I am sooooo sorry for the long wait for Ch. 2 but lots of camping trips were planned and I got a nook for my birthday so I have been reading (Percy Jacson just won't let me stop reading, seriously he held Riptide to my throught telling me to finish the books, but then Nightingale found where he took me hostage and they fought it out. But in the chaos I was able to escape. So Yeah, Ch.2
Please read, review and enjoy.
Ch.2 Explanation
The dagger flying at Connor was glowing with the refraction of the moonlight. Connor dodged to his right but he wasn't quick enough the digger cut his cheek. Connor put his hand to his cheek he could feel the blood seeping out of the cut, but something was off the cut felt much warmer than what it should feel like.
"Wh-what are you doing Nightingale, I'm not a…a…" Connor couldn't finish his plea. He wasn't sure if he wasn't actually a vampire or not.
"Hmph." Nightingale replied. "Like I said it's time for you to disappear." She pulled another dagger from her hair and flipped it through her fingers, like before the small crystal began to glow with light. Nightingale pulled her arm back readying for the throw, when something overcame Connor, an instinct that Connor never knew he had took over. Connor's eyes began to glow with red light, showing the feral nature within him. Nightingale froze in fear as she saw the unbridled fury that she had awoken, when she realized the danger she was in Nightingale tried to release the dagger from her grasp but she was too late.
Connor lunged toward Nightingale, his fangs aimed for her chest where her heart pumped her blood furiously. He pinned her to the ground, his fangs pierced her flesh. Connor's mind became engrossed with an unholy appetite; blood. His tongue touched Nightingale's wound; every part of Connor excited with anticipation at the taste of her blood, and he began to feed furiously.
Nightingale felt her strength leave her but she would not give up, she still had her dagger in her hand and the dagger was charged with enough light to end the vampire's life-sorta. She held the dagger tightly in her grasp and shoved into Connor's ribs. Connor jumped backward as the dagger pierced his skin. Connor's mind cleared at the pain, and he fully realized what had just happened. He had attacked Nightingale, and drank her blood.
Nightingale looked at Connor in triumph waiting for him to dissolve like all the other vampires before him, but as she watched she saw him bleed from the wound she had just inflicted on him. The truth dawned upon her, and she instantly felt guilty for her attempted assault on Connor. But she knew how she would have to play right this if she were to get what she wanted. Nightingale ran to Connor and hugged him tightly, Connor nearly fell back..
"I'm so sorry I thought you were a vampire." Nightingale said. "It's just I've never met another dhampir, so I was confused." Connor looked at her he saw tears in her eyes, she seemed sincere but how did she know what he was, and did she say 'another dhampir'? "I'm not alone anymore there is someone like me."
"Wait." Connor backed off from Nightingale's hug. "Did you say you're a dhampir?" She nodded. Connor didn't know what to think it was a lot to take in, but then the pain from the stab in his ribs stopped him from thinking, he doubled over.
"Oh Crap," Nightingale looked at the blood seeping through Connor's shirt. "Here let me help, take off your shirt." Connor didn't have a chance to protest; his shirt came over his head and fell to the floor. Nightingale looked at his wound but couldn't help but also judge his torso. "Nice abs by the way." Connor began to blush but that was pushed aside when he felt Nightingale pull the dagger out of him. "It was in there deep." Connor could hear pride in her voice. A warm feeling spread through Connor, Nightingale's hand was on his wound, a red glowing came from her hand. When she removed her hand, only the smallest of white scars showed that Connor had ever been stabbed. Nightingale extended her hand to Connor.
"I believe a proper introduction should be in order, my name is Gabi, Gabi Gale." Connor reached out his hand and took hers.
"I'm Connor, Connor Tempest. But how'd you do that?" Connor asked. His hand went to the thin scar, but his body felt completely normal.
"All dhampir have abilities." Nightingale, Gabi looked at him slightly confused. He didn't know much about being a dhampir did he? "Here," Gabi took a business card out of her pocket and placed it in the waistband of Connor's pants. "Just come to this address and I will explain everything."
BANG! The door leading to Gabi's dressing room was violently opened to reveal Ma, Sugar Pie, Jacoby and Jasmine. Each got a good look of a shirtless Connor and Nightingale's hand on Connor's pant's waistband. Jasmine stormed off but Jacoby flashed Connor an encouraging smirk, Sugar Pie looked humored, looking at their faces Connor realized what this must have looked like to them. But before Connor could explain (then again how could he explain what just happened) Ma walked over and pulled Gabi into her dressing room.
"It's time you go home Gabi, your mother will be worried sick if you don't get home soon, I promised her that you would leave fifteen minutes after your concert, and I am not going to make you mother mad the last time I did that, it took my girls three days to get all that blubber out of their hair." Ma pulled Gabi along, Gabi didn't fight it and went willingly. Sugar Pie left with them.
"Wow Connor hooking up with a rock star," Jacoby had walked up to Connor and put his hand on his back. "Mad props man that is awesome."
"Wha-what we didn't hook up or anything." Connor tried to tell Jacoby at least some of the truth but it wasn't looking good for him.
"Oh come on Connor, you don't need to be a gentlemen, I mean I saw that hicky on her chest and that wasn't there during the concert." Connor blushed, he couldn't win.
Meanwhile
Gabi was on her boat heading home; her thoughts were devoted to Connor. He could be useful. I've never seen an instinct so strong and like dad says the stronger the instinct the stronger the vampire. He'll come for sure, I need him. Gabi thoughts were interrupted.
"Well, I never knew that Connor Tempest would catch your eye Gabi." Sugar Pie said. What was she talking about with that smirk on her face? "But to hook up without even going on a date, for shame." Sugar Pie said playfully. Oh crap, that was right, Gabi had intentionally made it look like they were 'having fun' so it wouldn't blow her cover.
"Well you know he was really cute and he offered to help me when I cut myself." Gabi tried to play along. But then Sugar Pie caught on to a loose end.
"That's right you cut yourself. So where's the cut." Sugar Pie asked. Gabi had forgotten that she had healed it already. But Sugar pie didn't press any further. "You know Gabi, you might want to hide that hicky before your dad sees it." Gabi's eyes went wide with fear.
"Oh no, Dad!"
Next Day.
"Please Captain, I think a visit to Starlight Island would be a good way to relax from the stress." Connor had entered Cheng-Li's office as soon as he had awoken in the morning; he had to get answers from Gabi.
"First of all Connor, knock." Cheng-Li gestured to the door. "And secondly what is the real reason you want to go to Starlight Island." Cheng-Li raised an eyebrow. Jacoby as her Deputy gave her a complete report on last night's activities. "Is there a certain person that you wish to see at Starlight Island?" Connor was caught by surprise at Cheng-Li's intuition and it showed on his face. "So you want to have another romp with Nightingale, I don't think so Connor." Connor knew he was getting nowhere.
So Connor revealed what really happened last night, the fight, the healing, and the truth that Gabi was a dhampir, and that she knew Connor was too. Cheng-Li showed no emotion, disdain that some else knew Connor's secret, or approval at a chance to learn useful information about their vampire enemies. She became very quiet, thoughtful, Connor couldn't tell whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.
"Let me see the card." Cheng-Li broke the silence. Connor smiled, and handed the card to his captain. "Connor you do realize that this is to a bakery, right?"
Hours Past
The travel to Starlight Island was slow and tricky. Though Starlight was a fairly large island it was a part of an archipelago, so navigating through some of the smaller closer islands was cautious. But eventually the Tiger docked at in the Starlight Island Bay. Looking at it Connor recalled his life in Crescent Moon Bay, sadness pulled at his heart.
"Now crew!" Cheng-Li yelled at her crew. "Those of you with jobs to take care of take care of them quickly and you will have the rest of the day off. But remember you are crew members of the Tiger so good behavior." With that the crew was dismissed many left to explore Starlight Island.
Cheng-Li and Connor left the ship and immediately headed for the bakery indicated on the business card. They asked and old women with frizzy silver hair and she pointed out a building with ivy growing on its wall, and large red things on the ivy. As they got closer Cheng-Li noticed that there were many unopened flower buds on the vine, however Connor noticed the smell of baking bread. Connor walked into the bakery (which only had one customer, which surprised Connor since the smell was so alluring) and saw Gabi standing behind a cash register handing a man a basket of bread and rolls, and change. Gabi was dressed almost exactly different from the first time Connor saw her, a yellow sundress cutting off at her knees with purple dyed streaks randomly appearing; a purple shawl covered her shoulders and any part of her cleavage. Originally Connor had thought that her hair was black but now in better lighting Connor noticed that her hair was dark brown with a fire truck red lock of dyed hair tucked behind her right ear. She looked at him and smiled, Connor felt himself melt a little in his shoes. Then the look on Gabi face changed to one of extreme nervousness.
"Hello Connor," Gabi greeted then looked at Cheng-Li. "And this is?"
"I am Cheng-Li captain of the Tiger and also Connor's captain." Cheng-Li noticed Gabi's anxiety and tried to make her introduction sound less authoritative.
"Gabi who are you talking to?" Gabi jumped as a voice from the kitchen of the bakery asked its' question.
"Just some customers, dad." Gabi tried to sound calm.
"Regulars or new customers?" Gabi's Father asked.
"New one's" Gabi reluctantly answered. At the answer a large man at least six-foot four walked out of the kitchen.
"Well hello, I'm Nathan Gale, and this is my daughter Gabi, how can we help you?" Mr. Gale besides being such a large imposing man seemed very friendly. He had the same dark brown hair as Gabi's, he was wearing a red button down short-sleeve shirt, with blue jeans, and an apron in front of his clothes that was covered in flour.
"Well Mr. Gale," Cheng-Li began. "Last night your daughter, Gabi, left this card with Connor and asked him to come to this bakery." Mr. Gale's expression did not change but the light in his eyes expressed a dangerous intent.
"I see, now where last night did you two meet." Mr. Gale looked at his daughter, but the question was directed to Connor. Gabi sent Connor a warning glare, but Connor couldn't figure it out.
"Last night at her concert she gave me the card…so…to…" Connor's words faded as Mr. Gale began glaring at his daughter.
"What concert?" Mr. Gale asked his daughter, anger barely controlled. Connor had a feeling that things were about to get bad.
"Well you knew that new costume I got for hunting well I needed to test it out, good news it worked." Mr. Gale calmed down a bit.
"How well?" Mr. Gale seemed interested.
"It caught his interest." Gabi said gesturing to Connor.
"That's what I thought." Then Mr. Gale blew up at Connor. "You gave my little girl that hicky!" He pulled off Gabi's shawl exposing the bruised skin on her chest. "I'm gonna kill you, you little bastard!" Gabi grabbed on to his hand, and tried to pull him away from Connor but he was pulling really hard. Connor looked at his face and saw razor sharp fangs ready to bite him. Cheng-Li pulled Connor out of the bakery into the sunlight outside.
"We should be safe out here." She told Connor but she pulled out her twin katanas anyway. "What have you gotten us into?" Both began to relax as they heard heavy stomps as Mr. Gale, despite being a vampire (the fangs were a dead giveaway) tried to get to Connor. The safety that Connor felt was short lived as Mr. Gale pushed through the door, he entered the sunlight and he went into flames.
"AAAHHHH!" Mr. Gale yelled. His body was covered in shining lights, like a refracting crystal.
"Dad stop copying Twilight! You are not Edward!" Gabi yelled. "Besides Connor is a dhampir!" Mr. Gale stopped in his tracts and stopped glowing.
"Are you sure?" Mr. Gale asked his daughter. Gabi nodded. "So how exactly did you get the hicky?"
"I woke up the instinct." Gabi looked at her father and an understanding passed between them. "Alright, you two come on inside."
After they closed up shop
Connor and Cheng-Li sat at a table with the Gales waiting for an explanation.
"Well I guess the best way to put this would be to explain a bit about us." Mr. Gale started. "Well I am a vampire, Gabi's mother my wife was-is my donor, a human. We settled here and we are vampire hunters." Cheng-Li looked at the Mr. Gale unbelievingly.
"You hunt you own kind?" Cheng-Li asked politely but the shock was obvious.
"Please Miss Li I would not call them my own kind, those monsters are just shadows of what they used to be." Connor had many more questions to ask but Cheng-Li, would not allow him to ask any questions until she decided that they could trust him.
"Well why did you invite Connor here?" The question was directed to Gabi.
"I couldn't let a dhampir walk around without knowing anything could I? Besides the best way to test oneself is to train someone else."
"Wait you mean you're going to train me in being a dhampir?" Even after saying it Connor could barely believe that that is what she meant.
"That's exactly what I mean."