Blood and Apples

A Shot In The Dark

   Rhys POV,

      She looked so much like her but yet she was not. She was one of the undead, guess the warlock kept his promise about the soul. I almost wished she was not a vampire. I had so hoped to hear her heartbeat skip a beat when I took her hand. That would be a divine sound to hear. Now, she stands in front of me looking unsure. I don't even know her name just that she looked like Harriet. I almost said that name but I caught myself in time. 

    "What is your name?" I purr.

     "Elinor." She gives a shy smile.

          I return the smile.

      It's almost like we were drawn to one another tonight like the string of fate. Perhaps I could find peace after these centuries, I had been pining for a girl long dead by now and here was one of her descendants. We began to move to the beat of the music, our moves graceful and flowing. Elinors gaze flicked to the chandelier and I could see the light reflected in them. I tugged her closer, my hand splayed on the small of her back. That move said to other potential males that she was mine. Mine, although she would not know it yet. How did I become so possessive of a woman I'd only met tonight? 

    "You look ravishing." I whisper in her ear.

         "Why thank you, Rhys." My name on her tongue sent shivers down my spine.

        That other male she was with must of told her my name. How thoughtful. Although, there was no scent of death on him. He had a warm soul inside him, full of promise and happiness. A mortal, how intriguing. Perhaps he was her protector, he certainly had that air around him. I focused back on her.

    "You, my lovely, are a mystery I must unravel." 

         She stiffened suddenly and pulled away. I watched as her eyes grow wide and she stares at the front doors to the club. Her expression is a mixture of fear and fury.

     "What is it?" I ask, worried.

        "It can't be. I thought they were dead." She gasps.

           "Who?" My hand tightens around hers.

    "Vampire Hunters." Her tone is barely above a whisper.

         Her scarlet gaze flicks to me. Hunters? I thought they all died out round the eighteenth century. But now they were here and were apparently looking for Elinor. I move quickly through the oblivious crowds to the back of the club. Elinor stops and jerks back. I stare at her incredulously.

     "I don't need your chivalry. I can do just fine on my own."

         "Yes you do. You'll be killed like..." I cut off my sentence.

          "Let me go." She growled, showing her fangs.

      I got close to her and hissed,

     "No." 

      I scooped her up, my arms iron bars around her body. 

        "What about Mason? Are you just going to leave him like that?" 

           I heard a faraway bang and then shrieking from the guests. I roll my eyes at her choice of a mortal. I turn to a redhead in an emerald cocktail dress.

   "Natalie, get the young man with the white streak in his hair and bring him here."

      She obeyed and sprinted through the thinning crowds. I set Elinor down and told her to stay where she was.

    "I want to help."

      "No way. I'm stronger than you, I'm an Underworld vampire. I'll be back."

        I swiftly kissed her hand.  Urgh, tonight of all nights? Normally mortals could not enter the club unless they had been invited by the undead. My fangs lengthened and I unlocked a small part of my power that I had not used for centuries. Bodies littered the floor, blood seeping into the carpet. There were mortals here as well as fallen vampires. The hunters were stupider than they looked, they assumed everyone here was a vampire. I growled low in my throat, my eyes latching onto a man who held a stake dipped in holy water and blessed silver. With out hesitation, I ripped his throat out and took his soul. He looked me dead in the eye as I did it like I was a monster. But no, he was the monster, following a false prophet into battle. His soul tasted ashy and unclean, a damned soul indeed. With a roar, I slashed down on a female hunter who had a gleam in her eye. She had been about to slay a mortal woman. I gave her a fanged grin before I tore her soul from her body. She collapsed and I savoured the rich taste of her soul for a moment. A flash of a plum colored dress caught my eye.

    "What are you doing?" I growled.

        "Helping." She chucked her pumps onto the ground.

     "No you're not. You are staying with the mortal." I narrowed my eyes at her.

        I saw the attack before she did, a rowan handled dagger sliced down. I smelled that the blade had been poisoned. I shoved out of the way and took the blow. It embedded into my shoulder and I grunted. I released my fury onto the man, he didn't ever scream as I ripped him apart. I sank to my knees, my hand clawing at the blade which made my fingers blister. Damn it, I can't even pull it out. My body feels leaden.

    "Mason!" She screamed.

        Half of the hunters had vanished into the night when they realised they were about to be defeated. I heard the thumping footfalls of that mortal coming towards us.

     "Help him. I can't..."

        I feel the blade being jerked out of me. I looked to my shoulder where there was greenish blood seeping out. I forgot to feed the blood lust of me, that mortal looks frightened now. Good, he should be.

   "Elinor?" I ask, trying to keep my composure.

      I'd rather it was her I fed on not the mortal. If I drank his blood, I would not be able to stop. It was for his safety as well as mine.

     Elinor gaze flicked down to mine. My eyes had latched onto her wrist.

       "Yes, of course."

     She knelt next to me. I took her slim hand and wrapped a hand around her upper arm. I bit down swiftly on the inside of her wrist. I drank deeply and then wrenched away suddenly.

    "That is enough."

    Elinor nodded and the mortal helped me up.

      "What about this place?" The mortal asked.

   "Light it. Blame it on a faulty gas line or something. We need to move now otherwise the hunters will bring back reinforcements."

     I tossed him a pack of matches. He lit several and dropped them onto the curtains. Then we left, exiting the club.