by Al K. Line
Unwelcome Visitors
I didn't even ask, but when I got back to the entrance after merely following my nose to where the air was a little cleaner—okay, I got lost and it took half an hour—I slipped into the office at reception and grabbed a key to another car. Outside, I walked from the cool shade of the bunker's entrance into the overcast late morning. It began to drizzle. The rain fizzed and steamed before it hit me, something I wasn't even conscious I was letting happen.
My clothes were dirty, I had no more spares, and I had no energy to care. My stomach cramped. I made it to the car, moving carefully, mindful that someone was always watching, then drove off quickly, pulling over once I knew I was alone. This was becoming a habit, and not a good one like eating chocolate once everyone else has gone to bed.
I undid my belt another notch and frowned at my skin as I lifted my ragged t-shirt. Stretch marks! Life, and boy did it seem long right about now, was officially over. No point going on.
As if that wasn't enough, I was bloated from lack of food, and full of gas from inhaling so many noxious fumes. And stressed. I always retained water like a camel's hump when I got worked up about things. It was surprising I wasn't the size of a bloody elephant doing this job.
Once I felt myself again, or as centered as I was going to get without sleep—meaning, I forced magic under the skin and only breathed again once the stretch marks had smoothed over—I drove home, weaving my way through the lanes and the roads on auto-pilot, cursing the Chemist the whole way.
I took the roads that bypassed the city center, not wanting to risk having to deal with more ghouls, knowing I had to focus on the Chemist and track him down. He was getting wild and soon he'd slip up, it was just a matter of time. With the increasing number of ghouls on the loose there'd be a trail and I'd track him down, of this I had no doubt. But I needed sleep and I needed food, and if I wasn't careful my blood sugar would drop so low I'd lose myself to the true hunger. I would not succumb to that, not now, not yet.
I'd fed recently and there was a strict routine. It wasn't time to cross another name off the list and wouldn't be for many weeks to come. And anyway, I shouldn't be so hungry yet. I'd had a delightful glass of the red stuff with Oskari the other evening. I licked my lips just thinking of that warm blood hitting the back of my throat, then gagged at the grossness of it all. Such is the life of a sexy vampire.
Things felt wrong as I slowed to navigate the lanes close to home. The sky was dark, the rain hard, and the headlights were on. Trees either side bowed in under the weight of the water, forming a tunnel that led to my salvation, my peace, my home. My men. Faz and Mithnite would hopefully both be home now, and I couldn't wait to see them. I'd sit and drink coffee, raid the fridge, then get a few hours sleep before I made the final push. Determined, I vowed not to rest after this necessary break until all was resolved.
My belly hurt more the closer I got, until by the time I pulled off the lane and turned onto our track I was gasping and sweating, finding it hard to see as sweat dropped into my eyes. After nearly driving into the chicken coop, I pulled up and turned off the engine. The rain was coming down so fast now, the sky so dark, that even after wiping my eyes I could hardly see a thing, the house nothing but a distant blur through the windscreen. So much for the new eyes being worth all the grief.
Sighing, and knowing no magic was gonna stop me getting soaked, and what did it matter anyway as I needed a change of clothes, I clambered out and walked wearily up the path between the vegetable plots, constantly wiping at my eyes so I didn't stumble into the raised beds. Knowing my luck I'd get covered in mud.
I stopped, senses on high alert, as indistinct forms loomed ahead. I turned left then right, and more figures emerged from out of the gloom. I didn't need to look behind me to know I was surrounded, and as the stench of death filled my nostrils even through the downpour, I knew I wasn't going to get any rest any time soon.
"Fucking Chemist," I sighed, before my eyes snapped to black and my incisors elongated and fattened so fast they split my gums. I licked the blood and snarled, "Bring it on," even though I just wanted to lie down and have a cuddle.
Don't Panic
I was drenched within seconds, my hair plastered to my face, sheets of water dripping from my coat like a waterfall. It was cold, too, and it dulled my senses even though the ink surged and the vampire within was ready, willing, and maybe even able, to go nuts on these intruders.
"This is my home," I hissed, and in no mood for any of it, especially not here, not now, I squared my shoulders, stuck out my chest, which I realized may not have been such a great idea as my clothes clung to me like a wet t-shirt competition from an '80s holiday park. But I doubted the ghouls cared and it made me feel powerful.
I marched forward, trying to send out as many, "I will fuck you up, seriously, I really will," vibes as I could muster, and without missing a step, or glancing around even though more and more gray figures emerged from the woods, from behind bushes, and from what seemed like nowhere, I made it to my front door and pushed it open. Except it was locked, and I just smacked my nose on the painted wood instead.
Cursing, I knocked three times, and a voice said, "No rotten flesh today, thanks," and the footsteps retreated down the hall.
"Mithnite, if you don't open this damn door this instant, I'm gonna ram my wet boot so far up your a—"
"Kate!" Mithnite beamed at me as he swung the door open and grabbed my arm. He hauled me in, glanced around nervously, then slammed the door shut behind us and locked it.
"I see we've got guests," I said.
"Been here since this morning." Mithnite frowned, then seemed to come to a decision and hugged me tight. "I missed you. I was worried. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, just retired. Um, I mean tired. Haha. Why didn't you tell me what was happening here?"
Mithnite released me and looked at me funny. "We did. Um, we had a whole conversation about it. Told you to stay away until it was safe. We weren't expecting you."
"What? No you never. No we didn't. When?" I asked, feeling like something was seriously awry.
"We called you on speaker phone earlier, after they came. You said you had to go to the city or something, wanted to check on things. You sure you're okay?"
"It's just been a long night. Sorry, I'm tired. Course I remember. But what's a few ghouls between family, right?" I brushed past him into the kitchen so he couldn't see my lie, but I must have been more out of it than I'd imagined as for the life of me I had no memory of such a conversation. Maybe he was the one imagining it, although I didn't believe he was.
Mithnite followed in right behind me, and as I took in the kitchen I turned to him, aghast. He had the good grace to look embarrassed, hung his head so his hair covered most of his face and his burning neck.
"Um, we weren't expecting you back. Like I said, the phone call."
"What happened? My beautiful kitchen." I took in the carnage, the utter destruction, and wondered what kind of madness had gone down while I'd been away. "It was yesterday I left, right? I'm not missing days or anything?"
"Yeah, er, it was." Mithnite scratched at his head, unable to look at me. "It was yesterday. We… well, dunno really."
"You mean this was you guys? Where's Faz?"
As if on cue, Faz came into the kitchen, dressed smart as always, looking pretty good, which made me realize what I state I was in. I was dripping water all over the flagstones, not that it made any difference, they were filthy anyway.
"Kate!" Faz glanced around the room, then darted a quick look of reproach at Mithnite, and hissed, "I thought you were gonna clear up? Told you she'd be back."
"It's not my fault, you made as much mess as me."
"What is wrong with you? We had a lovely, clean, immaculate, super-shiny kitchen and you've managed to trash it in one bloody night. What about the hobs, didn't they clean up?"
"Um, hi, love, how are you?" said Faz, all sympathy, putting on a stupid voice like he was talking to an i
nvalid. He sidled over and pecked me on the cheek sheepishly then put a hand out to touch my belly.
I slapped his hand away. "Oi, what do you think you're doing?"
Faz looked at his hand, red from the slap, and said, "I was going to say hi to the little fella."
"I'm not a bloody slab of meat. You don't go patting me like I'm a dog. This is my body, show some respect."
The guys stared at me like I'd lost my mind.
"Aw, she's had a busy time. It's tiring being preggers. I read about it, makes women all moody and—"
Mithnite landed across the room, arse wedged into the sink. I whirled to face Faz. "You got something to say?"
Faz held up both hands and took a step backward. "No, not me."
"Good. I'm going to bed, and when I wake up this mess better be bloody well cleaned up. And I am not moody because I'm pregnant. I'm moody because there are ghouls in my garden, and two idiots have made a mess of a brand new kitchen in less than twenty-four hours.
I stomped out of the room. Me? Moody!
Things That Go Bump in the Night
I stripped down, scowled at my bruised body, tried, and failed, to remember how many people I'd killed the last few days, and stood under the shower until the stink of ghouls, dead guys, rotten flesh, and Elders was purged. The hammering of the powerful shower massaged my neck and shoulders and the soap washed away the dirt but not my shame or guilt. How can you fail to recall with absolute clarity the deaths you have caused?
I can picture each and every person I have crossed off the list, can relive the moments with crushing detail, but these last few days, they are a different matter entirely. Things were blurring. I'd forgotten conversations, not heeded warnings about what was happening at home, so what else had I missed? What else had I done?
As I shampooed for the third time, the night and the day so far came back, and I vaguely recalled the conversation with the guys. After that, everything else slotted into place. There was a call to Grandma, apologizing for not giving her the news about the baby sooner, but she took it in her stride, said it was fine as she knew I had a lot to do. But I had to go see her soon, she made me promise, and I would.
Clean, naked, limbs feeling like lead, stomach hurting only a little as my worry increased, which couldn't be good for me or the baby, I crawled under the covers to the muffled sounds of bickering downstairs and a lot of clanging and banging. I fell asleep with ghouls in my garden and untidy men in my kitchen.
I woke drenched in sweat and feeling all kinds of gross. It was still light, if you can call overcast, raining, and the wind howling through the trees light. I felt a very pressing need to brush my teeth. The toothpaste tasted sour, my tongue felt swollen, my body hurt everywhere.
Slipping on a pair of pajama bottoms and an old shirt, I draped my dressing gown loosely over the top, feeling a chill but too tired to take much notice of what I was doing. Dazed, thirsty, and impossibly hungry, I took the stairs slowly and ambled into the kitchen and smiled.
The guys had done a good job of cleaning up, in their own way. Meaning, there were still dirty patches on the floor, they'd used way too much water to clean the counters, and hadn't bothered to dry up the dishes. Still, it was better than it had been.
Kettle turned on, I opened the fridge and began to stuff my face with anything I could find.
I made coffee, wondered where the guys were, and took a laden plate over to the table and sat, slurping my drink between mouthfuls of cheese, ham, and an apple I devoured in three bites.
When finished, I took my plate over to the sink and dropped it in, still half asleep. I needed more coffee, much more. With the kettle switched back on, I turned and stood there, mind empty, trying to pull myself from the fog of exhaustion.
I focused as I felt a presence in the room and was surprised to find Faz and Mithnite staring at me in utter horror.
"Look, I'll get dressed soon, okay? I know I don't usually look so bedraggled but I'm tired. I'll be okay after another coffee." I tilted my head to the side and closed my eyes a little to focus on them properly, but they just stood there, gawping. "Will you two say something? You're being really weird."
"How you feeling, honey?" asked Faz. He glanced at Mithnite but the young man-cum-wizard didn't take his eyes off me. Not me, my belly.
I glanced down, frowned at the way the large nightshirt was tight against my stomach, and wondered how me stuffing my face had made it grow quite as much.
"Fine, just tired."
I put a hand to my belly, still convinced it was just the way the shirt was hanging, and felt the hardness of the protruding lump. I lifted the shirt up over the tight skin and promptly fainted.
Things Get Worse
When I came around it was to stare into the worried and confused faces of Faz and Mithnite.
"Don't move," warned Faz as I tried to get up.
"I'm fine, nothing damaged." I groaned but pushed up and sat, then stared down at my stomach. It looked like I was at least five, maybe six months pregnant, a definite lump in my belly and not from apples and cheese.
They helped me to my feet and I brushed their hands away as they tried to sort out my clothes. "Get off, stop fussing," I snapped. They backed away, glancing nervously at each other. "Sorry, this is, ugh, a bit of a shock. I need to go see someone."
"Who?" asked Faz, brightening at the prospect of someone knowing what was happening.
"Um, I don't know. Somebody."
Then a firebomb lit up the room like the sun had smashed through the window.
Up in Flames
The Molotov cocktail crashed through the window above the sink, the one time I wished it was full of water how the guys usually left it, but I'd made them clean up. Typical. Fuel and flame spread across the sink and the counter, caught the blind at the window and licked up to the ceiling.
In a second the counters, cupboards, and the ceiling were ablaze, the inferno spreading rapidly, no time to even think about putting it out.
Faz and Mithnite grabbed me under the arms and ran out of the room as flames followed, smoke already dense in the air. My stomach cramped and my head spun, my lungs burned and all I could think was what wonderful men they were.
Out in the hall, they ran toward the front door, but the letterbox opened and something dropped through to the mat.
"Back, back, and fast. Run!" Faz spun, Mithnite just gaped, and I was almost ripped in two as they moved in different directions.
"Let me go, I'm okay," I wheezed.
They released me and Faz said, "It's a bomb. Go!" as he grabbed my hand.
Mithnite seemed to come to his senses and he shoved at our backs to hurry us.
Could I hear ticking or was it just my imagination?
We ran.
A New Chapter
We got down the hall, through to the rear of the house, and into the laundry room. Faz unlocked the door then turned the handle but the bloody frame had warped in the rain again and it stuck fast, the main reason why we never used this way in or out. He yanked harder as flames spread across the ceiling, bringing with it clouds of dense smoke that made it hard to see. We all began to cough.
Faz heaved harder and we were greeted with fresh air rushing in, but it fanned the fire and soon the entire ceiling was engulfed, flames already roaring out the door and licking up the outsides of the house.
"Let's g—"
BOOM!
Everything went silent as I watched Faz sail through the door and land somewhere out in the mud and pouring rain. I found it strange that I was flying too, gliding through the air like a bird, not a sound to be heard. Just peace and a strange sensation at my back, like something was sitting on me. But that couldn't be right as I wasn't even on the ground.
I watched Faz land in a mess of limbs and keep rolling, tumbling like he was a kid playing games. When I crashed to the sodden ground all I could think was that he'd be really annoyed that the whole back of his jacket was burned away. He's so funny about his clothes.
As I came down belly first, I had the sense to shift to my side and landed hard with my right arm underneath me. Bone cracked. My wrist snapped, my fingers bent so far back they were against the top of my forearm.
I lay there for a moment and then Mithnite landed beside me, facing me. He smiled once then his eyes closed. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth before it was washed away by the rain.
I tried to move, to help him, but as I shifted, pain lanced up from my hand into my shoulder and when I rolled onto my back my arm hung limp, the shoulder dislocated. My hip felt weird too, like my pelvis was out of alignment or something, and when I looked down I understood why. Bone protruded from my upper thigh, right through my pajamas, washed clean and white as the rain intensified.
Magic surged, the familiar friend come to protect me, never mind that it was this magic that got us all into so much trouble. My wrist crunched back into alignment, the fingers spasmed and then locked straight and hard, and I got the weirdest sensation throughout my entire body, like everything was being worked on with miniature hammers and chisels, as myriad tiny bones shifted and locked together to reform and become as strong, if not stronger, than ever. I watched the bone in my leg disappear under the torn material like a puppy hiding under a blanket and that too writhed about until it found its home and fused.
Faz appeared over me as I stared up at the rain pouring from the darkening sky, and he asked, "Are you okay? Anything broken?"
"Not any more. You?"
"I'm good."
He really didn't look it, but it felt rude to say. "My arm's dislocated, can you pop it back in?" I nodded to my right shoulder and he felt it carefully, sending nerves screaming and my mind reeling. I fought for consciousness and won, and then Faz said, "Ready?" and I nodded, took a deep breath, and waited for what I knew was coming.
Faz grabbed hold of my upper arm tight and yanked hard, setting my shoulder back into position. It smarted a little, as you'll understand if you've ever had your arm come out of the socket, but I could move it. He helped me up and I noted that his back was still sizzling a little where the cloth had burned right down to the skin, but Faz seemed oblivious to it and it didn't look too serious. Guess being in front had its benefits when a blast went off.
