by Fawn Lowery
“But we could be together.”
“We’re together now.”
“But I’m mortal—and I’ll die one day. Do you really want me to die, Jarharis?”
He released a long breath. He had almost watched her die last night. Could he bear to have it happen again?
She rushed to him, thrusting her neck at his mouth. “Here. Bite me and make me like you. Make me into a vampire.”
He pushed her back. “I will not bite you and make you a vampire. Stop it. You’re sounding like a child who wants a new toy. I assure you that being a vampire is far from anything joyful.” He felt her disappointment and struggled to find the rationale in it. She simply doesn’t understand.
Yes! I do.
He felt her words, stared with wide eyes at her.
“Vampires killed my boyfriend and ever since, I’ve wanted to destroy them all.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Then the vampire club was formed and I thought surely we would rid the city of all the nasty bastards. But we only found two—but we managed to kill them both. Now the club is dissolved. And my promise to Philip has to be broken.”
“So you’re still in love with your dead boyfriend.” He uttered the words and inside he feared they were true. She didn’t love him as she said, but needed him to change her into a vampire so she could keep her promise to a dead boyfriend. Distraught, he gathered her into his arms and lifted into the air. He’d take her to his sanctuary then he’d set about destroying Aston and his legion once and for all.
* * * *
“You can’t make me stay here!”
Jarharis pressed Selena back against the velvet sofa. For all his strength, he could be surprisingly tender. He waved one hand and she suddenly lost the will to object, relaxing on the cushions he piled behind her back and smiling sweetly up at him.
He left without further complication. Turning his thinking entirely to finding Aston and his band of vampires, he flew first to the cave in the woods. Armed with a pocketful of wooden stakes and grasping the amulet in one hand, he once more requested help. The magic rolled over his body, transforming him into an undetectable thing.
He seeped through the ground at the top of the cave, a misty blur that clung to the rough rocky ceiling then shapeshifted into a small brown bat. Given the ability to hear the faintest of sounds, he pricked up his ears and listened for clues of the cave inhabitants.
His ears picked up a noise beneath his perch. He realized it was coming from deep within the bowels of the grotto. He pushed off from his dank hiding place and followed the sound through the labyrinth, winging his way silently through the darkness, his keen eyesight alert to the slightest movement.
He spied the large cavern opening up before him, the very space where he had witnessed Tanya and Aston playing sex games then her subsequent rape by three other vampires. He glided into the hollow space, lit by a blazing torch positioned on the craggy wall. Black smoke choked the air, making visibility poor. He made out the figure of a vampire reclining on the bed of earth. Drawing nearer, he saw that it was not Aston, but one of his cohorts. A large vampire with stringy, shoulder-length hair and tattered clothing.
Jarharis called the magic and transformed into his vampire self, concealed in a dark crevice from the unsuspecting vampire. Suddenly he stepped into the light given off by the torch and grabbed the vampire by the neck.
The creature shrieked loudly and flailed about, trying to wrench his body free of Jarharis’s mighty grip. Jarharis snarled and thrust the creature against the wall. He landed with an audible thud and fell to the floor. Jarharis closed in for the kill, grabbing him before he could get to his feet. He wrapped one hand around his neck and gave a quick jerk, separating the creature’s head from his body.
Blood spewed from the severed stump and the extremities quaked. Jarharis flung the corpse to the soil bed and held it down with one hand while he produced a wooden stake from his jacket pocket. With a quick thrust he pierced the chest of the creature, driving the stake into its heart and ending its existence.
The decapitated body wrenched about then burst into flames, spewing ashes into the air. Jarharis stood watching as the remains shriveled and disappeared into the bed of soil. He heaved a long sigh. He had successfully destroyed a menace to mortal man. He felt a mixture of relief and trepidation congeal inside his body.
He searched the other chambers of the cavern and finding them empty, hurried on with his mission. He returned to the chamber where he had entered the cave and vaporized, oozing through the soil to the forest floor. He changed into his vampire self and stood listening for any returning vampires. His ears didn’t detect any approaching creatures and he set his sites on returning to the city and pursuing Aston.
He wondered how many vampires made up Aston’s legion. Perhaps if he could catch them in small numbers, he could handle them alone. He returned to the nightclub area of the city and strolled into one of the brightly lit clubs. He walked to the bar and ordered a drink, blending in with the other patrons. He glanced about, inspecting the crowd with his sharp eyesight, trying to discern the mortals from the immortals.
The bartender set the drink on the bar in front of him and he threw a bill across the space. It didn’t matter that he had no taste for the liquor; he needed to deflect any suspicion coming his way. He slid onto an empty stool and pretended to listen to the band at the back of the room. Cigarette smoke clouded the air and hung in giant billows against the ceiling. Garish red and blue lights blinked erratically, playing tricks with the eyes.
Two creatures of the night sit quietly in the rear of the club, Jarharis. Walk through the tables and they will sense your presence and flee. Then they will be yours for the taking.
He smiled slightly, realizing Mi had joined him on his vampire hunt. He glanced to his left shoulder, spying the tiny pixie perched near his lapel. So you’ve come to help me, is that it?
The Master has sent me to lend assistance.
I suppose you’re armed. The notion of tiny Mi carrying a weapon made his mouth quirk.
I’m armed with magical powers, Jarharis.
He rose from the stool at the bar and strolled toward the back of the room. An assortment of tables sat in random order, occupied by two, three and occasionally four people. He wove his way through the crowd, his eyes searching for the two vampires Mi had told him of. He drew upon his senses, mentally hunting for the creatures, and finding them just where the pixie told him they would be. They sensed him immediately as he drew near. He could feel their sudden fear. Having just recently fed, his strength was all too evident to the pair. They exchanged glances with each other and rose simultaneously from the table against the wall.
Jarharis grinned maliciously and hurried to pursue them. He could sense that they hadn’t fed yet and were in the club to choose victims, perhaps for sex and nourishment. Their plans abruptly changed, they chose the quickest retreat from the club and Jarharis. Slipping through the maze of tables, they pushed through the back exit of the club.
Jarharis didn’t waste time stalking the two. He sought refuge behind a couple blocking his path and quickly shapeshifted into a bird, abruptly swooping over the heads of the crowd and flying through the exit door before it had time to slam shut behind the rushing vampires.
The two vampires raced down the dark alley. Jarharis didn’t change into his vampire body until he had overtaken them. Quickly, he positioned himself in front of them and changed, throwing up both arms and halting their bodies as they attempted to run past him.
The vampires tried to duck beneath Jarharis’s outstretched arms, but he caught one by the coat and the other by the throat. He lifted both into the air, their bodies flailing about as their feet left the ground.
“Mercy! Mercy!”
“I know no mercy!” He felt a mighty surge of strength enter his body and his fist became as a steel vice clamped around the creature’s neck. Jarharis squeezed the neck he held in his fist until the body became limp. He slammed it to the ground and jerk
ed the other creature against his chest.
“Where is Aston?” He growled, his eyes glowing red, his fangs bared. “Where is your master?”
“I don’t know! I don’t know!” The creature’s fright was all consuming. He clawed at Jarharis’s hands as the mighty vampire clutched his throat. “Have mercy! Have mercy!”
“I do not hear your pleas!” Jarharis lifted the creature over his head and twisted his hands around his throat, severing his skull. A fierce jolt of savagery came upon him as he threw the withering body across the alley. He stood in the dark, his fists clenched, his chest heaving and his blood thirst aroused. For an instant he felt the power within his body, reveled in the rush of victory as he viewed the carnage his hands had manifested.
Drive the stakes through their hearts, Jarharis, else they will rise and walk the earth again.
Mi’s tiny voice brought his mind back to the present and the job at hand. He calmed his body and withdrew two stakes from his jacket pocket. One by one he pierced the hearts of the corpses, watched as the remains withered and dwindled until there was only black ash left that melded with the dirt in the alleyway.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Jarharis combed one hand through his hair. He had mixed emotions about the killings. Vampires were vile creatures, undead things that walked the earth in search of human victims. They deserved to die.
He propped his elbows on his thighs and cradled his head in his hands. He had wrestled with the problem before. And convinced himself that he was justified in taking the lives. But the ways of the mortal still held true in his heart. When he was a mortal man, he had no desire to harm. He swallowed down the torment as it rose upward to choke his throat.
“You cause yourself much torment, Jarharis.”
He glanced up to see Mi hovering before his face.
“You have much work to do before this night is over. Come. There are others gathered at the cemetery on the west side of the city.”
He got to his feet, his mind and body weary with the ordeal of killing. He followed Mi as the imp rose into the air. Thoughts of Selena and her safety filled his head. He had to keep killing—to assure her wellbeing. He rose higher into the nighttime sky, rising high above the city and setting his course to the west. How appropriate that the creatures would gather in the cemetery. For an instant he thought of the first time he followed Selena and her companion hunter, Reece to the graveyard. He smiled slightly, remembering how amused he had been at their display of vampire hunting. Now he wondered if there had actually been some validity to their claims about vampires rising from the graves of the dead mortals.
He saw the vampires below as he hovered on the slight breeze and gazed downward on the cemetery. To his surprise, he witnessed one of the creatures as it emerged from an underground coffin, its black shrouded form shaking and elongating as it reached the surface. Others joined the one, standing close together as though deciding where they might find victims for their evening feeding.
Jarharis glided quietly to the ground, ready to do battle with the undead creatures. He rushed the gathering, appearing within their midst before they realized what was happening. He flung the nearest one to the ground and drove the wooden stake into its heart with one quick action. Black blood spewed from the carcass. A vile stink rent the air.
The others drew back, fearful. They scattered in three different directions.
Jarharis gave chase to the nearest one, leaping into the air with a loud roar. He caught the creature, bounding onto his back and driving his body to the ground. They landed with a dull thud and Jarharis pummeled his emaciated body into the dirt. The being tried to fight back, but he was too weakened from lack of blood. Jarharis easily overpowered him, pinning him beneath his body with one powerful knee. He placed the stake against his chest and drove it in with a mighty fist.
He raised his head and scanned the dark cemetery, searching for the two vampires that had fled. His ears strained, listening. His eyes glowed red, the sensation of killing fueling his vampirism. He heard a noise and jerked his head toward the above ground mausoleum at the entrance to the cemetery. He sensed one of the creatures. With a quick leap, he bounded across the distance and landed silently atop the stone structure. On quiet feet he approached the edge, glancing below.
The vampire cowered against the crypt, his back pressed solidly against the unyielding surface. His arms spread and his palms pressed flat. Jarharis could hear his rash breathing, knew of his intense fright. He glided silently to the ground, his big body coming to rest in front of the frightened vampire.
The cornered creature yelled out loud, frightened, his body transfixed. His mouth open, his eyes bugged out, he stared at Jarharis.
“Where is Aston?”
“I…know no…Aston.”
Jarharis sensed he was telling the truth. He stared at the form, skinny, ragged, truly a creature of the night in need of warm blood.
He lies, Jarharis. Aston has dominion over all the vampires in the city—except you and your three brothers.
Jarharis froze at the fairy’s words. He sensed she was very near his ear, but he dared not take his eyes off the vampire cowering before him. He drew in a quick breath, withdrew a stake from his pocket and impaled the vampire against the crypt, ending his existence forever. The vampire crumpled without resistance and slid to the ground at Jarharis’s feet.
The other has made its way into the suburbs. It crouches beneath a bush foolishly believing that it might escape your wrath. Come. I will guide you to it.
Jarharis listened to the high-pitched laughter of the pixie. He failed to understand her enjoyment of the hunt, though he somehow knew she would get around to explaining it to him in the not too distant future. He shook his head and took to the air, following the tiny imp as she flew through the darkness.
She hides beneath that very bush. Beware, she is very persuasive.
She?
Not all of Aston’s legions are male—though he has little use for the she-vampire—except to sate his sexual lusts.
I can do without further explanation, Mi. Just show me where she hides.
Resigned to the fact that he couldn’t escape the mission he had chosen, he swallowed down further thoughts of she-vampires and their value to Aston. Sights of the vampires thrashing about in the throes of their second deaths were etched in his mind forever.
The fairy guided him to a two story white house with a picket fence surrounding its front yard and a spray of roses covering an arched entry. He saw the she-vampire then crouched beneath a yew, her thin legs drawn up beneath her skinny body, frightened eyes peered out from the foliage, pinned on Jarharis as he approached.
The she-vampire screamed and jumped from her hiding place. On stick like legs she bounded across the yard toward the rear of the house. Jarharis called up on the magic and leapt into the air, landing in front of her before she could cover much ground. She slammed into his body and fell on her back. She lay on the ground staring up at him, her eyes beseeching.
He gazed down at her, his eyes boring into hers. She was one of Aston’s legion. She was one of his whores. He smiled. And withdrew a stake from his jacket pocket.
“I plead for my life!” She raised both hands as if to ward Jarharis off. Her eyes darted from side to side, searching for an escape route.
Jarharis refused to listen. He shook his head, snarled his outrage then he lunged at the she-vampire and stabbed her in the chest with the sharp stake. His powerful thrust pinned the she-vampire to the ground. She screamed and tried to remove the stake with both hands. She stretched her legs out then drew up her knees, as though trying to get to her feet. Jarharis stood over her, watching.
Her struggles were futile. The stake held steady, piercing her heart and pinning her body to the ground. Her head fell back, a low moan of distress came from her mouth. Then she fell silent. A cloud of noxious fumes arose from the corpse, spiraled into the darkness and dissipated. The skeletal remains withered and turned to ash on the law
n.
Satisfied that the she-vampire was no more, Jarharis shapeshifted and took to the air. Disappointment filtered through his insides that he hadn’t encountered Aston yet. He thought then of Selena and the trance he had placed her in before he left his sanctuary. He gazed overhead, calculating the remainder of the night. Mi?
I am here. The pixie suddenly appeared on his left shoulder, perched atop his coat, her tiny legs crossed.
Lead me to Aston.
When the time is right.
She left as quickly as she had materialized, disappearing right before his eyes. He searched the sky, but saw no trace of her. Puzzled by her reply to his request, he thought to return to his sanctuary to check on Selena. But then a feeling akin to failure wafted through him and he pushed the idea aside. He would do well to make the most of the darkness still given him.
He returned to the busiest part of the city in search of other members of Aston’s legion. As he took up a stance on the sidewalk near one of the nightspots, he observed the people passing before him. All were mortals—not a single vampire walked on the street before him. He combed one hand through his hair, thinking about the dissolved vampire club and the murdered members that would soon be given eternal rest. It was no wonder that the little group relied so heavily on information from Tanya Sills. There was a multitude of people in the city to investigate and determine whether they were living or of the undead.
He cleared his mind suddenly, sensing trouble at hand. He whirled around, spying six vampires lined up directly behind him. They were of Aston’s legion and they had just that instant found him. And they meant to destroy him.
They came at him all at once, growling and snarling, their fangs bared and their eyes glowing bright red. Jarharis gathered his senses and leapt aside, evading their immediate rush to catch him. He whirled, spinning around as they regrouped and charged him again. He jumped into the air, clearing their heads and landed on the other side of the mass. Taking quick assessment of the mob, he sought to separate them so he would have a fighting chance. His powers were many, but they had the same advantage.
