Damage Control Read online

Xairin reached out with talons proliferating to deliver a decisive attack. His hands were possessed with animal-like instinct. He pulled at the man's head and spun into the air by performing a backflip while keeping his hands on the man's head. He landed behind the attacker while twisting his head off like turning a steering wheel. He raised the head upward and tossed it.

  The Alpha was there locking eyes. He had recovered from Ezra's blast...

  He growled at Xairin. Humans in the street gasped and hunkered. The few mortals more enamored by social media's need to record things, pulled their phones as if they were gunslingers, having them recording in a second's notice.

  Max and Bernie had finally arrived.

  The Alpha looked to his sides; he could see the two tongue-less men beginning to melt away. The headless one was starting to steam. The one Xairin had slung into the side of a building was still stunned from the sheer force Xairin had used against him.

  Xairin, noticing the tall vampire, to his left, and his shorter brother to his right, realized Ethan had sent chaperones.

  The Alpha gargoyle hissed. He flexed his arms as if he was competing in a bodybuilding pageant and yelling like some hulking beast. The tall man's clothing began to rip off his body. His size was gaining mass. His skin became black and scaled. Wings shot out of his back, much like that of a vampire. The long-curved dagger-like claw on his bat-like leathery wings was more pronounced. He had two horns sprouting from his forehead, goat-like, grew from his head. The Gargoyle hissed. His fangs were dripping with something that wreaked of sulfur, it was venom. Xairin could not only smell it, but his blood was warning him of precisely what it was, a deadly toxin that would cause his flesh to rot off his bones if it bit him.

  His yellow eyes moved independently of each other. They caught everything, Max moving to the side, Bernie matching his brother's pounce, and even Xairin's body language, showing that the young vampire was gaining confidence. No detail was missed.

  A tail came into Xairin's view. It was long and leathery with hints of black fur along the top ridge that was starting to arch. The Gargoyle had clawed wings, clawed hands, a venomous bite, and tail at its disposal. Xairin watched the thing's eyes move, one eye looking one way, and the other focusing in on the surroundings. Watching the eyes move alone, made Xairin curious and repulsed at the same time.

  Max went for it.

  Bernie saw his brother, pounce. He tried to run in and distract it. The tail slapped Max into the air, while the thing's wing, buffered, tossing Bernie.

  It was standing ten feet tall now. Its body had grown to proportions that Xairin had never heard of. It opened its foul mouth, it's jaw unhinged to give it a more substantial bite, and it came running at Xairin with open arms.

  The Gargoyle moved faster than Xairin could. He tried to dodge it but couldn't. Xairin found himself, six feet off the ground, with the horrific beast's left hand wrapped around his throat. His head was nearing its mouth.

  A shot to the Gargoyle's chest from Ezra's blaster pistol, caused it to drop the young vampire. Ezra had managed to get his gun but was still shaking off the effects of using his telekinetic force.

  The creature spoke in a shrill voice. "SENSITIVE!?"

  The tail came rapidly for Xairin's throat, it wrapped around it like a python would. Xairin again found himself several feet off the ground as the beast freed his hand and began walking towards Ezra, hissing. The crushing strength of the Alpha's tail left Xairin unable to move, it was wrapping around him, crushing him.

  The Alpha's mighty claw went to swipe Ezra off the face of the earth. The attack was interrupted. Ezra felt his body move and appear several feet away. A blond woman with pitch black eyes was holding onto him. Peggy had moved with speeds faster than the human eye could detect, nor the recording devices of the humans' video recording, could record... She had grasped Ezra right in the nick of time and moved him out of striking distance.

  Ethan landed on top of Ezra's red Chevy, his wings arched and posed to attack. Justin leaped gracefully through the air and arrived artfully behind the ten-foot tall reptile.

  "ALPHAS?" The creature hissed. One whiff of the air and it knew it was surrounded by Vampiric Alpha's now. It may have been faster than they were but taking on three Alphas was going to be a challenge.

  Ethan roared, sounding like a large cat. He leaped, while Justin jumped onto the thing's back, clawing like a ferocious predator taking down a gazelle.

  Peggy came running, leaping into the air, and pulling at one of the creature's wings, she too was sinking her claws in.

  They didn't come alone; half the house came with them.

  Chapter 2

  A sentinel team had arrived at Avalon street. While the spectacle ended quickly, many humans were cowering while others had caught the event on their phones. There was no containing the scene from human knowledge this time. Within seconds the uploads had already gone beyond viral.

  The new arrivals wasted no time in making sure that the Gargoyle was subdued and taken into custody by the Society. For the time being, Xairin was being questioned, while Ezra was on a hovering stretcher being propelled by green laser lights. The trauma from using his abilities had caused swelling of the frontal lobe, he almost hemorrhaged. Xairin wanted to be there with him, but due to the agents asking questions, he couldn't. "So much for a first date." He mumbled to himself while seeing Ezra floating by on the hover-stretcher, passing his location.

  Xairin watched helplessly as Ezra floated by. All he could think about was how hopelessly enthralled he felt at that very moment Ezra kissed his hand. He started to weep. Deep down, Xairin knew that this would have repercussions for any chance of a future date.

  He noticed something he had never seen before. An Aeonian woman, standing beside the stretcher in a blue medical uniform, was walking alongside Ezra with her hand slightly raised above Ezra's head. Xairin could see a red beam, like red static floating from her palm downward. He wondered what power it was she was using?

  The leanly built man talking to him, had several questions, most of which were repetitive, making sure Xairin's story never wavered. Finally, the sentinel interviewing him had to relent to a human Interpol agent. Ironically it was detective Polansky again. Xairin didn't want to come across rude, or judgmental, but he couldn't help but wonder how a man so heavy was able to avoid both the obesity fines and be an Interpol agent at the same time. "Seriously the only way he could catch someone in a chase is either have perfect aim with a stun blaster or rely on a droid." He thought. Twenty minutes of listening to the overweight man barrage him with questions seemed like an eternity. Thankfully another agent had caught up with Ezra and got his side of the story. The two tales locked like puzzle pieces.

  Xairin was finally free to walk over to the ambulance that had arrived and see how his date was doing. Ezra was sitting up, sitting on the side of the stretcher hovering off the ground. A white droid was administering a shot to his left arm. So far, the pain meds were helping.

  Ezra looked up. While he was sitting there, he had some time to reflect. The handsome detective liked Xairin, in fact, Ezra liked him a lot. Xairin was unlike anyone he had ever been around, to him he wasn't a vampire at all, just a cute guy that he wanted to know more about. After the gargoyle and gorgon attacks; however, this brush with death made him realize, Raven could have lost her brother. Ezra was the only family his sister had left, he had to take into account how dangerous dating this particular vampire could be. This made twice that Ezra could think of, where Xairin had been attacked by those reptiles. Now Ezra had to think about his sister and her wellbeing, what if this had happened at his home?

  Xairin could see how Ezra was looking off into the distance as if he could see through walls. The look on his face wasn't precisely what Xairin was hoping for. Deep down, he already had that feeling. "Are you okay?"

  Ezra looked up reluctantly. "Are you?"

  Xairin shrugged. "I'm okay, I'm more worried about you."

  Ezra looked at him. His
eyes said one thing, but his mouth said something else entirely. "I'm grateful that you put yourself on the line like that." His face seemed to quiver. "What you did was, probably the most selfless thing someone has ever done for me."

  Xairin crossed his arms and tilted his head. He had a feeling in his gut where this was going. There was that dreaded word, but, well on the way. He decided to answer it for him. Ezra's quivering lips made it clear that what he was about to finish was just too hard to say. The guy was a nice guy, probably too nice. Xairin took a deep breath, balled his fist behind his back, and tried his best to keep a straight face. He had to think of Ezra, beyond what he wanted for the two of them. "Look… You have a sister, a teenager to think about. I know exactly what it's like, growing up in foster care, even if it was just about a year, I know what that's like Ezra. What I am about to say, Ezra, I had a great time, but I need to think about a larger picture here. Being around me almost got you killed. That means that your sister would have had no one, and my droid that you adopted would end up being recycled."

  Ezra's eyes were hungry but sad. Xairin could see both. He looked off to the side. He heard what the Gargoyle said, that a thrall had seen him. What if there were more of the Gargoyle's thralls lurking around acting as human surveillance cameras? As much as he wanted to have an average life, that ship sailed. As long as one gorgon or Gargoyle of that line remained alive, whomever they saw running around with him, could be in further danger. Xairin couldn't have that, especially someone that had a young kid depending on them like Ezra did. "Look, It was a great date, Ezra, you're a wonderful guy, but as long as there is one person linked to that gargoyle, or Gorgon left alive, I don't think this is going to work?"

  Ezra's heart pounded. He was thinking the same thing, but hearing it out loud like that, had a different feeling to it. While he was relieved, he felt horrible about it. "You're a great guy, Xairin."

  "You don't have to say anything else, Ezra, it's okay, really." Xairin's lips vanished as he frowned. "Take care of K2 for me, okay? And make sure you go home to Raven, she needs you." Every fiber in both men shook and burned at the core. Ezra didn't want this. Xairin didn't want this, but the words came out and rolled off Xairin's tongue far more relaxed than what Ezra could have performed. Before Ezra could say a single word, Xairin turned around to walk off.

  Ethan was close by giving his own report to the human Interpol agent questioning him. He made sure they knew, it was a nesting thing, a psychic link, that was how he knew to arrive where he did. He was released to go about his business.

  Watching Xairin moping around, he made his way right over. The young vampire had no choice but to acknowledge the Alpha standing before him. "Are you okay?" Ethan looked over Xairin's shoulder and could see Ezra on the stretcher. His gaze returned to Xairin. "I asked if you're okay?"

  Xairin frowned. "My first date since conversion and it ended with a gargoyle setting the tone for the rest of the evening, how do you think I'm doing?"

  "There's always the second date?"

  Xairin smirked. "Ezra has a kid sister that lives with him, Ethan. If something had happened to him, she would be in foster care right now."

  "I just wonder how they found you?"

  "That's easy... Mr. big-winged and scaly said he had thralls all around the city."

  Xairin smirked. "Biological surveillance cameras, right?"

  Ethan hated telling Xairin about how thralls could be used now more than usual. He could feel the man's despair. It wasn't a situation to deliver an I-told-you-so, but it was close. "Comes in handy, I told you."

  Xairin crossed his arms. "Well, it sure helped ruin a first date with what possibly, might be the most perfect dreamy guy on the planet, but hey. I've got eternity for a second chance at finding Mr. Right, right?"

  Ethan quickly picked up on Xairin's sarcasm. The only thing that broke his concentration was his bite sister, Peggy walking up behind Xairin. She nudged the new vampire, causing him to turn around startled.

  "Excuse me?"

  Peggy sniffed him, and studied his face, she made Xairin feel weird out, when she touched his nose with her right pointer finger, she smiled at him "He does look like Sara, doesn't he?"

  "WHAT?" Xairin looked startled. He looked at Ethan for some kind of reassurance.

  "I'm Peggy, Ethan's bite sister." Xairin looked back at her.

  "And I'm Justin." A dark headed man said that approached from behind him. Startling the new vampire again.

  Ethan didn't have time to do introductions. Justin beat him to it. "Also, Ethan's bite brother, I guess you could call us your bite uncle and aunt, but that sounds a little tacky."

  Ethan chimed in. "Sara made them too. Obviously."

  "So, you're safe with them, they would no sooner harm you than I would."

  "Great, vampire family reunion, can we go now? This is depressing enough being here having to realize that my date just went south, and not the kind of south I wanted."

  "You were on a date? Oh, so precious." Peggy roared.

  Ethan nodded. "Home would be best." He noticed Peggy running her fingers through Xairin's hair, with her bubbly approach.

  _____

  Bermuda Triangle, Tenebris Island. Council Chambers.

  The entire council of 68 members was in attendance, as a nervous Trevor Graves sat in Lilith's seat. The squabbling had already begun.

  Trevor tried to exercise some patience, but it was running thin. The Grand Alpha had to get their attention. With wolves screaming at each other, werecats hissing across the table, Mer rolling their eyes and other immortals at each other's throats, Trevor had to yell out loud. He chose to do so with an inhuman roar. "SILENCE!"

  The faces that met his dark eyes were less than thrilled. His growl didn't impress the majority of them.

  "You all should be working together, instead of worrying about who is going to ascend the fucking throne!"

  Erissa, the Gargoyle Queen, smirked. "If Lilith has indeed vanished, been abducted, or whatever it is going on? We need a strong leader ruling things; otherwise, this council will crumble, and the humans that we are trying to ally with will sense our weakness, and it will be like a domino effect!"

  Trevor smirked. "And what would you have us do Erissa? Establish a new queen or king of the night?"

  She laughed, then growled. "YES! Lilith had no heirs to her throne, and we have no official Adjudicator appointed, not to mention an Adjudicator would need to be appointed by her, or an heir in the first place. Since none of that has been done, then I move for a choice to be made among this council that a new monarch is appointed?" She looked around.

  "And just who, do you think, should be the Monarch of the Society of Night? You?" Trevor asked rather condescendingly while he pointed at the woman now standing and glaring at the others.

  She turned her head slowly, tilting it. Her brown eyes faded and became something else, red, reptilian. She slithered a forked tongue at him. "I am the oldest here."

  Trevor was feeling insulted. Not just for her arrogant inquiry, but the fact that she clearly had no real loyalty to Lilith by making that remark. He snarled. "Lilith trusted you Erissa Golidesh, she thought you were more than your brother, I guess snakes don't slither too far from one another."

  Hanna Tarker stood up. Her own forked tongue flicked as she eyed the woman standing four seats down from her from across the table. "I move that we pull our efforts to find our Queen, along with Lord Dracul." She hissed at Erissa. "I also move that we appoint an Adjudicator. We owe Lilith everything for making this Council, and the Society of Night what it is today. We owe her this."

  It was one Gargoyle Queen against another. Erissa hissing, while Hanna growling. Erissa barked out, "The Immortium Tenants!"

  Before Erissa could utter another phrase, Hanna growled. "FUCK THE TENANTS, WE ARE NOT THE MOTHERFUCKING CONCLAVE! WE ARE THE SOCIETY OF FUCKING NIGHT. THE OLD WAYS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH OUR NEW ORDER!"

  Hanna looked around; her own reptilian eyes almost gl
owing. "We all came here for a better way. A new way. A way that relies on mortals and immortals living in harmony. NOT FUCKING SUBJUGATING THEM LIKE ERISSA" S BROTHER WOULD HAVE IT BE DONE! We are The Society of Night. We must appoint an Adjudicator and rescue our Lady Lilith and Lord Dracul!"

  Hanna demanded it. "THE OLD WAYS HAVE DONE NOTHING BUT HOLD US BACK!" She looked around. "Just because we cannot age, does not mean we cannot evolve!"

  Trevor was surprised, pleasantly, and thankful. He was pleased that someone else made the motion and the fact that it was made by another Gargoyle. Perhaps not all of them were heartless.

  Sterva stood next. The werewolf Queen from Romania had to agree. She was old, ancient in fact, and figured she could give the Gargoyle Queen Erissa a run for her money in combat if it came down to it, but deep down she was happy ruling her pack and the tribe's many branches. Ruling her own pack was hard enough, but if the Gargoyle insisted, she was ready to challenge her. She knew that Lilith's way was the only right decision they could make. Coexistence was everything. She growled. "I second the motion in appointing an Adjudicator and seeking Lilith and Lord Dracul."

  Samuel Holstine bided his time listening to the infighting. What Hanna Tarker had spoken, spoke to him. The tall dark headed man sat there with a smirk across his face. When he finally stood up, the 6.7-foot giant looked down the table both ways. His black feathery wings unsheathed from their flaps. He looked like an angel with black wings, standing there wearing a dark suit. The werecrow snarled. "Infighting has been our undoing for far too long, far too long." He looked down both sides again. "The Conclave has abducted our Queen and her prior mate. They are counting on this infighting to continue, as it has always been. I say fuck the old tenants of succession. I third this motion. We must do this and set into motion efforts to find Lilith and Lord Dracul. Since I third this motion. Can we agree to move this onward to see if it can be passed by the majority?" He looked at Erissa who was tossing him a hateful look. The Wereraven cared not for the Gargoyle Erissa. He eyed her down as he spoke clearly with his English accent. "We have a queen; I pray we find her."