Chapter 42

Nick and I sat in one of the hotel rooms in the small Northern town of Eguisheim. Nick had called in several of his allies, A rank vampires who were loyal to his family. They set up a perimeter and were searching the town, as well as several Night Hunters, including Igor. He was standing by the door looking over our shoulders, as Nick pulled out another file from a box Igor had brought, which contained all of the names we had asked for specifics on.

Also sitting at the table was Helix, a low ranking Luitinant, of possible B ranking. He looked nervous, his eyes shifting to his commander back to Nick and I. I hadn't said a word, as my mind was still focused on the Ace I had found. It seemed the Silent Phantasma was proving to be more insidious than I thought. They had had centuries, and I had only truly started to look for them less than a month ago and the Night Hunters, to my knowledge, only half a year. All of us were far behind and these cards, unlike what Nick had said was a taunt, were actually terrifying messages of how well planned all of this was.

My senses were numbed by the excessive activity and powers of the vampire that swirled around me, from Nick's few calls he had made. They were all extremely powerful and I felt like a very small cricket, looking up at very large spiders, and the only one who seemingly was protecting me was just as predatory as the rest sitting to my left.

I looked down at the cards we had collected, two. Two of who knew how many, but then Nick's voice made me and poor Helix jump, 'What were you looking for in the book at the Library of Alexandra two hundred years ago?'

Helix looked at Igor, but he was uninterested, so he answers, 'I... I can't remember.'

Now, Nick looks up at this omition and I could feel the tension build between the royal heir to the Dracul and the Commander of the Night Hunters, a former prince of the same clan, tightening. Slowly Nick raises a brow, his tone cool, but his pheremones strong, demanding the truth, 'Is it due to the fact that you are a Night Hunter, though you have your commanding officers approval, or because you have something to hide?'

Helix was sweating profusely, as I sat stone still, eyes still on the two playing cards, trying to be a shadow and hoping that those cold icy blue eyes didn't turn to me. Helix reply made me blink, 'No, I simply can't remember what I was looking up.'

Now I could feel eyes on me and I look up at Nick. He wasn't the one looking at me, it was his brother, black eyes, like black holes, trying to eat me up. Had something slipped from my mind, I could feel the pressure of his mind against mine, but it had been since his arrival. Finally Nick's question pulls me away from those deadened eyes, 'What do you mean you can't remember? Vampires have perfect memories.'

It was true, but at the same time not. Mundane things tended to fade, but now Helix truly looked lost and I could feel a build up of energy from Nick. Igor says, 'No mind reading Nick.'

Nick's head whips around and he says sternly, 'You said all information, if that means I had to break a mind to find it, I will.'

His head snaps back to stare at Helix and I saw Helix's face go white, his breathing stop, and his pupils dilate to an unnatural degree. Igor snarls and lunges at Nick. Nick was faster, my eyes widening as this all happened in slow motion, but faster than a human can blink.

Nick was on his feet and had grabbed his brother by the throat, his brother's hand going to his cane as Nick says coldly in vampur, 'You can't beat me!'

Without thinking I found myself moving, as I saw the sheen of the blade come from the cane, and yelled out, 'Stop!!!'

Shutting my eyes as I put myself between these two warring Purebloods, I wait for the bite of the sword as it swung across. But then everything seems to still.

Silence reigned for several seconds until I hear the hiss and turn my head to look at Nick. His hand was still around the neck of his brother, and I look down at my hand The blade was against my palm, but had not sliced it and I glance back at Nick's side where the gleam of blood started to pool against his side were the blade had sunk about an inch.

Igor's blade was no ordinary blade. It was a mix of tridium and silver. The two elements that could slice through a phantom. Why hadn't it sliced through my hand, or me for that matter? Especially considering the strength of a Pureblood.

Pulling my hand away from the blade quickly, hoping they haven't noticed, I put my hand on Igor's chest and say quickly, his black eyes going from my hand on his chest, to my own pair of eyes, 'We have more important things to deal with besides a petty rivalry between brothers. You know this!'

Slowly Igor's eyes shift, his shoulders impressiveably relaxing as he pulls the blade from Nick's side. Nick lets out a growl, the pheremones from both making my stomach heave and sweat plaster my shirt to my body as I whisper softly, 'Nick...let him go.'

Nick's large hand slowly releases from Igor's neck like a vice, finger impressions deep against his skin and steps back. I hadn't noticed how both A ranks loyal to Nick, and Night Hunters, stood poised to fight for their side. But a quick glance from both Purebloods made them relent, drawn weapons being sheathed.

Stepping back a few steps, Igor swings his blade, blood flicking off and splattering on the ground. The heady smell of Nick's blood sent my head spinning, as I still stood between the two Dracul Purebloods and shake my head.

Nick growls, 'If you ever try that again Igor, I will kill you.'

'Night Hunters don't take threats lightly,' Igor says just as coldly with malice.

'Shut Up!!!!' I yell, my head spinning as I look back at Nick.

The blood seeped between his fingers and suddenly everything seemed to stop. Hunger sung through my veins like it never had before, and I could feel the tightness as my pupils contracted to slits. It tool every fiber of my being to turn away and walk from the room. Nick's voice called after me, but all I knew was that I had to run from my phantom instinct before I gave into death.