The Vampire Hunters Academy: The Shadows

by Delizhia Jenkins

  Oh yeah. This was what made life as a Guardian worth living.

  He would protect this living goddess of the night with everything he had. She was his oasis when the burdens of the world became too much to bear. She was his sunlight when the darkness threatened his sanity. She was his breath of fresh air when the world started to suffocate him. She stood in the center of the room, unclothed and unashamed, baring everything for him to see. All five-foot-four inches of pure female stood before him, baiting him into making a sudden move. He sat up quickly and focused on the only person who mattered to his soul.

  She approached him slowly, with confidence. She knew she had him right where she wanted him, and the fact that he was willing to submit to her subtle demand, increased her sense of empowerment. She did not need to use her vampiric abilities to seduce him. Everything that defined Eve was enough: her courage; her tender heart; her loyalty to him and to the students they protected ... to the cause ...

  Kneeling before him once she approached the bed, she removed his boots, his socks ... She spoke no words, because words were unnecessary. Each knew what the other needed to make it to sunrise. Eve reminded him that he was more than Sanaya’s Guardian—he was a man. Eve’s man. And in her eyes, he was perfection manifested in human form. He helped her slide off his jeans followed by his boxers..

  She positioned herself between his legs, her large midnight blue eyes looking up at him, his chest swelling with love. He could die right now with that image of her in his mind’s eye and he would be a happy man. He carefully removed the remainder of his clothing and lifted her onto his lap. She straddled him gracefully, and when he entered her, they both gasped.

  From there, they moved as one.

  When they climaxed simultaneously and collapsed on the bed, they were still wrapped in each other’s arms, trembling from the aftershock.

  “I love you” were the only words he could utter before drifting off to sleep. He felt the gentle brush of her lips on the bridge of his nose, and he pulled her in closer, contented by her soft purr of satisfaction.

  This was life. Aside from the innocent lives and the Guardians he protected, Eve was his life.

  He would gladly take a bullet for her.

  Even two.

  Chapter Eighteen

  After Sanaya let Maya in on the conversation she had with Cain, both passed out mentally and physically exhausted and with more worry than either wanted to admit to after midnight.

  But when the clock struck three, adrenaline shot through Sanaya’s body like a high-octane boost. She jumped out the bed, breathing hard. She could hear sound with a thousand times more acuity than she had before. The sound of a twig snapping off in the distance made her jump. The room was pitch black save the light filtering in from the window from the lights guarding the campus from total darkness. She inhaled sharply, surprised that she could taste the air with her tongue. The myriad of sights and sounds and even tastes overwhelmed her senses.

  Visuals slammed into her mind’s eye in vivid detail. She witnessed an angelic onslaught taking place near a volcanic island somewhere off on the high seas and led by none other than whom Sanaya assumed to be Michael himself. Next, she saw Aklia meeting with members of The Council, which then was replaced by visual after visual of innocents and Guardians losing the battle to the darkness. She held back a scream when she watched an innocent elderly couple being ripped apart by a pack of werewolves. Possessions, astral plane attacks, mass vampire feedings—there was no way she could continue to hold back her rage.

  Summoning her blade in her hand, Sanaya was a blur of motion out the window, plunging fifty feet before she hit the ground running with Maya’s shouts fading behind her.

  Why was there a school built for gifted Guardians but none of them were being put to work to actually do some good? Why were they secluded, away from the real innocents they were sworn to protect? Why was she there?

  She heard the cries of alarm as Guardian after Guardian rushed out to block her escape. She promised herself that she would not hurt her fellow brothers and sisters in battle, but she was not being forced to stay at The Academy. She needed to hit the streets and take out as many vampires, demons, werewolves, incubi and every other agent of evil she could.

  She came skidding to a halt when she nearly crashed face-first into Archer, who stood with his arms crossed. Eve stood next to him armed with a crossbow and something that resembled a dart gun. Congo stood to her left, arms folded in the same manner as Archer, a serious frown greeting her.

  Sanaya gripped her blade and stared down the three Guardians down. “Move.”

  “Where do you think you are going, Sanaya?” Archer demanded.

  “People are dying, Archer! Guardians are under attack, and I am stuck here, waiting for what?” She was breathing so hard, her heart beating rapidly against her ribcage, and she was dizzy from the rush of adrenaline.

  “Stand down, ‘Naya,” Archer said gently.

  “Let … me … pass,” Sanaya said through gritted teeth.

  “Sanaya,” Eve warned. “You do not understand what is happening to you.”

  “I understand more than you know. Eve,” Sanaya growled, leveling her blade. “I understand that Guardians are dying, and I am not where I am supposed to be.”

  “You are right where you are supposed to be,” Congo said calmly, relaxing his stance.

  Sanaya’s built up frustration and rage at the evil taking place on the planet under the Guardian’s watchful eyes almost made her scream. She fidgeted, switching her focus from Archer to Eve and then to Congo. She could sense the presence of over a dozen Guardians surrounding her, and she felt King’s signature call in the back of her mind, reaching out to her. She allowed him entrance for him to see the source of her frustration. He could stay there if he wanted to, but she knew one thing—

  She was out!

  More images flooded her mind: a child’s cry in the distance, the howl of a wolf, a mother of two thrashed madly in her bed to the bewilderment of her husband who had no clue of the demonic entity that had taken root in her spirit. Her eyes flooded with tears before being replaced by silver. Every inch of her body felt as if it was on fire. She heard the Guardians closing in on her, but she could not stop the overload of images. She forced King out of her mind so he would not have to bear the brunt of the visual onslaught. She opened her mouth and unleashed a war cry, thrusting the blade into the concrete, the earth shaking.

  “Enough!” Her voice echoed, bouncing from wall to wall. “We have to fight! I am sick of watching people die while we do nothing!”

  “She’s overwhelmed,” Eve whispered to Congo.

  In a motion too swift for the human eye, Sanaya yanked the sword from the concrete and leveled it once again at the Guardians.

  “You will let me pass so I can go do the job that none of you seems to want to do,” Sanaya growled. Her fist crackled with electricity, her eyes completely silver, glaring at Archer who remained unaffected by her threat.

  “Guardians!” Eve called out. “Positions!”

  Sanaya heard the loud protests from her team, and she felt King’s frustration when he found himself being restrained by three of the senior Guardians. Maya’s eyes began to glow white, but Sanaya sent her a quick mental message to stand down. Trent rushed forward but was quickly side blocked by Congo.

  This was between Sanaya and the Guardians, not her team members. Without thinking, she unleashed another war cry and from out of the shadows, Aklia stepped forward and gently pressed the center of her forehead with her palm, whispering “kulala,” which means “sleep” in Swahili. Sanaya sighed, feeling all of her circuits completely shut down.

  Aklia caught her before she hit the ground.

  Sanaya woke a few hours later in her room under the watchful eye of Eve. She tried to sit up but discovered that she could not. She felt as if she had run a million miles and bench-pressed the entire wall of China after being run over by a school bus.

  “Happy birt
hday,” Eve said calmly.

  “Thanks,” Sanaya groaned.

  “Aklia is here brewing you some special tea. It will help you come down from the adrenaline spike.”

  “Thanks,” Sanaya mumbled.

  “You were really something earlier today.” Eve sat on the edge of Sanaya’s bed. “I knew you were strong but ...”

  “I’m so sorry, Eve,” Sanaya began. “I didn’t know what I was doing. I’m really—”

  Eve raised her hand to silence her. “Don’t worry about that. We expected you to challenge us. We have read ancient records of previous Guardians who warned of all the challenges of the first phase of the Slayer’s transition into maturity.” Eve smiled. “And your teammates are loyal. King had to be restrained. As did Trent. The Council was secretly hiding in plain sight to deal with Maya.”

  “Are they all right?” Sanaya asked.

  “Yes, they are fine. They are actually a bit occupied right now.”

  Aklia entered the room balancing a teacup on a saucer. “Greetings, Sanaya,” she chirped. “This herbal tea will help speed the recovery process.”

  “Thank you, Aklia,” Sanaya said as she accepted the tea. She took a sip, savoring the sweet taste of honey, lemon, and a mixture of herbs she could not identify. Relief flooded her system, and for that she was grateful.

  “You are welcome,” Aklia said. “The worst is just about over. Your body was hit with a sudden and intense awareness that overloaded your senses. Soon you will learn how to filter out the visions with the consistent practice of meditation. I will be more than happy to work with you on that.” Aklia faced Eve and gave her a quick nod. “I must be going. Call us if you need us.” She disappeared in a flash of light.

  “Hurry up and drink your tea, Sanaya.” Eve stood. “It’s almost noon, and I need you to get dressed. There is a surprise waiting for you.”

  Sanaya groaned. If Eve meant a surprise being another spur-of-the-moment sparring session with any of the Guardians or some test of skill challenge, this would indeed be the worse birthday yet. She downed the tea, felt much better than she had when she woke up, and slid out of the bed to head to the shower.

  “Happy eighteenth birthday to me,” she grumbled as she passed Eve.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Sanaya emerged from the bathroom after taking the fastest shower she had ever taken in her life.

  Because Eve was rushing her to hurry up and get dressed, Sanaya barely had time to brush her teeth and pull her braids back, so she was forced to let them hang loosely. She threw on a black top and denim jeans and a pair of Nikes, sprayed on her favorite rose-scented spray, and headed out the door behind Eve. Eve led the way down the hall and the winding staircase, and just as Sanaya suspected, they were approaching the gym. Sanaya stomped forward as Eve held the gym door open to enter the dark space that made up their training room. She sensed the presence of Guardians and braced herself for another surprise attack when the lights snapped on and everyone sprang out of hiding yelling, “Surprise!”

  Sanaya jumped back, grabbing her chest, stunned by the surrounding, happy faces and the balloons that glided in the air in all corners of the gym. She examined the purple and white décor and two three-layer cakes centered on a buffet of food sprawled out across a long metal table. Her teammates approached her, their faces plastered with smiles, each carrying gift bags. She tried to fight back the tears that threatened to reveal how much this gesture truly meant to her. This would be the first time she celebrated a birthday without her mother, and she forced herself not to think about the haunting memories.

  Her best friend interrupted her thoughts with a huge, heart-filled hug. “Happy birthday, bestie!” Maya chirped in her ear.

  Wiping away her tears, Sanaya sniffled, “Thank you, Maya!”

  “Dang, ‘Naya, don’t start crying on me!” Maya said, fighting back her own tears.

  The two embraced, laughing and crying simultaneously until the group parted to make room for Archer and Eve. Maya released her best friend in time to see Archer present Sanaya with his own gift. The two faced each other a few feet apart, and the entire room went silent. Eve stood off to the side, watching as the Head Guardian and his charge embraced.

  “Happy birthday, kid,” Archer said. “You’re eighteen now. That is a big pair of boots you have to learn to lace up responsibly.” He handed her a large box wrapped in paper decorated with all sorts of balloons and bright colors. “Wait until you get in your room to open it. Oh, and I forgive you for threatening to basically kick my ass this morning.”

  The entire room erupted with laughter and one by one each team member took turns hugging Sanaya and offering her a token of their friendship. But when King approached her and asked her to turn around, she could feel her heart rate increase. He nervously moved her braids out of the way and placed a gold necklace with a silver pendant with a diamond center around her neck.

  “This belonged to my mom,” he said, his voice filling with emotion. “I—I held on to it, saving it for someone special enough to wear it.”

  “King, I—”

  “I had it restored,” King said. “I want to give you everything, Sanaya, but out of everything I want to give you, I wanted you to have my heart.”

  The room filled with a collective aww, and Sanaya spun around, wrapping her arms around King’s neck. He kissed her on her forehead, careful not to display too much public affection with Archer in close proximity. Sanaya made a mental note to sneak them off for at least a private moment, away from the prying eyes of the senior Guardians.

  After that, Congo took position on the turntables and acted as DJ for the night. Maya led the group to the dance floor with Danny behind her. With hip hop music blaring through the speakers, Sanaya giggled at the terror-stricken priests that stood near the entryways. Jeezy and TI were definitely artists who pushed the boundaries of tolerance for the Catholic-run campus, but she was glad that they were open to allowing her this one night before the battles began.

  King swept her away on the dance floor, leading her with his precise movements to the heavy bass beat. They linked mentally, and she could feel his euphoria coursing through her bloodstream. He surprised her with the musicality of his footwork, and the other Guardians took notice of his dancing ability. But even she had to step away to give him the spotlight, clapping and cheering him on ... until Trent decided to step in and the two became engaged in a dance battle that had Congo working overtime with his DJ skills. When the two competitors ended their routines, everyone hooted and hollered, and even Archer had to smile, impressed by the performance.

  After that, they partied until well after midnight, even allowing a few stray, curious students to join in on the fun. By the time the celebration wrapped up and some of the senior staff began to clean up, Sanaya was too exhausted to care what happened next. She allowed King to lead the way, leaning on him for support as she held as many of the dozens of gifts she could in her arms. While everyone else was busy with the cleanup or helping with the gathering of her presents, she sneaked in a kiss on King’s lips. He welcomed it, brandishing her mouth with his, forgetting that both of their arms were full when her eyes lit silver and his ignited with gold. That same wave of blue-white energy blanketed their bodies, and Sanaya felt as if she were being vacuumed into a tunnel of pure lust.

  Her presents fell on the floor, and her arms were once again wrapped around his neck. He invaded every crevice of her mind, his thoughts a garbled mess of “please” and “not now,” but by the gods she could not help it. Not touching was not an option. He was in her skin, in her hair, in her nose ... Her senses came alive, but as her senses ignited, her lack of concern for the loud clearing of throats and the hard stares from Archer, Eve, and Congo increased. Only when Maya shouted her name was Sanaya able to regain some sort of clarity, pulling herself away from King long enough to realize that the party had definitely come to an end.

  “Somebody might as well get those two a room,” one of the senior Guardi
ans muttered, which resulted in a quick glare from Archer.

  Eve sighed. “Party is over, you guys.” She examined both Sanaya and King, who refused to meet her eyes. “You two are still glowing.”

  “C’mon, King,” Congo said with a chuckle. “She is all in your system now. Let’s go take a walk.”

  King turned to face Sanaya’s wide-eyed and mortified expression, and without concern for his own wellbeing he brushed her mouth with his, almost stripping Sanaya of whatever sanity she had left.

  “Dayyyuuuum!” Danny bellowed with a hard laugh. “You da man, King!”

  Congo stepped between King and Archer and ushered the young man away from Archer’s silent threat as everyone looked on, unsure of what else to do.

  “I don’t know what is going on here, my man,” Congo told King as they exited the gym. “But you two, man ... I don’t know. I have never seen anything like it. Some cold air will do you some good.”

  Despite her body being on fire, Sanaya inhaled deeply, closed her eyes, and tried to center herself.

  “I think some cold air will do you some good, too, Sanaya,” Eve said gently. “Let’s leave the rest for the fellas to pick up. We need some time to chitchat.”

  Eve hurried Sanaya out of the gym and into the night air. Sanaya could still feel King’s presence somewhere on campus and bit her lip thinking about his full lips pressed against hers. She hugged herself and shivered and wondered if King could feel her as much as she could feel him.

  This was going to be a long night.

  Chapter Twenty

  Daemon awoke with a start on top of gold silk sheets that were a bundled mess in the center of a four-poster bed. He sat up, stretched, and stared at the vaulted ceiling high above his head, realizing that he was no longer in his lair. Selene had moved him. But where? The hard sounds of the ocean slapping against rocky cliffs drew him toward the open window that overlooked a balcony. A thick blanket of fog crept in, gliding atop the violent spectacle that each heavy wave made as it collided into another. The angry surges reminded him of his rage and the centuries of bloodshed exacted by his hand.