The Last Corvus (completed)

Ch. 26 Isadora

Chapter 26

Isadora

Eventually I stop and go to turn back towards home, only just realizing how far I've come. I'm almost to Grand Central Station, dangerously close to an overpopulated area. Keeping to as many back alleys as I can, I slowly (er, well, not quite running at top speed) make my way (I think) back to my neighborhood. My sense of direction has gotten better; but I don't chalk it up to my new 'powers' as much as my living in New York for a solid eight years.

A cross breeze blows in from the alley that t-bones this one and I stop. What is that smell? It's almost... And before I can think of what it smells like, I hear footsteps. I run around the corner, right into a broad chest. I've got to stop running into people. Literally! I run around him and make it about four inches before someone trips me, sending me sprawling into a puddle. Before I can right myself the man I ran into hauls me up and slams me into the wall, pressing himself against the length of my body. That's what the smell was; B.O. And it was definitely coming from this guy. Besides the overwhelming stench of sweaty guy there's the all-too noticeable smell of human blood.

I know it's useless to scream, we're too far from anyone that could help me. But still, my mind can't help but try to find help. "Help! HELP!" It takes me a second to realize that I really should probably be more worried about me eating this guy than anything he could do to me. At first I didn't notice, but I can now see there's a few other men at the other end of the alley, one of them flinching when I "call out."

Who'da thunkit? A vampire in an all-human gang. I'm surprised that I can tell that, but at the same time some part of me thinks it's blatantly obvious.

"Help me, please! I know what you are. I'm the same! Help me!" He seems surprised to be addressed directly and saunters past the others. He flicks his hand at my body guard, who releases me so suddenly I stubble back against the wall. I cover myself (to the best of my abilities) and patiently wait for him to stop looking me up and down, silently wishing I could poke them all in the eyes. As if confirming my thought, one of the others lets out a cat call and a few others chuckle. Perverts.

The vampire appears to be about twenty-five, give or take a few centuries. Short, curly blond hair frames his angular (yet not all together unattractive) face complete with, of course, ruby eyes.

"What of your eyes?" he asks, Russian accent thick, eyeing my fangs and down my neck to my scar.

"I'm a hybrid. No red." I hadn't thought of it that way; and I'm struck by the unrealized truth of my own words. I'm a hybrid. Huh.

"So, what brings you to this particularly dreary alley..." He takes off his jacket and offers it to me. I shake my head no and he elaborates, "... shirtless?"

Ah! I snatch it out of his grasp and try to put it on without letting any of them see me. A few of the men from the assembled group laugh and I try to ignore them.

"Are you alright? I'm sure Hank didn't mean to startle you that much." I eye "Hank" wearily and he sneers at me, wiggling his fingers. The Russian laughs and asks for the others to leave us. They do. "I'm Demetrius, and you are..." I don't answer and after a long silence he continues, "so how did you do the," he taps his temple, "screaming?"

"What, this?" He jumps and I suppress a giggle at his expression.

"Yes, that." Man, they catch on quickly.

"I don't know where it came from. A week or so ago it just sort of... showed up." I shrug, like it's no big deal.

"On your eighteenth birthday, by any chance?" My shocked look must have answered for me because he continues, "I've heard of a family once. They were all hybrids, and they all had non-retractable fangs. Coincidence?"

"Would... would you happen to know the family's name?"

He scratches his chin. "Corvin? Corvus? Something like that." My eyes widen and he smiles. "Fascinating. I'd heard they'd all died off. Wonderful to be wrong." He circles me, arms crossed, studying me. Quietly snarling, I bare my fangs, and he backs off; extending and retracting his in an instant. Show off, I wish I could do that. Forget that, I wish I didn't have fangs; didn't need fangs. Never knew anyone had fangs. No use dreaming about it now.

"Indeed. Quite interesting. So what else can you do?" I shrug and he laughs at my attempt at humility. "Well I already know you're fast; faster than me, even. I saw you running on the street earlier. Also you have the rather unusual ability to communicate telepathically. I'm guessing it only works with vampires?" I nod, assuming so. "Extraordinary."

Silence ensues as I try to stop blushing. I've never had so many complements in such a short amount of time. Luckily he probably thinks it's from the cold, even if I can barely feel it.

"You can go home now, I won't let them follow you." I relax a little, more confident with the situation than I was a moment ago.

"No home. I ran away." I lift my chin defiantly, as if daring him to ask why.

He gets the hint and continues. "I can't say I'm sorry for you. But it could benefit you. Why don't you join us? We could always use someone with your unique... abilities."