The Vampire Gene

Rebecca

"You can come closer - I won't bite," a very male voice echoed slightly from the far end of the room.

Yes, but I might, I thought, irritated. It didn't occur to me to be afraid. Ever since I'd been abducted by Jack's mercenaries and had to drink one of the kidnappers' blood to escape I'd been less nervous in general around normal people. I guess biting someone's neck and sucking out their blood till they died would do that to you. I wondered if I would have to bite this man's neck too. The idea made me salivate slightly, even though I'd had my iron tablets this morning. I felt slightly shocked at my reaction, but then I remembered the heady power that had coursed through my body the last time I'd drank blood. Hmmm.

"Thanks but I'll stay here."

"I am sure Eric will help change your mind." The door behind him opened and an enormous hairless creature dressed in a shiny tracksuit shuffled through it, and shut it carefully behind him.

Seriously, an evil henchman?

I turned towards the door that Lucy had shut behind her and tried to open it. It didn't budge. Yup, definitely locked. Eric took a few steps into the room and pulled a chair out from the table and bowed to me as if he was inviting me to sit down, which I suppose he thought he was.

"You had better sit down before you hurt his feelings," the voice said with a sinister chuckle.

I considered my options. I could ignore the offer and continue to stand here, but then fat Eric might lumber over here and from the looks of him bathing was not a priority, so having actual physical contact of any sort with him was going to be seriously gross. Biting necks was one thing, but I had standards. Plus, it looked like I'd have to chew long and hard before could penetrate all the lard covering his carotid. Uck. Option two involved walking across and sitting down. A minor capitulation from me with a major benefit - no Eric contact.

"Fine. Back away from the chair, Eric." He glanced at his boss, and shuffled a couple of metres back from the chair. I walked across the room and plonked myself down in it.

"Thank you. My name is James, and you have already been introduced to Eric."

"Lucky me," I muttered. "What do you want?"

He leaned back in the chair, legs stretched out before him. He had black hair and thick black eyebrows and a sardonic expression played through his glittering dark eyes. He looked good for an older guy - maybe in his forties or fifties, so he was obviously not a vampire. The fingers of his left hand curled lazily around the stem of a wine glass, which was half filled with a rich blood coloured liquid which smelled like port. It was eleven in the morning, and he looked halfway drunk. I wondered idly whether I would get drunk too if I drank his blood. I might be willing to take the chance. I stared at him through narrowed eyes.