Token Vampire (Token Huntress Book 2) (15 page)

              Kora and Kasey, two of my Huntress’s from my Guild Team snarled at us. Their majestic coral eyes, shot up at me with recognition and shock. Large fangs hovered over their lips and nails that tipped as long as a sabers. Their usually clean cut pixie hair was now shoulder length. The collars that once bound their necks, to help our team decipher them were torn apart. The only way I was able to tell them apart, was because of the small scar on Kora’s chin.

              “Esmore,” Kasey whispered. I slammed a huge charge of intent and the word “
Stop!
” into both their minds. They both scrunched their faces, unsure of the sensation that would have swept over them. Mr. Richard and Jenn looked between me and the twins.

              “Do you recognize these creatures?” Mr. Richard asked.

              “No,” I said, keeping my eye contact with the both of them. I could not help them if they gave away my fake identity.

              “Do you know this girl?” Mr. Richard asked them. Kasey spat at the window, directly onto the glass in front of Mr. Richard’s face.

              “Ask me in here you filthy piece of shit!” Kasey spat. It now made sense to me as to why they would have been captured. They were a part of my team, and my team was not weak. Kora’s gift enabled her to take away mobility and Kasey’s ability was an enhancement of that, where she could have projected it further into a bubble to protect them both. If Kora was the one ensnared and knocked out, then Kasey could only use her combat skill. Depending on the extent of the human’s military equipment, there was only so many she could have fought off, even as a Huntress. By the time they woke, they were probably already chained, tortured and gassed. Eventually, they would have experimented, resulting in the fangs and claws. But they didn’t have the mindset of a saber, only part of the physical effects. They still had their Hunter eyes; and as Mr. Richard had previously mentioned, they couldn’t inject them anymore. The propelling of the syringes was probably the two projecting a protection around themselves.

              Mr. Richard began laughing, “As you can see, this is why we couldn’t reason with them. But I am so happy with the results. They can’t break through the glass and are still a bit drowsy until the next gassing. You should watch them for a while, look at the area and think what you might need. We have written records of their movement, so you can better study that. They are in my office, so come and see me once you are done,” Mr. Richard mused.

              “Of course,” Jenn said, watching the twins as I did. They stared at me, unimpressed and predatory like.

              “Before you come, please take Ellie to Sydney. I would like to discuss some things in private,” Mr. Richard commanded, before walking back up the stairs.

              Jenn glared at me as I watched Mr. Richard leave and waited to hear the click of the door close. I hurried over to the twins.

              “What are you doing in here?!” I asked.

              “Esmore, please get us out,” Kasey pleaded. These two girls were a pain in my ass the whole time while on my team. Although only twenty-two, they had an issue with taking command from me because I was younger. Kora had her arms crossed over awkwardly, trying to convey ignorance. But I knew these girls, they didn’t deserve this.

              “So you do know them,” Jenn said, her heels clacking towards us slowly. Kora snarled at her and Jenn only tsked.

              “Well aren’t you are broody bitch,” Jenn said. In her tone I could hear that Yolo’s façade had dropped for the moment. “Like don’t get me wrong, I feel bad for what has happened to you, but then oh wait, you’re a Hunter and I don’t give a shit.”

              “Yolo,” I snapped. Kasey clawed at the glass at Jenn’s face. Jenn’s face was smug and didn’t flinch. “They were on my team; I have to get them out.”

              “Who is this woman to you? And why are you even here in a human compound?!” Kora interrogated.

              “It’s a long story-”

              “Well lucky for you, it appears I have all day,” Kora snapped between a snarl. “And when did you turn into such a pleading girl, Kasey. She won’t help us; she turned her back on us a long time ago.”

              I snarled at Kora, the haze of my eyes flickering to purple as my Hunter eyes and my fangs appeared. Jenn gave me a warning look, before I calmed myself. My body acted on its natural instinct. And insult and betrayal was not something I took lightly.

              “I never turned my back on you, and I will get you out. I highly doubt the Guild will take you back now with your deformities,” I simply stated. It was the truth, they would be killed instantly.

              Kora laughed, “Guild? What Guild, after the stunt you pulled with those sabers that ambushed us, everyone separated. How do you think we got into this mess in the first place?!”

              “I never started that! And you attacked my familiar!” I snarled.

              “Oh that’s right your vampire lover, because that doesn’t sing out Traitor?!” Kora scuffed. Jenn put her slender hand on my shoulder. These were the exact words that would fire me up and Jenn knew that.

              “I wonder if they over use our resources to gas you, so you shut up,” Jenn smiled only stirring further. Kasey again swiped at the glass as Kora lunged for him. Her shoulder smashed into the glass. The impact propelled her back. “Savage. I will write that on my notes as I create a dome for you both to live in for eternity. Maybe I will add sun. Oooh, I bet you haven’t seen sunlight in this form, it’s very cozy.”

              I pulled Jenn back, realizing that she wouldn’t help the situation at all, like I had thought she would. A small opening from the roof dropped and a circular object dispersed on the ground. Kasey and Kora cowered in a corner where they projected protection around themselves, so the gas couldn’t reach. They could only surround themselves for so long; eventually that gas would reach them.

              I placed my hand on the glass and grabbed Kasey’s attention. “I will get you out of here, I promise. No matter what you think of me, you know I never leave any of my team behind.”

              “We are not a part of
your
team any longer, Esmore,” Kora snarled. “Read and understand the new dynamics. Your role as a Token Huntress is dead. And I’d be rather dead too, than live as a human guinea pig for these disgusting humans, who we sacrificed our lives for upon every mission.”

              “Esmore,” Kasey interrupted, her majestic coral eyes pleading. She placed her hand against mine, a motion that Kora snarled at. “Please get us out. I have never feared anything in my life, not even death. But this is worse. What will they do with us?” her voice lowered in tone. This was the shattering moment, smelling fear on a Huntress. We were a breed that specialized in having no fear and to lack in emotion.

              “We should go now,” Jenn said. She began to walk back towards the stairs. “You have to meet with, Sydney, now.” I looked back at Kasey, whose long fangs spiked over her chin. Kora no longer would look at me in my eyes.

              “I don’t know. But I will get you out, I promise,” I said, before walking away. I had hated the Guild, ready to kill all those who opposed me and tried to kill Chase and me. But I could not pull away from the sense of duty and belonging I had to protect and save my previous comrades. It was a relief to have from the confused sensation of only wanting to be a leader so I could kill vampires. I now had a purpose beyond finding Dillian and Julia a safe place to be protected.

J
enn and I walked in silence. Whatever Yolo’s thoughts, he kept them to himself. I needed his help and involvement of their escape plan; somehow I had to convince him. We walked past the laboratory rooms where the blood was now cleaned up. The clean chemicals and smell covered the incident as if it had never happened. If I hadn’t looked up at the glass of the door where Sydney’s blade broke through, it would have looked like the evidence was entirely covered up.

              We walked past Mr. Richard’s office and continued to walk towards the intersection. Jenn led me towards the area that she had noted previously was for the residential, food, hygiene, and training sector. I could hear many voices and feet shuffle. The distinct noise of children’s laughter seemed eerie to me. I don’t think I had often heard a child laugh. I could hear and smell someone chopping meat, the fresh hint of blood made me feel as if I were starving. I contained the urge that wanted to come over me; I would not be affected so easily. I was in control.

              Jenn looked over her shoulder and past the blonde fringe that covered some of her eyes. She was obviously on edge by how much she continued to watch over me and see if I were okay. She took the first right, before we reached any of the civilization I could hear. She continued walking past the many rooms that were on either side. The structure of this compound had consistency and the tunnels didn’t change much. Jenn pressed the white button to open the door, where a large field of dead grass and rocky turf opened before us. My eyes squinted at the irritating sunlight that beamed down on me. I twisted my neck to the side, irritated. I then let the feeling go, as if I had never felt it and completely ignored it. I had to.

              This area was still within their wall, but unaffected by the dome. A group of twenty members various in sizes, both men and women, ran in a circle. At different marked sections, they would drop and do strenuous exercises, and then run again. One man watched over them and yelled at them to continue and to pick up there pace. The smell of endorphins and sweat bombarded my senses. This reminded me of my training days within my own Guild.

              Clatters of metal grabbed my attention. On my left, another ten members challenged one another with their swords. I couldn’t resist the smile as I saw four of them using fake ones. Within the Guild, we had such dummy weapons for only our first year of training as young children. After that we used very real weapons. If you were wounded by your opponent, then you were forced to only train harder because of your lack of focus and stamina.

              On my right was a long range archery field. My most preferred. As a young apprentice Huntress, it was the weapon I quickly honed in on and efficiently learnt to handle. There was a small fenced off arena, which had silver chains cemented into the ground, which had blood stains on it. The arena was attached to the main compound. I assumed that this was where they trained within the walls with real vampires. They more than likely chained them and forced new members to challenge them. The blood didn’t seem fresh- I could now distinguish what was old and fresh- and this had no smell to it at all. It was a mere memory, that training sector hadn’t been used for many years now.

              “Ellie?” Sydney said, interrupting my thoughts and drawing my attention to him. He eased his breathing from what looked like an intense run. Sweat dripped over his naked chest. His scar that started beneath his jawline continued down his neck and over his hard chest.

              “What about me?” Jenn teased. “As agreed, I brought her here. I have business with Mr. Richard, so if I can leave her in your capable hands, that would be great. I need a decision made within the day. I will be leaving again within a few hours before sundown, so you only have a few hours of assessment.”

              “Leaving so soon already?” Sydney asked as one of the members threw a towel at him and he wiped over himself. There was one drop of sweat that continued to stay on the tip of his eyebrow.

              “Mr. Richard has proposed a new project to me. With so much drama happening at the moment within the walls, I won’t be able to offer efficient planning unless I am within my own compound to think. I will bring Ellie with me every day, however. I will not leave her here.”

              “Well isn’t that a decision for Ellie to make?” Sydney asked, looking at me as he crossed his arms over his chest.

              “I will return with Jenn. I will go where she goes,” I said, sounding as if I were some lost human child.

              “I will leave her in your capable hands,” Jenn said. She rested her hand on my shoulder. “Ellie, if you need me,
call
me,” she said, the word ‘call’, stressing our previous agreement. “Go easy on them okay,” she winked.

              “Thank you Jenn,” I said and watched her walk back into the compound. I watched her pale complexion sink into the shadows, wishing I had the same luxury instead of straining in the sun.

              “I would like to thank you for this morning,” Sydney said. “But it doesn’t mean I am accepting you yet. My people here work hard. How you act today, will give me an inclination as to what department you will work best in. We have those who watch the wall; the collective team who gather resources, and then there is my team- you will only know what we do, if you are shortlisted onto the squad.”

              “Understood,” I mused. “So what do I need to do to prove myself to be on that delightful team?”

              “Ahhh, you have a sense of sarcasm. I don’t like it, give me fifty push-ups,” Sydney mused. I arched my eyebrows to him. It had been a long time since I had to take orders from another.

              “
Just
fifty push-ups?” I asked, not able to bite back the taste of sass. He raised his eyebrows as someone approached him, asking for permission to speak. Sydney stepped closer, the steam from his body radiated towards me. The pulse of his neck was tempting as the blood pumped effortlessly through his muscular, healthy frame. I gulped harshly, unable to now meet his eyes as he looked down on me.

              “Make it two hundred,” he breathed hastily on my face. “Your mind may not remember who you are, but muscle memory is a very real thing. We will see what you were capable of before you hit your head, Ellie.” I could smell the endorphins by being so close to him. It tempted me to grab the back of his neck and pull him in to feast.

              “Sydney?” The other man interrupted. It snapped both of our attention away from one another and my fixation of his neck, I looked to the ground, ready to do so.

              “Let me clap for the first fifty as well,” I mused unable to contain my confidence in my physical strength. Sydney’s lip slightly curled. He looked away so I couldn’t see the smile. He continued to watch me as I did my push-ups, while he spoke to the other member.

              I listened in to their conversation, bored out of my mind. It was practices and exercise resumes. I gave the humans a clap for their extreme measures to stay fit; it was close to the extent of what I forced my own raid team to do every day. It only confirmed the difference between humans and Hunters. Although I couldn’t help but ponder over what Mr. Richard had said about Sydney. That perhaps his mother had been Huntress. Even then, if a child is not born with Hunter eyes, then they are discarded into a human camp. They have no extended strength or senses, but perhaps it aided them slightly when comparing to standard human beings.

              After my first one hundred of clap push-ups, which I slowed in pace and pretended to strain like any human would, I paused for a moment as if to take a breather. Sydney crouched in front of me, his companion now ran with the others. “Why don’t you sweat?” He asked, curiously.

              I started on my next hundred push-ups, making sure to do them at a slow pace. “I don’t know, perhaps I am not working hard enough,” I teased. I couldn’t help but be sarcastic. There was a comfort I found in Sydney, which I hadn’t had with most. It was like being within my Guild, training again, before my mother was announced dead and I, a Token Huntress. I always accepted those who challenged me, and thought me incapable of certain tasks. Every day I pushed myself to advance my skill and superiority.

              “You have a big mouth for a little girl. You look to be what, eighteen?” he looked into my eyes for a long moment. “But you seem much older and wiser when I look into your eyes. When your memory returns, please share it with me; I am very interested to know who you really are.”

              “That make’s two of us,” I gasped through another push up.

              He smiled and stood again. “Once you finish those, we will practice at the archery range, a lot of those who are on the wall are accurate in archery.”

              “I don’t want to be on the wall,” I growled.

              “And why is that?” he asked as he studied the rest of his members who ran around and continued to struggle under the heat.

              “It seems boring. When I saved your ass from that saber, I guess I realized I liked the thrill,” I half laughed, as if straining through my push-up. This exercise was ridiculous to me.

              “You think you saved my ass?” He grunted.

              “I imagine a good leader would take it in stride,” I charmed. There was a part of him that reminded me so much of my trainer and previous Token Hunter, Drue. Before I was named in charge and Token, he was my previous leader. He did not train me personally, but he pushed me because of my superior attitude. We played such idle games of taunts, and challenge continuously. Finally, I had pin pointed why I acted to Sydney in such a strange way. He reminded me of Drue. I stood up, now done with the boring push-ups. “Now let’s go to the arrows.”

              He studied me for longer and then presented his hand outwards for me to walk first. I grabbed the bow that sat on the ground and strapped the bag with arrows over my shoulder. I looked at the distance, which was only about twenty meters, an easy shot. I pulled back my first arrow, it would be a perfect shot even with the wind that rushed past, and I had already taken this into account. But I couldn’t make it look so easy; I had to be human- and humans made plenty of mistakes.

              Sydney stood behind me, looking at the aim himself. I let go and watched it hit near the center, but not dead on.

              “You need to consider the wind change, lift your next arrow,” Sydney said, watching me as I did in the same position. He tipped my elbow slightly and angled it; it was a very accurate perception, considering he himself was not shooting it.

              A bellowing alarm grabbed everyone’s attention. I looked into the direction that it was coming from, unable to pin point only one speaker, it surrounded the whole wall.

              “Everyone to the wall now! Take your weapons!” Sydney bellowed. “What section?!” He yelled at one of the guards, who were on the wall above us. He squinted at Sydney, obviously unable to hear him. The guard beside him, lined up the harpoon and began to shoot. Something was down there.

              Everyone began to scale the roped ladders along the wall, with swords and bows strapped. I followed Sydney, watching the two guards on top as they shot bellow. There is no way they could see, the mist would be too thick. They must have been shooting aimlessly. I honed my hearing beyond the wall and heard the scratching noises of something scaling the wall. Not one, but four. The members that gathered were enough to handle the three that lumped together on the left, but there was one further on the right that scaled. It was separate to its pack. I looked to that direction and found no guard. That creature had stopped scaling and I could smell fresh blood.

              I ran into that direction, annoyed by my human pace. I jumped for the ladder and scaled the wall. I threw myself over the jarred cement, and balanced elegantly on the wall. Still hunched over, I stared at the creature that now feasted and ate out the stomach of the guard, who only minutes ago were alive. The fresh smell of blood ensnared me. My ears pounded for it hearing nothing but emptiness, my purple hazed eyes fixated on the steady stream that pooled out of the guard. I felt disgusted. This guard was not alive, his blood no longer pumped in his veins. I savored for fresh blood,
alive
blood; I could not be tempted by some blood smeared on a pavement. My fangs retracted. I stood detailing the creature. So this was the rodent.