Rain 2

D kept his silence as he moved to the entrance, then put his hand out
into the cascade pouring down from the eaves. As he did so, his eyes fixed
on a spot outside. Lina tilted her head in consternation and followed after
him.

Beyond the blurring gray membrane they could see the profile of the
hill and a number of human silhouettes. People swinging hoes up and down.
They could hear the whine of atomic tractors, too. If you didn’t mind
getting a little wet, this was the finest weather one could ask for to put in
some extra hours in the fields without the threat of the dreaded Nobility.

“If I were to go out now, my body temperature would drop nearly four
degrees,” D said, watching the droplets smashing against his outstretched
hand. “My running speed would fall by thirty percent, you see, as my whole
metabolism slowed down. On the other hand, your kind . . . ”
Reading the faraway look in D’s eye, Lina felt pained by the destiny the
gorgeous youth bore. What was it like to spring from Noble and mortal
blood? When stalking one of the two, what went through his heart?
Lina took D’s soaked arm. “What the . . . ?”

Clasping everything from the wrist up with both hands, she pressed it to
her cheek without saying a word. His hand’s so cold, but maybe I can warm
it up just a bit. Maybe it’ll make me his temperature. Lina shut her eyes and
heard only the sound of the rain.

Suddenly the eeriest sensation struck her countenance. Goosebumps
rising all over her body, Lina let go of his hand. D’s gaze hadn’t moved in
the least; his profile still pointed in the same direction. But what stood
before the girl wasn’t the same young man, gorgeous, solitary, and proud.
“Don’t leave this spot.” His parting words vested with an authority that
made them impossible to disobey, the Vampire Hunter stalked out into the
falling droplets. It took a minute before Lina realized he also carried his
longsword in his left hand.

D’s speed didn’t appear to have dropped the least bit below normal. A
hundred yards took him less than six seconds. He didn’t even close his
eyelids against the wind-whipped rain lashing his face.
Easily clearing the fence, he entered a field. This didn’t cause even the
slightest delay. Not even the mire would think of catching the youth’s feet
or making him slip.
He arrived at his destination some fifty yards distant in another three
seconds flat.

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