Last of Daylight

8.1 The End Is Coming Sooner Than You Think

{Little Rock, AR | April 2006}

Night after night, Korac stalked Rayne at Nox's behest. They'd ceased their nocturnal pursuits of their targets four months prior. No dreams. No sweet laughter or the scent of watermelon arousal for four months. Absent from exhilaration for so long, Korac was downright unpleasant to be around.

Pissy didn't cover it.

Nox's mood had fared even worse.

Why had the King ordered his General to abandon the dream facet of their mission? Was it because Korac was winning the wager? And then to demand the General follow Rayne around seemed like a taunt. 'Enjoy watching my girl kiss your girl from afar.'

Fuck off.

At least, the new objective had proved entertaining.

Rayne fancied herself a superhero. Since The Brethren reigned in the traitor, the young Progeny woman acted out by dressing all in black and pitting herself against the terrors of the night.

Robbery.

Assault.

Rape.

Rayne thwarted it all.

And when she wasn't up to those hijinks, Rayne sang at a dive bar to a seedy crowd of men with appetites darker than she could imagine. Her rich alto begged for a man to put his hands on her. A man with a cold ring and about a foot of height difference between them.

Rayne beckoned Nox to take her.

Korac waited at the back alley for the rebellious girl to exit after her set. She did so, flipping her curled hair out of her heavily lined eyes. If Korac hadn't seen Rayne climb out of her second-story window, he'd wonder how she'd left the house in a fishnet top and a bra. From following her, he knew she'd bought those skin-tight leather pants with her bookstore earnings.

'Trouble' was Rayne's new middle name, and she never bit off more than she could chew. At least, as far as she knew. Korac would intervene if necessary.

"Don't worry, Sagan," Rayne said into her cellphone on her walk to the main street. "If Justin comes near you again, I'll break his other leg." She gave a flirty, fake-modest laugh. "Well, how was I supposed to know steroids would weaken his bones? Dosing must've shriveled his brains along with his balls—Hang on, Sagan. Let me call you back."

From the rooftops, Korac watched a human male step in Rayne's way. She stopped walking as she hung up and squared off with the stranger. Behind her, another potential threat emerged, boxing her in.

Korac was remiss to admit, he appreciated Rayne's smirk as she asked, "Can I help you, boys?"

The greasier of the two said, "We were hoping to make your wish come true."

"Yeah, pretty girl. Think you could 'skin me with your tongue'?" Thing Two chuckled, amused at his reference to Rayne's lyrics.

Perched on the roof, Korac inhaled the humid April air. In the time it took him to exhale, Rayne had laid the greasy guy low and stomped him with her high-heeled combat boot.

The second assailant snarled, "Bitch," and flipped open a blade. "Hold still, or I'll cut that grin off your sweet face."

Rayne was grinning broad enough to make her guardian proud. She flicked her hand, encouraging Thing Two to come at her with the knife.

Foolishly, the brute charged at her.

Rayne kicked off one wall of the alley, spun and kicked off the other to match her opponent's height. Up there, she boxed his ears.