Crimson Thirst (The Huntress Bane Book 2) Read online

  Lucian shakes his head in disbelief. He presses his thumb and index finger into both sockets and rubs them firmly. “Man. This is crazy. The vampires must be getting desperate to stage such a spectacle to gain your trust and lower your defenses. I would just chalk it up to that and move on. Everyone knows you can’t trust them.”

  I glance back over my shoulder in the direction of the wastelands. Regardless of how much sense Lucian is making, a part of me needs to find out more about what is going on. There’s too much at stake to not dig a bit further into this quagmire.

  “You’re not actually considering going after that thing, are you?” Lucian’s voice is thick with worry, and the shocked look on his face confirms his fear for my safety.

  I turn back toward him. “I am. I need to know what’s going on here. Until a day ago, I thought all vampires were one united front, working toward the same goal—to bring the last remaining bit of humanity to their knees. Now, I’m not so sure.”

  Lucian rubs the back of his neck as a buried sigh escapes his lips. “Before we do anything, I think it would be advisable to inform the council of what has transpired here. From that point, it’ll be on their shoulders to act in whatever way they see fit.”

  I scoff at his suggestion, and shake my head in disgust. Their recent lack of action aided the vampires in gaining access to the city. I’m not overly convinced in their ability to act in the best interest of Black Fields.

  “The council hasn’t been quick to make any decisions in regards to the vampires in a timely fashion. If they had, then maybe we could’ve thwarted Remus’s attack here and saved countless lives. Sadly, though, the loss of life tonight may open their eyes to the fact that they’re not as safe as they seem. It may change their tune.”

  Despite how I feel about Quinn, and his, at times, lack of motivation to act, he still needs to be aware of what has happened with this mysterious vampire, but not just yet.

  “We’ll inform the council, once I have something more tangible to offer them.”

  Lucian puts his hands up and allows the suggestion to fall by the wayside. “All right. We won’t tell them until we can figure out more of what is going on here.”

  Without having something more substantial to present, all I can give is speculation and hunches. Right now, I have numerous of each. Considering I came to them with facts and such about an imminent threat from Remus, they still shot me down and had to “think” about it. Telling them what little I know right now would most certainly not help our cause any.

  “Until I have answers and more proof as to what is happening, we’ll keep this between us,” I respond. “Whoever that vampire was did us a favor tonight by taking out his brethren. Besides, with this brazen act from the demons, the city will be on high alert now.”

  Lucian agrees with a tilt of his head.

  The dead vampire is hauled away in the direction of the street. The remaining guards and some other Black Fields’ personnel investigate the sewer pipes. No doubt, trying to piece together how the demons managed to gain access.

  “So, when do we leave to go meet up with this bloodsucker anyway?” he finally asks.

  I shake my head. “I’m going alone on this one. There are too many unknowns. I can’t put you in harm’s way like that.” I walk past him.

  He firmly grabs my arm and stops me. It sends my gaze back over my shoulder and down to his hand. My respect for Lucian is one of the reasons his arm isn’t broken, and his teeth are still in his mouth.

  His stern gaze doesn’t falter. “I can’t let you go out there alone to meet up with some vampire at some shady ass location,” he growls. “It could be a trap perpetrated by Mathesis. You have no idea what will be waiting for you. Let me come with you.” Lucian releases my arm. He isn’t angry, but more concerned for my safety.

  “I appreciate the concern, but I can handle myself. Besides, I can’t ask you to risk your life again,” I counter. “I’ll be fine. They’ll be expecting me. Having you there could only exacerbate an already complex situation. That’s a chance we can’t take.”

  He sighs in frustration, diverting his gaze away from me.

  “Don’t forget, Mathesis still wants me back. If this is a trap perpetrated by him, then he’ll want me alive. Although, if I’m roughed up a bit, I doubt he would mind that. He’d probably think it would do me some good. Break his little pet of her ‘rebellious’ actions.”

  Mathesis knows all too well how hardheaded I am. Even with him punishing me like a disobedient child, my spirit is stronger than his desire to break me of it. Although, one day, he could grow tired of such matters, and decide that I’m no longer worth the trouble of trying to be brought back to him alive.

  Lucian shakes his head, and stares me down.

  “Nope. I’m sorry, Amanda, but you’re not going out there alone. You’ll need someone to watch your back. I don’t care how badass you are, we are in this together. You got my back, and I got yours. End of story.”

  I turn to face Lucian. I place my hand on his shoulder and offer a warm smile. He’s a good guy with a heart of gold. Since he saved my life after my last run in where Mathesis beat me down good, he brought me in and mended my wounds. He didn’t have to, but he did. For that, I am beyond grateful to him.

  “You’re a good friend, Lucian. One that I haven’t had for as long as I can remember.”

  Lucian cracks a smile and nods. He looks away and clears his throat. His smile vanishes in a blink.

  What was that about?

  Lucian turns to the side and points at the large sewage pipes. “Well, the only way I see that they could’ve crossed the threshold of the wall is if someone within the city invited them in. Perhaps a thrall of some sort, or they were able to influence a permanent resident somehow.”

  Deep in thought, my fingers wrap against my chin. It’s plausible for sure, and one angle that the vampires could have used. Aside from that, I don’t exactly see how else they were able to do it. Our mysterious vampire friend could’ve tagged along with the other vampires under false pretenses, or gained access in a similar fashion.

  “If the vampires have been able to get one of the underlings into the city, then we may have a much larger problem on our hands. Who knows how long they’ve been planning this? They’re patient bastards for sure.”

  Lucian cuts his gaze over to the Black Fields’ security team. “I’ll check in with them, and let ’em know what we’re thinking could’ve happened. I imagine they already have the same hunch, but I’ll check to make sure. Better to be safe than sorry.”

  I look over to the guards and shake my head. “Even more sorry than what we already are? The city needs to be better prepared for the next attack. No doubt it’s coming. This was probably just a test of their defenses. Response times. They failed miserably.”

  I glance back toward the street, thinking of all those people that fell to the demons. I surely hope that their deaths weren’t in vain, and that the council beefs up security and takes this threat more seriously now.

  The next time the vampires attack, and they will, we may not be as lucky.

  FOUR

  “They’ll need to quarantine the people that have been bitten as soon as possible. Probably need to have them inform Preston to see what he wants to do with them,” I suggest.

  Lucian cocks his head to the side. “Do with them? If they’ve been bitten, they’ll have to be… you know?” He doesn’t speak or mutter the words. We both know what he means.

  I nod. I owe Lucian an explanation. He has been beyond helpful without much prodding. I promised him some answers, and I’m going to make good on that commitment.

  I glance at the guards who are close by, grab Lucian by the arm, and pull him over toward the building to our left.

  “For most, yes. That will need to happen. But Preston may have use for a few of the people as we’ve been working on a possible vaccine to combat the demons’ venom. It’s ambitious, but he’s hopeful it will work if the victim is in the e
arly stages of contraction.”

  He shakes his head in disbelief. I imagine that it’s a lot to digest. Hearing news that there could be a possible cure to the vampire’s bite on the horizon is a big deal. For how bleak and miserable things can be in the wastelands, any glimmer of hope is enough to lift a person’s spirits.

  “I can’t believe they are working on such a thing. I didn’t think anything like that was possible,” he says with jubilee. “I mean, if they can really create something such as a vaccine to combat the venom, that is a game changer for sure.”

  “It is. I’ve been working with Preston and the council for some time on a possible solution. I’m not sure who all knows about it, so it needs to remain under wraps.”

  He lifts his brow in curiosity. “How are you helping them, exactly?”

  I don’t beat around the bush, but, instead, lay it out there for him to formulate his own thoughts on the matter. “My blood. Giving it to be more accurate.”

  He leans in closer. A question burns on the tip of his tongue. I have a feeling I know what it is. After a few seconds of pondering, he takes that leap and gives life to his thought.

  “I know you’re not a full-fledged vampire, given your lack of pasty white skin and fangs, but are you somehow stricken with their venom? That would explain the things that I have seen you do.”

  Lucian stares at me as he waits for my reply.

  I search for any open ears nearby again, then continue.

  “Yes and no. It’s complicated.”

  Some guards walk past us with their weapons shouldered, and their UV lights trained at the ground. They glance over at me with stern looks as they continue on their way. I spot a few more standing watch by the sewage pipes as their beams sweep over the narrow cracks and nooks.

  “I imagine it is. I knew there was something different about you that morning when you awoke, and your stomach was healed. Normal people don’t heal that fast,” Lucian says. “Are you like a hybrid or something? I mean, you move and fight like they do, and your strength is off the charts.”

  “Like I said, it’s complicated. I was held captive for many years by Mathesis. He fed on me regularly. That’s why I have all of those scars on my arms. Somehow, my body absorbed his venom, but it didn’t completely change me into one of them. I have no bloodlust, no weakness to the sun, or anything else that harms the creatures. I guess you could say that I’m an anomaly.”

  My gaze falls to the ground. I never asked for any of this. I didn’t ask to watch my parents be torn to shreds by the demons, or for me to live a life of captivity. To have my body, my soul even, probed so deep by that disgusting fiend that it will haunt me for the rest of my life.

  Lucian offers me a sympathetic nod. Even though I come across as a hard ass and loner at times, it’s still comforting when someone doesn’t judge you because of things that were out of your control.

  Considering that his family was murdered as well by the vampires, I am grateful that he’s not running away, or giving me a disgusted look. At the end of the day, we all want to be accepted, whether we say it or not.

  “So anyway, there, now you know my story,” I say.

  Lucian half-smiles at me, but doesn’t dig any further. “Thank you for telling me. I appreciate it.” He glances up to the dark sky and releases a sigh of uneasiness. “Are you sure you still want to head out now? Might be more advantageous for us to wait till at least daybreak when we have the aid of the sun. That, and we might want to hang out for a bit—just in case the vampires come back.”

  I give thought to his words. This attack from the vampires has shown that Black Fields’ security needs to be revisited and fast. Especially, since I warned them of a possible attack.

  Most importantly, there has been much blood split tonight. Much from the vampires, but also from the people that were unfortunate enough to be fed upon by the creatures. I do not want to see any more lives lost this day.

  “We’ll hang around until daybreak, then head out,” I say.

  I know this whole thing with the vampires and me must be plowing over Lucian, but he’s a smart man. I can imagine he can see the implication of such a bizarre situation. A rogue vampire that is out to kill his own kind. That’s huge, and a possible game changer.

  A thought gels in my head as I look to the dark, murky abyss above us.

  Could he be like me? An outcast of some sort from his own kind. Would the sun even have any effect on him?

  There’s more than enough for me to chew on. Besides, from the way he dispatched that creature, changed the other, and the angered state that Remus was in, he’s someone that they do not like. That makes me like him that much more.

  I agree with Lucian’s suggestion on postponing our departure. “We’ll wait until sunrise to leave.”

  Lucian tilts his head and breathes a sigh of relief.

  “I think that will be a better plan. I don’t think it’s much longer until the sun comes up anyway. Also, unless we’re plan on striking out into the wastelands on foot, we’ll need to find another set of wheels.”

  “What happened to the raiders’ vehicle we came in here with?” I ask.

  “Damn thing needed to be moved and wouldn’t start. So, security confiscated it and took it to their chop shop,” Lucian answers. “It’ll probably be stripped down for parts. Doubt they care whose it was since it was a raider vehicle.”

  I sigh.

  Bastards. No doubt it was the council’s idea to take my ride. I guess they think that I won’t leave the city again without a ride. They’re mistaken.

  “Well, that’s fucking great. Guess I’ll need to commandeer another set of wheels, then.”

  Lucian walks past me, and motions with his hand to follow along. “Come on. I know a guy that I think can help us out.”

  I follow Lucian out of the alleyway and onto the street. The screams of panic and terror have ebbed to muttered cries. Guards patrol the sidewalks with rifles shouldered and UV lamps turned on.

  Dark splotches paint the concrete where the dead fell. The locals peer out of their windows while others stand back from the clean-up effort of the deceased.

  More meat wagons arrive—flatbed small vehicles that are outfitted with solar packs and panels that are mounted to their roofs.

  Body after body of both vampire and human are tossed onto the rigid steel platform. The demons will be beheaded before being thrown into a furnace and burned to nothing more than a pile of ash. The people will lose their heads as well but will be buried in the city’s cemetery at the far north end.

  For any of those still alive, time will only tell their fate. They’ll be quarantined for the interim until the council and Preston can decide what to do with them. I’m hoping that he’ll have a workable solution soon to try out on any of the folks that have been bitten.

  Tonight has been a painful reminder that safety can be an illusion, and that the demons we live among are just within arm’s reach.

  FIVE

  The streets run red with blood.

  Buckets of water try to clear away the damage that has been done. The dark red fluid races along the concrete and under my boots. It fills the fissures that snake along the surface. Even now, thick bristled brushes scrub feverishly at the stains left behind of both man and monster. I imagine the people want to erase the tragedy of this event before the sun dawns and brings it to light.

  Tired and solemn stares of sadness and loss rest on the poor souls’ faces who are left to pick up the pieces. Having their friends and family ripped away from this community of peaceful people must feel like a thousand fists punching them in the gut.

  Young children, clutched to their mothers and fathers’ sides, stare at me as we walk past them. Their faces are partially cast in shadows. Tears stream down both cheeks. It tugs at my heart to see the children have to witness such atrocities. Much like I was, they are being robbed of their innocence. So is our world now, I guess.

  Black Fields’ security continues to patrol the c
ity streets in the wake of the vampire attack. What few bodies there were out in the bleakness of night are no longer visible.

  I imagine the unprecedented breach by the creatures has forced everyone to flee to what shelter they can. For some, that isn’t as easy as it is for others.

  They must remain on the streets, and live within whatever makeshift housing they can. The shabby structures, if you want to call them that, are just enough to provide any sort of security from the elements, or anything else for that matter.

  We continue through the quiet streets. My head remains on a swivel, guard up and ready to defend us at the drop of a dime. Every dark alleyway or nook is scrutinized for any demons that may be lurking there. Lucian parrots my every move without me prompting him to do so. It appears we are of like mind.

  He points ahead of us at a structure that is at the end of the block and on the right.

  “That’s where we’re heading. Last time I was in Black Fields and stopped by, he had an assortment of vehicles that he was stripping apart and rebuilding others. Just to warn you, he’s a bit out there, so just keep that in mind. Basically, he’s rather paranoid, and he has a happy trigger finger. With this recent vamp attack, I imagine he’ll be on edge.”

  Awesome.

  “Well, hopefully he won’t shoot us. It would kind of put a damper on my plans.” Last thing I need or want is to get shot by some trembling, paranoid nut job by accident.

  Lucian snickers. “Likewise.”

  Light bleeds out through the narrow seam of the immense double wooden doors. The sound of music greets my ears. That is something that I haven’t heard for some time. Musical devices are considered a rarity now. The only individuals, who I’m aware of, that have the luxury of owning such things are the super wealthy.

  The tone is low and subtle, but the closer we creep toward the structure, the more defined it becomes. No words are spoken. Just a beautifully crafted symphony of various instruments filling the air with their enchanting rhythm. It makes me cringe to hear.