The Two Vampires (34 page)

Sarah found herself
back on the stone, in the hollow, at midday following her relaxing and soothing evening of wine and funny films.

She felt rejuvenated, ready to try again.

She held the candle in front of her face and focused on the wick, while Daniel touched her temples and led her through the steps he had shown her.  She fed more tendrils of power into the wick.  She could tell they were there, taking hold, for she could see the wick was glowing gently, almost imperceptibly, but it was.

Once again she sent a spark of power to the center.  The wick flickered, then stopped.  She tried again.  Another flicker.

An image appeared at the forefront of her thoughts, sent by Daniel, his fingers still gently holding her temples.  She saw him enforce the power with a strong will and a belief that the candle would light.

She tried again.

Flame.

It sparked and grew, then it too was blown out by the wind.  She turned and wrapped her arms around Daniel, ‘Thank you,’ she said, dropping her arms to rub her head again.

Daniel kissed her temples one at a time, ‘It gets easier,’ he reassured her.

‘I hope so,’ Sarah said, as Daniel kissed her forehead and the pain dissipated, ‘but that’s some skill you have there – is that something you can teach me too?’

‘No, you already have that power over me,’ he whispered into her ear.

Sarah found herself giggling.

‘What next?’ she asked.

‘Well, do you want to have a go at animal transformations?’

‘Yes,’ she said, nodding with enthusiasm, she supposed she looked much like Megan; young, eager and excited, and she laughed at herself.

Daniel shot her an enquiring look, but she just shook her head, ‘What do I do?’ she asked.

Daniel reached forward and touched her temples and she once again felt him at the edge of her mind.  She rolled her eyes - that meant another headache coming her way.

An impression formed at the edge of her consciousness, it was amazingly clear what she had to do.  As Daniel dropped his fingers she concentrated on her core – right deep inside her heart – and felt a surge of primal energy within. 

Animal energy. 

She wanted to turn into some kind of bird.  She wanted to fly.  She searched within her own essence for the bird her soul most highly resonated with and felt a switch take place.  She went with it and felt her body turning to fluid; melting and re-phasing at once, shrinking and reforming, until she was perched, instead of sat, on the granite stone.

She looked across at Daniel, but he was no-longer there – instead a buzzard was perched at her side – fixing her with its beady dark eyes.  She looked down at her chest and wing, finding that her vision was uncompromised by the change in form; she did not possess the vision of the bird, she retained the clear sightedness of vampire.  Her chest and wing were both pure white.  She stretched out her wings and tentatively used the strong muscles there to flap a little.  Had she been human she would have laughed, for her talons had left the stone and she was in the air.  She flapped harder, until she was high enough to soar above the trees.

It was amazing.  Exhilarating.

The wind blew against her, ruffling her feathers.  She used the strength of her streamlined body to maintain balance in the air, and swooped towards earth, before putting in an extra burst of power and quickly regaining height.  She glanced to the side and saw Daniel flying towards her, then just in time he ducked and himself swooped towards the ground.  Sarah followed and landed next to Daniel on a crop of granite high on the hill overlooking their cottage.

She had an innate sense of how to turn back; she just focused once more inside her core essence and picked that of her humanity.  She found herself spinning as she grew and changed, her feathers transforming into hair, and her wings into arms, her organs and features shifting and changing in the afternoon light, and she was herself, sitting on the stone next to her handsome Daniel.

She grinned.  He returned the smile.

‘That was unbelievable,’ she said.

She had no headache.  She laughed, taking it all in, and Daniel laughed with her.

‘Shall we go home and get ready for our night out?’ she asked him as the wind whipped her hair away from her face, increasing her sense of exhilaration.

Daniel nodded, ‘Shall we fly?’ he asked.

This time Sarah nodded, and immediately reached inside to her core and felt the shift happen instantaneously – it was so easy!  She extended her wings and swooped down the valley.  In no-time at all she realized she had made it, and she landed smoothly next to the front door, resuming her normal form.

Daniel stood by her side, straightening his windswept hair.

‘You were stunning’, he said.

‘What was I?’ Sarah asked.

Daniel shrugged, ‘I’m not sure but you were beautiful, you are beautiful.  You were some kind of owl, not snowy, you were smaller and more delicate and a perfect white.’

Sarah smiled, giddy, ‘It felt amazing to fly – why didn’t you teach me sooner?’ she asked.

‘Well – you learned it a lot faster than I did!  I thought it would take ages,’ Daniel confided.

Sarah gave him a playful push, and kissed his deliciously appealing lips, ‘I’m going to go wash,’ she said, then sprinted up the stairs and had the shower on in seconds.

She was enjoying the rush, the adrenaline, the advantages of her new form – it really was such fun.  She cleaned and scrubbed, dressed and makeuped all at a supernatural speed, then returned downstairs laughing at Daniel’s wide eyed expression.  He was just uncorking a bottle of bubbly, and he let the cork slip through his fingers so it popped against the ceiling.  Both laughing Sarah stepped forward and held a glass under the flow of bubbles before they cascaded to the floor.

She waited until Daniel had poured his own then held her glass aloft, ‘Cheers,’ she said and they clinked glasses.

He stepped close and kissed her again, so she could taste the dry alcohol of the champagne on his lips.  She put her glass aside as their kiss deepened, and she soon found her clean clothes were being ripped from her, and Daniel’s from him as they started to lose themselves in their passion, lost in the adrenaline and excitement of new experience.

A surge of energy rushed through her and she pushed Daniel to the floor, his body hitting the hard tiles, and she jumped astride him.  He thrust into her and she took his wrist in her hands and while searching his eyes she sank her tingling extending teeth straight through his skin, just deep enough to draw blood, and she sucked hard while they moved together, their rhythm working as one, connecting them in pleasure and experience.

She let Daniel’s wrist go and kissed him deeply on the mouth, as he pushed her back, somehow moving without wrenching them apart, and her body hit the cold floor.  Daniel thrust into her forcefully, it would have been too much had she been human, but she embraced it, she moved at his pace, lapping up his power, and hot, hot, hot sexiness.  She kissed each part of his body she could reach, and ran her fingers over his arms, his back, bum and legs, trying to merge with him, to be as close to him as it was possible ever to be, and she felt her passion rising.  She climaxed, exploding, linking eyes with Daniel and seeing stars deep in the center of his soul.  She kissed him once more, then laid her head on the cold stone, breathing deeply, recovering, laughing softly with Daniel by her side.

Daniel jumped to
his feet, bringing Sarah up with him, still in his arms.  He caught her eye and, grinning, let her go.  He started to grab his discarded clothes and re-dress himself as he watched Sarah do the same, exchanging frequent looks, smiles and, on her part – giggles.

‘Ready to go?’ he asked when they were both finished dressing.

Sarah nodded and placed her cool hand in his, and he led her to the door.

Once outside he took a deep breath of the early evening air.  It was damp and he suspected rain was on the cards.

‘Follow me,’ he said, and gave her a quick conspiratory smile, before transforming before her eyes into a buzzard and shooting off into the sky.  She was soon by his side as a cute and beautiful owl, and he flew off in the direction of the pub he had seen the ad for.  They flew over Princetown, its uninspiring eating houses, and the large dark prison, until they found another road extending onto the moor beyond it, and after a short distance spotted a solitary pub emitting soft light in the darkness.

There were a few cars parked outside, and he guided Sarah down to land behind a car where no-one would see them changing, taking their human forms.  Then Sarah stood beside him and he smoothed her long blonde hair which had become rustled in their flight, before leaning in and taking a kiss.  As he kissed her he found her hand back in his own and he led her to the front door of the pub.

‘Do you think you need my help this time?’ he asked her.

She shook her head, ‘I think that I will find it hard but I want to try, if it’s ok for you to stay right by me just in case?’

He nodded to her, ‘Yes, I will.’

He kept hold of her hand and entered the warm and inviting old country pub.  A fire burned in the grate, filling the room with the mild aroma of wood smoke, couples and groups of friends sat eating at tables, and the light was pleasantly dimmed so as to give the place a relaxing and homely feel.

Daniel approached the bar and asked a slightly rotund middle aged man if they had a spare table.  He and Sarah were taken into a side room with only a couple of other diners and seated at a table near another fire, this one small, and with the burning candle at the center of the table it was just as he had imagined; peaceful and  romantic.

‘Can I get you any drinks?’ asked the rotund man.

Daniel looked at Sarah questioningly.

‘A large glass of Shiraz please,’ she said, her breathing tight.

‘I’ll have the same,’ Daniel said, as the man pushed menus in front of him and Sarah, and left them alone.

‘It’s nicer here,’ Sarah whispered across the table.

Her hand was on the table so he reached to take it, ‘Are you ok?’ he asked straight into her mind, through their skin to skin connection.

‘I’m struggling a little, but I think the wine will help,’ she said.

‘You’re doing really well, don’t worry,’ he reassured her.

He glanced down at the menu before him, and spotted a dish of Exmouth mussels he would like to try.

‘Fancy anything on the menu?’ he asked, this time out loud.

Sarah looked down and studied her menu for some time, before looking back up, ‘I think I might try the wild mushroom risotto,’ she said.

A young female waitress brought them their drinks, and asked if they were ready to order.

Daniel exchanged an enquiring glance with Sarah, at which she nodded, as she reached for her wine and took a large sip.

‘Please can we have the mussels and risotto,’ he said, and she too left them alone.

It was then that he sensed something, or someone, some disturbance in the air; a hint of magic.  He quickly looked around but could not discover its source, the other diners in the room with them were keeping to themselves, and apparently normal, and anyone else was in the main bar area, but he could not leave Sarah alone to investigate.

He turned back to her, ‘Did you, err, just sense anything?’ he asked.

‘No,’ she returned, looking concerned, ‘did you?’

‘Hmmm, yes, I sensed a hint of magic,’ he whispered.  ‘Keep an eye out ok?’

‘I will – you don’t think the sorcerer is here do you?’ she said, taking a further sip of wine while glancing around the room.

‘I hope not.  It could be something else though, another witch or vampire, or maybe I was wrong…’ he said.

‘I can’t imagine that,’ she said smiling at him.

Sarah’s eyes widened as a steaming bowl of risotto was placed before her, and Daniel eyed his tempting mussels as they were put before him.

‘Enjoy your food,’ said the waitress.

‘Thankyou,’ Daniel said, whilst noticing Sarah was eyeing not her food, but the slim neck of the young waitress.

‘Sarah,’ he muttered, as the girl walked away.

She actually grinned ruefully in response, but he was proud he did not need to influence her, she was doing amazingly.  He watched as she picked up her fork and tried her risotto, then smiled appreciatively.

‘It’s really nice!’ she said, sounding surprised.

‘Yeah, I know we don’t need food but some food, when at its best, can still be quite appetizing,’ he said.

He took another look around in search of a magical presence, but still did not sense anything else, before turning to his food and picking up a mussel.  He pulled the shell further apart and dipped it into the creamy white wine sauce before eating the soft shell fish within; it was juicy and full of flavor.

‘This is pretty good too,’ he shared.

They sat in silence as they ate their meals, taking sips of their rich wine and exchanging coy glances and smiles.  After Sarah had swallowed her last bite he took her hand and kissed her palm, then held it and projected, ‘Shall we pay, and then go and wait outside for another meal?’

‘Yes,’ she said, rising straightaway.

He took her hand and she stood close by his side as they re-entered the bar which was becoming crowded.  He looked around the people there, still trying to find the source of the magic he had sensed, but discovering nothing.  He gave up and led Sarah back outside - into the night.

The sky had cleared and the moon was half way towards full.  It was not going to be long now until they would once again need to fight, and they needed to be strong.  He led Sarah around the side of the pub, once more into the shadows that the building and the night provided.  He wanted a break from this, from feeding on humans.  Yes, of course he enjoyed it when lost in the blood and the power it provided, yet he still hated it, hated taking from others.  He would much prefer to consume only inferior animal blood, but have a clearer conscious.  Right now that was not an option though, he needed strength and so did Sarah.

He pulled her into his arms and they leant against the pub wall.  He breathed in Sarah’s heavenly scent that was incomparable to anything he had previously experienced, until he heard the door to the pub open and someone stepped into the night.  He wrapped that person in influence until they succumbed and walked straight into his grip. 

He let Sarah go and said, ‘For you,’ passing her the man who was under his control.

Sarah’s eyes glinted and she had sunk her teeth into his neck in a flash.  Daniel was not sure whether or not he would need to intervene this time, and closely monitored the man’s vitals as Sarah fed on his blood, his essence.

He was listening so hard to the man’s heartbeat that he did not notice the approach of a young woman until she was before him and magic flared in her palms.

‘Drop him,’ she commanded, extending her hands towards Sarah and Daniel - ready to fire flames in their direction.

Daniel immediately reacted, he delved into his own magical reserves and cast a boundary between him and Sarah and the woman - who was beautiful with long curly brown hair falling about her middle, and dark slanting eyes; she reminded him substantially of Heather; the witch he had known in New Orleans, and it was quickly clear where the hint of magic that he had felt earlier had come from.  Sarah did not release the man and a stream of fire pummeled his boundary, his shield.

The woman’s eyes widened in confused, and mixed with fear.

‘Wait,’ Daniel said to her, as he heard the man’s heart begin to weaken and Sarah was not showing any sign of letting go.  If it was not for the distraction before him he would have intervened by now.

He maintained the boundary as the witch did not wait, she fired fresh flames towards him, and he commanded Sarah, enforcing the command with all the strength of influence he could muster under the circumstances, to stop feeding at once.

She retracted her teeth, and glanced at the flames that were bouncing from the barrier before her, then looked back at the man who had fallen to her feet.  She reacted quickly, and did as she had seen Daniel do before, and bit into her own wrist, quickly pushing it against that of the man on the ground.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said, as she fed him her blood.

Daniel, sure now that the man was safe, returned his attention to the witch, who had stopped with the fire and was looking at Sarah, perplexed.

‘We do not kill anyone,’ he said to the woman.  ‘We need strength, something horrible is happening here and we wish to prevent it.’

‘But you are vampires,’ she said, inconsequentially, watching them closely.

‘So?’ said Daniel, simply, he hoped she would get his point; there was no reason why vampires had to be bad, just because their instincts dictated it.  They still had their own minds.

Regardless of the fact the witch was no-longer fighting him, but quietly watching, Daniel still held the barrier in place.  He glanced back at Sarah as the man rose and dusted off his clothes, and he watched as she successfully projected influence making the man forget what had happened.  Daniel dropped the barrier enough to let the man through as he walked towards the car park to the front of the pub, seemingly himself again, although not acknowledging their presence as he passed.

Sarah stood by Daniel’s side and asked the witch, ‘What is your name?’

‘My name?  Who are you?’ she said, distain rich in her voice.

‘I’m Sarah, this is Daniel, and like he said we are here to stop something bad happening.  We don’t want to hurt anyone – do you?’

Daniel glanced from Sarah to the witch, watching their battle of wills.  They looked to be approximately the same age, both around twenty-five years, with similar builds and hair lengths, yet very different colorings.  The witch had deep brown calculating eyes that she studied them with.

‘Of course I don’t, hence the fact I’m here trying to fight you,’ she quipped.

‘You really don’t need to though, do you?  Daniel would have made me stop feeding sooner had you not interrupted us,’ Sarah said.

‘OK, fine, have it your way, you can lower your boundary, I won’t hurt you,’ she said, stepping back.

‘I have your word?’ Daniel asked.

‘Yes, sure, I won’t hurt you, unless you try anything, or hurt anyone, that is,’ she said, her voice tinged with an air of threat that suggested she had only shown them a hint of what she was capable of.  ‘But I want to know more about you.  You must tell me why you are here and what it is you are trying to prevent – before I will let you leave.’

Daniel exchanged a questioning glance with Sarah, and she nodded, showing him she was fine with staying to talk.  He suspected he could fight the witch off just fine, and they could be on their way, but if she was good, as she seemed to be insinuating, she may be able to help them, or she may know something about what they faced that could be of use.

‘Would you like us to talk here, or can we buy you a drink?’ Daniel asked.

The witch scowled at him, although he thought he saw a hint of amusement behind her eyes, and she said, ‘I would like a drink, thankyou.  My name is also Sarah,’ she said, looking Sarah’s way and smiling ruefully, her own boundaries disintegrating with that glance.

Daniel was shocked to see his Sarah instantly warm to, err, Sarah.  She not only grinned at her, but she approached and linked her arm with the witch, who Daniel thought would object, but she smiled back at Sarah and they all entered the bar together, Daniel rolling his eyes in disbelief.

Once they were back in the warmth Daniel bought drinks and they all sat back at the table where Daniel and Sarah had eaten their meal, pulling up an extra chair to allow room for the new Sarah, who had chosen a double of straight tequila with ice and lemon.

Sarah took a sip of her wine and asked the witch, who now they were here, and she and Sarah seemed to have formed some kind of unspoken bond, seemed in no hurry to question them, what her business was in the town.

‘I actually happen to live here,’ she said.

Sarah narrowed her eyes, ‘For how long?’

The witch grinned, ‘You got me!  I rented a place here when I heard about the deaths, wanted to do something to help prevent more.’

Sarah smiled this time, ‘No way, us to!  What do you know about what’s going on here?’

‘Hang on – I want to ask you some questions too,’ said the witch.