by Stead, Nick
I dragged the woman to the floor, my taste buds awash with her blood. It drove me into a frenzy, and I released her leg to ravage her face, carving deep tracks beneath my fangs and obliterating all physical traces of her identity. She was still alive when I rose from her to finish off the man, but I wasn’t worried. Her gun would prove useless if she tried firing blind.
I turned to find the man’s gun pointing at me once more. He fired as I lunged for him, the bullet barely missing my head. Then I was on him, biting into his other side and ripping the flesh with a savage shake of my head. His gun went off again but the shot didn’t even come close to hitting me, then he was dropping it for the second time, his hands grasping my jaws in a desperate bid to pull them off. It was too late. A hole opened up and intenstine slipped through. The man fell to his knees, disabled by the pain. I left him to his slow and agonising death, limping back to Amy. We were so close to escaping now.
“God, Nick,” she said, her gaze roaming over my blood flecked maw and gore spattered fur. “How did you get so violent?”
I growled and turned away, trusting her to follow me. But no sooner had we rounded the final corner than another obstacle appeared – this time in the form of the battle-scarred older Slayer, with his lack of fear and seemingly perfect aim. My heart sank. After everything we’d been through, was this really how it was going to end?
Those grey eyes met mine with all the emptiness of the void. How could I have missed the warning signs he was waiting for us? I cursed myself for being so careless, resigned to suffering another mortal wound in this one last battle. But maybe I could still save Amy.
I was about to make my move, hoping to take him down with me so my sister could flee the base and hopefully make it to our allies, when the man raised his gun so that it pointed harmlessly at the ceiling. He stood aside, gesturing for us to pass him. I stared. This made even less sense than him turning on David, and I wanted to ask “Who are you?”
But of course he couldn’t understand my growling, so there was nothing for it but to slink past, eyeing him with distrust all the while. I half expected it to be a trick, yet he made no move to attack as we passed, merely returning to his previous position. Answers would have to wait until the next time we crossed paths. For that night, I was just grateful he’d given us a free pass from the building.
I heard him reporting the area was clear as we reached the door. The security cameras had been disabled as well, so did that mean the older Slayer meant for us to escape all along? I wondered if it was all his doing or if some of the others might be in on it. Could there be some strategical reason for killing David and allowing us to go free? I wanted to question him more than ever, but the outside world was beckoning and my mind returned to all that was at stake.
With the Slayer’s help, we were able to slip out of the building without being intercepted by any more groups. It was only once we were up the stairs and finally breathing the fresh air of the woods outside that shouts of alarm went up from the guards stationed there.
More gunfire came from behind, but they weren’t aiming at us that time. Someone was running up the staircase, panting heavily, and moments later Selina appeared in the doorway. Varin materialised by her side. He disappeared again when they laid eyes on the guards coming our way, only to reappear a second later by the enemies of his mistress.
Varin lunged at the nearest one. Razor sharp fangs sank into soft flesh and the man went down screaming. Bullets tore through shadow, utterly useless for doing any damage. Brief holes appeared where they hit Varin’s body, and closed over seconds later.
One of the men screamed into his walkie-talkie for another of their pet spellcasters to deal with the unearthly threat. Then his arm was in Varin’s jaws and the limb snapped off, his screams turning wordless and the walkie-talkie falling to the floor.
Lady Sarah was the next to appear on the stairs, her lips stained crimson and her eyes alight with that greater telekinetic power she’d gained. More bullets flew towards us but she waved them aside as if they were no more than an annoying swarm of bugs. They veered off course, piercing bark instead of flesh. The Slayers never had chance to fire again, the vampire becoming a blur as she ran at them, sinking her fangs into the first one she came to and drinking deeply.
Finally Zee appeared, bringing up the rear. More Slayers were firing at him and even with the power he and Lady Sarah wielded, the sheer number of humans and their guns kept them from slaughtering everyone. We each had our limitations and there weren’t many chances to feed and regain our energy in the midst of battle. He kept running, keeping his eyes on the enemies ahead and ignoring the ones at the rear.
There was no sign of Gwyn. Either he’d already fallen or they’d had to leave him behind, or it was always possible he’d been able to slip away as well. We didn’t have time to worry about him right then.
I led Amy away from the fighting. She was back to giving me the silent treatment as we waitied between the trees, watching as the vampires killed the remaining guards.
Zee ran three of them through with his sword and Lady Sarah snapped the necks of the other four. They made their way over to us a moment later, then we fled as fast as we were able.
More shots were fired from behind and Lady Sarah was forced to unleash another blast of telekinesis, sending more bullets off course and the nearest humans flying. She wouldn’t be able to keep that kind of power up for long but it bought us enough time to pull ahead, out of range of their weapons. It was only a matter of time before they took to their vehicles though.
My ruined foreleg throbbed with greater urgency. Adrenaline had taken me as far as it could, my body reaching its limits. I collapsed in the dirt, aching and weary.
Blood seeped into the soil around my front paws. I watched it sink beneath the roots of the nearest tree, nourishing it with my cursed life and summoning the unwholesome things lurking beneath the earth.
“On your feet, wolf,” Zee commanded. “We can’t rest yet.”
I shook my head and laid it on my paws, making it as clear as possible I couldn’t run any further.
Lady Sarah gave me a stern look, impatience in her eyes again. “Do you want to save your sister or not?”
“Of course I do,” I growled at her.
Amy broke her silence with me then. She crouched down and placed a hand on my furry back, as though I were just a big dog she wanted to adopt as a pet. “Please, Nick, let’s not stop here. I don’t want to die.”
I looked at her and whined, then turned my amber eyes back to Lady Sarah. “You three take her to safety for me. I’m finished.”
The vampire gave a frustrated shake of her head. “He wants us to go on without him,” she translated.
“No!” Amy cried. “I’m not leaving you here, Nick. You have to come with us, please. I just want us to go home and be a family again.”
“Ask her where home is,” I said. Lady Sarah repeated the question for me with greater impatience.
“It’s an area of Doncaster,” Amy answered.
“Great, anyone know where Doncaster is in relation to here?” I asked.
Selina closed her eyes in concentration. “There’s a road up ahead. The three of you must be able to hear it with your greater senses.”
“What of it?” Lady Sarah said.
“If Nick’s too weak to keep going, maybe we can hitch a lift to his family’s home.”
Zee’s face turned stubborn. “I’m not getting in one of those unnatural beasts the humans ride around in. Horseback is bad enough. I belong on ships, not in some metal monstrosity.”
“Well do any of you have a better idea?” Selina said.
“Is it safe to get in the car with a stranger?” Amy asked us.
I wanted to laugh at that. Of all the things she’d seen over the last few hours, she was worried about the dangers of hitchhiking.
“The driver won’t harm anyone,” Selina assured her. “Sarah and Zee both have the power to hypnotise people into doing wh
at they want.”
Lady Sarah considered her sister, then turned her eyes on the other vampire. “I am not a fan of these modern transport methods either, but it would seem our best hope of delivering the girl back to safety and losing the Slayers.”
I stared at her, amazed. I’d expected her to be as against the idea as Zee, but I was grateful she’d seen sense. It was probably the quickest and safest way of taking Amy back home, and it’d allow my body some time to recuperate. So I also growled my approval for Lady Sarah to translate. That left only Zee with his reservations.
“You don’t have to come with us,” Selina said.
“And stay out here on my own, hunted by our enemies? We’ve got more chance if we stick together, at least until things quieten down and the Slayers call off the hunt. Besides, I owe it to Nick.”
“They never call off the hunt, that’s the problem,” I growled to myself. Lady Sarah heard but made no comment.
He grimaced. “Ah, let’s commandeer one of these things then and be done with it.”
“Wait, what about Gwyn?” I asked.
“We lost him in the fight through the building,” Lady Sarah said. “He was still alive, last we saw. But we know not where he went or whether he escaped like the rest of us. There is no time to go back now.”
More footsteps could be heard crunching across the woodland floor. She was right, Gwyn would have to fend for himself. And as if more guns headed our way wasn’t bad enough, the scent of blood and rotting flesh carried to me on the wind. These weren’t just living Slayers coming for us. The necromancer had indeed slipped through the carnage with his or her life, and was apparently still raising dead servants to drag us back to the grave with them. We needed to put as much distance between ourselves and the base as possible before the night was through.
Summoning whatever last shred of energy was left to me, I rose onto trembling paws and started forward again. We almost made it to the edge of the woods without any further attacks, but then we picked up the heavy footfalls of a large man circling round, and moments later he appeared between the trees, gun raised and shouting to his allies “Over here!”
“Don’t be a fool, Fawcett!” a second voice called back to him. “There’s too many of them.”
“Then come help me, you coward,” he retorted.
To his credit, the man showed real courage as we advanced on him, his feet planted firmly on the ground and his gun unwavering, his bulk making him an impressive figure in the darkness. I was reminded of the bear I’d faced earlier and I couldn’t help feeling a measure of respect for the human blocking our path. But he was still our enemy and sparing him wasn’t an option.
More gunshots rang through the night. Then Lady Sarah was on him, ripping the gun from his hands and sinking her fangs into his thick neck. Her canines punctured his jugular but there was no time to feed. She withdrew from the temptation with a look of pure hunger, her mouth parted and a stream of blood spilling over her bottom lip. Her tongue snaked out as she turned away, smearing crimson across her pale skin. I could see the longing in her eyes to go back for more.
Varin also darted in, savaging the big man’s calf and forcing him to his knees. The Slayer’s face was a mask of pain and shock as he placed a hand to the twin holes in his neck. We turned away and resumed our flight, leaving him to his death.
I could see the edge of the woods now. Salvation was at hand, and it spurred us onwards. Just a little further.
The moon reappeared from behind the clouds. Its call added another boost to my willpower and somehow I managed to keep moving through the aches and pains, and the blood loss sapping away at my reserves.
We passed out from between the trees in a rush of relief. My legs buckled under me then and I fell by the roadside, exhausted and weak. I was done.
CHAPTER THIRTY
New Hope
Selina rushed to my side and began bandaging my wound, using some kind of large leaf this time.
“Come on, Nick,” she said. “We need to keep moving.”
I growled.
“This will help with the bleeding but we can’t stay here. We could be waiting ages for the next car to come along.”
She was right – we were on a twisting country road, quiet and secluded. Lady Sarah had already started along it, her eyes fixed on the road ahead.
“There is a car approaching, but we should walk on to meet it. My sister is correct – it is not safe to wait for it to come to us.”
Sure enough, the sound of a distant vehicle reached my ears. I sighed and forced myself to stand again.
We pushed on. Headlights soon appeared, like a pair of glowing eyes in the darkness. They grew bigger by the minute, the roar of the engine growing louder. Lady Sarah stepped out to meet it and the driver slammed on the brakes, the vehicle screeching to a halt just inches from her frail looking body.
A door opened and slammed as the driver got out. I glanced at his angry face then back at the car. God knows what we would have done if it had been a small two seater, but luck was with us that night – it was some kind of family vehicle, big enough for the five of us to squeeze into.
My gaze slid back to the man. All the rage had drained from his features, replaced by a dazed expression. Lady Sarah had him under her spell.
“We are friends in need of a lift to Doncaster. You will take us there, in silence. Speak only if spoken to and ask no questions, and follow any instructions I give you.”
He listened without argument, completely docile. Then she released him to carry out her bidding and he climbed back into the driver’s seat, waiting for us to get in.
Lady Sarah took the passenger seat beside him so she could use more of her hypnotic power if needed. Amy climbed into the middle of the backseat, Selina sitting to the right of her and Zee reluctantly settling on the left. I was loaded into the boot which was at least big enough for me to lie comfortably and nurse my wounds. Varin had since disappeared, though he would no doubt be back as soon as Selina called on him again.
We pulled away just in time, several Slayers both living and dead bursting from the trees in a final attempt to stop us. I watched their forms dwindling as our car raced down that dark stretch of road. Eventually they were swallowed up by the night, unable to catch us or put any more bullets in our flesh. But we were lucky. If they’d appeared just a moment sooner they may well have got in enough shots to render the car useless, and I would probably have been taken prisoner again or worse.
The rest of the drive was uneventful, though I never completely relaxed until we made it to the address Amy gave us. I kept expecting the Slayers to appear in their own vehicles or to use their influence with the authorities to set up road blocks, but we saw no more evidence of them that night.
I had to wonder if the seasoned soldier I kept encountering was the reason for us getting away so easily, at least in part, and my suspicions around him grew. Was this all just another elaborate plot to try and catch a larger group of us? Or was there something even more sinister at work?
My curiosity burned as strongly as my suspicions. I hoped we would cross paths again. There were so many unanswered questions, like who was he and why would he turn on David? And why had he been so set on killing me a few months ago, only to let me escape that night, and even help make that happen? Could it be that our enemies were divided, some of them wanting to try and set another trap for as many of us as possible, and others wanting to see me dead at the first opportunity? I could believe that most of them would be against the game David had set up – it would have been far easier just to kill us while they had us at their mercy, instead of taking us alive and putting us through the various torments he’d devised. But why capture us at all when they could have put a stop to the game at any moment if they’d been willing to kill its architect all along?
Those questions were soon driven from my mind as we reached the area of Doncaster Amy had indicated and she directed us to the right street. The hardest part of the night was yet t
o come.
“You can go now,” Lady Sarah instructed the human, once we were all out of his car. “Drive away and remember nothing of this journey.”
The man had no option but to do as he was told, powerless to resist her spell.
“Come inside with me, Nick,” Amy said. “I know you can’t stay but at least see Mum before you go.”
Once again I had to speak through Lady Sarah, growling in the wolven tongue and letting her translate so Amy could understand.
“I can’t, sis. How do you think Mum’s going to react when she sees me like this? Even if the vampires use their power to keep her calm, she’s still not going to be thrilled to see me in this form.”
“Wait till morning then when you change back. That is what happens, right? When the full moon goes down and the sun comes up you turn back into yourself?”
“It’s not safe. The longer we stay here, the more risk there is of the Slayers finding us and using you to get to me again. You’ve no idea how badly I want to stay, but I can’t. You have to let us go.”
Tears filled her eyes. “Will I ever see you again?”
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly.
She threw her arms around my neck and hugged me, reluctant to let me go. I was glad she couldn’t understand the next thing I said, knowing she would argue against it if I’d been speaking English.
“Okay. Make her forget like you did with that man just now.”
“It is for the best.” Lady Sarah’s voice was gentler than usual, her eyes softening a little. She turned to Amy and led her to one side, using her hypnosis once more. “You ran away with Hannah but wanted to come back home and the two of you fell out. You know not where Hannah is now, nor do you remember where you were exactly when you went your separate ways. You remember nothing of the Slayers, the dungeon they put us in or your brother. We are just a group of concerned neighbours who were out walking our dog when we found you and escorted you home.”
