glistening, “and destruction.”
Eric shook his head at John’s playing around and decided to attack while John was unprepared.
Seconds later two crewmen were walking the hall by the Bitch’s Workout area, and both jumped as a loud bang, shaking the wall right next to them. Both men looked to each other and moved quickly away.
No one wanted to be in the hallway in case something came through the wall.
Inside the room, Eric was picking himself up off the floor, a little groggy. “First lesson,” John told his friend, “Gabrielle is devious. She has hundreds of years of experience to fuck with her competitor's minds. If you think that sucked, think about having her beautiful laugh echoing in your mind right now … and how pissed off you would be.”
Eric stood up and nodded to his friend who was saying something about something but wasn’t making sense. He put a hand up, “John, I’m sure that was a lovely speech, but I can’t hear shit right now.”
John walked over to his friend, smiling.
Then John slugged him.
There wasn’t anyone in the hallway when the loud bang happened this time.
‘Fucking…prick…,” Eric got out as he started to stand back up on wobbly feet. “I’m going to rip your dick off and beat you senseless you finger-licking asswipe sniffer!” His healing was doing fine, but he had decided to see if he could lure John a little closer, “Jean is going to leave you after you sew it back on and need to use popsicle sticks wrapped with tape to prop it up!”
John laughed but stayed right where he was. “Eric, you have to open yourself to all of the benefits that being a Queen’s Bitch provides. You have been lax, buddy.”
Eric narrowed his eyes, “What do you mean?”
“Why do you think I’ve asked Bethany Anne to spar with me?” John asked, walking to his left, trying to find a portion of the wall that had a little more cushion.
“She likes to kick your ass, and you are a masochist?” Eric asked, walking two steps to his left since John obviously wasn’t going to come into his trap.
“No, you diaper-wearing jizz collector, it’s because we can push our abilities above even the older vampires.” John retorted, “Except for Michael, I imagine. I don’t think we can go above that without a couple of decades against him to test ourselves.”
“You think he is still alive?” Eric asked stopping his walking.
John stopped and cocked his head, “Michael?”
“Yeah, what if he is still out there, say in the Etheric, lost?” Eric asked, opening his hands in supplication, “It could be true.”
John lifted his hand and scratched his chin, “I don’t know, I …”
Eric stabbed across the intervening space, trying to catch John off guard.
This time, the sound in the hallway was very muffled. Inside the room ... the cussing was long, loud and very fluid.
“HOWTHEFUCKDIDYOUHITMEYOUASSTARDSOMMELIER!” Eric yelled from across the chamber.
John, his eyes red, grinned as he opened his arms. His six foot four frame displaying an arm span which took up a significant amount of space, “Welcome to being a true BITCH , Eric.”
Eric watched, his mouth dropping open, as John’s grin went wide, his eyes flaming red. “This is what we are Eric, and if you want Gabrielle, this is what you are going to have to embrace as your future!”
Kaifeng, Henan Province
Ting watched the General as they walked peacefully down the narrow alley between two buildings that had to have been built at least back in the 50’s. The smell, not pleasant, not unpleasant, was a mixture of food, scraps and the occasional drunk.
This was the third meeting the General and Ting had attended in as many days.
She followed all of their talk, and he never once mentioned the Sacred Clan, but he did speak of a new power player in China. Ting stayed a few feet back from the General, as someone who was his inferior might.
Her hearing, however, was sufficient
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