Dark Horizons (The Red Sector Chronicles)

by Krystle Jones

  News reporters scoured the area while the Scarlet Guard drove back what was left of the crowd. That’s when I noticed something odd.

  They had stopped firing.

  I don’t remember hearing the bullet fire cease. We’d been too busy trying to steal the car for me to notice.

  Arika and Dezyre crammed into the backseat with me while Rook took shotgun, and Leo hopped in behind the wheel. It took him a few times to shut the door because the framework was badly damaged from the wreck, but at last, we were all in and buckled up.

  The smell of blood and death hung heavy in the air. I tried to hide my fangs, which had protruded of their own accord. It felt very much like having a zit I was trying to cover up. Dezyre and Rook squirmed; I could tell they were struggling with it just as much as I was.

  Arika glanced at Dezyre and me anxiously. “Can we trust them not to eat us?”

  I rolled my eyes. “We’re not animals. We can control it.”

  “Tch.” Arika crossed her arms and looked away. “I beg to differ,” she mumbled. Staring out the window, she reached up and looped her index finger around a thin silver chain, grasping a pendant that looked like a bird.

  “Enough.” Leo grappled with the key, trying to get the engine to roll over. After a few failed attempts, he slammed his hand against the wheel, swearing. “Hey,” he said to Rook, “see if there’s a flashlight in the glove compartment.”

  Rook opened the little bin, shuffling papers around. “Aha!” he said, tossing one of those small roadside flashlights to Leo. “We’re in business.”

  Leo nodded in thanks, clicking it on and shining the light beneath the wheel. “Hold this for me, would ya?” he asked Rook.

  Rook took the light, and Leo reached up under the dash, pulling out a handful of wires.

  Behind us the crowd screamed and wailed, some fallen to their knees beside their now deceased loved ones.

  My heart went out to them, and I glared at the Guard.

  Vicious bastards.

  Sparks flew up from the dash as Leo gently pressed two of the wires together. A few seconds later, the engine rolled and the car shuddered to life.

  He grinned, taking the wheel as Rook shut the light off. “Am I good, or am I good?”

  Rook raised a brow and gave him a small smile back. The gesture seemed strained, as if he didn’t quite know how to respond to him yet. Rook and Leo had been friends as humans, though I could see that relationship was going to take some time to repair.

  Shouts came behind us. I glanced around, seeing several blurry shapes with cameras heading toward us. Someone said my name. I don’t think I would have heard them if I hadn’t been a vampire.

  “We think we’ve identified one of the people in the car as Sovereign McAllister’s daughter, Sloane McAllister…”

  Rook must have heard it too because right then he whirled around, eyes wide. “Get us out of here, man!”

  “Gladly.” Leo jerked the gear into reverse and slammed down his foot on the gas pedal. With a groan, the car lurched backward, sending us flying against our seats. He didn’t even let the car come all the way to a complete stop before switching gears and flooring it. The tires spun in place for a few seconds before the car shot off like a bullet.

  “What was that all about?” I asked, jerking a thumb back at the jail. “What were they protesting, and why were they doing it in front of the jail?”

  “Protests have become more and more common since you left,” Leo said, keeping his eyes on the road. “As the Scarlet Guard become stricter – and the Black Cross Guild more restless to take matters into their own hands – the people caught in between have started pushing back the only way they know how. Riots have cropped up all over town, growing rowdier every time. I think they chose the jail because the Scarlet Guard used it as their headquarters before they got their fancy new base downtown.”

  I frowned, digesting this.

  “Hold on,” Leo said, sliding around a corner. I slammed into Dezyre so hard we bumped heads.

  “Ow!” she said, glaring at me.

  “Oh, get over it,” I shouted back. I was all out of “give a damn” for a day, and she was seriously pressing my buttons.

  The reporters tried running after us, but we were much too fast. Soon they became little dots in the distance.

  I glanced at Leo in the rearview mirror. His face was all business. “The interstate’s not far. We can hop on I-376 and gun it away from here. There shouldn’t be anyone out, considering it’s past curfew.”

  “And where are we going?” I said, leaning forward. I glanced at the time on the dash. The little neon green lights said it was 3:36 a.m. “We… can’t be outside in the sunlight,” I added, wincing on the inside. It made me feel even less human having to admit that.

  Leo never reacted. “Don’t worry,” he said, as if this were perfectly normal. He caught my eyes in the mirror, grinning.

  “I know where we can go.”

  CHAPTER 10

  Everything was pitch-black.

  A spotlight shone on a blood-red coffin, which appeared to be floating in the air a few feet in front of me. Fog rolled along the bottomless floor, giving the light a smoky appearance. Humps and dark shapes lay scattered all around. As I walked toward the casket, I saw the lifeless faces of my friends and family; my mom, Orion, Angel, Paris, Rook, and –

  My heart stopped. “Aden,” I breathed.

  I wanted to rush to him, but I couldn’t. It was as if my body wouldn’t let me do anything else except walk toward that coffin. With my legs feeling very heavy, I robotically trudged toward the casket. The lid cracked open as I approached, slowly rising with an eerie creak.

  I peered inside, my eyes narrowing against the glare of the light.

  I blinked.

  It was my dad.

  My blood turned to ice. “Daddy?” I said in a small voice.

  His face was peaceful, save for the two tips of fangs protruding beneath his upper lip, making it look like he was sneering. I leaned forward, and his eyes snapped open.

  I jumped back with a yelp.

  His eyes were red as blood, the same vibrant shade as the coffin.

  I shook my head, backing away, eyes locked on the coffin. “No. No, this isn’t real.”

  The figure sat up, only it wasn’t my father anymore – it was me.

  “Oh, but it is real,” the copy said, fixing her red gaze on mine as she curled into a crouching position. Her long black nails scraped the side of the coffin as she grabbed the edge, preparing to pounce.

  Her head jerked, contorting her neck at an odd angle. I almost vomited as her skin began to sag, turning an ugly purple color until she was nothing more than a skeleton with fangs and glowing red eyes – a Rogue.

  “No!” I shouted, right as the Rogue launched itself from the coffin, its jaws aimed for my throat.

  ***

  The car jostled over a pothole, jolting me awake. My heart was pounding, and my breath came in a trembling gasp.

  Dezyre eyed me strangely. “Bad dream?”

  Surprisingly, I didn’t detect any animosity in her tone. “Something like that,” I said quietly, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

  “We’re here,” Leo said from the front.

  I glanced at the clock. It was almost 5:30 a.m.

  Rubbing my eyes, which felt like a cat had gotten a hold of them, I squinted out the windows, seeing only trees because it was still dark. “Where are we?”

  “Near Indian Lake,” Leo said.

  Indian Lake? It took a few seconds because my brain was still foggy with sleep, but finally it hit me where we were. Leo’s uncle owned some lakefront property over this way, tucked off in the woods by a few Pennsylvania state parks that were still within the safety of the White Sector, though practically nobody dared live out here anymore because it was right next to the wall.

  Leo turned off the main road and the ride instantly got bumpier, like we were riding along either dirt or gravel. The driveway
wound through the trees, and a clearing at last came into view, along with a two-story log cabin situated right next to Indian Lake. The moon was waning, but it didn’t do anything to help the blood-red color of the water. A dock lay in the murky water, and we passed by a lonely looking swing on our way to the cabin. At last, the car rambled to a complete stop and Leo killed the engine.

  Nobody said anything as we got out. I winced when I stood up. My leg had fallen asleep, and my whole body felt stiff and achy. I was so ready to crash, but I also couldn’t shake the itch to want to look for Orion because I knew Aden’s life was slipping further away by the minute.

  Dezyre looked around, wrinkling her nose as if she were allergic to nature. “Where are we?”

  Leo was already walking toward the cabin. “At my uncle’s old cabin. He used to come here all the time to fish and relax, but he hasn’t been out here in a while since he got sick.”

  My head snapped up. That was news to me.

  Not wanting to sound like a nosy, inconsiderate jerk, I decided to ask him about it later.

  We silently followed Leo up the wooden steps and gathered on the porch while he unlocked the door. It was perfectly still outside, with the only sound being the lapping of the lake water. It was eerie. When we played here as kids, the place had felt alive. You could hear owls, birds, and occasionally a coyote.

  Shivering, I hugged myself and followed everyone inside.

  It was surprisingly warm, like someone had been there recently. With Leo’s uncle gone most of the time on government business trips, the only person who visited this place had to be Leo. I glanced at him, and he seemed to relax as he walked inside the living room.

  The interior of the cabin was posh in a rustic kind of way. It had vaulted ceilings with dark wooden beams, and a big stone fireplace along one wood-paneled wall in the living room. The floors were also all wood, giving the space a warm, homey look. The kitchen was all marble countertops and stainless steel appliances, and expensive decorative rugs partially hid the massive floor space. Leather furniture sat off to the side in the living room; the couch and recliner were one of the reasons I teased Leo about this place being a gigantic man cave. A cherry wood dining table sat to our left, nestled in a dining room lined with glass panels so you could look at the lake while eating. I had to admit, even post vampire-Apocalypse, this place was relaxing. There was something about being in the middle of nature that put people at ease.

  Everyone looked exhausted. Arika leaned against the couch, gazing at it longingly like she wanted to lie down. Dezyre yawned loudly, daintily covering her mouth as she did, and Rook was blinking a few times like he was trying to stay awake. It was getting close to our bedtime, which was usually around dawn.

  “There are some spare bedrooms down the hall,” Leo said, pointing. Even the bags under his eyes looked heavier somehow. “And the bathroom’s right across the way. Help yourselves.”

  “Got anything to eat?” Dezyre asked, arching a perfectly shaped brow.

  Arika and Leo both tensed, glancing warily at each other.

  Dezyre rolled her eyes. “I mean, like real food? Berries or nuts or whatever you people eat out here in the wilderness?”

  The mention of food made my stomach growl. Vampires got hungry like regular people. We just had to have blood every now and then; otherwise, we would get really sick.

  Leo seemed to relax somewhat, but Arika still looked like she’d rather run us through with her sai than show us where the kitchen was.

  Leo scratched his head, looking sheepish. “I don’t know. There might be some cereal or something in the cupboards. If you find anything, help yourself.”

  Dezyre flounced off without a word of thanks, and Rook gave Leo a grateful smile. “Thanks for saving us back there, man.”

  “Um, yeah.” Leo nodded awkwardly. “No problem.”

  We stood there for a long, silent moment before Rook said, “I think I’ll take you up on that guest bedroom offer.”

  With one last small smile, he walked away, leaving me alone with Arika and Leo. They were quietly talking to each other, their voices barely audible.

  “I don’t trust her,” Arika was saying.

  I tensed, my face flaming.

  “I’m kind of tired too,” I said suddenly. I actually meant it, though I’m not sure “tired” quite described how I felt; “exhausted” probably would have come closer. Being tortured, shot at, and chased by ravenous vampires, hungry paparazzi, and vengeful vampire hunters would do that to a girl.

  Giving them a tight smile, I beelined down the hall and found an empty room. It was the one I’d always stayed in when I had spent the weekend here. It was small but cozy, with the same wood-paneled walls and floor. A plush pink rug lay on the floor beside the bed, which was covered with a quilt made up of rose-patterned tiles. The pillows were also pink, and though the décor was a little too girly for my taste, it felt familiar and comforting.

  I eased the door closed and heaved a heavy sigh. Not bothering to take off my shoes, I collapsed onto the bed, face first, my eyes closed before I hit the pillow.

  Red light streamed in from the double windows parallel to the bed, making the crystals in the antique bedside lamp sparkle.

  Try as I might, I couldn’t fall asleep. I rolled into different positions, but no matter which one I tried, I couldn’t seem to relax or still my mind long enough to doze off. Too many thoughts were rolling through my head; hoping Paris was okay, wanting to make things right between Leo and me, and worrying about Aden. I also worried about getting Dezyre and Rook killed by dragging them into this mess.

  Worst of all were the screams of the pedestrians the Guard had gunned down. Their terrified cries rang in my head, swirling and amassing until I couldn’t hear myself think anymore.

  Unable to sleep, I sat up with a growl and went out into the hall. The house was quiet. I could hear Rook’s soft snoring as I passed by another room, but I didn’t know where the others were.

  Craving some sense of freedom, I unlocked the front door and went outside, closing it gently behind me.

  The red moon was starting to fall behind the tree line, and I knew in another hour or two it would be daylight. Oh, well. That was still enough time to think.

  I walked down the steps and crossed the tall grass of the yard over to the swing. Plopping down onto the wooden seat, I pulled my legs up and stared out over the water. The eerie silence didn’t even bother me anymore. It was the most peace I had known in a while.

  I took a deep breath of crisp air, letting it out slowly as soft footsteps approached.

  I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. His scent carried toward me, all sweat and the smell of the woods.

  My heart started pounding harder. Relax, Sloane. It’s just Leo.

  But that’s the whole point! my subconscious screamed back, bombarding me with the memory of me biting him.

  I inwardly groaned and tried my best to look cool as he sat down on the swing beside me with a sigh.

  We sat there, staring out at the lake while our breaths fogged in the air. I was keenly aware of his proximity, of the smell of his blood…

  I squeezed my eyes shut. Don’t even think about biting him.

  “We haven’t done this since we were kids,” he said finally.

  My eyes snapped open and I glanced at him. He had a wistful look on his face, the light of the blood-red water reflecting in his eyes and making them look red. It kind of suited him, in a way. Leo would be one hot vampire.

  I blushed, looking back at the lake. “Yeah,” I said. “It’s been years.”

  A few more tense moments of silence followed, and I started to get up.

  Leo caught my hand. “Wait.”

  My breath caught and I looked at our hands.

  “Stay, please,” he said, his eyes catching mine.

  I stared back at him, searching his gaze. He looked lonely. And very, very sad.

  My brow furrowed. Where was the joking, sometimes arroga
nt boy I’d grown to love?

  Clearing my throat, I awkwardly pulled my hand back and sat down on the swing. I hadn’t meant to, but somehow I had sat as far away from him as possible.

  Leo didn’t seem to notice. He was again staring out over the water. “It’s unreal, seeing Rook again,” he said casually. “I spoke with him earlier, after you’d gone to your room.” His gaze sharpened as he looked at me. “He told me what happened, what you’re trying to do.” I could tell there was something more he wanted to say from the stormy look in his eyes, but he didn’t elaborate. “I can’t believe Orion would do that to you,” he said instead, shaking his head.

  My throat suddenly felt dry. “Would it be so wrong?” I said softly. “If he succeeded in wiping out all vampires?”

  “Of course it would be wrong!”

  I jumped at Leo’s outburst, though to hear him speak with so much conviction felt reassuring. It sounded more like the Leo I knew.

  I looked at him, tilting my head to the side and sending my hair falling in a dark veil past my shoulder. I no doubt had several snarls to work out in it, something I wasn’t looking forward to. It was unmanageable enough as it was. “You don’t think vampires are an abomination?” I asked reluctantly.

  Leo shrugged, his expression growing dark. His eyes dropped to the black cross tattoo on his right wrist. “Some humans can be as much of an abomination as vampires, if not worse.”

  I thought back to McGuiness, of his glee while torturing me, and I shivered. God help us if he ever became a vampire.

  “What happened to you, Leo?” I asked quietly, changing the subject. “You look, well, like you could use someone to talk to.” I was starting to relax the more I spoke with him. We had done this so many times in the past that it felt natural.

  That heavy sadness returned to his face, and his shoulders seemed to slump. “My uncle was diagnosed with prostate cancer about a week ago.”