Interlude I – While You Were Out – September, 2004
Stas closed the dresser. His wardrobe was finally up to Buffalo standards, which meant enough warm clothes to last the winter. Decades spent in Russia's frozen wastes took away any intimidation value the snow might have had. He knew what to expect from the weather, if not from his Teacher.
A knock on his apartment door cut off any thoughts about Flynn. No buzz preceded the guest, leaving only one possible identity. His neighbor. Stas purposely left his shashka in its coat sheath and answered the door. Laurette stood on the concrete path with a flirtatious grin. She was pretty, but something about her kept his interest platonic.
"I felt you return from that shopping trip. Did you get everything you wanted?"
Stas gave a short nod, but a ringing sound cut off his vocal response. A cloud overcame him at the sound. Only one person had his cell phone number, and it was not a friend. "I have to get that." He closed the door on Laurette and braced himself before picking up the phone. "Feeling lonely?"
His Teacher's voice tsked through the receiver. "You know that our emotions are much more complicated than pesky mortals, and not even they have just one reason for any action."
The young Immortal looked reassuringly to his coat. "Get to the point, Flynn."
"Such anger! You're the one who started with the small talk." Stas held back a growl, instead opting for a forceful sigh. "Good. Find a useful outlet for your feelings, don't let them build up and explode." Even with their differences, Flynn still tried to be the teacher. Stas was always unsure of Flynn's motivations. There were too many contradictions in the elder Immortal. "I'm insulted that you moved to Buffalo and never bothered to look me up."
"What makes you think I haven't?" Stas was unaware of the volume of his voice and equally oblivious to the rage. "If I knew where you were, one of us wouldn't be among the living."
False surprise accompanied Flynn's response. "Stanislav! I would never wish you pain. How could you say such a thing?" His tone turned icy. "You have potential. Countless Immortals are coming to this city; if you survive the next year, you will have a chance at becoming a god. Use your pet of a neighbor until she is helpless, and then dispose of her."
All the anger washed out of Stas as he realized the full implications of Flynn's words. Blood drained from his face until he was pale as the white ceiling. To verify his conclusion, he asked, "What makes you think she's my pet?"
"No matter to me. If you don't take her Quickening, I will."
Flynn was close enough to know that Laurette was Immortal. The only one of their kind she had mentioned in Buffalo was a rabbi, and Flynn was not the type to become a clergyman. Either Laurette was working for Flynn, or Stas was under very close surveillance. What he knew of his Teacher told Stas that the latter was the only real possibility. Stas started to retort, but found the line was dead.
The battle against Flynn was supposed to be a personal one. As grateful he was for the Immortal's influence on Stas's life, he wished he had killed him when they first met.
Xxxxx
16 May, 1873 CE
Blood flew with swipe of Stas's sword. His opponent was cut open, the inside of his lungs now exposed to the outside air in a much more direct way. Stas grinned with cruel pride and turned to the final Cossack. "You fight for the wrong cause, comrade." A stink reached Stas, and he knew that the Cossack had lost control of his bowels. "Are you ready to die?" The buzz came suddenly, accompanied by hoof beats. Stas slashed across the Cossack's back as the so-called soldier turned to flee. No Cossack deserved to live and not even another Immortal would prolong his vengeance. Stas savored the death cry. His work for the day was finished. Stas turned to the newcomer, ready for a more difficult fight.
The horseman did not look Ukrainian. He was tall, with reddish-blond hair and pale skin. The Immortal looked around and saw more than a dozen recent corpses spread around a camp. "Nice handiwork. Any reason for the slaughter?"
Stas grinned with leftover fury. He had seen Cossacks slaughter children with more cruelty than Stas had ever exhibited. "They lost their right to live a long time ago."
"That's for mortals to decide. Our kind lives by different laws." The horseman saw that his words had no effect on Stas, so he took on a kinder tone. "Mortals have short enough lives as it is. No need for us to intervene."
Something was wrong. The horseman had not yet challenged Stas and the fury was leaving him. If another fight did not begin soon, Stas would be at a disadvantage. He charged forward with his sword, but the Immortal's steed moved out of range. "Are you suicidal, lad? I'm fresh and you've just come out of a fight. Even if you're the better swordsman, who do you think will keep his head?" Stas attacked a second and third time, but the horseman continued to evade.
Xxxxx
The two Immortals had undergone personality changes in opposite directions over the past century and a quarter. Stas was now the more peaceful, and Flynn the insane one. Though he had matured since their first encounter, Flynn's combat skill was still beyond Stas. There was little hope for the showdown Stas sought, but he had to try. The elder Immortal's scheme was too dangerous.
Frustrated with his line of thought, Stas decided to do something more useful. He left his apartment and sought out Laurette. Leaving her alone was now an invitation for Flynn to take her head. He was aware that she might misunderstand his intentions, but that was no reason to risk her life.
Xxxxx
Lau was looking for his next conquest. He never spent more than a single night with any woman, it was his thing. Tabitha found it rather despicable.
Yvonne danced with a couple of guys. She was too scared to do anymore than dance with a guy, though. It was why Yvonne was so dependent on Nathan, her de facto father.
Tabitha sighed. Each of them stayed with Nathan for a different reason. For her, it was probably respect. But Nathan had found love for himself, and Tabitha knew that if she continued living as she had, loneliness was going to set in. No, it was time to accept the possibility of romance. She did not, after all, want to be like Yvonne.
"Beer?" asked a voice. Tabitha turned to see a beer bottle offered to her. It was a brand she did not recognize, Killian's Red. She hesitantly accepted, then looked up to see who had offered it. The man's identity surprised her: Cyrus Tegyr. "You looked bored."
"I came here with them," she indicated Lau and Yvonne, "but I'm not really in the mood right now. Besides, you don't look like you're having a good night, either."
Cyrus shrugged. "You three are the only vamps in the joint. I was hoping for something to kill."
"Oh, joy!" she shouted with mock enthusiasm. "Now I know why Diana didn't want you coming here." To her surprise, Cyrus laughed. "Stupid old people. What do you really want?"
To his own surprise, Cyrus decided to tell her. "I'm making sure you stay safe. Have your siblings," he paused, the word sounding strange in his ears, "been acting different since Nathan left for his honeymoon?"
"Lau has been getting more bossy. That's basically it."
The Immortal watched Lau on the dance floor as if his eyes could see through the vampire's flesh. There was a chance he was just upset at the change in pecking order, but increased aggression was not a good sign. "Let me know if he does anything strange."
Tabitha turned away from Cyrus and he eventually left the bar. She blinked in surprise at what she saw on the dance floor. A man with an arm around Yvonne, walking her out. Was she really going home with him?