DANIEL HERON: BECOMING

35 - The reward outweighs the risks.

The darkness cloaked them like a thick veil. The vampire stood with the pointed gun; a malicious smile played with the edges of his lips.

Ana's eyes permeated by amber were focused on the weapon in his hands while her fingers were grasping the hilts of the short double-edged swords.

Teresa stared at the vampire, as if she yearned to reduce him to nothing but a pile of ash with the sole power of her eyes.

"I think you should put the crossbow down," the vampire said. Although Teresa hadn't pointed it directly at him, he knew she possessed the speed that almost matched his own. That is, she would possess it, had she been feeding on the living blood. But he knew that the two female vampires were surviving without killing, or at least they didn't do it in that town. Otherwise, his murders wouldn't have triggered such a panic.

Moreover, he took the time to look through the old newspapers in the town's library; there wasn't a single mention of the murders that might be attributed to vampires. So, he said with confidence, "It would be best if you simply gave up. You will not be able to overpower me. Not when the life force of the citizens whose loved ones are caped in black flows inside me."

As if boasting was all she waited for, Ana wielded both her swords at the same time. Drawing a semicircle in front of her, with the sword in her right hand she hit the barrel of the gun. The force she transferred through that blow knocked the gun out of vampire's hand, and it fell to the ground with a thud that echoed in the empty, damp basement.

In a fraction of a second needed for the vampire to regain balance, the sword Ana held firmly in her left hand, rushed towards his neck. Only a swift reaction saved him from having his blood spilt. Seeing the slight glint of the blade, he twisted his body to the side, so Ana's blade kissed the stone wall, creating sparks that fell on the hunched down vampire like a swarm of fireflies.

"Stand up straight!" Teresa yelled after he remained in a crouched position. "I don't want to fire an arrow into your back. That would be cowardly."

The vampire glanced at Teresa. The crossbow was in her hands, the arrow nocked, its tip pointed at him. He averted his eyes, but remained in the same position. He placed one palm on the stone wall, as if he was looking for a support. While the two vampires followed the outstretched hand, with his other one he reached for a gun that lay right next to his foot, hidden from sight.

"Get up!" Teresa shouted once more.

Slowly, the vampire shifted his weight on one of his feet and started to lift the knee of the other leg. Then, as if time itself sped up, he straightened up, aimed and shot a silver bullet directly at the woman with a crossbow.

While the bullet slashed the air in front of it, Ana threw one sword straight upwards, freeing her right arm which she then used to shove Teresa aside. The bullet missed its mark, hitting the stone wall instead, and the sword in its downward trajectory found Ana's hand again.

"Well, well, well!" the vampire exclaimed. "Will they discover more dead bodies tomorrow? It seems that someone else decided to eat healthier," he added mockingly before firing another bullet, this time meant for Ana.

That one didn't hit its target either. Ana's swords intercepted it mid-flight and reduced it to crumbs. Silver stains splotched the blades, sliding down slowly until gravity pulled them to the ground.

"Indeed, your lips have tasted living blood." Amber flashed in his eyes, and a grin appeared on his face. "Dimitri will be pleased to see that I've succeeded to awaken the primeval within his daughters."

"You're still under the impression that you're taking us to him?" Ana asked, shaking her head in disagreement. "We no longer belong to him."

"You will always belong to him." It seemed as though the icy voice of the vampire dressed in black lowered the temperature in the basement by at least ten degrees. "One sip of my blood and he will be able to summon you himself."