Relics of Blood - Wolfheart (classic book list .TXT) 📗

down. The explosion of the blood was instant relief. Suddenly, images of dark clothed people with fangs and red eyes filled my mind. Laws raced through my thoughts. As I drank the blood I absorbed the memories of hoards of vampires - twenty or so at a time - attacked groups of hunters.
Including him.
Slowly, as the pains eased and the energy flowed through me again, I removed my fangs. Looking up, I saw him swallowing. Sweat beaded his forehead. He was very pale.
Could he be...?

"Jinx?"
"I'm fine." He gulped. "But I can't do this every day."
I relaxed. It was strange to care about him at all; he changed my sister, after all. I'd known him for no more than twenty-four hours anyway.
"Sorry."
Wait...did he cry out this time?

I could only recall him flinching...
"Where's the girls?" He asked.
"Right there." I pointed directly at them. Sabre was looking back and forth at people distrustfully while looking for us.
"Go get some cloths and bond a little bit."
"Fine." I took his wrist and began to lick the blood. He became tense. When I pulled away and it healed, he blinked and stared at the unmarred flesh. "Rest up, Jinx. And lock the vehicle."
"Of course. Just to tell you...you've fed from me twice. That will mean you'll know if I'm hurt or in trouble."
"Really?"
"Yes."
I shrugged and got out to meet the girls I'd picked up on the side of the street.

It was interesting to shop with Sabre. She was very easily distracted, but watched everybody very carefully with extreme distrust in her eyes. Though we went to many stores in an attempt to get her normal clothing, she seemed more interested in something that hid her. She seemed to prefer baggy shirts with dragons, tigers or bears; durable but loose blue jeans and tennis shoes. I got her hair died - she refused to have it cut - black with red streaks.
Anybody who saw us - especially Sabre - allowed everything for free. It was strange to see this. The humans seemed more terrified of us than the many vampires around us. I kept feeling them. They would stare at me and Sync strangely, as if they couldn't believe their eyes. The moment they saw Sabre, however, they quickly moved away.
What the hell is going on here?

After getting Sync a very revieling leather belly shirt, skirt and knee-length boots - and long arugement over the thing until Sabre swore she'd bring Jinx into the store to end it - I decided to go with something less modern.
It took a long time to find a tiny store with what I liked. Even most vampires dressed modern, to attempt to blend in. I hated the idea of simply being a part of the crowd, and I had no reason to.
Both of them gave me a side-long 'you're crazy' look as I walked out in a white tunic, a black sash and a black dress pants. A forest green old-fashioned cape draped from my back. The swirling bright designs inspired me. Around my neck was a broach.
"Hello eighteen hundreds..." Sabre said, looking me up and down.
"Hey, you like baggy. She likes whore. I like old. Now let's get you something to eat."
"Shouldn't we check on Jinx or whoever? He may have passed out or something." Sync looked concerned.
"Oh. I would know if he's hurt or upset about something. Apparently there's that kind thing in the blood."
Sabre shrugged. "Fine. But no more fancy stuff."
"Sabre, this is the mall. Fancy isn't here."
So I fetched her a burger from the food court, bought something for Jinx and we headed out; niether Sync nor I were interested in the food - or, strangely enough, the humans. When I thought about it, I realized we'd been here for hours and still had no interest in them at all. It was nearly midnight. Thankfully, malls around here didn't close.
We quickly left for the car. When I saw Jinx was fast asleep, I couldn't help but smile and move him gently into the passenger. I would need to drive, anyway. Directions to our new home was complicated. Getting in, I headed for a place my memories would be safe as well as my two new friends.

Chapter Three

Broken Secretes

Jinx let Alex lift him into the passenger seat. He needed to think - and rest. His own throat burned now, and his chest had become tight. He'd not allowed her to take too much, in case something went wrong.
When she stopped for gas, he went into the gas station and up to the clerk. Jinx asked for his help finding the bathroom. It was so quick, he didn't have time to scream.
"Huh. No clerk here." Sabre's voice surprised him. He rose and walked out of the corner the bathroom was behind.
"Oh. Feeding again?" She looked him over with spite.
"Your doing your job. I'm doing mine. Now, where'd she go?"
"She'd pumping the gas, blood-sucker. I'm getting some soda."
He whiped the blood from his face. "She still think you're human?"
"Not if you don't shut up before she comes in." The girl snapped. "Jeez...stuck with a vamp like you..."
"Well, I don't exactly like it either. Do you think I chose

to work with your kind?"
The bell rang and in walked Alex, along with Sync.
Is her hair already longer? It kind of looks lighter, too.

"Hey. Find everything alright?" She asked. She looked over at the counter. "Was this place open?"
"Yeah. I needed something after being drained."
She put the twenty in her hand into her pocket.
"Let's go, you two. Sunrise isn't far, and we have a ways to go."
Sabre grabbed herself a creamsoda. As I turned and followed Jinx out, I noticed Sync talk to Sabre. They disappeared to a section I couldn't see them. I tried to igrnore the fact that my sister was feeding off from Sabre, who I'd tried my hardest not

too. "I still need to drive." She told him when he went to get in the car. He knew where they were going...
"What?"
"It's kind of hard to reach where I'm going when giving dirrections. I get all mixed up."
He was about to protest when he caught Sabre's eye as they came from the store. Then he sighed and registered for the passenger's seat for a third time. The girls jumped into the car and we took off at full throttle.

*****

It was around three in the morning when I pulled up to a forest at least a half hour from town, with no cell service. I parked the car and got out, quickly followed by Sync. Neither of the other two moved, though both were wide awake. I began to walk toward the thick forest alone.
Jinx got out of the car and rushed over to me.
"Please tell me you just have to really go to the bathroom..." He looked like he was ready to beg me.
"Nope. The car can't reach the place I'm going. You two don't wanna come, that's fine. I'm close enough to town to learn to hunt people and avoid hunters...they seem to hate Sync and I anyway." I crossed my arms. "I know there are different vampires in the world. There are some that can only live off human blood. There are vampires who need animal blood as well. But I don't seem to want either. Instead...I want yours. And Sabre's. I've figured out you're a vampire; that's obvious from you changing my sister. So what the hell is she, and why are you lying to me?"
The surprise on his face was almost insualting.
"Common, Jinx. If you think I'm that stupid, I really don't care. Just leave me and my sister alone in the woods. I'd like to live here comfortably, without trying to desipher your words for truth."
He looked back and waved Sabre over. The child rose out of the car, slamming the door.
"What the hell is going on here?" She demanded.
"It was your

father's idea. Tell her yourself, Sabre. She knows what I

am. Now, I'm going to lock my ten thousand dollar car and be back here in a minute. Nothing had better happen to either of you or

my vehicle while I'm gone."
He left.
I stared at Sabre. "I'm listening."
Is it just me or did she just get really pale?

"Well...see...we've been waiting for the perfect...um...kind of person..."
"Hang on, Sabre. Who's we?"
She blinked and licked her lips.
"Well...truth is...we..."
She looked down and muttered something.
"Damn it Sabre!"
"The 'we' is my family. My family are...half-vampire humans who have broken away and begun hunting vampires. Both of humans and vampires seem terrified of us...even most fellow hunters hate us."
"How...are you...half vampire?"
She sighed. "Vampires found a way to give birth. Find a human woman who was pregnant and change her during her last month. They're only a month early when they're born. But there was a problem; because they were born with the vampire blood as well, the human blood isn't modified at all. But the half-vampire does age. They age half as quickly, though. I may look fifteen, but I've lived for thirty years. I've never gone to a normal school; all I've ever learned was about hunting vampires."
"So why am I involved?" I demanded.
"Well...there's this legend that humans had a defender. I mean, other than the werewolves that they begged the gods for. There were vampires who were completely vampire and protected them. These vampires were changed no older than twenty-one. Usually, they were around sixteen or so. But anyway, they fed from vampires instead of animals and humans. They couldn't tolerate any other kind of blood. Because of their diet...the sun was ten times as powerful. They used the magic of the earth, rather than darkness. It wasn't because it was painful after learning the other. It was because they couldn't

use anything else."
"What? Magic? I still don't get this..."
"Jinx will explain that shit. I don't get it; can't use any of it. I can walk into the sun and need to eat normal food, but I also need animal blood and can't use magic. But that ain't the point, Alex. We chose you - my family, that is - because you...this...thing about your blood."
"What thing?"
"There's a mutated gene in your blood that most people don't have. It reacts funny to the vampire mutation in DNA that causes vampirism."
"What?"
"Vampires are about mutated genetics. That's all. It spreads. But genetics aren't all the same. Sometimes the mutation reacts weird. So they can sustain off a different kind of blood. And yours...just so happens to be vampire blood. You're the first vampire in a very long time to be able to do it. Vampires just don't drink each others blood anymore. But you certainly enjoy Jinx's. And I saw the way you looked at me."
"Hey!" Sabre looked a little upset at that. "I like your blood. She can't have any of that."
"I don't want it. To tell the truth, I'm fine with Jinx's."
"That's another thing; you don't just want any vampire's blood. Honestly, vampires like Jinx who feed from humans don't keep partners. I can't, since I feed from animal blood. But You guys do. Any other blood will do nothing for your systems. And you'll hate the taste. It'll be like drinking a vile of poison. You need

us."
"Sure