Token Huntress (13 page)

Feeling my pull toward him, I knew he was north-east to me. I looked across the room again, expecting to see someone, but no one was there. I heard a creaking noise and knew someone in the hallway was now opening their door. With heightened speed I ran across the marble white floor, hiding in the shadows almost one hundred meters away. Again it was white, but I was encased by shadows from the large statue that stood in front of me. It was a creature with stripes on it. It had large canines and claws. If recalled correctly this was once called a
tiger
.

Again I heard a noise and crouched low behind the tiger statue. Once the vampires had passed I noted there was no one in the long hallway to my right. There were two large closed wooden doors. I could feel that Chase was inside that room, but how could I get in there without being noticed?

Looking up to the ceiling, I noticed that there was a small white square. I was certain that would lead me into the roof where I could go unnoticed. If I was lucky there would be another opening just above the room where Chase was. I jumped onto the head of a white statue and then jumped at the square and flicked it up with both hands. Jumping for the second time, I pulled myself up into the darkness just before another three vampires walked around the corner. Quickly I replaced the white square so they would not notice a hole in the ceiling. When it was closed I felt comfortable in the dark space. I exhaled, somewhat relieved to see something not painted white. It just all seemed so clean.

I quietly crawled along the interior roofing. To my left there were a few materials, such as wood. This seemed to be a very small attic of some kind and by the looks of it there were many entry points. I opened the first one on my left, which opened into the hall again. Closing it, I traced the familiar pull of Chase and opened another door. Looking down, I saw I was now within the room that Chase was in. Although my hearing was exceptional, I could not hear what they were saying. The room they stood in was a very large room, the height of a three-story building. Underneath me was a steel ridge which ran around the room’s infrastructure. Securely fastened to the steel ridge were colored spotlights. They were not yet turned on.

The room was very different to what I had seen of the Council so far. There was a large booth, which had two large discs on the top, and room for one person to stand behind. The room was decorated in an antique manner. This was what I expected to see from the Council, not so much white walls and long, tastefully-decorated hallways. There was a large wooden dining table further back and in front of it was a wooden throne. I noticed that the vampire who sat in it was the same vampire who had ambushed us with his army.

The vampire who challenged me, Tythian, broke through the doors. I took advantage of the loud noise as a distraction, falling onto the floor as quietly as possible. I rolled to the right of me, hiding behind one of the lights. I could now hear them speaking, although I didn’t need to be in hearing range to hear Tythian’s rage.

“How dare you use Whitney, Fier!” Tythian roared.

So the vampire in charge was Fier. He wore a black suit, and was looking at Tythian very seriously, with his hand resting on the side of the large wooden chair.

“Actually, to be on the factual side, she nominated herself,” Fier said, now placing his chin on his closed fist.

“She is sick!” Tythian roared.

“She is a human! If you wanted her status to change you would have turned her by now. She is merely a pawn to me,” Fier said seriously. It outraged Tythian. He grabbed hold of a wooden candle stand nearby, throwing it across the room in anger. It smashed to bits against the pale gray walls. Vampires began to surround him, and more took a protective stance around Fier. Not only was Tythian angry at Fier for using the human Whitney, but it seemed he also flared at the statement about changing her. It surprised me that he hadn’t. Older vampires with enough control could change humans into their own kind. By the way he protected her in our battle it was obvious they had known one another for some time, so why would Tythian refrain from changing her? Vampires mostly drained their victims, but sometimes they turned them. It was more common in the technology age for humans to be turned into vampires because there were more humans to feed off. But very rarely now were they changed.

“Do you dare come in here and challenge me! How dare you, after I found you and saved your life? It was me who showed you kindness and brought you back to humanity, and me who has allowed that girl to stay here!” Fier said, spit coming from his mouth, his fangs had slipped out in his rage. His fangs were not as large as Chase’s or Tythian’s, making me believe that he was not as old as them. So why was he in charge?

Chase watched from the sidelines, unfazed by the commotion. He looked into my direction as if feeling my gaze. I hid, knowing he could not have seen me. Tythian went silent, clenching his fists before leaving the room in a rage. He seemed oddly protective of that human woman, Whitney.

Fier summoned Chase forward to speak with him. A small breeze swept through the room, brushing my plaited hair over my shoulder. I looked to the right, realizing there was an open door. How did I miss that? That means there would have been staircases close by and I could have walked in here instead of dropping through the roof.

Fier lifted his nose in inspection, his eyes quickly narrowing on Chase.

“I can smell a human,” he said sharply.

“Yes, I’m so glad you noticed actually. I found myself one on my last search through the city, perhaps you can smell her on me,” Chase said light-heartedly.

“No. I can smell her presence surrounding,” he said gesturing around them all. The other vampires started looking around and it was then I questioned if they would find me.

“Well, you see, she is kind of fat, so perhaps you can smell her literally all over me, she had a large surface area,” he said, spreading his hands out wide. My mouth gaped open.

“We do not have time for your jokes; report to me what happened!” Fier demanded.

“We had sixty-five casualties,” he continued. It seemed like he was being mindful of what he said, as if knowing my presence was near. If I could feel his location, did that mean he could feel mine? “All of the hunters had enough time after the explosion to escape.”

They are alive.
I was so relieved to hear my team had escape, that both Dillian and James were alive.

Fier roared in outrage. “Find them! I want you on the outskirts now! Report back to me in six hours!” Fier said. Wind whistled through the room as his rage heightened. It appeared he had the gift to manipulate wind in some way, much like Teary’s fire control. It would be highly beneficial if I could learn how he had obtained it while I was within the Council’s walls.

Chase gave a half-cocked smile in compliance. Then he vanished so quickly. My eyes darted across but I could not track him. The other vampires turned to each other, whispering to themselves as they walked out of the room. Suddenly I felt a very heavy presence over me. His blue gem necklace dangled beside me, and I realized I was not alone. He knew where I was this whole time.

Before I could rebel in any way he grabbed hold of me. He had me tightly bound in his arms, sweeping me through the door, then through the hallway to his room. His speed was exceptional. I would compare it to that of my fallen teammate Pac. He had already unlocked his door and laid me onto his bed before I even took a breath.

              “Do you know how serious that was? Do you know what would have happened if you were caught?” he hissed, yet he didn’t seem entirely surprised.

I raised myself onto my knees so I was no longer lying on the bed. I still held firmly onto the wooden leg as a weapon. His movements were quick and it rattled me to know I couldn’t compete with him in such a way. After vigorously pacing the room, he came at me. On instinct I raised the wooden leg to his chest.

              I was now on my knees, my back to the wall as I tried to cower further away from him. He did not come at me aggressively. Suddenly his breath was inhaling mine and his gray eyes silenced my movement. He looked down at my breasts, where I firmly held the end of the wooden leg. If I had the confidence I would have scrambled off the bed instead of us both staring at one another on our knees, but I could not escape his gaze. It was only a small piece of wood that came between us.

              His eyebrow lifted in challenge, and before I knew it his speed had taken me. He took the weapon from my hand and bound my hands together above my head, pinning them against the wall behind me. It wasn’t in a threatening manner, but it was as if he was proving that even though I had a weapon, I could easily be trumped.

              My breath was taken in the swift movement. His eyes looked over me, over my breasts, down my stomach and legs. I sucked in a sharp breath, still surprised by how quickly he overpowered me. He got closer to me, his chest now lingering against mine as he assessed my eyes and stared longingly at my lips. My heart raced at his proximity. My body craved for him to touch me.

Slowly he released my hands. His hand trailed down my arms. I slowly pulled them down, unsure of what was happening.
I cannot be attracted to him. He is a vampire
. But my body ached for him.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I just act unusual around you. I can’t control myself.”

There was nothing my mind could conjure. I didn’t know what to say. I was still trying to break away from the overwhelming sensation of desire for him. There was something that emanated from him, something aggressive, yet I knew he would never hurt me. It went against everything I was raised to believe in. Yet I felt as if I had not yet seen Chase’s tender side. That, like me, he was battling off this exotic urge we felt around one another. It was as if when he got closer, when he touched me, it was intoxicating for us both.

              “Just please do not do such things without my companionship. You cannot fight all the vampires here within the Council. There are three vampires here older than me and some with their own gifts. If they want you Esmore, they will have you.” He stepped off the bed, lending a hand to help me off. I hesitated to take it, instead getting off on my own. He fidgeted with the back of his neck before taking off his leather necklace.

              “Wear this while I am gone,” he motioned quickly behind me and before I knew it his hot breath was on my ear as he gently placed it around my neck.

              “Why?” I asked, placing my hand on the smooth gem.

              “It is different in the vampire Council than outside in the woods, Esmore. Here in the Council vampires fight over their humans. It is the only way I can protect you. If any other vampire approaches you, this claims you as my property. I know that is not the case, nor will it ever be. But it is only a way to keep them away. Think of it as a gift. I know you are not my property nor would I ever look at you like an item. But here, other vampires will. You don’t want to draw attention to yourself, do you?”

It was very different to the way James fought over me and claimed me as his. He idolized me as exactly that, property. Yet Chase made it clear this branding was only to deflect other vampire’s attention. “They will recognize it as my necklace. And if they dare touch you, they will know the consequences. I must go for a while, so please stay in here until I return.”

I slowly turned to him, and as I spun round I was unable to avoid my arm brushing across his shirtless stomach. Suddenly, my hair blew in my face and I heard the click of the door. He had already vanished and I was now alone.

He is a grotesque vampire. I cannot stay
, I thought as I fumbled with the smooth gem he had given me. I sat by the window idly for a moment, trying to comprehend my thoughts.
I am now in the perfect position to infiltrate and learn of the Council’s interior
.
I could singlehandedly be the informant who will change the hunters’ strength in this war
. But, like a double-edged sword, Chase also knew of where the Guild was. I was unable to comprehend why he had saved me and brought me back here. What infuriated me even more was my body’s yearning for his touch, yet my mind in every sense was telling me to kill him.

I flicked his necklace away from my hands, agitated that I was rubbing it for comfort. I looked at the little bobble-head dolls in a new light. If I could rip one of their heads off and file it down, I could keep it as a small weapon. I could search the Council’s hideout while Chase was gone. Why he thought I would respect his words in anyway was beyond me. This was my chance to make a difference. Finally I could avenge my father’s and mother’s murder. I could kill as many of them as possible. But for now, without my weapons, I had to be smart.

I
gathered the wooden leg and concealed it in the long leather jacket I wore. If I needed this to pierce into a vampire’s heart, then so be it. I jumped off the bed before walking over to the three-legged wooden desk. There was a small drawer and inside was a letter opener. I examined it, deciding it would do the job on the little bobble-head doll. I’d take the letter opener too. I would need as many weapons as possible.

              There was an eeriness to them. So many different faces stared at me. Some wore capes, some wore large-brimmed hats, and some wore exquisite dresses. A small breeze swept through the window above and a few of them began bobbling, creating further creepiness. Grabbing the first one I could, which had a red mask across his face, I tugged on the head, ripping it off. I assessed the window. It was far too small to be able to escape through, not even the diameter of my head could fit through, let alone my body. We were underground. Thick fog brushed over the window. It was obvious that a street was right above us, indicating that the Council was beneath ground.

              I sat for a moment on the bed again, taking the letter opener to the doll’s shoulders and chiselling it down into a smaller dagger. Impressed by my work, I grabbed another four and did the same, realizing they could be used very nicely as daggers. I placed the daggers in a pocket within the jacket, where they rested just over my chest. I searched through Chase’s clothing to find a belt. I tightened it around my thigh, slipping the daggers into it and shuffling slightly to make sure they didn’t stab me. They felt perfect. It wasn’t my garter or weapons, but it would do. I tightened the leather jacket over me, concealing my still torn leather shirt and pants. My leather boots managed to suffer very little damage from the explosion. Luckily there was some advantage to the leather jacket I chose as it had a large hood. I hid my golden hair in it and pulled it low over my face.

              I hadn’t yet seen any humans but I knew they were somewhere within the grounds. The Council often went on raids in search of humans. They had to be storing them somewhere here. I wondered if they were trapped in some dark room, held against their will. We didn’t gather any information from the last human girl I saved, and all other humans and vampires we caught couldn’t remember anything. I had to trace the culprit behind the mind manipulation. If it weren’t for them, we would have tracked the Council sooner.

I quietly opened the door, looking to my left and then to my right. It was odd that I hadn’t yet seen many vampires freely walking around. But it was night. Perhaps this was when they went on their raids, having to compete with the sabers of the night. Or maybe the team Chase was a part of was far larger than I had thought. I could only pray he wasn’t leading them to the Guild.

              Depending on the information I found today, I would try to find a way out of here so I could find the others. I wonder if they stayed close by or went to the Guild straight away to report to Campture. After seeing the many vampires in Fier’s army, I hoped they had reported to Campture.

We had now learnt two new things. One, they have larger numbers than we thought, and two, they were in the city, plotting traps. I wondered if other Guilds that were not within our district were up against so many vampires.

What didn’t make sense was why they would use so many vampires to take down our one raid team of hunters. Their numbers already outmatched our own, so why did they go to such great lengths? If the intervention of the grenade hadn’t happened, then really the odds would have not been in our favor.

              I pulled down on the hoodie of the leather jacket again, covering half of my face. I headed left again, like I had last time. When I did I noticed the same girl in the wheelchair, Whitney, simply staring at the water fountain. I was enraged seeing her, knowing that she had been the cause of my raid team being ambushed. It was only the night before this woman had been the undoing of my team as she baited us. She began wheezing a frail cough. She was alone, both of us were, and it was deadly silent. Only the trickle of the water washing over the cement statue in the fountain made a noise. I could imagine how some would find it calming, but there was nothing comforting about being in the enemy’s territory. The good news was she was only human.

              She looked over at me with a faint smile and raised her hand up for a small wave. Why was she waving if she didn’t even know who I was? I pulled down the hood further, looking around again. No one was near. I approached her and as I did she focused on the water fountain again.

              “I am sorry about the other day. For what it is worth I heard your fellow hunters made it out alive,” she said before I even reached her. My back stiffened as she said ‘fellow hunters.’ If a vampire walked past and heard that, everyone would be alarmed instantly. I could pass off as human because of my eyes, but I couldn’t keep my secret for much longer, it seemed. Noting my stiffness, she raised her hand to me before I could threaten her.

              “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone what you are. But you know, you are in the wrong place. If any of the vampires found out…” her voice was very small and she gave out a low cough again. Whatever illness she had, she was very sick. Thinking of the attachment the vampire, Tythian, had for her, I had to know why she was here. She was human and he was vampire. Yet, he was so protective of her. She was so weak I couldn’t understand how her blood would give him any strength.

              “You’re human…,” I began.

              “I understand,” she said, tightening the scarf around her neck and readjusting the fake hair she wore. “As a hunter you wouldn’t understand why a human like me is a part of the Council, right?”

I stood there silent, as if answering her question. Well, yes, that was one of the many questions I had for her.

              “Tythian and I first met when I was fifteen. At the time my father and I were trying to find refuge, in fact we were in search of a Hunter Guild, or just hoping to stumble upon one of your raids, where we knew we would be taken in. One night a pack of sabers attacked us. My father was torn to shreds in front of my eyes,” she paused momentarily, thinking of this. She did not look sad about it, she only smiled bravely. “It was Tythian who saved me from them all. It has always been the hardest thing to explain, as you are not the first hunter I have come across. Tythian has looked after me since. To me, he is my everything. He has been for the last ten years.”

              “You know he will drain you.” It sounded as if I was rehearsing what I had been taught as an apprentice. Even I knew that what we had learned did not cover every circumstance, but I didn’t understand why a vampire would keep such a sick human. I had never heard of a case where a vampire carried a human around with them for ten years.

              “Tythian would never do that. He is old, so he has far greater control than the other vampires over his cravings. I am his familiar, he would never do anything to hurt me.”

Familiar
. I recalled Chase once saying that to me in my dream-like state. He had said we were familiar. But I didn’t need to know what a familiar was, what I needed to know was everything about the Council, and if this girl was so freely speaking, then I should take advantage of it.

              “I love Tythian with all my heart,” she said with a small smile, red blushing over her cheeks. Her pale-brown eyes reflected a sadness of sorts as she watched the water trail down the statue.

              “Vampires do not know love. He doesn’t love you back. They are savage beasts. They have killed most of your kind, torturing and eating humans.”

              “I do not fear death,” she stated abruptly. They had clearly brainwashed this girl. “I am already dying and I am at peace with that. I do not fear death, in fact, I welcome it.”

              I pondered on this for a moment, looking at the fragile girl. Very brave words. When I first met her, she did not fear us in the slightest. “If Tythian loved you, and you are dying, would he have not turned you into a vampire?” I said this recalling the displeasure it brought Tythian when Fier brought it up in their argument. This could be the breakthrough for her, to question his obvious manipulation of her. But she only smiled in response.

              “Tythian has wanted to change me for many years; after all, I am his familiar. But I don’t want that. Death is a part of life; it should not so often be challenged. My body has been made fragile and I can feel myself slowly deteriorating. But Tythian by my side makes it all okay. To know I was gifted ten beautiful years with him is more than I could ask for in a lifetime with anyone else. He has respected my wishes and I look forward to when I pass on. I have accepted it and will not cheat death.”

She was at peace with death? All because Tythian had made her life worthwhile? I questioned if there was anyone I could feel so happy with. When I thought of James, such sentimentalism did not come to mind. I was repulsed. But when my body touched Chase’s, feelings triggered. I felt odd and challenged. I flushed in rage, annoyed that my thoughts had trailed off yet again onto Chase, whom I had to hate.

              Whitney began giggling at my expression. “You are a very hard woman to read, but I can see that already you are questioning everything you’ve been taught to believe in as a hunter.”

It wasn’t entirely true, but it was close. I had to keep my mind clear and take advantage of being within the Council’s walls.              

“Vampires are not as evil as us humans once believed. The Council is a civilized structure. They capture humans, but only to ensure their own survival. Hunting for deer would not do. They do not kill the humans unkindly in here, it is the sabers that do that. Yes, some humans are killed, but that is usually by the younger ones who lack control. There is a penalty within the walls if a vampire drains a human completely. And usually, if it is a vampire with no political power, they too are killed. The humans live freely within the walls. Like a trade-off, their blood is in return for the Council’s protection from the sabers, which live outside.”

              “And that is why you are alive, because you are Tythian’s meal?” I asked. I was surprised by how much she told me, she seemed fragile, but not silly. She knew what information she was giving me and how it could jeopardize the Vampire council. So far she was the only one here who knew what I truly was.

There was a noise and I sensed a vampire was coming. Before I could speed away to a secure hiding place, she grabbed my leather jacket. “You are safe with me, just keep your hood low so they cannot see how pretty you are,” she smiled.

I needed to gain her trust if I were to continue the conversation and learn more from her. I stood still, my hand close to the opening of my jacket where my weapon was. Two vampires walked past. I only looked at their feet. After they were long gone, I took my hand away from my weapon.

“There are other humans here. Some are kept longer than others. If some humans put the structure into jeopardy, such as trying to convince a vampire to turn them, or trying to injure a vampire or another human, then they are discarded. Some vampires grow attachments to them and claim them as their own so other vampires don’t drink from them. A few have fled with their human lovers if they cannot claim that specific human as only theirs. It is Fier who gives the okay for certain vampires to have their own human. If it isn’t approved the human’s blood gets shared equally.”

My eyes narrowed on her as she said ‘human lovers.’

              “I have heard at times that the hunters can be more merciless, shipping humans off to the camps. Although a few hunters still protect them, I have heard of other humans feeling like sitting ducks. Most don’t understand the Council ways and believe they will be dragged off and torn from limb to limb. It is not the Council vampires who do that but the sabers, who have no control over their vampirism. Or the covens, which are small groups of vampires who choose to torture and terrorize humans. The sabers are vampires who have lost their humanity, but the covens are worst in my opinion. They choose to devour humans. In this world we live in, humans are going extinct, and when that happens everything will die off. The vampires will only be able to live off the animals for so many years, same as the hunters. We have created this world of extinction. So to love a vampire who can feel compassion and care for another is not a bad concept. We will all die eventually, it’s just a matter of when,” she said, deep in thought.

              “Oh look!” she exclaimed softly, “Chase gave you his necklace.” She pulled out her red one from underneath her scarf. “Tythian gave me mine when we first met as well. It means I am his and it keeps me protected from the other vampires.” Her eyebrows furrowed for a moment. “Chase has never given his necklace to anyone or kept a human for himself. Does that mean you are Chase’s familiar?”