Until Dawn: Last Light

by Simas, Jennifer Nicole

  “You must be new, like, to Santa Cruz,” she said again.

  “How do you know that?” I asked cautiously. William taught be to be ready for anything. I couldn’t be too careful. She looked completely harmless. My fingers coiled around the dagger in my pocket, just in case.

  “You just have that new chick on the block look about you. I’m right, huh?” She smiled brightly, flipping her auburn hair away from her face. “I’m Cindy.”

  “Zoë, uh, Marks,” I responded, extending my hand to her.

  She pushed my hand out of the way and wrapped her arms around me, giving a big squeeze. She was pretty strong for her size. “I don’t do handshakes, sorry. So, where are you from, Zoë uh Marks.”

  I laughed. It felt good. “Washington originally, but I guess this is home now.”

  She pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and scribbled something down on it before handing it to me. I looked at the numbers. “You’re giving me your phone number?” I asked, shocked.

  “Of course. I can tell already that we’re going to be great friends. See you around!”

  And, with that, she was gone.

  –

  My lungs begged and pleaded for air, but I didn’t give in. I couldn’t. They cursed at me, tightening within my chest. I thrashed against the metal walls of the tub and then, suddenly, everything went still. I sunk to the bottom, lying flat against the hot metal. The flames licked at my back, blisters rising on the surface of my skin. Darkness crept in around me.

  “Murderer.”

  My head broke through the surface of the water and I panted, inhaling deep. I slumped my head against the edge of the tub and clawed pruned fingers through my hair. Her blood was on my lips. I could taste it. I slammed my fist into the wall beside me until I heard every bone break.

  I screamed.

  Chapter Nineteen

  That night I had trouble falling asleep. Every time I closed my eyes I saw Cindy’s face, the blood running down my fingertips, the look on Josh and Tony’s faces, the pity in Alec’s eyes. At some point, the others received word of what had happened. Annie brought in a few pills that she received from the medical chamber. She told me they would help me fall asleep. I was too tired to resist.

  Before she left the room, Annie placed a large tabby in my arms. I tried to smile as he curled up beside me. “Mr. Whiskers,” I mumbled, petting his silky fur. He purred loudly in my ear, just like the good old days. Back when there were still days.

  As I began to slip into unconsciousness, I heard voices from the hall. For all of a second, I thought I was back in the hospital, under Doctor Maxwell’s care. No, it was impossible. It sounded like Alec and William.

  “And you think that destroying the Sythen that she has been infected with will stop the hallucinations?” William asked.

  “It’s our only option,” Alec explained. “It was the only thing we didn’t try with the others. If the beast is dead, how could it torment her further?”

  There was a slight pause. “Well, we will need to find it soon. Once Elizabeth hit this point, it was only a matter of time until–”

  “I know,” Alec whispered. “I know.”

  Mr. Whiskers jumped out of my arms as the door creaked open and someone stepped inside. Heavy footsteps made their way toward the bed, pulling back the silk curtains. I heard clothes fall to the ground but I was far too tired to open my eyes. Alec’s scent filled the bed as he climbed in beside me, sliding an arm under my back and pulling me into him. His chest was smooth against my cheek. He ran a hand over my back, lingering over the strap to my bra and moving on.

  “Everything will be fine,” he whispered into the darkness. “I’ll protect you.”

  I closed my eyes, counting each of his steady breaths to be sure that he was still alive. After I’d lost count, the faint sound of his beating heart lulled me to sleep.

  –

  I woke without the use of an alarm clock. Rather than the pestering, persistent beeping of a machine, I felt the cold hands of a man forcing down my shoulders and thick knees stabbing into my calves. Dark eyes pierced through me, reading me like an open book. The man hovered an inch away from my face, his breath repulsive.

  “Time to get up,” he wheezed.

  I grabbed the man by his throat and flung him from the bed. He crashed into the wall and quickly scrambled to his feet, fangs extended.

  I leapt to my feet, wearing no more than a bra and underwear. I scanned the room for my sword but it was nowhere to be found. I reached for the first weapon I could find, pointing the tip of dagger in his direction. “Who sent you, bloodsucker?” I spat. I circled the bed, keeping him locked in my sights.

  “I bring you word from my master,” the man hissed. He was a new vampire, still savage and untrained. His eyes danced on my neck, thirsty for blood. I had a feeling Baldric turned him for the sole purpose of bringing me a message.

  “What is it your master wants me to know?” I asked, drawing his attention away from my jugular. The vampire scowled at me, retreating back a step. He knew once he relayed the message, he’d be as good as dead. He was right.

  “King Baldric says to tell the female Chosen one that he can save her.”

  I tightened my fingers on the daggers hilt. “Save me from what?”

  “The Sythen.”

  My heart stopped beating and I lowered my sword for all of a second. I had to stay focused.

  “He can remove the creature’s blood from your body,” he continued. “He will free you from the hold the Sythen beast has on you.”

  I watched as the vampire took a small step forward, licking his lips. “And what does your master want in exchange?”

  “You.”

  “Never,” I spat.

  “It’s your choice, warrior,” the vamp said with a twisted grin. “Become his and the King will free you from the beast.”

  “And if I don’t?” I asked.

  “You’ll kill everyone you love.”

  I lunged for the bloodsucker, tackling him to the ground. He squirmed beneath me as I pressed the dagger to his throat. “When you see your beloved master in Hell, tell him I respectfully decline,” I hissed, plunging the sharp blade into his flesh over and over again. I’d need a shower when I was done. Decapitation with a dagger was messy business.

  I was still wiping blood from my flesh when Alec slipped into the room. His eyes danced over my near naked body before noticing the dead body beside the bed.

  Alec rushed to my side, doing a thorough inspection of every square inch of my body – perhaps a little too thorough. “Are you alright? What happened?”

  “I’m fine, Alec,” I assured him. I’d only just had a thirsty vampire in my bedchamber. No big deal.

  “How did he get in here?” he raged, jabbing a stiff finger at the headless man.

  “I don’t know,” I said stiffly. “Baldric sent him.”

  “The General?” Alec went from anger to concern in all of a second. “What did he want?”

  I tossed another blood soaked washcloth into the growing pile on the floor. It looked like I’d gotten all of the blood off of me – the floor was another story. “I don’t want to talk about it,” I whispered. “Just get that damn body out of here.”

  Alec stared at me for a moment before nodding and walking over to the vampire. He waved his hand over the limp body and it disappeared from sight, pools of blood and all. “I’ll have one of the shifts clean it up later.”

  I mumbled a thank you, relaxing a little on the edge of the bed.

  “I brought you some hot chocolate,” Alec said, pushing back the bed canopy and sitting beside me. “One of the shifts had it in their duffle bag and thought they’d offer it because of…”he trailed off. “Well, they just wanted to offer it to you. It should keep you warm. It started snowing. With the clouds blocking out the sun, the temperature’s been dropping greatly.”

  I took the cup from his hand and nodded, lifting it to my lips. It burned all the way down. I blew on
the hot liquid and stood, making my way to the window. The snow-covered ground below was beautiful, like something out of a Christmas movie. Some sort of sick and twisted, end-of-the-world type Christmas movie. All that was missing were children making snow angels and carol singers. That, and any form of joy at all. I shivered as the icy breeze blew about me.

  “As much as it pains me to say this,” Alec started, “you should probably get dressed. You’re going to freeze to death.”

  I laughed silently at his choice of words. I wondered if it was even possible. I was already a cold-blooded monster, wouldn’t I feel at home in lower temperatures?

  When I turned around, he was staring at me with lustful eyes. I didn’t need any type of special powers or “gifts” to see what was going on in his mind. He stepped up to me, running his hands over my bare sides. Goosebumps raced over my skin and I shivered again, but it had nothing to do with the temperature. His lips moved toward mine and I held my breath. I found myself warming up rather quickly.

  A voice rose from the ground level. It sounded like a woman. She was calling out for someone or something. I could hear the panic in her voice. Alec’s lips stopped an inch away from mine and he released me. We both peered out through the open window.

  A woman stumbled clumsily through the slush of snowfall. “Richard? Where are you?”

  “Let’s go,” Alec said, throwing my clothes at me.

  I did my best to ignore the bloodstains, slipping into the filthy clothes and running out the door after him. Within a minute, we were walking barefoot through the snow.

  “Has anyone seen my niece, Lisa? She’s a little girl, six years old. She was with me on the plane. Sir, have you seen her?” No one had.

  As the seconds stretched into minutes, more were reported missing. A good fifty people were unaccounted for. A younger woman, who had introduced herself as Joy, pointed to a trail weaving into the dark forest. There was blood splattered against the tree trunks and across the ground, staining the snow a dark crimson color. I scanned the forest. There were a number of bloody drag marks.

  “We should follow the trails,” a man shouted. “They might still be alive.” His words were riling up those around him. Voices carried in the wind with talk of search and rescue.

  “No.” Markus shook his head, exiting the castle gates. “It’s a trap. That’s precisely what they want us to do. Trust me – your friends and family are dead. Take a moment to grieve and let’s move on.”

  Markus wasn’t joking when he said ‘a moment’. After exactly thirty seconds, he was back to barking orders and delegating jobs as if nothing had even happen. I wondered if anyone gave a moment of silence for Cindy.

  It wasn’t my imagination. People were definitely avoiding me like the plague. Apparently word or Cindy’s death had spread further than I’d thought. Alec was the only one that stayed close to me. He remained glued to my side like some sort of bodyguard. If I breathed wrong, he was checking on me. I appreciated his concern, but I wanted my space. I also wanted my sword. Alec kept it hanging over his back, right next to his. It taunted me relentlessly, dried blood still covering the sharp edge.

  Alec knew as well as I did that I didn’t need that sword to end my life. It wasn’t like I couldn’t find a weapon. There were only hundreds of them lying around the castle, just waiting to be used.

  I hadn’t seen Josh since he’d come to my chamber the night before, while Alec was proposing. The look on his face was unlike any I’d ever seen before. He was so broken, defeated – lost. I wanted nothing more than to run into his arms.

  I didn’t like not knowing where he was. It worried me to no end. I tried to keep myself busy, anything to get my mind off of him. It wasn’t working. Every two seconds I was wondering if he’d been taken in the night, dragged off with the rest of the victims, or if he’d taken William’s advice and fled the kingdom. Would he still do that, what with Samantha being dead and all? A twinge gripped my heart when I thought of him out there alone all because of me. He wasn’t making me weak, was he? I didn’t care. I needed him. I needed him for as long as I could have him. Was that so wrong?

  A part of me – a very small part of me – knew it’d be for the best if he just left. Then I’d never be able to hurt him again. He wouldn’t face the same fate as Cindy. I’d never felt so torn. If he was out there alone, he could easily be killed. If he stayed with us, I could easily be the one to kill him. Or maybe he’d kill me, as the vision clearly showed. That didn’t seem like such a bad thing at the moment. I exhaled, scanning the crowd for the hundredth time, looking for his face.

  Small fingers tugged on my belt loop. I looked down to find a young girl, no more than six or seven years old. A large bow was slung over her thin shoulder, making her stand at an angle. She tilted her head up at me and grinned. “I’ve heard stories of your kind all my life, warrior.”

  I stared at her for a moment and sighed. It was impossible. I gave in to her twinkling eyes and innocent smile. “Really?” I asked, trying to sound as warm and welcoming as a monster like me possibly could. “How so?”

  “My daddy used to tell me stories. That General guy killed him, though. He worked for him for a long time, but every night when he came home, he told me bedtime stories about the mighty Chosen. He said that you guys would save us. He said, that you guys were stronger than any mere soldier, with special gifts that could shock and awe even the most well trained assassin.” I saw the struggle in her eyes as she tried to recite her father’s words. “I prayed every night with my daddy that you would come, and here you are!” She smiled sweetly before skipping away.

  Right. No pressure.

  “Hey, you. Kid!” Jade’s loud voice traveled to my ears. I searched for her face in the crowd. She was about twenty feet away, trying to get the attention of a scrawny looking teenager who was walking along the castle wall.

  He turned toward her, pointing to his chest. “Me?” he choked. He looked to be no older than seventeen, with dark brown eyes and soft blond hair. Peach fuzz grew along his thin face, nothing compared to Alec’s masculine scruff. He was definitely human and looked like he was about to have a heart attack. I sure hoped he didn’t because I wasn’t familiar with CPR. I was used to taking lives, not saving them.

  “Who does it look like I’m talking to?” she snapped. “Make yourself useful.”

  “But I’m just a human,” he squeaked.

  “I don’t really care what you are,” Jade said. “You’ll pull your own weight around here, just like everyone else. Is that clear?”

  The young kid gulped, nodding hesitantly.

  “Good. Line those boxes of weapons against that wall there. Separate firearms, explosives and melee weapons from one another. Can you handle that?”

  He nodded again, making a dash for the large crates still scattered around the castle grounds from the night we arrived. He could barely pick them up. Jade apparently wasn’t taking into consideration the fact that he probably only weighed eighty pounds when she said he would have to pull his own weight. He put his chest against them and pushed them across the snow with all of his might. It was pathetic but he got points for trying.

  “Can I be of any help?”

  I glanced up to find a soft-spoken woman standing in front of Alec and me. She looked to be around my age, well, my “age”. It was the woman who found the blood trails. Joy, I thought her name was. She took a tentative step toward Alec. Her hair was black and her eyes brown, speckled with shades of green. Dirt clung to both of her cheeks where her short hair rested. She wore a tattered pair of jeans, a dirty tank top, and one shoe. I wondered why she didn’t just take the remaining shoe off, but she probably thought it best to salvage at least one foot. The bare foot was purple and blue, bruised and beaten. Blood trailed in the snow wherever she stepped.

  “We can use all the help we can get,” Alec said, nodding absently to her. He hardly looked up at her, which made me happy. I wasn’t stupid. I’d noticed all the stares my men received since w
e’d landed in Nevada. I took a possessive step toward Alec and she retreated back a foot. She was a fool if she didn’t think I noticed the way she stared at him, how she struggled to keep her eyes above his neck.

  “You can help stock the pantry with food,” Alec instructed. “When that is finished, we will need to unload the rest of the boxes. I’m sure the men are doing fine on their own with the rebuild. Thank you.”

  She hobbled away with her shoulders slumped. I ran a hand over Alec’s back, pleased with his disinterest in the woman. He’d probably seen enough of them over his five hundred and some odd years on the Earth.

  “How are you holding up?” he asked, putting an arm around me. He smiled weakly at me, kissing my forehead. I wondered if he’d ever stop looking at me with such pity.

  “As good as I can be for just killing one of my friends, assisting in killing my best friend’s girlfriend, and being the main desire of our archenemy. Thank God for being cold and emotionless, right?”

  Alec frowned at me and I sighed. “Don’t ask if you don’t want to know,” I said under my breath.

  “Looks like we’re going to have a whole range of weapons,” Jade said as she approached us from behind. Alec released me and I tried to look sane. What did “sane” look like exactly? Was it anything like “normal”? If so, I was shit out of luck.

  “That’s good. We will need all of it if we want to stand any chance against the General’s little legion.” Alec said.

  “Hey, guys!”

  Someone was running up to us. I reached for the sword that was no longer on my back and then glowered at Alec. He gave me a disapproving look and I felt stupid for reaching for it in the first place. He had a way about him, so good at making me feel so small, just like William. Maybe it was the age.

  The teenager Jade had asked to sort weapons stopped short a few feet away from us, catching his breath. “My name’s Scott,” he panted, holding out a shaky hand. No one grabbed it and he pulled it back like he was worried we might chop it off. Jade might have out of annoyance. I might have out of insanity.