Twilight Angel

Chapter 22

Phoenix, Arizona

"Phoenix, huh?" I wonder. "Why would he come out to a sunny place like this?

Perhaps he thought it would be the last place for others to be looking at. Circe suggests.

She's right and Laurent said that he's very comfortable in the human world like the Cullens are. It's a very frightening thought that a vampire like James would walk so casually among his prey. Of course, you'd want to blend in with your surroundings and not give yourself away. He might be pale and glows like a disco ball (if his skin's exposed, mind you) but he's got incentive...with me being that incentive. Still, it's better that I'm that incentive rather than other innocent humans. I pull out my phone and send a quick text message.

Edward, I'm sorry for taking off on you but I know where James is. Come to Phoenix.

The sun is down and night has fallen, giving me plenty of cover and time to transform into Sailor Night. My power is supplemented by the darkness, giving me an extra boost in my current state. James is in for a surprise when I track him down and fight him. Using Circe's senses, I pick up on his scent and I am led to a building which clearly states is a dance studio. Everything on the inside looks as it appeared in my vision and, of course, there's a TV nearby. You wanna know what I see? I see a recording of James reading my diary and getting a look inside of my thoughts.

"Motherfucker." I growl.

"Oh, good." That cheerful voice echoes. "You came."

I see half of him beneath the moonlight, his red eyes shining, giving him that deadly aura of a predator. Fortunately, I've already shifted into Scout mode, though it's already clear that he's figured out my civilian persona. He's a crafty bastard, alright, but I'm not about to compliment him out loud. Besides which, Circe is ten times as crafty and that's saying a lot about someone who shares a body with you.

Indeed. She purrs in delight.

She's growing restless, too. Hm. I have a feeling that I might need her help. I can keep up with vampire speed but I'm not too sure about physical strength. I've seen how strong they are, thanks to Emmett, and I don't think I could take him in hand-to-hand combat without Circe's help. For that matter, I may as well call upon the spirits of my fallen comrades as well. Well, we're about to find out what I'm getting into, aren't we? I position my scythe in front of me just as Sailor Saturn would. 

"You lead a very interesting life." James says lightly. "I thought it was the work of a lunatic but, then, someone showed me that it wasn't."

"What?" He couldn't be talking about who I think he's speaking of.

"The one person that you thought dead is very much alive."

So, our former master lives, eh? Circe says.

So it would seem. He doesn't seem to be lying.

I consider it my job to see through all of the bullshit and it doesn't seem to me that he's bullshitting me. However, I do take his words with a grain of salt. Not everything he says could be true. For all I know, he could just be baiting me...like he did earlier with my identity and the star locket. Oh, shit. Where is it?

"Looking for this?"

James pulls the star locket from his pocket and I just about jump for it out of instinct but both James and Circe warn me not to move unless I wanted him to crush it. That locket is very special to me and to have him crush it would not only devastate me...it would piss me off majorly. I take a deep breath and compose myself. It just wouldn't do to let the bastard get the best of me. That's Circe's god-given job, anyway.

Indeed.

"So, you did go through my place."

"Sure. I had to find something to get you to me." James says cheerfully.

"His cheerfulness is getting on my nerves, Circe."

You want me to do something about it?

Before I can answer, James rushes me at a very high rate of speed. I will admit that I almost didn't dodge it. Gripping my scythe, I swing it at him but miss. Right off the bat, I can tell that using my scythe is going to be a pain. It's going to slow me down trying to fend the bloodsucker off. I shift back into the shadows and out of James' reach for the moment. My hiding place is only temporary, I remind myself. This particular vampire is a tracker of some sort and it won't take him long to find me in the darkness. 

"So Kunzite came to you, eh?" I ask.

"Oh, the pretty boy with the long hair? Yeah, sure did. He told me all about you."

Fuck.

Rather than relying on Circe right away, I summon Uranus's wind to help boost my speed a little. At least, I'll be able to dodge and anticipate his next moves and buy me some extra time. As much as I would like to summons Mars' power, it would take me a couple of seconds to form her bow and arrow and that's a couple of seconds too long...even with Uranus's speed.

"You'd make one bad ass vampire." James says.

Now's the time to let me loose, pet. Waste no more time.

Ignoring her, I try to keep James talking by intentionally taking his bait and ask about Kunzite. As he speaks, I start to release the seal that's on my back as slowly as possible. This annoys Circe, of course, but what do I care? I'm not allowing her to control my body entirely. I do not trust her enough to let her do that again. Before I can do anything, James stops talking and suddenly slams into me from behind and sends me flying across the dance studio.

"Weren't you taught to never have your back towards your opponent?" He taunts.

"You sadistic son of a bitch." I growl.

"Quite a dirty mouth on a pretty thing on you but look who's calling me a sadist?"

That was quite a hard hit and, soon, James is standing over me. He had sent me into the mirrors of the ballet studios and, as a result, there's blood forming a puddle. Like the sadist he is, he runs a finger through the puddle and licks it. 

"I'm going to enjoy savoring you."

Fortunately, I've energy enough to use what I call a shadow ball. It's merely a small ball of negative energy but it packs a freaking punch. So I return the favor and send James flying towards the other side of the ballet. Of course, as soon as James makes contact with the floor, the blur of another vampire socks him really good. 

Edward.