Well, what do you know? It’s a blood drinker…
I suck in a breath as the pain shoots through me—hard and unyielding—and it’s all I can do not to rip my arm away. Instead, I force myself to stay still—to let the creature drink, as I search for the stake with my free hand.
Finally, my fingers close around the wood and I make my move. Bringing my arm up in the air, ready to stab the beast through the heart and end this fight—
“Enough!”
I stop, milliseconds before driving the stake through. Who said that? I try to search the darkness for the source of the voice.
“Fluffy! Release her. Come!”
To my shock and extreme awe, the bloodsucking beast—Fluffy?!—immediately unlocks its grip on my hand and scurries off into the darkness.
I scramble to my feet, holding my hand to my side, trying to put pressure on the wound. “Who’s there?” I cry. “Show yourself.”
A light flickers and a moment later the glow of a lamp shines through the darkness. I gasp as a tall, dark figure, dressed in a long, black cape steps into view. His skin is as white as snow. His hair as dark as night. His lips are as red as blood. Meaning he’s either some kind of cross-dressing Snow White…
… or a vampire.
“Oh my God,” I cry, relief flooding over me like a tidal wave. “Thank you so much!” I attempt a step forward toward the elderly vampire, but Fluffy—now standing by her master’s side—snarls, bearing her fangs—which, I might add, are still dripping with my blood. I stop, holding up my hands in surrender. “What is that thing?” I ask.
The vampire smiles, revealing a set of gleaming white fangs under the flickering lamplight. “Chupacabra,” he says, reaching down to scratch the creature’s mangy head. Fluffy looks up at him and pants happily.
Chupacabra. I draw in a breath, remembering my studies at Riverdale Academy. Chupacabra are legendary bloodsucking creatures, hailing from Mexico and the southwestern United States. Their name literally means “goat sucker”—with goats and other livestock being their favorite menu items.
So what was this one doing up here in New York City—which, let’s face it, is not exactly the biggest farm community around… And… I glance around nervously… are there more of her kind lurking the darkness?
“Who are you?” the vampire asks, his deep voice echoing through the dark chamber. “And what brings you to the tunnels?”
“Oh! Sorry—my bad! My name is Rayne McDonald,” I say, deciding to keep my distance from Fluffy this time, hoping the guy will ignore my rudeness in not shaking his hand. “I’m a member of the Blood Coven and my boyfriend, Jareth, and I are searching for my sister and her boyfriend, Magnus. They’re supposedly hiding out down here with a group of anti-Consortium vampires.” I pause, then add hopefully, “You don’t happen to know where they are, do you?”
The elder vampire is silent for a moment, considering my words without addressing my question. At last he speaks. “Most vampires I know don’t go around wielding wooden stakes.”
I look down at the weapon I’m still clutching in my hands and I feel my face heat. “Oh that,” I say. “Well, I sort of freelance for Slayer Inc. as well. It’s a long story.” I strain my ears to hear if Jareth might be coming back soon—surely he must have heard all the commotion. But all that greets me is silence. I hope he’s okay….
“So you’re telling me you’re a vampire who works as a vampire slayer,” the elder says, raising a wooly eyebrow.
I shrug. “That and a fairy princess,” I add. “And a cheerleader, too. Though they’ve probably kicked me off the team by now. It’s been a while since I’ve been home.” For some reason the thought makes me a little sad. “In any case, you don’t need to worry. I only take out the bad vampires, not the good ones.”
“I see… And who, may I ask, makes that call?”
I cock my head in question. “Excuse me?”
“What I mean is…” He clears his throat. “Who decides which vampires are good… and which are evil?”
“Oh right.” I scramble. “You know, to be perfectly honest, that’s actually become a bit of a muddy question these days.” Way to go, Rayne. After all, according to someone like Pyrus, these vampires are anti-Consortium—and therefore totally stakeable. “In any case, I’m not looking to stake any vampires right now. I’m on a mission to find my sister, as I told you. Are she and Magnus hiding out with you by any chance?” I cross my fingers for an affirmative.
“Maybe they are, maybe they aren’t. But if they were, surely they would not wish to be found.”
“Yeah, I know, I know,” I reply quickly. This guy is going to be harder to get through than Jareth’s secretary, isn’t he? And I can’t trick him with Race Jameson sightings down here—even if he is a fan, which seems unlikely anyway. “But they need to hear what I’ve got to say. Pyrus, the leader of the Consortium, has discovered where they are and he’s probably sending a team right now to come and find them. If they’re caught, they’ll be tried for treason.” I scowl, thinking of the Consortium speaker. “And if they’re found guilty, they’ll be killed. I can’t let that happen.”
The elder vampire rubs his chin thoughtfully. “A member of Slayer Inc. who claims to fight against the Consortium,” he ponders aloud, more to himself than anything. “Very interesting.”