“But I’m not out here on my own.”
Lana sighed as she kicked the toe of her shoe against the track—another sign she was nervous. “I think they know where you are—or where Mason is—and they’re trying to get inside, hence the unexplained storms.” She pointed to the charcoal clouds covering the sky.
As much as I wanted to stay outside where I could taste the freedom I desperately desired, I caved. “Fine.” She’d done so much for me since I came here, and it was my turn to do a little giving.
A smile spread across her face as relief washed over her. “Thank you.” She headed toward the exit. “You should go take a shower. I’ll be over in thirty minutes to get the preparations underway.”
I scowled at her, not liking the sound of having to go to so much of an effort for this damn dinner where I was supposed to be the guest of honor.
The thought of everyone fussing over me made my skin crawl, but it was mandatory to fulfill the obligations of the one. And only a few days ago I thought I would finally have a say in what happened in the Society. I shook my head in annoyance before putting on a fake smile. “Sounds perfect.”
Lana raised a brow. “I know you’re not looking forward to tonight, but it’s just one night—four hours tops.”
My eyes widened. Four freaking hours? That was insane.
She gave me an apologetic smile. “You’ll be fine. I’ve made my parents promise not to go too overboard.”
I was agreeing to this dinner for one reason, and one reason only: to save my family.
2
Sitting at my very own table, elevated above the sea of Society members occupying the tables below, I wanted to strangle Lana.
No part in her plans of getting me ready for tonight’s dinner covered the fact that I was a freaking spectacle, mounted on a platform, dressed in an evening gown, makeup done, hair up, and being pampered as if I were the queen of a kingdom I clearly didn’t rule. If I did, I certainly wouldn’t be up here by myself, wasting time.
We’d be out on the streets, saving my father and friends, and letting the world know we had the human’s backs. That we were a force to be reckoned with and the vampires were going to have their day in hell, an endless torment they so desperately deserved.
My nails dug into the thick, pristine white table cloth as I tried to remain in my seat, giving them what they wanted so I could get what I needed. But the constant stares from almost every single person in the room made me want to get the hell out of there and never look back.
Reminding myself as to why I had to remain, I watched Mason and Finn bantering with each other as they sat on the table with the rest of my friends, all of them ignoring me and my need to escape—except Max. His tormented eyes locked with mine, sending a shiver down my spine.
Unable to hold his gaze any longer, I turned my attention to Lana and her family sitting on the long table in front of me. She had three siblings, and each of them was as married to their job as Lana. Her parents were yet to formally introduce themselves to me, and I didn’t know if it was because they weren’t really sure if I was the one or if they were worried because I truly was. Apart from having an insatiable hunger for vampire blood, I was nothing like they’d expected.
Selfishness and a blatant disregard for authority were not traits the one should have. But that was all me.
My shoulders slumped as hope for the safety of those I cared about flittered away with the seconds slowly, painstakingly, ticking past.
Picking up my fork, I poked at the food on my plate, unsure what they’d served me, expecting to eat without question. There was a lump of something that looked to be rice but wasn’t at all like the carb-packed granules I craved.
Actually, I wanted pizza, loaded with cheese and every form of processed meat there was. Not this healthy crap the waiters had lumped on my plate.
Even one of Kade’s smoothies would’ve been better.
Lana’s father, Peter, stood, raised his glass, and tapped his fork against the rim in quick succession, turning everyone’s attention to him. “Today is the day we have all been looking forward to for a millennia. It is the day we get to meet the chosen one, who has returned to us before her time.” He paused while everyone applauded, and it took everything I had not to roll my eyes. “Most of you weren’t sure you would see the return of Kali, the demon hunter, in your lifetime, and if I’m being honest, there were times when I wasn’t sure either. But with faith comes the next phase in our plans to rid the evil from this world. In only a matter of weeks, Kali will rise and the demons will fall.”
The crowd erupted into a round of applause and cheers.
Peter turned to me and raised his glass. “To Kali, may you rid this world of the damned once and for all.”
I picked up my champagne glass filled with water, raising it as I forced a smile.
Peter took a sip of his champagne. “Now, if you’d like to say a few words.”
My eyes widened in horror as my stomach churned, threatening to lurch into my throat.
I swallowed hard, but it did nothing to alleviate my parched mouth.
Thankful I had some water, but now more than ever annoyed I wasn’t given some liquid courage, I lifted the glass to my lips and downed the contents. It did nothing to rid the sandpaper covering my tongue.
I was so not good at public speaking—especially when I was put on the spot.
All eyes waited for me to get on with my speech, but the only thing I could think about was the hypocrites sitting around me. Sure, they said they were there to protect the humans, but from what I’d seen, they didn’t do the best of jobs. They were on the defense when they should’ve moved to offense long ago. And now that they had me, a weapon of pure destruction, they were still playing the defense by keeping me locked away when I could be out there kicking some ass.
Gritting my teeth, I tried to come up with something to say that was more than a basic “hi” to the masses. But my mind had gone blank as I scanned the crowd of eyes locked on me, waiting for me to give some epic speech.
“Uh, thank you, Peter,” I began. “I am honored to be here, and I still can’t believe I am who you say I am, but the sword says I am, so I must be.” I laughed, a painful, embarrassing laugh that made me want to crawl under my table and down a bottle of alcohol.
Forcing a smile, I bought a few seconds to get my shit together as I tried to release the tension building up inside of me.
Lana gave me an encouraging smile, making me think she knew exactly how I felt. Hell, who was I kidding? Every single person in this place knew I wasn’t leader material, and I was only proving them right.
Most of them hated me before, so why was I trying to be someone I wasn’t?
I couldn’t come up with an answer for that.
Shaking my head, I decided I just needed to be me and they could shove their judgmental attitudes up their asses. “Many of you know my history, and most of you hate what I did. I get it. I did some awful things that go against everything I’m supposed to stand for. But the thing is I wouldn’t have done those things if I knew you all existed—if I knew there was help out there for me—for Mason. And I’m not asking anyone to forgive me, because I know what you all stand for. What I’m saying is I think you all need to stop hiding and come out to the world, because I am not okay with saying to hell with my family and friends just so—”
“Okay, thank you, Kali,” Peter said with a nervous laugh.
I frowned, not believing he was seriously trying to cut me off. “I’m not finished.”
“Can we all give Kali a round of applause?”
The crowd clapped their hands, the noise echoing around the room, grating on my nerves.
I rolled my eyes and let out a strangled laugh. These people were unbelievable. They wanted me to save all humanity, yet they weren’t willing to do something for me.
It was not going to end well for them.
By now, I thought they would’ve figured out I wasn’t one to take orders eas
ily when my family and friends were at stake. Sure, the demons would be going after Mason’s loved ones, but that still involved my drunk-ass father whom I wasn’t prepared to let become just another statistic for those demonic creatures to torture.
Hell, they’d probably make our father a vampire just to spite us. It’s what I would do if I were them.
The cheers died down, and the band started up again with their annoying classical music. If this party was truly for me, they would’ve had a deejay or a rock band or anything that wasn’t going to make me want to gouge out my eardrums.
Okay, so maybe I was over exaggerating just a bit—a lot. But sitting on my own, a spectacle to the hunters below, was doing things to my head.
I slouched back in my seat and picked up my fork, pushing the vegetables around the plate, wishing I had my damn phone on me so I’d have something to do. Or at least be able to sit at the same table as my friends and frenemy.
Mason, Finn, and Kade seemed to be getting along like a house on fire, developing their bromance to include one more. Lana had changed tables and was now chatting with Max and another hunter I was yet to have the pleasure of meeting, and I was all on my own, bored out of my brain.
Sighing, I chastised myself. I should’ve been thinking of a way to get out of this place and save my father, not sitting here feeling sorry for myself.
That was the old me.
The new me was an ass-kicking, vampire-devouring huntress who… needed a plan.
When I first found out I was their divine, demon hunter they’d been waiting for all their lives, I thought they would have to listen to me. I needed someone…
Orphelia.
She was in her very own room located in an attic at the far left wing of the compound, away from all these people who wanted to keep me under lock and key. She said she was mine to command or some shit like that, and it was about time I figured out exactly what that meant.
What I needed to do was find a way to sneak out of this room and see her. Either that or just bust out of this place and go rescue… I trailed off as I glanced over at my brothers and locked eyes with Mason.
He stared at me unwaveringly, a haunting look in his gaze, piercing my soul as if he knew what I was thinking.
A shiver ran down my spine as I waited for him to out me, destroying my chance at saving our father. Some might think Dad didn’t deserve to live when he just drank away his days, oblivious to us and anything else in life, but the truth hurt so much more.
My mother’s death had ruined him, and he may have chosen the shittiest way of dealing with things, but he was still our father, and he hadn’t always been like that. Sometimes grief made people do stupid things. Hell, I almost became a vampire, so who was I to judge? And Mom wouldn’t have wanted us to give up on him—even if he was no longer in touch with life.
I sighed as the memory of my mother morphing from the demon veil assaulted my mind, ripping through the hard exterior I tried to portray as if it were a warm knife slicing butter.
I stood no chance.
My subconscious had been responsible for her presence that day, eating away at my soul ever since. She wouldn’t have wanted us to give up on our father so easily.
“Kali,” Lana said, breaking me from my thoughts, her voice only inches from me.
I blinked away my tears as she placed her hand on my shoulder.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Nodding, I put on a smile and turned to her. “I’m fine.” When she raised a brow, I sighed. “Okay. This is torture. How much longer will this go on?”
Lana chuckled, her warm smile a welcome to the struggle going on inside of me. “This will probably go on all night. Once they let their hair down and have a few drinks, you’ll be able to relax and come hang with us.”
I frowned. “Really? I thought they would have to stay sober. You know, to protect the innocent.”
She eyed my uneaten dinner. “Us, yeah. But the ones who stay behind the wards surrounding this place can afford to be a little lax on occasion.”
“Right.” I sighed. “So, when do you think I can talk to your parents about my father and Ash?”
Her smile dropped from her face, reminding me that I was talking to first and foremost a hunter—a legacy nonetheless, then second, my friend. “We’ve discussed this, and I thought I made it clear. You can’t bring them in. We are not a safe haven for those we care about.”
I glared at her. “I can not just leave them to die. You allowed Finn to bring me in—and Mason as well.”
“That was different. You were already part of this world from the moment you decided to become one of them. And Mason, he was a prospect, involved in this world through no choice of his own.”
“And so was my father from the moment of my conception. I’m alive because of him.”
Lana shook her head. “You’re alive because of your past—because of who you are.”
Slouching back into my chair, I gave up on trying to change her mind. The Society was too set in their ways to change. I didn’t stand a chance of convincing them otherwise.
It was up to me to save them.
Lana narrowed her eyes at me, almost as if she could hear my thoughts ticking over how I was going to escape this prison they’d placed me in and do what needed to be done.
It was the right thing. I couldn’t leave my father to die.
That just wasn’t me.
My mother’s image, as she begged me to help, flashed through my mind.
I couldn’t help her. She was already dead. But my father was still very much alive.
Lana placed her hand on my forearm and gave it a squeeze, a warm smile replacing the apprehensive one she’d worn only moments ago. “I know it seems unfair, but it is for the best.”
Forcing a smile, I pretended I wasn’t about to plan my escape and rescue my father without their help. But I wasn’t fooling anyone. I was a terrible liar.
She knew I didn’t accept her bid for my safety. I could see it in her eyes. But I was glad she didn’t call me out on it. Probably because she didn’t think I was foolish enough to try to break free on a night when so many hunters and guards were surrounding the compound.
She obviously didn’t know me very well.
Lana gave my arm another squeeze. “I’ll come rescue you when the dinner part is over and the rest of the celebrations begin.
I hated to think what other celebrations they had in store for me and was glad I wasn’t going to be around to find out. “Thanks,” I lied.
She gave me one last warm smile then retreated back to her table where the bromance was still in full action. Max’s gaze barely left mine.
A shiver ran down my spine at the same time my heart skipped a beat. I had to force myself to look away from him and his never-ending pools of pain and despair, reminders of all the sinful things I’d done.
And was about to do.
The dinner dragged on for what felt like forever, and I soon became glad I was at a table by myself so I could come up with a plan without the distraction of having to keep up a chatty appearance.
My plan was foolish—like all of my others, but I didn’t have many options when no one in this place would listen to my opinions and fears. And they most certainly wouldn’t take orders from me. Maybe that would change once I became the one, but until then, I was on my own, wanting to save the world in my unconventional way.
Someone cleared their throat beside me, jolting me out of my thoughts. “Excuse me, miss. Have you finished with your meal?”
I stared up at the suited man beside me. He, like all the others in this facility that rolled with the Society, didn’t break the perfect appearance or protocols of his job description.
I wondered whether the Society really was in this to save the human race, or if they had an ulterior motive—even if it were just power and prestige. Then again, that didn’t make much sense, considering they were the ones who didn’t want the world to know the hunters existed.
&nb
sp; “Yes. Thank you,” I said, handing him my untouched plate.
He gave me a slight bow then retreated with silent steps just like the hunters.
The festivities continued outside under the moonlit sky, the storm clouds no longer in sight. Fairy lights hung above us, turning the garden into a magical wonderland of warmth, wonder, and lies.
No matter how much I tried to understand this stupid tradition of celebrating the one they were holding captive, I couldn’t succumb to their ways.
Lana came up behind me, linking her arm with mine, and sighed as she tilted her head back. “It’s beautiful out here, isn’t it?”
“Yep,” I said, trying to control my anger.
She leaned in closer to me. “Look. I agree that all of this is completely unnecessary and what we should be doing is taking the opportunity to help you become the person you’re destined to become. But my parents are doing this regardless, and you can either go with it for a few more hours and then it’ll be over and we can get back to what’s necessary, or you can spend this time dragging out how much you despise this whole thing and still have to be here anyway.”
“I say drag it out.” I pulled at the silk fabric of my gown. “I mean, look at me. I look ridiculous in this outfit.”
Lana raised a brow. “That’s not what Max thinks. He’s been eyeing you all night.”
My stomach fluttered at the mention of his name, and I had to stomp on those damn butterflies, killing them before they had a chance to fly and take over, turning me into the girl I used to be. The one who put her own needs in front of all others. The one who was responsible for Mason being taken in the first place.
Swallowing hard, I tried to stop my gaze from darting to Max. “Yeah. He’s probably making sure I don’t go on a rampage, killing everyone here.”
She nudged her shoulder against mine. “Yeah, right. That’s why he came to rescue you instead of letting you become the next vampire meal.”
Circle of Embers (Shadow Realms Series Book 2): A vampire hunter novel Page 2