I was starving and stuffed my face with the bland squares of food. Luka looked at me with disgust, his lip curling. I gave him a stuffed sneer.
“I’m not sharing a bed,” Luka stated after dinner. The with her was implied.
“Fine. I’ll share with Loral.” I crossed my arms.
“Fine.”
“Fine,” I parroted.
Loral pinched his brow in frustration and muttered something about children. The night went slowly and we awoke the next day before the sun rose.
We entered Dunlap by nightfall. Run down houses begun sprinkling the streets and my stomach twisted in knots. We stopped at a motel on the outskirts of the city. It looked like the rebellion had some contacts, the motel hadn’t even taken money from us. There was even a safe in the room. Loral locked the bags in the vault and turned to face us.
“I need to meet up with one of my contacts tonight.”
“Okay,” said Luka. “Where are we going?”
“The Pick Pocket,” Loral replied.
I smiled and got dressed without alerting either of them to my discomfort. I didn’t particularly feel like sharing my colourful past in the city’s most infamous bar.
As expected, The Pick Pocket was crowded and overheated. It had been a mistake to wear leather. Species of all kind were drinking together like one big, volatile family.
The three of us wove our way through the rowdy crowd. People shuffled aside to let us through. Luka cut a particularly intimidating figure. One mangy-looking man didn’t get the message. He stopped in front of me. He licked his thin blistered lips, his pupils were dilated. The wolf’s eyes flittered around the room. He thought that I was an easy mugging victim. He probably didn’t even see the mountain of a man standing beside me.
Luka moved from behind me and gave him a hard shove. He growled in the shifter’s face. As he loomed over the skinny shifter, his grey eyes hardened. The wolf’s yellow eyes widened in terror. He scrambled to the side not wanting to mess with my new bodyguard. I wouldn’t have wanted to mess with him either, he was terrifying. Luka seemed to know as well as I did that you couldn’t be seen as weak in a place like this. You would be swallowed by its underbelly, never to be seen or heard from again. There were no Elect members patrolling the streets and no one would come if you screamed. It was violent and deadly, but I found myself missing the unpredictable nature of the city, especially when considering the monotonous routine of the compound. The excitement was easy to miss.
After much whining by Loral, the bartender decided to serve us. Three lukewarm beers were placed on the counter. Luka had completely shed his stiff Hunter persona. He was bursting with arrogance. Lounging on the bar, he looked mean.
“That’s the person I need to see,” Loral leant over and whispered in my ear.
I peered through the crowd, looking for the person he was pointing out. No one looked particularly menacing, just a bunch of gangly teenagers laughing boisterously and spilling their beers over the run down table.
“Stay here. I don’t want you two to scare them off,” he ordered me and Luka.
“Fine, stay close. Yell if you need help.”
The bar dug up memories that I thought I had escaped. Before I had left Dunlap, I had been infamous. Hopefully by now my face would have left recent memory. The first time Wesley had made sure I disappeared without a trace. Rumours would have circulated for a few months about what had happened to me. Maybe I had finally met a target I couldn’t kill, or maybe the packs had thought me too dangerous and finally taken me out themselves. No one would have searched for me and my name would have slipped from their lips and minds. Hopefully Wesley had stayed quiet about my resurrection.
“Well, well, well.” A nasally voice interrupted my thoughts. I whipped around, my gaze landing on a vaguely familiar man. “Look what the wolf dragged in.”
Panicked, I flipped through my memories to try and place him.
“Wesley was telling everyone that you had blown back into town, but I didn’t believe him,” he sneered at me.
I risked a glance over at Luka and saw his poker face still firmly in place. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“It’s hard not to notice when you walk into the room little love. The wolves have a long memory.”
Wesley! The damn snitch. I would rip his arms off and feed them to him.
The man looked like a werewolf enforcer, I had long-forgotten his name and who he belonged to. The man was built like a tree trunk and his only memorable quality was his baldness. It was very unusual for a werewolf. Enforcers were all brawn and no brain. They executed their orders by using intimidation and beat downs, something I had been on the receiving end of more than once. It left me with a grudge and a healthy respect for their fists.
“Run along back to your owner,” I spat and turned my back on him. Luka raised a questioning eyebrow. I shook my head. It wouldn’t be wise for him to fight this battle for me. I nodded in Loral’s direction. He needed protection more than me if things turned south. The wolf’s heavy footsteps stopped close behind me.
“I reckon Alpha Lucian will wanna speak to ya.”
I fought the urge to turn around and punch him in the face. I forced the ire down and tried to imitate Luka’s calm facade. The bitter beer slid down my throat, making me feel nauseous. “That’s too bad. I don’t want to speak to him.”
His meaty hand fell on my thin shoulder.
Big mistake.
When he spun me his hands turned to claws. His wrinkled, pock-marked face was so close. I could smell his rancid meat breath. I jumped off the stool and swiped his legs out from under him. His massive form crumbled to the ground. Before he had time to take another breath, my daggers were unsheathed and I was on top of him. The polished edge of the blade was pressed against the thin skin of his neck. I could see his artery pulsing frantically.
“Did you forget who I was?”
His eyes widened and I twisted my blade so that it broke the skin. My power bubbled to the surface. It would be so easy to allow my Magic to burn through his veins and take his power. I shook with restraint.
“Cool it love, I was just playing.” His voice was shaky and he gave me a weak smile. It was satisfying to see my reputation still held. It took all of my self-control to force myself from the enforcer and allow him to scuttle away. No one in the crowd looked up from their drink, it was all standard in Dunlap. I sauntered back to my stool and Luka passed me another drink. I was grateful for once that he kept his silence. My mood turned more black. Wesley had tattled on me, letting everyone know I had returned from the dead. It had taken so much planning and effort to disappear the first time. Out of the corner of my eye a familiar figure sashayed toward me. This one was much friendlier. I felt the fragile skin on my face stretch into a smile.
“Go check on Loral,” I whispered to Luka. He didn’t argue.
I skulled the drink and ordered another one. The icy blonde woman slid onto the stool beside me. Her deep brown eyes stayed forward, neither of us acknowledged the other.
“Imelda.” Her musical voice was just as I remembered it. I had been expecting her to change in some way, but of course that was absurd.
“Lucia,” I responded.
How much had I changed? She had known me since I was a child, what did she think of me now? She had captivated the poor bartender completely. He was leant over the bar in front of her like a doting puppy. Lucia tapped the counter with her sharp nails and he began pouring her drink enthusiastically. The sweet smell of cinnamon invaded my nose, her drink order hadn’t changed.
"What name are you going by now?” She asked.
“Arina.”
“I thought you’d gone legit,” Lucia murmured into the glass, just loud enough for me to hear.
“Mmm, so did I.”
To those standing around us, it wouldn’t immediately be clear we were talking. Lucia always liked it that way. She had few friends and didn’t like to make her acquaintances known.
I was glad she had made the choice to come see me, word travelled fast in Dunlap.
“Shame.” She almost sounded bored. I suppose after living for hundreds of years nothing was surprising anymore.
“Anything exciting happen while I was gone?”
A tinkling laugh escaped her pale pink lips, her sharp fangs peeking out. Lucia finally turned fully toward me and I was caught in her aura, just as the bartender had been. For a moment, I couldn’t look away. I shook my head to dispel her hold. It was easy to do. She wasn’t truly trying to spell me. Lucia gave me a warm, teasing smile.
“There may be new players, but the game always stays the same my dear.”
“I’ve missed you, friend.” And I had.
“You know where to find me. Where ever I am, you are welcome.” She flashed her fangs and in the next moment was gone.
I stared at the chair that she had just vacated with a strange longing. My life with Lucia had been full of tough love, yet I missed her. When I looked over at Loral and Luka, they were laughing in the corner with beers in hands. It was as if they were old buddies, catching up on the weekends events. It made me wonder if I had ever really seen the true Hunter. As I made my way over to the pair, slimy regret slid under my skin. Why had I even left Dunlap? I was an idiot to think that I could have a life out of the shadows. If the packs didn’t know of my return already, they would tonight.
There would be no escape for me.
“Are you done?” My voice was husky. I was impatient to get back to the hotel room and out of this godforsaken bar. Loral’s cheeks were flushed and his words were more jumbled than usual.
“Nearly,” he brushed me off. “Have a drink. Relax.”
I faced Luka. “Take care of him. I need to clear my head.”
His slate eyes assessed me, obviously deciding how much to trust me. Luka gave me a curt nod. I wouldn’t have stayed, even if he had tied me to the tables. The crowd parted for me as I stormed through. I reached the streets. They were blessedly empty. The wind whipped the short hair around my face. The night air was crisp and I breathed it in, relishing in the temporary freedom.
I could go to Lucia. She would take me in. Her barracks weren’t far from here.
The Elect left the covens alone because they were powerful and old; the vampires had existed before the Elect had formed and would exist after they perished. The closer I got toward the barracks, the darker the streets became. The shadows seemed to have eyes. Could I become a pit fighter again? Or even a mercenary?
My heart beat faster the further I got from the bar. Adrenaline made me feel alive. My clunky boots beat the cobble stones as I stretched my legs into a run.
Free. It felt so good to be free.
The city was familiar. I turned down a small lane, taking the long way toward the manor. In my distracted state I hadn’t noticed the distinctive scent of Luka’s power until he stood directly in front of me. I skidded to a halt, nearly smacking into him in the process. The cool air seared my lungs. I hadn’t run like that in a long time.
How did he find me? My freedom had lasted all of forty minutes.
“Where’s Loral?” Maybe I could knock him out and make a run for it.
“I took him back to the room and then I came looking for you.” He crossed his arms, power radiating from him in waves. “Where are you going?”
“I was going for a run.”
He eyed me. “Arina, no one can escape the Elect.”
In the darkness I couldn’t read his emotions. He waited for me to understand. When I didn’t he cursed under his breath.
“I don’t want to go back.” The desperation in my voice was discerning.
“Loral’s in the motel alone with two bags full of traxxy. It’s not safe. We have to go back for him.”
Guilt rose up and unplanted my feet. I couldn’t leave Loral undefended.
I trailed after Luka as he led me through the winding alleys, away from the manor and toward the centre of the city. I couldn’t help but think I was willingly walking back to my prison. It didn’t matter how alluring my jailer was.
Dunlap wasn’t a beautiful city, it was all harsh lines and secrets whispered behind closed doors. People stayed hidden in the shadows and the occasional flair of power burst from the forts that were disguised as houses. Maybe it was my home.
Back at the motel, Loral was sprawled on the bed fully-clothed. His gentle snores filled the room. We shuffled past his sleeping form and into the second bedroom. Luka shut the door softly, his back to me. He took a deep lingering breath, the moonlight illuminating his tense form. Through his shirt I could see the tension in his back.
I stood with folded arms. I shouldn’t have come back here. Screw the oath.
“I’m sorry for how I spoke to you Arina.” Luka’s words were barely above a whisper.
My arms fell to my side. I had never expected to hear an apology from the Hunter’s mouth. “It’s okay.”
“It’s not. I have been cruel to you.”
“We have been cruel to each other,” I said.
“Then we are even.” He turned to face me, some of the tension had leaked from his shoulders.
“How did you find me?”
“I don’t know.” His hand curled into a tight ball. “I can track your Magic somehow.”
“Using a spell?” I asked.
Please let it be using a spell.
“No, I don’t think so. I think it’s the oath.” His voice was quiet, cautious.
“Oh,” My voice was breathy. I couldn’t muster up a full sentence. The bland cream walls of the small room seemed to close in on me. There was so much unsaid between us. I slunk back onto the hard mattress, my arms wrapped around my scratchy pants. I rested my chin on my knees. Despair had settled deep in my bones. Freedom had never felt so far away.
“I wasn’t sure until tonight.”
I should have shouted at him, forced him into a fight, but I couldn’t find it in me to get angry again. There was no sound other than Luka’s measured breathing. After a moment he pushed himself off the wall and strode toward me, lowering his weight onto the bed.
“Rina, if you run, I’ll hunt you.” His tone was as grave as I had ever heard it.
He fiddled with his fake ID band. It was a nervous motion, one that didn’t suit him. “Or you could pretend to.” My voice was small, but the words I had whispered loomed large between us.
“You don’t understand.”
He stood to walk away and I grabbed at his sleeve. Luka flinched. The movement hurt more than I cared to admit.
“Then help me understand.” He rarely showed vulnerability. I only ever saw glimpses of his true self. “Please.”
He sighed, the sound heavy.
“I wouldn’t want too, but I would be forced. They control me as much as they do you. I have only the illusion of freewill.”
His words crushed the air in my lungs. I desperately wanted to scrub the sadness from his face. His controlled facade had slipped and I didn’t know if it would ever fool me again. “We can leave together. We’ll go now. They won’t find us.” I was almost manic in my musings.
“I can’t, Rina.”
“The covens will hide us. I have plenty of favours to call in. We can disappear. I’ve done it before.” I’ll visit Wesley tonight, get new identities. We would have to be at Lucia’s before the sun rose. She would know a safe house we could go to temporarily until the heat died down. By morning it would be like we had never existed.
“If I leave they’ll kill my sister.”
What?
His words crashed into my train of thought. I hadn’t thought Luka would allow himself a vulnerability so large. The poor girl was probably imprisoned and being tortured just to keep him in line. Why hadn’t he freed her?
“Her names Ingrid, she’s only sixteen. She lives a cushy life in Ka, but if I take a step out of line…” He paused, unable to finish the sentence, “I have to see this through.”
I wrapped an unstead
y arm around his broad shoulders. The rational voice inside my brain told me feeling sympathy for the Elect’s Hunter was dangerous. The voice was easy to ignore. He shrugged off my arm. Before the silence could drown us he changed the subject.
“A few years back I tracked a bounty down to Nexus. He begged me to take him in, said he would rather face the wrath of the Elect than let the baby-faced killer find him.” He aimed for levity but failed.
“I hate that name. For a while some people got it into their heads it was baby killer or just baby. I don’t know which was worse.”
“Will you tell me how you got the name?” He flopped back onto the bed..
I crawled toward him and sat cross legged at his head. His hair was inky-black in the limited light. It was much longer than when we first met. I wanted to run my fingers through the lengths. I weighed up telling him. Maybe it would make him see me for who I really was.
“Do you know about the fighting pits?” He made a non-committal sound, his poker face firmly in place once again. “After my parents were killed I ran, and I found myself in Nexus alone. I was so young….”
I stared at the slither of night peeking from between the curtains. How naive I had been. Never again would I be helpless like that. Luka grabbed my hand and stretched my fingers flat. My sharp nails had formed little crescents on my palm. They had finally grown back. I realised he was waiting for me to continue.
“After Nexus, I left to Dunlap and found a vampire woman who trained fighters for the pit. She let me stay and train as long as I cleaned and took care of the barracks. I had nothing else. Fighting was my life. I was sixteen when I first stepped into the pit. I’d always had a small frame. No one thought I was older than twelve.”
The Sanguine Door Page 17