Good Nite Dr Death

I had no idea how long they tortured him.
Claire had insisted on cleaning up the blood from my face and listening to the story of the evening. We had left the boys to deal with the human, Claire said it was better not to interrupt so we had gone to her room. It was expansive and beautiful, decked out in soft fabrics of purple and black. The knowledge of four centuries lined two bookcases along with a scattering of occult books and a full alter. It was wonderful, Frank’s presence felt in the guitars and rock posters that lined the small hall to their bathroom.
“What will they do?”
“To the child? You would be surprised. Ray may be the most lovable thing ever but neve let him loose with pliers and electrical current. That boy will tell Gerard whatever he wants to know.”
I settled back against the pillows, Claire snuggled beside me and considered her words. I couldn’t bring myself to worry much about the kid but the idea of Gee watching that was quite interesting. All of them seemed so pleasant and mild mannered.
“I suppose they have all been forced into violence at one point or another.”
Claire giggled delightedly and poked the largest bruise on my forehead.
“You’re being naïve if you think they haven’t all enjoyed it. Vampires are violent by necessity but I picked out all of them due to that killer instinct. You have it too. It is what makes us formidable.”
I considered this, I had shrugged of any moral qualms about killing with no problem and the fact that I had allowed a young kid to be tortured suggested Claire was right. They had become literally cattle and I felt my eyes getting heavy as Claire stroked my hair.
“Now that’s a pretty sight.”
I half opened an eye at the familiar voice and smiled up at the two men as Claire stirred.
“What time is it?”
“Seven pm, you have both slept the day away while we have been working.”
Gerard sat down with a grin as Frank went into the bathroom to wash blood from his hands. Both men looked pleased, Gee had stripped down to just a vest and I couldn’t help but stare hungrily at his biceps before Claire asked the question I had been considering.
“Did he break?”
Frank reappeared and I could see now what Claire had been alluding to. He exuded power, the normally warm hazel eyes were cold and the strong fingers were still a little red. He smiled, the fangs showing as he crossed the room and kissed her passionately before answering.
“Of course but it isn’t good news. You ladies need to join us downstairs, we have some decisions to take.”
I was puzzled but happy to be pulled into Gee’s arms as we trooped down to the club. It was empty, usually not opening till nine and Mikey was pouring ice cold lemonade as he and Ray waited for us to reappear. It was almost surreally pleasant, sipping the sweet drink as Mikey dispassionately described breaking Kier’s ribs and nose.
“He held out for longer than I expected. Tough kid.”
Ray leant back and watched Claire’s face. They all deferred to her, she had been their teacher for so long that it had become second nature. She considered a little before pouring more lemonade and looking at Gee.
“So what’s the problem?”
“Kier and his friends are just the scouting party. The Council of May have decided to make this city and therefore us, a target.”
Claire winced which sent a shiver of fear up my spine. All of them looked concerned and I remembered Gee’s words about entire cities being wiped clean. I waited but no-one spoke so I timidly raised a hand.
“What’s The Council of May?”
Gerard took my hand, kissing my knuckles as he fixed his eyes on mine.
“They are the main foe of our kind. A council of humans and affiliates tracing back over centuries. They are present in most countries and are proficient at killing vampires. We have a fight on our hands, more so now we have one of their own.”
Frank nodded, Claire still looked thoughtful. Only Mikey seemed unconcerned, leaning back in his chair to find more ice as Ray carried some heavy looking books over to the table. Claire picked up the top one and gave it to me as she leafed through a second.
“I don’t intend for us to run. There are several covens here that owe us favours so we will use that and them.”
“A straight up fight my love? Unlike you…”
Frank grinned and dodged the incoming punch from his lover as Gerard and Mikey began compiling lists of vampires they could call on. Ray disappeared to brief the club staff and I found myself at a loose end. I didn’t want to be near the human customers, the memory of the night before had made me wary and that made me angry enough to remember Gee’s promise. I watched him for a minute, the brothers’ heads resting together as they planned. Deciding to turn on the charm I wandered over, delicately climbing into Gee’s lap. Two pairs of warm eyes stared at me.
“Can I have it now then? If you’re finished with it?”
“He is still dangerous.”
I leant into Gerard’s neck, winking at Mikey as I nuzzled him and worked my fingers into the buttons of his shirt. He laughed and squirmed a little, his voice both amused and a little turned on.
“I did promise I suppose.”
“You did and you can be right there in the room if you want. I don’t know how exactly to turn him anyway.”
Mikey pulled me up into his arms as both the brothers stood and guided me towards the cellar stairs. It felt good to be between them, arm in arm and I wondered for a moment what it must have been like to know them as mortals as Claire had done. To wear an immaculate black ballgown and go into the biggest palace we could find….my reverie was interrupted by Gee’s voice.
“It’s as simple as drinking him almost dry and then letting him taste you. Not too much, just till he passes out. By morning he will have started to turn and once he feeds then its done.”
Mikey cut in, his tone a little more serious.
“Right now he would rather die than let himself be turned.”
“If he won’t?”
Both of them shrugged, speaking together as we reached the faded wooden door at the bottom of the steps.
“Then we kill him.”
I giggled and Gerard produced a metal key from his pocket. Before he unlocked the door he turned to me, the handsome face full of concern as well as amusement. Mikey leant his head on his brother’s shoulder and tried to mirror the look.
“We will be right out here. Watch him, he’s still dangerous.”
I nodded and both kissed me before letting me open the door. The room was in darkness apart from a single bulb that illuminated the occupant of a single wooden chair. Kier was either out cold or sleeping and I took a moment to take in the damage to his face and burn marks up his bare chest. He had been well beaten and although I could see he was breathing I could tell it was laboured. The room smelt of blood and made my mouth water as I lifted his chin and spoke softly.
“Kier?”
His eyes flickered and partially opened, the bruises and swelling must have made it hard to seem me at all. A black haired girl in a long dark dress that blended in with the shadows, recognition was slow to come but then he pulled away from me and coughed hard.
“You.”
“Yes, me. You tried to kill me.”
Kier sniggered and pulled at the ropes as I considered just killing him. The smell of blood was driving me insane and it wouldn’t bother the others all that much. There was something else in me tho, a strange desire to break this man and keep him as Gee had said, a dog on a chain. I stood up against the opposite wall and shrugged.
“Now my lover will kill you. Or turn you.”
“Fuck you. Kill me because there is no way I am becoming like you.”
I shrugged again, noting that he was watching me a little more carefully now as I remained keeping my distance. He had clearly been thinking on this choice since realising he was caught and I wondered how he was keeping so calm. It was as if a light had gone off in my head and I couldn’t resist a big smile.
“You think help is coming.”
Guilt and surprise flashed across his features before something approaching triumph.
“Tracking beacon in my phone. The Council will wipe you out.”
“Your phone? The phone from your left inside jacket pocket?”
Kier’s smile faltered as I walked towards him and knelt at his feet. His hands clenched in his bindings but I knew he wouldn’t get free. A plan had formed in my mind and I now had reason to be grateful for my talents as a thief.
“It is in Laurence’s jacket pocket now. I put it there when I hugged him goodbye. You are on your own in a house full of vampires. I can spare you the pain that death would involve.”
“No.”
I crept a little closer, my hands touching his knees so that he flinched and yet he couldn’t look away. I remembered how Gerard had looked to me and wondered what he saw as I rested my head on my hands and stared up at him.
“Why die when you can live forever? It is a good life, I have only been turned three months and I have a family I love and a world to explore.”
He snorted and looked away.
“You kill innocent people.”
“You kill animals to eat and for leather and other goods. Do you pity them?”
Kier shook his head as I kissed his thigh and gently peeled the bloodstained shirt away from his stomach. He was breathing a little harder and was scared now, I could feel it and yet he still held his chin up, his voice strong.
“Not the same thing.”
“Of course it is. Humans are cattle to vampires. That’s how it is. It’s not personal, it is simply survival.”
He tried to rook the chair back away from me and I sprung forward, my knees now on his thighs as I grabbed his hair. It was so like earlier, both of us panting and in need although for different reasons. Still he resisted and I decided to try a little sugar, kissing him gently on the lips before licking down his neck and whispering to him.
“You’re scared and in pain. Those men will rip you apart whereas I will give you eternal life.”
There was a whimper when I bit him and he went rigid, my mind locked only on the flow of his blood over my lips and its deep sweetness. I listened to his heart beat until it started to stutter and then pulled away, a stray drop still on my lips. Kier was barely conscious as I lifted his head and pressed my wrist to his mouth.
“Your choice. I can end this for you or you can take my blood and you will be part of this family.”
Still he hesitated and for a minute I thought he might refuse before there was a burst of pain and he was urgently drinking. It was a strange and almost erotic feeling and I smiled as he let go and his eyes rolled back. The choice it seemed had been life in a new guise, the human reaction to imminent death and I left him asleep as I went to the door and let Gerard and Mikey in. Instantly Gee was kissing the wound on my wrist as Mikey grinned.
“We have an inside man now.”

Notes