Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter in Guilty Pleasures – Issue 7

Phillip’s kiss turns into a bite on the neck. When Anita is confronted by one of the other party goers, she decides to go outside for some air. In the woods behind the house, Anita finds a cemetery and discovers Zachary attempting to raise a zombie that is over 100 years old. Usually this feat cannot be accomplished without a major sacrifice–usually a human sacrifice. Theresa is tormenting Zachary, telling him that if he can’t raise the zombie she has been given permission from Nikolaos to kill him. To prevent Zachary being killed, Anita acts as a focus to assist him to raise the zombie. After an elaborate ritual, the zobie is raised, and Anita now knows that Zachary is himself a zombie. He uses a voodoo charm called a gris-gris to remain ‘alive.’ The gris-gris requires human blood in order to work, and Anita regrets her decision to stop the vampires from killing Zachary. As the vampires start to torture the zombie, Anita flees the cemetery, only to run into Nikolaos in the woods. Anita informs Nikolaos that Zachary raised the zombie, and demands that Nikolaos stop Theresa and her fellow vampires from torturing it. Nikolaos agrees, if Anita will allow her to taste Anita’s blood. Anita agrees to let Nikolaos use the wound Phillip made, but no fresh bites are permitted. As Nikolaos moves in, she tricks Anita into revealing that her vampire mind tricks aren’t affecting Anita any more, a fact that makes Nikolaos angry. However, before she can act, Phillip bursts onto the scene, demanding Nikolaos leave Anita alone.