Dark Beauty (Seeker) (3 page)

Chapter 6

“I was supposed to protect her, not only because we’re family, but because I was training to be her mentor,” Abram said. Sadness filled his bright blue eyes, and he cleared his throat. “I followed him to your city, so here I am. Luckily, the Apotheosis felt bad for me, so they let me stay and appointed a stand-in until I returned.”

“I’m sorry,” Isabelle said. “I didn’t know.” She had the feeling he didn’t want to discuss his cousin’s death any further. She’d never been great in these situations, so she changed the tone of the conversation. “Well, he’s dead. So you can go back now.” Her words came out harsher then she intended.

“And leave you…not a chance. You’re stuck with me now.” Abram smiled, not seeming to care about her insensitive response – probably because he knew his presence would annoy the crap out of her.

Jared’s cell rang. He held up his hand and excused himself from the conversation.

“For your first Daychild kill, you did well. I especially liked the Hulk Hogan move you pulled out at the end.”

Isabelle laughed. She remembered thinking the same thing when she used her elbow and tiny body to slam Emanuel to the ground. Maybe Abram wasn’t that bad. Only slightly irritating. “Thanks.” She glanced over to the spot where Emanuel had disappeared. “So, they just turn into a sticky mess and disappear?”

“Yup.” Without Jared as a buffer to dispel their tension, their interaction was uncomfortable, to say the least.

Isabelle decided to keep the conversation moving. She figured she might learn something from Abram. Maybe. “So, tell me, how did you learn so much about this new hybrid vamp?”

He smiled. “I’d like to say I read it in a book or that my mentor told me, but it was pretty much trial and error. Two Daychildren, Emanuel and Ricky, showed up one night when I was seeking. I was confused because they looked human – well, other than their black eyes and horrible smell. It’s enough to make your eyes water.”

They both chuckled. Isabelle noticed how cute he looked when he laughed. He wasn’t just handsome, but he had a baby face, one that promised no matter how much he aged, he would still look youthful.

“As you can imagine, the first thing I tried was staking them through the heart.”

“Ha—I’m guessing that didn’t work so well.”

“The dude ripped the stake out of his chest and threw it at me.”

 “He threw it at you?” Isabelle doubled over, not sure why she was laughing so hard. It wasn’t funny. Actually, it was downright scary.

 “Anyway—” Abram composed himself. “That’s when the fun really began. Emanuel threw a brick at me, only he didn’t use his hands. That’s when I realized we were dealing with something other than the standard vampire.”

Isabelle’s eyes widened. “Did it hit you?”

Abram lifted the sleeve of his tee and pointed to a three-inch scar on his bicep. “It cut me wide open.”

“Looks painful. How about the other one, what could he do?”

“Who, Ricky? His ability was worse.”

Isabelle wondered what ability could be worse than telekinesis.

Jared entered the warehouse, shaking his head, a frustrated scowl across his face. “Just got off the phone with the Chapter,” he said. “It looks like the other one just attacked a student—she’s dead. Definitely a Daychild – he drained her of blood and even ate a few of her organs.”

Isabelle’s gag reflex kicked in. Sure, vamps drained humans of blood, but eating organs, that was just nasty. “Are they sure it was him—?”

“Ricky,” Abram said.

“Yeah, this happened less than an hour ago. I’m betting our Emanuel didn’t do it.” Jared turned to Abram. “You said you followed them both down here, so most likely Ricky’s still here, right?”

“I would think. I haven’t heard anything from the Seeker in my city. I guess Ricky could have moved on to another city, but I doubt it. There aren’t many. They probably stick together.”

Jared snapped into mentor mode. He scratched the scruff along his jaw line, contemplating their plan. “Isabelle, go with Abram. I want you both to patrol the area around campus. There shouldn’t be many students around. They canceled classes and put the campus on lockdown. All of the students have been told to remain in their rooms. Abram, fill Isabelle in on his ability so you guys are prepared.” Now pacing, Jared concentrated on the floor, then raised his head to deliver his final thoughts. “And both of you…be prepared with daggers. I’ll get extras from the weapons room.”

Chapter 7

Packed with her new dagger in her boot and two wedged into her jeans around her back, Isabelle patrolled the perimeter of campus with Abram. He, too, had assembled a handful of blades, although his belt was already equipped to hold them. He concealed his weapons with a light jacket. She knew he had to be roasting in the heat.

Now approaching dusk, they’d have more to contend with than Daychildren. The night children, otherwise known as vampires, would be rising from their slumber, ready to ravage the city streets for their next meals. So, the two Seekers had also armed themselves with stakes.

The old city buildings looked eerie, with the dimming sunlight casting shadows along the limestone walls. The college campus was quiet, other than the police patrolling the walkways to classes and entrances to the historic-looking dormitories. Life outside campus didn’t slow. Carloads of people on their way home from work sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Isabelle was relieved that their weapons were hidden. Seeking in the daylight was dangerous. There were no evening shadows to hide Seekers from the public’s prying eyes.

“Tell me again,” Isabelle said, crossing the street and stepping up onto the sidewalk. The campus seemed pretty well secured, and she thought branching out into a larger radius around campus would be more advantageous. “How exactly did you figure out how to kill them? They ended up down here, so you obviously weren’t successful that night. Was that the night your cousin was murdered?”

“No. A few weeks later. Clarissa and I went to the local Chapter, but no one had any idea what we were talking about. So, we researched demons on our own. It turns out a demon is a human who has been taken over by a fallen angel. By accident, or most likely, on purpose, the vampire king ‘transformed’ a demon, creating a hybrid vampire – what we now call Daychildren, thanks to you—vampires that can walk in the sunlight and possess demonic abilities,” he said with a half-smile.

She turned down a side street lined with residential row homes on both sides. Each home reflected historic charm with colorful stained-glass windows and short wrought-iron fences. Most were a different color brick—red, gray, and even royal blue. That one stuck out among the rest. The side street seemed to have less pedestrian and commuter traffic than the main road. This was good for exposure purposes.

“So how did you figure out how to kill them?”

Abram purposefully stepped over the cracks in the sidewalk. “A few weeks after our first encounter, Clarissa and I were out looking for vampires, and we came across Emanuel and this other guy, Paul, attacking a couple. Unfortunately, we were too late. They’d already killed them before we could do anything to help. Clarissa threw a punch and knocked Emanuel to the ground. I took the opportunity to go for Paul. I was able to take him down, but I noticed Clarissa was struggling with Emanuel. She’d cut him and his blood had gotten all over her arm. In obvious pain, she was disoriented. I left Paul to help Clarissa.” He paused, hesitating before he continued, like the words were too painful to repeat. “Emanuel broke her neck and fled. When I got to her side, she was dead. I lost my stake in the fight, but I noticed Clarissa’s silver blade wedged in her waistband. I pulled it out and aimed it up just as Paul dove on top of me. The blade punctured his skull, and after a second of oozing green slime, he disintegrated. That’s how I figured out how to kill them.”

Isabelle let what Abram said sink in. She could tell he regretted not responding to Clarissa’s cries earlier. As her mentor in training, it had been his job to keep her safe, and he missed the mark. She knew she’d feel the same way if she had been in his position, mentor or not. Seekers were connected in a way. She didn’t know Clarissa, but she felt her loss. “So, you think Ricky’s the one who killed the student?”

He nodded. “From what the Chapter could tell me, it seems at least two Daychildren fled to your city. With Emanuel dead, that leaves just one more to take out. I checked in with the new Seeker in Chicago, and she said there haven’t been any more sightings, only vampires.”

“But there are more?” Isabelle said.

“I’m sure of it. They’ll most likely move on to different cities, like Emanuel and Ricky did. Demons are in short supply. Plus, they know at least one of us can kill them. I’m sure they are expecting word to spread throughout the Seeker community. We are now aware of their abilities and are better armed to neutralize them.”

Isabelle stopped walking and turned to Abram. She surprised herself, feeling actually happy that she’d met him. Having another Seeker to speak with, one much closer to her age than Jared, was comforting. “Well, I want them out of my city so I can go back to doing what I was born to do—kill vampires, not this crazy hybrid.”

 “Are you hungry?” Abram said. Isabelle gladly accepted the change in conversation. “It looks like Ricky’s going to lay low after his kill, and the vamps haven’t come out yet. We could refuel.”

Isabelle’s stomach growled at the mention of food. She hadn’t eaten anything since her king-size bowl of Mini Wheats at breakfast. “Do you like tacos?” she asked.

“Do I like tacos—hell yeah! I’m in Texas.” He twirled around, taking in the warm, humid Houston air. Isabelle had never been to Chicago, but she’d heard it was often cold and windy. “Take me to the best taco joint you know.”

Isabelle smiled. “That won’t be hard around here,” she said. “Let’s go eat…and then we’ll kill some vamps.”

Chapter 8

Abram and Isabelle started their patrol near the bustling downtown bar and restaurant area. After a few drinks, people became careless and stupid, making themselves easier prey. Equipped with full stomachs, daggers, and stakes, the Seekers were ready to take on anything undead.

First they searched the alleys behind dive bars. Vomiting drunks who’d made their way into the alleyways became immediate targets, so the Seekers decided to hang out on two trash cans outside the back door of a biker bar. Isabelle wasn’t as annoyed about having Abram with her this time. Now that she knew he wasn’t sent to her city to act as her babysitter, he was a little less aggravating.

 “So, do you date?” Abram said, catching Isabelle off guard.

“No,” she said immediately. “I have one job to do, kill vamps. Anyway, we move every four years, so it kind of makes it hard to form any type of lasting relationship.” With her legs crossed at the ankle, Isabelle kicked the trash can with the heel of her boot. “How about you?”

He smirked. It was difficult to see his face under the dim light projecting off the back of the building, but he’d made that face so many times, she’d memorized his features. “You, I’d date.”

Isabelle smacked him in the arm. “Be serious.”

“
Ouch
—I am being serious.” He pushed her back playfully. “But no, I haven’t really met anyone. With my lifestyle, as you know, not only is it dangerous for me to get close to someone, but I don’t have the time. Plus, we don’t really age while we’re in the Seeker life. Nothing like being 15, 16, 17, 18, then back to 15 again. Damn four-year rotation. This is my first time being 18. I like it.” He laughed. “I guess I should enjoy this year before I’m yanked back to 15 again. Anyway, who needs relationships when you can have any girl you want? I’m not really the ‘boyfriend’ type.”

She dismissed his conceited statement. Calling him out on his arrogance would only encourage him. “Well, I’ve been nothing but hateful toward you since we met.” It killed her to say it, but she figured they were in this together, so it was time for her to stop acting like a two-year-old. “I’m sorry for that.”

“Oh, come on…I knew you liked me. What’s not to like?” He examined his well-defined chest through his tight T-shirt.

“Ha—”

“I’m likeable. I’m shocked you didn’t have your way with me that first night.”

“Was that before or after you interrupted my kill?” She stopped their playful banter. Goosebumps rose on her arms and a creepy something’s-not-right feeling settled into her body.

Abram stood. “You feel it too?”

Isabelle nodded and fell in step next to Abram. They rounded the concrete building, spotting four vampires waiting for unsuspecting drunks to walk by. These were definitely vamps. Unlike the unusually human-looking Daychildren that reeked, vampires displayed a pale, chalky complexion. From their proximity to the sidewalk, the night children were in perfect position to drag their victims into the alley.

One vampire caught sight of Isabelle and Abram. Instinctively, the others sensed their arrival.

“Teenagers. Not what I expected, but I’ll take it,” a redhead said, licking his lips and exposing his fangs. Isabelle figured they were expecting bikers, considering they were hanging out beside a biker bar. Maybe if she and Abram had worn leather jackets, chaps, and bandanas they wouldn’t have stuck out so much among the Harleys.

A blond girl wearing a jean jacket and a horrible ‘80s hairdo glanced at Abram’s waist. “They’re Seekers.” She took off down the alley, taking a sharp right at the sidewalk. A leggy brunette wearing a mini-skirt and fishnets hesitated and then followed her friend.

“I’ve got the two guys,” Abram said. “Go after the girls.”

Isabelle thought for a second. Was she really going to take orders from Abram? Then she pictured driving a stake right through the girl’s tacky rhinestone jean jacket. “Meet ya back here.”

The girls hadn’t gotten far. Isabelle chased them into another alley, this time behind a mini-mart. Trapped on all sides, the girls decided to act all bad ass, popping their gum and jutting their hips out as they waited for Isabelle to approach.

 “Seriously, ladies—cheap hooker. Is that really the look you’re going for?” Isabelle said, brandishing two wooden stakes.

“Bitch!” the blond one with big hair said.

Raising a stake, Isabelle propelled it forward. The tip lodged in the girl’s heart. She turned into a pile of ash and vanished into the asphalt. The other girl, the brunette wearing a banana clip, charged her, pissed that Isabelle had staked her friend. Isabelle readied herself in a fighting stance. The girl swung, catching Isabelle in the jaw.
Damn, the hooker’s strong.
Isabelle wiggled her jaw around and raised her fists to block her face. Isabelle assessed the girl’s hits, looking for a pattern in her fighting style. After a few moments, she’d figured it out. She blocked the brunette’s punch and nailed her in the ribs. Isabelle stayed on her, throwing kicks and punches, the girl too disoriented to block her advances.

“I think she’s ready to be staked,” Abram said from behind her. “Unless, of course, you’re using her for boxing practice.”

 Smiling, Isabelle extended her leg, catching the girl on her sideways banana clip with the bridge of her foot. This made Isabelle laugh. It served her right for rocking shitty fashion. Isabelle decided to end the girl’s misery and plunged the dagger into her heart. Like her floozy sidekick, her body disintegrated.