Origins (A Demonkin Novel)

by Sean Hayden

  "Darenthalis, I can't do it," I called over my shoulder.

  "What do you mean child?"

  "I can't hold the weapon still."

  "Impossible, with your abilities, you should be able to carve your initials in the target’s chest. What's wrong?"

  I didn't like the feeling of the weapon in my hand. It felt strange and alien in my hands and I wanted to drop it. If I could sweat, I would have. I could feel my body start to shake and I wanted to leave the range. I had to do it though; the FBI required marksmanship for graduating the academy. I had to do this, but I didn't have to like it.

  "I'll try again," I said and tried to fire the weapon.

  The first shot went wide of the target by a foot. I could see the bullet as it sped down the range and struck the concrete wall behind the target. I tried to move the gun to the left and fire again with a little better result. The bullet struck the paper target, but not within the figure of the body, just in the white area. Uh oh.

  "Try again, Ashlyn. You can do this," he called from behind me again.

  I had an inspiration. I couldn't hold the gun straight enough to shoot where I wanted to go because the gun felt unnatural in my hands. I knew then I would probably never fire it while working for the FBI, but I had to master it enough to pass the firearms portion of the academy. I let go of the gun with one hand and left it in my right and brought the gun down to my side. I ignored Darenthalis' questions behind me and looked at the target in front of me. I focused in on the center of the targets heart and let the sounds of the range fade away until the target became the center of my universe.

  With a snap I brought the gun up with one hand and fired. The entire action only took a fraction of a second, and I watched the bullet speed down the range and strike the target in the left shoulder. I smiled at the improvement over my last two shots, and I knew I had found a solution. I repeated my action and managed to get a group of shots going in the center of the "man's" chest. I could do this, but I could feel the strain on my body. I could feel my body wanting to be far away from the handgun; like it knew my natural armaments were far superior to the piece of manmade junk in my hand. I felt the urge to leap down the range and shred the paper target with my claws and teeth and I fought it down. I guess fighting an enemy from a distance wasn't going to be an option.

  I pulled the trigger again and the gun clicked empty. I felt relief surge through me and I prayed my target practice had come to an end. My heart sank when I heard the elven instructor behind me tell me to reload. "Shit," I swore under my breath and popped the clip into my hand and slapped it down on the counter to grab a full clip. Without hesitation, I rammed the new clip in my weapon, raised it, and fired. The Glocks weren't automatic weapons, but I made it seem like one. I wanted this over and emptied the clip as fast as I could manage. I pulled the trigger in a blur of motions and tried to be careful not to pull the trigger while the semi-automatic weapon expelled the spent casing and chambered another round. I didn't know what would happen, but I knew jamming the weapon would probably be bad.

  The thirteen rounds tagged the paper target one right after another and all tore through the targets torso. I hoped my best had been good enough. I wondered if I could excuse myself from target practice and just take the competency exam. I set the weapon down on the counter and spun to find Darenthalis staring at me curiously. I thought he might be angry at my automatic weapons fire, but he just looked at me like he felt sorry for me.

  "The gun made you feel uncomfortable didn't it, child?" He removed his protective ear plugs.

  I nodded and did the same. "I can't explain it, I hated even holding it. It wasn't until I loaded the weapon and sighted down the barrel the problem became apparent. When it's unloaded, I can hold it just fine with no problems. I don't know what to do. If I didn't think about it and just fired the weapon I could do it, but my accuracy suffers. On the other hand if I take my time and try to shoot it, I can't do it at all. Am I good enough to pass the test?"

  "You'll never be on the SWAT team, but you're good enough to pass the exam, barely. I'm sorry. I've seen vampires shoot weapons before and be more than highly effective. Maybe it's something you can overcome," he said apologetically.

  "I don't think so. I'll carry a gun if I have to, but I'm telling you right now, if I ever get into a situation where I need it, I'll probably never even reach for it. I'd have more luck throwing a chair or a car at an enemy."

  "I bet you would," he laughed. "Head to the arena, we'll be there for the rest of the night. No administration classes today," he told me, so I made my way while the rest of the agents in training continued to unload their weapons.

  * * *

  I entered the gymnasium followed shortly by Darenthalis and surprisingly enough by Brian, the recruit mage. Darenthalis must have wanted to conclude his little magic experiment before the others arrived. Darenthalis muttered something to Brian and he took his place out on the edge of the blue mat.

  "Face off against Brian if you would Ashlyn. I want to conclude this test as quickly as possible. Brian, please hit the young lady with whatever you've got."

  Brian nodded and turned toward me with an apologetic look on his face. He brought his right hand out to his side and I saw a nimbus of light appear around the edge of his fingers and palm. Where Darenthalis' light had been blue, Brian's burned white. When his hand resembled a miniature sun he brought the hand behind his head and flung it at me with all his strength. The ball of light sped toward me with amazing speed and struck me full in the chest. He had tried so hard, I felt bad for him when it dissipated into nothingness.

  "I both hoped and feared this would happen," Darenthalis spoke solemnly.

  "Does this mean magic can't hurt me?"

  "Not directly, no. A mage could destroy something around you, and cause harm by doing so, but any spell cast directly at your body seems to be reflected or absorbed. I can see no shield around you, so I think it is a natural talent of your body. I can deflect spells, but only if I cast a shield around me first. Count your blessings child, for it would seem you have many."

  "Thank you, Darenthalis. I will."

  The rest of the recruits came in behind Walker and we trained for hand to hand combat again. I ended up paired off with Rose. Didn't Darenthalis just say something about counting my blessings? She seemed a little perturbed about something, and I couldn't imagine what. Once again I had done nothing to the dark girl, and yet she still had issues with me.

  I let my mind wander as she kept striking at me trying to find a weakness in my defense. I hadn't even tried to take the offensive. She attacked inhumanly fast, but the speed of a werewolf couldn't compare to that of a vampire. I moved to block her attack and struck too quickly. One of my talons grazed her cheek, causing a bright line of blood to appear from her left ear down to her mouth. I started to apologize when I saw her eyes. They had changed from brown to a glowing yellow, and a snarl of challenge burst from her mouth.

  "Rose, I'm sorry," I stammered, but she started moving toward me. "Rose, I didn't do it on purpose," I started again, but she wasn't listening. I saw her jump and in midair her body tore itself to pieces. Blood and other fluids rained down and a half wolf, half human form collided with me. She had changed to fight me and I now had a seven and a half foot tall werewolf on top of me.

  Her muzzle stopped inches from my face as she tried to bite my throat. Drool and foamed spittle drizzled down on my face and while I'm not squeamish, it wasn't pleasant. I held her shaggy head back by the throat with one hand and didn't know what to do with the other. I looked around and saw Agent Walker trying to come and break up the fight, but Darenthalis held him back by the arm. Apparently I got myself into this mess and they had left it up to me to dig my way out.

  I did the only thing I could think of. I tucked both legs up to my chest and braced my feet against Rose's belly. I surprised myself when I hurled her off of me and into the far wall. She hit with a sickening thud and fell to the floor. I thought the f
ight was over, so I turned and started walking towards Walker to tell him what had happened.

  I felt her jaws close down on my neck before I heard her move. She had me from behind so there was little I could do. I had a five hundred pound werewolf with my neck in her mouth, and the only thing keeping her from biting my head off was the two hands I had gripping her muzzle. I may be a vampire, but I doubted I could live through the separation of my head from my neck. Healing the wounds I already had would probably be a bitch.

  I had never really fought before, so I let my body take over and relied on survival instinct. Her massive strength had pulled my feet from the floor, and I dangled from her maw like a torn chew toy. I could feel my own blood pouring out of the wounds in my neck and soaking my shirt. Instinct took over and I swung my legs over her head as my arms wrapped around her head. It finally gave me enough leverage to pull my neck free, but not before severing some serious tendons, arteries, and veins. The blood poured freely now, but I wasn't in danger of being decapitated. I released her head and wrapped my arms around her thick neck and dug my talons in to compound my hold. Now I knew what their purpose in my genetic makeup served. Genetics had designed me to eat monsters and had given me the perfect utensils.

  I felt my body getting weaker by the moment from the sheer amount of blood flowing from my wounds. The hunger reared itself and I bit down on the side of her neck. I felt the blood flow thick and hot into my mouth and felt my wounds closing by themselves. I could feel the strength returning to my hands and legs and I clutched her tighter. I felt my arms begin to twist her neck and I stopped myself from breaking her vertebrae. I didn't know if it would kill her, but I figured I would get into a little bit of trouble if I did.

  I drank enough to lull her into unconsciousness and I felt her stop fighting against me. I released her neck from my powerful jaws and lowered her to the ground. I could hear her breathing so I knew I hadn't gone too far, but I had been damn close. I hadn't wanted to stop feeding and I did want to break her neck, but I couldn't bring myself to kill her.

  I felt Walkers' hands encircle my upper arms as he pulled me away from Rose. I didn't fight him and the battle rage had left me. I found myself cool and calm, like I had observed rather than participated. I had probably just ended my short stint as an FBI agent, but she had attacked me and I defended myself. I felt a little pride that I hadn't killed the stuck up bitch, and a little sorry I hadn't.

  "I've called Doctor Gibbs, lie down. I've got to stop the bleeding," he yelled into my ear.

  I turned and gave him a "what are you talking about" look. I ran my hands over my neck and expected to find a mass of raw meat, but my skin had healed itself that fast. It remained slick with blood, but still in one piece. I rotated my head and found no hindering from torn tendons and ligaments. "I'm fine," I told him.

  He looked at me and tilted my neck to inspect it closer. He pulled back with a look of surprise on his face and let me go. "Sit down at least and try to look like you've just been attacked by a werewolf. I'm going to have the doctor check you out anyway."

  I sat down on the blood covered mat and looked over at Rose. Who in the hell would name such a bitch after a beautiful flower? I gasped when I saw she had shifted back into human form and lay prone on her side. Her back faced away from me and I stared at her naked flesh. I blushed a little at the nudity. The wound I had torn on her neck remained, but it wasn't bleeding much. I focused my vision and could see the wound knitting together as I watched. It wasn't nearly as fast as I healed, but still impressive.

  Doctor Gibbs came in like a whirlwind. He had rolled a stretcher with him and brought a large man in a white shirt and pants as well. He must be a nurse or something I thought. He looked at me sitting there covered in blood and then at the prone form of my roommate. I could tell he didn't know which person (or bitch) to treat first. I made the decision for him and nodded at Rose. He smiled quickly and told the nurse to bring the stretcher over to the other patient.

  He examined the wound and placed some gauze and antiseptic over the injury on her neck and rolled her over onto her back. I watched with little interest as he checked her vitals and began an IV drip in her arm.

  "You fought brilliantly, child." I heard Darenthalis from behind me.

  "I fought brilliantly? I almost got killed, and I almost killed her. I don't think brilliantly is the word you're looking for Darenthalis," I retorted with a little snort.

  "The only error you made happened when you turned your back on a werewolf. She didn't like you from the start. As you left the firing range I saw her smile as you failed to be better at her for the first time since you both started your training. This academy is not set up to be a competition between recruits, but she saw it as such. With the exception of firearms, you do seem to have a knack for everything. She sees how fast you are and how strong you are and knows she can't compete and it is hard for someone to swallow who is used to being stronger and faster than everyone else."

  I sat and digested his observations. I hadn't known, nor had I been paying attention. I wish somebody had told me, and then Walkers little speeches about showing off came back to me. I must have groaned a little because Darenthalis laid a hand on my shoulder even with the blood and all still covering me.

  "I must admit, child, I used you a little. She has her flaws, but she has the makings of a great agent. There is nothing I could do about her inflated sense of self importance. The only remedy for superiority is humility. We could have stopped the fight before it started, and a wiser man wouldn't have paired the two of you together tonight, but what happened couldn't have been better. By all rights, we could expel her from the program, and if you wish it, we will comply, but I think she has learned the hardest lesson of all. No matter how tough you are there is always a chance you will come across someone tougher and stronger than you are," he said and smiled at me. I could tell he hoped I would take the lesson to heart as well. I did.

  "Come, child, let's get you cleaned up," he continued and helped me to my feet. He walked me all the way to the dorm room doors and asked if I would be alright on my own. He nodded as I said yes and turned and went back to the gymnasium to clean the rest of the damage. I stopped at my room and retrieved my toiletries and a change of clothes and showered for the second time in one night. I let the water wash away the troubles and the blood until even my nose couldn't smell it on me anymore. I went back to my room and locked the door. I didn't cry, but I wanted to.

  Chapter 12

  The next few weeks flew by like a blur. Rose came back from the infirmary the next day and Walker moved her to a different room. She didn't protest and neither did I. She never said anything to me after the incident, or I to her. She became very polite after too and I don't think she hated me; I just wasn't going to expect a birthday card anytime soon.

  The rest of my training I spent sequestered from the rest of the class. I had no need to continue with practice on the firing range, nor the hand to hand exercises. Instead, I worked one on one with Darenthalis learning weapons with names I had never even heard of. I also spent a lot of time learning mundane things like investigative techniques, legal, ethics, interrogation, and forensic science. They helped me overcome another problem as well. Since I had lived my whole life secluded from the world, I had no high school diploma. They made me take an equivalency exam which I passed easily. Walker himself gave me my certificate with a smile. It seemed to be a fatherly expression of pride rather than anything else. Damn.

  At the end of the third week I finally heard back from Doctor Gibbs. Walker knocked on my door at sunset and told me to double time it over to medical. I swallowed the lump which had somehow lodged itself in my throat and left immediately. I wanted to get over there as soon as possible, so I looked around the quad and saw no one. I moved so fast if anyone had been there to witness my breaking of the rules, they wouldn't have seen me anyway.

  I passed through the double doors leading to Gibbs office and knocked on his open door. He sat
at his desk with his nose buried deep in a file folder. Nervousness must have been evident on my face, because he smiled and motioned me to come in. I crossed the threshold and walked across the carpeted room. I pulled out one of the chairs set before his desk and sat. "I've got good news and bad news," he started and then laughed. I wanted to hit him. "All the results are in, including DNA and the MRI. Guess what. You're a vampire."

  It hit me right in the heart. I had subconsciously accepted the fact a few weeks ago, but to hear the Doctor say it became something else completely. "I don't understand," I said automatically.

  "What don't you understand?"

  "How is this possible? Vampires aren't born, they make other vampires through their bite," I said exasperatedly.

  "I'll give you a scientific answer. I don't know. What I do know is you share chromosomal traits of homo cruentus dominus, but there's more. Some of the data is very confusing, and a lot of what I'm going to share with you is mere speculation, but it is the best I can do. Homo sapiens have twenty-three pairs of chromosomes as most people know. Vampires are a little different. I checked three times and Vampires are broken down into several subspecies. We'll go up the food chain," he paused and pulled out some notes. "Homo cruentus dementus, or revenants, have the base twenty-three pairs, but this is where they differ. Instead of gaining an extra pair, they gain only one chromosome. It's probably why they are mindless feeding machines and it's still legal to shoot them on sight. Next is homo cruentus Informis, or nosferatu. They end up with a complete extra pair of chromosomes giving them forty-eight, or twenty-four pairs," he said and paused to make sure I followed his logic.