Elixir of Flesh by Joseph Kranak
Chapter 17
Reprisal
Lina accelerated with full intensity. Running in the cloak was hot and uncomfortable. The wind flowed around her, blowing off the heavy hood over her head, which she had to hold in place while her other hand tried to hold onto Nicoleta, whose grip was slipping after holding on for so long.
When she turned back for a quick glance behind her, she could see that there were already two vampires on her trail. The vampires had been delayed by the necessity of putting on their daylight coverings, but they were making progress reducing the distance between her and them. Lina was not nearly as swift on her feet as the older, stronger vampires, and she was slowed by the weight that she carried on her back. As she looked at them, she began to doubt that she could make it to her destination without them catching her.
She then realized she didn’t know her destination. She’d been running aimlessly. As she turned forward, she perceived that she was heading towards the village of Vallaya. She’d instinctively run in that direction since it was the last place she’d gone with Vad. She recalled the fortified building that Vad had told her they couldn’t break into. This would have to be her destination. How she would get in there, she didn’t know.
She turned back and could see the two vampires even closer, their torsos bent forward, their arms punching with wrathful energy, and their legs wildly flailing beneath them. They seemed to be only a few paces behind her now.
When she turned forward again, she could just see Andrei’s home in the distance. There was a door on the back of the building, and she aimed herself directly for it. When she reached it, she tried to pull it open, pounding at it with both fists. She had no time to wait for an answer. The two vampires lunged forward at her, their bodies landing upon the door as she just dodged to miss them.
Lina raced around the building. As she came around the front, she found herself in the main street of the village. Many people were about, and a dozen or so eyes immediately looked in her direction. She didn’t linger to return their stares. The door besides which the “Apothecary and Vampires Wares” sign swung was just opening as two customers sought to leave. She pushed inside, taking them with her. Once inside, she closed the door and held it closed.
The two customers screamed with fright at Lina’s pushy entrance, but she shouted at Andrei and Ileana who stood behind the counter, “Lock this door now! There’re vampires after me.”
Andrei was paralyzed with indecision, but Ileana didn’t hesitate, leaping over the counter and quickly dropping two door beams into place just as a pair of bodies pounded into the door from outside.
Finding the door firmly locked, the two vampires applied their fists to it, striking the door repeatedly. One of them finally called out to those inside, “Andrei, we’ve only come for one of our own. Give us the vampire. We don’t want you. This is an internal matter. Don’t get involved.”
All persons in the store turned to Lina in search of answers. Andrei was the first to speak up, asking her, “What is this? Who are you? Why did you come in here?”
A pair of feet touched the ground from beneath Lina’s cloak as a human shape sank to the ground. Nicoleta flung the cloak off from on top of her, exposing her unmistakably human face. She looked around at the group with wide eyes and gripped Lina for support.
“Who is this?” Ileana asked, in a voice more warm and inviting than Andrei’s. She bent down to speak with Nicoleta, who recoiled a little at the stranger, “Who are you little girl?”
“Her name’s Nicoleta,” Lina responded in a hoarse and screeching voice. She coughed to try to return her voice to its previous timbre without success, continuing, “She was a novice, until recently. Until the vampires took her. I mean, I took her for the vampires.”
“I don’t understand. Why are the vampires after you? Why are they banging on our doors right now asking for you?” Andrei asked in a quieter voice, so that the vampires outside might not overhear him.
“Because I stole her from them. I mean, I freed her from them. I want to take her back to the convent.”
Outside, the vampires were still pounding on the door, reciting over and over again, “Andrei, Andrei. Just give us the vampire. We can have you killed for violating the truce. This is not something for you to get involved in. She is one of us. You just give her to us, and we’ll go away and forget it. Remember the treaty. You cannot use her.”
“Just leave! I’m not letting you have her. This is not part of your damnable treaty. She came here of her own volition, and she’ll stay as long as she wants! I won’t harm her,” Andrei shouted at the vampires outside, with such force and conviction that they gave out the pounding and walked away.
Everyone relaxed a little at the sound of the vampires departing, but Andrei just smiled to them and said, “Don’t worry. They’ll be back. And there will be more of them.”