Theo approached Ben who had not bothered to move. He remained seated on the dry grass staring into the distance.

“Benedict, we made a deal when I freed your little friend. Should you run away I will find you. But first, I will find Isabel Butler and I will kill her. No matter how well you think she might be hidden,” said Theo. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a slender wooden stake. “I know this won’t kill you, however, it will incapacitate you long enough for Riku to complete the ritual. Co-operate and behave yourself or I will penetrate your heart. Have I made myself clear?”

Ben stared at the menacing length of wood in Theo’s hand. The urge to snatch it from his grasp and stab Theo with it nibbled at him like an annoying itch. He knew it was pointless, Theo was stronger and faster than him. For Izzy’s sake, he was going to have to do as he was told. He stood up and stared at Theo, saying nothing at all. Theo took the action as a response and after giving Ben a curt nod, he returned to Rik at the altar.

Theo placed the stake down on the altar with Rik’s other gathered items. “Now then, shall we begin?”

Rik slid the ceramic bowl toward him and in the light of the candles he began preparing his worktop. “The initial stage of the process is all me, so you two might as well make yourselves comfortable on the seating apparatus,” he said without looking up from his work. His eyes were focused on the papers and his hands were fiddling with his equipment.

“By seating apparatus, I presume you mean the rigidly uncomfortable wooden benches,” Ben said. He dragged his feet across the grass he made his way to the bench.

Theo sighed the way a parent sighs at an irritable teenager. “Your comfort came secondary to their functionality I’m afraid, Benedict,” he said. He took off his jacket and laid it carefully over the head of his bench before lowering his backside daintily onto the wood.

“I doubt my comfort came even second,” he muttered, still standing. Remaining standing was his small act of defiance.

“You’re quite right, Benedict, your comfort was and still is the furthest thing from my mind. Now sit down, you’re making the place look untidy,” Theo said, his fuse getting shorter with every word spoken.

“It’s a garden. I’m fine standing.” Ben didn’t even point out that Aiden and Andrea were both standing as well. Apparently, they were far enough out of Theo’s line of sight to not bother him.

“Benedict—”

“Ben! My name is Ben!” he snapped, balling his hands into fists and stamping his foot in true childish fashion. The hopelessness of the situation had finally ground him down and forced him to lash out like a cornered cat.

Theo was on him in a flash. His hand crushed Ben’s throat and lifted him right off the floor so his feet were dangling uselessly. Ben punched Theo’s arm with both of his fists but Theo seemed to not even feel it.

“Let me be clear, Benedict. Your temper tantrums will achieve nothing. I will call you whatever I want and you will obey my instructions. If you do not, then I will plunge that stake into your heart and the rest of the ritual will play out whilst you lay in a state of death, completely unaware of what is happening around you.”

Theo’s words smothered what little rebellion Ben had in him. If he was staked then he’d have no chance of escaping should the opportunity arise. Even if the chances of that happening did look as slim as a slither of moonlight appearing in the black sky.

Seeing that Ben had been suitably cowed, Theo released him from his grip, and Ben crumpled to the floor.

“Now, sit down.”

Ben pushed himself to his feet, refusing to meet the gaze of either Aiden or Andrea; he was too ashamed from the public humiliation he’d received. He felt like a child who had been spanked in the middle of a supermarket.

He dropped himself onto the bench with a thud. It was just as comfortable as it looked and his only saving grace was that he probably wouldn’t have to sit on it for long. He kept his gaze on the grass at his feet, obstinately not looking at Theo who had positioned himself directly opposite him.

A cool winter breeze drifted around his shoulders and held him in its chilly embrace. He didn’t mind it. Sitting in the cold on a dark night might be one of the last experiences he ever had; the least he could do was try to appreciate it.

A flicker of light caught Ben’s eyes and turned to Rik who was still working at the altar. He had lit a set of small candles and was now positioning the bowl on a small metal stand. He began to mutter in that strange language again and soon the mixture within the bowl began to bubble. He scooped up a handful of what looked like herbs and sprinkled them into the ball, chanting away all the while. Ben wished the mixture would explode in his face and ruin the entire ritual. Then they’d have to wait a whole month for the next new moon which would give him ample time to escape.

But that did not happen. Rik raised two dark gemstones that reflected the candlelight on their smooth surfaces; then he dropped them into the bowl. They submerged beneath the liquid with a little plop followed by angry popping that sounded like eggs spitting in a frying pan.

Rik stopped chanting and looked up. The contents of the bowl cast an eery glow that highlighted his face and cast shadows over his features. He looked like he was about to tell a scary story. In actual fact, he was about to enact one and Ben was the unwilling subject of the tale.

“Now it is time for the vampires,” he said. He held his hands out indicating for them to stand on either side of the altar.

Theo stood and raised an eyebrow at Ben, daring him to refuse. Ben stood up and stomped across the grass to the altar.

“Ever so cantankerous,” Rik said, smiling patronisingly at him.

“Now, now, don’t vex the poor boy. Not when he’s finally learned to be obedient,” said Theo as he arrived at the opposite side of the altar. “What do you require from us?”

Rik lifted a large ceremonial knife from the altar and brandished it at them. “Just a hint of blood from each of you. Who’d like to start the proceedings?”

Theo extended his arm and pushed up his shirt sleeve so his wrist was exposed. “Start with me. Perhaps that will assuage some of young Benedict’s fears.”

Ben chose not to rise to Theo’s antagonistic remark. He bit down on his frustration and watched as Rik dragged the blade across Theo’s ghostly white skin. The flesh parted and thick dark blood oozed out. It ran smoothly over Theo’s arm and poured over the sides, spilling down into the bowl in twin streams. His skin knitted itself back together before long and only the blood remained as evidence that he had been cut at all.

“Your turn,” Rik said as Theo pulled his arm away.

Ben offered his own wrist up for the knife, rolling up the sleeve of his baggy, borrowed shirt. The blade stung as it sliced his skin open but he did not wince. He did not want Theo to have that tiny satisfaction, even though the successful completion of the ritual would bring the older vampire more satisfaction than a thousand pained expressions.

Ben’s blood ran freely into the bowl before his wound sealed and cut the supply. He withdrew his limb and watched as the bowl bubbled and boiled whilst Rik mixed the new ingredients in and muttered a fresh incantation.

“What is that language?” Ben asked, but Rik ignored him and kept muttering at the bowl.

“Don’t distract my warlock,” Theo warned him before jerking his head at the benches.

Ben returned to his seat like a good little boy. He glanced over at Aiden who was still standing out of the way with Andrea. His eyes were vacant and distant as if he’d fled his own mind and gone to a happier place. Ben wished he could have gone with him. Any place would be better than this one.

He traced back through his memories of the last week and thought of all the choices that he could have made differently that might have avoided putting him on the path to this place right now with Theo.

“It’s ready,” Rik said. He took hold of a small glass and scooped up some of the hot, bloody mixture. He walked around the altar with the full glass. Ben wrinkled his nose in disgust, hoping that he was not going to have to chug the stuff down.

He was in luck. Rik walked to the centre of the circle before offering the drink out before him. “My lady,” he said to Andrea, inclining his head in a mock bow.

She turned to Aiden for guidance and the vacant vampire pushed her forward.

“Don’t be afraid, little love. It’s just a drink,” Theo told her.

She fixed him with a steely gaze and strode forward. “I’m not afraid,” she said in defiance. And Ben knew that she was not lying. He had stolen her fear from her. At the time he’d done so out of kindness but maybe if he’d let her feel her terror it might have motivated her to escape. Perhaps he had condemned her in his efforts to make her ordeal less awful.

She snatched the glass from Rik’s hand and raised it to her mouth, recoiling at the scent of it.

“Bottoms up,” the warlock said with a strained smile.

Andrea tipped it down her gullet like she was downing a drink in a nightclub. If only. Ben had never much liked clubbing, but even that was preferable to this. Obviously. Everything was preferable to dying.

Andrea doubled over, retching and coughing as her body tried to expel the alien substance. Only bloody spit came out and Rik’s tincture stayed safely in the confines of her stomach. She fell to her knees, her arms and legs trembling as whatever she had consumed did its work inside her.

“What’s next?” Theo asked, watching Andrea with interest.

“Now it’s your turn to drink. Which of you wants to sample the spoils of our little lamb first?” Rik asked.

“Let the progenitor have the first taste. Just in case this has been an elaborate ruse to poison me,” said Theo.

“As you desire, Captain Paranoia.” Rik rolled his eyes in an exaggerated fashion. “If I was going to poison—and after you threw me to the wolves with my coven that would be more than just—I would go about the subterfuge a touch more slyly.”

“Be careful, Riku. I might just take your jest for a confession and then I’ll throw you under a literal bus,” Theo said, smiling sweetly. Then he turned to Ben. “Drink from her. Now.”

“Just a little though. A pint or two tops. Don’t be a greedy pig,” Rik warned.

“What has my life become?” Ben shook his head at the whole situation as he made his way to Andrea.

She was on her knees on the ground, her arms wrapped around her obviously aching abdomen. She looked up as he approached, her eyes wet and glossy. Clearly whatever she’d consumed was overriding Ben’s mesmerisation since she was obviously in pain.

“What’s happening?” she asked. Her fear was returning as well.

He tried to give her a consoling look, but no facial expression he offered was going to make her feel any better. Nothing could. “I’m so sorry,” he said, aware of how feeble the words sounded on the cold night air. And then he lunged forward.

His fangs slid into her neck with ease. She didn’t struggle, she didn’t have the chance to. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly in a warm embrace. As he feasted on her blood he tried to give her comfort, knowing that any attempt would fail. But it wasn’t really for her. It was for him. He wanted to feel like he’d done everything he could to make her experience less horrific, even if realistically he did nothing at all.

Her blood was bitter with a sour tang. The woody aftertaste was a first for Ben and he blamed it on all the stuff Rik had dropped into the mixture. He fed for only a few minutes and when he pulled back his head Andrea flopped weakly in his grip. He looked over at Rik for confirmation that he’d taken enough of her blood and he was met with a small nod.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered again before lowering Andrea gently onto the grass.

Ben backed away from the poor woman as Theo made his approach.

“Ben will have to be sorry for the both of us,” he said, lowering himself down to his knees. “Fret not, though I may not be apologetic, I am sincerely grateful. Your sacrifice is for the gain of all vampires, and for that, I thank you, dear child.”

Theo dived in like a ravenous snake and fed in true animalistic style. Ben looked away, unwilling to watch such a beastly demonstration. For all his chivalric behaviour he was nothing but a savage monster beneath it.

Ben’s eyes fell on the stake that Theo had left on the altar. He could grab and attack Theo whilst he was distracted by Andrea. With his vampiric speed, he might just get there before Theo or Rik could stop him.

Rik was staring at Ben and he seemed to understand exactly what Ben was thinking. He shook his head slowly, and Ben thought he saw empathy in the warlock’s eyes. Rik silently mouthed something to Ben and although Ben had never been very good at lip-reading, it looked like the warlock said, “Not yet.”

A small flicker of hope sparked to life and Ben stared at the warlock, wondering if he did have some secret plan afoot.

“I must say I’ve had better,” Theo said as he returned to Ben and Rik. “What’s next?”

Ben glanced back at Andrea who was motionless on the grass between the two benches. Her eyes were open and gazing vaguely up at the starless sky. Her heart beat slowly, weakly. If left she would probably die soon, but Ben knew better than to think that her part was done.

“You’re all bound by blood and you have the mixture in your veins. You’re primed for the transfer, the final stage can begin. You should both lie down on the benches. You are about to feel a little woozy,” Rik said.

Ben didn’t even bother to argue this time. He took himself over to his bench and got into position. It was just like a trip to the dentist except this time something far worse than having a stranger poking about in his mouth was about to happen.

When Theo was in position on his bench, his head rested on his jacket, he turned to look at Ben and smiled gratefully, as if Ben had willingly done all this for him. “See you on the other side,” he said and then turned away without waiting for a response.

Rik went down to his knees between them with Andrea in front of him. “Your sacrifice is not for nothing,” Rik told her kindly. Then he brandished his knife once again.

Ben wanted to look away. He did not want to watch the poor girl die for a sick and twisted vampire’s personal gain. But he could not tear his eyes from the scene before him. Whether it was guilt or morbid curiosity he did not know, but he knew that he had to watch and he was powerless to resist.

Rik started to chant, this time his voice grew louder until he was shouting the strange words into the night. Each word hung on the still air like a scythe waiting to swing down. He raised the knife in both hands above his head. Throughout everything so far, Ben had felt nothing, but now as Rik shouted, he felt a heaviness fill the air. The prickliness of static buzzed around him. The branches of the trees started to sway in the wind that had not existed a moment ago. The candle flames danced to the rhythm of the chanting and rather than going out they seemed to grow in size and luminosity. The wind picked up and Rik’s long hair flew around his face dancing in the wind like dark ribbons. Ben clung onto his bench, fearful that the wind would blow him right off.

Even as he dug his fingers into the wood he felt his grip slacken. His heart was slowing down and as it did he felt an irresistible tiredness set in. His muscles were losing power. His body felt like it was sagging, melting into the bench. Every cell that comprised him held the weight of an anvil. Even keeping his eyes open seemed to be a great chore. He tried to speak, but his lips moved lazily and no sound came out.

Rik slammed the knife down. Andrea’s mouth flew open and her scream cut through the air like a javelin. The chanting stopped. The wind died. Every flame on every candle vanished plunging the entire garden into darkness.

🦇 🦇 🦇

Erin crept along the edges of the garden hiding within the shadows provided by the prize-worthy bushes. The axe from the hospital was clutched in her hand. She felt a strange attachment to that particular axe. It had been a part of the original plan and she wanted it to be the same axe that finalised the plan. There was something poetic about it to her. Nervous sweat from her palm made the wood slippery in her grip and she tightened her grasp. She crouched down just a few feet away from the candlelit circle and assessed the situation.

Theo and Ben were lying on two wooden benches whilst the warlock knelt between them. In front of the warlock was a young woman who was either dead or dying by the looks of things. A short distance from them stood another vampire, she assumed he was Theo’s boyfriend. The boyfriend was watching fretfully, nibbling on his fingernails. If ever there was a person who was not cut out to be a vampire it was him. She’d thought Ben was unworthy of the red kiss, but this guy made Ben look like the perfect candidate for vampirism.

She glanced at Ben who was gripping the bench tightly, his head angled so he could watch the chanting warlock. Erin didn’t think she’d ever admit it to him, but Ben had started to grow on her. One might even say that she had been wrong in her initial estimations of him; of course, that one would not be Erin. She was never wrong, sometimes she was a little mistaken, but she was never wrong.

She wondered if Ben could be relied on to not get in the way. She didn’t want him to get killed, however, if she was faced with the choice of saving Ben or killing Theo, she knew what she’d choose without even considering it. For decades the only thing she had dreamed of was killing Theo and avenging her brother.

Theo lay on his bench in a state of total relaxation. Maybe it was an act, but looking at him one would think he had not a care in the world. He was confident that he could handle any threat. He was an ancient vampire surrounded by the vampire equivalent of babies. The warlock could pose a threat to him, but the warlock was clearly on the payroll.

Other than Theo, the warlock was the biggest threat. She hoped that she was right about the ritual leaving him weak, otherwise things were not going to end well for her.

Erin drew in a deep breath to calm her thundering heart. She knew that this was the last chance she was ever going to get at killing Theo. He’d already slipped away once. The same would not happen again. If she failed she would not survive. It was him or her, and she was determined that it would be him. She’d kill everyone in that circle if she had to.

The warlock’s chanting grew to an incessant shouting and the trees around the ritual area started to shake in the wind. Bizarrely, the trees and bushes around Erin remained totally still as if the wind was being contained in a snow globe. She’d experienced very little magic in her life so what she was seeing was entirely new to her.

She shifted the axe so she was holding it in both hands and prepared to charge at Theo. She’d gorged on plenty of blood prior to coming to the house so she was at full strength. If she could surprise Theo whilst he was still prone on the bench, maybe she could take his head off before he had a chance to counter her attack.

She knew that was just wishful thinking, but a woman could dream. She’d have to act fast. Gone was her dream of taking her time and enjoying torturing Theo. Her only chance was to kill him before he knew what was going on.

The candles were extinguished simultaneously and darkness swooped over the garden. Vampires had excellent night vision, but it took Erin a moment to adjust to the sudden darkness. When she did she wasted no time. She ran with all the supernatural speed she could muster. She charged at Theo who was still lying on the bench. The bastard wouldn’t know what had hit him until his head was disconnected from his neck. Maybe she’d celebrate by kicking his head around like a football.

Erin slammed straight into an invisible wall and rebounded off of nothing. She hit the grass hard and only just managed to stop herself from grunting, not in pain, but in shock. She pulled herself up in a flash, ready for a fight. But no vampire or warlock had knocked her down. She saw what she had missed. A thick line of salt ran around the ritual area. It must have been spelled to keep any gatecrashers from entering. Theo had taken precautions. She cursed at her own stupidity for not spotting it before. There was no way she was going to get into that circle now.

The candle wicks flickered back to life, lighting the circle up once more. The only person who had moved was the warlock. He was on the ground slumped against the altar, clearly exhausted from the magic he’d cast. She would have smiled had he not been staring right at her. His eyes, reflecting the dancing flames of the candles, met hers. She froze and waited for him to alert Theo, but he simply looked away as though he had never seen her at all.

“My part is done,” said the warlock, his voice hushed and tired. “You need only drink the blood of the progenitor and his power will be yours.”

Theo sat bolt upright like a gothic vampire rising from his coffin. Ben tried to get up too, but he lacked the strength and slipped right off the edge of his bench and landed on the floor in a pathetic heap. Theo wobbled as he stood up but it took him only a moment to regain his balance. Theo must have been having an easier time because he was five centuries old. His age gave him an advantage in every situation.

Theo pounced across the space and Ben kicked both feet into the wooden bench. It flew up and collided with Theo, both bench and vampire hit the ground in an untidy heap. Erin’s heart sang to see that Theo had been weakened at least enough to give Ben a fighting chance. But Ben would not be able to hold out for long.

Theo would kill Ben if Erin did not find a way into that circle, and although Ben’s life was not in any way her priority, she would save him if she could. In fact, she found herself wanting to save the annoying little specimen.

The warlock turned her way again and she ducked behind the nearby bush to avoid being seen.

He muttered something unintelligible to himself before flicking his fingers in her direction. Erin had to blink several times to be sure that she was not hallucinating. With the motion of the warlock’s fingers, the salt circle broke creating a small, but very real, gap. The magic was broken. Erin could enter.

She didn’t waste any time thinking about why the warlock had done that. She raised the axe above her head and ran at Theo. The older vampire had Ben by the ankle and was dragging him across the grass whilst Ben struggled against him. The younger vampire kicked clumps of grassy mud at Theo with his free leg, whilst he dug his fingers into the ground.

“Theo!” the boyfriend shouted in surprise as Erin shot into the circle.

All her hopes were dashed with that single cry. Theo turned in the nick of time and his hand grabbed the axe, holding it still, just inches from his pompous neck.

“You pertinacious wretch,” he growled.

Weakened or not, he still had more than enough strength to wrestle the axe from her grip and send her staggering sideways. She narrowly avoided falling down to the ground. Theo swung the axe at her and she flung herself out of his reach. The axe whistled by close enough to lift her hair.

He swung the axe again. This time Erin rolled under it and leapt up, her fingers extended toward his throat. He smashed the side of the axe into her head, connecting viciously with her temple. Stars exploded in her vision as she was thrown to the floor. Her senses were too scattered for her to get back to her feet, so she remained on the ground, limbs sprawled, and the garden spinning around her.

“Even on my worst night I’m still far stronger than the likes of you, woman,” he said, spitting her gender at her like it was an insult.

“What I lack in strength, I make up for in brains, man,” she said, putting even more emphasis on his own gender.

Theo stretched his mouth into a thin smile that seemed to take more effort than he would have liked to admit. “Yes, you’re so smart that you came running alone into a fight that you couldn’t possibly win.”

“Didn’t you learn anything from the hospital? I always have backup,’ she said, taking supreme satisfaction in the confused creases that took residence on his brow.

“What backup?”

The first gunshot rang out from the darkness.

🦇 🦇 🦇

A single shot broke through the silence and tore through the air. Theo hit the deck and rolled behind a nearby tree. Aiden stared stupidly into the darkness, searching for the shooter. The bullet found a home in his chest and he screamed as he went down.

Using what little strength he had, Ben grabbed his bench and used it to shield himself from the shooter. Although he was immune to silver’s effects, a bullet would still hurt if it got lodged in his skin.

“Do you seriously believe you can kill me with your toys?” Theo roared at the attackers. The only reply he got was a fresh wave of gunfire. Ben noticed there was more than one gun being fired. Erin had brought multiple shooters.

Ben poked his head up above his bench and saw that Theo had taken cover behind the other bench. Erin was sheltered behind one of the trees. A bullet thudded into Ben’s bench and he quickly retreated to safety.

“Erin who the hell have you brought along and why are they shooting at me?” Ben screamed.

“They don’t have night vision!” Erin yelled back.

The shooting paused, probably so the assailants could reload their weapons and Rik used the opportunity to hurry along the grass on his hands and knees. He arrived at Ben’s side, planting his back against the bench. He was breathing heavily, a combination of panic and exhaustion. The shooting resumed just as he arrived.

“Who are the party crashers?” he asked, jerking his thumb in the direction of the shooters.

Ben shrugged. “I don’t know.” Even as he spoke his brain coughed up an answer. Trevor Castling was the most likely person, but clearly, he had not come alone. Erin would never have trusted him again, not after he’d fucked up the plan last time.

Rik gave Ben a once over and winced. “You look terrible,” he said, not that he looked particularly concerned.

“Yes, I wonder if it has anything to do with that nasty bit of magic you just did?”

Rik nodded lethargically. ‘Yeah, probably. If it’s any consolation it’s taken it out of me too. I don’t think I’ll be casting any more spells tonight. But maybe I can give you a hand in an alternate way,’ he rolled up the sleeve of his cardigan and offered Ben his wrist. Ben could see his artery throbbing even in the darkness. The thumping call of his pulse was lyrical in Ben’s ravenous state.

“Whose side are you on?” Ben asked, staring at Rik and seeing him for the bizarre anomaly that he was.

“I’m on whichever side works out best for me, Ben. I allied with Theo because I didn’t have a choice. He backed me into a corner, but I don’t trust him and I’d really rather not make him any more powerful than he is presently. So, you can take my blood and gain the strength you need to fight back, but, I want a promise in return.”

“What is it?” Ben growled, knowing that he’d agree to anything if it ensured his survival.

‘You have to protect me from my coven.’

It was the sort of decision that Ben would have preferred to ruminate on for a little while. There was too much left unknown. He had several questions and no time in which to answer them.

“I’m afraid time is of the essence. You can take my blood and get up and fight, or you can cower here and hope that rabble take Theo down for you, but I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Rik said, verbalising Ben’s thoughts perfectly.

Ben nodded. “Deal.”

He grabbed Rik’s wrist and pulled it closer to his mouth. He could smell the sweet fragrance of the warlock’s blood even through the skin, or maybe he was just so desperate that he was imagining things.

“Just a little drink now,” Rik warned him.

Ben opened his mouth and chomped down on Rik’s wrist. The moment the warlock’s blood touched his tongue he felt a surge of energy that kicked his body to life. The taste was exquisite. There were no coppery taints or bitter aftertastes. It was like eating the finest cuisine available. The taste was unrivalled. Waves of ecstasy rolled through him making him feel not just strong, but impervious.

An explosion of pain rippled across the back of his head and the arm was yanked away from him. Rik stared at him viciously, covering his wound with his other hand.

“You greedy bitch, I told you just a little,” he hissed.

Ben sat back, still reeling from the insane euphoria that Rik’s blood had gifted him. “Your blood tastes so good,” he said, smiling stupidly.

“Obviously, it’s full of magic, that’s why you only need a little. Now that you’ve had my special warlock juice, how about you go and cut the wings off the big bad bat?”

Ben smiled even widely. His head was buzzing as though he’d just taken a line of the purest cocaine known to man. “Gladly.”