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jaggedwolfThe hit sent Arkady tumbling to the ground. She shifted her weight in a well-practiced movement, rolling her back across the ground to land in a half-kneeling position. Stake was still in her hand, thankfully.
Arkady looked up at her cloaked opponent. They were looming over her, a predatory grin slowly widening on their face. Not a vampire in a blood frenzy. She didn’t recognize them but that didn’t mean anything, not with the intel she’d gathered on the clan’s ranks growing.
Shit, she wasn’t dying alone in the woods to some newbie vampire. They weren’t lunging for the kill yet though, content to stare silently and watch what she would do. Probably liked to play with their food.
The vampire’s face suddenly contorted in shock. Arkady’s gaze slid to their neck, knowing it’d be the familiar sight of a deathly pale hand slamming a needle into the skin. The hand released its grasp. The vampire crumpled to the ground, revealing Violet standing behind them.
Arkady got up to her feet, ignoring the slight strain in her back. She’d feel that tomorrow. “You vampires sure love your dramatic entrances.”
Violet had started tying up the vampire, rope produced from the inside of her black cloak. She frowned at Arkady’s words. “I got here as quickly as I could. Maybe if you’d told me you planned on wandering the woods alone tonight, my timing wouldn’t have had to be dramatic.”
Right. Trust the vampire. Violet had been a useful resource, and certainly eager to help, but Arkady hadn’t survived this long through by being naive. She shrugged, knowing Violet would understand what she meant.
Violet slung the tied-up vampire over her shoulder easily. “I’d recommend rescheduling your recon mission for another night. Too many newly-sired looking to prove themselves tonight.”
“Yeah, I realized. How’s that whole drugging and dumping thing going?”
“Better than I’d hoped. Most of them are so content with their new abilities that getting bested like this messes with their mind. They’re happy to a listen to a note suggesting they skip town.”
“So they can leech off some other population?” retorted Arkady. Violet’s concoction was impressive as hell. What she did with it, on the other hand, not so much.
“I’ve learned to keep my goals realistic.” Violet’s face twisted with shame, maybe, and her fangs peeked past her lips as she spoke. “We have a deal, don’t we? I deal with them my way, you deal with them yours.”
Violet glanced at the stake still in Arkady’s hands. She kept speaking. “I can give them a chance, in case they didn’t choose this. I do what I can-well, "live with” seems like the wrong phrase.“
Arkady stowed the stake back in her jacket. No point now. "Don’t we all, Liu. Going to walk me back to the others?”
Violet’s eyes widened.
“You’ve literally offered every time, don’t look so surprised.” Arkady shook her head. “Besides, Brian will be thrilled to see you, and Sana’s got more blood bags for you.”
Arkady looked up at her cloaked opponent. They were looming over her, a predatory grin slowly widening on their face. Not a vampire in a blood frenzy. She didn’t recognize them but that didn’t mean anything, not with the intel she’d gathered on the clan’s ranks growing.
Shit, she wasn’t dying alone in the woods to some newbie vampire. They weren’t lunging for the kill yet though, content to stare silently and watch what she would do. Probably liked to play with their food.
The vampire’s face suddenly contorted in shock. Arkady’s gaze slid to their neck, knowing it’d be the familiar sight of a deathly pale hand slamming a needle into the skin. The hand released its grasp. The vampire crumpled to the ground, revealing Violet standing behind them.
Arkady got up to her feet, ignoring the slight strain in her back. She’d feel that tomorrow. “You vampires sure love your dramatic entrances.”
Violet had started tying up the vampire, rope produced from the inside of her black cloak. She frowned at Arkady’s words. “I got here as quickly as I could. Maybe if you’d told me you planned on wandering the woods alone tonight, my timing wouldn’t have had to be dramatic.”
Right. Trust the vampire. Violet had been a useful resource, and certainly eager to help, but Arkady hadn’t survived this long through by being naive. She shrugged, knowing Violet would understand what she meant.
Violet slung the tied-up vampire over her shoulder easily. “I’d recommend rescheduling your recon mission for another night. Too many newly-sired looking to prove themselves tonight.”
“Yeah, I realized. How’s that whole drugging and dumping thing going?”
“Better than I’d hoped. Most of them are so content with their new abilities that getting bested like this messes with their mind. They’re happy to a listen to a note suggesting they skip town.”
“So they can leech off some other population?” retorted Arkady. Violet’s concoction was impressive as hell. What she did with it, on the other hand, not so much.
“I’ve learned to keep my goals realistic.” Violet’s face twisted with shame, maybe, and her fangs peeked past her lips as she spoke. “We have a deal, don’t we? I deal with them my way, you deal with them yours.”
Violet glanced at the stake still in Arkady’s hands. She kept speaking. “I can give them a chance, in case they didn’t choose this. I do what I can-well, "live with” seems like the wrong phrase.“
Arkady stowed the stake back in her jacket. No point now. "Don’t we all, Liu. Going to walk me back to the others?”
Violet’s eyes widened.
“You’ve literally offered every time, don’t look so surprised.” Arkady shook her head. “Besides, Brian will be thrilled to see you, and Sana’s got more blood bags for you.”