Alice the Vampire Slayer Read online

  Regina looked up from her phone. "You're not sick, are you?"

  I narrowed my eyes at her. "You afraid of catching some germs?"

  Her jaw tensed as she glared at me. "Vampires don't catch germs. We don't even breathe."

  I blinked at her. I hadn't really thought of that before. Of course they didn't breathe. They were undead. And if they didn't breathe, how could they catch germs? No matter. I shook my head. "I'm just thirsty. Any chance you could untie me and let me get a drink of water."

  She huffed and went back to looking at her phone. "As if."

  Jack shook his head but leaned toward the mini-fridge in the limo. He extracted a bottle of water from the fridge, cracked open the lid and then put it to my lips to allow me a sip of it. I drank my fill, keeping my eyes on the one eyed guy the whole time. What was his motivation? He didn't seem to be so easy for Regina to order around like the nameless guys. Regina even specifically named Jack and the other guys—she'd called them knaves, and now I'd picked that up and called them that as if they were dogs, hardly even human. Well, I guess they weren't human anyway. I sniffed. Yes. This car definitely was loaded with vampires.

  We pulled into a covered parking garage, and I tensed further. This wasn't good. Where exactly were they taking me? The darkness outside was swallowed by the brighter lights in the garage as we climbed up several levels. We hit a level that had a guard at a gate and when the guard saw the car, he waved us through. I couldn't sniff him, so didn't know if he was another of the vamps, but I suspected he was. This was all too much, and I had no means of escape. If I shrank my way out of this situation, I’d be weakened by size, and I didn’t need to allow the vampires an advantage. I pulled at the ropes on my arms, but my only choice was to twist my wrist out of joint or break a finger. And unlike the vampire across from me, I couldn't just heal myself and go back to fighting like he had.

  The car stopped, and the driver came around the side of the vehicle. He opened the door and Jack stepped out first, offering a hand to Regina so that he could help her out of the car as well. Then one of the knaves got out and the one behind me shoved me in the direction of the door. I would have face-planted on the concrete except that the first knave out the door caught me and help me right myself. Each of the three of them smirked. Yes. Go ahead and poke the slayer while she's tied up, guys. I couldn’t help but feel like a toothless lion. Maybe I could do some massive kicking and make my escape, but how far would I get? We'd climbed at least five floors in the garage, but I'd not paid close enough attention. Crystal City's taller buildings were the only ones I could see out the open windows of the parking area.

  One of the knaves shoved me from behind, and I suddenly realized that Regina and Jack had already started making their way to the inner entrance of the building. Another of the knaves stood ahead of them, opening the door and then frowning at the two knaves that were with me, gesturing that they needed to move faster.

  I dragged my feet.

  If they thought for a moment that I was going to do anything to help them get me to my death faster, they were sadly mistaken. I did everything I could to slow them down and make things difficult. When the jerk who'd pushed me out of the car pushed me for the third time I dropped down and spun, sweeping his legs. He fell flat on his back on the concrete, smacking his head against the pavement.

  Was it possible for the undead to lose consciousness?

  I didn't know the answer, but in this case it didn't happen. He glared at me as he stood up again, rubbing the back of his head. His hand coming back with a smear of blood on it. The other two knaves smirked at him, but eyed me a little differently, and kept their distance from me. The one who still kept rubbing the back of his head moved in front of me. If he'd been human, he might have needed stitches, or at least something to staunch blood flow, but it hardly bled at all. I guessed that was part of being undead. His heart didn't beat so the blood didn't spurt out. I watched the split on his scalp slowly heal as they lead me down stark white hallways and past several doors before finally making it to one that had a diamond-shaped window in it.

  The leading knave opened the door, but all I could see ahead of me in the room was darkness compared to the brightly lit hallway. I frowned as they guided me into the room. I blinked my eyes and tried to adjust my vision to the darkness. There was a spotlight on a sitting desk area near the front and on a chair that sat at the middle of the oversized desk. The knaves guided me there while Regina and Jack disappeared in the darkness.

  "Sit here," the knave said, and I was surprised by the sound of his voice. It was higher pitched than I'd imagined from his build. I swallowed and sat as I was commanded. There were chains and cuffs that were attached to the floor. He started to hook a cuff to my foot, but I kicked him and stood back up again.

  "I will not be chained like an animal."

  The other two knaves came forward to restrain me. This was it. I should have attempted the escape in the parking garage after all. Even if I got away from these guys now, I'd have to contend with trying to open the door with my hands tied behind my back. Regardless. I'd had enough of being docile and complying with their demands of me. I jumped onto the desk and kicked another of them in the face, sending him flying backward. I defended my position on the top of the desk as though playing a game of 'King of the Hill.' I refused to lose any more ground.

  "Enough," a loud, deep voice boomed. At first I thought it might be Jack who had spoken, but then the lights in the room came on, revealing two hooded older men and a woman in burgundy robes.

  The knaves bowed toward them and backed off.

  I stood on the table, panting, staring at the older vampires who'd walked into the room. They reeked. If I had thought that the vampires from the club had smelled mildly of rotting flesh, these ones smelled like musty, old corpses. The scent was still faint, but more foul.

  "Have a seat, Alice the slayer. You will not be restrained," one of the robed men said in that same deep, booming voice.

  "I'm fine where I am, thank you. I'll remain standing." Somehow, I felt I'd be more comfortable standing on top of the table looking down at them than I would in the chair with them looming over top of me.

  The robed man phased toward me faster than Jack had earlier, cutting my reaction time. He grabbed a hold of me and slammed me down into the chair behind the desk and then phased back to where he'd been standing. My heart nearly stopped. Then it thundered in my chest as my eyes went wide. At least he hadn't shackled my ankle, but I was pretty sure I'd have been helpless to stop him if he had.

  "We're going to expect you to remain civilized, now. Understand?"

  I swallowed and stared but refused to nod.

  The male vampire humphed and shook his head. Then he raised his voice and announced. "Let the trial of Alice the Slayer begin."

  Chapter 8

  "Trial?" I asked, dumbfounded.

  "You stand before the Heart Coven's Council of Elders accused of undue, unwarranted violence and aggression toward vampire-kind. It is a violation of our treaty with the guardians. We are here to determine if the treaty has now been broken by Alice the slayer," one of the female elders said in a voice that boomed almost as loud as the male's.

  Ice formed in the pit of my stomach as it dropped in my chest. Had I broken the treaty?

  "Let the accuser come forward," the female elder called out.

  Regina came forward, her spine straighter and her chin lifted. Her dress sparkled in the scant lighting in the room. The red ran like blood down her body, clinging to every curve. She stood before the elders, several feet away from me, leaning upon Jack's arm as though he were her escort.

  "The slayer named Alice was invited to a friendly competition of billiards at the popular otherworld nightclub, Underland." Her professional, calm tone sounded nothing like the crazed lunatic I'd been dealing with for most of the night. "When she was losing the game, she resorted to cheating. And once I called her out about the indiscretion, she resorted to violence. It
was then that I discovered she was, indeed, a slayer."

  I frowned at her. Her version of what happened that night was quite a twist of reality. Did she really believe what she said? She was making it look as though I was the aggressor in the situation and had caused the whole thing myself. I had to say something. "That's not quite true. Actually, I—"

  The first male elder who'd spoken earlier raised a hand toward me, cutting me off. "The defendant will have her moment to speak after the accused has finished and the witnesses have been interviewed."

  I swallowed. So, I had to sit here and listen to Regina put her spin on the night's events and not even defend myself while she spoke? Not to mention that my wrists were still bound together. Did the rules that governed our country even apply in the coven's court? Was I innocent until proven guilty or did they immediately find me guilty and force me to prove my innocence?

  "Jack was there, as well as two of my knaves. They can attest to the honesty of my accusation," Regina finished with a smile and an innocent eyebrow lift in my direction.

  Jack nodded and bowed slightly toward the council. "Regina does not lie, my elders."

  I blinked and scoffed. "Really?"

  The female elder sighed and then gestured toward me. "You may now speak in your defense."

  I stand up from my chair, letting the backs of my legs push the chair back, and then wincing as it slams against the ground not-so-quietly. Then I take a deep breath. "First, may I ask that my bonds be removed?"

  "No," the female elder says, shaking her head. "We cannot have a slayer, whose propensity toward violence is on trial today, loose and free to cause a kerfuffle in the midst of our council."

  "Fine," I resign myself. "Tonight I was at Underland as a regular teenage girl, not as a slayer. I stumbled upon the game room where Regina and her men were playing a human. When Regina lost to the human, she broke her cue stick and threatened the human's life with the pointy end of it. My slayer instincts were engaged and I kept the human from getting harmed. I was not the one who initiated violence in this situation."

  "Lies!" Regina yelled, finally showing her true face as it contorted in anger and she glared at me.

  The elder gentleman who'd not spoken yet cleared his throat. His raspy voice boomed deeper than the other one. "You've had your moment to speak. Allow the slayer to defend herself."

  Hatred filled her gaze as she narrowed her eyes at me. If she'd not been a vampire and unable to blush, I was certain her anger would have made her red in the face.

  I continued, "When she had her knaves and Mr. Kingston block the entrance so I could not leave, I had no choice but to play the game. Soon it became clear that my opponent cheats."

  Regina squealed, but slapped a hand over her mouth. The elders glared in her direction. She shook her head, but remained silent. Clearly, she wanted to rebuff, but she'd already been corrected once, and I was certain that she'd be in major trouble if they had to correct her again.

  A small smile played on my lips. The temptation to exaggerate and make her speak again, just to see what would happen, came over me. "Her cheating ways were making it so that I would absolutely lose the game. But Chester, the manager of Underland tripped over her while going out the door and ruined her winning streak as well as the green on the table when she stumbled and marred the felt like a clumsy oaf."

  Regina's eyes went wide and she pointed at me. She opened her mouth to speak, but Jack slapped a hand over her. A mumble or two made it out through his fingers, but no actual words.

  Disappointed, I finished my case. "I did not ask Chester to trip over Regina, nor did I at any time cheat during the game. In fact, after picking herself up off the floor, Regina accused me of cheating and commanded her knaves to attack me. It was then that I may have used violence in order to defend myself. At no time did I intend to slay any of the vampires in the room."

  "Is that your statement?" the female elder asked.

  I nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

  "Do you have any witnesses who can verify your statement?" the raspy-voiced elder asked.

  "Unfortunately, someone knocked me unconscious and brought me here. I didn't have the ability or the time to ask someone to come forward as a witness. But if someone could send for Chester from Underland…"

  A knock came from the door, and then the door opened before anyone could answer. A knave escorted in Chester, who offered me a huge grin when he saw me. "Lovely to see that you are doing well, Alice," he said as he passed.

  "Depends on what your definition of well might be," I mumbled, pulling at the bonds on my wrists.

  Chester, on the other hand, moved his hands freely as he stepped forward and bowed toward the council of elders. "Lovely to see that all of the Heart Coven elders are in good health. I'm sorry that we have to see each other on such an inauspicious occasion."

  He shot a flirtatious wink toward the female elder. The elder woman giggled and covered her mouth with her hand.

  I rolled my eyes. Really? Did he really have such an effect on the woman that she would turn into a school girl at the slightest bit of his attention. He was a handsome man with a great smile, but he seemed a bit young for the elder. Of course, the way vampires aged, the elder was probably a bit too old for anyone.

  The elder woman bowed slightly toward Chester. "Mr. Katz, we are sorry to have to summon you tonight, but it appears you are a witness to the accusation raised against the slayer during this council. Please, in your own words, tell us what happened tonight."

  Chester rubbed his chin and then lifted a brow. "I'm sorry, I wasn't really paying attention much to what was going on. I don't remember exactly what happened until I tripped over something on my way out of the room. Forgive me for lack of short term memory tonight. I was rather distracted."

  "So, then you do not know whether the violence that occurred tonight was initiated by the slayer or our beloved queen?"

  Regina's wicked smile widened.

  Chester shook his head. "I'm afraid I had left the room before any violence took place."

  My heart sank. He was my only hope of a witness. Without him, I had no one to clear me of the charges and help me prove my innocence. Now what was I going to do?

  "Then if there are no other witnesses to back up the slayer's claims, we have no choice but to make our judgment for the accuser. As such, the treaty which the guardians have held over our coven for almost twenty years has been broken. And the slayer Alice is to be put to death."

  Chapter 9

  I blinked hard at the female elder. What did she just say? My chest ached at the injustice of it all as tears stung the backs of my eyes. My vision narrowed. "No way," I whispered.

  Chester appeared next to me suddenly. He reached a hand behind my shoulder. "Slayers can shrink, but they can also grow, can they not?"

  I blinked. "I don't know. I haven't learned that yet."

  "It's never too early to start. " He swiped something sharp against my bonds so I felt them slacken, but they still held my hands. Then he jumped away from me and disappeared, his smile was the last thing to vanish.

  He was right. It was never too early to learn. To shrink, I folded in on myself from the core and thought small thoughts. Perhaps to grow, I needed to unfold from my core and think large thoughts? I concentrated on it all while Regina stood there smugly and several knaves came into the room, one of them holding a large ax. The elders phased toward me and grabbed me by the arms. I swallowed. Were they going to behead me here and now? What kind of due process was this? Didn't I get a chance to appeal my case to a higher court? Shouldn't the guardians do something about this?

  Inwardly, I slapped myself. Concentrate.

  And the people in front of me grew shorter. No, that wasn't right. My head bumped against the ceiling as the bonds on my arms grew tight and then snapped off. My right arm felt numb still, but my left was only tingly. I made a fist several times with my right hand, trying to gain some feeling back.

  Regina cried out in anguish as sh
e looked up at me. "That's not fair. Get down here this instant and accept your punishment."

  I pulled up to a full eight foot tall height. The elders had phased away and returned with more ropes, chains, and grappling hooks. No way was I going to let them capture me again like that. I dipped down and swept my leg across the room, just as I normally did, but this time, I hit three of the elders and knocked them over with my foot like bowling pins.

  Regina slammed down the ax as my foot passed her and narrowly missed my ankle. She bared her fangs at me.

  Jack Kingston leapt forward and phased so that he stood next to me. I was only about two feet taller than him, so I had less of an advantage than I did with the shorter elders and knaves. He attempted to restrain me, but I blocked his blows. I held the defensive for several minutes, gauging his blows and deciding what would be my next offensive move. Then the ax came down in between us, splitting the table. Regina then swung the ax in my direction, and I jumped back just in time for it to narrowly miss my waist.

  Kingston might have been my most worthy opponent, but if I didn't get Regina and her ax out of the equation quickly, I was doomed.

  "Stop at once!" a loud voice bellowed like thunder.

  And suddenly I found myself frozen where I stood, not a single muscle would move except those controlled by my autonomic nervous system. I panted out breaths, trying to see through the corner of my vision when Regina would attempt another blow of her ax while I was incapacitated, but that blow didn't come. Instead, Tokki entered my field of view, along with Hatter.

  Hatter peered up into my face. "This is her, right? Your student?"

  What I wouldn't have given to be able to look downward.

  Tokki looked at me, his face coming closer to mine as he pulled the chair over and stood on it. "Yes, this is one of my students. I believe I saw her at Underland, but I didn't recognize her right away." He scratched his head. "What on Earth was she doing there? Or here, for that matter?"