by K A Young
Hesitantly, I nudge the swinging door open, stepping inside the store while the music meets my ears. Nervously, I pull down the front of the uniform and the back hem at the same time, uncomfortably wandering discreetly to the counter when the man signals for me to come closer. If I took one look at me, I wouldn't want myself in a decent store...I look like a freaking hooker.
My bare feet come to an abrupt halt about a foot in front of the counter, my eyes casting downward for a moment, checking to make sure he isn't getting a free show. Glimpsing up, the man's eyes grow wide, a hint of relief and fear shining in those brown orbs of his.
"You're one of them...!" His voice trails off while slapping a hand to the front of his forehead.
By his reaction, I am taken aback, remaining in stunned silence. When it goes on long enough, I ask with my voice catching in my throat, "What are you going on about?"
Shifting my stance back, speculating if this person before me is a vampire and not a human makes me second guess ever coming in here. Then I must remind myself that it's broad daylight and if he were a vampire, he'd be a dead crispy one.
I release the tension in my jaw and shoulders, narrowing my eyes at the man and attempting to discern what the whole confusion is about. The man shakes his head from side to side, his hand extending to a turn-table rack standing next to the register. He snatches a pair of dark sunglasses while shakily handing them out as an offering to me, instructing, "Put these on," while I nod my response, taking them from his hand and placing them on the bridge of my nose. After adjusting to make sure they fit, he reminds me, "Whatever you do, do NOT take them off for any reason."
"I'm baffled..." my voice is meager as I focus back to the man through the dark shades, "are you implying that I am-"
"A vampire hunter?" The man arches a brow and finishes my thought off for me.
Okay...how the hell did this normal human know precisely what I am? I'm not advertising it or something...
My eyes widened behind the shades when Carly flashes through my mind, remembering exactly what she had spoken to me about. There are parts of the world that know about the vampires' presence...I had been living in Florida however, does this mean that California is becoming more prominent with the vampires?
Their influence is growing, and I can't be sure how far they have reached already.
How much control does Locaine have?
Where does his reach extend to and where does it end?
Almost as if the man had been reading my thoughts, he regards my outfit, pointing to his wares and suddenly avoiding my eyes. Color comes rushing back to my cheeks when he says, "Please, find something you can wear. I have already seen too many things happen in the past, I can only imagine..."
The hair on my arms stands on end as a shiver passes through my body, leaving a coldness in my heart and the center of my chest.
"Did...did they rape you?" The man's voice shows a hint of concern, genuine regard coming from him reassures me that humans aren't the enemy. However, I don't understand why he would just assume that...there were women in Locaine's dungeon that had a simple purpose of being feed off or when he got angry...used to exhaust his temper which would end in their deaths.
I'm not mad at the man for asking, but the anger builds up within me when I think of what could have happened and reply shortly, "No."
"They change you..." his already frowning face deepens, grief striking his heartstrings once again while he informs me, "that's what happened to my Kara."
Freezing on the spot I ask, "Is Kara, your daughter?" I question him and press further, "What happened to her?"
"Those vile creatures invaded our home a while back, brutally murdering my two sons and my eldest daughter," the man pauses, his face becoming emotionless...all except for his eyes, holding open the window to our souls, "Kara was my youngest. She was only fourteen at the time of the attack."
Standing in complete silence, I give him the respect, knowing this event had cut him through to the bone and he continued to hurt. The painful memory being spoken to another helps ease that grief, but it appears I may be one of the first he's gone into such depth with that might not be a family member.
When he finally finds his lost voice, he calls it back to say, "They raped her in front of my wife and I," he finishes, clenching his hands into fists on the countertop, "by the time they were finished with her...she was begging them for more..." his eyes change for a moment when he finishes, "they change you..."
"I'm so sorry..." my voice trails off filled with sadness, my skin crawling with disgust while my heart yearns for the man to have some resolve.
The man parts his lips and states, "One of them with long white hair bit her..."
I snap my eyes onto him through the shades, steadying my voice as I ask, "And?" Hoping he'll give me more information, wondering if by chance if this had been someone from Locaine's coven or not.
"They took her with them..." the man appears too depressed to even answer my question, lost in a passage of time that has all but been forgotten save for him, "I assumed they took her to use her and then kill her. There is nothing us humans can do...especially when age approaches us very quickly."
"I can almost guarantee she's alive," I respond with a small spark at the edge of my voice.
The man's face instantly lightens at my words, and he asks, "How so?"
"She was bitten by a pureblood. From what you described," I bite my lower lip for a moment, not exactly sure if he's going to like the answer I am about to give him, "he turned her into a vampire. She was a compatible match for the bite."
The blood drains from his face at my words, and he stammers, "Sh-Sh-She's one of them?"
"She very well could be," I reply with a nod of my head, watching as the mix of emotions works its way up onto his features.
I turn to my right, looking over at the lady’s section and then back to the man, "Why are you helping me?" I question him, unsure of what's in it for him to help a hunter who appears to be a hooker.
"From my experiences, you folk are the only ones that have a chance at staying alive and killing those bloodsuckers," he leans against the back of the counter again, crossing his arms in front of his chest, "you're not from here...are you?"
"Yes and no," I reply, making my way to the clothes, my hands trailing over the fabric of the material. When I pause a moment and look over a rack of clothes I say, "I was born not too far from here actually."
Finding a pair of jeans, Converse, a white t-shirt, and a black hoodie, I gather the items I have selected, knowing they'll be a hell of a lot more comfortable than the maid uniform.
Perfect.
Continuing my story, I tell him, "I moved to Florida when I was thirteen and a half," approaching the changing rooms, I shut the door behind me and strip myself out of the very provocative outfit, replacing it with the much more toned-down attire. It'll be a lot easier to blend in now.
The man wasn't responding to me like we had been a moment ago, so I peer around the corner of the changing rooms. My gaze lands on the man standing there, his attention drawn to the window as he gazes out to the afternoon sun. Roaming back to the counter, I ask him, "What is it?"
He appears startled at my words, jolting him from his thoughts and causing him to look down at his watch. When he lifts his chin and locks gazes through my shades he informs me, "It's three o'clock in the afternoon. If you run, you can make it to the bullet train that will take you to Canada by six o'clock this evening."
"When does the sunset?" My voice catches in my throat, seeing my freedom slowly slipping away from me as I don't really know what time it sets here...the time difference catching up with me.
"Five forty-five," the man responds promptly as if he lives his life around the night...we all mostly do now...
I emerge from my thoughts, glancing down at my clothes and sighing, "I can't pay for thes-" he cuts me off the second he shakes his head, withdrawing from his pocket cash and offering it to me. This is a rare sight.
..someone paying me to take their clothes?
"I didn't expect you to be able to," I take the cash from him with my brows furrowed. He nods toward the door and states, "Please, you need to run. Meet up with more of your kind...we need you more than you can imagine," the man's voice trails off while he places his face into the palms of his hands. I can hear a faint sob behind his fingers, "Just promise me one thing," his voice chokes in his throat.
"Anything," I respond, owing this man my life for his kindness.
"If you do find my Kara..." he sounds unsure for a moment but then proceeds with, "please...end her life. I can't stand the thought of my little girl as one of those monsters."
Is this what my father thought while taking both Alyssa and Enos' lives?
"I will do you one better," I nod while swearing on my life to him, “if I come across the pureblood you described, I will slaughter him where he stands."
Why have I been this naive about the world around me?
The world is changing...and I sat by taking no notice to the horrors happening in the shadows around me each day.
Without another thought, I slam through the door and call over my shoulder, "Thank you!"
**
-Locaine
"Master! Please!!" I can just faintly hear a thumping vibration coming from the other side of the door.
Listening carefully to those sounds, I come to realize that the sounds are not coming from my door...
There is a moment of pause, just before the drumming sounds begin to echo once again, "Please...Michael."
My eyelids immediately snap open at the sound of her voice...
That's Emily's voice.
What in god's name is she doing up so early?
I instantly toss the covers off me, hurdling out of bed, while leaving behind the blood-red covers on the ground, draping partially over the end of the bed. I can hear her tiny heart beating, her pulse racing. Her fear continues to wrap around me, and I haven't even come close to being within reach of her...but why is she so afraid?
I tighten my grip on the handle of my sizable cherry wood door, flinging it open in one motion as I briefly scan the hallway. Standing in the open-door frame, rubbing my forehead as a very bewildered Emily spins around on her heels to face me. She is desperately clutching her upper arms, holding herself in terror as if the hug she's giving herself can offer her the security she's searching for.
"I-I-Master Locaine, I-" She appears completely terrified, quaking with fear as the resonating sound of Michael's door opens in the next moment across from mine.
"Emily, do you know what time it is?" Michael asks while she continues to stare at me with those wide doe eyes, brushing the sleep from his eyes and shaking his head as though he can't believe she's the one causing an outburst. Her beating heart only accelerates the moment he also becomes involved.
Emily attempts to compose herself, clasping her hands in front of her shaking form and bowing her head in respect to the both of us. I arch one of my brows, moving closer to her.
Emily begins with a very soft voice, almost inaudible at first when she starts to apologize, "It is five fifteen in the evening, and I understand that it is early...but-"
Michael cuts her off, not allowing her to even finish her apology. He looms directly in front of her while cupping her chin in his hand. He raises her skittish face to meet his very stoic one and says, "Tell me right now in one sentence. What the hell is going on?"
Her eyes shift momentarily to me, the look in them reminding me of a terrified field mouse caught in a trap and awaiting death itself.
This is odd...she's never this timid.
What has her frightened for her very life?
Emily slowly draws in a shaky breath and replies in three words that resonate within the confinement of the hallway, "Annika has escaped."
It hits me a moment too late, a sudden pulsation of explainable rage slowly courses through my body. It heats my skin with the anger I contain, not able to hide it very well at the thought of my one chance at tracking down Jared has slipped right through my fingers...
...thanks to Emily.
I'm right on edge, teetering on the fine line of whether I'm about to end Emily's life for allowing this to even happen. A second later, I mentally curse myself for ever even enabling this to happen in the first place...the fault lies solely with us for even allowing Emily to carry a key after bringing Annika here.
I thought she was considered too drained to even wake up after last night. This is my mistake...
Emily screams, and Michael growls lowly, "Locaine..."
I can already feel the shift in my eyes slightly altering with my growing anger, knowing fully well that my eyes are no longer shining their luminescent blue. Darkness settles into their depths, the hate I have not only for the hunters but for the Larson family exceeds a whole new level.
Emily should be scared because now...now everyone will see exactly what happens when you think you can outrun me...when you believe you've escaped a fate that only I decide when and if I choose to let you go...
My thoughts immediately come to a screeching halt as the sound of Rynn's voice roars down the hallway. There is burning anger lingering in those depths as she's also just as frustrated with the first noise as I'd been and now, the sound only escalates as the situation arises.
"What the hell are you all doing?! It is too early for this shit!" She glowers, coming to an immediate halt next to Michael.
Apparently, the whole coven is about to wake with the scene we are making. There will be questions, and the answer will be given the second I drag that hunter back here, kicking and screaming all the way down to the dungeon where she'll remain for a very, very long time.
"What did she do?" Rynn diverts her anger and shoves an accusing finger in Emily's direction, "she's usually such an obedient little slave for you Michael."
Michael instantaneously releases the hold he retains over Emily, the human taking a few steps to regain her balance from being on edge for so long. His eyes meet Emily's, and he scowls in a stern voice, "Go back to your room. Do not leave it under any circumstances."
"I-I'm so-so so sorry," Emily's small voice is silenced as Michael backhands her across the face. She whimpers, clutching her now reddening cheek with agony as she hits the ground from the almost full force action he's just displayed. I catch Rynn arching a brow at me, and I remain silent while Michael continues to deal with his slave.
"I didn't ask for an apology or an excuse," he spits at her, his temper flaring right off into the deep end as we share each other’s tension, "I told you to GO TO YOUR ROOM!"
Emily doesn't say another word, fumbling like a small child that's just been chastised to her feet, running as fast as her legs can carry her. Her footfalls become but a distance sound in the background of the blood rushing through my ears as I hear my own angry heartbeat pounding its rhythm.
As she completely disappears from the hallway, I inhale and exhale deep breaths, attempting to keep my anger at bay. It hardly works, knowing now the only way I'll satisfy this rage is to bring her back...
"Locaine?" Rynn's voice alters drastically, reflecting a very soft tone this time. At the same time, she places a gentle hand on my shoulder, her touch only relaxing the muscles beneath the surface.
I hiss out angrily, "Annika escaped."
Rynn's eyes narrow, retrieving her hand and saying steadily, "There is only one place she could have gone, and you know that as well as I do," she pauses for a moment and then states, "time isn't on her side."
Michael nods in agreement with her and voices his own notation, "The sun will be down soon. We'll catch her."
"We better," Rynn nods, pulling her frizzy fiery hair away from her face, "not every vampire knows that she belongs to you." I catch her gaze on the emphasis of her final word, knowing very well what might happen to her if I'm not the one who finds her first.
"I am well aware of that," I release a sigh and push off the door frame, returning to
the center of my room. I can still hear Rynn and Michael talking in the hallway as I make my way to the wardrobe.
"If we don't detect her first, and she is recognized-" Rynn is cut off mid-sentence.
Michael hushes her, saying, "Locaine knows they will kill her."
"What are you two still doing there?" I snap with rage, "Go get ready! We don't have time for this."
The hall's noise dwindles...a sudden silence overtaking as they each return to their respected rooms, gathering what they will need to find her.
I'm entirely agitated as I adorned black cargo pants and a dark long sleeve shirt. While sitting on the side of my bed, lacing up my ebony combat boots, I can't help where my mind begins to wander.
What the hell was she thinking?
Apparently, she wants her freedom...but now she's swimming in dangerous waters as I'm confident California isn't exactly how she remembers it.
I growl as I tighten the laces, finishing getting the last of my apparel together.
She wants her freedom so damn much, she'll never see the light of day after this.
I abruptly rise from the edge of the bed, walking toward the door once more with quick strides. As I come much closer to it, I reach out to the chair and snatch my long black trench coat from where I'd last dropped it. Exiting my room, I slip one arm into each sleeve, heading first in the direction of the slaves' quarters.
It's only a few minutes before I slam the door open, my eyes taking in the sight of Emily remaining in a hunched-up ball beneath of her covers. Carly awakens at the sudden sound, her eyes widening in terror at my appearance while she tries to make herself as small as possible.
It's not them I want...
My eyes land on Annika's bed, moving through the room toward it until I come to a sudden halt. Glancing over the top, it takes but a moment before her blood surrounds me and my eyes narrow onto the floor where a few drops of fresh blood have been spilled. Crouching down, I touch the loose wire between my fingers. If she's going to the bullet train, it's something I can entirely understand though...
