by M. D. Bowden
‘I feel weak, I want to feed but I’m not sure if we should risk going out yet and exposing ourselves. It would be better to wait until daylight,’ Daniel said.
Sarah projected back, ‘Are you sure? If we leave you could feed now and become stronger, then we’d have a better chance if we’re attacked again. Do you think we will be?’
‘I don’t know,’ Daniel returned, tickling Sarah’s mind with his words – she was still unused to the sensation of communicating like this. ‘I would have expected to be attacked by now if someone else was coming – whoever arranged this must have had some purpose – other than to frighten and disgust us.’
‘Maybe we’ve proved ourselves’ Sarah said, ‘Maybe you frightened them away… You looked mightily intimidating out there.’
‘Did I really?’ Daniel teased. ‘Maybe we have scared them off for now, but if whoever did this could be bothered to create that challenge for us, then he must be planning something else. He must want us out of the way. I doubt he plans to leave us alone.’
‘We must strengthen ourselves…’
‘Yes, we must. I think we will have to take human blood…’
‘Really?’ Sarah asked. A wave of hunger came over her and her teeth tingled. She covered her mouth with her free hand, ‘Sorry.’
‘Yes,’ Daniel said, his eyes glinting in the darkness. ‘But I’m too weak to influence anyone to leave their house right now. If we do as you say, and leave now, we should hunt on animals, back in those woods we passed through. It’s not far from here – if we sprint there now and feed we will feel more in control of ourselves, and like you said, stronger if there is another attack. But we must stay on alert, and can retreat back here if we find fresh danger.’
‘The question is,’ Sarah said, ‘after we have fed, do we return to our house?’
‘What do you think?’ Daniel asked her, still communicating directly into her mind.
‘I think we should. Now we know that something bad is going on here I feel we must do something about it – that’s why we came here after all, and what’s the point in hiding out somewhere else? Whoever raised those dead is probably watching us! He, or she, can probably change into that horrible crow that was watching us before and follow us where-ever we go. I know we’ve only just got the cottage, but all our stuff is there – it feels like as good a home as any…’
‘OK, that’s fine with me. We will need to try and find out who’s behind this whole thing anyway. It will be good if we’re in the middle of it all.’
‘So we have a plan?’ she asked him. ‘We will leave here now, feed, then return home. Investigate what’s going on, and seek out human blood - tomorrow?’
‘Yes, ok then,’ Daniel said as he dropped her hand, and shot her a stunning smile that made her insides wreath.
She gave him a playful push before making sure her jeans were back on properly, and straightening out her clothes and hair.
Daniel was just reaching for the door when Sarah remembered something.
‘Wait,’ she said.
Daniel turned and stepped back towards her. He took her hand and spoke into her mind once more, ‘What’s wrong?’ he asked.
‘You know after I spotted the stone circle, and had that odd sense of déjà vu - you mentioned my dreams, and whether they might be prophetic?’ she said.
‘Yes.’
‘Well, urgh, when that dead body grabbed my foot outside our house I had that sense again. It felt like it had happened before,’ Sarah emphasized. ‘So I just wondered…’
‘Whether I should try tapping into your dreams?’ Daniel finished.
Sarah nodded. She was still wary of the idea – but what if it helped? It might warn them of any approaching danger so they could make sure they were more prepared next time.
‘I think it’s worth a try. I’ll stay awake when we get back…’
‘But you’re tired, you need sleep too,’ Sarah protested.
‘I will feel fine after I’ve fed,’ Daniel said.
Sarah nodded again and gestured to Daniel that it was fine to leave now. She resolved she would let Daniel sleep too, that they would take it in turns keeping a look out incase anything else bad should happen. She did not need to push the issue now. Daniel needed blood, and she was waylaying him.
As they stepped back out into the night the smell of burnt flesh was still rich in the air. Ashes covered the tuffocky ground in heaps which were slowly spreading out in the wind. Sarah wondered where all the dead bodies had come from, and then she remembered the church and graveyard she had so wanted to visit, and she felt sick. She felt tense, half expecting to be attacked again at an instant, but the moor was quiet except for the grasses blowing in the wind, and she could not see any wildlife, or any supernatural presence.
She looked to Daniel, who was searching their surroundings with his eyes and ears, and she grasped hold of his hand. She exchanged a quick glance with him and they started to move at lightning speed back towards the old oaks over in the next valley.
Chapter 6
Daniel had not let on to Sarah just how weak he really was. He was desperate to feed, but still worried about what might be waiting for them around the corner, or behind them in the dark. He hated not knowing who their enemy was. When fighting Sebastian it had not been easy, but he had always known what he was facing. This was unchartered territory.
Daniel was glad that Sarah had persuaded him to leave that bunker. The smell of burning flesh had quickly penetrated the building, and was not allowing him to forget what they had just been through. Plus, his throat! It was incredibly dry after expelling all that magic, all that power. He wanted human blood now, he craved it. It was his weakness. But alas, animal would have to do this night.
The wind buffered his hair as they approached the woods. He came to a stop before they entered, still holding on to Sarah, unwilling to let her go. His eyes pierced the landscape while searching for danger. He did not want Sarah to be at risk while he fed.
The sky was starting to lighten along the horizon. He looked the other way and saw low clouds moving in. They were obscuring the tops of the hills and their granite outcrops.
He spotted movement in the distance, and his eyes focused acutely in that direction. A bird; was it a crow? He stretched his eyes, concentrating hard. No – it was a buzzard. Daniel smiled ruefully; after all, it was the bird he himself frequently transformed into. Was it possible their enemy might be able to change into more than one animal? He hoped not.
‘Sarah,’ he said, ‘while I feed please can you keep an eye out for any animals that might be watching us – not only that crow.’
Sarah nodded her acquiescence, but Daniel noticed vulnerability in her soft eyes.
‘I will keep an eye out while you feed too,’ he said.
He shot her the most stunning smile he could manage, trying to lighten the situation, and was pleased to see her blush.
‘Come on then,’ he said, and led her into the woods.
It was still dark under the cover of the tree tops. Daniel immediately switched to hunting mode. He breathed in deeply as he tried to smell out nearby prey, and listening acutely for a lively pumping heart. He heard small heart beats in the trees; they belonged to the birds that were starting their dawn chorus. He ignored these and listened harder, his hearing penetrating beyond the immediate sounds of the birds. He could not hear any really tempting large pumping hearts. There were a few that were smaller, but one in particular had a deep rhythm that drew him in, stimulating his teeth to extend. He focused on that one and started to skulk deeper into the woods towards it, loosing Sarah’s hand as he went, and leaving her to follow silently behind, trusting her to stay close and keep watch.
A deep part of his mind admired her control. She was definitely doing better than before, as it was some time since she had lost herself to her lust for blood. Well, maybe it was only twelve hours ago she had fed? It seemed much longer.
The forefront of his mind was too preoccu
pied with thirst to think clearly. He was getting closer to the tempting pulse of the animal ahead. It was moving between the trees and bushes itself, possibly also hunting as its heart rate was speeding up – or had it sensed his approach?
Daniel’s eyes searched ahead. He spotted it. Two eyes glinted as they peered at him from behind a tree trunk. It was a fox, its red fur sleek and rich in color.
Daniel stayed still, averting his eyes so as not to frighten the animal. The fox continued to stare for one minute, then it lost interest and turned to walk away. At that instant Daniel pounced. He leapt high into the air at lightning speed and landed on top of the fox – grabbing its middle with his hands and leaning over towards the muscular neck. Daniel sank his fangs through fur and skin and drank. The warm blood flowed down his throat. It soothed his pain, his need, but it was not enough.
He needed more.
The heart of the fox started to slow and Daniel forced himself to withdraw his teeth and let the animal go. It ran off and took cover. Daniel raised his eyes and saw another animal watching him. Another fox. He sprang in one swift motion and rejoiced as he sank in his teeth again, the second animal nourishing him, finally strengthening him, removing the intense craving to drink from human veins.
He let the animal go, before it would be hurt beyond repair, and stood tall, feeling the blood enter his veins and his power increase. It made him feel warm and satisfied.
He wiped his mouth and straightened his shirt, before turning around and facing Sarah.
She was leaning against a tree, an amused expression playing on her face.
‘It’s your turn,’ he said.
Instead of switching instantly to hunting mode, she approached him, her eyes glinting. Her long blond hair shone ever so slightly in the darkness, giving her an ethereal beauty. She moved in closer and pressed her body against his, stretching up she licked his lips.
‘Ummm,’ she murmured.
Then she gave him a wicked smile.
‘I’ll be with you soon,’ she whispered.
He watched her, amazed, as she moved back from him and shot away – deeper into the woods. Daniel quickly followed, not wanting to lose sight of her; they might still be in danger, and she had not yet mastered control. If she came across a human she would kill it; she would not be able to stop herself without his help, not while her senses were focused on the feed.
He followed her a little further then stopped by a tree as she pounced on a badger as it left its set. He listened as she drank deeply, the animals pulse slowed and it stopped its frantic beat.
Sarah stood and wiped her own mouth, as he had done, and returned to his side.
Her previous playfulness had left her.
‘Let’s go home,’ she said.
‘OK,’ Daniel returned.
He was not sure what had triggered this sudden melancholy. Sarah was usually jubilant after feeding. Maybe it was yet more death, or the fact she was still out of control. Maybe it had all just become too much.
Daniel took her hand and squeezed it, trying to emit a reassuring presence.
‘Do you want to race?’ he asked her, uncertain.
‘Yes. No. Sorry,’ she said, and raised her eyebrows with a hint of amusement. ‘I don’t want to. I want to walk slowly while taking in all the amazing sounds of the night – it would be romantic. We shouldn’t do that though, let’s just get home as quickly as we can.’
She switched to communicating through the bridge that was formed by their connecting fingers. ‘Do you think you could manage to put up some kind of magical ward around the house - something that might alert us to approaching danger?’ she asked him.
Daniel thought about this for a moment. The witch who had taught him magic had mentioned something about a spell of protection, but she had not shown him how to do it. He had put that binding spell on Sebastian, and binding trapped someone within a space. What if he adapted that spell, kind of reversed it and sent out a boundary around their house? He still wasn’t very strong, but if he constructed just enough of a boundary to warn them of approaching danger it would give them some time to run, then they could strengthen themselves more before fighting again.
He snapped out of his thoughts and saw Sarah regarding him sagely. He wondered if she had picked up on any of his thought tendrils, and gave her a searching look, but she was not saying anything.
‘I will try,’ he said.
Sarah merely nodded, but she looked pleased.
She turned in the direction of their cottage, ‘Ready?’ she asked.
‘Yes,’ Daniel said.
He squeezed her hand one more time and maintained the pressure, holding on to her tightly. They ran. The wind whipped his hair away from his eyes, and he took the odd glance at Sarah as the sky lightened. She looked beautiful and sad. Her hair, which was so long, was flowing out behind her in a wild trail through the night, and her soft skin looked pale except for a flush of color in her cheeks. They were reddened by the wind and the fresh blood.
He leapt over some stones blocking his way, Sarah flying through the night by his side. They were racing up a hill and were approaching the large granite stone that marked its peak. Daniel glanced back and to the sides, checking for danger before they entered the next valley. He did not see anything suspicious.
He was relieved. He did not want to fight more now. He was not strong enough, and really, he was not in the mood. What he wanted was to spend some time with Sarah. Romantic time.
He also wanted to help her, to teach her control, transformations, magic… There was so much she still had to learn, so much that would help their survival, yet he had not had a chance to work on any of it yet.
He also really wanted to find out what was going on around here. It was very peculiar. It even made his spine tingle with foreboding, and he was used to danger… and evil. What was with the blood that had been at the stone circle, and the bodies they had found near there? The people had obviously been killed at the stone circle, for he had followed the trail of blood. But had they been sacrificed there? And who had done it? Was it whoever was masquerading as that crow? And why had he detected a trace of magic? Was the crow a witch, or a vampire that could use magic like him?
An idea occurred to him – what if there was something buried there, beneath the ground, under the stone circle? What if someone was trying to awaken it?
Daniel thought of Sebastian buried beneath the ground back in Canada. He hoped nobody was trying to awaken him.
But what if someone was trying to awaken something? How could he find out? And, most importantly, how were they going to stop it happening? Would tapping into Sarah’s dreams help him at all?
There was only one way to find out, and that was to do it, and he would as soon as he got the opportunity. But what if it did not work? What should they do next? Now that was a frustrating thought. He really had no idea. He supposed they should concentrate on getting stronger, so they would be prepared for anything, and searching the landscape for more clues? But what if they did not find anything? He shook his head to clear it. There was no point going down that trail of thought. One thing at a time.
In his thought filled daze he realized that they had already descended into the next valley, and were starting to climb another hill. He had not been watching for danger at all. Stupid. He looked at Sarah, and this time it was she who gave him a searching look. He shot her a smile in apology and resumed scanning the moor and sky.
The sun would rise soon, and the mist that clung to the hills was starting to sparkle in the early morning light. It was beautiful. It was hard to imagine that any evil lurked there. It was hard to believe what had happened this night, or that anything sinister had occurred at the stone circle.
As they mounted the next hill he spotted it - the circle of stones where four people had recently had their throats sliced open. The tragedy of it made him angry – why did people do things like that? He looked away and continued to search for danger.
They were ne
arly at the cottage, at their home.
As they reached the top of the next hill he exchanged a glance with Sarah and slowed. He guided her to climb the granite stones that marked the top of the hill. It was where they had stood when they had first spotted the stone circle. Had that really only been yesterday?
From the top of the stones he looked down towards their cottage. It looked unharmed. Peaceful. He looked beyond it and spotted a church. A graveyard. So that was where the dead bodies were raised, he surmised. It would be worth a trip there tomorrow, he thought, to see if there were any clues as to who was behind it, or why they did it.
He hoped all the bodies were gone, so they would not have to suffer any more onslaughts of the dead.
Daniel turned, twirling Sarah so he did not have to let her hand go, and looked the other way. He spotted Princetown, and the large prison that dominated the small moorland town. A few lights were sparking on, windows glowing with warmth in the distance. He shrugged his shoulders – could someone have escaped from the prison? If that person had been locked up their ability to do magic may have helped them escape. That would explain why this was happening here. He could ask around to see if there had been any reports of escapes, just in case.
That probably was not it though, thought Daniel, it just did not feel right. He suspected it was the stone circle itself, or whatever was below it, that was the reason why this was happening on Dartmoor, rather than anywhere else. Maybe they could go back to the stone circle again and he could extend his powers into the earth – or maybe he could dig to find out if there was anything there? But what if there was? What if they unearthed something that was best left buried?
Daniel continued to search the landscape. He wanted to make sure no-one was near, watching them, before they entered their new home.
He looked at Sarah and smiled, ‘Looks to me like it’s safe,’ he said.
She smiled gently back and they walked together down the final slope as the sun peaked over the top of a distant hill, exchanging glances as they went. Sarah’s looks were adorable, her eyes wide, revealing the depth of their color; a deep blue emanating hints of turquoise. Had they changed since she had turned into a vampire? Had the color increased in intensity? He could not quite remember, but whether or not they had; they did look truly magical. It was like they were hiding secrets and power in their depths.
