I wonder who this man used to be, back when he was a person, before he died with vampire venom in his bloodstream, forcing him to rise again as this creature who wants little more than to feed off the blood of the living.
Was he a painter? A welder? A father?
It doesn’t matter now, because vampires don’t have the mental acuity to think beyond the hunt and the kill.
His hand connects with my chest and he shoves, launching me backward a few meters. It’s embarrassing that my feet leave the ground, but it only solidifies my resolve that this is the battle I will refuse to lose.
I missed hitting his heart again, but I won’t back down now.
Hurt Avet, I’m angry. But throw me around like a ragdoll?
Game over.
Rage flares in my soul, tapping into parts of me that have lain dormant for years. The vampire snacks on Avet while my best friend in the world tries to claw away from his attacker.
There is no way I can let this happen. Stopping to catch my breath and formulate a plan isn’t an option. Without thinking anything through, I leap onto the vampire, punching him in the back of his stupid head over and over. I can feel the hilt of my own blade sticking out of his back and digging into my stomach as I shove it in again, though I know I’ve missed my mark.
Avet gasps for breath. “End him, Keran!”
It’s not a cheer but a correction I unfortunately need to hear.
Frustration wells up in me, clouding my focus. Of course, punching the vampire in the back of the head isn’t going to do anything substantial. The wooden blade is the only thing on which I should be spending my focus.
I dismount and yank out my dagger from the monster’s back in one clean motion, but the thing leaps away from us, darting a stone’s throw away in little more than two heartbeats. Darn their super speed.
Instead of giving chase, which I know to be futile, I stand beside Avet, my dagger dripping with the blood of the undead. I glare at the vampire, silently daring him to come at me again.
He should be gone. Usually, vampires have no vested interest in sticking around once they realize their victim knows how to kill them. Stabbing a vampire through their tiny heart isn’t easy, but with Ch’ar it’s not impossible. I’ve done it loads of times, though it helps if the vampire is bound first or otherwise incapacitated.
The creature stares at us, his fists clenched. When he opens his mouth, everything in me tenses. “You messed with the wrong coven. Leave us alone.” Though I am the one standing, it is Avet he addresses.
I open my mouth but then snap it shut.
What is he talking about? What sort of trouble has Avet gotten himself into this time?
Avet finally manages to get on his feet, his shoulder still spilling blood onto his shirt and the pavement. The first thing he does is throw his body forward in an attempt to run at the vampire.
I grab Avet from behind, locking my arms around his torso so he doesn’t get himself killed. He’s lost too much blood to be useful in a fight, but in true Avet fashion, that matters little to his stubborn soul.
“I will never walk away!” Avet shouts, his voice cracking with emotion. “Never! You hear me? You come after my family; I will not stop until I slaughter every last one of yours. All the children of Bel are in danger until I get her back.”
The vampire’s mouth quirks, as if Avet has said something amusing.
He should know better than to underestimate a trapper.
The vampire locks his eyes on me. “Good game. Though, do see you put a leash on your witch. He seems to have lost his way.”
Avet struggles against me, but we both know I am stronger.
The vampire grins and then turns from us, running at a speed my car would be lucky to catch.
Avet frees himself from my grip, picks up his blade, and runs to the vehicle. “Let’s get him!”
I take my time following because we are in no position for round two. “Home,” I tell him.
Avet scoffs at me. “You have got to be kidding.”
I motion to his blood-soaked shirt. “You have got to be kidding. Home. You can fill me in on what this is all about while I stitch you up. Then you can take a break.” I wave my hand in front of my face. “You’ve got that look about you. You’ve been travelling for too long. Trapping without a break. When was the last time you took a day off?”