Token Huntress (19 page)

              I was unable to say anything. Was he in search of some reassurance? Yet I couldn’t argue with him for something he had done so long ago in the past or over something I had not seen him do, even if he admitted it.

              “It was the government who created the first hunter from the vampires they kidnapped. They tested and studied them, creating the first hunter.”

              I knew of our creation but was very interested to hear of it from the perspective of someone who had lived within that time.

“The hunters were special. They all had gifts after their eighteenth birthday. And you were all so easy to spot because of your eyes. It was quickly realized that when you drained a hunter entirely, their gift would become yours, it would pump through your veins. We vampires are not born with gifts, which is why hunters are so prized, especially Token Hunters, as they are known to be the strongest. We were to find the hunters and bring them back. Only the members in charge of the Council were to obtain such gifts, but of course a few of the older ones were careful enough to obtain their own. The younger ones did it foolishly and were caught for it, and were instantly killed.”

At this I was surprised. It made so much sense: Token Hunters were targeted as they were the most powerful. Now I knew why the vampires often took hunters as hostages instead of beheading them or killing them straight away. It was a source of embarrassment for my Guild as we had not yet figured this out. We simply thought that because we were derived from vampires that they were the ones who naturally had gifts.

              “How did you acquire your gift then?” I asked, still absorbing all that he told me. Chase took on a gloomy disposition and his fangs accidently slipped out. It startled me, but did not scare me. He apologized and closed his mouth. I had upset him with my question.

              “Ten years ago a few of the hunters, not from your guild but another, were closing in on our location. My mother went on that raid, and she never came back,” he simply said. “We had lived together for a mighty four hundred years and yet one hunter, who had only had her gift to control for a mere six years, was able to manipulate my mother so severely she took her own life and Arab’s as well.

              I found that huntress and I drained her completely. Before her last breath escaped her mouth, I ripped each of her limbs off one by one and threw her into this very river.” He was now looking down at the water as if the images flashed before his eyes. “Of course, I acquired her gift. Hunters are born with gifts and so they think they can overpower us. But what is forgotten is your kind is still mortal, you only have a certain length of years to learn the extent of your ability. Our lifespan has been frozen and only certain death can kill us, not age. When we acquire a gift we have hundreds of years to fully develop it. It is the second gift I have acquired, after that I did not want anymore. My first gift was a mistake entirely. That one I have locked away for a very long time. It has lived with me for one hundred and fifty years. I acquired it from the first hunter I killed and do my best to keep it hidden. It’s best not to draw too much attention to it. Since Fier has been in charge, and after my mother’s death, he has changed into a very dark figure. Although there are a few who could overpower him, he has many gifts that we do not dare to challenge.”

I allowed myself to absorb this for a moment before asking my next question. “So what exactly is a familiar?”

“You see, my sweet Esmore, a familiar is a rare thing to come across.” He took my knuckles and kissed them gently, caringly. “A familiar is someone you hope to have the chance to meet in this lifetime, no matter what form they might be: human, vampire,
hunter
...” he let the word linger. “They are your soulmate, and in every life you may find love, but when you find your familiar, it is true love. Your familiar is the one who you meet in every lifetime. You will always be together. It is why you feel so familiar, because already you have met and loved one another in many lifetimes.” I thought about this for a moment. The way he made me feel, it was something I now considered to be true.

“If by chance both familiars are vampire or hunter, they share their gifts after initiating their long, undying love. My mother had five gifts and Fier had two. Between them, they both had the same: seven each. It is — if you ever permitted me to do so — something I would share with you someday. My first gift would not harm you because you are not vampire. And I could share my gift of manipulating the mind with you.”

              “What must one do to initiate their undying love?” I asked.

He kissed my knuckles again, looking at me with his beautiful gray eyes that glistened in the moonlight. “Become lovers, claim one another as only theirs. That is what binds familiars officially. I know you may shy away from this, Esmore, but I cannot explain to you how hard it is to not touch you, to not be with you. For heaven’s sake, I don’t know how Tythian has done it all this years. He has made sure not to touch Whitney as she is waiting out her days. They can both sense and feel that they are one another’s familiar and their bond is deep. But never have they been able to connect on that far deeper level that familiars crave: to become one with one another. If she and Tythian were to make love, it would change her entirely, which is something she has never wanted. Tythian respects her and her wishes.” The air was thick with tension and longing. “You, Esmore, I crave more than anything.” His hand trailed up my arm and gently caressed the back of my neck. He pulled me in and I could feel myself leaning toward him.

              “Since vampires have existed, it has always been questioned whether they have a soul. But I believe it; we were, after all, born human. You have confirmed my many questions that I have asked all these years. I will protect you forever, and I will love you even into the next life until we meet again. My love for you will never die,” Chase said, his words becoming a whisper as I closed my eyes, ready to embrace his soft lips. I could no longer deny my desire for him. And as he explained everything, I felt that it was all so true. I could not confront my feelings just yet, but I could commit to one kiss, just one was all I pushed for.

              Chase’s lips gently brushed past mine, but before I could push further into him, snarling noises broke our trance. Chase jumped up immediately, standing in front of me protectively. He tilted his head as if listening in the distance. His hearing was far more exceptional than mine and I trusted him to report to me what those noises were.

              “A spotter has just located two hunters nearby. They are circling them now and taking them hostage,” he claimed, aiding me to my feet. My lips parted as I feared who those two hunters might be.

              “From the description they are alarming everyone with...,” Chase continued. “Two males... I think it is Dillian and James.”

B
y the time we found the other vampires, James and Dillian were already at the Council. I was too late to intervene, already they were captured. Chase took me to our rooms so we wouldn’t raise suspicion by following the small group of vampires who had a hold of the two. It would be suspicious if Chase brought his human with him to see them. So instead he brought me to his room to form a plan to see them. My heart dropped within my chest. He was so willing to risk himself so I could meet with my captive teammates. He was the only vampire I could ever imagine to do such a thing. Our kinds were enemies and yet, for me, he did this. I stood pacing near the bed in anticipation. Dillian and James had been trapped before we had time to even reach them and that unsettled me. Why would they so foolishly come back into the enemy’s territory?

Chase left the room. Within a few minutes he was back and my heart tugged as he walked toward me. “Come on, I can only provide you with a few minutes. Please understand that,” he said very seriously. I nodded in agreement. I knew the risk that Chase was taking if I were caught talking with the prisoners. Chase gathered me in his arms, breezing through the halls with lightning speed into a foreign room I had not yet explored. His pace was so fast that I knew he was worried about us being discovered. Outside was a vampire whom I did not recognize. He looked at me, bored, and held out his hand to Chase. Chase placed something in there. By the look they exchanged it seemed to be payment of some kind.

              “I will be back in three minutes,” the guard warned.

Before he had completely vanished around the corner, I hurriedly opened the door to reveal a very near unconscious Dillian and James. They both had blindfolds on and their mouths had been gagged. Both of them had their ankles and hands tied to the wooden chairs they sat on. First I took Dillian’s blindfold and gag off. He looked up, terrified, only to realize it was me. He looked at me and then went to say something before I took James gag and blindfold off, but he hesitated as soon as James’ eyes were revealed.

              “Esmore,” James whispered desperately. “I have been looking for you everywhere.”

Dillian was exchanging a pained expression with Chase. I was trying to guess whether Chase was speaking to him or not within his mind.

              “Take this off my wrists so I can hold you in my arms,” James said fiercely.

              “I am sorry, but I can’t right now. I need to figure out how I can get you out…”

              “What do you mean, you ‘can’t’?” James shouted angrily.

              Suddenly Chase was by my side, standing protectively. I looked between him and James, shocked at the sudden outburst.

              “That’s what you left me for, so you could be with a filthy vampire! You are mine and you can’t ruin yourself by—” James was cut off by Chase, who held him around the throat. He lifted both him and the chair to his eye-level.

              “You do not speak to Esmore like that,” he said slowly and deliberately. His fangs were now out and he looked at James’ throat with consideration. Before I could say anything, Chase took James out of the room at a pace I could hardly follow.

              “Chase!” I yelled angrily.

Before I could run after them, Dillian called out to me from behind. “Esmore! I asked him to, we don’t have much time.” His face was badly bruised and his lip and right eye were busted. Two bite marks were on either side of his neck.

              “You know Chase can speak through the mind?” I asked hesitantly.

              “I figured it out as soon as you were taken. I knew you had not died. Not much can get past my eyes, even if my body cannot follow at such a speed. I saw him take you. You cannot come back to the Guild, Esmore.”

              “What are you talking about?” I asked, now coming to his side. How I wished I could heal his wounds for him; he looked terrible.

              “James… he has become obsessed with you. You are not safe there. His personality changed instantly as soon as you vanished. When you were in the Guild he could control and monitor you. But as soon as you were out of his grasp, he became violent toward the other hunters. He is half crazed and desperate to own you. I figured after the fight Chase brought you here. If you come back to the Guild I really do believe Campture will kill you in front of everyone, which is why we haven’t yet reported to her. The suspicion James has around you… I think his desire of you becoming his wife was far more intense than you ever knew. The signs were so obvious with his need to control you, but we didn’t take it seriously. I know you are probably thinking you have infiltrated this place and can bring us good news. But you cannot, Esmore. You mustn’t come back,” he said desperately.

              “James has always—”

              “No Esmore, I mean this. He isn’t of a healthy mind anymore when it comes to you. He hasn’t slept since you have been taken. I have been worried about you too, but he is obsessing. It isn’t because he misses or worries for you. The way he rambles... it is as if his property has been stolen from him. He thinks you are his. I knew you were alive but after a few days of his mumbling and spitting your name under his breath, I knew even if we found you, he would not be kind. He has been claiming you are a traitor for throwing all that you and he had away, and that he will take you back to teach you where you went wrong. Esmore, I swear I am not lying. I swear it,” he said pleadingly. “I know you are amongst vampires. But if this old vampire, Chase, is willing to protect you right now, you need that to hide from James. You know he has great influence in the Guild. You must stay away,” he said sternly.

I considered his warning, but I cared more about Dillian escaping than my own life right now.

I took two of the daggers from my garter, placing them in his hand in an upward position. “There is only one guard for the time being. Most vampires will not wake for another few hours. You must escape or they will kill you in only a few hours, I am certain of it. You know me Dillian, I can look after myself.”

              “You don’t understand,” he whispered.

I pressed my finger to his lips. “You are my friend, let me do this for you,” I begged. If I were to risk my life for anyone it would be Dillian. I explained to him where he was and gave him very specific instructions about where to go and how to escape. I told him to break the ropes and use the daggers as weapons.

Chase came back in with James. James was now raging, pulling back and forth on his chair. He was spitting angrily, like a saber out of control. It was scary to see such a transformation within him. Dillian’s words sunk in as I realized the extent of James’ possessiveness. The thought lingered. If he could not have me and control me then he would most likely want to kill me.

              “You filthy tramp!” James spat at me. “You belong to me! How weak you are in the mind, how easily you spread your legs for anything…”

Chase sharply backhanded him across the room, smashing him into the wall. James began to bleed from his head. Chase’s speed was far too fast for James to have protected himself with his metal skin. But as Chase advanced on him again, his skin then turned. “Utterly filthy! I will have you return to me.”

              “She is not
yours
,” Chase hissed angrily. “You do not own her.”

My own anger built at the accusations he threw at me without knowledge of what I had been going through. He had always been like this, but I never realized the extent. He would never let me go. And as his control of me slipped, he slowly turned into this hideous beast. I felt the stir of darkness within my stomach again. At this point I wanted to follow Chase’s lead and hurt James. I wanted to force him to retract his words. The creature continued to stir as I beckoned it to go, trying to pull myself back. I felt as if I couldn’t breathe and as it rose, I wanted to hurt James, to…
kill
him.

              “Esmore,” Dillian said cautiously. My eyes flickered to him. I now realized I had my arms crossed and my nails had been clawing my own skin in anger. Chase looked at me worriedly, now no longer fixated on his hunger for James.

              “Breathe, Esmore,” Chase soothed. His voice whispered like my father’s used to when such desires came to mind.
Count to ten
, my father used to say. I proceeded to do so, just as he had taught me. I contained the creature as Chase’s eyes pooled into mine.

I swallowed hard, walking over to both James and Chase. I knelt in front of James. I would not give him the satisfaction of knowing he had made me feel something at his words. I would stand in front of him with very little expression. It was only Chase who could make me feel anything other than hate and bloodlust.“We are done, James. I do not belong to you. I will never be owned by you. I choose Chase,” I said bluntly.

James metal forehead smashed into my nose. He had head-butted me. I fell back into Chase, who then held me behind him with one arm and lifted James by the throat with the other. “I will kill him,” Chase promised.

I too wanted to make James pay for what had happened. I could feel he had broken my nose. Whatever we had once shared in our younger years vanished as I now saw him for the disgusting man he was. And yet, as I looked into his eyes, I pitied him.

We all turned as the guard opened the door and stepped into the room. He focused on Chase. “You know Fier will punish you if you do something so reckless,” he said in alarm.

              “Chase, let’s go,” I whispered to him softly. He was hesitant, but slowly he let go of James and dropped him to the floor. James slithered on the floor, choking.

I gave Dillian another wary look.              “Be safe,” he mouthed.

The guard followed us out, watching us as we walked down the hall and turned into the white hall. “Erase their memory of this location,” I said briskly. Chase was the vampire who had the power to blur and control everyone’s minds. I knew he could do the same to Dillian and James so they would not know how to come back. At least I knew Dillian and James would now be able to escape. And when they did, it would look as if it was their own doing. They were hunters after all.

              “Already have. Why? What did you do?” Chase asked. I stayed silent.

I was suddenly swept off my feet and then Chase set me down on the floor of his room. He assessed my nose carefully. His fangs slid out of his and he bit into his own wrist. “Drink this,” he said, offering his wrist to me. “It will heal your nose.” At my hesitation he added, “Your broken nose will not go unnoticed by other vampires.”

Because of that I agreed. I did not want to raise attention. I slowly took Chase’s wrist. I pressed my lips to it, letting the warmth of his blood flow over my lips, over my teeth, and down my throat. I had tasted blood before after many hits to the face in both training and in raids. But Chase’s blood tasted different: it tasted sweet and comforting. Chase pushed back my golden fringe, pushing it out of my eyes. I released my hold of his wrist, feeling the after-effect of a slight buzz. I felt my nose healing and then very quickly it was no longer broken.

              “I have something for you. Dillian was carrying them with him,” Chase said, vanishing into the bathroom. After only a moment of silence he came back, presenting my Barnett bow and sword. I took them swiftly, looking at them in awe. I thought I would never see them again.

              “Thank you,” I said. I was a huntress, a Token Huntress, yet Dillian just warned me not to come back. What purpose would I have if I stayed?

              “Did you mean it?” Chase asked, interrupting the very dark thoughts that swallowed me. I looked away so he could not guess at my inner thoughts. But he had already seen them. My expressions and thoughts were always so hard to keep from him. He brushed his hand over my arm. At his touch I suddenly wanted to cry. What reason did I have to live if I was no longer a Token Huntress?

              “Esmore,” he said soothingly. “Did you mean it?” He meant when I told James I chose Chase, I knew he did. I felt vulnerable under Chase’s stare so I continued to look at my weapons. Chase’s other hand gently held my chin and lifted it to his gaze. “My Esmore, you are far too beautiful to look beneath you. If ever you feel insecure about anything, look to me. I will be yours forever, and my counselling is the least you can ask of me. But I selfishly ask you to let me make you
feel
,” he exhaled. His breath was hot on mine as he slowly leant in. His lips brushed past mine and I could no longer fight the need I had for him. It was only with Chase I felt something, anything.