The Greater Darkness

  Geoffrey realized she was talking about the altered time perceptions he dealt with when he went too long without blood. The thought awoke the hunger inside Geoffrey, reminding him it had been too long since he'd fed.

  Seeing that Geoffrey understood, Venice continued. "Depending on how much he has on his plate, and the amount of time he's cognizant of his surroundings, he may get involved if the subordinate doesn't seem able to handle things. It's more likely, though, that the subordinate will just take you out himself."

  Geoffrey shrugged. "So maybe I have a chance then, even assuming they figure out it was me."

  Venice shook her head. "No, if they figure out it was you, Imastious will probably have you eliminated before they can get to you. He's not the kind to leave a trail that can be traced back to him."

  Chapter 19

  The hunger was starting to get bad, but Geoffrey was worried about what would happen if he went outside to find someone to feed on. He should have moved, should have changed apartments right after or right before the hit. It would have at least reduced the chance that whoever was after him would stumble into someone in his neighborhood who might recognize him.

  The thought had crossed the vampire's mind at one point, but he'd dismissed it as overreacting. Honestly though, it might have been because he'd become so used to his little apartment. It was the only home he remembered ever having known. These walls were the closest thing he had to a refuge, but now they were closing in a little more each day.

  Geoffrey struggled with the hunger for another couple of hours before deciding that he could probably slip outside, find someone, feed, and be back inside in less than a couple of hours. It was a risk, but it should be a minimal one, and it would buy him another couple of weeks. If he did that, he could make it until the next time Venice stopped by. She'd be able to advise him on whether or not to move. It seemed impossible that anyone could have tracked him back to this neighborhood, or any other. There were millions of people just in Manhattan, which made him smaller than a needle in a haystack, but Venice would know for sure what he was up against.

  His decision made, Geoffrey exited the apartment and headed in a random direction. Once again the vampire couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, but he chalked it up to being nothing more than nerves. Nobody he passed seemed to be taking any kind of special notice of him.

  An hour of haphazard searching didn't provide any likely prospects, and Geoffrey was becoming more and more uneasy the longer he was outside, so he finally decided to swing by an area close to Melody's where he knew a large number of prostitutes gathered. It increased his chances of being recognized, but he should be in and out in a couple of minutes, so it still seemed like an acceptable risk.

  Geoffrey was in the process of cutting through an alley when two figures stepped out of the shadows in front of him. Mental alarms started going off immediately. It had become almost second nature now to skim off the surface thoughts of those around him, and these guys were extremely uneasy. Uneasy, but giving off a definite sense of being ready for a confrontation. Geoffrey reached deeper, trying to establish why they were so uneasy, and then found a fragment of a thought in one of them. They knew they were up against a vampire.

  Geoffrey's questing thoughts brushed up against a solid surface and he threw himself to the side as a bolt of fire streaked past him, near enough for the heat to make his clothes smoke.

  Rolling to his feet, Geoffrey furiously beat against the mental wall separating him from the other vampire's thoughts. Sensing that the two humans were in striking distance, Geoffrey ran past them, slashing twice with the katana that he didn't remember drawing. The pair went down in a spray of blood, and Geoffrey ducked behind a dumpster as another ball of fire nearly clipped him.

  Frantic efforts to worm probes into the pyromancer's mind were meeting with almost no success, but the sudden increase in the air temperature around Geoffrey was enough to tell him it was time to move. He was overmatched. He couldn't break the other vampire's mental shield and it was only a matter of time before the other guy lit him up and the fight would be all over.

  Acting on little more than instinct, Geoffrey suddenly realized he was once again fighting defensively. Instead of running away as he left the cover of the dumpster, he ran towards the other vampire, launching a mental attack that consisted of nothing more than a crude blow of pure force.

  Geoffrey's clothes had just started to heat up when the mental hammer hit the other vampire. Rather than failing as he'd half feared it would, the attack destroyed the other vampire's concentration sufficiently to save Geoffrey from bursting into flames.

  There was the briefest of instants to savor the success, and then the pair clashed together in a whirling storm of steel.

  Now that he was inside his opponent's mind, Geoffrey found it only slightly better protected than that of a human. Unfortunately, ensuring that the pyromancer was too off-balance mentally to roast him left Geoffrey with insufficient resources to get any sense of what physical attacks to expect.

  A pale, freckled face pulled back in an expression of rage and hate as the other vampire launched a series of strikes with his sword, an ancient-looking straight-bladed thing about four feet long.

  Geoffrey wasn't as used to countering stabs, but he managed to dodge each attack, and his katana licked out twice to score minor wounds on the other vampire.

  His opponent was probably a little stronger and faster than Geoffrey, but his weapon was heavier than Geoffrey's katana. As long as Geoffrey managed to avoid having his weapon damaged, they were on nearly even terms.

  As the fight ground on, Geoffrey seemed to be slowing faster than his opponent. He was into the other man's mind too far. If he didn't pull out further he'd get worn down all the way.

  Panting, Geoffrey tried to retreat slightly from the depths of the other vampire's mind, but that triggered a sudden spate of mental attacks designed to push him far enough out that the other could access his pyromancer abilities again.

  One of the mental blows nearly succeeded and Geoffrey momentarily slowed as the mental battle took up his full concentration. That was all the other vampire needed, and one of his thrusts went home, piercing Geoffrey's stomach.

  The pain shattered Geoffrey's probes, and he suddenly found himself confined to his own mind with a certainty that his opponent was about to finish him with conjured fire.

  Reflex once again took over and Geoffrey grabbed his enemy's hand to trap the long sword before it could be withdrawn. A split second later, Geoffrey's katana found its mark and the other vampire collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

  Geoffrey managed to sheath his sword before collapsing to the ground in agony. His organs didn't feel right, and he had a nagging feeling that he'd almost been too late. His opponent had been a split second from cooking him from the inside out.

  He had to get somewhere safe and hope that he wasn't injured too severely to heal on his own.

  Venice came to mind first, but Geoffrey had no idea where she lived. Maybe that was for the best. She'd indicated that Imastious would have him eliminated if anyone managed to pin the hit on him. He couldn't afford to place himself in Venice's hands right now.

  Geoffrey had been insulated from the pain of his wounds by the adrenaline coursing through his system, but now that the immediate emergency was over, he could feel shock setting in. He couldn't go back to his apartment; it might already be compromised. Plus he was going to need help if he was going to survive.

  The next few minutes were a haze. Tapping into reserves he hadn't known he had, Geoffrey levered himself back upright and plugged the hole in his stomach enough that he didn't immediately bleed out. The vampire hadn't had an actual destination in mind when he'd started out, but he shortly found himself in front of Melody's building. Without thinking of the possible repercussions, he made his way up to her door and feebly knocked on it until he heard movement inside.

  The peephole in the door darkened, and then Melody
called out. "Who…Geoffrey, is that you?"

  The vampire mumbled an affirmative and then all but collapsed into Melody's arms once she got the door open.

  "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come, but I didn't have anywhere else to go."

  Melody shushed Geoffrey as she guided him into her room and parked him on her bed. "I'll call an ambulance."

  "No. They might be watching the hospitals. Even if they aren't, the police will ask questions about how I was stabbed."

  Melody looked at Geoffrey with a trembling lip and then nodded. "Okay then, we'll just have to do the best we can here. Daddy made Mom and me learn some basic first aid. He said he didn't want us panicking and being useless in an emergency, but I don't know if it will be enough."

  Geoffrey was having a hard time focusing on what Melody was saying, but he understood enough to nod and mumble. "If I can make it the next few hours I'll probably be okay. I heal faster than humans."

  Melody might have said something in response, might have had a question, but if so Geoffrey missed it. The exertions he'd made both before and after being wounded had finally caught up with him, and unconsciousness claimed him.

  Chapter 20

  The darkness was usually a friend that concealed and protected Geoffrey, but this darkness was different, it seemed determined to envelop him. The vampire somehow knew that if the darkness was successful in capturing him it wouldn't free him ever again. Geoffrey tried to fight, but his efforts seemed ineffective.

  It was like he didn't have any strength. How could he fight without strength?

  That question awakened the hunger, and Geoffrey realized that he hadn't eaten in far too long. Was that right? It seemed like he'd fed just a little while ago. How could he be so hungry already? Maybe his weakness wasn't caused by the hunger, maybe something else had burned up his strength and in the process left him hungry sooner than normal.

  The darkness gradually lost its hold on Geoffrey, and he finally opened his eyes, squinting against the burning light.

  Something stirred next to him. "Geoffrey, are you awake?"

  The vampire tried to nod, managing a jerky motion that seemed to satisfy his questioner. He tried to take stock of his surroundings despite the hunger tearing at his mind. He was in a bed. The room he was in was tidy and worn. There was something wrapped around his stomach…bandages possibly.

  A face slowly came into focus before Geoffrey and he pushed the hunger back a little farther, clearing his thoughts enough to recognize the girl.

  "Melody." Speech hurt, almost as if his throat had been rubbed raw from screaming, or maybe burned.

  "Shh, you don't have to say anything." Melody pulled the comforter away and untied the string holding the makeshift bandages in place. "Your stomach wound looks like it's about healed. I never would have thought something like that could happen in less than twenty-four hours, but there it is. It doesn't look like you're fevered or have any signs of infection either, but something is still wrong, isn't it?"

  Nearly exhausted by the effort of listening to Melody, it took Geoffrey a few seconds to realize she'd asked him a question. Panting, the vampire tried to understand what she'd asked. His insides and throat hurt, but that didn't seem quite like what she was asking.

  When Geoffrey didn't respond immediately Melody seemed to think he needed a little prodding. "You called out for blood while you were fevered, and you said that you healed faster than a human…what are you?"

  Geoffrey's mind seemed unable to process the questions as fast as they were being asked. Now that his vision was starting to clear up, he found his eyes returning again and again to the expanse of white skin revealed by Melody's faded blue top.

  The hunger. How much longer did he have before it took over and he hurt her without meaning to?

  The thought of Melody lying dead on the floor, drained of blood, finally penetrated the vampire's mind and he struggled feebly to get up. "Must go."

  Melody put her hands on Geoffrey's chest and held him down. "No, you're still hurt; you wouldn't even make it down the stairs right now. Don't be silly."

  Geoffrey's world started to darken as he realized he wasn't strong enough to escape Melody, at least not without seriously hurting her. Desperation gave him the energy to push at least some of his words past the pain in his throat. "No, I have to go now before the hunger gets too bad and I hurt you."

  Melody looked at Geoffrey without understanding, and tears started to form in his eyes. "You don't understand. I won't be able to stop myself. I won't have control. The hunger will take over and then you'll be dead just like the others."

  For a second it seemed that Melody was going to let him up out of shock, but then understanding flared in her eyes. "You're really not human, are you?"

  Geoffrey shook his head weakly, expecting Melody to turn from him in disgust as she realized what he was. "No. Vampire."

  Melody began trembling, but she didn't turn away. "You don't want to hurt me though?"

  Geoffrey's negative was more emphatic now as he tried to sit up again, but he was too weak. He collapsed back to the bed and the tears that had been building broke free and coursed down his face.

  Seeing the tears, Melody was unable to restrain tears of her own, and she gingerly hugged Geoffrey while whispering in his ear. "Then we'll just have to make sure that you get the blood you need so you don't hurt anyone by accident."

  Melody's tears joined with Geoffrey's, but he was too far gone with exhaustion and hunger to remain coherent. Instead he slipped back into unconsciousness despite his best efforts.

  The smell of blood pulled him back to a state of awareness sometime later. Opening his eyes to lengthening shadows, Geoffrey found Melody next to him holding a razor blade and looking paler than usual.

  Tears once again filled brown eyes as Melody tried not to laugh hysterically. "I guess I should have thought to make sure you were awake before I cut myself. I wasn't sure if you'd drown on the blood if I started to feed you while you were unconscious."

  Still having a hard time thinking past the hunger, Geoffrey opened his mouth to ask what she meant, and Melody placed her arm against his mouth.

  For a second Geoffrey tried to force the arm away, but he'd grown weaker, and the hunger was even more compelling than before. Bracing himself against the rush of satiation, Geoffrey fought it with all of his will.

  Once again, time stopped as the hunger swelled and tried to take over. Geoffrey found a surprising ally in the sense of connection that bloomed between the two of them.

  Without meaning to, Geoffrey sent his thoughts out and touched Melody's mind. Amazed by the lack of resistance and the fact that she felt the connection as much as he did, the vampire strengthened the probes and allowed thoughts to flow back and forth between the two of them.

  For a few moments Geoffrey explored Melody's innermost fears and hopes at the same time that she did the same inside his mind. All too soon, he felt her growing weaker, felt the flow of blood lessening.

  Tearing himself away from the trickle of life making its way down his throat was one of the hardest things Geoffrey had ever done, but Melody had realized her danger as well. She pulled her arm away from his weak grasp even as he forced himself to let go.

  The vampire fought the darkness long enough to make sure Melody got her arm bandaged, and then let the black claim him.

  **

  Geoffrey awoke slowly, once again more than a little confused by his surroundings. He was awake now but it was still black everywhere. The only explanation was that it must be dark outside. Not just dark like the sun had gone down; dark like there weren't any lights anywhere. No clocks, no signs, a complete lack of artificial light that could only be explained by a power outage.

  Suddenly the vampire's unfamiliar surroundings became recognizable and everything that had happened came back in a flood.

  Geoffrey rolled over, frantically searching for Melody, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw her motionless and pale in what little light f
iltered through the blinds. Geoffrey reached out a trembling hand and touched the delicate neck before him. His insides relaxed when he finally found a pulse--weak but steady. She'd probably be okay if he could get some food into her.

  It wasn't until Geoffrey had climbed out of bed and made his way through the darkness into the kitchen that he remembered his wounds. They didn't hurt anymore. The accelerated healing must have really kicked in to take care of both the stab wound and the cooked organs.

  The cupboards were nearly bare, but Geoffrey's search finally turned up some bread, which was better than nothing.

  Returning to Melody's bedroom, Geoffrey gently shook her awake and tried to get her to eat.

  "What time is it, Geoffrey? How long has the power been out?"

  "I don't know, I just woke up and got you something to eat."

  Melody shook her head in the dim light. "I have to check on my mom first. Her equipment has batteries, but if it goes too long without power I'll have to call an ambulance."

  Geoffrey was half afraid that Melody would fall. Probably due to weakness, but he wasn't prepared to rule out the possibility of her tripping over something in the dark. Instead of arguing a point he was sure to lose, he just picked her slender form up and carried her into the other room.

  The vampire was momentarily worried Melody's mother would be alarmed by his presence, but any fears to that effect were laid to rest as soon as they entered her bedroom. She was obviously still too heavily sedated to awake. He was struck again by just how frail she looked. It was like the drugs and disease had eaten away all of her substance. All that was left was bits and pieces in the shape of the woman she was before. He was surprised that she looked so much worse than the last time he'd seen her.

  Geoffrey's pause must have been longer than he'd realized because Melody buried her face in his neck as she tried to fight back tears. "I know. She's bad, maybe the worst she's ever been."

  Melody needed to be comforted, but Geoffrey didn't know what to say or do. He had no recollection of ever being comforted by anyone himself, so he didn't know where to start with helping Melody.