The Death Thief

New Life

Color drained from Gregory's skin, his lips going pale and his arms lifeless by his side. Derosiers steamed and hissed, but a war waged under her skin. She'd take a step forward only to then screech with agitation and turn upon her heel, helpless to stop her dam from draining her coveted prize. Finally, before the entire town, Kyra let Gregory's body sink to the floor like a rag doll.

"Will anyone do anything for him?" I asked, my skin sparking with the tension emanating from the two ancient vampires circling the stage.

"Come on," said Everett with a swift step towards the podium. I followed him up the squat wooden stairs, but looked over to find Calista still by the tree we had taken refuge beneath. She stared right at Matias, who in turn held her gaze. I wasn't sure she even noticed Gregory had fallen.

"What is that?" cried Derosiers, her youthful face now long and angular. Blue veins rose to the surface of her pale skin, her eyes a fiery red and her fangs exposed. Her designer dress pulled uncomfortably along the harsh hunch of her back as she tensed her fingers and braced her arms before her. Kyra, however, kept her progress towards Derosiers steady and calm. In her hand she held the phial from her desk.

"He's got a heart beat," said Everett as he crouched over Gregory. "He's at least still alive."

Taking my eyes from the vampires, I ran over to Everett and knelt down by Gregory's head. I traced my fingers along his cheek, my hand shaking as I touched his cool skin. He looked two steps away from the grave, but as I reached my fingers towards his mouth, I felt a light puff of air pass through his parted lips.

"He's breathing," I said, turning to Everett. What I found was not a man comforted with my assessment, but one that had a hard set to his jaw and a dark shadow over his eyes. However, it only lasted a minute. He ran a hand through his hair and turned away, when he looked back, he was still tense, but no more so than anyone else sitting in the park, watching Kyra draw within reach of her deviant child.

"What is that?!" Again Derosiers shrieked and again Kyra did little to respond to her, she only offered the uncorking of the phial as an answer. "You can't do this," she hissed. "You cannot force me. You are too weak!"

A gasp washed over the crowd and a few members of the audience rose to their feet, including Lord Antonov. However, Kyra raised her hand to her loyal clan and looked over them with a calm, powerful gaze. They took a seat, Antonov even giving her a small bow before returning to his.

"I'll show you!" cried Lady Derosiers, turning on the vampires who had risen against her. "Your blood link is not strong enough to control me anymore!" With that she lunged forward and out of instinct, I felt myself jump to my feet, only to be stopped by a firm hand.

"Leave vampire matters to vampires," said Everett, his words hot upon my neck as he pulled me down to his side. "As police we attend to the town and relationships between clans, but internal matters are not for us to meddle with."

His face was only inches from mine as we crouched over Gregory's limp body. I tried to recall that as I swallowed hard and gave Everett a nod. I turned away just in time to see Derosiers swing her hand at Kyra, her aim to snatch the phial from her dam. However, in the blink of an eye, her hand stilled and the vicious mask that distorted her once beautiful face, stretched with fear.

Our collective breaths held as Kyra seized Derosiers' forearm and with one clench of her fist, tore through our silence with the crunch and snap of broken bone. Derosiers' mouth peeled open, her whole array of teeth on display as she screeched with pain. Her knees buckled and she struggled to regain her composure. In that moment, Kyra could have collected the blood she needed from the gaping wounds left by Kyra's nails in the soft flesh of the younger vampire's arm. However, she instead chose to watch her kin writhe until Derosiers got hold of her senses and returned Kyra's apathetic gaze with a vicious snarl. From atop her bloodshot eyes, she leered at her dam's emotionless stare. Through clenched teeth she reiterated her stance on the matter.