A Different Kind of Vampire

Chapter 11

By the end of the day, everyone had gone to see Vlad in order to get their wings. Of course, everyone was still laughing at Alfred, who swore that he was going to kill that vampire.

As it turned out, Alfred didn’t handle rules all that well.

He had wings, but he couldn’t fly yet, and he had decided to forgo the whole letting-them-in-and-out exercise in favour of keeping them out the entire time. That had proven to be a mistake, since they started to feel heavy.

And as it would later turn out, Alfred had a rash on his back from leaving the wings out for so long.

So Alfred was sulking while everyone else laughed at his expense.

Of course, when they saw Feliks and Vlad going out the front door, they were immediately suspicious, and ran after them.

“Hold on!” Alfred shouted. “Where are you guys going?”

“We’ve received info on other Nephilim,” Vlad said. “We’re going after them.”

“How many are there?” Matthew asked.

“Three. We’ll let you know if we’re not back by sunrise.”

“Like, whatever you do, stay inside,” Feliks said. “And like, remember stranger danger.”

“Da,” Vlad said. “There are a few creatures that know where Feliks lives, and not all of them are going to be friendly.”

And with the final warning, Vlad and Feliks both summoned their wings, red and black, and they took to the air with a powerful flap.

The eight Nephilim stared in astonishment.

“So,” Jason said, “how long before you think we can do that?”

…

It was an hour before the vampire and the phoenix reached their destination, and by that time Vlad was annoyed by Feliks’s constant talking.

So when they landed, Vlad was sure that he had never been more relieved.

“Like, so where should we start?” Feliks asked.

“They told me that the eldest brother is a vampire hunter,” Vlad said. “He should be our priority.”

“Like, are you sure? I mean…”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, alright?”

“Like, I think we should have brought one of the others, like, just in case.”

“In order to convince them, right? It’s not safe. They’ve only learned how to summon their wings. They can’t use them yet.”

“Like, they don’t need to fly. They just need to show them.”

“You remember the Nordic Five, right Feliks?”

The phoenix shuddered, and Vlad took the opportunity to sniff the air. He turned to his right.

“This way,” Vlad said. “I smell Nephilim blood.”

“Like, I wonder what it smells like,” Feliks said. “Like Vlad, could you describe smell for me?”

Vlad rolled his eyes.

“It’s like tasting, only with your nose,” Vlad said impatiently. “Now come on. The Nordics are on the prowl.”

The two went in silence, Vlad allowing his nose to lead the way, and whenever it would seem as though Feliks would start speaking Vlad clamped a hand over his mouth. Eventually the phoenix got the message, but he was pouting the whole way.

Soon they heard the sound of combat, and they exchanged a glance before they picked up speed.

It wasn’t long before they saw a tall blond man, several stakes strapped to his belt, surrounded by vampires. But the man was holding his own, proving that he knew how to take on the vampires as one by one they dissolved into dust.

Vlad could smell that the man was a Nephilim, while Feliks could see it.

“Like, are you sure you want to do this?” Feliks asked.

“I have to,” Vlad said. “Besides, it’s not going to kill me.”

“Maybe, but it’s still totally gonna hurt like a bitch.”

Vlad waited until the man had only one more vampire to deal with before he started to approach him. But the man had seen Vlad coming, and once he had dealt with the other vampire he spun around in order to give Vlad the same fate.

Vlad easily caught his wrist, and he spun the man’s arm until it was pinned against his back. The man struggled, but Vlad was still stronger.

Through the touch, Vlad learned that the man was called Lars van Riet. He had a younger brother and sister – Henri and Bella – and he was twenty years old.

“Calm down,” Vlad said. “In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m in no position to reach your neck or wrist. I’m not going to feed from you.”

“Like, he’s right,” Feliks said, moving until he was standing in front of Lars. “Like, he totally doesn’t need to eat, oh, and I’m like totally not a vampire. We’re here to talk.”

Lars stopped his struggling, and he glared down at Feliks, who yelped before moving behind Vlad. Vlad rolled his eyes.

“We need to get you some help regarding your fear of strangers,” Vlad said.

Lars snorted.

“He’ll hang out with a vampire, but strangers scare him?” Lars asked.

“Feliks is just being Feliks,” Vlad said. “And I’m Vlad.” Lars snorted. “Yes, I know it’s a cliché name. Not my fault that Dracula and I have the same first names. Now, I’m going to let go of your arm, and we’re going to talk. Understand?”

Lars didn’t say anything, but Vlad could tell that his mind was racing. He could also tell that the other was thinking of stabbing the stake through his heart the moment his arm was released.

“Do you know how curses work?” Vlad asked. “They’re forms of punishment, regardless whether or not you’ve committed a crime or anything. Part of my curse is that I can’t die, even with all the different ways to kill a vampire. And cut me some slack. I was staked just a few nights ago. I don’t want a repeat until at least another week, thank you very much.”

When Vlad sensed that Lars took his words into consideration he released the other’s wrist. Lars immediately spun around, but made no move to attack.

“Alright,” he said. “You wanted to talk, so talk.”

“If possible, can we go someplace more private?” Vlad asked. “It doesn’t have to be your home – I know that you won’t trust me yet. But this is something that could prove detrimental to you and your siblings if vampires heard it, especially certain vampires.”

Lars scrutinised him for a moment.

“How do I know that you’re not going to kill me?” Lars asked.

Feliks burst out into laughter, and Vlad turned his head a little in order to throw a glare Feliks’s way.

“Like, Vlad?” Feliks scoffed. “Killing something? Like, he totally can’t kill a fly.”

“Thank you for making me sound weak and pathetic, Feliks,” Vlad said sarcastically.

What annoyed him the most was Lars’s amusement, but at least the hostility was fading.

“Fine,” Lars said. “Follow me.”

He led the two of them to an abandoned house, and the vampire and the phoenix easily went inside.

“So,” Lars said, “why can’t you kill something?”

“It’s in the category of being cursed,” Vlad sighed. “If you think vampires are bad, then you haven’t seen the thing that I’m running from.”

Lars threw him a look as they went inside the house.

“You said you wanted to talk,” Lars said. “Now’s your chance.”

“Alright,” Vlad said. “First, you need to know that there are other creatures besides vampires. Feliks here is a phoenix.”

“Aren’t they supposed to be birds?” Lars asked.

“Like, glamour,” Feliks said. “We can change our appearance to blend in.”

“One of your parents – I’m inclined to say your mother – was one such creature,” Vlad continued. “She was an angel.”

“And, like, that makes you a Nephilim.”

Lars looked between the two immortal creatures.

“This has to be a joke, right?” Lars asked.

“Nu,” Vlad sighed. “Tell me, have the vampires ever mentioned how your blood smells extra appetising?”

Lars took a step back.

“Ja, they did,” Lars said.

“Like, that’s because the angelic quality of the blood is alluring,” Feliks said. “Considering how the first vampire was sired…”

“Feliks!” Vlad hissed.

“Nee, tell me how the first vampire was sired,” Lars said.

“Like, he was poisoned by a demon and given angel blood,” Feliks said, looking at Vlad apologetically.

“And why do you feel the need to tell me about my heritage?” Lars asked.

“Because believe it or not, I’ve made a few friends among angels,” Vlad said. “And they want me to train people like you. Your kind is apparently the best bet against the vampires.”

“I don’t need training,” Lars said. “I can handle myself just fine.”

“Da, against weak vampires. The ones you’ve just killed… those are all fledglings. Babies, basically. Against some of the stronger vampires, you’ll only be an interesting meal.”

“Like, the major vampires around here are the Nordic Five,” Feliks said. “Like, have you heard of them?”

“Should I?” Lars asked.

“Da,” Vlad said. “They’re particularly ruthless and bloodthirsty. To give you perspective: when they were alive, they were all Vikings.”

Lars’s eyes widened.

“Then why haven’t I encountered them yet?” Lars asked.

“Probably because they haven’t been hungry yet,” Vlad said. “But I can sense them. They’re hunting right now.”

“Then I will keep a lookout for them,” Lars said, turning away. “Anything else?”

“Da,” Vlad said. “You need to come with us so that I can train you.”

Lars turned back to him with a sharp glare on his face.

“I am not going anywhere with you,” Lars said. “And neither are my siblings. So stay away.”

Lars walked away, and Feliks sighed.

“Like, that went well,” Feliks said.

“We need to find a way to convince him that it would be better to come with us,” Vlad said. “You know as well as I what might happen if he were to run into unsavoury characters.” Vlad turned to look Feliks in the eye. “You go see if you can negotiate with his siblings. I’ll make sure that he doesn’t do something stupid. How he managed to live for this long is a miracle.”

After telling him the address, Vlad and Feliks parted ways, with Feliks trying to find his way through the streets and towards the house, while Vlad stalked the tall Dutchman.

…

The five vampires had fanned out, but it was Lukas that detected the scent first. In his more than one thousand years of existence, he had never smelled anything so… exquisite.

He smirked. He decided not to inform the others of the scent. He would simply get the thrill of that meal for himself.

Of course, knowing them (especially Mathias), they would find out about Lukas’s prey soon enough. So the Norwegian would have to act fast.

Then again, once he found his target, he could simply take them to an isolated location and play a little. After all, blood tasted better if it’s pulsing from fear and hopelessness.

…

Lars couldn’t help but think about what that vampire and ‘phoenix’ had to say. He had always felt that there was something abnormal about him and his siblings, as well as his mom, but…

Angels?

He scoffed. That was impossible. He wasn’t some heavenly creature. His siblings perhaps, but not him.

But something told him that what the vampire was saying was true. And the vampire didn’t seem hostile, nor did he look as though he was trying to trick him. He just looked… tired, and perhaps a little on edge.

Lars was shaken from his thoughts when he sensed another vampire approaching. This one felt different. Stronger. It was then that Lars realised that he hadn’t actually felt Vlad’s approach, and if he hadn’t seen him, then Lars wouldn’t have known that he was there.

Vlad purposely let him see him.

But this vampire wasn’t Vlad. It was something that wanted to kill him, but not before breaking him and lapping up the blood.

Lars spun around and thrust his stake at the vampire, who easily caught his wrist, just like Vlad had done.

“Amazing instincts,” the vampire said, his face blank. “But it won’t help you against me.”

Lars reached for another stake and tried to stab it, but the vampire caught his other wrist just as easily. The vampire smirked, before Lars’s hands froze, surrounded by ice. The vampire released the wrists and reached out to the stakes, breaking them.

Lars’s eyes widened and the vampire smirked, moving away.

“Now, to get you in a secure location where my brothers won’t smell you…” the vampire said.

“Sorry,” a familiar voice interrupted, “but I can’t let you do that.”

The vampire spun around, and Lars’s eyes widened when he saw Vlad standing there, a small smirk on his face.

“Do you have any idea who I am?” the unidentified vampire asked.

“Da,” Vlad said. “Your name is Lukas Bondevik. You’re one of the members of the Nordic Five. Specifically, you’re from Norway. You were also called ‘King of the Fjords’. You were sired by Mathias Kohler, and you sired Emil Steilson.”

Lukas narrowed his eyes.

“You know quite a bit about me,” the Norwegian said. “But I can’t say the same. You’re probably a child.”

Vlad scoffed.

“Please,” he said. “I’m older than you. I’m even older than your sire’s sire.”

“Oh really?” Lukas asked. “Then what is your name?”

“I’d rather not say,” Vlad said. “I have a bit of a reputation, but not among vampires.”

“Among what then? Werewolves, elves…?”

“Demons.”

“Let me guess. You managed to get on their bad sides.”

“A few.”

Lukas smirked.

“As interesting as this is, I have a meal to finish,” Lukas said. “If you ask nicely, I might give you a sip.”

“Thanks, but I’m not interested in drinking his blood,” Vlad said.

“Then you have no reason to interfere.”

“Actually, I do. See, I have something I need him for, and there aren’t any replacements.”

Lukas stared at him.

“We seem to have a conflict of interests,” Lukas said, forming an ice spear. “But this human is mine.”

Vlad smirked.

“Aw, ice magic,” Vlad said, summoning a fireball. “How cute.”

Lukas’s eyes widened as Vlad launched the fireball at him. He managed to step away and threw the spear at Vlad, who dodged as well.

“This is going to be interesting,” Lukas said.

…

Bella looked up when she heard a knock on the door. She and Henri exchanged a glance, before she hesitantly moved closer.

She looked through the peephole to see a young person with chin-length blond hair, who looked to be about her height. She couldn’t quite tell if it was a man or a woman though. The other smiled through the peephole.

“Like, could I come in?” the other asked, revealing himself to be a man. “Like, I promise I’m not a vampire. Like, I totally just want to talk.”

Henri had moved up behind her, and the two siblings exchanged a look.

“How do we know you’re not a vampire?” Henri asked.

“Like, open the door, but don’t invite me in,” the stranger said. “Like, vampires totally can’t come in a person’s home without like a formal invitation.”

The two siblings shared another glance. It was true. So Bella opened the door, and the stranger smiled before walking inside.

“See?” he said. “Like, not a vampire.”

“Fine,” Bella said. “But who are you?”

“Like, my name is Feliks,” the stranger said. “And, like, I have something totally important to tell you two. Like, first of all, you’re only half human. Like, one of your parents was an angel.”

…

“So bored,” Alfred said.

“Hamburger bastard, if you say that one more time, I’m going to kill you,” Lovino said.

“Alfred, Lovino’s right,” Matthew said. “It’s starting to get annoying.”

“But there’s nothing to do,” Alfred whined.

“You could try picking up a book,” Gupta said, turning a page of the book that he was reading. “There are quite a few here.”

Alfred made a face, and Matthew sighed.

“Hasn’t this guy ever heard of TV?” Alfred asked.

“Considering the fact he’s been living for thousands of years, I’m sure the thought never occurred to him,” Lovino said. “I’m actually surprised that he has electricity.”

“Look, the dude could at least make sure that his guests are happy,” Alfred said.

“Something tells me that Feliks doesn’t get too many guests,” Matthew said.

“And no wonder,” Alfred said.

“Bastard,” Lovino warned, “in case you forgot, Vlad and the Bird Bastard saved us from being hunted. Unless you want those four to find their way in your house and slaughter you all. Or worse.”

“What could the vampires do that’s worse?” Jason asked. “I mean, didn’t they say that people like us can’t be turned?”

“There are things worse than death,” Lovino said. “Things that even humans can do. Believe me.”

There was silence for a moment.

“Lovi,” Alfred said. “What exactly did those vampires do to you? Other than feeding?”

Lovino hugged himself, and instead of answering, he stomped out of the room, going upstairs towards his room. The others stared after him, worry and confusion on their faces.

“What do you think happened?” Alfred asked.

“Something that he doesn’t want to share,” Gupta said. “Give him time. If he wants to, he’ll tell you eventually.”

Jason cleared his throat.

“Am I the only one that noticed that Lovino called Feliks a variation of ‘bastard’, like he does for pretty much everyone, while he called Vlad by his name?” Jason asked.

“Didn’t Vlad save him?” Gupta asked.

“Si!” Feliciano said, smiling.

“It’s basic psychology. He feels grateful to Vlad, so he has more respect for him than he would have for us, for example.”

Before anyone else could say anything, they heard someone knocking on the front door. They froze, turning to the door.

No one was supposed to know where they were. And Vlad and Feliks wouldn’t knock. And neither did angels, as they had learned. And didn’t they say that other creatures knew where Feliks lived? And that some of them weren’t friendly?

“Feliks,” a female voice said, before knocking again. “Open up the door. Feliks!”