The Birth of Vengeance (Vampire Formula #1) (15 page)

“We want to join you. Make us one of you,” the blonde one pleaded.

“What are you names?” Thorn asked.

“Annabel and Lucinda,” she said, and pointed to herself first and then to Lucinda.

“No, Annabel you can’t but I can help you.”

“Please, I don’t want to be scared anymore, I want revenge on these people.”

“I know, we understand. There are more important things for you to do in your life,” Thorn said.

“We have nowhere else to go. We are both homeless. Someone else will get us eventually.”

“Go release the other girls from those vans. I will call the police to come and help you. Then when you are done go to this address,” Thorn said, and pulled out a business card from her wallet. “Tell them Tracy Horn sent you. The lady there, Miss Jones, will look after you.”

The girls looked at Thorn, and I sensed they wanted more. “That’s the offer. Take it or leave it,” Thorn said, and stared at them with the card held out.

Annabel stared at Thorn for a moment, and Lucinda whispered, “Take it,” into her ear.

“Thank you,” Annabel finally said and took the card.

“You will hear from us again one day,” Thorn said.

We headed out through the doors stepping over the dead body of the guard the girls had killed. I looked around one last time at the bodies of the men scattered around the warehouse floor, and hanging from the ceiling still dripping with blood. Limbs bleeding on the bonnets of the vans and bloody footprints across the floor from where we had walked back to the door. I couldn’t believe we had done this in such a short space of time.

We got back in the car, and I turned to talk to Thorn about the girls.

“I have only room for one apprentice. Besides, it is always important to have connections and build favours. Those girls may be of use to us one day,” she said.

“Tracy Horn?” I asked.

“Yes, T. Horn, Thorn,” she replied, and I finally got the meaning.

“Miss Jones will find them places to stay, get them educated and integrated back into society. They will be of use to us then. Helping us to hide and move through time unnoticed.”

“It will be light soon; we must get back,” she said, and fired up the engine and spun the car out of the warehouse parking. I saw the two girls in the rear-view mirror staring at us as we left, still holding the card Thorn had given them. I wondered if we would see them again, as we burned back down the road towards home.

“When you first entered the warehouse, what were your thoughts towards the girls,” Thorn asked as we drove home.

I didn’t lie; there was no point.

“I wanted to feed on them; their fear was exciting.”

“What stopped you?” she asked.

“The men, their aggression and violent thoughts washed over those feelings and took away my attention,” I answered.

“Yes. Even I felt the pull of those girls tied and gagged an easy meal. Be aware of the power the thirst has over us. If you understand it you can use it to good effect,” she said.

“I relived those girls’ memories and wanted revenge, as if it had happened to me,” I said.

“Well done, using their memories and emotions to fuel you. Putting yourself in their shoes instead is a good idea.”

I was learning more and beginning to understand the life of a vampire was far from simple.

We returned before light, happy and full. Thorn excitedly dragged me hand-in-hand down the stairs to get me back before my vampire power wore off. I had caught her watching me fighting the last one of the gang, licking her lips with one hip dropped, and I sensed her passion being triggered. I played with him a bit in front of Thorn to show off my powers and to increase her desire.

“Finish it,” she had pushed the thought into my mind.

I had allowed him to charge at me one more time, and stepped in and snapped his neck to finish it quickly before we headed off and talked to Annabel and Lucinda. I guessed Thorn hadn’t been with another vampire for some time, and she wanted to spend my last vampire moments locked together in the safety of her house.

Vampire on vampire sex was a completely new game, and I found my vampire instincts extended into this realm as well. My inhibitions gone and replaced by an animal urge, as Thorn and I went wild with our bodies tearing into each other as we fought for sexual dominance.

Afterward, I watched Thorn fall asleep, she was so peaceful and happy and totally different to the sad and lonely woman I had seen in the prison cell all those weeks ago. Despite her killing me tonight, I realised I, Night Jonathan, had fallen in love with her. It wasn’t just her powers tricking me. She had given me a new lease of life. It was the most exciting time of my life. I wished the night could go on forever, and I hated the idea of the coming daytime, in the fear of what Day Jonathan would think and the plans he was hatching.

I decided not to waste any of the formula and took a trip out into the daylight. I ambled happily off to the park and sat on a cold park bench as the morning sun lit up the grass, and mist rose up as it began to heat up. The formula started to wear off, and as it did my daytime self, Day Jonathan, started to take control.

“You’ve been lucky to survive tonight, she killed you,” Day Jonathan said.

“I know but we made it through stronger than before,” I, Night Jonathan replied.

“Scarlett still wants us back. There is a way home after all.”

“So what, she betrayed us remember. We have Thorn now.”

“Thorn will kill us eventually, we are being used for something,” I, Day Jonathan said.

“No, we have a deal. I love her,” he exclaimed.

“Don’t be stupid, it’s her powers. You don’t realise what you are saying,” I said with the formula drifting away and Night Jonathan with it, and my normal human senses returning.

“I … I …”, Night Jonathan tried to say but he disappeared as the formula finally dispersed and my body was back to normal again.

I transformed back to Day Jonathan again, and free with my own thoughts. Looking back over the nights events I realised I barely escaped death at Thorn’s hands. I was lucky to be alive. It was the scariest time of my life. Stopping the gang was a good thing to do as they were hurting those girls but it was still killing people. Maybe there could have been a better way. Maybe I could still help people like that, wherever I ended up, without killing.

Also, Scarlett wanted me back still and told me there was a way out, and those words still echoed around my head during the day. Could there truly be a way back, it was what I wanted during these daylight hours. I owed Thorn so much. We had a deal but at times it felt more like a pact with the devil. Last night it was a mixture of fun and fear with Thorn but that was a true reflection, although more extreme of most nights with her. Thorn had never betrayed me; she had only ever kept to her word, and even if it hurt I was becoming stronger under her guidance. I needed time to think about going home to a normal life, maybe it wasn’t just a fantasy. I knew if I were to protect Scarlett in the meantime I had to forget her. If I dwelled on her for too long Thorn might pick up my thoughts, and both of us could be dead. Once we had finished with Barry, I could sneak out and get away from Thorn during the day, and find my way back to Scarlett. Maybe it wasn’t too late to have a normal life. I just needed to follow the plan I had been building as Day Jonathan, and hoped that Night Jonathan would survive long enough to make it through or not betray us to Thorn.

From my last change, the vampire power lasted longer, and I had a greater control over it being able to change in and out more quickly. I started to feel the hypnotic powers and psychic abilities on the last injection, by pushing my thoughts into the minds of Annabel and Lucinda. Once the power had gone, I’d grown again, stronger, faster, taller and more handsome as well. My fighting instinct seemed to have improved; I could feel the moves and actions I should take when back in my human body. It had pushed the boundaries of my human form, which never fully returned to normal again afterward, like the elastic on a rubber band stretched too far. I waited to see if this included the psychic abilities but I was happy with my new abilities in vampire and human form.

A couple of days after seeing Scarlett and fighting in the warehouse, I was Day Jonathan and had continued putting energy into my escape plan. I just bought a silver knife, stuffed it deep into my rucksack and counted the remaining change. I walked around the corner to a phone shop and bought the cheapest mobile I could find with ten pounds worth of credit. I got the guy in the shop to make sure it worked properly, and I test called them to ensure it was working. I headed back to the house to hide my escape kit in the loft and get on with my vampire training.

After the incident with the Hunters and killing the slave gang, it became increasingly difficult for Thorn and me to roam free. Police and Hunters had swarmed over the slave gang killings and had put it down to a gang feud. Thorn told me that was the smart thing about attacking criminals, as the police wouldn’t try too hard. The Hunters were watching all the places to find Barry. His cousin’s house stayed under constant guard waiting for us. Thorn decided we should leave town for a while to let the dust settle and attempt to distract the Hunters. Thorn had asked about what happened in Leeds after hearing Scarlett’s comments. I told her everything, and I felt ashamed and guilty that I had let my friend down again. She was extremely interested to hear what had happened and she didn’t judge me. She decided that it would be part of my training to go back to face those events and people again.

Luckily, it was wintertime so the dark hours lasted longer and came around sooner. We managed to do the drive all at night to the hotel. We were booked into the penthouse suite, in the middle of the city, allowing us to walk straight in and join in the fun. The penthouse was a huge room with king-sized bed, sofas, large mahogany table, marbled bathroom suite and balcony looking over the city. I toured the room amazed by its luxury and realised this was another benefit of life with Thorn, that she was incredibly rich. I walked out onto the balcony watching the city below and felt excited about being back in Leeds. The sounds of the city rose up from the ground, cars and buses busying themselves around the streets. People were marching along in the cold looking to find shelter in their favourite hangouts. Lights were illuminating the way as they moved through the maze of pathways and roads. The city bustled as it got into the full swing of a big Saturday night.

Thorn had a plan tomorrow night of touring the places and events of my past—to face my fears and confront the past as part of my training but that was tomorrow night. Tonight we were going out into the city to have some fun. I never been out at night in the city, and I never imagined I would until I was a lot older as I was too scared. On the way up in the car, I talked to Thorn about all the places I wanted to visit and all the things I wanted to do. I knew of all the trendy spots as I had heard about them second-hand at school or read about them on social networking sites but Thorn knew of better places. She joined me on the balcony and looked out over the city.

“Nice view,” I said.

“Yes, you should see it as I see it,” she replied.

I imagined all the smells, colours and emotions flowing through her as she plugged into the city with her vampire senses.

“I like the room.”

“It will do,” she said, as the wind gently blew her raven hair across her flawless face.

“Where does all your money come from?” I asked intrigued.

“Well, I have had a lot of years to save up. Compound interest is a marvellous thing. Being able to read minds is useful. I am especially good at poker—good for getting inside tips on the stock market as well. The problem isn’t getting the money. It’s getting rid of it. I can’t afford to have too much money in one name as it generates too many questions. I give a lot to charity,” she said.

I laughed, the idea of a vampire giving her money away to charity sounded ridiculous.

“I know. It’s a strange idea; it’s not from the goodness of my heart. It’s purely practical. It buys favours and builds my other identities networking contacts.” She carried on explaining. “I invest in companies conducting research as well. Anything that could give me an advantage. Money isn’t the point, it’s all about power,” she said.

“Power over whom?”

“Over those who wish to destroy me and my kind,” she answered.

“The Hunters?”

“Yes, and others. But the time for a history lesson is once you have completed your training. For now, I need to keep you and the needles a secret.”

I had pressed the question on other vampires and her history before but had always been rebuffed.

“Why?” I asked again, looking around at her, feeling braver now we had spent time together.

She gazed into the distance and closed her eyes, letting the cold air wash over her. I sensed memories flashing through her mind. Images of fire and smoke blazing around, as battles against armoured knights raged. Swords cutting through the smoke as screams and roars engulfed the air. Vampires fighting the knights and trying to escape into the darkness. Vampires like her glowing and passionate, and others dark, half-dead, and decaying in the shadows. Her memories jumped back further to other battles and glimpses of giant wings beating the air and knights charging in with red crosses emblazed on their tunics. The images were moving around to reveal the source of the wings, and suddenly they stopped as she forced me out of her mind. She turned around and frowned.

“You are getting stronger. I must be more careful around you,” she said a little perturbed.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to. It just sort of happens sometimes,” I said, hoping I hadn’t crossed the line.

“So the other powers remain with you afterwards as well, not just the physical strengths,” she said.

I hadn’t mentioned it before trying to keep it a secret. My hidden ace in the pack but the secret was blown.

“Yes. A little of the power I had as a vampire remains. My powers seem to improve upon every needle, and a residual amount remains and grows each time,” I confessed.

“Interesting, you are becoming more fascinating,” she said, and turned and held both my hands so we were face-to-face.

“I will tell all eventually but first I must be sure you are ready. You must complete the training,” she said, her bright sky eyes smiling at me, and I knew that was the end of the conversation as I felt her powers encircling me.

“Let’s party,” she said and walked back through the door into the penthouse room, pulling me behind her.

After a restful sleep from a night out in the city, I woke with the last of light fading around the edges of the curtains giving the room a dim covering. Thorn was asleep but it wouldn’t be long before she woke. I was Day Jonathan and thoughts crossed my mind of pulling the curtains back and exposing her to the UV light. I could finish her and be free to be with Scarlett again. Free from the fears that Thorn would kill me or get me killed. As the night came, I could sense Thorn awakening, and I could feel Night Jonathan taking over.

“Let’s open the curtains and kill her,” I, Day Jonathan said.

“Why, you have a deal, and she is keeping it,” he, Night Jonathan replied.

“But I was wrong to make that deal. It was a deal you made,” I replied.

“We both wanted it. Don’t pretend you haven’t been happy with your new strength and abilities.”

“I am but it’s gone far enough. Who knows what she has planned tonight,” Day Jonathan said, his voice beginning to fade with the light dwindling around the corners of the curtains.

“Well hopefully some excitement and blood,” I, Night Jonathan, replied.

“More blood on your hands. How can you sleep?”

“Easy, in the knowledge I am safe and no one can hurt me anymore. This is what we both wanted. You just don’t have the strength to admit it and see it through,” I replied.

“It’s not that simple,” he said, his voice nearly a whisper.

“Why not,” I said, and grinned, as I, Night Jonathan, was back in control once more.

“Last night was great being out in the city. A place we never thought we could go. Thorn has given us so much. You need to trust her, as she trusts us,” I, Night Jonathan, added, as Day Jonathan was gone again.

Darkness had fallen, and Thorn woke up. She sat up in bed, and we kissed as the sheet fell away from her body revealing her perfect form.

“It will be a good night; I can sense it,” she said, and padded off to the shower room to get ready.

I switched on the news as Thorn showered. It played in the background, and I considered if I would be on the news in a couple of nights after our visit. Thorn came back and dressed to get attention on the tour of the city, short tartan kilt skirt, white high heels and tiny white crop top. I went to ask her if she was really going out dressed like that, when she looked at me with her eyebrows raised.

“Yes I am.”

I hated it when she read my mind.

Thorn insisted I wore my new clothes, designer blue pre-roughed up jeans, Ducati retro 50s black leather jacket, grey tight surfing t-shirt and brown suede boots. I felt good in the new clothes, and as a couple, we were an unusual sight with Thorn dressed as if on a night out clubbing. She was obviously a lot older than I was, more than people realised. In fact, she was older than everyone. I looked like her young toy boy. I could tell by the hotel staff’s reaction and snippets of their thoughts, they assumed I had lots of money to have a woman like Thorn. They were surprised as she paid for the room and the food in the restaurant using her special Platinum credit card. They spoke to Thorn with deference and respect on their return, previously having almost ignored her because of her dress and assuming I was the one with money. A couple of them gathered in a corner and looked over at us, as I finished off my steak and chips before we left to explore.

Thorn smiled and looked at me.

“They can’t decide on our relationship. They thought I was some sort of trophy girlfriend. Now they think I am a sugar mummy, corrupting some poor young boy,” she laughed.

“You are, aren’t you,” I laughed back.

Thorn frowned at me for a moment, and I froze with panic at my joke gone wrong.

“Yes I am!” she said and laughed again as she knocked back her Vodka and Tonic.

We drove to my old house in the quiet cul-de-sac I had lived for all my life prior to London. The windows were still boarded with fresh red writing, “Run Grass.” The For Sale sign looked battered and wasted as long as the attacks continued. Dad hadn’t been able to sell the house and it was causing him financial issues with a mortgage and rent to pay. I remembered all the years I spent in the house just Dad and I. It was better when I was younger, as we had live-in help to look after me. Dad decided I was old enough at fourteen years old to take myself to school and home, and to look after myself while he worked. The last few years were lonely. Giles helped me through it as my best friend, and I had abandoned him at his time of need. I remembered the happy times, learning to ride my bike and playing in the back garden. And I remembered the bad times, living in fear after the accident and even before then as a home alone fourteen-year-old. Dad devoted himself to work when I reached fourteen by taking on his new night time project, which I guessed was connected to Thorn but she had always been based in London. His work was still a mystery, and I would like to get some answers someday. I explained it all to Thorn as we sat outside, and she soaked it in looking at the house and reliving my memories as I played them out in my mind.

We drove on to my old school, “St Teresa’s,” and I stood by the front gates looking at the names and faces scratched into the red letters. I took out a permanent black marker and wrote on the square railings on the gate.

“Jonathan Harper returned” and added in the date next to it.

I hoped someone would see it upon returning to school and it would be a talking point. I looked through the gates into the courtyard and the road snaking round the side to the car park at the back. My memory relived finding Giles surrounded by the O’Keefe’s gang and the look of fear on his face, his eyes bulging looking for salvation. I remembered Liam scaring me off, a punch in the stomach and walking around the corner trying to justify my cowardice. I imagined how different life would have been if I hadn’t have been scared off but stood my ground and tried to help. Or if one of the teachers, like Mr. May, or one of the parents had done something other than look away. May be the car accident could have been avoided, and Giles and I would still be friends. I may have still been living in Leeds but could have still been living in fear. Maybe I was better off that it did all happen, else I would have never met Thorn but I never would have been mugged by Barry and betrayed by Scarlett either. Yet, there were no guarantees life would have been better in Leeds or London. I knew I had to make the best of my present situation. Yet, I still wanted revenge on all those that had done me wrong; Barry, O’Keefes, Mr May and Scarlett. I would have revenge on all of them. Yes even Scarlett had to answer for betraying me, just as I would need to answer to Giles. As the weeks had worn on, and I lived more of my life as Night Jonathan, my
 
desire for revenge had become stronger.