Token Huntress

  To this day I regret being so selfish. A hunter is like light, they kill vampires who are only darkness. The first time I triggered The Descendant in battle, well much of it was a blur,” he hesitated, his hands and head dipping near his knees. “The Descendant isn’t something I could or can control. For a vampire it is like a curse. Our very core is dark and consuming. As you now understand, we just crave things endlessly and it is something very hard to control. Imagine that times a million. But now with your strength, speed, and everything else enhanced. For three years I slaughtered and destroyed. At some point I must have gone into hibernation after I was wounded.

  Eventually my mother and Tythian found me in a cave, one country over from where I had started. They said that I had looked glorious with my black wings covering my entirety as I slept. But it took them a very long time to bring me back to my more human side and to conceal that gift. There is no way to control it, not for a vampire. It brings out the worst in our kind, of all the things that we try to conceal and tame, this is the worst. There are no boundaries or sense of morals. If I have passed that onto you…” He didn’t even dare finish the sentence.

  I placed my hand on his back in reassurance that he had not hurt me. “We can work through this. I just won’t rely on it. And plus, I am still huntress, maybe I won’t be cursed with the black wings,” I said.

  Since the day I met Chase, I realized that it was my vampire self that was stirring from within — that darkness that constantly crept beneath my skin was waiting for its chance to rise. The very creature my father had made sure that I would not reveal. Had he known? Surely he must of if he trained me to never let it escape. If I now had to learn to control that, we would find a way to make it work. I just needed to find a cure for this vampirism. I hated to know now what was within me. I was disgusted in myself.

  “Esmore, you know I think you are beautiful. I hate it when you think you are anything less. Even as a vampire, it does not change who you are,” he said, answering my thoughts.

  “Chase, I am everything I hate and despise. It is in my blood to kill vampires and I have no intention of stopping that. I am a huntress, a Token Huntress. You know I don’t want to leave your side. But I am no safer here than at the Guild. I should return to my own people.”

  He looked gloomy as I spoke. I grabbed his chin and lifted his gaze to mine. “Fier will only ask questions and we do not have answers. I need to go, come with me.”

  “He will track us no matter where we go. And I cannot go to the Guild or let you return there. Esmore, they will kill you.”

  “No, they won’t. I know you think you know my kind. But you do not. I need to return to my people Chase; I am not safe here anymore. We were almost killed only hours ago. I don’t want to be content living in a place I hate so much. I need to make sure Dillian and James got back safely.”

  “Why do you care for them? James treated you as if you were a despicable creature. I won’t let him speak to you like that again, even if he was your former boyfriend. I will kill him and have you angry at me for a century before listening to him speak to you in such a way ever again.”

  “You know my heart does not rest with him,” I pushed aside his protectiveness. “I need to make sure Dillian is safe, and the rest of my team. I have been worried ever since Fier and his army ambushed us.”

  “If that is what you want to know, I can show you how,” Chase said. “If he is asleep you can contact him. But you must be within reasonable distance. It will be hard to get out of here. Fier will be watching us closely. We must first be granted his permission. But I can show you.”

  “Then let us go ask Fier for permission,” I confirmed. I needed to make sure Dillian was okay, right now he was my priority. If what Chase says was true, would I be an outcast for the rest of my days?

  “Whatever it is you and Tythian discussed, for whatever reasons you won’t tell me, please be smart about it. You don’t know Tythian or how he was before Whitney. He may be in mourning now but I fear he will so easily revert to what he once was. So please be clever around him and don’t trust him. Don’t trust anyone,” Chase said strictly.

  I was touched that he didn’t push it any further, knowing that for my own reasons I kept things from him. He was so different to James: he was not controlling. He let me make my own decisions and although he didn’t support them, he would still stand by my side. That was something James had never done. I rested my head on Chase’s shoulder, tired. I just needed to make sure my team was okay before I tried to proceed with anything, especially Tythian’s revenge plan.

  “Shall we go ask for permission to leave now?” I asked with Fier in mind. Although he may be strong, I had the feeling that if I tried to attack him then I not only had Chase’s support but also Tythian’s.

  Chase quickly dressed before we walked toward Fier’s meeting room. The closer we got, the more looks we received from other vampires. I don’t know what word it was that spread, but when I hovered my mind over theirs, the word ‘abomination’ came up more than once.

  Chase spread the wooden doors wide, striding in with confidence. He stared down a lot of the vampires who had tried to kill us. Gardar crossed the room and stood beside Fier as he looked over me hungrily. I wanted to rip his eyes out for the way he looked at me.

  “Ah, Chase, I was just about to call for you,” Fier said, opening his arms in a welcoming gesture.

  “Enough of the theatrics. You tried to kill us,” Chase said angrily.

  Fier only waved it off as if he were a mad man. “Well, you know how these things go down. Someone lets prisoners leave my presence and they are killed, no matter who they are or who their mother might have been.” He let the words sit still in the air before continuing, brushing through his blonde hair. “But we have now prosecuted the one who has done that, so let bygones be bygones.”

  I was irritated by his quick dismissal of killing Whitney. I could still smell her blood in the air. Someone had scrubbed a chemical of sorts over the spot.

  “Now we have a new question,” Fier’s eyes fixated on me. “Why does she smell like human, yet she is vampire?”

  “The vampire who turned me was a first timer. And since no one asked when I walked in, I didn’t care to give you the notice of my fangs,” I said sharply.

  He blew a mouthful of air out as if my talk was mind-blowing. Chase gave me a cautious glare, as if to say ‘settle down.’ But my tongue could not resist digging at this vampire who agitated me so much.

  “Why do your eyes change color when your fangs slip out?”

  “I have the gift of heightened senses,” I lied quickly. “It is useless and it doesn’t give me much superiority in my fighting. However, it does animate when I am more powerful than my opponent, which works for intimidation,” I said blandly as if he were only a fool I was reporting to. This was a lie, but one I quickly thought of on the spot, and he seemed to accept it easily.

  “You don’t seem to have much respect for me. You do realize who I am, don’t you? Or are you half-witted?” he snapped sharply.

  “I don’t play nicely with those who attempt to kill me. Let me assure you I am not intimidated by age,” I spat. My fangs left a fiery sensation in my gums as they protruded. Many of the vampires that surrounded us were on guard. Chase gave me another warning look to keep my composure.

  “Is your familiar threatening me?” Fier asked Chase directly.

  “No, she is still young. She is still struggling with her heightened senses.” Chase answered, giving me another warning glare.

  “Where is the vampire that turned you?” Fier asked. He now sat down in his large wooden chair.

  “He was killed by hunters, which is why I sought out this place. As useless as that vampire was, I had a certain attachment to them.”

  “As all vampires do to their master,” Fier said, flicking his fingers in the air in contempt.

  “So I want to be a part of your raid and ambush team. I want to find the hunters who escaped. I w
ant to kill as many of them as I can. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than you permitting me to hunt them.” Chase’s expression was unmoving but I could tell he was impressed by my words, as was Fier. I simply envisioned him to be similar to Campture, with an ego to boost. Their kind often seemed to delight in that. And like Campture, Fier studied me for a while before speaking. He was trying to create an intimidating atmosphere. I wanted to jump at him and find the closest silver knife I could and plunge it in his heart. This vampire was the reason why I hunted their kind.

  “You expect me to just let you go out, just like that.” He snapped his fingers. “I already have fourteen separate teams in search of those two. Including Tythian, whose familiar was the reason why we are in this mess in the first place. And you want me to gather an exception and just let you go?”

  “You know I can fight; you have seen my skill already,” I stated bluntly.

  “Yes you can, which is why I am hesitant to let you go. Where did you learn to fight?” Fier narrowed his eyes on me in contemplative thought. He was trying to have me slip or lose my thoughts.

  “My father created weapons for the humans and our small community, where we fought sabers regularly. He taught me all that he knew. Since then I have had years of training by myself, risking my life against the hunters. I was almost killed twice, but was also close to infiltrating a Guild once, as they thought I was only human. Someone exposed me. I barely escaped,” I recounted. If there was anything I had learnt from Campture, it was that she wanted to think that she controlled her hunters as if they were some kind of puppets dancing to her command. Much to my suspicion, Fier gloated in the same way.

  “And was this Guild nearby?” Fier asked, putting pressure on my story.

  “It was two years ago. I am from three countries away. It took me forty days, by an almost completely run down boat, to get here. I almost starved to death in the meantime, losing my bearings and simply stumbling onto this land. I had no other choice but to flee the Guild after they gave chase and tried to kill me.” As I said it, I hovered over his mind touching lightly so it was not obvious to him. I was sending small influential thoughts so he would slowly believe my story.

  Chase straightened his back as he looked at me indifferently, but he knew what I was doing. He stayed quiet the whole time. I could feel him hovering over my own mind manipulation, just watching as I enforced. He was making sure I made no careless mistakes.

  “And what would you do if I simply said ‘okay’ and pardoned you to find these hunters? What makes you think I can trust or believe you,” Fier asked. Gardar patted his stomach hungrily as he looked over me as if I were a piece of meat. He was resting one of his hands on the head of Fier’s chair. One day, I will kill that disgusting vampire, I promised.

  “Whether you trust me or not, do not think I lack in ambition. I wish to barter with you. I am fearless in my desire. If I bring back those hunters before any of your oh-so-capable team, I get his position by your side as leader.” I indicated Gardar, whose mouth dropped opened at my request. Fier’s eyebrow arched in surprise. “I told you, I do not care for age and will not be intimidated by position. Although I may be young, I fully believe I can stand by your side in Gardar’s position. I will not be intimidated by any other vampire’s age. If I want something, I will get it.”

  Another thing I had learnt from Campture: when others eagerly wanted a position close to her, it went straight to her head. If Fier thought of me as a half-wit then I was easily fooling them and we would be let free shortly. Despite my little growth of emotion in the past few years since my mother died, I did know how to present myself in such circumstances. And even if Chase and I had to return after I finally spoke with Dillian, I could aim for a promising position. If I could stand so closely beside Fier, I could easily aid Tythian in his revenge. And if I were accepted open-armed into the Guild, then such a position would be welcome.

  “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.