Chapter 2
Long Beach was dangerous. There was more that met the eye than what you see--more behind the plan buildings, sunshine beaches, surfers, and nonstop sun. There were people that had to keep the peace intact, hiding the suspicions about the odd creatures that lived or visited.
Jahn Dranth stared coolly at the pathetic being in front of her. The girl shivered. Few knew exactly what Jahn was, besides a girl that did not fit in in this city. Something cool and collective, unbothered by simple emotions, only seeing things as clear as black and white. Neither faded the other, so no such thing as gray. The almighty Laden Jash, strongest in Jahn's kind, had feared this young girl before she had escaped from her mother's womb.
"What?" the girl asked, voice shaking.
"I said, 'Where is Jake Griffin?'" Jahn repeated, unblinking. Maybe she should just strangle this pathetic Human and save the world of another person of complete and utter stupidity.
"J-Jake Gri-Griffin?" it stuttered, blue eyes enormous in a model face. It would be such a shame if someone—accidentally, of course—damaged it in any way.
"Yes, Jake Griffin," Jahn said, giving a slight nod. A long time ago she had lost patience with these kind, but she had learned then that it paid to keep cool.
"Why do you seek his kind?" it asked, taking a step back.
Jahn rolled her eyes at the Human. Her black hair hung carelessly around her shoulders in waves, red eyes piercing. Something was unnatural about her, as if she had been taken from a morbid book and thrown into a Human world. Her skin was pale and emphasized her hair and eyes to a scary degree. "I need something from him," she said coolly.
"B-but, he's a witch! Jahn, don't you know anything about their kind? T-they worship the devil!" it screeched, taking another step back.
How the thing knew Jahn's name, she'd never know. Jahn had absolutely no idea what this things name was. "Are you claiming they worship me? I think not." Even after thousands of years without emotions, Jahn's humor remained slightly intact.
Apparently, the Human didn't agree.
It gasped, jaw actually wide with horror. Disgust flashed across tanned features as it stared at Jahn astonished. "Stay back, you evil fiend!" She actually crossed her fingers in front of her as if a joke and backed away until her back hit a wall.
The calmer girl's mood fouled. "It was a joke, kid," she said, staring at the yellow haired thing with an emotionless mask.
"You were not! You meant that," the thing persisted, not lowering her fingers.
"It was a joke," she lied. But as the Human kept shaking its head in denial and horror. Jahn sighed inwardly but didn't let her agitation show. Instead, she reached out with her mind and "plucked" the comment from its mind. "So," she said, forcing her eyes to change into a calmer, lighter red. "Where does Jake Griffin live again?"
The thing stared dazedly at Jahn before nodding and brightening. "He lives here." It took out a sheet of paper from its messenger bag with a pen, and hastily wrote down an address, handing it over to the strange girl. "Its over by the beach." It turned, forgetting what it was doing there, and strolled calmly down the street.
Jahn muttered obscure words under her breath and scanned the paper in her hands. So, it was close by. Maybe she should take a stop there and finish the job quickly. Well, that's what she planned on, anyway. Until a young burnet girl walked up to her, eyes barely glancing at her as if she was lower class.
"Jahn," the girl said.
"Janice," the older girl replied.
Janice Ranisha was a vampire, a vampire that led the Linika Clash—a group of vampires changed by Janice as an attempt to fit in among her new world. Her shoulder length brown hair and cloudy green eyes held something—off—about them. Maybe it was a hint of predatory, or a hint of ignorance.
Jahn was the reason why Janice was the way she was—Janice wanted to be "worthy" or "better" than Jahn in the whole vampire gig that Jahn had lived since the dawn of time. But Jahn's group led the city of Long Beach, and always would, no matter what the Linika Clash did. Tyrgoth was the ultimate vampire and witch squad in LBC, and highly respecting amongst their races. Except when it came to the Linika Clash.
Jahn, with her pale skin and black hair, red eyes, and untouchable appearance, led Tyrgoth, and had created the group since it started.
"What do you want?" she growled to the new vampire.
"I want to know why you think that Tyrgoth is allowed on Linika's territory, Dranth," the burnet said darkly. Her eyes dancing under black eyeliner.
"Because, it isn't Linika's territory, Child," Jahn said coldly, leaning against the store front behind her. Complains from the manager inside made her silence him with a mere thought.
"It damn well is. It has been for 20 years!" Janice's hands flew in the air and her eyes widened as if it was the biggest deal, as if it was the end of the world.
"Twenty years? Try seven-hundred years. " She could see the anger flashing through the younger girls features.
"Liar. There hasn't been any groups that old, ever," the other girl said, snobbish.
"Foolish girl. Oh so foolish. I am actually pained by your ignorance and soon-to-be-embarrassment, Janice." With each word, the younger girl's features sharpened in anger. "There's been the Tranketh, Lyvront, Tolenate, and—"
"Bitch. I can't wait to see the day where you'll be proven wrong, because I know you aren't right in any conversation you have ever had." Janice turned and began to walk away.
"Oh, why Janice, you sound so… Vermin. I can't wait to find out what Laden will think of this," Jahn said smoothly. "And it appears you can't even back up your conversations. What a pity. I don't know what people saw in you when they granted you with the privilege of being a vampire." With this, the red-eyed woman turned and walked away from Janice, leaving her staring, speechless with pure hatred.
A loud knock echoed through out the house as Jahn knocked on the door once again.
"Be there in a second!" a male voice boomed from what seemed to be upstairs in the house.
She leaned against the porch wall while she waited, tapping her foot to a beat only she could hear: taptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptap… taptaptap…. Taptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptap… taptap… On one of the taps, the door opened yet she didn't stop the beat with her booted foot.
"Hellooo," she said cheerfully.
The girl looking at her suspiciously had long lime green hair with dark green eyes. She was dressed in casual clothes, which seemed freakier than running around butt naked outside in below freezing temperatures.
"Hey," the girl said cautiously. "You a friend of Jake's?"
Jahn nodded and put on a bright smile. "Yep. You're his sister, right?" She stopped the tapping of her foot and stood up to her full length, so she was taller than the green haired girl was. Now, that's a witch, Jahn thought, sizing up the girl. Her skin was pure gold, her eyes dancing with hidden magic. Just by looking at her, all thoughts of control on the world would vanish to a normal person. So, this is what I save, every day of my boring life.
The idea was kind of disgusting. At least, to Jahn it was kind of disgusting.
The witch shook her head and smiled. "Slyve Insetle, his girlfriend," she said, flashing a white smile.
"His…oh." Jahn smiled, bowing her head slightly. "My bad."
Slyve's smile widened. "Come on in… what's your name?"
"Jahn Dranth."
Her smiled dropped. "Jahn?" she asked suspiciously. "Why would you be here?"
"I'm here on business, Slyve. Just let me through."
Slyve Insetle stepped back, and let the vampire Guardian into the house.