Chapter 2: Predatory Instincts.
Sabrina's Point of View:
My name is Sabrina Rose, and I am dead, but not... It's all rather complicated. The short version though is that I'm a bloodthirsty monster, at least, some of the time. I'm not the only one of my kind and we have formed a... Well, we call it the Night Society. Over the course of history it has been destroyed and resurrected countless times. Currently it is running strong in Emerald City and has been for centuries.
The Night Society has rules, codes, but none are more important than this, even newly created Damned know it, like it's in our blood: Don't let the sheep know the wolf is there... What they don't tell you is because even a wolf can be trampled to death by a hundred sheep. We call this barrier we erect to ensure humans don't find out about us, The Veil. Rule One: Maintain The Veil. I've gone against every instinct by letting Hawke live and telling him what I have. In for a penny, in for a pound right? Now... The Warden comes calling but I am ready. The board is set up, the pieces are in place, the newest chapter in the Game is about to unfold.
It never takes me long to get to sleep, the problem is staying asleep. If it's not the Hunger, it's the nightmares, if it's not the nightmares its my mind realizing the body no longer needs to rest. Tonight, my hunger was dulled to a constant ache I could almost ignore, and the nightmares had given me a reprieve so far, no, this time it was my mind waking from a rest it did not really need.
I stared at the ceiling for a minute before getting up to check on my house guest. Anders had told me to make myself at home and that he would be gone for at least 6 months, that was a month ago. I pulled out one of my two steamer trunks from the closet and knelt down as I opened it and retrieved some new clothes. It might have been a habit but I never felt comfortable settling down and setting roots. In fact... I had been in this city for a little over a year and this was the longest time I had spent in one city.
Cities... They were like gilded cages really. They had everything a Damned could want... Food, Shelter, Entertainment and most importantly... Humans who could be manipulated in the Great Game we Damned played together and against each other. On the other hand, outside cities were the badlands, the wild frontier for all we were concerned. Food, shelter, entertainment and cannon fodder, all harder to come by, and being outside the city comes with risk. Risk of weirder, more feral, 'things' that prefer to be left alone but wouldn't think twice about hunting down anything else in their Territory. So we Damned stick to cities when we can, besides, why not?
After I picked out my outfit I took it to the adjoining bathroom with me. I showered quickly and stepped out and caught my reflection in the steamed up mirror. I was rather petite with only slight curve to my hips, chest and bottom. My skin was pale white that could only be contributed to a corpse. My raven black hair was stuck to my head, still a bit wet, my hair was exactly as it had been when I died. A damned's physical body does not change day to day, and should you wish to change it, say... cut your hair? You could do it every day as the hair will inexplicably grow back at some point in the day. For Sabrina it was midnight but she knew it was different for different damned. Or... you could force your body to change but the Curse demands a price, a price in blood, for something trival, not much, but it always demands payment and even a little blood makes the Hunger, just a little less bearable.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts and got dressed. Black slacks, black tanktop and shirt and I wore my combat boots. It was an unusual look for me a little but I knew I would be summoned tonight about this morning's Breach. The question of why almost never seemed to matter or come up, only how did you cover your tracks. And I had done as well as I could. I owed major favors to four of the six elders of the city.
I was surprised to have been given so much credit but I was a 'respected member of society'. The thought made me want to laugh. I kept my head down, didn't piss too powerful of Damned off and helped when asked. My particular talents... were not in solving puzzles or knowing esoteric knowledge but I was pretty good with people... and I could fight, I was good too. They called me Sabrina 'The Thorned' Rose, a little moniker I never claimed but one that was bestowed upon me unofficially by the Damned of Emerald City.
After I was fully dressed I took a breath and pulled the second steamer trunk from the closet and I laid it down on the bed. It was heavy, heavier than the first but I didn't feel it. I was stronger than I looked. I trained, hard over the last 5 years since my 'Rebirth' like physical changes, like haircuts or tattoos, you can train like a normal human too. Get faster, stronger but it takes more time and significantly more blood than a haircut. I could also infuse my body with Blood to give my a physical boost, near super human levels of strength, speed or toughness but it was temporary and the longer you use it, the hungrier you get.
I opened the steamer trunk. Right on top and covering the rest of the trunk's contents was her custom leather trenchcoat. It had several thin layers of kevlar weaved on the inside, less layers around the joints and typical bends in the fabric, and more everywhere else. I had commissioned this trenchcoat of the very few Damned she would call a friend. It was black with a silver colored embroidery of a Rose on the left shoulder.
I had not opened this trunk since moving to Emerald City. I took a breath, a habit, since technically I didn't need to breath but it was good for keeping up appearances, and closed the trunk before locking it back up. I was going to 'prepare' for my time at the Warden's Court but instead I silently left my room, descended the stairs and walked into the living room and saw Hawke laying on the couch, his breathing rythmatic and steady, sleeping. My house guest was safe and sound. I should have went back upstairs and 'suit up' for the big night...
Hawke seemed to bring that out of me... Not doing what I should have done, or should be doing because I just stood there and watched him sleep. I felt... strange. I wanted to talk to him again, to hear his voice, it wasn't particularly impressive, deep but not really deep, and he was soft spoken, if my senses weren't enhanced I might have had a hard time hearing him sometimes. He was cute but not particularly handsome and he was fit but not exactly athletic. In truth, he wouldn't stand out in the crowd of humanity but what drew me to him was a moment in time. One day she was watching him at a practice with his team. They really were 'his' team, he was a great leader, liked helping and seeing his people succeed but Hawke was making a long ranged shot... His teammates were being distractions, yelling, crying, anything but touching or being in direct line of his target. Hawke drew back the arrow and it as in that moment. I knew I wanted him. The moment after drawing but before release, the slow exhale... The look in his eyes, the utter focus, the memory alone could make me smolder... But the look in his eyes... I had seen it before, a hundred times, a look I myself knew I had. The look was of a Damned on the Hunt. It wasn't quite the same I know but I never saw anyone but another Damned look like that, and that intrigued the hell out of me.
I pulled myself out of the memory to focus on the present and found that I was sitting on a reclining chair next to the couch Hawke was sleeping on. I didn't remember moving or sitting down. I watched Hawke and my control faltered for a moment. The ache in my stomach grew more forceful and I felt my fangs extend, aching with need. The memory of feeding from Hawke coming unbidden to my mind... The hot blood flowing down my throat... The pleasure... I saw red at the edges of my vision and knew my eyes were a bright crimson color. I reached out an arm to Hawke. I wanted him...
It felt like my heart was hammering in my chest, I knew that was impossible but the memory of it was so strong it almost felt real. The imagery of Hawke and I... Together... Came to my mind, the look he had from my memories of when he was shooting on his face working me up. I knew if I didn't stop I might hurt Hawke and it was difficult but I calmed myself down. Gritting my teeth and making the thoughts and memories abandon me and I closed my eyes as I exerted my control once again.
Slowly the hammering in my chest slows and finally still and I take a deep breath blinking slow and the red was gone from the edges of my perspective and I let my arm drop slowly back to my side. I was surprised at myself, no one I had met before made my control falter, at least, not their mere presence. Hawke wasn't even conscious, perhaps if he was my control wouldn't have faltered, maybe if he wasn't so vulnerable and in my own lair... I shook my head. I was going to have to get used to him being vulnerable around me. That was part of bring in a relationship, eventually away and I contemplated that. Could I make myself vulnerable to Hawke? How was that possible?
I was thinking about these things when I sensed the presence of another Damned or I sensed their Shadow... It was a nicer, more comprehensive name for our cold, bloodthirsty side. Hawke had seen it in the classroom, my Shadow. As far as I knew my Shadow was our Curse made manifest in our minds and souls or maybe it was the other soul occupying one body? It depends on what you believe. I didn't particularly care but I did know Damned can identify another of their kind by the presence of their Shadow. Some Damned can mask the presence of their Shadow but never for long and it takes a lot of blood and not everyone can do it. Though most who can do not since the Hunger afterwards usually isn't worth it.
My head snapped up towards the window to my left and I saw a single man, tall, Caucasian, mixed latino decent? In a suit. In the span of a few seconds, I had gotten up, crossed to the door, opened and closed it silently and was on the opposite side of the street the man was standing. He was leaning against his new white car.
"Good evening Ms. Rose," He says nodding his head to me.
"I apologize for not calling ahead but..." He trails and tilts his head to one side and narrows his eyes at me. Shadows do not just sense each other's presences, they can gage who is older, and by extension who is stronger, which typically is the elder of the two meeting. I could feel his Shadow sizing up my own. His was older, and smile broke over his face that didn't reach his eyes.
"Are you the infamous Sabrina 'The Thorned' Rose? That can't be possible. Your nothing but a youngling! Maybe it's your making I should be speaking to?" He asked laughing. Anger starts to well up in me. I had been through too much and had a reputation to protect that would not allow this slight to go unpunished. I could be gracious about it though.
"Your going to regret treating me with such disrespect. I am Sabrina Rose, give me your message, as you are obviously an errand boy, and leave in one piece and consider it a mercy," I said quietly and looked him straight in the eye. He was about to spit out a retort but his voice caught in his throat when he met my gaze. He was older, should have been stronger but his Shadow recognized the determination born of confidence in mine and it made him reexamine his position. He scoffed before speaking again.
"The Warden summons you to Court to answer for yesterday's Veil Breach," He declared.
"Very well, your message has been received. You can leave now," I say right after he was done talking, knowing why he was here right after I sensed his presence.
"Awww... I'm mighty thirsty... How about a drink from the Lick in your house?" He asked. A 'Lick' was a derogatory term for a human whom a Damned fed on... My anger, that had been roused from his disrespect, exploded at his comment of Hawke, that he would even ask. It is what he wanted of course, a reason for this encounter to turn violent. I tried to get a handle on my anger but it only burned brighter. How dare he ask for a drink from Hawke. He was MINE, mine and mine alone. Ours is a rather territorial people, as befitting our predatory natures. Hawke may not have agreed but that hardly mattered. I had decided, in that moment, that Hawke was mine and I would kill to protect what was mine.
In the blink of an eye I had crossed the gap between us and with both fists, slammed into his chest with all my strength, it sent the man flying against his car, a loud metallic thud ringing aloud through out the neighborhood. He recovered, slowly getting up. A normal human would've been dead before hitting the car. He coughed as he stood.
"You little Bitch!" He swore.
"You leave now or I'll leave you something a little more permanent to remember me by. Don't ever threaten me or mine again or it will be the last thing you do," I tell him. My rage fueling my words, red at the edge of my vision and my fangs lengthened at the thought of bloodshed. His eyes flashed red but he got into the car, just as he started to drive away though I heart the 'pop' of a silenced pistol and the car screeched away. I had never been shot before my change so the pain I experienced was not the pain from getting shot but it was immense in any case and it took all my will not to cry out as I looked down. He had hit me a total of 3 times. The holes in my body did not bleed though as I technically was dead with only coagulated blood to shed which also meant no vital organs to worry about. Getting shot was about as bad as what I did to him, or getting hit with a club or piece of pipe.
I growled as I made my way back to my house. I did my best to be quiet and I was at least successful in not waking Hawke. I made my way upstairs and took my shirt off and checked for exit wounds, their were, all three, lucky for me. I sat down in a chair in my room slowly and gritted my teeth. Already my body was healing the damage to me, but it was making me hungry. The altercation with the messenger was stupid and I shouldn't have been provoked into such a violent response. I needed to be more careful. The last thing I needed was this Damned to hold a grudge and go after Hawke. Because that's what I would do if I was feeling particularly vengeful.
Again, Hawke making me do things I shouldn't... I took a deep breath and just calmed myself before I did something I regretted. After about half an hour my wounds were healed and I could move with no pain. I got up out of the chair and put on a new shirt before heading back downstairs. Silent as could be. I left the house and with my superior senses I was about to find the slugs and dispose of them, they were far away from any house and the damage to the objects on impact, trees mostly, wouldn't be noted. I growled in frustration and went back inside and back to my room. I got 'suited up' getting ready for my encounter with the Warden and I wrote Hawke and leaving him the keys to the rental in the driveway. I knew he had a routine in the morning and wanted him to do what he normally does. The note included directions to school and hopefully he could find his way to his friend's house from there to get his gear. I was planning on taking my motorcycle into town.