In Love With a Vampire

Chapter Twenty

Donna



I paused in the hallway and leaned against the cool marble wall. I welcomed the cold sensation’ enjoying how the cool feel of the wall overtook the heat on my back. Each time I blinked, I saw the image of Jimmy and me gliding across the dance floor, immersed in our own little world where striking conversations were easy and smiling came naturally. At first, I had been unsettled, concerned that the humans would recognize who I am, or rather what I was. I had scoured the room for any form of weapon that resembled Lory’s, I had been determined to stay safe, to stay alive for Maria and Diana, for my tribe but all of that had vanished from my mind the moment Jimmy instructed me to concentrate on him and only him.

So that is it? No more very angry human boy, Donna?

I rolled my eyes at my subconscious and allowed a smile to play on my lips. Tonight I had been in the arms of a man, human but still, a man and I had not thought of Sorokin, not even once. I had permitted myself to get lost in the music, to get carried away by Jimmy’s touch and it had been remarkable, magical. Not once had the pain in my side surfaced, the throbbing had miraculously vanished during that time, or had I simply forgotten its existence? I had even become vulnerable, allowing the enemy to see how truly broken I was. I sighed as the word “enemy” floated in my head. For that was what he was, my enemy. If he resided in this house, it meant that he had relations with the leader of the VA. Did that mean that he was a member? Or that the VA knew my identity all along and Jimmy had been sent to spy on me? Perhaps even kill me? These were possible theories. They would explain why he was quick to help Maria and me the other day and why our paths seemed to always cross. It would also explain why he had not pursued the matter of me arriving in class in front of him.

It would also explain why he held you so gently and so close, as if he was afraid you would vanish from his reach.

I let out a sad sigh, my subconscious was probably right. Whatever had occurred may have been a ruse, a way to disarm me or to derail me from my mission. If so, it had been brilliantly and cruelly concocted and I, the fool, had fallen knee-deep into the palm of my enemies. Still, despite all this, I could not bring myself to feel bitter or frantic, or even regretful. Since the dawn of my existence, I had not felt such freedom, such ease. Not even with Sorokin, someone I had spent days agonizing over, wishing for him to be mine. Until tonight, I had not realized I harbored feelings of entrapment. It was a pity though, how I could not do anything with this realization. The reality was, that I was still the next leader of my tribe and my presence in this realm was purely functional, a way to ensure that my tribe survives.

I forced air into my chest and released it in bits into the cool night air. The hallway I was currently in was dimly lit allowing my breaths to form smoky suspensions. I did this repeatedly, each smoky breath igniting a warm feeling within me. Once I began feeling the giddiness of the magical night wearing of, I opened my purse and dialed Pete’s number.

“Did you manage to come up here unseen?”

“A hello would have been nice…”

“So was spending Friday night with my wife in our hot tub but here we are…”

“Any sign of them?”

There was a pause, a sigh, and a noisy clearing of a non-clogged throat.

“I assume that is a no?”

“Yes…But I have seen four members of the VA on this floor. Two headed downstairs like ten minutes ago. I am thinking we shadow the other two. I doubt Andrew has an obvious cage for his victims. I am currently in his office ruffling through some documents. Can you imagine this guy plans to get rid of the public pool once he becomes Mayor? What lunatic is going to vote for a guy who wants people in Scanton to die from heatstroke?”

“What is a public pool?”

A groan and a cuss emanated from the end of the other line.

“Just find me…Look for a door with a gold-coated knob and a chipped top…”

I pressed the red button on my phone and proceeded to find the office where Pete was currently in. The upstairs wing was not as large as I anticipated. I expected a plethora of doors and multiple hallways fit to create a maze but none of this was present. I doubted whether this particular house was bigger than Pete and Lory’s. I paused mid-step when I caught wind of someone moving behind me. Their steps were stealthy, their breathing contained meaning that they were following me, waiting to capture me when I least expected it. I continued walking, careful not to give away the fact that I knew they were lurking behind me. In one fluid motion, I retrieved my dagger from my hip and thrust it across the air. I then used my heightened speed to reach them just as the knife tore through the skin of their neck. I wrapped my hands around the lanky human male and lowered him gently to the ground, afraid to attract unnecessary attention. As he approached the ground, the human male coughed aggressively, his body attempting to fight for air that was being cut off by the blood that was clogging his air pathways.

I audibly gulped when I spotted blood oozing from the human’s neck.

I felt myself being drawn in. Desire seared through me as my eyes took in the blood that was currently spraying from the human’s neck. I fought the feeling as a distant memory of me feeding on Pete surfaced in my mind.

“That’s it you dirty ol’ beast…I know you want it…have a lil taste…”

I whimpered as my teeth elongated on their own accord, thirsty for blood. I helplessly tapped my surroundings using one hand desperately searching for my purse.

“Pete…I need to call Pete…”

I was losing control and this time I could feel it.

“C-come on n-now…h-have a taste…”

Stuck in a trance, I buried my head into the human’s neck. My body felt alive with excitement, anticipation. A scream escaped my throat the moment my teeth pierced the human’s neck. Excruciating pain engulfed my body, I felt my skin burn as if I was standing nude in front of the sun. I thrust my body away from the human and landed against a wall aloof from him. I was weak, frightened, in shock.

“I t-thought y-you were m-meant to...to be t-the leader…t-the queen…”

He is coming after you Donna, run!

I wanted to, I tried to, but I could not. The blood I had consumed, it was wrecking my insides, lighting my skin on fire.

“S w-would b-be proud of m-me lil ol’ me r-right now…”

There was a loud war cry followed by an equally loud scream. I imagined myself among the dead, still, non-existent.

Vampires had no souls, no afterlife.

“Roof girl? Roof girl! can you hear me? f**k! f**k! Someone help me!”

Jimmy, Jimmy was here.

“f**k can you hear me? Damn it Donna say something! f**k I need to go get father-"

Through my blurred vision, I saw a figure emerge from the shadows and hit Jimmy on the head. Too weak to defend him, to help him, I helplessly watched as Jimmy sunk to the ground.

“Tell me, princess, how hard is it to find a goddamn gold-knobbed door with a chipped top?”