2

he screaming stopped.
Jayda’s eyes shot open. She wasn’t dead. The realization of her death was false? This never happened before. She saw her death at the hands of a monster. He was suppose to kill her.
Jayda looked around, taking in her new surroundings. She was in a motel room. The lights were off and the curtains drawn. Sitting up, she saw the vampire asleep on the other bed, his hands laying on his stomach with some type of dark fabric covering his head and upper body. He still wore his coat and boots as he slept on top of the undisturbed covers.
From the bathroom she heard werewolf speaking on a cell phone. He stepped into the main room, wearing a clean pair of jeans and a towel draped over his shoulders. He glanced at her as he continued talking. Ending the conversation, he returned the towel to his head, drying his hair further before addressing the confused girl.
“Glad you’re awake,” he said, dropping the towel back on his shoulders. “I was beginning to worry.”
“Wh-who are you?”
The werewolf tried to keep his words light. “My name’s Nicholas. What’s your name?”
“Jayda. He called me Jayda.”
“What’s your real name?”
“I don’t… What are you going to do with me?”
“Nothing,” he said, removing a shirt from his bag. “It wasn’t my choice to keep you alive. You have Arden to thank for that.”
Jayda’s eyes moved to the sleeping vampire. “Why?”
“He won’t answer you,” said Nicholas as he pulled on a clean shirt. “Not that’s he’s actually asleep. He’s probably awake, listening to us now. He just doesn’t want to talk. Doubt he’ll tell you anyway. He still hasn’t told me.”
Looking away, the last year flooded into her mind, shuffling around like a deck of cards. The images ended on the sight of Clayton’s dead body.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Nicholas studied her, confused. “You weren’t loyal to him?”
She shook her head. “I was his prisoner. I had been for a year… at least I think it’s been a year.”
“You’re safe now.” He saw that his words did little to comfort her. “I think a nice, long shower will help. You can wear some of my clothes until I can find something better.” Digging through his duffle bag, he handed her a shirt and a pair of dark jeans, then led her into the bathroom.
Jayda heard the door shut. The damaged side of her expected him to stay in there with her, to take what he wanted. But as she turned around, she found herself alone. Though she was surprised by the simple act, the damaged side told her it was a trick, a minuscule tactic he would use later to play on her vulnerable side.
She wasn’t free. The prison remained; just a change of wardens.

“The meeting has been set,” Nicholas informed. He sat on the empty bed and heard the shower kick on in the bathroom. “I still would like to know why you decided to keep her alive.”
The vampire remained motionless on the other bed. The werewolf was right, he wasn’t asleep, but he didn’t feel like explaining himself when the answers would bring up more questions.
Nicholas turned on the TV and continued speaking. “She’s going to need a lot of help. A year in those conditions has to take some kind of toll. I hope you’re up to the task of playing psychiatrist to her, cause I have zero interest.”

A hot shower was one of the small things Jayda didn’t realize she missed. Most of her baths took place within a river or creek or wherever Clayton decided to take his pack. The abandoned mine was one of many places they called home. They had been staying there for the past month.
But that part of her life was over.
Jayda left the bathroom and saw Nicholas fully dressed and gathering up the duffle bags. He sat the last one on the bed as he noticed her watching him. “Grab a bag and follow me,” he said.
Looking over the three dark bags, Jayda went for the smallest one. Nicholas picked up the other two and led her from the room.
Jayda squinted her eyes at the evening sun. Months spent living a nocturnal life weakened her in many different ways. But as the sun’s light struck her skin, she felt a new resurgence of energy. The veil around her begin to lift. Things were going to be different.
The motel was all one level with the parking lot facing the doors to the rooms. Nicholas walked around a large, black van that was parked before their room. He opened the side door and sat the bags inside, then stood to side and waited for Jayda to do the same, forgoing the urge to help her. He finally opened the passenger side door.
“Go ahead and get in,” he said.
Obediently, Jayda climbed in. She watched as Nicholas closed her door and returned to the motel room. Sitting in the tall, leather seat, she felt a sense of importance. It had been a while since he had been in any kind of vehicle, especially one that sat as high as this one.
The door to the motel room opened as the vampire stepped outside. The heavy, black fabric that once draped over him as he slept was now wrapped around his head like a Grim Reaper’s hood, hiding his face from the direct sunlight. Even his hands were covered with gloves. As he climbed into the back of the van, she turned in her seat to watch him, only to find a curtain blocking her view. She assumed that the curtain was also used to keep the sun from reaching him.
Nicholas closed the door to the van before heading into the main office to check out.
The resurgence of energy Jayda once felt was hampered by the presence of the vampire. Remembering the bite on her neck, the pain returned to the forefront. She had inspected the wound in the bathroom mirror and was surprised to see how minor it was. Two punctures sat within a bruised line of teeth marks. She knew it could’ve been worse.
Nicholas returned from the office and climbed in the driver’s seat. “Seat belt, please,” he said, securing his own belt.
Jayda almost forgot about a seat belt. She latched it into place, her movements slow and careful. “Where are we going?” she quietly asked.
“To get my payment, then home.”
“Payment?”
Nicholas turned on the van and scanned through the radio’s stations, not really interested in the conversation. “Payment for clearing out the den. Honestly, you should’ve guessed that much. Before we get there, I’ll need you to hide in the back. They can’t know we left you alive. That will cause trouble for us and you. All right?”
She swallowed at the dryness in her throat and agreed.

The drive sent them out of the small town and over countryside. They passed one large city before once again returning to the desolation of woodlands. By the time the van exited onto a side road, the sun was gone from the sky, and with it, an abrupt change in Nicholas’ mood. He then ordered Jayda to switch places with Arden.
In the back, Jayda found no seats, only the stowed bags and a dark, plastic storage container. She sat by the rear doors, her eyes finding themselves on the container once more. The van finally rolled to a stop. She heard the front doors open and felt the van jostle as Nicholas and Arden got out. Seconds later the side door opened. Nicholas leaned into the van grabbed the container, avoiding eye contact with her. He closed the door.

The van’s yellow parking lights were all that lit up the area. Before the vehicle stood Nicholas and Arden. A charcoal grey SUV waited in their path. The doors opened as four men stepped out. Their leader—the same man Nicholas talked with over the phone—walked toward him. He was a tall man with dark skin and wore the clothing of a business man. The other men were dressed just as nice.
The leader nodded at the container in Nicholas’ hands and spoke. “As we ordered?”
“It’s all there,” replied Nicholas. “One head and right hands of everyone else.”
The leader motioned at one of the other men. The man stepped forward and collected the box, carrying it back to the SUV where he and the others looked through its contents.
“They’re all here,” the man reported.
“Good,” said the leader. He reached into his pocket and retrieved a black canvas bag, the size of a large envelope, and handed it to Nicholas. “You have earned my trust tonight. There is another job that will need your services. All of the details haven’t been made clear to me, but once they have, can I look to you to clean up this next mess?”
“My schedule is clear,” replied Nicholas. “Just give me a call.”
The leader gave a deep nod of respect. He returned to the SUV with the other men.

Jayda heard the doors shut on the second car, followed by the rumbling sound of its engine fading into the distance. The van’s doors finally opened and shut as Nicholas and Arden got back in.
“What do you think of our employer?” asked Nicholas.
Arden answered, his voice almost too low for Jayda to hear. “He’s hiding something.”
“But he trusts us, which is the main thing.”
“But we don’t trust him. And this next job, it’s like they’re testing us.”
Nicholas turned on the engine. “You worry too much. They’re suits. That’s what scares you.”
“They’re humans with far too much information about us.”
“Then what would you have me do? Call up SEVEN to run a background check on these guys?”
Jayda spoke up from the back. “Who’s SEVEN?”
The conversation in the cab ended abruptly. Neither one answered her.
She settled in her seat as the van started to move. There were many more questions she had for them, but her willingness to ask withered as the seconds passed.

The sound of the doors opening awoke Jayda. Forgetting where she was, an onslaught of fear returned to her. As her eyes found Nicholas removing the bags, her brief relaxation melted away the adrenaline.
“You can get out now,” said Nicholas.
Jayda crawled to the door and stepped into the cold night air. She wrapped her arms around herself. The sudden change in temperature was more than she anticipated. It was near the end of March and the transition from winter to spring brought with it irregular weather. A week prior it had snowed, then the night before the temperature reminded her of early fall.
Jayda followed Nicholas toward a two-story house. Off to the side sat a standalone garage. She couldn’t see much in the low light, but it was enough to notice the surrounding land. The place looked like an abandoned farm, with open fields enclosed by woods.
“Who all lives here?” she asked.
“Just us,” he replied, unlocking the front door.
Jayda looked back at the van and realized that the vampire was gone, along with the uneasiness she felt while in his presence.
The house’s interior was just as cold as the outside. Nicholas turned on lights, their wattage lower than what was recommended. It reminded Jayda of candle light. Her stomach knotted at the familiar glow.
“We don’t use these rooms much or even those on the second floor,” he explained. “There is a whole other living area downstairs.” He lead the way to the stairs and continued the brief tour. “This property has been in my family for generations. When my parents took control over the land, they renovated the house. The downstairs was something my father dreamed up. He wanted to give my mother the upper part of the house to decorate and do whatever she wanted, while he created his own space for himself. The idea might have seemed strange to others, but it strengthened their bond.”
“Where are they now?”
“Dead.” He entered a small kitchen and nodded at the room. “I don’t keep many perishables in here, but there’s some fruit in the pantry and some frozen dinners in the freezer. The only drinks are water and milk. No coffee or soda. Come on, I’ll show you to your room downstairs.”
Jayda entered the hallway behind him. As her foot made contact on the hardwood floor, the humming within her mind began. The further they walked, the louder it grew. Her eyes looked beyond Nicholas, landing on the wall at the hallway’s end. Nicholas stopped at one doorway and pointed it out as her room. Jayda, however, continued down the hall, his words crushed by the humming.
Nicholas saw her stop before the wall, her hand raising to touch it. “Your room’s here,” he said. The girl couldn’t hear him. “Yoo-hoo, Jayda, this way.” He sat the bags on the floor and walked toward her, stopping to watch her carefully.
The girl’s slender hand pressed against the wall. Immediately, her body became ridged. A slew of inaudible words spilled from her mouth. Nicholas grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her back. As her hand left the wall, she collapsed. He followed her to the floor.
“What have you done?” she whispered, eyes wide and staring at the wall. “What have you done? What have you done?!”
Nicholas face grew pale at the utterance of the words. His hand held her face, forcing her to look at him. “Jayda! Jayda, snap out of it.”
Her voice began to hiss. “Insects, all of them. Mindless insects. Feeling no pain, showing no pain. I’ll make them feel my pain.”
Nicholas brought his hand to the side and slapped her hard on the face.
Jayda’s eyes shot to him. Her expression softened as her mind returned to its normal pace. “Who were they?” she asked, seeing the worry within him.
“They? No one. It’s in the past.”
“I saw them. They were in so much pain—all of them. Anger, sadness, agony; I’ve never seen so much at once like that. What happened here?”
He looked her over, the fragile girl in his arms—a frightened girl who had suffered plenty in her short life—now saying that their pain was greater than hers?
“What happened?” she asked, again.
Nicholas exhaled. “My father.”