Breathless

Chapter 4

4. A PILE OF ASHES

 It was a pleasure to burn. Rave smiled as he watched the tiny blue flames dance from his fingertips—the outward manifestation of the magical inner fire coursing through his body. The heat shone dimly through the bronze skin of his face, making his long, dark copper-colored hair seem to shimmer in the shadows of the woods. The reason for the flames crouched behind a gnarled oak some fifty yards away—a vampire, stealthily watching humans at play in a grassy park below.

This vampire was apparently young and foolish, having chosen a spot that hid it from the humans but left its back exposed. The vampire should have known better. The humans posed no threat—any danger would come from elsewhere.

Chancing upon so careless a vampire was unusual. Still, Rave remained cautious, for even a foolish vampire was a foe to be reckoned with. Vampires were strong, impossibly strong, stronger even than volkaanes. Only a fool would underestimate a vampire, careless or not, and Rave was no fool.

As the heat within him grew, he tasted a sharpness in his fire he hadn't felt in many years. Magical energies in the air and in the earth were combining—if they grew strong enough, they would produce a phenomenon called Destiratu. And Destiratu meant trouble. Somehow, in a way he didn't fully understand and none of his elders could fully explain, Destiratu roused the killing ire in volkaane and vampire alike. Hunger and bloodlust raged, becoming uncontrollable for many.

Rave had lived through only one such period, more than a hundred years ago now, but he remembered it clearly. He had feasted on four vampires that year, but he had lost several friends to the creatures as well. Humans suffered the most from the increased vampire bloodlust, but they remained blessedly unaware. Few knew or believed in the existence of vampires. Almost none knew of volkaanes. Such blissful ignorance might not be possible in this modern age, and that could be a problem for all three races.

Now was not the time for such thoughts, though. A tall blond girl had entered the park and was heading across the field. Moving quickly despite a noticeable limp, she was already more than halfway to the woods. The determined pace of her stride and the direction of her path made him certain she planned to take the hiking trail in front of her—a trail that would lead her much too close to the lurking vampire.

Leesa was enjoying her walk. After spending most of yesterday cooped up in a plane, it felt good to stretch her muscles and exercise her leg. The large county park was relatively empty. Off to her left, a group of young men kicked a ball in front of a white soccer goal, and another small gathering of people sat at rustic picnic tables near the edge of the field. Thin white smoke wafted up from one of the grills, and the succulent smell of slow-roasting meat made Leesa's mouth begin to water.

Beyond the open field, she spotted several trails leading up into the woods, just as her aunt had promised. She angled across the grass toward one of the paths and headed into the trees. The trail was wide enough for three people to walk abreast, and the dirt surface was packed hard, making walking easy. It sloped upward, but not steeply enough to affect her pace.

The woods were beautiful—much more lush than what she was used to in San Diego. Young saplings and leafy underbrush flanked the path, while just a bit farther from the trail tall oak and ash trees spread a green canopy that blocked out all but the tiniest pieces of gray sky. The air felt at least five degrees cooler in the shade. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, and unseen birds whistled busily from the higher branches. Leesa wished she knew what they were saying to one another.

She hadn't gone far when she was suddenly struck by the feeling she was not alone. Something briefly rustled the bushes off to her left, but she couldn't see anything through all the growth. Probably a squirrel or a rabbit, she thought. Whatever it was, it was likely more frightened of her than she was of it.