In Love With A Vampire Page 4

  “I couldn’t, OK? You were hurt. I had to make sure that you were OK. If I didn’t pull the stake out of you, you would be suffering immeasurable pain until now.”

  “I don’t care about the pain, OK?” Jesse retorted. “You should have gone after him. You should have!” Jesse couldn’t take it anymore and burst into sobs.

  Lipton immediately draped an arm around Jesse, comforting her. Jesse didn’t resist and sobbed into Lipton’s chest, venting out her emotions. “How could I be so careless? How could I just let him go like that?”

  “It wasn’t your fault, OK? Now go home and rest. I promise that I’ll take care of this. Take care of Catan.”

  Jesse jerked away from Lipton, staring at him. “Catan? How do you know his name? Did you two know each other before?”

  Lipton stood frozen momentarily. He’d actually known Catan for a very long time, probably exceeding centuries. He had to come up with a good response. “Well, he told me his name before he flashed off.”

  “He told you his name?”

  “Yes. It’s his pattern of signing off, I guess.” Lipton managed a nervous smile.

  Jesse let out a frustrated sigh. “You know what? I’m really tired now. I just wish I can go home now into the arms of my husband and just sleep in his embracing warmth.”

  Lipton’s face fell. “Husband? You’re married?” Lipton tried to conceal the disappointment in his voice, hoping that Jesse didn’t detect a trace of it. He realized that he actually had some feelings for her, but he didn’t want to show them nor feel them at all. Maybe it was better that he never knew a woman and got married at all. With the curse he was bearing, he could never have a wife or a family. They would suffer because of him. The minute he transformed into Catan, Catan would undoubtedly kill his beloved ones. No, he couldn’t risk having a relationship with anyone now. Not until the curse was lifted off him.

  Jesse gave Lipton a weird look. “Of course I’m married. Is that a problem?”

  Lipton gave a nervous chuckle. “No, I just thought you were single, that’s all.”

  “I’m lucky that I’m married to a man like Ken. He’s the best man in my life.” A brief radiant glow flashed across her face as she said that.

  Again, Lipton felt an aching sting in his heart, as if he couldn’t bear to hear Jesse praise about another man. It was strangely unbearable, and Lipton tried hard to conceal the disappointment threatening to burst on his face.

  “Shall I see you home? Lipton offered, flapping his wings.

  Jesse gazed into his eyes, hesitating. “Um … I don’t think that would be necessary.”

  “It’s a bit far from you to walk home now, don’t you think? After all, you were injured moments ago. I think it’s best I send you home.”

  Jesse chuckled, amused at how persistent Lipton was. “Well, I’ve almost healed completely. I think I can manage it just fine. And my home’s not that far. I can just whisk home swiftly, being a vampire and all.” Jesse stopped, momentarily mesmerized by those blue eyes that bored deep into hers. How could she reject his offer? He was a really nice guy, or a Wingman, for that matter. “Hmm … maybe I should take you up on your offer. OK, deal. You can send me home.”

  Lipton seemed somewhat relieved, as though Jesse had just spoken the magic words. “OK, hop onto my back.”

  Jesse blinked, confused. “What? I-I thought you were going to walk me home?”

  There was a playful glint in Lipton’s eyes. “No, I’m not going to do that. That’s so last century.” And with that, he laughed.

  Curiosity tugging at her heart, Jesse padded over toward Lipton and scrambled onto his back as Lipton bent down while arching his wings wide open.

  “Grab hold onto my shoulders,” Lipton ordered, but in a gentle way.

  “OK, boss,” Jesse said jokingly, clutching Lipton’s shoulders, and immediately, she felt a strange electric sensation coursing through her. It was as if she was touching someone, or something, so elegant, so pure, so … beautiful. Jesse tried not to get too carried away with her own compulsive thoughts and decided to act as coolly as possible.

  “Hold on tight.” With that, Lipton flapped his wings, and slowly ascended into the sky.

  Jesse gasped in wonder. She was flying. She had never flown before, not in a way like this. She was riding on Lipton’s back, as he soared across the star-studded sky. Lipton launched himself higher and higher, his wings making a gentle whooshing sound.

  Jesse couldn’t believe her eyes. The view below her was magnificent. She could see the world below her, small dots of light scattered all over a large expanse of land. As Lipton zoomed across the sky at moderate speed, Jesse could feel the cool breeze blowing against her face, her hairs tangling around her in a swirl. It was the most beautiful feeling ever, riding on a man who exuded inexplicable majesty and charm.

  “Maybe I should take a detour,” Lipton said in a husky voice that melted Jesse’s heart, “so you can see a better view.” Lipton swerved eastward, far away from the skyline . He flew ahead, his arms outstretched forward, as his wings continuously flapped and flapped with a regal aura.

  Jesse tilted her head, her nose almost touching Lipton’s neck. She could almost scent him, and feel his overwhelming majestic presence. She flicked her glance below, and gasped in wonder at the sight of the sea below her. Lipton was flying above the sea, dipping lower and lower until Jesse could hear the sound of waves crashing beneath her.

  The sight was so mesmerizing that Jesse was at a loss for words. Nobody had ever showed her such a beauty from the sky above. Of course, it was technically impossible to view the sea from above, unless you were on a plane. But even if you were on a plane, it would be impossible to view the sea at such a close angle.

  Lipton plummeted into the sea, his clawed feet barely touching the sea surface. He glided over the sea, their reflections shimmering on the surface under the moonlit sky.

  Jesse could almost see subtle hints of fish swimming underneath the surface. When she caught Lipton’s reflection on the surface, she saw a beaming expression. Lipton was smiling, and she’d never seen him smile like that before. It was the most natural smile he had ever put on. She smiled at his reflection, and when Lipton caught her smile, he beamed even more. She could almost feel a frisson coursing through her, as if there was an exchange of invisible sparks between them.

  Jesse could ride on Lipton like this forever, oblivious to the worries of the world. She was in cocoon of warmth and comfort, a world where sufferings did not exist. She’d completely forgotten that about a moment ago, she was almost killed by Catan. All the images of the dead innocents had been purged clean from her mind.

  She closed her eyes for a moment, casting her cares aside. She could see Lipton’s face, his smile beaming at her. Instinctively, she smiled at the thought. Lipton had the most beautiful face she’d ever seen. She could think about this winged creature all day. No, she wouldn’t even think that he was a creature. He was a man. A man with a pure heart and mind.

  And then, all of a sudden, she saw Ken’s face in her mind, all crumpled up in worry. Frown lines creased his forehead as he paced back and forth, worrying about her, where she had gone.

  Instantly, Jesse jerked her eyes open. Wait a minute. What was she doing, thinking about another man when she was married to a loving man as Ken? How could she fantasize about Lipton when Ken was waiting anxiously at home for her, worried sick?

  Jesse was racked with sudden guilt. All the pleasure she had felt, went up in smokes. “Take me home,” Jesse ordered suddenly, the displeasure clear on her face.

  Lipton slowed down, glancing at Jesse’s expression on the surface. “What? What happened? I thought for a moment that you enjoyed this.”

  “No, I shouldn’t have done this with you,” Jesse gushed. “My husband is waiting for me at home. I need to go home now.” Jesse loosened her grip on Lipton’s shoulders, and crossed her arms over her chest. Her face was crinkled with guilt and anxiety.

  Lipton he
aved a sigh of frustration. “OK, fine. I’ll bring you home. If that is what you want. But you gotta grab hold of my shoulders. Or else you will be at risk of falling off me when I’m flying.”

  Jesse stretched her arms out, and hesitated, as if just the mere touch of Lipton’s shoulders would evoke some kind of a disease. But for her safety, Jesse clasped Lipton’s shoulders, and she felt another frisson flash through her. She tried to ignore the sensation she was feeling, but focused hard on her husband. Maybe thinking more of Ken would help her through this sudden frustrating ordeal she was facing.

  Lipton whooshed across the sky with ease, heading westward toward the city of Wartwick. He soared over the towering skyscrapers, zigzagging skillfully to avoid building obstacles.

  “Where’s your house?” Lipton asked, carefully flying in the shadows to avoid human detection.

  Jesse mumbled a few words tersely, and Lipton headed straight for Jesse’s home. Once he reached the street where she lived, he landed in a dark corner of an alley. Jesse scrambled off his back, and thanked him.

  “It was nice to meet you,” Lipton said awkwardly, glancing at Jesse.

  Jesse’s eyes were trained on her sneakers, as if she were too afraid to look into Lipton’s eyes.

  “Yeah,” Jesse said softly. “It was nice meeting you too. Thanks for saving my life earlier. And also, thanks for the ride. But i really need to get back home now.”

  Jesse whirled around, about to leave, when Lipton reached one arm out and held Jesse’s hand. “Wait.”

  Jesse turned to look at him, slightly confused. “What?”

  “Will I ever see you again?” he asked, almost in a pleading voice.

  “I-I … don’t know,” Jesse stuttered, feeling a tight knot in her stomach. “Maybe we will. I don’t know.”

  “OK,” Lipton said. “Have a good night. Sleep well.”

  “You too,” Jesse said dryly, and then disappeared out of his sight in a flash.

  Lipton felt a slight constriction in his heart. She just disappeared like that, out of his grasp. Somehow, he wanted to call out her name and see her walk back into his arms ago. He hadn’t felt such a feeling for such a long time. The feeling was liberating, beautiful, and deeply amazing. He wanted to feel like this again after centuries long of feeling cold and empty. Jesse had somehow opened those doors for him to feel … love.

  But Lipton knew that it was better that they never meet again. It was for her own good. After all, she was married, for crying out loud. He wasn’t going to meddle in her marital affairs. And as long as Lipton was around her, she would never be safe. Because if he were near her, Catan would also be near her, and he could rear his ugly head anytime.

  Lipton decided to fly as far as his wings could take him, probably the isolated hills down by Greekfill Mountain. He arched his wings, ready to launch into the air, when he felt a sudden sensation twisting through his body like deadly serpents. He felt someone’s raging anger swallowing his own emotions, and immediately, Lipton knew that Catan was going to emerge at any time soon. As far as Lipton would like to suppress Catan from manifesting himself, he knew that he had no willpower over that. The transformation could happen at anytime, unpredictable as the weather.

  Lipton bellowed in anguish as the sensation overwhelmed him, and he felt his body warped at painful angles, slowly changing size and shape. Lipton was transforming, and he knew it, but there was nothing he could do about it.

  When the transformation was complete, Lipton was nowhere to be found.

  The bloodthirsty vampire howled in anger, stretching his neck as if he had been sleeping for years. He prowled around the dark alley, feeling extremely thirsty. Thirsty for blood.

  “I’m back,” Catan said with a grin, walking into the shadows of the street, his eyes scanning his surroundings, hunting for his next victim. He could scent a human about a mile away from him. He could hear the human’s footsteps pounding along the cold, empty streets.

  “Looks like it’s my meal time.” Catan laughed, fangs protruding out from his mouth.

  3. Notorious

  “I told you, it’s real. I’m not making it up,” Kalista told the reporter for what had seemed like the zillionth time.

  The reporter glanced up at her as if Kalista were crazy. She adjusted her horn-rimmed glasses, and looked down again at the papers on her desk.

  “I’m don’t have time for this,” the blond-haired reporter bristled, rifling through the papers on her desk. “I’ve a lot of work to do. I’ve got urgent news to write, with actual facts. Now if you will excuse me, I need to get back to my work.”

  But Kalista wouldn’t give up. The experience she had endured in the Maze of Doom had been so real that she couldn’t just keep mum about it. She had to tell someone that it actually existed, and that a vampire had been hunting her in the mysterious maze but had actually spared her life for some weird reason.

  “The Maze of Doom is real!” She wouldn’t relent, her eyes blazing with emotions. “This crazy bloodthirsty vampire was chasing me through the maze, and I had to run and run like there was no tomorrow. It was all a game for him, you know, like cat and mouse. But for some reasons I can’t understand … when he eventually caught up to me in the maze, he actually spared my life. He said that he couldn’t bear to kill. I mean, he had this fierce, thirsty look on his face, but he couldn’t actually do it. He couldn’t kill me. I could see that he was tempted, but he held back for some reasons.”

  The reporter, named Rellie Edwards, flicked a quick glance back at Kalista. “Look, it all sounds very made up to me. Sounds like something out a horrible science fiction or something. You’ve probably watched too many horror movies. You’re delusional. There is no such thing as the Maze of Doom, OK? So can I please get back to my work. I’ve got a deadline to catch.”

  Rellie wished that she could just zap Kalista away with one flick of her wrist. But of course, that didn’t work in real life. Kalista had popped into her office earlier like the boy who cried wolf, her eyes sparkling animatedly with all the weird stories whirling inside her head.

  Kalista had told her that she’d been running for her life in this mystical place called the Maze of Doom, created by this supernaturally powerful vampire. And that the vampire had set her loose in the maze like an anxious mouse, just so he could have the fun of searching for her and then killing her. According to Kalista, it was all like a sport to this vampire.

  Sure, everyone in the world knew that vampires existed. It was no myth. There were good and bad vampires living amongst humans in this world. Humans and vampires have learned to co-exist for decades. Centuries ago, humans were afraid of vampires, who attacked them at their very whim and sucked their blood. Humans had tried to live in isolation from vampires, but it was a futile attempt, as the vampires were constantly thirsty for blood and were able to hunt down the humans who hid from them. With their supernatural abilities and strength, the vampires were practically like gods, making the humans fear for the lives almost every second.

  However, in the early 17th century, a group of good vampires gathered to put an end to the tyranny of these evil vampires who craved for human blood and would stop at nothing to fulfill their bloodlust. These good vampires decided to form the Against Evil Vampires (AEV) tribunal, with the aim to prevent more innocent victims from being killed from these reckless vampires who disregarded human lives. The tribunal grew stronger and stronger as decades passed, with tremendous support from both humans and good vampires around. The growing strength of the tribunal led to the formation of the Vampire Courts of Justice (VCJ), which sought justice for innocent humans being slaughtered by evil vampires. More and more evil vampires were caught, and were sentenced to be staked at the heart for their wicked deeds. Due to these new vampire laws which were implemented, a growing number of evil vampires reduced their killing activities to evade being caught by the vampire authorities.

  Humans could feel safer living in co-existence with vampires once these laws came into effec
t, but of course, there were still evil vampires lurking in the world, occasionally killing humans for their blood. The numbers of human deaths caused by vampires had dwindled as centuries passed, and now in this modern century, humans and vampires have co-existed peacefully, although there were some humans who were still wary of vampires and hated them to the core. There were also vampires who detested humans and wished that they could kill them like vampires used to in centuries past, but the laws of the VCJ had ensured harmony among both vampires and humans for a long time.

  Rellie came back to her present thoughts, and realized dreadfully that Kalista was still standing by her desk, talking mumbo jumbo about her personal vampire experience.

  “You need to get this story out,” Kalista pleaded, her hands waving excitedly in the air. “You have got to write this story. You’re the best vampire reporter around.”

  Rellie rubbed her temples hard, her head throbbing from the headache Kalista was successfully inflicting on her. Sure, Rellie was the most notable vampire reporter at Satellite News, and she had covered more vampire-related news than any other reporters around, even though she wasn’t a vampire herself. Rellie just loved to cover about vampires. They had always fascinated her, and when she was a little girl, she used to love to read about vampires stories, watch vampire movies, or participated in any vampire-related activities. Heck, she’d dressed up countless times as a vampire during Halloween.

  Even though Kalista had handed her a vampire-related story on her plate, she just wasn’t sure it was vampire-news worthy, and it just sounded very absurd to her.

  Kalista’s obstinate attitude frayed her nerves, and Rellie threw her arms in the air. “Look, Kalila, or whatever your name is … I’m sorry, but I just can’t write this story without any solid facts. You need to go now, or else I’ll call security.”

  Kalista remained persistent, hovering around Rellie with a determined expression. “I’m Kalista, not Kalila. I’m not finished yet, OK? The vampire wasn’t the only one who was with me in the maze. There was … someone else.”