I used my heartbreak to fuel my mission to find out who these girls truly were. For the next few days, I watched the girls when they came to the boardwalk and kept my distance so they wouldn't sense me. Nothing they did seemed vampiric in nature. They stuck together like glue and caused some teenage mischief but nothing out of the ordinary.
I tried to follow when they left each night, but every time I did, I lost them. They always seemed to evade my sight just at the brink of me discovering where they laid their heads. They appeared normal from a distance, but if I wanted to be sure, I had to get closer.
After a week of constant surveillance, and no word from Sam, I made my way into the comic store stressed and beyond tired. The Frog Brothers were in their regular place leaning against the counter when I walked over.
Edgar looked me up and down, speaking with no hint of sugarcoating. "You look like shit."
"Thanks, Captain Obvious," I groaned, rubbing my eyes. "I've been on the new girls' trail for a week and have found nothing to say their vampires. Proving Sam right and pissing me off even more."
"Have you followed them home?" Allan asked.
"I've tried but they always seem to slip through my fingers," I sighed. "I planned to get a closer look tonight but they're not at their regular haunt."
"Maybe they're feeding on their next victim," Allan said, slamming a newspaper on the counter.
I took it in my hands and read the headline, "A Serial Killer on the Loose in Santa Carla."
I read it again and again before looking up at the Frog Brothers with angry confusion. "What's this?"
"Three teenagers were found dead in different parts of Santa Carla," Edgar explained, pulling out a map with circled locations on its surface. "All drained of blood."
"You have to find out if they're the ones causing these killings," Allan said, slamming his fist into his palm. "And where they take refuge from the sun."
"I can't do this all on my own, guys," I said. "Help me."
"We have from the shadows," Edgar admitted, pointing to the map before him. "See this line. This is the path they take from the boardwalk and then they take this path before we lose them."
"That's back toward the boardwalk," I murmured to myself.
"Exactly. I think if they're anywhere they're somewhere here," Edgar said, motioning to the area of the boardwalk. "It's a diversion. They want you to get lost so by the time you free yourself they're already gone."
"Where the hell could they live on the boardwalk? I mean this place is infested with people. I highly doubt it'd be easy to hide here," I pointed out.
"That's true but there's one place they could be," Allan said, pointing to a small square on the boardwalk. "The old frozen yogurt stand."
"It's on the far end of the boardwalk and completely abandoned. Its become a homeless hideout so many people steer clear of the area. Perfect place to hide a coven of vampires," Edgar explained.
"Then let's go!" I said, rising from the counter as the brothers shared a look and shook their heads in unison
"We wait till morning. If they are vampires and that is their lair they'll be asleep by then. Easy pickings," Allan insisted.
"I can't go then, I'll burst into flames, remember?" I said, motioning to my entire body.
"Direct contact causes burns. If you cover up and you're out for a short time you should be fine, but you need to feed. Low on blood and you'll be toast. Literally," Edgar said.
I looked from Edgar to Allan and back again. I realized they were not going to change their minds about this, which meant I had to feed. I didn't want to, as I had been so focused on the mission that feeding was the last thing on my mind, but if I could get rid of the monsters, I was willing to try.
"Fine, I'll see you in a few hours," I groaned.
"See you then, Vampirella," Allan muttered.
I gave him an annoyed stare and strode out of the store. I didn't want to become toast as Edgar put it. I hadn't tried to use my mind juju on an unsuspecting person … ever. If I couldn't get them to forget I had to … kill them. I had to do everything I could to ensure that didn't happen.
I headed toward the other end of the boardwalk, looking down on the beach for anyone who was alone in an area or close to an area where it was too dark to see. I didn't want the chance of someone catching me when I already had so much else to worry about.
I noticed someone down on the beach stargazing. I couldn't see much more than a figure, even with my vampiric eyesight. I jumped over the railing a good twenty feet from them and snuck across the sand. When I was hovering over them, I realized two things. 1- this person was dead, and 2- it was recent.
I bent over the corpse and saw the bite on his throat; vampire. I rose to my feet and looked around for the monster who could've done this. I didn't sense anyone around but I was still learning to control my abilities, for all I knew they were watching me and I just didn't know it.
When I looked back down at the body, I noticed something clutched between his fingers. I pulled his fingers apart and pulled what looked like hair from his grasp. When it was free of his grip, I dropped his hand back into the sand and took a look at the strand. It was long, curly, and black.
"Celeste," I muttered.
I gripped the strand tight in my own fist and turned toward the boardwalk, planning to head back to the comic book store. I took barely a step when I realized I was no longer alone. I found him standing a few feet from me with terror in his eyes. I had only seen him like this one other time and the last time it wasn't directed at me. This time it was.
"Dawn, what did you do?" Sam asked, a look of disgusted shock replacing his fear.
I frantically shook my head, pointing back toward the body. "I didn't do this! He was like this when I found him."
"With a bite mark on his neck?" Sam questioned.
"Yes," I insisted, taking a step forward as he backed away. "You have to believe me, Sam. I didn't do this. Celeste did."
"Dawn, they're not vampires!" Sam snipped.
"Then explain this strand of hair I found on the body. Mhm?" I said, holding it up so he could see. "It matches Celeste's, Sam. She must've killed him just before I got here."
"She didn't kill him," Sam sighed. "Because she was with me."
"What?" I asked, shock smothering my features.
"I give people the benefit of the doubt, Dawn. You and the Frog Brothers just expect the worst in anything you don't understand," Sam snapped.
"And you don't? Did you forget what happened a few months ago because I sure as hell didn't!" I yelled.
"Now you're just like them," Sam muttered.
His words struck me like a stake to the heart. I never expected Sam to say such a thing, let alone to me. I thought he understood but I guess I was wrong. So very wrong.
"I didn't do this and if you knew me, truly knew me, you'd know I'm telling the truth."
I stormed past him, shoving at his shoulder a little harder than I probably should've. He held his shoulder in his hand as I made my way back to the boardwalk. I was angry and beyond hurt, but I wouldn't let that deter me from this mission. Sam's words fueled my fire.
I made it back into the store and slammed the strand of hair onto the counter. "They're vampires."
I lifted my hand to reveal the strand of hair. Allan picked it up between his fingers and looked at the long strand. He shared a look with his brother before they both turned to me.
"Where'd you find this?" Edgar asked.
"In a corpse's hand," I said, crossing my arms over my chest. "It looks a lot like Celeste's hair."
"Well even more reason to check the abandoned frozen yogurt stand then," Allan said, noticing the strained look on my face. "Did something else happen?"
"Sam caught me with the body. He thinks I killed the guy and better yet he was with Celeste when the attack supposedly occurred," I admitted.
"He was with Celeste?" Edgar asked, leaning closer to the counter.
"Yeah, he said he was giving them the benefit of the doubt," I muttered.
"He may be under their spell. Did he have any visible markings on him?" Allan asked.
I thought back but I couldn't remember seeing anything that stood out. But I was angry and hurt so I wasn't really focused on Sam's appearance this time around.
I shook my head. "I'm not sure."
"No matter. If that is the case, it'll break when we free those girls of this mortal coil," Allan said, bringing his fist to his chest.
I looked at him with a raised brow before shifting my gaze to Edgar. He shrugged at his brother's excited attitude with a small smile. He was into this as Allan was but Allan liked to play things up just a little more.
Edgar shook his head before looking back at me, his smile turning into a frown. "Have you fed?"
"No, I was on my way to do that when I found the body and fought with Sam. I came straight back here so you could see the hair," I admitted.
My stomach growled as if on cue and I smiled awkwardly. Allan looked disgusted but it hid it well, going to talk to a customer who had a question. Edgar sighed, pulling the sleeve up on his red plaid.
He offered his wrist to me and said something that I never thought he would ever say. "Bite me."
"What?" I asked, not really hearing what he said. "You want me to do what?"
"You need sustenance and we do not have time to dilly-dally. If Sam is under their spell, we need to act now. So follow me to the back and you can have a pint of me. But any more than that and I'll stake you," Edgar explained.
"You're really willing to do that?" I asked.
"For Sam, yes I would. Now let's go somewhere a little more private. Shall we?"
Edgar grabbed my hand and pulled me behind a curtained door to what looked like a storage room. He took me back behind a shelf in the darkest corner, pulling me into the shadows, and holding out his arm.
"Consider it rations," Edgar muttered.
"Are you sure?" I asked again.
"Yes, now hurry up before I change my mind and let you starve," Edgar said.
"Thank you."
I took his arm in my grasp and held it up to my mouth. I could feel him shiver under my hot breath. I smiled against his skin before sinking my teeth deep into his flesh.
