Beautiful Death (17 page)

“Closer, danshi.”

“Tell me why.”

“I wish to make an examination.”

He laughed a nasty noise. “Sorry, darlin’ not looking to play doctor with a kid, even if you are as old as you say you are. You look twelve to me.”

“Fourteen and one half,” the vampire said looking irate and the temperature in the room dropped.

Tristan saw the look before and was starting to understand his limits with the crazy old bat. Banter at his expense, OK. At hers… not so much. He didn’t want to get bitten, so he decided to keep the rest of his caustic comments to himself.

Yuki looked up to him, the last tendril of that quick anger slipping away. She suddenly smiled up, all teeth. “Down here.” She pointed a single finger to the tatami in front of her.

Reluctant, he did what she told him, gun still at the ready. He wondered if it came down to a draw, who was faster. Guess he already knew that answer.

“Tell me about your family, Tristan.”

Almost level with the smoking girl on her pillows, Tristan frowned. “Why?”

“Because I asked.” Tristan glanced back at Ash and then back to Yuki. Seeing his reluctance she added, “How do you know what is relevant unless you know the big picture?”

“And you know the big picture?” She nodded. He heaved a sigh, shaking his head. “If I play nice, call a truce, you’ll answer everything?”

Yuki put her pipe down and her hands together as if in prayer. “I promise on my pride as Mizu no Yukihime. Is that okay with you?”

Tristan wasn’t sure how much her promise meant. But he was starting to understand this “Mizu no” business. Yukihime of Water, that’s what she was saying, like a title. So the question was, what was Ash’s title?  What was her power? Whatever Tsuchi meant. Too bad he left his Japanese phrase book at the apartment.

“Oooooh,” Yuki drawled out. “Yes, I do like you very much.”

His jaw tightened and then deciding he just wanted to get this over with as fast as he could, he started talking quickly. “I was adopted. I grew up in the States. My parents died last year.”

Yuki nodded, grinning broadly and eyes shining. He cleared his throat to continue.

“Don’t know who my birth father is. My Japanese birth mother, her surname is Uruwashi. The kanji translates to
beautiful death
.” Tristan paused, eyeing her. “But you knew all of that already.”

She shrugged, smiling like a fox behind her pipe. She blew the smoke into his face and he licked his lips tasting the opium. “Perhaps.” Yuki straightened and gave him her full attention. “My turn then? Well, allow me to fill in a few blanks, yes?” She smiled and then cleared her throat theatrically. “The Uruwashi family goes back farther than my own, ancient to be sure. Uruwashi were widely known to the unknown as a family of hunters, famous for their ability in quickly dispatching nuisance vampires. No, that’s not right...
all
vampires. Yes, those cur hunted all of my kind.”

She made a quick gesture with her hands as if clearing the air of her dark thoughts and the glowing bead of opium popped out of the end of her pipe and bounced across the straw tatami. Yuki never noticed as she continued to swat at the air. Tristan looked on in horror as the girl, Sibylle, ran to catch the tiny ember before the floor caught on fire.

Turning to face Yuki again, Ash caught Tristan’s attention and he stopped to look at her. She was slumped forward, not even looking at the others anymore, her braid trailing over her shoulder and dragging on the ground. Having noticed as well, Sibylle went to Ash, kneeling next to her. She lowered her head to Ash’s and whispered something that made Ash shake her head, popping upright.

“Danshi,” Yuki snapped, drawing Tristan’s attention back to her. “She is fine. You listen to me or leave.” Seeing her so serious, Tristan nodded. “Before the current form of writing was adapted, the
Beautiful Death
were known as...” Yuki leaned forward and plucked the fresh ember from her pipe that Tristan never saw replaced. He watched with wide eyes as it sizzled between her fingers and her skin burned. She fell forward to her knees and free hand and proceeded to draw on the straw mat between them with the ember.

Done writing, she sat up, leaving four ancient symbols seared into the tatami, none of which Tristan could read. “Man’yōgana, the first form of Japanese writing.” Yuki put the snuffed out opium into her pipe and held it up for relighting. She pointed vaguely at each symbol as she recited, “‘Raven, hunter, death, genus.’ But more specifically the genus of vampire. They were the hunters of monsters, only the Uruwashi turned out to be monsters themselves. The other nightmare.”

Yuki paused, watching Sibylle retreat to her place in the corner. Eyes still on the girl for a moment, she started to talk again. “Tainted men and women that over the centuries found a way to adapt their bloodline. These… humans, these creatures, they sought to increase their killing power. After all, we vampire are the strongest of all beings on the earth. Only, they turned to dark, taboo things. It didn’t take them long to figure out how to be stronger.”

“You mean…?”

Yuki’s expression remained disturbingly grim. “
Sō
desu ne. They turned to vampirism.”

“But that—”

“Do not interrupt.”

Tristan bit his lip. That meant then that he was part vampire? That was just insane!

“The Uruwashi created a new race. They had to become that which they hated and hunted. This family of hunters were so horribly efficient in their task that they had managed to wipe out more than ninety percent of vampires worldwide by mid-Heian period.” The old vampire’s eyes unfocused as she stared off at nothing, her pipe forgotten. “So many lost. Friends, lovers... Nobuyuki-
dono
...
wagakimi
.”

Tristan stared at the child vampire in a bit of awe. It was the first time that evening he felt something other than anger or annoyance towards the girl.

Yuki shook herself like a bird fluttering its wings to dry, took a hard drag on her pipe and blew out a long column of smoke. “The remaining vampires of the world resolved then to put aside their differences and join together against the Uruwashi. As I was excluded from the actual battle, I am unsure of the details, but my people, those dear to me, fought. One bloody night of hell and we prevailed. ”

“Wait,” he interrupted. “We’re... enemies?” Why hadn’t he thought of it before? Ah, but really, he always knew, hadn’t he? Felt it inside of him. Besides, why else would Malik be afraid of him, a nobody?

Yuki flashed her fangs at him and he tensed, ready to move. The finger on his gun trigger not forgotten. “Very much so.”

“Am…” He hadn’t realized it until the surge of adrenaline shot through him, but the opium was really starting to kick his ass now. His whole body was heavy. Eyes, limbs, even his breathing had slowed. “Am I
your
enemy?” By all rights, she should have ripped his head off when he came in if he was truly this thing she just described. He held a small sliver of hope that it was all just a simple misunderstanding.

She narrowed her eyes at him and he flexed that stiff finger again. Not that he’d ever get the gun up in time. But it wasn’t in him to not try at all.

“
Iie
.”

“No? Really? Okay, I know I’ll regret asking, but why?” He was starting to feel more awake, shaking off the effects of the haze permeating his senses, trying to dull him.

“Honest?” she asked and Tristan nodded. “I am not entirely certain you are Uruwashi.”

Tristan let out a long breath. There was still hope. “How do we know for sure?”

“I bite you.”

He started to stand, to back away, but tripped, falling to his knees again. They were heavier than he realized and a little numb. “No fucking way, you’re not sticking me with your chopsticks.”

Yuki grinned. “I have one other way, though not one-hundred percent it is rather effective.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“Come closer.”

“If it involves biting or the mixing of any body fluids I’m out.”

“I promise. I swear on my ancient honor that I will not harm you.”

A husky voice said behind him, “Please, just do as she asks.”

Tristan jumped, looking back. How could he have forgotten about Ash? His savior, his… what? What was she to him? Hell, he didn’t know or have the time to figure it out now. Ash looked terrible. But if Yuki really knew…

“All right, but I’m warning you if you hurt me, I’m going to come back and haunt you for the rest of eternity and make you even crazier than you already are.”

The girl vampire’s lips stretched into a thin line until she couldn’t keep her fangs covered anymore. “Very well.” She placed down her pipe and motioned for Tristan to come to her. “Put that away, please.”

He looked down at the gun she motioned to. “Rather not.” The look she gave him was cold and unyielding. She would win whatever verbal or physical fight they might have over it. In the interest of time, he gave in and holstered the gun, leaving the safety off and hoped he didn’t end up  being careless enough to accidently shoot himself in the leg—or worse. Yuki nodded, indicating she was pleased. He wasn’t. He was way too close to her for his comfort and felt sick.

“I’m going to touch you. If you move, you can just leave. Understand?”

“I don’t work in absolutes, sweetheart. If I want to move, I’m going to fucking move, ‘k? Now get on with it and be gentle.”

She narrowed her eyes at him but leaned in. He balked, thinking she was going to kiss him but then a palm slapped down against his stomach under his jacket. Tristan sucked in a gasp of sweet tasting air, whispering, “Oh my god.”

That same strange sensation that started the night Ash took him into her home was on him again. It felt as if his blood was boiling, yet ice cold, starting at his navel and stretching lower. That coldness burned, but was delicious as it reached for more sensitive areas. He wanted to tell Yuki to stop, to let him go, that she was hurting him, but the sensation was stronger now than it had ever been before. And it was glorious. How could he deny something that felt so damn good?

“
Mattaku
,” Yuki whispered. “That’s…” She let out a long slow breath, her face tilting up into Tristan’s.

Unbidden, his eyes fluttered shut and he moaned. There was a breath of sweet, hot air across his lips and he opened his eyes. Crystal clear eyes were inches from his. Fangs too.

“Oh shit!” In a burst of adrenaline, Tristan swung out, pushing Yuki back and tumbling to his own back away from her.

“Tristan!” Ash was on him in seconds. “Are you okay?”

“Freak…,” he grumbled with no air, “tried to kiss me.”

“What happened?”

He blinked up at Ash’s worried expression. Somehow, she managed to look even paler than before. Sick almost. She’d lost a lot of blood. Tristan sighed, relaxing and reached up, touching her face. Her skin was as soft as he remembered.

“Tristan?” she asked, brow knitted and her hand came up to cup his cheek.

He took her hand into his, lowering it between them and looked at it. His skin was so dark against hers. His warm, hers cold. They were such opposites. They never belonged together. Even so, he had this overwhelming sensation to kiss her fingers, to pull them into his mouth and taste them. Taste all of her, consume her. Ash gasped, snapping her hand back and Tristan’s eyes widened. What the hell was he doing?

Yuki laughed a small laugh and the pair both turned their heads to look at her. “Subarashii. Subarashii! I knew it. Uruwashi…”

Tristan cringed. Ash gasped, looking down at the man lying on the floor. Her enemy. She slowly backed away.

“You’re sure?” Tristan asked.

“Hai, hai, hai! Very much so.”

Ash frowned as she sat back down, missing her target and falling to her bottom. Tristan sat up, he had so many things bouncing around in his head but the only thing that came out was what he was really feeling at that moment. “Fuck.”

Yuki giggled again, the slightest hint of that salaciousness in her laugh. Tristan backed away from her lest she touch him.

“Wha—what was that?” he asked, pressing his palm to his lower belly. The feeling was still there, more noticeable now that he knew what to focus on, but not so strong that it was blinding him. Yuki’s touch seemed to pull the feeling closer to the surface and it begged to be stroked, fought desperately for attention. And he wanted to give it what it wanted, anything to keep feeling that way.

“Our blood knows each other.”

“Meaning?” Tristan asked.

“You are an Uruwashi,” Ash whispered.

“You remember?” Tristan asked.

“Uh—I.
Gomen ni,
Shishō, I did not mean to speak your own thoughts.”

The old vampire harrumphed but was smiling to herself. Of course, Yuki never allowed anyone to read her mind except when it fit into her scheming. She would feed Ash just enough information now that she was sure of Tristan.

“So… what does this mean? I’m an Uruwashi, but I don’t even know what they are. Who am I?”