“On the contrary,” said Erika, multiple tails jutting out behind her. They were pure white with streaks of silver and thrashed about causing sparks to fly from them. “I don't ever tuck my tails, or run.”
He shook his head at her.
“I don't care,” he shouted, “if you have a thousand tails. You didn't do anything to protect Alexa!”
The anger grew within him and veins bulged in his neck when he shouted at her but she just looked at him unfazed.
“I said I would protect Olivia. There is no family plan.”
Her words had pinned him back, stinging his chest as he let them sink in. Troy's fingers slowly gathered into a fist as he looked down at her. She thought she heard the faintest sound of sparks flicking in his balled up hands but ignored them. He put one hand on the wooden railing as if steadying himself, fearful that he would lunge at her if not held back. Erika rolled her eyes at his internal struggle.
“I said if you'd join me, I'd give you something cool that may or may not include Alexa.”
“That's not good enough!”
“That's like fifty percent,” she shouted. “How much more do you want?”
“A one hundred percent guarantee.”
Erika whistled, “Wow, sorry. No can do on that. But think about this: Humans die. It's natural order and she was going to die whether or not her sister slaughtered—”
Unable to control the anger within him, he jumped off the steps and lunged at her. Erika sidestepped gracefully making Troy stumble into the single small tree in his vast lawn. He turned around, pools of blue fire blazing in his eyes as he looked at her. She shrugged her shoulders in boredom then sidestepped once more, avoiding his swing.
“OK. If it's a fight you're looking for,” said Erika, untying the belt of her black satin trench coat. “It's a fight you'll get.”
She tossed the coat to the ground, revealing a black body suit. It was tight against her skin, but in true fox form she was limber as she ran into the woods and slunk through the trees, sinuously avoiding him. He followed her as she zipped in and out of the woods and back onto the gravel of the street that led to his garage. When she came in close he threw out his arm to strike her.
“So quick to hit a woman,” she said as she jumped back, dodging him.
“Not my usual form, but I make exceptions for those who let my girlfriend die.”
He really didn't want to fight her and it was against his moral character to hit a female but it was something about her smirk that showed how little she cared for humans and their plight that pissed him off. He balled up his fists at his side and shook his head then undid the fists. “I'm not going to fight you.”
She drew her tails in and pressed her index and middle finger together, pointing them to the wooded area just behind Troy, ignoring his surrender. A burst of golden red sparks splayed from them flaring with fiery intensity as they grazed his arms and ignited a large tree behind him. He ran away from the flames, a trail following him as she shot more out of her fingers. Troy had dove deeper into the woods, his body suffering under the sweltering heat as he was trapped in the blaze. He heard the crackle of wood burning and just barely escaped the tree that had tipped over. He was back in the empty street, walking into his lawn with soot caught in his hair and his arm charred. He bent over to cough the smog out.
“Is that all you can manage? To run?” said Erika in a satirical tone. She spun around slowly, her hands conjuring up flames that encircled her body.
Troy dodged the lasso of fire that lashed out at him.
“Come on! You're half kitsune,” she yelled. “That means you have half the strength to do something. Start a fire!”
He thought back to the fire he created in defense against Olivia but didn't have enough time to ponder it as he avoided her fire whip. Troy balled his fists together, trying to will some sparks or even a flicker of light but he was left with nothing. Taking notice of his inability to create a fire, she reeled in the whip, ashes falling at her side, and thought, where is that boy's fox fire?
Distracted by her thoughts, she didn't notice Troy until he had finally managed to grab onto her arm. As soon as he had his arm hooked around hers she flung him over her and into the part of the woods that was not in flames, as if he weighed nothing at all. He hit branches as he flew through the air and was poised to crash into a tree but Erika was already hanging onto the branch of a tree, her arm extended out. She caught him and dropped him to the ground and stood over his body with her usual smirk. With the sleeves of his dress shirt torn, his arms were brown and long bright red lacerations swelled on top of them, blood seeping out.
“I could've let you die,” she said. “Take this as a symbol of my compassion.”
She extended an arm out and he held onto it, pulling himself up and cringing at the pain. With his hand still held onto hers, Troy spun Erika around, her back slamming into a tree. She rolled her eyes and said, “I thought we were over the whole fighting thing.”
He turned away from her and began limping. “Now,” he said with a heavy breath. “We are.”
“Well....”
He heard the crack of wood from behind him and turned to see Erika had disappeared but in front of him was a tree teetering precariously. It was massive in height and width and for a minute he doubted its existence, unable to believe she had the strength to unhinge a tree with her bare hands. It leaned in closer to him and then, without warning, came crashing down. Troy felt the force against his body as he rolled onto the ground and slammed into the base of a small tree. It was a blur before his eyes, an icy sting on his arm and then the warmth filling his body as his heart pumped blood through his veins, faster. He gritted his teeth, holding onto his ribcage as he struggled upright and saw through his dizzy haze who had knocked him out of the way. Olivia was pinned underneath the tree.
Twelve
Olivia's eyes had fluttered open but saw nothing. Even with her perfect sight, she couldn't make out a single shape in the darkness and when she stretched out her arm she noticed she was flanked by a smooth velvet surface. When she lifted her head upward and tried to flip onto her back, she felt a sharp jolt of pain course jaggedly down her spine and then she screamed out in agony. They were terrifying screams, over and over again, burning her throat as they came out. She tried to rock back and forth to escape the small space she was locked in, but it didn't help her and it hadn't helped alleviate the pain she was in. She felt splintered bones beneath her skin folding down as if they were falling into their proper place, each snap making her yell out louder.
Artificial light streamed in through the opening and then large amounts poured in as the top was thrown back. A woman blocked out some of the light, her features shadowed by it. Before she could utter a word to the woman she had once again felt the bite of discomfort at the base of her spine.
“That would be your back trying to repair itself.”
Olivia recognized the sultry voice as the woman from who announced that she had all the answers but she didn't know much else about her. She leaned in closely to her, the scent emanating from her body, just inches from Olivia's lips. Olivia parted them in anticipation but was caught by the sting of one last bone folding back in place, no longer jutting out grotesquely. She bit down on her lip, fangs splitting the flesh open as she tried to stifle the scream that threatened to come out. Her head jerked back and a small whimper fell from her lips. Her face contorted as she shouldered the pain as silently as possible. Erika's head was turned away while Olivia suffered through the pain. When she turned back to her, a fleeting expression of concern crossed her face and then a small smile flashed upon it.
“Oh, you're finally done?” she asked. “It's something about bones breaking and repairing themselves that kinda creep me out.” She shuddered.
Olivia ignored her and sat up. The first thing her eyes caught were Troy's which were fixated on her, studying her every motion and leaving her with nowhere to hide under his bitter glare. She wasn't particularly
thirsty but couldn't deny that the scent in the room had been especially intoxicating. Erika's was definitely the stronger presence but was masked by something that pushed Olivia away and toward Troy. He sat up straighter in the couch, breaking his stare with Olivia and yelled, “What the hell am I going to do with a vampire in my house?”
“Is it the fact that she's a vampire or a vampire who killed your girlfriend?”
His voice lowered but was still forceful. “Does it matter?”
“Of course it does.”
“I think I've taken all the supernatural crap I can stand,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Didn't you ask me to help you find your mother?” asked Erika. She had finally locked eyes with Troy, ignoring Olivia. “And don't forget what else I promised you.”
Troy was quiet as the words fifty percent whirled through his head. In the end it didn't mean anything because it wasn't a one hundred percent guarantee he'd get Alexa back. “Yeah, but...”
“But nothing,” she said. “The deal was that I would help you if you went along with my plan. And this vampire is at the center of my plan.”
“That was pre-slaughter my girlfriend! I can't look at her without wanting to kill her.”
Erika let out a groan as she placed her fingertips on her temples, exasperated. “You humans are so stupid! Why don't you look at the bigger picture?”
Olivia threw her legs over the casket and jumped out, stealing their attention for a moment. Troy rose to his feet but sat back down at the pain coursing through his body. Olivia finally noticed the dress shirt he wore was ripped at the sleeves, several long gashes and dried blood lined his arm as they met with the ink further up. His black pants were soiled with dirt and twigs and he had an aching expression on his face. In the few times she had seen him, he had never looked as bad as he did at this moment and she just couldn't understand why his body hadn't regenerated considering he was supernatural himself.
“Where are you going?” asked Erika.
“Home.”
“Afraid not—” she began, but was cut off by Olivia.
“I don't know you, and you do not own me.”
Then why did you come, a voice spoke softly in her head. Why are you here?
A confused expression crossed her face as she listened to the words, her eyes darting from Troy to Erika, who was smiling at her. He can't hear us, the voice continued. Olivia wasn't quite sure why she had come, she sensed he was in trouble but she didn't know why she didn't ignore it. Her eyes were focused on Erika as she thought about it and then they widened.
“It was you,” said Olivia quietly. “What are you?”
A kitsune with extraordinary powers, said Erika, in her head.
Olivia was lost in the mental conversation she was having with Erika and didn't notice Troy had stood up. A hand rested on her shoulder and then her chest was thrust upward, a thick pointed stick protruding out the front. If Troy had expected her to fall to floor in an infinite death, he was sorely disappointed when she ripped the stick out and turned on him, angry. There was a small flash from Erika's finger tips as she pointed it to the stake and it ignited in Olivia's hands before it could be impaled into Troy. She dropped the stake and as if she were a blur of colors, she was out the door. A sigh of relief escaped him before he turned to Erika.
“You think I would make a vampire who could succumb to death by a stupid stake?” she asked, rolling her eyes and stepping on the burning stick. She then muttered, “Who even came up with that stupid idea?”
“It was worth a try,” said Troy. “Shouldn't you be going after your vampire?”
“No. You should.”
Troy's hands had folded into fists and his shoulders tightened in anger but his voice was remarkably calm, “I've given you what you want. No give me what I want and get out.”
Erika's smirk was back. “It doesn't work like that Troy. I want Olivia safe so you—”
There was a muffled cry coming from outside but they were both slow to turn their heads.
“Your vampire, I presume,” said Erika.
“Why are shoving this vampire on me, like it's my responsibility? I can't stand the sight of—”
A light glowed between them, a dome of shimmery blue growing wider and wider before them like a crystal ball emerging from the carpet. In it, lay Alexa, her body pieced together perfectly as if it had never been torn into. Her hair was pulled back into a braid that hung over her shoulders and flowed down her chest, dark brown against the white dress she was wearing. Her cheeks were rosy, they way they had always looked when she blushed and her lips were painted red, a stark contrast to her alabaster skin. She had only ever looked that pale the first time he met her. She looked perfect as she slept, or so he thought. Her chest was quiet and still and he finally noticed that she was dead. And then the light had faded, taking Alexa with it.
“What was that?”
“Something special,” she replied. “As I promised.”
“But she's dead.”
“Better dead than gone,” said Erika.
“Is there really a difference?”
Before Erika could answer, they heard another cry from outside and walked to the door. The sun had barely been in the sky for more than a few minutes, and yet the morning light had felt harsh in the cool, misty air. Olivia was resting against the bark of a tree, hiding from the sun's ray, her red skin paling back to white.
“Get her and I will give you Alexa.”
Troy sucked in air and nodded once. “Your promise is worth something, right?”
“Always.”
He jumped off the steps, the pain jolting up his legs from the impact and reminding him of how battered his body remained. He powered through the pain, wincing with each step he took until he was in front of Olivia. Olivia's eyes, which were shut tightly, opened when she recognized his scent coming in close. He extended his arm to her but she didn't take his hand.
“You can't help me,” she said. “You're hurt,” she practically spat the word out, her tone accusatory.
“It shouldn't be surprising to hear this, but I hate you. And, I couldn't think of a better way for you to get what you deserve....but...ugh, just take my hand,” he forced it forward, too annoyed to continue.
She grabbed onto his hand and thought to herself. It wouldn't be surprising to hear that I hate myself too. He shouldered the excruciating pain as he swung her into his arms, her head tucked against his chest. He bit down on his lip to quiet the grunts in his throat and began running to the door. He tripped up the steps and Olivia tumbled out of his arms and into the house, just before Erika. His shin collided with one of the steps and he shook his head fiercely half at the pain and half at how stupid it was to fall just before getting inside. Erika stepped over Olivia and held out her hand to Troy. He took it and was yanked into the house, the door kicked close behind him. He hobbled on one foot to the couch, sinking into it and gripping his ribs tightly, his eyes shut.
Erika and Olivia followed him and stood before him.
“You look awful,” said Erika. Then quickly adding, “No offense.”
He barely peeled his eyelids back and nodded thoughtfully, “Thanks. I feel like shit.”
“Why haven't your wounds healed?” asked Olivia. The words came out coldly and she was once again reminded of how much she sounded like her mother at times.
His shoulders heaved upward, barely visible.
“Are you dying?” she asked without even a hint of warmth.
“Yeah.”
The eyelids had fallen back over his eyes and she turned to Erika, who had answered her question. She continued, “He's dying alright.”
“Shouldn't we....”
“Try to save him?” asked Erika. “Do you really want to?”
Olivia looked from Erika to Troy, her eyes narrowed as she contemplated. Did she really want to help him? To save his life? His existence only served as a reminder of all the guilt she felt, of the life she so selfishly took. Her own sister
's. It was something in his humanity and compassion that suddenly didn't make her as impervious to human emotions as she had been, even when she was human. She recognized that it was easier to be the monster that she was if she didn't have a human conscience bogging her down. Of course, she knew she didn't have to stay here, even if she were welcomed, but there was something about here that was different.
“It'd be great if you could make up your mind a little faster.”
“It does not matter, you're not going to let me kill him.”
She shrugged her shoulders and let out a laugh, “I was thinking about it.”
“So what will you do to save him?”
Erika knelt in front of Troy, his breathing slow and stifled, and his eyes struggling to open. “I won't do anything, you will. Your..”
“Blood?” asked Olivia, wrapping her hand around her wrist and thumbing the veins. “But what about your own?”
“My blood is good for the dead, not for the dying,” she said. “Troy's regenerative powers kinda come and go as they please, and right now they are loooong gone,” she sailed her hand into obscurity in an attempt to demonstrate how gone his powers were.
Olivia walked to him and peeled his eyelids back like a curious child. With the little energy he had left, he swatted her hand away and groaned. “Get away, vampire.”
She bit down on her wrist and put it up to his mouth. “Drink.”
“I don't...want...your blood,” he spat through weak breaths.
“Drink or you'll die.”
“I guess I'd rather be dead.” He opened his eyes as wide as he could and settled on Olivia with a look that very closely resembled hatred, but not completely as if he were incapable of truly hating someone, regardless of what he said.
“You annoying, whiny, pathetic martyr,” Erika groaned. “Just drink.”
“The funny thing is, you can't make me,” he countered, not taking his eyes off of Olivia and hardly amused.
“You sound like a bratty teenager.”
“I'm eighteen. I guess I'm still legally entitled to be as bratty...” he winced, his lips tightening as a jolt of pain ran up his leg.
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