In the midst of monster parties, we are in death.
I pulled out my phone, unlocking the screen, fully aware that now was the time to notify Al. But in the blink of an eye, the device slipped from my hand and back into my pocket.
"Damn it!" I muttered under my breath, frustration rising. Without wasting a moment, I grabbed my coat and, despite still having half my shift ahead, stepped into the relentless rain. I ran, tearing through the streets, the yellow glow of the streetlights and flickering windows offering fleeting glimpses of light amidst the suffocating darkness. But it felt as though the shadows were closing in around me, swallowing me whole.
I burst through the door of our house, the familiar smell of food mixing with the air. Alex shot out of the kitchen in alarm, his eyes widening as he took in the sight of me. His white apron was stained with splashes from whatever he was cooking.
I didn't spare a moment. Without a word, I stalked straight to our room, yanking open the closet door. Clothes flew as I searched, and then I found it. Alex stopped in the doorway, confusion etched across his face. He didn't know what was in the box. He had asked before, but I'd always kept it a secret.
I opened the lid. The box held no treasures, nothing out of the ordinary—except for one thing. My most prized possession.
I reached inside and lifted the snow-white bone mask. The only holes were cut out for the eyes, a strange crescent-moon-like mark was engraved on the forehead, and a frightening, devilish smile spread across the mouth, painted with blood-red paint. It was the greatest treasure I have ever received. A magic mask made by hunters.
Underneath the mask, neatly folded gray pullovers rested—material as strong as steel. And scattered beside them, small daggers sat in their sheaths, ready for use.
"Shay..." Alex's voice broke through my focus.
I snapped my gaze to him. He didn't understand. He couldn't. He didn't understand why I had the hunting gear. He didn't understand why I had a bone mask that only members of noble hunting clans could own. There was no time to explain.
"Where are we going?" he asked, his voice low, cautious.
"Straight into the heart of the vampire den," I replied without hesitation. I pulled my shirt off and slipped on one of the pullovers. The fabric clung to my skin, molding to my body like a second skin. It looked heavy, but once it settled, I barely felt its weight.
Alex nodded, and I tossed him another pullover.
"Where did you get this armor from?" he asked, his voice edged with curiosity.
I shook my head. There was no time for explanations now.
"Cover your face," I said, my voice firm. "Trust me, you don't want them to see your face."
The words echoed something they'd told me once. A strange feeling churned in my chest, but I pushed it aside. Alex solved the problem quickly, pulling a black shawl with a teeth-patterned design over his face and tying it securely.
I took a slow breath, then another. The mask was waiting. I slipped it over my face, the familiar weight and coldness of it sending a shiver down my spine.
"You've got a pretty grotesque taste," Alex muttered, his tone flat.
"I didn't choose it," I said, my voice muffled by the mask.
He didn't press any further. Instead, he caught the daggers I tossed to him, slipping them under his clothes. I kept the last one, tucking it between my pants and belt before heading for the door. We left the apartment in silence, the rain pelting down around us like a steady drumbeat.
We got to the old, abandoned Janus Pannonius dormitory. At the pub, I've heard how they gossiped about these ignobles being in contact with wild vampires rioting in the city. We didn't even have to go too far.
I grabbed the top of the fence and vaulted over it with ease, Alex following close behind. We moved swiftly, shadows blending into the night, reaching the main entrance. The black iron gates were mostly intact, though a few windows had been smashed. The rest had been boarded up.
I pushed the door open. It squeaked softly, but I was expecting that. Vampires were rarely subtle, and they'd probably be waiting for their prey to wander into their grasp.
I exchanged a brief glance with Alex, then stepped inside. The space felt abandoned—except for the smattering of graffiti and the debris scattered about. The porch beside us was empty, save for a broken window and a tattered chair inside.
To our right, a staircase led to the upper floors. We ascended quickly, careful to avoid making noise, our footsteps light despite the urgency in the air. By the time we reached the third floor, I pressed against the wall, peering into the hallway.
The walls were lined with doors, some of them ajar, while others had been boarded up. On the other side, there was no mistaking the presence of a group of vampires. Some lounged on an old couch, others perched on battered armchairs or leaned against the walls.
Vampire gangs were typically small—three to six members at most. But there were more here, too many. The bloodsuckers were split into two groups. One side was eerily still, watching as the other group casually butchered an elderly couple, a horrific scene unfolding before them. They had likely been offered in exchange for the pickpocket from the wild vampires.
Even moments later, I could hear the woman's screams and the sickening crack of the man's neck breaking. Alex tensed behind me, his muscles coiled, but he held his ground, clearly aware of the numbers stacked against us.
I heard a soft noise from the stairs, but it was too late, the vampire was standing in front of us, and as luck would have it, he attacked me first. From his blow, I slammed into the hard wall of the hallway. I heard the concrete crack, and then the necks of the other vampires' cracked too as they suddenly turned their heads toward me.
Alex seemed to have avoided the attack, as he wasn't by my side. But the other vampires quickly closed in, and the smell of the cemetery, heavy with resigning sighs, filled my nose.
"This is your idea of hospitality?" I sneered, pushing myself to my feet and steadying myself on one knee.
For a heartbeat, every vampire froze. Their eyes widened, their lips parted. Fear flickered in their gaze—not of me, but of the dreaded monster who wears this mask in urban legends.
Seizing the moment, Alex swiftly slit the throats of two vampires, leaving only a thin strip of flesh holding their heads to their bodies. Their dazed expressions shattered instantly, and chaos erupted. Half of them lunged at Alex, the others focused on me.
The first vampire who reached me swung a heavy fist, aiming straight for my mask. He expected me to dodge or block the blow with the usual tactics of a typical opponent. But instead, I stood my ground, allowing the punch to land squarely on my face. His surprise was palpable when I didn't crumple under the strike, but instead, I seized his wrist.
A loud crack sounded beneath my grip, and pieces of the mask chipped away onto the floor.
I felt it—the monster inside me, clawing to break free, its hunger growing stronger with each passing second. I could feel my blood stirring, my skin tightening as the beast inside me slowly began to emerge. The change was inevitable. But I fought it—hard.
Then came the word that brought me back to my senses. "Halfling," one of the bloodsuckers hissed.
The word pierced through the haze of my rage, and I took a steadying breath. I couldn't lose control—not now, not here. "Where's the boy?" I demanded.
The vampire's fangs flashed, and he snarled in disgust, but I didn't back down. Instinctively, I pulled up my lips and showed my canines. It seemed terribly humorous to me at that moment, somehow imagining our sight as if a domestic cat was hissing at a lion. Somehow his huge fangs looked a bit scarier than my canines. But he lowered his hand, signaling his group to halt and his fangs disappeared in an instant.
The silence was heavy. His eyes assessed me, clearly unsettled by my appearance that spoke of a past and a bloodline he recognized.
"Who are you?" His voice was thick with a growl.
There was someone else in my family who had eyes similar to mine — and this guy no doubt knew him.
"It doesn't matter," I replied, my tone cold. I stepped closer, releasing his wrist. "I want the boy."
The vampire's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "What do you want with him?"
"That's none of your business." I kept my gaze locked on his. "Give him to me."
As if summoned by my words, the boy appeared. The door creaked open, and the thief stepped out, pulling the tape off his mouth with a frustrated grunt. Excellent, it seems the little gremlin kid would have freed himself even if I hadn't come to save him.
The vampires' attention snapped to the boy, but he only looked at me, confusion written across his face. Somehow, he recognized me immediately. The vampires, their instincts kicking in, began to close in on him.
"Shit," I hissed, pushing past the vampires to reach him before they could.
The boy's face went pale, and he froze. He didn't run. Why didn't he run? Doesn't anyone teach kids to run with all their might at such a time?
Alex did what he could—slashing through the vampires that now focused entirely on the boy. But I didn't hesitate. I surged forward, focusing on the closest vampire who was only a few steps away from the boy.
The body crumpled to the ground at the boy's feet before he could even reach him, and the bloodsucker's head puffed loudly beside him, then rolled away. The little thief stared down at it, eyes wide with terror. I led my relentless gaze to the terrified boy, then looked back at the approaching vampires, and finally at Alex.
"Go," Alex growled, "Take him out! I'll hold them back until then."
I nodded, then turned to the frozen kid and threw him over my shoulder with a quick motion. After that, I ran to one of the boarded-up windows and kick-jumped out of it.
The boy screamed deafeningly, even though we had only fallen three floors. I tried to land on bent knees, yet the landing didn't go as smoothly as I imagined. Because of the extra weight, my ankle, which I first arrived on, was immediately broken.
I hissed, but I could already feel the tingling as it healed. I didn't stop even for a moment; I jumped over the fence and just ran.
I only slowed down when we had been fleeing for half an hour. Breathless, I threw the boy to the ground with a heavy thud. He landed with a grunt. I collapsed onto the nearest bench, needing a moment to recover.
"Your friend," the boy asked hesitantly. "Will he be alright?"
"Alex?" I nodded. "I'm just holding him back anyway. He doesn't like to change in front of me. In any case, he would crush them even in his human form."
The boy was silent for a while, and then his curiosity got the better of him. "Why?"
I didn't answer right away. "It doesn't matter. Just show me the way." I stood, growing impatient.
He nodded without a word, and we were off again.
We were already deep in one of the secluded corners of downtown when we were found. The goblin emerged from the shadows and attacked me with brutal force, slamming me into the wall so hard that it shattered like glass, burying me beneath the debris.
I've always hated goblins. They're monstrous creatures—two meters of steaming mud, exuding a stench that could be classified as a deadly sin. Short, stocky legs, long arms, and glowing yellow eyes—everything about them repulses me. Their skin is like rock, tough and impenetrable.
The gluttonous screech of the goblin jolted me out of my thoughts. I tossed the concrete rubble off me and slowly stood up.
This immediately caught the goblin's attention. With a massive fist, it slammed me into the still-intact part of the wall.
The boy screamed in terror, knowing full well that no creature could survive that blow twice—except for me.
Indeed, I am a freak. A mixed-blood mongrel.
I'm not as fast as the fae. I don't even have the magic that they use. I'm not as strong as vampires. I don't have a razor-sharp second row of fangs to protect myself with.
I'm not as fast as the fae. I don't possess their magic. I'm not as strong as vampires, and I don't have the razor-sharp second row of fangs that they rely on for defense.
But I have something truly unique. I have something that none of the species has — a body that is truly, audaciously difficult to destroy.
A moment later, when the goblin removed its fist from the wall, it looked around, startled, realizing I was nowhere to be seen. I had already leaped onto its back, claws digging beneath its tough skin. In one swift motion, I severed its head and hurled it away like a stone. The goblin's body crumpled, falling to the ground with a sickening thud.
I wiped the bluish, corrosive blood off my clothes, casting a glance at the boy, who was now frozen in place, wide-eyed and sitting against the opposite wall.
"Are we leaving or what?" I asked, irritation creeping into my tone. He quickly collected himself, jumping to his feet.