“My dear girl, this is a blessing. What we are doing is a miracle.” She holds both hands out to me; I look down at my own.
“Shall I die?” My voice echoes softly, nothing more than a whisper in the trees. A dense fog is beginning to build around the tree line, pushing me towards the gaping mouth of the mountain.
“No, you will be reborn into greatness. I will guide you and show you the way. Take my hand now, girl, and it shall be over when the dawn breaks.” I shuffle closer, not denying the tug I feel. The snake tightens around my throat, and I placed my hands into her ice-cold ones. There was no more avoiding the consequences.
“You must shut your eyes before entering the mother’s mouth.” She coos in my ear as she wraps an elegant arm around me; guiding me to the opening. The darkness hummed with life, the vibration coursing through my bones.
I finally shut my eyes before following her into the darkness.
All was still.
All was silent.
I hesitantly open my eyes and I stare into the darkness as my heart stops. The darkness opens its eyes and stares back.
CHAPTER 14
The crowd around the fire was abuzz with chatter; someone important was coming tonight for a meeting. I wasn’t paying much attention as I sit there, instead listening to each and every heartbeat in the camp. It was probably just another foolish human anyway. I had felt the change in my sleep; I knew the exact moment my body crossed over.
Although it wasn’t a huge instant change, I felt completely different. I had outrun Luke on the dusk patrol which I insisted on going with, he didn’t question it. He patted a hand on my shoulder and told me training was paying off and that he was glad I was feeling better.
I spoon in another mouthful of deer soup; it definitely wasn’t the best food I’d ever had. I glance around the fire; the seats were full of people. Even the area around me was crowded, and I had chosen the spot with the least number of humans.
I know that today I would have to slip away and see Nardia; I can feel the small hint of her power residing deep within my core. I hadn’t dared poke that bear with a stick just yet.
I chew at my bottom lip as I plan my afternoon. I need to figure out what times the vampires got their needles. I could just train; that wouldn’t cause suspicion . It seemed like my only reliable plan.
I get off the bicycle unnoticed. I’d been on watch all afternoon. Xavier had come and gone twice, and I hoped it was his last time. I waste no time as I hurry over to the opening in the gate.
She crouches in the middle, more animal than vampire. Her head cocked to the side as her black eye pierces mine.
“You came back,” she states blandly, a small angry puncture wound that had been reopened multiple times on her neck catching my attention.
“Of course, I did. They’ve drugged you more than usual today.” I sit down, crossing my ankles over one another. She half prowls, half drags herself forward, coming to a stop at the metal cage.
“You need to hurry, human. Time is running out.” Her pupil contracts in and out of focus, I lean closer. The smell of rot from her was stronger today; she really was dying from the inside out.
“What do you mean?” How could she know if I’m running out of time or not? Maybe they’ve increased her dosage and she’s just hallucinating?
“He is coming, he will have no mercy. You must hurry, you have awoken him.” Her eye rolls into her head as she blinks in and out of consciousness.
“Nardia please, what does that even mean?” I beg, curling my fingers between the gaps in the cage. She focuses on me once more. “He is death incarnate. If you do not benefit him, he will slaughter you with the rest of them.” My throat dries up at her words; she goes limp as she slumps on the ground. My breath comes in short gasps as I hurry out of the arena.
As I focus on walking normally towards my room, I notice a handful of kids huddled around an elderly lady. Her voice rings out clearly through the area for everyone to hear.
“As a special honour to our guest tonight, I’m hosting a history lesson on the Before. If you wish to participate, please make your way to the classroom in ten minutes.” The kids follow her out the back door. Ten minutes later I do too; I didn’t know anything of that time.
The classroom around me is dull and lifeless; dust has collected on the small bookshelves. The five children in front of me whisper excitedly back and forth; no one else had bothered to show up.
I sit behind them and tap my fingers on my knee absently. I didn’t know anything about the Before so I figured this could be beneficial for me, it would also keep prying eyes away from me. It had been a few days since I’d fully healed and I couldn’t recall a time when I’d felt better.
Everything around me seems to have come to life, I feel like I am finally living for the first time in a long time. I still haven’t dared to try air manipulation; afraid it would go terribly wrong and I’d end up killing someone. I’d spent the last few days training; working on my speed, hearing and strength.
The elderly lady walks into the room; her gold rimmed glasses sitting low on her crooked nose as she settles into the chair. I switch my thoughts off and give her my full attention.
“Good-morning’ everyone. I hope you all have your listening ears on because today’s tale requires them.” Her voice was as soft as her round face; a rusty English accent hidden under her words.
“Today I’m going to share with you the history of Before, we are the During. If there are any questions, save them until the end as I do not appreciate being interrupted.” The kids listen in awe of her words, I feel as giddy as they look. Some whispering to each other.
“Long, long ago, the world was a very different place. Vampires had begun to make appearances over each continent, demanding equality. You see, humans didn’t live in sheds, or behind walls, but houses and they had real jobs and families. There was one government; it was controlled by three humans and two vampires. The three humans were Sebastian, William, and Ronald. The two vampires were Cassidar and Kalabhiti. For years, the vampires lived in peace with the humans; the government had bent to the vampires needs and been accepting of them. They lived amongst humans, worked human jobs, and had special blood banks in each city to accommodate their needs.
“As the years went by, the three men aged where the two vampires did not. Kalabhiti decided it would be the perfect tipping point to put vampires at the top of the food chain and not alongside their food; wanting his crown back. Cassidar did not agree to this, as the humans had been open-minded and willing to meet their needs. One by one, the three males were murdered, in scenes so brutal that it was unknown how they died. That left Cassidar and Kalabhiti in control. Cassidar held firm on her beliefs, but Kalabhiti did not and slowly rallied a force to rise against her.
“Cassidar had elected a new chairman to be a part of the government; he was young but wise and stood strongly beside her. The young man pushed with her, until they finally drove Kalabhiti off the government board. Riots broke out in all cities, vampires demanded more than what they were being given. Still, they would not budge.
“Cassidar and Tobias became lovers, and one night while she slept he took a silver dagger to her heart. He had always believed humans were at the top of the food chain and that vampires were an abomination that needed to be extinguished. There were whispers of a lost child, but nothing was set in stone. Only myth.
“For century’s war raged over all the lands, humans and vampires fighting one another for their rights. Humans fighting humans, vampires fighting vampires. The bloodshed did not end and was passed down through their bloodlines.
“Finally, Kalabhiti arose, more powerful than ever before and tipped the balance in the war, avenging the death of Cassidar. This was the Before. He slaughtered every living human that had Tobias’s blood in their veins, no matter how old or young they were. He had no mercy. Slowly each race was slowly becoming extinct, sending everyone into hiding, the economy collapsed and humans and vampires w
ent their separate ways. We are the During
“To this day, it is unknown if Kalabhiti still lives, but the vampires vanished for a long time. Up until recently, they were just a myth, the things of fairytales and folklore. Now we know they exist, another war is going to brew; bigger than before and ultimately deciding which race will come out on top. There’s no room on this earth for both of us.” She pauses to have a sip of water.
“No one knows where the vampires come from, or where they’ve been in hiding. Humans are advancing as each community of unregistereds and registereds grows stronger. In my opinion, I think the registereds will finally pull their head out of the sand and see we’re batting for the same team. We all want vampires wiped from the earth.” She coughs into her hand, cutting her sentence short. I sit back in shock and let her word settle in.
Vampires had ultimately started this war. If they could have just accepted the peace, none of this would have happened. I still might be with my family and I would have never met Zeke.
The kids in front of me immediately started blabbering away, asking all sorts of ridiculous questions.
“What do you mean by crown?” I ask, pausing before opening the door to leave.
“It’s known that the vampires ruled in kingdoms; Kalabhiti was the King and Cassidar was the Queen. I don’t know much about their side though.” She turns back to the children in front of her.
I nod my thanks and dismiss myself.
I had a lot of work to do. I couldn’t waste any more time.
*
As the day settles into late-afternoon. I strap my dagger to my right ankle with a leather holster from the weapons room and my hunting knife to my left thigh. Although I only know the basics of how to use it, I knew that having them and not needing them was better than needing them and not having them. I twist my hair into a tight, neat bun on top of my head and throw on my darkest shirt and shorts. My sneakers come on last.
I shut my eyes and listen to the sounds around me; my improved hearing picks up every sound in the camp. Everyone was preparing for our guests and making their way to their rooms. No one has bothered me at all today, and Xavier hadn’t approached me.
A small part of me wishes he would, wishes he’d notice something was wrong. He’s been glued to Luke’s side the whole time, I always caught them talking in hushed whispers and I had a terrible feeling.
As the last person enters their room I creep towards the front door, my steps as silent as a mouse. I open it quickly, I take off in the direction of the river.
The cool afternoon breeze kisses my skin as I run effortlessly towards the faint smell of murky water. My feet never falter once; I leap and soar over broken branches and misplaced rocks. In the distance I can hear faint clicking noises, but I didn’t think anything of it. I had a mission to find out where these vampires were going.
The overgrown path veers sharply and I come to an abrupt halt; my feet skidding across the ground, kicking up grass and dust. I sniff the air. My nose tells me to go straight but the path tells me to go left towards the bathing area. I narrow my eyes at the forest in front of me; I go with my nose. I carefully pick my way through the undergrowth, being careful not to get caught in anything.
I keep my eyes open for any sort of trap. Knowing Luke, I’m sure he’ll have this place booby trapped. As I move along, the smell of the murky water becomes stronger. I still and take a deep breath; there was another smell I couldn’t place. I move faster, the forest seeming to move out of the way for me; the late afternoon sun lighting my way.
The forest opens onto a clearing, revealing a huge dirt mound that runs along the length of the forest line. I frown in confusion. Where is the river?
I heave myself up the mound, my nails digging into the solid foundation. I find cracks in the dirt and use those as anchors to hauling myself over the top. I stand up and freeze.
The mound wall is made up of four lines, creating a large rectangular dirt prison. Down below, a river flows through the middle of the structure, its dark brown water gushes as it enters through one opening and leaves through another. Wherever it was going was in a hurry, as the current was rapid and ravenous. Before the river there were multiple metal cages stacked two high and ten across, there was just enough space to walk between them. There had to be at least a hundred, from what I could see. I skid down the interior wall, landing with a soft thud. I approach the first cage cautiously. Although I had improved eyesight it seemed darker down here; like the sun’s rays didn’t quite reach this place.
The thick metal bars reminded me of the cage except these ones were smaller and provided shade. The cells were smaller than I’d thought; there wasn’t enough room to stand up in them as the two on top of each other came to be just higher than my head.
“Hello?” I croak, not daring to raise my voice too much. I come to a stop in front of the first two small cells. They look like cages used for animals. Low groans come from all of the cages, creating a hum throughout the space.
To my horror, each cramped cage held starved vampires. There was no room to stretch, only a small dirty water bowl in the corner of their cages, and they wallowed in their own filth.
“Oh my god.” I hold a hand over my mouth to suppress a sob. This is where the vampires were. The vampire in the top cage to my left seems like a young female; her skeletal frame pokes through her torn rags, her thin brown hair patchy in places. She turns her sunken eyes towards me and snarls angrily. Her fangs had been ripped out.
“I’m not here to hurt you,” I say slowly, raising my hands innocently. She opens and closes her mouth to talk but no sound comes out. I give her one last look before running down each row and looking into the cages. About half of them were full, each vampire broken and starved and on the brink of death.
The sun had crested, sinking me into darkness. My heart thunders in my ears. What was I supposed to do? I couldn’t get them out, but I couldn’t just leave them here either. I skid to a stop just shy of the gushing river. I survey the other side, a large cement building stares coldly back at me. I register the clicking sounds this time, grobblers were here.
I flee towards the wall as fast as I can, not daring to look back. I will come back for the vampires here, but I’d be no use to them if I ended up grobbler dinner.
I trust my instincts as I race back towards the hideout, not sparing a moment to look back. The sun had sunk below the horizon, the moon guiding my way. The camp finally comes into view. Thank you, lord. I quickly open the silver door and shut it behind me.
I rest my forehead on the cool metal; loose strands of my hair sticking to the sweat on my neck. I will my heartbeat to slow down; everyone would be suspicious if they saw me like this.
My nose tingles with a new scent, something ancient and enticing. The camp was deathly silent, not even a whisper to be heard. I slowly follow the scent to Luke’s tent. I peel open the door and step in, my breath catching in my throat.
In front of me was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen.
CHAPTER 15
His obsidian eyes keep me from running, pulling my body into a trance as the curtain closes behind me. The very nature of his appearance is otherworldly, a deep power radiates off of him in tidal waves. It was ancient and it was hungry. Black wisps of shadows circle him, revealing his pale complexion, and his long, luscious crow black hair shines under the lights as it settles around his waist. His eyes narrow on mine.
My knees threaten to buckle under his dominance, the small vampiric part of me wanted to subdue. Although I shake with terror I hold my ground. I was human but I was stronger now.
“Well, what do we have here?” his deep purr penetrates my core; his words seem powerful enough to move the earth itself. His mouth splits into a ferocious grin; revealing two prominent sharp fangs. They indent his bottom lip.
Run. Run as fast as you can and don’t look back. I swallow the bile threatening to explode from my mouth. Nardia had warned me about this.
“Stop scaring
her,” Luke’s tense voice draws my attention away from the vampire. He is standing tall with Xavier and a few other high-ranking members. I look back to the vampire, who winks before turning around to face him. The wooden desk the only divide between them.
“It’s so easy though. You humans have always been easy to scare, for as long as I can remember,” his deep voice rumbles with a laugh. Slowly, a handful of vampires enter the tent. Zeke and Cassidy being the only two I recognised. Luke looks around hesitantly; he must have made sure all of the other members were safely in their rooms. Xavier catches my eye and frowns slightly.
“Well, now that everyone is here its best we start,” Luke’s cool voice echoes throughout the space, my mind still racing as I stand there. Why did Luke have vampires here?
“Yes, let’s. Now, why have you summoned me here? I gather it must be fairly important if you’ve gone to the trouble finding the ritual to bring me here.” He pauses, surveying the handful of vampires that had shown themselves. “Of course, I wasn’t going to come alone. I can smell an ambush from a mile away.” He turns back to me, his eyes piercing mine.
“The girl, she must be of some importance is she not?” He turns back to Luke, his face hiding his motives. Oh my god, he knows I have vampire blood in me. If he gives me away I’m screwed. I shut my eyes and steady my breathing. Surely, he knows what I’m doing here? I reopen my eyes and hold them on Luke.
“That’s Ali. She’s one of our newest members,” Luke’s voice was clipped as he stares sternly at me, accusingly. My eyebrows rise. So, I’m the bad guy now?
“Ah yes. Is that all?” He muses, tucking his hands behind his back. Luke frowns again, clearly trying to figure out what he’s missing.
“Yes, that’s all. I joined a few weeks ago after living on my own for years from a town nearby.” I keep my voice low as I watch him turn towards me with a predator’s grace. He strides towards me, stopping a hair’s breadth away; our breaths mingling. His shadows slowly begin to cocoon us.
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