Garlic Is For Vampires (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 27: Back to Bloodshed

I first registered the pounding headache before I felt the blood trickling down my forehead. I gasped, coughing up a lung, grunting at the dryness of my throat. I opened my eyes and winced. My temple throbbed, and the side of my face was damp with blood. My limbs were on fire. I blinked and let my eyes adjust to the dark. I was in front of my father's grave, but I couldn't move. I saw two men and women watching me from beside the grave.

Their dark eyes didn't blink. They were in a rigid position for as long as I stared at them. I gulped and felt bile rising in my throat. I tilted my head back to wait for the nausea to pass. Then I saw my wrists, bound by a long rope tied firmly around a thick tree branch at least ten feet off the ground. My feet dangle a few feet off the ground as well. I tried moving my wrists to loosen the rope but I got nowhere. My wrists were numb and I think my fingers were turning blue. My sides ached and my arms shook from my wrists being bound by rope.

What had I done now? Had the vampires found out I was the cure? That my blood was the key to their future? Dylan told me if they drank my blood they'd be able to walk in the sunlight and feed instead of having to wait for nighttime. Maybe this is what it was about. I took a deep breath. Remain calm. Maybe if you tell them you're Dylan's clan's new leader they'll go easy. They'll be afraid of you.

They should've been afraid of me. I, a mere human, like my biological father, killed a vampire. Just like the vampire hunter. I killed incubuses and survived a vampire attack more than once. Brendon and I were capable of so much more than what was humanly possible. Brendon.

"Brendon," I whispered. "Brendon." Where was he? I turned to try and look behind me but then I saw him. Hanging a few feet away from me, his wrists bound the same way as mine. There was a bruise forming on his cheek and a bump above his eyebrow. Oh, no. If he didn't get it checked soon he could go blind. He didn't struggle. He just stared straight ahead at the vampires who appeared to be standing guard. For what, I wasn't sure.

Then I heard the rustling about in the grave. Hands reached up and someone pulled themselves out of the grave. My heart stopped.

"Looks like you've been having fun," Dylan said, cleaning the dirt from his pants. He glanced up and walked towards me. He smiled, clearly enjoying my surprise and fear which I left written all over my face. I didn't squirm, though, for I knew that would make me seem weaker than I was. Weaker than what I allowed.

"I had fun killing you," I said firmly. "Why didn't you stay dead?" I couldn't help it, my voice wavered at the end of my question. Dylan's grin widened and he stepped closer.

"Because that wasn't actually me." He chuckled. "I used an incubus to pretend to be me. You and Brendon were both half-conscious. It was easy for you to believe it was me. I watched as you screamed over Brendon's dead body. I watched the entire thing, but you killed someone else. Not me."

"What about the vampire slave?" Brendon asked. His tone was hostile.

"Susie." He smirked. "She's very obedient. Practically worships me and listens to everything I ask of her. She spread the news that I was supposedly 'dead' because I knew you would have ears in this, Bree."

"Smart man," I spat. "But I don't get what you're doing holding Brendon hostage. You only need me. So let him go and take my blood."

"Bree!" Brendon hissed.

"It's sweet you want to protect your friend, babe," Dylan said. "But no. Not after he shot me multiple times when I tried drinking your blood. Digging bullets out of wounds, even for a vampire, is no fun. He's just going to have to give up some of his blood too."

"No!" I cried.

"Bree, shut up," Brendon hissed. "Stop trying to play hero and don't save me. We save each other. I need you, remember?"