Max jogged over and wrapped his hands around the punching bag, holding it steady for me, and peered around the side. “You need to put on some gloves.”
Smashing my fists into the bag, I tried to ignore his advice as well as the pain radiating through my hand.
Max sighed as he released his grip on the bag and headed over to the rack against the side wall, where he grabbed a pair of gloves before returning to me. “We need to get you your own pair.” He held them out to me.
Still ignoring him, I laid another couple of punches followed by a knee to the bag, visualizing my brother’s obnoxious head in its place.
I knew Mason was probably made for this hunter thing, but it pissed me off that Finn was so supportive of him when he’d been a downright asshole to me. Plus, Mason was only fifteen years old. He should have been focused on school, friends, and his sports, not learning how to kill a vampire.
The irony of my thoughts didn’t go unnoticed by me, but there was no way I was going to change my mind. Mason was in this mess because of me, and now I wanted to protect him every chance I could. Just the way Finn had with me.
Freaking bastard.
There was no way I was going to turn into my obnoxious, overprotective brother.
“You know what?” I said, turning to my brothers. “It’s probably a good idea you learn to fight, Mason. Because even if you choose not to become a hunter or these people deem you’re not good enough, at least you’ll be able to protect yourself.”
Mason smiled as he bent his leg at the knee and grabbed his ankle behind him. The haunted look coming back the moment I mentioned not being good enough. It was the look of someone who’d stared death in the face and lived to see another day. “Thanks—”
“You are ‘these people,’” Finn said as he headed toward us. “Actually, that’s wrong, because you’re not just these people. You’re the one, which means more than ever we are your people.” He shook his head. “Even Max knows it. Why else would he train you?”
I glanced at Max, my chest constricting when I saw the look in his eyes. Finn was right. Max still hated the very sight of me, yet he’d agreed to train me.
Nodding slowly, I took a few steps back then spun around and retreated to the doors.
“Kali,” Max called after me. “We haven’t finished,” he said after telling me he wasn’t going to train me anymore. Guess he’d changed his mind.
Ignoring him, I opened the door and stormed into the hall, heading toward the stairs leading to the roof top track. The walls felt as if they were closing in on me, suffocating me with their rules and regulations.
People were in danger, and all anyone around here cared about was keeping me safe until I turned eighteen. Screw whoever died in the meantime.
Yeah, that didn’t bode well for me.
Maybe it was because I was the one, or maybe it was because I was always so strongheaded. Either way, I didn’t plan on letting anyone I cared about die because these hunters were too focused on the bigger picture.
I get why they wanted me safe. I was supposedly the one who would save them all, but that didn’t mean the other hunters needed to hide. They could still protect the innocent—especially the ones I cared about.
They would become targets.
They’d probably become bait.
But that didn’t matter.
I’d vowed I wasn’t going to let anyone else I cared about die, and I wasn’t about to break my promise. Even if it was to save my alcoholic father.
I just needed to convince the others we could do both, and the dinner Lana’s parents were throwing tonight was the perfect opportunity for me to have my say.
Throwing the door open at the top of the stairs, I stepped outside and breathed in the smell of damp earth as the rain pelted down on me, Mother Nature mimicking my mood of sorrow and mourning.
It had been five days since we’d rescued Mason, and it hadn’t stopped raining. Dark clouds loomed above, covering the sky in their unholy presence and making me wonder if the demons had something to do with the strange weather pattern of late.
I pulled my ponytail tighter and broke into a jog, rounding the track slower than I would’ve liked. I ached to feel the wind in my face like I did when I was hyped up on vampire juice.
The door burst open, and Lana stepped onto the track, her frantic eyes searching for me. The moment she spotted me, I could see the relief ripple through her. She’d been this way ever since she’d learned of my true identity, and it was getting old—fast.
She broke out into a sprint, catching up to me as if I were crawling on all fours, and proceeded to fall into step with me. “I thought we weren’t supposed to go for our run for another hour.”
“I thought I’d get a few miles in first,” I said, stepping up my pace.
“Good,” she said. “Because we should probably finish up here early so we can get prepared for tonight.”
I rolled my eyes. “How much time do you think I need to clean up before dinner?”
“You know this isn’t any old dinner, right?” She twisted around to face me and ran backward, still keeping her pace with mine. “There’s going to be a huge fuss between them and you.”
I frowned at her. “I thought you said they can’t wait to meet me.”
“My parents, yes. But having everyone together will make people go nuts, trying to prepare and making sure things go to plan.”
I wanted to tell her that I couldn’t care less about this dinner, and the only reason I was prepared to participate was for a last-ditch effort to get the Society to come to their senses about keeping my family and friends safe. I was not going to let them become statistics, and it would be easier if I had an entourage of hunters willing to be at my beck and call, not just trying to keep me contained in this building where they deemed me safe.
Staying locked up in this old mental hospital for that long was doing my head in. I wanted—needed to be free.
Focusing on the views from the rooftop, I tried my best to block out the constant stares Lana threw my way and pretend I was alone, the rain washing away the sins that stained my soul.
Night was falling way too soon for this time of the year, and I couldn’t help but think the demons were responsible. That they were looming behind every shadow, watching, waiting to make their move.
I knew I wasn’t their target. They had no idea I was more than a hunter. They were after Mason because the demons thought he could be the one. Yet every single person in this facility acted as if I were the one in danger. Sure, I had ripped through a sea of vampires as I searched for Mason, but none of them could’ve possibly known I was the one they were looking for. After all, according to their mandatory testing, my results were negative.
Blue lightning spread across the sky, followed by a crack of thunder sounding in the distance.
Lana pulled on my arm. “We should probably get inside before the storm gets too bad.”
Slowing to a jog, I headed over to the stone wall and came to a stop as I looked out at the heavens above, half expecting to see the clouds take on a demonic form. But the seconds ticked by, and they remained dark clouds, void of any demonic influence. “We’ll be fine.” I turned to continue on the track when Lana grabbed my arm, stopping me.
“We need to go inside,” she said a little too forcefully.
I raised my brow as I studied her worried eyes. “What are you not telling me?”
She cast a nervous glance toward the streets then bit her lip, something she never did. “Look, I don’t want you to get paranoid, but there’s something strange going on with the weather pattern, and I don’t think you should be outside on your own.”
“But I’m not out here on my own.”
Lana sighed as she kicked the toe of her shoe against the track—another sign she was nervous. “I think they know where you are—or where Mason is—and they’re trying to get inside, hence the unexplained storms.” She pointed to the charcoal clouds covering the sky.
As much as I wanted
to stay outside where I could taste the freedom I desperately desired, I caved. “Fine.” She’d done so much for me since I came here, and it was my turn to do a little giving.
A smile spread across her face as relief washed over her. “Thank you.” She headed toward the exit. “You should go take a shower. I’ll be over in thirty minutes to get the preparations underway.”
I scowled at her, not liking the sound of having to go to so much of an effort for this damn dinner where I was supposed to be the guest of honor.
The thought of everyone fussing over me made my skin crawl, but it was mandatory to fulfill the obligations of the one. And only a few days ago I thought I would finally have a say in what happened in the Society. I shook my head in annoyance before putting on a fake smile. “Sounds perfect.”
Lana raised a brow. “I know you’re not looking forward to tonight, but it’s just one night—four hours tops.”
My eyes widened. Four freaking hours? That was insane.
She gave me an apologetic smile. “You’ll be fine. I’ve made my parents promise not to go too overboard.”
I was agreeing to this dinner for one reason, and one reason only: to save my family.
2
Sitting at my very own table, elevated above the sea of Society members occupying the tables below, I wanted to strangle Lana.
No part in her plans of getting me ready for tonight’s dinner covered the fact that I was a freaking spectacle, mounted on a platform, dressed in an evening gown, makeup done, hair up, and being pampered as if I were the queen of a kingdom I clearly didn’t rule. If I did, I certainly wouldn’t be up here by myself, wasting time.
We’d be out on the streets, saving my father and friends, and letting the world know we had the human’s backs. That we were a force to be reckoned with and the vampires were going to have their day in hell, an endless torment they so desperately deserved.
My nails dug into the thick, pristine white table cloth as I tried to remain in my seat, giving them what they wanted so I could get what I needed. But the constant stares from almost every single person in the room made me want to get the hell out of there and never look back.
Reminding myself as to why I had to remain, I watched Mason and Finn bantering with each other as they sat on the table with the rest of my friends, all of them ignoring me and my need to escape—except Max. His tormented eyes locked with mine, sending a shiver down my spine.
Unable to hold his gaze any longer, I turned my attention to Lana and her family sitting on the long table in front of me. She had three siblings, and each of them was as married to their job as Lana. Her parents were yet to formally introduce themselves to me, and I didn’t know if it was because they weren’t really sure if I was the one or if they were worried because I truly was. Apart from having an insatiable hunger for vampire blood, I was nothing like they’d expected.
Selfishness and a blatant disregard for authority were not traits the one should have. But that was all me.
My shoulders slumped as hope for the safety of those I cared about flittered away with the seconds slowly, painstakingly, ticking past.
Picking up my fork, I poked at the food on my plate, unsure what they’d served me, expecting to eat without question. There was a lump of something that looked to be rice but wasn’t at all like the carb-packed granules I craved.
Actually, I wanted pizza, loaded with cheese and every form of processed meat there was. Not this healthy crap the waiters had lumped on my plate.
Even one of Kade’s smoothies would’ve been better.
Lana’s father, Peter, stood, raised his glass, and tapped his fork against the rim in quick succession, turning everyone’s attention to him. “Today is the day we have all been looking forward to for a millennia. It is the day we get to meet the chosen one, who has returned to us before her time.” He paused while everyone applauded, and it took everything I had not to roll my eyes. “Most of you weren’t sure you would see the return of Kali, the demon hunter, in your lifetime, and if I’m being honest, there were times when I wasn’t sure either. But with faith comes the next phase in our plans to rid the evil from this world. In only a matter of weeks, Kali will rise and the demons will fall.”
The crowd erupted into a round of applause and cheers.
Peter turned to me and raised his glass. “To Kali, may you rid this world of the damned once and for all.”
I picked up my champagne glass filled with water, raising it as I forced a smile.
Peter took a sip of his champagne. “Now, if you’d like to say a few words.”
My eyes widened in horror as my stomach churned, threatening to lurch into my throat.
I swallowed hard, but it did nothing to alleviate my parched mouth.
Thankful I had some water, but now more than ever annoyed I wasn’t given some liquid courage, I lifted the glass to my lips and downed the contents. It did nothing to rid the sandpaper covering my tongue.
I was so not good at public speaking—especially when I was put on the spot.
All eyes waited for me to get on with my speech, but the only thing I could think about was the hypocrites sitting around me. Sure, they said they were there to protect the humans, but from what I’d seen, they didn’t do the best of jobs. They were on the defense when they should’ve moved to offense long ago. And now that they had me, a weapon of pure destruction, they were still playing the defense by keeping me locked away when I could be out there kicking some ass.
Gritting my teeth, I tried to come up with something to say that was more than a basic “hi” to the masses. But my mind had gone blank as I scanned the crowd of eyes locked on me, waiting for me to give some epic speech.
“Uh, thank you, Peter,” I began. “I am honored to be here, and I still can’t believe I am who you say I am, but the sword says I am, so I must be.” I laughed, a painful, embarrassing laugh that made me want to crawl under my table and down a bottle of alcohol.
Forcing a smile, I bought a few seconds to get my shit together as I tried to release the tension building up inside of me.
Lana gave me an encouraging smile, making me think she knew exactly how I felt. Hell, who was I kidding? Every single person in this place knew I wasn’t leader material, and I was only proving them right.
Most of them hated me before, so why was I trying to be someone I wasn’t?
I couldn’t come up with an answer for that.
Shaking my head, I decided I just needed to be me and they could shove their judgmental attitudes up their asses. “Many of you know my history, and most of you hate what I did. I get it. I did some awful things that go against everything I’m supposed to stand for. But the thing is I wouldn’t have done those things if I knew you all existed—if I knew there was help out there for me—for Mason. And I’m not asking anyone to forgive me, because I know what you all stand for. What I’m saying is I think you all need to stop hiding and come out to the world, because I am not okay with saying to hell with my family and friends just so—”
“Okay, thank you, Kali,” Peter said with a nervous laugh.
I frowned, not believing he was seriously trying to cut me off. “I’m not finished.”
“Can we all give Kali a round of applause?”
The crowd clapped their hands, the noise echoing around the room, grating on my nerves.
I rolled my eyes and let out a strangled laugh. These people were unbelievable. They wanted me to save all humanity, yet they weren’t willing to do something for me.
It was not going to end well for them.
By now, I thought they would’ve figured out I wasn’t one to take orders easily when my family and friends were at stake. Sure, the demons would be going after Mason’s loved ones, but that still involved my drunk-ass father whom I wasn’t prepared to let become just another statistic for those demonic creatures to torture.
Hell, they’d probably make our father a vampire just to spite us. It’s what I would do if I were them.
&nb
sp; The cheers died down, and the band started up again with their annoying classical music. If this party was truly for me, they would’ve had a deejay or a rock band or anything that wasn’t going to make me want to gouge out my eardrums.
Okay, so maybe I was over exaggerating just a bit—a lot. But sitting on my own, a spectacle to the hunters below, was doing things to my head.
I slouched back in my seat and picked up my fork, pushing the vegetables around the plate, wishing I had my damn phone on me so I’d have something to do. Or at least be able to sit at the same table as my friends and frenemy.
Mason, Finn, and Kade seemed to be getting along like a house on fire, developing their bromance to include one more. Lana had changed tables and was now chatting with Max and another hunter I was yet to have the pleasure of meeting, and I was all on my own, bored out of my brain.
Sighing, I chastised myself. I should’ve been thinking of a way to get out of this place and save my father, not sitting here feeling sorry for myself.
That was the old me.
The new me was an ass-kicking, vampire-devouring huntress who… needed a plan.
When I first found out I was their divine, demon hunter they’d been waiting for all their lives, I thought they would have to listen to me. I needed someone…
Orphelia.
She was in her very own room located in an attic at the far left wing of the compound, away from all these people who wanted to keep me under lock and key. She said she was mine to command or some shit like that, and it was about time I figured out exactly what that meant.
What I needed to do was find a way to sneak out of this room and see her. Either that or just bust out of this place and go rescue… I trailed off as I glanced over at my brothers and locked eyes with Mason.
He stared at me unwaveringly, a haunting look in his gaze, piercing my soul as if he knew what I was thinking.
A shiver ran down my spine as I waited for him to out me, destroying my chance at saving our father. Some might think Dad didn’t deserve to live when he just drank away his days, oblivious to us and anything else in life, but the truth hurt so much more.
Shadow Realms- The Complete Series Page 18
