Free Her Vampyrrhic Heart by Simon Clark Page B

can be seen in mirrors. But they do avoid daylight, and they do use blood. I say “use”, because I don’t believe they ingest food like any other—’
    â€˜Of God’s creatures?’
    He nodded.
    June gazed at where those bare feet had slammed down into the fire. ‘What if he comes back? What then?’
    â€˜My feeling is that your father … if that was your father … needed confirmation of what he saw out there in the forest before he tried to drown me.’
    â€˜You mean he wanted to take a second look? To make sure it was me?’
    Tom nodded again. ‘Did you recognize him?’
    â€˜Not with all those flames rushing up over his face. Besides, I’ve never actually met him. He’d gone before I was even born. All I’ve got are photographs.’
    â€˜Did you have at least an impression that it might be your father?’
    June gave a shudder that went down to the roots of her bones. ‘His eyes … my God … I might have recognized those, because they’re as blue as mine in the photos. But his eyes were white, completely white, apart from the pupil.’ Her chest heaved as if she were close to having a panic attack. ‘I’ve never seen anything as terrifying.’
    In an attempt to appear reassuring, he said, ‘I’ll check the windows are secure. We don’t want any more of those things trying to get in.’
    â€˜Vampires,’ she said with feeling. ‘Don’t be shy about calling them vampires. We need certainty about what we’re dealing with here.’
    â€˜So you believe what I told you?’
    â€˜Yes, I do.’ She gave a faint smile. ‘Now go and check the windows. I’ll feel better if I know that those
vampires
aren’t creeping into the bedrooms.’
    Tom Westonby soon confirmed that everything was secure. He took a peek out through the blinds – all he could see were trees.
    When he returned to the lounge June Valko asked bluntly, ‘How long have you known that there are vampires in this forest?’
    â€˜Five years.’
    â€˜You said they’ve never bothered you before?’
    â€˜Frankly, they always struck me as being ineffectual … in fact, completely harmless. If I caught a glimpse of them they simply stood there without moving. Like bizarre statues.’
    â€˜If they never attacked you before, what’s changed?’
    â€˜As I said, the answer is simple. It’s because of you.’
    â€˜Why?’
    â€˜Those things out there were once members of the Bekk family. As far as I know, you’re now the only person alive … genuinely alive, that is, not a vampire … who is a living descendent of the Bekk bloodline.’
    â€˜I live over a hundred miles away in Manchester. You said that any Bekk who left this valley would become a vampire. Why am I not a vampire?’
    â€˜You were born in a different part of the country. Maybe that changed your biology to prevent the transformation.’
    â€˜But I have Bekk blood in my veins. Viking blood?’
    He shrugged. ‘To be honest, I don’t know what rules apply to the transformation. What governs those vampires out in the forest aren’t natural laws. As far as I’m concerned, they’re walking mysteries, wrapped up in even more mysteries.’
    â€˜Is this what happened to your wife? Did Nicola Bekk change?’
    He couldn’t even bring himself to say ‘yes’, the memory of seeing the blue fade out of her eyes still hurt with such a furious intensity. A lump formed in his throat. After a moment he managed to nod. ‘Then she was taken away.’ He took a deep breath. ‘It was the night the village was flooded. He took her.’ He nodded at a slab of rock set into the wall.
    â€˜He?’
    â€˜Helsvir.’
    She followed the direction of his gaze. When she saw the slab with its carving of a strange creature she looked dumbfounded.