Ellie's POV:
"Ellieeeee" A voice whispered as I wiped my blurry eyes, trying to clear my distorted vision. I could feel a cold breeze whip across my skin as the hairs on my arms began to stand in alarm. "Ellieee" It came again, followed by a menacing chuckle, but it sounded like a woman's laugh. My vision cleared as I looked down to see I was bare feet in the forest as they nestled within all of the mud and twigs as thorns began to pinch my toes and break into my skin, but once again I found myself in a situation where I couldn't move and my chest felt tight and wrought like the air itself was squeezing tightly onto my ribs and not letting go. I looked up ahead to see three bodies emerge from the clearing in the trees. My breath hitched as I saw the three vampires me and Vaugh had shot at walking toward me with vengeful sneers. The bullet holes were still visible on their bodies as blood continued to spill from them, trickling all the way down to their feet, staining the earth beneath them with each step. How? How are they not dead? My head whirled as my chest heaved, trying to catch my breath. They suddenly stopped in their tracks as my mother appeared in front of them, looking at me, her eyes filled with fear as they stood eagerly behind her. One of the men grabbed ahold of her head and tilted it to the right, keeping his eyes fixated on me, he lowered his fangs against her neck and ruthlessly bit into her. I could hear the piercing of her skin and feel the sting as if it were my own. My throat tightened and my legs wobbled as my hand clasped my neck from the pain. I tried to scream out but my voice was nothing but a groan and a high-pitched squeak. "NOOO!" I tried to yell out as I reached my hand out for my mother, ""STOP" My breath whispered as I watched the life being drained out of her. "PLEASE!" I tried to move my legs, my feet.... I tried to reach out to her to make them stop, to save her but she was too far and just as always....fear was crippling me. I squeezed my eyes shut, move! move... please, just move! I willed my body. Everything fell silent! No more whispers, no more laughter. Even the breeze had somehow disappeared. When I reopened my eyes, they were gone, but I knew I wasn't alone. I was still stuck and I could feel eyes lurking in the trees, watching and planning. "Ellie!" A soft voice spoke as a hand laid on my shoulder. I looked around to see my mother standing next to me in her white gown, no blood, no marks on her neck, but the lightness of her touch told me she was dead. "Mum". I croaked. "What is happening?" I asked as a tear escaped my eye. "Where am I?" "Ellie, will you come with me now?" Her voice echoed as she lifted her hand from my shoulder and reached it out for me to take. "You should come with me... it's safe". "Come with you where?" "To be in peace, my darling!" "Am... am I dead?" "Come... come with me!" She replied, as she completely ignored what I'd asked. "No!" I rebuffed back. "Not until you tell me what's happening!" "They'll come for you Ellie, they'll come for you and you'll suffer the same fate as I did". She spoke as blood began to appear and her white gown was gone, replaced with the clothes she wore when she lay dead in my arms. "Mum! I'm sorry!" I began to cry. "I'm so sorry I couldn't save you!" "Hush, my darling. It's not your fault, but come with me now and it'll all be ok!" "Who's coming for me, Mum?" "Take my hand". "But.... but what about the others? Are they safe?" "Ellie!" She shook her head. "It is not a fight you can win, take my hand!" "The hunters! They're still out there aren't they? The rogues.... they're going to attack?" "You do not need to fight, it was never our fight. You're too soft and sweet, too kind to be at war. Come with me and you'' never have to fear them again". "But.... but we have to stop them, they'll kill everyone". "That arrow was not meant for you!". Images flashed into my mind, ones of Talon, as I raced toward him. His guilt-stricken face as he held me in his arms. The tears in Kyan's eyes, the voices shouting around me as they called for help. A feeling.... a feeling began to thump at my heart of everyone I cared so much about. "No.... I... I can't, I can't leave them!" I whispered as I looked back at her. Her mouth turned into a snarl as her face began to warp and misshape, turning her features into something completely different. Even her calm aura was vanishing as the breeze came flooding back even colder and the trees started swaying violently against each other. The face was now half vampire, half human as its sharp teeth gritted at me in a rage. I stared wide-eyed as it took hold of my arm, squeezing tightly until I could feel the coldness of its fingers piercing my bones. "YOUR BLOOD IS MINE!" it roared. "I WILL TAKE EVERY OUNCE OF YOUR LIFE! YOU ARE WEAK AND PATHETIC! YOU ARE MY KEY TO THEM! ONCE I HAVE YOU, THEY WILL ALL FALL. I WILL END THEM ALL!" It's deep voice raved, pricking at every cell of my body, turning it into stone so I could not escape. I could not fight back.... it had me.... it had me choking on all of my fear. It's red bloody mouth turned into a vicious grin, with its sharp pointed fangs in full view, making my entire body shudder. "You're scared and weak! WEAK! PATHETIC!" It's growl blasted in my face. "Fuck you!" I spat back, already aware that it was winning and it was right... I was weak. But I wasn't raised to be anything different... A well spoken woman, ready to do her bit for the community and her husband, no matter how much I didn't want to. It laughed again, amused by my little attempt to show some fight. "One way or another, I'll end you!" I told it through gritted teeth. Even though his cold black eyes were staring right through me as if I was already dead just being in it's presence. "YOU DON'T STAND A CHANCE!" It roared into a laughter. Then it's mouth widened, stretching apart, until I could see the back of it's black throat and his roar blasted across my face, shaking the entire forest. I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing myself not to scream or show the fear it had already so easily plucked from me. It's grip disappeared and everything fell silent and dark, I couldn't even feel the ground beneath my feet.Kyan's POV: I stretched in the chair and tried to wake myself up after nodding off. I scooched over closer toward her and took her soft hand in mine, once again watching her sleep, wondering what she was dreaming of. All night she had been shaking, sweating, her hands were flinching and her breaths were erratic. I tried to speak to her, I tried to calm her, but it was only the last hour that she had finally calmed down and was resting silently. "Please wake up Ellie!". I sighed as I looked at her soft innocent face. Her eyes suddenly flashed open, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling as if in shock at her surroundings. "Ellie!" I spoke softly as I quickly stood and hovered over her so she could see she wasn't alone. Her eyes darted to me, but still wide with fright. In one quick second, her hand slammed against my neck as her fingers wrapped around and began to squeeze, her face contorted into one of anger. "Ellie!" I choked against her grip as I pried away her fingers and pinned bo
Ellie's POV: We hadn't left my room in the last twenty-four hours and, to be honest, I don't know why he never left. But here he was lying beside me on my bed face to face after he had listened to every word that came out of my mouth as I detailed my dreams to him. It still scared me, of how real they had felt and my instinct told me it was a sign of what's to come. I could even see it in Kyan's eyes, the concern and knowing look that we had only faced part of this battle. He tried to reassure me, of course, "You're safe now", "we'll get through whatever happens" he'd say, but he barely believed his own words, too much was unknown and too much was at stake. Right on our very own island, hunters and rogue vampires had joined forces right under our noses, in our very own territory! Bluebay town was no longer safe and hiding amongst the depths of the forest wasn't safe either. "Me and Kiko eavesdropped on an announcement your mayor gave to the town. Everyone is still against us, the
"I'm so glad you're ok!" Kiko cheered as she enveloped me in a hug the moment I stepped into the training room, she didn't hesitate to rush over to me. "Yea it was a close call, apparently!" I chuckled as I happily hugged her back, a hug that was needed as I felt the comfort of a friend that I felt like I had known forever. "I can't believe you ran in front of that arrow! Honestly, we were all just so shocked! You seemed to have run out of nowhere!" "Well, i'm fine now". I shrugged as we pulled away from our hug. "I'm so glad you're ok too, but then I knew it would take more than just a few hunters to take the mighty Kiko down!" I giggled. "Too right! They didn't see me coming, did they?" She smiled back. "Did you hear about Vivian though and Hyvan?" "Yes, Kyan's told me everything. He said Vaughn is struggling". "He's.... it's like all that's left of him at the moment is rage". "It's understandable. But if they're still out there, maybe he'll have the chance to take that r
"Well, good morning, nice to see you up and about!" Melanie greeted me as I walked into the kitchen. "Bianca told us you had woken up. I was so worried you'd fell into a coma or something!" She gasped dramatically. "How are you feeling?" "I'm feeling fine actually. The wound still hurts sometimes but I'm alive, so I can't complain!". I replied jokingly."Well, we were all so happy to hear you were ok. You gave us quite a scare!" "Yea, I'm just sad for Hyvan and Vivian. Things wouldn't feel so bleak if they had been ok too". "I know". She said with a shake of her head. "It seems as if the times have changed so drastically. So will you be staying here with us or going back to town?" "There's nothing really for me to go back to. An empty house that isn't safe to stay in and no friends or family left to see. I think i'll stay put". "Ahhh goodie!" She smiled as she clasped her hands together. "I was hoping you'd stay". "Yea, I think I'd miss you all too much if I left". I smiled back
One week later: I had spent every day training with Kiko, Kyan and Del. Each of them teaching me their own fighting skills that I was starting to master a little bit more. After each session in the gym, Kyan would make me practice getting myself onto his back and I was getting closer and faster each time. Not only was it benefiting us all and a necessity, but it was also a good distraction from the constant meetings and decisions on how better to protect ourselves, how to improve the searches and most of all... how to bring the town and the cold ones together. I found my connection with Kyan was growing more comfortable and stronger with every moment we spent together. If we were laughing, training or just discussing our lives before, things had changed so much and I noticed he had opened up a bit more with every conversation. He told me how much he used to hate being here and would leave every chance he got as the memories of this place only reminded him of his mother and his grandf
"Are you ready to try and convince everyone to understand our way of life?" Faye asked as we sat together in the kitchen with Melanie, after they insisted on feeding me before I left to go to Bluebay. I had felt nervous all morning at the thought of addressing them all when they'd all be aware of where I have been the past year. "I know what I want to say, it's just whether they will listen or not". "It won't be an easy task, that's for sure!" Melanie added with a doubtful expression. "I'd be surprised if even one person was open to the idea". Faye said, agreeing with Melanie. "But, they have to see how much better off we'd all be if we joined together!". "Uhh, you're asking them to join forces with what they consider to be blood sucking monsters". Faye smirked. "You know how they all think there, Ellie, you even thought the same way before you came here". "Yes, only because not one person ever told or taught me to know anything different. I'll be going there as a witness to
The sweat poured down my face as Del knocked me to the floor once again. My lungs and throat were burning while I tried to catch my breath, my back was red raw and tender from the amount of times it had been slammed against the mats. "Get to your feet!" He demanded as he walked back to his position. I pushed myself up and my arms and legs wanted to buckle beneath me. I had the urge to punch him for pushing every part of my body to breaking point, but I only had myself to blame. After all, I had told him over and over not to go easy on me but the motivation just wasn't with me today. I woke up angry and frustrated with everything and we all felt the same. Sick of being watched, being isolated and confined to these walls, having to train day after day. The neverending searches, finding nothing but a random foot or shoe print that lead to nowhere. Ten days had passed since we went to Bluebay and according to the mayor, not one person had shown any interest in us all uniting, despite th
"Good morning human!" I heard a deep voice across my bedroom as my eyes flickered open to see the daylight trying to shine through the drapes. I looked in the direction of the voice, half expecting it to be Del or Talon, the last person I expected to see hovering in my room whilst I was sleeping, was Magnus! I quickly sat up, shocked when I suddenly realised who was in my room. "If Talon see's you in here, you know he'll be pissed!". "Ahh, well, we don't have to worry about that, he left about two hours ago with your other bodyguards, Kyan and Del. They're still out there searching for Zekan". He scoffed with an unamused grin. "A fools errand if you ask me. After all this time they're still hoping he's alive out there". "Would you think them fools if it was Hyvan instead of Zekan? You don't know them at all, do you?" I asked I sat forward confidently leaning my arms on my knees. Trying to prove he couldn't intimidate me just because we were alone. "I think I know them well enoug