Ashes to Ashes

Chapter 2

     All this trouble for a stupid funeral urn? And why was death such a feature on this trip? Kieryn shook her head as she stomped through Ironbridge Common and avoided a group of kids who were taking turns drinking out of a bottle. She pushed down the sharp stab of envy somewhere in her heart. She would never do those human things again. She sighed and tried to remember what it had been like to be a "normal" teenager. If she was being honest with herself, it wasn't like she'd been all that happy back then, anyway.

     It was a mild night and the sky was clear. Summer wasn't far away, she could already smell it in the air and dreaded the longer days to come. Kieryn flopped onto a bench under one of the old-fashioned iron lamps that lined the pathways. She tried not to remember the distressed expression on Caitlin's face when she'd left the city,  ten months ago. They'd sat in this very spot and said their goodbyes. Kieryn had promised to call her younger sister as soon as she returned to Ironbridge, but instead here she was skulking around the Common and wondering if there was any way she could get out of doing this job for Sebastian. 

     "Hey, what freak show did you escape from?"

     Two guys were standing in front of her one of them posing with a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth. She'd been so busy thinking about Sebastian, and the crazy scheme he'd dragged her into, that she hadn't even smelled them coming. 

     Kieryn tried for the friendly approach. Hey, it was worth a try. "Nice to see you too, boys." She grinned, while still managing to keep her fangs hidden. It was tricky, but possible, although it had taken her several years to master the art.

     The boys were probably sixteen or seventeen; only a little younger than Kieryn had been when she was turned almost a decade ago. They wore jeans and long-sleeved T-shirts. One of them carried a jacket that caught her eye -- it was soft black leather, covered in zips and pointed metal studs. Nice. She wondered how a kid like that could afford such a beautiful jacket.

     "Don't know what you're grinning at, but you're sitting on our bench." This was said around the cigarette, so some of the force behind the words was lost. The guy had short brown hair, narrow eyes, and a screw-you attitude. His slightly hawkish nose reminded her of Theo's.

     Leather Jacket Boy nodded agreement as he stood shoulder- to-shoulder with his buddy. He clearly thought he was doing a good job at playing the silent, menacing role, but his scruffy halo of soft-looking blonde hair ruined the effect.

    

     Kieryn sighed and slowly shook her head. "Now, that's no way to talk to a lady, is it boys?" She leaned back and spread her arms out along the back of the bench. The studded bracelets on her right wrist caught the light.

     The smoker leaned over her. "I don't see lady here. And I said, get off our bench."

     "Can't you find another bench to make out on?" Kieryn kept her expression neutral, but she could smell the boy's anger and it was making her even hungrier.

     "What are you saying?" Leather Jacket Boy demanded, his face flushing.

     Kieryn stood in a single, fluid movement. She tugged down her short black skirt and cursed as she caught her fishnets on one of her rings. "Crap. Now look what you made me do." She glared at them both, remembering too late that the expression would be lost behind her sunglasses. She was tempted to give them a good look at her eyes, but Sebastian would be pissed and she'd only just gotten back.  Probably not a wise move.

     She reached out to the dark-haired kid,  swiping the cigarette from his mouth.  Before he could protest, she pressed the burning tip against her other palm and watched their faces as her white flesh sizzled. It hurt like hell, but there was no way she would show them that and the burn would heal in a matter of minutes, anyway.  Not that these assholes needed to know that.

     Both guys backed up a step. "Shit," the one who'd been smoking said. "She must be high."

      Kieryn grinned, not caring if she flashed fang this time. "Get lost." She threw the butt at them, laughing as they shot fearful glances at her.

     "Crazy bitch," Leather Jacket Boy muttered. He grabbed his friend's arm and pulled him away from the bench. "C'mon, Tim." 

     Kieryn watched them through narrowed eyes, clamping down hard on her hunger and keeping the desire to teach these punks a real lesson in check.

     "Tim" turned back and gave her the finger. 

     Ah,  what the hell. "Hey," she called.

     She sauntered over to them, swinging her hips and twirling her hair between her fingers. She stood up close to Leather Jacket Boy and ruffled his blonde hair. "Nice jacket you got there. Your boyfriend buy it for you?"

     "Shut up!" This was from Tim. 

     Kieryn ignored him. "Or maybe it was a gift from Mom and Dad. Do your folks know you're out here, smoking and causing trouble for vulnerable girls like me?"

     She grabbed the jacket with ease and made a big show of admiring it. "Lovely piece of work. I bet it was a Christmas gift.  Am I right?" She looked at the blonde kid and smiled.

     "Give it back, or you'll be sorry."

     "Yeah. Like I was sorry about sitting on your stupid bench," she replied. "I think I'll take this with me. Maybe it'll teach you boys some manners."

     Tim took a step forward. "Give it back,  freak." He lit another cigarette and watched her through those cunning eyes.  Moth couldn't help admiring his bravado; his hands didn't shake at all. "Maybe we'll find out how you did that little trick before, see if it works when someone else tries it." He brandished the freshly glowing cigarette and blew a cloud of smoke at her.

     Kieryn acted without thinking, something she did way too much,  according to Sebastian. Okay, and according to her father and her "loving"  older sister. She closed her mind to dark thoughts of Sidney and her Dad,  determined not to see their disappointed faces.

     Instead, she grabbed Tim by the throat and pulled him toward her so fast he lost his footing. She was so much shorter than him, it must've looked comical. At the same time, she wrestled the cigarette from his fingers and held the glowing tip close to his sweating face.

     "Next time, you get this in your eye." She took a drag on it and blew a mouthful of smoke directly into his face. From now on,  that's my bench."

     Kieryn shoved him away from her hard enough to dump him on his ass. She dropped the cigarette on him then picked up the leather jacket. Dusting it off while she watched the blonde boy who was gazing at her with terrified saucer eyes,  she felt a surge of adrenalin. Part of her hated doing this, but there was a growing part that enjoyed the sense of power no matter how hard she tried to deny it. It helped that she pictured her father's face sneering at her whenever she played the tough-girl role.

     She shrugged into the jacket, testing the fit and enjoying the feel of the smooth satin lining. It was too big, but that didn't matter. "Very nice,"  she said. "Thanks."

     Leaving them with their mouths hanging open, Kieryn walked back to the pathway. Heading back into the city, she tried to ignore the gnawing hunger that made her whole body buzz. She'd have to make an extra stop for blood now, dammit.