Aubrey's muscles tensed as he felt the presence of another vampire behind him. He spun around, coming face to face with Jaheira. The two hundred year old vampire smiled, exposing her deadly sharp fangs and tossing her hair over her shoulder. Then she laughed loudly, breaking the silence in the night-covered forest. Aubrey saw nothing funny about the situation.
"Aubrey, Aubrey, Aubrey," she sighed. "When will you learn that it is dangerous to walk about the forest at nights? But I suppose that is why you do it, am I not correct? No, no, nevermind. Don't waste your breath trying to explain your oddities. I don't want to know that badly. But what I do want to know, however, is how you came to be beaten by a weak little vampire--Risika, was it not?"
"Jaheira, I'm not in the mood to discuss my shortcomings. I was going on a walk, and I intend to continue. If you refuse to leave, I will make you. Do you think I couldn't?" Aubrey smiled dangerously. "Don't trust in your strength, Jaheira, you would lose, and badly. Don't make me embarrass you. You would hate for me to ruin your reputation, wouldn't you? It would be a shame to deal another blow to your sensitive ego, especially after that unfortunate little bar-room brawl you had with Nentaria and her sister. Speaking of sisters, where is your delightful little playmate, Lanai? Has she been killed yet?"
Jaheira scowled at the other vampire. "No, she is quite well, I assure you. However, she had some business with Rishka and Gabriel, so she will be away for a while. Is there any reason for your interest in Lanai? Or is it just the need to feel powerful getting to your head again? But, of course, powerful is something you are not. If you were you would have become a slave trainer with Jaguar when you had the chance. That opportunity was too great--and you turned it down. Stupid boy."
Aubrey drew a knife from his belt and quickly sliced open a deep cut on Jaheira's arm. She let out a moan and shoved her knee into his stomach. He doubled up but managed to kick her legs out from under her. Jaheira tumbled onto the ground and Aubrey laughed harshly. Wiping his knife on his leather pants, he smirked and continued on his walk. The witch knife never failed. Not when he used it, anyway.
~~~~~~
Jaheira transported herself to Las Noches, dragging herself into the bar and throwing herself down into a booth. A pretty girl, with long black hair and matching fingernails, grabbed a bottle of something from behind the bar and came to sit across from Jaheira.
"Lanai, how nice of you to join me. And you brought me a drink," Jaheira snatched the liquor bottle from her sister and downed it, gulping down each drop. The blood on her arm was drying and cracking, but the wound still stung. Aubrey's blade was not mortal. "I believe you said you had some business with Riska and Gabriel? How did it go?"
Lanai shrugged, glancing casually at the dark blood that stained Jaheira's dark skin. "Fine, I suppose. Rishka was determined that Gabriel should have a fourth and we each have three eights of the money, but nonetheless I won out. We're splitting it evenly, or so Rishka and Gabriel think. I'll manage to get a few hundred extra though. But it's a big job. I'll surely get at least seventy thousand, if not a little more. But you know Gabriel--he'll find a way to match it."
Jaheira nodded tiredly and threw the glass liqour bottle over her shoulder, enjoying the sound as it smashed against the floor. Lanai shook her head, sighing deeply and running her hand through her jet black hair.
"Jaheira, I think someone's looking for you. But I doubt it's someone you'd like to see. I suggest just sitting here and ignoring him. But with Jaguar, you know he's going to see you. If you don't want to talk to him, you can duck back into my room. He won't follow you."
Jaheira groaned, "I do not want to speak with him. He's almost as bad as Aubrey and Jessica. Just...if he asks where I am, tell him I'm out hunting by Michigan Lake. Or Napanee. That one always seems to work."
"So where are you going? And where ever it is, it had better be easily accessable, because Jaguar's wandering around. I think he's asking after you."
"I'm going to Raki Kala. Don't tell him, whatever you do."
"Raki Kala? Are you sure? You haven't been there in months. What if--"
"What if nothing. Jaguar won't think to look there. Now be off. Go distract him, and whatever you do, don't let him see me sneaking out."
Lanai nodded and rose from the table, making her way to a shirtless figure who was standing by the bar, talking to the other people there. Jaheira stood, creeping towards the door so at not to attract anyone's attention. It was a lucky escape, she thought as she exited the bar, and Raki Kala was the best place to stay.
*******
Lanai shook herself mentally as she walked out of Las Noches. Jaguar was not happy with her. Or Jaheira, for that matter. He had looked as if he might pummel her for just saying that Jaheira was in Napanee. Of course, her might have seriously injured her, except that Gabriel had intercepted. Luckily, Gabriel had only wanted to speak to her for a moment, so she managed to escape from the bar only minutes after Jaheira had vanished.
Now Lanai was on her way to Ritoni, a club only about an hour out of town. She was driving at seventy miles per hour in her black convertible, her hair being whipped out behind her. When she was born, cars weren't even a dream. But now, in the twenty-first century, everything had changed, for the better it seemed. Though she had been happy before she had been changed, and now she was seldomly happy. She rarely thought about everything in her life, and death; it never made her feel any better.
Pulling up outside Ritoni, Lanai grabbed her purse and pushed open the car door. She hopped out and straightened her shirt, smoothing her hair and stalking into Ritoni. Once inside, Lanai pushed her way into the crowd, straining to see through the smoky air. Someone slipped their arms around her waist, and she slammed her elbow back, continuing on her way towards the bar. If there was a reason this club was her favorite, it was the bar.
Lanai ran her tongue over her fangs, thinking vaguely that she should shield them. The bartender wouldn't appreciate knowing that a vampire was hanging out in the club. So she shielded her fangs to make herself look more human. More human, not completely human. Lanai would have died rather than shield her appearance. If she could manage to attract the attention of a man here, then she would get an easy meal. Good food.
And just as she reached the bar, a smooth voice said her name.
"Aubrey, Aubrey, Aubrey," she sighed. "When will you learn that it is dangerous to walk about the forest at nights? But I suppose that is why you do it, am I not correct? No, no, nevermind. Don't waste your breath trying to explain your oddities. I don't want to know that badly. But what I do want to know, however, is how you came to be beaten by a weak little vampire--Risika, was it not?"
"Jaheira, I'm not in the mood to discuss my shortcomings. I was going on a walk, and I intend to continue. If you refuse to leave, I will make you. Do you think I couldn't?" Aubrey smiled dangerously. "Don't trust in your strength, Jaheira, you would lose, and badly. Don't make me embarrass you. You would hate for me to ruin your reputation, wouldn't you? It would be a shame to deal another blow to your sensitive ego, especially after that unfortunate little bar-room brawl you had with Nentaria and her sister. Speaking of sisters, where is your delightful little playmate, Lanai? Has she been killed yet?"
Jaheira scowled at the other vampire. "No, she is quite well, I assure you. However, she had some business with Rishka and Gabriel, so she will be away for a while. Is there any reason for your interest in Lanai? Or is it just the need to feel powerful getting to your head again? But, of course, powerful is something you are not. If you were you would have become a slave trainer with Jaguar when you had the chance. That opportunity was too great--and you turned it down. Stupid boy."
Aubrey drew a knife from his belt and quickly sliced open a deep cut on Jaheira's arm. She let out a moan and shoved her knee into his stomach. He doubled up but managed to kick her legs out from under her. Jaheira tumbled onto the ground and Aubrey laughed harshly. Wiping his knife on his leather pants, he smirked and continued on his walk. The witch knife never failed. Not when he used it, anyway.
~~~~~~
Jaheira transported herself to Las Noches, dragging herself into the bar and throwing herself down into a booth. A pretty girl, with long black hair and matching fingernails, grabbed a bottle of something from behind the bar and came to sit across from Jaheira.
"Lanai, how nice of you to join me. And you brought me a drink," Jaheira snatched the liquor bottle from her sister and downed it, gulping down each drop. The blood on her arm was drying and cracking, but the wound still stung. Aubrey's blade was not mortal. "I believe you said you had some business with Riska and Gabriel? How did it go?"
Lanai shrugged, glancing casually at the dark blood that stained Jaheira's dark skin. "Fine, I suppose. Rishka was determined that Gabriel should have a fourth and we each have three eights of the money, but nonetheless I won out. We're splitting it evenly, or so Rishka and Gabriel think. I'll manage to get a few hundred extra though. But it's a big job. I'll surely get at least seventy thousand, if not a little more. But you know Gabriel--he'll find a way to match it."
Jaheira nodded tiredly and threw the glass liqour bottle over her shoulder, enjoying the sound as it smashed against the floor. Lanai shook her head, sighing deeply and running her hand through her jet black hair.
"Jaheira, I think someone's looking for you. But I doubt it's someone you'd like to see. I suggest just sitting here and ignoring him. But with Jaguar, you know he's going to see you. If you don't want to talk to him, you can duck back into my room. He won't follow you."
Jaheira groaned, "I do not want to speak with him. He's almost as bad as Aubrey and Jessica. Just...if he asks where I am, tell him I'm out hunting by Michigan Lake. Or Napanee. That one always seems to work."
"So where are you going? And where ever it is, it had better be easily accessable, because Jaguar's wandering around. I think he's asking after you."
"I'm going to Raki Kala. Don't tell him, whatever you do."
"Raki Kala? Are you sure? You haven't been there in months. What if--"
"What if nothing. Jaguar won't think to look there. Now be off. Go distract him, and whatever you do, don't let him see me sneaking out."
Lanai nodded and rose from the table, making her way to a shirtless figure who was standing by the bar, talking to the other people there. Jaheira stood, creeping towards the door so at not to attract anyone's attention. It was a lucky escape, she thought as she exited the bar, and Raki Kala was the best place to stay.
*******
Lanai shook herself mentally as she walked out of Las Noches. Jaguar was not happy with her. Or Jaheira, for that matter. He had looked as if he might pummel her for just saying that Jaheira was in Napanee. Of course, her might have seriously injured her, except that Gabriel had intercepted. Luckily, Gabriel had only wanted to speak to her for a moment, so she managed to escape from the bar only minutes after Jaheira had vanished.
Now Lanai was on her way to Ritoni, a club only about an hour out of town. She was driving at seventy miles per hour in her black convertible, her hair being whipped out behind her. When she was born, cars weren't even a dream. But now, in the twenty-first century, everything had changed, for the better it seemed. Though she had been happy before she had been changed, and now she was seldomly happy. She rarely thought about everything in her life, and death; it never made her feel any better.
Pulling up outside Ritoni, Lanai grabbed her purse and pushed open the car door. She hopped out and straightened her shirt, smoothing her hair and stalking into Ritoni. Once inside, Lanai pushed her way into the crowd, straining to see through the smoky air. Someone slipped their arms around her waist, and she slammed her elbow back, continuing on her way towards the bar. If there was a reason this club was her favorite, it was the bar.
Lanai ran her tongue over her fangs, thinking vaguely that she should shield them. The bartender wouldn't appreciate knowing that a vampire was hanging out in the club. So she shielded her fangs to make herself look more human. More human, not completely human. Lanai would have died rather than shield her appearance. If she could manage to attract the attention of a man here, then she would get an easy meal. Good food.
And just as she reached the bar, a smooth voice said her name.