Kissed by Darkness(5)

The gun dropped to the floor with a dull thud as my hand went numb. Spots were dancing in front of my eyes. I knew I was going to pass out and be vampire lunch if I didn’t do something. So I did the one thing I could think of. I went limp. Dropped like the proverbial stone.

Unfortunately, Terrance dropped with me. Dead on top of me, in fact. Fortunately, he let go of my wrist and loosened the hold on my throat. I felt him go for my neck, felt the teeth sink in. Hurt like hell, but it distracted him just enough. I planted my knee in his groin. Hard. Even undead, guys still got unhappy when you planted a knee in their family jewels. Death, or rather undeath, didn’t change that particular physiological fact.

He reared back, teeth ripping out of my neck and grabbed his crotch. He fell to the ground screaming. “You stupid bitch!” he howled. “That fuckin’ hurt!”

“Yeah, well, this is gonna hurt even worse, Terry.” My fingers had closed around the UV gun, and with precision born of years of hunting vamps in the dark, I pointed the gun at Terrance and pulled the trigger.

Terrance let out a horrific scream as the UV ray sliced through his stomach to his upper chest and found his heart. Within seconds he’d caught fire, then flashed to dust.

Nobody knew why vamps dusted instead of leaving a body like humans. Some Hunters claimed it was magic, others that the earth was claiming back the blood they stole. Not terribly scientific, but there weren’t a lot of scientists out there studying vampires. Probably because the government didn’t exactly like the scientific community knowing about a creature that had achieved something akin to eternal life. Could you imagine some mad scientist getting his hands on that tidbit of information? Yeah, not good.

I pulled myself up off the floor and staggered to the door. I could feel the blood dripping down my neck and sliding under the collar of my jacket, soaking my T-shirt and trickling into my bra. Ew. Fortunately, the very virus that had once nearly killed me not only made me immune to a vampire bite, but it would also heal the wound quickly enough that I wouldn’t bleed out. Probably wouldn’t even have much of a scar. Which was good. I’d have hated to try and explain that one to my mother.

What I needed was something to eat and then a hot shower and a long nap, but staggering around town with blood dripping down my front was going to get me a lot of attention I didn’t want. Terrance’s master knew Terrance was dead the minute he dusted. What he didn’t know was who had killed him and I wanted to keep it that way for now.

I staggered up the steps and gently pushed open the door to the hall. A quick glance told me no one was around, so I hurried out through the front door to my car. I fumbled in the glove box for an old pashmina I kept there and then carefully wrapped it around my neck so it draped across my front. It looked like I’d watched one too many DIY makeover shows. Not that I cared. Never much been one for fashion. I was all about comfort and utility. I just needed to get home without half the city finding out I’d been in a ruckus with a vampire.

I started the car and drove gingerly down the street and onto the main road. I probably shouldn’t have been driving. I was weak and shaky with blood loss. I needed something to eat. Fast. Preferably something with high sugar content.

I swung through the next drive through and ordered a large orange juice and three boxes of cookies. The girl didn’t even blink. In fact, I wasn’t entirely sure she was awake. Could zombies work a drive-thru?

I’d eaten all three boxes of cookies and downed the entire cup of OJ before I reached home. I was feeling much better.

I spent thirty minutes in the shower before tumbling into bed. I didn’t bother with pajamas. Too tired. I just dragged the duvet over my head and was asleep before I could think to set my alarm clock.



Something woke me. I felt disoriented and slightly feverish, the result of my body healing itself, no doubt. But what had woken me? I lay still, letting that bizarre sensory ability of mine play over the room and through the house. No vamps, nothing threatening at all. And yet …

“Inigo, what the hell are you doing in my bedroom?”

The streetlight pouring into my window caught and flashed in his toothy grin. “I was hoping to catch you naked.”

“Bloody idiot,” I grumbled, shoving hair out of my eyes.

“Plus you’re late.”

I squinted at the clock. 12:05 a.m. Dammit. I sat up, clutching the duvet to my chest. My very naked chest. “Sorry. Forgot to set the alarm.”

“Yeah, I know.” He stood up and handed me my robe. Not the nice, thick terry one I generally liked to hang around in, but the silky one I kept for when I had someone over. Not that I’d had anyone over in longer than I cared to recall. But one must be prepared for these things. You know, just in case.