The Immortal Blood

Chapter 30

Adam had opened his eyes in the bedroom dim light, confused: he hadn't slept very much, something must have woken him up. . . a loud crash?
Still drowsy with sleep, he had risen and descended the staircase, looking around: everything looked under control, except for. . . he had stopped in front of the main entrance.
The door was wide open, the furniture and the chairs completely in fragments against the opposite wall.
"What the. . . Todd?" He had called, doubtfully.
Could the vampire have gotten back so soon? But it wouldn't have made sense. . . he had turned and jumped five feet in the air, terrified: Vernon was standing right before him, with a dangerous glint in his narrow eyes.
"Hello, Adam." The older man had greeted him with a grim smile, apparently without any type of wound in his body.
The blonde couldn't even attempt to react that the vampire had launched himself onto him, full speed, managing only in part to mitigate the counterblow that had followed from their clash.
Adam had opposed to Vernon blindly, with all the strength he had in his body, kicking, punching and even biting every piece of flesh he could find.
The Ancient vampire had laughed, taking the hits without particular difficulty while pushing Adam up against the wall.
"Fierce and stubborn ... enchanting, but useless. Now" Vernon told him, closing a hand in a vice grip on his throat. "Since our dear Todd will soon return, would you mind coming with me?" He had whispered a few centimetres from his face, smashing his skull flat against the stone wall and making him lose completely his senses.

The cell-phone had started ringing in his pocket, bringing him back to reality.
Todd had read the number on the display, recognising it but finding it difficult to believe his own eyes: Adam.
"Hello?" He had immediately answered, his hands suddenly shaking with worry.
"Todd. Don't hang up, just listen to me! Vernon took the boy ... the one from the haunted house."
"What? Who's this?!" The vampire had exclaimed, taken aback, before connecting the voice to a face he knew far too well. "Alexandra? What the fuck are you talking about?! Why do you have Adam's phone?"
The vampire had almost missed a turn and had rolled alongside the first clearing he had found to avoid sliding off the road.
"I told you: Vernon took him, I couldn't do anything to stop it."
"That's impossible! Adam almost killed him ..."
"Can't you see, Todd? HE had it... he fooled us all. I know that you thought I stole it from you. . . but I never did."
It had taken some seconds for the vampire to register his sister's words.
"Jesus! The blood vial." Of course, it had been that damned bastard, not his sister. "I am a fucking idiot!"
"There is no time for this, now: I followed Vernon through the countryside, hoping he would lead me to you. I understood what was happening only when I saw him load the boy in the car's trunk."
"What did you say?"
"Todd, Vernon is ..."
"Why didn't you stop him! Alex, what the fuck ..."
"Todd, you aren't listening to me! Vernon is completely out of control! He has. . . Dimitri's dead."
"WHAT?!"
"We've been keeping an eye on him for days: Axel contacted me once he realised that Vernon was losing his mind, told me about the vial with which he had healed himself. That jerk stayed hidden until he understood where to find you. He had it all planned, Todd."
That bastard had fooled them the whole time, he should have known better. Shit.
"He wants Adam's blood. He'll kill him!" He had lashed out, striking the wheel in rage several times.
"Not this time. We must stop him before he commits a mass murder, therefore listen to me: I'm still on his trail, he is going into town. I think I know where he's heading. . ."
"Where? Of course, right where we were thinking of smoking him out. Call me when you are in a safe hideout, I'll meet you there." The vampire had growled, before closing the conversation and reversing right back onto the road: he had everything necessary to conclude his and Adam's plan in the trunk, at least.
He had to save him at all cost and give to Vernon what he'd been deserving for a very long while.
It was payback time.