In Blood

by C M Thorne

  “That was not very nice, mon petit.” Henri twisted his wrist and his vision blurred as the broken bones in his wrist pierced his skin and blood ran down his arm. Henri raised Caleb’s arm to his mouth and lapped at the blood. “Delicious,” he grinned at him, fangs fully intended and blood stained. He pushed Caleb to the ground once again, stepping around him as he let out a scream.

  He walked slowly over to the girls. “You should be more careful in the future, dear Caleb, with who you choose to entice,” Henri licked his lips as he lowered himself over Dinah. “Assuming you live through this, I mean.” He sunk his fangs into Dinah’s neck, putting his hand over her mouth to muffle her pained whimpers and groans.

  A whooshing sound made Cal whip his head around from his position on the ground of the new dining space as the door to the apartment slammed back open. Rainer stood in the doorway, chest heaving, dripping from the rain, and eyes blazing with anger. “Henri,” he spat through clenched teeth, “let the humans go.”

  “Or what?” Henri let Dinah go and her head hung forward heavily. “Will you report me?” He asked mockingly. He stood up and laughed as he walked over to Caleb.

  “You’ll be lucky if I let you live to even be reported,” Rainer clutched the doorframe, causing it to crack and groan as he glared at Henri. His pained, distracted mind sidetracked into thinking about how vampires needing to be invited in must be true. Then who invited Henri?

  “Oh dear,” Henri held his hands up as if he was surrendering before chuckling. He shook his head and licked his lips, making eye contact with Rainer to taunt him.

  Rainer growled and the wood of the doorframe splintered as he dug his fingers into the part of the doorframe he could touch. Caleb had always wondered what exactly kept vampires out of people’s dwellings. He was in mortal danger, but his mind wandered off into the logistics of it. It had to be magic, though he wasn’t sure how that worked. Could a vampire be uninvited? Pain spiked through his arm and his mind swam as he thought he would like to uninvite Henri from his sister’s apartment.

  Henri chuckled and knelt down next to Caleb, grinning up at Rainer wickedly. Henri made a hungry moan as he picked up Caleb’s arm. He licked the wound before biting into the soft flesh below his broken, already bleeding wrist. Caleb groaned, pain spiking up his arm like an ice pick as the vampire drank deeply. His vision was fuzzy around the edges and his head pounded angrily.

  Henri released Cal’s arm from his mouth roughly, tilting his head back and letting the blood run from the corners of his mouth. He looked at Rainer with his mad, icy blue eyes, licking at the runaway blood. “Le sang est divin!” The French words rolled off his tongue as he dropped Caleb’s limp, broken arm and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

  Hot pain spiked through Caleb arm, radiating throughout his body as if his veins were carrying searing poison instead of blood. His vision blurred as he clutched at his destroyed wrist, feeling all he needed to do was scream, but no sound came out when he opened his mouth. The pain took him over, rolling in and threatening the blackness of unconsciousness. A crunching, splintering sound yanked him back into the moment like slap in the face. He looked over to Rainer as the vampire ripped into the doorframe, pulling free a chunk and throwing it at Henri in a blur. The wood hit Henri in the chest, sending him flying into the wall behind him. He broke through the thin wall into the room behind the living room as if it were cardboard, not wood and plaster. Dust flew out into the living room in a soft, grey cloud.

  “Who lives here?” Rainer fumed, clutching the broken frame. “Who’s name is on the lease?”

  Caleb looked over to the girls, feeling helpless as he answered, “Them.” He noticed that his sister was no longer conscious and fear tugged at his gut. Was she dead? He didn’t have time to find out. Erica was sitting next to her, looking shocked and grey from the blood loss. Her eyes were having trouble focusing as she blinked slowly and looked to Rainer in a dazed state.

  The rubble shifted in the other room and Henri groaned loudly, swearing in French. Caleb glanced at Rainer, whose eyes looked frantic.

  “Look at me girl,” Rainer growled deeply, pressing against the invisible barrier keeping him from entering the apartment. Erica looked up at him, her eyes glazed over and head lolling around. “Invite me in,” he spat, eyes flicking to the hole in the wall as Henri shifted around.

  Her eyes widened and her head rolled around as she looked to Dinah next to her. “Oh, no,” she spoke. “Is she dead?” Her voice was weak, but filled with alarm.

  “Erica, please invite him in,” Caleb spoke slowly, through gritted teeth.

  She looked at him and her face scrunched up into a confused, bleary look. Erica looked over at Rainer as Henri jumped back through the wall easily, the blood mess of his chest already healing through the tatters of his shirt. Caleb knew that vampires healed quickly, but it was astounding to see. His vision pulsed as he stared at Henri.

  “Where were we?” He looked around with a wicked grin spreading across his lips. “Ah, yes,” he turned his attention to Erica.

  “Come in!” Erica yelled weakly at Rainer as her eyes bugged out in fear.

  Caleb barely glanced to Rainer as his eyes seemed to light up and he stepped over the door jamb. Before he knew what was happening, Rainer flashed inside as Caleb felt himself leave the ground and slam into something hard next to the sliding glass doors. The air rushed out of him and he realized Henri had picked him up, twisting his broken arm around behind his back as his other hand snaked up and wrapped around his throat. Rainer stood on the other side of the room, in front of the tied-up girls.

  “Before you think of anything too rash,” Henri hissed, tightening his grip on Caleb, “I want you to know something, dear Rainer.” A nail broke through the soft skin of Caleb’s throat and his whimpered involuntarily as it stung and spread hot pain across his neck.

  “You have an incredible amount of gall,” Rainer snarled, hunching over slightly with his hands at his sides, curled into what Caleb could only call claws.

  “You angered the wrong vampire,” Henri sounded smug as he added, “Mister von Ostereich-Este.” Rainer’s blazing amber eyes widened and Henri chuckled, “Yes, I know who you are.” He ran his forefinger along Cal’s jaw tauntingly as he continued, “I am after all, aware of who your sire is.”

  “Lies!” Rainer spat.

  “I contacted a friend of mine, who happens to be one of her progeny, after your offensive at your club.” Henri sounded enraged, tightening his grip on Cal’s arm and throat. “He was more than pleased to hear that you had been found.” He stepped back as Rainer tensed and looked like he might leap. “I’d protect whichever poor witch you roped in help keep you hidden, Rainer,” Henri laughed, cold breath tickling the back of Caleb’s neck.

  Rainer’s nostrils flared as he lowered himself and snarked, baring his extended fangs. “Why?”

  “You irritated me,” Henri answered flatly, flippantly. “Have fun with Livia.”

  Without warning, Caleb wasn’t being held anymore, collapsing onto the ground roughly as the sound of glass shattering filled his ears. Rainer flashed in above him as his vision blurred from pain. His arm had smacked the ground, causing the pain to overwhelm him.

  “May I heal you?” Rainer asked, suddenly bending over him, though his voice sounded too soft and far away.

  “What?” Caleb choked out.

  “My blood,” Rainer answered with impatience. “My blood will heal your wounds.”

  “Yes,” he sputtered, trying to nod his head.

  Rainer’s wrist was abruptly at his lips and hot liquid poured into his mouth in pulses. It was strangely sweet and bitter, like biting into tin foil yet not as jarring. He gulped it down, first resisting the urge to retch and then liking the taste as it turned almost savory in nature. A little more swirled around onto his tongue before Rainer’s hand moved away from his lips. Caleb sucked in a long breath and felt like his pulse was slowing down as his breathing got easier.

/>   “How do you feel?” Rainer asked, concern furrowing his brow as he looked Caleb’s body over desperately with his amber eyes, watching the wounds on his arm.

  Caleb looked down as his body tingled and went numb. The bones of his wrist slowly lowered back below the torn flesh that smoothed together, stitching itself back unmarred skin. He knew that vampiric blood was said to heal, but what it was not recognized as or seen as an acceptable medicinal solution to the medical community. He was amazed as he watched his wounds close up, leaving only behind the coagulated, drying blood on his skin. How could you not want to use this to solve all wounds. He laughed quietly to himself, remembering his father’s speech about such ‘patients’ of vampiric healing falling into cases of ‘accidental vampirism’ themselves.

  “Better,” he finally answered, feeling a little fuzzy. He looked up at the vampire bent over him, noticing his broad, strong shoulders through his soaking wet shirt.

  Rainer nodded once, “Good. I’m going to help your sister and Erica.” He looked into Caleb’s eyes for a long moment before turning to help and the girls. For a second, he wondered how Rainer knew Erica’s name, and then he remembered that he had said it earlier and scoffed at himself.

  Caleb sat there and looked over his arm. Henri’s bite had faded into a pale pink scar and was becoming lighter by the second. He was still covered in his blood, which objectively meant he didn’t look too hot, despite now feeling amazing. His arm felt strong as he clenched his fingers and became enamored with the way his muscles tensed and flexed. Had he always been able to see the individual muscles move beneath his skin before? Had he never paid close enough attention before? Or was he just hyper focusing? Perhaps this was all a side effect of the vampire blood now coursing through his system.

  He looked up at Rainer, who had untied the girls and healed them the same way he had healed Caleb. He was talking to Dinah in a slow, deep, melodically hypnotic voice about how she needed to forget what had happened. Cal shifted onto his knees and lurched up off the ground, listening more intently to the vampire’s hushed words.

  “Someone broke into your apartment,” Rainer was telling Cal’s sister. “They ran away before you got here. You need to tell your insurance and the building manager so everything can be fixed or replaced.”

  “Was Cal home?” Dinah asked foggily, concern written on her face.

  “No, Caleb found a place today and moved out. He appreciated you taking him in, but this opportunity was too good to pass up.” Rainer answered. “He was not here. He has not been. Caleb is safe.”

  “Uh,” Caleb cleared his throat. Rainer glanced back at him with a concerned face. “Where am I going to live if I’m not staying here?” Cal asked with a loud whisper.

  Rainer moved away from Dinah and she bent down to start picking up some of the mess in the apartment, as Erica had already mindlessly started doing. “Henri will inevitably try something like this again,” he explained. “Even though he already sought a supposed power beyond himself to exact his supposed revenge, he is far too impulsive and cocky to let this all lie.” Rainer looked around as he spoke.

  He ran a hand through his thick hair, a habit that Caleb seemed to share with the vampire as he had seen him do it several times last night. He almost raised his own hand to do the same, but caught it with the other hand and wrung them together in front of his body. Something about the little habit seemed to make Rainer even more attractive to Cal. He watched Rainer as the vampire examined the apartment and the girls working away, his eyes dazzling, burning with intensity.

  Rainer looked back to Cal. “The best way for you to stay safe is to live alone, so one else can extend an invitation to a vampire.”

  Caleb could not help himself as he laughed, “I cannot afford to live alone!” He stifled his laughter and apologized, “I am sorry. It’s just that I’m broke and I am pretty confident I don’t have a job anymore since my dad basically got me the job with the Christian bookstore. Not to mention the fact that he is literally the pastor to the owner. After the other night,” Caleb sucked in a breath, realizing that he was starting to rant, “I just don’t have the money. Or a job.”

  “Until we can figure something else out, I will put my condo in your name,” Rainer replied matter of factly. “I will protect you.”

  Caleb’s mouth actually fell open as he looked at the vampire dumbfounded.

  “This is way too much,” Caleb shook his head, backing up. “I cannot accept something like that.”

  “Well,” Rainer smirked ever so slightly, “I am not exactly giving you an option in the matter.” He moved over to the girls. “You need me for this,” he added, glancing back at him. “I got you into this and you cannot protect yourself against vampires.”

  Rainer shrugged and spoke to Dinah and Erica. “Ladies,” his voice was slow, using a deep, commanding tone. Both of them looked at him eagerly as he continued, “You will never let anyone into your apartment who cannot enter of their own volition. Never use phrases where you explicitly invite someone in. Let it be implied. If they don’t come in, close the door.”

  They both nodded and went back to picking things up and tidying the destroyed space as Rainer broke eye contact with them. Caleb stared at his sister, his brow knit together in confusion. “Are you hypnotizing them or something” he asked, trying to make eye contact with his sister.

  “Or something,” Rainer replied, the corner of his full lips twitching upward. “It is compulsion. Close to the concept of hypnosis, you could say. But no ‘you are getting sleepy’ stuff,” he spoke with a whimsical, stereotypical accent of old Dracula films, rolling his eyes a little as he did. Caleb’s chest fluttered and he bit his lower lip at the vampire’s sarcastic joke.

  “Huh,” Caleb responded and nodded his head slowly, looking away from Rainer to stop himself from blushing into his usual hues of scarlet. He moved toward the hallway, watching the girls move around as if he and Rainer weren’t there.

  “You should pack up your things,” Rainer said. “I am going to step out and call some people about changing the ownership of my condo.”

  “Oh, right,” he replied. “Will do, I guess.” He looked back as Rainer slipped out the front door, closing it with a soft click. Wal walked around Erica, who had gotten a broom out, to move to his pseudo room through the kitchen. Luckily, he hadn’t really had a chance to unpack much yet. He hastily threw some of the things laying out back into the large suitcase. He slipped out of what was once his favorite polo, now streaked and stained with blood. He tossed it into his suitcase as well, figuring that he would try to get the stains out, but resolving himself to the fact that the shirt was likely ruined. He rooted around for another shirt, realizing that his hands were slightly shaking and that he wasn’t actually seeing what he was looking at.

  He stopped moving, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Cal exhaled and looked down into the suitcase in front of him on the bed. He pulled a blue-grey short-sleeved button-up out that didn’t seem too wrinkled. It was the apparent better of his options. He fumbled with the buttons and then attempted to smooth it out further. It was nice enough that he didn’t feel underdressed being around Rainer, who was dressed in plain, but expensive looking dark clothes. He really couldn’t compete with the vampire’s clothing or style though, so he wasn’t sure what he was worried about.

  Caleb scanned the room, debating on what to do about the air bed and sheets. Maybe it was best to just leave them for the girls to handle. He felt horrible about the fact that they had shuffled their life around and now he was leaving. Would they resent it? Or did Rainer’s compulsion make them complacent about the change? He would have to talk to the vampire about it before bringing up the wrong thing to his sister. He zipped his suitcase closed and was struck with the feeling that something was missing. His backpack, where was it? He looked around the room slowly, thinking that he had maybe dropped the bag near the door when he had come in earlier.

  Padding back out through the kitchen, the
girls did not even glance up at him as he moved around them. He saw that his backpack wasn’t near the inside of the door as he pulled it open. It didn’t seem to be out in the hallway either, which was the only other immediate place coming to mind. Then it dawned on him that he had left it in the locker at the train station, having caught a cab outside the club and come straight to the apartment without the extra stop to retrieve it. He reached into the pocket of his dark jeans, fishing around his wallet and finding the key fob. He sighed and turned to go back inside as the sound of Rainer’s voice floated down the hallway. He froze and tried to listen, but the vampire did not seem to be speaking in English, at least, not recognizably.

  He came around the corner, saying one last thing in the language Caleb did not recognize before taking his phone away from his ear and hanging up. He made eye contact with Caleb as he strode down the long, dimly lit hallway. “Are you ready to go?” Rainer asked.

  “Uh,” Caleb answered, eyes darting back into the apartment. He was ready, but he still needed his backpack. Plus, he wasn’t sure how he felt about leaving his sister. He shook his head and studied the floor, feeling uncomfortable. “Yes, and no,” he finished answering.

  Rainer’s brow furrowed slightly as he spoke, “Oh?”

  “Well, I, uh, most of my things are here,” he replied, intently staring down at the floor as Rainer stopped a few feet away from him. “I just left my backpack at the bus station in South Isle. It’s not dire, I guess,” Caleb explained, eyes flicking up into the warmth of the vampire’s golden brown eyes. His heart fluttered involuntarily once more and he looked away. “I will just need it before I go to class again.”