Authors: Berni Stevens
Khiara stared at him then as though he’d suddenly become very interesting, and put an elegant hand up to caress his face as she smiled at him. Her smile dazzled and completely transformed her lovely face, making it irresistible and impossible not to look at her.
‘You are so right
cara
,’ she said softly. ‘How unforgivably rude of me.’
I felt as though the whole room had suddenly breathed out collectively. Luke had moved quietly to my other side, and Khiara suddenly transferred her attention to him.
‘So, Luke, the ever faithful bodyguard, you are still here, and as handsome as ever.’
Luke bowed his head to her. ‘Welcome to London.’
Khiara held her hand out to him, palm upwards, and as he covered it with his own, she drew him closer to her, until their bodies were almost melded together. She reached up to Luke’s face with her free hand and swiftly sliced his cheek, causing beads of blood to appear. Then, very slowly, she licked the blood from the wound with one erotic gesture. Luke remained passive and still.
Well, that was a different kind of greeting.
Will drew me back from Khiara, and we both stood to one side to allow her to move further into the room and away from us. It was then that I saw the rest of her entourage for the first time.
Entering the room immediately behind her came an enormous, rather ugly man, who appeared to be at least seven feet tall. His large head was completely bald, and his skin the colour of seasoned oak. Dressed rather incongruously in an expensive looking tuxedo, which screamed professional bodyguard, he made an impressive and scary figure. Even the muscles in his arms appeared to be fighting to escape from his jacket. He strode up to Will, and bowed his head politely.
‘Greetings Will, Elder of the City of London,’ he said in a deep, heavily accented voice.
‘Welcome, Grigori,’ replied Will. ‘May I introduce Elinor.’ Grigori turned to look at me with dark eyes. Eyes that weren’t pure evil, like Honyauti’s, but just expressionless. I couldn’t determine whether he was friendly or not, so I just looked up at him, saying nothing. He really was a very long way up. Sometimes I really hated being short.
‘Greetings woman of Will,’ he said. Well, that was new, not that I was complaining exactly, but I did have a name.
‘Good evening, Grigori,’ I replied.
Grigori wandered over to the corner where Honyauti and Josephine sat. I heard them mumbling greetings. Grigori then took his place slightly behind the chair in which Khiara sat.
I just wished I could be sure who were Will’s vamps and who weren’t. There were not too many happy, smiling faces in the room, that was for sure. To make my night complete, Katarina glided into the room. She exuded confidence, strutting in like a confident dancer or fashion model. I had tried to put her out of my mind since our meeting in the club, yet here she was again. Oh joy.
She gazed adoringly at Will.
‘Will,’ she breathed huskily. ‘How perfectly lovely to see you again so soon.’
She smoothed her black sequinned top over blood-red leather trousers, and moved in closer to Will. If she sliced his cheek, we were going to have words.
Will stepped away from her, and gestured for her to join the others in the room. ‘No threats tonight?’
She smiled coquettishly, and I wondered whether there had ever been any history between the two of them, although if Khiara had been on the scene, I thought not.
‘I assure you no threat has ever been made seriously on
my
part,’ she replied. ‘But I do think your fledgling is rather ordinary to cause all this upset. Don’t you agree?’
‘Elinor is many things,’ said Will pleasantly. ‘But ordinary is certainly not one of them.’
‘I meant no offence,’ she said sweetly, but she made no attempt to look at me.
‘Like hell you didn’t,’ I muttered.
She did look at me then and her face contorted to an angry, evil mask.
‘Are you speaking to
me
? Will, is your creature speaking to me?’ She made a gesture towards herself with a tiny hand, as though she couldn’t believe my nerve. Then she came closer to me. ‘Do you really think you can come along and take Will for your own? Just like that,
fledgling
?’ she spat the last word venomously but very quietly. ‘Oh you are
so
mistaken little girl. You really have no idea who you are dealing with.’
‘Is that a threat?’ My voice had been quiet, but I became suddenly aware that the room had gone still and silent. Every vampire in the room would have better than excellent hearing, and they were all extremely interested in our conversation.
Khiara rose and glided over to us. Her anger was palpable. She took the smaller woman’s arm in a grip that looked really painful. ‘Remember your position, Katarina,’ she warned.
Katarina dropped a graceful curtsey and bowed her head to Khiara.
‘My deepest apologies, mistress,’ she said. ‘I exist only to make you happy.’
That didn’t sound like a lot of fun to me, but I found it difficult to care.
Khiara turned her deep blue gaze to me. ‘You need to curb that tongue of yours, fledgling,’ she said coldly, then, turning to Will, ‘I really cannot be responsible for my people all of the time. You will have to control her if she is to remain safe. Keep her chained up in a cellar somewhere perhaps.’
‘Are you threatening my fledgling
again
in my own house?’ Will’s tone was mild.
Khiara stared at him, clearly surprised. ‘Of course not William,’ she said. ‘We are all friends here, are we not?’
‘I think your people have been anything
but
friendly in their short stay in my city,’ said Will. ‘If they cannot behave themselves, they will have to be prepared to face the consequences.’ He put a possessive arm around my waist, a movement that Khiara followed with narrowed eyes. ‘I had a similar conversation with Katarina the other evening, but allow me to reiterate the rules of the city for everyone now. I simply will not tolerate any more humans being killed in my city, and I certainly have no intention of tolerating threats made against any of my people. Please be aware that I am merely issuing a friendly warning in this instance.’
Khiara’s face was impassive. ‘We need to instigate Trials,’ she said.
Everyone in the room went still again. I had no idea what was going on but, remembering Will’s advice, I kept quiet, standing there like a good little Stepford Wife.
‘Let us not fool ourselves as to the reason you are really here Khiara,’ said Will. ‘You had no need to see me for decades – centuries – but suddenly it is important for you to be here in England. It is strange how the matter of Trials has never arisen before. I have been the Elder of London for two centuries after all.’
Khiara’s face tightened with rage at that. She raised a hand and clicked her fingers imperiously. Her people instantly came to stand behind her.
‘We will meet again in five days’ time,’ she said. ‘It can be a place of your choosing, as this little city appears to be yours, and Trials will begin then.’
Will inclined his head. ‘Very well, it shall be arranged.
Buona serata
.’
She swept out of the room, followed by Grigori, Katarina and Josephine along with a couple of dark-haired male vampires.
There was silence from the remaining throng.
Everyone looked at Will.
He sat down on the sofa and motioned to me to sit with him. I walked over and sat down next to him.
‘Well, I think that all went rather well,’ he said with a smile.
15 March
This night was indeed a baptism of fire for Elinor. She is an intelligent woman, but I fear the wiles and politics of the vampire world are confusing for her at the moment. I knew she would not be able to desist from retaliating should anyone threaten or insult her. She has looked after herself for many years after all, and is no doubt used to coping with objectionable people. It was rather unfortunate that the person in this case happened to be Khiara.
I think Trials were always going to be insisted on, knowing Khiara as well as I do.
I fear for the City of London should things not go as planned.
Retribution
A mere two nights later I discovered how well Will kept his promises. Almost in a ‘be careful what you wish for’ kind of way. I had showered and dressed whilst Will was upstairs, making phone calls. I had a horrible feeling that the calls were connected to the pending Trials. What these Trials would entail, I had no idea and definitely no desire to ever find out. Unfortunately, the date had been set, and the venue, of course, was Dusk. Will told me I had to attend, because I was the reason they were being held at all. So hiding wasn’t an option.
Will came into the bedroom just as my thoughts began to veer off in a scary direction. He looked unusually serious. ‘Please accompany me downstairs.’
I felt a jolt of fear go through my body. Perhaps he was going to take Khiara’s advice after all and keep me chained up.
‘Why?’ I didn’t feel at all inclined to accompany him back down to that damp, dark place.
‘There is someone I want you to see,’ he began to lead the way down to the cellar.
I really, really didn’t like the sound of that. ‘What’s going on?’
‘You need to see for yourself.’ His voice drifted back to me as he started down the stairs.
I followed him into the second cellar. An unconscious man had been chained to the wall, and his head lolled down onto his chest.
What
… ?
Will strode over to the man and, grabbing a fistful of his grey hair, yanked his head back with one contemptuous move.
‘I believe you know this person,’ he ground the words out between clenched teeth.
It was a statement, not a question.
I looked at the man’s face, and immediately reverted to twelve years old, feeling the familiar sick fear of my adolescence.
Memories flooded back – crowded my mind – one horrific scene after the other. Dark, terrifying nights … long, lonely, dark nights. Nights filled with fear and pain, and the humiliation of no one ever believing me. The things he had made me do …
I looked at the face and I did know it.
I hated it. I hated it more than I had ever hated anyone before or since.
It was the face of my nightmares.
The actual
cause
of my nightmares.
A face that had haunted me for years.
I shook my head violently.
No – no. Why
… ?
Tears trickled unheeded down my cheeks as I looked at Will.
He came towards me straight away, and wiped my tears away with his fingers. I couldn’t stop crying.
Will held me in his arms, and spoke quietly against my hair. ‘I have brought him here to show you that all he is now is a dysfunctional old man. To prove once and for all that he can never harm you again. He will never come near you again, and he most certainly will never touch you again. You will now have the ability to move on and to be happy again, unencumbered by any former revolting memories.’
Years of pent-up emotion suddenly released inside of me. Years of no one believing anything I said, and of having to live with the perverted actions of the man that everyone did believe. Those childhood nights filled with pain and terror – the horror of hearing my bedroom door open late at night, and what it signified.
Will pulled me closer as sobs racked my body. He spoke quietly, his deep voice soothing, ‘My love, if I could take all of your pain, you know I would do so in a heartbeat. But all I can do is provide the instigator of that pain and punish him.’
I looked up into his eyes, expecting to see judgement, but saw only concern. He kissed me gently on the forehead. Then he stepped away from me and went back over to the shackled man.
‘Look at me,’ his voice was cold and compelling.
The man raised his head slowly to look at Will, and fear emanated from him. I felt it wash over my skin, and I’m ashamed to admit that I liked the feeling. It excited my senses. But I felt shocked to the core, at coming face to face again with the man who had ruined my childhood. How Will had ever found him was a mystery, I had never even said his name. His timing, however, left a lot to be desired. With so many things going on at the moment – Khiara, Trials, bodies in the park, even our own blossoming relationship – and yet for some reason he thought he’d bring my former foster father here. Now.
Will’s unexplained absences suddenly made perfect sense of course. I felt terrified that he actually intended to kill him and I didn’t think I’d ever be able to stop him. Then his death would be my fault, and I knew I couldn’t live with that.
‘Who are you?’ He looked Will straight in the face.
‘Your worst nightmare.’
A hackneyed, much overused line from many movies, but delivered by Will under those circumstances, it sounded truly terrifying.
Will held a hand towards me, and I walked forward to put my hand in his.
‘Do you recognise this lady?’ He pulled me closer, so that I stood next to him.
The unfortunate wretch shook his head.
‘Look again.’
Obediently he looked at me again. His face blanched and his eyes widened in sheer terror. ‘
Ellie Wakefield?
But you’re dead! Didn’t you
die
? Ellie, if it’s really you – call this madman off. I won’t call the police, honestly I won’t.’
‘Silence,’ hissed Will. Edward Oldman fell silent instantly.
I clung almost desperately to Will’s hand. I felt convinced he’d kill Oldman without any compunction whatsoever. I really couldn’t cope with that, even though this perverted creep had ruined whatever childhood I’d had left after my parents were killed. I’d never even been allowed the chance to grieve for them properly. Oldman had robbed me of my virginity whilst I was still a child, years before I’d become a woman, and then he’d abused me night after terrible night. No wonder I’d always been so afraid of the dark.
No one had believed me. He’d always been very plausible and charming, and everyone believed him. Even his wife, apparently. I’m not sure I’ve ever allowed any man to get close to the real me – until Will. Perhaps my destiny had always been to die early, and be reborn as a vampire.
I glanced up at Will at exactly the same moment he turned to look at me. His eyes glowed in the dim light, and his expression looked deadly serious.
‘I
am
going to kill him. But you do not have to watch. Unless, of course, you wish to watch. It is your choice.’
I looked at Oldman, feeling nothing but emptiness. Will put an arm around my waist, and drew me close to his side. I leaned shakily into the strength of his body.
He kissed my cheek. ‘Would you like to torture him or shall I?’
With those terrible words hanging in the air, he released me and walked toward Oldman. He ripped the shirt violently from his back, and Oldman struggled in his chains. But Will had clearly chained people up before, and he would never escape.
‘She was a dirty little girl. Always asking for it,’ protested Oldman in a whining voice.
With a sudden movement that was too fast ever to be mortal, Will smashed Oldman in the face with the back of his hand. Blood spurted from his broken nose, and he sagged in his chains. I leaped back in horror at the sudden violence, and tears filled my eyes again.
Will grabbed Oldman’s hair. ‘She was only twelve years old, her parents had just died, and I seriously doubt she even knew what “it” was.’ His cold, disdainful words were like angry blows, and I shivered, so very thankful they weren’t directed at me. Oldman looked at Will, the lower part of his face almost a mask of blood, yet his eyes held the same black hatred that I remembered from more than thirteen years ago.
Will spun on his heel and strode to the far corner of the cellar. He came back with a lethal-looking dagger, so large it was almost a sword.
I watched with wide eyes. I had no idea what he had in mind, but I didn’t think I’d ever be able to stop him.
Will twirled the dagger with professional ease, and then started to cut at Oldman’s trousers. He managed to cut all his clothes off completely without slicing any flesh at all, leaving the overweight, flabby man naked and cowering against the damp wall.
‘Just how many little girls’ lives have you ruined?’ Will pressed the knife against Oldman’s genitals, not hard enough to draw blood, not yet. Oldman gasped and stared up at him in sheer terror.
‘Don’t.’ Oldman’s voice sounded thick with his own blood. ‘We’re human beings – not animals – please don’t!’
Will gave a short, mirthless laugh. ‘Now whatever gave you the impression I was human?’ He smiled wide enough to show gleaming fangs.
Oldman fainted.
‘Let us wake him.’ Will turned back to look at me again. I definitely didn’t want this to go any further now. I may have detested the man, in fact I would
always
detest him, but I could not –
would
not – be an accomplice to his murder. I didn’t think I would ever see Will in the same light again if he did murder him in cold blood. I had no illusions that he would be ruthless when he had to be, but Oldman was still human, and not some evil vampire who had come to destroy us.
‘Will, you can’t kill him.’ My voice sounded strangled and scared. ‘It would make us no better than him if you did.’
‘Would you object if I fed off him?’
‘Surely his blood would choke you.’
Will shrugged. ‘Blood is blood.’
Practical as well as ruthless, obviously.
He went back to Oldman, pulled his head upwards by the ears, and dug his nails into the lobes. Oldman gasped and his eyes flew open. When he saw how close Will was, he started to babble in terror.
‘Ellie – call him off! He’s mad – a madman. He’ll kill me.’
‘He’d
like
to kill you,’ I agreed.
‘Are you sure you are not hungry?’ Will turned to me once more. ‘I am feeling more than a little peckish myself.’
Oldman looked back at Will. ‘What the fuck are you?’
‘What the fuck do you think we are?’ replied Will conversationally.
‘Lunatics on drugs.’
Oldman struggled feebly in his chains, and Will laughed pleasantly. He leaned closer to Oldman. ‘I shall tell you what I am, shall I?’ His voice sent shivers down
my
spine, so heaven knew what Oldman was feeling.
‘I am a vampire.’ Will stood back from Oldman with his hands on his hips, and his head on one side, as he watched his prey through slitted green eyes. ‘Therefore I feed on human blood and tonight, my friend, it is going to be yours.’
‘Stop him Ellie,’ pleaded Oldman again.
Will grasped Oldman around the throat, and smashed him against the wall. ‘How many times did Elinor ask
you
to stop?’ Oldman gasped and wriggled futilely against Will’s unrelenting hold. ‘How many times did you abuse her tiny body, taking your pleasure with her, whilst she screamed in agony for
your
mercy?’
Oldman looked ill.
Without warning, Will suddenly dug the point of his blade into Oldman’s neck, rupturing the jugular vein and causing arterial blood to gush out like a dark, red fountain. He laughed. The laugh had an unusually chilling sound. Then he turned his dark head to one side, which allowed the blood to enter his mouth with the minimum of effort.
‘Tastes fine for a pervert,’ he commented without looking back at me. ‘Just blood.
Quod erat demonstrandum
.’
I averted my eyes from the blood as absolute horror overcame all other sensations. ‘Will, stop. Please, please stop this … before it’s too late.
Please
.’
He stepped away from Oldman, who had fainted again, and his eyes softened when he saw my stricken expression. Closing the gap between us, he tenderly stroked my cheek with the tip of his thumb. ‘Do you want me to save his life?’
I nodded. ‘Yes. I … I don’t want to see you as a murderer.’
He brushed tears from my cheeks. ‘Very well, Elinor. For you, but against my better judgement, I will allow this perverted maggot to live.’
He stopped the bleeding with his saliva, and began to pull the shredded clothes back over Oldman’s unconscious body. Unlocking the cuffs at his wrists, he allowed him to fall in a crumpled heap onto the stone floor. He stood looking down at him for a moment, a strange expression flitting across his otherwise stern face. ‘Go upstairs Elinor.’
I glanced down at Oldman. ‘You told him you were a vampire.’
‘So I did. No doubt everyone will believe him too.’
I gave him a puzzled look.
Will’s lips curved slightly. ‘How many times did you want people to believe you as a child?’
‘Too many to count.’
‘Then this should be the perfect revenge for you. He will regain consciousness in a hospital somewhere, babbling about vampires and seeing his former foster daughter, whom everyone knows is dead, and I guarantee he will be put in some kind of institution. At least for a while.’
I gave him a weak smile. ‘That is pretty clever.’
He inclined his head. ‘It is. Now go upstairs and Luke can help me deliver this creature to a hospital out of London somewhere.’
I walked to the door, but stopped and looked back at the last moment.
‘Will?’
‘Whatever you are going to say, you worry too much.’
I went upstairs and wandered into the drawing room. Switching on the television, I flicked through the channels, trying in vain to find something that would hold my attention and stop me from thinking.
I heard Will’s key in the lock some forty minutes later, and looked at him anxiously as he came into the room.
‘Oldman will live, Elinor, thanks to you. He has been left at Watford Hospital. Luke informed them that he had found the man unconscious in the street, and assumed he had been mugged, as he carried no wallet or identification about his person. Luke then witnessed him being wheeled away for a blood transfusion. He had a very informative chat with a pretty little nurse, who assured him that he will make a full recovery.’
Part of me felt relief at his words, but the abused child within was still afraid.
I stared blankly at the television screen, ‘It’s just as well you didn’t kill him, the police might have traced him back to you, they have all sorts of DNA equipment these days.’