Exiled - 01

by M. R. Merrick

  “I’ll be good,” I said.

  I opened the door and stepped out. “Be safe,” I heard my mom say as Rayna closed the door behind us.

  “Outfit’s a little much, don’t you think?”

  “Well, at least I don’t look like I just fell out of a dumpster,” she replied.

  I looked down at my clothes. One threadbare knee of my pants would rip soon. My shirt was clean but had holes in the cuffs; I had a habit of putting my thumbs through them. My black sneakers would have been clean if not for a few blood stains.

  “What’s wrong with this?”

  She hit the button for the elevator and turned to face me. “Nothing in particular,” she said with a half shrug.

  “No, really, what’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”

  “Chase, you’re fine; you look good.”

  “Really?” I said, stepping into the elevator.

  “No.”

  ~~~~~~

  Chapter 13

  The alley was thick with shadows, cast by the glow of Revelations’ blue and red neon sign.

  “Listen, when we get in there, don’t talk to anybody, okay? Let me take care of it,” Rayna said.

  “I can handle myself.”

  “Ha, I’ve heard how you handle yourself. This is my area, so tonight I’m taking care of things. I know how to deal with these people.”

  Rolling my eyes, I realized how weird it seemed to call them people, but after the last few eventful days, I couldn’t argue much.

  More layers of Revelations’ glamour slid away the closer we got, revealing stairs that led down to the entrance.

  My senses were overloaded as Rayna opened the door. Rock music blared in my ears, the scent of sweat and blood filled my nostrils, and flashing lights blurred my vision.

  Once my senses adjusted, I gazed out over the crowd, absorbing everything I could. I had to push away the tingle of my demon sense as Rayna urged me towards the doorman, a creature I could only describe as both a giant and a monster.

  Looking up at him made my neck hurt. He was well over seven feet tall, and what I could see of his face was covered with a thick, spiky beard. A tribal tattoo trailed down the sides of his shaved head and his eyebrows each had multiple piercings. Arms thicker than my thighs were covered in tattoos, some of which seemed to be struggling to stay on his skin. His solid black eyes made it difficult to tell where he was looking.

  “No weapons.” His deep voiced echoed over the music. Rayna handed two blades to him and I wondered where she had kept them. I eyed the large man and decided against any smart remarks and pulled my two daggers from their spot, handing them to him. He nodded his enormous head and let me pass, but the look he gave me wasn’t friendly. “Watch your step, hunter,” he said as I walked past him.

  Rayna glided through the room, constantly checking to make sure I was still following. The wide space between dingy, unpainted brick walls was larger and busier than I’d expected.

  Every stool at the huge square bar in the center of the room was occupied, and each patron held a strange-looking drink. Pool tables filled one corner of the room and a string of dartboards filled another. A wall-mounted jukebox near the door had a lineup, and cigarette smoke filled the air.

  We moved towards one less populated corner while I ignored the intimidating looks and suspicious whispers trailing behind me. Not all of the demons could know what I was, but plenty of them could sense it from my scent or aura. It was a miracle they didn’t know what Rayna was, but the demon blood must have helped mask it.

  The dance floor was full of bodies meshing, all of which slowed as we walked past. We wove through a maze of tables to an area full of booths that were empty, with the exception of one.

  In the middle of this booth was a man who looked to be in his mid-twenties, although considering where we were, how old somebody appeared wasn’t a clear indicator of age.

  His pale skin was flawless and glistened in the strobe lights. His short black hair was spiked neatly on his head and golden orbs watched us as we neared. All I could see of his clothing was a tight black dress shirt that had too many buttons undone, revealing more pale flesh.

  A blonde and a brunette sat on either side of him. Both were beautiful and dressed in clothing as minimal as Rayna’s. The rest of the booth held a mix of men and women, some sitting, others standing and watching as we approached.

  Golden eyes watched Rayna with a strange anticipation. The man’s creepy smile made me shudder as his eyes, filled with hunger, devoured her. I didn’t know why, but this made me mad. I wanted shove the straw from his drink down his throat, and watch him struggle as I dripped liquid silver down it. The mental image made me crack a smile which quickly disappeared as those eyes fell on me.

  “Careful of your thoughts, boy,” the demon said. The accompanying gaze was very deliberately threatening, but the voice was smooth and full of seduction.

  “He’s a vampire. He can read your thoughts,” Rayna whispered, although it didn’t matter; he could hear every word.

  “Thanks for the heads up,” I said. The information was a little late – there went my chance at a first impression.

  Contrary to popular myth, vampires aren’t actually dead – at least not when they’re awake. They need to drink blood, true, but as long as they consume enough, it will keep their body alive. They can reproduce, they have a pulse, and they even breathe. Not drinking blood, however, forces a vampire’s body to shut down. The demon won’t die, but its body will weaken until it can’t operate, keeping the mind alive inside a dwindling corpse. Depriving vamps of blood is a great way to torture them, but some of them practice starvation as a form of discipline. I was really wishing we weren’t dealing with vampires right now. I’d already had enough experience with them for one lifetime.

  The vampire’s eyes took me in and gave me the same once over he’d given Rayna. Uncomfortable didn’t begin to describe the experience.

  “I see you have a new pet.” He frowned.

  Rayna laughed. “Hardly, just a friend.”

  The vampire didn’t reply and I could feel magic begin to wash over me. He tilted his head and watched me, like a dog trying to understand its owner.

  His power moved over me and I put my shields up, trying to block him from my thoughts. He pushed at the edge of my shields and I pushed back with my own magic, but it only made him smile.

  I’d felt a vampire’s mind control before, but something was different about his. Vampires are unique among the demons. Aside from shifters, they’re the only demons who can pass their heritage on to a human. But unlike shifters, they have unpredictable powers. You never knew what a particular vampire’s capabilities were; they were different for each. Something felt especially strange about this one’s power.

  The vampire pulled his magic back from me and looked at Rayna. “He‘s good,” he said.

  “I wouldn’t know,” Rayna replied.

  “What do you want, my sweet child? Have you come to finally accept my offer and join me?” he said.

  “I need to talk… alone,” Rayna said, ignoring the question and looking at the other…people…around him.

  “Is it so private that you can’t speak in front of my family?”

  Rayna nodded and he regarded her for a moment like a predator stalking his prey. At a wave of his hand, everyone around his booth dispersed. Rayna slid into a newly available seat and I settled down beside her.

  “Why you must tease me with such attire is beyond me,” the vampire said in a soft, self-assured voice.

  “I knew somebody would appreciate my efforts.” Rayna cast a glare at me and the vampire laughed.

  “What’s funny?” Rayna said.

  The vampire shifted in a way that was almost a shrug, and didn’t reply.

  “I need some inform… ” The vampire raised a hand to stop her.

  “Have you forgotten such basic manners as a simple introduction?”

  Rayna sighed. “Of course not. Vincent, this is Cha
se. Chase, this is Vincent.”

  Vincent leaned forward in his seat, extending a pale hand. I stared at it, knowing that physical touch could increase the strength of a vampire’s power, but I disregarded that and reached out my own.

  His hand was smaller than mine but his grip was solid, allowing me to feel the extent of his magical strength. Vincent’s fingers tightened around my hand and I let him feel my own strength as I squeezed.

  I went against basic hunter wisdom and stared into his bright golden orbs. His power smashed into me immediately, and it hit my body like a truck and drove full throttle into me. I used my shields to push his power back but I’d lost my footing. His grip tightened again – any more pressure and I was going to have broken bones. His power was a wave, crashing over me again and again, each time washing more of my shields away.

  “Alright boys, that’s enough, before somebody gets hurt,” Rayna said.

  Vincent’s power didn’t withdraw and our eyes never broke contact. I had to reach deep within myself and push all the magic I had into my shields. I let my mind focus not on his eyes, but on the pain in my hand, letting it distract me. I was holding his strength at bay, but any more of an assault and I would be enslaved by his mind. I could see the intensity of my gaze reflected in his eyes before his power dissipated.

  Vincent smiled and released my hand, leaning back in the booth.

  “My gods, could you two be any more pathetic?” Rayna said.

  We both looked at her questioningly.

  “Vincent, everybody knows you’re powerful; you’re hundreds of years old, so why don’t you try acting your age? And Chase, drop your macho man act. We’re here to get shit done, not piss off someone who might be able to help us.”

  I could feel the arrogance drain from both of us and Vincent gave a simple nod. “As my lady wishes.”

  Rayna’s glare came to rest on me. “Okay,” I said.

  I knew some Underworlders liked to flex their power at anybody they thought could handle it. It was partly a compliment that Vincent assumed I could hold my own, and partly his desire to be top dog. If he’d been wrong and his power overcame me, I would’ve been screwed.

  “Now that we have the pissing contest out of the way, we need information,” Rayna said.

  Vincent’s eyes belonged to Rayna, and with his devious smile gone, he was ready for business. “What kind of information?”

  “About the hunters around town. They’re looking for demon blood and I need to know what kind, and why.”

  “That’s valuable information. Even if I was able to help, I wouldn’t give that away so freely. Not even to you, my love.”

  “How valuable?”

  Vincent smiled and gave that almost-shrug again. “That would require some thought. Besides, if I did know such things, I would not choose this place to speak of them. I will think upon your request and I’ll be in touch.” He flicked his wrist elegantly to wave us away.

  Rayna raised a brow. “I don’t have time for games. If you can’t help, then I need to know that now, so I can source out other options.”

  “Ah, you have the patience of a human, my sweet Rayna. It never ceases to amaze me. Yes, I will be able to help. However, I will need some time to gather the information. Once I have it, I will know its price,” he said.

  Vincent made another motion with his hand and the group of vampires returned, surrounding the booth. “I admire you bringing him here, my sweet. He’s strong, although I would have thought you too smart to bring a hunter into Revelations,” he said.

  The other vampires turned to me, some reacting with a hiss, while others let their faces change and fangs drop from their gums. I reached for my daggers, and then remembered I’d given up the luxury of weapons when I came in here. Before I could do anything else, Rayna’s hand slipped into mine.

  “Come on, Chase.”

  I kept my eyes on the vampires and could see Vincent’s amusement.

  “Chase, I said let’s go.” Rayna’s green feline eyes were pleading with me, and I did something I never thought I’d do. I turned my back on a group of vampires and walked away.

  Rayna’s hand was warm and soft. The sensation was strange, but welcoming at the same time. We climbed up the stairs to the alley, where she stopped and turned to me.

  “You can’t be like that with these people. It’s dangerous. Vincent can be an asshole, but if you’re going to come to places like this, you have to control yourself. If that had gone bad, we’d be dead, or barely alive and no closer to finding what we need,” she said.

  “Well, it would have been helpful to know how strong he is, and that he might try that mind control crap on me. At least you could have mentioned that he’s a centuries old vampire, so I could have figured out the rest,” I said.

  Rayna sighed. “You’re right.”

  I was all ready to argue, but those words took the wind out of my sails. “I’m right?”

  “I should have told you, but I didn’t think he’d react like such a child, or that you would, for that matter. His full name is Vincent Taryk.”

  “Taryk? As in the most powerful vampire family in the city? Wow, yeah, that information would have been really helpful,” I said. I was starting to get angry, but we were interrupted by a stuttering voice.

  “Cha- Chase?” Willy stood behind us.

  “Willy? I didn’t even hear you coming down the alley,” I said, a little disappointed in myself.

  Willy shrugged. “It’s what I do: try to go unnoticed. What are you doing here?”

  “Seeing if we could dig anything up on the hunters, trying to find out what they’re looking for,” I said.

  “Any luck?”

  “No, but that guy Vincent is a real piece of work.”

  Willy shuddered at the name and held his palms up. “I’m not go- go- going in if he’s in th- th- there.” He turned and started back up the alley.

  “Willy, wait up!” I said, jogging to catch up to him. “What’s wrong?”

  “That guy is insane, that’s what.”

  I laughed. “I figured as much.”

  “No you don’t un- un- understand Chase. He’s worse than any hunter or demon I’ve ever met. He’s dangerous.”

  “You know from experience?”

  “All the Underworlders are afraid of him. You have no idea what he’s capable of.”

  “I think I just got a taste of it,” I said.

  “Do you go around making friends everywhere? You’re lucky you’re not a vegetable.”

  “Okay, now I think you’re being dramatic. I can hold my own.”

  “Well, I saw him shatter the mind of a warlock without breaking a sweat, and you ain’t got that kind of magic,” he said.

  I raised an eyebrow at that. “No offense taken.”

  “Look, I gotta go. Good luck in your search, but I’d stay away from Vincent if I were you,” Willy said and disappeared around the corner of the alley.

  Rayna stared at me, a kind of smile I didn’t recognize playing on her lips.

  “What?”

  “You made a friend. A demon friend. It’s kind of cute,” she laughed.

  “We’re not friends, we’re acquaintances at best.”

  “Uh-huh.” She let another giggle slip out but I ignored it.

  “So, any truth to what Willy said? Is Vincent that powerful?” I asked.

  Rayna shrugged. “I’ve heard the rumors, but he’s never tried anything aggressive with me, so I wouldn’t know.”

  “So you know him well?”

  “Hardly. The guy’s helped me out a few times, that’s all.”

  “And what’s the cost of that help, usually?”

  She shrugged. “He has some strange obsession with me, so it’s usually not much. If he charges me anything, it’s a few hundred bucks or some blood.”

  I let my face show the revulsion I felt. “Yuck! You let that thing drink from you? What’s the matter with you?”

  Rayna rolled her eyes. “I gave him blood.
I didn’t say it was mine. Nothing could convince me to let him suck on me.” She shivered and wrinkled her nose.

  We started back as the sky was starting to show hints of pink and red. The silence between us started to get uncomfortable so I tried to make conversation.

  “How did you meet Marcus?”

  Rayna stayed quiet for a moment before responding. “I don’t know when we actually met. He’s just always been there. He knew my mother before I was born,” she said.

  “What happened to her?” I asked. I regretted the question the moment I said it. Rayna stared at me and I thought she might hit me again.

  “She died.”

  It wasn’t the answer I expected, but it was better than a punch in the face.

  “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I just don’t like to think about it,” she said. “What about you? What’s your story?”

  I didn’t know where to start, but we had a long walk ahead of us, so I figured the beginning was a good place.

  “Well, I started training in the Circle to be a hunter the first day I could walk. My dad wanted to get a head start. But when I didn’t get an elemental power at my ceremony, the Circle didn’t know what to do with me. That had never happened before, so they just exiled me. From then until I met Marcus and your fist, I’ve been trying to survive,” I said.

  Rayna smiled. “Sorry, but you kind of deserved it. My fist, that is. But why does the Underworld hate you so much? I’ve never known the Underworld to go after anyone the way they’ve gone after you.”

  “I don’t think it’s really me they hate; it’s my father. He’s one of the most powerful hunters the Circle has ever had. I think the demons believe that if they kill me, they’ll be getting some sort of revenge against my father. Too bad none of them realize that if they did kill me it’d be a weight off my father’s shoulders.”

  “That’s not true, Chase,” Rayna said.

  I laughed. “You don’t know my father. He thinks I’m a disgrace. He actually accused my mom of cheating on him because he couldn’t believe his own son didn’t have an element.”

  “That’s terrible.”

  I shrugged. “You play the hand you’re dealt, I guess.”