The Grey God

He hadn't wanted to think about the blackouts when he'd told Damian he was leaving. He'd hoped they'd be manageable. Standing alone in the shower, he realized just how closed he'd come to his own death. If the Watchers hadn't needed him alive for some reason, they'd have killed him as he lay helpless and seizing in their cave.

Three lives down, he told himself. He roused himself, unwilling to sink into the dark thoughts. Darian exited and dressed in all black, arming himself with knives.

Now that he had a place and knew what the Watchers wanted, he could focus on his next item of business: finding and killing a few Others.

Darian Traveled back to Damian's, arriving in the gym. The creature he sought was lifting weights, and bristled as Darian appeared.

"Fine." Charles, the vamp Hunter Damian traded for Jenn, rose with a growl.

"I can sense them but need to know I'm right," Darian said. "This time, we can kill them."

"Ikir Damian said-"

"I'm a god, too, vamp. You can disappear if you get scared," Darian snapped.

The vamp growled again and flung down the free weights. He stalked to the locker room and returned a few minutes later, armed and dressed. His eyes glowed red. Darian sensed the vamp's unease despite the bravado. No one normal would challenge an Other.

"Find one," Charles ordered.

Darian concentrated hard. He felt the Others and the Watchers. He wasn't sure how, but some part of him knew the difference. The closest of the immortals was a Watcher, and there were Others congregated somewhere. By the strength of their presence in his mind, they weren't close.

"How do I get to them?" he asked.

"You let the magic guide you. Find one, focus on him, and let your power do its job," Charles answered.

"I see a whole bunch in one area. Seems like somewhere we'd like to be," Darian reasoned.

"No, don't-" Charles' warning was swallowed as Darian relaxed enough for his magic to carry them to the Others.

Darian opened his eyes and looked around, surprised to find the location familiar. They weren't far from the Black God's mountain fortress. Darian was thigh deep in snow, though the storm had stopped and the half-moon was out and bright.

Charles whipped out his weapons, and Darian soon saw why. Three Others with glowing purple eyes stood several feet away, frozen in surprise.

"Hi," Darian said, striding towards them. "My name is Darian, and I'm the Grey God."