Perpetual Creatures, Volumes 1-3: A Vampire and Ghost Thriller Series

by Gabriel Beyers

  At some point, he blacked out, but was jolted awake when the Hunter dumped him on the floor of Sebastian’s grand room. Thad rolled over onto his back, trying to reclaim the air that had been knocked from him by the impact with the hardwood. The ceiling undulated from side to side and there was a moment when he thought his insect snack from earlier might make an encore appearance.

  A door opened and sharp, precise footsteps crossed the floor. The Hunter kicked Thad in the side, just hard enough to flip him over and not break his ribs. “On your knees,” he ordered in a gruff voice that warned if he had to repeat his words, it would be a very bad thing.

  Thad pushed himself up and found himself kneeling at the feet of Heidi. She stared down at him with the radiance of an angel, but behind her immense beauty and brilliant eyes, there dwelled the mind of a demon.

  “Why are we meeting in your dwelling?” she asked Sebastian. “You know I don’t like coming up here.”

  “True,” the dwarf said. “But you said we needed a place away from prying eyes. No other vampires are permitted near the Watchtower, and you are the only Steward who ever comes up here. Our business is more secure here than any other place in the house.”

  “Very well,” she said with disdain. She turned her eyes back to Thad. “I’m sorry we kept you in the pit, dear boy.” Her apology had the same sincerity of a snake apologizing to the mouse he was about to swallow whole. “I had pressing matters that could not wait. Suhail is advancing his army. One of the quarantine communities in Great Britain has been attacked. The Crimson Storm has failed in their mission.”

  “Jerusa?” Thad asked.

  “The Crimson Storm faced Suhail and his army twelve hours ago,” Sebastian said. “The Watchtower has lost contact with the team.”

  “A devastating loss,” Heidi said, without any real feeling. “But with Shufah finally dead, perhaps, now, Marjek will regain his sanity.” This brought a genuine smile to her face.

  Thad glanced at Sebastian, and the dwarf warned him with a look not to speak of the truth concerning Shufah. Not that Thad could speak right now anyway. A trio of knots had risen into his throat and his stomach was trying to slip past them. He didn’t care for the Hunters of the Crimson Storm, with the exception of Celeste. And Taos was no friend to him. But poor Jerusa…dead.

  “Beth,” Thad managed to squeak out. “Where is Beth? What have you done with her?”

  “Nothing, yet,” Heidi said with a smirk. “Don’t believe me? See for yourself. I can hear her approaching right now.”

  Sure enough, there was a light knock on the door. Another Hunter—a dumpy black man—entered with Beth at his side. He escorted her to the center of the room, then took his place back near the door.

  “Beth,” Thad said, the name spilled from his lips. He wanted to run and embrace her, but the Japanese Hunter clamped an iron hand onto his shoulder. “Are you all right? Did they hurt you?”

  Beth stood with her head down, her hands clasped together before her. Her clothes were clean, and her hair was still wet from where she had just showered. Thad could smell the fruity scent of her soap even over the filth of his own body. She looked to be uninjured, but she wouldn’t lift her head to look at him.

  “So, you found Debra Phoenix, did you?” Heidi asked. She paced the room between Thad and Beth. “Did you discover the answers to all the mysteries?” She stopped next to Beth, and Thad’s heart sank. Heidi was going to kill her and force him to watch. The time for defiance and sarcasm was over. Whatever they did to him, he had to make sure Beth didn’t suffer.

  “Yeah, I found Debra Phoenix. I saw what you are doing to her. Why do that to her? Why keep her alive like that?”

  “I guess it doesn’t hurt to tell you now,” Heidi said. “That human was dead the moment she crossed our threshold, and I don’t mean by our hands. Her blood is an incurable poison. Sure, at first, we kept her alive so that we might do some tests. We thought her blood could be used as a weapon. And while we found that it is quite a potent poison, even to vampires, it’s just not as effective as fire or sunlight.”

  “Then why not just let her die?” Thad asked.

  “We preserved her for you,” she said with another devilish smile. “You needed a reason to go on. A goal to work toward. And you needed a friend to help you along.” Heidi turned to Beth. “What did you find out?”

  Beth lifted her head. She was still the same beautiful girl that Thad had known, but the kindness in her face was gone, tossed aside like a Halloween mask. Her true face was so different, so malevolent, that Thad was struck dumb.

  “You were right,” Beth said. Her sweet singsong voice sounded to him like a viper’s hiss now. “I took him to the blood witch’s mother and he spilled his guts.”

  Heidi clapped her hands together in glee. “Tell me everything.”

  “Beth, don’t do this. Please.” Thad’s begging only seemed to feed her evil fervor.

  “The things that attacked the blood witch’s mom are called umbilicus. They were created by the human cult called the Light Bearers Society, most likely from the blood witch’s creator. Oh, he’s not a blood drinker. He’s a Divine Vampire.”

  “Shut up, Beth! Just shut your mouth!”

  Sebastian stepped forward, stroking his deformed chin with entranced curiosity. “A Divine Vampire? One of the Ten?”

  “Apparently not,” Beth said. “According to Thad, he’s a new Divine. Goes by the name Silvanus and woke up in some laboratory the Light Bearers have stashed away.”

  “What does he look like?” the dwarf asked.

  “Darkish skin. Curly black hair. Weird green eyes.” Beth shrugged her shoulders. “Other than that, I couldn’t tell you.”

  “Who cares what he looks like,” Heidi said. “We will not speak of the Divines any more, am I understood?” Beth cringed and nodded. “What else did you find out?”

  “The blood witch—”

  “Stop calling her that,” Thad yelled.

  “The blood witch isn’t feeding. She hasn’t fed even once since becoming a vampire.”

  “How is that possible?” Heidi asked. “How did the thirst not drive her mad? And how did she hide the signs of starvation from the Hunters?”

  Beth shrugged. “Beats me. It has something to do with her little ghost friend. The ghost keeps the blood witch from feeding.”

  This piece of news seemed to disturb Heidi the most. She paced about in a circle, muttering to herself. “Made by a Divine. Is that why she still sees spirits? Why would the ghost not allow her to…?” Heidi trailed off and looked about the room as if awakening from a dream. “It makes no difference now. The blood witch died along with Shufah. It seems Suhail still had some use to us after all.”

  “Shufah’s not dead,” Beth said. The silence following was so abrupt, Thad thought he had gone deaf. Sebastian’s composure broke for a split second as a cloud of disappointment passed through his eyes.

  “What did you say?” Heidi turned to Beth so fast that the girl recoiled in terror. “What do you mean Shufah isn’t dead?”

  “He told me,” Beth said, pointing to Thad. “He said that the creatures the Light Bearers made took Shufah just after they arrived home. They took her to that lab they had the Divi— uh, the blood witch’s creator in.”

  Heidi turned her venomous glare on Thad. “And just how would you know such a thing?” Thad clenched his teeth, pushed his chin out, and smiled. “Who told him this?” she asked Beth.

  “He didn’t say. We were captured before I could get it from him.”

  “Explain yourself, dwarf. How has this slipped past the vision of the Watchtower?”

  Sebastian backed away, true terror in his eyes. “I cannot say. The eyes of the Watchtower are not infallible.”

  “They better learn to be. They have failed to find Suhail and his savage army. And now this. Either they are lying, or are incompetent. I will not stand for either.” She moved toward the dwarf in a blur, striking him across the face and sending him
flying into the stone wall. “Don’t think for a moment that you have me fooled. I know that you have a hand in all of this. I’m going to go to the Light Bearers and deal with Shufah personally. When I return, the High Council will determine your fate.” Heidi motioned for the pair of Hunters to follow her, then started for the door.

  “Wait,” Beth said. “What about our agreement? You promised if I helped you, that you’d turn me.”

  Heidi stopped. “Very well. Let’s be done with it.”

  Thad watched with clenched teeth, and hands wadded into fists, as Heidi fed from Beth, bringing her to the point of death. Then she opened a small place in her throat with her fingernail and pulled Beth’s mouth to the spout of blood. Immediately, Beth’s lifeless body quickened. She latched onto Heidi with claw-like hands, and gulped greedily at the blood spilling into her mouth.

  Beth’s skin flushed as Heidi’s blood flowed into every artery, vein, capillary, and corpuscle. Every pore tightened, giving her an almost porcelain-like perfection. The luster of her hair burned like gold in a refining fire. Her blue eyes became as bright and endless as the sky. At the same time, Heidi’s skin became gray, with thick black veins spider-webbing in all direction. She began to groan with every drink Beth took, until finally she could stand no more. Heidi pushed Beth away, both swooning in each other’s arms. Heidi pulled Beth close, once again plunging her fangs in the fledgling vampire’s throat.

  They repeated the cycle again, Heidi allowing Beth to take almost all of her blood, so as to make her a more powerful vampire. When it was finished, Beth stood in the corner of the room, watching everything as though it were her first time seeing. She stared at her own hands for a long time, then became overwhelmingly captivated by the flicker of a candle on a side table. Heidi’s blood had worked a miracle in her, taking a beautiful girl and transforming her into a goddess.

  Heidi composed herself, straightening her dress and fixing her long hair. With her gray skin full of black veins, her crimson lips, and the blood ring around each iris, she seemed more a demon than ever.

  “Go fetch me a prisoner from the dungeon,” she said to the black Hunter. “Make it two.” The Hunter did as he was told without a word. “You, prepare us travel to Canada,” she said to the Japanese Hunter. “We are going to pay the Light Bearers a visit.” He rushed from the room like a good little slave.

  “You know where they are,” Sebastian said. It wasn’t a question. More of an amused pondering.

  “Yes,” Heidi said. “They’re in a place called Purgatory. A defunct missile sight the United States built into the northern Rocky Mountains at the start of the Cold War. We’ve had our eyes on the Light Bearers for some time.” Her head cocked slightly from the weight of her sardonic smirk. “Seems you aren’t as omniscient as you think.”

  “I never claimed to be, Mistress.” The dwarf spread his arms out before him. “I see only what is shown to me.”

  Heidi’s eyes became slits again, her mouth pursed tight. Thad could feel the heat of her gaze and it wasn’t even directed toward him. “When I return from dealing with Shufah, we will determine just how far your sight goes, dwarf. And if I find that you were the one to conceal Shufah’s whereabouts to the High Council, I promise that when I’m through with you, you will beg for the sun.”

  The dwarf gave his mocking bow. “I await your righteous judgment.”

  Heidi turned her basilisk gaze upon Thad. “Beth,” she said, bringing the fledgling out of her hypnotic awe. “Kill the human. Make the dwarf watch.”

  Beth smiled like a shark. “My pleasure. Thank you.”

  “Remember, he’s infected. Don’t let him be born of the bite. Feed from him, then pitch his corpse into the furnace. Do you understand?”

  “Of course, Heidi. I swear it will be done.”

  Heidi nodded. “Do not fail me.” Then she followed after her guards, slamming the door behind her.

  Beth crossed the room in a blur, stopping so suddenly in front of Thad that her hair continued forward, hitting him in the face. Thad wiped the blonde strands—as soft as corn silk—from his forehead and let them fall to her shoulders. She hovered just in front of him, her nose almost touching his own. It was a familiar pose for them.

  “I can’t believe I ever kissed you,” he said.

  Beth smiled, making sure that her fangs were visible. “You had no choice really. I told you, I have a unique skill set that Heidi desired. I’m very good at manipulating stupid, lovesick boys. I’d like to tell you that you were a challenge, but—” She shrugged her shoulders.

  “Well, it certainly worked out well for you.”

  “I’ll say. It’s amazing, this power. There are no words.” She leaned forward and smelled his skin, savoring his scent as if he was a piece of sizzling bacon. She sat back on her heels and stroked his bearded cheek with the back of her fingers. Her nails felt like cold glass upon his flesh. “I have to tell you, I’m looking forward to drinking your blood. I’m not hungry…or is it thirsty? Either way. Heidi’s blood is all I could ever want. But even if she hadn’t told me to, I’d want to do it. I’ve wanted to kill you ever since I first saw you sulking around this place like a little boy sent to bed without dinner. I want to feel your heart stop and know that I’m the one that stopped it.”

  “How romantic,” Thad said. “You should write Valentine’s Day cards.” Though he wanted to reach out and choke the life from her, he kept all emotion out of his voice and from his facial expression. He was done playing her little games.

  Beth kissed his neck, then moved up so that her hot breath could pool in his ear. “I want you to know, when you’re dead, and I leave this place, I’m going to find your family. I’m going to feed on them, one at a time, but not before having a little fun with them first. I’ll work my way through, until there’s no one left that even remembers your name. How’s that for romantic?”

  The anger was burning in him. He wondered if her new vampiric flesh was still human enough to let him bite off her ear. He glanced over at Sebastian, who was watching this exchange with a nervous anticipation uncommon for him.

  Beth followed his gaze and laughed. “Don’t seek help from the dwarf. He’s not your friend. Who do you think chose me for this task? He’s been pulling the strings the whole time.” She saw the seething fury in Thad’s eyes, and it was too sweet not to indulge in. “He told you that you needed to befriend me, didn’t he? Poor boy, have you always been this stupid, or just since you fell in love with the blood witch?”

  Thad tried to push her away, but Heidi’s blood had already given Beth immense strength. He’d might as well been pushing against one of the stone walls. “Do you always talk this much? Blah, blah, blah.” He looked over at Sebastian. “Women. They can never just shut up and get the job done.” He turned back to Beth, whose smile had become a snarl. “I’m getting bored with all your drama. If you’re going to kill me, then let’s get it over with. Oh, yeah, and you’re a terrible kisser.” He glanced back at Sebastian. “It was like a mule trying to eat an apple.”

  Beth jerked him up from the floor with such ferocity that something in his lower back snapped like a dry twig, and suddenly, he couldn’t feel anything below the waist. Though she hoisted him up above her head, because he was so much taller than she was, his lifeless legs still dragged the floor as she backed away.

  Just because his lower half was now numb didn’t mean his upper half was exempt from pain. She clenched his throat, tight enough to crunch his larynx, but not enough to kill him. Instinctively, he reached up to pry her hands away. With the forefinger and thumb of her free hand, Beth snapped both of his clavicles as though they were glass. Thad tried to scream, but all that came forth was a gurgling moan.

  “Shhh,” she said, caressing his face. “Do me a favor. Don’t die quickly. I’m going to drink very slowly, so hold on for me. Let’s make this a memorable death.” She leaned in for his neck, but Sebastian stopped her.

  “Do you mind not killing him there?” The dwarf
pointed to the floor, at one of his ornate carpets. “It’s very old. No offense, but fledglings are messy eaters and I’d hate to get his blood on it.”

  Beth scowled at the dwarf. Thad wondered if Sebastian’s age had given his tiny frame enough strength to fend her off if she decided to pounce on him. “Where would you prefer I kill him?” she asked through clenched teeth.

  The dwarf pointed a stubby, crooked finger toward a small alcove in the wall where the hardwood floor was bare. “That should do over there.” Had Thad been able to lift his arms, he might’ve given the dwarf a finger of his own.

  Beth dragged Thad by his shirt collar to the alcove. The sensation that his lower half was missing was beyond terrible. At least he wouldn’t have much longer to endure it. Beth spun him around so that his dead legs were toward the wall. She dropped him on his back, and his head bounced off the floor. Beth crawled onto his chest like a colossal leech, and all Thad could think was, didn’t there used to be a roll-top desk here.

  Beth peppered his face with tiny kisses as she rubbed his chest. She clenched her hand, breaking several ribs, then inhaled his guttural moan as though it were an intoxicating fume. She buried her face in his neck, rooting around for just the right spot, coaxing his pulse rate up with pain. She plunged her teeth into the throbbing artery, and it was so much worse than he remembered.

  Thad tried to arch his back, but with his legs no longer working, all he could manage to do was look up. Beth was true to her word. She slid her fangs down, just a bit, opening the puncture wounds so that the blood flowed more freely. She didn’t draw the blood out of him, but rather let it fill her mouth before swallowing. Her teeth were still embedded in his flesh, her tongue rolled about like a decapitated serpent. Every time Thad started to black out, she reached down and broke another rib, which was quite effective at reviving him. His insides burned as if molten lead was flowing in his veins.

  Please, let this be over, he thought. Just let me die, so I can go find Jerusa.