Chapter 10 - On the Hunt
Michael:
Valentina and I spend most of the day practicing with weapons. As soon as I see that she can use the Katanas, I hand her two throwing knives and show her how to execute the Nagas.
“The best way to slay the Nagas is you either stab them through the eyes, the neural arch that connects the spinal cord, or the heart.” I use the knife to point out the areas and have her practice on a target.
“If you stab anywhere else, all you will manage to do is anger the creatures.”
Valentina practices on a hanging target until she is nearly accurate in her strikes.
Once she has finished, I take her to her rental apartment to gather some of her things. I offer her my guest room again, but she quickly declines, and I do not argue too strongly because I do not know if I can handle having her so close and not make love to her. As soon as she gathers a change of clothes, we head back to my home and prepare to go out searching for the Naga drones.
I try not to stare at Valentina as she strolls confidently through the streets. The clothing that Lilith lent her mold to her curves in a very enticing manner. It doesn’t help that I spent most of the day touching her while we grappled. Feeling her hands touch my body and controlling my own desires was a struggle, especially after our kiss in the early hours of the morning. I got very little rest because every part of me begged to go to her room and make love to her until we were both thoroughly sated. I only stopped myself from going that far because of my guilt. I don’t understand how I can desire someone when not long ago I had a mate. Of course, some might say that I have a right to be happy since the signs point to my mate no longer living, but I can’t help the turmoil I am experiencing, and it would be unfair for me to bring Valentina into it.
I’m also amazed that she and Lilith became such quick friends. It took a while for Lilith and me to establish a somewhat friendly repartee, and even then, she did not trust me completely. However, Valentina seemed to understand Lilith within minutes.
I did not lie when I said Valentina was an amazing fighter. It’s almost as if she was born to fight.
As we scour the Parisian streets, I try to sense the Naga soldiers but quickly become distracted by Valetina’s presence.
Valentina strolls ahead, her gaze searching every shadow and corner. She looks confident as she watches intently. Her concentrated gaze and how Valentina continuously checks the sword strapped to her back and the knives in the harnesses at her hips remind me how warriors of old hunted. After seeing that she could fight with the katana and throwing knives, I gave her the scabbard for each and helped her strap them onto her sides and back before I helped her step into a fitted leather jacket Lilith gave her.
“So, once we find the soldiers, how do we find the drones?” she stops and looks back at me,
“The drones look pale and savage like Nagas, but they are far more intelligent and human - like. Croyez - moi,” trust me, “you will know as soon as you see a drone. If you see it, let me know. drones can be quite cunning and will see you as prey if they discover you are following them.”
Valentina doesn’t reply as she thoughtfully moves forward.
Striding forward, I take her arm and turns her to face me. Her eyes gleam beneath the moonlight, and she bites her lower lip as she gazes up at me, “Did you hear me, Valentina?” I ask.
Her eyes move down to my lips before they glance back to mine, “Yeah, I heard you,” she mutters cheekily.
For a moment, I consider pulling her close and shaking her for her flippant tone, but then I sense them.
Stepping back, I look forward and nudge my chin in that direction. Valentina must see my intent gaze because she follows silently behind me.
We walk for nearly a mile until we reach a private area full of bars and nightclubs.
“I sense a group of Nagas ahead,” I point toward a building at the edge of the city.
Valentina’s lips tighten as she straightens her spine and strides purposely forward. “Stay close to me. You mustn’t stray from my side.” I stately sternly.
Valentina follows me in, her eyes scanning the crowd as she tries to find the Naga. I look around warily, “It’s still early. Nagas might be primitive in many ways, but they are perceptive enough to bide their time until they can catch their prey off guard.”
“Okay, so what do we do until they show?” she asks.
I gesture toward the bar, “We wait until they appear.”
As the hour passes, the feelings I get when the Nagas are close intensifies. Jaw tight, I scan the room until I see what I’m looking for. As if on cue, the crowd screams with terror and begins to run.
I look at Valentina and gesture for her to follow me. Without a word, she reaches for her knives and fights off a group of approaching Nagas. I do the same, keeping my sword of fire out of the fight because I do not want the soldiers to be scared off and warn the drones.
As we cut through the crowd, I try to keep Valentina within my sight. Unfortunately, a large group of soldiers charge me and separate us.
As the crowd retreats to safety, I sense the drone and try to warn Valentina, but she’s nowhere in sight. I look up the second floor of the club and spot the drone immediately. He’s taller than the soldiers, has rose - colored eyes and is staring intently into the crowd. Moving forward, I call out to Valentina but get no response. Worried that something might have happened to Valentina, I stop focusing on the drone and concentrate on finding her.
As carefully as I can, I frantically search for her in the crowd, but all I see are Naga soldiers feasting off wounded humans, the bodies of dead Nagas and a horde of humans running scared.
For the first time in a long time, I feel terror. Scenarios of what might have occurred to her run through my head as I search the area.
It’s only when I feel another evil supernatural presence nearby that I realize that things have become worse, and Valentina is now in the center of it.