Daylight by Verbayne +Demonata-Freak (ebook reader with highlighter TXT) 📖

With Janus if there was one way, there were several.

Which gave me the hope that, if he couldn’t cure her, maybe I could. There was a light tap on my shoulder. I glanced to my left. I saw Janus’s arm shut the door behind him before he disappeared. Straightening I growled curses at the door. Taking the few steps back to Saoirse still form I sighed.

“Saoirse,” there was no answer, “I know you heard us, don’t ask me how I knew, but I’ll straighten him out. There is a way, I just know it.”

“How sweet, the one friend you have in this world and you’re killing her.”

I jerked away from Saoirse. A tall almost lanky woman sat on Janus’s throne. She smiled wickedly at the dying half breed behind me. I slid to the left so my body was in her direct line of sight. Her lip curled back unhappily like she was some kind of feral dog.

“Back off Charlene, she’s mine.”

I saw her pale hands twitch. I’d pushed a button using her real name. Taking one hesitant step back I reached for the gun in my coat pocket but it was too late. Flashing to my side I watched in terror as she wrapped her long fingers around my neck.

Using the momentum from her jump Charlene drove me back over the table Saoirse was laying on. My hands braced themselves around Charlene’s wrist just before she slammed me into the floor. I coughed, back arching from the pain. She hadn’t done it nicely, she hadn’t just thrown me across the room, she drug me.

“Insolent brat,” she spat in my face, “I should have killed you years ago.”

Clawing at her wrist I growled as defiantly as I could. Picking me up she slammed me into the floor. Again I coughed, a rib or two cracking from the second impact. If I didn’t do something soon she would crush me to death before she even got around to killing me. 

I hated to do it but I had little choice. Biting my lip I sucked on the cut until I tasted blood. Purposefully struggling I stretched my neck out so my face was even with Charlene’s. Her lip twitched into an unpleasant snarl. Smiling at her I spit the fresh blood into her eyes.

She shrieked, smacking me. “Augh, you contaminated me you filthy day walker!” Pawing at her face she rubbed the blood away. Now was my chance. Twisting to one side I drew the Ruger, concealing it with my body. “You, I’m going to kill you.” 

Using her clawed hands Charlene ripped the jacket off my shoulder as she drug me across the floor. I didn’t even have time to aim at her she was so fast. The gun clattered across the floor out of my hand when she twisted one arm behind my back.

Taking a fist full of my hair she craned my neck back at a harsh angle. “You have such a pretty face, why don’t I add some make up to make it prettier? I think some rouge would be nice.” She forced my face down close to the fire. “Of course only a bloody red would suit you.”

I clenched my jaw, fighting against her strength. I didn’t have a chance, I didn’t have my gun and she was a pure breed. Closing my eyes tightly I dug my nails into the floor. I really hated Charlene, but did I hate her that badly? Did I want to kill her? But if I didn’t then not only was my life in danger but Saoirse’s as well.

Grinding my teeth I let my fangs drop from their hidden place in my mouth. The power of my blood boiled within my veins. The blood still left on Charlene pulse in time to my heart. I had a connection, I had a weapon. As I stared into the fire I began the chant that would activate my true power. The power of a day walkers tainted blood.

“Blood of my blood-“

Familiar hands wrapped around my mouth before I could utter the next phrase. Charlene’s hands were pulled away from my face just in time. I rolled to the side, hair singing in the blaze. Panting for air I closed my eyes tightly, feeling every cracked rib. Charlene was lucky Janus had good timing. As the pain swelled and the hum of blood in the air dyed down I felt darkness engulf me.

Chapter 10 - Saoirse

Janus lifts the squealing Charlene towards me. I have been watching the pitiful fight between Clair and Charlene since the hit against the table that I am still unable to move from. Apart from opening my eyes and turning my neck, I can do nothing else. Janus drags her over to me; a pure blood has the same nutrition as a human. I can smell her frightened blood swarming through her body as her heart rate increases as Janus holds her unprotected neck over my mouth. I try to open my mouth but I still haven't the energy to even open my mouth. 

Janus grabs a handful of Charlene's hair and opens my mouth. "You're gonna pay for this, Janus!" Charlene growls as she tries to wiggle free. 

Janus takes a knife from his belt and slices Charlene's throat. The blood sprays all over my face, the irony liquid spilling down my throat. Charlene gurgles but she won't die, this is an easy wound to fix but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt like hell. The vile liquid has an instant affect on my body. I lean forward and put my lips over her wound and gulp more of the additive blood. I feel strength return to my legs and arms and my broken hand mends quickly. 

I want to drink her dry but Janus pulls her away when she looses consciousness. I jump of the table but wobble slightly; I still feel a bit dizzy. Janus chains Charlene to the wall. Now that I've got a good look at him, Janus is an odd looking fellow. His long white hair reaches just bellow his stomach and it makes him look older than he is but his tightly cut black bear removes the many years that his hair adds. 

I stretch my arms over my head until the bones pop back into place and I stretch my legs forward until they click back into place, too. I walk over to Janus and run my hand over the chains holding Charlene to the wall, her neck has sealed shut, and she will be fine, a bit weak when she wakes but not much damage. 

"Silver chains?" I ask as I study the many chains wrapping around her body.

"Off course," Janus mumbles as he attaches locks to the chains. 

Ironic how Werewolves can break through silver chains but Vampires cannot, the legends of old really do get twisted. I sigh and walk over to the very unconscious and bloody Clair. I lift her up and fling her over my shoulder and walk over to the sofa across from the fire place and dump her onto it. Janus passes me a bowl full of water and damp cloth, I kneel beside the sofa and dampen the cloth in the water and start wiping the blood from her face. 

"Is there really nothing you can do for me?" I whisper as I brush Clair's hair from her face to get to the slowly healing gash on her forehead.

Janus sits down on a seat beside the sofa and sighs, "there is nothing I can do," he says as he picks at his long nails.

"Then why does Clair think there something you're not telling her?" I snap, I may be a Half Blood but my strength has been regained and it will not falter me now. I may only have a year to live but I'll make it the best fucking year ever! 

He sighs again but this time from annoyance. "Clair believes in the myths in the gods and an ancient cure." I stare at him confused. 

I lick my lips and put the cloth back into the bowl of water. "A cure for Half Bloods?" I question as I become a little more interested. 

"A cure for Vampirism!" He barks a laugh and puts his hand on his forehand. That is not possible, a Vampire is cursed from the moment they are Blooded by another, to surfer the world in darkness and lust after another's blood. There is no cure! "There is a legend that the curse of Vampires can be reversed by a blood sacrifice and body swap." He explains but I can tell he doesn't believe a word that leaves his lips, to him this is nothing more than a fairy tale, a tale to be enjoyed but not something to waste your life chasing.

"I wouldn't be a Vampire?" I whisper as I juggle the new information. 

"Yes, you sacrifice a member of your family and you take their humanity and they die," he coughs and shifts in his chair uneasily. 

"Well, it's a good thing I don't have any family then, huh?" I half laugh and stare at my hands.

"I wouldn't be so sure, no matter how far apart you are it will work. It doesn't have to be close blood, it could be your sixtieth cousin and it would still work." Janus barks a laugh and brings himself back into reality. "But it is a lot of nonsense, I have seen many people try to perform such old, dark magic and have never worked. Unless the Vampire who is casting the spell and the Vampire who wishes to change are both beings of magic it will never ever work." He sighs and smiles at me, "I am sorry, my child, but it is impossible." 

Suddenly Clair leaps of the sofa and glares at Janus. "I knew you were lying! There is a cure. How can you sit there like that?!" She rages at Janus, her anger bubbling to the surface like lava in a volcano. 

Janus interlocks his fingers and laughs at Clair's obvious anger. "And what do you propose I do?" He asks as if he was asking for a cup of tea.

"TRY!" She roars and then points at me, "try to save her, not just sit and chuckle!" 

Janus smiles but its forced as I can clearly see he is not enjoying be given orders. 

"It is not possible the thing you say, many have tried but many have failed." He says simply as he stands up and begins to walk away. 

"But some have succeeded?" She questions as she chases after him.

He sighs and turns to her and nods, "a few, really a small few, have managed to reverse the curse." 

Clair grins and looks at me quickly, "fantastic! Then it's settled! We search for her family and-" she begins to praise before I leap to my feet. 

"I don't want to become mortal!" I snap walking over to the odd couple.

"But you will survive; you won't die in a year." Clair smiles, trying desperately to win me over with a small gesture.

I shake my head and frown, "I would rather die in a week then set myself below and become human!" I growl, folding my arms over my chest I set my stubborn mind.

Clair tilts her head back, frustrated and looks back