Born in Fire (Page 11)

“They are in their most perfect form,” someone said in a haughty tone from above.

“Yeah, keep on telling them that, bro. See if it helps.” I put my hand to the side of my mouth like I was whispering secret knowledge. “Do yourself a favor, everyone. Keep practicing the control of your human form. There is no way the guy up there walks around looking like a swamp thing. Not that I can verify that, since he’s hiding in the darkness like a coward.”

A sheet of some kind fluttered down from the platform. It had been used to render the vampire invisible somehow. A pasty mustard-green monster, with long, matted hair falling over its bony shoulders, stepped forward on bowed legs. Its skin sank between its ribs. At the end of its stringy arms curved large, razor-sharp claws.

“Good Lord.” I held up my hand to shield my eyes. “Put it away, man!”

“Show the proper respect, little girl, or you will meet a most unpleasant fate.”

“Don’t pretend you have any say in what goes on down here. Your gross, hanging balls show your age, and they aren’t nearly low enough for you to be an elder.” I had no idea if that was true, but I was pretty sure the colors went from green, being newer, to the pasty white-green of the elders. I had no idea why it dipped into yellow and mustard in the middle levels, only that I’d seen some monster forms like this guy’s. He wouldn’t be too fast or skilled.

A newbie on the path in front of me jerked, which turned into a stilted walk forward. Black took up its eyes, banishing the whites. Saliva dripped from its fangs, something that happened when a vamp was about to feed.

Newbies didn’t have much control over their need for blood. This all might unravel in the next few moments.

I stared at it, ready for action. “If you lose control and try to bite me, I will kill you. Do you understand me?” I raised my voice. “Do you all understand me? I’ll play nice until you go for my neck. Then vampires will die. That is the only warning you’ll get.”

Laughter crowded the space above me. They wouldn’t be laughing when I fulfilled my threat.

More sheets fluttered away and sailed toward the ground. I half wanted to rush over and grab one. Those would be really handy on the job.

Someone grabbed the hungry newbie and pulled it to the side. The throng of monsters parted in front of me, revealing a naked vampire in human form blocking my way. Huge and rippled with muscle. His fangs were elongated, distending his jaw, and his eyes were wells of black. Not handsome like many of the others, it looked like his face had been hit with a bat a few times. Nothing else had changed yet, meaning he had some control. When he stepped forward, though, showing a jerky movement, I realized that while he might not be a newbie, he wasn’t far from it. His control to keep from biting me and draining me dry would be slippery, at best. A fight would bring out his urges that much more.

Not to mention he was a mammoth of a man.

He had been sent to kill me. Or try, anyway. Clearly this was a test.

“Well holy-moly, look at you. You’re a big mother-trucker.” I whistled. The vampires around me made a circle, either trying to keep me from running, or excited for the fight. Probably both.

“It’s a lovely day in the neighborhood…” I sang as I took out my sword. I paused. “I am supposed to kill you, right? We aren’t getting ready for a thumb war?”

“Oou’re aun insif-icat ooman!” Meat-grinder Face said.

“What’s that? You’ve got fangs in your mouth…”

“Fight to the death,” a lovely voice rang out, musical and cultivated.

“And that is why the human form is so useful. Communication.” I ripped out my gun, sighted, and shot. The bullet tore through the big vamp’s chest, just missing his heart.

Dang it. That was almost cool.

I shot him in the legs. Mostly.

He crumpled to the ground with a roar.

I slammed my gun in its holster and ran forward. The huge vampire roared again as his body changed. He flailed and then pushed himself upward, roaring a third time.

“You’re angry, we get it.” I kicked him in the face, flinging him away from one of his planted hands. I swung down with my sword. It hacked into his neck a fraction, not even making it a quarter of the way through.

“Holy shiznit—what are you made of, iron?” I hacked down again as his tree-trunk arm lashed out. I dove over it and rolled back onto my feet, pushing the circle of vampires wider.

Meat-grinder staggered to his feet, and I could see that his neck was already trying to stitch itself back together. This one healed at an incredible rate, even for a vampire. I saw now why they’d chosen him.

His fist came around, fast. I ducked and thrust forward, stabbing him through the stomach, a nonlethal area. He staggered back instead of bending over it, so I hammered a foot into his balls. He bent in time to meet my fist’s upward swing. His nose smashed, sending a gush of black blood over his face. I leapt onto his chest like a spider monkey, helping his backward fall. His arms windmilled, but there was too much momentum.

Timber!

I rode him down until his back hit the ground. Nimbly, I hopped off, planted my feet to either side of him, and stabbed down with everything I had. The blade pierced his chest, prompting a monstrous sort of squeal. Thick black sludge oozed out of his chest while his body started to disintegrate.

Panting, I took a cloth from my pouch and wiped off my blade. I dropped the cloth on the body, since it had to be cleaned up anyway, and started forward, continuing down the path again.

A stringy vampire in its fighting form hissed at me as I passed by. When I didn’t react, it leaned toward my neck.

I turned and thrust my sword through the vampire’s gut. Its eyes rounded and the hiss turned into a howl. It staggered backward, holding its stomach.

“Don’t do that.” I shook my head at it and took out another cloth—I’d brought several.

The vampires above me, which had been right at the edge of the platform to watch my fight, turned almost as one and began clearing out. The minions around me continued to dog my steps, irritatingly close.

“While I have your ear,” I said conversationally, trying to keep my rage at bay. I really wanted to go on a vampire-killing spree. “Am I going the right way?”

“For a while longer,” someone mumbled. He grunted a moment later, probably from an elbow to his ribs.

I sneaked a glance behind me and saw a very attractive guy about my age. “Resisting the swamp-thing look, huh? Are you new to all this?”

He nodded before scowling, clearly annoyed he’d answered again.

We continued on, all my new friends and me, until the air smelled heavy and moist. We were deep underground, probably amidst the oldest vampires who had ever walked the Realm or the Brink.

The surroundings had become almost catacomb-like those last few hundred feet, but they opened up again and spread out into a huge chamber fit for a king. At the far wall was a massive table with ornate chairs seated around it. A beautiful chandelier made of crystal, gold, and probably diamonds hung down in the middle. Nothing was on the table at the moment, but it made me wonder what typically adorned it when the vampires met. I knew they didn’t have to eat food, but had no idea if they did it anyway as sort of an homage to their former life.

The flock of newbie vamps shifted their flight pattern to the right. I dutifully stayed within the haphazard circle, just to keep everything moving, until we came to a throne-like chair against a heavily decorated wall. Gold and precious gems adorned the stately seat, and beside it were two lesser chairs with a smidgen less finery.

“Wow,” I muttered. “Who gets the little chairs? And don’t say wives, because that’s just messed up.”

“Wait here,” one of the newbies said. My new friends drifted to the side of the chamber.

I continued to look around, noticing a crown sitting on a cushioned stool against the far wall. I wasn’t great at Brink history, but I’d bet that was real. Next to it was a chest filled to the brim with gold coins and large hunks of precious gems. It looked like pirate treasure, but it had probably been taken from some monarch. Along with that crown.

“You guys are way better thieves than I am,” I whispered in awe.

My eyes ate up all the jewels and regalia around me. It was endless, staged in clusters that were designed for flaunting. I noticed the newbies staring at it, too, with wide eyes and sometimes gaping mouths. They seemed just as impressed as I was. Newbies clearly weren’t often allowed down in the spacious room. It made sense, then, why all the finery was on display. Vampires did love to show off.

“Miss Somerset,” came a deep voice I recognized.

The vampire from last night stalked into the chamber. His wide shoulders swung with each confident step. Behind him came two other vampires, their faces vaguely familiar, which meant they’d probably made an appearance last night as well.

“May I call you Reagan?” He took the throne-like chair, and I couldn’t help a smirk, the words compensating for something? on the tip of my tongue.

“Yes,” I said instead, trying to regain control of my expression.

“What happened to your face?”

“My eyebrows melted off from the warm welcomes you guys gave me.” My response was met with a blank stare. “That was sarcasm…”