Nocturnal, BK 1 of Lightwalkers (completed)

XV - Sin

Sin

The music lingered in my ears, masking the song of the city as I stepped out of the club. I took a deep breath and tried not to sway. I felt a little weak, nauseous even. Jay staggered up behind me, slapping my back. It took all of my control not to pound him into the ground.

"Ah, Sin, you're too much of a pansy! Let's keep celebrating!"

I rolled my eyes and stepped away from him. I kept up my vampire's reserve, focusing on it kept me from killing him. "Just meet up with Hewiet, and head to the States. I'll tell them that you're on your way."

Jay stumbled forward a little, pointing a not so straight finger at me. "You suck," he said seriously, then burst out laughing. A group of humans passed us, the girls giggling a little when they noticed Jay's sloppy smile.

I counted to ten for what seemed like the hundredth time tonight and shoved Jay roughly, leading him into a near-by alley. He just kept laughing. I was beginning to think that I'd need to escort him home when he suddenly straightened, smiling but still swaying a little where he stood.

"I'm looking forward to working with you, Sin." His form blurred, shrinking down and twisting until a bird stood in the alley way where he had been. He jumped into the air, narrowly missing a fire escape as he flew off.

Avians, I thought, shaking my head. Part of me couldn't believe my own eyes, the other part couldn't help to be excited. No matter how annoying Jay might have been, I'm sure they couldn't all be like that. They were flying legends that had disappeared completely centuries before I was made. That there were some left, and that they were willing to fight with us!

I pulled out my phone and dialed Sam. When she didn't answer, I left her a voice mail explaining the change of plan, that Jay was on his way, and that I should be back within the week after I'd finished Nickolas' business.

Walking back towards my hotel, I stuck to the shadows as much I could. The street lights were too bright for me, and the sounds of the cars were extra loud. I wasn't hungry anymore, but I seriously needed to find a meal. That blood in the club hadn't been much, but it had been enough to fuck up my entire system. I needed something fresh to flush out the toxins, to set it all back to normal or I would wake up with one killer hangover tomorrow evening.

A flash of blonde hair under a street light caught my attention. She turned the corner before I caught a good look at her face but I followed anyway. Maybe not all was lost after all.

My nose led the way, trailing after her jasmine scented perfume. It led me through a wrought iron gate into someone's small, slightly overgrown, garden. As I stepped onto the brick path, the air around me became electric, causing my skin to tingle with the power that was unleashed by the trap.

I tried to jump back, away from the energy that I'd set off, but as I began to move, chains sprang up from the brickwork, wrapping tightly around my legs. The chains dragged me back, forcing me to fall forward as energy in the air started to dissipate.

I pulled against the restraints and hissed as silver burned my skin. Taking a deep breath, I tried to move again, but it was useless. I was good and trapped, and it was embarrassing. How often do you hear of a six hundred year old vampire getting caught like a fucking fledgling? Never.

I took off my jacket and wrapped it around my hands so I could pull at the chains again. Each one was bound tightly around my ankles before sinking into the stonework of the garden path. I had to admit, it was a pretty complicated trap. I hadn't seen one like it before. The spellwork behind it probably took the caster a good week's worth of preparation.

Damn, they were always trying to find something better. I needed to get free and quickly. Whoever had set the trap wouldn't be far, they never were. Twisting a bit of my own power, I pulled it from the depths of my dark soul. I fed it into the spell, my eyes watching the swirls of power seep into the stonework below me. It searched for the mechanical workings, and I hoped that I'd be able to release the trap before whoever set it returned.