As soon as Kelly and Mike fell asleep I changed into my black pants that were made of synthetic fabric, I got some black boots and a blue sweater that had a hood. I got out of my bedroom through the window and using the tress that was nearby, I made my way down to the backyard. I waited by the street until I saw his car.
"What took you so long? I've been waiting for over an hour." I said as I looked at him through the window, Ryder was wearing blue jeans, a black shirt and a motor jacket, he seemed dangerous and he was recently showered.
"Hello Doll." He said with a smirk as he saw that I was annoyed.
"Really Ryder, was it necessary for you to shower before you came here?" I asked him as I shook my head.
"Just get in the car Doll." He told me and opened the door.
I gave a sight and got in the car.
"Put your seatbelt on." Ryder told me as he moved the control column of the car.
"Why? Where we going?" I asked him confused.
"We are going somewhere private." He said with a smile.
I looked at him doubtfully.
"So, we can talk." Ryder said and rolled his eyes.
I gave a small smile and got my seatbelt on.
"So, what is going on?" Ryder asked me after a few seconds of driving.
"I did it, I took off the gem and touched the vervain, and well I didn't exactly touch it I poured a whole crystal ball in my hands." I said as I remembered everything.
"What happened?" Ryder asked me.
"It burned my flesh, you were right." I said with a sight.
"I'm always right." Ryder said with a huge amount of cockiness.
"Well now I have some questions for you Mr. Cocky." I said as I rolled my eyes.
"Save them until we get there, Doll." Ryder said and continued to drive.
"Where, where are we going?" I asked him as I looked outside, everything was so dark.
"Wait till we get there." He said with a smirk.
Ryder drove for a long time until we go to a lake.
"Where are we?" I asked him as I looked around.
"In Skagit Bay, it's a nice place, isn't it?" Ryder said as he got out.
"What are we doing here?" I asked him as I tried to read his intentions.
"I like to come here at night when the moon is full just like tonight." Ryder said looking at the sky.
"But why did you bring me here?" I asked him confused.
"Doll, don't you think that you have more important questions to ask me?" Ryder said proving a point.
I gave a sight.
"True." I said as I went next to him.
"Then start." Ryder said.
"Why do you think the Association let me be a huntress and come here for this mission if I'm a vampire in the first place?" I asked him.
"Doll, just think how valuable you are to the Association." Ryder said explaining.
"Why?" I asked him.
"You have the strength and abilities of a vampire and they trained you to kill vampire. You are very valuable person for them Doll." Ryder said as he met my gaze.
"But still, why risk myself? I mean they literally delivered me to the vampires." I told him as I shook my head still not believing it.
"Maybe they are testing you; they want to see if your loyalty is with them or with the vampires." Ryder suggested.
I started at him shocked.
"What?" Ryder asked me.
"Now that you mention it they did say that." I said remembering.
"You mean they told you?" Ryder said not believing it.
"No, they didn't tell me the exact words but an idea of it. When I offered myself to do this mission the Headmistress immediately objected she told the others that I couldn't go because of what I was though in the moment it didn't make any sense until now." I said feeling very stupid.
"What other things did they say?" Ryder asked me.
"Jasper the leader of the Association said that they had all the reason to send me to see if I could control that side of me. The Headmistress of course interjected saying that she made sure that my whole life I didn't interact with vampires and that now sending me after the Vampire Prince was reckless." I said remembering her words.
"But you are a vampire huntress, at one point of your life you would have to interact with them or why would they let you be a huntress in the first place?" Ryder said not understanding.
"The Headmistress said that it was for my mum that it was always because of my mum. That is when Jasper said that it was my chance to prove them my loyalty, where it laid on." I said with a sight.
"That makes perfect sense." Ryder said as he nodded lost in thought.
I gave a scoff.
"Really, because I'm more confused now more than I was before Ryder, I have more questions now. Why would you vampires jeopardize your cover by attacking all the Falcon Academies?" I asked him.
"We haven't attacked any Academy." Ryder said as he made a frown.
"So now you're telling me that the vampires that are attacking the Academies aren't vampires?" I asked him.
"They are vampires yes, but they are not with the Vampire Prince." Ryder said explaining.
"Then with who-?" I started to say.
"They are rebels." Ryder said interrupting me.
"Rebels as in vampire rebels, they exist Ryder?" I said shocked, I thought they were just a myth.
"Since the beginning vampires have tried to live in harmony with humans, they were rulers, artist and all kind of vampires all over the world that formed an important part of the human society but soon as they started to gain power some people realized that the vampires could easily take over the world if they wanted to, so they created a society. Soon they started to provoke fear in people saying what type of things were the vampires: killers, blood thirsty creatures that wanted death for all humans. Humans of course reacted, motivated by fear they started to haunt down every single creature that had or could have any type of relationship with vampires. Women, men and children were killed, families and towns were torn apart, and humans went around claiming to kill the monsters that vampires were when they had turn themselves into blood thirsty monsters splashing innocent blood all over the world. They created an image of vampires so it is not a surprise now that's some vampires want to end the age of hunters but mainly that Association was been claiming to be doing the right thing just to hold more power. Now these vampires want the end of the Association and all of what it represents, they want the end of it and they want to take over the world." Ryder said explaining.
"So, the Vampire Prince is not after all of this?" I asked him.
"Of course, he is not, not even the Vampire King had all of this in mind; this has never been our intention. Our vampires always wanted peace with humans, maybe in occasions some territories and one or another girl, pretty beautiful girls like you but never the intention to destroy humanity and take over the world." Ryder said as he looked around.
"But none of this makes sense." I said with a sight.
"Of course, it won't because you have been blinded by them, you have been brain washed by them" Ryder said with a scoff.
"What?" I said shocked.
"Doll, they have made you think that all vampires should be killed with no exception. They have been making vampire hunters to protect humanity when the reality is that they have been creating killing machines for years or tell me if I'm wrong?" Ryder said waiting for my answer.
"But it can't-." I started to say.
"What made you change our mind Doll?" About the vampire thing, what made you trust me?" Ryder asked me.
"Besides what you told me I called my friend Beck and he told me that things were very suspicious in the Academy." I said as I thought about what Beck had said earlier.
"What did he say about it?" Ryder asked me.
"Beck thinks that Nastasia our Headmistress has something to do with the attacks." I said as I frowned, nothing made sense now.
"Do you believe him? Do you trust him?" Ryder asked me.
"Ryder-." I said before he cut off me again.
"Do you?' He said again.
I gave a troubled sight.
"Of course, I do, Beck is family to me, and I trust him more than anything when it comes to that." I said as I shrugged.
"Then you have your answer Doll. Why else would you still be here? Why would you let yourself be alone with a vampire? To let a vampire, know who you are, what your mission is and to let all these things that are happening between us happen? You know what is right and wrong, that is why you are letting yourself be near me because you know that we are with the Vampire Prince, a vampire that doesn't want to kill or take over the world." Ryder said nearly raising his voice.
"But what about my oath, I swore to always follow the teachings of Anna Falcon." I said as I nearly yelled in frustration.
"That is another thing the Association has been lying to all the hunters for years with all those ideas of vampires that they put in your heads, they make you think that what you are doing to vampires is right especially when they don't mention that your dear Anna Falcon was a vampire herself." Ryder said to my surprise.