Tommy and Emma walked side by side through the streets, neither saying very much. They moved swiftly through the empty streets casting suspicious glances into the alleys and scanning the horizon for the vampire men.
Emma got the impression that Tommy was waiting to say something to her. He kept looking across suddenly and opening his mouth, then just as suddenly he'd close it. It was not until they were half way across town that he eventually spoke.
"Okay," Tommy said suddenly once they'd reached the park, "what's your deal?"
"Sorry, what?" Emma laughed in shock
"That weird freaky spell thing you've got going that's driving every guy in town crazy," Tommy said aggressively "You could have any one of them and yet you pick Merton! Why?"
"I like Merton!" Emma replied offended
"No you don't you want him for you're freaky cult or something don't you?" Tommy snapped at her.
"No I like Merton!" Emma protested "And what makes you think I'm in a freaky cult thing?"
"I know a little about these creatures and I can fight a little?" He mimicked her badly "Come on Emma I've never seen anyone move as fast as you. And those guys were trying to get at you in the alley."
"Yeah they were the good guys alright!" She shot at him sarcastically.
"They weren't trying to hurt us. In fact they didn't lay a finger on us." Tommy pointed out
"So what are you saying?" Emma demanded angrily through gritted teeth.
"I think you're a vampire." Tommy replied simply "You said you'd eaten and then we found that girl in the alley."
"I had eaten!" She shouted "Anyway you were the one that suggested we go down the alley!"
"Oh yeah"
"And I was at school during the daytime" Emma's voice had become very shrill. She couldn't believe this. An hour ago she and Tommy had been getting on fine. She thought that he'd liked her and his sudden attack had caught her completely off guard.
Tommy suddenly felt quite guilty and couldn't meet her eye "I'm sorry it's just that Merton hasn't had a great track record with girls. Most of them do end up wanting to kill him... and that's just the normal ones."
Emma felt her anger ebb away and her expression softened. "You really care about him don't you?"
Tommy nodded "So do I Tommy." Emma said softly, placing a reassuring hand on his forearm "I promise I wont hurt him".
"So you really are just someone that knows a lot about monsters and demons?" Tommy asked looking up finally
"No offence" She smiled
"None taken" Tommy grinned back
"I can't say I'm exactly normal" Emma admitted sadly
"You'll fit in fine around here." Tommy laughed and gave her a reassuring hug by way of an apology. A thick north Yorkshire drawl broke them apart. The men from the ally were standing around Emma and Tommy, trapping them.
"Get her!" The burley leader had bellowed.
The group advanced into the circle brandishing their long, sharp knives. As he wolfed out Tommy noticed that the crucifix shaped handles were made of silver 'this is gonna hurt!" He thought angrily as he swung a punch at the leader. He suddenly felt an extreme burning sensation around his neck. The skin peeled and blistered instantly. The sudden pain was so bad that Tommy fell to his knees gasping for breath and reaching out for what ever had wrapped around his neck. His fingers tightened around a think linked chain. They to blistered and burned as soon as they contacted the chain. 'It's silver!"
Emma cried out and ran to help him but the large Yorkshire man that had ordered the advance stood between them.
"We have come for you" He growled.
"So I see," Emma snarled, her eyes burning with rage "just let him go"
"Ah, The man smiled cruelly as the others chuckled "you do hold some life sacred then?"
"I had nothing to do with the girl." Emma snapped barging past and freeing a very grateful, yet bemused Tommy. The leader did not try and stop her, after all where would she go? They were totally surrounded.
Tommy knelt desperately trying to breath back and work out what they were talking about..
"What's going on?" He gasped, everyone ignored him.
"It was one of your kind" The man said accusingly to Emma advancing towards her menacingly. He held his blade up to her neck but the girl didn't even flinch. She looked him defiantly in the eyes and replied:
"There are loads of us."
"Not so many half-breeds though."
"Vincent!" She gasped
"Indeed." Growled the leader "You must pay for his sins." he roared suddenly loosing control. He lifted the blade to strike her but she didn't react. Desperately Tommy leapt to his feet. Several pairs of hands grabbed him and held him back. He struggled fiercely against their hold.
At the sound of the disturbance the leader seemed to have come to his senses. He lowered the weapon and turned his back on Emma. Tommy was startled to see that she had tears in her eyes.
"I'll stop him." She whispered
"The leader shook his head. He looked totally disgusted "No you won't your love for him is too great and you don't have the strength to do what is necessary."
"Will killing me stop him?" Emma screamed at the man, angry tears were now streaming down her face. She didn't bother to wipe them away.
"No," The man shrugged "but it'll be one less to worry about."
The man pulled his knife back ready to strike. He lunged it forward towards Emma's heart with all his might as Tommy struggled forward. Emma caught the blade between her palms inches away from the skin and shoved the weapon backwards with such force that she knocked the leader backwards into two of the other dark figures, creating a break in the circle. Tommy felt the men holding him relax their grip and took full advantage. He reached back behind him and grabbed them by the scruffs of their necks and swung them both around until their skulls collided. Darting forward he grabbed Emma's wrist and dragged along after him as he made a break for it into the alleys.
Behind him he heard angry yells, the men had already got to their feet and were giving chase. Tommy knew that they would catch up any second, he had been severely wakened by the silver chain and couldn't run as fast as he normally would. There was only one thing for it, they'd have to hide.
At the far end of the darkened alley Tommy spotted an old fire exit leading to the rooftops. 'perfect!' He thought heading towards it, still holding Emma's hand tight. However as he neared it he saw that it was falling to bits. It seriously looked as though it might topple over if they attempted to climb it.
A yell behind them told Tommy that he had no choice. Leading the way he and Emma moved as quickly as they could upwards. As they went he called angrily to Emma behind him.
"Vincent? I knew it you've got someone else and your stringing Merton along!"
"It's not like that." Emma panted "It's..." But what it was Tommy didn't get to find out.
The metal stairway gave an almighty shudder and suddenly lurched sideways. Tommy shut his eyes as he began to fall and felt Emma grab his waist in terror. He braced himself for the impact but was amazed to find that it didn't come. Assuming that he must have died without noticing it Tommy reluctantly opened his eyes. Then he almost did die- of shock. He was floating ten feet above the ground.!
He gave a terrified yelp and looked over at Emma who was still holding on to him to see if she found this as strange as him. She didn't, in fact Emma looked perfectly relaxed. Tommy felt himself being pulled upwards and sideways towards the rooftop. They landed with a bump.
As soon as Tommy felt his feet touch the ground he pushed Emma away roughly looking horrified
"You are a vampire!" He spat.
Emma didn't reply. She backed away from him until her heels were right at the edge of the roof. Her eyes were bright with tears.
"I'm sorry!" She whispered sadly and flung herself backwards over the edge. Tommy ran to the side expecting to see the girls crumpled body laying amongst the fire escapes debris. There was nothing. The girl had gone.
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"Damn it!" Emma swore angrily as she slumped against the alley wall. It had been going so well this time. She genuinely liked Merton, Tommy and Lori. It had been obvious from the start that Tommy was a werewolf, his kind don't fall for the vampires seductive charms. It would have been nice to get to know them all It was so rare to meet people like her, who knew about the paranormal. People that might have treated her normally. 'I could have made it work' She thought bitterly 'If only I'd got the chance to explain before the others showed up.'
A sudden voice made her jump She looked up to see a dark featured and pale young man advancing from the shadows "Poor ickle Emmy." He teased "The normals rejected you again eh?"
"Sod off Vincent!" Emma roared rising to face the boy. He was immaculately dressed in a well fitting black suit. He laughed softly at the girls angry reaction
"Temper!" An evil smile played about his lips
"Why are you doing this to me?" Emma demanded angrily but didn't wait for an answer "You know that the order have followed you don't you? They'll kill us both if they get the chance."
"I'm counting on it." Vincent snarled at her.
Emma's eyes widened with shock and disbelief "You led them here?" She breathed "Why?"
"They can do what I so desperately want to" Vincent said bitterly, baring his teeth at her. A pair of gleaming white fangs protruded over his bottom lip.
"Which is?" Emma demanded.
"To kill you." The boy replied casually "You know about fathers curse right?"
"We can't kill each other." Emma nodded.
"Well that's not entirely true is it ?" Vincent rounded on her angrily "Seems that the old man knew what he was doing. He didn't extend me the same privileges as you."
"I won't kill you unless I have to." She told him miserably taking a step towards him. There was a hint of a warning in her tone.
"Oh!" Vincent guffawed hysterically "So noble! Mother and father would be so proud." He finished bitterly.
"Is that what this is about?" Emma cried. Her voice rose shrilly in disbelief. Her brother didn't answer. He merely turned his back on her. "We have different abilities Vince" Emma reminded him softly "we had to be treated differently."
"Yes you got treated like an angel whereas I was pushed aside as a freak" He muttered
"They loved you!" Emma protested angrily.
"But I couldn't love them!" Vincent turned and roared in her face "You think that I'm jealous that you can fit in with the normals? No sister. I prefer my life as a vampire."
"Your not.." Emma sighed desperately
"I'm as good as!" Vincent snapped "I have the same need for blood, the same aversion to the sunlight"
"And garlic"
"And garlic." He conceded "There's one thing that I'm lacking though. Vampires NEED to love. It's what drives us, you know it as well as I do." Once again he turned away angrily and prepared to storm off. His sisters desperate call stopped him in his tracks
"So how is killing me going to help Vincent?" She asked "It wont make you feel anything."
"It'll stop the guilt!" He said bitterly "I should love you but I can't. I couldn't love them either." There was an uncomfortable pause. A deep feeling of dread and foreboding welled up inside Emma.
"What have you done?" She asked slowly. Vincent turned grinning and replied almost casually:
"They didn't feel anything. Mother was sound asleep and I was to fast for father." Emma shook her head in disbelief as angry tears welled up in her eyes "The stake had gone through him before he'd had time to blink." Vincent finished.
Overcome with rage Emma leapt at her brother slamming him into the wall. Her free hand darted with lightening speed into her backpack and withdrew a wooden steak. She held it back ready to strike as her brother screamed in her face.
"Go on then! Finish me!"
But Emma couldn't. She lowered it slowly and backed off looking disgusted. Vincent laughed cruelly "Ha! here's me an empty shell and you've got enough heart for both of us. Still enough love for both your murderous brother and the boy."
"No!" Emma breathed. A stream of tears ran down her cheeks as she shook her head desperately "please don't."
"He's not your usual taste," Vincent smirked straightening his clothes which had been ruffled in the attack. "well he doesn't appear to be anyone's taste really. A little freaky outsider, is that why you like him? Because your so alike?"
"If you touch Merton..." Emma growled through gritted teeth.
"You love him already don't you?" Vincent marvelled, he was almost beside himself now "Ha! You fall so fast sister." And with that he flew up to the rooftop and disappeared.
"Vincent!" Emma called angrily after him but she knew that it was too late. A wave of panicky rose up inside her. She turned back the way that she had come and ran full pelt back to the lair. So what if the others didn't trust her anymore, Merton was in big trouble.
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"Emma's a vampire!" Tommy yelled as he entered the lair, slamming the door behind him. Merton and Lori jumped two feet in the air at this sudden noise. They had been silently shifting for volumes of ancient lore and for the past half hour and as it was now two AM they had started to doze off.
"What?" Merton stared sleepily at him totally bemused "Tommy she can't be. we've seen her in daylight"
"And she saved us from those guys" Lori put in
"No, she saved herself from the good guys. She's been tricking us." Tommy told them, still reeling at Emma's betrayal "She and some guy called Vincent killed the girl in the alley and they tried to set those men up so that we'd take 'em out!
"How do you know?" Lori asked as Merton shook his head in disbelief.
"Those men attacked us on the way back to hers and they said it." Tommy explained.
"And the strange people that attack us are always so trustworthy." Merton said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
"They were attacking her not us." Tommy reminded him "Besides she moves to fast"
"She could just work out!" Merton said defensively "Maybe she takes karate lessons at the gym"
"She must be taking levitation lessons to."
"Levitation?" Lori repeated bemused
"She flew," Tommy nodded "floated technically while she was holding on to me as well."
"Why was she holding on to you?" Lori asked suspiciously. Tommy could have sworn that there was a hint of jealousy in her tone.
"Well she caught me when I fell off of the roof." Tommy elaborated
"See!" Merton exclaimed desperately "She's a good vamp! She's not Buffy she's Angel! Well actually more Spike like, what with the sexy British accent and dark sense of humour."
"Merton," Tommy sighed "this Vincent guy killed the girl and Emma's covering up for him. She's one of the bad guys."
"Vincent?" Merton repeated sadly. He slumped down onto the bed and rested his head in his hands. He'd thought that she'd liked him.
"I'm sorry Merton." Tommy said sympathetically as he sat on the bed with him "She led you on."
"Yeah," Lori snarled, angry to see Merton's heart broken yet again. "so now we go kick her un-dead butt!"
"Just once, "Merton sighed as he got up, "I'd like to meet a girl that we don't have to end up killing!" He crossed the room and reached into the closet pulling out a large wooden stake. "Let's go."
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