Chapter 7A Chapter by RedMistressAnother drop of blood
filled the pool that covered the ground beneath their feet, another sharp
silvery sword slashed the air and cut through flesh, pulling a horrid scream
from its victim and another set of claws dug into the ground just before they
were raised again to cripple one more life form. The cries and moans of the
fallen were covered by the screams of those that still had the strength, will
and ability to fight. He walked among the
corpses, unseen by those that were still standing or barely breathing and he
counted the souls that were meant to be living, yet were no more. He never
truly touched the ground as his bare feet kept advancing, while his mind was
raging with anger over those that had dared destroy his order. It was not
supposed to be like this. The bloodbath that unraveled
around him was not real, he knew, but it was the only logical outcome of the
current events. Still, this was not how it was supposed to unfold. This was an
insult to his careful planning, to the souls that were meant to live, that were
destined to do so and here they were, dying. He scowled when he noticed a
lifeless dark haired woman in the arms of an equally lifeless vampire and he
felt his rage reaching new heights. He would not stand for this. He would make
them pay. With a sudden jolt he was now
awakened, his eyes snapping open only to be met by the same darkness he had
left behind. He closed them back, willing his mind to focus on his surroundings.
Nothing had really changed since the last time, and yet everything was
different. His power was weakened and it would take time before he was his old
self again. He had slept for too long. The shadows called to
him, welcoming him back into their folds and he allowed himself to blend with
them as they helped him escape his confines. He stretched his arms and legs, the pain and stiffness in
his joints and muscles, doing nothing for his anger. It would also take time to
get his body moving properly again, but for now he gave in to the whispers and
disappeared from his makeshift bed. It was an old trick he'd used before in
times of need and right now he needed it if he was going to walk outside. It wasn't long before
he reached the hole that served as an entrance to the cave he was in, his tall,
lean figure materializing from the darkness that dominated the large space. He
stared at the light coming through the entrance mesmerized by its beauty. He
hadn't seen it in so long that despite its rather harmful effect on him, he had
missed it. His long black robe would protect his body and the hood would cover
his face enough for it to be safe for him to walk outside. However, that was
not what had him frowning. He came closer to the exist and scanned the
surrounding scenery trying to find something remotely familiar, but even the
topography was different; he remembered going to sleep in a cave in the middle
of a lake. The sound of wings caught his attention and he chose to hide
in the darkness around him until he saw who it was. It wasn't that he was
afraid, but he'd seen what lack of caution could do even to powerful entities.
A moment later a huge shadow spread over the entrance, just before it started
shrinking until it reach a normal human size. - I know you are awake, a female voice called out. I am not here to hurt you. He didn't answer at first his caution guiding him to take a
closer look before revealing himself to a complete stranger. She took a few
steps inside the cave and just stood there waiting for him as she said: - I know you're confused about where you are and how you got
here from the lake, but I swear to you we can explain everything. He chose one of the farthest corners from her to materialize
for the second time that day. She looked at him her eyes glowing a bright gold
in the dark and smiled. - Hello Eyri, I am Matina, and I am your guardian. He raised an eyebrow. He didn't need a guard, and he made
sure to tell her that. - I don't require protection, Matina, he informed her
on a low voice that sounded a bit strained even to his ears. - I'm afraid you do, especially during your slumber. Come, I
will take you to our city and everything will be explained to you there. - And why should I trust a stranger? He asked after a slight
hesitation. - Because if we wanted to hurt you we would have done it
while you slept, she answered still smiling. With carefully measured steps Eyri approached her until he
was just a breath away. He looked down upon her looming over Matina's small stature,
her short dark hair creating a powerful contrast with her glowing eyes. She was
beautiful by all accounts but that made little difference to him. He raised a
hand placing it around her neck squeezing lightly, but she only started back at
him with curiosity, the same smile plastered upon her full red lips. - I said I would not hurt you, not that I would not defend
myself, she informed him calmly. Eyri's hand lingered on her neck. He did not wish to harm
her, but he was intrigued by her lack of fear. Most creatures that resided upon
this planet trembled at the thought of him, yet she knew his name but was
unfazed. -
Pray
tell what sort of creature are you? He inquired letting his hand drop to the
side. -
You
will find out shortly. Now, we must be going. Your awakening has certainly
attracted some attention, Matina urged. -
After
you, Eyri invited her after another hesitation then closely followed. *** The pain was the first sign of reality. It was dull in the
beginning like noise lost somewhere in the background but the more she came to
the louder and sharper it got, to the point where it rivaled the scream of a
banshee. The intensity of the moment peaked when a sudden burst of energy cut
through the shadows causing their whispers to increase their speed and
amplitude until they gave her a headache. She forced herself to shut them out
with no little effort, just when her eyes snapped open only to find an
unfamiliar setting in the light blue color of the ceiling above. Her home
- momentary as it was - had a disgusting shade of grey greeting her every time
she stared up when she awoke, thus it was clear this wasn't home. More out of a habit then an actual desire to move, Bianca
tried to get up but let out an involuntary wail as soon as the muscles in her
abdomen tensed and an unexpected wave of pain flooded her system. Before she
managed to process anything else a firm but gentle hand pushed her back to the
mattress. -
Don't
move. You still have a lot of healing to do, a man's voice cautioned her. She took a deep shaky breath and when the pain proved just a
dull ache she dared to relax and open her eyes once more. Vampire was
the first thought that passed through her mind at the sight of the man staring
back at her. There was no other creature out there that could combine deadly,
handsome and gracious quite like this race. Although they did come in different
shapes and sizes they all possessed an allure that could rival that of a
succubus and this one was one fine specimen. Bianca could have sworn her
fingers itched to touch the soft texture of his cheek and trace the straight
line of his nose, maybe even get to feel the scratch of his five o'clock shadow
and run her fingers through that dark curtain that was gathered in a loose
ponytail thus get a chance to see what silk felt like. However, she repressed
the impulse favoring caution. His square jaw was slightly clenched and he gave
her a worried look with those piercing green eyes that made her feel as if he
was looking directly into the deepest, darkest corners of her soul. She stared
back for what felt like the longest time on earth, until everything else faded
around them, keeping the wold shut away, outside of the bubble they seemed to
be trapped in. Then the shadows broke through with their whispers
shattering the magic between them. Feeling a little self-conscious she cleared
her throat breaking eye contact while he suddenly seemed very uncomfortable. -
I'll
be right back, the man said before he disappeared out of the room. As soon as he was out the door a slight hiss drew Bianca's
attention to one of the shadowy corners. She scanned it intently, searching for
an intruder, but instead she watched in amazement as the darkness expanded,
crawling along the walls and windows until every speck of light was gone. The wait
for the next action or event felt impossibly long and the woman held her breath
in anticipation, without even realizing it. But then, just as abrupt as the
darkness had been the whispers returned with a vengeance, this time turning
into full blown screams almost making her ears bleed. -
SHUT
UP! She screamed back, wincing when her abdomen and ribs sent another intense
wave of pain through her entire body. Once again everything got eerie quiet, and Bianca took the
time for some slow, deep breaths to manage the pain. When she was certain her
voice wouldn't tremble she decided to speak. -
What
do you want? Her tone was flat, devoid of any emotion, but the peculiar
eco that came from the black depths of the room made it sound like she was
angry. The answer was long in coming and she felt the creatures lurking in the
darkness assessing her, weighing and debating the right moment to approach.
Next thing she knew the temperature in the room fell sharply and drastically
making the injured woman tremble as her breath came out in a bundle of white
steam. Bianca considered asking who was out there but her teeth were already
clattering bad enough that she wondered if she could get the words out. A sudden shift in the density of the darkness caught her
attention and made all the creatures flee. All but one. She heard his voice
like sliding gravel before she saw his glowing white eyes staring at her from
the pitch black of his background. -
You
are a very difficult being to find, he stated with no shortage of aggravation. A few choice words came to Bianca’s mind but she chose to
refrain pulling the covers tighter around her in an effort to stop the cold
from crawling any further in her body. The creature growled in frustration �" or
at least it sounded like it did �" and its eyes disappeared for a split second
before reemerging right above her and eliciting a startled scream from the
woman. -
The
master is back, the words rolled out in that same grave tone. Bianca frowned, confused at first as to whom “the master”
was but then it dawned on her and she scowled further. -
W-w-what
are y-you t-telling me f-for? She asked trying to inflict as much venom into
her words as her stutter would allow her. -
We
thought you should know… -
Y-you
thought w-wrong, she spat. -
He
is not pleased…. -
I
don’t care! She managed to get out through clenched yet still clattering teeth,
cutting him off again. -
You
will, once he finds you and sees what you’ve become, the creature warned a hint
of malice filling its voice. Bianca didn’t say a word, giving those white glowing eyes
her nastiest look and just as fast as it appeared, the creature vanished taking
the darkness and �" thankfully �" the cold with it. As the warmth pushed the
chill out of her bones the woman felt the first signs of drowsiness and soon
enough she was drifting off into the comfort of her dreams. If only they
wouldn’t turn to nightmares. ***
He'd only left her for
a second to get some ice, but by the time he was back she was already asleep.
He looked at her for what felt like the millionth time but he still couldn't
help staring once more. She seemed so young and fragile that an intense protective
feeling �" which he didn't even know he possessed - kept resurfacing no matter
how hard he tried to push it down. His hand involuntarily reached out to brush away
a stray lock of dark red hair from her forehead and before he could stop
himself it drifted further down gently stroking her cheek. Instantly Damian
pulled away as if the simple touch had burned him then rushed out the door
closing it behind him. His step was quick as he walked down the hallway and he
only set one foot inside the living room before Adrian started speaking. -
How is she? The hunter asked without
bothering to explain whom he was talking about. -
She's going to be fine. Still needs
plenty of rest though, since she was nearly exsanguinated. Is Riza up yet? -
You would know if she was. The one time
she came too, Riza
only asked about our other guest and passed out again. So I’m thinking it's safe to assume
she would be all
over Bianca if the woman was awake, he answered a ghost of a smile playing on
his lips. There was a long moment
of silence where each man got lost in his own thoughts before Adrian decided to
speak his mind. -
So...do we want to consider who they
might be working for? The hunter waited
patiently for the other man to answer. He smiled when the signature blank stare
of mistrust was all he received in return. He had known Damian for years and,
while he'd never had to go against the man, he knew full well that the vampire
hardly ever trusted anyone enough to share a thought or an opinion. He was
secretive by all accounts and preferred solitude instead of company, of any
kind. Other hunters had seen him as a threat and on more than one occasion had
named him a suspect in the off chance that the council would sanction the
vampire's demise. To Adrian however, Damian was a challenge and oddly enough a
friend. In spite of the vampire’s reaction to his presence here, he was aware
that, in comparison to any of
his other “visitors”,
he had received a rather warm welcome. They hadn't had a brilliant start either since Adrian had
originally planned on taking out the vampire the first time they met, but
circumstances had forced the hunter to place his life in Damian's hands -
against his better judgment. At the time he thought the other man would simply
walk away and let him die thus spare himself the trouble. However, Damian
surprised him and risked his own wellbeing to help Adrian before he did the
walking away part without a word or even so much as a glance behind. Afterwards
he had felt indebted to the vampire, but to his utter astonishment the man
never mentioned the ordeal again or even hinted that Adrian might owe him
anything. It might not have been the most solid or conventional way to start
building the foundations of a friendship, but then again their friendship was
anything except conventional. -
Does
it even matter? Damian finally asked bringing him back to the present. -
It's
you're house. You tell me. -
Well,
killing them now would only make my previous efforts in saving them, a waste of
time and I hate wasting time, Damian pointed out. -
And
if they try anything? -
We
wiped them out. -
Think
you can manage that? The hunter asked with a knowing smile. -
Can
you? Damian countered before he turned around and disappeared into the kitchen.
He wasn't sure what the answer was in his case but the
hunter kept his smile for a long time after the other man had left. Although he
didn’t know the particulars of the matter, Adrian had heard some rumors about a
certain fiancé Damian once had. Given that his status was and had been “single”
for quite some time now �" a few centuries if not more �" and with him not
showing any willingness to change it any time soon, he could only imagine how
well that ended. And then came Bianca and Damian could barely manage to take
his eyes off her. He had caught the man staring at her quite a few times in the
past three days as if mesmerized by her mere presence and every single time
Damian insisted he was there just to check in on her progress. Adrian's smile
grew. Yes, it would be rather fun to watch what happens once the woman woke up. He flinched when he felt his pocket vibrate. Sighing at his
own reaction Adrian reached in to take his phone out, a bark of laughter
escaping him as he saw the name displayed on the small screen. © 2015 RedMistressAuthor's Note
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