Heart of a Vampire

Familiar Taste of Poison

Chapter Three: Familiar Taste Of Poison

Willow calmly returned a week later to Kay’s house, knocking on the door robotically. Being with Dara in that short time had rubbed off on her a bit. Dante answered it, and smiled with warmth at her. “Nice to see you back Willow” he said quietly, she smiled back and nodded, stepping inside and feeling suddenly afraid to see Addy. “They have gone out hunting”. Willow laughed nervously and made her way to the kitchen, grabbing two glasses and a bottle of blood. “Joining me?” she asked Dante, who shook his head, “No thanks. I want to go hunting, I was just on my way out”. She waited for him to leave and then sat down in the dining room, pouring blood into the two glasses, and then dropped a tiny pill into the one, which dissolved instantly.

She sipped at the other glass and waited patiently for Kay to return. It took an hour, but finally he came back with Addy on his heels. “Ah, care to join me Kay? I need to speak with you” she said as he walked in, and she held the bottle over the pill-tainted glass as if she had only just poured it. He eyed her warily and then took a seat opposite her while Addy lingered in the corner. “Alone” Willow added, scowling over at him. Addy scowled back and strolled out without a word.

Kay picked up the untouched glass of blood and gulped some of it back, a bitter taste starting to spread across his tongue, mixed with the tang of blood and a sharpness of something he couldn’t put his finger on. He ignored it and looked up at her, “Are you staying here again now?” She shook her head, a sadness briefly glazing her eyes before she composed herself. “No, I was just delivering your punishment”.

He looked at her closely and then recalled the bitter taste still lingering faintly on his tongue. “Poison? You believe poison will affect me?” he questioned thoughtfully, and then a sharp pain in his stomach made him gasp and double over. Willow smiled a cold, unnerving smile and got up, taking the bottle and glasses with her. “Drink anymore and you could die. Don’t want that do we?” she said in a happy singsong voice that made Kay snarl in response. “Emily will not keep you safe forever. I’ll get you for this one day you whore!” Kay yelled as she strode out, laughing.

Addy hurried into the room and his slow heart nearly stopped altogether at the sight of Kay doubled over, gasping in pain as he clutched his abdomen, head resting on the table. “What is it?” he demanded, running over to his side. Kay gave a dark laugh and replied, “She…had me poisoned”. Addy growled and slammed his fist on the table, the expensive English oak splintering with the impact. He was about to call out for Dante, and then realised he wasn’t in the house. “Damn!” he pulled Kay up and carried him to the sleeping chambers below the house. It was five hours until dawn, but he could think of nothing else. “So long as you drink as much as you can, the poison should be overridden by our blood cells” Addy theorised, hoping he was right, as he gently laid Kay in his coffin. “Here” he held his wrist to Kay’s mouth, who bit down as he gazed up into Addy’s ice-blue eyes. When he’d drank his fill, he licked the wound closed and let his head flop back tiredly. Addy leaned down to kiss him on the cheek just as another wave of pain rippled through Kay.

“Sleep until I wake you” he said the compulsion strongly in Kay’s ear and the smaller Vampire instantly fell into a deep sleep. Addy stroked some soft black locks from his face before closing the lid and striding out, bumping into Dante. “Keep an eye on Kay, Willow poisoned him. I’ll be back soon” he ordered, and he hurried out the front door. Anger boiled in him like never before as he made his way through the streets to Emily’s house. Images of ripping her throat out kept replaying in his mind. When he reached his destination, he kicked the door down and sent the butler flying when he tried to stop Addy going up the stairs.

“Emily!” he yelled, and followed her scent into the study where she sat calmly reading a book of poems. “What may I do for you son?” she asked, placing the book on the little table next to the telephone. “Why do this to Kay? Why not punish me? It’s my fault! I provoked Willow, I insulted her, I made her suffer!”