Blood Reign Book One: Jacob

Chapter 5
Hunters

         My eyes opened to an unfamiliar scene. Everything was dark, cast in the shadows by an eclipsed sun. It appeared to be a city, but all the buildings were in ruins. Bodies lay strewn in the streets, grotesquely mutilated. Flesh torn from bone, limbs ripped savagely from their owners. Looks of terror frozen on every man, woman, and child’s face. Severed heads stood on pikes along the road. I looked closer at the faces on the pikes. My stomach churned as I recognized them. Tiffany, Tine, Mell, and even Thackery. Their eyes cold and lifeless, staring blankly into space, seeing noting. I gasp as I saw a face that made me fall to my knees. Ambers face stood in the center, eyes as blank as the rest of them.
         A noise from behind me caused me to spin around. A large pole stood across from the pikes. The same whimpering noise emitted from a man tied to it. He was leaned over, dark hair covered his face. His body was shaking. I couldn’t move my feet. As I watched, the man looked up. Tears streamed down his face. My body went cold. I stared into his face. My face stared back at me.
         A horrified bellow ripped through the air. My mind was in pure chaos. I was in the city ruins. No, I was in a forest. Pikes? No, there were no pikes. A dream? More like a nightmare. Everyone was up, but Tiffany was the only one looking for an intruder. Tine, Mell, and Thackery were all looking at me; Tine and Thackery with looks of understanding, Mell with a look of worry.
         “It’s ok Jacob. You’re safe here,” Mell said softly. I could feel a calm spreading over me as she spoke.
         “What are you yelling about?” Tiffany questioned in an annoyed tone.
         “Let it go Tiffany. He has his reasons,” Tine replied, hopping out of the tree. Her and Thackery looked at each other and nodded. Mell elbowed him in the stomach and looked at him with a confused and inpatient expression. He looked into her eyes, understanding crossing her face.
         Stupid telepaths. Tine and Thackery both started laughing. Oops.
         “Ok, I think its time we head out,” Thackery stated.
         Are you ok? Thackery’s voice echoed in my head.
         Yeah, I’m fine. I thought back. Do you have any idea why I had that dream?
         Actually, I don’t. I guess it was just the stress of finding out about the prophesy, and thinking you will fail.
         I shivered at the memory of the look on the man’s face, my face.

*******

         We traveled in total darkness, though each of us could see perfectly. Thackery led the way, carrying Mell in a piggyback ride.
         “You know you don’t have to carry me,” she informed him.
         “I know, but you like it,” he replied.
         She smiled and kissed his cheek. “How can I not like being with you?”
         I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. Tine came up beside me.
         “It could be worse,” she said, amusement in her voice.
         “Do I want to know how?” I ask.
         She laughed. “No.”
         Thackery started to slow down. We came to a stop in a small clearing. Thackery set Mell down and they both turned to me, an excited smile on their faces.
         “Yaaayyy!” Tine shouted excitedly, the same smile lighting her face.
         “What’s going on?” I ask, nervous from the expressions.
         “Hunting time!” Tine sang.
         “Good, I’m parched,” Tiffany said. She didn’t have the same excitement as the others though. I suddenly realized that I had no idea how to hunt.
         “Don’t worry, that’s why I’m going to show you. We are going into town soon and I want to be sure we won’t have any accidents,” Thackery answered my thoughts. “Mell, Tine, and Tiffany will take a different path.”
         Tine skipped towards the trees on the opposite side of the clearing. She stopped and turned impatiently towards Mell. “You have all the time in the world to kiss him, lets goooo,” she complained. Then she turned and darted into the trees. Tiffany followed after her. Mell was the last to leave. With one last kiss to Thackery, she followed the other two into the forest.
         He smiled a comforting smile, one that made me worry about what was in store for me next. “Follow me,” he said as he headed in the opposite direction of the girls.
         We didn’t go far before he stopped.
         Wait. Don’t make a sound. Close your eyes and listen. What do you hear? Thackery’s voice whispered in my head.
         I obeyed, closing my eyes and listening hard. I could hear everything. The bugs crawling in the trees, the owl overhead looking for food, all of it was crystal clear.
         Listen carefully.
         I focused harder. That’s when I heard it. Faint heartbeats, about a hundred yards ahead of us.
         Very good. How many?
         I listened closely. 4? No, wait, 5.
         Yes. Now take a deep breath.
         I inhaled, the wind brought the scent of the deer closer. We were downwind of them, they wouldn’t smell us till we were on them.
         You’re getting it.
         Now what? I thought.
         What do you think you should do?          I relaxed my muscles. My eyes flashed open, and before I could think, my body was on the move. Pure instinct compelled me to move. I jumped into the trees to get better leverage as I approached the deer. The limbs barely moved as I jumped from tree to tree. I was aware of Thackery following me, but I wasn’t concerned with him. My throat burned with anticipation. In one fluid motion, I lunged off the tree, my extended fangs sinking into the jugular of the biggest buck there. Thackery was right on my heels, snagging the next biggest.
         After I had drained the buck, I let his body fall to the ground. I looked at Thackery and saw two bodies at his feet. He smiled.
         “Good job,” he congratulated.
         “Thanks, but I’m still thirsty,” I replied.
         “Don’t worry, there’s more around here,” he said smiling.

*******

         We met back up with the girls in the clearing. I was full after feeding on 8 big bucks. Thackery had finished 10. We entered the clearing last. Thackery moved strait to Mell’s side. They all were moving with excitement, bragging about their kills. Thackery told them how I had got the biggest of the night. An 18 point buck.
         “Nice,” Mell complemented. Tine stuck her tongue out at me.
         “Very good,” Tiffany commented.
         “Ok, we’ve had our fun. Now its time to get serious. Let’s move,” Thackery said, lifting Mell onto his back again. We headed off into the trees again.

Chapter 6
Family

         We started slowing as we reached Port Angeles city limits. I had no idea why we were here, but Thackery seemed to know what he was doing. It had started to rain a few minutes after we had left the clearing. None of us were surprised, and the rain never slowed our progress.
                   I had noticed the vast difference in Tine’s personality compared to her brother‘s. She seemed full of so much energy. Most of the time she jumped from the tree limbs instead of weaving through the trees like we did. Her laughter was a constant on our trip. She just had an aura of happiness around her.
         Thackery had a melancholy air about him. He moved with purpose. When he smiled, there seemed to be an unknown sadness hidden behind his eyes.
         The two may have been brother and sister, but they were very different from each other.
         I watched Tine jump from a limb and twist gracefully in the air. She pulled off a complete flip while her body stayed strait and spun halfway around to face the opposite direction. After she had placed one foot on the next branch, she used her momentum to carry her into a back flip. She grabbed another branch mid flip and stood in a handstand for a fraction of a second before she brought her feet strait down and propelled herself out of the trees. She landed softly on the ground in front of me. She smiled and kissed my cheek. It was the kind of kiss on the cheek like I would get from some of my old friends. Of course they were all girls, but it was just friendship. Before I could react, she had flipped into another handstand and twisted around to face the same direction we were.
         “I’m curious, how did you and Thackery get into all this?” I ask.
         They both froze so suddenly that Tiffany and I shot past them. We did an about-face and slowly walked back to them. The three of them seemed to be having a telepathic conversation. Mell and Tine were both looked at Thackery with worried expressions. Thackery closed his eyes and looked off into the trees. He set Mell down and turned to walk away. “Tell him,” he muttered. Mell took his face in her hands and made him look into her eyes, which looked at him with such intensity that I knew she told him not to think what ever he was thinking. He looked away. They still held hands as they ran into the forest. Tiffany started to follow, but I stopped her. I knew they wanted to be alone.
         Tine looked at the spot where her brother vanished with a worried expression.
         She sighed and looked at me. “He says you have a right to know, and, for him, that means he trust you. Well if I‘m going to tell you, I might as well tell you our whole story.” She sighed again and looked at the dark sky, which still poured rain.
         “We were born in the small town of Halland, England. Thackery was four when I was born in 1571. Even at that age, he helped take care of me. We lived in a small house on the far edge of the town. He mostly helped Father on the farm while Mother and I cleaned the house. One day, Thackery and I were out by a creek picking daisies. I was four at the time so I don’t remember much, but he told me all about it. Mother had said that we didn’t get out enough, so she gave us the day off to be kids. Thackery knew that I loved daisies so he took me to a field of them. I was picking some for Mother; she liked them as much as I did. I remember them. They were the most beautiful white daisies I’d ever seen. I knew Mother would be proud.
         “We heard loud bangs in the distance toward the house. Thackery decided that it would be best to head back and see what had happened. When we returned to the house, Thackery knew something was wrong. He told me to wait in the bushes while he went to find Father. I waited for about 10 minutes before I started after him. I didn’t like sitting there alone. He had went around back thinking that Father would be tending to the animals. I went inside to look for Mother and show her the beautiful flowers I had gotten her. I found her laying face down in the kitchen floor. I tried to wake her, but she wouldn’t move. She felt so cold. That’s when I noticed the red liquid that had pooled beside her. I’m not sure if I knew what had happened or not, but I had to get Thackery. I screamed so loud that it hurt my lungs. It took him less than a minute to come bursting into the room, tears streaming down his face. He had blood on his hands, and I knew instinctively that Father was just as Mother.
         “After that, we went to live with our aunt and uncle. Thackery took care of me himself mostly. Things went well until I hit age thirteen. Thackery was seventeen and was gone most of the day working. Our aunt was in town often, leaving Uncle and I alone for several hours at a time. The way he had started looking at me made me afraid.” She bared her teeth and a slight growl built in her chest. “ On several occasions he had touched me where he shouldn’t have, but he was a big man so I didn’t want to anger him. I was to terrified to tell anyone the things he did while they were away. Thackery ask why I kept walking funny, but I told him it was nothing. One night, Uncle thought everyone was asleep, so he came into my room. Thackery had heard me tossing in my bed and had come to see what was wrong. He found me half stripped with tears in my eyes and Uncle holding me down with his hand over my mouth. Uncle may have been big, but Thackery was much faster and younger. Before Uncle had ever noticed that Thackery was there, Thackery had crossed the room in two long steps and dove into him, knocking him into the floor. Uncle threw Thackery off him and stood quickly, pulling up his pants. Thackery was beyond rage. He lunged at Uncle and managed to lock his arms around his throat. Our aunt had heard the commotion and came running in just in time to see Uncle pass out. She was furious that Thackery had attacked her husband, but refused to accept that he had attacked me first. Thackery decided that we could no longer stay there, so he and I went to stay with some friends of his.
         “About three years later, Thackery got a chance to help start a colony on some new land that had been found. He packed our things and we left immediately for this newly found land. He promised that we would have a better life there. The new colony was established as Roanoke. Unfortunately Thackery had been wrong about us having a better life. Supplies were scarce and the native tribes continuously harassed the colony. But he wouldn’t lose hope. ’Things will get better,’ he would always say. We muddled through for two years.
         “One day I was exploring the woods when one of the natives came out of nowhere and attacked. I knew something was different about him. His eyes were the strangest shade of violet, and he was so fast! His teeth sank into my shoulder. Instant pain shot through my whole body. It felt like a fire had been set off inside me, charring everything. I heard the leaves crunching behind me and felt him release me. I was unconscious before I hit the ground. I woke up on the forest floor at night coved in green leaves. I was surprised to hear Thackery calling my name, though he was clearly more than a mile away. I stood and realized that I had no marks on my arm, but there were holes in my shirt where the teeth had cut through. I ran to Thackery as fast as I could, and was shocked to find out just how fast that was. As I got closer I noticed a burning in my throat, and the smell of Thackery’s blood made it worse. Without thinking, I lunged at him, my teeth sinking into his neck. Realizing what I had done, I pulled away from him. He looked at me with terror on his face. I couldn’t watch. I turned and ran as far away from him as I could.  I curled up under a large onyx boulder and cried myself to sleep.
         “The next evening I heard footsteps coming towards me. I was afraid that I might attack them too, so I held my breath and kept very still. The boulder suddenly lifted up and the moonlight flooded over me. Thackery stood there holding the boulder as if it weighed ten pounds, smiling at me. We thought it would be best not to return to the colony. Thackery was twenty two so he knew how to hunt, although we soon established that normal weapons were pointless. Our speed and strength out matched anything we went up against. Plus any wound we received was quickly healed. A few years later, we learned that the colony of Roanoke had just vanished. We had an idea of what could have wiped them out. We wondered the forests for several decades, only going into town when we wanted updates on what was going on in the world and to steal new clothes. Mell joined us in 1792, but that’s another story for another time. After she joined, the three of us mostly wondered around at night because the sun hurt. We decided to come up here because we missed coming out during the day. Its mostly cloudy so it doesn’t burn.
         “So I guess we’ve come full circle. I met Tiffany while I was hunting. I could smell the blood. Thackery and Mell were on another honey moon. Tiffany stayed with me for about a year before she went to the party and met you.” Tine smiled and shook her hair in the rain.
         I let the whole story sink in. They were over five hundred years old! Stuck at twenty-two and eighteen.
         Tine suddenly looked into the trees. A second later I heard footsteps closing in rapidly. Mell came running through the trees as fast as she could. A streak of blood ran down her cheek, though the wound that it came from had already been healed. There was another sound, then a body came flying out of the trees and smashed into a tall tree beside Tine. Thackery walked out of the trees glairing at the figure.
         “We have to go,” he said urgently. “They are coming.”
         I suddenly recognized the cloak the figure wore. It jumped to its feet, but Tine was instantly on its back. The figure uttered a brief gasp before its head was faced the opposite direction. It fell to its knees and turned to ash. I heard more footsteps as they approached. We turned and sprinted towards the city. They wouldn’t attack in a crowded place would they? I hoped not.

Chapter 7
Suffering

         The rain pelted us as we ran. The footsteps behind us slowly started to fade the closer we got to the city. We were almost to the city when Thackery stopped. He and Tine glanced franticly in all directions. I could feel calm wash over me. Mell took Thackery’s hand and made him look at her.
         “There’s no other way,” she whispered. Thackery’s fangs started to drop.
         “What’s going on?” Tiffany ask. As if in response, hooded figures appeared from every direction. I never even heard them approach. I could feel my fangs extend. Everyone had fangs exposed except Mell. She had never looked up from Thackery’s eyes.
         I glanced at the figures around us. No less than sixty. Possibly seventy. They hadn’t attacked yet. I couldn’t figure out why. Then I felt another wave of calm wash over me. So that was the reason. Mell kept them calm. They felt no need to attack. Not yet anyway. I looked back at Mell and Thackery. Thackery’s fangs had retracted. He closed his eyes and kissed Mell passionately on the lips. Then he pulled a small dagger out of his pocket and handed it to her. They both stepped back and sat down in the center of the small circle that we had formed. Tine looked at them incredulously. They crossed their legs and closed their eyes. The way they sat with their hands together reminded me of monks praying.
         A flash of crimson lightning streaked across the black sky followed by a great clap of thunder. The figures looked up at the sound then back at the two in the center. A strong wave of calm washed over the gathering. Electricity seemed to charge the air. That’s when I realized that the pair had started to glow. They had an electric blue aura around them. The charge seemed to be emitting from this mysterious light. The wind suddenly picked up, whipping our hair around and causing cloaks to swish spastically. The entities started to advance, despite Mell’s calming ability.
          I tore my eyes away from the two to check Tine’s reaction. She stared at them, just as lost as the rest of us. When I looked back, Mell had placed her hand in Thackery’s and held the dagger over them. Thackery moved his hand and started to make strange hand signs while he muttered quietly. The wind and rain started to roar ferociously. Lightning flashed while thunder crashed. The strange energy radiating from the couple was almost tangible.
         Several things happened simultaneously. The creatures all lunged as a crimson streak of lightning struck the two in the center when their eyes opened. Things seemed to move in extra slow motion. Thackery and Mell’s eyes were solid blue and sparks flew from them. The dagger in Mell’s hand plunged into her outstretched palm. A single drop of blood dropped to the ground. As soon as it made contact, the ground seemed to evaporate from underneath my feet.
         The air deserted my lungs as I was sucked through a void. The wind roared in my ears. The ground suddenly reasserted itself under my feet, but instead of the soft grass there was the familiar solidity of concrete. I was aware of people breathing heavily. I opened my eyes and found that we were in a basement. The walls were lined with wood crates and boxes. Two sets of stairs exited the basement on opposite walls. The room was well lit. Everyone stood in exactly the same spot that they had in the forest, each with a bemused expression. Mell pulled the blade out of her hand without so much as a wince. She cleaned off the blood and gave it back to Thackery. He slid it into his pocket once again and then tended to Mell’s hand. It had already started to heal. When he finished cleaning the blood off her hand he kissed the spot where there had once been a hole.
         The rest of us stood in silence as they worked. Tine was the first to find her voice.
         “Would either of you like to explain what just happened?” she ask in a horse whisper. Before either could answer, footsteps came down the stairs. I turned and saw a huge man approach us. He was about six foot five and all muscle. This guy was massive. He had pale skin and blue eyes. His black Tap Out shirt seemed to strain to keep from shredding. He wore baggy jeans and black combat boots. His unkempt brown hair was almost touching his shoulders. He moved with confidence, almost daring anyone to try something. He looked at our small gathering and smiled.
         “Took ya long enough,” he said in a deep booming voice. He had a thick southern accent. Thackery laughed and they grasp each others forearms.
         “It’s good to see you again, old friend.” Thackery looked at us. “This is Chris; he’s a friend of mine. He knows weapons.”
         “Everything ‘bout anything. Knives, swords, guns, bows, you name it. I’m the weapons expert. Ain’t no one better,” he said proudly. “I even got a few spells, but that’s for special customers only.”
         “You remember my wife, Mell. That is my sister Tine and her friend Tiffany,” Thackery introduced, pointing out each. He looked at me and smiled. “This is Jacob. He’s new to the vampire world.”
         Chris walked over and I grasped forearms with him. “Nice of you to join our little family,” he said politely. He had a very strong grip. He turned back to Thackery. “So I take it the spell works?”
         “Yes. It’s a good thing too, or else we all would be dead now. Sixty-six Legion Hunters. Just one of them could take out no less than thirty well trained Blood Vampires,” Thackery informed.
         Chris blew out a low whistle. “So many? For just five? Even with you and Mell, that’s overkill. ‘t’s a really good thing ya’ll came by ‘fore headin’ over there.”
         “Thank you again Chris,” Mell thanked.
         He dipped his head. “No problem ma’am. I’m jus’ glad it worked. I’d hate to lose such a lovely friend as yourself.”
         More footsteps came down the stairs. A woman with long curly blackish-brown hair came in and stopped on the bottom step. “Hun, we have a lot of people up there. You’re needed,” she spoke in a soft voice, almost a whisper.
         “Ok, I’ll be there in a minute. First I want you to meet some friends of mine. This is Thackery and his wife Mell. That’s Tine, Thackery’s sister, her friend Tiffany, and Jacob. Everyone this is my wife Natalie,” he said beaming. “Well, I’d love to stay and chat, but I got a store to run. Thackery, you know your way around. You’re welcome to the guest rooms upstairs. I’ll talk with ya’ll later.” He turned and followed Natalie out of the door.
         Tine looked at Thackery. “So when were you planning on telling us any of this?”
         “When the time was needed, which was then,” he replied simply. “Well, come on, let’s get settled in.” He took Mell’s hand and headed up the steps across from the ones Chris had just went through. Tine shook her head and followed. Tiffany and I glanced at each other then followed.
         Thackery led us into a small beige hallway. Lamps lined the walls and gave the place an eerie glow. We ascended a staircase and entered the second floor of the building. Thackery opened a door and let us enter first. We stood in a small living room. A midnight blue couch sat against a navy blue wall while four midnight blue recliners circled a glass coffee table in front of the couch. A fire crackled in the brick fireplace on the opposite wall. A small bar separated the living room from the kitchen. Another hallway led off to the rooms.
         “Well, have a seat,” Thackery said as he walked over to one of the recliners and sat down. Mell followed and sat in his lap. Tine had a half angry expression. I guessed it was because her brother had kept this from her. She sat on the couch and glared at him. Tiffany sat on the other side of the couch, so I sat in one of the recliners. I didn’t want to sit between the two girls, especially not with Tine like she was.
         “Mell?” I ask.
         She looked over at me and smiled. “Yes?”
         “How can you take so much pain without flinching?” It wasn’t the question I had meant to ask, but it was something that I was curious about.
         She laughed and smiled politely. “You are new to this, aren’t you? Most vampires can take an immense amount of pain. Although I can take a lot more than most others. It’s all due to my upbringing. I went through a lot of suffering. Well since you brought it up, I might as well tell you my story.
         “I was born in 1772, in Augusta, Georgia. My parents were very strict. If I did something wrong, I was punished. Severely. Usually I was beaten. As I got older the beatings got worse. What they didn’t foresee was the fact that I was becoming numb to their punishments. I would defy them, I would get beaten, I wouldn’t shed a tear. The more they beat me, the more I resented them. When I was fourteen I ran away. I met a man named Herald. He took me in and taught me how to fight and defend myself. I could take on three to four muggers and win.
         “When I was about eighteen, a group of drunk idiots saw me walking down the street. They decided that I would be a good toy. There were nine of them. Even drunk, they were strong. I managed to take down six of them before one managed to strike me in the back of the head with a weapon of some kind. When I awoke, I knew they hadn’t used me the way they had intended. They decided to just beat my unconscious body till they passed out. A few ribs were broken and my left arm. I was bruised and bloody. Barely able to stand, I stumbled my way to Heralds place. It took almost a full year for my wounds to heal. Herald died a year after the incident. Poison. I had been searching for his murderers for a whole year.
         “I was walking through the forest one night when I came across a man assaulting a woman. He had her pressed against a tree and was biting her neck. Blood ran down from his mouth. I immediately stepped in. He snapped the girls neck before I could stop him. He was tall and blond. His violet eyes stood out against his black clothes. He was very fast, but he didn’t know the slightest thing about fighting. I held my own against him for a while, but I was starting to get tired. He got bored of his game and decided to end it. He moved faster than I could see. The next thing I knew, my legs were snapped and I crumpled to the ground. Exhausted and injured, he thought I would be an easy meal. He didn’t know that I had a blade in my boot. With the odd angle that my leg was in, it was easy to get it without him noticing. He had leaned in to bite me but I shoved the knife into his heart. Outraged, he withdrew the knife and cut my throat. He ended up turning to ash before he could finish me. I was sure I was going to die, but Thackery found me.”
         “One look into her mind and I fell in love. I saw everything that had happened. She was beautiful, even broken and bleeding. I knew I had to make a choice fast. She was losing so much blood. I took her in my arms and changed her myself. I could only hope that she wouldn’t choose to leave me,” Thackery explained.
         “Of course, how could I leave the perfect guy? After the pain finally stopped, I realized that all my wounds were healed. It took almost all night. I was still exhausted, so Thackery carried me to a small cabin and let me rest. I knew I was safe with him. I refused to leave his arms the entire time. So he held me while I slept. The next night he explained what he was, what I now was, and he gave me the option of going on my own.” Mell smiled and kissed Thackery. “I couldn’t imagine leaving his side,” she whispered passionately.
         “So now you know,” she said, looking back at me. “Does that answer your question?”
         Just then Chris and Natalie walked in. Chris smiled sat in one of the other recliners. Natalie sat in his lap like Mell and Thackery.
         “Everyone relaxin‘?” Chris ask.
         “Yes, thank you,” Thackery answered. “It’s nice to be able to relax and not worry about demons attacking.”
         “It’s a nice place you have here,” Tiffany complemented.
         Chris laughed. “’T’s not much, but its home.”
         “Ok everyone, rest up. We have a long road ahead of us,” Thackery informed.
         “One last question,” I said. “Where exactly are we?”
         Chris laughed. “Your in Carbon Hill, Alabama."

Chapter 8
Learning

         We had spent about three days at Chris’s apartment above his weapon store. Yesterday, Thackery had explained about the different levels of demons.
         “There are six types of demons. First there are Shadow Hunters. They have no true shape or form. They possess the shadows of people and use it to control that person. They are trouble makers, but relatively harmless. Second are Slithers. They are snake-like demons that use speed and trickery to claim their prey. Next there are Shifters. They can take on the appearance of any mammal. In their original state, they look like a typical zombie. Flesh rotting and peeling away from the body.
         “Werewolves come next. They aren’t what Hollywood has portrayed them as. They don’t need a full moon to change. They are like us in some ways. Some are actually really nice. They use their power for good. We Vampires come next. Each of us usually have a unique ability. We are separated into two categories. Blood Vampires, which are vampires that feed on human blood regularly and are very strong, and Vegan Vampires. I didn’t come up with the name, so don’t look at me like that. We are named for the fact that we don’t eat human blood, as vegetarian humans don’t eat meat.  Finally there are the Legion Hunters. Vicious demons that follow orders from Satin himself. They are very powerful. They wear those cloaks to show dominance. Honestly, I thought they had us in the forest. I didn’t know Mell could hold that many back long enough. She is more powerful than I realized,” he had said with a bright smile.
         Tonight, I went outside and enjoyed the cool breeze. Carbon Hill was a small town. How Chris managed any business is beyond me, but they came and went all night every night, though most were vampires or werewolves. I had to admit though, his land was very nice. His shop was originally a motel, but Chris knocked down all the walls to the rooms and built a small apartment on top of it. Thanks to Natalie’s magic abilities, the space was larger on the inside than it looked on the outside. His back yard was well cut and taken care of. It went from the road to a cliff that overlooked a lake.
         I sat at the edge of the cliff and watched the ripples in the water dance and play with each other. The sound of soft footsteps told me that I was no longer alone.
         “May I join you?” Tine’s girly voice ask. She sat down without waiting for an answer. She wore a light blue t-shirt and a pair of jeans. She was barefoot despite the coolness of the ground. “So how are things going?”
         “I honestly don’t know. My entire world has been turned upside down. I’m not really sure about anything anymore,” I replied. I picked up a small rock and held it up for her to see. “This rock is me. I was perfectly fine where I was. Unfortunately,” I threw the rock into the black water, “now I’ve been sucked into the currents of a war I didn’t even know existed.”
         She looked from me to the lake and back. “Actually, the war hasn’t started,” she said with a sheepish smile. “Not yet anyway. We all know its coming though. That’s why Chris and Thackery have been working on us all some weapons. Even with all our fighting skills, we are going to need to be armed. Thanks to Mell, Thackery and I have learned how to use a variety of close combat weapons. My personal favorites are the nun chucks, but I like the free movements and the fluidness of the motions. Thackery has a strange style. He likes using either a scythe or a staff. Mell prefers a long range bow, but she is very skilled with a katana.” She glanced back towards the house. “Well, time to find out what kind of weapon is best suited for you.” She flipped into a back handspring and landed in a fighting stance. “Show me what you got,” she said, beckoning me to join her.
         “I’m not going to fight you,” I stated, then turned back to the lake. A slight whistling noise was all the warning I had.
         Instinctively, I lay flat against the grass, narrowly dodging Tines foot as it sped past where my head had just been. She smiled and beckoned me again. The glair I leveled at her made her start to laugh. She shifted deeper into her stance, like a lioness about to pounce. Seeing no other choice, I stood faced her.
         A wicked smile spread across her face as she lunged. She moved so fast she was just a blur. I moved to block her fist aimed at my face, but I felt her heel connect to my ribcage. I staggered back and gasp. I caught a glimpse of her as she danced back for a second attack; her fangs glinted in the moonlight. My fangs dropped in response. Everything changed. Her movements seemed to be slower. I could hear each step she took as she charged me.
         My face spread into the same wicked smile she had. In one lithe movement she jumped and spun, her heel flew towards my face. Reflexes took over and I ducked under her attack, then leaped to the side to dodge her second attack. I aimed a low kick at her legs, but she easily cart wheeled over it.
         Playful snarls ripped through the air as we lunged and dodged. We began to draw a crowd of other vampires and werewolves that wanted to see what all the commotion was about. Thackery and Mell stood and held hands as they watched. Thackery was no doubt reading my thoughts, learning how I moved. He studied my movements carefully.
         Tine smiled and vanished. She moved so fast that she turned completely invisible. I suddenly knew she had been holding back the whole fight. Her arms wrapped around my waist as she hugged me from behind and laid her head on my shoulder. “I win,” she whispered into my ear. My body froze. I knew that if this had been an actual fight, she would have just took my head clean off. She laughed and stepped back.
         The spectators started to laugh and cheer. A thin blonde vampire and a werewolf about the same size as Chris walked toward us.
         “Hi, I’m Chase,” the vampire introduced himself in a deep voice. It almost sounded like he was high. “This is Darren,” he indicated the werewolf at his side. Darren smiled and gave a slight bow.
         “Hi,” Tine replied. “My name is Tine, and this is Jacob.”
         Darren extended his hand to her. His eyes were a bright green, and he spoke with a gruff voice. “It’s nice to meet you,” he said as she shook his hand. His hand seemed to swallow hers. “I haven’t seen anyone move like that. It was amazing. Your movements were so fluid and fast,” he said, admiration laced through his voice. He glanced at me with a jealous look.
         “Oh, we aren’t together. He is just a friend,” she hastily informed. He gave her a quizzical look. She giggled and answered an unheard question, “Yes, actually I can.”
         “Can what?” Chase ask.
         “Read minds,” Darren answered, pure awe in his voice. He shook his shaggy brown hair and laughed. “She is unlike anyone I’ve ever met.” He looked at Tine. She raised one eyebrow, then smiled and nodded. His return smile was so warm and friendly. I knew he would never harm her.
         Chase leaned over as they started to walk away and ask, “What just happened?”
         I laughed. “I think they just decided to go on a date. I have no idea where though,” I replied.
         “They went hunting,” Mell’s voice informed from behind us. We turned to face her and Thackery.
         Chase laughed. “Can you read minds too?”
         “No, but my husband can. Tine is his sister.”
         Chase suddenly jumped and started looking around.
         Thackery laughed. “I can also make people hear my thoughts,” he said. We all started to laugh.
         “Well it was nice meeting y’all, but I gotta get goin. When Darren gets back, just please tell him to catch up. We got stuff we gotta do,” Chase said. After he shook hands with us, he turned and left. The crowd had all went back inside.
         Thackery turned to me and smiled. “Well, I know exactly what type of weapon you need. You will have to have some training first. We will have to show you how to fight. I have to admit, you do have a lot of poten-” His head snapped up in the direction Tine and Darren had went just as an earsplitting howl rent through the air. We all turned and dashed into the forest. Footsteps told us that there were a few who had heard and were following.
         Thackery came to a sudden stop and glanced around. Mell swore under her breath. Three others had followed us. I recognized Chase and Chris. The third girl I didn’t know. Her sandy blonde hair was pulled into a short ponytail. Thin glasses framed her bright blue eyes. She, like Thackery, glanced franticly around. I looked up into the trees and saw why they were worried.
         Purple eyes glared down from the trees. Twenty Blood Vamps dropped in a circle around the six of us. We stood back to back as they started forward. Everyone shifted and prepared for the inevitable brawl. Thackery smiled, Mell laughed softly, Chris grinned from ear to ear, Chase muttered about this being a waste of time, and the new girl pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose with a sly smile.
         Two of the Blood Vamps charged, but Tine came out of nowhere and, with a graceful flip, planted a heel in each of their faces before she landed on her hands. With a twist of her small body, she was upright. Two gashes ran across each cheek, though they were already partially healed, and her shirt was ripped across the stomach. We heard heavy footsteps just before a hairy hand seemed to come out of the darkness itself and snatch one of the Bloods by his neck back into the night.
         Suddenly, all hell broke loose. They all charged at once, fangs readied. Feral snarls emitted from their throats. I felt my fangs lower. A fist caught my jaw before I could react. The crack of my jaw breaking rang in my ears. My vision blurred. Things seemed to slide out of focus. Voices blended into one. I landed on the ground with a hard thud. Everything went black.  A scream reached my ears. It sounded far away, but it was so familiar. Where did I know that voice?
         I saw Amber in her bedroom. She was cowered in a small corner. Her room was trashed. The bed was embedded into the wall and the TV was smashed against the door. Broken glass littered the floor. She screamed again as a figure in a black and scarlet cloak stepped towards her.
         “You’re coming with me,” it growled. It snatched her up by her hair. Her brown eyes were wide with fright.
         His wicked laugh lingered in my ears as I opened my eyes. The smell of dirt, blood, and ash filled my nostrils. I could hear the battle as it raged behind me. Anger filled my body. I was suddenly on my feet. My jaw snapped back in place. Ten Blood vamps were still fighting. My vision had a red taint to it. Before I could even think, I flew into the fray. I flipped over one of the Blood’s back, took his head in my hands, and twisted it around in the other direction. He was ash before he hit the ground. Another came at me from the side, his fist flying at my face. I snagged his hand and shattered his arm on my shoulder. Then in one fluid motion, flipped and felt my foot connect with his jaw. I was mid flip as another came at me from the other side. This time my foot connected with the crown of his head. Both turned to ash.
         The other seven turned towards me. I didn’t know why Mell and the others didn’t finish them, but I also didn’t care. The Bloods charged. My vision turned solid red. I no longer had control of my body.
         A sudden roar sent birds flying in all directions. It was a bloodcurdling blast that shook the trees and made the rocks quake. I was shocked to realize that the horrible noise was coming from my throat. I looked around and was more shocked to find a bloody arm slowly turning to ash in my hand and seven piles of ash laying scattered across the ground. I dropped the arm and watched it smash into a small pile of dust.
         “Jake?” Tine’s voice ask cautiously from behind me. I fell to my knees, exhausted. I was unconscious before I hit the ground.