Token Vampire (Token Huntress Book 2) (26 page)

              I considered the very thing Chase now watched out for. What if it were possible that Sydney turned into a vampire? Could I still return Titan to her father? Would Sydney ever allow it, now being the monster he hated so much? The monsters that I hated so much. Did I hope for him to have been turned, magically somehow, without realizing it? What did I consider worse for him, to be dead or to turn him into the very thing that both of us hated? But what I hated most right now, above all other monsters, was myself.

I
followed Jenn silently, for the rest of the day. I ignored all those around me, as If it were only Jenn and I who walked through the halls. I knew this was a situation where I should find guilt. But without either Chase or my mother, I felt nothing. But I was conscious, that what I had done was wrong. It consumed me to have this emptiness; I wanted to feel regret, sympathy and guilt. But those emotions did not come. I was a monster.

              The Human Compound went into both a silence and frenzy. Most stayed within their homes, soldiers guarded the area heavily. A few were regrouping to go on the hunt for Lincon, Kora and Kasey, of which I still had no idea, how he had done it. He was an illusionist and he told me he would not tell me his tricks. It made me question as to what extent his illusions could form into. Mr. Richard was furious and demanded that his property was to be returned to him. He told Jenn, that she was not to leave the Human Compound tonight. She was completely against it. She smiled as charmingly as ever, and told him sternly, that she would still return to her own compound.

              Our walk to the border was silent; Jenn asked no questions about the day’s event. Tythian waited for us, he was neatly groomed and cleaned up. I imagined that it would have been hours of scrubbing for him to look so cleansed. There was hollowness in his eyes. He had acquired revenge, the one thing he wanted most and yet it was obvious it brought him no peace. It only validated how insignificant Charlie’s life was. He was a major part and memory of Whitney’s world and just like that he could be killed. Tythian and I didn’t appear to be that different at all.

              The nauseous sensation of being teleported by Tythian grabbed hold of my stomach. The dusty smell of the coven underground hit me. It felt as if it were a burst of life. I was back now. Back in the shadows of where I felt I now belonged. Chase had taken Sydney. Is he alive or had I. . . A sickness swirled in my stomach as I sniffed for Chase’s scent.

              “Wait, Esmore, you must brace yourself first,” Tythian said sternly. “It is not the easiest.”

              Jenn’s beautiful body formed into Yolo, who looked between us skeptically. “What isn’t?” Yolo challenged me to tell him the truth. I suspected that a part of him already knew. I could smell Sydney’s blood all over me, the small particles that were left on my skin, that hadn’t wiped off. Yolo would be able to smell that too.

              With vampire speed, I dashed through the tunnels to where I could smell Chase. Before I opened the door my hand froze. There was an aroma in there that smelt like
me.
But I could also distinguish it was Sydney. My blood boiled in suspense. I resisted opening the door. An overwhelming surge of grief, disappointment, pain and suffering rolled over me. I clenched my stomach, unable to control this affliction. What were all these feelings, where had they come from?

              Tythian and Yolo stood beside me, both of them studying me. “I thought it might be like this,” Tythian said. “You are only a new vampire, Esmore. Those who turn another vampire are emotionally connected. These are not your own feelings. For someone who cannot feel, it must be overwhelming.”

              Tythian reached for the door handle and I panicked. I didn’t want to see it. Why didn’t I want to see it? I could sense something was wrong. My stomach churned. But Sydney is vampire, he is alive. A slight relief washed over me. But it was fake relief, I knew something was wrong. I heard a cry, as if a new born child had screamed for its mother. Uncontrollably, I barged Tythian out of the way and opened the door. What was this pull of attachment and maternal instinct?

              Chase studied me when I entered the room. My mouth opened. Sydney’s large back was turned to me. He sat in the corner of the room. Every step I took towards him, created heaviness in my stomach. I thought that soon my legs would collapse. But he was calling out to me, I couldn’t resist him. I couldn’t reject him, this child of mine.

Sydney gave out a stifling scream and he charged his shoulder into the wall, with such force I heard it crunch.

“Don’t do that,” I said worriedly. I ran over to his side, able to take those final steps. I pulled him away from the wall, wanting to see his face. I pushed aside his hair and he began to make a cooing noise. “Sydney, look at me,” I whimpered. Already my tears had spilt. I could not sense the man that I had only teased today. I scanned my mind over his. Only small pulses of thought came from him, tiny and insignificant.

Sydney looked at me, rubbing his cheek into my hand. His neck clicked awkwardly as he did. I gasped in shock, yet, I had already sensed that this was already there.

“He is a defect vampire,” Chase said, still studying me. I choked on my own words. Tears began to blur my sight. What was this? I held Sydney’s face to my chest. His large frame cowered towards me. I could not let any harm come to him. I had to protect him; I had to look after him.

“Ah,” I jarred back and pushed Sydney away from me. “He bit me.” A small part of my chest had been ripped away, skin and all.

“He can’t feed properly, Esmore. . .” Chase began.

“No!” I snapped. “You cannot hurt him. You cannot take him away from me.” I stroked his sandy brown hair, protectively and began to snarl at the others.

Tythian and Chase exchanged a look. Yolo watched the exchange between Sydney and me, with little interest.

Chase leapt across the room. “You can’t hurt him!” I said savagely. I stood up and slammed my hands hard, against Chase’s chest. Chase overpowered me and slammed me against the wall. We struggled in dominancy. I kneed him in the stomach three times. I had to get to Sydney. I had to protect Sydney. Sydney. Sydney. Chase blocked my knee on the fourth. He held me with only one hand, before firmly before punching me hard in the stomach, winding me for a second. But that second was all that he required.

With no mercy in his eyes, he leant over Sydney.

“No, Chase, No!” I screamed. I ran for him. Chase plunged his hand into Sydney’s chest and pulled out his heart. I gasped in disbelief as Tythian caught me. I had my outstretched hand over his shoulder, gasping to get to my baby.
My Sydney
. The room around us swirled into darkness. Tythian teleported us back to the hot day of the desert. I dropped to my knees in shock. I stared at the deserted ground. Tears escaped my eyes as I snarled, and pledged my revenge against Chase.

“Esmore,” Tythian said, calmly. “Have you come to your senses yet?” I snarled my fangs at him. I realized how pathetic I looked.  I sat on the dry ground with Tythian watching over me. I looked around, and reevaluated my surroundings. The tears I shed became dry. I took shallow breaths. The upheaving pains in my chest and the panic attack that I endured lessening.

I looked to Tythian for some form of explanation, my overwhelming sensation of the feeling of pain and suffering gone. A maternal instinct that had swept over me disappeared.

“Chase had to do it. You would’ve destroyed yourself in the process. We weren’t sure if you would be overwhelmed by the emotional connection, due to you having none without your heart. He was defective. Without being spoon fed every day, he would have died. You would not act like your normal self. You too, would have been led down such a path,” Tythian explained.

I sat on the ground, processing all that had happened. I didn’t want Sydney to die, but the remains of that man no longer existed. He no longer existed, because of me.

“Chase would have killed him in front of you so you would hate him, instead of hating and blaming yourself for what had happened,” Tythian said, honestly.

“I killed Sydney,” I said with a parched mouth after all my screaming. That is something Chase would do for me. He would risk a world where I could possibly hate him, so I didn’t hate myself. How did he know I would revert back to my old self if he killed Sydney? He had once explained to me, that he knew vampires who had committed suicide once they lost the vampire they created and were connected too. How did he know I would revert, or was it just a gamble? He couldn’t have known; he just didn’t want me to blame myself.

“You did kill him.” This was Tythian, he did not hold back. I was dangerous and a monster. I was delusional if I thought I could protect Dillian and Julia. I was the threat.

“Tythian, can you please take me to the border of the Human Compound. There is someone I must meet. I would be grateful if you could give me an hour? They might be the companions I wish to take to the human camp in the Antarctic, as well as Dillian and Julia.” I was a predator and a threat to them all. What if I had attacked one of them instead of Sydney? What if it was Dillian? I had to cut contact with them. I had to accept this undying thirst that could easily control me. I now admitted that I was wrong. No matter how much I struggled against the thought of being vampire, it was an overwhelming part that was encased inside of me. I could not control it, so I had to let those who I might endanger, be free.

I
scanned the border of the Human Compound with my mind. I found Tori and Teary. I swept through, not at vampire speed, but at my Huntress speed. I could feel the wind cascading over my face. I could not feel its coolness, but I still found it to be refreshing. When I approached them, both were on guard. They lowered their weapons when they realized it was me. They sat on top of a large rock.

              There wasn’t much room for hiding within these woods; the trees were mostly thin and dead. But the fog mounted as good cover. From their position, they could search outwards, but could also be pinned easily by others. I hope that this was not where they had been staying the entire time. I wish I had never selfishly asked them to stay close by.

              “Eh, Esmore, I was wondering when ye would get back,” Teary said. Tori walked up to me with a gleam of respect in his eye. Even though so much had happened and they had seen the ugliness of me upon the night Campture tried to kill Chase and me; they stayed loyal to my commandment. “How have ye gone with the plan?”

              “They both escaped. I had a vampire from within, break them out. However, I have not seen or sensed them since.” They were no longer in the area. “The girls were highly mutilated; I fear that their mindset will not be the same. With the physical defects, they were evidently saber as well. I did as much to give them their freedom, and now I am offering yours.”

              “What do you mean, Esmore?” Tori asked, confused. “We want to follow you.”

              “I have found a human camp within the Antarctic. Originally I was to take Dillian and Julia there, to inspect it and see if they can be incorporated into the camp. I would like to offer you two the same. I have no guarantee of it working. But it is a start, and if it doesn’t work out, then at least you have built your numbers and strength.”

              “Ye won’t be joining us, Esmore?” Teary said, skeptically.

              “But I will go where you do, Esmore,” Tori said with certainty.

              “I too wanted that,” I admitted. But, I could not risk their lives. “But I can’t do that. I killed someone today. I drained him completely dry.” I pointed to my chest, trying to convey the words I needed to express myself. “I cannot control this side of me any longer. It appears the more days that roll over, the larger it grows within me. There are a lot of things I don’t understand about myself and a lot of enemies I now have to fight. This is not something I can do as a Token Huntress. I won’t be able to fight clearly, if I am worried about the lives of those who follow me; and whether I will be tempted to attack them or not. If I stay amongst vampires right now, I won’t be so compelled. I don’t want to hurt any of you.”

              “Esmore, you have let it go to ye head,” Teary said. She pointed her sword into the ground and drove it in hard. “We ourselves are tainted with blood on our hands. Ye do what ye have to do. I would like to join Dillian and his girlfriend. But when ye are ready for battle and ye need warriors ye know ye can trust. Ye find us again, yea?”

              I stood there with little sensation. I should have felt relief in this, or something- any emotion would be nice. I felt the insecurity of pulling away from duty and walking away from my comrades. Teary and I searched our surrounding trees. The presence of many vampires was around. I recalled the stench of two. It was Chase’s coven members; they all had a very similar smell. With our reaction Tori also prepared his weapons.

              I considered fighting. I could have fun dancing amongst them to relieve me of this darkness for some time. But, then what if I turned on Teary and Tori? I now understood how thin my line of control was. This was a good opportunity to be taken, they wanted me as bait. Chase had admitted that he was now prepared to confront his fears. He had helped me by taking initiative by killing Sydney, to relieve me of that pain. I too, could do the same for him, by forcing him to accept his past and confront this Coven that he had been running away from for so long.

              “You two run. I feel like they are weakest in that direction,” I pointed. “I will be fine. I plan to become hostage. After all, they still consider me as human.”

              “Are ye bonkers?” Teary asked. Tori was hesitant to lower his weapons.

“My bargain will stay. I will find you both and bring you together with Dillian and Julia. I will find you all a safe place, instead of being exposed in the open. Now go.” With much hesitation they both ran at Hunter speed. I smelt flames and screams in the distance as Teary and Tori fought through the few vampires that blocked their escape. But, this coven was not focused on the Hunters. They were here for me. They pooled from the trees. Some looked over me as if savoring the taste. The thought of Chase’s theatrics came to my mind. If I had a sense of humor, I might have said something like, ‘Oh, please don’t get me, the weak human.’ But it didn’t amuse me; it only reminded me of something Chase might do.

              “It seems your Hunter friends abandon you when they are outnumbered,” the woman with long black hair and pale skin mused. The same defective vampire, Spungee, followed her. About thirty vampires surrounded. I was curious as to whether this was the Coven’s entire force. Cesar had a large Coven. But in comparison to this group, Cesar’s was far cleaner and organized. Half of these vampires looked as if they were on the verge of becoming sabers. I held back my annoyance and boredom with her superiority. Between Teary, Tori and me, this fight would have only lasted minutes. I looked at the size of some of the vampires’ fangs and was surprised that some had some age to them. Perhaps, it wouldn’t have been as quick as I first assumed. “Will you come with us now, human girl? I doubt it will be long until your familiar comes out of hiding to save you. On the contrary, he might be a coward in that regard too.”

              Her voice left an irritating humming in my ear. Her words came in and out as I had no interest in listening to her. Two vampires came beside me and grabbed me forcefully. I held back my natural instinct to fight them off. I was human. I looked around and gave a pathetic gasp as if to fear them and show that I was scared. The woman smiled in pleasure. “Dylan will be so pleased we finally caught you.”

They dragged me at vampire speed for three hours. Their hideout was further than I had thought, considering that they continued keeping tabs on where I was. They ran on a shoreline. Sand flicked up at their speed and shallow waves seeped in and out. I looked out to the vastness of the ocean and then on the opposite side where dead trees concealed it. I could hear growls and savage vampires in the distance. I heard the whimpers of a human girl, before she was silenced and her throat ripped apart. I suppressed my heightened senses. I could not focus on the smell of her and give away my fake identity. If they knew I was vampire, then that would change this situation and my element of surprise. It was better that they underestimated me, until I knew how Chase wanted to deal with them. If he thought them worthless, then I would aid him in slaughtering them.

In the distance there was an opening, where the vampires danced around a large fire. There were hundreds of them; the enormity of their Coven took me by surprise. Their numbers could even compare to Cesar’s. How had they managed to stay so large in size, when they were in the open like this? A large cage was hanging by a high metal pole that was impaled into the ground. It was beside the fire. I wondered if that was supposed to be for me. I had no doubt in my mind that when, Tythian, came to find me hours ago, that he would have reported to Chase. Chase would find me. I had even considered dropping pieces of my clothes, so he could follow the path of my scent easier. But it was no use; the vampires would have seen me doing such a thing as they surrounded me when they ran. They wanted Chase to track me, but I wanted him to do it in his own way. A way where he could enter in element of surprise.

The rowdy vampires silenced. Whispers began to pool around me as they watched me. They inhaled my scent, skeptically. I heard voices murmur, ‘it’s his familiar.’

“Clarissa, you finally caught the teeny tiny human,” a heavy accent purred from the crowd of vampires. Vampires separated away for him to walk through. A very pale and dirty vampire emerged. I could sense that he was strong. The vampire with long black hair, Clarissa, brightened red in the cheeks. The praise embarrassed her. She flicked her long black hair away from her shoulders. Her defect vampire began to tug on her dress.

“Not now, Spungee.” She kicked him away from her. The vampire dragged across the ground and lowered itself as it crawled back towards her. “I’m sorry, Mommy didn’t mean it.” She opened her arms for it, to come back quickly. I frowned at the relationship between them. Could that have been Sydney and me? Is this what Chase had saved me from?

“I apologize for the delay Dylan,” Clarissa said. The man stroked his pointy beard.

“Us French are not patient, yea?” He said arrogantly. “But, you are lucky your results came through in the end.” The man had a strong build on him, with lightly tan skin. His dark eyes consumed me hungrily. When he spoke, I looked for for the size of his fangs, but he hadn’t yet ejected them. “Well lock her up in the cage. I like the theatrics of it. If Chase doesn’t arrive in twenty-four hours, we shall eat her, yea?!”

The vampires cheered as they dragged me towards the cage. I accepted it without much fear. It would be exceptionally hard for me to break away from these vampires, if Chase didn’t make it in time. That did not bother me; I knew he would find me. The man named Dylan blocked my path.

“Why do you not smell of fear?” He purred with his odd accent. His dirty fingers grazed against my cheekbone. “You are a pretty one aren’t you? It’s such a shame he has not turned you vampire. Maybe I won’t kill you. Maybe I will chain you and treat myself to you, over and over again.”

I smiled. “I can’t wait until Chase comes, and kicks your ass,” I said, with a gleam of confidence. Chase would not lose to such a vampire. This vampire who now obviously led this Coven, was no match for my familiar. Chase was their technical leader, although he had run away from that duty since even his human years. For those who now wanted to challenge and kill him for leadership, I knew he would not lose. Dylan stroked his beard. “Interesting. You are as weak as a butterfly but have the heart of a lion.”

The vampires continued to drag me towards the cage. One of them threw me over his shoulder and scaled the pole with efficiency. He threw me into the cage, which I was blessed to find was copper and not silver. The cage swung with my impact. I looked up at the chain from which it hung. It didn’t seem to be very strong. He clamped down a lock over the door and jumped from the cage. It continued to sway. I looked into the glimmer of night which cascaded with clouds.

The vampires below me continued to dance and chat. This was a very uncivilized Coven when I compared it to Cesar’s. I found no real structure nor strength in it. But they had the numbers and they had members who had age and experience. I sat uncomfortably in the cage and watched their every movement. I fed myself with information and detail of their members. But my eyes continued to follow the movement of Spungee, the defect vampire, and his master, Clarissa attentively. I continued to look at them more than I would have liked to.