Chapter 28

Donors.




"If you don’t want me to kill you right now, then I suggest you leave this lady alone," La Caz Senior said, hoarsely. “I’m a hundred years older than you."
Daniel looked white; panic obscured his face while he choked. I glanced around, but no one was paying any attention to us, or maybe Philip La Caz was able to make humans not notice him when it was convenient. La Caz slowly released the other vampire. Daniel’s breath came back to him in a painful heave.
"If I see you anywhere near this lady again, I’m going to kill you," La Caz Senior snarled, extending his fangs. In the dim light, he looked scary and my brain clamped shut with fear.
Daniel nodded, aware that the vampire in front of him was much older and stronger. He didn’t stand a chance of surviving if he planned to challenge La Caz. He stumbled away, massaging his neck. I exhaled, feeling lightheaded.
"Are you all right, Julia?" La Caz Senior asked.
"Yes, just a little shaken up."
His eyes shimmered, then he took me by my elbow. "What are you doing here talking to that young vampire? He could have drained you and then my only son would suffer forever."
"He’s drinking from my best friend. She’s human. I was just telling him to stay away from her," I explained, breathing in and out. I was feeling dizzy and suddenly exhausted.
"Are you out of your mind? He could have dragged you away from here and killed you!" he almost shouted. He was extremely upset.
"I was willing to risk it."
"Don’t be stupid, Julia. Vampires don’t do what they are told, but he shouldn’t be involved with a human; the protocol is clear. Make sure you keep away from him, because I didn’t like the look on his face. Though, I think he understood he has to stay away from you and hopefully your friend. I would love to chat with you more, but I have urgent business I have to deal with, so please keep out of trouble."
"Yes, thank you for your help." He smiled and walked away, leaving me still in shock. I wiped the sweat off my forehead and sighed.
I ordered another shot at the bar, hoping to calm my nerves. My heartbeat went back to normal, so I decided it was time to find the girls. I hoped Daniel understood Philip’s warning. I was just about to walk towards my table when I saw Caleb McGregor passing through. He kept glancing behind him, walking towards the stairs.
I didn’t know why, but the tiny voice in my head put two and two together and I let out a quiet gasp. Nathaniel mentioned that McGregor was trying to ruin his business. What if he was the one behind all the kidnappings? He was a vampire, after all, and he saw me with Nathaniel. I had no idea if my intuition was right, but I decided to follow him.
I looked around. The club was crowded, maybe more so than usual. McGregor was wearing a dark navy shirt, holding a mobile phone in his hand. He moved down the stairs like a cat stalking its prey on a hunt. We were at the lowest level and soon, he vanished behind the doors that were only accessible to employees.
I stopped, but then I thought about Claudia. This might be my chance to find out who took her and bring her back. If I was right and didn’t do anything now, he might slip away.
I quietly slipped through the door. Soon, I found myself in a dark room with stairs that took me farther down. I sucked the corner of my lips and continued walking downstairs. My palms started to sweat when I reached yet another door. I pressed the door handle and realised I couldn’t hear the music here at all. I found myself in another long corridor; the floor was bright white with dim lighting. I took off my heels and moved quietly, stopping when I heard a voice around the corner.
I held my breath, listening.
“I’m so glad you found another fairy. Her blood is precious," a deep voice said. I recognised it as Caleb McGregor’s. He was talking to someone else, and if they moved towards the door, they would find me.
"Let me go," another voice squeaked—a woman maybe. She sounded weak and in pain. It wasn’t Claudia; I would have recognised her voice straightaway.
"Tim, knock her out," Caleb ordered, and then I heard a loud scream. Then silence. Next, I heard a sharp intake of breath; a lump clogged in my throat.
"Take her to the draining room," Caleb said. "We need as much blood as we can get. La Caz is done.”
"Yes, sir."
My heart was in my throat when I realised that I was right. Caleb was producing a fake version of Lucrative Shot—using the blood of elves and fairies. He probably had Claudia. My pulse throbbed as I glanced around, but in this part of the corridor, I was alone. Aside from being half elf, I knew Caleb hated Nathaniel, and I was his girlfriend. When I heard the noise of a slamming door, I took a long breath. I had to get back upstairs and call my dad.
I leaned forward and looked behind the wall. Whoever was there before had disappeared. Another corridor and a door were to my right. I thought about that poor fairy who was knocked out, and then about the draining room.
Easier said than done. I couldn’t hesitate any longer, so instead of listening to my inner voice, I entered the first door, straight into darkness. I waited a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the gloom. The only source of light in the room was coming from the back. I saw tables with half-naked bodies lying on them. All of them had tubes attached to their hands where Caleb was draining their blood. My heart started pounding when I saw a movement in the corner and recognised the scent of a giant. He was placing a body on the empty table, muttering to himself.
And then I saw her! My cousin Claudia was lying on one of the first tables. In the dim light coming from the small lamp above the bed I saw her ashen face. Who knew how long they had been draining her? Tears welled in my eyes and I wondered if she was even alive. I could only hope that if they were still draining her, she was still in this world.
I didn’t have much time, but reacting to my urge to take her away, I sent her a dose of my magic, so she could walk with me when I was ready to take her out of here. I crept closer to the giant while creating a bolt of energy in my hands. All the fairies and elves in the room looked pale, as the life was slowly being sucked out of them. I stood and concentrated on my task. I was never great with this spell, but I had no choice; I had to do something. The electrical current was now blazing down my back; my fingertips buzzed, keeping the bolt of light stronger.
I don’t remember what happened next, but the giant somehow noticed the light behind him and roared, "Unleashed elf!"
He was going to attack me, so I did the only thing that came to my mind. The energy that I had accumulated between my palms knocked him off his feet and he flew across the room. He banged his head on the floor and didn’t get up. I was certain that vampires would start rushing through the door at any moment. But I had used all my excess magic and wouldn’t be able to produce any more for a while.
I rushed to Claudia and her eyes were closed. I touched her neck, searching for a pulse. It was faint, so I knew she was still alive. I started unplugging all the tubes from her veins, tears dripping from my face. I placed my hand on her heart trying to remember the spell that my grandmother had taught me. Warm green light shimmered around my hands; energy flooded through me.
"Come on, wake up! We have to go," I whispered after a moment, slapping her gently on her cheek. She stirred and started moaning. She opened her eyes and looked around with fear and confusion.
"Julia, what are doing here? Where am I?" she started asking, widening her blue eyes.
"We have to leave. Now! There’s no time." I helped her to her feet. She looked lightheaded and confused. I managed to hang her arm over my shoulder and drag her across the room. I looked back at the bodies of the others and the blood they were losing by the second. I couldn’t help them; there was no time.
Claudia was light, but she could barely walk, and I’d given her some of my power, so I felt weak. I unlocked the door. The corridor was still empty, so we had a chance to walk away unseen.
"I can’t! Please leave me," she cried. Her skin was sullen and grey; she had lost a lot of blood.
"We have to go now. There isn’t time," I hissed, but I felt the presence of a vampire. I lifted my head; it was Daniel. He was standing a few metres away with an expression of utter contempt on his face.
"I don’t think you’ll be going anywhere," he said, approaching me.
Claudia slid to the floor and I stood, wiping the sweat off my face. I had nowhere to escape because he was blocking the only way out. His eyes were dark, chilling like the breath of death on my skin. His fangs were extended, ready to strike. He smelled my fear and my elf blood. I tried to call up my energy. My skin started drizzling with light, but it wasn’t enough; I was too weak. My father’s charm wouldn’t start working yet; it was too soon.
"When I started drinking from your fatty friend, I had no idea that she even knew you. Then she started talking about La Caz, so I added everything together. That’s why I came back to her; to get to you. You’re a prize Caleb wants badly because of La Caz."
"So, it was Caleb who sent those giants to kidnap me?"
"Yes. He wanted to have you, so he organised the kidnapping, but some foolish giants failed him. It drove him crazy that La Caz’s business was flourishing. Nothing was going according to plan, so he told me to step in again. Caleb’s production of the Lucrative Shot was going pretty well, and when we started adding fairies and elves blood, then sales really went up."
"Stay away!" I shouted. My hands filled with fire but only for several seconds. I was too worn out and he knew that. My cousin was sobbing, lying on the floor. I had to think fast; I peered down the other side of the corridor. I didn’t know where that would take me.
Would Caleb still be in the building?
"Oh, my sweet Julia, did you think that I would be afraid of old La Caz? He’s not here to save you. No one is, and I’m going to enjoy tasting you."
I decided to do the only thing that was reasonable—I ran. My legs took me away from him, but I didn’t get too far. He was beside me within a second, grabbing my throat and slamming his body into mine. He pinned me to the wall, digging his large hands into my shoulders. He smelled of blood and sex.
"Oh my, you smell delicious," he whispered. I felt his erection between my legs and instantly felt sick. He squeezed my neck hard, cutting off my oxygen. He was slowly going to suffocate me if I didn’t get away. "You can’t imagine how much I’ll enjoy sucking you off."
I cried out when he shoved his hand between my legs. I screamed, but blackness and panic blinded me. Tears leaked out and I just wanted him to die.
Then I felt piercing pain near my throat. He sank his fangs into my neck, drinking my rich blood, indulging himself with my scent. His hand was still between my legs, moving with the rhythm of my pulse. Muscles inside my body clenched with ragged anger. My magic was quiet and lost. He was crushing my energy to pieces. I was hopeless. I couldn’t move or do anything. My brain clamped shut with fear.
I listened as my heartbeat slowed down. I was drifting into a fog. My body was unresponsive; I shut my eyes, waiting for death and for this pain to end.
Then I heard voices, and fell to the floor, not feeling anything at all. He wasn’t holding me anymore, but every part of my skin burned with fire. It felt as if my whole body was being pierced with razors. This pain was unbearable.
"You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to a solicitor; if you can’t afford one, the Paranormal Unit will provide one. Anything that you say or do will be used against you in a court of law, and if you make one move, you sick son of a bitch, I will rip out your fangs with my bare hands!"
It was my father’s voice. I opened my eyes. He was gripping the vampire by the throat, and there were other officers around him, shouting. I wanted to move, but dark shadows obscured my vision. I moaned, but my body refused to react.
"Jerry, he’s not worth it."
“C’mon, let him go."
"A millennium of torture is waiting for you, scum."
"Taylor, come on, he ain’t worth it," someone else said. Finally, Dad released his grip and Daniel flopped on the floor, gasping for breath.
"It’s all right, baby girl, I’m here," he said, pulling me towards him. He started whispering, and I felt warm light flowing through me. I couldn’t speak or move. After a long moment, I felt new energy inside me and I stretched my jelly legs, although my flesh was still on fire. The deeper pain was gone, and I was safe. My father used his own energy to ease whatever was happening to me, and I gained new power.
"There are elves and fairies inside this room; the vampire was draining them. Claudia, I tried to help her, but she was so weak." I pointed at the door in front of us. Thick liquid ran down my throat; I was still losing a lot of blood. Two police officers dragged Daniel away. He was trying to shout, but he was knocked down quickly.
"Walters, get in there," Dad barked, pointing at the room on the far right. He got up. "My daughter and my niece need to be transported to hospital right away!"
Other hands moved me, and I passed out for a few moments. When I opened my eyes, I was still in the corridor. Dad was giving orders; bodies of unconscious fairies and elves were being moved. I was wrapped up in a blanket by two fairy policewomen. One of them was pressing a tissue to my throat.
"Dannika, she needs to go to hospital, now!" Dad roared, looking scarlet.
Dannika nodded and then I passed out again. When I stirred back to reality, I was lying on a bed in the ambulance and the elf was assuring me I was going to make it.
The next time I opened my eyes, I was staring at a stranger’s face. My skin tingled and I recognised I had a witch in front of me. She was leaning towards me.
"How are you feeling, Miss Taylor?" She had a large face and dirty blond hair, styled in a ponytail. She smiled at me, touching my forehead. I felt much better, although dizzy.
"Fine. How long have I been here?" Remembering Daniel’s attack, I touched my neck. "How is my cousin?"
"I wouldn’t touch your wound if I were you. Vampire bites can get infected easily and this one is particularly nasty," she explained. "You have been sleeping for a few hours. It’s four o’clock in the morning. If you’re asking about the elf who was brought in with you, then I can tell you that she is very weak, but she will make it."
"How long do I have to stay here?" I asked, relieved that Claudia was finally safe.
"Until morning, and then we will see. Your energy is quite strong, accumulating quickly." She smiled, then tucked her magic wand under her belt.
"Has anyone called or asked about me?" I asked, wondering whether Nathaniel had any idea what had happened to me.
"No, not as far as I’m aware."
Then the door opened, and my dad walked in. He looked exhausted with dark circles under his eyes; his energy was weak. He’d used a lot of his magic this evening, for my sake.
"Julia, hon, how are you feeling?"
"I will leave you two alone." The witch shut the door behind her.
"Not to worry. Did you catch him?" I asked quickly. "He had Claudia all this time."
"We caught a few vampires, but I don’t—”
"No, Dad, it was Caleb McGregor.” I cut him off, feeling my pulse rising. “He was the one who kidnapped Claudia, and he’s the one who is replicating Lucrative Shot, the same one that Nathaniel is producing."
"Caleb McGregor?"
"Yes. Nathaniel introduced me to him once and I saw him in the club. I followed him to the basement. I heard when he said he wanted to drain a fairy."
He looked shocked. "Why did you follow him? God, Julia, you could have died!"
"I didn’t think—"
"Okay, calm down. I’ll find that bastard. We haven’t caught any other vampires tonight. All the fairies who were there are in intensive care. Claudia has lost a lot of blood, and she needed a transfusion. She’ll be unconscious for a few days, but your Aunt Dorothy is with her," he continued. "We counted around eleven captives. All of them were reported missing in the past few months."
"He’s behind these kidnappings. The vampire who attacked me was ordered to get closer to me. He went out with Ella. Caleb organised my kidnapping—"
"Julia, hon, you need to calm down. I’ll take care of this," he said, pushing me down to rest on the bed.
"He was doing this because Nathaniel was making all this money and he wanted to get to me, because we started going out."
"That vampire only causes trouble for you," Dad finally snapped, standing. "I would stick a wooden stake into his heart myself if anything had happened to you today."