Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ A Matter Of Choice ❯ And So It Begins ( Chapter 26 )

And So It Begins

 

Tegan walked swiftly. She had a plan, she had done her homework and she was ready. Well, as ready as she would ever be, all she could do now was pray. She was going to need a little luck tonight, maybe more than a little. She looked up to the sky; the sun had almost set. She had a little time to prepare before her quarry would be on the prowl. She made swiftly for the waste ground; the full petrol can in her hand. People took no notice of her presence as she glided through the streets. She had chosen her target with care, more confident of her ability to handle him than Demetriov.

 

She turned the corner and entered through a gap in the fence. No one came here now, the place had long since been abandoned, and that was what she needed for her purposes. She walked over to the pile of rotting timber she had been building for the last week or so. Although the wood was dry there was no harm in being certain. She poured petrol all over the makeshift pyre, and then made torches out of timber and rags. She would need one to light the timber. As she finished the last light left the sky and streetlights blinked into life.

 

She checked her lighter and kissed it for luck. She felt the blades beneath her coat, their presence reassuring. She waited a while, nervous anticipation starting to take over her, making sure Devon would be up and hunting, before making her way to the street where they met. This time there would be no element of surprise, they knew exactly what the other was. She would have to use all her cunning to draw him from his hunting ground to the place she had chosen. As she reached her chosen location she hid in the shadows of a dark alley and waited.

 

The darkness around her grew, and in the shadows she was invisible. She shivered in the cold, her stomach tying itself in knots. It wasn't long before Devon showed himself. She soon heard footfalls, the sound of someone running. A young man ran past her looking furtively behind him. He hadn't gone far down the alley when a dark figure jumped on him from above, pinning him to the floor. Tegan fought back the gasp at the sounds behind her, anxious to avoid discovery at this stage. Devon grasped the youth's head, breaking his neck, and then hauled the poor boy upright by his shirt silently feeding on him. Eventually he dropped the body and stretched as the blood filled his veins.

 

Her heat pounding, she knew that this was her chance. She swallowed hard, her mouth dry and took a deep breath.

 

“Devon.” She whispered.

 

He turned quickly at the sound.

 

“Devon.” She whispered again, tensing, waiting for her moment.

 

“Tegan.” He smiled to himself. “You had left it so long that we thought you had taken Demetriov's advice. We should be so lucky.”

 

Devon crept closer and closer to her, trying to find where she was hidden.

 

“I know you're here Tegan, so why not be sociable?” Damn he was going to find the bitch and have some fun. The way she had hurt him still burned and he was itching for some payback.

 

Still she waited, holding her breath lest he locate her too soon. Her heart raced within her chest, beating a fierce tattoo within her ribcage, adrenaline soaring through her in increasing waves. Clenching her fists she fought down the urge to run.

 

Not yet…not yet!

 

Closer and closer he came, seeking her out. Tegan was horribly aware of her pounding heart, scared of the sound leading him to her. Closer, closer, then he passed her, stopping at the entrance to the alleyway, his back to her.

 

“Come out and talk Tegan, I can be reasonable. Why can't we just talk a while?”

 

Tegan slid her left blade out of its holster silently, softly rising to her feet to maintain the element of surprise. She coiled her muscles like springs and dived for him. Devon whirled round at the sound of her sudden approach. She slashed at him catching him in the face, and then elbowed him in the ribs. As he staggered she turned tail and ran. She glanced back to see him stand, wipe blood from his face, and then follow. She felt a small stab of victory in her heart; so far all was going to plan, but she had a long way to run until she got him where she wanted him. He was gaining rapidly and she needed to open a gap. Thinking quickly she darted down an alley to try and throw him off track, only to find a fence at the other end.

 

“Shit!” She swore, trying to ignore the sense of panic stabbing at her mind.

 

She put on an extra burst of speed and jumped onto some trashcans leant up against the fence, and leapt gracefully over, landing and rolling to her feet the other side. Devon heard her and followed with a grin, enjoying the chase. Tegan knew that she needed a crowd, somewhere where Devon would not attack immediately. Using what she had learned in the past few weeks she changed tack and dived into the busy centre of a precinct where a parade for Chinese New Year was winding its way along the street. She slotted her way into the parade, looking all the time for Devon. She took a moment to catch her breath as she looked around her, the fear gone, she was now far too immersed in the chase to be afraid anymore.

 

The pair spotted each other at exactly the same moment, Devon on a ledge in the shadows. Tegan darted through and out of the crowd. She knew that it wasn't far to go, though her lungs felt they were on fire. Gratefully she darted through the gap in the fence pulled out both blades and spun round, her back to the pyre. She waited tensely for him to appear before her, but was left waiting. Where was he? She had a clear line of sight, so where was he hiding? She could hear her blood pounding in her ears; it was blocking some of the smaller sounds around her. She paced nervously, trying to guess where he might appear next.

 

She heard a noise behind her and turned instinctively, swinging a blade out and was swift enough to slash him across the arm. He grunted as the silver burned, Tegan backing away hurriedly, trying to put some distance between them. He bared his teeth at her, annoyed that he had lost the element of surprise, but no matter. He came at her again, Tegan ready she kicked him in the stomach, striking at him with the blades, but he parried the blows all too easily. Swallowing hard Tegan turned and ran for safety but he closed the gap and knocked her down from behind. She landed heavily in the dirt with a pained yelp, snarling in frustration.

 

Grinning triumphantly, he grabbed her by the back of the neck and hauled her to her feet. He held her body to his trapping her arms against his chest. Tegan's eyes wide with panic, he viciously yanked her head back, exposing her throat but it wasn't over yet. She still held the blades, and with the right hand one she dragged the serrated edge into his flesh where it jammed. Devon immediately let go of her and tried to pull away from the blade. Tegan pulled it across his stomach opening a huge tear in the tender flesh. Devon screamed in agony, clutching at his wound as blood spurted freely from between his fingers, falling to his knees.

 

“You bitch! You're going to fucking pay for that!” He roared through the waves of pain as his body began to heal.

 

The heat of battle on her, Tegan began to laugh at him, thrilled by this apparent victory. She kicked him in the chest, sending him sprawling on his back, but already the wound had healed enough for Devon to retaliate. He lunged for her teeth bared and was lucky, his teeth sinking into her shoulder. Tegan screamed at the sudden pain, fighting of his hands as he clawed to get a hold on her. She dropped the right blade, grabbing a handful of his hair and pulled him off her, his teeth tearing her flesh making her moan. Inside her something snapped, something feral deep within her waking up, coursing through her.

 

Her eyes took on a sudden coolness and determination. Suddenly she yanked his head back, and with a victory roar, slit his throat from ear to ear with her left blade. Blood spurted everywhere, covering her hands, her hair and soaking her to the skin. She pushed Devon away from her with a disgusted sneer, his body limp, gagging as the blood rushed out from his body. Without the blood the wound would be hard to heal. He lay there twitching in the dirt, fallen but not dying. That required sunlight or fire.

 

Tegan stood over him breathing hard, her own wounds and pains forgotten for the moment, a cruel smile settling on her face. Looking down at him, twitching, helpless at her feet she felt satisfaction in her victory. His blood dripped slowly off her fingers and along the blade in red beads and rivulets, joining the expanding pool of blood collecting round her feet. She looked at the blade, a strange glazed over look in her eyes as she eyed the contrast of red and silver curiously. She had a sudden insane urge to taste the red fluid. She lifted the blade to her lips and licked it. The taste sent shivers down her spine, a fresh rush of adrenaline flooded her veins.

 

As suddenly as it had come the strange detachment left her, the taste of his blood shaking her out of her strange reverie. What had come over her? Why was she feeling like this? She was suddenly appalled by her actions. How could she have even enjoyed that? She felt nauseous, her stomach contracting suddenly. She swallowed back the sudden rush of bile and decided to get on with things.

 

She pushed the bloody blades back into their sheathes and stooped down to the helpless Devon. He coughed blood, a liquid noise squeezing more blood from the open wound in his throat. She fought back the bile that surged to her throat closing her eyes to shut out the horrid image. She lifted him up, it taking most of her strength. She carried him to the pyre, his blood continuing to run over her body, mixing with the blood from the wound in her shoulder. She looked a terrifying sight; a shiny, wet, red demon carrying the lacerated body of a much larger man. She struggled to the top of the pyre and unceremoniously dropped him onto the wood. She jumped back down, relieved to be away from him and retrieved her torches from their hiding place.

 

She lit them one by one, pushing them upright into the dirt in a loose ring around the pyre, lighting up the wasteland. As she lit the last one she steeled herself for what she must do, putting all feelings of disgust to one side, and returned to the pyre torch in hand. Miraculously Devon was starting to heal despite the gravity of his injuries. He was weak, struggling to roll over. Their eyes met, Tegan's cold and hard, sure in her purpose. Devon saw her and knew there was no escape. For the first time she saw terror in his brilliant vampire eyes. She maintained eye contact as she slowly raised the torch and threw it onto the timber.

 

The petrol ignited in a sudden rush of sound and heat, a roaring blaze enveloping the pyre in seconds. Tegan watched her heart growing cold as Devon writhed in agony in the flames. He bellowed an inhuman scream into the night, echoing off the buildings, calling the vampires to him. They would come to witness the death of their own by fire. They always did. Sudden exhaustion filled her, the adrenaline-fuelled mania leaving her. She fell to her knees breathless, conserving energy, her emotions starting to press at her, but she kept them dammed up, knowing that the night wasn't over. There would be time enough to deal with them later.

 

After some time she became aware of the approach of others. She waited till she had counted them all, sure that they had all arrived. The vampires watched Devon howling, ignoring her for now. They could not come as close to the fire as she for they could not stand the heat. Tegan rose, drawing her blades, turning to the loose ring of adversaries behind her. One figure stood back from the rest, she couldn't see his face, but she didn't need to. She fought down the urge to turn as Devon let out one last hideous howl; his death cry as the fire finally consumed him.

 

She looked up coldly, her statement well and truly made. Unflinchingly she met the furious eyes of the other vampires. “Well that's one, who's next?” She challenged, her grip tightening on her blades.

 

“Be careful what you wish for girl, you might just get exactly what you ask for.” Stephan's deep velvety voice warned with a snarl.

 

“What's wrong Stephan, scared now that this little girl has made her first kill?” Tegan spat. “I'm not so defenceless anymore am I?”

 

“I'm not scared of you Tegan” He replied levelly.

 

“Neither are the rest of us.” Rachel snarled, baring her teeth. She was by far and away the most angry of the group, but could not get any closer to Tegan, the heat of the fire almost too much for her where she was.

 

“We are all here, and there is only one of you.” Alan pointed out quietly.

 

“Beware Tegan.” Came a soft warning.

 

She turned to see Torin standing to the right of her, concern registering on his features.

 

“I'm ready for you!” She spat back at them, Torin's look of concern only serving to anger her at this moment.

 

“Someone ought to teach her a thing or two.” Alan hissed to his companions.

 

“Wait!” Came the authoritative voice as they started to close on her. All eyes turned to the dark figure standing outside of the circle.

 

“It is her first kill, and probably by no means her last.” The voice mused. “But we have to give her a chance. She has only just begun.” He soothed the others. “We should leave her to savour this moment. Her life is so short now that she has chosen this path.” His tone carrying a promise that it would be the case.

 

There was a moment of tension that passed in silence. As it eased one by one her adversaries turned and walked away, some more reluctantly than others. Tegan was surprised to actually see tear's in Rachel's eyes, and suddenly realised that the two had been close. She had made a dangerous enemy in Rachel. Tegan remained tense as they departed, waiting to see if anyone made a move against her. They all left except the dark figure that remained where he had stood throughout the proceedings. She couldn't see his face, but she knew who it was all the same.

 

“Why do you stay Demetriov?” She asked sliding her blades away once more. She didn't plan on using them against him just yet. She approached him, letting the hate she felt for him rise within her. “Do you wish to try and kill me out of sight of the others, in an act of total hypocrisy?” She snarled.

 

She spun and struck out at him, landing her foot squarely in the centre of his chest, following through quickly with her right fist. The next moment she flew backwards as he hammered his fist into her face, almost knocking her off balance. She ducked the next swing and swung a double handed blow into the soft tissue of his stomach, but didn't see the under cut coming. As the blow knocked her backwards and upwards he caught her, spun her round and held her, her back to him, pinning her arms at her sides.

 

She sagged gently in his hold, dazed from the blow. He brought one hand to her throat and lifted her head up as her vision cleared. He moved towards her open throat, Tegan thinking to struggle against him, but suddenly stopped as images of the night he had bitten her filling her mind. Demetriov smiled to himself as Tegan almost found herself willing him to give her that ecstasy, just for a moment. He closed in on her until she could feel his breath on her flesh, her skin tight from drying blood. The moment was tense, Tegan waiting for the bite to come, and yet doing nothing to resist him, frozen as her emotions battled within. Demetriov could hear her heart pounding; smell Devon's blood covering her. His lips were against her quivering flesh, but the moment wasn't right. He drew back, controlling his hunger.

 

“No, I only wish to observe you, for now.” He murmured softly in her ear. He held her for a few moment, smirking as she remained still against him, enjoying the moment. He leaned in so his face rested next to hers. “An inventive first kill, my congratulations.”

 

He released her with a quick shove, turned and walked away. She stood stunned, amazed that he had not taken his opportunity, appalled that when it had come to it that she hadn't fought him. She watched him leave almost expecting him to look back, but if he did, it was after he had melted into the shadows. She sat down heavily by Devon's funeral pyre and watched the fire burn. She felt all the exhaustion and pain seep into her muscles and bones, but still she would not let the emotions go just yet. Her shoulder throbbed and would need to be cleaned and bandaged. She sat, watched and waited for the fire to burn out, then scattered the ashes.

 

She hurried through the back streets hardly daring to think, hiding in shadows. The sun was coming up and she didn't want anyone to see her. She knew she was covered in blood and ash. The last thing she needed was a panicked observer calling the police department. Diving from shadow to shadow she made her way back to the apartment. Once back she closed the curtains, turned on the lights and stopped to look at herself in the mirror.

 

She barely recognised her reflection. Beneath the layer of red brown dry blood, and grey ash the face she knew was barely visible. Her eyes looked hard and cold even to herself. She shrugged it off as tiredness. She stripped off her ruined clothes methodically; the blood would never wash out and they would have to be disposed of somehow. She turned on the shower, turning up the heat until the room filled with steam. Stepping in she let her mind wander.

 

She spent a long time washing away all the grime from the night. The water ran red as the blood slowly ran off her body. She watched the red trails impassively as they snaked down the plughole. She teased out her matted hair, and washed it over and over again, unaware that tears were now silently flowing down her face, mixing with the bloody water. She couldn't bear the thought of having any of Devon left on her anywhere. She rinsed the bite wound at her shoulder gingerly and finally satisfied she was cleansed turned off the water and stepped out.

 

In the mirror she saw herself, very tired, weary, and suddenly realised she was on the verge of breaking down and sobbing her heart out. She opened the medicine cabinet with a sigh and dressed the puffy wound on her shoulder. Too tired to do anything else she went into the bedroom, threw back the covers and climbed into bed, the towel still wrapped round her. She gave no thought to turning out the light, she was too exhausted. She fell almost instantly asleep, a tear rolling down her cheek.

 

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Author's note:

My my, little Tegan can be a dark little thing, though I don't think she realises it herself just yet. She's made her bed now… the future can only hold more like this. The two have started this twisted little dance of destruction and now to see where it takes them.