I had to wonder if the survivors even realised they were no longer in the brothel. “Maybe they’re not fighting for consciousness because they’re worried they’re still in that place. This all has to seem dream-like for them.”
“You could be right.” Sam drank the last of her NST and reached for her toast. “Enough on that topic or I’m going to lose my shit again. Let’s talk about you and Salem.”
“Um, let’s not.”
Sam stared at Jared, who narrowed his eyes. I had the feeling they were communicating telepathically. “Fine.” He stomped out of the room, throwing over his shoulder, “You’ve got five minutes.”
When Sam looked at me expectantly, I shrugged. “There’s nothing to tell.”
“Not even about the kiss a week ago?”
I gawked. “How do you know about that?”
She smiled. “I have my sources. And really, Ava, you know nothing remains secret on this island for long.”
Fair point. “He totally sprung it on me. As I was walking out of the restrooms, his hand shot out from the shadows, grabbed me and pulled me to him. Then he was kissing me.”
“Very Salem. He speaks more with actions than with words. So there’s nothing more to report? No more kisses?” I shook my head. “That’s funny. When he came to my office last night, he smelt of two things: soap, and you.”
“All right, fine.” I told her everything that had happened in the past couple of nights.
Sam’s smile got increasingly wider as I spoke. “Salem certainly knows how to knock a girl’s equilibrium. Determined little sod, isn’t he?”
“Hmm. Well maybe he could go knock another girl’s equilibrium and leave me in peace.”
She cocked her head. “Is that really what you want?”
“He pulls faces at me all the time.”
“Because you drive him insane.”
“He’s bossy and controlling.”
“But you’re no pushover.”
“He picks me up by my t-shirts!”
“And it’s absolutely hilarious every time,” she chuckled. “This is the way I see it: you can keep on saying no, keep rejecting him, and insist he back off. Eventually, he probably will. Blokes and their egos never cope well with rejection, do they? Then he’ll give you the space to move on. But it also means that he’ll move on.
“You’ll have to watch him with someone else. And it’s not like you’ll be able to leave. Being part of the legion is a life-long position. Maybe he’ll go back to one of the humans I’ve seen him with in the past” – oh, he’d been with some of the women here, had he? – “or maybe it’ll be one of the new female squad members. Will you be able to handle that?”
“Yes.”
“Correction, will you be able to handle that without causing grievous bodily harm to both him and his girlfriend?”
“No.”
Sam shrugged. “They’re the only two options open to you. You can give him a chance instead of making him pay for what other blokes have done to you, or you can stick to your guns and then watch him with someone else. It’s all a matter of which you prefer.”
Strolling back into the room, Jared glanced at his watch. “Baby, we have to go or we’re going to be late.” Sam’s eyes lit up. At my inquisitive look, he explained. “We’re holding the first round of try-outs for Sam’s new female squad. They’re probably starting to enter the arena as we speak. Sebastian found us twenty potential members.”
“Ooh, can I watch?”
“No. Because if we let you watch, the others will want to watch too and –”
“Please?” Flashing them my brightest, most innocent smile, I vowed, “I won’t tell anyone, I swear. I never went to any try-outs, so it would be fun to see what they’re like.” I could tell they wanted to say no again, so I pouted a little. “Please?”
Jared sighed in defeat, shaking his head at me. “How do you do that?”
Sam shared his exasperation, but she was smiling. “No one can resist those kitten eyes.” Rising to her feet with a clear plate in one hand and an empty bottle in the other, she nodded. “All right, you can come. But don’t invite anyone.”
I placed my hand over my heart. “I won’t, I promise. Who are acting as the interviewers?”
“Us and Evan.” That made sense. Evan was not only a commander within the legion, he was also Sam and Jared’s appointed Heir. That meant he would replace them when they were ready to step down – and probably with Alora at his side, since it seemed that Evan had no intention of letting her go.
“We’re holding most of it in the arena. Go get yourself comfortable in the VIP box.”
So that was exactly what I did. The enclosed arena was located a short distance away from the beach house. The interior resembled a large horse paddock, and each wall was marked from A – D, which represented north, east, south, and west. A large seating area surrounded it, featuring a VIP box on the middle tier. I waited there, watching through the glass as the four females already there fidgeted and exchanged nervous looks.
One by one, another sixteen females piled into the arena, forming a line, looking just as anxious as the others. I was able to tell by the coloured tints to their irises – or, in the case of Sventés, the fact that there were no coloured tints – what breed of vampire they were. Nine were Pagoris, six were Kejas, and the final five were Sventés. Some were having whispered conversations, but their eyes continually darted to the door as they nervously waited for the interviewers to enter. Hell, I was nervous for them.
“Ava, it’s a pleasure to see you.”
I’d smelt Sebastian before I heard him. As usual, the tall Keja was wearing an Armani suit that complemented his athletic build. I flashed him a warm smile. “Hey, Seb. How’s it going?”
“All is well, thank you.”
“Come to see how your recruits perform?”
“Of course. Do Sam and Jared know you’re up here?”
I nodded. “I begged them to let me watch.”
His eyes narrowed. “You gave them that pouty ‘don’t hurt me, I’m an innocent kitten’ look, didn’t you?”
I laughed. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’re implying that I’m manipulative.”
Sebastian opened his mouth to speak again, but then the whispers abruptly died, garnering everyone’s attention. Sam, Jared, and Evan had entered the arena.
It was Sam who spoke first. “I’m sure you all recognise the three of us, so I don’t think we need to introduce ourselves. As Sebastian will have explained to you, our intention is to form a female squad of ten. We already have five. This does not mean that fifteen of you will be going home. It could be that you all leave. It depends on your capabilities and resilience. We can’t afford to be lenient or give chances. We need to be sure that you can handle being part of a squad. It’s not easy. It’s not pretty. You will go on assignments that make you feel sick to your stomach. You will see things that haunt you.”
I could vouch for that.
“You will be trained to kill, and you’ll be required to kill. Because the rest of your squad have to know that someone has their back. If you can’t deal with any of that, you need to leave now.” When no one moved, she gave a nod of approval.
Jared stepped forward. “Something about each of you caught Sebastian’s attention. It could be your combat skills, it could be your strength and endurance, or it could be your individual vampiric gift. It could even be all of them. But if you can’t control your bloodlust, all of that is irrelevant.” He nodded in our direction, and I realised he was giving a signal to someone above the VIP box.
Moments later, gas was being released from the hoses that were protruding from the roof. “Why gas?” I asked Sebastian.
“It’s not gas,” he replied. “It’s a special cocktail.”
I frowned. “Of what?
His grin told me I’d like his answer. “Different scents of blood.”
Ooh, clever.
“This is exactly what happe
ns in battle,” continued Jared, his gaze boring into each of the recruits. “Various blood scents surround you, rousing your bloodlust. It is absolutely essential that you can think clearly through that bloodlust; that you can remain vigilant, focused, and in total control.”
That was when a bare-chested human entered the arena, blood dripping from a bite on his neck. Like that, the females turned restless and appeared to be trying to hold their breath. The human sidled up to Evan, who then commanded each of the girls – one by one – to step forward. I watched closely, wondering if any of them would cave to temptation. Maybe that was why I didn’t sense the vampire behind me until a strong set of arms curled around my shoulders.
“Hmmm. This brings back memories.”
Sebastian glanced my way, sighed at the sight of Salem, and returned his attention to what was happening in the centre of the arena. Apparently he didn’t see the point in trying to send away the obstinate Pagori who was perched on the seat behind me, curving his body over mine.
“I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t be up here.” My words came out embarrassingly shaky, since he was running the tips of his fingers along my collarbone. I felt him shrug one shoulder carelessly.
“I wanted to see you.”
I gestured to the sight below us, wincing in sympathy as a Pagori was sent away. “Did that happen at your try-out?”
“Yes. Two of the recruits gave in to their bloodlust and tried to have a taste of the human’s blood.”
By the time the test currently taking place was over, two more Pagoris had been sent away. It was no surprise, really, since the breed had an overpowering bloodlust. “Poor things.”
Sebastian exhaled a disappointed sigh. “I had such high hopes for them. Shame.” He left the room in a blur, most likely intending to wish them well.
“The second part of the try-out will test you physically,” Jared announced as he, Sam, and Evan led the females outside.
“What happens out there?” I asked Salem, since we couldn’t follow.
He brushed his nose against the sensitive spot behind my ear. “Several Pagoris from the legion are waiting at the fringe of the rainforest. Each recruit will have to reach the end of the forest in the fastest time they can. But…it’s not as easy as it sounds. They won’t be allowed to step on the ground – they can only use trees, rocks, and logs. Also, they won’t be allowed to use their gifts, because this is all about their physical abilities. As if that doesn’t make it tricky enough, they’ll also have one of the Pagori squad members chasing them.”
I gaped. “What? But that’s crap. I mean, these girls aren’t trained.”
“That’s why they get a ten second head start. But if they’re caught, it’s game over. And they go home.”
I sighed. “I feel kind of...guilty.”
“Why would you feel guilty?”
“Because I got offered a spot in the legion without having to go through all this.”
“That’s because you proved you can cope. You controlled your bloodlust during the battle to protect The Hollow. You showed that you’re damn fast –”
“Yeah, but that’s only because of my gift.”
“Doesn’t matter. Yes, your gift gives you an edge. But it’s about more than speed, or all the Pagoris would win this test at every try-out, wouldn’t they? It’s also about agility, about using every physical strength you have. Agility is a strength of your breed.”
“How did you know I was up here?”
He nipped the tip of my ear. “I followed your scent when I caught it outside.” He inhaled deeply. “I smell it, and I think ‘mine’. Have you accepted the reality that we’ll be ‘more’ yet, Ava?”
I twisted in the seat to face him. Instead of dropping his arms, he clasped them around me. “Look…I don’t think we’d match well.”
“Explain.”
“We’re different.”
“Explain harder.”
I knew just how to make my point. “I’ve accepted Sam’s offer to join the legion.” His eyes narrowed the tiniest bit, and I smiled. “Don’t like that, do you?”
“I want you safe.”
He wanted to lock me in a tower where I’d never come to any harm. “Aw, ain’t you sweet,” I cooed, patting his chest. A muscle in his jaw ticked as a scowl surfaced. Ooh, he was offended again. How amusing.
“No, Ava, I’m not. Never mistake me for a good guy.”
I rolled my eyes. “I know, I know: you’re the biggest, baddest, scariest thing out there.”
He tilted his head. “You’re not afraid of me at all, are you?”
“You’re too sweet and cute to be scary.”
His scowl deepened. “I’m not sweet, and I’m not cute.”
“Cutely manly, then.”
A growl seeped out of him. “No. Now, you were saying why you think we don’t match.”
“You’ll try to take over, Salem. My independent streak will drive you crazy.”
He arched a brow, unimpressed with that argument. “That all you got?”
I lifted my chin. Fine, I’d give him the whole truth. “I’m not easy to deal with. I’m cheery. I fidget. I like singing. And dancing. And watching girly movies. I’m a dusk person. I giggle a lot – which annoys even me. I hum for no reason and usually don’t know I’m doing it. Most people fear normal things like spiders. I have an illogical fear of dying in an elevator. I can handle blood and gore, but if you show me anything that’s luminous yellow, I’ll freak the fuck out. I –” A finger against my lips cut me off.
“How about you let me talk now? I should find you annoying. Happy people generally get on my nervous. You don’t. Maybe that’s because I know there’s more than one side of you. You’re not flaky and flighty. You’re smart, you take shit seriously, and you’re dependable. And you can kick ass like no one’s business. Yes, I’ll probably try to take over. It’s in my nature, just like being chirpy is in yours. But I’ve noticed that you’re quite capable of taking me on. So I really don’t see the problem.”
He honestly didn’t see the problem, I realised. Nothing I’d said made any difference to him. “You are so ridiculously stubborn.”
“This isn’t stubbornness. This is me knowing exactly what I want and being determined to get it.” He cupped my chin. “Look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t want me.”
“Will you leave me alone if I do?”
“No.” His gaze pierced mine as he whispered, “Lie to me, baby.”
I couldn’t. I wanted him, whether he was good for me or not. Whether I was good for him or not. And it was wrong to reject him purely based on what others had done before him. But…“I need to know a couple of things first. I heard that you’ve had some fun with the humans round here. If you think that’s going to keep happening –”
“There hasn’t been anyone for me since you got here. I don’t want anyone else.” The stark sincerity in his voice made it impossible for me to doubt him.
“One more thing. You’re very guarded, Salem. You keep a part of yourself locked away. It’s not bad. But I need to know if it’s something you’ll do with me. You can’t ask someone for everything if you’re not prepared to give everything back.”
Releasing my chin, he brushed his knuckles down the column of my throat. “My head…It’s something that’s better left alone. If you go digging in there, you won’t like what you find.”
The shadows in his eyes made my chest ache. “I want everything.”
“Then you’ll get it. But when you go looking for things best left alone, when you find out what you want to know and then try to leave, I won’t let you go. Know that now. Decide if ‘everything’ is really what you want. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.”
Maybe. “Everything or nothing, Salem.”
A hint of humour flashed in his eyes. “And you thought you couldn’t take me on.” He licked along the seam of my mouth and I opened for him, moaning when he drove his tongue deep inside. Damn, the guy could kiss. It was raw, consuming, an
d dominant. Sealing a deal with a force that said there was no going back. “Later, when we’re alone in my bed, I’m finally going to find out how every single part of you tastes.”
“Presumptuous bastard.”
His mouth curved slightly. “It will happen. I’ll be so deep inside you, it’ll almost hurt.”
“I get to taste too.”
“If you’re good.”
Picking up movement in my peripheral vision, I noticed that the interviewers were leading the recruits back inside. Returning my attention to the try-out earned me a nip to the neck. “I want to watch. You can have my undivided attention later.”
Another nip. “I’ll hold you to that.”
“The final test is combat,” Sam informed the females, who had reformed into a line.
Only eight remained out of the seventeen recruits that had progressed to the second task. Three Pagoris, three Kejas, and two Sventés. Naturally, I was rooting for my own breed, so I was pretty disappointed to find that there were only two left.
“Now you get to dazzle us with your gifts. It’s not about if you win or lose. It’s about showing us what you’ve got. If any of you have a gift which is fatal on impact, you need to step forward now. I’ll have one of my squad members temporarily weaken it.”
Three of them claimed to have gifts that could badly injure, but none were lethal.
“Then let’s begin,” proposed Jared. He matched up two Kejas, who wasted no time in attacking. The first had a gift similar to Butch’s, which allowed her to ‘repel’ what came at her as opposed to deflect. Even her opponent, whose ability was to secrete ash, couldn’t get close to her. Naturally, the first female therefore won.
Next Sam paired a Sventé with a Keja. The Sventé had enhanced reflexes, allowing her to stay out of reach. The Keja was pyrokinetic and rather impressively created a baton of fire. But no matter how hard the pyro attacked, she couldn’t reach the Sventé. She did manage to clip her once or twice with a fire ball, but not enough to cause any real damage. It was an example of how defensive gifts could be more effective than offensive gifts at times.
As such, the Sventé won, which severely pissed off the Keja so much that she threw a tantrum and demanded a rematch. The other breeds of vampire could be quite prejudiced against Sventés, and it obviously hurt this particular Keja’s pride that she had been defeated by someone she viewed much weaker than her.
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