Forbidden Fangs

Chapter 11

When Kylie awakened she was nestled into Logan's side with her head on his chest. His lungs expanded and contracted with the steady breathing of sleep. She blinked. They had sat until well past dawn talking, but she didn't quite remember laying down. Perhaps she'd fallen asleep in Logan's arms, and he had slid her up the bed. They'd ended up wasting one of the rooms, after all. She rolled over carefully and glanced at the red luminescent numbers of the digital clock. It was two in the afternoon.

“Wake up,” she said softly, giving Logan a shake. His eyes snapped open like lightning.

“What's happening?” He whispered, and then “what time is it?” As he sat up.

“We're fine.” Kylie said softly. “I just thought… we should probably get on with it. Hunting Luchaver.”

“You shouldn't call a vampire by its name,” Logan said, a shadow crossing his face. “Don't humanize them. They treat our kind like livestock.”

“He introduced himself,” Kylie said in a faraway voice. She was remembering the look of surprise on Luchaver's face when he'd failed to seize control of her mind. “He seemed very human.”

“That's a trick,” Logan said. “Their fangs are retractable, like a cat's claws. If you'd seen him drink your friend, you wouldn't have any trouble thinking of him as an animal.”

“You're probably right.” Kylie shook her head and stood up. She was still wearing her T-shirt and yoga pants, although it seemed she'd kicked her socks off in the night. She found them under the covers and hastily un-balled and put them on. Logan seemed to be conveniently distracted until she'd had time to tousle her hair in the mirror above the dresser. “I need to shower,” she said, shooting Logan an expectant look.

“Right,” he said, “I'll wait in the other room.” He stood up, the bed springs creaking, and moved towards the door which connected the rooms.

“No, wait.” Kylie said, her face flushing. “I want you to stay here. To, you know… guard me.”

“Of course,” A smile flickered across Logan's face. He sat back down on the bed. “No one's getting past me. Even if he can teleport.”

The reminder of what they were up against shook Kylie to her core, but she managed to return Logan's smile and breeze into the bathroom. She switched on the light and the fan and sat down on the edge of the tub and just breathed. It was all she could think to do, all she could manage in that moment. She gathered herself slowly. She turned the water on and for a time sat and watched it fountain across the shower wall. Then she undressed and climbed beneath the spray and slid the curtain shut, inhaling the steam as it soaked into her pores. She scrubbed herself red with the generic hotel soap and washed her hair with the tiny shampoo and conditioner bottles.

The water soothed her muscles, which felt taut from stress. It soothed her mind, as though the warm massage flooded through her skull to her brain. She felt as though she finally washed away the blood that had been on her mind since seeing Erik's body. The grisly spectacle and loss of a friend would always haunt her, but she had a stronger purpose now. One that drove her to overcome any fear felt towards the vampire. She felt only anger now, but, if she was honest, an edge of curiosity remained. Why had the vampire introduced himself? Why hadn't he just killed her, if that had been his purpose? She wanted to know. She had to know. As she rinsed away the last of the soap she resolved to get Luchaver alone somehow, when they found him, and ask him those questions. If he didn't tell her, she could always set Logan loose on him.

The blonde woman turned the ceramic dial to off and stepped out of the shower, wrapping herself in a fresh white towel. The fan had kept the worst of the steam from the mirror, but a thin slick film still coated the clean glass. She reached out a hand and smudged it clear, looking deep into her own hazel eyes. She would not let this day get the best of her. She would not.

She toweled off and dressed quickly, stepping back into the main room as she squeezed the last of the water from her hair. Logan looked up. He hadn't moved from his post on the bed, his focus seeming to have been on the door to the hallway the entire time. His brown eyes seemed to linger on her wet tresses a moment, but then he shook his head and smiled sheepishly.

“No vampires out here,” he joked. “I'm ready to get going when you are.”

“You should shower first,” Kylie said, sitting on the edge of the bed to stretch her socks over her feet. “You'll feel so much better afterwards. The water is really nice.”

Logan opened his mouth and raised a hand as if to protest, but then seemed to think better of it. After all, he couldn't very well go without bathing until they caught the vampire creature. The slayer motioned to where his jacket still lay on the bed and reached beneath it, unveiling his wicked gunblade.

“Have you ever held a firearm before?” He asked, motioning for Kylie to come closer.

“No,” she said, equal parts intrigued and nervous. She shifted over so she was sitting next to him, almost leaning her head on his shoulder. The gunblade was all well-oiled dark metal, intricately woven with switches and levers which somehow concealed the bayonet while seeming a natural part of the weapon's makeup.

“The most important thing,” he said, “is only point the barrel at things you want to destroy. In this circumstance, I’d say don't point it at anything that's not a vampire.” He showed her a small lever on the side. “This is the safety; right now it's on. Turn it off before aiming and firing. And this switch here,” his fingertip hovered above the bit of metal, “activates the blade. Keep your hands away from that. Wielding the knife of a gunblade can be more dangerous than using the firearm. It's extremely awkward until you've spent some time training with it.”

Kylie nodded, holding her breath. The weapon felt awkward, but she took the grip between both hands and leveled the barrel at the door.

“Like this?” She asked.

“That's right,” Logan said, putting a firm hand on the gun and lowering it to the bed. “But like I said… don't point it at anything you don't plan to destroy.” He clapped her on the shoulder. “Okay? I won't be long, no matter how nice the water is.” He stood and bustled into the bathroom, already undoing his shirt.

Kylie knew she should have been visited by waking nightmares of Luchaver at the door, but instead she found herself wondering what Logan looked like beneath the water… hot, steamy, and naked. She lay down with one hand on the gunblade, watching the door through slitted eyes and allowing sleep to take her once more.