Raz

by J. S. Striker

  Eva was as tiny as she looked from afar, but perhaps she wasn’t as helpless as he first thought. She certainly held the weapon with the ease and firmness that spoke of practice, and he knew without a doubt she would know where to slide it through his skin if she truly wanted him dead. There was a calm, almost fierce look in her moss-green eyes, one that spoke of a determination that he didn’t quite expect from her.

  “You say you’re a friend, but I don’t know you,” the woman replied, her voice soft and just as calm as her expression.

  “Not yours,” Raz replied just as calmly. “I’m a friend of your brother, Michael. He was with me during our last mission together, and I’m sorry about what happened.”

  The statement didn’t change anything in Eva’s expression, but she did finally lower the dagger by a fraction. “You were his comrade?”

  “I was one of his heads.”

  She nodded her head as if that explained it. “Name is Eva. You should have protected him better.”

  There was no point telling the woman that there was no protecting someone who would kill comrades like that, so Raz kept his mouth shut. He didn’t know her enough to let her in on the details, plus he wasn’t even sure how much Michael had told her.

  “Do you know Lucinda?”

  “I don’t know anything about your world,” she replied, indicating he didn’t need to tell her what type of creature he was. “But I do know I haven’t been in contact with Michael for years and now only want to protect his kids. Were you here to check on them, by any chance?”

  Raz nodded. “Yes.”

  “Then rest assured that there’s no need because I will protect them with my life,” she said firmly. Despite the calm, almost relaxed tone, she made it sound like a threat, surprising him. “And I’m sorry, but I can’t let you enter my house.”

  She didn’t sound sorry at all.

  Raz took it all in stride, not forcing himself to enter. They stared at each other for a long while before he finally told her that that was very good to hear. Then he backed off, knowing that the right time would come.

  He could always observe them from outside.

  Eva wished him a good night and closed the door firmly. Raz didn’t walk away, wanting to let her know that he wasn’t going to leave anytime soon. He sat on the swing on the porch, keeping still while knowing she was watching from the window. He waited it out, also knowing she was confident in the house’s spell and he wouldn’t be coming in so long as he wasn’t invited.

  After a while, he smelled it—the mixture of yeast and butter, then the gradual smell of the most wonderful thing baking. Unlike most vampires who didn’t appreciate food much anymore since they depended on blood, Raz never quite got over his fascination with actual food—the taste, the texture and everything in between. He had a particular taste for coffee and bread, and it looked like what she was baking now was indeed bread.

  Pleased, Raz let the scent fill his nostrils and closed his eyes. He couldn’t detect anyone else with them, meaning whoever that man who entered her bakery was, he had not chosen tonight to stalk her.

  But that didn’t mean the man wasn’t going to come back.

  *****

  He left at dawn, when everyone was asleep, and he needed to get some rest too, in the hotel he booked for himself in town. He came back during the weekend and found the kids playing in their backyard, with Eva watching over them on the patio. She had a blanket over her legs, which was weird considering it wasn’t the least bit cold.

  Which meant her guard was still up and she was likely hiding some kind of weapon under it.

  He was expecting her to look around but was surprised that her gaze was focused on the kids—particularly, on the girl named Ana. He found himself looking at the kid, too, watching how differently she acted from her younger brother. Peter was cheerful and looked like he had lots of energy to spare, running around and always finding new things to entertain him—whether it was some different-colored grass strand or a squirrel passing by, it never failed to catch his interest.

  Ana was a different story. She had energy, yes—but it was almost like she was storing it within her and refusing to let it out, making for a contained ball of energy that vibrated every now and then. She didn’t necessarily look angry, but she looked like she was controlling something within her. Whether it was a secret or some emotion, he couldn’t really tell, but he had a feeling it would be dangerous once let out.

  Coupled with that was a hunger that only blood could satisfy.

  To Eva’s credit, she provided that blood to them in spades, coming home with bags of them without fail. But she obviously still fed the children actual food, and as he watched over them during the weekend, the smells permeated the air like a warm balm. From pumpkin pies to some kind of lamb stew, she cooked them all, and the pleased noises from the children meant that they liked it, too.

  It had Raz wondering how different the thirst was for a half-vampire as compared to a full one. Would they come to a point that blood was all they could think about, consuming them completely? That happened to some vampires who didn’t know how to control themselves enough and ended up destroying whatever semblance of a conscience they had in the process. They lost their minds, and in turn became rogue, losing their human-like appearance in the long run and turning into monsters who attacked anyone and anything in sight.

  Raz hated rogues because he was all about control. While being a vampire had not necessarily been a voluntary thing for him, he’d learned to live with it, and had risen up to power in a clean, fair way, which he was proud of. It made him remember previous first- and second-in-lines, as well as previous councils who cheated their way to the top and died because of their greed.

  He wasn’t about to let that happen to himself.

  Just before nine in the evening, the kids went out again, disappearing into the forest and not coming back until a full hour later. Raz could smell the blood on them, though they looked spotless and presentable. Michael had indeed taught them how to survive in this world without people noticing them.

  But what other secrets did they hold?

  That was a question yet to be answered, along with the other vampire’s presence in this town. He didn’t recognize that man, and further clarification from Vladimir through a phone call a few days ago confirmed that they didn’t dispatch anyone else, either. But he was told not to attack the man or approach him, as his job was only to observe and relate all his findings to Lucinda.

  So Raz did just that.

  Finally, the weekend was over, and the baking and cooking smells stopped. Raz thought he’d done enough observation for now, deciding to visit again some other day and try to get in Eva’s good graces. He was sure she wasn’t going to appreciate it now.

  Before he went home, curiosity got the best of him, and Raz found himself entering the forest beyond the family’s backyard. It wasn’t necessarily big, but it extended to the very back and was thick with pine trees and tiny plants, making for a very good home for animals. He spotted a few squirrels scurrying around the branches, some birds chirping in the air, and tiny footsteps indicating some deer were nearby. They all smelled young and healthy, and he could detect no threat at all. It was a conducive place for the kids to run around—and while doing so, for them to get their fill of blood, too, without taking advantage or harming human beings in the process.

  He was just about to slip back out when something caught his eye.

  It was inconspicuous at first—a pile of leaves, nothing to be alarmed about. But the way they were piled told him that they were placed there on purpose, and he found himself wandering in that direction as he stared at the rather large pile. It was made up of dried leaves, as well as twigs carefully placed at the sides. Carefully, Raz nudged the pile, watching as it crumbled to the ground.

  He froze.

  Inside the stack of leaves was the dead body of a teenage human boy—probably a few days old, already decaying.

  The boy was drai
ned of all blood and missing chunks of his body.

  CHAPTER SIX

  The first certainty Eva got that today wasn’t going to be a pleasant day was the niggling headache at the back of her head.

  To prevent it from spreading, she took aspirin and ate a heavy breakfast, something that she often didn’t do as she preferred just coffee in the morning. But the headache spread, anyway, and she had no choice but to call in and cash in on that extra day off that Sara promised her she could have anytime she wanted—a reward for her working so hard and bringing in double the customers that her old pastry chef did.

  Sara was understanding the moment Eva said she was feeling sick, assuring her that they had a lot of pre-mixed stuff that could easily be put in the oven for the next three days. But Eva assured that she would be back by tomorrow, not really wanting to take too many days off, anyway. When that phone conversation was done, she crawled back in bed and took some tea with her, then told the kids she’d just be at home before crashing back to sleep.

  Her sleep was filled with dreams—colorful ones that swirled like a rainbow all over her senses before turning black completely and leaving her with a dull buzzing sound. When she finally woke up, the headache was gone. But the dull feeling wasn’t, and now it niggled on her shoulder blades and stayed there.

  The last time she felt like this was on the day her brother visited her once he turned into a vampire. She could still remember the stark hunger on his face when he stared at her neck, right before he apologized with a shaking voice and told her that he had no choice. That was years ago, and any other trouble since hadn’t brought her this kind of premonition—not even his death, or the knowledge that his kids were just like him.

  When Eva went down, she found that the plates had been washed and the house was spotless. She found Peter in the backyard, as usual, playing with a paper and pen and scribbling some drawings.

  “Where’s Ana?”

  The boy looked up, then shrugged. “She was in the forest earlier, but she’s not there now.” He turned solemn eyes on her. “I’m hungry.”

  Belatedly, Eva realized that she still needed to get them fresh bags of blood. She nodded her head and smiled at the boy, ruffling his hair.

  “Can you go find your sister and get her back here? I want you guys inside the house until I’m back.”

  “Why?”

  “There’s something in the air. I just want to make sure everyone’s safe.”

  Peter nodded his head, then sprinted away. Eva went straight to the hospital, where her friend was already clocked in but taking her break.

  “You’re very lucky we have an abundance of blood supplies here,” the witch, Malena, muttered. Then the witch shot her a worried look. “How are things holding up at home?”

  How were things? There was a strange man visiting her in the bakery, another visiting her at home and asking to be let in…and then there was Ana, being secretive and disappearing on her going who knew where. But Eva kept her mouth shut on the matter, simply telling Malena that they were pretty decent kids and not at all what she expected for vampires.

  “You’d still better watch out,” Malena warned. “There are some late bloomers who try to stem the thirst of blood but aren’t able to in the end.”

  “But I feed them daily, and I let them roam in the forest,” Eva explained.

  In response, the witch shook her head. “If they could, they would drain a grown adult of blood. And that’s just for breakfast.”

  Eva thought of Ana again. She bit her lip. “And how would I know the symptoms?”

  “It will show. Your instincts will know. Just be careful.”

  *****

  She managed to bring two huge bags with her for today, thinking she could stock it up in the freezer and just heat it up when it was needed. Peter said they had stocks back in their old home for when they couldn’t hunt, but Eva had been unsure, not wanting any evidence in case someone visited her.

  It wasn’t until she was walking to her front door that Eva finally saw the first evidence of the bad day about to come. There was something on the porch, and Eva squinted during the first few seconds as she walked closer. Then she saw it as clear as the sun currently setting, and she almost dropped the bags of blood she had in her hands at the sight.

  It was a dog—or rather, it used to be a dog, but now resembled a shriveled-up version with its skin torn to pieces. It made Eva’s blood roar, but she held herself steady and opened her mouth to call Peter’s name. Before she could, the front door opened, and the little boy slipped out.

  He stared at the dog, then at her. His eyes were shining with pleading and sincerity.

  “She didn’t mean it.”

  Those words were meant to placate her, but it only confirmed her suspicions and had her suddenly feeling cold. Still, she kept her calm and nodded, knowing it was crucial to do so.

  “Where’s your sister?”

  “She’s inside. She said she doesn’t want to take her eyes off our visitor.”

  Eva had thought the dead dog was “it,” but apparently, it was only the start. The last word had Eva stilling again, and this time, she couldn’t stop her head from snapping up to stare at the boy. The boy simply kept staring back, completely innocent. God.

  Without a word, Eva took the switch blade from her pants pocket and slid her hand behind her. Then she left the bags behind the porch swing and ushered Peter in.

  The first thing she noticed was the dead silence inside. The second thing she noticed was Ana standing in one corner, her body as still as they came and her face holding a placid, careful expression.

  Standing at the opposite end of the living room was none other than Sam.

  Eva stared in shock, then removed any expression from her face right away. She inwardly cursed herself for not detecting his presence immediately, but she’d been too preoccupied. The man glanced at her entrance, a smile forming on his lips that only made the room colder.

  “Good evening,” he said softly.

  Instead of responding to his greeting, Eva turned to Ana. “Are you okay?”

  The little girl nodded. “He just got here. Peter let him in,” she blurted out. “I told him…I told him we shouldn’t be inviting strangers in.”

  “He said he was a friend of dad,” Peter said defensively, though his already small voice suddenly became smaller.

  “But I’m not a stranger,” Sam replied.

  Again, Eva didn’t answer him, keeping her gaze half-focused on Ana. There was a steely determination in the kid’s gaze when their eyes met. Eva’s mind flashed again to the dead dog on the front porch, knowing without a doubt that that was Ana’s doing. But she also knew without a doubt that Ana loved her brother and was going to protect Peter no matter what.

  It was what made her decide.

  “Ana, can you take Peter upstairs? I’ll handle this.”

  A worried look flashed there, but Ana quickly nodded her head. The kids went upstairs in a murmur, with Ana promising Peter that it was her turn to tell him another story. Eva waited for the quiet click of their bedroom door before finally turning her attention towards Sam.

  He didn’t look pleased.

  “I don’t like being ignored,” he admonished.

  Eva shrugged. “I never invited you in, so I have the right to ignore you. What do you want, Sam?”

  She thought he would use his charming words again and try to weave some story about his desire to learn how to bake, and she braced herself for his bullshit. But he surprised her by getting right to the point and confirming her suspicion.

  “I want one of the kids.”

  One of them?

  “You’re not going to get them.”

  “I plan to.”

  Eva’s hand tightened on the knife behind her. “You’re going to have to get through me.”

  The vampire smiled, and it was no longer charming as his fangs grew and glinted.

  “My pleasure,” Sam murmured.

  Then, before
she could prepare herself, he was already going at her in a frightening blur.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  There was a dead dog on Eva’s front porch, and the fact that there were lights on inside the house and she still didn’t clean it up meant something was seriously wrong. He knew enough about her now to know she had pretty sharp hearing and smelling sense, which was why it was quite hard to trail her without being detected. He should have known it sooner, but she was pretty good at pretending otherwise.

  The second indication that something was wrong was the pack of blood bags just behind the swing on the porch, its smell faint but filling his nostrils with richness. Without preamble, Raz tried the front door and found it unlocked—but he was still unable to enter, because the protection spell was still in place.

  A sound came from inside, almost like a cry of pain. Eva’s voice. He sensed another presence and realized that it was the same man from the bakeshop, and that was more than enough to let him know that everyone inside was in trouble. A few seconds later, he watched the table on the foyer crash, along with the vase of flowers on it. Then Eva was there, crawling on the ground and her blood seeping out of her.

  He wasn’t supposed to care, but Raz rationalized that if she died, then so did whatever protection the kids had left—and he couldn’t have that, not when they still didn’t trust him, and he still didn’t know their secrets. Ironically enough, his muscles also spasmed, indicating that he didn’t like what he was seeing whether or not there were kids involved.

  You just didn’t attack helpless people, and that was that.

  Sam was nowhere to be found, which had to mean he was already on his way towards the kids, wherever they were. Raz made some kind of noise, which had Eva stopping her movements as she looked up and met his gaze.

  “Invite me in,” he said.

  She almost shook her head, but her body trembled all of a sudden.

  “I’m your brother’s friend,” he repeated what he said before. “Invite me in, or his kids are dead, Eva.”

  She stilled. And then she was looking at him almost pleadingly, her hand on the dagger she still held tightening.