by J. C. Diem
Turning the headlights on when I was a safe distance away, I fumbled the heater on next. I couldn’t resist flipping the mirror on the visor down to stare at my face every now and then.
Finally used to the sight of my creamy skin and unnatural beauty, I concentrated on driving. Following road signs, I headed back to the scene of the crime; the estate where I had been beheaded. I had been buried insultingly close to where I’d battled my imposter and had won. It was a mere hour or so away by car from the cemetery to the estate, according to the signs. There would be plenty of time for me to drive there, kill the Comtesse then make my escape.
I’m coming for you, praying mantis, I crooned in my head. I hoped she sensed that her doom was coming for her. It would give me great pleasure to make her suffer.
Chapter Eight
An hour and a half later, I was crouched down in the middle of a large, scratchy bush. I’d guessed that it wouldn’t be easy to infiltrate the white castle and hunt down the Comtesse and I wasn’t disappointed. Uniformed guards patrolled the perimeter of the estate, alert and ready for trouble. Unfortunately, I was pretty sure they were guarding an empty castle and that the Comtesse was no longer in residence.
Windows that had blazed with light on my previous visit were mostly dark. That had to mean the Comtesse, her fellow Councillors and the courtiers had returned to France. With the imposter me dead and the real me chopped to pieces, there would be no need for them to hide any longer.
My chances of exacting swift revenge had just been vastly diminished. Here, I would have only had the Comtesse’s guards to contend with. At the Court mansion, I would have the Councillor’s army of sentries to confront. Based on my current fighting skills, which were minimal at best, I wouldn’t stand a chance of getting close enough to the hag to end her unlife.
Glumly sneaking back to the car I’d hidden behind a copse of trees, I reviewed my options. While I was very hard to kill and could heal quickly, I could still be incapacitated easily enough. With one stroke of Luc’s sword, I’d been rendered helpless. What I needed were the fighting skills to claw my way through a battalion of guards in order to reach the Comtesse. Once I was done with her, I’d turn my attention to the growing problem of sentient vampire shadows trying to take over the world. I strongly suspected this would take wit, cunning and a bevy of other skills that I didn’t possess.
“I need to learn how to fight like the imposter me,” I said to the balmy warmth of the car interior. I snorted a laugh at the idea then my amusement faded. My imposter had slashed her way through dozens of minions with ease. Even Luc had been unable to take her down and his fighting skills were well honed.
Maybe learning her skills wasn’t such a crazy idea. After all, who were the Councillor’s greatest enemies? The Japanese vampires. Who had trained the assassin then set her after the Councillors? The Japanese vampires. It was fairly obvious what my next course of action would have to be. It looks like I’m going to Japan.
Flying there might be a problem due to the inescapable fact that the sun had to rise each morning. If a nearby passenger lifted the shutter on their window to let the natural light in, I’d burst into flames. That might be difficult to explain even if I did somehow manage to survive the grievous injury I’d receive. Driving would be my safest method of transportation.
I had no idea how long it would take to travel from Britain to Japan but I had to factor in the need to hide through the day into the equation. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, I have plenty of time. Then again, did I have plenty of time? Maybe the shadows were poised to launch their plan for world domination right now. Nope, I told myself, it’s my destiny to stop them and I’m not ready for that yet. Destiny would just have to wait until I’d learned the skills I needed.
A very real threat that I did face was being spotted and recognized by European vampires. I was on the run and my safest strategy would be to get away from England and then through France as quickly as possible.
If the Comtesse and her cronies figured out that I had managed to resurrect myself, the last place they’d think to look for me would be in Japan. The more I thought about it, the better the idea seemed. It’s bordering on brilliant, I complimented myself with a shameless lack of modesty.
I didn’t have bright ideas very often and I was proud of this one. All I had to do was make my way thousands of kilometres across foreign countries, get across a stretch of water then I’d be in Japan. “It’ll be easy,” I assured myself and did my best to believe it.
Maybe my task would seem easier if I broke the trip down into manageable stages. Crossing the English Channel would be my first challenge. The last time I’d crossed it, I’d swum the distance in five hours or so. I’d been wet, miserable and stank of salt water and pollution when I was done. This time, I’d travel in style and take a ferry instead.
Finding a highway that seemed to lead in the right direction, I put my foot down and soon found a sign pointing the way to Dover. After a few hours, I reached the town where I’d spent one uncomfortable day in the sewers. This time, I spent the day huddled in the boot of my stolen car.
Upon nightfall, I left the vehicle in a crowded undercover car park and walked the rest of the way on foot.
The large, white ferry was quickly filling up with people. When it was my turn to board the vessel, I bamboozled my way on board without any trouble. I might still be new to being a monster but I at least had the hang of hypnotizing the highly susceptible humans. Where I’d once struggled to get a date, few men were now immune to my unnatural charms.
Sitting or standing, the passengers mostly ignored each other. It reminded me strongly of catching the train back home in Australia. Few people were courageous enough to strike up a conversation with strangers. Those that did were usually considered to be an annoyance. Not that I’d had much cause to catch public transport. My apartment had only been a fifteen minute walk from work. Everything I’d needed had been within walking distance of my home.
Instead of squishing into a seat between soggy humans, I opted to stand. I positioned myself so I was pressed up against a window with my back to the other passengers. Accidentally hypnotizing the nearby male commuters into a bunch of worshipful zombies would probably be noticed.
A few foolhardy souls out on the deck took refuge under cover as the rain picked up again. It had never really stopped but it had fizzed down into a drizzle rather than a downpour.
Our journey took just over an hour. The trip was far more pleasant than the last time I’d crossed this stretch of water. I wasn’t sure what to expect when we landed and was worried that my credentials would be checked when we docked.
What credentials? I had no passport, no driver’s license or any other paperwork stating who I was and where I’d come from. I’d disappeared without a trace when Silvius had kidnapped me and had remained mostly off the grid ever since. I remembered that Luc had used my real name when purchasing plane tickets a couple of times. The authorities would be able to track me to Europe, if they could be bothered to.
Working my way to the back of the line, I made sure no one was watching me then jumped over the side. The pile of crates I landed on turned out to be far more unstable than they’d looked. Several wooden boxes went crashing to the dock. Leaping clear, I hastened into the shadows as dock workers yelled in alarm and came on the run. Wow, Nat, it’s good to see you’re as agile as ever. Being hacked to pieces didn’t change that about you. Ignoring my snide subconscious, I slinked away from the dock at a fast walk.
A lone man, walking quickly and talking into his mobile phone, caught my eye. I followed him to an underground car park a couple of blocks away from the channel. In a stroke of coincidence, it turned out to be the same car park I’d slept the day away inside the boot of a car the last time I’d crossed the water.
I waited for my victim to unlock his car and open the door before tapping him on the shoulder. Whirling around in fright and cowering behind the door, he let out a string of curses
in French.
“Sorry, guy, but I need to borrow your car.” He was hypnotized before I’d finished my explanation.
“Anything. I’ll give you anything you want.” His smile was large and dopy. Bamboozling humans was almost too easy. They practically begged to be taken advantage of with their complete inability to resist my dark charms.
“Great. Hand over your wallet and keys.” I accepted his invitation with only a small stab of guilt. Overweight and in his forties, his suit was dark and expensive. He could easily recover from the theft of a couple of hundred Euros and he’d be able to claim insurance on his stolen car.
I wasn’t hungry so refrained from snacking on him. The overpowering smell of too much aftershave helped to dampen my appetite. Hoping it would work, I gave him an order. “Catch a cab home and wait until the morning to call the police about your missing car and wallet.” I wasn’t sure my order would stick since I hadn’t actually bitten him. Where is the vampire handbook when I need it? I opened his wallet and handed over some cash so he’d be able to pay for the cab. Nodding jerkily, he turned and shambled towards the exit.
My new borrowed car was small and inconspicuous. It was a white Saab and still had a new car smell when I slid into the driver’s seat. After a few seat adjustments, I could both reach the pedals and see over the dashboard. Searching through the wallet, I found the swipe card I’d need to exit from the parking area. I was growing smarter when it came to grand theft auto and escaping from car parks.
Minutes later, I was on my way, heading east again before eventually angling north. It was lucky I had the ability to translate foreign road signs. Otherwise I’d have been lost within the first hour.
I drove until I could feel the sun growing closer then began to search for a hiding spot. I’d used them before safely enough so headed for an underground parking lot. Three levels down, I deemed it should be secure. Climbing out, I quickly hid in the boot before anyone could spot what I was doing and call the cops. Normal people didn’t climb into the trunk of a car very often.
I wasn’t tired but I did get bored quickly. I should buy a few books. Anything to keep me occupied through the days when I was sleepless would be good. Finally, I managed to fall asleep even with the sounds of human activity going on around my stolen car.
I was somewhere dark and for a few moments I thought I was back in the boxes again. Turning my head, I spied flickering firelight, which dispelled the idea of being buried, much to my relief. A howling, gibbering scream echoed from somewhere ahead and my relief was replaced with unease. I found myself drifting without moving my feet. Since flying wasn’t a new ability I’d gained, I figured I must be dreaming.
Despite the knowledge that this was a dream, I didn’t feel particularly safe as I neared the light. I had the sense that I was in a gigantic cavern. It was so huge that I couldn’t see the sides. The fire ahead was large but still seemed small compared to the empty vastness surrounding it.
Flames roared and crackled, shooting off sparks like miniature fireworks. A crude makeshift spit had been erected over the fire. A pale animal had been impaled on it and it was still thrashing in agony. I assumed it was responsible for the scream. When the spit turned I saw that it wasn’t an animal at all.
A human man screeched as the flames seared his skin. Blanching at the sight, I wondered how he could still be alive at all. Then I saw the spit had been shoved through one of his legs. It ran along his side before exiting through his shoulder. None of his vital organs would have been damaged. He was just high enough above the flames that he would cook slowly and die painfully.
Charred lumps of flesh and white bones, the remains of previous meals, lay amongst the coals. Now I could smell the horrid aroma of overcooked pork and was amazed that I hadn’t noticed it before. This was the most realistic dream I’d ever had. I couldn’t remember being able to smell during a dream before.
Dark shapes could be seen through the flames on the far side of the fire. Seeing them up close was the last thing I wanted to do but I was irresistibly drawn closer anyway.
There were four groups on the far side of the fire, separated not only by distance but also by species. On the left was a huddle of humans. Terrified, filthy and naked, they clutched each other and turned their faces away from the dying man spitted over the fire. Their expressions reflected their hopelessness and knowledge that they, too, would take their turn roasting over the flames.
Next to them were vampires. They guarded the humans and watched the other two groups nervously. They came from all walks of vampire unlife, from sewer vamps to members of the Court. Every one of them had a shadow that moved on its own. I wasn’t sure if it was their choice to be here or if they’d been called somehow and had been unable to resist the order.
Beside them were vampires who had been fully possessed by their shadows. They strutted around self-importantly but didn’t seem to be achieving much.
On the far right was the last, and by far the strangest, group. Six creatures hunkered down, slobbering over the remains of the last human that had been cooked. Each had grey skin, were bald and had faces that would have been at home on a bat. Their noses were rudimentary and up-turned. Their ears were long and pointy, curling under at the tips. All were dressed in make-shift loincloths made from what appeared to be cast off human clothing. Muscles flexed beneath slick sweat as they cracked bones with their teeth.
Discarding a bone that had once belonged to a thigh of an unlucky human, one of the creatures stood. It towered over the possessed vampires. I estimated it to be around seven feet tall. Pointing at the still shrieking human, it grunted an order. I understood it just fine but the possessed vampire turned to translate the foreign tongue to one of the unpossessed. “More meat!” it demanded imperiously. “Our brethren require more meat.”
Brethren? These things don’t look anything like vampires. I found myself moving closer to the hideous creatures. All had stood now and were watching the spitted human hungrily. Their eyes glowed an identical muddy orange, making them seem disturbingly like clones. They were slump shouldered abominations that had no business existing. What are they? They look like imps that have clawed their way straight up from hell, I answered my own question.
Now I was being pulled to the darkest area of the cavern. Even with my night vision I had trouble making anything out but I sensed a shape before me. It sensed me as well and a pair of eyes opened right in front of me. Bright red, they gave off enough light to illuminate a hulking, twisted and inhuman body with skin the colour of ashes. The eyes moved up and up as the thing stood. It topped off at eight feet.
“What are you?” I whispered and jumped when it answered me.
“I am the First,” it answered in a guttural language that I was positive had never been spoken by any entity native to earth. It was the same language the imp had demanded more food with. “I was the one chosen by our Father to be gifted with unlife,” it explained further. What the hell? Is it saying it’s the first vampire ever made? The same one from both the prophet’s and Alexander’s books? How could that be possible when it didn’t look anything like a vampire either?
“What is your purpose?” What I really wanted to know was why so many vampires had gathered together and what the grey skinned, bat faced monsters were. Obviously, they were related to the First somehow. I was having trouble understanding how a vampire could turn into an eight foot troll.
The eyes glowed fiercely enough to make me wince at the brightness then the glow was banked again. “To eat. To rule.” It lowered its head until its face was inches away from mine. If what it said was true, then this monster had been the human who had bargained for immortality and had damned us all. That made him a ‘he’, not an ‘it’. “You seem…different to the rest of my children.” He took a breath, taking in my scent. “What are you?” he asked, repeating the question I’d asked him.
I now had an answer for who was behind the shadow’s ascension. As I’d suspected, someone was in charge and
I’d managed to dream myself directly into his lair. The prophet had accurately foreseen both my birth and my beheading. He had, however, neglected to mention in his journal that the First was still alive and that he had somehow evolved into whatever he was now. He’d also failed to mention the creature’s plan for world domination. It was an oversight I hoped to question the decrepit old cinnamon stick about one day, if he ever woke from his coma again.
Obviously, the two thousand year old journal was missing a few of the more pertinent points. The information it did contain was jumbled and out of order. It said that I would kill off most of the damned before having my head separated from my body when apparently that would happen afterwards. How could the prophet get it so wrong? After I’d been beheaded, I’d been just the tiniest bit disappointed that I hadn’t fulfilled the prophecy and killed most of the possessed vampires. The job hadn’t even been started and my unlife had been cut short.
Well, it looked like I’d have the opportunity to kill them at some stage in my future. A whole bunch of them had conveniently gathered together and were lurking in the cavern behind me right now. If I was to take them down, it was pretty likely that I’d also have to take the First down with them. “I’m the vampire that’s going to kill you,” I belatedly said in answer to his question.
Roaring with laughter, a whoosh of his breath made my hair stream backwards as he reached out with huge, clawed hands. They closed around my throat and began to squeeze. “How are you going to kill me if you are already dead?”
Chapter Nine
“Oh, shit!” Sitting up, I banged my head on something metallic and remembered I was squished into the boot of a Saab. People were moving around outside so I lay back down again and tried to be calm. I was imminently grateful that I’d woken up before the First had squeezed my head completely off my neck. I touched my neck where his claws had dug into my flesh and found the wounds were already healing.
