I hadn’t noticed it on the night, mainly because my brain had been preoccupied with the fear of bleeding out on the pavement and the pain of a knife between my shoulder blades, but the woman who had saved me was actually the picture of grace and beauty.
From the way she waltzed down the stairs in my apartment to the way she held herself in the lift as we descended from the top floor all the way down to the sub-basement parking garage she just looked… flawlessly graceful.
No mortal could ever hope to even come close.
I didn’t even know her name yet.
“I’m sorry, I can’t believe I haven’t asked this yet, but what’s your name?” I asked, leaning against the bannister at the side of the lift.
She gave me a small smile, it was perhaps the first truly positive emotion I’d seen her direct towards me.
“Sophia Linse,” she said, “I’ve held many names over the millennia, though, and have moved constantly throughout the world so as not to be discovered by mortals.”
I nodded, that made sense.
I had never heard of Immateria before, which meant that for some reason they wanted to keep their name out of the news. They didn’t want any mortals to know about them.
These days I imagined that was probably a lot more important than it used to be.
The Human Race wouldn’t take kindly to the idea of a blood-sucking species like the Immateria actually being real and against the might of a full army, I doubted that even an immortal species would fare very well.
Especially against weapons like flame throwers and nuclear bombs, if the situation got desperate enough to utilise such things.
The lift came to a stop at the sublevel basement with a ding and a woosh as the doors opened up.
The garage of the apartment block was a stunning piece of new tech, nothing that I had personally had my hand in, but something that had been imported from places like Japan and China.
There were three parking bays available for use at any one time, and when the car had been parked in it the license plate was scanned and registered.
The parking bay would then drop down into an underground storage bay that was a little bit like a giant vending machine, only instead of packets of crisps and biscuits it had cars on the inside.
Whenever you wanted to get your car back you had to scan a card that the apartment block management handed out and input the licence plate of the car that you wanted to withdraw.
It was an innovative system and allowed the storage of many more cars than would have otherwise been possible… which was a good thing because I owned a lot of cars.
For a job like the one I was undertaking today, though, I didn’t plan on using any of the flashy sports cars that I owned.
Once again it needed to be something simple and business-like so that I didn’t put across the wrong image.
I scanned my card into the interface and punched in the licence plate number for what was probably my favourite car that I used for business trips, the Bentley Flying Spur.
Usually, if you saw someone driving a car like that, you would expect it to be a chauffeur driving someone else around, but I’d always liked to be the driver of the car myself. I liked the control of the wheel between my hands.
“Nice ride,” Sophia remarked.
“One of many,” I replied as I pulled the keys from my pocket and sat in the driver's seat.
The engine came to life with a purr as I turned the key, nothing beat the feeling of sitting in a well made car, and I let myself get lost in it for a moment.
I was broken out of that by the passenger door slamming shut and Sophia sitting next to me.
“So, where are we going?” I asked, “I take it we’re heading to your place first so that you can get changed.”
She nodded and gave me an address that the cars on board satnav claimed was in Mayfair, the most expensive area to live in London, and also almost directly halfway between where I lived and where my offices were based at Canary Wharf.
For someone who had spoken so much about staying under the radar, I hadn’t expected Sophia to live in such a built-up and expensive part of the city. Houses in Mayfair frequently sold for millions of pounds.
It wasn’t my sort of scene, either.
I preferred the modern approach, and the highrise verticality of the Battersea Apartments was much more my style.
The drive was equal parts quick and silent.
We’d managed to miss rush hour with the clock nearing midday, and while the streets of London were never exactly empty they were much emptier than they could have been if we’d left a couple of hours earlier.
All told it took us about a half hour to drive from my apartment to Sophia’s house.
And what a house it was.
Sophia lived on Queen Street, a narrow road with equally narrow houses. But what they lacked in width they made up for in both elegance and height.
These were clearly incredibly expensive properties and I imagined that most of them were probably used as boutique office spaces more than anything else.
Not Sophia’s though, hers was a home. A home fit for the queen that the street was named after.
“Right, wait here, I’ll only be a couple of minutes,” Sophia said before stepping out of the car.
“Wait here?” I snorted, “You’ve got to be kidding, right?”
She couldn’t seriously be expecting me to wait around outside like I was the chauffeur, that was ridiculous!
But the look in her eye brooked no argument and once again I felt that Immateria programming kick in, making me back down.
“Fine,” I said, “But try not to be too long, I don’t want to be late.”
We both knew that there was no chance of being late, the meeting wasn’t set to begin for another couple of hours yet, but Sophia didn’t say anything in response. She merely shut the door, a little more forcefully than necessary, and walked into her expensive property.
I was beginning to seriously dislike the woman, though there wasn’t anything I could do to get rid of her.
Not yet, anyway.
That would come later.
When Sophia eventually re-emerged from her house she looked much more presentable. Gone was her strappy dress and high heels, instead she was wearing a black skirt and a white blouse with a pair of flats on her feet. It was an understated look but combined with her overwhelming natural elegance it was one that she managed to pull off with aplomb. She got back into the car and sat down, she had replaced her perfume with something that smelt much sweeter than whatever she had been wearing beforehand. “I still think this is incredibly risky,” The woman remarked, “I’m willing to let you go through with it, of course, but only to try and get a measure of the kind of Immateria you may end up becoming.” I put the car into first gear and pulled away from the side of the pavement. “I’ll be able to handle myself,” I said confidently, though I wasn’t sure if that would actually be the case or not. Over the course of the drive the burning thirst in my throat had been becoming progressively
“Now remember,” Sophia said as we walked across the Canary Wharf complex, “You’re going to have to try very hard to keep your cool. If it looks for a moment like you’re not going to be able to do that I will kill not just you but everyone in your office, and then the Immateria Council will go to great lengths to keep that slaughter under wraps.” I nodded in response, the statement had spooked me a little too much to be able to respond verbally. The Canary Wharf towers loomed above me, monoliths of the London skyline that had stood since the 90s, though they hadn’t always been as successful as they were in the modern day. Our offices were in One Canada Square, the premiere space for offices in all of London. At 800 feet tall it was the third tallest building in the UK, and we were situated right at the peak. It was the lobby of the building that had initially attracted me to the idea of having our offices there and walking through it with Sophia brought all of those thoughts back.
My sanity returned as if it were a bucket of cold water being chucked over my head. A cold shock to the system that trickled down from head to toe and slowed my breathing from a heavy pant to a more even pace. I unclenched my fists and stopped envisioning myself ripping into Alex’s throat with my teeth. That wasn’t a helpful mental image, and it was only going to make everything that came next much harder to manage. “Parker!” Alex exclaimed, he masked his surprise and his fear well, “You actually showed up! Have you any idea how worried all of us have been about you? We thought you’d died!” There was a way he said the word died as if it were something that he’d truly been expecting. That left no doubt in my mind that he was the one who had ordered the hit on me that fateful night outside the club. “Well, if there have been any I can truly say that reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated and we can put this whole nasty business behind us,” I said with an easy smile. I
I sat in the driver's seat of my car absolutely fuming. After I had vowed to get my revenge on everyone in the room, a threat that had largely been brushed off with a smattering of laughter, they had offered me a small monthly stipend as a severance payment. I had been forced to agree to the terms. If I’d been rich to begin with maybe I would have been able to turn it away, been able to say no to their offer. But the fact of the matter was I was being kicked out of the company by vote and so it was completely legal. If I wanted anything at all they would have to give it to me, and this was what they were giving me. The stipend was larger than I had expected it to be, too. They agreed to cover the monthly costs of my apartment in the Battersea Power Station complex completely, both the mortgage and the utilities of the place, and then had also agreed to give me £4,000 every calendar month. This meant that, technically, I’d never have to work again if I didn’t want to as I’
Camden Town was one of the most vibrant and eccentric areas that London had to offer and that was no more obvious than when we were driving down the main high street, stuck in traffic. The buildings were all brightly coloured and the shops that lined the street leading up to the main marketplace had all gone incredibly over the top with their sign designs. One building had a giant dragon on the front with blinking red eyes. Another featured a giant shoe, one had an aeroplane nosediving toward the ground and a third was bright yellow with a massive ceramic elephant’s head poking out of the front. It was also incredibly busy, especially considering today was a random weekday and still the early afternoon. Nevertheless, there were hundreds if not thousands of people hustling and bustling along both sides of the street, which meant that it was only going to be a matter of time until we witnessed a crime. That being said, we weren’t waiting for a crime to be committed on the street.
If I had thought Sophia looked like a predator as she was moving through the narrow passageways of the Camden Market it was clear that I hadn’t actually seen anything yet. Sophia leapt up as silently as a light breeze and grabbed onto one of the walls. Her fingers bit through the brick the wall was made of and anchored her in place. Like a spider, she skittered up the wall so no one below would see her coming. Even with my enhanced Immateria senses I struggled to see her up in the shadows that were present in the alleyway. I could have joined her, I felt that I had the power in my fingers to do the same thing, but I didn’t want to make a mistake and ruin the hunt. I was content, at least for now, to let Sophia take the lead. A few moments passed and then a shadow dropped down from the rafters directly on top of . Only it wasn’t a shadow, it was Sophia. She was on the men like lightning and, before they could even react, she’d plunged her fingernails into each of their necks. T
We walked back to the car without saying a word to one another. It was as if Sophia was giving me a little bit of space after what had happened, though how long that was going to continue I had no idea. In a way, I wasn’t sure if I wanted it to continue. All I could think about were the memories that I had absorbed from the man I had drunk dry and then thrown into the river. They were separate from my own memories, my new Immateria brain could pick apart which memories I had made myself and which ones I had absorbed from someone else, and they were already beginning to fade from my mind. I could feel that when they had faded completely was when I was going to need to feed again. “So what now?” I asked as I sat down in the driver's seat. With no job to rush back to and my newly acquired vampiric thirst sated I felt a bit like a leaf blowing in the wind. “Now we get you registered with the Immateria Council,” Sophia sighed, “Right now you’re basically illegal, so we need to sort
Sophia strode through the park with purpose and I struggled to keep up with her. When I had been human I hadn’t spent much if any time at the park, but walking through it now with the sun beginning its descent into the evening I found myself wishing that I had. It was a beautiful location, running alongside the River Thames itself, one of the rare few big green areas in the city of London. The location we were headed toward was the Old English Garden, a sort of park within a park. Where most of the park was wide open green spaces that were curated but mainly left to nature, the Old English Garden was a heavily looked-after space with a small podium at its centre. And everything about it felt… off. Clearly, the other people who were walking through the garden didn’t feel anything, it was likely only because I was an Immateria now, but I could intensely feel that something was strange about the podium and the sculpture on the top of it. “That’s the entranceway,” Sophia said, as i
As Sophia and I huddled together over the massive oak table in the heart of our lab, we meticulously compiled our findings on the ominous runes and the Cloaks' sinister intentions. Our research painted a terrifying picture: a plan to bring about the end of the world. I could feel the weight of the knowledge in the binder we carefully assembled, its pages brimming with secrets that could tip the fragile balance between the Immateria and human realms. Our hearts raced with the urgency of the situation, and we knew we had no time to waste.The moment we finished, we rushed out into the labyrinthine underground old city, our feet pounding against the cobblestones as we wove our way through its ancient passages. We exchanged glances, our expressions a mixture of determination and fear, fully aware of the importance of our mission.As we raced through the city, the shadows around us seemed to dance and flicker, as if they were alive. The air was thick with the scent of centuries-old stone a
Standing amidst the remnants of the chaotic battle, I hesitantly approached Sophia to offer my condolences for the loss of her friend. The words caught in my throat, my voice wavering with the weight of what we had just experienced."I'm sorry about Marcus," I finally managed to say, my gaze lingering on the table where he had met his gruesome end.Sophia's expression remained stoic, her eyes betraying no hint of the pain she must have been feeling. "It's okay," she replied, her voice strong and resolute. "I know we'll avenge him in the long run. I just wish I could have killed him myself."I couldn't quite grasp the complexity of her relationship with Marcus, but I knew better than to pry. Instead, I decided to shift the focus to the task at hand. We needed to unravel the mystery of the runic symbols and the ritual Marcus had mentioned before his death.Together, we approached the table, our eyes drawn to the intricate runes carved into its surface. Neither of us recognized the symbo
As Sophia regained her composure and launched herself back into the fray against the remaining Cloaks, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. With her renewed vigor, I could now focus on providing her with much-needed support. The adrenaline coursed through my veins, and my mind raced with the possibilities of spells that could turn the tide of battle in our favor.Deciding on a strategy, I drew upon my magical reserves and cast a wide-range frost spell, chilling the air and coating the floor with a treacherous layer of ice. The temperature in the room plummeted, and our breaths fogged in the frigid air. Sophia, ever the agile fighter, vaulted into the air just as the icy surface began to solidify beneath her, avoiding the frosty trap.The Cloaks, caught off guard by the sudden change in their environment, found their feet frozen to the ground. Their attention momentarily diverted from Sophia, she seized the opportunity to eliminate several of them with swift, brutal efficiency. The f
As I continued to face off against the Cloak, it became increasingly clear that they were an exceptionally formidable opponent. Their raw power and proficiency in magic far exceeded what I would have expected from someone who was supposedly just a member of a random gang. I couldn't help but wonder if this was simply due to my own lack of magical experience, or if there was more to the Cloak than met the eye.My thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of a barrage of ice shards, each as thick as my arm, hurtling through the air towards me. Reacting on instinct, I managed to narrowly avoid the freezing projectiles, feeling the icy wind that accompanied them as they whizzed past. Had any of them struck me, I had no doubt that I would have been incapacitated, if not worse.Seizing the opportunity to retaliate, I drew upon my eidetic memory to replicate the Cloak's own spell. With a swift motion of my wand, I sent a flurry of ice shards back at my adversary, hoping to catch the
My eyes remained glued to the fierce battle unfolding before me, the sheer ferocity of the combatants sending waves of trepidation coursing through my veins. Sophia and the demon were locked in a dance of death, each striving to gain the upper hand and deliver the killing blow. The brutality of their exchange was both terrifying and mesmerizing, a testament to the deadly forces at play.Sophia's movements were fluid and agile, her lithe form gracefully weaving through the demon's lumbering attacks. The creature's strikes were powerful, sending tremors rippling through the ground with each devastating blow. Even as an Immateria, I knew that if Sophia were to suffer the full brunt of the demon's strength, it could very well be the end of her. To make matters worse, she had to contend with the sporadic potshots from the remaining Cloaks, their spells merely adding to the chaos and danger of the situation.Despite her agility and prowess, it was clear that Sophia's lightning-infused claws
I groaned, the pain radiating through my body as I gradually regained consciousness. My head throbbed, a dull ache pulsing in time with my racing heartbeat. I hadn't anticipated the intensity of the spell I'd crafted, and the lingering disorientation was a testament to its potency.Shaking my head in an attempt to dispel the discombobulation, I squinted through the hazy aftermath of the magical explosion, straining to make sense of the situation. Though my ears still rang, muffled and distant, I could perceive the sounds of battle continuing to rage around me. It seemed that my desperate gamble had not been in vain.As my vision slowly cleared, I could see that my rudimentary spellwork had provided the opening Sophia needed. Some of the Cloaks were beginning to recover from the disorienting effects of the flashbang, their expressions contorted in a mixture of rage and confusion. But they were no match for Sophia's raw power and finesse.With the grace of a skilled dancer, Sophia had w
“We don’t have time to plan, Parker,” Sophia hissed. “You’re new to magic, but I’m strong and you can hold your own. We have to do this, or Marcus is going to die… and gods know what will take his place.” Sophia, who I had previously known as someone who couldn’t ever be unnerved, someone who laughed in the face of danger and stayed cool no matter what… was practically beside herself with worry. I could tell she knew we needed a plan, she didn’t want to run in half-cocked, but she was also quickly running out of time and patience. “Fine then, the plan is we go in hard and fast. Take them by surprise and try to overwhelm them with superior force,” I said with a sigh. It wasn’t much, it wasn’t even really the beginnings of a plan, but given the circumstances, it was all we had and it’d have to do. The air was thick with the stench of blood and the smell of burning incense. Sophia and I broke cover and smashed through the door together, finally alerting the cloaks to our presence. T
I walked through the darkened halls, my heart pounding in my chest. The air was thick with the stench of mildew and decay. The walls were covered in peeling wallpaper, and the floorboards creaked under our feet. I held my wand tightly, ready for anything that might come our way.Sophia walked beside me, her claws extended and at the ready. Her sharp eyes scanned our surroundings, searching for any signs of danger. She was the best partner I could ask for on this mission. She was fierce, smart, and unwavering in her determination to stop the Cloaks.We had received intel that the Cloaks were planning something big. Something that could spell doom for the entire Immateria City. We couldn't let that happen. We had to stop them at all costs.As we walked, the sound of chanting grew louder and more distinct. It was coming from downstairs. We shared a look of concern and horror, knowing that we were getting closer to the heart of the Cloaks' operation."Sophia, do you hear that?" I whispere
I studied the map intently, feeling the rough texture of the aged parchment under my fingertips. My eyes traced over the faded ink lines, marking the location of the Cloak’s hidden lair. Sophia stood beside me, her intense gaze fixed on the same spot. I looked up at Sophia, and saw that her expression mirrored my own determination. "We have to be careful," I said, my voice low and urgent. "Who knows what they're up to in there." Sophia nodded, her jaw set. "I agree. We need to gather as much information as we can before we make a move." I bit my lip, thinking. "Perhaps we could stake out the hideout for a little while, observe their movements. That way, we'll have a better idea of what we're up against." Sophia's eyes brightened at the suggestion. "Yes, that's a good idea. We could hide on a nearby rooftop and keep an eye on things." I grinned. "I'm glad you agree. I've got a feeling this is going to be dangerous, but I'm ready for it. We need to put a stop to whatever the Cloa