Hellfire

Chapter Seven

I was calmer once we arrived home - enough that my vacant expression had come back and I was no longer shaking, although my arm was pulsing badly now. Dusk was thick. Blackbirds screamed in the shrubs lining the long driveway and shadows, long fingered and creepy, swept over the house with an ominous darkness. A perfect haunt for vampires.

I cut the engine and assessed the quiet that ruled it with quick nervous glances. I wasn't sure whether Lucius had gone back to sleep, but I assumed he had. It was harder for purer vampires to remain awake during daylight hours, they grew lethargic and ill, but Lucius was old. Old meant strong – strong enough to resist the sun for a while. Still, sending that bad would've been uncomfortable for him, likely burning his eyes and giving him a terrible headache, maybe enough of one that he'd sleep, but he'd certainly be awake soon regardless.

Hopefully, I hadn't killed us both.

Doc smacked the back of my healthy arm before he jerked a thumb over his shoulder. 'Let's go. I've got some tests to do before I can sleep in the woods again.'

Suddenly, I was acutely aware of the stench of rot and death that clawed at every inch of my car, ramming up my nose and into my gut and making my skin sweat.

'Yeah.' I mumbled and rubbed my hand over my face, causing flakes of dried blood to rain down onto my lap. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. I needed a shower too.

Before we'd even reached the boot, I heard the firm crunch of gravel beneath worn heels and looked up to see Mo coming towards us. She had that frown that warned me I was about to get an earful.

'Susan.' She said, her tone clipped. 'Where have you been?'

'Helping Doc.' I said as I wrenched the boot open with my good arm, unveiling the bloody mound of bodies. I grabbed the wrapped-up limbs and shoved them into her unsuspecting arms. 'You can help too seeing as you're here.'

Mo froze, nose wrinkled in disgust at the mess she cradled, then shot me a glare. 'You went out on a job?'

'I was helping.' She clearly didn't believe me. 'Mo, just go warn Arnold we found a parasite. We need to find out who made it and why they let their serf go mad, because either that royal is dead or he's a cruel motherfucker in need of a word or two.'

And maybe a sword in the throat.

She chewed her cheek with annoyance, but she stalked off all the same, bellowing Ella a warning that she didn't want to see this and to go back inside when she'd began wandering our way. Ella quickly found she really didn't want to see this when Doc came in carrying the first corpse, rigid and cold now, draped in bloodied sheets that were now black more than crimson. She placed a hand to her mouth, her face dropping with a wave of confusion and shock.

'Susan?' She whispered, no doubt worried about the blood I was covered in and the gaping, yellowing wound crusting over my shoulder.

'Go find somewhere quiet. I'll explain later.' I told her quickly and hurried on.

She didn't argue but she didn't leave the foyer either. Morbid curiosity had taken her, keeping her rooted as we passed by to gather the next corpse, and her eyes widened at the head I carried within a woollen blanket. Mo had to forcibly take her into the kitchen where the pleasant smells of freshly baked biscuits and pies would distract her churning belly.

By the time we'd brought in the third corpse up to Doc's room and settled it on metal table, ready to be healed up by Sam and Oliver, I was exhausted. My shoulder ached terribly and was burning like fire was stuffed in my blood, and my mind was drifting off, my forehead beginning to feel clammy.

I sat heavily in the chair in Doc's room, my gaze fixed on the new dead we'd brought in. Already Doc was hurrying about, not stopping to wash away the old blood clinging to him, instead focused on taking a sample from the parasite and chaining it up, ensuring it didn't randomly jump up and attack. Parasites, despite being created vampires, often had ridiculous healing capabilities, making them very difficult to truly kill.