Gabrielle appeared at her side, as she stood looking over the large tables in the dinning hall. The three dark wooden tables sat thirty people each, and were adorned with candles, flowers, crystal glasses, china plates, and linen napkins in the shape of what Kailin assumed was a swan. Turning her head she looked down at the red head who met her at her shoulders, and tried her best to give a smile to her as she stared up.
"Is it really that horrible, Kai?" She asked, crossing her arms in front of her.
"That horrible?"
She thrust her head forward to look at the room, "That you have to give fake smiles."
"Let's just do this, and go home."
"You'll have to go home alone. Kristian and I are going to hit the town when this is all over with. You know for a Hallowed, he's a lot of fun."
"Are you saying that I am not?"
She didn't have to say anything, just gave a glare. "Are you having fun with the human? He looks terribly like his father, doesn't he? Maybe, he'll bring some excitement into your dreary existence."
"And just what kind of excitement do you think I need?"
"Right now, a Ferris wheel excitement would do?" Gabrielle grinned. "Maybe a Ferris wheel ride with a certain human. Don't roll your eyes, Kai. And you need to be nice to him, he's probably the only person here who doesn't know you are a…" She watched an elderly woman walk past them and to look for her seat. "bitch."
"Don't get Kristian killed, you don't want to deal with the elders."
She giggled, "You mean that you don't want to deal with the elders."
"That too." Kailin folded her arms and glared down at her.
"Oh come on, Kai. Lighten up just a tad, this is no way to be at a party." She then giggled again, as she pointed at Lucas, who was taking his seat at the far end of the table.
Gabrielle walked to the other side of the table, where Kristian had gathered with a few others. Kailin walked in behind her, and knew immediately she had become the butt of some joke. Phillip who was standing next to Kristian, looked up giving a devilish grin.
"Oh, Kailin, you aren't sitting with us tonight, darling."
"What?" Kailin's face dropped, as she looked over to Gabrielle, who obviously knew what had been going on by the shameful look she tried to hide.
"I switched your and Kristian's sitting cards, so that you can sit next to Lucas."
She was about to object but realized it would do no good, so she bowed her head in defeat. Giving a sigh, which she hoped she passed off for a deep breath, she walked over to the Lucas, who smiled as she approached.
"Looks like we are eating together as well. Luckily, we've already met." He grinned, then stood up to pull out her chair.
It took a good fifteen minutes for everyone to find their seats. It came no shock to her that another vampire took his seat across from her, after all Kristian had mentioned that he was here with Tzion. Guests and their accompaniment were suppose to sit next to each other, therefore Kristian would have been sitting near him.
He was a thin man about average height, with short dark hair and a black goatee. His eyes were an odd grayish green color, like the upset sea thrust about within. He was an elder Hallowed vampire. A vampire was considered an elder once they reached their one thousandth year, for hallowed this birthday included a special gift. Each Hallowed would be blessed with a very special ability, Kailin had heard of many types, from telekinesis to mind control, some effected the bodies and others the mind. It seemed it was very rare for elders to have the same kind of ability. Other vampire breeds, didn't get the special ability or powers as some called them, but they became powerful foes or allies.
Tzion was the only prophet vampire in the world, as the Higher Being only allowed one to be alive at a time. Kailin wasn't exactly sure what he prophesized about, no one but the elders spoke to him about such. And what he wrote was not for the eyes of the public. Kailin wasn't interested in the vampire world anyway, it had forsaken her long ago. She had met many hallowed vampires, and most would not help or teach her.
She tried to ignore his presence, and the occasional glances he would give her as she spoke to Lucas. Elders often thought anything that came from a fresh's mouth was ignorant, and she somehow felt that she had to watch what she said. Least, he interrupt them to correct or insult her.
To much of her surprise, Tzion remained very quiet, while he ate the meal before them. Though it wasn't common practice for a vampire to eat human portions, they occasionally indulged themselves. Very little was actually eaten, and most of the time the food was pushed around the plate to give the appearance of being eaten.
Lucas seemed to be starving, and gulped down the soup before Kailin was even halfway finished with her own. But it wasn't the human that interested her, it was the elder sitting across the way. She watched him take two sips of the soup, and then pretend to take more, until his bowl was taken away and replaced with the main course.
Before the desert was brought Kailin looked down the table at Gabrielle, and decided that she didn't need to be here any longer. Standing up, she looked at Lucas who stood up with her.
"I am leaving now." She told him.
"Before desert?"
She gave a slight nod, "It's late and I have important things to do. It was nice meeting you." Though her words were pleasant, her voice was empty. Pushing in her chair, she continued, "If Gabrielle asks you tell her I went home."
"Alright, goodbye, Miss Drake." He said, as she disappeared out the door.
Gabrielle took notice of her departure and looked down at Lucas, who sat down to finish his meal. Her attention went to Kristian, "Kailin left."
Kristian looked down the table to see if she spoke the truth, and then looked at Tzion. His master wiped his mouth on a napkin, while staring at the door that Kailin had disappeared through. Standing up, he excused himself from the people around him, and began to walk the opposite way of Kailin, towards the kitchen.
Stepping outside onto the porch she began to journey down the driveway to the front gates, which were open for the cabs to come in and out. The drive way was lined with bushes that were squarely shaped, stopping near her hip. In the center of the half circle driveway was a large lot of grass, and she could see the plain fountain toward the middle. For a short time all she could hear was the sound of her high heels clanking against the ground.
It wasn't until she got halfway to the gate, that the darkness engulfed her eyes. She stopped, as a vampire she could see very clearly in the dark. Something had to be blocking her sight, and it was probably best to stay where she was. Turning around she looked back towards the mansion, and couldn't see anyone. Standing and waiting for only a few moments, she decided that she didn't have time to play this game and began forward. A dark shadow figure appeared before her then, not expecting someone to be there, Kailin stepped back a couple feet, and gasped.
"I apologize, my intent was not to frighten you." She could barely make out his dark hand reaching out towards her, then dropping to his side when she steadied herself. "I am Tzion of the Elders," he continued "I wanted to speak with you alone."
She wondered why he felt it necessary to block her sight, she had seen him while they were eating dinner. Most elders had to ability to block certain senses of fresh vampires of the same species, so it came as no shock to her that he could do it. She decided that it had to be a show of power. She stepped forward, and with her head cocked to the side, she squinted her eyes, something she hadn't done in centuries.
Crossing her arms, she prepared her voice to sound intimidating and strong. "What do you want?"
He was not use to such a response from his subjects, and seemed to be taken back for a moment. "I have spoken with Kristian about your decision not to hunt the Mephis at this time."
"And you think that you can make me 'decide' otherwise, right?"
His voice took on an annoyed toned, "On the contrary, Duchess Bramwell, I do not believe that you are even ready to take on such a task. You are far to weak…"
"Are you trying to use reverse psychology on me?" She chuckled.
"Again, you have judged before you hear me out, milady. I am merely stating that I am on your side, you shouldn't begin fighting the Mephis until you are much older or at least more evolved then what you are now. Though you may be able to fight the weaker Mephis, I doubt you could survive an encounter with their master."
"So, the Mephis do have dominant beings."
Tzion sighed, "Of course, don't be foolish. They couldn't of possibly survived without a being of higher knowledge. But that is neither here nor there. My reason for approaching you was merely to state that not only I but a few other elders stand beside your decision."
"Well, thank you, I suppose. Although, it matters little to me whether I have no elder or every elder on my side, I won't fight them not now, not ever."
"Be careful, Duchess, you do not wish to say things that you will have to eat later." He rubbed his face, "I also wanted to invite you to be my special guest at the convention this year."
"I don't go to those events. I think they are ridiculous…"
"You've never been invited to one, and as a fresh it is an honor to even be considered."
"I don't care. I don't…"
"You may bring your friend, what is that Pyrrhonian's name?"
"Gabrielle?"
He clear his voice, "Yes, bring her. I will pick you up from your home it is in two months time. Kristian will be there as well, so he can take the Pyrrhonian."
"But…"
"This is not a request, this is a demand from an elder. Now…" The sound of Kailin's name was being called from the porch, they both turned to see a man running towards her. "Two months, Duchess Bramwell, I will see you then." She heard Tzion say, and when she looked back he was gone.
Feeling the other being approach, she turned back to look upon Lucas. He stopped short of her, not really know what he was going to say. "I didn't expect you to still be here." His eyebrow rose, "What are you doing standing out here?"
"Looking at the fountain, what is it that you want?"
Lucas looked around, "What fountain?"
"The one in the center of the grass island there." She pointed.
He looked towards her finger and then back at her, "Your eyes are better then mine."
"Was there something you wanted?"
"Yes, well… Could I escort you home? I mean just to make sure you get home safely, the coat drop told me that you didn't take a taxi, and…"
"It's a long walk." She said trying to detour him.
"All the more reason that you should have an escort."
She stared into his eyes for a moment, trying to understand what it was he truly wanted. "Very well, but when you are freezing near to death do not say I didn't warn you."
Lucas gave a grin, "No problem."
They began walking towards the gates in a moment of silence, while Lucas tried to come up with another topic to touch upon with her. He began to bombard her with questions about herself, and like any vampire, she was reluctant to answer. She gave the shortest answers possible, most were lies anyway. Keeping them small and to the point was the best way to keep them straight, she had discovered long ago.
"So, how long have you lived in New York?" he asked her.
"All of my life." she lied slightly. It was true that Kailin Drake had lived there all her life, even though the Drake persona she had made was really not much older then four years.
"Then you must know this town pretty well."
She nodded. "Well enough."
"You don't have a typical New York accent though, at times you even sound British."
Kailin smiled falsely, and then said, "Yes, my parents were from England."
"Oh, do they still live in New York?"
She shook her head, "No, they died a long time ago."
Longer then he could have of imagined, she could not even bare to think of the last time she had seen her mother and father together. After she had been made a vampire, she practically disappeared from all of her loved ones. Lucas saw the pain in her face when she spoke those words.
"I know what it's like, my mother died when I was nine. It happened so fast, she got ill and then four months later she was gone. They still don't fully understand what killed her. I went to live with my father after that, he was a detective as well. One of the best that LA has to offer. That is until the Marley case happened."
She was afraid it was about the head in that direction, and so she said nothing.
"Some lunatic was trying to kill this woman, kept saying she was a vampire. My dad tried to protect her, I mean they ended up in the sewers just to hide away from him. He lost contact with everyone while it was happening, he was paranoid didn't trust anybody. They caught the stalker and convicted him, and then Marley disappeared." Lucas stopped for a moment seeming to decide what he was going to say from there.
"My dad just engulfed himself in work trying to find her, ignored everyone, even me. He just wouldn't admit that she had probably been killed by one of the 'vampire hunter's' followers. He's not that old of a man, in his late fifties and his mind is already gone. I had to put him in a home, I couldn't move him out here with me. Besides, he gets more one on one attention now. Kind of wish that I could of gotten to know him better though."
"Did you try helping him search for her?" Kailin asked as they passed a bush that seemed to grab Lucas's attention for a moment.
"I tried, but he wouldn't let me touch anything. Before I took him to the home, he threw everything he had collected into the fire. You know what's strange about the case?"
"What?"
"No one has a picture of Kailin Marley, not the press, not the police, she didn't even have a state ID on record. It was like she never existed. And what adds to the mystery is all the people that saw her for the trial, when they try to do a composite on her, everyone remembers her to look differently. I mean we even get Asian and Indian portraits."
"That's very odd." Kailin was trying to keep her input to a minimum.
The information was a surprise to her however, someone or rather another vampire had to be meddling in her affairs. But it wouldn't of been the first time one of her own kind involved themselves within her life for reasons unknown to her.
"Yeah, I kind of got caught up in the case for a while myself. It's just so frustrating, because it seems like the woman that my father obsessed over and a man was sent to prison for never existed. A big news case like that and there is nothing to prove she is alive. The news tapes that showed her were accidentally destroyed, it's just all to much of a coincidence. I think there was more happening then my father knew or told." Lucas took a deep breath, causing fog to form around his lips.
"Perhaps some things are just meant to be buried and never found."
As they walked several police cars drove past with their lights flashing, Lucas looked back for a moment seeming to decided if he wanted to check it out for himself. They weren't that far away from the mansion, and were able to clearly see the cars pull into the driveway. Kailin sighed, a little upset that it had taken them so long to get there. Not only because she was already out of the building, but that Lucas probably would of stayed there to investigate.
"Does that interest you?" Kailin asked pointing at the police cars.
"Well, I am a little worried. After all, it is my childhood friend's house that they are pulling up to."
She saw her opportunity to escape the man's presence, "Why don't you go and make sure everything is alright? I can manage to find my own way home."
His eyes turned to her own and he seemed to think it over for a moment, taking a swallow along with a deep breath, he found his words. "I have my beeper turned on, if it's important then they will contact me. Besides, I need to make sure you get home safely."
"Not the answer I would expect from a police officer or a man who just witnessed police cars drive into…" Her voice was hushed as an ambulance drove past and into Phillip's estate.
"Maybe I should go." Lucas said taking a step towards the mansion.
Kailin bowed her head, "Farewell then, Mister Stark."
"Are you sure you'll be alright? Why don't you come back to the mansion and call for a cab? It would make me feel a lot better."
"I will be fine, I have nothing to fear."
He rose an eyebrow, "You live in one of the biggest cities in the United States, murder, rape, among many other crimes run rampant here."
"Fear of death does not control me, only those who have a life to lose. Now, make haste Mister Stark." With that she turned and began to walk away from him.
Lucas watched her for a moment, then turned around to walk back to the mansion. She had confused him greatly with her last words, and the thought that she might be suicidal crossed his mind as he walked through the gates. With that he shrugged her memory off for the evening, while he went to investigate what had occurred.
Once she was halfway, she felt the presence of another vampire. It was a startling feeling within her stomach, as most vampires didn't fear those of their own breed. The feeling was not that of another Hallowed, and for her even Gabrielle gave a recognizable sickness within her stomach. No, this was no one familiar to her. The intruder took no time to make himself known to her, as he appeared from behind a dumpster.
Kailin grinned, with sight came the knowledge that this was a young bowery, probably unaware of the fact that she was a hallowed. Any bowery with any experience at all, would know not to approach another vampire, at least not without their pack. Her expression of pleasure instead of fear caused him anger, as bowery would normally only strike at fearful prey.
"You came into the wrong alley tonight, a mistake that'll be your last." He said, pushing back his black curls. He was attempting to strike fear into her heart, but Kailin knew with a thrust of her hand, she could remove the creature entrails.
"I believe it is you that has made a mistake."
He laughed and then bared his fangs in another attempt to wrack her mind with fear. "Pray to your maker, bitch." With that he made a grave error of leaping towards Kailin.
Her arm shot out and grabbed his neck, leaving him hanging off the ground. "I needn't pray, my maker gave me all that I need to dispose the likes of you."
He tried to claw at her hands, but Kailin only squeezed harder, and when she was annoyed enough, she threw him against the brick wall. Pulling himself up he leaned against the wall, and check the holes that she had left in his neck with her fingers.
"Listen here, bowery, because you are obviously inexperienced, I will allow you to leave my presence with your life. I suggest, however, that you find a pack and remain with them until you understand the consequences of attacking a hallowed." She told him as she straighten out her jacket. "You may leave now." Her eyes were on him, and he seemed to be deciding on whether or not he wanted to attack again. Kailin gave a stomp towards him, and that was all it took to make up his mind for him, as he ran from the alley way, away from her.
Looking up she leapt atop of the building, and began her journey to her apartment. For what she hoped would be a restful evening away from Gabrielle's complaining.
Pressing the up button she waited for the elevator to come, occasionally she would check behind her to make sure her shadow stalker was not there. The only person she had ever told about him was Gabrielle, and even she was skeptical until she witnessed it once. For Kailin just once wasn't enough for her to believe Gabrielle and her had seen the same image.
The elevator dinged as the doors opened, and she stepped in ready to end her evening. Sometimes life just felt like she was waiting for an ending, it was a strange feeling to have. As if she was waiting not for an event or a day or time, but just for the darkness to finally come. It was a darkness that would never appear for her, at least not any time soon. If they weren't Mephis they didn't bother her, and vampire hunters were mostly like Lucas, unaware of their true callings. This evening all she wished for was to rest, and she was rather pleased with how quickly the party had past.
Another ding as the doors opened to her floor again, and Kailin stepped out journeying down the short pathway to her apartment. Mrs. Kraig's apartment had no noise coming from it and Kailin decided that she was either dead or out at one of her children's homes. Either way she was glad the old woman wasn't lingering the halls, waiting to call someone a hussy as always. She put up with the woman only because she amused her, and she had learned long ago that being rude caused problems. The woman was old and sick, and probably was on the verge of loosing her mind completely.
Unlocking her door, Kailin let out a deep sigh as she threw her purse on the end table and shut the door. With her jacket off, she sat down at the dining room table and began reading Kristian's novel, hoping she would finishing it.
It must have been three hours of sitting at the table, when she heard the thuds echoing down the hall. Her eyes shifted up as they came closer to her apartment, and she stood readying herself for an attack. Instead of a crash through the door, she heard keys as they unlocked the front door. Kailin knew it had to be Gabrielle, but wondered why she was in such a hurry. At first she thought perhaps Kristian was chasing her, but there had been no other footprints.
The door flung open, and Gabrielle's eyes were wide with terror. Slamming the door, she ran over to Kailin's side.
"Kai! Kai!"
"What is it?" She said, it wasn't unlike Gabrielle to make big deals out of nothing, and so she wanted to wait until she heard what the problem was.
"Kristian and I were walking here, and three Mephis jumped down in front of us. He told me to run, and stopped them from attacking me. I think they got him though!" Gabrielle's voice was strained, but she wasn't anywhere near tears.
"Mephis?"
She nodded, "Three of them, at least that's how many jumped down. I think there were more, but I didn't see them."
"Did you see any of the sups?"
"No, they all looked like minions."
"Then he should be alright, perhaps a little banged up, but he'll be fine." Kailin said, returning to the table. The sups, pronounced like soups, Mephis had a chemical that they could spit at close up, this chemical turned into fire as soon as it touched the air. Minions had the pouch that contained the chemical or lava spit as it was playfully named by Kailin, but weren't smart enough to know how to use it. Fire was the only way to kill a hallowed, and so Kailin knew that he would be fine.
"But, Kai! You have to go out there and check."
"He'll be fine." She said opening the manuscript.
Gabrielle folded her arms, "And what if tomorrow when I have to go feed if they are out there. They are in your territory and they aren't suppose to be!"
Slamming the script closed she looked up at Gabrielle, "Where did this happen?"
She smiled, "Just four blocks down, near the coffee shop."
"That's more then four blocks."
"Kai!"
Sighing, she stood up and put on her jacket. "Stay in here, and if you sense any Mephis go hide under my bed." Her room because the crosses would protect Gabrielle from the Mephis intruding.
"I know, I know."
"How long ago was this?"
She shrugged, "Fifteen, twenty minutes."
"And it took you that long to run here?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"I don't know! Just go, Kai!" Gabrielle said as she ran to the door and opened it.
"I'll be right back." She told her as Gabrielle slammed the door behind her.
Chapter 5: http://rkphunt.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=184
"Is it really that horrible, Kai?" She asked, crossing her arms in front of her.
"That horrible?"
She thrust her head forward to look at the room, "That you have to give fake smiles."
"Let's just do this, and go home."
"You'll have to go home alone. Kristian and I are going to hit the town when this is all over with. You know for a Hallowed, he's a lot of fun."
"Are you saying that I am not?"
She didn't have to say anything, just gave a glare. "Are you having fun with the human? He looks terribly like his father, doesn't he? Maybe, he'll bring some excitement into your dreary existence."
"And just what kind of excitement do you think I need?"
"Right now, a Ferris wheel excitement would do?" Gabrielle grinned. "Maybe a Ferris wheel ride with a certain human. Don't roll your eyes, Kai. And you need to be nice to him, he's probably the only person here who doesn't know you are a…" She watched an elderly woman walk past them and to look for her seat. "bitch."
"Don't get Kristian killed, you don't want to deal with the elders."
She giggled, "You mean that you don't want to deal with the elders."
"That too." Kailin folded her arms and glared down at her.
"Oh come on, Kai. Lighten up just a tad, this is no way to be at a party." She then giggled again, as she pointed at Lucas, who was taking his seat at the far end of the table.
Gabrielle walked to the other side of the table, where Kristian had gathered with a few others. Kailin walked in behind her, and knew immediately she had become the butt of some joke. Phillip who was standing next to Kristian, looked up giving a devilish grin.
"Oh, Kailin, you aren't sitting with us tonight, darling."
"What?" Kailin's face dropped, as she looked over to Gabrielle, who obviously knew what had been going on by the shameful look she tried to hide.
"I switched your and Kristian's sitting cards, so that you can sit next to Lucas."
She was about to object but realized it would do no good, so she bowed her head in defeat. Giving a sigh, which she hoped she passed off for a deep breath, she walked over to the Lucas, who smiled as she approached.
"Looks like we are eating together as well. Luckily, we've already met." He grinned, then stood up to pull out her chair.
It took a good fifteen minutes for everyone to find their seats. It came no shock to her that another vampire took his seat across from her, after all Kristian had mentioned that he was here with Tzion. Guests and their accompaniment were suppose to sit next to each other, therefore Kristian would have been sitting near him.
He was a thin man about average height, with short dark hair and a black goatee. His eyes were an odd grayish green color, like the upset sea thrust about within. He was an elder Hallowed vampire. A vampire was considered an elder once they reached their one thousandth year, for hallowed this birthday included a special gift. Each Hallowed would be blessed with a very special ability, Kailin had heard of many types, from telekinesis to mind control, some effected the bodies and others the mind. It seemed it was very rare for elders to have the same kind of ability. Other vampire breeds, didn't get the special ability or powers as some called them, but they became powerful foes or allies.
Tzion was the only prophet vampire in the world, as the Higher Being only allowed one to be alive at a time. Kailin wasn't exactly sure what he prophesized about, no one but the elders spoke to him about such. And what he wrote was not for the eyes of the public. Kailin wasn't interested in the vampire world anyway, it had forsaken her long ago. She had met many hallowed vampires, and most would not help or teach her.
She tried to ignore his presence, and the occasional glances he would give her as she spoke to Lucas. Elders often thought anything that came from a fresh's mouth was ignorant, and she somehow felt that she had to watch what she said. Least, he interrupt them to correct or insult her.
To much of her surprise, Tzion remained very quiet, while he ate the meal before them. Though it wasn't common practice for a vampire to eat human portions, they occasionally indulged themselves. Very little was actually eaten, and most of the time the food was pushed around the plate to give the appearance of being eaten.
Lucas seemed to be starving, and gulped down the soup before Kailin was even halfway finished with her own. But it wasn't the human that interested her, it was the elder sitting across the way. She watched him take two sips of the soup, and then pretend to take more, until his bowl was taken away and replaced with the main course.
Before the desert was brought Kailin looked down the table at Gabrielle, and decided that she didn't need to be here any longer. Standing up, she looked at Lucas who stood up with her.
"I am leaving now." She told him.
"Before desert?"
She gave a slight nod, "It's late and I have important things to do. It was nice meeting you." Though her words were pleasant, her voice was empty. Pushing in her chair, she continued, "If Gabrielle asks you tell her I went home."
"Alright, goodbye, Miss Drake." He said, as she disappeared out the door.
Gabrielle took notice of her departure and looked down at Lucas, who sat down to finish his meal. Her attention went to Kristian, "Kailin left."
Kristian looked down the table to see if she spoke the truth, and then looked at Tzion. His master wiped his mouth on a napkin, while staring at the door that Kailin had disappeared through. Standing up, he excused himself from the people around him, and began to walk the opposite way of Kailin, towards the kitchen.
---***---
Placing on her jacket, she declined when the coat drop asked her if he should call her a cab. She felt like walking home, well, more like jumping from roof-top to roof-top. Cars has always made her uneasy, she wasn't in control of them, and she couldn't drive one of her own. Placing her life in someone else's hands was uncomfortable, and she tried to avoid it.Stepping outside onto the porch she began to journey down the driveway to the front gates, which were open for the cabs to come in and out. The drive way was lined with bushes that were squarely shaped, stopping near her hip. In the center of the half circle driveway was a large lot of grass, and she could see the plain fountain toward the middle. For a short time all she could hear was the sound of her high heels clanking against the ground.
It wasn't until she got halfway to the gate, that the darkness engulfed her eyes. She stopped, as a vampire she could see very clearly in the dark. Something had to be blocking her sight, and it was probably best to stay where she was. Turning around she looked back towards the mansion, and couldn't see anyone. Standing and waiting for only a few moments, she decided that she didn't have time to play this game and began forward. A dark shadow figure appeared before her then, not expecting someone to be there, Kailin stepped back a couple feet, and gasped.
"I apologize, my intent was not to frighten you." She could barely make out his dark hand reaching out towards her, then dropping to his side when she steadied herself. "I am Tzion of the Elders," he continued "I wanted to speak with you alone."
She wondered why he felt it necessary to block her sight, she had seen him while they were eating dinner. Most elders had to ability to block certain senses of fresh vampires of the same species, so it came as no shock to her that he could do it. She decided that it had to be a show of power. She stepped forward, and with her head cocked to the side, she squinted her eyes, something she hadn't done in centuries.
Crossing her arms, she prepared her voice to sound intimidating and strong. "What do you want?"
He was not use to such a response from his subjects, and seemed to be taken back for a moment. "I have spoken with Kristian about your decision not to hunt the Mephis at this time."
"And you think that you can make me 'decide' otherwise, right?"
His voice took on an annoyed toned, "On the contrary, Duchess Bramwell, I do not believe that you are even ready to take on such a task. You are far to weak…"
"Are you trying to use reverse psychology on me?" She chuckled.
"Again, you have judged before you hear me out, milady. I am merely stating that I am on your side, you shouldn't begin fighting the Mephis until you are much older or at least more evolved then what you are now. Though you may be able to fight the weaker Mephis, I doubt you could survive an encounter with their master."
"So, the Mephis do have dominant beings."
Tzion sighed, "Of course, don't be foolish. They couldn't of possibly survived without a being of higher knowledge. But that is neither here nor there. My reason for approaching you was merely to state that not only I but a few other elders stand beside your decision."
"Well, thank you, I suppose. Although, it matters little to me whether I have no elder or every elder on my side, I won't fight them not now, not ever."
"Be careful, Duchess, you do not wish to say things that you will have to eat later." He rubbed his face, "I also wanted to invite you to be my special guest at the convention this year."
"I don't go to those events. I think they are ridiculous…"
"You've never been invited to one, and as a fresh it is an honor to even be considered."
"I don't care. I don't…"
"You may bring your friend, what is that Pyrrhonian's name?"
"Gabrielle?"
He clear his voice, "Yes, bring her. I will pick you up from your home it is in two months time. Kristian will be there as well, so he can take the Pyrrhonian."
"But…"
"This is not a request, this is a demand from an elder. Now…" The sound of Kailin's name was being called from the porch, they both turned to see a man running towards her. "Two months, Duchess Bramwell, I will see you then." She heard Tzion say, and when she looked back he was gone.
Feeling the other being approach, she turned back to look upon Lucas. He stopped short of her, not really know what he was going to say. "I didn't expect you to still be here." His eyebrow rose, "What are you doing standing out here?"
"Looking at the fountain, what is it that you want?"
Lucas looked around, "What fountain?"
"The one in the center of the grass island there." She pointed.
He looked towards her finger and then back at her, "Your eyes are better then mine."
"Was there something you wanted?"
"Yes, well… Could I escort you home? I mean just to make sure you get home safely, the coat drop told me that you didn't take a taxi, and…"
"It's a long walk." She said trying to detour him.
"All the more reason that you should have an escort."
She stared into his eyes for a moment, trying to understand what it was he truly wanted. "Very well, but when you are freezing near to death do not say I didn't warn you."
Lucas gave a grin, "No problem."
They began walking towards the gates in a moment of silence, while Lucas tried to come up with another topic to touch upon with her. He began to bombard her with questions about herself, and like any vampire, she was reluctant to answer. She gave the shortest answers possible, most were lies anyway. Keeping them small and to the point was the best way to keep them straight, she had discovered long ago.
"So, how long have you lived in New York?" he asked her.
"All of my life." she lied slightly. It was true that Kailin Drake had lived there all her life, even though the Drake persona she had made was really not much older then four years.
"Then you must know this town pretty well."
She nodded. "Well enough."
"You don't have a typical New York accent though, at times you even sound British."
Kailin smiled falsely, and then said, "Yes, my parents were from England."
"Oh, do they still live in New York?"
She shook her head, "No, they died a long time ago."
Longer then he could have of imagined, she could not even bare to think of the last time she had seen her mother and father together. After she had been made a vampire, she practically disappeared from all of her loved ones. Lucas saw the pain in her face when she spoke those words.
"I know what it's like, my mother died when I was nine. It happened so fast, she got ill and then four months later she was gone. They still don't fully understand what killed her. I went to live with my father after that, he was a detective as well. One of the best that LA has to offer. That is until the Marley case happened."
She was afraid it was about the head in that direction, and so she said nothing.
"Some lunatic was trying to kill this woman, kept saying she was a vampire. My dad tried to protect her, I mean they ended up in the sewers just to hide away from him. He lost contact with everyone while it was happening, he was paranoid didn't trust anybody. They caught the stalker and convicted him, and then Marley disappeared." Lucas stopped for a moment seeming to decide what he was going to say from there.
"My dad just engulfed himself in work trying to find her, ignored everyone, even me. He just wouldn't admit that she had probably been killed by one of the 'vampire hunter's' followers. He's not that old of a man, in his late fifties and his mind is already gone. I had to put him in a home, I couldn't move him out here with me. Besides, he gets more one on one attention now. Kind of wish that I could of gotten to know him better though."
"Did you try helping him search for her?" Kailin asked as they passed a bush that seemed to grab Lucas's attention for a moment.
"I tried, but he wouldn't let me touch anything. Before I took him to the home, he threw everything he had collected into the fire. You know what's strange about the case?"
"What?"
"No one has a picture of Kailin Marley, not the press, not the police, she didn't even have a state ID on record. It was like she never existed. And what adds to the mystery is all the people that saw her for the trial, when they try to do a composite on her, everyone remembers her to look differently. I mean we even get Asian and Indian portraits."
"That's very odd." Kailin was trying to keep her input to a minimum.
The information was a surprise to her however, someone or rather another vampire had to be meddling in her affairs. But it wouldn't of been the first time one of her own kind involved themselves within her life for reasons unknown to her.
"Yeah, I kind of got caught up in the case for a while myself. It's just so frustrating, because it seems like the woman that my father obsessed over and a man was sent to prison for never existed. A big news case like that and there is nothing to prove she is alive. The news tapes that showed her were accidentally destroyed, it's just all to much of a coincidence. I think there was more happening then my father knew or told." Lucas took a deep breath, causing fog to form around his lips.
"Perhaps some things are just meant to be buried and never found."
As they walked several police cars drove past with their lights flashing, Lucas looked back for a moment seeming to decided if he wanted to check it out for himself. They weren't that far away from the mansion, and were able to clearly see the cars pull into the driveway. Kailin sighed, a little upset that it had taken them so long to get there. Not only because she was already out of the building, but that Lucas probably would of stayed there to investigate.
"Does that interest you?" Kailin asked pointing at the police cars.
"Well, I am a little worried. After all, it is my childhood friend's house that they are pulling up to."
She saw her opportunity to escape the man's presence, "Why don't you go and make sure everything is alright? I can manage to find my own way home."
His eyes turned to her own and he seemed to think it over for a moment, taking a swallow along with a deep breath, he found his words. "I have my beeper turned on, if it's important then they will contact me. Besides, I need to make sure you get home safely."
"Not the answer I would expect from a police officer or a man who just witnessed police cars drive into…" Her voice was hushed as an ambulance drove past and into Phillip's estate.
"Maybe I should go." Lucas said taking a step towards the mansion.
Kailin bowed her head, "Farewell then, Mister Stark."
"Are you sure you'll be alright? Why don't you come back to the mansion and call for a cab? It would make me feel a lot better."
"I will be fine, I have nothing to fear."
He rose an eyebrow, "You live in one of the biggest cities in the United States, murder, rape, among many other crimes run rampant here."
"Fear of death does not control me, only those who have a life to lose. Now, make haste Mister Stark." With that she turned and began to walk away from him.
Lucas watched her for a moment, then turned around to walk back to the mansion. She had confused him greatly with her last words, and the thought that she might be suicidal crossed his mind as he walked through the gates. With that he shrugged her memory off for the evening, while he went to investigate what had occurred.
---***---
Coming to an alley that would lead to a larger street, Kailin decided she could get in there and jump onto the building. As she slowly made her way past the first quarter of the building, she carefully surveyed her surroundings. The short cut was between a brick building and a tall metal fence that had vines growing throughout it. It was rather wide able to fit at least eight people shoulder to shoulder.Once she was halfway, she felt the presence of another vampire. It was a startling feeling within her stomach, as most vampires didn't fear those of their own breed. The feeling was not that of another Hallowed, and for her even Gabrielle gave a recognizable sickness within her stomach. No, this was no one familiar to her. The intruder took no time to make himself known to her, as he appeared from behind a dumpster.
Kailin grinned, with sight came the knowledge that this was a young bowery, probably unaware of the fact that she was a hallowed. Any bowery with any experience at all, would know not to approach another vampire, at least not without their pack. Her expression of pleasure instead of fear caused him anger, as bowery would normally only strike at fearful prey.
"You came into the wrong alley tonight, a mistake that'll be your last." He said, pushing back his black curls. He was attempting to strike fear into her heart, but Kailin knew with a thrust of her hand, she could remove the creature entrails.
"I believe it is you that has made a mistake."
He laughed and then bared his fangs in another attempt to wrack her mind with fear. "Pray to your maker, bitch." With that he made a grave error of leaping towards Kailin.
Her arm shot out and grabbed his neck, leaving him hanging off the ground. "I needn't pray, my maker gave me all that I need to dispose the likes of you."
He tried to claw at her hands, but Kailin only squeezed harder, and when she was annoyed enough, she threw him against the brick wall. Pulling himself up he leaned against the wall, and check the holes that she had left in his neck with her fingers.
"Listen here, bowery, because you are obviously inexperienced, I will allow you to leave my presence with your life. I suggest, however, that you find a pack and remain with them until you understand the consequences of attacking a hallowed." She told him as she straighten out her jacket. "You may leave now." Her eyes were on him, and he seemed to be deciding on whether or not he wanted to attack again. Kailin gave a stomp towards him, and that was all it took to make up his mind for him, as he ran from the alley way, away from her.
Looking up she leapt atop of the building, and began her journey to her apartment. For what she hoped would be a restful evening away from Gabrielle's complaining.
---***---
Kailin reached her apartment with no further delays, however she had spotted the dark shadow several times on her journey home. The shadow had been stalking her for as long as she could remember, and whenever she had tried to chase it, the being would escape her. Neither feeling human or vampire presence, she often wondered if it was her own mind. Long ago, she gave up any desire to chase it. However, it was odd to see the shadow more then once every couple of weeks. Seeing it so many times in one night worried her, but as she reached the apartment elevator she felt relief.Pressing the up button she waited for the elevator to come, occasionally she would check behind her to make sure her shadow stalker was not there. The only person she had ever told about him was Gabrielle, and even she was skeptical until she witnessed it once. For Kailin just once wasn't enough for her to believe Gabrielle and her had seen the same image.
The elevator dinged as the doors opened, and she stepped in ready to end her evening. Sometimes life just felt like she was waiting for an ending, it was a strange feeling to have. As if she was waiting not for an event or a day or time, but just for the darkness to finally come. It was a darkness that would never appear for her, at least not any time soon. If they weren't Mephis they didn't bother her, and vampire hunters were mostly like Lucas, unaware of their true callings. This evening all she wished for was to rest, and she was rather pleased with how quickly the party had past.
Another ding as the doors opened to her floor again, and Kailin stepped out journeying down the short pathway to her apartment. Mrs. Kraig's apartment had no noise coming from it and Kailin decided that she was either dead or out at one of her children's homes. Either way she was glad the old woman wasn't lingering the halls, waiting to call someone a hussy as always. She put up with the woman only because she amused her, and she had learned long ago that being rude caused problems. The woman was old and sick, and probably was on the verge of loosing her mind completely.
Unlocking her door, Kailin let out a deep sigh as she threw her purse on the end table and shut the door. With her jacket off, she sat down at the dining room table and began reading Kristian's novel, hoping she would finishing it.
It must have been three hours of sitting at the table, when she heard the thuds echoing down the hall. Her eyes shifted up as they came closer to her apartment, and she stood readying herself for an attack. Instead of a crash through the door, she heard keys as they unlocked the front door. Kailin knew it had to be Gabrielle, but wondered why she was in such a hurry. At first she thought perhaps Kristian was chasing her, but there had been no other footprints.
The door flung open, and Gabrielle's eyes were wide with terror. Slamming the door, she ran over to Kailin's side.
"Kai! Kai!"
"What is it?" She said, it wasn't unlike Gabrielle to make big deals out of nothing, and so she wanted to wait until she heard what the problem was.
"Kristian and I were walking here, and three Mephis jumped down in front of us. He told me to run, and stopped them from attacking me. I think they got him though!" Gabrielle's voice was strained, but she wasn't anywhere near tears.
"Mephis?"
She nodded, "Three of them, at least that's how many jumped down. I think there were more, but I didn't see them."
"Did you see any of the sups?"
"No, they all looked like minions."
"Then he should be alright, perhaps a little banged up, but he'll be fine." Kailin said, returning to the table. The sups, pronounced like soups, Mephis had a chemical that they could spit at close up, this chemical turned into fire as soon as it touched the air. Minions had the pouch that contained the chemical or lava spit as it was playfully named by Kailin, but weren't smart enough to know how to use it. Fire was the only way to kill a hallowed, and so Kailin knew that he would be fine.
"But, Kai! You have to go out there and check."
"He'll be fine." She said opening the manuscript.
Gabrielle folded her arms, "And what if tomorrow when I have to go feed if they are out there. They are in your territory and they aren't suppose to be!"
Slamming the script closed she looked up at Gabrielle, "Where did this happen?"
She smiled, "Just four blocks down, near the coffee shop."
"That's more then four blocks."
"Kai!"
Sighing, she stood up and put on her jacket. "Stay in here, and if you sense any Mephis go hide under my bed." Her room because the crosses would protect Gabrielle from the Mephis intruding.
"I know, I know."
"How long ago was this?"
She shrugged, "Fifteen, twenty minutes."
"And it took you that long to run here?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"I don't know! Just go, Kai!" Gabrielle said as she ran to the door and opened it.
"I'll be right back." She told her as Gabrielle slammed the door behind her.
Chapter 5: http://rkphunt.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=184