by Elle Jasper
“Nicely done if I do say so myself, Poe,” says Riggs. He casually leans an elbow against my shoulder. “Couldn’t have done a better job. That blade in the eye thing—” He produced an exaggerated shudder. “Sick, Poe. Truly sick.”
I slide a glance sideways. “Glad to amuse,” I say, and am at least glad he’s stopped calling me babe. Then I shoot a quick look beside me. Eli stands, wordlessly. Scowling. I’m pretty sure that translates into Are you okay but he doesn’t say it. Instead, he inclines his head. “Let’s get out of here.” I know Eli battles within himself to keep from overprotecting me. It’s a good move on his part. He shows his faith by allowing me to round the train cars alone. I’d probably just get pissed off if he nagged me, and he knows I’m getting fed up with the overprotection. Maybe he’s chilling after all.
We comb the rest of the train yard and find nothing out of the ordinary. Of course, newlings aren’t going to be traipsing around with their fangs out and pupils all red and freaky. They’re hiding. Waiting. Watching from the shadows.
And in the dark corners of Savannah, there are plenty of pickings for the newlings.
Through the back streets of Garden City we run. Garden City, in all its stinky sulfur-from-the-paper-mill glory, is an industrial town just outside of Savannah. It’s still in Chatham County, but honestly—it ain’t purty. Okay, I take that back. The nature reserve just outside the city limits is pretty cool. Lots of alligators and low-country wildlife. I haven’t been back there in a while, though. No telling what you might find now.
Even the gators might be in hiding.
The night air, salty with a tinge of sulfur, washes over my face as I run. My muscles stretch, my lungs expand, and for a split second I feel invigorated. Alive.
Then that nagging weird feeling comes over me and that split-second euphoria evaporates. I’m just running on instinct now, half-ass following Eli. Like a robot. A vampire-slaying robot.
Eli runs just ahead of me and he darts down an alley in a dark subdivision behind Piggly Wiggly. Kinda difficult to speak of something dangerous and hideous as a bloodsucking newling and say the words Piggly Wiggly at the same time. Oxymoron, almost. Still. It is what it is.
“Look there,” Riggs says, and points over my shoulder. “At three in the morning it’s never a good thing to see a group of kids huddled against a wall down a dead-end street.”
I glance at him. He merely lifts his dark brows.
“You got anything, Riley?” Eli asks without looking at me. I know what he wants from me. His eyesight kicks ass, but my other senses are better.
Closing my eyes, I draw in a deep inhalation and let the particles settle against my tongue. I do it again. My eyes pop open and search the canopy of oaks lining the old street a few blocks ahead. “Up there.”
“How many?” Riggs asks.
“Four,” I respond. I can detect each separate scent of the newlings. I can even tell their sex. “Three males, one female.” They’re hunting the humans on the street below.
“Let’s split,” I say, and glance at Eli. I can immediately tell he hates that idea. Again. “Less chance of one of them slipping through and getting to the humans,” I add. “You know it’s the only way.” I quickly check myself. I say humans as if I’m no longer part of the species. Weird.
Eli mutters something under his breath—in French—and gives a short nod. The thing about Eligius Dupré when searching for newlings? He’s all business until the business is done. He knows what we have to do and will do it, even if he hates it. Like now.
“Riggs, you take the ledge,” Eli says, and points to the rooftop adjacent to the huddled humans. “Riley, you get the house next door,” he inclines his head, “and I’ll take the rooftop behind them. Wait for my signal. We don’t want to have to fight the humans and the newlings at once.”
I wait no longer. I nod and slip into the shadows and in three effortless leaps am on top of the roof next to where the humans stand against the wall. I glance over and notice Riggs is already in place. I can’t see Eli but I am sure he’s exactly where he said he would be. The night is stony still. Not a single breeze blowing now and the heartbeats of five humans resonate in my ears. The humans’ low, muttered mumbling sounds like a clan of monks chanting. The thumping begins to jumble in my head, run together, confuses me. I have to shut my eyes for a moment, breathe. Concentrate and push the sporadic beats aside and focus on what’s in front of me. I’m having trouble, though. Almost as if something is already inside my head, taking up all the extra room I have. I shake my head to clear my thoughts, and try harder to focus again.
A moment later, Eli is bounding off his rooftop. Despite the confusion in my head, I keep my eyes on Eli. He’s crouching now. He lunges. I follow. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Riggs do the same.
We are now all together in the canopy of live oaks. I never was a tree climber but damn if I’m one now. I’m closest to the female so I take her first. She has short spiky black hair with red tips. Her eyes narrow to slits when she sees me, the pinpoint red pupils all but glow.
“Look what’s come to visit,” the female says out loud. Through the darkness I see the other pairs of eyes staring at me. Good. They’re so fixated on me that they don’t see Eli and Riggs.
“Back off, Seline,” one of the males says. “I’d like a little piece of that fine ass before you rip her heart out.”
Seline hisses. I roll my eyes.
Take the female down and get out of here, Eli says inside my head. I don’t hesitate—he and Riggs have my back. I simply wait my turn. It comes pretty damn fast.
The female’s quick—and goddamn strong. She grabs my throat and pins me against the rough bark. I’m distracted by something. Sounds. A particular sound, and I hear it all around me.
It’s blood rushing through veins.
“You look scared, bitch,” the female said, close to my face. “I like that.”
“Yeah, I bet you do,” I say, my fingers wrapping around the hilt of my silver. Quickly, I bury the blade into her heart. Her eyes widen and she begins to convulse. Problem is, she still has me by the throat. She falls to the ground. I go down with her. After slamming against the spindly branches of the oak, the she-vamp’s body hits the sidewalk. Mine hits right beside her. Unable to help it, I let out an umph.
Shit.
The low murmurings of the humans totally cease for several seconds, then picks back up, grows louder, frantic, and as I stand, I glance over. They’ve, of course, spotted us, although I’m pretty sure they have no clue what’s actually going on. But since they’re up to something illegal anyway, they take one look at the body shaking on the cracked pavement beside me and strut right on over. A string of swear words floats through the crisp, still air, accompanied by idiotic laughter and the heady scent of Mary Jane. They haul ass in different directions. Damn, if they only knew that their high, pot-smoking butts have just been spared. Freaking idiots.
A body is thrown to the ground not four feet away. A male, convulsing. My eyes fix on his face, contorted, his jaw unhinged, fangs jagged and long. Nothing elegant about these guys—at least not in the Hollywood sense. His limbs contract, his body pulls into itself and for a moment—a solid split second—he looks at me. Those red pupils fix on mine. Pleading, almost. I look away, sickened. By what, I’m not sure. By what he’d become? Or by what I do to them now? Eli appears behind me, and Riggs drops from the tree.
Eli grabs my arm. “You okay?” he asks, and doesn’t wait for an answer. He checks me over, his eyes studying my body intensely.
“Yeah,” I answer, pulling my arm back. “I’m fine, Eli. Seriously.” I’m not, though, and it’s anything but the few feet I fell from the tree. That’s nothing. Didn’t even hurt.
I’m distracted, though. Something’s pulling me in all directions and I’m having a helluva time ignoring it. Part of it’s the constant killing. Yeah, I know they’re bloodsucking vamps. But they weren’t always and it bothers me. Go figure. Riley Poe with a
conscience. For some reason, I keep it all to myself. I don’t want anyone knowing of my weaknesses, I guess. Besides, I can handle it. I can handle me.
Eli’s glare tells me he knows I’m bullshitting him. But I know he can’t dig in my mind anymore and I let him stew. “Let’s go,” I say, and begin to move up the sidewalk. “We still have to hit the industry park before we meet the others.” I adjust my blades and continue on. There’s hesitancy, but Eli follows. Riggs falls in behind us.
The industrial park is tall concrete pillars and steel buildings. All is quiet; happy to report not a single drop of blood or vampire dust is shed. Riggs is a little miffed about it, and I’m starting to think he digs the slaying a little too much. It takes us all of eight minutes to split up and scour the park. I use my senses to lead me, and thankfully they lead me nowhere. As I slip through the shadows, I inhale. Listen. Still, nothing unusual.
It’s close to four a.m. I’m making the last turn before I circle back to meet the others when the feeling hits me. Almost…a sensation, and one that begins to crawl up my spine and spread through my arms, fingers, and over my face. A muffled thump-thump resonates within me. It sounds far off, almost as if in a tunnel. I feel myself moving toward it. The sound pulls me, and the faster I move, the stronger the beat.
The heartbeat.
Then, I see her.
I stop in my tracks and ease against a brick wall, pressing my back against its scratchy surface until I blend in with the shadows and overhanging moss. With each beat that resounds within me, another sensation stirs. A craving. A desire so strong it makes my jaws ache, my stomach ping, and my breathing slow way down. Through hooded eyes I watch her. With the streetlamp casting a glow against her skin I see her perfectly. She has a slight build and shoulder-length red hair, and wears glasses. She sits on a bench, alone, crying. I pause.
Go to her, Riley. She has what you desire. What you need. You can see she no longer wants life. She weeps because her heart’s been shattered. You can comfort her. Do it…
I turn my head to the left, then right. No one there. The voice, I realize, is in my head. Urging me. I want it to stop so badly, I cup my ears with my hands. It doesn’t work though. The voice continues.
Go to her. Do not hesitate or she’ll get away. This is your chance, Riley Poe. Listen with not your ears but your being. Her life force rushing through her with each beat. You know you want it. Soon you’ll realize you need it. It will satisfy that unquenchable thirst. You have it, don’t you Riley? A thirst that no drink can quench. A hunger no food can satisfy. She can help you. It will tame the darkness growing inside of you. Do it now, Riley Poe…
“No,” I whisper out loud, but it’s a weak whisper. The girl’s heartbeat becomes louder, my senses homing in on everything that creates it. With each thump-thump that echoes through my body, desperation builds within me until it reaches such a pitch, I brace myself against the wall to keep from sliding to the sidewalk. I…want it. Need it. Something pulses inside of me, driving me forward.
Yes, that’s right. You’re weakening, aren’t you, Riley Poe? Save yourself. Go to her…
My insides are on fire now—a burning that feels as though no amount of water will extinguish the flames. With my stare fixed on the girl, I move slowly forward and silently toward her.…
“There you are,” Riggs says. “Been looking for you. Eli’s on fire, so heads up.”
My eyes focus on Riggs. “What do you mean?” I ask.
Riggs shrugs, and the light from a nearby post gleams off his dark hair. “He’s run around the industrial park twice looking for you.”
Shooting a quick glance left and right, I turn my gaze back to Riggs. Confusion muddles my brain. “I…was right here all along.”
Riggs walks closer and peers at me with a questioning look. “You okay, babe?” he says, ducking his head and inspecting my face. “You look kinda funny.”
I feel a little spacey, light-headed, but I don’t confess it. “Yeah, you always look kinda funny. Where’s Eli?”
“Where’ve you been?” Eli says, suddenly beside me.
I look up into his penetrating stare. In the darkness his eyes all but glow. “Thought I saw something. I came right back here.”
As if weighing my words, Eli studies me. Concern pinches his brows together and it’s a look that happens more frequently now. “You didn’t see anything then?” he asks.
“No.” I don’t know what I saw. Everything is a blur to me now.
Eli pulls me against him with one arm and presses his lips to my temple. “Let’s go,” he says quietly. “It’ll be dawn soon.” His cell vibrates, and he pulls it out of his pocket and lifts it to his ear. “Yeah. We were just leaving. Be there in fifteen.”
With a quick glance at Riggs, then me, Eli takes off. We both fall in behind him. Crossing Highway 21 at the side exit of the industrial park, we slip behind an old run-down oil and lube and hit the woods behind it. We reach the train yard within minutes, find the Jeep and climb in. Eli drives. From my peripheral vision, I can see he silently watches me. I know he’s worried—I am too. I feel like something’s missing, as if I fell asleep and woke up hours later. As we pull onto the service road, I rest my head and stare at the scenery as it flashes by. Quickly, we make our way to Bay Street, then hit Whitaker and take the squares slowly. We see nothing out of the ordinary. When Eli pulls into a parking space next to Forsyth Park, the others are there, waiting. The sun is a thin golden crack, edging through the clouds overhead, and the light surrounding us is hazy. A slight mist hangs low to the ground. Riggs leaps from the back seat over the edge of the Jeep. I use the door.
Seth immediately comes to me. “You okay?” he asks, carefully watching me, inspecting my face, my eyes.
“I’m fine, bro,” I lie. “Glad the night’s over though. I’m exhausted.”
He nods and drapes an arm over my shoulder. “I think I could eat fifty Krystals by myself.”
I glance sideways at him. “That has nothing to do with your tendencies, Seth Poe. You could manage that before.”
My brother grins at me, and just seeing his warm, smiling face settles me somewhat.
“Anything unusual?” Phin asks. He’s talking to Eli, but looking at me.
“Just your average cocky newlings,” Eli responds. “Mostly male, a few females. All youth.”
“Same with us,” Luc says, and moves to stand next to me. “Zetty nearly got his ass beaten by a female.”
I glance at Zetty. He merely growls.
“There’s a place down on the Vernon,” Josie says, leaning against Phin’s truck. She has her hair pulled back into a single braid. “Don’t forget about that.”
“That’s right,” Phin says. The hazy early-morning light blends with the porcelain smoothness of his perfect features, which stand in contrast to the darkened area on his jaw that would be a beard, if he let it grow out. “An old dock house. Pretty big. Looks like several have been staying there.”
“I could smell them,” Josie says, and squinches her nose. “Newlings stink.” She regards me silently, her mouth tilts into a grin.
“You should’ve seen Riley,” Riggs brags. “She pulls this wicked-sick leg lock around this newling’s neck.” He throws a proud smile at me. “Kick ass.”
“Then you should watch it, worm,” warns Luc, who gives me a wink.
Traffic begins to move more frequently past the park, and Eli walks over to me. “Ready to go?” he asks.
“Yeah,” I say, and I mean it. “I’m tired.”
“Later, guys,” Eli says, and we get into the Jeep. Seth walks me around to my side.
“I’ll see ya later, okay?” he says, and gives me a quick hug. “I’m not too tired and we’re going to work on our project for a while.” Seth inclines his head to Josie.
Josie shrugs. “My mother loves to give us school projects. You know, like for science. I think she has us making a volcano soon. And a constellation mobile. I’ve made too many to count in the past but s
he loves them, even if they sound a little young. I’ve even asked if we can do something cool, like dissect a cow’s eyeball or something. No go. But we’ll study several things with the microscope.”
I nod. “Sounds good. Catch you guys later,” I say.
We all part ways; Eli and I head back to Inksomnia.
As we drive through Savannah’s squares, even the annoying sounds of traffic—horns blowing, people shouting, and somewhere close by, a jackhammer—none of it is able to keep my eyes open. My lids feel heavy, and they drift shut. The sounds around me, even the wind, extinguish. I vaguely recall my body being lifted and carried indoors. Next thing I know, the world around me is pitch black, and I’m dead to everything except the sound of my sluggish heartbeat.
It’s nighttime, and darkness envelops me. Not just the physical lack of sun, but inside of me is dark, also. As I walk along the sidewalk, it consumes me. I’m like a cat, always on alert to catch something unsuspecting off guard. Play with it for a while. Sink my teeth into it. Kill it.
What? What the hell was that? I stop in midtracks and look around. The street is empty except for the Savannah Yellow Cab that is parked a few blocks away. The oaks loom overhead; the Spanish moss hangs like wispy gray hair, matted and knotty. Shadows surge from the corners of yards and aged brick homes. I like the darkness, and I like the shadows even more. Menace. That’s what I feel. But why?