Fate of the Blood Moon's Path (3 page)

“What they are all about?” She asked me.

“Yes.” I stated.

“Morning to you.” Quinn’s voice came out of the forest. I turned to see him and a few others who we had not met last night upon our arrival.

“And to you.” I returned his greeting. I looked around at the area where they were all gathered just last night. There was nothing but scorch marks from where all of the fires had been burning.

“You did not sleep last night?” Quinn asked me.

Scarlet had slept, but I had not. “No, I didn’t.” I said to him, “Quinn, it has been a pleasure, really, your hospitality has been great, but we must be going now. There are things to do.” I stood up.

“That is why we must speak Angel. We have much to discuss.” Quinn whispered.

“To discuss?” I spat back questioning him.

“The Black Thorn.” Quinn whispered towards me like there were ears on the surrounding trees. There very well might be. If there were, we’d have probably smelt it by now.

“Go on.” I said. Scarlet was at my side now listening very intently to this conversation. She would not rest until her family had vengeance.

“We know about Scarlet, and your family.” He turned to her with those words. Her eyes now widened at those words. “But you have to understand that we couldn’t do anything about it. No one could have.”

“Couldn’t or wouldn’t?” I asked. Scarlet was still standing quietly and taking it all in.

“Both.” He said. The men behind him were looking around the forest. Braeden, Duncan, and Jarreth had now entered into the clearing where we were standing.

“Why?” Scarlet’s voice was shaky.

“The Black Thorn owns the authority for starters.” Quinn said.

“Owns?” Scarlet asked.

“They’re under their control.” Braeden stated.

“I thought Vampyres wanted nothing to do with the humans?” I asked.

“They never did before!” Quinn said a little loudly with excitement.

“So what has changed then?” I asked getting restless with standing around waiting for them to get to the point.

“Vampyres decided to go against us. They had recruited the humans here in London. They offered some of them immortality and others power and control and riches.”

“This is just going on here?” I asked him.

“As far as we know…” Quinn paused. “The Black Thorn doesn’t want to share power with any other Vampyre clans in this world. They want all the glory to themselves.”

“Knowledge is power I suppose.” Braeden started, “After trying to blend in with them as we have, and what they learned about the humans, they have learned how to get control over them, and have them start work for them.”

“Working for them?” Scarlet questioned.

“Yes. Working.” Braeden confirmed.

“The Black Thorn figures that they just may be able to gain their respect and get control…” Quinn started.

"They're working from within." Braeden interrupted Quinn.

"Within?" I asked crossing my arms and scowling.

"Or amongst them." Braeden said.

"So what you're basically saying is that Vampyres and Humans are working together.....that's all you had to say..." I paused. "Against who? Against the Werewolves?" I asked.

"Yes." Quinn said, “And everyone else who would go up against them.”

“And what does this, any of this have to do with me? With us?” I pointed to myself and then to Scarlet.

“You’re one of us, are you not?” Duncan’s voice asked from behind Braeden.

“Only half.” I was cut off.

“But you were the first Hybrid.” Quinn pointed out the obvious.

“Then this has everything to do with you and those who are like you.” Braeden said.

“Alright, wait…How did you even know that I was around this area?” I asked. No one answered my question. They all just smiled. I shrugged it off. They have spies.

I turned to face Scarlet. Her eyes appeared as if they were on fire. Her rage showing like she was ready to explode. She screamed. She howled. She hissed. I jumped fast covering her mouth.

“You must learn to control your rage!” I yelled. “You want to give ourselves away?”

I slowly released my hand from over her mouth. She said nothing. Her eyes still showing anger, but mixed with confusion. I think that she kept her mouth shut in fear that she may scream again and howl out loud.

“You must channel your anger and use it for vengeance for your family. Not get your self killed.” I added.

Again, she said nothing to me. She simply stood in place looking at me. She nodded looking away with tears welling up in her eyes and stared at the ground. I didn’t move from where I stood next to her. I stood my ground. There were Werewolves crouched down as if they were ready to pounce on her.

“So, tell me gentlemen, what must I do?” I asked, still looking into Scarlet’s face as she watched the ground.

As I spoke those last few words, she looked up at me in surprise. I could hear all their lips curve up in to smiles.

“Thought you would never ask.” Quinn laughed whole heartedly.

“Tonight, meet us about twenty miles north from here. Look for the rock formation at the top, looks like a half circle. After the sun goes down we shall discuss everything.” Braeden said.

Quinn nodded to what he had said, “That’s our main headquarters.”

“Too much daylight here and obvious points of attack. North where we have protection, and discussion will be less likely heard.” Braeden said.

With those words, the six of them disappeared into the dark parts of the forest. I suppose that they were heading north to these so called headquarters of their’s. Twenty miles is a long hike. I’m sure if they shifted they would be super fast. Luckily I don’t have to shift to be fast. However, Scarlet doesn’t have that ability. Yet.

“Rest.” I said to Scarlet. “We have a long way to go.” I said as if I was annoyed.

“Thank you by the way.” She said.

“For what?” I asked her as I sat down on a big rock looking at her.

“For everything.” She responded.

“I guess…” I whispered as I took out my daggers for a quick sharpening.

“You didn’t have to volunteer for this you know. This is my fight.”

“And you would get yourself killed with your un-controllable anger. You’re still a child.” I said, “And it isn’t just your fight.”

She sat down across from me on a log with her head in her hands. I stayed right where I was just watching her and reading her emotions, as she was an open book when it came to her emotions.

“You’re still young. Sixteen forever.” I paused, “All you have to do is learn to control yourself.”

“Then teach me control.” She looked up at me taking her head out of her hands.

“I’m not much of a teacher…I’m not much of anything.”

“That is where you’re wrong.” She said. I didn’t say anything at first and then I spoke up.

“Tomorrow we will decide where to go and what to do. But only tomorrow. After we talk to the others tonight. Seriously now you should get some rest.” I said.

“Tomorrow then.” She said, seating herself onto the ground and leaning against a tree to sleep. She closed her eyes and it only took a few seconds before I heard the steady beat of her heart and rhythmic breathing.

Today, I would not sleep. I have gone days without sleeping before. I have never known exhaustion. Which you might think is strange. It just isn’t something that us Hybrids have ever been able to feel.

Watching her, I felt sorry for her. A hybrid girl stuck at sixteen forever. That age of innocence, on the verge of being an adult. And everything in the blink of an eye was taken from her. That is the one question that I didn’t get to ask her.

Why? Why was her family really killed? Why was she left for dead and why didn’t they just kill her like the rest of her family? All of this was a need to know. And deep inside of me, I think I already knew.

It had not really occurred to me to ask her any questions about her situation. Had the Black Thorn targeted them for some unknown insane reason? Or were they just in the way? Or was it that they were hungry and their scent just simply appealed to them? I had so many questions and I didn’t want to be that type of person with these gifts that I have, to go in to her head and snoop around. Or should I?

I can always sense when someone is lying. If she doesn’t tell me the truth I will know. I will always know.

There is so much that Scarlet, or anyone else for that matter doesn’t know about me. At most times, I want to keep it that way. Then at other times I want those who are like me, to know everything there is to know about me and the other Hybrids.

Most of the Hybrids now are in hiding. It is almost top secret in these hard times. All Hybrids aren’t even meant to be in this world, so none of us can be blamed for wanting to be in hiding. It’s just the way things are and will most likely always be.

I suspect some are underground. Some maybe seeking refuge amongst other werewolves, or blending in with humankind. You have to remember that our scent is undetectable. If you make yourself obvious, then there isn’t any doubt that you will be found. Keep quiet and you will stay alive.

“How long have I been sleeping?” Scarlet awoke stretching upward towards the sky.

“Only a few hours.”

“Oh.” She said. “Feels like I’ve been asleep for days.”

“Are you ready for the hike?” I asked her, walking towards the creek for a quick drink of the fresh spring water. She followed suit and did the same.

“I suppose I must be ready, correct?”

“Yes.” I smiled to her. “Here.” I handed her a walking stick that would help her with the hike north.

I looked up and muttered to myself
‘what did I get myself into?’
quietly. Twenty miles north. An almost rogue hybrid who doesn’t have control of her full speed yet or her anger. This is ridiculous. I really don’t know what I was thinking. However, we are young and in shape, I’m sure we’ll do much worse than this in our lives.

“Did anything exciting happen while I was asleep? Did you sleep?” She asks a lot of questions. I honestly didn’t mind. I found her voice
almost
comforting
sometimes.
It’s been a while since I have had any type of a conversation with someone. That’s my own fault. I’d rather be out on my own then have to deal with others and listen to them.

“No and no.” I answered simply with a slight grin on my face.

“Why didn’t you sleep Angel?” She asked me.

“Leave the both of us unprotected? I think not. Besides, you needed the rest more than I did.” I started walking more towards this path. “I have gone days without sleeping, it doesn’t bother me.”

“Oh.” She said and followed me, her feet slightly dragging in the dirt.

“And I still don’t trust anyone or anything for that matter.” I added. “For all I know we could be walking into a trap.”

“What?” She stopped in her tracks, “You really think that we are walking into a trap? Then why did you agree to go meet them up there?”

“It’s doubtful. Being open minded and considering all of the options are best.” I replied to her questions. “Now come. We have to be there before it gets dark out.”

“You are the first being, besides my family, all those years ago, to actually care about what happens to me and to actually want to try and help me.” She said, as we continued onto the rock path that started up through the thick pines.

“I’m not a complete monster.” I replied back. “Anything you may have heard about me probably isn’t true.”

“No! I don’t think that you are at all.” She defended herself. I laughed.

“I didn’t say you called me a monster,” I smiled, “But be careful, I can be.” She made a slight grin in return.

“I won’t anger you. I saw what you did back in that alley way to those Vampyres.”

“I learned from the best.” I admitted.

“And who was that?” She asked me curiously trying to get to know me better.

“My father.”

“That was enthusiastic,” She smiled. “Where is your father now?” I felt strong emotions in her questions.

“Back in the States.”

“I have never been over there. What’s it like?” She asked with a sigh.

“You’re not missing much. It’s a lot like here I think. Just different.” If that made any sense at all.

“Are there Vampyres where you come from?” She asked me as she tripped over a rock and caught herself.

“There are some. But we don’t tread on their land, and they don’t come into ours.”

“That’s interesting.” She smiled. “Things are so much different in other places.”

“Not really.”

“Are you the only one of your kind where you come from?”

“No. There are two other hybrids that are like me. Rayna and Micah.”

“Then why do you travel alone?” She asked me. Question after question.

“Because it is my choice, a little thing that is called free will. Just as I have chose to keep you with me and to help you in your vengeance against those who murdered your family.”

“Oh.” She stopped walking, “So you don’t like me then?”

“Only slightly.” I smirked, and she started after me again almost tripping over an exposed root.

“Slightly.” She whispered to herself. “So your father…he taught you how to fight?”

“Yes. Where I’m from there wasn’t much to do but learn how to fight and run wild in the woods.”

“That sounds fun.” She said as she caught up with me.
“A little.” I stopped and turned to her. “Now I have a question for you Scarlet.”

“Yes?” She stopped and looked up at me as I stood above her on a large rock.

“Why did the Black Thorn kill your family and leave you for dead?”

She leaned against a nearby tree and looked down at the ground. I could feel her emotions stirring inside of her. I could sense her distress oozing out with every breath she took.

“I can’t tell. I swore to myself that I wouldn’t.”

“If you don’t tell me, then I will refuse to help you and you can continue North without me.” She looked up at me in a panic. “Then at least show me and I will have no words to repeat for any other soul.” I said to her.

“Show you? How am I to do that?” She asked, sitting down on the nearest rock.

I jumped down from the rock, which I stood, and went to her. “Like this.” I placed my hands on her face pressing against her temples tightly. Every image flickered into my head. Every emotion ever felt buried into my veins. Every fear broke my heart.