In The Beginning, Chapter 51

“Who are you?” I defiantly asked the man who was approaching me, although some part of me already suspected.
“You may call me Asclepius.” He actually bowed, like I should be impressed.
“Let me guess.” I said sarcastically, I placed my finger to my lips like I was thinking, when I was really desperate to buy some time. “You’re one of Zeus or Apollo’s minions.” I rolled my eyes, while glancing towards Miranda, she was slowly edging towards Bailey and Kyle, while Maria had positioned herself between the vampire, and Kalinda and Danielle. She was slowly moving them to the dressing room, while moving herself closer to me, I just had to keep the creature’s attention on me until they were in position.
“Tsk, tsk, why are you trying to leave our party?” A female voice sounded from somewhere in the shop, in a blur, there was a woman on either side of the vampire. They should have been beautiful, but their faces were too perfect, too symmetrical, so the effect became unnerving. Their hair was a rich golden brown, and they wore matching combat gear, skin-tight black pants. The one on the vampire’s left wore a black turtleneck, and black combat boots with purple laces. Her sister, on the vampire’s right, wore a long sleeved fitted black tee, and black combat boots with pale blue laces. They wore matching scowls, and I noticed the one of the left had fuller lips, while her sister’s eyes were slightly larger.
“Can we play now daddy?” Turtleneck asked the vampire, looking momentarily like a child, unnerving me further.
“Sure, honey, but don’t kill her yet! Our King has plans for her.” He bopped her nose with his finger, before turning back to me and licked his lips lecherously. “But he never said we couldn’t have a taste, just don’t take too much. She’s going to be Apollo’s new breeder!” He began giggling to himself, and he looked truly unhinged, I felt the fear grip my body as he and the women advanced. I took a step back, stumbling off the podium, but remaining on my feet, the only problem was, there was nowhere to go, and I soon felt the cold smooth surface of the mirror pressed against my back.
“What about the rest of them?” Fitted tee asked, cocking an eyebrow at the vampire.
“Eat up, they are not of importance to our King.” He smiled evilly; the women leaped forward towards Maria and Miranda respectively, who snarled, their teeth elongating, and their claws slipping over their nails. Asclepius advanced on me menacingly. I summoned my power, holding it tightly, his stride paused momentarily, then he began laughing hysterically, it sounded unnatural, but it distracted the women long enough for Maria and Miranda to attack. They pounced on the sisters, their claws digging into their skin, as they bit into their necks, tearing chucks of flesh from their opponents, who began screaming. Kalinda and Lucy took their chance and ran into the changing room, as Asclepius began roaring in outrange. He ran at me, his eyes wild with anger, my power shot out of me, sending him hurtling into the wall, close to where Bailey and Kyle were trapped, before he crumpled on the floor. But barely a second later he was standing, the sisters were edging away from Miranda and Maria. Turtleneck had managed to slash Maria’s arms, and she had a slice through her pants that was oozing blood. Miranda had a cut on her cheek, and several slashes to her torso, but was staring at the vampires with a bloodthirsty smile. I heard a noise from another part of the shop, my eyes glancing in the direction before I could stop myself, when my eyes returned to Asclepius he was smiling. Fitted tee, vanished, only to reappear holding a woman, in the same style of black dress as Kalinda and Lucy, by the back of her neck.
“Come with us, or my daughter will drain her.” He said with a sick satisfied smile.
“NO.” I spat, stepping closer to him. He looked at me bored, and fitted tee turned the woman to look at her. She grinned at her, as she placed her hand over the woman’s face, a light appeared between fitted tee’s fingers, and as she drew it back, I saw the light was coming from the woman’s eyes and mouth, like it was being sucked into fitted tee’s body. The woman’s face was frozen in a mask of silent terror, while fitted tee looked like she was having an orgasm, the way she was smiling and breathing heavily. Something inside me snapped, I was pissed, and disgusted, I screamed in frustration and rage, and fitted tee froze. I could feel my power snaking around her, she dropped her hand, and the woman looked like she had aged twenty years, she also looked empty, her eyes had no life in them, and she dropped to the ground, in a heap. Fitted tee was staring at me, struggling against my power, which began squeezing her like a boa constrictor. Turtleneck, roared in anger, and launched herself at me, but Miranda intercepted her, I watched frozen in horror as Miranda shoved her claws deep into turtleneck’s stomach, but she clamped her razor-sharp teeth into Miranda’s shoulder. They stumbled away from each other; turtleneck was gripping her stomach as her black blood dripped onto the floor, while Miranda clasped her shoulder, her white blazer soaking up her blood like ink as she stumbled backward. I ran to her, catching her just before her legs went from beneath her, tears blurring my vision.
“Why?” I begged her to explain as she slid down to the floor, taking me with her. She smiled, like I had said something stupid, and coughed up bright red blood. I frantically looked over her body, turtleneck had pierced Miranda’s ribs with her nails, she was drowning in her own blood. The blood vessels in her shoulder were black and raised as the vampires poison also weakened her. Maria was positioned between us and the vampires, snarling threateningly at them, while fitted tee fussed over her sister.
“You’ll all pay for this!” Asclepius spat angrily, and I felt the rage building inside me. Without thinking I sent two vines of power from my hands, they twisted around the sisters, as their father watched in horror, I ripped them in two, my vines severing their heads by crushing their necks, and tearing them from their bodies. The vines shot back to me, impossibly fast, only to shoot out of my hands again, but this time, like an intense beam of light. Something about it forced Asclepius to his knees, as he fought to free himself. When my light hit Bailey and Kyle, the smoke holding them seemed to be burned away, small ash like particles breaking off them until they could move, and broke free, both rushing Asclepius, who just laughed, and disappeared, the air around him distorting. His words ringing all around us.
“I will get you next time, little goddess, your Alpha will have to be reward enough for my King, for now.” He taunted from wherever he was, until his presence finally left. I rushed back to Miranda’s side, and willed my power to surround and heal her, praying to my grandmother, my aunts, anyone who could be listening to help me. Miranda gripped my hand tightly, and I felt my power surrounding us.
“Don’t you dare die!” I threatened, and like I had done for myself, I forced my power into and over her wounds. She gurgled more blood, her body trembled as I pushed harder, begging anyone and everyone to let her live.
“Luna, we must get her to the hospital, and you to the pack. If what the vampire said it true, they will have another team attacking the pack right now!” Bailey insisted, trying to pull me away from Miranda, but I shoved him away aggressively.
“No, I can do this, I can heal her!” I screamed, forcing more and more energy out of myself and into Miranda. Maria knelt beside me, after also pushing Bailey out of the way.
“What can I do?” She asked, pressing down on the wounds that were bleeding the worst.
“Just keep her alive while I figure this out.” I spat between gritted teeth, as I forced even more of my power into Miranda’s body. Just when I thought I might pass out, she drew in a long breath, her first since she collapsed, and I almost cried in relief, but kept forcing more and more of my energy into her body. Maria and I watched as her wounds began to heal, but unlike Kyle, when I healed his vampire bite, Miranda’s shoulder began oozing the black tar substance, and there was far less than Kyle had thrown up. It dripped from her wound onto the floor, clumping together like mercury, it created a small black puddle on the floor. Miranda’s flesh began knitting itself back together, as she held my hand close to her chest, breathing deeply. Our eyes locked for a moment.
“Daniel.” She whispered breathlessly, the fear in her eyes were unmistakable. I felt myself stand, my body on autopilot as I numbly stumbled out of the sitting area. Bailey was beside me, he was saying something, but I felt like I was under water, everything was dulled, and his words made no sense. I closed my eyes, trying to focus.
“Daniel.” I whimpered, and I felt like I disappeared, I was floating, my mind confused, my eyes unable to focus on anything around me as light surrounded me. Then, like I had been dropped, I was stood in an open courtyard that was roughly 50ft by 50ft, with dirt floors, and grey brick walls surrounding me. There were several outdoor work out stations, and a large grey building to my left, the trees that surrounded the town were visible behind the wall to my right. I looked around, confused, still in the dress I was trying on. When my hearing returned, I heard snarling, growling, yelling, screaming. I took off towards the sounds, as fast as my feet would carry me, snatching up the ends of the dress so I wouldn’t trip. I rounded one of the many metal sheds lining the area, a second, bigger work out area closer to 200ft by 100ft, with half of it covered with a corrugated roof came into view. As did the fifty or so wolves, who were battling over a dozen vampires. I spotted Daniel, he was fighting a vampire, and screaming orders at the wolves around him, some of whom had to be from Harvest Moon, and therefore unable to link the pack yet. I felt my power building inside me as the vampire tried to sink its teeth into Daniel’s neck. His fist connecting with its jaw when its fangs were a hair’s breadth away from his skin, sending it hurling backwards away from him.
“Stay together, use your pack!” Daniel cried as one of the new wolves found himself cut off from the rest of the group and facing a vampire alone. Daniel picked up a heavy weight from one of the machines under the roof, and tossed it like a Frisbee at the vampire, it hit him in the head, knocking him violently to the ground. Unfortunately, several vampires saw and turned their attention to Daniel. They raced towards him from all directions, and the fear hit me like a ton of bricks. I screamed in warning, but Daniel was gone, causing two of the vampires to collide, piercing each other with their sharp nails, and Daniel appeared in a sea of sparks next to me. “Charlie?” He asked confused, looking around trying to get his bearings. “Charlie!” He cried, yanking me towards his body, before pushing me behind him. I got a glimpse of elongated limbs as he blocked my view, but I understood, the vampires brought back up.

*Hello everyone still reading, as I am sure is the case for many of you, it has been a chaotic and long summer vacation this year, which has made it difficult to write, publish, and even find the sanity and willpower to continue, but continue I will. I am taking a short hiatus, my children and job are distractions to my writing I cannot escape... but I shall return on September 1st. I hope these chapters sustain you until then, but leave a comment, I wanna hear what you think comes next, what you liked, and even what you didn't.
Much love as always
Constance*