Part 12

“You know what they say, ‘the corpse you find may be your own’.”

“They do not say that.”

“Well, mind you, it is hard to speak with six inches of knife sticking out of your face. Mostly they just gurgle… and bleed.” – Black Mage, Thief (8-bit Theater)

            The three flipped around to face the voice. A body was wedged in the darkest corner of the room where the walls met the ceiling.

Sabrina smirked at them. “Miss me, lover?” She jumped down and sashayed over to Cal and Emily. “Going somewhere with my juicy little strawberry?” The vampire pulled Emily closer to her.

Emily stumbled in her weakened state and fell to the floor at Sabrina’s feet. She grunted in pain and a tear escaped her closed eyelids.

“Right where she belongs,” Sabrina drawled and stepped over Emily to be only inches away from Cal.

Arthur had taken a step toward Sabrina. Now’s my chance, while she’s distracted with Cal, he thought and took another step.

Sabrina put her hand out behind her to stop Arthur. “Don’t even try, darling. You make way too much noise to ever sneak up on the likes of me. Besides, if I could kill Cal with my pinky toe, imagine what I could kill a weak mortal like yourself with.”

Arthur stopped dead in his tracks. “Can I at least help Emily?” Why am I asking her permission?

Sabrina sighed dramatically. “I suppose. If you feel you must.”

Arthur walked over to Emily and picked her up. He laid her on the bed and sat down next to her. Must protect her.

“What do you want, Sabrina? Why all this subterfuge?” Cal asked quietly.

He always seems to be unsure of himself around her. Unsure and childlike, Arthur mused.

“Pet,” Sabrina said drawing out the e. “I thought you wanted to see me,” She ran a fingernail down Cal’s cheek.

Cal shivered at the contact and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and steeled himself. “I thought I did.”

Sabrina smirked and stepped closer to him. “You know you do, Sugarbear.” She stepped closer until their bodies were flush against each other. “You need me,” she whispered.

Cal gulped and closed his eyes. “I don’t need you.”

“Come with me,” Sabrina said and ran her hands through Cal’s hair. His eyes fluttered open. “Become a full vampire. Conquer the world with me and my maker.”

Arthur could see the hardened look in Cal’s eyes melting. “Cal, don’t listen to it. She’s lying to you. She only wants to kill you.”

Sabrina glared at Arthur. “Silence or I will kill you.”

Arthur glared right back. Emily whimpered and Arthur’s attention went back to the vulnerable woman at his side.

“Don’t let her kill him, Arthur,” Emily whispered.

Arthur opened his mouth to reply when Sabrina cut him off.

“Like he could stop me if I felt like doing anything.” She turned her attention back to Cal. “Now where were we?”

“I was still wondering what you want,” Cal answered.

“You. Nero Domitius Hardwick. You,” Sabrina whispered. “I want you.”

Cal took a deep shuddering breath. “Sabrina, I…”

“Shh… Just let me take you away. Let me take you to a dark place, suck you and fill you with my luscious blood. We will live forever in our youth. Be forever beautiful,” Sabrina murmured seductively.

“Please, I…”

Arthur glanced at Cal worried. By the tone of Cal’s voice, he could tell Cal was giving in. What do I do? I can’t leave Emily here. She’s so weak. She needs to get to a hospital. I can’t take on Sabrina. The vampire is way too powerful for me. I can’t convince Cal either. He’s too fixated on her almost like cocaine.

Arthur was thrown from his thoughts when he heard voices coming in the front door.

“No way. Astronauts would totally win,” Arthur heard James say.

“Cavemen are much more powerful. What could an astronaut do that a caveman couldn’t?” A deeper voice said, who Arthur assumed was Chad, unless James had picked someone up at the hotel bar.

Sabrina paused in her whispering and pulling Cal gently toward the window. She muttered something under her breath.

James and Chad walked over into the kitchen area and sat down across from each other to continue their debate.

Sabrina looked at Cal who was watching her as if in a trance. She glanced at Arthur and Emily. “You make a sound, you die.” Arthur saw Sabrina’s mouth move, but no sound came out, and yet, he heard her perfectly. “She makes a sound, she dies, got it?”

Arthur glared at her and looked out into the kitchen. They aren’t that far away. Emily said that vampires move in the blink of an eye, but I think I could at least make a noise before it got over here. Arthur took a deep breath and started to yell, but only got out a peep. Sabrina was at his side in a moment.

“Are you prepared to meet your maker?” Sabrina ‘said’ viciously. She picked Arthur up by the neck easily. “Out the window for you.”

“I was hoping you’d do that,” he whispered, the bed squeaking as she lifted him off. Sabrina froze.

“You hear that?” Chad said cocking his head toward the bedroom.

“Uh, no,” James said. James, you idiot, Arthur thought.

“I heard a squeak. Bed’s don’t squeak less someone is on them. No one’s supposed to be in here,” Chad replied and got up to walk to the bedroom. James sighed and followed him. They both stopped at the sight before them.

Emily, weak and curled into herself on the bed, Cal, standing in a stupor before a partially opened window, and Arthur being held a few inches above the ground by a woman half his size.

“Well, this looks fun,” James said with false merriment.

“Sabrina?” Chad questioned.

“Chad, I pay you to keep me safe and yet, these two snuck in while you were getting drunk with your little homosexual friend. You will not be paid for your work here. You’re fired.”

Chad looked at James.

“She’s a vampire.”

A look of comprehension dawned on Chad’s face followed by skepticism.

“No, really. Have you never seen her drink anyone’s blood?”

Chad shook his head. “No. Have you?”

James looked bashful. “Actually, no, but Cal is half-vampire, so I know it happened.”

“Half-vampire? You’re shittin’ me.”

“Hello? Can we get back to the situation at hand?” Sabrina said irritably. “Chad, you’re fired. Take James and get out.”

Arthur was starting to get light-headed from being held up by his neck. “James, Chad, help.”

“Sorry, fired,” Chad replied and walked out of the bedroom.

“What can I do, Arthur?”

“I-I… get Cal,” Arthur choked out. Sabrina squeezed slightly and Arthur gasped for breath.

James ran over to Cal. “Cal, hello?” He waved his hand in front of Cal’s face. “Not again!” James quickly kissed Cal.

No response.

James kissed him again.

Nothing.

Sabrina laughed and squeezed Arthur’s neck tighter.

Arthur gagged, his vision going blurry.

“Cal, come on, buddy. Please. Work with me. Wake up!” James said, desperation flooding his voice. “Arthur, it’s not working!”

Arthur tried to nod weakly. “S’okay.” James stood straight. “No, it’s not! You can’t die on me! I have to snap Cal out of this!” James picked Cal up in a surprising display of strength. “Cal Hardwick, I may be madly in love with you, but if you don’t snap out of this daze I will throw you out the window.”

Cal hung limply from James’s hands.

The edges of Arthur’s vision started turning black. I never thought I would kick the bucket this way. Interestingly enough, I’m about to be killed by the woman I was desperately in love with for most of my life. I’m oddly articulate when I’m about to die, Arthur thought and shrugged in his head as his body was too weak.

James was shaking Cal wildly, tears streaming down his face. “Wake up, Cal. Wake up!” He kissed him again and again. “Cal, I love you. Wake up, you stupid vampire!”

Cal immediately took action and grabbed James by the throat. The whites of Cal’s eyes quickly became blood red. If Arthur could see, he would have thought they became very festive. He growled low in his throat and squeezed James’s throat with his left hand.

Arthur vaguely saw a grin light up Sabrina’s face. She’s enjoying this.

“Cal, please—”James gagged and clawed at Cal’s hand. “It’s James.”

“Hey, I should be paid because I stood guard at that door all day and all night for two days,” Chad said walking back into the room. He looked at Cal holding James’s throat in a vice-grip. He took two strides over and grasped Cal’s shoulder. “Let go of—”

Cal pushed Chad with his right hand into the baseboard of the bed, which broke around the big man’s body. Emily rolled onto Chad and both fell still.

James gagged again and Arthur was only holding on by a thread himself. Is this what the world will soon be like? Vampires taking over the world? I’ve failed.

“Cal… James… Please…”James’s tears fell onto Cal’s hand and rolled down his wrist to drop to the floor.

Cal growled again and brought James close to him. His eyes were ruby red as he bared his now pointy canines. He sunk his teeth into James’s neck and drank deeply.

James closed his eyes and took as deep a breath as he could. “I’m sorry I never accepted you.”

Cal’s eyes slowly faded back to normal and he dropped James’s body on the ground. Cal looked at his hands. They were covered in blood. Cal gagged and turned away.

Sabrina dropped Arthur, who was still slightly conscience. She walked over to Cal. “Don’t worry, pet. It’s always messy the first time. Now, don’t freak, but I’m going to suck all your blood and fill you with mine.” She pulled Cal close and ran a hand down his face. “It will all be better when we’re together.” She pushed his neck to the side and bent down.

Cal glanced down at his bloody hands and James’s body lying on the floor. He looked around the room at the destruction and back to Sabrina. “No!!” Cal pushed the vampire away with all his might and she smashed through the wall into the living room.

“Cal, let me make you a vampire,” she said climbing back through the wall.

“No!” Cal grabbed her and spun her out through the window into the dusk. He watched her fly a few dozen feet before bounding off toward the river. The billionaire sank to his knees and stared at his hands. “What have I done?

Author's Note: I admit, I'm not happy with this chapter. I think it sucks cheese, but I've been working on it and I can't seem to make it any better. So any and all constructive criticism would be VERY helpful. I'll try and get the next chapter up faster.