Excerpts: Family

 

The following is an excerpt from Bloodhunters v3: New Blood, Chapter 01.06. Some of it might make more sense in context.

ED.02508.02.28

The statue of Princess Quora was the tallest landmark in Rarity City. The city had been so named due to the abundance of rare gems in its mines, though those mines had dried up years ago. That didn’t stop the tourists though, who paid big money for a chance to chip away at the rocks for an hour, hoping to get lucky where so many before them hadn’t.

Vex leaned over the railing of the giant left hand, on the narrow concrete path that traveled along the statue’s outstretched arms, running from fingertip to fingertip. Noisy tourists brushed past her, some glaring at her for standing still and blocking traffic. Vex didn’t care, her mission was more important than their vacation photos. Far below, Vex saw the entrance to the mines, as well as downtown, the outlying suburbs, and all the chintzy attractions that kept visitors from staying within their vacation budget.

She searched the crowd for one being, one needle in this chaotic haystack of pushy vacationers. The target’s name was Pythen, and they were a Navoran with light blue skin. Vex looked through her digital monocular, and zoomed in to survey various parts of the city. Wherever she looked, the monocular’s software scanned the crowd for Pythen’s face.

An aggressive seagull mistook the monocular’s strap for food, and tried to grab it as it flew by. Vex was so startled that she dropped the device. Reacting quickly, she reached out and called the monocular back into her hand. She didn’t have a huge range on her telekinesis - maybe ten meters at most - but fortunately she caught it before it fell beyond her reach.

She looked around. Had anyone seen her do that? Not that it mattered. Telekinesis was uncommon but it wasn’t unheard of. No one was going to burn her as a witch. Her current target even possessed the ability. But she’d grown accustomed to keeping it a secret, and she still felt a flash of shame whenever she used it.

Don’t tell your father. The words echoed through her mind. Her mother had said it so many times, it was drilled into her. Five-year-old Vera Xynth never understood why it was so important that her father not find out. She knew it had something to do with the fact that her parents didn’t have the power, and that her mother’s hairstylist did. But it was years before she put the pieces together. She managed to hide it until she was twelve, when she instinctively used her ability to save her father from a potential injury.

He was not grateful. To be fair, the majority of his anger was directed at Vera’s mother. They argued nightly, great shouting matches that kept Vera awake until sunrise. Her parents stayed together, but it would have been healthier for everyone if they hadn’t. Her mother started drinking, her father became more and more distant, and Vera felt like everyone blamed her. They stopped praising her for good grades, or punishing her for staying out past curfew. She felt like they no longer considered her their daughter. When she was fourteen, she ran away from home.

Vex no longer felt sad when she remembered her family. She’d found a much truer family with the East Side Daggers, and more recently with the Bloodhunters. She now knew that family wasn’t about blood, it was about acceptance.

She put down her monocular and clipped it to her belt. If Pythen was in Rarity City, they weren’t out sightseeing. They had an agenda. Vex would have to think like a criminal to find them. That wouldn’t be too hard for her; she’d spent most of her teen years stealing to survive.

Vex followed the walkway back up Princess Quora’s arm and into her ear. She took the elevator back down to the street level. The moment Vex stepped out of the elevator, a jumble of images flashed through her brain. This was her other power. It was a mild form of telepathy, but she had no control over it. Her mind subconsciously picked up the surface thoughts from all the people nearby, and predicted the near future based on their short-term decisions. It wasn’t exactly precognition, but it was close enough.

Right now it showed her a man playing cards. He was human, but Vex had a feeling he was connected to her quarry. There were at least three casinos nearby. She poked her head into the first one, but it had the wrong decor. The second one looked closer to what she’d seen in her vision, so she went inside and looked around. She knew she wouldn’t find Pythen here. Navorans weren’t allowed in most casinos. But maybe this card player would lead her to them.

It didn’t take long to find the gambler. He had the highest pile of chips at any of the tables, and he was attracting attention. Not far away, Vex saw a pit boss talking to a floorman, looking in the player’s direction. Apparently the player noticed too, because he lost a quarter of his winnings on his next bet. It must have been enough to satisfy the pit boss, because he shrugged and turned his attention elsewhere. But Vex recognized that it had been an intentionally bad bet, to throw off suspicion. The man won the next hand, then announced he was going to quit while he was ahead.

The player stood up and gathered up his chips. Keeping her distance, Vex followed him to the cash-out window. He took his credits and walked out the door. Vex continued to tail him. His next destination was another casino. Vex went in and sat down at a video poker machine, far enough away that she could watch him without arousing suspicion.

It didn’t take her long to figure out his angle. Before making any decisions, he always looked lost in thought. Sometimes his lips would move, almost imperceptibly. She’d seen people do that when talking to telepaths. This guy and Pythen were working together. But where was Pythen? He couldn’t be far, because Navoran telepathy didn’t have a very long range. But he couldn’t be in the casino. Even standing behind the building would rouse suspicion.

But he could be under it. Vex reached out with her mind, trying to sense if Pythen was in the utility tunnels below the building. But she sensed nothing, because that wasn’t one of her abilities. Still, it had been worth a try. Given the abilities she had now, who knew what else she might be capable of someday.

There was a hallway nearby that led to the restrooms. At the end of the hall, she saw a door marked “Utility Access: Employees Only.” There was a keycard reader next to the door. Vex walked around the casino floor, looking for a distracted employee. She spotted a floorman arguing with an older woman about whether the slot machines were rigged. The floorman’s keycard dangled from his belt. Vex made sure no one was looking, and held out her hand. The keycard wriggled out of its protective holder and flew into her grasp.

Once again making sure no one was watching, Vex walked down the hallway, swiped the keycard, and slipped into the utility room. It was hot in there, and not well-lit. Steam pipes and fuse boxes lined the walls. She found a floor grate with a ladder leading down into the tunnels below. The grate was locked, but Vex was good with locks.

As quietly as possible, she descended into the tunnel. These passages connected every business on this street. The tunnel stretched as far as she could see in both directions, with many side tunnels branching off the main passageway. Vex knew Pythen would want to be as close to his partner as possible to keep their mental link. She estimated about where the player had been sitting and searched in that direction. She arrived at a four-way junction, and peeked down the right tunnel.

Bingo. Pythen sat on a box, staring straight ahead, probably only seeing through their partner’s eyes. If Vex was quiet, she might be able to subdue them without much of a struggle.

Vex had only met one Navoran, but Trenyn’s powers were considered weak for their species. It was a dangerous prospect, attacking a fully-powered Navoran. They were powerful telepaths, and their telekinesis was unmatched. Vex could throw apples, but Pythen could probably throw hovercars. But she came prepared. Glik had given her a tranquilizer pistol, but instead of a sedative, the darts were filled with a drug that suppresses telekinesis.

Still crouched at the hallway entrance, Vex took careful aim at Pythen, and fired. The dart flew straight toward its mark. Then, mere centimeters from its target, the dart stopped in mid-air. Pythen turned their head and glared at Vex. Did you really think that would work? they asked telepathically.

Pythen stood up. They were about half a meter taller than Vex, had a large head, and yellow eyes. They had two arms but four hands – each arm split into two forearms at the elbow. Their blue skin turned darker, a sign of anger. The dart still hovered near their head.

Vex put on a brave face. “Pythen, you are wanted for eleven counts of fraud. If you come peacefully… well, it would sure make my job easier.”

Pythen hit her with the telekinetic equivalent of a punch to the face. It didn’t hurt much, but it sent her backward with such force that she flew more than ten meters. She might have broken some bones if she hadn’t used her own telekinesis to soften the landing. She rolled to her left and got to her feet. Seeing another side tunnel nearby, she sought refuge there.

It was a dead end, but there was a locked metal box fastened to the wall. Vex popped the lock and the box swung open on a hinge, revealing a control panel full of buttons and levers. There you are, she heard Pythen think as they reached her passage. She felt a prick in her neck. Pythen had hit her with her own dart.

Desperate, Vex pulled the largest lever, and all the lights went out. It was pitch black in the underground tunnels. Could Navorans see in total darkness? Vex wasn’t sure. She pulled out her monocular and switched it to night vision. Pythen certainly looked like they couldn’t see her. They appeared to be listening hard for her movement. Vex pulled the dart out of her neck and threw it across the hall. Pythen heard it hit the wall, and turned in that direction.

Vex pulled out her pistol and fired, the dart hitting Pythen in the back. They turned around angrily, throwing another invisible punch in Vex’s general direction. She tried to jump to the side, but it still knocked her sideways. Then the drug started to kick in, and Pythen staggered around, disoriented.

The effect was worse for Pythen than it was for Vex. Vex had been taught from an early age to suppress her telekinesis, and even today she treated it like a backup weapon. But Navorans were so incredibly dependent on their powers, losing them was like losing their arms.

The emergency lights flickered on. They could now see each other unaided, but without their mental powers, they were on equal footing. Vex pulled out her AON blades and switched them on. “Last chance,” she said.

I’ll take it, Pythen answered, their shoulders slumped.

“Oh,” Vex said, almost disappointed. She hadn’t expected that. She pulled out two pairs of cuffs and slipped them around Pythen’s wrists.

Pythen’s partner got away, but without a telepathic sidekick, he was out of business anyway. Pythen was kept drugged until they could be placed in a special cell that suppressed their abilities. Vex collected her bounty and returned to the Bloodwind.

A few days later she got a message from her mother. At first, she was confused. How did her mother know her address? Then she saw that it had been forwarded from the Bounty Hunter Registry. Pretty much anyone could message any registered hunter that way. Vex’s anonymity was still guaranteed unless she replied directly.

“My dearest daughter,

I saw your picture on the news. I’m so proud of you for catching that criminal. I have been following your career. You seem to be doing very well.

I miss you very much, but this is not an invitation to come home. When you left, a weight was lifted from this house. I’ve stopped drinking, your father and I have reconciled, and we’ve agreed to put the past behind us. I’m afraid that if you were to come home now, it would upset the apple cart.

But, I would still very much like to see you. Maybe we could meet for lunch sometime, just you and me. Your father doesn’t have to know. Just let me know.

I wish you the best of luck in your new career. Be careful and stay safe.

Love you always,

Mom”

Vex did not reply. She already had a family.

Like what you just read? Consider purchasing the entire e-book from one of these online retailers.