Blood on Fire

Chapter4

He tossed the cigarette and went back inside. I followed him from a distance, entering through the same door after checking no one else was around. My shoes made no sound on the floor. Inside, the hallway was dim. I stood in the shadows. Every step was careful. Silent. Watching.

I saw him turn down another hallway, toward the storage rooms in the basement. I kept my distance and waited until he disappeared around the corner.

Then I moved.

I followed the scent. Yes, the scent. Vampires leave behind something like the smell of rusted metal mixed with rotting flowers. You’d only notice it if you’d been around it long enough. I had.

Down the stairs.

Into the basement.

It is quiet now. No footsteps. No voices. Just the hum of lights and the distant beep of machines from the upper floors.

I reached the bottom of the stairs and raised my crossbow.

I could feel it.

He was here.

Somewhere.

Then—

CLANG.

A door slammed shut behind me. I spun around. And there he was.

His smile was wide. Too wide.

“You’re not a nurse,” he said calmly, his voice low as he sniffed the air. “What sweet blood.”

I didn’t answer. I tightened my grip on the crossbow. He stepped forward, slow and steady, like a predator enjoying the chase.

His eyes turned red. A grin stretched across his pale face. “Hunter…”

I didn’t wait. I raised the crossbow and fired.

THUNK.

The bolt slammed into his shoulder. He staggered back, hissing, but didn’t fall. His smile vanished. His hands clenched into fists, and he ripped the bolt out with ease. Blood poured from the wound, but it healed in seconds.

“You’ll have to do better than that,” he growled.

He lunged.

I rolled to the side just in time, hitting the ground hard. His hand sliced through the air where I’d just stood. His nails were like claws now, long and sharp. They tore through the metal cabinet behind me like it was paper. I reached into my belt and grabbed a silver-tipped bolt, reloaded quickly, and aimed for his heart. He moved too fast, but I fired anyway.

He dodged, but the bolt grazed his side. He let out a scream, more in rage than pain.

“You filthy girl,” he spat. “You think you can kill me?”

I pulled out my UV flashlight and flicked it on, aiming straight at his face. He shrieked and covered his eyes, his skin sizzling where the light touched him. Smoke rose from his cheeks. I used the chance to move, ducking under a nearby table and crawling toward the corner where I'd seen a metal mop handle earlier. Not the best weapon, but better than nothing if I lost the crossbow. His howls echoed through the room as he thrashed blindly, knocking over carts and smashing medical tools. Glass shattered around us.

“I’ll drink you dry,” he roared.

“Not tonight,” I muttered.

I popped out from behind the table and aimed again. This time, the bolt hit his leg. He dropped to one knee. I dashed in. Fast.

He reached for me, but I slid under his arm and stabbed my silver dagger into his back. He screamed again, spinning and throwing me across the room with one swing of his arm. I hit the wall hard and collapsed to the floor. Pain shot through my ribs. I could taste blood in my mouth.

But I didn’t stop.

I grabbed the wooden stake from my belt and pushed it to my feet. He charged at me, faster now, his fangs fully bared. His eyes were wild. I sidestepped just as he lunged, using his momentum to slam him into the wall.

The impact dazed him. I jumped on his back, stake raised.

“Go to hell,” I whispered, and drove the stake into his heart with all my strength. He screamed, high, inhumanly. His whole body shook violently.

His eyes locked with mine. “She was right about you…” He whispered.

Then his body started to burn. Flames rose from his skin, licking at the ceiling. In seconds, he turned to ash and crumbled to the ground.

Silence.

My breath came in sharp gasps. Sweat dripped down my face. My ribs ached. My hands shook. I leaned against the wall, sliding down slowly until I was sitting on the cold hospital floor. Around me, broken equipment, scorched tiles, and blood marked the battle.

But I was alive.

I looked at the ashes on the floor. What was left of him. Smoke still curled in the air. My chest rose and fell with ragged breaths. I stared for another second, then whispered under my breath, “f*****g vampires.”

My legs felt heavy as I stood, wincing at the sharp pain in my side. I wiped the blood from my lips with the back of my hand. Could’ve been worse. At least I was the one still breathing. But I couldn’t stay here. Someone would have heard the noise from the fight, the broken glass, the screaming, the fire. It wouldn’t be long before security or the police showed up. And explaining why a pile of ash was all that remained of a hospital janitor wasn’t exactly easy.

I grabbed my crossbow, slipped it back into the sling under my jacket, and made my way toward the back exit. My boots crunched quietly over shattered glass and debris. The hallway was silent now. The quiet after the storm. Outside, the air felt different. The rain had stopped. The cool night breeze brushed against my skin. Clouds had cleared, revealing a red moon hanging low in the sky. It bathed the hospital parking lot in an eerie glow, like a warning painted in blood.

I stared at it for a moment.

Tomorrow, I'll figure out who sent me that letter. Whoever they were, they knew something. And I needed answers. Maybe they could lead me to the monsters who killed my family.

But tonight… I survived.

And another monster was gone.