A Light In The Heart Of Darkness. Amy Blankenship

eyes softened seductively as his entire body felt like it was on fire and he wanted to feel as much of her as he could. Pressing closer against Kyoko, he started to grind against her, moving his heated body with hers like a long lost lover.

      Kyoko looked up into Tasuki’s eyes and noticed for the first time there were lovely flakes of amethyst sprinkled in his chocolate orbs. ‘Beautiful…’ was the only word that came to mind. The deeper she looked… the more he reminded her of Shinbe.

      *****

      Toya’s mood had not gotten any better since going to the college dojo hoping to work off some steam. He had decided he had better leave quickly when he had busted the five hundred dollar punching bag. It’s not his fault he had been picturing Kotaro’s face when he hit it.

      â€œStupid girl!” he growled. ‘Why did she always have to be so hard to handle?’ He glared at nothing in particular as he thought about the annoying security guard that Kyoko had gone out with.

      He still felt livid from when he had heard Kotaro’s voice in Kyoko’s apartment earlier. He would have liked nothing better than to rip the man’s head off and shove it where the sun would never reach it. Toya had always had a sixth sense about things, and his senses were telling him that Kotaro was not what he appeared to be.

      â€œA wolf in sheep’s clothing is more like it.” He smirked, then instantly felt a little guilty himself because he also hid things from Kyoko. Things even he couldn’t explain.

      He had learned as a small child to hide his unusual abilities from others, abilities such as his inhuman strength and speed, as well as his heightened senses of smell and sight. The only problem was they came and went whenever they wanted. He couldn’t call on them at a moment's notice and maybe that was a good thing.

      Lost in thought, Toya’s skin tingled as he spotted the guard leaning against the door of the security building. ‘Speak of the devil and he appears.’ Toya glared at Kotaro, almost walking past him, and then stopped in his tracks. “What the hell are you doing here?” he growled.

      Kotaro leisurely stood to his full height and walked to where Kyoko’s supposed date stood growling at him. Looking around and not seeing her anywhere, his relaxed demeanor became tense and Kotaro pierced Toya with an angry glare. “Where is Kyoko? I thought she was with you tonight.”

      If there was one thing Toya hated, it was being confused and right now he wasn’t in the mood for it. “You stupid prick… I thought she had a date with you,” he snapped without thinking.

      Kotaro’s cage was now seriously rattled. Kyoko had told him she was going out with Toya and it had been a lie. “Damn!”

      Without giving Toya a second glance, he took off in the direction Kyoko lived, straining against the need to use his unnatural speed. Why had she lied to him? If he had known she wasn’t with dickhead, he would have followed her.

      Toya felt a moment of panic when he saw the worry seep into his rival’s eyes and the way he took off at breakneck speed didn’t make him feel any better. Something within him trusted Kotaro completely but he would never tell him that.

      Without even thinking about what he was doing, he took off after Kotaro to see where he was going. Easily keeping up with him but noticing the speed they were both using, some of Toya’s suspicions were confirmed. Kotaro was more than he seemed… did they have the same DNA or something? He gritted his teeth not liking that thought.

      Within a minute, Kotaro was banging on Kyoko’s apartment door hoping against hope that she was actually there. Slamming both palms against the innocent door he yelled. “Damn it, Kyoko! Where are you?” Dread and worry seeped into every pore of his being. “This is not good,” he growled.

      â€œWhat’s not good?” Toya demanded stepping up behind Kotaro.

      The vibes Kotaro was giving off were making Toya’s chest hurt with their intensity. If he had known Kyoko wasn’t with Kotaro, he would have come over just to be near her. He should have just followed his instincts and came over anyway. He would have to put a damn leash on that girl sooner or later.

      Kotaro swung around having forgotten about Toya altogether in his rush to get to Kyoko. Now having someone to vent his anger on, he lashed out, “I thought she was with you!” Kotaro clenched his fist and drew his rage back within himself before he went too far. “And how the hell were you able to keep up? Never mind, don’t answer that.”

      Toya stared at him, surprised the security guard even noticed but shrugged it off. “I’m just that fast dickhead.”

      Calming his dominant half, Kotaro opened his piercing ice blue eyes, locking them with the person who was going to help him find ‘his Kyoko’. It was bad enough Toya hadn’t been reborn a vampire so they could just duke it out, but now Toya was regaining his abilities from the past and didn’t have a clue why. To top it all off Toya’s best friend was Shinbe and Shinbe didn’t have a clue to his past either.

      Kotaro smashed the palm of his hand against his temple wondering why on earth he would trust Toya to look after her… for a second time, when he had failed the first. The fact that Toya remembered nothing made it impossible for Kotaro to rant out loud. He inhaled deeply at the truth… they both had failed her. His lips thinned as he silently glared.

      Toya gave a halfhearted smirk. “So, she lied to you and ditched you saying she was going out with ME. Ha!” Even though he knew she had pretty much done the same to him, he wouldn’t let Kotaro know that.

      Kotaro took another deep breath trying to keep his temper in check. It was like talking to a damn child. “This isn’t a freaking game, punk. Girls have been turning up missing right and left from campus and from the city for over a month. Now, neither one of us knows where Kyoko is.” Kotaro could hear the panic in his own voice but ignored it. “Do you have any idea where she could have snuck off to?”

      Toya could feel his chest crushing with worry thinking about Kyoko being in danger. “Damn it!” He turned to Suki’s door and started pounding until he heard the door give a slight cracking sound making him lighten up on the beating. No answer.

      â€œFuck!” Nearing a panicked state, Toya fumbled for his cell phone hoping Shinbe knew where the girls were. “Pick up, letch!” he yelled into the still ringing phone. After the forth ring Shinbe finally answered.

      â€œShinbe! Do you know where Suki and Kyoko are?” He gave Kotaro a glance when he stepped closer as if he was waiting to hear the answer.

      On the other end of the phone, Shinbe smiled an enlightening smile, “Maybe…”

      *****

      Kyou stayed hidden within the darkness as he watched the girl with her friends. He had learned that her name was Kyoko from listening to their conversation. So far the boy named Tasuki had kept his hands to himself which was a good thing considering Kyou had decided to let him live as long as he did not get too close to her. He seemed harmless enough… if not just a little too infatuated with her.

      They had made their way to the dance floor and the girl and her female friend had started to dance together. The way they were dancing was indecent. ‘It must be the alcohol she consumed so quickly,’ he had a hard time believing otherwise.

      A low growl vibrated in his chest as his view was obstructed by a group of human punks. Hearing his warning and then seeing the chilling golden glare he sent their way, they quickly retreated to the other side of the club. The corners of Kyou’s lips hinted at an amused smile over the way they had instantly scattered.

      He returned his attention to the dance floor focusing on the young girl who perplexed him. The sight that greeted him made his blood boil with rage. A vicious snarl came from somewhere unknown as angry gold eyes flashed red with blood.

      The