Token Huntress

by Carrington-Russell, Kia

  “Please help me make this a wonderful day. I like Esmore,” she said, her voice fragile. She reminded me a little of Julia, Dillian’s girlfriend.

  “Anything for you, my love,” Tythian responded, kissing her knuckles. He stood, resting a kiss on her forehead before turning to me. He tried to soften the hatred in his eyes and took on a very bland look. I knew that look all too well. It was the same one I adopted when I didn’t want others to guess my thoughts as they studied my expression.

  “Well, first of all,” Whitney clasped her hands together. “I bet Chase has forgotten that you actually need food to live, so let me take you to the food hall.” When she mentioned it both Chase and I looked at my stomach, as if forgetting that I did actually have to eat. So much had happened over the last few days that I had completely forgotten.

  “Shit, I knew there was something I forgot about keeping a pet human,” Chase teased. I raised my eyebrows at him in challenge. I was no one’s pet. Yet I was not angry at him for the comment, accepting it as playful.

  Tythian pushed Whitney in her wheelchair. He turned down the hallway on our left. I remembered that here there were more rooms. We walked through the hallway rather slowly. A few vampires had walked past us and looked at me hungrily. A few times Chase growled, checking my chest every time to make sure that his necklace was showing around my neck. A few vampires had even let their fangs slip, covering their mouths in apology as Chase’s larger fangs came out nastily.

  “Don’t scare the young ones; they can’t help it that you brought a human in that smells so appetizing. It was your choice to bring the wrong kind of human,” Tythian said with his nose pointed in the air.

  “It’s not like I had a choice in the matter,” Chase said, stretching back his arms and revealing his perfect chest as his leather jacket pulled back. Again I could not resist letting my eyes trail down each and every muscle. His body was splendid and very alluring.

  “What do you mean by that?” Tythian asked. He caught me staring at Chase hungrily. I looked away, angry with myself for letting myself slip. The longer I was with Chase, the more my rational thoughts fled. I became primal, only thinking of one thing: what his skin would taste like on my tongue. To be able to touch him, breathe in his scent. To kiss him and…

  Tythian looked between Chase and me before continuing. “Is she your—”

  “We can discuss this another time, surely. All I need to let you and Fier know is that she is my human to feed from, no one else’s. That is all that should matter,” Chase snapped, no longer as relaxed. “But I will tell you this: she ruined my Batman bobble-head doll.”

  “That one took us almost a decade to find!” Tythian complained, now showing a far less mature side. He was very serious about it. Another two vampires walked past me studying me intensely. It was then that Chase grabbed my shoulder and pulled me into him, eyeing them warningly. Their pace quickened instantly.

  “I remember when I first saw your bobble-head collection,” Whitney announced, still looking ahead as we came to another intersection in the large white underground lair. How many vampires dwelled here? Tythian led us into the right hallway, where at the end there were two large wooden doors. “I screamed when I saw them, they were so creepy,” Whitney giggled. She turned around and laughed at the look on my face. “I had the exact same expression on my face, creepy little things. But it makes sense. His mother started that collection for him. So it has been the only thing connecting him to the eras in which he lived. You should see Tythian’s collection, it is—”

  “Nothing,” Tythian said in a bored tone, cutting Whitney off. She looked up at him with pouted lips. He gave her an even smile and brushed back part of her fake hair where some had fallen into her eyes. So Chase’s mother began collecting them. I wondered if she was vampire as well. Before I could ask, Chase loosened his grip on me and stretched his arms back again. I was so relaxed that I had forgotten that he still had hold of me, deterring other vampires’ admiring looks.

  “Oh, so we can talk about Chase’s collection, but not Tythian’s,” Chase said childishly.

  Tythian opened the large wooden doors, revealing an enormous white room. There were eight long tables, each of them hosting about twenty chairs each. On the right side seemed to be a large open kitchen with benches. There was a lot of food already placed on top. There must have been forty humans in here at least, some of them already eating their food, others choosing from the plates that were on the bench. All of them stopped eating and talking amongst themselves for a moment to look at who entered. None of them seemed disgruntled by the fact that two vampires had walked in, and then I noticed that there were already a few vampires in the room, sitting beside humans.

  “I don’t understand,” I whispered to Chase. Why would the humans be so calm with the vampires in here? They were the enemy.

  “Some vampires prefer to keep the one human for a while. They grow an attachment to them, whether it is because of sex, their blood, or companionship, even. Most humans come around to it quickly. We have better shelter, facilities, and food for them here, and it is much safer than them living out in the open where the sabers or covens could get to them. Because of our Council rules and regulations, we don’t torture or objectify humans. Just as you are finding less and less humans every day, so are we. We need to limit ourselves and ration the blood supply. Animal blood isn’t the sweetest, so we try to enjoy humans in moderation.”

  I looked in disgust as one woman was talking to the vampire across from her. The female vampire that sat beside her was drinking from her wrist as she did so. It was disgusting. Fools, all of them. This reminded me why I had very little respect for humans in the first place.

  “What do you feel like eating, Esmore?” Whitney asked me. Seeing my horror at our surroundings, she continued, “Perhaps we will come back later. I would love to show you the gardens.”

  “The gardens?” I repeated, trying to look away from the creatures that I hated so much. Chase was looking at me warily. Whitney smiled, urging Tythian to proceed. He led us around the tables as they continued to watch us. It was obvious I was new. Most of them had dark hair, so when I walked through with my golden-blonde hair I stuck out noticeably. They all watched, even the vampire who was feeding off its companion. I eyed her evilly, wishing now more than ever I had my bow and sword.

  There was one large glass door in the corner of the room. Tythian opened it for us, taking us out to a pavement. There were two male humans playing with an orange ball. One side-stepped the other and skilfully threw the ball toward the hoop. It sunk in and he scored himself a ‘two-pointer.’

  “This is called basketball. It is a very old game. It is only the Council here within the city that has brought such an old game back, the other Councils we meet with don’t usually partake in such games,” Chase educated me. The way he said it provoked more questions from me. “You interact with the other Councils often?” I asked him, still watching the men play. Tythian led us around the corner on the right. There were vampire Councils all over the world, but we weren’t sure whether they kept in communication with one another.

  “It was only five years ago when the Council’s last met. We were known to be the smallest, but since we have been gathering our numbers. I dare say in the next few months our numbers won’t be as small.”

  Above us glass windows covered the whole roof. It was a dreary day. Dark clouds covered the sky and blocked the sun. Although it should have been dark in here, it was not. There were bright lights shining along the roof. “Where do you get the power for all this?” I asked, lifting my hands and gesturing to our surroundings.

  “We have light and hot water in here because of the solar panels. It was a technique used in the technology age, and probably one of the few which they actually got right. The humans realized they were heavily polluting and destroying their facilities too quickly, so they created this. We have only had these for four years now. We use to go by fires and were very primal. But Fier want
ed something more stable. We went on many raids to try and find other solutions. But much material has been either taken or wiped out. However, the city proves useful for finding such things. And Gardar, you met that vampire only yesterday…” He paused. The only vampire I had met was the one who attacked me. That was the vampire he intended to make me wary of. “He used to be a mechanic and techno wiz in the days of technology, so having him nest into our home within the past ten years has proven beneficial.”

  “You tell her too much,” Tythian said sternly.

  “I tell her what I want to tell her,” Chase responded.

  I wondered if it was because of Tythian that Chase wanted to come. It was obvious Tythian was no ally, not that I would consider any vampire ever to be my ally. When we were led around the corner a small green strip of land came into view. There were many flowers. It was not overly large, but it was beautifully maintained. There was a wooden deck with a few tables and chairs, and a few large trees. I was used to the usual dead woods. It was uncommon to see so much green and colored flowers. The fog usually prevented most plants from growing.

  “Because of the glass roof and the large walls, the fog can’t get in. We never use fresh drinking water on the plants either. We keep the drinking water in storage in case for some reason we can’t obtain more for a long period of time. This water comes from under the main large bridge in the middle of the city. You know it? It was once called the ‘Golden Gate Bridge.’ We are looking for a way to connect a hose and pump from there to here. But for now we use those large blue drums,” he directed my gaze to where there were three drums standing next to the wall. “To facilitate the garden. Obviously we can’t grow anything too large here.”

  I gave him a side glance, questioning why he was telling me all this. He had already guessed why I was staying, and that was to report back to my Guild as soon as I was able to escape. So why tell me so much? He gave me a cocky grin, suggesting he knew exactly what I was thinking. I frowned, now wondering if he was listening in on my thoughts.

  “I helped start these gardens,” Whitney said with a gleeful smile as she played with a pink flower.

  “You did a stunning job, my love,” Tythian said, watching her with admiration. She gave him a smile and picked the flower, offering it to him. He took it and placed it in his pocket.

  “Hey, do you want to see the training room?” Whitney asked me. This girl was making it too easy for me to uncover their foundations.

  “I do not think that is wise, my love. You know what she is,” Tythian reminded her patiently.

  “I know, but she is Chase’s familiar, so she won’t do anything to hurt us,” Whitney disregarded him. Tythian looked at Chase sharply. I hadn’t yet been explained to about what a familiar was. For some reason no one openly spoke about it to me. And I didn’t think it was a topic they would approach now.

  Whitney went to push toward the direction of the dining room again, but Tythian firmed his grip on the wheelchair holders and began pushing her again. I suppose he was leading us to the training room at Whitney’s request. The amount of control she had over this vampire was startling. I never knew such a relationship could exist.

  “The newer vampires are very clumsy. Since the sabers have been overpopulating, we have been required to recruit and build our numbers. A lot of them are trained daily. We need to protect ourselves from hunters and other covens. The more experienced ones such as myself and Tythian lead separate small groups when we need to find more humans or human supplies. Sometimes the sabers are close and hide within the dark buildings during day. So if it is suggested they are dwelling within the city, we go out to kill them. They can’t smell the humans within here because we are underground and the fog on the ground interferes with that sharp smell. A lot more have been coming closer frequently so we still cannot take any risks,” Chase explained.

  At this point I wasn’t sure if he was trying to impress me with how much he knew. We walked around the large tables in the dining room and then through the wooden doors, back to the intersection. This time Tythian led us down to the right. We entered another room through more wooden doors. But instead of being covered by the normal white walls, it was all glass. The larger room was divided into many sections. I saw an archery area, a boxing arena, and an exercise area. The one on my right was for hand-to-hand combat. Twelve vampires practiced with one another.

  The next room on my left seemed to be some kind of torture room. Three vampires were tied to metal chairs. Fire was applied to their skin. They would scream for five seconds before water was thrown over them. Their healing quickly took away their wounds as they panted heavily.

  “It’s called the Tolerance Room,” Chase said, breathing hotly over my shoulder as I stopped to watch. “Fire is most effective. We train our vampires with pain so they are accustomed to it in battle.”

  One vampire was standing still against the wall. A vampire on the other side of the room threw a dagger at him which plunged straight into the other vampire’s stomach. He didn’t even flinch, closing his eyes as it happened. He inhaled deeply, refocusing and nodded for another dagger to be fired at him again.

  “You seem kind of sadistic if you just stare,” Chase said with a cocky smile. “Don’t tell me you are one of those women who like it like this?” he said, clamping his teeth together to make a biting noise close to my ear. I looked at him abashed, but he only returned a cocky smile. Quickly he snapped out of his playful manner as Fier approached us from the other room.

  Fier looked at me with an expression of surprise. “You told me she was fat,” he said, holding out his hand for me to grab it. I did not move. I would never touch him nor kiss his hand, if that was what he expected.

  “Sorry, she doesn’t like it if anyone else touches her beside me, if you know what I am saying,” Chase said, embracing me. His hand slipped around my waist. I had the urge to flip him over and slam him into the ground for fumbling his hands over me where they did not belong. I gritted my teeth, enduring it as I knew I had to act as human as possible. And like Chase said, I had to appear as his so I would go unnoticed.

  “She doesn’t seem to enjoy your touch,” Fier said, his green eyes searching over my face. “She is very pretty,” he continued, his hand coming to touch my hair. Chase pulled me tighter into his arms possessively. Although I could’ve held my own ground, I couldn’t have done so without Fier being suspicious of me. I was grateful for Chase pulling me back. Fier arched an eyebrow at Chase in challenge. A small breeze swept through the hallway, making a low howl. The two vampires who walked with him looked at one another, slightly concerned.

  “A little possessive, aren’t we, over a meal?” Fier asked, his fangs now revealed.

  “If I may speak with you privately, Fier, I would like to speak about actual important matters, such as the teams finding the hunters?” Tythian interjected.

  “I will be seeing her tonight at the rave, after all, that is where all these young vampires take their humans to dry hump them,” Fier said as he continued to stare at me.

  “I am not a young vampire,” Chase said intimidatingly.

  “It was not a question. I will be seeing her tonight,” Fier said, eyeing Chase before walking around us to speak privately with Tythian. Whitney watched them as they walked away, deep in conversation already.

  I grabbed Chase’s fingers, using all my strength to pry his fingers off me. Small cracking noises began as I had him in a firm grip. He had to slowly dip to the ground to get away from me.

  “Ow, what do you have, mutant fingers? That hurts,” Chase said, now his carefree self again.

  “Do not grab me ever again,” I hissed, releasing my hold of him. I had to put distance between us because my heart pounded at his lingering fingers. I was upset with myself for not being uncomfortable by his touch. When he faced Fier in my stead, I did feel protected. This was bad and I had to break the spell.

  “Ah, I see, you like it rough,” he said with another playful smile. His comme
nts didn’t help my situation in the slightest. It was as if he knew it boiled my blood. I tried my hardest to hide my desire for him, but every time he touched or embraced me it became harder to push him away. The longer I stayed within his presence, the further I felt I was being consumed by his world. I had to break away. I couldn’t comprehend my yearning for him. I felt him within the pit of my stomach. His touch made me flutter. I was becoming nervous and suspenseful around him.

  “Why the glass rooms?” I asked Chase, trying to take a more serious tone. I needed to dispel my tension. I made sure my voice was low enough for Fier and Tythian not to hear. The vampires who followed Fier were standing idly by the doors, holding them open for him. I now understood that Tythian used himself as a distraction so Fier stopped applying pressure to Chase. “And why does Fier ask you so many questions?”

  Chase gave a half-cocked smile. “So many questions, and your next one will be: what is a rave?” he mocked. I stood there silently and then he realized. “Oh, you really don’t know what a rave is. Well, diva, the rooms are glass, so Fier can regularly walk through and check on their training and combat skills. In here there are eighteen rooms.” I looked further down the hall, which was lengthy and could accommodate many rooms. “The two end ones are weaponry, and no I can’t take you there, only vampires are permitted. A rave is well, a lot of music, dancing, and lights stretching across the floor. This is something the vampires have enjoyed for many years. In the technology age it was the easiest way to scout out our desired victims for the night and toy with them for a while before we took them. Fier is Fier. He wants a lot of things and chucks a tantrum when he doesn’t get them. I will not lie to you; I am uncomfortable by how he stares at you, so please never approach him. Especially without me. You just really stand out from the rest of the humans. I think it is your golden-blonde hair. Even though we are vampires, we are still men, and you are beautiful, Esmore.” His tone was sincere but he was trying to cover the actual issue — Fier’s interest in me could prove fatal.