a Different Kind of Vampire

No one ever looked down an adjoining hallway when they had a place to go. Destiny leaned against her locker and watched her rival walk down the halls, heading for whatever class he had after lunch. She caught a metaphysical whiff and couldn't help but feel guilty. Each person's life energy had a distinctive scent, and like a person's physical scent, it changed with their emotions. Young was worried. Afraid, but not for himself. He truly feared her and what she could do to his peers.

She pushed off the wall and walked slowly to her next class. How could he understand that she didn't hurt people when she fed? Just a taste of a person's essence in passing and she was done. A few minutes in a crowded hallway were more than enough to satisfy her, and she had ways of storing what she didn't eat. She had killed before, but Young really had very little to fear. When she was young and learning to control her ability, she'd killed. When she or someone else was in danger, she killed again. But she wouldn't dream of hurting him or his followers. They were far too valuable, and she still respected life. Why couldn't he--

She shook her head, angry at herself. Why did she care what he thought? He thought she was a monster, and in a way she was, but others had thought that before. Even she thought it occasionally, when everything was just too much. Why did she care?

Perhaps it was the simple fact that a Seer like him was just as rare as a Vampire like her.

Once every third century, if not rarer, one was born. A prophet who saw all that could be seen; a soldier who had no true needs. They were usually found and trained as soon as physically possible. It still amazed her that Young had lived a normal life at all, let alone for seventeen years.

Only twice had a Seer and a Vampire been born within even a century of each other, and this was the first time they'd been born in the same generation. It worried her. Vampires were bad: their coming told of war. Seers were equally bad: their coming created war. Everyone wanted the Seer, and if they couldn't have the Seer, no one could. Better a catastrophic war than their enemies knowing every move they will make.

But the same generation? If she'd been the elder, her birth could have been a foretelling of the war caused by his, but she wasn't. Unless the foretelling had been made necessary when he wasn't found.

She shook her head. It didn't matter. She'd bring him to her superiors, like she was supposed to, and they'd figure it out. Thinking was their job. Hunting was hers. It was what she did. It was her purpose.

It was all she was good for.

Pepperoni Pizza and Progress Reports

Wednesday was pizza day. Tristan wasted no time getting his lunch and heading outside. Chira sat up and chirred as he approached, and he rubbed her muzzle. "Good girl, Chira. Good stay."

Within ten minutes, the rest of the study group had come outside and sat under a tree. Chira nosed at the tree limbs, but a soft command from Tristan made her flop to the ground behind him. He rubbed her head and said, "Jared, I don't think these things are stupid. I started training Chira last night and she's made more progress than my dog did in a month."

Jared shrugged and gave his salad to the creature in question. "Maybe she's one of the smarter ones."

"Tristan, I talked to Thomas," Allison said. "He told me he's busy after school, but he wouldn't tell me why."

Around the circle, same story. Everyone was busy, and they wouldn't say why. Tristan sighed. "We have to keep trying. Destiny's not suspicious, she's dangerous."

"What do you mean?" Megan asked.

"I mean that she's some sort of vampire."

Kyle frowned. "Is that why she doesn't have a lunch?"

"Most likely." Tristan stood to throw away his tray. "Everyone, stay away from her. She doesn't eat blood, she eats life energy. I don't know if she needs to touch you or if she just needs to be close by, but I know she doesn't need fangs to kill you.

"Do I make myself clear?"

After a moment of hesitation, they all nodded. "Good. After school, go straight to the parking lot. We'll head to my house and figure out what to do next."

He left the others to their lunch, already turning the pieces over in his mind. He hadn't told them everything. Maybe he should have, but he'd made his decision. He'd seen each of the others in the hallways, and knew what each could do. Only two were directly dangerous, but only one was truly harmless. The real threat was Destiny; she could kill any of them if she wanted to, and not in a way that could be discovered or even understood.

With her in the school, was anyone safe?

Fire Alarm

The fire had been small, and put out quickly, but the teachers still made everyone assemble in the parking lot while they made sure nothing else was burning. After the students had been accounted for, Tristan and his study group got together in a small corner. Tristan frowned at the red-haired freshman. "Megan--"

"Sorry, Tristan," she said immediately. "I lost control for a minute."

"Why, what happened?"

"I was talking to Thomas, and I think he might have joined the other study group. Then I incinerated a few term papers and set off the fire alarm."

He nodded. "We'll have to work on training then. I didn't get a chance to talk to Lily, but how's everyone else doing?"

"I talked to Lisa," Kyle said, "but she said she was busy. I didn't ask why."

"Why not?"

Megan rolled her eyes. "Kyle's shy."

"Her friends were looking at me like I'd gone insane," he muttered. "What was I supposed to do?"

Allison glanced over her shoulder. "Um, Tristan?"

Tristan turned. Destiny stood just out of earshot, talking to Blair and two others. Tristan couldn't quite see who they were, but a little focusing revealed their powers to be weapon creation and enhanced physical abilities.

There was also an aura standing three feet away. That person's power was invisibility...but Tristan could still see them. He scowled at the aura. "Show yourself."

The person hesitated, then started to leave. He stepped forward and reached out to grab them, but his hand passed right through their arm. Become invisible? More like vanish from existence. He scowled.  "I can see you, you know!"

"I know," she whispered. "Goodbye."

She ran off, returning to Destiny and the others. Tristan turned back to his group. "Bad news. We've lost at least one, and losing two more."

Jared frowned. "Who?"

"I'm not sure. All I can see is their abilities from here." He clenched his fists. Now that he knew what Destiny could do-- "Look, everyone be careful and try to bring as many people as you can to the study group."

"That goes without saying," Allison muttered.
__________

Destiny finished what she was saying and sent the two students away. They had questions, and while her answers had been a little vague, she'd had enough specifics to convince them that she knew what she was talking about. They would come to her house later for more information.

"Destiny?"

Destiny turned as the black girl reappeared. "Yes, Lisa?"

"Tristan saw me. You said no one could see me."

"Tristan's special. He can see pretty much anything he wants to."

"Is he...like us?"

"Yeah. He's called a Seer." The teachers came out of the building and started rounding up their classes. "I'll talk to you later. Can you come over after school?"

Lisa nodded and ran to find her honors English 10 teacher. Destiny sighed and headed for the gym. Today was going to be just great.

Second Period Doesn't Go So Well...

Second period, for Megan at least, was dance class. It was taught on the stage, by the friendly Miss Hall. Dance was Megan's favorite subject, and the waltz one of her favorite dances, but today she had something else on her mind.

While Miss Hall talked, Megan ambled over towards a black-haired, green-eyed junior. "Hi, Thomas."

He smiled at her. "Morning, Megan. Have you been practicing those new steps?"

She smiled back. Thomas was her dancing partner, and a very good one. "Yeah. I'm getting better at them." She went straight to the point. "Hey, I heard Tristan Young was starting a study group."

"Really? He told Destiny he was too busy."

The sentence sent up immediate red flags. He'd been talking to Destiny; he might have been recruited. "Well, maybe I'm wrong. It's just a rumor floating around."

"Fire!" They jerked around to see that several papers on Miss Hall's desk had spontaneously burst into flame.

Megan's hands covered her face as the fire alarm started to blare. Today was going to be just great.