Slightly Staked

By EL Smith

Welcome to Climax, where the people are friendly, the location is rustic, and things can get a little quirky.

 

Lina Harker has discovered her grandmother's secret. She used to be a vampire. Now, Lina's greatest fear is that a remnant of that vampire DNA is lurking in her cells, waiting to reactivate. Yes, Dracula's lineage had been destroyed, but the 'what if's were too much to imagine.

Doggedly following the trail of two families that escaped the Van Helsing purge, she discovers that 'X' leads to Climax, Canada. She has her stakes, garlic and holy water ready, but when she arrives, nothing is as she expects.

 

Are vampires really living in Climax or has she completely lost her mind? She'd better figure it out before she sprouts a pair of fangs and a taste for O Positive. And before she stakes another innocent shop keeper.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Deslisle Publications
• Release date: Jul 19, 2020
• ISBN: 9781989276181

EL Smith

Ellie always wanted to be a writer, and since every writer she'd ever met said to 'write what you know', she started out writing romantic comedy. The comedy part she had figured out—y'see, she's a bit of a smartass in real life anyway. The romance part, not so much. Writing a humorous fantasy was a natural progression. Ellie lives in rural Saskatchewan with her husband, two incredibly spoiled dogs and Horatio the salamander.

Book preview

Chapter 1

O h, give it a rest , Darius. It was two hundred years ago.

You sold us cases of bad blood and nearly killed my entire family!

Ooo, the infamous wedding day almost-massacre. So you had a little diarrhea and good ole Grandpa shat himself to death. He was old. It was his time.

He was one of our elders. A town elder. His death was your responsibility.

Yes, yes, I know, Darrell said with a wave of his hand. Now do you want the cabbage or not?

Yes, I want the damn cabbage! Darius snarled and grabbed his grocery bag. He whipped around toward the door.

Wait, Darrell called out.

What now? Do you have something else for me? Another way to kill off my family?

Darrell tossed a plastic bottle at him. You forgot your sunscreen.

As his arm shot out, catching the bottle, Darius turned, fangs descending menacingly.

Darrell rolled his eyes. The glass door slammed shut as the other man left the grocery store.

He's never going to forgive you for his grandfather's death, you know. Nicholae dropped a sack of flour on the counter.

No, probably not, Darrell agreed and pushed a hand through his hair. But it wasn't me, it was the supplier. I wouldn't sell anyone a tainted product on purpose. That would put me out of business real fast.

Nicholae tipped his head to one side. Maybe you should mention that?

I have, he said. Many, many times over the years.

The bell over the door rang again, and both men turned in its direction. A slender redhead stepped into the store. Keen blue eyes swept over the shelves before stopping on Nicholae and Darrell. Pardon me, she said. A faint European accent raised the flesh on Darrell's arms. Do either of you gentlemen know why the hotel is closed? I'll be staying a few days and need to check in, but the doors are locked.

Darrell pasted on a smile and tamped down the wary feeling the stranger evoked. We don't get many visitors wishing to stay overnight at the hotel. They usually stop, have a drink or two, and leave town the same day. He glanced at Nicholae. If there are no guests, they sometimes lock up to do chores. I'll give Markus a call. He'll be at the doors in a few minutes.

Markus? she inquired.

Gregore. He's the owner, he replied.

A smile slowly stretched across her face, showing straight, white teeth. Perfect. Thank you.

Picking up the phone, Darrell exchanged another glance with Nicholae. Markus, he said when the call was answered. Head over to the hotel, you have a quest waiting to check in. He listened to Markus curse a few times, then continued, Drop over when you're finished. You'll know why when you meet her.

What's wrong? Nicholae asked.

Don't you recognize her? Darrell asked. She's the spitting image of someone we ran into a long time ago. In Transylvania.

Who, dammit?

Mina Harker.

Impossible! Nicholae said and shook his head. Mina Harker died centuries ago.

DARRELL, NICHOLAE, and Markus huddled around a table at the Lone Tree Coffee Shop. Glancing up briefly to acknowledge the platinum blonde waitress as she placed a full coffee pot on the table, they returned in earnest to their conversation.

Paulina Harker, Markus said. But she said to call her Lina. And listed her home address in England.

Why would someone come all the way from England to stop here? In Climax, of all places?

I'll tell you why, Darrell said, and cast a furtive look over his shoulder at the cafe owner lurking in the doorway to the kitchen. She's picking up where her grandmother left off. Traced the Gregore family to Climax and now she's out to finish us off once and for all.

Why would she care about a small family of vampires living halfway around the world? Markus said. At Darrell’s shrug, he leaned in on one elbow and thrust his chin in the direction of the cafe owner. If it is true, should we tell them?

Them can hear you, Daniella said and pushed at her white-blonde bob as she strode passed the table.

Darrell laughed as he met the waitress' gaze, but kept his voice low. It would be a good way to be rid of the Petrescu clan once and for all, but it wouldn't be right.

So what do you want to do? Markus asked.

Darrell sighed, then nodded toward Darius, still standing in the kitchen doorway. Holding his coffee mug between both hands, he took a sip as his eyes dipped to the empty chair. "You might want to