“Be careful with that one,” I heard from behind me.
“Now, hold it away from your body and twist your wrist so that it can lay flat.” I did as she instructed. “Now, with your fingers, feel for two small indents. Once you feel them, press your index finger down on the first one quickly and with force,” Claire said, and I slowly moved my fingers enough to look for the indents. I felt two small indents and aligned my index and middle finger on each of them. I then tried, with my index finger, to push it, but nothing happened. I started to bring it towards my face to make sure my fingers were on the right spot.
“No!” Claire screamed from behind me. “You have to hold it away from you, until you can master its movements.” I, once again, held the stake as far away as possible and, again, tried to push in the first indent. “You have to do it quick and hard,” Claire nagged from behind me. What the hell did I have to do to get this thing to do whatever it was meant to do? Perhaps I needed to workout my fingers more, I thought. I took a deep breath and pushed it in as hard as I could with my finger. It finally gave and I watched as it elongated from both ends to become a three-foot long killing machine. I could kill at least two, maybe three, vampires, if they were standing in a line, with this thing. It wasn’t only sharp at the front either. No, this thing was a double-header, with both ends coming to sharp points. I slowly slid my finger to the tip and watched in amazement as, with just a simple touch, it broke my skin and a small trickle of blood came from my fingertip.
“It’s amazing,” I let out, finally able to speak. And people said ‘love at first sight’ didn’t exist. “Can I have it?” I begged like a child. I had to have this.
“Of course. Now, push in that same indent again, and then try the other indent with your middle finger,” she said. I pushed the first one again and watched as it, with lighting speed, took back its original form. Then I pushed down the other indent with my middle finger, getting it on the first try. I was so excited to see what else this thing could do. My eyes, again, watched in amazement as it elongated from only the top end, this time into a sleek, sharp, silver blade.
“I love it,” I said as I smiled like Santa had just stopped by my house.
“Now, put it back to its original state, wipe the drool from your mouth, and try to focus as I show you the rest of the stuff I’m going to give you,” Claire said as she headed towards the glass cases, full of vials and jewelry. I hesitated, but pressed the second indent again, making the blade disappear, and I, once again, had the flat-ended stake in my hands. Cradling it in my arms like a baby, and met Claire at the glass cases. She held up a white-gold bracelet. It was incrusted with several dime-sized black stones.
“You must wear this at all times so you’ll always be aware of what and who is around you,” Claire spoke seriously.
“What is it?” I asked, as I clasped it onto my wrist and watched the stones turn to a dark, navy-blue. “Is it a mood bracelet?”
“Seriously?” she asked, rolling her eyes. “It’s an indicator. It’s blue now, because you are in the presence of a witch. It is a dark-blue, which indicates that I’m, let’s say, a quite experienced witch. Sky-blue, for example, would be a new witch. A lighter/brighter color means new or not a lot of experience; a darker color means more dangerous,” she said. “It goes like that for all the undead’s colors. I’m sure you’ve seen that already with vampire’s eyes. Well, these bracelets will do the same thing for each of the undead species. You got it?” she asked, making sure I was following along.
“Yes, I got it,” I responded. This could have come in handy back in my hunting team days. We had thought you couldn’t tell the undeads’ levels until they showed you, either by the color of their eyes or their skills.
“It will work for almost all occasions, unless an undead is wearing a cover, but that is extremely rare, and still, those wear off. This bracelet is more powerful than any of the cover spells you’ll see around here—hell, anywhere, except for where the royals are. The day they come down to this place, and actually wear a cover spell, is the day I believe humans…” she paused, looking at me, then stopped. “Well, you get the point. Royals are the only ones who could conjure up something that powerful, but royal witches hate royal vampires, so they wouldn’t conjure a spell for one. Even if they did, the royal vampires are too damned proud to ask for, or wear, a cover spell, and I’ve never seen a werewolf with one, for most undeads believe undead hunters are not even close to being a real threat to them. But, hopefully, our arrangement will alter that.” She laughed, and again reached into the glass counter. This time, she pulled out a small, glass vial that had a clear liquid inside. “This is something I also want you to make sure you never go anywhere without. It’s a simple, but pure, healing potion. Drinking a drop of this will heal cuts up to an inch deep. If you drink the whole thing, it could keep you alive if you are inches from death. But, try to take it before you are that close, please,” she suggested.
“Trust me, I will,” I said as I felt a shiver go up my spine. I have been in near-death situations a few times before, but never suffered a near-death injury.
“Alright, and last, but not least—” She grabbed a belt-looking thing that was hanging on the wall behind the glass cases. “Here is a belt to hold your stake, vile, and whatever else you need. Consider it your tool belt.” She laughed. “There’ll be more later, but I’m tired, and it’s been a long night. I’ll be in touch,” she said, and we parted ways. I was really excited leaving her shop, but on my walk home, I couldn’t help but wonder what I was getting myself into. I didn’t really know, but I also didn’t seem to care.
It went on for about three months like this. I would be an advertising agent by day, and an undead hunter at night. I would get off work, feed Duke and take him on his walk, nap, and then go out hunting. Besides Duke being upset with me because he wasn’t getting as much play time, things were going pretty well, until I met my first vitan.
Chapter 7
The Vitans.
I had just finished off two amateur vamps the first time I met a vitan. He arrived seconds after I’d collected my stake from my latest victim’s ashes.
“Ma’am, I’m going to need you to please leave the alley. I’m an undercover for the station down here, and there’s been a lot of strange activity going on that I need to investigate. I’m sorry it’s inconvenient, but it’s just procedure,” said a man that started walking towards me from the end of the alley. I looked down at my bracelet. He was human, because there was not even a flicker of color, but he was lying about why he was down here.
“May I see your badge?” I asked, wanting to call him out. I felt the need to know why he was down there himself, especially since he’d arrived just after I’d killed two vampires.
“I actually don’t have it on me, Ma’am, because I’m, uh, an undercover. I don’t mean any trouble, Ma’am, I just need you to leave this alley now.” He was beginning to lose his calm tone as he continued to walk towards me.
“First, I’m going to need you to stop calling me ‘Ma’am.’” I laughed. “I’m not that old yet. And second, I don’t believe you, so I will leave when I want to,” I said, as he finally came completely into view. He definitely looked like the character he was trying to play. He had to be about six-four and was very stocky. He wore dark, tight-fitting athletic clothes. He had a golden-bronze skin tone that was complemented by his dirty-blond hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. He had dark, navy-blue eyes that looked shocked at what I had just said to him. His face had an edge to it that said he’d been through some hard times and could definitely kick a lot of ass. He had the kind of face that made you want to either punch it or viciously make-out with it.
“You’re going to leave, now!” he demanded as he went to grab my arm. I quickly moved to the side, and heard him let out a small grunt, as he missed me completely. I let out a giggle, which seemed to frustrate him more. “If you don’t leave now, then you’re going to die,” he threatened, and I was no l
onger in a laughing mood.
“Is that so…” I said as I pushed that magic button that made my stake so deadly. His eyes widened, not in horror, like I’d expected, but in shock.
“I didn’t mean by me!” he yelled.
“By who then? Your gangster buddies or something?” I asked, since my mind had come to the conclusion that if he wasn’t a cop, and he wanted me out of the alley, it had to be drug related.
“No, please leave. I don’t want to be responsible for your death. The trouble that is coming here will kill you, and I can’t take care of you and fight them at the same time, because we’d both die.”
“Take care of me?” I laughed. “I need no one to take care of me.”
“Fine…crazy lady. Just wait until they get here, then you will run, and hopefully, I’ll be able to fend them off so they won’t hunt you,” he said, seeming extremely annoyed. And what did he mean they would hunt me? Could he be waiting for the vampires I just killed?
“Tell me who you are waiting for, and then I will leave,” I said to him.
“I can’t tell you. Can’t you just trust me?” he asked.
“I don’t trust anyone…and if I did, it wouldn’t be someone whose first words to me were a lie,” I said.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, so there’s no point,” he said hopelessly.
“Try me…” I smiled.
“Two vampires, who are so fast and skilled they could kill you before you even blink!” he said, watching me for a reaction.
“Look down at your feet,” I said, because he was conveniently stepping in the ashy remains of the two vampires he was speaking of. “Those are the remains of the two you are probably waiting for. Didn’t your mother ever tell you that the early bird gets the worm?”
“That is not possible. That was my assignment. Who came before me? Was it Kyle? And how do you know what that is?” he asked.
“Are you really that stupid? Do you not see what I have in my hand?” I said, insulted, as I held up my stake.
“You?” he pointed at me and laughed. “Yeah right…” Oh, so he wanted a sample of my skills? Well, we weren’t at Sam’s Club on a Sunday, but I was feeling generous. Before he could laugh again, I ran up to him in full-sprint and pushed him into the wall. He was caught off-guard for a second, but then came back at me. Each hit he tried to make, I blocked easy, and it seemed to frustrate him more and more as the fight went on. Each of us only landing a hit once in a while, because we were both great blockers. We challenged each other for a half-hour, full force, and it was starting to take a toll on my—and I hoped, his—body.
“We are supposed to be on the same side, aren’t we?” I asked, slowly trying to catch my breath.
“Yes….you can stop at any time—” He smiled. “Because I won’t. True vitans never give up. We fight with power, and we have discipline that forces us to go on!” he said, like he was rehearing it from a scripture or something. I was sick of this going on, and knew I had to end it soon or my body was going to give out. I’d already fought two vampires tonight; I didn’t need to add a stupid human to the list. My legs went for a high kick to his face, and unfortunately missed. The stumble was all he needed, and he had me wrapped up in his arms in a tight grip. “Now, I will make you leave the alley.” He laughed, thinking he had won. I wiggled my body around, trying to get away, but he just tightened his grip. My wiggling eventually got me to the position I wanted, which was to be face to face with him. I waited for him to speak again, and I took that opportunity to knee him in the balls. His grip loosened and I was free.
“That was not fair…” he said, obviously in a lot of pain, as he was slightly bent over.
“I never said I fight fair. Are we done now?” I asked.
“Yeah, we’re done, but it’s not over,” he warned with a smile.
“Since we’re not fighting anymore, can I know your name? Mine’s Shad. And also, what the hell are you doing staking vampires?” he asked.
“My name is not of your concern, Shad, and I stake vampires because it’s what I do,” I told him. I’m sure it wouldn’t be a big deal to tell him my name, and I wanted to, but I needed to know who and what he was about first.
“What do you mean it’s what you do? Are you a rogue vitan? I’ve heard of people leaving their hunting party, but it’s always been a man, and they don’t survive long. You’re the first woman hunter I’ve met. You can’t be a vitan, because that wouldn’t be permitted. I mean, they’re part of our society, but they never go on the hunt,” he said.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about when you say ‘vitan,’ so that would be a ‘no.’ I am not a vitan, a rogue vitan, or part of a hunting party. And what does being a woman have to do with anything?” I asked.
“That doesn’t make any sense. You can’t possibly be hunting on your own. You’re a woman…you should not be doing that. What if they killed you?” he said as he looked dumbfounded. Why was it always so confusing to people that I hunted alone?
“You keep saying the woman part…I don’t really see how that matters?” I asked.
“It matters a lot…what if you were to get caught by them, or worse—killed?” he asked.
“It’s the same risk that you take when you go out to fight them,” I practically yelled. My luck has it that I would meet a chauvinist hunter. “So you think you’re better than me, just because you have a dick and I do not?”
“No! That’s not what I’m saying…it’s just not right for women to go out and fight. That’s why we have men fighters. They’re physically stronger, and…” He was beginning to ramble.
“Did I not just kill two vampires, and then win the fight I had with you?” I snapped.
“You didn’t win our fight…and yes, you did win against the vampires, but that doesn’t make it right. You don’t understand the dangers of hunting these things. And you don’t need to hunt anymore, because we’re here to do that until they’re all gone, so you’ll be safe again,” he said, not getting any of what I had just said.
“God, you’re a fucking pig…just like a man to think a woman can’t fight for herself. I don’t need you, or any of your hunting party, to keep me safe. I’ll do that on my own, thank you very much, just like I have already been doing,” I said as I began to turn away. I didn’t need to hear any more of this.
“I’m not a pig. I’m just saying this will cost you your life if you fight them. It’s just not right. The council would never permit this. There are so many other ways that you can help, without actually joining the fight,” he lectured.
“Well, I’m not a part of the vitans, so I don’t need their permission!” I screamed, now being way past talking to this man anymore. “And I would appreciate it if you would just leave with your vitan kind and, seriously, leave my city alone!”
“You couldn’t possibly handle what is coming this way alone, even if you were a man, and a true vitan soldier, who’s practiced for years. Now, leave this to us!” He was now yelling back.
“FUCK YOU, and fuck the VITANS!” I screamed. I’d had enough of this. “You’ll see, after I kill whatever you say is coming, maybe then you’ll stop underestimating me and leave my fucking city,” I said as I stormed off in a sprint. He unfortunately followed and grabbed my arm, swinging me back around to face him. I slammed into his chest and looked up into his eyes. They were such a beautiful, deep-blue that, between those and his full-bodied lips, I forgot, for a second, why I was so pissed. It was only a second though, and then I kneed him in the balls again, and got away as he screamed something like, “You’re going to DIE then. You can’t do it alone, you FOOL.” That was about all I caught.
Right when I got home, I took some Nyquil PM, and waited for sleep to come. There was a meeting tomorrow at work, so I would need the rest. I fell asleep, thinking of how he said something was coming. I’d wrote a note to remember to ask Claire about it later, but the note never reached her.
Chapter 8
A Rough ‘Were
’
It was 12:30 AM and I’d just arrived at Claire’s. I didn’t usually run late, but this whole week had been crazy at work. They’d kept me late every night, to the point that I wasn’t able to go out on a hunt all week. This was the first time I’d had to focus that much on work, but we were trying to get a huge multimillion-dollar account. This was a first for the firm, so it was extremely important. I’d been working on writing a proposal the whole week. I was glad to finally be able to go out tonight on a hunting assignment, even though I was really tired and not prepared at all. I just wanted something to get my mind off of work.
Two steps into her apartment above her head shop, and she gave me an up-and-down disappointed look. I shook it off, and took a seat on her red lazy boy. Claire’s apartment made mine look like section eight. Everything matched and had a perfect place. She had inspirational quotes on her walls, several pictures set around of places I’d never been, and it had an overall feeling of ‘home’—something I’d never gotten out of my place. The walls were a bright-yellow in the living room, with a dark-brown trim that made the black floorboards really pop. Each room had its own color and overall design that gave each a unique feel. With the amount of time that was put into the perfect décor, if she ever decided to give up the witch thing, an interior decorator would be a legitimate career choice.
“You look tired. Maybe you should go home and rest. I’ll leave this for another night,” Claire said.
“I’m here—let’s go. It’s been a stupid week. I haven’t had a kill since those two amateur vampires a week ago.” I paused, remembering what I’d wanted to talk to Claire about. “Speaking of those two vampires last week, after I killed them, this guy showed up and started rambling about how he was a vitan. What’s a vitan?”
Caylee's Confessions (Caylee's Confessions Series) Page 4