Dead Spark

by Al K. Line

  "So Val is no ordinary middle-aged woman, we agree on that. Next step is to find out what this place really is and get Amber."

  "We should do it now. If Val's in on this, or running the show, then you can bet everyone's gonna know about us pretty soon."

  "Not just a pretty face, Mrs. Pound," I said, smiling.

  "Hey, we're not married yet and it... What the hell are you doing!?" Kate smacked me in the forehead with an open palm and my neck cracked as I got some serious whiplash. The back of my head bounced off the window. I had the sense to stop trying to bite her arm again.

  "Ugh, sorry. You could've just said something. No need for violence. I'm delicate."

  Kate sighed and eased out of the weird seating area. "Come on, let's get this over with. The sooner the better."

  I rubbed at my head—front and back—then squirmed and wriggled my way out of the seating-cum-eating area.

  "Um, Faz?" said Kate from the open door.

  "Yeah?"

  "I think Val may have already spread the word."

  I stepped up to Kate and peered out the door. There were about forty men and women in various states of dress all standing outside, all of them looking pissed off. "I think you may be right."

  It was right about now I saw the flaw in our plan.

  Things Get Weird

  "Are you him?" asked a man wearing a blue bathrobe and pink fluffy slippers that may or may not have been his wife's.

  "Depends on who you mean by him. And it also depends on who's asking," I said, thinking it sounded rather good.

  "He's the one," said a woman beside him wearing a matching robe and a pair of oversized men's slippers. They must have been in a real hurry.

  "How do you know?" I asked suspiciously.

  "Because she said you thought you were funny. And the tattoos, and the vampire girlfriend."

  "I'll have you know," I said, straightening my back and moving to adjust my tie, realizing I still had the stupid t-shirt on and was probably making less than as impressive an impression as I'd hoped, "she's my fiancee."

  "Congratulations," said the woman. There were murmurs of the same from the amassed crowd.

  Kate and I exchanged confused glances. Wayward dens of vampires aren't usually big on such things, and it put us completely off-balance.

  "What can we do for you?" I asked.

  "We want your heart," said the man with the pink slippers, who I wrongly assumed was the leader.

  "I'm using it," I said, keeping my composure. Wondering how the hell we'd get out of this.

  "It's special. We want it."

  "Who are you people? What are you talking about? And where's Amber? If you've hurt her, I'll personally make sure you die slowly and painfully. And there'll be no chance of a—"

  "Shut up," whispered Kate, nudging me hard in the ribs.

  "What? I was gonna give them a good line. Show them who they're messing with."

  "They already know," said Kate, nodding at several new arrivals. "The vampires are here, and I know who these people are."

  Everything clicked into place. We were at a bloody Turning. Kate might get out of this relatively unscathed, if she was very lucky, but no way in hell would I.

  The people parted as Val and a tall man with a cane, wearing dark wraparound glasses and a long black coat that almost trailed the ground moved forward, followed closely by half a dozen goons wearing dark suits but without the need to cover up or the weakness the daylight was clearly inflicting on the old dude. No prizes for guessing who was in charge.

  The crowd stared at them all in awe, and no wonder. A "Turning Place," is a fancy name for what boils down to paying a lot of money to be turned into a vampire. They are always well off the beaten track, never advertised or discussed anywhere near anyone that could report the vampires to their Ward Heads or country Heads, and are absolutely not allowed.

  They are also one of the main ways the vampires can run their own affairs so well—they are incredibly rich because of these actions. People in my position know all about it, but most Hidden believe the rumors that it is entirely off limits. Most vampires, too.

  Every vampire is ordered never to turn anyone merely for money, and if they do and are found out they pay the ultimate price—death by imaginative, nasty, and painful ways. It stops the virus spreading until it's out of control, as any sensible vampire understands there's a fine balance between hunter and prey.

  Let the vampire curse loose on the world at large and pretty soon there'd be nowhere near enough humans left for them to survive and flourish. They'd cause their own downfall and risk utter annihilation as no way would it be kept a secret from Regulars once the numbers reached breakpoint.

  The truth is, all the major players were involved in this. The big bosses choose their people carefully, keep such business between those they can trust implicitly, or as much as any vampire trusts another, anyway. They give the select few, those that are told of their existence and believe, or are shown proof and then have to believe, the opportunity to be turned, if they can pay. Usually it's small scale, one on one, or maybe a few people over several days at a secret location, but that's just the Heads and the higher-ups organizing it properly.

  There are still plenty of other vampires willing to risk all for some serious cash, and that's without the endless vampires unconnected to the main Wards or unassociated with any group.

  No guesses for who these lot were. So, I believed.

  Lone vamps, outside of the Law imposed by Oskari. Independent, and more than happy to turn a group of humans if they could pay the price and keep what they knew secret. Val's was the perfect spot for such activity. Remote, quiet, easy access, and great cover. My guess was that for most of the year it ran as a normal vacation spot, but was strangely booked up for a few weeks each year when the vampires-to-be came with their bloated bank balances, eager to get a taste of the promised immortality.

  We were screwed.

  An Invitation

  "The infamous Faz Pound," wheezed the old guy, leaning heavily on a cane with a silver ram's head. Damn, but he lacked imagination. Next thing he'd be going "Mwaah," and morphing into a bat.

  "And let me guess, you're the Count. One, mwaah ha ha. Two, mwaah ha ha. Three, mwa—"

  "Silence," shouted Dracula the grumpy. "I am Kalle and you are not in Cardiff now, wizard." He made wizard sound like an insult, and that just wasn't nice.

  "Look, why don't you toddle off back to bed if you can make it, and we'll just collect Amber and be on our way. If you're short of cash and want to turn this bunch of idiots then that's your business. I couldn't care less. But I will leave with Amber, so don't push me."

  "Faz, be quiet," whispered Kate, although everyone could hear.

  "Why? This guy's getting right on my nerves. He looks like he got his outfit from a joke shop, and I bet the coat's got a red lining and everything."

  "He's Oskari's maker," said Kate.

  "Oh, shit."

  "Yes, oh, shit, indeed. You are most definitely in the wrong place at the right time, Black Spark. I know all about you and your exploits. And now it turns out you have a pretty little daughter. Come to save her, have you? I'm surprised it took so long. She's a tight-lipped one, but we know who you are."

  "If you've hurt her..." Not much of a threat but they got the message.

  "Fear not, my people recognized you when they picked her up. I was expecting you sooner. By all accounts you have a rather impulsive nature, so I'm surprised you waited until dawn."

  "Oh, you know, kill 'em when they're weak and sleeping, that's my motto."

  "Sorry to disappoint. I may be past my prime, but just like my dear Oskari, I am perfectly capable of being out during daylight hours. Just a little weak until I get going, but that's age for you. It comes to us all, no matter how we fight it."

  I wondered how old this guy was. If he was a day walker like Oskari and looked this old, although now I didn't doubt he was strong, he must have been ancient. Thousands of
years at least. His presence also meant it was very likely that Oskari had sanctioned this. Meaning, if I got nasty with him I'd put serious strain on the relationship between vampires and the Council. More specifically, Dancer. I didn't even want to think how it would affect Kate and I, and there was Mithnite to consider, too. Damn but families make things complicated.

  The crowd had closed in around not only Kalle but on the trailer Kate and I had conveniently trapped ourselves in.

  I figured now was about time to do the whole "grab the hostage and run away quickly" thing, so, without further ado, I called to the Empty and my eyes snapped to... nothing.

  Confusion clouded my mind for a moment as Kate stared, wondering why I wasn't right now ripping through the vampire hopefuls or blasting away with the dark arts. Her having had the go-ahead to deal with anyone who interfered, and to hell with what Oskari thought. This was his problem if he sanctioned such things, but then I was lost to a different kind of need, an unholy want.

  "Food," I croaked, and my world went black.

  I stumbled from the top step, my mind restored like I'd blanked out just for a moment as something snapped in my head and the zombie hunger became not just a terrible craving but an absolute necessity.

  Mind corrupted, body amped for magical interference, my call to the Empty was answered whether I wanted it to be or not. My eyes snapped to a black so cold and hard that my new desires rejoiced in the power it controlled to fulfill its need.

  I screamed but it was no use. I was neither wizard nor zombie, not an enforcer or a father or a lover or a kind man. Hardly a man at all.

  I was a beast.

  The beast had to feed.

  Yummy

  All I could think as I tore through the terrified Regulars who had believed they would soon become immortal after surrendering all their worldly goods was at least the tie-dye looked better. Red always suits me and hides the goop, but this time the goop was very much in evidence, staining the shirt a dark, dirty red as I went berserk.

  Kalle remained elusive, surrounded by his goons, but there was plenty of fresh meat for the taking. I was lost to myself, no longer in control. The virus gripped me tight and refused to release me until it had its fill.

  As I scratched, ripped, cracked, and shredded flesh, bone, gristle, and brains, I suddenly got a profound insight. This was not only what it was like to be true zombie, but also vampire. When the bloodlust was upon them, when they had not fed for a while, they too became lost to the person inside. Unable to control urges that debased them, that controlled them.

  Nothing could stop me short of death, and in my state that was highly unlikely. For I was me, Faz, but also this thing, tearing at flesh and cracking heads against any available surface. If it wasn't for the fact vampires were constantly on me, trying to take me down, then I knew I'd have had my first real taste of brain, so there was at least that to be grateful for.

  I blasted the Regulars, maiming, killing, and generally acting wild, but something was still there inside with a degree of restraint, and those that backed off or ran away were left alone. I only attacked those that attacked me, so no sleep lost there. The vampires kept Kalle protected, the rest came for me, and Kate.

  I watched as two guys, big and confident, did the vampire shimmer shuffle and were at Kate's side in a flash. I panicked and let magic swell my ink until the forces became almost unbearable and I was ready to blast them to pieces. But Kate was already away from them, her ability and speed far surpassing theirs. She was one hell of a sexy vampire, and she smiled at me as she circled behind them before they figured out where she was.

  She slammed one guy so hard into a trailer that his head went right through the metal. He was stuck. He wailed as he tried to pull out but the jagged metal cut his neck to shreds. He tore at it with bloody hands, eventually peeling back the paneling. Hardly looking human, he slumped to the ground, head and neck in tatters. Moments later he was recovering.

  A blur was all I saw even with magic-enhanced vision, then the guy was gone. Sailing through the air and landing twenty feet away. Bones broken and body mangled as he crunched into another trailer at the junction between wall and roof then slid down onto the grass, burning orange and shining with a pure intensity as the sun rose over the hills to the east.

  More hopefuls attacked, but it was merely frustration rather than with any real force. They knew they were no match for the likes of me, let alone a me that wanted to eat them alive. Still overwhelmed by the hunger, I plowed through them with the taste of their blood on my lips, their scent clogging my nostrils, making it hard to think straight and consider what I was doing.

  They toppled like dominoes, cast aside with impunity, little hope for those that refused to back down. There was no mercy, no room in my head for compassion. I neither thought about why they craved the life of the vampire nor cared. I was hunger imbued with dangerous magic, a Molotov cocktail ready to explode any moment.

  Close to the edge, ready to erupt.

  And then it passed as suddenly as it had come upon me. The hunger dissipated and I was Black Spark, deep in the clutches of my mistress, no less dangerous now I had the chance to consider my actions.

  The crowd dispersed, those that could. They didn't sign up for this, would have believed themselves safe from outside influence at such a location. The wounded were dragged off, others left where they were. Some dying, some very dead, some being rather dramatic if you ask me.

  But the vampires, that was a different story entirely.

  "I just want the girl," I said, Kate and I holding hands now, standing amid the carnage and staring directly at Kalle, his retinue surrounding him, waiting for orders.

  "You cannot have her. She's ours. Mine. She owes me."

  "What the hell are you talking about? She's my blood, that makes her mine, not yours."

  "Ah, the familial bonds. Tell me, Spark, how does being a father suit you?"

  His words slowly sank in, and then I realized something. He'd already said he knew she was my daughter. How? Had Amber told him? "Why do you want her?"

  "You know nothing about her, do you? That is to be expected. You absentee fathers, all the same. Think you can just turn up after endless years and take control. It doesn't work like that, Spark. You lost your parental rights a long time ago." Kalle had a sly grin on his face, that smug look people get when they have knowledge you don't. Condescending, and the kind of face you want to smack right into next week.

  "Whatever you know, know this. If you do not hand her over, and I mean right now, I will destroy you, all of you. I don't care what Oskari thinks. I don't care what anyone thinks. I will obliterate all of you and nothing will stop me. If you know so much about me then you know what I'm capable of, what I am now. This isn't a joke, Kalle. I want Amber, and I'm out of patience."

  Kalle Fossey leaned heavily on his cane as if gathering his strength, then stood tall, his frame straightening and his body coming to life. Guess it really does take a while to come round in the morning. His brow furrowed, skin thicker and healthier looking than minutes ago, and it became very clear he wasn't a man to mess with, day or night.

  "How about this? You let us finish what we have planned and then I let you have Amber. For a while."

  "And what exactly do you have planned? Why do you need her? What does she owe you?"

  "She is to be my wife, of course." Kalle smiled a less than endearing smile and waited patiently for my shock to register.

  I gave him no such satisfaction. Kept my features neutral. Kate gripped my hand tight, telling me to remain strong, and I think without that boost I would have just gone for it there and then, tried to kill Kalle and the rest of them.

  "If she wants to marry you then I have no objections," I said, knowing that wasn't how this was working out.

  "Don't test me!" Kalle's anger erupted, his face contorting as the mask faded, revealing his true, despicable inner nature. He was very different from Oskari. This dude had no class, no sense of honor o
r pride in his conduct. An evil bastard in other words.

  "No. The answer is no."

  I should have kept quiet. Before the words were even out my mouth the vampires surrounded us and, knowing now wasn't the time to risk all our lives, I let magic fade as they closed in.

  Surprise

  I got a strange tingling at the base of my neck, a magical tickle that told me one thing. "Duck," I whispered to Kate and dragged her down to the ground. As I spread my body over hers, acting chivalrous although even as I did it I realized it would probably have been better for her to cover me as she's the fast-regenerating vampire and I'm the frail human, but at least I had manners.

  Just in time, the world erupted with noise and mayhem as the trailer behind the amassed vampires exploded. Intense heat engulfed us. Metal, and lumps of plastic covered furniture flew in all directions. My shield was up just in time and boy was I glad it was.

  Jumping up and pulling Kate up after me, I did a double-take at the fallen vampires. Those closest to the blast were pierced in multiple places by the metal, their clothes and hair burning. Faces grotesque masks of molten skin as they screamed and ran this way and that if able, batting at themselves to douse the flames.

  Others were dead, the metal having penetrated their heads or hearts, no time to rejuvenate before their lives were lost.

  The inner circle closest to Kalle had fragments of metal in their heads, but their bodies had been protected by the barrier of flesh behind them, and most were already pulling fragments from their skulls.

  Kalle frowned as he yanked a shard of metal from behind his ear but I didn't hang around to try to deal with him or his followers. The Regulars that had backed off had fared better, well away from the blast radius, but they returned in larger numbers than before, everyone on the site now well and truly awake.

  "Come on, let's go," I said as I pulled Kate off to the right where Mithnite was standing in the narrow road, smiling at us, arm still fizzing from the magic use that had exploded the gas bottles supplying the trailer.