The moment the arrivals alarm went off on her laptop she snapped awake heir triggered, most especially here she looked at the full length mirror on the wall, no vampire showed. She gently slipped the black iris ring off of her right ring finger and her reflection re-appeared. Lynx studied herself critically she was slender as a willow switch, her ribs were countable but the rest of her body was perfectly acceptable. Then her fingers slid up to her throat touching what was usually hidden by her high collars or on the rare occasions she went out, by a thick velvet choker. The mark of her trust, the very last time she had trusted and the first and last time as an adult she had wept in bitter pain.
She remembered even now, aged seventeen Night Blade marked even then weeping bitterly in Ash's arms while her heart broke and letting the black Blade which she had rejected fiercely up until then ease her hurts with a numbing chill. She had frightened both Ash and Theirry that day. Staggering into the Vegas mansion paler than even her red hair made her naturally and with a black fatigue bandage wrapped around her neck; then passing out at Ash's feet. They had asked blessedly few questions merely caring for her in a way few others would have done, even her grandfather. No he wouldn't have cared for her and eased her hurts he would have beaten her for foolish incompetence.
She looked into her own eyes in the silvered glass and saw only a black void there, broken trust and broken bonds. Sometimes broken bones and a teenager who bore no resemblance to the Lynx who looked in now, her broken heart. Soulsick Aradia had called her 'seeing' her once Lynx had shaken her head at the maiden who was the same age as her born but a few weeks earlier and had whispered into her ear. The maiden had paled and the fingers that had traced Lynx's face had shaken but she never repeated the word Lynx had changed for her, but she remembered, she had said, not Soulsick but Soulless. She wondered now seeing her own eyes if that had been more than a publicity gimmick, whether it had been a forewarning, at eighteen, of the truth.
Lynx broke her own gaze and restored the charmed ring to her finger, a birthday gift from her mother when she had been only a child; before her grandfather had taken her. She shook off her darkly morbid thoughts and began her daily exercise routine, even placing a dart board up on the wall and throwing knives, not only from standing, from crouching lying on the floor curled in a ball, standing on one hand and in the middle of several gymnastic moves. If she didn't manage to hit the bullseye then that position or set of movements would be repeated again and again until they were correct. Almost an hour later she stripped off her sweat sodden underwear and walked naked but for her knife sheaths to the shower there she stripped even those off but not before trapping the doorway and ventilation shaft and taking a Night knife into the cubicle with her.
The water beat down upon her aching muscles and she washed and braided her hair but she didn't relax, in her profession to relax was to die, and hadn't she seen it happen? Only sheer bloody-mindedness on the part of her grandfather had kept her from being in the Dark kingdom with him when he had gotten himself fried by blue fire. She hadn't mourned. Ash had told her later it was pure Redfern good luck, she had looked at him for a moment and then reminded him that Hunter had been a Redfern. She didn't believe in luck, only skill and hard work, relying on luck got you killed. She was doing it again, this job seemed to have riled all her nihilistic instincts.
With that she went out through the reception to her car, stopping to dress first of course; simple black jeans and a purple shirt. She opened the trunk and found inside her supplies plus two things she hadn't ordered which brought a frown to her face. One was a note the other a package, she unfolded the note holding it at least a meter from her face and holding her breath as a precaution but the handwriting was familiar. Theirry.
Lynx
The order is paid for, Ash sends something for you, good luck.
Theirry.
She rolled her eyes, she swore he thought he was her father, she knew that was impossible, he was a made vampire and what ever happened with the old powers made vampires didn't have Lamia children. She pocketed her order and took the package gingerly in one hand shutting the boot with the other. She half walked half ran up the stairs and then placed the simple newspaper wrapped square box on the floor and crouched down next to it and using the tip of her knife slit it open out of it fell a slip of paper and a beautiful black amethyst knife it was one of the most perfect pieces of weaponry she had ever seen, the hilt looked to be gold wrapped and there was a beautiful star shaped flaw mid way down the blade. She hefted it and the balance sang. She opened the note and there in Ash's beautiful flowing handwriting was a brief yet poignant salutation
Take care, here's the defence you would never let me provide, come home safe.
Ash
Lynx smiled that sad unique smile, Ash was telling her in his own way to come back heart whole. Why so many people adopted her she had no idea but with Ash she could understand, he had seen Hunter's school with his own eyes although not for as long as her; they had sworn blood brotherhood aged nine three weeks later Ash had been removed from the school by his mother and Lynx had been left alone. Her own training had progressed at much harder pace for another six years.
It was late in the day when she finally made some practice movements with the amethyst blade, she finished the dancing motions with a stab directly into one of the cheap polyester pillows. It burst into flame. Lynx stared at the burning pillow for a moment before extinguishing it with the carafe of water on the bedside cabinet. "Witch blade" she murmured "Oh Ash what did you do to get this" it wasn't a question more a statement and touching her voice was a slight edge of awe. Then she saw the Night Blade pulsing with a life of its own, still on the bed and she smiled, finally she had a chance against her soulmate. And with that heartening thought she went to the window to watch the stars come out.
She remembered even now, aged seventeen Night Blade marked even then weeping bitterly in Ash's arms while her heart broke and letting the black Blade which she had rejected fiercely up until then ease her hurts with a numbing chill. She had frightened both Ash and Theirry that day. Staggering into the Vegas mansion paler than even her red hair made her naturally and with a black fatigue bandage wrapped around her neck; then passing out at Ash's feet. They had asked blessedly few questions merely caring for her in a way few others would have done, even her grandfather. No he wouldn't have cared for her and eased her hurts he would have beaten her for foolish incompetence.
She looked into her own eyes in the silvered glass and saw only a black void there, broken trust and broken bonds. Sometimes broken bones and a teenager who bore no resemblance to the Lynx who looked in now, her broken heart. Soulsick Aradia had called her 'seeing' her once Lynx had shaken her head at the maiden who was the same age as her born but a few weeks earlier and had whispered into her ear. The maiden had paled and the fingers that had traced Lynx's face had shaken but she never repeated the word Lynx had changed for her, but she remembered, she had said, not Soulsick but Soulless. She wondered now seeing her own eyes if that had been more than a publicity gimmick, whether it had been a forewarning, at eighteen, of the truth.
Lynx broke her own gaze and restored the charmed ring to her finger, a birthday gift from her mother when she had been only a child; before her grandfather had taken her. She shook off her darkly morbid thoughts and began her daily exercise routine, even placing a dart board up on the wall and throwing knives, not only from standing, from crouching lying on the floor curled in a ball, standing on one hand and in the middle of several gymnastic moves. If she didn't manage to hit the bullseye then that position or set of movements would be repeated again and again until they were correct. Almost an hour later she stripped off her sweat sodden underwear and walked naked but for her knife sheaths to the shower there she stripped even those off but not before trapping the doorway and ventilation shaft and taking a Night knife into the cubicle with her.
The water beat down upon her aching muscles and she washed and braided her hair but she didn't relax, in her profession to relax was to die, and hadn't she seen it happen? Only sheer bloody-mindedness on the part of her grandfather had kept her from being in the Dark kingdom with him when he had gotten himself fried by blue fire. She hadn't mourned. Ash had told her later it was pure Redfern good luck, she had looked at him for a moment and then reminded him that Hunter had been a Redfern. She didn't believe in luck, only skill and hard work, relying on luck got you killed. She was doing it again, this job seemed to have riled all her nihilistic instincts.
With that she went out through the reception to her car, stopping to dress first of course; simple black jeans and a purple shirt. She opened the trunk and found inside her supplies plus two things she hadn't ordered which brought a frown to her face. One was a note the other a package, she unfolded the note holding it at least a meter from her face and holding her breath as a precaution but the handwriting was familiar. Theirry.
Lynx
The order is paid for, Ash sends something for you, good luck.
Theirry.
She rolled her eyes, she swore he thought he was her father, she knew that was impossible, he was a made vampire and what ever happened with the old powers made vampires didn't have Lamia children. She pocketed her order and took the package gingerly in one hand shutting the boot with the other. She half walked half ran up the stairs and then placed the simple newspaper wrapped square box on the floor and crouched down next to it and using the tip of her knife slit it open out of it fell a slip of paper and a beautiful black amethyst knife it was one of the most perfect pieces of weaponry she had ever seen, the hilt looked to be gold wrapped and there was a beautiful star shaped flaw mid way down the blade. She hefted it and the balance sang. She opened the note and there in Ash's beautiful flowing handwriting was a brief yet poignant salutation
Take care, here's the defence you would never let me provide, come home safe.
Ash
Lynx smiled that sad unique smile, Ash was telling her in his own way to come back heart whole. Why so many people adopted her she had no idea but with Ash she could understand, he had seen Hunter's school with his own eyes although not for as long as her; they had sworn blood brotherhood aged nine three weeks later Ash had been removed from the school by his mother and Lynx had been left alone. Her own training had progressed at much harder pace for another six years.
It was late in the day when she finally made some practice movements with the amethyst blade, she finished the dancing motions with a stab directly into one of the cheap polyester pillows. It burst into flame. Lynx stared at the burning pillow for a moment before extinguishing it with the carafe of water on the bedside cabinet. "Witch blade" she murmured "Oh Ash what did you do to get this" it wasn't a question more a statement and touching her voice was a slight edge of awe. Then she saw the Night Blade pulsing with a life of its own, still on the bed and she smiled, finally she had a chance against her soulmate. And with that heartening thought she went to the window to watch the stars come out.