Blood Hunter (The Grandor Descendant Series) (8 page)

“I know the Grandor constellation is a long shot,” said Ragon, “but what else have we got to go off? Ari can’t just be a witch; witches don’t perform magic instinctually, they use spells and incantations. Ari just has to throw her hands into the air and she can stop time.”

“That’s true,” said Thomas, touching his hand to his chin. “There is a chance that Mary Grandor was mistakenly prosecuted for being a witch. She might have had the same magic as Ari and the church simply found out about it. I mean, it’s not like every woman who was burnt alive was magical. A hell of a lot of people were killed for no reason, other than fear and ignorance.”

“I can’t believe you, of all people, would admit that,” said Clyde, staring at Thomas in admiration.

“I’m willing to admit when my religion has made a mistake,” Thomas replied.  

“Well, I think we should go to the Pasteur Institute,” said Sandra.

Deafening silence followed this statement; it was so long that Ari opened her eyes, thinking that in her sorrowful state, she had inadvertently stopped time. Every one of the coven members were staring at Sandra, blinking in disbelief, while Ari just looked confused. What the hell was the Pasteur Institute and what did it have to do with finding out what she could do? 

“I think we need to talk about what’s wrong with you and why you are acting so-” Clyde began to say, but Thomas leapt up and stood protectively in front of Sandra. “Oh come on Thomas; surely you have noticed the change in her,” Clyde added, but Thomas shook his head and Clyde fell silent.

“And what will we find at the Pasteur Institute that we can’t find here?” asked Ragon.

“It’s a university in Britain… with the largest vampire library-” Sandra began to say.

“-I’m well aware of what it is,” Ragon said quickly, “but I still don’t see why we should go there.”

“Well, we can’t find out from Ari’s relatives why she is on the Ancients hit list; where else are we supposed to look?” asked Sandra. “The chronicles there have details about almost every legend since the dawn of vampires. Don’t you think that out of everywhere, if there is going to be mention of the ability of human’s to resist our lull, it would be there?”

“Excuse me?” asked Ari, unsure if she had been following the conversation correctly. “There is a university for vampires?”

“Yea, the Pasteur Institute has some of the oldest records on vampires; besides, there might also be a document that explains this Grandor constellation as well,” explained Sandra. “Or were you thinking we’d just ask the Ancients why they want Ari dead? Or maybe we could catch up with some witches and ask if they know if Ari’s one… seeing as they
love
vampires so much!”

“Vampires at university,” Ari said surprised, siting back on the bar stool. “Are there um, humans there too?”

“Yea, it’s mixed,” Clyde said indifferently.

“I don’t know,” said Ragon, more to himself than anyone else. “The Institute is full of vampires. That’s not exactly the best place for Ari to be right now.”

Ari turned to face him incredulously. How could Ragon be second guessing this solution? If there was a vampire library, full of detailed historical records, then it made perfect sense for them to go there next. Sandra was right; Ari didn’t have any living relatives. No one would be able to tell her why she could do the things she could. But on the other hand, vampires had existed for thousands of years; if there was going to be any record on what Ari could do, or any mention of the truth behind the Grandor constellation, then this vampire university was the best place to start. And it wasn’t just the thought of discovering the truth about her powers; maybe Ari and the coven could stay there for a while. If this university was in Britain, that would mean that Ragon would be able to walk around during the day. What if Ari could continue her studies with Ragon by her side?

Prior to meeting Ragon, Ari had been in the third year of a bachelor of veterinary science at the University of Brisbane. When Kiara had tried to kill her, she’d had to discontinue her studies, something which never sat well with her. Being a vet and caring for animals, was the only thing that Ari thought she would be good at. Admittedly her future career was the last thing on her mind right now, but she had tried so hard to get into the vet, and then studied so vigilantly to keep up with the course work. The thought of just giving up on her dream job felt horrible. But what if she could go back to university? Maybe she didn’t have to remain hidden to be with Ragon… maybe she could have some semblance of a normal life.

“But don’t you see? We could find out more about this legend, and like Sandra said, where else will we find mention of the ability of humans to resist vampire lull?” Ari said excitedly. “I mean, where else are we going to find out more? I’m open to suggestions.”

“Perhaps you could ask this google again,” Clyde suggested sarcastically, and Ari frowned.

“And what happens when the Ancients realise that we are using their library?” asked Patrick, jumping across the bar and pouring himself and Ryder a pint of amber coloured beer. “Do you think they will just let us peruse the books at our leisure?”

“Victoria is the Elder there,” said Thomas, and both Sandra and Ragon looked up at him in surprise.

“Victoria?” asked Ari.

Thomas ignored her and added, “If I tell her not to, she won’t mention our presence to anyone, least of all the Ancients. We could use the library without them ever knowing that we’re there. It’s not like any of the other vamps will be suspicious, I mean, it’s a university for vampires, and we are vampires!”

It looked as if Ragon was going to argue, but seeing Ari’s hopeful expression, his own face lightened and he said, “I suppose we don’t have any other choice.”

Ari nodded gleefully; in the back of her mind was the thought of continuing her studies at this Pasteur Institute. She didn’t dare mention this to Ragon, but allowed herself to be filled with hope; she would not give up on a chance at a normal life, no matter who wanted her dead.    

“So I guess were going back to Uni?” Clyde said excitedly. “God I’ve missed cheerleaders.”

Chapter 4- The Pasteur Institute

The very next evening, on the first day of January, the Coven left the Sleepy Rabbit Inn, destined for the barge which would take them to the Pasteur Institute. Clyde had commandeered the bartender’s car, an old van which looked as if it had been made in the mid 1900’s.

“I’ll make sure he’s compensated,” Ragon assured Ari, when she looked sceptically at the keys Clyde jingled in front of her.

Ari scoffed; it seemed all Ragon did lately was compensate people; first Bert, then Bramond, and now the barman.

As they drove along the near deserted streets, Ari glanced around at the whimsical scenery of inland England. It was a cold day; the countryside was dotted with conifers, while a thick mist spilled onto the bitchermen and obscured the road from sight. Slowly the scenery blurred from a country setting, until the rolling hills revealed what was unmistakably the sea, bringing with it a salty aroma. Before long they had pulled up to a large docking area; an enormous sign above the ramp read ‘Heysham Ferry.’ The group had clambered out of the van and idled down the wooden dock, at the end of which a large ferry sat expectantly. 

“So where exactly is this Pasteur Institution?” asked Ari, as she made her way onto the ferry with the rest of the coven.

“It’s a secret building hidden under sea,” said Clyde, failing to hide his smile. “You might have heard of it… I believe the human’s refer to it as Atlantis. You won’t have a problem, holding your breath… indefinitely?”

“Huh?” Ari asked, sure Clyde was joking.

“Clyde is being stupid. It’s on the Isle of Man,” said Patrick, before moving to an undercover area on the second level of the barge.

Ari shook her head and followed the coven onto the barge. The ferry itself was enormous, with many cars crammed onto it, all destined for any one of the several British Isles. The eerie fog that spilled from the forest had stayed with them to the coastline. Now it crept along the water like an unyielding blanket. The fog made it impossible for Ari to see anything at all, so that when the barge’s enormous engines finally started, it appeared as if they were floating above a giant, grey satin sheet.

Only Ari and Ryder remained outside. The pair stood at the helm of the boat, watching its progress through the treacherous sea. Ari glanced up at the rest of the coven, whose silhouettes were discernible from inside the cabin above. She could just make out Ragon and Patrick; they kept glancing down, apparently wanting to keep an eye on them. It wasn’t too difficult for Ari to guess why they should appear so concerned; though Ryder had shown great mastery of his vampiric urges around Ariana, he was still a fledgling, having only been turned into a vampire in the last few months.

“Ryder,” Ari said suddenly, turning to face him, “Can I ask you a question?” Ryder nodded and so she added, “What’s it like?”

Though it was clear that being immortal suited Ryder, Ari had known him when he was just a regular boy. Ari had been fostered by his parents, and at one point had even been hopeful that he might become her brother, but his parents had returned her to the orphanage when she had been in the tenth grade. It was only recently that Ryder had become part of her life again. She could still remember when Ryder had been mortal, how his skin had been a pale pallor; now it was like smooth marble, and no longer did he look sickly from all the hours he spent indoors, but handsome. His eyes, which had previously been a vivid shade of blue and lined by dark purpling bags, were now bright and youthful, and he held himself with a grace that was in his mortal days, entirely uncharacteristic of him. Apart from being a fledgling, Ryder was also gay. If it weren’t for his infatuation with Patrick, Ari guessed he might have been able to have any guy he chose. Immortality had a way of smoothing out the creases so that all vampires were irresistible.

“Oh muffin, I was wondering when you would ask me. Well, it’s different to what I expected, being a vampire, kind of like I am discovering everything for the first time. I didn’t realise it until recently, you know, when I started to get on top of the cravings, but there were so many things I was missing out on, but now…” he said, opening his eyes wider as he looked out across the sea, “it’s like I can see everything. It’s hard to explain, like being a human means that you can’t really understand. But I feel everything more, like the difference between watching a movie in black and white versus colour.”

For a moment Ryder’s eyes strained to see out over the ocean, and though Ari could see naught but grey swirls of sea, the way his eyes had lit up, made her feel as though he was looking at something wondrous, and she pictured him spying a colourful montage of marine life, or perhaps seabirds soaring through the sky. 

“And the cravings?” asked Ari.

“They’re still there, but they lessen all the time. When it first happened, I use to think that all I wanted was to sit and feed, but Patrick taught me that we aren’t only about taking life. He reckons I have mastered the fledgling blood thirst pretty well. He was surprised that I was able to be near you so quickly after my transformation. I mean, I only tried to kill you that one time.” 

“Are you as strong as them?” Ari wondered out loud, ignoring his last comment.  

“No, I can’t command human will yet and the others are most defiantly more physically capable than I am. The older you are the stronger you get, except of course if you become a blood hunter, but that’s kind of like cheating.”

“So you have no regrets; nothing? Do you think about your old life… your parents?”

For a second Ryder faltered. Immortality came at a great price and Ari wondered, were he able to, if Ryder would go back and undo what he had become?

“It’s not like I have forgotten my parents,” he said. “I can picture them and being happy with them, but sometimes I feel their memory slipping away, as if that life was all just a dream. I don’t so much regret it, as I fear it… forgetting them and the people I loved before.”

Ari couldn’t help but feel saddened at these words. Was that one of the consequences of becoming a vampire; forgetting who you were and supressing mortal memories so as to make way for immortal ones? Perhaps it helped with the acceptance of taking lives? The desire to kill and drink blood was so opposite to everything human. Pondering this, Ari thought about Sandra; she had changed so much in such a short time, all because she had lost Larissa. Had she lost her humanity too?   

“It kind of feels like being reborn,” Ryder added, dragging Ari from her thoughts, “like everything before I became a vampire was just a story that I read.”

“Have you spoken to your mum and dad since?”

She knew the relationship between Ryder’s parents had not been perfect, especially since he had come out of the closet, but she couldn’t imagine that they would just let their only son disappear from their lives without so much as a phone call.

“I told them that I was travelling overseas,” he said indifferently. “Patrick made me call them on our way over here so that they wouldn’t worry.”

“That’s not exactly a long term solution.”  

Ryder shrugged and added, “Patrick says that in a few years we will stage my death. Apparently it is the most common way that vampires disappear, so that family and friends don’t search for you.”

“But… how?”

“I gather it’s not that difficult. Pat said that when a fledgling is ready to
die
, they request in their will that they are buried in a cemetery and then just wait and leave after the burial. He said that most vamps set up a trust fund that is in their family name and that way they can still keep their possessions,” he explained, “otherwise they leave everything to their maker and then get it from them later.”  

Ari felt her mouth open involuntarily in horror. How could Ryder be so indifferent at planning his own funeral?

“But, won’t you be sad?” she asked.

“I won’t really be dead Ari,” he said, a small gleeful smile sweeping across his handsome face.

“No, I mean sad because you can’t see your parents anymore.”

For the first time Ryder seemed to understand her; there was a shadow darkening his eyes that reminded her of the boy she had spent so many months with when she was a child.

He looked at her, his blue eyes meeting hers and said, “Patrick says that when he was turned he had lost all of his family. That was the only reason he wanted to become a vampire. I think that is why he didn’t turn me right away. After the first night I met him, I asked him to turn me. But he made me wait; told me that I had to be sure what I would be giving up. He said he didn’t care that it would be breaking the Final Death Laws or possibly angering Nickolas and William; he just wanted me to be certain. I don’t think he understood why I would want to give up my family to become a vampire.”

“What?” asked Ari, recalling the way she had been angered with Patrick, thinking that he had lulled Ryder and forced him to become a vampire.

“Yea,” said Ryder, “he said that when he met his maker, Mark, that he would never have agreed to become a vampire if his family were still there. They were his rock. But when they died he had nothing left to hang onto, so he decided to take up Mark’s offer and become a vamp.”   

Ari let these words sink in. Even after hearing Ryder’s explanation, she still couldn’t imagine what being a vampire was truly like. How could you forget who your parents were, or stop caring for your loved ones? Though she had no memories of her mum and dad, she still fantasied about what they would have been like. Ryder had got to spend more than twenty years with his family, but after only a few months with Patrick, he was ready to let them go.

For a long time Ari remained outside, even when Ryder had left. She was watching the barge’s progression through the sea. It felt oddly calming looking at the grey ocean; it gave her a sense of peace despite the anticipation that had been with her since discovering that none of her relatives were alive. More than being curious about the fact that she was the last living descendant of Mary Grandor, Ari felt sad. It was yet another reminder that she was alone.  

“We’ll be there soon. What were you and Ryder chatting about?” asked Ragon, startling Ari as he made his way towards her.

“Just stuff,” said Ari.

“Are you ok?” asked Ragon, his hand finding hers as he grasper her cold fingers.

“Yea, fine.”

“You know,” he said, turning to look out at the water, “it’s ok if you’re not.”

“Not what?”

“Not ok,” he replied.

Ari’s head dropped at these words. Was she ok? No, no she wasn’t. Larissa was dead, the Ancients were after her, and she had discovered that she was related to a witch who had been burnt at the stake almost four hundred years ago. It defiantly wasn’t normal dramas she had on her hands. But she didn’t want to think about any of that right now.

“Have you been there before?” she asked, hoping to change the subject.

“To the Pasteur Institute; yes many years ago.”

“What’s it like?” she asked.

“Just like any university, except for all the vampires.”

“Yea, a vampire student body would tend to make it fairly unique,” she said sarcastically. “I wonder what type of clubs they have, probably not the usual football and volleyball teams. So, why is it called the Pasteur Institute?”

Their conversation felt oddly formal. Ari knew, deep down, that she was distancing her true feelings from Ragon, afraid that he would overreact if he knew how she really felt about everything they had discovered. It felt wrong hiding her emotions from him, especially after everything they had been though together, but she didn’t want him to think that she couldn’t handle going to the Pasteur Institute. It might be the only place for them to the find answers.

“It’s named after its founder, Louie Pasteur,” replied Ragon. “Perhaps you have heard of him?”

Ari cocked her head to one side; who hadn’t heard of Louie Pasteur.

“He was a vampire,” Ragon admitted.

“What?”

“Actually, had it not been for him, the entire vampire race might have been extinguished a couple of hundred years ago,” he explained.

“Go on,” said Ari, appreciating the change in topic.

“A few centuries ago, there was a huge vampire hunt. With the growing human population, many fledglings were made, and their inability to hide our existence forced us into the open. The humans could hardly ignore all the attacks on mortals and so we were hunted like dogs. It is from that time that many of the vampire legends were born. Louie Pasteur, who was a vampire, created the rabies virus from an extract of the vampire toxin. It mimicked many of our traits, making humans nocturnal, behave aggressively… even bite others. He then formulated the rabies vaccine and suddenly the hysteria was silenced, being blamed on a disease of the nervous system transmitted by animals rather than vampires. He went on to create the Pasteur Institute, where he made both the virus and the vaccine in mass quantities. It’s because of him that vampires are a thing of legends, seen mainly in Hollywood or romance novels.”