Moon Child Read online

  “Are you always this reckless?”

  “Reckless?”

  Mamoru’s brow wrinkled. “Going off with a strange and very powerful vampire without any argument seems reckless to me. You’re far too casual with strangers… myself included.”

  “Hmm, maybe. But I’ve got a plan.”

  “Sorry but, whatever you have planned, I can guarantee that man knows already. Your mental blocking has been terrible since you stepped off the boat.”

  “Has it?” Tristan asked with a big grin. “I hadn’t even noticed…” He harrumphed and opened the car door. “Doesn’t seem like me at all, I guess.”

  Mamoru was stunned for a moment and then smiled before climbing into the car.

  9: I’m Afraid of Americans

  THE trip to Ash’s old home was mercifully quick. The silence in the car ate at Tristan. Being trapped with that vampire he was starting to understand Ash’s quips a bit more. It wasn’t so much he wanted to devour the man, or get into his pants, but there was definitely something hot and bothered in Tristan from being so close to someone so powerful now that Netty had let some of his presence leak out past his safeguards. The man’s power was a weight of tingling want on Tristan’s soul and it wasn’t even the vampire’s full strength, just a sample of something greater.

  At his back, Mamoru was tense and anxious too. He was feeling the same needs, and hunger. Everyone was trying hard to pretend they weren’t noticing each other; made the short trip awkward to say the least.

  “This is it,” Tristan announced as he shut off the rental car. Next time he’d rent a motorcycle instead—less passengers. There was a SUV parked to the side and Tristan wondered who else was there. He and Mamoru got right out of the car, weapons drawn, but Netty lingered behind, staring off at nothing, not even looking at what was left of the building. Tristan asked if the vampire was coming or not and when he got no answer, he just shrugged. Whatever, if the guy wanted to sit in the car, that was his prerogative but Tristan was going inside. He didn’t get a chance last time to really look around and wasn’t going to waste a second chance.

  Still, he felt guilty. He felt like he’d been dragging his feet since Ash was taken. He should have found her by now. What if Genoveva had spent all their time together torturing Ash? What if Ash were already… No, he couldn’t think like that.

  A gentle hand touched his arm and Tristan ignored it, going into the house. In passing the car, Tristan saw a pink feather on the driver’s seat and knew immediately whose car it was. Thankfully, when he got inside, the elf-pythia couple wasn’t around. The thought that they were lurking in the dark though put him on edge. He may have been playing it cool but he was ready to snap at any moment.

  Everything was pretty much how it was last time he saw it, only now the dirt floor was turned up fresh, making it smell rich and damp. The outer wall that led to what was once a garden had collapsed. The unfinished stairs were also completely demolished now. There was something not stone in that pile that drew Tristan’s attention. He was just about to walk over when he felt the heavy presence of Netty suddenly on top of him. He spun and let out a little gasp when he saw the man standing an arm’s length away.

  “Apologies,” the vampire said dryly. “I hadn’t meant to surprise you.”

  Mamoru pushed into the room behind Netty, stiff and ready to jump at a single misstep on the vampire’s part. For the first time since meeting the man, Mamoru looked dangerous. His eyes were cold, his expression closed off and empty, his movements stiff and precise. He looked like a real killer. The black-out thief outfit only added to that image.

  “Fucking right,” Tristan muttered. He knew now, thanks to Mamoru, that the really old vamps could block their undead energy waves entirely from other beings. Including the Uruwashi. It was an extremely rare and difficult ability to learn that often required the mentorship of an ancient, or kodaijin as Mamoru liked to call them, which meant that the “newest” batch of vampires, those born post Uruwashi extermination, didn’t know how to work the ability. The battle may have been won by the vampire, but they lost nearly all of their ancients and with them, their kind’s oldest secrets.

  “They fought,” Netty announced as he took in the room.

  “Yeah,” Tristan answered. “We’d only just gotten here when Genoveva showed up.” Although, and he was sure of it now after Netty’s little show, he had felt her following them on the long walk over. Apparently she was strong enough, and mentored enough, to be able to block her presence. That didn’t bode well for anyone. Maybe Netty knew who her Master was, but what did it matter? She was on both Uruwashi’s dockets now. “There wasn’t much chatting and then all hell broke loose.”

  Netty was looking around, seemingly disinterested. “How did Ash lose?”

  “Lose?”

  The vampire finally looked at Tristan. “Obviously if she’s been taken, then she lost.”

  Mamoru caught his eye and shook his head. “You’re not good at playing dumb, Tristan. Just tell him.”

  Tristan huffed and put his back to the vampire. Something he’d never of done if it weren’t for Mamoru shadowing the vampire’s every twitch. He didn’t trust Mamoru completely, that’d be stupid, but he trusted that the man wasn’t a wanton killer. He had rules, limits and as far as Tristan was concerned, he didn’t meet any of the… what’d he call them? “Qualifications for extermination.” Yeah, that was a nice way of saying they’d done fucked up and needed to die.

  “I don’t know. I took a rock to the head and that was that for me.” He was just lucky it didn’t crack his skull open he realized as he came upon the very rock that hit him. His blood was dried on it. Kinda looked like the Virgin Mary. No, definitely an Ewok.

  The others were quiet behind him and he had this itchy feeling that they were gone. But when he turned around, they were both staring at him. “What?”

  Mamoru’s arms were uncrossed and he looked even stiffer than before. Netty was the complete opposite, relaxed as if they were enjoying a causal conversation. That worried Tristan.

  “How was it you recovered so quickly from a hit like that? I don’t smell any blood from open wounds on either of you.”

  Oh. “Well, um…” He scratched at his hair where he should have had a big gash from rock and looked to Mamoru. He couldn’t avoid it, the way the man was staring at him. Why was he looking at him like that? “A pythia picked me up and—”

  “A witch?” the vampire balked.

  Mamoru shut his eyes for a moment with a pained expression and sighed. That was when Tristan started to feel the well of power from the other man. It was strange, warm and dense, as opposed to most vampire’s cold, almost ethereal feel.

  “What witch?” Netty demanded.

  Now Tristan was sure he shouldn’t have said anything and the anxiety let the block on his mind unravel. He hadn’t meant to let it go, doing it on purpose was hard enough, but there it was, just like that, it was gone.

  The vampire made a deep noise, growl-ish and took a step back, eyes wide. “And an elf, those traitors. Oh this won’t do at all. I—” The fear suddenly left in a wash of anger, eyes narrowing in Tristan. “That vehicle is theirs—What’s your part in this play? Where are they hiding?”

  He swallowed hard and reached behind him for his gun. He wasn’t trying to be sneaky about it and just pulled it free, clicking the safety off. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “What did she ask you to do? Kill me? Catch me? Oh no, no. No. Don’t think I’m anyone’s puppet. I won’t be a science experiment!”

  “Wha—” was all the question that Tristan got out before his feet were taken out from under him by a ripple of earth. He yelped when he hit the ground and then sucked in a gasp as Netty dove for him. He tried to roll away but the ancient vampire was faster. Much faster than Tristan imagined they could ever be. The vampire caught his arm and jerked. Tristan cried out when Netty’s long nails bit into his skin and his shoulder dislocated.

  Netty wrangled
the writhing, cursing American under him so that he was sitting on Tristan’s hips, arms pinned across his chest and with no possibility of freeing them. “I only need the fire user and you’ve proven to not only be of no help but you’re just a virgin Uruwashi. You’re nothing!”

  “No, don’t!” Tristan screamed, realizing the vampire’s intent. He was about to have his throat ripped out and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Thankfully, he had a new friend, kin even.

  A deep groan came from behind Netty and then a ball of fire missed his head by a breath. The vampire growled a curse as he rolled off Tristan and righted himself to face Mamoru. Instead of scampering off to safety, Tristan kicked out, aiming for to the back of Netty’s knees. The vampire knew the blow was coming though and advanced on Mamoru before Tristan could connect. The Uruwashi cried out in surprise, barely getting off a defensive fire strike. But with his poor concentration the conjure was barely a puff of smoke. Netty didn’t even hesitate; it was like he knew the man was still having trouble with his seikonō.

  Mamoru gnashed his teeth, baring down for a hit that never came. Surprised, Netty’s eyes widened, staring straight into Mamoru’s own startled expression. The gun shot echoed off close stone walls, what was left of them, leaving the three men deafened for a moment. There was more blood than Tristan thought there should have been, but then, head wounds always bled a lot didn’t they?

  Netty’s blood was hot across Tristan’s face and he almost mindlessly licked his lips to taste it. When he really acknowledged the urge, he felt disgusted and lifted the gun to shoot Netty in the back of the head a second time.

  Mamoru wasn’t going to waste the vampire’s stunned moment as he tried to heal from the wound, and forced his power into his hands. Only, it was too much, too fast and Mamoru screamed as his flesh started to burn.

  “Shit,” Tristan growled and lunged across the room. Near the crumbled wall were the remains of a cooking pot that still held some murky water. It stunk to high hell and god knew what was really in there, but it was wet.

  “Tristan, stop!”

  It was too late, Tristan’d tossed the contents at Mamoru, screaming out his pain as his disjointed shoulder protested the use. A second later he was flat on his back, blinking up at the night sky through the open roof. His hands were empty and he had no idea where his gun was, only that he heard it clunk down somewhere against stone. He never even saw the vampire take him down. There was a scuffle nearby and then Mamoru’s grunt as he landed next to Tristan, laid out flat and vulnerable.

  “The Uruwashi of this time are such disappointments,” Netty spit out. He threw the bullet that’d torn into the back of his skull at Tristan. It bounced off his chest and to the floor with a soft tink. “I suppose when you are mere remnants of a forgotten and dead clan, not much can be expected. Disheartening really, I was hoping for more…”

  Tristan was about to get up, keep fighting when his whole body warmed. He couldn’t hold back a moan that forced his eyes shut, made him curl up, shuddering with pleasure. Next to him Mamoru echoed his moan but was trying to fight it as he found his feet. Netty’s immense power was a weight on them, pressing Tristan into the floor and then that floor was moving. The earth shifted and parted and when it was all over the two men were back-to-back, buried up to their necks in fresh earth.

  “I really should kill you both but I’ve made it a point to not kill anymore. Call it… my new religion. However, if you come after me, I will break my vow.”

  “What the fuck,” Tristan snarled out. “You fucking started it. I was telling you exactly what you wanted to know when you attacked me.” Okay, so maybe Tristan had planned on attacking the vampire anyway, but he wanted to see if the jerk would lead him to Genoveva first.

  Netty’s boots came into view and then he was kneeling down to put his face close to Tristan’s. “You shouldn’t get yourself caught up with the pythia. They’re dangerous.”

  He snorted. “You’re telling me? Bitch nearly killed me. I don’t want anything to do with her. Or that elf. Hell, I don’t want anything to do with any of you shinwa, heikō... I just want to live in peace.” Well, that was only partially his life goal, peace and quiet. He wanted to know what he really was, but was starting to become very afraid of that answer. If that meant living in ignorance to gain peace, he could accept that until he couldn’t anymore.

  The vampire considered him a moment, head tilting to the side.

  “What?” Tristan snapped. “You got something to say?”

  Netty’s eyes narrowed. “You… you really don’t know anything.”

  Tristan opened his mouth to drop a less than polite response on the vamp when Netty leaned in close, nearly touching. “You’re an odd man, Tristan of the Uruwashi. Very odd.”

  “Thanks. Care to let us out now?”

  Netty stood and turned on his heel, kicking dirt in Tristan’s face. “I imagine you’ll find a way out. Maybe… At any rate, I think I know where Genoveva has run off to now. I believe we’ll be seeing each other again, Mamoru and Tristan of the Uruwashi.” He stopped and looked back. “But let’s not. Neither of you are what I thought you would be. You’re just… pitiable.”

  Netty left a wake of snarled curses from Tristan. Even over the tirade, they could hear the undeniable sound of the car starting and driving off. Mamoru sighed and waited for him to calm down. It took longer than he thought it would for the man to exhaust himself.

  “Are you done?” Mamoru asked when they were bathed in blessed silence.

  Tristan was staring off at nothing as he really grasped his situation: buried up to his neck with a dislocated shoulder and with no discernible way of freeing themselves. “You know…” he started, in a daze. “Understanding my enemies more doesn’t seem to be helping me as much as I hoped.”

  “I’m guessing this wasn’t part of your master plan?” Mamoru mocked.

  “Oh no, I totally meant to get trapped in the fucking earth.”

  Mamoru had to laugh at their silly predicament. “Well, you are at a disadvantage.”

  Tristan tried to turn his head in an attempt to see Mamoru. “You think I should be bitten?” Not that Mamoru was any help, he nearly lit himself on fire again. So much for being apex predators, the Uruwashi. What bullshit.

  “I didn’t say that… But what can one hope to accomplish as a mere fly to the flame?”

  “True enough.” Tristan was lost in thought for a bit, tried to move and discovered his fingers could wiggle through the dirt; it wasn’t hard packed around them. There was still a chance of getting out by themselves.

  “How’s your shoulder?”

  “Hurt’s so long as I don’t move.”

  “Good thing we can’t, ne?” Mamoru was trying to lighten things up and Tristan appreciated that. If it were Ash trapped with him, then she would have just fretted, maybe given him empty encouragement. Then again, if Ash were with him, not only could she easily free them, but they might not have been in the predicament to begin with.

  “You really do love her, don’t you?”

  Tristan ground his teeth, realizing he’d let his block down again. It was hard to put up and down, but once in place—or not—he almost didn’t notice it at all. He had to mentally poke at it to even tell if it was there or not. “I do. I really do.”

  “Don’t take this the wrong way, but why?”

  “You know, I really don’t know. She’s constantly hiding things from me, keeping me at a distance, emotionally and physically… I, I don’t even trust her like I should. But goddammit, I love her.” He was too afraid to ask if Mamoru had ever felt the same for a vampire. He was afraid of what that could mean for him and Ash.

  Mamoru licked his lips and carefully said, “I’m not claiming to know Ash the way you do or even understand your relationship, and I’ve bitten my fair share of vampire’s since my transformation and I’ve seen so many things from them, lives of hardship. But the things I saw when I bit her… Tristan, I’ve never felt such pain. I cried
for her. I saw and felt things no person should ever have lived through and the fact that she had…

  “Ash is a strong person, the strongest I’ll ever know and I can say so with full certainty. What I’m just—I know it’s not my business or place to say so, but give her time. If she’s the person I believe her to be, then she’ll open up to you.”

  Tristan was silent. He didn’t know what to say to that. He wanted to believe Mamoru, he really did, but doubt was a strong thing. Strong enough to destroy their relationship if things didn’t change soon. Could they change? As a “fictional” vampire in a recent book he’d just read said, “None of us really changes over time. We only become more fully what we are.” Those words felt like true wisdom to Tristan.

  “If you don’t mind, maybe once things have settled down… I’d like to understand you and Ash more. Would you mind telling me how you two found each other?”

  Tristan sighed. “Sure… If we make it out of here.” He paused, looking around and not really finding an answer to getting out of there. “Oh man,” he said in an attempt to change the mood, “I think I’ve got a bug making its way into my pants. Yup, going right for the goods… Christ.”

  “At least you’re not wet. I feel… nurunuru.”

  “I’m sorry, god, I thought you were on fire. I didn’t want you to burn alive, okay?”

  “No, I’m sorry. It was my fault for not telling you… the old vampires, the kodaijin, they were afraid of the pythia. It all goes back to superstition and folklore, but they believed that the pythia were even…” He stopped and muttered under his breath to find the right word.

  “Witchy enough to hurt the vampire. They thought the pythia were the ones who helped the Uruwashi into existence, spelling them to survive the transformation and such. If it weren’t for the lycan standing up for the pythia then I think there might be none left alive today. Between that and the lycan’s dangerous bite, it’s no wonder the vampire hunted them into extinction… and the pythia survived. I suppose they are strong enough to be feared.” Mamoru was just rambling now, a way to distract them from the shit they were in.