2 Chapter 2:Thoroughbred, Marked or Transformed?

"In present days"

The night had already covered the whole city. The only light that was draining was from the street lights.

Faye and two other vampires who had followed her over the years moved silently under the cover of darkness. I don't think anyone would miss what a vampire can do by sneaking in.

Hunting. And yet this one was different one.

They stopped on the roof of a building. Something down there had caught their attention .Оn one of he side was a blond boy with green eyes no more than 24 years old named Liam. A transformed vampire she took under her wing two years ago. On the other side was someone in whose hands she would leave her life without doubling down. A vampire who was her saviour, a faithful companion- a friend and much more than that - for 152 years. Aran Reagan.He was tall, well-placed, with raven black hair and eyes the color of old gold.Definitely a man that women would go crazy for and fell inlove.Just like it happened to her more than a century ago. Just like it happened to both of them. Before she had to marry the one who inflicted the biggest wound she'd ever suffered. From then Faye had waged an implicit war on witches and Malik. It was no longer just about her and her lost child - but for every Marked vampire.

She drove the invading thoughts out of her mind and turned her gaze downwards, where silhouettes were moving from the side of the street following a girl. She had noticed it herself, too, because she was increasingly looking around.

-"They sent the Shadows after another one of us. ," -Aran said as he watched them move into the dark corners.

Shadows. The lowest class of witches and witchers, subordinated to the higher classes. The Shadows could not do spells and rituals, but they possessed a different kind of magic no less dangerous than that of the higher classes of witches.

The Rune magic they used on their weapons. In most cases, the Shadows used cool weapons - on which there are engraved runes - and if someones being injured with such a weapon, even if it possesses power, such as regeneration,it would not help them, and the danger of losing their lives to such a weapon is very great .Even if they are semi-mortal.

-"What do you think? Thoroughbred, Marked or Тransformed?'' -added Liam - as he loaded his weapon - then put it on his belt.

"We don't have time for speculation,"- Faye added, nodding in the direction of the girl - around which three figures were already standing. Two men and a woman.

"- Let's go."-Then she jumped from the edge of the building - straight down - and then landed on the ground. Liam and Aran did the same . That's when you follow someone you recognize as your leader. If she tells you to focus, you do. If she tells you to jump, you jump. And Aran had no problem following this woman everywhere if she was even going to take him to hell.

One of the groups of shadows turned to them when he heard them behind him.

A rude, dark-skined big guy with tattoos on his neck and a bare head - and a mocking smile was on his face.

-Look at that!-a short laugh came out of his throat. -"The Rebel and company," he said. His gaze deviated from Faye and he headed for Aran and Liam.

-"Let's save each other's problems," -Aran replied.

-"Trouble?" added the witch who was with them. Short brunette with green eyes who were just saing 'I'm here to kill'

-"Yes, your problem of staying alive and my problem then cleaning up your corpses,"-Liam added. The witch looked at him derisively and laughed.

-Transformed? It's not worth even getting my dagger dirty with you.

That annoyed Liam a lot .Then his hand went over his gun. A thought that was swirling in his head appealed to him, and he liked it a lot. For the Shadows is just enough a simple bullet between the eyes. Then his gaze fell on the girl they had surrounded. She was watching everyone. In her gaze, both fear and determination were mixed together. She was afraid, but she was ready to defend herself.

Liam nodded to her to step aside. The girl stepped back a few steps, but then the witch turned and walked towards her. He immediately got in her way.

- I'm sorry, honey. Liam laughed a little, then kicked the witch all the way to the other two who had come with her. That definitely pissed them off because instantly everyone attacked them.

While Aran and Liam were dealing with the witch and the third of the group - who hadn't peeled a word - the one with tha tattoos managed to throw Faye away from the others. Then, slowly, he walked towards her.

As the Shadow stepped up to her, Faye rose up and standed from the ground. She was already getting sick of all this. An energy wave of her power and this one would be dust.

-"So many problems,"- he continued, and the mocking smile didn't come down from his face. But he didn't know what will bring to him all the words he was saying - "Just because you couldn't get over the Marked screw-up you gave birth to and were passed on to the witches."

At that point, something in Faye snaped and there was something in her that had only appeared a few times in her life before.

No, it wasn't about magic. It's that primal feeling of killing.

She didn't even think about what power she had and that with her everything could end now, right away. Not. Now she just wanted to see him bleed. The witcher stopped at the spot - and the disgusting smile within seconds disappeared from his face - when he saw the eyes Faye was looking at him with. Bright violet irises, and the white around them was all black.

- "Тouched a nerve, huh?- Before he could say anything else, Faye stuck her fist right in his face. He staggered back, but managed to stay on his feet. But that didn't help him at all. Faye jumped on top of him, wrapped her legs around his waist and grabbed his shoulders with her hands, then dug her teeth into his neck.She didn't want his blood, and a vampire's bite was no weaker than a Warrior's of the moon. She bit him with all her might, then jerked her head back, tearing at his flesh.The Shadow fought for his life with all his might, trying to get her away, but her grip was stronger than his. Faye didn't leave him after the first bite. She continued to tear his neck again and again until they were both covered in blood, until his head leaned to one side, barely leaning on his shoulders. Then she released him from her grip and his lifeless body fell to the ground.The other two Shadows stoped their battle with Aran and Liam and looked in the direction of their already dead partner, who was lying on the ground in a pool of blood, and Faye, who was standing next to him, covered in his blood. Genuine horror and anger ran down their faces.The witch immediately pulled her runed dagger from her belt, and the other witch standing next to her did the same. Just when the witch was ready to take a step against them, in front of her and her partner, something like a magical circle shining in blue opened, which passed through them, swallowing them. Then it disappeared as if it did not exist.The witch immediately pulled her runed dagger from her belt, and the other witchеr standing next to her did the same. Just when the witch was ready to take a step against them, in front of her and her partner, something like a magical circle shining in blue opened, which passed through them, swallowing them. Then it disappeared as if it did not exist.Faye, Liam, and Aran looked back at the girl standing. The glowing symbol of the Marked was clearly visible on the palm of her outstretched hand. They did not know exactly what this gift was, but it helped them.As Faye wiped the blood from her mouth and face with the back of her hand, Liam noticed that Aran was watching her, and there was a certain amount of concern in his eyes. Aran had seen her fall into this state before, and he knew very well what was that only thing that could throw her off balance and make her succumb to her most primal instinct.

-"Wow!"- Said the girl, and there was a note of excitement in her voice, though she was very likely to die a few moments ago. .

Faye looked at her slightly confused and raised one eyebrow. What was wrong with this girl. For someone who was about to turn to ashes, he jumped quite skillfully from mood to mood. It was as if there was a button in it that said Panic-Excitement.

Liam and Aran looked at each other. They had saved а lot of buttocks so far, but this was the first time they had come across such a specimen. The girl noticed the glances between them. Apparently she looked rather strange from the sides.

-"What's wrong with you?"- Liam asked, and as always he didn't skimp on the sarcasm he thought he had too much.

-"Besides the obvious?" -She replied, raising her palm to show the mark of the Sun and Moon.

-" What is your name? "-Faye continued, clearing her face but unable to do the same with her clothes, and she frowned slightly as she examined them.

• "Briana…" - her gaze stopped on Faye's right thigh where a large cut was visible. - "You are bleeding ...! "- сhe added, and her mood changed again in a flash. She looked quite worried.

-"I'm sorry, but I'm not on this evening menu," -Faye muttered as she examined the wound. It was quite deep. Apparently the dagger of that witch had managed to reach her after all. And regeneration would not help. Or at least he wouldn't act with all his might, as he would with an ordinary weapon.

-"Oh no, no, no,"- Brianna stammered, waving her arms in front of her.- "I assure you, I control myself more than well."

-"You don't have to leave alone so late," Liam said, slightly annoyed.

-"Well, that's it!" -Briana frowned, as if she were a small child who had just been harassed by her parents.- "I live alone and I don't have a team that is constantly on my heels to protect me!" -Liam just raised his hands in front of himself, as if surrendering. None of them could even count how many times Briana had changed her mood.

-"Then come with us," -Faye said, looking at her.

-"What?" - This came a little unexpected for Brianna and it took her a minute to make sense of what she heard. -"Seriously?"

"Believe me, she's not kidding." -Liam added, laughing slightly.- "Never. So we will train you and there will be a "Squad" to protect you."

-"Are you coming or not?" Faye asked again as she dialed а nuber on her phone . She talked to someone for a few minutes, then hang up and look at Briana again. "If you decide to come with us, but you should know that they will send someone after you again. You are marked." Briana spent about a minute in silence. She was right. If she was left alone, there was a good chance she wouldn't be so lucky next time. She nodded in agreement.

A few minutes later, a black jeep with tinted windows arrived. The driver's door opened and a pair of female legs in high black boots with thick heels came down to the ground. Next to the jeep stood a tall blonde with a slender figure, peach skin, and bright gray eyes. Her short blond hair, just above her shoulders, stood loosely to one side and in light waves, and a playful smile played on her face.

-"Someone ordered a taxi?" -the blonde said, leaning on jeep, crossing her legs. She was wearing a short black leather jacket, a pink cotton bustier that fitted her curves quite well, and skinny black low-waisted jeans topped with high heels. Liam didn't even realize he was staring at her, and Aran and Briana just laughed a little. The most normal thing that had happened that evening.

-"I don't wish to be in place of the accelerator pedal. You drive like crazy Josie, "-'said Liam, after shaking off the awkward stare.

-" Don't pretend you don't like it, darling." Josie laughed, then headed for the trunk.-"First let's clear up the mess you've made."

Josie reached over and pulled a metal can of gasoline from the trunk. Then she headed for the almost decapitated corpse of the Shadow Faye had killed. She removed the cap and doused it with gasoline, then began to walk away, spilling a long trail behind her. When she was far enough away, she reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a match. She took out one of the sticks and lit it with one movement on the box. She released the wand from her hand and it flew down.

When the flame touched the trail, the flammable liquid ignited, and the flames quickly reached the corpse of the dead witch, which burst into flames in seconds.

-"Well, the barbecue is on." -Josie said and headed for the jeep. -"Let's get out." She got in the driver's seat.-"Are you waiting for a special invitation?" -The four of them looked at each other lightly, then got into the jeep, and Josie pressed the pedal before a mortal showed up at the party, or worse, a cop.