B007XKEWAE EBOK

by Lawson, Nicola

  Xavier scanned the nest with wary eyes. When his gaze fell on her he held up a hand to silence his companion. The smile he sent in her direction was unashamedly false. As was the one she offered in reply.

  He continued to stare at her obviously waiting for her to turn away and leave before he continued. Instead, just to see if she could provoke a reaction from him, she walked over to join him. He seemed surprised to see her approaching him. With a single word he dismissed the other vampire.

  "Can I help you with something?" he asked her.

  She said nothing. She just stared at him with a smile on her face. He turned around on the spot to follow her as she circled him. He had no idea how to react to this behaviour.

  "What?" he asked his jaw clenching involuntarily.

  She gave her head a subtle shake. "Nothing."

  Leaving him bewildered in her wake she moved off to look for some other fun.

  Why did that girl keep trying to change herself? Francesca wondered. Why the continual determination to try and improve on perfection? This time her hair had gone bone-white. Francesca was grateful that Gabriella had managed to resist the urge to have herself pierced all over. At least she agreed that looking like a pincushion wouldn't be an improvement. Although they had discussed the possibility of having a couple done each in certain places. To see if it enhanced their enjoyment any.

  Gabriella had also asked how Francesca felt about tattoos. Again neither of them had followed up on the discussion but something small and discreet would be all right as far as Francesca was concerned. She hated those people who thought having pictures over every available space of skin looked attractive. Tattoos were also a problem once the owner got all old and saggy, but in their cases that would never prove to be a problem.

  Francesca guessed that the reason Gabriella had never pushed to follow up on the tattoo idea was it's permanency. Gabriella went in fads about how she liked to look. Changing the colour and style of her hair or how she wore makeup, if she did, was quick and gave her instant gratification. A tattoo was less easy to have done on a whim, well when you were a vampire and not a drunk human at least.

  She pondered all this as she surveyed the interior of the club for likely victims. These night clubs were like vampire all-you-can-eat buffets. Generally full of young humans with their inhibitions removed by drink or drugs looking for a good time. Easily lured by seductive promises to an untimely demise.

  Fulton was back in the city having resumed his fruitless search. Hopefully that was all about to change. After another hour riding the streets on his motorbike he realised he was going about it all wrong. She wasn't going to be just waiting around for him to go to her. She was going to be out there like the rest of them. They were going to be hunting.

  He had no idea how a vampire was supposed to hunt. Everything he had done had been instinctive, just seizing upon any opportunity that presented itself, and then loathing himself for his weakness in giving in to the need. Then he remembered that he did know. He had been hunted. Taken at the millennium party.

  This being just an ordinary night there were no street parties for him to check out. Instead he made his way to the block of flats he had been taken to by his sire, Francesca.

  Why hadn't he thought of this sooner? He took the lift, which had been repaired since having half the roof peeled away like a tin can, up to her floor. The whole block seemed to have fallen into decay since his last visit. Graffiti was scrawled over the walls and the inside of the lift had reeked of vomit. Many of the doors he walked past had been closed up, covered with sheets of hardboard.

  The door to Francesca's flat looked like it had had similar treatment but the board had been fixed on hinges. There was no lock.

  Fulton took a sniff and could smell a group of humans inside. There was another scent as well. Something unfamiliar. It wasn't a vampire though, it somehow reminded him of his old friends. Fulton turned away from the painful memories of a time he could never go back to. A life he could never recapture.

  He opened the door and walked inside.

  When he entered the living room he encountered the sources of both odours. Five humans in their twenties and thirties were in the living room along with a pile of the other stuff that he could smell. The door to the kitchen was open and another human stood in there doing something with some of their drugs. In the living room one human was measuring a small amount of a weed on some miniature scales. The woman he was weighing it for was handing some cash to a longhaired youth smoking a home rolled cigarette without tobacco. Another young woman smoked a similar cigarette while lounging on a ratty sofa.

  All five humans looked up at Fulton as he walked in. The biggest looking of the five got to his feet and moved to bar his way.

  "I don't think I know you," The big man said.

  "Who told you about us?" The dealer said still on the floor. He was now bagging the woman's purchase up for her.

  "Smith," Fulton said standing just inside the doorway.

  "Smith?" The dealer repeated. He looked at the big man who had turned to look away from Fulton.

  "Yeah," Fulton said not moving.

  The dealer gave an almost imperceptible nod.

  The big man swung back around. He aimed his fist squarely at Fulton's face. With superhuman reflexes Fulton intercepted the punch and held his fist in his hand. With a squeeze he contracted his grip and felt bones popping in the human's hand.

  He released his grip and the big man collapsed crying in pain and holding his hand.

  "I have no quarrel with you people," Fulton in a friendly voice.

  The man in the kitchen emerged carrying a long kitchen knife.

  "Try it and you're going to get hurt." Fulton said calmly.

  "Somebody's going to be hurt but it won't be me," The human said.

  The customer looked at Fulton and at the knife. "I don't want any part of this," she said taking up her purchase and running out past Fulton.

  "You have no idea what you're messing with," Fulton warned shifting his feet to assume a better fighting stance.

  "It's you that's doing the messing. We would just have let you leave but you need hurting for what you did to Mitchell."

  "He tried to punch me."

  "You broke my hand," Mitchell said from the floor.

  Fulton really didn't have to bother with this. He could just leave. But he wanted to let off some steam.

  Knife guy lunged at him. He stepped to the side and the knife passed under his right arm. Stepping forwards he brought his arm down to trap the attackers' own arm. Using his left hand Fulton delivered a blow that shattered his assailants elbow. He pushed him down to join Mitchell crying on the floor.

  Transforming his face into that of the vampire he growled at the others. "You people should clear out or I'll be back with some friends."

  With that he swept out of the door. So much for that plan. Not that he really expected to find anything there.

  Fulton climbed back on his motor bike. As he pulled on the helmet he thought about where to try next. He had been chosen at a party. The closest places he could think of with a party atmosphere were night-clubs. And possibly a brothel.

  Clubs first, he decided. If that doesn't pan out I'll look into the whorehouses.

  He tried not to think about the other reason he had fled from the apartment so quickly. He didn't want to remember the thirst. The almost overwhelming desire to take their lives and drink their blood. But he fought it, he wasn't a monster. When he found Francesca everything would be all right. Somehow.

  Francesca smiled. She had located a pair of likely victims. This time she wasn't after anything more than a pair of humans for food. One for her and one for Gabriella.

  Her chosen candidates were a pair of youths, barely out of their teens if even that. They were eyeing up every woman in the club but they had had no luck with those they got talking to. Francesca decided it was time for their luck to change.

  The lads were standing on a sort of combin
ed bridge and balcony that overlooked the main dance floor. The wall behind them was made up of mirror tiles. Francesca knew she would have to be wary of showing her face to those tiles.

  Adjusting the top of her dress for maximum effect, she left her own place near the D.J. She glided over the dance floor towards the spiral staircase that led to the balcony. The men on the stairs made every effort to be polite and let her pass without trouble and she gave each one one of her most beguiling looks in return.

  Both youths seemed to have a little trouble accepting that Francesca would seek them out in this crowd of people. She tried to assure them that she hadn't been put up to this by any of their friends. After a short while, and a couple more drinks, they become more at ease. Laughing and joking with Francesca.

  Her body language was putting out all of the signals to signify that she was attracted to the young men. Despite this, and the loosening up Francesca had been working on, the pair seemed reluctant to try and take it any further. So it was up to her to make the first move.

  "Why don't we go somewhere a little more . . . intimate?" she suggested.

  "Both of us?" Asked the taller of the two.

  Francesca half smiled and raised her sculpted eyebrows. "Why not?"

  The lads looked at each other. "I'm not sure." The smaller said.

  "Don't you fancy it?" she pouted.

  She stepped forwards, using her hair to keep her face out of the mirror, and linked arms with the taller of the two. "I'll have to make do with just the one then. It means he'll have to last twice as long," She winked.

  The other lad came around and linked up with her free arm. "I'm in."

  "Not yet."

  Francesca took them around the back of the club to the shadowy car park.

  "My car's just down here."

  A black-clad figure emerged from the shadows in front of them.

  "Don't lead them on," The figure said. "There's no car."

  It was her. Finally, after so long spent searching, there she was.

  Looking almost exactly the same as she had when he last saw her, the only difference being that she now wore a figure hugging black dress with a plunging neckline.

  Fulton stared entranced as Francesca floated across the dance floor. He could feel his attraction for her tugging at him. He felt it almost as strongly as if he were physically being pulled toward her and was surprised to find himself actually leaning in her direction. She was a powerfully magnetic force. He could not take his eyes off her. He watched the way she moved as she walked gracefully up the stairs. He was captivated by everything about her.

  He fought to keep his composure. After all this time she could affect him worse than ever. He adjusted his legs to disguise his involuntary reaction to her. It was more difficult to keep his concentration and not let his vampiric features show. The bloodlust was rising proportionate to his arousal.

  He watched for a while as she seduced her chosen victims. A pair of young lads. The tallest hooked arms with her but the shorter one remained separate. After another short exchange he too linked his arm with hers. Nothing more would happen inside the club so he left by the exit and waited for his quarry and her quarry. He took to the shadows at the corner of the club. He shimmied up a drainpipe and crouch walked back across so that he was positioned over the exit.

  Moments later Francesca emerged with her oblivious victims. Fulton stalked them across the rooftops. The trio below him came to a stop. Fulton moved a little further and stepped off the roof. He dropped to the ground and landed noiselessly shrouded in shadow.

  He stepped out to where the three were waiting.

  Don't lead them on," he said. "There's no car."

  He had on his vampiric features and stared at the humans. The blood faded quickly from their faces. They turned to Francesca at almost the exact same moment.

  "Let's get out of here," The shorter said.

  But then they got a good look at her face which was contorted to match Fulton's.

  "Holy shit!" The tall one said.

  Both youths tried to run but Francesca held them fast.

  "I never expected to see you again," Francesca said to Fulton.

  He just shrugged in return.

  "I had to find you. I wandered for a while but I always felt like something was missing. That's when I decided I had to find you."

  "I'm sorry to interrupt but do you need us for this reunion?"

  Francesca regarded the youth who had spoken. "I think we do," She shoved him to Fulton.

  "We should drink a toast," she said eyeing him.

  Fulton knew that she was testing him. Suddenly he didn't care, all he wanted was to please her. "What will we drink to?"

  "Do we need anything more than your homecoming?"

  Fulton concentrated on all his guilt. His anger and self loathing. The hatred. He was a killer. A monster. His own parents had forgotten him. Francesca was who he belonged with.

  Fulton leaned down and buried his fangs in the lads neck. Blood squirted from the wound and he gulped it down.

  He looked up at Francesca. "To coming home."

  She smiled gleefully and feasted on her own victim.

  When the bodies had stopped twitching and lay cooling in the night Francesca called Fulton over.

  "Come, you will return with me to my nest."

  When Fulton did not move she turned on him. "I am not used to being disobeyed."

  Fulton sketched a shallow bow. "Not disobedience," he said. "But I have a quicker way back. Assuming you really don't have a car."

  Francesca let him lead her to where he had parked his motorcycle.

  "Oh," she said trailing a hand along the curves of the machine. She had the tip of her index finger of her right hand just at the edge of her mouth and she gave it a little nip.

  "Would it be too much of a cliché to say how much I like to have a big throbbing machine between my legs?"

  "Yes."

  Chapter Thirteen

  Gabriella had deigned to mingle with the uninspired dross that constituted the majority of the nest. They were just about fit to be minions but nothing more. The good thing about them was that they seemed to recognise their inferiority, in particular they recognised their insignificance compared to Francesca and herself.

  But there were others who seemed to be forgetting their place. They were always subservient when Francesca was around, but lately they had stopped giving Gabriella the full respect she deserved. They had yet to be blatantly disrespectful to her but she could feel that it was only a matter of time, and not a lot of that, before that started.

  It began with Xavier. He had made no secret of the fact that he disliked her, but now he seemed to be growing bolder. Gabriella had picked up on, and informed Francesca of, his change in attitude. Now as they had feared it was slowly spreading like a cancerous growth. Francesca said that when it got to be a problem she would have him dealt with. Gabriella only hoped she would do it soon before it got too late.

  None of this was what caused Gabriella most concern. The thing she worried about mostly now was Francesca herself. Xavier was conniving and duplicitous but he had very little skill at hiding it from her. Francesca on the other hand may have been hiding things from Gabriella for a long time. If she had not seen her on that fateful night she would never have known that anything had gone on. How many other times were there that she didn't know about?

  Even now Francesca could be betraying her.

  Gabriella walked amongst the unfortunates who, like her, had to wait caged up here for others to return with victims for them to feed on. Unlike her, who had her victims hand picked by Francesca and brought back live so that she could make the kill, these just had to make do with what they could get. If all that was brought back were a few half drained slobs that was what they got.

  She meandered from this side chamber back to the floor of the main chamber which was overlooked by hers and Francesca's private rooms.

  A handful of workers carried equipment and
plans back towards a space they had cleared in the nearest of the rear areas that had been abandoned by the humans without being refurbished. Many of those areas had been sealed off with heavy sheets of thick metal welded across the doorways. It was done at Francesca's order but based on Xavier's recommendation.

  Xavier stood talking with Jacques. He gestured at another small group of newcomers and the other vampire nodded. There was another exchange of words before Xavier waved his hand imperiously and Jacques moved off.

  Xavier turned to see Gabriella staring at him. He came over to her.

  "Bored?"

  "A little," Gabriella was amused to see a brief look of confusion on his face at her lack of some sort of comeback or insult.

  He surprised her himself by not making some malicious comment on her unusual response. "You want to be out there with her?"

  Gabriella nodded. "I grow tired of this waiting."

  "As do I," Xavier nodded without taking his eyes off her. "But fear not the Mistress will soon return."

  "I hope so. As it is I can hardly wait."

  Xavier took his leave of her and went off in the direction of his own private rooms, as Francesca's lieutenant he was also entitled to a space removed from the rest of the crowd. Gabriella watched him leave.

  From outside there came the sound of an engine. It was switched off. Moments later Francesca walked in through the main entrance. She was followed in by a male vampire in biker’s leathers. They had blood on their faces but there was no indication that Francesca had brought anything back for Gabriella.

  Not knowing what this meant she jogged uncertainly over to Francesca. Her lover took her up in an embrace. They shared a kiss and the coppery taste of blood made her hunger.

  Francesca put her down and moved to include the newcomer in the conversation.

  "Gabriella, this is Fulton." The other vampire nodded curtly in her direction.

  "Fulton was separated from me after I turned him some time ago. I meant to bring him into the nest then. He has only recently sought me out. I'm going to take him upstairs to fill him in on how all this works. It is my hope he will become a valuable member of our family."