Chapter 7: "Passive aggressive"
To her relief the vampaneze sat down in the frontseat and the unknown boy climbed next to her in the back of the car.
He put his arm cheeky over the backseat, as if Gillian was his date and the car drove off.
Gillian looked out of the window and tried to see where they were going.
From time to time she threw curious glances at the boy by her side.
Who was that?
He was hardly a man, more of a teenager with black hair, that was neatly arranged in an out-of-bed-style, and a pretty decent face, which certainly never needed any shaving yet.
And these irritating purple eyes.
How Murlough had called him again? Steve?
Gillian had heard that name before.
Steve noticed that she was watching him, and he smiled at her.
Then his gaze went with a grin to her neckline.
Gillian didn`t care. Let him stare.
She pressed her right arm firmly against the body and breathed against the pain.
Her right shoulder was dislocated, and Gillian could not heal that with blood.
Murlough looked from time to time in the rearview mirror and licked his lips when his eyes met Gillians.
"Where are we going?", Gillian asked.
"Home," said Steve, and looked very self-satisfied.
"Your name is Steve?"
"Steve Leonard. But actually I am called Leopard. "He and Murlough laughed.
"You're a friend of Darren Shan", Gillian guessed.
"An ex-friend," he spat.
"Ex-Friend, why that?"
Steve glared at her: "Because he has taken my place!"
Gillian swallowed.
"But you can sing a song about this, don`t you?", he said and turned his head to the window.
They drove in a run-down area full of empty industrial buildings and finally stopped in front of an old warehouse.
Steve and Gillian followed the vampaneze Murlough into the warehouse, which was only lit dimly.
They were awaited.
In the shadows several bare-chested men, stinking of sweat and blood and with bandaged hands, sat around a boxing ring. The murmur died away, as they entered.
Murlough had grabbed Gillian at her uninjured arm and dragged her with him to the front and into the ring.
Gillian was blinded by spotlights and could hardly say how many men were in the room.
Twenty? Thirty?
Murlough released her and pushed her into the ring. He spread his arms and shouted: "We have her! May I introduce? Larten Crepsleys little pet ! "
Applause rose.
Murlough turned in a circle and bathed in the applause.
Then he suddenly grabbed Gillian, and pulled her towards him. "It`s not what she is anymore, right little Gillian? You left your master. " He stroked her hair out off her face and Gillian felt his stinking breath on her skin.
" Let ... me … go", she squeezed out.
Quick as a flash he grabbed her by her other arm, the one with the bad shoulder, and turned it upon her back.
Gillian screamed as the pain exploded like a supernova.
She was immediately released again, but still it was too much for Gillian. Lightning danced before her eyes and she felt her legs gave way under her.
But before she could strike to the ground of the boxing ring, Murlough grabbed her hair and tore her up again.
This new sharp pain made her hiss in the air between her teeth.
But it also kept her from fainting.
From now completely clear eyes again, she shot toxic glances at Murlough.
Subconsciously, she clenched her fists and tensed all the muscles. She ignored the pain in her right shoulder now. She clenched her anger and her hatred together into a hard lump of darkness in her belly.
A red haze began to slide in front of her eyes.
"That`s enough Murlough. Let her go. "
Murlough immediately released her hair, and stepped a few steps back. "As you wish."
Steve entered the ring, and Gillian looked stunned when everybody made space for him.
The vampaneze listened to that boy?
He bowed slightly and offered her his arm. "Come."
When she didn`t took his arm, he shrugged and climbed out of the ring.
He looked back over his shoulder at her. "Come."
Gillian climbed out of the ring and followed him.
The red haze slowly vanished.
Steve led her into an adjoining room and shut the door behind them.
He pointed to a broken sofa and Gillian grateful took place.
"Let me see your arm."
She shook her head.
"Come on, I don`t bite," Steve said smiling in a totally disarming way.
Gillian allowed that he sat down beside her and groped her shoulder.
"This is dislocated," he said factually. "It may hurt now," he added, placed one foot against the seat and waited for her approval.
Gillian took a deep breath, looked Steve in the fascinating purple eyes and then nodded decisively.
He pulled with a heavy and fast move on her arm, and Gillian felt a tremendous pain and how the joint on her right arm slipped back into place.
She had intended not to scream, but a whimpering sound escaped her. Steve let go of her arm and her shoulder began to throb uncomfortably. However, she could move her arm again, without being close to fainting.
Gillian tried to calm her breathing and focused on the shoulder. She felt into the throbbing pain, and into the rush of blood in her veins.
The blood began to concentrate on the shoulder and slowly the pain subsided.
She had used her half-vampire blood to heal herself.
But now she will become hungry.
She opened her eyes again and saw Steve leaning against the edge of a desk with his arms crossed over his chest watching her carefully.
"Better?"
Gillian nodded.
She looked at him curiously as well. "What did you mean earlier when you said, Darren had taken your place?"
Steve grimaced. "Can you imagine something, something that you desire so much and you've always wanted, something for which you would do everything, something that alone would give your life a sense? Well, " he continued, without waiting for an answer," I had something like that. I wanted to be a vampire. "
Gillian felt her heartbeat quickened and her cheeks blushing.
"That's why you've been with Mr. Crepsley, after the show. You`ve asked him to turn you into a vampire. "
Steve nodded. "That´s how it has been. That was my dream. But unfortunately I had to find out, that my best friend had been stolen this dream. He has not fallen accidently out of a window and had broken his neck. That was just what everybody was supposed to believe. He had a become a half-vampire and was up and away, without saying me anything. "
Gillian frowned. And what had happened then? Why stood Steve now before her, transformed, and a horde vampaneze listened to him?
"But Darren had not intended that." Gillian shook her head gently. "He wanted Madam Octa, but she had bitten you. You would have died, if Mr Crespley would not have given him the antidote. "
"Nonsense!", Steve spat out angrily. "Darren was already in cahoots with the vampire!"
Gillian tried to remember what Darren had just told her about that night. Why had Larten never told her what had happened?
"But I've found other friends, friends who have given me what I wanted," Steve looked proudly down on her.
It did not fail in its effect.
There was this teenager, barely older than sixteen, and he was a full-fledged vampire ... already since perhaps several weeks.
And she? She was still a halfvampire, since fifteen years.
It gave Gillian a pinch.
Steve pushed himself away from the edge of the table and walked towards the door.
He looked once again over his shoulder.
"Murlough had recently made you an offer, do you remember?"
His purple eyes were on her.
"The offer is still valid."
And Steve "Leopard" left the room and shut the door behind him.
Gillian heard a key turned in the lock.
Then she was alone.
