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It was amazing and disgusting. Young men and women, boys and girls really, humans and vampires walked the streets scantily clothed. Condom wrappers and syringes littered the lawns, sidewalks and street. Sex, drugs, guns, and blood was for sale in the abandoned street corners of Fairlight, known as the Grove.
She stood in the middle of Peach Lane, horrified and angry at the flagrant display of lawlessness and debauchery all around her. It was the same on Apple and Cherry Streets, no one was hiding anything. Doing it all in the open as if daring someone to do something about it. She gasped, and then gaped at a couple on the stoop of an apartment building just a few feet away from where she stood. A young vampire woman straddled and grinded on a partially transformed wolf man while she bit into and sucked blood from his raggedy shoulder.
She’d seen enough, and felt more than obligated to do something. Reaching inside her jacket, down the middle of her back, she pulled her sword from the scabbard. With her aura she illuminated the filthy, dark street. Blue light got the attention of every seller and buyer, especially the vampires. They growled and hissed when she went from blue to white. Some covered their eyes or looked away, backing off to a more comfortable distance.
A snarling, young blond male got her attention from across the street. He stood alone, and she bee-lined towards him.
After a few quick steps, another male body blocked her path and view of the vampire. He was a normal human though quite tall and wide as a refrigerator. She didn’t have to look up to face him as she wore heels tonight that made her tall figure more imposing, but she wore them for style.
“Back your big ass up,” he said, thumping her chest with a thick dark brown meaty finger.
“Don’t do that,” she warned. “Don’t touch me again.”
“Bitch-”
“My name is Velvet Washington, not bitch. Got it?”
The refrigerator smiled. He had big white crooked teeth. “Yeah,” he said. “I got it- bitch. Don’t anybody care what your name is. Around here people don’t tote swords and go lighting up the freakin’ night with no freakin’ self-generated energy. It ain’t good for busineeeee-” His eyes went round and his mouth opened wide when he couldn’t breathe from the grip of Velvet’s fingers digging into his throat. With just a little more effort, she could easily break his neck.
“You can keep trying to block my meeting with your all American boy over there, if you want to, but it will cost you at least one arm or one leg. You understand me?” She waited for him to nod, then she led his big body to the side away from onlookers before releasing his throat. “What’s his name?”
“Rex.”
“He’s in charge? Is he the real boss of this mess?”
“Only one I’ve seen.” The big guy massaged his throat and backed away as Rex stepped into the street.
From somewhere, he had produced a sword as well. “Velvet Washington,” he said. “My, the stories don’t exaggerate after all. You are as black and tall as they say. Yet, somehow, I ain’t all that impressed.”
“Then I guess you’ll just have to get a load of my swordsmanship.”
“I can’t wait,” Rex grinned. He raised his blade and ran the few steps between them. Her sword strongly met his clashing and clanging. “Damn,” he gritted. His vampire strength wasn’t enough to force her arm down. Giving up, he sucker punched her dead in the jaw. Pleased with himself, he attempted another, and left himself unbalanced for a second. Taking the advantage, she stepped in, grabbed his armed hand by the wrist, and flipped him over. He sailed into the big guy, and crashed them both into a parked truck.
“Rex!” A petite girl with brown short hair ran to his side. She wore black high heeled boots with a short red patent leather skirt that showed her matching panties when she moved, and a top that looked like a brassiere. “Rex, don’t fight her. Let the fellas handle her. She’s that slayer-”
“Naw,” Rex contradicted. “She’s just a witch. Ain’t any reason to be calling anybody.”
“But she handled you so easily! And she’s got her big foot on your sword! Did she put a spell on you?”
“Keep talking crazy, Mary.” He shoved her off his arm, tossed back his thick straight hair, then pulled his shirt down from up his back, and smoothed it out just over the top of his soft white leather pants. “All right, then.” Growling, he pushed his fingernails out on both hands.
“Rex,” Mary hissed, crouching and sliding down the length of a car. “She’s the one that took Liza and the others out in the cemetery!” Annoyed with her interference, Rex turned to stare at her. “Damn it, Rex! Liza was way better than you in combat!”
“Maybe, I ain’t as stupid as Liza,” he boasted as he charged Velvet. He speared her in the midsection to push her from the street. On the sidewalk, she planted her feet firmly and brought down her weapon’s hilt, and clobbered him hard. Everyone heard the crack of his skull. He fell to his knees groaning, clutching his head. “Oh,” he moaned, rolling over, unable to focus his eyes.
“Nope, you aren’t stupid,” Velvet agreed, heavy with the sarcasm.
“Rex!” Mary screamed, but didn’t run across the street to check on her partner. Velvet scooped him up roughly by the loose fabrics of his shirt and jacket. “Toby, help him!”
“Toby, you ain’t about to act stupid?” Velvet asked.
“Why don’t you put him down? He’s not capable of anything at the moment.”
“Now, you think I’m stupid. I know a crack to the noggin will only incapacitate a vampire for a few seconds.” Shaking Rex, she made his head flop from side to side. He was out. “But then, I might be wro-” She ducked to avoid a full frontal attack from a flying object, who happened to be another young male with long black cornrowed hair that hung down to the top of his low waist jeans. In the thick of the night, he wore sunglasses. Circling around, he left a good smelling men’s scent all in the air and street. Velvet watched him fly upward, then push with his boots off a house to change directions. Surprising her, he did not charge, but hovered in the air, and grinned mischievously. He was holding her attention, keeping her away from Rex. But why wasn’t Mary or someone else hustling to drag Rex off to safety?
Because he was waiting for someone else to get in position.
She eyed Rex, who was up, no longer faking it. His eyes had just returned from looking to the left. Taking to the air, she soared higher than the new arrival, and looked down for a possible third attacker. Unless he was up higher than she was, he wasn’t there.
“Yo, baby!” Rex tossed daggers like missiles with expert precision. One whizzed by nipping her ear, the others she barely dodged with her super speed. “Now, that’s what I’m talking about!” Mary joined in throwing stars. Her aim was bad, but she seemed to be having fun.
“Toby, shoot that witch,” Rex ordered once he was out of daggers.
“Shoot her?” Toby looked at Rex like he was talking crazy or something. “Shoot a woman that ain’t shooting back?”
“She’s armed,” Mary said. “And she’s got-”
“Toby, you just do what I command,” Rex said in a low sterner voice.
“Naw,” Toby decided. “Bringing guns into a sword fight ain’t kosher. And besides, I don’t do commands. Later for y’all.”
Mary watched Toby with her mouth open, as he hustled it down the street to a silver sports convertible. With a squeal of tires, he sped from the curb, leaving her to stare after him completely astounded. After closing her mouth, she looked to Rex’s furious face.
“Mary,” he said, visibly trying to keep his cool. “Remind me to rip his throat out.”
“Look out!” Mary leaped to the right to avoid a blast of indigo light. “Damn.” She landed hard on her hip and got up massaging herself. “Damn witches don’t fight fair,” she grumbled.
“Come on, Haido!” Rex shouted to the other male still in the air.
He took flight braving the light, protecting his head and chest with his arms. Haido buzzed her as if not noticing the sword in her hand. He even risked a slice into an arm to get closer. He was strong for a slightly built fella, strong enough to make her struggle to keep her own sword in her own hand. Only one vampire had ever taken a weapon from her, and some little guy half her size was not going to do it tonight. But he was not untrained like Rex and Mary. Up close, she saw he was not a kid either. He had to be close to thirty or older when he died. And he wasn’t pale. From his name, she assumed he was probably Japanese.
His fist came at her face and she blocked it using her blade as a shield.
“Ah.” He winced and pulled back to shake out his fist. “Silver always was a witch’s advantage.”
“Just like doing everything in three’s is a vampire’s. Funny, for a hot minute there, I thought you had a little something.”
“Put that sword down and I’ll take you on alone.”
“Don’t think so.” She raised her sword defensively, he hesitated. It was enough for Velvet to recognize, he wasn’t as sure of his combat skills as when he first started. Not when she was holding silver. He was not formidable like Jerome, whom she imagined most gleefully, would use her own sword to cut her liver out.
“Tell your master, Velvet Washington and Associates is shutting down all illegal vampire activities in the Grove.”
“I work out here for money. I don’t call anybody my master.” He removed his sunglasses and challenged her to look him straight in the eye, which she did without hesitation. Looking a witch in the eye proved he felt he was her equal, her looking back demonstrated she was not afraid of his powers of compulsion. “My job is to kick anyone’s ass that is kicking Rex’s. These corners aren’t my concern, and they shouldn’t be yours.”
“Is that supposed to be advice, Haido?”
“The boss isn’t the kind of vampire to play around, not when it comes to his business. These corners, the Grove is his lovechild. When he finds out you were down here tonight tossing people around, he’s going to chew you up and spit you out. Don’t come back down here is my advice.” He covered his eyes with his sunglasses again, and then flew down to join Rex and Mary among the small masses that stopped to watch the air show.
“Get back to work,” Rex shouted, pushing and hitting at the idlers. “One witch don’t stop no show. Damn it, get back to shaking your asses and make me some money. Mary, get these bitches to moving.” Picking up his sword, he swept the crowd, letting his mean blue eyes rest on each and every hustler. Two young girls grabbed each other and retreated behind other bodies.
He was a pimp! A bloody no good vampire pimp, making girls and boys sell themselves! “You creep,” she voiced softly, aiming her open palms at Rex’s head.
“What- what you doing?”
An expanding burst of white light sought after the screaming and fleeing vampire. It struck him in the back with the impact of a bolt of lightning. His smoking body hurled into the front yard of a barred up home.
“Rex!” Mary flashed her bright eyes, furrowing her brow, turning her gaze upward to Velvet. “You killed him!” She ran to Haido. “You just stood and watched!” Spinning around, she grabbed and pulled at her short hair screaming, and cursing every witch that ever lived.
“Mary!” Haido spun her back around, holding her arms. “Shut the hell up.”
“Haido, you saw what she did!”
“Shut your goddamn mouth before she strike’s us all down.”
“You coward!” Mary hit him in the mouth and pushed him out of her sight to confront Velvet. “Bring your black ass down here!”
“Mary-” Haido started to warn her again, but Velvet had already accepted Mary’s invitation to join her on the ground.
“He’s not dead, you idiot.” Velvet dismissed her to talk to the crowd. “My name is Velvet Washington. I intend to close the Grove. If any of you want my help or protection simply come down to my offices and ask for me personally.”
“What? How dare you?” Mary screeched.
“Because I can.” Velvet grabbed Mary by her thin shoulders, demonstrating her strength. “My magic is greater than you can imagine. With a thought I can destroy you all.”
“Liar! Nobody believes that stuff anymore. If witches could do such things to us, y’all would’ve done it centuries ago! We are vampires!” Mary screamed in her face. “We are stronger than we’ve ever been! We know your secrets!”
“Are you willing to bet your life on that theory about jinxing a witch? You really want me to prove who the higher power belongs to? Do you think you and Haido can manage it?” All at once, she got the creeps. The source was standing right behind her. Mary was merely stalling her, getting her to come back to the street, and she’d fallen for it.
Turning, she faced the dark countenance of the vampire that swore to personally give her the most horrible death imaginable. She smiled, because as always it struck her that he was the most handsome man she ever met, living or undead. Dark skinned, wide shouldered, moderately muscled and tall, he stood perfectly still, glowering at her, letting his hatred fill the air between them. He definitely wasn’t thinking how attractive she looked tonight.
“Why is it always you?” he asked, adjusting the matching tie of his outrageously expensive gray suit. “Just once, why can’t you do like I tell you?” His eyes quickly surveyed the street. “This is not your neighborhood, so it does not concern you.”
“Fairlight is my concern. The Grove is a nice sized chunk of Fairlight. You know I can’t let this slide.”
“I insist that you do just that, Velvet, unless you want this beloved city of yours turned inside out.”
“It won’t come to that.”
“I’ll see that it does.”
“You don’t care about anything, do you?” He gave her an indulgent smile. “You are scum,” she boldly stated, getting closer to his face. “You are trash, Jerome, a disgusting piece of slime! Wearing tailored suits don’t dress you up!”
“Careful, now.”
“Move out, Jerome. Let these neighborhoods go.”
“Not in a million years.”
She checked the street for aggressive vampires. None seemed eager to fight, not even Haido, but they would, if Jerome ordered it.
“Get out of here, Velvet, while you still can. I have more important matters to attend to tonight.”
“Maybe, you ought to cancel those plans.”
“Maybe, you should stop being so ridiculous. We both know you aren’t about to start something with so many humans around. Hell, you even care what happens to these so called victims.”
He had her there. She had to come up with another way to save the Grove and free the unwilling participants of Jerome’s illegal doings, a way that closed them down without anybody getting hurt.
“All right,” she said. “For now, I’ll leave.” Not like she didn’t have other things to be doing tonight and she wanted to get it done before it rained. Tonight was really about checking out the situation, the last thing she expected was Jerome actually showing himself. And she had to admit, she wasn’t prepared to take him on along with his employees and brood. She needed her team for this.
“Now, you are showing signs you are an intelligent creature.”
“Thanks,” she said and burst into radiant blue light. The first wave went through Jerome, hitting him hard, so hard that he cried out, staggering back from the force of it. However, he was the kind of vampire that knew how to counter a sucker attack by rolling with it. He snatched her thigh, jerked her forward as he dropped to a knee. He was going to bite her. “Oh crap,” she uttered, realizing there was no time for anything else, except to get out of his clutches.
“Arrgh!” he cried from pain and disgust. Her body was phasing its way through his in order to escape his fangs.
Not so smart on her part she thought, the instant her body met his hostile resistance. He was actually pushing her, attempting to overcome her light force with his dark nature. With another hard burst of light, she propelled herself through and out, leaving Jerome groaning on his knees. A good effort on his part, she had to give him that much.
“Witch,” he moaned, collapsing onto his side. “I’ll have your heart for dessert, I promise you.”
“In the meantime, you just lay there like a punk.”
“Velvet, you better get your ass away from here,” Haido said. He stepped forward to guard Jerome’s spent body. “You can’t take all of us.”
All of them included humans and werewolves. Some might even have guns. It was time to go, she decided, noticing rain clouds rolling in covering the night’s sky. Fading out, she saw Jerome rising to his feet being aided by Haido.