Tommi scratched her head so harshly she swore she would bleed.
At the very least she had a bald spot now.
Her frustration was that so far she had found absolutely nothing on vampires that was actually considered truth. Just the made up human myths that had no actual evidence to suggest they were accurate.
As far as she was concerned, vampires were a horrible mystery.
"You honestly don't remember how this came to be?" she asked Jaxon.
He didn't answer. He just stared at her from his place on thr sofa. Or what he liked to call his detainment.
She did have him tied up so it was a fair description. It had been a difficult feat too. She tried the general hunters knots. He broke free. She tried rune enhanced one's, and he broke free.
Finally she used her own magic and he calmed down. It was almost a dramatic change too. He had gone from thrashing around, grunting in annoyance and heavily breathing to an almost relaxed high.
She would have to figure that out later. As for now she was trying to understand just where to start.
Jaxom was laying on her couch staring at her as she poured through the tomes and books she had in her personal library.
"You truly don't remember anything?" she asked him.
She wasn't looking at him but telling by the petulant grunt he made, she was sure he was pouting.
"I don't. I have no idea. I've already told you three other times. "
With an eye roll at the sassiness, Tommi moved Jaxons head to the side to reanalyze the bite marks. She had noticed them while he was unconscious.
On his neck was a bite scar. Two sharp teeth that had Healed over as if it had been months, years even.
Not weeks andJaxon had only been missing 8 weeks. The severity of the scaring showed her how deep the punctures was and yet it was like it had been nothing.
She gently ran her nails across them but Jaxon hissed.
"Stop," he said as he jerked back. "Don't touch me."
She pulled her hand back and looked at the man.
He had scrunched up his face in discomfort.
"There's a lot of magic pent up in that bite," she explained. "I think my own magic reacts with it."
"How does this help me?" he bit back. "You should just let me go. You aren't going to help me , all I want to do is eat you and the longer I'm tied up the worse this hunger gets. This is dangerous."
Tommi rolled her eyes.
"If you're dangerous to me you're dangerous to the public. How many innocent prostitutes and homeless people have you accidently killed?"
He began fidgeting, his face flushing and nostrils flaring.
"I already explained I haven't killed anyone," he growled. "I take what I need while they are unconscious. It's the others that are killing and I've been stopping those."
"Putting those "heroics" aside, roofying people is still dangerous, Jaxon."
He shrugged his shoulders and turned away She sighed and threw herself onto her sofa. This was going absolutely nowhere.
She contemplated. She could try to search for a vampire to get information from but they were near impossible to find. Secretive and paranoid was what she was told.
She sighed. If there was someone who knew anything about this it was the man who told her they were paranoid.
He was a demon ,full blooded, who went by Dominion but his name was actually something she couldn't quite pronounce as it was in an old forgotten language even he couldn't speak. His father had a sense of humor and named him something no one could pronounce but in reality it was a protective spell that kept him safe from hunters.
And as hidden from anyone as he chose to be.
So now she had a bit of a distracting mission to head on.
"Here's the deal Jaxon," she said. "You and I are going to find out what we can about your situation , help stabilize you and then hopefully get you back to your family."
Jaxon tried to get up, anger evident on his face but her magic held him down.
"First of all," he yelled from his kneeling position. "You are going to untie me, I'm going to leave here and then hopefully die so no one ever has to see me this way."
Tommi rolled her eyes.
"This isn't the end of the world Jaxon and you have a family who's desperately trying to find you. Also I cannot let you out to hunt anymore people, whether you kill them or not. It's against our code of conduct."
Finally Jaxon broke free and pounced at her like a ravenous lion.
"I'm never going to let anyone see me like this," he yelled as he slammed her against her door. "Unlike you, I am disgusted at being anything less than human."
She felt a sting at his low blow but pushed her hurt aside and kicked him in the her slightly stronger than average strength forcing him to keel over. He was getting angrier by the second, she could tell. If she didn't do anything to help calm him down, he was going to force her hand and he would get hurt.
"Here," she said, giving him her wrist. "you sound hungry, maybe some blood will..."
She winced in pain as he bit down hard into her arm. But still there was that rush in her and that calm in Jaxon.
Feeding the man seemed to work. His shoulders relaxed and the air around him seemed less tense. So at least she knew a way to quell his anger.
"Your blood is different," he told her when he was done.
She cocked her head
"How so?"
Jaxon wiped his mouth and laid back.
"It tastes better," he explained. "And I feel better drinking yours. When I drink others I just feel like I've eaten but haven't eaten enough."
"Have you tried human food?" she asked.
He nodded.
"Ive eaten enough for 10 men each time," he said. "It's the only way I can feel satiated."
Tommi nodded. That was a start but she needed more.
"So I have a plan," she announced. "I know a demon who might be able to guide us to the vampire society. But this won't be a fun experience. My informant is a bit flamboyant."
"As long as this stays between you and me," he replied.
She nodded a bit surprised at how agreeable he was being. She wondered if it was an effect of her blood.
Berore she could respond her phone buzzed notifying hsr she had a visitor.
"It's Jetti," she said, a bit worried now. " You can hide in my laundry room. I'll see what she needs."
Jaxon nodded and she pointed the way as she headed to her front door.
Once she opened it Jetti came right in. She looked like a hot mess. Stress and worry was evident on her pretty face and frizzy, uncombed hair.
"Did you have any luck?" she asked. "Why didn't you say yiu were back? I've been calling you."
It was true Jetti had been calling her nonstop but Tommi had been too preoccupied with Jaxon to respond.
She motioned at her friend to sit and offered some tea she had been brewing.
"I'm sorry Jetti," she began. "I had no luck. Not a single stroke of it. Just a bunch of drunk men trying to rub up on me."
Jetti frowned and bit down on her lips.
"I'm so worried Tommi," Jetti said as she breathed into her hands. "All he was supposed to be doing was a regular recon mission for a few leftover demon hides. Everything had been so good. He wasn't fighting with Jashi , he wasn't fighting with Ama. He wasn't getting into trouble. When he's finally calming down he vanishes? Why?"
Jetti was crying now.
Jetti was usually a very composed woman but with all the things she had been through, it seemed she was finally falling apart.
Tommi hugged her friend.
"I can't lose another brother," she cried. "Losing Jake was excruciating. If Jaxon is gone..."
Tommi had to bite her lip. To see Jetti like this again was also excruciating but she had promised Jaxon.
"I'll ask around some of my mom's acquaintances," she said. "At the very least maybe I can get a clear answer if he still among us or not."
Jetti nodded.
"Thank you," replied. "Jashi and I and even Ama are going to see if any of the other guilds have any clues. My Apas crew is all the way in Sri Lanka so I'm going there first and then we'll go see if Jaxons Azhé'é guild knows anything at all. Ama is coming with me but Jashi is going to stick around so he can get in contact in case we go underground for any reason."
Tommi nodded but a sense of worry filled her. What if the vampire thing was targeted?
"Be careful," she said. "Even intel missions go awry and Jaxon had enemies."
"Has enemies. We all do." Jetti said as she stood. "We chose this life and its risks but I still have to try my best to find him."
Tommi nodded again as Jetti hugged her.
Soon enough she was ledt alone and Jaxon stepped out.
"I don't want them anywhere near my father's guild," he said angrily. "They're an enemy guild. They won't listen to any plea to find a competitor."
"Your grandmother might," Tommi replied. "And isn't she a chief officer?"
"My Azhé'é died because he tried to help our guild," Jaxon continued. "My grandmother's entire tribe has never forgiven us for that. Even if she cared for me, she isn't the only one who makes decisions. She won't be any help to them. It could put them in danger, convince them not to go."
Tommi huffed.
It was easier said than done. Jetti was as determined as an oak was sturdy. She wasn't going to be swayed or satisfied until she found out Jaxons whereabouts,dead or alive.
"How about we worry about finding out what happened and trying to determine where to go from here."
Jaxon paused but then nodded reluctantly.
Tommi stood and went to her book shelf and pulled out a small but fragile book. She took a deep breath and opened it.
"What's that?" he asked.
"It's...," she paused, looking at the ornate book page.
I knew you'd come looking for me at some point. Just a drop of your blood and the gate will open. As always I'll be happily awaiting your visit.
Love,
Dominion
She sighed and bit her thumb drawing some blood. The moment her blood soaked into the page, the page showed a very confusing map.
"It's a map."
End Chapter