Witchblood (7 page)

         During the day, Eva carried on with the best friend routine and after a while my guard dropped and I found myself chatting away, happy to have some female company after a quiet week spent with the brooding Daniel. She brought me a suitcase filled with new clothes, everything from nice new undies to jeans, t-shirts, jumpers, a couple of skirts, a dress and even a coat. She must have noticed that her wellies had been too large for me and had even got me a couple of pairs of shoes in both a size four and a five. For the first time all week, a true smile lit my face as I thanked her profusely. The knowledge that I could riffle through my own clothes each day, helped lift some of the depressive cloud that had been shadowing me.   

         I gladly told her about my childhood, how my mother had died from breast cancer and how my father had shied away from me ever since. I knew he loved me, but he’d turned to alcohol since my mother’s death and had never been the same. I’d no extended family living anywhere near me, as my father’s parents had both died in their seventies, and my mother’s family lived in the south. My recent ‘family’ had been my two best friends. Luke, whom I’d known since I was fourteen, had a massive crush on and more recently had followed to university after he’d finally kissed me some six months earlier. Then of course there was my best friend Alex, whom I’d met at university and shared a student flat with. She was my rock, and I missed her easy-going lightness. Eva made a note of my family names and emailed them on to Sebastian, who was already looking into my family history.

Some hours later, we were in Daniel’s blacked out MPV, speeding down the fast lane of the M6. Eva was chatting away about a vampire called Amy, who was clearly not her favourite person in the world, and Daniel hardly spoke a word. His brow was furrowed and his eyes fixed permanently on the road. I felt a new excitement welling in the pit of my stomach - nerves about meeting Sebastian mixed with happiness to be returning home, and a secret hope that I’d overcome all hurdles and somehow get to see my friends again.

         As we arrived in Manchester early on a Friday night, I found myself looking through the darkened windows at the familiar scene of young, happy people, laughing and flirting, wearing their best clothes and heading out to the trendiest bars. I was surprised as we headed straight into the centre and onto Oxford Road and even more so when we turned down a very familiar side street and slowed down by Exodus. Yet we didn’t stop outside, but drove round the back and parked in the service alley. There was nobody about, and as it was winter it was already dark.

         ‘Exodus? Why are we here? I thought we were going to see Sebastian?’ I asked.

         ‘Sebastian owns several clubs, but Exodus is his new baby. Night clubs and bars are obvious business choices for vampires, as the work hours pose fewer problems for us, especially in the summer,’ Eva answered. ‘Come on.’

         She opened the door and I followed her out into the alley. Daniel knocked three sharp successive raps on the door and it was immediately opened by a guy I vaguely recognised. He was the barman my friends had all voted as the ‘Best Looking Bartender in Manchester’. He had dirty blonde, fashionably styled short hair and a slow, easy smile.

         ‘Hi Dan, Eva.’ He nodded to them as he held open the door. ‘Is this the new witch-girl then?’

         ‘Hello Johnny. This is Jessica. Are you going to take us through?’ Daniel replied, not waiting for an answer, as he smoothly glided past and strode down the corridor. Eva and Johnny soon caught him up and I was led through a maze of corridors until, with a stop so abrupt I nearly walked into them, we came to a halt outside a heavy wooden door.

         Three more knocks, and we entered a large room. In one corner was a large antique desk, and to the other side of the room some comfortable armchairs were grouped in a vague circle, two of them occupied by a couple who watched me intently. The man who I instantly knew to be Sebastian, as his presence immediately dominated the room, stood up from behind the desk and walked over to greet us. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with dark almost black hair, and he was exceptionally handsome.

         ‘Daniel, Eva,’ he said inclining his head slightly towards them. ‘And this must be Jessica,’ he said, his eyes roaming the full length of my body and finishing by staring straight into my eyes. ‘Mmm, I can see why you couldn’t resist this one, Daniel. I bet she was sublime. It’s a shame her blood will have lost some of its flavour; I haven’t tasted witch in a long time, it’s so potent it takes incredible strength not to drain the last drop. Oh! But then you didn’t get to drain her, did you? Such a shame! No doubt you both got a taste though?’ he said, with a quick smile towards Eva, confirming he’d already been told the details. ‘Although maybe she is indeed a witch, if she’s rejecting you. So, maybe her blood would be worth a quick taste after all?’ He smiled at me, and I could see his fangs pushing through at the thought of biting me. At once I felt the danger in the air and I stepped backwards behind Eva and Daniel. Daniel stepped forward, shielding me.

         ‘Sebastian, I think Eva might be wrong. I’ve not yet had to command her, it's just a hunch, and we do have a connection. I
feel
her, emotionally and physically. I know where she is and what she wants.’ His stance became powerful, protective. ‘She
is
mine, and I don’t want her weakened unless we are sure.’

         ‘Of course, if that’s true then she will belong to you and be of no interest to me. However we do need to clarify these hunches, so I propose a test.’ He stalked past Daniel and smiled at me, and once again I felt the danger lurking behind the smile. I had a feeling this would not be a fair test.

         ‘The key here Daniel, is for her to obey your command. If you can get in her head, then I’ll leave you both alone. If she rejects you as her master, then I’ll have to take over as I cannot have a renegade newborn roaming the streets,’ he smiled slowly. ‘Obviously the order has to be an unwelcome one, otherwise we would never know if she was just choosing to follow the command to hide her true bloodline.’

         Daniel turned to look at me, worry creasing his features as he smiled tentatively. I felt him projecting his thoughts towards me, willing me to listen, and I knew there was no escape. He’d tried his best.

         ‘You know what I want Daniel; I won’t take more than a taste. Just to prove a point. You have two minutes.’ Sebastian’s eyes flashed up to meet mine as he walked slowly past, his hand brushing the back of my hip as he sauntered back to his desk and sat down.

        
Damn! Damn! Damn! Now what? Was I to be a light supper?

         Daniel’s face turned to stone. His eyes, which were normally a chocolaty brown, were getting darker by the second, the pupils dilating beyond normal proportion, turning his eyes a glossy black. He opened his mouth slightly, and I could see his fangs were fully protruded. I felt waves of tension firing from him. The two vampires in the corner felt the tension in the air and stood up, ready to jump in if required. Eva stepped over, and putting her hands on either side of his face whispered,

         ‘Don’t Daniel. He’s looking for an excuse to take her. You both have to do this.’

         After what seemed a long five minutes, but could have only been mere seconds, his face relaxed and his eyes returned to normal. He turned to me and gazed into my eyes. I suddenly felt his power start to wash over me again and realised I could hear his voice in my head. He was speaking to me, but his lips didn’t move. Immediately my instinct was to block him and I found I could do this easily, pushing him out bit by bit.

         ‘Jessica, No! Please listen to me or I can’t save you from him. You have to do this. You have to let me in. Let me guide you.’ I looked at the other vampires in the room to see if they’d heard him, but even Eva, who was watching intently, showed no signs of understanding. He was talking to me with his mind. Weird! I listened, intrigued.

         ‘He wants you to go to him. He wants to taste you.’ I shuddered as my worst fears were realised and immediately tried to shut him out again. ‘Jessica, listen please. It will only be for a moment. He knows you wouldn’t willingly do this. It’s the only thing you can do to make him believe I can control you…..otherwise he will find a way to.’

         Even more strangely, I found I could speak to him in return.

         ‘What if he can’t control me either?’ I thought, already knowing the answer.

         ‘Remember, he knows everyone you care about and where to find them. He can control you through them, and if that fails he could kill you,’ he answered.

         ‘Time’s up, Daniel. Is the little witch going to obey you?’ Sebastian swung round from the desk and eyed me hungrily.

         ‘Do as I ask!’ Daniel said blasting me with power.

         His voice took on a cold, forceful air as he spoke the words both out loud and psychically. I was taken by surprise and felt the full force of his command like a slap across the face. I saw Eva watch me. Her eyes seemed friendly, pleading me to do the right thing. I knew now what I had to do to stay safe, so I walked trance-like towards Sebastian. 

         For a second I saw the surprise show in Sebastian’s eyes as they momentarily widened, then he smiled a slow easy smile. He turned to the vampire pair still standing in the corner.

         ‘Troy, Isabelle, you can leave the room now. I have no further need of you,’ he commanded.

         After watching the vampire couple leave the room, he turned back to me smiling. ‘Let’s make ourselves comfortable, shall we?’ He walked over to the comfortable chairs, and I followed somewhat reluctantly.

         Daniel was by my side, then suddenly in my head. ‘Jessica, let your guard down. Let him into your head. It won’t hurt that way. Let him seduce you.’ I could see the strain showing at the corners of his mouth, as his eyes flicked over to Sebastian.

         ‘Jessica, come, sit next to me.’ Sebastian patted the seat of a small sofa he was sitting on and I walked over and sat down. ‘Hmm, now which pulse point shall we go for? There is a good juicy one just in your inner thigh! Such a shame you have those tight jeans on.’ He laughed a deep, dirty laugh and Eva had to step forward to restrain a glowering Daniel.

         I knew I had to get this over with before Daniel’s restraint broke, along with my resolve. I took a deep breath, and stroking his thigh I moved closer, tilting my head so my neck was upturned to him. With my new vampire hearing, I not only heard Sebastian’s quick intake of breath, but also Eva and Daniel’s as they looked at me in shock. I kept up the part and saw it begin to work, as Sebastian’s attention was diverted from teasing Daniel, and he became fully focused on me.

         His fangs once again shot out, this time fully, and his eyes went black. My emotional wall went up as I tensed, and a second later agonising pain seared through my neck as his teeth tore into me. I felt energy scream within me and thought I saw the lighting flicker. Sebastian suddenly released me. I expected retribution, but strangely it never came.

         ‘Jessica I'm so sorry. I didn’t mean to harm you. Let’s try again.’ He looked at me with something new in his eyes, something softer, and this time I knew I had to let my guard down and let him in. I stared into his eyes as he stroked my face and leaned in once more. This time was different, very different. I shivered as a warm wave of pleasure surged through my body. If I’d been human I’d have felt goose bumps play along my arms, but as it was I felt an addictive mix of sexual energy and pure joy blast through my senses. For the very first time I felt something quickly pushing through the sensitive skin in my mouth. I ran my tongue tentatively over my newlyformed fangs. I felt hungry and impatient for more, as mere seconds later Sebastian was pulling away and searching my face quizzically, before gently lifting my top lip to witness my virgin fangs starting to recede. He lifted my hand to his lips briefly in an oddly old-fashioned gesture, and stepping away, turned back to Daniel.

         ‘She is yours, for as long as she wishes to be and for as long as you can control her. She is surely a witch, but I can taste your blood in her as well, and as long as she causes no trouble she may prove to be more useful than she seems.’ He added, ‘I suggest you do not enter the club yet as the police are still looking for leads, and her transformation is not complete. You can stay in the rooms here or return to the farm as you wish.’

         During this exchange I sat open-mouthed, staring at Sebastian. My fangs had disappeared, but I felt dazed and there was a persistent throbbing in my groin.