Replacement

by Wojciech Cram

  Mari stopped breathing long enough for the stranger to notice. When she wasn't vexing Valdis, or chatting with the others, she thought of Dorian. It took her a while to think of some

  other qualities he had besides charm. Like humor, or what he thought was humor, but at least he tried to make her laugh. And the way he still talked to her despite the numerous

  times she had been inexcusably cruel to him. Loyalty, one of the few things valued. I think I cried, she told herself, but I'm not sure. From the beginning she was angry with the

  killers. Talking about it only added fuel to it. But her anger now wasn't like as it was at the beginning; that bubbling, seething rage that made her teeth hurt. It was a serene, calm

  ire that was made the earlier feeling of hate appears like a little miff. Mr. Stranger brought her back to earth.

  "Maria," he began softly.

  "It's Mari." She was tired of this man, this political world, and tired of being called Maria. She didn't even know her informant. "It's Mari. What's your name?"

  "Alastair. Alastair Orin. Maria…er…Mari, I know it's not my place to say so, but your mind is like a satellite here. Anybody can tell you're bent on revenge."

  His words rang in Mari's mind. Revenge? Well, maybe her anger had been festered around that thought. But how would she do it? She would need to know how Dorian died, so as

  the murderers would suffer the same fate. If he died slowly and painfully, they would spend even more time with torture, left alone to the point when they think they could escape.

  Then Mari would kill them with a dragging death. If he died fast and without much pain, then they could watch there friends or accomplices die quickly. Mari never thought like this

  before, and was surprised when she could do so quite easily.

  "So you're asking me if I want to go?"

  "Yes. I just thought you should know, because you don't seem to be healing with his death and it looks like if you keep going on as you do, you won't ever. You'll end up as one of

  those bitter, possibly insane old ladies that lives with a thousand cats. Now, I'm not saying that you should kill these people, just confront them…"

  "But, Alastair, in order to heal, as you say, I'm just going to have to kill them." She was calm, sounding like a slightly distressed house wife with a surprise guest. And her mind

  was set; nothing, nothing, was going to change her decision.

  Alastair searched for words. "This isn't what I wanted you to do." When she didn't answer, he continued. "It isn't going to help." More silence. "Well, if Carn finds out you're going

  with us as a wannabe Buffy, there's no way you're getting out of this castle." Mari turned to look at him without focusing on his features.

  "But you won't tell him Alastair, will you? After all I'm just coming to learn, darling." Alastair became cautious at the tone of her voice, which had suddenly become certain and

  alluring. He noticed she slowly scooted over, until her head was touching with his shoulder. How is she going to kill daybreakers when she's so tiny? he thought.

  "How is it that you haven't been around the other boys?" If Alastair didn't know any better, he'd have sworn she was either flirting with him or making sure he'd keep his mouth

  shut. She leaned her head against his shoulder, sable hair spilling out of the pins that had been holding it up. He took a breath. She was only human after all, and anybody could

  resist humans.

  "I don't usually work with Valdis and his crew. I only come when they really need me," he replied smoothly. She may be had a strange effect on him, but he was determined that

  the damn crafty little vermin wouldn't see it.

  "You know I haven't had any visitors besides the old people. Stay a while." Her hands were playing with his hair, her breath was warm against his neck. He was going to have to

  stop this, before she finished what ever she planned.

  He stood up and in front of her, making her land gracefully on a pillow. She stretched comfortably, the dress showing every curve the girl could have. "What is it, Alastair?"

  can't be human, he thought dazedly, she's too…inhuman. Shouldn't she be feeling guilty about playing with my feelings? Up until that point, Alastair hadn't heard of a heartless

  human.

  "I…I have to feed. You know drink blood, drink some innocent being's blood." That ought to bring back from whatever delusional world she was in. Thinking she could seduce him,

  ha!

  She tilted her head so that her shining hair fell away, revealing a beautiful bronze neck. "Really? Must you leave then? We could always have a little fun."

  "Um, yes," he muttered quickly. "I have to go." He rushed to the door and left without saying good bye.

  Mari smiled in satisfaction. Alastair wouldn't be a problem, at least to her. Now all she had to do was convince Carn she had to go. It was simple really. They treated her like a

  spoiled child and if she pouted and sulked enough, they would give in. Men always gave in.

  He still wore a smile, although a bit confused, as he walked down the hall. Now he had to tell Hunter he had her all riled up so the Daybreakers could see which side she was on.

  Hunter loved a show.

  July 24, 1999

  Rashel didn't approve of working with the kids she was supposed to baby sit, but where they went she went. And that meant staying in a luxurious cottage with a wild power, a wild

  power's soul mate, her soul mate, and about fifty other people. Word from the head quarters was Hunter was very sure of himself and had only sent thirty men to protect the

  castle. That meant fifteen or so here and a few left to protect the girl. Right now all she had to do was wait for them. Rashel felt the couch shift its weight and greeted her soul mate with a nod, which he returned. She felt him take her hand.

  This is a stupid plan, John, she thought to him.

  True, but what other choice do we have? Rashel shook her head at the reply. Problem was there was no plan B. If they failed then they just left. And if the girl knew how to use her

  powers, the only way of leaving was the wind carrying their ashes away.

  Is Hunter stupid enough to have the girl at the mission? Probably not. Rashel wanted to believe him, but there was always that small possibility when Hunter used that stupidity.

  Hunter in his former self had always had some screws loose; death and resurrection had probably dissembled his mind completely. She felt John laugh.

  Also true. But if Hunter just delivers the girl, that's not stupid, it's called political suicide. Hey come here.

  Do you think you can just tell me where to go? Rashel asked as she scooted over to John's welcoming arm.

  Of course I can, woman. She punched him in the chest, making him wince.

  Oh, I didn't mean to punch that hard. There was an obvious lack of sincerity on her part.

  I know, you just punched where you "accidentally" hit me with a bat yesterday.

  That was an accident.

  "Rashel, Quinn." They looked up to find Fayth standing over them. Rashel learned after they joined Circle Daybreak that the girl was annoyingly efficient when it came to missions.

  And anything that didn't relate to the mission was unnecessary. Rashel wasn't sure if she did the right thing saving her life years back.

  You did, you did. Just have to bear her irritating bossyness.

  Rashel sighed. Well, I'm the boss, here. "What is it, Fayth?"

  "They're coming. About twenty miles from here, walking mostly. Hundred men. Twenty werewolves. Twenty five shape shifters. Rest vampires."

  Quinn shot up. "Hundred! Where the hell did they get hundred? And I thought they would have some at least guarding Rapunzel over there!"

  "Must have flown in this morning. Fifty to a hundred. Slim chances of living," Rashel said in a neutral voice.

  A tall boy with black hair swaggered into the bed room. "Are we forgetting that we have a wild power here? My gir
l can take them out easy in the blink of an eye." Now Rashel was

  sure she didn't like Morgead. Way too arrogant for his own good.

  " 'Your girl'? What am I ? Your weapon? Please." Jez stepped into the room, roughly pushing Morgead aside. "Problem is Einstein, we can't kill the other wild power. Sort of messes

  up that whole save her plan. Then again she could kill us from where ever she is right now." Rashel nodded in worried agreement.

  "What do we do?" Fayth asked dismally.

  "Fight." Rashel and Quinn said in unison. Quinn smiled and said to Jez, "Nothing else to do. If the girl's with them, you're going to try to get to her and then keep her safe."

  "And if not, take out a good half of the team with whatever you got." Rashel interrupted. She wasn't sure if it was right letting Jez use her power just to protect them, but she knew

  Jez would make the choice herself. The red haired girl nodded, eyes determined.

  Morgead sat for a moment, calculating. "We have about twenty vampires here. Each can take two, possibly three," he said, knowing he put a gross amount of faith in each team

  member. But he always had a high opinion of his species, impartially of course. "That leaves sixty. Then we got about seventeen shape shifters who could take two, which leaves

  twenty one and the wild power for the rest."

  Some thought this to be some good and hopeful arithmetic. Others…"We're dead," Fayth said flatly.

  Rashel pulled herself up and stretched. "We all die someday, Fayth. I don't see why you're so afraid of it."

  She heard Fayth say to her soul mate as she left to command the others, "Quinn, I think your methods to madness are rubbing off on her."

  "Why don't you just put me in an iron box?" Mari yelled to Valdis ahead of her. She had to tip toe because she was once surrounded again, not by eight men, but twelve. They were

  walking to the cottage of Dorian's killers and Carn ordered Valdis to keep her safe.

  Mari was so damn safe she couldn't move without bumping into somebody.

  Although she could only see the back of his head, Mari knew he rolled his eyes. "If I could, I would and then I'd drop you down the Atlantic Ocean to watch your little frantic bubbles

  float to the surface. But right now, I have to save your petite ass from harm's way."

  It gave her irrational pleasure, no matter how tiny, to hear he had noticed her "petite ass." They had been tossing insults and threats back and forth for an hour now. Mari wished

  she could stab him with the new dagger Mr. Shamblepix had given her.

  "I was going to give it to my son," he had said. "But seeing as I don't have one, I'd like you to have it. You'll need it, any way." There was that same old roughness over tenderness

  when he spoke. Mari thanked him with a small smile that was a great effort.

  The knife itself was simply beautiful. It was made out of three materials; mahogany, silver, and iron. It was in the pattern of a braid, the ends twirling together until they made a

  sharp needle point. The mahogany was a deep reddish brown, the silver gleaming with delicate designs, and the iron had strange words imprinted in it. The handle had sapphires

  and diamonds encrusted in the hilt, making it worth more anything anybody had given her.

  On this outing, she mused, there were more than vampires. There were many animal people, too. All made her uncomfortable when they looked at her. She wished she could walk

  with Mr. Shamblepix, who was at the head of the army. He told one of the shape shifters that if she grew tired he would have to change into his bear form and she would ride on

  his back. Mari didn't care if she had to walk on her hands through the forest; there was no way to make her ride on any body's back.

  To make matters worse, she had to wear a dress. There was such a short notice when she decided to fight alongside everybody else that nobody could go out and buy her new

  clothes and they had thrown out the jeans she wore when they kidnapped, ahem, saved her. So it happened she was wearing a pale green dress with darker green, little leaves

  sprayed over it. Feminine camouflage. The skirt was a problem, reaching mid thigh and possibly flying up if she jumped. She was lent one of the boys' boxers and made them

  smaller to fit her.

  Her only comfort was the awaiting death of Dorian's murderers. She yelled out again. "The day you drop me in the Atlantic is the day you pull that stick out of your ass and get an

  IQ bigger than your shoe size. Which believe me, isn't that big! And you know what they say about shoe sizes…"

  "Rashel!" The battle was on. They had surrounded the cabin and closed in bringing two to one, no matter who was who. Nobody was dead yet but a good number were injured.

  "What? Shit!" She narrowly missed the fangs of the vamp she was tussling with when Quinn staked him from behind. He was holding his side, where she guessed there was another

  future battle scar.

  "Hawk found her. She's being held far from the fights as possible, but he says she's fighting to be let go. Where's Jez?"

  Fayth bumped into Quinn from behind before stabbing a wolf in the neck. "Fighting like a savage a south from here. Maybe a mile, two miles. She chased some bears down there."

  Rashel determined this was a good thing, because if she and the bears were the only ones down there, the night people would stay focused on her team up here. Nonetheless…

  "Send five men down there. I don't care who just do it." She saw Quinn eyes widen for a moment then ducked and swung her leg out to trip whoever was behind her. He fell with a

  thud and she took the opportunity to stab his throat and then her sword took a trip to his heart. "John, are we playing tourist here? Go do something!" Her next opponent was the most adorable puppy she had ever seen. He died in his teenage form.

  It had been like this for twenty minutes or so. No time to throw some clever parting words with the dying Night people, just kill, and then kill the next. And still no indication of the

  girl's powers.

  Rashel had enough in the living room and then stepped outside to the porch to try to stop the enemy from coming in. Then she saw her.

  Mari couldn't breathe properly. She was sure the short shallow breaths were due to the sight before her. The men she knew, some she didn't know, were killing. She walked slowly

  in a straight line towards the cottage, people parting like the Red Sea before her.

  She was tired, getting away from the boys had taken so much work. Valdis gave her such a hard time, even threatening her to drag her back to the castle. That didn't work. The

  last she saw of Valdis were his eyes fill with anxiety and concern. He wanted to keep her safe, she could tell that much. But she didn't want to be safe. She wanted to find Carn.

  Carn lied to her.

  CARN.

  LIED.

  TO.

  ME.

  The phrase rang in her ears, the words were the only image in her eyes, and the pain the truth caused banging in her head. Because the carnage here was pleasure to the Night

  People. They were smiling at the corpses, people who were trying to defend themselves. They were laughing when the people fell pathetically to the ground in agony. He was

  probably lying about the Daybreakers, her powers, and…Dorian. Dorian the only reason she came. But he was lying about everything, everything that mattered in her life. Her only

  friend was probably killed by Carn himself.

  "Carn lied to me. Carn lied to me." Mari repeated it softly, a ghostly melody in an angelic voice. He said that they couldn't help what they had to do, that they were just listening to

  their instincts. But he lied. Because this wasn't instinctive murdering; her guards, her companions, had sought this out and were relishing the glory of having a life leave at their

  hand. They were happy.

  The cottage loomed closer and closer. The bastard made me trust him, she thought with a bitter
laugh. I trusted him. He was family. "But what is family nowadays any how?" Her

  "friends" were yelling at her, telling her to get back. From her waist band, she drew the dagger. The socalled special dagger. Mari was holding it so hard that a sharp facet of a

  diamond cut her. Her blood looked strange and dazzling on the gleaming metals.

  The men stopped trying to keep her back. They didn't even yell. Her friends, she recognized some who escorted her to this battle ground, were staring with…what was it? Fear. She

  was so tired with people looking at her with fear. Her classmates, her aunts, and now these intimidating men were staring. Fucking cowards. She was just a girl.

  The strangers, the Daybreakers she supposed, were also afraid. But they were also smart and killed the Night people who were still gawking.

  Her boots made horrific suction sounds as they connected to the floor because both were covered in blood. She found her way to what was left of the basement. There were maybe

  five or six bodies surrounding him and he was having trouble with seventh. She was lovely but human, and therefore had no chance of seeing the light of day. Mari was going to fix

  that.

  "Maria. Get out of here!" The girl turned to Mari with flashing green eyes and with her version of Mari's killing smile.

  Without hardly any effort, she pushed the girl aside. Judging by the blows Carn had given her to the legs, it was easy for anybody to.

  "Carn, it's Mari," she called softly. His eyes widened. She knew it was strange that she should be calling him anything other than Mr. Shamblepix. "Carn, you lied to me."

  "I…"

  "You lied to me. I trusted you like a father." She made him wince. Good, but not enough. Her voice was chiding, almost sweet if not for the warning in her eyes.

  He was backing away now until he was against the wall, his eyes never leaving her hand with the knife. "I'm sorry." Oh Carn, she thought wistfully, you sound like you mean it

  heard her.

  "I do mean it. I'm sorry honey. I am. But if I told you the truth you'd leave me. I didn't want you to leave me." His voice was on the edge of breaking down. Mari simply stared.

  "What about Dorian?" she asked, tears filling her eyes.