Temptation
I have a lover, friends and family members who stand by my side.
They support me, and endure me, at my ugliest time.
They will wipe away my tears, and lift my chin.
I am always at their eye level.
I do not grovel and I will not let my knee hit the ground.
But I cannot speak so loudly, as to what my sacrifices have already been.
This darkness claws at me, and I love its sensation.
I don’t want to be the monster they try to keep me from.
But, it feels so good.
I love you. But, I cannot confirm that it is enough, to keep this disaster at bay.
This monster is not resting in peace, and I want to be within the claws of its inner turmoil.
This darkness consumes me with a twisted smile.
C onnor and Balzar still stood sturdy at the door. The mess had already been cleaned, but the smell of twenty-two decomposing vampires still remained. I went to offer my gratitude towards Connor, but he moved aside from the door. He seemed almost unapproachable. His silence stifling, but I now know he was certainly a brother I could not let my eyes off for a moment. He was a very powerful threat.
“They are okay,” Balzar reported, much like the soldier he was. I realized how very different the brothers were. Cesar had found qualities within all of them that were very unique. Tythian had a strategical demeanor and ability to motion things unsuspectingly to those around him within the coven; Connor’s silence, obedience to order, structure and to discard of any betrayal, his gift- the first wave of defense against enemies; Yolo’s ability to adapt to his surroundings, role-play, and implanting himself into unsuspecting enemy groups; and Balzar the youngest, who does not yet have a gift but has the strength and knowledge of a human soldier, from after the change of the new world. He is permitted to act recklessly against threats within the Coven, but is also well equipped for fights outside with a strategical mind on the line of battle.
“Are you okay?” I asked Dillian and Julia who sat at the chairs around the wooden table.
“I can’t keep doing this, Esmore, we need to leave,” Dillian said, his passive nature now receding.
“I know. I am working on it. I just need to look into a few more things,” I said. I opened my mother’s note.
Be ready. I scrunched up the very simple and illusive piece of paper. Be ready, for what? Tythian walked in, dusting his shoulder, as if our very presence dirtied him. He combed over his blonde hair, his blue eyes rounded the room.
“I have made a deal with your mother, Esmore, however I still would like for you to offer me the information I asked for,” he said. He still wanted Whitney’s brother, Charlie.
“What did my mother make a deal with you about? I am surprised you could speak freely with her, without Cesar hearing,” I retorted.
“Oh no, he was in the room. He knows of our bargain. It is nothing that affects you for now, however. So, do not be alarmed by it,” he said, holding out his hands. Balzar walked in with a handful of weapons.
“These are for the others,” he said and offered them to Dillian, who jumped on the weapons in glee. I would have suffered within the coven, if I hadn’t earnt the leniency of being allowed out. I couldn’t have imagined what it was like for Dillian. Not even being able to feel the sweet sensation of a blade slicing through air, at the very least. I looked at my sword and bow, which leant beside the doorframe of the bathing chambers.
“Where are we going?” I asked. I didn’t want the details of the bargain my mother and Tythian made. If he were going to tell me, he would have already. All I needed to know was why he was presenting Dillian and Julia weapons. I needed to use my bargaining chip of Charlie to get Dillian and Julia out. My mother had made it very clear she had no intention of leaving with them. I felt powerless to Tythian in a way, as if he were the gate keeper of getting in and out of this place. Everyone was conspiring with him and creating deals for their own satisfaction and form of survival.
“I am taking you four to investigate the human camp near your old Guild. You will have to show me the location. I cannot teleport without image of the physical location,” he said.
“My mother bargained this with you?” I asked, not expecting her to do so. I thought Charlie was my way to provide this opportunity for the others. Dillian and Julia’s eyes danced with hope. It offered me peace, that for if any reason, even if the human camp is overrun by the Hunters from our old Guild; I could use my information of Charlie as a new form of bargain, to take them to and inspect the area within Antarctica. I hoped that I didn’t need to resort to that back-up plan. I wanted the first encounter within this human camp to go well. To give Dillian and Julia purpose once again as Hunters.
I could show Tythian an image, an area that was close to the camp. He opened his mind to me, allowing me to transfer the image I had thought of. It was upon a hill, where it looked down on the human camp. There were only a few spots where we could watch from, without being suspected. The others were lower ground. This position gave us overall perception.
Chase had grabbed my weapons and slipped my sheath over my shoulders. I adjusted it and grabbed my bow. Chase grabbed a sword for himself. Dillian equipped himself so heavily, it was as if he thought he would never have the excitement of holding a weapon again. Although, he wanted to protect Julia more than anything, I imagined that my old training partner missed the thrill of the fight. In here, he was imprisoned and unable to take any movement. If I had known that we would be taken to a place like this, perhaps I wouldn’t have wanted to go with Tythian so freely. I trapped us all, within the mercy of what either Tythian or Cesar allowed to happen. If my mother had made this deal in front of Cesar, then that meant he knew we would be leaving. I wondered what bargain she made to convince Cesar of allowing that freedom.
Julia held a knife to her chest, but I knew at all costs she was our main parcel that we would protect. She could fight in defense, but was not as well trained as Dillian or me. She was not built for this department within the Guild. We needed to prepare and encourage ourselves, that we may be walking into a trap. If the others are there and spot us, we might become victim to an ambush. But, this was a risk that we had to take, in hope that Dillian and Julia had a new home.
Chase and I grabbed Tythian’s hand; the nauseous sweep of my stomach took flight. Out of the swirl of darkness, a breeze of dust blew into my face. Chase and I instantly crouched to the ground, so our visibility was not seen. Only seconds after Dillian and Julia dropped to the ground beside us. Moments after, my mother was also teleported beside me. I hadn’t accounted for her arrival. We watched over the human camp, from the hill in the dark night.
It seemed to have been unaffected. The sabers didn’t find their whereabouts after the ambush of our Guild. The human camp was surrounded by water, only one frail bridge was the platform. We had built it in such a way, so that only few at a time could enter. If too much weight was applied to the bridge then it would snap. But, the current that usually flowed underneath the bridge was not there. If a large pack of sabers ran on the bridge at once and collapsed into the water, then they would’ve been swept away. The water was still. Who had built the blockage and why?
I continued to scan through the few humans I could see who were on patrol. They were doing their usual route. It alarmed me that I saw no Hunter; surely a few of them would have ventured back here after the Guild members split into separate directions. Or perhaps they hadn’t abandoned the Guild, like Kora and Kasey had mentioned. Had they attempted to rebuild or venture elsewhere? I couldn’t imagine Campture staying within those walls after their hideout location was already known by Fier’s Council. Maybe she was unsuspecting of that.
“I will be back in an hours’ time,” Tythian said. “I must return to Fier’s Council.” Tythian vanished, and the mist around his feet pillowed towards us. The moon was almost entirely cloaked by the dark and haunted clouds. An hour was not enough t
ime to do a proper evaluation. Something like this needed to be watched over for days, until it could be concluded as safe.
With no time to lose, I slid down the hill and into the foliage of dead trees. The mist was thick enough to conceal the lower half of my body. I stayed low as I crept closer to the human camp. The others followed me, silent as both Hunters and vampires.
A stillness hit the air, it was too quiet. I raised my hand to alert everyone to stop. I couldn’t sense anyone around, but I felt an insecurity twist within my stomach. Something here was not right. I flicked my fingers backwards, in command that everyone step back and climb the hill once again. We should not follow this path. I looked to Dillian, relying on him for his gift and his heightened foresight. Chase and I did the same. We searched into the distance, in case one of us had missed something. I knew that they could sense it too. Dillian’s pink eyes scanned over the area, but he reported nothing suspicious. Still I could not risk it; instinct was something I relied on heavily.
Chase and I followed the others upon the hill, only footsteps away from one another. I heard a snap in the near distance and took a step towards it, ready for any attackers. I stepped onto something light and that was not part of the ground. Chase pushed me to the side. A silver clamp ensnared him. One of the medal pieces had pierced through his hand and pinned awkwardly within it.
He had pushed me into another trap, which instantly entrapped me. He had tried to guard me, but unintentionally pushed me into one close by. The silver that touched my back, burnt with excruciating pain. I could feel my energy drain, as my body tried to fight of this foreign pain.
“Fuck,” Chase snapped. “I tried to push you out the way. What are the odds of throwing you into another one by accident?” He tried to joke. He always tried to convey humor when he was uncertain in serious situations. Chase dropped to his knees, his hand still pierced through by one of the metal pieces.
“Esmore,” Dillian went to run to my aid, but evaluated the ground first. Julia grabbed his hand with a smile. She closed her eyes and focused for a moment. The ground shifted slightly and foliage began to grow. This was Julia’s gift, the ability to increase growth and prosperity amongst plants. This was why she was within the farming area of the Guild. Even the mist around her stayed clear. There was a certain purity that surrounded her. But her gift was not an offensive one. She did not make plants grow this quickly because it was too exhausting for her. The foliage thickened. One by one, metal traps that surrounded us began to trigger and snap shut. My mother waited patiently until all the traps had triggered. All of them were silver, a vampires greatest weakness. Julia opened her eyes and smiled. A few droplets of sweat had appeared on her face.
“I knew you would come back,” the familiar voice swept through the trees. I unhinged the focus of my pain, and cringed at the last voice in the world I ever wanted to hear again. James crept from the shadows of the dead trees, the mist pillowed around him. He had not changed since I had last seen him. He was still cleanly shaven and his green fluorescent eyes locked on me intently. “I knew you would survive and come back to me. So I can make you better,” he purred. So many acid like feelings crept up my throat, he made me want to vomit. James, my ex-boyfriend, who believed in the Hunter code and desired for me to be his property. He believed that I needed to be saved and that he could make me better, as if I were some disease. His controlling nature turned into a much more violent thing, he was now psychotic.
My purple hazed eyes distorted his image. I snapped my fangs at him in warning to stay back. But, the silver that enclosed me only seemed to react more as I moved. I hissed in pain, not having known the true effects of silver before. They must have stayed out of sight until we were trapped. Which meant that Campture was close too. She must have been reading our thoughts the whole time we were here. Chase hadn’t yet distorted all of our minds. The only two she couldn’t read was mine and Chase’s and with all we knew, it had to stay that way. “I created these traps with you in mind. I knew it wouldn’t be long until you came to inspect the human camp. Knowing you like I do, Esmore, I knew you would choose this positioning most. You always did prefer on top.”
Chase snarled at him feverishly, trying to break out of his imprisonment. “A mercy fuck goes a long way, ey?” He spat at James. An arrow from behind James shot into Chase’s shoulder. We had no room in these cages, we could not dodge.
“You are the very creature that made her sick. I will enjoy killing you,” James purred. My mother stood in front of us with a smug expression. Before her suspicious death, she was one of the greatest Huntress’s within our Guild. Her expression mirrored what I imagined my own to be when challenged; it was a very superior and an excited one. But, against another Hunter, and from within our own Guild, was not a battle we had ever anticipated for. Her expression of challenge, confirmed to me that my mother now viewed them as the enemy and they as her prey.
Dillian stayed close to Julia and rounded her towards us. Another ten Hunters came from the shadows, this had once been a part of my Guild and so easily would they turn on me. I snarled again as if to make a point, but whimpered at the silver that sapped my energy so quickly.
“Give Julia time,” Dillian whispered to my mother. Julia closed her eyes and began to concentrate. Dillian stayed close to her, and intervened with the few arrows that were shot at her. He flicked them away effortlessly with his sword.
James and my mother ran at one another, a heavy impact blew the mist around them as their swords collided. My mother’s flexibility was renowned. She flicked his sword away, pivoting in a circle and kicked James to the ground, with such force that he plummeted into a tree. Already his body had changed into metal, which was impossible to penetrate.
Another four Hunters surrounded my mother. One by one, she dodged and diverted their blades with easy precision. I could feel another Huntress approach us. I knew her presence and the smell of her filth, Campture. Kelf, continued to follow her. Dillian fought off other Hunters and protected Julia. She concentrated with her eyes closed, completely entrusting her life in Dillian’s hands. She dropped to her knees in exhaustion. She did not stop. Small vine like tentacles grew from the ground and began to wrap themselves around the metal of both Chase’s and my trap. The longer I stayed within the trap, the more sluggish I became. I could feel my vampire self, attempting to renew and overcome the draining properties of the silver. I was useless in here and unable to pry it open myself. I was too weak. Chase tried, his hand still bled as he tried to open it with one hand. I could smell the burning of his flesh as he held tightly onto the silver. The vines continued to grow and slowly its strength began to pry the bars of the trap open.
“Get to her!” I heard Campture’s voice echo through the woodland. I was ashamed of my weakness as I watched Chase continue to do his best to pry the trap open himself. Chase had more experience with the effect and withdrawal of silver. I still had so much to learn and was useless in this form. The purple haze of my eyes vanished. I no longer had the strength to keep my fangs out. My mouth was so parched and I was thirsty, so thirsty for blood.
The Hunters turned their intentions onto me. They tried to avoid my mother who danced amongst them so beautifully with her swordsmanship. They attempted to run around her, but her egotistic smile announced otherwise. She could not be so easily avoided.
The small vinery like plants continued to strain under their might. Dillian was now fighting off three Hunters who came very close to Julia. I knew his strength would not be matched, especially when he was protecting her.
Panting harshly, I watched as James stalked my way, his iridescent green eyes still visible through his metal form. I offered a pathetic state of a snarl at him. How had my strength dispersed so quickly? How could I be affected so dramatically? James watched me for a moment and placed his hand through the metal to touch me, to stroke my cheek. I pressed myself further against the claws of the silver to resist the touch. The silver burnt only worse.
Chase’
s bars snapped as he pried them open desperately, with the aid of Julia’s vines. He shredded his hand into two, and leapt on top of my cage, snarling protectively over me. His blade sliced over James’ throat, but broke in two instantly. Chase’s leather boots dropped dirt onto my face. I could see the glisten of his large fangs from below here. He was old and strong, even after being affected from the same silver as me. I was only young, a baby vampire as they teased me. I was confronted with my one weakness as a vampire, even with my Huntress self and blood- that remark had never felt so real until now. In this moment, I understood where I really was in my life and world. I was weak as a vampire, and only time could strengthen that. I depended on my strengths, but now, ultimately my vampire self was my obvious weakness.
Chase wasn’t as fast or strong as he always was. He was exhausted from being in the metal trap; I was surprised he could still bare his fangs. My mother and I had freed him once before, from Camptures’ silver chains. He could hardly stand then. James stabbed Chase in the stomach. Chase’s face didn’t flinch from pain. He took the wound as a decoy so he could grab James shoulders and fling him through the air. He grabbed onto the silver bars of my trap, prying them open. Blood from his hands dripped onto my face as the silver burnt him.
“I’ve got you,” he said calmly within my mind. His voice seemed almost incoherent to me. Finally, they opened. He scooped me up within seconds and held me close to his chest. I could tell he wanted to flee, in such a weakened state we were easy targets. But, he knew I would not abandon the others. His fangs were so large in comparison to mine, showcasing the age difference between us in vampire years.
Julia panted heavily and exhausted her own strength. I never knew she was capable of growth to this magnitude. She was at her limit, this was not the purpose of her gift. Chase placed me down beside her. Chase prepared himself for the tackle James lined up as he ran towards him. Chase punched him in the stomach, with little effect against the metal. James punched his jaw with a stifling crack.
Token Vampire (Token Huntress Book 2) Page 19