Token Huntress (15 page)

I thought of his childhood. He was taken away from his mother. He always begged me to live with him, to leave my position as Token Huntress, to wed, to have children. Could it be as severe as Chase let on? But I was fine; I could always look after myself. But to have an outsider’s perception of what I already feared sent me deeper in to those dark thoughts. Did James really believe he controlled me?

              “He would have pleaded with Campture for, say, a day at most. By then he would have been convinced that you were a traitor. He would have come and offered you an ultimatum: to live with him as mother to his children, under his protection, or you could choose death.

              By then your best friend, Dillian, would have been outraged. Despite the low emotion levels of hunters, you had a few who would stand up in your defense. The woman who can control flames would have been first. She would seek out Campture on her own. On her next raid this huntress would be ‘accidently’ killed by her own kind, but they would claim it to have been sabers.

              Unfortunately the little apprentice, Tori, I believe it was, would be witness. They wouldn’t kill him, but he would never be allowed on a raid again in punishment. Your best friend Dillian, would face a decision: defy them and die, or say nothing and stay with his fiancée. Of course he loves her very much, but he would still fight for you. He would openly be killed in front of all. He would be an example to other hunters not to interfere. You would then be killed.”

              Still with my arms crossed over my chest, I thought of this. In truth, I could understand his thought process on the matter, and although I wish I could have dismissed it as a lie, I couldn’t. I already had my doubts about Campture. I did not trust her after my mother’s death. I suspected she had made me Token both because I was one of the best warriors, but also to keep me close. I wish I could laugh in Chase’s face at the words he spoke. But all of it seemed true.

              “And this is what you suspected would happen?” I asked dryly. I did not want Chase to know that I considered his words to be true.

              “Esmore, I would not lie to you. I brought you back to protect you. For now this was the safest place I could bring you. I know it seems unlikely because of the enemies around you. But the difference is, if they only think you are human, I can protect you from both the vampires within this wall and the hunters who want to execute you within your own home. I cannot protect you within the wall of hunters. Although I would have tried it in a heartbeat, if my manipulation did not work.”

              “I cannot be kept as a pet.” Eventually I would have to return. A place of vampires was not a home for me.

              “I would never treat you as a pet, Esmore. For now, please understand my reasoning.” He stood again, reaching out for my hand. “For now let us stay, for only a while longer while everything calms down. If this is not a place you would want to be, then we will find a way to leave. I will follow you if it’s something that you so desperately want. But know there will be consequences if I do such a thing.”

I considered this for a moment. I had comments to make, remarks to shoot him down. But I could not say them. For what reason would he sacrifice all he had for me? The thought of him following me sent a warmth through me which was scary. His hand slowly intertwined with one of mine, unlocking the firm grip I had across my chest. He simply held it and leant down to kiss my forehead. A shudder of warmth spread over my forehead and like I had noted before, I actually felt something when Chase touched me. It was almost overwhelming as I had not felt such a feeling in so long. His other hands stroked my cheek and trailed down my neck. He lifted his necklace away from my throat so that it was no longer tucked into my dress, out of sight.

              “There is so much I want to share with you. But I will wait until you want that,” he promised. I could feel the heat radiate between us. It was like a swirl of tension, pushing us together. I could feel my legs wanting to give way to him, sensations trailing up my legs and desire heating me.

I stared at his lips longingly before pulling away. I could not, even to James. I could not be unfaithful until I could tell him my feelings were no longer true.

              “Tythian and Whitney are the only other two who know your true identity. After much arguing with Tythian, he has agreed to say nothing. He is older than me, but we have lived together for a long time — he is someone I can trust. But as I said he does not take well to those who threaten Whitney. I have also been informed she will be showing you around. It shocks me that you found her so quickly. But be careful around her. Tythian and I are close but if you insult her in anyway or push her for too many answers about the Council, he will not take it kindly. He is very protective of her.”

              “Because she is his familiar?” I asked.

              “She told you about familiars?”

              “Well, no not as of yet, but…” Before I could demand the answer from him, he cut me off.

              “I will tell you soon. But for now let’s go out and I’ll show you the big bad vampire lair,” he suggested, his fingers waving in the air spookily. “And, if anyone asks, you are
mine
,”
His tone was so sharp that his sudden mood swing had even me intimidated. “I know you don’t belong to me, Esmore. But please, if anyone asks, you must state it. It’s the only way within the walls I can keep you protected… you must be bound to me.”

I already had a taste of what his speed and strength was like. I was now growing very aware that I was no longer as strong as I had thought, well, not in comparison to the older vampires. Especially Chase.

W
alking out into the white halls, I saw that already Whitney and Tythian were in front of the water fountain. Whitney favored water features immensely, it seemed. This was her favorite spot to sit and simply stare. Tythian noticed us first. Chase went tense and stood in front of me. Tythian was the only other vampire who knew my identity and it was obvious he didn’t like it that I was within the Council. It did bring me relief to know that no one vampire recalled my face from the battle. Too much was happening during the fight and I was taken in after the explosion of the grenade.

              Whitney then noticed us, patting Tythian’s hand lightly in a reassuring manner. “Don’t you ruin my friendship for me,” she said playfully with a light smile. He looked down at her, his hand tightening around hers. His eyes glistened in adoration. His blonde hair was slicked back smoothly, seeming very golden against his tanned skin. He was wearing black pants and a white buttoned shirt.

              Chase was standing next to me as we had come to a halt in front of them. It gave me a moment to admire the difference in not only Tythian’s and Chase’s style, but age as well. It made me question why Chase seemed to be the only one who never wore a shirt, only a leather jacket. My eyes fixated on his hard chest, my eyes lingering over his hard stomach. His hip bones made me go hazy in thought. He found my eyes, a cocky smile twitching at his lips. Although my expression was bland, he knew I had been staring at his perfect body.

When I compared the style of both men, you could tell there was a very large age gap simply by the way they dressed. Although Tythian looked to be in his mid-thirties, there was an atmosphere around him. He was much older than Chase, possibly the oldest one here. I would have to ask Chase later.

              “I am sorry about the attire,” Whitney said sheepishly. “You see I always have to wear long dresses. It is more comforting for me but I get very cold, very quickly. Chase asked me to find you clothes as we look the same size. It was all the clothing I had in my wardrobe.”

              “Do not apologize, Whitney. She should be grateful,” Tythian interjected sharply. A low growl erupted from Chase in some form of warning. His fangs were already bared, and Tythian followed. His were much larger and fiercer.

              “I said not to, Tythian,” Whitney said, slapping him on the arm lightly. The exertion of it forced her to cough into her hand. Chase caught and held my hand so I would not run to her aid, simply letting me watch.

              “Whitney,” Tythian said, dropping to his knees in front of her. He rested one hand on her back, the other holding her hand tightly. “Let me ease the pain for you, please.” His tone was begging. She continued coughing hoarsely. Tythian’s eyes scattered over her, he was suffering himself.

              “I’m okay,” she panted. She looked back at the water fountain. It was as if she had forgotten what she was doing. She looked back at Tythian, placing her hand on his smooth jaw before stroking it. Her eyes were filled with such love that I was suddenly reminded of Chase’s hand holding mine and I let go. Never did I think in this lifetime I would see such a display of affection between human and vampire. I wanted to deny it but as they stared into one another’s eyes, I knew their feelings were true.

“Please help me make this a wonderful day. I like Esmore,” she said, her voice fragile. She reminded me a little of Julia, Dillian’s girlfriend.

              “Anything for you, my love,” Tythian responded, kissing her knuckles. He stood, resting a kiss on her forehead before turning to me. He tried to soften the hatred in his eyes and took on a very bland look. I knew that look all too well. It was the same one I adopted when I didn’t want others to guess my thoughts as they studied my expression.

              “Well, first of all,” Whitney clasped her hands together. “I bet Chase has forgotten that you actually need food to live, so let me take you to the food hall.” When she mentioned it both Chase and I looked at my stomach, as if forgetting that I did actually have to eat. So much had happened over the last few days that I had completely forgotten.

              “Shit, I knew there was something I forgot about keeping a pet human,” Chase teased. I raised my eyebrows at him in challenge. I was no one’s pet. Yet I was not angry at him for the comment, accepting it as playful.

              Tythian pushed Whitney in her wheelchair. He turned down the hallway on our left. I remembered that here there were more rooms. We walked through the hallway rather slowly. A few vampires had walked past us and looked at me hungrily. A few times Chase growled, checking my chest every time to make sure that his necklace was showing around my neck. A few vampires had even let their fangs slip, covering their mouths in apology as Chase’s larger fangs came out nastily.

              “Don’t scare the young ones; they can’t help it that you brought a human in that smells so appetizing. It was your choice to bring the wrong kind of human,” Tythian said with his nose pointed in the air.

              “It’s not like I had a choice in the matter,” Chase said, stretching back his arms and revealing his perfect chest as his leather jacket pulled back. Again I could not resist letting my eyes trail down each and every muscle. His body was splendid and very alluring.

              “What do you mean by that?” Tythian asked. He caught me staring at Chase hungrily. I looked away, angry with myself for letting myself slip. The longer I was with Chase, the more my rational thoughts fled. I became primal, only thinking of one thing: what his skin would taste like on my tongue. To be able to touch him, breathe in his scent. To kiss him and…

Tythian looked between Chase and me before continuing. “Is she your—”

              “We can discuss this another time, surely. All I need to let you and Fier know is that she is my human to feed from, no one else’s. That is all that should matter,” Chase snapped, no longer as relaxed. “But I will tell you this: she ruined my Batman bobble-head doll.”

              “That one took us almost a decade to find!” Tythian complained, now showing a far less mature side. He was very serious about it. Another two vampires walked past me studying me intensely. It was then that Chase grabbed my shoulder and pulled me into him, eyeing them warningly. Their pace quickened instantly.

              “I remember when I first saw your bobble-head collection,” Whitney announced, still looking ahead as we came to another intersection in the large white underground lair. How many vampires dwelled here? Tythian led us into the right hallway, where at the end there were two large wooden doors. “I screamed when I saw them, they were so creepy,” Whitney giggled. She turned around and laughed at the look on my face. “I had the exact same expression on my face, creepy little things. But it makes sense. His mother started that collection for him. So it has been the only thing connecting him to the eras in which he lived. You should see Tythian’s collection, it is—”

              “Nothing,” Tythian said in a bored tone, cutting Whitney off. She looked up at him with pouted lips. He gave her an even smile and brushed back part of her fake hair where some had fallen into her eyes. So Chase’s mother began collecting them. I wondered if she was vampire as well. Before I could ask, Chase loosened his grip on me and stretched his arms back again. I was so relaxed that I had forgotten that he still had hold of me, deterring other vampires’ admiring looks.             

              “Oh, so we can talk about Chase’s collection, but not Tythian’s,” Chase said childishly.

Tythian opened the large wooden doors, revealing an enormous white room. There were eight long tables, each of them hosting about twenty chairs each. On the right side seemed to be a large open kitchen with benches. There was a lot of food already placed on top. There must have been forty humans in here at least, some of them already eating their food, others choosing from the plates that were on the bench. All of them stopped eating and talking amongst themselves for a moment to look at who entered. None of them seemed disgruntled by the fact that two vampires had walked in, and then I noticed that there were already a few vampires in the room, sitting beside humans.

              “I don’t understand,” I whispered to Chase. Why would the humans be so calm with the vampires in here? They were the enemy.

              “Some vampires prefer to keep the one human for a while. They grow an attachment to them, whether it is because of sex, their blood, or companionship, even. Most humans come around to it quickly. We have better shelter, facilities, and food for them here, and it is much safer than them living out in the open where the sabers or covens could get to them. Because of our Council rules and regulations, we don’t torture or objectify humans. Just as you are finding less and less humans every day, so are we. We need to limit ourselves and ration the blood supply. Animal blood isn’t the sweetest, so we try to enjoy humans in moderation.”

              I looked in disgust as one woman was talking to the vampire across from her. The female vampire that sat beside her was drinking from her wrist as she did so. It was disgusting. Fools, all of them. This reminded me why I had very little respect for humans in the first place.

              “What do you feel like eating, Esmore?” Whitney asked me. Seeing my horror at our surroundings, she continued, “Perhaps we will come back later. I would love to show you the gardens.”

              “The gardens?” I repeated, trying to look away from the creatures that I hated so much. Chase was looking at me warily. Whitney smiled, urging Tythian to proceed. He led us around the tables as they continued to watch us. It was obvious I was new. Most of them had dark hair, so when I walked through with my golden-blonde hair I stuck out noticeably. They all watched, even the vampire who was feeding off its companion. I eyed her evilly, wishing now more than ever I had my bow and sword.

              There was one large glass door in the corner of the room. Tythian opened it for us, taking us out to a pavement. There were two male humans playing with an orange ball. One side-stepped the other and skilfully threw the ball toward the hoop. It sunk in and he scored himself a ‘two-pointer.’

              “This is called
basketball
. It is a very old game. It is only the Council here within the city that has brought such an old game back, the other Councils we meet with don’t usually partake in such games,” Chase educated me. The way he said it provoked more questions from me. “You interact with the other Councils often?” I asked him, still watching the men play. Tythian led us around the corner on the right. There were vampire Councils all over the world, but we weren’t sure whether they kept in communication with one another.

              “It was only five years ago when the Council’s last met. We were known to be the smallest, but since we have been gathering our numbers. I dare say in the next few months our numbers won’t be as small.”

              Above us glass windows covered the whole roof. It was a dreary day. Dark clouds covered the sky and blocked the sun. Although it should have been dark in here, it was not. There were bright lights shining along the roof. “Where do you get the power for all this?” I asked, lifting my hands and gesturing to our surroundings.

              “We have light and hot water in here because of the solar panels. It was a technique used in the technology age, and probably one of the few which they actually got right. The humans realized they were heavily polluting and destroying their facilities too quickly, so they created this. We have only had these for four years now. We use to go by fires and were very primal. But Fier wanted something more stable. We went on many raids to try and find other solutions. But much material has been either taken or wiped out. However, the city proves useful for finding such things. And Gardar, you met that vampire only yesterday…” He paused. The only vampire I had met was the one who attacked me. That was the vampire he intended to make me wary of. “He used to be a mechanic and techno wiz in the days of technology, so having him nest into our home within the past ten years has proven beneficial.”

              “You tell her too much,” Tythian said sternly.

              “I tell her what I want to tell her,” Chase responded.

I wondered if it was because of Tythian that Chase wanted to come. It was obvious Tythian was no ally, not that I would consider any vampire ever to be my ally. When we were led around the corner a small green strip of land came into view. There were many flowers. It was not overly large, but it was beautifully maintained. There was a wooden deck with a few tables and chairs, and a few large trees. I was used to the usual dead woods. It was uncommon to see so much green and colored flowers. The fog usually prevented most plants from growing.