Luca chuckled at the speed of Beecher’s thoughts. “I was thinking about the prophecy on the drive over. Last time we were looking for where the sun met the earth. It sounded crazy to us at the time, but after discovering Salar de Uyuni, it all made sense. This time we are to hunt down the Hall of the Slain.” “But that’s a mythical place,” Aquina reasoned, “How do you go about finding that?” “That was my first thought,” Luca agreed, winking at Katalea as she picked up her phone. “But everything is on Google.” Katalea was busy swiping and tapping at her phone.Katalea was again surprised at what she found. There were numerous tourist destinations by that name. One could find t-shirts and other trinkets, and Katalea vowed to get Luca his own two-horned helmet at her first chance. The place that struck her as a viable option was a museum, supposedly on the ancient burial grounds of thousands of slain warriors, many of who had reportedly gone on to Valhalla. “There is a shrine, if yo
The long lanky redhead entangled her arms around Luca and held tight while he tried to push her away. In her long black leather coat and high-knee black leather boots with spikes for heels, she came nearly to his shoulder. Her alabaster skin stood in stark contrast to his but her wide-set green eyes with mile-long lashes held an evilness to them. She released him, looked him up and down, winked, and grinned, “What, did you not miss me?” “Genevieve?” What the hell?” he managed as the others collectively took a step back. Her sharp green eyes caught the others' retreat, and smirked, “Relax, I don’t want any of you sorry creatures. I only have eyes for this fine specimen here,” she said as she reached in and nibbled at his ear. He shoved her back and she hissed. Fangs bared, she used the back of her hand to wipe the snow off her face. The crystals of snow still clung to her hair looking like hundreds of tiny stars. If it weren’t for the feral look in her eyes she would be almost
Inside the house, the mood was festive and fun. Outside, the snow came down like an arctic blanket. Aquinas bread had been ruled magnificent, and they had used it as an excuse to polish off more than their fair share of adult beverages. They managed to put aside thoughts of weredragons and vampires for the night and just enjoyed each other's company. Beecher hadn’t mentioned what he’d witnessed, and no one else seemed to pick up on the weird vibe. When the storytelling finally got back to their trip to the mall, Beecher and Aquina begged Zinnia to tell the tale of how she had hog-tied a vampire.Zinnia’s whole face changed, her beautiful smile vanished and was replaced by a sadness they had not seen in her.“It hurts me to cause harm, even to one such as her,” she whispered. “It is likely she will die, if that is the correct term, at my hand tonight. And while I know this is a good thing, it still hurts me here,” she brought her hand to her chest, covering her heart. “If you
When the alarms simultaneously sounded hours before the sun would break the night, groggy curses could be heard throughout the house. It took less than ten minutes for them to dress and be at the door. When the taxi van showed up, it took less time than that to load. No one smiled, and no one spoke. “My life for some coffee man,” Luca grumbled at the driver. “If that translates to ‘you get a big tip for a coffee run’ then I’m your guy!” the driver called back, unnaturally happy for this godforsaken time of the day. “That translates to, ‘I’ll put your firstborn through college’ if you make that happen,” Luca responded and wondered if the man just hadn’t gone to bed for the night yet. No one should be that awake and chipper before the sun poked out its head. “But then, look at the little fairy, she’s bright-eyed and positively glowing,” he shook his head at this thought. She even made this cursed hour look good. Zinnia chose to sit up front and happily talked with the driver
Zinnia woke with a delighted squeal. To Luca’s ears, there was no better sound. He saw stars in her eyes as she surveyed the winter wonderland outside their window. To his eyes, he saw bleak, dreary countryside. She marveled as the snow blanketed the countryside. She found romance in the soft velvety roll of the now-white hills. She nearly came out of her seat when she spotted a few deer amongst the trees down by a river that peeked in and out of their view. The big deer, with a massive rack of antlers, lowered its head to drink, and Zinnia sighed. He could feel the happiness radiate from her, and he was reminded of his own inner darkness. He decided to just enjoy her happiness while the time lasted. There would be plenty of time for heartbreak later. Something outside the window caught his attention. A blur of darkness that he wouldn’t have noticed if his eyes hadn’t been transfixed on a little maintenance building next to the track a little ways up. The train had round
The mist crept in thicker now. Visibility had all but diminished and a hush settled over the area. The only sound was the faint whimpering of the taxi driver.Katalea knew someone was trying to control the weather, it was clear they were trying to block the sun. It was a revelation to know that some vampires possessed powers as well. Slowly, she began trying to control her breathing and clear her mind. She started working against whatever was trying to cause the mist to turn the already pitifully bleak day into complete darkness. In the haze two more dark figures zipped by, snarling in the tinted windows. Their eyes, feral red, shone into the van as they pressed their faces to the glass. As Katalea pushed out at the fog, she could hear the vampires begin to scatter in all directions, footsteps squishing on the damp lawn. A ray of light pulsed through the mist, then another. The sun was finally starting to peak through. Panic-stricken, the vampires began to flee. Genevieve,
The blur aimed right at his face and Beecher tensed for the blow. He could feel the hot rancid breath on his skin and he prayed to any deity who would listen. Then he heard the familiar chuckle.He shifted, and his mouth dropped open, “Luca?” he asked incredulously. “That was you?”“Not just me,” he replied, gesturing over his shoulder. He looked past Luca and saw a black panther and a tiger standing side by side. Simultaneously, they lifted their heads and let loose with a howl that made the trees shake. Beecher couldn’t believe his eyes. As he watched, they both shifted and Katalea grinned up at him.“We even fooled you!” she pointed right at Beecher.“But, how?” Beecher couldn’t find the words to even ask the right questions.“Let’s talk it all out later, we’d better get to the van and get out of here before they realize we duped them again,” Luca said, moving quickly but gently carrying Beecher. “Can you guys get the door? I’m pretty sure his leg is still broken,” Luca sa
When Beecher came back out his grin was wide enough to fit a car through. And just as fake. “Well kids, Have I got a story for you,” he said with a wince, and his grin darkened. They climbed out of the van at the driver's insistence. He was obviously done with them and just wanted to be on his way. Looking lost and forlorn they began to climb out into the barren tundra. They turned to Beecher, confused. “Are we supposed to dig a den in the ground then my love?” Aquina cooed. ”Actually…” he replied. He began to walk briskly toward the lone igloo-looking building that he had just left. Looking over his shoulder, he winked. Without hesitation, they grabbed their bags and ran after him. They stood in a cavernous room, made of packed snow. Pillars of ice glistened and shone. The overhead lights refracted off the pillars casting sparks of rainbow prisms across the room. The effect was spectacular. All heads turned as Zinnia gasped in wonder and stretched out her arms in a