Invincible (A Centennial City Novel) - By Fionn Jameson Page 0,28

killed.

“He must learn,” she said slowly, watching her son push himself up to his feet and then fall down again, a stream of blood dripping from his hairline. “He’s an idealistic fool who’ll get us all killed if he does not learn. We are, I must admit, nothing more than creatures with no remorse, no soul.”

This was said with no expression, no emotion in her bleak eyes and I resisted the urge to pat her on the head. “I am sorry.”

She shook her head. “Do not be. I made peace with what I was a very long time ago. Jason too must do the same if he wants to live.”

Did Reiko know the deal between Jason and I?

Did she know Jason’s life was mine as soon as I eliminated Noir?

Strangely enough, I did not want to enlighten her. She was volatile, and in this state of mind, with Jason’s blood splattered across her front, I didn’t want to surprise her. Not when I was within arms reach. And even then…

“Marcus,” she said, straightening her narrow, slight shoulders. “Help Jason up. Get him clean, if you can. We’ll hunt tonight.”

A new development. For the past two night, Marcus had brought someone into the house to feed Jason. I could only watch, fingernails curled into the palms of my hand, as he marched two women, one for each night, both of them brunettes, up the stairs.

The old me would have cut him down before he even made it to the base of the stairs.

The old me.

Saying much had changed seemed a gross understatement, at best.

I never saw the girls come back down.

Ignorance is bliss, they say.

I’m apt to agree with them.

I cleared my throat. “And what about me? What should I do?”

She quirked a faint brow at me and then looked me up and down, hands on her hips, in a very adult manner. “Would you like to come? It’s probably best that you do. You are, after all, his Ailward.”

“And Marcus is yours?” I asked.

“I don’t need one,” she said, smiling. “Marcus is just there to…persuade people.”

I had to admit, his girth was persuasive. On the other hand, I couldn’t help but think a pretty little girl walking alone in the dark was hell of a lot more frightening than a walking Goliath.

They do say the most frightening things come in small packages.

Or something like that.

She moved aside as Marcus assisted Jason out the double doors, the latter’s head down and very still. Had he passed out? Were vampires capable of being in an unconscious state? If I ever got out of this alive, all this knowledge of vampires would do me very well.

If I ever got out, that is.

“Where are you going?” I asked, as though I even cared.

Her fangs flashed in the light as she turned on one hell, her long black hair swirling perfectly about her shoulders.

“The Black Masque, where else?”

8

It was loud.

So loud, my teeth chattered.

Dressed in mostly black attire with a black coat procured for me by Marcus from who-knew-where, my hands itched. The hwan-geum had been confiscated at the door by a tall, lanky vampire with shockingly blond hair that looked almost too bright to be real, but had to be, since vampires didn’t take to dye very well.

He winked at me as I reluctantly handed over the scabbard.

“Don’t worry,” he said as one of the other security personnel began to open up the wide double doors to the converted warehouse that was, judging from the line that extended past the building and down the street, a very popular nightspot for most of Centennial City’s populace. “You’ll get it back. Promise.”

I nodded.

He lifted up a hand, as if to touch me and I’m ashamed to say that I flinched.

His bright blue eyes widened. “Wow, scared much?”

I had to hand over the sword. But I sure as hell wasn’t going to hand over the wrist dagger as well. And if I drew it on the vampire in front of me, then I would get it taken away. Not the most ideal situation. “Don’t touch me.”

He bit the corner of his voluptuously curved lips. “I almost wonder what you’d taste like…”

Jason clapped a hand on my shoulder and I almost jumped a foot in the air. “Fuck off, asshole.”

For a moment, he almost sounded like the pathetic skater-punk I waylaid in an alleyway. It seemed like half a century ago.

I rather missed it.

The blond haired vampire shrugged a bare shoulder. “Have it your way. Didn’t mean to