by KD Bond
Closing her eyes, Asia conjured up her gift from the murky depth of her soul, feeling the darkness surround her. Once she opened her eyes again, Asia didn’t need to see her reflection to know her eyes were solid black. The unnatural sight caused the vamp to freeze in horror.
Releasing her powers on the vampire at her feet, Asia waited patiently for her gift to begin. The harpy knew the moment the darkness reached her enemy. His magical blue eyes turned the color of the gloomiest night as his silent screams of terror fought desperately to escape.
Kneeling before her prey once more, Asia used her nails to unbind the vampire. As he laid paralyzed by the darkness that slowly began to eat his soul. Asia ran her hands down the side of his face as tears of anguish ran unchecked down the vampire’s silky skin. Crouched, with her elbows on her knees, Asia pulled back on her gift just enough to hear the torture come through. And the bloodsucker did not disappoint. The vamps pain would echo around her home for days. And yet, the fun was just beginning.
Chapter Seventeen
Luke entered his empty, spacious, condo after yet another uneventful night at Phantom. He'd been to the lucrative club almost every night, for the past couple of nights, wishing, hoping that he’d see her. Yet his mystery woman didn’t show. And Luke waited every single night glancing at the entrance for her to walk through.
Luke just wanted to see the vixen in those long black leather boots, with those heels made of sin. Luke should’ve given up, but he was determined to find her. The siren made him feel alive, more alive than he’d ever felt in the past few years of his life. With just one night she made Luke forget about his awkwardness and his recent tragedies. He needed to feel her touch if only to hold her, just one more time. Luke needed to do what it took to get her out of his mind. But it didn’t look like that was going to happen.
Luke pulled his suede jacket off and tossed it over his creme colored bar stool. Settling in, Luke went to pour himself a drink when his phone vibrated. Looking at the screen he saw it was just Justin, so he answered.
"Hey man, what’s up?" Justin quizzed, "you made it in?"
"Yeah, I’m home."
"Oh, good. You got kinda buzzed tonight."
"I only had three or four drinks, Justin." Rolling his eyes, Luke took a drink from his glass.
"Yeah, I know, two or three are past your normal. I was worried you might have had too many," his friend paused, "is it the girl?"
Using his index finger and thumb, Luke rubbed the bridge of his nose. Luke wished his friend didn’t know him so well. Justin knew the reasons he kept going back to the club. Luke never really wanted to go to Phantom until her, but he never said as much. Luke only went because Justin and Casey loved the place. And they were two of his closest friends. Luke liked staying in, but now and then wanted to hang out. So, he went with little complaint.
"No Justin it’s not the girl. I just wanted to get out. Roman’s been riding my ass lately. So I just needed to get out before I exploded."
"Yeah, I get that," another pause, "it’s just Casey thinks you’ve.... changed."
Hmph, translation, “Luke doesn’t follow behind me like a lost little puppy” anymore. And how could he? After a taste of his red temptress, blonds didn’t do it for him anymore. Once the attraction died, Luke realized he wasn’t so much in love with Casey as he was the idea of her.
"Does she now?" Pulling out his barstool, Luke took a seat and leaned back, swirling his liquor. “I really could care less about how she feels, my friend.”
"To be frank, me either. I never liked hanging with her. I only did it for you. I knew you liked her, so I never really said anything. But full disclosure, Casey’s a bitch. And I don’t like calling women out their names, but she is. So glad you finally see that shit too."
"Yeah, I know, somethings you have to learn on your own though. But hey, J man listen, I’m about to turn in. I’ll see you Monday, okay."
"Yeah my man, goodnight."
"Goodnight."
Luke tossed his phone on the bar and continued to drink away his hopes of ever seeing his redhead again. New York was a big state. People were always coming and going, traveling, tourist, she could be anywhere. It was apparent Luke would never see her again, yet all week he had hoped that that wouldn’t be the case. Maybe she just forgot to leave her number and was hoping he would come back to the club too. Luke knew he was a sap, but he didn’t care.
It was time to get over that one night and get his life back on track. Luke hadn’t been focused on his work as he should, and numbers were starting to fail because of incorrect data. Obvious mistakes even his boss were picking up on. Luke’s work was vital to him. He couldn’t keep letting his work suffer because of a nameless face. It was time to get his priorities back in line. And the first step was staying far away from Phantom.
Chapter Eighteen
BOOM!!!! What the fuck was that?
Kat crouched on the side of a disfigured wall in an abandoned building on the outside of town. BOOM!!! Were these bastards throwing fuckin grenades? Boom!!! Boom!!! Boom!!!! Seriously, their throwing fuckin grenades.
Shuffling to the side, she hid next to a whittled down file cabinet as a “click, click, click” sounded beside her. Peeking around the filing cabinet, Kat saw a little silver ball emerged right next to her hiding spot. Yep, these bastards were throwing grenades.
Kat darted out off the wall as fast as she could. Firing off rounds of bullets as the explosion ignited at her back. She found an empty room with a busted-out window and somersaulted through the opening. Kat landed smoothly on the balls of her feet, back against the wall, guns raised.
Where the hell was Sia? The female better not have gotten herself killed or Sky was going to be pissed. Kat darted behind a fallen metal table. Setting the alert device on her watch, Kat waited for a response from big sis as bombs continued to go off around her. It took forever for the little red light to flash. The signal notified Kat Sia was still alive somewhere in the building.
It’d been three weeks since their boss let Kat, and Sia know the big boys in the phantom world were coming for them. And it took no time for them to realize that they were being hunted. Kill one vampire king, and the underworld went bananas. Kat was beginning to think that her boss was exaggerating. But as she ducked out of the way of yet another grenade, Kat figured, maybe the boss lady was on to something.
Boom!!!!!!! Urrrghh okay, the explosives were getting old. Did they not have any other tricks? They were taking “by any means necessary” too far. Usually, phantoms weren’t interested in drawing attention to themselves in the human world. But these fuckers didn’t care how much noise they made, as long as they came back to their master with bodies. Noise be damned.
Hell, she guessed going after the Knights was a smart move. If they got rid of them, problem solved. The world would be theirs to control, and humans couldn’t do a damn thing to stop them. Besides maybe firing off nukes. But where would that get them? The creatures would just run back to the phantom realm. And since the Phantom world was another dimension between worlds, they’d be safe. Immortals would return when the world was in turmoil and rule. And the Knights couldn’t let that happen. Kat wouldn’t let that happened. But she had to find a way around the bombs and out of this building first.
They wouldn’t survive long if this pile of bricks came crashing down on top of them. Kat was strong, but there were some things, even a harpy couldn’t escape. And getting crushed by a ton of bricks and cement was one of them.
Kat felt her phone buzz in her back pocket as she looked through the chaos for an escape route. Who the fuck would be calling at such an ungodly hour? She answered, screaming over the noise the bombs and gunshots were making. Firing off random rounds out of the open window; Kat fumbled trying to answer the phone with one hand as her gun was in the other.
"WHAT?!!!"
"We’ve got to get out of here. The building is about to go," Sia yelled over the explosions.
“Sia?! Oh, hey
girl what’s up, just kidding. You think?!" Kat yelled sarcastically, reloading her clips as she balanced the phone between her cheek and shoulder.
"Look, we need to draw them out to the lake around back."
They needed to get a better communication system if they were to work together. Kat slammed the clip into Gretel, cocked it back and holstered it again at her thigh.
"I’m all ears."
"I’m going to light this bitch on fire. We have maybe thirty seconds to get the hell out of dodge before the building comes crashing down."
Man, Kat loved her sister's mind. Go up in a blaze of glory, huh? And the lake, why didn’t she think of that?
"I’m ready whenever you are, sister mine."
With those parting words, she hung up and waited to see red. Breathing deep, Kat looked for the best exit, which unfortunately was back through the window she came. There wasn’t much she could do about finding another alternative. Because a few seconds later, Kat saw flames were beginning to spread. Not taking another moment to think, she took off across the room, jumping through the shattered glass window.
Taking a costly pause, Kat shifted around searching for another clean exit out of the building. A piercing pain hit her shoulder, and she turned around in enough time to dodge the bullet coming for her head.
Kat found cover and checked her wound. It was a clean shot through and through. The harpy would have to patch it later, but for now, she’ll live.
Feeling their enemies close in, Kat dashed out of the only viable exit, which was a glass window to her left. Tucking her arm over her face, she shattered the glass as her body barreled through the lens. Turning in midair, Kat let off rounds as her assailant followed her lead.
The ground swiftly hit her back. Kat tucked and backflipped over a boulder. The building collapsed in a heap a few seconds after she escaped. Ducking, with her back towards the rock, Kat cast her eyes around. She wanted to make sure no human police were signaled by the dismantling of the building. Looking into the open night, Kat was pleased to see they were still alone. Aside from the demon hunters behind the rock, waiting for her to step out so they could pull her apart.
Where was... Sia dropped down in a crouch beside her; placing her back to the boulder as well. Briefly glancing in each other’s direction, they nodded then stepped out from behind the rock to face their opponents. Kat took a mental note of the five demon fighters. Considering there were a total of eight in the building. Three must-have fallen in the structure, but she would keep her guard up just in case they survived.
"Looks like things are just heating up, huh boys?!" Kat shouted to the five guard dogs dressed in all black ninja suits, horns out, faces covered. It looks like the demon prince wanted blood, theirs specifically. Unfortunately for him, the blood he would receive wouldn’t be their own.
"Let’s play, bitches."
Kat took off towards the river with Sia by her side. She looked back briefly to make sure the goon squad was gullible enough to follow them. They were. Kat smiled.
"I’m on the roof!"
Sia hopped high on the buildings beside them. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop disappearing into the night. Kat used her strength to propel her forward with a swiftness the guards couldn’t track. Knowing they were better off on the ground, they decided to follow her instead of perusing Sia. Thinking as the mind of her enemy, it was five against one. And that’s what they were betting their lives on.
Gradually slowing down, as Kat came close to the lake, she made a one-eighty. Kat walked backward to face the hunters with her hands raised. Glancing around with mock confusion on her face, Kat steadily backed into the lake.
As her assailants started to close in, Kat could practically hear them salivating behind their masks. The prospects of running back to their master with a Knight’s head was within their grasp. But that wasn’t going to happen. Not tonight anyway. Continuing the charade, so the bullies would let their guard down Kat thrust her arms out in defeat.
"What? You just left me?" Kat screamed, "how could you?! I can’t beat them all by myself, damn you." She threw a mock fist in the air for dramatic effect.
Oh yeah, they were probably smiling now. They started inching closer and closer, drawing out the swords at their backs. Kat threw up her hands up, palms out as she stepped further into the lake.
"Please don’t hurt me," Kat begged, throwing in a few fake tears. And they kept slowly approaching her with their blades drawn in her direction.
"Look I didn’t mean to kill your buddies. I mean, they were trying to kill me first after all. Fairs, fair." More backing into the river. They were all almost knee-deep now.
"What does your prince pay you? I’ll double it. C’mon, I’m loaded. You could all work for me."
They didn’t falter a step, as they all emerged in the water, red eyes twinkling with promised death. Damn loyal bastards, that honor would be their demise. What a pity. Following that miserable, self-centered asshole signed their death warrant.
Sia took that moment to drop down off the roof behind them. Kat’s twin drew a flaming line in the grass blocking the exit out of the lake. Their opponents peered at the flames and turned back around.
"C’mon, guys. You didn’t think it would be that easy, hmm." Kat gave them her favorite murderous smile that flashed small fangs.
"You may work for the prince of darkness, but we work for the boogeyman. And that crazy bitch will have a heart attack if we lose. So, we never lose."
Kat threw her head towards the sky, drawing up that oh so familiar electric current from the depth of her core. Pulling the lightning from the storm her gift created, Kat conjured the bolt; allowing the magnificent blue streak come racing towards her body. The beautiful flash coursed through her system, then out the tips of her fingers. Kat looked like a lightning bug, all lit up and glowing, but she didn’t care. This feeling was what she was born for, breed for. And she loved it.
With one last screeching roar, Kat lit the lake up like a Christmas tree. The flashing blue sheet hurtled over the lake like a cover. Instantly engulfing their victims in her electrical current. Kat didn’t have to push her powers much since the water acted as an outlet to her charge.
The idiots tried to run out of the lake, but her bolt was faster. Kat’s gift froze them in place, as the lightening barreled through their bodies. They tried to pull the blue light off their skin, rapidly throwing clothes to the side, but it was far too late. A few agonizing screams of pain later it was over. They were nothing but ash.
Using her gift at this capacity, usually only left dust bunnies behind. But at least they were in the river. It made clean up a breeze.
Smiling Sia doused her flames, "so, that was fun."
Propping her hands on her hips, Kat returned the smile as she gazed around. It was. She hadn’t felt this alive since, well since Luke. Don’t go there, Kat, don’t go there.
"Yeah," Kat replied, "it was." She walked out the lake, shaking out her boots, and resumed her place at her sister’s side.
"Think the dark prince will get the hint and leave us alone after his minions don’t show up to report?" Sia asked as she walked over to Kat so she could inspect her flesh wound.
Kat hissed, "nope." The high lord was just getting started.
They walked back to the abandoned building in comfortable silence. Sia controlled the buildings flame to a faint hum. So it wouldn’t cause any more notice than they already created. No way the humans hadn’t heard something. Their curiosity would drive them out here, even if they were mainly in the middle of nowhere.
"Let’s get out of here, shall we."
"Lets."
They took off at a brisk pace down the street. The two tucked their wings away and tried to hide their weapons under their clothes the best they could. The Knights tried their damnest to conceal their war from humans. So they could continue in their blissful lives. Most phantom creatures worked with them in trying to keep humans unaware of the monsters that lurk in their dark sh
adows. Others, like those assholes, didn’t care.
Creating a camouflage mist to hide their war when it crossed over to Earth was an ability majority phantom creature possessed. Yet it was taxing on the body and left one vulnerable. Because of this, they tried to push their war to dark corners and abandoned buildings at late night hours. As modern-day technology continued to progress, and camera phones continue to exist, they were going to need to call upon that ability sooner than later. That meant teams were coming, whether they contained the war between the wolves and vamps or not.
"Wanna go to Phantom and have a drink?" Sia threw over after a few minutes of walking.
"Huh?” Kat questioned, she checked her watch. “You haven’t mentioned the club in a while. Figured you’d been there, done that."
"Nah. We’ve just been busy, with being hunted and all that. I was just never in the mood."
Hmm, well that’s ‘new. Sia never missed the opportunity to drink; maybe she wasn’t the only one changing. But their shift was far from over, and she was still bleeding.
"We should just finish patrolling."
Sia barked out a laugh, "aww is Kat finally scared of little ole Sky?"
"Never," Kat came to a halt and sneered. "You know what? Sure, let’s go, and its Thursday night which is goth night, we don’t have to change."
"Let’s go."
They began their stroll in the direction of Phantom, and Kat got this tingling sensation in her gut. Hmm, what the hell She wasn’t hungry. She had just let off a great deal of power in that lake. So it was going to take her a few more seconds to recharge, therefore it wasn’t her powers. Huh, could it be? Oh Goddess, she was, wasn’t she? Kat was nervous. Taking a deep breath, she tried to still her jitters. By all likely hood, her human wasn’t even there... But what if he was?
Chapter Nineteen
Nope, Kat’s human wasn’t here. Just the regular group of misfits were milling around, pretending to understand the dark arts. The disappointment was staggering. But what did she expect? It’s been weeks since they shared their night together. And it’s not like Kat left her number for him to contact her. Did she think he would just come to the club every night in hopes of running into her again? The harpy could really be self-absorbed at times.