Kyan's POV:"HOW?!" I shouted across father's chamber as I paced around his center table. "HOW DID THEY HAVE TIME TO TAKE HER AND REMOVE ANY TRACKS?" "Son, we will find her!" He tried to comfort me, but nothing he could say would make a difference. There would be no comfort until she was back with us, safe and sound."I say we go back to their cave! Yes, I doubt she'd be there, but isn't it worth looking again, just in case there's anything they left behind". Magnus suggested."No". Father shook his head. "I already sent Kiko and a few others out last night, there was nothing, just a burnt out camp fire". "Then we need to search wider, further!". I demanded with a restless tone."Kyan, our lands are vast! It would take all of us in two groups to do that kind of search". Father reminded me, but I didn't care as I shrugged my shoulders."Then that's what we do!" "I agree!" Father nodded glumly. "However, the moment we separate, we put ourselves in a vulnerable position". "Something
"Ellie..." I could hear a faint voice repeating my name as my whole body ached and my mouth felt stiff.A sudden high pitched ringing shot through my head and an intense migraine was banging against my skull. My hands flung to my head as I grasped it, trying to stop the loud shrill that was deafening and throbbing."ELLIE!" The voice called out again. I shot open my eyes as i curled up into a ball inwardly pleading for the ringing and buzzing to stop.I could just make out Zekan's silhouette moving around in the chair as he tried to get free."Zek... Zek... someth... something's.." I tried to tell him that something was wrong with me, but I could barely hear my own voice or move my mouth."Ellie, listen to me, just breathe, ok? Just breathe in deeply and out". He said in a calm tone. "In and out Ellie, come on, in and out". I listened to him as I inhaled long and deep, until I could feel the air filling my lungs. I exhaled slowly, letting it all out and did it again, repeating it ove
We kept crawling through each narrow passage, feeling the slight air turning into gentle puffs of breeze and we took deep inhales of it as if it was a limited supply and we were trying to make the most of it. It felt like water to our dry throats, like our saviour the stronger the breeze became.As we turned another corner, I could see the glow of orange coming from the end of the passageway. We quickened our crawl, hearing the wind passing through the gaps of what looked like another grate. The closer we got, the more we could see, it was the glow from the sun setting in the sky. We reached the end of the line and we both pushed onto the grate at the same time. It flung open and creaked as it hung off of its corroded latches."What the fuck!". I whispered in a shocked breath, as I looked out before me and realised where we were."What?" Zekan whispered back."We're in Bluebay town!"
Kyan's POV:"If you want to eat something other than scraps, I suggest you speak!". I threatened the prisoners as they sat in the hard steel chairs, with their heads hanging low. They still refused to speak and as each hour passed, the more frustrated and pissed off I became. "This is fucking useless!" I spat, turning to face Magnus."Well, we knew they probably wouldn't say a word". He shrugged. "But, you never know, all it takes is one weak link! Just one person to give in". "They're not going to give in! May as well just kill them all now and stop wasting our fucking time!". "You know we can't unless your father says so". "We're getting nowhere! Fucking bastards!". I scorned as I kicked the chair of one of the prisoners."Careful, Kyan, you don't want that anger to get the better of you"
Ellie's POV:We waited all night until the sun was about to rise, giving us what was left of the dark to quickly make our way to the mayor’s home. We had the opportunity, whilst everyone was asleep to hopefully get there unnoticed. If we wanted our plan to work, the last thing we needed was to panic everyone into a loud frenzy and alerting the hunters and Lyra of our whereabouts.We snuck past the warehouse and headed for the alleyways that passed in between the houses, keeping away from all the streetlamps. With the mayor’s house in sight, all we had to do was make it across the street where it was nicely surrounded by neatly cut hedges and blossom trees."We'll have to get there fast and at least we'll be hidden. No one from here could see us". Zekan spoke in a quiet voice."Ok, I'm kind of a fast runner, it’ll be fine". Zekan grinned as he looked at me.
Zekan pulled me along through the forest and I tried to keep up as much as I could, but each step felt as if my feet were being pulled into the ground. They felt heavy, weighing me down as sharp pin pricks began to pierce my skin from the inside out.My hand broke away from his as I keeled over, falling to my knees. My whole body began to feel as if it was a million ants were crawling under my skin, itching and biting. I frantically slapped my arms trying to stop the intense irritation.“Ellie, are you ok?” Zekan called out as he rushed back to me.“I… I… ahh, make it stop!”. I pleaded as it only got worse.My knees started trembling and could no longer keep me up and my body fell onto the floor as my hands continued to slap and scratch away, from my arms to my stomach, my legs and back up to my neck. “Somet
Kyan’s POV:"They're not going to talk, they were never going to". I said to father as we sat in his study, having another morning meeting with Magnus and Kiko sitting in with us."I feel after last night’s news, it is too late anyway". He replied with a sigh.Last night, when the sun was beginning to set, our tower guards noticed a thick black fog surrounded by an orange glow seeping up into the sky from Bluebay town. Several of us headed to their border, to see their village hall, along with two houses close by, burned to the ground and smoke was still erupting from the fires they had put out. From what we could see, it looked as though no one was hurt but from their distressed expressions and us listening in on parts of their anxious conversations, we knew how it had started.We didn't hang around or even speak to their mayor, we knew they still wanted nothing to do w
Ellie's POV:Getting back to the castle was taking frustratingly longer than me and Zekan had wanted, but seeing as we now had so many humans with us, we constantly had to stop for them to rest, whilst me and Zekan were fuelled with energy and worry that we just wanted to zoom through the forest and get back."I'm glad we managed to join you before it was too late". Mayor Jackson said as he came to sit next to me on a fallen tree log."I am curious to know what made you all change your minds... I mean, last time I saw you, you looked...""I know". He said, before I could finish. "I think I was just in shock, Ellie. I never wanted things to turn out this way for you, after all, I've known your parents and you for a long time. I watched you grow up. You were so innocent as a child, happy and smiling all the time and.
We stood on the top deck at the railings as we saw the Island come into view and the ships horn blasted into the sea breeze. As we came in closer, I could see two figures standing at the dock, waiting for it to anchor. As the ship finally pulled in, I could see it was an older man and woman, elegantly dressed in a black suit and an emerald, green gown.“Who are they?” I asked both Kyan and Talon, but neither of them answered, Kyan just squeezed my hand, with the biggest smile on his face and Talon patted my shoulder with a knowing look. But I watched his face as he looked from me and out to them and I thought I saw him looking slightly nervous, but it was gone too quickly for me to really know.We stepped off the ship and made our way over to them as they waited with bright smiles. Well, they seem friendly enough! I thought to myself, still wondering why Talon had looked a bit uneasy.&nbs
We had arrived at Shelter Island two nights ago, and from that moment, Donny and Marina were more than welcoming as they set us up in white and cream decorated guest rooms in their own castle with beds that were big enough to fit ten people in.Their castle wasn’t as large as ours back home, but it was so elegantly decorated, bright and modern. Their main dinner hall was all painted white and a pastel blue with a long glass table set in the middle for their meals, glossed white chairs around it. They even had several cream fabric couches against the walls for everyone to calmly relax in once they’d eaten.They had a hedge maze in their rear garden that stretched out as far as the eye could see and their own lake that swept through the edge of their trees. There were other smaller houses that were only half a mile from the castle that housed some of their permanent lodgers, couples, friends, families. It was a busy island, constant music, gatherings in the n
One month later:As I packed the last of my things I knew I’d need and zipped up my bag I quickly planted a kiss on Kyan’s cheek as I left the room to find Kiko.Four weeks ago, after I had been to my old house I had come back and told Kyan all about it. That was when he suggested that it would be good for us both to take a little trip together and kept talking of how much he wanted to introduce me to some of his oldest friends and for me to see more of his world, the world that I was now a part of.We had spoken to Talon and Zekan about it straight away, with Zekan assuring us he’d be more than capable to keep things going while we were away and Talon, was all too eager to join us, only he was choosing to extend his trip a lot longer than ours.I wanted to say goodbye to everyone, to remind them we were only a phone call away should they need us, but
Two weeks later.Me and Kyan didn’t take what Talon had asked of us lightly. The very next morning we had told him that from hereon out he was to show us everything we needed to know. We spent hours going through files of different islands where other vampires lived safely in anonymity. There were four other islands that housed just vampires and two others like our own, who had certain territory on a shared human island. We had to learn all the names and current whereabouts of the well known rogues, which ones were animal based feeders, and which hunted on human blood. It would be our duty to regularly know where they are along with the lords on the other islands, and for us to always keep one another up to date.Talon had already told mayor Jackson of his decision and that he had to now only converse with Kyan or myself. I knew that would mean, Andrew Jackson would have to announce it to the town and although they tru
“Wow, this looks incredible Faye”. Talon commented as we all gathered around the table. “Faye..” he quickly said as he placed his hand on her arm just as she finished placing the potatoes down. “Once all the food is brought out, I want the rest of you to sit with us, it’s been too long since we’ve all shared a meal together. Make sure you tell Bianca and Constance too”. “Of course, Talon. I’ll tell them all now. I’ll have Stuart call for Gerald, I think he’s in his room”. “Thank you Faye”. Just as she was leaving the room, Talon nodded for us all to sit down. This was our first night back in the main hall and as I sat in my seat next to Kyan, for a minute it felt like we had suddenly gone back in time, months had passed since we were last all i
“I knew the real Ellie was still in there”. Kyan whispered as he lightly brushed his fingers through my hair. I led in the nook of his arm as the birds began to wake and start their morning song.I liked it up here, even though it had only taken us no more than ten minutes to get to the top, it somehow felt like a million miles away from all the death, the heart ache and all my fear. All those problems were down there, but up on this hill, it was just me and him, alone, peacefully minding our own business, talking and making love all night.“I’m so scared Kyan. I’m scared that the moment we go back I’m going to become something I don’t even recognise again”. “I won’t let that happen sweetheart. I’ll do whatever it takes to not lose my Ellie”. He said with a reassuring smile. &l
Ellie’s POV:I woke this morning with an anger swirling inside of me, Kyan was lying next to me, and it was him that would be in my firing line.I jumped out of bed in a huff and got dressed into my fresh clothes for the day, purposefully making enough noise for him to stir.He rubbed his eyes and looked at me in concern. “Morning. How are you feeling?” He asked cautiously.“How am I feeling?” I retorted, frowning at him. “How can you of all people even ask that!” “What do you mean, me of all people?” He asked, sitting up, giving me his full attention.“Oh, have you forgotten what you did?” “Clearly I have, so you’ll have to remind me!”
Kyan’s POV:I stared at the roaring fire that swarmed over the pile of bodies. The flicker and snap of the flames erupted into the sky as bits of ash floated along, carried by the soft breeze. I looked up at the window of Ellie’s bedroom, wishing I was up there with her instead of seeing to this mess. I had hoped with every breath that she was still alive, I’d hoped I’d see her again safe and untouched. Of course, I knew I was hoping for a lot, my realistic side of my brain always told me she would have changed one way or another, that they’d damage her to a point…Only I had expected it would be bruises, cuts, tearing her down mentally. I never thought that if I got to see her alive again, it would be with her as a vampire, one of my kind, something I knew she was too sweet and kind for. Now, not only was she one of us but they did in fact manage to change her heart too. That crazed look I saw in her eyes, the w
The rest of that day and night was a blur. After Kiko had managed to successfully knock the rage out of me, the next time my eyes opened was to see her with Faye and Melanie washing all the blood and dirt off of me in the bathtub. I was still hazy, only keeping my eyes open for a minute at a time, as if my brain was still choosing to shut down the moment I’d wake up.“It’s ok, Ellie, we’re here. We got you”. I remember Melanie speaking softly with tears in her eyes.The next time I woke, I found myself tucked in my bed in Talon’s chambers. Clean clothes and not a trace of blood on my skin, I looked out the window to see it was almost sunset and everyone else were still outside, dragging the hunter’s bodies into a pile and carefully lining up our own that has died and the human’s side by side in front of the castle.I don’t know how, I don’t know what pa