“Are they going to kill him?” Meredith worriedly asked Zane.
“I don’t know yet. It’s too early to tell.”
“If you don’t come to my master, we will HUNT all your friends down and kill them like this,” the one holding Nate spoke.
Before I knew what was happening, he bit into Nate’s neck. I froze and watched in horror as the color drained Nate’s face as he was sucked dry.
“No!”
I awoke to the sound of my alarm clock buzzing and just like the darkness nightmares, I was covered in sweat and my heart was racing. What only seemed like minutes in Summerland, was actually hours in the world of reality, and it was time for me to get up and ready for school.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Of course, my first reaction was to call Nate and tell him to keep away from Korina. I sent him a message through my computer messenger, considering that he was probably still asleep. No one except teachers, Sera and I, and occassionally Meredith, got up so early on a school day. He hadn’t replied immediately, and I suspected that he wouldn’t. I would have been surprised if he had.
Under normal circumstances, I would still be laying in bed, allowing my body to gradually wake up. But rushing to my computer and waiting for a response, left me nerve-wracked enough to stay awake. My anxiety left me fidgeting in my computer chair and tapping my desk. It was starting to drive me a little crazy, so, I got up and got ready for school. Complete with a shower and a little makeup, which was more of a time waster than anything else. After all that, I looked at my computer, and he still hadn't responded.
I tried to work on some homework, and I did complete some of it. All the extra time was not enough to finish five different subjects worth. And with the fact that my mind was on warning Nate, it was doubly hard to focus. Then, I spent a few extra moments organizing my bookbag, before looking at my computer. He still hadn’t responded. Fortunately, by this time, Sera was already up and moving around the kitchen.
I talked to her about part of what Flora had told me. I left out a few pieces; like that Sera and I were actually related and cousins. Partially because Flora had said that Sera didn't need to know that she escaped being a Venatrix. My own reason was actually more of a selfish one; I didn’t want our relationship to change. I didn’t know if it would, but it seemed like every time something happened within our family, things changed. I was grateful this time that she took everything seriously and we actually drove to the school at an extremely early hour.
I waited for Nate in the commons, barely stopping myself from pacing and instantly felt better when I saw him, safe and sound. I explained to Meredith and Nate about the dream that was given to me as a warning. Jesse hadn’t shown up to school yet by this time. I wasn’t sure if they believed me about the dream, but they had at least listened.
We also decided to report to each other throughout the day about any new possible events. Except for Jesse being absent, nothing out of the relatively new normal happened. Oh, and my teachers seemed surprised about the fact that I didn’t have all my homework done; except Mr. Myles, who was also absent. They were so astonished that they gave me an extra day to complete it. Of course, with a late penalty attached to it.
So that’s how I was spending my afternoon after school but before meeting with Zane, working on homework at the dining room table. From all the missing assignments and the new assignments, my brain was on the edge of frying. Sera kept a constant watch over me while she was in the kitchen fixing an early dinner. Every time I was ready to quit my homework and put my books away, she was suddenly in the room. That woman had impeccable timing.
“Finally!” I sighed in exasperation and closed my English book. I glanced at the time, four-thirty. Crap, I thought. It didn’t leave me much time for anything else.
“Done?” Sera entered the room with suspicious eyes holding a ham sandwich, chips, some pasta salad, and some ice tea. She set it down in front of me on the dining room table.
“Yes, I am done. You can check it if you don’t believe me.”
She raised her eyebrows at my rudeness.
I sighed again. “Sorry. Yes, I’m done.” I bit into the sandwich, craving its sustenance. “Thank you.”
She nodded and headed into the kitchen.
“You’re welcome.” I saw her cleaning off the counter. “We don’t have much time. You’re going to have to get ready soon.”
I groaned. “I wonder what sort of torture that man is going to put me through today.”
I heard dishes crash in the sink. Sera poked her head through the counter window and looked at me. Her face was pale, and her eyes were stern.
“Caden, you have to remember . . . he is not a man. He is a vampire.” Her voice was low and raspy.
“I know what he is,” I responded even though I was chilled to the bone from her coldness. It was very uncharacteristic of her.
She shook her head. "No, you don't. You don't know how evil he is."
“Then tell me. Tell me what I don’t know.”
She was silent for a long time, closing her eyes reflecting on the past. “Hundreds of years ago, he came to our ancestors' village. He came, and he killed. He killed women and children. Any Casti with supernatural powers. They called him the Assassin.”
My heart beat rapidly against my chest.
“Whatever good may be within him is limited. He is not to be trusted, regardless of what he told Finn.”
I am sure my eyes were wide with shock, and I was probably as pale as she was a minute ago. I finally understood her truth. I was learning from an assassin, trained to kill. Of course, Zane would prepare me the only way he knew how.
"I didn't mean to frighten you, but I am worried for you," she continued. "I worry when I see you blush around that vampire-"
At the mention of it, I felt my face reddened again, and I rolled my eyes hoping she would think nothing of it.
“Sera, how am I supposed to behave when someone of the opposite sex is so close to me?” Someone so hot, I thought to myself. “I’ve never had a boyfriend or been that close to another guy. And my body has all these reactions that I can’t seem to control. So, I seem to blush around him. I actually don’t really care for him like I do with Nate.”
She chewed on her bottom lip, digesting this information.
“I don’t like him like that! You know I’ve had a crush on Nate ever since we came here!” I groaned again wiping a hand down my face, remembering last night and how Nate has known all this time.
She raised her eyebrows at me again. “Well, I’m glad you have no feelings toward Sani because one day, you might have to kill him.”
I felt my stomach churned again, but I showed no emotion on my face and shrugged.
“Sera . . . I have to tell you something.”
I felt her eyes scrutinizing me, thinking that her last comment had been enough for a confession.
“Yes?”
“Um . . . Nate is . . . he’s an empath. Apparently, he can read emotions.”
Her eyes widened with surprise. I waited for the information to sink in. She looked at me, deliberating. Then I saw it, her eyes softened, and her complexion fleshed back to normal.
"Oh," she said softly. "So . . . all this time . . . Nate has known all this time."
I threw up my hands and nodded enthusiastically. “That’s what I said!”
I could see the corners of her mouth tilt up.
“Sera, it’s not funny.”
She tried for a more sober expression but failed. "No, of course, it isn't," she cleared her throat.
“There’s more . . . Meredith is a witch.”
She didn’t seem surprised. In fact, the look on her face was like something she already knew.
“But you know that already, don’t you?”
She nodded.
“From your talk with Ms. Weber?”
Again, she nodded.
I threw up my hands again. “I feel so out of the loop. Everyone seems to know everything.
Even you. And I know very little.”
She came over and put her hand on my shoulder. “It won’t be that way forever.” She gently pushed my shoulder. “You have to get ready to go. We leave in five.”
✽✽✽
There we were, yet again, standing in front of the gate to Underhill, staring. And again, I felt the power flicker over me, but this time in a feeling of welcoming. Sera and I must have looked like peeping-toms as we just stood there. I was in a pair of black Adidas' sweatpants with a yellow stripe down the side and a black tank top underneath my denim jacket. My hair was pulled up from my face and neck. Sera looked casual in a pair of khakis and a brown t-shirt underneath her own denim jacket. We certainly didn't look like we belong as a group, being so mismatched.
“Do you know the security code?” I whispered to Sera, not taking my eyes off the house.
“No,” she replied, doing the same.
I was feeding off of her nerves. “How do we get in?”
She shrugged.
I looked at the security pad and noticed an intercom button. I pushed it as it made that annoying buzzing sound. We heard a buzz on our side, and the gate unlocked. I pushed open the gate, and we walked to the door just as it opened to reveal Finn wearing a blue polo with khaki slacks.
"Please come in," he gestured holding the door open until we came all the way inside. Mischief gleamed in his gold-ringed eyes.
I raised my eyebrows, as Sera grabbed my hand, most likely, still feeling uncomfortable about this training session with Zane.
“Zane is waiting for you downstairs.” He started walking in that direction, expecting us to follow him, which of course we did. He was rushing us through the hallway too fast that I couldn’t stop at the painting of my mother. It was barely a quick blink as we passed her.
Afterward, I promised her and myself.
I caught up to Finn’s quick pace, leaving Sera trailing behind. He opened up the door to the “dungeon” and started down, me right behind him without hesitation. This time, Sera was on my heels, trying to catch up.
“Finn, I need to talk to you when we have time,” I said in a rush.
Flora had given many answers, but there was one of the few remaining that kept twisting around in my mind. I was still wondering what else I was, and I had a feeling that Finn could answer that.
“Are you sure you want to know the answers to your questions? They may just lead to more questions.”
“Don’t you think it’s only fair that I know who I am?” I whispered on the step behind him, tall enough to reach his ear.
“Be careful what you wish for.” He nodded. “Zane is right this way.”
I followed him into the “dungeon” gym where Zane was waiting for us.
His face was void of any emotion, but his body was fidgeting. “I have something for you,” he told me as he disappeared into the closet. He brought out a huge box and handed it to me.
I smelled Sera's anger before I saw it. Her face became red, and her eyes grew wild. I thought she was going to burn him down with her glare.
“You cannot win her over with presents!” She spat disdainfully at him.
His expression was still unmoved. "I have no desire to turn your sister. She just needs these."
She huffed and turned away from him. Finn suddenly looked uncomfortable, and it was easy to sense that he wanted to intervene. I looked at the box to distract me from feeling like I was a child in the middle of two divorced parents.
It was a plain brown box. Nothing special. I pulled the lid off of it to discover black boots. Not just any boots. These were steel-toed and went as high up as mid-calf. Inside I saw sheer sleeves line the boots. Enough for six silver stakes in each.
“Wow. These are some great shitkickers,” I responded in awe.
Finn glared down at me disapprovingly, making me feel squeamish.
“I mean great boots,” I clarified. “Thanks for the present, but my birthday isn’t for a couple of weeks.”
Zane’s face paled more. “Your birthday?” His voice was low and almost inaudible, and his lips thinned into a tight line.
“Yeah . . . Caden will be turning sixteen in a couple of weeks,” Finn said, drawing my attention.
Zane looked like he had just been slapped in the face. He turned to Sera. “I wasn’t planning on taking her out to fight any vampires anytime soon, but I thought we had more time.”
“What are you talking about?” Sera asked.
“It’s probably not a coincidence that she was discovered so close to her birthday. The battle will be around her birthday,” he stated clearly as if this was a fact.
Apparently, it was some fact that Finn had missed too. Either that or he had not even thought about this as a possible scenario.
“How do you know this?” Finn rubbed his face with his hands.
“It’s an initiation not just for the vampire, but for her as well. Even if a Venatrix’ initiation begins around the age of twelve, they all start on a birthday. " He was so sure, and his statement left the room cold as we thought about it.
I didn't have much time to learn. I would be thrown to the vampires with no knowledge and no experience. I had no chance, and they knew it. More fear swirled around the room, and I knew it was coming from Sera and probably myself.
"We could run," Sera whispered, saying precisely what I was thinking.
Finn shook his head. “You know that’s not an option. We went through this already.”
“Obscurus will come after you,” Zane interrupted. “And it won’t be just one vampire. It could be his army. Innocents will die, and you leave yourselves open for assassination attempts until she dies. No one in the supernatural community will help you.”
I gulped, remembering my dream of Korina and another Scelestus holding Nate hostage. “If you don’t come to my master, he will hunt you down . . .” The dream could be a warning about what would happen if I ran. But regardless of what I did, I would die either way.
“I have to take her out tonight and every night until the Challenge is issued.”
Sera’s face went white, but she nodded, finally understanding the severity of the situation. Finn was still standing there unmoved, but his jaw was clenched. I could tell that he was holding in some intense emotion that he didn’t want to share with the rest of us.
“I will come with her,” Sera whispered under her breath.
Again Zane shook his head. “I can’t let you distract her. If she becomes distracted, you both could die.”
This time her face was not only pale but became as gaunt as her expression was stressed.
Finn said something to Zane in the Old Language, and Zane snapped his head up. Finn’s expression was harsh and severe, but Zane just nodded.
"Sera, let me teach you what I can so that you can help in other ways," Finn gestured to her. She nodded and followed him out. I stared after her even as she disappeared up the stairs.
Zane tapped my shoulder. “Let’s get you prepared.”
I nodded solemnly and turned to face him. His expression was sincere, and I couldn't help but think there had to be some good there.
“After you stretch, I want you to put on those boots and run for six miles on that treadmill.”
Then again, perhaps there wasn’t.
Again I stretched my already sore muscles. I was a little more flexible than what I had been the previous day, but Zane still groaned about my inflexibility and contorted my body into another pretzel. I was counting down the minutes in my head and allowed myself to shout out when the time was up. I was a little too eager to be done with the stretching and Zane was growling at me in frustration. It did matter to me that I could die, but I didn't see how stretching was going to help.
He growled at me to start running on the treadmill, and when I felt I was at a comfortable pace with those heavy boots, he increased the speed. I felt sweat drip down my face, my back, and even in between my butt-crack within ten minutes of the run. He pushed me until I wa
s ready to pass out. I didn't quite make six miles. Hell, I wasn't even close, and he growled some more about that. I was ready to fight him mentally even though my body was exhausted. He threw me a water bottle and paced around the room like a caged animal.
"Do you think the enemy gives a shit about how exhausted you are?!" He shouted at me, and I could feel his anger rise.
I continued guzzling down the water and ignoring his comment.
“You are weak!” He spat as he came closer to me. “You have to be better or else you will die! Doesn't that bother you at all!!”
All right, I had had enough. I finished the last drop still pretending to ignore Zane and waited until he came right into my face.
"Don't you care-” and then I socked him right in the face, surprising him and myself in the process.
I felt a tingling sensation in my hand as I hit his brick face, but my strength saved my skin from any breakage. His nose wasn’t bleeding yet, but from the crunch I heard, I knew it was broken.
His eyes went savage and wild as he glared at me in shock. His hands balled into fists.
"Do you think he are ready to take on someone like me?" His voice was controlled, even though everything else about him seemed feral.
With his fist, he made a quick motion before he hit me in the stomach. I realized that this was part of some training exercise in his mind and he was doing his best to warn me, and I did see it coming, but I had no idea how to block. And even though he had pulled his punch at the last second and it wasn’t entirely painful, it was enough for the air to be knocked out of me. There was no need for me to double over, and all it took was a breath to bring me back to center.
This did however slightly distract me from the other fist that was about to connect with the side of my face. I couldn’t explain what happened even if I tried at that moment. Time slowed down. My head had already assessed Zane as barely any threat since he really wasn't trying, and my body surged from a presence that I had never felt. It was like a wild animal had taken over. She knew where the contact was going to be made and I allowed her to take over. I ducked as his fist hit nothing but air and I pushed him back with my arms and hands, giving myself some space to move.
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