It was close. I could feel the cold metal pressing against my heart.
With a cough, I staggered back.
The shadows had made his arm move fast!
"That's new," I rasped, looking down at the blade stuck in my chest. "How interesting."
"Umm…" he frowned. "You should be ash now…"
"My heart is not where you think it is," I told him. "I am not mortal. I am a vampire."
"So? I've killed a lot of us before."
"No," I said. "You've killed a lot of your kind. But no vampires."
"What are you saying? You really are cracked! I am a vampire!" He tugged his lip up. "See? Fangs!"
"You have a mortal's organs," I mused, pulling the dagger from my chest and tossing it up and down in my palm. "Yet your body can meld with shadow. And you were made by the simple act of blood exchange. But you are not a ghoul. Hmm."
"Mortal's what?" He gave Hina a confused look, but she just stared back at him. Offering nothing. "I'm not a mortal. I'm a vampire!"
I ignored his protests.
Something was there. On the tip of my tongue.
"Blood," I said at last. "Without drinking it, do you turn to ash, or just feel weakened?"
"Ash of course!" He scratched his armpit, eyeing the dagger in my palm warily. "Eventually. I mean, it never happened to me. But Nev over on Ninth… He didn't drink for a few weeks and Cal said he turned to ash. Why are you asking this? It's giving me a headache."
"A mutated ghoul, perhaps."
"Mutated…" He shook his head. "Hey, man. That's offensive."
"Have you Turned anyone?"
"What?"
"Have you made someone into what you are?"
"I could if I wanted." He muttered, looking down at his feet. "I just ain't found the right person yet."
"Hmm." I gripped the dagger more firmly.
"You're not bleeding," he said at last.
"No, I am not."
"You should be."
"Why?"
"I cut you."
"Yes, you did."
"But you ain't bleeding!"
"I know."
"Why not?"
"I am a vampire," I said. "I drink blood. I don't bleed it."
"I think I'm going crazy," he muttered. Then blinked, looking up at me. "I know you! You're one of them! Them Whispering ones. You're just fucking with my head! That's all."
I glanced at Hina. "Whispering?"
"Lucy's clan," she said.
"Ah." I nodded. "I remember now. No, I do not belong to a clan."
"Yeah," he smiled a crafty smile, his eyes shining bright. "You can't fool me. I got it now. You're just trying to get in my head. Well. I ain't falling for that shit. You Whispering bastards are all the same. You walk through a man's mind, but you're weak. And slow. That's why I could pin you so easy. Well. I did it once. I can do it again! Shadowstep!"
Shadowstep?
The shadows swirled around his feet. There was a rushing sound in my ears as he blurred towards me. The streaking shadows propelled him faster than before. A glint of steel in his fist.
Another blade.
Streaking towards my chest.
I brought up my hand and the blade sank through my palm all the way to the hilt.
My fingers enclosed his fist and I was able to snatch his wrist at last.
One wrench, and he screamed as his forearm splintered. He swung blindly with his other fist.
I broke that forearm too.
"Master is very disarming," Hina giggled softly.
I turned to her, holding the howling man by his neck. "Shadowstep?"
"Some of them watch too many anime," she shrugged. "They think they're protagonists."
"Protagonists," I murmured, pulling the dagger out of my palm and letting it fall to the ground with a clatter. I didn't recognise the word. I made a mental note to look it up later.
Her eyes widened as though she had read my thoughts again. "Does Master want Hina to find some good anime?"
"Hmm." I wasn't sure that was a good idea. But if this was something important enough to cause these vampires to shout out words which might hint at what they're trying to do, then maybe I should. "Very well. I will trust your guidance on this."
"Master, you won't regret," she said with a grin I knew meant I was definitely going to regret.
Sighing, I turned back to my wriggling victim.
Pushing him down onto his back, I ripped open his shirt and stared down at his bare chest and considered the best way to do this.
His howling devolved into a series of doglike whimpers. "What are you doing?"
"I'm going to drink your heartblood," I told him.
"You're what?"
"The tricky part is to ensure it is beating when I drink. And that it doesn't turn to ash before I can take its contents."
"Are you serious?"
"I am."
"No, wait! Wait, you can't!" He struggled, his arms flailing uselessly. "Look, I know stuff, alright? You wanted to know how Shadowstep, didn't you? I can show you!"
"It's not as important to me as your heartblood."
"You're crazy!" His shriek echoed through the parking lot. "Fucking crazy!"
I raised the dagger he'd thrust into my chest.
"Please try not to die too quickly."
"Nooo!"
The dagger tore into his chest. I had to work quickly, ripping open the cage of bones which protected his beating heart while he squealed like a pig. His blood erupted like a geyser, splashing up my arms and over my face.
His eyes bulged as I tossed the bloody weapon aside and thrust my arm between his splintered ribs.
My fingers squelched through meat and flesh before finding the muscle hammering away. I had seconds. Only seconds before he died and his body turned to ash.
Ripping the heart loose, I didn't both inspecting it.
I bit into it like a fruit, sucking hard as it gave a few fluttering beats in my fist.
The rich flavour of iron, copper, and something more earthy. Spice.
A thin layer of sulphur and charcoal drifting like a curtain through the warm liquid.
Yes, he tasted the same as the others.
The heart in my hands flared brightly before exploding into ash. His body followed, dusting me with his remains.
I felt the heartblood rush into my stomach. I'd not fed tonight to avoid diluting it. It's why my stamina had been even lower than normal.
The blood settled like caramel. Thick.
I closed my eyes, squeezing my Coagulum once more.
Holding it.
Letting the heartblood instead push into the veins of my Bloodline. The thick blood coated the veins. I had hoped this blood, more nutritious and denser, would cause a greater reaction.
My heart pumped hard, squeezing the thick molasses-like fluid through my body. It was an awkward sensation.
The warmth it brought was slightly uncomfortable. As though I was sitting too close to a fire.
And the pressure made my head pound.
But there was something there. Something was changing. I could feel my Bloodline squirming. As though it was triggered by the purest blood a heart could deliver.
Suddenly my limbs seized. Gasping, I pulled my lips back into a rictus of pain as agony cut through every fibre of my body. It felt like the heartblood had caught fire and was burning in my veins. In turn, my veins tightened like wires. They pulled at my heart like taut strings.
In my ears I heard a loud roar. The mythical roar of a dragon.
Emblazoned in my memory was the draconic heraldry of my family.
Did it have more meaning than I had guessed?
The fire poured through my body, pumping faster as my heart raced faster and faster as though trying to keep pace with the mythical creature as it flew through my body.
I roared with it, a roar of pain.
A roar of determination.
A roar of rage.
Then, just as I was sure the fire in my veins was about to erupt and take me with it, I lost my hold on my Coagulum. It burst open with a hiss and blood flooded back into my Meridians like oil down dry pipes.
I panted heavily, groaning at the feeling of needles pricking my skin.
Reeling drunkenly to my feet, I felt Hina duck under my arm.
She was getting good at that.
I grunted as I realised her weapon was hidden within her skirt again. Dazed, I look down at her. "Home," I rasped.
"The car is close," she said. "Lean on me, Master."
I did.