“Aklia told us your body needs to shut down to recover,” Eve said. “You are transitioning into maturity rather quickly, and it has taken a toll on you physically. She suggested that you lie down until you are fully recharged. We have already notified your instructors. They understand.”
Sanaya yawned and stretched, feeling more relaxed than ever. “How long am I going to have these episodes where I black out? For real, like this isn’t cool at all. It has become extremely inconvenient.”
Archer sighed. “We don’t know. I am assuming that you may have these episodes until after your body has completed the transition and you are physically ready to go after Cain. That’s why I do not want you leaving The Academy on a whim, and it pissed me all the way off when Aklia took you knowing fully well that you are subject to burn out in the middle of a fight. What would have happened if you were out there surrounded by a dozen vampires and you blacked out? I know Aklia and Natasha would have gotten you to safety, but that is beside the point. It is not safe for you to be outside the walls of The Academy until these ‘episodes’ as you call them stop.”
“But they needed my help,” Sanaya said evenly, sending a silent plea to Eve.
Archer shook his head. “Listen, you will be eighteen in a few days, and possibly a fully physically matured Slayer then. My job is to protect you until you can protect and defend yourself. If something were to happen to you and I know I could have done something to prevent it, Heaven would have to pink slip my ass because that would be it for me. Part of your journey depends on you not only making decisions for yourself but making decisions that are beneficial to those around you. Recklessly diving into danger because you can is not smart. You cannot afford to do that because where you go, an entire army of Guardians will follow—and without question. So think about that. If the Council calls you again, there is not much I can do, but those old broads have not existed in the land of the living long enough to consider the lives of other people. Just keep what I said in mind, okay, kid?”
Archer surprised Eve, Sanaya, and King when he gently placed a quick peck on Sanaya’s head and left.
“Well that was unexpected,” Eve said, pulling Sanaya’s hair back into a ponytail. “But I knew your Guardian had a soft spot for you, Sanaya. You remind him of his youngest sister, Ashley.”
“Archer has a sister?” Sanaya asked with raised eyebrows. “He never talks about her.”
“That’s because it is too painful for him to do so,” Eve said. “She was killed when they were children.”
“By who?” King asked.
The rest of the team gathered around Sanaya’s bed.
“It’s a long story,” Eve said.
“I’d like to hear it,” Sanaya said. “I think I need to hear it.”
“Ashley was supposed to be a Guardian,” Eve said. “She had the gift of visions and could see things no one else could see. Her parents were ordinary and had no idea of the destinies that lay ahead for her and Archer, nor did they have any idea of the supernatural.”
Just like mine, Sanaya thought. And that’s one of the reasons they were killed.
“That night,” Eve continued, “their drunkard father returned from the local bar with a stranger, introducing him to the family as his new drinking buddy. Archer comes from a town where strangers were hardly ever welcomed, and he found it odd that his father would entertain the likes of someone no one knew. Archer’s mother, who was one never to voice her opinions, prepared the stranger a plate and encouraged everyone to sit at the table to join him. Everyone ate but the stranger, who claimed that he was still full from an earlier meal. Ashley was the first to recognize that this stranger was not human and expressed her fear to Archer, who promised to keep a watchful eye on their guest.”
Poor Archer, Sanaya thought. He made a promise he didn’t keep.
“The stranger waited until Archer’s mother got up to clear the table to reveal his true intentions,” Eve said. “He attacked her first and after that, his father. Archer and Ashley fled, screaming at the tops of their lungs for help, but as you all know, you cannot outrun a vampire. Archer said that Ashley was the one who tried to stand her ground, even at nine years old and there was nothing he could do. The vampire wanted her the most because her blood was the strongest. Archer’s sister sacrificed herself to save her brother, and Archer never forgave himself. He didn’t go into details about what else happened that night, but that night changed him forever.”
“But who was the stranger?” King asked.
“A vampire who called himself Darius, I believe. An Ancient One,” Eve said. “He evidently roamed from town to town purposely seeking out Guardian children because he had developed a taste specifically for the blood of the young and those who possessed Guardian blood. Children were intoxicating to him.”
“But how did he know Archer’s father had Guardian children?” Sanaya asked.
“He caught the scent,” Eve said. “He smelled Archer and Ashley on their father at the bar and followed him home when he could no longer bear the burn of desire.”
“So Archer is an orphan, too,” Sanaya said.
Eve nodded. “Some extended family ended up taking him in, and fortunately they were Guardians. They soon taught him and introduced him to his new life. They eventually hunted down Darius and Archer got some measure of revenge. When Archer was still a teenager, he left home and never looked back.”
“So how did Archer end up here?” King asked.
“The Elders approached him when he was in his early twenties and offered him the opportunity of a lifetime to work for The Academy,” Eve said. “They had heard about his battles with The Darkness and his skills and abilities and thought he would be an asset in orchestrating the changes they were making to The Academy. Fast forward a few years and here we all are.” Eve wiped tears from her midnight blue eyes and met Sanaya’s saddened gaze.
“Archer may not always show it, but he does care for you, probably more than you will ever know. He cares for all of you, really. But Sanaya, I think when he looks at you, he sees Ashley all over again.” Eve straightened her shoulders and turned to leave. “I will be back later to escort you guys to dinner. I don’t think Archer is in the frame of mind to flip out about you being in her room, King, but I will say this: trust is a bridge that is hard to build but easy to tear down.”
“I hear ya,” King said.
“And King, Sanaya isn’t eighteen yet,” Eve said. “You are still very well loved among your Guardian brothers and sisters, but we will kick your ass if either of you do anything stupid. Understand?”
King and Sanaya nodded their heads profusely to Eve’s delight until she disappeared from the room, the rest of the team filing out behind them.
King plopped down on the edge of the bed and looked at Sanaya with sad eyes. “It is never a dull moment around here. You know I am going to do right by you?”
“I know King,” Sanaya said. “There is just as a lot going on as always, and everyone’s nerves are on edge.”
“And you know there is no pressure on you, to ...”—he reached for her hand—“You know.”
Sanaya could feel her cheeks flush and knew this was not an easy topic for King. “I know, and I appreciate you more than you can ever know.”
“Cool. I just wish they would see that.”
“I think Eve sees it,” Sanaya said, “but I guess she still felt compelled to remind us that-”
“They will kick my ass over you.” King chuckled, leaned forward, and crawled the bed to place a kiss on Sanaya’s lips.
She welcomed him, possibly needing the reassurance that he wasn’t going anywhere, and that out of all the girls he could have set his eyes on, she held that place in his heart.
King deepened the kiss, cupping her face with his palms.
Sanaya opened her mind for him to enter, feeling the intense erotic pull that threatened to drag them both out into the deep waters of lust, ultimately drowning them if they didn’t stop while they w
ere ahead. She was his siren and he was her sailor, lost at sea. He would always respond to her call. He remembered the first time she invaded his mind only twenty-four hours after his arrival. The connection established between them had since developed into something no one could ever explain. Every second stolen for moments like this strengthened the tie that kept him bound to her.
“Next time you take off like that,” he shot to her mentally, “at least let a brotha know. You had me worried sick about you.”
“I’m sorry, King,” she told him. “It was something I had to do.”
“You are forgiven. Just like that? See how easy I am for you?”
“I’ve never felt like this before. King.”
“Neither have I. Sanaya, we have to stop, before someone comes in here.”
King tried to pull away, but the taste of Sanaya’s mouth was just too good. She was like honey on his lips, and he kissed her harder.
“Baby, please stop,” he begged her. “I do not have much control right now.”
“I can’t,” she whimpered in his mind.
“‘Naya ...”
His pleas fell on deaf ears. No one ever talked about whatever this was between them in any of their classes Sanaya had taken so far. King’s hands were everywhere, exploring parts of her body she had no idea what to do with. After hearing King’s gasp, she opened her eyes to see that they were blanketed in blue-white light, her eyes burning silver and his burning gold. King managed to pull away from her just in time as Archer opened the door and stopped short to glare at both of them.
“That’s it,” he growled. “Both of you, come with me. Now!”
Panting, drenched in sweat, and still swathed in the strange blue-white light, both of them groaned.
“I told you to stop, babe,” King teased her mentally.
“He is going to kill us both.” Sanaya shook her head.
“If you two lovebirds do not come on, I am going to break both of your kneecaps!” Archer snapped as he headed for the door.
“Your eyes are still glowing,” Sanaya said as she hopped out the bed.
“Yours, too.”
“Let’s get this over with,” Sanaya said. “I think Archer is going to lock me away in a high tower until I turn twenty-one.”
“And in the meantime, he’s gonna feed me to the lions.” King turned to face her and caressed her cheek. “But I would do anything for you. Let’s go before your ‘dad’ loses it.”
“He’s not my dad.”
“He sho’ does act like it.”
Chapter Fourteen
Selene writhed in pain, screeching to the heavens as her body did its best to heal the area that still sizzled and oozed from the silver. Daemon wiped the bead of sweat that formed at his brow, enraged at the Council for what he considered the greatest offense in vampire history. Selene may never survive the night; and if Selene died. the repercussions from her estranged father would be devastating. He needed her alive and well to continue with his plans to overthrow Petronius and Alex and to position himself closer to The Dark Lord. But things were not going according to plan.
Thanks to Selene, the human populations were forced into a new reality which included the proven existence of vampires. No longer were vampires entities from myths, legends, and fictitious stories written for human enjoyment. Now they were real as ever, and panic would ensue, consuming the masses bit by bit just as it did during the Middle Ages with the Bubonic Plague.
Daemon was willing to bet the soul he no longer had that all this was not a part of the Dark Lord’s plan, and if he did not figure something out soon, not only would he face extermination but so would Selene. Leaning over her, he deftly removed the silver-tipped arrow lodged in her chest above her heart.
“Bring me more humans, Beatrice!” he shouted to one of Selene’s maidservants. “Now!”
The hooded female nodded and disappeared from the master suite and down the secret corridor to the hidden cell where humans were held captive and barely conscious for feeding purposes. She selected two young men, both in their twenties with athletic builds from years spent in the gym. She dragged both of them effortlessly, ignoring their weak and futile attempts to break free, and left them in the doorway for Daemon to handle.
Daemon wasted little time with either of the unfortunate humans, tearing into their jugulars with his six inch incisors, and positioning each man for easy access for Selene. Despite her agony, she managed to feed, and Daemon sighed in relief. It would take at least a dozen bodies to heal the damage the silver created before he could begin the cleanup.
When Selene was fully healed, he would convince her of the importance of introducing him to her father. He concocted a plan that would make Selene believe her father was in real danger and that only he would know the way to save him. Regardless of their estrangement, Selene and her father still shared the parent/child bond that was typical of human and animal relationships, and he intended to exploit that to the fullest.
“Yes,” he whispered from the other side of the room as he watched Selene feed with vigor from the second male.
“Feed, my Dark Queen. Together, the world is ours ...”
Sanaya and King sat in front of Eve and Archer in Archer’s office.
Archer touched the butt of his holstered revolver. “What do you have to say for yourself, King?”
“Why are you focusing on him?” Sanaya asked. “I was there, too. I’m as much to blame, maybe more so. King was trying to pull away, and I wouldn’t let him.”
“I’ll deal with you in a moment,” Archer said, staring King down. “Talk.”
“I know I shouldn’t-a been there, but, dude, lighten up,” King said. “Nothing happened.”
“Something happened all right,” Eve said. “And it’s actually something wonderful.”
Archer sighed. “Eve, we need to keep these two separated, so don’t—”
“Oh hush, Archer,” Eve interrupted. “They have to know, and now is the best time. It’s obvious they love each other.”
“Is this about the Guardian Soul Mate Bond?” Sanaya asked. “Maya tried to tell me about it a few months ago, but I wasn’t really paying attention.”
“The Guardian Soul Mate Bond is a once in a lifetime phenomenon that occurs between two Guardians,” Eve said.
“But Sanaya is a Slayer,” Archer said, “so this is not a valid—”
“Didn’t I tell you to hush?” Eve interrupted. “Now where was I? Oh yes. The Guardian Soul Mate Bond, or in this case, the Guardian Slayer Soul Mate Bond.”
“There isn’t any such thing!” Archer shouted.
Eve smiled. “Well, it seems as if there is now, and we are witnessing it. Archer, if you don’t hush now, I will ask you to leave.”
“This is my office!” Archer shouted.
“Then we will leave,” Eve said, “and you will have nothing—”
“Okay, okay,” Archer interrupted. “Go on.”
Eve moved her chair closer to King and Sanaya, reached out, and held one of their hands. “The bond you two share crosses the very fabric of intimacy itself. It is the most intensely intimate bond ever to be forged between two lovers, because destiny demands that your souls are indeed the perfect fit and the surest way to create a new generation of strong warriors.”
Sanaya felt goose bumps crawling up her arms. “We were glowing. Is that the bond?”
Eve nodded. “That’s the visible bond, yes, and that’s what scares Archer over here so much.”
“Because these two are playing with fire, Eve,” Archer said. “The bond requires they join their souls and merge their energy and abilities.”
“That doesn’t sound too bad,” King said. “That even sounds—”
“No one is talking to you, King,” Archer interrupted.
“Ignore him, King,” Eve said. “He’s just an overprotective father.”
“I am not!” Archer cried.
Eve smiled. “As he should be. Archer doesn’t think anyone is good e
nough for you, Sanaya, but what is happening between you two has to convince him that King here is good enough.” She looked over at Archer. “And he doesn’t want to accept that.”
“Look,” Archer said, “it has yet to be proven that these two—”
“Yes it has,” Eve said. “Otherwise, we all wouldn’t be talking here, would we?”
Archer opened his mouth several times but didn’t answer.
“I do believe he’s speechless,” Eve said. “That’s a first.” She focused on Sanaya. “Think of this as the ‘one flesh’ rule with two humans marry and become one. Only this kind of ‘one flesh’ is the reuniting of souls, two halves cosmically separated at some point in time and then rejoined. You are each a half of the whole.”
“It sounds … romantic,” Sanaya said with a sigh.
“Now tell her about her fertility,” Archer said.
Eve dropped their hands, stood, and faced Archer. “You don’t have a romantic bone in your body, do you?”
“Tell her,” Archer said. “Now.”
Eve nodded. “This is the tricky part, Sanaya. And King, you better listen up, too. We are not sure if Sanaya will be able to self-regulate her windows of fertility or not when she turns eighteen. During the Slayer transition period, she self-regulates at twenty-one, and you Sanaya are anything but typical.”
“What she’s saying without saying is that you two should abstain from sex at all costs,” Archer said.
“Until I’m twenty-one?” Sanaya asked with a groan.
“Or until you know you’re in complete control of your cycle,” Eve said, “whichever comes first.”
“Couldn’t I just use birth control?” Sanaya asked. “Or King could use—”
Archer shot from his chair. “Okay, talk’s over. No sex, got it?”
“Archer,” Eve said. “She has a valid point.”
“No … sex,” Archer said. “Now get out of here and … and don’t go glowing blue and white again, okay?”
Sanaya and King walked out of the office and into the courtyard.
“You’re my girl forever, huh?” King asked, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. “We just have to be careful until the time is right, right?”
The Vampire Hunters Academy: The Shadows Page 9
