Vampire's Key
Chapter Twenty
Amy sped through the park, intoxicated by the potency of the night ahead. The number of humans decreased in conjunction with the fading sun that cast a fiery glow of deep reds and warm pinks across mounds of grey cloud. Joggers remained at a constant, varying pace and stride, their headphones isolating them from surrounding sounds. In contrast, the occasional loner staggered by, red-faced from a concoction of alcohol and winter chill. Amy rushed past one of them. He stank of a forlorn life lived on cheap booze and fuelled by broken dreams. He lurched onwards in search of a bench for the night. Barely able to maintain focus, he leaned to the right, before resetting himself and wobbling along the path.
Leaving the human debris behind, Amy probed the park mentally, searching for the vampire. *She’s there,*she thought, changing her direction towards a line of black trees set beside the waters of an artificial lake. Their trunks appeared like misshapen legs. Thickened by age, they supported dark branches stripped by winters touch. Amy headed towards an empty bench. *What does she want now,*she wondered? The splayed branches of a tree cast patterned shadows over the aged wood and flaking paint.
Sarah wore her top hat. It was tall, but still a little smaller than Jonathan’s original. Her arms were crossed tightly over her long parka coat.
Amy stopped a little distance from the other vampire. “What do you want, Sarah?”
Sarah raised her eyebrows as though to say, ‘here we go again,’ and asked, “How is your new pet?”
“She’s not my pet,” Amy snapped. “But you knew that. I’m certain Chloe or Persia will have informed you already.”
“Yes, I suppose I did,” Sarah agreed.
“So, what do you want?”
“Now, now, Amy. We may hate each other, but we can still be cordial, can we not?”
Amy folded her arms. A couple across the rippling waters of the lake caught her eye. They took a seat by an old stone boathouse, the man removing his jacket and wrapping it around his companion before she sat on his lap.
“How does it feel to have a Stake spy in your midst?” Sarah wondered.
Amy shook her head irritably. A pained expression tightened her face. “I’m tired of your games, Sarah,” she retorted. “How long has it been; two centuries or more? And still you play these silly games.”
“As a friend, I am warning you.”
“A ‘friend’ is it now?”
Sarah’s smile evoked a desire in Amy to stamp on her top hat and punch her in the face. “Who is it then?” Amy asked. “Because I would know a Stake bastard as soon as I touched one.”
“About your new pet...”
Amy shook her head and offered an indignant laugh. “I am her Clan Mother, I would know if she were a Stake bitch.”
“She will destroy The Countess.”
Amy raised her eyebrows. A blank expression washed away her irritation. “As if you care about the club. You still haven’t got over the fact that I made it a success story.”
“A male brothel is hardly a success story.”
“You know as well as I, that it is no such thing.”
Sarah smiled coldly. “I have a proposition for you,” she said, stepping into the light. She pulled the hood of her winter coat around her neck to alleviate a slight chill.
Amy raised her eyebrows. “And what might that be?”
“Give me your new pet, and I shall prove to you that she is a Stake spy.”
“And what do you wish for in return?”
Sarah smiled knowingly. “Let’s say you owe me.”
“I owe you?” Amy repeated, almost laughing. “I think not.”
“Then, at least let me meet the girl. It’s been a while since I have enjoyed a new pet.”
“That’s because your pets never last, Sarah. Besides, as I said, she is no pet.”
“A daughter, is she?” Sarah replied, stepping onto the path. Her heels tapped sharply against the concrete. “Shall we walk?” she suggested, already stepping away. She paused, allowing Amy to catch up.
“How many daughters have you sired now?”
“A few,” Amy admitted, glancing over at the dark waters of the lake. They rippled eagerly under the cold breeze. Tiny waves spread outwards from the other side, only to be repelled by the stone edging.
“A few? Over two centuries? And how many dead?”
“You know as well as I that it is not always so easy to outrun the Stakes, these new men are using technology that is difficult for us to avoid.”
“Yes, it makes things harder.”
“What do you really want, Sarah?” Amy asked, stopping and pulling the other vampire by the arm.
Sarah whirled around, baring her teeth as she stepped up to Amy.
“Well?” Amy asked, unimpressed by Sarah’s show of power.
Sarah smiled. “I am just telling you as a friend. I know The Countess means so much to you.”
“And yet I sense so little sincerity on your part. And so much condescension.”
Sarah snorted. “It is not hard to look down upon you—with you being so small. But truth be told, you started as nothing more than a tenant and quickly descended into whoredom. Tell me,” she reached over and pinched Amy’s chin, “how much lower can you go?”
Amy pushed Sarah’s hand away. She felt the anger rise within her. Her energy thickened and swirled like a tumultuous whirlpool inside her.
“Do you know how I know your new pet is a spy?”
Amy’s face remained blank.
“Lord Alexander, that very bastion of Lazarean royalty, told me personally.”
“Lord Alexander? And when did you talk to him?”
“Recently.”
“Sarah,” Amy replied, doing her best to remain cordial. “I already know my newborn daughter’s ex is a Stake. Why do you think I turned her?”
“Up to your old tricks, are you?” Sarah asked. “You know you’ll never get a Stake insider.”
“As if you’re any different.”
Sarah smiled. “I have a peace offering. I have wasted too much time hating you for what happened.”
Amy sighed. “Your husband chose his life and you know it. They all choose that life. To this day they still choose that life. Boys like killing.”
“So does Nell.”
Amy emitted an incredulous laugh. “He was the one that charged in with the intention to kill my sisters and myself!”
Sarah’s tone soured. “And yet, your Matriarch killed him. I was there, remember? IShall never forget it.” She took a deep breath and shook her head. “Please, come,” she said, offering Amy her arm. “I will prove to you that your new pet is a Stake bitch.”
Cautiously, Amy accepted. They walked on, passing a man whose dog barked at them furiously. The owner’s apology faded as he stared at the beguiling women. At his feet, the small dog growled, then barked again. Amy glared at the creature, then back at the man. He went to speak, but the dog’s insatiable yapping drew his attention away from the attractive vampire’s. Snapped out of it, he looked down, reprimanded the Border Terrier, then hurried on through the park.
“I told you,” Amy continued, putting the irritating human and his bothersome dog out of her mind. “I already know her boyfriend is a Stake. And, she is my daughter, not my pet.”
“It appears that you know so much,” Sarah scoffed. “Do you also know that Sunita closed her memories?”
Amy baulked at the sound of the name. “Sunita?” she asked, looking around nervously. They were near the centre of the park now. Their path crossed another. White street lights illuminated the lined trees and manicured shrubbery in a ghostly glow. In the distance, the yellow and orange hue of the city warmed and welcomed the few humans exiting the park. Amy tried to pull herself free from Sarah’s tight grip, cushioned by her thick winter coat. Sarah pressed her hand onto Amy’s arm, holding her in place.
“If she were here,” Amy said, “Nell would know. And so would I.”
“Should I be flattered? Am I that easy to read?”
Amy felt knots wrap tightly in her churning stomach as a dark cloud whisked its way along the path, slowing as it approached. The whirling mist thickened into the form of a black-haired woman. She was a little taller than Amy, with an olive complexion. She stepped forward gracefully, halting beneath a tall ash tree. Its shadows patterned her grey trouser suit with dark lines.
“Sunita,” Amy gasped, discreetly noting the best route to leave should she need to.
“There’s no need to be afraid,” Sunita began. She spoke slowly, carefully selecting her words. “I shall not harm you.” The Native American remained still and silent for a few moments.
Under the Matriarch’s gaze, Amy felt her energy field withdraw into her body, as though searching for a place to hide.
“How are you, Amy?” Sunita asked.
“I am well thank you, Sunita,” Amy replied. She glanced across the water. In the distance, on the bench beside the boathouse, the man looked up as though star-gazing, despite the thick bands of cloud that blanketed the evening sky. Hidden beneath his coat, the woman knelt before him, her head bobbing up and down. “Sarah told me about Lilly,” Amy said finally.
“Yes,” Sunita agreed. “The girl you brought into your Hide will betray you.”
“She said you closed her memories. Did you?”
“Many things are lost in the desert of the mind,” Sunita replied.
“So you did?”
Sunita shrugged. “The brief pleasures of humans,” she observed, glancing at the distant couple. “So fleeting, are they not?”
“Sunita?” Amy pressed.
Sunita looked back at her. She took a deep in breath and remained silent.
“I don’t understand what you’re telling me,” Amy said. “I know you want me dead, as much as you wish to destroy my Matriarch.”
Sunita’s dark eyes penetrated Amy like an arrow, infecting the energy hidden deep within Amy. “Your Matriarch will get what she is due. But there are other concerns.”
“Other concerns?” Amy asked. It felt as though Sunita had reached in, cupped Amy’s heart in her hands, squeezed tightly, then ripped it from her chest.
Sunita’s voice resonated in Amy’s mind,*You will do as I say*. “For now, bring me the girl.”
Amy wasn’t certain if Sunita had really spoken or she had imagined the words. Her response was automatic. “No.”
“It was not a request,” Sunita snapped, gliding towards Amy. She stopped a pace away from the Clan Mother, studying the gentle features of Amy’s face. “You will do as I say.” Her words tumbled into Amy’s mind, falling deep beneath the surface, where they germinated in the hidden recesses of her unconscious. “Bring me your new daughter. Now.”
Amy felt herself nod obediently.
“Fetch her now,” Sunita whispered. “I shall wait.”
Amy nodded, then turned and walked in the direction of The Countess, where her newborn daughter awaited. On the other side of the water, the woman emerged from beneath her boyfriend’s coat, a look of satisfaction on her face.
Vampire’s Key
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