The Vampire Hunter

Chapter Twelve

Lloyd.

As I close the door, I can’t help but smile. It really happened. Not only had Leila brought me blood, she offers me her own blood and accepts my kiss. I feel like a teenage girl in a romantic comedy, but do I care?

I pick up the empty blood bags from earlier, and I screw them up in my hand. I don’t know about Baelan, but I hate blood bags. Being a vampire is a slippery slope that never ends well. Once you drink from the vein, blood from any other source tastes like instant coffee. Drinkable, but freshly ground coffee is like sipping magic.

Blood bags may have to be the way forward, for now. I sigh as I dispose of the evidence. The hospital wouldn’t notice if a few bags went missing here and there.Baelan and I just needed to get our thirst under control.

So I leave for the hospital.

Getting blood bags isn't very hard, maybe that is the hospital’s fault.Like Leila, I didn't know how many I should take, I didn't take too many in case people noticed. I take two of each blood type: A, B, O, AB, etc. I was in and out within no time. Baelen will think Leila is our saviour. Perfect. On my way out of the hospital I quickly stop to check that I have enough blood. I look up, the hospital car park is empty. Unusual. Mind you, it is getting dark.

And then something stabs me in the back, pain spreads across my body instantly as I fall to the floor.A cry of pain automatically leaves my body, and for once in my life since becoming immortal, I feel helpless. I cannot move or do anything. Only lay here. What is happening?

Everything goes black.

***

My eyes slowly open, and I am met again with the ache in my back. My body is healing, thanks to the new blood in my system. But where am I?

The room looks like a dungeon. I try to move, only to discover I am chained to the chair. Attempting to escape is pointless. The blood in my system has healed me, but it isn’t enough to keep me strong, too. I look around, all I see are dull grey bricks and a mouldy wooden door. I cannot hear anything, only the faint dripping of what I assume is a loose pipe. Has Leila told her family? Are they going to torture me? All I know is that the pain is returning, I do not know why. It was overwhelming, excruciating. Spreading through me like it did before. I gasp, trying not to let it get to me.

Footsteps begin to ascend closer from outside the cell, someone is coming down the stairs. But who? What do they want from me? And then the door opens.

A figured walks in, with a smirk on their face. They stare at me, walking closer, and closer. He stands right in front of me, kneeling down to my level.

"Hello, Lloyd." He says,, their smirk expands. "Allow me to introduce myself." More pain strikes my body, as he shoves another piece of wood directly into my stomach. I cry out in agony, it is nearly too much to handle.

He laughs at me, taking pride in my suffering. His hair is brown, but shaved to the scalp. I squint at him, attempting to fix my blurred vision. I notice his dark eyes, almost black. And his dimples as he smiles at me, marvelling at his work. I think I recognise him.

"My name is Joseph. Joseph Kennedy to be precise." He says with a twang of deviance to his voice.

Then it hits me, I know who he is. This isn't good. This really isn't good. All the pain rushing through me stops for about 5 seconds as fear sweeps through me. My eyes widen as I tilt my head up to look at him in the eyes again. The isn’t enough energy inside me to make up a whole sentence. All that comes out are two words. The only two words I can think of.

"First born."

"Correct." Says Joseph, still smiling.

He puts two hands on my shoulders and says to me, "now, where is the Taylor family? My brother Ivan has been watching you for ages, you seem to pretty friendly with one of them. So where. Are. They?" He says, sounding very demanding.

Even if I could speak, I wouldn't tell him anything. I wouldn't tell anyone about Leila's secret, like I'm sure she would do for me. I'm pretty sure Joseph didn't care of the little energy I had, after he stabbed me twice and tied me to a chair.

"Fine then, I see how it is. I guess I'll just have to keep you here until you fess up." He decides, moving away from me.

And I could tell, after he said those words, that I was going to here a while.