The Vampire Hunters Academy: The Shadows

by Delizhia Jenkins

  The Vampire Hunter’s Academy

  The Shadows

  Delizhia D. Jenkins

  The Vampire Hunter’s Academy

  The Darkness

  The Shadows

  Coming Soon in the VHA saga ...

  The Reckoning

  Other Books by Delizhia Jenkins

  Blind Salvation

  Into the Shadows

  Viper

  In the Light of Darkness: The Gray Chronicles of Dawn

  Sin, Daughter of the Grim Reaper

  Love at Last

  Nubia Rising: The Awakening

  Kinfolk Books

  Roanoke, VA

  Copyright © 2017 by Delizhia D. Jenkins

  PUBLISHER’S NOTE

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination and experiences or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover design by zaji ankh

  Just because you dare to fly

  Doesn’t make you a superhero

  It is the vision that comes before

  Reaching the sky

  That makes you live forever…

  -D.

  For you my love…

  Prologue

  Natasha flung her short blade into the round table as the meeting convened in the higher realms just before the first ring of heaven. The Council, whose members consisted of Slayers of the past, sat with worried expressions as they watched the newest huntress defeat the Master Vampire that haunted the poor girl’s thoughts and dreams for days on end, and now as the Darkness shifted gears into another direction, there was indeed much to discuss.

  “Natasha.” Raya, the recently appointed leader of The Council, slammed her delicate fist onto the stoned arch table where twelve of the world’s best former Slayers sat. “Enough.”

  “So what are we to do?” Natasha countered, her cerulean blue eyes blazing with fire. “Wait until some vamp rips her throat out?”

  “She is a lot stronger than what most of us were when we were her age,” Raya replied calmly. “Besides, you just witnessed her take out a master level vampire. Where exactly are you finding weakness?”

  “I am her spirit sister,” Natasha seethed. “I sense no obvious weakness within her. As a matter of fact, for her age she is completely fearless … so fearless in fact I have never seen anything like it.”

  “Then what is the problem?” Raya quizzed, her gaze filled with concern.

  “My concern is those that are meant to protect her. Those treasonous leaders of the Church and keepers of the Holy relics and academia are—”

  “We know Natasha,” Raya interrupted softly. “We know.”

  “And we are just going to sit around and wait for The Darkness to—”

  “I have spoken with The Elders and a contingency plan is in effect,” Raya interjected as she rose to her feet. Her blonde hair shimmered in the low lighting of the room as she drew the attention of her sisters in arms. “Now that she has been located and receiving the proper training, we are not going to lose her again.”

  “I think it is time that she knows who to call on if she gets in trouble,” Natasha declared as heads turned to face her.

  “No, Natasha,” Raya said. “It is not time yet. We cannot do anything to alter her decisions during this critical phase of her development. She has to learn how to trust herself before reaching out for help.”

  “She is developing faster than what is normal during a Slayer’s period of maturity,” Natasha said. “We have not even granted her phase one of her gift set.”

  “We will, on her eighteenth birthday, which is just a few days away,” Raya said, “and then we will bestow on her the first phase of gifts to coincide with her current abilities.”

  “Such as?” Natasha asked.

  “Healing and restorative powers, coupled with the gift of harmonizing with nature, but you know this Natasha,” Raya said, facing Natasha.

  “Healing is fine,” Natasha said, “and so is the ability to work with nature and the elements, but what The Darkness is planning—”

  “Will be dealt with accordingly,” Raya coolly countered.

  “What schemes are being plotted by The Darkness that The Council is unaware of, dear sister?” Sheba asked, tossing a thick lock over her shoulder and raising her eyebrows. “Certainly, you would disclose everything related to this Slayer, for she is just as much a sister as the rest of us, and if we can be of aid in any capacity then please keep us informed.”

  Raya swallowed thickly and eyed Natasha with a hard glance. “It was recently revealed by reliable sources that the organization has reignited their search for Cain, not to mention Selene has awakened although she has yet to be summoned.”

  The entire Council gasped before chaos erupted.

  “And you didn’t think it was right to tell us?” one member shouted at her.

  “We must raze the earth plane and put a stop to this!” another fumed.

  “That murderous bitch, I will have her head!” another added as an arrow whizzed past Raya’s ear.

  The leader of The Council sighed. This was exactly why this particular piece of information was never going to be revealed until it was time for Sanaya to face the threat. She took several deep cleansing breathes before sending a bolt of lightning from her fingertips, crackling into the arch table. Everyone fell silent…including Natasha.

  “It was not supposed to be revealed until Cain identified himself as a threat,” Raya said. “And as far as Selene is concerned, we all knew that it was a matter of time before she reemerged on the scene.”

  “And you think that sending gifts of healing and nature are enough?” Sheba countered. “I want that girl armed! Send her my blade and shield!”

  “We will keep her hidden once she is moved from The Vatican,” Raya said. “We will mask her scent along with her new team of Guardians to give her the time she needs to complete her development.”

  “She may reach full development before she turns twenty-one,” Natasha added flatly. “And then what?”

  “We deal with it when it is time,” Raya replied evenly. “Until then we do not intervene unless her circumstances change and require us to do so. In the meantime, we continue to focus on other issues such as locating Cain before The Darkness finds him. And closing the hell portals that are opening in critical points of the earth’s surface …”

  Raya surveyed the eleven faces that watched her, looking for any signs of dissension before dismissing the women to their duties, with Natasha remaining in her seat. When everyone else disappeared into the ether, Natasha rose from her seat and rounded the table to face Raya who had yet to move from her position.

  “We need to talk,” Natasha said firmly.

  “Indeed, dear sister,” Raya smiled. “We do.”

  Meanwhile….

  Chapter One

  Sanaya led her team through the dark alleys of the Roman district. This was their first real field hunt. The Elders told Archer that a pack of werewolves just outside of the city had massacred at least thirty people. Eve and Congo accompanied the group, but given the vibes her team was throwing off, they were all more than ready to handle the situation.

  King, Maya, Bullet, Lisa, Charlie, and Trent had spent the last few months with her training and preparing for this moment after the incident when an all too stupid Master Vampire breached the campus, bringing with him legions of demons, vampires, and werewolves. By dawn, Sanaya and her team had fought with everything they had despite their lack of experience and proved that by working together and trusti
ng their own individual gifts they could be victorious. It also proved that Sanaya wouldn’t have to wait until she turned twenty-one to put together her Guardian team.

  Sanaya swallowed thickly as her skin prickled with sensation, and the scent of sulfur mixed with the combination of wet dog blood—and lots of it—filtered into her nostrils. Just twenty yards ahead, she could sense the Alpha and already had a mindlock on the beast.

  “Yo, you guys,” Sanaya radioed in using her Bluetooth. “Alpha male, about twenty yards ahead. A couple of betas including one solid female. The rest are male.”

  Clutching her dagger with her right hand, Sanaya nodded at Eve, who matched her stride as they eased behind the Dumpsters facing the empty parking lot. The werewolves had yet to shift back into their human forms. Standing at nearly six feet on all fours, werewolves proved to be formidable opponents. All of them varied in fur color ranging from snow white to coal black. Ice blue eyes remained focused on the carnage, and row upon row of sharp teeth tore through bone. The Alpha was the largest of the pack, standing at nearly seven feet and covered from head to toe in shadowy gray fur that had pieces of torn muscle clinging to his coat. His pack was too busy feasting on the still twitching human bodies that lay strewn about in pieces.

  Sanaya planned to gut all of them.

  “What else you got, ‘Naya?” King asked, hunkering down next to her.

  Sanaya was still unsure of King being out in the field with her. His safety would always remain a distraction to her despite his own awesome abilities. There was no doubt that he could take care of himself, but the idea of him being injured did not sit too well with her.

  There are seven of them in total, Sanaya mentally shot to him and the rest of the team. Even though we all know that the Alphas are usually the strongest, I am picking up some seriously strong vibes from the two Betas. This is a cohesive pack. Just like Archer taught us, we have to work together…and no heroes.

  Sanaya peered above the Dumpster, the sounds of flesh being ripped from the bones enough to make her stomach churn forever. But she had a job to do. She sprang to her feet and opened fire on the Alpha male, with Eve covering her from behind. She sent several rounds of silver into the huge male before he even had a chance to look up. He went down, changing back into his human form instantly before disintegrating into the ash. The rest of the pack launched into full-blown attack mode.

  Sanaya flipped out of the way in time to dodge a massive swipe from a paw larger than her head by the snow -white wolf—the Beta female. Maya had her back when she landed a roundhouse kick to the creature’s face, stunning her, which gave Sanaya enough time to double back and stab the wolf in the center of her chest with her silver dagger. It was seriously on!

  From her mind’s eye as she shot several rounds of silver nitrate into the chest cavity of a gray wolf, Sanaya witnessed King effortlessly dodge a swipe from behind by another Beta as Lisa took the wolf down with a long blade. Yeah, her team was badass and had definitely come a long way. Bullet was whizzing by like The Flash, incapacitating two Were’s by wrapping their throats with silver chains, which burned through their flesh like acid. Maya finished them off with a couple of pops from her handheld, and before Sanaya knew it, the entire alley smelled like burning sulfur, blood, and dead dog.

  When Trent doubled over and began dry heaving, Eve gave him a pat on the back. “Good job, Trent. You did well tonight. All of you.”

  Lisa plopped down on the pavement a few feet away from piles of ash that were once a werewolf clan. “So, what’s next?”

  Congo wiped his serrated Bowie on an old cloth he kept tucked in his back pocket and frowned. “We get the hell out of here before the authorities arrive. King, Trent, Bullet, since you three rode with me, we out. Let’s go!” The three followed behind Congo in a single file, military style line with King lagging behind.

  King glanced over at Sanaya, sending her the mental note: I will call you later… Exhaustion and irritation filled the young Guardian’s eyes and Sanaya nodded. She too felt perturbed with the drills and lack of teenaged freedom. This could not be all that a Guardian had to look forward to. Sure, kicking vampire and demon ass was a good frustration reliever, but didn’t they deserve a little break for some fun?

  Sanaya watched King disappear with the others before turning to face Eve, who seemed to be prepared for her onslaught of questions.

  “I already know, Sanaya,” Eve said. “You guys deserve a break.” She tucked her Glock into her waistband. “All work and no play turns—”

  “Guardians into Archer,” Maya mumbled.

  Eve chuckled. “Let’s get out of here. I can hear sirens a few blocks south of us. We can discuss the details later.”

  Eve led the group to the minivan loaned to them by the Vatican for field runs with Maya claiming shotgun. The dirty, ragtag team left the alley just in time as Vatican City PD pulled up to the scene. It was just another night in the life of a Slayer, and Sanaya would have thought she would have been used to it by now.

  Sanaya climbed into the van aiming for the window seat while Charlie took a seat next to her, followed by Lisa. Leaning her head against the window, Sanaya felt the gentle breeze chilling her skin and drying the sweat that accumulated after a good hard fight. She could rest easy knowing that the citizens of Vatican City were safe from another werewolf attack—for now—and that everyone on her team would make it back to the dorms unscathed, surviving to fight another night.

  It was well after three in the morning when they arrived back to the campus, and thankfully Sanaya only had only two afternoon classes so she could sleep a little longer than usual.

  A few months ago, when the Master Vampire Ronan, invaded the campus forcing staff and students to take a stand against his army of darkness, most of the students that survived went back to their respective families, leaving those without a home to remain at the Academy. Enrollment was at an all-time low, most of the students who left had yet to return, and it would probably be a while before things were back to normal. Since then, Archer decided to move all of them into one building. After a few adjustments and repairs, Sanaya and her female teammates now shared a suite consisting of three bedrooms, a small den, and a kitchenette on the third level. The guys were on the fourth floor across campus with similar accommodations.

  Life was good.

  Congo’s car was already parked alongside Archer’s Maserati, which meant the fellas were already inside. Lisa was the first to hop out of the van to stretch her lithe limbs while Charlie yawned profusely.

  “All right, ladies,” Sanaya said. “Let’s get inside so you guys can get some rest. How many of you have class with me in the morning?”

  Maya and Charlie raised their hands.

  “Okay, well class won’t start until nine so make sure you get some rest,” Sanaya said. “Please don’t stay up until the sun rises. You will soon learn the value of getting some decent shuteye, especially when you are on the move.”

  Eve pressed forward after hitting the automatic locks on the van. Lisa decided to keep up with Eve while Sanaya and Maya walked arm-in-arm behind them with Charlie hanging by Sanaya’s right.

  “What classes do you have tomorrow, ‘Naya?” Maya asked sleepily.

  “Guardian History and Global Economics, and then of course the one-on-one sparring with Archer, and I think I am supposed to stick around for a forty-five minute class on Biblical History with Bishop Andrews. You?”

  “Psychic Warfare with Eve, Weight Training with Congo, and English Literature. I think I am scheduled for the same Biblical History class with the Bishop. Damn, ‘Naya, our plates are full this term.”

  “Tell me about it,” Sanaya grumbled. “Like can we at least get a trip to the movies or something?”

  “I was wondering the same thing, too,” Charlie added with a yawn. “I have four classes tomorrow, all back-to-back. Thank goodness I at least get a break from physical training until the day after tomorrow.”

  The girls muttered in agre
ement and continued their walk to their dorm where Eve left them to their own devices.

  “I call first dibs on the shower!” Lisa called out as she made her way to the room she shared with Charlie.

  Sanaya’s phone vibrated in her pocket and she glanced over at Maya, offering her a silent look that suggested she go ahead and take her shower first. Maya simply grinned as Sanaya reached for her phone and plopped on her twin bed, plush with purple comforters and stuffed animals from home.

  “Heeeeeyyyy,” Sanaya smiled with the phone glued to her ear. “I made it back in one piece.”

  “Cool,” crooned King’s smooth as velvet baritone voice. “Tonight was awesome, man. That was my first time fighting with a pack of werewolves.”

  “Mine, too. But still, they are nothing like vampires. Nothing but brawn and no brain.”

  “Who you tellin’? But do you think they are going to give us a weekend or something? They got a nig-brotha’ locked down with four classes tomorrow. I ain’t with this school shit.”

  Sanaya chuckled. “Well, get used to it. You are a Guardian now. It is important that we be on our game on everything.”

  “Maaaaann, I’m all for that but …” Sanaya listened to him stretch and yawn and pictured him sprawled out on his bed looking very much like a majestic lion of the African savanna. “I don’t see how Global Economics is going to help me fight off a demon.”

  “Demons are all a part of the global chaos that we are witnessing. From the financial collapse the European Union is dealing with to the political agendas that are running third world governments to the ground, The Darkness Organization is everywhere, and we have to understand what is at stake before rushing in with stakes raised and guns blazing. I’ve learned that much since being here.”

  “All right, it all makes sense, ‘Naya. But can’t they take us on a field trip or something? They got us under constant lockdown, and between the constant trainings and field exercises I can barely keep my eyes open.”