His eyes widened as they fell upon the small cracked screen that was taped to the dashboard. A red dot was flashing, which had probably set off the alarm, the sound echoing through the truck. A grin spread across his face.
"Finally!" he muttered delightedly.
-------------
The car trundled through the darkness of the Austrian forest that stretched as far as the eye could see. Alisa stared out the window, watching the landscape rush past them in a blur of colours.
"And I was thinking, if you would just ask Uncle Percy if he could sort something out for the next time we went to Albania, then we could get classified and that would be over and done with!"
Alisa, Jessica, Helen and Rob all groaned in unison. Rob turned around to face them while Helen drove the car along the dark and winding road.
"Josh, I - "
But at that moment, the GPS Navigator started to speak. "In 3kms, turn right."
They all stayed silent for a moment, waiting to see if the GPS was going to start talking again. After a moment, Rob turned back to face Josh.
"Josh, you know I could never ask for a better son - "
But Josh interrupted him. "And I couldn't ask for a better Dad!"
"I could definitely ask for a better brother," Jessica, or Jess, Josh's twin sister, muttered under her breath.
Alisa snorted slightly, her eyes never leaving the window. Rob ignored this comment and continued, "But right now, you really need to stop asking your mother and I about you and Jess being classified."
"Why?!" Josh whined. "It's not like I ask you all the time! Besides, me and Jess are sixteen! We should have been classified years ago! All my friends were classified when they were like ten!"
"Yeah, but you weren't, so shut up," Alisa snapped irritably.
"You wouldn't understand, you're not part of the association," Josh replied sourly.
"Yes, as you love to remind me, but I don't want to have to listen to you whine about it all day and night!" she hissed.
Josh scowled at her, turning away and pulling something out of his bag. Alisa turned back to the window, reaching for her bag and pulling out her iPod and earphones. She flicked through her songs, before settling on 'Little Lion Man', by Mumford & Sons. It was catchy, and one of her favourites. She settled back in her seat, listening to the song and messing with her hair boredly, watching the scenery roll past her window.
Maybe this move wouldn't be too bad. Not that she'd really left any friends back in San Diego, other than Narah, but God knows where she was, right now. Narah was the Blakesly's cousin, about the same age as Alisa'; they hadn't seen each other in months, not since the last time the 'association' had had one of their annual meetings that her parents and siblings had been obliged to attend.
Alisa never attended these meetings, mainly because she wasn't allowed to but also because she had no interest in them. She wasn't a member of the association, and she didn't care. Her siblings were, which was fine, she understood. But still. It was annoying when Josh and Jess kept going on about it. And being 'classified', something Josh had now been asking about for months.
As far as Alisa understood, being classified was basically like having a rank in the army. You took a blood test, and whatever result you got, that was how they classified you. Why it was necessary, she had no idea, but it seemed to be a big thing for them, and it's all Josh had talked about for months, now.
But now they were moving to an isolated castle out in the middle of Austria for some job the association wanted their parents to do. The reception wasn't too bad, and the scenery was magical. Hopefully they would be able to stay for a while...
* * *
Felix sat on an arch, watching his clan whisper among themselves. Anger coursed through his veins. He needed to get out, to escape, to feed. But most importantly, he needed to find that hunter. Chase wasn't going to simply kill himself; no matter how much Felix wished he would. Suicide didn't seem to be on his agenda, unfortunately.
He glanced around, his gaze falling on his father, Hugh Sallow. He floated down until he was directly behind the older vampire.
"Felix, what is it you want?" Hugh asked uninterestedly, not even bothering to turn around to look at him.
Felix mentally snarled to himself at the way his father treated him. No respect, no nothing. What Felix was expected to give was not reciprocated in any mAlisar. The indignity of it all was almost unbearable. Pulling himself together, he focused on calming down a bit so he didn't say something he would regret later.
"I wish to speak with you, sir. In private."
Hugh turned to stare at him, curiosity burning in his blood-red irises. Finally, he nodded, slowly. They flew up to the arch that Felix had been sitting upon earlier.
"Now, what is it you wish to discuss?" he asked casually.
"Father – I mean - sir, I want to take Ben out. To hunt."
Felix had come up with this excuse, so he might be allowed to go out without adult supervision. He was sure his father would buy it, but instead of giving him his blessings, Hugh suddenly snarled.
"I've told you, time and time again, NO! You cannot go out and simply kill a hunter, it is best for all of us if we stay hidden!"
"But he'd kill us as soon as look at us!" Felix snarled back, the anger he had been trying to suppress bubbling dangerously close to the surface. "Our only hope is to kill him first!"
"That is what a fool would say!" Hugh hissed. "And you, Felix, are many things, but foolish is not one of them! You know full well the consequences your actions could provoke! We could have an entire fleet of hunters down on top of us within a day!"
"But they wouldn't find out if I disposed of him properly!" Felix protested. "Please, sir, if I am to lead this clan one day, I want to be able to protect them! Killing Chase is the first step!"
"In your eyes, maybe, but not in mine! My desicion is final!"
"Please sir, I am asking you to reconsider," Felix said through gritted teeth, trying to remain calm and failing miserably. "We aren't safe with him lurking around."
"What are we talking about?"
Ben had joined the two, and was now looking from to the other, waiting for an explanation. Felix could easily picture himself strangling his brother in his minds eye, but repressed the urge.
"It's none of your concern, Ben," Hugh started to say, but Felix cut across him.
"Father here has denied me the right of protecting our clan," he told Ben, glancing at his father out of the corner of his eye as he spoke. "He's scared of a simple human."
"That's enough, Felix!" Hugh snarled. "Stop this nonsense! The hunter has made no move to hurt us! You might be mistaken!"
"No, I don't think I am," Felix snapped. "You're just afraid!"
"STOP!" Hugh yelled, grabbing Felix by the collar of his jacket and shaking him slightly. "Do you have any idea the kind of danger you could put us in? Do you?! You could end up doing more bad than good from this. I am older than you, and I know better. Is that clear?"
Felix wrenching himself from his fathers grip, scowling. Without replying, he turned and flew straight towards the doors to the crypt, not looking back. Ben and Hugh watched him go for a second, before Hugh turned to his other son.
"Benjamin, promise me you will try to talk some sense into him. He is young and naive, and full of hatred. He can't handle it. Just talk to him for me."
"And say what?" Ben asked sarcastically. "That the psychopath and his friends who are trying to kill us are all actually harmless and he should go back to sulking in a corner? With all due respect, sir, I don't think that's such a great idea."
"It's for his own good," Hugh said firmly. "He doesn't understand yet, neither of you do. We are better off staying hidden."
"I think Felix was right about you," Ben said angrily. "You're scared."
He turned and flew after his brother, ignoring his father who was yelling after him, ordering him to go back. He flew up the steps and out into the cool night air. The graveyard was eerily silent, bar a few birds twittering together. Ben spotted Felix as he flew towards the forest.
"HEY!"
Felix turned and paused, waiting as Ben finally caught up with him. Ben panted, feeling slightly out of breath.
"I want to come with you," he panted, breathing harshly as he clutched his stomach slightly.
"You do? " Felix asked, sounding more than slightly sceptical.
"Yes! To hunt."
Felix snarled at him, so suddenly that Ben floated back a few feet, slightly surprised.
"NO, BEN! This is more important than finding blood!" Felix roared, sending the birds that had been perched a few feet away from them flying into the air, screeching in surprise. "This is about our safety! Don't you want to help keep the others safe?!"
Ben nodded.
"Well then it's time to grow up, Ben! GROW UP!"
Ben felt his hands ball into fists, and he could feel tears welling up in his eyes as he looked away, feeling hurt.
"I wish I could," he muttered under his breath.
"What?" Felix snapped, sounding annoyed.
"I SAID, I WISH I COULD!" Ben yelled, so loudly that another small flock of birds were sent into the sir in fright.
Ben's breathing was shallow and uneven, and he could feel the tears spilling down his cheeks. He swiped at them angrily, drying his eyes as quickly as he could. He could feel Felix staring at him.
"Ben, I - "
"Forget it," Ben said shortly.
He flew past him, through the trees and out into the valley. The trees seemed to stretch out below him and the mountains rose up on either side. It was beautiful.
He could hear Felix yelling after him, but he didn't look back. He just kept flying.