A Halloween party was the perfect time to disappear. It was the perfect plan. Fifty people would not collectively remember one person. A person who is an outside within her own group. No one would remember or grow to care when I disappeared. Although I wasn’t the only one to disappear, all those years ago. Nine others disappeared with me.
As for where we disappeared to, no one ever searched, not even our parents. It was like they didn’t care or they just didn’t want us anymore. Though those of us truly didn’t care, me included.
My name was once Dene, but the Halloween night I disappeared, I became Aries. I was a warrior in a war of supernatural abilities and unnatural laws. My weapons were my fists, legs, and my favorite, my twin daggers. They were my babies and I coveted them more than anything.
“Aries!” a male’s voice rang out over the ring. I had been training with my daggers, which was my usual routine for around Halloween. “Aries!”
I hid my daggers in their sheaths and turned towards the voice. Hunter stood there, arms holding his lean body up. His long, raven black hair was pulled into a ponytail and it laid over his left shoulder. He was handsome in his own right. He had piercing icy blue eyes, cotton pale skin, like the rest of us, but he was still pure. The rest of us were either poisoned and/or already the undead, like me. I’ve been dead for a thousand years and was still “kicking.”
I studied Hunter with my own icy emerald eyes before I answered him, “What do you want, Hunter? You have better got something important. You know I hate to be interrupted,” I said, the long forgotten accent rang out in my voice.
“Aries, you’re needed by Marcuis,” he said and jumped down from the top stair, “but that can wait. You need practice.” I watched as he pulled his twin daggers from their hiding spot and smirked when he twirled them easily. “I saw a hole in one of your attacks.”
I saw a blur of movement and my daggers were out as I turned to the side. “Hunter! Aries!” We both froze, having barely moved in out practice, when Marcuis’ voice rang through the room. “Both of you now!”
Our daggers disappeared into sheaths and the room changed. We stood in an office in front of a wide maple desk. An older man sat behind the desk, staring at us as we stood in our training clothes, which were for me a tight leather tank top and a pair of black jeans, for Hunter it was the opposite, a black white beater and tight black leather pants.
“Welcome Aries and Hunter. May I introduce the ten new recruits,” Marcuis said, his voice not as angry as before. “Ladies and gentlemen, these two are Aries and Hunter. Aries will be your weapons master. Hunter will be your instructor for most everything else. Mast classes, both will be your instructors.”
Hunter and I turned to the young women and men standing there. They looked scared, even terrified to be standing there. I laughed and shook my head. “Marcuis, they’re younger than the last group.”
“Aries, they will be trained. You and Hunter will train them and will do it without argument, Aries,” Marcuis said looking at me.
“Yes sir. We will do it,” Hunter said as he grabbed my arm. I turned on Hunter, baring my fangs and stormed from the room. “Ladies and gentlemen, that was Aries. She’s a good woman when you get past the fangs and temperament, but her name fits her just like the zodiac Aries does.”
I stomped through the mansion that Marcuis owned and threw open my door. Not to my surprise, Marcuis’ office was on the side instead of my room. Hunter and the recruits were gone so it was only Marcuis and I. “Aries, please have a seat,” he said.
‘I’d rather stand, Marcuis,” I said as I shut the door behind me, but took a seat anyway.
“Aries, I know you were fond of our last group,” Marcuis started.
“They are children, Marcuis! They are too young for this war,” I interrupted.
“Do not interrupt me, Aries,” he snapped. “As I was saying, I know you were fond of them, but you know that we only train them to a certain level and then they are passed on to my wife for further training. Your husband is there to take over your spot in weapons master, there.”
“Don’t bring his name up, Marcuis. You know I loathe him with every fiber of my being,” I growled. The man I was forced to take as my husband was a b*****d. I hated him and everyone knew that I’d kill him if I had the chance.
“You needed him and he needs you, Aries,” Marcuis said.
“That’s the whole point, Marcuis. I don’t need him anymore, but yet you force me to keep him as my husband. Why, Marcuis?” I asked looking at him. “Why must I bare his touch every Halloween?”
Marcuis looked at me and shook his head, “Aries, my dear, he is your polar opposite.”
“Marcuis, you know I belong with someone else. I do not belong to Johnathan and you know it. I belong to…” a knock at the door stopped me from saying the name.
“Come in, Hunter,” Marcuis said, his tone changed. Hunter walked in and saw me sitting in a chair.
“Did I interrupt?” he asked.
“No, I was just leaving,” I said as I stood up and headed for the door.
“Aries, in time you will understand my choice,” Marcuis called after me.
I shut the door behind me and walked to the training facilities. There the ten boys and girls were sitting in groups of two, waiting for me. I took a deep breath and watched them. I shook my head, clearing unwanted thoughts, and jumped to the middle of the room. “Alright boys and girls!” I startled them when I landed. “My name is Aries and I am to be your weapons master. Welcome to the beginning of your new lives.”
“New lives?” a question was asked from a young boy. “What about our old ones?”
“Forget about everyone you knew and everything you knew. Tonight is a new beginning for you. It will be bloody, painful, and filled with your worst nightmares.
I will be teaching you how to use all weapons and I will begin now!” I said as I snapped my fingers. A wall flipped and revealed weaponry. “One at a time choose the weapon that calls out your name. If you choose the wrong one, you bleed.”
The next three hours were filled with teaching them how to defend themselves. I quickly grew impressed with how quickly they learned the one exercise I taught them and let them leave early. “Early dismissal? Dare I say? Aries, are you impressed with them?” Hunter’s voice floated into the room.
“Get down here and I’ll show you impressive,” I laughed lightly. I hid my fangs due to the fact that I was taught to hide them.
Hunter appeared in front of me, with a dagger to my neck. “Looks like I could’ve won,” he laughed.
“Think again, Hunter,” I said as I indicated to his heart. My dagger was positioned for a fatal attack.
“Damn. I thought for sure I had you this time,” he said as we put our weapons away. We laughed together and I rehid my fangs. “Aries, don’t hide them. You know Marcuis and I don’t care if you’re a Blood Hunter’s daughter. We love you for everything you are.”
I looked away from him and said, “Yeah, but none of you is my husband.”
“Damn Johnathan, Aries,” Hunter said softly as he placed a wonderfully warm hand on my cheek. “Don’t hide your fangs. At least not from us.”
“Hunter,” I said softly and looked at him. Our eyes met and time slowed for us. I knew if my heart beat it would’ve skipped. Hunter and I were meant to be together. A prophecy foretold it, but we weren’t together. Forced to take on another lover until that prophecy was fulfilled.
“Ms. Aries, ma’am?” a young boy’s voice broke our silence and almost embrace.
I breathed in and stepped back. I looked at the boy and said, “Yeah. What’s up?”
“I’ll talk to you later, Aries,” Hunter said. “Ill be in the training room after dinner. Meet me there. I want to help you practice.”
I nodded, careful not to look at him again. I understood Marcuis’ decision on keeping Hunter and I apart. The prophecy had foretold that if we found each other too early and consummated our passions, the war would spill over into the mortal day and the planet would destroy itself. So Hunter and I were forced to marry others and lust for each other and never give in no matter what.
“Ms. Aries?” the young boy asked, breaking my thoughts up.
“Yeah, what’s up?” I asked as I turned to him. He looked about thirteen years old. He had fierce brown eyes and black hair cut short.
“My name is Joshua. I would like to be your apprentice,” the boy asked. I couldn’t formulate his statement. Me with an apprentice? Unheard of, I thought to myself.
“Kid, you should honestly think about what you’re saying before you go and say something crazy,” I said and started to walk away.
“Ms. Aries, I have made my decision. I want to become your apprentice,” the boy said. I stopped and studied the youngster. He acted like an adult for being so young.
“Joshua, now why would you want to be my apprentice? Hunter has been searching for one for years,” I said giving him another option. To become my apprentice, I would have to build a lasting link with the boy and I was definitely not ready for one. “How about we wait a couple of years before you decided on who you want to be an apprentice for? Okay?”
I could smell the disappointment hang in the air as I walked out. “You were right in telling him that, Aries,” Hunter’s voice made me jump. I looked to my left and saw him leaning against the door. He had a smug look on his face.
“Just because I did something right, now, does not mean I’ll take him later,” I said as I walked by him. AS I did, he grabbed my arm and pulled me into a room, and slammed me against the wall. Something which made my undead body heat to a boil and ignited my sexual flame.
“Aries, I can’t keep away from you. Everytime I see you, feel you enter a room, my body heats up and all I can think of is how you taste. I want your soft lips upon my body once more, Aries. I want to taste the sweet nectar of destruction,” Hunter moaned into my ear.
“Hunter,” was all I could say before I felt a gust of change and I knew we were in Marcuis’ office.
“Aries, Hunter,” Marcuis said as Hunter released me from our sexual hold.
“Marcuis, its my fault,” Hunter said.
“You both know it isn’t time yet,” he said. “I am making the decision to build you both a room to where your love can go and you can relieve your tensions.” I felt my heart jerk. “But it will not be ready for six months. So I expect you both to behave and keep your distance from each other. I know it will be difficult for you two so I brought your spouses, both of them, to stay in the meantime.”
And with that statement, my heart and world came crashing down. My husband and Hunter’s wife came strolling into the room together and beamed at us. Johnathan, my husband, crossed over to me and hugged me. I acted surprised to see him and heard Hunter do the same with his wife, Lilly. Hunter and I were now trapped alone, unable to seek each other’s companionship or training. We would, now, be forced and expected to work with our spouses.
“My darling,” Johnathan said as he took my arm in his.
“Johnathan,” I said softly. I could feel Hunter’s eyes on me as Johnathan pulled me from the room.
“Let’s have lunch in our room,” he said. I knew that it wasn’t a suggestion, but the new recruits were in the hallways. Johnathan knew exactly why I was married to him and we, both, despised each other.
Once we were at my room, I opened the door and entered before him. I heard him follow me inside and I said, “So who is your mistress now, John?”
“None of your business, Aries,” he answered.
I smirked because I knew by his answer he no longer had a mistress. I wanted to be a b***h, but he was fiddling with a flower that wasn’t there on the table before. “Hey. I didn’t want to hurt you, John. Are you okay?” I asked.
“Aries, we are husband and wife. I’m the husband of the most beautiful, most talented and most sought after woman. I should be in Heaven right now, but I know she’s madly in love with another man. I,” he said, “I thought that maybe, just maybe, you could learn to love me, Aries. I don’t care if you are meant for Hunter. I just want to be loved by you, Aries.”
I froze. That was unexpected, hardcore. My mind sought out a possibility after possibility. “Johnathan?” was all I could say as I went to him. I saw him in a different light. He looked weary and old as he watched me walk to him.
“Aries,” he whispered as he touched my face,” I want to spend tonight in your arms. I want to be the one who is there in the morning.”
I looked him in the eyes and froze again. “Something isn’t right,” I said and I felt very dreary and tired.
“You’re quite right, my dear Aries,” the man pretending to be my husband laughed, “but you have realized it too late.” AS he spoke, I became weak and my eyes barely stayed open. “Rest now Aries. When you wake, you won’t be able to resist to scream.” With that, my body went limp and my conscious left me.
When you dream while asleep, it seems to be in sequence, but when you dream while being knocked out, its choppy and doesn’t make any sense. The dreams I had were as chopped up as the vegetables in a stew. My mind went on a roller coaster ride and left behind my body. Voices floated back and forth, in and out. “Tell me when she wakes… I need to run a few tests on her blood… Yes sir she’s the one you’ll need…”
When I became conscious again, I was in a cold dark cell or dungeon. I couldn’t make sense of anything. I couldn’t remember anything like who I was, where I was, and how’d I get there. I rubbed my face and felt the dirt that was caked there. “Ahh, I see. You are awake,” a male’s voice said.
“Who am I?” I asked as I tried to stand up, but an eruption of pain kept me from doing that.
“You are the almighty Aries, my lady,” the voice taunted me. “Oh and by the way, you can’t walk, you’re legs are broken.”
“Aries?” I asked no one in particular. I no longer felt the pain in my legs as I stayed on the ground. Who was I again? I thought. “Oh yeah, Aries.”
Food was brought to me. It was a piece of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, anda small tin can of water. There was a letter attached to the tray. I looked around and didn’t see anyone so I ripped it off and tore it open. A familiar voice spoke in a very low whisper, “Aries, my darling, this is Hunter. We’re inside the building, but can’t locate you. You are the only one who can see and hear this. Aries, don’t trust Johnathan or Linda. Baby be strong and always remember I love you.”
I pulled back quickly, knocking my head against the wall. With the small amount of energy, I sent out a powerful wave of essence to whoever Hunter was. His voice was familiar, at least, and he seemed to know who I was. Also with the burst of energy and the small amount of pain, I passed out. My body went limp and my mind shut down from the confusion.
“Oh gods, Marcuis, look at her,” a man’s voice whispered softly when I started to wake.
“Aries is a strong woman. She’ll pull through whatever the poor fools have done,” another male voice spoke with sadness in his voice. “Pick her up, Hunter, but do it carefully. She is damaged and will need plenty of infirmary time.”
I could feel my body be lifted and warmth and memories flooded my system. I saw myself married, in love with the man named Hunter, the children, training, my daggers, and, now, everything. Even though I had been knocked out I remembered what Johnathan and Linda did to me. Anger replaced the confusion. Feeling the safety of Hunter’s arms, I relaxed and let sleep consume me once more.
“Aries, my darling child, wake up,” Marcuis’ voice sighed softly into my ear. “I need to know what they’ve done to you, Aries.”
My eyes slowly opened and I saw Marcuis sitting beside me. “Marcuis?” I asked and heard my voice was raspy and harsh.
“Welcome back, Aries,” he smiled softly and touched my forehead.
“Marcuis, where is Hunter?” I asked.
“He is in the training room,” he answered.
“They want to kill us, Marcuis, before we can fulfill the prophecy,” I said. “They want hunter’s blood since they already have mine. They want to make a disease that effects only Hunter and myself. It was Johnathan and Linda. They captured me and took my blood. They did tests on me, Marcuis. They broke my legs.”
“Hush, now, Aries. You’re safe now. I’ll send Hunter in to see you,” Marcuis said softly. “My poor child, what horrors have been wrought against you?”
“Marcuis, you don’t want to know,’ I whispered softly.
“Aries, rest. When you wake, Hunter will be by your side,” he said softly. With his voice being soo soft and smooth, I obeyed his command and fell into a deep sleep. This time I did not dream, or I didn’t remember if I did or not.
“Aries?” I heard Hunter’s voice calling me. “Wake up, Aries.”
“Hunt?” I asked softly as my eyes fluttered open.
“Hey, beautiful,” he smiled down at me. “How are you feeling?”
I thought about his question and laughed lightly. “Like I underwent some major painful tests.”
“Injured and still laughing I see,” Hunter laughed. “That’s my Aries.” He moved closer and took my hand in his. “We will get revenge on them, Aries. We’ll make them suffer.”
“We’ll just kill them, Hunter,” I said after I thought about it. “They’ll want the torture, but I won’t allow it.”
“You sure, babe?” he asked softly.
I nodded slowly and saw him smile. His smile warmed my undead heart and I reached up to his face. The warmth there sent shivers down my spine and it also let me know that this man, sitting beside me, was the man who would kill anyone and do anything for me. If I only said the words, he’d bring Johnathan and Linda to their dying knees to beg for forgivenes in front of me.
“Am I interrupting something?” Marcuis’ voice sounded from the door. “If I’m not, then, Aries, you have some visitors.”
Hunter stood and left the room. I watched as my favorite students walked into the room and Hunter squeezed by them. “Miss Aries, we heard what happened and we came as soon as possible,” Denver said. He was a soon-to-be sword master at the tender age of twenty.
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