ReVamped Read online

  “I can get a real-time aerial satellite view of the area on my computer,” Seth suggested, turning on his laptop. “The heat-seeking technology will be able to show us any bodies around the building.”

  He pulled up a search-engine map on his laptop. Within moments, we could see that Dixie Pharmaceuticals was surrounded by six warm bodies and eight much cooler ones.

  Those must be the Vampiricol-fuelled humans and the rogue vamps,” Sebastian muttered.

  “Let’s get to the butt-kicking!” Hunter grabbed a heavy machine gun from the weapons bag and started out toward the building.

  “No!” I cautioned. Before he had a chance to give away our position, I pulled him back. “We need a plan first!”

  “I suggest we divide and conquer,” Sebastian said.

  Brooke suddenly perked up. “Sophie and I will distract the guards,” she said, undoing the top button of her black blouse. “No one can resist a damsel in distress.” She fluffed up her hair and unfastened yet another button.

  Sophie looked at her wide-eyed, clearly not interested in taking part in whatever escapade Brooke had in mind.

  Brooke rolled her eyes impatiently. “Relax, prude. I’m not gonna ask you to take off your clothes,” she assured her. “That unsexy librarian look may come in handy if any of the guards are old, prissy ladies.”

  Then, turning to me, she asked, “What do you say, Dawn? I’m sure that between my allure, Sophie’s dullness, and Crazy Daisy over here,” she said, motioning toward the fluffy dog, “we’ll have no problem keeping those guys occupied for a little while.”

  Brooke was so self-assured in her plan, so excited to contribute to the mission in her own unique way, I couldn’t help but give in. “Okay, fine. You two can distract the guards,” I conceded.

  “Seth, you should stay here and be our lookout. Work some of that tech-magic and make sure to notify us at the first sign of trouble,” I directed, handing him a transmitter that was synched-up to all of our earpieces. Seth was the least agile of the team members and would slow us down inside the building, but his proficiency with technology would be a great asset to the mission in his position as watchman.

  “Once the coast is clear, Sebastian, Hunter and I are going to sneak inside,” I explained, handing each of them a wooden-bullet gun and grabbing a crossbow for myself. Ethan, you—” I paused. Despite being a well-trained human, he was still weaker than most vampires. Without help from Vampiricol, he wouldn’t stand a chance in a fight. I resolved to keep him out of harm’s way. “Ethan you—”

  He cut me off. “I’m coming with you,” his voice was determined, unwavering.

  I shook my head. “I can’t risk your life.”

  “That decision isn’t yours to make,” he said. “I’m going in with you.”

  “Fine,” I hesitantly passed him the weapons bag. “Please be careful,” I urged.

  Moments later, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Brooke’s plan was actually working. She strutted over to the guards, flagging them down theatrically, fake tears rolling down her perfectly painted cheeks. Sophie followed closely behind, holding Daisy to her chest, all the while trying her best to mimic Brooke’s award-winning performance. I rolled my eyes, chuckling at the girls’ melodramatic story of heartbreak and woe. The guards, however, seemed to be hanging onto their every word. As Brooke and Sophie began leading them away from the building, I motioned for Sebastian, Hunter and Ethan to follow me.

  Darting from one industrial-sized dumpster to another and finding cover behind old, abandoned cars, I led the group to the entrance on the west side of the building—the access point best concealed from the view of the guards. The heavy glass door was firmly locked, but I easily picked the single bolt. As we slipped into the musty-smelling structure, I took one last glance in Brooke and Sophie’s direction. I noticed that one of the vampires at Brooke’s side was the same tattooed man we had fought at the werewolf camp. He had not recognized the girls yet, but it would only be a matter of time before something jogged his memory.

  “We have to hurry!” I urged as we reached a concrete stairwell.

  The building had only two floors, but what it lacked in height, it made up for in width.

  “We don’t have much time and there’s too much ground to cover. We’ll have to split up,” I said. “Sebastian, you and Hunter search the top level. Ethan and I will take this floor.”

  Sebastian looked like he was about to protest, but instead nodded and led Hunter up the stairs.

  “Let’s go,” I whispered to Ethan, raising my crossbow.

  The building was eerily quiet. Only the soft sound of our footsteps and the sharp electrical buzz of the fluorescent lighting above us could be heard throughout the long hallways. I pushed open every door we passed, carefully peering into each room. They were all vacant, save for some scientific instruments and laboratory equipment strewn about.

  Within minutes, we had reached the last door. I prepared to open it with one hand, as I aimed my bow with the other. Just as my fingers reached the handle, a loud click sounded from the other side. The door swung open, revealing a tall, thin middle-aged woman on the other side. She wore a white lab coat over a neatly pressed pantsuit, her graying golden hair pulled back into a tight bun.

  Ethan gasped as the woman smirked maliciously. “Hello, Son.” Her thick Southern accent was similar to Ethan’s, but whereas his voice was warm, hers was as cold as ice.

  “I see you brought your little girlfriend,” the woman—Amelia, according to nametag on her lab coat, cackled. “Right on time.”

  “What’s going on?” I asked, looking over at Ethan.

  “It’s not what you think!” he exclaimed, his eyes frantic. “I swear, Dawn!”

  “What is it like, dear Son?” Amelia taunted scornfully.

  “We’re here for Hannah!” I said, cutting to the chase.

  The woman looked at me, her cold eyes mocking. “How nice.”

  Where is she?” Ethan demanded.

  “Hannah is in the basement. Don’t worry, she’s fine. The human girl is merely collateral. You can do whatever you’d like with her, but this one stays here.” The blonde woman suddenly lunged toward me.

  “No,” Ethan stepped between us, shielding me with his body. He looked over his shoulder at me. “Dawn, check the basement. Get Hannah. Go!”

  I hesitated. “I can’t leave you.”

  “Go!” Ethan yelled.

  Amelia sighed dramatically, twisting her beautiful face into an angry grimace. “Oh, Ethan. Just like your pathetic father. Betraying me for a vampire.” She lunged at me, but I was faster. I swiftly dodged her grasp, running in the direction of the basement stairs, hoping Ethan would be able to fend for himself.

  The basement was dark and much colder than the rest of the building. I walked thought the shadows, shuffling my feet along the damp floors. Finally, I came upon a large, iron door, firmly bolted with a heavy-duty combination lock. Peering through a small glass window carved in the door, I breathed a sigh of relief. Hannah sat on a metal chair in the middle of the empty room, looking tired, but unharmed. I banged my fists against the window. Hannah’s head snapped up, her eyes meeting mine.

  “Don’t worry,” I mouthed, fumbling with the combination lock. I swung the handle of my crossbow at it, intending to crack it open, but, before I could even touch it, the bolt snapped in half. Almost too easy, I thought, deciding not to question my good fortune. I slid off the lock, pushing open the door.

  My heart raced as I rushed toward Hannah. I dropped to my knees in front of her, giving her a quick once-over.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, searching for restraints. Once again, my job proved to be easy; she hadn’t even been tied down.

  “Yes,” Hannah whispered, her eyes welling up with tears. “Dawn, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” she cried over and over again.

  “It’s okay, Hannah. It’s okay,” I soothed, pulling her into a comforting hug. “It’s all gonna be okay.”

&nb
sp; “I’m so sorry, Dawn!” she repeated, not retuning my embrace. “They’re making me do it.”

  Attributing her hysterical rambling to shock, I held her tighter, rubbing her back in an attempt to calm her nerves. That’s when I felt it—a sharp, shooting pain in my arm. I watched Hannah drop the empty syringe and back away from me. The vampire blood spread quickly, causing my body temperature to plummet. It took mere seconds for the poison to overpower me. The room grew bright, then filled with darkness. I fought to stay awake, collapsing on the cold basement floor.

  “Hannah,” I croaked, reaching out to her. Large, round tears streamed down her face.

  “I’m so sorry,” she gasped, choking on her own sobs. “They said they would hurt my mom and sister if I didn’t do it! I’m so sorry, Dawn. My mom is sick; she can’t defend herself.”

  The toxic blood was suffocating me, pulling me deeper into the darkness. I was running out of time. I desperately needed to combat the poison. I needed blood. Fresh blood. I looked over at Hannah. Despite my weak condition, I was certain that I would still be able to overpower her. Drinking her blood would save me, but I couldn’t bring myself to hurt her. No matter what, I wasn’t going to stoop that low. Instead, I reached into my pocket, pulling out an artificial blood capsule. I had started carrying a few pills around as a precaution after my last encounter with the poison. I popped the capsule into my mouth, silently praying that it would have the healing power of fresh blood.

  As I began to regain some strength, I suddenly noticed a large man looming above me. The menacing vampire brought his face toward mine, his deep black eyes blazing, his nostrils flaring. The skin on the right half of his face was completely burned off, exposing a bright, white skull. His misshapen mouth was forever twisted in a hostile smirk.

  “So, girl,” he growled, his voice deep and raspy. “We finally meet.” His words came out clipped and strange-sounding, partly due to his deformity, but also because of his heavy accent. It was the type of thick, heavy accent I had often heard in parodies of ancient vampires.

  He raised his right hand; his scarred fingers tightened around the handle of a large, jagged dagger. He pointed the weapon at my chest, chuckling madly as he brought the dagger toward me. Rolling over to the side, I managed to dodge the blade just before it reached me. Despite the successful maneuver, I felt slow. The blood capsule hadn’t been strong enough to combat the poison.; I was beginning to lose consciousness again.

  The ominous man faded in and out of focus. Until, all of a sudden, he was right on top of me, taking another vicious stab with his knife. The blade grazed my arm, sending a stream of blood pouring to the surface of my skin. Gathering all my strength, I pushed myself off the ground, lunging towards my attacker. I groaned in pain as I delivered a sharp kick to his stomach. He stumbled backwards, the motion sending the knife flying out of his hand.

  As I charged at him again, he reached into his coat pocked, pulling out a revolver and firing directly at me. The bullet—filled with vampire blood—embedded in my knee, shattering my bone and cartilage with a loud crack. I buckled under the sharp pain, giving the assailant a chance to shoot me again, this time in the chest. As the bullet connected with my heart, a searing ache spread throughout my entire body.

  “Viktor, stop!” A familiar voice yelled as I collapsed, completely letting go of the world around me.

  CHAPTER NINE

  She lay sprawled out across the sun-soaked gazebo floor, the fabric of her long green dress arranged in perfect waves all around her. Her head rested in his lap and even though her eyes were closed, she could feel him watching her intently.

  She kept her eyes shut, reaching up toward his familiar face and pressing her cool hand against his warm cheek. She gently ran her palm along his skin then, more roughly, wrapped her fingers around his long, dark curls. She tugged at his hair, drawing him down into a deep kiss. She giggled as they pulled apart, finally opening her green eyes to look deep into his bright gray ones.

  He was perfect in every way. The kindest, richest, most handsome guy she had ever known was finally hers.

  “You’re beautiful, Aurora,” he whispered, prompting another spell of tinkling laughter to ring through the gazebo.

  “Thank you, Sebastian,” she said, smiling sweetly. She had heard those words before. Many times, from many people.

  She rose slowly, straightening out her heavy garments, then bent down to kiss Sebastian’s cheek. Right before her lips touched his skin, she playfully pushed him away, dashing out onto the meadow by the gazebo. All the while, she continued to laugh, whirling around with her hands high up in the air. The heavy skirt of her dress levitated in a circle around her, exposing a flurry of bright crinoline. She continued to spin until the world dissolved into a blur, the sky above transforming into a mesmerizing blue-and-white frenzy. Finally, almost completely out of breath, she flung herself onto the grassy bank of the bubbling creek nearby.

  She bent her head toward the cool, white water, marveling at the image reflecting back at her. Her bright emerald eyes and full red lips were framed by high cheekbones and porcelain skin. Her wavy chocolate-colored hair hung all the way down to her waist, blowing freely in the warm summer wind. She had always protested wearing it in the more fashionable style of pulled back ringlets, which, in her opinion, made women look too mature and quite plain.

  There was no denying that Aurora was strikingly beautiful. She knew it, and she wanted everyone else to know it too. She was most proud of her newly-acquired curves, which she made certain to accentuate by the tight corsets of her richly-tailored garments. She enjoyed seeing a flicker or jealousy in other women’s eyes and relished in her ability to make men lust after her with a mere glance in their direction. All men except Sebastian, it seemed. It tormented Aurora that he was such a perfect gentleman, always treating her mind, body and soul with everlasting courteousness and moral reverence. If he hadn’t been so handsome, she may have already grown tired of him.

  Too busy gazing at her reflection in the water, Aurora failed to notice Sebastian materialize behind her. He threw his long, muscular arms around her waist, gently pulling her into him. She shivered under his touch, astonished by the staggering effect his proximity had on her. The sound of his heartbeat engulfed her thoughts; she could almost feel the blood rushing through his veins. She pushed him away abruptly, all the while wanting nothing more than to taste him. It was becoming more and more difficult to restrain herself, to stop from sinking her sharp fangs into his body, completely draining him. Revealing her secret.

  Sebastian looked down at her. “Are you alright?” he asked gently.

  Aurora smiled coyly, drawing in a sharp, steady breath. “Yes. I am fine.” She was once again in control. She would always be in control.

  She rested her head on Sebastian’s firm chest, fingering the vile of blood hanging around his neck. She had given him her blood as a precaution. In case she ever did lose control, all she had to do was break the capsule and force Sebastian to drink its contents. It would bind Sebastian to her, forever making him hers if she so chose. For now, it simply gave her great pleasure to share a little part of herself with him. Such a private, powerful part. Hoping that she could guard her secret and maintain things the way they were for a little longer, she never told Sebastian the real reason for the gift. Of course, he never questioned it. She loved that about him; he always had complete, unwavering trust in her.

  “Aurora, I have something to ask you,” Sebastian said, suddenly anxious.

  She sighed blissfully. “Hmm, let me guess. You would like to ask for a kiss?” Humans were so easy to read— the pounding hearts, dilated pupils, clammy, sweaty hands, short gasping breath.

  “No. I mean, sure,” Sebastian said, smiling. “But there is more.” He reached into his black vest and produced a dazzling amethyst ring from his pocket. Bending down on one knee, he presented it to her.

  “Will you—” he began, but Aurora cut him off excitedly.

  “Wow! It�
��s so beautiful!”

  The deep violet gemstone, carved in an intricate oval, was surrounded by sparking diamonds. It lay cushioned in the centre of a thick, white-gold band, engraved with unique, intertwining lines.

  “Oh, wow!” Aurora sighed again, hypnotized by the ring’s lustrous color.

  “This is the ring my great-grandfather gave to my great-grandmother on their wedding day,” Sebastian explained proudly.

  Aurora removed the ring from his fingers, inspected it closely. “My father once told me that my mother had eyes like amethysts. What a delightful color!”

  “Aurora, will you do me the honor of—” Sebastian began again.

  “Wait!” Aurora held up her hand. “I need some time to think. I’m too overwhelmed at the moment. May I give you a response later?”

  Sebastian nodded, disappointment filling his eyes. Aurora returned the ring to him, once again grateful that he never questioned her wishes.

  “Good. Thank you, Sebastian,” she said as she kissed him goodbye.

  Aurora sprinted the entire way home. She would have much preferred to make the half-day trip to her uncle’s estate in a comfortable horse-drawn carriage, but she need time to clear her mind. The proposal had surprised her. She knew that Sebastian cared for her with all his heart and had been courting her for well over a year now, but things were complicated.

  She was a vampire, after all, and one of the special ones at that. In order to stop her aging process, she would have to give birth to a child. This meant turning her future spouse into a vampire. Sebastian knew nothing of her condition and she feared his reaction if he found out. Would he fall deeper in love with her or see her as an abomination and deny her existence?

  Then, there was the fact that her uncle Viktor harbored a hatred for Sebastian’s family. Viktor had always been power-hungry, and the thought of Sebastian’s family holding a higher status in society was not acceptable to him. In fact, Aurora had heard Viktor talk about his triumph over Sebastian’s grandfather, Christopher Hamilton, countless times. Precisely forty years ago, her monster of an uncle had viciously murdered Christopher over an inconsequential money dispute. Upon finding out that his only niece was associating with a boy from the Hamilton-York family, Viktor threw a violent fit and forbade Aurora from ever venturing into the town of Angel Creek. She, of course, had disobeyed.