by Resca Rojas
Kayla smiled. “I like you. I would want to kill you the least. As painless as possible.” She then looked at Nero, “After everything that I gave you. But no. Just cause I refused to open my legs for you, you betrayed me. That’s why isn’t it? ‘Cause, I mean, you had everything, you lacked nothing.”
Nero stayed quiet. He was not going to deny the truth, but it hurt his pride when he heard her say all of this out loud. It felt as if she had taken away the justification of what he was doing against her.
After noticing that he was not going to say anything, she added, “You couldn’t have me, so you sided with the people who killed your nephew? Really?”
Kayla was now looking at Dante, “You have been a constant pain in my ass.”
“I enjoy ruining someone who has killed hundreds of innocents.’
“Dante, you actually think that you are better than me?”
Dante remained serious.
“Markham, show him that terrible footage from two nights ago.”
Markham took out his smart phone, which had a screen big enough for everyone else to see clearly. He touched the phone’s screen a few times. Then, he handed Klayton the smartphone and his brother and Nero looked closer. Kayla stayed quiet as the video played.
“Sorry, no witnesses.” Everyone sitting around the table heard the gunshots coming out of the video as Dante killed all the victims that had been held hostage in Luka’s house.
“I have to say, that’s pretty cold. I mean, I run human trafficking for blood usage, and I don’t lose sleep over it because I never kill them. Dante, you massacred them like nothing.”
Klayton gave the phone back to Markham, then he looked at Dante and asked “Tell me that it’s edited. Please tell me that you didn’t kill those innocent women and children.” Dante did not know how to answer, and could not look at his brother out of shame. Nero kept his gaze at Kayla.
“Don’t come to me, acting like you’re better than me. All of this stops nw. You want peace? To call off the hit on your uncle?”
No one spoke up against her, so she continued to say, “Right. Then, now that we all agree that we are shitty people let’s talk about how we can all benefit from each other.”
“Here is a quick recap. You two,” she looked at the lycans, “you killed my best soldier and got your revenge. That’s fine. It was what, fifteen years? I knew that eventually someone was going to kill him for all the bad shit he has done in his life. I hate that you two have been shitting on everything that I have built, but I gain nothing from killing you.
Nero, you betrayed me, gave away information about my bases of operations, you helped kill Garrett, and with your help, the Kordovah’s and anyone else In their little team stole my money,, drugs and guns. But you know what? By tomorrow, I will have recovered from my losses. I will kill you, but not today.”
“What about me?” Klayton said.
“I’ll let everyone live if you stay behind for a few hours to discuss my new terms.
“Hell, no.” Dante exclaimed. “If you think- “
Markham raised his palm, and Dante began to cough uncontrollably. Nero grabbed the knife that was laid on the table, and as he was about to throw it at Markham, it became scorching hot, and Nero had to drop it as it burned his flesh. Nero looked at the permanent burnt scar that was now on his hand.
Markham stopped. “I’m sorry, Miss Kayla, I could not stand another second of him talking.”
“I’ll stay.” Klayton said.
“Klay,” Dante coughed before speaking again, “I can’t leave here without you.”
“We’ve done enough damage. Whatever happens, happens. I’ll get back to you, later.”
“Let’s go, Dante.” Nero got up from his chair and began to walk away. Dante followed him, but not before he flipped off Markham.
“Let’s go upstairs. I have an office up there, and I want more privacy as we discuss things.” Kayla said. She then dismissed everyone in the room, and went upstairs, where Klayton followed.
Kayla was now sitting on her chair, and Klayton was looking out the window. She then asked him, “Why are you so calmed, as if everything is okay?”
“Because nothing is okay.”
“What do you mean?”
Klayton turned around and faced her. He paused to look at her for a moment. Seeing how beautiful she was. Then, he said, “The hostess had a gun in her host stand, the bartender had a shotgun laying around somewhere near him. There was at least five of your henchmen in the kitchen, waiting for your orders and you probably had someone place a tracker on our car when we were here. I texted Dante and Nero about it so that they could look for it before they left.
She was impressed. She wanted to know and she asked him, “Who told you all of this?”
“While my brother has been on a Revenge tour, I have been studying my powers; practicing. I’ve learned a lot of scents and am able to distinguish many. I have adapted and learned how to focus my senses and how to better concentrate so that I can spot the smallest details, and I also have learned how to endure pain. Things like that. You also just confirmed it with how your reaction.”
“I’ve encountered a few werewolves in my life, but they were all,” she paused for a moment, trying to find the proper term. “animalistic in human and in their wolf form. Always angry. Always just wanting to kill. Never found one civilized such as yourself.”
“I try not to attract attention from anyone. I think it’s best. I can’t imagine what It would be like if the whole world would know about what is really out there.”
She looked at him with curious eyes. “I have tried to find as much research about you as possible”
“What did you find?”
“You are an assassin.”
“Semi-retired.”
“So, why are you here? You have everything someone would want.”
“And what do you want from me, Kayla?”
She loved the way he said her name. “Be with me. I will put an end to all of my operations if you do.”
Klayton was looking down at her as he was a few inches taller than her and she was now in front of him.
“You do everything for everyone, and no one appreciates you like I would. There is a war coming, and I want you on my side. Why haven’t you tried to kill me? You have had so many chances today, and yet here we are.”
He looked into her eyes, “You lead a group of shitty people. But, something tells me that you are not as bad as people paint you to be.”
She looked at him. “Are you saying this because you find me attractive?”
Klayton said nothing as he walked to the table that had a bottle of whiskey, glass cups, and a medium sized bucket with ice.
He dropped a few ice cubes on both cups and then poured whiskey inside of them. He then turned around and walked to the balcony where Kayla was waiting for him.
“Almost twenty years ago, a vampire came into my house and killed my dad. I was at a sleepover at my friend’s house. I could not sleep, I was too screwed up to function and do basic things, and you know what sucked the most?” She looked at Klayton as tears escaped her eyes.
Kayla said, “The vampire was somebody that my mom was seeing behind my dad’s back. I mean, shit, I knew that they were going to get a divorce, the signs were there. Still didn’t prepare me when I realize what a shitty thing my mom had done.
After the vampire killed him, she convinced it to turn her into one, and once he did, she killed him in a fit of rage for killing my dad. My theory is that part of her still loved my dad and when she turned and had her emotions heightened, that caused her to do that.”
She took another sip of her drink. Then, she took a deep breath and then exhaled. She looked at Klayton’s eyes, and felt calmness enter her body. “You are the first person that I tell this to.”
“I’m listening.”
“After a while, I could not take it anymore. I still didn’t know that it was a vampire that had done it, or that my mom was one, when
I- “ she paused. “I killed myself on my birthday, but my mom brought me back with her blood. That is how I turned. When she told me everything, I left.
I hated her but not enough for me to kill her for what she did to my dad and me. I built my own organization, learned from my mistakes and betrayals, and so here I am.”
Klayton still said nothing. He was still processing everything that she had just said to him. He had thought himself to never judge others for the things that they had to do because of the way that he was raised with his brother.
They had no father and mother. Rayleigh raised them as his own, but he still felt an emptiness in his heart. He tried to fill it with anything that he could find in his life in order to distract himself each time that he was reminded how his mother was killed and how he never knew who his father was.
He had resented a lot in his youth and had created a habit of stealing, lying, and fighting. Only now had he made amends for his past and had tried to be a better person. When he looked at Kayla, all he wanted was to hold her and tell her how she was going to be okay.
“What are you thinking about?” She asked as there was silence between them.
“I’m thinking about how all of this for me started when Garrett killed our mom.”
“When Garrett became a vampire, he was out of control with his bloodlust. I think he killed your mother during that time. The timeline lines up, and I’m sorry. I know me apologizing does not justify his actions or make it right. I know what it’s like to lose a parent. And-“
Klayton quickly leaned close to her and kissed her. He tasted her tender lips, dripped with a taste of sweetness and the whiskey that she had been drinking. He held her close and kept her body pressed against his as she kissed him.
Kayla then stepped back and looked at him. “Why?”
“you have been in pain for so long. Trying to replace it with a family of vampires that you created, and an empire big enough to fill the empty hole in your heart. And all that my brother and I have done has been stepping on it and breaking it.”
She had looked down to the floor, feeling sadness as her memories pierced her thoughts again. A tear felt down her cheek as she asked him if he was going to kill her. She was nervous and never felt weakness such as this ever since she became a vampire.
“No. I have no ill will towards you. I just want to help you to stop feeling this way.” He paused.
“What’s wrong?”
“Where is everyone?”
“I sent them away. We have the whole building to ourselves.”
“I hear people.”
“That cant be.”
Nearby, Klayton heard a voice say, “Weapons free!”
Two men barged in and aimed their assault rifles at them. Without hesitating, they pulled their gun’s trigger and began to shoot at them, but now before Klayton gave them his back as shielded Kayla.
Klayton hugged her as he groaned in pain, with blood coming out of his mouth. He was barely breathing as one of the men took out a machete and charged at them, but a bullet stopped him as it hit the middle of his neck. He dropped dead.
The other man was still processing what had just happen and as he was in shock, Kayla grabbed the fallen man’s machete, charged at the one still standing, and pinned him against the wall as she pierced the blade deep into his stomach.
“They’re huntsmen!” Kayla yelled at Klayton as she saw the tattoo on his neck. Another man walked inside the room, and as he was about to kill Kayla, Nero pulled his sniper rifle’s trigger again, and shot the man on his chest.
Kayla looked for Nero and saw that he was across from her, on top of a building’s roof. Nero spoke into his blue tooth mic, and said, “Dante, you better get your ass up there faster, ‘cause all these shots are going to attract cops.”
Inside the floor where Kayla and Klayton were, the elevator door opened, and seven huntsmen came out. As they were running towards Kayla’s room, another elevator opened and Dante came out. He aimed his gun at the men and began to shoot them.
Four went down, and the other three took cover between some of the room’s front door that had pillars.
“What the hell do you people want?” Dante screamed after he unloaded a whole clip at them, not being able to hit anyone else.
Their leader spoke up, “For your kind and Kayla’s to die!” He shot towards Dante’s direction and missed
“I don’t know you. I have no beef with you, but you did just try to kill my brother!” Dante reloaded his weapon as he kept stalling them. They continued to shoot each other.
Klayton was on the ground, with his head laying on Kayla’s thighs as she caressed him, She murmured a spell to herself; a green light emitted from her hand as she hovered it on top of Klayton. Suddenly, the bullets started to leave Klayton’s body and float under Kayla’s palm, as if her hand had a strong magnetic energy and was drawing out all the bullets.
Kayla then bit her wrist and fed Klayton her blood so that he could heal faster. He gasped loudly as his energy returned to him. “Hey.” She whispered as he opened his eyes and looked at her.
“What happened?”
“There’s huntsmen out there, with magic killing bullets. Your brother is holding them off, but he needs us.”
While the huntsmen continued to unload bullet after bullet at Dante, one of them entered the room. “Kayla!” Klayton screamed as the huntsman aimed his weapon at her. She stood up as he began to shoot her, but she tackled him, pinned him down and bit his neck; tearing off a chunk of his flesh off. The man began to gag and bleed to out.
Klayton got up, grabbed the huntsman’s weapon, and walked outside to the hallway. He killed all three of the remaining huntsmen point-blank as they were giving him their back while they tried to kill Dante.
Klayton was still hurting from all the bullet entries to his body, and he leaned himself against a wall as he screamed out his brother’s name. “Dante! You alive?!”
“Yeah. I’m okay!”
Dante walked back to the room with his brother. They saw Kayla crouching in front of one of the dead bodies. “What are you doing?” Dante asked.
“Checking for tattoos or anything that could tell us what faction these people were from?”
“Does it matter?” Klayton wondered.
“Yes. Huntsmen don’t go after me or my people.”
“Since when?”
“Since the last group of them went and killed one of my people. I declared war on them and they asked for a truce when I wiped out eighty percent of them.”
Klayton walked to the balcony and gave Nero a hand gesture of appreciation for helping them. Nero responded with flipping him off and laughing.
•••
After Nero saw that Klayton, Dante, and even Kayla were okay, he put down his sniper and stood up. He turned around and came face to face with Ezekiel; the leader of the huntsmen.
Ezekiel unsheathed his machete and pointed it at Nero. “A vampire in the middle of the day, with a sniper rifle How did it come to this?”
“Who the hell are you?”
“Ezekiel. I cleanse the world of demons like you.”
“There are no demons like me.” Nero grinned. He then grunted as Ezekiel pressed the tip of his machete on Nero’s stomach. “One more move, and I will either cut off your head, or push you off the roof. This high up? It should do the trick.
Nero kept his gaze at him. “I thought Markham had this place warded. Thought no one would know of our whereabouts. How does a group of huntsmen know where to find us?”
“I hate your kind and all the abominations that walk this earth pretending to be more than what they are; monsters. But , someone who hates you as much as I do offered to help me find and kill you.”
“Let me guess. A beautiful redhead, starts with A ends with “laina”?
“She is something else, huh?”
“Listen. Let me and my friends go, and I won’t kill you.”
Ezekiel pressed the tip of the machete hard aga
inst Nero’s chest, creating a deep cut. It would normally not weakened him, but this blade was enchanted.
“Hmm, pass.” Ezekiel stabbed Nero deep in his stomach and twisted the blade. “This is the part where you die.” He shoved the blade deep inside as far as he could. “May God forgive you for when you answer to him for your sins.”
The sword began to burn inside of Nero’s stomach and he began to cry and groan in agonizing pain. Black liquid withdrew out of his mouth as the enchanted blade was killing him and his vampirism.
Ezekiel pulled out the blade out of him and Nero felt to his knees. He stopped the fall halfway as he placed his hands on the ground. He spat the black and contaminated blood, and gasped for air. He tried to stand up and he felt the blade of Ezekiel’s machete kiss the back of his neck. “Stop. Just accept your fate.”
Nero was coughing, wheezing, and was now bleeding a black goo from his eyes. Ezekiel lifted his left arm that was wielding the machete, and as he was about to strike down him, the handle of his machete burned his palm and he winced as he dropped it.
Frustrated, Ezekiel screamed, “Who the hell did it?” He turned and saw him. Markham appeared in front of him. He had hidden himself from plain view with an illusion spell, but had now revealed himself. “Leave, or die.” Were the only options that he gave Ezekiel.
“A warlock?”
“With vampirism.”
“No one should have that much power but God. You are an abomination just as the rest of them!” Ezekiel reached for his holster and grabbed his gun. He aimed it at Markham.
The black liquid was still coming out of Nero’s eyes and it was still causing hi to be visually impaired. He relied on his other senses as he grabbed Ezekiel from behind and dragged him to the edge of the roof.
Ezekiel tried to get rid of him but Nero’s grip was too tight as he took another step and jumped off the roof as he hugged on to Ezekiel.
As they were free falling, they were holding on to each other. Nero was on top of Ezekiel as they landed on top of the roof of a car, instantly killing him.
