My stomach turned. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
“She needs blood,” Chase growled, ending the conversation. “She has lost too much. She has to feed.”
“Of course, sorry for having not noticed sooner,” Cesar roared. “Connor, if you would be so kind as to show those two to their room, and Tythian, can you show the two other hunters their room?”
“No!” I said savagely, looking at Balzar. “They stay in the same room as us.” I would protect them no matter what.
After much hesitation Cesar agreed. “Very well, but you only have a day’s rest until you are to come out and meet the rest of my Coven.” He dispelled us within moments, and the others went their separate ways as Tythian escorted us silently through the rocky walls.
T he rocky stone walls felt as if they were closing in around me. The subtle hint of stagnant air forced me to assume that we were well underground. Somewhere well hidden. There was a lingering smell of blood in the air. Old blood, that made my appetite stir but repulsed at thought of it not being fresh. More than likely they had been hiding here for a while now. I was used to underground tunnels, but the eeriness here of both being followed and watched, reminded me to keep on guard and prepare to slaughter a houseful of vampires if required. Feel, an understated and meaningless word to me; a symptom and only reflex.
I looked to one of the walls trying to control my thirst. As Tythian led us further into the dark tunnels, all I could hear was a tiny droplet of water constantly dripping close by. I could smell the sweat that followed me on Dillian’s and Julia’s neck. I sensed Chase try to grab my hand beside me, but I couldn’t help but pull it closer to myself as I walked.
My sensitive hearing focused on the saliva that mixed around in Julia’s parched mouth, the scratchiness of her tongue desperately trying to create saliva. Her whimpering small breaths which exerted heavily, seeming more like a pant enticed me. Julia was so fragile. Chase tugged on my hand, of where for a moment I had forgotten that we were walking. I looked at Chase with such hatred, it was not directed at him, but only the disgust I felt for myself. Julia, I thought her weak, and I realized that my bent up fingers which held such temptation wanted to grab her by the throat and dive deep into her, to quench my thirst. I had been fixating on her weak traits as easy prey.
Chase raised his eyebrows at me as he forced his thoughts into my own, even when I tried to block him. Stop frowning and pouting it ruins your features.
I looked away again, catching an interested side glance from Tythian.
“Do you think me as a monster, little vampire?” Tythian asked, if I hadn’t known him in any other way, I would have thought he was almost teasing me. “Or are you simply pinpointing your hatred of yourself onto others at the moment. Let me guess, the thirst has really gotten to you now, and you now realize that having your edible friends in the same room as you, isn’t exactly what you wanted.”
“I’m fine,” I hissed under my breath. There were many words of judgment I wanted to speak, but as my walk staggered I couldn’t find the energy to fight in mere words. Our distaste for one another was there and the tension that rose with that, made it a very uncomfortable walk.
I focused my hearing on our surroundings, to inspect if anyone else were in the tunnels nearby, but my hearing faltered or they were all so quiet. Tythian stopped in front of a tilted door, which around the edges the wood began to chip away. Beneath the closed door, the shadow of a candle light flickered. Grabbing the handle and revealing it to us he spoke.
“You may stay in this room, do keep it down, I am sure with delectable meals you won’t want to alarm the other vampires here. Although Cesar is giving them warning, which is punishable by death, nothing can be guaranteed,” Tythian evenly looked at Dillian. “My apologies.”
“Do you have a supply?” Chase began asking, before Tythian cut him off.
“If you would have noticed this isn’t a classy motel. But yes, there is a bottle of cold blood in there. It’s only recently been put there. You will have to excuse however there is only one bed.” With no more to say, Tythian dismissed himself and continued walking into the tunnels with adamant purpose. I had the urge to follow him; to discover and understand further my surroundings, but Chase grabbed my hand. I looked down at it, a shot of betrayal sweeping in. I was still so pained to learn of Whitney’s true death.
“Esmore? I need to get Julia out from this place,” Dillian interrupted. I pulled my hand away from Chase and looked down the hall and behind them, to make sure no one was within hearing distance. I ushered them all in closing the door behind us. There was an uncomfortable bed which looked as if it could only fit two at most. One table with a bottle of blood as Tythian had guaranteed, how the thought of it made me thirst; and two chairs beside it.
“I will get you out of here. All of us, I want nothing to do with a coven.” Shivers ran up my arms at my inability now to run further into the tunnels and kill every one of them. That is what I do, I tried to remind myself, or that is what I did.
“Are you sure, Esmore, but now you are a. . .” Julia hid her face as she saw my daggered glare.
“A vampire, I can assure you I am not,” my eyes instantly fixated on her neck and I regretted it as Dillian spooned Julia further into his arms, in a sense of warning towards me.
“For now we just need to rest and we can sort this out tomorrow. We’ve all had a long day,” Chase reassured us all. I looked down at my shirt which still revealed part of my breast, from the blow out in my chest. That should have been my death. With all my might and resisting the urges, which I truly battled with, I placed my hand on Dillian’s shoulder. The thought of tenderness, and frailness in comparison to the strength I could unleash on him terrified me. My dear friend, Dillian, which now instinctually I marked like a predator. I took one large gulp and looked him dead in the eyes.
“I will protect you both, no matter what. Rest easy. You know I will never be your enemy,” I said with even tone. With all my might I resisted the torture of the crisp feeling of my fangs ready to pierce. I could handle it no more. I dropped my hand and walked towards the table, to put distance between me and what my body screamed at as a meal. Chase followed me with his eyes. I looked down at the blood, disgusted at myself. I didn’t crave that cold red tainted gore in a bottle. I wanted it hot, fresh; and that disgusted me. I will not act or be a vampire, I insisted to myself.
Grabbing the bottle, I offered it to Chase. “Hurry up and drink it,” I said with a slight exhausted stumble as I walked towards him.
“Esmore, you must eat,” he said sternly.
“I will not be told what I must and mustn’t do. I will not be this monster,” I paused recalling the same mimicked word that Tythian spoke. Monster.
“I know you thirst, you are weak,” Chase said trying to reach out to me.
“You either drink this now, or I smash it. I will neither be weak in my physical state nor my temptation of this.” After much resistance, Chase grabbed the bottle and drank it, he knew I was not one to be forced into things once I have claimed I would not. I could not become what I hated most.
“Esmore, I have an apple if you would like one,” Julia’s voice spoke from the darkness as only little light was emanated from the candle on the table. Obviously the small backpack she had under hooded attire was pre-packed with food. The sobbing Julia I had found in her room and thought to have rescued from the Guild; might have already been planning her own escape and rescue of Dillian, before my own intervention. She scurried through her bag before presenting it to me. I could see the slight pulse in her wrist as she offered it to me.
“Please throw it to me,” I said casually, not daring to go any closer. I knew I was pushing a certain part of me that was too greatly tempted. Snatching the apple out of the air, I tore the empty bottle from Chase’s hand and smashed it over the table, so I was left with the remains of the shattered glass as a weapon. The shattering of pieces forced Dillian to jump. I had never seen him so ra
ttled, especially because of me. What did I look like for him to be so alert against? What was it that he now saw?
“I’ll watch over the door, you all get rest,” I instructed to Dillian and Julia, ignoring the promiscuous look Chase gave me.
You are so bossy, Chase interjected in to my thoughts. Yet, it turns me on. I could sense the purr in his tone. I gave him a very stern glare. He always fooled around, no matter how serious the issue at hand. Already understanding my thoughts he replied. Esmore we escaped death today, and yes we have a lot of problems at hand now, but just for today please show me one smile, in which I never thought I would see again.
You lied to me about Whitney’s conditioning. I am so damn thirsty, I am struggling to think. But I can’t be a monster anymore, a creature that defies death and normality. I am a Huntress, in a coven full of vampires, and yet I am hiding in the shadows uncertain of whether to kill them or not. I am not okay. Most certainly not okay with you lying to me.
He blew air from his cheeks dramatically. Dillian exchanged an odd glare between the two of us as he sat on the edge of the bed and watched over Julia as she sat in the corner eating a pear.
Chase grabbed my attention once again as I sat on the wooden chair against the door. An apple will not sustain you. You may be able to eat both human food and drink blood as a vampire, but let me assure you that the one and only thing that will sustain you now is quenching your thirst. No matter how arrogant you are to this Esmore, you are a new vampire. You can’t control it without being taught.
Again I felt that tender mixture of darkness and love for Chase torture me. Why could I only feel love or appreciation with Chase or Mum, why my emotions was, or what little emotions I had, so heightened? I wanted to kill him and kiss him all at once.
I took a savage bite into my apple and looked to the dirty rocky walls, with the broken glass bottle still in hand. I thought in the distance and pain of memory; of two big white wings protruding from my back. I knew what that was, that surge of strength and dominance, it was the Descendant. And as my chest was blown into tiny pieces, and I felt my world and life dip into an unnatural darkness of what should have been death. I knew what that tainted color of black which tainted my right wing now was. I had been affected by darkness. As if my Hunter self was my purity, and now with my vampirism a very real and daring part of me, I had been tainted. What have I become?
M y vision continuously faded in and out as my mouth became dryer as the hours ticked by. Julia had fallen asleep but Dillian still watched me from a far silently. They were not safe here, and I had to find a place where I could take and protect them, and find a way to manage my burning sensation to label them as food.
Chase often flicked a stone in my direction or scraped his chair along the ground heavily. I snapped him an evil glare, it was the response he anticipated as he gave me a very sensual grin. Would he never stop playing around?
I wanted to be mad with him, so mad I could hardly think. But my body ached for his lingering touch, the sweet taste of his blood to fill me and consume me into an erotic haze. Having him merely a meter away was too tempting.
After hours of awkward silence, there were only a few steps outside the door to distract us from this lingering tension. Dillian was the first to break the silence and spoke.
“Why don’t you get that teleporting vampire, Tythian to take us to the human camp near the Guild? We can live amongst the humans for a while until we figure something else out,” he said tucking back a part of his long black hair and then continuing to stroke Julia’s brunette locks.
“We don’t know if they were attacked when Fier led the Saber’s to the Guild. They might have continued through and found their camp. They might all be wiped out,” I responded thinking of the massacre that might’ve occurred if the Saber’s had found them. Their camp was situated days away from our own, and there was no guarantee Fier didn’t know of their location as well.
“But maybe they didn’t; we don’t know until we inspect it,” Dillian counteracted.
“Even if the human camp is safe, what is to say that your fellow Guild members- who wanted you both dead, haven’t thought of the same thing?” Chase said as he swung on the back of his chair.
We sat there for a moment in silence.
“Esmore, you know we are not safe here, please let us at least check it out,” Dillian pleaded. “Have Tythian take us to the Guild. From there we will walk so they don’t find the human camp.”
Chase whistled drawing attention to himself. “After everything that Guild put you through and you still want to make sure the human camp is safe.” Dillian frowned at Chase’s statement, insulted.
“I spent my entire life contributing to the survival of that human camp. I won’t simply lead a vampire which is a part of a coven to that very exact location.”
“We can do that Dillian, but please think of what Campture and James did to you. . .-“ Dillian cut me off with a bewildered smile.
“I know too well what they did to me and that they would do it all again. But I have no purpose; we have no purpose, if not for sustaining the human camps.” I starred at Dillian for a moment and then Chase to see if it were plausible that Tythian would help us. Already knowing my thoughts, Chase sighed.
“You can try Tythian, but there is no promise. He’s not a train.” Chase looked between both Dillian’s and my bewildered expression as I tried to scan my memory and education of the human world, and what he referred to as a train.
“Never mind,” Chase continued. “Tythian’s teleportation exhausts him, he needs a lot of blood to restore him every time. Esmore, am I the only one here recalling that right now, Tythian hates our guts; and for whatever reason brought you two towards some kind of bargain, that you won’t tell me about- he will expect something more out of this. Tythian does not waste his time nor energy for free. He will want something for this.”
Dillian wavered an interesting glance my way as Chase wavered his hands dramatically about the bargain between Tythian and me. It was our agreement that I would help him bait and kill Fier- Chase’s step-father.
“Then I will talk and barter with Tythian. Are you able to call him here?” I asked Chase, feeling too exhausted myself to try and reach his mind. Chase reflected a cheesy grin.
“Well darling, if I do something for you, so he can do something for you, then what will you do for me?” Chase tapped one of his fingers on the table in anticipation.
“Has he always been like this?” Dillian asked, looking between us in bewilderment.
“Trust me when I say, you should be thankful you didn’t have to live with it in the Council,” I said rolling my eyes almost. Dillian would have only ever seen Chase’s serious side, whenever that might come out to play.
“My agreement is, I will contact Tythian right now and call him to this room. But afterwards, you have to drink from a human.”
“Absolutely not,” I snapped.
“Then there is no way I can contact him. It pains me to see my familiar in such a way. I just can’t escape these theatrics and my uncertain mind,” Chase gasped suddenly, and snapped straight into his chair seriously. “What if you turn into some mutant vampire, because you won’t eat?”
“Wouldn’t I already be considered as a mutant vampire?” I growled testily under my breath. “Chase this is serious, I need to protect Dillian and Julia above all else.”
After a long moment, Chase looked to Dillian and then the resting Julia. “Fine. Tythian is on his way now.”
The light patter of two sets of feet motioned towards the door that I guarded. I was alerted instantly, as it was not only Tythian, but someone else as well. I opened the door to greet Tythian and the stranger. Chase was behind me, both his hands holding my arms as his hot breath stroked down the back of my neck. I could feel his strength behind me, in comparison to my weakened state.
I opened the door, and looked down the left of the narrow corridor. Out of the dark crept the figures of Tythian and Yolo.
Yolo waved with an upbeat bounce to his steps.
“Sissy,” he said childishly.
“Please mature within the instant,” Tythian directed as he approached me. He looked taller than usual, or perhaps it was the difference I felt in our power because of my weakened state. Yolo looked Chase up and down, disapprovingly.
“Remind me why Cesar has allowed him to stay?” Yolo asked Tythian.
“Why wouldn’t he, he’s my familiar,” I spat, defending Chase quickly.
“That my little sis, would be the only reason why he is here,” Yolo said, arching a very feline smile. But his eyes still stalked Chase’s every movement and narrowed on his lingering fingers that held me protectively.
“Let’s talk in private little vampire,” Tythian said, pointing into a certain direction.
“I am not leaving him anywhere near my companions,” I said indicating Yolo. Yolo smiled and began toying with the large wooden cross on his bare chest, simply evaluating me.
“Let me assure you that out of all the vampires here, I am the least of your concern. I am here to guard them, while you and Tythian talk in private. My gift of being able to transition into a human body, also gives me the ability to greatly suppress my appetite of thirst. Let me assure you that this was a gift that many fought to acquire. I don’t sink my fangs into hunters, unless I really want to. And with Cesar’s one gift policy for his own sons, well it would appear I’m all filled up,” he purred. I remembered them discussing that they were all only allowed to acquire one gift. Chase’s hands tightened on my arms, awakening me to his touch once again.
“I can protect them Esmore,” he purred and stroked part of my unbound braid.
“You summoned me little vampire,” Tythian said with great impatience. He began walking away. With a moment of hesitation, I followed Tythian. I watched behind me as Chase and Yolo walked into the room. Tythian grabbed my arm. I was surrounded by darkness as the nauseous feeling of being teleported elsewhere had its effect on me. My eyes adjusted from the darkness of the tunnels, that they were now used to, to the resurfacing of a different place. We were now standing under a pale moon, that fought against the darkness of consuming clouds. Dead leaves, swayed in the light breeze of night. The cracked ground beneath me, swept a coolness up my legs. The mist swirled around our sudden appearance, slowly settled and consumed up to our ankles.
Token Vampire (Token Huntress Book 2) Page 2