“We have got to find the blood,” Kheda says as he carefully moves forwards, crouching down and crawling to where we’d seen the blood drop.
“They’re alive,” I whisper. “When he kills them, I mean.”
“I know, honey, I’m so sorry.” Knowing how my parents died, Jasmine gives me a much needed hug.
Clever man Victor is, he realizes quickly I’m not thinking of the murder I just witnessed. “Who do you know who was murdered in this way?”
“My parents,” I reply.
Giving myself a shake, I look at Kheda crawling on the ground trying to find the drop of blood from the killer.
“Detective, stand up. You won’t find the blood that way,” I inform him thinking of the wind and other activity that’s disturbed the ground since the murderer left.
“I’ve got to try. It’s our only clue,” Kheda replies in obvious frustration.
Giving Detective Kheda an exasperated look but understanding his desperation perfectly, I fish a clean tissue from my jacket. Dragging in a breath, I let it out and suck in another, filling my mind with the killer, remembering and focusing on the single drop of blood.
With the drop shining like a beacon in my mind’s eye, I exhale and a beacon of light exhales on my breath, shining on a tiny spot five feet to my left. Carefully I walk toward it, and using the tissue, I pick up the leaf with the blood drop on it.
“Your DNA sample, Detective.”
“Huh, thanks. Look, please, will you all call me Kheda? I had better get this tested. Thank you again.” Kheda carefully puts the blood sample into a little plastic zipper bag he removes from an inside pocket of his jacket.
“Kheda, be careful. Don’t forget what Hecate said about who you can trust, this is the only sample we have,” Jasmine reminds him.
“I will. Do you want to borrow my jacket? I should have asked you earlier, I do apologize,” Kheda answers giving her an admiring glance.
“No, you’re fine, thanks. I’ll change back into my other form before we exit the woods. I think it’s best if I stay that way as much as possible…for now at least.” She watches Kheda retreat back the way he’d come until she can’t see him anymore.
Turning toward the sexy vampire, I drink him in. Remembering he’d wanted to meet me, I quickly ask, to cover my gawking, “So, Victor, why did you want to meet?” Going by the look on his face, I think he’d forgotten as well.
“It was about the, for a lack of a better word, ‘soundproof streets,’ ” Victor replies. “Look, what just happened there?
“I mean, that was the Goddess Hecate, and the whole murder being relived. How? I don’t understand. The Gods and Goddesses, they don’t come to Earth any more, haven’t for centuries but…” Trailing off into silence, Victor stares off into the distance looking rather like a child who was told there is no Santa, only to find out there is not only a Santa but the Easter Bunny, too. Shaking his head Victor refocuses his attention on me.
“How did...why did…Sorry I can’t focus,” Victor admits, while rubbing the back of his neck as if to relieve tension.
“The Gods and Goddesses never went anywhere. Most people stopped worshipping them and stopped believing in them.” Holding up a hand to stop whatever he’s about to say I carry on.
“I said most people. Some of us like me, have always believed and talked to them. I am a daughter of Hecate, as were my mother and all the women of my family. What you saw was a mother coming to her children’s aid. And what we saw, well, I’d requested to see what had happened, and so we were shown. These killings are done by a group called The Protectors. Supposedly to keep bloodlines pure, but this victim was human. I don’t think anyone ever knew the victims are alive when…”
I trail off unable to voice the last part as my throat clogs up with unshed tears. In my mind’s eye, I see my mother bled to death, stitched, and ripped apart instead of the unknown man.
“It’s laughable them calling themselves The Protectors for they don’t protect anyone. Why not call themselves the killers or idealists. What are they afraid of anyway?” I demand as anger rolls inside of me.
“The prophecy,” replies Victor in a distracted voice, as he gently pulls me into his embrace.
Feeling content, I allow Victor to hold me until his words penetrate my brain.
“What prophecy?” I ask, feeling as if finally the answers are coming. Would I finally find out the real reason my parents were killed, why everyone knows about The Protectors, and yet no one does anything about them?
“I’m not sure, but my sire knew of them, though he never got to tell me what it was. However, I do know it’s written down somewhere. My sire was the keeper of the book of prophecies, but I don’t know what he did with it. Sorry I probably shouldn’t have mentioned it at all,” Victor answers with an apologetic shake of his head as he looks down at me and gently rubs his hands in circles on my back.
“It’s okay, I just thought we were finally getting somewhere,” I reply with a deep groan. “Where were you created?”
“I was created here in Ireland. My creator was from Transylvania, but he lived in America, Scotland, and many other countries. To be honest, if you wanted to look for the book, we would have to look everywhere.
“I don’t even know when he last had the prophecies or if he gave them to someone else. I only know he was the keeper in the first place, because he was around when they were written and given into his charge,” Victor replies in frustration, dragging his fingers through his hair and leaving it standing on end, making it look like he had just climbed out of bed.
“Look, guys, we gotta get back,” Jasmine pipes up. I know she’s right, there are too many people who know about the murder, and we don’t want to be caught here especially with a vampire! Also if anyone caught Jasmine naked, it would be difficult to explain her state of undress and sudden appearance.
If no one has realized she’s a shapeshifter yet, for safety, I’d definitely rather not let them find her nude in human form. It’s going to be strange enough introducing her around. There would be tons of questions with my dog disappearing suddenly and the appearance of a friend with the same name.
“Okay, guys, we should head home.” I reluctantly step out of Victor’s arms. “Victor, call me when you remember what you wanted to tell me, about the soundproof streets and also if you remember anything that could help us find some answers.” Unwilling to lose contact with him I reach out and place my hand on his arm. “Be safe.”
“Nice meeting you, Victor, and like Candi said, stay safe.”
“And both of you be careful, too. We’re living in these dangerous times. You can’t take any chances especially with a killer on the loose. This guy is even sicker than we originally thought,” adds Victor with a shake of his head. “I still can’t believe they’re alive when…”
I guess he remembered my parents were murdered in the exact same way.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be safe. At least we’re together. Look after yourself and phone us if you feel anything out of the ordinary, especially if it’s a feeling you can’t explain.” I remembered the amount of times such feelings had saved my comrades and me when we were in the army.
“I will, and if you need me, call me and I’ll be there. Otherwise, I’ll see you tomorrow. Oh, wait, the soundproof streets…apparently it was done by magick to cover a kidnapping. Two vampires have gone missing, though I don’t know them. They were meant to have an interview at Sterling Nightclub and never showed up. It could be nothing, but to be honest it seems too much of a coincidence, to have them disappear on a night someone uses magick to soundproof the streets.” Victor flits away leaving us gaping in shock after him.
“He’s right, it is too much of a coincidence,” I mutter as I wonder what witch would have enough power to cause such a spell, let alone kidnap two vampires. “Come on, Jasmine; let’s head back to Grandma Eve’s.”
In silence we retreat. Glancing over at Jasmine, I can’t wait to move into the old Winters’ house, then she can stay in her human form whenever she wishes.
“I better change back,” she says, as if following my train of thought. “I really don’t want to, but…”
“I know, but for now it’s safer. But the moment we move into the old Winters’ house, you won’t have to unless you want to. I’ll start introducing you to a couple of people at a time. Mind you, I only know a couple of people.” I laugh.
“What’s happening tomorrow that you’re meeting Victor?” She transforms back into her dog form leaving me standing, staring in surprise. He had said he’d see me tomorrow, hadn’t he?
****
Following the werewolf detective, down to the basement of the hospital where the morgue and the technician’s lab are kept, the cloaked figure watches, as red-hot anger boils and licks through him. Consuming him in its intensity. He’d spilled one drop of blood…one; and he had found it! How? Lips thinning into a straight line, he forms a plan to retrieve his blood. Revenge will be sweet and a lesson will be learned. Silently he retreats up the stairs to return at a more suitable time.