“Yes, Milady,” he said. “We were able to eliminate most of the Rogues. Very few survived.” He stood tall, one arm resting behind his back and the other at his side. I noticed that the other Hunters mimicked this same stance, and I wondered if I should match them. I released the grip in my hands and stood straighter. I began pulling my arm behind my back, but a glance from Malik stopped me dead in my track.
“And who is this?” she asked, looking me over once again, stopping at my eyes. I couldn’t decide if that was because people typically look one another in the eyes or if it was because mine were so obviously different from those around me.
“We encountered another problem. A coven of witches was attacked, and I was forced to change her.” Thu-thump. Thu-thump. Thu-thump-thump. Thu-thump-thump. I listened as Jasik’s heartbeat rose when he finished his sentence. He clenched his fist behind his back, and his heart rate slowed again. His hesitation was minimal and probably unnoticed by the beauty before us, but any hesitation led me to believe I might have to fight my way out of this death chamber.
Lillie met my gaze, her jaw clenching. I didn’t understand why she disliked me. I knew it wasn’t only Jeremiah’s close call that brought on such hatred.
The woman cleared her throat and stood, placing just her fingertips against the desk. “You know the law, Jasik.”
“I do, and I am prepared to repent for my actions.”
My breath caught in my throat. Repent? As in die? If they were willing to kill him, what the hell would they do to me?
“I see she is a Hunter. What is her ability?” she asked.
“We’re unsure.”
“Uncover her ability tomorrow, and I will find placement for her in another coven. You may leave.”
“Another coven?” I blurted. “I don’t want to go to another coven.” I turned to Jasik. The thought of meeting even more vampires who hated me made my blood boil. And I was getting really tired of making new friends.
His jaw clenched. I immediately regretted my outburst. I was sure I had broken some super-secret vampire law.
“Milady,” he began, “she will need to be trained in both combat and the way of our people. I will gladly complete this task, but it may be beneficial to the coven if she is placed here.”
“We do not need another Hunter,” she said, stepping away from behind her desk.
“Having another on location could prove ideal. Had Rogues attacked in our absence…” He didn’t finish. I supposed he didn’t need to.
I waited what seemed like an eternity for her decision. “I’ll consider it. You may leave.” And in the end, I still didn’t get one.
The door closed behind us after we left the room. I turned on my heel and faced the stairway, unsure of where to go. Another closed door was to my left, and a long hallway stretched down my right. Hoping we didn’t have to go back downstairs, I looked up to Jasik, noticing that he was already watching me.
“This way,” he said, walking down the hallway. Relief washed over me. I was able to avoid the vampires downstairs… for now.
As we walked side by side, I looked back to Jeremiah, who was swarmed by a dozen or so girls. His swoon ability was in full effect. I smiled when he looked over to me, and to my surprise, he smiled back.
We walked past a lounge, which sat nestled in a corner beside the office we had just left. We continued down the hall and past several sets of doors.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Malik said. Jasik nodded, and I looked back to meet Malik’s goodbye. He turned away and disappeared through the first closed door to our left.
“No one wants me here,” I said. I wasn’t sure why it bothered me. I really didn’t want to be here anyway, right? I didn’t belong here. The pit in my stomach grew deeper as I realized I didn’t belong anywhere.
“You’re with me. You’re welcomed wherever I am,” Jasik replied.
You’re with me. My heart dropped as he said those words. But why? His arm brushed against mine as we walked down the hall, and heat surged through my body. My heart began to race at his proximity. The lingering smell of his musk teased my senses. I shook my head. I needed sleep. I needed to learn to control my senses.
The hallway we walked down was long and dark. The same dark-wooded floors were beneath my heels, and another Gothic-looking chandelier lit our way. I expected to find sconces, stone floors, and blood-stained walls, but instead, though dark, it felt like a home. Like it could be my home. I tried to clear my thoughts.
“We passed Malik’s room,” he said. “Mine’s here, and this will be yours.” His room sat between mine and Malik’s.
“Jeremiah and Lillie?” I asked.
He turned and faced the doors across from ours. The door across from mine was for guests, the room across from Jasik’s was Lillie’s, and the room across from Malik’s was Jeremiah’s. He went on to explain that the other members of the coven resided on the third and fourth floors.
“I’ll show you the rest of the manor tomorrow, but we needn’t go up there.”
I turned back to my door and walked in. The bedroom was stunning. A king-sized bed dressed in dark maroon sat directly in front of me, supported by four posts that nearly touched the ceiling. Sheer white fabric twirled around each post and then enclosed the bed, creating a blissful paradise. An enormous armoire sat to the right, made of the same dark-brown wood as the rest of the manor. An elegant make-up table angled in the corner to my left. The enormity of the furniture made the room feel small, yet comforting.
“The door to your left is your personal bathroom, and the one to your right is your closet,” Jasik said, breaking my awestruck moment.
“Thank you,” I said, turning back to him. “For everything.” It was clear that Jasik had risked his life for me. I still didn’t understand why, and I wondered if I would have done the same for him.
He smiled, nodded, and then stepped backward, grabbing onto the door handle.
“We must rise early, by eight in the evening. Sleep well, Avah.”
“Night,” I said with a small smile.
He turned to leave. Before the door latched, he added, “Stay in your room tonight.”
And with that, the door closed, leaving me alone with my racing thoughts and mixed feelings.
Leaning against the closed door, I looked around the room. I flipped the lights off, peeled off my clothes, and slipped into the nightgown that was conveniently left on the bed. Settling in under the covers, I hoped for sleep.
But rather than its welcoming embrace, I projected.
I sat up, looking around. My head felt heavy, the room dark. As I stood and rose from the bed, it took all of my effort to take just a few steps. I looked around the room, noticing the corner, full-length mirror, the cracked wall, the shattered pictures. I leaned down and picked one up.
The collage was of a beautiful girl. She smiled next to an older woman who closely resembled her. They hugged each other as if nothing could tear apart their bond. In the next, she stood with an arched back, strong legs, and straight arms pointed toward the sky. I looked past the girl wearing a metallic, sparkly leotard; others matched her stance, but they stood on beams, preparing to twirl and jump and maintain balance. In the final picture, the girl was kissing a boy. His brown hair was shaven short, and her hand was wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer to her.
The girl looked happy, as if life had given her everything she had asked for: family, friends, romance. Faces were the ultimate disguise for the turmoil that lay beneath. The girl in the picture was used to hiding her inner desires, and the boy in the picture had no idea. But then again, she had everyone fooled.
I set the picture on the bedside table and walked around the bed, trailing my hand against the footboard. The door across from the end of the bed was open, and clothes cluttered the floor. She must have left so abruptly that she didn’t have time to clean. Maybe when she returned. I closed the door, hiding the mess from unwelcome eyes.
A scattering of post-it notes decor
ated the front of the door.
Write more poetry.
Help Mrs. Mills with garden.
Clean closet.
Russian History test on Monday.
A floorboard creaked. I turned around, but no one was there.
The air became hazy as I walked to the desk that sat beside the closet. Homemade picture frames with super-glued seashells stuck to the corners. The happy girl sat at a table surrounded by smiling faces. She, too, smiled, wrapping her arms around shoulders and waists. A closed laptop, an open notebook with scribbled cartoons, and a stack of books: English Literature 1800s, Russian History, Astrology, and Economics. Against the desk, a backpack sat open on the floor. Folders, notebooks, and pens spilled out.
I grabbed a lanyard off the desk; Northern Shasta College - California was written across the strap. I stared at the girl in the picture on the ID. Her long brown hair rested in soft waves next to her face. Her smile seemed to stretch from ear to ear. Senior was written below the headshot and Home of the Bears below that.
“She looks so happy,” I said.
“You were,” a voice said from behind me.
I dropped the lanyard and spun around, taking a step back.
“Are you still happy, Avah? Are they… taking care of you?”
The woman standing before me was the same woman in the broken frame that now lay on the bedside table. The woman holding the happy girl.
I shook my head and took a few more steps back, tears threatening.
“Avah, you have to accept who you are. You can’t fight fate. This happened for a reason. Please don’t forget that. You were chosen for a reason,” she said with a smile.
My eyes burned. “No,” I said, shaking my head.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to hide anymore,” she said as she took a few steps toward me. She reached her arms out, waiting for me to fall into the hug.
Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I finally gave in. I leapt toward her. We fell to the ground sobbing. She caressed my head, brushing hair from my eyes. “I’m so scared,” I said. “I’m so alone.”
“You’re never alone. I will always be with you,” she said as she planted a kiss atop my head.
I nodded, and she wiped away the tears.
“Now, stop crying. We don’t have a lot of time. Listen to me. Believe in yourself. Fight your hardest, and don’t let them change you. Your heart is so full of love. You’re strong. You can make it through this. I miss you, Avah, and I’ll love you forever.”
I woke to the blaring alarm on my bedside table. Reaching over, I slammed my hand down on the top button, silencing the abrasive beeps.
7:15 pm.
I rolled back over and stared at the ceiling. With thick shades hanging over the windows, darkness engulfed my room, yet I could see everything, as if the sun was setting, casting shadows in corners while illuminating patches of floorboards. I ran my fingers through my matted hair and took a deep breath. I yanked the covers off and walked into the bathroom.
Staring at a set of violet irises, I leaned against the countertop. Stopping just inches away from the mirror, I curled my lips and ran my tongue over my teeth, emphasizing the pointy tips of my canines. They were retracted, but they hung ever so slightly lower than a human’s, giving away their hopeless attempt at normality.
Fangs: meant for ripping through flesh, tearing away everything that being once was. Fangs meant death. No, fangs meant murder. Vampires needed blood to survive. I needed blood to survive. Whether that meant killing a human or an animal, it left an acidic sting in my gut.
Murder. No matter what word you chose to describe it, it was wrong. Like I should know better. Immoral. Could vampires have morals? Witches fought for morals, for life. Vampires fought for blood… for life. The sickening twist of what life meant for two different beings left a bad taste in my mouth. I pulled away from the mirror and shook my head. I swallowed hard, grabbing a bottle of toothpaste.
After brushing, I jumped into the shower, letting the water rush down my body, swirling into the drain at my feet. I curled my toes and then shot them forward, flinging water as they returned to their rightful place. After what felt like hours, I stepped out of the glass enclosure. Wrapping myself in the towel, I padded across the bedroom floor, leaving a trail of wet footprints in my wake.
I opened the door to the closet and gawked at its enormity. To my left sat an array of clothes. From tops to bottoms to evening wear, each section was color-coordinated and sorted neatly together. To my right sat all the shoes money could buy. At least, that’s what I assumed. Boots, heels, and sneakers, they sat in special, perfectly-sized cubbies. I ran my fingers against the clothes that hung on hooks. Shelves were stacked against the far wall directly across from the door.
I walked toward the shelves, dropping my towel as I grabbed a black sports bra with a crisscrossed back. I slipped on the bra and grabbed the matching pair of boy-shorts. Sliding them on, I yanked a pair of calf-length leggings off a hook. I pulled on the closest shirt and stepped into a pair of ballet flats, kicking the door closed with my foot as I left.
I twisted my long hair into a French braid that wrapped around my shoulder and hung down the side of my chest. With one last look in the mirror, I closed the door to my room behind me.
My mother was right: I had to give this new life everything I had, even if being this thing was more than I could bear. Embracing my new destiny as a Hunter would enable me to kill the Rogues who stole everything from me. I was stronger and faster now. Once I learned to control my power, nothing could stop me. I smiled at the thought, sucking in a deep breath and walking the few steps down the hall to Jasik’s room.
“Come in,” a voice said before my hand had touched the wood of Jasik’s door.
I turned the handle and stepped inside, closing the door behind me.
His room was almost identical to mine. Rather than maroon, his was navy blue, and where my make-up table sat, his room contained a desk. Stacks of books were piled on the floor next to an overflowing bookshelf. Their musty smell filled the room with a familiar, home-like aroma. Pictures of cities and landscapes were staggered on the walls—each beautiful in its own way. A city skyline, a country cabin, mountains, and oceans, their diverse images had one common theme: a sunrise.
Jasik stood next to his bed, shirtless. His hair was damp, and water droplets trickled down his forehead. Thick layers of muscle covered his torso. My heart thumped faster as I admired his body, just as I had his room. His chest rose and fell quickly, matching my breath. His arms rested by his sides, his hands clenched with white knuckles. My vision became blurred; the space between us, though distant, felt somehow intimate.
“I’ll just—I’ll wait outside,” I said, turning away and grabbing onto the door handle.
He said nothing as I slipped out the door and slammed it behind me. Leaning against the wall, I tipped my head back and closed my eyes, waiting for my sputtering heart to slow. What was wrong with me? I hated what I was, what he was. But I couldn’t deny the attraction. After several deep breaths, I opened my eyes to find Jasik beside me, his eyes hard, concerned.
“Time for that tour?” I said, hoping we’d never have to mention what had just happened. My arm brushed his as I walked past. The tiny hairs rose, and a tingle shot through my body. I told myself it was just physical attraction. My body didn’t understand what he was. I hoped the attraction would fade in time.
He nodded his head toward me and let his eyes trail down my body. As his gaze lingered, I felt oddly vulnerable. As if it were purely instinct, I stood straighter and pulled my stomach in, noticing how the leggings and short-sleeved t-shirt tightly covered my skin, as if they were merely an extension of it. In my human life, I had been a gymnast. My small frame was thin, muscular, but under his blue-eyed gaze, I felt as though I would never be good enough, as if I couldn’t compare to his perfection.
I glanced over and took in his attire. He wore black athletic shorts that cut off just below the knees a
nd a dark gray, sleeveless t-shirt. My eyes lingered on his muscular arms before shamefully looking away.
“The manor has four floors, an attic, and a basement. The coven’s bedchambers reside on the top two floors. The attic is for storage. We will spend most of our time today in the basement, where we store weapons and have rooms designed for training.”
His final words caused my eyebrow to rise, but I remained silent as we walked down the hall.
“This is the Hunters’ wing. We’ll begin with the main level.”
“Wouldn’t it make more sense to separate the Hunters? I mean, it’s our job to protect the manor from Rogues, right?”
“Yes, from Rogues and other things.”
“Other things? Like what?” Deep down, I knew what he meant, but I wouldn’t admit it. I couldn’t admit it. This new life had too many rules, too many changes.
He exhaled loudly and brushed a hand through his hair. He wouldn’t meet my eyes.
“What things?” I asked again, daring him to answer.
“Your first lesson: you are a Hunter, Avah. It is a Hunter’s job to protect his or her coven from any threat. We remain united, since our strength lies in our gifts. Our abilities connect us. Separating would make us vulnerable, and if the Hunters fall, the coven will soon follow.”
His words stopped me abruptly, and I couldn’t help what I blurted next. “Have you killed witches here before?” I knew it was a stupid question. Of course he had. It’s what vampires do, but I needed to hear him say it. I needed to know. I needed a reason to hate him.
He stood before me, furrowing his brows and frowning. Years seemed to pass before he spoke. The conflict on his face betrayed his need to choose his words wisely, so I braced myself for the moment—the moment I’d hate him forever. Hating him granted me freedom from this place, because leaving seemed as simple as walking out the front door. Or so I thought.
“As you well know, I, too, have done what I’ve needed to do.” He began walking away as if that alone would answer my questions.
Unsatisfied, I said, “What does that even mean?” I brought my arms up in question. When he didn’t stop, I reached for him, but he slipped from my grip. “Jasik!” I yelled as my fangs dropped and a force erupted within me—powerful and pissed off. It rippled through my body, pushing out in waves through my core. An iridescent glow slammed into his back, thrusting him into the air before he tumbled to a stop.
Blood Rose (Blood Books Book 1) Page 7