by Sophia Sharp
Hunter nodded.
“Okay,” she said. “But only because it’ll help us get away.”
“Of course,” Hunter smiled.
Chapter Sixteen
~History Revealed~
Nora sat in front of a small cookfire. Night had fallen, and all the sounds from the forest around her seemed amplified in the dark.
Thankfully, Hunter was with her.
He watched diligently over a small hare roasting over the fire. He had caught it for her and was now preparing her meal. Nora watched as he meticulously rotated the branch the rabbit was speared on, watched as he kept it a perfect distance away from the flames to let the meat cook. She was absolutely ravenous and, aside from a few berries she found on the trip, hadn’t eaten all day.
“It’s ready,” Hunter finally said, handing the branch to her. Nora took it and was surprised at the weight of the animal. It was much heavier than it looked.
She took a bite – and was surprised again at the rich flavor. Hunter had cooked it perfectly, and all the delicious juices flowed into her mouth. She was careful not to get any on the dress Hunter had given her.
“Hungry, huh?” Hunter laughed. “I’ve forgotten what it’s like to eat a regular meal like that.”
“But apparently not how to cook,” Nora replied. “Where did you learn?”
“I’ve been alive for a long time, remember?”
“Right.” Nora took another bite and chewed it thoughtfully. She studied his profile as the flames flickered and danced, casting shadows and light across his stern expression. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Now would be the best time.”
“Is it true what the bounty hunter said? About the punishment you’d face if they caught you?”
“I… I believe so.” Hunter dragged a branch through the dirt, drawing random shapes and figures.
“It seems a little harsh, doesn’t it? When you think about it compared to the severity of the crime, I mean. From what little of it all I understand, it’s all because you took me into the dream world, isn’t it?”
Hunter sighed and tossed the stick aside. “It’s not that simple, Nora. What I did was prohibited by a doctrine sacred to our race. It’s a doctrine that has kept us alive for all these years. It’s what keeps order in what we do, in who we are. It keeps us safe.
“To be honest, I didn’t think anybody would notice if I showed that world to you, if we entered the dream world together. It was your dream, after all. You have just as much right to be there as anybody else. More, in fact. But typically humans only enter fleetingly, and not in full as we did.”
He looked up at her. “Vassiz only enter human dreams during the hunt.”
“The hunt?”
“Yes. The dream world isn’t quite as wonderful as I made it seem. When it was discovered by Vassiz, they started taking full advantage. They would jump into humans’ dreams and haunt them. It was used by hunters, to find and stalk their prey.”
“Wait, it was discovered? So you mean you didn’t always know you had the ability to enter that world?”
“No,” Hunter admitted. “The first of our kind didn’t have the ability. It was only the first converts, the first Vassiz who were born human, who discovered it. A purebred Vassiz – one who is born, not converted – lacks the ability to dream. The ones who were converted, they knew of dreams from their previous lives. And with their new abilities, they learned to enter that world.”
“What abilities do you mean? Is it like the mind thing you showed me? Can every member of the Vassiz do that?”
“No. I’m the only one I know of. Although, that doesn’t necessarily mean there aren’t others. You see, aside from the physical benefits of our race – speed, strength, vision, all that – each Vassiz has another, more mysterious ability. Most hold their secrets close and don’t share with others. Not even with members of their own packs. We’re a selfish bunch, you see.” He laughed humorlessly.
“But you shared with me,” she marveled.
“Yes, I did. But understand, I’m not like most others. When a human is newly converted, as I was all those years ago, they want nothing to do with other humans. Except to take their blood. Most converts go into hiding, and the packs seek them out. Slowly, as converts acclimate to their new…talents…they can withstand human contact better.”
“What do you mean, ‘withstand’? Is there something wrong with humans? For Vassiz, I mean?”
“Well, first of all, you stink.” Hunter laughed. “New converts are repulsed by humans as a species. Taking their blood, feeding on them, killing them – it becomes an obsession. The drive to do so can overwhelm a convert without the proper guidance. And too much blood too quickly can kill him, if he’s not careful.
“Now, the purebreds, they don’t have that problem with humans. They have the same drive to feed, the same need for blood, but they aren’t repulsed by humans. That’s why they can be found living right beside humans in society.”
“But you were living amongst humans, right? Before you came to my school?”
“Yes.” He laughed. “My conversion did not go as smoothly as it could have. I’m told I fought it, resisted the poison until I nearly died. Because of that, I think I retained a better…affinity for humans. A better regard for them.
“It helps that I have little love for my own kind. Vassiz are a selfish, hating breed. There are some who are not like that, though…” his eyes became sad, “though most of them were killed a long time ago. ‘Purification,’ the elders called it. To get rid of the weakest of our race.
“I was around when it happened and nearly got caught in it myself. It was a ridiculous undertaking. It spread as a wild cult idea, at first, the notion of purification. But then the elders started to listen, and they were seduced by the poisonous whispers of their followers. The peace that existed between the Vassiz was broken and warring factions broke out.” Hunter stared into the flames, mesmerized as he relived some long ago tragedy.
“There was one I knew,” he continued after a long silence. “One I cared deeply about. She was caught on the wrong side of it all.” His jaw clenched.
“Who was she?” Nora asked. “What happened to her?”
Hunter sighed. “Her name was Maria. She was the love of my life.” Nora felt an unmistakable stab of jealousy as he said that. “She was one of the first to take pity on humans. She dreamed of coexistence with them in the future. She wanted a world where the Vassiz did not have to hide their true selves and where humans did not have to fear us.
“She was the first to be targeted in the purification. She was set up as an example of the weakest of our race. But nothing could be further from the truth…”
Hunter trailed off and stared into the distance.
“Was this very long ago?” Nora asked.
“Almost two centuries.” Hunter sighed. “But that’s neither here nor there.”
“Do you…still love her?” A small voice in the back of Nora’s head told her she was a fool for asking such a question, for bringing up ghosts of the past, but she had a burning desire to know.
“I…ahh. She was such an important part of my life, but you have to understand it was a very long time ago. The memories I still hold…they have paled and dulled as the years have gone by. The truth is, I don’t think I can still remember her face.” He shook his head gruffly. “This is a bad subject to draw our attention to. I shouldn’t have brought it up. We have more pressing matters to attend to now.”
He picked up a twig and started poking at the fire haphazardly. “The Vassiz who are after us…they are important. I’ve told you nearly all I know about our species. Nora, you have to understand the danger we face. The ones coming after us, they’re perfect killing machines. If they ever catch us, they will not show mercy.”
“Your eyes.” Nora suddenly remembered how she felt when they first met. “You haven’t mentioned your eyes.”
“Oh?” Hunter raised an eyebrow. “And what would I ha
ve said?”
“When I first met you,” Nora explained, “and you first looked at me… I felt an enormous stab of fear. It was gone as soon as I blinked, but it was there. Why?”
“Ah. Well, yes, that might have happened. Our eyes can strike fear, irrational and completely primal fear, into humans. It’s always different, how people react. And the effect gets stronger the further away we are from a feeding. Usually, we can control it, decide when to let it work, but sometimes that control falters…”
“The longer you go without blood?”
“That’s right. When the hunger strikes, it’s difficult to control yourself. That’s why I was so…withdrawn…that first week you met me. If I had been engaged with all those humans at the school, well…let’s just say that murder would have struck slightly closer to home for many of you.” He stared at her and lifted a brow, waiting for the full implication of his statement to sink in.
She ignored the insinuation and pressed on. “So you were controlling yourself? Restricting your desire?”
“Yes. I had to find a…target…for my feeding. Somebody I would have no moral qualms overtaking. Well, maybe that’s not quite right. There are always morals that fight a conflict deep within me, every time I take a life, but – I try to push them down by feeding only on those who deserve to die.” He barked a laugh. “But who am I to make such decisions? The truth is, what I am repulses me in those moments. But it’s the only way to survive.”
Nora felt a yawn coming, and tried to stifle it, but it escaped anyway. She didn’t want to be disrespectful, and what Hunter was telling her was fascinating, and yet…she yawned again.
“You need to sleep?” Hunter asked.
“Yes,” she grudgingly admitted. “What about you?”
“I’ll stand guard.” Hunter kicked some dirt over the fire. “I wish I had something you could sleep on, but…” he spread his hands, “…looks like the ground will have to do for tonight.”
“That’s alright.” Nora thought it a shame to soil the dress by sleeping on the ground, but it wasn’t like there were any other options. Hunter sat down, facing the direction they had come from, away from her, and Nora tried to find a comfortable position on the dirt. It was hard. Roots and rocks poked at her, and she found no comfort on the rigid earth.
She lay awake for what seemed like hours. When she finally found sleep, it was of a restless sort, and dark nightmares haunted her dreams.
Chapter Seventeen
~The Marble Twins~
For three days they trekked through the wilderness, heading northeast toward the Canadian border. Hunter said there would be fewer people up there, and with less people came less opportunity to be noticed.
Nora hadn’t seen any sign of their pursuers, but Hunter assured her they were coming. He made haste, pushing pace as often as he could to increase the separation between them and whoever was coming after them.
Nora’s dress fit snugly, and Hunter complimented her on it once or twice. More importantly, though, he said it was doing its job. By leaving her old clothes behind, Nora had less of a scent by which they could be tracked.
She wondered sometimes how Hunter managed to procure the garment, but whenever she asked, he went curiously mum. No amount of prodding or urging would change his stance, and Nora eventually decided to drop the subject.
On the morning of the fourth day, while making their way through dense shrub and heavy bush, Nora noticed a strange gleam from among the branches overhead. She stopped and squinted her eyes. There was nothing here she could think of the sun could reflect off like that.
Hunter turned back, and noticed she’d stopped following him. “What is it?”
“Look up there.” She pointed through the trees to her left. “Do you see anything?”
Hunter shielded his eyes against the sun and looked in the direction she’d suggested. He shook his head. “Just leaves and branches. Why?”
“I thought I saw light reflecting from there.” She tilted her head to the side. “There it is again!”
“Really?” Hunter picked his way back to her. She pointed in the direction of the glare. He followed her line of sight. “You’re right.” He nodded. “I can’t see it well, but there’s definitely a reflection there.”
“Should we go see what it is?”
“We need to continue on, but…” He shrugged. “A few minutes probably won’t kill us.” Her gaze shot to his face, and he grinned, mischief lighting his eyes.
He started toward the source of light, and Nora followed. The reflection disappeared as they walked toward it, blocked by the trees. After a while, Nora couldn’t be sure if they were headed the right way or not. Then, they stumbled into a clearing, and Nora’s jaw dropped.
She stared in awe, unable to utter a sound. Hidden deep in the seclusion of the woods stood a polished white tower. It looked like a marking of sorts, or perhaps a monument. A narrow base converged into a point high in the sky, doubling the height of any nearby trees. Nora thought if she wrapped her arms around the structure, her fingers could nearly meet on the other side.
She finally found her voice. “What is it?”
“I…don’t know.” Hunter approached the structure cautiously. From the thickness of the overgrowth surrounding the clearing, Nora guessed they were the first ones to come upon it in generations. She followed Hunter.
As they moved closer, Nora started to make out symbols inscribed in the marble. They looked like hieroglyphics and twirled all the way up to the top. Hunter was studying them intently.
“Do you know what they are?” she asked, reverently.
“They’re hard for me to see, but… I think they’re here to ward against intruders.”
“A warning?” Nora leaned over Hunter’s shoulder to study the markings.
“Maybe. I think this tower may have a twin around here somewhere.” He looked around. “You can see better in the light – see if you can spot another reflection.”
Nora turned in a circle as she searched the woods around them. The clearing in which they stood appeared to be isolated from the overgrowth of trees and vegetation. Then her eyes caught something, a twinkle from not too far away. Had she not been consciously looking for it, she would have probably missed it.
“Over there.” She pointed in its direction. “I saw a glimmer there.”
“Okay.” Hunter started walking in the direction she pointed. Instead of going with him, Nora walked closer to the tower. Its vibrant shine called out to her, its pure white surface begging for her touch. She reached out to put a hand on it…
And she knew danger. Terrible images of death flashed in her mind. Danger! Humans being carved like pigs on a sacrificial stone, children hanging by their necks in chains with blood streaming out of their eyes. Danger! Women being skinned alive, their tortuous screams unaffecting their hooded captors. Danger! Danger!
Nora ripped her hand away from the stone, and the images died. She looked around wildly, searching for Hunter.
She was alone.
“Hunter?” she cried out. No answer. “Hunter, where are you!?” She began to hyperventilate.
She ran in the direction she thought he’d gone. “Hunter? Hunter!” She tripped on a root and started to fall forward, right on her face – when a pair of strong hands caught her.
“There you are.” Hunter helped her up. “What’s going on?”
“Hunter, the tower.” She pressed a hand to her chest in an effort to regain control of her breathing. “I touched it, and there were images, images of death, and suffering, all the bodies, nobody was safe!” She collapsed sobbing into him, and he held her tight.
“There, there.” He rubbed her back soothingly. “Nobody’s going to hurt you. Not when you’re with me.” Nora felt the sincerity in his words and gripped him even tighter. For better or for worse, he was all she had.
“Now, you said you saw images?” She nodded vigorously. “And they came when you touched the tower?” Again, more nodding. “I want to
see for myself.”
He held her close as he walked toward the tower. She stopped a good ten yards short, not wanting to go any closer. Hunter, however, marched right up to it. He reached out to place a hand on it…
He looked back to her quizzically. He took his hand off and placed it on again. He tried a few more times, but then shook his head and came back to her.
“Are you sure, Nora? Perhaps the travel is getting to you.”
“I’m sure.”
“I felt nothing.”
“I felt…danger. A warning. For me to stay away. Far away from this place.”
“That’s interesting.” Hunter turned to contemplate the tower.
“Interesting? It’s terrifying! Have you ever heard of anything like it before?”
“My own gift,” he said absentmindedly. “I have a suspicion…” he trailed off. Then he grabbed her hand and led her away.
“The other tower,” he explained. “I’d just caught sight of it when I heard your cries, and I rushed back. But I have a feeling…well, you’ll see.” He led her through the dense forest, around thick trees and straight through heavy shrubs. Finally, another clearing appeared ahead of them.
This one was smaller and much more compact. But a near-identical tower stood right in the middle. Except that this one was pure black. Again, the stone gleamed with a marvelous luster.
“I don’t want to come any closer.” Nora tugged against his hand.
Hunter looked at her and nodded. “I understand.” Leaving her at the clearing’s edge, he marched up to the tower and bent his head close, examining its surface. “There are markings here, too,” he told her. “Just as I suspected. And I think I can understand them.”
“You can? How?”
“Come closer, and I’ll show you.” She hesitated. “You needn’t worry, I don’t think this tower will have any effect on you.”
Cautiously, she inched her way closer. Just close enough so she could make out the inscriptions. Foreign letters and shapes, completely different from the ones that adorned the white tower, spiraled up in much the same way, but in the opposite direction.