cursed at her profusely as she got into the driver’s seat. She could easily drive away and leave him there. He got in the back seat and slammed the door like a child having a tantrum. Larry made to get in the passenger door and Chloe ordered him to get in the back.

  “Aw, come on,” Larry muttered, as he did what he was told.

  Zack got into the passenger seat and she started the engine, glancing at him. “Do you remember where she got out the car?”

  He frowned and she knew he wasn’t sure before he shook his head.

  “I can guess,” he said.

  Kenny snorted. “I know where she ran off. It was right where Winter Clan sets traps for foolish humans on the border of their properties.”

  “Properties?” Larry asked.

  “Yes, properties. They have practically a whole town down there. And I’m sure the lot of them would just love a crack at this one,” he nodded towards Zack, a disdainful expression on his face. “Especially considering Bridget caught one of their men in Shady Pines skulking around looking for the stupid prick.”