V Games_Fresh From The Grave

by Caroline Peckham

  “Inevitable?” I questioned, my brow lifting and my stomach clenching.

  “Yes. She won't survive the game. Even if I have to walk out there and plant a bullet in her skull myself.”

  I cringed internally. “Why would you do that?”

  “She's not like the other girls. Even those who have played other games aren't idiotic enough to try and fight back. But the spectators are asking about her. They like her spirit, and more than one are hoping she'll win so they can have a chance at breaking her themselves.”

  I outwardly grimaced. “But her rating has dropped very low. I don't think the men-”

  “I overruled her rating. The men aren't in charge of this game, they just think they are.”

  My eyes rounded in surprise. “So the ratings mean nothing?”

  “Of course they do, we let the votes play out as they will, but I can change them any time I like.” Ignus ran a hand through his bright hair. “But she's a real issue now, Vic. That's why I need your help.”

  “Mine?” I asked in surprise.

  Ignus moved closer with a smile on his lips and I forced myself to slip a hand around his neck, drawing him even nearer. “I know you're still angry at me about the wolves.”

  I sighed, dipping my head. Ignus's lavender scent rolled over me. I'd always liked the smell, and the fire inside me that had once burned for him briefly reignited. My heart rate lifted as his fingers pressed hard into the back of my neck and his mouth crushed against mine. When we parted, he was breathless. “But I was hoping you could instruct them to do something for me. You know, use your power over them, just this once.”

  He was flushed from my proximity, but my heart was caged in iron. Ignus was forcing my wolves to do unspeakable things every day in the name of entertainment. I couldn't turn a blind eye to his cruelty any longer. And I certainly didn't want to be a part of it.

  He kissed me again, scattering my thoughts. From the look on his face I knew I was having the same affect on him. We were two opposing forces, always had been, but the connection between us was palpable. The kind of passion that burned so bright, the only way it could end was in all-out destruction. We were nearing the end of that path now. Since Ignus had betrayed my trust, set his V on me and blackmailed me into giving up my work, things were done between us. At least, they were for me.

  “What do you want me to tell them?” I asked, my voice a low growl.

  Ignus's whole face lit up. “To hunt Selena down in the next round. Just the two of them, your Alpha has already been moved back to the V Experience.”

  I nodded, but my gut wrenched violently. I needed to keep playing this part a little longer, but how could I order my wolves to do such a thing?

  Ignus grinned, taking my hand and guiding me from the room. Instead of heading back the way we'd come, he led me into a laboratory where all manner of devices were hanging from racks on the walls. My heart lurched as I spotted Mekiah and Reason in a cage, curled up in wolf form beside one another, sleeping soundly.

  Ignus wrapped a metal knife against the bars, forcing them awake. On a table beside me I spotted something that made my heart race a little harder. I glanced at Ignus, making sure he wasn't looking as I pocketed two of the small devices. My necked burned as he spun toward me, smiling, coming so close to catching me.

  I couldn't believe my luck. If Selena soon wanted my help, I might have the chance to actually offer it.

  Mekiah and Reason barked at us and I shifted closer, gazing at them and using the authoritative tone that would force them to act as I commanded.

  “Tomorrow, hunt Selena Grey down.” I thanked the stars that Ignus didn't force any more words from me. Her only hope, was that I hadn't ordered them to kill her.

  Selena

  After we'd arrived back at the hotel, I'd sent the message to Ulvic. I didn't know how he could help us, yet. But at the very least, if we were going to get off this island, we'd need his boat.

  I rushed to my room, ignoring the buffet and the party music that was playing as if we should all be celebrating another day of survival.

  I showered quickly, throwing the remnants of my dress into a linen bin. As I returned to my bedroom, I felt like freedom was close, calling to me, dragging me into its hopeful light.

  I changed into the night slip laid out on my bed – somewhat bitterly – and curled up beneath the covers, pulling them right over my head and creating a little cocoon of safety. If the spectators were watching the rooms, they'd have nothing to see here but a lumpy shape beneath the sheets. They'd have no idea I wasn't sobbing into my knees but, in fact, lighting up the screen on my tablet and finding my way to Layla's profile.

  My fingers trembled over the keys as I opened up a dialogue, anxious to speak with Varick, but not entirely sure of what I wanted to say. I didn't know if it was safe to discuss a plan this way. So I started with something simple, something that could have been mistaken for a casual message between friends in any other world. But to me held the weight of everything in my chest, bled into words.

  I hope you and Jameson are safe.

  -S

  Send.

  Wait.

  Breathe.

  Breathing was difficult. Breathing was as hard as running from the Vs right then. But waiting was harder. The seconds ticked by. Minutes. Then a reply arrived that sent a shot of adrenaline through my veins.

  Safe, yes. But Jameson has been taken away. No doubt to reinstall his collar.

  Is there anything else you're hoping for?

  - V

  The irony of his sign-off didn't pass me by and a smile crept easily onto my lips. Impossible really, to be smiling amidst all this hell. But now I had a lifeline, a tether connecting me directly to Varick. And that was worth a goldmine.

  My reply was swift – wherever he was, I wondered if my messages made him feel the way I did. Like there was someone else in the world that could fully comprehend the immensity of the fight we were up against.

  I wasn't sure quite what he'd meant by his question. My mind fluttered with possibilities, but I settled on the most likely in my answer.

  I hope that we'll survive. But more than that, I hope the Helsings get what's coming to them.

  - S

  I almost deleted that last sentence, slightly concerned our messages were being watched. That someone would be monitoring the conversations passing between girls and spectators alike. But what did it matter? The Helsings knew I was here for Varick. The worst they could do was take the tablet from him, then we'd be back where we started.

  I waited, snuggling further down beneath the covers and rolling onto my belly, the tablet cupped in my palms.

  His message came in at last and I wondered what he'd been doing between sending it.

  Ditto, sweetheart. I've been dreaming about that particular revenge since I first came to Raskdød.

  But I don't want to talk about them.

  -V

  I smiled a cautious smile, sensing the anger behind his words. My fingers fled over the keys before I'd entirely decided what to reply.

  What do you want to talk about?

  -S

  The reply came quickly.

  You.

  -V

  A blush slid into my cheeks, heating more parts of me than I could register at once.

  Irrational.

  I'm sure he didn't mean it how I'd felt it.

  Why?

  -S

  Because I'm currently sitting in a dank cave with three Vs chewing on each others limbs (which is making me disturbingly hungry). And you're about the only thing worth thinking about that won't drive me mad.

  -V

  That knocked me for six. A breathless laugh escaped me. Not that his current situation was anything to laugh about. Perhaps it was texting like teenagers, hiding under the covers that was making me act like a schoolgirl. Whatever the reason, I clung to it. This moment wouldn't last forever so I buried deeper under the quilt and readied my reply.

  Alright, bu
t there's not much to say that's particularly uplifting. So I'll tell you about the happiest day of my life...

  I hesitated, letting the memories fill me up. It was the perfect day, until it wasn't. But the first twelve hours had been wonderful.

  My mother took me to the zoo for my eleventh birthday. My stepfather was working a double shift so we hadn't seen him since the previous night. We took a train to Regent's Park and wandered from one side to the other where the zoo is. It's a large park, perhaps you know that. And it was autumn - my birthday is in October. It was one of those days where the weather is out of sync with the seasons. The sun was shining through hazy clouds, the sky a dusky red so it looked like the apocalypse was upon us. The wind was warm and wild, rustling the trees so a thousand coloured leaves leapt through the air, dancing in a final act of beauty before they hit the ground.

  At the zoo, we gazed at the animals. Tired lions, chattering penguins, and camels that looked like they were smiling. I liked the reptile house best, it was warm and muggy, almost tropical. And the snakes were so lazy. Not vicious, cruel creatures they're always made out to be. It didn't look like they'd bother to bite me even if I'd stroked them. Which, my mother had warned me, would have been a bad idea. 'Don't entertain monsters', she'd said. Which was ironic considering we had one living in our house.

  Anyway, that day felt like freedom to me.

  Do you have a memory like that?

  -S

  I pressed send, realising my words filled the entire screen as they flooded the dialogue bar.

  His answer came quicker than I expected.

  I think every day felt like that back in my human life. I just never realised until it was too late.

  Your mother was right, by the way. And I urge you not to let this monster too close, because I have all the instincts of that sleeping snake tenfold.

  -V

  P.S What happened after?

  His warning scrubbed against my heart. But the way he continued the conversation made me entirely aware that he was either incapable or simply didn't want to stop moving closer to me. So the decision was mine. And it wasn't really a decision at all.

  Elijah happened. By the time we arrived home, he was drunk, waiting, his belt already strapped around his palm. You can guess the rest, I'd rather not write it down.

  Your turn. You say you hate immortality, so I challenge you to tell me one good thing you've gained from it.

  -S

  His answer took a while and I wondered if he simply wasn't used to texting like this. I doubted he'd ever have had the need for a phone.

  Considering the time he took to write back, his answer was surprisingly short.

  I'll tell you the next time I see you.

  -V

  Is that a promise?

  -S

  I needed to be assured that we'd see each other again. Of course, it wasn't guaranteed. Anything could happen in the next round. I gripped the tablet like it held all the answers, like Varick could really guarantee we'd see other one more time. But his answer didn't come and I melted into the mattress, racked with worry and fear. I typed out a few more messages, trying to prompt an answer, but nothing came in return. And I knew sleep would be impossible.

  Varick

  I had a plan. A stupid plan. Probably suicidal. But when were my plans ever not suicidal?

  I made my way across the island at an easy pace, rushing through the dark trees and across the plain of grass that ringed the amphitheater; just a hulking shadow beneath the moon. The place stank of blood and death, making me salivate and simultaneously feel sick.

  Yes, I was Selena's snake; my outward appearance smooth and quiet, but one bite and death was simple, inescapable. And instead of keeping away, I was marching toward her.

  I wasn't entirely myself; an urge was driving me, overwhelming the thirst. And that was a rare experience which I knew I couldn't resist.

  I met with a huge fence of silver, slicing a corner of the island off from the rest of the land, making it into a 'safe zone'. If you counted being locked in a hotel with the Helsings as such.

  I paced up and down it, looking for weak links, but its craft was infallible. I checked every mile of it, gazed up at its twenty foot height and knew I couldn't jump it. I tried digging next, burrowing out a hole and checking how deep it went. Too deep, that's how far.

  They'd built a giant chicken coop, keeping out me: the fox. But I was more cunning than a fox. And more determined too. Tonight, I was getting in. I just prayed I didn't lose myself to the crazed frenzy foxes were known for, killing everything in their path.

  Couldn't go under it. Couldn't go over it. Couldn't go through it.

  That left one option. One which had doom written all over it. But I was fairly sure the Helsings weren't watching me now, in the dead of night. They'd never had reason to fear the Vs getting into their nest, because they had kill triggers to stop us.

  So with the inevitability of my demise in mind, I headed to the coast closest to the hotel. I jogged alongside the fence, never slowing, always moving until the crash of waves reached my ears.

  When I met with the cliff, I didn't hesitate, I jumped.

  Plummeting a hundred feet felt like nothing to me. No swoop of my gut, no adrenaline. I hit the water hard, hard enough that it might have broken bones on a human, but I was impervious to it, kicking out and swimming away from the cliff into calmer waters.

  Vampire or not, I'd always been a good swimmer. It came with the pirate territory. Being raised on the sea had its advantages, so now I was even swifter than your every-day V.

  The hotel sat back from the cliff, beneath it was a private beach for the spectators. I gave it a wide-birth, spying some party-goers on the beach, drinking and singing around a fire, burning driftwood on the sand.

  My tongue scorched with the desire to destroy them. How easy it would have been to wash up onto that beach and rip out their singing tongues, give them a taste of the blood they craved from the games.

  Bad idea. This was a stealth operation. In and out. But it did give me ideas. If I could swim here, so could the other Vs. And that image was accompanied with a silky feeling sliding through my gut. The Helsings had gaps in their security. A fact that I duly noted.

  Continuing around the shore, hidden by the clouds as they swept over the waning moon, I aimed for a sheer cliff that no one in their right mind would step too close to on a windy evening like this.

  I dragged myself out of the water onto the rocks at the foot of the monstrous climb I was about to undertake. Digging my fingers into the stone wall, I made my own footholds and started upwards, my biceps flexing and stretching as I pulled myself up. The best climbers amongst humans would have had trouble with the route I was taking. But to me, it was easy. Even if I fell, death wouldn't have awaited me below.

  Each foot I scaled filled me with a burning desire. A fire growing hotter by the second in my chest. Because every inch I climbed brought me closer to Selena.

  As I hauled myself over the clifftop, crouching low to be sure I wasn't seen, I drank in the milky moon and the shimmer of its beams on the rolling sea.

  Before me was a resort made for kings. Typical Helsings, showing off their wealth.

  Splayed out in front of the vast hotel was an area where hot tubs sat in private stalls, bubbling and steaming, little fairy lights strung up above them. All were empty now as I wound my way through their shadows.

  As I met with the outer wall of the hotel, I huddled against it, taking out the tablet that connected me to Selena. Due to the nature of the game, the thing was pretty much bomb proof, so a dunk in the sea had done no damage.

  I was probably about to scare the hell out of her, so I figured a warning text wouldn't do any harm. I found three messages from her and guilt twisted my gut.

  I tapped out a message, muttering curses as I had to continually erase the mistakes my large thumbs kept making. Finally, I pressed send and the message whizzed away.

  Keep your window ope
n.

  -V

  A reply flashed up immediately as I slunk around the walls, clinging to the shadows.

  Why? What's going on?

  I forced the tablet into my soaking jeans as I heard men approaching. Ducking low behind a potted tree, two men stumbled out of a side door, laughing, lighting up cigarettes as they clung on to each other for support in their drunken state.

  I tongued my canines, desperate to end them. But instead, waited for them to disappear in the direction of the beach, chortling and joking together.

  Moving around the building, I came across a section of hotel rooms, reaching high up into the night, their windows barred. Silver? I hoped not. The precaution was probably in place to stop girls trying to escape, not stop Vs from getting in, considering the spectators' rooms weren't protected. No, they were putting blind faith in their other defenses. A mistake that I hoped to take advantage of more than once.

  One of the windows slid open, high up above me on the fourth floor. And I smelt her, her tempting scent rushing over me like dynamite exploding on my tongue.

  I cracked my neck, assessing the climb. The wall was smooth and white, but I could use the windows to assist me if the bars were safe to touch. Walking toward the first, I silently reached upwards, brushing my fingertips over the bars.

  A grin settled over my face as I found they were cool, hard iron. Easy.

  Pulling myself up, I ascended by shimmying up the bars, then launching myself toward the window above. Within a few seconds, I'd reached Selena's room, clinging to a bar with one hand.

  She gasped as we came face to face, clapping her hands to her mouth. I tried not to pay attention to the fact she was wearing next to nothing and instead on forcing a gap open in the bars.