The Things We Fear

“Who else?” When no one responded, he pressed again, “Who else has died?” he gritted through his teeth.

“A ghoul,” Abigail sighed when she must have realised all the explanations were being left to her, “It turned to dust upon its death, so no body for anyone to see. A fae, one of the childes, the little ones,” she added seeing Theo’s confusion, “Think Tinkerbell crossed with a hornet, so we could hardly take that to the police. And according to the local mers a kelpie, but no one can say for definite as they’re just water spirits and as they were possibly the first victim and before all this began we thought the sea devils were just fucking with us. Now, we’re not so sure. But there’s been three, possibly four victims, including Rod.”

Everyone sat silently digesting what they had heard. Marcus wasn’t sure what to do with this new information. His first instinct as the son of a cop was to go to his dad, but Abigail was right. The police couldn’t really do anything about this. Whatever was attacking people, Rod likely was not its first victim, and there may be more people weren’t aware of if the Kelpie and ghoul were anything to go by. The murderer could have killed many creatures that left no bodies behind after death.

He was also patently ignoring that apparently there were mermaids and giant water horses that liked to drown people living locally. He might have accepted sitting with all these vampires and werewolves, but he drew the line at murderous sea creatures.

“Why did the vampire survive?” Theo asked curiously. It was a good question, one that would have escaped Marcus’ notion given his mind had been more preoccupied with the potential hidden victims.

Abigail shrugged, “I suppose we’re technically already sort of dead. Whatever this thing is doing, it isn’t killing in a normal way. And because vampires aren’t really alive, you can only kill us with a couple of methods. We’re assuming, and I stress the assuming heavily because whatever this thing is it’s left no scent behind and zero trails for us to follow, if it hadn’t been seen by the ghouls who watched their brother die, I’d have sworn it was some sort of ghost, but yeah, we’re assuming that whatever it is doing to the victim’s death is more of a side effect of whatever it wants.”

“What do you think it wants?” Their assumptions might prove incorrect, but right now these people had more information than him.

“There was only one smell left behind at each scene. James and his pack even went to verify it at Rod’s house–”

That explained what the Toulez pack had been doing there that evening, at least.

“What?”

“Fear. every area where someone had been attacked, it stunk of paralysing fear.”

“So, the vampire, the one that went crazy and bit me, this thing attacking people, it scared them to insanity instead of death?” Theo chewed his nail, looking at the other vampires.

“As best we can figure,” It was James who replied beside him.

He was sitting so close Marcus could feel the dance of breath across his skin. He had to will his body not to react. To not imagine other situations where it might happen. This was a serious conversation, goddamn it.

“The police were right then? Whatever this thing is, it used Rod’s fear of drowning to scare him until his heart gave out?” Theo asked to the group, but by the way his eyes kept returning to Abigail, Marcus suspected a crush was quickly growing there.

“He didn’t drown?” James sounded surprised by the news.

Theo flashed a guilty look in his direction, wincing as he realised he had just shared private information, not meant for the general public.

Sighing Marcus knew there was no point lying, “You didn’t hear from us, and if my dad gets dragged into the mess in any way, I’ll be using the lot of you for kindling,” by the way James tense beside him, Marcus knew his heart had remained entirely steady.

He wasn’t lying. If these idiots endangered his dad in any way, be it by body, or by risking his job, he’d hunt the lot of them down.

“But there was only a small amount of water found in Rod’s lungs,” he threw a less than pleased look at his best friend at having to reveal this, but they had shared first so he felt slightly better about returning the favour, “The police theories he may have been drowned and resuscitated more than once. And we know for a fact,” he pointed between himself and Theo, “That Rod was afraid of water.”

This led to a laugh from James. It was only a small one, but with them being pressed close together, it reverberated through his body, bringing Marcus’ focus back to the long line of limbs and the heat beside him. He did not want to have a hormonal reaction in a room full of super sniffers.

“Yeah, Rod tried to kick Dan’s ass once ’cause he thought trying to get the team to go for a midnight swim was a good idea. Suffice to say he did not join us.”

Marcus could tell there was quite the story there, especially with how his older brother was glaring at him, but James just kept smirking.

“He got his arse handed to him by a human, didn’t he?” Marcus couldn’t help asking. He enjoyed prodding Daniel too much not to.

“Shut it, both of you, before I decide you’d look better with scars, little witch.”

The answering growls came from both sides of him.

“I might be new to his whole supernatural gig, but if half of what I’ve heard about vampires is true, you lay one finger on my best friend and I’d make what Rod did look like a walk in the park.”

Marcus probably should not have felt all warm and fuzzy by his friend’s defence, especially when it wasn’t necessary. He had his pouch on him, Marcus could make the wolf suffer, but he appreciated that Theo was willing all the same.

“Which brings us back to the original conversation,” Abigail cut in, before either of the others could start fighting, “What is real and what is fiction with regards to vampires?”

He had to hand it to her. He could see why she was the leader of her little group, or coven given they were vampires. Abigail knew how to manage people.

“Okay, let’s start with the facts. Super strength, we’re much stronger than humans. Super senses, smell, taste, hearing, we’re about 80% stronger than the average human. Super speed, think a of four-minute mile as a leisurely jog. What else?”

“Those are all the same as the shifters, aren’t they?” Marcus couldn’t help asking.

“There are some arguments over who is stronger as a species and who is faster, but mostly it seems to come down to a person-by-person basis, so yes,” the words were rumbled out next to him.

At some point, Marcus had unconsciously sat back in his seat, his body almost melting into the one beside him. Realising this, he tried to create a little distance, but was soon stopped by the hand on his wrist, pulling him back. Theo and the others remained oblivious to his predicament. Of how his body wanted to both escape and seep back into the seat and bring himself closer than was socially acceptable to the wolf beside him.

“I’m getting a drink,” he announced, because it was reasonable, and if his voice went a little high by the end, well, he was still going through puberty, “Does anyone want anything?” he asked, because his mother raised a gentleman, no matter what.

“Can I drink anything other than blood?” Theo asked with a face of genuine concern.

It earned him a few giggles.

“Yes, but you will need to start drinking blood daily, at least a cup to keep your organs functioning. No blood and you’ll not be able to eat or drink normal food,” it was one of the male vampires who replied, Marcus had no idea who he was but had been referring to him mentally as “eyeliner-guy” for the past few years.

“Oh, sweet. Oh, dude, your cocktail, if they have it?” Theo’s eyes lit with enthusiasm.

Marcus had to chuckle, the boy had just been told he needed blood to survive and he moved past the news like it was a minor inconvenience at most.

“Sure,” he smiled.

“Well, if it’s your signature cocktail, I’d love to try it,” James was beside him, again. Too close for what should be acceptable.

As much as Marcus wanted to push him away, his arms refused to move. He thought he may have managed to croak out an okay, but was too distracted by the smirk James was aiming his way. It wasn’t fair. Someone that attractive should not be allowed to smirk. Why did he have to have a weakness for arrogant assholes?

Moving through the bodies strewn across the floor and those practising magic nearby, which he had to actively look away from before being tempted to join them - he was here for Theo, nothing else. Reaching the bar, he looked at the available drinks, holding back the cheer when he saw they did in fact have what he needed.

“It’s self-serve,” James said standing right along his back.

There was a matter of inches between his and the wooden countertop and less than that between him and the wolf. He was starting to feel dizzy with how much the other proximity was affecting him.

A small part of Marcus wanted to demand what the shifter was doing. Demand to know why his ex-best friend was now acting like nothing had ever happened and treating him with a familiarity he had long since lost. Another part of him, a teensy-tiny, weeny-little bit, wanted to turn in place. Face the wolf, body to body. Wanted to tilt his head up, whether in submission or challenge Marcus wasn’t sure, but he couldn’t deny he wanted to find out.

Bumping his hips back, not in the grinding way he may have fantasised about, but in the “move” way, he manoeuvred his body to walk around the bar. Picking up the Cherry Sourz, Disaronno (amaretto) and coke, he started to pour three glasses. Handing one to James, who was watching him with such intensity it made his hairs stand on end, he scoffed at the raised eyebrow the wolf gave him.

“It tastes like a Cherry Bakewell. Just try it, you’ll see.”

It had been a random mix he’d created. He’d tried the Apple Sourz with rum, which had been okay, but it was the Bakewell which had his entire family demanding more last Christmas even buying more from the store to ensure they could have it for the new year. He was pleased to see the surprise on James’ face as he tasted the delightful drink. Not that Marcus was biased, much.

Returning to Theo and the others, he ignored how the hand on his hip pushed him back onto the chair and as close to James as the wolf could manage. He especially pretended not to notice the arm now sitting behind his head.

“You said Theo has five days in which to turn back, it’s already evening, almost at the four-day mark, which leaves just tomorrow. What do we have to do to turn him back?”

Every vampire looked suddenly very uncomfortable.

“You need to know–”

Marcus did not like where he felt this conversation was going.

“There is a cure, technically, but it’s risky. It can turn a person back, but it can also kill them,” Abigail sighed, turning bodily toward Theo in her seat so instead of being next to each other, she was facing him full on. “It isn’t pleasant. It involves basically forcing the virus from your body, from every porous area. Mouth, but, sinus, sweat glands, everywhere. It’s like having a very violent flu. And even if it works, people have said they still like their meat a little more rare,” which generated a few laughs, “and it’s well, from what I’ve read, it’s painful. One guy is quoted as saying he felt he was being torn apart cell by cell, which is probably an accurate description of what the cure technically does do.”

“So, my choices are drinking blood every day for the rest of my life, or being ripped cell from cell?”

“Theo,” he said warningly, recognising when his best friend was about to make an impulsive decision.

The boy slumped in the chair. Turning pleading eyes on Marcus.

“Do not puppy dog eyes me into this. Did you even find out about the sun thing? Will you be able to live with your parents? Is there a hierarchy and will you be expected to perform certain tasks? Do vampires have their own rules and laws? Is their prejudice against bitten vampires? Will the lengthen your life span? Or shorten it? What about hunters? A little pain now is better than knowing you could end up some slave with no free will and dead before you’re twenty.”

It felt as though all eyes in the room were on him. Even the music had stopped. Some faces were horrified, but others were appraising, a couple of the witches even looked proud. He kept his face passive. This was his best friend’s life. Marcus refused to allow anything bad to happen to him. He hadn’t been able to stop him from being bitten by a vampire, but he would do everything in his power to ensure nothing else could go wrong.