“Is it me, or can you smell petrol?” I asked, as they landed beside me.
“Yeah, I can smell it too!” Isidor said pointing his nose into the air.
“Then run!” I shouted, sprinting away through the snow.
I ran as hard and as fast as I could, the searchlights now tracking my every step in their white glare. Suddenly, I heard a tremendous cracking noise, as if the sky were being torn apart. I was lifted off my feet and thrown forward in a blast of seething heat, as the truck erupted into a ball of orange and red flames behind me.
I hit the ground hard and landed on my back. Kayla and Isidor swooped above the flames that licked from the truck, which was now a raging pile of burning, twisted metal. I put my arm up to shield my eyes from the bright glow of the flames and blistering heat radiating from them. Several of the vampires that been running towards us were now charging up and down hysterically, flames licking their clothes, consuming them. But there were more of them, and they were racing straight towards us.
Getting to my feet, I could see that I had nowhere to run. The vampires were nearly upon me and I could see the taillights of the other truck disappearing into the distance. Bracing myself for their onslaught, I thrust my hand into my coat pocket and let the tips of my fingers caress Murphy’s crucifix.
Good old Jim Murphy, I smiled to myself and pulled out the crucifix. I held it out before me, and the approaching vampires appeared to falter. It wasn’t much, but it was something and it gave me some extra time. Then the vampires were flying through the air. The night became filled with the sound of howling as Jack Seth and Nik bounded through them. With their gigantic paws, they knocked the vampires aside like scarecrows in a gale. They snarled and bit at anything that came too close to them, ripping limbs from the vampires as they went.
I didn’t think I’d ever feel so grateful to see Jack Seth. More vampires appeared from behind me, and I spun round, brandishing the crucifix before me. The vampires seemed to cower, throwing their hands across their faces as the Lycanthrope took their chance. They raced forward, jaws open wide, tongues lolling out. Bounding through the air, they sliced through the vampires with their claws. From above, Isidor and Kayla swept through the sky and I could see that both of them had writhing vampires in their claws. With a quick flick of their wrists, they had torn the vampires in half, chucking their remains into the night. Then they were off again, searching out more vampires. Walking backwards, keeping the vampires in view, I tried to edge my way nearer to Seth and Nik who were busily devouring their latest victims. Blood covered their snouts and ropey bits of flesh hung from their whiskers. Then, as if from nowhere, a vampire sprang through the air and landed on Nik’s back. He howled in pain as the vampire sunk its teeth into his throat. Blood jetted from Nik’s neck and his yellow eyes rolled in their sockets. But however hard Nik tried to shake the vampire free, it held fast with its fangs. With the crucifix clenched in my fist, I raced forward, and just like at the police station, I had travelled several hundred yards in the blink of an eye.
Leaping through the air, I pressed the crucifix into the vampire’s forehead and at once it released its jaws from around Nik’s throat. The vampire screeched and held its face in its hands as it began to crumble away between its fingers. Turning, I could see Nik, lying in the snow which was now red from the blood that pumped from his neck.
“Nik!” I screamed, racing towards him.
Dropping to my knees, I pressed my hand to Nik’s throat, but his blood just pumped over my fingers. I knew that he was bleeding to death. His tongue jutted from between his jaws and he made a panting sound. Rolling his eyes so as to look at me, Nik said, “I tried to make amends, Kiera. I really tried…”
“Shhh,” I told him, and stroked the fur along his flank.
“Tell my father that I’m sorry…” he started but stopped as something strange began to happen. As Nik lay dying in the snow, his body began to change shape, and the thick silver hair that covered his body began to fall away. I watched his head twist as his long snout disappeared, leaving behind the face of a young boy. Just like he had described himself to me in the zoo, his hair was blonde and he had the face of a cherub. I stroked the bare skin that now covered his back, and like his father, he was long and incredibly thin. His ribcage and spine could be clearly seen through his skin. With the tips of my fingers, I brushed his fair hair from his brow.
Looking at me, he forced a smile and said, “At last Kiera, I’m free.” Then he closed his eyes and fell still.
From behind me, I heard a deafening roar. I looked back to see Jack Seth rising up on his hind legs. He howled into the night as if in agonising pain. “What have they done to my son!” he howled. Then dropping once more onto all fours he bounded over to Nik’s lifeless body. He licked his son’s face and yelped. “My son,” he howled again. “My precious son – look what they’ve done to you! Oh my God, Nikolaou, they’ve killed you.”
I watched this unexpected display of grief from Seth as once again, he licked his son’s human face with his long, pink tongue. “I’m so sorry, son,” he seemed to whimper like a dog that had been beaten too many times. “I would have lifted the curse. I was proud of what you did to save me, but my heart was too full of hate to show it.” Then rising again on his back legs, he howled so loudly that I thought my eardrums would burst. “What have they done to my precious boy!”
Dropping to the ground, he sent up a shower of snow, and came towards me. “Where is this Elias Munn?” he growled so deeply that his voice sounded like thunder.
“He went that way,” I said, pointing in the direction that I had last seen the truck heading.
Without saying another word, Seth bounded away into the night.
“Wait for me!” I roared and raced after him. My feet crunched through the snow, and I worked my arms like pistons beside me. I stared ahead, and concentrated on catching the truck with Elias Munn inside, the man who had caused so much pain. I thought of my mother sitting with him and my heart ached for her – it ached for my father, too. I had promised him that I would find her – and even though I had, I’d lost her. Blood surged through my veins, and with my heart pounding in my chest, I pushed on, faster, faster, faster! My legs became a blur beneath me as I ploughed through the snow, sending up a wake behind me. Then ahead, I could see the taillights of the truck in the distance, their red glow shining back at me. I saw something else, racing along beside the truck – it was Seth. I thrust myself forward, my feet now almost seeming to skim across the surface of the snow.
Ahead, I could see Seth racing along beside the truck as he slammed his giant skull into the side of it. The truck lurched over, its wheels raising up off the ground. He struck it again and the truck almost skidded out of control. Faster and faster I went and with every heartbeat I got closer and closer. It was as if my feet were no longer touching the ground but treading air. I looked down and gasped, my feet really were no longer on the ground, but about seven feet above it. I looked back over my shoulder to see two shimmering wings protruding from my back. They stretched out on either side of me, black and sparkling as if showered with glitter. At the tip of each wing were those bony black fingers and they clutched at the air as if pulling me forward. I discovered that if I tilted my head up and placed my arms by my sides, I soared upwards. Looking down, I could see the truck snaking its way through the snow below me. Seth continued to race along beside it, smashing and crashing his great body into it.
On either side of me I felt a rush of air. I looked right and could see Isidor soaring beside me. I looked left and could see Kayla.
“You look beautiful, Kiera!” she yelled over the roar of the rushing wind and driving snow. “Awesome!”
I didn’t know how I looked or felt, but to be able to race through the sky was a rush and I could feel adrenaline thundering through my body. I lowered my head and immediately began to lose altitude.
“Let’s go and finish this!” Isidor bellowed at me. Then, with a grim look of determination on his face, he rocketed down towards the truck.
“See you later, alligator!” Kayla smiled as she banked left, then soared downwards.
“In a while, crocodile!” I yelled, racing after her.
With my wings rippling on either side of me like two giant sails, I raced back towards the ground. I swooped above the truck, and as I did, I saw Phillips and my mum soar out of the back and up into the sky. I watched my mother go, and half of me wanted to go after her. Kayla must have sensed my feelings, as she shouted over at me, “I’ve got her.” Then Kayla was gone in pursuit of her.
Isidor back-flipped through the air, and with a swift nod of his head in my direction, he soared after Phillips. Tucking my arms into my side, I aimed myself at the truck and dived towards it. When I was only feet away, a werewolf leapt from the rear of the truck and bounded away across the snow covered fields. I watched as Seth wasted no time in charging after Sparky.
That just left me and Elias Munn, who was still in the truck. Drawing a lungful of ice cold air, I shot towards the back of the truck. With my hands stretched out before me, I grabbed the roof and climbed inside. It was dark, but looking through the darkness, I could see a figure huddled in the corner. He sat, bent forward, on a bench that ran the length of the cargo hold. His face was covered with a hood he had thrown over his head.
With my heart beating so fast in my chest I thought it might just explode, I approached Elias Munn. I stood before him. Slowly, he raised his head so as to look at me.
He pulled back the hood and said, “Hello, Kiera.”
“Doctor Hunt?” I gasped as I staggered backwards, my heart almost breaking as I looked upon his face.