He stopped at a doorway between an apothecary and a small grocery store and slipped a key into the lock. The door opened to a narrow set of stairs leading up. Kenjii gestured to them. “I live here, above my father’s store.”
Akio hesitated, warily looking up the darkened stairway, unsure about proceeding.
“I live alone,” Kenjii offered. “My father has a home farther inland where he and my sister live.”
Akio nodded, still not sure why he hadn’t killed this confusing man as was required, and even more baffled by his choice to accompany him home. He stepped through the door, which closed and locked behind him. Kenjii moved around him, their bodies touching briefly, and Akio shuddered as heat coursed through him from the momentary connection.
He followed Kenjii up the darkened stairs that opened into a neatly furnished open area with a couch against one wall and a chair with a small lamp on the table beside it. There was a small kitchen with a stove and icebox to the side and a closed door on the rear wall.
“Make yourself comfortable. It will only take a moment for me to put the water on to boil,” Kenjii invited as he moved to the kitchen. In a few moments, he had a kettle on the stove and returned to the living area.
Akio had remained at the top of the stairs, unsure of what to do next. Kenjii reached out tentatively and grasped his hand lightly, using the gentle pressure to urge him fully into the room and over to the couch while looking deep into his eyes. Once Akio sat stiffly on one end, Kenjii settled on the other, not talking but not looking away.
Finally, the younger man spoke. “Akio, are you all right? It’s safe here, so you can relax.”
Akio leaned back into the cushions, not relaxing but not as rigid as before. His eyes still darted warily as he cataloged every small sound that reached them from the street below. He flinched as the kettle whistled, signaling that the water was ready.
Kenjii stood and prepared two steaming cups of tea. When he finished, he returned and held both out to Akio, allowing him to choose.
Akio looked at the delicate porcelain with cherry blossoms hand-painted on them in fine detail. He remembered what was expected, but his body refused to move for a moment. He shook his head slightly and forced his hands to lift until his fingers met the glazed sides.
Kenjii smiled at him, his eyes sparkling in the light coming from the kitchen. “You act as though you haven’t done this in a while,” he observed as he resumed his seat on the couch, cup cradled in his hands.
Akio looked up from his tea. “It has been many years since anyone offered me hospitality. Most would run screaming into the night from a monster such as I.”
“That would be their loss,” Kenjii replied. “I see an attractive man before me, not the monster you describe.”
Akio snorted, wondering if perhaps the man suffered from some mental affliction that impaired his good sense. “Looks can be deceiving, young one. I have been a monster for more years than your father’s father has lived,” he stated quietly.
Kenjii’s eyes never wavered from his face. “That you see yourself as such is surely a travesty. I assure you that no matter what you have done in the past, I saw a good man in your actions tonight, not a monster.”
Akio sipped, tasting the mix of tannin and spices as the hot tea slid across his tongue. It was the first thing he’d tasted—other than blood—since that night so many years ago when he’d looked at the lifeless body in his arms and realized what a monster he’d become.
They sipped their tea in silence, looking at the other while lost in thought. Once finished, Kenjii took the empty cups to the kitchen and busied himself cleaning the small mess he’d made while preparing the tea. Soon, everything had been returned to its proper place. He once again settled on the couch. “Did you like the tea?”
“Hai. It has been many years since I enjoyed that pleasure.”
“I would gladly share it with you whenever you like. You intrigue me. I wish to know you better,” Kenjii whispered.
Akio hesitated. “That…would be dangerous for both of us. Allowing a human to know of our existence is a crime.”
Kenjii sighed, unsure of what to say. “That leads us back to the question I asked earlier. Do I live or die?”
Akio suddenly stood, feeling trapped, and paced back and forth in the small area like a caged animal. The war in his mind raged. He knew what was required. He also knew he couldn’t do it.
He made the decision, knowing they’d both pay with their lives if he was wrong. Somehow, he knew with certainty that this human wouldn’t betray him. “You must never speak of me to anyone. Do not seek me out, or I will have no choice but to take your life if you do. Never let anyone know what you saw tonight. Do you understand?” His voice was raw with emotion as he used what little compulsion he had to make it an order.
“Hai. I would never betray you. I will do as you say and not seek you out, hard though it will be,” Kenjii vowed, unaffected by Akio’s minor compulsion powers.
Akio stepped toward the opening to the stairs but stopped when Kenjii called to him.
“Here, take this.” Kenjii held out his hand. “Lock the door when you go, but know you’re welcome here whenever you choose.”
Akio reached out, shocked when the young man handed him the brass key that had opened the door below. He took it, and in seconds was back on the street. He locked the door behind him and stared at the key in his hand, not sure what he should do. After a moment’s hesitation, he secured it in one of the many small pockets in his clothes that, in his past life, had held weapons and other items a warrior needed. It now held the literal key to the mystery named Kenjii.
He hurried away, not looking back. It would soon be light, and he would be missed if he failed to report in with the results of his mission. He was trusted and had the freedom to hunt when he wasn’t on duty, but all were required to be back in Kamiko’s dwelling when the sun rose unless they had been given an assignment that required them to be away longer than one night.
As he ran toward home, he was surprised to feel a rush of excitement, despite breaking a long-established rule. It was another feeling he hadn’t experienced since the day he became a vampire.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Ning Jing Temple, Dabie Mountains, China
“Master Cui?” Scout Commander Yimu called down the corridor. “A moment of your time, please?”
Cui finished giving his instructions for the day’s training to his team and sent them on to the training area. “What can I do for you?”
Yimu approached, his body stiff and his face flushed. “One of my scouts has reported in from Yushu.” He growled. “The team that was dispatched to deal with the Forsaken failed. The scout found them this morning about twelve kilometers southwest of the town. They are all dead.”
Cui’s lips thinned into a tight line as his eyes glowed yellow. “How did they die?”
“Their throats were torn out, and all had suffered trauma to their bodies before they were killed.” Yimu took a deep breath, his fists clenched at his side. “They were found in the middle of the highway. The bodies had been arranged to leave a message.”
“What do you mean?” Cui demanded. “What message?”
“They were laid out in the form of an arrow pointing away from the town,” Yimu spat.
Cui’s face turned red, and his voice dropped several octaves. “This Forsaken dares to taunt us? To disrespect us and desecrate our dead?”
He paused, getting his anger in check before he shifted out of rage. “Is there more?” he asked through clenched teeth.
Yimu nodded tersely. “Yes, the scout followed the scent and found a blood trail leading away from the bodies in the direction indicated.”
“Did he find the Forsaken?” Cui demanded.
“No, his radio malfunctioned. He ran to the communications relay base outside of Changchun to report. It took him four hours to make the journey.”
Cui nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Yimu was a compet
ent commander, and it wasn’t his fault that they were forced to use antique equipment that was fickle at best.
“Thank you, Yimu. I will report this to the Grand Master. Make yourself available should he wish to speak to you,” Cui instructed after he finished the screaming tirade that was playing in his mind.
He left to find the Master, wishing for the thousandth time that he could get his claws on that wretch General Li and flay his skin one centimeter at a time.
"Grand Master,” Cui called through the closed curtain to Master Kun’s private chambers.
“Enter, Cui,” Kun called from inside.
Cui entered the room and prostrated himself before his master. Kun did not require this level of deference from him, but he knew that the news he brought would not be well received.
Kun sat up straighter on his cushion, one eyebrow raised. “Cui, I feel that you bring bad news. Stand up and tell me what it is,” Kun commanded.
“Master, the strike team sent after the Forsaken has been found dead.” Cui paused, unsure of how Kun would react to the next bit.
Kun waved his hand in a circular motion. “Let’s have it. What is it you don’t want to tell me?”
“Their bodies were left in the middle of a road in the shape of an arrow. He used our people’s bodies to point us in the direction where he was going to be.”
“Oh, he did, did he?” Kun’s grin was feral. “It would be bad manners not to follow his lead. Assemble your students; they will take part in this hunt. I expect you to bring that Forsaken wretch to me. In small pieces if you must, but I want him brought here. The Clan accepts insult from no man or vampire, and it is time this one learns that.”
Cui looked on in shock that the Master had taken the news so well. He had a reputation that dated back to his time in the People’s Liberation Army for taking his ire out on the messenger who brought bad news.
Perhaps he is changing and seeing the error of his ways, Cui mused as he was backing out to carry out the Master’s command.
“Cui,” Kun called softly.
“Yes, Master?”
“Your team is to carry out the kill. Inform the students that their job is to observe and report. They are to contact your team for the kill.” His voice grew rough as his hands changed into paws tipped with sharp claws. His face sprouted orange hair, and the teeth in his mouth lengthened to sharp-tipped fangs. “Do not fail me in this. It will be your last failure if you do.”
Cui swallowed hard, his mouth going dry. “I will not fail, Master.”
“Send someone for me once you have them assembled. I will speak to them before they depart.”
“Yes, Master,” Cui mumbled as he quickly backed from the room.
“We are to make the kill?” Pan Xun bounced on the balls of his feet in excitement. “Li’s team is the only one in recent history that has taken down a bloodsucker. This is indeed a great honor.”
Yi shook his head. “Idiot, the Grand Master does not do this to honor us. It happened on our watch. He is reminding us of our responsibility in the event we fail.”
Cui raised his hands to head off the confrontation that was brewing. “Pan, Yi, we will conserve our energy until we fight the Forsaken. After that, kill each other if you want, but not before I can tell the Grand Master that we have carried out our duty and the Forsaken is dead.”
Ren nodded in agreement. “We must remain united in this. The strike team members were young, but they had been on many missions before. We should not take this lightly. That this vampire could kill a team and walk away from the fight himself tells me this is a strong one. I imagine he will not die easily.”
“Ren speaks the truth,” Cui offered. “Let’s give the teams their assignments and get out of here before the Master changes his mind. You know he is not happy when things don’t go as planned, and I for one don’t want to be sent out alone to kill this thing.”
The others nodded agreement, each well aware of how the Grand Master’s temper worked.
Kun paced the length of the raised platform as he surveyed the students on parade in front of him. He went first to one end and then the other, making eye contact with different students as he paced back to the center before addressing the group.
“The Clan has suffered a grave insult at the hands of a rogue Forsaken. He has dared to hunt in our territory. He has left bodies where the humans can find them, and he has murdered loyal members of the Clan.” He paused for a moment, letting the tension build. “As if these crimes were not enough, he defiled the bodies of our brothers. He used them to create a macabre message for any who found them. He has pointed the way forward, and it is now up to you to follow the path set out and find this vampire, this leech, this vile creature. Find him, report your location, and stand by to assist Master Cui’s team as they express mine and the Clan’s displeasure at the path he has chosen.”
The crowd erupted in cheers, punctuated by snarls and growls as Kun finished.
“Follow your leaders,” Kun intoned. “Perform your duties to the Clan. The Clan shall rise!”
“The Clan rises!”
The response from the crowd was loud enough to leave Kun’s ears ringing for several minutes afterward. He made his way out of the training area and back to his rooms while Cui and Zhi checked that each team had a functional radio issued by Ren and Pan, as well as a map to the location they were to go.
Once the check was complete, the team slipped into the bright sunlight outside the temple.
“Have you decided where we should base ourselves for a rapid response once the vampire is found?” Ren inquired.
“Yes, we need to be in front of him to head him off. We will go north of Beijing. There is a base radio station there where we can monitor the progress of the hunt. We can work from there when he is spotted.”
The others nodded in agreement, each shouldering a pack that was designed to be worn in whatever form they were in. They set off at a ground-eating run and were soon out of the mountains and running through fallow fields that had once fed the nation. Now those once-fertile fields were covered in weeds and the occasional tree.
Henan Province, China
Their progress was not as fast as Cui wanted. The road was covered in many places, forcing them to go slowly as they picked their way through the underbrush.
“Are we there yet?” Ren mumbled as he had each time they stopped for a break, eliciting a round of laughter from the others.
Cui shook his head, appreciating the attempt at levity for what it was. “At our current pace, we should be there by the day after tomorrow. Even with the delays, we are able to cover more ground in a day than the Forsaken can during the night.”
“The sooner, the better,” Pan grumbled as he mashed a biting fly on his forehead into paste. “These flies are as bad as a damned vampire.”
Cui motioned and they shouldered their burdens and set out again, maintaining a good pace but not as fast as they had before. The road conditions and insects were sapping their energy, making an already long journey that much worse.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
TQB Base, Tokyo, Japan
Akio roused from his reverie when the video feed stopped. He had been sitting in the command center for several hours and had gone through all the feeds he felt were pertinent to him.
He was becoming frustrated by the lack of success. China was a big place, but he thought that he would have picked Kenjii up on at least one of the drones.
He closed his eyes and allowed his mind to drift off to a time he had spent many years trying to forget. Now that he was actively searching for him, he was, remarkably enough, finding comfort in the memories where there was none before. One corner of his mouth quirked up as he thought back to his next trip to Chiba.
Chiba, Japan, November 1956
It had been three months since Akio’s last visit to Chiba, where he had met the human who had confused him so. He had steeled his mind as he had learned to do centuries earlier to keep anyone from picking
up his thoughts of that night. That he was second in command of Kamiko’s personal guards kept most from attempting it, anyway. Kamiko and her pets Isamu and Ogawa were the only ones he feared would try. He maintained a blank expression and mental presence whenever he was around any of them, as he had for many years with Kamiko’s mother and now her.
Isamu and Ogawa were recent additions, but both had limited mental abilities. Although not as strong as their creator, they did have the ability to pick up errant thoughts if someone did not guard their mind around them.
They didn’t, however, have the experience to block their minds, so anyone with a weak ability could pick up their thoughts.
Akio had discovered that they both had twisted desires that he didn’t care to see. Their jobs, in addition to being Kamiko’s contacts with her outer ventures, were to act as her punishers. Both reveled in the task and enjoyed their new status, since many she deemed needed punishing were from the UnknownWorld and were much more resilient than the humans on whom they’d formerly practiced their trade.
Their most prevalent thoughts involved inflicting pain on the helpless—not because it was demanded by the queen, but because they both got perverse gratification from the act.
Akio had been sent back to Chiba to see the same criminal as before. It had only taken the man a few months to forget the previous warning. This time, Akio was to deliver a reprimand.
He stood in a darkened doorway behind the rundown warehouse that housed the operations in Chiba. He had arrived unannounced a few hours after dark and found a place to observe in secret.
Voices came to him through a broken window above his location.
“Arima, are you sure this is smart? I don’t think this is a good move right now.”
“Sen, I’ve told you that she won’t miss a shipment here and there. We can blame it on the other factions in the city and let them suffer for our gain.” He chuckled.
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