B007XKEWAE EBOK (2 page)

Gabriella shook the vampire's hands from her body and ran forwards away from her up to the altar. She came to a stop by the font filled with holy water. Father Eduardo had baptised the Soprano boy, Beppe, with water from this very font just a few days before. She reached down with shaking hands and splashed the liquid over herself.

The compelling female vampire sauntered up the aisle. "Now what do you think you are doing?" she asked. "You are a foolish one. Your God will not save you from me."

Tears formed in the corners of her eyes and streamed down Gabriella's face. She could say nothing back to the creature. Before she could allow herself to freeze up again Gabriella scooped up a double handful of the holy water and flung it into the vampire's face.

Water splashed a face of gruesome fangs and angled brow. In her vampiric visage the beast was a sight terrible to behold, but in her human form she was possessed of a classical beauty.

It was in the human form, with luxuriant straight dark hair and finely sculptured features that she had first approached Gabriella. Her flawless skin had looked strangely pale but Gabriella was quick to dismiss it as a trick of the light or her own eyes.

The holy water splashed against the creature's face and the vampire turned away bringing her hands, with long black fingernails, up to protect herself. The vampire moaned in pain and Gabriella felt hope stir inside herself again. The demon
could
be defeated.

Gabriella wasn't brave, or stupid, enough to stay and face the creature. The vampire was still in front of her on the aisle blocking the way to the entrance, so Gabriella ran between the seats to the side and ran around to the far wall to try and make her escape. The rain came down across the open church doors in a waterfall as the deluge outside continued.

Gabriella couldn't help herself. She took a last look over her shoulder at the
injured vampire. She started. There was no sign of the demon.

She turned her head to face forward and was staring directly at vicious fangs. Slender hands with claw-like talons grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and the vampire looked her up and down. Struggling against the vicelike grip Gabriella watched in fascination as the vampire's face morphed back into that of a beautiful woman. Mesmerising chocolate eyes gazed into her own and Gabriella was captivated.

"I told you, girl. Those things cannot harm me," the vampire spoke softly, as though to sooth a skittish animal.

The vampire removed her hands from Gabriella’s shoulders leaving only the tip of a single finger on the maiden's person. Gabriella’s heart was pounding
beneath her breast urging her to fly but her body was a prison for itself. Slowly, provocatively, the vampire moved her fingertip to Gabriella's neck. The vampire walked around so that she was standing in front of her and leaned forwards. Gabriella’s eyes were pulled inexorably downwards and she found herself staring down the front of the vampire's dress. Her gaze locked on porcelain globes. The sight was blocked as the vampire lowered her mouth to Gabriella's throat.

Gabriella let out a sharp gasp as she felt the vampire's tongue taste her flesh. The demon planted velvety kisses around her neck. Gabriella felt herself melting as the vampire's cool breath washed over her own breast.

Placing her hands behind Gabriella's back the demon felt for the clasps
holding the young woman's dress in position. As she undid her clothing the vampire planted kisses on her skin as it became exposed. The dress was left to fall in a puddle on the floor, the vampire stopped kissing at Gabriella's navel and ran her tongue up her body as she stood.

Though her body was now fully exposed to the frigid atmosphere she didn't feel cold. Pulsing just below the surface of her skin her blood ran hotter in her veins than it had ever done before. She closed her eyes to slits and let little moans of pleasure escape her mouth as the demon explored Gabriella's naked person with cool hands and her darting tongue. Gabriella had goose bumps covering her flesh and shivered with excitement, not cold. She opened her eyes and saw the portrait of the holy
mother staring judgmentally down on her. Gabriella felt no guilt at taking pleasure in such unholy sins of the flesh in the sacred place, instead she surrendered fully to let herself be drawn up in the moment.

The vampire stepped away and shed her own coverings. Their nude bodies pressed together with hands roaming as the vampire lowered her mouth again to Gabriella's neck. This time there was a sharp stab of pain as the demon sank her needle point ivory teeth into her skin. She closed her eyes as waves of ecstasy coursed through her body as her blood was drained from her.

When the storm of pleasure had passed Gabriella opened her eyes feeling a little light headed. She caught a glimpse as the vampire transformed her
features back to those of a human woman. The vampire used a sharp nail to cut a line across the skin over her chest. Blood oozed out and stained her white skin.

"Drink and become like me," the vampire commanded. "We can be together for eternity."

Gabriella lowered her own head eagerly and feasted on the blood.

Fulton Hawke reached into the inside pocket of his long black leather coat to pull out his mobile phone. It was one of those where the cover popped open at the touch of a button. He had wanted one of those where the cover
shot open like they had had in the Matrix but they were a little outside his price range. That film was the influence for the long black coat he had on to protect himself from the wintery weather. He also had a pair of dark sunglasses to complete the look but had left those at home. Even if it hadn't been raining, wearing them at night would have made him look like a right poser. Only celebrities would attempt that one and few enough of those would have been able to pull it off.

He used the phone to call the taxi company to ask them where the hell his ride had gotten to. It was new years eve nineteen ninety-nine, the dawn of a new millenium and he was supposed to be going out with a few friends. The person in the taxi office apologised for the delay
but asked him to be understanding since this was a busy night for them.

The rain, which had started as a light drizzle, pelted down harder. Fulton pulled his coat around himself and backed under the branches of a tree overhanging the street. He was beginning to wish that he had arranged for the taxi to collect him from home. His parents were having a party at his house. Along with their work friends were a number of his relatives, a couple of grandparents and some aunts and uncles. His twin younger sisters, only just two years old had been asleep upstairs when he'd left. His parents had had a fight on their hands to get the inquisitive youngsters to bed when the twins wanted to be involved in what was going on downstairs.

If he crossed the street and looked to the right and up the road he would be able to see the well lit house. People were probably already spilling out onto the garden and the lighted garage. His mother had banned people from smoking inside the house. Though when she had several drinks inside her the rules would likely go out of the window.

Down in the opposite direction there was a small street party also already in progress. Tables holding bottles and cans of alcohol and soft drinks were set out in such a manner as to prevent any traffic going down the road. Revellers continued to party, not seeming to notice the rain in their jovial mood. Someone had their car stereo up at full power to provide music for the group. The headlights of three others provided the
illumination. The shindig was going strong despite the fact that there were still more than three hours to go before the magical hour arrived. Fulton guessed that at least a quarter of those present would be too drunk to make it properly until midnight. They wouldn't remember it the day after.

By the time the taxi eventually arrived Fulton was pretty much drenched. He had to sit up in the front with the driver because some drunk who had started partying way too early had thrown up all over the back seat. So they were driving with the windows wound fully down in a futile attempt to escape the stench. Thus the car was as cold as the outside, and rain continued to pelt him. Added to the redolent aroma of almost fresh vomit that continued to assault him
from the rear seat, and the night had
not
got off to a good start.

Fulton wasn't in the mood for the idle chitchat that the driver offered. He gave only a series of noncommittal grunts in reply to the man's questions and comments.

The roads into Sheffield were relatively quiet. A lot of people must have decided to stay at home, like his parents, rather that pay the inflated prices that were all one could find on 'millennium eve.'

A little over two hours later, Fulton and his three friends left the restaurant to find a club or some other location to see in the New Year. Karl Jackson said he knew somewhere for the quartet to go and he led the other three youths through
the city. Loads of others were wandering the streets in party hats or with hair covered in streamers. Parties were spilling out onto the road all over the place. Keeping watch on the jollity's was a visible police presence. Fulton and Karl along with their other friend Lewis Clarke had had a bit to drink with their meal but were nowhere close to intoxication and calmed their behaviour when they passed the coppers. Dylan Brown, the fourth member of the group, was a different matter. He hadn't had any more to drink than his companions but Fulton thought he might be on something else as well. Something a little less legal.

His three friends had tried to talk with him about his growing problems but Dylan was definitely on a steep downward spiral. But tonight was about
having fun, it wasn’t the time or place for a well-intentioned intervention.

They arrived at the club only to turn right around when they saw what the admission charge was. Everyone had gone money mad. The price of their food had been higher than normal but nothing as extortionate as the people running the club were tying to get away with. In the end Fulton and his three friends decided to try elsewhere.

"We should have planned this better." Fulton said as they walked the streets.

"Never mind." Lewis said. "Just keep walking until you see a party then we get ourselves some invites."

"What about that square we passed on the way here? The one with the fountains, there were plenty of people
there, some good looking lasses. We can start a street party." Karl said.

Fulton and Lewis both agreed to the proposal. Dylan took another moment before nodding as well.

The square was already heaving with people when they got there and a party was well under way. The four young men quickly involved themselves in the fun and mingled with the crowd. Dylan took himself over to one of the fountains and dipped his head in the water. Fulton went over and sat by him soon followed by Lewis and Karl. Lewis looking a little distraught as Karl stole him away from a conversation with a petite blonde girl in a body hugging outfit.

"You all right?" Fulton asked.

"I just needed a drink of water," Dylan said springing up looking freshly energised. "Let's party."

Fulton wasn't sure whether Dylan had just taken anything that they suspected he might be into, but now was not the time to talk about it.

Lewis went back to chatting up the blonde girl and the other three joined the mass of revellers.

It was about a half-hour before midnight when Fulton came across Francesca. Well, he didn't find her, she found him. Fulton felt a hand on his shoulder and when he turned around he was gazing at perhaps the most astounding woman he had ever seen. It wasn't just the drink or the atmosphere that made her seem so attractive. There was something else about her. He
couldn't have said what it was if anyone asked him to describe it, but it was definitely there.

She was a vision in scarlet. With shoulder length ebony hair framing her perfect features. She looked a little pale in the light from lamps around the fountains, but so did everyone who was illuminated by them. She wore a full length red dress that, while quite conservatively cut, couldn't disguise her sensational figure. She did not look cold wearing just that dress despite the frigid air. Absently Fulton wondered whether she had some sort of coat to wear if the rain started to come down again.

They had been chatting and dancing together for a short while when Francesca asked Fulton to walk her to her flat just off the square to collect a
jacket. Fulton agreed and was teased by his friends when they saw him.

"You're in there," Karl said giving Francesca a lingering look.

Francesca took Fulton's hand and led him away from the frivolities towards a block of flats. He followed along more than willingly and they entered the building. The block was in a good state of repair which quite surprising Fulton. Although he couldn't imagine someone like Francesca living anywhere decrepit. But he couldn't really imagine her living here. She seemed like a woman with a certain amount of class, used to living somewhere more upmarket. Unbidden came the image of Francesca as some sort of old fashioned aristocracy who had deigned to mix with the peasants, the
vision seemed to fit though she didn't seem stuck up in any way. 

They stopped outside the lift and Francesca pressed the call button. Her nails were long and shiny reflecting a distorted image of the lobby on their surface, they were painted the same vibrant colour as her dress and matched her full lips.