Vampire Dating Agency II (12 page)

CHAPTER
FORTY-ONE

Cyrus was standing in the centre of
the tennis court near the gate where they’d come in. He was standing sideways –
not facing the house, or the forest behind him. As Haley hurried across the
court towards him, he remained frozen.

“Just tell me
now,” Haley said. “Whose side are you on?”

Cyrus didn’t
reply.

“I think
Melanie’s lost a lot of blood. I’d call an ambulance, but I don’t know what
your address is.”

“That isn’t
necessary,” Cyrus said.

Haley put her
hands to hips. “What makes you so sure?”

“Edmond wouldn’t
have made her so weak that she can’t appear in this
film
of his.”

“That’s it?
Sorry, but that does little for my confidence.”

Cyrus
exhaled. Haley could see the air in front of him.

“Look, in my
book there’s common sense and common decency, and if you don’t have either then
you’re fucked in the head,” Haley said. “So is that what you’re telling me?
You’re just a fat lot of useless?”

“Both you and
Melanie will be out of here in half an hour.”

“What?”

Haley could
now hear traffic behind her.

The others
were about to join them out here.

“Just stand
back so you don’t get hurt,” Cyrus said.

Not knowing
how to respond, Haley put up little resistance as the menacing trio made their
entrance onto the court.

“I take it
there’s a reason you’ve dragged us out here,” Magnus said. “Or do you plan on
spending the rest of the evening staring into nothing?”

“I know why
we’re out here,” Edmond said. “You want to duel, don’t you, cousin?”

“I think it
would be befitting now that we have a disagreement,” Cyrus replied.

“And what’s
at stake? Specifically?”

“I’ll take
that Melanie girl off your hands. Find someone else to torment.”

“And if I
win?”

Cyrus turned
to Haley. “Then you can have her.”

Edmond rubbed
his palms together.

“You’re
having none of me,” Haley boasted.

Avril stood
beside her. “If Edmond wins, there’ll be no one to protect you.”

She stuck her
hand in Haley’s hair.

Haley ripped
it out and pushed her away.

“Hey, hey,
hey,” Magnus said rushing over. “One fight at a time, girls.”

Haley backed
away from the vampires. Meanwhile in the centre of the court, both Cyrus and
Edmond had out their metal rods.

“Are you
ready?” Cyrus asked.

“Why don’t we
count to three?” Edmond replied.

Cyrus bowed.

“ONE,” Avril
hollered.

Both Cyrus
and Edmond took a step forward.

“TWO,” Magnus
called out.

The Rance
cousins raised their weapons above their heads.

Eyes began to
turn in Haley’s direction.

“Three,” she
said.

CHAPTER
FORTY-TWO

They both ran into the air at the
same time, and missed each other entirely. Cyrus wound up on the right side of
the court, Edmond the left. Once there Cyrus stared climbing his side of the
fence with lightning precision. Haley caught Edmond smile a moment, before
ascending the fence nearest to him. Soon they were both on top, ready to pounce
again.

“Let’s
actually try and make some contact this time,” Edmond berated.

Cyrus jumped
into the air, this time defying gravity.

He kept going
up and up and up…

Till Haley
couldn’t see him anymore.

When she
turned to where Edmond had been, he was gone. She’d missed his jump.

Her eyes
darted into the sky looking for them.

She stepped
out into the middle of the court.

“Where the
fuck are they?” Magnus asked, walking towards her. “Can you see them at all?”

Haley
strained herself. “No.”

“They’ll be
up there for ages,” Avril said.

No sooner
were the words out of her mouth, both Cyrus and Edmond crashed back to the
ground between Haley and Magnus, radiating a wave of cracks in the surface.

Speechless,
Haley backed away almost falling over.

Neither had
the upper-hand at the moment, but the rods were all over the place, blows being
struck everywhere.

Cyrus was
yelling. Edmond was yelling. Blood sprayed right and left, and the dust on the
ground rose up to their knees.

Without
warning, Edmond dropped his rod and grabbed hold of Cyrus’s shoulders. He
smashed his forhead into his face, knocking Cyrus off his feet.

Edmond’s hand
moved in fast, seizing up his rod again. Cyrus held his out in defense,
swatting Edmond’s fierce lashes with one hand.

“BREAK!”
Edmond shouted. “FUCKING BREAK!”

Cyrus managed
to grab hold of one of Edmond’s leg and ripped away his footing.

As Edmond
fell, Cyrus got back up and took a few paces away from him. He looked at Haley
momentarily, his face bruised and bleeding, yet ever-ferocious.

Edmond then
charged at Cyrus, his face seemingly more ferocious.

Cyrus
sidestepped his attack causing Edmond to crash face first into Haley against
the fence.

He started to
get up as she pushed him away, but then he got caught up in looking at her.

Smiling, he
stuck his finger out and put it in Haley’s mouth.

Stroking her
insides.

Back and
forth.

Back and
forth.

Cyrus’s
shadow loomed over them. “Sick fuck.”

Edmond
stopped, his eyes darting to their corners.

Cyrus’s rod
slammed into Edmond’s skull.

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

A small black bird – a raven perhaps
– perched itself on top the tennis court’s fence-line as the blow was struck,
and Edmond fell. Haley got to her feet, unable to take her eyes off the raven.
Unable to get rid of the finger’s taste.

Avril and
Magnus rushed over pushing past Haley and Cyrus to get to Edmond.

“Quickly,”
Avril cried. “Roll him on his back.”

Magnus rolled
Edmond over.

Blood was
pouring out of his face. His eyes had turned black.

“Jesus,”
Magnus muttered. “He might not make it.”

“You
motherfucker,” Avril said under her breath. “I can’t believe you went and –”

Cyrus grabbed
her by the throat and shoved her up against the fence. “So it’s him over me, is
it?”

“What? No,”
Avril hissed.

“Cyrus,”
Magnus said.

Cyrus looked
at him.

“Let go of
her.”

Cyrus turned
back to Avril. He gave her a violent shove, and then released her.

He marched on
back to the house.

Haley hurried
after him. “Why did you do that?” she wanted to know. “Cyrus? Cyrus, listen –”

“What?” he
shouted, turning.

They both
looked at each other. Reality was shifting.

“I just
wanted to help your friend,” Cyrus said. “And … I wanted to help you.”

“Cyrus,”
Haley whispered. “You’re… You’re…”

“What?”

“You’re not
the one I’m after, are you?”

“Well, you’re
not the one I’m after,” Cyrus shrugged. He turned back to the house and moved a
few more paces. Then he looked back at her. “I didn’t mean that, I’m sorry.
Next time I try and date someone remind me to do on my own.”

Haley grabbed
his hand.

Cyrus
squinted, unsure.

“You’re not
the killer, are you?” she asked him.

“Killer?”
Cyrus replied. “What killer?”

“The one
who…” she stopped herself.

“Who what?”

“You … you
don’t go round killing girls, do you?”

Cyrus
grimaced. “That’s a very nasty stereotype. If you think that about all vampires,
then why the hell are you signing up for a vampire dating agency.”

“Why did you
sign up?”

“Cause I’m
alone,” Cyrus exclaimed. “Ever since I’ve been like this. Look – look at how my
own brethren treats me. How they treat others. I … Every night I hope I’ll met
her…”

“Meet who?”

“The one who
ends my darkness.”

He stepped
through the backdoor into the house.

Haley
followed him.

They went
round to Melanie’s side.

“Hello,”
Cyrus said, shaking her. “Wake up.”

“Whaaat?”
Melanie stirred.

“Come on,
we’re going,” Cyrus said. “We’re taking you home.”

“No, no,
nooo.”

“Come on.
Stand.”

Melanie
refused to move.

Cyrus stood
back up. “I have a stretcher in the toolshed outside. Can you wait here with
her? Keep her conscious.”

Cyrus went to
leave.

“Wait,” Haley
said.

He turned.
“What?”

“I … I
underestimated you.”

“Okay.”

“Thank you
for helping us.”

“No problem.”

Haley bit her
lip.

“Any last
thoughts?”

Haley had
plenty. But none to share.

CHAPTER
FORTY-FOUR

Haley was glad she’d come here. Glad
she’d reached Melanie in time. Looking back at things and how they’d turned
out, this had been a deviation from the course. If there was a true path to
finding the killer, she was as far as she’d ever been from it. She thought
about the others with the paranormal police. What they were doing now. How much
grief she’d caused them.

She wondered
if they were any closer to finding him.

Movement.

Sounds.

People behind
her.

Haley stood
up beside Melanie and saw Avril had reentered the living area. She was on the
carpet with her legs crossed, staring at Haley.

“So how is
he?” Haley asked.

“Who?” Avril
replied. “Edmond, or Cyrus?”

“Edmond.”

“It will take
more than a crack to the head to kill that lunatic,” Magnus said walking in
from the kitchen with two glasses of blood. He handed one off to his
girlfriend. “I think he’s going to pull through.”

“Well,” Haley
murmured. “That is a shame.”

“I don’t
suppose he’ll be happy when he wakes up,” Avril said sipping her blood. “You
might want to make yourself scarce before then.”

“Oh, I intend
to. As soon as Cyrus comes back the three of us are out of here.”

“That’s my
brother for you,” Avril said. “The big and up-and-coming hero. I should warn
you though, there’s a killer out there.”

“What?”

“Oh yes,”
Magnus said. “I heard about that. A killer who fancies young human women with
dark hair and suggestive clothing.”

“They say he
doesn’t even always feed off his victims,” Avril added. “That he just kills for
the sake of killing.”

“We’re due
for another death, I think,” Magnus said. “Perhaps it will be you, Haley.”

“The killer
doesn’t know where I am,” Haley said irritably.

“Unless the
killer is Cyrus,” Avril said.

Haley stared
at them, trying to see if they were being serious.

They both
looked from her to each other, and giggled.

“You guys are
fucked up,” Haley muttered.

She glanced
down at Melanie. Her eyes were closed. Asleep again.

Haley decided
to see what was taking Cyrus so long. She lowered her eyes and walked back
through the living area, brushing past Magnus as she did so. They talked
quietly amongst themselves as she neared the backdoor. Haley stepped outside.

“Cyrus?”

She could see
him right away.

He was
standing in the middle of the tennis court with his back to the house. He
appeared to be on the phone with someone.

“Cyrus?”
Haley called again, hurrying over.

The figure
turned slightly. It wasn’t Cyrus.

It was
Edmond.

He turned
away from her again.

Haley took a
step back, confused. She turned to the right of her, overlooking the jacuzzi.

There was
something floating on the top of it.

“Oh no,”
Haley whispered. “Oh…”

She rushed to
the water’s edge and took hold of the body, dragging it up by the shoulders.

It was Cyrus.

A metal rod
had been jammed into the side of his skull.

Haley
screamed.