Eternal War Rising to the South: The Beynok Vampire Series (6 page)

“It’s nice to meet you,” I said. “Thank you for coming.” I didn’t have anything against the Russian guards coming to Yachts, but the reason for their being here upset me. Where was Ambrose? Everyone else had watching the sparring spectacle. Had he passed while I was away? I am so selfish sometimes. Before I could go any further in thought, Irena spoke with the same strong Russian accent as Boris. Her voice had a slight hint of a high-pitched tone. It was somewhat annoying. She just annoyed me all together.

“So who is going to challenge Nickolai since he has won the match?” Irena asked. She was looking straight at me and clearly wanted me to challenge Nickolai. To keep face, I guess I needed to challenge Nickolai. Besides, I owed it to Yuri since I was partly to blame for his loss.

“I’ll challenge Nickolai, if you would like.” The guards from Russia were of a higher rank than field hunters, so I needed to humor her. Nickolai and I had sparred before, but most of the time the matches went on forever. His strength and gift of speed were equivalent to my skill and gift of sense, so we were evenly matched. I knew he would have the upper hand because I was exhausted, and my body hurt from sleeping on the ground all night. Well, almost all night. I just hoped I don’t totally embarrass myself in front of the Russians.

I stood in front of Nickolai waiting for him to make his first move. He was definitely stronger than I was, so I had to be smarter. I wasn’t field leader without reason. I knew Nickolai let his anger control him, so I waited for the right moment to make a damaging move. All I needed to do was make sure he didn’t beat me with his strength first.

He swung and swung again. I was able to dodge his fists twice but not the third time. It hit me square in the face. I rolled backwards and then back to my feet. He was definitely not going to win that easily. I needed to win this fight, not only for Yuri but also for me. I needed to put him in his place because sometimes his confidence got a little ahead of him.

He came at me full force. He swung and swung again, hitting nothing but air. I could tell he was getting angry, and I hadn’t even opened my senses to him yet. I was waiting for the perfect moment. I danced around him until he finally got me with a swift kick to my ribs. That side was already in pain from the fight I’d had with Sorin. Thank God, no one had been there to witness my poor show in abilities. I laughed at the thought of where the pain had truly originated. This sent Nickolai into a rage. It was time. I opened my senses. His fury filled me completely, giving me the adrenaline rush I needed to override his strength and speed.

I threw my body into the air, directing my feet to his face. I didn’t miss this time, as I had when I was attacking Sorin. I landed exactly where I wanted, and Nickolai hit the ground. I threw a few punches on both sides of his ribs while he was down. I heard him release a sound filled with agony.
Good, he deserves it.
I would do anything for him except let him win this battle. Where was all my aggression coming from?

I backed away and watched him pull himself off the floor. He turned around and faced me. The rage on his face would have scared a rabid animal. He swung and hit me in the chest. I dropped to the floor, and he was on top of me in seconds. His hands were around my throat choking me. This was a mistake for him. He should have secured my legs first because they are the strongest part of my body. I wrapped my legs around his torso and squeezed. At first, he didn’t react, but after a while, he started to squirm, trying to get free. He threw a few punches at my face and made contact. I could see my own blood spraying the matte and the sight made me squeeze even harder. I didn’t want to kill him, but I had no choice but to continue. I started to feel his ribs crack beneath my legs. He tapped out before I crushed his torso. I heard the customary applause, but this time it was voluntary.

I released Nickolai from my grip. He was still hovering above me with a look of shock and embarrassment. This had been a quick victory for one of our fights, and he knew it. He pulled his fist back as though he was going to punch me in the face, but it landed on the mat less than an inch from me.

“Nickolai, don’t show poor sportsmanship. Have respect for yourself and your teammates,” Vladimir said. He was standing next to Nickolai and me on the mat. He looked like he was waiting for Nickolai to draw up again. Instead, Nickolai retreated politely, offering a hand to help me up. I took it to show I had no ill feeling toward him.

“Sorry, Anya. My anger gets the best of me sometimes.” He really did sound sincere. “You know how much I hate to lose to a girl.” He smirked with his boy-next-door smile and walked off. Even though he can be difficult sometimes, he really is a good guy, and I love him like a brother.

“Good job, Anya,” Irena said. “You took him down and quick. You surprised me, and that doesn’t happen often.”

“Well, with all due respect, you surprised me as well. You don’t look like a Russian guard, but I bet you’d give them hell in a battle. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be where you are, right?” I guess what I was trying to say was,
I’m not the field leader because I batted my eyes and showed some cleavage, but then again, I know that’s not why she’s a Russian guard, either.

“You’re correct.” She definitely had the “I can take anyone down” look in her eyes. “Good fight. I was entertained, but it’s getting late. Boris and I have had a long trip, and we’re hungry and tired.” She was directing the last comment to Vladimir, who was still standing beside me, and a little close at that. It might have just been me being paranoid. I didn’t want anyone in the room to pick up on Vladimir’s feelings for me. I was thankful we were the only ones who could sense others’ emotions.

It was Nadia’s night to cook, and she usually cooks a full course meal but tonight she called for delivery. She had already made a phone call to the local pizza place. We were walking upstairs to the living room when the doorbell rang. “Great, perfect timing,” Nadia said and ran past all of us to answer the door and pay for the pizza.

I didn’t realize how hungry I was. I hadn’t eaten since Friday night. I didn’t think it was possible to go that long without food, but, of course, there were a few pounds on me that my body could eat off of for a while.

While I ate in silence, my teammates quietly said they were glad I was home. I managed to devour four pieces, big ones at that. When I was about finished, I noticed Nadia made a plate and walk upstairs with it. I figured she was heading to Ambrose’s room.

It was late and everyone seemed tired. The two guards made their way to the study we used as a guest room when needed. It was accommodating. There was a queen-sized, pullout couch and all the other usual stuff you would find in a study. A desk, leather armchair, pictures, and, of course, three walls lined with bookshelves. It’s a good thing Boris and Irena were partners because there was no place for them to sleep separately. They seemed nice enough. After all they were there to help protect us. To think we needed protection. We were protecting the humans … now we needed protection. What is really going on?

On my way to my room, I checked in on Ambrose. He looked weak and so tired, definitely not the Beynok from two nights ago. It’s crazy what happens to us when our partner falls. It’s as if we slowly deteriorate and return to where we came from, to wait for our body, mind and soul to rise again. I told him I loved him and said we’d see each other again. I didn’t feel bad for leaving him because Nadia was still in his room. Saying goodbye to someone you love is easier when you know you’ll see them again one day. It’s easier but the pain is still there.

I slipped into my bed shortly after my visit. I thought Nadia had cleaned my sheets for me while I was gone. They felt so soft and smelled so good. She was funny—liked to cook but loved to clean. I thought the two went together hand-in-hand. Of course, I most definitely do not have either trait. I pushed my face into my pillow. The smell was so much better than the ground I woke up to this morning, but it didn’t smell better than what I fell asleep to last night. Just then, the lavender smell of Sorin’s body filled me completely. I need to erase every memory I had of him from my head. I tried to think of him in an unpleasant way, but it was almost impossible. Instead, I focused on the fact he was a vampire, but that too didn’t make a big enough dint in my feelings to please me. I tried to visualize him tearing into the throat of a human woman but there was no way I could see him acting like one of those vampires either.

I tossed and turned for about an hour in my bed. Finally, I got up. I was so tired I couldn’t fall asleep. I thought fresh air would help, so I walked out onto my balcony. It was so dark I couldn’t see much of anything, and the moon was hidden by the clouds. Still, standing out there gave me peace. My mind wasn’t wandering. I just closed my eyes and listened to the slight sound of the ocean. It was so peaceful I almost fell asleep standing there, leaning up against the railing.

“I seem to always come across you at night … outside. What are you searching for out here? ” It was Sorin’s voice in my head. My eyes were still closed, and they were going to stay closed. I didn’t want to see him again. If he was behind me, he would just remain a voice in my head and not a vision for me to see. I was determined to keep my eyes closed until it was silent, until I was sure he was gone. I almost had myself convinced it was safe to open my eyes when his voice traveled through me again. This time I could feel his lips on my ear.

“Anya, it’s okay. You have nothing to fear.” He paused, and I could feel his breath on my cheek. I felt the rest of his body push up behind me. His arms ran parallel over mine meeting my hands on the rail. I was caught between him and the railing, there was nowhere to go. His lips were still too close for comfort for me. “I wanted to check on you to make sure you made it back safely, and I see you’re fine,” he said. This time, my body assured me he was not my imagination. My heart pulsed in every direction, taking me to a place I tried not to go with him. I had been so relaxed when I walked out onto my balcony, and he came upon me so quickly my guard was down allowing his emotions to saturate me completely. I tried to pull my guard up, but his passion for me quickly swayed it into sedation. I was going to have to take back my body … somehow.

“You can’t be here. I told myself the next time I saw you I’d be more prepared to kill you but I’m too tired right now. I’ve had two long days.” I knew my swords were on the nightstand, and I’d reach for them if I had the chance.
Do I want to kill him? Of course, I do.
“We shouldn’t … even be close like this. Why are you stalking me? Please tell me what you want from me.”

I could feel his breath, “I know you’ve been searching for something, and so have I, but we don’t have to search anymore.” His mouth was slowly moving along my cheek as he talked. “We both found what we are looking for … each other. You’ll see.”

I wanted to give in, turn around, and wrap my arms around his neck. I just couldn’t. It wasn’t right. The emotional battle I was fighting was confusing me to hell. I felt his cool hands run up my arms to my shoulders and down to my waistline. The decision was no longer mine to make. He spun me around, forcing me to face him. The spin was rough and purposely so. I could sense his needing desire for me.

I struggled to speak, “I refuse to open my eyes and look at you. If I see you, then you’ll be real. If I keep them closed, you’ll just be a dream … my imagination.” I felt him pull my face up to his with one of his hands, leaving the other securely around my waist.

His lavender smell was overwhelming my senses…Everything about him was overwhelming. When we were close like this, I can’t seem to think straight. I can’t focus. I wanted to wrap my body around his and stay entwined together forever. I wanted to feel his arms collapse around me and take me in. I wanted to feel the security he offered. The security I’d thought I never needed, never wanted.

He said, “Anya, you have dreamt of me. I know you have. I know you remember me. The night in the field, you were looking for me as much as I was looking for you,” and he kissed me. I felt his tongue run over my lips forcing them open to allow him in, and I did. His tongue ran over mine, and it felt so good I had to react. His body embraced mine with its strength, the tension and weight from my body evaporated, and I melted into his arms. What a stupid girl I was. Our kiss was so intense I felt the world stop. He pulled my body close to his with one hand and held my face gently with the other. He ran his thumb along my jaw line caressing it.
This felt good…to good and to natural.

Our kiss was interrupted by a vision in my head. I was in Sorin’s arms kissing him as I was tonight, but not on my balcony. We were in the Altay Mountains. It was me from my past rise to the east. I was sure of it. Sorin looked the same except his hair was chin length. In the vision, there was no sign of a struggle from me. I was as willing to kiss him then as I was in the present.

The vision abruptly ended and so did the kiss. I didn’t feel Sorin’s arms around me or his hand at my face. My body collapsed against the balcony railing and I opened my eyes to look at him for the first time tonight, but he was not there. He was not with me, but he was near. I could feel him, not only with my gift of sense but also with my body. I put myself at ease saying time was the answer to all the strange dreams, visions, and emotions I was experiencing lately. I went inside and fell asleep knowing he was close, and for some reason, it didn’t bother me. It soothed me.

We lived through another night without an attack, thank God. I bounced down the stairs to the kitchen for some coffee. I went ahead and put on my jogging suit. I usually jogged after a small workout in the downstairs gym. Then when I came back, I’d do weight training and spar with whoever was left in the basement. I had to go on my “morning run” first thing because the guards had been told that was my routine.

It was still early, but Vladimir, Irena, and Boris were in the kitchen when I turned the corner from the stairs—not necessarily the people I would have chosen to see first thing in the morning. Vladimir wanted me to love him, and I didn’t even know where to start with that.
Hi. I love you. You love me. Our future is written, and we’ll be happy together forever. Hah! I don’t think so.
Boris was unapproachable, and his scars were strange looking. He intimidated me, so I had nothing to say to him. Then there was Irena. When I was around her, I felt our estrogen levels spike and fight one another for the right to scream, “I am woman. Hear me roar.” Plus, her clothes irritated me. I figured she’d probably be wearing slut sleepwear without bothering to cover herself up.

Nope. Not in the mood to deal with any of them this morning, especially since they’re the reason for this “morning run” that screws up my schedule.

“Good morning,” I said. “Just here to get some coffee, and then I’m off.” Irena wasn’t wearing a total slut outfit but a jogging suit in a hideous lime green color, tight, of course, and her zipper was down to show way too much cleavage. Any outfit for her wouldn’t be complete without cleavage. Why was she wearing a jogging suit anyway?
I thought, It had better be for comfort and not an activity like, let’s say, jogging.

All three said, “Good morning,” while I poured coffee in my favorite purple hippopotamus mug. Kind of kiddy, but it was cute and fit perfectly in my hands.

“Would you mind if I jog with you this morning?” Okay, was that really a question coming from Irena? It sounded like one, but the outfit she wore said, “I am going jogging with you this morning.” I realized she wasn’t wearing it for comfort.
Shit.
“Boris and I usually run together, but he stayed up all night on guard duty. He is turning in shortly, and I was hoping I could join you.”

I thought that sounded convincing. “Of course, you can,” I said. “I could definitely use the company. The others prefer the treadmill, so I never have a partner to run with.” I hoped I wasn’t wearing my cheesy “I’m lying” smile.

“Vladimir, I’m surprised you allow Anya to go off on her own. Especially with the fear of our kind coming under attack by the werewolves and…”
And what?
I couldn’t believe Irena was questioning Vladimir’s leadership. She said nothing more. What else was she going to say?

“Anya is the last person on my team I feel needs protecting. She has always made wise decisions.” If Vladimir knew I had made out with a vampire last night and the night before that, he definitely wouldn’t be standing up for me right now.

“Still, Boris and I are here to help protect you, so I feel it best if no one leaves the premises alone. At least until we can figure out if a war is starting or if the attack was an isolated event.” Irena was confident in her little speech to Vladimir, and it was not a question but an order.

“You are correct Irena. I agree with you 100 percent. Times have changed, and we need to try to understand them.” I couldn’t believe Vladimir went along with her ordering him around. She was right, but the tone she used was an inappropriate tone to take with an elder. I thought Vladimir must really respect her and view her as an equal. “You guys should go ahead and leave for your run. Elizaveta is arriving from Canon City in a couple of hours. She’s no longer needed in the investigation there.”

I had totally forgotten about her planned arrival. “Is there anything I need to do to help get ready for her?” I was so trying to get out of the morning jog with Irena. “Where is she going to sleep?”

Vladimir looked down at the kitchen tile when he answered me. “Ambrose left us last night. Nadia has been preparing the room and cleaning out all of Ambrose’s personal things.”

That was it then. No more talk of Ambrose. No more thought given to Ambrose. His room was cleaned out and a replacement was on the way. Cattle, we were cattle. Herd us in and herd us out. We have no ceremony or special goodbyes when we fall. There is no body to bury or cremate. We vanish. It doesn’t happen instantly. Our bodies vanish within a few hours if we are killed, but if our partner is killed, it takes a couple of days for our bodies to fall. Of course, if a Beynok couple is full-spirited and one falls and the other doesn’t, the remaining partner receives the spirit of the falling partner.

Forty minutes into our jog, not one word had passed between Irena and me. Our pace was comfortable and in sync. I was extremely at ease running with her. The thought of her cleavage didn’t bother me as much anymore. There was a slight overcast, but other than that, the weather was perfect. I decided to take her along the path up the coastline because I didn’t want to take the path in the woods I had taken a couple of days ago. My mind was somewhat clear of Sorin, and I wanted to do my best to keep it that way.

Irena cleared her throat as if she was about to say something, and boy, did she ever. “So,” she said, “I’ll just say it. Vladimir doesn’t want me to discuss this with you, but you can tell how I view authority.” She paused, and I wondered why she was hesitating. I figured nothing she could say could be that damn shocking. I’d only known her for a day. “So, you’ve seen Sorin, from what we can gather. What did he say to you?” This was the first true question out of Irena’s mouth since she had arrived. How could a voice so high pitched sound so damned assertive?

My body stopped. Everything came to a halt, my jogging, my breathing, my mind, and even my sight. When I say everything, I mean everything. The world went blank.

“Anya, are you in there?” Irena had her hands on my shoulders shaking me when I came to. I was standing as stiff as a statue, and her red spiky hair and face were the first things that came into view. Slowly, my full vision came back. I started to walk, and Irena strolled right along with me. I didn’t want to talk about Sorin and definitely not with her. Talking about him out loud with another made him real but I needed answers.

“So I’m right. You have seen Sorin.” She was ruthless, and I was embarrassed by my reaction to her questioning. I couldn’t believe I had just blanked out like that. No need in denying anything.

“Yes. Who exactly is he? I met him the night of the werewolf hunt in Canon City. He hasn’t really told me anything. To be honest, Vladimir and that … Sorin have done nothing but confuse me … fill me with riddles and questions with no answers. I wish someone would be straightforward with me.”

“Did you try to kill him when you first saw him?” She was so trying to get information out of me.

“I’m not answering anyone’s questions until I have my questions answered.” We were still in our slow walking pace. Neither one of us looked at the other.

“Okay. You want the truth? I’ll give it to you. Sorin is a vampire. I’m sure you’ve figured that part out on your own. He’s obsessed with you. He thinks he loves you.” She was speaking with a hateful undertone. She made a smug snort and said, “As if a vampire were capable of loving something other than their own kind. They thrive on killing and manipulating others.”

“So, Sorin has tracked me down in the states to convince me he loves me and I love him? Something doesn’t sound right. The whole thing is unsettling.”
Vampires don’t obsess over other species, and they surely don’t obsess on Beynok hunters that want to kill them.
Knowing there was more to the story, I waved my hands in the air and said, “Fine, I’ll accept your story for now. What do we do with him?”

“Nothing … we do nothing. We’ve tried in the past to kill him. It doesn’t work out so well. Stay away from him at all costs, and don’t let him manipulate you. Do not believe a word he tells you.”

I stared at her and asked, “Since when do we not track down known vampires and kill them?

“Something is strange,” she said, and her voice cracked.

“I know. I’ve already said that.”

“No, not about Sorin. I have an instinct that says we’re being tracked. Do you not have your senses open?”

“I guess I … I don’t know. Our conversation is a little overwhelming. I was concentrating on you.”

My senses were open but just focused on Irena. She was withholding information, and I needed to find out what it was. She was right, though. We were being followed by something. My senses reached out in the direction of the water. Something was out there. It didn’t want to hurt us but only to keep tabs on us.

“We need to get back to the house and quickly to warn the others. I feel we’ll be under attack soon.” She was fierce when she spoke, as if the battle had already begun. “Now, Anya.”

We ran back to the house as quickly as we could. When we got there, everything was calm and normal. I sensed no danger. Everyone was either downstairs or in the kitchen or the TV room. It was an average relaxing day. I spotted a new face and figured she must be Elizaveta, the survivor from Canon City.

“Anya and Irena, come here, I would like you both to meet Elizaveta,” Vladimir said. “Anya is our field leader, and Irena is here from Russia.”

Irena politely said her hello and rushed Vladimir off to the study where Boris was resting, most likely to discuss our stalker and go over strategies. We had never had to defend ourselves in our own home. This was a new type of war for all of us.

“Nice to meet you, Elizaveta,” I said. “We’re glad to have you.” I shook her hand. She had a firm grip and looked me straight in the eye, which was good. She wasn’t a weakling. Some Beynoks in their first rise don’t have enough confidence and assurance in their abilities. She seemed to be good on that note. The rest of her appearance impressed me as well, except for one detail, her hair. She had shoulder-length, dyed blonde hair. I wondered,
What’s with Beynok women dyeing their hair? Is brown not in?
She was a couple of inches taller than I was and was a bit masculine for a female, which is good for a Beynok hunter. You could see the outlines of muscles through her shirt. All and all, she seemed like a good addition to our team.

“It’s nice to meet you, too,” she said. “Misha used to talk about you. He said you were an amazing fighter and a good field leader.” I could tell she was still grieving the loss of Misha by the way she said his name. We all were. “I hope I will not disappoint you.”

“You will do fine.”

“You can call me El. Everyone in Cannon City called me that and I am used to it. Of course, if you prefer to call me by my full name, I have no problem with that.”

“I’ll call you whatever you’ll respond best to out in the field, and if that’s El, then we’ll call you El.”
Good, she takes authority well and respects me already. We’ll get along just fine.

Vladimir, Irena, and Boris came out of the study with a look of war written all over their faces. Before I knew it, they had devised a plan, and we were on guard at our divided stations, in pairs, of course. Yuri and El were downstairs in the living room guarding the back door. Nickolai and Irena were downstairs guarding the front doors. Boris and Nadia were upstairs guarding the main balcony in the front of the house. Vladimir and I were upstairs guarding the back balcony from my room, of all places.

I would be stuck with Vladimir in my room in the dark. As high as the stakes were tonight, all I could think about was how distressing it was to have him in my room again. By two in the morning, nothing had happened. Maybe we were wrong about the attack. Maybe Irena had over-reacted.

“Stay on your guard, Anya. Don’t ease up. Irena’s instincts are hardly ever wrong. She is hundreds of years old and has seen it all.”

“Why is she still a Russian guard if she is so old and wise?” Vladimir was aggravated with my questions. “She chooses to remain a guard. She likes the war and loves to face combat on the front lines. Boris stays with her because they are partners, but he would rather be in Russia as an Elder.” He paused. “She told me about your discussion today concerning Sorin. What she says is true.” I could feel Vladimir pulling his guard up so I couldn’t sense him.

“The story doesn’t make any sense to me. It’s crazy. Why or how would one of our enemies fall in love with me? It’s ludicrous, and there are holes in the story. I could sense it from her, as I can sense it from you now.”
So I am to stay focused but he brings up the one topic that obviously is heavy on my mind and heart. He just doesn’t need to know about the heart part.
We looked at one another and suddenly, we realized we were sitting in the eye of the tornado.

“Anya, do you sense it?” Vladimir was on full alert.

“Yeah, it’s all around us. It’s coming from all directions. Vladimir, what do we do? There are so many I can’t even put a count on it.”

The doors to my balcony flung open and a black-hooded silhouette was on the railing. “Vladimir, it’s been a long time. You look well.” The voice was familiar and arrogant. Sorin jumped down from the railing onto the platform of the balcony.
Oh my god, is he behind the attack? I should have killed him when I had the chance. Why didn’t I?
“What do you want, Sorin? Are you here with the enemy tonight? Did you finally join their side like I always thought you would?” Vladimir’s questions didn’t make sense to me because I thought it was known that he was the enemy. He was a vampire. Why are the two of them carrying on like they are more than enemies?