An Eternity of Change

Chapter 9

Later that night...

Jaylyn shivered, still soaked from reappearing in a nearby river, her clothes clung to her still thin frame. She stayed to the shadows despite the fact no one was paying attention to her and went through allies whenever possible until she reached the spot she'd died in. She dug out her pocketknife and shoved her family picture into a small pocket before freezing and looking back at the entrance to the alley, swearing she had heard something. When nothing moved she went back to digging around for the dagger she'd taken. Still, as she started making her way back out of the alley to look for a new place to stay, she couldn't help but feel uneasy and sent continuous glances over her shoulder at the shadows around her.

The attack came from her left, swift and precise, like a shadow coming to life and detaching itself from the wall. Jaylyn gave a muffled scream into her attack's hand as she tried to pull out her knife. However, the attacker stopped her and she struggled against the wall without success. Fear pulsed through her; she could feel the attacker's muscles as they fought half heartedly to keep her still, it wasn't hard to guess they were male from their strength. She went still for a second before biting loose skin on his palm and heard his curse and tore his hand away from her mouth and moved it to her throat.

"Give me the dagger and perhaps I won't drag out your death." He whispered the threat into her ear.

Jaylyn tried not to tremble at the intimidation in his voice. "I don't have a dagger."

"Liar." He hissed and twisted her arms uncomfortably behind her back. "Tell me where it is."

It was like the weapon was heavier in her boot because he continued to ask for it, but she still refused to give it up. "It isn't yours."

They flipped her around so she could see him and Jaylyn's eyes widened in surprise as she saw the dead man looking down at her, perfectly healthy like he'd never been sick. "Do you still believe that?"

"You can't kill me if you want the dagger." She lied and glanced to the spot it had been hidden. "So why tell you?"

Luckily the man fell for it and dragged her over to the spot she'd glanced at, when he found nothing her glared at her. "Knowledge won't spare you forever."

Jaylyn pulled the dagger out of her boot when he glanced back at the spot before slashing it towards his side. Blood ran out of the cut and the man released her in surprise and pain, she didn't hesitate to run away but heard the man chasing after her moments later. She knew the back allies inside and out but in her panic she turned the wrong corner and ended up at a dead end. Terror went through her and she whipped around to face the apparent immortal again.

"You might not be able to die permanently but that doesn't mean I can't kill you temporarily." She growled at him as he slowed to walk and stalked forward.

"I will kill you first, don't think I won't hesitate, I've killed so many people before you."

"I'm the one with a dagger." Jaylyn took a step back for each step he took forward, unsettled by the man's tone.

"But can you use it?" His gaze flickered over her as cold stone pressed into her back. "You can't."

She waited until he came closer before darting forward and lashing out at him, tearing another cut in his stomach before being slammed back against the wall. The dagger clattered to the ground and Jaylyn knew she had been defeated. The man picked up the dagger and flipped it experimentally before shoving it roughly under her throat.

"Do you fear death?" He asked as a thin trickle of blood ran down her neck.

Jaylyn tried to calm her breathing, she shouldn't die forever... not that it meant she wanted to be killed. "No."

"You will when I'm finished." He trailed the dagger away from her throat and made a deeper cut on her arm. "No one will even miss you."

That hurt. Jaylyn glared at him, they didn't realize how alone she was with her family being dead. She winced as he made another cut before kicking him in the knee and squirming out of his loosened grip. She only made it a few feet before being dragged to the ground with a dagger placed at the back of her skull while his heavy weight pressed down on her spine.

"You're only preventing the inevitable." She flinched as he pressed the tip of the dagger into her neck.

"Then finish it." Jaylyn stopped fighting and let herself feel suffocated between the weight of him crushing her lungs and the ground. "...I'll stay... away from here."

"Do you expect me to let you go?"

"No." She wheezed as his knee dug into her spine.

"Then why say that?" The dagger dragged into her shoulder blade.

"I'm like... you." Jaylyn replied weakly after a few seconds. "Immortal."

His weight lifted and an instant later she found herself thrown back against the wall, the man's burning dark gaze staring into her eyes. "You know nothing about what I am."

"When you die, you come back in the water..." She saw suspicion in his gaze and continued. "You're never wearing clothes when you reappear and for some reason we immortals didn't die like other people. We come back fully healed of whatever killed us."

The man lowered the dagger but still gave her a distrustful look. "Why should I believe you're like me?"

"Do I look starved like I was earlier?" She challenged with a glare.

He observed her more carefully this time, taking in everything before frowning. "I thought I was the only one."

"What did you think went through my head when I saw you disappear?" Jaylyn scowled at him as he thought over what he'd learned.

"Never touch my dagger again." With that warning the immortal turned and walked back down the alley.

Her eyes widened as he left and before she could process what she was doing, she began to catch up to him. "Wait, you're just going to leave?"

"Why should I waste my time with you... though I guess I have an unlimited amount." He muttered.

"I don't want to be alone anymore." Jaylyn whispered as she let herself trail behind a bit.

He paused a moment before giving a long sigh. "Come on then... but if you hinder me in any way at all I will leave you stranded to fend for yourself, I'm surprised you lasted on the streets as it is."

Jaylyn sent him another scathing look but didn't reply, she was sore enough from the fight they'd just had.