“You have one task.” He tapped the red dot that marked the checkpoint. “Get to this tower and reach the top of it before the timer runs out.”
“Let me guess, it won't be that easy?” Cass snipped.
Varick nodded, looking grim. “Not even a little.”
“Great,” Angelina sighed, her gaze focused on the window. I followed her line of sight toward the lapping sea. Perhaps she was trying to soak up one, final calm view before all hell broke loose.
“But if we get to the top, we can leave the island?” Sakura asked hopefully and everyone drew their attention to Varick, eager for his answer.
“Yes,” he said, lifting his chin.
“Today?” Kite asked hopefully.
Varick's expression grew sour. “Not today. But soon.”
“You swear it?” Cass snarled, thrusting out a hand to him.
Hesitantly, he took it. “I swear.”
“The word of a V's not much to go on,” Angelina muttered.
“Why would he lie?” I snapped, my neck heating up irrationally.
Angelina turned to me, raising her brows with a I-know-you-have-a-thing-for-him expression. “Give over, Selena. Has he really got into your head that much?”
“He's telling the truth,” I insisted.
“We're not leaving this island,” she muttered and I stood up.
“Then stay here and wait for the capsule to blow in your head if you really believe that.”
She pursed her lips, saying nothing.
“Are we quite done?” Varick stared me down until I dropped back into my seat, but there was a flash of admiration in his eyes too.
“So if we reach the top in time, we all get to go home?” Briony's small voice filled the room.
“Yes,” Varick said in a softer tone. “Any number of you can reach the finish line. But only the first there will be crowned the winner.”
“What difference does it make?” I asked and Varick's eyes swam with some emotion I couldn't place.
“It's just for the sake of the spectators,” he muttered.
He turned to the trolley behind him, taking our stakes and passing them out, ending the conversation. No bags. I guessed we didn't need any supplies for the sake of four hours. But it would be strange travelling without one.
When we'd pulled on our cloaks, Varick led us onto the beach where the icy air caused goosebumps to rise on my skin. As we lined up in a row, I glanced back at him. Before I could think of anything to say - a goodbye or a thank you, perhaps - he mouthed something to me that made my blood run cold.
“Don't win.”
Selena
The horn cried out across the island and I had no more time to think about Varick's warning as I started running. We remained as a pack, rushing along the pebbled beach and circling toward the next checkpoint. When we'd passed the booby-trapped beach we'd encountered yesterday, we turned inland, climbing up the pebbly ground and skirting the edge of the forest.
Heading north, we jogged on until we could avoid the woodland entirely. A silent agreement passed through us that no one wanted to return to the shadow of the trees.
The hill began to climb, higher and higher over rocky terrain. We were forced to slow down as the hem of our dresses continually snagged on the sharp stones.
Bending low, I took hold of my hem and ripped it half way up my calves. Nothing could slow me down today.
The other girls paused, mimicking me.
We stood in a circle, stakes in hand until everyone was ready to continue.
The soft braids that had been plaited into Angelina's hair were being tugged free by the wind. By the end of this round, I didn't expect any of us would look particularly beautiful.
“I look like a Disney Princess.” Briony scowled, her thoughts following mine.
“You better show them how well Beauty can kick the Beast's ass then.” Kite smirked, leading the way ahead.
We followed her up to a high ridge that overlooked the sweeping valley below.
I sucked in a breath.
At the centre of it was an enormous tower of black stone, reaching high into the sky. But that wasn't the most concerning thing. It was the hordes upon hordes of Vampires circling it, standing guard. There had to be fifty of them, if not more.
As one, we dropped to the ground, crawling closer to the edge to get a better look.
“Christ,” Cass hissed. “How the hell are we going to get past them?”
“I guess we'll just have to run through,” Briony breathed, her eyes rounding into saucers.
“Are you crazy?” Angelina spat. “We'll be killed in seconds.”
“We need a distraction,” I said, deep in thought. How were we going to shift fifty Vampires away from that tower?
A low growl made me spin around and I came eye to eye with the enormous black wolf that had saved us. Angelina let out half a scream before Kite slammed a hand over her mouth. The two of them scrambled backwards together, staring at the animal in fear.
Briony shifted forward with her stake in hand, but Cass, Sakura and I all grabbed her, yanking her back.
“He helped us before,” Sakura explained in a whisper whilst Briony trembled in her arms.
The wolf bowed its head before me and I tentatively reached out a hand. “Good...wolf,” I said uncertainly, resting my hand on its head.
“Do you think he wants to help again?” Cass breathed.
“I don't know.” I shrugged, unable to take my eyes off of the immense animal.
The wolf turned its head, licking my hand, then with a quick nip, drew blood on my palm. I gasped and Briony tried to lunge at it again.
“Wait,” I demanded, gazing at the small cut on my hand. The wolf pushed its head into my palm, smearing the blood across its brow.
My mouth parted as I realised what he was doing. “He's going to draw them away.”
Cass swiftly slit open her palm, brushing it across the wolf's ears. “Sure you can outrun them, boy?”
The wolf bared its teeth in answer and I prayed that meant yes.
Sakura helped, running her cut hand down the wolf's neck. “Why is it helping us?”
“Who cares?” Angelina hissed, rushing forward with a blood stained palm. The wolf snapped at her and she reared backwards, her skirt nearly flying over her head.
Cass snorted a laugh and I couldn't help but grin.
“He doesn't like you,” Sakura whispered, rubbing the wolf's muzzle.
He dipped his head, and moved away, padding down the hill and circling toward the Vs. My heartbeat became rapid as I watched him approach the horde.
“He'll be okay, won't he?” I breathed.
Cass clamped her hand around mine, saying nothing.
My stomach churned as the wolf padded around the edge of the valley. The Vs began to shift, catching the scent of blood on the wind.
Sakura passed out strips of her purple dress to bind our hands until all three of us had matching bandages.
“Do you trust that wolf?” Briony asked in disbelief.
“He saved our lives,” Cass said, her brows knitting together.
Angelina was muttering something to Kite that I couldn't hear. It made me uneasy. Neither of them were easily trusted. But Kite, at least, had helped me yesterday. So I had to believe she would keep her word on our truce.
A streak of lightning tore across the sky, followed swiftly by a crack of thunder. A storm was blowing in from the sea, meaning the moonlight we had to see by would soon be gone.
A howl sliced through the air, making my bones quiver. Everyone fell silent, waiting, watching as the Vs began to move. Not all of them, but many. Perhaps half, were rushing toward the trees in the direction the wolf had taken.
“It's now or never, girls.” Kite stood, her mouth pulling up at the corner before she launched herself down the hill.
“See you at the tower,” Briony called, charging after her, stake raised.
Angelina was holding back, but I didn't hesitate a
second longer, running after the other girls, hearing Sakura and Cass following me closely.
My lungs ached from the freezing air, my hair dragged back behind me, and my jaw was set in a snarl as I tore toward the first line of Vs.
Cass was screaming her fury like she was charging into battle and Sakura was already swinging her stake, taking out the first Vs she collided with.
I got further than I expected as I met the throng. The Vampires were ravenous, wheeling around, desperate for blood. But in their frenzied, starving state, they were making mistakes. Claws slashed over my head and I reared upwards, bringing my stake up with force. The second the tip hit its target, I wrenched it back, wheeling around and piercing the heart of another oncoming bloodsucker. Another one crumpled to the floor, practically nothing but bones.
Through the crush of bodies, I spotted a huge figure with silver streaks burnt into his cheeks: Iskender.
My heart lurched into my throat as he spotted me. Somehow, he'd survived a stake to the back of his head. And there was vengeance in his silver-flecked eyes as he locked his gaze on me.
I started moving, ducking and darting past the weaker Vs, dispatching any I could. I fixed my gaze on the tower, now only twenty metres ahead. Nails tore at my dress, my arms, my neck, but I kept moving. Screaming my desperation, I threw myself at the final two Vs blocking my way, breaching the line.
In my momentum, I stumbled to the ground, the material of my dress bunching up around me. I rolled onto my back, desperate to get up as a hungry V launched at me. Before he could reach me, Iskender caught him by the neck and threw him aside with a cracking of bone.
I gasped, crawling backwards, trying to get up but losing my balance in the mud.
Iskender fell on top of me and the weight of him had to equal a horse. The breath in my lungs squeezed out of me in a splutter. His hands curled around my throat, twisting my neck to the side until I was sure it was going to snap. Then he lowered his mouth to my ear and whispered. “For Melinda...”
His fangs ripped into my neck and I screamed, battling him with all my might. It was no good, my arms flailed uselessly beside me; I couldn't even bend them from the way he held me. I was pinned, completely at his mercy as he flexed me like a doll to gain further access to my neck.
Snapping teeth and a sudden blur of fur announced the wolf's arrival. His jaws clamped around Iskender's entire head as he dragged him backwards.
Sakura was there, her purple and pink locks streaming about her in the wind. Her stake was clutched in her hand, her features set into a snarl worthy of the wolf's. As the animal dragged Iskender backwards, Sakura stabbed his chest with a roar of defiance.
Iskender reached for her with taloned nails, slashing her across the belly as he died. She gasped out, hugging the bleeding gashes on her stomach, dropping to her knees.
Two Vs darted toward her, drawn by the blood. Struggling to my feet, I half-crawled, half ran toward her. She'd saved me and there was no way I could leave her behind.
A V descended on her, but before he could even touch her, I lashed out, killing it with a twist of my stake under its ribs.
The second V was more cautious, circling us, her bloodshot, yellowish eyes trained on Sakura. She launched toward her and I put myself between them, taking the full weight of her and dropping on top of Sakura so the three of us were trapped in a tangle of limbs. Teeth snapped close to my ear and I jerked in fright, trying to escape the scrabbling arms and sharp nails that were trying to tear us apart.
Lifting my knee, I kicked upwards as hard as I could. She flew backwards and I launched after her, ramming the stake into her heart. Thick, blackish blood slid down my arm as she fell atop me, dead.
Sakura was still beneath me, crushed, probably unable to move. I rolled away, crawling toward her in the mud and lifting my bloodied stake to her mouth. With a jolt of horror, I found her two-toned eyes gazing glassily back at me.
“No,” I murmured, pressing the blood to her mouth. She just needed to drink. That was all. Then she'd wake up.
When she didn't move, I hoisted her arms over mine, dragging her towards the tower. The wolf was in a vicious fight with the nearby Vs, keeping their attention diverted from me as I moved.
Angelina appeared, wrenching open a metal door in the wall. Her dress was in tatters, her back riddled with claw marks. As she darted inside, I collided with the door. She was tugging it closed, making my heart stumble.
“Open it!” I screamed and the door released.
I crashed inside with Sakura's limp body weighing down my legs, shutting it behind us with a deafening clang. We were in a stairwell; the walls and floor were white-wash and clean; a stark contrast to our previous surroundings.
Angelina leant back on a metal stair railing, panting heavily.
“You tried to shut us out!” I accused and Angelina shook her head.
“I thought you were a V.”
“Liar,” I snarled, turning back to Sakura. I checked her pulse and firmly shook her shoulders.
“Wake up, you have a boyfriend to get home to,” I whispered, dripping more of the blood into her mouth. Her stomach was torn badly, her dress ripped to shreds around her belly button. She wasn't healing. And the longer I waited, the quicker my hope faded.
“What happened to the others?” I turned to face Angelina with a heavy heart.
“There are other doors,” Angelina said through ragged breaths. “I saw Cassandra go through one.”
I sagged with relief, glad at least that Cass was safe.
“Is she dead?” Angelina gestured to Sakura with her chin.
I glowered at her, not wanting to confirm it. Her tone was so cold, so uncaring. She was the last person on earth I wanted to be stuck with now.
“We should move,” she said, checking her cuff for the time and preparing to head upstairs. Surprisingly, she waited for me to join her.
With my heart weighing in my chest, I left Sakura propped up next to the door, having done my best to cover the bloody wounds across her stomach. It hadn't done much good. She looked like a broken doll, her head lolling against her chest and her skin deathly pale. An ache grew in me as I left her behind. Would I soon be like her? Adding to the Helsings' death toll?
If I ever got out of this place, I made a mental note to find out how many lives had been taken here. It seemed important now. Like every corner we turned held some ancient death. Someone's daughter, whose parents had never found out the truth about them. Perhaps even been Charmed into forgetting them altogether. It wasn't right that these women were never mourned. The Helsings had already stolen so much from us.
If I died now, would my mother continue to believe I'd been killed in some prison brawl? Would she blame herself? That's what my mum did, always shouldering everyone else's misgivings. As if she were somehow responsible for the cruel actions of other people.
It had been impossible to bear during the trial. She'd blamed herself for all of it. Went over and over all the 'what ifs' and the 'if only I'd done that's'. But I couldn't change the past. And there was no point talking myself in circles. It would drive anyone mad. I'd made my decisions and she'd made hers; all we could do was find a way to live with them.
As I climbed the staircase, the lights on the ceiling were so glaring that I felt I was under scrutiny. Which of course, I was. I was the centre of an entertainment show for a group of men who had nothing better to do with their money than to fund some illegal bloodsport. I'd envied the rich growing up, of their nice things, their easy lives. But now I despised them for it. Money bred power and power bred evil. Nothing was ever enough. And even if they'd burned the entire world down for their own entertainment, no happiness awaited them. Only a pit that could never be filled.
On the next level, we found a single, metal door that slid to the left, offering us access. Angelina headed through it, taking a defensive stance as she tiptoed into the room.
The second I followed, the door slid shut behind me, trapping us. Light flooded
the space, the walls themselves seeming aglow; it took a moment for my eyes to adjust.
A door on the other side of the room opened and Cass, Briony and Kite appeared, rushing inside. They were splattered with blood and Kite's dress looked like it had been nearly torn from her shoulders.
I rushed to meet them, embracing Cass.
“Where's Sakura?” Cass asked, glancing over my shoulder.
I shook my head in answer and the light in her eyes extinguished.
“Oh,” she sighed and I squeezed her arm.
On either side of us, four white doors slid open in the walls. Eight Vampires launched at us; weak, bedraggled, but moving at speed from all sides. Metal plates had been welded to their bodies, covering their chests and necks. My heart span in my chest. It would be impossible to land a killing blow.
Everyone prepared to defend themselves, but the Vs were suddenly yanked backwards by silver chains around their necks, stalling them a few feet from us.
“Congratulations girls,” a deep male voice sounded through the room. I recognised Abraham Helsing's voice with a sick feeling in my stomach. “The five of you have made it to level one of the tower.”
We shuffled closer together, keeping our distance from the snarling Vs that surrounded us.
The white walls morphed into screens, and suddenly we were surrounded by all five of our video profiles, evidently put together by Dawn. Vs were rushing toward us in the recordings, and there was Varick, moving to save me. My cheeks prickled with heat as eyes swivelled toward me.
The other girls cut down their Vs mercilessly. There was no remorse for the starved Vampires, only hate. And something about that didn't sit right with me.
The screens faded and the walls returned to their stark white colour.
“Answer this simple question and I shall let you pass to the next room,” Abraham said and we waited for him to continue.
My gaze was continually drawn to the Vs, snapping and snarling, their hands reaching toward us with desperation. I tried not to panic, keeping my fear under control. But it was impossible.
“Which of you murdered the most people before you were sent to prison?”
V Games (The Vampire Games Trilogy Book 1) Page 24