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Geoffry had slept well, surprisingly so, considering all of the things still preying upon the edges of his mind. After waking, the vampire found himself oddly reluctant to get out of bed, so he stayed there for the better part of an hour watching the orange and pink highlights from the sunset dance across his ceiling and wall.
I actually don't feel any guilt over killing the councilman. I did what society couldn't, and I knew the man I was executing was absolutely guilty. Also, Melody's letter wasn't at all what I expected.
Once again, Geoffry felt tranquility settle upon him as he mentally reviewed what the letter had said.
Geoffry,
It isn't really my place to condemn you for what you've done. It seems you already know you shouldn't have killed innocent people. Still, from what little I know of you I have to wonder if there isn't more to the story than you've told me. It seems impossible for the goodness I know to reside inside you to coexist voluntarily with the other. I wonder if you're fully in control of your destiny? I suppose that wouldn't justify murder, but it might explain the conflict.
You may of course wonder how I know you are essentially good, but that is a secret I'll have to keep for now. If we ever meet face to face again, I'll tell you what I saw when you were inside my mind.
If that never happens, if you can't continue to stop by, I understand, but please don't refrain from doing so because of me. I...Mom's going through another bad time, and I could use a visit from a friend.
Melody
It was as if the thought of Melody's letter finally broke the spell holding Geoffry in his bed. Almost before he'd realized he'd moved, he found himself at Venice's gym squaring off against her for unarmed combat training.
“Remember, love, this time I'll be using my powers as well, so no free ride today.”
The snap kick Venice launched at his stomach lashed out with no warning. Geoffry tried to slide back out of range, but found that moving required more effort than it should. It's like the air has hardened around me.
The kick caught Geoffry, knocking the wind out of him, and he frantically extended his thoughts towards Venice in an effort to counteract her telekinetic abilities.
The slender vampire's mind was guarded against just such a contact, but it appeared that maintaining that barrier against his active efforts to invade her mind made it harder for her to effectively use her talents. Geoffry's speed returned to something more like what he was accustomed. The advantage initially residing with Venice now tilted back slightly Geoffry's way, and the fight continued on with Venice ruthlessly trying to exploit her now-superior speed to defeat his occasional ability to pick up exactly what she was going to do.
Geoffry blocked a reverse punch, and then launched a hook kick at Venice which she easily dodged. Panting heavily from the combined mental and physical exertions, Geoffry realized he was fighting essentially a defensive battle. I'm not fast enough to catch her anymore. I'm managing to block most of her attacks, but I'm tiring out quickly, if I don't come up with a new trick quick, something substantial is going to get through and then I'll be the one on the ground with cracked ribs.
Venice seemed to realize she had Geoffry on the run. She stepped up her assault, committing herself to a greater degree in an effort to make sure that whatever got through would end the fight.
Sweat rolling down him in streams, Geoffry suddenly had an idea, and without thinking of the possible consequences he acted on it. As soon as he was sure that Venice was about to launch an attack, Geoffry thew out a side-thrust kick, catching her as she came in.
For all that his reduced speed meant Geoffry wasn't quite able to generate the kind of bone-breaking power that he usually did, the kick still picked Venice up slightly and knocked her backwards. Geoffry was moving in to continue the onslaught when he picked up the hint of something in Venice's thoughts that made him try to jump back. Before he could reverse direction, an invisible force struck him across the face with enough power to make him see stars.
When Geoffry managed to blink his vision clear he saw Venice panting heavily and rubbing her newly-healed ribs.
“Now that was fun, love. Not only was it fun, but it's the first time I've beaten you like that in ages.”
Geoffry shook his head again and then returned the smile. “It looks like I still have a lot to learn.”
Venice shrugged, “I wouldn't worry too much about it, you're actually doing really well with the combat side of things. I never expected you'd catch me with a stop hit like that. Now that you know a telekinetic is more dangerous when she's not engaged, you'll remember for next time and press the attack sooner so I don't get a chance to hit you like that again.”
That and from the way you're shaking, a blow like that takes more out of you than you'd like to admit.
The rest of the training session revolved around purely physical skills, which Geoffry figured was probably due to the fact that Venice was as exhausted as he was. By the time they'd both showered and meet back up in the lobby three hours later Geoffry was seriously considering returning home for a nap.
His refusal to include Venice in the hit had introduced a new element of strain in their relationship, so Geoffry was surprised when Venice greeted him with a smile and suggested that they stop at a café somewhere for a quick drink.
Once they'd been seated in a secluded corner, Venice got down to business. “Imastious wants you to know he's generally pleased with how the hit went down. There are a couple of wrinkles though that you should know about.”
Geoffry sat forward, abandoning the hot chocolate he hadn't really wanted in the first place. “First, least important in my mind although it seems to weigh fairly heavily with Imastious, there is a definite up tick in the number or rabies cases here in the city.”
Thinking back to the dogs that had attacked him, Geoffry shuddered. “I agree, love. It creeps me out but I don't know that there is much we can do at this point. The humans will do a pretty good job handling the dogs that are bit, but Imastious seems to be worried that the disease will make its way into the city's rat population. If that happens he thinks we'll see an explosion of rabid rats because the poison the humans use to control the vermin won't work.”
Geoffry raised an eyebrow and Venice shrugged, “According to Imastious they somehow detect the poison and won't eat it after they're infected.”
How can that be? Rats are rats, it shouldn't matter whether or not they have a disease, if they can't detect that poison in the food when they are healthy, they shouldn't be able to detect it when they are sick.
“Well, considering the fact that being eaten alive by thousands of abnormally aggressive rats is a pretty unappetizing prospect I assume that the other item is a real winner?”
Venice smiled at the joke, but her heart wasn't in it this time. “It is. The word on the street is that the guy you clipped did have a pretty powerful patron, and he is out for blood.”
Geoffry felt his insides turn cold, and had to force himself to pay attention to the rest of what Venice was saying.
“I don't know how they can possibly connect you to the hit. Even if there's video footage of your entrance, you wore a mask. Still, Eculdes is one of the most powerful mentalists out there. He can pull memories from people that they don't know they still have, so if anyone is able to track you down, it will be him.”
Geoffry nodded slowly, “Does it look like he'll get involved personally in the hunt?”
Venice shook her head, “No, that isn't how this usually works. He'll assign one of his people to do most of the footwork. Eculdes is even older than Imastious, so he tends to spend even more time fighting with the time funk than Imastious does.”
She means the altered time perceptions, similar to what happens to me when I go too long without blood. The thought awoke the hunger inside Geoffry, reminding him it had been too long since he'd fed.
Seeing that Geoffry understood, Venice continued. “Depending on how much he has on his plate, and the amount of time he's cognizant of his surroundings, he may get involved if the subordinate doesn't think he can handle things. It's more likely though that the subordinate will just take you out himself.”
Geoffry shrugged, “So maybe I have a chance then, even assuming they figure out it was me.”
Venice shook her head. “No, if they figure out it was you, Imastious will probably have you eliminated before they can get to you. He's not the kind to leave a trail that can be traced back to him.”