Chapter 18 – Luke
The waning half-moon sheds an eerie, patchy light through the remaining clouds on the dirt road ahead of me and Kurt as we walk back toward the mortuary together. Mud clings to my boots and speckles the bottom of Kurt’s black trench coat, but I wish rain still crashed down in sheets around us. The sound of rain has always helped me think.
“When all is said and done, if you help me pull this off, you and Jake will be my right-hand men.” I smirk and puff out my chest. “Fuck the Academy.”
“To our new partnership.” Kurt makes the sign of the cross and then kisses his silver chain for a quick blessing. “Amen.”
“Feels good to be working with like-minded individuals for once. Ivan was great but narrow-minded and shortsighted. With the kind of power he had, he could have done a lot more good.”
“You think he would have killed Aurelius by now if he listened to you more?”
I shrug. “It’s hard to say. I don’t want to presume. I do think if he did, we wouldn’t have fucked up the Monroe gig.”
My hand automatically drifts to my pocket, thinking of Lorianna. I should text her and let her know I’m on my way over. I pull my phone out of my pocket, but the iPhone case is covered in teal and pink flowers. For a moment, I can only stare at the device. I forgot I had this.
Kurt snickers. “Since when are you into flowery girly shit?”
“It’s not mine,” I murmur. “It’s Lorianna Monroe’s.”
“That chick you were banging? Gilbert Monroe’s daughter? Oh fuck, I bet there’s loads of useful intel on that phone. Have you hacked into it yet?”
I shake my head, not saying anything because if I do, it will be to bite his head off for talking about Lorianna like she’s another easy target I got to sheath my dick in for a few weeks while on a mission. He doesn’t know any better.
“Jake could have that unlocked in a few hours, man.” He reaches for the phone, his fingers locking around the screen. “If you let me pass it on to him—”
My possessive instincts rear their head, and I snatch the phone away and shove it back in my pocket. There will be a lot of info on her phone that I don’t want any other man to see but me. I can think of a few racy photos she’s sent me, for example, that are definitely for my fucking eyes only and should stay as far as possible from Kurt’s and Jake’s fap bank.
“No need. I have something better.” Grinning, I lean in closer to Kurt. “Don’t tell anyone, but Lorianna is my girl now. Whatever we need, she’ll help us with.”
“For real? Bro, shit, and I was just trashing on her like she was just some fuckin’ hoe. Sorry man. She must be a lot more than some sweet pussy if you’d risk getting in shit with the Academy over her.”
“Lorianna is inspiring. Innocent and na?ve maybe, but she’s so full of fucking sunshine that she could make a grown-ass man cry. She’s suffered a lot since I met her because of her father’s mistakes, but she’s strong and kindhearted and, if anything, only burns brighter because of all the hardship.” I pause for a beat as I take in the look of surprise on Kurt’s face before adding with a smirk, “Don’t ask me what she’s like in bed. Don’t you dare.”
Kurt laughs, shaking his head. “Bet she doesn’t put up with your shit either. You’ve got it bad, bro.”
Whenever I’m with Lorianna, she doesn’t have to say anything to make me feel better. She can clasp her hand in mine, offer me a warm smile, or just exist in the same space as me. It’s hard to articulate the depth of our bond; she’s a balm to my battle-scarred soul.
There’s never been a woman I’ve simultaneously wanted to fuck since the moment I first looked at her and have been afraid to go all the way with. Until Lorianna, I mostly thought of sex as just sex. Give and take, pleasure for both parties, everyone’s happy. But with Lorianna, every intimate moment is filled with so much love that waiting has never been a real issue for me. I want it to be special not just for me but for her, too, and that includes every step of the way there.
“Yeah,” I mutter. “I really do. I’m a lovesick idiot because of her.”
“Have you thought about what’s going to happen when—”
A woman’s blood-curdling scream pierces the night, and my blood runs cold. That can’t be her, can it? I’m imagining things. I was listening to reruns of Lorianna’s laughter in my head, so my mind extrapolated those sounds to trigger a stronger fear response.
Kurt and I whirl around, but he points off to our left, onto a road veering off into the trees closer to the mortuary. “It came from that way. Come on.”
We bolt in that direction, my heart hammering against my ribcage with every step. When we break through the tree line, I catch a glimpse of a woman running between the rows of ancient gravestones, honey-brown hair flowing around her as she waves a long, sharp branch at the four creatures stalking in her direction. Two of the monstrosities lumber toward her, hissing and growling, while the other two skitter after her on all fours.
“Vampire spawn,” Kurt spits out, grabbing a hunting knife from a sheath inside his trench coat. “Wish I had my crossbow.”
I only have a knife on me, too, but I’d rather rely on hand-to-hand combat and bring out the blade strapped to my leg when I need it. Blood pumps through me, my whole body rearing for a fight. We’re closing the distance between us, the monsters, and the woman as fast as we can. We reach the edge of the graveyard just as she reaches the mausoleum.
The woman hurries up the steps of the old mausoleum, but she trips and falls, striking her chin on the stone. The stick she was defending herself with goes flying down to the bottom, where the first creatures are already catching up to her.
She lifts her head, staring down at the monsters in a daze. Terror darkens Lorianna’s face, and my heart.
“LORIANNA!”
Across the distance, her stormy eyes reflect as azure puddles beneath the night sky. Fear radiates off her body like steam from a boiling pot, which only makes her a more attractive target to the vampires chasing her. When her gaze finally meets mine, her eyes glimmer with hope. “Luke!”
“Shit, that’s your girl? Hope those vamps don’t claw off her pretty face.”
“Fuck you, Kurt, just kill them!” I snarl and push my body to the limit, racing toward Lorianna in another burst of speed.
The spawns’ hungry growls echo in the night as their claws extend in Lorianna’s direction. The taller spawns walking on two legs are still humanoid, dressed in the tattered clothes of the humans who died at the hands of a stronger, hungrier vampire. A man and woman, both of them faster than the ones on all fours. These two gain on Lorianna quickly while she’s downed and dazed on the mausoleum steps; there’s no way Kurt and I will make it in time.
Instinctively, I whip out the knife from its sheath on my leg. Summoning all of my strength, I heave the blade through the air and pray that it reaches its intended target. I watch in slow motion as the blade arcs gracefully toward the spot where the nearest vampire spawn will be. The blade’s deadly spiral slices through the closest vampire’s arms one after another, lopping them both off. The blade continues flying, severing one arm of the next vampire before the knife lodges into its other elbow, instantly halting their progress toward Lorianna.
The injured creatures screech into the night, flailing their stubbed arms and bleeding all over the grass before Kurt catches up to them and stabs them both through their eyes before they know what hit them. I throw myself between the remaining two monsters and Lorianna.
These two crawl around on all fours like animals, but they’re more dangerous than the two Kurt and I just took down. Their eyes gleam with a hint of intelligence only gained after they’ve consumed human blood. They stalk toward me and their intended prey, making guttural sounds that show they’re not backing down yet.
I glance behind me, eyes skittering across Lorianna’s shaking form. Mud covers her knees and hands, but I don’t see any blood. “Babe, are you hurt?”
She shakes her head rapidly.
My pulse slows a beat. She’s safe, she’s fine. I can think clearer and move quicker knowing that.
“Sit tight and let me clean up this mess,” I say as I turn away from her, raising my fists toward the last two vampire spawns. “Shouldn’t take more than a minute.”
The last two vampires are more monstrous, their bodies warped into animalistic shapes that are still reminiscent of human features. Thick hair grows down their scalps in a mane, covering most of their backs and chests, and torn rags hang around their waists to conceal the rest of their lower bodies. Their arms and legs bulge with enormous muscles pulsing with black veins, and they snarl at me and Kurt with their long fangs covered in steaming drool. A foul, metallic odor perfumes the night air around them.
“Hunterrrsssss,” one snaps. “More mealsss.”
“Yeah, right,” Kurt laughs and lashes out with his knife, slicing toward the back of one beast, but it’s quick enough to move out of the way.
These two vampire spawns are bigger and badder than us, not the type I’d usually challenge to a fist-fight. But my knife is buried somewhere in the gore of their dead companions, so my fists are all I have.
I settle my feet and fists into a defensive stance, holding the upper ground on the steps. My breathing flows into a practiced rhythm, and my body snaps to attention when the vampire makes its first move, swinging a claw-like hand toward me. I slide my feet along the steps, easily shifting out of the way, then retaliating with a punch to its now vulnerable stomach before it has a chance to recover.
My fist slams into my target, and the creature howls and sways in place. Before I can press my assault, the second vampire comes arching toward me with an uppercut and gives the first one enough time to regain its composure.
I twist away from both attacks at the same time, glancing back to make sure Lorianna is still behind me before whirling around again with a roundhouse kick. The vampire catches itself just in time to move out of the way, but that’s what I was expecting. With agility born from years of martial arts training, I easily circle around the creatures, striking with quick jabs here and there at their vital organs.
One rumbles and roars and topples out of reach to recover while the second one comes at my side, its hooked claws snagging my jacket hood and throwing me off balance. The other vampire cuts at my side, once, missing, but the second lands since I’m snared in place. Hissing as the claws cut through my abdomen, I buck my shoulders and tear my jacket hood to break free before the vampire can make another go at me.
I dodge out of the way, retreating back up the stairs. Patting my injured side, blood darkens my fingers. Not much, just a scrape, but it’s enough to shoot a frustrated glare to the vampire spawn.
Kurt is crouched like a bird on top of one of the thicker tombstones, watching the fight play out with interest. The embers of his cigarette glow in the dark as he puffs up.
“What the shit, Kurt? Why aren’t you helping?” I roar at him.
He laughs. “And take away your fun? Nah, you have this handled. I wouldn’t want to interfere with your big chance to impress your girl.”
“Bastard—”
My ideal string of curses is quickly interrupted by the spawns’ renewed onslaught. Claws rip through the air, but I lean out of the way, steadying my breathing again. Balancing on my toes, I kick up and nail one vampire beneath the chin, snapping its head and neck back. It crashes to the ground, whimpering, then silence.
Kurt whoops. “Nice one, brother! Told you, you’re doing great.”
The last vampire refuses to fall so easily. We resume our balletic duet of carnage, dancing around each other as I throw attacks ingrained as muscle memory at the beast. Exhaustion begins to set in for the beast, but not me. My body is honed as a weapon just for instances like this. My stamina rivals that of professional athletes, if not surpasses them, simply because of my enhanced genetic makeup as a vampire hunter.
The last vampire releases a tired, grumbly growl.
I crack my neck. “What? Realized we weren’t easy meals after all? Come at me, motherfucker, try to take a bite!”
The creature bares its fangs, sputtering a challenge. It slams forward, but I spin out of the way, delivering a swift kick to the vampire”s midsection. Bones crack beneath the impact, and the vampire goes flying into one of the nearby tombstones, which cracks and collapses beneath its weight. It doesn’t move again.
Kurt gives a round of applause. “My fuckin’ hero!”
“Shut up, asshole.” I dust off my jacket and turn back towards Lorianna, my heart still pounding from adrenaline and victory.
“Lori—”
She jumps into my arms and wraps herself around me, burying her face in my chest with a soft whimper. My whole body breathes relief when I cocoon her into me, pressing her shaking body closer to mine. To feel her steady heartbeat is a luxury I won’t soon forget.
She lets out a quiet sob, shivering against me. “It’s okay, Lori. You’re safe now, I promise.” I soothe her with calming words as I slowly stroke her hair, taking in the scent of strawberries and wine. I squeeze her tighter at the thought of what happened to her the last time she went out drinking because of me. Shit, did we just do that all over again?
I break her heart, she goes out trying to forget, and danger from my world rains down on her while she’s vulnerable?
Since I left a note, I thought she would understand, but how much better is that compared to the curt text messages when I ditched our date that night she went to the club? She probably interpreted that the same way as before: that I didn’t care, that I didn’t want her, that I would come and go as I please and she should deal with it.
She’s right. I keep making the same mistakes and expecting different results. Time seems to stand still as I press my lips against the crown of her head, vowing to get my shit together once and for all.
Once she’s somewhat calmed down, I hold her at arm’s length to get a better look at her. Tear tracks run down her face, dried but leaving her makeup smeared down her porcelain cheekbones. Her bottom lip is swollen from anxiously biting down on it, like she’s doing now.
“What were you doing out here?” I murmur as I clear a few strands of loose hair from her face. “You’re so far from home.”
“I… I was…”
She trails off when her eyes flick upward, her whole body going motionless in my arms. Her trembles return, and I clutch her tighter to search over my shoulder, following her line of sight to the top of a larger mausoleum closer to the Academy facility.
Standing at the top of the pointed roof is the silhouette of a man. Tall, angular but muscular physique, blond hair rustling in the wind.
“You’ve escaped me this time, Lorianna, but don’t count on your vampire hunter boyfriend to be around you at all hours of the night. Their kind can’t help but sneak around and disappear when you need them most,” the husky voice calls out. I can’t see his face, but his voice sounds familiar enough to make me wary.
“A-Alex…” Lorianna murmurs.
My whole body goes rigid when I connect the name to the voice. I pull Lorianna into my chest, securing her protectively in my arms. Below, Kurt is still perched on his tombstone, but he’s switched his hunting knife for a machete that glints in the moonlight.
“Arcien,” I growl. “How dare you send your master’s spawn after Lorianna? You cower up there like a pest.”
“There’s no need to get my hands dirty when dealing with a weakling like her. It’s more fun to watch the pets play and feast.”
“You’re a fucking monster. If I ever see you again—”
Time seems to slow from one heartbeat to the next, blood pounding in my ears in the millisecond that Alex disappears from the rooftop. A fine mist swirls through the air and reforges beside me and Lorianna faster than my eyes can follow.
A silver blade jabs into my throat. I don’t fucking move. I don’t fucking breathe. One nick to the jugular, and I’ll be dead. Even Kurt’s hand has paused on his machete.
“You’ll what, hunter? Shoot me full of holy water, pierce my heart with a splinter?” Alex whispers, amusement tinging his voice. “I could grind your bones to dust. Leave you bleeding out on these steps as a meal for the next spawns lured by the scent of your blood.”
“P-please, Alex,” Lorianna murmurs.
Alex hisses but doesn’t look at her. Those angry, green eyes stay on me, threatening to pick me apart bone by bone. “Never forget that you survived this night because of my mercy, pest. Every breath you take is for my entertainment, and you will never, ever be able to protect her from me.”
His voice morphs into a mocking laugh, then his body dissolves into mist and flits away into the night. Lorianna’s knees go weak, and I have to hold her up, or we’ll both fall over, her eyes wide with terror.
I don’t know how long we’re standing there, unmoving, before Kurt bolts up the steps to join us. I’m replaying what just happened in my head again and again, but I keep reaching the same horrifying conclusion.
“Holy shit! Did that vamp just spare you?” Kurt makes the sign of the cross, warily searching the area around us for any signs of Alex, but I don’t think he’ll return. “Is it a mind fuck?”
“No, he’s gone,” Lorianna says with confidence, and then, shyly, “I mean, I-I think so.”
I stare up at the night sky, momentarily lost in my own thoughts.
“That was Alex—otherwise known as Arcien. And it seems he’s an Ancient vampire.”