Blood & Magic by George Barlow

outward from her, the transformation into some bat-like creature now complete. The once white table cloths turned to ash as the tables beneath them cracked and fell apart, the white walls turning black as the chandelier above his head decayed before him. Its glass pendants fell to the floor, fading to nothingness as they met the ground. Flowers that once accented each table, wilted and died, the whole image crashing down around him. She had been in his mind, changed his reality and now the image she conjured had broken. If Henry doubted any of the things he had been told tonight, this evidence left him unquestioning. The world wasn't a safe place, a fact he already appreciated, but just how unsafe? He had been so naive.
    “Henry, stay back!” a voice shouted from behind him.
    He turned to see Gabriel pointing a gun at the creature, but when Henry turned back, her transformation had already begun to reverse. She was turning back into the woman he had seen. The perfect woman. Except now he had seen the monster within, he could no longer appreciate her beauty.
    “She's a-” Gabriel said.
    “A vampire mutant thing? Bloody hell, when does this end,” Henry said.
    “A mutant?” the woman began to speak, but Gabriel interrupted her.
    “Well, yeah Henry, you're about right.”
    “Hey, skinny guy, less of the mutant thing if you please. And we're called
Vampiris
. You can put the gun away Gabriel,” said the woman.
    “You two know each other? How many levels of strange are you trying to transcend tonight Gabriel?” Henry said.
    Gabriel didn't speak as his eyes flashed towards Henry, a reminder that he wasn't wearing any clothes. Frantically getting dressed, the conversation continued on.
    “Gabe and I go way back,” Sabrina said. “In fact, Gabriel got quite a bit further than you when-”
    “Okay, that will do Sabrina. For God’s sake put some clothes on,” Gabriel said.
    “Making you... uncomfortable?” Sabrina said.
    “Get dressed,” he said firmly.
    Sabrina picked up the cloth from the floor, which turned out to be a dark red and yet another thing warped by her reality, and draped it across herself.
    “What happened?” Henry said.
    “Well, as you guessed, Sabrina here is an alternate. Vampiris, as she said. It's one of the hybrid ones we talked about. They have got this mental projection thing going on which can play with your head a bit,” Gabriel said.
    “It is a bit more than that,” she said turning to Henry. “I can tell you are new to this, so let me explain things.
Vampiris
are the superior kind of alternate, we combine mental abilities with being able to manipulate life itself,” Sabrina said.
    “And when she says
manipulate life
, she means drain poor suckers of theirs, so she doesn't age. Isn't that right,
gorgeous
?” Gabriel said.
    “My, you are in a bad mood. Henry, please do believe me when I say I would never feed on you, but we would definitely enjoy each others company,” Sabrina said.
    “You are not such a good liar without all your mind voodoo. How did you know I was an Ink?” Henry said.
    Henry realised how close he had come to death. If she'd handed him a knife and asked him to stab it into his heart, he would have done so with a smile on his face.
    “Could you be any greener? You stick out like a sore thumb, baby boy. The whole under-city is alive with talk of a new Ink being chased under here.”
    Sabrina smiled at him and then glided across to Gabriel, taking his chin in her finger tips and she stared deep into his eyes.
    Gabriel didn't flinch.
    “You have used your power recently and now you look like death for it. I take it from the state of you both, your attempts to keep the newbie safe aren't going so well? Poor boy, being stuck with you as a mentor, Gabriel. He won't last long,” Sabrina said.
    “Thanks. We will be on our way,” Gabriel said.
    “To the Inquisition hideout hidden in the sewers? Last I heard, it is not so hidden or in one piece anymore. Good job