his arm in pain. The corners of Joseph’s mouth twitched upward slightly.
“Yes,” Joseph answered, “we shall.”
They took a step, and as their feet touched the pavement everything whipped out of sight. Browns and reds and the yellow street lights all raced past them. Michael was pinned to Tanish’s side by the vice-like grip he had on his arm.
As they sped along, Michael felt somehow light and heavy at the same time. He was dimly aware that Tanish was running, but it felt more like they had engaged warp drive. The reds and browns of the brick and blacks of the pavement turned slowly to green and orange. Michael reeled and wondered if it would ever end. They were moving so fast he could barely breathe. It felt almost like being underwater. Sickness was rising in his throat as they moved on relentlessly.
And then they stopped.
Michael and Chad both fell flat on their faces. Chad threw up spectacularly, orange chunks spraying the ground four feet in front of him. Michael managed to keep all his contents inside himself. He took a huge, involuntary breath of air. It felt wonderfully clean and fresh.
“What…was…that?” Chad asked from the pavement, still a little green in the face.
Joseph chuckled.
Michael steadied himself and tried to get his bearings. Underfoot was an intricate pattern of gray stone, lit by the sparkling light of tall green iron lamp posts that lined the driveway. Darkness completely enveloped the spaces between lights, and in the distance Michael could just make out a tall, many-peaked structure. It would have been a very beautiful spot if Chad wasn’t vomiting all over it.
“Stop it,” Joseph said, kicking Chad to encourage him to his feet.
“What was that?” Chad said again, coughing.
“It’s called running,” Joseph said flatly. “Haven’t you ever run before?”
Tanish put a hand on Joseph’s shoulder. He shook it off angrily, but stopped kicking his vomiting charge.
“I know. It’s fast enough that it doesn’t feel like we’re just running. You’ll get used to it. As your powers grow you will be able to run just as quickly…without falling over,” Tanish explained to Chad as Michael helped him up.
Joseph came to a stop in front of two massive iron gates. The path beyond turned uphill, leading their eyes to an elaborate stone mansion.
Tanish gestured to the elegant house on top of the hill. “Our clan home.”
7
“Are you serious?” Chad’s jaw hung open at the sight of the many tall windows glimmering in lamp light.
“’What were you expecting?” Tanish asked, that bright smile only partially dimmed by annoyance, “A bar? A sewer?” Michael didn’t know what exactly he had been picturing. A bar, he guessed. A lot of leather jackets. Beer. Buffy’s vampires had a drippy cave sort of thing.
“It’s absurd,” Joseph said, turning down the long path, “how much T.V. affects you mortals. Vampires are centuries old,” he said, picking up the pace. “Don’t you think we’d have figured out how to make a little money yet?”
“Cool,” Chad said as he trotted along beside Tanish, never taking his eyes off of Joseph.
A whole new wave of thoughts bombarded Michael. Centuries old? I am going to live for centuries? A sense that he was in way over his head hung around Michael like a thundercloud.
Chad punched Michael on the arm. “We’re immortal and we’re rich!”
Joseph turned back from the gate so fast that Chad barreled into him and fell back to the ground. “No. You are not rich. The clan is well funded, that is for sure. But you haven’t done anything yet to earn your place in it.” The color had begun to drain from his face. His canines were inching toward his bottom lip.
“Dude,” Chad said, holding up his hands and backing away unconsciously, “my bad. I’m sorry.”
Joseph’s dark eyes were on Chad’s frightened ones as he
“Yes,” Joseph answered, “we shall.”
They took a step, and as their feet touched the pavement everything whipped out of sight. Browns and reds and the yellow street lights all raced past them. Michael was pinned to Tanish’s side by the vice-like grip he had on his arm.
As they sped along, Michael felt somehow light and heavy at the same time. He was dimly aware that Tanish was running, but it felt more like they had engaged warp drive. The reds and browns of the brick and blacks of the pavement turned slowly to green and orange. Michael reeled and wondered if it would ever end. They were moving so fast he could barely breathe. It felt almost like being underwater. Sickness was rising in his throat as they moved on relentlessly.
And then they stopped.
Michael and Chad both fell flat on their faces. Chad threw up spectacularly, orange chunks spraying the ground four feet in front of him. Michael managed to keep all his contents inside himself. He took a huge, involuntary breath of air. It felt wonderfully clean and fresh.
“What…was…that?” Chad asked from the pavement, still a little green in the face.
Joseph chuckled.
Michael steadied himself and tried to get his bearings. Underfoot was an intricate pattern of gray stone, lit by the sparkling light of tall green iron lamp posts that lined the driveway. Darkness completely enveloped the spaces between lights, and in the distance Michael could just make out a tall, many-peaked structure. It would have been a very beautiful spot if Chad wasn’t vomiting all over it.
“Stop it,” Joseph said, kicking Chad to encourage him to his feet.
“What was that?” Chad said again, coughing.
“It’s called running,” Joseph said flatly. “Haven’t you ever run before?”
Tanish put a hand on Joseph’s shoulder. He shook it off angrily, but stopped kicking his vomiting charge.
“I know. It’s fast enough that it doesn’t feel like we’re just running. You’ll get used to it. As your powers grow you will be able to run just as quickly…without falling over,” Tanish explained to Chad as Michael helped him up.
Joseph came to a stop in front of two massive iron gates. The path beyond turned uphill, leading their eyes to an elaborate stone mansion.
Tanish gestured to the elegant house on top of the hill. “Our clan home.”
7
“Are you serious?” Chad’s jaw hung open at the sight of the many tall windows glimmering in lamp light.
“’What were you expecting?” Tanish asked, that bright smile only partially dimmed by annoyance, “A bar? A sewer?” Michael didn’t know what exactly he had been picturing. A bar, he guessed. A lot of leather jackets. Beer. Buffy’s vampires had a drippy cave sort of thing.
“It’s absurd,” Joseph said, turning down the long path, “how much T.V. affects you mortals. Vampires are centuries old,” he said, picking up the pace. “Don’t you think we’d have figured out how to make a little money yet?”
“Cool,” Chad said as he trotted along beside Tanish, never taking his eyes off of Joseph.
A whole new wave of thoughts bombarded Michael. Centuries old? I am going to live for centuries? A sense that he was in way over his head hung around Michael like a thundercloud.
Chad punched Michael on the arm. “We’re immortal and we’re rich!”
Joseph turned back from the gate so fast that Chad barreled into him and fell back to the ground. “No. You are not rich. The clan is well funded, that is for sure. But you haven’t done anything yet to earn your place in it.” The color had begun to drain from his face. His canines were inching toward his bottom lip.
“Dude,” Chad said, holding up his hands and backing away unconsciously, “my bad. I’m sorry.”
Joseph’s dark eyes were on Chad’s frightened ones as he
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