Outcast, page 20
Beatrice laughed. “I forced you to? So this is my fault, too?”
“Back when you saved me from the hunters, you didn’t give me a choice.”
“You’ve had ample time to run away,” Beatrice said. “Draven gave you a solo mission to Lubbock, Texas, and you could have just disappeared.”
“Draven’s made it very apparent how much of an asset I am to him,” Leif countered. “Even if I had the fangs to run, he’d come after me. He’d…”
Leif stopped mid-sentence as a dark mist-like form slowly made its way down the street toward them. The cloud came to a stand-still right in front of them, and a face popped out, causing Leif to flinch.
“Are you two done flirting?” the vampire asked. “The party’s about to start.”
Looking down the road, Leif saw dozens of other concealed vampires floating toward the river. This was just a portion of Draven’s forces. Leif imagined the other side of La Framboise Island was being surrounded with the rest.
“Get out of here, Bram,” Beatrice said. “Leif and I are on a special mission from Draven.”
Leif didn’t recognize the vampire, but he’d hardly met anybody during his stay at Heritage Prep. Draven had kept him busy.
“Ooh, so high and mighty,” the mostly-hidden vampire said. “It just so happens that I’m on a special mission from Draven, too. I get to take out the school director.”
Beatrice put on a smile, and with a sweet voice, she leaned forward and said, “Then you better get going. I hear the party’s about to start.”
The vampire’s face faded into mist, and he moved away.
Beatrice placed a hand on Leif’s shoulder and looked into his eyes. “It’s been a fun chat, but we have work to do. Let’s head to the convenience store, shall we? Maybe look for a snack?” She grinned and winked at him, and Leif shrugged her hand off, then got to his feet.
“Lead the way,” he said, gesturing forward.
“Ever the gentleman,” she said, mock-curtsying before stepping forward. Looking over her shoulder, she said, “You know, I really would prefer walking side-by-side as equals.”
Leif laughed as he walked a few steps behind Beatrice.
“What?” she asked. “Is this another one of those Gemma moments? That only she could be your equal?”
“Actually, Gemma was so far ahead of me, I could only ever hope to be her equal. But you? I’d run so far ahead or fall so far behind if it meant I didn’t have to be by your side.”
Too much? Leif thought.
That was just about right, Gemma replied, catching him off guard. She’d been so quiet. But the satisfaction in her tone helped to calm him. She was everything Beatrice wasn’t.
Beatrice came to a stop and turned just in time for Leif to bump into her. Quicker than any human, her thin arms wrapped around him and pulled him close. Her lips tickled his ear. “This won’t last. This wall you’ve thrown up and adhere to like a thumbtack? Someday, I’ll manage to tear it down, and then you’ll finally see what you’ve been missing out on.”
“You are pitting your resolve against my own,” Leif said, wiggling in her vice grip squeeze, but making no progress in actually escaping.
“One thing you should know by now is that I always win,” she replied.
“Not at this,” he whispered. “Trust me when I say that before either of our walls of determination come crashing down, one of us will be dead.”
Beatrice pecked him on the cheek and pushed away from him. With a sly smile, she said, “Then you’ll just have to kill me.”
He looked on as she continued walking down the empty street. But it wasn’t so empty now. There were people out and about, as if the winter night had summoned them to nearby pubs, promising warmth of body and soul. Leif wondered just how ridiculous they had looked, or if they’d been mistaken for lovers displaying affection in public. Unable to stop himself from shuddering at the thought, he followed Beatrice.
They passed shops and restaurants, but Leif wasn’t paying too much attention to his surroundings. The western wind had the scent of blood on it, but not the human blood embodied in the people on the streets laughing and chattering. No, it was the smell of shifters about to be brought to their doom.
“This is it,” she said, pulling him from the dark thoughts swirling in his head like a vampire concealed in shadow. He looked up at the green neon-lit sign that spelled out Kerr’s.
Beatrice gave the street one last look and pulled her black hood over her head, concealing her white-blonde hair. She tucked the loose strands in as best she could, then said, “I made a little friend last night who is working the late shift tonight. His blood had a funny taste. Probably a druggy or something. I didn’t completely sedate him, allowing him to at least experience the bite a bit. I’m hoping word about a vampire attack in Pierre reached the ears of the shifters. I haven’t been the only one to plant the seeds throughout the city over the past few weeks.” She took his hand. “Let’s go.”
She gently pulled on the door, sounding off a loud bell that was probably noisy enough to be heard miles down the street. Shrugging off the ringing in his ears, he let Beatrice pull him inside.
“Good evening, and welcome to Kerr’s,” said a man cashiering at the counter close by. He had a bright orange flat-top, and his ears were lined with so many piercings, Leif wondered how the man didn’t have elephant ears. He also had thick, dark eyeliner, but what was most interesting were the two red puncture marks on his neck.
Must be Beatrice’s little friend, Leif thought. A quick glance at the large man’s badge revealed his name: Benny.
Beatrice ignored him, still pulling Leif along toward one of the aisles of food. Leif gave Benny a quick nod. There were a few other people shopping around. A couple of young men moved from the beverage section holding boxes of beer in each hand and made their way to the cashier, going off on predictions about some big sports game that they had to get home in time to watch on TV.
“Act normal,” Beatrice whispered, picking up a can of chili from the shelf in front of them and looking at the nutrition facts. “Like a human would. You look like a cat ready to pounce on a mouse.”
“You’ll forgive me for not knowing how to act normal, like a human would,” he hissed softly. “It’s been a while since I was normal.”
She elbowed him in the side, her bony arm shooting a sharp sting along his ribs. The pain disappeared as quickly as it had come.
“Two hundred and sixty calories per serving?” she said, putting the can back on the shelf. “Do they make light chili?”
Leif looked out of the corners of his eyes to see if Benny was listening, but he was too busy ringing up the beer boys.
Another jab to his side came, and Beatrice muttered, “If you’re going to look around like a guilty thief, you might as well keep your eyes on the windows and see if you can spot any shifters trying to get away.” She glanced at her watch. “I’m betting Draven’s already hit the school by now.”
“If they haven’t turned into their animal forms, how will I know they’re shifters?” Leif asked. “Don’t they look human?”
“Don’t you think some would shift in an effort to get away?”
Leif sighed, angling his head to see out the nearest window, imagining a hound barreling past.
“And I’m supposed to go chasing after panicked shifters?” Leif said. “That’s not what Draven said.”
“I never said we should give chase,” Beatrice said. “Just, keep your eyes open and mark where they’re headed. We need to limit how many actually get away.”
The bell attached to the door clanged loudly, ripping his attention away. Two more young men entered, and Leif figured it was just another set of college kids picking up their booze in preparation for the big game. One looked Japanese and was quite a bit shorter and thinner than the other, who had well-kept brown hair. He realized he recognized them — he’d seen their faces at the school on the island. They’d poked their heads out the window and had seen his shadowy concealment.
Leif found himself holding his breath.
A customer was in the middle of a transaction at the counter, but Benny still welcomed the newcomers.
Sure enough, the duo made their way over to the drinks section. Leif was surprised to see them pass the boxes of beer by and stopped in front of the soda fountain.
“That’s them,” Beatrice hissed softly. “The gryphon and the kitsune. The same ones who came to the theater. I recognize them from photographs we’ve had Initiates take.”
Leif hadn’t been shown any photographs. Why would Draven withhold that kind of information?
He was about to tell Beatrice that he already knew that they were shifters, but he realized he’d never explained that he’d seen any the day he found the school. So he played dumb.
“You’re sure?” Leif asked. “We shouldn’t jump them if they’re just innocent humans.”
Beatrice gave him a serious look. “It’s them, Leif.”
He gazed back at them. Judging by their looks, it was very apparent to Leif which shifter was which.
Trying to act as normal as possible, he picked up a can of alphabet soup, focusing his eyes on the front label — which looked particularly revolting — while keeping his ears keen and listening.
But it was Benny he heard first as he finished ringing up the customer. “Thanks for stopping by, Jamie. Please come again.”
Benny glanced toward the newcomers, and the young man with the brown hair at the soda fountain held up a cup he’d just filled to the brim, then took a sip.
“Good mix of carbonation and syrup,” the soda drinker said.
“Only perfection for our customers, bro,” said Benny. “Hey, I’ve seen you guys here before. Are you two from Pierre?”
Leif ran a hand through his hair, feeling like he was acting very unnormal.
“Close by,” the man said. The Japanese fellow was being quite silent. “One of the neighboring cities. We like to visit Pierre from time to time.”
Benny nodded his approval. “That’s rad, guys. Welcome back.”
The man thanked him, then topped off his drink. Leif found himself unable to do anything but watch the interactions.
The duo made their way to the front to pay, and Benny tried to get them to buy some hotdogs that looked like they’d been spinning on rollers for about ten years. After they finished paying, the two appeared to be ready to leave, but the man with the soda stopped and looked at Benny.
“If you don’t mind, can I ask you a quick question?” he said.
“Sure bro, what’s up?”
The man gestured to the other guy with him and said, “Me and my friend here actually were drawn to Pierre today because of some stories we heard.”
Leif couldn’t help but perk up, and noticed that Beatrice did the same.
Finally, the Japanese man spoke, looking about him as he did so. “We had to come and see for ourselves.”
Benny eyed him conspiratorially, slowly rubbing at his neck. “You talking about the bites?”
The man with the soda said, “Yeah. You see, we are hunters, and we heard that there have been several reports of wild beasts attacking people in the city. We’re on a hunt to track them down.”
A look of fear crossed Benny’s face. “That’s what the reports say, but they ain’t true.”
The man with the brown hair said, “They aren’t?” Then, noticing where Benny was rubbing, he said, “Whoa, wait, did you get bit?”
Benny nodded, then craned his neck to show off his marks left from Beatrice.
“Like I said,” Beatrice whispered. “Something was definitely up with his blood.”
“Yeah bro, I got jumped last night as I got home from work. But it wasn’t a beast or nothing.”
The Japanese man said, “What was it then?”
Benny said, “You ain’t gonna believe it bro.”
“Surprise us then.”
Looking around to make sure nobody was in earshot, and likely not knowing vampires were nearby to hear him, Benny whispered, “Vampire.”
Leif threw Beatrice a look, and she grinned broadly at him.
“This is why we came,” she said. “Draven entrusted us with this task. We’ve drawn the two fighters out. We can end them now, before they even now what hit them.”
“Wait,” Leif said, wanting to prolong things. “What if they aren’t shifters? What if they really are hunters? Not animal hunters, but hunters like the ones who caught me back in Vancouver?”
The two shifters and Benny had continued their conversation, and Beatrice gave Leif a knowing look as one of them said her name.
“Was that her name?” Benny asked. “Wait, do you know her?”
The smaller shifter — the one Leif could only assume was the kitsune — said, “You must forgive my friend here. That is his replacement curse word. He’s been trying to kick using foul language, and impressively has gotten quite good at it.”
Benny gave the gryphon shifter a high-five and said, “Right on, bro. I get it. I don’t know if I’d ever be able to kick swearing, though. It’s like, engrained in me, you know?”
The shifters continued asking Benny about his story of the vampire attack he’d gone through. Apparently he had a friend who’d been bitten, too. Draven’s scheming had really worked.
Benny reached for the beige phone at the counter, and Beatrice muttered, “It’s time.” She took the can of soup out of Leif’s hand and put it back on the shelf. “Why don’t you take the lead this time?”
He gave Beatrice an incredulous look. “Me?”
She nodded in the direction of the counter. “Better hurry.”
Taking a deep breath, Leif stepped lightly over to the shifters.
He didn’t know exactly what Beatrice expected him to do? Punch their lights out? Talk to them? Leif settled on the latter.
“I couldn’t help but eavesdrop a bit on your conversation.”
The shifters whirled, sizing him up. The defensiveness in their stance told him they knew what he was.
The brown haired shifter held his hands up. “Look, I don’t want any trouble.”
From behind, Beatrice spoke. “Why’d you stick your nose right in it, then?”
The man looked past him, narrowing his eyes. “Beatrice,” he hissed.
“You know me, but I don’t recognize you at all. Have we met before?” She was playing with him. Beatrice knew very well who these two shifters were.
The smaller of the two said, “That’s just what my friend here says as a replacement curse word.” Hearing the joke again did little to humor Leif. Who did this guy think he was?
Beatrice was at Leif’s side, chuckling. “Isn’t that a coincidence.” She shifted her gaze to Benny, then winked at him. “Hi honey.”
Benny dropped the phone and bolted for the door. The last thing Leif wanted was for law enforcement to get involved, and he couldn’t risk the cashier escaping just to call the cops. With his vampire speed, Leif caught the cashier before he could escape.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he said. “We’re not quite done with you.”
The fear in the human’s eyes was harrowing, and his squirming and squealing caused Leif to pause. He hated what it represented, and he hated himself for being the cause of it all.
“Not so rough, Leif,” Beatrice chided. “The poor thing doesn’t know any better.”
Leif didn’t feel like he was being too rough. He felt completely out of place.
The larger shifter gritted his teeth. “Let go of him, vamp.” Malice coursed through his words like lava spitting out of a volcano.
“You’re quite the commanding type, aren’t you,” Beatrice said, inching toward the mouthy soda drinker. Leif was grateful she was distracting him. “A shifter, maybe? Climbing the ranks at a witless school?”
“You and your vampire friends need to find another town to torment,” the man growled. “You’re not welcome here.”
“We’re welcome wherever we want to be,” Beatrice countered. “This is our world, shifter, and unfortunately, you’re living in it. As for your precious School for the Gifted — I’m happy to let you know that we found it.”
The man’s face dropped, and Leif found his own doing the same.
This isn’t right, he told himself. I shouldn’t be doing this.
“La Framboise Island,” she continued thoughtfully. “Sounds like a perfect place to separate yourselves from the rest of the world.” Her evil smile widened and she pulled back her sleeve, gazing at a small watch on her wrist. “I wonder how much of it is still standing by now?”
Feathers sprouted along the shifter’s hulking body, which happened to tear through his clothes as he grew. Leif stared in awe as the majestic creature formed before him. Next to the gryphon, the other shifter’s skin blossomed with red fur, fluidly turning into a fox.
“The gryphon!” Beatrice exclaimed. “Draven was quite displeased when you escaped the theater in Blunt.” She shifted her gaze to the other shifter. “And here’s the skillful kitsune. You two have caused us some trouble, but that ends tonight. Along with your precious school.”
And then Beatrice made her move, shrinking the distance between her and the gryphon instantaneously. For a moment, Leif thought she had the grand bird in a death-hold, but she came back with two handfuls of plucked feathers. In a rage, the gryphon grabbed her with his front claws, causing Beatrice to scream in pain.
She was going to die. Leif could see it a mile away. And as tempted as he was to let her get her head ripped off by the gryphon’s monstrous beak, he couldn’t fight these shifters alone. He needed her. Something within him snapped, and just as he’d felt the need to protect Draven and Beatrice from the merfolk in Florida, he felt the same sense of duty here.
Dropping Benny to the ground in front of the exit, he lunged at the gryphon, slamming into him with his shoulder before he could sink his beak into Beatrice’s neck. The shifter went sprawling, releasing Beatrice in the process.
The dazed gryphon tried to focus his eyes on Leif, and he stood proudly over this beast that had appeared to be so regal.
“Not such a noble creature after all, are you?” he said. Taking an offensive stance Beatrice had taught him, he rushed the gryphon, ready to pummel the stunned bird’s head. Before Leif could land a punch, a searing, electrifying pain slammed directly into his chest. It was as if somebody had pulled down an active power line, wrapped it on a slab of metal, and hurled it at him. The sheer power of the kitsune’s tail launched him off his feet, sending him crashing into a nearby fixture containing an assortment of candy.
