The Witch Hunter (6 page)

The vampire brothers lounged in the afternoon sunlight, winter was leaving and the humid summer months were creeping closer. Zac had hated the humidity of the swamps since he was a young boy. Travelling north with the Confederates had seen a summer that was devoid of air uncomfortably heavy with moisture, something he had never experienced before. Civil war had opened his eyes in more ways than learning how to kill a man. War had given his human life purpose when his life was a meaningless disappointment to his family and had given his new one the release he had needed.

"You know I have misgivings about this," Sam said. "We have no idea what meddling with this ancient spell might do. Who it might be calling."

"Well, too bad. What other option do we have?" Zac sat on a cracked headstone, his feet dangling over the edge, tapping on the side.

"We could find a stronger witch, find a way to deal with this ourselves."

"Oh, c'mon. Even you're not convinced by that hair-brained scheme. It's written all over your face," Zac folded his arms, detecting the hesitation in his brother’s plan. "A million bucks says you wouldn't leave in the first place."

Sam sighed and cocked his head to the side, to let him know that Gabby was approaching. They would continue this later, no doubt. She strode into the cemetery, the grimore in her arms and a bag slung over her shoulder. "Let's get this over with," she said, getting right down to business.

They watched as she picked up a long stick and began to draw a rough pentagram in the dirt. Once it was complete, she placed the bowl in the centre and poured a dark brown liquid into it from a plastic bottle. Sitting on the ground at the base of the pentagram, she drew her bag close and pulled out a hunting knife, "I need some of your blood. Who wants to do the honors?"

"Why?" asked Sam.

"Vampire blood must call vampire blood. It won't work another way," she gestured for one of them to come forward.

"Fine. Use mine," Zac held his hand out. The sooner this was over the sooner they could deal with the bigger issue. It wasn't the greatest feeling to be stalked by a rouge witch from beyond the grave. He'd done some horrible things in his time, but self-preservation was more tantalizing than repenting.

Gabby cut his hand with the knife and wasn't gentle about it either. Clenching his fist, he remained silent as blood dripped into the potion, sizzling as each drop collided with the surface, even though the liquid was cold.

"Now read this while I do the incantation," Gabby held out the translation of the spell she had written on a scrap of notepaper.

Snatching it from her he read the incantation and scoffed, "You witches just love your poetry."

Gabby rolled her eyes, "It's what was written in the grimore. Just read it and shut the hell up."

Reluctantly, he began to read as she chanted in some old language they'd never heard before. Witch speak, most likely. "Blood of my blood, I summon thee, blood of my blood, I beseech thee, blood of my blood, in heaven and hell come save me."

The potion burst into flames and they leant away from the sudden heat and smoke. "I guess that means it worked," Gabby laughed nervously. 

"If it worked where is the vampire?"

"It doesn't work that way, Zac. We put out the call, now we have to wait for an answer." Gabby stood and began to gather her things. 

Zac scowled, "So we just go home and wait?"

Gabby scowled back at him and huffed, "Yes, you wait. I didn't want to do this, just you remember that. This is all I can do, so you'll just have to be satisfied."

"C'mon, Zac," Sam started to walk away. "If the Witch Hunter wants to come, then they will come in their own time."

He watched Gabby's receding form until she disappeared through the trees. Listening to the cemetery closely, he heard nothing but the normal sounds of the forest and Sam's heavy footsteps. How could he wait when he was the one being stalked by god knows what? He knew there was nothing he could do but follow his brother home and keep one eye open at all times. And that annoyed the hell out of him. Hesitantly, he followed Sam home.

CHAPTER FOUR

T
hree days had passed since Gabby had cast the summoning spell. And for three days nothing had happened. Zac was a very impatient vampire. Ironic, since he had all the time in the world. Strangely, he'd been more patient as a human being and then it took a lot longer to get anywhere other than where you were.

"You know, I'm sick of all this waiting. There's got to be something we can do," he sighed, looking out the window of the parlor into the garden.

"It's only been three days," Sam said, glancing up from his book, annoyed.

The front door slammed closed, but neither of them looked to see who it was. They knew Liz was walking down the hallway.

"Are you going to tell her?" Zac raised an eyebrow at him.

"Are you?" Sam retorted.

"Where have you two been hiding the past few days?" Liz said, as she walked into the parlor. "Wait. Maybe I don't want to know the answer to that."

"Then why'd you ask?" Zac grinned wickedly at her when she rolled her eyes.

"Where were you when I came looking for you on Sunday? I thought we were going to do something?" Liz asked Sam, who glanced to his brother, not knowing what he should say.

"We were out with Gabby performing blood sacrifices," Zac winked at her, a mocking tone in his voice. "Why are you asking anyway? I know Gabby told you."

"How did you know?" she asked, confused.

"I didn't, you just told me," he ducked as a cushion flew at his head.

Sam groaned inwardly. Of course Gabby would tell her. They shared just about everything with each other and stood to reason she'd share this bombshell as well.

"When were you going to tell me?" Liz objected.

"I knew you'd disapprove," Zac said, leaning against the windowsill.

"Yeah, of course I do," she cried, annoyed. "Did you think any of it through?"

"Yes, of course I did," he looked away. He didn't like to keep her out of the loop, but he had to.

"All of five seconds!"

"Look, if we had of told you, we would have spent ten years arguing about whether we were going to do it or not. And if you hadn't noticed, I think ten years is a bit of an optimistic time frame for planning our defenses," Zac smiled sarcastically. "That's why I'm me and you're you."

Liz sighed dramatically, sitting back onto the couch, her arms folded across her chest, "Fine. It's too late now."

Zac shook his head, "Anyway, you guys are getting hungry. Have you thought about the Chihuahua’s?"

"We've had to go further afield to hunt," Sam said. "It's getting harder to dodge them." 

The werewolf pack had lived in a smaller town nearby for years, or so they had heard. They weren't an issue to the brothers when they had first returned home, but that may have had something to do with them trying to be human. Once they had caught on that vampires were living in the area, they did all they could to inch them out. Especially once they knew that Sam and Liz only fed on animals. Claiming even more territory until they had it all. 

"They're pushing us out so they can claim the town," Liz said.

"That's because they know they can't win a fight against all of us together," Zac scoffed. "They're using dirty underhanded techniques to get their own way."

"I know what you're trying to insinuate, Zac," Sam warned.

"What? It's is our home and sure as hell I'm not going to let some dog screw with you," he said defensively.

"The moon is almost full," Sam warned. 

The werewolves would be stronger the closer it came to a full moon, when their compulsory transformation neared. It would be stupid to go out into the forest at night; even they would be overpowered. Werewolves could change at any time, but were at the mercy of the phases of the moon, their strength waxing and waning with it.

"Fine, I won't start anything with them," Zac huffed, exasperated. "But if they come at you or Liz, I will do what I need to."

"Understood," Sam said, knowing that he wouldn't be able to change his mind.

"You know I'm coming with you tomorrow, right?" 

Sam laughed, "You finally want to try a squirrel?"

"Very funny, Samuel. I'm more into wolves," Zac snorted.

"Their bite can change a human, god knows what it can do to a vampire," he said in a last ditch effort to dissuade Zac. 

"What do you take me for? I ain't some green recruit, Sam. I'm an expert," he winked.

"That's what I'm afraid of," he sighed. "You can come with us, but don't start anything. We can't afford it right now."

"Aye, aye, Captain. Oh wait, that's me," Zac laughed, earning him a slap in the head with another cushion from Liz.

Zac grinned to himself. Tomorrow at sunset, it would be vampires vs werewolves one way or the other. His bet was that the dogs would start it.

The late afternoon sun burnt orange through the treetops, casting long shadows over the open yard in front of the manor. Zac was perched on top of the brick fence, waiting impatiently for Sam and Liz to arrive home. When he finally caught sight of them coming up the driveway, he jumped down and went to meet them.

"About time," he sighed dramatically.

"Chomping at the bit as per usual, I see," Sam said, thumping his brother on the shoulder.

"Sooner we go, the sooner it's done," he said.

"Just stay back, okay?" Sam said, holding his hand up. "If it looks like trouble, then do what you have to."

"Fine," Zac grimaced. "I'll be your little escort service. I won't touch the stinking dogs unless they try something."

Sam assessed his answer for a moment before nodding and turning towards the forest. Just as he said he would, Zac hung back, perched up in a tree some distance back from them, watching and listening. 

It didn't take long for their presence to be noted, as if they were waiting for the vampires to hunt tonight. As the werewolves sauntered through the forest in their human forms, Sam and Liz stood deathly still in the middle of a clearing, waiting for the inevitable, Zac waiting silently in the shadows.

"I thought we told you vamps not to come here anymore," the hulking man they knew to be the pack master, declared as they came close.

"Do you really want us to feed on innocent human beings?" Sam scoffed. 

"We want you dead or gone. Whichever comes first," snarled the pack master.

"We only feed on animals," Sam tried to reason. "We don't want to hurt anyone. Surely we can make a deal."

The wolves began to laugh, the menacing sound carrying around the now dark forest. 

"Change it up, boys," he said to the others, his eyes beginning to glow a deep amber. "Let's get us some vampers."

Liz stared in horror as the pack master began to change, his teeth elongating into the sharp incisors of an over large wolf, silver hair sprouting all over his skin. He tore his shirt and jeans off without any regard for his modesty. Roaring as much in pain as to intimidate them, every bone in his body began snapping and twisting as he slowly transformed. 

As the rest of the werewolves followed suit, Zac jumped from tree to tree, only slightly rocking each one as he landed. Before the pack master could complete his transformation, he dived from the tree above, savagely striking him in the head. The half man, half wolf fell heavily to the ground, his pack mates howling and snapping as they completed their change. 

"Run," Zac turned to Sam and Liz, pointing to the dark forest behind them.

"What about you?" Sam as he took a few steps backwards.

"Are you stupid? Run!" he yelled, turning back towards the pack, growling deep in his throat.

As Sam and Liz ran the opposite direction, Zac jumped over the snapping jaws of the werewolves, intent on luring as many of them as he could away from the others. Bolting in the opposite direction, he bit open his wrist, dripping a trail of his blood for them to follow. He knew this land better than the back of his own hand. The vegetation had changed somewhat since he was human, but all the dips and rises were the same. Making a mental note of his location, he veered right, flanking the swamp. It had receded some, but was still there.