Darlings of Darkness: A Vampire Anthology Part 102

"I thought you wanted to get the werewolf responsible for killing your parents?"

"I do. I just don't understand why you all of a sudden want in on it. Why don't you wait here for the conquering hero?"

With a sad look, she explained, "Jack is going to kill someone he's come to...I hate to say it... love... and he's doing it for me. You know how badly he wanted to use the stone on the janitor. Once he kills Jersey, the janitor will be human. Untouchable. If we kill him then, we'll go to prison for murder. So you and I are going to do the deed now, before he turns human, and save Jack a lot of grief. We owe it to him."

Billy wasn't sure about this idea. Silver had sent the guy a message to meet her in the field near the cemetery. Even if the janitor showed, that didn't mean they could take him in a fair fight. Silver had admitted herself to losing the first fight with the guy. What made her think she could take him on now?

"I have the weapons in your car," Billy said, shuffling from one foot to the other as second thoughts turned to third thoughts.

"Let's go then."

"Maybe we should invite your parents along."

She made a face. "I don't need their help. Trust me. I probably won't even need you. Let's go."

Chapter Twenty-Four:.

BATTLE BEFORE THE WAR.

Jack sucked in a painful breath and returned to his own body with a disoriented s.h.i.+ver. The car was off the road, parked at an awkward angle in a ditch. At least he hadn't hit a tree. The engine continued to rumble. He tossed the sungla.s.ses aside, still trying to get his bearings. He couldn't believe his idiot brother was helping Silver attack the psychotic janitor without him. They were both going to die.

No wonder she had given in so easily on being left behind. She'd had her own plan. She was going to get herself killed while trying to do something nice for him. The werewolf-janitor had almost killed her once before. She couldn't have developed her power enough to win in such a short time. It hadn't been that long since the attack.

Jersey would have to wait.

Jack had a difficult time getting the car back on the dirt road. It got stuck a couple times. Swearing beneath his breath, he hit the accelerator hard and twisted the steering wheel. He would get out and push if he had to. The tires finally caught a strong piece of soil and he shot off like a well-aimed bullet.

Within five minutes he was on the highway. He tried to calculate how far they could be ahead of him. After he left the house, they'd probably followed before the dust could settle. He also had to factor in the time spent in Billy's memory. And it had taken a while to get on the road again. All things considered, he didn't see how they could be that far ahead of him. Hopefully he would catch them before they met with the janitor.

Jack slapped a hand against the steering wheel. What was she thinking? And what about Billy? Had he lost his mind? Jack didn't know which of them he wanted to strangle first.

When he reached the field, he caught sight of Silver through the dirty winds.h.i.+eld. She and the janitor were locked in a silent battle. They stood frozen, eyes connected as she tried to suck his soul out. Billy was on the sidelines, rifle in hand. Jack didn't even bother to turn off the car's engine. He jumped out and ran to Billy.

His eyes were on Silver the whole time. Her body was shaking like a tiny leaf in the midst of a hurricane. She was losing the battle. The werewolf-janitor was trying something none of them suspected he could be capable of; he was trying to suck her soul out-and by the terrified look in her eyes, Jack suspected it was working.

"She's losing," Jack said, talking to himself more than to his brother.

"She's fine," Billy said, but his voice didn't have a trace of confidence.

"No, she isn't!"

Jack charged the battling couple. He tackled Silver, breaking the eye contact between the two. She grunted as she hit the ground. Jack kept her body covered, fearing instant retribution. Nothing happened. He looked up to see Billy fighting the thing.

Now his brother was in danger.

Silver looked up, eyes widened in fear. There was a bleeding cut on her cheek, but she didn't seem to notice. "You have to help Billy!" she shouted.

The stone had fallen from his pocket. It was on the ground near Silver's arm. She grabbed it and tossed it in the air. Jack caught it.

"Use it," Silver yelled.

"But..."

"It's going to kill Billy! Hurry!" She shook her head, tears in her eyes. She sobbed, "This is my fault. Don't let him die because of me."

Billy was flat on his back with the lunatic janitor on top of him. The werewolf wasn't trying to scratch him because that could lead to him being infected. It didn't want to create another werewolf. Its hands were around Billy's throat. The werewolf wanted him dead.

Jack ran to the struggling pair. He intended to slap the stone against the werewolf's head before it could guess his intentions, but the ugly janitor was smarter than he looked. He swung an arm, hit Jack on the wrist, and sent the stone flying. Jack's eyes lost it in the bright sunlight.

The werewolf returned to choking Billy. It didn't seem concerned with Jack or Silver at the moment. Jack's eyes went to the gra.s.s where the stone had landed. If he used vampire-speed, he might be able to find it in time. He looked to Silver. She was on her feet, her expression set. She was going to attack the janitor again. This time she might not be so lucky.

Jack kicked the beast in the shoulder, knocking it off his brother.

The werewolf jumped to his feet. The thing's glowing eyes pinned Jack. It growled.

Jack snarled back.

The werewolf janitor lunged at the same time as Jack. They clashed in the air, landed hard on the ground. A vicious fight ensued. The janitor ripped at Jack with invisible claws. It missed ever time. Jack's fangs pushed through the gums. His powers returned in a rush.

Surprised, the werewolf lost his concentration.

Jack swung his hand. Metallic claws reflected the sunlight. The claws caught the werewolf on his arm just below the shoulder and ripped through his s.h.i.+rt, cutting him deep.

The werewolf-janitor stumbled away. It gazed down at the wound in wonder. It touched the torn s.h.i.+rt. A strange sound emanated from its throat. It began to tremble from head to toe. The thing went to its knees in front of Jack.

Billy appeared at Jack's side, sword in hand. "You killed my family. Now you can go to h.e.l.l."

He swung the long blade, cleanly removing the werewolf's head. It rolled several yards, stopping before the body fell forward and hit the ground. Finally the murderer was dead. In seconds it turned to a pile of ashes.

Silver came up behind Jack. He lifted his arm, inviting her to step closer. His arm went around her. He held her tight.

"It's over." Billy smiled.

"I didn't have to use the rock," Jack said, pleased with himself. "We can still use it on Jersey."

Silver shook her head. "No, please. Not yet. I think I've had enough hunting for a while. Too much excitement is bad for the heart."

Jack squeezed her. "If Jersey comes after us, we won't have a choice. Anyway, what were the two of you thinking?" He glared at his brother. "You almost got her killed, idiot."

Silver said, "You gave up your revenge for me. You were going to kill the head werewolf and give me my life back. I wanted to do something for you. I thought if I could kill him before you got to Jersey, we would both have what we want most."

"No. It was my fault," Billy said. "You can't take the blame. I wanted revenge just as much as Jack."

"But it was my idea," she said.

"Enough." Jack held his hands up. "It doesn't matter who did what. It's done now. I'm just glad everyone is okay. You are okay, aren't you?"

His eyes went to Silver first, then to his brother. They both nodded. Billy rubbed his sore throat. The pile of ashes began to blow away as a gentle breeze pa.s.sed over the field. Jack watched it with delight. His parents had died at the hands of the psychotic werewolf, and now it was dead. Revenge really was sweet.

Silver walked over the gra.s.s, her gaze lowered. She found the stone almost immediately. With a smile, she picked it up and showed it to Jack. "Got it."

She gave it to him, and he slid it into his pocket. He didn't even want to think about using it on Jersey. That was going to a tough situation. He certainly wasn't looking forward to returning to school. What if Jersey continued to teach English cla.s.s? Could they be in the same room with each other after everything and not try to kill each other?

"We did it," Billy said. His smile widened, and he put an arm around Jack's shoulders. "Thanks for saving my b.u.t.t back there."

"No problem, bro."

"I guess you're going to turn out to be a good hunter after all."

"Yeah, we'll see." Jack put one arm around Billy and the other around Silver. He brought them close. They were his family now, and he no longer missed his vampire clan. "Let's go home and celebrate."

They laughed as they walked to the car.

Chapter Twenty-Five:.

A BRAND NEW DAY.

Three weeks pa.s.sed without a sign of Jersey anywhere. Jack was both anxious and relieved by his former teacher's disappearance. He'd received a special surprise in the mail from the man, a deed to his property. Jersey had given him his fake house and the beautiful mansion beneath.

Jack sat at Jersey's desk in his study, and Silver perched on the edge. It was almost like they were replaying a scene from Jersey's past with Pagan. It was somehow comforting to Jack. He leaned back in Jersey's chair, allowing his gaze to drift around the room. It didn't look like Jersey had taken anything with him.

"What are you going to do with this place?" Silver asked.

Jack sighed. He'd given it a great deal of thought since finding out he owned it. With a shrug he said, "I have no idea. Maybe we should use it as a sort of headquarters for hunters."

"Great. The werewolves and vampires won't be able to find out what we're up to if we have a secret hideout. I love it."

"Its way better than the secret room my parents had."

"What's that?" Silver walked to the fireplace. She pulled out an envelope from behind a book, one edge sticking out. "It has your name on it."

Silver handed it to him. Jersey's fluid handwriting traveled across the middle of the envelope. Jack's breath caught in his throat. He opened the envelope with trembling fingers and pulled a folded piece of paper out, hoping it wasn't bad news. He was disappointed to find nothing written on it. Why would Jersey give him a plain piece of paper?

Jack lifted it for Silver's inspection. "Maybe he was in a hurry."

"I have an idea." Silver came around the desk. She smiled at him before placing her hand on top of his. The familiar electric current shot through him, announcing the beginning of a new journey.

Jack glanced around with a frown. They hadn't gone anywhere. They were still in the study. For a moment he thought it hadn't worked, but then his eyes traveled the room. Jersey Clifford stood on the opposite side of the desk, a smug smile on his face. Silver gasped, spotting him at the same time. Jack squeezed her hand, rea.s.suring her without words.

"Welcome," Jersey said. "I wanted a chance to say good-bye to you, Jack, but I didn't want to tempt the fates. One of us might have felt compelled to kill the other before the appointed time."

Jersey moved to the center of the room. He spread his hands and slowly turned. "Well, what do you think of your new home? I hope you enjoy it. The thought of it sitting empty, no one to appreciate it, sank my heart. Of course, by now you have realized I am gone for good." He scowled. "I will hold building my army off for as long as I can because I do not wish to destroy you, but someday...someday I will have no choice. We will battle to the death. Yours, I'm afraid."

Jersey went to the shelf and pulled a hardcover book from the stack. "In my fit of anger I trashed several of my favorites, but this one I saved. I would like for you to read it. Someday I hope to discuss it with you in depth. I'd like to hear your take on it. My fondest wish is for us to have a conversation like the ones I so enjoyed having with you before."

Jack looked to the shelf. He saw the book Jersey wanted him to read. The vision of Jersey and the book filled the empty place in his heart. He'd had a void since Jersey and Cowboy had blown town. With neither of them around life seemed to lose some of its spice.

Jersey lifted his hand in a slight wave. "I feel kind of stupid talking to myself, but I know you'll see this. I am sorry beyond belief our time was cut short. We've lost countless opportunities to share our views. Good-bye for now, my friend, my enemy. I will greatly miss you. Perhaps even more than I miss Pagan in some ways. Allow me to leave you with one last quote."

"Sudden and swift and light as that the ties gave, and he learned of finalities besides the grave."

And then he was gone.

"What was that?" Silver looked up at Jack as they returned to the present. "What did it mean?"

"It was a poem by Robert Frost, Jersey's way of saying good-bye."

"O-kay. That was kind of creepy."

Jack crossed the room to the book shelf and picked up the volume Jersey had wanted him to read. It was one of his favorites, one of Lily's favorites. Jack opened it. Jersey had written a little note on the inside. We all have a destiny, known or unknown. Our choice is to run from it or embrace it. Choose well.

"You really liked him, didn't you?" Silver's expression was one of total disbelief. "After everything he did, you still like him."

How could he explain it to her when he didn't understand it himself? "He reminded me of my father. Not in a bad way. My father kept his emotions in check. He gave new meaning to calm, cool, and collected. Then there was the way I felt when talking to Jersey. He had all this wisdom to share. Having him around was almost like having my father back."

Silver walked over to him and slid into his arms. The side of her face pressed against his chest. She mumbled against his s.h.i.+rt. "I'm sorry you had to lose him. My parents are searching for Jersey via computer and contacts, but they probably won't be able to find him for years. Maybe by the time they do, I'll be able to suck his soul out, and you won't have to kill him."

It was a horrible thing to wish for, but Jack found himself doing just that. He wasn't sure if he had the strength to face Jersey on a battlefield. No matter what awful things Jersey did, Jack feared he would always love the man. At least the parts that reminded him of the father he'd lost.

Would it be better for Jersey to have his soul sucked out or to be touched by the rock?

"What do you think happens to the souls you suck out? Are they lost forever?"

"No. Didn't you read that part in the diary?"

"I guess I missed it."

"Lovely says they travel on, heaven or h.e.l.l, wherever they were meant to be."