Dauntless

by Thomas G. Atwood Jr.

  “Romulus, Remus,” she said, patting the wolves on their head. “Kill.”

  The wolves snarled in response and hurled themselves at him. Slavering jaws open wide as their crimson eyes illuminated the dark. The vampire howled in fear as it clawed and scratched along the floor. The beasts slammed into his back, filling the air with the sickening crack of bone. They tore into him, razor sharp fangs ripping flesh from bone. His screams echoed through the air, begging and pleading for mercy as the animals devoured him. One of the animals wrapped his jaw over his skull and shattered it with a single, fierce bite.

  The woman patted the animal on the head, cooing her congratulations to it. She walked over to me and laid her hand on my neck. The pain vanished, replaced with a cold, numbing sensation. My vision began to fade as I glimpsed her crystal blue eyes.

  “Who…?” I managed to get out as the last bit of my strength left me.

  “Hey! Stay with me,” she said, slapping me on my cheek. “Please tell me I’m not too late. Please!” she pleaded, holding me tight as more and more of the soothing energy filled me.

  “My name is Kat,” she said as I slipped into unconsciousness.

  Chapter 4

  I woke up to the feel of an icy nose jabbing me in the back. I groaned as I felt a slimy tongue sliding over my face. I sputtered in surprise and rolled away as I collapsed on the hardwood floor. I winced as pain shot down my neck and glanced up to see one of the wolves sitting beside me. His eyes were golden, and he panted as he poked his nose into me. The world, once hazy and faded, began to come into focus as I struggled to stand. The bed I rolled out of was huge with a Victorian-style canopy over it, and the crimson curtains hung low over the bed. The floor was stained cherry red, and my clothes lay on the nightstand near me. I scowled as I l noticed myself in frumpy workout clothes, including a T-shirt for a band I never heard of and dark purple workout shorts. I set my hand where the vampire bit me. A bandage lay on my neck, covering the wound.

  I tried to stand, but the world spun the instant I did. It drove me to the ground as I moaned. The wolf walked to my side, licking me again and again and whimpered.

  “No thanks, Cujo,” I said, groaning as I slid back to the floor. “I think I’ll lie down here.”

  “I wouldn’t recommend it,” A voice said. “The bed is much more comfortable.”

  I struggled to pull myself up. I walked over to the door and found the woman that saved me standing there, a mix of amusement and concern lining her face. A silver tray with a steaming teapot and silver cups sat in her hands. She wasn’t the angel she seemed to be, but the woman still looked like she could be on the cover of magazines. Each step she took was graceful and measured, like a cat inspecting a newcomer. She wore a lavender blouse with a golden dragon running down her chest and even with the beat up jeans she wore; she was the kind of woman guys lusted over. A tattoo of a blue lightning bolt raced up her arm and finished by crawling down the other.

  “You’re the lady…the one from the alley, right?” I said, grunting as I struggled to walk over to her.

  “That’s right, my name is…”

  “Kat,” I interrupted. “I remember. You hit that vampire with a bolt of lightning. That was epic.”

  “Thanks,” Kat said, laughing at the description. The wolf bumped its head into my chest, and I grinned as I stroked his neck.

  “I remember you being taller,” I said, prompting a whimper from him. “Like scary tall. Godzilla tall.”

  “You see strange hallucinations when you’re on the cusp of death,” Kat replied. “I was shot a few years ago. When that happened, I could have sworn the ambulance was a white dragon, and the paramedics let it swallow me.” I stopped scratching the wolf, and it shoved its head under my hand.

  Kat smiled. “Remus seems to like you.”

  “So I almost died?” I asked, a pit welling up in my stomach as I gulped. “I can’t die. I’m invincible. Or something.”

  “You’re not invincible. Anything that destroys your brain, your heart, or causes you to lose enough blood will be the death of you.”

  “That’s a happy thought,” I mumbled.

  Kat sighed. “I owe you an apology. We should have found out about your abilities when you were in grade school. We could have prepared you for everything that’s out there, taught you how to sniff out the vampires, monsters and other creatures that would try and take advantage of you. For some reason, you flew under our radar, so when we found out about the hit…”

  “The hit? What hit?”

  “The hit someone has put out on you.”

  I stumbled back when I heard that, managing the hold onto the dresser for balance. “Why would someone put a hit out on me? Who the hell wants me dead? I’m a teenager for Christ’s sake!”

  “Try and calm down.”

  “Don’t you dare tell me to calm down!” I slammed my fist onto the dresser and, it cracked and crumbled from the force of the blow. Ignoring the dizziness and fatigue that ran through me, I grabbed Kat’s shirt and pulled her close. Remus gave a low growl, but Kat waved him off.

  “My friend is dead in a ditch somewhere, and you think I’m sorry even begins to cut it?”

  “Your friend is fine. She had a nasty concussion but, I managed to heal her. She’s tired, and a little loopy but she’ll be fine.”

  “What? What do you mean you healed her?”

  Kat pressed a finger to my temple, and her finger glowed bright blue. A cool surge ran through my head. The dizziness and fatigue leveled off, letting me stand without stumbling. I let out a low groan as the energy surged through me.

  “That’s what I mean. Now please, let go of my shirt.”

  I let go of her, grimacing as I backed away. “Sorry.”

  “It’s alright. You’ve been through a hell of an ordeal this past week.”

  “Wait, you mean I’ve been out for a week?”

  “You’ve been in and out. When you woke up, you were feverish and raving. When a vampire bites you, it wounds the soul as well as the body. It might have gone better, but to be frank, It’s taken me everything I could to get you to this point.”

  “Wow, you…you saved my life. Twice. I owe you…well two I guess.”

  “You don’t owe me anything,” Kat said, waving me off. “You were in trouble, and I could help. I’m glad I managed to get there in time.”

  “Wait a minute…that was you when I called 911, wasn’t it?”

  “It was. Why the hell didn’t you run?”

  “I couldn’t leave Laurie at the mercy of that creep.”

  “Admirable, but foolish. You don’t stand a chance against vampires of any caliber. They’re killers, brutal, vicious, killers. You’re damn lucky he didn’t kill you. So the next time you see a creature like that, you run.”

  “I don’t run away when people need me. It doesn’t matter who, it doesn’t matter when. I’ve been cornered by every thug this city has to offer, and I’ve never backed down. Never. I don’t care what powers the next guy has, I’m not letting him take one of my friends. Not while I’m still standing.” A sudden wave of nausea hit me, and I stumbled over to sit on the bed.

  “That might have more of an impact if I wasn’t ready to lose my lunch,” I moaned, sitting back.

  “Drink this.” She walked over, inspecting me. She replaced the bandage on my neck and frowned as she inspected my bumps and bruises. She frowned.

  “Huh,” she said, probing a small area near my shoulder. “There’s some kind of strange lump here. Have you always had that?”

  “Pretty much.”

  She shrugged and placed a small cup of tea in front of me, an
d I reeled back the instant I smelled it. The tea smelled like a mixture of fertilizer, compost, and rot.

  “No way,” I returned, sick from the smell of the liquid. “What the hell is it?”

  “It’s a medicinal tea,” Kat answered, her voice flat and calm. “It’s made to help the blood flow, ease fever, dizziness, and eliminate any vampire blood in your system.”

  “I’m sorry, vampire what?”

  “You have to drink a vampire’s blood for him to turn you.”

  “So I’m going to turn into a vampire!” I screamed, edging away from Kat.

  “I have no idea. I wasn’t able to check, and you’re not a reliable witness. So are you going to drink this or am I going to have Remus pin you to the ground while I force it down your throat?”

  I grabbed the foul smelling liquid and downed it in one gulp, wincing as the hot liquid burned down my throat.

  Kat beamed as she poured another cup of tea. “Good. Now have some Earl Grey.”

  “You’re forceful,” I said, sipping from the rosy smelling liquid she served me. “I dig that.”

  “Thank you,” she said, chuckling. “How are you feeling?”

  “Crappy. Why am I crappy? Can’t you use your mojo and get me back to one hundred percent?”

  “Healing isn’t my talent. I know a minor spell that should dull the pain, but your abilities keep fighting me. That’s why you’re not feeling well.”

  “Oh. Well as long as I don’t try to move or breathe, I’m dandy. So who put the hit out on me?”

  “We don’t know, but they want you captured, not killed.”

  “Well that’s good news. The vampire mentioned a guy named Pyrus. Does that name mean anything to you?”

  “It does, although it raises more questions than it answers.”

  “Who is he?”

  “A mercenary, prized for his ability to face supernatural threats. He’s not human, although we have no idea what he is. He never fails to bring in, or take out his quarry.”

  “That should narrow it down. Not too many one percenters can afford a world class assassin.”

  “I’m afraid it doesn’t. He’s dirt cheap. He does it for the thrill of the hunt, not the money. He accepts contracts that he views as a challenge.”

  I snorted. “What challenge? I’m a teenage girl.”

  “I’m not sure. It could be because of your abilities. Physical magic is rare.”

  “I can heal myself, that’s useful if I cut myself cooking, but it’s nothing compared to what you can do.”

  “That’s the tip of the iceberg,” Kat said, waving me off. “If you learn how to use it and if you train yourself, then a whole new world will open to you. You’ll be faster, stronger, and tougher than any human could hope to be. You can do the impossible.”

  “Yeah, sure,” I replied, grimacing. “No offense, but I’ve read about the supernatural, and it all seems…bad.”

  “Bad?” Kat asked, raising her eyebrows.

  “Evil, I guess.”

  “This is from your mom’s journal; I take it.”

  “It is. You read it?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.

  “I skimmed it. You didn’t seem to object at the time.”

  “I was unconscious!”

  “And I was saving your life. You’re welcome. Your mom…had an interesting view of the world, but it was an outsider’s view. She had no idea of the wonder and beauty that the supernatural can hold.”

  “You seem great, and I’m grateful for everything you’ve done. However, since learning about my powers I’ve been beaten, brutalized, and almost sucked dry by a vampire. That’s not beauty; that’s…violence. I guess I can’t see anything else coming out of it.”

  Kat inspected me for a long time, tapping her fingers against the nightstand.

  “We have an indoor garden,” she said. “Would you like to see it?”

  “What?”

  “Come on. Are you up to walking around?”

  “Sure, I guess.” I stood up and followed Kat, doing my best to ignore my shaking legs and the queasiness of my stomach as we walked through the halls. The floors and walls were all the same cherry red wood as the room we left, but each room had its unique decorations. Silver and gold trimmed the length of the floor, each one trailing off and leading different directions. Tapestries lined the walls, each one depicting epic battles, and people waving swords at dragons. A sign was posted at each doorway, composed of two golden orbs surrounded by countless silver, twinkling stars. After what felt like a lengthy hike, Kat pointed me toward an unmarked door and grinned, a strange glow in her eyes.

  “I haven’t worked on it for a few days, so keep that in mind if it’s a little rough.”

  “Okay,” I replied as she opened the door. I gasped the instant I stepped through the threshold. An ash tree stood in the middle of the garden, white as marble, and its branches stretching far into the distance. Grass as green as emeralds covered the floor of the garden, glittering and shining with unseen moisture. Glowing silver orbs floated everywhere. One landed on my hand, and I stroked the strange object. Its hidden fur was as soft as a newborn puppy. I beamed as I walked over to a crystal clear lake along the far wall. I watched as gleaming orange fish burst from the water, soaring like an eagle through the garden before splashing back into the lake.

  “This…I’m…what…” I stammered, struggling for the right words.

  “Neat, huh?” Kat returned, grinning as she leaned against the tree. One of the branches groaned as it swung down to her and handed her a pile of bright, gleaming fruits.

  “I wasn’t sure about the fish at first,” she said, offering me a handful of the berries. “I figured it would be too ostentatious, but it turned out okay.”

  “It's incredible!” I watched in delight as one of them buzzed past me. “How?”

  “Magic isn’t about violence,” she said, motioning for me to sit down. “It can hurt others, but it’s always such a shame when it is. Magic is what’s inside you, down deep inside. If you’re evil than what comes out of you will be evil, and violent. If you’re good, however, you can do some amazing things. You can make the world a beautiful place with the tiniest effort.”

  “So I could make all of this?”

  “No. It’s different for everyone. Asking you to recreate something I’ve done is like asking Michelangelo to reproduce a Picasso. Your magic is who you are. Don’t try to be me, or anyone else for that matter. Be yourself, embrace everything about you and what you can do.”

  “Thanks,” I said, beaming at her. “So you can teach me?”

  “To a point. After a while, you’ll have to find someone with abilities similar to yours. I know someone that would qualify, but…”

  “But what?”

  “He’s an asshole,” Kat admitted.

  “I’ve dealt with those kinds of people before.”

  “Not like this. Still, we can cross that bridge when we come to it. I have a few rules, though.”

  “Alright.”

  “First of all, if I tell you to do something, you do it. No questions, comments, complaints or refusals.”

  “That sounds reasonable.”

  “That includes running.”

  “Agreed.”

  “I don’t think you do,” Kat replied. “The first rule of dealing with any situation is to survive. I need to know that, no matter what, you’re going to live to see tomorrow. Even if that means letting someone die. You are far from ready to deal with the creatures that hide in the dark. Until that day comes, you leave your stay and fight attitude behind.
Understood?”

  “Understood,” I replied. Kat frowned at me, and I held my hands up in defeat. “Fine, I promise.”

  “Good. The second rule is that you need to accept that this won’t happen overnight. You’re taking your first step into a brand new world. Don’t be too hard on yourself if it doesn’t come to you right away.”

  “Sure.”

  “Last, for the foreseeable future, you need to stay in The Mansion.”

  “The Mansion?”

  “It’s what we call this facility. As long as you're in the mansion, you're protected; no one will find you, and no one will hurt you as long as you stay under this roof. If you take one step out that door, though, I guarantee you that something will catch your scent in a matter of hours.”

  “Is it that bad?”

  “It’s worse.”

  “That works for me then.”

  “That’s it. Any questions?”

  “You kept mentioning ‘we’ earlier.”

  “I’m part of a group called the Sentinels. Our job is to protect others from the supernatural.”

  “So you fight monsters?”

  “That's not our only job, but yes. It’s our job to put an end to the creatures who try and prey on the rest of humanity.”

  “That sounds rough.”

  “Some days it is. Some days you wake up screaming from what that you’ve seen and experienced. Other days,” Kat stared at the ceiling, the shimmering lights from the silver creatures dancing in her eyes.

  “Sometimes you get to make a difference,” she finished. “Those are the ones you try and hold onto.”

  “Sounds awesome. How do you become one?”