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TWELVE | THE NAMELESS MUSTANG
It was easier to focus with a drink in my hand. I watched Cyrus keenly as he took his first sip – whiskey, neat – and he swallowed, though with a grimace at the heat in his throat, as easily as any human. Good – I wouldn’t have been able to look myself in the eye again if I’d started to develop a crush on a vampire.
It was quiet in the pub. Only the regulars were in here: old men nursing a beer or cider, and a couple of builders stood by the slot machines. There was a low murmur of sound, the clatter of loose change and the brushing of pages of today’s newspaper. A group of teenagers sat chatting on the far side of the room, picking at their lunches and flicking through their homework.
I took a sip of my cider. Cyrus had been surprised by my choice – he’d been poised to order me a white wine – but I’d grown up in the countryside, and I’d never been a huge fan of wine. It taste
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The Hunter and the Vampire THIRTEEN | ANOTHER
I wiped my hands on my red apron. My cut was stinging and itching, which I hoped were signs that it was starting to heal in earnest. Harper had slapped my hand away when it had begun to scab at the edges, and threatened to wind a big bandage around my head to keep my picking fingers away.I usually felt as though my time at the diner was made up of blocks that I marked off as empty in my brain. Sometimes I’d try to pass the hours by thinking about new hunting strategies, but for the most part I let my body glide around on autopilot until I could finally clock out.If Grace was in, as she was tonight, the time would pass much quicker. It also didn’t feel quite so wasted – between the gossip and the giggles, my time behind the counter felt meaningful, in a way that it didn’t when the newer staff, or less friendly servers, were in.Grace tossed her long, blonde plait over her shoulder. She watc
The Hunter and the Vampire FOURTEEN | HAZELNUT
Harper grinned at me as Grace and I filed out from the back room. I smoothed down my apron, wanting something to do with my hands. I smiled back at him nervously, glancing at his soft, brown eyes for only a second before my own eyes started darting around the room, trying to find Cyrus.Being unable to spot him filled me with conflicting emotions. Was it good or bad, better or worse, that I couldn’t see him easily?I decided that, for the time being, at least, I would push him out of my mind. He was just a customer, and Harper, sweet, gentle Harper, was sat at the bar, leaning heavily across the counter and waiting for me to say something to him.“Hi,” I said.Harper frowned, standing immediately and reaching for me. “Are you okay, Cals?”“She’s been like this all day,” Grace chipped in, shaking her head at me.&n
The Hunter and the Vampire FIFTEEN | DRIVE
I’d half expected the house to be in darkness when I got home, but the downstairs lights were on, and it looked as warm and inviting as ever. I pulled up next to Harper’s battered old car, some vintage Chevy that he was equal parts proud of and fed up with, and then I killed the engine.It was easier to face myself, sat alone in the liminal space that my car provided. It had always felt like a limbo to me: you were either getting in, getting out, or actively driving. To sit in it, especially in the driveway, or a car park, at night, made the very air feel hazy and dizzying.The orange streetlight glowed against the windows, catching on the water droplets from the earlier rainfall. They were stark against the dark, glum sky, and I pressed the pads of my fingertips against the cool glass, tracing the pattern of them.I was only prolonging the inevitable. But his face – I’d never seen Har
The Hunter and the Vampire SIXTEEN | DEMONS
To put it mildly, I’d been surprised to learn that a demon had taken up residence in the neighbouring town of Beerbridge. It was a little bigger than Seafall, and sat off to the east. It was known primarily for its large harbour and docks, so I supposed that a travelling creature, such as a demon, would see the benefits of settling there for a while.There were plenty of bodies ripe for possession, and, if it got bored, there was easy access to other port towns readily available.Though I was, of course, not glad that a demon had taken root in Beerbridge, I was glad of the distraction it provided me with. It all worked out perfectly – I had Sunday off work, and Susan, of all people, had found us a lead. Sierra had followed it up, and we’d gathered a few of our number to track the monster.Torre had been eager to stay behind in Seafall. The vampires were her main concern, and she’d asked Beau to st
The Hunter and the Vampire SEVENTEEN | THE FOUR HORSEMEN
Once we were in the right place, Old Tim – and the demon possessing his body – were surprisingly easy to find.It was a relief to fall into the familiar routine of hunting. It gave me a chance to shut out my thoughts regarding Harper and Cyrus, and allowed me to focus fully on the task at hand. I was in my element here, stalking the streets of Beerbridge, my hand gripping the rowan knife in my pocket.I’d had to move it from the thigh holster – cool as it had looked – so that I could swing it quickly when the time came. Though Sierra seemed confident with the words of the exorcism, words of power designed to send the creature back to Hell, I couldn’t leave anything to chance. Who knew what poor Old Tim was dealing with, trapped inside his own body and unable to move or think or speak. He was a passenger, as far as our previous experience told us, anyway. I wrinkled my nose at the thought, and clutche
The Hunter and the Vampire EIGHTEEN | PENNY LANE
The stadium in Beerbridge had been built on an old apple orchard, which explained why their team, Beerbridge Town F.C., was nicknamed the Apples. However, I didn’t think it explained why half the stadium was filled with middle aged men wearing cartoon apples with gaudy, beaming faces on their heads.I’d played a lot of sports in my time, and football had been one that I’d enjoyed. I’d never understood the appeal of watching it, though. I wanted to be an active participant, rather than dressing myself up like an idiot and shouting from the sidelines. I’d been to a few university home games to watch Harper (he’d played for the Seconds), but that was more to be a supportive girlfriend than out of any real interest in watching the sport itself.Unfortunately for us, we needed to fit in with the heaving crowd. And that meant buying apple heads of our own.“I feel ridiculous,” Me
The Hunter and the Vampire NINETEEN | HESITATION
It was all my fault. I’d hesitated, and, because of that, Old Tim was dead. The demon had lured me in, with what were most likely lies, and I’d taken too long to strike. And I’d forgotten another important rule of hunting, though it was an unspoken guideline more than an actual rule: don’t gloat.Maybe, if the demon hadn’t known it was going to die, it would have left Old Tim alive. I berated myself angrily the whole way back to Seafall, and as my emotional exhaustion began to set in, I continued to berate myself in a bitter inner voice, rather than the angry one, cold and almost toneless.Death was an unfortunate part of the reality of hunting. But unnecessary death was something far, far worse, and this time I’d been the one to cause it.I’d gone through the motions of the clean up rigidly, hardly noticing what my body was doing. I was less than a passenger as we sorted t
The Hunter and the Vampire TWENTY | TUESDAY
Bella e Buona. Beautiful and good, it meant. At least, that was what Cyrus had told me when I’d asked, grinning and eyeing me meaningfully around a mouthful of pasta and garlic bread. “Just like you,” he’d added, his eyes gleaming.I made a mental note about the garlic bread. I was pretty sure that was a myth, but it was better to be safe than sorry. I had to focus on work, otherwise I’d tumble into a swirling pit of anxiety. There were too many thoughts to contend with – too many difficult, confusing thoughts – so I kept my mind purposefully blank, save for useful information. It was a notepad, and my thoughts were allowed to be the pen – and only the pen.I was yet to meet his family, and considering the time I’d spent with him already, there weren’t many notes to make. I idly commented on the food, which was, admittedly, delicious – too delicious for a vampire to h
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