Forbidden Fangs

Chapter 18

Luchaver enjoyed driving the small car even more than he'd expected. The controls were extremely tactile - he almost imagined he could feel each groove in the road as he passed over it. The fresh blood in his stomach had boosted his already considerable intellect, and a solid plan had taken shape in the vampire's mind. He flicked on the signalling light and turned down a dark side road as the tracking apparatus in his brain told him he was getting close. It would be easier to continue on foot, in any case. The dense forest in this part of Earth's world would have slowed down most humans, but his strength and energy and specialized clothing allowed him to move through it quickly. He enjoyed the tactile click of the turning signal automatically switching off as he rotated the wheel back to center.

He found a shadowy offshoot of the already dark road and pulled off the shoulder, parking in the lee of a tall coniferous tree. He pocketed the vehicle's keys - such a novel idea - and ducked into the forest. He felt at one with the nature this world exhibited. He could hear every animal, every insect, with fine detail. He knew that while there were predators and prey alike hiding in the darkness, he was by far the most dangerous creature that walked the night. His black clothing, hair, and eyes blended with the shadows. It was cold, but he did not care. The surface of Wythiria was far colder.

The vampire stopped just short of walking into a deep swamp hidden within the forest, and realized he had found the perfect place to dispose of a body. He made a mental note of its location and then detoured around it, drawing ever closer to his prize. He could sense Kylie in the back of his mind, like a beacon burning in the night. Every step drew him closer to her sweet signal, which appeared to him as a scent. Although he knew it was just a trick of the mind played by his neural implant, Luchaver thought he rather liked her smell.

The woods thinned slightly and he heard the sounds of occasional passing traffic begin to mingle with the forest's voice. Kylie was near. Luchaver slowed his pace to a near crawl, moving cautiously from tree to tree, examining his surroundings before proceeding. Wythirians were a patient race. He would not be so blind as to act rashly-

He felt as much as heard the click as the pressure plate he'd just stepped on shifted. Luchaver winced, but nothing happened. After a moment he realized that the device was waiting for him to step off the trigger. On instinct he threw himself to the ground and covered his face, anticipating an explosion.

A floodlight rose up from its berth beneath some leaves and flicked on. The light was strangely dark, a purplish-black. It burned like the rays of a distant star. It scalded Luchaver's bare hands where they covered his face, and he hissed in pain. Like a serpent he writhed away from the light and seized a rock, hurling it into the reinforced glass with such force that the brilliance flashed out.

Luchaver lay still, silent and listening despite the pain that still tortured his hands. His suit had protected most of his body, and his hands had protected his face… and they would heal quickly. Wythirians possessed innate healing abilities which flourished when they had recently fed.

On his elbows and knees he crawled into the thickest bush he could find nearby. He stared at his puffy red hands while he listened and waited. Soon, the human who had set the trap would be coming to check whether it killed. Soon, he would have his chance to strike.