Chapter 7 - Suspicions.

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, they believe we're to blame, so I don't think we're going to join forces and fight this one out together".

"All of these years!" I sighed. "all these years we've lived in peace. You all on your land and us on ours, and yet these hunters and rogues feel as if they have a right to just come along and wipe us all out! There had been no deaths on either side for so long".

"I know! I feel as though everything my father and the mayor tried to do to bring about the peace was all for nothing! I'd hate for him to spend his last weeks or months, or however long we've all got left fighting yet another battle, everyone's already lost so much".

"But what I don't understand is, why now? Why after we've had peace for so long? And how did the hunters and rogues even come together? That's what's bugging me the most... there's been no reason for it".

"Well, I mean, hunters will always want to kill my kind and rogues will always want to kill yours".

"Yes, but your father said that hunters barely even exist now and if all they wanted was to get rid of all of you, then why team up with rogues? There has to be something in it... something for each side to gain".

"Possibly! I know for a fact, rogues wouldn't work alongside hunters unless they were getting something worthwhile out of it. They neglected to tell my father who owns these part of the lands that they were here and they've broken a lot of strict rules. Those rogues wouldn't have been able to return to wherever they came from because they'd just be killed by the council".

"The council?"

"Yep. It's just a group of leaders, each of them have land and title of their own. They either live isolated with others of my kind or they live on shared land like us. Either way, if a land is occupied by a lord and rules are broken, its punishable by death".

"So, has your father told the council what's been happening?"

"He has. After the attack on the town, the council all came to agreement to send out a search and they'd send their own fighters to help and once the rogues were found they had to be killed. Of course, they're dead now anyway".

"Or so we think".

"I guess so, just like we thought we killed all of the hunters".

"How do you know we haven't? Have there been anymore clues?"

"It's just... a feeling. Every time we look out a window, it's like we can still feel them out there, we can feel the change in the forest. It no longer feels free anymore. This place has just become our cage and when my father feels something isn't right, he's never wrong and I feel it too, just as you do about your dreams telling you it isn't over".

"No, and I'm scared! I'm scared of how much more we're going to lose".

"Well, believe it or not, we may all be vampires here, but I can see the fear in everyone else too and Magnus isn't helping matters either!"

"Magnus, who's that?"

"It's Hyvan's brother! He has a vendetta now against the person he believes is responsible for his death".

"Wait! Hyvan died?" I asked wide-eyed... another person close to Talon that was taken, and it was him that had come to Talon's aid the moment he knew something was wrong.

"He did! My father has been racked with guilt and with Zekan still gone, you can see he's holding out for any hope that he's not dead too".

"Zekan's missing? But I thought..."

"They didn't make it off of the island. My father has spoken to everyone he knows and no one has seen him or Lyra".

"Oh, Kyan! I'm sorry, you must be so worried!"

"Well, at first I wasn't, but we went out to see if we could find either of them, but all I found were claw marks. It looked as though there had been a struggle".

"I'm sorry and I really do hope that he's ok". I told him honestly as I timidly slid my hand across the space between us and rested it over his in comfort, expecting him to immediately move his away, but to my surprise he chose to lace his finger through mine instead. The cool of his touch mixing so gently with the warmth of mine.It formed a flutter in my stomach at how right the two opposites seemed to fit. "Well, at least we have someone else with us now that wants to fight against them".

"I can't tell if he really working with us or against us!"

"Why would he be against us?"

"He believes there's a spy amongst us".

"Well, we thought there was anyway".

"Yes but...". He was just about to tell me, when Talon's voice sounded from outside my door, accompanied by someone else's who I didn't recognise. "That's Magnus!" Kyan informed me with a sigh.

"Good! It's another head and pair of eyes that could help us find out why and how this is all happening".

"Yea, but I don't think he's looking in the right places".

"Is he questioning everyone? I think that's a good thing!".

"He is, but he's questioning some more than others and particularly the humans that live here, including you". He said with stern eyes, telling me to be prepared.

I could hear Talon's voice rise as he warned Magnus not to enter my room. "But, I hear she's been awake since yesterday! You did not tell me! So, now she's awake I can speak to her myself!" Magnus spoke back in a stony voice.

"When she's ready, then you can speak to her!".

"The girl is awake! So unless she's forgotten how to speak, I will speak with her right now!"

"YOU FORGET YOUR PLACE HERE MAGNUS! YOUR BROTHER MAY HAVE BEEN A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE, BUT I WILL NOT TOLERATE THE LACK OF RESPECT YOU HAVE SHOWN ME AND MY PEOPLE HERE! DO NOT MISTAKE MY KINDNESS FOR WEAKNESS, BOY!" Talon shouted back in a forbidding tone.

I quickly got off of the bed and opened the door, surprising both of them, including Kyan, who had instantly followed me and I could feel his presence towering behind me. "You must be Magnus?" I asked with a fake smile.

"And you must be the human everyone here seems so intent on protecting!" He retorted with a slight squint in his eyes, as if he was already studying me.

"Well, I don't know if you're aware, but we try and protect each other here. It's called having each other's backs, especially when we all have a common enemy out there!".

"Ahh yes! This enemy you all share!"

"Oh, I already know you suspect me and all the other humans here, I can't say that's surprising!"

"No, it wouldn't be a surprise to you, would it? Seeing as this wouldn't be the first time someone suspected you! I know that Lord Talon's own son didn't trust you and neither did his woman. Funny how they both seemed to have disappeared now! Wanted them out of the way, did you?"

"That's enough, Magnus!" Kyan intervened as he stepped around me until his whole body was in between me and Magnus.

"Why? afraid that I am right?" Magnus said with dauntless expression.

"You're not fucking right! You just want to pin it on the easiest person, so you can go home and tell your buddies how you exacted your revenge and chug your fucking drink like you're some sort of hero for your brother!"

"How about I remove you first, then I take my revenge on her next!" Magnus spat as he stepped daringly closer to Magnus.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Talon shouted as he swung his cane in both directions, smacking it against their chests, knocking them both to the floor. If I hadn't moved as fast as I did I would have went smashing down onto the floor along with Kyan.

I saw the furious look on Talon's face as he stood ready with his cane, preparing to use it again if either of them dared to stand back up. I stepped past Kyan who was clutching his chest as he sat on the floor, catching his breath from the sudden knock. I walked past Talon, feeling the anger radiating from him as I approached Magnus who was sat looking like some spoilt child that wasn't getting his own way. The stubbornness of his face was enough to send Talon to the end of his patience if I allowed this to carry on spiralling.

"I will find out if you're the spy, mark my fucking words!" He spoke spitefully and all I could think was, Here we go again! here we fucking go! Once again, I'm the one being blamed for all of this shit!

"You know what! Question me, go search my room, watch me like a hawk, I don't care anymore! I've got nothing to hide, so feel free to waste your time watching me, cause you won't find a goddam thing to pin against me! So fuck you!" I said confidently as I gave him a strong glare, "you don't fucking scare me!" I told him defiantly before I walked past, with my head held high, and left the room.

Left the men to their little spats! I had other, more important things to do...If my dreams taught me something, it was that, even after the training I had done, when it came to standing against the hunters and the rogues, I still had too much fear that held me back, so off I went to find Kiko and demand more extensive training.... next time, I wouldn't hide under some staircase, I'd fight back! Against the fuckers that led to my mum and half my town being killed!