My eyes were closed, hands resting comfortably behind my head as I sank deeper into the chair. My pain had gone, and the fire that coursed through my veins returned, giving me new life, energy I longed to burn.
And there it was again; that restless feeling. I rose to my feet and began pacing around the enclosed space, staring at the bottles of blood, blotches of what may have actually been real blood, and the department store paintings that hung on the walls. It was plainly decorated—boringly decorated, even—and looked out of place in this building.
I traced my fingers along his desk, stacks of papers and cups overflowing with pens, and sat down in my Keeper's chair. A chill ran down my spine, and my vision blurred briefly. Flashes of lightning and tall ocean waves played before me, the smell of blood, ale, and piss permeating the air, and soon I was out of Eric's office and on this massive, hulking ship. Brutes swarmed around me, dressed head to toe in drenched battle attire, fingers wrapped tightly around their weapons.
Deep voices shouted back and forth, commanding, demanding they move faster, prepare for the moment they hit shore. Through the cacophony, I discovered this was a raid, one of the last they could afford for quite some time before returning home, joining their brothers on the battle field.
"Hey! What are you doing over there? You don't belong here!" A gravelly voice called out in a foreign tongue. I jumped and searched the ship, quickly finding the source of the voice. But he wasn't looking at me. His eyes were focused to my right, behind a row of barrels.
The men stood still, staring in the same direction, and I turned to get a better look, my eyes widening at the emaciated frame, clothed in a long, heavy dress, soaked with salt water.
I was staring at myself, my past self, one of the many forms that I had taken over the centuries, and leaned into the wood to hold myself up. What was I doing here?
A short, stocky man pushed through the mass, his pudgy face hidden by a dark, thick beard. He pointed his fingers in my direction, yelling at both myself and his men, asking just who brought this bitch along. When no one answered, he made a move toward me, tightening his grip around the slick handle of his axe, and swung his hand back, ready to strike.
He never hand the chance. His wrist was yanked backward by the large hand of a much younger man. My eyes dragged along the length of his muscled arm to the tall, slender body it belonged to. He was dressed the same as the others, his long hair hung in thick, dirty strands on his head, and he spoke to the shorter man, offering a few stern words before he scurried off.
The young man stepped toward me, offering his hand, and I watched as I panicked, and disappeared into the night, stunning him and the rest of the crew.
My body jolted as I came to, and I breathed deeply, cradling my head in my hands. The smell of salt hung heavily in the air, and my body swayed as if I were still on the boat. I stood and walked to the door, determined to both find Eric and take my mind off of these visions, memories...whatever they were.
As I reached out for the doorknob, the door swung open, and in stepped the two vampires I was searching for. I retreated back into his office, out of their way, and watched as they rounded the desk, each of them staring at me.
I leaned into the wall behind me and crossed my arms over my chest. "It's rude to stare, you know."
"It's also rude to make such a mess and not clean up after yourself," Eric said, assuming his seat behind the desk. "You made the parking lot look like the inside of a slaughter house."
"Am I supposed to apologize for doing my job now? I thought you wanted me to protect you."
"And I do—"
"Then don't complain about the way I do things. I could have burned them, all of them, but leaving the bodies behind serves as a warning. I don't think anyone will be making any attempts on your lives any time soon."
"Wishful thinking," Pam scoffed. "If you couldn't already tell, we vampires don't have many allies in the supernatural world. Just because you scared off one group of inbreeds, doesn't mean the rest will back down so easily."
"I suppose you've got a point. You're not the most liked out of all of us."
"Thanks for pointing out the obvious," She rolled her eyes at me.
Eric looked up at her. "Why don't you go and make sure everything is going smoothly, hm?"
"Of course. Anything for you," Pam sneered, speeding out of the room, leaving nothing but a breeze and the smell of expensive perfume in her wake.
"Someone's a bit testy," I said, peeking out into the hall. "Is she always like that?"
"Most of the time, yes, but I prefer her that way."
I sat down across from him, studying his face, his eyes. After a long moment, I spoke, "You don't seem too cheery either. Is this just a vampire thing, or are you really worried about those deaths?"
He sighed. "I'm concerned, yes. It would be a shame to die...permanently."
"I can imagine how terrible that would be," I said. But in reality, I couldn't.
My kind never dies, but disintegrates, only to rise again from the ashes and sulfurous flames from which we origin birthed. All fire and sharp teeth and snarling maw, much like a phoenix in our own way, but much less beautiful.
The process takes years, ten to be exact, for a Hound to become an adult, fully mature and ready to reproduce. But most importantly, old enough to hunt.
"Have you searched the homes of the dead vampires? A clue as to what may have killed them may be there," I suggested. "A scent, blood..."
"A few of them we checked. It was all the same, each home; a pool of blood, and a strong chemical smell. No one could figure out just what it was," He seemed annoyed, and I wondered why. Maybe it was his inability to put this to rest?
"We could go look," I said, itching to move, to leave here. I was afraid if I stayed much longer, I'd continue to have those visions. I needed air, and badly. "I am here to help after all."
At his mentioning of a chemical smell at the site of the murders, my suspicions rose, and I had a niggling feeling as to who may have been behind this. If I could smell it myself, I may be able to put an end to this, quickly, and have myself released.
