Okay, I know this took forever, I've been really busy. And yes, it's very short, I will continue as fast as I can.
Six months later
Orion cruised down the highway, thinking only of Trent. He had been driving aimlessly for six months now, thinking of nothing but Trent and keeping out of Selyah's claws.
He stopped in towns every once in a while, staying only for a few days. If he stayed in one spot for too long, the urge to go back to Trent became unbearable. Every night he had to fight a bloody battle with himself to keep from running all the way back to Las Vegas. He had only given in to temptation once: two months after he had left, he had driven back to Thierry's place, grabbed a maid, and searched her mind for where Trent might be. But she was not there-he found out from the maid that she had left a month ago on some secret mission, and only Thierry knew where she was. So he had left and gone back to his pointless road trip.
He hated his life. Every day he prayed to die, he tried to crash his car, he went out in a lightning storm holding a metal rod. But it didn't work, and to his dismay he was still alive-Selyah had not found him yet. He would have taken his own life, but he couldn't, not while his soul mate was alive.
It was nearing midnight, and Orion had to choose between sleeping in his car or checking into a hotel. What the hell, there was a town coming up, he might as well check into a hotel.
The town-well, more like a village, really-was called Ashton. It was a morose little place in the middle of South Dakota, with only one hotel in the whole god-forsaken place. Luckily, there was vacancy, and Orion checked in and then went hunting, feeding off a hobo outside the hotel. He couldn't sleep again that night-he got so tangled up in his covers, tossing and turning, that he almost suffocated himself.
The next day he forced himself to check out the town. He had to get out of that dingy little hotel room, and he didn't want to leave town just yet.
There was some sort of carnival happening so he checked that out. He didn't do anything there, just sort of walked around aimlessly. Sometimes he would get lost in his mind and just stare at something, usually a young couple or a teenage boy. There was one boy, about sixteen, with black hair and pale skin, who Orion could not seem to stop staring at. Is that what I would have been? he thought to himself. Is that what I would be like if I had stayed human?
Orion had been transformed into a vampire at age sixteen. His human life had been pretty shitty: his dad beat him, he had no mom, and he lived his life in the ghetto, hardly ever going to school. Living in a place like that, he had to learn to fight, and pretty soon he had a reputation for being the toughest fighter in the neighborhood. He learned plenty of fancy tricks, and when Selyah grabbed him for a midnight snack one night, he was able to fight back. When she grabbed him, he grabbed her neck and twisted it to break it, at the same time kicking and shattering her kneecap. Selyah being a vampire, the breaks healed instantly, but it surprised her enough to loosen her grip, and Orion slipped free. She was gone when he turned around, preferring easier prey, but she had dropped her business card on the ground.
Orion picked it up and made his way to her den the next day. He had been profoundly impressed and awed by her strength, and he wanted to know more-where she learned it, if she could teach him. In those days he had been obsessed with being the strongest, fastest, best fighter-and besides, what did he have to lose?
The vampires let him into Selyah's room, probably finding him amusing, and when he asked Selyah about her strength, she told about the Night World. She gave him the choice of vampirism and walking free, and after some thought but not much, he chose to become a vampire. He had sold his soul for the sake of his ego and his strength. (Selyah would have killed him anyway, he had no illusions about that, but still, Orion sometimes regretted the rash decision.)
Turning around, he found an old gypsy woman watching him. She was a fortune-teller, the kind that used crystal balls. When she saw him watching her, she smiled and came over. Orion turned to go, but stopped at the sound of her voice.
Her voice was melodic and hypnotizing, making the hairs on the back of Orion's neck stand up. He turned. How did you know my name? he demanded.
She smiled. Well, I am a witch, after all. What, you didn't recognize a fellow Night Worlder?
He stared. What is a Night World Witch doing telling fortunes?
She shrugged. I got tired of the Night World, she said lightly. Come in, and take a look at my crystal ball.
I don't feel any need to have my fortune told, Orion said sharply.
Oh come now, of course you do. Normally my fee is quite high, seeing as I actually see the future, but you can have it for free since you're a fellow Night World escapee.
No thank you. I have no interest in your crystal ball. He turned to go, but again he stopped at the sound of her voice.
You know you want to see her. Her voice was different now-it was deeper, more resonant. You know you would cut out your heart for even the briefest glance at her face.
Orion turned slowly to face her. How did you know? he whispered, his voice tight with pain.
She moved closer and grasped his wrist. I can do more than that, she said. I can show you where she is, I can tell you what she is thinking, I can tell you everything about her.
Orion stared at her for several long seconds, and then followed her into the tent that would decide his entire future.