The Vampire Hunter's Academy: The Darkness (4 page)

“And you are certain he will be the key to her undoing?” Daemon questioned skeptically.

“Beyond…he has a darkness within him that is enough to eclipse the sun and had I not considered him for this specific purpose, I would have turned him myself. He will do our empire good.”

“And if he is successful, she may choose him as one of her Guardians.” Alex added with a cough.

“At midnight on her twenty first birthday,I believe he has the capability…” Petronius stood up from his seat and walked over to the window, looking down on the city below.

“When will she go into her needing?” Daemon asked, his fangs fully extended, desire wafting from his pores.

“As soon as she turns twenty one.From there, there is a seven day window. I plan to turn him immediately after her coronation as the slayer. In three days, he will return to her and they will reunite as lovers do.”

“And what if his seed doesn’t take?” Alex inquired with concern.

“That is a risk I am willing to take.” Petronius turned away from the view and faced his fellow conspirators. “Gentlemen, our meeting is adjourned. The sun will rise soon which means it is time for us to retire to our lairs. We will reconvene on the next full moon to discuss things in detail. Four years is not that far away.”

“Indeed it is not,” Alex added, licking his lips and trembling with desire. “I would love to be the one to service her during her needing.”

“And she would stake you on sight my friend,” Petronius chuckled. “All of us would love to be the one to service her during that period, but unfortunately, there is something much bigger at stake than idle pleasures of the flesh. Until the next moon. Feed well.” Petronius dematerialized in puff of mist and disappeared into the night.

Alex bid Daemon farewell with a nod before converting into mist, leaving the scarred vampire alone with his thoughts.

“Farewell Petronius,” he muttered to himself as he deconstructed into the airwaves. “Farewell indeed.”

Chapter Four

Sanaya gripped the silver stake tightly behind her back as she faced off with her first vampire target. Archer literally dropped her off just outside of the back alley behind one of the popular Italian clubs which happened to be a popular vampire feeding ground. She could still hear the blaring pop music vibrating through the streets of Rome, as she studied the creature before her. The moment he pulled off, her skin began to tingle and prickle and all of her senses heightened. Fear was no longer an issue. She detected the presence of two more hiding off in the shadows and every muscle in her body twitched with tension. She narrowed her gaze at the creature. Red, glowing eyes glared back at her. Fangs fully extended and still dripping with the blood of the victim it had been feeding on. Scraggly blonde hair, tanned skin,which indicated that this is a recent turn,ripped denim and a blood soaked blue crew neck. Standing at about 5’8”…oh yeah, Sanaya could take her.

The vampire hissed before transforming into vapor and Sanaya forced herself to become still like a living, breathing statue. She waited for the precise moment when the vampire would materialize out of the vapor and then she became liquid motion. From her training, she knew baby vampires were impulsive and blinded by their all-consuming thirst for blood. She landed a strong kick to the entity’s jaw while she hit the ground smoothly. The vampire stumbled back and lunged for her again, this time joined by the two other vampires that were hiding in the shadows. Sanaya sensed them before they could land a punch, and once again, she became a blur. Using her hyper speed, she launched a series of hard kicks and punches, more enraged by the minute. She pictured the countless innocents whose loved ones were taken from them because of these vermin. She remembered her own loss and for that, these bastards would pay. One of them, a tall, lanky young man who appeared to be in his early twenties was lucky enough to knock her off balance. She hit the concrete with a hard thud landing on her shoulder and dislocating it in the process. She howled in pain but that would not stop her.

She could hear the quickened footsteps and the familiar presence of Archer and Eve running to her aid, but she didn’t need them. She was on her feet instantly, adrenaline burning away the pain.Clutching the silver tipped stake, she took aim and flung it in the center of the tall, lanky vampire’s chest, incinerating him instantly. Eve appeared out of the nothingness and was on the blonde vampire, decapitating her with her blade while Archer brought down the other, a short red head, with a silver tipped arrow using the cross bow. With adrenaline still flooding her nervous system, Sanaya reared her head back and released a war cry, her voice echoing in the alley. Despite her shoulder being dislocated, her internal vampire tracking system was still on high alert and it sent her running down the alley at top speed. She heard Archer and Eve call out her name, but she could not bring herself to turn around. No, she would not be deterred!

She became one with the night, feeling strengthened by its seductive call to hunt those who hide underneath its protective covering. A howl could be heard off in the distance when she came to a stop just outside of a local bar two miles south from the club. Gooseflesh blanketed her brown skin and the overall feeling of dread caused knots to form in her stomach forcing her to double over with nausea. She could hear Eve in her mind begging her to fall back, but her naturally stubborn nature refused to answer. This particular street seemed to be a dead zone.No human stragglers in sight, not even the drunken fools who did not know their limit and had to be escorted out by the guards; no sound other than her own labored breaths could be heard for what seemed like miles. The feeling of dread intensified, bringing her to her knees and she finally sent Archer a mental SOS. Her instincts told her to get up and run when her mind felt the gentle caress of an intruder attempting a telepathic lock. She mentally sealed herself in, but the force was too strong and pried her mind open like a soda can.

And what brings a young beauty like yourself into my side of town?
The deep baritone voice of something male whispered in Italian in her mind.

Before she could respond, someone grabbed her from behind and hoisted her on his shoulder and the next thing she knew they were on the move. She heard Eve shouting something. However, her mind was elsewhere, trying to understand what just happened. The connection to the entity remained until Archer tossed her in the backseat of his Maserati with him having to strap her in himself.

Instant yearning for the stranger in her mind brought tears to her eyes. She had to get to that voice!

She struggled to break free from the seat belt when Eve crawled in next to her and held her wrists firmly against her thighs.

“Listen to me Sanaya,” She said firmly. Her midnight blue eyes boring into her; her own fangs now fully extended. “You have been called.I need you to breathe.”

Archer quickly started the engine. “This is my fault. I should have never brought her out! It is too soon!”

“Breath Sanaya,” Eve continued.

Sanaya slowly began to relax as she focused on Eve and mimicked her breathing. In the meantime, Archer drove like a madman on mission, pushing the Maserati to maximum speed as they drove through the countryside in the opposite direction of the Vatican.

“Where are you going?” Eve panicked, releasing Sanaya’s wrists and looking behind them.

“Can’t take her back immediately. We are being trailed. I’m sure you know what that was that called her. How the fuck did we not know that a
master
vampire was in our midst?” With one hand on the steering wheel he yanked his phone out from his side pocket and hit dial.

“He must’ve been a recent elevation because as much as I have been out in the field, I hadn’t detected his presence either. Who are you calling?”

“The Vatican. This is serious and so close to the Academy? What if that had been one of our other senior students Eve? Huh?” There was a pause and Eve didn’t bother to respond due to someone obviously answering the phone.

“Hey Tia this is Archer and we have a very serious problem…no…she was called by a fuckin’ master level vampire while out in the field…uh huh…I am sending you our location and which direction we are headed in now…yes a full guardian escort is needed. Roger that.” He disconnected the call and glanced into the rearview mirror at Sanaya. “How is our Slayer?”

“A little dazed but I think she is coming around,” Eve said giving Sanaya’s hand a gentle squeeze. “I think the connection is severed because she is no longer trying to make a bolt for it.”

They drove at Mach speed for another twenty minutes before slowly coming to a halt in front of a small church just a few miles away from a cliff overlooking the ocean. Sanaya continued to gaze out of the window, hypnotized by the scenery of a clear night sky blanketing mile after mile of fields of green. She no longer felt the seductive caress intermingling with the overwhelming sense of dread and the urge to run into death’s embrace head on. She relaxed, leaned her head against the leathery backseat and allowed Archer to drive them away to safety. 

The sun still had yet to rise, but she could sense its warm, life giving rays off in the distance. Her phone began to vibrate on her hip and she knew it was Maya dying to know the scoop. She could feel Eve studying her as she pulled out her phone to decline the call but follow up with a text message.

Call u later. Not home yet.

She slid the phone back into her pocket and returned her gaze to the scenery, enchanted by the sweeping slopes of the hills in the countryside; the miles upon miles of vineyards; and the overall beauty of the landscape. When they finally came to a stop in front of the church, Archer was the first out of the car with his Berretta drawn. Eve slid out using the driver passenger’s side door and both of them were at Sanaya’s side when she reached for the handle to push the door open. Archer led them up the stoned pathway through the iron gate and knocked patiently on the wooden door decorated with a gold cross. The church sat on a single story surrounded by shrubbery and a small garden patch that lined the walkway. When the aging priest finally answered the door, he simply nodded at Archer allowing him to pass. When Eve went to approach him, he motioned the sign of the cross over his chest and stepped to the side, careful to put as much distance between them as possible. But with Sanaya, he fell to his knees and lowered his head to the ground uttering praises. Sanaya gave Archer a pleading look and he immediately helped the priest to his feet.

“Bless you child!” He continued to utter, his blue eyes red with shed tears. “We have something to continue to fight for…to believe in.”

As a warm gesture, Archer dusted off the priest’s red robing but the cleric politely ushered him away. The priest beckoned for them to follow him, bypassing row after row of pews followed by the alter where the man of cloth would feed the spirits of his parishioners with a word from God, into a back room that provided a twin bed, a dresser and gated window.

“She can rest here,” the cleric offered with a thick Italian accent. “I have other rooms for the both of you to rest until the other Guardians arrive,but I do not understand the need when daylight is near.”

“There are other entities that are not banished to the darkness, Father Lorenzo,” Archer stated calmly.

The priest nodded as Sanaya took a seat on the twin bed.

“Rest here kid. The team should be here shortly and I know you need a moment to gather your thoughts and whatnot…”

Archer waited for Father Lorenzo to escort Eve down the hall to another room before continuing. Sanaya figured she was about to receive an earful for taking off on her own like she did and anxiously awaited the verbal chastising she clearly deserved,but when their eyes met, pride shone in his, something she did not expect.

“Good job kid,” he said finally after a beat. “I mean it. The fact that you were willing to take on three vampires on your own, dislocating your shoulder in the process,which by the way still needs to be looked at, and then you hone in on a master level vampire’s lair smack dab in the middle of Rome.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Bad ass.”

“Thanks Archer,” was all she could say.

“No need to thank me. I should be thanking you. I have several scheduled field tests with some of your peers, and none of us had even caught on to the fact that there is a master in our midst which could lead to some serious consequences…damn girl, if you are this strong at seventeen it makes me wonder what you are going to be like at twenty one.” He paused before continuing. “I will have Eve come and pop your shoulder back into place.”

At the mere mention of her shoulder, pain immediately shot up her arm causing her to groan. 

“I’ll go get Eve.” Archer turned around and left while Sanaya fell back on the twin bed. As another wave a pain coursed through her, off in the distance, she could hear the faint voice of the vampire in her mind calling her. She blocked him out, finally and closed her eyes trying to focus on anything else other than the pain. Rolling onto her side, she inhaled deeply and prayed that the guardian team that was supposed to come arrived soon, as that same feeling of dread crept back into her system.

Yeah, they needed to get here stat.

Chapter Five

The Guardians arrived not even thirty minutes after Eve came into the room and popped her shoulder back into place. The sun had just begun to peak over the horizon, and Sanaya struggled to keep her eyes open. Her body’s sluggish movements were enough to plead her case in missing classes today, but then again the last thing she wanted to do was spend most of her day alone and trapped in her room. Each of the Guardians had regarded her with a level of high respect, and upon leaving the church, they surrounded her in the traditional guardian formation: two at her front, two at her sides, and two at her back with Eve and Archer guarding the flank. Archer held the door to his Maserati open for her, as she climbed in the back. Eve made it a point to nestle in next to her on the other side.

Every bone in her body ached, and as they drove in a caravan on their way back to the Academy, Eve suggested that she soak in the tub with some bath salts she would provide for her and catching an hour or two of sleep before making it to at least one of her classes. Class began at seven. Sanaya checked her watch and it was already nearing 6:30. She would definitely miss her English Lit class and her World Studies class. She may make it to The Dimensions of Hell 101 and now that she was no longer allowed to spar with her peers, her Weapons and Physical Fitness class left two hours of free time, unless Archer told her otherwise. So, she figured that could be used for more sleep and recovery.

Her eye balls felt like she dipped them and rolled them in sand before placing them back into her sockets, and her body still hummed with the feeling of dread. She caught Eve staring at her and shifted uneasily in her seat. Eve knew the connection wasn’t totally broken.

“Are you alright?” She asked with her Romanian accent thicker than usual.

“Yeah, yeah…I’m good,” Sanaya replied quickly trying not to broach the subject with Archer in the vicinity. She managed to successfully block him from reading her, but the effort had been draining and causing more fatigue than what she could fight against.

“No, you are not. You forget you are speaking to a vampire,” she whispered, understanding Sanaya’s discomfort with giving Archer all of the details.

“I don’t think you should go out in the field again until we put the vampire down,” Eve continued.

“I can hear you two you know,” Archer frowned. “And she won’t. Too dangerous. The instant she steps outside of The Academy, he will call her. They already have a mind lock.”

“But-“ Sanaya started to argue but was instantly cut off by Archer’s hard stare from the rearview mirror.

“No. End. Of. Discussion. And I am cancelling all scheduled field tests until further notice. You will spar with experienced Guardians until then.”

Sanaya exhaled sharply and slumped back into her seat. She was huntress for crying out loud! This was her destiny and what she was being trained to do. She should be the one to hunt the master vampire and put him out of his misery.

“We will talk more later,” Eve whispered gently patting her hand.

Sanaya simply nodded. What else was there for them to talk about?

“Oh and one more thing Sanaya,” Archer declared firmly, his eyes still focused on the road.

“Yes?”

“Until this master is put down for good, you will be under twenty four hour guard beginning the moment your foot touches the pavement at The Academy. I would explain to you the necessity of such extreme precautions but I take it you would rather hear it from Eve.”

Sanaya’s eyes widened as she glanced at Eve who looked away quickly. So it was going to be
that
kind of conversation best explained by another female. Great.  They drove the rest of the way in silence and as soon as Archer pulled into the parking lot, she was once again surrounded by the team of Guardians.

Great…even better. Now the whole school is going to think I am under some special privilege just for being born,
she thought to herself.
Fuck my life.

Just as Sanaya predicted, students and senior staff stopped in their tracks to observe the obvious parade of Guardians escorting her to her room. She cringed as she felt the curious, and the few hateful stares of her peers; her stomach did backflips as she listened in on the whispers and private thoughts that revealed some of the onlookers true feelings.

Who does she think she is?

What did the freak do this time?

Attention whore!

Full Guardian escort? Does that mean it is time?

I don’t see what the big deal is…she isn’t special…

Sanaya lowered her head and tried to tune out the myriad of thoughts, feeling like she was being mentally and emotionally stoned. When she finally made it to her room, she requested-better yet-demanded at least five minutes of privacy with Eve swearing to her that she would return so they could talk. Of course, she knew she would only be granted privacy within the space of her room. At least three Guardians were outside of her door keeping watch. Tossing her hoodie on her messy bed, she went straight for the tiny compartment of a shower and cut the water on as hot as she could physically stand it. She checked her phone once again, not expecting any other calls or messages from anyone other than Maya, and just as she expected, word must have traveled fast because Maya’s number popped up on the screen as soon as she unlocked her phone.

Sanaya inhaled deeply before answering. “Yeah?”

“Uh weren’t you supposed to call me?” Maya snapped, her normally calm voice climbing a few notches higher.

“I just got in Maya, like literally.” Sanaya collapsed on the bed and closed her eyes.

“Well, apparently your entrance caused a big stir. Full Guardian escort? What the hell happened Sanaya?”

“It’s a long story-“

“I don’t want to hear that crap,” Maya quipped. “Spill it.”

“Did you sleep at all last night?” Sanaya asked with a chuckle.

“Hell no! I was up all night worrying about you.” Maya’s tone suddenly shifted from agitated to concerned. “What happened?”

Sanaya quickly gave her friend a quick rundown of the night’s events, and when she touched on the subject of the master vampire, Maya’s gasp felt like it sucked what little life she had in her, out of her.

“You mind locked with a
master
vampire? Do you know how dangerous that is? He could trail you for the rest of your life until someone puts him down-“

“So that explains the presidential entourage,” Sanaya released a sigh.

“Yeah, and that means that the school is going to be locked down for a while...” Maya paused before speaking. “Are you alright?”

“Oh now you asked,” Sanaya teased, but quickly changed her tone when Maya didn’t laugh. “I guess I’m alright. I am exhausted though.”

“Not coming to class?”

“Nah…Archer said he will waive the first two so I can get some rest.”

“Ok, well I will give you my notes,and Sanaya?”

“Huh?”

“How did it feel to actually kill one those fuckers?”

Sanaya smiled and paused as she thought about it. “Good…it felt good.”

She could almost hear Maya smiling. “Good. You know Elizabeth is going to turn green with hate.”

“As long as she doesn’t try me like she did last night, I don’t care what color she turns.”

Maya snickered. “Well, cool I guess I will see you later?”

Sanaya yawned. “Yup. You know the drill. Text me later YaYa.”

“Alright ‘naya.”

The two disconnected and Sanaya jumped up and went straight to the shower. She hoped that whatever Eve had to discuss with her was done quickly, because her entire body felt like she’d been used as a punching bag and then dumped off of a cliff.