The Guest & The Change - By M. D. Bowden Page 0,19

pounded his chest, not caring about the consequences. Her breath tore in her chest, her face wet, she was sickened. She pushed Daniel again and turned away, pounding her car. The metal hurt her hands but she didn’t care. The pain was a distraction. Then she slumped once more to the ground, feeling the earth against her fingers, the cold air surrounding her.

Daniel leant down and fumbled in her pockets, and she let him, not caring about anything at this point. She felt his arms lifting her up and sliding her into the passenger seat. He fastened her seatbelt, making her feel like a child. He then climbed into the driver’s seat, started the car and drove away as fast as he could manage on the bumpy track.

Sarah continued to cry the entire way home. When they arrived Daniel didn’t wait around, he exited the car and hastened to Sarah’s side. Sarah felt numb as he helped her out, picking her up again and carrying her to her front door. He unlocked it and took her inside.

He gently laid her on the sofa, her heart so painful she found it hard to breathe.

Sarah barely grasped that Daniel was now on the phone. She could hear him but she felt far away. He was calling her parents, telling them to stay in, not to let the children out - saying that he would explain later. Then he was in the kitchen, while her breathing shallowed and came in gasps. Sarah looked through her swollen eyes as Daniel returned, hot drink in hand and placed it on the table next to her.

Then he was holding her chin, ‘Look at me Sarah,’ and she couldn’t help herself, she looked into his eyes through her tears and he said, ‘It’s ok. Calm down. I will take care of you. We will work out what to do. You don’t need to be scared.’

Despite herself, Sarah became lost in his eyes, found herself succumbing to his influence. Her breathing slowed enough to take her drink as Daniel pushed it into her hands. He joined her under the blanket on the sofa and Sarah melted into his arms as he held her close.

***

Jo tore the wood from his shoulder. It splintered as it left his body, causing ripples of intense pain. As his blood lust subsided he found a good branch to sit on and took deep breaths, trying to find calm. Sarah. Images of their past together flashed through his mind. Picnics in the wood, dinners, movies, childbirth. Love. Lust. Restlessness. Lust for other women. Betrayal. Boredom. Blood - he wanted it. Who was that vampire she was with? The one who had stopped him feeding. Why was she with a vampire at all? Why were they here?

Sebastian landed next to him.

‘Did you orchestrate this?’ Jo asked.

‘Me?’ He laughed. ‘I thought you might like to face your past. Meet your enemies.’

‘That vampire. Who was he?’

‘Daniel. My nemesis.’ Sebastian laughed again, he couldn’t take the situation too seriously.

‘What was he doing here? Why was he with Sarah?’

‘Well, he was here because she brought him. I influenced her to come so you could see her.’

‘So I could see her? Why? To ignite my passions? To anger me? To make me hunt her? Or to make me hate him?’

‘Does it have to be only one reason?’ Sebastian said, eyebrows raised.

‘How do you know this Daniel?’

‘I sired him, as I did you.’

‘But he’s no longer under your control.’ Jo said.

‘No, you could say that,’ answered Sebastian.

‘Why not?’

‘Hmm, it’s complicated. He retained too many feelings from his humanity. You don’t need to worry about it. Together we can avoid him, he won’t get in our way much.’

‘But he was in my way. I wanted her.’

‘It was good he was in your way, I planned it like that. Had you drank her blood, gloried in it, killed her, you would have regretted it later, when this new lust for blood has diluted in intensity. But now you’ve seen her, you can start processing your feelings. It won’t be such a shock next time you see her. Should it be in public for instance.’

‘What are your plans for me?’ asked Jo.

‘We’ll see. We may just take over this little town, one victim at a time.’

***

Sarah, freed from her fear now, pulled back from Daniel and looked into his dark eyes.

‘Now I’ve calmed down, will you tell me Daniel?’

‘Tell you what, specifically?’

‘What’s going on? What has happened to Jo? What are you? Why are