H.T. Night's 8-Book Vampire Box Set (23 page)

The gym was dark, but there was an eerie
glow, which came from a street light outside. I searched high and
low; it was empty. It had been a long, strange night so far, and I
thought I should stretch and meditate to make sure I was ready. I
warmed up like I would before any fight. I worked out my legs,
punched the big bag and let my heavy emotions dictate my moves.
Tears ran down my face. I swung over and over as if every punch
were the pendulum to turn back time—to take it all back. “Leave
some for the fight,” a faceless voice said from a dark area of the
gym.

“Who is it?” I called out.

“You cannot expect to beat a werewolf if you
exhaust yourself before you actually fight.”

“Who are you?” I said again.

There was a man sitting in a chair in the
dark. “I’m Mr. fucking Myagi.”

Holy shit. I knew who it was. Karate Kid was
our favorite movie growing up.

“Tommy!” I yelled.

Tommy turned on the lamp beside his chair.
“In the flesh.”

“Or should I call you Kyro?”

“Kyro is dead. I will forever be Tommy.”
Tommy was still pretty scratched and bruised. It had been a couple
of weeks, and his scars still looked fresh.

“Are you alive?”

“You mean am I some kind of Carni ghost that
has come back to haunt you?” Tommy laughed. “No. I’m alive. I’m as
alive as you used to be. What the hell happened to you?”

“You must smell it. The Carni at the bar
did.”

“Josiah, you have no idea how many times I
almost told you the truth. I couldn’t. So, what happened? Did you
go willingly or unwillingly?” Tommy was obviously asking if I had
chosen to be Mani or was it forced upon me.

“I didn’t choose it. That choice was
definitely out of my hands. That’s not the worst of it.”

“What’s the worst of it?”

“I don’t know what you know about Mani lore,
but apparently—”

“You’re the Chosen One. I know, Josiah.”

“How do you know?”

“Your hawk friend might have had something
to do with it.”

“Yari, you’ve spoken to Yari? When?”

“The last thing I remember was this
beautiful redhead dropping me off in front of the emergency room.
Before she left, I asked her name. She said Yari.”

“Did you know a Mani was saving you?”

“I didn’t know much of anything. This
ten-foot tall motherfucker kicked the crap out of me not even an
hour after we had our MMA match. The guy looked like a freaking
scarecrow.”

“His name is Atticai,” I said.

“I knew who he was.”

“And you fought him anyway?”

“Why not? Who was he to tell me what the
rules were?”

“Apparently he was the judge, jury, and
executioner,” I said.

“He was only the judge and jury. Goliath was
the executioner.”

“Who the hell is Goliath?”

“He is another seven-foot beast, but he’s
not a twig like Atticai. He weighs almost 500 pounds.”

“So, I take it that Goliath wasn’t his birth
name.”

“It’s the only name that fits.”

“After your friend Atticai was done with me
–”

“Trust me, he’s not my friend.”

“Anyway, I had the pleasure of getting my
ass kicked again by Goliath.”

“It doesn’t make any sense that Carni do
that to their own people.”

“We know the score if we challenge a Mani
and lose.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. What a
backward way of dealing with shit. They should tend to you. That is
what Mani would do.”

“Nobody said Carni were rocket scientists.”
Tommy got up and walked toward me. He grabbed a pair of trainer’s
gloves and motioned for me to get into the ring with him. He still
looked fit.

I made my way through the ropes, and met
Tommy in the middle of the ring.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about.” Tommy
gave me the motion to punch his hand. I threw a right cross and our
gloves popped. “Good shot, Josiah.” I continued to do combinations
that Tommy and I had worked on in the past. “You know Josiah, that
seven-foot beanpole was actually fighting in your honor.”

“I didn’t ask him to,” I said. “He just
wanted an excuse to fight.”

“Maybe, but in the end, he was defending
you.”

“All of this is crazy.” I threw another
four-punch combination, with the last punch making a popping sound
that echoed throughout the gym. “The Triat used him as a pawn to
get me. The more I think about it, it’s pretty fucked up how bad he
was mind-fucked by the whole thing.”

Tommy put his gloves down, “Did you kill
him?”

“I had to. He was trying to kill two people
I care deeply about.”

Tommy nodded his head. I think Yari had let
him in on all the details, but he just wanted to hear it from
me.

“So, you’re the fucking white eagle that’s
in all the stories, the legends, the truth. That’s unbelievable.
You have no idea how huge that is. It sure beats a mixed martial
arts title.”

“Can I ask you a question?” I looked at
Tommy. I didn’t want to rub salt into Tommy’s wounds. But this had
really been bugging me ever since I knew Tommy had been a werewolf.
“Why would you fight me in a sport that is designed for
humans?”

“Because I was a Tandra when I began my
mixed martial arts training. I didn’t become a Carni until five
years ago. I worked too hard at the sport to give it up. I wasn’t
much stronger.”

“But being a Carni made you stronger?”

“A little bit.”

“And you don’t see anything wrong with
that?”

“Josiah, if you want me to say I’m sorry
that I fought MMA, knowing that I had an edge, I will. But I think
the Triat gave me the punishment that I deserved. I was pretty much
left for dead.”

“The hospital said you were dead. Did you
die?”

“I’m not sure what happened. One moment, I
was left at the door of the hospital and the next moment I woke up
in the woods with dead rabbits and squirrels all around me.”

“You obviously turned into a werewolf on the
following night. The following night was a full moon.”

“I realize that, I’m just not sure how it
happened.”

“So, then what did you do when you turned
back into a human?”

“I went looking for you. I was at the house
and Yari was there to see you and said you weren’t answering the
door for anyone. She told me that you needed time.”

“When was this?”

“About two weeks ago. She told me
everything. She told me about Atticai trying to kill a girl named
Lena. She said how you saved both Lena and her. She mentioned that
you had been turned into a vampire. I felt awful for you, but I
knew if anyone could help you deal with it, it was me.”

“I would have answered the door for you. You
should have knocked.”

“I did knock—a couple times—but you didn’t
answer. I figured you were dealing with a lot of major shit and I
would speak to you when you were ready–”

“You being alive trumps anything I would
have to deal with.”

“I just figured our time would come. I
wasn’t going anywhere.”

My eyes began to well up. “Tommy, they
pronounced you dead. I thought I had lost everything.”

Tommy put his hand on my shoulder. “I know,
Josiah. I should have come to you sooner.” We shared an awkward
silent moment that neither of us was used to. Tommy broke the
silence with, “Show me the white eagle.”

“Seriously?” I said.

“Why not? I’m curious what you look
like.”

“I don’t feel like it right now.” I really
wasn’t in the mood.

“Come on, Josiah. Look at me. I’m beat up
and broken down. I don’t ever ask for much.”

I looked at Tommy. His puppy dog eyes and
bruised face and body were pulling at my heart strings. It was
true. He didn’t ask for much, so I decided I would do it. “All
right. I’ll do it this once. But this isn’t some kind of routine
I’m going to pull out at parties to get you laid.”

“Very funny.”

I gave Tommy a look that said, ‘you better
enjoy this cause this is the only time I’m going to do this just
for the hell of it.’ I closed my eyes and concentrated.
Immediately, I felt a rushing wind come over me and I dropped to
the floor.

I squawked, as if to say, ‘here you go.’ I
was the white eagle. I took off in flight, trying to navigate
through the confinement of the gym. I nearly hit the ceiling and
the walls right before I flew smack into Tommy’s arms. I was trying
to land on his shoulder, but instead plowed into him. Damn, I was
awful at this.

“Holy shit,” Tommy held me in his arms and
petted my feathers. “You’re beautiful, Josiah! You have any idea
what this means?”

Tommy let me go and I flew down on the
concrete gym floor and transitioned back to a Mani. “What does what
mean?”

“It means that you shouldn’t waste your time
fighting Carni’s that you meet in a bar.”

“How do you know about that anyway?”

“Let’s just say I have been in the
shadows.”

“Seriously? You have been following me?”

“Someone needed to make sure you didn’t do
anything stupid.”

“Well, you did a great job with that,” I
said sarcastically.

“You were bound to get challenged by a Carni
out of the gate. Consider it a rite of passage.”

“I don’t need a rite of passage. I think
defeating Atticai proved that I can take care of myself.”

“The Carni and Mani feud is epic, Josiah.
You might have defeated a Mani stud like Atticai, but now you need
to take care of your business with a Carni. Just kick his ass and
get the hell out of there before they challenge you a second time.
If you don’t leave after the first fight, you’ll be there all
night. Trust me; you want no part of Goliath.”

“Was he that giant bald guy back at the
bar?”

“Did he have a long, braided goatee?”

“Yup,” I said.

“That’s Goliath. And he is as filthy as they
come. He doesn’t play by the rules, and he never quits a fight. No
matter how long it takes.”

“Will he be there?”

“Oh, that grizzly bear wouldn’t miss a duel
for his life.” Tommy slipped through the ropes and hopped on the
concrete floor where I was standing.

“Any advice for me about the bartender?”

“The owner challenged you?” Tommy’s laugh
echoed through the gym.

“What’s so funny?”

“You’ll have no problem kicking his ass.
He’s all talk. A couple of high kicks should finish him off pretty
quick. What time is the battle?”

I looked at Tommy. His bruises and scratches
seemed fresh. I didn’t want him to get hurt anymore. This wasn’t
his fight. It was mine, and I could take care of myself. “It’s
scheduled for 3:30,” I lied. “3:30 a.m., of course.”

“Of course.”

Tommy said, “I’m going to meet up with Yari
and we’ll meet up with you before. You don’t want to walk in there
alone.”

“Tommy, you can’t go. You have been banned
by them.”

“I just want to see their faces when I show
up alive.”

“You think that would be safe?”

“Who gives a shit about safety? Those
assholes left me for dead.”

I took a deep breath. “I’m going to take off
and get some fresh air.”

“No more working out. Go have a Slurpee or a
Red Bull. Find a nice tree and mentally go over your takedowns and
submission moves. You probably won’t even have to use them, but you
can never be too careful.”

“Will do, Tommy. Will do.” I transitioned
and flew out the same window I had come in through.

Chapter Four

I took Tommy’s advice and flew over to
Hillcrest Park in Fullerton. When I got there, I transitioned to
Mani and spent about an hour lying under a tree getting my head
right—getting myself in the right frame of mind to take on another
immortal creature. The reality of the situation was serious because
I was not sure how to prepare for the fight. Therefore, I prepared
the same way I would for any fight. I meditated and walked through
my takedowns and submissions. I went over and over them until I
knew I was ready.

I thought about Lena, and how amazing she
looked tonight. I couldn’t help but feel an immense bond with her.
Why? Was it because I was the one who turned her into a Mani? Or
was it because of something else, something deeper and less
tangible? All I knew was that she would have no part of tonight; I
would not allow it. No one would be involved except me.

I glanced at my cell phone and realized that
I had 45 minutes until the fight. It was time to go. I transformed
into the eagle and flew to Taco Bell to get my truck. I circled the
parking lot, waiting for the night manager to get into his car and
leave. When the coast was clear, I decided to try something
different. I tried transitioning back to Mani simultaneously as I
landed. It kind of worked. I didn’t land perfectly on my feet, but
at least I didn’t fall down. I stumbled a little, but caught my
balance.

I opened my truck and was pleased that no
one had stolen my radio since I had left it unlocked. I reached
down and grabbed my keys from under the seat. I started my truck
and took off out of the parking lot.

I drove up Imperial Street toward the
mountains. Sure enough, there was a giant ranch right before the
mountain trail started. I guess that was Barner’s Ranch. I parked
my truck at the bottom, and walked up the side of the road by
myself. I looked up into the dark sky, “Well, Triat,” I called out.
“If I’m the guy you want for all of this, then please keep me
safe.” I continued to walk and I figured I should cover all my
bases. I looked up to the sky one more time. “Whoever is in charge
of all this? Keep me safe.”

I began my trek up a dirt path that led to a
large ranch. I could hear Carni shouting and laughing like a lynch
mob ready to jump me from all sides. Instead, they kept their
distance while taunting me from dark places along the road. That’s
all they did—taunt.