Once When I Was A Vampire

Chapter Three - Who’s Killing Who?

The middle hunter, dressed all in black, stepped forward. There was a silver blade gripped in his hand, his face hidden behind a dark hood.

Cassius leapt forward and he knocked the man clean off his feet with a direct blow to the head. The hunter’s body flew to the ground his skull hit the pavement with a thud. The silver blade slid across the ground stopping close to Max’s feet.

The other hunters looked at each other before running towards the five of us. One of the men, bald headed with thick tattoos on his neck, grabbed Charlie by the throat. Charlie fought, trying to pry the man’s hands from his neck. I didn’t understand the hunter’s strength, how could human hands do that to a vampire?

The other one went towards Max, but Max was more agile than Charlie. He scooped down in a millisecond and grabbed the weapon the first hunter had dropped.

“Urgh! Silver!” Max hissed, before dropping the blade on the floor again. He clutched his hand and I could see his skin smolder from a fresh burn.

Cassius picked it up and swiped across the hunter’s neck. Blood splattered and decorated Cassius’s face. The man dropped to the floor and a pool of red started forming on the ground.

That’s why Cassius wore leather gloves all the time. No Silver burns. The last hunter was in real trouble now. My family and I were born to kill, but Cassius was born to destroy.

He moved like a bird in the wind, swift, silent, and precise. One moment the bald headed hunter was on Charlie, the next he was dangling in the air. Cassius's hands tighten around the man's throat.

“Max, take Mary home, now!” he ordered.

He lifted the hunter higher into the air until their eye met. They stared at each other without blinking.

“Now, tell me human, how did you find us?” Cassius hissed.

The man gritted his teeth refusing to answer. I wondered how long it would take for Cassius to break the silence?

“Come on!” Max took my hand and pulled me forward towards the open street.

I stepped over the hunter in the black hood. His body remained still as I walked away. When we reached the street I looked back at the alleyway. Cassius still had the man in his clutches and Andrew was close to them with his fangs bared. I was ready to turn away and run off home, but then I saw his face, the man on the floor. His hood had slipped off revealing a rugged handsome man.

It was Harvey from the club. I'd had no idea he was a hunter and he’d been so close and charming. All that time I thought I was playing him, preparing him for dinner, but instead he’d been playing me.

“Come on, Mary!” Max tugged at my arm.

I turned away from the mysterious Harvey and continued to run. It turned out Harvey wasn’t so lucky after all.

“I think we’re okay,” Charlie said, coming to a stop a block away from our home.

“Ahh…” Max winced, still holding the hand where he’d touched silver. “Bloody hunters! I haven’t had a silver burn for years! I forgot how much it stings.”

It did more than sting a little. Max’s burn was deep; it would turn black before dawn.

As we rushed through the streets I couldn’t get Harvey off my mind. How close I’d been to a vampire hunter. I'd never been so exposed before. I'd never even seen a hunter before, let alone spoken to one, or attacked by one. Father made sure I never saw such dangers. I'd lived a life wrapped up in cotton wool. Now, all I had to do was make sure Father didn’t find out. Otherwise he’d never let me out of his sight again. I’d never enjoy a free hunt or the outside nightlife again.

I should have drained Harvey in the club, that way I’d have proof that I could take care of my self. I didn't need the constant protection.

Moments later Cassius and Andrew appeared next to us.

“The Hunters are dead,” he said, wiping some blood from his face on the sleeve of his smart jacket. “We should go before Father notices Mary’s missing from the palace.”

The entrance to our home was a back door to a grand nineteenth century building or that’s what it appeared to be. The building hidden below it was much older and far grander.

Cassius opened the ordinary looking door. Only the hand of a vampire with a still heart could open the door to our hidden home. Father had it enchanted by a witch who owed him a favour. It opened onto a set of marble stairs, which descended into darkness. We made our way down until we reached the large arch door. The real entrance to the palace.

Filling inside, my father’s guards greeted us taking our coats. Charlie and Andrew chatted about playing some pool. Cassius checked his blood stained appearance in the mirror above the fireplace, while Max looked at his burn. Everything was back to normal and I could forget all about the incident in the alleyway.

One of the Guards went to close the door when a shiny shoe jammed it open. Everyone in the hallway stopped and stared like they’d never seen a shoe before.

A metallic ball bounced through the gap and along the wooden floor. It stopped at the bottom of the statue of Venus.

“What is that?” Charlie asked, walking towards Venus.

“No, don’t…” but before Cassius could warn him the metal object exploded.

Venus shattered and bits of marble went flying in all directions. A large section of stone torso hit Charlie and sent him soaring across the room. Smoke burst into the air like a sudden storm cloud, blinding my perfect sight. The instant sight loss was a strange sensation. Even in smoky rooms or thick fog I’ve never been this blind. Whatever was coming out of that explosive was designed to cloud a vampire’s vision.

The smog started to clear and a tall frame walked through the arched doorway. In his hands were silver blades and his eyes were set on me.

It was Harvey, but I thought Cassius had killed him. How did he manage to survive that blow to the head? But more importantly how did he get inside our palace?

The smoke cleared a little more and I saw a shadow dart across the room. Cassius faced the intruder head on, and that’s when the battle started.

They moved at each other. Cassius trying to get a hold of Harvey, but he moved quick, almost too quick for a human. He used his blades with precise accuracy until he sliced Cassius across the arm. Cassius paused but didn’t cry out in pain.

They were at a dead lock, neither of them able to get the upper hand over the other. Then Harvey pulled something from his pocket. More thick smoke burst into the air, blinding Cassius for a fraction of a second. It was all the time Harvey needed to throw himself towards me.

I panicked. The way he moved so fast put me into a state of shock. Harvey pulled a large stake from out of nowhere and aimed it at my chest.

Thoughts turned inside my head, was this the end? I’d never had to contemplate my death before. I was immortal. I never got sick and time didn’t decay my body, and yet here I was about to lose my eternal life. All the things I’d done and had yet to do. Now it was over.

But the end never came.

The wooden stake stopped mid-flight just inches from my body. The relief pulsed through me but I didn’t have much time to savour it.

My father held Harvey by the throat. It felt like everything in the room had stopped. Time stood still.

My father sneered like a wild animal and lifted Harvey high up into the air.

“Cassius,” he said, and Cassius was by his side pulling the silver weapons from Harvey. He took the stake and snapped it in half before throwing it into the empty fireplace.

Without his silver Harvey wouldn’t stand a chance. But he’d survived one attack and now there was a doubt inside me. 

“You will tell me how you got inside my home?” Father spoke low and slow, before shaking Harvey like a doll and pushing his back against the wall. The guards gathered near my father just in case something unexpected happened.

A small stone fell from Harvey’s pocket as my father shook him. It rolled along the floor and came to a stop at my booted foot. At first I thought it was another explosive but instead it was an oval stone covered in tiny writing. The script was so small and intricate I couldn’t see what it said.

Curiosity got the better of me and I leaned down to pick it up. As my hand got closer the text began to glow with white light and I paused before touching it. The light faded away and for some reason I had this overwhelming desire to get it back.

My hand wrapped around the stone, and then with an instant shock, light exploded from its surface and knocked me off my feet. I flew backwards hitting my head. The world around me spun and I fell into darkness.