"Dammit!" Willow swore as another arrow missed its mark.
"Don't sweat. You are at it for far too long. Perhaps, a little break will help you loosen your muscles," Reagan, the vampire, and her teammate said from behind her.
"It's not that," Willow dismissed.
"Then pray, tell what is?" Reagan said as she leaned on the door of the gym room with her arms folded, projecting a leisure pose. But only a fool will consider her calm.
Reagan is a master at creeping behind and killing the prey. But she sucks at being patient. Unlike Willow. Who can stand still for hours if the occasion calls for it?
And today that patience is eluding her. It might have to do with the absence of her teammates.
Defeated, she sighed and dropped her arms, her back protesting. With her bow in her right hand and the arrow in her left, she turned to meet the eyes of the vampire.
"I can't help it. Something is brewing Reagan. I can sense it. If only the others are here-,"Willow trailed off as she clenched her fist around the arrow.
She need not say how she senses it. No one would ask her. Even if they do, they don't get the answers because everyone carries their secrets in the Guild. Letting one's secrets known is equal to handing one's weakness to others.
Though Reagan is her teammate and best friend, she still hesitates to reveal her secrets. It's ingrained in her mind to never reveal. Never display your powers to an outsider, her parents' last words before they died.
The Guild is a supernatural organization that includes all types of supernaturals. Their major goal is to kill the rogues. Any supernatural can turn a rogue but it has a different meaning for each one.
For beasts or werewolves, rogue means giving in to their inner beast's urges, turning them into savages, feasting on others.
A vampire once turned rogue will kill and enjoy it while killing his blood donor. Basically, the vampire doesn't need to kill to curb their hunger. But a rogue will.
Fae, mages, or witches- for all of them, going rogue means giving into their power. Unable to control their power. Their power will take a life of its own. That's why it's crucial for these kinds to train before they hit puberty.
And lastly, there is the "others" kingdom. No one knows much about it. They keep to themselves. Even the Guild doesn't have any data on that kingdom and it sticks in the Guild head's craw.
"I hope so. But you know about them and how stubborn they are... well at least Azrian is. I don't know about Claire," Reagan said, bringing Willow out of her musings.
"She shouldn't have quit the position," Willow said, biting her lower lip with her front teeth, worrying over her team leader, Azrian. Azrian was given the task of spying on her king by the Guild's head. And Azrian being Azrian, refused to spy.
"Azrian listens to no one. If she doesn't want to do it, then no one can force her. After hearing what the Guild's head asked of her, I wouldn't blame her either," Reagan said as she casually tossed the dagger in the air only to catch it by its tip.
"Do you think there is something going on between her and the werewolf king?" Willow asked, setting her bow and arrow carefully in the holder. She normally wouldn't leave the Guild without them. They are a part of her.
"Who knows? You know how Azrian is. She is as tight-lipped as you," Reagan said as she carefully met the eyes of Willow amid her stunt.
Instead of answering her indirect question, Willow said, "as if you spill all your beans. There is a reason why we are paired as a team. We are one close-lipped bunch."
Reagan snickered at the picture Willow painted.
"If there really is something going on between Azrian and the king, then I pity her. You know he is mated right?" Reagan asked bored of throwing the dagger.
"Yes. But the last I heard she is in a coma. Who knows, maybe fate will be kind to her this time," Willow replied as she sipped the water from her bottle.
They all know how her team leader is suffering from suppressed rage at the injustice of fate. Perhaps, everything will follow its course now.
"Have you heard anything from Claire?" Willow asked, closing the cap of the bottle.
"No. Have you?" Reagan asked, standing straight.
Willow shook her head. "Shit!"
"Shit! Shit! Shit!"
Reagan threw her dagger hitting the bulls-eye which eluded Willow today.
"Do you think something might have happened to her?" Willow asked fearing for her teammate. Claire is just a human and hence is mothered by the entire team.
"Like what?" Reagan asked, facing her.
"Like the Guild head sending her to spy on the king," Willow contemplated the thought not to her like.
"What if she was sent instead of Azrian?" Willow voiced her thoughts.
"Azrian won't allow it. And you should know better. No one can cross Azrian when she is in her beast mode, least of all Claire. And Claire may be human but she is smart," Reagan shot the question down the drain.
"Does that mean she is in danger?" Willow paced the length of the room, her hands clenched at her sides.
"I-" before Reagan could reply to Brenda, the remaining teammate came barging into the room.
Brenda is a mage and an empath.
"Detected something?" Reagan asked Brenda sarcastically. Reagan is not a big fan of Brenda as Brenda can sense the emotions of others. For a close-lipped bunch, she is like an antidote.
Though Brenda only wants to help, it sometimes misfires, especially when the recipient doesn't want the attention. She is kind and innocent. Sometimes too much when she believes every lie the Guild head dishes out.
"Umm... did I interrupt something?" Brenda asked, shuffling her shoes.
For a mage, she is like that shy flower yet to blossom.
"Your usual thing," Reagan replied sarcastically.
Willow threw a dirty look at Reagan and said, "no. Nothing big. We were just wondering about Claire. Have you heard anything from her?"
"Claire? No. I thought she might have contacted you guys," Brenda replied with a frown, clasping her hands.
"Oh boy! Something is fishy. First Azrian, now Claire," Reagan scratched her chin with her forefinger unknowingly.
Though they are as different as day and night, the golden rule of their team is to always have each other's back.
"If not for checking your radar, why are you here?" Reagan asked with her hands on her hips.
"Oh, I almost forgot. Guild head is asking for you," Brenda replied, raising her chin in Willow's direction.
"Me?" Willow questioned with a frown.
"Do we have a new assignment? Surely, the old crone wouldn't let us go in the field without a team leader," Reagan scrunched her face not liking the idea of a new member.
They are a team and adjusting to a new member is difficult and often disrupts the team dynamics. But a team should have 5 members. With Azrian and Claire went, they are lacking 2 members.
"Don't know. I didn't ask," Brenda shrugged her shoulders.
"Of course, why would you? It would go against your DNA to question the Guild Head," Reagan snarled.
"It's not like that," Brenda shuffled some more.
"It's like what then?" Reagan queried crowding Brenda.
"Oh, stop it you two! We don't know where Claire is, Azrian quit the job, and you both are busy with your antics," Willow pinched her nose in frustration.
"It's not me," Brenda whispered. Reagan bared her fangs in a warning.
Before Reagan could act on it, Willow zeroed on her, shielded Brenda, and with a hand on Reagan's chest, she said, "cut it. Azrian might not be here but we are still a team. We don't bite each other. Tone it down. She is just a messenger."
"Fine," Reagan backed out but not before throwing a glare.
Willow curbed the urge to release a sigh. Though they all are around the same age, sometimes these two are too much. Children. Both of them. It's not me, it's her. Willow mused how Azrian dealt with them without going mad.
Reagan is not of the bad sort. She is just tough. You have to be when you are a vampire. Vampires are animals clad in human skin. Willow hates vampires, but she sensed a sort of kinship with Reagan. It was not the case in the beginning when she joined the team. It took time. But slowly and surely, they became the best of friends.
Perhaps it may have to do with the fact that they both would remain immortal while the other members will wither away with old age.
"Why don't you guys concentrate on locating Claire while I deal with the Guild's head?" Willow asked.
Brenda replied spontaneously as if she had thrown a lifeline.
"Sure"
"Does she have any tracking device on her?" Reagan asked
"The last I knew about her, she was hunting some were-rogue," Brenda supplied.
"Alone?" I scoffed at not liking the idea.
"You know Claire. She won't listen to anyone. She has to prove to everyone that she can do it alone," Brenda sighed.
"Fuck! I'm gonna kill that bitch if the were-rogue hasn't finished with her," Reagan uttered through a clenched jaw.
"Follow the queue," Willow said to Reagan, turned to Brenda, and asked, "when was that?"
"A week ago," Brenda replied, her cheeks turning red.
"A week! That was before Azrian left. Why was no one aware of this fact?"
"The Guild Head..." Brenda trailed off, embarrassed to admit that she had followed the orders.
"Fuck Brenda! You should have said something, " Willow said, punching her nose.
"And you question why I'm behind her case?" Reagan said aloud with sarcasm dripping in her voice.
"We will deal with this later. First let me check what the Guild's head wants," Willow walked out of the room, not in the mood to act as a referee for another pissing match between Reagan and Brenda. It's more like Reagan bulldozing Brenda, but whatever. At least it will let the steam out of them and hopefully, they will concentrate on Claire after that.
Willow went to her room and had a nice long shower. Just because the Guild's head called her, no need to run to cater to her needs.Her muscles protesting from the exercise, she scrubbed and washed her hair. Wrapped in a white towel, she used her left hand to wipe the mirror before gazing at herself.Her long blonde hair clung to her, a shade darker now, as it fell limply around her shoulders. It almost touched her butt. Her green eyes held many secrets as she scrutinized herself.She is tall like another fae. 5'.10". Her limbs and legs are well-toned, courtesy of her daily routine and the harsh life she lives. With her sharp cheekbones, pouty lips, many would say she is beautiful. To the point of looking almost ethereal. But only she knows what the skin hides. Pain. Thirst for vengeance.She turned her back to the mirror and swiftly got ready to head to the Guild head's office. Anything to make her
"Haven't you heard a word I said? The Guild can be in danger. Everything we built, everything we fought for, fighting for, can be snatched from us. Are you not concerned? Don't you want to contribute to your fellow members' safety?" "Oh, stuff it. I said I won't go to the vampire kingdom. Not that I won't help" "Willow.." "I don't do vampires. Nor that kingdom. You know that. Hell, I bet the whole Guild knows that. I stayed away from them for a reason. I don't want anything to do with them. Then why are you pitting me against those... those monsters?" "You should be honored you are selected for this job" "Oh, I'm just stoked, trust me. But I'll pass" "Don't forget that I'm your boss" "Yet you ask to spy on the ones who sign your paycheck. It's fine as long as the Guild benefits or nothing blemishe
The calm with which she entered this section of the headquarters vanished with the news the Guild Head gave. Anger coursed through her veins. She wants to hit someone, kill something. A rage like no other circled inside her. Suddenly, she picks up speed, running along the corridors with no destination other than to get outside of this wretched place. She ran and ran and then ran some more until her legs gave out. With a jerk, she fell hard on her knees. Anger is a mild word for what she is feeling. With a cry, she gave a roar that echoed through the dark forest near the headquarters, shaking the trees and scaring the birds. Willow looked at the ground, her eyes unclear. She touched the grass beneath her with her hand as if holding the hands of a friend and wailed. Her body shook with the torment as she reminisced the pain, she thought buried deep within her. After 7 long years of waiting, assuming, expecting, hoping, she finally has an identity. A fac
The vampire kingdom is a dark, damp, and cold place as Willow expected. She scrunched her nose as her foot landed on another muddy puddle, slowly ruining her sneakers. The vampire kingdom is located between the werewolf and fae kingdom. Hence, it is colder than fae and damper than werewolf one where cold is a constant companion. "I hate this place," Willow muttered under her breath. Fae likes sunshine and autumn. The dewy, fresh smell of the leaves, the scents that a flower emits while blooming, the warm sun rays on the skin, everything is wonderful. Which is not the case with this kingdom.
Willow quickly ducked behind the tree before they could look at her. She unzipped her hoodie and took out the ring she always carries. It is a special ring given by Brenda to every member of her team. This ring can conceal the nature of the wearer. In other words, it hides the smell and aura of the wearer. She swiftly wore the ring on the forefinger of her left hand. After taking a few deep breaths to calm her heartbeat, she made the vine of the tree grow longer. Holding the
"Did all the vampires in this kingdom go to the same school?" Willow drawled, hiding the rising panic inside her behind sarcasm. "What did you say, bitch?" The vampire advanced, trying to corner her with each step. Willow checked the warehouse behind the vampire as if his presence doesn't concern her. Only one. Good. She can use her power but overuse may leave her defenseless later when she may need it more. She doesn't know who else found out about her. Even now, someone could be approaching the warehouse or already heard this vampire and might be waiting for her if this vampire fails. She couldn't risk it. Decision made, Willow completely dropped to the floor and swiped her right leg tackling the vampire to the ground before he could bat an eyelash. But the vampire is fast. He swiftly stood up and grinned, licking his fangs. "You want to play, doll? Let's play," the vampire made a rude gesture clutching his crotch. Willow wri
If she has to do it, she must do it right. Willow closed the journal and put it back in her bag. Her hands accidentally brushed the red file that Guild's head gave to her. She backed her hand as if it had been burned. The red file laid there at the bottom of her bag, taunting her to open. Without looking at it, she closed the bag and dialed the phone number Reagan. She refuses to call the Guild's head. If she wants the details, she can ask Reagan. And she would bet her last penny that Reagan would make her sweat before indulging her. Good. That old crone deserved it. "Reagan, we have a situation," Willow said glumly in the form of a greeting. Reagan, sensing the seriousness, kept her mouth shut. Willow relayed what she saw in those warehouses to Reagan. Reagan for her part kept quiet and didn't ask questions. After she filled her in, Reagan said, "this is more serious than we thought. I don't think you should be handling this alone. Shit Willo
Once she put down the phone, Willow started adding to the list on her journal.She needs to find who is behind this- the head honcho. From the groups of mercenaries, she is looking at a supernatural being who has lots of money at his/her disposal. But then, all vampires are rich. Could it be a member of the Elite council?There is a motive- Coveting throne. If the king can be shown as useless to the people, then it would become easy for the member to dethrone him.But why would they need the blood of other supernaturals? What about the mage? If it's a member of the Elite council, then it would be inner politics. Why drag other supernaturals?All this guesswork is getting her nowhere. She needs proof. Solid evidence leading somewhere.Rescue all of them at once. Even if she leaves one of them behind, the mercenaries will alert the head hydra making it impossible to rescue again.What's the deal with the king? Pe