Demon Vampire (The Redgold Series) (37 page)

“Who's that?” Zack felt uneasy.

“A twelve year old with a knife and a taste for useful vampeal gifts.” Yugo wanted to frighten Zack.

It worked. “You can cut something like that out of a person?”

“No, you can't. He just likes to cut you up a lot before he turns you into Redgold.” Yugo could see Zack had no idea what he was talking about. Either that or he simply wanted to know more as he usually did. “Normally Redgold turns a vampeal into a vampire, if it's made from a vampire. Malio makes it out of other vampeals.”

“Wouldn't that do the same thing?” Zack asked Yugo.

“No, it doesn't have the potency to turn him.” Yugo looked down at Bethany's corpse.

“Then why does he do it?” Zack's attention was focused.

Yugo walked over to a drop cloth that was on an old table. “Gifts Zack, he collects gifts.” Yugo lifted the cloth and draped it on Bethany's body. “If he gets yours, it would be cumbersome for everyone. All he needs now is a powerful psychic gift to finish off his little collection of treasures.”

“And that's exactly what I have isn't it?” Zack was getting quicker.

“Now you understand.” Yugo confirmed Zack's suspicions.

“If I run?” Zack posed the question foremost on his nerves.

“Marin snaps your head off, then Malio bleeds you dry for his twisted project towards world domination.” Yugo smiled at the notion, it was humorous to him.

“What do you mean? You would give me to this guy?” Zack was getting frantic.

“Yes, I would.” Yugo picked up Bethany's head and placed it under the drop clothe. “I already have a contract with him.”

Zack immediately flinched. He wanted to run away screaming his head off. Every muscle in his body wanted to flee.

Yugo closed the distance, appearing in front of Zack's trembling face. “Well, actually Marin has the contract technically. That's why I am the one offering you a side deal instead. There's nothing in his contract preventing me from propositioning you directly for whatever reason I choose.”

“You don't seem to be giving me much of a choice.” Zack held firm.

“You do have a choice. Join me or go insane before you die. Run, and you die now. I never said it was a fair offer. I only said it was my offer. Considering, I still believe it is much better than what Malio has planned for you.” Yugo started to walk out the room. “Come with me and listen to my warning. The man who hired Marin to kill you wants it done in a very special way. He wants you to die during the next solar eclipse.”

Kyli turned to Yugo. “That's in six weeks! Marin's going to kill Zack in six weeks?”

Yugo sighed. “I didn't want to tell him like that, but yes. We, have six weeks to act. You have less than that to choose.”

“What do you want me to do?” Zack asked Yugo as they all walked out of the house and out towards the front door.

“It's simple.” Yugo said as he closed the broken door behind them. “Kill Malio before Marin kills you.”

“Why can't you or Marin kill him? I'm just a kid that was practically born yesterday in your eyes. What could I do against a full vampire?” Zack didn't see many options.

“You don't listen, we'll have to break that habit of yours.” Yugo commented.

“Zack, Yugo said that Malio was a vampeal, like us. It doesn't matter if he's older than you, it means you have a shot at this.” Kyli reminded Zack.

“Then how old is he?” Zack asked.

“412.” Yugo said as he gestured for them to walk towards the waiting limo.

“What!?” Zack was shocked. “But he's still only a vampeal right? Like me? That means that physically he shouldn't be that much stronger than me, right? Age doesn't matter is what you said. Isn't that right Kyli?”

“Well, a few years, maybe a few decades don't make a big gap. A few centuries is different Zack. Malio won't be as fast as even a newly turned vampire, but he will be faster and far stronger than you.” Kyli broke the news to Zack.

“Then I'm dead by either a demon, a musician, or my own kind. Great. What now?” Zack was not liking the possibilities.

“Now, we step into the limo.” Yugo gestured again towards the black limo parked at the curb.

It was a different black limousine. It had white accents instead of silver ones as the first limo had. The door opened, Marin was sitting comfortably inside. Zack, Kyli, and Yugo climbed in. The interior was all leather with a mini-bar behind the driver's seat. Several tall and short glasses were lined up in a spiral pattern around a single old dark bottle without a label.

“This limo looks familiar. Who's is this?” Kyli remarked.

The tinted divider lowered. There was a long haired man in a black suit driving. He had very dark black hair that extended past the line of the headrest and a red collar that seemed to contrast his light skin. His face was mostly Asian with a hint of European lineage. High cheek bones and small eyes added to his unique appearance. Zack thought back to the last limo, it was the same driver, only now he was showing his face. By the recognition on Kyli's face, she knew exactly who he was.

“Ellen! It's you! I haven't seen you in months. How have you been?” Kyli's mood changed instantly with the sight of this man with a feminine name.

Zack took a moment to make sure the driver was actually a man. Considering all of the upsets to reality he had experienced lately. Zack wasn't taking anything for face value.

“Is Crystal done with my next dress?” Kyli asked Ellen.

“He'll be done next week.” Ellen said as Zack finally determined he was truly a man.

“That's great to hear, Ellen. Tell Crystal I'll give him a shiatsu massage when I come over to pick it up.” Zack's impending doom didn't seem to dampen the news of Kyli's latest dress.

“Excuse me, but who are you?” Zack wanted to know what Ellen's role was in all of what was going on.

“Still human.” Ellen responded aptly, with a hidden message as he glared at Marin.

There was more to this conversation. A history, a subtext that was being exchanged between Ellen and Marin. Words that had been passionately discussed at a time long before that night. Something ultimately decided to Ellen's unease and disfavor.

Zack felt an underlining theme from Ellen. That he wanted to be a vampire, very badly and wanted to be turned by Marin personally. On pure instinct alone, Zack felt that Marin was holding back the true reasons for not making Ellen a vampire.

Zack blurted out. “Why don't you tell Ellen you need him the way he is? That's why you won't turn him, right? You're afraid Malio will come after him instead of me. You don't want him to die because of something you had a choice in.”

Zack's words struck a chord with Marin who remained quiet. There was merely a look exchanged between Ellen and Marin.

Ellen focused on starting the engine.

Marin said nothing, refusing to even make eye contact with Zack.

“I thought psychic gifts couldn't see into the minds of focus gifts?” Kyli commented.

“They can't.” Marin yipped, unpleasantly.

“Demons can, it would seem.” Yugo observed.

“He is as good as the cards say. Surprising, considering it's only a few days after his first taste of blood.” Ellen adjusted the rear-view mirror. “By the way, how were the raw steaks, Zack?”

“Who is this guy, Yugo? He knows a lot about me.” Zack asked Yugo.

“He's Marin's resident psychic. He's how we found you in the first place.” Yugo reached over to the mini-bar and poured himself a very small portion of the mysterious liquid in the dark bottle.

“But he's human? What, now there's human psychics too?” Zack was getting annoyed as the limo pulled away from the curb.

“Not really, I use a medium to search for what I need to. And as of last month, that's been you, Zack Michael Giver.” Ellen said as he was driving back to the club.

“Like tarot cards?” Zack guessed.

“You're getting good, and you're quicker than I was told you would be.” Ellen smiled.

“So why do you dress like him?” Zack asked.

“Like who?” Ellen asked.

“Like me.” Marin spoke up. “Those seeking to be turned or those taking on a mentor always dress themselves according to the vampire they wish to follow. As a sign of respect and honor.”

“Then why aren't you in fur?” Zack quipped, pocking fun at Marin choosing not to wear anything near resembling Yugo's constant attire.

“He's sharp Yugo, you better get him signed up soon.” Ellen interjected what was on his mind.

Marin came as close to blushing as a vampire could. He broke eye contact with Ellen and cleared his throat.

“He's damn stubborn is why. He swore he'd never wear an animal skin. He said it went against the ideals he was aiming for in his life.” Yugo said after carefully sipping from the glass. “Or maybe it was about all the cows-”

A piercing look came from Marin's eyes to Yugo. Marin clearly didn't want him to proceed.

“What about cows?” Zack wanted to know more.

“That doesn't matter, Zack. Let's get down to it.” Kyli spoke up. “Yugo, what exactly does Malio want with Zack?” Kyli put the conversation back on track.

“He wants to make Redgold from Zack's blood.” Ellen declared.

“Shut up Ellen, we will tell him in our own words.” Marin almost growled at Ellen.

“But you already told me that. I get the idea he wants to kill me and take my gift.” Zack surmised his situation.

“There's more to his motivations than that.” Marin told Zack.

Flashes of blood played through Zack's mind. At first Zack thought there was a sun, then he realized eclipses were involved. Zack saw a box placed on an alter in the middle of a large open air shrine. Inside was vampire blood. The solar eclipse started. The blood began to boil and harden. It crystallized into a gem. Zack could feel his heart race. There was a pain coursing through his body. Zack didn't like where this was going.

Zack spoke out loud, ending the vision in his head. “What does the eclipse do to the vampire blood exactly?”

“Damn, he is quick Ellen. You were right. I wonder how much we actually need to tell him.” Yugo chuckled.

“It crystallizes the blood and makes it into a compound that can be ingested. It changes the body of the one who takes it.” Marin explained.

“So it turns the blood back into a virus?” Kyli asked.

“No, into a retro virus. It's meant to change a vampeal into a full vampire. To re-write the host directly. It was meant as a rite of passage into a vampire family. A way to save a bastard child from death.” Yugo clarified. “At least that is what it was originally for.”

“What else can it do?” Kyli asked, she was very curious about the concept.

Zack had visions of a vampeal being drained of blood and turned into Redgold. Then a vampeal with purple eyes was consuming it. “It can be made from a vampeal as well. Isn't that right?”

“He's talented, you have to give him that.” Ellen spoke out of turn again.

“No we told him that much before getting into the car.” Marin corrected Ellen.

Ellen shut up for the moment.

“What can it do? What is the advantage of consuming the Redgold of a vampeal?” Kyli wanted to know.

“It bestows the gift of the vampeal it was made from onto the consumer as we said. It's a way to compound gifts.” Marin said calmly.

“Then Malio wants to gather vampeal gifts? Why, to make himself a super vampeal? Then what? He'd still be a vampeal. What's the point?” Kyli said with a puzzled look.

“He plans to become a full vampire after he takes my blood. That's what he's waiting for. My gift, the gift of a psychic vampire.” Zack realized the depth of what his life was worth in all this. “And that's why you're afraid to turn him. You're scared Malio might come after your only human friend.”

Zack had said something even Ellen didn't know about. Ellen rolled up the black compartment divider without saying a word.

Marin hadn't told Ellen how much he meant to him. Zack had explained more than Marin wished to at the time.

“Zack, I'm pleased your gift is maturing. It shows you've made the link.” Yugo was smiling as he said it. “I thought you seemed a little taller.”

“What link? I never had to develop a link with my gift, I simply had it one day after consuming more blood than usual.” Kyli asked.

“You mean it's connected itself to me. It made the link against my will.” Zack was melancholy.

“So now that we all know what Zack is, how do we fight the connection? How do we separate the demon from him?” Kyli wanted answers.

Yugo sat back into the leather, finished his sip of dark liquid, and grinned fiendishly. “You assume Zack wants to fight it. That deep down he wishes to resist the demon and cast it out of his mind forever.” Yugo paused slightly, his smile fading. Yugo's eyes trailed off into an unknown sadness. “You assume he wasn't given a choice. That the link was against his will. You misunderstand. In truth, the link is utterly consensual. It cannot exist without a measure of recognition. A commonality found, and reached within the mind. I'm talking about acceptance.”

“What are you saying? Zack chose this?” Kyli needed clarification.