by Candy Crum
“Do you plan to take an active role in my life, now?” I asked.
He nodded. “It’s up to me to teach you the way of the shadow world. You are young and kind. It would destroy you if your needs and desires got the best of you and you killed someone. I must make sure to teach you how to control that. I realize that Cass has already tried…” He looked over to Cass, who was taking a large bite out of some pancakes my mom had just sat down. Tristan glared at him across the table.
“What?” Cass said, his eyes wide. “I said I was sorry! I didn’t know until after!”
Tristan sighed. “I’ll deal with you later.”
“He really didn’t know,” I said. “It was after that I mentioned your name. You should have seen the way he almost shat his pants. It was quite comical, actually.”
“Hey!” Cass said. “I did not!”
Tristan glared at him again.
“Okay. Maybe it was,” Cass said, looking down into his plate and taking another bite.
Cass was strong and fearless. I’d seen what he could do, and I knew that wasn’t even a fraction of it. So, seeing him so terrified of Tristan kind of made me want to laugh. I couldn’t help it. It was pretty funny.
Tristan closed his eyes as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. “At least you had enough respect for me and foresight to be afraid once you found out. I cannot blame you, if you did not know. Do not allow it to happen again. You know the consequences if you do.”
“Trust me. You don’t have to worry about that.” Cass took another bite. Jesus, he could eat. It didn’t make sense.
“You’re a vampire. How the hell do you eat?” I asked.
“I’m not all the way dead. I died, but the vampire blood that I’d consumed revived me, but as something new. Kind of like you, minus the blood part. Actually, no. It’s not the same at all. You’re just weird. You were supposed to turn during puberty. I’m still all kinds of confused about you.”
“You’re not the only one,” I said.
“Anyway… Like a human, I have to eat if I want to change my body. I’m a bodybuilder. I don’t process food like humans, so I don’t get all the nutrients before it’s absorbed. It just burns off. I have to eat twice as much. I’m always eating something.”
I nodded. “So, basically, you’re Brad Pitt from Ocean’s Eleven.”
He laughed. “I guess you could say that.”
“Good to know.”
“Mia, what is your plan, now? That threat that you made.” Tristan took another drink. “The way you spoke, it seemed like you were bringing hell with you. As if you planned to start a war with the humans.”
I nodded. “Oh, I do.” I felt a very dark smile cross my face. “I wasn’t lying. I am going to destroy him. I’m going to take everything he’s built and burn it to the ground. I was an innocent girl. He shot and killed me, twice. How many other innocent girls has he killed? How many families? How many families has his drugs torn apart? How many people – kids even – have died from overdoses? He is a liar. A cheat. He’s the scum of the earth. You say the paranormal world has become even more violent? At least they have a primal urge driving them. Jay? His only urge is greed and the desire to destroy others. To control them. I’m going to show him what real control is. But… I need your help. I can’t do this without you, Tristan.”
“You speak with such conviction. It is my responsibility to teach you and help you, no matter the path you choose. Your choice, however, is to be an invisible warrior for the humans. I told you earlier tonight that you are everything that I could hope for you to be. I just want you to know that if you plan to do this any time soon, it will take a lot of dedication and hard work on your part. It will also require you to let go of your traditional thoughts about sex. You can’t use your powers without exhausting yourself. You’ll have to replenish your energy. You know what that means. Are you ready for this?”
It took a moment, but I knew the decision had to be made. I made a promise. A threat, really, but mainly a promise. I vowed to be the foot for the ass kicking in the name of all those Jay had affected in his reign as a sleazy drug lord. Tristan was right. I’d never be strong enough to do what I wanted to do if I didn’t accept who I was. That was the moment that I realized that being the type of succubus that Tristan wanted me to be wasn’t nearly as bad as the man that Jay was. That was the moment that I decided.
“Yes, Obi Wan. Teach me the ways of the succubus force.”
There was a heavy sigh from Cass at the end of the table. “You really know how to kill a buildup, don’t you?”
I flashed a sarcastic smile. “Stuff your face with more pancakes.”
He rolled his eyes in my direction. And that was how I officially began my journey.
Chapter Two
“Holy shit, Mia,” Cass said.
“What? Shut up. I’m trying, okay?” I said.
Cass sighed, his head dropping a bit as he shook it with exasperation.
“I don’t see you over here,” I said.
“Are you kidding me? That’s a joke, right? No offense, Samurai Jack, but I don’t feel like being decapitated today.”
I stood there, silent as I watched him watch me. Several moments passed before I spoke.
“Fuck you.”
“Damn it all,” Tristan shouted. “Can the two of you children stop fighting? Just for two seconds?”
“He started it,” I said, officially making myself sound like a two year old child.
“Just pick up the katana, Mia,” Tristan ordered.
I did as I was asked, lifting the long, balanced blade. It was impossibly sharp. Tristan wasn’t messing around. They were real katanas, and I’d already cut myself several times. No. Not on my own sword.
… Yes. Okay… Maybe it was on my own sword. Hush.
“Watch your opponent,” Tristan instructed. “You have to try to predict their movements. My movements. Watch my eyes. You will see when I’m ready.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. “I mean… I’m no Samurai Jack–” I turned to look at Cass before turning back to Tristan “–but are you sure that I watch your eyes and not your body? Seems like watching for you to flinch would be more beneficial than anything else.”
“One would assume, but no. You are a succubus. Your power lies in your eyes. If you want to defeat your opponent, you need to watch the desire in theirs. Whether it is for you, or for your blood, the eyes will tell you everything you need to know,” Tristan said.
I nodded before raising my katana once again. I focused on his eyes again, as he’d suggested. After several deep breaths while trying to calm my ever-thundering heart, I caught it. The tiniest narrow of his eyes.
I swung my blade. If you think it was graceful, I assure you majestic it was not. I looked like a child swinging at a piñata as I closed my eyes and whipped it through the air in front of me. It was pathetic, but I still heard it. The shrill clashing of metal on metal.
My eyes opened in shock. I was about to smile and congratulate myself on a job well done when Tristan attacked again, this time, the sharp blade catching me in the shoulder. Had he been moving any faster, or any harder, the razor-like, incredibly powerful metal would have severed my arm completely.
I cried out, tears immediately rising and loud screams of agony threatening to as well. The bone had snapped, or had been cut through, which one I couldn’t not be certain. All I could see was copious amounts of blood pouring out of my partially severed arm. The skin on the interior side of my arm was all that connected the then lifeless limb.
“Fuck!” I screamed. “Tristan!” Tears began streaming down my face as my panic grew. “Hel me! Please! What do I do?!” I was sobbing like a bitch. I couldn’t breathe or think.
“Calm yourself,” he said.
“My arms about to fall off, you dick! Why did you do this?!”
“I said to calm yourself child. Relax. You closed your eyes. You did not bother to focus, like I told you. I began, and you closed your eyes and turned
your head.” He sighed, softness lightening the expression on his face. “Please calm your mind. You can pull energy through your own body to heal yourself even faster.”
“Please show me,” I said, tears and sobs still coming.
I had hold of my arm, lifting it into a position that was as natural as I could manage. Every time the two sections touched, the bone rubbed together and it reminded me of my chest the day that I turned. I was a disgusting feeling.
“Focus your energy to your arm. Touch the energy like a tangible thing and make it do what you need for it to.”
I did as he instructed. He continued to give me instructions, but only some of it got through the mental onslaught of creative curse words I’d been inventing to describe the pain. It was like Steve Carell from The 40 Year Old Virgin was locked in my head, screaming obscenities.
Soon, once I was able to get my mind to calm, by sheer force of will, I was able to feel the energy inside myself, just as I’d been able to do with Cass when I’d fed on him before. Pulling, I was able to move the energy whenever I wanted, or needed, in this case. The bone ached as it grew new cells needed to connect one end to the other. The skin tugged as it moved into place. I could almost feel each vessel reconnecting with every singular moment that passed.
A heavy sigh left me as the pain fully subsided. I never felt better than I had at that very moment.
…Except when the pain left after my skull healed from being shot…
…Or when my chest healed after having it cracked open in surgery after being shot…
You know… It’s happened a few times. I just felt super-duper good right then. Just the duperest.
“Why the hell did you do that?” I asked. “You’re supposed to be my father. You’re supposed to be training me. Not cutting my damn arm off, you homicidal he-beast.”
Tristan's left brow lifted. “That was an accident due to your own negligence. I told you that I would not be easy on you because your enemies will not be easy on you. You need to learn.” He sighed. “How are you feeling now?”
“Better,” I replied, my demeanor much calmer. “Thank you.”
“Good. Again.”
I’d only barely processed his words when his nearly invisible katana sliced through the air with an almost inaudible hiss as the tip crossed my cheek. It was so fast and the blade had been so sharp that I didn’t feel anything. At first, I thought that he’d only done it to scare me. Then, slowly, the burn in my cheek settled in. As it did, white hot rage flashed through me at the thought of my own biological father intentionally causing me physical harm.
My eyes narrowed and my brows furrowed so tightly that I was certain I’d get a muscle cramp between them. I wasn’t exactly sure if that was possible, but if it was, it was about to happen. The pain grew and a wicked growl built in my throat and ground its way out into the open. It was a guttural, terrible sound that I had no idea I was capable of. It sounded like some terrifying big cat, though I was sure he saw me as nothing more than a domesticated feline kitten.
The anger gave me focus, and I was immediately able to heal the wound across my cheek as I’d done with my arm. I hated him so completely at that moment.
“What – are – you – doing?!” I finally asked. Well, shouted is far more accurate. I was sure the neighbors down the road heard me.
“Teaching,” he said. “Is this not what you asked for?”
I looked at him incredulously. “No! What the hell is wrong with you? This is like teaching a kid to ride a bike and beating him with the bike when he crashes!”
He sighed. “I told you, Mia. We don’t raise our children because we are numb, emotionless creatures. We are capable of love, but not to the extent that a small child needs to be nurtured into a good, decent person. This is why I chose your parents for you. I do love you, though I’m sorry it isn’t the kind that you want. The kind that you’re used to from your human father. However, it is because of this love that I have for you that I won’t go easy on you.
“You asked me to train you. Daughter, that is what I am doing. I’m doing as you asked. You now know how to heal yourself quickly and will now be an even greater force to be reckoned with. You will also no longer be an easy target. You will have the power to get up over and over again. Now you only need to learn how to feed to replenish the energy you just spent to heal yourself. In a true battle, you can feed from your enemies to replenish.”
I sighed, realizing that I couldn’t truly blame him. I grew up knowing the human love that my parents showed me. Judging Tristan for his parenting tactics against my parents, or most human parents, was no different than comparing my parents to a momma grizzly. Non-human creature versus a human. If what Tristan said is true, incubi and succubi didn’t care for their children at all. Taking that into consideration, his behavior was actually quite sweet. Didn’t make me like it, but I understood it.
“Why don’t we start off with a little technique first?” I asked with a sarcastic smile.
“This lesson is over. You need to feed. You’re too weak. There’s no way you’ll be able to avoid a slap, let alone a sword.” Tristan approached me, placing his hand under my chin. After his attack moments before, I was shocked at the gentleness. “Your eyes are dark, daughter. You’ve done very well today, but you need to take care of yourself first.”
“Thank you,” I said, suddenly feeling proud of myself. Was he influencing me to feel that? Or was that my own pride? After all, I had just learned how to heal very quickly. That would certainly help, given Jay's love for semiautomatic weapons.
Tristan turned to Cass. “Due to the fact that my daughter is uncomfortable with me teaching her how to hunt, I shall leave this to you. You’ve certainly taught her quite a bit already, haven’t you?”
Cass winced a little under Tristan’s hard gaze. Cass was fearless, unless it was related to Tristan.
“I can show her,” Cass said.
“Good. It’s settled. I expect that I don’t have to remind you not to touch my daughter with your own hands, unless you are saving her life. Yes?”
Cass nodded. “No worries, boss.”
Tristan’s brow lifted. “Don’t be a smartass, Cassidy.”
I stifled a laugh, which only served to make one of those throat snorts. Cass glared at me, and I smiled, making sure to show as many teeth as possible.
“I’m proud, dad. You actually used a modern word. Good for you.”
Tristan narrowed his eyes as the corner of his mouth turned upward. “You shouldn’t be a smartass either, especially to your father.”
“And a contraction? Oh, goodness. I might teach this old man something, yet.”
Tristan shook his head. The action suggested exasperation, but his expression revealed amusement.
“Come on, woman,” Cass said. “Let’s go get you fed.”
“Ew. Don’t be so casual about it. Part of me is dying today.”
Cass rolled his eyes. “You make entirely too much of this. Trust me, it won’t feel that way once you’re in the zone. You’ll get used to it, and then it will be casual to you, too.”
It was my turn to shake my head then. I put my katana in my sheathe, taking note that my arm was incredibly sore. It felt like a deep bruise. It must have been due to my lack of energy. Of course, I wasn’t feeding correctly, so I wasn’t healing all the way. I sighed as I realized what was about to happen and the importance of it. If I didn’t learn to accept this part of me, Jay would continue to beat me. He would win. Eventually, Jay would make a permanent victory if I didn’t watch it.
Chapter Three
I'd finished getting ready and met Cass in my living room. I was starving. By that point, I knew what I was starving for, but it didn’t stop the sadness when I silently wished I could just go to the kitchen and satisfy it with a big burger. Hell, I’d take drinking from blood bags over what was to come. I was an adult woman and I had needs just like everyone else. What I didn’t like was the sleeping around stuff. It was still messin
g with me, but, as Cass had suggested, I’d get used to it. I’d have to.
He told me that he would take me wherever I wanted to go. There happened to be a concert at a local park, and that sounded like a good place to find willing participants. When we got there, the entire place smelled like cigarette smoke, pot, sweat, and sex. I could smell the arousal in the air, which only served to agitate me further. As I thought more into it, it made me think of throwing chum in shark infested waters. The smell would send them into a frenzy.
Though it took a lot of effort, and I was absolutely certain that I looked ridiculous doing so, I did my best to breathe out of my mouth. I needed every ounce of my wits about me. The sparring match with Tristan had only served to weaken me further.
“You’re shaking,” Cass said. “Everything is going to be okay. Try not to worry so much, okay?”
I nodded, taking notice of what he had. My entire body was shaking. I didn’t feel particularly nervous, more annoyed than anything. Even then, I didn’t think it was enough to cause such a reaction. I wondered if it was because of my hunger.
We slowly made our way through the crowd. It was overwhelming, taking in the scents of that many people. I could feel their auras, their life forces pulsing around them like some science fiction energy field. Some were stronger than others. Soon, I became hyperaware of them. I began to see colors. Pastels lit up the crowd in greens, blues, pinks, and yellows. It looked like a rainbow flowing through there.
“Can you see this?” I asked Cass. “The colors.”
He nodded. “Those will save your life, one day. Humans have the power to see auras. What they see is intense and bright to them. They can see varying colors ranging from what they consider dull to the very vibrant. The truth is, what they see is nothing compared to what we see.”
