Somber

Chapter 42: The Vampire.

Dedicated to @Sarleth_Sarai

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Chapter 42: The Vampire.

Niall's POV

| Ireland, 1874 |

"You will only have one chance, Niall. You must not fail, or you are as good as dead". Deaglan, Niall's best friend, was a vampire slayer, or at least, his family tried to be and so did he. He had been teaching Niall how to fight them and how to kill them. It had finally come, the day where he proved himself to the Conan family and to his best friend. He had to kill Zayn, the son of the most powerful vampire in the world. The act was a statement. Humans were tired of being food for these creatures. They were done being used for their blood and they were willing to fight back. Niall was part of this rebellion and he thought he was ready to show his commitment to the cause.

"I will die for our freedom," Niall told his best friend. Blue eyes locked with green ones as they stared at the other. They exchanged a quick embrace and Deaglan then handed Niall a wooden stake and a glass bottle filled with holy water. There were rumors that water blessed by a priest burned the flesh of a vampire, so Niall was expected to use this as a weapon as well.

Niall took a deep breath and looked up at the magnificent brick castle in front of him. He let out the breath as he glanced at his best friend once again. "The next time we see each other, your family will be freed of this vampire curse," and with those parting words, he disappeared into the cold night.

Niall knew a woman who worked in house service for the Maliks, and so she let him in through a back door and gave him directions to Zayn's bedroom. He was quiet as he ran up the three flights of stairs. He was practically invisible as he snuck through a long corridor and found the largest door in this particular floor. It was as the woman described it. He knew he got it right.

He wasted no time as he slowly turned the door knob, and pushed the door open without making any noise. He looked around through the half opened door and saw no one. He tiptoed inside and closed the door behind him. He would have to wait for the Malik heir to come.

He glanced around the room. An enormous bed was located in the middle, silk blankets laid neatly folded on top of it. The room was decorated with beautiful paintings of exotic landscapes. An easel with a white canvas stood near the window. Art supplies littered the floor around it. Niall frowned at the scene. A vampire who is interested in art? He thought it strange, though he had never actually met a vampire before. He wasn't even sure if Zayn was a vampire. He was meant to kill him as a way to get his father's attention.

A disturbingly amount of confusing thoughts went through Niall's head as he waited for Zayn. The wait lasted almost an hour, and by then he was close to falling asleep. That was until he heard the echo of footsteps growing louder out in the hallway. This he took as a sign to be prepared, so he hid behind the door.

He was gripping the wooden stake in his hand so tightly that blood ceased to circulate and his knuckles turned white. The rhythm of his heartbeat was irregular. His breathing was laboured with the adrenaline, but he forced himself to control it. He used his nose instead of his mouth to be more silent.

When he saw the doorknob begin to turn, he stood as still as a lion who was about to pounce on its prey. Then a figure walked in, striding a couple of steps inside the room and then halted. His head didn't exactly turn in Niall's direction, but tilted more to the side he was hiding at than to the other side of the room. Niall's heart almost stopped at his words.

"I would not try that if I were you," the man, Zayn, said. All Niall could see was his hair, dark as night, and his clothing, fit for a king, or well, an evil prince. Shaking himself out of that fear-stricken state at being discovered before his attack, Niall actually lunged forward, with stake in hand.