Part 14 (by Star)


She watched him. She'd been watching him from the moment 
they had first come onto the islands, each of them going 
their separate ways. He was different, so much different 
than the others were. That had been the first thing she had 
noticed about him, the second had been his eyes. Dark and 
piercing, as if they could glimpse into her soul. She 
smiled wryly to herself, and wondered how he would react if 
he looked into her soul…her very old soul. 

She'd been on this island for more years than she could 
care to remember, some of them had been good and some of 
them had been bad. She bared her teeth, her sharp fangs 
evident. Moreau, even now the name left a bad taste in her 
mouth. How long had it been since he had died? Died, 
screaming for mercy at her own hands. For mercy? What mercy 
had he shown all the human lab rats, or her beloved 
Merrick? None! He had used them all for his own 
experimentation, leaving in his wake mutants. Mutants that 
could never leave the island; never be accepted in the 
world. She knew how that felt like, she'd dealt with it all 
her life. Even before she had been turned.

Moreau had been unmerciful with his tests, capturing 
Merrick and using him for his own means. Testing his DNA 
with that of human's to make what he deemed the ultimate 
super being. But it hadn't gone the way he planned it, and 
the result had been Dark Raven. A woman, who wasn't quite a 
vampire; but not quite human either. Doomed to live out her 
life condemned and exiled.

She smiled grimly as she thought of Dark Raven. She wanted 
to hate her. It had been because of her that Merrick had 
suffered- drained of all his blood, the blood that had been 
pumped into Dark Raven. But she couldn't hate her. In ways 
she felt a kinship with her. She was part of Merrick. In 
inheriting his DNA she had also picked up some of his 
characteristics.

And now it seemed Dark Raven had picked a mate. Someone of 
her very own. Drakkon might not like that fact. She smiled 
savagely when she thought of Drakkon, Moreau's former 
assistant. She had never been able to figure out how aware 
he had been of Moreau's experiments, and how involved he 
had been. It had been obvious that he had been experimented 
on himself, and killing him had seen pointless.

She often wondered how aware Dark Raven and Drakkon were of 
her. Merrick had protected her from Moreau, never told him 
that there was another vampire on the island…and when 
Moreau had found out it had been too late for him.

She preferred to keep to herself. Just sit back and watch. 
Watch and wait for any signs of change. Those signs had 
started. Someone was planning on picking up where Moreau 
had left off. And it had to be stopped, before it was too 
late- they already had their lab rats. This was why she was 
here watching him. Something told her he would be strong 
enough to help her.

Paul looked up when he heard rustling in bushes. He'd had 
this strange sense that something or someone had been 
watching him. And this hadn't been the first time he'd felt 
this. There was something strange about this island. He'd 
realised that when he had met Calista. He watched as a 
woman, with flowing red hair emerged from the bushes and 
walked towards him.

He cautiously greeted her, surprised when she didn't greet 
him but kept moving towards him. He backed away, searching 
for a weapon, surprised when she moved with immense speed, 
knocking down his weapon and grabbing him by the throat. He 
gasped when she sank her teeth into his neck, and then all 
went black.

***

Paul opened his eyes slowly, groaning softly as he tried 
standing and was overcome by dizziness. Where am I? He 
wondered as he glanced at his surroundings. It was a room 
of simple elegance. Was he a prisoner? He asked himself, as 
he rose finally, the momentum of dizziness finally gone.

He walked to the door, taking a step back when it suddenly 
opened and a woman entered. He instantly recognised her 
"You!"

She inclined her head "I see you're awake."

"You bit me." Paul accused, taking another step back.

"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you." The woman murmured.

Paul shook his head "What the hell are you?" He touched his 
neck, feeling the marks left by her teeth.

She smiled coolly "What do you think I am?"

"Lady I don't know and I don't care. You can't just hold me 
here. People will look for me." Paul said, frowning when 
her smile widened "What exactly do you find amusing?"

"This is a big island. People might look for you but they 
won't find you. Not unless I want them too, and then..." 
She shrugged.

"Who are you?" Paul asked, scrutinising her.

"Who would you like me to be?" She asked, arching an 
eyebrow.

"Could you please stop answering my questions with 
questions of your own and tell me your god damn name?" Paul 
asked in frustration.

The woman smiled again "I've been called by many name. 
Originally I believe it was Cassandra, then Katarina. As 
for now…you may call me Stephanie. And of course you are 
Paul."

"How do you know my name?" Paul asked suspiciously.

Stephanie laughed huskily "I know because I've been 
watching you."

"Why?" 

She ignored the question "I've been watching you and I've 
liked what I've seen. You have potential."

"Potential for what?" Paul asked, curious about who and 
what this woman was and where she had come from.

She merely smiled at him, silently turning and leaving the 
room. Paul frowned, determined to find out what she had 
done to him.

"Wait a damn minute. You still haven't explained to me what 
the hell you are and why you bit me." Paul said, grabbing 
her by the arm, and spinning her around.

"Deep down you know what I am." She said quietly.

Paul snorted "They don't exist."

"Don't they?" she queried, turning and beginning to walk 
down the long hallway again.

"Lady are you telling me you're a vampire?" Paul asked.

Stephanie stopped walking, and turning around to face Paul 
nodded.

He laughed at this "So this means since you bit me I'm one 
too right?"

She shook her head "No. The only way you'd be a vampire was 
if I was to drain you of your blood and then replenish you 
with my own blood."

"Then I can still walk in the sun, look at crosses and look 
at my reflection in the mirror?" Paul asked, realising that 
this woman was serious about her claims.

"Actually I have no problem with crosses, and like to look 
at my reflection in the mirror on occasions. Unfortunately 
it is true that I can't go into the sun, and I need blood 
to survive."

"So what you were hungry and decided to feed on me?" Paul 
snorted.

"Is that why you bit me?"

Stephanie shook her head "No. Drinking your blood drew a 
connection between us."

"A connection, now why would you want to be connected to 
me?" He asked, his face showing his confusion.

"To protect you." She replied simply.

Paul stared at her "Protect me from what?"

"From what's coming." She said, turning and walking down 
the long hallway again.

Paul followed her this time, almost bumping into her when 
she stopped suddenly in another room.

"What exactly is coming?" He asked, not liking how she 
wasn't giving him straight answers.

Stephanie ignored him, asking him abruptly "What exactly do 
you know about this island, and the series of islands 
surrounding it?"

"Not much" Paul admitted, before adding, "Only that strange 
things have been happening since the moment I got here."

"They happened a long time before you got here." Stephanie 
said slowly, settling down in a chair, and indicating for 
Paul to do the same.

Paul sat opposite her "How long have you been here?"

"Too long." She answered shortly, closing her eyes as 
memories flooded through her. She opened them again and 
sighed "This Island, and the islands surrounding here used 
to belong to Moreau, a Doctor who conducted strange 
experiments. Mixing Human DNA with foreign DNA…"

Paul interrupted her "Foreign DNA?"

Stephanie nodded "Animals, anything he thought would make 
an interesting experiment."

"Is he still on this island?"

Stephanie shook her head "Not anymore."

"What he got bored and left?" Paul joked.

"No I killed him." Stephanie answered.

Paul's smile left his face "You killed him why?"

"It was kill or be killed. I suppose I didn't have to kill 
him but after everything that he did killing was actually 
the least I could have done to him. For years he conducted 
experiments, creating things you could never imagine. All 
those stories about things that go bump in the night, the 
monsters under your bed they're all here. I should know I'm 
one of them."

"You're one of his experiment?" Paul asked, sympathy 
showing on his face.

"No. I'm something else altogether. What do they call kinds 
like me apart from Vampire…ah yes? A child of the damned, 
or a child of the night…immortal." Stephanie said with a 
brittle laugh, her face darkening as she continued "I did 
know someone who was used for Moreau's twisted experiments. 
His name was Merrick. Moreau bled him dry."

"He killed him but why?"

"No he didn't kill him. He should have but his cruel streak 
ran deep. Everyone though Moreau was the hero and that it 
was his assistant that conducted the experiments. I know 
differently. Moreau was no hero."

"What happened to Merrick?" Paul asked, drawn into the tale 
and the sadness in Stephanie's eyes.

"He became a mindless corpse…nothing more than a savage 
beast. His soul, his personality was gone. Moreau might as 
well have killed him."

"And you killed Moreau in return." Paul said, finishing the 
story for her.

"Yes." She said, her voice almost a whisper.

"I still don't see how this involves me." Paul said, 
shaking his head in confusion.

"Someone's been working in Moreau's labs. The experiments 
are starting up again. I need help to prevent this from 
happening again. I can't do this by myself." Stephanie 
said, spreading her hands in appeal.

"You need me to be your eyes and ears during the day." Paul 
said slowly, beginning to understand everything.

Stephanie nodded "Now you're beginning to understand. And 
in return I will protect you, and keep you safe."

Paul studied the woman opposite him. He was still getting 
his head around the fact she was a vampire…or was that 
Vampress he wondered with a slight smile. She looked 
so…normal. That was what scared him the most. She seemed 
rather unpredictable, and he couldn't help wonder if she 
would kill him once he had finished helping her. 

"I won't you know." She said softly, startling out of his 
thoughts.

"Won't what?" Paul asked confused.

"Kill you." She replied, an amused smile playing on her 
ruby red lips.

"I never said…" Paul began, shaking his head in denial.

"No but you were thinking it."

"How did you…" Paul began again

"Know that you were thinking it?" Stephanie finished for 
him, arching an eyebrow.

Paul nodded, watching her intently.

"One of the few pleasures I have is the ability to read 
minds." Stephanie answered, giving a Gaelic shrug.

"Do all Vampires..."

"No they don't. Each are different in their abilities and 
it's not like we get them immediately. They grow on us." 
Stephanie answered.

Paul said softly "If I do help you I want your promise that 
you won't kill any of my friends on the island."

Stephanie nodded "Fine by me. Speaking of your friends I 
found one of them unconscious."

Paul looked at her startled "Who?"

"I don't know. You can relax. He's safe." Stephanie 
soothed, touching Paul's hand gently with her own.

"You have him?" Paul asked, relaxing when she nodded.

"He's still unconscious but that can be expected under the 
circumstances." She murmured, quietly removing her hand 
from Paul's.

"The circumstances? I don't understand."

"He was almost drained." Stephanie said bluntly.

Paul closed his eyes "I thought you were the only vampire 
on the island."

Stephanie sighed "I'm the only natural vampire. But as I 
mentioned there were experimentations. Some are half- human 
but need blood to survive. Others don't need blood. Whoever 
drained your friend was interrupted."

"So he's going to be okay?" Paul asked.

Stephanie nodded "I had to replenish some of his blood with 
my own."

"That would mean he's a vampire then?" Paul said.

Stephanie laughed huskily "Not quite. To become a vampire 
he would have to have been completely drained. I gave him 
enough of my blood to make him heal quickly. You don't have 
to worry about him suddenly getting a taste for blood."

"Can I see him?" Paul asked, concern etched on his face.

"Let him rest. His body still needs time to heal." 
Stephanie murmured.

"I just want to see he's okay...for reassurance." Paul 
said, meeting her gaze steadily.

"Don't you trust me?" She asked in amusement.

"I just met you…it's too soon for trust. Besides I figure 
you trust me as much as I trust you." Paul said with a 
slight grin.

Stephanie nodded in agreement "Fair enough. Follow me."

Paul stood, following her. He smiled to himself when he 
found he couldn't help himself appraising her curves in her 
figure-fitting outfit. He mentally kicked himself, hoping 
she wasn't reading his mind. There was no way he could 
allow himself to be attracted to someone like her. There 
would be too many complications. For one thing she was 
immortal, and probably a hell of a lot older than he was. 
Not to mention the fact technically she was dead, he 
thought with a grin.

He shook his thoughts aside when she stopped outside a door 
"This is the room?" He asked her, watching her nod 
silently.

Opening it he stared at the man lying unconscious in the 
bed. Frowning he closed the door behind him.

"See your friend is fine." Stephanie said, taking in the 
strange look on his face.

"I have no idea who that is." Paul said, pausing briefly 
before adding, "Although it certainly looks like someone I 
know Peter Criss."

"Are you sure it's not him?" Stephanie asked.

Paul shook his head "It's not. The resemblance is strong, 
but not enough for it to be him." He sighed in frustration, 
running a hand through his head "Now I'm even more confused 
than before...who the hell is that man, and what possibly 
could be his link to Peter?"