The Vampire Hunter's Academy: The Darkness (11 page)

Chapter Fifteen

Eve sat in the other room trying to give the girls their privacy while Archer sat across from her on the love seat with his legs spread, balancing his elbows with his knees, and head down low in defeat.

“What am I going to do?” He sighed.

“About what?” Eve asked, even though she knew exactly what he was talking about.

“Our Slayer…she seems to be going through these extreme phases of bloodlust which according to the Highers up, in their archives is not supposed to happen for another three years.”

“Well, she is different. She is supposed to be the strongest ever born-“

“And then there is this King character. Did you see that look in her eyes whenever she’s near him?”

“Yes…I did.”

“And then what makes things worse is both of them are strong enough to communicate telepathically. Her best friend can’t even do that yet-not unless she is communicating with someone stronger than her-“

“That means that it has begun…” Now it was Eve’s turn to sigh.

“She’s too young for that type of bond!” Archer exclaimed.

“Shhhhh…keep your voice down. She will hear you,” Eve pleaded.

“And on top of everything else, we have a horny master that is after her-“

“But think about it…Mate Bonds, if strong enough can block out any unwanted mind locks, especially vampire. If what I think is happening betwixt the two of them is indeed happening, her bond to King can keep her safe until we figure out a way to kill the master that hunts her.”

“I don’t want to run the risk of that bond leading to other results either if you know what I’m saying…”

“I do understand, but as long as we don’t give them any room for that type of activity she will be fine…”

“The kid is bad news Eve. Bad. I don’t trust him. He was supposed to be a Guardian-“

“And he still is but we have to teach him. We failed him before, so it is not his fault that he is the way that he is. But, Sanaya may be the bridge to get through to him. You walked the path of the dark side before-“

“But there is something about him that I can’t put my finger on-“

“Give him a chance Archer. She’s seventeen-”

“And he’s nineteen-“

“Not much difference…besides, the age of consent laws are different out here anyways if it came down to it-which it won’t.”

“If he breaks her heart I will kill him myself,” Archer said flatly.

“So the Darkness could claim your soul and torture you forever?”

“I’m just saying-“

“And I’m just saying…give him a chance. Besides, the girl has not had much happiness since she arrived, and probably long before that.”

Archer leaned back against the couch in defeat. “I hate it when you’re right. You know that?”

Eve slid from her side of the room and crawled into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. “But you love it when I tell you things you already know. It means we are on the same page.”

She pressed her mouth against his, and he welcomed her in. She understood his concern with the Mate bond, because as complicated as their relationship could be, she knew all too well what it meant. But with age comes the wisdom in finding peace in the fact that something great was at work and even if they had no clue what to do about it, understanding would happen in time. They would just have to wait and see.

It wasn’t even an hour after Sanaya spilled the beans on what went on with King and Maya had showered and prepared for bed when her best friend was passed out sleep on one end of the bed. Sanaya decided to do the same by jumping in the steaming hot shower, shampooing and conditioning her hair, before climbing into bed. When she was settled in, her phone rang with King’s number showing up as the caller. Her palms shook with excitement as she struggled to answer the phone without dropping it.

“Hello?” She whispered into the receiver as she fell back onto the pillow.

“Hi beautiful,” came King’s silky voice. “Did I wake you or something?”

“No, no it’s fine. I just hopped in the bed.”

“Without me?”

“Huh? Oh uh-“

“I’m just teasing you boo. You’re not going to get in trouble are you?”

“For what? Talking on the phone?”

“No. For talking to me.”

“Even if I did, it wouldn’t matter…”

“Why?”

“Because I like talking to you. I like the sound of your voice…” She thought she could hear him smiling over the phone.

“I like talking to you too beautiful.” And that was it, the floodgates crumbled and before they knew it, both were on the phone until the sun’s rays threatened to peek over the horizon. They laughed and talked about everything they could think of, including Sanaya’s dysfunctional parents and King’s life on the streets and his now former girlfriend LaQuanda.

“Do you miss her?” Sanaya found herself asking, secretly hating the fact that another girl had some claim to this young Guardian that was slowly but surely stealing her heart.

“Nah. She was cool people. She took me in when I had nowhere to go. She was loyal, but I always knew she wasn’t the one.”

“How did you know?”

She felt him shrug. “I just knew…and then you came along and proved me right.”

Sanaya glanced out of the window, realizing that she’d been up all night. “King…”

“Yeah I know I gotta let you go. We’ve been up all night..”

“I just-“

“I don’t want to let you go,” they both said simultaneously.  Sanaya laughed.

“Well thank God classes are cancelled again today,” she said with a yawn.

“I know right? Well, get some sleep beautiful. I probably will miss breakfast, so maybe I will sit with you at lunch?”  When she yawned again he chuckled. “Never mind, make that dinner.”

“I will be at lunch…”

“Alright then Sanaya, goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

Sanaya hung up the phone and turned around to face Maya who’d been awake for quite some time and smiled.

“I take it you’re not going to breakfast,” she said with a smirk.

Sanaya rolled over onto her side and smiled. “No. But I will see you at lunch.”

Sanaya was surprised that the Guardians had allowed her to sleep in until lunch time. But, classes were cancelled until further notice due to The Vatican calling every available Guardian to action-including the older Guardians who were supposed to be “retired” from the field. There was still no news as to what happened to the missing students, and despite the few setbacks to her plan, Sanaya was determined to find out. Taking a seat at their favorite table by the back exit door, Sanaya sensed a familiar presence in the background staring at her. She didn’t have to turn around to know that her arch nemesis had somehow weaseled her way back into the school.

“I guess the she-wolf is back huh?” Maya asked taking a seat.

“I guess so…as long as she doesn’t start any shit,” Sanaya sighed. After having only four hours of sleep, every bone in her body felt like she’d been in a fight. She arched her back to stretch her spine, relishing the feeling of bones and joints popping in the right places. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt this exhausted. Yawning, she reached for her to dig into her lasagna when Maya’s cursing made her whip her head around where Elizabeth and the remaining members of her pack sat; and lo and behold seated right next to her was Trent. Sanaya’s eyes narrowed.

“Fucking traitor,” Maya seethed, her large doe eyes blazing with anger…and hurt.

“Shoulda known dude would flip sides,” Sanaya said looking away. “Now I know who not to have on my team.” 

Sanaya reached across the table and gently took Maya’s clenched fist into hers. “He didn’t deserve you in the first place,” she said, knowing that that wasn’t enough to cure the heartache Maya was going through.

“It’s cool,” Maya huffed. “It wasn’t like he was interested in me anyway.”

Sanaya watched from her mind’s eye Elizabeth smiling and nestling in closer to Trent, and she secretly wished the Guardians would allow her just one moment to spar with her. Elizabeth would never again humiliate, isolate and bully other students again.

“Trent is an idiot,” Sanaya heard herself say after a long pause. “I mean, think about it Maya…Trent’s goal is to align himself with the most ’powerful’”-she said making the quotation marks, “person in the school. Ideally, he figured it might be us, considering what I am and what you are-“

“You mean you,” Maya added sadly.

“No, us. Maya, you’ve got some serious mojo floating in your veins. You just have not been allowed to activate it yet. You’re already a strong telepath-“

“But not strong enough to mind stun Guardians,” Maya said with a chuckle.

“Not yet. Archer acknowledged it when he introduced us to Eve, remember?”  When Maya nodded, she continued. “Anyways, think about it. Now he is aligning himself with Elizabeth and I am willing to bet it has everything to do with her money. That’s it. Everyone here knows but refuses to admit that Elizabeth is actually the weakest link of the school which is why none of the Guardians have taken her out in the field yet. She has been here how long? Archer said as soon as you become stronger physically, he is taking you out on the field and that can be done in no time. Elizabeth has one more year I think before her training is done and then what? If Trent thinks that aligning himself with the queen bee of the school was the best decision to make, it sucks to be him. Especially if this campus ends up being under siege…” Sanaya didn’t bother finishing her sentence. She didn’t need to. Maya already knew what could possibly happen if the school ended up being attacked and there weren’t enough Guardians.

The two ate in silence until it was time for them to go, and when Archer approached, standing next to the door, Sanaya heard Trent’s voice yelling across the room for her and Maya’s attention.

“Ay yo, Sanaya!” He shouted, wrapping his arm around Elizabeth, who actually blushed like a school girl.

Sanaya rolled her eyes, while Maya just kept her eyes on the door. Archer scowled.

“I swear I’m going to deck this kid,” Sanaya overheard Archer mumbling to himself.

Sanaya grabbed Maya’s arm and ushered her out of the door.

The trio-Archer, Sanaya and Maya- walked out onto the courtyard where Archer motioned for them to have a seat on the bench facing the dining hall. Neither girl spoke as they waited for the other Guardians to approach. Eve appeared, followed by Tia, Lois and Myra and a couple of other familiar Guardians, plus two additional individuals, dressed in the traditional Church assassin garb of black leather and trench coats. One of them-a woman in her early thirties- with porcelain skin, slanted eyes and petite feature; her silky straight jet black hair pulled away from her face into a single thick braid that hung well below the center of her back, kept one hand on the sheath of her blade. She regarded the other Guardians with little interest, while her partner, an older man probably in his early forties, his hazel brown eyes seemed to be focused primarily on Sanaya. His bronze skin glistened underneath the sun, and the raised four inch scar across his cheek became more apparent. Sanaya studied him, memorizing every detail from his long, thick mane that was also pulled away from his face in a single plait to the broad, heavily muscled shoulders. He as at least a foot taller than Archer who stood somewhere between 5’11’’ and 6’. Out of everyone that stood before her, this assassin had the strongest presence and she wondered what kind of abilities outside of fighting did he have at his disposal.

“I want you two to meet two very important people,” Archer said interrupting her thoughts. “This is,” Archer continued pointing to the male assassin. “Asim.”

Asim bowed in her direction. “It is an honor and a pleasure to be of service to you young Slayer.”

“And this is Tatsu,” Archer said, as Tatsu offered her hand for Sanaya to accept.

Her grip was soft yet firm at the same time and upon contact, Sanaya detected a vague electric current coming off of this particular assassin. Tatsu smiled, acknowledging what Sanaya had sensed and Sanaya made a mental note to ask her about it later.

“These two will be your personal baby sitters until this whole thing blows over. We will be working with the church assassins round the clock to ensure the safety of the remaining students. Any questions?”

Yes she had questions. Many of them. But there was one question in particular that Sanaya needed answers for and one way or another Archer was going to tell her.

“Yes, Archer I do have one question,” Sanaya began with a frown.

“Well shoot.”

“Why didn’t Halo die when I staked her? And how was she able to cross hallowed ground?”

She could feel Maya holding her breath and the other Guardians stared at her hard, while the two assassins smiled.

“First of all that was two questions. Secondly, that is classified information not meant for the ears of a first year student who is-“

“A slayer with a destiny to hunt evil,” Sanaya continued defiantly. “That is what I am right?”

“I am not having this conversation with you Sanaya,” Archer growled.

“Why?”

“Because one, I know you. Two, this is not Scooby Doo and the last thing I need is for you to drag Maya around, risking her life and yours-“

“If I might suggest something,” Tatsu offered, facing Archer.

Archer faced her, his expression reflecting ever level of annoyance made known to mankind, but he kept his lips tightly sealed. The tension in his jaws were so tight, Sanaya noticed a muscle twitching and the vein that protrudes in the center of his forehead when he is upset, pulsated. Sanaya silently prayed that her Guardian did not spontaneously combust.

“I do not believe that it is within the interest of our slayer to be kept in the dark regarding such important matters. It might encourage her to react instead of act which could be harmful to her overall development. Besides, from what I heard she proved herself capable when the turned Guardian breeched the campus-“

“I am not having this discussion with you in front of the student who is in my charge!” Archer snapped, now returning his attentions on Sanaya. “And you, yes you are the Slayer. And yes you were born to hunt. Yes, you are probably the strongest one born since the beginning of time, but during this stage of the game, you are to listen to orders and not administer your own. You. Are. Not. Ready. End of story.”

“But-“

“No buts Sanaya! You-“

“I can track the master Archer,” Sanaya said firmly, her gaze unwavering.

“You were almost vamp snatched that night. Had Eve and I not dragged you off the street-“

“If you don’t at least tell me what is going on more students are going to die,” Sanaya whispered. Archer’s hard glare under normal circumstances would have made her look away. However, things were different. She could feel it. The Church, as far as she knew never called upon its assassins unless there was a serious threat or some special mission that required skills of a particular specialty. Guardians usually took care of things for the most part. The fact that the assassins had been called to aid meant something much larger was at stake, and she was determined to find out what that is.

“And how do you know?” Archer replied softly.

“I feel it. And I know you sense it too…something isn’t right.”

Archer turned away an indicator to Sanaya that she had indeed made her point.

“How about this,” Eve said trying to ease the tension that was now suffocating the group. “I think it is time that you start building your team. Why stand on ceremony and wait for her to choose? It is obvious the first person you would choose is Maya, and I’m afraid that were hindering your gifts. Classes have been cancelled until further notice, but for you Sanaya-and you too Maya, your training can continue. We have one strong Guardian potential that recently arrived-well two and we should add them to the group which would make three Guardians plus the Slayer. We need four more to give us the standard seven to make the protective formation around her, so that way, should whatever reason none of us are available-“

“I’m not liking this,” Archer fumed. “Not at all.”

“Me either, “added Tia. “There are at list fifty Guardians on site at all times. There are more than enough of us to hold the line of defense on this campus.”

“But let’s say that the master decided to use everything he had against us? Then what? Demons don’t burn in sunlight. Neither do werewolves. We have no idea what may come and fifty Guardians with an assortment of gifts may still not be enough. She is immune to vampire bites. But what she will not be immune to yet is not a risk I am willing to take and I am sure none of you are willing to bet on it either.” Eve folded her arms against her chest. Her glare, a silent dare for each one of the Guardians to challenge her on this topic, and when no one said anything, she smiled.