The red and blue lights of the ambulance bounced off the dark, wet parking lot. A woman stood by her car, clutching her face, her voice was high and thin; ‘I didn’t see him, I didn’t see him! I looked— I checked my mirror! He wasn’t there!’

Onlookers gathered around the accident; a man lying on the ground with his groceries. Splattered egg stuck to his black hair, the contents of a broken bottle soaked into his jacket. Someone in the crowd muttered; ‘Why aren’t they doing anything?’ He was talking about the paramedics.

The paramedics were on their knees beside the victim, but something about the man kept them frozen in place; it was a dead body. A dead body that looked fresh out of the morgue. Its limbs were stiff and heavy, its olive skin was bloodless, it even wore a suit. One of them reached to touch it, but jerked his hand back and wiped it on his uniform.

Off to the side, two sneakered feet jumped out of the ambulance.

The body sat up. The paramedics stumbling to stand. Everyone stared.

‘Don’t worry,’ the body said, ‘it didn't hurt.’ Then it walked away. The crowd, paramedics, and driver, watched, then their eyes unfocused and within a heartbeat the driver wiped her face and got back into her car, the crowd scattered and the ambulance drove off into the night.

The dead man rubbed a thumb over the dark stain on his jacket. Was the broken bottle really necessary, Fabrizio? He combed a hand through his hair, getting the last bits of egg, then he reached into a bush and picked up the real shopping bag. Maybe he could have said something about drop dead price deals? Not that it mattered. His efforts wouldn’t be appreciated.

The kids waited in the alleyway next to the laundromat. They were twenty-something, he guessed, but to him they felt like children.

Selina held the blood bags raided from the ambulance. Her companion, Micah, sat against a dumpster, being… himself.

He took the bags from her and read the label. ‘It’s the synthetic stuff,’ he said. ‘Not ideal but that’s what they carry most of the time. It’s good enough.’

Selina scratched her neck, where a scar stood out on her dark skin; a jagged half-moon, curling up to her ear, a mark meant to kill.

‘Everyone just went away,’ she said, ‘like nothing happened.’

Traffic had picked back up and people were moving through the rain on the sidewalk.

He held up the bags, giving them a shake. ‘I told you this would work.’

‘Did you do it?’ Her eyes met his. ‘Did you make them forget?’

‘Honestly, I thought you were used to it.’ He smiled at her. ‘No-one ever took notice while you were doing your— good work?’

She looked away. ‘We were careful. There’s lots of rules.’

‘A man saw us.’

Micah had spoken but the boy didn’t elaborate.

Fabrizio put up another smile. ‘Who saw us, Micah?’

The boy stared through him, his stone colored eyes vacant. ‘We were waiting for the sun to rise and a man saw us, a man with a— he was wearing a long coat.’ Micah swallowed, he wore the same scar as Selina, only his was larger. Like someone had ripped out a chunk before it had healed.

‘They yelled at the man for help,’ Micah went on, ‘but he just stood there, and then the sun came through and burned them away. He didn’t care. He just kept going and we got rid of the ashes.’

The smile on Fabrizio’s face had stiffened while Micah spoke.

Selina hugged herself. ‘If they could yell for help then you broke your set. You're supposed to… cut off their heads…’ Her voice faltered and she glanced at Fabrizio.

At the end of thirty, he looked like an old man to her. The neon sign above them tinted the damp night green but the light didn’t reach into their alley. He stood there being very still, in his dark suit and fancy shoes and he could kill us, and no-one will care.

Fabrizio put the blood bags away. ‘I guess it now doesn’t matter anymore, who followed your rules or not. Let’s head back, the rain's getting down my collar.’

They went across the parking lot towards their motel unit. Fabrizio walked fast, taking big steps. Selina tried to keep up, her curls bobbing around her head. Her leggings looked thin underneath her red bomber jacket, but she didn’t feel the cold. She rubbed her eye. Why did I have to say it like that?

Micah wasn’t coming. He stood by the pool; head bent, shoulders hunched up.

‘Micah?’ She went back for him. ‘We have to go inside now.’

He didn’t move.

‘Come on.’ Please.

‘There’s no hurry,’ Fabrizio called over from the door. ‘Take your time.’ Then he added with a smile; ‘Just be back inside before dinner!’ He shook his head at himself and then they were alone together.

Micah looked up and his eyes were brighter. ‘I don’t think I have it, Selina, I’m getting better.’

She looked at his matted blond hair, at the darkness below his blood-shot eyes.

‘If I keep eating—’ he said. Something caught in his throat and he coughed. He wiped a dark stain from his chin. ‘I think I’m okay.’

Selina looked down at her sneakers. We are very far from being okay.

Their room was beige and carpeted pink; two beds took up most of the space, with a small kitchen facing the door. Micah went for a chair in the corner and sat down, hands on his knees. Selina sat on her bed.

The soft light from the nightstand made their injuries stand out; they were bruised and had torn skin that didn’t bleed. Burns covered Selina’s arms and the left side of Micah’s face was plastered with silver duct tape.

Rain pelted the roof, the harsh sound mingled with the shower running in the bathroom. Fabrizio came out in a towel, then later in clean clothes. He talked to them, waved before going out, then startled them when he came back in.

Selina stood beside the bed, eyes wide. Micah crouched on the floor.

‘I told you I was going out.’ Fabrizio said. He held up a small table that dripped water on the carpet. He then said in a calmer voice; ‘Next time I’ll flick the light switch or clap or something.’ He placed the table between the beds and wiped the surface. ‘You hear that?’

Selina shook her head, too tensed up to speak, at that moment the microwave chimed.

‘Look at this.’ Fabrizio placed a mug on the little table in front of her. ‘That’s for you.’

Selina stared at the dark red liquid, the warm copper smell made her mouth sting.

‘And this one’s for you, Micah.’ Micah took his drink but stayed on the floor.

Fabrizio sighed and went back to the kitchen. There he drank straight from the blood bag until it was empty, and opened a bottle of wine. He pointed at Selina with a glass. ‘Don’t let it get cold, you won’t like it.’

When Selina drank, the mug clicked against her teeth. It’s like sucking in air. She pressed a hand to her stomach. I’m still empty.

‘That’s it,’ Fabrizio said, not looking at her but tasting the wine and making a face. ‘Just wait, tomorrow your burns will look different.’

She didn’t hear him, but reached into her mouth. Her incisor felt longer, and when she pushed her thumb up it sank in without resistance. Blood welled up from her fingertip then sank back down.

Fabrizio placed a bowl with some snacks on the table. ‘Let’s see if you can catch up to me. You are on a losing streak, Selina, but don’t let that discourage you.’ He shuffled a deck of cards. ‘We have some more hours until sunup. Let’s see if your luck changes.’

The girl struggled to get the cards off the table but didn’t drop them this time.

‘Oh,’ Fabrizio smiled at his hand. ‘Doesn’t look too good for you, Selina.’

She smoothed her hair out of her face, trying to care for the game while her arms itched.

While they played, Micah drank, then he got up and ran for the sink.

‘You let it get cold,’ Fabrizio said while the boy threw up.

At the end of the night, Fabrizio locked the door and made sure the curtains covered the window. The beds were good, away from the harsher sunlight if someone got in. Even so, housekeeping wasn’t until the end of the week.

Micah was okay in the bathroom and Selina had already huddled up on her bed. Just one more day.

He leaned back against his pillow, and that was when he felt the sun rise.

When Micah snuck out of the bathroom, two corpses sat up with him. He focused on the door, but in the end he didn’t try the handle. Selina.

Selina sat there with her eyes open and if he went out, the sun might get onto her. Then she would scream again and he couldn’t hear her do that. He went back into the bathroom and wrapped himself in a towel.

That evening, the three of them got into a black van. Fabrizio drove them off the parking lot.

The radio still didn’t work. He drummed his fingers on the wheel, just a few more hours. All his conversations were one-sided and ended in silence, so he decided to focus on driving. After a while they were alone on the road most of the time and the big buildings became small glowing pillars in the distance. That’s when he saw the lake at the heart of this region, a great hole of darkness inside the web of city lights around its shores.

‘There’s the lake,’ he said. The kids looked up, Selina made some comment on how it looked nice, Micah stared through the window.

Fabrizio drove them across a wide bridge, feeling the river’s pull below them. Then they were back on the road and the housing blocks made way for scattered villages; curving streets illuminating green lawns until the streetlights became sparse and there were only isolated houses in the night.

The van pulled off the road and onto a byway, gravel hitting the sides. They drove past a long line of trucks, onto another parking lot.

Sabine sat up when she saw the people; a group of mostly women. They stood near a little building at the end of the truck stop, wearing less than appropriate clothing for the temperature. She looked at the dead skin of her hand, picking at it.

Fabrizio slowed the van, almost hitting a man that stumbled out of the bushes. He slammed the horn, making Micah jump.

‘This won’t take long,’ he said. ‘I’ll just grab one and we’re back on the road.’

Micah sat up. ‘What are we doing?’

But Fabrizio had left the engine running and was outside, walking towards the group.

‘We talked about this,’ Selina said. Her hands gripped the edge of her seat.

‘About what, what’s he doing?’ Micah squinted. ‘He’s talking to them?’

She pressed her heels into the car seat. ‘We need someone from here, it’s okay.’

‘He’s taking someone!’

‘Micah, wait—’

Micah jumped out of reach and slammed the door in her face. Selina listened to the argument going on outside, someone from the group yelled at them. Then the backdoor opened and slid shut. Fabrizio jumped back behind the wheel and they drove off.

‘Micah has decided he’ll ride with our guest tonight,’ Fabrizio said. He sounded calm, but a vein stood on his forehead.

Selina said nothing. Gravel hit the van until he got them back onto the tarmac.

‘He has quite the opinion on things, when he’s paying attention,’ Fabrizio went on. ‘Why explain when you don’t listen when I speak? I go on and on, explaining into your empty faces and for what? To make a scene? To start arguing with me when I do, what I told you I was going to do?’

He slammed the wheel. ‘Get out of the car if you want!’

Selina shook her head.

‘Do you want to leave?’ He faced her.

‘No.’

‘Do you know what we’re doing?’

Selina pulled her legs up onto the seat, hugging her shins. ‘Yes.’

He leaned his head back and spoke loud enough for his words to reach into the back. ‘I’m not forcing you to do anything! I just want you to be clear with what you want!’

The blistered skin on her hands pulled taut. ‘I want to help you.’

‘With what? Help me do what? Are you in there, Selina? Speak up!’

‘I want to help you wake up your vampire king!’ The skin on her hands ripped. ‘I want to become strong and powerful and then I want to— I want to kill the people that did this to me!’ She bunched her hands into fists, the bloodless blisters tearing open. Her breathing sped up. ‘They had no right, no right to do— to do what they did.’ Tears welled up in her eyes and her jaws clenched shut.

Fabrizio's shoulders relaxed. ‘Thank you, I need to be able to count on you to keep your head when we get there. This won’t be easy.’

She nodded, pressing her eyes against her knees.

He patted her shoulder. ‘You’ll see. He’ll be your king, too. Then nothing can touch us.’

They left the last streetlight behind until they were among trees and the road turned back to gravel then into dirt going uphill, and then they were there.

Welcome!

This is a story about vampires, vampire hunters, and tourism.

It is called: "The Geldingstone Future City Planning Project."

But I'll be calling it "The vampire story," on here.

You can read along while I write it, or buy it in about a year, when I publish it.

Chapters stay up

What you'll be reading:

A small group of outcasts are reviving the King of vampires to guard against their many enemies.

Will they succeed in getting him back to his former power, and did they pick the right sacrifice?

disclaimer:

This story contains acts of violence, blood, and unsafe housing. This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all names, places, characters, events and incidents in this story are a product of my imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or (un)dead, is purely coincidental.

Do not claim this work as your own.

Selina felt small, standing in the light from the back of the van; this high up, frost hung in the air mixed with the scent of pine trees, a jagged wall of mountains cut off the star filled sky.

Fabrizio had walked off with his phone, texting someone. Another car parked with them on the side of the dirt road; silver and sleek, expensive looking.

The woman they’d taken from the truck stop sat on a spare tire in the back; she wore a pink beanie and Selina looked at it instead of her face.

Micah wouldn’t come out, head in hands he sat on the floor. Just like I found you. Her shoulders slumped. It’s up to me now.

‘Micah,’ she cleared her throat. ‘We’re not going to do something bad to her, Micah. We need her to be alive. Didn’t you listen?’

He shook his head.

She stamped her foot. ‘Well, I— Are you going to stay in the van? Because— we will leave you behind.’ Tears sprang in her eyes but she leaned in. ‘Should I have left you in that room? Is that what you want?’

He shook his head.

‘Do you want to die?,’ she asked.

His hands went to his shirt, twisting it up.

‘They’re after us, Micah. Hunting us down. You know— what they’ll do when they get here.’

‘I know.’ He giggled. ‘It’s us, we’re hunting ourselves. I can see myself hunting with them, I’m so loud, I can hear my heartbeat, I can’t wait to catch the bad guys, catch myself sitting in this van!’ He looked at her. ‘Do you think I’ll recognize me when I get here?’

Selina held out her hand. ‘We’re not the bad guys, we’re not. Trust me.’ She flinched when his hand closed around hers, but there was no pain there, only pressure. She pulled him onto the road.

‘I’m sorry,’ he stared at his shoes. ‘I can’t think anymore, it’s all messed up.’

‘It’s going to get better soon,’ she said, glancing at the woman; just some homeless person in a worn-out coat. Please don’t be scared. We won’t hurt you.

Fabrizio was back. He went into the van, grabbed the woman by the wrist, and led her off between the trees.

A few times the woman tripped, but he got her back on her feet and kept them going.

‘There are people waiting for me,’ the woman said in a soft voice, almost polite.

‘I bet there are,’ Fabrizio said. ‘You can see them after we’re done.’

An animal ran past them, a small thing with a sharp face. It looked at them, then scurried off into a bush.

The woman’s boot slipped on a rock, and she cried out.

‘Are you okay?’ Selina clapped a hand to her mouth, but the words were out.

‘I’m okay,’ the woman said. ‘It’s so dark, how do you guys see where we’re going?’

Fabrizio yanked her along and she had a limp. ‘We’re almost there,’ he said, ‘keep up, Selina.’ There was a harshness to his voice. Should have kept my mouth shut.

‘Here,’ the woman turned on a flashlight, ‘now we can see.’

Fabrizio snatched it from her and pointed the light ahead of them. ‘Walk.’

The torch made the forest look darker; it lit up the frozen trees like skeletons.

Selina stared at the woman’s back; a strand of light brown hair stuck out from under her cap, the limp was still there but she’d stopped trying to talk to them. I’m kidnapping someone. I’m making them walk into a scary forest at night. She pressed her lips together. We won’t hurt you.

The woman stopped. ‘There’s someone there.’

‘Yes,’ Fabrizio said. ‘Take the light.’

Selina took the flashlight and he walked on, arms outstretched. ‘Ava!’

A young woman hugged him back, with her white blonde hair in a bun and dressed in a blue blazer and skirt, she looked fresh from a meeting. The two kissed on the cheek, two on each side.

‘I almost didn’t make it,’ Ava said, poking Fabrizio in the chest. ‘What would you do without me?’

He chuckled. ‘Starve, die of boredom. Nothing works when you’re not around.’

She smiled, rocking back and forth on her heels.

Fabrizio faced the group. ‘Everyone, this is Ava.’

She stood straight, her hands opened at her sides. ‘Micah, Selina! So good to see you again.’ She waved a hand at them, unbothered by the light in her face. ‘You might not remember me, but I’m the one that got you here tonight, in a way— and I can tell you; we can’t do this without you.’

Selina swallowed. I don’t know you. Micah just stared at her.

Ava’s blue eyes passed over the woman and she went on; ‘Fabrizio, thank you for your efforts, I know you’ve worked hard. I have taken care of everything else, shall we head over to the cave?’

He had been smiling at her while she talked. ‘That’s why we’re here.’

Their captive sat down. Fabrizio sighed, then marched toward her and flung her over his shoulder.

Ava led them into a cave with a sweep of her hand. ‘We’re setting the ritual in here, it’s an important place to our king.’ It was a small cave, bats huddled on the ceiling, stones and branches lay scattered everywhere. She turned to smile at them, standing by a narrow pit in the ground. ‘These are his remains.’

Selina looked into the grave by her feet; a tarp had been laid down into it, cradling… pieces; three bundles wrapped in cloth. One of them resembled a torso, then a head, then what could be an arm.

She glanced at Fabrizio. ‘Why is he all… cut up.’

Fabrizio put the woman down by the pit. ‘Traitors did that to him.’ He took her beanie off and smoothed out the woman’s hair, then he knelt to chain her leg to a metal stake in the ground.

She looked away while the woman squirmed.

‘Sit still. He’ll be fine once we get the blood back into his body.’

Ava pressed her hands together. ‘Speaking of blood—’ She walked over to a stack of crates. ‘Here we have it!’ She waved at Selina. ‘Want to help me get these over to the grave?’

Selina handed the flashlight back to the woman, who whispered a small thank you.

Their captive aimed her light at the open grave, then at her boot chained to the ground, a tremble got into the beam while the group brought the crates over.

‘Let’s start this officially,’ Ava said, ‘Micah, you go over there? Thank you so much.’ She spread out her arms and they were holding hands around the grave, except for the woman.

‘Fabrizio?’

He grinned, closing his eyes. ‘We’re here to wake up our king, the king of all vampires; betrayed and cast out by his own.’ He took a breath. ‘He knows the old ways, he will make us strong and he will teach us what was lost.’ Then he stared down at the wrapped up body. ‘It’s time he came back to us.’

‘Okay!’ Ava clapped her hands. ‘Now it’s time to pour out the blood over the body.’

The crates were filled with black thermos bottles and their content was still warm. Selina twisted the top off another one and poured the blood into the grave. At first she’d tried to avoid hitting the remains, but now there seemed no end to the bottles and she didn’t care where the blood went. The woman sat there and held the light on them, her lips were a thin line and her eyes were sharp. Does she think this will all go away if she just keeps still?

After a while the cave warmed up and a haze rose up over the grave; it now resembled a wound into the ground. Selina felt her mouth water and her hand hesitated to spill the next bottle.

Fabrizio took a swig, shaking his head. ‘The good stuff.’

‘It goes into the grave,’ Ava reminded him. ‘I have some at the house for you.’

‘You think of everything.’

‘I do.’

Micah gasped and dropped his thermos. ‘It moved.’

‘He’s getting a taste for it,’ Fabrizio said. His voice was loud and cheerful and he peered into the pit with everyone else. ‘Is this vintage to your liking, your majesty?’

The woman crept closer, illuminated the body parts; they had been almost completely submerged, the cloth, saturated red, shone wet in the light; revealing a deep socketed skull. It tipped to the side and made everyone jump.

Fabrizio laughed. ‘There he is!’

‘I’m glad we brought more this time,’ Ava said.

Selina looked up. ‘You tried this before?’

‘This time it will work,’ Fabrizio said. He poured two bottles in at once. ‘Wake up!’ His voice echoed around the cave. ‘Wake up, your royal highness, your subjects are waiting— and someone special wants to meet you!’

The woman huddled up, pressing the torch to her head.

Selina stepped on something in the dark, crushing it; a small skull of some animal. There were more bones lying around, now that she paid attention to them; at least half of the scattered twigs. Her heart beat in her throat. The air felt thick, rich with blood and something else that clung to her skin.

The body in the pit moved again and with it the bats that huddled on the ceiling, stirred, then dropped.

Selina threw up her arms while they fell. Micah picked one up. ‘It’s dead.’ He wiped his hand on his shirt. Something in the forest screamed.

‘Get up!’ Fabrizio tipped in another bottle. ‘You’ve got to move or they’ll come and stop you!’

Ava made a sound when the body sat up.

Selina stared at the shape, emerging from the red pool. The heaviness from the air bit into her skin and slunk into her body. It was hard to breathe.

When it stepped out of the grave, the woman fled. She tripped, stopped by the restraint on her leg.

Micah sank to his knees, halfway between the woman and the thing from the grave.

Selina went down with him. A weight went through her back and shoulders and pinned her to the ground. It felt like a cold hand gripped her spine from somewhere far below.

Ava knelt with her hands on the ground. ‘This is actually happening. It’s real! It feels so real.’

Fabrizio was the only one still standing. ‘Yes, you bastard! Get up. Get up and walk it off!’ Then his eyes widened. ‘No!’

The woman had wrestled a large rock out of the ground and struggled to lift it over her head.

‘You filthy—’ Fabrizio was forced to his knees, head bowed.

The woman stood alone while the body staggered towards her; a shadow made of blood. She brought the rock down with a wet thud, splattering it everywhere, painting the rocks red.

She let out a sob, then brought the stone down on her chain— again, until it snapped. A dead silence rang around her while she wiped her face. She looked up.

The body was still there, sitting in the grave while her four captors lay unconscious around it.

It looked at her; it didn’t have any eyes and no jaw, but it looked at her. It rooted her to the spot. Then she took a step towards it.

She squeezed her eyes shut but that didn’t stop her from walking. Her hands let go of the rock and her shoulders shook while she went to the grave, step by step, unable to look away. She knelt too, and a warm darkness rushed up to meet her.

Fabrizio shook himself awake and looked into the grave. A man sat up on the tarp with no blood in sight; his dark hair hung across his face.

He swallowed. ‘Hey.’

The man looked up, and it was all there, unharmed; from his wild eyes down to the stubble on his sharp jawline. The ritual had worked, his body was whole again.

They looked at each other and Fabrizio’s arms hung down at his side. He couldn’t speak.

The king held the now unconscious woman in his arms.

‘Hope you like her,’ Fabrizio said, his lip curled up at the sight of her. Had to make a show of it with that rock, didn’t you?

Ava came to stand next to him. She smoothed her skirt, her voice strained. ‘Hello, your majesty, I’m Ava, nice to meet you. Just a minute, we have some clothes for you to put on.’ She stumbled off to the crates. Selina and Micah were still down from the ritual.

Fabrizio swayed in place, it worked. Then the king said his name.

He even sounds like himself, with that slight lilt to it. Do you remember?

The king had noticed the woman in his arms. He looked at her face, angled it up with a thumb below her jaw. ‘Pretty one.’

Fabrizio nodded. He doesn’t remember. This is good, better that way. He let out a breath.

‘Let’s help our king out of the ground,’ Ava said. Together they got him to stand—he wouldn’t let go of the woman—and got him dressed.

Fabrizio woke up Selina, and together they supported Micah between them.

‘Head back to the cars,’ he called over to Ava. ‘We have to reach the house in time.’ They made their way out of the cave and back among the trees.

‘This way,’ Ava said. The king followed her, carrying the woman bridal style. They all moved slower than before. Only the king stood up straight, moving with ease and a bemused smile on his face.

The trees felt taller. There was a silence that hadn’t been there when they walked in and it followed them all the way back to the van.

Fabrizio leaned his hands on his legs, glad to be out of the forest. Their king was looking at the van.

‘Looks like nothing you’ve seen before, doesn’t it?’ He grinned. ‘We didn’t have those, did we?’ He waited. ‘Does it scare you?’

The king turned to look at him. ‘I walked the dark roads by the corpse piles where everyone that ever lived comes to pile up towards the black sky into eternity; that road goes on forever and I would have walked on forever, but I found the devil’s crossroad and when I met the devil there, I shook the devil’s hand. There’s nothing that scares me. It’s a carriage? Drive it to our home, I know you got one ready.’

Fabrizio grinned wide and slapped him on the back. ‘I missed you.’

‘Can’t say I was aware to miss you much, but it’s good to see your face.’

The kids went with Ava, and Fabrizio drove the van with the king sitting beside him. He was still holding onto his “bride.” He always had one, willing or otherwise. It had been the missing component to the ritual. That, and the added vampires to their inner circle. And now you’re back here.

The king had things on his mind. ‘They alive?’

‘Yes.’

The king nodded, then placed his hand on Fabrizio’s arm. ‘I can count on you. We didn’t always see things the same way but I can count on you. I know that now.’

Fabrizio nodded. ‘You can.’ You can.

Framed by steep mountains on one side, cradled by larger cities and the sea on the other, we have the Tromalda region. It is a mistake often made to think our six cities and towns are named for those beautiful mountains, we’re actually named after the lake.

Tromalda lake; at the heart of us, is fed by the Anarrah river, connecting us to those distant harbors of lovely Deon and proud Wofferton.

Our oldest city is Geldingstone; originally a site for prospecting, it later turned to logging and lately; to tourism.

So far they have to their name a rather lonely city square, a belief their forests are filled with “talking deer,” and a hesitant start to a collection of lake-side cabins.

New-Geldingstone is our region’s youngest town, and it has started an interesting project concerning—

The article was crumbled up in a gloved fist, then shoved deep inside a yellow poncho.

Ira Holsen grit her teeth. Talking deer! Only one person believes that! Unfortunately, that person was also on the committee for tourism, and so an official source for information concerning everything Geldingstone. She made a mental note to berate him at the next meeting, then parked her bike.

This part of town always made her feel queasy— city, we’re a city— but the people that moved in last night needed to be included. Don’t give them time to think, just get them interested in the Cabin Initiative.

The wooden house stood at the end of a long driveway; pale blue and cottage-like, with a dark roof. Parked in front were a van and a sleek car.

Ira stopped short of the fence, placing her letter in the mailbox tacked to it.

The dark windows made her stare, she shrugged it off and went back to her bike. Only to step onto something sharp enough to make her yelp. A large key glinted in the light, stuck in the mud. She pulled it free, wiped it off on her poncho and put it inside the mailbox. Another family had moved in close by the square, they needed to be informed about the cabins.

Micah sat on the couch, unaware of any cyclists outside. The sun had come up a while ago, he could hear it; a low hum of heat that snuck around the house. He kneaded his fingers into his eyes, seeing stars. Just get up. Now’s the time.

But he couldn’t do it.

The light from outside infused the heavy curtains, heating the shadows of the room. Go!

His spine was a dry stick, but he dug his palms into the couch and pushed. Now keep it going. Micah made his way through the living room, past the kitchen and up the stairs to the right. You’re doing it.

He bunched his fists, steadying himself at the top. Quiet.

The upstairs hallway revealed three doors. The furthest two faced each other and had sticky notes on them; one on the left read Bathroom, the second had a crown drawn on it. Unaware of how well he could read from a distance, he opened the door in front of the stairs.

The woman was asleep, huddled up on the corner of a large bed. She had her coat and boots on, lying on the covers.

His eyebrows drew together. She could be somebody’s mom.

Micah.

He’d heard his name, but it had been in the voice of his own thoughts. He shook her shoulder, keeping his voice low. ‘Wake up.’

Micah!

This time his name was a command. It made him back away from the bed and walk into the hallway. The door with the crown on it stood open.

Come here.

It’s not my own thoughts at all. Micah walked forward. His heartbeat sped up but he couldn’t stop until he was inside the doorway. Heavy curtains closed off the window and hid part of the room. A man stood with his back to him, facing an empty mirror.

The king.

‘Don’t wake her up,’ the man said in a warm tone that surprised him.

Micah shook his head. ‘I think she should go home. We said we’d let her go.’

The man faced him. He had clear, pale eyes and gray streaks in his long hair. ‘And I say she gets to stay.’ The suit he wore was a little too big for him, bunching at the legs. He’d been rolling up the sleeves, now he tossed the jacket over a chair.

He held out his arm and Micah felt a tug at his spine, making him step inside. The door clicked shut behind him.

He blinked at the display of power but the man acted like it was nothing.

‘I have things to do, Micah, and I need that woman to take care of the non-essentials. Are we going to have a disagreement about that?’

Micah nodded, surprising himself. ‘Yes, we are going to disagree about that.’

The man sat down on the chair and faced him. ‘Alright, let’s talk. I am your king, least I can do is listen.’

‘I’m not a vampire so you’re not my king,’ Micah said, then the words kept coming. ‘They made a mistake. I’m— I am a vampire hunter. I kill vampires, I hunt them down and you shouldn’t be here. It’s my duty to kill you and free your victim.’ He frowned at the effect of his words; the man just sat there, listening… ,smile lines forming around the eyes. ‘A hunter and a destroyer?’

Micah nodded.

The man raised his chin up at him, then pointed to the side of his throat. ‘And the scar?’

Micah remembered the taste of blood gushing up out of his own mouth. It went across his face in a burning wave. He coughed. ‘An accident.’

The man looked at him.

‘Not everyone that’s bitten gets turned.’ Micah said. ‘I survived— but my friends thought I was turning into a monster and they brought me in, they made a mistake.’ His stomach twitched and no more words wanted to come out.

‘How old are you?’

‘Eighteen.’

‘Go ahead.’

‘What?’

‘If you can get her out of the house, she can go.’ The man grinned and it showed his fangs. Micah jerked his head back at the sight. Fabrizio made a point of hiding his canines, in comparison, these were on display. He imagined the man’s head cut off from his body, blackening in the clear sunlight.

The grin widened. ‘If you’re going to imagine a man dead, you might as well know his name.’

Micah felt his cheeks burn. ‘You can read my mind?’

‘Saw it in your eyes.’

He tapped his head, touching tape. ‘You were in my head earlier.’

‘Oh, that.’ The king picked at a seam from his pants. ‘It’s a little trick I picked up. I’d show you… but we’ll have to see about that.’ He got off his chair and extended his hand. ‘Name’s Ackley.’

‘Ackley.’ Micah frowned, but shook the offered hand. ‘Micah.’

‘Go on,’ Ackley nodded at the door, it was open. ‘Won’t stand in your way.’

The woman jerked awake, then her eyes fell shut and he had to shake her again.

Micah got her off the bed, supporting her uneven steps. Then she slapped her own face and the sleepiness drew away from her eyes. She patted herself down, her eyes went from his face to the window.

Micah pointed at the door. ‘You can go.’ He held his breath. Can you?

He followed her down the stair; she held onto the banister, pausing underneath them to listen.

Micah listened too, but the house was silent except for the woman’s frantic heartbeat.

No, that’s my own. Is he really letting me help her? As he’d thought it, the woman crumbled, sinking to her knees. He caught her arm before she went face-first onto the wooden floor.

I have to get her out of the house myself. I can do that.

Lifting her up was not the problem he’d imagined. He got her as far as the couch until he noticed the noises; a crackling from just outside the front door, the tapping of invisible fingers on the wood and window panes. The sun is up. He’d heard that phrase so many times and it had always meant relief. Now it made him put the woman down against the back of the couch, and face the door.

Before he could hesitate he opened it.

Outside was a white void that roared at him. The longer he looked the more he could see the shimmering flames; outlines of what was there during the night. Mesmerized, he reached into a pain that seared his fingertips. Micah yanked his hand back, trailing white fire.

He sank to his knees, pressing his hand to his chest. I’m cursed. I’m dying, I’m cursed!

Ackley closed the door for him, shutting off the noise and light. ‘Seems the only mistake made was in your choice of friends,’ he said.

Micah shook his head.

‘You get some rest now. Go on, up you go.’

His body stood at the words, then Ackley guided him to an armchair. When he sat down his eyes fell shut.

The king looked at the young corpse. He lifted the tape on the kid’s head, revealing an almost severed ear beneath. Poor kid, rich in friends with good intentions.

Selina lay in bed and couldn’t move. She stared at the ceiling while the blood crept back into her limbs. This was her corner of the basement; a room made of plaster walls without a door. I have a bed and a nightstand. With a sigh, she got up. Some things don’t change at all.

‘Did you get the logo off the van?’ Ava said from somewhere ahead, it sounded like the echoes from a tiled room.

‘Yes, I did.’ Fabrizio answered.

Selina went towards their voices.

The basement had a bathroom and two vampires stood side by side in front of a wide mirror. Fabrizio adjusted a white shirt, Ava applied lipstick. Selina gasped when she saw they had reflections.

‘What do you think of this set-up?’ Ava smiled at her. ‘Nice, isn’t it?’

Selina walked towards the girl in the glass, staring at her sunken eyes and chapped lips. I look awful.

‘It’s a camera strip,’ Ava said. She pointed at a thin white line above what wasn’t a mirror but a screen.

Fabrizio moved to the side ‘We’ll get out of your way, looking presentable is your first defense.’

Selina backed out of the room. ‘I’m going to check on Micah.’

‘Let him sleep,’ he called after her, ‘he needs it.’

Sleep? She headed up the basement steps two at a time. He can’t sleep.

Someone was doing the dishes at night. Their captive stood in the kitchen, framed by a window; bent over the sink, washing thermos after thermos. Selina stared at her back. It’s like with the crowd in that parking lot, she’s going on with her life.

Is that okay? She rubbed her face. At least she’s alive.

Micah was indeed asleep, but not like the undead. His chest still rose and fell and there was a peaceful look on his face. We have to do something about that tape. He opened his eyes, making her jump.

When he sat up with his hands pressed to his head, she patted him on the back. ‘Do you feel any better?’

He made a non-committal sound. What were you like before all this? She looked at her sneakers. I bet I’m very different these days, too.

‘It’s early,’ Ava said, walking into the living room. ‘I feel stronger, do you feel stronger?’

Fabrizio looked up the stairs, then glanced at the woman by the sink. .

Ava went to a round bottle warmer on the kitchen counter. ‘Squeezing past, thank you.’ She came back with her arms full of small thermos. ‘We have to ration these a little,’ she handed one to Fabrizio and one to Selina. Micah held out his hand.

‘Can you digest this, yet?’ Ava asked.

He nodded.

Selina smiled. Fabrizio raised his thermos. ‘That’s it, Micah. Drink with us.’

Ava raised hers, ‘to us, and our king.’

After holding up her thermos, Selina drank. The instant the blood hit her mouth it smoothed over her chapped lips, filling her throat, her belly, with warmth. The room became clearer, the sounds sharp; a bird called outside the house, something scuttled through the dry grass. This is so good.

Micah emptied his, his knuckles white where they gripped the armrest.

A blush bloomed on Ava’s face, and Fabrizio’s tension lines faded from his forehead while his shoulders relaxed.

A thermos fell into the sink, splashing water. The woman stepped back and the kitchen door opened.

Someone dressed in dark jeans and T-shirt stepped into the house. Fabrizio approached their king, scowling at the shirt; it had three cobras printed on it, mouths open fangs dripping poison. ‘Where did you get… that?’

‘Some guy liked my suit.’ He presented his boots and slicked back his hair. ‘Thought it kind to swap with him.’

‘Some— ’ Fabrizio shook his head. ‘I guess your absence didn’t cure your lack of taste. That was a nice suit.’

The king laughed. ‘Wasted on a nice-looking guy like me. I got to ruffle up my edges a bit, Fabrizio.’ He glanced at the woman, who went back to washing up, then he grinned at the group. ‘Won’t you join me? I want you all to meet something.’ Then he went back outside into the night.

‘He didn’t like his suit?’ Ava asked.

A line formed on Fabrizio’s forehead. ‘It’s fine.’ He waved at Selina and Micah. ‘Come along, it’s best to get this out of the way quickly.’

Ava held up her hand, stopping the woman from going out with them. She put up a smile. ‘There’s more of those bottles by the basement door. Thank you for cleaning them, too. Couldn’t do this without you.’

They passed a cluster of plastic lawn animals through the yard. Then went towards the forest next to the house. The king whistled in the dark, then sang with a strong voice; ‘through the dark woods, where the dark dark trees watch over us.’

‘Good to see you in such a good mood,’ Fabrizio said, walking beside him. ‘Are you sure you want to bring everyone along for this?’

‘My loyal subject, of course.’

A twig snapped and Fabrizio flinched. ‘Keep up,’ he called back.

Ava rubbed her hands. ‘It feels like we’re going to get something done this evening.’

‘The work is done,’ the king said, his eyes going across the trees. ‘You’ll see that soon enough.’

Selina blinked when Micah took her hand and squeezed it for a second. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said.

The two of them stayed behind the group a little, but not too far.

‘It’s okay.’

He shook his head. ‘No, I never thanked you.’

‘Don’t thank me.’ She readjusted her jacket. ‘You don’t leave people behind in a place like that. No-one would.’

‘The sun burned me today.’ There was a strange smile on his face. Selina pressed her hands against her stomach. ‘I…’

‘I was stupid. Of course I’m not normal anymore.’

‘You were in shock. It’s not easy—’

‘ —I don’t want them to find us,’ he went on. ‘My friends.’

Selina swung her arms, looking up at the stars between the branches. ‘What are the odds? They think you’re dead.’ Her lips stiffened. ‘They left you to be executed, like any good hunter would.’ Like I did with myself. ‘Wait, why did the sun burn you?’

‘Ackley said I could free the woman if I could get her outside.’

‘Ackley?’

‘The king.’

She frowned. ‘He was awake?’

‘I was awake.’

‘You don’t count… yet.’ They walked into the others.

‘There should be forest here,’ Ackley said, staring at the sparse trees that made way for clumps of grass on a hillside.

‘There is a neighbor up ahead,’ Ava said. ‘But it’s far away enough from the house not to be a problem.’

They went up the hill past some smaller trees that were tagged and tied to poles. Selina felt a resistance and she became very aware of her steps. Ava trailed her hand through the air. Then they looked down at a large swimming pond below. A wooden deck had been built beside it and a cabin, in the distance a house stood at the end of a tree-lined avenue.

Ackley glared at the pond. ‘Water from the lake.’

‘Is that bad?’ Ava asked, she steepled her fingers.

‘It’s not there,’ the king went on, a heat rising in his voice. ‘Crawled out while I was gone.’

Fabrizio folded his arms.

A lights came on inside the cabin and a man in a bathing robe came out. Before he could say anything Ackley pointed at him and shouted: ‘Back into your hut!’

The man fell over himself, scrambling to get inside.

Micah gagged, then it was Selina’s turn. The smell of rot wafted over from behind them, a pungent stench that clung to the roof of the mouth. It came from the trees. Branches moved in the dark. Selina narrowed her eyes. Was it the wind, or was there something moving in the shadows?

‘Black-bellied coward,’ Ackley’s voice had a snarl to it, he stood facing the forest. ‘Saw your chance did you?’

A dry rattling sound echoed up to them, the stench of rot intensified. Selina took a step back. Something is looking at us.

‘Excuse me,’ Ava said in a trembling voice, she stepped to the side, bending over to throw up.

Ackley turned to them, his voice tense. ‘Get back to the house.’

The top of the hill felt very exposed.

Fabrizio made a move towards him but Ackley held up his arm. ‘Leave! Use the road.’

They backed away from a sudden coldness on their skin. By the time they’d reached the road his swearing laced the air.

Ava wiped her mouth with a tissue, her eyes were wide. ‘What were we supposed to find there?’

Fabrizio shook his head. ‘Not now.’

Selina hugged herself, the cold had latched onto her bones, she could still taste sour decay in her throat. Beside her, Micah shook his head. ‘I could see something crawl— ’

Fabrizio gripped his arm. ‘Don’t talk about it. Not while we’re outside with it.’ He swallowed a few times. ‘He’ll figure it out. He always does.’

They walked down the avenue, the hills by their side obscured the forest. After a long walk they made it to a thick hedge and then their house.

Ava held Fabrizio back by the fence. She waited until they were alone, then she clapped her hands, doing a little jump in place. ‘What WAS that?’

‘It’s some kind of ritual that… expired.’

‘He got really upset about it.’

He leaned back against the fence, looking out over the lights and dark hillsides, the dark stain of the lake between it all. ‘He has to start over, I think he realized that just now.’

‘It’s like you said, he goes out with a plan and we are tagging along becoming more powerful every night. We’re going to learn things that everyone else has forgotten— no, never even learned!’ She shivered. ‘Whatever it was, it was dead and it was moving. Will he tame it? Will it guard us? We’re building something here. It’s nice to be there from the beginning.’ She smiled and opened her mouth when her phone beeped at her. ‘I have to take this.’ She sighed.

He nodded.

Ava worked her smile back to life and forced it into her voice.

‘Hi, how are ya! …Of course you can call me anytime! I gave you my private number, didn’t I? Loved your latest album by the way. So glad we decided to sponsor you.’

Back inside, the woman was still doing the dishes.

After a shower, Selina emptied the last drops from her thermos. Don’t think, you’re just someone standing in a basement bathroom. Without any suitable hair products, not in the cabinets beneath the sink nor the basket by the shower. She froze, staring at what was happening on screen. Her hair crept back up becoming thick curls around her face.

A knock on the door made her jump.

‘Selina?’

Micha. She let him in. ‘Do I look different?’

He frowned at her. ‘You changed your shirt?’

‘No, my— nevermind.’ She went back to stare at herself.

‘The scars on your arms look better.’

The burns had smoothed over during her shower. She’d watched them sink back into her skin, then the process stopped and the itchiness came back. I need more blood. The thought made her pause. You can’t afford to question it, you need to get stronger.

‘Actually, you look like someone I would have started a hunt for. If I’d seen you somewhere before.’

Her eyes met his. ‘How are you feeling?’

Micha sat back on the hamper in the corner. ‘I’m okay, the blood stays down.’ He smirked at his own reflection. They both looked at his unwashed hair and the tape on his head. He half reached to look underneath it, then his hand fell back into his lap.

He sighed. ‘He’s asking for you, wants to play cards.’

‘I know. That’s why I’m hiding down here. He has to cheat at cards because I am not that bad at cards.’

‘Were you a good hunter?’

It felt strange to think about it. ‘I was getting there.’ She kept her voice low. ‘I was in line to be a cutter. But that’s when I— well you know.’

He nodded, bouncing his leg. ‘I wasn’t much good at anything… Our placer said I’d be good at his job, but he was being nice.’ He stretched. ‘Look at us now, we woke up the king of all vampires and Fabrizio wants to play cards with you.’

‘I imagined him differently.’

‘The king?’

‘Fabrizio.’ Selina brushed a hand through her hair. So soft. ‘I didn’t know they had a king.’

‘Me neither. He’s intense, lately. With the food thing. He took a whole plate of guts outside yesterday. I swear I saw him put some hair in it.’

She made a face at herself. ‘Do you think it’s for the thing?’

‘The rotting stench thing? I don’t think so. He said something about a guest when I asked.’

Her stomach twitched. ‘Someone that eats whatever he puts on those plates, that will be interesting.’

Micah leaned in. ‘Did you guys have a meal?

‘I had some of that rice dish she cooked.’ How can I still not know the woman’s name? It just never comes up.

‘No before,’ he went on, ‘after a completed set.’

‘Oh, a Meal. Yes. We had macaretti and cheese. Macaroni with cheese, but you mix in spaghetti noodles, and you put some tabasco in there for color. You’re supposed to be extra lucky when a macaroni laces onto your spaghetti string. I had that once.’ So far for that misbelief.

He was smiling at her. ‘We had a code blue.’

‘Go on.’

‘You boil eggs in blue soda.’

She felt her smile sag.

‘And then you put green food coloring on the bacon— don’t make the face, it was good. And there’s more to it.’

‘That’s what I’m afraid of.’

‘More?’ The woman held up a plate stacked high with raw chicken legs.

Ackley grabbed one, then placed the pink meat on the wet pile of kidney. He muttered something under his breath, then broke the leg with a snap.

She put the plate down next to him and went to wash her hands.

Fabrizio turned back to face Ava. They sat in the dining room at the table, from his seat he could keep an eye on the kitchen and cellar door. ‘They’re stalling.’

‘Maybe you shouldn’t cheat, then,’ Ava said. She was typing away on her phone.

‘I don’t cheat. I’m good, and I thought you were on a sabbatical.’

She closed her eyes, long lashes pressing against her cheeks. ‘No, actually I only took a long holiday— and I’m answering emails because I want to. Is he going outside, it’s almost morning.’

Fabrizio looked down at his hands. ‘He’ll be fine.’

The woman took the empty wine glasses from their table.

Ava stopped her. ‘Thank you so much, I placed a list for you on the counter, just some things I need when you go shopping again. You can put it on that card I gave you, with the rest. Thank you.’

Fabrizio fidgeted in his seat until she went back into the kitchen.

‘It’s so practical to have her,’ Ava said. ‘And it really doesn’t look like it bothers her.’

‘It’s the ritual,’ Fabrizio shuffled his deck. ‘She’s tied to him now.’ Just like us. Then he heard his own name in his head. He got up with a jolt, following the call.

Ackley stood outside by the kitchen window, head bent, holding a full plate. They’d put up a table for his… creations. The older plates had ashes scattered on them, a fresh flame was already singeing the meat yet it wasn’t roasting. There was a sour smell that hung in the pre-dawn air, even the fire had a strange rhythm to it, an inward curling flame. Fabrizio cleared his throat. Maybe he’d imagined being called outside.

‘I never taught you this ritual,’ the king said.

‘You didn’t.’

‘And I’m not going to.’

Ah.

Ackley squeezed his shoulder. ‘There’s a lot I’m not going to explain. But I need you to help me either way.’

‘I will.’

Those pale eyes were on his face, reading his expression. Fabrizio felt his brow furrow.

‘Those last days…’ Ackley held onto his shoulder.

A tight feeling wormed itself into his gut and he saw a distant figure standing on top of a stone structure.

He let go. ‘Let us forget about them.’

Fabrizio blew out air, he nodded.

‘Come, let’s walk the extent of my kingdom.’

‘This close to dawn? I’m not questioning you, just stating the obvious.’

‘State the obvious, as long as you follow.’

With Ackley ahead, they went out through the opening in the hedge, onto the field between the house and the forest. Fabrizio felt a chill on the back. The shadows beneath the trees are too dark for this hour.

‘We got all its attention,’ Ackley said. ‘We need to go into that forest soon, but we can’t.’

‘Not unless your guest arrives?’

‘That’s how it is.’ They walked the field. ‘That’s how it is.’

‘Do I know this guest?’

‘He knows you.’

Fabrizio closed his eyes. Don’t say it’s the devil.

Ackley led them back, and around the house. ‘Here we are,’ they stood in front of the fence next to the mailbox. ‘A king and his kingdom.’

‘You’ll get it back,’ Fabrizio heard himself say. ‘Your kingdom, your strength… I’m sorry. I couldn’t get all your pieces back together. They tore you apart—’

Ackley held up his hand, silencing him. His face looked harsh; a deep cruel line stood out beside his mouth.

From this vantage point they could see the strip of hills that framed the lake fade into blue, then whitening across the sky as the sun rose.

Fabrizio had to look away as the light seared his eyes. ‘Let’s head back inside.’

Another day filled the house with silence. Micah sat on the couch, listening to the daylight shift outside.

‘Do you want to come with me to the store?’ The woman smiled at him.

He didn’t know how to react. ‘I can’t go outside.’

‘I know, the sunlight. But, what if I drive the van up real close and we use its back door as a roof?’ She kept on talking about the mall but Micah’s head had gone numb. He looked up when she stopped.

‘It’ll do you good to get out,’ she went on, ‘even if it is just the inside of a store. Here,’ she handed him the list. ‘You hold on to this and I’ll be right back.’

That’s how he ended up sitting in the back of the van in the middle of the day. He felt very exposed, alone in his box of shadows; like the last sardine in a can. He pressed his spine to the vibrating metal. What are they up to now? Are they on the hunt? Are they talking about me? Did someone take my spot at the table?

The woman shouted something from the driver’s area but he didn’t understand her. Then the van dipped and bumped and he was tossed onto the floor.

He sat up and felt someone sit up with him. That feeling persisted, as if he and that other person were pulled by the same strings. He clenched his fists. Keep out of my head.

‘Just like I told you. This is okay, isn’t it?’

The woman had parked the van backwards, by a large building so he could step into its shadow. They walked beside each other, underneath the shelter of a gallery that went around the shopping mall. A razor line that cut between daylight and the shadows; the sun is up and it wants me to die. It hurt to look at the white sheen of its reflection on everything. He pressed a hand to his stomach. ‘Sure.’

She fumbled with a cart, then pushed it along. He could see a ring on her finger, made of some dark material. Espen would have said that it looked evil.

‘Maybe we can get some ice cream after the groceries,’ she said. ‘Just because we’re in a cult, doesn’t mean we can’t have a treat.’

His mouth opened and closed. ‘We’re not a cult.’

She smiled at him, her eyes looked sad.

‘It’s not a cult,’ he said. ‘It’s different.’

They walked through automatic doors into a building that was brown and beige. The mall went up one floor, opening into an atrium, where benches and fake plants stood in rows beneath natural light.

‘We’ll go around it,’ she said. ‘The supermarket’s right over there.’

Micah stopped beside the rows of fruit, crossing his arms. ‘Why do you think it’s a cult?’

‘We’re all living together in this secluded place.’ She smiled. ‘We have to do what the people in charge tell us to do, there are strange rituals going on… And you did kidnap me off the street.’

‘I— I’m sorry about that.’

‘I know. You tried, but it can’t be helped now.’

Micah looked into her face. ‘You’re not in a trance, are you?’

‘Am I supposed to act different?’

This made him frown. ‘Actually, no. But you try to leave. I’ve seen you. You go out through the kitchen and then you come back looking defeated.’ He nodded at her hand.

She stretched her fingers, making the ring reflect red.

‘I woke up wearing this,’ she said. ‘After that business in the cave.’ She pressed the hand to her heart. ‘Don’t worry about me, Micah. I’ll be fine. I always am.’

‘I’m sorry you got dragged into this. You seem nice.’

She shook her head. ‘Don’t blame yourself. I am a very unlucky person. But that makes me resourceful. I always find a way out.’

He hung his head.

They stood there for a moment while a child, some isles over, yelled and lay down on the floor.

‘What’s on the list?’

He checked. ‘Avocados...’

‘Right. You get what’s on there and I’ll get something to eat for tonight.’

Micah stared at the rows and rows of snacks. His hand went for the bag he always got and stopped. Someone was standing next to him, no, inside of him. He yanked his hand back but the feeling stayed. Was the king with them on their shopping trip? It didn’t feel the same way from that voice in his head.

‘Can you grab Fabrizio’s snacks?,’ the woman asked from the end of the aisle. Then someone drove into her cart, almost knocking her over.

‘Oh! I am so sorry, did I hurt you?’

A woman in a yellow poncho put her hand on the woman’s shoulder. Micah hurried over.

‘It’s fine,’ she said, ‘I wasn’t looking.’

‘You’re a new face,’ the stranger went on. ‘Aren’t you that family that moved in, up on oak road?’

The woman opened her mouth, then her breath was stolen away. Micah could see her clench her fist, while what looked like an internal struggle went on.

‘Yes, we are,’ she breathed. ‘I’m Tamara, and that’s Micah. We’re just a —a happy little family.’ She grimaced at the words.

‘That’s good to hear, good to hear. I’m Ira Holsen, welcome to the neighborhood. We’re a great place to raise children.’

Tamara blushed. ‘He isn’t mine,’ her face twitched and an artificial laugh came out of her mouth. ‘My— husband lets him stay.’

‘Patchwork, how nice! We’re practically neighbors, did you know? Hey, is that van yours? That dark one, always parked outside?.’

‘Did I park it wrong?’

‘No, nonono, just curious about the logo.’

After the groceries, the two of them sat in a mall restaurant. Micah pulled his legs up on his seat, looking at the pile of green ice cream in front of Tamara. People walked by and they felt like a great distance away, even the ones at the tables around them sounded muted.

Tamara hid her face in her hands. ‘I can’t believe I said all that stuff. Husband?’ She shook her head. ‘I wanted to say captor! I just couldn’t.’

‘Is it that ring? It looked like it hurt you.’

‘He said I couldn’t speak ill of him, or bring woe onto his house, and other things— I wasn’t listening, just looking for doors.’ She gripped her spoon and stabbed her mint cup. ‘I am also just terrible at these things. What did she talk me into?’ She sighed. ‘Is he really a king?’

‘I guess. I’m not a full vampire.’ Yet. He frowned at her. ‘You’re fine with us being vampires?’

‘A vampire… group.’

‘You can say cult if you want.’

She ate her ice cream. ‘You sure you don’t want any? That strawberry flavor looked nice.’

‘It’s winter.’

She shrugged. ‘Ice cream just makes me happy. I’ll have time to think about the vampire part when I get out of the cult. I thought taking you out here might help, like it would bring up an opportunity to talk to someone. But it’s not working.’

He hunched up a little. ‘So that’s why? No, that’s smart, actually.’

She nodded and he felt very aware of the tape on his head. ‘Normal people won’t notice anything too strange,’ he said.

‘Whenever I even think of running something grips me.’ She made herself look smaller, then sat back up to eat. ‘It’s upsetting.’

‘Have you been in a cult before?’

‘It’s fine in the beginning. You think, these people are giving me a place to stay, there’s food, they get me. But they always want more, all you have, and then you have to get out or you disappear.’

‘You won’t die. I won’t let that happen, neither will Selina. We protect people. We hunt the bad things’

‘Who hurt you?’ She nodded at the side of his face.

He sat back, feeling cold. Images flooded in, faces of his friends wide-eyed and shouting. His breathing loud in his ears while his heart faltered, then stopped. They yelled his name.

Micah!

‘Micah?’ Hands took his wrists away from his head and the mint cup was pushed into his field of vision. Tamara yanked a spoon from the cutlery box. ‘Sorry! Try some of this. It’s winter, that’s when you’re supposed to eat ice cream. Cold goes with cold, just think about it.’

He took a bite and the mint drove away the taste of blood and he could breathe.

‘I don’t want to talk about it right now.’

She nodded a few times, pressing her lips together.

That evening the king placed various insects in a row on the counter, then put them into a bowl of milk and wandered outside.

‘I’m not sure I’m surprised his guest hasn’t arrived yet,’ Selina said, she drummed her fingernails on the dinner table. When Fabrizio waved his deck at her she groaned. ‘Can’t we play something else?’

‘I have dice.’

Ava had gone outside, phone to her ear.

Selina narrowed her eyes at him. ‘Are you good at dice?’

He shrugged. ‘Can you really be good at dice…’

She lowered her voice. ‘Micah is going to change soon, shouldn’t we at least get her out of here until then?’

Fabrizio sat down across from her. ‘Don’t worry.’

‘I do worry.’

Tamara walked in, placing a bottle of red wine on the table. ‘Why don’t you play the other game you have?’ She put some wine glasses beside them, then went to a cabinet by the window. She dug out a box, it had a drawing of a fat gray mouse on it. ‘This one.’

Fabrizio shook his head. ‘Board games? They are the lowest form of entertainment.’

Selina sat up. ‘So you’re not good at them?’

‘What’s there to be good at?’ He held out his hand. ‘Where’s the skill?’

So you are good at dice.

Ava came back into the room. ‘We’re playing board games?’

‘Nothing’s been decided yet,’ Fabrizio said. He pointed at the box now on the table. ‘It says from six to ninety-nine. I’m too old to play this game.’

They looked at him.

Ava tilted her head. ‘How old are you?’

‘Old enough to know this isn’t fun or interesting.’

‘I’ll play it.’ Micah said. He came in with his hair wet from the shower. The tape was gone and his ear looked pink and healthy.

‘This always was a hit at the shelter,’ Tamara said.

‘Well, if the homeless approve,’ Fabrizio said with a sneer, ‘we simply have to try it.’

Selina took the top off the box. ‘Yes, we have to try it.’ She made a point to look at the woman. ‘Are you playing, Tamara?’

‘I’ll maybe join in later.’

Selina took out a piece of cardboard and unfolded it; a painted maze of pipes and planks opened up before them. A giant cat popped up in the middle, paw extended.

Fabrizio scowled at it. ‘You can’t be serious. This is for children. Is this what you all want, a fun little game for children?’

‘Humor us,’ Ava said. ‘It’ll be a long night otherwise.’ She went through the little booklet that came with it. ‘Oh, you need a game master, I’ll be that.’

Micah took a red, wooden mouse from the tray, then he winced.

Selina looked at him.

He placed it at the starting line. ‘Mouth hurts.’

‘You’ll be turning soon,’ Fabrizio said.

‘Can we just play this game?’ Micah took a blue mouse and handed it to Selina. ‘I don’t want to think about being in a vampire cult for maybe a second.’

Fabrizio looked at him. ‘At least you’re taking showers. Fine, hand me the green one. Let’s get this over with. But after this we’re playing a real game.’ He tapped his inner pocket that held his cards.

Ava smirked. ‘A cult.’ She then propped up the rulebook. ‘It says I’m the big cheese, this should be fun.’

Fabrizio’s hair stood up from his hand going through it so many times. Selina shook the dice, all eyes on her while she bounced them around in her fists.

‘Toss them already,’ he said.

‘I’ll throw them when I’m ready. It’s my turn.’

Fabrizio sat back, the vein on his forehead standing out. ‘Micah, would you stop bouncing your heels, it is driving me insane.’

The crash of dice was loud in the wooden bowl. ‘Seven.’

He clapped his hands, laughing into her face. ‘That brings you nowhere, Selina!’

She glared at him, moving her mouse across the tiles that had a beam printed on them.

‘Are you going to scurry again,’ Ava asked her, ‘it’s still your turn.’

Selina felt her face heat up. ‘I’m picking a card from the cat pile.’

‘Feeling brave, are we?’ Fabrizio leaned back. He had a stack of yellow wooden blocks in front of him, the green mouse sat on top of it. It somehow looked smug.

‘I’m going to destroy you,’ she said, ‘and the pile of cheese you sit on.’

‘Go ahead, pick a card. It’s going to be a paw to the face for you and you’ll scurry all the way back to your hole, cheeseless. I’m calling it.’

Her hand hesitated beneath the cat figure.

‘Go on,’ he said with a false smile.

Micah made a fist. ‘Pick the card. We need to get to him before his bacon dries.’

She picked the card and flipped it.

‘It’s the cat’s face,’ Ava said. ‘That means everyone without a cheese wheel scampers.’

‘I’m scurrying over Fabrizio’s bacon,’ Micah said. ‘I mean scamper.’

‘Me too,’ Selina said.

Ava pointed. ‘Selina you can’t reach that far. Micah it’s your turn, you can continue your scamper, or you—’

Fabrizio put his fist on the table. ‘Scamper over my bacon again, Micah, and you’ll be sorry.’

‘I scamper over the—’

‘—Micah!’

‘Bacon.’

‘Your bacon is now wet, Fabrizio, you need to pay the big cheese.’ Ava held up her hand.

Fabrizio gathered half of his blocks and transferred them. His face was calm but his voice was low when he said; ‘I’m rat taxing Micah, then I’m rat taxing Selina. And I’m using my cheese wheel…’ he put his little mouse on top of a circular block, ‘to keep me safe and draw four cards from the cat pile.’

‘Showing your ugly side,’ Selina said with emotion.

‘That’s what you get when you gang up on me, Selina, Micah. Have fun with these...’ he began to draw from the pile. They leaned in, waiting for the cards to be turned, then the doorbell rang.

Everyone froze.

Fabrizio stood. ‘What time is it, did he lock himself out?’

He walked past Tamara and opened the door.

A stranger in a poncho smiled at him. ‘Hello! Nice to meet you. I’m here to pick up your wife?’

‘My…’ He took a step back. ‘I’m not married.’

Tamara walked past him. ‘Ira, wasn’t it?’

‘That’s right. Are you ready to go?’

‘Go?’

Somehow the event ended with them leaving and Fabrizio standing in the doorway.

He turned to face the group. ‘What just happened?’

Ava put down her glass. ‘I thought you’d arrange someone that wouldn’t be missed.’

‘That’s the woman from the store,’ Micah said.

‘What store?’ Fabrizio walked up to him. ‘When?’

‘I don’t know, couple of days ago? We went during the day.

Selina looked at him. ‘You went to the store?’

‘We stayed in the shadows. She said she’s our neighbor.’ He rubbed his brow. ‘It was awkward. I think they’re going to a meeting? She talked Tamara into it, somehow.’

‘No.’ Fabrizio held up his hands. ‘We can’t have that woman just going to meetings with people. She needs to be at the house.’

‘I’m sure it’s fine,’ Selina said.

‘How would you know?’ He cleared his throat. ‘I’m sorry. I’m shouting.’ He turned his back on them and went outside.

Selina went after him.

‘I knew there was something off about her,’ she heard him say. ‘What if he gets back and she’s not here? It’ll be my fault, I picked her.’

He stopped and turned. ‘We’re going to look for her.’

Micah had come outside too.

‘Come here,’ Fabrizio waved them over. ‘You might learn something.’

Ira watched the old woman place teacups and cake plates on a tray; Tully wore black, which made her white hair and light skin stand out to almost a glow. She wore black since her husband had died, usually a dress.

Ira pretended to study her fingernails. ‘Have you seen Jo around, lately?’

Tully pursed her lips. ‘Are you still mad about what he said in the Chronicle?’

‘I’m not mad, I’m disappointed. It’s our image I’m worried about, lots of people read the Tromalda chronicles, people looking for a day trip or holiday location. Now we look like a bunch of…’ she waved her hand, ‘weird mountain folks.’

‘You are being too harsh with Johan. He’s probably waiting for you to calm down.’ Tully smoothed out a linen napkin. ‘You have a bit of a temper, sometimes.’

Ira stood and faced the window. She pulled on her black braid, laid over her shoulder. A gray fog hung low over the horizon, turning the street into a row of hazy silhouettes.

‘He was just talking to people at the bake sale,’ Tully went on, ‘you know how he gets with his stories. One of their reporter people must've overheard him.’ She carried the tray into the kitchen, calling; ‘someone over there hates us, Ira. Probably a New-Geldian.’

Ira smiled to herself. ‘I’m bringing a plus one to tonight’s meeting.’

Teacups rattled as they were put down too fast. Ira sighed. ‘One of the new faces.’

Tully came back into the room with a smile. ‘Oh, you mentioned, from next to the square?’

‘The Richards couldn’t get a sitter in time, she’s up from Oak road. I’m picking her up.’

‘You’re picking her up, with your bike?’

‘She has a van. I’ve talked to her in the store, she’s very interested in being a part of our community.’

The old woman tilted her head. ‘Are you still living on Loner’s lane?’

‘It’s called Willow lane.’ Why are you like this?

‘They planted the first willow there,’ Tully said, ‘when that woman died. Drowned herself, after her husband left her. Or did she leave him and got shunned?’

Ira rolled her eyes. You’re so subtle. ‘Thanks for the history. I’m picking her up.’

‘It’s so nice to meet someone new. I might play something on the piano, at the old meetings we’d always sing a song or two. The Bane’s were like that, they liked to have a fun evening, as well as get down to business.’

‘They took all the money and ran, Tully.’ It’s why we need all the help we can get.

‘She had such a lovely voice though, and he was so charming.’

‘Tully…’

The old woman folded her hands. ‘It’s nice you could enthuse somebody to show an interest. Well done.’

Being a passenger in the van, Ira pointed into the night. ‘It’s a left, over there.’

Tamara drove them down a well-lit lane with big trees and large gardens.

‘We usually don’t have our meetings at someone’s house,’ Ira said, ‘but the heating over at the center broke and Tully offered to help.’

The woman nodded, her dark eyes on the road. Are you mad? Ira’s brow furrowed. Stop it. People will speak up when they don’t want to do something.

After they’d parked, Ira wrangled her bike out of the van and they made their way up to a tall house.

Selina crossed her arms and looked at her sneakers. ‘I’m not getting anything.’ The three of them stood in the van’s empty parking spot. Ava walked by talking on her phone, heading inside.

‘Maybe you didn’t make enough eye-contact,’ Fabrizio said. ‘You need a connection with the human to find them in the world.’

‘I’m surprised you have one, then,’ she said. He ignored her.

Micah, with his eyes closed, reached out his hand. ‘She opened the fence, then got into the van!’

‘Yes, we know that,’ Selina said. ‘We’ll have to wait for her to get back.’

‘No, I know.’ He walked a few paces. ‘I think I see her.’

Fabrizio grinned. ‘You’re doing it, Micah. Let the thought of her into your mind, we want to follow her.’

‘I’m placing her,’ Micah said, ‘it doesn’t make any sense, she’s not a vampire— but I can still tell she’s the one that drove.’

Selina frowned. ‘It really works the other way around? How can you place living people…’ Oh.

‘We are vampires,’ Fabrizio said, ‘and we’re calling it hunting.’

‘Right.’ Selina nodded, a heavy feeling in her stomach.

‘Come on!’ Micah stood by the fence. ‘I know where to go!’ They followed him towards the distant lights of the neighborhoods that lay below.

‘We hold this meeting every second Tuesday of the month,’ Ira said. ‘That’s when we go over the minutes of the last city council meeting. Tamara,’ she gestured to an older man with dark skin, ‘this is Rick Walsh, his son runs the local mall.’

Rick leaned back to look at her, then shook her hand. ‘Seems more like the mall runs him, I hardly get to see him. A pleasure.’

The usual people were there, no sign of Johan though.

A tall woman with red curly hair went up to them. ‘I’ve seen you, I’m Amanda.’

‘Tamara.’

Tully walked past them with a tray. ‘Tea’s ready.’

At the table, Ira put her notes down and looked at the people around her. Even though it was just the few of them, she pretended there were more of them standing in the back, all the way into the garden. ‘I don’t think we’re all here. Johan?’

Of course they gave her looks. ‘I’m not mad, but I didn’t see him at recycle and disposal either, so—’

‘Seems like you’re on the look-out,’ Rick said, he had a smile in his voice. ‘I’d lie low too, after what I’d said got into the Chronicle like that.’

Ira let out a deep breath. ‘Maybe he got lost on one of his hunting trips. We know what he’s like.’

‘Oh dear,’ Tully got up from her seat. ‘Let me get your coat. I completely forgot.’

Tamara’s face flushed. ‘It’s fine, I—’

‘It’s not too cold, is it? Do you need a blanket?’

Tully got her coat off, which made people stare.

‘What a lovely dress,’ Tully said.

Tamara sat down, smoothing the light blue fabric over her knees, her face reddened. ‘I made it myself.’

‘Right,’ Ira picked the papers back up, but Tully wasn’t done: ‘Beautiful work on the hems, and those delicate little flowers at the collar. A darling dress.’

‘It suits you,’ Amanda said. ‘I’d never find the time to sew but you can really get something that fits, that way. What is it you do?’

Tamara sat there in silence, the color working its way into her ears.

‘She works at Chimelio,’ Ira said. The moment had arrived, apparently.

Amanda’s head jerked up. ‘No way! I saw the logo on the van but I didn’t want to jump to conclusions.’

‘That little elephant?’ Tully frowned, still holding the coat.

‘I always thought it was a pepper and a leaf,’ Rick said.

‘The owner likes elephants,’ Amanda explained, ‘they use it as a mascot in their spas, the pepper is for their restaurants.’

Rick folded his arms and nodded. ‘So we have a caterer.’

Tamara looked up.

‘I haven’t asked her yet,’ Ira held out her hand to her. ‘I was going to, after the meeting?’

At that moment, there was a loud knocking on the door.

Tully went to it, Tamara took back her coat and put it on.

Someone stumbled in, dressed in a suit.

The old woman covered her mouth with her hands. ‘Johan!’

Mud clung to his pants, while his suit jacket hung from him torn to shreds, smeared with green and brown. His light hair stood on end, twigs sticking out, and scratches raked his face.

‘I made it!’ He leaned on his legs. ‘I made it to the meeting.’

‘From where,’ Rick asked,’ the jungle?’

Johan took Tamara’s empty seat. ‘I got lost.’

Ira stared at him. ‘What are you wearing?’

He seemed to notice her for the first time and tried to get back up. ‘I know what I said! I didn’t mean to make it all about the animals again.’

‘Drink something,’ Tully maneuvered him back into the chair, giving him a glass of water.

He downed it, heaving a sigh and leaned back.

‘You did a number on that suit,’ Rick said.

Jo scratched at some welts on his neck. ‘I like the suit. Some really handsome guy gave it to me on my way back from the dump, I couldn’t refuse him.’ He shivered. ‘Then I must’ve walked the wrong way because I didn’t know where I was anymore. I got so tired I slept in a bush.’

Ira frowned. ‘Someone just gave you that suit?’

‘Yep, traded him for it.’

Tully rubbed at a dark stain on his sleeve. ‘You didn’t take very good care of it.’

‘That’s from the deer attacking me. They’re acting up. Don’t want…’ He froze.

Ira grit her teeth while everyone looked at her. ‘No, tell us about the deer. A deer attacked you?’ She tried to make her voice seem light. ‘That sounds very bad.’

Rick chuckled. ‘You and your stories.’

Selina kicked a rock and sent it flying against a dumpster. The way down had been uneventful, with Micah in front and Fabrizio urging him on. How is he suddenly good at being a vampire? I thought we’d have more time.

There was something else bothering her, something about the neighborhood didn’t look right.

‘You can’t see inside,’ Fabritio said, next to her.

Now that he’d pointed it out, it was obvious. The windows were black or lit up yellow, but there were no details to see make out in the light. ‘Why?’

A dog barked at them from a backyard, this made others join in so that the sound surrounded them, traveling with them while they walked underneath the streetlights.

‘Almost every home has some protection against …evil,’ he said. ‘You won’t be able to just go inside. Don’t you know this?’

She shrugged. ‘I know about warding. About invitations. I didn’t know it looked like this.’ The other side feels lonely.

‘Guys!’ Micah waved at them. ‘There she is!’ He pointed at a house in the distance, it had their van parked in front. ‘I found her!’

He sounded so happy, she couldn’t help but smile.

Framed by the opaque glow of the window, a silhouette looked back at them.

‘I can see her,’ Micah said. ‘I think she saw us, too.’

‘I have to go,’ Tamara said, already making her way to the door. ‘My… family is here. And I’ll gladly help with the food, come to my house for your next meeting and I’ll prepare something for you to try, …come meet the —gang.’

‘But we’ve been having the meetings over here,’ Tully muttered. ‘It’s so convenient.’

Ira felt her smile poke her cheeks, finally something good. ‘Great! Thank you! Looking forward to it.’

‘You’re forgetting your keys,’ Amanda said. She scooped a big key off the table and handed it over. Tamara opened her jacket’s pocket, caught it, then hurried outside.

‘Must be an emergency,’ Rick said.

‘I guess we can hold a meeting somewhere else, once,’ Tully said. ‘Do you want some more cake, Johan?’

He nodded with his mouth full, a crumb filled plate in front of him.

‘There you are,’ Fabrizio said. He watched Tamara walk down the drive. She shrugged off her coat and tossed it in one of the dumpsters that lined the road.

‘Well, I’m glad you’re getting rid of that thing. But that doesn’t change—’

‘I found you,’ Micah said. He grinned wide. ‘I just knew where to find you.’

‘I like your dress,’ Selina said.

Fabrizio massages his temples. Those damned dogs and their barking. Focus. ‘What were you doing in there?’

Tamara shrugged, her breath fogging the chill air. ‘I was invited to a meeting.’

Someone chuckled. When they looked back, Ackley sat on top of the van. He kicked the side and the sound made all the dogs stop barking. Then he jumped down. ‘She’s a little schemer, this one.’

Tamara looked away.

‘A little liar,’ he went on.

Fabrizio felt his headache get worse. ‘Are you drunk?’

Ackley clapped a hand on his back. ‘The work’s taking a toll, my friend. Heavy stuff, being hospitable.’ He held up his arms. ‘I’ll have a talk with the little lady.’ He turned on his heels to face her. ‘You drive back to the house.’

Fabrizio clenched the wheel, Selina had jumped out and handed the woman her coat. The lights from the car lit up the two of them, standing underneath the branches of a large tree.

‘He always gets like this,’ he said when Selina got back into the van. Micah was staring at his hands in his lap.

He reversed the van, then drove off, leaving them standing in darkness. ‘That woman isn’t normal.’

‘You just hate her because she’s homeless,’ Selina said.

He laughed. ‘Honestly!’

‘I hunted her down,’ Micah said. His voice was low.

Fabrizio nodded. ‘You did, good job.’

‘You should sleep in the basement now,’ Selina said. ‘Maybe we should lock the door.’

‘Nobody will come in,’ Fabrizio said. ‘We also have some protection now. That’s the whole point of having a king.’ His brows knitted together. If he’d just explain how the rituals work, maybe tell me who’s coming? I could help, help keep your mind clear. But no, you want to be all mysterious all the time, playing it close to your chest. He sighed. I don’t blame you.

Ackley held out his arm, when she didn’t take it he tossed his head to one side and she latched on. They walked down the road underneath the frozen trees. ‘A schemer and a liar.’

Her voice was quiet. ‘Every prisoner has the right to escape.’

‘Says who?’

‘It’s human nature.’

‘There’s nothing natural about this,’ he pointed at himself, then the ring she wore. ‘I told you the rules, but you weren’t listening. You were scheming.’

‘I can’t stay.’

‘I’ll be the judge of that. Judge and executioner.’

She kept silent, her eyes downcast.

‘You got a big plan in that little head of yours,’ he went on. ‘I hear it clicking into place, the wheels always turning.’

‘I don’t mean to be any trouble to you.’ She said. ‘I never stay anywhere. I can’t.’

‘Time to get used to it.’

‘Can’t you just look away? Make an exception?’

‘Don’t have the luxury of excusing anybody, right now.’

Fabrizio paced from the kitchen to the front door while Selina slunk back into the couch. Micah looked at his hands. They’re almost back. I can tell. But should I say that? Selina was giving him looks. He didn’t know what they meant.

He sat up when he heard a sound from outside, a rattling from underneath the kitchen window where the king had stacked his plates.

The three of them exchanged glances, then a plate shattered.

‘Someone there,’ Selina said, her voice small.

Fabrizio made for the kitchen, then halted when a scratching sound came from the door.

He looked back at them and the scratching stopped.

Selina stood, arms at her sides. ‘Should we look?’

Micah got up too. ‘Are you guys scared?’

Fabrizio gave him a look, then opened the door.

Selina made a sound that could only be a squeal. Micah knelt, his hand stretched out in front of him. ‘C’mere.’

A small cat, black and white with yellow eyes, walked up to him.

The moment he picked it up it purred, its body almost too small to contain the sound.

His voice came out strained. ‘It’s just letting me hold it.’

Selina came over to pet it between the ears. ‘It must've been starving to eat that trash outside. Hello little guy. Hey you. Yeah, you like that, with your big ears.’

Fabrizio wasn’t looking at the cat, he looked at the scratches on the door. They were deep, larger than any cat could have made. Didn’t he used to own a dog?

‘I don’t think that’s a normal cat,’ he said.

The cat meowed and squirmed itself free from Micah’s arms. Then it ran to the front door and sat down. It meowed again, and the door opened.

Ackley took a step back, then bowed. ‘My guest,’ there was a touch of awe in his voice and he knelt. The cat rubbed its head against his knee.

‘You come to me when I call,’ Ackley picked the cat up by the scruff of its neck and pressed it to his chest. The cat meowed, then hopped onto his shoulder, then back onto the floor. They faced each other.

‘You have taken my offerings,’ Ackley said, ‘and I present you with a name.’

The cat purred.

Everyone stared.

‘Your name shall be Nicks.’

Selina raised an eyebrow. ‘Your guest is a cat?’.

‘It comes in the form of an animal,’ he said, a glint in his eyes. ‘But it has taught me many things.’

The cat raised its fur and hissed. Tamara came in blowing on her hands, the frown lifted off her face when she saw the cat, but the feeling was not mutual. The cat backed away, still hissing.

‘No, don’t hiss.’ She also tried to offer it her hand, but it backed into Fabrizio, then ran behind the chair.

She folded her arms, her voice a little high. ‘Cats love me.’ She followed it behind the chair, then the couch. ‘Here, kitten, come here.’

Ackley stared at the scene, then let out a laugh.

The cat took a running leap and landed into Ava’s arms, who had just come up from the basement.

‘I was wondering where everyone went,’ she said, holding onto the animal. ‘We have a cat now?’

‘I guess it only likes vampires,’ Micah said.

‘No,’ Tamara walked into the kitchen. ‘We have some leftover meat it might want.’ Then added with feeling. ‘Cats love me.’

The king spread his arms. ‘My guest has arrived, our time to rebuild begins.’

Ava stood on her toes for a moment and grinned. ‘So good to hear that!’ She tried to put the cat down, but it climbed onto her shoulder and stayed there.

Chapter 6
Rest

Bits of overnight frost clung to the parking lot, in corners and where concrete met grass. City buildings loomed over the sparse clump of trees that cradled the lot. The hum of distant traffic mingled with the gurgle of water from a nearby stream.

A group of people stood around a dead body, they were separated in two units. One was lager, with a mingling of teens and adults. The smaller group were three people in bandages, one with an arm in a cast. The body had been dismembered; her long limbs had been cut off from the slim torso, her arms folded to her chest, secured with rope, her legs tied underneath her. She had been made to clutch her own heart, the blood painted her neck and arms a matted black. Her head had been left attached.

When the sun hit the top buildings, the body stirred. Her wide mouth opened to reveal fangs, and she was smiling. She whispered something, then the light descended on her and her head caught fire. She screamed until her throat burned away, her jaws kept working some time without sound.

The group watched until she crumbled to ashes, like a sandcastle taken by a wave.

One of them, a teen in a jean’s jacket, shoveled the ashes into a box, then carried it to a nearby stream. Some of them came with him, they walked past rotting furniture into a plastic choked water, where he released the ashes into the slurried stream.

After the task had been done, the people separated in their cars and vans.

Two vans drove onto a building site, tires crunching through frozen puddles.

As soon as the van stopped, the boy in the jacket got out and headed off away from the group.

‘Espen!’ Someone called after him, but he was gone.

‘It’s no use, Benji,’ a girl with dark green hair said. ‘You know he won’t eat with us.’

Benji, two heads taller than the girl, shook his head. ‘You think I have an appetite? Some things just need to be done the way they need to be done.’

‘I know.’

Espen ran up a flight of concrete stairs to a room that was open to the sky. A blue tarp had been strung across an old couch and he threw himself onto it, pulling his legs up. He had dark hair and a sharp face and there were deep circles underneath his eyes.

After a while it began to rain, the sound pattering on the tarp.

He reached beside the couch into a cool box and dug out a beer. It was cold and it dulled his head enough to stop his teeth from grinding.

He held the bottle up in the air. We got her. Cheers.

A stabbing pain spread out from the pit of his stomach and he drank to drown it out.

‘Hey…’

He ignored the girl standing in the doorway.

Gina came in anyway and stood a little bit away from the couch, just underneath the tarp. ‘At least…,’ she brushed a hand through her green hair, ‘at least we got her.’

Espen pressed his bottom lip against the bottle, staring into space. ‘Yeah.’

They stayed there in silence for a while, then he got up. He walked into the rain, then went to where the half finished ceiling stuck out, its inner metal spokes poking out. He faced her. ‘I don’t think he’s gone.’

She frowned. ‘How?’

‘It’s weird.’

‘Is it a placer thing?’

He let out a breath, taking a swig from the bottle. ‘Maybe. I don’t know.’

‘Maybe you should try to sleep.’

He held up his hand. ‘I did. I got maybe a few minutes last night. But when I woke up,’ he shook his head.’

‘What?’

‘I don’t know. It felt like he sat up with me. You know? Like, like he was out there, in the world.’

Her brows knitted. ‘Espen.’

‘I know! I know, they’re not letting him go out and- and get groceries or something, I know he’s dead.’ He bunched his fists. ‘Gone.’ He sighed. ‘It’s just hard to accept when I didn’t see it.’

‘That sounds horrible, but I know what you mean.’

Espen chewed his lip. ‘I wanted to be there for him,’ he swallowed. ‘When they—’

‘Destroyed him.’

‘Yes.’

Gina dug into the cooler and also got herself a beer. ‘I bet he called them all names, right to the point where they cut his head off.’

Espen shuddered but tried not to show it. ‘We know he did. The last thing he called me was a- a filthy traitor.’ You should have seen the look in his eyes.

‘Lucky you,’ Gina said, she held up her bottle. ‘I’m pig bitch.’

Espen cringed but he managed a smile. ‘A true poet.’

She leaned back, the bottle going limp in her hand. ‘I miss him. But you saw what happened to her team.’

‘I saw. Not many left.’

‘She seemed so nice, Sally, was her name? Selina? They all turn real ugly real fast. We did the right thing.’

He nodded. ‘I know that.’ Of course I know that.

Beneath them on the stairs, Benji stood and listened.

Espen looked at the beer in his hand and made a sound.

‘What’s wrong?’

He sat on his haunches. ‘Just feel like, …drank too much.’ He fell sideways and stopped moving, the beer rolled across the floor spilling itself.

Selina sat up with a scream. She pressed her hands to her mouth as if trying to get the sound back inside. For a moment the shadows of the room felt full, like people standing around her bed. Stop it.

She jumped out of bed and hit the light switch, scattering them. There was a smell in the room, she couldn’t tell if it was from her dream, or in the house, but it was the smell of blood. Lots of it.

As if still in a dream; slow, with no feeling in her limbs and with almost no heartbeat, she stumbled up the stairs.

This has happened before, she thought. You walked out just like this.

Micah? Her mouth wouldn’t work.

No, please no. Not again. Her feet carried her upstairs, to that dark red smell.

Tamara? I warned her. I tried to tell her when I gave her my coat. I got Micah into his bed downstairs.

At the moment she opened the door she flashed back to how her team tried to hide her. She saw hands holding up a squirming rabbit, then it got thrown into the bathroom with her and the door was locked back shut. They brought you animals from the pet store to eat. Why wasn’t it enough?

She shook herself free from the memory and gasped.

Micah sat propped up against the living room wall, his back to the kitchen. He sat in a black puddle of blood and his face and body were smeared with it.

A whimper left her mouth and he saw her.

He grinned, a white slash of teeth in his red face. He looked bloated, like there was an extra layer of liquid underneath his skin, extra blood, pressing out up to his blood-filled eyeballs. He’d upset his balance and he slid sideways, landing with a squelch.

Selina heard her own voice high in her head while she screamed. ‘You ate her! You monster! You ate them all!’ The room reeled and she stumbled up the stairs. Tell the king. Tell somebody. Anybody! Turn yourself in. You monster!

She’d found her way to the far door and fell into it, landing on her chin. ‘She’s gone,’ her mouth said. ‘He ate her.’ She sounded so cold, so distant. Downstairs, Fabrizio was shouting too.

She looked up and saw a coffin, barely hidden behind a curtain. He sleeps in a coffin. He actually sleeps in a coffin. When the lid opened, she crawled away.

We’re all monsters here, nobody cares. Tamara got eaten and we’ll pretend it never happened.

Downstairs Fabrizio stood back, his hands rubbing his face. ‘I told you this could happen.’ He groaned.

She stumbled past him, past Ava, who stood there staring with wide eyes, and into the night. Her knees hit the gravel of the driveway and she threw up a dark liquid and hunched over it.

A sound that had been there, suddenly stopped, as the engine of the car was turned off.

She looked up to see Tamara jump out of the van and walk towards her.

The woman stood there for a moment, then she crossed her arms. ‘I’m fine. Micah tried to— well, I distracted him with one of those thermos you’re always drinking from.’ She shrugged off the red bomber jacket and handed it down. ‘Here, this is yours.’

‘Selina!’

Fabrizio came out of the house and stopped. ‘You’re alive.’ His shoulder sagged, and he swallowed. ‘I thought…’

Tamara held up her hand, if anything she looked annoyed. ‘I’m fine now. I went—’

‘He got into the stash!’ Ava tripped over the welcome mat and clung to Fabrizio to catch herself.

Fabrizio pointed. ‘She’s alive.’

‘He got into the stash,’ Ava repeated. ‘She— she’s fine!’

They were all still staring at Tamara.

Tamara draped the jacket over Selina’s shoulders, then walked past them onto the house. ‘I might have given him that idea. I poured one of them on the floor when he got all strange.’

Her back straight, she faced Micah. ‘Are you okay again?’

Selina looked away, anywhere but at the slumped over form sitting against the wall. Is that what I looked like?

Tamara shook her head. ‘I forgot the groceries.’

‘You went shopping?’ Ava’s voice sounded faint.

‘Just the regular things. Then I waited in the car until you guys woke up.’

‘That’s …smart,’ Ava’s blue eyes looked through her. ‘Good attitude.’

‘All this noise,’ the king came down the stairs. His face had a hollowed-out look and his hand clung to the railing. Nicks came down the steps beside him, yellow eyes bright.

He looked down at Micah.

‘He…’ Fabrizio held out his arm then dropped it. ‘He got into the stash.’

Ackley nodded to himself. ‘Bring him outside.’

Fabrizio blinked, then went to the body. ‘Ava, help me with him.’

Selina watched them lift him between them, then she followed.

They placed him by the hedge on the field and she sat down next to him. Blood trickled out of the corners of his mouth and eyes. ‘I wanted to eat her,’ he said.

She nodded. ‘I know.’

He giggled, making a bubble of red pop on his lips. ‘But there was blood on the floor and I licked it all up.’

Ava and Fabrizio were digging a hole beside him, the shovels slid into the earth smooth and precise, cutting the frost without effort.

Micah looked at her. ‘Selina.’

‘Yes?’

‘I’m sad she got away.’

It hurt, but she nodded.

The king waved his hand. ‘Make it square and dark, dig it deep enough.’

Fabrizio sighed, but both him and Ava did what he said. They dug until there was a deep hole, square and dark.

‘Now place him in it,’ he said.

‘Selina, move a little.’ Fabrizio took his legs, while Ava took his arms, and together they lowered him into the shadows.

His bloodshot eyes looked at her but she had no word to say.

‘Get some rest,’ Ackley said. He kicked a clump of dirt onto Micah’s chest. Micah turned his head sideways, freeing her from his gaze.

Fabrizio shoveled more dirt onto him. When Ava joined in, Micah closed his eyes and let out a breath that left the rest of his body lying still. The shadows increased around him until the dirt swallowed him.

‘Will he be okay?’ Selina asked.

Ackley pressed his boot into the mound of dirt that had formed, ‘he’ll be just fine,’ then he headed back inside.

The blood had been cleaned away and Tamara was cooking dinner. Ackley went back upstairs.

‘I’m experimenting,’ Tamara told them when they came in. ‘So don’t be mad when I mix up the dishes a little bit for the next few days.’

When the three of them sat down at the table, one of the usual plates was missing.

Selina looked at her hands, then into Fabrizio’s face. ‘We’re monsters, aren’t we?’

His eyes narrowed. ‘We’re not, it’s only our nature that’s monstrous, it’s not a choice.’

‘I did the same thing,’ she swallowed. ‘I murdered my friends, they tried to keep me a secret and I just ate them.’

Her shoulders shook, and she jumped when his hand went to her arm.

His voice was kind. ‘But you didn’t want to, not really. You turned yourself in and when you did, what did they do to you?’

She shook her head.

‘What did they do?’

‘Horrible things.’ She grit her teeth. ‘I wanted them to kill me— but they— they put hooks into my wrists and— they drained my blood— day after day, they—’ She shook her head, tears streaming across her face. ‘They wouldn’t stop.’

He squeezed her shoulder then let go.

‘You don’t want to die, Selina,’ Ava said. ‘You want to be safe.’

She nodded, her shoulders shaking.

‘Micah will be fine,’ Fabrizio said, ‘nothing happened, and in a couple of nights he’ll wake up like you, more in control, stronger. You know this is what we’re working towards.’

‘He almost looked cozy there in his grave,’ Ava said. ‘I never got a funeral, I just went back to work after I was attacked.’ She brushed her skirt. ‘Maybe that’s why I never developed any powers.’

‘I don’t have any powers,’ Selina said.

‘You escaped the hunters,’ Fabrizio said. ‘Of course you do.’

Benji stood over the bed and watched Espen sleep. ‘He needs this.’

‘Had to happen sooner or later,’ a boy with glasses said.

He noticed that the boy was avoiding eye contact. Ajax was among the people that didn't want to bring Micah to headquarters.

‘You saw what was left of—’

Ajax crossed his arms. ‘I saw. I still have to live with Micah calling me all the names he could think of before they dragged him off.’

‘You’d rather be dead? You’d want all of us to be dead right now?’

Ajax had nothing to say to that, he just stood there with his arms at his side, looking at Espen.

Benji shook his head and left.

Chapter 7
This is the place

Tamara leaned against the kitchen counter and studied the booklet she’d found in the van. Elaborate pictures of food; delicate things, garnished with thin slivers of sauce and framed with things like a single berry or a tiny leaf. She tucked it inside her dress’s pocket and went to the dining table.

The outline of a coat in dark brown fabric lay pinned and ready to be cut. She’d just sat down, scissors in hand, when the ticking of a clock made her stand back up.

A tall grandfather clock stood next to the basement door, it hadn’t been there before. A heavy pendulum within swung from side to side. Tamara opened the door and reached in and grabbed the pendulum, she yanked it down until the clock stopped ticking.

Back at the table, her chair had been shoved all the way back to the furthest wall.

She had no expression on her face the entire time, and she gathered up her things and went outside and into the van to work.

That evening, Selina sat on the little bench outside, her legs stretched out in front of her. Ava scrubbed at the logo on the van with a steel wool sponge, a bucket of suds slung over her arm.

‘You know, Selina, it somehow feels right, …in a way. Micah, picture him as a little seed that we planted and from that patch of dirt we’ll grow a very …cool and strong flower.’

Selina angled her chin up to look at Ava.

Ava’s smile wavered. ‘Not a good thought?’

Selina saw the mental image of Micah’s head on a stalk, surrounded by flower petals. He somehow had a smile on his face. ‘No, it’s …good, actually. Thanks.’

Ava nodded. ‘No problem.’

The living room was crowded with food. Plates stood on the little table by the couch and on the armrests of the chairs.

‘Little boats,’ the king said. He picked up a half egg, its yolk fluffed up at the center, and ate it.

He looked better than he had for days. With Nicks perched on his shoulder, he went for a tiny sandwich.

The cat eyed Tamara, who came up to them with a shallow bowl.

‘Here,’ she said. ‘It’s the best cat food they had in the store.’

The cat hissed at her.

She pouted. ‘Come, just try it, just a bite.’

The king grinned at this and she rolled her eyes at him.

Fabrizio picked up one of the devilled eggs and tasted it. He made a face.

‘It’s not good?’ Tamara had been watching him out of the corner of her eye.

He shrugged. ‘A little sour.’

Ava strode into the room and plunked the bucket down beside the door. ‘You’re still trying to pass this off as Chimelio’s?’

With lowered eyes, Tamara busied herself with something on her dress. ‘They all just assumed it at the meeting, I never said I worked there.’

‘You didn’t deny it either.’ Ava looked down at one of the plates. ‘It lacks presentation. We have a team of chefs who actually give our menus some serious thought. It’s not just pretty, it has heart. That, and infallible quality of ingredients. Where do you get your stuff? The discount aisle of the supermarket?’

Tamara picked up the bucket. ‘Only the things that are too good to throw away, I get it from Rick—’

Ava poked an egg. ‘This won’t cut it. Your party is going to show everyone you aren’t a chef.’ She eyed Fabrizio. ‘And the logo is officially off the van.’

‘I really thought I got it all off,’ he said.

Tamara turned away and walked back into the kitchen.

‘Food is food,’ Ackley said. He wiped his hands on his shirt and faced the three vampires left in the room with him. ‘Tonight we go back into the woods, with Nicks we can reach the place I want to find.’

Nicks jumped down, eyeing the food on the coffee table.

‘You remember it?,’ Fabrizio asked.

Ackley nodded, his hand went over another egg but passed it. ‘It’s a place of powerful energy. I need to reconnect with it.’

‘That sounds wonderful,’ Ava said.

The king looked at them. ‘Make up your minds. Whatever you receive there, you will have to pay for it. There is always a price.’

‘And it’s safe to go in there?’ Fabrizio looked at the cat, who had swiped an egg from the table and licked the top off.

Ackley picked the animal up, giving it pats on the head with distant eyes. ‘Sure.’

Nicks walked ahead into the night with his tail in the air. When they neared the fresh grave, Selina held her breath. The king pressed his hand to his heart while he passed it, and Fabrizio did the same. She did so too, but it didn’t make her feel less uneasy about him lying there underneath the earth.

The trees closed over them, taking away the stars. Selina entered last. I’m alone now.

Ava turned to her. ‘This is nice, isn’t it? Do you enjoy going on these rituals?’

Not really knowing what to say to that, she shrugged.

‘I can feel something in the air,’ Ava went on. She moved her hand. ‘Just like that first night.’ She sighed. ‘Maybe it was there in the night all along, and I’m just becoming aware of it. It’s so quiet out here, you can actually hear yourself think.’

‘I miss the cars,’ Selina said. The ambient sound of traffic, people shouting at each other. She never knew she’d miss the noise.

The forest was silent, in a stifling way. Every twig that snapped had an echo that trailed off far between the naked branches. But there was no rotting smell or movement and they made their way across the forest floor until it became a path.

Selina held herself; she felt watched, like the twisting trees had eyes in their shadows.

Without Micah it felt strange, now that she wasn’t dragging him along she had her own thoughts to notice. I am following a cat into the woods with the king of vampires. I should be dead. But I’m not. I’m undead. Maybe forever. How did I escape?

Nicks meowed, which made her aware that the group had stopped. The king stood staring at a tree and there was something off about him, like he’d forgotten they were there. He stood there for several minutes, until Fabrizio cleared his throat.

Ackley took a step back, his eyes wide. Then he brushed a hand through his hair and grinned. ‘Got distracted there for a moment.’

The cat rubbed itself against his legs, then walked ahead. ‘Nearly there,’ the king mumbled, ‘almost through.’

They walked past a fallen structure into a clearing, back underneath the stars. Selina craned her neck to see, the ground was lower here, flattened. They stood on a large circle of bare earth between the trees that grew over them from steep hilltops. The mountains in the distance stood silhouetted behind the twisting branches of the silent trees. The air felt heavy. Selina swallowed.

Ackley gave the cat a scratch behind the ears. ‘It’s still here and we are undisturbed.’

‘Do we stand in a circle again?’ Ava asked.

Ackley held out his arms. ‘You walk,’ he said, ‘walk the line and see if something comes for you.’

Selina looked down and saw there was a faint outline on the ground, like someone had drawn multiple patterns with a stick when the ground was wet.

‘A labyrinth,’ she whispered.

‘Walk it,’ the king said beside her.

She took a step and when her foot touched down the world went dark. She looked up and the stars were far away. Like standing at the bottom of a well. Her hands shook and her breath caught in her throat. She’d help clear a few haunted houses with elder hunters, this felt like it. But more… feral. Like the trees are awake and somehow disapprove of this.

I feel watched. She could feel something stare at the back of her skull. She took another step and her legs became heavy. The darkness around her closed in. What is this place?

The feeling of being watched became stronger, then something reached out and went into her head.

She was back in the room. Smooth walls and a concrete floor. Micah screamed from somewhere outside. Selina gasped, straining to stand around the stake that stuck through her belly and out of her back, up towards the ceiling. The blood trickled slowly down the wood, draining into a grid into the floor.

The pain tore through her with every breath. Please. Please, just kill me. This time there were others, husks with burnt skin, lying around her in the shadows. Their eyes were burnt out of their skulls.

Two figures yanked her arms out in front of her, threading a meat hook between the bones in her wrists, she tried to scream over the gristleling sound—but she had no breath left, the hooks scraped bone and tore the tendons. They pulled her torso towards the sunbeam that fell out of the ceiling.

There was no more sound as the light seared her. A deep feeling of weakness washed over her, flooding her stomach with disgust, she felt herself dissolve around the feeling, until there was nothing left..

Selina fell backwards and out of the darkness. Her chest heaved, and the trees spun around her. She curled up into a ball and cried. Her hands dug into the soil.

‘Selina?’ Fabrizio sat a little way from her, a hand pressed to his face.

Ava stopped between them and took up a power stance; her eyes unseeing, she made a fist. ‘I want to be more powerful than my supervisor, more powerful than my boss! I want to be the best vampire with all the powers! Make me unkillable! Make them all admire me!’

Then she collapsed to her knees. Her voice shook but she had her usual smile. ‘I hope I did it right.’

‘You did very well.’ Ackley said. ‘Come closer.’

Selina shook her head, but Fabrizio pulled her to her feet. They made their way to him.

Ackley bit the side of his hand, showing them the blood and letting it drip down.

Selina wiped her face. Everyone followed his example, and she closed her eyes and did the same. I’m already cursed, just get it over with.

When her blood hit the earth it felt like reaching into battery acid; a sour feeling lapped up and wrapped around her heart and throat. The disgust came back up and she struggled not to throw up. Deep holes opened in the earth around them. She stumbled at the sight of them. Then they closed back up and the sour feeling drained away.

She wiped her palms onto her pants. ‘Can we go?’ I hate it here. I hate all of this weird stuff. She looked at the king and was startled to see his pale eyes watching her.

Nicks meowed, and that’s when the smell wafted over them from the trees.

Ackley’s face showed a sneer. ‘We have been found out.’

Selina turned so fast her neck burned.

All around the clearing, animals came out from beneath the trees. She frowned. They didn’t move right.

Ava covered her mouth and nose. ‘What do we do?’

Ackley let out a laugh. ‘Now we run!’ He left them standing there and headed for the treeline.

As one the animals charged them.

Ava let out a shout and followed him.

Selina stood there and watched; deer, in all sizes, their limbs moved stiffly, heads bobbing. Why do they look like that? Fabrizio yanked on her arm and got her into a run.

The animals are hunting us. A stag angled its head at her. She ducked and rolled, springing back to her feet with ease. I’ve been trained, after all.

Something hit her in the back and knocked her over. The stench was unbearable, like fetid death.

The thing that had collided with her was a doe, a female deer, and its head had come off, still dangling by skin and rotting tissue. They’re dead. Hollow eyes and bones poked through the torn skin.

She rolled away before the thing could trample her.

With another roll she was back on her feet and skidded to a halt to help Fabrizio. She pulled on his arm and together they stumbled into the forest.

‘Why are they like that!’ She jumped over a log and kept going. ‘How are they moving!’

‘I have no idea!’ He called back. ‘This doesn’t— happen to me often!’

A black and white blur jolted past, then ran in front of them.

‘Follow the cat!’ He yelled.

Something heavy was after them. Selina didn’t look back, she clenched her fists and sprinted.

The group fell out of the forest and onto the field, their clothes were torn and covered in awful substances.

Ava landed onto her back. ‘That was awful!’ She punched the sky. ‘Awful.’

Ackley dropped down beside her. ‘They sent us running this time.’

‘I am not going back for a rematch,’ Fabrizio breathed.’

The king shook his head. ‘We’ll have to face them to conquer that place.’

‘Later, then.’

Selina spat out something onto the grass. ‘What are they?’

‘They belong in the ground,’ Ackley said. He stood and glared at the trees. ‘They snuck out while I was gone.’ That was all for an explanation and they went inside.

Tamara backed away at the sight and smell of them.

‘Get that bathtub running,’ Ackley told her, making her back into the stairs.

‘Dibs on the first shower,’ Ava called out, she hurried past and fled downstairs.

Selina and Fabrizio looked at eachother. ‘There’s a hose outside…,’ he said. ‘To get the worst off?’

Selina looked at herself and froze, a stain on her pants looked like a smeared eyeball. Her stomach clenched and she nodded.

She stood against the house wall and had to smile. ‘Lying in a grave suddenly doesn’t look so bad anymore.’

‘Don’t worry, there will be plenty of those things waiting for him when he gets up.’

‘Why do we have to go back to that place? I only saw terrible things, it felt awful, it didn't feel like…,’ she waved her hand, ‘like magical vampire energy to make us stronger. And the king…’ She sighed. ‘Is he alright? He seemed, he seemed out of it.’

‘Being brought back to life can leave you a little… disorientated. No visions?’

She shook her head, then frowned when she remembered the husks around her. ‘Just …awful things.’

‘Then it is important we go back.’

‘What did you see?’

He aimed the hose at her. ‘Visions of power. Get ready.’

The upstairs bathroom was dark but for a small light above the sink. An old bathtub stood in one corner and the king sat in the suds.

Tamara emptied a pitcher of warm water over his head and put shampoo in his hair. ‘This is a mess.’ She made a face. ‘What did you do? Play in an animal carcass pit?’

He raised his arm and watched the water dribble down off it. ‘Scrub.’

She tutted at him, then pressed at the back of his neck. ‘Move then.’

Chapter 8
The race

The day Selina would die was the day of the big race. Groups of young hunters gathered on a bare plot of land on the outskirts of the harbor city Deon. They stood separate from their bicycles behind a line drawn in the gravel.

‘Keep an eye on your bike,’ Gabbie said over the general noise of excitement. Gabbie was their team leader and stood a head above them all. Selina nodded.

‘Stick close to Owl,’ Gabbie went on. ‘He’ll have the best chance of picking something up.’

‘I got his,’ Owl said. He was slim, dressed in black, and was not much older than her. Most of them were in their late teens, with some in their early twenties. A group of older men and women stood by a collection of burning vats against the cold.

Selina looked at the competing teams around them. She’d seen some of them during her training months, but recognized no direct faces. One of them, a boy with blond hair, winked at her.

She looked away and busied herself with something on her fingerless glove.

A man dressed in a gray detached himself from the adult and raised his arms. ‘Everyone listen up!’

Selina cringed, Guermsey's shouting was drilled into her through his training, she was transported back to running laps through the rain and spending nights outside in the cold. .

Beside her, Owl shook his head. ‘Old Germsey, doesn’t he ever just take a day off?’

‘The vampire Fabrizio has been spotted in this city!’ Guermsey went on. All heads turned his way and the noise died down. ‘The first team to find the building he resides in—and marks it with their team's tag— gets to win!’ Cheers and some whistles filled the air, Selina shouted along.

He shouted over them; ‘You have until sundown! Now, get ready…’

Selina bunched her fists, eyes on her red bicycle.

‘Get set…’ Shoes shuffled on the gravel, someone spat out a piece of gum.

‘Go!’

A desperate scramble between everyone for their bikes marked the start of the race. Selina elbowed her way through and grabbed hers, she ran, jumping onto the saddle.

She swerved off the gravel and onto the smooth feeling of the road, her team was soon around her. Practiced from years of messenger biking, they sped toward the populated area by grabbing the back door handles of cars. Selina breathed in the rush of sudden speed and wind, the street shot by underneath.

They found each other again in the middle lane of a big street, making their way past slow driving cars.

Owl’s voice carried over the hum of traffic. ‘I’m not getting anything.’ He looked at something small and round in his hand, then back to the road.

They weaved through pedestrians at a crossing, Selina gave them a whistle to warn them. Gabbie just swore. ‘Focus!’ she yelled, ‘everyone stay alert!’

‘She means you, Terri!’ Selina called to the back of the group.

A girl with dark pigtails held up her hand. ‘Yeah, yeah.’

It was a cloudless day. The shadows were a pool of cold between the light caught on the upper buildings, Selina dashed through the sudden squares of warm color where the sun got through on the road.

They rolled underneath a tunnel, the sounds echoing, cars exhaust warm and close.

Owl sped up, taking a fast left past a donut shop and into a side alley.

Gabbie whistled. ‘He got something!’

Owl lost whatever he’d gotten, so they stopped on a bridge for lunch where they ate burgers and fries. Posters were plastered around them on the sides of the bridge, cars ambled by down below. Selina took a deep gulp from her soda.

I should be able to sense something, I’m a hunter. She was waiting for the “pull” as the older hunters called it. Owl had closed his eyes and held his guide; a silver round compass with eight arrows pointing outwards like a star. The red arrow inside it swished left and right, then in a circle. Focus.

Gabbie was right. This was getting them nowhere. She leaned her head back and sighed.

‘We’ll get him,’ Gabbie patted her shoulder. ‘I want that prize money.’

‘You do know there is no actual prize,’ Terri said. She looked at her from across his lowered sunglasses.

‘There’ s no money,’ Selina said. ‘But there is a mystery prize.’

‘How do you know?’ Terri asked.

‘I actually paid attention during the briefing?’

The bulk of a truck rambled by, dousing them with a cold flush of air. Selina shivered and pulled her shawl up round her face.

‘Let’s get back on the road,’ Gabbie said. ‘We got this.’

She’d said it and one of the other team whizzed by. ‘Yo yo yo!’ One of them yelled.

Gabbie clapped her hands while everyone made for their bikes. ‘Go go go!’

Selina jumped back on her bike, scowling at the other team. I need to tag that building first!

The afternoon wore on with more false trails. Selina chewed a fresh piece of gum, the white of street markings slipped by underneath on the soft-looking tarmac beneath her wheels.

Selina felt something jerk inside her chest as her bike went over an invisible line. She gasped, almost letting go of the wheel. She righter herself with a couple of swift zigzags. The road only felt soft underneath her wheels but her right elbow squeezed at the memory of sliding into it last summer, there was still some of it in there, embedded in her skin. Forever a part of the road.

She was halfway down an alley when she heard her name. ‘Selina!’

Shit. ‘Selina!’

When Abbie caught up with her Selina put up a smile. ‘I got something.’

Gabbie took a hold of her steering wheel, slightly out of breath. ‘Don’t rush off, we’re a team. This is dangerous, remember?’

‘Sorry. I know, I know.’

When the others had caught up, the feeling had gone away. Selina kicked a rock against the wall. Other teams passed them by, full of purpose. I know I felt something. She heard the frustration in her own voice. ‘Are you getting anything, Owl?’

He nodded, a glint in his eyes. ‘Definitely that way.’

After another long and unfruitful ride they stood underneath the trees of a broad street. The horizon had an orange fire in it, blue dusk shimmered overhead.

Owl spun his wheel and stopped it with a gloved hand. ‘We’re close, I can definitely feel something. It’s right here somewhere, these couple of blocks. But it’s getting dark.’

Selina bounced her leg. ‘It’s not sundown yet.’.

Gabbie bumped her shoulder. ‘We got tomorrow, if no-one else gets him.’

Micah sighed. ‘Come on, aren’t we there yet? I want to get to the pizza party. You think some of the other teams will come?’ He checked behind him..

‘Calm your stomach,’ Espen said, ‘We need to get him first.’

They walked past an alley entrance, bikes in hand.

Micah looked at the buildings in the distance. A web of lighted blocks, tiles that are people’s homes or offices. The blair of car horns turning to one howl of outrage behind them.

Espen swore. ‘It’s that other team again. Quick!’ They took a left and dodged into a sidestreet, shops full of people, warm food smells wafted by.

Micah rubbed his belly. ‘Can we grab something?.’

Espen rolled his eyes before he closed them. ‘Almost there.’

A car door opened blaring music, and they were beside the wide open space that was a public park. ‘This is more like it,’ Espen said. ‘A place for him to hunt. It’s going to be one of these buildings.’

Back by the drums an impromptu BBQ was on the way. Beers were out, people were talking, exchanging stories. Some teams were coming back, the sun was almost down.

Owl stopped, making the people behind him walk into him with their bikes. ‘Something’s off.’

‘What is?,’ Gabbie asked.

Terri sighed. ‘Do you smell vampire of not?’

‘Ha. Ha. In fact, I do sense something. But… it’s different from what I was tracking.’

‘Where’s Selina?’

Selina scaled the fence, jumped down into a roll, and knocked the can out of the blond boy’s hand.

‘Hey!.’

She pushed him back and raised her chin. They stood by a big dumpster, on a patch of dirt between three adjoined buildings. The one he’d wanted to tag was old, three stories high with dark windows. Selina felt a chill looking at it. This is it.

She got her spray can from her backpack, and the boy lunged for it. She kept it out of his reach.

‘We got here first!’ He said.

‘I’m going to tag it first,’ she said, elbowing him to the side.

‘Espen? You have anything to say about this?’

Espen leaned on the dumpster, his face pale. ‘There’s blood and… rot,’ his voice became a whisper. ‘So many bodies. Micah, we should… go.’

Micah wrestled the can from the girl’s grip. ‘Yeah, he’s an old vampire. Probably had a lot of victims. Stop it!’

‘… mountains of them.’

Micah took a step towards him. ‘Are you okay?’

Selina took the time to get another can from her pack. When he heard the rattle of the can he came back for her, then a door opened and she stood there staring.

A cold, blue light fell on the wall opposite the door and showed a peculiar shadow. It was the shape of a woman; a slim torso with long and slender arms. The strange shadow form hunched then jumped up, gliding over the wall and up to the roof. They gasped.

While they stared a woman had walked over to them and grabbed Micah by the throat. She was slim and tall, long arms and legs with a small head. She pressed her mouth to his throat and lifted him up.

Selina fell back but the woman stared her down— she couldn’t move—while the creature drank from the struggling figure.

You’re beautiful, she thought.

Then the woman dropped the boy and walked toward her, she smiled at her with a dark blood smeared face.

Selina smiled back. Then her head was bent back in an uncomfortable angle and a tearing noise became loud in her ears. This is okay. It doesn’t even hurt.

Someone shouted her name. ‘Selina!’ The pain got through and she was sliding down the wall sideways hitting the floor. I’m dying. She saw the empty face of the boy lying next to her. I’m going to die. Gabbie’s voice was shrill, she pressed her hands to her torn throat and yelled for help. Selina felt her heart stop.

She shook herself.

‘What are you thinking about?’ Fabrizio asked.

She swallowed, staring at the cup in her hand. They were doing the dishes, Fabrizio with his hands in the water, she stood there with a dishtowel.

They had a dishwasher. But he’d insisted on having something to do. The king was off somewhere, Tamara had been picked up by Ira, and Ava sat downstairs on her bed answering emails.

‘I was hunting you for sport,’ she said.

‘So that’s on your mind. I’m very aware of the practice to send some of you onto me like a pack of dogs. You mark my building of residence, then the big dogs come to mess it up.’

‘Why?’ her voice was careful.

He shrugged. ‘I never stick around to ask.’

‘You’re not like the vampires we kill, the one that killed me.’

‘We’re not all the same. Almost like we’re people, Selina.’

She dried the cup and put it away. ‘I— It’s weird that we hunted you to let you go. They say they don’t bother killing you, when they catch you.’

‘They never catch me. But they do trash my apartment when they find it.’ He leaned back, getting a catch out of his neck. ‘It’s gotten real old a real long time ago.’

‘I’m sorry.’ Is it weird that I am?

He gave her a smile, then shrugged.

The cat jumped onto the counter, upsetting a glass. Fabrizio caught it before it could hit the ground. ‘Get off the counter.’

Selina went to get him. ‘He never listens.’

Nicks rubbed his face against her cheek, then he went to his food bowl to eat.

‘He only does that when she’s not around,’ Selina said.

‘Probably off plotting her next scheme.’

‘You’re not worried about the dinner?’

‘If the king wants to go along with it, who am I to disagree?’ He held out a wet plate for her to dry.

Selina took it.

After a while she asked: ‘Will they find this place?’

He was silent for a moment, then nodded. Eventually, everywhere in the Tromalda region. But this place is the most remote, so we have time.’

‘Time for the king to become powerful?’

Fabrizio nodded. ‘There is power in him like nothing you can imagine. But it’s scattered. They divided him up around these parts, scattered his remains countless times. It’s up to him to… find himself, get back to his former power. He seems to know how.’

‘Countless times?’ Her eyebrows drew together.

‘It’s the reason they don’t want me here. Because I keep bringing him back. They hunt me down and whenever I almost succeed in getting him back together, they come and tear my efforts apart.’

‘Does he know that?’

He dunked a wineglass into the suds. ‘Like many things concerning him, I’m not sure.’

Selina looked at her hands. ‘What happens to anyone helping you?’

A quick smile crossed his face. ‘I believe you already found out what they do when they catch you.’

Her breathing sped up. ‘I think we should go back to his ritual with those rotting deer animals, if it helps him.’

He nodded. ‘I think so too.’

More chapters

Next Chapter coming soon...

Chapter 6 Rest

Chapter 7 This is the place

Chapter 8 The race

Chapter 6
Rest

Chapter 7
This is the place

Chapter 8
The race