WARNING FOR SENSITIVE READERS: This chapter contains descriptions of extreme violence. Please read with caution if you are bothered by such things.

Vampires are not easily slain, as they possess supernatural abilities that make them difficult to overcome. But as with all creatures of darkness, they have their weaknesses and it can be hoped that the Armies of Heaven conspire against them to bring about their demise when they least expect it.

-- From Conclusions on the Nature of Creatures of the Night by Fr. Ignatius Benedictus

Reggie snuck back into the apartment and carefully closed the door behind him. Zavy and Jack were in much the same position as when he'd left earlier in the night, with Jack pressed back against Zavy and Zavy's arms wrapped around Jack, holding him protectively. Reggie slipped his shoes off and stripped off his shirt and pants, then quietly knelt next to Zavy and stretched out on the pallet.

His head was still fuzzy, much like before, but he was able to remember a few more details this time. The pale lady had been waiting for him as he'd walked through her garden, almost as if she'd expected him back. A quarter moon had shed just enough light for him to see her standing there in a long black robe, her white arms gleaming in the moonlight, her face glowing white. Without the sun's bright light, she had worn no eyeshades, so her eyes had been dark pools, sparkling as she watched Reggie approach. She had smiled, fangs extending over his lips, and reached out to take his face in both her hands. Their touch on his cheeks had been chilling, causing him to shiver in anticipation. When her eyes had begun to glow, Reggie had known what was coming next and had welcomed the darkness flooding into his soul.

Minutes later? Hours? Reggie had awakened, as if from a dream, and found his pants around his ankles and cum dripping from his cock onto the ground. The pale lady was nowhere to be found. Without embarrassment this time, he'd pulled on his clothes and left the garden, returning home exhausted, but satisfied.

Reggie smiled as he reclined beside his cousin Zavy. It wasn't quite how he imagined sex with a woman would be, but in some ways, it was far better. He reached down and slid his hand inside his underpants. His cock was still soft, completely drained. He closed his eyes and fell immediately into a deep sleep.

Zavy noticed a warm body behind him once again. Zavy opened his eyes and turned his head slightly. Reggie was back. That was good, but he was still worried about where his cousin had gone in the middle of the night without telling anyone.

Zavy didn't know what to do. He couldn't force Reggie to open up and tell him what was going on. He knew his cousin too well; Reggie was stubborn and would simply clam up. But Zavy was worried now. His cousin had never been one to sneak out in the middle of night like this, returning hours later smelling like cum, no doubt having had sex sometime in the night.

Zavy felt his own cock swelling up at the thought of his cousin's late-night rendezvous. With Jack pressed back against Zavy's belly, Zavy's cock was lodged in the warm cleft of Jack's ass. Zavy didn't want to bother his young lover, especially after the injuries the boy had sustained the day before, but Zavy found himself getting hornier by the minute, wishing Jack would wake up and feel the hard rod poking his arse and maybe want a bit of late night frolicking himself.

Zavy pulled his hips back, adjusted himself slightly so that his hard cock was pointing toward his belly, and nestled back against Jack's warm back. He'd wait until morning. No doubt Jack would be willing to give him a quick suck before the rest of the family awoke.

Every stall in McCoy's stables was full the next day, so it took the boys six hours to finish all the work he had for them. With each passing hour, Reggie grew more and more agitated, rushing his work at times and even tipping over the barrow full of manure once, cursing as he manhandled it back upright again. Snatching up his shovel, he scooped up the manure that had spilled out and angrily tossed it back into the barrow.

Jack chuckled. "He's expected for afternoon tea with his pale lady," Jack teased.

Reggie looked up, startled, which made Jack think his off-handed comment might have been close to the truth. Reggie glared at Jack and said, "No such thing. Just don't wanna spend all day shoveling horse shit."

"If you don't slow down, we'll be doing just that," Zavy warned. Looking around at the now clean stalls, Zavy decided to climb up into the loft and grab another bale of straw. That should be the last one they'd need to finish the day's work.

Reggie wheeled the barrow of manure out the back door and dumped it in the refuse pile with the rest of what they'd cleaned out that morning. Looking back over his shoulder, he saw Jack wrestling with the last bale of straw Zavy had thrown down. Jack's arm had been sore that morning, but healed up enough for him to work. And it was the last stall, so they were mostly done. Reggie hated leaving the guys at it, but he couldn't wait any longer. His cock was hard and throbbing in his pants, and his pale lady was no doubt waiting for him.

He leaned his shovel against the wall, left the barrow next to it, and slipped out the back gate of the stables, headed for Halifax Road.

Jack looked up and saw Reggie leaving. "Where the hell is he off to?" Jack whispered. Trotting to the back gate, Jack saw Reggie running down the street, headed for the alley behind Halifax Road. Jack nodded, certain now about where Reggie was headed. He glanced back, asking himself which was more important. Following Reggie or helping Zavy finish the work? There was only a bit left to do, and Jack was worried about Reggie getting into trouble. What if Worthies were hiding out in the alley again. Shaking his head in frustration, Jack opened the gate, slipped through, and latched it behind him before running down the street after Reggie.

Zavy climbed down from the loft. "This ought to finish up the day, lads," he said, looking around in confusion. "Jacko? Reg? What are you boys doin'?" He searched through the stalls and saw neither of his brothers.

McCoy walked up and looked at the clean stalls filled with fresh straw. "Good work, lad. Where are your two helpers?"

"Yes, sir. I'd best go check on 'em, sir, but I'll be right back and finish this up."

McCoy shook his head. "I'll take care of this. Here's fifteen pence for your work today. Go find your mates."

Zavy took the coins, shaking McCoy's hand in gratitude, and ran out the back gate, looking for Reggie and Jack. Where the hell had they got off to?

Running down the street, Zavy peered in each alley and dark corner. Nothing out of the ordinary. Not even Wentworth lads hanging about.

Zavy broke into a trot, pausing at each store to check inside. As he came out of a clothing shop, he heard Jack's shout. "Zavy!"

Zavy saw the younger boy a half block down, waving at him to come. Zavy sprinted down the street, dodging late morning shoppers. Jack didn't wait for Zavy to reach him, but turned and ran off, headed for the alley that meandered behind the row of houses on Halifax Road. Sliding to a stop next to an open garden gate, Jack turned to Zavy and said, "Reggie's inside. That woman in the black dress is with him. He's in trouble, Zavy!"

Jack shook his head, waving at Zavy to follow as he pushed open the gate and snuck forward along the garden path.

The two peered around a bush and saw Reggie standing in the shade of an oak tree, staring off into space with his pants around his ankles and his cock as hard as it had ever been before. Next to Reggie was the pale woman. Her eyes glowed red and her mouth was wide open, fangs jutting out as she leaned in with tilted head.

Zavy watched as the woman's fangs slowly approached Reggie's neck. Pushing Jack aside, Zavy sprinted for the woman and Reggie. When he reached them, he swung both arms in a two-handed blow, aiming for her face.

She dodged back and turned on Zavy, eyes glowing bright red now, mouth twisted and hissing.

He drew back a fist, but never connected, for the woman shoved him in the chest with both hands, launching him backwards twenty feet to land on his back in the midst of bushes. The woman disappeared from where she'd been standing twenty feet away and reappeared in the air above Zavy, snarling and grabbing his shoulders to hold him down. He tried to roll out from under her, but her grip on him was unbreakable. He kicked out, trying to throw her off, but only succeeded in making her angry. She leaned down, mouth gaping, fangs dripping, and bit into his neck.

Zavy screamed in anguish, struggling to pull away from the piercing agony in his neck. He felt blood flowing from the wound and heard the woman sucking greedily. Then her body lurched and she fell down on top of him. His neck grew suddenly cold and the pain receded, leaving behind a freezing numbness that spread from his neck, down his body, into his chest. He gave one final shove and pushed the woman away, staring at her body as it rolled off him.

Jutting from her back was a broken-off tree branch. Standing over her was Jack, eyes wide with fear and shock. He held the branch in both hands, the only weapon he'd been able to find. Though his first blow had pierced her heart, he pulled the branch from her back, and shoved it in again, forcing it deeper into the woman's back. "You fucking bitch," he snarled. He pulled the branch out, causing blood to spurt from the woman's body. Jack stabbed her again and again, muttering incoherently each time.

Zavy forced himself to his feet and grabbed Jack, pulling him away from the woman's unmoving carcass. "Stop, Jacko. She's finished."

Jack slowly brought his eyes up to stare at Zavy, gasping when he saw Zavy's bloody neck. "The fucking whore bit you, Zavy. She bit you!"

Zavy felt his own neck, the flesh slippery where small holes leaked a bit of blood. He expected it to be much worse. Clamping his hand over the holes and pushing down, he hoped that would stop the bleeding. The chills were spreading now, creeping over his body, down into his legs. He began shaking slightly, despite the hot sun beating down upon them. "I think I need to get home, Jacko. I don't feel so well."

Jack slipped underneath Zavy's side and helped him stumble back to the center of the garden where Reggie was looking around, confused. "Reggie!" Jack shouted. "Zavy's been bit. We need to get him home."

Reggie blinked and saw Zavy holding a blood-covered hand against his neck. He frowned and stumbled forward, then shook his head violently. "What the hell? What happened to him?"

"You're fucking pale lady bit him, but I took care of her! Now get dressed and help me get Zavy outta here!"

Reggie reached down, still struggling to comprehend what was going on. Pulling his pants up, he buttoned them and stumbled forward to slide underneath Zavy's other shoulder. Working together, Jack and Reggie managed to get Zavy to the garden gate.

"Wait," Zavy mumbled. "I can't go out on the street like this, with blood dripping down me neck. Find some water to wash it off."

Jack looked around and found a watering pot nearby. He dipped his hand inside and splashed it on Zavy's neck, washing away most of the blood. Zavy's shirt was a mess, but now he looked like he'd been in nothing more than a bad brawl, rather than having his throat ripped open by a vampire.

Throwing the pot aside, Jack yanked the gate open and jumped back under Zavy's arm.

The three boys hobbled as quickly down the alley as they could, leaving the garden gate swinging open behind them.

Beneath the trampled bushes, the pale lady stretched out one hand and gripped a handful of soil. Her eyes no longer glowed red. They were dark now and growing dimmer as her blood flowed out onto the ground. She groaned and took a last breath. Her hand gradually unclenched, releasing the handful of soil as her immortal body found peace at last.

Mum motioned for Zavy to take off the shirt he was wearing. "I'll never get the blood out. T'would serve you right to have to wear it like that, letting everyone know how you're always a'brawling."

Zavy shivered as he peeled off the shirt and handed it to Mum. His teeth chattered as he said, "We weren't fighting, Mum. Not this time."

She shook her head again. "I don't wanna hear it, boys. If the lot of ya' get hauled off by the constable, it'll serve you right." She noticed Zavy's chattering teeth and added, "And probably caught yourself an illness in the process. You'll be the death of me, you will. Jack, wrap him up tight in blankets and keep him warm. Reggie, run down to the market and buy some meat pies and a bottle of wine." She handed Reggie a few pence, then carried the bloody shirt down the hall to the community lavatory, mumbling about boys getting in rows every other day.

While Reggie rushed off to buy the food, Jack helped Zavy strip out of his pants as well. The chills were getting worse, with Zavy shaking so hard that his body seemed to be convulsing. Alarmed, Jack threw off his own clothes and hugged Zavy, wrapping blankets around the two of them, hoping his own body heat would make a difference.

Zavy leaned against Jack, his body growing colder with each passing moment. He'd never been this cold, and even Jack's warm body next to him seemed to make no difference. Nor did the wine his mum offered him later. And when he tried to eat the hot meat pie, his stomach rebelled and spewed everything back up again.

Mum was at a loss as to what they could do, so she had Zavy lie down with Jack and Reggie pressed against him front and back and blankets piled up on top of them.

Finally, with his teeth chattering violently, Zavy fell into a restless and nightmare-filled sleep.

A man in a dark suit, stern of face with a neatly trimmed beard, walked through the garden, glancing here and there. He noted the dried semen on the ground next to trampled grass. He looked around, searching for more clues. Frowning, he walked down the garden path to the open gate. He saw the pot next to the gate. Lifting it, he sniffed, detecting the faint odor of human blood … and something else. He looked down at the path and saw stains in the soil. Kneeling down, he placed his nose just above the soil and sniffed again. Standing up, he nodded and looked down the alley, seeing nothing more that would tell him what had transpired earlier that day.

Turning back, he strolled to the body lying among the bushes. The cause of death was obvious, judging by the multiple punctures in her back and the sharp, bloody branch tossed down nearby.

"Well?" A woman in black finery with a single strand of white pearls around her neck sat on the sofa, waiting patiently for his answer.

"A sharp branch, shoved repeatedly into her back, striking the heart and ending her existence."

The man shrugged. "She was likely in a feeding lust, and therefore more vulnerable to a surprise attack. We did warn her about this."

The woman gave him a look of disdain. "Do you really think they'll talk about what happened here today? Even if they understand it?" She looked around the room and said, "Remove all indications that one of us ever resided here, and contact the human constables. If there is a report of any kind regarding this place, I want to know about it."

"Find out who was here," the woman ordered. "And deal with it accordingly." Her eyes lost focus as she concentrated on a distant location and suddenly disappeared.

The man did not react. He was accustomed to his mistress and her abrupt jumps without saying goodbye. He directed the servants to begin cleaning up the inside of the house while he walked outside to close the garden gate and deal with the messy disposal of the quickly decaying body.

And to contemplate the best way to deal with the far bigger mess that was now his primary concern.

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Soulbound ‡ waif

by Wes Leigh

Chapter 5