Setting my eye on the horizon, I started moving, finding the snow only a few inches deep. As I'd predicted, my boots left deep tracks behind me so I leant an arm back, dragging the branch so it covered them as I moved. It wasn't entirely effective, but unless a V was looking for my tracks here, they wouldn't be easily noticed. And I wasn't leaving anything up to chance.
The plain of land dropped down toward the coast and I spied the lighthouse in the far distance, like a beacon of hope, stark white beneath the moon.
A scream ripped through the air and I froze, searching for the source. It was hard to tell how far away it had come from, but as I waited, the girl was revealed, darting out of a small group of trees in the distance.
Between here and the lighthouse, coloured dots far ahead marked girls running toward it.
I was well behind, but even from here, I could see the blurs of Vampires charging after them across the snow.
I counted four girls and three Vs. Those weren't good odds. Screams rose into the night and all I could do was stand there as the first girl fell and a stream of red flew across the snow.
My legs trembled, urging me to run. Ahead of me was a bloodbath, but going back wasn't an option.
Glancing at the dark rocks at the edge of the cliff, an idea came to me. Praying the other girls were enough of a distraction – and hating myself for doing so – I dropped the branch and charged flat out toward the cliff.
I moved faster than even I thought was possible, leaving great rifts in the snow where I bounded through it.
Screams sliced through the air, over and over, ending as abruptly as they'd started.
My boots hit the rocks, but I kept moving until I'd risen onto higher ground where the sea spray had washed away the snow.
Crouching down low, I caught my breath, gathering up the hood of my robe and keeping my bare hands concealed within it. Then, ever so slowly, I started moving across the sharp black stones, praying I was camouflaged against them. I remained on my hands and knees, despite my dress continually snagging on the rocks.
Every now and then, I glanced up to check the Vs weren't near, but the three out in the field were still feasting on the girls. My stomach churned and I shut my eyes for a moment to force away the nausea. I'd never been particularly squeamish. My mother couldn't even watch trailers for horror movies without feeling queasy. I, on the other hand, could watch blood and gore without batting an eye. Well, I had been able to. Seeing it in real life wasn't like the movies. And I was certain this moment would stay with me forever, or for however long I had left on this earth.
As I drew closer, a flash of red hair caught my attention and my heart nearly stopped working.
Cass.
With a guilty breath of relief, I realised it was a female Vampire's hair, flowing over the snow as she fed on a girl's neck.
I closed my eyes, freeing myself from the sight for a second before I continued. I'd moved past two of the Vs already, but the final one wasn't far from the lighthouse, now standing guard, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth and sucking it off his fingertips. A girl was at his feet in a lilac gown, the skirt twisted awkwardly around her legs.
Fear inched deeper into my chest as I approached, keeping my movements to the minimum as I used my own dark dress to my benefit. Perhaps Kite had been right. I didn't deserve this advantage over the other girls.
Foamy sea water sprayed over me as huge waves crashed onto the rocks at the base of the cliff. The lower the cliff dropped, the more water soaked the path I was taking. My hands slipped and slid on the rocks, but somehow I managed to keep going, setting my eye on the lighthouse and nothing else.
I moved as far as I could without risking the final V spotting me. His scraggly locks hung around him; his cheekbones were sharp enough to cut glass.
With him barring my way, I couldn't move any further.
Crawling behind a protrusion of rock, I rested my back against it, keeping hidden whilst I waited for the V to move. A sickening thought ran through my mind as I realised the distraction I was waiting for was another girl to appear.
A howl cut through the air, echoing across the island from the forest.
The two Vs that were feeding on the fallen girls stood upright immediately, snapping around to face the wood.
The red-haired V sniffed the air and called out to the others. “It came from the east.”
The V standing guard by the lighthouse stepped forward, nodding to the others. “Go.”
They sprinted off into the night, leaving him behind. The wind ruffled my dress and seconds later, brushed through the V's coppery hair. He inhaled deeply then stepped forward, gazing across the field, no doubt having caught my scent.
I counted my breaths to keep calm, ducking my head behind the rocks.
I glanced toward the nearest body; I recognised her golden brown skin and dark eyes, but couldn't remember her name. My gaze fell on the stake that was inches from her outstretched hand.
If I ran, perhaps I could make it to the weapon in time. But that was a big might and I wasn't sure I was willing to bet my life on it.
With a jolt of my heart, the decision was made for me as my hand slipped down the rock and my palm sliced open.
My inhale was echoed by the Vampire standing close by.
In a heartbeat, I was running, sprinting and stumbling toward the dark-haired girl on the ground. The V had a hundred metres to sprint, I had five.
My hand clamped around the stake the same moment taloned nails gripped my hair.
I was yanked backwards and, in the momentum, I swung, kicking and screaming as I angled the stake upwards.
Bone cracked and splintered. Dark blood spewed and the V's grip in my hair released.
I gasped as the full weight of the Vampire slumped on top of me. I struggled to move. To breathe.
The stake was buried so deeply in his chest, I couldn't remove it.
Slithering out from beneath him with a groan of horror, I clambered to my feet, dripping in oozing dark blood as I fled toward the lighthouse.
The outcrop of rock was uneven, the stones skittering under my boots. I was almost at the door when someone cried my name.
“Selena!” Cass's voice made me snap around. My fingers hovered above the handle, but I was frozen in place. I couldn't leave her.
We may not have known each other that long, but she'd been my rock in prison. We were the same now, the two of us fighting for survival on this infernal island.
She was sprinting across the ground, her green dress gathered above her knees, clamped in her fists. A V charged behind her, gaining speed with each passing second.
“Run!” I cried as the lighthouse door swung open.
Before I could move to meet her, a cold hand clamped around my wrist. I turned in alarm, coming face to face with Varick, his expression fierce.
“Inside,” he demanded, but I shook my head, trying to free myself of him.
I turned to face Cass, stumbling as she reached the rocks. The V was almost upon her when a flash of black fur and snarling teeth collided with it. Cass smashed into me and I stumbled back against Varick. He dragged us inside, slamming the door and shutting out the freezing air.
Our panting was the only sound to fill the space.
“What ?” I asked, breathless as I turned to Varick for answers.
“Some dumb animal,” he muttered, heading up a winding staircase.
We hurried to follow, jogging up the stairs as if one of the Vs might burst through the lighthouse door at any moment.
“Merry as ever,” Cass murmured to me and I broke a nervous smile.
“Are there wolves on the island?” I asked Varick.
“Wolves, snakes, bears. You name it, it's probably here.”
We entered a vast wooden room with a fire burning on one side. Food was laid out on a long, oak table and mattresses were spread in rows beyond that. One side of the room was taken up by a vast window that overlooked the tempestuous sea.
Ten other girls were already here, helping themselves to food and sitting in rows of chairs that faced a huge screen on the wall. My gut turned over as I realised the footage was a live broadcast of the game. Kite was amongst the girls already present, as were Briony and Marie, sticking close to one another in two seats at the back of the chairs. I noted only twenty were laid out, despite there being twenty five of us in the game.
“Eat,” Varick snapped at us and Cass jumped, hurrying to comply.
I glared at him, unmoving. “Been enjoying the show?”
“It's been riveting,” he remarked dryly, glancing me up and down. “Showers are in the back. New clothes, too.”
“Another dress?” I raised a brow.
“Of course, and a sleeping suit for the evening.”
“Sleeping suit? What are you, from the 19th century?”
“18th actually.” He surveyed me closely and a chill ran down my spine. Why did he make me feel so exposed?
“I hope you brought your own dinner,” I muttered as I walked away and his dark laughter followed me.
I passed by the table of food, despite my rumbling belly, and headed to the showers. The V blood was soaking through my dress, sticking to my skin. It was cool and thick, unlike any blood I'd ever seen.
The bathroom was lined with creaking floorboards and wooden stalls that barely covered any of my body as I stripped off inside one.
Turning on the water, I nearly sank to my knees with the heavenly feel of the warm shower. I stood beneath the stream until every inch of my blood had reheated and I could finally feel my toes again.
Snug jumpsuits were stacked beside china basins, and I quickly pulled mine from the pile: black with my name embroidered across the back in white. I chucked the vile remains of my dress into a large wicker bin and returned to the main room, helping myself to some food.
“She's not going to make it,” Kite was talking to a blonde girl whose name I recalled as Angelina. The two of them were watching one of the girls on the screen who was racing toward the lighthouse with two stakes in her hands. A V took her down before she even reached the rocks and a collective inhale sounded throughout the room. My stomach tied itself in a tight knot.
I chucked my plate down on the table, no longer hungry. Marching toward the door, I found myself desperate to escape this hell. I couldn't sit here watching girls die whilst filling my belly. It was twisted.
Varick flew into my way, blocking the door. “And where do you think you're going?”
I gazed up at him, practically spitting venom. “I can't be in here with that playing.” I swung an arm back to point at the screen and Cass's eyes wheeled my way. She'd joined Marie and Briony on the seats.
“There's nowhere else to go,” he growled.
“This is a lighthouse, isn't it?” I snapped. “Where's the light?”
Kite's voice carried to me. “You could learn a thing or two by watching this, pup.”
I ignored her, staring resolutely through Varick's chest as if I could will him to move by sheer determination.
My shoulders sagged as I gave up and I whispered, “Please.”
Varick stiffened for a moment then moved aside, taking my arm. “Fine, but I'm going with you. I'm not having you committing suicide off the tower.”
“What do you care?” I snipped, following him into the hall and heading further up the spiral staircase.
“Because, if you kill yourself on my watch, I'll get the blame.”
“If I wanted to kill myself, don't you think I would have tried hugging a Vampire earlier?”
Varick regarded me with a hint of amusement in his eyes. “Well if you do make the decision to kill yourself, I'd be grateful if you let me do the honours.”
I glowered at him as he opened the door at the top of the stairs. A ring of windows surrounded an enormous orb lantern. It was caked in dust, evidently having gone unused for years, but the metal still shone beneath it.
The room was cold but bearable. I moved to the furthest window, dropping down and gazing out at the moonlight shimmering on the dark sea. Yes, this was better. At least it was quiet in here.
The door clicked as it closed and I was painfully aware of being alone with a Vampire. The only thing stopping him from eating me was a bunch of humans running this death game. So I didn't have a whole lot of faith that he would keep his fangs to himself. But I could finally breathe again in here, and I wasn't willing to give that up just yet.
As the silence stretched on, my eyes were drawn to the sky, pin-pricked with a million stars, brighter than I'd ever seen.
“Do you believe in god?” I asked quietly, my mind overwhelmed by the enormity of our surroundings. Perhaps I was here for a reason. Perhaps I was cursed by some higher being.
“What kind of god would let a man like me live forever?” Varick said, appearing beside me. Instead of sitting down, he leant against the railing ringing the windows, looking out at the sea.
“So you were this pleasant as a human too?” I remarked.
He smirked at me and I almost broke a smile. Christ, what was wrong with me? Varick was as sick as the Vs that hunted me out on that island.
I rested my chin on my knees. “Well if there is a god, I'm pretty sure he's punishing me.”
“And why would he do that?” Varick turned to me, tilting his head to the side.
I dropped my eyes. “I'm a killer.”
“Killing a man who tormented you and your mother isn't much of a crime.”
I sat up straighter. “You know about that?”
He shrugged casually. “I'm required to read the files of the girls who are brought here. They're condensed into notes for the spectators. To help them decide who to bid on.”
I wrinkled my nose in disgust. “I'd like to see them survive out here.”
Varick's mouth hooked up at the corner. “Oh believe me, Selena, I would too.”
The door opened and I glanced around, finding Cass, Briony and Marie creeping through the door.
“Are you alright?” Cass asked, her eyes flitting between Varick and I.
I nodded, standing and moving toward her. She'd changed into a dark green jumpsuit and the girls stood beside her in yellow and gold.
“I can't watch the game,” I admitted.
“It's over,” Briony said, running a hand through her chestnut hair. “The last girl just got here.”
Varick moved past them and Marie shrank against the wall so he didn't touch her. “Be back downstairs in one minute,” he barked at us before disappearing down the stairs.
“How can you stand being around him?” Marie folded her slim arms, shuddering.
I shrugged because I didn't really have an answer. Something about Varick was different from the other Vs, not only that he looked like an angel and acted with rationale, but he seemed almost human at times.
We headed downstairs and, thankfully, the screen had been switched off. The showers sounded from the other room where the last arrivals were cleaning up.
One girl, however, was huddled on the floor by the table, rocking back and forth with her head buried in her silver dress.
“Who's that?” Briony whispered as Marie clutched her arm. shrugging.
Varick paced the room, causing girls to jump from their seats every time he walked past. As he reached the sobbing girl, she screamed, crawling backwards across the floorboards to escape him.
“You need to rest,” he demanded in a tone that wasn't at all comforting.
I marched over, elbowing him aside. He didn't move an inch so I ducked around him, kneeling before the dark-skinned girl and blocking him out of sight.
“Don't worry about him. We're safe here. Come with me.” I took her ice-cold fingers, clutching them between mine and pulling her to her feet. Leading her into the bathroom, I helped her out of her snow-caked dress before guiding her into a shower cubicle.
She shivered beneath the stream, starting to sob again.
“What's your name?” I asked softly, l
eaning my back against the door of the stall.
“V-Vienna,” she stuttered through another choked sob.
“I'm Selena.”
“We're never getting off this island, Selena.”
“Don't think like that. They said whoever survives will go home.”
“But what do you really think they'll do with us?” she demanded, her sobs turning to anger. “Keep us for another game? Throw us to the Vs anyway? They're not going to let us leave.”
My heart sank at her words, but I had to have hope. Surely we would be able to leave if we made it through the game? It was the only thing keeping any of us going.
The door opened and Varick appeared. “Anyone injured report to me immediately.” He stalked away and I sighed as I followed, curling my injured hand into a fist.
Varick was waiting by the table and a small queue of five girls lined up before him. Varick bit down on his thumb and squeezed blood into six small glasses.
“Drink,” he ordered as the girls filed toward him, taking a glass with wide eyes and heading away. I frowned as I approached him and his eyes fixed on mine.
“Take it,” he demanded, his voice so willful that I nearly gave into it. Glaring at him, I slowly took the glass of my own volition. Varick's blood wasn't like the other Vampires' had been. It was thicker than a human's, but dark red as it should have been. He gestured for us to drink, seeming bored.
“Why would I drink this?” I asked as the other girls gathered nearby. Evidently I was the only one bold enough to ask.
“Vampire blood has healing properties.” Varick leant back against the table.
“Ironic,” I muttered, but some of the more badly injured girls hesitantly sipped from their glasses.
I watched in disbelief as the cuts on their arms and torsos healed before my eyes. Before I could change my mind, I knocked back the blood in one, figuring 'what the hell?' A vile tang of metal filled my mouth and I nearly spat it out. The resulting tingling in my hand made me pause and within seconds, the cut had stitched itself together, vanishing like magic.
I gazed at my palm in shock, unable to believe what I'd just witnessed.
V Games (The Vampire Games Trilogy Book 1) Page 8