I just want it known that Isara is NOT an OC, she is the vampire Dusk talked to in The Maleficent Seven!
Up for interpretation number of years before Skulduggery Pleasant: The Scepter of the Ancients
Running from Sanctuary guards was not how the male vampire had planned to spend his night, but he supposed he should have expected it. Earlier that day he had taken a job to infiltrate an Irish Sanctuary prison to assassinate a prisoner. Since it was a highly secure prison right in the same city the Sanctuary itself was in, he almost didn't take the job. He knew that it would not be easy and was basically suicidal. However, the pay had been too high to pass up and he wasn't against a little danger. Occasionally he needed some excitement in order to keep life interesting, considering he had been alive for so long.
In the end, he was noticed by the guards and now here he was, getting chased around the city by three Cleavers and two Sanctuary officials. The prison must have called in reinforcements from the Sanctuary. Luckily, Dusk had an emergency dose of serum that he was able to take when the sun went down so he didn't go feral. Shedding his skin would have made it much easier to find him.
A bullet whizzing uncomfortable close to Dusk's head brought his attention back to the people currently chasing him. Turning down a darkened alley, the male vampire decided to try to lose his pursuers in the maze of back streets and alleys of the city.
He rounded a corner then another, coming out onto another street. Darting across, he disappeared down yet another back street and continued his run. After a few minutes of racing around, even he began to get mixed up. And his pursuers still were keeping up. His boots splashed in a rain puddle and he had to hop over a crate that he almost didn't see to avoid falling down.
Falling down was not good. Falling down meant getting caught and getting caught meant going to prison and prison sucked. Coming to a choice of left or right, Dusk turned left but immediately regretted his choice of direction.
Right in front of him was a dead end.
Biting back a growl of frustration, Dusk turned to go back the way he came, but froze when he saw that his pursuers were now blocking his only exit. The three Cleavers stood shoulder to shoulder, their darkened scythes held in the ready position. Two Sanctuary officials appeared about ten seconds later, breathing hard and out of breath. They forced their way to stand in front of the Cleavers.
"Give up and surrender," one of the officials coughed out as he forced himself to stand straight in an attempt to appear threatening. This was hard considering that he was one of the most unthreatening people Dusk has ever met. "Let's not make this anymore ugly then it needs to be."
Glancing around for some method of escape, Dusk was dismayed when he saw that there were no back doors into the surrounding buildings. The windows were three stories above his head, and there were no fire escapes to climb up. He really was trapped.
The male vampire let out a growl and got ready to attack. There was no way he wasn't going down without at least injuring someone. But before he could act, shouting filled the air from the distance. The officials frowned and turned to see what was happening. Dusk took this opportunity and lunged forward. He shoved the first operative out of the way, then grabbed the other, wide eyed, operative by the throat, and threw him at the Cleavers trying to get at him.
Now free to run, Dusk sprinted away from the chaos he had just created and began to do his best to get as much distance between him and his pursuers. He turned down another alley, chancing a glance behind his shoulder. This proved to be a mistake, however, because, while he was looking back, he decided to turn another corner and barreled right into someone who was running towards him.
Dusk fell back, knocked over by the force of impact. His head hurt and his vision was fuzzy for a few moments from cracking his head on the ground. He hissed softly in pain and sat up, suddenly becoming aware of whoever he had run into groaning a few feet away. Blinking to clear his vision, Dusk looked at the other person and realized that he had literally run into another vampire.
The vampire was female and appeared to have been turned around the same age he had been. She was pushing herself upright and glancing around the ground for something.
"Hey," Dusk said sharply. "Watch where you're going."
The female vampire shifted her attention from her searching to him. She glared. "I could say the same about you," she retorted.
Returning to her search, the female vampire found what she was looking for next to a dumpster. Snatching it off the ground, she stood up and brushed herself off. Dusk had stood as well and glanced her over, noticing that the thing she had picked up was a handgun. Before he could say anything else, the sound of who he assumed were his pursuers' footsteps snapped him back to his earlier dilemma.
Dusk and the other vampire both cursed. They looked at each other then simultaneously took off in the same direction.
"Why are you running?" Dusk asked as he ran.
"I was going to ask you that too," the unknown vampire replied dryly. "But I guess I can go first. I was here to do hit on a guy in the Sanctuary prison down a few streets. The security was tighter than I thought it was though, and was spotted pretty quick."
Dusk immediately caught the similarity of reasons between the vampire and himself.
"Who was your target?" Dusk hopped over a trash bag.
The vampire hesitated. "Richard Gale," she finally said.
"This is interesting," Dusk muttered to himself.
She raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
"I was hired and now being chased for the same reason."
"That is interesting."
Just then, three Cleavers leaped out of an alley a few yards ahead of them. The two vampires skidded to a halt. They glanced at each other then lunged forward at the same time.
Ducking the swipe of the first scythe, Dusk managed to leap out of the way of the second and grabbed the staff of the third Cleaver to stop it from slicing him in half. He twisted the scythe out of the hands of Cleaver number three in time to block the strike from the first one. While he was doing that, his new companion went for the second Cleaver, blocking the scythe and kicking it in the chest.
Pushing back against the first Cleaver, Dusk slammed him into the side of a building then stepped away to slice at the third Cleaver. Blood appeared from the new gash in the Cleaver's chest in the wake of the scythe. Distracted by this, the first took the opportunity and came up behind him and began to strangle him with the staff of his scythe. Dusk grasped the weapon, dropping his own in the process, as he tried to push it away but was unsuccessful. Looking up, he saw the third Cleaver picking up the fallen scythe and getting ready to slice the male vampire in half. Continuing his struggling to break away, Dusk managed to knock the Cleavers's helmet off with an elbow to the face.
Just as the darkened blade was arcing its way through through the air, the scythe choking Dusk was dropped suddenly. Immediately moving away once the pressure was relieved, Dusk paused as he caught his breath. The Cleaver who had been choking him was lying on the ground with a pool of blood surrounding his head.
He turned his attention to the female vampire, who was still pointing her gun towards the fallen Cleaver. The one she had been fighting with was also on the ground, unconscious or dead, Dusk couldn't tell.
"Thanks," Dusk said.
She nodded.
After glancing around to make sure there were no more attackers in the immediate vicinity, Dusk and the female vampire continued to run. The two continued to put some more distance between themselves and the Sanctuary prison before stopping. They hid out in a dark alley next to a dumpster.
"Are you an assassin?" Dusk finally spoke, breaking the quiet between them. He made sure to keep an eye out for any more Clavers or Sanctuary officials.
"Mercenary." she corrected. Her accent was Irish like his, but it had an edge of something he couldn't quite place. She too was glancing around. "What are you?"
"Mercenary as well. This guy, Gale, must have made quite a few enemies if he has two people wanting him dead." Dusk peered behind them to make sure no one was trying to sneak up on them.
"Haven't we all?"
Dusk grunted in agreement.
"Sadly, I think I will have to return at a later date," he said. "Security will be tight, so the chances of getting caught will be much higher."
The female vampire shook her head. "Not necessarily. I looked at the map my employer had given me of the prison and the layout isn't much different than when it was used during the War. I have the old layout memorized, so I can get us around easily."
"Are you suggesting we work together?"
"Why not? We have the same goal in mind, so we may as well team up."
Dusk thought it over. It wasn't a bad idea. They were after the same thing, and if what she said was true, then dealing with guards would be much easier. Just then, voices and footsteps alerted the two vampires to more approaching Cleavers.
Dusk cursed.
"They're close by," the female vampire said; her eyes narrowed. "And they won't be happy when they see what we did to their friends."
"We'd best get out of here then," Dusk remarked.
Hurrying side by side, the two vampires ran together in the opposite direction of the voices; their steps silent except for the occasional splash in a puddle of old rainwater. The female vampire reloaded her gun. After about ten minutes of running, they stopped at a corner.
"So, are we doing this or not?" The female vampire asked. Her long dark hair was becoming damp as a light drizzle started.
Dusk nodded his affirmation.
"Good." She turned and they started to head back to the prison using a different route.
"I never got your name," Dusk spoke up.
"Isara," she responded. "And you are?"
"Dusk."
Their conversation ended as they got closer to the prison and into the area that was being searched. Similar to the Sanctuary, the prison was underground with a secret entrance on the first floor of an otherwise normal building. The two vampires entered through a side window then made their way to the secret entrance that led down to the prison. Peering around the corner, they saw two Cleavers and an official standing at the entrance.
"We need a distraction," Dusk whispered.
"I can handle that," Isara responded. "You take care of any other immediate threats and I'll meet you inside."
With that said she hurried off. Dusk crouched down, but didn't have to wait long before he heard a loud crash upstairs. Immediately, the official and one of the Cleavers took off towards the stairs. Slipping forward, Dusk moved quickly and within moments had the last Cleaver in a choke hold after slipping past the swinging blade the Cleaver carried.
After hiding the body to the side once the Cleaver was unconscious, Dusk continued on inside and descended downward. The male vampire hid himself around a nearby corner to wait for Isara. The female vampire appeared a few minutes later and they proceeded on. Dusk noticed fresh blood on her jacket and cheek.
Guided by Isara's mental map, the two vampires found themselves going down narrow, barren hallways that obviously were not used often and wasn't the shortest way to their target. They stayed dead quiet, in fear if being caught. Eventually they reached another bend and Isara stopped, raising her hand to signal that he should as well.
"We're here," Isara whispered.
The two vampires glanced around the corner and saw two Cleavers standing guard on either side of the door that lead to the cells. Together, Dusk and Isara lunged towards the Cleavers. Dusk went for the one on the left and after ducking and dodging the curved blade of the scythe, managed to get the Cleaver in a hold to snap his neck.
Isara, meanwhile, had grabbed a hold of the staff of her opponent's weapon and spun her body around it, connecting her heel to her enemy's head, sending him sprawling. Landing easily back on her feet, the female vampire had pulled the scythe out of the Cleaver's hands and stabbed him in the back with it.
Glancing around to make sure there was no one else around, Dusk opened the door and stepped inside with Isara right behind him. Hurrying from cell to cell, the vampires searched for the man matching the description they had been given. The prisoners currently being held called out to the vampires to let them out. They were ignored.
"Found him," Isara called.
Dusk went over to where she was at the end of the cell block and peered inside to see Richard Gale sitting on the bed. He frowned and opened his mouth but the female vampire lifted her gun up and fired before a sound could escape his lips.
"Now that's done," Dusk said as they began to leave the holding cells and saw a group of Cleavers running down the hall towards them. "Know any escape routes?"
"This way," Isara took off sprinting in the opposite direction of the Cleavers. Dusk blindly followed Isara, hoping that he had been right to trust her with guiding them through the prison. If they went the wrong way even once the Cleavers chasing them would be on them before they could fix their mistake.
Isara suddenly ducked into a side room; causing Dusk to almost run by. Once inside, he shut the door as Isara searched around a bookshelf. The room appeared to be an old office, with dust coating most surfaces.
"What book was it again? Was this one? No, not that one. I swear if they didn't keep this in the new design..."
Isara was muttering to herself as she messed with the books.
"What are you doing?" Dusk hissed softly.
"Trying to find the switch," she snarled back as she pulled on another book.
Dusk swore. The Cleavers would find them soon if they didn't hurry. Luckily they hadn't yet rounded the last corner so they hadn't seen Dusk and Isara enter the room they were now in. The male vampire joined his temporary companion in pulling at the books on the shelves until he heard a 'click' as he tugged at a large book labeled How to Make Your Own Secret Entrances/Exits.
"Oh." Isara said when she read the title. "That makes sense."
Stepping back just in time, the bookshelf swung open to reveal an old, stone staircase. Dusk glanced at Isara.
"Ladies first."
Isara rolled her eyes and began her descent into the darkness. Once Dusk was inside the bookshelf shut itself behind him, casting them in momentary blindness. Then the ancient torches that lined the stone walls lit by themselves and cast the surroundings in a golden glow.
"How do you know the layout so well?" Dusk asked as they walked. "You said that this prison is close enough to its design in the War that you would know where to go."
"I worked with the Sanctuary during the War," Isara replied. "This prison was used as a place to hold prisoners of war. I worked on a task force out in the field and we often brought back prisoners to interrogate"
"What did you do?"
"I was a field operative; more specifically a sniper."
They reached a hallway and continued on.
"What did you do during the war?" Isara asked.
"I didn't really have a side," Dusk responded. "I was mostly concerned about my own problems. I did end up doing business with Baron Vengeous and I still owe him for something."
Isara cast a glance over her shoulder at him, her face blank. Dusk assumed she was curious about what that business was, but she turned away from him and didn't ask anything else.
After another minute, they reached another door, which opened up into a small park a few streets away from the prison. The rain had started to come down harder since they had last been outside and was drenching the city. Carefully, but quickly, maneuvering their way through the streets and staying mindful of any operatives or Cleavers still combing the area, they eventually stopped under a store's overhang that was a safe distance from the prison to get temporary relief from the rain. Isara turned to Dusk.
"This is where we will part ways." Her hair was soaked and clung to her skull as she attempted to wring some of the moisture out of the long strands. Dusk wasn't in any better shape. His shirt was uncomfortably wet and made him wish he had worn a jacket to help block the water. At least it was harder for vampires to get sick.
"I plan to meet with my employer now. I'm assuming you will do the same."
Dusk nodded his affirmation.
"Well," Isara said. "Nice working with you."
With that said, she hurried off into the rain once more and disappeared from sight.
I just want it known that Isara is not an OC, she is the vampire Dusk talked to in The Maleficent Seven!
So, I've decided that my earlier attempt at writing romance (the original A Vampire Love Story) was an epic fail. I feel that I lost track of what I was doing and I came up with some new ideas, but I didn't know how to fit them into the original. So, I still like the idea and so I made this new-ish story as a chance at redemption.
I plan for this one to have a better timeline, plot points and have more of a spoofy feel to it that I have in a lot of my other works. (The spoofiness won't start until chapter three).
For those of you who like/prefer the original, I will leave that version up for you to enjoy.
Now that all of that is out of the way, I hope all of you enjoyed this!
Don't forget to review! :)