Page 32 of Lore and Lust
The night air is frigid and crisp. Haruka exhales to untie the knot of his aura deep within him, his breath fanning out in a puff of wispy smoke. The pressure within him expands, making his eyes alight and burn bright red against the darkness. Looking out and scanning the woods, he concentrates. It’s been a while and he doesn’t want to make any careless mistakes.
Two… one… two.
He presses the heavy weight of his vampiric aura out and over the wide expanse of the skeletal woods. It stretches before him like a wide, infinite fan of light, rushing forward against the ground in search of its targets.
Loud cries echo through the air, one after another, as Haruka successfully grasps each of his victims. When all five are secure under his subjugation, he slowly lifts his head, simultaneously raising each vampire high above the cover of dark trees. They come into view, their bodies completely stiff and floating against the night sky like a group of red, hazy asteroids drifting through space.
Willing them forward and directly into his line of sight, Haruka holds them a short distance from the porch where he stands. He places his hands in his pockets and walks forward. When Haruka is standing in front of the one he holds in the center—the largest of the five—he looks up and into his dark, strained face.
“You have an affinity for these late-night, unannounced visits,” Haruka says, watching Gael’s eyes flicker wildly in panic.
Asao yawns, stepping up beside Haruka. “He brought friends this time.”
“I suppose I should be honored by this? I was weak before, but he still sought assistance.”
“Yeah, but did he not realize you’d know they were hiding right outside the damn door?” Asao says, frowning. “Give me a break.”
“Asao, please call the police and Emory. He is realm leader so he should deal with this. I am sure Oliver would appreciate some time with Gael as well.”
“Sure,” Asao says, turning. He smirks. “The police won’t be able to hold a bunch of bulky first- and second-gen vampires. You should help them out.”
Haruka tilts his head, considering. “I will make certain the police have an advantage.”
Asao moves toward the house, his boisterous laughter echoing in the night. “Remind me to kiss Nino next time he comes over.”
Haruka’s concentration falters, just long enough for the five males to drop a foot in the air from where he holds them. He quickly catches them again and shakes his head, decidedly pushing the phrase “Kiss Nino” from his mind. He looks up at Gael. Haruka has left all of their conscious minds untouched, so although they cannot move or speak, they can hear and comprehend.
“Is this book so significant to you?” he asks. “That you would attempt to attack metwice?”
Haruka removes one hand from his pocket and raises his arm. He spreads his fingers toward Gael’s chest, specifically lifting his hold on the first-gen’s lungs, diaphragm, vocal chords and mouth so that he can speak.
Gael’s smile is sinister—eerie as he stares down at Haruka. “Me dê isto,old blood.Agora.”
“Não dou. O que você faria com isso?” Haruka frowns.No. What would you do with the book?Gael only snarls in frustration. Aggravated, Haruka flicks his fingers. Gael screams a bloodcurdling sound and both of his legs are now limp and dangling—cleanly broken in five places.
“Answerme,” Haruka says. The large first-gen whimpers pathetically, like a wounded animal. Haruka rolls his eyes. “Ridiculous.” Depending on the quality of blood he receives, Gael will be completely healed within a month or two.
Without warning, a powerful flash of cool energy registers in Haruka’s consciousness, his nature telling him that another, unfamiliar purebred vampire is now present. The scent of something heavy and earthy like sage floods his senses. His eyes wide, Haruka turns, hastily scanning the dark woods. The moment he catches a glimpse of a black figure standing between the trees, it’s gone. Disintegrated, as if he’d only seen a shadow. Gael’s voice is suddenly loud, panicked and crying out in the silence.
“Não! Por favor—”
Haruka draws back, watching as Gael slowly evaporates before his eyes. His body rolls like a dense fog within his subjugation, gradually vanishing into thin air. Then there’s nothing. As if he never existed.
The purebred presence has also disappeared, and Haruka is left standing with his four hostages. He is still, his mind spinning wildly, trying to discern what’s just happened. Who was that? Where the hell did they come from? There are no other purebreds besides himself and Nino in all of England. But suddenly, there is. And the vampire had manipulative control over their energy—in the same way that Haruka can wield his essence, but fundamentally different.
He blinks, his concentration broken by the sound of sirens cutting through the cold night.
Focusing on the remaining four vampires in front of him, he quickly moves and flicks his fingers through the air, precisely manipulating his energy to break bones and snap ligaments and tendons. The vampires’ screams are muffled, and since they are lower ranked than their evaporated leader, their legs will inevitably take much longer to heal.
Haruka breathes in, willing the heavy outpour of his aura back into his body. He twists it deep within himself and back into a knot, letting the four males fall and hit the cement driveway. Hard. Now their whines echo loudly through the trees.
He frowns at the sight of them, but he is deeply unsettled. It had only been a blip in time—the moment not even lasting ten seconds. He’s never crossed paths with another vampire who could wield their energy so powerfully and precisely.
Gael has vanished again, but this time against his will.
The distant flash of police headlights coming up the long drive brings Haruka’s attention to the present. He turns, sticking his cold hands into his pockets as he heads toward the house. Without speaking, Asao brushes past him, confidently moving forward to direct and manage the clean-up contingent.
Eighteen
