Road Trip with Vampires: one star, would not recommend.

Dancing on broken strings

It was dusty, and Nix was positive that there was a slab of stone crushing her legs. Opening her eyes, she was met with nothing but dark. Try as she might, her eyes could not capture the faintest bit of light. She felt her fingers. A couple seemed to be broken.

She grimaced. Digging herself out was easy enough. Digging with a couple of freshly-healed fingers-that was another matter. But this was one of those situations where patience was the only way out.

Nix put all her energy into healing her fingers, trying not to cry out at the cracks as her bones re-adjusted.

It took some time, but she was finally out. Relief surged through her, until she heard that familiar crackling sound. Nix dodged back under a rock, blowing on her blistered hands. The sun was setting, she only had to wait a couple more hours.

It was boring. By sunset, Nix had excavated several more tunnels in the wreckage that used to be the headquarters of the OVW. Had Tethis done this? If so, she didn't know what to think. It was terrifying, to say the least.

Sheltered by a piece of rock, Nix watched the sun set. Until her view was blocked by a pair of brown boots.

'There you are,' said Tethis.

Nix didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. She settled on trying to hug Tethis's legs. The nymph hopped away, hissing.

'A few moments, and it'll be safe to come out. I found the others.'

Nix climbed out and followed Tethis to another gap in the debris, which she tapped and muttered something to. Tentatively, like a gopher looking out for dogs, Zhenya poked his head out, still looking for any remaining sunlight.

'Ilya?' he said.

Tethis shook her head. 'I pulled Esther from that particularly large mountain of rock. She's still passed out under the tree I put her. But I can't find Ilya.' She tapped her foot on the ground in frustration. 'It doesn't make sense. He was on the same level as we were. Unless...'

Nix couldn't see the look on her face, but her body was tensed up, a prey animal ready to run. Zhenya was looking curiously at her, an expression that slowly morphed into horror. 'Oh, no. No, no, not again.'

Tethis shivered. Nix decided it was safe to ask. 'What?'

Tethis turned to her. 'When we were looking for you, he told me about the deal he made with a Weaver. It won't do anything to uphold its end of the deal, and if it's gotten rid of him to spare the trouble-- come back!'

Zhenya had started running, off in the direction of the sunset. Nix considered running after him, but she wouldn't get to him in time. Tethis, eyes wide, turned to Nix.

'He's going to do what I think he's going to do, isn't he?'

Nix nodded, fear beginning to seep into her bones. If this Weaver was powerful enough to kidnap a decently skilled vampire, and if Zhenya was going to deal with it alone--

She started scrambling over stones, lacking Zhenya's dexterity and speed. Tethis pulled on her sleeve, shaking her head. 'No.'

'Why? He's going to get himself killed!'

Tethis sat down, head in her hands. 'We need more planning than this if we want to make it out alive. Because I forgot to mention, Zhenya was also part of the deal. So was Esther. It has power over each one involved-'

'How do you know so much about this?' said Nix.

'He told me. Ilya. About the deal they made with the Weaver, the trouble they ran into, and its refusal to return Zhenya's lifeline.'

'His what now?'

'It's the thread of our lives that's being woven by the Fates. Giving a Weaver permission to handle your fate... it's about as safe as eating raw salmon. I'm going to find Esther.'

She rose. Nix followed, scrambling over rocks to keep up. 'One more question. How did you do that?'

She stopped. 'What?'

Nix gestured to the remains of the building. 'This.'

'Oh.' She pulled her scarf tighter around her face. 'The plumbing.'

She didn't meet her eyes when she said it. Nix brushed that suspicion aside. Now, they needed to get away from the ruins, and any conscious members of the OVW.

Fortunately for Zhenya, Esther sucked at looking for things. They wandered south for twenty minutes before Nix realized that the wind was blowing the scent trail in the opposite direction. So it was with heavy hearts that they returned to the spot a safe distance away from the ruins.

Nix saw Tethis shiver and decided that they were probably a fair distance from sea level. Last time she checked, they were still in Europe. Perhaps the Alps? But there was no snow...

'You go on without me,' murmured Esther, curled up next to a boulder. 'I'm tired, and I'll only slow you down.'

Nix was about to ignore her and continue moving when Esther shivered. Nix felt a sense of unease creep on her. Vampires weren't supposed to feel cold.

It seemed that Esther really needed to stop.

'Find a safe place to rest,' she told her.

Esther nodded, another shiver racing up her spine. Nix flinched when she flexed her fingers, eliciting a loud cracking noise.

'Quick. You're burning out.'

Esther tried to move her feet. Looking down, Nix saw the ice forming under her soles, gluing her to the ground. Tethis turned to Nix, fear in her eyes.

It was at that moment that they all knew her time was up. With a feral cry, Tethis knelt down and dug her fingernails into the ice, willing it to melt, to give way. Nix could only stand there, petrified. Her kind was supposed to be immortal. She was supposed to be completely invulnerable.

But as the ice spread to her knees, Esther looked straight at Nix.

'Look. Find them. I don't care what methods you use, just find them both.'

'You can't go!' shouted Tethis, still digging at the ice. 'You're-'

'Too old, too tired,' said Esther. 'I haven't had a rest in a while. I guess the universe owes me some alone time.'

Nix tugged helplessly at her arms, cracking as they froze over. Esther said to her, 'Take my glasses. Show them that I am at peace.'

Nix hurried to take them off, flinching whenever the ice bit back at Tethis, who was screaming as she was defeated by her own element.

When the sun began to rise in the east, Tethis was clawing at a completely frozen figure, crying as she tried, again and again, to make the ice obey her. Nix pulled her jacket over her head, tucking the glasses into one of her pockets.

She would find them. She would make sure Esther rested.