Chapter 2 ∣ Let's Play
-Evicka
Just like that, not another word was spoken, I leave Zak with the other two hunters, Rainier and Janie. I walk past them all, Killian narrowing his eyes on Zak before following me into the dining room.
"Must you do that?" Killian places both his hands on a chair, gripping it tightly.
"Must I do what?" I shot back at him, my eyes searching his face as I stop moving, standing on the other side of the table.
Killian growls at me, "You know what I am talking about..."
"Oh, that's right," I toss back casually, "you don't like that hunters outnumber you here, and every time I bring a new one home, you get all anxiety driven."
"I promised your mother I would protect you...you know how I feel about hunters," Killian's grasp on the chair tightens with each word he emphasizes. He then abruptly releases it, walking around the table to stand in front of me.
"Then leave..." I hiss at him, looking up into his emerald eyes. "you know they would never hurt you without incurring my wrath upon them. If you have any problems, then go!"
"You know I damn well can't do that," Killian alters his stance while sighing, "you're too important."
"You keep telling me all these things like I'm important, or I'm special," I shrug my shoulders and push past him, "or that I'm just like my father, or I have my mother's heart...I'm wearing thin of your riddles."
Killian catches my upper arm as I pass by him, causing me to look back, "Believe me...I would tell you, but I can't. Period. End of discussion."
My fangs elongate, hissing once more at him before pulling my arm out of his grasp.
"Evie, come back here!" Killian storms after me as I run into my hunters outside of the door.
Zak is still slightly shaken as Rainier and Janie walk with him on either side. I growl and turn the corner, making my way to the training room.
Everything becomes distance noise while I allow myself to block it all out.
The room has padded walls and a bamboo floor.
Peace and quiet at last.
I breathe in deeply, walking towards one of our cabinets, grabbing myself new clothes. All this stress is starting to take its toll. I put on my dark leather pants, high heel obsidian boots, a scarlet shirt, and a black vest over the top. I place my old clothes in the cabinet, turning around to stand in the center of the room.
I will kill every one of you...
My thoughts traveled to the coven leaders. The only two I really know of, are Blaise and King Locaine.
Blaise has an iron thumb, locking down Australia and securing the borders. If I'm going to have any hope of even tracking down the other leaders, I would have to get the hunters and myself off this island.
I exhale, running my thumb against my fang and drawing blood. Not a single drop ever hits the ground.
When I train, my goal is always the same...see how far I can spread my concentration. I'm aware that if I lose focus, the connection will be lost.
My mother taught me this...
I have many things to distract me, and I'm becoming very good at keeping a live connection and multitasking.
"What are you doing here Zak?" The question leaves my lips right before Zak enters the room, "Didn't the other two show you where your room is? I thought it best, you rest."
I turn my head in the direction of the entrance, Zak standing in the doorway, seemingly unsure of himself now.
Not so tough, eh?
"I wanted to see for myself...you really are a part hunter," Zak is stating the obvious with my healed wound and a small sphere of blood floating in the palm of my hand. After a moment, I realize he isn't just staring at the blood magic...he is giving me this weird stare.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" I ask him, arching one of my eyebrows.
Did he just blush?
I notice the slight reddish coloration rise in his cheeks rise.
"No!" He barks at me.
"With all this energy you have," I turn my body toward him, "maybe we should see exactly what I paid for."
Zak glares at me, hating being referred to as bought property. Technically...they are mine, but I never treat them any less than I would myself. Rainier and Janie never give me a reason to.
"Maybe we should," his voice suddenly fills with hatred.
When I bought Zak, he had on black cargo pants and a dark blue shirt, but, he did not have any shoes.
"Would you like some boots?" I ask him.
Zak glances down at his feet and hesitates before saying, "I don't need anything from you."
"I see," I replied, narrowing my eyes at him and splitting the blood sphere into two smaller globes. They circle around each other in the palm of my hand.
"Pick whatever weapon you would like," I motion to the weapon rack on the far side of the wall.
Zak does accept this offer, turning away from me as his brown hair falls back behind his ears. In a moment, he is again, staring me down with medium length daggers. He holds one in his left hand with the blade facing me, and the one in his right hand, the edge is running down the length of his inner arm. He clutches the hilt backward, waiting to attack.
"Oh! Rainier!" I hear Janie come to a screeching halt at the open door, "Look! Zak is challenging Evicka!"
Rainier is by her side, climbing onto a bench with a railing in front of it. Janie comes to sit beside him, balancing on the railing. Rainier laughs, "Oh, this 'oughta be good."
Janie giggles as Zak shots them both a look of, shut the hell up.
My, my, you have quite the temper young hunter.
Zak's attention is brought back to me as I ask, "Are you ready?"
"Of course," Zak bites back. I gaze into his white irises, trying to look at how the gears are turning in his head.
Just how well trained is this hunter?
Zak doesn't linger as he shots forward at me, thrusting his dagger towards my chest. I push my palm outward, away from my body and spread thin the two globes of blood, becoming a thin sheet barricade.
With ease, the dagger slips sideways, the blood diverting his attack. He doesn't wait, spinning backward and aiming his backward facing dagger at my spine. I crouch onto the floor, using one globe of blood to stop his attack and the other sphere to sweep under his feet.
Zak falls on his ass as I quickly rise to my feet. He immediately helicopter-kicks and slices both of his daggers at my ankles.
"Nice try!" Janie laughs, already having experienced far greater agility during training sessions, "She's a lot quicker than you."
"It's not even a fair fight then!" Zak growls as I backflip away from his attack, evading his second strike now that he is on his feet.
"Nothing's fair in this world," I sigh, showing him the truth, "get used to it."
"Fuck you," Zak charges at me again, this time managing to throw one dagger, causing me to dodge out of the way, only to encounter his second dagger. He slices my lower right forearm, my concentration on my spheres instantly break, and they drop to the ground, a small pool of blood spreading out on the floor.
I pull back, Zak placing his free hand on his hip and glaring at me, "Were your parents taken away from you? No! I was forced to grow up without them and learn to fend for myself."
You know absolutely nothing of loss...
I wipe my hand over the open wound on my arm and fling the blood into the air above him. Zak is caught off guard, staggering backward.
While his attention is drawn away, I rush forward and take hold of his wrist with the dagger, squeezing it until he yelps and let's go of the blade. With my other palm, I slam him down on his back.
With a snap of my fingers, the blood rains down on the both of us, small shards slicing into the loose parts of Zak's clothing, pinning him to the ground.
I hiss at him, "You think the world owes you something?"
Zak tries to pull away from me, but the blood blades hold him still as I hover above him, my knees on either side of his hips, trapping him.
"Why the hell are you not treating me like a pet...or a slave? I don't understand you at all!" Zak spits back at me with so many mixed emotions.
My canines slip past my lips, and I retort, "Would you like me to? By all means, I can beat you, torture you, degrade you, use you in any way I see fit."
His eyes are angry as I continue.
"And then, when I am finally bored, throw you away and kill you. Would you like that? Would that make you happy?" I glare at him.
"No," Zak replies.
I can feel his defeat as he tries to retreat away from me.
"I am not like any vampire you have ever met...and I am most definitely not like any pureblood either...I am a crossbreed of the two species. I am just as much trying to figure out my own life, without you having to cause me any problems," I huff before standing to my feet.
"Now," I back away from the obviously angry hunter, "get the hell out of my sight." I close my eyes and break the blood connection, Zak instantly sitting up.
**
-Zak
She's the most unusual vampire I have ever seen...
I'm still angry as Evicka leaves the room far behind, leaving my clothes damp with her blood.
Janie runs over to me and asks, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I shot back, pushing her hand away as I stand to my feet. I can't ignore the way my pride hurts at losing to her...but it was never my fight to win, not with the advantages she carries.
"You really should be careful around her," Rainier begins to walk toward me.
It's strange being around two other hunters. The last time I had even remotely been near another was years ago. My family had been slaughtered by vampires and taken me as a slave. Only when I had become too much to handle, did my then, master, decide to sell me to that disgusting pet shop.
Now I find myself in a very peculiar situation...sharing space under the same roof as a pureblood. One that is treating me as an equal...I don't understand it.
"Why is that, exactly?" I ask.
"She does a lot for us, giving us a place, we can call home and be safe. She doesn't ask for much in return, just don't go out of your way to piss her off," Rainier shrugs, laying out the ground rules in her absence.
"That's right," Janie chimes in, her long black hair bouncing around her body, "she has quite the temper...you know, being part pureblood and all."
Of course, she does, doesn't every vampire? Get mad for any small, insignificant reason and then take it out on everyone else?
I'm not buying her act, she brought us here to enslave and kill us. I have never met a vampire that wanted anything else.
"Well," Janie starts, rocking back and forth on her heels, "we should get to bed, it is rather late."
Rainier walks towards the open door, Janie giving me a sweet smile as if telling me to follow him. Nobody tells me what to do, and this Evicka is going to learn that. I may not be as powerful as a pureblood, but I'm very capable of outsmarting them.
I follow Rainier down the short hall to three doors, one each for our own rooms.
"Hi, Killian!" Janie waves her hand as the brooding vampire glaring at us. He ignores her and stares at me hard before heading in the opposite direction.
"He's such the charmer, isn't he?" Rainier's sarcasm drips with every word.
Janie punches Rainier in the arm, "Don't you say that! He just thinks we are plotting to kill him."
"Are you?" I ask, arching a brow.
"Of course not!" Janie laughs, opening the side door to her room. "Why bite the hand that feeds you?"
These two are already brainwashed, rinsed and dried...Rainier's room is across from Janie's. He opens the door at the end of the hallway, kiddie-corner to both their rooms, "You'll be staying here."
"Will I?" I cross my arms.
"If Evicka hasn't explained it to you yet...you can leave," Rainier's white irises meet mine, "however, she will not come after you when you are dragged away and killed. She doesn't have the time for that."
"She's fucking immortal, what time, doesn't she have?" I reply sarcastically.
Janie hovers in her doorway, already changed into short black shorts and a white tank top. This girl must be at least twenty-one, if not, twenty-two. She is a lovely hunter, her beautiful black hair cascading down her back, the red accents bring out the rising blush in her cheeks.
Shit, I'm staring at her.
Janie giggles, "We don't know a whole lot. What we do know is this." She pauses and raises an index finger at me, "she plans on killing every coven leader in the world."
"What?!" I'm taken aback by this new information.
How can one pure blood come after every other one? What is her reasoning, "Even King Locaine?"
"Yes," Rainier nods, "Even the King."
"Why?!" I'm completely shocked. No one challenges the King, let alone this hide-away pure blood hunter mix, combo thing with blood magic.
She's insane if she thinks she can.
Janie shakes her head and shrugs her shoulders, "We don't know, she won't tell us."
"Have you asked that vampire henchman of hers?" I remember Killian's nasty glare.
"Who, Killian you mean?" Janie asks, her eyes widening, "He really doesn't like to speak to us. He only speaks with Evicka."
"Then he has answers," I conclude that he obviously knows that what's going on. After all, he seems to not want to leave her side for anything.
Another question runs through my mind, one that startles me, "Is he her beloved?"
Rainier and Janie both sideways glance at each other and then reply in unison, "No."
"His beloved is her best friend," Rainier nods.
"Kenzie's been away tracking down Blaise for Evicka. Killian insists that she is not allowed to leave unless absolutely necessary," Janie smiles.
So, she is the prisoner?
"Why would a regular vampire be ordering that pureblood around?" I ask with interest, trying to understand the weaknesses of my enemy.
Rainier shakes his head and sighs, "We don't know, but she seems to regard him as like an older brother...again, we do not have those answers."
I'll find them out for myself then. I'm sure getting close to this Kenzie or even Evicka herself will shine a light on some answers.
"How old is she...really?" I ask, knowing she appears to be only a few years older, but I know better than to trust appearances alone.
Janie sighs, "I'm not sure...she doesn't talk about her past much."
"I'm tired," I groan, taking hold of the door handle to my room.
"You best get some rest," Janie nods, "all three of us are training tomorrow."
Oh, joy...
**
-Evicka
"Ungrateful brat," I chuck my vest to the floor of my bedroom, taking hold of the hem of my shirt and pulling it over my head. I walk into the walk-in closet and throw on a sapphire tank top, sliding off my leather pants and boots to replace them with black yoga pants.
I storm into the bathroom, pulling the tie out of my white hair and shaking it loose. It falls to my mid-back, framing my face. Releasing a sigh of frustration, I tell myself, "Rainier and Janie hadn't acted like that. They were thankful I took them away from the pain and suffering those pet shops hold."
After brushing my hair out, I walk back to my queen size bed with bare feet, collapsing face first and screaming into the pillow.
I just want to wring his neck!
I prop myself up, kneeling in the center of the bed and punching the pillow repeatedly.
"Someone's angry," Killian's voice breaks my fit of rage as he leans back against my bedroom door.
"How do you manage to do that every time?" I sigh, bored with his little magic trick.
Killian shakes his head, pushing back his dark hair as his emerald eyes hold mine, "Zak seems...spirited?"
"No, really?" I didn't expect him to fight as well as he had.
From what I can tell, he was trained right from the get-go just like me. The training never faulted and appears to have carried through his life without missing a beat. Janie and Rainier had their fighting abilities suppressed, more than likely being taken as children from their homes. I was able to draw it out of them, giving them the tools to fight.
"Where's Kenzie?" I ask as I attempt to change the subject. I can just picture her now, my long blonde hair, blue eyed friend running through the house and saying I can finally go after Blaise.
Killian replies, "She should be back tomorrow, just in time to start their training."
"He's not going to need much," I'm referring to Zak.
"Then show him his place," Killian growls with a change of tactic, "don't let him think he can walk all over you. You are much more powerful than him...show it."
I sigh and cross my legs on the bed before I remind him, "No...I refuse to be like other vampires."
"You are part hunter and vampire...you know you do have two sides," Killian narrows his eyes on me, "yet, you favor the hunter much more."
"I do not."
"Do too."
"Prove it," I dare him.
"You only ever use your blood magic...what happens if that is taken away from you? You barely fight with any weapons and your brute force is lacking as of late," Killian leans against the bed, continuing to expose every flaw I have.
"Gee....thanks for that confidence boost...ass..." I groan.
I know he's right. Maybe I'm the one that needs broader training then the hunters themselves.
"I saw the way he looked at you," Killian continues, sideways glancing at me.
"Who, Zak?" I ask, snapping out of my own thoughts.
"Who else?" Killian retorts, scoffing at me before pacing around the room. There are a few moments of silence before he continues with, "Don't let him come near you," he warns, "he'll bring you down in more ways than one."
"I highly doubt that," I roll my eyes and fold my arms.
I will not let anyone stand in my way or deter me from my goal of bringing down the leaders. Every one of them will fall...
Killian growls, his fangs coming into view, "Just watch it...I am responsible for you. Don't let him in, don't let your guard down with him like you do with the other two."
"Okay! I get it. Back off Killian," I turn my back away from him, staring at the headboard of the bed.
I hear his footsteps leave, the door slamming behind him instead of performing his impressive magic trick.
Zak won't bring me down...should we ever reach that bridge...
...I will kill him before that ever happens.
**
I sit on one of the benches in the training room, leaning forward against the railing. I wear dark cargo pants, combat boots, and an emerald green tank top. I sigh heavily, gazing at the paper that I hold in my hand.
Blaise-Australia
Enzo-Italy
Remy-Russia
Micah-England
Julien-Canada
Ronan-USA
King Locaine-USA
Sincerely,
--Kenzie
Kenzie had returned from scouting Blaise's coven and had managed to find out who the coven leaders are.
Here's my list...
I've been waiting for this for a very long time. I brush my thumb against my lips, my eyes glancing over the paper just as Killian yells, "You have to be smarter!"
Janie is laid out flat on her back, Killian looming over her.
They are lucky...
They can fight actual vampires without incurring the consequences of being defeated by them.
Janie's weapon of choice is a short sword. When we do leave, along with their short-range weapons, I make sure they are equipped with a gun and silver bullets. A bullet to the heart will kill a typical vampire, but not a pureblood. If they are lucky, it will weaken them, but they will need more than one shot to do that.
Janie somersaults backward and crouches down on her heels, holding her sword ready to defend.
"Good Rainier!" Kenzie exclaims.
Rainier's weapons are a chain sickle and a dagger. He is very good at distracting with his range weapon and then coming in for a quick attack with his blade.
Kenzie has her long blonde hair tied back, Rainier having thrown his sickle and managing to immobilize her wrist. She twists it further onto her arm, taking hold of the chain and unexpectedly pulls him to her.
Rainier dashes forward and right as Kenzie is about to grab him, he slides on the floor past her and mock places the dagger behind her ankle to signify he would have taken her down without causing her damage.
"What's the point?" Zak had entered the room, standing beside where I sit during the end of their training session.
I turn my attention to him and reply, "If you can't beat Kenzie or Killian, what makes you think you can kill a vampire out there?"
"They're fighting with kid gloves on," Zak points at Janie as Killian knocks the sword from her hand, barely using any strength to stagger her off balance. He then asks, "How is that going to teach them anything?"
Kenzie's attention is drawn to us by the loud chatter, causing Rainier to halt instantly. With a furious look lingering in her eyes, Kenzie retorts, "Excuse me?" She glares at him, obviously hearing out the conversation in full.
"You heard me," Zak snaps right back.
Kenzie releases the sickle, marching herself over to where I'm sitting.
Now...you pissed her off.
"Are you volunteering for realistic treatment?" Kenzie narrows her eyes at Zak. My brows rise as I just stare at the two of them. If he's not careful, he's going to find himself in a world of pain very quickly.
Does he really want to get his ass kicked?
"Against you? Why not?" Zak folds his arms and glares at her. The room stills as Rainier and Janie walked away from the center of the training area. They sit on separate benches, whispering to each other.
"Why is he acting like that!" Janie is quick to exclaim to Rainier.
"Because he's just stupid...he thinks he's better than us, Killian, Kenzie, and especially Evicka," Rainier tone turns into a hushed whisper, cupping his hand to the side of his mouth.
They know better...
I shoot them a look, and they instantly stop chatting.
"Apparently," I turn my attention back to Kenzie and Zak, Killian standing in the center of the room, eyeing me suspiciously, "our match was rigged because I'm a pureblood. But, I'm sure he will fare better fighting the two of you." The sarcasm drips from my mouth, irritation in my body language as I stand up, shoving the paper into my deep pocket and leaning against the railing.
This will be entertaining...
Zak growls with his own irritation, "You cheated, vampires don't have blood magic."
"You were faced with something new and didn't know how to go about outsmarting me," I push on the railing, flipping myself onto it, sitting with my legs hanging over.
Making excuses instead of shouldering the responsibility. He has a lot he needs to learn...
"I'll accept his challenge," Kenzie's blue eyes are slowly turning crimson.
He disrespected her...she's going to enjoy every second of putting this hunter in his place.
"And," Killian places a hand on Kenzie's shoulder, "he thinks he can take on one of us, why not up it to two if he's so confident?"
"Fine!" Zak yells, unfolding his arms and marching to the weapon rack. I watch him take up his two medium length daggers, holding them the exact same way he had with me. He doesn't even look at Kenzie or Killian as he makes his way to the center of the training room, closing his eyes and breathing in deeply.
I motion for Kenzie, and she dips down closer to my lips, "Don't kill him, but don't fight like you do with Rainier or Janie."
"We're not fighting with kid gloves on, remember?" She smirks at me, her fangs coming into view. I place my hands on either side of the railing, leaning back as I watch Killian and Kenzie take up positions, one to either side of Zak.
Should be interesting to watch you fight, instead of being your target.
Zak remains with his eyes sealed shut while his knees are bent as he waits for their attack.
If this was any other duo, I think you would have a shot...but to challenge two beloveds...they fight as one.
"Begin," I announce, tired of watching them all standing around.
At first, I believe that Killian and Kenzie are pulling their punches, as Zak seems to handle himself quite well.
Kenzie dashes forward, and as she approaches Zak, he lunges at her oncoming attack. He doesn't make contact on the first blade, but like he had tricked me, Kenzie falls for it as well. Zak slices downward with his backward facing blade, cutting open Kenzie's thigh and spilling her blood.
She growls, retreating as Killian takes her position. Killian manages to take hold of Zak's wrist and forces him to drop his blade. Apparently, he had already learned from his mistakes with me, and pushes all his weight against Killian, sending them both to the ground.
With Zak's second blade, he stabs Killian in the stomach, catching him by surprise. Well, that just sends the pair over the edge.
"You don't want kid gloves? I'll break you down!" Kenzie roars pained by the blade that landed on Killian.
Zak just laughs and replies, "I thought you were fighting your best."
Ouch...Kenzie-
I can barely keep up with her speed as she kicks it into overdrive, sprinting at Zak. Zak is about to move forward when she darts sideways and slams her elbow deep into the side of his ribs.
Zak cries out, practically being thrown into the wall. Kenzie doesn't stop there. She grabs the front of his shirt, pulling him away from the wall just to slam him into it again. Her eyes narrow on him, the anger boiling inside.
Kenzie punches him right in the face, blood instantly dripping from his broken nose. She drags him away from the wall, just to throw him to the center of the room like a rag doll.
If Zak thinks he is about to get a reprieve, he is dead wrong. Killian catches him, his arms wrapping around his body as he begins to compress down on him.
"Fuck!" Zak yells, gritting his teeth.
Before I know it, Killian sinks his fangs into the left side of Zak's neck. Zak's sudden scream breaks me out of my daze.
"Oh, feeding without me?" Kenzie chimes in playfully, seductively approaching Zak from the front, only to pierce the right side of his neck with her own fangs. I can quickly feel his life force fading away.
Guess I better stop this...
I release a sigh, pushing off against the railing and walking toward the two hungry vampires.
Janie leaps from her seat, but as soon as she catches my eyes, she stops in her tracks, turning to Rainier and backing away.
That's when I hear Zak's groan, deepen into a slight moan.
Oh, enjoying it are you?
"Stop," my single word causing Killian and Kenzie to cease their feeding immediately. They pull their fangs away reluctantly, Killian still holding onto Zak.
"Mmm, thanks sweetheart," Kenzie licks the tips of her fangs and winks at Zak, "hunter blood is by far the sweetest in the world."
Zak's eyes are barely staying open, and if it weren't for Killian holding onto him, he would likely be on the floor.
Kenzie steps to the side as I come into Zak's field of view. His eyes look up into mine with pain, and for a moment, I feel sorry for him, but that quickly diminishes.
"Stop pretending you are some almighty hunter who thinks they are the cat's meow," I speak firmly, my eyes flickering to Killian. He appears to approve of me finally having this talk with Zak.
"Only when y-you s-s-stop pretending," Zak stutters back to me.
"What?" I ask, ready to hit him.
"You can't kill the coven leaders...w-why do you t-think you are be-better than everyone else?" Zak grimaces in pain, the two sets of puncture wounds trickling blood down onto his chest.
I can't control my anger any longer. I backhand Zak across the face...the shock in his eyes when his head snaps back finally satisfying me, "I will, starting tomorrow night. I will take down Blaise."
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The Pureblood Vampire Huntress by K. A. Young.
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