"In England, Canada, Australia, China, Africa, Iran, Iraq, Egypt… So many countries, just about every continent, everywhere, there are werewolves fighting against vampires. Right this second, in so many places." Tasha's smile is far too wide.
“Why is this a good thing?” I demand. “Werewolves are dying!”
“So are those vile bloodsuckers.” Flint turns his head to the side and spits.
My stomach churns.
"Boris! Wait for me!" Tasha races off, transforming back into her wolf to chase after her friend. Boyfriend maybe. I'm not sure. They always sit together in all of the classes the three of us have together, so they're close regardless of whether or not they're dating.
And I hope they aren’t because they clearly hate vampires, and if they have children, they’ll pass that hatred on to their offspring. This is how prejudice continues to thrive. This is how a war can happen.
Vampires aren’t the villains. Werewolves aren’t either. There are good and evil werewolves, just as there are good and evil vampires, but that doesn’t mean we should kill the good just so we can make certain the evil ones are killed too. We do have a system in place to determine good from evil as far as the paranormal beings are concerned. The paranormal hunters, slayers, and executioners help to ensure we keep the peace.
But where are they? Where are the hunters to take away those who should be imprisoned? Why aren’t the executioners here to take out the ones who are the ringleaders of this attack? For that matter, HEX Unite, do they have a branch overseas? A European branch? An Asian branch? An African branch? There are paranormal creatures all across the globe. There are good and evil paranormal creatures everywhere. Do the good ones have HEX Unite to support them?
Flint narrows his eyes to tiny slits. “You don’t want the fighting to stop because you feel bad for the vampires, do you?” he asks. “You aren’t some kind of sicko who—”
“I prefer peace to carnage,” I snap. “Is that so wrong? I don’t hunt animals for sport. I hunt to eat, and this is hunting. We don’t eat flesh anymore.”
“Yeah? Well, maybe we should,” Flint says, lifting his chin. “Maybe then, the vampires would be put back into their place. They need to respect us—”
“Fear doesn’t lead to respect,” I counter. “Fear leads to hatred and will only continue this path to destruction and violence. What we need is—”
“Love? Peace?” Flint bursts out laughing. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.
“Understanding,” I say.
“Understand this,” Flint says, his fangs lengthening. “There cannot be peace while vampires live. While they survive, we die. That’s how it’s always been.”
“No.” I shake my head. “You’re wrong—”
“You’re the one who is wrong, and now, you’re going to die.”
I half-expect someone to jump at my back, but no. Flint just shifts into his wolf and lunges at me.
Seriously? He’s going to fight me?
Quickly, I sidestep him before he can plow into me. “Flint, stop. This is madness!”
But he comes at me, nipping at me, almost snapping his jaws on my calf. I have no choice but to kick him away, but still, he comes at me again.
Finally, I have no choice but to turn into my wolf to hold him off. I don’t want to fight him, I really don’t, and it shows when his claws rack down my back. A shiver races down my spine as the cool air strikes against my skin that’s now devoid of fur.
A bundle of fur races across my vision. I can’t see who it is, but someone’s entangled with Flint, and then, Flint’s pinned, trapped beneath the might of a silver wolf. Flint fights frantically, trying to paw and claw his way free, but the silver wolf backhands him, and Flint instantly stills.
The silver wolf steps off him and eyes me. I stagger to my feet and shift to my human form. The fight’s gone out of me, but then again, I never had much fight in me in the first place.
The silver wolf transforms to reveal Luis. His skin is darker than mine, his hair like a raven’s. He’s never said much of anything to me, but he listens to most everyone, laughing quietly at jokes even if he doesn’t partake in many conversations.
“You…” I shrug, not even certain what to say.
Luis just nods and stalks away.
My back hates me as I drag myself over to check on Flint. He's unconscious. I won't envy the headache he'll have when he comes to.
My hand goes to my back, and when I bring it around to the front, my palm is covered in blood. My clothes are all torn, and I'm a wreck. This fighting here, around the world… What good are my efforts to try to stop the fighting when I'm failing? And the other battles around the world…
This is war.
A war I want no part in.
How can I get the war to end?
I twist in place, trying to center myself, trying to figure out what I can do to help make a difference when a hand rests on my shoulder.
Startled, I whirl around and then jerk away from the golden-haired, red-eyed girl in front of me.
Tyra.
Is she here to start something again? Come to fight me again, this time without a challenge? Does she think I’ll fight her?
Will I fight her?
I… I don’t know.
Her expression is perfectly serious, without any animosity or hatred. Honestly, she looks like an entirely new vampire, someone I don’t know.
“Julian, you have to come with me,” she says softly, but I can hear her perfectly despite the din of the fighting all around us, the screams, the death shrills, the ripping of fangs into skin, the tearing of clothes.
“Why, Tyra? Did something happen to Romelia?”
Just like that, any past between Tyra and I is forgotten as she nods.
“Julian, you need to see her right away. It isn’t… It isn’t good.”
Chapter 14
Julian
My heart skips a beat, and I hold my breath, thinking only of Romelia, trying to feel for her, to reach out toward her, to see if I can summon that connection I’ve felt between us before.
Only I can’t.
My eyes widen, and I gape at Tyra. “What’s going on?”
“You have to come,” is all the infuriating vampire will say.
“Go with you where?” I demand.
“Come, please, Julian! This isn’t some kind of ploy to get you alone. I’m not here to fight you. Romelia needs you. She loves you, and she needs you, and…”
Tyra goes entirely still. Her face is normally porcelain, but now, it’s as white as can be as her gaze shifts to over my shoulder.
Something isn’t right.
I slowly turn and spy Constantine. His black hair is slicked back, as always, and he wears a cocky, lopsided smile that makes him look like a fool.
“My, my, Julian. Imagine my surprise to see you here,” he says conversationally. “Tyra, dear, you aren’t needed here.”
Tyra flares her nostrils and stomps forward, moving to stand just in front of me. “You aren’t the boss of me. I can stay here if I choose.”
“Don’t be a bore, Tyra,” Constantine says flatly. “No one cares about you when Romelia’s around, and no one cares about you otherwise. You’re nothing but smoke, whereas Romelia is all fire. Wouldn’t you agree, wolfy?”
I bare my fangs. “Tyra’s… not so bad.”
I think. I mean, she’s good friends, close friends with Romelia. My interactions with the vampire haven’t been the best, but then again, I haven’t gone out of my way to truly know her. Maybe once all of this is said and done, Romelia and I will be able to have all of our friends together. My family too. We can all get to know one another and maybe start to heal the rift between the werewolves and the vampires.
“Not so bad?” Constantine begins to chuckle. “Tyra has been given a great gift, and she doesn’t even know it. I tried to help her along—”
“Help me along?” Tyra repeats, cocking her head to the side, a hand on her hip. “
Are you ignorant? What in the world are you talking about?”
“Your demonic side,” Constantine says calmly. “Who do you think awoke it? Because it wasn’t you, you stupid girl.”
“You did? How exactly did you do that?” she asks flatly.
"Now, now, a magician never reveals his secrets." Constantine wags his finger. "And you did a nice job on that one werewolf, I have to say. Excellent, in fact. Who knows? If Romelia won't come along, I guess you aren't a terrible second choice."
Tyra slaps Constantine. No, scratch that. She clawed the vampire, raking her nails down his cheek.
The vampire’s head turns from the force of the blow, and he gives a deep, chilling laugh. “You can go ahead and do that,” he tells her, still chuckling throughout his words. “I don’t mind.”
Faster than even a vampire shoulder heal, his wound closes.
I try to hide my shock. He hadn’t healed like that at Rune’s treehouse. What is the vampire up to? What game is he playing?
He’s not just a vampire. He’s part demon. Can demons heal that quickly? I don’t know, but I have a feeling I’m going to find out.
Tyra goes to claw his other cheek, but Constantine grips her wrist and bends it back. To her credit, Tyra doesn’t whimper or whine, standing her ground, trying to square off against him.
"Let her go," I growl, shifting to the side.
“Oh, ho. Now you care for her, do you?”
Tyra spits at Constantine.
He just turns and laughs again even as the saliva drips down his face. He looks insane. “You tried so hard to get me to care for you, for me to change my affections. Did you honestly think that I would—”
“You’re nothing but a brute monster,” she snaps.
“Oh, is that so? What does that say about you and your feelings for me then, hmm?”
“I didn’t know you were a monster,” she bites out.
“All the more’s a pity. I’m not a monster. I know what I am, who I am. That’s more than you can say. I am all that I can be, and I don’t know my limits because I’m changing, evolving. I’m becoming something more. Romelia will too, but you, Tyra… You will—”
"You will let her go," I say calmly, resting my hand on his that's still attached to her arm.
“Are you going to stop me?” Constantine asks, chuckling. “I don’t think you could if you tried.”
“I think I’m willing to try.”
“Ah, so the werewolf is willing to fight for… what? Why are you here, wolfy? Do you want to partake in the chaos?” He leans closer to me and yanks on Tyra’s wrist to pull her close too as if he wants to share a secret with us. “Didn’t I tell you about our plans?”
“What plans?” Tyra asks.
“The demons,” I tell her even though I’m staring down the vile vampire in front of me. “They want the werewolves and vampires to all die out.”
“That includes you, you moron,” Tyra snaps.
“Not me. Not living vampires. Just the weaker turned ones.”
Tyra glowers at him. “Are you really foolish enough to believe that the vampires will be accepted by the demons?”
“We are part—”
“It doesn’t matter if we’re part demons. We aren’t full demons, and when push comes to shove—”
She cuts herself off as she shrieks because the vampire pushes and then shoves her away. Tyra almost falls but rights herself and lunges at the vampire.
Constantine’s smug smile has me holding out an arm to cut her off before she can assault him.
“You go,” I murmur. “Go to Romelia.”
“No. You go. I’ll face him.”
“No.”
“Go ahead and leave, coward,” Constantine calls. “This is a man’s fight. You aren’t welcomed here.”
“Julian, you don’t understand,” Tyra says desperately. “Romelia—”
“She shouldn’t be alone right now. Go to her.”
“But—”
“I can handle Constantine.”
“And if you can’t?”
“He’ll come for her,” I say evenly. “Then you can have your shot. Don’t waste it.”
Tyra glares at the vampire with so much hatred, even more than she's ever shown toward me. Then she eyes me, and just like that, the animosity is gone as if it had never been there to begin with.
“Give him Hell. Better yet, send him there.” She winks, and she’s gone before I can ask her to tell Romelia that I love her, but then, Tyra might do that anyhow, and Romelia knows that to be true regardless of it being said aloud.
“You honestly want to do this again?” Constantine asks, stalking around me in a tight circle.
I stand my ground and don’t bother to turn to either side to see him when he’s behind me. “You’re the one who came here.”
“True enough. I wanted to see how the fight was progressing, and lo and behold! I found you. I must admit that I’m a bit surprised to see you here.”
“Because you thought I wouldn’t be a party to this, and you wouldn’t be wrong. I’m adverse—”
"You're averse to living," Constantine says darkly, "and I can help with that."
“Can you now?” I ask. My wolf is begging to be unleashed so I can rip his throat out.
“One of your fellow wolves attacked you, didn’t he?”
My upper lip curls back in a snarl. He's been watching me. Why? What is his plan? We've already fought, so it can't be that he's trying to learn my fighting technique.
“You want me to die, don’t you?” I say slowly, “whether by your hand, claws, fangs or by someone else’s, that doesn’t matter. You just want to see it.”
“And you’ve been trying to break up fights more than engaging in battles. Pathetic, really. You’re nothing more than a fool, Julian. Why Romelia wants to be with you… I really don’t understand it, but I will say this. You will fall. You will die, and then she will be free to marry me.”
I swallow past a lump in my throat. “She will never marry you.”
“Oh, she will. Willingly or not, she will marry me.”
Hearing that has me leaping at the vampire. He sidesteps me, but I anticipated that, and my uppercut strikes him right in the gut. My claws are out, and I go to slice at his throat, but Constantine grabs my claws and bends them back unnaturally. Unbidden, I go down, my knees buckling out from under me, and I kick out, aiming for his knee. His leg buckles too, and I use the force of momentum to go down faster and kick up my legs to throw him up over the top and away from me, freeing my claws from him in the process. I don’t manage to claw him, but I am free, and I will take what I can get.
Swiftly, I’m back onto my feet again. Constantine resumes circling me, feigning attacks but never following through. I wait once, twice, and then on the third, I slide to the left, grab his wrist with my right hand as my left arm goes across his body, my shoulder in front of his because he’s taller than I am, my elbow joint almost directly underneath his chin. All I have to do is pull back so that his shoulders are behind him as I bend my knees, and he goes down hard.
My wolf leaves me no choice, and he comes out as Constantine slowly stands. He’s not hurt. He’s just toying with me, and I debate going feral, of allowing my wolf to have control over my mind, but who knows how long my wolf would be in control for as well as how many others I might end up killing in my rampage.
So I control my wolf as I warily watch Constantine. He berates me, trying to antagonize me, but I don’t bite. Well, I don’t bite him, but I do bare my fangs at him and gnash my teeth, grinding them, ready to bite him.
When I finally spy an opening, Constantine backhands me. I flop down to the ground, and he stomps on my back, right where I had been injured earlier.
The vampire goes to grab me, but I roll over and drag my claws down his chest and stomach.
Constantine straightens. He’s healing, but not at that tremendously swift pace as he had before. Whatever he had done earlier must have worn off. He notices th
is, makes a rude gesture, and he’s gone too quickly for me to have a chance to follow him.
Blasted Constantine. If there’s one vampire I hate, it’s him.
Chapter 15
Romelia
It’s hard to think, to breathe, to stop vomiting, to stop shivering. I’m shivering so much that I can’t tell when I’m shivering versus seizing because I’ve had more seizures too. I can’t keep anything in my system, and I feel like I’m dying.
I am dying.
So much for being a living vampire. I can't even heal myself, and as a result, I'm going to be a very dead vampire soon, and I don't mean like a turned, undead vampire. Like a dead dead vampire.
Tyra hasn’t come back yet with Julian. He’s all right, isn’t he? Or has he somehow gotten mixed up with the war? He wouldn’t fight in a battle without me, would he? Then again, he has fought before. Vampires jumped him, and he had no choice but to fight back. He almost died. And he’s been involved in at least one other battle, trying to get the others to stop fighting. I can see him doing that. If that’s the case, it might take longer for Tyra to find him. What if she finds him too late? What if he’s dying right this very second?
What if he’s already dead?
No, no, I can't believe that. I don't believe that. After all, I would know if he was dead. Julian's alive. I'm sure of it.
I’m also sure that I might not be alive the next time he lays eyes on me.
My body feels so very foreign to me. It’s almost like I’m a vessel in a broken body, that the body is no longer my own. My body is rejecting my mind, my presence, my consciousness.
It doesn’t matter that I’m a living vampire, just like Tyra. I have no control over any part of my demonic side. I can’t fight off this attack, and it’s not as if Tyra has any control over that part of herself either. She lashed out in anger, and her body reacted in kind. I don’t know if it’s possible for me to be able to come back from this, but that’s okay. Julian will survive. He’ll go on. Mercy, Bermon… he’ll have his family, his friends. He’ll be able to live.
Blood Haven: Year Three: A Mayhem of Magic World Story Page 9
