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“That could be simple...” Reagan said, leaning towards the vampire. “We could find almost anyone. We need a name, a photo, maybe something they owned. Some hair or fingernails or blood would be great too.”“The last one we can do,” Volita said. “Her name is Jaqueline Kessler. I sent her to do something, and I haven’t heard back from her in a very long time. But I know her kind well enough to know they don’t die easily. I’d like to help her, but I can’t do that if I can’t find…-
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Reagan and Tabitha returned at some point that day. Lyra wasn’t exactly sure when—long enough that she didn’t feel so tired, or too anxious to stalk along behind them as they came inside. Tabitha went straight down the hall to the Sanctum’s luxurious indoor spa (her own addition, of course), while Reagan made her way to the kitchen.Lyra followed her inside, hopping up on the counter to watch as Reagan worked. Disinterested at first, until she took a fresh fish from the fridge along with a knife.…
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Lyra shuddered as she stepped through the ghostly portal, the chill of the Underworld seeping through her. They walked through fog for a long time, with only the occasional flash of dark stone or the glow of a candle flame to suggest light in this place. After a few minutes spent hiking nearly blind, she worked a little magic. Being a cat in a place like this would make her too weak, and unable to wield most useful weapons. But if she changed her ears, made them able to move independently and follow any…
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If the Autochthonous Depths were unwelcoming, setting foot in the Dead Dominions was like venturing onto the surface of an alien planet. Lyra kept as close to her group as she could, magical tool ready in one hand and the words of a spell on her lips. Not that it would matter—most of her magic wouldn’t even work on the dangerous ghosts of this awful place.The Dead Dominions, or at least this one, was a battlefield. The ground was mud and broken stone, lined with trenches and dotted by foxholes.…
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Lyra waited while the stranger finished eating. She’d never known hunger that desperate in her life—but she’d felt that craving from plenty of animals. While she ate, that strange spirit watched Lyra with the same curiosity. It flowed closer to her, circling her in the narrow confines of the cave. Even if they never touched, she felt the awful creeping of death following behind it. Her Spirit magic wouldn’t affect this creature, not without more knowledge of Death. What would she do if it attacked…
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Lyra met the second time with the “civilized” vampires while carrying a little black cat in her mouth. She deposited the creature on Volita's lap with all the pride any feline could demonstrate.That close, her animal senses betrayed even greater discomfort than she felt while human. Humans were big and intimidating, but at least they were alive. Nothing should smell like that; no fingers should feel so cold and stiff in her fur.“If I thought you would obey my instructions in this manner, I…
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They spent the next ten minutes in one of the most awkward, unpleasant positions Lyra had ever experienced. While Reagan worked, the others shuffled nervously around in a circle just beside her, while Volita and Rainbow watched.The Kindred didn't move like people do—no subtle shifting while they breathed or adjusting to be more comfortable in their seat. They didn't have to lean against the wall for support, or otherwise seemed to tire the way living people did. They didn't even blink, unless Lyra or one…
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Volita worked in relative silence, crouched beside the door. Lyra couldn't see what she was doing exactly, but it couldn't be very much. She made almost no sound, let alone any other dramatic displays. Maybe she had to get into the right state of mind?While she worked, the members of her cabal all gathered in a group about twenty feet away, where they watched with growing tension visible in their stance and behavior.It would seem like it from the outside anyway, thanks to Akiko's little spell.“I don't…
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Lyra braced for an attack she knew might be coming with any second. Her limbs tensed, but Rainbow's grip was so strong If she tried to make a single concerted push, would the vampire decide she wasn't worth the risk and break her neck? Lyra had only seconds to think, maybe less.Not enough for her human self to consider some rational calculation of her situation and her odds—but her animal instincts could. She had months of time as different creatures now, enough to know how to manipulate those…
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Lyra kept still under Rainbow's boot. This was less about the deception—she had no illusions about her ability to prove she was too weak to fight. But if she struck out too soon, or too powerfully, she might prompt Rainbow to kill her.These vampires have other powers too. I can't think they only have their strength to turn on me. She had felt some of that during the fight—strikes that hit her friends, or that their armor deflected. Someone had used blood as a weapon at one point, ripping through cloth…
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