by Ava Benton
“And you. What are you doing so far from home?” I asked, shaking my head. “Don’t you know what can happen to a witch when she wanders this far off?”
“I didn’t wander,” the witch announced through clenched teeth.
“No. You’re on a very specific mission. I’ve been wondering ever since I first spotted you, what that mission could be. I saw you with this one over here—” I jerked my head in the vampire’s direction “—and I figured you’ve been stealing from The Fold. They won’t like that.”
He blindsided me before I even heard him get to his feet, and it was my turn to hit a tree trunk with a sickening thud.
My head spun, and my ribs ached as he hauled me to my feet and held me up against the rough bark with one hand around my neck.
Long, sharp claws dug into my throat, and I bit back a yelp of pain before I could give him the satisfaction of knowing he was hurting me.
Blood-red eyes stared into mine, only inches away, while razor-sharp fangs glinted with promise.
“What kind of scum hunts other witches?” he snarled.
I could’ve sworn his hot breath singed my skin.
“What kind of pathetic vampire guards a species which hates them?” I spat back. “You’re stronger than they are. Why not free yourself instead of playing patsy all this time?”
His hand tightened until I felt pressure building in my head. He was going to kill me.
“Kill me, and you kill your family,” I managed to choke with the little bit of breath I had left.
His expression shifted a little, and he loosened his grip enough to give me air.
“What does that mean?” he snarled, his breath almost painfully hot on my skin.
His entire being fairly vibrated with the desire to end my life; I could feel it.
“It means if I die, you all die.” I glared at him, daring him to push his luck. I wouldn’t back down. I wouldn’t let him see how terrified I was.
The way my pulse raced under his fingers probably told him everything he needed to know, anyway.
“Why would that happen?”
“Because she’s a descendant of the original coven, back in the old country,” the witch said, standing beside him. “Isn’t that right?”
My eyes left his and met hers.
I nodded as much as I could—his hand didn’t give me a lot of room to move my head. “Yes. Kill me, and the Sire and his family die. All of them.”
“How do I know this is true?” the vampire spat. “How do I know you’re not just another lying witch who’ll say anything to keep from getting what she deserves?”
“Try me,” I whispered. “See what happens.”
We stared each other down.
He didn’t want to believe me, but he couldn’t take the chance, either. His eyes cleared up a little, turned light blue instead of red. His claws and fangs retracted.
“Good thing you’re such a fast talker,” he snarled just before letting me go.
I didn’t realize until my feet touched the ground that they hadn’t been touching it all along. He had lifted me into the air and pinned me.
“Thanks.” I rubbed my throat and took a few deep breaths, fighting the urge to cough when I did.
I couldn’t afford to let him see my weakness. Why did she have to wake him up? I had her. I was so damn close to bringing her in.
He turned away, obviously trying to get himself under control. “Why the hell would anybody care if you lived or died?” he muttered, then looked over his shoulder. “If you’re a descendant of the coven, but you’re hunting other witches, why would anybody care?”
“You know how witches are,” I chuckled. “We have our little in-fights and backbiting, but when a millennium-long law is written, everybody’s covered. Even those of us who are no longer technically part of the covens descended from the Old Country.”
“Why aren’t you?” the witch asked.
She sounded a little too full of herself for my taste, seeing as how I could’ve blown her brains out. Not that I needed a rifle to attack her, but it generally convinced the person on the other end to listen when they were told to do something.
“Because not everybody agreed back then that it was a good idea to enslave the vampires sired by Ralf,” I admitted, shooting a dirty look in the vampire’s direction. “Though I’m starting to wonder why.”
“Who didn’t think it was a good idea?” He turned to me, frowning, squinting those otherworldly eyes of his.
His fine-chiseled features were like something carved by angels, and I had already felt the strength of his body when he pinned me to the tree.
He had the sort of presence that made a person want to step down and let him take control—which was exactly what I couldn’t let him do.
I had a responsibility.
“My ten-times great-grandmother,” I explained. “Isabella. Sister to Esmerelda, who Ralf murdered.”
“You’re descended from Beatrice and her daughter?” the witch asked. She sounded awed.
“I am.” I watched the vampire for any reaction.
His frown deepened. “I didn’t know Esmerelda had a sister.”
“Yes, well, after she disagreed with Beatrice’s decision to kill Ralf and his… progeny, Beatrice disowned her and banished her from the coven. I’ll spare you the last several hundred years. Now, we do what we can to balance the scales.”
“Who’s we?” he asked through clenched teeth.
“None of your business,” I hissed back.
“Why do you want me, though?” The witch’s chin trembled. “I mean you no harm. I don’t mean harm to anyone. I just want to be left alone, so I can find my love. That’s all.”
I looked at him to keep her from seeing me rolling my eyes, only to find him doing the same thing.
We agreed on one thing, at least.
Yes. I was right about her. Gwyneth owed me one. I should’ve bet money.
“You’re wrong in assuming I want you.” I locked eyes with the vampire. “You assumed, too. It’s never a good idea to assume.”
“You want me?” He pointed to himself, then laughed. “Good luck. I think we’ve found what happens when I get the jump on you.”
I flung my hand in his direction and bound his arms to his sides.
He struggled, grimacing and snarling.
“Oh, yes. You’re a real threat.” I was barely able to keep from laughing.
“What do I have to do with this, then?”
I turned to her. “I tracked you in order to find him. There was only one reason why you would spend weeks in this area, searching and struggling. You were looking for The Fold. It was only a matter of time before you found a Nightwarden and brought him out.” My gaze shifted back to him. “And here he is. You did my work for me, really. I suppose I should thank you.”
“You bitch,” he spat, fangs extended.
“Yes, yes. I’m a bitch. Whatever makes you feel better.”
“You’re a Tracker,” the witch marveled.
“That’s right. And I intend on taking this one in with me.” I jerked a thumb in his direction, and he snarled louder than ever. “I could’ve only taken you in and pledged to protect you in your search, but he’s too good a prize to pass up.”
“You can’t do that,” she said, shaking her head so hard her hair tumbled around her shoulders.
Hair she needed to wash. There were even little leaves and twigs stuck in it.
I sighed, hands on my hips. “I know you mean well, and I realize you think you need him. Believe me when I tell you I’m sorry to take him away from you when you worked so hard to find him. But I need to take him with me now.”
That was when I started choking. Again.
Only there wasn’t a visible hand around my throat this time.
I clutched my throat, struggling to breathe. My feet left the ground again, and this time, I hovered several feet in the air.
“You. Will. Not. Take. Him.” Her eyes burned fire into my skull a
s she glared up at me.
One hand kept me suspended while the other released the Nightwarden from my spell.
“Let her down,” he ordered, standing beside his charge.
“She wants to take you away when I only just found you,” she snarled.
My eyes widened, bulging, as I choked and gasped.
“You can’t kill one of your own. Don’t do this. Let her down, Claudia. Release her. She’s no threat to us.”
No threat, huh? We would see about that—of course, I was in no position to argue his statement just then.
I would’ve agreed to just about anything if it meant being able to breathe again.
Claudia looked at him, pleading silently.
He wouldn’t back down. “I won’t be of any help to you if you kill her. I promise you that.”
“I… could… protect… you…” I gasped, at the edge of consciousness where my vision started graying out.
“Release her!” the vampire roared.
Something loosened around me, some invisible restraint, and I tumbled to the ground.
It was not my day.
“Thank you,” I croaked, rubbing my throat again.
“What do you mean, you can protect me?” Claudia asked.
The Nightwarden sneered. “Don’t bother with that. You don’t need her. You have me.”
“You don’t need him,” I whispered, standing on shaky legs.
The world was starting to come back to me, sharper, clearer. “We’re duty-bound to protect our sisters, and we do whatever is necessary. Whenever necessary.”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
“Yes, well, she assigned you to herself without going through the proper channels, didn’t she? And as soon as it’s discovered that one of the Nightwardens is missing from The Fold, you’ll have hordes of witches and who knows who else after you. You think I’m a potential threat? Wait and see what happens when the High Council gets wind.”
“What’s your name?” the vampire whispered.
“Daniela. What’s yours?”
“Alexander. Daniela, you’re not a potential threat,” he snarled.
“You were singing a different tune when I had you bound just a minute or two ago, weren’t you, Alexander?”
He lunged at me, and I held my hands up, palms out. Warning him.
He stopped short, but just barely, his tongue darting over his fangs.
“What do you plan to do with him?” Claudia asked.
“That’s my business. Not yours.” I looked at her. “It’s what we’ve been doing for hundreds of years. We do not need a separate species of guardians. We can protect our own. This Nightwarden arrangement has never been natural, never the way it was intended.”
Claudia smiled—a sad, knowing smile. “I was a member of the High Council. I know all about it. I know why you do what you do.”
“So you understand why it’s important I take the Nightwarden with me. You can come as well. And once he’s safely under our control, we’ll go about finding the love you’re looking for.”
“I don’t believe you.”
Before I had the chance to defend myself further and get through to her, a crashing noise in the woods made us all jump, looking around wildly to find the source.
I caught sight of Alexander throwing an arm around Claudia’s waist and using his supernatural speed to rush off through the trees, leaving the smaller ones swaying in their wake. There was no way I could catch up.
Meanwhile, several figures emerged around me. I recognized my fellow Trackers almost instantly and screamed in fury.
“Where are they?” Gwyneth asked, coming out from behind a clump of bushes.
“Gone!” I picked up the rifle and thrust it at her. “Thanks to you. Now what are we supposed to do?”
Afterword
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Copyright © 2017 by Ava Benton
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