The Guest & the Change (22 page)

It would annoy Daniel too, if he did anything to
Sarah.

Sebastian laughed, moving off at high speed through the woods. 
Heading directly for Sarah’s house.

CHAPTER 9

Sarah lay back in her bed, resting her head against a pillow.  She couldn’t help but smile.  Daniel was back and she loved him.  More to the point - he loved her. 

She was in heaven.

Soon Sebastian would be gone and they would be together.  She had no doubts that Daniel could do it - he had destroyed Sebastian the first time.  He would do it again.  And now he had had help from the witch, he would succeed.

Sarah lay in a hazy daze for some time before sitting up and dressing.  It was late but she was still buzzing from her time with Daniel, buzzing from his blood in her veins.

Daniel
. 

She continued to smile as she pulled on a sweater and cracked open the door, not wanting to disturb
Megan and Bea.

As she walked past Megan’s room she heard her moving, and a gentle tapping.  Sarah opened her door to check on her.

‘Megan - NO!’ Sarah screamed.

Megan was just opening her window to someone outside - a woman who was balancing on her window sill.

As Sarah shouted the woman pushed the window hard - sending Megan flying back to her bed.  Megan looked up at Sarah, ‘She told me to invite her in Mommy!’  She wailed.

The woman was swinging her legs inside.  She was blond and her eyes flashed. 
Sebastian
.

Sarah ran forwards burning with rage.  How could he do this?  He used Megan!  What had he been planning to do?

Power surged within her and she pushed with all her might, sending Sebastian flying back through the window.  He fell out, hitting the ground.  Sarah leapt up without thinking twice.  She was on the window sill and she jumped.  Adrenaline running in her veins as she fell to the ground. 

She braced herself for the landing, bending her knees so they wouldn’t snap on impact, and springing to her feet. 

Sebastian was before her, anger penetrating through the darkness and rain.  She stalked towards him.  She was ready to fight.

***

Daniel paced his room a few times, wondering where Sebastian would go.  Then a panic swiftly rose in him.  Sarah!

Daniel flung open his window, held the urn tight, and swiftly transformed into a buzzard.  He soared out into the dark, the rain battering his feathers.  He flew at high speed towards Sarah’s house. 

As soon as he spotted it he started to descend.  He saw Sarah charge at a young blond woman, who dodged out of the way; laughing. 

Daniel extended his talons and landed next to Sarah, instantly taking his human form.  She met his eye briefly before Daniel was struck back by Sebastian.  He stumbled, dropping the urn. 

Daniel knew what he had to do.  He thought back to Heather’s instructions.

‘Sarah, get out the way!’  He shouted.

As Sarah quickly moved aside, Daniel focused his power within.  He saw Sebastian moving towards him, seeing his eyes burning with hate through the girl. 

It seemed like Sebastian was moving in slow motion which gave him time to react.

Daniel channeled his power down his arms and out of his fingers.  As it left the tips he used his mind and focused hard on it burning as bright as possible and hitting Sebastian.  His power ignited, lighting the front garden, and illuminating Sebastian’s widening eyes.  As it hit him he dropped the bag of ashes from under his
arm and sprang aside.  His clothes were burning. 

Daniel moved towards him.  He was about to kick him down, but Sebastian fought back.  He rammed into Daniel’s chest and this time Daniel fell back.  Daniel was just summoning his power again when Sarah ran in to tackle Sebastian, so Daniel couldn’t fire.

‘Sarah, get back,’ he called to her.

As she turned to run, Sebastian grabbed her neck with both of his hands.  Daniel sped forwards but watched in dismay as Sebastian twisted, snapping her neck.

‘NO!’

Sarah fell to the ground and Sebastian kicked her hard, sending her body flying out of sight. 

Daniel’s heart tore with pain and rage.  He was on Sebastian and had snapped his neck before he realized he had done it.

Daniel heard wails pierce the night from within Sarah’s house, but he blocked them out.

Darkness materialized from the body in his hands, and Daniel leapt back, summoning his power again.  This time he gave it all he had, hammering the darkness with burning fire.  He saw it shake into Sebastian’s form, but he was wispy, weakening.  Sebastian was trying to fight back, to protect himself from the fire.

Daniel continued to fire energy with one hand, holding his weakening spirit with the fire while he
reached for the bag of ashes.  He used his foot to break open the bag and scoop up a handful.  He concentrated hard - he did not want Sebastian to escape and have a chance to strengthen himself again.  He moved back, to get to the urn.  Pushing it upright with his foot, his eyes still on Sebastian, he let the handful of ashes go.  They fell into the urn and Daniel picked it up, holding it tight with the one hand.

He brought the symbol that Heather had taught him to his mind - visualizing it at the forefront of his thoughts.  He let it go - sending it with force at Sebastian, wrapping it around him.  He saw the anger coalesce in Sebastian and he transformed back into a swirling darkness, trying to escape by whatever means he could.  Daniel brought the same symbol to the forefront of his mind again.  This time, as he let it go he visualized the mark on the urn.

Immediately there was a friction of energy between the two marks, illuminating the garden for one moment, before the swirling darkness was propelled into the urn.

Daniel got down on his knees and rammed the cork in hard. 

He would not let Sebastian go.

Daniel took a deep breath.  He still had to do the binding spell.  He couldn’t lose focus now.  Tears welled in his eyes as he visualized the next mark in his mind.  He reinforced it with all the power he had and projected it at the urn.  He infused the urn with great
power and the magical mark.

It was done.

He left the urn there and crawled to Sarah’s body, weak from expelling all his energy.  He found her lying against the hedge.  She was broken, lifeless. 

Daniel held her body in his arms and screamed into the night.

He heard answering screams from inside the house, Sarah’s children crying - Megan had seen the whole thing from her window.

He cradled Sarah’s head against his chest and wept hard, wept for her, for her children.  He wept for himself.  He had gone through all of this to be with her and now she was dead.  She would be like him. 
A vampire.

Daniel made himself stand.  There were things he had to do.

He pulled himself together and entered Sarah’s house.  He could not go upstairs to see her children.  He was too weak, too hungry.

He could do something; he could phone for help.

He dialed Sarah’s parents’ house, and spoke urgently to her father when he answered.

‘You must come to Sarah’s now, she has gone berserk.  I think
it’s not knowing
what has happened to Jo.  She’s run off into the woods and I have to go after her.  You must come and look after Megan and Bea.’

He couldn’t help what Megan would tell them. 
They may not believe her anyway.  And at least they will have her parents. 

Daniel staggered to the door and back to Sarah, barely managing control at all.  He needed blood. 
Badly.

First he went to the body around the back.  He didn’t want Sarah’s parents to discover that.  He forced himself to pick it up and throw it over the fence.  Then he repeated the same procedure on the body of the girl he had just killed, who had also suffered the terrible consequences of Sebastian’s possession.  He would have to come back later and deal with their bodies.

He picked up the urn and then used all his strength to lift up Sarah. 

He had never felt so weak.  He moved off into the woods before Sarah’s parents arrived.  He wouldn’t manage to control himself if they did.  Thirst was burning in his veins.  His throat was parched.

As soon as they were in the woods he put down Sarah, and the urn, at the foot of a tree.  His hunting instincts kicked in and he heard the heartbeat of a bear.  It was probably drawn in by the smell of blood and sounds of the fight.

He would have to approach it quietly, he was too weak to use speed to his advantage. 

It was close; he could hear its breathing.  Daniel crept up behind it and pounced, his teeth extending through fur, into flesh.  Warm blood spurted down his
throat, soothing his need.  He drank greedily, not worried about ending its life.  As he drained the bear’s blood its heart stopped.  Daniel took the final drops, not wanting to waste any. 

His could feel he was returning to himself again, his senses enhanced. 

He felt strong. 

He was back at Sarah’s side in an instant, throwing her over his shoulder and grabbing the urn. 

He needed to get her further into the forest. 

Soon she would wake up.

She would be screaming with thirst. 

CHAPTER 1

Sarah felt a spasm race over her body.  Her eyes jerked open as she took a big gulp of fresh air.  She looked around and saw conifers in every direction.  The light was fading.

  What the hell was she doing; sleeping in the forest?  Who was looking after Megan and Bea?  And
why
the hell was her throat burning like mad?

Urhh
, she was so thirsty.  She needed to drink badly, her throat hurt - it was parched.

She focused her attention on her eyes and listened out for water.

Nothing.

Then she heard a pounding heart.  It was rhythmic and alluring. 

She felt like she was slipping into a trance.

Sarah jumped to her feet.  She started to move
towards the sound - without even realizing what she was doing:  Stalking her prey.

She spotted a young deer ahead.  Its nose was rummaging through the leaves, looking for food.  She was beautiful; her fur was a rich coppery red.  Sarah watched the deer and located its pulse at its neck.  She watched it entranced; beating steadily.

Sarah’s thirst drew her out from behind a tree.  The deer raised its head and looked directly at her with wide startled eyes.  Sarah looked back, one second of connection, before it turned and ran.

Sarah acted on instinct; she bolted forward.  She did not know why, but she could not let the deer escape.

She knew one thing:  If she could only reach that deer, have it for
herself
- it would sooth her thirst.  It would make her feel better. 

She needed the deer.

Sarah sprang, landing on its back.  It crippled beneath her, unable to support her weight.

Her eyes were again drawn to the pulse at the neck.  She admired the smooth expanse of silky fur before her, while she held on tight to stop herself falling away, to stop the deer breaking free.  Her teeth felt strange.  They ached.  They longed to pierce the neck before her.

Her mouth opened as her head moved slowly forwards, entranced.  She held the struggling deer very still and tentatively grazed the neck with her teeth.  A faint line of blood appeared.  She furrowed her
forehead in confusion; were her teeth that sharp?

Then she smelt the blood.  It was divine, intoxicating.

Her head shot forward, teeth piercing through the fur and skin, entering an artery.  Blood shot down her throat. 
Ahh
- soothing, heavenly, intoxicating liquid.  It was quenching her thirst, fuelling her body with power, with energy.

Sarah drank for her life, gulping the coppery formula, draining the vessel she held.

It ceased its struggle as its heart stopped its beautiful, speedy rhythm.

Sarah withdrew her teeth, and felt them change in her mouth.  It felt like they were shrinking. 

Strange - what was she doing on top of a deer? 
A lifeless deer at that.
 

She stroked her fingers down the back of its neck, feeling its soft, young fur.  It still felt warm; it couldn’t have been dead for long.

Her mouth felt wet.  She brought a hand up and wiped her face.  As she pulled her hand away she saw red glinting on her skin. 
Blood.
  What the hell?  Why was there blood on her face?

She staggered to her feet, moving away from the deer, looking urgently about. 
Looking for some clue to her state of mind, to her actions.

She saw a tall man approaching.  He was very attractive.   And he looked familiar.

Daniel.

Panic shot through her.  What would he think?  What had she done?

She turned away from him, tears running down her cheeks.  She took a deep breath and sprinted away - her speed increasing as she moved with accuracy, avoiding trunks and branches in her way.

She could hear Daniel in pursuit.

***

Daniel had had to leave Sarah
on her own
.  He didn’t know how long it would be before she would awaken. 
Until she would be a vampire, like him.
 

It was his fault too, if he hadn’t bitten her; if they hadn’t shared blood - this couldn’t have happened. 

But then she’d be dead, he thought bitterly.  At least this way she would live. 
Forever.
  They could always be together.

It wasn’t like it hadn’t crossed his mind before, right?

Then why
was he
so bothered now - he should be rejoicing at her becoming a vampire.

It wasn’t hard to work out why he wasn’t though.  This wasn’t her choice.  She didn’t tell him she wanted to be with him forever.  She didn’t ask to be turned into a vampire.

In fact, she had specifically said she didn’t want to be.

She has children, for God’s sake.  There’s no way she’ll be able to go home.  She won’t be able to look after them now.  It would be a long time until she’d
develop strong enough control. 
Years.

Daniel hadn’t succeeded in saving her.  He felt awful.  He should have managed to save her.  She was his to save.  He loved her.  Would she be the same now?  Would he feel the same way?  And what would she think of him?  Would she still love him?  Or would she blame him, hate him for not protecting her?  Resent him for the change in her life. 
For her death.

Daniel focused back on the job at hand.  He pushed a metal spade deep into the
earth,
he removed a large chunk, shoveling it into a pile next to the hole.

He was digging a grave for the bodies Sebastian had possessed. 
The body of the girl who had just died, who Daniel had had to kill to destroy Sebastian.
  The body of the young man Sarah had killed - he was also only a teenager.  Now he was a corpse - stiff and lifeless.  His neck was skewed from the break and his chest was caked with dried blood.

Daniel had taken the bodies from Sarah’s home before her parents had a chance to discover them.  They would be there by now, looking after Sarah’s children.  They had no idea they would be looking after them for good.

His heart ached for Sarah.  She was going to miss her kids a phenomenal amount.  The problem was; she was also going to lust after their blood.  That was why he was going to have to keep her away from them.  He hoped so much that she would understand.  That he wouldn’t have to fight her.

He pushed the spade further in with his foot, as it was stuck on some small stones.  He forced it through and scooped up more earth, his black trousers now thick with mud.  One more scoop and he decided the hole was deep enough.  He picked up the boy’s feet and dragged him in, pushing him over so he was face down.  He lay the girl down next to him, also face down.  That would mean he wouldn’t have to look at their faces as the pushed the earth back in, covering their bodies, burying them so they wouldn’t be found, so the bodies would never be traced to Sarah.

That way there would be a chance she could come back.  If she could muster control, maybe she could return to her children - while they still remembered her. 

It would be difficult, as people would be wary of her, but she would be able to project influence.  She could change people’s memories with her power.  It would take time to learn, but in a few years she would be proficient at it. 

As Daniel finished pushing the earth into the grave, and was flattening the ground with his feet, the sky began to darken.  He had brought Sarah deep into the forest, so if she was to awaken without him there, he would be able to find her before she hurt anybody.

She was a few hundred meters away, and he would soon return to check on her.

It was hard not to worry about how she would be, how deeply the transformation would affect her.  What
if she was like Jo; bloodthirsty and unable to reason?

Well, if she was, he would fight for her.  He couldn’t let her go.  He certainly could not kill her.  He would need to take her away, far from anyone she knows, far from anyone she may hurt.  He would persevere.  He would teach her control, teach her to reason.

Daniel used his finger tips to remove his boot prints, and scattered leaves and twigs over the burial site.  He stood back - surveying the scene.  He was relatively
pleased,
he didn’t think anyone who happened to be passing would notice anything unusual.

It would probably be best if he didn’t return the spade.  He had taken it from a shed in Sarah’s garden, but in case the bodies were found, he didn’t want the spade to be associated with the burial.  He would need to leave it in the forest, but far from his present location.  Anyone finding a spade in the forest would be suspicious.

Daniel picked it up and started walking back to
Sarah,
he wanted to be with her before it was fully dark.  If she woke up alone in the dark, she was bound to be even more confused.

As he walked through the forest he became aware of sounds ahead.  His heart accelerated in anticipation: Sarah was awake.

He sped up, then seeing her ahead, he stopped.  She was feeding on a young deer.  This was good.  She was
a natural hunter - one less thing he would need to teach her. 

Daniel hung back, not wanting to disturb her feed.  He watched as she drained the deer.  She looked savage - yet this wasn’t a shock.  It was inevitable.  No new vampire was immune to the desire for blood.

There were other desires that would be stronger too.  Daniel smiled to himself - there would be some good points to her turning.  At least, there would be if she still wanted him.

He stood straighter, ready for action, as Sarah staggered up and moved away from the deer.  She looked confused, disorientated.

Daniel stepped forward - ready to confront her, to comfort her.  At that moment he saw her look up, and her eyes met his.  For a second she looked confused,
then
he saw recognition on her face.  And panic.

She turned, and sped from him. 
Racing away.
  Daniel’s heart leapt, he couldn’t let her escape - she might hurt someone.  He sprinted after her, adamant he would have her back in his arms.  Fast.