Sabrina's Clan (15 page)

“You even painted yourself blue when you went into battle,” Connor said. “I read about it,” he added.

“That was the early Scots,” Nyanther said. “They were influenced by the Picts, I suspect.”

“You don’t remember that bit?” Talia asked. “When did you die?”

“Talia….” Miguel muttered, sounding stressed.

Nyanther shook his head. “It’s fine,” he told Miguel. “They’re hunters, too. It’s better they have the facts.”

Even Jake and Riley were listening, Sabrina noticed. Perhaps this was how all the wisdom of the hunters was passed on from generation to generation. They couldn’t write text books about hunting, after all.

Nyanther looked at Talia. “Are you asking when I died as a human, or when the tribe thought I had died from gargoyle poison and sealed me in the hills?”

“Both,” Talia said, with a grin. “As you’re happy to talk….” she added.

Nyanther closed up his shirt once more. “I was born as a human the year Julius Caesar invaded Britain.”

Talia glanced at Connor.

“Fifty-five BC,” he said shortly, his gaze on Nyanther. “You fought the Romans,” he said flatly.

“I did,” Nyanther said calmly. “We all did. They forced us away from our lands, claiming them for their own.”

“Is that how you died?” Talia asked. “Fighting Romans?”

“I
nearly
died fighting the Romans. The vampire cohorts who fought with us rewarded what they considered to be stellar fighting and courage by offering to turn me.”

Talia straightened up. “Wait…wait. Humans
knew
about vampires back then?”

“Dad told you about that, sis, on the way up,” Connor said patiently. “She was too busy texting,” he told Nyanther, his tone apologetic.

Nyanther nodded gravely. “It’s a common malady, these days. Everyone has a phone.”

“You shouldn’t bitch about it, Ny,” Nick said from over in the far corner by the window. “Most of your annual revenue is from mobile devices, isn’t it?”

“A good portion of it,” Nyanther said in agreement.

“Screw that,” Talia said. “I want to know how you got bitten by the gargoyle and lived.”

Sabrina frowned, sipping her second cup of coffee. She would rather know about Nyanther’s interests in technology. It was not the first time someone had mentioned it. She hadn’t consciously married up the idea of a two-thousand-year-old vampire with high tech business until now.

Nyanther, though, was considering Talia. “I was careless and I wasn’t fast enough. It is a foolish mistake I won’t make again.”

She nodded, absorbing his warning. Sabrina realized she really was taking the lesson to heart.

“Dad says you were around when gargoyles weren’t gargoyles,” Connor said. He leaned between his knees to place the empty plate on the floor and straightened to look at Nyanther again.

Nyanther nodded. “The
gargoya
were woodland creatures. Warm blooded. With hides and fur. They moved in the day just as everyone else did. They lived and died just as we did. They were big and they had hands that could grip tools and weapons and they were intelligent.” His voice had taken on a lecturing tone and Sabrina realized her first guess was right. This was a moment where wisdom and history was being passed on.

She sighed. It explained why hunters, when they weren’t actually hunting, spent so long telling road stories and war stories. She had thought it was some sort of macho one-upmanship, except the women hunters did it, too. Riley even did it with her, launching into a monologue that would wind on for long minutes if Sabrina didn’t find a way to change the subject.

She wasn’t going to be able to change the subject now. The entire room was listening to Nyanther. Even Damian, who was older than Nyanther, was moving slowly into the room with Chloe on his hip, trying not to interrupt.

“When the Romans first arrived, the
gargoya
were just as threatened by their invasions as we were. So they formed an alliance with the tribes. The
gargoya
and the tribes worked together to fight the Romans and halt their invasion into our lands. Vampires were merely mercenaries. Respected, but purely hired muscle.”

Talia rested her chin on her forearms. “What happened?”

“The usual,” Nyanther said and shrugged.

No one said anything.

Nyanther sighed. “The
gargoya
were large and slow to move, even when they weren’t cursed. So they would take the brunt of the attacks. It was perfect tactical sense. Only, because they couldn’t speak human tongues, some humans tended to think they were stupid and treat them that way. Resentment grew. Plus, they were losing a lot of their kind because they were the bulwark forces. Too, they begrudged vampires and the honored role they played in the tribes’ armies.”

“Because vampires were better fighters than the gargoyles?” Talia asked.

“Because vampires were paid, I imagine,” Jake said. “Consumers value what they have paid for much more than anything that comes without a price tag.” He looked around as heads turned to him. “Basic economic theory,” he added.

Nyanther nodded. “They weren’t paid in coin. There simply wasn’t a lot of money around in those days and what did exist was Roman coinage. So payment was usually in the form of shelter and cooperation when we needed to feed and the goodwill of the tribe. Vampires lived with and among the tribes—vampires
came
from the tribes. We were all human once. While
gargoya
, who couldn’t move as fast and were considered stupid by many, were only called upon to fight when needed.”

“So the
gargoya
made a deal with a demon…” Connor breathed. He was fully involved in the story and leaping ahead.

Nyanther nodded. “They did. No one understood how deep their hatred for vampires had grown. Or how much they resented what they saw as a one-sided arrangement that favored humans. They weren’t desperate enough to deal with the Romans, who were humans, too. Instead, they found themselves a demon. A powerful one.”

“Azazel?” Talia asked.

Sabrina had heard the name before. She frowned, trying to remember where she had heard it. Mostly, she ignored these bull sessions, finding a reason to leave the room whenever they stretched for more than a few minutes.

Now, though, it was fascinating to hear someone speak of times they remembered, times from so long ago, nothing remained of them except ancient stones and burial grounds.

“Azazel was a kindergarten child compared to the demon they found,” Nyanther said. “Humans were afraid of Katirci and the power she wielded. They would not speak her name for fear they would call her down upon them.” He smiled and it was a feral expression that made Sabrina draw in her breath in surprise. “Katirci was destroyed for her role in the gargoyle curse. The one demons are accountable to found her actions beyond the pale.”

“What did she do?” Riley asked.

“The strongest of the
gargoya
was one called Lirgon,” Nyanther said.

Riley drew in a sharp breath.

He nodded. “Yes, the same one you killed two years ago. He survived to this day just as I did. Only he did not have a mere five or six gargoyles in his clan. Back then, there were thousands of gargoyles that looked to him for direction and leadership in times of need and these were very troubled times. He approached Katirci and asked for a favor. He wanted his kind to have the strength to oppose all foes.”

“Including vampires?” Talia asked.

“Those who look upon the
gargoya
with more generosity than I, suggest that Lirgon was merely asking for his clan to have the strength to fight the Romans. Perhaps he wanted to be able to hold the Romans back by himself, which would mean he could break the agreement he had with humans, which the
gargoya
found so distasteful.”

“You don’t think that’s what he asked for, do you?” Nick said.

Nyanther shook his head. “No. I think he wanted to be rid of vampires. I think he wanted to be able to fight them
and
Romans…and in my darkest days, I believe he wanted to wipe humans from the face of the earth. Romans and the tribes, too. He wanted to be invincible…and that is exactly what Katirci gave him and his clan. Only, deals with demons and their kind rarely deliver exactly what was asked for. Katirci gave them what they wanted and much more besides. She made them turn to stone during the day, when they would be impervious to any attack. At night they could move and they
did
have strength and power as fighters, only in those days, battles did not take place at night. Now, the gargoyles found they had to eat human flesh to survive…which made all humans fear them. Their bites and claws were poisonous to both humans and vampires, driving an even deeper wedge between the
gargoya
and the tribes.”

Silence.

Sabrina realized she was gripping her coffee mug so tightly her fingers ached. She put the cup down. “How did vampires became a secret to humans? Why are vampires and gargoyles and demons so hidden?”

Riley looked at her, startled.

“That was because of Katirci’s last jest,” Nyanther replied. “It was a joke that brought about her doom. She arranged that gargoyles be immortal, except they can be killed in one or two possible ways. When they die, they crumble.” Nyanther grimaced. “Does it remind you of anything?”

“Vampires,” Sabrina breathed.

Nyanther nodded. “It took years but slowly, as the gargoyles hunted humans and hounded them, the idea took hold that it was the vampires they must blame for this curse upon humans. Such similarities, such non-human characteristics, had to mean there was a relationship there. Slowly, the working agreement between the tribes and the vampires soured. Ill will grew, especially after the Romans built their wall and left the tribes living north of the wall free to live their lives.”

“Humans started to hunt vampires as eagerly as they hunted gargoyles and demons,” Nick said. “There were hunters in each tribe who specialized in such prey.”

“Demon hunters,” Sabrina breathed, as it fell into place with an almost audible click in her mind.

“It took another twelve centuries for vampires to negotiate peace, to be removed from the hunter lists and to become fellow hunters with humans,” Nick said. “It happened only a few years before I was born and we never again were openly acknowledged by humans. We have remained in hiding since then.”

Connor blew out his breath. “Damn….” he said softly.

Miguel clapped his hands together. “We should get back on the road,” he said. “If we’re to reach Buffalo before sunset….?”

Nick nodded. “There are three cars if we count your rust bucket, Miguel. Jake has a Jeep we can use. We’ll be comfortable, at least. Ten minutes.” He looked at Jake. “Is your car nearby?”

“Across the street and down a bit. I can move it closer.” He got to his feet. “I’m going to have to stop off at my place on the way through.”

“That’s fine,” Nick said shortly. “We’re not going to drive in tandem. Nyanther knows the diner where we can meet on the southern end of Buffalo and coordinate from there.”

Nyanther got to his feet. Suddenly, everyone was moving, putting away dishes, cleaning up, laughing and talking together. Sabrina, who sat between the wall and the table, was out of the way. She didn’t get up, because she wasn’t sure what she should be doing. It was as if everyone instinctively knew what to do now, while she had missed out on getting a copy of the memo. It was another reminder that this was not her world and these were not her type of people.

Except Jake was. If she had understood him properly, so was Nyanther. Only, for both of them, the life of commerce and industry was merely a shield they held up so humans were blind to their real identities.

She decided to stay where she was until the suddenly frantic activity subsided. Then she could go back down to her apartment once more. It left her free to watch everyone swirl about the apartment, all of them abruptly focused on the sober job of hunting and killing gargoyles.

Damian moved over to the window where Nick was talking to Nyanther in a low voice, probably giving him more detailed directions to the diner where everyone was to meet. Of course, Nyanther would travel with Jake.

Something in her middle jerked in a queer, sick little way. Sabrina shifted on her chair, ignoring the sensation.

Riley threaded her way through the space between the armchair and the dining chair Talia had been sitting on, over to where Damian and Nick stood together.

Nyanther clapped Nick on the shoulder and it was not a light blow. Nick didn’t react at all, except to nod shortly. Then he turned to face Damian and Riley. They stood close together, Chloe in Damian’s arms waving her chubby fist at all of them. Riley took Chloe’s hand absently, soothing her, as they spoke in quiet voices.

Sabrina wondered what was making them look so grim. It could only be talk of hunting and the grizzly details of their work.

Then Damian smiled at them both and shook his head and spoke. Nick put his arm around Riley and Sabrina’s breath caught. She couldn’t remember Nick being so openly affectionate with Riley, ever. Yet he was holding her now and he was drawing Damian closer to both of them.

Then he kissed him.

Sabrina swallowed and looked away.

It was only a farewell kiss. She knew that. She had never seen either of them together in quite that way, before. Nick was standoffish, Riley had explained. The stiff upper lip British tradition excluded hugging and casual kisses and petting, especially where anyone might see them, although the warmth in Riley’s eyes when she said it told Sabrina that Nick made up for it when the door was closed.

Her gaze found Nyanther. He was at the door, speaking to Jake, who was halfway out the door, his car keys in his hand. They were discussing something with the same sort of heads-together intensity Nick and Damian had been using.

Then Jake rested his hand on Nyanther’s shoulder. It was supposed to be reassuring, she guessed. His fingers curled around and stroked the back of Nyanther’s neck.

Hot, miasmic air rushed into her lungs, expanding her airways, filling her with a sharp discomfort.

Was it possible she was jealous? Both of them were attractive, in very different ways. Both of them had at least flirted with her—Jake more than Nyanther.