3: New Tricks (circa 1843)
She had finally gone to sleep around three o'clock in the morning, expecting to sleep until sunset. However, Selene's mortal self forced her to wake up at daybreak, as she had done her whole life.
Until now, she reminded herself, and tried to go back to sleep. She managed to get another few hours of rest but woke up again at noon. She lay in her bed, staring up at the ceiling, dark because of the heavy drapes keeping out the sun. Selene found it hard to believe that she had lost everything she loved just four days ago. Selene's throat clenched with the threat of tears. No! she ordered herself. No more crying. You got it all out of you last night, girl.
Selene sat up in her bed, the downy blankets wrapped around her like a protective casing. She stared into her dim room, her vampiric eyes making out every detail even in the low light. She had dreamt about her family during her sleep, and the images still haunted her. For the last four days, Selene had been playing the part of the damsel in distress. She was the victim, rescued from evil because she couldn't save herself. Selene clenched her fists. I will no longer be weak, she thought angrily. A single tear fell down her cheek, despite her best efforts. She glared at her room and whispered, "I will become a Death Dealer."
One advantage to waking up nearly five hours before anyone else was that it had allowed Selene to explore Ordoghaz undaunted. She discovered nearly all of the mansion this way, learning the basic layout. She would occasionally pass servant vampires who would smile at her unkindly or, if in groups, would whisper to their companions. Selene quickly learned that everyone in Ordoghaz knew her as "Viktor's favorite."
Tired of their accusing glares, Selene tried to find a place where she would be left alone. Soon she found an empty hallway decorated with shining weapons upon the walls and pedestals that supported marble busts of important vampires. Their names were carved into little metal plates on the pedestals. Selene examined all of these with interest, especially the one made to look like Viktor. Its marble eyes seemed to have the same piercing glare that the Elder possessed. Selene walked away from it, not liking how the bust made Viktor look so angry.
She stopped at another marble head, this one shaped like Kraven, and Selene had to resist the urge to shove the statue to the floor and watch it shatter to pieces. She wasn't sure what it was about him that made her so uneasy, but Selene trusted her instincts and decided Kraven was not a friend in her strange new world. "Ugly sort of mug, that one," a voice behind Selene said, making her jump.
Turning, she saw that it was Kahn, and she smiled. "He's quite handsome, really," Selene admitted, tracing her fingers along the marbleized Kraven. "His attitude, that is what's so ugly about him."
"Amen," Kahn smirked. He was wearing all black, and there was a small dagger strapped to his leg and a pistol in a holster around his waist. Kahn caught Selene eyeing the weapon and said, "What are you doing down here, anyway? Did you get lost?"
"Yes," she said. Then she pointed at the gun and asked, "Do I get to use one of those?"
Kahn was surprised. "So you are serious about being a Death Dealer?"
"I have to avenge my family," Selene said quietly, not looking at Kahn's face. "So yes."
Kahn smiled, a sort of proud look on his face, and clapped a hand onto Selene's shoulder.
"Come with me," he said to her, "and I'll show you the dojo." He led her down the hallway, taking several turns that Selene lost track of. "Don't worry, you will memorize it pretty quickly," Kahn told her. They stopped at a large set of doors. Selene could hear the sounds of fighting going on just behind them. Kahn looked at her. "Have you ever fought anyone before?"
"Not since I was a child," Selene said, thinking of the silly arguments she'd had with Dawn.
"You're going to hurt like hell after this. Viktor wants you to be the best, so I'm going to teach you everything I know." He tapped the pistol at his hip. "You won't get to play with these yet, you have to learn hand-to-hand combat first. Understand?" Selene nodded. Kahn nodded back, then pushed open the doors of the dojo and led Selene inside.
Hundreds of strange-looking pistols hung on the walls beside lots of old weaponry likes swords or axes, all gleaming in the light of the dojo. The dojo itself was cut off into sections; the one closest to Kahn and Selene had several large mats placed on the floor, and four or five pairs of vampires were sparring on them. The vampires punched and kicked at each other with swift, almost graceful movements that they'd obviously used hundreds of times before.
Further along the dojo was another section. Thick walls were built around it so all Selene could see was the dozen or so vampires holding pistols and shooting at something. The gunshots hurt Selene's ears, but she was eager to learn how to use the powerful weapons. The last section of the dojo was sealed off completely. Selene turned to ask Kahn what was hidden back there, but he was already walking toward the sparring area. Selene followed after him quickly.
Kahn stopped at the nearest pair of vampires, two large males. One had blonde hair slicked back onto his head and the other had shaggy brunette hair that Selene found quite attractive. Kahn turned to Selene and gestured to the vampires, who were both sweating from their exercise and breathing heavily. "This is Nathaniel and Vann. They're about two centuries older than you, Selene, but they're good-natured. They won't be jackasses like some of the others."
Nathaniel flashed Selene a friendly smile and offered his hand. Selene took it and he kissed her hand politely. "So you are Viktor's favorite, eh?" Selene flashed her own ivory smile. Nathaniel's smile widened and he turned to Kahn. "Do you want Vann and I to spar for her? Show her what it means to be a Death Dealer?"
"No," Kahn replied, and Selene felt disappointed. Kahn grabbed Selene's shoulder and pushed her forward. "I want you to spar with her." "What?" Vann said. "With her? But Kahn, she's only a baby--"
A baby? Selene thought angrily.
"Viktor has faith in her, and that's all that matters." Kahn said coolly. "Decide which of you will go against her first. Selene, come here." Kahn stepped away from Nathaniel and Vann, pulling Selene with him. "All right, listen up. You make a fist like this, and you have to throw all your weight into it---"
"He called me a baby." Selene pouted.
Kahn lifted an eyebrow at her. "Well, you are. You haven't been an immortal a week yet. Usually vampires aren't even allowed in the dojo until they're half a century old. However, Viktor has faith in you, like I said. So just buck up, girl. And pay attention."
Kahn quickly ran through simple fighting instructions and stances, throwing a lot of information at Selene in only two minutes. Her mind was buzzing with his directions, and she was about to ask a question when Kahn straightened and walked back to Nathaniel and Vann.
Vann was standing off of the mat now, his arms crossed and an amused look on his face. Selene hoped he got the chance to wipe away that smirk. Nathaniel was standing on the mat, one foot placed behind the other, his fists up, still grinning in a friendly way. Kahn patted Selene's shoulder and nudged her forward.
Selene took a breath, trying not to think about how nervous she was. She tried to mimic Nathaniel's stance. "Put your foot back a little more," Nathaniel told her. Selene did so. Nathaniel smiled and nodded. "Good," he said. "Now, I'm going to throw a punch at you and you've got to block it. All right?"
"All right," Selene said uncertainly. Nathaniel flew at her with amazing speed. Selene barely had time to register the fact that he'd moved when she suddenly felt his fist slam into her shoulder. She cried out and cringed, grabbing her arm. Nathaniel backed off.
"Come on, you can do better than that!" Kahn barked. "Pull yourself together!"
"That hurt!" Selene cried at him.Why am I doing this?
"If a lycan attacks you, it's going to hurt worse!" Kahn snapped. Selene frowned and had a brief image of her family in her head. That's why she was here, to kill the monsters that had stolen everything from her. She sniffed heavily and let go of her arm, turning to face Nathaniel again. She put up her fists and put one foot behind the other and nodded to herself.
Nathaniel grinned at Vann. "Do you still think that she is a baby, Vann?" The other vampire shrugged, but he was still smirking. Nathaniel looked at Selene. "We'll try it again. You have to block me." Before Selene could give any sign of recognition, Nathaniel lunged at her again. Selene briefly saw his fist flying at her and she moved to duck, but then she felt the sharp, throbbing pain in her side. It was so bad that Selene fell to her knees, gripping her stomach with tears leaking out of the corners of her eyes.
"Selene!" Kahn scolded.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Selene yelled. She was sure the only thing keeping her alive was the fact that she was immortal. If she'd been a human, Nathaniel would've killed her with that punch. Kahn stalked over to Selene and jerked her to her feet roughly. He pulled her arms away from her and whirled her around to face Nathaniel for a third time.
"No crying," Kahn ordered. "You may be Viktor's favorite, but in here, you're just another fighter. Like everyone else. You will do this until you get it right. Nathaniel, you had better not go easy on her."
Please, for the love of God, go easy on me, Selene thought, trying to blink back the tears in her eyes. Sympathy lined Nathaniel's face, but it seemed he wasn't about to go against Kahn's orders. He nodded once and waited for Selene to get ready. She sniffed and wiped her eyes, the movement sending a fresh wave of pain through her arm. "Concentrate!" Kahn demanded. "Think about why you're here."
Selene thought of her parents. She thought of Dawn, Adrienne, and Elaine. And, despite herself, she thought of the horrible scene she'd witnessed; she remembered the shredded bodies, the blood on the walls, and the lycans. The demons who'd done it all. She thought of her promise.
Before Nathaniel even made a move, Selene lunged forward and slammed her fist into his gut. Her attack was so unexpected and so strong that Nathaniel flew backward, crashing into the stone floor. He let out a grunt of pain.
Selene stood rooted to the spot, feeling her heart pounding against her ribcage, her breath coming in shallow gasps. Nathaniel was staring at her with a mixed look of fear and pride. Then he smiled. Behind her, Selene heard Kahn clapping his hands together. She turned. She was glad to see that Kahn looked so satisfied, and she was very, very glad to see that Vann's jaw had dropped from shock. With a tiny smile, Selene asked him, "Do you still think that I'm a baby, Vann?"
Vann only stared in reply. "Do not get cocky, Selene," Kahn said sternly. "You aren't good enough to be arrogant yet. That was a decent punch, but you were supposed to be blocking Nathaniel's attacks. Try it again. And don't worry, Vann, you'll get your turn."
They practiced for hours. Selene felt like she would faint any second now, but she forced herself to continue her training. It hurt. Oh, God, how it hurt. Her whole body was bruised and throbbing, sweat was dripping down her face and back. She was a mess.
But so was Nathaniel, and that relieved Selene. He was working just as hard as she was, and thankfully she was getting better. She could block most of his direct attacks now and Kahn said that if she could manage it, she was allowed to throw in a few punches of her own. She had given Nathaniel a nasty black eye that contrasted his handsome looks. Instead of being angry, he'd been quite pleased that Selene managed to hit his face.
Finally, around half past midnight, when Selene calculated that she'd been in the dojo for nearly nine hours, Kahn told her she could stop. She did so gladly. "Good work, Selene. And you, Nathaniel. That's enough tonight. Tomorrow you can spar with Vann. Viktor wants to see you now."
Selene's heart lifted. Viktor, she thought happily. Now she could relax. Kahn led her from the dojo and down the twisting halls, complimenting her on a job well done. "Don't get me wrong, you're still a bad fighter," he said, "but you're no longer a horrible fighter. You learn quickly. That's good."
They stopped in front of a gorgeous-looking oak door with a giant letter 'V' carved into it. Kahn grabbed hold of the brass knocker, which was the size of a dinner plate, and let it fall back against the door. "Enter," came Viktor's voice from inside. Selene couldn't hide her smile. Kahn pushed open the door and walked inside. Selene trotted quickly beside him.
Viktor's room was almost as large as the main foyer. It was decorated with ancient weapons and what looked like human skulls along the walls. A grand bed was near a large fireplace, and there was a pool-sized bathtub on the other side of the room, shrouded by curtains. More furniture, a desk and bookshelves, were placed here and there, giving Selene the impression of a palace crammed into a single room. A large chair like a throne was placed in front of bay windows, the drapes of which were drawn back to reveal the night sky. Viktor sat in the throne, looking at Kahn and Selene expectantly.
Immediately, Kahn fell to his knees before the vampire Elder. Selene only watched, then glanced up at Viktor. He nodded, only slightly, and she knelt before him just like Kahn. They stood together, and Kahn turned and left. When she heard the door shut behind her, Selene darted forward and threw her arms around Viktor, shaking. He wrapped his arms around her, running one hand through her straggly hair. "Good evening, my child," he said calmly.
"I never want to do it again," Selene pleaded. "My whole body hurts. I don't think I can do it, my Lord, I really do not think I can do it." She waited for his reply. Viktor didn't say anything, only continued to pet her hair soothingly. Selene pulled away from him and lifted her shirt enough to show him her stomach, which was covered in bruises. "Do you see? I cannot---"
But Viktor held out his arm and moved the sleeve of his cloak away from it. A large gash ran the length of his arm, from his shoulder past his elbow. It was jagged and red, and the skin around it was bruised much worse than Selene was. "I know it hurts, dearest," Viktor said calmly, "but you must learn to live with the pain. Do you want your family to have died in vain?"
Tears brimmed Selene's eyes and she fought them back as best she could. "No, my Lord," she whispered.
"Then you will continue to fight." He reached out and touched her face. "Do not cry, my child. Tears do not bring back the dead. You must learn to control your emotions, to channel your anger."
"I do not understand---" Selene began. There was so much, too much, that she didn't know. But Viktor hushed her. He stood, and she stood with him. Viktor gestured to the large bathtub.
"Clean yourself up," he told her. At her shocked expression, he smiled. "You'll have the room all to yourself, Selene. No one will see you." With that, he left the room, and Selene heard the lock click shut. For a brief moment, Selene wondered, Is Viktor locking everyone else out, or is he locking me in? She had expected to come to Viktor and feel better. But she didn't. She was still a mess, both her body and her soul. She hurt everywhere, especially in her heart.
Selene walked over to the bath, making sure that the curtains were pulled closed around it, and pulled off her tattered clothes. Then she turned on the water, wondering when she had last had a proper bath. She only let the hot water run, watching the steam rise and billow around her while she sat on the edge of the bath, her legs dangling over the side.
Finally it was full, and Selene leaned over and shut off the tap. Then she slid into the tub, expecting to feel the water almost scald her skin. But her bath only felt warm. Selene frowned. Was this another part of being a vampire? She couldn't enjoy something as simple as a hot bath?
Selene, what have you gotten yourself into? she thought bitterly. With a sigh, she leaned back and tried to relax. She could have stayed in that tub for hours if she wanted, waiting for sunrise to arrive so she could sleep until dark. Sleep. That sounded like a splendid idea. Selene imagined herself in her great big bed, sleeping peacefully, and then an intrusive, girlish idea found its way to her mind. She'd be sleeping peacefully next to a man, a husband, a lover. Now there was a splendid idea.
A loud thud jerked Selene from her reverie. It was coming from the door of Viktor's room. Someone was trying to get in. Instinctively, Selene sunk lower into the bath as the door shook with another clunk. Her eyes widened in fear as there was a third bang, and then the door cracked. She heard the door fly open and hit the walls, followed by angry, hurried footsteps. Selene tried to be utterly still as the stranger stomped around Viktor's room. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard the steps pounding her way.
A silhouette appeared behind the curtains surrounding the bath and Selene cringed. A hand reached out and jerked the curtains away, revealing the intruder.
It was Kraven.