Kite was amongst the injured group, with long scratch marks down her arm that I hoped hadn't come from another sacrificed girl. She grinned at the sight of her own wounds healing. “So if a V bites me, should I bite them back and start drinking?”
Varick barked a laugh. “I would love for you to give that a try, sweetheart.”
Kite seemed satisfied by his response, swinging her hips as she walked away.
The room slowly fell silent and all eyes turned to Varick. He gestured toward the beds with his chin. “Bed. Now. No questions.”
“Bed?” snapped Angelina. “Surely the sun is going to come up soon?”
“We're in the arctic circle. Polar night reigns here for the next six months.”
A murmur of discontent passed through the group.
I huffed a breath, moving to Cass's side and heading over to the mattresses. Vienna crept out of the bathroom in her silver jumpsuit and I gestured for her to join us. Keeping a wary eye on Varick, she did so, dropping onto the mattress beside mine. I was at the edge of the row, the closest to Varick of everyone. He stood by the door, gazing at us unblinkingly as if he were lost in his own thoughts.
The eternal night was playing havoc with my internal clock but as I shut my eyes, exhaustion swept in and I was soon consumed by the waiting nightmares.
◐☼◐
“Hands flat on the table, Selena,” the rasping voice of my drunken stepfather crawled over me.
I whimpered as I obeyed, my six year old hands so tiny on the wide surface of the dining table.
“Are you sorry?” he growled, sipping from a bottle of whiskey. The smell was vile, the putrid stench reminding me of him and him alone.
“Yes, Elijah.”
He struck my knuckles with his belt, the buckle looped around his hand.
I cried out as the skin tore and my small body began to shake.
“You will call me dad, do-ya understand? How many more times am I gonna have to say it?!”
“You're not my dad,” I squeaked, despite knowing the consequences of my words.
Elijah thrashed my knuckles three more times until blood ran smoothly across the table.
“Please baby, don't,” Mum sobbed from the corner, her own arms whipped bloody. “She's just a little girl. She doesn't understand.”
“It's been two years, Rachel! She needs-ta understand,” he slurred, his blue eyes, peppered with grey, slid over me. “Your waste-a space father abandoned you and ya mother. I'm the one who looks after you both. You get that?”
I shook my head, determined to defy him for my daddy's sake. “You'll never be my daddy.”
The belt whipped through the air, the dark brown leather coiled like a snake-
I woke, bolting upright and clutching my head.
“No, no, no,” I whispered, raking my nails through my hair. The nightmare prickled my skin like ants scurrying over my body. Sweat trickled down my spine as I clambered out of bed, desperate to find some water. It appeared before me in Varick's hand, his nostril's flaring as he took in my scent. His eyes fixed on mine, dragging me into them like I was falling into the deepest of wells.
“Calm,” he commanded and I was almost pulled into the lull of his voice. I teetered on the edge of his ability to control me and pulled back with all my might.
I whipped my head hard to the right, forcing my eyes from his. Wordlessly, he took my hand and placed the glass of water in it.
“How did you manage that?” he breathed, almost to himself.
“I don't know,” I hissed. “But I'd be grateful if you stopped trying to worm your way into my head.”
“I can't read your mind.”
“No? Well I guess that's ten points to Edward Cullen then, isn't it?”
He grimaced at me. “Vampires are a bit grimmer in real life, sweetheart.”
“You can say that again.”
“Go back to sleep, Selena. I was only trying to help.”
I bit back another retort, not wanting to wake the other girls. We all had to face another day on the island tomorrow, and the least everyone deserved was a good night's sleep before it. Not that I'd be privy to one of those myself.
I sipped the cool water, tipping it up and finishing it.
I glanced over my shoulder at the mattress I'd vacated, an icy chill running through me. That bed was a gateway back to my nightmares. But if I didn't get any rest before tomorrow, I was going to have to face nightmares of the real kind in an exhausted state.
“If you don't fight it, I can help you sleep,” Varick murmured, stepping closer.
“The dreams...” I shook my head. “I'll just wake again.”
“Not if you let me help,” he urged.
My throat grew dry as he invaded my personal space, gazing down at me with those alluring green eyes. Like the smooth surface of two lakes shining at me.
It took everything I had not to draw away from him. Survival was driving the decision. Rest was vital, and if Varick could offer it to me, I had to take it.
I felt the moment his will butted up against mine. He didn't blink as he gazed at me and I was pretty sure I didn't either. My instincts fought to keep him out, but I battled them back, letting him in.
As soon as I stopped fighting, everything changed. My mind melted into a slushy pool so every thought I had was fleeting, vanishing as quickly as it appeared.
“No one's going to hurt you,” he said in a smooth voice. He really was captivating to look at. Ruggedly handsome with dewy skin and an addictive, saccharine scent.
A dreamy smile tugged at my mouth as I bought into his words and their safe promise. “No one,” I echoed.
Someone shifted in the bed behind me, but I didn't care to look.
Varick lifted a hand, brushing locks of ebony hair behind my ear. “You'll sleep soundly until I wake you in the morning.”
I nodded, a yawn dragging my mouth open.
“Bed,” he encouraged and I obeyed, walking back to my mattress and sliding under the covers.
Sleep came swiftly and the sweet nothingness took me away, void of nightmares, void of all but one thing: a shimmering, green lake.
◐☼◐
“Up,” Varick's voice woke me and I sprang to my feet. The control he'd had on me was gone and the shame of what I'd let him do washed over me. Had I been so weak that I'd let a Vampire into my mind?
I felt Cass's eyes on me as we queued in line for breakfast, helping ourselves to cereals and fruit laid out on the table.
“I saw you last night,” she muttered.
“Saw me?” I said in a high voice, piling my muesli with grapes.
“Talking to him.” She nodded her head in Varick's direction.
My cheeks began to burn. What kind of explanation could I give for what Varick had done?
“I had a nightmare,” I admitted, my cheeks flaming further. I sounded like a whinging child.
“So you went to the Vampire for comfort?” she snorted.
I nodded vaguely, reaching for a large jug of yoghurt that I drizzled over my breakfast. Cass snatched my arm, nearly spilling the yoghurt across the table. My heart leapt upwards as she pinned me with a remember-I-went-to-prison-too stare.
“What?” I hissed.
“Don't go making friends with it,” she snapped, glancing over her shoulder. “You can't trust one of them.”
“I don't trust him.”
“You could have woken me up if you needed someone to talk to.” Her eyes flashed with hurt and my stomach knotted.
“I didn't talk to him Cass. I got up to get some water and he was just there.”
She nodded, giving in. “I'm just looking out for you.”
“Course.” I smiled. “We'll stick together today, right?”
“You bet.” She plucked the jug of yoghurt from my hand and doused her cornflakes in it. Her bowl had a croissant balancing precariously on the side.
“Hungry?” I teased.
“I'm gonna get what I can take. Who knows if they
'll even give us food today.” She headed past me and I hastily snatched up two bagels in response.
Kite, who had already eaten one breakfast, lined up again beside me. As she reached over me for a bowl of chopped pineapple, she opened her mouth and spat in my muesli.
I clutched the bowl tighter, about to throw it in Kite's face, when a blur of movement occurred in my periphery. Varick appeared, snatching my wrists to halt me.
“No fighting.”
“We weren't fighting,” Kite said innocently, batting her eyelashes at Varick.
I glared at her, chucking my bowl down and marching off to join Cass on a group of chairs she, Briony and Marie had arranged into a circle.
“Where's your breakfast?” Cass demanded.
“Not hungry,” I grumbled.
Varick appeared a moment later, dumping a bowl of muesli and yoghurt in my lap. “You forgot this.”
“I don't want it.” I grimaced.
“This one is minus the topping.” He strode away and I glanced back at the table where he was already scraping the remains of my last bowl into a bin. He was like the bloody Flash.
Feeling too hungry to complain, I plucked the spoon from the bowl and began eating. I felt the other girls' eyes on me, but refused to meet them as I ate.
When everyone had crammed as much food down their throats as possible, Varick ordered an assembly and we lined up on the rows of wooden chairs.
Varick stood before the screen with a trolley in place behind him. “Today, you'll be heading further north on the island.” The screen lit up behind him and a map illuminated, zooming into the new section we would be travelling to today. An area was highlighted in red on the north eastern coast; the other side of the island from where we were now.
A collective groan sounded throughout the group.
“Think of yesterday as a rehearsal, today will be hell,” Varick announced, pointing to the screen. “You have twice the distance to cover and twice the Vs to avoid.” He swung his finger toward the Helsing castle on the south east coast where we'd started. “The Vs are released from here. So you have about a twenty minute advantage today. Use it wisely.” He gave us all an intense look, his eyes landing on me. He turned to the trolley behind him, revealing a row of fresh stakes and bags beneath it. “New weapons, new supplies.” He grabbed up a handful and passed them out until everyone was armed. “Get dressed. You leave in fifteen minutes.”
Panic broke out and Vienna let out a wail of fear, hunkering down in her chair. “I can't,” she moaned and Briony laid a hand on her back.
“Come on, we'll stick together.”
“P-promise?” she sobbed.
“Promise,” Marie confirmed, leaning across Briony.
The bathroom was mayhem as the girls scrambled to find their dresses. I was the last to reach mine, and when I did, I found only a bright red dress remaining.
My heart stuttered as I gazed around the girls, searching for my dress. My eyes fell on the blonde bombshell Angelina who was being helped into my ebony gown by Kite. I strode towards them, my blood heating with anger.
I thrust her dress at her. “Give it back.”
Angelina's pale green eyes swivelled onto me then round to Kite.
Kite gave me an up and down look. “Angelina has light hair. She's already at a disadvantage.”
My neck heated up as I felt everyone in the room turning their attention to us. “It's mine,” I snarled.
“The Vs like you,” Angelina said lightly, adjusting the bust of the dress.
“Yeah, Selena. Why not go complain to your Vampire friend out there?” Kite sneered and some of the girls in the room muttered their agreement.
“He's not my friend,” I snarled, my hand tightening around the crimson dress.
Cass appeared in her green velvet gown, glaring at Kite and Angelina. “We can't swap dresses.”
“Who says?” Angelina placed a hand on her hip, looking like a dark queen in my dress. “Besides, Selena's already at an advantage with all that snow white skin and black, seaweed hair. She blends right into the landscape.”
A few of the girls giggled and my cheeks scorched. Cass stepped forward, squaring her shoulders, but I took her arm, guiding her away.
“Forget it,” I muttered, not wanting to turn any of the girls against her. It was dangerous enough as it was out on the island without having enemies amongst ourselves.
“Tell Varick,” she hissed as we exited the bathroom.
I shook my head firmly. “That will make them hate me more.”
Cass sighed in acknowledgement and I headed toward the beds, grabbing a sheet and asking Cass to hold it up whilst I changed.
Cass laced up the back of the crimson dress and I resigned myself to its colour. Perhaps it was only fair I didn't have an advantage today.
“No!” Varick barked the second Cass dropped the sheet. “Not happening.” He moved toward me like a tsunami and grabbed my arm, dragging me toward the bathroom.
“No wait – please,” I begged, trying to halt him.
He stopped inches from the doorway, his eyes sliding to mine.
“They already think I'm friends with you. Don't do this. I don't need more enemies out there than I already have.”
“This dress is not meant for you,” he snarled, revealing his sharpened canines.
I tried to snatch my arm from his grip, but it was like a vice. “Some of the dresses are more advantageous than others, right?”
He nodded slowly, easing his grip on my wrist.
“So maybe it's only fair we swap?” I stared him down and he reluctantly released my arm.
“Fine. But if you lose your stake again today, Selena. I'm going to personally kill you myself.”
“You're not allowed to hurt us,” I breathed.
“Accidents happen,” he growled, shifting closer.
It did nothing to improve my situation as Kite opened the door at that very moment, finding us within inches of each other.
I shrank away from Varick, moving quickly to join Cass, but I didn't miss the mutterings from the other girls as they judged me.
“Right. Out. Good luck. Whatever.” Varick pointed to the door.
We filed through the doorway and Cass clung to my side. “Selena, I'm not ready for another day of this.”
“We'll be fine,” I said, though I didn't even believe it myself. “We'll figure it out together.”
Varick had to force Vienna through the door after us and my gut wrenched at us leaving her behind. Falling back, I kept close to her side as Varick herded us down the stairs. “You can stay with us today, if you like?”
She glanced up and, for the first time, there was hope in her eyes. “Are you sure?”
“Of course.”
Briony and Marie were waiting at the foot of the stairs for us and I smiled around in surprise at the group we'd formed.
Varick prowled through the crowd, opening the door of the lighthouse. “Remember. Twenty minutes.”
A horn sounded across the island and Varick gestured for us to go.
Everyone started sprinting across the rocks, some pushing and shoving to reach the front. Marie lost her footing and Briony caught her before the other girls crashed into her, pulling her to her feet.
I jogged in time with Cass and Vienna, watching as the girls split off in different directions across the field.
“What's our plan?” Briony shot over her shoulder.
Most of the girls were heading directly east, evidently planning to head up the coast on the other side of the island.
“I say we stay on this coast for as long as we can, then cross to the north, avoid the high ground in the centre of the island in case its difficult to traverse,” I said, pointing to the map illuminated above my cuff.
The others assented and we veered left, hugging the cliff as we continued to jog onwards. Vienna was the first to slow, panting and clutching her side. We paused to take a breather and I turned back, squinting toward the horizon where
we'd left the lighthouse far behind. I pictured Varick watching us on the screen and wondered what he was thinking. Was he entertained by our deaths? The thought made me ill.
The cliff began to drop down, lower and lower until the rocks met with the water. Trees and moss covered the ground, providing shelter from the prevailing wind.
We moved further into the trees, keeping the sea to our left as we headed north, hiking on for hours.
The land curved inwards, forming a bay where the water gurgled and bubbled amongst the rocks. Our water bottles were already running low, but there was nowhere we could fill them up here.
I tapped the cuff on my wrist and the timer shone above it. We had nearly twenty four hours to reach the next checkpoint. We needed water in that time if we were going to keep this pace up.
“We need to head inland,” I urged.
My legs trembled as we paused to take a break, my muscles tired from overexertion.
“Why?” Cass panted, holding a stitch in her side.
I took out my water bottle, taking a small sip of the final inch at the bottom. “Water,” I gasped.
Briony nodded her agreement, shaking her empty bottle as evidence.
“They could give us more than a litre,” Marie complained.
Vienna was anxiously gazing toward the forest that clung to the beach edge, jumping at every sound, clearly not listening to our conversation.
I checked our location on the map and found we were still achingly far away from the checkpoint. “If we continue at this pace, it'll take us another eight hours to be level with the checkpoint. Then we still have to cross the island...” I frowned, trying to assess the distance. If my assessment was accurate, it would take at least another six hours to cross the island, and that was without stopping. At some point we would need to rest. That only left six hours spare.
Marie moved over the slippery rocks to the sea's edge, crouching down and using the seawater to wash the sweat from her face. Standing, she gazed out at the horizon, her body stiff.
“What if we built a raft and just...sailed out of here?”
“Then we'd be poisoned, Marie,” Briony snapped, pointing to the back of her neck.
“Oh...yeah,” Marie sighed, looking crestfallen as she tiptoed her way back up the beach.
V Games (The Vampire Games Trilogy Book 1) Page 9