by Claire Marta
“You have betrayed us.”
Her eyes finally shot to Eric’s at his soft response.
“No.” Brows furrowing, she shook her head, the halo of golden hair bouncing around her face. “I love you Eric…both of you. I was only doing what is best for us. The girl is human. Food. You would have grown bored of her quickly enough and why waste time when you can have me instead.”
Eric could not believe his ears. “Did you just use the killer as an opportunity to invite us here? Or do you have a hand in that as well?”
The colour leached rapidly from Lida’s beautiful face and he knew he had his answer. Beside him Asier swore. Andel and Vilem for once wore matching expressions of shock.
Pinning her with a sharp look, Eric allowed his rage to flash fully in his icy blue eyes. “What have you done Lida?”
“I did what I needed to bring you back to me.” She was out of her seat in a blur of movement. Her hand grasped the sleeve of his shirt. “Don’t you feel anything for me, Eric? I love you.”
He could not hide his disgust. “I do not need or want your love, and if you have fooled yourself into thinking that I could ever have such an emotion, then you lack the intelligence I gave you credit for.”
Desperately she turned to Asier.
Loathing was written over the Italian’s face. “Don’t look at me. I don’t want your filthy lies or practised affections.”
Something a kin to madness scuttled across Lida’s features. Before anyone could stop her she was across the room. Ripping a sheathed antique sword from his scarab secured on the wall, she swung back with the deadly blade.
“I have ruined myself for you both, and this is how you repay my love?” Her voice had become an ugly screech. “If I can’t have you then nor will that little human whore.”
Every vampire in the room had tensed. Eric knew that now they had disclosed her involvement with the Ripper, the loyalty of her people would be torn. Lida knew this too. Resignation dulled her tawny brown eyes. With nothing left to lose, she was now far more dangerous than she had been to start with.
“You were always such a drama queen.” Asier sneered. “Now tell us what you have done.”
The gleaming tip of the blade shifted his way. “Do you really think I will tell you now?” Turning her lips up, they curled into an unpleasant smile. “If I’m lucky the little bitch will be next.”
In a flurry of red satiny skirts, the weapon slashed towards them. With honed ease only gained from battle, both Eric and Asier pivoted away. Swinging back round, Lida attacked again. The sudden swell of her power crashed through the room and in the next instant Eric found himself thrown bodily backwards.
Hitting the wall, he was quick to roll to his feet. Slicing down, the metal of the sword clashed with the floor as it missed him. Shrieking her fury, the nest Mistress swivelled to take a swipe at Asier. So focused on them, she was unaware of the danger from one of her own. Vilem did not stand idly by.
Appearing behind her so rapidly he gave her no time to turn. The blade in his hand was a blur of movement and the force of the blow was so mighty that it cleaved Lida’s head cleanly from her shoulders. Mouth still gaping in shock, it erupted into a shower of ash, before it had time to hit the floor.
Silence descended.
Vilem straightened confidently up. “I rightfully take leadership of this nest, with the death of the Mistress by my hand.”
Stiffly Andel rose from his chair. “I will not oppose you.” He told him quietly. “By our laws, you are now the Master of Prague.”
“We did not know of her plans.” Vilem’s attention was now drawn to Eric and Asier. He sounded earnest. “I would have warned you if I had known.”
Eric nodded slowly. “Lida has always been manipulative, but it troubles me we did not learn how far her involvement went with the killer.”
Regret softened the rugged features of the new Master’s face. “There will be no more wasting time. Another companion vanished and tonight we shall begin the hunt to find her.”
***
Jasmine came around woozily. A merciless throbbing was beating at the back of her skull where Carly had knocked her out. The bitch hit hard. Eyes still closed, she licked her dry lips. Her head was hanging forwards, shoulders slumped. Chilliness was numbing her stiff limbs. Jasmine could feel that the warmth of her jacket was missing.
A discordant note of power was vibrating close by. Its unnaturalness made nausea roll in her stomach. Groaning she focused hard on not throwing up. This was when she realised she was bound to a chair. The ropes were cutting uncomfortably deep into her skin. Wrists tied to the armrests, her ankles were secured to the front legs.
Fingers tingling from the restriction of blood flow she wiggled them to try and ease the discomfort. Cracking open her eyelids, she stared down at a dusty stone floor. Then slowly she raised her head. She was in some kind of old building, but nowhere that she recognized.
Candles cluttered one corner. Their light threw dancing shadows across the walls and windows with their glass partially shattered. Rain was streaming in through the broken panes. A growing puddle was spreading across the floor. Gaze wandering around, she encountered a pair of onyx black eyes. The face that they belonged to, she almost didn’t recognize. Gone was the look of youth.
Now it was thin, gaunt. His face was pallid and haggard, he looked sick. The cheerfulness had been replaced with a look of hungry resignation.
Simon. This vamp was Carly’s master. How could he look so different so fast? Fear almost smothered her. Jasmine was chillingly conscious that no one knew where she was. She could only hope Mel had escaped.
The faint trace of magic from the ring she wore reminded her, Twitch could track it. Problem was would it be in time. If Simon was the killer, he probably wouldn’t wait long to end her. Eyes never wavering from his, she tried to free her arms. Her wrists were sore with rope burns and no matter how hard she struggled she could not get free.
Simon wasn’t moving. He continued to just stand there watching her hungrily. No, that was the wrong word. This vampire looked ravenous. Like a starving dog, who had just spied some juicy steak.
“Time for your next shot.” Carly called. She had appeared in the shadowy doorway, a syringe full of yellow liquid held ready in her hand.
The vampire’s attention snapped to the woman. Something akin to fear shadowed his gaze.
“I don’t want another one…it hurts…something’s inside me, I can feel it trying to dig its way out.” Simon muttered, body rocking to and fro in anguish. Hands on his chest, he clawed at the front of his t-shirt, his nails shredding the material. They were longer than normal, more like black tipped claws now.
“Just do as your told Simon. I’m sick of your fucking whining. Lida should have chosen someone else.” Carly snapped. Padding forwards, she gave him a disgusted look.
Simon cringed back.
Jasmine watched as she crowded him into a corner. What the hell was going on? If Simon was the serial killer, how did Carly have power over him? This didn’t make sense. And why had she mentioned Lida?
“Give me your fucking arm.” Carly growled. All her movements were aggressive and she was not backing down.
Simon whimpered. Then yanking up his long armed t-shirt, he bared his flesh. The skin of his arm was a mess of dark bruises and puncture marks. Jasmine had never seen anything like it. Vamps healed fast. Yet somehow it looked like this one had lost that ability.
Without even warning, Carly jabbed the needle into his skin. She pressed down hard on the plunger and the liquid rapidly sank into the vein. Simon hissed, screwing his eyes shut. He looked like he might throw up. Leaning back on the wall, he rested his head against it. He seemed to be struggling with some internal battle.
“Go clean up.” Carly snapped, stepping away.
Simon slowly opened his eyes. They remained black and chillingly soul-less. A muscle began to jerk in his cheek. Then his shoulders slumped and with a look of defeat, he silentl
y limped from the room. Carly watched him go twisting the empty syringe between her fingers.
“What’s wrong with him?” Jasmine asked hoarsely.
The woman turned to face her with hard uncaring eyes. “He can’t feed anymore. The blood doesn’t taste right although he keeps trying. We believe it might be a side effect of activating the ripper gene.”
Jasmine frowned confused. “Activating it?”
“Of course, Rippers are rare. You don’t think we were going to get lucky and stumble across one do you? We want to create one. That’s why we made a deal with Lida. She got the enchanted pieces she wanted to screw with those visiting vamps, and she gave us Simon as a guinea pig.”
Simon had been made into a Ripper? How was that even possible?
Jasmine frowned with confusion. “Why would he agree to that?”
Carly’s laugh was cold and humour-less.
“He didn’t. Simon thinks he’s getting his beloved female companion Margaret in return. And I thought these vamps were supposed to be intelligent.”
Jasmine began to try and loosen her bonds once more. “Let me guess, you killed her.”
“Not me personally, but Doctor Dasyurus needed another test subject.” The woman shrugged. “She didn’t survive.”
Jasmine froze.
Doctor Dasyurus? She had heard that name before. He was the monster responsible for a toxin that had almost been released in Paris. A mastermind who sat behind the scenes and unleashed his monstrous creations on the world. This was all his doing?
“What the fuck are you doing mixed up with that lunatic?”
Surprise lit Carly’s features for a moment. “I see you’ve heard of him. Believe me he’s a saviour, not a lunatic.”
“He kills people.” Jasmine argued back.
“He saved me.” Carly replied, her voice taking on a breathy edge. “Doctor Dasyurus ended the vampire fucker who had taken me as his plaything, who thought it was perfectly fine to abuse me, use me and keep me like a half starved dog in his basement for months after draining my boyfriend dry. The Doctor gave me a true purpose, he knows the horrors I went through and showed me I couldn’t go back to my old life and family after what had happened. Instead he handpicked me for this task because he knew I was strong enough to infiltrate the nest and take everything those monsters could dish out without breaking.”
“Your family would have contacted the Authorities; they would have been searching for you as a missing person...they’re probably worried sick looking for you.” Jasmine continued not liking the dreamy look in Carly’s eyes.
The other woman gave a sudden bitter laugh. “Do you really think that would have mattered? These blood suckers have all the power. They control the law and media. They’ve enslaved us already and we can’t even see it.”
Jasmine shook her head, wincing as pain flashed through her skull. “That’s not true.”
Carly began to fiddle with the empty syringe again. “If you can’t see the truth then you’re just as blind as all the other sheep, and I’m wasting my breath.”
“Don’t you care that you’re killing all these innocent women after what happened to you? Fuck, where’s your empathy?” Jasmine asked knowing she already had her answer. Carly was damaged goods, and Doctor Dasyurus was using her as a pawn in one of his twisted games.
“It’s for a greater cause and if this works they didn’t die in vain. We can use the results to create weapons to stop these freaks of nature spreading any further.” Carly replied with such a sincere look of conviction that Jasmine felt a jab of fear.
“Mel will be back at the nest by now. They will be looking for you.” She pointed out.
“It doesn’t matter. Simon’s had the last injection, so we don’t need to go back there. It’s just a matter of observing its affects when he tries to feed again.” An evil grin spread across Carly’s lips.
THE MISSING COMPANION HAD BEEN located. Tina had simply left. Jasmine’s team had found her at the train station. She had been unhurt, just wanting to go home.
Unsettlingly they had not heard from Jasmine. She had not been waiting in Conall’s room. Eric was trying not to panic. He was on his way out to find her. If she was angry with him, it was more than justified. He could not allow her to walk the streets, while a killer was on the loose nor in this weather.
Rain was coming down in thick, icy sheets and the storm was raging in full force. Eric took the staircase two at a time. He had no time to waste. His feisty female was out there somewhere and she needed to be found.
Conall was not far behind him. He knew his comrade was also worried about the girl. A commotion met him as he reached the bottom, Eric could see some of the other vampires and Asier. They seemed to be assembled around a couple.
Jakul was trying to calm his hysterical human female. She was rain soaked. Clothes drenched, her hair clung to her face like sodden rats tails. His hands were stroking her cheeks gently. Voice a murmur, he seemed to be trying to soothe her.
“You.” She lunged towards Eric. “Jasmine’s in danger, you have to help her.”
Eric froze at Mel’s words. Panic tried to expand within him, but he ruthlessly pushed it down.
Instead he pinned her with an intense and chilling stare. “What danger?”
“That bitch Carly…she had a gun, she’s working with a vampire…I think it might be the Ripper.” She babbled.
Fear clutched his chest. This was a sensation he rarely felt. Jasmine was in the hands of the killer? No it could not be. Curbing the urge to grab the woman and shake her, he took a steadying breath.
“Where is she?”
The female wiped a clump of wet hair from her face. “We were in the old town square…she attacked Carly so I could get away…”
“I must find her.” Eric tried to keep the alarm from his voice, but failed. When a hand rested on his arm, he turned his head to meet a pair of concerned familiar eyes.
“I wish to help you amico mio.” Asier informed him firmly.
Eric nodded without hesitation. The more individuals that searched for her, the quicker she would be found. Whatever anger he felt towards his friend could wait. All that mattered now was Jasmine’s safety.
“I shall have my brother send some people to look for her and search myself.” Jakul assured him earnestly. “She put herself at risk tonight to save my Mel. I can never repay that debt.”
The woman stepped into the vampire’s waiting arms. Burying her face against his chest, she clung to him tightly. Her shoulders were shaking. Whatever had kept her going this long had finally depleted. Her sobs were soft as she cried. The dampness of her clothes and hair soaked into Jakul’s shirt and trousers.
Eric moved away. His thoughts now turned to hunting the killer. They may have only a few hours left to find them. That was if Jasmine was not yet dead. Do not be dead. The words screamed out in his brain.
The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. Panic tried to rise again. Taking a breath, he submerged his emotions beneath a glacial discipline. He could not afford to feel. Not now. Emotions were more likely to cost Jasmine her life. He needed his icy control.
“Conall, contact Jasmine’s team. I wish to know if Twitch is still tracking her.” Eric told the Irish vampire in an aloof tone.
Without a word Conall nodded. Slipping a mobile phone from his pocket, he began to make the call. The familiar ice slipped back into place. No longer clouded with emotions, Eric could now think logically.
Carly. This human belonged to Simon. He was not among the vampires gathered. Was he the Ripper? Eric frowned. He had not seemed out of control. No signs of madness had been witnessed. As suspects went, he had been nowhere near the top of the list. This did not make sense.
“She is not just your favoured human is she?” Asier murmured. His lavender eyes were now guarded.
The little female was Eric’s. Favoured human or not, he would not be letting her go. This time he would be keeping her.
“She works for Sco
tland Yard. She and her team are here to hunt the Ripper. I believe Simon is the one we are looking for.” Eric murmured in response.
If the Italian vampire was surprised he did not show it. Instead he scrubbed a hand over his face.
“And now she is in his clutches.” Was all he muttered in response.
THE BLADE OF A KNIFE was pressed against the skin of Jasmine’s throat. Flooded with fear, she sat frozen.
“Just a little nick. That should set Simon off.” Carly told her with a malicious smile, as she pushed a little harder.
The vampire in question was watching, a riot of emotions struggling across his ravaged face. Jasmine’s eyes locked with his. He didn’t want to do this. She could see it in his black fearful eyes. He was a victim just as much as the women he had killed.
The sharp sting of the blade suddenly sliced into her. The beating of Jasmine’s heart began to roar through her ears, as she felt the trickle of blood roll down her neck. Simon snarled. Lips curling back, he bared his lengthening fangs. His gaze was glued to the drop of crimson. Starvation contorted his face into a grotesque mask, as he licked his lips and prowled closer.
“Please Simon.” Jasmine’s voice was high and pleading. “Don’t do this. I know you’re a victim too. They made you do this, it isn’t your fault.”
Indecision suddenly warred across Simon’s face at her words.
“Just fucking hurry up.” Carly snapped from where she stood, the knife clutched in her hand. “The sooner you feed, the quicker I’m done with your pathetic arse.”
Hatred burning in his black eyes, the vampire’s shoulder stiffened. Quivering in the air power rose so quickly, it made goosebumps race across Jasmine’s skin. Grating against her sixth sense, it left her dizzy with its sharpness.
Carly suddenly began to scream. Horizontal slashes began to appear across her jumper. They were deep, long cuts. The light green material darkened as blood gushed from the opening wounds.
