Hey Mr Bloodsucker, Sucks To Be You

Chapter 18

Cappa ~#~

Until then, I had no idea that vampires could be knocked unconscious. Strangely, obviously, it seemed that we could. I felt a harsh slap across my face and I winced, searching for him in the dark.

"Tristan." Halem's warning voice was angry.

Tristan. Dammit. The trigger-happy vampire that liked to used his fists as a means of persausion. I'd always known he was an ass and I'd never liked him from the moment he first turned up, just after Hale sent me Home when all the vampires escaped.

There were mumbled voices in the background, and a hissed comment in Spanish. Penny was there too, wherever 'there' was. I tried opening my eyes but the darkness was still there whether they were open or shut, so I reached the conclusion that, judging by the fabric, I had some old scarf or something wrapped round my eyes. It smelt coppery and metallic, like blood. Footsteps came closer and the scarf was whipped off, revealing an amused looking Halem and an angry looking Tristan. As I began to wake up more, I realised I was hurting. A lot. So Tristan had been beating me up for a while, then.

"I'm not telling you where she is." I spoke up, trying to fill the silence.They were quiet for a moment.

"Not a good path of action." Tristan muttered, rolling the rag into a crumpled ball and throwing it over his shoulder.

"We don't want this to get complicated, Cappa. You don't want Tristan to interrogate you." Hale had his arms crossed and seemed focused on the rag, lying on the dusty basement floor. "Where's Mai?"

"You'll have to kill me before you get it out of me." I growled. "And you can't do that, because you need me, right?"

They shared a look. "What do you mean?" Tristan asked finally. 

"Dimitri told us everything." I narrowed my eyes. "You're disgusting, Hale. Killing Mai to get back at the Halves."

Tristan swore loudly and threw his hands up in the air. "Where's your faith in him now, Hale?" He shouted, running a hand down his face. "That traitor!"

"What's done is done." Hale sounded calm, but looked ready to erupt. "Tell us where Mai is."

"Probably with Dimitri." I told him. "You couldn't find us when he could. I doubt you'll ever see either of them again."

Hale uttered a low growl. "She'll come for you."

A worry stirred inside me, but I buried it. "You honestly think Dimitri will let her?"

Dimitri ~#~

Why the hell hadn't she stayed at the damned hotel? I felt like burying my head in the steering wheel and letting the horn block out her presence in the passenger seat. If we survived Hale's plan, which was practically impossible, Cappa would kill me anyway for putting her in harm's way. In the seat next to me, Mai muttered something about blood and offered me a bottle.

I had taken off my leather coat and it was lying in the footwell on her side, and she had to move it aside to withdraw the bottle from the backpack. I was wearing a waistcoat and shirt, which seemed way too formal for the situation, but I couldn't exactly change it now.

"How many are left?"

"Bottles? Five."

"Ah."

"Replace stocks?"

"Replace stocks." I agreed. "But not yet. Busy streets."

I took the bottle from her hand and tipped my head back, then handed the bottle to her again. I swallowed the blood slowly, trying to reserve the stores. The Thirst had been killing me, and it was only going to be so long until I'd asked, but I was grateful she'd offered first.

"Dimitri."

"Yes?"

"If you know what the risks are, why are you taking me with you?"

I paused. "Because no matter where I leave you you'll always try and follow me. I just gotta try and keep you from killing us all."

 Her heard her swallow. "I don't know what I'd do if I had to stay behind."

This was exactly what I'd been hoping for. If she suddenly re-discovered her conscience I might have a chance to salvage something out of Hale's mess.

"Mai, if you stayed behind it would really increase Cappa's survival chances."

She buried her head in her hand. "Dimitri!"

"Sorry."

She unscrewed a blood bottle to take her mind off it. "I'm staying." She said crossly. "No matter what you say. I want to help. Kill Hale myself."

Dammit.

Cappa ~#~

I'd lost count of the days I'd been down in the basement, but I had worked out they only came in the mornings, when they couldn't go outside. With every time they came down, Mai's birthday came closer, as did she. She would come. She didn't understand what that would do to me.

"Two days to go." Penny stepped down the stairs accompanied with Hale, who was glaring at me like I'd disappointed him.

"Yeah." I tried not to sound bothered, but the hint of desperation leaked into my voice.

Penny looked at me pityingly. "No puede por lo menos lo desate?" She asked Hale.

"Without his ropes he'd escape." Hale told her, frowning."Go back upstairs if you're just going to ask questions."

She'd asked to untie me. It looked like even vampires like Penny could have a change of heart.

"Estás mal." She muttered, looking away from him.

"I'm a vampire. You'd expect me to be evil." Hale walked over to me. "Five days, Cappa. Five days you've been down here. I have to admit that you look a mess. Even Penny is taking pity on you." I wasn't going to disagree with that. From what I'd seen of my arms, Mai would know just how long it had been since I'd last fed, from all the old bruises and, amazingly, scars. I hadn't had scars since I was human.

Penny muttered something I couldn't hear.

"You're trying to get Mai to worry about me when she sees me." I told Hale.

"You're cruel, Halem." Penny spoke up in English, her Spanish accent ringing in the words.

Hale threw up his hands. "If you can't say anything useful, you can go back upstairs."

She folded her arms tightly and planted her feet firmly to the cement floor.

Just like Mai. Totally stubborn. I thought wistfully, and for a moment Penny's face so resembled Mai that it was frightening.

"What is it about you, Cappa?" Hale leant close to ask, so Penny couldn't hear. "Dante can't stand the sight of you. Penny feels sorry for you. Mai is head over heels in love with you. You inspire such extremes of emotion in people."

And that's what you want to get from Mai.

"And everyone who sets eyes on you wants to tear your throat out." I snapped back. "As soon as I get free of these ropes I'm going to do just that."

"Now you see why we can't untie him?" Hale called to Penny, who glanced at me. "We don't want any throats torn out, do we?" He turned back to me, and delivered a well-aimed fist between my eyes, punctuating his words. "It's a good thing you won't be getting out of them anytime soon, isn't it?"

A red haze appeared around his face as my eyesight blurred. He uttered a low growl, his fangs extended, and spat at my feet. Hale had lost a lot of composure in the last month, that was obvious to see. He had been trying to adopt Dimitri's technique of the cool, calm, collected guy, but he had failed and now he was angry.

Penny didn't say anthing either. Hale glowered at me. "Tell me where she is."

"You've had my answer for that already. You'll have to kill me first."

Halem growled again, and pulled back the corner of his coat, revealing a stake. "Two more days, Cappa. Two more days, and I'll do just that."