The Guest & The Change

chapter 9





Sarah lay back in her bed, resting her head against a pillow. She couldn’t help but smile. Daniel was back and she loved him. More to the point - he loved her.

She was in heaven.

Soon Sebastian would be gone and they would be together. She had no doubts that Daniel could do it - he had destroyed Sebastian the first time. He would do it again. And now he had had help from the witch, he would succeed.

Sarah lay in a hazy daze for some time before sitting up and dressing. It was late but she was still buzzing from her time with Daniel, buzzing from his blood in her veins.

Daniel.

She continued to smile as she pulled on a sweater and cracked open the door, not wanting to disturb Megan and Bea.

As she walked past Megan’s room she heard her moving, and a gentle tapping. Sarah opened her door to check on her.

‘Megan - NO!’ Sarah screamed.

Megan was just opening her window to someone outside - a woman who was balancing on her window sill.

As Sarah shouted the woman pushed the window hard - sending Megan flying back to her bed. Megan looked up at Sarah, ‘She told me to invite her in Mommy!’ She wailed.

The woman was swinging her legs inside. She was blond and her eyes flashed. Sebastian.

Sarah ran forwards burning with rage. How could he do this? He used Megan! What had he been planning to do?

Power surged within her and she pushed with all her might, sending Sebastian flying back through the window. He fell out, hitting the ground. Sarah leapt up without thinking twice. She was on the window sill and she jumped. Adrenaline running in her veins as she fell to the ground.

She braced herself for the landing, bending her knees so they wouldn’t snap on impact, and springing to her feet.

Sebastian was before her, anger penetrating through the darkness and rain. She stalked towards him. She was ready to fight.

***

Daniel paced his room a few times, wondering where Sebastian would go. Then a panic swiftly rose in him. Sarah!

Daniel flung open his window, held the urn tight, and swiftly transformed into a buzzard. He soared out into the dark, the rain battering his feathers. He flew at high speed towards Sarah’s house.

As soon as he spotted it he started to descend. He saw Sarah charge at a young blond woman, who dodged out of the way; laughing.

Daniel extended his talons and landed next to Sarah, instantly taking his human form. She met his eye briefly before Daniel was struck back by Sebastian. He stumbled, dropping the urn.

Daniel knew what he had to do. He thought back to Heather’s instructions.

‘Sarah, get out the way!’ He shouted.

As Sarah quickly moved aside, Daniel focused his power within. He saw Sebastian moving towards him, seeing his eyes burning with hate through the girl.

It seemed like Sebastian was moving in slow motion which gave him time to react.

Daniel channeled his power down his arms and out of his fingers. As it left the tips he used his mind and focused hard on it burning as bright as possible and hitting Sebastian. His power ignited, lighting the front garden, and illuminating Sebastian’s widening eyes. As it hit him he dropped the bag of ashes from under his arm and sprang aside. His clothes were burning.

Daniel moved towards him. He was about to kick him down, but Sebastian fought back. He rammed into Daniel’s chest and this time Daniel fell back. Daniel was just summoning his power again when Sarah ran in to tackle Sebastian, so Daniel couldn’t fire.

‘Sarah, get back,’ he called to her.

As she turned to run, Sebastian grabbed her neck with both of his hands. Daniel sped forwards but watched in dismay as Sebastian twisted, snapping her neck.

‘NO!’

Sarah fell to the ground and Sebastian kicked her hard, sending her body flying out of sight.

Daniel’s heart tore with pain and rage. He was on Sebastian and had snapped his neck before he realized he had done it.

Daniel heard wails pierce the night from within Sarah’s house, but he blocked them out.

Darkness materialized from the body in his hands, and Daniel leapt back, summoning his power again. This time he gave it all he had, hammering the darkness with burning fire. He saw it shake into Sebastian’s form, but he was wispy, weakening. Sebastian was trying to fight back, to protect himself from the fire.

Daniel continued to fire energy with one hand, holding his weakening spirit with the fire while he reached for the bag of ashes. He used his foot to break open the bag and scoop up a handful. He concentrated hard - he did not want Sebastian to escape and have a chance to strengthen himself again. He moved back, to get to the urn. Pushing it upright with his foot, his eyes still on Sebastian, he let the handful of ashes go. They fell into the urn and Daniel picked it up, holding it tight with the one hand.

He brought the symbol that Heather had taught him to his mind - visualizing it at the forefront of his thoughts. He let it go - sending it with force at Sebastian, wrapping it around him. He saw the anger coalesce in Sebastian and he transformed back into a swirling darkness, trying to escape by whatever means he could. Daniel brought the same symbol to the forefront of his mind again. This time, as he let it go he visualized the mark on the urn.

Immediately there was a friction of energy between the two marks, illuminating the garden for one moment, before the swirling darkness was propelled into the urn.

Daniel got down on his knees and rammed the cork in hard.

He would not let Sebastian go.

Daniel took a deep breath. He still had to do the binding spell. He couldn’t lose focus now. Tears welled in his eyes as he visualized the next mark in his mind. He reinforced it with all the power he had and projected it at the urn. He infused the urn with great power and the magical mark.

It was done.

He left the urn there and crawled to Sarah’s body, weak from expelling all his energy. He found her lying against the hedge. She was broken, lifeless.

Daniel held her body in his arms and screamed into the night.

He heard answering screams from inside the house, Sarah’s children crying - Megan had seen the whole thing from her window.

He cradled Sarah’s head against his chest and wept hard, wept for her, for her children. He wept for himself. He had gone through all of this to be with her and now she was dead. She would be like him. A vampire.

Daniel made himself stand. There were things he had to do.

He pulled himself together and entered Sarah’s house. He could not go upstairs to see her children. He was too weak, too hungry.

He could do something; he could phone for help.

He dialed Sarah’s parents’ house, and spoke urgently to her father when he answered.

‘You must come to Sarah’s now, she has gone berserk. I think it’s not knowing what has happened to Jo. She’s run off into the woods and I have to go after her. You must come and look after Megan and Bea.’

He couldn’t help what Megan would tell them. They may not believe her anyway. And at least they will have her parents.

Daniel staggered to the door and back to Sarah, barely managing control at all. He needed blood. Badly.

First he went to the body around the back. He didn’t want Sarah’s parents to discover that. He forced himself to pick it up and throw it over the fence. Then he repeated the same procedure on the body of the girl he had just killed, who had also suffered the terrible consequences of Sebastian’s possession. He would have to come back later and deal with their bodies.

He picked up the urn and then used all his strength to lift up Sarah.

He had never felt so weak. He moved off into the woods before Sarah’s parents arrived. He wouldn’t manage to control himself if they did. Thirst was burning in his veins. His throat was parched.

As soon as they were in the woods he put down Sarah, and the urn, at the foot of a tree. His hunting instincts kicked in and he heard the heartbeat of a bear. It was probably drawn in by the smell of blood and sounds of the fight.

He would have to approach it quietly, he was too weak to use speed to his advantage.

It was close; he could hear its breathing. Daniel crept up behind it and pounced, his teeth extending through fur, into flesh. Warm blood spurted down his throat, soothing his need. He drank greedily, not worried about ending its life. As he drained the bear’s blood its heart stopped. Daniel took the final drops, not wanting to waste any.

His could feel he was returning to himself again, his senses enhanced.

He felt strong.

He was back at Sarah’s side in an instant, throwing her over his shoulder and grabbing the urn.

He needed to get her further into the forest.

Soon she would wake up.

She would be screaming with thirst.

THE END