Beautiful Fighters - an original vampire story (15+) (SAMPLE ONLY)

Baby, you can drive my car (bike)

FRIDAY 3 OCTOBER

The vampire advancing on me, teeth bared, and arms spread wide, stopped—his eyes rolling and head tipping behind him as he tumbled to the ground.

"Are you okay?" I shrieked, darting over so I could thrust out a hand to help him up. I'd been working on mind control techniques for an hour, and this was the first time I'd disabled him. The kitchen floor was cheap laminate but solid underneath. The drop must have hurt.

Justin gripped my hand, grimace turning to triumphant grin, yanking my hand so that I toppled onto him.

Never date a vampire. They operate on crude levels. Sleep, blood lust and... plain ol' lust.

"Now that you're here," he murmured in my ear. "Shall we forget this stupid lesson and do something else instead...?"

No mistaking the intent. That told me loud and clear. I hovered above him, propped up on my hands, hair falling forward. He blew out air, sending strands flying. I dipped my elbows to kiss him. My boyfriend liked to work out. He approved of press-ups, particularly ones that brought two bodies closer together.

I pushed myself back up. "Justin! You're supposed to be helping me. I'm never going to pass my exams at this rate, and I'll be stuck as an unqualified make-up artist stroke sub-standard Argist Agent for the rest of my life!"

Five months ago, Dunrovia College's principal told me never to darken its doors again half-way through a make-up, hair and beauty qualification. Six weeks ago, I'd enrolled at the Argist Academy, where skilled tutors taught you how to stop vampires using your mind alone. So far, I hadn't covered myself in glory.

He lifted his head to kiss me lightly. "Hey! It takes time. But you'll get there in the end."

Shayla walked in, reversing back out again straight away. "Sorry, sorry, but you guys, must you? Get a room!"

I twisted my head to look at her. If you'd told me a year ago, I would be a) dating a vampire, and b) best friends with another one, I would have laughed in your face. And now here I was—an almost full-time resident of Vamp Towers, where the bulk of Dunrovia's vampire population lived.

"I'm practising Argist stuff," I said, "making a vampire fall to the floor to stop him attacking me or anyone else."

"Is that what you call it?" Shayla raised her eyebrows, nose wrinkling in disbelief. "I'll add 'Practising Argist stuff' to my dictionary of euphemisms."

"Euphemism?" I smirked. "Big word for a seventeen-year-old. Are you sure you know what it means?"

She rewarded me with a kick to the bottom that lowered me even further onto Justin. I jiggled on top of him. Maybe too many distractions like this contributed to my continued failure to master mind control. I had to remind myself all the time that the Argist Academy asked me to join them. Someone there must have faith in my abilities.

Shayla stood in front of us, unimpressed and arms folded. "Try it with me."

Underneath me, Justin's body signalled clear intent once more. I sent telepathic messages right back. ("Get rid of that thing!") and lowered my knees so I could stand up. He twisted to his side to hide his erection from Shayla.

"Okay!" I said. "Do you want a folded-up blanket, Shayla? Or a yoga mat? When you hit that kitchen floor, it will hurt."

Shayla's eyes widened in alarm. For a second, anyway. Her usual cheeky smile resumed position. "Nah. Think I'll be okay."

I poked my tongue out at her and summoned up everything attendance at the Argist Academy had pummelled into my brain in the last six weeks.

Imagine the vampire's body and concentrate on their head. You focus on their eyes, see yourself channelling through them—it's a tunnel to the brain. Once in there, your job is to find the 'switch' that controls movement and turn it off. Go, go, go!