Chapter 85

The buildings entrance was tall, massive wooden doors in ancient vampure runes and banded steel holding it at bay. Two Night Hunter's guarded the doors. But as we walked up the steps tthey quickly moved to open them. Power more ancient than time seemed to flow from this building, its shadow seemed to suck life from me as I entered its shadowed bowels. Everything in me now told me to run. I didn't belong here. All those warning from Furlow floodes my mind and my breathing starts to increase in speed. But Nick pulls me to his side and whispers into my hair, 'Don't be afraid Nina, you are right beside me.'

I nod as he takes my hand once again as reassurance and we follow after Igor and Ki. Despite the black marble, the place was well lit, gold flakes in the marble giving it a starry quality.

However the further into its depths we went, down corridors, halls, and stairs the colder it became. My breathes came out in small frosty puffs, Nick's like that of a steam engine - fitting for the fiery dragon. Ki's were smaller, wisps of smoke tailing behind him. Igor's, though, they were none existent. It was as if he wasn't even breathing. A moving statue, his body, though stiff in statue moved with a lethal grace. Ki too was graceful as he nodded to other Night Hunter's we past. They bowed with respect to Nick, but gave me curious or even suspicious looks.

The place was devoid of sound, not even the whispers of people speaking, only my own breathing and heart beat bespoke sound. Finally we came to a door where one of the two I recognized from the tunnels, his ebony skin and golden eyes unmistakable, as Ki says, 'Zuka, how has she been?'

I hear a deep murmuring voice in my head, Quiet.

Blinking I stare at Zuka, his gaze darting to me, a frown on his face as Ki replies, 'Well its better than what she was doing earlier.'

'Which was? ' Nick asks suspiciously.

'Oh, throwing things, yelling, and beating at the walls and door.'

My eyes land on the door and see it is made of silver. Igor walks on and says, 'Follow me.'

We walk down to the next door and step inside. I'm surprised by how similar it is to the other side of an interogators room. One way glass and a table. Sitting at a bent chair was Beck. She looked quiet, but eyes glanced up now and again at the glass. Igor says as he flicks a switch, 'She can't hear or see us. The room she is in, is sensory deprivating. All the walls are silver, only the table and chairs are steel. The glass is nine inches thick and reinforced with silver particle and carbon fibering, she can beat them but can't break it.'

'So, what do you want from me?' I ask, giving him a glabce as I place my hat on the table along the far wall.

'To extract even a contact name we can use. If we can get one, it will lead to the one controlling the Silent Phantasma.'

My body stiffens as I feel his own mind trying to slip past my defenses. Slamming down on any open doors, I look over at him. He didn't trust me and I push back, meeting a mirror. Blinking, I stare at him. Why would he project a mirror instead of a wall as a defense. But then it makes sense, to reflect back my own thoughts. Clever man.

Turning back to look at Beck, burning hatred slides through my blood. I had barely glanced at her, but now I stared openly. This woman, this monster had killed the one person I could confide in completely. Even though I was now married to a powerful vampire, I still felt hesitant about sharing what I was. She didn't deserve to live, but I understood Igor's reasoning. He needed a link to find the leader of the Phantasma and this girl was his only opportunity. Or so he thought.

Suddenly Beck looks right at me with a nervous look on her face. Not taking my eyes off her, I ask Igor, 'Can she sense our presence?'

'With all the silver, no.'

But her eyes seemed glued to mine as I reply levelly, 'Ok, I'm ready to go.'

Nick takes my shoulder, and murmurs into my mind, You don't have to do this alone. She is very powerful. Let me go with you.

No, she is frightened of me. She won't do anything.

A wounded and scared animal is at its most dangerous.

I know and I am it, I slowly look up at him as I confirm to him what I am. He looked at me, concern raining down on me like a fine mist from him. Physical injuries were nothing compared to what I had gone through loosing Jerry, mentally scared something had seperated from me. Something far more dangerous than anyone - even I - could truly comprehend.

Pain and anger ripped through me again as I glanced at the little petite monster in the other room. I could feel Nick staring after me as I stepped out of the room.

In the hall, I look at Zuka and nod. He nods back and grabbing the hilt of his claymore. I listen as it slides out of it's sheath, old vampure runes glittering among the silver and tridium as he opens the door. I knew he why had it at the ready; if Beck tried to charge the door. A pressure seal releases with a hiss as it does. The blast of pheremones and power slam into me. I stiffen for a moment, but taking a deep calming breath, feeling this thing - this deep power - which was asleep awaken and stretch, I step inside. Beck looks up at me and abject terror graces her once calm demeanor. Jumping out of the sit and hitting the back wall, chair tumbling as she does, she yells, 'You!'

'Yes... Beck.'

The acrid scent of her phermones blasted into me, as did her power. As if she were a wounded animal that was about to strike. It was terrifying, but at the same time lent a deep calm inside me. It slammed into me like waves on a rocky coast. It was painful, and I worked hard not to collapse under this power as I walked to the table.

Righting her chair, I go around it, letting my fingers graze the top of the table as I did. The slight rasp of my fingers the only sound except my own heart beat as I sat down in the opposite chair. Lifting my head to look at her, I calmly say, 'Sit, please.'

It took her a moment to release herself from the wall and slowly sit. She was breathing hard, her pupil's dilated. She was terrified and everything showed it, as well as a sense of foreboding. The power deep within me was slamming again my cap on it, wanting to get out. It was hard not to let it do as it pleased. I ask without a single emotion in my voice, 'I see you are alive and well.'

'No thanks to you,' she spits out at me.

Like a sive, I let the power gradually out, as I reply back with a slight hint of malice, 'If I had my own choice you would no longer exist on the face of this planet Beck.'

Her breathing wrenched up a notch as I continue, 'But here we are.'

'What do you want from me?' She whimpers out, seeming to shrink in the chair.

'Names.'

Her back stiffens, slowly looking up at me with her eyes no longer round pupils, but the slits of a snake. Though fear permeated the air, I could also smell hatred, as she growls out, 'Never going to happen.'

'So be it,' I say calmly, and let loose. It was as if the power was ripping through me, all icy rage and numbing frigidity. My mind slams shut on the connection even now I could feel with Nick in my mind, jarring and surreal.

The table slams against the door. Wind lifts my hair as my power surges forward and she cries out, unable to even move before I grab her by the neck, pick her up and swing her into the glass. All of this happening in a split second. The glass cracks as I reply, 'I have no issue killing you Beck. In fact I prefer it, but it seems the Night Hunter's need the name of the leader of the Phantasma or even a member of it and it seems only I can get it out of you.'

The numbing power spikes as I throw her across the room. She crashes into the wall so hard it dents heavily. I could feel everything, I could sense everything. Like a echoing submarine, I could sense all those around me, Nick running towards the glass, Ki running from the room, Igor standing like the marble statue he was. Panic at the door from Zuka.

So this is what being a Pureblood's felt like, I think as I look down at my hand, wondering what I looked like but too frightened to turn to the mirrored glass. I can hear yelling and banging on the table that blocked the door, my power pressing into it to keep the Night Hunter's out. Gritting my teeth, I let loose on my pheremones and sense fear far beyond the hall, the rooms, and up into the Night's Templar.

Beck sat on the floor, slightly crumpled as I murmur, 'You have no power here Beck. I know you want to live.'

'I will die if I tell you anything,' she moans, looking up at me, one eye bloody.

Slowly I feel myself lift off the ground, power filling me up like a cup as I float towards her and ask, 'Why?'

'You think you scare me, the only who can truly scare me into not saying is him.'

Slowly I land in the ground in front of her, and wrench her off the ground. She yelps, not in pain but fear as I stare at her. I felt no power in me suddenly, nothing but anger as I ask her, 'Who?'

She shake her head.

'WHO?!' I boom out, the volume applified and the glass behind me cracking further.

Again she shakes her head and I let her fall. She slams back onto her rump as I slowly come down to earth and step vack from her as wind lifted my hair. Lyth like an apex predator, I sit in my chair that hadn't been disturbed by the maelstrom that made Beck's hair whip around her and my own float lazily. Slowly the wind dies down as I cross my legs, and I grapple the power back down. I didn't want this numb rage to take over. Though the tempatuon was making it hard to reign it in. The air was frigid with hate, the pheremones I knew were mine were even making my own heart race with fear as I murmur quietly, 'I know who your leader is.'

Beck jumps, her now odd eyes staring at me, as I murmur into her mind, Zoran.

She shudders and nods, blood sliding down her chin from a cut on her forehead. This was confirmation , Furlow had been right.

The power, this thing inside me that was slowly awakening frightened me. It was making me lose any symblance of humanity. It sobered me, knowing how powerful I could truly become. I had only touched an iota of it. Had Furlow felt this, as I did? He had no point of reference and how did he overcome it. Why did I have to be like this?

Slowly looking up at her, I ask, 'Who do you report to directly?'

'H-'H-his name is Grey Talbot. I know nothing of his background than the fact that he is my superior.'

'So you have no idea who he is?'

She shakes her head vigorously, shaking from fear or the cold I couldn't tell. Letting out a huff, I ask, pinching my nose, 'Where are you supposed to meet him next?'

'It-its too late. My time to arrive passed days ago.'

Gritting my teeth, I growl out, 'What does the Phantasma want?!'

She jerks from the bite in my words, but she says in a wavering voice, 'To-to dominate the world.'

'And you want to be among them.'

She says softly, head downcast, 'I want to live and become powerful.'

Beck was a powerful vampire already - an A rank. Leaning my elbows on my knees, hands clasped, I ask, 'Why do they want me?'

Slowly she looks up at me, eyes that of a normal person once again, as her trembling lips answer, 'I-I don't know. Only that he...that Grey Talbot wants you.'

It was a stupid question, but I knew for the benefit for the ears listening I ask, 'Is he the leader of the Phantasma?'

She frowns at me for only a fraction of a second before realization comes. She knows I'm the only one that knows Zoran is the leader. A brittle smile comes to her face as she snorts, 'Of course not.'

Staring at each other we both knew she wouldn't give away Zoran, and all I could do for now was ask meaningless questions. This was a dance now on who could outplay the other for the benefit of an unknowing audience.

She feared him more than I, and I understood why. That fear in the library making my heart skip even now, he was to truly be wary off. I was supposed to be a superior being, but he, he scared me. Slowly standing, I ask, 'What is your real name Beck?'

'Nifta Fulta.'

We stare at each other for a moment and I could sense no disception in her as I nod. Looking at the table, I put my hand up and with a swing of my hand it goes flying past between Beck and I; impelling itself deep into the wall opposite the door. It opened quickky, Zuka and Ki looked in at me, Yin and Yang so different they were, as I step out. Just before I do, I mumble to Beck, 'When this is over, and it will be soon, you and I will meet again.'