The Birth of Vengeance (Vampire Formula #1) (13 page)

I felt cold. The smell of cigarettes still permutated the air and I coughed on the cigarette smoke as we walked out onto the stairwell.

“You two need a moment. I will keep an eye out,” Mary said, and walked back inside.

I leaned against the wall taking the weight off my shot leg, and as the blood poured out, I hoped Thorn wouldn’t take too long. I should probably get some first aid training as well.

“What the hell is going on with you?” Scarlett asked, looking at my gun in disbelief.

“I can’t explain; it isn’t safe to know,” I answered, trying to focus through the pain.

“People came to question me after the incident in the park. They told me to tell you, if I ever saw you again, it’s not too late; they will understand. They will look after you. You can have your life back. It’s the woman they want and a formula,” Scarlett said.

Her statement surprised me, as she seemed to know everything.

“So you know what happened in the park?”

“No, I just know those boys are dead and those people asking questions suggested you were involved. I didn’t understand the rest about a formula and a woman at the time. I guess that was her earlier.”

“That will be those people who just shot me.”

“You shot at them as well. Give it a chance. We could be together again. There is a way out,” she said.

I looked at her and I wanted to believe it could be true but the images of her with Barry were emblazoned into my memory.

“It’s a bit late for that. Remember?”

“I can explain everything just come back, trust me.”

The thoughts I had in the daytime came flooding back, maybe it wasn’t just a fantasy. I could come back. Scarlett still wanted me. I could forgive her if she could forgive me, and accept what I had become and what I had done. I could have a life with her after all, get a flat, go to university and do normal things together.

“I am working on it,” I said smiling, briefly allowing myself to be Day Jonathan, and I thought about the plan I was hatching during the daytime. Then I sensed something, a feeling of being watched.
 
Suddenly a heavy bang on the stairs made it shake violently as to announce an arrival. Thorn was back. She had dropped from the rooftop onto the fire exit stairs, and I returned to Night Jonathan again.

“He is mine,” Thorn shouted, eyes glowing red at Scarlett.

Scarlett backed off from the sudden entrance and threat. Thorn’s red eyes had done the trick and Scarlett’s face pulled back in panic exposing the sobering whites of her eyes. She backed into the barrier on the stair and looked about urgently for an exit. Trapped on the stairs Scarlett put her hands out in front of her in a feeble attempt to block as Thorn came closer, eyes still burning red with violent intent.

“You’re after Barry aren’t you?” Scarlett said offering a way out to Thorn.

“Yes,” she answered.

“He is at his cousin’s house, Terry.”

I nodded, “thank you.”

“Are you going to kill him?”

I didn’t hesitate with my answer, “Yes.”

“Good,” Scarlett responded venomously and the strength of her feelings surprised me. I always thought I would come back to find them as a couple, as if none of it mattered.

Sounds of sirens began to pierce the night. Thorn looked around at me and spotted the blood pouring from my leg.

“Those sirens are for us. I need to get you home,” Thorn said.

“Before you go, I heard some news from friends in Leeds,” Scarlett said.

“What?”

“The kidnapping trial of your friend never made it to court. Without you, the case wasn’t strong enough, so they decided not to proceed. Instead, they went ahead with the other case, and your friend’s mum has been found guilty of dangerous driving and received six months in prison,” she said.

“Those bastards,” I raged.

They had gotten away with the kidnapping, and it was my fault for disappearing. Yet more anguish to add to the guilt I already felt for leaving Giles with them on that day, and ignoring him when back in school that led to his suicide attempt. I had the chance to make it all okay, and I had made a mess of it because of Barry and his gang, and my own selfish desires. Giles’ mum, Linda, had been punished for trying to protect her son. Life wasn’t fair.

Thorn looked at me puzzled, as I hadn’t told her about my past in Leeds.

“You can tell me about this later. We have to leave now,” Thorn said.

She scooped me onto her shoulders and jumped over the barrier into the car park below. She raced off and hurdled easily over the gate. Scarlett leant against the barrier as two bouncers came bursting through, her mouth wide open at Thorn’s physical abilities, and she waved to me as I disappeared into the night again.

I passed out on the way back to Thorn’s house as she ran off into the dark avoiding the Hunters. I drifted into a dream of being back in school in Leeds with my best friend Giles. Suddenly a cold shock jolted by body awake. I wiped the cold water off my face and winced from the lights in the room as my eyes adjusted. I regained focus slowly sensing a blurry figure pacing up and down in front of me. The steps thumped on the hard floor, and the head and eyes focused on me the whole time. As my eyes adjusted to the light, Thorn’s face in full vampire flow with eyes red and fangs sticking out came scarily into view. Her fury visible in her vampire features and her body glowed an angry red. I leaned back and felt the base of the bed behind me and realised I was back in Thorn’s bedroom in the basement.

“You idiot,” she shouted out at me jumping inches from my face, fangs cutting the air.

“Sorry, sorry. I … I … I didn’t think. I just reacted, I just followed my emotions like you said,” I answered.

“Don’t you dare try to turn this on to me. You are a werewolf’s hair away from being ripped apart.”

“I’m sorry, I just got carried away,” I answered.

The wound in my leg remained untreated, and blood had pooled around it. I was in big trouble. I needed help soon before I bled out entirely. Thorn glanced down at the pool of blood and I knew its red sticky sight and smell was enticing her to feed. The thirst and rage created a lethal combination. I knew from first-hand experience from my own time as a vampire in the park. It was as if I had covered myself in raw meat, jumped into the lion’s den and shouted to get its attention. I just hoped for mercy, no matter how small, to survive.

“I am sorry I have upset you. I just wanted to say hello,” I said, knowing I had to distract her from the meal pouring from my leg.

“Say hello, you nearly got us both killed. Scarlett and your friends betrayed you. Remember? I have only ever looked after you, and this is how you repay me,” she shouted again still only inches from my face, fangs snapping.

Her fangs dripped with saliva as the hunger manifested into physical form.

“I am sorry. You are right. We have deal,” I answered.

“A deal, is that it?” she snapped back.

She rocked back on her feet and placed a hand behind to regain her balance, and her bottom lip wobbled and her eyes welled up with misty red tears.

“No.”

I paused. I realised I was misjudging this situation completely. She wasn’t just angry. She was jealous and upset. Jealous of my relationship with Scarlett and the fact my feelings for her hadn’t entirely gone, and upset I didn’t think more of our relationship beyond the deal. But at Night, I did think of it more than just a deal, I just never thought she did. I decided to take a gamble. I was getting myself into more and more trouble. She would break any second.

“You are right, it was unforgivable. I haven’t learnt to forget my past yet but I will learn with your help.” I said. She stared a little more restrained, and the misty red tears in her eyes retreated.

I followed up quickly and pulled my hooded jumper to one side revealing my neck, and turned it towards her.

“You are hungry. You need to eat; take whatever you want. I belong to you,” I said, supplementing the offer of my neck.

I was bluffing, hoping it would show her my loyalty, and if I were wrong, it would be just a bit of blood.

Only a slight pause passed before the fangs pierced hard through my skin and the blood began to flow out of my body. I accepted the sacrifice I needed to make to keep alive, and wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close. Her body grew even warmer than normal in the throes of feeding on me, but I took some comfort in the heat as she drank my blood. She wrapped her arms around my body, and she squeezed me tightly pumping hard, with her body straddling me as she forced the blood out into her mouth. She was really going for it. My ribs crushed under the pressure of her arms and chest squeezing the blood out of me. I gasped for breath as my lungs and airways buckled under the pressure. My ribs began to crack, sending pulses of excruciating pain through my body. I screamed, a breathless scream, on each crack of my ribs, and it resonated through my body as it sounded inside my skull. She wrapped her legs around the back of my body and squeezed, crushing my stomach and she pumped through her arms and legs forcing the blood out of me and into her mouth. I had already lost a lot of blood through the gunshot wound but Thorn sucked hard and deep, filling her body and satisfying herself. I went weak all over, arms and legs barley able to move and felt numb but she wasn’t going to stop. I was dying. I summoned my remaining strength and tried to push her away but to no effect, she was too strong. I tried one last time fighting as hard as I could, arms and legs thrashing in a final death throw trying to get her to stop and hitting her on the back and head. She didn’t even register the blows but instead she just squeezed even harder and harder, sucking deeper and deeper until it all went black, and I couldn’t feel anything.

I drifted off to a strange sleep with images of Thorn and Scarlett flashing before my mind. I flashed back to events over the last couple of years, the car accident, Giles crying, kissing Scarlett and screwing Thorn. A light with a hand reached out to me, accompanied by a woman calling out my name, and then a sharp stabbing sensation. Suddenly, the hand of light sucked back into a black hole and it all drained away, circling into darkness.

A burning heat spread across my body from the stabbing sensation. My nerve endings started twitching as it networked its way across my nervous system. My muscles contorted through the burning heat, and I snapped back wide-awake and alive. I panted heavily like someone who had come up for air from being trapped deep underwater. My muscles were burning and the feeling continued spreading through to my extremities. Thorn watched me intently as I came back to life from her crouched position a meter away. Her face changed from one of worry to a small smile as her face relaxed in relief.

“You are back,” she said, breathing out heavily and placing her hands on top of her head.

An empty needle laid on the floor a couple of meters away, and the puncture mark on my forearm disappeared. The wound on my leg was healing, flesh knitting back together covering up the bare muscles underneath. I roared in agony as my ribs were snapping back into place, healing and reshaping. My stomach followed suit, as the collapsed muscles were healing and pushing back into their normal shape. As I roared, my eyes turned red, fangs broke out and claws ripped through the ends of my fingers. I touched my neck; the bite marks had gone and I was returning from the brink of death. The vampire formula had just saved my life.

The relief changed to one of anger and I sprung out from the floor, claws released and diving at Thorn’s neck. I caught her by surprise. I crashed into her knocking her off her feet and rolled on top of her. She found her instincts quickly kicking me off and sprung to her feet. I jumped back up and charged again with all of my instincts to kill. She moved with lightning speed and pinned me to the wall by my throat in a single move.

“Cool it,” she growled at me.

I snarled at her, fangs bared and snapping. She squeezed tightly around my throat to prove her strength. I stared into her red eyes, and my reflection bounced back. My fangs were ripping at the air and my eyes were blazing the same as hers. I focused, bringing it under control, knowing this wasn’t a fight I could win. Thorn had hundreds of years’ experience, and I had a brief few hours. My eyes returned to normal, my fangs retracted, and Thorn lowered me to the floor. Thorn backed off slowly, retreated to the edge of the bed and sat facing me. I breathed heavily, hands on my knees, and tried hard to bring my power under control.

“I am sorry. You are new to all this. Maybe I should be more understanding,” she said, relaxing her body and looking down at the floor, her voice higher pitched and apologetic.

I just looked at her, not sure what to say.

“I accept you were sorry. You are brave offering yourself to me like that in my state. Don’t ever do it again. There may be no way back next time,” she said.

I nodded in agreement; it was an easy request to accept.

She looked up at me again.

“Most vampires choose a new name after they have turned. It helps to distance themselves from their past and begin their new life. This may help if you choose a new vampire name,” Thorn said, still speaking in an apologetic tone trying to appease me.

“I will think about it,” I said not taking too much notice of the idea.

We sat in silence for a moment, and I tried to gather my thoughts and senses under the influence of the vampire formula. I stood upright and leant against the wall, looking straight at Thorn trying to work out my next move. She looked down at the floor, hands in her lap, palms facing up, legs crossed with one of them jigging up and down nervously. I had never seen her so submissive, when in the prison cell she was sad but not upset. I guessed this counted as our first argument, and I hoped they wouldn’t always be this deadly.

“We should make use of you change. I can teach you how to control your vampire powers, and you can practice,” Thorn said breaking the difficult silence, her voice more in control again and regaining her natural authority.

I nodded in agreement, as it seemed like a good way to move on. I wanted her back to her normal self, it scared me to see her so downbeat and feelings of forgiveness for her attack started to emerge. Anyway, I had an excess of energy that needed burning off before I could think straight again. I went and sat beside her on the bed and she turned around to face me. Her body posture was more positive and legs remained still, as she resumed her natural state as my mentor and lover.

Thorn showed me how to change my vampire features quickly and how to use the rest of my senses to best effect. We sparred for a bit now as on equal terms, vampire against vampire. We blazed around the house taking it in turns to attack and defend. We would stop in between attacks and Thorn talked through the moves, praised my decent attacks and improved my weaker moves. She taught me the limit of my powers and how best to use them in a fight as a vampire. I’d entered a whole new game, vampire against vampire, and I realised how much more I needed to learn. But I was improving, and on one occasion I knocked Thorn to the floor but not for long as she sprang back up and front kicked me through the door in the upstairs bedroom and I crashed down the stairs. Thorn remained the better fighter but my progress had impressed her.

Thorn explained the truth about vampires, religious weapons worked but it depended on the power of the vampire. On a strong vampire, it would only sting a little. Lesser vampires would be driven back and be forced to run away. They also didn’t need inviting into places first, and they did have reflection, which I had already realised from the amount of time she spent in front of the mirror preparing her outfits for a night out.

“We are just another species. We evolved differently from the norm and discovered we have the ability to turn other creatures into our image. A crude means of reproduction when necessary,” she explained.

“However, UV and silver do damage us, and decapitation works as well. I suppose a stake through heart would kill us just like any creature. Fire only works on lesser vampires, some enjoy the flames,” she said grinning.

She pressed the button under the bed and the weapons rack appeared from behind the wall. She walked over, grabbed a torch and brought over a box with a knife in it.

“It is important you learn to recognise the pain from UV and silver to react correctly,” she said.

I held out my hand for her to test on; she flicked the torch on and the light hit my hand. I braced myself for the searing flesh and smoke but nothing happened. Thorn’s face was puzzled, and she placed her own hand in front of it to check and immediately the air filled with smoke. She flung the torch onto the bed and nursed her hand.

“Strange. Let us try again,” she grabbed the torch again and shone it over my hand. Still, there was no reaction. I rolled up my sleeves, and we tried my arms but no reaction.

“Let us try the silver,” I said, smiling at this discovery.

“Okay. Open the box and try to pick it up.”

I opened the box and tentatively pressed one finger against it, no reaction again. I picked it up completely in one hand, and there was no reaction. I swung it about in the air; Thorn backed off to avoid the blade, and stood beside the bed looking puzzled.

“I am immune,” I said and laughed.

“Strange, I guess as you are only a temporary vampire you haven’t picked up our weaknesses but have kept our strengths,” she said.

“It will make you a formidable weapon,” she added, and I could tell she was thinking of the opportunities this could present, as she eyed me with curiosity.

We still had a few hours of darkness, and Thorn decided to take me out to enjoy the night together before she slept. We drove around in the night together sensing the humans and detecting their heartbeats glowing in the dark. The car in front, the driver was drunk, he thought randomly and sluggishly. A young man, sticking to the shadows with a rucksack had just burgled some nearby houses. I detected sleeping people mostly, random blurred images from their dreams and thoughts and feelings firing around chaotically in the night. As we drove on, we detected a large gathering in an empty warehouse. I focused in my abilities and Thorn slowed down as feelings of fear and impending violence flashed across our minds from those inside. It intrigued me. I want to understand what was happening, and Thorn seemed equally intrigued.