Darklight

by Forrest, Bella

  "The humans are in the plane. They got the gunfire to stop," Bravi shouted. "Dorian, we're dropping her off and then getting this other flock on the ground."

  Her bird sped through the air to reach the plane. The vampires and their birds, now free of human passengers, encircled the enemy flock. I noticed with the slightest touch of relief that Dorian’s bird flew alongside them, rider-less, seemingly uninjured from the crash. As much as I disliked that particular bird, I had to admit he had gone above and beyond on this mission. The redbills no longer screamed challenges at each other. As we passed, I heard them gurgling and chirping instead.

  Our bill hoisted us higher. It lurched farther in a powerful burst, and the ladder dangled in front of us.

  The bird steadied its beating wings into a rhythm, keeping us flying in place. I stretched out an open hand. The rungs were only inches away.

  I leapt forward, clutching a rung with both hands, and then the bird, Bravi, and Dorian fell away below me.

  For a dangerous moment I dangled, and then I growled and dragged myself up. The ladder swung in the turbulent air. I found the rungs below with my feet and started to climb.

  Go. Go. Go.

  A hand appeared in front of my nose. Captain Bryce gazed down at me from the airplane's side door. I clutched his offered wrist. A moment later, I landed on my knees in the plane.

  "Thank you, Captain," I shouted.

  He didn't respond, his steely blue eyes fixed on the vampires, whose birds still circled with the wild flock, the whole knot of them slowly descending.

  "Take her down," Clemmins yelled through the comm. “Carefully.”

  Our plane performed a gentle, angled tilt through the sky. I peered out the open door at the vampires and the bills, all now on the ground. I couldn’t see any sign of a struggle, but before I got a good look, we touched down a safe distance from the two flocks, and my view was briefly eclipsed by the angle of the plane.

  The craft’s wheels slipped slightly through the sand. I braced my shoulders against the wall as the plane shuddered to a stop.

  Once we were stable, I placed a hand on my lower back where I'd been hit before we crashed. There was no blood, but the skin felt tender. The big bill must’ve rammed me; its beak had definitely dented the back plate I abandoned.

  Everyone stared blankly at the floor or each other. Zach's mouth hung open a little bit. I wondered if that's what I'd looked like after my first redbill flight. No; if I was being honest, I had probably looked worse.

  Pain pounded dully through my whole body from the crash. I felt around in my sore mouth with my tongue. I’d bitten my cheek when my breastplate clipped me, but it was nothing major, and the bleeding had already stopped. Dorian hadn’t needed to sound so concerned.

  I stepped toward the door at about the same time Captain Bryce ordered, "Soldiers, remain on the aircraft. We will monitor the situation from here.” His bulky frame blocked my view.

  With an exhale, I hurried to the nearest window instead, craning my neck to watch the vampires. Our bills clustered safely together off to the side, and the vampires walked steadily toward the other flock. The wild bills continued their grumbling, but eventually quieted as Dorian neared the biggest bill.

  They all stood staring at each other for a time. Then, with shocking synchronicity, the vampires stepped forward and bent to secure yellow tags around each redbill’s ankle. The enemy birds held still, gazing straight ahead.

  "How are they doing that?" Gina mumbled from where she stood beside me, her fingers slipping strands of her blonde bob behind her ear.

  One by one, the vampires straightened and stepped directly in front of the captured redbills. Dorian extended his hand and placed an open palm on the large bill's forehead, holding it there. Around him, other vampires did the same.

  "They're letting the vampires touch them," Louise reported to the soldiers who didn't have a good view of the scene. Her voice and pale brown eyes displayed awe.

  The wild—formerly wild—birds tossed their heads and leapt into the sky. They ascended, heading northwest…

  "What the hell just happened?" Zach snapped.

  Sike, his narrow frame sandwiched between sweaty soldiers on the airplane's bench seat, cleared his throat loudly to call attention. "They wanted to speak more clearly to the creatures. So the flock would know what we're asking them to do."

  "What do you mean?" Louise asked, the wind throwing her long hair around her shoulders.

  "When vampires touch a redbill, it helps them hear each other better. Like leaning in, when someone's whispering. It enhances the connection, I guess." Sike shrugged, blinking his dark brown eyes a few times. "You won't see those bills again. They're headed home.”

  The surrounding soldiers exchanged looks. Sike’s words excited me, and I couldn’t help but shoot Zach a thumbs up, which he enthusiastically returned. The entire wild flock was only a collection of dots in the distance. The vampires walked toward the plane, their redbills plodding along behind them. Captain Bryce jumped out the door to speak with them.

  "Travel back with us… monitor…" I heard over the idling engine.

  The vampires boarded the plane, Rhome and Kreya first. Rhome lifted his partner through the doorway, though I was pretty sure she didn't need help. Bryce sidled in around them, returning to his station before the cockpit entrance.

  "Soldiers, make room for our friends," my captain ordered.

  Everyone, vampires and humans alike, looked around at each other, winded but excited—or relieved. Some of the vampire-human pairs gave high fives. An intense gratitude filled my chest, and I made a point to shake hands with every single one of my new vampiric teammates.

  We shuffled about until everyone found a seat. Soldiers leaned their heads back and closed their eyes. Vampires sat stoically, gazing at their knees. I felt a buzz flicker through me. This had been a much more effective teambuilding exercise than the previous day.

  The aircraft's propellers whirred, and we eased into the sky.

  For some reason, I didn't dare look at Dorian until we were well into our flight. I watched him for a moment, and then his eyes found mine. I snapped my gaze away.

  What had happened back there? Why were my fingers still tingling, my chest pounding? Even when I avoided looking at him or forced myself to think about something else, the feeling didn't go away. At all.

  I kept my eyes closed the rest of the way back to the facility.

  Maybe Zach had seen something I hadn’t.

  Chapter Twenty

  It was only early afternoon when we returned to the facility, but the desert heat rippled on the tarmac. As we deboarded, Bryce announced a meeting to recap the mission.

  All of us, humans and vampires, quietly seated ourselves in the main meeting room. The intensity of the morning hadn't worn off. I sat in the front row to avoid eye contact with anyone. My stomach knotted with nerves, remembering Dorian’s breath flowing over me.

  After a brief word in the main hallway, the captains entered, pulling at the dark green sleeves of their still-starched uniforms. Their eyes were exhilarated—even Finley's seemed brighter, the first time I’d seen her look anything other than stern, though her military bun was as tight as always.

  "Well, we hit a few snags. Some of us literally," Bryce said as he surveyed the room. He threw a sarcastic glance in my general direction, and I tried my hardest not to fidget.

  "But I'd like to congratulate everyone on a successful first inter-species mission," Bryce continued from the front of the room. “Overall, the redbill response to the vampire interaction was positive. I've spoken with the other captains and sent word to the board. El Paso doesn't know what you've done for them, but if they did, I'm sure they'd thank you."

  It seemed we would avoid a Stripping. The soldiers’ shoulders sank with relief, and a few vampires nodded to each other.

  Zach raised his hand. Bryce allowed him to speak.

  "How often should we expect these types of missions, Captai
n?" my brother asked, barely masking the hesitancy in his voice.

  Finley was the one who answered. "It would be wise to expect this to be a regular occurrence," she said, her green eyes serious. "Some of these missions will be planned in advance, but you will be on call at all times."

  "I know the board will be impressed with everyone's work today, so expect to maintain standards," Clemmins added.

  "And should we plan for more… um, ‘structured social activities’ this afternoon if we don't get called out to the field again?" Gina added, her tension mirroring my brother’s.

  Bryce's eyes sparkled. All the captains seemed pleased, but he looked almost gleeful. He simply couldn’t hide his enchantment with the vampires anymore. Just let it out, you fanboy.

  "Seeing how everyone's getting along so well, we will continue social activities," he said. "But this time, I think we should go outside and stretch our legs. We’ll meet on the tarmac in forty-five minutes."

  I studied Bryce, searching for any clues about what he had in store for us, but his usual stoicism returned. Kane rubbed his eyes irritably, but Dorian and Rhome exchanged nods. Gina raised her eyebrows in my direction, and I returned the look: What did our captain mean by stretching our legs?

  And with that, Bryce dismissed both groups to rest with a curt nod. The humans went to revive with food and beverages, and the vampires headed off to… well, I guessed to sit around their bare cells.

  Lost in thoughts that refused to move on from the feeling of sitting atop Dorian’s muscular frame in the desert, I returned to my bunk without interacting with anyone, making my way quickly through the overly air-conditioned hallways.

  In my room, I put an icepack on my lower back to prevent swelling. It looked like it would only bruise, which was amazing, considering I’d taken a direct hit from a massive redbill. That was twice I’d been lucky now. With all these new missions, I just hoped I’d continue my streak.

  Our break passed far too fast. It felt like I’d barely put my feet up before Gina alerted me it was time to head out. Once the group from the morning’s mission gathered on the tarmac, both Thoth and Roxy looking slightly drowsy, Captain Bryce signaled us to follow him off the pavement into the desert. The other captains had remained at the facility to communicate with the board. The sand glared in the sunlight, and I hoped a breeze would spring up to move the heat in the air. I didn't join the little conversations that surrounded me as we walked, but I was happy that the human and vampire voices were intermingling more than usual. Through the looping, jittery thoughts of Dorian’s nose touching mine, I noticed him walking beside me. We didn't speak, but I felt his eyes on me.

  Part of me wished he’d leave me alone. I hadn’t been trained on what to do in situations involving… “non-professional” feelings. If that’s even what it was. It irritated me not knowing what to do around him. I felt hyper-aware of the motions of his body, the swing of his steps next to mine.

  Another part of me wanted to give myself a mental slap—and make a firm note to keep a rein on my imagination. I was here to do dangerous work, and I wouldn’t be a capable team member, let alone a leader, if my thoughts kept spiraling like this.

  Bryce led us to a sandy area lined with spiny desert trees and shrubs. Everyone, human and vampire alike, was already visibly sweating.

  "Circle," Bryce ordered.

  We gathered around him.

  "Soldiers, today is an excellent and rare opportunity for you," he began, barely able to hide the curve of his lips. "Our guests are experts in combat, and to the extent that they're willing, I would like to ask them to teach you."

  Some of the vampires shifted their feet. Worry filled my head with images of a playful spar gone awry, especially with tempers like Kane’s and Roxy’s thrown in the mix. Hopefully the teamwork from that morning would carry us through.

  "I figured we had so much chitchat the other day that some action might benefit everyone," the captain added, setting his hands on his hips. He wore the familiar smile that meant he would enjoy watching his team get put through the wringer. "Soldiers, you will remove your weapons and set them near me while we do this exercise." Roxy scrunched her nose and opened her mouth to protest, but Bryce ignored her.

  "Pair up. Guns here. Move it." The captain clapped his hands together, and that was it—we were doing this.

  I loosened my belt, wrapped it around my handgun, and set it in the sand. Its absence was a relief, and not just due to its physical weight. The vampire’s faces reflected my reprieve.

  When I turned to find a partner, Dorian stood directly in my path, his crystalline eyes on me, making it quite clear whom he’d chosen to spar with.

  "You planning on tackling me again?" he asked, his lips quirking up.

  Heat traveled up my neck. All I could think about was how his breath had tickled my collarbone.

  "It was an accident," I managed, fighting the smile that threatened to tug up the corner of my mouth. “But no promises for next time.”

  “I’ll prepare myself.”

  We headed to a clear space away from the other pairs. I tried to walk casually, to hide the fact that my heart was beating too fast for a normal training exercise. Whatever made me feel this way was not helping, and I struggled to even pinpoint what I was feeling at all. I tried to push down the resulting frustration.

  Louise made her way to Sike, an excited bounce in her step. Zach and Colin both sought out Bravi, most likely impressed with her performance that morning. She looked them over smugly, probably looking forward to the chance to teach some humans what was what. Grayson and Laini paired off to our right, and I wondered if such quiet people would be able to interact at all, especially since they’d been so quiet together during the previous day’s exercise.

  Kane sat alone under a bent, leafless tree. Bryce walked around, observing the pairs, and had noticed Kane's silent protest. Bryce angled a smile toward Kane which was met with a stone-cold stare—effectively freezing it. Bryce kept moving.

  Roxy and Rhome claimed a spot to our left. I noticed Roxy's hand kept returning to her waist, where her missing weapon would have been.

  "I don't know where to start," Dorian remarked, drawing my attention back to him. His fingers scratched absently at his neck.

  "Hands up," I replied, grinning at his terribly feigned naivety. My fists were in position at eye- and chin-level.

  "I don't need to do that." He lowered his hand, self-assured to the point of amusing me.

  "Suit yourself." I gave him a wink and, before I could think too much about it all, stepped toward him.

  Dorian’s hand snapped to my wrist, twisting my arm and then my body into a hold, pressing my back against his chest. I caught myself noting his pecs and immediately shook it off.

  "I—" he started.

  I didn’t give him a chance to finish. Instead I dipped, swung my right leg around, and threw him over my hip.

  Dorian hit the sand, his shirt slipping up over his lower abdomen. I looked down at him, fists back in position, avoiding looking down more than once at his exposed, taut skin.

  "All right," he said, eyes narrowed in what I thought might be approval. He rose and brushed off his arms.

  "Hands up," I repeated, my lips twitching in a half-smirk.

  "That was good," Dorian admitted.

  In my peripheral vision, I caught a glimpse of Zach grinning in our direction. Bravi took advantage of the distraction and kicked him in the ribs.

  "Come on!" he protested. Colin bit back a laugh.

  Roxy and Rhome in tandem had achieved surprising gracefulness. Unfortunately, some of the other soldiers and vampires still hesitated to touch each other. Rayne reached to touch Sarah’s wrist to show her a move, and Sarah instinctively recoiled—then caught herself and cautiously offered her hand back to Rayne. Laini and Grayson had decided that simply discussing moves was better than attempting such awkward closeness.

  I refocused on my own fight, waiting for Dorian's next move. He remained mo
tionless, one eyebrow cocked, waiting for me.

  I moved to strike his neck, one fist protecting my face as I threw the other out on the offense. He deflected the blow easily and swept me behind him in one elegant wave.

  I turned to face him again, hands ready.

  "It's not always about offense," he said, his gaze locked on me.

  "I know that."

  "Our main advantage is speed, but it's not everything." He paused for a moment, his expression turning thoughtful. "Think about it like chess."

  I nodded, and this time, the impending smile managed to crack my calm façade.

  "In chess, you're always thinking several moves ahead, right?” Dorian continued. “If you do the same in fighting, you'll save your own energy and consistently find ways to expend your opponent's."

  I nodded. This was pretty basic martial arts philosophy.

  "Let your opponent act first and observe what they do consistently. Even a little observation can prepare you a lot."

  "Do humans always do the same things?" I asked, stepping toward him again.

  "Some humans are very predictable, yes," Dorian replied, putting his fists up for the first time. “Others, less so.” I leaned a shoulder in, and he mirrored me. By this point, our smirks matched, too.

  I ducked under his arms and brushed my foot toward his ankles. My boot never made contact—he landed a hand on the back of my neck, muscling me down into a crouch. His grip was both startlingly firm and gentle.

  "That's what you mean by predictable," I said to the sand.

  "I would never call you predictable," Dorian replied. I wasn’t sure from his tone if he was humoring me.

  I reached over my neck and grabbed his wrist, wrenching it around in a circle and bending his arm backward. His foot slipped, and he landed on a knee in front of me. Our foreheads bumped.

  "Good," I said.

  Our gazes locked again for the first time since our crash. The tingling sensation from when I’d landed on top of him flowed through me as the frosty blue of his irises consumed my vision. His gaze didn’t falter.