A Light In The Heart Of Darkness. Amy Blankenship

paused as he neared the doorway. Sniffing, he turned quickly and headed in the opposite direction of the entrance. He could smell her… though in the back of his mind he couldn’t figure out how or why he could. Taking off in a dead run toward the alleyway to the left of the building, his heart hammered violently in his chest as morbid thoughts flew through his mind.

      Missing girls and dark places... Kyoko had better not have a single hair out of place or else…

      Entering the shadows, Toya skidded to a stop as fear choked the breath from his lungs. There, lying slumped against the dirty brick wall… was Kyoko. The same fear that rooted him to the spot, spurred him into motion. With his next breath, he was beside her.

      Kneeling, he touched her, checking for the life that would allow his heart to start beating again.

      As soon as his finger touched her neck, his own heart kicked in time with hers and he breathed. Thank god… she was alive. A moment of déjà vu reflected in some unwanted memory and he quickly pushed it away suddenly afraid. Feeling others close by, he wasted no time in picking her up and getting her to safety. As he held her close to him, Toya used his unnatural speed to take them out of the darkness.

      *****

      Kotaro held Yohji up against the brick wall while willing his blood lust to cool. Continuing his punishment was not worth it anymore, considering the boy had already passed out again. Dropping him none too gently on the ground, feeling a disturbance in the energy around him.

      His head snapped to the side, his ice blue eyes narrowing.

      Kyou watched as the wolf dropped the boy back to the ground without killing him. He immediately recognized the human as the one harassing Kyoko. Changing his opinion from a few moments before, his lips curved into a slight snarl. Had it been him holding the boy by his neck, the boy would not still be in one piece.

      As if sensing him, the Lycan turned his head and locked his deadly gaze on him. Kyou could feel the immense power emanating from the wolf. He was displaying it in warning.

      In the past, wolves and vampires had always avoided each other. Neither caring for the other, they chose to leave each other alone. Both were too closely matched in strength and neither cared for dominance over the other. They just existed together in the same world, keeping mostly to themselves and going about their own endless lives.

      All of Kotaro's instincts came to life, seeing the vampire standing there in the shadows… watching him. He couldn’t see him clearly enough to make out any distinctive features but his instinct told him the bloodsucker was a threat. He still needed to release some of his own bloodlust and cracked his knuckles thinking it was maybe one of Hyakuhei’s underlings.

      Just as he decided to turn and attack, the image grew stronger, then wavered and vanished. “Golden eyes?” Kotaro rose back up to his full height realizing he had almost attacked Kyou. “What’s he doing here?”

      "Damn it!" Kotaro hissed and took off fearing Kyoko would not be where he left her. He had to get to her fast… there were bloodsuckers out tonight and she would not be one of their victims. And with Kyou around… there was no telling how dangerous things could really get.

      Kyou reappeared facing the same brick wall where he had laid the girl. Seeing she was no longer there, his eyes bled crimson and an enraged growl ripped through the empty alley, echoing into the surrounding streets.

      *****

      Suki and Shinbe met Kotaro at the door of the club. Grasping Shinbe by the shoulder, Kotaro asked urgently. "Is Kyoko still inside?" His inhuman senses had kicked into overdrive and his instincts were telling him that she was nowhere near.

      Suki surged forward grabbing Kotaro's shirt and confirming his suspicions. "A man took her about ten minutes ago, you have to find her!" Her eyes filled with tears as she spoke to him. "We can't find her anywhere!"

      Not quite ready to give Suki her freedom yet, Shinbe pulled back on her hand, slamming her into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her like a steel band. Looking at Kotaro he added. "Some ‘thing’ just carried her out of here."

      Shinbe looked down at Suki's now trembling form and tried to soothe her. She'd never let him just do what he wanted without arguing. “I promise you, we will find her.” with his promise made, he glanced back up to speak to Kotaro once more but the security guard was already gone.

      "Wh… Where did he go?" Shinbe stuttered looking around but not finding any trace of the security guard. Shaking his head, he sighed. He had seen enough weird shit for one night.

      Coming out of her lost, hopeless state, Suki huffed in annoyance. "He better find Kyoko… or I'm having Kotaro kabobs for dinner…" Dragging Shinbe behind her as if they had suddenly changed roles she added, "My car, now, let's go!"

      Shinbe glanced around the parking lot as if suddenly remembering something important. "Speaking of cars… Toya's is missing."

      Chapter 6

      Hyakuhei laid the young man he had chosen to become one of his children in a dark room above the sounds of the club. Brushing the soft brown hair from his closed eyes, he could still smell the scent of the girl as it lingered on the boy's skin. `Tasuki', he had heard the others call him.

      "Well Tasuki, when you awake, you will have a most precious gift from me… the gift of eternal life." He gave a sympathetic smile, as if talking to a child. "But you will understand… that life is mine."

      Hyakuhei's eyes flickered red as he felt one of his children call to him. He did not like being disturbed while awaiting an awakening but one of his favorites had asked for him. Knowing that the underling would never call to him unless it was important, he answered his request.

      Taking one more look at the boy he had turned, Hyakuhei’s body shimmered and disappeared, leaving Tasuki alone within the confines of the locked room.

      *****

      Yohji could feel the pricks of pain forcing him to consciousness. God, he hurt all over. He remembered slowly what had happened and why he now felt so bad. He had run into Kyoko and had decided to play with her, when that stupid security guard had showed up.

      How could someone be that strong? When he had tried to fight back, he hadn't stood a chance in hell. It was as if he had tried to go against a pack of starving wolves and was now suffering severely for his efforts.

      Finally daring to open his eyes, Yohji was startled to find a young boy standing there… watching him. He looked to be around 12 years old and would have been labeled albino, if his eyes hadn't been so black and empty.

      Drawn by the smell of fresh blood, Yuuhi appeared beside the wounded boy. Watching him closely, he stood as still as a statue, touching him briefly with his aura, before nodding once. The boy had the taint of evil already within him, but there was a scent of purity that clung to his negative energy.

      Those remnants of pure energy seemed to be alive with power that would not die. `Unexpected…'

      As the injured boy's eyes opened, Yuuhi whispered softly, "Father, he has touched the pure one… her energy still lingers, attacking his…” the child’s fangs gleamed in the darkness in a mock smile. “Shall we keep him?"

      Yohji's eyes narrowed at the little boy's strange words, then looked around for whoever the child was talking to, only to see a sinister looking man shrouded in black step from the shadows into the faint light of the alley. He was tall and power emitted from his form as if he were an avenging deity.

      Yohji's fright-filled eyes widened, locking with eyes that were blood red and this time he definitely saw fangs. He pressed his abused body against the wall. He would never stand a chance if he tried to run in the state he was already in.

      Hyakuhei looked down at the young man who had been harassing the girl he now deemed his. This lad had dared to touch her and now would pay for his insolence. He inhaled… smelling remnants of the