Nevermore, the Complete Series

by K. A. Poe

  “So what is the plan today?” Salem asked as we entered the kitchen.

  “Paul and I both feel that Alex needs to dedicate as much time as possible to learning how to kill a vampire in her new form – which shouldn't be too hard judging by those claws I saw,” Richard said after swallowing a mouthful of cereal.

  “What I’m curious about is her caw...” my dad added, putting his spoon down and staring thoughtfully in my direction. “That was awfully useful, hope you didn’t lose it.”

  “I don’t see any reason why she wouldn't still possess the ability. She is, after all, still a raven,” Salem replied, “It might be difficult for her to figure out how to use it again, however.”

  I shrugged my shoulders, “I'll figure it out somehow.”

  “I hope so,” Paul frowned. “Your aunt called about an hour ago saying there have been some bizarre stories spreading through the office. Lots of unsolved murders all over the country, people are saying it's almost a repeat of the 'Denver Slayings' only more brutal.” I cringed at the memories as he spoke. “There’ve also been sightings of a strange woman hanging around in the cemetery, darting off into the woods when spotted, and most disturbingly – around my trailer park.”

  “Oh no. Has anyone in the park been hurt, or worse?” I asked.

  “Not that I know of.”

  “That's good at least.”

  “I've been keeping watch around town while I’m out hunting, and I haven't seen her since the last time I told you. She almost seems to be looking for something – or someone,” Hannah said, “she’s acting really weird for a vampire. Most of us try to stay away from places where there would be lots of people at once, like the trailer park.”

  “That is weird,” I mumbled, my worries about this vampire only growing stronger. There was something off about the whole situation. “Looks like I need to get ready as soon as possible,” I looked from Salem to Hannah, then back again. “I need to try the caw, but I...I need someone to use it on.”

  “I’ll be your victim,” Hannah volunteered, “It’s only fair, after what I did to you.”

  I couldn’t tell if the smile on her face was from wanting to help or from some sort of satisfaction in the memory of our fight—either way I wasn't about to disagree with her. “Well, I guess we should get to it, then,” I sighed and headed out the back door.

  The lake was sparkling under the influence of the sun's bright beams. It was a marvelous sight, but I had little time to enjoy it. I wasn't prepared for this at all. In my original raven form it was easy to figure out – open my mouth, make a noise, and the vampire crumbled to their feet at the piercing sound.

  Hannah followed me out to the field where we had once sat on a blanket together. It seemed like so long ago now, and indeed much had happened since. I tried to ignore the contempt I felt toward her as I recalled all this recent history. She stood a few feet away from me, standing perfectly still. I had to admit that she was beautiful; Salem wasn't the only exception. The way her hair shimmered as the sunlight swept across it, it looked like strands of thin gold sprouting from her scalp and laying delicately across her shoulders.

  My eyes lowered temporarily as I focused on transforming. The familiar rush of vibrant feathers surrounded me and spun through the air as a gush of wind blew passed us. I could feel the weight of the wings on my back, the growth of my nails, and I couldn't help but smirk as Hannah recoiled some at my appearance. I wondered how different I looked in the day time.

  “Just talking isn’t going to work anymore,” I said, somewhat to myself.

  “Apparently not,” Hannah answered, bracing herself for the impact of the sound I was potentially going to make...assuming I ever figured it out. “Try making a cawing sound?” she suggested with a quiet giggle.

  I did as she suggested, but that failed terribly. Hannah found some sort of delight in my failure and started laughing a little harder. I hoped now that I could figure this out soon, if for nothing else than to shut her up.

  Inhaling deeply, I shut my eyes and pictured myself as an actual raven. Some things had been so much easier that way, but in a sense I was more comfortable in this form – I felt it would give me some advantages that the raven couldn’t. I attempted screaming, but it did nothing but burn my throat. Then I thought over other alternatives, regardless how silly they seemed: whistling, yelling, imagining myself cawing, and then I shrieked as loud as my voice could manage. My lips curved into a wide smile as Hannah hunched over with her hands over her ears at the sound.

  “I did it!” I exclaimed, jumping up and down. I felt like a complete fool, but I was proud of my accomplishment. Hannah stood up squinting from the after effects of the sound.

  “Good. Now do it again,” she insisted. “Practice makes perfect, right?”

  “Right, of course,” I nodded and let loose another shrill shriek that sent her tumbling over. Again and again we tried until she couldn't tolerate the sound any longer. Somehow it didn't affect my throat at all, unlike when I had simply yelled and screamed.

  “Looks like you got that down pretty well. Now let’s see you use those new nails of yours on me.”

  “What?! No!” I gasped. “I'm not going to hurt you.”

  “Oh come on Alex, we both know I deserve it. We need to know everything you are capable of, and what better way than by testing it on a vampire, right?”

  I shook my head. “Couldn't I just go out hunting and find some random vampire to kill?”

  “Right, that’s a good idea,” she rolled her eyes. “And what if it doesn’t work or you can’t do it at all? Stop being a baby and just do it.”

  “Fine,” I sighed in defeat and stared down at the long, sharp nails protruding from my fingertips.

  “It might hurt for a little while, but you know I’ll heal quickly,” she said reassuringly. “I won't fight back this time, just to see what kind of damage you can do – then we'll have a real test.”

  It felt wrong attacking Hannah when she was standing defenseless before me, letting me lash out at her fragile pale skin. She winced with each swipe of my nails, but not a single scream escaped her tightly sealed lips. She was stronger than any vampire I had ever attacked before, but it was no surprise. Having been raised and trained by Raziel, there was no doubt in my mind that she was capable of terrible things – even worse than what she put me through.

  “Stop,” she finally said through clenched teeth. I pulled back, retracting my bloodied talons and eying the wounds I had inflicted. Her arms were covered in long, thick gashes and a few scratches marked her cheeks and neck, with some notably larger ones along her abdomen. As I stared, transfixed at the gory mess I had made, the cuts slowly began to stitch themselves together as if nothing had ever happened. Hannah's eyes were clamped shut tightly as she concentrated on her regeneration.

  “I’m sorry. Was it too much?” I asked hoarsely.

  She shook her head slowly. All evidence that she had ever been injured at all had vanished, aside from the blood staining her clothing. Before I was even given a second's thought, her eyes were open—bright red and menacing—and she had tackled me to the ground.

  My instincts kicked in instantly. I shoved Hannah off of me, kicking her hard in the side but it barely fazed her. It felt strange not being a bird, but I adjusted to it quickly, relearning the proper fighting techniques Paul had taught me during my weeks of extensive training. As she prepared to pounce, I let loose a loud shrill that caused her to falter. With the use of my brilliant ebony wings, I hovered above the grassy field and soared toward Hannah. My claws were extracted and piercing her skin within seconds. It was difficult to stop myself; some part of me hungered to attack, ached to kill.

  I shook my head and pulled back, retracted my claws and stared in disbelief at the crumpled body lying before me.

  “H-Hannah?” I gasped, kneeling beside her and turning her over to look at me. To my surprise, she was smiling.

  Her wounds once more began to fade and she sat up. “You�
�ll make a good vampire yet,” she laughed, then grimaced at the torn fragments of her blood-stained lavender blouse.

  I smiled apologetically at her clothing and helped her up from the ground. “So it is normal to have the sudden urge to rip your throat out?” I asked, feeling somewhat disgusted with myself.

  “It isn't exactly normal to feel that way toward one of your own, but I think your Waldron instincts are mingling with your vampiric ones,” she explained, “which isn't really a bad thing, it could make you an even better hunter...and I can’t even believe I am okay with this.”

  “It must be a real struggle for you, huh?” I asked quietly as I shifted back into my human form. “Salem means a lot to you, though. I can see it in your eyes. You don't want to betray his trust, otherwise you would probably be out there killing people at this very second – and my father and grandfather would be such easy victims to you right now.”

  She shrugged her shoulders and glanced back at the lake. “It hasn’t been easy, but I’m doing okay. The smell of your relatives' blood is almost too much sometimes though, which is why I try to stay out of the house as much as possible...just in case.”

  I thought for a moment, reflecting on the way Salem smelled in comparison to Hannah – her scent wasn't quite as foul as it used to be. The smell of burning wood was still quite strong, and I wondered if it had anything to do with her near death experience in the burning house. That was so long ago, though.

  “You went back to the house, didn't you?” I asked as I studied her scent some more. There was a subtle hint of artificial vanilla still clinging onto her even though it had been days since she last applied the body spray.

  “What are you talking about? I’ve been right here with you this entire time…”

  “No. I mean…back to the house you were raised in. You went back after the fire, didn’t you?”

  “Oh…yes…I did,” she confirmed, “lots of times actually. The remains are long gone now, of course. I spent plenty of days there when I was still young and mortal, though,” she sighed and looked toward the Victorian. “Their bodies were still there...just bones amongst the piles of ash and burnt wood. We gave them a proper burial, Daniel and I. He took mother’s death even worse than I did.”

  “His love for your mother was strong,” I commented, “that is the one thing I admired about him.”

  She smiled at me, “It’s nothing in comparison to the way Salem feels about you. I don't hate it as much as I did at first…now that you are technically one of us. It still stuns me that he could fall in love with a human to begin with though. I guess him being the way he is...it isn't as impossible as I make it sound.”

  “If it weren't for Raz – Daniel – he never would have known about me...”

  “Well, maybe it was all meant to be this way, and the two of you were destined to meet,” she laughed.

  “Twin souls,” I whispered quietly to myself and smiled as we set off for the house.

  30. SCENTS

  What occurred outside did not need retold, as apparently everyone was watching through the window behind the sofa. Everyone was impressed, although Salem appeared a little forlorn as he watched Hannah and me make our entrance. I eyed him curiously but his expression altered to a simple smile almost instantly. Richard and Paul were unsurprisingly ecstatic and impressed. Both felt that I was on the verge of being prepared to encounter the mysterious woman lurking around Willowshire. I had little time to waste, every minute of preparation meant another moment she could be taking an innocent life.

  “Dad?” I said as a painful thought struck me hard. “Kim knows the name of everyone that's been injured or murdered by this vampire, right?”

  “Your friends are fine,” he said with a reassuring smile. “She's been keeping a close eye on them from a distance, by my request.”

  With a sigh of relief, I relaxed a little and turned to look at Salem. “Can we talk for a minute? Alone?” I asked quickly, and directed him upstairs. I sat on the edge of the mattress and gestured for him to sit beside me. “You seem a little tense, Salem.”

  “I’m fine,” he replied with a very obvious false smile.

  “You didn’t like watching that,” I stated.

  “No, I didn’t,” he admitted, staring down at his hands. “I knew everything would turn out fine, but I am sure you would have felt the same.”

  “Right...”

  “What did you need to talk to me about?”

  “I noticed as soon as I was conscious, after you turned me...that you have a very distinct smell,” I said cautiously, “then, I noticed the same with Hannah. Is this normal?”

  He smiled at me for a moment, and then nodded. “Upon becoming a vampire, your senses heightened. You will find that you can hear and smell things that no mere mortal ever could, and your vision could match that of a hawk. If you get close enough to someone, you will find that you are able to distinguish specific scents that apply to that person,” he explained. “Take Paul for example. He works in an auto shop; therefore you will often find that he smells strongly of oil – even after days of being away from the shop. It's practically become a part of who he is, ingrained deeper than the pores of his skin.”

  “That's why Hannah smells so much like burnt wood, then...because of how often she visited the old house?”

  “Precisely.”

  “And why do you smell like water and chamomile?”

  He arched a brow, “No one has ever told me what I smell like,” his laughter was light and his eyes distant, “my mother often had me brew chamomile tea to aid her in sleeping…it is amazing how much the sense of smell links us to fond memories.”

  “And water?”

  “Perhaps because I live so close to a lake,” Salem shrugged.

  “There is one other scent that seems to have attached itself to you, but I can't quite put my finger on what it is.”

  “What does it remind you of?”

  I looked down and my cheeks reddened somewhat, “It sort of reminds me of old paper.”

  “Ah,” Salem smiled and lifted my head up, “I read a lot of old books, remember? Before we met I must have read a book or more a day. One gets bored at night when they no longer need sleep.”

  “Of course!” I laughed. “That makes a lot of sense. Hannah also kind of smells like metal, or rust.”

  “My guess is that after wearing the same locket for countless years, the scent of the metal has latched itself to her.”

  “Oh,” I replied, and then glanced up into his eyes. “What do I smell like to you, Salem?”

  Salem looked at me with a gentle smile, and replied with a simple answer—“Ivory.”

  A knock sounded on the door. Immediately, the scent of oil caught my attention. It was odd how I never really noticed it before, but now that Salem mentioned it – it was intense.

  “Come on in, dad,” I said and watched the door swing open, revealing Paul's shocked face.

  “How did you know it was me?”

  “I could smell you,” I replied, “You might not realize it – but you smell very strongly of oil.”

  He nodded. “Makes sense. You must be coming closer and closer to being changed completely...”

  “Does that concern you?” Salem asked.

  “Why wouldn't it?” Paul replied crossly. “My daughter, who I’ve been spending years trying to protect from vampires, is becoming one of them!”

  “Just calm down,” I sighed. “You agreed to let it happen – it was either this or death.”

  “I know,” he frowned. “I just wish it hadn't come to this. It isn't as easy for me as I have been trying to make it seem.”

  “I understand...it hasn't been easy for me, either...” It was a lot harder than he, or even Salem, were aware. “So…what did you want?”

  “I'm going home for a little while,” he replied cautiously. I leapt up from the edge of the bed.

  “You can't go back there!” I exclaimed. “It’s not safe!”

  “I’ll be
fine, Alex,” Paul laughed, “Did you forget that I’m a hunter too? I hope she does come poking around the park again.”

  “This isn't just a regular old vampire...there’s something different about her. I just have this bad feeling, you know?”

  “Ah, come on now, I'll be fine. Besides, I need to get some things to take over to the auto shop. The store’s been closed for too long with me hanging out over here, got to make a living you know. Vampire huntin’ doesn’t pay the bills, and not all of us have a little Salem summoning us everything we need.”

  “I'm sorry, dad...I can't help but worry. Maybe Hannah should go with you, just in case.”

  Paul burst out in sudden laughter, “I'm not taking that crazy bitch with me. She’s probably more likely to kill me than the other one. Pardon the French.”

  “Do not talk about her like that! She has changed,” Salem glowered.

  “Whatever dad, just go...call if anything unusual happens.”

  “I will. You do the same,” he turned to leave, and then glanced back at me, “love ya, kid.”

  “Love you, too dad...” I said quietly and followed him out of the room.

  31. LISTEN

  As I watched my father exit through the wide, white doors I felt an aching uneasiness well up within me. Part of me longed to chase after him, force him to stay and keep him safe – but it wasn't my decision to make. He was a grown man, with a hand crossbow and the instincts of a hunter – he could take care of himself if anything happened...right? No. I was foolish to let him leave! He had the weakest aim of any Waldron in the history of our ancestors! But it was too late. He was gone and out of sight. I heard the roar of the Wrangler's engine and the tires rolling across the gravel.