Chase too was silent. My mother said nothing and returned to the room. After an eeriness of silence, Chase led me through the room and into the separate one, which Dillian and Julia usually rested in. There was a hammock and a small shelf of his favorite bobby head dolls that we had taken from his room in Fier’s council.
“Where did you find this?” I asked surprised. He closed the door behind us, so no one could intrude.
“Tythian grabbed the hammock for me. I used to sway in it all the time if I were tense about a situation. And well, my bobby head dolls seem to ground me, make me feel nostalgic about an easier day and time.” He tapped one of them and its head bobbled.
He sat on the edge of the hammock, and invited for me to sit next to him. He held out his hand to me. His leather jacket opened wide, to show his shirtless chest and stomach underneath.
“Sway with me for a little while. Before we clean you up and send you off again to the Human Compound.” I leant into him. We laid in the hammock and Chase began to push against the wall lightly, so we would sway.
“I hate not being around when you put yourself in danger. I believe in your strength, Esmore. But, I know how out of depth you are in dealing with your vampire self. I want to stop you,” he admitted.
“I know,” I whispered. I looked up at his beautiful gray eyes, consumed by them. I needed this moment of rest, just so my thoughts would not be consumed by my next steps. “But I have to keep stepping forward, I can’t be frozen. Everything else is moving around me. If I stop stepping into the hurricane of things that are happening right now, I will be stuck in the eeriness of its silence. Thank you for believing in me.” I pooled myself into him and kissed up his neck, which had dry blood on it. Chase accepted my flaws, and I him. I kissed the corner of his lip as he tried to be stubborn against me. Finally he gave in, flushing his hot breath into my own and twisting his tongue with mine. He held my jaw softly as he continued to kiss me so passionately and rough.
“I hate that you have a way with words and can win me over every time,” he smiled. He kissed my forehead and guided my head back down on his chest. “Just please never stop listening to my advice. You are my familiar. Everything I say and do will always be in your best interest and safety.” Chase kissed the top of my head, and held me closer. I hugged him tighter, embracing the warmth he offered me. I know.
W ithout sleep, my endurance and stamina were still highly alert due to my vampire self. But, I still needed it. Like Chase had explained, we could go weeks without it. But like any normal body response or action, that part very deep within us that was human needed a moment to stop and just rest. Without rest, the likelihood of turning into a saber increased significantly. I woke in his arms and was comforted by his low snore. I felt more tired than I had my entire life. I still was not at my full strength. It was the first sleep I had since being here.
I bathed myself and clothed myself in fresh leather. I kissed the slumbering Chase goodbye who felt so comfortable and safe, that he didn’t wake with my movement or sound. That was something he had done even before I admitted my attraction to him. Eventually, I was unable to pull away from the desire of him and confirmed him to be my familiar.
I met Yolo and Tythian, at the usual meeting place. The vampires within the coven that I scarcely saw, whispered amongst themselves. But all of them avoided close contact with me. Rumor had already spread about Thomas’ outcast and death.
“I am sorry about last night,” Yolo said sheepishly. He fidgeted with the large wooden cross on his bare chest. He changed and reformed into Jenn, who smiled at me charmingly. It was odd to know that it was still Yolo, but when he transformed it was like a different personality entirely.
Tythian grabbed my hand and teleported me to an open field of cracked ground and deserted land. The sun was harshest here. I placed my hand above my eyes in irritation. This sun was the worst. No mist was here and this land just felt dead.
“It is a desert; still the ice has not yet glazed over its heat. I give it another three hundred years,” Tythian said. “I figured you would quickly spit out your bargain in such a place before wanting to wallow in the shadows again.”
I hoped that with time, I could feel as casual or become unaffected by the sun as everyone else seemed to be. I had the impression that came with age and experience.
“I have a plan in motion which will happen today; there will be a lot of commotion made. I won’t be within the Compound at the time. You must be visual; a lot of traps are within the Human Compound. If you linger around the border, I will be able to reach and find you while this happens. I will let you know when the time is right, as long as you leave your mind exposed to me. You must be in and then out,” I said, sharply. I still had my hand raised above my eyes to try and block the suns rays.
“Show me,” he said, whilst he licked his lips. Charlie was the one who had experimented on Tythian’s human familiar, Whitney. When I first met her, I thought that she was dying of an old disease in the human world, called cancer. However, it was a lie and it was the aftermath and defects from injections and experimentation she was forced to endure. Because of it, Tythian could not turn her. He fed her blood to slow down the effects, but still her time came to an end. She did not die from old age. Her life was taken by Fier as he slit her throat, after she had protected Chase and me.
Tythian wanted the brother, Charlie, who had done the experimentation on her. Then, he would move on to Fier. I could see the thirst in his eyes and the darkness of despair. His familiar was gone and no amount of revenge could ever bring her back. But this was Tythian’s way, like my own, of stepping forward into the hurricane.
“Firstly, if I make this agreement, I want you to guarantee me passage and my Hunter companions, to inspect a human camp in the Antarctic. I may need a few days, and this might extend to more than Dillian and Julia, I may have a few others too. Hopefully, the human camp is secure and they can live amongst them.” My skin scorched under the suns ray. An ugly bird circled above us. I was intrigued by some of the animals that had survived from the human era.
“You could always counter my other offer. Instead of trying to protect and save others; you could ask to have no involvement with my take down of Fier, of which you have already promised me,” Tythian said, adjusting the collar of his salmon shirt.
“That is not what I am bargaining for. Do you agree?” I pushed my hand out for him to shake. The agreement between Tythian and me, and taking down Fier stayed. He killed Whitney in front of me, someone I was unable to protect. It was because she took the blame for my own impulsive actions. I wanted to avenge her death, also.
Tythian shook my hand. With his mind opened to me, I showed him the image of Charlie. The image of him stirred anger in me as well. I gave him a brief on my journey through the Human Compound, and where the laboratory was, that he spent most of his time at. It wasn’t guaranteed that he would be there. I tried to converse my sense of smell to Tythian, so he knew the scent of Charlie. I struggled to create the sensation in my own mind, to remind myself of his distinguished smell. Eventually, I found it and tried to imprint it on Tythian. He raised his eyebrows. “You have learnt a great deal on that gift, Esmore.” I smiled, relieved to have been able to do it. I found confidence in being able to expand my gift and learn more about it.
“You aren’t concerned about Yolo’s reaction to this if he finds out you were involved?” I asked skeptically.
“Esmore, my dear, even though we are brothers, we all have our own struggles and tasks to bare in the attempt to find closure. Especially, when it comes to the rarity of a familiar and losing her; Yolo in the past was no exception to this.” Before I could question him more about Yolo’s familiar, Tythian grabbed me and pulled me into his teleportation.
Jenn tapped her foot impatiently as we re-emerged. My stomach churned. “Are you kidding me? Did you remember you left someone behind?” she snorted. Tythian grabbed a hold of her hand and teleported us to the border. He nodded at me an
d disappeared. I knew he would stay close by.
“Damn secret meetings,” Jenn kicked a rock underneath her heel as she began to walk towards the border. “I give up on asking what it’s about. I guess I already have a rough idea.”
“Apologies Jenn, I mean no offence. But I have a task of my own to achieve as well.” It settled me to know that Tythian felt the same and had no concern for doing so.
*
I scanned over the many minds within the Human Compound. I detected the one that I was after, Lincon. He was highly active and alert, obviously doing as he said he would, and keeping off the drugs so he would be alert and active when I needed him. It was a lot of trust to invest in him, with such an important task. But, he would cause the perfect distraction for Tythian, and be the reason why I could free Kora and Kasey, without being a suspect.
Jenn and I walked throughout the glass tunnels. The dome overhead was still closed. I hadn’t seen it open since the first time I arrived, which was a relief for my very easily, irritated skin. We walked around the statue of the founder, where Sydney and his daughter, Titan walked towards us. I focused myself; it had been difficult to control myself around the guards and the women in the booth before our daily scan. The others had warned me, at my full strength, I would be tempted; and I was. I took a large inhale of breath, and reminded myself that I was a Huntress, not a vampire. I had to rely on my Huntress skill set. I only drank blood if I required, from a bottle. That was what I was convincing my body of.
Titan gave me a skeptical look as she walked with her father. Sydney had a patch over his head, from the wound on his head yesterday.
“What happened yesterday?” He demanded from across the room, rather angrily. “Other’s told me what happened, but I need to confirm with you. Attacked by vampires and then saved by Hunters, you can’t be serious?” He crossed his arms over his chest. He waited for my response, impatiently.
“I keep going over it too in my head. But yea, that’s what happened,” I lied. “Why do you have weapons on you? I thought you would be excused from the mission today, after such a hit to the head?” Titan began tugging on her father’s cling tight shirt that emphasized his broad chest and arms.
“No, I am still going. I don’t care what the doctors said. Yes Titan, why don’t you go play?” I could smell his wound healing; it left a lingering metallic and parched taste in my mouth. It was harder when confronted by a wounded person.
“Ellie,” Jenn said. She had snapped me out of my fixation. I looked at her unaware that I had zoned in on Sydney’s head wound. She looked at me unsettled, as if knowing.
“But, the Endoor brothers haven’t come out of there room yet,” she moaned in displeasure.
“Well, why don’t you go play with Sarah?” Sydney said crouching down to his daughter. She dressed similar to her father, with a white long shirt and small light cotton pants. I had seen a few female children within the compound now, most wore at least something ‘girlie’, a concept I had no idea of really.
“I don’t want to play with the girls. Ellie, plays with the boys,” she looked up at me under her thick eyelashes, as if asking for my help in the matter and to side with her. I looked between Sydney and her, unsure of what to say. I had never had a child put me on a spot like that.
“Ah,” I choked. “I have Jenn as a friend.” Who was actually a man, I thought sarcastically within myself.
“But you don’t all the time. You are strong. I want to be strong too, but all the girls only want to cook. I want to fight the monsters outside.” Sydney sighed with a smile. He looked to his feet in defeat. I looked at the young girl who measure in size, a little higher than my hip bone. She was six, yet toyed with her father’s emotions, saying that she wanted to be the exact thing he tried to shelter her from. I wondered if she had ever seen these monsters before. I never thought I would hear a human child say that they wanted to fight against the monsters. Nor, had I ever seen a child be capable of manipulating a full grown man before.
Hunter children did not act like this. We were firm, trained and honest. Sex did not matter on our equal tasks; it was survival of the fittest.
“I agree with Titan,” I said with thought of my own childhood and the companionship I found with Dillian, who was a boy; this was the only way I could relate in any way. Dillian and I always pushed one another and challenged one another. Until I were older and found James to be a good duel partner- the thought of him leaving a shudder up my spine. “If you feel that by playing with the boys you will become stronger, then I think it is a good plan. You can always do things by yourself; don’t be dependent on just your friends.”
Jenn raised her eyebrows at me and was surprised by Titan’s smile that had two teeth missing. “Okay,” she simply said and gave Sydney a kiss on the cheek and ran into the other direction and back towards the residential sector.
“Wow,” Jenn said. “I was just about to tell you, that was the worst pep talk I had ever heard someone give a child and that you are terrible with children.” I could sense Yolo’s tone in this. “But alas, you two are kindred.”
“Well at least that will keep her entertained for half the day. In whatever she went to do,” he frowned, questioning what it was his daughter was now doing. “Come on. We have to go grab the crew. Today is your first day out isn’t it? It’s only a small team today so say you will be alright.”
Before I walked away Jenn grabbed my wrist. She gave me a stern look of warning. I knew what she was warning me of- to not lose control. I pulled my wrist away from her grasp. I could do this. When I was further away from the Human Compound walls, I would initiate my plan.
Sydney and I walked through the doors, and outside where many of the younger members trained. Like he had previously ordered, there was double the amount of guards who walked the wall. A team of eight waited for us, six men and two women. They looked at me with little interest and waited for Sydney to speak. I continued to wear the same crossbow that I took from the facility on the first day. I couldn’t bring in my prized weapons that I felt so comfortable with, in case others questioned it. I was supposed to be a patient with amnesia, the less questions the better.
“Today we have a team of ten,” Sydney announced. The objective is to forage for outside animals that we can use and breed as livestock, and to return with at least two vampires. The traps haven’t been as sturdy lately and we have been catching less. Mr. Richard wants us to find more. So, we will see if we can find some sabers that are in slumber. We are not to approach a group that has any more than three. All detail is to come to me first before any action is taken, understood?” Everyone nodded, their backs straight. “Right, everyone make sure you have your weapons and are strapped tightly. Angela you are to carry the medical bag and kit.” A lady ran off to do so. The rest dispersed and grabbed various weapons. Some I noted had guns, a weapon that pre-existed before my time.
“Let me guess, you don’t know how to use one,” Sydney teased. “The all-knowing, Ellie, doesn’t know.”
“You shouldn’t tease a person with amnesia,” I said, seriously. I was insulted because I didn’t know how to use them. I hadn’t seen many guns in my lifetime. “I think I would be more of a traditional weaponry person, anyway.”
I searched over the swords. I had to find one which better suited my grip and size. I stayed aware of what I would struggle to hold, if I only had human strength. I strapped the sheath and sword to my back and made sure that it was underneath the bow and arrows.
“That’s all the weapons you want to take, not even a dagger?” He asked as he strapped himself down with more daggers in his boots, around his arms and hips. I needed weapons that I could control, such as a sword and arrows. If I grabbed daggers, I didn’t know to what force I would throw them. It was easier to control things that I was so used to using now, with human force.
“I will be fine,” I said. “Just worry about not getting yourself killed. The monsters might get you.” I clicked my tongue in a teasing m
anner. He reminded me so much of the relationship I had with my previous Token Hunter, Drue. He had always teased me to get better and so I did to prove him wrong. With all those lessons, I became one of the strongest Huntress’s within my generation.
Sydney smiled at me. He rounded the other team members, before we headed towards the wall. I stayed to the back, due to the overwhelming smell of Sydney’s wound that teased me to bite. I did not want to acknowledge this side of me. It was not a part of me. Not while I pretended to be human.
T he sun bore down on me again. It was an overcast day, yet, I could feel it tingle on my skin like tiny droplets of fire. Mist clung to our every step as we walked through the dead trees. I scanned the area, to keep tabs on Tythian, who was still around the border and Lincon, who was still within the Human Compound.
The team that I was led by had their guns raised the entire time, in case a vampire came for us. I couldn’t sense one close by. Far into the distance, I could sense Teary and Tori’s presence. I would keep tabs on them, to make sure they didn’t come any closer. It exhausted me slowly, to outstretch my own mind for such a long period. But, I had to confirm that the timing was right. I needed to give the command when the group stopped moving, where I could concentrate on the others and receive confirmation as to what the results were.
We continued to walk for another hour before Sydney suggested everyone have a break. We were now on the border. Past here, they were no longer protected by their traps. It had only been two hours that they had walked on foot, but already they showed signs of tiredness and requirement of a break. I sat down furthest away from them and leant against a tree. My Hunter team used to run for days with very little breaks. How odd, that we derived from humans and still held the same physical form, yet the difference in survival and strength was very evident.
Token Vampire (Token Huntress Book 2) Page 21
