Contents

Copyright

Title

Prologue

1. Kat

2. Ansel

3. Kat

4. Ansel

5. Kat

6. Ruth

7. Ansel

8. Edmund

9. Kat

10. Edmund

11. Kat

12. Ansel

13. Ruth

14. Kat

15. Ansel

16. Kat

17. Kat

18. Ruth

19. Ansel

20. Edmund

21. Kat

22. Edmund

23. Ansel

24. Kat

25. Ansel

26. Kat

27. Ansel

28. Kat

Epilogue

Mailing List

Copyright © 2017 by Zara Novak

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

The Vampire’s Prisoner

By

Zara Novak

Prologue

Ansel

“But how did you escape?!” Vesper cried in terror as he stared up into the eyes of the vampire.

“I warned you.” Ansel said in a low voice. “Cross me and you will live to regret it.”

Lightning flashed through the hallway of the castle as Ansel plunged the silver stake into the chest of the vampire. The creature burst into a well of flame, and a moment later nothing was left.

Ansel turned from the ash pile, and closed his eyes as he listened to the storm surge around him. Light flashed, illuminating the muscled contours of his naked body as he stood still in the darkness.

He had finally sought his revenge, and he had earned his freedom. He looked down at the score marks on his wrists and ankles, where the metal had burned against his skin for the last three months.

A cry floated from the end of the corridor, and he jolted his head up in response. He had destroyed every last member of his treacherous family, and he knew that the castle should be empty.

“Help!” The voice whispered, struggling to make it’s self overheard in the storm.

There was someone still here. He wasn’t alone.

Ansel’s eyes flushed with black and his teeth became pointed. He raised his fists and clenched them, anticipating that his fight wasn’t done.

He reached the end of the corridor, walked around the stone doorway and into a small stone cell. A tall yellow candle flickered on the wall beside him. The light whispered across the dim cell to reveal the source of the sound.

The woman was bound with chains, much the same as Ansel had been, but on the floor around her, there was a circle of salt. She was dark skinned, with luminous azure eyes. Unlike Ansel, she had been allowed the dignity of clothing. She wore a long red gypsy dress which almost looked medieval in it’s appearance. Her hair was black, frizzy and unkempt. Ansel’s eyes narrowed to the small golden pendant on her chest. The woman was a witch.

“Help me…” The witch said with a dying voice. “I haven’t much time left.”

Ansel approached steadily, unsure if this was one last trick of Vesper and his sick coven of vampires. He stopped halfway across the sparse stone room, three steps outside the salt circle surrounding the witch.

Wind, rain and light continued to blast through a small barred window set into the stone wall of the cell. It had been a long time since Ansel had seen the outside world. He stood for a second and inhaled fresh air, something he would never take for granted again.

“Who are you?” He asked.

“My name is Azu.” The woman said in a choking whisper. “Who are you?”

“My name is Ansel. Ansel Draco. I was a member of this coven, but they took me prisoner. Tonight I escaped. Tonight they died.”

Pain seemed to ebb from the face of the witch, and she sat up slightly against the wall behind her. Her curious eyes burned into Ansel’s, and he felt as if the witch were looking right through him.

Her eyes glazed, her mouth dropped open and then she spoke. “It’s you. I know you.”

Ansel raised an eyebrow. “Look, I can free you, but I know enough about witches to know that you’re powerful. Can I trust you?”

“No.” Azu said while staring into the distance. “You cannot, and I would not. But there is one that you can trust.”

Ansel turned his head, confused. “…right. I’m breaking out of here, there are things I need to do.” He looked the witch up and down, wondering one last time whether he should free her or not.

“You seek revenge.” The witch said in a whisper. “You want to destroy the Red Circle.”

Ansel froze, and noticed that everything around him had become still. The storm outside has slowed to nothing. The candle flame on the wall beside him hung still in the air. He walked forward and crouched just outside the ring of salt.

“Tell me what you know of the Red Circle.” He said in a low voice.

The witch chuckled darkly. “They rule the world of vampires. Everyone answers to them. They are the elite, they are the ones who control…”

“Control what?” Ansel said with urgency.

“Rules, laws, populations… everything.”

“They’re the reason I was locked up here, aren’t they?” Ansel said.

Azu nodded. “They deemed you a mistake. You are unruly, uncultured. You should never have been a vampire. They ordered your coven to destroy you, but they didn’t. They kept you as a prisoner first.”

“How do I find them?” Ansel said. “How do I track them down?”

Azu chuckled again. “You are but one child. They are many.”

“Where?!” Ansel cried.

“The Red Keep. A place between worlds. There are few entrances on this earth, but they are hidden.”

“Just give me a name.” Ansel said. “Which vampire deemed my existence a mistake?!”

“They are an army.” Azu continued, not seeming to pay much attention to Ansel. “This land is divided into territories. Every territory has a Warden - an advanced vampire who controls the Red Circle in that area. It is the Warden of this area who signed your death sentence. His name is Cairo Inai.”

Cairo Inai.

Ansel had heard that name on the lips of his coven members before.

“Where is he? How do I find him? You said the Red Circle convene in the Red Keep. Where is that?”

“Everywhere and nowhere.” Azu said. “The Keep is a world of their own. A powerful manifestation conjured by witches like myself. It exists between worlds. To find it and to find the ones you seek… you would need to find a gateway.”

“Tell me where the gateway is.” Ansel demanded.

Azu’s eyes flared with madness and she erupted into an inane cackle. “You think they’d trust me with such information? Oh my poor child. They would never tell me something so precious. I do know of one however… one who could help you.”

“Tell me and I’ll set you free.” Ansel pleaded.

“No deal.” Azu responded. “I am a dead woman anyway, but… I will give you your information Ansel Draco.”

Azu fell back onto the ground and held a finger to the ceiling. Ansel ran over to her and crouched down beside her, just outside the salt circle. The witch’s eyes were all black now, and she spoke in a slow and low whisper.

“There is a bar called the Black Font, in a town just east of here. A town called Dead Rest.”

“Dead Rest?” Ansel said. “I know it, it’s not far from here…”

Azu nodded. “In the Black Font you will find a man named Hurst. He is the one you need.”

“And this Hurst,” Ansel said, “He can tell me how to find this gateway to the Red Keep?”

“No.” Azu shook her head. “But he can help you find my sister, a witch named Rubago. Find her, and she may help you.”

A chill of wind passed through the room. Thunder rumbled through the castle, followed by a flash of light from outside. Ansel looked around and saw that the world had resumed it’s movement.

“And one last thing Ansel Draco.”

Ansel glanced down at the face of the dying witch. Her eyes were fully black now, and her voice had crawled to a whisper.

“Watch for the woman in the white dress. She will be your savior.”

1. Kat

The street was quiet and dark. Everywhere Kat looked, windows and doorways were boarded up. Everything here had been forgotten a long time ago. She was beginning to doubt she had the right place, when she walked past a solitary black door with a sign over it.

She stopped and looked up at the wide slab of painted black brick over the doorway. Into the flat stone the words ‘Black Font’ were carved in thick and jagged letters.

Kat read the words out loud to herself and glanced down at the picture on her phone.

“Black Font…”

The phrase felt weird in her mouth. The words felt heavy on her tongue. As she spoke them it felt as if they hit the floor like lead bullets.

A pang of excitement stirred inside of her, mixed with a pang of dread. When she had received the assignment from her tutor to write about an unusual aspect of her town’s history, she had never anticipated it would lead her on the trail of vampires.

She could scarcely remember how she’d gotten onto the topic, but the more she read, the more enthralled she had become. She’d spent every night last week, reading long into the night, prying into forgotten corners of the internet, reading things that sparked dark wonder across the facet of her mind.

Most of the time, she could spot the fakers right away. People would write and concoct the most ridiculous scenarios, trying to pass fiction off for fact.

There was one forum she had come across however, a technically ancient looking place that appeared to be a remnant of the late 90s. The site was bare, basic, plain, but to her it had felt real, and that was what mattered.

When she started looking deeper she realized the site was some sort of elaborate role playing forum. It appeared that people posted there, were pretending to be vampires who were looking for blood. At first glance she was amused, but as she read on, she discovered the community of actors were rather gifted writers. She read through hundreds and hundreds of pages, soaking up every word, cursing every red ‘X’ that signified a picture long forgotten.

The last post on the forum had been nearly fifteen years ago, but the thing that had really peaked her interest was the solitary thread written about her hometown, Dead Rest:

Anywhere to drink in Dead Rest, MT?

-aigler044

There had been one solitary response to the topic, and it had read:

Black Font, Harrow Street.

-Shine_x

When Kat saw that solitary thread, her heart had started thumping in her chest. Vampires? Here in Dead Rest of all places? The more she read into the lore, the more she hoped she could find something tangible. Now there was a chance to investigate something for herself, and here she was stood in front of that very thing.

Kat looked up and down the long deserted street and shivered. The sky had recently grown dark, and only a faint bruise of ink blue was left hanging on the horizon. She swallowed at something in her throat and placed a hand on the featureless black door in front of her.

She found it strange that apart from the blank door, and the near-blank slab of stone at it’s top, there was nothing else to distinguish this place. There were no signs, no doormen, no windows. If this was the haunt of some elaborate vampire enthusiasts, they had gone to great lengths to keep this place well hidden.

The door creaked as Kat walked through, and it slammed shut with a dusty rattle. She was stood at the top of a dark and narrow staircase. A red light came from somewhere down below, casting an eerie light up the stairwell.

The walls on either side of her were black, divided halfway up by a painted handrail that led down into the darkness.

Below the handrails the walls, were a void of pitch, above them there was an explosion of vintage collage wallpaper. In the distance Kat could hear the faint sound of metal music, blaring into some unknown void.

It was still quiet enough up here, to hear her breath shaking. She was stood still enough, to feel her heart thumping.

You need to stop being ridiculous. She told herself. This is clearly just some enthusiast’s club. It’s all going to be okay.

Her eyes adjusted to the dim red darkness and she placed a hand on the black rail beside her. She took a closer look at the collage print above the handrail, and realized that it wasn’t wallpaper at all. All around her from waist height to the ceiling, the walls were covered in newspaper clippings that appeared to have been brushed on with thick swaths of glue.

She had assumed at first it was some clever pattern, but as she took a closer look it became apparent that it was real. Every clipping was an individual story, yet every one seemed to share a common theme. Bold headlines blared across the wall, beneath a sea of dried glue:

‘Angela Thomas, 19, Missing.’

‘Search for honor student continues.’

‘Have you seen Rory? Call Police Now.’

Each headline was accompanied by a picture of a fresh faced teen or young adult. Most of the stories were about missing girls. Kat glanced over the clippings and felt a chill pass through her stomach. She didn’t know what the implication of the news clippings were, but one thing was apparent. Whoever was behind this place had a serious penchant for the macabre.

Kat took a tight hold of the handrail and followed the stairs all the way down. To her dismay, she found the clippings stretched from the top of the staircase, all the way to the bottom. She turned and looked back up at the staircase, and estimated there must have been thousands of clippings covering the wall. The sheer number was enough to bother her; but it was also the fact that the clippings appeared to become newer as she descended the staircase.

Was this an elaborate prop? Or was it a living time line to something much more gruesome? She turned from the stairs and tried to push the thought to the back of her mind.

Before her there were a set of black double doors - flat and featureless, just like the door at the front. Above the doors was a red light bulb dangling on a solitary white cable. The sound of the metal music was louder now. Kat took another breath and walked through the double doors.

The bar was dark, small and dirty looking. As she stepped through the doors she found herself in the middle of a short and wide room. The bar was directly in front, and was one of the only sources of light within the room. Tables and chairs were scattered scantly around the edge.

She looked around at the walls, and saw the tidal wave of news clippings had spilled past the confines of the staircase and deep into this room. The clippings stopped at a point halfway across the room on her left.

Kat looked at the narrow space of pure black that remained unmarred and felt another shiver pass through her. She straightened up and took another breath. For all appearances, it seemed as if she was the only one in the bar. She took a couple of confident strides towards the beacon of light in front, and traced her eyes over the curious bottles of glass that lined the shelves behind the long counter.

The bottles were tall and appeared to be made of finely patterned crystal. What the contents were, she could not say. There were perhaps a hundred bottles of varying size and shapes across the four shelves behind the bar, and they all appeared to be filled with a dark liquid that was thick and red.

Kat placed her hand on the bar top and cleared her throat. She glanced down at her watch and saw that it was nearly 8pm. She cursed herself silently for wasting so much time, she was supposed to be meeting her sister in the next 30 minutes, and the thrill of this pointless hunt had already taken up too much of her time.

She cleared her throat again in attempt to get someone’s attention. Apart from the distant blare of music, there was no sign that anyone else was in the bar. She supposed someone had to be here, as the door wouldn’t have been left unlocked, but now that she thought about it, she couldn’t even remember if the door had a lock on it.

She caught a brief glimpse of her reflection on a sliver of mirror between shelves of dark bottles. She was dressed for a night on the town with her sister, and she almost felt ridiculous stood in a dive bar like this, looking the way she did.

Her mousy blonde hair was usually long and straight, but she had pinned it up in a bow of flowing curls for the occasion. She was wearing a short black cocktail dress that wrapped around the curves of her body tightly. On top of this she wore a short black jacket, tall flesh colored heels and in her hand she clutched a small black purse tightly.

A sound stirred from somewhere in front, and Kat felt her heart giddy in her chest. Her attention was drawn to a doorway at the far end of the bar, which was covered in long sheets of cloudy plastic. Beyond the plastic there appeared to be a well lit room covered in small white tiles. A hand wrapped around the curtain and pushed it to one side. A face poked around the door and looked into the bar. Kat stared into the face of the man and felt herself freeze.

His face was round and appeared to belong to that of someone in his late fifties. There was a brush of grey stubble that was wild and unkempt. His hair was a wisp of greasy smoke, which bent from his head in all directions. He wore an old white dress shirt which was rolled up at the sleeves, along with dark black trousers which were stained and held up by ancient looking suspenders.

There was an air of time about the man, but Kat couldn’t explicitly say why. All she could focus on were the blank whites of his eyes, which stared at her now like two clouded marbles.

“Who’s there?” The man growled. “Early aren’t we?!”

Kat fought to stop her hand from trembling and pushed a response from her throat.

“Excuse me sir.” She began shakily. “My name is Kat Summers, I’m a student a Dead Rest College.”

The man’s eyes widened and a sort of terrible realization seemed to pass over his face. His voice grew low and serious. “What did you just say?”

“Kat Summers.” Kat said with a shaky smile. “I’m doing a report for my local college paper, and I was wondering if you would care to answer a few questions about the history of vampire lore in Dead Rest.”

The man stepped forward into the bar and let the plastic curtain fall back into place behind him. He shuffled forward slowly until he was stood just to the right of Kat. The man looked straight ahead at the wall behind her. Both his hands were on the bar top. He rapped the fingers of his right hand over the wood once and spoke again.

“You’ve made a grave mistake coming here Ms. Summers.” The main said in a low and unfortunate voice. “Tell me. Who told you of this place?”

“There was a forum.” Kat paused, wondering if that explanation would mean anything to the man. “There was this place online. A place where people were role playing as vampires. They were talking about places they could find ‘blood’, and someone mentioned this bar.” Kat looked around the bar and found a new appreciation for the level of detail that had gone into it’s appearance. “It’s really quite amazing what you’ve done here.” She said. “It kind of gives me the creeps. Do you do events here?”

Kat looked into the glassy eyes of the old man and saw tiny threads of red veins forming in a circle at the center. The man had tightened his fingers around the side of the bar closest to him and he appeared to be struggling with something physically.

“Are you okay sir?” Kat took a step back from the bar and felt her heart thumping in her chest once more. She stared into the eyes of the man and could only watch in amazement as she saw two disks of pure black fade through the white, to the front of his eyes. The disks blew across the white and pushed it into the edges of his skull until there was only black.

The man turned his eyes on Kat for the first time and a light seemed to spark in the endless ink of his gaze. His lips curled into a curiously dark smile, on the edge of which Kat saw the point of a long and yellow tooth.

“You’re a dreadfully pretty thing aren’t you?” He asked whimsically. “I don’t know how you ended up here Ms. Summers… but if I were you, I would be very quick to leave.” The man pulled out an ancient looking wristwatch and glanced down at the the time. “My clientele will be here soon you see, and I’m afraid I can’t be responsible for their actions. If they saw a pretty young thing like you, in a place like this…” The man paused and a tongue darted across his lips. “There’s no saying what they’d do.”

A smile faltered on Kat’s lips and she took another step back. She opened her mouth to speak, but she found that no words would come. She clutched her purse tight against her chest with both hands and walked backwards from the man.

“That’s it.” He said in a low whisper. “Get out now while you still can. There’s already enough trouble in this world. You don’t want to find yourself a part of it do you?”

Kat shook her head and continued her retreat, her eyes locked on the lifeless black coals at the center of his face. She stretched a hand out behind and her found the double doors that led back into the stairwell. She walked backward through the doors and let them shut in front of her. She never took her eyes off his. She never turned around until she was sure it was safe.

She stood at the foot of the stairs for a moment with her breath heaving. Whatever this was, whatever this place meant, it had been a mistake coming here, she could see that now. Kat blinked slowly and attempted to quell her trembling hands. She placed one foot on the stairs and began her speedy ascent.

“My clientele will be here soon you see, and I’m afraid I can’t be responsible for their actions. If they see a pretty young thing like you in here…”

The man’s voice echoed through her mind as her heels clacked up the stairs in quick succession. She had no idea what this place was, she had no idea how that man’s eyes had changed the way they had.

As she ran up the staircase, the pasted visions of people long forgotten swam in the edge of her periphery. The faces of the lost stared down at her from the walls, beckoning for her to join them, screaming silently beneath a layer of thick paste that had dried many decades before.

Kat scrambled to the top of the stairs and reached out to grab the door that led back to a world of safety and normalcy. Just as she took the last step, the door swung open, and she tripped.

She tumbled toward the ground face first, only to be caught by a pair of strong hands at the last second. The hands lifted her to her feet, and she found herself staring into the blood red eyes of a tall and handsome stranger.

“Well, hello.” He purred. “What’s your name?”

2. Ansel

Ansel stood calmly in the doorway to the Black Font, his hands held firm on the girl in front of him. The girl stood in front of him like a deer in the headlights, like a rabbit waiting for the lion’s jaws to clutch around it.

“I’m sorry.” She stammered and glanced down to the floor. “I was just leaving-” The girl went to move around Ansel in a hurry and he placed an arm out in front of her.

“What’s the hurry?”

The girl’s blue eyes found his again and she backed against the wall beside his arm. Ansel leaned in and closed the distance between them. “Something got you scared?”

“I’m just… I’m late to meet friends.” The girl said timidly. “I’m not meant to be here. I’m in the wrong place.”

“I’ll say.” Ansel laughed to himself and took a deep breath of the girl’s heavenly floral scent. He heard the quiet pulse of her heart as it thumped in her chest, he noticed her eyes burst with black as they dilated at his touch. It was a look he had seen only too many times before. It was the look of someone afraid for their life. Ansel leaned back from the wall and lowered his arm.

“Look. There’s no need to be scared. This place might look grim, but it’s not that bad.” Ansel saw the girl’s large blue eyes skirt over the wall of fame behind him. He looked back at it briefly. “Take no notice of this stuff.” He waved a hand. “It’s all for show. Come on, let me help you out.”

The truth was, that the Black Font was a dangerous place, and none of it was for show. He wanted to help the girl relax though, she needed to get as far away from this place as she could. They stepped out onto the dark street and the girl stood there in silence with her arms crossed over herself. Her eyes were trained down on the ground in attempt to distance herself from the situation.

“Look, I was just messing with you then.” Ansel said and held out a hand. “My name is Ansel, Ansel Draco.”

The girl looked up at the mention of his name with a curious glint in her eyes. She took his hand briefly then crossed her arms in front of herself once more. “Kat.” She said lightly. “Kat Summers.”

Ansel rolled the name over in his mind and smiled. He liked the sound of it. He liked the sound of her delicate and floral voice. He pushed his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket and rolled his head on his shoulders. “Look Kat, I don’t mean to sound like your father - but a girl like you shouldn’t be around a place like this. It’s not safe here. You understand?”

Kat nodded and continued to stare down at the floor.

“What are you doing here anyway?” Ansel asked. “Are you a friend of Hurst’s?”

Kat looked up. “Hurst?”

Ansel motioned to the door with his head. “Old man behind the bar. Spooky white eyes and terrible clothes.”

“Oh.” Kat said timidly. “No. I don’t know that man.”

Ansel brushed a hand through his thick brown hair and tongued at his cheek. “So what are you doing here then? No offense, but you’re a prize steak in the lion’s den here. There’s no telling who could come through this door. You’re lucky I’m running early tonight.”

Kat chewed on her bottom lip nervously and kept her arms folded tight against her body. “I’m sorry that I bothered you Mr. Draco. Thanks for catching me just now. Good night.” Kat turned on her heels and started down the street.

Ansel couldn’t explain why, but he ran after her.

“Hey, come on now girl.” Ansel jogged after Kat until he was level with her pace. Kat glanced sideways at him out the corner of her eyes. Ansel could tell from her body language that this girl was scared lifeless. He backed away from her and held his arms up. “Listen. I’m not going to hurt you. I promise you that. I didn’t mean to cause offense or nothing…”

Kat came to a stop and looked at Ansel with a weary smile. “None taken Mr. Draco, it’s just… well you said it yourself really didn’t you? It’s dangerous around here for a girl like me.”

“So what were you doing here?” Ansel looked Kat up and down. The girl was radiant perfection, a shining beacon of light in the ocean of swirling black madness that was his life.

“I’m a journalism student at Dead Rest College.” Kat said. “I’m writing a piece about Dead Rest’s forgotten histories and well… somehow I ended up on the topic of…”

“…vampires?” Ansel prompted.

“…yes.” Kat’s eyes shimmered with the promise of something as Ansel said the word. She looked at him with a renewed sense of perspective.

When Kat had fallen into the Ansel’s arms back at the Black Font, the adrenaline had flooded across her body in excess. She’d barely glanced at the mysterious stranger long enough, to notice anything other than the peculiar ruby pupils at the center of his sharp white eyes. She looked at him properly now in the moonlight for the first time, and she him for what he was: gorgeous.

He was dressed from head to toe in black. Sharp black jeans accompanied by a tight black t-shirt, over which he wore a black leather jacket. His brunette hair was thick, short and swept back on his head in a tussle of perfectly sculpted mess.

She dragged her eyes over the rugged edges of his face. From the handsome ridge of his brow down to his full red lips and his strong jaw, every inch of the man was perfection.

“Do I know you from somewhere?” She asked. “Are you a model or something?”

Ansel turned his head in surprise and laughed. “A model? What? No. Why?”

“I just feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before. Maybe on a billboard in town or something. You look like one of those guys.”

“I guess I’ll take that as a compliment?” Ansel smiled and brushed a hand over the back of his head. “For what it’s worth, you’re looking awfully dressed up for a girl claiming to be hunting vampires.”

Kat rolled her eyes, and for the first time she flashed Ansel a smile. His eyes lingered on the expression as it appeared for the briefest of seconds, and he felt something glow inside of him.

“I’m not hunting vampires.” Kat laughed to herself and her cheeks reddened slightly. She brushed a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear and met Ansel’s gaze without fear for the first time. “I told you I was just doing some research.”

She looked up and down the derelict street and chewed her lip as she thought. “I don’t know what this bar place is,” She shrugged, “I just feel like a stupid girl now. Vampires aren’t real… weird old men and random bars full of creepy clippings are. Lesson learned. Don’t believe everything you read on the internet.” She flashed an awkward smile at Ansel and shrugged again. “Was there something you wanted me to help you with…”

“Ansel.” Ansel said.

“Ansel?” Kat dropped her weight on to one leg and raised an eyebrow. “Ansel Draco. That’s really your name?” She laughed to herself slightly.

“Why yes.” Ansel smiled back, half relieved that the girl didn’t seem so afraid of him anymore. “Is that so funny?”

“I suppose not. I thought you were making fun earlier.” Kat mused. “It does sound like the kind of cool name a vampire would have.” An idea seemed to spark in Kat’s eyes. “What is that place anyway?” She nodded behind Ansel to the bar down the street. “Some sort of vampire fetish club or something?”

“Has your interest peaked again?” Ansel asked. “I thought you’d washed your hands of this ‘stuff’.”

“I have.” Kat said quickly. “But I still need to write something for my journalism assignment. Are you into this vampire stuff? Would you be able to give me a quick interview?” Kat pulled out her phone and Ansel glanced down at it quickly.

“An interview with me? About ‘vampire stuff’?”

“Yeah.” Kat said. “You are into that kind of thing right?” She looked Ansel up and down. “I mean you really look the part. I understand if you can’t break charcter and you’re getting paid by your creepy boss or whatever. If you’re just a model for this weird club that’s fine…”

“I look the part?” Ansel looked down at himself out of curiosity.

“Yeah.” Kat nodded and swiped through her phone. “You know the deal, dressed in black from head to toe, good looking, perfect hair. You’ve got the whole sexy vampire prince vibe down to a tee.”

“So you think I’m sexy?” Ansel said with a quick smile.

Kat’s cheeks filled with red and she stammered. “You know what I mean. Come on. Will you give me an interview or not? I’m right aren’t I? This is some weird club and you work there?”

“Sure.” Ansel said after a quick pause. “You’re bang on the money. I’m really into all this ‘vampire stuff’. I can’t get enough of it. What is it you want to know?”

The sound of dull vibration sung through the air and they both glanced down at Kat’s ringing phone.

“Fuck it’s my sister.” Kat said. “I’m supposed to be meeting her in five minutes and I’m stood all the way over here on the other side of town. Is there any chance we could do this later?”

“Sure.” Ansel said. “I just have to pay Hurst a visit at the bar first, but I can come into town and meet you for a drink after that if you like?”

“That would be great!” Kat beamed. “Do you have a number I can text you on?”

“Don’t worry about that.” Ansel smiled. “I’m sure I’ll bump into you again.”

“Oh… okay.” Kat twisted her lips to one side in disappointment.

Ansel glanced down at the ringing phone in Kat’s hand. “You should probably get that, you don’t want to keep your sister waiting.” He turned from her and walked down the street, back toward the Black Font. “Be seeing you soon… Kat.”

Ansel walked into the bar once more, somewhat disappointed that this time there was no delightful blonde to fall into his lap. He jogged down the stairs and dragged his fingers across the black ceiling. He bounced through the doors at the bottom and headed straight for the bar.

Hurst appeared through the curtain a moment later, and shuffled across the bar to face Ansel. “You catch that one on the way out?” He asked. “She was really something.”

“She was indeed.” Ansel looked into the blind vampire’s eyes as they faded back to white. “She seems to definitely have piqued your interest, your eyes are black.”

Hurst grabbed one of the dark crystal bottles from off the shelf behind him and filled two glasses, pushing one across the counter to Ansel. “Even an old man must indulge himself sometimes.”

“I’m sure.” Ansel said and took a short sip of the warm blood. The nectar sparked the usual reaction in him. His eyes dilated, his fangs grew to sharp points. He took a deep breath of air and blinked. The world swam into focus with rich and startling detail. Light bloomed, color shone where a moment ago there was none. He was alive again.

Ansel looked at the old man and saw the black of his eyes had flooded back once more at the taste of blood. “I’m surprised you let her go.” He said.

“I’m surprised you let her go.” Hurst countered.

“Don’t you worry about that. I’ll be seeing her later.” Ansel said with a smile.

“Not if someone else sees her first.” Hurst said.

Ansel shook his head. “I did a quick check of the area on my way in. No vampires around at the moment apart from me and you… What was she doing in a place like this anyway?”

“Fucked if I know.” Hurst took another sip of his glass. “A college student turns up in a place like this and says she wants to write a report on vampires. I mean… Jesus Christ.”

“Anyway.” Ansel said, breaking up the conversation. “It’s been a week. You get the info I want? Any rumors floating about?”

Hurst paused for a moment, turning his glass in his hands.

“I heard a rumor there was a young vampire going around killing his own kind…” Hurst’s eyes rolled to Ansel’s slowly, his face a picture of stone.

Ansel finished the rest of his glass and set it down onto the counter gently. “People talk too much these days anyway.” He wiped a sleeve across the back of his mouth and nodded at Hurst. “What did you hear?”

“They said you killed your entire coven.” Hurst said quietly. “They said you killed your maker…” Hurst shook his head and looked down at the counter. “Do you know what the Red Circle will do to you when they find you Ansel? Do you know?”

“There’s a method to my madness old man.” Ansel dragged a knuckle over the wooden counter top and wrapped three times. “They can come after me if they want. I’m ready.”

Hurst let out a long breath and stared into the eyes of the young vampire. “What is it you want? You didn’t come here for blood. You can get that anywhere.”

“You’re right - I can, very observant of you old man.” Ansel pushed his stool back and stood up from the bar. “When I came in here a week ago, I had a question for you. Now I want to know if you have my answer.”

Hurst reached into his pocket reluctantly and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He set it onto the bar and pushed it across to Ansel slowly. “That’s all I could I find out.” Hurst said quickly. “But’s it’s more than enough to go off. There’s a name, a date and a location. You must be insane if you’re trying to track down a witch.”

“Don’t you worry about that.” Ansel grabbed the piece of paper off the counter and shoved it into his pocket. “I’m more than capable of looking after myself.”

Ansel was about to turn and leave when Hurst spoke once more.

“I know you probably won’t answer this… seeing how you told me to ‘fuck off’ last time, but what is it you plan ask this witch exactly? That’s if you don’t get yourself killed first of course.”

“I’m headed for the top.” Ansel said simply. “I’ve stood by long enough to watch the name of the vampire get dragged through the mud by the Red Circle. Their world will burn with the fire of my name. All I need to do is strike the match.”

3. Kat

The line outside the club sprawled around the block. Kat ran the length of it, and stopped at the front, much to the dismay of the people waiting. She stood in front of the bouncer expectantly.

“Fuck off!” A girl shouted from near the front of the line. “We’ve been waiting for hours!”

Kat turned from the girl to the bouncer.

“What do you want?” The behemoth in black looked Kat up and down. “No cuts, doesn’t matter how hot you think you are.”

Kat rolled her eyes and fished the white card for her sorority out of her purse. She held it up silently and the bouncer straightened up immediately.

“Sorry Miss.” He bumbled and pulled the rope back quickly. “I didn’t realize.”

“It’s okay.” Kat sighed as she walked in. “I hate using this thing anyway.”

Inside the bar was loud, dark and crowded. Avalon was a favorite haunt for her sister Ruth and the babbling flock of sorority chicks that hung on her every word.

Kat checked her coat, ordered a neon colored cocktail from the bar, and made her away across the busy dance floor. The club thumped with the loud beat of music. Lights sparkled in every direction, mirrors on the edge of the large room reflected the action back into infinity. People smiled as they danced to the beat of the floor.

Across the other side of the dance floor, Kat could see the table that was permanently set aside for their sorority. The table was packed with a dozen girls dressed in black cocktail dresses identical to hers. It was sorority tradition to come out in matching dresses when it was one of the girl’s birthdays. It was a tradition that Kat loathed greatly.

She watched from the opposite side of the dance floor as her sister delivered an animated story to the table of expectant girls. Ruth waved her arms with one final flourish as she brought her story to it’s quasi-punchline and the table erupted into a chorus of fake laughter. The sound of their cackling ripped across the already deafening blare of the nightclub and Kat sighed to herself.

“This is going to be a long night.” She rolled the thin glass stem of the cool cocktail glass between her finger and thumb and raised the glass to her lips. She sipped at the neon pink cocktail and a burst of strawberry flavor danced across her tongue, followed by the familiar sting of alcohol.

Kat winced at the strength of the drink and nodded to herself. “This might just taste good enough to get me through tonight.”

She skirted around the rest of the dance floor until she was at her sorority’s table. Just as she arrived, a couple of girls jumped up from the table with their arms outstretched and their drinks pointed up. They ran past Kat without seeing her and headed straight for the floor.

Kat twisted her face in pain as the chorus of shrieking girls passed her by. If there was one thing she could never understand about sorority girls, it’s why they had to be so loud. A girl called Monique jumped up from the table with the energy of a girl ready to dance. Her eyes set on Kat instantly and she swapped her smile for a concerned turn of her head.

“Eight twenty five girl? Really?! Your sister is going to kill your ass. Come here.” Monique embraced Kat with a hug that felt genuine. It was a small thing, but it was something of a rarity in the sorority life, and Kat didn’t take it for granted.

“Thanks Monique.” Kat stood awkwardly at the side of the table, as the rest of the girls filed out of the large booth. She shot a cursory glance at her sister Ruth, who was the only girl left sitting at the plush white booth. “You don’t suppose she’s mad do you?”

“I love you honey.” Monique kissed the air to the right of Kat’s face and stepped in the direction of the dance floor. “But, you have got to start showing up on time for shit. It’s your sister’s birthday for god sake!”

Monique disappeared into the sea of smiling faces and Kat glanced back around to face her sister. Ruth was sat at the far end of the booth, at the head of the long white table. Her arms were crossed and she held Kat’s gaze with a solitary brow raised.

Ruth and Kat looked alike, but Ruth was the shorter of the two and her hair was dark brunette, in contrast to Kat’s mousy blonde.

Kat scooted onto the long white seat and moved around until she was sat by her sister. “Would it help if I gave you the rest of my drink?” Kat pushed the half-full neon pink cocktail across the table to Ruth.

A smile curled at the edge of Ruth’s lips. She picked the glass up and finished the drink in one. “It might be a start…” Ruth’s face twisted as the alcohol flavor hit. “Damn that’s strong, what did you put in this?!”

“I just ordered a strawberry bellini, that young black guy with the short hair made it.”

“Oh… the one that is totally in love with you?” Ruth chuckled. “Well that makes sense. He’s obviously just trying to get you drunk. You should let him, have a bit of fun finally.” Ruth winked at her sister and set the glass back down.

“Maybe.” Kat looked across the dance floor at the sea of smiling faces. Lights whirled across the darkness and the music pulsed across the crowd like a rising tide. “He’s not really my type.”

“There’s a surprise.” Ruth flicked a hand across her dark fringe and crossed her legs. She leaned back into the corner of the booth and looked over at Kat. “Where the hell have you been anyway? It’s my birthday night out Kat. You can’t even show up on time for that?”

“I know Ruth, I’m so sorry-”

“I know you don’t like doing sorority stuff.” Ruth said. “And I know you only show up when you absolutely have to, but I thought even you would want to celebrate my birthday.”

“I do Ruth, honest.” Kat stressed. “I just got caught up with some stupid shit, that’s all. I’m here now, can’t we just have fun?”

“I don’t know Kat.” Ruth glanced down at her black cocktail dress and brushed a crease out of it. “Can we? It’s obvious you hate everything about sorority life. We both know you’re only here because mom wants us to be.”

“I’m trying Ruth.” Kat said. “I honestly am. I just… I don’t really like clubs,” Kat waved a hand over the sensory wall of chaos that was the club. “It’s too much for me. I prefer quiet places.”

“We have our differences Katty.” Ruth said. “It would be nice to feel like you’re not just here to cash inheritance checks.”

“The money that was left to us was Dad’s money.” Kat said for the hundredth time. “When he died it should have come to us. Then she had to come in with this ridiculous condition that we’d only get it if we went to Capa Phi.” Kat scoffed. “I mean, it’s fine for you. You were obviously always going to be a Capa Phi princess Ruth, you’re too beautiful not to.”

“Aww.” Ruth pulled her lips into a sympathetic smile. “See? You can be nice sometimes.”

“I’m just saying sis, it’s not fair that mom is putting me through this. We’re two different people, I get that, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love you. I’m following her rules because if I don’t, she’ll take the money that dad left for me. She already sunk her claws into him deep enough. She’s not getting anymore.”

Ruth rolled her eyes and laughed. “She can be a nightmare sometimes, even I can admit that. No hard feelings over you being late, just tell me - what is it you were up to?”

Kat slumped into the seat next to her sister and sighed. “Oh nothing, you’re only going to think it’s dumb anyway.”

“Probably.” Ruth laughed. “But at least you can say I always find your stories amusing.”

Kat glanced at Ruth and weighed up how much she really wanted to relive the events of the night so far. “Okay.” She smiled and sat up straight. “So as you know I’ve been looking into vampires for this latest journalism assignment I have.”

Ruth dropped her head into her hands and laughed. “God, you’re still on this vampire hype? You’ve been in my room every evening talking about this shit. Let it go!”

“I know, I know!” Kat laughed. Every night before bed her and her sister would usually try and find ten minutes to talk over their day with each other before it was done. Kat had taken the last weeks worth of nights hostage, with excited ramblings of things she had read on the internet.

“But it’s just, I found something interesting online, and I went to check it out. Something here in town.”

“Vampires?” Ruth raised a curious eyebrow. “Here in Dead Rest? You know that’s interesting. Because I heard something too actually…” Ruth’s tone shifted into seriousness and her gaze floated into the distance.

Kat sat up straight and took notice of her sister’s change. “What Ruth? What did you hear?”

“I heard that they found the boogeyman working over the road at the Burger Barn.”

Ruth delivered the line dead pan only to crack into a smile at seeing her sister’s look of disapproval. “Sorry. Carry on. What did you find?”

“Nothing.” Kat said flatly. “There was mention of this bar, somewhere that vampires were meant to hang out. I went to check it out and it was just… creepy.”

“Well if vampires were real, that’s the kind of thing I’d expect. Was anyone there? Did someone try to hurt you?”

Kat recalled the events as they had unfolded, from her walking through the door to falling into Ansel’s arms. By the end of the story her sister’s interest had definitely moved from polite listening to active intrigue.

“He sounds dreamy.” Ruth said and her eyes sparkled with imagination. “Did you get his number?”

“No.” Kat pulled a face. “I tried to get it but you were calling me, and we kind of hurried away from each other. I got the sense he was late for his shift as this bar.”

“Sorry sis.” Ruth patted a hand on her sister’s leg. “If you think this guy works at this creepy theme bar… why not just go back there again and find him?”

“Maybe. I kind of got the impression he was blowing me off. He declined to give me his number and said he was, ‘Sure’ that we’d bump into each other again. What does that even mean?”

Ruth sat there with a big smile on her face.

“What?” Kat looked around to check that one of Ruth’s dumb friends wasn’t pulling a face behind her back. “Is there something on my face?”

“No.” Ruth said with a wide smile. “It’s just that I’ve known you for just shy of twenty years now sis, and I’ve never so much as heard you talk about a guy before.”

Kat blushed and reared her head. “What? Don’t be ridiculous. Of course I have!”

“Nope. Nada.” Ruth shook her head. “In fact I think this might the very first time I’ve heard you gush over another guy. To be honest I was starting to wonder if you were in the closet or something.” Ruth shot a hand up. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that if you are.”

“I’m not in the closet, and I’m definitely not gushing over this guy.” Kat said back. “I was just hoping I could speak to him about this vampire stuff. He must know a fair deal if he works at this bar. I need to write something for my journalism piece.”

“Oh I’m sure it’s the journalism piece that you’re concerned about.” Ruth rolled her eyes once more. “What makes you think you won’t bump into this guy again sis? Maybe you’re just destined to be together.”

Kat shook her head. “No. You should have seen this guy honestly, he looked like he could have been on an underwear billboard.”

“I thought you said he was dressed in all black?” Ruth said. “How could you possibly know if he had a good body or not?”

“Well I don’t.” Kat admitted. “But he had the face, and I imagine he’s more than got the body.”

Ruth burst into another wide smile and counted on her fingers as she spoke. “So you’re imagining what he looks like naked. Gushing over him and hoping that you run into him again. Tell me sis, what part of that equation doesn’t equal obsessed to you?”

“Okay fine.” Kat sighed through a smile. “I might be a little obsessed, but this guy was… damn. I don’t even know how to describe it. He was hot okay? What’s wrong with me having a little fun every now and then?”

Ruth leaned forward and placed an arm on her sister’s shoulder. “Nothing honey, that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you your whole life.”

Suddenly Ruth paused and sat up straight. “Say, Kat. You know when you described this vampire-but-not-vampire guy to me. Just run over that again.”

“Okay.” Kat buzzed with excitement over getting to relive the memory of Ansel once more. “He was tall.”

“Yep.”

“Handsome…”

“Yep.”

“He had this thick and wavy hair that was dark and perfectly tussled.”

“Uh huh.”

“Dressed in all black… and his clothes seemed to fit so well. You know?”

“Uh huh. What about his face? What did he look like?”

Kat paused and thought for a moment. “Like I said really. He was handsome. Kind of pale actually, but he didn’t look sickly or anything. His eyes were the most unusual part, they almost looked like they were…”

“Red?” Ruth said and finished Kat’s sentence for her.

“Yeah.” Kat turned to her sister in confusion. “How did you know?”

“Well I might be wrong sis, but there can’t be that many red eyed vampire-but-not-vampire biker princes running around this old town. Believe me, I would have seen them.”

“What do you-”

Ruth placed a hand on her sister’s head and turned it to the foot of the table. There Ansel stood with his hands in his pockets, silhouetted perfectly by the twinkle of lights behind him.

“Ansel.” Kat choked on air and sat up bolt straight. “What are you doing here?!”

Ansel roughed a hand over the back of his head and flashed a smile at her. “Well, I did tell you I’d bump into you.”

4. Ansel

The club was loud, much too loud for Ansel. He held his hearing back as much as he possibly could, in effort to avoid damaging his most prized sense. He could feel the thick pulse of the bass drum as it rumbled across the floor and through his bones. It was a dizzying sensation and not one that he enjoyed. He focused his attention on the reason he was here and smiled at her. Kat.

Kat stared back at Ansel awestruck. She sat frozen at the far end of the booth. After a few seconds of silence, the brunette girl next to her scooted around the table, stood up and held her hand out.

“Hi, I’m Ruth. Kat’s sister. You’ll have to excuse Kat.” Ruth leaned forward and whispered to Ansel. “She’s not like most girls.”

She glanced back at her sister, who was still sat frozen at the end of the booth. Ruth gestured lightly with her head, and Kat scrambled to her feet, seeming to finally get the picture.

“That’s quite alright.” Ansel watched Kat in fascination. “I don’t like most girls.”

Ruth laughed and held out a hand. “Ruth. Your name is?”

“Ansel.” Ansel took Ruth’s hand for the briefest moment. “Ansel Draco.”

Kat finished scurrying around the edge of the booth and stood to greet Ansel.

It looked to Ansel, that she was happy to see him, but also apprehensive at the same time.

“Ansel, what are you doing here?”

“You wanted an interview didn’t you? I thought I’d come and tell you about all that ‘vampire stuff’ you’re so desperate to hear about.”

Ansel and Kat stood across from each other with a few paces in between them. Kat’s sister, Ruth was lingering just off to the side. Ruth let out a sharp laugh and rapped her sister on the shoulder lightly.

“You’ll have to forgive Katty here Ansel,” Ruth said with a warm smile. “She’s a little obsessed with everything to do with vampires. She’s been that way since she was a child. Although, I suppose you must be interested to some degree - Kat mentioned you worked at a theme bar or something?” Ruth’s eyes flashed with excitement and she bounced on her heels. “It would be great to take the girls actually, it sounds like it could be a fun night out.”

The smile faded from Ansel’s lips and he turned away from Kat reluctantly to deal with Ruth. “I’m afraid the bar is not for humans. It’s vampires only. If you and your friends went there, you would most certainly end up dead.”

Ansel stared into the depths of Ruth’s dark brown eyes and delivered the statement as matter of fact as he could. A nervous smile flicked over Ruth’s face and he could tell that it had unsettled her. Ruth looked from Ansel to Kat.

“…he’s a real riot.” Ruth laughed nervously.

“Ruth.” Ansel pushed the girl’s name forward from his lips with Intention. His control snarled around her ear like a hook and she looked at him instantly and attentively.

“Yes?”

“It’s been lovely meeting you, but you’re going to leave us now. Goodbye.” Ansel waved a hand across the girl’s face, which had adopted the expressionless automaton gaze of a person under a vampire’s control.

“Goodbye.” Ruth answered instantly in a lifeless and obeying tone, and disappeared onto the dance floor.

“…Okay, you have to teach me how you did that.” Kat stared in awe as her eyes followed Ruth onto the dance floor. “I love Ruth, but she can definitely be annoying sometimes.”

“All good siblings are.” Ansel said over the music. “Where shall we do our interview?”

Kat looked over to her left and pointed to a door in the far corner of the bar. “There’s a door over there that leads in to the back. It’s a little quieter than in here. It’s for staff only really, but Avalon is a sorority owned club, so members get a little leeway when it comes to moving around.”

“Sounds good to me. Lead the way.”

Kat stalked across the floor on her heels toward the door ahead. Ansel followed behind carefully, taking careful measure to drag his eyes over the rotund curves of her body. Kat punched a code into the door, pushed it open and they walked through.

They were in a small hallway with several doors branching off it. Unlike the club, the hallway was well lit yet sparsely decorated. The backstage area of the club was bare concrete, exposed brickwork and a mesh of old pipework that ran directly along the walls close to the ceiling. They walked past supply closets full of booze or cleaning supplies, to a polished wooden door with the words ‘Office’ written on it.

Kat pulled out a key and opened the door. The office was small and dingy, much like the rest of the backstage area. In the corner there was a tall filing cabinet and an old set of metal shelves which were bent and rusted. Everywhere Ansel looked, there were mounds of moldy paper in old cardboard boxes. A small wooden table was on the left wall, with two chairs by it. Kat took a box off the table and set it down on the ground.

“Let’s sit?” She said as she took a seat at the table.

Ansel joined her and looked around the room. “Quite the office of luxury.” He remarked.

“Yeah… sorry it’s a little dingy, but it’s the only quiet place I can think of in the club. There’s a newer office upstairs which is where the management actually work. One of the girls figured out this room was deserted, and they started using it to do coke. The key was mysteriously ‘lost’ a few months ago.” Kat held the key and winked before dropping it into her purse.

“Now you have this room all to yourself for cocaine.” Ansel joked.

“Barely.” Kat leaned over, opened the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet and pulled out an old book. “I rarely agree to come on nights out with the sorority, but when I do, I sneak into this place and use it as my own little library. I’ve smuggled in quite the collection.” Kat put the book back and pulled her phone out of her bag.

“Let’s get down to it then.” She said. “Is it okay if I record you?”

“Go ahead.” Ansel said.

Ansel watched Kat as she prepared herself for the interview. He looked at the girl and saw many things, but mainly he saw an intrepid hope in her eyes. Since he became a vampire, it was a look that Ansel had seen before, usually in the eyes of young girls like herself. It was a look of someone who desperately wanted to know that there was something more out there. It was the look of someone who knew something but never really had a reason to prove why.

Kat hit the record button on her phone and it beeped, but Ansel was the first to ask a question.

“There are many ways I could prove to you that I’m a vampire.” He said.

Kat smiled at Ansel quizzically. “Wait are we starting with the roleplay thing? That’s great. Carry on.”

Ansel ignored Kat and continued regardless. “I could show you my super human speed. I could demonstrate my super human strength. I could tell you how many exclamation marks are in the entirety of the Moby Dick, which is the third book you stashed in the bottom drawer of that filing cabinet.”

Kat’s jaw dropped slightly at that comment, and she turned to look at the closed cabinet in confusion.

“I could show you all this and more, and you’d meet it with the same faltering reaction. Disbelief. Dismay, emotional tumult. But I don’t have to show you anything, and you don’t have to pretend to be shocked - for we both know what it is I really am.”

Ansel sat up right and listened to the breath as it raced from Kat’s nose. The color drained from her face and the spark of amusement had left her eye.

“You’re messing with me right?” Kat laughed but there was no amusement in her voice.

“I’m not playing any games Kat.” Ansel growled. “You know what I am, I can see it in your eyes. Let me hear you say it.”

“You’re… you’re a vampire.” She said shakily. “A real one.”

A satisfied smile curled on Ansel’s lips and he sat back in his chair.

“When did you figure it out?”

“I think I knew it the moment I saw you. I think I knew it the moment I saw that bar… that place.” Kat dropped the word from her mouth as if it was ash.

“Why do you strive to find all of this?” Ansel gestured a hand through the air at himself. “Where does your obsession stem from?”

Kat didn’t answer the question immediately. Instead she dropped her eyes to the table as she thought something over. Her hesitation was answer enough for Ansel. Kat looked back up at him.

“Is this interview about me or you?” She said coldly. “I thought I was the one asking questions here?”

Ansel smiled and placed his right hand palm up on the table. “Give me your hand and you’ll see everything you want to know.”

Kat stared down at Ansel’s hand as if it were a live grenade. She looked up and eyed Ansel suspiciously, indicating she obviously needed more explanation before she would take it.

“We’re not just supernatural in the physical sense.” Ansel explained. “We have certain intellectual capacities that stretch beyond normal human capabilities. Touch my hand and you will see as I have seen. Touch my hand and I will see as you have.”

“Telepathy?” Kat looked down at the hand skeptically and scoffed. “You can’t be serious.”

“Give me your hand then and find out.” Ansel said coldly. “I’ll show you everything.”

Kat paused for a moment more and then she lifted her hand reluctantly. Her emotion was so strong he felt it rolling off her in thick waves of heat. Hesitation, fear, mistrust - but most of all, he felt her curiosity.

Kat placed her hand into his and jumped as she felt the spark flit between their fingers.

The small and dingy office room tumbled away instantly and they both whisked upward at a thousand miles an hour into some strange and dark unknown. They were still sat around a table, but it was pure black and wrapped tight in something soft like velvet. All around them, darkness stretched in every direction. Above them there was a solitary shaft of light, but no source to accompany it.

“Where are we?” Kat asked and looked around the dark void in shock.

“Thought. A place between worlds.” Ansel answered. “Ask anything you want and see the answer. For instance… where does your obsession with vampires stem from?”

Lights flashed at the edge of the darkness around them and Ansel found himself standing in an old house next to a young and frightened Kat. They were at the top of staircase, stood in the middle of a hallway. Light poked from a crack in the door just ahead. A strange and gruesome sobbing came from behind the door.

“Where are we?” He said to the young specter.

“My childhood home.” The girl whispered back. “I thought this place had been destroyed.”

“This is just a memory.” Ansel said. “This is the moment your obsession began. Why are we here?”

“I can’t… I can’t remember.” The girl stammered. “There… I think.”

Young Kat raised a finger to her lips and pointed up ahead. Ansel stared ahead silently and listened. The sobbing of a terrified woman rang through the house like a chord from a nightmare.

“No!” The voice screamed with dying strength. “Please!”

Kat walked forward in morbid curiosity.

“I was desperate to find what the sound was. We’d heard them before. Ruth had told a boy at school, and he’d said it was mommy and daddy having sex… but it wasn’t that. It wasn’t that at all.”

Ansel followed Kat to the end of the doorway and stopped as she peered through the crack in the door. There they could see the figure of a man doubled over a struggling woman on the floor.

Kat pushed the door and it swung open. “It wasn’t that at all…”

Ansel watched the young girl’s face as it twisted into a picture of shock and horror. He looked into the room and stared at the vampire drinking from the woman on the floor.

Both figures were naked, and the vampire drank with insatiable lust. The woman thrashed softly against him as the last of her strength wained. Bloody hand prints smeared the crisp white bed sheets, gruesome flecks splayed across the floral wallpaper at awkward angles. Both their bodies were covered in thin smudges of pink and red.

It was a messy kill, and it reminded Ansel much of his first. It was inexperienced, it was mad. It was the first execution of a fledgling vampire. He turned his attention back on the young girl who watched in horror.

“Father?”

The vampire looked up at the sound of the girl’s voice, and glanced at her in terror. His lifeless black eyes widened and the creature snarled in dismay.

“Out!” It roared. “Out! Out! Out!” The man jumped to his feet and ran toward the door, bloody, naked and filled with rage. Kat turned and ran down the landing, not stopping as she heard the door slam behind her.

The vision crumbled away and they found themselves sat back in the black void once more. Ansel stared into Kat’s eyes, but she was staring somewhere far into the distance. “I ran until my legs would no longer work. I made it to the woods at the back of our house. I climbed a tree and closed my eyes and cried until I couldn’t cry anymore.”

“Who was she?” Ansel asked.

“Our maid, Rosalind. Ruth and I were only young, but we could sense that something wrong was going on. Father and mother argued a lot. I think she thought it was adultery…” Kat broke into a dark laugh. “How much easier things would have been if it was just that.”

“What happened to him?”

“He had been on a business trip… and there was this one time he came back. We couldn’t explain how, but we knew he was different. I think he started an affair with Rosalind so he could have an easy source of blood. One day he lost control… and that is when I found him. I never considered he was a vampire, I thought he’d just lost his mind. I came home the next day to find the paramedics wheeling him out in a bag. Mother said it was suicide.”

“He killed himself?” Ansel asked. “But how?”

“Mother would never tell us.” Kat took a breath to focus herself and stopped reliving the memory. She pulled her eyes up to meet Ansel’s and stared into his soul.

“So there you have it.” She said with dark solemnity. “The source of my obsession. The secret I had forgotten. My father was a vampire.”

5. Kat

Kat sat almost completely stunned. Her father was a vampire. Now that she admitted it to herself for the first time, it was like a weight had been lifted. Ansel’s sparkling red eyes stared into hers with a picture of concern.

“Are you okay?” He asked. “We can stop if you want.”

“No.” Kat said quickly. “You saw something of me, now I want to see something of you.” She looked at the darkness all around them, half wondering what images would seep forward next.

“Fine.” Ansel said. “As is your right. What do you want to know?”

Kat weighed a question over carefully in her mind and spoke. “Who are you?”

Ansel’s eyes flared with black, and the void around them crumbled into memory once more.

The vision that came forth this time, was somewhat different to Kat’s, they weren’t taken to an isolated moment. Images flicked across her vision at breakneck speed, each one a memory, each one a day in the life of his last year as a vampire.

She saw the moment he was made. She watched the female vampire jump down into the darkness, and set upon a suited man walking back from a night out somewhere, in a city that was unrecognizable to her. She felt the fear as he walked unsuspecting through an alleyway, she felt the arousal of the female vampire hunting him. The image jumped forward and took them to a vision of Ansel waking on his first night as a vampire, being taken out into the world by his maker and shown how to hunt.

A dozen images like that one passed before her eyes in a second. Images of him stood alone in the darkness, stalking after faceless victims, dragging them to the ground or holding them upright against a shadowed wall. Drinking until there was nothing left. Letting their bodies fall when they had nothing left to give.

She watched in horror as body after body hit the ground. Each one a different life, each one a different night, all victim to the same fledgling vampire. She felt his lust, she felt the thirst within him. She felt his abject self loathing.

Then the images jumped to something else, and she saw him locked in chains with a tortured expression on his face. A leather clad woman stood in a doorway, silhouetted by the dim light behind her. Kat couldn’t make out a face, but she saw a pair of red lips moving in the darkness.

“You’re unruly. They wanted me to kill you. I think I’ll make you suffer first. Pet.”

A dozen more images flashed before Kat’s eyes. Months of torture, months of abuse and terror. She listened to the rattle of his chains as he screamed. She saw the veins in his eyes burst as he struggled.

Then one night the chains broke. A final dozen images flashed before her eyes, and Kat watched on in horror as she saw Ansel stalk through dark hallways, extracting his revenge upon his makers.

The vision crumbled, and she sat staring at the vampire.

“You killed them.” She said bleakly. “You killed your whole coven.”

“It wasn’t long after they turned me, that they realized they had made a mistake. I was stronger than I should have been, I was more powerful. They couldn’t keep a reign on me, I was a wild beast, spiraling out of control. That’s when they turned on me. They locked me up, they used me for their own enjoyment, they treated me like a prize in a sick game.”

Ansel spoke calmly, failing to betray a single thread of emotion. “Little did they know, I was growing stronger still. One night I escaped, and I killed them. I killed every last one.”

Kat looked into Ansel’s eyes and saw the revenge that was driving him. His hatred roared within him like a black fire, stretching out and begging to consume everything within it’s reach.

“You want to destroy all vampires?” Kat asked.

“No.” Ansel shook his head. “I want to destroy the vampires that rule us.”

Kat stared at Ansel blankly and he explained further.

“Vampires used to have free reign of the world. You could kill whomever you liked, you could turn whomever you wished. It was a golden age, it was a paradise.”

“What happened?”

“Our own paranoia made us slaves of secrecy, until we shrank to nothing but myth. A society was formed, The Red Circle. The Circle are a high-society of vampires who govern over our kind. They monitor everything, they control the world, they decide who is fit to be a vampire, and who is fit to perish.”

Ansel’s eyes pulsed with the glint of fire.

“To this day they run things. Every vampire alive today is tagged on a database somewhere. The Circle watch everything. They believe that being a vampire is a gift, and it should only be bestowed upon the highest members of society. They are the reason I was chained. I was deemed unworthy. I will not stop until they are destroyed.”

The blackness around them crumbled away and Kat felt as if they were falling downward. A moment later they were back in the dingy office room, and the world had faded back into view. The air had grown heavy in the small room, and Kat and Ansel stared into each other’s eyes, weighing up the depth of their dark pasts.

Ansel sat still as a statue, with his hand palm up, in the same position it had been when they started. Kat looked down and noticed both of her hands where in her lap.

“Why are you telling me these things?” She asked.

Ansel shrugged. “I feel as if I can. I feel like you listen without passing judgment. It’s a rare quality these days.”

Kat nodded quietly, and for the first time she felt sorry for Ansel. She sympathized with his motives, violent as they were. Sat before her was a man that had been transformed into a killer. He’d never asked for the change, he’d never consented to it, but once it came - he was scorned by the very people that had brought it about.

“I have to warn you that I am not a good person Kat. You are not in the company of someone who walks on the side of light. Life is a picture of confusion, good and bad do not fall on the same side of the fence. Morality is a crooked line, and I walk straight as best I can.”

Kat supposed she should feel fear. She was sat opposite someone who had murdered, all to satiate the unquenchable thirst that drove him forward.

“Would you drink from me?” She asked with a reluctant pang of fear.

Ansel stared at her and shook his head after a moments consideration. “I could not stop myself if I did, and to waste something as precious as you…” His words trailed off and he looked down at the table.

Kat burned with the desire to know how that sentence would end. She reached out a hand to touch him and comfort him. Her thumb had barely brushed his palm when another vision flashed across her eyes, although this one was much more vivid.

They were back in the club, about to leave. A glass dropped somewhere, shattering over the floor in a sparkle of shimmering light. She saw men in black suits. She saw a close up image of a shiny metal circle pinned to a jacket, polished and red. Light caught the barrel of a gun as it went into the air. The sound of gunfire echoed through her mind.

“Kat?”

Kat opened her eyes and found herself back in the office once more. She blinked a few times until she had a sense of her bearings once more.

“What happened then?” Ansel asked. “You kind of… went somewhere.”

“I don’t know.” Kat said softly. “It was like I saw a flash of something.”

“Come on.” Ansel stood up from the table and pushed his chair back. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve done enough soul searching for one night.”

Standing up, Kat suddenly felt her weight go off balance as the chair beneath her groaned and fell to pieces. The chair fell to the floor, and Kat slowly started to fall with it. Before she could realize what had happened, Ansel blurred through the air in a rapid move, wrapped his arms around her and caught her.

She stood breathless in his arms for a moment, pressed against his chest, staring up into his beautiful blood red eyes. One of his hands was under her right shoulder, holding her up. The other was…

“Um… I think your hand is on my butt.” Kat blushed.

A breeze of cool breath purred from Ansel’s red lips and he smiled. “Sorry. Just making sure you didn’t fall.”

Regaining her balance, Kat stood up straight and Ansel retracted his hands. An empty weight hovered on her behind, where his hand had just been. Kat scolded herself silently for not giving herself just a moment more in his arms.

“I don’t know what happened.” She said, looking down at the splintered pile of wood that was a chair only seconds before. “This is rather embarrassing though. Certainly isn’t doing anything to improve my body issues.

Blood rushed into Kat’s cheeks and she turned the color of a beetroot.

She stared at the pile of wood in shame. Why had something so embarrassing had to happen in front of Ansel? She closed her eyes wishing she was anywhere else. “I’m so fat and ugly,” She mumbled.

A finger hooked under her chin, pulled it up and lifted her gaze to his. “You are neither of those things, and I will permit you to never say them again. You are beautiful Kat Summers,” His voice burned with the timbre of hot summer coals, “Is that clear?”

Kat felt herself blushing again this time, but not out of embarrassment. A shy smile curled over her lips and she bashfully mumbled something to the effect of ‘Okay’.

Ansel pulled his hand away from her face and smoothed it through his hair.

“These old chairs are riddled with damp,” he said and looked around the room in distaste. “I’m surprised they lasted as long as they did,” his eyes came back to Kat’s. “Anyway. Come on. Let’s get out of here before the whole room comes tumbling down.”

Kat followed Ansel out of the room, locked the small office and dropped the key back into her purse. They walked back along the bare hallway and through the door, back into the madness of the nightclub. The party continued to blare.

The bass thumped, lights twisted in all directions. A sea of beautiful faces bounced up and down on the dance floor in time to the music.

Ansel turned back to Kat and whispered into her ear over the sound of the music. “I’m going to get out of here. Do you want to-”

Ansel’s voice drifted off as time slowed to a halt. Kat turned her head to the side and saw a waiter carrying a silver tray full of empty glasses. The waiter tripped and the tray crashed to the earth with a shower of glass.

“-my place?”

The sound of breaking glass startled Ansel and he jumped to look at the scene to the side of them. The red faced waiter held his hand up and nodded to the crowd as they jeered from the dance floor.

“Kat?”

“Ansel. I think something terrible is going to happen. I saw something back there in the office. A flash. A vision.”

Ansel seized Kat’s face in his hands and pulled her eyes from the sprinkle of glass on the floor. “What did you see?” He asked with a pressing urgency.

“A glass falling, just like that one and then… then there were guns. Men in black. They were shooting into the club.”

A second later, the rest of her vision unfolded.

The sound of gunfire scattered into the club from the other end of the room, and the crowd erupted in a roar of chaos and terror. The music stopped at once and people ran in every direction. Kat and Ansel stood still.

“You’re cognizant.” Ansel whispered as he stared at the gun men.

“I’m what?”

“Cognizant.” Ansel whispered again, sounding almost half shocked. “It means you can see the future.” His eyes flicked from the gunmen to Kat, then back to the gunmen again.

“Ansel we need to get out of here!” Kat panicked. From where they were standing she could see two gunmen, dressed in black suits from head to toe. They walked across the dance floor slowly, with two semi-automatic rifles pointed in the air, firing bullets into the ceiling.

The crowd had thinned considerably, and more people were running out of the doors at the front every second.

Ansel held Kat tight in his arms, but he didn’t move. His eyes were focused squarely on the two men. Kat followed his gaze and studied them too.

Both men were dressed the same, but their appearances were vastly different. One man was dark skinned with short hair. As he walked he fired into the ceiling, smiling an almost luminescent smile.

The second man was deathly pale with long white hair, which was pulled back. He wore black shades and a cigarette dangled from his mouth loosely.

Kat pulled herself against Ansel and took tight hold. The rest of the club had evacuated now, and it seemed as if the men were coming right for them. They stopped in unison in the middle of the dance floor and looked up at the platform that Ansel and Kat were stood on. The dark skinned man lowered his gun to the floor and spoke.

“Ansel Draco. My name is Victor Ugazi, and this here is my partner, Rupert Hines. Do you know why we’re here today?”

Ansel kept tight hold of Kat and laughed under his breath. “Hm. I don’t know. Gay bar is over the street though. You might do better there?”

Victor let out a loud laugh and pushed a hand to the bridge of his nose. “I like this guy. He’s got sense of humor, don’t he Hines?”

The pale vampire next to Victor spoke in a cold and refined voice. “They always do Victor. Troublemakers can’t help but crack jokes. Look where it gets them though.” He took a long drag of his cigarette and dropped it to the floor, twisting his shoe over it as he did.

“Pleasured as I am to meet you gentlemen,” Ansel said, “I can’t help but point out that I’m on a date, and your intrusion is oh-so-rude. Perhaps we could do this another time?”

“Perhaps this is a good a time as any Ansel Draco.” Victor said. “We are here as representatives of the Red Circle, and we have been assigned with removing you from the earth.”

Ansel squeezed his fingers into Kat’s arm softly. She looked up at him and felt her breath trembling as it shook from her chest.

“Well then.” Ansel said softly. “I guess we have ourselves a date, just let me move my woman friend here out the way. She’s only a civilian, this trouble don’t concern her.”

“I’m afraid it does now Ansel.” Hines said in his rasping voice. “You know the rules. Civilians can’t know about our existence.”

Hines and Victor lifted their rifles at the same time and focused them squarely in Kat and Ansel’s direction. Kat stared down the barrel of the guns and pulled her face tight against Ansel’s chest.

“This is it Ansel.” She whispered. “Thank you for showing me the truth before I died. I’ll never forget you, even if it was just for a few hours.”

Ansel lowered his head and planted a solitary kiss on Kat’s forehead. “We ain’t going nowhere darling. These morons have no idea who they’re dealing with.”

6. Ruth

Ruth was scared and running for her life. One moment she had been on the dance floor with her girls, shaking away to music and enjoying her birthday.

Then she’d heard the bangs. Everyone had. All it took was for one person to scream ‘Gun!’ and the whole club folded into chaos. Ruth didn’t believe it herself until she looked across the dance floor and locked eyes with one of the shooters. It was hard to tell from where she was standing, and the low light of the club, but the man had looked deathly pale - and was he wearing sunglasses inside?

That’s when she saw the gun, and she saw the other man holding a gun up too. She was about to drop her head and run, when someone came crashing into the side of her. She tumbled to the floor and hit it hard.

She tried to get up, but every direction she moved another set of legs knocked her back down again. Someone caught her foot with theirs as they ran past, bringing a heavy weight down on to the side of her ankle and pinning it against the floor momentarily. She let out a loud yelp of pain and managed to scramble to her feet.

It had barely been ten seconds, but already people were streaming out of the club like a tide. The gunmen were walking across the floor with their guns held in the air, firing into the ceiling. She couldn’t see any bodies, she couldn’t see any blood. Whatever was happening, it seemed as if the men weren’t firing at people. That if anything, was something of a plus.

Ruth reasoned they must have been there to rob the club. She found it a little strange that they hadn’t bothered to cover their faces or at least obscure them in some way. They were a distinctive looking pair.

The sound of screaming punctured the air, and Ruth struggled to turn around as the crowd pulled her toward the door. Had Kat got out okay? Had her sisters got out?

She looked around as the ebb of the group shifted towards the exit. She was only small, and the rest of the screaming hoard towered above her meager height. She stood on her tip toes to try and see over the sea of bustling shoulders, but it was no use. Pain flashed through her heel and Ruth let out a cry of pain.

The wide throng of people came to a choke point at the narrow entrance to the club. A solitary set of double doors were at the front of the building, and they heaved under the weight of a thousand people straining to get out. Ruth tried to keep upright and stop from tumbling over again, but the force of the crowd behind her made it difficult. A wave of motion swelled across the room temporarily and she was crushed in a tight ring of bodies. The swell eased and Ruth fought for air.

The tide hit the doors and poured through like thick treacle. Ruth pushed at people all around and gasped as she tried to keep her head above the chaos. She crashed into the narrow choke point, surrounded on all sides by fists and legs. The pressure of the crowd behind continued to build up and she felt all the air leave her lungs.

A moment later the blockage of bodies burst through the door and people ran onto the street, panicked yet grateful that they had managed to escape.

Ruth hobbled over the sidewalk and into the road along with the hundreds of other people who had managed to make it outside. The chaos was just as prevalent out here, be it a little more spread out. People who had been outside the club flocked to the street to check out the commotion. All around her Ruth heard people talking frantically.

“Guns! Here in Dead Rest!” One girl shouted.

“It’s terrorists!” Another man shouted into a group. “Call the police, it’s terrorists!”

“They were shooting people.” Another girl cried into a phone. “So many people.”

Ruth rolled her eyes, took a deep breath and tried to compose herself. She knew that people panicked in situations like this, but spreading lies like that wasn’t going to help anyone. She hadn’t see any bodies, and she’d only see the gunmen firing into the ceiling. The biggest danger had been the crowd, and trying to avoid getting crushed to death.

She looked down at her ankle and saw that it was starting to swell.

“Just great.” She mumbled to herself. She looked around the crowd and tried to eyeball any of her girlfriends or even her sister, Kat. They were all wearing matching dresses, surely it should have been easy?

She stood on the toes of her one good foot and tried to find anyone, but had no luck. She looked to her right and saw the tall steps of the old bank over the road. People had begun to take refuge on the steps. Ruth decided she would climb up them to get a better vantage point, and try to start finding people. She started to hobble across the street when she felt a hand reach out and grab her by the arm.

“You’re going to stay very still.” The man whispered in a low voice. “And you’re going to stay very quiet. Is that clear?”

Ruth glanced at the face of the old man behind her and almost felt like screaming. She opened her mouth to scream but the old man raised a finger and shook his head slightly. Ruth felt a sudden heaviness slip over her mind, and her jaw hung open and silent.

“You’re a pretty young thing aren’t you?” The old man said. “You remind me of the pretty young thing that I saw earlier… it’s unusual for me to take something so close to home… but it’s a special enough night I figure.”

Ruth’s breath raced from her nose as adrenaline surged through her body. She was being abducted in front of hundreds of people, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

“Follow me.” The man croaked and pulled Ruth across the street toward a black van that was parked up on the side. He opened the passenger door and held it for Ruth. “Climb up. Go on. That’s it.”

Ruth’s body moved almost as if on auto-pilot. This old man was controlling her somehow, and there was nothing she could do about it. The door shut and a moment later the driver door opened and her captor climbed in. He slammed his door, hit the locks and waved a hand over Ruth’s face.

Ruth took a deep breath of air and screamed. The old man simply responded with a dark smile. He put the keys into the ignition and started the van.

“You can scream all you want. The van is sound proofed and the windows are tinted.” He pointed out at the crowd on the street. “They can’t see you, they can’t hear you.” He cast his eyes down at Ruth’s legs. “You can’t move until I say so.”

Ruth took a breath and fell silent. She was scared and she was frightened, but she wasn’t going to let this pig fucker know it.

“Why am I here? Where are you taking me?” She said with shaking breaths.

The old man started the van and pulled into the street slowly. “I’m taking you home.” His eyes wondered over her body once more and a dark tongue brushed across his lips. “You’re my birthday present.”

7. Ansel

Ansel turned to face the gunmen from the Red Circle and flared his senses across the room. In that moment his perception became extra heightened, and he pushed his awareness around him in all directions.

Time slowed to an imperceptible crawl and he took a long second to think. Both of the men had a manic look in their eyes, with their guns held high, trained on him and Kat.

Kat.

Ansel squeezed his arms around her. He might be able to dodge a wall of speeding bullets, but she couldn’t. He needed to put Kat somewhere safe. He glanced around in a split second movement and saw the staff door they had just come from. The door was ajar.

Time beat on, and the first flash came from the barrel of the dark skinned vampire. Both the men had their fingers squeezed tight on their triggers. A tulip of flame burst forth from his barrel, followed by a small silver bullet.

Time to move.

Ansel flew across the ground with Kat in his arms. He whisked through the doorway, placed her down gently and shut the door behind her. A fraction of a second later he was back where he had been standing, just off to the side of the bullets that were sinking into the wall behind him.

He looked at the guns and rolled his eyes. The fact that the Red Circle had sent men with guns was testament enough to their ignorance. Vampires were fast, and while bullets were a nuisance to deal with, it was nothing that Ansel couldn’t handle.

Hines and Vincent both realized this too. There was little chance of hitting a vampire with a bullet, especially one as untamed as Ansel Draco, but guns were just tools that could be used to push him in the right direction. They adjusted their line of fire in unison and the snaking column of silver bullets turned in Ansel’s direction.

Thus begun a split second ballet of chaos and superhuman speed. Ansel hurtled across the club at all angles, narrowly dodging the wave of bullets as the men attempted to pin him down. Floor to wall, wall to ceiling, ceiling back to wall again. He twisted and turned in every direction in an attempt to keep out of their path.

Hines and Vincent stood rooted to the spot, turning at the hip with speed that nearly matched Ansel’s. They only paused to quickly exchange an empty clip for a full one.

To the casual onlooker, the exchange would have looked ghastly and surreal. Ansel moved across the room like a coal black ribbon blurring through the air, and the two vampires at the center of the dance floor twisted around like eerie specters as they attempted to follow him.

The air rattled with the sound of constant gunfire over the next fifteen seconds, then one of the guns stopped.

Ansel was perched up on the edge of a lighting rig when he spotted his opportunity. The dark skinned vampire’s gun had jammed and Hines was changing his clip. Ansel fell forward from the rail he was perched upon and kicked his feet so he soared down at the duo below.

They met in a crash of fists and fury. Ansel’s surprise attack had taken Vincent off guard and the vampire went crashing into the ground with Ansel on top of him. Ansel grabbed the vampire by the collar of his shirt and slammed his head hard into the dance floor, punching a small crater into the sticky laminate.

He looked up just in time to see that the vampire with long white hair had thrown his gun to the side and was coming at Ansel with both hands outstretched.

His fist smashed into Ansel’s jaw. Ansel flew back through the air and crashed into the bar behind him in and explosion of sound, glass and splintering wood. A moment later, the pale haired vampire had jumped over the bar and was on top of Ansel holding a long and silver stake. His eyes flared and he drove it down quickly at Ansel’s heart.

“The Circle sends it’s regards!”

Ansel’s eyes bulged as he felt the stake press into his chest for the briefest second. He thrust his right foot up and into the rib cage of the vampire.

Hines flew up into the air like a cannonball and flipped over backwards. The silver stake had slipped from his hand and was spinning down through the air toward Ansel. Ansel jumped to his feet, grabbed the stake and put the vampire in his sights.

“Tell them I send my regards back.” Ansel threw the stake into the path of the falling vampire. The silver point whistled through the air and a second later it sank into it’s targets chest.

The vampire screamed and burst into a ball of fire and flame. The stake rattled to the ground a moment later, followed by a curtain of smoke and ash.

Slow applause clacked through the momentary quiet. Ansel glanced over to his left and saw Vincent back on his feet, pointing a gun at Ansel.

“Very good Mr. Draco.” Vincent said, slightly out of breath. “I have to admit I never much liked Hines anyway. He was never much of a fighter. I always thought he was more suited for intellectual pursuits.”

“You can try and chase me with that gun again if you want.” Ansel said calmly. “You’re only going to end up like your friend there.” He nodded at the ash falling around Vincent. “Tell me what is it you want.”

“I want nothing Mr. Draco. I’m simply carrying out the orders of the Circle. You broke the law and now you pay the price.”

“How did you find me?”

“The Circle has a lot of money. We offer it up. Vampires talk. We had information from a valuable source that you were here.”

“Well you’ll have to tell the Circle to step up their game. Is this the best that you have? I’ve fought humans with more moxxy.”

Vincent smiled dryly and straightened the gun out at Ansel. “I assure you of one thing Mr. Draco, you can kill Hines, you can kill me, but you can’t kill the Circle. They’ll keep sending vampires until you’re dead. That’s how the system works. That’s how it’s always worked.”

“Well I’m here to change things.” Ansel growled.

“Funny.” Vincent said. “I probably can’t kill you, but I bet I can get to that door and shoot down your pretty little girlfriend before you stop me. Would you care to wager a bet?”

Ansel’s eyes flicked over to the door at the far end of the room. Vincent was closer and had the upper edge.

“You dare touch her…” Ansel growled and clenched his fists.

“You know what…” Vincent turned his head and flashed a cold smile. “I think I might.”

“No!” Ansel reached out a hand and screamed as he watched Vincent jump from off the floor to the far end of the room. Ansel wrapped his hands around the counter covered in broken glass and flung himself forward with all of his might. He hurtled through the air toward the vampire with his arms out stretched, ready to send him crashing into the wall behind.

Vincent got their first and kicked the door off it’s hinges with one swift kick. He walked through the doorway gun first and disappeared out of sigh momentarily.

Ansel landed across the floor on his body and scrambled to his feet to see Vincent standing perfectly still in the door.

What the…?

The vampire dropped his gun, stumbled back through the doorway and turned around to look at Ansel. He looked slowly down at the long piece of jagged wood embedded in his chest and fell to the floor in a pile of flames and ash.

Ansel gawped through the cloud of ash at the wide eyed and pale skinned girl standing there frozen in the doorway.

Kat looked up from the mountain of ash and bones to Ansel. “Did I get him?”

“I’d say so.” Ansel said in shock. “Just how in the hell did you know-”

Kat raised a finger to her head and tapped at her temple. “As soon as you threw me back here I started freaking out. I heard the clatter of the gun fire and then I heard all sorts of racket. It took me a few seconds to realize that I wasn’t in fact dead. Did you put me back here?

Ansel nodded. “I can dodge bullets,” He looked down at the light grazes of blood across his clothes. “Just about anyway - But you can’t. My first instinct was to get you out of harm’s way and to safety. I would have tried to communicate that to you, but we’d have died in the time it would have taken me to do so.”

Kat seemed to stare at Ansel with a renewed sense of wonder and a renewed sense of fear. “I had no idea vampires could move that fast.” She said.

“Our powers are no joke,” Ansel agreed. “That’s why humans tend to struggle so much when it comes to killing us, that’s what makes this,” Ansel pointed at the pile of ash on the ground that had been Vincent only seconds before, “More than a little confusing. How the hell did you take him on?”

“As soon as I realized I wasn’t dead, I opened my eyes and figured you must have placed me back here. I was in two minds about running back into the club to help you, but I was frozen with indecision. I knew that I’d be no match for a vampire, but I wanted to help. I stood there torn, not sure what do to with myself.”

Kat brushed a hand through her hair and continued. “That’s when I got another one of those flashes. I saw the dark skinned vampire kick the door open and come through the door towards me. He had a gun, but in the vision he had his hand on my neck. He grip was so tight, I swear I could feel it crushing my trachea…”

Kat drifted off and then brought herself back. “I waited by the door and sure enough… the door came flying off it’s hinges not even thirty seconds later. He came toward me with his hand outstretched and I waited until he was close enough.”

“But the stake,” Ansel looked down at the splintered wood among the pile of ash, “Where did you get it?”

“Broken chair in the office,” Kat beamed, “I grabbed one of the splintered legs off the floor when I had my vision. Who would have thought that having a big booty would end up saving my ass?” she laughed. “I’m just lucky he didn’t fire at me.”

“His gun jammed. He couldn’t shoot. Your cognizance…” Ansel whispered in wonder as he listened to Kat speak. “I can’t believe it. Have you ever had this before?”

Kat shook her head. “No. It only started happening after the telepathy back there…” Kat yanked a thumb in the direction of the office. “They’re after you because you killed your coven aren’t they?”

“They are.” Ansel nodded. “I knew that they’d send someone like this, but I didn’t anticipate it would be so soon. An attack so public… it’s unheard of for the Red Circle. They usually like to keep things subtle. They must be panicking.”

He looked around the room at the chaos of the aftermath and sighed. “I don’t think they anticipated that I would win.”

Ansel crouched down and pulled a tiny red badge from the ashes. He held the insignia, a circle with a line running through it, up to the light and studied it. A small black dot was at the end of the line. He held the badge up to his face and talked into the camera.

“Cairo Inai. Are you there? Whoever you are, I want you to know that I’m coming for you. You’ve seen what I can do now, and you know who I am. Rue the day that you decided to get in my way. Rue the day that you signed the order for my death.” Ansel crushed the badge in his hand and dropped it to the floor.

“Wait.” Kat turned her head. “There was a camera in that thing?! But it was so small!”

“Vampires are light years ahead of humanity Kat. The Circle has access to technology and weapons that would make a science fiction writer cry.”

“They sound dangerous.”

“You have no idea.”

Sirens blared in the distance. Ansel turned his head in their direction and glanced back at Kat. “Looks like the police have finally shown up. We better get moving.”

Ansel jumped forward and scooped Kat into his arms in one sub second movement. He jogged down the bare corridor at normal speed, so not to rattle her bones too much.

“Christ Ansel!” Kat shouted in surprise. “Give me a little warning next time will you?!”

“Sorry babe.” Ansel laughed. “You know your way around here right? Where’s the exit?”

“Right at the end of this corridor.” Kat said. “Just keep running and you’ll hit it.”

“No.” Ansel said. “We need something a little higher. They’ll have this place surrounded by now. Running out the back door is just asking for trouble.”

Ansel turned a corner into another corridor and ran down it until he found a set of stairs. He headed up them, ran along another hallway and doubled back after crossing a door marked security.

“What are you doing!” Kat shouted. “I can hear the police downstairs, they’re beginning to sweep the place.”

“I know. Just erasing the evidence first.”

Ansel held his foot to the door and kicked it open on it’s hinges. An overweight security guard stood up from behind a desk full of monitors and held his hands up in terror.

“Don’t shoot!” He said. “I’m just watching the monitors!”

“Where are the tapes?” Ansel said calmly.

The guard pointed to a computer next to him. “It all goes on there!”

Ansel looked past the guard, and at the computer onto which the footage was being recorded. He lifted a foot, thrust it forward and the console exploded in a shower of plastic and sparks.

“Tell anyone about this and you’ll end up as pile of ash - just like those other guys.”

The guard’s eyes bulged at the threat, and he remained frozen with his hands up, nodding quickly with his mouth open.

Ansel backed out of the room and resumed his flight down the corridor. He crossed another set of stairs and headed up them, to find a door that led onto the roof. He kicked the door open again and breathed in relief as he felt the cool air of night on his skin once more.

“So now we’re on the roof.” Kat said as Ansel ran toward the edge. “What now?”

Ansel jumped onto the short wall of brick that bordered the roof and looked down at the parade of police cars on the street below. He moved his eyes up and over the town until they settled on a point halfway up the hill which overlooked Dead Rest.

“This might be a little forward of me Kat, but I think I want to take you back to my place. I know it’s only our first date, but-”

“Woah.” Kat squirmed in Ansel’s arms and held out a hand. “That’s the second time you’ve used that word now. You think this is a date?”

“You don’t?”

Kat rolled her eyes. “Well, it’s not exactly been my idea of romantic, I mean-”

Ansel smiled into the eyes of the girl and dropped his head down to press his lips against hers. Kat met the kiss with a jolt of surprise, and then she relaxed into it instantly. The world melted away for a second as their lips touched, and then Ansel pulled away.

“Okay.” Kat said breathless. “I guess that was kind of sweet.”

Ansel focused his eyes on the horizon and steadied his feet on the brickwork below. “Hold on tight.” He said. “This is going to be a big jump, and it might be a little scary.”

Kat squeezed her arms around Ansel tight and shut her eyes. She thrust her head into his chest and squeaked. “Don’t you have a car we can use?”

“It’s in the shop, and besides… I prefer to fly.”

Ansel crouched and jumped up into the night with an explosive kick of his legs. The wind rushed over his ears as they soared up into the black, leaving the lights of Dead Rest far below.

8. Edmund

Three heavy knocks came at the door. Edmund rolled over in his bed, groaning as he was stirred from his sleep. He threw the covers back, swung his legs onto the floor and sat up with his head in his hands.

Three knocks came again.

Edmund lifted his head up and grumbled to himself wearily. “This better be fucking good.”

The vampire rose to his feet and walked across the room in four hulking footsteps. He slumbered onto the landing and down the stairs, rubbing sleep from his eyes as he went.

Glancing at the faint border of light by the blind at the front window, he could see that it was still daylight outside. He leaned forward and put an eye to the peephole. Whoever this was disturbing his sleep, better have had a good excuse.

The fish eye image of the sun drenched world burned into Edmund’s eyes and he saw a figure standing under the shade of the porch. Every inch of the man was covered. Long rain jacket, wide brimmed hat, wide glasses with a scarf around the mouth. Gloves on the hands and an umbrella to top it all off. The man held up a wallet and opened it to show a badge for the Red Circle.

Edmund dropped his head onto the door and sighed. “What the fuck do you want?” He shouted through the closed door. “I haven’t done any illegal shit in a really long time.” Edmund paused for a moment and decided to add: “It’s been a couple of weeks at least.”

“My name is Cairo Inai, Mr. Volks. I am here on behalf of the Red Circle.”

Edmund shivered at the name.

Inai himself? What the fuck was he doing here?

“If you could please hurry. It’s an urgent matter.”

“It’s always an urgent fucking matter with you pricks…” Edmund mumbled under his breath. “Come back later.” He growled after a moment’s deliberation. “Whatever it is, it can wait.”

“I’m afraid it can’t.” Cairo shouted back. “I have a warrant here from the High Vistor. This paper permits force of entry should I need it.”

Edmund pulled his eye back to the peephole momentarily, to see the signed warrant and pushed away from the door with a roaring sigh. He paced across the cool tile of the hall floor and closed his eyes slowly while holding his head in his hands.

“Give me a minute to get my goggles.” Edmund conceded in a long sigh and then added with another mumble, “All I wanted was some fucking sleep.”

Edmund grabbed a pair of black-out goggles from a box under the stairs. He pulled the tight goggles over his head and grabbed a long black apron from the box too. He threw the apron over his head and returned to the door.

“I’m opening the door in two seconds.” He shouted as he stood waiting. “You have one second to get in before I close it again.”

Edmund threw the door open, just wide enough for the man to duck inside. Light frittered across the dark room briefly, the man wisped in and Edmund slammed the door shut again. He faced the stranger standing in his hallway, watching as the man peeled his layers of protective clothing away.

He was pale, even for a vampire, and extremely skeletal. Edmund took one look at the man and reared his head. He’d seen some ugly vampires in his time, but this motherfucker took the cake.

The visitor’s face was hollow and hauntingly gaunt. The eyes receded too much into the skull, the cheekbones cut through thin slivers of skin in a jagged edge. Dark veins spread out like black tree roots under the skin at the temples. The eyelids were red and tired looking, the skin underneath them was dark and bruised. The lips were thin, tight and chapped. They were so tight Edmund could see the profile of the man’s teeth underneath.

The man removed his outerwear to reveal a stick thin suit that hugged his body closely. His arms were slightly too long, dangling at the sides of his legs, and the long skeletal fingers on the end of his malnourished hands reminded Edmund of bony claws.

He looked up at Edmund and met his gaze with a slow and thin-lipped smile. The skin around his eyes didn’t move at all. He looked Edmund up and down. “Bit overdressed aren’t we Mr. Volks? It was only a brief second of sunlight.”

Edmund ripped the goggles and apron off and threw them onto the floor behind him. “I’m a vampire. I don’t like the sun. Fucking sue me.”

A displeased smile spread across Cairo Inai’s face. He looked Edmund up and down again, seemingly just as unhappy now he had removed his gear.

Edmund caught the glimpse and looked down at himself. Compared to the vampire stood opposite him, he was a polar opposite when it came to physique. Edmund was tall and broad - even for a vampire. He came close to 6’ 8” and he had always had a lot of muscle.

He had the physique of an old time body builder. He was tall, broad, and thick, with rippling cords of muscle that were earned from labor. He might have spent many hours maintaining that muscle in the gym, but he had the hands and forearms to prove that he was a man’s man. He lifted heavy shit and he got things done.

His short black hair was thick and wavy. He rarely did much to style it, but often received compliments from women on his ‘perfect bed head’ hair. Accompanying this crop of hair, was a thick black beard that was well groomed.

The 300lb giant stood before the frail visitor in nothing more than a pair of tight boxer shorts. The eyes of the skeletal man dropped to the underwear as if they were an affront. Cairo Inai flashed and unsavory glance at the display.

“Couldn’t we have put some clothes on? You look like an alcoholic lumberjack.” Cairo asked dryly.

Edmund stared at the man in disbelief. “The ladies never seem to complain much when they see this. It’s the middle of the fucking day. This is my house. What the fuck do you want?”

“I’d watch your tone Mr. Volks.” Cairo said with a flash of threat. “You wouldn’t want me to look around here and find anything unsavory would you?”

Edmund crossed his thick arms across his wide chest and laughed. “Go ahead and look. You won’t find anything.”

“No?” Cairo asked with a knowing smile. “Not even the girl you’re keeping in the basement?”

Edmund’s smile dropped.

“Yes. We know about that.” Cairo said. “We know about a lot of things Mr. Volks. We are the Red Circle after all. Normally such an infraction would warrant severe punishment from the Circle, but seeing as you’ve helped us out in the past… we can let such things slide. What are friends for after all?”

“And what it is I can do for you friend?” Edmund said through gritted teeth.

“A seat, a glass of blood, and ten minutes of your time. We have a proposition for you Mr. Volks, and it’s rather important that you hear us out.”

Edmund placed a glass down at the stone coffee table and sat on the wide leather couch by the window. All the blinds were closed in the house, and the room was dark and cool. He rolled his bare feet over the cool tiles and sighed in momentary contempt. He took a sip from his own glass and watched as the man opened a brief case on the table before him.

“So what is it this time?” Edmund said, finally breaking the silence. “I suppose there’s another vampire running around the country causing problems. Someone you want me to take down? Someone you want me to frighten?”

A bright screen turned on inside of the briefcase and the long skeletal hand of the vampire pushed a data stick into the side. A video started playing on the screen. The barrel of an automatic rifle was at the bottom of the frame, pointing up at a man and woman on a stage just ahead. It seemed to be in a club of some sort.

The video played and Edmund watched as the fight unfolded. The footage turned into a scramble of moving colors and blurred images. A cacophony of gunfire exploded out the small speaker in the briefcase, followed by the sound of things being broken and bursting into flame.

A girl pushed a stake into something below the camera. Edmund presumed it was the chest of the vampire filming. Fire erupted around the image and a moment later the camera was in a pile of ash. It lay on the floor for a second before moving up again into the face of a man.

“Cairo Inai. Are you there? Whoever you are, I want you to know that I’m coming for you. You’ve seen what I can do now, and you know who I am. Rue the day you decided to get in my way. Rue the day you signed the order for my death.”

The video cut in a scramble of static.

“So.” The man said, picking up his glass of blood. “What do you think?”

Edmund stared in disgust at the bony fingers curled around the glass.

Cairo Inai raised the glass to his lips and tipped it back in one long movement. He it instantly and set it back down on to the table. It almost looked as if the act itself had left him out of breath. Two smears of blood ran down the side of his face and hung at the edge of his jaw. He pulled a blood stained cloth from his inner pocket and mopped it across his face. He placed it back inside the jacket and finally looked over at Edmund, his eyes flushed with black.

“…about the video?” Edmund asked.

“Yes.”

“It was interesting. Place looked familiar. Is that somewhere around here?”

“Avalon.” The man said in a ghostly whisper. “In Dead Rest.”

Edmund lifted a brow. “Shit. I’ve been there. It’s a good club. Lots of sexy college girl pussy.”

The man stared back at Edmund quietly.

“Never mind.” Edmund said. “That’s close to here though. Dead Rest… shit. That’s only a fifteen minute drive. Crazy vampire shit like this is happening in Dead Rest?”

Cairo Inai nodded and blinked slowly.

“When was this?”

“Last night.” Cairo said in a whisper.

Edmund’s eyes opened only further. “Well fuck.” He laughed and shook his head.

“Care to explain why I should care about this video? Looks like that boy made real work of the clowns you sent after him. Did you want me to score the fight or something?”

Cairo found no amusement in Edmund’s joke. He closed the briefcase and swiveled on the sofa until his bony knees were facing Edmund. He sat with his legs pressed together and his hands on his lap. “We are asking that you assist us in dealing with this matter.” Cairo said. “Same arrangement as last time, we can pay you directly in cash.”

Edmund thought about the offer for a moment and brushed a hand over his beard. “I don’t know. Certainly looks like this boy can hold his fucking own. You didn’t even tell me what it is he’s supposed to have done.”

“Ansel Draco.” Cairo said almost out of breath.

Edmund nodded and leaned back in his chair. “So this is that crazy fucker everyone’s been talking about.”

“You’ve heard of him?” Cairo asked.

“Just about.” Edmund said. “I go down to Teddy’s Sports bar a few times a week and Ansel Draco’s name has been on the lips of the vampires down there. They said this dude killed his maker and his entire coven.” Edmund paused. “That true?”

Cairo nodded slowly and rolled his eyelids down over his coal like eyes. “Every last one, and now…” Cairo lifted a hand and tapped at the briefcase with his bony forefinger. “…this.”

“Which coven was he part of again?” Edmund asked. “Vesper coven right? Those sadist fucks up in the castle on the hill?”

“The Vesper coven were loyal supporters of the Red Circle, and their presence is greatly missed.”

“Their presence or their monthly donations?” Edmund asked dryly.

Cairo heard the comment, but chose to ignore it. “Ansel Draco murdered the members of his family in cold blood, and now he also has the deaths of two agents on his hands. He is a liability to the safety of vampires everywhere, and he must be apprehended at once.”

“Why don’t you just send more of those gun toting idiots after him?” Edmund mocked. “I’m sure you’ve got enough cannon fodder to throw at him until he’s dead.”

“The events that unfolded at Avalon last night were a mistake, and we believe this situation needs to be handled with delicacy moving forward.”

Edmund let out a long and loud laugh, sitting forward in his seat as he did so. He placed his elbows on his thighs and cradled his chin against his fists. “I guess you would want that after that fucking shit show.” Edmund nodded at the briefcase. “I suppose your elite society lacks the right kind of vampire to get the job done eh?”

“We’ve wasted too much brainpower on this already.” Cairo hedged. “Sending more of our own to clean up this mess is an unnecessary dent to our numbers.”

“Ah I see.” Edmund sat back in the chair with a hand against his head. “Let’s go and recruit the hulking bounty hunter to do it then shall we? Let’s get the shit for brains muscle to clean up this job that we can’t handle ourselves.”

Cairo stared at Edmund silently.

“Why not just let the kid run free? Doesn’t look he caused much trouble after he killed his clan. Lord knows I heard enough about those Vesper fucks to know that they were fucking weird… even for vampires.”

“The law is the law.” Cairo said. “And Ansel Draco has broken it to the highest degree. He has been deemed a threat to our own kind, he’s unworthy of being a vampire. He needs terminating Mr. Volks, and that will happen whether you agree to help us or not. I can always take my business elsewhere…” Cairo Inai lifted his bony hand toward the briefcase.

“No… stop.” Edmund dropped his head to his chest and let out a long sigh. “Alright.” He looked up at Cairo. “Just say what you have to fucking say.”

“We want you to bring him to us alive. We’re prepared to double the arrangement we offered last time. Once we receive the target, we will wire $500,000 into your personal account and grant you with a years supply of unlimited blood.”

Edmund raised his eyebrows. “Damn. You must really want this guy. Tell me. Where does he fall on your most wanted list?”

Cairo dipped a hand into his pocket, pulled a slip of paper from it and placed it onto the table. He pushed the paper across to the Edmund with a splay of long fingers and pulled his hand back to rest in his lap.

Edmund grabbed the piece of paper from off the table and held up the list. He dragged his eyes over the familiar set of names and paused at Ansel’s. He dropped his hand and looked at Cairo. “Number three? Well god damn. You’ve never come to me with someone this high before. You must really want this son of a bitch.”

“It is in the Circle’s best interest that this manner is dealt with as swiftly as possible - yes.”

Edmund crumpled up the paper and sat forward. “I want one million. And two years supply of blood.”

Cairo opened his mouth to answer back, but Edmund continued.

“Every dollar, every drop. I won’t do it for nothing less. That’s my final offer.”

Cairo thought it over for a moment and nodded to himself silently.

“Fine. You have one week to bring Mr. Draco to us alive. We can provide tools and a team to assist should you-”

“Nah, nah.” Edmund waved a hand to quiet Cairo. “Fuck all of that shit. I don’t want any of your dumb ass agents getting in my way. If I’m doing this, I’m doing it alone - all I ask is that you stay the fuck out of my way.”

Another thin-lipped smile pulled across Cairo’s face and he stood from the sofa slowly. “Then it’s a deal.” The man held up his bone ringed hand and Edmund took it reluctantly.

He let go quickly and glanced down at the briefcase. “Give me a copy of that video too. I’m gonna learn how this motherfucker fights.”

9. Kat

They touched back down to earth with the grace of a falling cat. Kat had her arms wrapped around Ansel as tight as she possibly could. She heard the sound of gravel beneath them as Ansel walked, but she didn’t dare open her eyes in case he was about to make another jump.

“We’re here.” Ansel said.

Kat opened one eye cautiously and looked around. So far she had counted five goliath jumps, as Ansel had made his way across the town to their destination, and each jump had been a little more terrifying than the last.

“Are you sure?” Kat squeaked.

“I’m sure.” Ansel laughed to himself.

With her ear against his chest, Kat felt the deep rumble of his laugh, and the smooth timbre of his voice. It was a comforting feeling and it made her feel protected and warm.

He set her down on the ground gently and she found herself a little disappointed to no longer be in his grasp. She’d never been a big fan of heights, and jumping high into the air was definitely not her ideal form of travel, but being that close to Ansel and in his arms was definitely something she wanted to experience again.

Kat looked around and saw they were on the side of a wooded hill that overlooked the town of Dead Rest. She glanced back at the twinkling lights of the town down in the valley, then returned her eyes to the silhouette of a large stone house in front of them, hidden among the trees.

Gravel crunched underfoot, and Kat followed Ansel along the pathway and up a set of stone stairs that led onto a large porch.

“Where are we?” Kat asked as she tried to study the old building in the dark.

Ansel crouched down and pulled a key from under a doormat. “This is a small hideout I’ve been using for the past couple of days. I knew as soon as I had the trouble with my coven, I wouldn’t be able to return to the castle anymore, so I found this place.”

Kat cast her memory over the visions she had seen of Ansel in that dark castle and looked up at the stone building towering overheard. “This place is small?”

“Well. It’s smaller than the last place. Come on.”

Ansel led them up a wide stone stair case and through a thick wooden door. It was nearly black inside, and Kat could barely see a thing. All around her there was an ancient silence, and the scent of stone.

“I don’t expect you’d want to go back there anyway.” Kat spoke softly in the darkness. “Not after what they did to you.”

There was a long pause before Ansel answered. “Possibly one day, but until then there is no doubt in my mind that the Red Circle has that place surrounded. This place will do me fine for now.”

Kat heard the sound of Ansel’s footsteps moving away from her over the smooth stone tiles underfoot.

“Make yourself at home Kat. You don’t have to stand there in the hallway.”

“Um… Ansel. I can’t see a thing. It’s so dark in here.”

Kat heard the sound of Ansel chuckling to himself, and she imagined him shaking his head. “I do apologize Kat. I’m quick to forget that your night vision isn’t as adapted as mine. I’m so used to it, I swear I haven’t had any lights on the whole time I’ve been here. Hang on… let me try and find them…”

Kat stood patiently as she listened to Ansel potter around in the darkness, she assumed he was trying to find a light switch.

“Where are the damned things?” He mumbled while laughing to himself.

“Are you looking for a light switch?” Kat called. “I can help?”

“No switches here I’m afraid. Candles. Kat?”

Candles?

Kat turned in the direction of Ansel’s voice. “Yes?”

“I can’t find any matches.”

Ansel’s footsteps knocked across the floor until Kat could just make him out standing in front of her. “I’ll have to grab some, I think there are some in the basement.”

He took her hand and Kat felt a jolt of fire run up her arm and down into the pit of her stomach. His voice whispered through the darkness and wrapped itself around her like silk. “I’ll take you into the front room so you’re not standing here all alone.”

Kat gulped as he led her through the darkness quietly. She had one hand in his, and another on his shoulder.

“There we are.” Ansel helped Kat onto a couch and his hand slipped away from hers. “I’ll be back in one second, I’ll go find these matches.”

The sound of Ansel’s footsteps clacked across the floor and back into the hall. Half a minute later she heard his steps come back, and she watched as he made his way around the room, slowly lighting candles.

The wicks flickered to full brightness and light slowly filled the large stone room. Kat was sat on an antique looking couch, which was blood red and gothic looking in it’s appearance. The rest of the room was furnished in a similar fashion. On the wall in front there was a large stone fire place, with two ancient looking book cases on either side of it, filled with leather bound books.

Two large candelabras hung in the room. Ansel lifted a lanterned stick to each and the candles slowly sprung to life. Once he was done bringing light to the room he joined Kat on the couch.

“This place is beautiful Ansel.” Kat said as she flicked her eyes across the gothic stone room. “It must be hundreds of years old. I didn’t expect something so ornate from a vampire on the run.”

“I’m having the walls of my cave painted,” Ansel joked, “This is just temporary.”

Kat snorted and covered her mouth instantly in embarrassment. Ansel cracked up at the sound and looked at her with twinkling ruby eyes.

He leaned forward, with his arms on his legs and his hands clasped together. Silence faded in between them and Ansel stared solemnly to the floor. “Are you okay? It’s been tough tonight. Everything that happened back at the club, it must have been pretty terrifying for you.”

“It’s been one heck of an evening.” Kat agreed. “I’d never have thought a few hours ago I’d be on the run with a vampire. I’d never have thought that I’d find out vampires are actually real.” Her mind wondered momentarily over the long lost secret that had resurfaced only a couple of hours before. Her father was a vampire.

A chill passed over Kat and she let out a shudder.

“Are you cold?” Ansel asked. “That’s another human thing I forget about too. There’s a fire, I can light it up if you like?”

“No I’m not cold.” Kat said with a smile. The summer evening was pleasantly warm, and the faint chorus of cicadas outside confirmed that. “I just remembered the vision I had during the telepathy. The vision of my father.”

“Ah.” Ansel nodded and brushed a hand across his chin. “A lot happened today, it might take a while for you to come to terms with it.”

“I’ll say.” Kat laughed and counted on her fingers as she reeled through the events of the night. “Vampires are real, my dad was a vampire, massive scary fight with evil vampires, oh, and I can see the future now as well apparently. Yeah… good luck falling asleep tonight Katty.”

“If it helps, tonight isn’t exactly a normal night for me either.” Ansel said.

Kat wasn’t in the spirit of making their drama a competition, but she couldn’t help but try and clarify her point with Ansel. “Yeah but Ansel… my whole world has been flipped upside down. I’d always suspected, I’d always hoped about the paranormal, and tonight I found out it’s true. It’s all true. Tonight I found out that vampires exist… You’re going to have a hard time topping that one.”

“Tonight I find out you exist.” Ansel said after a brief pause. “I don’t think anything will ever top that.”

Kat’s heart thumped in her chest and she felt her cheeks burn with red. Her mouth could only muster a nervous laugh. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and stared down at her lap as she twisted her thumbs together.

She had no idea how to respond to such a comment. He was obviously flirting with her, and she obviously loved it, but in no universe alive did Kat have the courage to engage with someone as handsome as Ansel and flirt back.

Silence beat between them, and Kat looked up at Ansel to see a disappointed expression on his face. Thanks to her crippling shyness, he probably thought that she wasn’t interested. He couldn’t know that she’d been thinking non-stop about that wayward kiss on the club roof.

It had been the briefest thing, the quickest five seconds of her life. The smooth brush of his lips against hers, the way his hands felt as he held her in his arms. The kiss had ignited a fire inside of her that she didn’t realize was there. It had sent sparks rippling across her entire body, right down to the center of her legs.

She would do anything to feel his lips on hers again, she’d do anything to be in his arms again, but yet she couldn’t. She was too shy and she’d never do a thing about it. Kat opened her mouth and it wavered as the tried to say something, anything.

“Ansel I-”

Fatigue caught up to her now, and a long and stifling yawn caught the end of her sentence in her mouth. She cursed the impractical timing of the thing, stretched it off as fast as possible and tried to save it.

“You should probably get some rest. You seem tired.” Ansel said.

Kat sighed at her own stupidity and half felt like scolding herself. She was alone with a beautiful man as he attempted to flirt with her, and all she could do was yawn.

“I think it’s just the stress of the night.” Kat said. “Ruth and I would probably still be up dancing at this point-”

She paused and jumped up from the couch immediately.

“What’s the matter?” Ansel rose to his feet too.

“Ruth.” Kat said in anxiousness. “I have to check if she’s okay. The shooting… she was at the club too. I haven’t so much as thought of her. How could I be so selfish?!”

Kat pulled her phone out of her purse. She was about to dial Ruth’s phone when Ansel snatched the phone from out of her hand.

“What are you doing?!” Kat said, trying to grab for the phone as Ansel pushed her back. “I need to call Ruth and make sure that she’s okay!”

“You’ll do no such thing.” Ansel said flatly. “You should have told me you still had this.”

Ansel snapped Kat’s phone clean in two, dropped it to the floor and twisted it underfoot. She could only stand there with her mouth open.

Her eyes widened in rage. “What is wrong with you?!”

“Your sister is fine.” Ansel said coldly. “The Red Circle agents weren’t at the club to shoot humans, they were there to shoot me, and they failed to do that.”

Kat’s eyes passed over the streaks of blood marring Ansel’s bullet ripped clothes and clenched her jaw. “She could have been hurt getting out of the club. I need to speak to her, I need to know that she’s okay!”

“I’m sorry Kat but that’s just not an option. The Circle have ways of tracing phones, if I’d realized you still had yours, I would have destroyed it earlier. We can’t risk taking any chances.”

Kat simply shook her head and scoffed. She crossed her arms in front of herself. “I have to go.” She said. “I can’t just stand here and hide with you in this fucking… castle! I need to make sure my sister is okay. She needs me.”

“You’re not going anywhere.” Ansel stepped forward and growled. “The Red Circle know that you’re with me now. Going back to the real world isn’t an option for you, not until I’ve destroyed Cairo Inai. I’m sorry Kat… but this isn’t up for debate.”

Mouth hanging open, a cold surge of dread began to pass over Kat’s body. “You can’t just keep me here! I’m not some fucking slave that you can lock up Ansel. I’m going and there’s nothing you can do about it. You can’t control me!”

Kat stormed past Ansel. She brushed her shoulder against his as she walked past to prove her point, but it’s solidity caught her by surprise and she rolled away from it like a stone pillar. She’d barely taken three steps when Ansel spoke.

“Stop.”

The word soared through the air and wrapped itself around her body like an iron lasso. Kat’s body froze mid step. She could only move from the neck up.

“What the fuck is this?!” Kat shouted in panic, glancing back to see the vampire walking to her.

“Come on Kat… you’re the big vampire fan.” Ansel circled in front of Kat and stopped to face her with his hands in his pockets. He slid his jacket off, placing it onto a couch next to him. Kat was surprised to see just how beat up Ansel was from the fight. His shirt was scored with dozens of long rips, underneath which she could see his skin was streaked with bloody grazes. “You know about the seduction of our voices…”

“You’re controlling me,” Kat’s breath raced as she realized what was happening. “But… that’s not fair!”

“You left me with no choice,” Ansel said gravely. “If I let you leave now Kat, the Circle will catch you and they will kill you.”

“I’d rather take my chances out there,” Kat hissed. “I’d rather die free, then live as your prisoner. You can’t control what I want!”

Another smile passed over Ansel’s face. “Oh you silly girl. But I can. You want me don’t you?”

“You’re full of yourself.” Kat lied. “Get over it.”

“Come on Kat.” Ansel laughed and stepped toward her. “Even you can’t deny there was a…”

He wrapped a hand around Kat’s body and traced his fingers slowly down her back. She felt her body relax in his grasp. She could move again now - but she was still rooted to the spot. He traced his fingers down to the small of her back, squeezed her gently and pulled her body into his. Kat let out an involuntary whimper.

“Even you can’t deny there is a blossoming sexual attraction between us.” He finished.

He leaned forward, his blood red eyes twinkling into hers all the while. She looked up into those beautiful, yet cold eyes, and hated that she was melted in his grasp.

“I’m ashamed to admit I’m attracted to you.” She whispered defiantly. “But that doesn’t make me want you. Keeping me here won’t make me want you any more.”

“I can make you want anything I desire.”

He brushed a hand down her face and leaned even closer. She could feel his breath on her lips now, sending tingles down her skin and making her nipples harder than diamonds. She swallowed.

“Just like I froze your body. I can freeze your mind and bend it to my will. But why do that when I already know that you want me too?”

He leaned forward and pushed his lips against hers, giving her the second kiss that she had long been desiring. Kat’s mind wanted to step out of her body and slap her stupid.

You need to leave! He’s threatening to keep you here as a prisoner!

Her hands wanted to shake the sense back into her, but they were having too much fun brushing over his body and feeling the hard lines of his pecs underneath. His arms were wrapped tight around her, making her feel like a blade of grass smothered by mighty oak branches on all sides.

He pulled his lips away from hers and started kissing down her throat. She moaned in pleasure and moved her hands down to trace the pattern of the abs under his shirt. She hated how much she was enjoying this, she hated how much control he had over her… but she wanted him, and it felt so good.

“Ah!” Ansel winced and pulled back from Kat sharply.

“What’s wrong?” Kat stood up straight and pulled her arms back. “Did I hurt you?”

“It’s okay,” Ansel pulled his black t-shirt up to reveal a bullet wound just to the side of his abs. “I think you just caught it with your fingers, that’s all.”

Kat’s mouth dropped in shock. “Ansel you have a bullet in you! We have to get help immediately! We have to get you to a hospital!”

“I can’t do that,” Ansel winced. “Hospitals are way too public. We’d be spotted by a Circle member almost immediately.”

“But we have to do something,” Kat protested. “We can’t leave you like this. Do you have a first aid kit anywhere in the house?”

Ansel’s legs gave out and he fell back onto the couch behind him.

“Ansel!” Kat dropped down next to him. “Are you okay?”

Opening his eyes, he flashed his cheeky smile at her. “You ever had a cut that hurt only after you notice it? I didn’t realize those bastards got me so good. Silver bullets… they’re draining my strength. You need to get me upstairs and help take them out. There’s a medical kit in the bathroom on the third floor. Get me up there. Grab the matches too. It’s dark up there.”

Kat helped Ansel to his feet and escorted him up the stone stairs sheepishly. They paused at the top of each staircase and Kat would run ahead to light the candles. She found the bathroom, illuminated it and returned with Ansel a moment later. The room was well decorated, with a bronze footed tub and rows of polished black tile covering the walls and floor. There was a mirror in an elaborate frame above a fancy looking sink on the wall opposite to the tub. There were four candles on the wall and Kat had lit them all, filling the room with warm and flickering light.

“Hey, take it slow.” Ansel winced in laughter as Kat undressed him. “We barely know each other.”

Kat peeled Ansel’s blood soaked shirt off his muscled torso, and pulled his trousers off too. She pulled a stool next to the bronze footed tub and set Ansel on it.

“Where’s the medical supply kit?”

“Over there.” Ansel raised a heavy arm and pointed at an ornate cupboard underneath the marble topped sink.

She was back a second later setting an ancient looking case onto the floor. “This thing must be older than the house.” Kat opened it up and started rifling through the supplies. There were long metal prongs, curious looking straps, small glass vials with black crosses on them. “What is this?”

“It’s an old vampire hunting kit,” Ansel laughed and slumped over the bath, his energy draining still. “I stole it from Vesper when I left. It amuses me. There are some tongs just there,” Ansel pointed at a set of long metal tongs. “Use them.”

Kat grabbed the tools, sterilized them over a candle flame and set to work pulling the bullets from Ansel’s body. She was surprised at his silence during the brief operation.

“These tools must be hundreds of years old, but I must admit they work great,” Kat said. “You say these were used for Vampire hunting?”

“It’s novelty mostly. There are things that exist today that are much more effective. You’ve just reminded me actually… I need to pick up some vampire hunting supplies tomorrow.”

“You need to rest up first,” Kat said, shaking her head. “Hold still.”

As she moved over his body she found four bullets in total. She dropped each of them into the bronze tub next to them and they pinged with a satisfying ‘clink!’.

“There,” Kat said as she pulled the last bullet out. “I believe that’s the last one. I just need something to sew you up now. Is there thread and alcohol gel in here?”

“No need.” Ansel winced and rose to his feet shakily. “Now the silver is gone my body should start healing itself again.”

Kat jumped to her feet after Ansel and put her hands on his body. He was only wearing a pair of black underwear, and despite the seriousness of the situation, she had been having a lot of fun with this chance to explore his body. She was about to protest Ansel’s eagerness to get back to it, when she saw the wounds on his body were in fact healing.

“This is amazing.” Kat said, shaking her head as Ansel’s body restored itself to normality. She took a chance to drag her eyes up and down his exquisite muscle and not feel guilty about it. His wounds closed themselves, leaving only a trace of dried blood on the surface.

“Perks of being a vampire,” Ansel smiled. “I have to thank you though Kat. Without you, I might have been in trouble there.”

He stepped towards her and before Kat could realize what was happening, she was in his arms again, glowing as his lips brushed over hers. He pulled away after a few seconds, she stood there for a moment wishing he hadn’t - then she remembered - Ruth.

“It’s okay.” Kat stepped back out of Ansel’s grasp and stood with an arm crossed over herself. “Ansel listen…”

“You still want to leave.” He said. “I understand Kat.”

Kat nodded her solemnly. “It’s not that I’m not having a good time with you, it’s just - I need to know that Ruth is okay.”

“What does your cognizance tell you?” Ansel said.

“My future vision?”

Ansel nodded. “It’s not just for the future. You can seek out things. Try and feel them. Try it. Just close your eyes and think of her.”

Kat closed her eyes and thought of Ruth. Nothing came however.

“I don’t think I can do that just yet. If you don’t mind Ansel… I’d just like to go. Please.”

Ansel shook his head. “That’s not an option Kat. I’m sorry. You have to stay here… for a few days at least. It’s up to you to decide what that means. You can stay here of your own volition… or I can force you to stay here.”

Kat gasped. “You’d change my mind to make me want to stay here?”

“No. I’d never make you a mind slave.” Ansel said. “I appreciate your mind far too much. I will place you in a room though and lock it, if that’s what I have to do to keep you safe.”

Kat’s heart thundered in her chest at the suggestion. She took a step back from Ansel, realizing that this intoxicating man before her wasn’t a man, he was a vampire. She had to keep reminding herself that he was dangerous - if she wanted to get out of here… she’d have to play along for now.

“There’s no need for locks or anything of that sort.” Kat said in a reluctant whisper. “I’ll stay here for now. But I will not hide in the shadows with you forever Ansel. I have a life that I need to return to.”

“That’s fine.” Ansel said. “But until it’s safe, you will stay here with me. Otherwise you may not have a life to return to at all.”

He walked past Kat and stopped in the doorway, turning back to face her.

Argument surged up inside of her again, but it was swallowed by another yawn - a reminder of the fatigue that was gripping her body.

“Come on,” He said, “I’ll show you to the room. You look like you could use some sleep.”

Kat followed Ansel through the dark hallways of the stone house and up to the top floor. All the while she couldn’t help but let her eyes wonder over the fine contours of his muscled body.

Walking just behind him, she tried to keep her mind on thoughts of escape, but there was only one thing that was really running through it.

The room - Is what he’d said.

Did that mean they would be sharing a bed?

10. Edmund

The sun had fallen, and it was now suitably dark enough for Edmund to venture into the world outside. He threw on his trousers, t-shirt and boots and headed down stairs. He took a look at himself in the mirror and approved. He liked to dress in all black, it was discrete and it was just his style. His clothes fit well, and they only accentuated the size and strength of his body.

Edmund ruffled a hand over his beard and nodded his approval at the reflection in the mirror. He was vain and he didn’t mind admitting it. Vanity could only be expected for a man as handsome as he.

He turned from the mirror and grabbed his heavy leather jacket from off the banister. Before he left, there was one last thing he had to do. Edmund walked toward the kitchen and stopped by the door under the stairs. He knocked twice and waited. A few seconds later he heard the sound of light footsteps coming up the basement steps. The door swung open and the teen girl peered out apprehensively. The girl was pretty, but had a slightly tired and malnourished look about her. She was wearing panties and a white vest. She smiled at Edmund and her eyes sparked.

“Josh! Hey. What can I do for you?”

“Hey Emily.” Edmund said quietly. He rubbed a hand over the back of his head. “I’m good thanks. I don’t know how to say this, so I’m just going to say it. Our arrangement can’t work anymore, I’m sorry. You have to leave.”

The glint disappeared from the young girl’s eyes and worry etched across her face instantly. “But why? I’ve been keeping to myself, I’ve been quiet. I can pay you if you want, I can find money.”

“I don’t need money.” Edmund said softly. “I hate to turn you out like this, but you knew this was only temporary.”

“But I just need a few more days!” The girl cried desperately. “I can find a way to pay if you want. There are other ways…” She wrapped a hand around her vest and pulled it up to show the milky white flesh of her toned stomach underneath.

“No!” Edmund shot a hand out and stopped her. “You don’t have to do that. Stop - I told you already. It’s nothing personal Emily. My landlord found out I’m keeping you here somehow, and he’s threatening to evict me if I don’t kick you out.”

Edmund pulled his hand back and took a deep breath.

The girl’s hope had all but gone. “When do I need to leave?”

“I’ll give you one more night. But I can’t do anymore than that.” He stuck his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out a roll of hundreds. He placed the roll into the girl’s hands and she stared down at it as if she’d just won the lottery. “That should tide you over for a few months, help keep you off the streets. I’m sorry I can’t do anything else for you.”

“Josh, I can’t take this.” The girl faltered. “There has to be at least ten thousand dollars here.”

“It’s yours.” Edmund said resolute. “Consider it payback for the shit that life has thrown at you so far. Take the money and make something of yourself Emily. You don’t need to go back to sleeping around for drug money. You’re a good person.”

The girl fought back the urge to sob and threw her arms around Edmund in a hug. “You’re a good person Josh. Thank you.” She pulled her face away from his chest, leaving a damp patch of tears half way down his t-shirt.

Emily dragged a finger down the fabric and looked up into his eyes. “Just once.” She asked. “I’d love to you show my gratitude.”

Edmund pulled his lips tight and took a step back while shaking his head. “I can’t Emily. Sorry. It just wouldn’t feel right.” He turned toward the door and took a couple heavy steps across the hallway tiles. “It’s been good knowing you Em, it really has.”

Edmund brought his bike to a stop directly outside the Black Font. He killed the engine and headed inside. It had been a good while since he’d last been in Dead Rest. It was a funny little town, but usually sleepy enough that it didn’t have much to hold his interest.

Hurst’s bar was one of the few points of interest in Dead Rest for a visiting vampire. Edmund had known Hurst for a few good years now. Whenever there was something he needed to know about the local area, Hurst was usually his first stop. He had no idea how old the vampire was, but he’d never failed to give him information that was useful.

His boots thudded gently against the stairs as he walked down into the basement. He pushed through the double doors and headed straight for the bar.

He took a seat at the long polished counter and took a quick head count of the room. It was a trick of a paranoia that he had learned in his many years of coming to places like this. Keep your wits about you at all times, keep your eyes on the other vampires. Know your surroundings intimately.

Hurst’s bar wasn’t the worst place he’d ever been in, but the company could sometimes be perceived as a little less than savory. It was a far cry from the comfort of the small bar he had back in his home town. Not all vampires were destitute psychopaths. Some of them just wanted to shoot the shit, talk football and drink blood.

Some of the vampires that visited Hurst’s bar weren’t always like that.

There were two other vampires in the bar right now. One sat at the opposite end of the counter, and the other sat at a table in the corner to his left. Both men were huddled over empty glasses, slowly filling them with long strands of drool. They were clearly both in the throes of blood slumber, and they wouldn’t pose a serious threat to anyone or anything in the next few hours. Edmund turned back around to look in front of him and relaxed a little.

He slammed a hand on the bar top to indicate he was waiting. Hurst appeared through the plastic curtain a moment later, and shuffled slowly across the floor until he was stood in front of him.

“Christ alive.” Hurst rasped. “Is that Edmund Volks I see sitting at my bar?”

“You don’t see shit unless you’re drinking or in the presence of a girl.” Edmund quipped. “How are you doing, you blind fuck?”

Hurst threw his head back and answered with a ghostly laugh. “Oh I’ve been just fine Volks, I’ve been doing just fine. What brings you back to Dead Rest? You lumberjack wanna be son of a bitch!”

Edmund couldn’t help but laugh. He might not have agreed entirely with the way Hurst led his life, but he was definitely someone that could have fun.

“I’m doing another job for the man. They want me to find someone around these parts and I was hoping you might be able to give me some information.”

“Is that so?” Hurst raised one of his bushy white eyebrows and pulled a tall bottle and two glasses from under the bar. He set the glasses down and titled the bottle slightly at Edmund. “Refreshment first?”

“Sure, I won’t deprive an old man like you of company. Pour away.”

Hurst snickered as he filled the glasses. When he was done he set the bottle down and pushed one across the counter to Edmund.

Edmund lifted the glass and drank from it slowly. As the blood touched his lips he felt the spark of life move through his veins. His eyes dilated, his fangs pointed. He swallowed the dark liquid down and felt all the tension in his body ebb away. He set the glass back down and took a long breath.

“Damn Hurst. That tastes extremely fresh. You still farm this stuff yourself?”

“Damn right.” Hurst said. “Got a cow in the back right now actually. Just milked her.”

Edmund stared down into the glass and blinked hard. Whatever this stuff was, it was phenomenal. He slammed the glass down hard and heard air crackling in his ears.

“Yeehaw!” Edmund slapped his hand down against the counter top and shot to his feet, kicking his stool back across the bar as he did so. “This shit is like liquid dynamite Hurst, damn!”

Hurst looked down into his own drink quizzically. “I was quite disappointed actually. Pretty young thing, but I can’t stand the taste. It’s not for me.”

Edmund took a couple ignited breaths and paced his adrenaline out. “Shit I haven’t had blood this good in years.” He walked back to the bar quickly and leaned in close with a low whisper. “You mind if I drink from the source?”

Hurst considered the question a moment. “If it were anyone else I’d say no, but seeing as it’s you…” He glanced across the room at the two near unconscious vampires and nodded. “Fuck it. Come on.”

Edmund hopped over the counter top and followed Hurst through the plastic curtain, into the small tiled room in the back. The room was well lit, clinical looking and cold. The tiles were white, though marred with a century of grub and blood stains. There was a drain at the center of the floor and a long hose attached to the wall ahead. There wasn’t much else in the room save for a large metal sink in the corner, and some tables that had body bags on them.

Hurst led Edmund through another doorway curtained by plastic, into a grubby room similar to the previous, albeit a little smaller. Just ahead a light dangled over a naked girl strapped to a stainless steel table. The girl was restrained, gagged, and Hurst had placed a mask over her eyes.

A drip had been placed into her right arm and curled up like a dark red snake to a bag of blood on a stand next to the table.

“Guess who’s back darling?” Hurst said with a dry cackle. The girl screamed through her gag and her limbs rattled the restraints against the table.

Hurst sat in a beat up old chair by the door. He wheezed a desperate breath and pulled another sip from his glass.

Edmund approached the table quietly and stared down at the naked beauty. “What’s with the gag and the restraints?” He asked. “I thought you were good at all that mind shit?”

“Mind shit?” Hurst laughed.

“Yeah.” Edmund raised his empty glass to the bag of blood, turned a tap and watched expectantly as the blood trickled into his glass. Once it was half full he plugged the tap. “I thought you were one of these vampires that could control people with their minds.”

“A little.” Hurst said in a graveled voice. “It’s getting harder to keep it up now though. I’m getting old. I walked her right off the street okay, but she nearly made a run for it when I took her back out. Stupid little bitch even made a swing for me.”

A smile curled over the corner of Edmund’s lips as he stared down at the naked beauty. “Is that so?”

He set his glass down on the table after taking another sip and pulled the mask back from the girl’s eyes to reveal a face of beauty and perfection. He found himself speechless for a moment. The girl squinted as her eyes adjusted to the bright light overhead, and then she started struggling and screaming into her gag again.

He placed a hand on her chest and held his palm down flat. He couldn’t control her like Edmund might have, but he could try and calm her down at least.

He pushed a sense of calm through his hands and channeled it into her body. “Shh. It’s alright. Go to sleep for a bit. Relax, it’s going to be okay.” His voice whispered over her like water, and the girl instantly became less agitated. He held his hand over her until her breathing had returned to a normal rate and her eyes had closed.

Edmund glanced at the bag of blood above the girl and glanced back at Hurst. “How much blood have you taken from her?”

“The girl?” Hurst thought briefly. “With the glass you just took then, that should be 2.6 pints. Few more customers and she’ll be dead soon.” He wiped a hand across the back of his mouth and slumped back in his chair. “I’m getting too old for this shit.”

Edmund brushed a thumb up the girl’s milk white thigh, stopping just as he got to the top. He bit into his bottom lip gently and turned away from the table.

“Anyway. I came here to ask if you could help me out with this thing.” He paced forward a few steps across the white tile, leaned back against the wall and looked at Hurst.

“Cairo Inai came knocking on my door in the middle of the day yesterday. Turns out he had a pressing matter that was very urgent.”

Hurst shivered at the name and sat up straight. “Cairo Inai? What did that bastard want?”

“As I understand it there was a big fight in town last night. You heard of this?”

“I did.” Hurst smirked. “The two idiots that shot the place up were in here only a few minutes before they went over to the Avalon. They were Circle agents, looking for a young vampire who wiped out his own coven.”

Edmund sat up. “The young vampire who wiped out the Vesper coven? You know him?”

Hurst let out a long and reluctant sigh and dropped his head into his hands. He held it there. “Ansel Draco.”

Edmund’s ears perked up at mention of the name. “So you do know him…”

Hurst lifted his head and stared into Edmund’s eyes with the clouded white of his own. “Of course I know him. That little bastard has shown his face in here a couple of times since he staked his entire family.”

“Here?” Edmund raised an eyebrow. “In the Black Font? What was he after, blood or information?”

“Both actually.” Hurst said. “He came to me with a special request. Said he was trying to find someone.”

“Find someone? Who?”

Hurst squinted at Edmund with one eye. “First you tell me what it is you’re after, and why you’re after him.”

Edmund nodded. Hurst clearly had information that might be useful for tracking Ansel Draco down. He saw no harm in sharing his task with the old man.

“Cairo Inai came to me with a bounty for Ansel Draco. They want me to bring him in alive and hand him over to The Red Circle.”

Hurst shivered again and laughed. “Doesn’t surprise me those limp dick mother fuckers have to resort to outside help to catch a renegade youngin’. So much for being the elite.”

“The Red Circle has always favored brains over brawn.” Edmund shrugged. “Their agents are experienced fighters, but they’re also clumsy. They came after this kid with fucking guns.”

“That just shows how scared they are.” Hurst snorted and spat onto the tiled floor. “They know there’s something different about this kid. It’s not everyday a junior vampire wakes up and finds the strength to kill five vampires a couple hundred years his senior. In fact, come to think of it - I’ve never heard of something like that happening before.”

“What do you think his story is?” Edmund asked. “Cairo Inai showed me footage from one of his agents. This kid is fast, and he’s strong too.”

A dark gravel of laughter poured from Hurst’s throat once more. “If I didn’t know any better I’d say you sounded scared Volks. Could it be the great bounty hunter has finally found his match?”

Edmund clenched his jaw and cracked the knuckles on both his hands. “I’ve dealt with guys like this before, they’re a dime a dozen. He’s probably got himself juiced up on magic, drugs, or both. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up killing himself.”

“It ain’t magic, I know that on account of what he came in here to ask me. You might have brought in a few tough guys Edmund Volks, but you ain’t ever faced a guy like this before, I can tell you that much for sure. I’ve spent long enough on this planet to know change when I see it, and this guy is it.”

“Tell me what you know.” Edmund swallowed. “What did he want from you?”

“You’re gonna offer me a cut before I tell you a goddamn thing. I’ve been living in these parts nearly a hundred years now, and I ain’t ever heard of a Ward like Cairo Inai coming to see a grunt like you in person.”

“What’s your point?” Edmund said.

“Point is, is that they’re scared, and that can only mean one thing - they must have offered you a high fucking price, because they know you’re scared too. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was top end of six figures, maybe even seven. And don’t try to bullshit me either, cos I can smell it on you boy. There’s money in this racket.”

“One million.” Edmund admitted.

“Then I want twenty percent of the cut.”

“Let me hear what you have to say first old man. I ain’t promising shit until I hear what you know. You want twenty percent of the cut, you better be offering something good. You know where he his? You know where I can find him?”

“I don’t know where he is.” Hurst said. “But I can tell you where he’s going to be. He came in here just over a week ago, asking if I could help him find a witch. I asked him what he wanted to find a witch for. He just laughed in my face and told me it was none of my fucking business. Then he said if I didn’t have an answer, he’d raze this place to the ground and crucify me at sunrise.”

“Pleasant. So what did you tell him? You find a witch for him?”

“I did indeed.” Hurst nodded. “And I can tell you where he’s heading and when he’ll be there, if you can agree to twenty percent of your final takings.” Hurst held a hand into the air blindly and stared ahead at nothing.

Edmund stared down at the hand, walked over and took it. “Fine. It’s a deal. Who’s the witch?”

“I don’t know her real name.” Hurst whispered and pulled his hand back. “I just call her Rubago.”

“Rubago? What the fuck kind of name is that?”

“I don’t fucking know, that’s just what I know her as. She has a hut not far from here, a few hours drive north of the border. That’s where your boy is heading. She’s only there four days out of the year. She’ll be there soon.”

“What?” Edmund turned his head. “Why only four days a year?”

“She works with the Circle or something.” Hurst shrugged. “Who am I to try and understand the mysterious ways of a witch?”

“Fair enough.” Edmund nodded. “Write that date and address down for me and I’ll be on my way… and Hurst.”

“Yes?”

“Why did you tell the Circle they could find Draco at the Avalon? You’re helping him, you’re helping them, you’re helping me… who’s side are you on?”

“My own.” Hurst said plainly.

“Did you tell them about the witch that he’s looking for?”

Hurst shook his head.

“That’s probably why they hired you,” Hurst coughed, “They’ve lost track of him now. The Circle knew that Draco had been in here to see me last week. They’d already interrogated me on that. They needed information. I wasn’t going to give them the whole picture. I just told them he was looking for places to drink. I told them they could find him at the Avalon. It covered my ass enough so they wouldn’t burn this place to the ground.”

“Fair enough.” Edmund said after a long pause.

He walked towards the table at the back of the room and looked down at the naked girl once more.

“How much do you want for this one?”

“The girl?” Hurst asked as he stood up from the chair slowly.

“Did you touch her? Other than the blood?”

“Touch?” Hurst reared his head in disgust. “No. God no. I always drink first, and she tastes rotten to me. I want nothing to do with her. You actually want this thing?”

“Yeah. I can’t explain. But there’s something about her that I like.”

Edmund stared down at her body and brushed the back of his hand over her hip. He knew exactly what he liked about her. Her blood was good enough to calcify souls, and one look at her body made his cock harder than steel.

“Shit. Take her for free if you want.” Hurst waved a hand. “Tastes like shit to me. Worst birthday present I ever snatched for myself.”

“You’re losing your mind old man.” Edmund shouted. “But thanks. Does she have a name?”

“Rachel I think.” Hurst said and pulled back the plastic curtain as he walked into the other room. “Something like that. Her things are on the chair in the corner. Check there. You want to use the van to take her back?”

“I’ve got my bike. It’s all good.”

“I’ll go write this information for you,” Hurst wheezed, “Won’t be a second.”

The plastic sheeting slapped against the door as Hurst disappeared through it. Edmund walked to the pile of neatly folded clothes on the chair in the corner. He picked up her purse, pulled out the driver’s license and stared at the name on the card in front of him.

Edmund read the name back to himself in his mind a few times, then placed the card into his pocket and stood at the foot of the table so he was looking up at the girl from between her feet.

He brushed his thumbs over the tops of her ankles and smiled to himself, happy with his latest acquisition.

“Ruth…” He whispered to himself. “Ruth Summers. I think we’re going to get on well.”

11. Kat

“But how did I get here?” She said between a barrage of intense kisses. “Who are you? I can’t remember.”

She was lying on her back with her legs spread. In between them lay the hulking frame of the beautiful man on top of her. His lips moved down to her neck. He sucked at her skin, sending shivers of warm pleasure over her body.

“Relax and enjoy yourself.” The ruby eyed stranger whispered.

Kat couldn’t remember how she’d got here, in this faceless black void, with only an ink black bed and this handsome stranger for company. She was wearing a set of scarlet underwear that she definitely didn’t own, the stranger above her was only wearing a small pair of black boxer briefs… but his body - goodness his body.

She gave into the barrage of passion, wrapped her hands around his muscled back and pulled him tight against her.

The scarlet fabric of her panties was flooded with her arousal. She rushed her fingers through the stranger’s thick hair, holding his head in her hands as she kissed him wildly.

“I want to be on top of you.” She whispered lustfully.

The beautiful man rolled onto his back and Kat shifted her weight so she was straddling him. She rolled her hips against his crotch, mewing as she felt the long hard ridge of his cock pressing against her pussy.

The stranger wrapped his hands around her waist and thrust up into her firmly. “You want me Kat. Remember?”

She traced her fingers slowly down the lines of his perfect abs, feeling sparks of want jolting through her as she did so. Biting her lip, she unfastened her bra and threw it behind her somewhere into the void.

His eyes widened at the sight of her breasts, and he sat up, half cradling her as he sucked the creamy pink of her nipple into his mouth. She dropped her head back and moaned through a wide smile of pleasure.

Ansel. She thought.

“Your name is Ansel.” Kat said, taking his head in her hands once more. She rolled her hips against him again, opening her thighs a little further. He lunged back against her damp and growled, nibbling her nipple gently with his teeth.

“That’s right.” Ansel laughed. “Had you forgotten?”

He pulled back and Kat was shocked to see his eyes had blown with black, leaving only a slight ring of crimson red at the edge of his pupils. His teeth were long and pointed too. His lips were back on her in a second, leaving a hot trail of pleasure across her chest. His hands moved down her body. One snaking under the fabric of her panties at her front, the other pushing down the back.

The pads of his middle fingers found both ends of her wet line at the same time, and he started rubbing small circles over her, meeting them in the middle and pushing inside of her slightly.

“You’re a vampire.” Kat said through breathless whispers. She dropped her head back and started rolling her hips against him in a rhythm. “I remember now… I remember how-”

Her sentence broke off as Ansel ripped her scarlet panties from her body, revealing only the splendid curve of her milky white thighs. His crotch lunged up against her once more, and she glanced down to see the throbbing head of his cock poking out. She nestled her wet groove against him and pushed back.

“You remember what?” Ansel’s lips were back on her breasts, kissing and sucking at her nipples until they ached with pleasure. He wrapped his hand around her rear once more, pushed his finger against the wetness of her slit and sunk his finger inside.

Sparks erupted in Kat’s vision as she felt him cleave her in two. A long and protracted gasp of pleasure leapt from her mouth and she rolled her hips against his fingers.

“You’re bad for me.” She gasped in a quick breath. “I need to run from you.”

“Run? From me?”

Ansel flipped their positions around quickly so Kat was on her knees with her face down against the obsidian blanket. He crouched behind her thighs and pressed his mouth against her wet lips.

Eyes widening, Kat took a deep breath to gather the air necessary for the loud scream of pleasure demanding to be let out.

“Yes!” She bellowed shortly, a wide and silent smile spreading over her face to finish the rest of her exaltation.

Ansel pulled his lips away from her for a second to taunt her further. “How on earth do you think I could be bad for you?” He chuckled to himself and brought his lips back to her slit, pushing his tongue inside of her warmth.

Kat couldn’t take it any further, and the sensation sent her spiraling over the edge. Her body rocked back and forth as warmth crested inside of her and spiraled out like a firework in every direction. She came and she came hard, gathering ink blank bedding between her fingers, her face frozen in an expression of ultimate ecstasy.

Ansel’s hands kept her body still, keeping her pussy locked against the loving tirade of his mouth. His tongue worked over her like an expert, dragging up slowly, flicking down, pushing in, running small and intoxicating circles over her bud.

She collapsed in a heap on the bed, and the next thing she knew Ansel was laid down behind her, spooning her. His crotch lunged against the wetness between her legs and she pushed her ass back onto him, loving how good it felt. She opened her legs and rubbed herself there.

His hand came around her and found her breast once more, squeezing it and teasing her nipples relentlessly. His lips were on her throat.

“I want you…” she gasped. “Inside…”

She turned back to look at Ansel, and saw the long pointed teeth in his mouth once more.

“To do that I must drink from you…”

For the briefest second Kat didn’t question it. If that’s what it took for him to be with her, then she would do anything.

“Do it.” She mewed. “I can’t wait another second longer.” The deep and burning ache inside her body crested for the first time, demanding that she take him into her body.

“Do it, Ansel!” She pleaded. “Drink!”

The vampire’s eyes flooded with black. He didn’t need much encouragement. He surged forward and his teeth sunk into the ivory skin of her throat.

Kat jolted upright in the dark bedroom, sweat pouring from her body. It took a few minutes for her breath to return. When it did she climbed out of bed and sat in the large bay window overlooking the front of the property.

Her panties were flooded, the room felt like an oven from the passion of her dream. She opened the black wooden shutters on the window and saw it was still dark out. She pushed the glass pane open and took a deep breath as a cool whisper of summer night came into the room. She sat there for a few minutes, savoring the coolness of the stone underneath her, listening to the quiet breath of night outside.

She considered for a brief second, that now might be a good time to plot her escape, but then the faint sound of singing floated up from below. Kat sat listening, and realized the voice to be Ansel’s. Glancing down at her watch, she could see that it was nearly four in the morning.

Probably not that unusual to be up at this time for a vampire… best I only try to escape during the daylight when it’s safe.

Kat sat there for a little while more, thinking about the bizarre erotic dream that had just plagued her sleep. After a few more minutes she climbed from the smooth stone and crawled back into bed once more, sinking further into another stream of erotic fantasy.

12. Ansel

After Kat had helped nurse him back to health, Ansel escorted a reluctant Kat to a bedroom at the very top of the stone house. He knew that more than anything, all the girl wanted to do was leave now and find her sister. Ansel’s refusal for her to go seemed to only further stem her feelings toward him, both good and bad.

He pulled up a chair on the stone porch at the front of the house, deciding that he would keep watch for a while. It was very unlikely the Red Circle would ever track them back here, but with Kat now in his clutches, he was going to be extra cautious. He would keep watch all night just to make sure she was safe. With a stake in his hand, he sat and stared out over the town of Dead Rest below.

Wind swept through the trees, bringing with it scents of far off things.

There was the immediate musk of the forest, rich with scent from the dry soil to the very tops of the tall pines swaying silently high above him. The wind brought a sweet trace of flowers from somewhere down the hill, followed by the unpleasant scent of a wild animal, something small - probably a fox, nothing to worry about.

Beyond the immediate breath of nature, there was the distant spring of flavor brought from the town below. Smoke from exhausts, pollution from factories - this was not as pleasant as the scent from the woods around him.

He’d been a vampire for some time now, and it had taken quite a while for him to grow use to his heightened senses. The scent of highly populated areas was one of those things that had taken quite a while to get used to.

Bringing a lot of people together and putting them in one place produced interesting results for someone who could trace a drop of blood from five miles away.

A sort of collective aroma formed, which defied all explanation. Ansel couldn’t explain what it was like, only that each place seemed to have it’s own unique profile. Each town, each city, each building. Each distinct collection of humans formed it’s own arrangement, it’s own unique scent.

There were layers to the profile, ranging from pleasant to unpleasant. There was the common everyday stench one could associate when being in the presence of another person, but amplified by a thousand times. He could look past this though and find other things.

There were the traces of certain hormones as they flooded through blood. Exploding and springing across a hundred bodies in different ways to form a picture that was always changing. There was the floral allure of a woman having sex nine blocks over. Or the raw and acrid punch of adrenaline from two men getting into a bar fight.

They all produced different effects, and mixed constantly in a soup that was always changing. It even amazed him how different areas could be so different. Rich neighborhoods with their excessive perfume and poor neighborhoods which were more earthy and somehow more close to nature.

Past all of that, there was the scent of blood itself, which was always dominant and always at the forefront of the mind. It had been four hours since his last drink, and the aching itch had slowly returned to sear across his mind.

Ansel paused the briefest moment to try and exert some control over the will that drove his every want.

He sat on the porch, squeezing his fingers into the wooden arms of his chair until he heard them start to splinter.

He tried to a catch a trace of the distant mountains on the wind to distract himself. Tried to look beyond the fresh sheets of snow on their peaks, tried to find the bright fields of flowers beyond them, which brought a symphony of sense like no other.

He tried to find it, but the only thing present now was the scent of blood calling to him from the house. He began to feel the faint throb of hunger as it pulsed in his temples. He could sit there and try to ignore it for as long as he wanted, but the throb would only get louder and stronger, until it was a drum that beat so loud, every strike felt like an unbearable dagger to the skull.

Ansel rose from the chair with a heavy sigh. He retreated from the porch momentarily to answer the call of his thirst and stepped inside the house.

After Kat had gone to bed, he’d returned the house to darkness once more, for which his eyes were very thankful. He was happy to sit in the blaring bright while Kat had needed it, but it was unnecessary to subject himself to it now she was gone.

He stood in the darkness of the hallway, and realized that the scent of the blood that was calling to him was not from the bottles that were stored in the kitchen fridge, but from the room at the top of the stone stairs. The room on the third floor.

The room where Kat was sleeping.

He let out a long and lumbering breath, growling at the demon inside of him for even suggesting such a thing.

Not Kat. He thought to himself as he closed his eyes and clenched his fists in the dark.

Ansel knew that if he started, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself.

The girl was very obviously precious in a multitude of different ways. As much as that dark part of him wanted to go upstairs and drink the sweet nectar from her veins until she was dry, he could never forgive himself if he did so.

To do that would permanently deny himself of all her other nectars that he found so utterly enticing.

First and foremost, there was the insatiable sexual allure he felt toward the girl. Ansel wanted nothing more than to strip her clothes back and taste every inch of her perfect body. Pulling, squeezing, searching, kissing - he wanted it all and he wanted it now.

He’d never felt such an absolute attraction to someone the way he had with Kat, and not being able to answer that desire burned a hole through his chest that stung a thousand times more than thirst for blood ever could.

He kept thinking back to how good it had felt when she was pressed against his chest with his arms wrapped tight around her. He kept thinking about how her lips had felt pressed against his when he stole a kiss from her on the rooftop. Having to put her down and release her from his grasp had been the hardest thing he’d done in a long while.

Standing here now and stopping himself from running up those steps and taking her might have been even harder.

There was a trace of her in the still air of the house. It floated down the staircase and he felt it on the air as he breathed in. She was aroused. Extremely aroused.

He turned his head to listen to her heart. He felt the dull beat of a sleeping pulse, followed by the deep breath only heard of someone in slumber. She was definitely asleep, but in her dreams it had seemed she had found something which had caught her interest.

Ansel smiled to himself quietly and thought of all the other ways he wanted her.

Beyond the sexual need he felt for her, there was the personal desire he felt to know her better as a person.

Behind those beautiful crystal blue eyes there was a mind and personality that was just as beautiful, in it’s own cunning way. He imagined there was centuries of good conversation in that mind. It was the mind of someone that made truly honest and uplifting observations, it was a mind that made him feel comforted and somehow embraced, as if he were speaking to a close friend or someone that he’d known for years.

Ansel still couldn’t get over the fact that he had opened up so freely to her when they’d joined hands back in that dingy office. She’d shown him one thing, and he in turn had shown her everything. It hadn’t been his intention at all to do so, but his mind was lost in the unexpected thrall of her power. She’d taken everything from him and he’d given it without thinking.

That was the final part of Kat that intrigued Ansel the most. The absolute mystery surrounding the girl. Who was she? Where had she come from? People didn’t just walk into a place of vampire scummery like the Black Font and live to tell the tale, especially not a girl as beautiful as Kat.

And then there was the fight back at the club, and the way she had dealt with that rogue male so swiftly and so simply. The agents were decent fighters, no match for Ansel, but they outstripped any human a hundred times to one. The fact that Kat could get close enough to one without being hurt was testament enough to her power, but the fact that she managed to kill one too?

That was something else altogether.

The final piece of the puzzle that linked it into a giant swirling picture of mystery, was the fact that she was cognizant too. Ansel had only been a vampire for one year, and in that time he’d learned a small amount concerning his people and the lore surrounding them.

Cognizance was a rare gift, and a powerful one at that. He thought back to his very first days after being turned, when he had been listening quietly as the members of his house took council. The topic of cognizance had come up and the vampires around him burst into an animated and passionate discussion about it’s rarity.

“There are many strange things in this world.” One had said. “But the idea that something as impossible as cognizance exists is ridiculous!”

“Ridiculous!” said another. “My maker knew of one who had that gift, a century before I was born…”

“Lies!” another interjected. “All myth! There are none alive today who…”

The voices faded away in his mind and Ansel pulled himself back to the present. Through the rest of his short time, the topic had come up maybe twice more with different groups of vampires, and all had held the same belief. Cognizance was a long lost power, or something that had never existed in the first place.

But yet it seemed now, that Kat did possess some form of that power, and their joining together had brought a latent awakening of it inside of her this night.

These were all parts of Kat that he desired to know, and they were all parts that he desired to explore at some point in the near future. He was sure that a taste of the sweet life force running through her veins would be unlike any other he’d ever taste again. He was also sure that even indulging himself in a few drops would send him spiraling out of control.

No, not Kat. He thought to himself once more as he breathed deep in the hallway. There was too much about the girl that would be lost to eternity if he succumbed to one moment of pointless weakness.

Ansel turned with all his might from the stairs, and directed his reluctant feet in the direction of the kitchen. He found relief at the cool sensation of the tiles underfoot. From the hallway entrance, the fridge was in the far corner to his right.

Ansel stalked through the dark kitchen silently, tracing his fingers over the cool worktops as he did so. He seized his hand around the hard metal handle on the fridge and pulled the door open.

Light cut across the black room in a blinding yellow wedge. Ansel winced and stood to the side, waiting for a moment as his eyes tried to adjust to the new influx of bright. The distraction that was Kat had momentarily been pushed to one side for now, and the beating call of his blood thirst had returned, only magnified further by the fact that he had made himself wait.

He stepped in front of the fridge and looked inside at the nine milk bottles full of dark rich blood. He pulled one of the bottles out, rolled the foil back and drank from it deeply.

The aching thump of pain began to ebb away instantly as he pulled mouthfuls of blood from the glass spout. His pupils burst with black, leaving only a thin slither of brilliant red around it’s very edge. His teeth grew long and pointed, sliding against the edge of the glass bottle as he drank deeper. He felt the cool liquid swill within him, spiraling down through his body until it pooled in his stomach like comforting fire.

A moment later he felt the spark of hunger and frailty melting away as the life force surged through every fiber of his body. He drank until the bottle was empty, set it down and opened another.

Ansel couldn’t understand the sudden and unexpected elevation of his hunger. As he emptied the second bottle and grabbed a third, he could only suppose that the intensity of the battle earlier might have had something to with it.

Physical exertion always prompted the body to ask for more.

There was also the possibility that he was deliberately drinking too much to keep himself full, and to keep himself distracted. With a belly full of blood and a body well rested, his mind could rest at ease knowing that he wouldn’t succumb to any stupidity, and feel tempted to do something irreversible to Kat.

In the fridge there had been nine full bottles of blood in total. It was a good three or four days supply of blood at least. Ansel slammed the last bottle onto the counter top and stood in the light of the open fridge momentarily, staring at nothing.

He had drank all nine.

His chest heaved slightly. His eyes were all black. He had opened and drank each bottle with increasing speed. The thirst had consumed him so much he hadn’t even realized what he was doing. The man panted as his body attempted to gain control again. Two thick trails of blood ran down from the side of his mouth this time. They ran down the white skin of his throat and onto his chest.

Ansel went back outside and took a place in the chair on the porch again. He stared out into the darkness and let the sights, sounds and colors of the world around him keep him distracted, until the sun started to rise and it was time for him to retreat inside.

Before retreating inside again, he pulled out the burner phone he had acquired the night previous and made a call.

“Lazarus speaking.”

“Lazarus, it’s Ansel.”

“Draco… I hear you’ve been up to all sorts. What can I do?”

“I’m going to have to make a run into town tomorrow to pick up some supplies. I was wondering if you could have some blood ready for me?”

“Again? Shit… I just gave you nine bottles yesterday. What happened to that?”

“It’s gone. I need blood Lazarus. Can you get it for me, or do I have to get is elsewhere?”

“I’ll have it for you my man. Give me a call when you’re about.”

“Will do. Thanks.”

Ansel ended the call, snapped the phone in half and headed back inside. Sleep wasn’t something that usually called to him. He usually spent most of the daytime reading or plotting.

The events of the day must have had their force on him however, as he found he was extra tired.

Ansel turned the lock in the front door and put the key onto a chain around his neck. He didn’t anticipate that Kat would run, but this had the added advantage of keeping other visitors out. All the other doors in the house were locked too, and there was no escaping through the windows.

Ansel retreated upstairs, stopping briefly outside of Kat’s door and listening in the direction of her room. Her pulse was quicker now, and he sensed that she might not be sleeping. He was about to investigate when he decided against it. She was only mad at him at the moment, and snooping around her would only lessen her trust of him. He’d leave her be for now, and check up on her tomorrow when he was awake once more.

He made his way to the bedroom at the end of the corridor and closed the door behind him quietly. He stripped naked, fell back onto the bed and read the piece of folded up paper on his bedside desk once more. On it was the information Hurst had given him. The name of the witch, her location, and the date she would be there.

It wasn’t long now.

He placed the paper back onto the desk, spread himself out on the covers and stared up at the stone ceiling.

His mind recalled how Kat’s hands had felt as they brushed over his body back in the bathroom earlier. He grew hard at the recollection, and a different thirst rose up inside of him. The thirst to take the girl for himself. His cock screamed for her body and his mouth screamed for her throat. His heart wanted nothing more than to have bonding sex with her, but he knew that would be a mistake right now.

The girl didn’t even want to be there any more. There would be no sense in bonding her with him, no matter how much he wanted her.

Ansel lay there in the cool dark, his cock burning like steel marble on his stomach. He closed his eyes and breathed his frustration out through his nose, until finally, he fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

13. Ruth

Ruth came to slowly, somewhat confused and disorientated. She opened her eyes and stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling. Her entire body ached. Her skin felt hot. Every moment was accompanied by a hinge of pain.

She sat up hazily and looked around. She was in a dim bedroom, well decorated but plain looking enough. There was a double bed, a window to the left with a long black curtain over it, and a set of drawers on the wall in front of her, next to which there was a stool.

Looking down, Ruth noticed that she was naked and had been placed on top of the covers. Panic beat in her chest momentarily, and she tried desperately to recall something, or anything.

The last thing she could remember was being outside the club. There had been gunshots, and she had managed to get outside okay, but she hadn’t been able to find anyone.

That’s when she remembered the man in the black van.

An old man had approached her, and he had taken her. There had been something different about him, his voice had somehow made her body stop working.

Then everything else was a haze.

Breath raced from her nose as the truth slowly began to dawn on Ruth. Wherever she was, this man had brought her here, and judging from the lack of clothes, his intentions definitely weren’t good.

She moved slowly to climb out of the bed, when she felt something catch on her wrist. She looked back at her hand and saw that she was handcuffed to the bed frame. A fresh burst of adrenaline filled Ruth’s body. She very suddenly became aware of just how much everything hurt. Every muscle felt as if it were tired and hot. She’d had the flu once when she was younger, and she’d spent four miserable days laying down on a bed in agony.

The feeling felt very familiar to her know. There was a dull throbbing in her temples, even her eyes felt as if they hurt. She glanced at the brief sliver of light that surrounded the curtained window and squeezed her eyes. Even the light it seemed, was painful to her.

Ruth climbed back on the bed and tried to come up with an escape strategy. She struggled with the handcuffs on the bed frame for a few minutes, before giving up. She wasn’t strong enough to break them, and every little movement felt as if it rattled through the very quiet house.

She craned her neck and saw that her things were folded neatly on the chest of drawers on the wall in front. Her eyes stopped on her black sequined purse.

Phone.

If Ruth could get to her purse, then there was a good chance she might find her phone inside. The drawers were too far from here, but if she could find someway to reach -

The sound of a rattling door knob broke the quiet, and Ruth sat still as a statue. From where the bed was situated, Ruth couldn’t see the door, which was just around a corner in front of her. She could tell from the sound of the door knob however, that the door was just around the corner and to the right.

Her eyes froze on the corner of floral wallpaper as she heard a lock click. The door swung open, and in walked an absolute giant of a man, naked except for a pair of small black boxer shorts.

The man shut the door behind him, walked across the room and took a seat in the stool at the foot of the bed. He brushed a hand through his thick black beard, sat forward and placed his elbows on his thighs with his fingers threaded together.

“Good to see you’re finally awake.” The man said in a low and powerful voice. “My name’s Edmund, your name is Ruth. I saw it on your driver’s license.”

Ruth’s chest raced slightly as the man talked. It felt as if he wanted her to talk, but she had no idea what to say. She had been expecting the ghastly old man to walk in, instead she was face to face with this beautiful specimen of a man.

He was the definition of manly. Tall, dark, handsome. He was clearly in very good shape, and from his size and demeanor Ruth was under the impression he was ex military. She stared at his thick black beard, the first thing it conjured up in her mind was lumberjack. That was what he reminded her of, a tall, muscled, and very handsome lumberjack.

“Edmund.” She said finally. “You weren’t the one who took me…”

“No.” Edmund said. “I took you from the one who took you. If that makes any sense. The man who took you was going to harm you.” Edmund paused and his eyes flicked down over Ruth’s naked body.

Ruth was sat on her knees, turned with her right hand side facing the stranger. She noticed that Edmund was looking at her body, and she realized that she didn’t care.

“So you saved me?” Ruth asked.

“Something like that.” Edmund dropped his head and spoke to the floor. “The old man had taken a lot of your blood. I had to replenish it to save you.”

Ruth raised an eyebrow, not quite contemplating Edmund’s meaning. She looked down at both her arms, and then she she saw a slight bruise at the top of her right one.

“Not there.”

Ruth looked up and saw that Edmund was watching her.

“Here.” He raised two fingers to the right side of his neck.

Ruth followed the gesture and felt nothing on her skin.

“No.” Edmund stood up from the stool, walked over to the bed and sat down next to Ruth, the mattress sinking under his mammoth frame. “You drank from me.” He picked up her hand and placed it on his neck. “Here.”

Ruth pulled her hand away and reared back. “I drank from you? What on earth are you talking about?”

“He took a lot of your blood, and I needed to replenish it if I wanted any chance of saving you. I gave you mine.”

Ruth shook her head silently and the slight reassurance she felt came crashing down. She lived her life operating on the assumption that good looking people were good people. Seeing Edmund had temporarily displaced her worries about waking up chained to a bed in a strange house. Now he was talking some nonsense about her having drank his blood?

“I’d like to go now if you could.” Ruth said as confidently as she could. “Unchain me from this bed and pass me my clothes.”

Edmund laughed in response, shook his head and rose from the bed. “You don’t quite get it do you darling?”

Edmund walked over to the the curtain and paused.

“Get what?” Ruth asked. “Why am I here? Why have you chained me in the room and taken my clothes. Why does everything hurts? What are you going to do with me?!”

“You’re a vampire.” Edmund said calmly. “By giving you my blood I saved you. You’d lost over half of your blood by the time I got you back here. The blood in your veins now is my blood. I’m your maker, you’re a vampire. Welcome to the club.”

Ruth shook her head, and opened her mouth to launch into a tirade of disbelief. She’d just about had enough of listening to Kat drone on about vampires endlessly, now she had to sit here and listen to this guy talk about it too? She wasn’t having this.

“This shit again. Now you listen here, you’re going to unchain me and you’re going to - ah!”

Ruth was barely three seconds into her list of demands when Edmund pulled back the curtain and let a shaft of light fall onto the bed where Ruth was laying.

Pain filled Ruth’s world as soon as the light hit her skin.

“Stop!” She screamed. “Put it back, put it back!” Ruth flung her body across the other side of the bed in attempt to get away from the light, tearing the metal handcuff from her wrist as she did so. She crashed onto the floor and scrambled back against the wall until she was in the shadow again.

Edmund released the curtain, it fell against the window and the room was plunged into darkness once more.

Ruth sat on the floor with her breath racing, her knees up in front of her chest. She stared wide eyed at her forearm, which was blistered and smoking from the brief exposure to the light.

“What… what just happened to me?” Ruth pulled her eyes up from her burnt arm and looked at Edmund. Edmund stood in the same place, with his fists clenched at his sides. Faint wisps of smoke floated up through the darkness from his skin. Edmund opened his eyes.

“You were burnt. You are a vampire now, just as I am. You cannot let sunlight fall on your skin.”

“But you were in the dark!” Ruth cried. “Why do you burn too?!”

“I am particularly sensitive.” Edmund sighed. “It is worse for me than it is for most normal vampires. Now, stand.”

Ruth felt an absolute magnetic need to follow Edmund’s command. She rose to her feet, with her eyes trained intently on his. A second later the spell broke, and she looked down at herself.

“Why did I just do that? Guys don’t order me around, I’m the one in charge.” Ruth snapped.

“I made you.” Edmund said with a dark smile. “If I like I can control every urge…”

Something snapped over Ruth again, and her body started walking forward. Ruth gasped at her body’s betrayal, and then she felt something else inside of her - absolute want for Edmund.

“What is this?” She asked as her body crawled over the bed.

“This is you answering the call of my mind.” Edmund whispered low and dark.

Ruth sat on the edge of the bed in front of Edmund and looked up at her master. She felt warmth stir in the pit of her stomach and became aware that her panties were soaked in arousal.

Edmund brushed a hand through Ruth’s hair, and traced a finger down her throat to her breast. He cupped it in her hand, rolling the pad of his thumb over her nipple gently.

A small gasp of pleasure escaped from Ruth’s lips, she looked up at him with trembling breath. The pull of absolute want overtook her body.

“Take me now.” She pleaded, surprising herself at having said it at all.

Edmund smiled down at her, and then he pulled his hand from her body. “No.”

His spell dissipated and with it went the overwhelming urges of want. There was a still a trace of need left inside of her, a need of natural attraction to the man in front of her, but she felt in control of herself once more. Ruth felt relieved the spell was gone, but she also felt a sense of disappointment.

She’d wanted to feel him on her body.

“What was that?” She asked. “How did you do that?”

Edmund walked away from the bed to the chest of drawers. “I’m your maker.” He repeated. “You are a new vampire. You will feel a natural tendency to obey my commands while you are young.” Edmund opened the top drawer of the dresser and pulled something out of it.

“If you can control me,” Ruth asked, “Why did you chain me to the bed?”

Edmund turned back around and she saw that he was holding a bottle of dark red liquid. Edmund walked back to the bed and stood just in front of Ruth. “I can control you whenever I like. I can make you do whatever I want. I could have frozen you to this bed, but I decided not to. I don’t like to keep slaves, I like to have companions.”

“So the handcuffs…”

“Just a preventative measure. To stop you from jumping out the window and burning yourself alive. As you can see from the cuffs breaking, you are stronger now than you used to be, and your strength will only continue to grow.”

Glancing down at her arm, Ruth noticed the burns on her arm had now faded. “My arm!” She remarked, while holding it up and brushing her fingers over it. “It’s already healed!”

“Perks of being a vampire,” Edmund smiled. “Accelerated healing. Looked like you had a broken ankle too when I took you in,” He nodded down at her ankle which had been crushed in the panic back at Avalon. “That’s fine now too.”

Ruth rolled her foot around her ankle, marveling at it’s almost magical repair. Pain flashed through her temples once more, and she became acutely aware again of the pain hinging on every muscle.

“Everything aches though.” She winced. “Why?”

“You are thirsty. You need to drink. Here.” Edmund uncorked the bottle and passed it to Ruth.

Ruth stared down into the open mouth at the dark liquid inside. She clasped the cool vessel in her palms and glanced up at Edmund.

“What is this?” She asked in a trembling voice.

“You know what it is.” Edmund answered assuredly.

“…blood?”

Edmund nodded and Ruth glanced down at the dark liquid. She took a breath and suddenly tasted a hint of something so beautiful and so fulfilling, it defied all explanation. Her eyes flushed, her nipples hardened, something pushed her upper lip forward.

Ruth raised the bottle to her lips and tipped it back. The liquid spilled onto her tongue and her greed was ignited instantly.

“That’s it.” Edmund smiled as he watched her drink for the first time. The bottle was tipped so far back, the bottom was pointing up into the air. A trail of blood a slipped around the edges of her lips, trickling down onto her white throat and between her breasts. Edmund felt himself growing hard as he watched her. He pulled his boxers briefs down.

“Stop.”

Ruth felt his voice overpower him once more. She pulled the half full bottle from her lips reluctantly and lowered it. She glanced up at Edmund who stood before her naked now.

“Why do you make me stop?” Ruth whined.

“How is it?” he asked. “How does it make you feel?”

“Alive.” She whispered. “Like everything before this was a living death.”

Ruth’s world flourished in a symphony of sound and color as all her senses magnified to a hundred times their usual amount. Her head swirled in ecstasy. Arousal burned through her body. She looked up at her master and pulled a tongue across her bloodied lips in want.

Edmund took the bottle from her and drank from it briefly, before pulling the bottle away from his lips and pouring a thick channel of dark red down his muscled chest and over his abs.

“You want it.” He whispered as he dropped the glass bottle onto the wooden floor. “So come and get it.”

Ruth jumped forward off the bed and into the arms of Edmund. He caught her with his muscled arms, wrapping them tight around her body as their bodies crushed together.

Their lips met in a fast and furious blur of want. One moment his lips were on hers, then they were at her throat. He held her suspended in the air all the while, her legs wrapped tight around him, his large hands cradling her behind.

Her pussy was pressed against the hard muscle of his abs. His lips were all over her. Ruth dropped her head back, moaning in pleasure as she did so.

Edmund climbed onto the bed, carried Ruth across the mattress and sat so the headboard was against his back. Ruth was straddling him now, her legs open wide and her pussy pressed against the hard ridge of his cock.

She lifted herself up, wrapped a hand around the thick girth of his oak and nestled it into her wet folds.

Edmund placed a hand on her throat, lifting her gaze to his.

“Tell me what you want.” He growled.

Ruth rolled her pussy over the tip of his cock and lowered herself slowly.

“You master.” She pushed her lips against his and sank down onto his shaft. “I want you.”

14. Kat

Kat’s night had been plagued with a seemingly never ending stream of erotic dreams featuring Ansel. She couldn’t figure out why her unconscious mind was so obsessed with the idea of the man, but she wondered the same thing for her waking mind too.

The room that Ansel had escorted her to was nice, much like the rest of the stone house they were staying in. The house was really less a house, and more like a miniature castle. This bedroom was furnished with a large four poster bed. The dark wooden posts on the bed were covered from floor to ceiling with intricate gothic carvings. Long drapes of red silks hung between each corner.

There was an antique floral carpet across the smooth stone floor, an exquisite chair and dresser, and a large wardrobe over on the left hand wall by the door. To her right there was the large bay window which she had sat in last night. Ahead of her there was a door which led to a surprisingly nice bathroom, decorated in a modern fashion which kept with the dark and gothic nature of the house.

She had intended to wake early, and make the most of the daylight hours to put some distance between Ansel and herself. Her sleep had been so fractured with dreams of him, that when she did wake it was nearly four in the afternoon, meaning there were only a few hours of daylight left anyway.

Kat lay on the bed for a bit, contemplating how to proceed. She beat the frustrations caused by the dreams out of her, and when she was finished she lay breathless and naked on the silk covers, hating the juvenile lust she felt for her captor.

It was nearly five now, and it was time to investigate. Kat didn’t know if she had the courage in her to try and escape, but she reasoned that while the sun was out at least, Ansel wouldn’t be able to walk the hallways of the house as she could.

After a quick and much needed wash in a walk in shower that she was very fond of, Kat dried herself off and dressed in some clothes that were hanging in the wardrobe. She found a pink summer dress that was her size and skipped out of the room and into the hallways silently, determined to try and come up with a plan for escape.

In the day time, Kat could really appreciate just how beautiful the old stone house was. She reckoned that it had to be 18th century at least. Living in Dead Rest all her life, Kat assumed the town was made up of only suburbs and McMansions. She had no idea that something like this could exist within it’s borders. The house was three stories tall and she had recalled Ansel saying something about a basement the night before. She pottered about for half an hour or so, exploring the various rooms of the place. She was careful to avoid any room where the doors were closed, as she didn’t know where Ansel had chosen to sleep. There was an old billiards room, a dining room, a library, rooms full of old artwork and portraits of people long gone.

It struck her as peculiar that there was no electricity in the place at all. All lights were either candles or gas lamps. The downstairs area was made up of the living room she had been in the night before, a long kitchen and an old conservatory that was at the back of the house. The conservatory was accessed either through the kitchen or the living room.

All the other windows in the house had the same black wooden shutters drawn half over them, and the conservatory was the only place that had full range of light in the day as far as she could tell.

Having done enough exploring, Kat decided to try and find a way out. It probably wouldn’t do to escape today. Looking at her watch she reasoned that there was only perhaps half an hour of daylight left. Still, she could look for a way out today and use it tomorrow, rising early to get a much needed lead on Ansel.

There were no doors in the conservatory that Kat could see, but she did take a minute to look out through the windows at the beautiful garden at the back of the property. The flora filled lawn was surrounded by a rich expanse of forest.

The only other two doors Kat could find in the house, was a door at the side of the building, and the front door, which were both locked. She even grabbed a gas lamp from in the living room and went down to the basement to try and find something. It was there that she saw a small wooden doorway cut into the back wall. She tried the handle for that door but it was locked too. Her heart dropped in her chest and she made her way back up stairs to get some food.

For the age of the place, the kitchen was probably the most modern feature. It was a stunning combination of pristine new work tops and the old decor that surrounded the rest of the house. It was also the only room in the house that appeared to contain any technology. There was a small flat screen TV in a corner above the breakfast bar, and an LCD panel on the wall with two sets of buttons: ‘Shutters Open’ and ‘Shutters Closed’.

Kat didn’t need to be a genius to figure out what that meant. She considered opening the shutters for a second and then decided against it, not wanting to accidentally turn Ansel into a cloud of ash and smoke.

She rummaged through the old cupboards and found a tin of beans. Kat heated the beans on the old gas stove and ate them out of the pot with a wooden spoon while she watched the local news on the small TV. The news team were standing on the street outside the club Avalon. Kat turned the volume up and listened closely.

“…here on scene at the place where the shooting took place last night. Two gunmen entered the club at approximately 9pm and started shooting - miraculously there were no casualties and no injuries, but police are reaching out for witnesses to come forward to help identify the gunmen, who are both sought by the police for questioning…”

Kat turned the TV off, satisfied with what she’d heard. She finished her food and breathed a sigh of relief. According to the woman on the TV there had been no casualties and no injuries, so Kat could rest easy for now knowing that Ruth was okay.

Cleaning up after herself, Kat wondered into the conservatory to appreciate the last crumbling remnants of daylight. The conservatory was wide and spacious, with a couple of cushioned wicker chairs placed around it’s edge. In the far corner looking over the garden at the back, there was a chair and a writing desk. Kat took a seat at the desk and opened it up to find a pad of blank paper, along with an ink and quill.

Good as time as any to make progress of my journalism assignment. She mused while dipping the quill.

She held the nib over the paper and stared through the conservatory window at the forest below. Kat wanted to try and put the last two days into words… she tried to find a way to sum her experience up in a way that would relate back to the history of Dead Rest.

Images of Ansel’s muscular torso flashed through her mind instead, accompanied by a stream of images that had been in her dreams last night. She felt her stomach twinge with need and set the quill down.

I need to get a grip on my emotions. She thought.

Ansel’s behavior last night made it more than clear that he was prepared to keep her here by all means necessary. She hated how much control he had over her, but most of all she hated how much she wanted him.

He’s a vampire. He’s dangerous.

Her mind reeled back to the dream she had where he had taken her from behind. She’d had that dream several times last night. His smooth and muscular hands coursing over her creamy white flesh. That long and rigid mass in his underwear pushing against her dripping crotch.

It made her wet now just thinking about it. Kat pushed the chair back from the desk and fanned herself with her hand.

“You need to get a grip girl, you’re being ridiculous.”

It was like there was a part of her wanting to run, and a part wanting to stay to see what devilish things he’d do to her. She knew he was dangerous… he was a vampire for god sake, but that didn’t lessen how much she wanted him at all, if anything… it made her want him more.

She must have had half a dozen dreams about Ansel last night, and they’d all ended the same way: His teeth, sinking into her flesh. The dreams had seemed so real… so vivid. Kat always had dreams, but they had never been that clear before. Standing to pace across the cool tile of the conservatory, she couldn’t help but wonder if it had something to do with her cognizance now.

Another image of him drinking from her neck flashed into her mind and Kat swore she could feel the warm burst of heat as his teeth entered her flesh. She held her fingers to her neck and stared out into the back garden quizzically. The skin was smooth as it had always been, but it felt so real.

Then there was the conversation she had briefly overheard last night. Out of everything that was the one she probably feared the most. She’d had another dream and went to sit on the bay window. It was there that she’d heard Ansel talking to someone down below. He’d mentioned something about being out of blood. She couldn’t quite get the full grasp of the conversation, but there was a part of her that wondered if he was going to drink from her…

“Everything okay here?”

Kat jumped at the voice and turned on her heels with a small shriek to see Ansel stood in front of her, wearing only a pair of pajama pants.

“Ansel!” She gasped. “You frightened the life out of me.”

He stepped forward into the conservatory and his lips curled into that irresistible smile. “My apologies. I thought I’d come and check if you wanted to come with me into town.”

“Town?”

Kat’s ears perked up. If they were making a trip out into the public, this might be a chance for her to get away.

“Yes.” Ansel said. “I mentioned last night I need to pick up some supplies. I figured you might want to come with me. We could get some food for you while we’re gone.”

“Sure…” Kat stammered. “Sounds great.”

A warm smile spread over Ansel’s face. “Great. I’ll just go throw some clothes on. I’ll be back in five minutes.”

Kat smiled quickly and nodded. Ansel retreated and she turned back to look at the dying light in the garden, her mind only able to concentrate on one thing: she really wished he’d leave the clothes off.

*

Ansel pulled the SUV up to the curb and they both climbed out into the cool summer night.

“Vogan Hunting Supplies…” she said while reading the sing out loud. “I didn’t think there were many hunting shops in Dead Rest. Isn’t it banned around here?”

They headed inside and Ansel nodded at a guarded looking man behind the counter. “Animal hunting is. But this isn’t your regular hunting shop…”

They walked through the aisles of the shop and Kat eyed up a whole collection of medieval looking devices that she’d never seen before. Silver nets, silver bullets, black cases full of thick metal stakes. Ansel came to a stop at a display in the corner and looked over a shelf full of cannisters.

“What is this store Ansel?” Kat whispered to him and looked around the shop. Apart from the one man at the counter, there were two or three other people inside the store, and Kat noticed that they were all staring at them.

“Oh this a store for vampire hunters.” Ansel said with a dry chuckle.

“Vampire hunters are real…” Kat repeated.

“Well yeah!” Ansel chuckled and grabbed a cannister off the shelf, turned on his heels and walked over to the other side of the store and stopped by another display. “Vampires are real aren’t they? Only makes sense there would be people out there hunting them.”

“But…”

“But what? You think you’re the only person who knows that vampires exist?” Ansel rolled his eyes. “Come on Kat. You wouldn’t believe some of the stuff they sell in here though, it’s nonsense - Look at this.” Ansel dipped his hand into a bucket full of ‘Blessed Gemstones’ and let them sieve through his fingers harmlessly. “Some of it works though.” Ansel took off again and Kat followed, keenly aware the people in store had started walking toward them.

“Right…” Kat trotted after Ansel keenly. “But what I’m saying is… should you of all people really come in here. Isn’t this a bit dangerous?”

Ansel scoffed. “Hardly. These idiots are just a bunch of harmless whack jobs. Do me a favor and pick this reel of silver chain up will you? I don’t really want to touch it.”

Kat did as he asked and followed Ansel around as he picked up a few more supplies.

“But what are we doing in here?”

“I’m going to need a few things if I’m going head first into the domain of the Red Circle, Kat. Never hurts to have a few aces up one’s sleeve.”

A few minutes later they dumped the supplies onto the counter and the teller was ringing everything up through squinting and suspicious eyes.

“Ain’t seen you in here before.” The teller drawled through a mouth full of chewing tobacco. “Where exactly is it you’re from?”

Glancing behind her nervously, Kat could see the other two people in the store had stopped their shopping and had come up behind to surround her and Ansel. Kat tugged at his jacket. “Um… Ansel…”

“Not from around here.” Ansel said with a broad smile. “Just in town for a few days. Picking up some much needed supplies to hunt those fucking vampires. Can’t stand those bastards. Yuck.”

The teller stopped what he was doing and stepped back from the counter. “You’re a bit pale looking for my liking… how bout we test you on a bit of holy water?”

Ansel glanced back behind him this time, registering the two men at their rear. He cleared his throat and uttered one word with intense clarity.

“Freeze.”

Kat looked around in surprise at the frozen men around her. Ansel grabbed the bag of supplies off the counter and dropped a hundred dollar bill. “See you next time buddy. Not that you’ll remember. Come on Kat.”

He walked out the front of the shop, leaving Kat looking dumbfounded at the frozen men around her. Kat hurried outside after Ansel and jumped into the SUV with him.

“What was that?!” She gasped through an impressed smile.

“What?” Ansel pulled the car back onto the road.

“You… froze them! That was… that was pretty fucking cool!”

Ansel smiled to himself. “It’s not always necessary. Last time I was in there those hicks didn’t even realize I was there. I think having you with me drew a little extra attention though. Each time they round up on me I just freeze them. When I come back a couple of weeks later they never remember me.”

“But you can… freeze people?”

“I did it to you last night didn’t I?” Ansel said as he pulled the SUV into an alleyway. “It normally only works with people that you have an intimate connection with, but those guys are so dumb - anyone could influence them.”

Kat’s stomach chilled, recollecting how Ansel had controlled her body with such ease. She’d fallen prey to his charms and charisma again, forgetting that she was essentially being held with him against her will. She looked up and noticed Ansel had pulled up in an alleyway.

“What are we doing here?”

“Just picking up a delivery. I ran out of some… personal supplies last night and I need a replenishment.”

A few minutes later a hooded man carrying a large case walked into the alleyway and knocked on Ansel’s window. Ansel rolled it down.

“Lazarus.”

“Mr. Draco, got 27 pints for you right here. Want it in the trunk?”

“Much appreciated. Thanks.”

Ansel peeled a number of hundreds off a roll in his pocket and handed it to the man. ‘Lazarus’ placed a case of something in the trunk and a few minutes later they were on the road again.

“So… that was the blood you were talking about last night.” Kat said out loud.

“What?” Ansel looked over at her. “You heard my call last night then huh?”

“Yeah… I - had a nightmare and ended up sitting in the window to cool myself off for a bit. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop or anything, it’s quiet out there though and your voice just kind of floated up. I thought-” Kat cut off.

“You thought?”

“Nothing.” Kat shook her head. “It’s stupid, but I thought the call was about drinking from me or something.” Kat felt her cheeks burning red at how stupid her comment sounded. “I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay.” Ansel smiled. “You don’t have to apologize. I’m sure you taste great Kat… but I’d never drink from you.”

“Oh. Okay.” Kat said, not really understanding why she felt dejected at that. “Where are we headed now?”

“Picking up some food for you then we’ll make our way back. We’ve been out long enough now. I don’t want to stay out any longer than we have to and risk getting caught. Where’s your favorite place to eat?”

They grabbed takeaway food from one of Kat’s favorite restaurants in Dead Rest and made the drive back to small stone house on the hill overlooking the town. When they got back, Kat felt a strange surge of defeat. The whole time she had been out in town with Ansel had been an opportunity to escape, and she’d failed to do anything about it. The thought hadn’t even crossed her mind.

A small porch sat at the back of the property outside the conservatory. Ansel set up a table and chairs for them, and they both sat quietly, enjoying the summer night and their meals. They ate dinner under candlelight, listening to old vinyls on a record player that Ansel had brought up from the basement.

Kat hated to admit, but here against her will or not, she was having a fantastic evening. After they finished eating, Ansel disappeared for a moment and returned a second later to reveal another piece of technology that was hidden within the house.

“Here.” He said as he passed a small black remote to Kat. “Press that.”

“What is it?” she asked.

“Just press it.” Ansel said with an encouraging nod. “You’ll see.”

Kat clicked the button and a thousand blue fairy lights flicked into existence around them. The conservatory, the handrail on the porch, the trees bordering the garden below, and invisible strings tied through the air above them - every inch was twinkling with tiny blue light.

“Ansel!” Kat gasped, looking down at the breath taking sight. “This is beautiful. You did all this?”

Ansel shook his head and smiled. “I can’t take credit for it. I think it was my au-” He paused, “I think it was the people who had this place before. I just found this remote by accident the other day.”

They sat a little while longer, enjoying the pleasant warmth of the evening and simply relaxing in each other’s company while looking out on the light studded garden below. A question had been nagging at Kat all the while, and she finally found the strength to ask it out loud.

“Ansel… you know before when you said you’d never drink from me?”

Ansel nodded quietly and looked as if he were making some effort to stop himself from doing something. “Yes. What about it?”

“I was just wondering… that seems like a rather weird thing for a vampire to say. Why say it?”

“Well…” Ansel picked his empty glass up off the table and rolled it around in his hands. “It’s just that… vampires generally only drink from people for two reasons. There’s feeding and there’s bonding sex. Vampires have poor inhibition, and once we start drinking from someone… we generally can’t hold back. We drink until they die.”

“Oh.”

Kat gulped. “And bonding sex… what’s that?”

Ansel shifted in his seat. “Well. That’s something a vampire does when he’s found a mate. It’s only really a short burst, and it’s done during sex. It ties the vampire to a lover. It’s not lethal, it’s a show of affection. Once a vampire bonds with someone… it’s a way of showing a person that he’s chosen for life.”

“Oh.”

Kat gulped again, and silence beat between them.

“I said I’d never drink from you,” Ansel clarified, “Because feeding from you would mean killing you. And I’d never want to do that. I’d never want to feed from you.”

“Oh.”

Kat gulped once more, and the silence grew even louder. They both stared into the quiet of night in individual contemplation, and then Kat sat up in her chair. Ansel had said that he’d never want to feed from her, but he hadn’t mentioned anything about the other one.

…Did that mean he wanted to have bonding sex with her?

15. Ansel

Ansel stayed up that night, his slumber the night previous had done more than to replenish his energy to it’s usual levels. Kat excused herself and run up to bed in quite a hurry after they had dinner on the conservatory. Ansel was hoping she’d stay a little longer and ask him more questions about bonding sex… lord knows he was enjoying talking about it with her.

He couldn’t help but smirk as her face blushed with red and she ran off up stairs. He sat there on the back porch for a while, trying to sooth the fires raging within him, more than aware of the raging erection screaming to burst from his trousers.

Just go up there and seduce her. The voice inside him whispered. All you have to do is use your Intention on her.

Intention. If only it were that easy.

Ansel knew full well he could have Kat any time he wanted her. All he had to do was use the powerful magnetism of his voice to sap her will into doing his bidding. He could make her body his entirely, have her naked and writhing on the bed on top of him, bouncing on him in a variety of different positions.

His cock lunged in his trousers once more and Ansel took a long and very deep breath. Staying in the house under the same room as Kat was going to be very hard.

He didn’t just want to make her a sex slave. He wanted to connect with her.

Being around Kat wasn’t just tempting, it was also confusing. He knew the girl didn’t want to be in the house. He knew that she wanted to try and escape, but then he listened at night when she was sleeping… he heard the quick beat of her pulse, he tasted the sweet scent of her floral arousal as it floated down through the corridors of the house.

When she ran to bed after their brief talk about bonding sex, Ansel’s ears couldn’t help but train themselves of the distant slicking sound coming from her bedroom, accompanied by her heavy breathing. He couldn’t quite tell, but if he knew any better he would assume it was the sound of her…

But no. It couldn’t be that. He was probably just imagining it.

Regardless, Kat’s erratic behavior defied explanation. Ansel couldn’t figure out if she wanted to escape his clutches or if she wanted to take him under the bed sheets. He only knew one thing for certain, and that was that he wanted her, badly.

He peeled himself away from the back porch some time later and made his way upstairs to the ground floor and into the garage. The garage had become something of a preparation area for his mission to take out the Red Circle. Since he escaped the Vesper clan a few weeks ago, Ansel had been stalking through Dead Rest and it’s surrounding valley quietly, interrogating local vampires and trying to get as much information on the Circle as he possibly could.

He stood before his board of drawings, notes and findings. To an outsider, it probably just looked like the scribblings of a mad man, but to him there was focus and direction. He had made a profile sketch of Cairo Inai from an eyewitness testimony he’d received off a vampire named Abraham Dullus. Dullus claimed he had seen Inai once about four years ago, and he described a gaunt and thin looking man to Ansel.

Ansel had spoken to maybe two dozen vampires about Inai and the Red Circle, and everyone of them hadn’t really known much. The Circle operated with such secrecy and aversion, half of the rumors he received conflicted with the other. He even met a man that claimed to have met Inai too, but upon giving a description, it sounded nothing like the one that Ansel had received from the more credible Dullus.

None of it added up, but the most mysterious part itself was the location of the Red Keep, the place where the Circle resided on a more permanent basis.

“You have to understand,” a vampire in a bar one hour north of Dead Rest had said, “The Red Keep ain’t a place you can find on this earth. They built it on a magical realm… and you can only get there through the gateways. Finding one of those is hard enough, but finding one when it’s open. Even harder.”

“What about a witch?” Ansel had said. “Reckon one of those could find a gateway for me?”

“Maybe.” The vampire hiccuped, drunk on too much blood. “Show me a vampire that’s crazy enough to voluntarily seek out a witch, and I’ll show you a vampire that’s going to die.”

The most useful piece of information was the one that Ansel had received from Hurst, the same piece of information he had now pinned up at the center of the board, just under the profile drawing of Cairo Inai. According to Hurst’s note… the witch was only going to be at that location for one day.

Ansel stared at Hurst’s scribbled writing, looking at the same date he’d now looked at a thousand times. It wasn’t long until the witch was going to be at the location (supposedly), and Ansel would have to make tracks if he wanted to be there on time.

He turned from the board and looked at the box of supplies he’d prepared for the road trip. He walked over to it and opened the box, double checking through the supplies for the millionth time, looking over everything and making sure all the stuff was there that he already knew was.

Retreating from the garage, Ansel made his way back inside, deciding that he would spend some time reading in the library. He was about to head up stairs to the library room on the second floor when he remembered that he’d left the basement door open. The sun would be up in a few hours time and Kat would surely come down stairs to roam around the house once more. Leaving the basement door open would mean she could escape with ease.

Patting his pockets as he stood in the basement by the door, Ansel realized that he didn’t have the key. A flash came to his mind and recalled leaving it on the table outside on the back porch. He ducked outside to get the key, but there was nothing there.

Weird. Ansel thought. He could have sworn that he’d left the key on the table, unless Kat -

A wry smile curled over the edge of Ansel’s lips and he shook his head. He headed back inside and looked up through the building toward the direction of Kat’s room.

Clever girl. But if she thinks she’s getting out that easy… she’s got another thing coming.

*

It wasn’t until later in the afternoon that Ansel finally heard Kat make her way down stairs and tip toe quietly into the basement. He didn’t understand why she had been sleeping in so late the past few days, but he thought it probably had something to do with all the ‘nightmares’ she had been having.

He waited patiently in the basement, and was sat in the dark of the corner as quiet as a mouse when he saw Kat make her way downstairs slowly with the key in her hand.

Her breath was racing in the dark of the room. She shuffled across the stone floor of the basement quick and silent, making straight for the basement door. She was just about to jam the key into the lock when Ansel cleared his throat and stood up behind her.

“Going somewhere are we?”

Kat about jumped out of her skin, shrieking Ansel’s name as she turned. “Ansel!”

He stood with his arms crossed, listening as her heart thundered in her chest. He thought it remarkable how she looked beautiful even in a dim dark basement, scared within an inch of her life.

Hand outstretched on her chest, Kat breathed her adrenaline out and kept her eyes on Ansel. “So you knew I was trying to get out?”

Ansel shrugged. “I realized my key was missing, and you headed off to bed awfully fast last night. It didn’t take much to put two and two together.”

Kat took a deep breath. “Just let me go.” She said. “Please. I need to find Ruth… I need to see that’s she okay. I need to let her know that I’m okay!”

“There were no casualties at the club.” Ansel said calmly. He threw the latest copy of the Dead Rest Gazette onto the floor in front of Kat and it slapped onto the stone with a hollow thud. “You can read it for yourself in there.”

Her eyes flicked down and she looked back up at Ansel. “I don’t have to - I already heard it on the TV upstairs.”

“So why all the subterfuge?” Ansel walked forward slowly, stopping just a few paces in front of Kat. “Why all this sneaking around? If you go out there the Circle will catch you and they will kill you. I’m not beating you, I’m not being vicious to you… so what are you running from? Could it really be possible that you’re just that scared of being intimate with me?”

Kat looked at him and froze, then she tried to fake revulsion. “Yeah right.” She scoffed. “You’re so full or yourself, you really think I want you? Vampires…” Kat shook her head.

“And don’t you?” Ansel smiled. “All those… dreams you’ve been having. All that pent up frustration you’ve been working out of your system.”

Shock washed over her face. “You know?!” Kat gasped. “But how?!”

Because the same thing is happening to me.

“Supernatural senses.” Ansel smiled softly and tapped his ears. “Sometimes I can’t help but hear things…”

Kat’s cheeks filled with red once more and her eyes shot down to the floor to study the stone tiles.

“I’m sorry.” She said shaking her head. “I really don’t know why I’m still trying to get outside. If I’m being honest with you… I know you’re not a danger to me. I just… I miss being able to go outside alone. Don’t you trust me?”

“Tell you what. You come upstairs and help me with something, and I’ll give you the keys. You can walk around outside as much as you like. Sound fair?”

“What do you need help with?”

“Come on.” Ansel nodded toward the stairs. “Follow me and I’ll show you.”

*

Kat stood in front of Ansel’s board of information and stared at him like he were a mad man.

“This was all you?” she said.

“It’s just things I’ve collected in the past few weeks. Things to help me find a way into the Red Keep.”

“So the Red Circle are a society that police all vampires?”

Ansel nodded.

“And they execute ones they deem ‘unworthy’?”

“That’s right.”

“They deemed you unworthy because…”

Ansel shrugged. “I guess Cairo Inai just took a disliking to me.”

“And Cairo Inai is a Warden. Is that right? What does that mean?”

“He’s sort of like a Chief of Police I guess. He’s fairly high up.”

“So once you find this guy and take him out, you’re going to the Red Keep, that’s their headquarters. Where’s that?”

“That’s where it gets tricky.” Ansel conceded. “It’s hidden on another realm apparently. There are magical gateways that lead to it, but they’re hidden, and often guarded.” He stood up and tapped Hurst’s note on the board. “I need a witch to find one, and that’s what this information is here. There will be a witch at this location. I’m going to head off soon and find her.”

“You think she’ll help?”

“I hope.” Ansel said. “Her sister was a prisoner in my coven too. She said Rubago was my best chance.”

Kat turned from the board and looked at the box of supplies they’d picked up the day before. “Ah, the supplies. This is for when you get to the Red Keep, right?”

“Possibly.” Ansel stepped forward while Kat looked through the box. “You never know it might come in handy before.”

“Garlic masking agent…” Kat said, reading the pressurized can in her hand. “You mean to tell me garlic actually works?”

“It does, but not in the way people think.” Ansel said. “It doesn’t keep us away, it dulls our senses. That stuff practically turns us blind temporarily.”

Kat raised her brows and set the cannister back into the box, looking through the other things Ansel had prepared.

“So what is it you need my help with up here? It looks as though you’ve gotten everything ready yourself.”

“I’m going to be heading out in the morning. It’s going to be a few hours drive, and I want to make sure I’m there on time.”

“Drive? Wouldn’t it be quicker to jump? And what about daylight?”

“Windows are triple tinted with UV coating.” Ansel said, pointing at the car. “And jumping would work, but that’s far… even for me. It would be like running a marathon, and I need to save my energy up just in case.”

“So… where do I come into this?”

“Well - truth be told I’ve sorted most of it myself. I don’t really need a lot of help getting ready to leave tomorrow. I know I’ve kind of been holding you here against your will, and that’s not really fair. As a token of my trust however… I’d like to give you a choice.”

Kat turned her head. “For what?”

“It’s up to you if you want to stay here or come with me.” Ansel said. “I’m not going to lock you here in the house, but I will ask that you stay here until I get back from dealing with Cairo Inai at least. Once I’ve dealt with him… you’re free to return to your pedestrian life.”

“And the other option?”

“Come with me. Let’s go see what this witch has to say together. I can understand if you don’t want to, and that’s fine. Being around me for a long time is enough to drive anyone crazy. You don’t have to give me an answer now. Just think it over if you want.”

Kat nodded and looked somewhere into the distance. “Okay, I’ll think it over. Thanks Ansel. Is that all?”

“Nearly.” He said. “I thought maybe we could have dinner tonight together. Properly. You can even dress up if you like.”

“That could be nice.” Kat smiled. “Count me in.”

“And… just one more thing. I think things between us got mixed up a little the past few days, so I thought to lighten the mood a little and reinvigorate the trust between us we could play a game. We each get three questions, and the other has to answer truthfully… no matter what the answer.”

A smile flickered over Kat’s face as she considered the rules for a moment.

“Okay.” She said after a long pause. “You go first if you want.”

Ansel smiled. “If I leave you here alone… would you try and escape?”

Kat took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes. “No.”

“Now you go.”

“Who were you in a previous life?” Kat asked, her eyes blazing with curiosity.

Ansel laughed and brushed a hand over the back of his head. “Ooh boy… now you’re asking. It’s not that exciting I’m afraid. I was just some hot shot investment banker kid.”

Kat smiled. “Okay. Your turn.”

“You go again.” Ansel said. “I’m thinking.”

“Okay.” Kat’s eyes glimmered with the fun of the game. “This house… it was yours in your previous life wasn’t it?”

Smiling, Ansel finally gave a reluctant nod. “How did you figure it out?”

Kat shrugged. “It just felt too much like you for it to be someone else’s place. Who do the clothes belong to? The ones I’m wearing?”

“This place used to be my aunts. She left it to me when she passed away. The clothes must be hers, the room you’re staying in was hers.”

“Okay. Ask me a question.”

Taking a deep breath, a mischievous smile curled over his lips. “These dreams that have been keeping you up at night. What are they about exactly?”

Kat’s cheeks singed to an adorable shade of pink. “Don’t you already know that?”

Ansel coughed. “Rules, remember?”

She took a deep breath and rolled her eyes. “They’re about you.”

A broad smile crossed Ansel’s face. “And what am I doing in these dreams?”

“Naughty things.” Kat said bluntly. “And I believe that’s your three questions up!”

Chuckling, Ansel eyed the girl up. “Well played, you tricked me into using my last question… you’ve still got one left though. Go ahead.”

Kat stood there for a second with her hand on her hip and a finger on her chin, looking as if she was deep in thought.

“Actually… you know what… I think I’m going to save mine for dinner later. Should we go and make a start on some food? I think I’m a little hungry.”

Kat winked as she stalked past Ansel and out of the garage confidently, leaving him to stand there on his own with his mouth hanging open, looking like an idiot.

16. Kat

It was another beautiful summer night. The candles in all the windows at the back of the house were lit, and glittered behind the panes of iron crossed glass up and down the stone work.

The garden, conservatory and the air around them twinkled in the summer night with the blue glow of a thousand tiny fairy lights. Kat thought they looked like tiny fireflies, frozen in animation in some bizarre dream sequence.

Ansel had gone out again to get food for Kat, leaving all of the doors unlocked within the stone keep. It was extra warm tonight, and a pressure was building in the air as the humidity begged to be released.

As soon as Ansel left, Kat made her way onto the front porch and simply stood there in the heat of the night, listening to the cicadas chirrup in the trees above, watching the lights of Dead Rest twinkle below under waves of heat. It felt good to be outside again of her own volition. She could run down the hill now and she’d be back home in no time… but she’d made a promise to Ansel.

She turned back inside and started getting things ready for their evening together. She set up a table on the veranda at the back of the conservatory, found some old candles and put a couple of them around the immediate area. After that she went upstairs to her room and looked for something a little more fancy to wear to dinner. She couldn’t explain why, but she felt as if there was something special about tonight. There was a magic in the air, and there was just a general feeling of romance along with it that was so palpable she almost felt as if she could reach out and touch it.

She opened the antique wardrobe doors and looked through the clothes within. The clothes were stunning, and she enjoyed moving the dresses along the rails and simply admiring them for their beauty.

Light and pastel colored summer dresses had been her choice of clothing so far, but it felt as if the magic of tonight demanded something a little more important. Kat settled for a knee length dress which was patterned in black and white floral swirls. Looking around the room, she found some shoes and jewelery that matched the outfit nicely. She hopped into the shower, dried herself off and dressed herself up.

The basement under the castle was sprawling and maze like, easily twice the size of the ground floor itself. A quick investigation of it’s layout and Kat found an old wine cellar tucked away in one of the far corner’s under where she thought the kitchen might be. She grabbed a bottle of red, brought it backup stairs and left it to breathe on the kitchen side.

It wasn’t long after that, that Ansel got back. Kat heard him pull up from the back of the house and made her way to the front door to greet him. He stepped through the door and as soon as he laid eyes on Kat he froze.

“My… Ms. Summers. You certainly know how to take the words out of man’s mouth.”

Kat couldn’t help but let out a giggle. She did a quick twirl in the dress.

“Do you like it then?” she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She’d pulled her hair up in a winding braid, but left two curled strands at the side.

“You look…” Ansel paused trying to find the words. “Simply beautiful.”

Blushing, Kat took a few bags off Ansel and set them down in the kitchen. “I’ll start setting the table then shall I?” she asked.

“Go ahead.” Ansel said ducking back out the kitchen and toward the front door. “There’s just one more thing I need to get.”

Eyebrow raised, Kat ducked back into the hallway door to see Ansel run back into the house carrying a long black bag on the end of a hanger. He darted up stairs immediately, Kat smiled and went back to preparing things outside.

Ten minutes later she was outside on the back veranda looking over the garden and simply admiring it’s beauty in the dark of the summer night. She heard Ansel’s footsteps clacking up the stairs to the veranda and turned to face him. Kat’s mouth dropped open. He was wearing a beautiful crisp black tuxedo.

“What do you think?” Ansel said brushing a hand over the back of his hair nervously. “Looks okay?”

Ruby red eyes stared back at her, twinkling. Blue light from the frozen fireflies whispered over his ice white skin, making him look like some specter from a beautiful dream. There was a perfectly delicate brush of stubble on his face, and his thick brown hair was swept up in it’s usual picture perfect mess. The man was perfection.

Kat’s heart stopped in her chest momentarily and she felt adoration swell inside of her. She cleared her throat and finally summoned some words. “More than okay… you are winning all the handsome awards tonight.”

His plush and kissable lips curled into that adorable smile that she loved and he held out an arm. “Shall we Ms. Summers?”

Giggling, Kat took Ansel’s arm and he escorted her to the table that was just behind them. He played the part of a gentleman, took her chair back for her, and then joined her at the opposite side.

Ansel looked around at the decorations Kat had made to the table. “Candles… you’ve certainly made this old joint look a little fancier.”

“To be fair to you Ansel, it was already pretty stunning.”

“Stunning setting for stunning company.” Ansel rose to his feet.

Kat blushed. “Where are you going?”

“Not only am I your date this evening Ms. Summers, but I’m also your esteemed waiter. I’ll be right back.”

“Ok.” Kat giggled once more and sat content while Ansel went and grabbed the food from the kitchen. Everything that happened over the past few days didn’t matter at the moment, right now she felt like a princess and that was all that mattered.

Dinner was just wonderful, and after a few plates full of exquisite food and a few glasses of rather delicious wine, Kat felt thoroughly and utterly pampered. To her surprise Ansel did join her for some food, but to the most part he kept to the long and tall glass that was beside him on the table.

After dinner was done, Ansel rose once more and put a record onto the player. A gentle hiss slithered from the speakers hidden in the trees around the garden, followed by the dulcet sound of old band music.

Kat recognized the song. “I know this one!” she said sitting up in her chair in excitement. “Midnight, The Stars and You… it’s one of my favorite songs!”

Ansel pushed his chair back and stood up, staring at her with a twinkle in his eyes. “Well? Should we dance then? It would be rude not to.”

A blushing and jovial Kat took the pale hand that was extended in her direction. Ansel walked her down the stairs into the garden and onto the grass.

“Ooh, hang on,” Kat said kicking her heels off. “I always prefer dancing barefoot.”

He brought his arms around her and they twirled across the star studded garden in time to the music. Every so often Ansel would pull her arm up and twirl her around. Every time he did so she would twirl back around to meet him, mesmerized by his beauty each time she set her eyes on him.

The chirp of the cicadas tinkled in the background behind the music coming out of the speakers. Overheard there was a light brush of wind whispering through the tree tops.

“It’s warm tonight.” Kat said as they danced together. Ansel’s face was only inches from hers now. She wanted nothing more than to stand up on her tip toes and kiss him.

“It’s going to rain.” He whispered to her. “I can feel it.”

Kat looked up at him, confused. “Feel it?”

“Yeah…” He twirled her around and brought her back into his arms again. “Can’t you feel that electricity in the air? That pressure of static… It’s that impending feeling that tells you that something is going to happen.”

She stared into the twinkling blood red of his eyes, finding her adoration was growing by the minute. She couldn’t tell if Ansel was talking about the rain anymore, or something else entirely altogether, Kat did agree though that it felt as if something was going to happen. Or maybe she was just hoping something would.

He held her in his arms like that and they danced to a few more songs. Sure enough, a few minutes later warm trickles of rain started to fall from the sky.

“Perhaps we should head inside.” Kat said as they danced. The rain was only light at the moment, but she could hear from the trees around her that it was slowly picking up it’s pace.

Ansel tightened his grip on her and they carried on dancing. “Why?” He purred. “Have you had enough of the music?”

“No, it’s lovely.” She said. “Just the rain…”

He broke his gaze from hers and looked up for the first time, seemingly stunned. “You know… I was so enticed by you I hadn’t even noticed.”

The light drift of rain suddenly swelled into a downpour, yet Ansel and Kat kept on dancing. Ansel leaned forward and kissed her. Kat closed her eyes and fell into his body, humming in pleasure as ecstasy flowed between them.

They pulled away after a long minute, Kat’s head swirling in affection. The rain was starting to drench their clothes now, and all around them the forest had come alive with sound from the downpour. Somewhere in the distance there was a flash of light, followed by a far and distant rumble.

“Maybe now it’s time to head inside.” Ansel mused, not daring to take his eyes away from Kat for a second.

“We can stay if you like.” Kat laughed through the sound of the rainfall. “I don’t mind getting wet… it feels nice after all the warmth.”

“You still have one question to ask me.” Ansel said smiling. “How about you ask me and then we head inside.”

Kat thought for a long moment as they danced in the rain. The downpour had grown so loud now she could barely hear the music over the water. Another flash ripped across the sky, followed by another rumble of thunder.

“Bonding sex…” She said the words that had been echoing across her mind nonstop since Ansel had introduced them to her earlier in the week. “…Is that something you wanted to do with me?”

Ansel’s eyes sparkled with mischief.

“Come on.” He brought their dancing to an end, took Kat by the hand and walked across the garden with her to the stairs back up to the house. “Let’s head inside.”

*

Kat had no contemplation of where Ansel was taking her, she simply held his hand and followed him as he led her up the stone staircases of the house to the master bedroom on the top floor. The dark hallways of the house twinkled with the whispering flicker of candlelight, and Kat reflected to herself how strange it was that the place almost felt like a home to her now.

Until now, Kat hadn’t been in the master room, (or Ansel’s room) - which was easily the most exquisite room in the house by far. Like her room, there was a large and ornate four poster bed, accompanied by a set of antique furniture. A black candelabra hung overhead, hanging silently under the glow of three dozen flickering candles. On the left hand wall there was a giant fireplace. Directly ahead of her were three long and tall iron-crossed windows that gave a brilliant vista of the summer storm outside.

Kat approached the window and stared out at the forks of lightning dancing across the sky. One of the windows was partly open and she heard the rumble of the storm outside.

Ansel came up behind her and kissed her on the neck while slowly tugging the zip at the back of her dress down. Kat let out a gasp and rolled her head to the side, baring her neck to him. “It’s so beautiful.” She whispered, looking out over the storm.

His hands smoothed around her front, holding her own hands against her stomach as they stood in the window together. His lips danced delicately across the flesh on her neck, sending chills of pleasure up and down her spine. Kat stood there as Ansel slipped her arms from out the dress. He pulled it down to her waist, over the curve of her hips and let the fabric fall to her feet on the floor. She stepped out of it and turned around to face him.

They came together, kissing once more. His hands smoothed over her flesh, tracing lines down the naked flesh of her back and brushing over the fabric of her panties.

“My turn to undress you now.”

She pulled back from his lips momentarily and removed his tuxedo jacket, letting it drop to the stone floor next to her dress. One minute later his shirt and trousers had fallen to the floor to join the fast growing pile of discarded clothes. His hands came around her back and her bra was next. They stood only in their underwear now in the dark room, illuminated from the blue light of the storm surging outside.

“You never answered my question.” She said between kisses. His hands were around her waist, her hands were pinned between their chests. His hips pulled forward against her slightly and his breath growled low. Kat felt something long and hot press against the fabric of her panties and felt herself flood immediately.

“Which one was that?” his lips traced down to her throat once more, and he brushed two fingers up the inside of her thigh, stopping to rub small circles over her sex through the damp fabric of her underwear.

Kat dropped her head back and let out a long and breathless moan. Ansel slipped his fingers under the waistband of her panties, curled the wide pad of his finger up and found her fleshy bud. He pushed against it gently and started tracing wet circles over her. Sparks rippled through Kat’s body, and her hips jolted slightly in response.

“You know which one.” She said, absolutely drunk with arousal now. She pleaded with a whispering gasp as his lips brushed over her chest. “Please don’t make me say it again…”

“Come.” Ansel said as slipped a finger inside of her. Kat let out a long and smiling moan. His lips found hers again and he walked her forward toward the bed with him. Kat wrapped her free hands around the waistband of her panties, pushed them down and let them drop to her ankles. She stepped out of them and next her hands were on his boxer briefs, pulling them down too.

They climbed onto the bed naked together, lips pressed against one another, mouths entangled in a sweet and passionated dance. Kat crawled backward on the bed, the smooth silk sheets tickling her back as she did so. She lay down naked, her eyes quivering up at his in the dim light of the room. He crawled over her, his body towering over her like a cage of muscle and flesh. He pressed his lips against her mouth and then her throat.

“Maybe it’s time…” he said. “That I show you.”

17. Kat

The room beat with the heat of passion. Outside the storm continued to swell. White lightning cracked across the ink black sky, sending deep rumbles of thunder through the stone of the house itself.

Kat was laying with her back on the bed, Ansel on top of her. His lips moved from her mouth to her throat, down to her breasts to stop and suck at the rosy flesh of her nipples. They pebbled instantly, going hard as diamonds as her want for him intensified. A deep and swirling fire was turning in the pit of her stomach, sending dull aches of need across her body. She opened her legs and his body pushed against hers firmly, the long hot steel of his cock branding her belly and her sex like an iron.

She pushed her fingers through the thick tussle of his hair, breathing, gasping, moaning into the night air as his lips traced down her body until they had found her sex.

Her eyes widened and her mouth rounded in silence as his lips found the wet line of her slit. He pulled them away briefly to leave two hot trails of kisses up the insides of her thighs. Kat dropped her head back onto the pillow and cast her eyes up at the man sat between her legs on his knees. Light flashed through the window from the storm outside, catching on the volume of his muscled torso.

His eyes seemed almost luminescent in the darkness, twinkling at her momentarily like blood red stones before he crouched back down to bring his lips between her legs.

Ansel started at the bottom of her folds, pushing his tongue to a hard tip and then pulling it up slowly, smiling to himself but staying held firm as Kat’s hips twisted and buckled on the bed in ecstasy. He moved all the way to the top like that, resting at her bud. Agonizingly slow, every move made with purpose to intensify her pleasure as much as possible. As soon as she felt as if she could guess his next move, he changed things up. Always changing his pace, always keeping her guessing, always heightening her pleasure.

She’d lock track of time, but within minutes she’d already cum half a dozen times, and that was just from his lips alone. Shortly after she felt his fingers push against her wetness once more, her lips parting as he pushed his thick fingers inside of her, curling them up until they found the right place.

Ansel crouched low, and as he massaged the thick pad of his finger against her insides, his lips pursed around the bud of her clit and he sucked at it lovingly, flicking his tongue over it in tantalizing circles. Orgasms spiraled through Kat, leaving her clawing against the fabric on the bed, screaming pleasure into the room and laying there to catch her breath as her chest heaved in sharp and jagged movements.

After what must have been an eternity, he came back up for air, and his mouth found hers again. Kat mewed on the bed, squeezing her hands over the muscle of his torso as she sucked her juices from his plump red lips. He was sweet, salty and hot the touch.

The heat in the room had intensified further, and the heat around them grew. Fine sheets of sweat started to slick between them, making their bodies shiny. Neither of them cared, they were too focused on the other to notice.

Kat pushed Ansel onto his back, it was her turn to tease him now. She straddled him just above his cock, spreading her legs and pushing her wetness against the hard line of his abs. She was crouched over with her mouth pressed against his.

Then she pulled her lips from his mouth and started working down his body. His collar bone, pecs, the bottom of his ribs, his abs… she worked down it all, tasting the sweat on him and moving on down till she reached his cock.

His cock. That was another thing altogether. It was thick as an oak sapling, and so long that when it was stretched out on his belly it easily passed his belly button. Kat wrapped her fingers around it, struggling to make them meet as she did so. She took his balls in her other hand, massaging them in her palm. She pulled his cock up and slipped the throbbing head into her mouth, licking the salty pre-cum from his slit.

“Oh Kat…”

She looked up at him as she worked his cock lovingly, feeling her pussy clench with need for him. She’d never had the courage to be so forward with a man like this before, but there was just something about being here naked with Ansel that was driving her wild. She pushed her mouth down onto his cock as far as she could, just about reaching the halfway point before she had to stop. Her eyes caught his looking down at her, and she was pleased to see absolute pleasure etched across his features. Ansel closed his eyes and writhed on the bed.

“I’m gonna cum baby…” He whispered into the night and threaded his fingers through her hair. Kat beat her hand up and down his shaft in encouragement, sunk her mouth down once more and bobbed her head back and forth. A few seconds later molten love sprang up and splashed across her tongue. Kat held herself tight against him, making sure to drink him up in his entirety.

She swallowed the sweet salt of his love down, listening as his breath raced in the darkness, smiling to herself as his body tensed and pulsed underneath her on the bed.

She made her way back up his body and her lips found his again. They rolled around on the bed in the darkness, held against each other’s mouths. A few minutes later she had rolled back on top of him, and was rolling her hips against the hard line of his cock again.

“I want you inside of me.” She said, purring into his ear.

He gave a silent nod of encouragement, staring up at her with his twinkling reds.

Kat reached down behind her legs and pulled his cock up to meet her. She nestled the throbbing head of his cock between her glistening folds, moaning as she felt it branding her like warm marble. She sank down slowly, gasping for air as he slipped inside of her.

Bottoming out, Kat drew her fingers across the broad muscle of his chest, scoring faint lines on his flesh with her fingernails. She rolled her hips around his cock, making it move inside of her, relishing at how good he felt.

Ansel wrapped his fingers around her waist, pulled his hips back and drew his cock out of her slightly. He pushed it back in firmer this time. Kat leaned close to him, gasping in pleasure and pushed her lips to his. As their tongues entwined Ansel began pulsing back and forth in a slow and gentle rhythm.

It wasn’t long until the slow and sensual pulse of their movement found a pace that matched the heightened pace of their lust. Kat sat back, squeezing her breasts as Ansel’s hands squeezed her ass, holding her tight as he slammed his cock in and out of her with great fervor.

She held her legs wide, straddling him as tight as she could, mewing with pleasure with every great roll of his hips. She came several times like that, and then before she could know what was happening, Ansel had flipped her onto the back and was fucking her from above, her legs held high above her in the air, his cock ribboning in and out of her like sweet steel.

“Cum in me!” She begged, squeezing the muscle on his arms tight. “I want to feel you!”

His eyes flared like fire at this comment, he nodded, flipped Kat over again so she was on her side. He lay behind her and pushed his cock inside of her again while he spooned her.

Just like the dream she had.

She pushed her ass back, burying his cock inside of her further.

Ansel gripped her tight while he fucked her relentlessly, their passion was cresting to a maddening crescendo. Long and protracted choruses of pleasured moans echoed from both of them with each and every thrust. He pushed hard, deep, guiding the entire length of his mammoth cock inside of her.

Kat felt herself clenching around him, and she knew she was close to her final release. Ansel brought his mouth close to her neck, swept the sticky strands of hair from her flesh and started sucking at her skin in the most intoxicating way.

“Yes!” Kat gasped in pleasure as she felt his cock tighten inside of her, swelling to absolute hardness as it was about to burst.

In that same moment, she let out another gasp as she felt the hard points of his teeth burst through her flesh and suck her blood. The sensation was completely alien to her, and she’d never felt anything like it before. It felt hot, and just as her mind managed to focus on it, she felt him exploding inside of her, filling her with torrents of his molten love.

A final wave of orgasms rocketed across her body and Kat lay shaking on the bed with her eyes scrunched tight, trying to focus on the multitude of sensations that were rocking her world. There was the hot puncture of his fangs in her throat, there was the absolute solidness of his cock as it burst inside of her, and there was the spasming clench of her body as it tightened around him, sending sparks of fire over every inch of her body.

By the time she had opened her eyes, the storm outside has slumbered away to nothing, and the room was silent and cool. Kat hoisted herself up on her elbows in confusion, realizing that she was underneath the covers with Ansel behind her. His arms were wrapped tight around her, nestling her like a wall of muscle.

“What happened?” She said looking around the dark room half confused. “Did I fall asleep?”

“It’s different with vampires.” Ansel whispered back to her in the darkness. “Lay back down.” He brushed fingers through her hair, lulling her back onto the mattress next to him. He rolled onto his back and Kat snuggled in between his arm and his chest.

“But I fell asleep? I’m so sorry.”

“You didn’t fall asleep, you passed out. Mating with a vampire is an extremely intense activity for a human. It will take some time before your body is able to handle pleasure that intense.”

“I’ll say,” Kat took a big breath of air, tasting the sweet musk of his body as she did so. “That was… unreal.” She said, struggling to find words that summed it up fairly. “That was unlike anything I’ve ever done before. I thought the bite would-”

She stopped, thinking that maybe she’d crossed some line.

“What?” He said with a quiet smile. “Hurt?”

“Yes.” Kat said. “But it didn’t at all. It was like… I can’t even explain. It was like my mind was having an orgasm along with my body.”

A chill of pleasure passed over her body as she remembered it. “Is it like that every time?”

“I don’t know.” Ansel said. “Bonding sex is only done with one person. You’re the first that I’ve done it with.”

Kat paused. “So that means…”

“I will never have bonding sex with another person. No.”

A swell of happiness formed in Kat’s chest, although she wasn’t sure entirely what Ansel’s words had meant. She dropped her head to his chest regardless and took a deep breath, smiling in content.

“It was so good.” She whispered over and over in shock. “You’re like heroin.”

Ansel laughed. “Well I’m sorry to inform you that it won’t be like that next time.”

Kat sat up. “Oh?”

“It only gets more intense the more our bodies grow used to each other. Next time will make our first encounter look like a walk in the park.”

Kat’s eyed shimmered in excitement. “I’d very much like to try that as fast as possible.” A wide yawn came from nowhere, causing her mouth to open wide. She set her head back down once more and felt her eyes grow heavy.

“Maybe soon.” Ansel laughed and kissed the top of her head. “I feel like you’ll be recovering from that one from some time. Sleep my sweet, get your rest… you will need it.”

*

When Kat came to in the morning, she lay there in the bed for a moment with her eyes closed tight, trying to remember where she was. Images of the previous night with Ansel flashed through her mind suddenly, and she remembered it all with a wide smile.

She opened her eyes, eager to see Ansel laying there beside her but realized that she was alone.

“Ansel?”

Kat sat up, she felt confused… tired… worried. Why had he left her laying alone?

A pang of hurt flashed through her at the idea that Ansel had regretted last night.

He thinks it’s all some big mistake. She thought. He woke up and realized that he’s way out of your league. You were stupid to think that a man like that was ever in to you.

Kat tried to shake the toxic thoughts from her head. No, it couldn’t be that… what they’d shared together last night was simply too special for him to just walk away and leave her. Right?

Rising from the bed, she grabbed her panties from off the floor and pulled them on. Her legs were still shaky from last night, and the place between her legs felt a little tender too.

She walked over to the bathroom to see if maybe Ansel was in there, but there was no sign of him anywhere.

That’s when she caught sight of the letter on the table by the door. Walking over, Kat clenched her jaw as she opened up the letter and read it.

Kat,

Do you know how beautiful you looked this morning? I wish I could stick around and wait until the sun comes up to look at you. I bet you’d look like an angel.

I can’t begin to put into words what last night meant to me. I’ve never experienced anything like that before. To share it with you… it was special.

It pains me to have to leave and not be there to see your beautiful face when you wake up, but I realize that I’ve made a mistake and I have to go. It was foolish of me to invite you along to come and find the witch me. It’s too dangerous and I don’t want to risk getting you hurt.

I stocked up the fridge this morning so you should have plenty of food while I’m gone. The doors are unlocked. Make sure you keep a low profile while I’m gone. By the time you read this, I will be on my way.

Stay safe. I promise I’ll be back soon.

-Ansel.

“Oh no you don’t you bastard.”

Kat screwed up the letter and launched it at the table. She ran to the wardrobe, threw on a dress and ran down the corridor to the stairs. There was no telling when Ansel wrote that letter, but if she hurried, she’d be able to catch up to him.

There wasn’t a chance that she was letting him leave her now.

18. Ruth

Ruth liked being a vampire. A lot.

The day had devolved into long bouts of hot and furious sex. Ruth had never known pleasure the likes of this. Her mouth screamed for blood, and her body screamed for sex.

They were in Edmund’s room now, and she had been riding him from the top.

As they finished, Ruth collapsed onto the bed beside her vampire lover. Edmund jumped to his feet and started getting dressed.

“Leaving so soon?” Ruth purred. “I was hoping maybe we could go again?”

Edmund tightened his belt and threw on a t-shirt. “Much as I’d love to darling, I’ve got somewhere that I have to be.”

Ruth glanced over to the gap around the edge of the blinds in Edmund’s room, and noticed that it had now grown completely dark. She jumped onto her knees. “Wait - we can go outside now? Is it safe?”

“Safe from sunlight.” Edmund sat on the bed and pulled on his boots before standing and turning to Ruth. “I don’t want to leave you alone like this, especially after just turning you… but I have a job I need to do. After that is sorted I’ll come back and we can pick up were we left off.”

Ruth climbed off the bed, pulled on her panties and dressed too. Edmund made his way downstairs into the kitchen and Ruth followed.

“You’re just going to leave me here?” Ruth whined. “On my own? But it’s boring!”

Edmund opened the fridge and sighed. “Enough of your complaining. I can force you to go upstairs, lay down and be quiet for the next three days. Don’t make me do that.”

Ruth pouted and rolled her eyes.

“There’s plenty of blood in this fridge to keep you going. I shouldn’t be too long. One day, perhaps two at the most.” Edmund shut the door, walked over to Ruth and put his hands on her hips. “I wouldn’t leave you if I didn’t have to. I promise that.”

Edmund peeled away and walked into the hall. “But… I have bills to pay. You’re welcome to explore the house, just… stay out of the basement. Don’t go outside. You might think you’re hot shit because you’re a vampire now, but it’s too risky. There are things out there that can get you.”

Ruth turned her head, not believing Edmund. “Such as?”

“Such as: stay the fuck inside and you won’t have to find out.” Edmund grabbed his jacket from off the banister and threw it on. He walked over to Ruth, wrapped one hand around her waist and planted his lips on her. Ruth sunk her teeth lightly into his bottom lip, giggling as Edmund tried to pull away.

“Damn girl.” Edmund spanked Ruth and she broke away in a giggle. “I can tell that you’re going to keep things interesting. I’m hoping I won’t come to regret saving you.”

“No fair you fucker.” Ruth smacked Edmund on the arm playfully.

“I’m just kidding.” Edmund looked Ruth up and down.

Ruth got the impression that Edmund wanted to trust her, but she also got the impression her new self was making that hard to do.

“Stay in the house, and stay on your best behavior.” Edmund threw the front door open and stepped out onto the porch. “Don’t make me regret turning you.”

“Bye Dad.” Ruth said childishly.

Edmund flipped Ruth the finger and slammed the door shut. A moment later she heard the mute roar of his bike outside, and then he was gone.

She turned into the empty house and dropped her hands against her thighs. “…okay… what the fuck am I supposed to do now?”

Drenched in sweat from their all day sex marathon, Ruth went and jumped in the shower. She returned to the room where she had first woken, and was relieved to find a change of clothes in the dresser.

“Someone liked black, whoever owned this shit.”

She found a pair of black jeans and a grey t-shirt that were just about her size. Edmund’s house was a typical bachelor pad, and as such there was no makeup or a hairdryer to be found.

Slightly irate, Ruth resorted to using the eyeliner she had in her purse. When she was done, she threw it across the room and scowled at herself in the mirror.

“Whatever, it’s not like I’m going anywhere anyway.”

She headed downstairs, grabbed herself a couple bottles of blood from the fridge and melted in front of the TV. She kept reaching for her phone out of instinct, not realizing it wasn’t there.

“The old man who snatched you probably took it.” Edmund had explained. “Vampires learned pretty quickly that phones can be traced. I wouldn’t be surprised if you were reported missing by now.”

Ruth sighed and resigned herself to the boredom of TV for an hour or so. Since she had woken as a vampire, it felt as if all she wanted to do was indulge in bad things. Sex and blood mostly. She’d always liked sex when she was human, but it seemed even in her short time with Edmund, she had grown a lot more wild and playful.

All she could think about was sex. All she could think about was blood. She masturbated a few times while thinking of the sex she’d had with Edmund, but it was nothing like the real thing. Ruth pulled her panties up, zipped up her jeans and threw herself on the couch.

She stared at an empty bottle of blood on the table, listening as the TV droned on in the background. If masturbation was no substitute for sex, then how did drinking from a bottle compare to drinking from a human?

Ruth’s eyes flicked to the front window, and she felt the call of the outside world pulling her up from the sofa. She rose to her feet, and was about to answer the call when something on the TV caught her attention. Ruth glanced at the screen and saw both pictures of her and her sister on the local news.

“…and eyewitness testimonies are reporting that the sisters, Kat and Ruth Summers, were last seen talking with each other in club Avalon, the night the shooting occurred.”

Ruth picked the remote up from off the coffee table and turned the TV up. “What the fuck is this?” She said while leaning in.

“That’s right Jill.” A false-tanned man answered back. “They were last seen talking just before the shooting took place on Friday night, and they haven’t been seen since. Their disappearance was reported by a member of their sorority late last night. Police are now working on a theory that their disappearance is related to the gunmen that brought chaos to the town of Dead Rest last Friday, when they shot up a club - leaving none harmed.”

“Thanks Michael.” The female reporter continued. “Police are reaching out to anyone who might have information that can help track the whereabouts of the missing girls, or the two gunmen who were seen in the club that night.”

Ruth turned the TV off and sat in silence.

Kat was missing too?

Since she had woken, Ruth hadn’t so much as given a single thought to her sister, or any of her friends. She stood up and looked at herself in a mirror hanging over the fire place.

“Where are you Kat?” Ruth said to herself. “Did you get taken by a mysterious vampire lover too?”

She stared at herself, looking back at the girl in the mirror who was now a vampire. “Fuck.” She laughed. “If only Kat could see me now. She’d about blow a gasket to know that not only are vampires real, but I am one.”

She turned from the mirror and walked into the hallway. “Wherever you are Kat, I hope you’re okay.”

Ruth stood in front of the door, with her hand hovering over the handle. She was just about to leave, when she heard a sound from behind.

Pivoting on her heels, she spun to face the opposite direction. Ahead of her there was the stairs, the kitchen and…

The door to the basement.

Ruth briefly recalled Edmund’s warning to stay away from the basement. She considered following his warning for a moment, and then decided not to.

“Fuck it.” Ruth said as she walked to the basement door under the stairs. “If you don’t want me to break rules, don’t leave me here on my own.”

She rattled the door in it’s frame, realizing that it was locked. Her ears picked up a sound that normally would have escaped her. There was the sound of footsteps coming from below, slowly rising up a staircase.

Ruth stood with bated breath, frozen at the power of her new senses. The footfall got louder until it was right on the other side of the basement door. There was the muted sound of a lock turning in it’s tumbler, then the door opened to reveal a young girl, the same age as herself.

“I’m just packing up the last of my things Josh-” The girl froze upon seeing it wasn’t Edmund at the door.

“Josh?” Ruth raised an eyebrow. “What the fuck are you talking about? Who is Josh?”

“Oh, sorry.” The girl stammered. “I didn’t realize there was anyone else here. I’m just packing up the last of my things now, I’ll be gone in an hour.”

Ruth pulled a face. “What the fuck is this? Who are you?”

“I’m-”

“No.” Ruth put a hand in the girl’s face. “I don’t give a fuck.” She pulled her eyes up and down the girl’s body, unable to ignore the fantastic scent of fresh blood flowing underneath her skin.

“You must be Josh’s tenant right?” Ruth lied. “He said you’re moving out today.”

“Right.” The girl said, not sure if she believed that Ruth was aware what was going on. “And …he mentioned this to you?”

“Yeah.” Ruth lied again. “As a matter of fact, he asked me to see if you need a hand moving to your new place.”

“Oh.”

Silence beat between them. Ruth noticed the girl’s heartbeat had gathered. She heard her fingers tighten on the door frame. She was ready to run.

“That’s cool.” The girl continued. “He probably mentioned that I’m only moving down the street. So moving shouldn’t be too much hassle.”

“Yeah exactly.” Ruth lied. “Just down the street. He said that too.”

“I didn’t tell him where I was moving.” The girl said coldly, catching Ruth in her lie.

“Well I-”

The girl went to slam the door in Ruth’s face. Ruth reacted fast, so fast she surprised herself in fact. The door wasn’t even halfway closed before she surged forward and slammed the girl against the wall.

“Stop!” The girl squealed as Ruth held her up off the floor with ease. “Let me go!”

“I’m sorry darling.” Ruth said in a black velvet voice as she eyed up the alabaster skin of her victim’s throat. “The only place you’re moving is underground.”

*

That first one had been for fun.

Ruth had no idea that being a vampire was such a riot. She hadn’t meant to finish the girl off, but drinking from her until she was dry… it just kind of happened.

She was finally back in the outside world, and she was tasting the scent of adventure that the night air brought with it.

She had stolen a car from a house down the road. She kicked the front door of the house in, and found the keys on the side in the kitchen. The real fun had come when the young buck swaggered in with a baseball bat, screaming at Ruth to put the keys down.

He took one swipe at her and the bat splintered over her arm into a thousand pieces. She took one look at the guy, laughed and threw him across the kitchen to crash into the cabinets on the other side.

She hadn’t drank from him, and she probably hadn’t killed him. She’d only needed a ride.

Following the signs for Dead Rest, Ruth rolled down the window and lit up a cigarette that she’d taken from the console. The night was young, and she was in the mood for more violence.

She’d now discovered that violence was now her third love, accompanying the greater two: blood and lust.

There was something about using her new found strength to overpower people that just felt amazing. She was surprised at how little guilt or remorse she felt. It was almost like those parts of her had been removed. The only thing she felt now was the thrill of indulgence, but there was one thing she wanted to indulge now above all rest.

Revenge.

Ruth brought the car to a screeching halt outside the bar. The old man who snatched her had been dumb enough to let her ride up front in his big creepy van, and he hadn’t covered her eyes during any of the ride. She’d memorized the route he’d taken, but she knew the part of town it was in anyway. There weren’t many streets in Dead Rest full of closed down shops.

She killed the engine, stepped out of the car and looked up at the sign over the door.

“Black Font.” Ruth said as she read the words back to herself. “Pretty dumb name.”

She walked through the front door with gusto, down into the basement and through the doors that led to the main bar. The room was empty.

When the old man had brought her here, they’d come through a back entrance of some sort. She’d been in a tiled room. Ruth peered around the room she was in now. She walked to the bar and to her right she saw the blurred picture of a tiled room through plastic curtains in a door.

“Bingo.”

Ruth hopped over the bar and pushed through the sheets of plastic, finding herself in a tiled room much like the one she’d woken in. Looking over to her right, she could see the room she had been kept in.

In fact, there in the room she saw the stooped figure of the man who had taken her, huddled over another body on the bed. Ruth walked through the room silently, pushing the curtains aside as she walked through the second doorway. She let them slap closed behind her and stood behind the old man.

He remained stooped over the unconscious girl on the bed. He straightened up a little and spoke without looking back.

“Something told me you’d come back. I knew you were bad news when I realized how bad you tasted.” The old man turned and looked upon Ruth with his blind eyes. There was a twisted smile on his face.

Ruth stood, trembling with rage. Unable to give any words to the man that had sealed her fate.

“That’s it is it? Come back to kill an old man? I’m not the one who turned you, you stupid cunt. That was that fucking oaf that took you from me. He’ll get bored of you soon. He always does.”

Ruth took two steps forward and picked a crowbar up from off the side.

“I’ll have to warn you.” The old man continued. “I’m stronger than I-”

Time slowed to a crawl for Ruth as she whisked through the air, with the crowbar held high above her. She brought the metal crashing down upon the man’s skull a dozen times over, and then she grabbed him and threw him into the wall behind her.

When she came to her senses again, she was stood above him, holding the crow bar.

“Is that it?” The man said through torrents of blood. “Can’t finish me can you? Haven’t got the guts. New vampires these days, they’re all the same. You can’t even talk. But you were so vocal when I snatched you…”

Ruth slammed the end of the crow bar down through the chest of the man, and he burst into a ball of flame and fire. She stood there for a moment, listening to her breath roar.

“You can burn in hell pig fucker. I have no words left for you.”

She dropped the metal to the floor, walked back through the bar, up the stairs and into the outside world once more.

She stood on the step of the Black Font and pulled a cigarette from her jacket, lit it up and took a few puffs.

“Well, well. Someone is having fun tonight.”

Ruth turned to see an old man standing on the corner up ahead.

“Fuck off old man.” She hissed. “I’ve already killed one wrinkled bastard tonight. I’m not hesitant to make it two.”

“Such anger.” The stranger stepped forward into the light, and Ruth could see him better. She let out an involuntary gasp at seeing the frailty of the man. His skin was drawn so tight across his bones, he looked just like a skeleton.

“Jesus dude.” Ruth reared her head and stepped back from the stranger. “Eat a fucking hamburger or something. Your BMI must be in the negatives.”

“Oh I assure you, it’s all just a trick of the light.” The man said in a dark whisper. “A tactic to make people underestimate me…”

The man’s face started to move. Shifting and morphing into that of a difference face. His cheeks filled out, his eyes became wholesome and lifelike again. By the time he had finished changing, his face was a completely different one. A healthy face, albeit, a face that Ruth had once known from somewhere.

“What the fuck are you!?” Ruth scrambled back and reached for the car keys in her pocket.

“Oh I’m a a vampire. Much as you are Ruth - but with some slightly superior differences.”

Ruth side stepped around the car to the driver’s side, not taking her eyes off the man approaching.

“No.” He said with a warm smile while shaking his head. “You’re not going anywhere. You’re coming with me.”

19. Ansel

Moving the last box into the back of the SUV, Ansel shut the trunk door quietly and stood there for a moment in the garage, hating himself. He didn’t want to leave Kat alone like this. It felt cheap. The night they spent together last night was nothing short of amazing, he should have been there this morning to be there with her.

Still. He’d come to the realization that Kat was too special. He couldn’t give her the chance to come with him. If she got hurt, he’d never stop hating himself.

He pulled the driver’s door open and heard a cough from behind him. Ansel turned and was shocked to see Kat stood there in the doorway with her arms crossed.

“Going somewhere are we?”

Ansel shut the door again and stared at Kat, stammering. “Kat… I thought you were going to be asleep for a few more hours. What are you doing up?”

“I came down here to ask you the same question. You’re really leaving me here without giving me a choice?”

“I did give you a choice.” Ansel said. “But I’m taking it back now. It’s too risky for you to come Kat. I’m sorry I’m sneaking out like this, but I knew if you woke with me this morning - I knew you’d want to come along too.

“Of course I would.” Kat scoffed, as if Ansel had said the most obvious thing in the world. “All we’ve been through now, everything we shared last night - and you’re not prepared to let me share this next step with you? That hurts Ansel.”

“I’d share anything with you Kat. It’s not about that. I just can’t risk you getting hurt.”

“Let me help you.” Kat said, taking a step forward. “Let me come with you. Let me find this witch. We can do this together.”

Ansel stared at Kat silently, working her over with his eyes. “It is too dangerous, I could never forgive myself if I allowed harm to come to you like that.”

Kat took another step. “And what alternative do I have? You already said it yourself back at the club - they saw my face. They have my image on the camera. They know who I am Ansel. If you’re not here to protect me…”

“They don’t know that we’re here.” Ansel said. “It’s safe for you here. You can hide until I get back.”

“And if you die?” She said. “Then what? Live up here for the rest of my life?” Kat shook her head. “If you’re going on a suicide mission, then at least let me go with you so I can tell you when you have to duck.”

Ansel took a step forward and placed a hand on Kat’s. “It’s too dangerous Kat, I just can’t-”

“I have my cognizance Ansel. I can look after myself. I know when things are going to go south, before you do. You need me, and I need you - there’s a reason we were brought together. This is it. I’m meant to help you.”

Kat stared into his twinkling red eyes, which were only inches from her own now.

He looked down at the white dress that Kat was wearing, finding that it felt familiar to him for some reason.

“That dress.” He said half shocked. “Where did you get it?”

Kat looked down in confusion. “Out of the wardrobe… along with all the others… why?”

Suddenly a memory played in Ansel’s mind. He was back in the cell at the castle Vesper… standing over the dying witch, Azu.

“…And one last thing Ansel Draco,” She had said, “Watch for the woman in the white dress. She will be your savior…”

Ansel found himself back in the room, staring blankly at Kat.

“Ansel… is everything alright?” She placed a hand on his shoulder, bringing him back into the room fully.

“You’re right.” He broke from his trance and looked straight into Kat’s eyes. “It might be dangerous… but we need to go together. The woman in white…”

Kat stared at Ansel as if he were half mad. “What?”

“It’s just something the witch said to me… the first one. I think you’re meant to come with me Kat. I see it now. I’m sorry I tried to sneak out on you like this…”

Surging forward, Ansel wrapped Kat in a tight hug and pulled her close to him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, tasting her on the air as he did so.

“I guess I can come to forgive you.” Kat chuckled lightly as they pulled away from each other. “You’re acting damn weird though. Maybe I should drive for a bit first?”

“It’s okay.” Ansel shook his head and smiled. “I think all the blood from my brain is still circling down in my nether regions after last night. I’m not thinking straight… that’s what happens after mind blowing sex.”

Kat’s brows perked up. “So it was mind blowing for you too?”

“Are you joking?” Ansel grabbed the girl around the waist and pulled her in tight. “If we didn’t have to get going, I’d take you for another round right now.”

“Come on.” Kat kissed Ansel on the lips and motioned toward the car. “Let’s hit the road first. Maybe we can find somewhere to stop on our trip?” Kat wriggled out of Ansel’s grasp, winked and skipped over to the other side of the car.

They both climbed in to the SUV, and Ansel started the engine. He plugged the coordinates Hurst had given him into the navigation system, and hit the door for the garage. They pulled out and the wheels of the large vehicle rumbled over the gravel driveway.

It was still dark out. The drive down to the main road and back to the outer border of Dead Rest took about fifteen minutes. When they were back in town, Ansel directed the SUV onto the highway pointing north, the road which led to the border.

“Feel free to play DJ.” Ansel joked to Kat a little later that morning. “It’s a long drive, and entertainment wouldn’t go a miss.”

“Sure.” Kat flicked on the radio and started hopping through the channels until she came across a station that played decent rock music.

“Rock fan aye?” Ansel turned and looked at Kat with a smile. “Maybe I’ve found myself a good girl after all.”

The outer limits of Dead Rest faded away, until trees and fields took the spot on the horizon. The highway carried on dead ahead, carrying them to the promise of something new, something unknown.

The last couple of hours Ansel had spent with Kat had been mind blowing. The intimacy between them had reached bursting point, and had spilled out like a dam breaking it’s banks.

He felt giddy almost, like a teenager at the start of their very first relationship. One look from Kat and something span alive inside of him, something that he hadn’t felt for the longest time, even before he was a vampire.

Just taking his arms away from the girl drove an urge inside of him to return to her. It was as if they were one unit, and being separated now felt wholly unnatural.

At any opportunity, he wanted to steal a glance from her picture perfect eyes. He wanted to sneak up behind and hold her tight. He wanted to press his face into her hair and smell the sweet floral scent of her body.

He wanted all of her, all the time.

They drove for a couple of hours, until the sun had slowly risen. It was to the right of them, sitting at a midpoint in the sky. Being out in the daylight was truly alien to Ansel now, even if he was behind three protective layers of UV coating. He pulled his black goggles on, and carried on driving.

The radio offered up good songs, bad songs and a lot of mediocre songs. It was background noise to them mostly. Ansel and Kat spent a good majority of the drive just talking. They talked about anything and everything, and the conversation was so natural between that it felt like a breath of fresh air for Ansel.

It wasn’t until the announcement came on the radio that they fell silent properly for the first time.

“Quiet a sec.” Kat said as she turned up the radio. “I think I just heard something.”

“…both women in their early twenties, and have been missing since last Friday. It’s believed their disappearance is possibly connected to the shooting that occurred at Avalon night club, although there is no solid evidence to suggest it. Police are appealing for any witnesses to come forward, who may have knowledge on the whereabouts of Kat and Ruth Summers…”

“Ruth…” Kat turned off the radio and stared into the quiet of the car. The only sound around them now was the faint hiss of the tarmac underneath. “Ansel she’s missing too! I knew something had happened.” Kat leaned forward and put her hands on the dashboard. “I think I feel sick.”

“Kat it’s going to be okay.” Ansel reached a hand out and put it around Kat’s. “I’m sure there’s an explanation for your sister’s disappearance. Is there any chance she might be staying with a guy friend?”

“Possibly.” Kat said quietly. “She would have spoken with someone in the sorority thought. It just doesn’t make sense… it’s not like Ruth.” Kat glanced over at Ansel.

“Do you think this has anything to do with the Red Circle?” Kat asked. “Maybe one of those men could have got her?”

Ansel shook his head. “Unlikely. As far as I’m aware they only sent two men, and they were after me.”

“But they saw my face on the camera right? There’s a good chance they found out who I am and took her as a hostage?”

“I don’t think so.” Ansel said after a moment’s pause. “The Red Circle like to stay away from the presence of humanity as much as possible. That’s why the club shooting was so bizarre to me. It was desperate, it was irrational. That’s what makes me think I’m on the right track. If we find this witch, we can start putting an end to this nonsense.”

Kat nodded her head silently. “I just hope she’s alright. Ruth can hold her own, but she’s always had a mean streak in her. If anyone tried anything, she’d fight back.”

“Exactly.” Ansel said. “And someone would have seen something. She seems like the type of girl to kick up a fuss. What is your cognizance telling you?”

“My cognizance?” Kat nodded, closed her eyes and focused on something inside of her, trying to use her power once more.

Ansel kept his eyes on the road, glancing over at Kat as she concentrated. After a few seconds she opened her eyes and sighed.

“Anything?”

“Kind of,” Kat said, “Maybe - I don’t know. The visions I had from cognizance… they were so vivid. It was like being there. I did get a sense of something then, but it was vague, it was different.”

“Well what did it feel like?” Ansel asked.

“Just… different. I think she’s okay. But… it didn’t feel like Ruth at all. Well it did, but… more magnified. Like she’s changed somehow. I don’t know how to explain it.”

“That’s okay.” Ansel said. “As long as you feel that’s she okay, that counts for something right?”

“I guess so.” Kat said and smiled gently. “Thanks Ansel, I feel a little better now.”

“It’s okay.” He said. “For what it’s worth, I have a feeling that she’s okay too. I mean, look at you. You’re on that missing report, and you’re fine.”

Kat’s smile widened. “I’m more than fine. This last couple of days with you has been weird, and my sleeping schedule is definitely more than fucked… but I’ve never had this much fun in my life.”

Ansel glanced over at Kat as she watched trees move past slowly on the distant horizon. She turned around and looked at Ansel.

“Do you mind if I ask you a question?” Kat asked.

“Fire away.”

“I’ve done a lot of research about vampires, and everything I’ve ever read suggests that vampires get stronger with age, and that new vampires can’t overpower or disobey their makers. How did you manage to get revenge on your coven?”

Ansel sat in silence for a moment while he thought the question over. “It’s something I’ve been wondering myself. First of all, for clarification, you’re right that vampires get stronger with age. You’re only half right about a vampire being able to disobey their maker however.”

“How so?”

“Young vampires feel a very strong inclination to follow the word of their makers. It’s almost like their word is hypnotic. After the first few weeks though, you break out of it as your vampiric mind gets stronger. That’s what happened with me, and that’s when I started getting out of control.”

“Out of control?”

“Yeah…” Ansel paused. “You saw the things I did Kat, I’m not proud of it. This is the creature that I am. I’m trying to control it now, but back then - the urge to give into violent tendencies was too overpowering. I was a man on a mission, I wanted to take as much as I possibly could. Blood, girls, sex, violence. I had a wild few months.”

“And then this man, this Cairo Inai, he was the one that signed your death warrant? He told your family to destroy you?”

“That’s right.” Ansel nodded. “Not for my outlandish behavior, that’s mostly expected of new vampires. The only one who receives flack for that is the makers. If you’re going to turn someone, it’s your responsibility to keep them under control.”

“So why you?”

“If there’s one thing you have to understand about The Red Circle, it is that they are elite in some senses of the word. Not all vampires are equal, some are born with additional powers…”

“Additional powers?” Kat asked. “Like what?”

“I don’t know.” Ansel said. “I haven’t really met any of them. My coven were strong supporters of the Red Circle, but none of the vampires in my former family were actual members. They just wanted to be. The Circle is made up of vampires with exceptional powers, or vampires that were exceptional in their former life…”

“When they were human?”

“Exactly.” Ansel nodded. “Lawyers, doctors, physicians, mathematicians, geniuses, artists… the guiding philosophy of the Circle is that vampirism is a gift, and that it should be bestowed upon only the highest members of society.”

“But isn’t that playing god?” Kat asked.

“It’s the very reason I’m starting this war in this first place.” Ansel took a deep breath and let the air out from his lungs. “But - I digress. You wanted to know how I acted revenge on a group of vampires who were centuries my senior?”

Kat nodded quietly.

“I have a theory, but you’re going to think I’m crazy.”

Kat laughed, catching Ansel off guard.

“What’s funny?”

“Everything that’s happened over the past couple of days Ansel, you’re going to have to feed me something extra bizarre for me to find it crazy. Try me big boy.”

“Okay.” Ansel took a deep breath. “The night I escaped, my maker had come into my cell. She was bored, and I could tell she was in the mood to beat the shit out of something. It had become routine for her. Try and break my body, try and break my spirit. I knew she hated me because I just wouldn’t surrender.

“I’d heard them torturing someone else in the cells, which wasn’t entirely unusual, my coven were a twisted bunch - and they indulged in torture regularly. That night it was different however, I could feel the hate in the air as it emanated from the lungs of that mysterious woman.

“My maker was distracted by the dreadful sound, and in that moment, I can’t explain it - I found my chance. A strength rose in me and I broke my chains from the wall. Once I had broken free that was all I needed, I killed my maker then and there.”

“And after that one?” Kat asked after a moment’s pause. “How did you kill the rest?”

Ansel clenched his jaw as the memory of the night relived itself in his mind. “After I killed my maker, I stood over her, euphoric, terrified, driven insane with rage. Something happened in that moment as I watched her body burn into ash. I felt her life spirit enter my body, and I felt myself becoming stronger.”

“Stronger?” Kat asked.

“Yes.” Ansel continued. “It was like I’d absorbed her speed and strength. Almost straight after, another vampire from our coven, a 400 year old called Malaki, a very strong vampire - he burst into the cell and set upon me. Normally Malaki would have made very short work of me, but with my new found strength… I overpowered him. It wasn’t easy but I got the upper hand, and when I did, I staked him just as I had my maker.

“I stood there shaking in triumph, and I felt his strength enter my body too. That was when I realized that something within me had changed, and with each enemy I destroyed, I was becoming something greater. I set out into the castle, and I began to hunt the members of my coven down one by one. Which each one the fight became easier. I carried on until I was done. And now… I’m here.”

“And the vampires that attacked us in the club.” Kat asked. “Was that the same with them too?”

Ansel nodded. “The one I killed. His life force didn’t feel as strong. But yes, even with him I felt slightly stronger. Every conquest I feel my power growing. It scares me, but it entices me too. To what end will my power grow?”

Kat stared at Ansel in awe, then she threw a question his way that blind sided him. “What if they ask you to join?” Kat asked.

“Who?” Ansel said, glancing sideways at Kat. “The Circle?”

“Yes.” Kat nodded. “If they discovered your power…”

“They were going to kill me.” Ansel said. “They would never-”

“When they thought you were ordinary they were going to kill you. That was before this… are you really going to sit there and tell me that you’re just an ordinary vampire after all that? I think the Circle would jump at the chance to recruit you, once they realize what you are.”

The suggestion stirred a myriad of emotion in Ansel’s stomach, but ultimately, it didn’t change how he felt.

“No.” He said sharply. “They still must be destroyed, and I will accomplish that using my new power. Whatever I am, that doesn’t dictate that I have a right to play god with the lives of others. We are not gods, we are just humans, cursed with the powers of darkness.”

Kat nodded at the sentiment quietly and fixed her eyes on the road ahead. “There’s a diner up here.” She said. “Let’s pull over for five minutes - I think I need a bathroom break.”

20. Edmund

Edmund had been on the road for a couple of hours. His bike roared into the black of the night. His hands were gripped tight around the handles and the throttle. He savored the thunder of the engine. He lived for the feeling of the road beneath his wheels. He was headed in the direction of the witch’s hut. His plan was to track Ansel Draco to the hut and cut him off. Witches were unpredictable enough as it was, and Edmund didn’t like the idea of being so close to one, but it seemed he didn’t have much of a choice.

He also hadn’t had a choice leaving Ruth in the house too. He supposed he could have locked her up, but he had good faith that the girl wouldn’t be getting in to too much trouble. If she did, he would be the one that had to clean things up.

County lines whizzed by in a blur as Edmund drove into night. He had been on the bike for a few hours now, and the toll of riding was starting to have it’s effect on him. A sign approached in the darkness. Lazy Armadillo: Bar & Diner, next 5 miles.

That will be a good stop.

He didn’t see any harm in taking a quick break to freshen up. He reasoned he was probably making good time. The note Hurst had given to him, had three pieces of information on it. The witches name, her location, and the date she’d be available. It was nearly time.

Glancing in the mirror, Edmund caught sight of the black Mercedes Benz on the horizon, the same one that had been tailing him for the last 20 miles.

“These motherfuckers.” He grumbled under his breath. “No tact at all.”

The Lazy Armadillo arrived five minutes later, appearing out of the darkness as some dim and crumbling relic from the 70s. It wasn’t the most ideal location to pull over, but a black spot in the bottom right corner of the neon Armadillo sign had peaked his interest.

Edmund pulled his bike into the dark parking lot and killed the engine. He remained sat forward as he heard the black Mercedes Benz pull into a spot in the far corner of the parking lot.

“Unbelievable.”

Edmund stood, walked past the entrance and went around the back of the diner into an alley filled with big metal dustbins. He squeezed between two of the bins, crouched down and stopped his breathing completely.

A second later the sound of muted footsteps came around the corner. To a human observer, there would have been nothing but silence. To Edmund this was almost the case too, but there was no mistaking the absolute deathly quiet of a walking vampire.

He was being hunted.

A phone sang somewhere to his right, breaking his stalker’s silence.

“Fuck!” The voice said.

Edmund waited silently as heard the vampire speak on a phone.

“Yes sir. No, we have him in our sights. We’ve followed him to a small diner on the side of the I-29. We’re keeping an eye on it. Okay.”

The phone call ended as quickly as it began. Edmund took his chance and jumped out of his hiding spot, into the path of the unsuspecting vampire.

In one leap, he flew through the air, caught his stalker by the head and slammed him into the brick wall on the other side of the alleyway. The vampire crumbled to the floor, and stared up at Edmund in shock.

“Stop! Stop! I’m Red Circle!” The vampire pulled a wallet out and opened it to a page that showed his badge.

Edmund snatched the wallet out of the vampire’s hand and inspected the metallic Red Circle staring back at him. He read the name, huffed and threw the wallet onto the chest of the vampire.

“Igo Kasper. Who are you and why the fuck are you following me?”

Igo rose to his feet shakily, keeping his hands held firmly against the wall behind him. Edmund could see the vampire was scared of him. Igo was tall and thin, with a hook nose and black hair that was slicked back on his greasy head. He had a white streak down the center of his hair, and a scar running across his left eye and down his cheek. The coloration in his left eye was disfigured from the scar. His right pupil was red, the other was permanently black. He wore the same official suit that all agents of the Red Circle wore. Edmund eyed the small badge on the vampire’s blazer.

“I’m under orders from the Warden of this region, Cairo Inai. The Circle has tasked you with a job, and you have been placed under our direct supervision, to make sure it is completed to the utmost satisfaction.”

“Oh no.” Edmund shook his head and hissed. “I took this job under the condition that Cairo stepped the fuck back and left me to my own devices. I already hate taking jobs from you pricks. Hunting my own kind to suit your twisted agenda? I’m only in this for the paycheck. You let me do it my way, or I’m out.”

A smirk crossed Igo’s face and he seemed to find a semblance of courage. He pushed himself off the brick wall gingerly and walked cautiously around Edmund. “I’m afraid that’s not an option Mr. Volks. You have entered a contract now with the Circle and you must complete it. Failure to do so will result in your name being placed on the register. The death warrant…”

Edmund turned slowly as he kept his eyes locked on the lanky vampire. Igo had put some cautious distance between himself and Edmund. Edmund could still lash out and kill the creature now if he wanted to, but to do so would sign his own death sentence.

He laughed at the empty threat. “Don’t threaten me with death boy.” Edmund growled and Igo swallowed at something in his throat. “I’m working for your boss, I’m not working for you. If Cairo wants his little lapdogs to follow me around, that’s fine - but hear this.”

Edmund took a step forward, clenching his fists. Igo matched the movement with two nervous steps backwards. “If I catch you or any of your cronies following me again, I won’t hesitate to stake you myself. I’ll catch this guy for you, but I need my space. Make sure Cairo Inai gets that message.”

Suddenly Igo’s voice came from behind Edmund. He glanced back and saw the vampire standing behind him.

“Threats to the Red Circle?” The second Igo whispered.

Edmund looked forward again at the original Igo, confirming that there were in fact two of them now somehow. He glanced back once more but the one behind him had vanished.

“Not very wise.” Igo said with a dark chuckle, and Edmund turned back to face him.

“I don’t know what the fuck you are.” Edmund growled. “But parlor tricks won’t get you very far. If I see you again… I’ll kill you. And that’s a promise.”

Igo’s smile faltered at the threat and he swallowed. “You’ll mind who you are speaking to Mr. Volks-” Igo began, but was cut off by Edmund.

“Finish that sentence, and I’ll kill you right now. Go.”

Igo stammered on the spot, almost unable to believe that a lowly and regular vampire like Edmund Volks would dare to threaten him.

“Did I stutter?” Edmund growled and lifted his voice to a roar. “Go!”

Igo Kasper fled the alley in terror and Edmund walked after him calm and collected. He rounded into the parking lot at the front again, he saw the dark Mercedes Benz reverse out of it’s spot at full speed, screech across the car park and disappear down the road.

Edmund chuckled to himself and headed into the diner. “Bunch of fucking pussies.”

*

Inside, the diner was just as miserable looking as the outside. Like most diners it was unnecessarily bright. Edmund was sat at the bar. There were only a couple of people in the place. Truckers, traveling salesman. It was late, and it was quiet. Everyone had their own booth, everyone kept to themselves.

A waitress with dark bags under her eyes approached the bar.

“What can I get you darling?”

Edmund remembered the black spot he had seen on the neon sign outside.

“I’m looking for a place where I can refill a 1943 Shelly Stoker Thermos. Do you guys offer such a service here?”

The waitress’s face screwed into a picture of tired confusion. “One of these things again? Hang on I’ll shout Gordo. He’s the one that deals with that shit. I have no idea what all that means honey.”

The waitress turned and shouted into the kitchen. “Gordo get out here, got another one of these nut jobs asking about that thermos!”

She turned back to Edmund. “Gordo will be out in a second. Can I get you some coffee or food in the meanwhile?”

“I’m good,” Edmund said, “But thanks.”

The waitress smiled wearily, picked up her pot of coffee and disappeared to offer endless refills to the other patrons. Edmund turned his attention to a TV which was blaring the news in the corner above the bar. Two minutes later a short and fat man appeared, pale as ice and a little sickly looking.

“I’m Gordo, Marie said some cheese ball was asking about a thermos. What do you want?” The man eyed Edmund with pudgy eyes and spoke in a nasal and gravelly voice.

Edmund repeated his question back to Gordo word-for-word. “I’m looking for a place where I can refill a 1943 Shelly Stoker Thermos. Do you guys offer such a service here?”

Gordo took a deep breath, sighed and nodded. “Yeah we do.” He said in his high pitched gravel voice. “It’s $100 per refill.”

Edmund laughed quietly to himself. “$100? That’s a little steeper than usual.” He pulled a crisp note from his pocket and shoved it into the expecting hand of the man.

“Yeah well, what you gonna do? This close to the border and the boonies, my service is a luxury - not a privilege. Hot or cold?”

“Hot. It fresh?”

“Farmed this evening. I only serve fresh.” Gordo snatched the note out of Edmund’s hand and waddled into the back. “I’ll be right back.”

Gordo emerged two minutes later with a stainless steel flask and put it down in front of Edmund. “There you go motherfucker. Enjoy.” Gordo turned his attention to the register and started counting up money.

“Obliged.” Edmund took a sip from the flask and felt his body relax a little as the fresh blood blushed onto his tongue. He turned his attention to the TV once more and listened to the aimless ramblings of the local news.

“And just an update from our current missing persons story.” A tanned female reporter said. “Police believe they may be on the trail of missing college girl Ruth Summers, after a man filed a police report for a breaking and entry.”

“That’s right.” Her male counterpart continued. “Ruth and Kat Summers have been missing since last Friday night, and were last seen at the Avalon night club in Dead Rest, shortly before the shooting that took place. The police aren’t giving any more information about the report filed on Monday evening, but it’s believed the witness description of the assailant matched that of the missing Ruth Summers.”

A picture flashed up on the TV screen of the missing girls. Edmund recognized Ruth straight away of course, but he was puzzled to hear that her sister was missing too. There was something about her face that felt familiar to him, but he supposed it was probably just the resemblance to her sister.

“If you have any information regarding either of these girl’s whereabouts. Please get in touch straight away.”

Sighing, he dropped his head down to his chest momentarily. It seemed like Ruth hadn’t made good on her promise of staying out of trouble at all. He was in two minds to go back and tie the girl up, but he was in too deep now. The witch would be at her hut tomorrow, as would Ansel Draco. Turning back now would mean Edmund would fail his mission.

He took another pull from the flask, sipping at the hot liquid inside and finding temporary solace as it satiated his thirst. He was more than used to recognizing missing people on TV. Whether he had taken them himself, or they had been taken by the owners of a local bar, it was just part of being a vampire. For all Edmund knew, this missing Kat might be the ‘fresh’ blood he was drinking right now. He looked up at the pudgy faced Gordo and wondered.

“Neither of them are in the back if that is what you’re thinking.” Gordo whispered darkly. “I don’t know who the fuck took those girls. Might have been just some sick human.”

Edmund nodded quietly and Gordo trundled to the other end of the bar to serve a waiting customer.

To his rear, Edmund vaguely heard the sound of the diner door opening. The bell jangled over the frame, followed by the tap of small and female footsteps. He glanced to the right over his shoulder and caught the back of a girl as she headed into the bathroom. A scent hung in the air behind her, which was familiar to him somehow. He took a long pull of his flask and finished it, trying to place the scent all the while.

A minute later, the girl emerged from the bathroom and walked quickly back to the entrance. She kept her head down, and she walked with the pace of someone who didn’t want to be spotted. Edmund stared at her face, turning his head as he tried to place her.

The girl flicked her eyes up at him at the last second, and then she hurried out of the diner and back into the parking lot.

That’s when Edmund realized who the girl was.

Kat Summers.

Edmund swiveled on his chair and followed her with his eyes as he watched her climb into a dark SUV. The SUV pulled out of the lot and onto the road again.

Kat Summers. Last seen at the Avalon night club on Friday night. The same night club where two agents of the Red Circle had made an unsuccessful attempt on Ansel Draco’s life.

He cast his mind back to the footage that Cairo Inai had shown to him. The video had ended with a blonde haired girl placing a stake into the chest of a vampire.

The penny dropped, and Edmund connected the dots. Kat Summers was with Ansel Draco.

Edmund stood from the bar and headed for the door immediately.

“Oh, bye then!” Gordo shouted after him. “You’re welcome for the great service!”

Cool summer night wrapped around him as he emerged into the car park. Edmund made for his bike in a half jog, brought the engine to life with a turn of his wrist and kicked it into gear. The engine howled and Edmund pulled out of his spot and back onto the road.

A minute or two later, the dark SUV was on the horizon in front of him, and Edmund had his target in his sights. His breath was keen with the scent of the hunt now. His eyes were focused on only one thing. He had to come up with a strategy to take the vampire out.

He kept a safe distance between them as he followed. There weren’t that many cars around beside himself and the SUV half a mile in front, but this was a main road. He could jump the SUV now, but there was always a chance of passing vehicles, and that might disturb his plan. He turned his headlights off, making his dark bike invisible against the sea of night around him.

The road was long, thin and didn’t have any streetlights. The only thing on either side of him was wilderness.

A decision came to him after a few minutes thought. He would wait until they were over the border, and when Ansel Draco pulled onto a quieter road, Edmund would make his move. He twisted his hand on the throttle and his bike lurched forward slightly.

Ansel Draco’s time was nearly up.

21. Kat

Consciousness came back slowly, as Kat felt the car slow and round a corner. She opened her eyes and saw that Ansel had pulled onto a forest track.

“Where are we?” She said as she stretched herself awake sleepily. “Are we there now?”

“Not quite.” Ansel said. “We’re nearly there. We have maybe ten or fifteen minutes more before we arrive.”

Kat sat up fully and stretched the last of the sleep from her body. “Sorry I feel asleep, I don’t know why I’m so tired.”

Ansel laughed. “It’s the middle of the night Kat, you can be forgiven for feeling a little tired. These hours aren’t normal for you.”

“What about you? Don’t you feel tired at all?”

Ansel shook his head. “Not really. Perks of being a vampire I guess.”

They drove in silence for a few minutes, and Kat realized Ansel kept looking in the rear view mirror.

“What’s the matter?” She asked while turning around to look out through the rear view window herself. “Is someone following us?”

“I’m not sure.” Ansel said after a thoughtful pause. “I thought a bike was following us for some time, but it seems to have gone. Since we crossed the border I haven’t seen it. It’s probably nothing.”

Kat looked around at the dark forest on all sides. “It’s so remote out here, I’d be surprised if we came across anyone else at all. It’s a little spooky actually.”

Staring into the darkness of the tree line, Kat felt a shiver pass over her. She didn’t know what she should expect from the ‘witch’ they were on their way to visit. The only idea in her mind came from films she had watched as a child, were witches were portrayed as ugly old hags.

“Are they dangerous,” she paused, “Witches?”

“They’re powerful.” Ansel said. “Dangerous… that depends if they’re on your side or not. I haven’t had much exposure to witches, but I’ve met enough vampires that were afraid of them to be cautious.”

“Didn’t you say you met one?” Kat asked.

“I did, but she was dying. Vesper and his coven had captured her and were torturing her for some reason. I offered to free the girl, but she told me not. She told me she was dangerous.”

“Odd.” Kat said. “I wonder why she’d tell you that?”

“I think she knew her time was up and saw no sense in lying. She said she something inside of me though… it was weird. I definitely felt a little unnerved.”

“What did she look like?” Kat asked finally, unable to hold the question back any longer. “What do they look like?”

“She looked normal enough. Dark skinned. Black, frizzy hair. The most unusual things about her were her eyes. They were almost luminescent. She wore an old dress as well, it looked almost medieval. She reminded me of a gypsy in a way.”

“So no hook nose and giant wart then?”

“No.” Ansel laughed. “Nothing of the sort.”

“Your eyes are hardly normal you know.” Kat said after a brief pause. “They sparkle like rubies. Are all vampires like that?”

“Most of us, yes.” Ansel nodded, and turned his eyes on her gently. “I can offer no explanation for it, although I think it may be connected to our increased capacity for sensing things.”

“I’m nervous about meeting this witch.” Kat said. “What if she’s dangerous. What if she attacks us?”

“First of all, you’re not going to be meeting her. I want you to wait outside in the car. I know nothing about this woman, and for all I know, she could be dangerous. If I allowed harm to come to you, I could never forgive myself.”

“But my cognizance-”

“Will be no match for that of a witch. Witches are powerful magical entities and are naturally cognizant. Whatever you know, she will know in advance two fold. You being there might even appear threatening to her. You’re waiting outside Kat, and that’s final.”

Ansel pushed the words from his mouth with a finality that left no room for argument. Kat stared at him briefly with her mouth open in indignation, then she crossed her arms and turned away in a huff.

“Fine.” She grumbled under her breath. “But don’t expect me to come in and rescue you when things go south.”

“Things aren’t going to to south.” Ansel snapped back. “I’ve done nothing to wrong this witch, and I’m not going to. We’re on the same side.”

The dirt track rumbled quietly underneath as Ansel followed the dark path through the forest. All around them pines of a hundred years and more stretched up into the night sky.

All of a sudden a flash of light came in Ansel’s rear view mirror, and then it was gone again.

Ansel straightened up immediately and clenched his fingers around the wheel.

“What is it?” Kat said, sensing that something was wrong.

“I don’t know.” Ansel kept his eyes locked firmly on the rear view mirror. “I think I just saw something, but it might have been my imagination…”

All of a sudden the world around Kat shrank to a pin prick, as a flash of cognizance washed through her mind. She was in the SUV, but they were further along the track. Something came crashing down onto the front of the car, and the truck was flipping forward in the air.

The vision stopped, and the world came rushing back. Kat sat upright in the chair, gasping heavily.

“Kat what is it?!” Ansel glanced over at her, a hinge of panic on his voice.

“I had a vision.” She said through heavy breaths. “Something is about to attack, we need to brace!”

“Brace?”

Kat recognized the portion of the track she had seen in her vision. “Brace!” She shouted while thrusting her hands forward. “The car is going to flip!”

Steadying herself against the dashboard, Kat glanced up through the car window. A second later, the attack started.

She saw the briefest glimpse of two legs as they came soaring down through the air. The feet crashed against the hood of the car, landing with deft grace as the man above them crouched in sub second precision.

The force of the downward blow to the hood crushed the front of the SUV down into the floor, pulling the back tires up and into the air.

Ansel and Kat braced themselves inside the car as firmly as they could. All around them the sound of metal screeched as the car folded under the weight of the vampire who had dropped from high above. The back of the car went up and into the air, and the SUV completed one forward revolution until it came hurtling back down to earth again, skidding into the dirt track a dozen yards before it came to a stop.

The car was wrecked.

Black smoke rose from the hood, dust rose in the path of one flickering headlight. A gentle alarm sound came from somewhere within the SUV.

“Kat!”

Kat opened her eyes and stretched the pain from her joints. Ansel had unclipped his belt and was taking hers off too. “Are you okay?”

“I think I’m alright.” She responded wearily. “What the hell happened?”

Ansel glanced in the rear view mirror, seeing the silhouette of the man walking toward them. “It seems we have a visitor. Stay here, I’ll take care of this.”

Another vision of cognizance passed in front of Kat and she saw Ansel locked in hand to hand combat with a tall and bearded stranger. She reached out and grabbed Ansel.

“Stop!” She said. “He’s here to catch you. I think he’s working for them.”

“I’ll be fine.” Ansel said, tugging his hand away from Kat’s. “Stay here!”

Ansel kicked his way out of the crumbled driver side door and landed on his feet running.

“No!” Kat whispered in a panicked breath as she twisted around in her chair. She saw Ansel run head first into the path of the attacking vampire, and then they both erupted into a supersonic exchange of fists.

She pushed her door to get outside, but it was wedged in the frame. She had to get out and warn Ansel about what she’d seen in her vision. In her vision the attacking vampire had outsmarted Ansel, and Ansel had lost.

Kat shuffled over the central console and climbed out of the driver’s side door wearily. She stood up in a slow and lumbering ache. There was no visible sign of the men around her, but she caught brief glimpses of long blurred streaks of black and white, shooting across the trees above as both men fought in the air.

The brake lights from the SUV cast an eerie red glow onto the dark and forested track. She limped her way to the back of the car and tried the button for the trunk.

The door remained closed.

“Come on!” Kat pounded her fist on the trunk, taking her frustration out on the wedged door. If she wanted a chance of helping Ansel, then she had to get to the supplies they had packed into the rear of the SUV.

Kat’s heart thundered on the tide of adrenaline that was swimming inside of her. Above her, she heard the sound of wood splinter as the men hurtled one another through the air.

“Come on damn it!” Kat punched the back of the SUV again, and to her relief it popped open this time. The door opened halfway up and then it stopped. She crouched under it and strained her fingers to try and reach the box of supplies that was just out of her reach.

She strained forward with all her might, desperate to reach the supply box. Visions of the future flashed through her mind intermittently as she tried. If Kat and Ansel wanted to get out of there alive, she needed to reach that box.

It was their only hope.

22. Edmund

As soon as Edmund had followed the SUV onto the dark forested track, he knew that the time for attack had come. He followed the car in silence for a few miles to ensure absolute seclusion, and when he felt they were in the right spot, he pulled his bike closer and got ready to make his attack.

He brought the bike to the center of the track, and straightened it. He thrust the kickstand down with his foot, in hopes that the bike would skid to a stop once he had left it. He only made one mistake. When he brought his feet up to the seat and crouched on the moving bike, his hand caught the headlight switch and he illuminated the darkness in front of him for the briefest second.

Edmund killed the lights instantly, and readied himself for the attack. He knew that the lights had signaled his presence, and there was no going back now. He pushed his feet into leather of his bike seat, coiled his legs like a spring and soared up into the air like a speeding bullet.

As he hurtled up and forward through the air, he kept his eyes trained on the distant patch of white below that was the SUV’s headlights. Edmund completed one forward rotation and lined himself up as he began his fast descent. He aimed for a spot on the ground just ahead of the SUV.

Four seconds later he came crashing down into the black hood of the car. The metal folded around his feet effortlessly as he pushed all his weight down into the engine. The attack worked better than he could have anticipated, and the car lifted off the floor completely. Edmund crouched down against the floor with one hand on the dirt track as the SUV glided over him silently. One moment later, it had flipped through the air and came crashing down back to earth.

Edmund rose and approached the back of the totaled car. He reached into his jacket pocket, pulled on his gloves and clenched his fists.

The driver door burst from the wreck and onto the side of the road. The vampire inside emerged from the smoke of the wreckage and stared running at Edmund instantly.

“Ansel Draco.” He smiled and adopted a fighting stance. “It’s good to finally meet you.”

The vampires met in a clash of fists and fury. Ansel launched at Edmund instantly with a killing blow, the force of which knocked him back several feet, burrowing his shoes into the dirt.

They stood locked in a grapple for a second, breath hissing through their teeth as they struggled for control.

“Who are you?!” Ansel roared through strained teeth.

“My name is Edmund Volks. I’ve been assigned to bring you in.”

The grapple broke as Edmund’s strength broke momentarily. The strength of the fledgling vampire was certainly impressive. Ansel flung his fist forward and Edmund leaned all the way back until his hands were on the floor behind him. Edmund moved with the momentum of Ansel’s blow and flung his body backward, throwing the assaulting vampire into the trees behind him.

A moment later the vampire was back, and they began their aerial assault of super sonic blows and dodges.

“Appreciate you dropping in, but I’m a little busy.” Ansel hissed as they exchanged a volley of blows while bouncing between tall and waiting pines. Wood creaked as they pushed off the high trunks with their feet, branches shattered as they hurtled one another through the dead of night.

Each vampire would temporarily get the upper hand, only to be knocked back a few seconds later.

“You’re a good fighter for one so young.” Edmund said while catching Ansel off guard and hurtling his fist up into his jaw.

Ansel was back a moment later, sending a foot crashing down into Edmund’s back. “What can I say?” Ansel said as they fought. “I like killing Circle members.”

The fight retreated back down to the ground momentarily. Ansel came at Edmund with a flurry of fast and furious blows, knocking him back while he played defensive.

“You really think I’d have lasted this long if I was Red Circle?” Edmund laughed while twisting one of Ansel’s blows around and hurtling him into a nearby tree. The young vampire was on his feet again a moment later, returning the favor to Edmund.

Breath left Edmund momentarily as his body smashed through the body of a hundred year old pine. The deafening crack of wood splintered around him, followed by the heavy thud of the tree crashing into the damp forest earth below.

Edmund pushed himself up from the mossy earth, and rose wearily to his feet. Ansel was stood in front of him, chest heaving, fists clenched.

“Look kid.” Edmund panted. “You’re fast and you’re strong, I’ll give you that - but your fighting is sloppy. You let your rage get the better of you.”

“I’m stronger and faster than you.” Ansel growled. “This fight is over when I want it to be.”

Edmund laughed, rolling his head on his shoulders. “I’ll conceded that you’re faster and stronger, but that doesn’t make you a better fighter. You wouldn’t have let this fight go on so long if you could just end it.”

Ansel shot a laugh back, and for a moment it felt as if the vampires were bonding over their mutual taunting.

“You’re a good fighter old man. I’ll give you that. You taught me a couple of things just now that will come in handy some day. I didn’t know the Red Circle had agents like you. Every other one I’ve met this far has been some dead-behind-the-eyes stooge. It’s going to be a shame driving a stake through your heart. Maybe in another life we could have been friends.”

“I already told you I’m not with The Circle, I’m just collecting the bounty on your head. You’ve done a lot of wrong in a short time Ansel Draco. A lot of vampires would be happy to know someone like you is gone. You’re dangerous, you’re unpredictable.”

“I’m only a threat to the vampires who think they govern us.” Ansel sneered. “Stay out of this fight old man, this has nothing to do with you. I’ll give you a chance to leave now. We can let bygones be bygones.”

Edmund passed the suggestion over in his mind for a moment and pulled his lips tight in a thin smile. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his gun. “I appreciate the effort, but the bounty on you is just too good. No hard feelings of course.”

Ansel stared down at the gun in Edmund’s hand and rolled his eyes. “Bullets? Really?” He scoffed. “And here I was starting to think that you might actually be a fighter. What kind of vampire brings a gun to a fist fight?”

“What this old thing?” Edmund lifted the gun and looked at the side of the barrel as it caught the moonlight above. “I know it’s a bit cheap, but I’m a bounty hunter kid, we have to resort to these measures sometimes when an asset is being… difficult.”

Ansel scoffed again. “Whatever. You can fire that gun as much as you want, doesn’t matter how many bullets you have in that thing, you know I’m going to dodge every single one. I’ll even let you take the first shot, be my guest.”

Edmund smirked as he watched Ansel stand up straight and hold his arms out.

“Okay…” He said. “But I have to warn you that I’ve never been a very big fan of bullets. As you mentioned they’re slow. I never had much look with them when hunting vampires. Especially ones that are quick like yourself.”

Raising the gun, Edmund lifted the barrel in Ansel’s direction and put his eye down the end of the sights.

The slightest expression of confusion flickered over Ansel’s face and he shrugged it off. “A gun without bullets. Gee, we’re all standing with bated breath to see how this one plays out. Fire away old man.”

“It’s my pleasure.” Edmund squeezed his finger on the trigger and the gun exploded in a flash of light and fire. The silver lined net burst forth from the end of the gun and spread out into the air like a wide spiderweb.

He glanced at Ansel, who had been taken completely off guard by Edmund’s surprise. The young vampire had been anticipating bullets, but there was no way he could dodge a net this close.

“Mother fuck- !”

The silver web of metal wrapped tight around the vampire, pulling him down to the ground immediately. Edmund chuckled to himself, tucked his gun back into his holster and walked over the dried pine needles below, to stand over the captured vampire.

“I failed to mention my gun doesn’t shoot bullets, because it’s a net gun.”

“Let me out you bastard!” Ansel roared and twisted on the ground, struggling as his skin hissed gently under the soft burn of the silver net.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that Mr. Draco - much as I enjoy the pleasure of your company. You’re my bounty now, and I’m going to collect.”

23. Ansel

The tops of the pines passed overhead as Edmund dragged Ansel along the forest floor on his back. The net had wound itself tight around Ansel, and it seared into his flesh as the net strained over his body.

“Any chance you could loosen this thing?” He hissed. “This shit fucking burns.”

Edmund laughed from in front. He had attached a long piece of cord to the foot of the net and pulled it tight as he walked ahead. “Yeah, not a chance on that one buddy. Sorry for the mild inconvenience, but that’s the only thing keeping you pinned down right now.”

Ansel shifted uncomfortably as his back caught on rocks, twigs, and roots underneath him. He was silent for the most part, trying to come up with a way to escape. It looked as if Edmund was leading them back to the track where they had left the car. He lifted his head up and saw the dim and flickering light of the broken headlight just through the trees.

In his heart he hoped that Kat had remained seated in the SUV. There was a chance that Edmund didn’t know about her yet, and if she remained hidden she could get away from this relatively unharmed. Edmund didn’t seem like a mindless killer, but there was no telling what he would do to Kat if she caught him by surprise.

“I kind of wish I hadn’t made such a mess of your car.” Edmund laughed as they finally stepped back onto the dirt track. “I did a real number of that baby didn’t I?”

“Yeah thanks.” Ansel said sarcastically. “I just got it back from the garage with my daylight modifications too.”

“Well I do apologize, but collateral damage is part and parcel of being a bounty hunter. You have to admit it was a pretty epic take down.”

Ansel couldn’t help but smile dryly as Edmund dragged him to the side of the truck. Thankfully Kat had been unhurt in Edmund’s take down of the SUV. He’d never say it to Edmund out loud, but privately he had to admit it was a rather effective attack.

“Hang tight a sec, I’m gonna go get my bike and come a little closer.” Edmund dropped the cord attached to the foot of the net and left Ansel laying on the side of the road by the SUV. “I needn’t remind you I can hear everything from back there, try anything funny and I’ll put a stake through your hand.”

Ansel flashed a sarcastic smile and shifted his weight so he was sat up with his back against the rear SUV door. The net still tugged over his skin, singing lightly against his flesh. The pain was secondary to Ansel, his primary concern was Kat.

The trunk door hadn’t be open when he’d left, that meant Kat must have opened it. So just where the hell was she?

He looked around in the darkness, listening for her, tasting the air for her. He couldn’t find a single trace of the girl anywhere. Ansel sat there for a moment trying to follow his senses, and he realized that he couldn’t hear or smell anything in fact.

Was there a chance that…

That sneaky son of a gun.

Ansel shifted along side the back of the SUV until he was at the back, and caught a glimpse at the open supply box inside. It looked like Kat had managed to get into the box.

He lifted his nose to the air, and inhaled once more. The faint and repulsive scent of garlic hung in the air.

Garlic. The one thing that could temporarily dull a vampire’s senses, effectively muting their super sensory power, reducing it until it was even worse than a humans. For a brief second, Ansel had never been more grateful for losing his senses. If he couldn’t hear or smell Kat, then Edmund wouldn’t be able to either.

A quiet rumble came from the darkness ahead. Ansel flared his eyes into the darkness to boost his night vision, but no clarity came. His senses were completely and utterly dulled. The only thing he could see was the eerie glow of the red brake lights, which barely dented the vast black ahead.

A headlight came on in the distance, and a second later Edmund had pulled up on his bike. He killed the engine and climbed off.

“I can’t see or hear a fucking thing out here. You?”

“No.” Ansel shook his head. “I can only smell garlic, it must be growing around here.”

Edmund lifted his nose to the air, inhaled and grimaced. “I think you’re right. Gross. It’s all I can smell now. That witch must be growing it in an effort to keep vampires like us away. Clever girl.”

“Yeah…” Ansel said, grateful that Edmund had drawn his own conclusions. “That must be it. Good thinking.”

“Whatever it is, I don’t want to hang around here too long for her to find us. Chances are she’s not all crazy, but I don’t want to stick around and find out when I don’t have to. Sorry for busting your little adventure when you were so close to the end. No chance I’m voluntarily walking into the territory of a witch though.”

Edmund wheeled the back of the bike up to the SUV, picked the cord from Ansel’s net off the floor and started tying it to the back of his bike.

“I couldn’t help but notice you haven’t got a sidecar.” Ansel winced. “I really hope you’re not planning on dragging me back to Dead Rest all the way on my back.”

“Just along this track at least. You might get a few scrapes and bruises, but it’s nothing a vampire can’t handle. Once we get back to the main road I’ll jack a car and you can ride the rest of the way in luxury.”

“Gee,” Ansel said sarcastically, “You’re so kind.”

“My mother always told me I was a good host.” Edmund jibed back. “It would be a shame to prove her a liar now.”

Edmund straightened up, having finished securing the cord from Ansel’s net to his bike. “Now. Whereabouts is that girl you’ve been traveling with?”

Ansel froze. “Girl?”

“Come on.” Edmund rolled his eyes and brushed a hand through his beard. “I know you’re with that Kat Summers girl. I saw her climb into your SUV back at that diner - and I know you were at Avalon with her the night the Circle came in shooting.”

Damn it. Ansel hadn’t anticipated Edmund would know so much about him and Kat.

“I honestly have no idea.” Ansel said, just as perplexed as Edmund was. “I was just keeping her for fun anyway. No doubt she got scared and bolted the first chance she got.”

“Well I have to track her down. Circle wants her too I’ve no doubt. She put a stake through the heart of one of their agents, she knows vampires exist. You can bet they’ll be after her.”

Adrenaline beat through Ansel. He had no problem with Edmund tying him up and taking him prisoner, but there wasn’t a chance in hell he was going to let him do the same to Kat.

“No chance we’ll find her around here anyway.” Ansel said coolly. “Not with all this garlic growing.”

“Well, I might not be able to see, hear or smell as good as normal, but I can still move. She’s human, let’s say she’s been running all of… oh I don’t know. Five minutes? That leaves us with a perimeter of one kilometer from here for where she could be. I’m gonna zip around, see if I can find her. I quite like the odds.”

“Just leave it man.” Ansel said, trying his hardest to sound like he wasn’t pleading. “She’s not a threat to you or me, just let the chick go.”

Edmund raised a brow at Ansel and stared at him. “You know, for a man that says he doesn’t care, you’re starting to make me think you do.”

“I’m just saying, you’ve got your bounty. Take me back to the Red Circle and let’s get it over with.”

Edmund laughed. “I’ve never met a bounty so anxious to meet their maker before.”

“I’m only out here because I was looking for a way to find the Red Circle. If you take me to them it just cuts out the middle man.”

Crouching, Edmund brought himself to Ansel’s level and studied him with a curious smile. “What the fuck are you talking about? You’re looking for the Red Circle? I thought you were after a witch?”

“The witch will lead me to the Circle. They’re the ones I really want.”

“And why is that?” Edmund said with a dry laugh.

“I’m taking those fuckers down. You take me to them… just makes my life a little easier.”

“Shit. You’re crazier than I even realized. Take down the Circle?” Edmund scoffed and ran a hand over his beard. “It’s amusing that you think I know where the Circle operate within this area. You think that society of elite cunts would really trust a mongrel vamp like me with something so precious? You’re coming back to my place, I’ll phone it in, then Cairo Inai or one of his men will come and pick you up.”

The name caught Ansel off guard. “Wait. You know Cairo Inai?”

“Of course.” Edmund rose to his feet and smirked. “Weird little fucker is the one that’s paying me to bring you down.”

Ansel felt the blood beating in his temples and sat up straight. “Help me find him.” He pleaded. “Help me kill this bastard. The Circle need to be destroyed, and I’ll start with Cairo Inai.”

Edmund simply shook his head and laughed. “You’re a crazy fucker, and I kind of like you. But there ain’t a chance in hell that I’m getting on the wrong side of the Circle. I don’t approve of everything they do, but you’re a dead man walking if you think you can take them down Ansel Draco. Even a vampire as gifted as yourself.”

“Then help me take them down.” Ansel said. “Join me in my fight. I’ve seen what you can do. Together we could start making real damage. We could fight back, we could free vampires everywhere.”

The air of the silent forest swirled around them as Edmund stared at Ansel. He sensed something in Edmund. He sensed that there was hate for the Circle inside that vampire, just the same as he had.

“I can see it in you.” Ansel said. “You know that I can do this.”

“You think you’re the first one to try and stage a revolution against the Circle?” Edmund scoffed. “You’re far from it Ansel Draco. I’ve seen better vampires than you try it, and they all ended up the same - a pile of ash on the ground. Is that where you want to end up?”

“It’s where I’ll end up if I don’t fight back anyway.” Ansel shrugged. “I don’t have much of a choice. Tell me - how long until you stop being useful to this Cairo Inai, how long until he turns his head on you too, and deems you unsuitable for the ‘gift’ of vampyrism?”

Edmund’s eyes flicked away, and Ansel could sense that the question had hit a sore spot.

“We’re just the same.” Ansel laughed. “The only difference is that I have the courage to do something about it.”

“The only difference is that you were stupid enough to break the law in the first place.” Edmund snapped back. “Don’t blame me for a death sentence that you brought on yourself Ansel Draco. You make your own trouble in this world.”

“Well at least we can agree on that.” Ansel said coldly. He glanced around the dark space, trying to get any signal of Kat. There was a faint trace of something. He’d kept Edmund talking all this time in hopes Kat would spring out of the darkness and reveal her master plan. So far there’d been nothing.

“Look, I’d love to sit here and talk until the sun comes up and fries us.” Edmund said. “But I’ve got more pressing shit to do. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go track down your girlfriend. Shouldn’t take me more than ten minutes tops.”

Edmund pulled a cigarette out of his jacket pocket and lit it up. He took a drag and blew smoke into the night. “Remember, try to escape and I’ll put a stake through your-”

A flash of silver flew over Edmund’s head, knocking the cigarette out of his mouth and onto the ground. The tight cord of silver chain pulled taut against his neck and the vampire crumpled down onto his knees, instantly drained of his strength and speed.

“The fuck!” Edmund cried out in shock as Kat wrapped the long coils of silver chain around him.

Ansel watched him amazement as the girl circled like lightning. She looped two strands of chain around Edmund’s wrists, pulled them behind his back and tied them tight. She brought another long length of chain and wrapped it tight around his torso until his arms were pinned against his side.

Edmund knelt on the floor with his mouth hung open. “Well… I’ll be damned. I dropped the ball on this one - big time.” He flicked his eyes over at Ansel and huffed a laugh. “You played me well Draco, good job.”

“Hey man this one had nothing to do with me.” Ansel said. “This was all her.”

Kat threw the last of her chains over Edmund and glanced over at Ansel. “What do you reckon? Is that enough to keep him held tight?”

“Get me out of this thing.” Ansel winced under the burning net. “I’ll come and have a look.”

Kat helped Ansel out of the silver net, and he stood up to stretch, grateful that he could move freely once more. “Boy am I glad to see you.” Ansel wrapped a hand around Kat and pulled her in for a long and passionate kiss. When they finally broke away, Kat giggled.

“So did I do good?”

“Good? Damn Kat… you’re top of the class.” Ansel walked over to Edmund and inspected the chains. “I can’t see anything wrong with this. Dog the Bounty Hunter here ain’t getting out of these things any time soon.”

Ansel walked back around to the front of Edmund and crossed his arms with a satisfied smile. “Seems the tables have turned a little bounty hunter, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Sure seems that way.” Edmund stared at the ground reluctantly and then a look of realization passed over his face. “…there aren’t any garlic plants around here are there?”

Kat shook her head and held up a can of masking agent. “Just this can of highly pressurized, garlic based masking gas.”

Edmund dropped his head, cursing himself silently for his own stupidity.

“What do we do with him now?” Kat said. “Put a stake through him?”

“Most likely.” Edmund said reluctantly. “It’s a shame, old Edmund here could have been useful in our fight.”

“Against the circle?” Kat said half puzzled.

“He’s not with them officially.” Ansel explained. “He’s only bringing me in for the bounty. In another world we might have been allies.”

Ansel took a step forward to Edmund and crouched down. “So what do you say Edmund. One last chance to join my revolution. Are you with the Circle or are you against them?”

“I’m with myself.” Edmund replied dryly.

“Suit yourself.” Ansel said, standing back up again. “Should I stake you now or leave you out for the sun to get you?”

“I’m going to go with… neither. I’ve got some information that your friend here might find valuable.” Edmund turned his attention to Kat. “If you kill me, you’re going to miss out on something rather useful.”

“Oh yeah?” Ansel scoffed. “And what’s that?”

“I don’t know if either of you have watched the news in the past few days. But your girl Kat here is down as missing.”

Ansel glanced over at Kat, who had fallen deathly silent now.

“We know.” Kat said. “We’ve seen it, so what’s your point?”

“Well, I’m sure you’ve probably seen that your sister is missing too.”

“Ruth!” Kat shouted through an involuntary whisper.

“That’s the one.” Edmund said with a knowing smile. “It just so happens I picked her up in the Black Font the other night. Old Hurst had grabbed her off the street and drained her within an inch of her life. I saved the girl and brought her back to my place.”

“You’re lying.” Ansel said. “That’s an awful bluff.”

“No.” Kat shook her head and Ansel glanced over at her. “He’s not, I can tell. I can feel it. I can feel her on him.”

Edmund looked at Kat half confused.

“She’s cognizant.” Ansel explained and Edmund lifted his head in slow understanding.

“What’s your angle Edmund?” Ansel continued.

“It’s simple. Let me live and maybe we can come to some sort of compromise.” Edmund turned to Kat and looked her in the eye.

“Kill me, and you’ll never find your sister.”

24. Kat

Kat and Ansel walked down the dark track, with Edmund walking slightly ahead in chains. The garlic had cleared, and the two vampires could navigate with their usual heightened senses, but the track was dark and silent to Kat. She grabbed a flashlight from the rear of the SUV before they left, to help illuminate the dark trees.

“You could just let me go you know.” Edmund shouted from in front. “Take the chains off and I’ll tell you where your sister is.”

Kat didn’t know what to make of Edmund. His dramatic entrance had certainly been a shocking one, but he had seemed different to the vampires that had attacked them back in Avalon. There didn’t seem to be any inherent coldness or malice about the man, he just seemed like someone who was trying to get the job done.

Then the startling revelation had come that he was the one who had taken Ruth, and that revelation had chilled Kat to the bone.

“Just shut up and walk will you?” Ansel said wearily. “We’re nearly at the hut now. We’ll see the witch, get the answers and then we’ll deal with you.”

Edmund shivered and glanced back at them. “I’d rather you just staked me now actually. Call me superstitious, but thinking about visiting a witch is giving me the heebie jeebies.”

A million questions thundered through Kat’s mind, and they all regarded her sister’s well being. “Why did you take her?” She burst. “Is she okay? Did you hurt her? I swear to god if you-”

“Kat relax.” Ansel placed a hand on her shoulder and smoothed it across her back. The gesture made her feel slightly less anxious. “It’ll be okay. I promise.”

Edmund’s chains rattled ahead as they walked in silence. “So do you want me to answer or…”

“Answer.” Ansel said. “Tell us everything you know.”

Edmund sighed. “It’s like I explained. The old guy at the Black Font grabbed your sister outside the club.”

The memory of the white eyed man flashed through Kat’s mind and she felt a cold pit open in her stomach. “The blind one?” She asked anxiously. “He made me feel sick.”

Edmund turned back, half surprised with a brow raised. “Wait… she’s been in the Black Font?”

“Ex-vampire enthusiast.” Ansel explained. “She was seeking out the truth.”

The sound of less than amused laughter came from Edmund, though he didn’t look back. “What? Are vampires real?” He paused and they walked in silence a few paces, his chains jangling all the while. “I guess now you know the truth. And… doesn’t it feel great?” Edmund’s voice was dim and defeated.

“Not really.” Kat answered. “Please, just tell me what happened with Ruth.”

“The old man snatched her.” Edmund said. “I went to the Black Font to grill Hurst over your man Ansel here. As it turns out, Mr. Draco had been in just the day before, and he was looking for a witch.”

“So that’s how you found us.” Ansel said. “You got the address for this witch off Hurst.”

Edmund glanced around, winked and made a clicking sound with his mouth. “Bang on the money Mr. Draco. Your friend Hurst sold you out, and it didn’t take much convincing.”

“Back to Ruth.” Kat said. “What’s the story?”

“Right.” Edmund cleared his throat. “As you may know, the Black Font is a blood bar. Hurst grabbed your sister off the street and took her back to the Font. He hooked her up, started draining her and served her up.”

Kat felt sick with worry for what Ruth had gone through. Her sister must have been terrified.

“I went into the back to discuss business with Hurst, and that’s when I saw Ruth laying there…” Edmund paused.

“This is the part I don’t understand.” Ansel said. “Why would you walk out of there with a girl you barely know? Why did you feel compelled to save her?”

Edmund said nothing at first. “That… I can’t tell you. I just took one look at the girl and… I can’t explain what came over me. The point is, I brought your sister back to my house, and I gave her blood. She was only hours from dying.” He turned around and looked Kat in the eyes as he walked. “I saved your sister Kat Summers. I’m not the bad guy here.”

“To what cost?” Kat asked, not sure why the vampire had saved his sister in the first place. “So you could lock her up and keep her as some sex slave?”

“It’s not like that.” Edmund said through clenched teeth.

Ansel walked ahead of Kat slightly. “How much blood did the girl lose again?”

“A lot.” Edmund said quietly. “Too much.”

Kat glanced at Ansel’s face, watching him squint as he worked something out in his mind, something that wasn’t clear to her.

“And where did you get that blood from?”

Edmund looked back at Ansel and shot him a knowing glance.

Ansel dropped his head and shook it. “Oh.”

“What?” Kat darted her eyes between the two men, trying to prompt some sort of explanation. “Why ‘Oh’? - What the hell happened?!”

Ansel turned to Kat. “You’ve spent your whole life researching vampires Kat. Don’t you know what this means?”

Kat’s eyes searched into the distance as she came to the only inevitable conclusion.

“She’d lost her blood… he replaced it…” Realization spread over her face and she stared at the back of Edmund’s head as they walked. “You turned her into a vampire.”

The tops of the trees swelled over head from the force of the gentle summer breeze. Wind rustled through a million pine needles. Wood creaked under the timid sway of air. Edmund’s chains jangled, gravel crunched underfoot.

“It was the only option left to me.” Edmund said reluctantly. “It was that or let her die. You can hate me all you want, but I saved your sister.”

Kat became numb to everything. Her sister? A vampire? She couldn’t wrap her head around what that meant. The girl she’d known all her life had died and come back as something eternal and undying. She didn’t know how to feel. Hate towards Edmund for inflicting this thing upon her sister? Gratitude towards him for doing the only thing that could save her life? Fear for the new and uncertain thing that her sister had become…

It all swirled inside of her and overwhelmed her, until it blurred into nothing and she felt none of it.

Ansel’s hand was on her shoulder once more, she looked over and saw his eyes searching into hers, trying to find a way to reassure her somehow. “Are you okay?” He said.

“I don’t know.” Kat said honestly. She looked up at Edmund who was walking quietly with his head down. “If what he says is true…” Kat broke off, feeling as if she was going to burst into tears. She shook her head and fought them back. “Let’s just deal with this witch thing first. After that’s all said and done… we’ll go find Ruth.”

“Okay.” Ansel squeezed his hand against her shoulder, and he pulled a weak smile over his lips. “I’m here if you want to talk at any time.”

A spring of gratitude bubbled up in Kat as Ansel attempted to help counsel her. Kat flashed a weak smile back at him and lifted her eyes to his. “Thanks Ansel, that means a lot.”

The rest of the trek to the witch’s hut was a short one, and it was a walk that was done mostly in silence. Edmund was the first to break that silence.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but that looks like a structure over there.” Edmund and Ansel both glanced over into darkness. Kat held her flashlight up in that direction and saw the profile of a house.

As they walked closer the building shrank out of the darkness and stood before them as a two story wood cabin, just off from the main road in small clearing at the end of a track. They walked down the short track and stood in front of the large cabin.

“Okay.” Ansel said firmly. “Kat, I want you to wait outside. Edmund, I want you to come with me.”

Kat half considered protesting about being left alone out here in the woods. Once upon a time being somewhere like here in the dark would have scared her, but all she wanted now was to be alone. “Okay.” She said weakly. “I’ll stand guard or whatever. I’ll shout if I see anything odd.”

Ansel nodded and smiled in gratitude. “I appreciate it Kat. Thanks.”

“What about me?” Edmund said. “There’s no way you’re dragging me in there with you.”

“That’s exactly what I’m doing.” Ansel said. “If anything goes wrong I’ll offer you up as a sacrifice and run out of there.”

“Funny.” Edmund said, clearly unimpressed. “There’s no chance you’ll outrun a witch.”

“I don’t have to.” Ansel quipped back. “I only have to outrun you.”

Edmund gulped at the proposition.

“Head up to the porch.” Ansel instructed. “I’ll be there in a second.”

Edmund glanced up at the dark house and shook his head, walking toward the house reluctantly. “Fuck this…”

Ansel walked over to Kat and put his hands around her waist.

“You sure you’re okay?”

Kat dropped her head against his chest in response, just wanting to melt into him and be done with it.

“This whole Ruth thing… I’m just trying to work through it in my mind.”

“It’ll be okay.” Ansel said. “I know it’s not the most ideal of outcomes, but worse things could have happened. She could have died.”

“I guess.” Kat said. “I think I’m just shocked.”

“I don’t know if this helps,” Ansel said while brushing a strand of hair from Kat’s face. “But I’m a vampire, and I’m not all bad right?”

A smile brushed over Kat’s lips and she looked up at the handsome man in front of her. Ansel pressed his lips against her own and for a moment, she felt as if she were floating.

“I guess I’m starting to tolerate you.” Kat said after finally pulling away.

“What’s your cognizance saying?” Ansel asked. “You feel anything funny about this place?”

“No visions as of yet…” Kat admitted. She turned her focus inside and tried to feel for any indication of a feeling, nothing answered back. “I can’t feel anything at all. It’s almost like there’s a cloak around this place. It feels… blank.”

“Probably a shield put up by the witch. I wouldn’t worry about it.” Ansel planted one last kiss on Kat’s forehead, and squeezed her hand gently before leaving. “We won’t be long. If you hear anything funny inside… run for the hills Kat. I don’t know what this woman is going to be like, but if it’s dangerous in here, I don’t want you getting hurt. Okay?”

Kat nodded gently. “Okay. Be safe in there Ansel. I like you… Don’t go getting yourself killed now.”

Ansel flashed his megawatt smile back at her and butterflies pattered through her stomach. “Would I do something so reckless?” He turned and swaggered up the track, motioning at Edmund with his head as he walked past him. “Come on maniac. Let’s go see a witch.”

They walked up the porch stairs and opened the door gingerly. Ansel made Edmund walk through first, then he turned back at Kat and waved one last time. He stepped through the door and it shut behind him, leaving Kat alone outside in the darkness.

Kat let out a long and deep sigh. She shone her torchlight at the building above her. It wasn’t anywhere near as creepy looking as she had anticipated a witch’s hut would look. In fact it was actually quite nice. She span around on her heels, looking at the rows of tall trees surrounding her.

It might have felt a bit spooky if she was here on her own, but knowing that Ansel was only a few feet away had somehow erased her ability to feel scared. It was just dark after all, and Kat knew this spot would look especially pretty in the daylight. She paced around in front of the house as she turned thoughts over in her head, mostly ones about Ruth now being a vampire.

She had her flashlight on the ground, moving it around aimlessly as she walked without any clear direction. She’d become quickly entrenched in her thoughts, and when she looked up she realized she’d walked around to the back of the house.

Her flashlight poured over the backside of the cabin, illuminating dark windows that had curtains drawn over them. Kat still felt quite okay, and didn’t feel any real inklings of fear until she heard something crack in the woods behind her.

Turning on her heels, she pointed her torch into the dark line of trees at the back of the house, craning her head to try and see around the long shadows.

“Who’s there?” She said into the nothing. Kat walked forward through the trees and stopped. She closed her eyes and listened to the gentle whisper of the wind.

Then she heard the muffled cry.

She pointed her torch in the direction of the sound, and saw a trail of ropes tied around a tree just ahead. On the opposite side of the tree there was the profile of a figure. Someone had been bound.

“Hello?” Kat shouted louder this time, walking forward with speed as she approached the bound figure.

She rounded the tree and saw a dark skinned woman in a long green gypsy dress. The woman’s eyes and mouth were bound with cloth. She struggled against the restraints holding her to the tree, shouting muffled cries into her gag.

“My goodness!” Kat tucked her torch under her arm and pulled the cloth from off the woman’s eyes and mouth to reveal the face of a beautiful ebony girl. “Are you okay?”

The woman took a deep breath and focused her vivid lilac eyes on Kat. “Thank goodness you found me.” The woman said through long and heavy breaths. “I thought I would die out here.”

“Who are you?” Kat said as she undid the bindings on the tree.

“My name is Rubago. I am the woman who lives in this home.”

Kat stopped what she was doing and returned to the woman quickly. “Rubago? You are the witch.”

“I am.” She said. “And you are Kat Summers… the woman in white. My sister told me you would come here.”

“Sister? Woman in white?” Kat raised a brow in confusion. “What are you talking about? Why are you tied to a tree behind your house? What’s going on?”

“Untie me and I’ll explain. I saw you coming Kat Summers. I saw all of you coming, except for one. He moves like a black shadow, and that shadow took a hold of me.” A shiver passed over the woman.

Kat untied the last of the restraints and Rubago stepped forward from the tree.

“Where is the vampire you are with?” Rubago asked. “The one who came here to seek me?”

“He’s in the house with Edmund.” Kat paused. “Edmund is a bounty hunter and-”

“I know it all child.” Rubago said with a hand in the air. “I’ve been watching you. Waiting for you to come.” Rubago turned in the direction of the house, and looked upon it with fear in her eyes.

“When did they enter child? How long have they been in there?”

“Five, maybe ten minutes…” Kat shrugged. “What’s going on?”

“There’s no time to explain.” Rubago took off in a quick walk and Kat followed. “We have to get into that house and save your friends - we have to save them before it’s too late.”

25. Ansel

The house was quiet, dark, and seemingly empty. The front door brought them into a wide and wooden hallway. To the right side a staircase led up onto a balcony on the second floor. In front of them there was a wall with one door on it. The only sound in the house came from the dim rattle of Edmund’s chains.

“There’s still time to back out of this you know?” Edmund said. “We can turn back now, she’ll probably let us go.”

Ansel stood rooted to the spot. Staring at the door ahead of them.

“It’s bigger in here than it is outside, there must be some sort of charm on the building.”

“Yeah no kidding there’s a charm in here!” Edmund said nervously. “This hallway is twice as wide as the building itself. Let’s get out of here, I’ve got a bad feeling about this. I’ll tell you where Ruth is now if you want, just let me go.”

Ansel couldn’t help but agree that something felt off.

“I’ll untie you, on the condition you go through that door with me first.” Ansel pointed at the wooden door up ahead. “I have a feeling that she’s in there.”

Edmund stared at the wooden door, shaking his head to himself. “Once we’re through that door, I can turn back?”

Ansel nodded and held Edmund’s gaze. “I want an agreement from you however. If I unchain you there’s no funny business. No punches, no running, no sneaking around behind my back.”

Edmund held his eye and clenched his jaw. “You have my word Ansel, but once we’re through that door, I’m good to turn back and wait outside.”

Ansel started unraveling the silver chains surrounding Edmund’s body, wincing as the silver burned his palms.

“Don’t make me regret this Edmund.” Ansel let the last of the heavy silver chains fall to the wooden floor and Edmund stretched his body in relief.

“Well, it’s been good knowing you Ansel Draco, but I must be getting off.”

Ansel flashed a grim look at Edmund, indicating that his joke was hardly funny.

“Just kidding…” Edmund said holding his hands up. He looked over at the door ahead and sighed. “What do you want a witch for anyway? She’s not going to be able to tell you anything of value.”

Ansel stepped towards the door and Edmund followed reluctantly. He felt just as hesitant as Edmund now, and as they got closer to the door things felt worse. “Witches are the only ones who know the whereabouts of the Red Keep. If I can get Rubago to help me…”

“She’s a witch Ansel.” Edmund interjected. “You’ve not a chance in hell that she’ll help you. They serve their own kind, no one else’s.”

“Witches know everything, she has the information I need. I just need to get it out of her.”

“Everything they do is to keep a balance, she’s not going to let you stomp around messing that up like some bull in a china shop.”

“There is no balance as long as the Red Circle exists.” Ansel said flatly. “She will tell me how I can find Cairo Inai, and then I will kill him.”

“And then what? Kill the guy above him? And the guy above him? Keep killing until you get to the High Vistor?”

Ansel paused. “You said you’ve met this Cairo Inai before… what can you tell me of him?”

Edmund thought, rolling his tongue against his cheek. “I’ve only met him twice… each time he came to me in daylight.”

“He can walk in light?” Ansel asked in shock.

“No, he wraps up. He’s just that crazy.”

“What does he look like?” Ansel asked. “I’ve heard… conflicting things.”

“Both times I saw him… he was old and frail. Very frail. But that’s part of his trick. You have to remember Ansel, that this guy is a Warden of the Red Circle. You don’t get to that position by being any old vampire. Like it or not, the senior members of the Circle are mysterious and powerful creatures. Each one of them has their own unique power.”

“And Cairo Inai… what is his power?”

“Secrecy. I don’t know what his power is. He’s a clever man, and he keeps his tools to himself.”

Ansel reached out for the door and Edmund stuck a hand out. “Tell me. Why is it you really seek the Red Circle. Is it to destroy them or to join them?”

“What does that mean?” Ansel said, steeling his jaw in anger. “I would never join those bastards.”

“But here we are.” Edmund said. “I could tell from our fight back in the forest that you’re not an ordinary vampire Ansel. You’ve been a vampire now for all of …what - one year?”

Ansel nodded.

“There’s no way you should be this strong, or fast.”

“Well I am, there’s nothing to look into. Back off.” Ansel pushed Edmund’s hand out the way of the door, but Edmund raised his hand once more.

“No.” He said shaking his head. “I want to hear you say it first. You absorb the powers of those you kill. Don’t you? That’s how you fought so well against me… I was fighting against the deceased powers of your old coven.” Edmund’s eyes blazed into Ansel’s eyes as he sought for an answer. Ansel’s answer only came in the form of silence - which was the only answer Edmund needed.

“I knew it.” Edmund dropped his hand and stepped away from Ansel.

“So what?” Ansel said. “This doesn’t change anything. I will still destroy the Circle.”

Edmund laughed and shook his head. “Let’s see how you feel when they find out what you really are. Power entices all men - I wonder how long it will take for them to entice you.”

“I’ve had enough of this.” Ansel pushed past Edmund and opened the wooden door in front of them. He turned back and looked at the vampire waiting on the other side. “Come on then.”

Edmund sighed and walked through reluctantly. Ansel let the door shut behind them, and turned to see a wooden hallway stretching out in front of them. From where they were standing they could see the hallway opened up into a large round room. A woman’s voice floated down the hallway, so clear it was as if someone spoke directly behind them.

“Come forward visitors.” The woman’s voice said.

Edmund let out a shriek of surprise at the voice, jumping and turning around to see no one was behind them. “Fuck this,” He said. “I’m getting out of here, I held up my end of the deal.” Edmund reached for the door handle only to discover a smooth expanse of wooden wall where the door had been only seconds ago.

“Christ.”

“What?” Ansel glanced back and saw the door had disappeared. He burst into a chuckle of laughter and patted Edmund on the shoulder. “Oh well Edmund. Guess it looks like you’re coming with me anyway. Come on.”

They walked down the hallway together, Edmund following slightly behind Ansel. The hallway opened up into a large round room, with a high ceiling that went up at least twenty feet.

The floor was broken into descending levels of concentric circles that continued down to a solitary circular platform at the center of the room, on which there sat a woman. The woman had her back to Ansel and Edmund. She was cross-legged, with her arms in a meditative pose. She wore a long, crystal blue gypsy dress.

The air hummed with the quite presence of magic. Ansel walked down a few of the layered steps until there was about twelve feet between himself and the witch at the center.

“State your name.” The woman said without looking back.

“I am Ansel Draco. This is Edmund…” Ansel glanced back at the nervous looking Edmund, who was stood firmly at the room’s edge.

“Volks.” Edmund prompted. “Edmund Volks. It was his idea to come here. Not mine.”

A dark chuckle sounded from the woman.

“Rubago always welcomes visitors. Tell me Ansel Draco. Why did you come here to seek me?”

“I’m a vampire.” Ansel said boldly. “Seeking justice against the injustices laid down by a group who call themselves the Red Circle. Do you know them?”

Another dark chuckle sounded. Ansel squinted at the back of the woman’s head, concerned that there was no movement on her body at all. There was something about it that felt eerie to him, and a cold pit of dread opened in his stomach.

“I know the Red Circle, I know all there is to know about vampires. I am a witch. Our job is to watch, to protect - to keep the balance. Tell me, why do you seek them, and who do you seek?”

“A man named Cairo Inai sentenced me to death. I seek revenge against him first, and then I seek to topple the entire agency. Only then will the vampire truly be free.”

The statuesque profile of the woman broke as the figure shook her head slightly. The witch stood and turned, revealing the face of a beautiful black girl. The girl had lilac eyes, curiously luminescent.

“You came to the right place Mr. Draco. For I can tell you that I do know the location of Cairo Inai.”

Ansel’s eyes widened, almost not believing he nearly had his answer. “Yes, if you could be so kind… that would most helpful.”

A mocking smile flickered over Rubago’s still expression. “I must warn you however, the answers you seek aren’t the ones you should always expect.”

Ansel stared at Rubago in puzzlement. “Pardon?”

“Did you anticipate some grand and far off adventure?” The witch let out a dark cackle, throwing her head back as she did so. “Did you expect you’d turn every stone in this land, looking for the man you seek to find?”

“Whatever it takes.” Ansel said clenching his jaw.

“And what if I told you that you didn’t have to look very far at all?” The witch teased. “What if I told you that the man you seek is in the room with you right now?”

Ansel glanced around the room nervously. “Say what you mean witch.” He said impatiently. “I have no time for riddles.”

The witch cackled again, but louder this time. “What if I told you that the man you had been hunting, had hunted you?”

“I don’t…” Ansel paused. “I don’t understand.” Ansel glanced back at Edmund, who stared at the witch, transfixed in his own horror.

“You…” Edmund whispered, shaking his head.

Ansel turned back to Rubago and froze in dread as he watched the witch transform into someone else.

Her skin faded from dark into light. Her eyes lost their luminescent lilac, fading back into a dull and ugly red. Even the clothes shifted, twisting into tiny knots from the long crystal blue of the gypsy dress, into a dark and tight suit that wrapped itself around long and spindled limbs.

Ansel watched in horror as the girl shifted into the form of tall and gaunt man, with skin stretched so tight across the bones it looked like a walking skeleton.

“Who are you?!” Ansel hissed through clenched teeth.

“Why, don’t you know the man you’ve been seeking Mr. Draco?” The vampire responded in a ghastly whisper. “I’m Cairo Inai.”

26. Kat

Kat followed the witch silently through the woods back to the house, holding her breath tight in her mouth. Rubago was a peculiar looking woman. Dark skin, large frizzy hair, her curiously luminescent eyes. The witch walked low and quiet.

“If you don’t mind.” Kat whispered, drawing herself level with the witch. “Can you tell me what’s going on?”

A wooden door squeaked open somewhere in front of them and a scar faced vampire with slicked back hair came out, followed by another vampire. The witch quickly pulled Kat behind a tree, covering her mouth with her hand.

“Quiet child.” She said in a deadly whisper. “If they see us they will kill us.”

Kat a felt a strange warmth pulsing over her body, she looked down and saw that they had become invisible. Rubago stepped away from her and they both leaned around the tree to watch the vampires.

Judging by the tiny crimson badges on their suit jackets, it was obvious to Kat that both vampires were members of the Red Circle.

“Circle members?!” she whispered to Rubago, totally confused. “What are they doing here?”

“They are meant to be here child. This house is the gateway back to the Red Keep. The members convene here once every three months, and I help them through the gateway.”

“But why were you tied up?”

Rubago hissed. “Cairo Inai. He mentioned he was expecting company. He wanted me to help trap traitors to the circle. I told him I couldn’t do that, so he tied me up.”

“Cairo Inai?!” Kat’s heart thundered in her chest. Wasn’t that the very man that Ansel had mentioned to her over and over? The focus of his obsession. The man he had been hunting all this time. “He’s here?!”

“Of course he’s here child. He’s the Warden for this region. This is the gateway they use to travel between this world and the Red Keep.”

“Why did he tie you up?”

“I’m not allowed to interfere. Things are supposed to happen a certain way. If I assisted Cairo Inai, I would be disturbing the balance.”

“So why are you helping me?”

“The balance calls for it. There is something important inside of Ansel Draco. I need to try and give him a fighting chance.”

Kat looked up at the vampires ahead, who were taking a smoke break.

“He’s probably doing his grand reveal now.” The scar faced vampire laughed between long pulls of smoke. The other grunt laughed and nodded the way a worker would with his boss. “I fucking hate this prick, why do I have to work for a chump like that? Abducting random vampire girls and recruiting idiot bounty hunters…”

The vampires finished their smoke break and headed back inside. As soon as they were gone Rubago broke the invisibility spell that was cloaking them.

“We’re safe out here. Their senses are dulled because of the wild garlic that I grow. Inside the house though the vampires have an upper hand. We need to get in there and try and do something to restore the balance. There is a way in the back, we can sneak in there and we might be able to get one up on them.”

The witch stopped and stared at Kat for a second. “Your eyes are like hers…” she said cryptically. “Are you cognizant?”

Kat nodded. “I think so.”

“Can you feel anything child?” Rubago asked.

“No.” Kat said after a moment. “I tried before but there was nothing. It’s like there’s a void here.”

“It’s the power of the gateway. It’s too strong… it consumes everything. It is the same for me. Never mind, I thought there might be a chance you could give us some foresight. Let us head in.”

“Wait.”

Rubago stopped and looked back at Kat.

“Can you use your magic in there? You’re a witch right? You’re supposed to be powerful… can’t you just stop them all?”

Rubago shook her head. “I can’t use my magic to interfere with the balance in an aggressive way. I took an oath forbidding it. All I can do is try to protect us. Be wary Kat Summers… we are not immune to danger in there.”

They crept into the house, inching inside of a wooden door that was hidden just off to the right of the one the other vampires had come out of. Inside the house was dark and sprawling. Tip toeing down a long and featureless hallway, Rubago turned back to Kat and whispered.

“The hut is charmed to a design of my own. It’s bigger than it is on the outside. It can be confusing in here if you don’t know where you’re going. Stay close to me. I need to take you to her first.”

Kat nodded quietly and followed on her tip toes, staying close to Rubago. What had she meant by ‘her’ exactly?

Turning down a number of maze like corridors, they finally reached a door with a small wooden grate in it. Rubago pulled the grate back and nodded. “She’s alone. Let’s go in.”

Rubago opened and shut the door quietly behind her. Kat walked into the room to see a girl tied up in chains in the corner. She recognized her face immediately and froze solid.

“Ruth?!” she barely managed to contain her words to a whisper.

Ruth looked back up at Kat with a similar picture of shock on her face.

“What the hell are you doing here?!” They both said in unison together.

Standing in shock for a few long seconds, Kat finally broke herself free of her stupor, ran over to the corner and threw her arms around her sister in a tight hug. Ruth’s arms were pinned to her sides with chains, but she nudged her head affectionately against Kat’s chest in return.

“I’m here with Ansel.” Kat said. “The men in the club that night, they were after him… I’m so glad to see you. I saw that you were missing, are you okay?”

Her eyes wondered over the pale skin of her sister, and a question hung on her lips that she didn’t dare to ask.

“I’m fine.” Ruth said with an almost bored smile. Peculiarly, she didn’t look particularly scared to be tied up in chains. “Things have been rather strange since I last saw you however… I don’t know where to begin explaining…” She broke away for a second as she attempted to find a way to deliver the news to her sister. “Kat… I’m…”

“You’re a vampire.” Kat said, finishing the sentence for her sister.

This time Ruth did look shocked. “You know? But how?”

“I believe you’ve been in the company of a vampire called Edmund… we had a run in with him recently. He told us that he made you.”

Ruth only looked more confused. “Wait. You know Edmund? Is he a friend of that cute rocker vampire you were stalking?”

“Ansel and Edmund friends?” Kat laughed. “Not exactly. He was trying to kill us just an hour ago.”

Both girls were lost in a hurl of confused questions and explanations that only prompted further questions.

“Kat there’s something else that you need to know.” Ruth said. “Not just about me being a vampire. It’s something worse than that. Much worse.” For the first time the girl actually seem terrified. “It’s to do with the person that brought me here. Cairo Inai… he’s not who he says he is. He’s…”

Rubago stepped forward behind Kat and they both turned to look at her. “I hate to break up this reunion sisters, but if we want a chance at restoring the balance and saving your friends, we have to act now.”

Ruth paused in her admission to Kat and looked up at Rubago. “Free me from these chains. Do something useful! You’re a witch. Use your magic! I’ll kill them all!”

“That’s the exact kind of interference I can’t allow.” Rubago said sadly. “I can remove those chains, but you must promise to-”

A door opened behind them, in it stood the scar faced vampire, along with two of his henchmen.

“Well, well, well. It looks like the witch has broken free and she’s brought a friend with her.”

“Igo you must let me stop Cairo Inai.” Rubago said. “This isn’t right.”

Igo glanced back at the two grunts behind him. “Tie her up and tie her friend her up too.”

One grunt came at Kat and gripped her tightly around the arm.

“Get off me!” Kat shouted. “Let me go!”

“Stop fighting darling.” Igo stepped forward, slicking a hand back through his greasy hair as he did so. “You must be Kat Summers… yes. I saw what you did back to Hines at the club. A human staking a vampire…”

Igo brushed a hand down Kat’s face and she pulled her head back in revulsion. “Very impressive.”

The grunts tied Kat and Rubago in tight bounds of chain.

“Now we’ve got you all tied up again witch, I think it might be best to bring you and your friends into the main room so we can keep an eye on you. We can all watch the grand finale together.”

Igo turned to Kat, a wicked smile passing over his face. “You’re just in time. We’re about to turn that nuisance boyfriend of yours into a lovely pile of ash.”

27. Ansel

Ansel and Edmund stood frozen in shock.

“Did you know about this?” Ansel said to Edmund.

“No.” Edmund stepped forward. “What’s going on here Inai? Why are you here?”

Cairo let out a laugh that sounded like a poisonous whisper. “What… did you really think we required the service of an oafish bounty hunter to take down a fledgling vampire?”

Edmund steeled his jaw. “Then why come to me at all then you bastard? If you knew Draco was coming here all along…”

“Oh on the contrary Mr. Volks. We had no idea Mr. Draco was coming here. For all your faults you are good at one thing - you can figure out where people are.”

Edmund stood frozen. “You hired me so you could follow me.”

“Yes.” Cairo smiled through a whisper. “Once we realized what direction you were headed in, an educated guess allowed us to reason that you’d be heading here.”

“But how?!” Ansel clenched his fists.

“Hurst.” Edmund said flatly. “He must have sold you out again.”

“The blind old man wasn’t much help actually.” Cairo conceded. “But we did know that he had met with Ansel Draco a few weeks previous. I had Igo tail the blind bastard, and he followed him here. This location is… known to us. Let’s put it that way. We were always going to be here today. Fortune has it that it brought you here too.”

“What do you mean?” Ansel growled. “Why were you going to be here?”

Cairo smiled. “Never mind. Just know that your time is up. You’ve been a thorn in my side for quite some time now Mr. Draco… ever since you destroyed the loyal supporters that were the Vesper coven…”

“Those loyal supporters betrayed your orders.” Ansel hissed. “You condemned me to death and instead they kept me for torture.”

A twisted smile came over Cairo’s face. “Oh no - I didn’t condemn you to a quick death. They were well within their means.”

“You’re a sick fuck.” Ansel twisted his feet into the floor for preparation of a fight and raised his fists. “I’m going to enjoy killing you.”

The sound of sliding wood filled the large round room. At the outer wall four doors opened in the wall behind Cairo, and four vampires stepped through, dressed from head to toe in black suits. Each suit bore the unmistakable metal badge with the Circle’s crimson insignia.

“This bastard again.” Edmund groaned from behind. He stepped forward to stand beside Ansel and they eyed up the men ahead of them together.

“You know these guys?” Ansel said without taking his eyes of the men.

“Just the one to the right of Cairo.” Edmund nodded at a vampire with slicked back hair, down the middle of which ran a white streak. “Scarface there… I caught him following me earlier.”

“Nice to see you again too Edmund!” Igo Kasper shouted across the room. “I’m going to enjoy killing you, traitor.”

“Traitor?” Edmund scoffed. “How am I the traitor?”

Ansel glanced at the scar faced vampire, noticing that his insignia was different, containing two circles as apposed to the solitary one circle. He reasoned he must have been above the other three men in the room, but not above Cairo.

“You were assigned to capture Mr. Ansel Draco were you not?” Igo huffed. “It seems only a few minutes ago he was the one that had you in chains.”

“It was a temporary set back.” Edmund said. “I’m still on your side.”

Ansel glanced at Edmund and took a step away from him. “What?”

Edmund’s eyes flicked to the floor. “I’m sorry Ansel, but… my hands are tied on this one. I have to give my allegiance to the Circle.”

Ansel laughed in disbelief. “You motherfucker.” He shook his head. “Get out of my sight.”

Cairo Inai eyed Edmund suspiciously as he walked over to their side of the room, turning back to face Ansel.

“It’s unorthodox.” Cairo said in a ghastly whisper. “But I’ll allow it Mr. Volks - providing you can help us bring Mr. Draco down.”

Edmund’s face had dimmed with the shame of treachery. He nodded solemnly, but said nothing.

“It seems you are rather outnumbered then Mr. Draco. We’ve all heard great things about your fighting skills, but I think even you will find yourself surprised you are no match for this room. I’ll give you one last chance to surrender willingly. If you decline I regret to inform that you will be destroyed.”

Ansel stared into the lifeless eyes of the skeleton eyed man. The words passed through him like a cold shiver, like a ghostly whisper that had nothing but malice in it’s words. He thought not of the doom that was most likely imminent, he thought not of the hate he felt for Edmund for his treachery.

He thought of Kat.

He found it absolutely absurd that he was thinking of her at a time like this. Here he was, most likely seconds from meeting his own death, and all he could think about was the girl that he had left waiting outside. He thought of her smile, and the way her hair seemed to glow when it caught the sunlight. The jubilant tinkle of her laugh echoed through his memory. He cast his mind back to the moments of passion they had shared at his hideout, and how soft her ivory skin had felt beneath his palms.

The notion crossed his mind that he’d never see Kat again. He’d never feel the warm and spiraling sensation that rose within him whenever her eyes looked into his. Sorrow swelled within him, and then it pulled away quickly, to be replaced by a tide of something even greater.

Rage.

For him to give up now, for him to back down and let these bastards get the better of him, that would mean never seeing Kat again - and Ansel was not about to let that happen.

Ansel raised his fists, clenched them and rolled his neck on his shoulders.

“Let’s dance then mother fuckers.” He raised a finger and pointed it at Cairo Inai. “I’m going to kill you last.”

The scar faced vampire stepped forward to his master Cairo Inai. “Let me take him first sir. I will kill him gladly.”

“No.” Cairo said with a cold smile. “Let the bounty hunter prove himself.” Cairo slipped a skeletal hand into his suit jacket and pulled out a long silver stake. He threw it through the air toward Edmund, who raised a hand and caught the object without looking.

“Destroy the vampire and we’ll call it even bounty hunter.”

Edmund finally shot a look at Cairo. “We had a deal. I want my money.”

“Rest assured the money is yours.” Cairo gave a long pause. “If you can take him down. Come along now, I’m getting rather bored. Don’t make me do this myself.”

The vampire snapped his fingers, and a brittle crack echoed through the room. Ansel locked his eyes on Edmund, who took a step forward now.

“I’m sorry it had to end this way Ansel.” Edmund said reluctantly.

“You’re not sorry.” Ansel said, rolling his eyes. “I’m just a paycheck to you. You disappoint me Volks.”

Ansel kept his eyes on Edmund, yet noticed momentarily that the scar faced Igo Kasper was whispering something into Cairo Inai’s ear. Cairo nodded and Igo retreated from the room quickly.

Next thing, Edmund had launched at Ansel, taking him off guard completely. The vampires broke into a fast and fruitless fight to the death. As they launched about the room dodging and striking at one another, Cairo and his men watched from below quietly. Edmund and Ansel exchanged a torrent of heated and hissing words as they struggled to get the upper hand against the other.

“Traitor!” Ansel hissed through gritted teeth while launching Edmund into a wall of paneled wood. Edmund pulled himself from the crater of broken wood and launched back at Ansel with a kick that sent him spinning back.

“I’m just doing my job, idiot!” Edmund came down again, sending a fist crashing up into Ansel’s jaw, making the world spin around him momentarily.

Ansel swiped a leg back, taking Edmund’s from underneath him. His eyes were on the silver stake in the vampire’s hand. Ansel jumped on top of him to seize it, but Edmund dodged, spinning Ansel over and pinning him from above. As they turned through the air and crashed onto the floor, Ansel’s shirt caught on a barb of splintered wood and tore from his chest, leaving him shirtless.

Edmund pinned Ansel from above, forcing the stake down toward his chest. Ansel held his hands against Edmund’s, trying to keep the point away from his heart.

“You’d kill me for a quick dollar,” Ansel hissed. “You’re despicable!”

Edmund’s eyes glanced over to their watching audience and then back to Ansel’s. He lowered his voice to an almost imperceptible growl and whispered. “I’m still on your side. Kick me in the direction of the grunt behind me.”

Edmund resumed their pretend power struggle, inching the point closer to Ansel’s chest.

“What?!” Ansel whispered through his teeth.

“You heard me. Kick me toward that grunt. I’m with you. Trust me.”

Ansel let out a roar and thrust a foot up into Edmund’s chest, the vampire flew backward through the air and crashed into one of the grunts waiting at the edge of the room. Ansel jumped up to his feet.

Cairo let out a loud laugh as he watched his grunt scramble to his feet in embarrassment. Edmund remained on the floor, rolling about as if he were gravely hurt. His stake lay on the wood just in front of the grunt.

“Quite the show.” Cairo said as if he were watching some wrestling match for his own entertainment. “I’ll take that as a sign of your failure however Edmund Volks. You there!” Cairo lifted a pointed finger to the grunt. “Stake him, get it over with!”

The grunt nodded, snatched the stake from off the floor, and brought the point crashing down toward Edmund’s chest.

“Edmund look out!” Ansel shouted, unable to get there in time.

Edmund’s hand shot up in the air, catching the vampire grunt around the wrist, stopping the stake just inches from his chest. The grunt shot a terrified look at Cairo.

“Don’t just stand there!” He hissed at the grunt. “Kill him!”

Edmund jumped to his feet, twisting the arm of the vampire around as he did so. The suited vampire span around in the air, letting go of the stake as he did so. Edmund snatched the piece of metal up in his hands, kicked the man against the wall and threw the point deep into his chest.

The grunt erupted into a ball of fire and ash. The stake clattered back to the floor. Edmund picked it up slowly and turned back to face Cairo Inai.

“These are the men you choose to accompany you?” Edmund huffed. “I really expected better from you Cairo.”

Cairo’s eyes trembled with rage. His voice dripped from his mouth like whispering poison. “So you are a traitor after all. Never mind… just one more idiot to remove.” Cairo lifted a hand and clicked in the direction of the two remaining grunts. “You two! Kill him!”

The two men launched at Edmund immediately. Ansel watched momentarily as the figures hurtled through the air. They crashed upon him and the fight began instantly, spinning around the room as their momentum carried them in all directions. Ansel knew that Edmund would have no trouble with the men alone, but together he was out matched.

He jumped up from the floor and joined the fray, dragging one of the vampires back down to earth and crushing him against the floor with his feet pinned on his chest. The vampire was no real match for Ansel, and he toyed with the man while his eyes were kept firmly on the rage that slowly formed on Cairo Inai’s face.

After a brief minute of entanglement with the grunt, Ansel forced the man back through the air and against a long piece of splintered wood that pointed out from the wall. He watched the vampire turn to red and crimson flame, then turned his eyes above to Edmund and his fight.

Edmund was against the floor, struggling as the competing vampire held a stake pointed down at his heart. Ansel jumped over, grabbed the vampire grunt by the back of the neck and hurtled him across the room and crashing into a wall.

“I owe you one.” Edmund laughed as Ansel helped him to his feet.

“Help me take care of this bastard and we’ll call it quits.” Ansel joked back and they both turned to see that Cairo Inai had disappeared from his spot at the center of the room and had walked over to help his last remaining grunt to his feet.

“Thank you sir!” The vampired quivered and rose to his feet. “I will destroy the traitors.”

“It’s quite alright boy.” Cairo said in an uncharacteristically warm voice. “You’re just one soldier of the Red Circle. You can’t be expected to face two lowly vampires by yourself can you?”

Cairo’s timbre was warm and strangely forgiving. It didn’t seem genuine at all.

Ansel watched the grunt carefully, studying his expression.

“No sir…” The grunt sounded more afraid than reassured. It was clear to Ansel that forgiving failure was not something that was all too common in the Circle. “I’ll try harder now. I’ll get them.”

Cairo’s hand slipped into his jacket and then he thrust his fist forward, burying a stake into the grunt’s chest. “No you won’t.”

The vampire looked down at his chest in shock, bursting into flame as Cairo yanked the stake back out and turned away.

“He killed his own man.” Ansel whispered out the side of his mouth to Edmund. “He’s mad.”

“He’s Cairo Inai.” Edmund said gravely. “That’s who he is.”

Cairo walked forward with no expression on his face. He stepped back onto his central platform, sighed heavily and cracked all the bones in his body.

“You probably expect you will fight me now.” Cairo said with a thin lipped smile. “I suppose sometimes one must get their hands dirty… a lot of people take one look at me and assume I’m weak. They see an old man… thin and severely malnourished. They assume I’m not able to protect myself. They try and… betray me.”

Cairo’s eyes flashed at Edmund and Ansel and he continued.

“I’m not weak at all in fact. Really quite the contrary. I’m strong. Stronger than most people anticipate.”

“Prove it then.” Edmund hissed. “Fight us. No tricks, no grunts, just you and us.”

Ansel glanced at Edmund and nodded.

“Well Mr. Volks.” Cairo eyes shimmered like black pits as he smiled. “You may want to hold off on that first…” Cairo raised a hand and snapped his fingers once more. A door opened behind him and out walked Igo Kasper. Behind him three women followed in chains.

“Ruth!” Edmund shouted as his eyes locked onto those of the girl he had saved only a few days earlier.

Ansel spotted Kat behind her. “Kat!”

Behind Kat was the last woman. The real counterpart to the mirror image they had seen only minutes earlier. Rubago, the witch.

“Help Ansel!” Kat cried out in dismay. “Get us out of here!”

Igo Kasper led the prisoners to the wall just behind Cairo.

“I’d beg for you to save me Edmund, but… I’m not that scared really.” Ruth said dryly.

“You’re an idiot.” Edmund growled. “You’re not scared because your fear response is dulled. You’re barely three days old. It doesn’t mean you’re not in danger.”

“Danger?” Cairo said in a high pitched voice. “Oh quite the opposite.”

“What is she even doing here anyway?” Edmund growled. “How did you find her?”

“Imagine our surprise when Igo and I were paying a visit to our old friend Hurst. We arrived just in time to see Ruth here murder your friend in cold blood.”

Edmund shook his head, seemingly disappointed with the girl.

“She murdered that girl you were keeping at your house too. We went back and found her dead in the basement. It seems she is rather out of control.”

Edmund’s face whitened and he stared at Ruth, who had now dropped her eyes to the floor. “Is that true?” He growled. “Did you kill those people?!”

“I’m sorry Edmund.” Ruth said in a low and sympathetic voice. “I couldn’t control myself.”

Blinking slowly, Edmund dropped his own eyes to the floor. “Unbelievable.”

“Her sister may have wronged your people.” Ansel spoke. “But Kat has done nothing. Let her go, leave her be.”

“On the contrary Mr. Draco,” Cairo whispered, “She did murder one of our own, back in Dead Rest. Remember?”

Ansel cursed himself. “Regardless, she was just defending herself. Let her go, don’t hold her accountable for a situation that I placed her in.”

“I’m afraid that’s not an option Mr. Draco.” Cairo said in a dry laugh. “Now I’ve finally got these girls back, there’s no chance I’ll be letting them go soon.”

Everyone paused at this statement, even Igo Kasper. The whole room froze in confusion, waiting with bated breath for Cairo’s explanation.

“Oh silly me.” A yellow toothed grin spread across Cairo’s face. “Did I forget to mention that? You probably don’t recognize me like this… one second.”

Cairo turned around to face the wall of prisoners.

“Now’s our chance.” Edmund whispered. “I’ll walk around the left side. You walk around the right. We’ll get to the side and ambush him.”

Ansel nodded and they both slowly stalked around the edge of the room until they were just in front of Cairo, off to the side. Everyone stood transfixed at the old man in the center. Even his scar faced henchman, Igo Kasper, hadn’t noticed Edmund and Ansel creeping around to their side of the room.

“Don’t look at it Kat!” Ruth said in distress. “It’s a trick, it’s just some wicked trick!”

“Now, now Ruth. Don’t ruin the surprise for your sister.” Cairo’s voice was deep and regal now, a complete contrast to the usual whisper that slithered from his withered lips.

Ansel watched in horror as the old man’s face twisted and morphed again. The cheeks fleshed out, the grey paper skin turned into a healthy pink. He transformed into a handsome dark haired man that was thirty years his junior. Ansel stared at the face, wondering where he knew it from. Then he placed it to the vision he had seen in Kat’s memory. He was the man he had seen drinking from the maid in the room.

He was -

Kat’s face twisted in an expression of wordless shock and horror. Cairo’s face illuminated in a picture of evil amusement. He stepped forward a new man, with his hands held firmly behind his back.

“What’s the matter Kat?” Cairo chuckled in a deep and velvet voice. “Aren’t you glad to see your father?”

28. Kat

“You are not my father!” Ruth screamed beside Kat. “That man is not our father!”

Kat stared in horror as she watched the living ghost of her father walk towards them with a satisfied grin. He was as vivid as the day she had last seen him. The day that she had watched him murder their house keeper.

“What is the meaning of this…” Kat stammered. “How can this be possible?”

“Oh come now Kat.” Her father chuckled in his old familiar voice. “Don’t pretend to be that dense. You were the only one who knew what I was. You were the only one who ever had living proof. Don’t you remember? You were only a girl when you found me… drinking from Rosalind.”

Kat’s body shivered with repugnant chills as the images flashed through her mind once more.

“You were dead.” She said, disbelieving. “I saw them take you out in a body bag.”

“That was all for show I’m afraid my dear.” Kat’s father tapped to the badge on his suit jacket. “All arranged by the society who took me in. As you girls know, I was a very gifted physician in my mortal life, highly sought after the world over. It’s how I kept our family in a lap of luxury, it’s how that alcoholic spinster you call a mother has managed to never work a day in her life.”

“At least she was there.” Ruth hissed through her teeth. “Where were you?”

Kat’s father walked slowly up to Ruth and slapped his hand across her face, stunning her into silence.

“I’m getting to that part dear, please do not interrupt!”

He turned on his heels with a self satisfied smile and continued to pace in front of the girls with his hands behind his back.

“It turns out my gifts in life were noticed by a higher kind. I was approached by a woman, a most peculiar woman the likes of which I’d never seen before. Pale, slender, elegant, intelligent… an unbelievable mind of history. She approached me under the guise of a job offer for a private company. Her offer effectively quadrupled what I was earning. I said I’d think about it and then the woman came back two nights later.”

Cairo stared into the distance as he recalled.

“She came back and I took the job, but then she informed me of the catch. She told me I’d have to become a vampire.” A whimsical expression passed over his face. “I remember laughing in her face at the time, I thought she was mad. She showed me irrevocable proof, and it wasn’t long until I was convinced… I was enticed. She turned me, and then my transformation began.”

“We all noticed.” Ruth said while struggling against her chains. “You thought you kept it so well hidden, but it was obvious that you were no longer my father. You were just this… this thing.”

“Much like the thing you’ve been gallivanting with over there hmm?” Kat’s father turned on his heels and nodded at Ansel.

“He’s not like you.” Kat spat. “He’s different. He’s a good man.”

“He’s a vampire.” Kat’s father said with finality. “There will come a day when you die at his hand.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about old man.” Ansel hissed.

“Silence!”

Cairo held a hand up in the air until all attention was on him again.

“I faked my death and the Circle escorted me to their headquarters. I was accepted as one of them, deemed useful and elite for my abilities for medicine. It wasn’t until my vampire powers matured that I discovered I belonged to another strain of vampire altogether. I possessed one of those rare powers that only graces a few of us.”

Cairo paused and a satisfied smile passed over his face once more. “I had the power to transform.”

Kat shook her head and clenched her jaw.

“Using my power I adopted the guise of an elderly and frail man. I forgot my mortal name and adopted one a new: Cairo Inai. Using the element of surprise I slowly rose through the ranks of the Red Circle, slowly gaining power until I became the man you see today. Using the image of the old man, many assumed me weak, and I took an advantage over them. It was all to my credit. It was all to advance.”

This time it was Igo Kasper, Cairo’s scar faced henchmen who stepped forward.

“I’ve worked with you for ten years.” Igo said in a disbelieving whisper. “I thought that the old man was your real form… you lied to me. You lied to all of us.”

Cairo swathed a hand through the air. “You are just a pawn in my ascension to power. You do not matter Igo. I pay you to do, not to think.”

The cold and callous remark seemed to hit Igo Kasper like a dagger. Kat peeled her eyes from him and back to her father.

“So there you are girls. Daddy is very much alive, and he is a vampire. Much like his baby girl Ruth it would now appear.” Cairo turned and placed his attention on Ansel and Edmund, who were stood just behind him.

“You will sacrifice yourselves gentlemen, or the women you love will die. Hold your hands up above your head and push your chest out. Igo will take care of you.”

Ansel and Edmund remained frozen for a moment. They looked at each other and then lifted their arms.

“No Ansel!” Kat shouted. “Don’t do it! He’ll kill us all!”

“I can’t risk losing you Kat.” Ansel said gravely. “Unfortunately he’s got the upper hand. I love you. I’m sorry it has to end like this.”

“No!” Kat sobbed. “No!”

“Silence!” Cairo roared. “Igo, come here!”

Igo scurried silently to Cairo’s side and took the stake waiting in his hand. “Kill these idiots and then prepare the women to return to the Red Circle.” Cairo glanced down at his watch. “We only have ten minutes left on the gateway. If we’re not quick, we’ll be trapped here for another three months.”

Igo took a step towards Ansel and Edmund, who waited patiently with their hands above their heads. Igo’s back was to Kat, but she could see from where she was standing that he was deciding who to kill first.

“Hurry up!” Cairo snapped. “Come on!”

“Yes master.” Igo said dully. Igo raised the stake in his right hand and turned toward Edmund.

The prospect of watching her maker die finally seemed to stun Ruth into emotion, the next outburst coming from her. “Edmund no!” Ruth roared. “Don’t kill him you bastard!”

“I’m sorry honey.” Cairo looked back at Ruth with a manic grin. “But I’m your daddy… and I don’t approve of the idiots that either of you are courting. They must die I’m afraid.” Cairo turned back to watch the impending execution, while Ruth roared her dismay.

“You were a good bounty hunter Edmund Volks.” Igo Kasper said as he lifted the stake back. “I only wish you could have been a better vampire.”

“Just do it already you fucking prick.” Edmund spat. “I’m tired of looking at your ugly face.”

Igo pulled his fist back, tightened his grip and thrust forward. As he punched forward with the sharp silver, he took two steps toward Edmund and passed through his body as if he were a ghost. Everyone stared at Igo in confusion.

“What the fuck…” Edmund opened one eye and peered behind him at the man that had just ran through solid matter. “…just happened?”

“You look a little shocked Cairo.” Igo said with a mocking laugh. “Did you think you were the only one who kept their powers hidden?”

Kat watched as another Igo Kasper appeared from nowhere and plunged a silver stake through the back of Cairo Inai.

The room fell silent, the only sound the shocked gasp of Cairo Inai.

Cairo stumbled forward, staring down at his chest in horror. He turned on the copy of Igo that had stabbed him, wide eyed and confused. “You… you bastard! You treacherous bastard! How?!”

Kat’s eyes flicked to the image of Igo Kasper that had ran through Edmund. The image walked back across the floor and rejoined with it’s host like a flickering image.

“Duality.” Igo said in a smug tone. “I can project images of myself. Did you never wonder how I got so much done?”

“But… why!” Cairo said in a choking gasp. “Why betray me!?”

“Quite simply I was tired of being your lapdog.” Igo stepped forward and plucked the Warden badge off Cairo’s blazer. “And I figured it was time for a promotion.” Igo pulled the stake out of his master’s chest and Cairo burst into a fountain of violent crimson flame.

“Goodbye old man.”

The room watched in silence as they attempted to gauge what would happen next.

“Now.” Igo said as he settled his eyes on the men. “There is the question of what to do with you two idiots.”

Rubago was the first to break the silence. The witch walked forward freely, somehow having broke her chains. “I think it’s time we drew this to a close, don’t you Warden Kasper?”

Igo turned and looked at the witch in shock. “But, how did you escape your bindings?!”

“You never bind a witch in metal honey.” Rubago brushed a hand down the hook nosed vampires face. “At least throw some salt on the ground first.”

“Step back witch. You are not allowed to interfere. We all know how the rules work.”

“There are no rules.” Rubago said firmly. “Only balance. And my job is to maintain it.”

The witch moved her hands through the air silently, tracing the figure of two red circles. Kat watched in amazement, as the wall opened up to the side of them, revealing a large and glowing doorway, stood on the top of three marble steps.

“There is your gateway back to the Red Keep. It will close in three minutes. After that I can’t open it again for three turns of the moon. There is no other way for you return Igo, it’s up to you if you want to miss it or not.”

“I still have time to kill these idiots.”

“Vampires are sacred creatures.” Rubago paused and looked the vampire up and down. “No matter how repulsive. Too many have died today, mostly at the hands of your precious Red Circle. If you kill anymore then I will be forced to kill you too.”

Igo hissed like a child having their toy taken away. His eyes passed over Kat and Ruth and he scowled. “I will take the girls for my personal harem then!”

He started towards the girls and Rubago shot out a hand, moving Kat and Ruth out the way of the man. She guided them through the air, untied their chains and set them down between Ansel and Edmund. Ansel wrapped his arms around Kat at once.

“You will do no such thing. The hearts of these girls have already made their choice. They both contain something more powerful than you could understand… They will not be wasted on the likes of you.”

Igo’s face twisted into a fiery grimace while he threw his tantrum. His whole body shook with rage, and he pushed his frustration out in a roar. “Fine! I don’t want these whores anyway!”

Igo stormed towards the glowing doorway, turned on his heels and a dark smile passed over his face. “Oh Ansel, Edmund?”

The male vampires looked up at Igo, while keeping a tight hold of the girls next to them.

“What do you want you bastard?” Ansel growled. “Why don’t you get out of here before I change my mind and kill you myself?”

A thin lipped smile flashed over Igo’s face. “I’d like to see you try Draco. I just thought I’d mention that this is not the last time we will be seeing each other. You’re safe here with this witch protecting you. But next time we see each other… you’re both dead. Consider yourselves both on the register for the Red Circle. Your death warrant has been signed.”

Igo flicked a hand through the greasy mop of dark hair on his head and took another step closer to the portal. “And as for those girls…” His eyes flicked between Kat and Ruth.

“The gateway closes in thirty seconds Kasper.” Rubago said coldly. “I’d cut your speech short and run through if you don’t want to be stranded here. I won’t stop these vampires from killing you if you hang about any longer than you have to.”

Igo sneered at the witch and took another step closer. “Very well, I was only going to say… as for the girls…”

The image of Igo dissipated into the air and everyone stared at the fading cloud in confusion.

Kat turned her head suddenly at the sound of Ruth shrieking from her left. The real version of Igo had burst forth from behind them, and snatched Ruth from Edmund’s grasp.

“I always preferred brunettes anyway!”

Igo burst across the floor toward the portal with a manic cackle, holding Ruth tight in his arms.

“Ruth, no!” Edmund soared after the vampire, an arm outstretched to try and grab Ruth.

“Edmund! Help!” Ruth shouted while struggling against Igo’s grasp.

Igo disappeared through the portal carrying Ruth. The gateway closed a split second later, vanishing from the air and leaving nothing but a blank space. Edmund whistled through the air and crashed into the wall behind it.

“No!” He shouted furiously. “No! Open it!” He roared. Edmund flew back in front of Rubago and pointed at the blank space. “Open the gateway again!”

Rubago shook her head, trembling. “I can’t.” She closed her eyes slowly. “Gateways to the Red Keep can only be opened once every three moons.”

“No!” Realization passed over Edmund’s face. “Open it, open it now!”

“It’s over buddy.” Ansel placed a hand on Edmund’s shoulder, trying to calm the raging giant. “We’ll have to wait.”

Edmund sunk to his knees, defeated and breathless. “She can’t be… he took her… he…”

“He’s a weasel.” Rubago said. “I should have seen that coming.”

“What good are either of you?!” Edmund snapped, looking up at Kat and Ruth. “I thought you were cognizant!”

“The magic required to open the gateway is incredibly strong. It blocks our cognizance Edmund.” Rubago explained calmly.

“Is there nothing we can do?” Ansel asked, looking down at the face of his tortured friend.

“I’m afraid not.” Rubago said reluctantly. “The opening and closing of the gateways is tied to the phases of the moon. You would be asking me to move planets through the sky. Such a thing is impossible.”

“But what about my sister?” Kat said. “That monster took her. We can’t just let him take her prisoner!”

Rubago’s eyes twinkled with mysterious sadness. She glanced at something in an unknown distance, then turned her eyes back on the room. She turned her eyes on Ansel.

“You were a prisoner once were you not Ansel? Kept by your own coven?”

“Tortured.” Ansel said. “They were going to kill me.”

“And that is how you met my sister. Azu. Before she died.”

Ansel’s face flickered with wonder. “But how did you…”

“We know all.” Rubago said with a reassuring smile. “Or… most of it anyway. Azu told me that you found her. She told me that you offered to free her. To do so would have been a very bad thing. I had love for my sister, but she was dangerous.”

Rubago turned to Edmund, who was still crumpled on the floor, wordless. She crouched in front of him and lifted his chin up with a finger. “Look at me Edmund Volks. I have spoken with my sister. She has read to me the pages from which your life is written.”

“We have to save her…” Edmund said mutely. “…we have to.”

“And we will.” Rubago looked into the distance as she communicated with her sister beyond the grave.

“There is one way to save Ruth.” Rubago said. “There is another gateway to the east of here. Troubles rises there. A great family needs our help. A dynasty that has fallen into trouble. Two Houses, locked in struggle. Belmont & York. They need our help.” Rubago rose to her feet, bringing Edmund with her. She turned to Kat and Ansel. “They need all of our help. If we lend our hands, destiny may smile on us.”

“But Ruth…” Kat said.

“She’s a smart girl, and from I’ve seen she has a wicked edge.” Rubago looked at Kat with a sharp and knowing smile. “I wouldn’t be too worried for her. I would be more concerned for Igo Kasper. He will strongly regret taking Ruth Summers as a prisoner.”

A small laugh came from Edmund behind her. Everyone looked at him, renewed that his spirit seemed to have lifted slightly. “That sounds like Ruth alright.” Edmund looked up at Kat. “I’ve only known your sister a few days Kat, but if she gives him any of the hell she gave me, she’ll be alright.”

Kat smiled. “She’ll be alright. But I won’t rest until we get her back.”

“Neither will I.” Edmund said fiercely. “You have my word on that.” Edmund stood and turned to Rubago. “These vampire families in the east of this country… if we help them out, will it help us save Ruth?”

“There are no guarantees in this life.” Rubago said. “But from what Azu has told me, it is our strongest chance.”

“What is this trouble?” Ansel asked. “Why do we need to help these families?”

Rubago’s face grew serious. “There is a much bigger story at hand, and we all play a small part in it’s telling. There are great powers in this world that seek to destroy all vampires for good. If we do not help now… this could mean the end for your kind in it’s entirety.”

Edmund stared at Rubago in shock. “You must be mistaken, we are just ordinary vampires, we play no part in a story like that.”

Rubago smiled. “There is no such thing as ordinary in this world Mr. Volks. The destinies of each person in this room are entwined in a much larger story. You may not be able to see the golden threads of fate. But I can. They lead us there. It is up to all of you now if you want to follow them.”

Kat turned to Ansel and looked her lover in the eyes. “What do you say? Are you in this with us? Will you help get Ruth back?”

“Ruth is your sister.” Ansel said boldly. “If she’s your family, then she’s my family.” Ansel turned to Edmund. “If we have to take a journey to the Red Keep, I’ll be the first one on that ride. You all know me, the only thing I want more is to disband those crooks. Now I’ve just got another reason to pay them a visit.”

“Then it’s agreed.” Rubago said, facing the group. “We will journey to the dynasties in the east of this country and help them in their time of need. To help the family Belmont, to help the family York…”

Rubago paused. “…to save the vampires.”

Edmund stepped forward. “To save Ruth.”

Ansel looked up. “To destroy the Red Circle.”

Kat took a deep breath and looked at the place where her sister had last been standing. “To free the Vampire’s Prisoner.”

Epilogue

Two days later, the group had returned back to Ansel’s stone house on the side of the hill overlooking Dead Rest. Rubago had opted to come with them. In another two days time they would be making their journey to help assist the families in the east that were in need of their help.

They were sat around the fire one night, discussing their plans going forward when a strange revelation was made.

“We will travel by train.” Rubago said. “There is a track that will take us through the mountains to a point that is fairly close to the Belmont family castle.”

“This Belmont family.” Ansel said, brushing his hand over Kat’s thigh as they sat in a chair together. “Who are they? Can you tell me more about them?”

“Do you know much about the vampire dynasties in this country Ansel Draco?” Rubago asked, taking a small sip of wine as she sat in her chair by the fire.

Ansel shook his head. “No. Apart from being a vampire for only a year, my coven didn’t teach me much of our world. When it came time for me to learn such things, the Circle ordered my death and my coven confined me in the dungeons.”

Rubago nodded, seeming to understand. “Vampire have been around for a long time. At least ten thousand years. Witches like myself, we are assigned to protect the vampire species, help keep them secret and help them from destroying each other. There are several vampire dynasties in this country, old and powerful families that have existed for thousands of years. The Belmont family are one of these families, and they are perhaps the most powerful…”

“An elite class of vampires?” Ansel ground his teeth. “I don’t suppose you know if they have any connections with the Red Circle?”

Rubago shook her head. “That is something you must discover for yourself, if such matters are what concern you. It might be more important that for now, we put our differences aside and focus on the greater issue at hand.”

“And what is that?” Kat said. “So far you’ve only told us that the fate of all vampires might be called into question. What is happening exactly?”

“I can’t tell you everything because even I myself do not know the full picture, but I do know this much…”

Pulling herself out of the chair, Rubago stood and looked into the fire while taking a sip from her glass. Without turning back to look at them. She spoke.

“There are prophecies that exist in this world. There are many of them. Some of them come to pass, some of them don’t. There is a library of prophecy, hidden in a world that is only accessible to witches. Amongst those grand and infinite hallways there is one prophecy that is most concerning, and it seems as if it may be coming to pass…”

“What is it?” Kat said, nearly sat on the edge of her seat.

Rubago turned back to face them, the glow of the fire flickering over her face. “All vampires are sterile.” She said. “But there are rare humans out there that exist, called Breeders, these Breeders have the rare ability to mate with vampires and produce off spring.”

“I thought that was just a myth.” Ansel said, stirring in his seat slightly.

Rubago shook her head once more. “No. It is not myth… breeders are discovered every now and then. Maybe one in a thousand years. They exist, but they are rare.

“The prophecy dictates that three will come to be found in very quick succession. Three sisters that were separated at birth long ago. We have reason to believe that the first of these three breeders was found recently.”

Kat and Ansel both sat forward.

“What happened?” Ansel asked.

“The family Belmont. The very family that we have been called to assist. The Prince of their family, a very powerful vampire by the name of Eric Belmont - he recently had children with a human woman named Claire. We believe Claire is the first of these three sisters.”

“And what of the prophecy? What does this have to do with us?” Kat asked.

“There are two more out there who are waiting to be found.” Rubago said. “We do not know who they are, or where they are. All we know is this.”

She stepped forward from the fire, setting her glass down onto the table.

“The prophecy of the three will either bring about a resurgent of the vampire kind, or bring it’s end completely. If the three sisters are found, and bring children into this world of vampire lineage, it will signal a new dawn for the vampire.”

“And if they aren’t found?” Ansel asked.

“It could mean the end of the vampire forever. Unfortunately for us… there are groups out there that are doing everything in their power to try and obstruct the prophecy. By doing so, they hope to destroy the vampires. I have seen the golden lines of your destiny… Ansel, Kat, Edmund and Ruth. Each of you is required to help save the fate of the vampire kind. Without you, the prophecy will fail and darkness will win.”

They both sat for a moment in quiet, dumb founded.

“I’m not sure if believe in prophecy.” Ansel said. “But if helping these families means we can help get Ruth back. I’m all for it.”

“I agree.” Kat said. “I just hope Ruth is okay.”

A moment later, the sound of heavy footsteps hollowed down the stone staircase, and Edmund ran into the living room.

“Edmund.” Ansel raised an eyebrow. “Have you been sleeping again? You are curiously prone to slumber for a vampire…”

Edmund’s face was white as chalk, whiter than usual.

“Is everything okay Edmund?” Kat said leaning forward. “You look as if you’ve had a nightmare.”

Shaking his head slowly, Edmund stepped forward in half daze to join Rubago by the fire.

“Not a nightmare,” He said, “I’ve been dreaming.”

Rubago raised an eyebrow at this.

“Dreaming?” Ansel rolled his eyes. “Vampires don’t dream Edmund.”

“I have been dreaming.” Edmund said shortly, staring daggers into Ansel’s eyes.

Edmund had kept to himself the last few days, and since they had returned to stay at Ansel’s house briefly, he had spent most of the time locked in his room, confined on his own. He turned to Rubago.

“When we first got back here, I fell asleep the first night. That night something strange happened. I had a dream… it’s the first I’ve had since I’ve been a vampire.”

“Curious,” Rubago mused. “I’ve never heard of vampires having dreams before. What was in this dream?”

“I was there, I was at the Red Keep. I was with Ruth. I saw Igo bring her through the gateway on the other side, I saw him drag her into a cell in his personal chambers.”

Rubago gasped. “You saw the Red Keep? Could it be…” She trailed off, allowing Edmund to finish his story.

“Every night I’ve gone to sleep, and I’ve been having these visions of Ruth. They’re not ordinary visions however. They feel real. They feel as if I’m there. I tried to reach out and touch her last night, I tried to talk to her. I think she knows I’m there, but she can’t see me or hear me.”

“And what is she doing in these dreams?” Rubago asked. “Does she look okay?”

“Well that’s just it. For the first few nights, she was just confined in this cell. They brought her blood every so often, but she seemed okay. Last night I saw Igo come to her cell… he was threatening to do bad things. He set upon her and I felt my blood boil, but then something amazing happened. She kicked him in the face! She escaped from the cell and then she started running… the dream faded away at that point and I came down here.”

“You believe these aren’t dreams at all.” Rubago said. “You believe they are visions. That is what you came down here to ask me.”

Edmund nodded quickly, staring into the witches eyes with intensity as he craved an answer.

Kat sat forward. “Is is true Rubago? Are these more than dreams? Is there a chance that my sister is okay?”

The witch looked from Kat back to Edmund and raised a hand to his forehead. She closed her eyes for a moment. A second later a flash burst between her fingers and Edmund’s head, and Rubago pulled back. She stared at Edmund wide eyed, her mouth hanging open.

“It seems you are correct Edmund.” She said. “You must have formed a telepathic bridge with Ruth when she was taken. Such things can occur in times of great emotional stress.”

“So his visions are real?!” Kat jumped out of her seat, a smile on her face. “She’s okay, she’s escaped!?”

“There is no escaping the Red Keep child.” Rubago said gravely. “The only way back is through the gateways.”

Kat head sank in disappointment.

“The news you have brought us is encouraging however Edmund.” Rubago said. “The Red Keep is a sprawling labyrinth of stone and shadow. If Ruth can find a way to survive and hide… she might be okay.”

“She’s a fighter.” Edmund laughed to himself. “I knew she’d give those bastards hell.”

“Did she look okay Edmund?” Kat asked. “Was she hurt?”

“Not hurt.” Edmund shook his head. “But that sick fuck Igo was going to hurt her, I could see it in his eyes. He enjoys it… he’s sadistic.”

“She’s managed to escape his grasp though.” Ansel said. “That’s promising right?”

“It’s encouraging.” Rubago said. “It proves to us that she is safe, for now at least.” She turned to Edmund. “It’s important that you carry on forming this telepathic bridge with Ruth. Your link will only get stronger with time.”

A smile of encouragement flickered over Edmund’s face. Rubago continued.

“It’s very possible that Ruth will have these visions in her sleep too. It’s very possible that she is watching us now…”

Everyone in the room apart from Rubago seemed to look up at the ceiling at this comment, as if Ruth would be looking down on them from there.

Edmund took a deep breath and clenched his fists. “In that case… I want you to know this Ruth. I’m watching you, and I want you to know that I’m coming for you.” He glanced back at Ansel and Kat. “We all are. We’re going to save you. Keep running, keep hiding, keep fighting…”

Edmund stared into the yellow flames of the fire. The dancing tongues of flame reflected in his blood red eyes.

“I’m going to save you, and I won’t stop until I have you in my arms.”

Thanks for Reading

I really like writing about vampires, and I’m extremely grateful for the great reception that Tales of Vampires 1 had. I hope you enjoyed this book, I’m excited to announce the next one will be on it’s way very soon.

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