Chapter 171

With a deep breath, Christian turned his head and looked over his shoulder, praying that all he’d see was the dark night and a row of pine trees encroaching on Mr. Richter’s yard.
Instead, he saw the gleam of two sharp teeth catching the moonlight, blood red lips pulled back in a snarl, and dark, steel gray eyes.
A scream caught in his throat and the sweet sting of fresh urine hit his nose. His mouth was open, but no sound came out. Even with his limited exposure to these creatures, he knew what they were capable of, knew this one, a female with dark hair piled atop her head, ringlets streaming around her ears as she’d no doubt taken a hike through the woods to get here and couldn’t be bothered to right her mane, could rip his arms off before the scream even exited his throat.
Backing up would do him no good, since there was a burning building with a similar monster behind him, yet his feet were moving of their own accord, no rhyme or reason to their instinct to flee. “M--m--m--” was all that would come out of his frozen lips. “Mother” was what he’d meant to say, to scream, to hurl from his lungs with all the life left in him. Only the first sound emanated from inside of him, and that only loud enough to make it a few inches from his face.
It wasn’t his mother who came, though. He heard a shout behind him, something like, “The boy!” and then, a force collided with the woman from the side, knocking her a good ten feet away from where Christian stood.
The Vampire had not expected it. She was caught off guard, and it was just enough of a surprise that Jess, whose jacket sleeve was on fire from hurling himself through the flames to get here in time, pulled a silver blade from his pocket and jabbed it into the woman’s throat. He began to saw at the tendons in her neck, cutting through thick sinews. No blood spewed out, as Christian would’ve expected, especially since she had clearly just killed someone, the red blood still dripping down her chin. Instead, tiny puffs of smoke came out the break. Jess cut quickly, his knife making short work of the thin woman, and a few moments after he’d first discovered her, he set his knife aside, grabbed hold of either side of her head, twisted, and pulled.
The sound of her head popping off of her neck hit Christian’s ears in a way he would’ve never expected. Satisfaction rippled through his body, from the top of his head to his urine covered boots. Her death scream radiated through the woods, sending birds and other small creatures spraying out into the dark.
Jess turned to look at him, his eyes wide as he looked at the boy. “Are you well?”
Christian’s head bobbed up and down as he stared into the bloodshot eyes of the man kneeling next to the body. A split second later, the Vampire’s body dissolved into a pile of ash. A slight breeze began to pick her up and spread her across the dirt, out into the grass, into the tree trunks, the debris on the forest floor, out into the world.
The scent of burning timber reminded him that the cabin was on fire, and his parents were still inside. There was the small matter of the other Vampire as well. Christian turned to see the other creature had fallen, likely giving up once he realized his significant other was not successful in sneaking off with the child. Christian peered through the smoke and rising flames to see his father jab a knife similar to the one Jess had used into the monster’s chest time and again. Eventually, it was enough. Like his partner, this Vampire shrieked, though his was more of a deep moan than a banshee’s cry, and then he faded away. His ashes would mingle with the charred cabin, the two becoming one.
His mother was the first to exit Richter’s place, flying out through the only other window, one yet to be licked by flames. She immediately threw her arms around her son. “Christian! Are you hurt?”
“No,” was all he managed to say. She pulled him close, smashing his body against hers. The realization that his urine soaked pants would wet hers caused his face to redden, but if his mother even noticed his initial reaction to the Vampire, she said nothing.
As soon as Peter and Thomas were out of the building, Elizabeth stood, turning to face her husband. “I told you! This was a mistake! An ignorant, foolish mistake!”
“Bite your tongue woman!” Peter snarled. His wife was still a good ten feet away from him, but he drew back his hand as if he would strike her anyway.
Elizabeth did not back down. “He does not come with us again! Not until he is much older. We almost lost him tonight! He cannot be the superior Guardian you hope to manifest if he is dead! Or one of them!”
Peter kept his arm cocked and stared at her as if she were one of the monsters. They held those positions for what seemed like several minutes to Christian, though later he’d think back on that moment and realize it couldn’t have been more than a few seconds.
“Let us discuss this another time,” Thomas said, his voice more friendly now than authoritative, likely because he didn’t wish to further anger Peter. “We must put this fire out so that the surrounding trees do not catch. Peter, can you fetch the pail from the well? Jess, there’s a nearby creek.”
Jess was up and headed to fetch water. What he would carry it in, Christian didn’t know, but he also didn’t care. His eyes were on his father. Slowly, Peter lowered his hand, his mouth pressed tightly in a thin line. He kept his stare fixed on his wife as long as possible as he turned and headed around the side of the house to fetch the pail.
“Elizabeth,” Thomas said, stepping over and resting his hands on Christian’s shoulders. “Take him home. Make sure your family is safe, and then, see if you can determine where the wench found her drink.”
His mother’s head rocked back and forth, her blonde hair picking up the moonlight. For the first time in his life, he’d seen his mother stand up to his father and win. He could only wonder what would happen later, when the two of them were alone. Would Peter Henry put his wife in her place?
Elizabeth took him by the hand and led him through the forest, not hurrying him the way his father always did. Christian couldn’t remember the last time he’d held his mother’s hand. He’d been trying so hard lately to be a man, to be an adult, to make his father proud. As the shadows around them seemed to dance and form faces similar to the gruesome one he’d looked up into earlier, he was content to be a small child and let his mother care for him.
“That must’ve been quite frightening,” she said, her voice soft. “You’ll be safe now, though.”
“Will I?” He wanted to believe her, but he wasn’t sure he’d ever feel safe again. “Grandmother isn’t a Guardian. She can’t protect our home from Vampires should one strike.” Everyone born of their blood had a choice as to whether or not they Transformed, unless, of course, a Vampire came after them directly when they were between the ages of seventeen and twenty-one when one was capable of Transforming. Christian wasn’t sure what it was inside of his body that made him able to turn into a Guardian while his friends down the road from their house would always be human, but he recognized that it came from his parents, specifically his mother. Since she was a Guardian, that’s what he would be. If she had been a human, he would become a Hunter like his father. It was always the mother’s bloodline that dominated, unless she was human.
“Grandmother did not Transform, but there are others nearby keeping careful watch. Not all of the Goodies choose to fight. Some choose to protect instead. You’ll be safe, dear. I promise.” She bent and kissed the top of his head as the cabin came into view. He wanted to ask, if that was the case, then how had the Vampire woman managed to find someone from which to drink? Why wasn’t anyone looking out for poor Caleb Richter? He asked neither question, though, only walked along, still holding her hand.
The worry in the back of his mind that perhaps it was his Grandmother Ruth or his sister, Abigail, who’d nourished the Vampire was vanquished when he heard his grandmother snoring and saw his sister’s face as she leaned over the loft, her expression relaxing as she saw them. She smiled down at him, and Christian gave her a small wave of reassurance, though he realized if she were to discover he’d wet himself, he’d never live it down.
Elizabeth had let go of his hand as they came in the door. “Wash up, put on your nightdress, and leave your clothes here for me to wash out,” she whispered.
Christian nodded and did as he was told. His mother gave a small wave and then headed back out the door to complete the assignment Thomas had given her.