Page 4 of Ashvale: The Vampire's Thrall

His eyes were wide as I stood over him, wrath making my limbs tremble and my anger seemed a living thing, rumbling loudly inside me, demanding I take him, sink in my fangs and—

No. No, no, no. I didn’t have fangs. I didn’t want to kill people. I dropped to my knees and my face tipped to the sky as the previously sunny day gave way to rain that dripped onto my face as if to cleanse me.

I’d killed the girl. I saved her, and then I killed her.

“I’m sorry,” the stranger said and I blinked up at him dully, confusion swirling through me. His pale skin seemed to glow against the sudden darkness of the thunder-struck sky, lightning flashing until he seemed like some avenging god ready to cast me down for my sins. “It’s better this way. Should have just done this from the beginning,” he muttered and I couldn’t make sense of the words. “I promise you won’t feel a thing.”

Reason seemed to war with my senses as he moved closer, until instinct made my muscles clench and as he snapped out his hands towards my head, I dove for his throat.

ChapterTwo

I joltedawake with a gasp as a sharp crack split through the air. Cool earth pressed into my palms and I blinked slowly up at the stars. When had night fallen? Where the hell was I?

It smelled like fresh rain, lingering amidst the tree leaves that I could hear rustling somewhere out of my sight. I sat up gingerly, looking around at my new surroundings and attempting to unclench my jaw. Large gates stood off to my left, tall and black and reeking of age. From my position in the middle of some kind of woodland trail, I couldn’t see very much and I could remember even less.

There was mud on my clothes and in my hair and I had no idea how it had gotten there—in fact, there were a lot of gaps in my memory. The most worrying werewho the hell am Iandhow the hell did I get here.

A long wall spanned an entire length of forest to my right, glimpses of grey brick visible between the trees. The wind stirred faintly against the back of my neck and I whirled around to face the gate again, stumbling slightly when I moved too fast and growling when I saw who stood before me, a hazy memory knocked loose.

“You.”

“Good, you woke up. I was ninety percent sure you would.”

I rubbed my neck and rolled my shoulders while I scowled. “What did you do?”

The blonde-haired freak smiled before he turned away and began walking in the direction of the gates—or more accurately, the guard tower next to the gate. I raised a cool eyebrow at the enormous structure. It seemed overkill, theatrical even. “I killed you.”

I stopped walking as if I’d hit an invisible barrier. “You—I’m sorry. What?”

“Don’t worry, the soreness in your neck will fade soon. Probably.”

I knew my eyes were likely comically wide, and I could feel the cool air on my tongue so my mouth had obviously fallen open, but all I could think was that he had to be joking. He wasn’t making any sense. How could I be dead? I was standing right here, walking and talking and—

I gasped in a breath, feeling oddly hollow, like I’d forgotten to do so for a long while. I’d made a mistake following the stranger. He didn’t have answers for me.

A shadowy form appeared between the stone gaps of the guard tower and I tensed, preparing to shout for help when I paused. What if the guard was working with the blond guy?

I hesitated for a second more before deciding it was worth the risk and sucking in a breath that got stuck in my throat as a hand clamped over my mouth.

“Quiet now, I’d rather not have an audience just yet,” the stranger whispered, breath tickling my ear as his fingertips pinched at my cheeks. That was when I noticed the odd way the figure on the tower was slumped.I’d rather not have an audience just yet.Oh god. Was the guard…?

The loud crack I’d heard when I had come around flashed in my memory, the sound so clear I nearly jumped.

“Good,” he murmured when I stayed frozen in place. “Now, it’s my unlikely job to be discreet tonight given the circumstances of your arrival. You know, most people don’t need retrieving at all—so I suppose that makes you special.” Nothing he was saying made any sense to me and he rolled his eyes at the lack of comprehension on my face. “When I tell you, you’re going to jump. Understand?”

Anger thawed the frozen fear stuck in my veins and I glared as best I could in the dark and he chuckled like he had no trouble seeing it.

His hand slipped away from my lips but I remained silent. If the guard was dead… Well, for now it was better to play along with whatever this crazy arsehole wanted.

He walked towards the base of the guard tower and I frowned as I followed, expecting a door to appear in the brickwork or a tunnel entrance to reveal itself. Nothing happened.

Under the torchlight that shone down to where we were standing, the stranger’s hair seemed to dance with the flames and I hadn’t realised how cold his skin had looked until the fire warmed it. He smirked when he turned and found me examining him but I didn’t drop my eyes. Let him think what he wanted, I just knew I’d need a good description to give the police once I got away from this bastard.

“Up we go then, love.”

“Up?”

The stranger winked and bent thighs that were surprisingly built in a move that seemed too fast, but my eyes tracked anyway. I half-snorted, expecting him to go absolutely nowhere, and then choked when he soared straight up and landed on top of the guard tower wall.

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