Dawn of Darkness (Daeva, #1) (3 page)

I awoke
the next morning at six-thirty. Our usual wake-up call was nowhere
to be heard. The bells in the middle of the square would sound
every morning, but not today. New Year's Day was one of the few
when we were allowed to sleep in. I rolled over to see Ash, still
asleep, curled on his side with the blankets tucked tight around
him. No doubt he would be praying for a quiet morning after the
events of last night. He would get no sympathy from me.

I lay
there for a while, hoping to drift off again, until I got restless.
Since I was awake, I decided to head for the shower. I closed the
door behind me and left my shorts in the laundry bag that hung from
the hook on the back of the door. I turned the shower on and let
the water warm up, before I stepped in and pulled the curtain
across. The hot water beat against my skin, turning it a deep shade
of pink. Just the way I like it. I let the water wash over me until
I felt my skin begin to tingle and there was a knock at the
door.

"If
you're gonna use all the hot water, you could at least give me a
reason to need a cold shower," Ash shouted over the running
water.

"You
always need a cold shower."

"Yeah,
well, if you're not out soon I'll be joining you in
there."

I let out
a long sigh. Ash did not make idle threats. It was times like these
I wished they had installed locks on the bathroom doors. Hell, I
should have been grateful he didn't barge in to begin with, but I
wasn't. I was annoyed that my sanctuary had been disturbed. I don't
know why hot showers make me feel so peaceful. They just do. Ash
knew that, but he also knew that left to my own devices, there
would never be any hot water left for him. It wasn't my fault
though. I possessed a secret ability to warp time in the shower.
It's true! How else could you explain that what felt like only five
to ten minutes for me, was in actual fact over half an hour? Yeah,
no-one else believed me either.

I
finished washing and reached for a towel from the nearby rack. When
I was dried off, I wrapped it around my waist and went back into
the main room. Ash looked over at me as I exited. He was sprawled
out across his bed, wearing only a pair of black
joggers.

"What do
you do in there that takes so long?" he asked.

"Nothing." I moved to the wardrobe and picked out some fresh
clothes.

"Must be
a whole lot of nothing then." Ash laughed. He sat, stretching his
arms upwards and outwards, and yawned. His hair was wild and
dishevelled from tossing and turning in his sleep, as he often did
after a few drinks. "I'll have mine black," he said, and made his
way into the bathroom.

I nodded
and finished dressing, before heading out into the corridor and to
the shared kitchen. The hallway was usually a hub of activity at
this time of morning, but today it was empty. Silent. Everybody was
taking advantage of their morning off, no doubt. For once, I was
able to make the coffee in peace. Ash and I had an agreement;
whoever showered first, made the coffee. He liked his milky and
sweet, but hangovers called for something a little stronger. Mine
was black, no sugar.

I took
the coffees back into the bedroom, placing Ash's on the bedside
table, and then sat on the edge of my bed to drink mine. The first
sip of coffee in the morning was always a jolt to my system. I
couldn't function properly without it. Some called it grumpy. I
called it caffeine-deprived.

Now my
brain was awake, I began making sure everything was ready for the
graduation ceremony. My boots were cleaned and polished. We still
needed to collect our uniforms, but the collection office wouldn't
be open for another hour or so. There was more than enough time
left before we needed to be at the parade ground.

Ash was
out of the bathroom before I was even half-finished with my coffee,
his damp hair lying flat on his head. How anyone could spend so
little time in the shower was a mystery to me. We decided to hit
the gym, to kill some time before picking up our uniforms. For us,
the gym wasn't just a way to keep in shape – we had more than
enough drills for that – it was a way to pass the time, and if
needed, vent some frustration. We kept the workout light. It was
enough to get our blood pumping, and bring some of the colour back
to Ash's cheeks, but still conserve our energy for the day
ahead.

Next we
went to the collection office where a middle-aged woman sat
reading. She took our names and squad, and then retreated into a
jungle of uniforms. She returned soon after with two hangers, each
with a neatly pressed uniform on, and handed one each to us. Having
never been to a graduation ceremony before meant it was my first
time seeing the uniform. The jacket was black with gold trim and
bright brass buttons. More gold adorned the shoulders in the form
of tassels, and the sleeve bore a single white stripe, indicating
we were fresh out of the academy. A pair of matching trousers were
folded over the hanger, along with a black belt.

I turned
to begin my way back to our room when something landed on my head.
I reached up with my free hand to remove the offending
object.

"You
forgot your hat," Ash said. I looked back to see him grinning and
adjusting his hat. It was a white army hat with a black visor and a
brass emblem on the front – our squad's insignia, a Fleur-de-Lys
superimposed over a rising sun. "What do you think?"

"You look
like an idiot no matter what you wear."

"Ouch."
Ash pouted, feigning hurt.

"You'll
get over it," I said, and knocked his hat to the ground.

We headed
back across the complex to our room, and Ash went about making some
bacon sandwiches. When it came to cooking, even something simple, I
was useless. Back at the orphanage, I was never given the chance to
try my hand at it. Now that duty was left to Ash, who seemed to
enjoy it.

Having
had nothing to eat that morning made the smell coming from the
kitchen torturous. My stomach grumbled and groaned in anticipation.
I was on the edge of my bed when Ash came back carrying two plates.
He handed one to me, and then perched himself on the desk near the
window. I lifted the top slice of bread, as I always did, to check
it was made exactly how I liked it. There was no rind, only a
splash of ketchup, and the bacon cooked until it was almost crispy.
As always, it was done perfectly. I lifted the first slice to my
mouth, and then paused, spotting someone in our doorway.

"Well,
well, boys. Looks like the women beat you at getting ready today,"
Katiya said. She was already dressed in her uniform, which was
identical to ours, save for the knee-length skirt. I almost felt
sorry for her, having to wear that in the middle of winter.
Almost.

"I hope
you made some for me," she said, and stopped in front of
me.

"Here,"
Ash said, handing her half of his sandwich. "Uniform looks good on
you."

"Thanks."
She smiled, her cheeks beginning to flush. "So, are you two
planning on getting ready anytime soon?"

"Just
about to," I replied.

"Yeah, well I'd like to get to
the parade ground
before
the rush starts, so hurry up."

"Don't
worry, Kat," Ash said. "Unlike you women, it only takes us a minute
to get ready."

I
laughed, if you could call the noise that came out through the
mouthful of bacon a laugh. Snorted would be a more accurate term.
Katiya looked at me as though she could will me into choking on my
food. Luckily, that wasn't her ability, though I wasn't sure the
alternative of having my head explode was preferable.

With my
sandwich finished, I set my plate down on the bedside table and
picked up my uniform by the tip of the hanger, being careful not to
touch it with my greasy fingers. I hung it on the back of the
bathroom door, and washed my hands and face before getting changed.
The choker collar certainly lived up to its name, I thought,
treading the fine line between being tight and air-restricting. I
exited the bathroom, still fidgeting with the collar. The dirty
plates were gone, and Katiya had taken up Ash's perch on the desk,
her short legs unable to reach the floor.

"Hey, not
bad," she said. I chose not to respond, instead rummaging under the
bed for my boots. Ash returned while I was fiddling with the lace
on one shoe that had managed to get itself knotted.

"I'll be
out in two secs," he said, grabbing his uniform and taking it into
the bathroom with him. He must have sensed something in the air,
because as the door shut behind him he added, "Play nice you
two."

When I
looked up from tying my boots, I realised Katiya was leaning
against the wardrobe in front of me.

"What's
your problem?" she asked.

"You...
always drooling over him."

"I never
had you pegged as the jealous type."

"I'm not
jealous," I said, standing up to meet her face-to-face. "I just
think it's pathetic."

Katiya
gave me a hard glare. She opened her mouth to speak when Ash strode
out of the bathroom, his jacket only half-fastened. He sat on the
edge of the bed, hunched over. His fingers rubbed against his
temples.

"God, you
guys are gonna give me a migraine," he said. Having to deal with
the emotions of everyone around you would give anyone a headache.
Add to that a slight hangover, two people butting heads in the same
room as you, and the excitement of graduation day, and you get one
grumpy empath.

It was a
minute or so before Ash sat up straight. “Sorry, I guess I'm a
little nervous, and excited. Stuff like that can throw off my
shielding," he said, forcing a smile. He pulled on his boots and
fastened his jacket the rest of the way. "Shall we get going then?
Don't wanna get caught in the rush."

Katiya's
face lit up, happy to see Ash looking more like his usual carefree
self. They say 'love is blind', but Katiya could sometimes take it
to a whole new level. Oblivious was more like it. She led the way,
a slight bounce in her step as she left the room. I went to follow
when a hand caught my shoulder.

Ash's
smile had vanished. His brows furrowed as he leaned in to whisper,
"Whatever that was between you and Kat, just drop it. Please, for
me. I can't be dealing with the two of you as well
today."

I nodded
and he said thanks, though I thought he should have been talking to
Katiya instead. Maybe it was childish to blame her for the tension
between us. If anything, a large part of the blame was on Ash's
shoulders. I couldn't see why he kept stringing her along, never
accepting her advances, and yet never denying them either. Did he
hope one day she'd get bored and move on, without him having to let
her down? All I knew was Katiya wanted more from Ash than he was
willing to give. If I could see that, then surely she could too.
Since I agreed to let it slide, I pushed the matter to the back of
my mind and focused on the day ahead. I closed the door behind us,
and we set off for the graduation ceremony.

*****

It was a
ten minute walk to the parade ground, situated at the main entrance
to the military complex. Tall, white walls and an iron gate
separated us from the rest of the city. Behind the gate we could
see the crowds already gathered and cheering, waiting for the first
event of the day, the graduation march. It was a big day for
everyone in the city, not just ourselves. The citizens would be
celebrating the graduation of their newest protectors.

We got to
talking as the rest of the graduates and the volunteer helpers
showed up. Ash was looking forward to seeing his younger brother.
His parents refused to support a 'freak of nature', and his father
doubly so after learning of Ash's sexuality. Katiya said her Dad
and older brother would be in the audience too, her only remaining
family. I, on the other hand, would have no-one waiting to
congratulate me at the end of the ceremony.

To my
surprise, it was Katiya who looked over her shoulder at me and
said, "You don't have any family left, do you?"

I didn't
answer, letting the silence hang uneasily in the air around us. I
had no memories of my biological parents, not even a photo. Any
fond memories I had had of Mrs. Rousseau were long since marred by
the feeling that she abandoned me, leaving me with the evil witch
of a woman who took over the place. To me, it wasn't as though my
family was all gone. It was more like I never had one to begin
with.

"You have
us now," Ash said. He wrapped one arm around me, the other around
Katiya, and pulled us in close. "We're one big dysfunctional
family."

Just what
I need, I thought.

"I hope
you're not forgetting about me," Lucas said, appearing behind
Katiya. She jumped and drew in a sharp breath.

"Jesus,
don't sneak up on people like that!" She took a couple of deep
breaths, glaring at myself and Ash as we laughed. Brad appeared
soon after, his hat clearly visible above the sea of
cadets.

It didn't
take long before the place was filled up. Family members were
directed to the rows of seats set in front of a small raised stage
in the centre of the parade ground. The ceremony co-ordinators ran
to and fro, making sure everyone was in line, ready for our grand
entrance. The five of us were at the back of the parade, with only
a single float behind us. It was an elaborate diorama, depicting a
vampire succumbing to the power of the dawn.