Chapter Twelve (Alexander)
"W-Why are you doing this? What are you doing here?"
My voice was shaking, and I hated myself for it, as I lay there on the bed, my hands still cuffed over my head and the blindfold obscuring my view of Nathan's face. All I could do was lay there as I heard Nathan sigh gently, taking a small step back.
"The only way to get what I want is to side with demons, which was the last thing I wanted to do. And you know, I really did like you in the beginning. I loved your smile, your voice. Everything about you. But I couldn't fall in love with your kind. It's a sin." Nathan explained calmly, his voice sounding faraway as if he were moving around. I tilted my head, trying to see past the blindfold, but to no avail.
"Nathan, what're you talking about?" I demanded, my gut churning as he said the words your kind. As if it were something sickening and gross, something evil. I heard some clanking and the scuffing of his sneakers before the side of the bed dipped with Nathan's weight.
"I should probably explain before I do anything. It's rude not to..." There was a pause after Nathan spoke and I felt him shifting on the bed before his fist rested near my thigh, making my muscles tense uncomfortably.
"My brother died not too long ago, I told you that before," Nathan began calmly, "Every day since then I told myself I'd find whoever killed him. I'd take him and rip him to pieces, just like they did to my brother. So I started digging and doing research. I had to find out who did this. I kept digging and digging until I ended up with two names. Grey and Gothica. Of course they were familiar. The Grey family owned a hospital down in Wolf Creek. Gothica was the last name of one of the biggest corporations in the world. At first, I still didn't understand why they targeted my brother and it was then that I found out what made the Grey and Gothica families so special, what connected them."
"You're a vampire." Nathan said the word like a curse. It sent a cold chill up my spine and then I felt Nathan's hands grab my mouth. I started to close it, but I felt him wedge something hard between my teeth so I couldn't close my mouth. I hissed, feeling his fingers move away from my mouth for a moment before returning. I frowned curiously until he pressed his fingers against my fangs.
My kind, our fangs were sensitive. It was also embarrassing to have them so out and vulnerable. It was like being naked and I felt so uncomfortable, his eyes and fingers on my fangs. They throbbed in my gums at the cool air outside my mouth and the salty tips of Nathan's fingers.
"It's true," He murmured, "I didn't believe it when I first discovered it, but the way my brother died... What kind of murderer drains his victim's blood entirely? The cops told my family that the body was so mutilated that we couldn't see it. They said it because they had no explanation for his death. Nothing logical anyway... It's these things that killed my brother." He pressed his fingers harder on my fangs, making the roof of my mouth throb in pain.
"Uuhhgnh!" I cried out and arched my back, lifting my leg and shoving it hard against his shoulder so he was at least pushed back. I tried to shut my mouth, but the hard objects between my teeth prevented it. I hissed when I felt Nathan leaning over me.
"Your fangs are the deadliest things I've ever come in contact with, but they're also your weak spot. At least, that's what Newt told me. Weird, huh? I've come all this way to kill a vampire with the help of another vampire, but whatever. Newt won't live long either. I knew Vladimir was looking for Newt. Newt told me. So this situation is all very convenient for me. Vladimir will kill Newt and his men and I'll kill you and Vladimir." Nathan explained as I felt his fingers in my mouth again, removing the blocks so I could suck in a deep breath, then spit at Nathan. I heard a frustrated sigh as he backed away.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I snapped angrily, jerking at the cuffs, "I never killed anyone! I don't drink from humans directly! I use blood bags and tablets. I've never bitten a human before." I left out the man that Storm had hunted down back in Red Field.
We'd been starving and there were no more blood bags or tablets. Storm insisted we feed off somone who was dying already, but that man couldn't have been Nathan's brother. He was far too old. Nathan's brother was a couple years older than him, not a couple dozen.
"Not you specifically," Nathan responded calmly, "Your parents. They needed to feed their precious son blood so he could grow just as big and strong as the rest of you freaks. And blood is only extremely powerful straight from its source. So they hunted down the first healthy human they could and that just happened to be my brother."
"B... But my parents told me those were--"
"Blood bags from the hospital? Precious donated blood? Willingly donated blood? Right. They lied to you. You've been drinking the blood of murder victims." Nathan answered, his voice cold and hard. I suddenly felt icy cold. My stomach churned and I wanted to puke. I squeezed my eyes shut behind the blindfold, then tilted my head to find Nathan.
"Nathan, I didn't kill your brother. If I had known, I never would've drank it. I--"
"Of course not," Nathan cut in sharply, "But you did. And now both you and your parents can pay the price. I'll kill their precious gift from above, then go after Vladimir. The man who told your parents to feed you fresh blood."
I felt like I was dying already. My mind whirled with everything Nathan was saying. I felt sick. I felt hurt. I felt confused and betrayed. Why would Vladimir do that? I wanted blood from willing victims. I wanted donated blood. I didn't want anyone to die as a result of what I was.
At the same time, what Nathan was saying made sense. All my life I had felt alive. I felt powerful, but unable to use it because of my parents. Then after the whole thing last fall and when I went to college, I suddenly felt weaker. I didn't feel as energized. It had to be because of the switch in blood.
"Well," I managed, both angry and hurt, "I hate to break it to you, but my parents couldn't care less if you killed me. They won't even speak to me." Nathan snorted, making me wince when I felt his hand on my jaw.
"They're your parents. They can pretend to hate you as much as they want, but when they find out that they're son was killed, slowly and painfully. They'll be in as much pain as my family was after I found out my brother was nothing, but a piece of meat to you monsters." He seethed, then roughly let go of my mouth for a split second before shoving the blocks back into my mouth, forcing my mouth open. I writhed until I heard some clinking around, making me cock my head to the side.
"And my first order of business is to get rid of those demonic teeth." Nathan muttered from somewhere a few feet away. My eyes widened behind the blindfold in realization.
He was going to pull my fangs out.
Panic gripped me as I jerked frantically at the cuffs, breathing hard as I tilted my head back and to the sides to avoid anything that was coming near my mouth. I lifted my back off the back, trying to pull at the cuffs.
"It's all right," Nathan said gently, "Once those are out, you'll be one step closer to being human. After that, we'll try feeding you normal human food. You can live on that instead." I wanted to call him an idiot and tell him that wasn't even how the process worked, but I couldn't care less what he thought anymore.
I just wanted to get out.
No. I need to get out.
Our fangs were something important. Something special. They were a gift, not a curse. They were powerful, but as Nathan said, they were also our weak point. Removing our fangs was like castrating us. And it was going to be even more painful since our fangs were also extremely sensitive.
"Unngh! Stop," I managed, my voice wet and strange past the blocks, "Nathan, please! I di'n't kill your brother! Killing me won't bring 'im back!"
"I know that," Nathan responded, the sound of his shoes scuffing on the floor getting closer, "But it'll put his soul to rest. I know he's been haunting me since his death. I could feel him. Everything around me gets cold, just like it is right now. And your death will let his spirit ascend to heaven. Yours and Vladimir's."
His weight made the bed dip and I writhed even more, tilting my head to the side and burying my face against my arm in an attempt to hide my mouth, but Nathan grabbed a handful of my hair, pulling my face again as he struggled to hold my head still. I felt something cold and metal touch my fang.
Hysteria rose inside me when I realized he wasn't going to pull them out; he was going to knock them out. I writhed and struggle even more. Panic made my blood boil as I squirmed and brought my knee up between Nathan's legs and my head forehead, slamming it into Nathan's. He gasped in pain and I heard a clatter followed by a thump as he rolled off the bed, cursing in pain.
I panted hard and jerked at the cuffs vigorously, ignoring the way they bit into my wrists painfully. Goose bumps of horror flew over my skin as I tried to lift myself up into a sitting position when I felt something hard slammed into the side of my face, making me gasp in pain.
"Just hold still," Nathan ordered angrily, "It's going to hurt if you keep throwing yourself around like that." I felt something warm and wet on the side of my temple, but my adrenaline was pumping too hard for me to care as I still jerked at the cuffs, trying to using my tongue to spit the blocks out. I managed to get one out, hearing it clatter on the floor.
Nathan was muttering curses when I heard knocking on the door, making me look up in relief.
"What? Who is it?" Nathan demanded, heading to the door that opened with a squeak.
"I was told to give Alexander clothes." Kristophe's voice answered calmly. There was some scuffing of shoes as the door squeaked some more and Nathan snorted.
"He doesn't need any. He's just fine the way he is." Nathan told him sternly.
"Of course he is. I'll just set these over here... Also, Newt wishes to speak with you immediately regarding your payment." Kristophe added calmly. There was a short silence before I heard Nathan clear his throat.
"Right," He responded, but he sounded uncomfortable before his voice became irritated, "Don't bother trying to get away, Alex. On the other side of this door, Kristophe and Claude will be waiting to tear you down another peg." With that, there was a loud slam from the door and I was plunged into silence.
My heart was still racing and I felt so relieved, I could cry.
I wanted to just slump against the bed, but I had no time for that. I had to get out of here and I had to get out fast. I had to find Slade and get out. I kept jerking at the cuffs, gritting my teeth down on the block that was left in my mouth. I paused to spit it out before gritting my teeth and pulling hard at the cuffs, but I couldn't.
I'd lost too much blood earlier and now I was losing blood from a wound near my temple. I wasn't as strong as I used to be and I mentally cursed myself for it.
I didn't stop pulling, though. I kept jerking hard at the chains until I heard something. Voices outside the door that made me tilt my head toward it. I frowned, listening carefully, using as much of my strength as I had left.
"He's here." Kristophe murmured. Another voice, Claude's, scoffed before there was a short pause and he spoke.
"He's stupider than I thought... Walking straight into enemy territory. He has a death wish." Claude muttered.
"Or maybe, he's smarter," Kristophe offered grimly, "If worse comes to worse, Claude, you need to get out."
"Me? What about you?"
"Doesn't matter. If he launches some kind of attack, run for it. In the kid's room, there's a trap door under the bed. Use it. It'll lead you to the sewers. Take the first pipe all the way down to the end, and go left. You'll see a ladder and use that. It comes out on Main Street."
"Whoa, what the hell is this? I'm not leaving without you, are you stupid? If that asshole somehow overwhelms us, we're both making a run for it. Besides, I'm bad with directions."
"Claude, I told you--"
"Quit freakin' me out like that! The guy is walking into the heart of Zephyra territory. He's facing a good hundred men or more. And we also have Newt. Newt'll tear him a new one. Just quit talking like that."
There was a pause as I frowned, tilting my head back. There was no doubt about it. They were talking about Vladimir. They had to be. I couldn't think of anyone else with a big enough ego to be able to walk into a nest of angry vampires. It made my heart swell, both in fear and excitement.
I wanted to get out.
I had to get out.
Nathan was going to be back soon and when he was, he was probably going to try a new tactic at trying to knock my fangs out. I kept imagining the scene from that horror movie The Collector and it made my stomach clench. I squeezed my eyes shut, taking a deep breath before I jerked at the cuffs again, more quietly this time so I could eavesdrop on the conversation between the twins.
I found myself momentarily pitying Kristophe. Claude was boisterous and rude. He was cocky and arrogant. Meanwhile, his twin was more laidback and serious. Not to mention, Kristophe was thinking ahead. He knew that if Vladimir attacked them, they'd be dead. The last thing he wanted was for Claude to die, and if that meant killing himself, he'd do it.
I gritted my teeth as I heard a sigh escape Kristophe's lips. It made me frown for a moment until I realized the sigh was one of bliss. I paused, my wrist sore from trying to tug it out of the cuff.
"We haven't messed around in a while. Sure this is a good time?" Claude's voice mused.
"Shut up. We're not going that far tonight. We have a job to do."
"Too bad."
I felt a blush tinge my cheeks as I quickly ignored their whispers and jerked harder at the cuffs. I took deep breathes, tugging harder and harder. I whimpered in pain, tilting my head back as the leather cut into my wrists, threatening to rip my hand off when I heard a loud blasting sound.
I winced as the door rattled on its hinges and the room seemed to shake. There was shouting and a loud, agonized scream that made me wince. I squeezed my eyes shut and pulled hard at the cuffs, ignoring the noise outside when my hand finally tore free from the cuff. I gasped, ignoring the burning pain in my wrists.
I reached up with my free hand, tearing my blindfold off as I quickly undid the other leather cuff. I looked around the room, cringing at the sight of it. I was on some old mattress on a rickety metal frame. Beside the bed and at the foot were a couple tables, both decorated with hammers, nails, and other items that reminded me of some kind of torture chamber.
I spotted the pile of clothes Kristophe had bought me and quickly scrambled off the bed, snatching up the jeans and t-shirt, tugging them on when I heard another loud blast, the shouts rising. I heard loud wet splashes, making me stiffen before whirling around to the face the door.
Part of me wanted to rush to the trap door under the bed that Kristophe had mentioned, but another part of me was too curious. I stupidly walked toward the door and reached out to the handle, but the door opened before I could open it.
I gasped as an unfamiliar man stood in the doorway, caked in blood and his leather clothes torn. He snarled at me and reached to grab me, but something like a blast of air shot out and slammed into him, sending him flying away from the door.
I stood there, stiff and cold as my eyes flickered to the source of someone sobbing. I took a small step toward the door and peered out.
Bits and pieces of wall were falling off into the long hallway, which was pretty much destroyed. On the other side of the hallway, just a few feet down, Kristophe was on his knees, holding Claude against his chest. Blood was pooled around them as Kristophe held his twin against him tightly, tears streaming down his face. I winced and withdrew, feeling my heart clench.
I quickly whirled around and went for the bed. I shoved one of the tables back and pulled on the bed as hard as I could, letting the metal screech along the concrete floor. I came around and sure enough, a little door about the side of an average school desk was waiting to be opened. I dropped to my knees and went to open it when I heard another scream. I jerked my head up in time for someone's hand to slam against my temple.
I gasped in pain and hit the floor, clasping the side of my head before I looked up to see Nathan standing over me, breathing hard and his eyes wild with hate.
"You will not get away!" He snarled, putting strong emphasis on each word before he lunged for me again, but I ducked out of his way and whipped around, kicking him hard in the back so he slammed into the wall. I whirled around and went for the main door instead before Nathan pushed off the wall and ran after me.
I ran out the door and down the opposite hallway, away from Kristophe and Claude.
"Stop!" Nathan shouted, as if that would make me stop. I kept running, breathing hard as I scrambled past fallen rubble. I finally reached the door and tore it open, but had to duck out the way quickly just as someone came flying through the opening. Nathan ducked to the side against the wall as the person slammed into the rocks and concrete. I jerked my head up just as Nathan ran at me. I winced and started to leave, but as soon as I saw the bloodshed outside the hallway, I took a step back and slammed into Nathan, who almost knocked me off my feet.
He grabbed me and swung me around into the wall, making me gasp in pain. I winced, then kept a grip on his arm before I jerked him down, bringing my knee up to slam into his head. Nathan seethed in pain, grabbing his head. I took a few steps back as he breathed hard, lowering his hands as blood oozed from his nose.
My senses instantly picked up on the strong scent of human blood and my fangs throbbed. I gritted my teeth against it, though, and prepared myself as Nathan came at me again, moving to grab my throat, but I ducked and whipped off to the side, bringing my leg around and kicking him hard in the back.
Nathan howled in pain as he slammed into the wall, then sank to his knees, his body trembling. I glared at him for a second as he remained where he was to recover. I quickly looked behind me out the doorway into the main hall. All the wooden tables were reduced to nothing, but splinters and chunks amongst busted pieces of concrete. The room had been designed in browns and golds, but was now painted thick deep red as the bodies that littered the floor lay silent in death.
I turned back in time for Nathan's fist to slam into my nose. I gasped and stumbled back, falling backwards onto the floor. I hissed in pain, reaching up to touch my nose and pulling it back to see blood dripping. I grimaced and jerked my head up to see Nathan wipe the back of his hand across his nose, smearing blood across his face.
"I will not let you get away. My brother's with me. He'll let me win." Nathan seethed. I scooted back along the floor, breathing hard.
"Stop trying to justify yourself. You're about to become as murderous as my parents were when they killed your brother." I snapped angrily. Nathan barked out a laugh.
"At least I'm human!" He snarled, getting closer and closer as we managed to make our way into the main room.
"You're not human," I managed, slowly rising to my feet, "You're a monster. My people kill for food. You're killing for spite."
"I'm killing for revenge," Nathan all, but shrieked, clenching his fists, "Your people killed my brother! Your people killed hundreds of people! We're not cattle! Stop treating us like we're just another fucking burger at the shop! You're monsters! You're not human! You can't stand the sunlight, you can't die like a normal human! You're freaks! Monsters! Beasts! And you killed my brother and now I'm going to fucking kill you!" He lunged and caught me around the throat, making me choke as he slammed me into a wooden pillar.
I winced as he dug his fingers into my throat, slamming me against the pillar again. I choked, my oxygen being cut off. I reached up and dug my fingernails into Nathan's hand, trying to pry his fingers away from my throat, but he only tightend his grip as he glared at me hatefully, tears welling in his eyes.
"This is for my brother, Jacob. I hope you rot in the darkest pits of Hell, where you belong!" He managed, his voice shaking. I seethed, then parted my lips to gasp for air before I tilted my head and sank my fangs down into his hand. Nathan yelled in pain and instantly released me, stumbling back as I panted hard for breath, slumping to the floor.
"Nathan, stop this," I panted as Nathan held his hand close to his shirt, "Killing me isn't going to bring your brother back. What I told you is the truth because I know the person who killed Nicholas." Nathan winced and looked up as I grimaced, struggling to stand up as I slid along the pillar.
"I loved Nicholas. He was everything to me. I was looking forward to spending the rest of my life with him. But he got sucked into this whole mess. He was used by Zephyra. They were trying to use him to kill one of my best friends. And his father killed Nicholas. Vladimir Van Gothica killed Nicholas Ryan and I saw it." My voice shook as I instantly remember those two seconds. This time, I couldn't stop the tears.
"Nicholas died right there in front of me and I couldn't do anything. You don't blame me or my parents. You blame yourself. And to avoid that, you're trying to find someone to pit your hatred against. You're too scared to kill yourself, so you're going to kill everyone else. But in the end, what are you going to do? What are you going to gain by killing me? Killing Vladimir? What're you going to do after everyone you blamed is dead? Blame someone else?" I managed. Nathan blinked, then bit his lip.
He just stood there, looking confused and hurt. Tears still glistened in his eyes, but they never fell as he stood there, staring at the floor and clutching his hand to himself.
"Stop this, Nathan," I breathed at last, "Please. Newt is using you. He's going to kill you after using you, just like he did with Nicholas. Please. This is your chance to run away. Go somewhere and be safe. Please, live." Nathan looked up at me, his lower lip trembling as he opened his mouth, then shut it. He cringed, making the tears stream down his face.
"I have nothing else to live for. Please, just shut up and die already!" He screamed at last, then lunged at me, grabbing for my throat, but I ducked and punched him hard in the stomach. He doubled over, choking as blood fell past his lips. He slumped to his knees as I quickly whirled around and away from him, stumbling over the concrete.
"Just die..." Nathan whimpered, curling up as he held his stomach, reaching into his jacket, making me frown. My eyes widened as he struggled to his feet, pointing a gun right at my face. I had no idea if this would kill me or not, but something about the move told me it would.
All I could do was stare straight at the gun, then past it at Nathan, who was still crying as he cocked the gun, his finger over the trigger.
"Please, just die..."
Crack!