“Too little, too late, you idiot.” I hung my head and ran the water as I told myself that all the things he'd said to me in my dreams were just my imagination. I'd fallen in love with my own ideal man. He wasn't real. “Then why does it feel so real?”
I washed my face and headed out to the kitchen to make some coffee. At least this whole twisted experience had made me realize something important. I couldn't trade myself to Blue for humanity's sake. Yes, I was a selfish bitch. As much as I thought of myself as a soldier for the greater good, I couldn't make the ultimate sacrifice. I wanted to live. I wanted to love.
And I wanted to kill Blue.
As I flipped on the TV and started to make some breakfast, I realized that it was the only solution. I had to kill Blue. After getting to know him, getting to know his motivations, it wasn't something I'd enjoy doing, but I knew it was my last hope. There had to be a way. As powerful as he was, removing his head would still kill him. I had to focus on that and on the fact that I had the upper hand. He wanted me. I could use that. I just had to come up with a plan.
“Three bodies were found in an alley off Lewers street last night,” the reporter announced dramatically from my TV screen.
Well, that got my attention. I spun around and went into the living room to watch. The petite brunette was standing in front of a
taped off alley where a plethora of police people were scrambling about. Hawaii didn't have a lot of crimes like this so HPD was in a tizzy.
“Honolulu Police are not releasing all the details so far, but we've been told that all three victims are Caucasian; two females and one male. The bodies were discovered by this man, Mr.
Raymond Delacruz. Mr. Delacruz, can you tell us how you made this gruesome discovery?”
The camera panned over to a young man in an Ainokea tank and jeans. His dark eyes were glazed, his entire body randomly twitching. He looked at the camera, at the alley, then back again before answering.
“Yeah, ah.” He swallowed convulsively. “I went out to empty the trash last night after we cleaned the kitchen. I saw what I thought was a stack of mannequins lying by the dumpster.” He gestured wildly and then took a deep breath. “But they weren't dummies. When I slammed the lid shut, it hit the pile and one of their arms flopped out, and I just knew. I knew they were bodies.”
“That must have been a shocking experience for you,” the reporter prompted calmly.
“Shocking?” He snorted. “Yeah, shocking. They were so white. I mean, I know they Haoles and all but they were real white.
I don't think they had any blood in 'em.” He started to shake. “I ran back in, and we called 911.”
“Thank you, Mr. Delacruz.” The reporter droned on, but I didn't hear any more of it.
I sat there in a state of shock; my coffee forgotten as I processed it all. Three victims piled neatly in an alley, drained of blood. Who would do that? Who could do that? It stank of vampires. Which meant it was probably Blue. Was he so angry at me for the dreams that he'd sent out his minions to kill indiscriminately? The mere fact that I didn't want to believe that
he'd do such a thing showed how much Blue had gotten to me.
“I'm the damn frog,” I muttered.
You can boil a frog alive by placing it in a pot of water and just slowly turning up the heat. The poor thing would just keep adjusting to the temperature, never realizing it was becoming an accessory to its own murder. All it had to do was jump out to save itself but it wouldn't. Mr. Frog would just sit there enjoying the Jacuzzi.
Blue had done that to me. He'd sweet talked me, showed me parts of himself, and opened up about his past and his family until I thought I knew him. When actually, he was just turning up the heat, little by little. In a way, I was almost thankful to him for showing me his true nature. It would make it so much easier for me to kill him.
“Maybe it's just a human killer.” I finally took a sip of my coffee and calmed a bit. “I could be overreacting.”
I went back into the kitchen to finish breakfast, but after I finally managed to swallow it all, it just sat like a rock in my belly.
“A person's day of birth determines which animal twin they are linked to,” I was reading aloud from the book on Aztec magic Kai had brought to my attention. “Not all are born with the power to become Nahualli, direct English translation; Transforming witch.” Sounded perfect for me. “Those born under especially strong animal links, such as jaguar or puma, can ascend to the position of Nahualli. These sorcerers could use their Nahual for good or evil depending on their personalities. They were known to transform into their animal twin, using this form to trick or to help others. Very powerful Nahualli were said to have the ability to enslave another person's Nahual or to take it altogether, leaving an individual bereft without his link to Nature.”
I peered with fascination at the pictures of men caught in mid-transformation. Had humans actually been able to do this? It's hard for me to know what to believe anymore. Five years ago, I would have assumed that the stories were referring to a symbolic change; a magical link to animal energy. Transformations would take place in a metaphysical way only. After meeting werewolves and gods who could shift into anything they wanted though, it was hard to know for sure. Could Atlanteans have given humans such an impressive ability? Or was it possible that we had it all on our own? That this was just another magic that they had stolen from us.
I flipped past the pictures and searched for information on how a Nahualli came into his power. I was hoping there was a ritual described. A hint for me to follow. I could just do some focused meditation, but it hadn't worked so well the other day when Kai and I tried it. I had a glimpse of something white and furry, but that was it. I needed a little more.
“Here we go.” I scanned a page detailing a ritual used to contact your Nahual. “Offerings of tobacco and alcohol were common; left on an altar dedicated to the Nahual. Often a bowl of cornmeal, into which the supplicant's blood was dripped, was placed on the altar as a connection.”
I frowned at the page. Blood was serious business in witchcraft, especially using your own. It linked you to the work in an unbreakable bond. If I did this, there was no going back. There could be serious repercussions to welcoming an animal spirit into my life. I could take on traits of that animal. I could become unpredictable, even to myself. Or I could go insane.
Then I thought of facing Blue again without any kind of edge. I didn't even have the God Squad anymore; I was back to hunting alone. Maybe howling at the Moon every now and again wouldn't be such a bad thing. It sounded better than being burnt alive by Blue's heat or becoming his blood-ho' until he got bored and sucked me dry.
I got up to gather the items I needed. All the mentioned offerings were pretty standard so I had them in stock. The alcohol was in stock for non-magical use as well. I grabbed a bottle of Tequila, which I thought was appropriate. The cornmeal was in the pantry, but I poured it into one of my wooden ritual bowls and the tobacco leaves went into another little bowl.
I lit a bundle of dried sage, shook it until the flames went out, and took the smoldering herb around the room clockwise, just to make sure there wasn't any bad energy in the room. When that was done, I created a new altar on a hat box I placed in the center of the floor and covered with a white cloth. I lit two white candles and put the offerings between them, the bowl of cornmeal in the center. Then with my athame, I closed a circle around me and the altar. I needed to be sure I was safe, especially since I'd be working with blood. My house wards were strong but an extra line of defense wouldn't hurt.
I sat in front of the altar and closed my eyes; centering myself and clearing my thoughts until they were focused on my task. Then I reached up with my energy and felt it connect with the power of the Moon—bright and sparkling—before I went down into the Earth to feel it's stability rush up into me. I took a deep breath, filled with these swirling currents, and opened my eyes.
I picked up the sharp knife I used for bloodletting (I never used my athame for that) and made a small cut on my pointer finger. The blood welled and dripped onto the cornmeal with a little zing of magical intent. I felt the power gathering like static in a storm, and I knew I was on the right track.
“I come here for knowledge,” I stated firmly as I pulled my hand away from the bowl. “I come here for aid. I am threatened by darkness and need a light to guide me, to protect me. I offer tequila, tobacco, cornmeal, and my own blood. Three delights of the world and one connection to my flesh. Can you hear me, my Nahual? Will you help me? Take these offerings and let me know you, help me to understand you and how I may cultivate our power.”
I sat back and closed my eyes again, trying to be as still as possible. After a few minutes, I began to feel a tingling in my fingertips and a weightlessness as if the ground had fallen away beneath me. Opening my eyes would ruin the spell so I kept them closed and concentrated on the sensation. Then came a brush of fur on my arm, as if a large animal had nuzzled against me, and it was all I could do to keep my eyes shut.
“Welcome,” I said softly. “Please accept these offerings in peace.”
There was no answering voice or animal sounds, but I felt the words inside me; knew that my Nahual was there and was pleased to be acknowledged finally. Then, in my mind, I caught sight of her. She came slowly out of the darkness, just a white glow at first until the shadows pulled back and revealed her fully.
A white jaguar with golden brown markings and deep brown eyes. She sat there regally; looking at me as if she were staring into a mirror. She cocked her head, and I cocked mine. She lifted a paw, and I felt my hand raise as well. Then I felt an unmistakable wave of humor transfer from her to me. She was playing with me.
It became clear then. She was a part of me. There was nothing here to fear. She had been with me all along; had shared every hurdle, every triumph, and every tear. This was me in my animal form. She knew me like no other because she was me.
She opened her mouth in what could have been either a smile or a warning, and I saw her sharp teeth. Yes, she could bring me power to defend myself, and she could bring me knowledge of things hidden. This wasn't just my animal form; this was the form of my magic. This was the part of me the Gods were drawn to. I giggled a little to think that Thor had actually been attracted to a large jungle cat. The Nahual laughed with me—a wheezing, panting sound—and I laughed harder.
My heartache melted away with our laughter, and I suddenly knew that things were happening just as they needed to.
That even if they weren't, I could only take responsibility for my actions and learn from my experiences. I couldn't change the past so it was best to accept it. The only thing I truly needed to live joyously, was this part of me that I had finally found and the knowledge of that was so freeing that a sense of peace drifted over me. I was calmer than I'd ever been but also completely in awe of the wealth of magic I'd just stumbled into. It was as if I'd been operating at half-mast for all of my life and someone had finally shouted; Hey idiot, haul up those sails!
This hadn't been about calling a new power to me. This wasn't an offering to a strange, unknown spirit. This was an awakening. This was an offering to myself; a way to bring suppressed parts of me into the light. My whole body shuddered as pieces of my soul opened to bring forth undiscovered potential. My
“Time to wake up.”
“Waikiki cringes in terror while the killing spree continues.” The reporter stared at me accusingly from my TV.
“Son of a bloodsucker!” I scraped my fingers back along my scalp in frustration.
“HPD has now released details on the murders, and they are chilling,” he continued. “The throats are cut and the victims are drained of blood before being tossed carelessly into dumpsters as if they were garbage. The death toll is now at ten and all of the victims have been killed in the same manner. Police have no suspects at this time but believe it to be the work of a group and not just an individual. They advise people to be cautious and avoid going out at night until these murderers are caught. Although, all the bodies have been found in Waikiki, the police urge locals to be wary no matter where they live. There has been no blood found at any of the crime scenes, and so HPD is assuming the victims are killed elsewhere and then moved.”
I took a steadying breath as I went through my options. I couldn’t just let the people of Hawaii pay for my sins with their lives. I had a horrible feeling that this was all just an elaborate trap
—a way to get me to come out of hiding—but what choice did I have? There was only one option for me. I had to hunt me some vampires.
At least I had kept up with my workouts while I was in my pit of despair. It's funny how good working out feels when you're already miserable. It's as if the emotional pain is so overwhelming that the physical feels good by comparison. You also get that great post-workout exhaustion that comes about as close to oblivion as
you can manage when your heart is shattered. Plus, it's better for you than ice cream. The main thing was; I felt secure enough to tackle some vampires.
Thanks to the Bloodsucking God himself, I was now even better at killing them. My last run in with his babies had gone a lot smoother, due primarily to him. How ironic, that he’d given me the information which made killing his children easier, and how convenient that it was the same way I killed Gods.
I put on my gloves because they were kind of my security blanket where weapons are concerned but my main weapon was going to be my kodachi, which I strapped to my waist. I’d been studying swordplay for five years, ever since the episode with Ku, and I was pretty good but finesse wasn’t necessary when you were beheading someone. All that mattered was a good grip, a strong swing, and the ability to follow through with your hips. Oh, yeah, and a magically-empowered blade helped a bunch.
I took one more look in the mirror before I left. I know; vanity thy name is woman but can you blame me for wanting to look good on the first night I’d been out in over a month? I’d dressed in Matrix-chic; black leather pants, a black leather zip-front vest (which lifted the girls better than a push-up bra), black leather boots with bladed heels, my kodachi, and my gloves.
Basically my normal hunting gear. Black leather might be cliché, but it works. It absorbs the light instead of shining, it blends in with the shadows, it's comfortable to move in, and it provides more protection than say, cotton. Kevlar might be even better, but it was difficult to move in and really, when it came down to it, Kevlar couldn't protect me from vampires or gods. I had spells for that.
My hair was braided tightly and coiled into a crown around my head. Here’s a tip for all you wanna-be hunters; when you fight monsters, don’t give them a leash to grab. I hate it when I watch some kick-ass chick-flick and the woman has her long hair in a braid. A real fighter would never give her opponent such an easy handhold. Make it as tight to the head as possible or tuck that braid
I had even put on makeup. My eyes were done smoky, and I’d made sure to matte my face with powder, but I skipped the lipstick. I wasn’t so vain that I was about to paint a bullseye on my face. Okay, I may have used a little lip balm. Before I left the house, I checked the pins in my hair to make sure they were secure and then snatched up my car keys with a smile. I was actually a little excited, isn’t that messed up? It just shows you how bored I’d been.
I parked at the usual place but Jimmy wasn’t on, it was Keoki. He waved excitedly when he saw me; recognizing a big tip when it drove in. I let him take the car and then ran off without my ticket as usual. My purse was already in the hidden compartment, but I had a little stash of cash tucked down my vest. I knew this wasn't just a hunting expedition; it was also a stakeout and stakeouts required coffee.
Waikiki is always busy. They say New York never sleeps, but I think Waikiki wants second place because, at most, it takes power naps. It was ten o’clock and the bars were blaring their music; sending out their siren's calls to lure in tourists and locals alike. The night had just begun.
In all my black, I must have looked Goth, or is it Emo now? Ridiculous. Back in high school, I wore a lot of black so I guess I was Goth before they had a name for it. They just called us weird. Now, everything had labels and whole lifestyles to go along with the looks. Well, my look wasn't Goth or Emo, it was Godhunter, and I'm pretty sure my lifestyle was a little too hardcore for the Emotionals. I fit right in with the club crowds though, except for my sword, which was blurred under its protection spell anyway. Then again, with all the Asian influence in Hawaii, people might dig the sword.
I wandered into a Starbucks and grabbed a drink before taking a seat at one of the wrought iron tables outside. I was trying for casual club-hopper; just another lady in leather fueling up with caffeine before the next round of dancing. I needed to blend in while keeping a lookout. The kills had all been in this area so I figured it was the best place to start. Blue couldn't have been more
obvious if he'd drawn a big red X on the sidewalk. I chose Starbucks in particular since it was raised a little off the sidewalk; giving me a good vantage point of both clubs and alleys. They also had a restroom in case I drank too much coffee while I waited. It was perfect.
A six-pack of Marines stumbled up the street, and I tried desperately not to make eye contact with them. They didn’t seem to need encouragement, though. The simple fact that I was sitting alone was enough for them. They wandered over to my low balcony and leaned against the railing to leer at me. I couldn’t stop my annoyed groan.
“Hey, cutie,” the more loquacious of the bunch started,
“we’re headed to The Red Lion, wanna come?”
“No, I’m good, thanks.” I lifted my cup to show them I was busy enjoying a hot beverage.
“But a woman like you shouldn’t be sitting alone.” Another one puffed out his chest. “Haven’t you seen the news?”
“My boyfriend will be here any minute.” I looked away, trying to scan the alleys, and thought I saw a flash of violent movement.
“We’ll just wait with you then.” The first one climbed over the railing and slid into a seat next to mine. Evidently, he knew a lie when he smelled one. Even if the scent of beer rolling off him was strong enough to mask any odor.
I frowned at him for a second but then I caught the tail end of a scream on the breeze. “Dang it!” I stood and jumped over the railing. “Gotta go, boys.”
I threw my cup into a trash can as I ran by. The Oorah Boys shuffled about in confusion, but I didn’t give them much thought as I headed across the street and down an alley; unsheathing my kodachi as I went.
Sure enough, a woman was lying on the wet asphalt beneath a feeding vampire while another waited for his turn. I didn’t even pause, just ran up swinging. The vamp in line heard the thumping of my boots and turned towards me, but it was too late.
His head bounced off the alley wall and hit the ground with a wet thud. Shocked eyes stared out of the severed head as its body toppled into a heap.
“Holy shit!” Someone exclaimed.
I looked over my shoulder and saw the Marines at my back.
“Get out of here!” I shouted as I spun back around.
It was all the distraction vamp #2 needed. He was on me in a blur of speed; knocking my sword out of my hand to send it clattering across the alley. Fingers dug into my collar and side as he pulled me forward and tried to latch onto my neck with his bared fangs. I struggled to cast a spell as I dodged his bites.
I didn’t struggle for long, though. Our country's first line of defense had come to my aid. The vampire was hauled off me, and I was freed long enough to release the knives from my gloves. I didn't have time to go after my sword; the claws would have to do.
“Shit, woman, who the fuck are you?” The Marine holding the vampire stared at my gloves with a mixture of jealousy and lust.
“Drop him and back away fast!” I kept my eyes on the strangely docile vampire who was suddenly staring at me as if he’d found the prize in a box of Cocoa Pebbles.
“Don’t worry; I’ve got him.” The Marine smirked at me just as the vampire lunged back; dropping him like a bag of bad blood.
The Marine's friends rushed forward, but the vampire was nearly on me. I did a roundhouse kick and slashed his neck open;
splattering the oncoming cavalry and dropping the vampire to his knees. The Marines started shouting but whether it was in horror or appreciation, I’ll never know. Any further conversation was cut off by the arrival of five more vampires.
“Damn, damn, damn!” I swore as I scooped up my sword and chopped the wounded vamp’s head off. Then I ran over to help my rescuers.
They were trying to fight the monsters like humans—
trained soldiers but still humans—and they were no match for them. I couldn’t cover them with a protection spell because they were already hand-to-hand with the vampires and the spell wouldn’t distinguish vamp from human. I had to wade into the mess.
I started a stun spell as I approached so I was able to lop off the head of one vampire while striking out with the spell towards another. I beheaded the stunned vampire easily since the spell froze him in place. Two down, only three to go.
The remaining three were tangled up with the humans and things were getting bad. Blood was flowing and screams were echoing. I didn't have time to cast another spell and with the way they were fighting, I wasn't sure who I'd hit if I tried. I couldn't get the right angle with my sword either so I swiped my claws at the back of one of the vampires; separating muscle from spine as I gained his attention in the worst way. He screamed and fell away from the man he'd been trying to maul.
“You may be his little witch but for that, you'll die!” The vampire lurched at me.
Okay, so I wasn't a narcissist; this really was about me.
“Bring it on, gimpy!” I smirked at his left arm that hung uselessly from his ruined shoulder.
The Marines behind him may not have been faring so well,
but they were still alive, and they were keeping the other two vamps busy for me so I was grateful for their help. One vampire I could handle, even two, but I hadn't counted on fighting seven. I focused back on the vamp in front of me but before he got close enough to engage, a bolt of lightning hit him, and he fell to the ground, writhing and screaming.
“Holy fried fangster!” I leapt back.
A haze of magic sealed the entrance to the alley as five forms shimmered into view. Ull, Brahma, Horus, Pan, and Finn came running toward the fight. I was never so happy to see gods in all my life. I started to race in to help them, but a large hand grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back.
“You just can’t stay out of trouble, can you?”
I'd know that rumble anywhere. Hell, the lightning really should’ve given it away.
“Thor,” I whispered his name as I turned and the sounds of battle seemed to fade. I heard a few grunts and the soft tingle of magic crept up my back, but my eyes were all for him.
“Come with me.” He started pulling me away, but I stopped him.
“Thor, wait, I—”
“I don’t have time for your protests, Vervain.” He bent down and swung me over his shoulder. “Sheath your blades.
Now!”
I yanked the latches to pull up the claws as Thor traced us to Bilskinir. When we stepped out of the Aether, he dropped me rather roughly on his bed.
“What did you think you were doing out there tonight?” He glared at me, and I wasn’t surprised to see the lightning flashing in
“We’re still on that?” I snorted. “You don’t give up, do you? You're the one who told me that I'm the Godhunter. You said it attracted you to me in the first place and yet you don't want me to hunt.”
“Damn you, Vervain!” Thor yelled, and the whole place shook.
I laughed with relief. If Thor was this mad at me, it could only mean one thing; he still cared.
“What the fuck are you laughing about?” He stomped across the room, the floor shivering under his feet, and loomed over me.
The better to glare at you, my dear.
“Wow, you're really angry.” My smile never wavered.
“I asked you what you were laughing about,” the vibrations from his voice started to last longer than the actual sound.
“You know, Thor”—I kicked off my boots—“there’s a lot that I find funny about this situation.”
Thor took a step back and frowned; following the arc of my footwear to the floor before returning his narrowed stare to me.
“What the hell are you doing now?”
“It’s rather funny that the very mess Blue had intended to bring me back to him has only landed me back here. In your bedroom.” I unbuckled my gloves and threw them over by the boots.
Thor’s eyes widened, and his voice lost its thunder.
“Vervain, what are you doing?”
“It’s also funny that I got a little overdressed to hunt
vampires, but I’m glad I did since you showed up.” My smile turned sultry.
“You are?” His voice was just the barest breath of sound.
“And it’s really funny that I’m so much of an ass that it took a bunch of vampires to get me to admit how much I've missed you.” I undid my hair and shook it out so that it fell to my waist in loose waves.
“You are?” His voice came out a little choked. “You do?”
“Even with them out there, killing on my island, I can’t stop feeling overjoyed to see you.” I stood up and stepped in closer to him.
“You can’t?”
He shuddered as I ran my hands up his chest and around his neck. I stood on my tiptoes and pulled his head down to mine.
“Forgive me, baby?” I whispered against his lips, and he groaned.
“Vervain.” Thor pulled me off my feet and kissed me as if it were our first kiss.
I yanked Thor's shirt from his jeans and laid my hands on his bare chest. I could feel his heartbeat through his skin; pounding faster and faster. Then my mouth was back to his; a soft sound escaping my lips as I felt the thick muscles of his chest clench beneath my fingers. My hands traveled on a path so well-known to them that they needed no direction. It was automatic and effortless; the map of his body was memorized in my fingertips.
Thor's hands were at the zipper of my vest and then my breasts were spilling free; the leather thrown on the ever growing pile of clothing. Thor pulled away and looked down at me with those lightning-filled eyes. Pupils dilating; framing the lightning.
Nostrils flaring slightly with his rapid breaths. Skin glowing gold beneath my fingertips. I couldn’t believe that I threw this away because of some stupid fight. Because of my stupid pride.
“Why wouldn't you let me come to you?” His hands slid over both of my breasts as he spoke.
“What?” I grabbed his hands and held them still as I stared up at him in shock.
“I've lived only for my dreams with you.” Thor's hands slipped out of my grip and drifted up to my face. “My days were spent in a frustrated haze; anxiously waiting for night. When I could see you and touch you again.”