2. Kevin Black

"Hey, boy. Now, aren't you going to tell me your name?"

The strange immortal with honey gold eyes asked when he read the shock on my face. "Huh?" was all I could manage. It was like I'd been frozen in time when he said that. It made me hopeful that, maybe, I didn't have to be a monster.

"You okay there? I just asked your name ... Don't need to make such a weird face," he said, worry in the edge of his voice.

"Uh ... sure, I'm fine. My name is Leon ..."I hesitated on how much I should tell this stranger, and decided to tell him what he wanted to know. So I composed my face. "Leon Hale. And who might you be?" I asked the stranger, though I already knew, manners matter.

"Oh, I'm sorry about my manners. My name is Kevin Black. As you can see, I'm an immortal like yourself."

"Oh." I said

Kevin Black laughed. "Why are you in shock? What's wrong?"

"Why are your eyes gold and not red like mine? How is that possible? And what do you mean you've never drank human blood?" The questions bombarded themselves up and out of my throat.

He laughed again. "My eyes are gold because I drang animal blood and the red fades away in a few months after that. The reason I've never drank human blood is because when I became an immortal, I hid in a cave when the immortal who was going to kill me was burned to death and I survived on animal blood in the forest near the Amazon. Answer your questions? " he asked and laughed again.

"How did youdo know that you'd find me here?"

A shocked look crossed his face. "I saw that I would meet you here. So I came. You're late though. Guess it doesn't matter anyway."

"Oh ... I see .. You're thinking about that vision, and why you came to meet me." That look again. Shock. I guessed that maybe I should stop reading his thoughts out to him.

"I see, you're one of the giftedimmortals as well. Interesting. So you can read peoples thoughts. I can predict the future, but it's limited. Like yours, it has conditions.It depends on what a person is thinking, and it's easier when I'm attuned to that particular person."

"Oh. So you're like some kind of fortune teller then?"

"Exactly." he said cheerfully.

"How does animal blood taste? As good as humans?" I asked.

"Well, I don't exactly know how to explain that because I've never tasted human blood." Kevin explained.

I stared at him for a fraction of a second. "So should we go hunting then? So I could try ?" I asked him challengingly.

"Sure. Let's hunt." Kevin said smugly.


* * *

" I bet I'll catch the biggest one. Ha,ha! " I teased playfully.

"Yea, right. I've been here thousands of times. No way you'llbeat me, kid." Kevin laughed tormentingly.

I stopped short and sniffed the air around me. I smelled the scent of..... mountain lion! Kevin realizedand ran back towards me. "You okay, kid? You're not.... scared? Are you?" He said gleefully.

"Course' not." I scoffed and ran north. I heard it. Mountain lion. The sweet smell of it. Not exactly my kind of lunch but, I'll eat anyway. Can't be choosy. I pounced and and the big cat didn't even see that coming. So just like that, I sunk my teeth in. My sharp teeth cut through it's skin like slicing butter. Too easy. "Hah!" I laughed. "So what do you think, Kevin?" I asked smugly, and stuck my tongue out at him.

"Not bad... Guess you win kid. You're fast. Not many mountain lions around here." Keving said.

I laughed. "I'm still thirsty, Kevin. And this animal blood... Yuck..Not as tasty as human blood, not even close..." I made a face and felt my throat burning for more blood. Not enough to soothe my burning throat.

Kevin laughed at my face. "you'll get used to it, kid"

My eyes narrowed. " Don't you think you should stop calling me 'kid'? I have a name you know. Since you wanna start a coven of our own? Can't you call me Leon? You know? L-E-O-N?" I asked and spoke one of his questions out of his head.

"Hmm... I guess so... Sorry then....Leon."Kevin said, laughing.

"What?" I asked. "What's so funny?" I asked again. "Oh! I see ! Ha-ha!" I said and laughed.

He saw in one of his visions that we would go to Washington... And live there as a 'family' . I wonder what school is like?