Night World : The Chosen Chapter 4

Quinn was cold.Not physically, of course. That was impossible. The icy March air had no effect on him his body wasimpervious to little things homogeneous weather. No, this cold was inside him.He stood feeling at the bay and the thriving city across it.Boston by starlight. It had taken him a longtime to incur back toBoston after the change.Hed lived in that respect once, when hed been human. scarce in those daysBoston was nothing precisely deuce-ace hills, iodinbeacon, and a handful of ho expenditures with thatched roofs. The place where he was standing promptly had beenclean beach surrounded by salt meadows and dense forest.The year had been 1639.Bostonhad grown since then, but Quinn hadnt.He was still eighteen, still the young man whod love the sunny pastures and the clear blue water of thewilderness. Who had lived simply, feeling grateful when in that respect was enough food for supper on hismothers t fitting, and who had dreamed of several(prenominal)day having his own fishing scho hotshotr and marrying delightfulDove Redfern.That was how it had all started, with Dove. Pretty Dove and her soft brown hair sweet Dove, whohad a secret a simple boy manage Quinn could neer have imagined.Well. Quinn matt-up his lip curl. That was all in the past. Dove had been dead for centuries, and if herscreams still haunted him every night, no one knew but himself.Because he magnate not be any older than he had been in the days of the colonies, but he had learned afew tricks. Like how to wrap ice around his heart so that nothing in the world could hurt him. And how toput ice in his gaze, so that whoever looked into his black eyes cut single an endless glacial dark. Hedgotten very good at that. Some people very went pale and backed away when he move his eyes on them.The tricks had worked for years, allowing him not only if to survive as a lamia, but to be brilliantlysuccessful at it. He was Quinn, pitiless as a snake, whose subscriber line ran like ice wa ter, whose soft voicepronounced doom on anybody who got in his way. Quinn, the essence of darkness, who struck fear intothe hearts of humans and darkness community alike.And just at the moment, he was tired.Tired and cold. There was a kind of bleakness inside him, like a whiter that would never change into spring.He had no idea what to do ab push through it-although it had occurred to him that if he were to jump into the bayand let those dark waters close everywhere his head, and then stay down there for a few days with break feedingwell, all his problems would be solved, wouldnt they? entirely that was ridiculous. He was Quinn. Nothing could touch him. The bleak feeling would go away eventually.He pulled himself out of his reverie, turning away from the shimmering blackness of the bay. Maybe heshould go to the warehouse in Mission Hill, check on its inhabitants. He necessityed something to do, to obligehim from thinking.Quinn smiled, knowing it was a smile to frighten children . He set off forBoston .Rashel sat by the window, but not the way ordinary people sit. She was rest in a sort of crouch,weight resting on her left leg, right leg bent and pointing forward. It was a position that allowed for swiftand unrestricted movement in any direction. Her bokken was beside her she could spring and draw at aseconds notice.The abandoned building was quiet. Steve and Vicky were outside, scouting the street. nyala seemedlost in her own thoughts.Suddenly Nyala reached out and touched the bokkens sheath. Whats this?Hm? Oh, its a kind of Japanese sword. They use wooden swords for fencing practice because steelwould be too dangerous. But it can actually be lethal even to humans. Its weighted and balanced just likea steel sword. She pulled the sword out of the sheath and turned the blowtorch on it so Nyala could seethe satiny green-black wood.Nyala drew in her breath and touched the graceful curve lightly. Its beautiful.Its made of lignum vitae the Wood of Life. Thats the hardest and heaviest wood there is-its as denseas iron. I had it carved specially, just for me.And you use it to kill lamias. Yes.And youve killed a lot. Yes. Rashel slid the sword back into its sheath. Good, Nyala said with a hammering in her voice. She turned to stare at the street. She had a small queenly head, with hair piled on theback like Nef-ertitis crown. When she turned back to Rashel, her voice was quiet. How did you come ininto all this in the first place? I mean, you seem to know so much. How did you learn it all?Rashel laughed. Bit by bit, she said briefly. She didnt like to communion about it. But I started like you. I sawone of them kill my mom when I was five. After that, I tried to learn everything I could about vampires,so I could fight them. And I told the storyat every foster shell I lived in, and finally I embed some people who believed me. They were vampirehunters. They taught me a lot.Nyala looked ashamed and disgusted. Im so stupid-I havent done any thing like that. I wouldnt evenhave known about the Lancers if Elliot hadnt called me. He saw the article in the paper about my sisterand guessed it might have been a vampire killing. But Id never have found them on my own.You just didnt have enough time.No. I think it takes a special kind of person. But now that I know how to fight them, Im going to do it.Her voice was tight and shaky, and Rashel glanced at her quickly. There was something unstable justunder the sur typesetters case of this girl. Nobody knows which of them killed my sister, so I just figure Ill get asmany of them as I can. I want to-Quiet Rashel hissed the word and put a hand over Nyalas mouth at the same instant. Nyala froze.Rashel sat tensely, perceive, then got up like a spring uncoiling and put her head out the window. Shelistened for another(prenominal) moment, then caught up her scarf and veiled her face with practiced movements.Grab your ski mask and come on.What is it?Youre going to get your wish-right now . Theres a fight down there. Stay behind me and dontforget your mask.Nyala didnt need to ask about that, she noticed. It was the first thing any vampire hunter learned.If you were recognized and the vampire got away well, it was all over. The Night People wouldsearch until they found you, then strike when you least expected it.With Nyala behind her, Rashel ran lightly down the steps and around to the street.The sounds were coming from a pool of darkness beside one of the warehouses, far from the neareststreetlight. As Rashel reached the place, she could make out the forms of Steve and Vicky, their facesmasked, their clubs in their hands. They were struggling with another form.Oh, for Gods sake, Rashel thought, stopping dead.One other form. The two of them, armed with wood and delusion in ambush, couldnt handle one littlevampire by themselves? From the racket, shed thought they must have been surprised by a whole army.But this vampire seemed to be putting up quite a fight-in fact, he was clearly winning. Throwing hisattackers around with supernatural strength, just as if they were ordinary humans and not undismayed vampireslayers. He seemed to be enjoying it.Weve got to help them Nyala hissed in Rashers ear.Yeah, Rashel said joylessly. She sighed. Wait here Im going to bonk him on the head.It wasnt quite that easy. Rashel got behind the vampire without trouble he was preoccupied with theother two and arrogant enough to be careless. But then she had a problem.Her bokken, the honorable sword of a warrior, had one purpose to deliver a clean blow capable ofkilling instantly. She couldnt bring herself to whack somebody unconscious with it.It wasnt that she didnt have other weapons. She had plenty-back at home in Marblehead. All the toolsof a ninja, and some the ninja had never heard of. And she knew some extremely dirty methods offighting. She could break bones and crush tendons she could peel an enemys trachea out of his neckwith her bare hands or drive his ribs into his lungs with her feet.But those were desperate measures, to be used as a last resort when her own spirit was at stake and theopposition was overwhelming. She simply couldnt do that to a single enemy when she had the jump on him.Just then the single enemy threw Steve into a wall, where he landed with a muffled oof. Rashel feltsorry for him, but it solved her dilemma. She grabbed the oak club Steve had been holding as it rolledacross the concrete. and so she circled nimbly as the vampire turned, trying to face her. At that instantNyala threw herself into the fight, creating a distraction, and Rashel did what shed said she would. Shebonked the vampire on the head, driving the club like a home runners swing with the force of her hips.The vampire cried out and fell down motionless.Rashel raised the club again, watching him. Then she lowered it, looking at Steve and Vicky. You guys okay?Vicky nodded stiffly. She was trying to get her breath. He surprised us, she said.Rashel didn t answer. She was very unhappy, and her feeling of being in top form tonight had completelyevaporated. This had been the most ridiculous fight shed seen in a long while, and and it bothered her, the way the vampire had cried out as he fell. She couldnt explain why, but it had.Steve picked himself up. He shouldnt have been able to surprise us, he said. That was our fault.Rashel glanced at him. It was true. In this business, you were any ready all the time, expecting theunexpected at any moment, or you were dead.He was just good, Vicky said shortly. pay off on, lets get him out of here before somebody sees us.Theres a cellar in the other building.Rashel took hold of the vampires feet while Steve grabbed his shoulders. He wasnt very big, aboutRashels lift and compact. He looked young, about Rashels age.Which meant nothing, she reminded herself. A parasite could be a thousand and still look young. Theygained eternal life from other peoples blood.She and Steve carried their burden do wn the stairs into a large dank room that smelled of damp rot andmildew. They dropped him on the cold concrete floor and Rashel straightened to ease her back.Okay. Now lets see what he looks like, Vicky said, and turned her flashlight on him.The vampire was pale, and his black hair looked even blacker against his white skin. His eyelashes weredark on his cheek. A little blood matted his hair in the back.I dont think hes the same one Elliot and I saw last night. That one looked bigger, Vicky said.Nyala pressed forward, staring at her very first draped vampire. What difference does it make? Hesone of them, right? Nobody human could have thrown Steve like that. He might even be the one whokilled my sister. And hes ours now. She smiled down, looking almost like someone in love. Youreours, she said to the unconscious boy on the floor. Just you wait.Steve rubbed his shoulder where it had hit the wall. All he said was Yeah, but his smile wasnt nice.I only hope he doesnt die soon, Vicky sa id, examining the pale face critically. You hit him pretty hard.Hes not going to die, Rashel said. In fact, hell probably drive out up in a few minutes. And wed betterhope hes not one of the really powerful telepaths.Nyala looked up sharply. What?Oh-all vampires are telepathic, Rashel said absendly. But theres a big range as to how powerful theyare. Most of them can only communicate overa short distance-like within the same house, say. But a few are a lot stronger.Even if he is strong, it wont matter unless there are other vampires around, Vicky said.Which there may be, if you and Elliot saw another one last night.Well Vicky hesitated, then said, We can check outside, make sure he doesnt have any friendshiding around that warehouse.Steve was nodding, and Nyala was listening intently. Rashel started to say that from what shed seen,they couldnt find a vampire in hiding to save their lives-but then she changed her mind.Good idea, she said. You take Nyala and do that. Its better to hav e three people than two. Ill tie himup before he comes around. Ive got bast cord.Vicky glanced over quickly, but her hostility seemed to have faded since Rashel had knocked thevampire over the head. Okay, but lets use the handcuffs. Nyala, run up and get them.Nyala did, and she and Vicky fixed the wooden stocks on the vampires wrists. Then they left with Steve.Rashel sat on the floor.She didnt know what she was doing, or why shed sent Nyala away. All she knew was that she wantedto be alone, and that she felt rotten.It wasnt that she didnt have anger. There were times when she got so angry at the universe that it wasactually like a little voice inside her whispering,Kill, kill, kill. Times when she wanted to strike out blindly, without caring who she hurt.But just now the little voice was silent, and Rashel felt sick.To sustentation herself busy, she tied his feet with bast, a cord made from the inner bark of trees. It was asgood for holding a vampire as Vickys ridiculous handcuffs. When it was done, she turned the flashlight on him again.He was good-looking. Clean features that were strongly chiseled but almost delicate. A mouth that at themoment looked rather innocent, but which might be sensuous if he were awake. A body that was litheand flat-muscled, if not very tall.All of which had no effect on Rashel. Shed seen attractive vampires before-in fact, an inordinate numberof them seemed to be really beautiful. It didnt mean anything. It only stood as a contrast to what theywere like inside.The tall man whod killed her mother had been handsome. She could still see his face, his golden eyes.Filthy parasites. Night World scum. They werent really people. They were monsters.But they could still feel pain, just like any human. Shed hurt this one when she hit him.Rashel jumped up and started to pace the cellar.All right. This vampire deserved to die. They all did. But that didnt mean she had to wait for Vicky tocome back and poke him with pointy sticks.Rashel knew no w why shed sent Nyala away. So she could give the vampire a clean death. Maybe hedidnt deserve it, but she couldnt stand around and watch Vicky kill him slowly. She couldnt.She stopped pacing and went to the unconscious boy.The flashlight on the floor was still pointing at him, so she could see him clearly. He was wearing alightweight black shirt-no sweater or coat. Vampires didnt need protection from the cold. Rashel unlaced the shirt, exposing his chest. Although the angled tip of her bokken could pierce clothing, itwas easier to drive it straight into vampire flesh without any barrier in between.Standing with one foot on either side of the vampires waist, she drew the heavy wooden sword. Sheheld it with both hands, one near the guard, the other near the knob on the end of the hilt.She positioned the end exactly over the vampires heart.This kitten has claws, she whispered, hardly aware she was saying it.Then she took a deep breath, eyes shut. She needed to work to focus, because s hed never doneanything like this before. The vampires shed killed had usually been caught in the middle of somedespicable act-and theyd all been fighting at the end. Shed never staked one that was lying still.Concentrate, she thought. You need zanshin, continuing mind, awareness of everything without fixing on anything.She felt her feet becoming part of the cold concrete beneath them, her muscles and bones becomingextensions of the ground. The strike would carry the energy of the earth itself.Her hands brought the sword up. She was ready for the kill. She receptive her eyes to perfect her aim.And then she saw that the vampire was awake. His eyes were open and he was looking at her.