Sanctuary's Fiend
Chapter 21

I hadn’t tried to remove the bloodstain from the carpet. I’d keep it there as a reminder. I hung up the phone.

Hunching forward in my chair, my elbows on my knees, I rubbed my eyes. I had to keep it together. I wasn’t done yet.

I heard a car pull into the driveway and sat up. The cup of tea on the stand next to my chair steamed invitingly. As I took a sip, my hands shook. I hadn’t slept, and I was still coming down from the Lyfe I’d taken when I met the Fiend.

The click clack of shoes tapped up to the front porch. Someone pushed the door open tentatively.

I put my tea down carefully. I reached inside my jacket for the pen that lay there before I realised that wasn’t what I wanted. I must have been really out of it. I moved my hand to the table at my side and picked up the Glock 17. I wasn’t taking any chances.

As Claire rounded the corner into the living room, she froze, eyes fixed on the gun. I put it back on the table and relaxed. Her skintight, white dress was impractical and made me question my plans involving her, but I couldn’t deny she looked drop dead gorgeous. I would have picked up the tea again, but I didn’t want her to see how much I was shaking.

She winked at me. ‘Is that a gun or are you just happy to see me?’

‘Both,’ I growled at her.

She gave a nervous laugh. ‘I did what you said. I added an IV drip of Lyfe.’

‘Good.’

‘I used my last vial and that’s all of it. I’ll have to make more, and it will take a few weeks. You’re on your own till then. Sorry.’

‘Richard matters more than me. More than anyone else in this place. He gets to live.’ I sighed. ‘How was he?’

‘The same as when you left. Missing too much of his blood, and the neck wound was pretty bad.’ She moved into the room and was about to take a seat on the couch opposite me.

‘Don’t sit there!’ I said sharply.

‘Oo-kay.’ She stood up awkwardly before resting her hands on her hips. ‘Good thing you gave him that vial of Lyfe. That’s what kept him alive long enough to get to the hospital.’

I nodded. That was how close he had come to dying. I shouldn’t have let my guard down. Crossing an ocean hadn’t been enough to get me out of this.

‘Thank you for going to him,’ I said. ‘I couldn’t… I needed to keep my mind clear.’ She hummed an affirmative. ‘I’ve given it some thought, Claire. The last time we met, you said if I needed help, you’d be happy to tag along.’ Her eyes lit up. ‘I’m new in town, and I don’t have any support. So yes, I’d appreciate it. Can you do something for me?’

She practically bounced up and down as she shouted, ‘Yes!’ She stilled herself and cleared her throat, smoothing out her dress. ‘I mean, sure. What do you need?’

I picked up the final object on the table next to me. A metal tube, with a cap on one end. I handed it over to her.

‘Hold this. If something happens, take the top off, and press the button.’

She looked at it quizzically for a moment, checking every angle. ‘What’s this connected to?’

I pointed at the sofa where she had been about to sit. She bent down to look underneath, and before I could lose my focus, she jerked back up, shocked. ‘Why the hell is that there?’

‘A precaution. I want you in the kitchen. Out of sight.’

‘Look, Anderton, I’m not going to use this. You’re too close. The blast will get you.’

I nodded. ‘That’s fine. But you’ve got it in case. And I don’t think you’ll need it. I’m not going to try and convince you, because if you need it - you’ll know.’

I placed my hand on the Glock by my side. ‘Do you know how to use a weapon? I need this one, but there’s plenty upstairs. Help yourself.’

She snorted. ’Are you kidding? You really think I’m going to know that monsters exist, and there’s one killing people in the area, and not have a gun?’ She reached into her purse and pulled out a Glock 19. ‘Why? Because I’m a girl?’

I flashed her a bitter smile. ‘I’ve met plenty of women far more dangerous than I. Why the 19?’

‘Concealed carry stopping power and reliability. And the raw sex appeal, of course.’ She flashed me a grin with nothing bitter about it. ‘Why’d you go with the 17?’

‘British Army issue. One day, I just realised I was more comfortable with it than any other pistol. It’s my go-to gun.’

‘Have you named it?’

‘Of course.’

‘What’s it called?’

‘Oh, now that would be telling. Only my closest friends know that.’

‘But that means you were in the army? Wow!’ She put her pistol back in her purse, and her face took on the same starstruck look as when I was in her lab. She was digging for information. Well, I needed help, so I guessed I owed her something.

‘No. That’s not where the Scions recruit.’ Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ FindNʘᴠᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

She gasped. ’I knew you were one! The only hunters I’ve met before were loners.’

’Yeah. I was one. With them for a few years. But I decided I just wanted to be a father to Richard. I felt I had to get away from my past, leave the country, and a friend told me about this little town in sunny California. “It’s called Sanctuary,” he said to me. “Great place to settle down, real quiet. Let me know and I’ll set you up.” Needless to say, once I’ve sorted this mess out, I’m going to give him a call.’

I heard another car pull up outside.

‘Time for you to hide, Claire. Be ready.’

She nodded, turned around, and jogged to the kitchen. I allowed my stare to linger. Hey, I was sat right next to live C4 and had just told her to use it. If she would have told me to go to hell… well, I was about to.

I heard Tom’s footsteps as he took all the porch steps in a single leap. He didn’t bother to ring the bell before he slammed the door open.

‘Anderton!’ he shouted, running into the house.

He stopped in the opening to the living room and turned to face me. ‘Hey Anderton, why is it so dark in here? I can barely see.’ He moved confidently in his khaki shorts and navy polo-neck t-shirt. Always so well put-together, even in a crisis like this. Was it because he knew what Rel was, so he didn’t need to worry? He drew back the curtains and saw the bullet holes and the broken window.

‘What the hell?!’ He spun. ’What’s going on? You said you had news about Rel? She’s been missing since last night. Freya and I are going crazy, she’s not answering her phone, and–

‘Take a seat.’ I pointed to the couch opposite me.

He moved much more slowly now. Cautious. Like prey realising it’s been trapped. ‘Why is my daughter missing? What do you know about it? And why has your window been shot out?’

He lowered himself into the seat, and only once he had sat down did he see the gun on the table.

‘I’m sure she’s just fine. Don’t worry.’ I watched him carefully.

He froze, finally seeing the blood on the floor. That was expected. A normal reaction. But was he scared because he thought that could be his daughter’s blood, or because he knew what his daughter was, and that the puddle of blood could have been her food.

‘Why is there a bloodstain on the carpet?’ he said, voice neutral.

‘Have you heard of monsters, Tom?’

‘What? Yes, of course.’

‘Have you ever met one?’

‘Look, I’d love to wax philosophical with you, but I don’t have time to discuss whether or not men can be monsters, nature or nurture, or whatever you’re talking about. Where’s my daughter?’

Telling the truth, or lying? What reason would a Draugr have to keep its identity secret from its parents? But then, why would a Draugr live with a family that it hadn’t turned? I’d seen Tom in the sunlight when he met me at The Grind, so I knew he wasn’t a vampire. What part did he play in this? Rick had told me Rel was adopted - had Tom and Freya been duped into raising a Draugr child like a cuckoo in the nest?

‘Tom, what if I told you that Reliquiae was a monster?’

‘I’d say that you should hurry up and tell me where she is before I get pissed off.’

I picked the gun up and leaned forwards. With my free hand, I dug the heel of my palm into my eye. Brilliant. I was about to break normal reality for this poor sap, and do it while looking like a strung out junkie. He would probably just laugh at me if it wasn’t for his daughter being in danger. Or what he thought was his daughter.

‘All the things that go bump in the night? I’ve met them and I’ve killed them. Monsters are real.’

He threw his hands up in exasperation. ‘What the hell are you talking about? Are you high?’

‘Not any more,’ I said. ‘There’s a problem, and it’s your daughter.’

‘Finally! Where is she?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Damn it, Anderton! My daughter is missing, and you’ve called me round to look after your hangover?’

’Your daughter is one of things that goes bump in the night. Well, she’s actually one of the things that go boom in the night. This puddle of blood is from Richard.’

His eyes went wide and he muttered a curse under his breath. ‘What happened to him?’

‘Your daughter.’

‘Hey, Anderton, come on. Tell me what’s going on. You can trust me.’

As he said it, the room seemed a little bit brighter. Richard was alive, after all. Maybe all of this wouldn’t be so bad. I put the gun on the table and leaned back in my seat.

‘Well, your daughter is kind of like… let’s just call her a vampire, okay? And she was hurt. She was hurt really bad.’

‘What? Is she okay?’

‘Don’t worry. I got her out of the crypt.’ I waved a hand casually. ‘Something nasty had messed her up. I think she was close to de… well, she was hurt. But I brought her back here, and I was going to save her.’ My high spirits dropped at the memory. ‘Long story short, it turns out she’s a vampire and needed blood. She took my son’s. I came downstairs, and she was feeding on him. Almost ripped his throat out. He’s lying in a hospital bed, barely clinging to life.’

Tom looked horrified. ‘No. No, that can’t be what happened. Vampires aren’t real, you know that. She’s not a vampire–’

‘She’s a Draugr, actually.’

Tom stopped talking, and stood up slowly. His hands were out to try and keep me calm. Clearly, he still thought I was a dangerous junkie. He took a careful step towards me and placed a hand on my shoulder. A shiver ran up my spine.

‘Do you think you and I can still be friends, Tom?’

‘Of course. And hey, maybe you can even tell me your first name next time we meet, Anderton. But for now, tell me what you know about Draugr.’

This was great! He seemed like a really nice guy. And he was taking the breaking of The Masquerade really well. Most people would freak out learning that monsters were real. Not Tom - he was so calm and collected. Tom was a good friend, and I wanted to help him by telling him everything I knew.

‘Oh, well, Draugr are the primogenitors of vampires. Think of the meanest, toughest vampire in movies, and Draugr are like that, but with none of the weaknesses. Oh, and right after they feed, for a few seconds, they’re basically like gods. But in those few seconds? Damn.’

Something didn’t seem right here… what was it?

Tom’s grip on my shoulder tightened.

‘Anderton, you didn’t see my daughter attacking your son. My daughter is a good girl. One of your best students. Not a Draugr.’

‘She is a good student.’ I had to admit that. I looked up into Tom’s eyes. They looked odd. A swirling purple with flecks of red. They were amazing. I couldn’t hold his gaze for long, and I looked down to the ground. And I saw the pool of blood that had soaked into my carpet. How had that happened? I mean, Rel wasn’t a Draugr, so maybe I was seeing things. Maybe Richard had cut himself?

This feeling. I knew this feeling. I’d been trained to fight it, hadn’t I? To block it out. ‘One thing I do know, Tom, is that monsters are solitary animals. They’re beasts and they don’t hesitate to kill each other.’ I pushed his hand away. Why had he put it there? ’So why would a Fiend and a Draugr be in the same place? Do you know?’

Tom backed away, and now that I looked at him again, he was dripping with sweat. His eyes were just a normal blue.

‘I don’t think anything you’re saying is true, Anderton. Monsters? Fiends? Vampires? Ridiculous. You’ve been watching too much bad TV. As her father, I’d know if anything was wrong!’

‘Which begs the question… what are you?’ I asked, pushing myself out of my chair, dragging the pistol along with my sluggish movements.

‘What on earth do you mean?’

’Monsters are never found together, at least not in my years of hunting them. And I know there’s a Fiend and a Draugr here. So what are you? An innocent bystander that’s been blinded by the power of a Draugr? Or perhaps you’re a zealot, hoping to be turned. Do you help her hunt? Do you lure people into quiet places for her to make her kills? Not that a Draugr would need that, but maybe she’s feeling lazy. I really don’t know, Tom. I don’t know where you fit in all of this.’

I tried to aim my Glock at him, but I couldn’t raise my arm. Tom put a hand out against the wall to steady himself. He almost looked ill now.

His phone buzzed.

‘Listen to me, Anderton. Listen hard. Rel is a good girl who wouldn’t hurt anyone. She is human. I am a loving father to her, nothing more. Monsters don’t exist!’

I dropped the gun. I hadn’t meant to, but why did I need it? Tom was harmless, so it didn’t matter. I rubbed my forehead, a headache erupting behind my eyes.

I heard Tom stagger out of the door. By the time I’d recovered enough to look for him, he was sitting in his car, breathing hard. He looked back at me, and then pulled away.

I slumped against the door. What the hell had that been?

There was a moan from the kitchen.

I would have spun and reacted quickly, but I just didn’t have that in me anymore. I pushed off from the door, and limped towards the kitchen. As I got there, I saw Claire’s legs. She was on the floor. I hurried as much as I could.

She was lying there, passed out. I bent down and checked her breathing. She was breathing fast and shallow. I checked her pulse. It was fast, but strong. Healthy.

I cradled her head and spoke her name.

After a few attempts, her eyes fluttered open. She squeaked out a tiny, ‘Sorry.’

‘Sorry? What happened? Are you all right?’

She shook her head. ‘Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. I just… I don’t know what came over me. I was listening to everything, and then he said something and… I just kind of… had to.’

’Had to what? I asked, confused.

‘Umm, never mind. I just lost control of myself.’

I ignored her vagueness. ‘That didn’t turn out how I expected. I’m not even sure what to think of Rel now. Maybe I made it all up. I’m not used to the effects of your Lyfe. Maybe I was wrong.’

‘No. I haven’t taken any Lyfe, and I saw Richard. It looked like a bear wound on his neck. You were right.’

I rubbed my eyes, and helped Claire stand up despite her shaky legs.

‘At least Tom seemed normal though,’ she said.

‘True. That’s one good thing we can take away from this. Just an innocent bystander.’

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