Blood & Juniper

Accounts of Sam, final day of September 2017.

The sound of polished nails scraping against my leather jacket brings me back to the present. My fingers slip deeper into silky locks and my arm firm around the woman's waist.

She's warm and consoling like honey and fresh bread, very pleasant but no kick like someone riddled with fear, anger or adrenaline. She was much too susceptible to my persuasion, probably didn't need to use it on her at all, she was just so damn mellow.

The sensation is just as soothing, reminding me of a time I was no more than ten, my mother would fix up green tea to aid in overcoming a flu.

I seem to be unusually absent minded today. A million miles away as I feed on her liquid heat. Oddly enough, I'm not distracted with her taste, as delectable as it is. I'm preoccupied with thoughts of Ash and our plans for tonight.

I hum a laugh in her neck as continue my gentle sip. The thought of Ash being more compelling than blood, that's something. A sleepy giggle follows and the girl squirms from being tickled. My fingers curl in her blonde hair and she melts into me like butter again.

Ash had impressed me, I'm a bit envious of her control. Though her appetite appears to be as endless as mine. I'm aware my insatiability can be quite the Achilles Heel. She's new though, likely to conquere it with age, I hope she's lucky enough not to deal with that problem forever. Still, last three times with no assistance from me. That's notable at the very least. But was she ready to go somewhere more public?

The blonde girl's knees wobble with weakness. Spaced out again, I really *am* out of it.

I steady her, giving the marked skin a final lick before pulling away. Her heavy head rests on my shoulder. 'Damn, I guess I'm carrying her now...wonderful.'

I spot a bench to ditch the girl. She can sleep it off.

A sassy but tender voice pops into my head, right as I sit her on the paint chipped bench, 'You're going to leave her out in the open and vulnerable?'

"So judgmental, Ash," I mutter to the voice in my head, hoisting the girl over my shoulder in search of a safer spot. Influencing me even when she wasn't around. I guess that's not terrible, Ash isn't a bad influence.

Red glaring cursive that reads 'Diner' reflects off the puddled streets. 'That'll work.'

The bell jingles three times as I step onto the muddy floor mat. A hole in the wall diner, I count five occupied tables and thirteen heads seated in their own hushed conversations.

I glance at the bland black and white clock over head, the only color being the thin cherry red second hand shimmying with every tick.

A quarter 'til 7:30, plenty of time. I glance down at the hostess who has a quizzical but cautious look on her pinched face.

I give her a warm smile, "Too much to drink," I tilt my head to the girl on my shoulder.

She raises her eyebrows but seems to buy it, "Just the two of you?"

"Please."

She takes a good look at me, her groggy eyes drifting below my face. Her gaze rises again and her cheeks flush pink when she realizes my attention is still on her.

Her bangs shake and her brown bun bobs as she clears her throat walking ahead of us, "This way please."

She leads us to a tan booth and I slide blondy across the overstuffed cushion, propping her up against the wall. I seat myself on the other side.

The hostess pulls a pen from her ear, taking a pint sized notebook from her apron, "Something to drink?"

'No thanks, I already had her.' I thought with a tiny smirk threatening the corners of my mouth, staring at the girl fading in and out.

She's safe, that was the goal, but I'm no charity case. I've got about forty-seven bucks to my name, if that. That icy air like the kind flowing out of an open freezer floods my head and throat.

I turn to the hostess with direct eye contact, her mouth relaxes into a slight gape, her gaze unblinking, like there were two invisible strings tying her pupils to mine.

"She had a rough day, let her sleep. When she wakes up get her whatever she wants. We paid in advance, that big tip is for you."

Satisfaction and gratitude stretch on her lips, "Of course, I'll come back in a bit then, thank you!"

That was easy. Maybe I'm an asshole for making her believe in imaginary money. She seems happy, it's the thought that counts, right? She bounces away, I get up as she turns the corner.

'That was a lot of extra effort for a girl that probably would have been fine. Ash is making me soft.' I push open the back door as I ponder, slipping out onto the chilly lot.

My hands slip inside cold pockets as I head for our usual meeting place, Spiral Hood Entrance. The lot and surrounding roads are barren, just how like it. I can go as fast as I want without consequence.

I had lived in New Corvis for a long time, the only thing that was certain about this town was it's inconsistencies. It was impossible to predict what would happen. A ten minute walk could take you from a bustling street to a ghost town. Such a mix of old and new cl.u.s.tered together, places overpopulated then completely deserted seemingly overnight, sometimes within hours.

I guess there was one thing to be regularly expected from New Corvis Coast, rain.

It rained all the time and the skies were a thick layer of gray more days than not. Growing up near Seattle, this wasn't a foreign climate. When I was a teen I dreamed of moving somewhere hot and sunny, where the beaches weren't freezing cold, less rocky. I suppose that's not going to happen anymore.

Because of the abundant shade, New Corvis, Oregon had attracted it's fair share of vampires. I'm surprised Ash and I only ran into one this week. Passed by actually. We'll see if Ashlen becomes the talk of the undead community. Some of the locals were so nosy, full of gossip. Nothing better to do when you live forever, I guess.

Ash wasn't local to New Corvis either and she knew much less about the place than most tourists. Told me she came here for some sort of graphic arts job? She would probably get lost trying to navigate the city on her own, especially since she hadn't replaced her phone. I should get her a new one, since I'm the one responsible for destroying it. I'll have Cooper set me up with those one time gigs he always seems to come across.

Cooper had been whining at me to come to the bar all week, as if he had no other friends and wasn't the extrovert everyone knew him to be. Maybe he had taken Derek's murder a little harder than I thought. He never said it but I know he always favored me over Derek, even though Derek was his blood.

I suppose that wasn't a surprise, he only saved Derek because I asked. Regardless, I still can't wrap my head around the fact he turned him to pay off a debt I wasn't holding him to, without a second thought, too. I've always considered turning someone to be a pretty big deal, Cooper acted like it was nothing. There are a few things I've never understood about Coop, and probably never will.

I had been so preoccupied with Ashlen, I hadn't so much as dropped by, he only knew the b.a.r.e minimum of what I was up to. Not very considerate of me, he probably just wants to know I didn't do anything stupid or fall off the face of the Earth.

I'm going to Rosie's tonight and Ash insists on coming with. I never realized how stressful popularity could be, I smell trouble brewing. I also smell something delicious, citrus and wildflowers.

I glance up to see Ashlen pacing under the rotting wooden sign for Spiral Hood.

"You're late, did something happen?" she asks, continuing to pace, staring out at the wet road.

"It can't be later than 7:35."

She holds my step dad's pocket watch out in front of my face as it swings by the chain, "7:33."

I titter, "Wow, a whole three minutes, how untimely of me."

She rolls her eyes, "Smartass," she mutters under her breath as my lips twitch, "It's just you're always early, did something hold you up?"

"Actually, it your fault I'm late."

She scoffs, "What! How?"

"I suppose you have made a small impact on me. Making me think about things I normally wouldn't give a second thought."

"I can't *make* you do anything."

I give her a sideways smirk, "I didn't say it was a bad thing."

She glares at me with a suspicious tilt of her head, arms fold under her b.r.e.a.s.ts as an impatient finger taps on her arm.

"So," I shift my weight as I continue, "Are you sure you want to come with me to the Rosie's? It's OK if you change your mind."

She blows air roughly out of the small gap from her lips, swatting a hand through the air and walks past me, like my question is utterly ridiculous.

"I'm going with, where's your bike."

"I thought we could walk," It might dissuade her, she may get cold feet with the long walk. I hope that's the case. Even though Ash had good command of herself we had never been around so many humans *or* so many vampires.

"That's quite the walk," she eyes me like I'm up to something but ends with a shrug before enthusiastically announcing, "Alright Rosie, let's see what your all about!"

So persistent, of course she won't change her mind. I catch up to her, falling in lock step. She flips her head around to locate me, not realizing I'm right next to her, with an, "Oh" as she spots me. A shockingly good sense of control and a shocking amount of aloofness. You can't have it all.

"Are you on speaking terms with your Maker, again?" I prod.

"I haven't seen much of June lately and I'm not *not* talking to her. I just… I don't know."

She's still shaken up about that night. Ash didn't give me the details but it seemed her Maker had frightened or disturbed her in someway. Yet, she still appears to have a fondness for her, calling the reaper nicknames like "June".

"I'm telling you, you don't have to stay with her. I could figure something else out."

"No, it's OK. It's strange but the cabin feels like home," she bites her lip with an interesting twinkle in her eyes. A glint of sadness?

"I don't think June will hurt me, she just doesn't seem accustomed to company," she glances down in front of her with tight eyes and brows like she's thinking hard about something, "She said I was basically her first turn."

That's… Very unusual. Her maker is definitely ancient, she'd wait this long before turning one person? Sounds like bullshit. The reaper is likely lying, but for what purpose? What does Ash mean by basically?

"Did she ever tell you what line you were from?"

"No, I've been meaning to ask, there's just so many questions. I haven't had a deep conversation with her since that night."

That's information a maker should tell their sired automatically, she should have filled Ashlen in on a lot of things but no. I don't get it and Ash is still attached despite it all. Maybe I can't understand it because I've never felt that blood link to my creator, not that I want it. The whole connection by blood is extremely unsettling, I never want to experience it.

"She should proactively tell you those kinds of things," I remark, we glance at each other as we walk and she shrugs, "Did she give you *any* useful information?"

She sighs, "It's tricky getting a straight answer out of her. I just need to pin her down and ask at some point," she swallows with uncertainty.

"Well I can give it my best to fill you in," she turns her head with a small smile and I meet her with my own, "Go ahead, shoot."

She mimics my phrase with a chuckle, "*Shoot*," a light bulb goes off as she makes an "ah-ha" expression, "OK, what can kill us?"

"Right to the morbid stuff, huh? You know, getting beheaded, having your heart ripped out or staked, the sun or fire…" My hand casually counts the options.

"All instant deaths?"

"No actually, you have a chance of surviving almost all of those if you're quick enough about removing the problem or reattaching the body part," she makes a disgusted face at the word 'reattaching', "Oh and I always forget, silver is a universal weakness. Your skin is a lot tougher now, but silver will go through it like paper, you won't be able to manipulate it easily like you can with steel or tougher materials."

She grimaces, "OK… And any tip for not getting killed."

"Use common sense, try not to get into any fights with other vampires and just stay away from The Thorn, but cooperate with them if you must."

"The Thorn, you mentioned that before, what's up with that?"

"Them, think really old vampires that enforce and act like medieval royalty. Don't give them a reason to take interest, don't cause problems, don't even go near them if you can help it."

"How am I supposed to know who "they" are? Do they wear matching uniforms or something?"

"It's that energy or life force they give off, it's going to be powerful and dangerous," I stare into her wide eyes, "A lot like your Master's. And they can suppress it, so follow your gut. If red flags are going off, it's probably for a good reason."

Let's hope Ash can exercise good judgment, she can be so aloof and a little reckless, which is a worrisome combination.

She mulls it over quietly for a while. Our shoes make tiny splashes like a skipping stone in the distance hopping over a glassy lake. The trees drip with dew showing off their lush, hydrated green.

She murmurs, "My Master…"

"Hmm?"

"Are you talking about June, because I remember her saying she wasn't my master the first time I met her."

"But, you told me she admitted turning you."

"She did but she denied being my 'Master'."

I stare at her confused, "What's the difference?"

She titters, "I was hoping you'd know the answer to that."

We look at each other a while longer before shrugging in sync.

Her face relaxes as I see another question form in her eyes, she's more sheepish about this one, "So, are there vampire hunters?"

I chuckle and she lowers her head in a colorless blush, "Probably, I mean humans wouldn't be that good at it, they would have to get extremely lucky if they were hoping to execute a vampire. However, another vampire hunting vampires could be lethal," I guess I'm going that route, for one particular vampire.

"Do humans know? Is that even allowed?"

"As long as it doesn't piss off the Thorn, it's "allowed". Some humans know, but generally, I'd aim to keep that a secret. You never know how people will react."

She nods looking a little surprised about that tidbit of information.

She gives me an unsure look suddenly.

"What is it?" I ask.

She hesitates, "How did you become a vampire?"

I raise my eyebrows, "Me personally or how does anyone become one?"

"You…," she trails off as we both turn to look in the direction of a permanently closed down jewelry store.

I'm definitely off my game today, I should have smelled this a mile away. Another vampire, pinning a young man to the brick wall of the canopied storefront. The orange-red cover hanging over the sidewalk shrouded them in an ominous way, like a darkroom for developing photographs.

The vampire's straight hair barely brushed her shoulders as she feasted on the man. Guzzling down with every intention of drinking him dry.

My head cranks to Ash on my left, "We should gi..."

"She's killing him," she cuts me off, her horrified expression looks remarkably more pale than usual.

"I know," I respond glumly, but we have no control over that.

"We have to do something," she says with her fist clutching her heart as if making a pledge.

"No, we can't get involved."

"We can't just watch him die!"

I grab her by the arm before she can take another step, "Ash, this is exactly what I was saying earlier! Don't get in fights, don't interfere," the unfamiliar vampire is now drinking the man's vitals in calculated sips, she's aware of our little dispute.

Ash yanks her arm away with an appalled mouth and angry eyes shaming me, "I'm not looking for a fight, but I'm not like you, I can't just do nothing."

Ouch. I don't let her see how much that stings. I don't enjoy doing nothing, but she doesn't realize trying to be the hero is the beginning of the end.

I shake my head at her with a stern look, "Don't do it."

She doesn't listen, taking a few steps towards the strangers as she demands, "Hey, let him go."

I want to tear my hair out, a complete disregard for her own safety. 'Red flags, Ashlen, red flags!'

'Think, Sam, think fast.' I plan out my tactics, sizing up my soon to be opponent. I'm guessing she's around my age. I might be stronger, should be able to over power her, let's hope.

The stranger vampire cranes her neck to stare down Ash and feral growl rises out of a blood soaked throat, dark slime dribbling off her bottom lip. Eyes like two blacklight bulbs in a nightclub. Bright purple retecols targeting the one disturbing her meal.

A hoarse voice cautions, "Stay out of this, it doesn't concern you."

A warning, normally that would be fortunate, she's experienced enough to give one rather than attack outright. I doubt Ashlen is going to heed that warning, making this very bad.

To my relief, Ash doesn't move any closer, but she keeps arguing, "Please, you don't have to take his life."

"Walk away or you're going to regret it," she growls.

"Ash, do what she says."

"No! You're not going to kill him."

The purple eyed woman loses her patience, dropping the man and charging at Ash like a mad bull.

Ash moves her arm up to block but hits the ground as she's tackled from above, a clawed hand lifts to swipe at her face. I'm there in less than a second, latching onto the raised arm. I send a solid kick straight to the stranger's sternum.

She stumbles back as the hollow thud reverberates off her rib cage with a crack. The woman jumps to the side clutching her c.h.e.s.t. A snarl ripples through the space as her eyes swap rapidly between us.

She ends up choosing me as her new target, lunging out with a swing. Her nails fizzle through the air just missing my cheek bone. The other open hand sweeps upward from the opposite direction, intent on either racking through rib cage to shoulder or grabbing hold of my jacket to pull me in for her teeth to do the work. My shoulders roll back as I lean to dodge.

Ash is up, sprinting then crouching into a leap, heading for the woman's back. Her legs and arms curl in a silhouette as yellow circles beam from her face.

Too much air time. The purple eyed fiend lowers herself, spinning on her sleek knee-high boot. An arm swats Ash mid-air like a bug.

Ash ricochets into a parked car with a metallic thud, the woman bounds over throttling her with one hand. Ash squirms with breathless yelps, kicking her legs but connecting with nothing, her back banging against the hood of the dented car.

Fingers dig into the unrelenting choking hand. The attacker holds the other c.o.c.ked back like an arrow, ready to plunge into Ash's heart.

A blink, I'm breathing down the neck of the short haired girl. She hisses a breath, one violet ring shows through whirling hair as her neck wh.i.p.s around.

Too late, my arm is locked over her throat, teeth at her artery, and hand crushing the extended forearm. She's finished.

I tense to immobilize, anticipating the crunch of bones, the wet stickiness to soak my palm and mouth. I almost lose my center. My hand is empty, arm no longer curled around her neck, teeth chomp nothing but air. 'What the! How?'

The stranger bends forward unrestricted, a blunt pain in my gut sends me sailing.

My back slams onto payment, I roll backwards to lessen the impact of the kick, leaping to my feet. Fingers roll over the course road as I skid to a stop. My eyes lock on two purple halos that streak with light as she flips into an aerial. She lands, leaning in for the onslaught, arms swing to propel, bolting right for me.

Two slender arms are airborne at her backside, capturing and yanking the stranger backwards. Ash's teeth tear into her throat and the stranger's eyes widen like the possessed. Caught by a newbie.

The amethyst irises burn and her skin becomes a fog, she pulls her throat away from the jagged teeth but her flesh doesn't tear. An apparition as real blood cascades to the ground, it falls through the neck like a hologram rather than rolling down skin like it should.

Ash blinks with a gasp as pieces of the woman become murky and unstable like an actual ghost. Ash's bloody fangs no longer sunk into tendons and her hands hang empty.

"Shit, a Specter," I hiss through my teeth. I position into a fighters stance.

The stranger's body flickers from translucent to transparent as she moves erratically. Ash goes tumbling backwards with a clean shove. She knows I'm more experienced, she'll take me out first.

I close my eyes using my other senses to find her. She dances like a firework scattering sparks of blinding energy.

The air flexes near my face. I drop down. I throw a long left hook. It doesn't connect.

The phantom leaps back circling quietly like a rabid mutt.

The aura stops briefly before scorching like a fireball, rocketing for my backside. That's her last mistake, only rookies fall for that move.

I flip around and my hand lunges out to jab. A high pitched choke matches my grunt. A ghostly hand solidifying in my c.h.e.s.t, ripping tissue and muscle apart.

Purple eyes dim with a squint of pain as she pushes a strained breath out. I grit my teeth when her solid hand twitches in my c.h.e.s.t cavity. Her hand is positioned to hurt, but mine is to kill.

If I close my hand, her heart is history.

Her eyelids flare with fear, knowing what's to come and she vanishes from sight. My bloody hand suspended in mid air automatically moves to clutches my c.h.e.s.t as the pressure disappears with her.

I catch a glimpse of the phantom girl. Lambent from solid to see through as she retreats in a ghostly blur, running right for a wall and fading into it like an illusion. She's not coming back.

That was too close.

I lean over resting one hand on my knee as I breath a rough pant.

A muffled voice sounds at my back, "Ar-are you hurt?"

I spin my head around to see Ash shuffle over, a hand covering her mouth with concerned eyes.

"I'll be fine," I respond quickly, straightening with a final breath, scanning over her to make sure she's not wounded, "How about you, are you alright?"

She bobs her head violently with watery eyes, her hand falls, "Yeah, yeah. I just don't understand," she stares down and switches from a nod to a shake of disbelief, "I had her! I *tasted* her when a bit down on her throat…"

"She's from the Specter line."

"*What*? What does that mean?"

"It means she can phase through solid matter *and* we were this close to being wiped out!" She flinches at my gruff tone as I demonstrate with my index and thumb how narrowly we escaped something much more gruesome.

"I didn't mean… I just… I didn't want to see someone else die in front of me."

"It's a shock that one of *us*," I circle a finger implying the two of us "didn't end up dying," it's really inexplicable that everyone lived through that, I was counting on at least one casualty.

She turns away, guilt ridden and puppy dog eyed.

I let out a long sigh as press my clean hand over my eyes and slide it down my face.

"You're hurt," she whispers.

I glance over to see her face drenched in remorse. I follow her gaze to my sticky hand still holding the hole in my c.h.e.s.t.

"Oh, this?" I remove my hand to hold it up, shifting my jacket over with the sly move of my shoulder to cover the gash. She knows she messed up, rubbing more salt in the wound doesn't seem necessary, "It's mostly her blood," it really was, I got her good.

Her lips press tightly together, not comforted at all, "I can smell yours, too."

She reaches tenderly for the jacket to reveal the deep cut. I catch her hand exercising that same gentleness to stop her, "It's not so bad, it will heal."

She stares up at me sadly as my hand slides down her arm before releasing. Her gaze drops down to her fidgeting feet, an arm closes around her body to grab her arm hanging limply at the side, her soles scratch the black asphalt.

I touch her shoulder and she slowly drags her mopey face upward.

"I get it, Ash. I do, but you can't save everyone."

She shuts her lids with a languid blink before returning a deadened stare.

I emphasize, "You have to face facts that we are not human anymore and not everyone is going to share our morals."

"But, how is it right? Evil exists because good people do nothing," her lips barely move in response.

If only it were so simple, "When the motive for evil is not evil itself but a core need for survival, that kind of changes things."

Her brows constrict and lips tighten in reaction to my words, not liking it but not necessarily disagreeing.

I purse my lips, "It feels wrong but the consequences for getting involved can be so much worse. We all could have died right here, tonight."

She nods slowly as I release her shoulder, hopefully convincing her not to throw herself in harm's way again.

I debate whether to answer her question from earlier, it's more relevant now than when originally asked, "You wanted to know how I became a vampire."

Her lips part, I see that familiar curiosity ignite mixing with her gloominess as her head bobs.

"I died trying to save a girl who was being attacked by another vampire," her mouth falls open as I add, "Well, I guess I didn't die completely cause here I am."

She mouth chews on the air, wanting to say something but obviously unable to articulate it.

"I'd call it miraculous that I actually survived, but it was no blessing," I shook my head, smiling bitterly out of the cruel irony of it.

Ash stands in disbelief as her disorganized questions all rush out at once, "Did the vampire turn you? Are you still in contact with your maker? Did you save the girl? What happened?"

I breath out my nose shoving my hands into my jacket pockets, I flinch slightly at the sharp jolt in my c.h.e.s.t from moving too suddenly, that wound is still tender and very deep.

She waits wide eyed for a response.

My gaze swivels around us, I spy the collapsed body laying in a puddle of his own blood. A faint heartbeat sailing off into an oblivion, he may make it out of this alive if he can hang on for the night.

I look back over to Ash, "Is he not bothering you?"

"I'm ignoring it," she responds curtly without sparing the unconscious man a glance. Impressive, we should get going regardless.

I give a heavy sigh, "Let's keep moving. I *really* need a drink after all of this," I do, it'll help mend that damn lesion. Someone sober, I need to stay alert.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. You really do get it better than anyone, I had no idea."

"Just like you say, 'It's not fair'."

"No, it isn't," she agrees as we exchange half-hearted smiles.