Sinfully Departed (Book 1. Sample)

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I sat high in my favorite tree centered in the local graveyard. I patrolled that area of the city nearly every night for the last nine years. My best friend showed me how to hunt the evils that roamed the dark moonlit streets of our home town. I took to it easily; I liked making a difference and ridding the town of another vampire. Every hunter had a bad past with what they hunted; my past with vampires still gave me nightmares.

I’d wait until a vampire came past looking for a place to feed and or ditch a body then I’d strike; axe the head and burn the body or bury it. The particular vampire who came by that night had me cowering on my tree branch. I couldn’t kill him and trying would only result in my own death.

Lucas was one of the most powerful vamps in the world; a master vampire. Since his arrival in town last month he took an interest in me. I had no idea what he wanted and that added to the fear factor. “I know you’re up there.” He taunted.

The other times we met, twice, he had found me in the same graveyard and cornered me, tonight I was lucky enough to be hidden. “Once and for all; what do you want from me? Why do you follow me here?”

“You’ve killed many of my kind.”

“You could’ve killed me for that two nights ago.”

“I don’t want to kill you Zoe.” He stood easily in the center of the yard with his hands buried in his pants pocket.

I reached around my back and grabbed my axe from the make shift holder. “How do you know my name?” the fear gripped me inside and out.

“I know a lot Zoe Langston; detective with the Celestin Police Department, adopted by the Langston family when you were days old. I know they gave you back when you were eight because of the vamp stories you told. No one believed you.” The vampire stated all his facts memorized and true.

“Shut up.”

“Sore subject? Hmm. I learn everything about a person I can when I consider them for employment.”

“What?”  He was finally getting to the point but the more I learned apart of me wished I hadn’t asked. I wanted to run but I also knew Lucas wasn’t letting me go easily tonight, getting away seemed impossible.

“Come out from the tree.”

“No, hell no. I don’t care what you want. Leave me alone vampire.” I swallowed back hard on the lump of fear lodged in my throat. I had never dealt with vampires before unless we were fighting and it always ended with their death.

“I don’t give up that easily nor am I easy to get rid of.” Lucas walked over near the gate where a visitors bench was placed and sat down, seeming like he had all the time in the world. He moved with the definition of grace, his body didn’t seem real as he moved across the grass. He was intriguing of course but that didn’t change the monster that he was, the evil it was responsible for. 

I tried to think; I was stuck in a tree with a very old powerful vampire waiting for me to make the slightest move. He’d be able to hear any little move and grab me seeing as he was twice as fast.

The way I saw it; I was doomed.

With my job, both of them, I faced death a lot and had thought of my own often. I always thought I’d die in a battle, a blaze of glory of some sort but never stuck and scared shitless in a tree. I couldn’t call for help because no one I knew was equipped to take on a master vampire.

“Your fear is strong Zoe.” Lucas spoke softly, interrupting my thoughts as he dragged out my name seductively.

Often my fear turned to anger. “Fuck you.”