The Five Cursed Witches: Volume 2 - Crimson, the Witch of Night

Chapter 8 Alair

Lamech

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It took me about one hour to get back to the clan house. Normally it would only have taken about half an hour, but carrying the woman and the fact that the sun rose slowed me down. I had to keep on going around places with lots of humans because I couldn't risk any of them stopping me and asking questions.

When I got in, I quickly walked down the corridor, already having decided on placing her in the empty bedroom opposite mine. I didn't get many steps however before a voice stopped me.

"Who's that? Weren't you off to kill a vampire?"

I turned to see a man that looked to be in his mid-twenties or early thirties, like me. He also had a similar built as mine, being both tall and with well-defined muscles. His clothing was centuries apart from mine however, and his hair sandy blonde and eyes hazel compared to my brown hair and grey eyes.

Alair must have been in his bedroom and heard me enter the house. He was one of the older vampires within the clan, getting close to four hundred and fifty years old. Old enough to have been around when I took control of the clan from my father. Though we hadn't known each other before that, he had been among the first to declare his loyalty to me. Considering his young age at that point in time, his words shouldn't have counted for much back then. But being a born vampire, just like me, it had. He also had a way of gaining people's trust. As a result, he had quickly become both my right-hand man and closest confidant.

"There were some complications," I said and looked down myself at the woman in my arms. She looked so peaceful, as if she was asleep. I strained my ears again to confirm that she still breathed and had a heartbeat.

"I can see that. Who is she?" he repeated his question and walked closer. I felt my grip on her tighten.

"I'm not sure. Except that she most likely is the one responsible for the vampire-killings in London."

Alair halted and frowned. "So you brought her here? To a house full of vampires?"

"What do you suggest I'd done instead? Let her run around and keep on killing?" I snorted and walked towards my destination again.

"Well, didn't we confirm that all the killings have been of vampires that still prefer to kill to feed? Do you really mind having someone out there killing off those bastards?" he asked and followed me.

"Of course not, but there's no guarantee that she is as discriminatory when killing as we believe. Better to make sure before letting her go about her business freely."

"I guess. Out of curiosity, who is she? Or rather what is she? She doesn't smell like a shifter."

I opened the door to the bedroom I had intended for her and walked in. I placed her down on the bed and was on my way to get the blanket up from under her, when I noticed the belt around her waist. From it different weapons hung. I had been too focused on everything else before to notice.

"A witch is my guess," I answered as I undid the belt. "And a damn strong one at that."

"Yeah, she must be. You've been bleeding."

I stopped what I was doing and looked down myself. Sure enough, blood stained my clothes where she had managed to cut me. But to my surprise, my wounds seemed to have started to heal up. Our assumptions on our own physicality were that since blood contained iron, iron was the one metal our bodies had a weakness for. Just like the blood we drank was absorbed in our bodies and to our veins, our skin was happy to open up to iron. As such, the wounds should have needed cleaning, to get rid of any residual iron, before they could heal properly.

It had to be the strength of her blood that made the wounds close up so easily.

I threw the belt I had taken off her aside and then checked her pockets for more weapons.

"How did you manage to get her unconscious?" Alair asked next and guilt washed over me, but I kept my facial expressions in order.

"I ended up drinking some of her blood to weaken her, that's all," I said, keeping the full extent of how much I had drunk from him. I knew he wouldn't judge me for having slipped up and drunk far too much. Though no vampire within the clan ever killed to feed, there were slip-ups from time to time, and when it happened, we would always only support.

But I didn't want Alair to know and looking down at the woman, I felt like it was more for her sake than mine. The fact that she was still alive had me scared and worried. I imagined that Alair would feel similarly at that knowledge and though I doubted he would suggest any harm to her, I didn't want to take that risk.

"So plan is to keep her here until she wakes up and see what her intentions towards vampires are?" Alair asked and I nodded. Then he changed topic. "And what about the rampaging vampire? Did you find them?"

I nodded and sighed. The image of how I had found the girl covered in blood and dirt, hidden by a dumpster in that alley, obviously terrified of what was happening to her emerged in my mind.

"I didn't get that much of chance to talk to the vampire before our hunter here showed up. But..." I shook my head, feeling anger and disgust over the situation. "She's just a girl and seems to have been turned against her will and left to fend for herself."

"Goddess..." Alair mumbled and I knew he shared my feelings on the matter.

"I'll go back to find her when the sun sets again."

I was satisfied with that I had taken all weapons away from the woman and pulled out the blanket to cover her up. Her hair had fallen over her face and I brushed it aside.

"I'll be here in the meantime. In case she wakes up," I added, dismissing Alair.