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"Nice somersault, Raven," saluted Erik from the bench where he was comfortably sitting, enjoying the show, "Does it look like you're striking anywhere close? Are you blind or what? Aim lower."
He was not worried in the least. All in all, the shapeshifter was the strong and agile girl with wonderful instincts. And hunting the 'freshly awakened' vampires was not complicated for a capable person with supernatural abilities. Speaking about old vampires like Shaw and his err… current landlord; well, comparing them was like comparing a pekinese to a wolf.
Two weeks have passed and Erik was finally again in the good shape. He heard the vampire talking to Hank, marveling at Erik's amazing healing rate and Erik let himself bask in the glory for a moment. He's a hunter, not a mere human. He's faster, stronger and can practically feel evil in the mile's radius.
The vampire evaporated in the cloud of dust and Raven produced a screeching battle cry which reminded Erik of Sean. Man, but he was loud.
Raven was chattering on the phone when he came up.
"Yeah, worry not! Everything's fine and I'm soon to be a graduated vampire slayer. Charles, you fool, of course not! They're more like animals really — all teeth, yellow eyes and roaring like mad dogs — hrrrr, hrrrr, like this."
She rather skillfully imitated vampire's growl. It comes with shapeshifting, decided Erik.
"I have to run, oh my vile brother, the instructor is here. See you!"
Raven snapped the phone in the pocket of her jacket and smiled at Erik. With long fair hair shining in the moonlight she looked younger than her appearance suggested and once again Erik felt doubt. Was he doing the right thing teaching this bunch of misfits to hunt? But this was hellhole as Hank has wisely pointed out. It's either kill or be killed. Besides, not all creatures could be exonerated from blame — the lawyer in Erik dutifully agreed. Take vampires, for instance. Abhorrent abominations, wearing human bodies but no souls inside, always seeking for blood, for war and chaos. Erik has rigorously followed Shaw's path through the previous century, every single piece of data more terrible than the previous. Shaw has tortured and killed four hunters, including Erik's mother. He still dreamt of her cries at bad nights — that evening replaying before his mind's eye again and again. The last thing he remembers was Shaw's wink, before Erik passed out from the overpowering grief and exhaustion to come to his senses and to the mutilated corpse. Didn't even manage to hold her gaze till the end. Pathetic.
"Erik, come on! Will you join me in mind as well as body!"
Raven waved both hands before his eyes to emphasize the point.
"Let's go home! Angel, Sean and Alex are already in the mansion. Angel tonight stays on the grounds to fly, Sean is actually doing homework and Alex is annoying Hank. Everyone's busy except Charles, so I suggest you go talk to him."
"About?" her attempts to make him befriend the vampire tested his patience.
Erik still didn't figure out how the vampire managed to charm everyone around; but there has to be something. Maybe, the spell. This Charles was adept in magic which he demonstrated by banishing the demon accidentally called to our dimension by one of Raven's classmates at school. That was some hell of the school, he had to admit. You're lucky if you survive to the end of the school year. Asking for more was a bad sign.
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When he was looking for the remnants of tonight's meal in the fridge, the back door opened and in came Charles.
Erik cursed to himself. He swore that he'd keep an eye on the monster. He was sure that the vampire was in his room upstairs, has checked an hour ago. Erik didn't hear any steps in the hall. Did he jump from the window? Raven's told him all he wanted and didn't want to hear about amazing Charles' habits, about his studies, — did you know that he speaks several dead languages, — and about drinking animals' blood.
"Erik, hello there! If you're hungry, I can show you where Raven hides the cookies."
"I'm not six," Erik eyed him warily — black trench coat and boots — doesn't want to attract attention, "Where are you going? It's past midnight."
"The only time I can go for a walk, indeed. I need to check on something in town," he smoothed down his hair. He often did it in Erik's presence which Erik found slightly disturbing.
Everything about him radiated unease right now — even the air smelled fishy.
"I'm coming with you," declared Erik.
"But you…"
"No buts. The keys?"
The vampire reluctantly took the keys off the hook near the door and passed them to Erik. His fingers were icy cold. Erik didn't fully expect himself to flinch and drop the keys. In the end he was not the one to pick them up and that fact along with the blankness in the other's eyes prompted him to talk some nonsense all the way to the garage to fill uneasy silence.
Soon he regretted that he himself encouraged the conversation and listened with grim expression to the happy blubbering of one very talkative vampire. The vampire was not discouraged by Erik's silence. On the contrary. Okay, he did tell a few interesting things: about the town's history, about the activity of the hellhole which was bordering on record these months, about coexistence between humans and supernatural beings which Erik promptly tried to tune off. The last phrase snapped back his attention.
"What do you mean?" Erik turned his head to look at the jerk.
"I can help you. To hunt down Shaw, I mean," has he just said 'hunt down' or is Erik hallucinating.
"What made you think that I'd accept your help? If anything, you're number four on my stabbing list and only thanks to that succubus scrum and the red demon you maintain that position. Otherwise, you'd be the second."
"I know," Erik strained his ears to hear the reply — it was so freaking quiet, "I believe in you, Erik. You'll do the right thing when the time comes and you won't hesitate. At any rate, you'll take care of the children."
"Do you imply that I'm…"
"Ah, looks like we're here. I'll be back in a minute. Could you stop the car?"
Erik stopped but he didn't let it go just like that. Who does he think he is? Giving some vague sentimental speech and disappearing in the dark.
"Hey, I've not finished," he climbed out of the car only to see the black silhouette swiftly leaping over the wall on the opposite side of the street.
Damn, lost him again. Erik struggled with need to move but he did say in a minute, right? He turned around and observed the impressive tree mass which, Raven told him, stretched all the way to the actual woods in the north. Tomorrow he will start searching and he'll look under every stone in the county if it helps him to find Shaw.
The vampire appeared with impeccable punctuality and Erik was mutely impressed. He was holding a package and smiling at Erik. Aha, never stops trying to worm his way in. Not for the first time Erik was confronted with regret — for the most part he almost wanted to meet the real Charles, to get to know him. There was something in the way he looked; his eyes, even devoid of soul, were extremely alluring. Erik's mother would say that Charles was easy on the eyes. He chased the thought away when he heard his name repeated for the second time. The vampire stuffed the package in the trunk and tensed.
"Erik," in an instant, the vampires' eyes sparked with golden light and he said, "I can smell blood."
Without a word, they simultaneously dashed to the intricate gates of the park entrance and found it closed.
"What kind of park is this anyway? Shouldn't they be open, say, to let the homeless in… Damn!"
"I believe, that was the purpose," mused the vampire from the top of the stone wall which embraced the park.
"Show off," smirked Erik and caught up with the vampire on the other side.
Moonlight was twining the shadows, cruelly playing with man's imagination and making the darkness more terrifying than it probably was. The vampire was staring ahead, lips silently forming syllables until he stilled and signed in defeat.
Erik meaningfully cleared his throat to attract attention.
"I'm sorry, Erik, but I can't point out the right direction. The scent is gone and common magic has never obeyed me."
"Hold on a second," Erik won't be fooled. "How did you get rid of that demon if it doesn't obey you?"
"Nysrogh? Well, you only need to perform a ritual to open the gate. Besides, the place was the same, so some energy still remained there. Theoretically, I know how to do it, but to channel power you need to be more…well, alive, I guess. It hardly ever works for me that way but it never hurts to try."
He sounded eerily hopeful.
"Fine, we'll do it in the old fashioned way," grumbled Erik.
He let the vampire lead the way. How low is he ready to fall?
It didn't take long to find the right place. The clearing revealed the sleek surface of small pond and farther away stood two figures. Erik squinted at the woman and then smirked in smug satisfaction. Here she is, the succubus. The vampire lightly touched his shoulder and whispered:
"The man is the sorcerer. Never seen him before around here. Erik, I assume, I know what they're doing. It looks like he's going to execrate somebody. Anyhow, I don't understand why the sacrifice," he started absently chewing on his lips making Erik wonder if he does it on purpose to enrage him.
"Let's go and ask them!" attempted Erik to command and was shocked once met with disobedience.
The vampire's grip on his hand was firm and unyielding.
"Too soon, my friend," Erik was already reaching for the dagger in his boot to show the cheeky bastard that he can also bite.
Then, they came.
Vampires, newly made. They were coming from every direction and Erik has already counted two dozen. The grip on his hand weakened.
"Erik, he's calling. I can hear him in my head…I can hear them all, Erik," he abruptly turned around and growled, sharp protruding fangs dangerously close to Erik's neck.
Erik's fist connected with his jaw with the heavy crunch.
Shit! That hurt.
The vampire was sitting on the ground slowly blinking at Erik. His eyes were blue again, sighed Erik. Good.
"Thank you, my friend."
You're ridiculous — wanted to say Erik, but his mouth uttered instead:
"My pleasure!"
Unfortunately, that little scuffle attracted unwanted attention.
The first monster got a clear stab to the heart, the second one he kicked in the stomach and then ducked to the left, catching and twisting the vampire's arm and effectively using him as a shield. Five demons have already become dust but Erik realized that he can't go on like that forever. He needs a new strategy until he runs out of luck. Sudden flash of pain burned his side and Erik stumbled. The momentary distraction was more than enough to lose the advantage. He snarled and viciously punched someone's face, but didn't regain his balance completely. His knees hit the ground and at the same time cruel hands whisked back his head, exposing neck and Erik didn't even had time to comprehend what was going to happen to him when Charles, the vampire, sprang into existence out of nowhere. He snapped the offending arm holding Erik in two, letting Erik free himself from the grip and backhanded the vampire so hard that the mess which used to represent ones face would bear a part in Erik's nightmares from now on.
"Go, go!" ushered him Charles, "The sorcerer has seen us!"
Shut the fuck up, mentally protested Erik, but decided to save some breath.
A wild blast of wind pushed him forward and Charles' hand was the only thing preventing him from smashing head first on the nearest tree.
Later he could hardly remember how he has stumbled to the exit, Charles bending the bars with bare hands and pushing him in the direction of the car. He was positive he was the one with the keys, but for some curious reason he didn't drive.
When they reached the house, the horizon was already slightly pale, foreboding the sunrise and the beginning of the new day.
Erik glanced back before reaching for the front door and noticed that Charles was not coming in. He shrugged and left the other standing there, facing the line of light in the east. Frigging weirdo, tiredly sighed Erik and closed the door.
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