Blame the Blood

Chapter 10

Alexa

August.

I walked out of the grey concrete sweat and hormone-filled building for the last time. Phycology had been my last exam and I'd aced it! I knew Edmund would have too, and Sarah not so much. But, we were free. And, I had to make a new start. A new life without anyone around me that could get hurt by my life. No matter how much I missed them.

Diana had enforced an insane study and tutoring regime, which made me suspect that D had actually hired her as a tutor/babysitter until she point-blank refused that 'i before e except after c's and Pythagoras's theorem were real. And, sat Paul in on a practical chemistry revision session, which burnt through a table in D's workshop. I have a feeling an employee would care if they'd ruined an employer's furniture. Well at least... not be extremely excited by the concept of proving secondary school science wrong. That was a D's family trait for sure.

D never rattled on about going to lessons and exams as Diana does. He was always there for me, to teach me about anything I asked. While he was homeschooling me he hadn't tested my knowledge or comprehension, he had put his trust in me that I would ask if I was confused about anything. Even when I asked 'where do baby's come from?' it wasn't awkward like Edmund had said it was supposed to be, D had told me the truth there and then. There was nothing he didn't know or wasn't willing to research and teach me. I thought back fondly as I rode home on my new monster of a motorbike Paul had inexplicably replaced. He stopped hanging around the house as often, which was a good thing? It's still like he was living there though. He just had things to do during the days and nights, and a way to get there and back. Considering the amount of information about his vampirism he could be flying for all I knew, which was a terrifying thought. I'd never seen him fly, so he can't fly! When I removed my helmet in the barn, I wasn't surprised to find annoying blond no.2 gone. "Ahh, some peace." I inhaled deeply and was going to take my sweet time making a light dinner.

Diana crossed the dining room purposefully, "Alexa honey, we have a problem." She announced throwing a smartwatch at me. "There is an extremely bold vampire sauntering about and killing people willy-nilly."

"Wasn't sunset only 10 minutes ago?" I asked as I hurriedly ate a single spoon full of chile de tres frijoles. "Yes, and it's scary how she's killed so many, she's in the South of Otters Bottom!" Diana cried after me as I sped out.

I mounted my metallic black beast, revving its fantastic engine. It was over 50 cc, but I could out-manoeuvre any police that bothered. Why here, had Paul finally gotten bored and decided to create some new amusement, I wouldn't be surprised. Or had something local drawn it near? There were areas with deep magic history among the strange little villages, magic and vampires can mix. But, lots of blood and rituals were necessary. Better not be one of those!

A few years ago D and I had come across an area full of small purpose-placed stones, by a roadside on the north coast of France, in the search of a vampire that had been rumoured to breathe fire. And, completely catching us off guard, it had! The only way to disable its additional powers was to take one of the stones from the arrangement and carry it off the continent. It was a rare occurrence and should have opened our minds to the magnitude of mystical enhancements, but when I started to think about that, I started to spiral. Lost in the ideas of the ways they would try to kill us. We decided to focus on what we knew to be possible and real because beyond instinct and problem-solving Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fiction had a point: 'Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.' When I found my target, I would find the truth.

I zwhipped past the 'Welcome to Otters Bottom' sign, finally on the easy tarmac. I thanked that D had briefed Diana enough about their lives to be able to help me hunt down vampires, it was a little novel that it was almost the same as having D walking me through everything, just with a female voice. He had just been on the cusp of developing this piece of infra-red hacking software. "Thanks, did D leave any instructions on how to see about details?" I asked Diana as I dismounted, running with my supernatural speed towards the location Diana had mentioned and placed on my smartwatch.

"Pink hair?!" I couldn't stop myself from exclaiming as I came upon the creature drenched in blood. The brazen vampire rose from her seated position gracefully. Smiling from ear to ear, fangs protruding at every angle, blood drenching her lips and dripping down her chin. I glanced at the mangled bodies, she'd been using as a chair. They were beyond my help, as I had to duck from the bloodsucker's charge. I barely missed the monster's claws in its first move, the vile thing had my full attention. It turned back to me, glowing red eyes boring into my skull, taking another swipe at me. I countered by taking up my hardwood-edged combat dagger from its ankle sheath and slicing off the first finger of the claws coming towards me. She screeched in like a banshee, the blood of her last victim mixing with her saliva spraying at me, as the demoness followed through with a head butt. Catching me unawares. This was an onslaught, I had to meet her with a pure offence, or get enough distance to use my gun.

I caught the vampire under the chin with my elbow, forcing the fanged mouth closed and flying up to the sky. The creature caught herself, latching onto a metal fence and pivoting her stiletto heel stabbing me in the stomach. I almost keeled over, but didn't have time, and threw myself and the beast over the fence piercing its heart with one of the metal prongs, it flailed. I clutched my gut, took out my gun and released a barrage of bullets, the first into the screeching head, the others into its heart. It stopped flailing but didn't disappear into ash.

"No, no!" What else could I do to kill it? I stumbled forwards, reaching with the arm not cradling my guts, folding over the protruding fence prong, then a couple surrounding for good measure. I had to concentrate on calling for help, and healing, my body usually worked with me. I'd managed to heal most of my previous shoulder wound with the sheer force of will, well I needed that again! Diana better have a good idea of how to dispatch the beast, the world was going black. No, that was a black hybrid sports car turning up, and Paul flowing out of it. "Lex I tried to call! Get in!" "Was this your doing?"

"Not exactly..." "What do you mean, do you know it?" I hissed, my legs not wobbling, as I pointed my blood-covered hand at it.

He grabbed me by the shoulders "Just get in, I'll explain, at home." He pleaded, easily dodging my fist coming towards his face, "No, how do I kill it?" I fumed, very tempted to serve him a low kick. "Look if you couldn't kill me you can't kill her." He locked eyes with mine then, flicking to my wound, "Live to fight another day at least!" I followed his gaze, he couldn't feel my flesh knitting together as we spoke, but still, Diana would have an idea, and Paul had information.

"Where did you get the car from?" I glared at him from the passenger seat, he better not crash again, because that would be the last straw, I would rip his head off with my bare hands. "Does it matter?" Paul replied passively, streaking through the roads, focused. "Yes, who did you kill to get it?" I also didn't appreciate him acting so much like an adult.

"It's related, I'll tell you both when we get in." He stated then remained silent for the rest of the short journey as if something else was on his mind.