"I don't even understand how she could even be a /part/ of this," Tanwen wailed, staring at the run down apartment, the low burning candles creating strange looming shadows only to make the darkness of the scene even worse.
Three bodies in all, whatever blood left in then seeping slowly out, staining the tip of Tanwen's shoes.
"She's been slipping for weeks, am I the only one who's noticed?" Alaska pointed out, looking irritatingly bored already.
"You've just been looking for /any/ excuse to get rid of her," Tanwen snapped, unable to take Alaska's callous attitude at the moment. What was she doing there anyway? She wasn't really one of their friends. Alaska just hung around in the shadows annoying everyone with unhelpful comments. "It's not like you /knew/ her."
"And who warned you and led you here?" Alaska smiled, then was gone, leaving Tanwen alone with this. She had no idea what to do, or even how to start cleaning p this mess. The last thing she needed was to be caught with three dead bodies when the human law forces arrived, plus they all had bite marks on their necks.
"Come on, we need to get out of here." Walker tugged on her arm. "There's nothing we can do here."
As much as she hated to admit it, she knew he was right. With a sad sigh she followed him away. Bitter tears stung Tanwen's cheeks.
* * *
"And how often do we get to do that kind of thing?" The blood Varda had taken coursed through her body, a high she had never experienced before.
"Not too much, sure, we feed when we need to, but a kill like that is risky, therefore all the more fun the next time," Daevyn told her with a smirk.
"Oh. Right. So - what now?" Varda took one of the cigarettes was offering around. She had never smoked before now, since everyone else was doing it, she might as well follow suit. She looked around for a lighter.
"Allow me." Zed stepped up in front of her, cupping a hand around the end of the cigarette. She felt a push of something tingling her skin, when Zed took his hand away, the end was glowing. She smiled and almost choked on the mouthful of smoke she tried to blow out.
"If it's really going to be /that/ much trouble, then don't waste the extra money," Rose chuckled, tossing back her mass of curly blonde hair as she lounged on a moth-eaten couch.
The group of Night people all lived together in an old apartment building that was supposed to be disused, but they managed to survive there just fine. With no adults around, they could do whatever they liked. The tiny town of Blackfeather, California, was so small Varda had been told the Council probably didn't even know it existed.
"Lay off Rose, your only claim to fame is some remote Harman in your family line three generations ago," Trivia snorted.
Varda didn't say anything. She had always been kind of proud that her cousin was a Redfern. Recognised Night World surnames like Harmans and Redferns didn't seem to belong to anyone in this town. Varda, Daevyn and Trivia were lamias, Rose was a tiger shapeshifter, and Zed was a witch, all from unknown clans.
"What's their deal?" she muttered to Daevyn, standing beside her. Daevyn snorted, admiring his reflection in a piece of broken mirror. His features were sharp, his cheekbones angled, his nose small and pointed, his thin lips were twisted in an oddly handsome smile, his dark blond hair hung almost to his shoulders, loose and tangled, but sexy at the same time.
"They bitch like this all the time," he answered. "You get used to it."
Again, Varda didn't say anything. She looked around the group. It was either this or go back to her idiotic Daybreak foster family, whose goodness was at the point where it was making her sick.
~Never~ she thought with absolute determination. ~Nothing will make me go back~
"What's up with you?" Trivia asked, noticing Varda's expression had darkened.
"Nothing, just thinking," Varda answered quickly. She was someone else now, and would never be that wimp of a pushover again.
"I think we need to do something about these annoying Daybreak friends of yours," Zed said with a cold smile.
That got Varda's attention. Out of the entire group, Zed with his darkly attractive good looks, full of nasty ideas to toy with Daybreakers, and twisted Night World fun, was the one she liked best.
"We just killed a bunch of vermin. We can't take too many risks!" Rose had sat up and was actually paying attention.
"Don't be such a wimp," Trivia said dismissively.
"There's nothing more fun than screwing up Daybreak morons," Daevyn agreed.
Even Varda found herself chuckling in agreement. "What'd you have in mind?"
* * *
"I really don't see what all the fuss is about," Alaska said, watching Walker pacing around her room.
"If your best friend since childhood suddenly switched sides then you'd feel differently," Walker snapped. "I know you have connections, so I need your help."
That was the problem with being neutral as far as the whole good verses evil thing. Alaska couldn't really give a damn either way. She was beginning to wonder if she was the only vampire who just didn't care. She knew people from both sides, being a shadow occasionally had its uses. Until she had come to Blackfeather, where sides clearly mattered.
"What'd you want, someone to come and convince her to turn back?"
Walker frowned. "I know that's what Tanwen wants, but - " he broke off, silent for a minute or so, then shook his head. "I just don't see it happened. What we /need/ is a vampire hunter."
"Okay."
Walker eyed her for a few minutes. "Thanks." He left, glancing back at her suspiciously.
Alaska had never trusted Varda from their first meeting. She had never offered any explanation as to why Varda bugged her so much. So if Walker wanted a vampire hunter, then Alaska was more than happy to give him one.
* * *
Three bodies in all, whatever blood left in then seeping slowly out, staining the tip of Tanwen's shoes.
"She's been slipping for weeks, am I the only one who's noticed?" Alaska pointed out, looking irritatingly bored already.
"You've just been looking for /any/ excuse to get rid of her," Tanwen snapped, unable to take Alaska's callous attitude at the moment. What was she doing there anyway? She wasn't really one of their friends. Alaska just hung around in the shadows annoying everyone with unhelpful comments. "It's not like you /knew/ her."
"And who warned you and led you here?" Alaska smiled, then was gone, leaving Tanwen alone with this. She had no idea what to do, or even how to start cleaning p this mess. The last thing she needed was to be caught with three dead bodies when the human law forces arrived, plus they all had bite marks on their necks.
"Come on, we need to get out of here." Walker tugged on her arm. "There's nothing we can do here."
As much as she hated to admit it, she knew he was right. With a sad sigh she followed him away. Bitter tears stung Tanwen's cheeks.
* * *
"And how often do we get to do that kind of thing?" The blood Varda had taken coursed through her body, a high she had never experienced before.
"Not too much, sure, we feed when we need to, but a kill like that is risky, therefore all the more fun the next time," Daevyn told her with a smirk.
"Oh. Right. So - what now?" Varda took one of the cigarettes was offering around. She had never smoked before now, since everyone else was doing it, she might as well follow suit. She looked around for a lighter.
"Allow me." Zed stepped up in front of her, cupping a hand around the end of the cigarette. She felt a push of something tingling her skin, when Zed took his hand away, the end was glowing. She smiled and almost choked on the mouthful of smoke she tried to blow out.
"If it's really going to be /that/ much trouble, then don't waste the extra money," Rose chuckled, tossing back her mass of curly blonde hair as she lounged on a moth-eaten couch.
The group of Night people all lived together in an old apartment building that was supposed to be disused, but they managed to survive there just fine. With no adults around, they could do whatever they liked. The tiny town of Blackfeather, California, was so small Varda had been told the Council probably didn't even know it existed.
"Lay off Rose, your only claim to fame is some remote Harman in your family line three generations ago," Trivia snorted.
Varda didn't say anything. She had always been kind of proud that her cousin was a Redfern. Recognised Night World surnames like Harmans and Redferns didn't seem to belong to anyone in this town. Varda, Daevyn and Trivia were lamias, Rose was a tiger shapeshifter, and Zed was a witch, all from unknown clans.
"What's their deal?" she muttered to Daevyn, standing beside her. Daevyn snorted, admiring his reflection in a piece of broken mirror. His features were sharp, his cheekbones angled, his nose small and pointed, his thin lips were twisted in an oddly handsome smile, his dark blond hair hung almost to his shoulders, loose and tangled, but sexy at the same time.
"They bitch like this all the time," he answered. "You get used to it."
Again, Varda didn't say anything. She looked around the group. It was either this or go back to her idiotic Daybreak foster family, whose goodness was at the point where it was making her sick.
~Never~ she thought with absolute determination. ~Nothing will make me go back~
"What's up with you?" Trivia asked, noticing Varda's expression had darkened.
"Nothing, just thinking," Varda answered quickly. She was someone else now, and would never be that wimp of a pushover again.
"I think we need to do something about these annoying Daybreak friends of yours," Zed said with a cold smile.
That got Varda's attention. Out of the entire group, Zed with his darkly attractive good looks, full of nasty ideas to toy with Daybreakers, and twisted Night World fun, was the one she liked best.
"We just killed a bunch of vermin. We can't take too many risks!" Rose had sat up and was actually paying attention.
"Don't be such a wimp," Trivia said dismissively.
"There's nothing more fun than screwing up Daybreak morons," Daevyn agreed.
Even Varda found herself chuckling in agreement. "What'd you have in mind?"
* * *
"I really don't see what all the fuss is about," Alaska said, watching Walker pacing around her room.
"If your best friend since childhood suddenly switched sides then you'd feel differently," Walker snapped. "I know you have connections, so I need your help."
That was the problem with being neutral as far as the whole good verses evil thing. Alaska couldn't really give a damn either way. She was beginning to wonder if she was the only vampire who just didn't care. She knew people from both sides, being a shadow occasionally had its uses. Until she had come to Blackfeather, where sides clearly mattered.
"What'd you want, someone to come and convince her to turn back?"
Walker frowned. "I know that's what Tanwen wants, but - " he broke off, silent for a minute or so, then shook his head. "I just don't see it happened. What we /need/ is a vampire hunter."
"Okay."
Walker eyed her for a few minutes. "Thanks." He left, glancing back at her suspiciously.
Alaska had never trusted Varda from their first meeting. She had never offered any explanation as to why Varda bugged her so much. So if Walker wanted a vampire hunter, then Alaska was more than happy to give him one.
* * *