The Vampire's Harvest

195

You withdraw the ice pick and swing it towards his neck. Despite his high collar of thick fabric, the long piercing weapon sinks in and skewers his throat. He stumbles, practically frothing at the mouth as he reels from the pain. You only hope he'll be incapacitated long enough for Ferris to finish the spell and rid the town of the duke forever. Unfortunately, vampires are known for their quick healing abilities and though he's still staggering from your injury, his anger stabilizes him enough to make a second attack and this time he's solely focused on you.

You are left with just your fists and you know it won't do any good against the raging vampire.

The chanting continues behind you, the words gibberish as they recite the ritual with inhuman speed. Yet, still they chant and the duke isn't going to wait. He yanks the pick from his neck. He lunges towards you with his mouth wide, his arms spreading, his hands reaching...

And he's gone.

A screeching cry is the last you hear of him before he disintegrates into dust—his body rapidly decomposing as immortality slips away.

The thing is you still hear the coven performing their spell. Confused, you wait for the dust to settle and the fog of the duke to disappear. Then, standing before you, looking ever so distraught is Ailisa with a fire poker extended before her. Her aim is right about where the duke's heart would have been.

"Knowing the duke was going to tear your throat out made him less appealing," she sniffs, dropping the poker to the ground and allowing her arms to fall to her sides. "I'll never get a vamp. Not after killing a duke."

You pull Ailisa into a gracious hug, which in turn brings a smile to her face. Ferris and the others finish their spell and outside the door, a chorus of terrible screams ring out.

There is no rest for the coven though. They continue on to a new spell which will releases the souls of the drones from their dead masters' curse. Once it is all done and the dust has settled, you head out to find the wolves looking rather despondent. You know you don't need to tell them that they missed their chance to maul a horde of vampires today, but you still want to apologize for failing them.

A blonde haired wolf approaches you and you know before she transforms that your sister has joined the pack. She then transforms and stands bare and shivering before you.

"What happened?" she asks as another wolf disappears into an alley. The wolf returns with a cloak in his mouth, one he either had stashed for this very situation or had stolen from someone's laundry line. Gianette accepts it with a smile and wraps herself against the cool autumn night.

"The coven finished the vamps off before I could pull them out. I'm sorry."

"It's all right," she replies with a soft smile. "It means we didn't lose any wolves today and I'm glad to see you are still around, Micah."

"Likewise."

She then shuffles and looks back to a dark-haired wolf, the largest of the pack. She holds his gaze for a minute and then turns back.

"Will you come with us?" she asks, brushing her loose hair behind her ear. "We can't make you one of the pack without a trial, but you are welcomed to follow us and earn your place. We're going to find a home for us and I'd love to have you with me."

Your heart brightens at the offer and you answer with a large smile, but in the end your words say otherwise.

"I'm sorry, I can't. Perhaps one day, but right now there's something else I need to do."

"I understand," Gianette says, reaching out to grab your shoulder. "We should keep in touch so that our paths cross again."

You give her a nod and then say your farewells. She transforms back into a wolf and the pack runs down the street, disappearing into the shadow of the trees.

As for you, you feel it only right that you help Ailisa find her dream since she cast it aside to save your life. Without the vamps there to hold you in, there's no reason you can't pack up and explore the world. Together you discover creatures beyond vampires and werewolves; mysteries greater than the power of a mage's spell; and adventures you'd never have experienced back in the quiet of the town.

***

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