Chapter 1 “Dangerous Things”

Vampire Gemini

The Guardian Heart Crystal Series Book 6

Amy Blankenship, RK Melton

Copyright © 2010 Amy Blankenship

English Edition Published by Amy Blankenship

Second Edition Published by TekTime

All rights reserved.

Chapter 1 “Dangerous Things”

Tasuki watched as Kyoko rose up and leaned across the table to reach for the medieval-looking book he had opened in front of him. His amethyst eyes nearly glowed as her already low-cut shirt loosened and sagged on her shoulders before she righted her body. He was sure he would forever have the tantalizing vision of Kyoko’s cleavage with the barest hint of black lace peeking out at him.

He blinked then pointed at the passage on the page he’d been telling her about. He smiled softly as their eyes met briefly but he had already forgotten what he’d been saying, so he just let her read. Tasuki squirmed a bit in his chair trying to make his discomfort disappear but just that one innocent peek had made his veins race with fire, and all that heat was making his jeans tight.

His amethyst eyes darkened attractively as he filed the picture away for later. “You know Kyoko, one day we will be married… because both of us know I am the only guy who would be crazy enough to think this is a hot date.” It was supposed to be a joke but the huskiness of his voice gave away his true feelings.

Kyoko flashed her emerald eyes up at him. He was probably right… though she didn’t admit it, or deny it, and that seemed to suit him just fine. Most of the time they were out this late together… they were killing vampires or at least walking around in the dark making good targets for them.

It was only within the last few months that he’d started pressing the issue… everyone had labeled them boyfriend and girlfriend for as long as she could remember, even though he had never asked and she had never agreed… only now he wanted to add hormones to the mix.

She nearly jumped out of her chair when half the lights within the library flickered off. The first thought that went through her mind was that some scheming demon had caught her not paying attention. She heard distant voices and it dawned on her that the library was just closing down for the night. They were supposed to have left over an hour ago but the people who worked there always stayed late.

“Come on Kyoko, it's time to find the exit before it gets locked,” Tasuki whispered, as he took her hand and quickly led her out of the building without anyone noticing they were there after hours. Part of him wondered if getting locked in with Kyoko overnight would be such a bad thing.

Once out in the parking lot, Kyoko’s steps slowed as she looked up at the sky seeing the eeriness of the cloud formation around the moon. She wasn’t superstitious but it reminded her of the night scenes straight out of the horror movies… the kind of movies that gave her the wiggly-boos.

She didn’t need Hollywood magic to feel the shift between good and evil. It would be a good idea for Tasuki to go straight home. He was a great fighter but she depended more on her instinct, and it was telling her to get him out of there… the problem would be in getting him to agree to leave.

When they reached his car, Kyoko looked up into his strangely lit eyes knowing he was the only one besides her grandfather that actually knew her secret. She trusted him enough to let him come along on a lot of the demon hunts. He could hold his own and never once had he given her secret away or let her down. Like today, they had looked up demons of all kinds in the newest books in the huge library. No one bothered them as they hid out in a secluded corner… and they’d had fun for hours.

“Get in. I’ll drop you off at your house Kyoko.” Tasuki held the door open for her. They were standing so close it would have been simple to lean down and kiss her, and in his mind that was just what he was doing.

Knowing it would throw him off, Kyoko leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “No, that’s alright. My grandfather will be here any minute to pick me up and I don’t want him to see us out here alone together, so you go… but call me when you get home so that I know you made it safely.” She smiled sweetly at him hoping he wouldn’t argue. Besides, he knew how overprotective her grandfather could be.

Tasuki looked around hoping he wouldn’t see her grandfather’s old truck parked somewhere in the shadows. He sighed gratefully when he counted only three cars. The old man had caught them together last weekend coming back from a midnight hunt at the cemetery and threatened his anatomy. The muscles in Tasuki’s jaw flexed knowing he would never get anywhere with her if he didn’t stand up to her guard dog of a grandpa.

Glancing back down at her, he raised his fingers to his lips still feeling the heat of hers and nodded. “Okay Kyoko… but if it’s all the same, I’ll wait here with you.” He gave her a mischievous smirk, “You never know what kind of creepy monsters are lurking in the darkness ready to attack.” He grinned just before he pounced toward his friend in mock humor… making her giggle and run just out of his reach.

“Tasuki come on, I’ll be fine.” She couldn’t help the excitement that leapt into her eyes as she backed up and he followed… stalking her with heat shimmering in his amethyst gaze. Since he had started letting his hair grow, it had become wild, very dark, with blue highlights, and the dangling cross earring had transformed his looks from college prep to bad boy eye candy. It was getting harder for her to look away.

Tasuki shook his head as he closed the distance between them, “And give someone else the chance to pounce you?” His voice became a touch darker, “I don’t think so.”

“Like you have dibs on who pounces,” Kyoko exclaimed, feeling things start to tighten in her lower abs and upper thighs.

“Actually I do,” Tasuki said with a bit of pride in his voice. “I have dibs on dibs.”

Kyoko laughed and shook her head before pointing in the general direction of Tasuki’s house. She liked this cat and mouse game a little too much tonight, and knew she had to put a stop to it before the speed limit got changed. “Tasuki… home… now.”

“I love it when you go all dominatrix on me but…” Tasuki said as his eyes darkened attractively. “You should know that’s not gonna work.”

“Dang it!” Kyoko said stomping her foot because he was getting closer, and she wanted him to get closer. “Remember what happened the last time Grandpa found us out together this late? Do you really want to lose that!?” she demanded, pointing at his crotch. As soon as she looked at what she was pointing at, she gulped… seeing it straining against the fabric.

Tasuki growled, “Not really but…” He looked at her and grinned. “I’m starting to think it’s worth the risk.”

Kyoko yelped when Tasuki sprung forward again… and this time she found herself pressed up against the side of his car. Her emerald eyes were wide but unafraid and her fingers tightened very slightly on his jacket-covered arms. She could feel the flexing of his muscles underneath her fingers as he tightened around her.

Tasuki watched her deep green eyes become stormy with passion and lowered his head until his lips rested against the soft skin of her neck. He felt a thrill run through his body and settle in his groin… where it caused pain that felt really good. Unable to resist the temptation, Tasuki nibbled on her neck. His body pressed up against hers and he groaned when her long legs parted slightly, granting his thigh access. He quickly slid one of his thighs between hers as he leaned against her.

“What are you doing?” she whispered, unable to stop him… not wanting to stop him.

Tasuki pressed his thigh up against her core lifting the young woman up until her toes barely touched the ground. He groaned when he heard Kyoko whimper softly, and kissed a long slow trail from her neck to her lips.

“I want you,” Tasuki whispered in a ragged breath against the velvet suppleness of her mouth before capturing it in a demanding kiss.

Kyoko’s eyes fluttered closed, and she swallowed the moan that threatened to surface. This wasn’t the first time Tasuki had managed to steal a kiss from her… but he’d never been this passionate before. She whimpered when his tongue brushed against her lips… then slowly pushed past them.

Tasuki did moan, tasting the sweetness beyond Kyoko’s lips. His arms slid around her small waist, lifting her up just a bit, keeping her trapped between himself and the car. He pressed his leg harder into the apex of her thighs and rocked against her. Tasuki was elated when Kyoko returned the kiss with a passion that rivaled his own.

Kyoko felt one of Tasuki’s hands move up her side to her shoulder, and bury itself in her auburn hair. At the moment, she was glad her grandfather wasn’t coming to pick her up because she never wanted the kiss to end. Not for the first time, Kyoko was tempted to let Tasuki take her home… with him.

She almost suggested it herself when he ran his hand down her leg and wrapped it around her knee… jerking it forward so he could press himself harder against her core.

How would it feel to wake up next to Tasuki first thing in the morning? Would he smile at her latest fashion of bed head? Would he make her breakfast in bed before ravishing her again? There were so many questions that Kyoko was very, very tempted to learn the answers to… just another reason she was considering going home with him.

Just as she struggled to get even closer, the eerie sensation that they were being watched shivered its way up her spine… making her pull away from Tasuki’s dominating lips. She had to push against him to be able to slide down his leg and stand on her own. The action wasn’t without repercussions however, as it sent shocks of sensations up and down Kyoko’s body.

For a moment they remained close with their foreheads pressed together… trying to catch their breath. She closed her eyes wondering if his thighs were throbbing as hard as hers.

Her voice was shaky, and she had to try twice before she could say the damning words. “Go home Tasuki, I’ll be okay.” She saw the expression on his face and almost changed her mind. However, she needed to stick to her guns… “I promise!”

Tasuki gritted his teeth to keep from begging, as he reigned in his emotions. He knew they had taken another step tonight in the direction he wanted, so instead of taking it as a loss, he knew it was a victory. “Fine, but next time I will be the one who takes you home.” Of course his idea of taking her home landed her in his bed… not hers.

Kyoko backed up under the light of the street lamp in plain sight as Tasuki hesitated, then started to walk toward her. He paused, as if fighting a silent war within himself but when Kyoko smiled and shook her head, he fisted his hands at his sides and started back toward the car.

Wondering at the tightness in his chest, Tasuki glanced worriedly over his shoulder at her.

His amethyst gaze glowed in the dim light causing something to stir in Kyoko’s heart. She knew he was confused but she couldn’t do anything about it tonight… not without putting them both in danger. She smiled brightly and waved at him, telling him she would be fine.

Making up his mind, Tasuki returned the smile. He got in his car and drove past her, honking his horn in farewell as he went. He felt the cold fingers of dread gripping his heart, and knew if he didn’t circle back around… didn’t watch over her… that somehow she would slip away.

Her smile slowly faded as she watched his car turn the corner. Standing very still, Kyoko flexed her hand slowly making a fist and releasing it. A small spirit dart appeared and disappeared within her grip. This weapon was the only thing that could keep them safe.

She had refused Tasuki’s offer to take her home for a reason… ever since they had come out of the library, something had been watching her from the shadows. She could feel its eyes on her now, leaving her cold. She growled at herself for letting Tasuki distract her like that. She blamed herself… not him.

Tasuki had been helping her fight the demons almost as long as she’d been fighting them. They had even bought him a weapon awhile back and it seemed to suit him well. She had taught him many moves that helped during a fight, but still… if he got hurt, it would be her fault.

She had lied to Tasuki saying her grandfather would be there any minute to pick her up. The truth was her grandfather wasn’t coming at all. But if she hadn’t sent Tasuki home, then the demon would have found them in a compromising position and killed them both… and the more her feelings grew for Tasuki, the less she wanted to risk him getting hurt.

She knew he would stay with her and fight. But lately she’d had recurring nightmares about Tasuki being bitten by one of the monsters, and it robbed her continuously of sleep. Kyoko didn’t think she’d be able to live with herself if Tasuki became one of them … because then she’d have to kill him… right?

Inhaling softly, she started walking in the direction of her house… knowing it would take at least an hour to get there. Whatever was stalking her, she hoped it wouldn’t wait that long to show itself.

After walking a couple of blocks without being attacked, Kyoko started to get annoyed. She even flipped her hair over one shoulder to expose her neck like a dinner plate… hoping the demon would hurry and make its move because she was tired, and wanted to go home.

Tasuki had probably already called to check on her… or at least she hoped he had. She had a flashback of being between his car and his body… making her groan in frustration. She was going to kick this demon’s butt for interrupting her, if it ever got around to attacking.

Her walk took her down another neighborhood street, and she heard a dog growling deep and low from somewhere close by. Her lips thinned, knowing dogs hated vampires. They probably hated them because if a vampire couldn’t find a human to feed from, then the dog would suddenly make the menu. Her teeth clenched when a high-pitched sound followed the growl… the same sound you hear when a dog gets injured really badly.

The sound made her stop… and Kyoko felt cold knowing the poor thing was dead.

She frowned as she kneeled down and placed her books on the ground pretending to tie her shoe. “Come on already,” She added like the statement was directed at the shoestring she was jerking on.

The demon would probably come from behind her because most of the vampires she had fought were cowards by nature… and didn’t want to give their victim a fighting chance. That’s why she made a good target with her petite figure and her 110 pounds… if she had been a normal human girl, she wouldn’t stand a chance.

She rolled her eyes when nothing happened. Standing up, Kyoko turned full circle trying to find her target… and flinched when she spotted him. She stared across the street into a shadow, where a small boy stood staring at her. The lifeless dog lay at his feet. The child’s skin and hair were white as snow, but even from this distance she could tell his eyes were solid black.

How unusual… most vampires looked exactly like humans. That was what made them the most dangerous out of all the demons that secretly roamed the earth. This boy didn’t look human at all. As she watched him, she was caught between the sadness of one being turned so young… and the knowledge that it no longer mattered.

Yuuhi locked eyes with her… almost wishing he were the one who was going to drink her. He liked the pretty ones. He called to his half-breed children, wondering how long she would last against them. He inhaled but couldn’t find the scent of fear that normally heated his cold blood. He did however find her scent to be a mixture of purity and danger… and wondered at it. Yuuhi watched as the vampires under his thrall came from the shadows behind her.

Feeling a tingle of warning sweep across the back of her head, down her neck and spine, Kyoko swung around knowing it had been a setup to get her attention and sure enough… she was surrounded. She’d been waiting for a vampire, not three… four if she counted the boy.

“Well, I guess I got what I asked for,” Kyoko mocked herself as she tried to focus on all of them at once.

One preppy-looking vampire sneered, which really ruined his good looks. “Got what you wanted, huh? I got what you want baby.” He flashed his teeth at her as he tried to capture her gaze and put her under his thrall.

Kyoko knew what he was doing… and felt instant satisfaction that no vampire had ever been able to take her will away during a fight. She looked him up and down. “I doubt it,” she taunted as she wondered if the loudmouth would make the first move. “The sexually frustrated ones really are not my type,” She smirked when he growled.

At least these vampires looked normal. Well… about as normal as three young men that looked like they belonged on the college debate squad, wearing fangs could look. It wasn’t every day you saw a vampire sporting Armani. Hell, these three would probably cry their undead eyes out if they got dirty. And, of course, she couldn’t forget the deadly child that was watching them like some sick voyeur.

That thought made her shiver inwardly. She’d heard stories about that kind of stuff among vampires. Some of them would descend on the victim of their choice, and commence to drink or rape them while others watched. One thing the movies did have right is that vampires were very sexual creatures and many of them had no preference… man or woman it didn’t matter… they did both.

“I wouldn’t quit your day job if I were you,” She laughed at her own pun… then kneed him right in the groin. Another thing about vampires, they might be faster and stronger, but the males still had the same weaknesses as their human counterparts.

She ducked just as one came at her and was surprised at the speed it had… so much for normal. She’d never dealt with anything this fast before. She clenched her fist feeling the power of the spirit dart form in the palm of her hand.

Sidestepping another demon, she twisted her upper body as one of the vampires lunged past, striking at him with the dart. A cold and clammy hand wrapped around her wrist and yanked, causing her body to twist further… almost painfully. Kyoko used the momentum and let the rest of her body follow the move, grabbing the vampire by the sleeve of its jacket and slamming it to the ground.

They rolled once on the ground and came to rest with Kyoko sitting on loudmouth’s stomach. She had to move quickly or she knew she might not get another chance at this.

“Here is something for you,” she informed him. Raising her arm up, she stabbed down with the spirit dart. The third vampire slammed into her from the side… making her roll and skid across the ground. This time, she found herself on the bottom looking up.

Okay, this was starting to piss her off. Glaring up, she noticed this guy looked like a straight ‘A’ student who had decided to bring a gun to school. The sadistic hint of murder in his eyes was a dead giveaway.

“I don’t think so buddy.” Bending her wrist at an odd angle, she touched the dart in her hand to his arm slicing it with only a small wound. She was rewarded when the vampire’s skin started to smoke… making him scream in agony. Bringing her knees up against her chest, she used her feet and legs to throw the demon off. It sailed a few yards away still screaming as its arm slowly melted from the rest of its body.

In a few moments, he would be nothing more than a bubbling puddle of dusty goop on the sidewalk that would vanish before the sun announced a new day. Kyoko had never thought much on where it went; she was just happy not to have to clean up the mess.

“Jerk,” Kyoko threw the insult as she quickly regained her footing. She had been spoiled with fighting one-on-one over the years… so this was a new one for her.

She arched an eyebrow as the vampire’s scream quickly vanished. ‘Obviously not a direct descendant,’ she thought to herself. Her grandfather called them the gutter trash of demons, not pure blood vampires or demons… just half-breeds. But… they still carried the same name. The better grade of vampire, the slower they melted… gross but true.

She knew the ancients were said to be much more powerful than this, but even Grandpa Hogo wasn’t sure if the pure blood vampires could withstand her spirit darts. He’d once told her the spirit dart was nothing more than sunlight harnessed into a weapon that could only be conjured up by a priestess or a guardian.

Kyoko saw a fist coming for her face and turned her head to the side knowing she didn’t have time to do anything to stop it. If she took the time out to play dodge ball, then there would be consequences and she would be on the losing side of them. Feeling the impact of knuckles split the skin on her cheek, she suddenly crossed the line from annoyed to pissed.

The last thing she needed was to go home looking like she’d been in a gang fight. She growled when loudmouth got close enough to slash her shirt almost wide open, leaving four deep scratches across her left breast.

“Pervert,” She hissed at him, knowing he’d done it on purpose. The leering grin he gave her confirmed it.

Her mother would worry if she came home wounded, but Grandpa Hogo would only help her get patched up and let her go to bed. He knew she healed ten times faster than a normal human. He’d spent the last few years training her to be what she had become.

Grandfather had known about her long before she had ever been born… or so he said. The old scrolls passed down through the family told about the guardian heart crystal… and the priestess that possessed it.

At first she hadn’t believed him, but her mind was abruptly changed when she was only ten years old. She saw him fight a vampire while he was walking her home one night from Tasuki’s birthday party. She’d been having so much fun that she had stayed even after the other kids had gone home.

When they were attacked, it had been very strange to see a man his age move with the same lethal grace of a skilled warrior. What was even stranger was that the demon had been very real. She’d run up to help her grandpa and hit the monster on the back with her fist… that was when she had first seen the spirit dart. It had still been in her hand as the vampire melted.

Once the fight was done and over with, Kyoko remembered asking her grandfather what exactly had attacked him. Grandpa Hogo then explained that while he was strong enough to fight the demons, he did not have the same power as Kyoko nor the ability to heal as quickly from injury.

He insisted that she had been born with a gift. He’d seemed proud to witness it come to pass during his lifetime. This led to a long-winded explanation that the vampire was actually after her, that the demons had been stalking her since her birth… because of the holy power she housed within her soul.

He didn’t know what the creatures could possibly use it for, but their lust for it had only become stronger over the years. Grandpa had come to the conclusion that maybe it had been placed inside her only to draw the demons toward her, so she could destroy them.

Kyoko still shivered in revulsion at that bit of news. Sometimes it made her wonder what else her grandfather had been hiding from her. One thing was certain… she hadn’t looked at him the same since… neither had Tasuki, because Tasuki had followed them home that night and was a witness to the fight. That had only bonded her and Tasuki even closer together.

She shook the memory from her mind as she focused back on the fight. She quickly decided loudmouth needed to be the next to die before he somehow figured out a way to slowly strip her.

She lowered her arms… feigning pain so he would come at her once again. Despite their usually sexual nature, she wondered if all vampires were perverts or if it was just the ones she met. Just as he slammed into her and took her down, she watched as fear registered in his overly bright eyes. The spirit dart had impaled him in the last place he’d ever thought it would.

Yuuhi silently watched her fight wondering how a simple human female could take that much punishment and still be fighting. A normal girl would not fight at all. They would simply fall under the vampires thrall and do as asked. He was not pleased with this development. He’d sired those three vampires within the last year… wanting to know what it would be like to have brothers.

The only other family he had was his sire… Tadamichi. As of late, the master’s attention had turned from him… to the twin brother that had returned to the city.

Wanting to get his new family away from the hyper nightlife of the city and the danger of the approaching conflict between the twins, Yuuhi had decided to take a trip outside the city, where their attention would be solely focused on him.

The city was a crude place to learn the basics of their kind, and he thought the suburbs would be best to test their abilities. The city breed of new vampires was sloppy, and reminded him of nothing more than hungry animals. During their outing within this small town, they had actually been able to bring on new recruits. But, the newbie vampires kept vanishing without a trace.

Yuuhi at first believed the new half-breeds had just moved on… abandoning him. But now he knew differently. They were being killed one at a time by nothing more than a human female. The demon child hid his emotions well as he watched his self-made brothers being killed. Deep inside, he was somewhat angry… but more curious.

Maybe this would get Tadamichi’s attention away from his twin brother. Would he care that someone was killing off his family?

Kyoko watched with satisfaction as the last vampire began to melt and she knew it would only take about an hour before the puddles were gone without a trace. She rubbed the back of her hand across her cheek, leaving a trail of smeared blood in its wake as she jerked her gaze back around to look for the creepy little boy.

Yuuhi moved into the shadows where she could no longer see him. Some sixth sense told him he did not want to tangle with the girl right now, though he did not take his eyes off her or the way she was holding that strange glowing weapon hard within her hand.

Kyoko blinked into the darkness thinking that it was disturbing on many levels that the child had vanished.

“Did I scare him off?” She asked herself refusing to move. She stared at the spot where the child had been standing. Minutes passed… hours… or maybe it was just a couple heartbeats. Finally releasing her clenched fist and letting the spirit dart disappear… she shrugged her shoulders.

Yuuhi’s lips hinted at an evil smile as Kyoko picked up her discarded books and started walking again. He noticed as she came close to the objects around her, their appearance shifted and changed until she had passed it… like a halo of magic. He glanced at the trees ahead of her. The tops of the trees were like black claws reaching for the sky… but when she came closer to them, they became a thing of beauty… until she was once again out of its reach.

His black gaze leveled on her as if she were a target. Moving through the still air, he followed her. She would make a powerful new addition to his family of darkness… a gift for his sire. She had a high survival instinct unlike the careless fools she’d just killed. Even now there was a small trail of blood on the sidewalk; as if it was stalking her but she paid no notice of this. She held magic within her and he wanted to be a part of it… to see things he had not seen since his turning.

***** Grandpa paced back and forth in front of the window wondering where Kyoko was. It wasn’t like her to not tell him if she was going to be out late. He ran his hand through his white thinning hair in worry. They had an arrangement and she was supposed to always tell him before she went hunting for the creatures of the underworld.

He swung around when the phone rang and grabbed it up before it could wake the rest of the household.

Tasuki hadn’t been able to shake the weird feeling he had since leaving Kyoko alone in the parking lot. He drove around for only a few minutes before swinging back by and finding it empty. He cursed silently as he hit his steering wheel in frustration. Doing a doughnut right there in the parking lot, he left the library… but instead of going home, he staked out Kyoko’s place.

The longer he sat there… the more unnerving it got until he couldn’t help himself… he had to call. When she answered her phone so fast he smiled. “Thank god you made it home Kyoko.”

“You’re sick… you know that?” Grandpa glanced back out the window as he held the phone to his ear. He raised an eyebrow seeing Tasuki’s car parked only a couple houses down. “Calling a young lady this time of the night!? What are you, a pervert?”

Tasuki almost dropped the phone as all the color rushed out of his face then quickly raced right back up his body making his ears burn. Only the old man could make him feel like a total idiot this often. Closing his cell phone, he continued to watch Kyoko’s house waiting for her to get home. The phone call verified that her grandpa was definitely not picking her up.

Tasuki rubbed his temples and sighed wearily. She’d lied to him… but why? Staring angrily at the only target within striking distance, he slapped the steering wheel with both hands then one more time for good measure. When was Kyoko going to face the fact that he could take care of himself? Well, maybe not as well as she could… but still well enough to help her out in a jam.

He was distracted from his silent rant when he heard a noise close to his car and was about to look around, thinking it was Kyoko. He felt something strike the side of his neck, just behind the ear, making him inhale sharply as stars burst within his eyesight.

Tasuki’s head fell forward on the steering wheel, rendering him out cold.

Yuuhi reached through the open window for the young man but jerked his hand away when an amethyst spark shot between them. The demon child calmly looked down at his fingers, then slowly back to the young man in the driver’s seat. Being told no only made him want it more and the corner of his lip curved upward in the hint of a cunning smile.

Hearing distant footsteps, he pushed away from the car and looked down the street feeling her closeness. Stepping back into the darkness again, Yuuhi waited.

Grandpa hung the phone up with a knowing grin. He tapped his chin wondering when Tasuki was going to get up enough nerve to take Kyoko’s virginity. He had read in the ancient scrolls that as long as the priestess was a virgin, she would be an even bigger target for the demons. But so far, he refused to tell his granddaughter to have sex. He just wished Tasuki would hurry up and hit puberty or something.

Seeing movement from down the block, he focused his old eyes back on Tasuki’s car… wondering if the boy was going to grow a set of balls and get out. There was something outside the driver’s side door but it was too little to be Tasuki, and it was too quick for him to tell what it was. His attention was taken by another shadow on the other side of the street as it came closer.

His eyebrows drew together as her injuries came into view. What had she gotten herself into? Something appeared behind her and his gaze latched on to it.

As Kyoko stepped in front of the house, the motion detector lights came on and she looked up at the window and waved to her grandpa. When he didn’t wave back, she noticed the look on his face and the wideness of his eyes. He was looking directly behind her.

“Well… that’s just creepy.” Swinging around, she sucked in a chilled gasp seeing the eerie boy not but a couple feet from her. He was standing as still as a statue in the middle of the street. The only life within him was his unruly silver hair blowing in the night breeze. She gritted her teeth at her own carelessness… ‘How could she have been so stupid?’

Yuuhi could smell her panic and was surprised by how quickly it was replaced by fearful anger. His gaze curiously rose to the old man gaping out the upstairs window at them. She was protecting him? He let his mind wander throughout the house and detected two more life forces… one was a child. Bringing his gaze back to the girl, Yuuhi wondered if the male child was her brother. She had taken his brothers away… it would only be fair if he took hers.

“Don’t even think about it,” Kyoko warned, seeing his interest in her home. Her eyes narrowed with determination as the spirit dart formed in her palm.

A wicked light appeared within her fist and something Yuuhi had not felt in over five hundred years swept through his lifeless body… fear. His ebony eyes locked with hers; knowing if he tried to take her or her brother… he would die this night.

Kyoko’s mind went into overdrive realizing she’d led the little demon straight to her own house. She had put her whole family in danger and that was something she had always avoided at all cost. She could feel the eeriness of the boy reaching out to her, as he remained silent and unmoving. In looks… he seemed to be the same age as her little brother Tama. Although, she could feel he was so much older than that, the oldest demon she’d ever had the misfortune to come across.

“I will tell him I have found you,” The child’s emotionless voice whispered hauntingly, as if they had just shared a long peaceful conversation.

Hearing the front door slam open, Kyoko quickly glanced over her shoulder and yelled, “Grandpa, get back inside!”

She raised her weapon and turned back to the demon ready to fight, only to cry out because the child was no longer there. She didn’t know which thought creeped her out the most. Seeing him… or knowing he existed and not seeing him.

Closing her eyes, Kyoko let her life force span out in search for the iciness of his aura. Feeling nothing… she let a quivering breath escape knowing everything had changed… and all within an instant. The one thing she’d promised herself she would not do… was put her family in danger.

She felt a heavy hand land on her shoulder and quickly turned… throwing herself into her grandpa’s arms. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry!” Tears sprang to her emerald eyes. “He knows where I live… he will tell.”

Grandpa wrapped his arms around her feeling the heaviness of loss within his chest. He would have to move the family back to their other home near the sacred shrine before the weekend was over. They would be safer there where the ground was blessed. This had already been the plan if anything like this ever happened. His eyes grew sad knowing Kyoko would not come with them. They would lose her.

He held onto her tightly as he asked her the one question he already knew the answer to. “I’ll take them home Kyoko, but what will you do?”

“Say goodbye,” Kyoko sobbed, and then pulled her despair back inside herself. She let the wonderful numbness take hold knowing she had a lot to do before dawn.

Grandpa slowly let her go and watched as she walked into the house before he turned and started toward Tasuki’s car. He heaved a sigh, knowing he would have to make sure the boy was okay.

Seeing that lover boy was unconscious, he mumbled, “You always were more trouble than you were worth.” He opened the door and shoved the boy into the other seat almost grinning when Tasuki’s head bumped the passenger window.

“Looks like I’m the one stuck taking you home,” Grandpa mumbled. “At least before Kyoko finds out you got yourself knocked out.” This time the older man did grin. “We can’t let Kyoko know you got yourself hurt or she won’t call you if she needs you.” Starting the car, he peeled off down the street wanting to hurry and get back to his granddaughter.

***** The next morning, Tasuki awoke with a start, jerking up in the bed from a nightmare he didn’t want to remember. Something was wrong in more ways than one… he just knew it. Grabbing for the phone beside the bed, he hit the speed-dial clenching his jaw when her grandpa answered.

“I need to speak to Kyoko.” His voice was almost manic as his grip tightened on the receiver. He didn’t remember coming home last night… what had happened?

Mimicking Tasuki’s mood, Grandpa’s grip tightened on the phone as the cab pulled up in front of the house. Kyoko had made him promise not to tell Tasuki or anyone where she was going. It was the only way to protect them. It was a shame.

His voice was softer and wearier than it had ever sounded. “I am sorry Tasuki. Kyoko no longer lives here and there’s no forwarding address.” It really was a shame.

Tasuki listened as the line went dead… hearing his own heartbeat overpower the sound. Kyoko had told him once that if something went wrong with the demons, then she would disappear. “No.” The word rushed from him as his eyes took on the most startling shade of amethyst.

“DAMN IT!” He yelled and threw the phone across the room. Covering his eyes with his hands, he fell back against the lush pillows as he felt his heart fracture and bleed painfully.

He uncovered his eyes after a few minutes… the amethyst color within them still hadn’t faded. Tasuki decided he would bide his time. Just because the old man told him Kyoko didn’t leave a forwarding address… didn’t mean he was ignorant to where she was going.

Unseen to him, the staff Tasuki kept locked in its case by the bed began to glow ominously.

***** Kyoko opened the taxi door but turned back toward the house when her younger brother came running down the steps and across the yard. She threw her arms around him as he tackled her… barely keeping her feet.

“I don’t want you to go!” he cried, fisting his hand in her shirt.

Kyoko smiled… knowing she was doing the right thing. She loved him so much that it made the decision to leave hurt less. “I will come back to see you soon, and once school is out, I promise you can come to the city to visit me. We will spend so much time together that it will be as if I never left.” She looked up to see her mothers’ gaze lock with hers.

Miss Hogo pulled Tama away from her daughter with an understanding smile. “We will have your room ready and waiting on you. Won’t we Tama?” She brushed the tears from his cheek as he nodded, then looked back up at Kyoko. “See, everything will be fine.”

Glancing up at the house one last time, Kyoko could see her grandpa in the upstairs window. She waved and gave him a smile that almost made her cheeks hurt… then climbed into the cab. If she was leaving home because of the demons, then she was going to go invade their home and wipe them out one at a time.

“The city please,” Kyoko told the driver and refused to look back.

***** In the heart of the city, Hyakuhei lay in a state of semi-sleep when he heard his twin brother’s voice calling to him. He knew not to open his eyes because there was no use. His brother wouldn’t be there… so he just inhaled sharply and listened to the darkness.

“So, my younger brother still refuses to join me?” The voice held a hint of longing mixed with anger.

Hyakuhei opened his eyes and ran a hand through his long, ebony hair. Without saying a word out loud, he answered the intruding voice. “Younger brother? We are twins Tadamichi, you are no better than I.”

Tadamichi’s voice hardened, “Twins are alike… are we alike? Plus, I am the first born… so that makes you the youngest.”

Sitting up, Hyakuhei let the silk sheets fall from his naked body as he slid from the bed. It was just like Tadamichi to twist events to his liking. “No, we are nothing alike… so enough with the riddles.” He flinched, and then rolled his eyes when the lamp on the nightstand beside him shattered. He would have to learn to keep his temper under control or everything around him would be destroyed. He assumed it was his punishment for losing his temper so long ago with his brother.

“I don’t hate you,” Hyakuhei growled as if trying to convince himself.

“How generous of you,” Tadamichi’s voice took on a melancholy sound as if he didn’t believe the confession. “The last time we were within the same realm… we killed each other. Such senseless acts for immortals… don’t you think?” There was a pause before he continued. “Once the banishment was over, like a faithful brother… I waited on your return.”

“We are destined to be alone,” Hyakuhei cut in with the lie. He knew his brother was no longer alone… Tadamichi had made sure of that.

He could hear his brother’s silent laughter. It made him wonder if it hadn’t been a mistake to think he could come back and face the wicked family his brother had created in his absence. The only way he and his brother were alike was that they didn’t like to be alone… though they had two completely different ways of correcting that problem.

“I knew you would return… here where the night is never dark… here where you will never be alone among so many humans and the children I have created for us.” Tadamichi’s voice had become wishful.

Hyakuhei walked into the bathroom, turning on the shower then whirling to face the mirror. No reflection looked back at him so he just pictured his brother’s face… his own face as he answered. “I want nothing to do with the abominations you have sired.” He backed into the shower as he tore the link apart so he wouldn’t have to hear his brother’s haunting voice any longer.

No… he had not come back to his homeland to join them like some twisted family reunion. His brother was the most destructive of all the demons and the children he sired were disturbing to say the least. Those children where now spawning others and their numbers were growing like the black plague.

Hyakuhei placed his hands on the ceramic walls of the shower… letting the hot water warm his frozen skin. What did it matter to him? The last time he’d tried to stop his brother from infesting the human world with half-breed demons, it had ended in both their deaths… a false death that took centuries to rise from.

Their punishment for that crime was banishment from each other and this world of humans. They had become Shades who walked the realm between realms… casting only shadows of loneliness. That had ended over a century ago. Yet, he’d stayed away from his twin. Even from the darkness on the other side of the world, he had heard this city calling to him until he couldn’t fight the summons any longer.

His brother was right about one thing… he was exhausted from being alone. But now that he was home, he could smell the taint of his brother’s sins plaguing the land. True blood demons he could abide by, but the rape of the city by the half-breed vampires that spawning had created… was provoking.

His twin brother stayed underground most of the time within the lavish catacombs they had once shared during the medieval era… only to resurface once in a while, long enough to bring another victim into the deadly fold.

Hyakuhei looked up into the waterfall of the shower… trying to keep his rage from seeping out, but knew his failure when he heard the bathroom mirror crack.

Tadamichi had accused him of hiding himself away from the world but that wasn’t true.

‘It is Tadamichi who has chosen that path,’ He thought darkly. ‘He cannot see the destruction he is causing. The night is no longer dark nor is it silent.’ Hyakuhei turned off the shower and stepped out, not bothering to wrap a towel around his lithe form. Instead, he grabbed the soft black cloth and began drying his long ebony hair. Within moments he was dressed and ready for the night.

Walking back to his window in the living room, he sat down on the sill and looked out at his view.

Hyakuhei smirked at his own dark humor and looked down at the side of the opposite building.

“The darkness is alive with demons Brother. This city with its high walls has made it so,” he mused aloud.

***** Yuuhi reappeared within the downtown area of the city minutes before daybreak. He could already feel the sun’s heat on his skin and quickened his pace toward the Grand Hotel in the center of the metropolis. Beneath the massive five star establishments hidden away from the world was his sire’s underground dwelling. It was just as beautiful below ground as what housed the humans above… his sire had arranged it to be so.

Yuuhi stepped through the front doors of the Grand and strode across the lobby. Ignoring the friendly greeting of the human woman behind the desk, Yuuhi stepped through the door that read ‘maintenance’. Making his way down to the basement, he boarded the maintenance elevator that would take him down to the sub-basement level. From there, it was the opening of the hidden passage that would take him to his sire.

Feeling the darkness close in around him like a protective blanket, the platinum-haired child raced through the winding tunnels as though trying to outrun the darkness… or keep up with it.

Yuuhi was one of the privileged few allowed in Tadamichi’s private lair… only the ones Tadamichi had personally sired were permitted. The small boy had been one of Tadamichi’s first and the bond that held him faithful was what led him to warn the master about the girl… and the power she possessed. The bond also allowed him to feel his master’s emotional states, which could prove troublesome at times.

He could sense that Master Tadamichi was angry and knew the cause behind that rage… Hyakuhei. Only the master’s twin brother could provoke this kind of reaction. Jealousy and rejection could be a dangerous thing with one so powerful.

Yuuhi quietly slipped into Tadamichi’s chambers but stayed in the shadows to observe his master. The young boy was patient and knew to wait out the storm of his master’s rage.

Tadamichi glared at his reflection in the Mirror of Souls then looked away with an angry hiss. His brother had broken the link between their minds… banishing him once again. Every opportunity Tadamichi took to speak with his brother was terminated rather abruptly, angering him. He was starting to believe their bond would never return to what it had once been.

Had the centuries away from each other not been long enough of a punishment? Would Hyakuhei forever keep his distance?

Seeing movement within the shadows, Tadamichi angrily waved his hand in its direction… every half-breed within his chamber and within a thousand yards of his solitude spontaneously combusted… leaving behind the scent of sulfur in the air. There would be no witnesses to his brother’s rejection. However, he turned his head in the other direction and laid his eyes on the only one of his children that he would trust with his secret.

Ignoring Yuuhi for a moment, Tadamichi slowly walked across the room and stood in front of a portrait with his hands clasped behind his back. As the screams and flames died down, Tadamichi continued to stare at the painting as if nothing was amiss.

The painting was created long before the medieval wars had taken place… before their civil war. One would assume it was a self-portrait showing two personalities. In truth, it was he and his brother… so hard to tell them apart. How could they be so alike in looks… and be so different? Had his brother never learned the meaning of love… the pain of rejection?

Tadamichi dusted his fingertips across the image of his brother, his brow furrowing slightly before his face contorted in rage. He suddenly lashed out at the painting in a movement so fast it was virtually unseen. The picture held for a moment, then ever so slowly a jagged rip appeared… severing the twins from one another. The cloth of the portrait fell slightly to the side and Tadamichi’s expression suddenly showed sadness.

Placing his palms against the painting, Tadamichi held them together for a moment before letting them drop.

His love for Hyakuhei was fathomless. Tadamichi merely wanted Hyakuhei by his side to share in this wonderful existence. ‘Why do you forsake me and the life we could have?’ he asked silently then felt the chill of having asked that same question to one other than his brother. He drew the memory deep within himself refusing to dwell on her.

Yuuhi stepped out of the shadow behind him, feeling his master’s melancholy. It amazed him that his sire could feel so deeply for his brother when he himself had barely felt a twinge as the girl had killed his brothers only a couple hours before.

“So, you have lost them?” Tadamichi asked, never taking his eyes from the image of his brother.

Yuuhi nodded knowing Tadamichi could see into his thoughts. A flash of marble white appeared in his peripheral vision and he turned his head towards it. His gaze appeared almost thoughtful as he stared at the statues on his left. Slowly turning in a circle, he gazed at each, one by one. They had been here for as long as Yuuhi could remember but he had never asked about them.

“A girl,” Yuuhi whispered, wondering why a demon master would have statues of angels. It was odd… or he had always thought so. The angels were beautiful even to Yuuhi’s eyes and he wondered if creatures like these could have ever existed on this earth.

“I will tell you the story of the statues my child.” Tadamichi slowly glanced away from the painting curiously… “And you will tell me about this girl.” The corner of his lips turned up in the hint of a wicked smile. “Go on and take a closer look,” he coaxed. “Curiosity is an intriguing emotion… is it not?”

Yuuhi slowly walked around the room gazing up into the faces of the men with wings… stopping in front of the one that intrigued him the most. The long hair that reached past the small of his back swung out… as if he was in the middle of battle. The expression that had been on his face was most beautiful… and frightening. What was the angel fighting so hard for? What would have been the prize?

The stone hands held fast to a sword that was in a downward motion and Yuuhi reached out to slide his thumb across it… only to jerk back when a small thin line of blood welled up on his thumb.

Tadamichi was suddenly beside him, lifting the injury to his lips to suckle the blood from the boy’s finger. Knowing Yuuhi was a child of very few words and even less emotions; Tadamichi released his hand and nodded at the statue. “This statue… Kyou, and his destruction sword,” he closed his eyes as he remembered the guardians, “Very powerful adversaries… they all were.”

Yuuhi turned toward his master and waited patiently.

“They thought they could rid the world of darkness… thought they could rid it of me and my brother. They should have known better.” He opened eyes that now had a strange red tint to them. “They were brothers you see.” He stepped closer to the statue of the one who looked the youngest as he added, “Or at least they all thought they were true brothers.”

He reached out and stroked the cheek of the statue, letting his fingers trace the path a tear had left… frozen in time. “My dear Kamui. He knew what the guardians had done was wrong. That is why he looks so sad. It is a shame my brother never really knew him.”

Tadamichi turned to the next sibling. “Kotaro was strong in spirit, yet possessive of what he claimed to be his.” His eyes glazed over as if seeing the past. “He was willing to die if he had to… all for the love of a woman.”

Dismissing the statue with a wave of his hand, he stepped to the next one as his eyes darkened. This one was the most dangerous of the brothers. “Toya… he was a very interesting creature. So full of fire and rage, yet how he could love one woman with such ferocity was beyond me. It led to many battles between him and the other brothers. He was the most possessive of her. I’m surprised they never destroyed one another in their absurdity.”

He turned toward the final statue. The man’s hand was out in front of him as if he was casting a spell. Tadamichi knew the truth of Shinbe’s spell… the void had been in motion as they had cast him through the time portal… sealing it behind him. “Shinbe was wise beyond his years, yet he was foolish enough to alter fate… they all were.” His eyes hardened as he wondered if the priestess was still with them.

“The girl can destroy us.” Yuuhi’s voice held no emotion as he stood in front of the statue that seemed to hold the true meaning of rage. “She reminds me of him, Sire.”

Tadamichi glanced strangely at the guardian the child had indicated, “Toya?”

Yuuhi finally turned his black eyes on Tadamichi as his haunting words echoed, “Toya, this is what is inside her… this is what can kill us.”

Tadamichi’s eyes rose to Toya’s rage and he suddenly felt more alive than he had in a long time. What was life without a reason to live? So… she has returned to this realm. He had missed the wars of old. Angels and demons are one and the same… only one had a better reputation. If the truth were told, they were all killers.

Replacing the stone with the mental picture of what the silver guardian had once been, he lazily smiled knowing the guardian could hear him, they all could. Everything was silent and as still as it always had been. But deep within the souls of the statues… he could feel the power like an earthquake being restrained by thin shackles of time.

“So even in this imprisoned state, you have all found a way to fight.” Tadamichi hummed his curiosity. “Could it be that you feel her? Do you want her?” He lowered his lashes as he felt a wave of power sweep across the room in answer. “Maybe you should have forced her to stay on your side of the time portal… like you did last time.”

He turned away from the statues, leaving them with a haunted warning. “It is too bad you cannot accompany your priestess this time.”