Angel Series Books 1-3 Boxed Set

Outnumbered

Outnumbered

I was flying. Invisible wings lifted me into the air. My feet didn’t touch the ground as I ran, though they moved — faster and faster — back to my starting point.

Ah, to actually have wings, I thought, rather than feeling like I have them — a part of the buzz.

There were still seven separate trails to follow.

Save the best till last, I told myself, when you’re stronger. You’ll need your strength, and all of your feminine wiles, to take on that many vamps.

The six remaining trails consisted of two singles, three groups of two and a group of three. The first two led to underground tunnels, similar to the first trail I’d followed. Were they all interconnected somehow? I wondered why vamps would choose to stay out here when they could blend so well in the mortal world, where food was abundant. Perhaps Danny would know.

It became a game of cat and mouse. I employed the same damsel-in-distress tactic I’d used on the sole vampire I’d allowed to live — barely — again and again, it worked so well. I could have been an actress. The only difficulty I encountered was with a group of two females. Males were easy to trick. Even as vampires their brains still seemed to be located between their legs. I wondered idly, while killing three at once, if vampires had s*x — anyone for a foursome? Sure I’d heard the classic stories of the incubus — a male vampire that sought out sleeping mortal women for s*x — and the succubus — a female vampire that sought out sleeping mortal men for s*x. Who hadn’t? They appeared often enough in popular fiction, but I was no longer sure of what was fact and what was fiction.

The two females hissed and spat at me, remaining far enough apart from each other that I couldn’t possibly grab both of them at the same time. What to do?

I put a hand on my hip and tapped my lips thoughtfully with a finger from the other hand, smiling all the while. Let them think I had a plan for them. Let them sweat a little.

I glanced towards the sky. I had maybe three more hours of sunlight. After that, I’d be at a serious disadvantage, not knowing the region as well as the vamps. It would be time to call Danny to take me back to the cottage. I could always return tomorrow.

I let my hands drops to my side, the smile turning to a frown and a panicked look on my face, as though I’d just realised I was outnumbered. I turned and ran, at a decidedly mortal pace, back to the cover of the trees. Seeing me run, the females, feeling they had the upper hand, sprinted towards me, in hot pursuit.

When I reached the treeline I used it to my advantage, doing a feat of acrobatics I would never have dreamed was possible outside the world of movies. I quickly took three large strides up the trunk of the nearest tree and did a backflip, landing behind the second vamp. A perfect Olympic gold medal-winning landing. I reached out, grasping the back of the neck, and we ran forwards together — she trying to shake off my hand — to catch up to the other vamp. She slowed when she heard two sets of footsteps. I rushed forward to get a good handful of hair, biting her neck in the process and pulling her to a halt. Both struggled and kicked. I was already much stronger than them. They didn’t stand a chance.

I admired their courage. Not once did they cry out, even when they knew the last of their life force was being drained from their bodies. Women were a lot stronger than men in many ways, and our tolerance of pain — our bodies being designed for childbirth — was one of them.

Today’s body count — with the exception of the one I’d allowed to live to spread the word of she who kills — Helena fourteen, Vampires none.

I was so pumped I felt I could take on the world … and win! Egotistical pride? Perhaps. I’d accomplished so much in so little time, how could I not be proud of myself?

I returned to my starting place, smug in the knowledge there was only one group left — the seventh trail — from yesterday’s foray. There were five scents mixed in this final trail, which led north. I completed a series of shoulder stretches and side bends, limbering up and preparing myself for the chase, then ran.

After ten minutes, another scent joined the trail. It was one I recognised — the vamp I hadn’t killed. His trail went no further. There could only be two reasons for this — one, they’d disposed of him and his body, or two, someone was carrying him. I doubted they’d killed him. They’d want to know all the details of his encounter with me — every word I’d spoken, every move I’d made, and why I’d let him live. He was an important connection to me and they’d wring him dry if it suited their purposes.

I smiled and ran on, filling my nostrils with the smells of the forest and the creatures within it — those God had created and those Satan had defiled.

Another twenty minutes on and the trail split into five different directions. Clearly they’d decided they needed to ensure at least one of their group delivered my message — if not the surviving vampire — to Drake, or whoever was in charge if he wasn’t there. Which trail to choose?

Keep going north, I told myself. So north it was.

It seemed I’d run forever and the scent wasn’t getting any stronger. How much of a head start did they have on me? Three hours at most. As I began to scale a rocky outcrop the scent finally became stronger. When I reached the top, standing at the back of the ledge was a lone female vampire. Her fingers were seeking purchase on the sheer rock face in front of her. It was possible she couldn’t scale it — rock wouldn’t be as giving as wood. I didn’t think I’d be able to scale it, and maybe she was having the same doubts.

She turned around when she heard my footfall.

“I know what you are,” she hissed. “Freak!”

Come on, I thought, isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?

I smiled and took a step forward. “What’s the matter, afraid?”

“Not of a common w***e!” she spat.

Ouch! That was below the belt. I wasn’t a common w***e and what did she know of me anyway?

“And what do you know of whores?” I laughed.

She pointed a finger at me. “I know what you used to be … don’t you recognise me?”

I looked closer. As far as I was concerned she was a nobody, a nothing.

“No, should I?”

“Before you came along and took him away, I was the plaything of the preacher — the man you eventually rubbed the wrong way, so to speak.”

“Shae?” The woman whom I’d ousted as the preacher’s number one girl — it had taken me a couple of years of hard work to do so — looked so different. Did I look different too?

“The one and only,” she bowed with a flourish. “And now Drake has his eye on you, the prize. I won’t be cast aside again.”

I beckoned her forward with my hands, challenging her.

“So come and do something about it.”

She leaned back against the rock, crossed her arms over her chest and rested one foot against the rock face. There was something cocky about that action, like she knew something I didn’t — something that would give her an advantage.

I walked towards her, ignoring the nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach that something was very wrong. What could one little vampire possibly do to me?

As I approached, she scooted around to the side. I heard the sound of many hands and feet climbing. In moments I was trapped in the corner, surrounded by fourteen vampires, including Shae.

They had lain in wait, far enough for me not to detect their scent, but close enough for them to clamber up the rocky outcrop to the ledge in time to catch me unawares. Shae had been stalling for time, the b***h!

How ironic — fourteen vampires to replace the fourteen I’d killed. Drake was nowhere to be seen. It was conceivable that he didn’t know what was happening here. These vamps seemed to resent me, perhaps because I’d killed so many of their numbers, and because Drake seemed interested in me, for whatever reason.

“What the f**k are you?” a vampire I recognised as Levi yelled out to me.

“She who kills,” I replied calmly. “Didn’t your friend tell you?”

“He told us a freak whose heart still beat had almost drained him dry.”

I smiled at them. “I’m hardly a freak.” I inspected my fingernails for dirt before casually continuing. “Call me the next stage of evolution. Your time is at an end and a new breed is taking over.”

Levi snorted. “A breed of one, hardly cause for much concern!” There was lots of laughter. “If you hadn’t noticed, you’re the one who’s outnumbered here, not us.”

“I was outnumbered when there were two against one and even three against one,” I said dismissively, “but I prevailed. You think you can take me? How many of you can fit into this tight little corner at once?”

There were murmurs among a few of the vampires. I was making them nervous. Maybe I wouldn’t need Danny’s help after all.

“Let’s get Drake,” one vampire said. “He’ll know what to do.”

“Yeah,” another replied. “I’ll go. You guys stay here and watch her. Make sure she doesn’t get away this time.”

“No!” Levi yelled. “We don’t involve Drake. He has his own agenda.”

“As do you, it would seem,” I said. A little dissension among the ranks would work in my favour.

More murmuring, and without another word, one of the vamps dropped off the ledge, presumably to fetch Drake to come and take charge of the situation.

“s**t, Levi!” Shae said. “Should I stop him?”

“No. We take care of things and finish it before Ross can bring Drake back.”

I licked my lips suggestively, my hands on my hips. “Bring it on Levi. After all, we have some unfinished business.”

I sounded so confident in my own ability that he hesitated. The others sensed the tables were turning and Levi was losing control of the precarious situation.

What a head rush, I thought. I wonder if I could command them to leave.

“You should leave now,” I suggested. “The same fate awaits you as those in the tunnels.”

“What do you know of the tunnels?” Levi asked.

I smiled, then fake-yawned before replying. “I know there are many entrances and many rooms, and some contain the now still bodies of a few of your friends.”

I could feel the tension in the air. It was thick like fog on an icy winter’s morning.

Shae and Levi stepped aside from the group and exchanged a few words. She stamped her foot on the ground and pouted. Levi shook his head and turned away from her.

“We wait for Drake,” he said, and the group became silent.

Shit, I thought. Do I call Danny now or do I wait? I decided to wait. There was still time.

I looked at the sky. Whilst I couldn’t see the setting sun, I could see the last trace of an orange-red hue it cast in the sky. As my eyes adjusted to the fading light I noticed I could see almost as well as I could in the daytime. This was something new to me, the result of getting stronger. How many more new experiences would there be in store for me as the result of being changed?

I was so wrapped up in the changes taking place within my own body, marvelling at the differences, that I didn’t notice another fifteen vampires climb onto the ledge! It was quite crowded now.

“Hello, Helena, nice to see you again,” Drake said, stepping to the front.

Of course he’d know my name if he knew Shae. She’d probably informed him about my less than virtuous previous life.

“Hello, Drake. The feeling isn’t mutual, but I’m sure you already know that.”

He laughed. “You’ve given us a merry chase, and done some hunting of your own, so I’ve been told. A great pity. I won’t be able to keep you now. The others would not be pleased. That doesn’t mean we can’t share a final conversation before you die.”

Shae, standing directly behind Drake, smiled smugly. I smiled at her and winked. Her face dropped in doubt.

“Now, now, Helena. No need to tease poor Shae.” Drake leaned forward and whispered, “She has issues you know.”

I laughed. It sounded so funny, a vampire with issues.

“You have such a nice laugh. I take it that was your laugh I heard echoing through the forest today?”

“Yes, that was me.”

“Tell me, how did you come to be here, like this?” Drake asked. “Who created you?”

“Does the name Chris Jones ring any bells?”

“I guess that explains why he never turned up for the hunt. You killed him as well?”

I nodded my head. “He died as I lived. I don’t understand it myself.”

“Poor Chris. He was a good hunter. And why didn’t you kill Ray? What’s so special about him?”

I shrugged my shoulders. I presumed Ray was the sole survivor of today’s foray, up until now.

“Someone had to deliver my message. The first few I had to feed off. I almost didn’t let Ray go. It’s a very hard thing to stop once you start.”

“Yes, when you’re new to it the bloodlust can take over,” Drake agreed. “But your message, it was very interesting. I was only made aware of it when Ross told me there was a problem.”

Drake cast a glance in Levi’s direction. I was sure Levi would be disciplined later on for his disobedience.

Serves you right, I thought.

“Well it’s been ever so nice chatting, Helena, but I think it’s time we got down to business.”

Drake took a couple of steps forward and the others followed, closing the gap between us. He was only a few metres away — time to bail out.

“Danizriel,” I whispered, “you’d better get your butt here fast.”