3 HUNTED

Three heavy knocks echoed throughout one of London’s backstreets.

While waiting, Lucious shoved his hands in his pockets. A quick glance

over his shoulder told him that no one else was nearby. He wrinkled his nose.

The stench of rotting meat invaded his acute sense of smell from a large halfopened bin a couple of feet away. He didn’t care what or who laid inside.

Lucious glared at the metal door. He jerked his hand out of his pocket,

ready to knock again when he heard heavy bolts being shifted on the other

side.

About time, he thought and straightened his posture.

The door opened a fraction. “Why did you come here?”

Lucious scowled at the cramped space. Half a face of a short, darkskinned vampire was the only thing visible. “You were the one who called

me here.” He forced the door open. “Tell me what’s going on.”

The scrawny, hunched over man studied him with eyes as dark as the

unlit alley he stood in. “You know exactly what’s going on!” Phil said,

moving out of the way.

Lucious strode inside the dull, grey-walled office and collapsed into a

chair. The soles of his boots stuck to the linoleum. Next to his foot, he noted

a bloodstain and wondered who had pissed off the old man enough to bleed

here.

“You are the informant, Phil, so get on with it.”

When five bolts locked in place, Phil ambled to his desk and eased into

his leather seat. He entwined his fingers on the stack of newspapers and

stared at Lucious as if searching for something.

Undaunted, Lucious returned the gesture. He didn’t care how old Phil was

or how influential. What mattered was the information he had stumbled upon.

Phil ran a shaky hand over his balding head. “You don’t know the

Council is looking for you, do you?”

If his heart could beat, it would stop once more. “Why me?”

“I don’t know. No explanations were given. If you are discovered, you

must be brought to them.”

Lucious pinched the bridge of his nose. What did the all-powerful

Council want with him? As far as he knew, he abided by the common laws.

There were no plausible reasons for their summons. “You said you found a

new trail.”

With a shake of his head, Phil replied, “You are a fool for not running

when you heard the words ‘Council’ and ‘looking for you’ in the same

sentence. But I will entertain the need to find your sire’s murderers. After all,

you’ve helped me clean up a few of my messes.”

The old vampire rummaged through a pile of coffee-stained paperwork

on his messy desk. Not an inch of the surface could be seen under the

mounds of papers, materials, and manila folders.

Does he even remember the original colour of his furniture?

Phil smirked and pulled out a note from the stack. He offered it to

Lucious who reached into his leather jacket’s pocket and retrieved a small

velvet case.

“Hope she likes it,” Lucious said.

Phil traded for the box and hid it in his desk drawer. “She always does.”

Rising to his full height, Lucious stashed the info away. He didn’t dare

dream this was the last time he had to chase the hunters responsible for

Anna’s death. “Are you certain the information is correct this time?”

“It has been over a century, Lucious. No one saw it happen, and we have

exhausted every avenue. I’m as good as the information given.”

“You’re right.”

He turned to leave when Phil added, “Be watchful of the Council’s

hounds. They never fail in their hunt.”

With an incline of his head, Lucious left. He had little time to find

whoever the named person on the note was.

While listening out for footsteps, he made his way to the closest phone

store. One of the halogen bulbs blinked on and off, but no human inside took

notice of it.

The girl serving the customers couldn’t be older than twenty-five. A

bright smile graced her lips when he walked in. Her dead, bleached hair

swayed from side to side as she bounced over, smelling of cheap cigarettes

and overpowering perfume. “How can I help you?”

Her high-pitched tone summoned forth a headache he didn’t have time

for. “I need the cheapest phone you have.”

The sales assistant pursed her lips. Seconds ticked by. She eventually ran

over to the wall decorated with different mobiles. She pointed to four bulky

models. “They range from ten to fifty pounds. Which one would you like?”

Lucious yearned for the end of their conversation, so he wouldn’t have to

take her outside and silence her harpy-like screeches. He wasn’t hungry from

his recent feeding, but her voice drilled away at his sanity.

He took out two fifty-pound notes from his pocket. “I have informed you

of what I need, child.”

She scowled. “No need to be a ****, mate.”

Lucious scanned the orange interior. The browsing customers had left,

and he was alone with this impudent human. He lifted her face, gaining her

attention. Her body relaxed once their gazes locked. Being undead had its

perks. One of them was an ability to influence weak-willed humans to do his

bidding.

A blue glow escaped through his irises, intensifying the effect of his hold

on her mental state. With minute force, her will to fight shattered. Once he

was certain of his control, he drew away from her.

“Give me the cheapest one, human. The rest you can put on it as credit.”

He handed her the money, and she scurried off, eager to please him.

When she returned, he left the store and copied the minimal number of

contacts to his new phone. He took out the battery from his old device and

discarded it into the nearest bin. The elders had countless ways of tracking.

He wasn’t about to give in without a fight.

He dialled the one person he could trust, and his friend answered after the

first ring.

“Alexander, it’s me.”

There was a heavy sigh on the other end. “Where are you?”

He scanned the dark alleys he walked past. “Still in London. I got a new

lead.”

“Are you insane? The Council wants you captured, and you are strolling

through the streets without a care?”

Lucious smirked at his friend’s concern. “Don’t worry. If this intel is

correct, I can finally relax. Anna will have her peace.”

“And if it’s not and you’re caught, what then?” Rapid typing

accompanied Alexander’s words. “Look, I can get you on a private jet, and

you can lie low at my club for a while.”

“I can’t go. Not yet. What if—”

“Come here, and I will track down your new lead myself.”

“I have to do this alone. I will meet with you once it is done.” Lucious

ended the call when he heard the beginning of a furious retort.

Tucking the phone in his back pocket, he headed for his hideout. Over the

century, he learned that staying in the same place for long brought nothing

but trouble. The elders weren’t the only people who wanted him found. He

wouldn’t be surprised if whoever put him on their radar was someone he had

pissed off.

With his vampiric speed, he fleeted through the dark alleys and into a few

buildings in case he was followed. Having arrived at his apartment, time

continued chipping away at the night’s sky.

This is it. He took out the piece of paper that burned a hole in his pocket

since he left Phil’s office and read the name. His shoulders slumped. It didn’t

ring a bell. Once everyone close to Anna was scratched off the list, the names

became a generic label. What did he expect?

Lucious strode to the fridge, pulled the heavy door open, and took out a

beer. He popped the cap off. Taking a swig of the chilled contents, he

collapsed on his torn divan to mull things over.

A strange flowery scent encompassed him, invading his mental shields

with foreign energy. His right hand tensed around the bottle and the other

shot to his aching stomach. He doubled over in pain and slid to the ground.

The bottle burst in his firm hold, and he grunted as the glass sliced his hand.

Beer mixed with his blood, staining an already dirty rug beneath him.

The stranger’s energy retreated, leaving behind a unique connection.

He clambered into a sitting position and rubbed his gut. The pain

subsided as fast as it came. He didn’t like it. Many vampires swore the

Council had witches working for them. The two races didn’t see eye to eye at

times, but there were a few rogues willing to bend the rules of their

community to benefit themselves.

He took out his burner phone and dialled Alexander. Once again, his

friend picked up without delay.

“Do you know any witches in my vicinity?” Lucious asked.

“What happened?”

“Something I didn’t expect.”

Alexander sighed. “Did you get cursed by a witch, too?”

Lucious burst into laughter. With the way things were turning out today,

it wouldn’t surprise him if that was their next goal. “No, I am merely being

tracked by one.”

“I’m glad you have retained your sense of humour, old friend, but it’s not

the right time for it.”

Lucious stood. Eyeing the ruined bottle of beer on the floor, he

contemplated whether it was worth uncorking another one. “So, can you help

me or not?”

Alexander grumbled something in Russian, and the sound of laptop keys

came through the speaker. “Sorry, the only witch who would aid us is here.”

“You’re not saying that to get me to come over, are you?” A shuffling

noise beyond the door made him halt. This building wasn’t well-populated,

and he made certain no one lived on the same floor as him. He turned the

phone off and slid it into his back pocket. Light on his feet, Lucious edged

closer to the door, listening for movement outside.

Upon reaching the door, it burst off its hinges. A split second passed, and

he was pinned to the ground by a vampire who was worthy of being a

professional wrestler.

A cold, hard object pressed against his side, and he stopped struggling.

The hounds carried weaponry with silver ammunition which, in the wrong

place, was a death sentence to anyone of their kind.

Today is not a good day.

“Lucious Ellwood, you are hereby ordered to attend your trial tomorrow,

and I am here to escort you.” The vampire grasped Lucious’ throat. “Any

attempt to fight me will result in your immediate execution.”

Lucious kept most of his body as still as possible. Meanwhile, he used his

free hand to search nearby. His fingers found the broken bottle and gripped

around the neck.

“Did I make myself clear?”

“Perfectly.” Lucious lifted himself and mid-roll plunged the jagged edge

straight into the hound’s chest. The sound of cracking bone overpowered the

loud explosion from the intruder’s gun.

A scream tore out of the man’s mouth as he scrambled away. His back hit

the wall and, with trembling hands, he reached for the glass bottle protruding

from his ribcage whilst trying to aim his pistol.

Lucious didn’t bother to stick around and wait. Where there was one

hound, there could be another.

A curse left his lips, and he fled the building. He ran until fatigue swept

over him, and his calves burned. There wouldn’t be a single place where he

would be welcome now that even Alexander heard the news. He was dead

meat to the rest of the vampire community.

Lucious leant against the side of an office building and contemplated his

next move. He had two choices: abandon his lead and figure out why the

elders were after him or stay and try dodging the Council as he continued his

search. Neither option appealed to him.

He slammed his fist into the wall, causing uneven red chips of brick to

fall. The cut from the bottle had already healed and was replaced by a fresh

layer of skin. No other choice remained. For the last time, he drew his phone

out of his pocket and sent Alexander a message: I’m taking you up on your

offer. L

Lucious boarded Alexander’s private jet as the sun rose above the horizon. At

least, the weather was on his side, hiding the heinous rays behind the stormy,

grey clouds.

A beautiful flight attendant swayed her hips in her skin-tight skirt while

she led him to his seat. She handed him a smartphone and an envelope with

his name on it.

He took the offered items and fell into the leather armchair where he tore

off the envelope’s side.

“Would you like to feed, Mr Ellwood?” she asked, pulling her ebony

locks away from her neck.

His throat went dry, and the ache in his stomach informed him it was

empty. I should have finished my beer.

The woman slid onto his lap, extending her neck as an offering. Her spicy

perfume invaded his senses. Placing her palms on his shoulders, she drew

close until she was a few inches away from his lips.

Using the pad of his thumb to stroke her jugular, he brought the pulsating

vein near the surface, causing her to **** and dig her nails into his jacket.

Uncomfortable in his seat, he shifted. A silver gleam next to his neck alerted

him.

He pushed the girl off, sending her to the ground with a loud thud.

“You should have behaved, Mr Ellwood!” She lunged at him with a

syringe in her left hand.

He grasped her wrists, pulling them both above her head.

“Bastard!” she shouted, not stopping her struggle as he jerked the sharp

object out of her hand and tossed it away.

The pilot rushed out of the cockpit. “Is something wrong back here?”

Lucious barely contained his bark of laughter when he glanced at the

panicked human peering from behind the separation curtain with his mouth

agape.

The flight attendant seized Lucious’ distraction as an opportunity and

kicked him in the crown jewels.

Electrifying agony spread through his lower half as he folded in on

himself. Black spots marred his vision while he struggled to retain his

standing position. His nostrils flared. Past the pain between his legs, he

concentrated on his spiking anger.

The girl scrambled on all fours towards the syringe.

“I guess”—Lucious took a handful of her dark hair and lifted her head to

meet his eyes—“I will have that dinner you so kindly offered.” He bit into

her neck, not caring if he was hurting her.

She screamed and flailed in his arms as he sucked her life blood into him.

A rumble escaped his throat. This human tasted of cigarette ash and dirt,

ruining her sweetness.

Once he drained her, he tossed her lifeless husk to one side.

“Sir, ar-are you alright?” the pilot asked as he wiped his palms on his

black trousers.

Lucious raised a brow at the question. Alexander had a knack for hiring

odd employees, some more murderous than the others. “As well as I can be.”

The pilot returned to the cockpit with quivering legs, providing Lucious

with the peace and quiet he craved.

In the envelope, he found a card with Alexander’s cursive handwriting.

One sentence in black ink contrasted against the white paper: Look out for the

flight attendant.

Lucious pinched the bridge of his nose. His friend sure had a bizarre

sense of humour. Exhausted after the ordeal, he closed his eyes. He felt the

connection that tugged at his gut. But, for some reason, the further he got

from England, the more excited it grew.

Lucious awoke from the loud ringing next to him. The time on the bright

screen of his phone told him it was ten minutes past 6 p.m.

He grumbled a greeting and studied his whereabouts. He was in a hotel

room, lying on the bed near a set of drawn pink polka dot curtains. It was

dark enough for him to have to squint to make out where the door was. The

pilot must have brought him here after he drifted off. With the hounds on his

trail and the exhausting search for his sire’s killer, he had become open for an

attack.

“I take it you’re still alive,” Alexander said.

“Next time you send me a present like that, call me beforehand. There

was no time to read your beautiful handwriting during her attempt to kill

me.”

Alexander laughed. “I didn’t send her, but I had my suspicions.” His

amusement faded. “It’s time for you to get up. I have arranged for you to

meet the witch.”

Lucious slipped into his black leather jacket. “Tell me where and when.”

Much of Dublin remained the same. Humans hated change as much as

vampires. The more the world morphed into something new, the harder the

adjustment came to either race or such was his interpretation.

He stopped at the traffic lights. The ache in his gut resumed, so he

attempted to rub it better, but it made no difference. He ignored it by looking

ahead. A handful of people across the street were staring at him, most of

which were women of different ages, but one stood out. Her hazel eyes

dissected his soul, and when he forced a smile, she looked away like a guilty

thief.

The light changed to green, and he moved closer to where the girl would

pass. With her head down, she bumped into him, and he caught her. The

moment his hands landed on her shoulders, the pain stopped, and his fingers

tingled with alien energy.

What is she?

She assessed him with large eyes. They didn’t belong to a well-trained

witch he expected to find. This was a girl no older than twenty. There was no

way she could possess the power to track him from another country. Then

again, she could be part of the local Circle.

The wind blew past, filling his nostrils with her flowery scent, and he

knew he was not mistaken.

She tore away from him and hurried past.

The car on his left honked, telling him the lights had changed.

Without further delay, Lucious shadowed her. Innocent or not, she had

created a connection he did not need. If the Council reached her first, she

could locate him with ease. He couldn’t allow that.

The girl glanced over her shoulder occasionally. Her caution didn’t bother

him. Hiding in the dark was something he grew accustomed to when hunting

his prey.

Once she reached a bus stop, she placed her hand on her chest as if trying

to calm her heart. There was nothing noteworthy to her. She wore simple

clothes: jeans and an anorak. Rushing into a store, she bumped into a burly

man. A flurry of apologies stumbled out of her mouth, and she kept her head

low. She manoeuvred around the shop to meet with the clerk, handed

something over, and ran outside to catch her bus.

Lucious waited for the bus to pass. He entered the busy store, closing in

on the clerk with long strides.

A teenager behind the counter asked, “Do you need any help?”

He concentrated on the kid’s eyes, and the teen’s expression slackened.

“Hand over what the purple-head gave you.”

The teen produced a few sheets of stapled paper titled ‘CV’.

Sitting on the bench in the nearby park, he skimmed through her resume.

She was nineteen—a child. She had given her contact details, but no address

—smart girl. He scanned the pages for anything else that could give him an

idea of what she was. To his dismay, there was no more useful information,

so he saved her phone number.

Lucious arrived at the private estate belonging to one of his oldest friends. He

paused at the three-storey Victorian mansion Alexander had converted into a

nightclub sometime in the mid-nineteenth century. A red neon sign above the

entrance had curving letters moulded into the words ‘Russian Roulette’

irradiating the place like a Christmas tree in this dark hour.

He approached the beginning of the queue where a bouncer guarded the

main door to the club. “I’m here to see Alexander.”

The man whose nametag read ‘Dean’ sized him up with one look. “And,

you are?”

“Expected. Be a good fellow and step aside.”

With his patience wearing thin, Lucious released the hold on his mental

shields. He let his energy leak out and tightened it around the bouncer. An

extra century of being alive gave a vampire more power over the young.

Dean sensed the intrusion and took an uncertain step back. He beckoned

for Lucious to pass. “I hope you’re not here to cause trouble.”

Lucious ignored him and ambled inside. Things hadn’t changed much

since the last visit. The plum-coloured reception room seemed darker with

sparsely spaced low-wattage bulbs embedded in the ceiling. The loud boom

of rock music guided him to where Tanya, Alexander’s sole childe, sat with a

fashion magazine on her lap.

Without looking up, she pointed at the price list on the wall.

“Tanya, where is he?”

She dropped her copy of Vogue at the sound of his voice and bounced out

of her seat. Without warning, she launched herself at him, trapping him in a

tight embrace.

“I have missed you. You have not called in forever,” she whispered into

his ear.

Lucious peeled her arms off and moved out of her reach. “I’m sorry, I’ve

been busy.”

Flicking her blonde hair back, she pouted. “That is what they all say.”

When he didn’t offer anything, she sighed and gestured to the hallway on

her left. “He should be in his office. You know the way.”

He started for the door, and she grasped his arm. The palm of her hand

pressed onto his chest and her long nails dug in through the leather of his

jacket. Yet, he felt nothing when she flirted with him. No matter how many

years had passed, he had accumulated no romantic feelings for her.

“Come see me after you’re done or if you need anything.” She winked.

Lucious wanted to shake her off and head over to Alexander. Fighting

that urge, he gave her a light peck on a cheek.

“Will do, luv,” he whispered back.

“You’re such a tease,” she said, retreating to her desk.

Lucious took this chance to find Alexander’s office. He followed a long

dimly lit corridor cluttered with posters of bands he had no interest in. Once

he reached the steel door at the end of the windowless path, he stopped.

Raising his hand, he knocked once. The sound reverberated through the

thick metal. Upon hearing an invitation, he entered the room and groaned in

annoyance at Alexander’s intimate scene playing out.

Alexander was notorious for having multiple partners in bed. Today was

no different. A lean, pale man rested between two just as ***** women on a

king-sized bed.

Lucious diverted his attention to the interior of the office. The ebony desk

was overflowing with paperwork, more posters, and balance sheets. Black

marble tiles gleamed beneath his booted feet. They contrasted against the

ivory furniture in the room. Those were the only two shades Alexander

approved of—something that existed outside the standard colour range, like

vampires among humans.

“Don’t be shy,” Alexander said. “You can come and join us if you like.”

Lucious shook his head and plopped into an armchair across from the

desk.

Alexander whispered something to the girls, and they climbed off the bed.

He found a pair of white suit trousers on the floor and tugged them on. Once

half-dressed, he nudged a short-haired brunette’s side. “Allow me to offer

you some dinner then.”

The young woman glanced over her shoulder at Alexander as if asking

for permission.

With a semi-interested expression, Lucious watched her gliding towards

him. She looked too young to be here. On her slender body, he counted a

dozen bite marks and grimaced.

Lucious lifted his hand in protest. “No, thank you. I already ate.”

The brunette ran her hands over her small breasts. “Are you sure, honey?”

“Quite.” He dismissed the human by diverting his attention to Alexander.

“We need to talk.”

His friend raked his fingers through his short platinum hair. Pale-grey

eyes assessed Lucious from underneath his dark brows. He barked something

in Italian, and the girls scattered to gather their clothes. It did not take long

until they ran out of the office, muttering their displeasure under their breath.

As Alexander strode over, Lucious tried recalling their last meeting.

Although he visited Ireland a decade ago, he didn’t drop by the club. His

interest lay with the lead he was chasing which, in the end, led him nowhere.

The last time they spoke face to face had been close to fifty years ago when

things went south with Zafira—a time best forgotten.

Lucious rose from his seat and extended his hand in the form of a

handshake. “It has been too long.”

“It sure has.” Alexander ignored his hand and drew Lucious into a tight

hug. “As always, all manners and awkwardness. You Brits need to learn to

relax more.”

Immobile from the embrace, Lucious patted Alexander on the back.

Alexander chuckled and released him without another word. He opened

his drinks cabinet in his desk. “Shall I bother offering you another drink?”

“I think I need it after everything that’s going on.”

“And, what is going on?” Alexander found two crystal glasses from his

second drawer, filled them mid-way with amber alcohol from a decanter and

handed one over.

“It would seem you already know.”

“If I knew, I would not risk my immunity to hide a fugitive from Eliza

and the rest of the Council. Come with me.”

They passed through a set of double doors into a spacious living room. Its

walls were hidden by bookcases and antique daggers resting in their glass

cases.

Alexander sat on the white leather Chesterfield sofa. “I’m listening.”

Lucious took the invitation and relaxed into an armchair across from him.

He placed his drink on the glass coffee table and clasped his hands together

over his stomach. “Where do you want me to start?”

“Why not begin with why you didn’t go to the witch you wanted to see? I

got an earful of how I wasted her time and that she’s on the verge of cursing

us both.”

“It’s because I found her.”

Alexander’s dark brows drew together. “Found who?”

“The witch, or whatever she is, that created the connection between us.”

He recalled the way she looked—almost too innocent for her own good.

“And what? You let her go?”

Lucious grinned. “I got her name and phone number.”

Alexander downed his poison of choice. “To be honest, I don’t know why

you didn’t take her with you. I would have influenced and fucked her until

she told me who she was working for.”

“I am not into kids, Alexander.”

Alexander’s brows shot up. “Hum, a young witch with tracking spell

capabilities? This I have got to see.”

“It’s not a tracking spell. It’s something else.”

“Alright, I’ll bite.” Alexander lifted his laptop from the seat next to him

and nestled it on his lap. “Tell me her details, and I’ll see what I can find out

about her.”

Lucious did as instructed. While his friend worked away on his computer,

he finished his scotch.

Ten minutes passed, and Alexander blew out a hefty sigh. “She doesn’t

belong to any Wiccan Circles in the databases I possess. She is a...student and

is almost normal.”

“Almost normal?”

“Looks like our little witch got a lot of therapy as a kid, but her records

are sealed. I can’t gain access to that information from here. Want me to send

someone to retrieve the data?”

Lucious rubbed his chin with interest. “Why don’t we ask her in person? I

have an idea.”

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