Token Huntress (24 page)

              “Well Chase, I do not know what to say. Your familiar has much fire in her; I do love that about her,” Fier said with a large smile. Chase growled under his fangs in a threatening manner as Fier considered me indecently. “I will make you a deal, little golden vampire,” he began. “If you in fact succeed, I will announce you as my leading hand.” Gardar did not at all like this and he protested, but Fier shot him down quickly. A light breeze swept through the room in a threatening manner. “If, however, you fail, you will become my leading hand in other matters.”

              “She is
mine!
” Chase said angrily, stepping forward with a knife in his hand.

             
He is going over the boundary, there is an unspoken respect for those who have familiars and he is stepping over it!
Chase growled at me internally, as if I hadn’t known what I was stepping into. I obviously had no desire to spend any time with Fier in such a way. But I would take this chance to escape. And now like a double-edged blade, Chase had no choice either. I hesitated to respond, because I knew this was not my decision alone and I knew it would be wrong to do so. Chase studied me for a moment longer, having read my thoughts. This was my question to him as to whether he truly would leave with me. If we didn’t return, we would be on the run for the rest of our days.

             
I will follow you anywhere Esmore, even to death,
he said hesitantly.

              “Well, little golden vampire?” Fier pushed.

              “Done. But let me assure you no such thing would happen. Never would I waste my time on such
small
commitments,” I said, staring at his package.

He smiled at me. He liked my comment and took it as flirtation. “Then go, my little golden vampire, you have three days to please me.” Fier waved us off. Chase grabbed my hand fiercely, death-staring Fier as we left.

             
Let’s take some of your ugly dolls with us,
I offered.

I diverted my eyes from him, feeling guilty after putting him on the spot. I knew this would be hard for him, to drop everything for me. Yet at the same time, I had to check on Dillian and make sure the others were safe. I felt that perhaps these circumstances were pushing us in the direction we needed to go. I had said at the start I could not stay for long. And no matter how much Chase tried to convince me otherwise, my thoughts stayed the same, even if I was now part vampire. My only anxiety was about the deal I had made with Tythian. If we did not return I knew he would be mad with me for abandoning his goal.

              No matter what step I took I knew I would be looking over my shoulder. The only difference now was that Chase would be right behind me doing the same. I would either be received back into the Guild, and then I would come back to the Council to infiltrate it, or I would be shunned. If word spread of Chase’s treachery, then every other Council around the world would turn on him as well.

             
Are you sure this is what you want? There is no coming back from this; we will be chased for as long as we breathe. It is a form of treachery and they do not let that go lightly,
Chase whispered internally. The white walls of the Council were not something I wanted to see every day. By simply being born a huntress that decision was made for me a long time ago.

              Finally we reached his room, where Chase closed the door and pulled me into him, cupping my face and kissing me fiercely. His tongue slid over mine passionately, leading me and burning my senses. My hands touched his bare chest and hips. He slammed my back against the door, so I could not challenge his way with me, not that I would have. It was like he had to validate his love and touch me after another had threatened to take me away from him.

              His hand slid up my inner thigh as I squirmed with anticipation for him. Already my fangs slipped out and I was moaning at the thought of enjoying one last time with him in his room. He bit into my neck, sliding his hand under my shirt to caress my hard nipples. Another moan left my lips as he began pleasuring me.

              “I will protect and love you forever more, Esmore,” he whispered into my ear before letting me dive into his neck.

A whirl of exotic taste danced in my mouth. “And I you, Chase,” I said with heated breath, enjoying the taste of his skin on my tongue.

W
e took twelve of his favorite bobble-head dolls he wasn’t willing to part with. I now felt comfortable with my Barnett bow and sword strapped closely to me. The guards at the entrance of the Council had already been told to permit us to leave. They did check the backpack we held, which had two bottles of blood, bobble-head dolls, daggers, and knives. We had stocked up on what we could.

              I wore a white sleeveless shirt of Chase’s, which was baggy on me, and some of his dark-blue jeans. I tightened a weapons belt around them so they would not fall. I wore one of his long leather jackets which trailed to the top of my leather boots. Chase wore his pale-blue jeans with only a leather jacket, of course without a shirt.

              We headed toward the location of my Guild. Chase stated that it was within a six-hour range. My vampire self awakened, my pace was much faster and I didn’t need time for a break. It made me only revaluate the difference between vampire and hunter that much more. Had we only survived for so long because of our gifts?

We hid amongst shrubbery and trees. The fog misted over us. Cockroaches sprang to life and fled the log as we crouched. Chase explained to me how to find Dillian’s mind. Eventually I did but he was not yet asleep so I could not freely speak. Chase told me it was far easier to speak with one in their dream state and also that from where we sat, we were too far away to try and hold communication with him while he was conscious. If we were closer we would give away our position. We could only communicate with people if they allowed us to. It was like tapping on their mind for permission; they could either accept or shut us off. But the distance between Dillian and I would be too long even for that. A conscious person had a natural protective laye over their thoughts, whereas when they slept they became more vulnerable and unaware.

We waited for many hours until finally I felt Dillian’s mind fold over into an unconscious level. Finally he was asleep. It was tiring focusing on him for so long, maybe because I was new to this gift and only learning.

Chase nodded in response, confirming with me that was the reason.
It gets easier over time. I will help you ease into this. I will be there with you. Think of any place manifesting around you. When you call upon him in a dream state you must actively create a physical place surrounding you within your mind. When in someone’s mind, it is just darkness; you need such a physical place to ground both you and them into one location. If you were to have a conversation with him in darkness, you may not come back. You always need to make a connection with something on this earth to do so. So just think of our surrounding trees. And think of Dillian as with us.”

             
I focused on what Chase told me to do, closing my eyes and imagining myself to be connected with Dillian, bringing him to this exact same place. Minutes flickered by and it annoyed me as still I had no response. I felt as if I wasn’t getting anywhere. Suddenly I felt Chase’s hand on my back and I opened my eyes. There in front of me was Dillian, looking at me just as amazed.

              “Is this a dream?” he asked. He would recognize this area and know we were close.

              “No, well it is. But it is me, Dillian,” I said, slightly desperate. I tried to get up quickly, but wobbled at the sudden movement. I felt very lightheaded by the amount of concentration it took me to hold our conversation. Chase held my leather jacket to help me keep my balance.

              “You seem different,” Dillian said, and narrowed his expression on Chase. “The Esmore I know would not desperately speak; she talks in a monotone.” He was very sceptical and didn’t believe it for a moment. I had to convince him. I thought of something only both he and I would know.

              “When you were thirteen and sparring against me, I got caught in the moment and bit your ear!” I clicked my fingers as if finally finding it. “Julia and you didn’t have your first kiss until your five-month anniversary where you spotted a flower. But when you gave it to her, it had a deadly spider in it and it almost…”

              “Esmore,” he whispered, and searched around him wide-eyed. “No, you cannot be here, if Campture listens into this, then you have doomed us both.”

              “She cannot interject and I will block this conversation from her,” Chase said dismissively. Dillian still looked at him sceptically but accepted it.

              “You must get away Esmore and don’t return,” Dillian said, walking over to me and leaning in front of me.

              “No, I need to know that you are okay first,” I said worriedly. He seemed different, almost timid.

              “I am okay, now you must go,” he said crouching with a slight wince.

              “He is lying,” Chase said quickly. Dillian looked at him angrily. “His physical state in reality is not faring well. It is easy to cover your appearance in the mind and make yourself look like something else. If he willed it, he could appear as any other animal. It is like a separate attachment to our reality and physical presence. He is hiding his real physical condition. But others’ mind manipulation even in the dream land is something I can easily remove.”

              “No, don’t,” Dillian pleaded, but it was too late, whatever cover-up Dillian had used now vanished as Chase willed it away. This was, after all, his created world, even if in dream state. Dillian’s clothes were ripped to shreds. It looked as if someone had taken a whip to him and lashed at his skin. There were bleeding marks. His eyes were battered and black. Both were swollen and the pink of his eyes could hardly be seen. His breathing was uneasy as he gasped for breath. There were marks around his neck that indicated someone had choked him. His black hair was damp and plastered to his neck with dirt. By the looks of it someone had been drowning him.

I tried to hide my anger as I felt the fury of fire in my gums. My fangs wanted to come out fiercely. I wanted to protect Dillian. They slipped out, but Chase was able to hide them as if it had never happened. It was only in the physical world that they were present. When my fangs slid out both happiness and anger excited my inner dark self. My vampire self.

              “Who did this to you,” I asked. He looked to the ground, embarrassed by his state. But I knew he would not avoid my questions if I already had seen him like this.

              “Mostly James,” he admitted quietly. “Ever since we returned, he has convinced Campture that you are a traitor, but only because your mind has been manipulated by this vampire.” He gestured at Chase. “He has gone crazy, obsessing over you even more, claiming when they find you he will nurse you back to health, but keep you within his home as you are a threat to everyone else, that you are unstable. They thought I was involved with it someway. And when Campture detected that my mind had certain blank spaces, it didn’t go down too smoothly,” he said with a small smile.

              “What do they plan to do to you?” I asked. I was so angry with James. His obsession was far worse than what I had originally thought. I never knew how far he could go. Possessive, yes, but this was a sickness.

              “They plan on killing him,” Chase revealed slowly. Dillian said nothing, but his eyes confirmed the truth in Chase’s words.

              “I’m coming for you,” I said to Dillian. I cut off our connection before Dillian could argue.

A sort of screeching noise echoed in my mind and dropped me to my elbows on the ground. When I came back to my own reality, I was sweating. Suddenly I vomited into the dirt, unsteady and uneasy. Chase patted my back cautiously, looking around.

              “You came out of it too quickly,” he said. I wiped the vomit away from my mouth, trying to gather my wits and balance quickly. “We are not alone.”

              I gathered my sword and Barnett bow, preparing myself for a fight. Did the Guild already know of our presence? But I was sure that their lookout did not reach this far. No matter what, I had to get Dillian out of there. If he had been accused of conspiracy then it would not be long until they sentenced him to his death.

              Aiming for where I sensed the presence sneaking up on us, I shot a arrow. Quickly jumping to my feet and hiding behind a nearby tree, I dodged a dagger that was thrown at me. Chase took the other side, quickly circling the trees to close in on them.

              I sensed someone next to me, running beside the tree. I struck my sword at them but it was counteracted by their own long knife. My sword’s handle was punched out of my hand. I dropped it, punching for the woman’s face before registering the familiar scent and long golden-blonde hair. My mother stood tall in front of me, as beautiful as she always had been. Her exotic orange eyes stared at me.

              “Mom,” I choked in shock. There was no mistaking her.

              “Esmore,” she gasped, suddenly desperate as she hugged me. Her thick golden hair smothered my face as I nestled into her neck. I embraced my mother dearly, clutching onto her in case it was a dream. She had aged slightly with a few wrinkles and gray hairs since I had last seen her. But she was still as beautiful as ever. When she touched me I began to sob. For the first time since I had been told she died, I cried. So many emotions overwhelmed me. When she did look at me again she gasped, almost frightened. I realized I was staring at her neck with my fangs out, ready to take a taste.

              “I’m sorry,” I took a few steps back, tripping over a log.

              “What do you want me to do with this one?” a rough voice interjected. I was startled and appalled to know that in my moment of reunion with my mother, I had forgotten that Chase had charged on elsewhere. There was another person with us. He threw Chase in the center of a few trees, presenting him as if he were some meal.

              “Chase,” I said, scrambling toward him. He was badly beat up. I hissed at the unfamiliar male, hunching over Chase protectively. The male with rough red hair looked between my mother and me. His gray eyes studied me seriously. He was a large vampire; his fangs were even older than Tythian’s. No wonder Chase had been overpowered so quickly.

              “No Esmore,” Chase said, gathering me behind him. I held my Barnett bow, shooting at the man. I ran for him, picking up the dagger that had been previously thrown at me. With speed he was beside me, putting his foot out to trip me. I skidded hard on my face. I quickly collected myself, zipping through the trees to chase him. I would not let him harm Chase again. I lost my sense of direction and retreated to Chase, where already the male was standing beside my mother. His speed was the fastest I had ever witnessed, even faster than that of the fallen hunter, Pac. Still he stared at me, a smile pinching at his lips.

              “So, this is my golden treasure,” the man’s deep voice spoke.

              “Esmore,” my mother’s soft and fragile voice interjected before I again chased after the vampire that threatened Chase. “This is your father.”

              I stared at the vampire, baffled. But my father died when I was ten… he had taught me to count and to breath and to concentrate. Now that I thought of that, it made sense to me. Perhaps my father knew all along that I was part vampire so he taught me to ease my rage. But he was my father, not this vampire.

              A light breeze swept around us. Chase’s wounds had already begun to heal and he was now sitting upright. “But he is vampire,” Chase said, rubbing his jaw tightly. Although everything had healed, it was his way of trying to cool such tension off.

              “And is she not part vampire?” the man who claimed to be my father said. My mother shot him a look which made him retreat from his arrogant status very quickly.

              “Well, that is something we have only just discovered as of late,” Chase snapped on my behalf.

              “My darling Esmore, I have missed you so much.” My mother took a few steps toward me. Her leather attire was dirty, as if her clothes had not been cleaned for weeks. Yet her hair still glowed with its mesmerizing blonde. She was the one who taught me how to plait mine.

              “Campture told me you were dead! And my father is dead! This isn’t my dad, my dad is dead.” I exploded with sudden rage. Chase was now standing, offering his hand to me, so I too could stand. I was in shock. I struggled to comprehend anything.

              “Shall we sit for a moment, Esmore?” My mother indicated to me to sit on a nearby fallen log. “Please, my dear, there is much I need to tell you.”