Exton

Some quick work with a toothbrush and a swirl of mouthwash later, and I'm ready to repay my debt - hopefully with interest.

Note for future reference.... Should you ever be (un)fortunate enough to take a vamp as a lover - one thing you don't have to worry about is "blood breath". Our whole physiology is geared toward consuming and metabolizing blood; what we don't swallow is absorbed directly into the tissues within the mouth and throat. Theoretically we could feed by bathing in blood - as legend says the Countess Bathory did - but our way is a tad neater.

In short, you could play tonsil hockey with a vamp thirty seconds after a major feeding and find nary a trace of the good red stuff.


I come out of the bathroom wearing only my pants. Everything else except my duster is in the hamper and it's hanging in the closet. Raina smiles when she sees me; I smile, too, for she's wearing just her tank and a thong. Then her smile fades for a moment.

"Nick - were you armed earlier, when you saw Asshole in the bar? It looked like you were getting ready to draw a gun."

"Did it look like this?" - and I repeat the gesture, again stopping just short.

Her brow creases. "Yes - but now that your hand's not hidden, it doesn't look like a fast draw."

"It's not." I hesitate. "Raina, this is a demonstration, not an attack, no matter how it looks. Don't freak, okay?"

She looks puzzled, but nods. Again I walk through the gesture, but this time I finish it and suddenly there's a sword in my hand. Raina goes still but relaxes when I present it to her hilt-first. She takes it, weighing it in her hand, getting a feel for the balance. It's technically a rapier, but the blade has wavy edges, almost like serrations. She hands it back to me with a frown. "What is it?"

"It's called a flamberge rapier; some people call them flaming swords. I call this one Johnny Corkscrew."

She smiles. "But why the wavy blade?"

I smile, showing my fangs. "Those have a couple of purposes. Imagine dueling me with your jian. The curves create a vibration in your opponent's blade that goes all the way up to their wrist. It can have kind of a numbing effect, making their grip weaker; or it can just be really unnerving after a while. The man who gave Johnny to me said I needed all the advantages I could get."

"And the other reason?"

"When you stab someone with it, it fuckin' hurts. Again, think of your jian - smooth blade, smooth edge. It goes in and out fairly cleanly unless you give it a good twist when you pull it out. This cuts more like a steak knife - partly slicing, partly sawing. It hurts like bloody blue hell, which is what I want if someone's stupid enough to attack me. If they survive - the damage it does is awe-inspiring - they'll know better than to take me on again." I smile thinly. "He called it a sadist's blade. I can live with that."