Chapter 9: Shade's Fate
Stella:
My remotely controlled body took me back to the infirmary. There I found a duffle bag, which held a few changes of clothes. My body quickly dressed itself, as my inner self watched on in dismay. Usually during the summer, I reside in shorts and baggy t-shirts. The doctor obviously did not share my since of style. I found myself in a pair of skinny jeans, a flowy white blouse with ruffled capped sleeves, the thin fabric bustled at the bottom of my rib cage then fell away to twirl around my hips. Lastly, my feet were donned with a pair of blush pink ballet flats.
I missed my Slipknot t-shirt.
Never in my whole life have I felt so girly, not even at prom, which was an absolute disaster by the way.
There was a rapid knock on the door and a moment later the doctor entered. She smiled at me and suddenly I was in control of my body once more. Then she turned to someone out in the hall, motioning for them to come in.
My eyes widened and my breath caught in my throat as the man from my blurry memory walked through the door. He looked exactly as I remembered. Golden hair which he swept away from his forehead, with a few loose strands that fell near his temples. His face was fair, but it held a masculine power, which entranced me. Those sad ruby eyes watched me with a gentile air. My gaze slowly drifted across his serene face to stare at his lips, which parted and began to form words. He had a lovely voice, like something from a romance novel. It was low with a slight British accent, like he'd grown out of it over the years, which made him even more mysterious and exotic. It sort of reminded me of James Bond.
I felt a tap on my shoulder and I shook myself out of my stupor. "S-sorry. W-what were you saying?" I stuttered, my face flashing red.
To my surprise, he didn't laugh at me. Although I did notice his lips curve ever so slightly in one corner. As if he wanted to laugh, but didn't want anyone know.
"I said, how are you feeling?" He repeated the question for me.
"I'm good." I replied. I flexed my arms for him. "My arms are working again and they don't hurt at all."
"Good. I'm glad you're doing well, Miss Rossi." He said with a nod, clasping his hands behind his back and looking very Bond-like in the process. "I understand that you are having problems coping with being here at headquarters. I assure you, no one here will harm you. It is my duty to make sure of that."
"And who exactly are you?" I interrupted.
He took a moment, then he bowed slightly, like he was a servant. "My name is Adam Wilder. I am an agent for the V.V.P.A, the Vampire Victim Protection Agency."
"You're the one who rescued me, aren't you?" I asked. I was sure it was him, but I needed to make sure my mind wasn't playing tricks on me.
"Yes, miss." He replied.
"Thank you, Mr. Wilder." I choked, fighting back tears. "I-I was so sure that I was going to die there. I didn't think anyone would ever find me. I had given up a long time ago. There's really no way I can thank you enough."
He raised his hand to stop me. "No. Don't thank me, just yet. I got you out of there, but Shade got away. It's not over yet. When a vampire like that sets his mind on a target, there's no way you can stop him from going after it. As long as he's living, you're in grave danger. That's why you must be kept here, under my watch. He'll definitely come after you again and when he does, I'll stop him. Only when he's been taken care of, can you ever return to your life outside of headquarters."
My stomach suddenly dropped to my feet. "You mean I can't leave until you find Ezra?"
"Well, after he's dead, preferably." He added, nonchalantly.
"Y-you mean you have to kill him?" I hated him and all, but I'd kind of prefer that he be locked away forever, so he'd know how I felt.
"The only way to make him stop is to either put him into hibernation or kill him. The council doesn't like to give his kind the pleasure of an eternal sleep, besides, storage space is limited."
"I see. H-how do they…you know…do it?"
He stalled for a split moment, like he was unsure if he should tell me. "Fire."
I wasn't sure why but the idea that they were going to kill Ezra, made me uneasy. Yea, I hated him. The very thought of him made me want to hurl myself off a cliff (Twilight humor :P), but…during my time with him, I had realized that he wasn't…all there. He was obviously, mentally unstable. He needed help.
"Can't you hospitalize him or something. He needs a psychiatrist, not a death sentence."
"There is no such thing for vampires. Once you go off the deep end, there's no bringing you back. If he truly is insane, then the most humane thing is to destroy him. I know it sounds barbaric, but we have no other choice."
"I…I understand." I sighed.
"Good. Now, come with me and you can call your parents."
My spirits lifted immediately. "Really?!" I gasped.
He smiled crookedly at me. "Yes. There's no rule against a phone call. I'm sure your mom and dad, will be happy to hear your voice.
My eyes doubled and my heart stopped it's rapid thudding. "D-dad?" I stuttered.
Mr. Wilder's smirk grew into a charming smile. I swallowed hard and took a step back at the glisten of his fangs.
"We made a few phone calls. You're father is home, Miss Rossi."
Shade:
"Damn that detective!" I hissed, baring my fangs as I reformed my body. I staggered down the alley way, breathing heavily. I'd spent half the day in my shadow form and now I was exhausted. Near the end of the alleyway, stood a woman with cropped hair. She guarded the back entrance of The Dragon's Den, a local safe house.
I came to the door and the woman placed her hand on my chest, just over my heart. She was obviously a Brawler type. Her strength was amazing. Her hand barely gripped me, but I could not move any further.
"Speak the code." She said in a level voice.
"Men reprobo per lux lucis , successio ut atrum." I rasped. The code is a secret pass word, spoken in Latin, which only vampires know. In English it means, "Men rejected by the light, descend to the dark."
The bouncer nodded then stepped aside and aloud me to enter the safe house. A safe house is basically a bar for vampires. It's where we go to drink away pain and stress, maybe even hook up in process. Of course blood is served in place of apple martinis here. You can get blood in one of ways in a safe house, either in a glass or from the source. The club owner keeps the place heavily stocked with human vampire wannabes, which he's paid off. The patrons call them "Scarlett Throats" because they all wear red scarves when they come to the club.
I went over to my usual booth and collapsed into the leather seats.
I scanned the room till I found a Scarlett Throat with curly black hair, like Stella's. I flagged her down and she made her way over to me.
"Hello, sweet heart." I said with my friendliest smile. "What's your name?"
She smiled and batted her eye lashes. "Cassy." She replied.
"Name's Ezra." I patted the seat next to me. "Please, sit down."
She took her seat and unwound the scarf from around her throat, offering it up to me. Clearly she'd had an eventful night. There were at least two other sets of bite marks on the soft flesh of her slender neck. "Are you hungry, Ezra?" She cooed, flirtatiously.
"Ravenous." I said lowly, wrapping my arm around her shoulder and drawing her into my embrace.
A rattling hiss escaped my throat as I opened my mouth. I clasped my hand over her mouth as I bit down into the muscles and tendons of her neck. The loud music drowned out her struggles. Warm blood gushed into my mouth, soothing the aching thirst. I tore away a chunk of flesh, then bit down hard again, crushing her wind pipe. I drank my fill, then laid her body down on the booth's seat. I tied her scarf around her neck to hide the gaping wound. Finally, I wiped the gore from my face with a napkin. Her blood had slaked my thirst, but it didn't satisfy my blood lust. A look alike wouldn't do. I needed the real Stella.
However, now that those good goodies down at the V.V.P.A had her, catching her again would be much more difficult. If I were to succeed I'd need a little help. Which was why I came to The Dragon's Den in the first place. I wonder if the Dragon is at home?
Author's Note: Sorry another short chapter. I'm trying to update quickly and it will probably be a while before I can update again. I only have 4 more weeks of school left and I have final papers, projects, and exams to worry about from here until summer break. Look for Chapter 10 sometime in June.