Token Vampire (Token Huntress Book 2) (23 page)

Dillian stayed close to Julia and rounded her towards us. Another ten Hunters came from the shadows, this had once been a part of my Guild and so easily would they turn on me. I snarled again as if to make a point, but whimpered at the silver that sapped my energy so quickly.

“Give Julia time,” Dillian whispered to my mother. Julia closed her eyes and began to concentrate. Dillian stayed close to her, and intervened with the few arrows that were shot at her. He flicked them away effortlessly with his sword.

James and my mother ran at one another, a heavy impact blew the mist around them as their swords collided. My mother’s flexibility was renowned. She flicked his sword away, pivoting in a circle and kicked James to the ground, with such force that he plummeted into a tree. Already his body had changed into metal, which was impossible to penetrate.

Another four Hunters surrounded my mother. One by one, she dodged and diverted their blades with easy precision. I could feel another Huntress approach us. I knew her presence and the smell of her filth, Campture. Kelf, continued to follow her. Dillian fought off other Hunters and protected Julia. She concentrated with her eyes closed, completely entrusting her life in Dillian’s hands. She dropped to her knees in exhaustion. She did not stop. Small vine like tentacles grew from the ground and began to wrap themselves around the metal of both Chase’s and my trap. The longer I stayed within the trap, the more sluggish I became. I could feel my vampire self, attempting to renew and overcome the draining properties of the silver. I was useless in here and unable to pry it open myself. I was too weak. Chase tried, his hand still bled as he tried to open it with one hand. I could smell the burning of his flesh as he held tightly onto the silver. The vines continued to grow and slowly its strength began to pry the bars of the trap open.

“Get to her!” I heard Campture’s voice echo through the woodland. I was ashamed of my weakness as I watched Chase continue to do his best to pry the trap open himself. Chase had more experience with the effect and withdrawal of silver. I still had so much to learn and was useless in this form. The purple haze of my eyes vanished. I no longer had the strength to keep my fangs out. My mouth was so parched and I was thirsty, so thirsty for blood.

The Hunters turned their intentions onto me. They tried to avoid my mother who danced amongst them so beautifully with her swordsmanship. They attempted to run around her, but her egotistic smile announced otherwise. She could not be so easily avoided.

The small vinery like plants continued to strain under their might. Dillian was now fighting off three Hunters who came very close to Julia. I knew his strength would not be matched, especially when he was protecting her.

Panting harshly, I watched as James stalked my way, his iridescent green eyes still visible through his metal form. I offered a pathetic state of a snarl at him. How had my strength dispersed so quickly? How could I be affected so dramatically? James watched me for a moment and placed his hand through the metal to touch me, to stroke my cheek. I pressed myself further against the claws of the silver to resist the touch. The silver burnt only worse.

Chase’s bars snapped as he pried them open desperately, with the aid of Julia’s vines. He shredded his hand into two, and leapt on top of my cage, snarling protectively over me. His blade sliced over James’ throat, but broke in two instantly. Chase’s leather boots dropped dirt onto my face. I could see the glisten of his large fangs from below here. He was old and strong, even after being affected from the same silver as me. I was only young, a baby vampire as they teased me. I was confronted with my one weakness as a vampire, even with my Huntress self and blood- that remark had never felt so real until now. In this moment, I understood where I really was in my life and world. I was weak as a vampire, and only time could strengthen that. I depended on my strengths, but now, ultimately my vampire self was my obvious weakness.

Chase wasn’t as fast or strong as he always was. He was exhausted from being in the metal trap; I was surprised he could still bare his fangs. My mother and I had freed him once before, from Camptures’ silver chains. He could hardly stand then. James stabbed Chase in the stomach. Chase’s face didn’t flinch from pain. He took the wound as a decoy so he could grab James shoulders and fling him through the air. He grabbed onto the silver bars of my trap, prying them open. Blood from his hands dripped onto my face as the silver burnt him.

“I’ve got you,”
he said calmly within my mind. His voice seemed almost incoherent to me. Finally, they opened. He scooped me up within seconds and held me close to his chest. I could tell he wanted to flee, in such a weakened state we were easy targets. But, he knew I would not abandon the others. His fangs were so large in comparison to mine, showcasing the age difference between us in vampire years.

Julia panted heavily and exhausted her own strength. I never knew she was capable of growth to this magnitude. She was at her limit, this was not the purpose of her gift. Chase placed me down beside her. Chase prepared himself for the tackle James lined up as he ran towards him. Chase punched him in the stomach, with little effect against the metal. James punched his jaw with a stifling crack.

My mother jumped on James’ back, and flung his weight over her shoulder and into the distance. All they could do was throw him away, there was no penetrating his metal skin or harming him. I tried to stand, but my legs didn’t respond. I knew the effects silver had on vampires, after using it countless years to weaken them. But never did I think it would affect me in this way.

One of the Hunters tried to scathe Chase with his sword. Chase dodged it and delved into his neck savagely and ripped at the artery. The hunter gasped and choked. Chase dropped him in front of me. He was able to control himself enough, to offer the meal he required, and instead give it to me. I looked at the Hunter that fell into my lap. Chase provided me with what I needed. There was a glimmer of hesitation as I looked the Hunter in the eyes who was once a part of my Guild. But the urge to survive and restore my strength was too great. I hunched over him, my tongue rolled over the already open wound. The blood which poured tasted so sweet in my mouth. He tasted exceptional; better than any blood I had savored before. I wanted more, needed more. So this was the taste of a Hunter. I viciously tore into him further and enjoyed every drop. My memory became hazy as I caught glimpses of his life, of his gift. One that I did not want.

I wanted to pull myself away, but I couldn’t, he was my prey. I clung to him tightly as if someone were going to take him away. My senses were acutely aware of my surroundings now. I didn’t feel so parched. I wasn’t at my full strength, but now I was able to stand.

Before I finished my meal, a Hunter ran for me from behind. I didn’t want to put my meal down. But, I had no choice. I grabbed Julia and pulled her away from where the sword came down. Julia looked at me mortified. Blood dripped down my neck and chest. I had been a savage. It wasn’t enough to restore me, but I had more than Chase.

Chase and James took blow for blow. They punched into one another pointlessly as both of them seemed impenetrable. My mother danced amongst the other Hunters, and sliced them when they gave her an opening. Dillian too fought his best, conscious of where Julia and I were, at all times. I searched for the person I wanted to find most. The one who had orchestrated such chaos. I could see the outline of her in the distance. Campture stood behind her Hunters.

The Hunter behind me swung their sword at my back. I dodged it and pushed the limp Julia back. She was extremely weak and panted heavily. The Hunter swung again. I unsheathed my sword and dodged their attack. I glided my sword up their stomach. My eyes started to pin on the oozing blood. I wanted and thirsted for more. This deadly wound, was my announcement of rebellion. I was not a part of this Guild any more. My mother danced amongst them in the same way. I too would follow her footsteps of the unknown and fight those who raised and taught me to be everything that I was today. I would not hold back.

I grabbed my Barnett bow from the ground. Dillian was only reflecting the weapons. He did not cut down the two Hunters that attacked him. Three times, the opening was there to kill them. I aimed for one of their calves and shot him. I then shot the other’s shoulder. Dillian had not yet made such a decision to turn his back on the Guild, and I would not force him. I would be the one to do the dirty work. He looked back at me surprised.

“Take Julia now, we will hold them off. I will find you,” I promised. It was not safe here. We had to fight until Tythian could take them back. But, I would not leave this battle unfinished; I would kill both Campture and James.

James sat on top of Chase beating his face in. I aimed my arrow at him, shot two to distract him. He looked up at me as I lunged for him like a savage, and rolled over the foliage with him. Chase was weak and this was not a fair fight. I would not watch my familiar be hurt anymore. I punched into James face, like I had to watch him do to Chase. With such force against the metal of James’ face my hand broke. I pulled away in a glimmer of pain. James curled his hands around me, forcefully as he began to crush my spine. I gasped in the pain of my breath being knocked out of me. I was fighting sloppily; I needed my full strength to return. I resisted him, and tried to press my own arms out to escape, but it was of no use.

“Stop, I need her conscious!” Campture demanded, from the shadows. She stepped down with a smug expression. “You might not open your thoughts to me willingly. But, I will steal them and learn of the location of your heart, Esmore.” I resisted and pulled away, but James’ iron grip pinned me. Campture’s elongated fingers stretched out for my head to make physical contact. I had seen her do this many times before. She took the information and read people’s minds by force.

Campture stepped back as my mother’s long legs swung for her face.

“I won’t let you touch my daughter!” She snapped. “Do you really think between you and me, that you can win?!” My hand awkwardly healed itself, the crunch of bones returning into their rightful position. I felt the release of James’ grip as Chase towered over me, prying apart his grip. I slid out from it when it loosened. I crawled out from beneath and guarded Chase’s back. I shot two Hunter’s in the chest as they attacked him from behind. James kicked Chase, ploughing him through the air. The ground began to sink as one of the Hunters used their gift against us. I grabbed Chase by the collar of his leather jacket, before he touched the ground. I knew this gift, he would have been consumed. My mother jumped back and away from the sinkhole. I looked over the Hunters that we had already killed. They were all only apprentices. None of them would have been old enough to activate their gift. I snarled at Campture and her disgusting tricks.

The first line of attack was a weak one, but I felt more Hunters run to our location. These would be the Hunters who had gifts. Some traced Dillian and Julia.

“Fall back,” my mother yelled. We continued to jump back and dodge the sinking ground. I held Chase over my shoulders. He was weaker than I had anticipated, we all were. I couldn’t even feel the strength or the last resort of the Descendant. Was I that weak from the silver?

I followed my mother’s orders. We were outnumbered and weak. I had to find Dillian and Julia, before the others got to them. With vampire speed, which wasn’t as heightened as I would have liked, we traced Julia and Dillian’s footsteps. I still held on to Chase, worried that he wasn’t capable of running the distance by himself in his state. I took aim over my shoulder with my bow and aimed for their legs and shot them down. Only few were taken down, others used their gifts and swords to deflect them.

I heard Campture’s voice in the distance, crooning with displeasure to capture us all. Suddenly, Tythian ran beside us. Had it already been one hour? For how long were we fighting, it felt like mere minutes went by.

“I left for one hour, and you somehow manage to oppose a Guild of Hunters. Look at you, Chase, you can hardly run,” he said irritated. Tythian disappeared. I could feel his presence reappear beside the enemies behind us. Tythian knocked their feet out from beneath them. He grabbed one of their hearts and threw it to the ground. I pulled away from the urge and temptation that the wafting smell of blood had on me. Tythian reappeared by my mother’s side.

“Go ahead and get the others first,” my mother commanded. I shot another three arrows, missing two. Tythian had returned. I could feel that Dillian and Julia were no longer here. They had been safely teleported back to the coven. Tythian grabbed my mother first and the came back for us. I looked behind me; the last image I saw was James, who had his hand outstretched to catch the tips of my hair.

M
y vision swarmed in and out. Chase and I dropped to our knees. I was angry at myself for being so inexcusably weak. Chase coughed into the cement of Cesar’s room, with a smile on his face.

             
“Why are you smiling?”
I interjected into his mind angrily.

             
“It’s thrilling is it not, to be so weak and outnumbered, yet still survive? We are an A team,”
he mused and outstretched his fist to me to fist bump me.
“And plus, I look like such a bad ass boyfriend.”

             
“That’s not a good thing you idiot, we almost died.”
I said. He only smiled and looked down at his posed fist.

             
“Don’t leave me hanging,”
he mused.
I growled in anger and bumped it. He wouldn’t have given up. It was like a relief swelled over him, and he sagged further to the floor.

              “I let you out for one hour and you come back like this!” Yolo retorted. He walked in with bottles of blood to help us replenish. He squatted near Chase and offered him one. It was obvious the two had created some sort of bond. He then offered me one. I snatched it, parched and thirsting for my full strength back. This was distasteful in comparison to the hot pooling essence of that Hunter I feasted from.

              “Trinity!” Dillian shouted. My mother ran over to Dillian. Julia panted heavily on the bed. “She exerted herself; her gift shouldn’t be used like that. It helps stimulate growth, not excel at that rate.”

              I got to my feet but held myself there. I looked at the fragile Julia with thirst. I wanted to take a step closer to help, but I couldn’t. I knew if I were any closer, to the very pulse that pumped through her veins, I was too tempted. I wanted to help; I had to be there to make sure she was okay. Chase grabbed my hand, still crouched to the ground.

              “Your mother can handle this, Esmore, we should leave,” Chase said. Yolo watched me skeptically. I pricked the tip of my finger on my ejected fang. I hadn’t even realized. My mother checked over Julia’s temperature and rested her hand on her chest. She was able to use her gift to help replenish Julia’s strength. Dillian looked at my frozen status, openly disheartened. He looked back to Julia in comfort. He pushed back her hair and spoke to her lovingly.

              “Come along, Esmore,” Chase said. He pulled me out of the room. Connor and Balzar still stood frozen. Connor looked at my bloody chest and face in a quick summary. I had forgotten about it and began to wipe, vigorously. I looked like a monster. Chase, still exhausted pulled me down to sit beside him. He began to scull the blood out of the bottle. I continued to wipe, ashamed of how I looked. Tythian walked out of the room and held out his handkerchief to me. His once well-groomed shirt, which now had sprays of blood across it.

              I hesitated to take it. It was Tythian, would he ask for something in return? Chase took it instead and began to wipe at my face for me.

              “Never be ashamed of this, Esmore, this is who we are,” Chase said, with a soft voice.

              “It gets better and easier with time,” Balzar admitted, he looked down and thought of something, I could only imagine from the past.

              “I massacred hundreds within my first year of being turned. I was unable to control myself,” Yolo admitted as he walked out from the room and closed the door behind him. “If I didn’t have my gift now, I think I would be the same.”

              “I still have no remorse for the lives I take,” Connor said. “It is harder to have the strength to resist; you are doing better then what I am after all these years.” But I understood that Connor was comfortable with that.

              “Do you understand now, Esmore, your position?” Tythian asked. “We all have our own battles. But you couldn’t start your own; until you realized what it was you were fighting against. You used your vampirism for power and now you understand the difficulties of what it actually means to be a fresh vampire.”

              I looked between the four who claimed to be my brothers. In a twisted way, I knew they were comforting me. I never required comfort, but somehow I felt oddly exposed to their words.

              “I will help you through every step,” Chase said, still wiping at my bottom lip.

             
“I was so weak,”
I said to him. I could only admit it to him.

             
“Esmore, it shows strength to be able to admit you lost a battle. It was different for you, when you were within the Guild. You could control the outcome of most things. It is a different world you now dabble in. You need to learn from these experiences.”

              I looked down at the bottle of blood. I began to drink it and allowed time for their words to sink in. It was different, and I was no longer in control. I resisted accepting it. I tried to control the situation and every outcome since leaving the Guild; I felt a weight being lifted from my shoulders as I digested and understood it. I still had the weight of responsibility and urgency to help my Guild members, who were still loyal to me. I had to help Kora and Kasey, even if they turned on me. I had to, so I would be able to close that part of me that I would have to let go.

I wanted Teary and Tori close by, if they would still have me. It was a selfish act and thought; I was a threat to them all. I now understood that no matter how much effort I put in, I might not be able to control myself. No, I couldn’t accept that. I couldn’t have everyone force me to believe that was my only option. If it were, what would I then believe in? I knew nothing of this new world. The lines I once painted for myself in boundary were no longer there.

              “No,” I said loudly. “I can control myself and I won’t allow myself to harm them. I am only part vampire; I won’t let it affect me.” I did not feel moved or any sense of emotion. But, I understood this was called, a glimmer of hope. If I claimed myself to be a vampire, then the world I knew would be utterly changed. I had no place to go, and no purpose I could think of. Being Hunter was the only way I could still manage and pursue purpose, without having something to fight for- I had nothing. The others said nothing; whether they thought I was in some self-denial, I did not care. It was a decision of mine to either continue fighting this thing that I was raised to hate- vampirism; or to be consumed by it and allow myself to use it as an excuse for ill actions I did. I could not be that darkness. Even though it toyed and loved the power, I also felt it was capable of killing those whom were closest to me. Without that- I was nothing.

              I emptied my bottle, still not fully quenched. My mother walked out of the room, filthy and bloodied. It was peculiar to see the sons of Cesar straighten before her. They hated Hunters, we were mutual enemies and yet those lines were blurred with the exception of my mother- the familiar of their leader and father.

              “They are both fine and resting,” She said, with a sigh of relief. “I think we all need rest. Has Cesar not yet retuned?”

              “No Mam,” Balzar responded. “He is still inspecting, with the Elite Group. Tythian is due to collect them in a few hours.”

              “Inspecting?” I asked. Tythian responded.

              “The group that Cesar wants us to confront. He is inspecting it himself, in case Oppollo is within range. If he is, we are not to make contact under any circumstance. However, if it is just a small group, then we will confront them to send a message. We are the children of Cesar. Sending us out with the risk of our own lives, definitely suggests his confidence within the war. Oppollo is not an enemy that we can face. But we can take down his men, blow by brutal blow. Depending on the size of those who march towards the Council meeting first, we may all have shared leadership in the Elite group. But of course, there are other matters to be attended to first.”

              “I don’t want you coming to the Human Compound with me,” Yolo said. “Just for a few days, anyway. You have lost a lot of strength, your body will thirst to recharge and the only way to do that is. . .” he looked down at the empty bottle of blood in my hand.

              “No. I want to go, I need to go,” I responded. I had to get Kora and Kasey out of there, before I focused my mind on this war that I had been dragged into. I hadn’t even the time to properly digest and think about the demand Campture wanted of me- to find out where my heart was. I had to focus on that later. I needed to free them first, and then I could move on and consider my next step.

              “I agree with Yolo,” Chase said sternly. He finished his own bottle of blood. “It is too risky. I’ve told you before; you are only new as a vampire, Esmore. I believe in you more than anyone, but in this regard you are out of your depth and control. I always told you, that I would never tell you what to do, but, in this matter I hope you would heed my advice.”

              “I am fine. I can suppress it. It is only a part of me. It is not my entity. Tythian,” I questioned. I looked at him for support, in the hope that he could persuade them. He was my only way out of this underground coven.

              “Unless it profits me, I won’t take you,” he said dully.

              “It does benefit you,” I snapped. Everyone looked at me as interested as he did. He knew what I meant. I was ready to give him the identity and location of Charlie. Tomorrow, I was due to go on a mission with Sydney and the other members. I wouldn’t be within the compound to be blamed or be made suspicious of. If Lincon could keep his promise to free Kasey and Kora; then Tythian would have his revenge, and I could bargain to take Dillian and Julia to the Antarctic human camp. I could even manage to bargain Teary and Tori’s teleportation there. I knew how desperately, Tythian, wanted his revenge. I could only offer Kora and Kasey freedom. I wasn’t sure how they would proceed afterwards, because of the manipulation done to them, no human or Hunter camp would accept them.

              “Brother. . .” Yolo began. “Why do you want to be there so much now?!” He snapped on me. “It’s not safe for your Hunter friends, or is it because you want to break out those Hunter twins that I am trying to conceal in?!” I snarled in response. Chase put a hand on my shoulder, to keep me rested against the wall.

              “You should not be concerned with my affairs, unless Cesar instructs it,” I snapped.

              “If it affects my affairs, then you bet your sorry ass, it has everything to do with me,” Yolo snapped. His usual calm, collected and bouncy self, was gone. Connor pressed his hand against Yolo’s chest, to make him aware to stay back.

              “Go,” Connor simply said. Yolo looked between the brothers and then to my mother. He put his head down in agitation, breaking through them and walking into the tunnels.

              “You must use very fragile footing around Yolo and his concern for the human compound,” Balzar said. “He has worked very hard on that project and it is benefiting us. He will always put this Coven first. Don’t dishonor him, by messing it up.”

              Chase too was silent. My mother said nothing and returned to the room. After an eeriness of silence, Chase led me through the room and into the separate one, which Dillian and Julia usually rested in. There was a hammock and a small shelf of his favorite bobby head dolls that we had taken from his room in Fier’s council.

              “Where did you find this?” I asked surprised. He closed the door behind us, so no one could intrude.

              “Tythian grabbed the hammock for me. I used to sway in it all the time if I were tense about a situation. And well, my bobby head dolls seem to ground me, make me feel nostalgic about an easier day and time.” He tapped one of them and its head bobbled.

              He sat on the edge of the hammock, and invited for me to sit next to him. He held out his hand to me. His leather jacket opened wide, to show his shirtless chest and stomach underneath.

              “Sway with me for a little while. Before we clean you up and send you off again to the Human Compound.” I leant into him. We laid in the hammock and Chase began to push against the wall lightly, so we would sway.

              “I hate not being around when you put yourself in danger. I believe in your strength, Esmore. But, I know how out of depth you are in dealing with your vampire self. I want to stop you,” he admitted.