Vampire Worshippers [Part 1]_Gods of our Souls Series

by Mira Crest

  “It’s the second story,” she said. She looked up at him and realized that this wouldn’t be a problem for a vampire. “Oh.” She motioned for him to go back to her room and use her window. After he disappeared into her bedroom, she ran down the stairs. If her mom was right on schedule, she would be snoozing in her chair, with her back to the front door.

  On the TV screen, a man in a suit was announcing the winner of a game show. His beautifully dressed assistant handed him a card to read off from. Virginie’s eyes looked away from the television set and moved around the room. She must have been asleep in her chair.

  Movement caught her eye as a shadow appeared on the front porch. Axel’s head appeared in the window next to the door as he peered in. She motioned for him to get away from the door. As soon as he was out of view, she called out, “Hey, Mom. I’m going to meet Olivia for a quick milkshake.”

  As her mom roused from the chair and sat up straight, Virginie could see the top of her head reemerge. “Oh okay, honey,” she said. She waved a hand at her daughter. “Do you have your phone on you?”

  “Yup. It’s just going to be a couple blocks down so it won’t take long.”

  “Alrighty, honey. Do you need any money?”

  “Naw, I’m good, Mom. Thanks. Love you,” she said as she rushed to the front door and closed it behind her.

  “She didn’t see me?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “Believe me, if she saw you, I would have gotten an earful about having a boy up in my room,” she said as she started jogging down the sidewalk. “Come on. It’s this way.”

  * * *

  Luckily for Virginie, the burger joint was only a couple blocks from her house. She quickly ran the distance with Axel in tow. The place itself had a retro diner feel with large geometric shapes for the main structures of the building. The roof was a striking triangular shape which was narrow and spanned the entire building. The façade had tawny wood siting above large windows. From the sidewalk, Virginie could see the red barstools and crimson leather booths, which stood out against the stainless-steel counters and appliances. It was a local chain that spanned the county, each of them with their own 50’s diner-style flair.

  With only one thing in mind, Virginie walked right through the doorway and weaved her way past the line for the register. Olivia sat at a table at the far end of the building with two men, both of which were so handsome that Virginie almost wished that they weren’t dangerous. She instantly recognized the blonde. Lance. The guys in the band had called him by name. She stopped, suddenly realizing that she didn’t have a plan. The restaurant wasn’t bustling, but there were enough people that Virginie didn’t want to make a scene. She rushed to a spot next to a window and an empty booth to think.

  Her thoughts raced. They wouldn’t dare attack Olivia in public, right? I need to get her attention so that I can tell her what’s going on and we can leave. Luckily for her, she didn’t need to get her friend’s attention.

  “Virginie!” Olivia called, as they both caught each other’s eye. “Virginie, over here!”

  Instead of rushing to the table, Virginie waved her friend over to where she was standing. Olivia furrowed her brows and said something to the men before walking over to her. She was dressed in her favorite dark brown dress with a waist that was cinched with a dark blue floral print elastic middle. She paired it with an oversized maroon hat with a wide margin and a braided piece of matching fabric lining the cap. Olivia dressed for success. Or – in this case – a pictorial to go with her interview. Her black combat boots contrasted the overly feminine dress in typical Olivia-style. She could never stray too far from her punk rock roots. They clunked as she walked up to Virginie and gave her a hug.

  “Oh, my gawd, V,” she said, punctuating her exclamation with a soft squeak. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Tell me those guys aren’t hot. They’re hot, right? H-A-W-T.”

  “You don’t even know them,” Virginie said, getting ready to explain the situation to her.

  Olivia interrupted. “Well, that’s why we’re all having lunch together,” she said. “So, they can interview me, then get to know me and start falling in love with me.” She gave her a wink and a coy smile. “I call the blonde, though.”

  “They’re not who you think they are.”

  “Well, let me figure that out then,” she said. “I’m willing to take that risk.”

  “No, you’re not.”

  “What?” Her smile gave way to a worried look as her eyes scanned Virginie’s face and expression. “What’s the matter? Are you going to go all motherly on me?”

  “We have to go. It’s urgent.” Virginie’s eyes pleaded with her and it didn’t take long for her voice to do the same. “Come on.”

  “What? No. Did you see them?”

  “Don’t make me drag you out of here, kicking and screaming.”

  “I’m not leaving unless you explain what’s going on. And if it’s just because you’re shy or because you’re waiting for Axel to-” Olivia started.

  “No, it’s not because of either of those things,” Virginie interrupted. She looked past Olivia, at the two men at the booth. They stared at the girls. Lance’s bright blue eyes were like lasers that locked onto hers. She quickly looked away.

  “Fine. Whatever. But if he doesn’t call me later because you had to get all needy, I’m going to blame you. You’re going to owe me big-time.”

  “I’ll take full responsibility of your single life,” Virginie said. Emphasis on LIFE, she thought to herself. She reached for Olivia’s hand, but Olivia turned away from her instead.

  “Well, let me just say goodbye,” she said, walking back to the table.

  “What? No,” Virginie’s voice came out in a loud, strained whisper. She watched helplessly as Olivia walked back to the table. Her friend walked back to the booth, all the while she felt frozen – trapped by her fear. She couldn’t move her feet. She wanted to follow her, to ensure that she would be safe, to pull her to safety if she needed, but she couldn’t do it. Her eyes panned the room for something that she could use as a weapon. Unfortunately for her, Mr. Burger seemed like a safe environment. Not even any plastic cutlery sitting out on the tables. She reached for the napkin dispenser on the table next to her but it was affixed to the table. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” she said.

  She looked back to Olivia, who was standing next to the booth, chatting with the boys. Her hand reached over and touched Lance’s shoulder, playfully running her fingers on his black leather coat. The other man sat in between Lance and the window. He nodded slowly, then his gaze darted from her to Virginie and back again. Were they talking about her?

  Did they know who she was?

  Virginie looked around again, desperate to find anything. On the other table next to her, which wasn’t a part of a booth, was a plastic straw, encased in a paper wrapper. He grasped it in her hand then eyed the aluminum chair with the red leather upholstery. I can wield that if I need to, she said. She pocketed the straw in her denim pants and reached for the chair. As soon as she laid her hands on it, Olivia appeared next to her.

  “Ready,” Olivia said, startling Virginie.

  She jumped before resting her hands on the chair again. “Crap, you scared me.” Taking a breath, she composed herself. “Ready?” she repeated. “They just let you go?”

  Olivia cocked an eyebrow. “Of course. They weren’t, like, keeping me hostage. Come on. Let’s go see what’s so urgent,” she said with a scoff.

  Virginie led her outside into the alley behind Mr. Burger. The narrow corridor stank of used oil and burger patties. The stench almost made Virginie want to become a vegetarian.

  “So, what’s out here?” Olivia asked.

  Holding her finger to her mouth, Virginie looked around. Axel was supposed to meet them there. There was a plan. She was supposed to lead Olivia to safety. Then, after that, Axel was supposed to meet them in the alley so he could talk to Olivia and convince her to keep her mouth shut about ev
erything. Virginie panicked. Was Axel all right? The alley looked empty and Olivia was starting to get suspicious.

  “What’s this all about?” she asked again, her voice a little shaky this time.

  “Sorry,” Virginie said. “I didn’t mean to make you nervous. I just- Someone was supposed to meet us here and he’s not…here.” She shook her head. “Doesn’t matter. Listen.” She looked Olivia in the eye. “You have to take down that post. Those guys that you were meeting might be vampires. You know, like the ones that attacked us at the concert. Axel thinks that they might be out to get you so-”

  The sound of someone kicking a soda can caught both of their attention. Both girls turned to the noise and found Lance walking back into the alley.

  “Hey,” Olivia said. She smiled. “What are you…” The words faded as she continued to watch Lance get closer. The girls began to back away. “Are you okay? I didn’t mean to make you mad by leaving. You said it was cool.”

  “Of course, it’s cool,” he said. His voice was smooth, though not quite as deep as Axel’s. His gaze moved from Olivia’s face to Virginie’s. “Who’s your friend?”

  “Just a friend,” she said as the girls continued to back up.

  “Oh, that’s right,” he said. “Look, Frankie. There’s one for you too.”

  From behind them, the sound of footsteps suddenly became apparent. They both turned and found the other man from Mr. Burger, standing in their way. “Oh, good,” he said. “I was getting a little hungry.”

  “Hungry?” Olivia said.

  “We didn’t mean to interrupt your dinner,” Virginie offered. “I’m sorry. We’ll just get going.” She took Olivia’s hand and sidestepped to get around Lance, but he blocked her path. She sidestepped the other way, but he mirrored her movements, blocking her path once again.

  “Oh, you’re not going anywhere, sweetheart.”

  Frankie laughed. “Boy, boy, boy. This is your unlucky day,” he said. “There’s one for the each of us. Which one do you want, Lance?”

  “This one looks feisty,” he said, staring straight into Virginie’s eyes. “I want her.”

  The girls backed up against a wall. Olivia reached into her pocket and pulled out her keys. A small pink bottle dangled from her keychain. “I have pepper spray,” she said. “And I know how to use it.”

  The boys looked at each other and snickered before walking closer to the girls.

  “You know,” Frankie said. “I think I’m okay with that decision. I like this one better, anyway,” he said, nodding toward Olivia. “She’s just as feisty. And she has pepper spray. Who doesn’t like to spice things up?”

  Lance grinned, showing off a set of sharp, white teeth. “I love it when they fight,” he said. “The fear and adrenaline make them taste so much better.” His foot slipped back as he got ready to lunge for Virginie.

  Olivia uncapped the spray and pushed the button, aiming it directly at Lance’s face. It sputtered out a few drops of spray before actually projecting liquid right into his eyes.

  “Hey,” he said, somewhat nonchalantly but annoyed. “That smarts.” He wiped his face with the sleeve of his jacket.

  Without thinking, Virginie grabbed Olivia’s hand and bolted right, knocking over a trash can so they could run out of the alley and into the street. She turned right again as soon as they cleared the corner of the building and sprinted down the sidewalk until they came up to a stranger.

  “Sir,” she said, her heart thumping so hard it felt like it was going to burst out of her chest. “Sir, you have to help us!” She let go of Olivia’s hand and grabbed his suit jacket sleeve.

  He turned around, surprised and alarmed. “What-? What’s going on? Are you two okay? What’s happening?”

  Virginie pointed down the road and she and Olivia began to talk all at once:

  “There are two men-”

  “Someone’s after us!”

  “You have to help!”

  The words flooded out of Olivia’s mouth as she tried to explain what had just happened. It was then that Virginie had realized her mistake. They shouldn’t have stopped to ask for help, not from a human, anyway. There was no point asking a human for help when they were up against vampires.

  “Those two?” was all the man could say before he was flung against the building by Lance’s arm. Virginie and Olivia both backpedaled away.

  Olivia grabbed her hand. “Come on,” she said quickly. “We have to just keep running.” They both darted down the sidewalk and scurried into another alley. They ran faster and faster, sweat forming and flinging off of Virginie’s forehead as they turned around the corner and found a dead end. Her throat caught her breath as they ran to the wall and turned around, clutching onto the brick like it could save them from the two men that were approaching them.

  Lance was in front, grinning wildly. His once handsome face was now menacing with the light from the moon illuminating his white, pointy teeth. His chest heaved.

  Frankie took a step forward as well but before he could get any closer, a dark shadow suddenly appeared in the middle of all four. In between the girls and the attackers was a cloaked figure. Virginie recognized the cloak and Axel’s subtle woodsy cologne.

  “Who the hell are you?” Frankie sputtered.

  “Oh, I think you know me,” said a familiar voice. “And if you don’t, you will, soon.” Axel’s voice calmed Virginie’s mind but her heart continued to race.

  Lance’s bright eyes darkened. “I don’t feel like playing games,” he said. “You’re getting in the way of my dinner and – believe me – I don’t like sharing my food.”

  Axel laughed. “Your food?” he said. “You sure know how to show a lady a good time,” he said, sarcastically. “Now, if you don’t mind-”

  “Actually,” Frankie said. “I do mind.” He threw the first punch. It landed anticlimactically against Axel’s chest with a thump. He threw another and another, straining with each punch as they landed on Axel’s chest, but he didn’t budge. He didn’t even wince. He just stared at Frankie with an impatient glare.

  “If you don’t mind,” Axel said. “You’re proving to be quite a nuisance.” He threw the next punch, which landed hard on Frankie’s face. He flew back and landed in a stack of cardboard boxes.

  Lance flew in from the side, committing to a surprise attack. He threw a punch against Axel’s cheek. The movement cause Axel’s hood to fall back, revealing his presence to everyone in the alley. Beside her, Virginie could see Olivia’s jaw drop at the sight of him.

  Fists and appendages flew as the three men continued to fight. With each passing second, it was apparent that the boys were going to get nowhere with him. Axel was faster, avoiding punches and kicks, then throwing his own in split seconds. He pinned them both against the ground and then stood up. With his sharp teeth bared, he lifted his hands, which began to glow with the mystical blue flame that Virginie recognized from the night of the concert. It was what he had used to protect her from the shadow creature.

  This must be the Maya that everyone was talking about, she thought to herself.

  While the blue flame made Virginie’s eyes glow and widen in surprise and awe, it did the opposite to both the young vampires. They first shielded their eyes but after only a moment, a look of realization appeared on both their faces and they turned and ran.

  “Is that Maya?” Virginie asked.

  Axel calmed himself. His teeth returned to normal and the flame dissipated into thin air. “Yes,” he said. “It is the only thing that can kill vampires.” He took a deep breath and turned to both of the girls. “Are you all right?” he asked.

  They both nodded. Olivia didn’t say anything.

  “We’re fine,” Virginie said. “Thanks to you.”

  “I wanted to show up sooner,” he said. “But I wanted to make sure that they were really vampires and not just sleazebags. I would have saved you from the sleazebags too,” he added. “But I wouldn’t have revealed myself as a vampire.”

&
nbsp; Virginie nodded. “I totally get it. That’s understandable. I wasn’t even worried about that or anything. I knew that you’d be here for us. I just didn’t know if I forgot a part of the plan or anything.”

  Axel shook his head. His eyes moved from her to Olivia. Virginie’s eyes followed his. They both looked at her as she stood in shock. “Huh,” she finally said.

  “You okay?” Virginie asked.

  She nodded. “Yeah, I just.” She pointed to him. “You’re Axel Night.”

  He chuckled and put his hood back on. “Yes, I am,” he said.

  The realization seemed to come to her in waves as she looked from Axel to Virginie and back again. “You’re Axel Night,” she repeated, this time with more vigor.

  Axel nodded, his hood bopping up and down with his head.

  Olivia let out a fangirl scream and held her hands to her mouth. Virginie’s hands followed, covering Olivia’s mouth and sealing it tight. “Shhhh,” she said. “You have to calm down.”

  She nodded, her mouth covered by her hand and the hands of her friend.

  “You have to calm down and take that post down. The one about what happened at the concert.”

  She nodded again, her mouth still covered. She pulled out her phone and tapped on the screen a couple times before scrolling and double tapping again. “Done,” she said. “It’s gone. I swear.” She looked at Virginie. “What’s going on?”

  A grin crept across her face. “I’ll explain later. But right now, we need to get to safety.”

  Chapter 5

  -The Red Hooded Man-

  Virginie walked through the portal, holding onto Axel’s and Olivia’s hands. The bright, well-lit, exquisite mansion that served as their hideout was brilliant and sunny in contrast to the dark, Gothic feel of Nowhere. As soon as their shoes hit the stone floors, she turned to her friend, allowing Olivia to lean against her for support. The transition still made Virginie dizzy.

  Just like before, Virginie sat on the couch – this time, joined by her best friend – and Axel raised his hands to their foreheads to ease the pain and dizziness.