Free Invincible (A Centennial City Novel) by Fionn Jameson Page A

true. You can --”
    Didn’t let him finish. “My turn.”
    The hwan-geom caught the moonlight and glinted once in the darkness as I brought my right hand up, let it slide down the edge of his blade, bringing sparks that brought a sudden wash of light in the room.
    “What —”
    He reared back, one arm over his eyes. Light affects everyone and vampires are not immune to sudden changes in brightness.
    An idiot.
    They had sent an idiot to eliminate Jason.
    And now the idiot would die. A second time. A final time.
    I thrust deep into his unprotected left side, shoved the sword between his ribs.
    Watched the vampire’s mouth open in a silent cry, watched his unnatural black eyes widen, watched the rapier fall his nerveless fingers.
    I stepped into the thrust, leaned into him, smelled the fetid, coppery breath on my ear. “Good bye.”
    A low gurgle left his crimson speckled lips and his weight forced the blade up and out.
    They say death makes a body weigh lighter.
    They are wrong.
    My head began to pulse as I pushed my shoulder into his and slid the sword out of his body.
    The sound of applause caught my attention and I turned around slowly, afraid of what I would see. What if the vampire had a friend? In modern terminology, I would be SOL.
    But no, it was just Jason, propped against the wall, a wavering smile on his lips.
    He clapped once more and then dropped his hands into his lap, as if he was too weak to do anything more.
    “You are everything I thought you would be,” he said quietly. “Truly, I commend you. Ran, I didn’t know you could…Ran? Are you hurt?”
    Upstairs, a door opened. “Jason? Ran? Why is it so dark? I smell blood.”
    Reiko.
    She was up.
    Thank Gods.
    I struck the blade back into its scabbard and saluted messily. “You are very welcome.”
    The pain in the back of my head, like someone was repeatedly clubbing me at the top of my spine, was too much to bear.
    I closed my eyes and knew nothing.
    Knew nothing but the all-compassing darkness.
    The welcoming darkness.
    It called me and I followed.
     
     

7
     
     
    “It’s not normal.” Reiko’s voice brought me out of the warm, soft darkness, the only darkness I liked. “Are you sure she wasn’t hit in the head? I’ve seen cases of this on TV. Maybe she’s in a coma.”
    Someone sighed. Jason. “And I’m telling you you’re wrong. She was not hit anywhere remotely near the head. The vampire sliced her on the side, but it’s barely a scratch.”
    The dull aching on my chest wanted very much to disagree with him. “It’s not a coma. Don’t worry.”
    Steeling myself for the inevitable sharp pain that would come when I opened my eyes, I let my eyelids flicker open.
    No pain.
    The lights were out and only one candle burned on the nightstand.
    I was back in bed. My bed.
    Who put me here?
    Reiko leaned into my vision, a grim look on her ten year old face. “Are you fine? You look sick.”
    Slowly, I levered myself up, back against the headboard, all too aware that the slightest sudden movement was liable to put me under again. Or hurt me so much I wished I was. “I’m okay. I’m still alive, anyways. Which is more than I can say for the vampire.”
    I did not ask about the body. I didn’t want to know.
    Jason sat at my other side, looking down at me with his enigmatic black eyes. “What happened?”
    “I passed out.”
    He gave me a disgusted look. “I can see that.”
    My mouth felt mossy. “Can I have some water, please?”
    Reiko exchanged a glance with Jason and straightened up. “I’ll get it. Don’t tax yourself too much, Ran. You don’t look okay.”
    Wiser words were never spoken and I nodded slowly. “Thank you, Reiko.”
    She flounced out in a cloud of lavender scent, the pale blue skirts vanishing around the door a second after she did. I didn’t think I was ever going to get used to a bloodsucking child-like doll walking and talking.
    “How long have I been out?”
    He didn’t bother looking at a clock.