To Cure A Vampire (To Cure Series Book 1)

by Jade Farhill

  “What do I need money for?”

  “Only the undead can say that,” Abby grumbled.

  Sharon glared at her, but Abby ignored her, buying cryptocurrency then paying for the property. “And there goes our life savings,” she muttered. “Between us, we barely have three dollars. I don’t think I can even afford food this week.”

  “Go eat at our parents’ house. Or raid their kitchen.”

  “I’m already homeless and living in their company’s basement,” Abby pointed out.

  “It’s either that or join the hunters.”

  Abby went silent. She dialled a number on her phone. “Hey, Mum, can I drop by for dinner tonight?”

  “You can if you tell us where you and your sister have been for the last few weeks.”

  Abby winced. “I don’t know where Sharon’s been. Have you checked her apartment?”

  “She’s no longer renting there.”

  “I don’t know what’s going on with Sharon. But I gotta go now, I’ll see you tonight. Bye, Mum!”

  “Wait, we also need to talk about you going AWOL for the last—”

  Abby quickly hung up the phone and grimaced. “That isn’t going to be fun.” But she no longer cared if her parents fired her—all she cared about now was Sharon.

  Abby looked at her newly purchased property. “Well, at least now we have an escape plan.”

  ***

  James returned the next day. “They agreed to your terms and put forward their own. You need to focus on making the vaccine first.”

  Shivers went down Abby’s spine. She understood why the hunters wanted it that way, but while she was creating the cure, they’d be off killing every vampire and, depending on how long the cure took to create, Sharon might end up being the last one left.

  Would the hunters be reasonable and allow Abby to continue her research? Should she even trust them? Would they really use Sharon against her?

  Abby listened intently to the rest of the terms. They wanted to mass produce the vaccine and make it available to all hunters. They also wanted to share her vaccine with the various vampire hunter organisations around the world.

  “And what about the cure?” she asked.

  James shrugged. “You can work on that afterwards.”

  Abby shook her head. “I want to work on the cure first.”

  “But … that goes against the hunters’ terms.”

  Abby shrugged. “Well, those are my terms. And I won’t agree to anything else.”

  “You’re being a bit unreasonable here, Abby,” he said. “This is a fantastic deal.”

  “Then they can reasonably let me work on the cure first.”

  He waved dismissively. “Their terms were unnegotiable.”

  “Then renegotiate them or I continue to work on my own.”

  He stared at her for a long moment, then stormed out the door.

  The moment he was gone, Abby met Sharon’s eyes. “I get the feeling that we’re on tenuous grounds, Sister. I doubt these hunters are going to take ‘no’ for an answer and I think they’ve recruited James to their side.”

  Sharon nodded. “So, about that off-grid property?”

  Abby smiled. “Exactly what I was thinking.” She turned to the computer. What would they need at this property? They’d need blood. And money.

  Abby put her head in her hands. “Will I have to resort to a life of crime?”

  “If you can’t keep me safe, Sister, let me go.”

  If Abby let her sister free, she’d certainly be safe from the hunters—mainly because she wouldn’t be confined in a laboratory basement.

  On the other hand, letting a newly Turned—admittedly, well-trained—vampire loose on the public made rocks settle in Abby’s stomach.

  Plus, she would probably never see Sharon again. It was difficult to breathe. “No—I’ll figure out a way to keep you safe.” Maybe she could look closer to home?

  A place that had ready access to blood and, possibly, scientific equipment.

  She could break into another laboratory—there were plenty in the city—and live in their basement. Or … she could break into a blood bank and live in that basement.

  Was Abby dooming them both to living in basements for the rest of their lives? She groaned.

  No, thought Abby, she needed to stay focused. She cast around for another idea.

  Maybe they could move into a hospital and living in its basement. I really am dooming us, Abby thought as she pulled up a list of the local hospitals. There were at least five on the east side of Sunrise Beach.

  The Royal Sunrise Beach Hospital was the biggest and most likely to have the necessary equipment for holding and studying a vampire … Abby told Sharon what she was thinking.

  Sharon didn’t look convinced. Abby hunched over her computer so Sharon wouldn’t see the exact same doubt written on Abby’s face.

  ***

  James returned that night. He walked excitedly into the room without even knocking. “The hunters have agreed to your terms. They want to set up a meet—”

  Sharon released a guttural roar.

  Abby jumped—Sharon didn’t normally react this aggressively when James came in.

  “You fool,” Sharon spat. “You led them straight to us!”

  A figure loomed behind James.

  He turned around and dropped his jaw. “Annette? Why are you here?”

  “I followed you because,” said the powerful woman, stepping carefully into the room, hand on the dagger at her hip, eyes focused on Sharon, “we weren’t sure your scientist would agree.”

  Well, they were certainly right about that. Abby had just been making plans to move to the Royal Sunrise Beach Hospital. But the intense glare between Annette and Sharon made her panic. She leapt in front of Sharon, arms wide. “She’s safe, Hunter. She’s not going to attack anyone.”

  “Her eyes tell a different story.”

  “If she was going to escape, she’d have done it by now.”

  Annette kept her glare on Sharon a moment longer, then looked at Abby, not relaxing her defensive stance. “So, you’re the scientist who’s creating a vaccine and cure for vampirism?”

  “I am,” Abby replied, voice steady. “And I’ll be creating the cure before the vaccine.”

  “Yeah, I remember the terms.” Annette was focused on Sharon over Abby’s shoulder.

  Abby waved her arms, deliberately blocking the hunter’s eye contact with the vampire. “Hey, I’m over here.”

  “I’m aware of that. But you’re not my priority right now.”

  Abby stepped up to the extremely powerful hunter and put her hands on her hips. “I am your priority, and if you don’t act accordingly, I’ll walk away from this deal.”

  Annette stayed where she was, then eyed Abby with disdain. For a moment, Abby wasn’t sure if the hunter would back off. Chills went down her spine.

  “You’re on the wrong side of this.” But despite her words, Annette dropped her defensive stance. “I’m Squadron Captain Annette Brookes. James has told me all about you, Abigail Rormton. So, that’s your research?” She gestured to a desk, where papers and petri dishes, among other things, were scattered around Abby’s computer.

  “Yeah.” Abby looked at James with fear in her eyes—was he seeing how possessive this hunter was of Abby’s research?

  “You remember the deal,” he said, stepping closer to Annette. “You can’t steal anything.”

  Annette scoffed. “It’s not stealing if we’ve already got a deal.” She pulled out a mobile phone and dialled a number. “Yeah, come and get the package,” she said to whoever was on the other end.

  Sharon sent Abby a panicked look.

  “Hang on,” she said, trying to buy time, “I haven’t signed anything yet. Nor actually agreed.”

  “I thought you agreed when you said you were my priority?”

  Abby gritted her teeth.

  “And that’s why I backed off from the vampire,” Annette snapped.

  A
bby froze—was that a threat? Was Abby the only one here concerned with Sharon’s safety?

  Sharon hissed as footsteps thundered along the wall towards them.

  A group of people entered the room in the exact same way Annette had—hands on daggers, eyes focused on Sharon, ready to fight.

  “Louise, Kenny, take the computers and the research,” Annette ordered. “The rest of you are with me. We’re taking the vampire.”

  They split up in unison, moving like a well-oiled machine.

  Kenny and Louise had Abby’s research before she could protest, and the others were rolling Sharon out of the basement. Sharon seemed to be complying with the hunters for the moment, probably because the hunters looked like they’d happily kill her at the slightest sign of defiance.

  Abby chased after Sharon. If she left her alone now, would she ever see her again?

  They piled into the elevator, and Annette barred Abby entrance. “There’s not enough room for you. Wait for the next—”

  “Our deal meant that I would be with my sister at all times. Are you going to break it before we’ve even started working together?” Abby snapped.

  Annette paused, her face tense. “Fine. I’ll wait for the next. But if she drains you on the way up, don’t say I wasn’t acting in your best interests.”

  Abby stepped into the elevator as Annette exited. A disapproving silence descended that even the peaceful elevator music couldn’t penetrate.

  “She’s not your sister anymore,” Louise commented.

  “She is.”

  “She’s a monster,” supplied Kenny. “She’ll drain you the first chance she gets.”

  “No, she won’t.” Abby turned to face Sharon. “Am I right?”

  Sharon nodded. “You are.”

  Louise covered Abby’s eyes with her hand. “Don’t look her in the eye, idiot! She’ll mesmerise you.”

  Abby pushed the hand away. “I know how to break out of that!”

  A silence.

  “So, she’s already tried that on you,” Kenny said reproachfully. “Still think she’s ‘safe’?”

  “Of course I do,” Abby snapped.

  “Has she bitten you?” asked Kenny.

  Abby had had enough of this conversation. “Look, what matters is that she’s in control now and knows how to control herself.”

  “That’s a yes,” muttered Louise.

  Abby glared at her. “I’d prefer to drop the subject. You’re not going to convince me to stop caring about her, and I’m clearly not going to convince you to see it from my point of view.”

  “What? That she sees you as her next meal?” asked Louise.

  “No, that she sees me as her sister!”

  “Spare me,” Kenny scoffed. “She’s got you so manipulated that you don’t even see it.”

  “I’m not being manip—”

  “You say you know how to break out of compulsion, but what makes you think she hasn’t put one on you to stay with her, to throw your life in service to her, to protect her?” asked Louise.

  “I know it because I love her!”

  Kenny quirked a dubious eyebrow. “Really?”

  “She’s my sister!”

  “As far as we’re concerned, you’re just under her compulsion,” Louise stated.

  Sharon bared her teeth and the hunters all pulled out their daggers, moving as one.

  Abby moved closer to Sharon, but Louise pushed her away. “I told you not to get too close,” she said fiercely.

  “Don’t touch my sister like that!” Sharon snapped.

  Thankfully, the elevator doors opened at that moment. The hunters kept their daggers aimed at Sharon as they moved along to the docking bay and started loading her into a heavily armoured truck.

  Once Annette got to the van with James, she turned to James and handed him a check. “Thanks for your assistance.”

  “You sold us out!” Sharon shouted, and lunged for him—which was useless, considering the steel cables tying her down.

  But the hunters didn’t know that.

  They unsheathed their daggers and put the silver against Sharon’s skin. “Quiet, beast!”

  Sharon screamed in agony.

  “Don’t touch her!” Abby shouted, running forward.

  “Stay out of this—it’s hunter business now,” Louise barked, shoving Abby out of the truck and advancing on Sharon.

  “What are you doing?” Abby shouted.

  “Training her—showing her this is what happens when she threatens a human,” Annette replied.

  And then, Abby knew. If she went with the hunters, they’d always treat Sharon this way and put Abby’s love for Sharon down to compulsion. They’d never take her concerns seriously.

  Blisters were erupting on Sharon’s skin and her screams became more intense.

  Abby clenched her fist—no, she wouldn’t let this torture continue. She’d made a promise to keep her sister safe.

  She rushed into the truck, slipped behind the hunters and put the key into the lock keeping Sharon’s cables in place.

  The cables went slack.

  CHAPTER 6

  A hunter screamed and went flying out of the truck.

  Abby’s legs went weak—what had she just done?

  Sharon growled as she tackled another hunter, biting viciously into her shoulder and drinking.

  A hunter leapt at her, dagger aimed at Sharon’s heart.

  Sharon dodged the blade and the hunter underneath her got stabbed instead.

  Sharon then swiped at the horrified hunter. Another pulled him away before too much damage could be done.

  Given the injuries already acquired by the hunters, Abby assumed they wouldn’t want her working with them again. So she grabbed her research and rushed back into the building, searching for the cell separation equipment. The moment she found it, she pulled it apart and found the strong magnet inside, then rubbed the magnet over her computer, wiping the hard drive.

  The hunters wouldn’t be able to steal her research now.

  A cry came from outside and Abby rushed back.

  Only to see that Sharon had devastated the hunters and was about to bite into another.

  Abby couldn’t let someone else get injured or killed because of her actions. She ran forward and whacked Sharon on the head with her laptop, sending her flying away from the hunter.

  It was Kenny, now lying panting on the ground. “Thanks,” he whispered.

  Abby nodded.

  Then froze. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Someone was watching her.

  A snarl came from Sharon, and Abby turned to see her stalking towards them like the crazy lady had that night at the beach. Suddenly, Abby wasn’t so confident in Sharon’s training as she had been that morning.

  “Sis—” But Abby didn’t get to finish that sentence: Sharon grabbed hold of her, then raced off into the darkness.

  CHAPTER 7

  The wind rushed in Abby’s ears.

  The city streets were flying past.

  Sharon’s eyes were still red.

  Her nostrils flaring.

  Her fangs dripping with blood—hunter blood. All because of Abby.

  “Sharon!” she screamed, and as the name left her lips, they came to a halt.

  They were in a dark alleyway, bins and boxes scattered in disarray. The stench of refuse would have made Abby recoil if Sharon hadn’t been licking her lips, eyes focused on Abby’s neck.

  And Abby realised then that the hunters were right—this wasn’t her sister.

  She took in a shuddering breath.

  Sharon pushed Abby up against the wall and sank her fangs deeply and viciously into her neck.

  A geyser of blood gush upwards. Abby’s blood.

  Sharon swallowed and kept drinking.

  Abby held her breath and wondered if this was it. Was this how she would die? At the voracious thirst of her sister, with her arms clamped in place beside her, unable to even move?

  Pain threaded through her throat. H
er vision started blurring.

  Weakness replaced pain. Her breathing became shallow and her focus started to drift.

  Abby’s eyes rolled back in her head.

  This was it.

  Death.

  She thought of everything that had happened that night. If only the hunters hadn’t tortured Sharon. If only Abby had moved Sharon sooner.

  If only those hunters hadn’t got hurt.

  This is my penance, I suppose, she thought. Penance for leaving Sharon with the crazy lady. Penance for getting those hunters killed. Penance for not keeping Sharon safe. Penance for thinking her a monster.

  Tears flowed down her cheeks.

  An image of herself hugging Sharon flashed before her eyes. She would never finish the cure; she would never get to hug her sister again. She would never get to look into the cheeky blue eyes that were so like her own.

  If there was one thing she regretted in life, it was not finishing the cure.

  But if this was death, it wasn’t so bad. For months she’d longed to hear her sister’s heartbeat again, and now, she would happily die hearing that comforting rhythm. Even if it wasn’t real. Even if it was an illusion. It was enough to know that she’d managed to get Sharon’s heart beating again.

  Abby’s limbs had grown cold, but warmth was spreading in her chest. At least her last thought would be of love, not of fear or hatred.

  Abby felt another pull from her neck and this time she whispered, “Sister.” But when she said it, it was in a spirit of forgiveness: asking for it and granting it.

  CHAPTER 8

  The pull stopped abruptly and fangs were extracted from Abby’s neck. There was a warm, wet pressure on Abby’s lips.

  “Drink.”

  Someone was ordering her to drink. Did she have the strength to do it? The compulsion to drink was still there; the strength wasn’t.

  The world tilted and shifted, and warm liquid trickled into her mouth from above.

  “Drink!”

  The compulsion was stronger this time. Abby took a gulp of the liquid.

  “Again!”

  Abby obeyed. Breathing was getting easier. She was starting to feel stronger.

  She tasted copper in her mouth and her nose registered blood. She opened her eyes and her vision began to clear. Above her, buildings reached into the sky, lit by street lights from the road. Sharon’s white arm glowed in the dim light, her wrist against Abby’s mouth.