* * * *
Blade stared at Tina, praying that his uncertainty didn't show. He studied her, wanting to know exactly what it was she had become when Quinn turned her. She looked the same. The same long, dark hair fell in gentle waves down her back, the same lean body clad in jeans and a mens shirt. Her smile turned up slightly more at one corner than the other, a gesture Blade recognized from the years he had spent training with her. Her eyes though, they were different. In them he could see what she had become. He hated Quinn more than anything in that moment, more than the vampire who had killed his mother.
"Getting cold feet?" Tina asked, innocently twirling her hair around one of her fingers. "Come on Blade, you can't be scared of me. You know all my moves, you trained me."
"Shut up," he said, trying not to look at her. He had fallen for that face when he had first met her, yet he had never told her. He would never tell her now, she was a vampire.
"I hadn't planned on this Blade," Deacon said, taking Tina's hand. "I really didn't. She's just irresistible, isn't she? You must have thought about her while you trained her, right?"
"I said shut up," Blade repeated. "By the end of this night Quinn will be dead and I'm sure you two will follow him."
Quinn laughed. "Did you hear this guy? I'll be fucking dead."
Blade swung his sword down and cut straight through Quinn's ankle, easily slicing the bone. The vampire screamed and went down on his knee as his foot dissolved into dust and left a bloody stump behind.
"I'll come back for you later," Blade promised, then went after Tina.
His sword sliced through the air neatly, flying toward her neck. She dropped to the floor immediately, his blade missing her completely and her leg swept under his feet. Blade slammed onto the floor with a strength that shook them all. Tina stood and faced him, her hands up.
Blade stood as well, picking up his sword as he came. Tina kicked the sword and it flew toward Quinn, missing his arm by just inches. He screamed something in Tina's direction but she ignored him and stared at Blade. A smile twitched at the corners of her mouth and she punched the side of his face.
Blade spit out blood onto the floor and spun into a high kick that hit Tina's chest. She stumbled backward and Deacon caught her. She smiled at him, kissed his cheek quickly and they faced Blade, side by side.
"You think this scares me?" Blade asked, staring them down. "You know I've anticipated this since I started training you Tina. I won't hesitate to kill you."
She smirked. "So stop talking and kill me."
Blade leapt forward, both fists flying. Deacon grabbed his arm and twisted, throwing the vampire hunter onto the floor. Tina jumped on top of him, grinning and licking her lips.
"I'll bet you taste incredible," she whispered, leaning down.
Blade bucked beneath her and they changed positions as he rolled on top of her. Tina screamed and pounded against his chest, then thrust her knee into his groin. Blade groaned, yet still managed to hold her wrists against the floor. She leaned forward, her fangs gnashing toward his throat. Blade twisted away, then raised one hand and slapped her.
Tina growled and dropped back to the floor.
Within seconds Deacon was on Blade's back, tearing at his throat. The vampire hunter turned with a grunt and threw Deacon away from him. Tina knew that Deacon could easily take on Blade and she was waiting for him to get up and save her.
She watched as he sailed through the air, staring at her helplessly. Deacon knew what was going to happen only seconds before it did. He reached out toward Tina with one hand and he mouthed something that she couldn't see.
It was then that he crashed through the large window in his apartment and fell sixteen storeys to the cement below.
"No!" Tina screamed, reaching out. She knew the fall wouldn't kill him but he wouldn't be walking back up to his apartment any time soon. Without Deacon she wasn't sure she would be able to defeat Blade.
She stood, taking advantage of Blade's distraction and kicked him squarely in the face. He fell backward, then wiped the blood off his face before standing.
"You don't want to do this Blade," she murmured, staring at him. "You loved me. I was your best friend."
"Tina is already dead," he hissed, then reached into his jacket.
Tina tried to dodge the stake, she tried to twist away but the stake slammed home. It strained through muscle and bone before puncturing her heart.
Her eyes widened and she screamed horribly as the silver burned away her flesh. Tina watched her body turning into ash, a fire spreading down her limbs and up her chest. She screamed again as it reached her shoulders and she felt her bones begin to collapse beneath her. Her head hit the ground before it burst into ash and the last thing Tina saw were the handcuffs still dangling from the chair Deacon had chained her to. Even though her heart was already gone she could swear she felt it break. Just before her face collapsed she let out an anguished sob and a single tear slipped down her face.
Blade stared at her ashes, his throat suddenly tight. He knew he'd done the right thing but it hurt so much to have killed Tina. Other than Whistler she had been his only true friend. He would miss her very much.
Refusing to acknowledge his pain, Blade picked up his discarded stake and sword, returning them to their original homes. He then turned and walked out of the apartment, leaving the mess for Deacon to find.
* * * *
Blade stared at Tina, praying that his uncertainty didn't show. He studied her, wanting to know exactly what it was she had become when Quinn turned her. She looked the same. The same long, dark hair fell in gentle waves down her back, the same lean body clad in jeans and a mens shirt. Her smile turned up slightly more at one corner than the other, a gesture Blade recognized from the years he had spent training with her. Her eyes though, they were different. In them he could see what she had become. He hated Quinn more than anything in that moment, more than the vampire who had killed his mother.
"Getting cold feet?" Tina asked, innocently twirling her hair around one of her fingers. "Come on Blade, you can't be scared of me. You know all my moves, you trained me."
"Shut up," he said, trying not to look at her. He had fallen for that face when he had first met her, yet he had never told her. He would never tell her now, she was a vampire.
"I hadn't planned on this Blade," Deacon said, taking Tina's hand. "I really didn't. She's just irresistible, isn't she? You must have thought about her while you trained her, right?"
"I said shut up," Blade repeated. "By the end of this night Quinn will be dead and I'm sure you two will follow him."
Quinn laughed. "Did you hear this guy? I'll be fucking dead."
Blade swung his sword down and cut straight through Quinn's ankle, easily slicing the bone. The vampire screamed and went down on his knee as his foot dissolved into dust and left a bloody stump behind.
"I'll come back for you later," Blade promised, then went after Tina.
His sword sliced through the air neatly, flying toward her neck. She dropped to the floor immediately, his blade missing her completely and her leg swept under his feet. Blade slammed onto the floor with a strength that shook them all. Tina stood and faced him, her hands up.
Blade stood as well, picking up his sword as he came. Tina kicked the sword and it flew toward Quinn, missing his arm by just inches. He screamed something in Tina's direction but she ignored him and stared at Blade. A smile twitched at the corners of her mouth and she punched the side of his face.
Blade spit out blood onto the floor and spun into a high kick that hit Tina's chest. She stumbled backward and Deacon caught her. She smiled at him, kissed his cheek quickly and they faced Blade, side by side.
"You think this scares me?" Blade asked, staring them down. "You know I've anticipated this since I started training you Tina. I won't hesitate to kill you."
She smirked. "So stop talking and kill me."
Blade leapt forward, both fists flying. Deacon grabbed his arm and twisted, throwing the vampire hunter onto the floor. Tina jumped on top of him, grinning and licking her lips.
"I'll bet you taste incredible," she whispered, leaning down.
Blade bucked beneath her and they changed positions as he rolled on top of her. Tina screamed and pounded against his chest, then thrust her knee into his groin. Blade groaned, yet still managed to hold her wrists against the floor. She leaned forward, her fangs gnashing toward his throat. Blade twisted away, then raised one hand and slapped her.
Tina growled and dropped back to the floor.
Within seconds Deacon was on Blade's back, tearing at his throat. The vampire hunter turned with a grunt and threw Deacon away from him. Tina knew that Deacon could easily take on Blade and she was waiting for him to get up and save her.
She watched as he sailed through the air, staring at her helplessly. Deacon knew what was going to happen only seconds before it did. He reached out toward Tina with one hand and he mouthed something that she couldn't see.
It was then that he crashed through the large window in his apartment and fell sixteen storeys to the cement below.
"No!" Tina screamed, reaching out. She knew the fall wouldn't kill him but he wouldn't be walking back up to his apartment any time soon. Without Deacon she wasn't sure she would be able to defeat Blade.
She stood, taking advantage of Blade's distraction and kicked him squarely in the face. He fell backward, then wiped the blood off his face before standing.
"You don't want to do this Blade," she murmured, staring at him. "You loved me. I was your best friend."
"Tina is already dead," he hissed, then reached into his jacket.
Tina tried to dodge the stake, she tried to twist away but the stake slammed home. It strained through muscle and bone before puncturing her heart.
Her eyes widened and she screamed horribly as the silver burned away her flesh. Tina watched her body turning into ash, a fire spreading down her limbs and up her chest. She screamed again as it reached her shoulders and she felt her bones begin to collapse beneath her. Her head hit the ground before it burst into ash and the last thing Tina saw were the handcuffs still dangling from the chair Deacon had chained her to. Even though her heart was already gone she could swear she felt it break. Just before her face collapsed she let out an anguished sob and a single tear slipped down her face.
Blade stared at her ashes, his throat suddenly tight. He knew he'd done the right thing but it hurt so much to have killed Tina. Other than Whistler she had been his only true friend. He would miss her very much.
Refusing to acknowledge his pain, Blade picked up his discarded stake and sword, returning them to their original homes. He then turned and walked out of the apartment, leaving the mess for Deacon to find.
* * * *