"Good Dumnezeu, You said they were long gone and I haven't heard anything." She said. Looking at me as if I'd shapeshifted right in front of her.
"That's what I thought but apparently they've just been lying low." Those two disappear for a decade and now they decide to pop up and say hello again. Sometimes I hate my life.
"Sonia, you're talking like a decade is a long time. To most of my kind it isn't. Well myself not included but that's not exactly the point" Oui, not again.
"Raz, haven't I told you to stay out of my head." It's ever so annoying when she does that.
"Sorry, I can't help it. Even with your shields you're so wound up that you're practically sending me your thoughts." Like I said once before Raziel is powerful. She one of the best at reading minds I've ever seen. So she can hear me thinking while basically all other vampires wouldn't get a word.
"Your right. I'm just in a bad mood I shouldn't be taking it out on you. Though could you do me a favor?"
"That would be…"
"Just keep an ear out for anything that might clue me in on their whereabouts. I need to find them and soon. If I don't they'll go on another of their killing sprees and I give a lot to keep that from happening again.
" I know, I know. You're just that sort of person. Ya know as cold and cynical as you think you are you still go out of your way to try to help others. You remember the horror of what it was like for you. So you keep trying to do whatever is in your power to keep it from happening to somebody else. That's one of the things I like about you. Even knowing what you are you're still a noble person." From Raziel that was a speech. Sometimes I never know how she thinks. What I do know is she is more than she seems. She's off-handedly trying to warn me about something. But the sixty-four thousand dollar question is what…
"Raz, what is it. I may not be acting like myself though you saying more than four words in one sentence is weird for you. What are you trying to say?" I hear her sigh with an unnecessary breath.
"Sonia it's just, she trails off, I can't help but feel something is not right. Like something I 'don know about is going to come back and bite you. I don't mean just Rahab and his blood sister but something else. Something not even you know of" This was getting freaky. I hate hearing omens like that. I've never heard Raziel become so serious and solemn if she was previously in a light mood. She usually tries to keep those.
" Raziel, I say while putting my hand on her shoulder, Thank you anyway. It's going to be all right. I promise to watch my back more than ever. Besides you know how paranoid I am." She calmly takes my hand and just holds it. I guess a few of my kitty cat habits have been rubbing off on her. No pun intended. At first, before she knew of my habits, she was nervous of my being sorta touchy feely. Though I don't just touch anyone. Only those I feel I can truly trust. Those are the only ones I'll touch and allow myself to be in arms length of. Raziel understands that now and has well, kinda adopted that habit around me. Though what we do is just casual, meant to comfort each other. It means nothing more than that. So anyone who is thinking something they shouldn't be. Quit it 'cause it doesn't mean that to us.
"You know what I mean Sonia, she replied while letting my hand go, I just want you to watch your back. You never know when something is going to come and bite you in the ass."
I just laugh at her, "Raz, you have no idea how true that's been lately. You just have a lovely way with words sometimes. Don'cha think?"
On her once somber face spread a grin to match mine. "Sonia, I don't know how ya do that but somehow you always manage to make me smile. Well I gotta be off now. Good luck and I'll tell you if I find anything out. I know what this means to you." With that she disappeared with an audible but very faint pop.
Chapter 7
I decide to head home again since I didn't really get much accomplished on the streets. I also would have no way of knowing where to find Rahab and Arielle until I got a lead. They can shield themselves too well for me to track them by aura and they know well enough that to face me head on right now would mean death.
I go back up to my room after putting my assortment of weapons back in their places. Right now I feel like doing nothing at all so I just walk over to the bed and lie down. Sort of looking at nothing in particular but not tired enough to sleep. Things have been hectic over the last few days so I should be exhausted but I'm not. I think it's the full moon thing. It gives me access to a lot more energy toward the full moon, which I don't get when it's a new moon. It's odd how metaphysiology works. Then again who really knows about all that stuff? After a bit my gaze falls to my sword on its stand and I can't help it when my thoughts turn to it. That sword has served me well ever since the day I forged it. Something just makes me so sentimentally attached to that thing. Maybe because that was the first weapon I received a higher level of formal training with and because my teacher.
I first learned to use a sword when I still lived with Ramona. Once she thought I was ready for it she began my training. It was light at first, just some basic martial arts and working with some simple staff weapons like a Bo. My fascination with swords and the arts the came with them was the first I was allowed to watch my stepmother train with the more experienced hunters. She was a master of swords and other blades. I always loved to watch when she let me. I could only watch if I made sure to train thoroughly and harder than she usually expected me to. That was the deal, surpass her expectations of me and I got to observe her training. I think she was off-handedly trying to make me work harder to catch up with the others my age by bribing me but, mind you, it worked very well. It also was a way of introducing me to blade weapons. Only Ramona could do that. She could make a reward of sorts still work out to be a new lesson. I didn't mind at all. Of course I still thought it was just weird how well she could do that.
That first night I watched carefully her as she drew her favored sword "Touch of Thanatos". If you don't know what I mean by that, Thanatos is another name for The Grim Reaper, Death, or Urial. Whatever you choose to call Death, the name of that sword caused much fear in the many vampires that it gave their true deaths.
As she began her routine is was like watching a slow motion movie. Her face was utterly blank with concentration and she moved like liquid metal, smooth and fluid. Further on her movements became hypnotic and I started to fall into a light trance. I watched her and couldn't help but think it was similar to an elaborate dance. In this case a dance of steel. As beautiful as it may have been to watch from a distance I knew if she sped up her movements that dance would became a lethal combination of grace and force.
Later she taught me that dance. I learned the basis of everything I know about sword fighting from her. Admittedly I took her teachings and customized it a bit to fit my personal style but without her. I would have never become as apt as I have with blades. I owe her my life many a time for that. I know I could easily shapeshift if I wanted to kill a vampire but I don't like to fully shift unless it's absolutely necessary. I don't know why that is. It's not the fact that I might be spotted someday by a human who doesn't know about the world other than theirs. I guess I just don't like the fact that I can change into a huge hulking beast almost at will. Yes I had to practice shifting from human form to animal and back again but as soon as I was proficient enough with shape changing I primarily kept my human form. Something about being a monstrous tiger not only scares the vampires but it scares me. I wonder how I even became this way in the first place. I mean the biting scratching thing Hollywood seems to like so much is a bunch of bullshit. Not to mention I'd never seen anything odd about my biological parents and brother. They seemed normal to me, though maybe I'm only now learning that normal doesn't exist in the way I though it did. Just maybe…
That was my last thought before sleep pulled me under in a heavy tide. I couldn't help it. I was warm and comfortable and suddenly just so exhausted. I couldn't have kept my eyes open if I tried. I didn't want to sleep so soon for my mind was yet again plagued by nightmares. It was a fearful combination of the past and my own wild imagination.
I wake to find myself in a darkened room. There is barely any light save for a sliver of moonlight that pierces through the thick curtains on the windows. I stand up from my position of leaning against the wall and begin to search the room until an all to familiar laugh reaches my ears.
"Well, well who do we have here? Ah, yes I remember you. Sonia, correct?"
"What are you doing here?" I demand I don't know what he wants and how he is even in my dreams.
"My how you've grown since that last time we had a scuffle I almost miss it. Know this Sonia we may be in a dream but what I have to say is very real indeed."
"What are you talking about?" I ask. I haven't a clue to what he means. All right I do but I find it hard to believe he managed to invade my dreams.
"Tsk, tsk. You really don't know do you? I suppose no one bothered to inform you of my gift. I can enter the dreams of those I so choose. So I decided to give you my warning here. Stay away this time, child. You will meet your death if you come seeking revenge against me and my blood sister."
"I almost beat you the first time and I was a little girl then. Then add the fact that I didn't know how to use and control my power, well there you go. I…"
He interrupts me. "Sonia you still are a little girl. As jaded as you have become it makes no difference. I am centuries old and no matter how old you grow you will always be a child to me. Besides I'm warning you because you do not have the courage to use your power to it's potential and that is what makes you weak." I try to say something but he silences me by continuing. "You may think you're strong, and to a fair extent, you are but you do not truly accept what you are. You cling futilely to what's left of your humanity and don't embrace the monster that you are. Oh, don't look at me like that you know it's true. You are no more human than I am so bare that in mind when you come to face me. Please I know you're not that surprised. I know you will for I have been watching you from a distance. You crave revenge but unless you give in to the beast you will never have it."
"No, I defeated you once and I'll do it again. This time I'll remember to finish the job."
"Very true but the time you won was when you had the blind rage of an animal giving you strength. You would not be so bold as do try that now. You, who are so desperate to keep control when there is never any. Think on what I have said, Sonia. Consider my words or don't. Just remember I warned you and pray that we don't meet in person. You would never live to see the light of a new moon if we did as you currently are."
"Rahab, I will find you and when I do, trust me you will die. I'll make sure you have a knife sticking out of your chest like you did to my father. I promised I would avenge their deaths and I always keep my word. No matter what the circumstances might be."
Again he laughs at me and flashes a mocking grin. "As you wish Sonia. As you wish. We shall meet but I will not discern to you my location yet. That would take half of the fun out of it. I will be waiting for you. As another once put it, happy hunting.
~*~
I wake from the dream on my own this time considering that fact that my alarm clock is broken. Though on the more serious matter of Rahab I had work to do. I needed to find him and soon but his words hit me hard. He was right in a way and now I was rushing off to prove him wrong. I'm an experienced assassin but I still act my age so sue me if I wanted back at him now. Now what to do? I needed a plan of action but I didn't know enough about my quarry for that. Rahab has already surprised me once tonight. I just wonder what else he is capable of. I never knew vampires could reach into dreams before or at least not in reality. I've heard and read about the old legends of the undead having abilities such as that, the fabled incubuses and succubuses of the medieval era. Well this is what I get for thinking it was just a story. Damn it I need to quit being caught off guard like that. Someday that's really going to get me into trouble. As if I weren't in enough of a dilemma as it is.
Rahab had read me like a book. It was very true that I still tried to hang on to what little of myself I had left to call mine that I still had control of. I'm just so confused now. In a way he's right but I'm not about to give him the last piece of my soul yet. I may be a killer but I don't slaughter innocents or those who have done no wrong in my eyes. I don't mind the fact that vampires kill to survive. They're only doing what any other predator in nature does. It's just when they go beyond the basic needs and they start to kill solely for please. That's when I put an end to their unnatural existence. I never condone sadistic killing and I never will. Even when I kill I try to make it quick and clean. Though in Arielle and Rahab's case I'm going to make an exception to the rule. I think I'll draw it out and make them suffer as they did to me. It's as vindictive as Hell but right now I could care less. They will die a long painful death and I intend to make sure they beg to make me end it before I'm finished. I smile inwardly at that thought. It would be a lot of fun to let go and be the psychopath this time. A cold dark figure that will feel no remorse for what I'm going to do and their screams of pain will be like music to me. Well if I sound like the creature that Rahab said I should be then bully for him but I want him dead and I will never stop hunting him until he is eliminated. It's not just the fact that Aubrey hired me for the job. This personal vendetta is one that will be resolved very soon. Here's hoping I end up the survivor.