Rain cascaded down the side of the stone bricks of the manor building, the walls glistened in the moonlight. The wind howled, branches on the barren trees in the dark, swaying at their roots. Lightning flashed in the distance, momentarily illuminating the grounds for a brilliant instance.
I balanced on the cement frieze below my bedroom window and pushed it open. I slid into the room, dripping water onto the polished hardwood. Water ran in rivulets from my drenched auburn locks. The black shirt I had donned before leaving clung to my skin. I sighed as the warmth of my bedroom greeted me. Facing the desk near my window, I placed my daggers down.
"Ahem!" A throat cleared behind me. I whirled around, gripping a dagger in my fist. Seeing the angry silver eyes glaring at me from the armchair next to my bed, I sighed and placed the dagger down. I ignored his presence and stepped into my walk-in closet to change. I heard shuffling in the main room as he stood and stomped toward the closet door.
"Where did you go?" Alec asked. His voice eerily level. I could sense the danger simmering beneath the surface. I stepped out of the closet after donning a dry T-shirt and pajama shorts. It was nearly dawn, which was a time for me to sleep. I avoided his gaze and shrugged my shoulders.
"Went hunting." I said casually. Deciding not to mention my encounter with the hunter, or the deal we had struck, I crossed my arms over my chest. His figure was imposing before me, the thick, corded muscles straining the fabric of his black T-shirt. He towered over me, wearing his casual T-shirt and black cargo pants tucked into his combat boots, but his expression was lethal. He set his full lips in a grim line. The corner of his bright eyes twitched in anger. He clenched his fists at his side.
"Why did you feel the need to go without informing me?" He raised a sleek brow. I shrugged again.
"It was a routine patrol; I needed some space to clear my head." I answered. He scoffed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Elysia, what is it going to take for us to get through to you how dangerous the situation is right now? Every vampire clan is moving to the city. Our alliances with them have always been precarious. Not to mention every vampire hunter cell in the country is on high alert right now!" His voice was rising, nearing an aggravated yell by the last sentence. I bit my lip. I hated being hovered over.
"Our strongest warriors risk their lives every night. I am one of them. Why am I different?" I said, exasperated. I was tired of being treated like I am a china doll, a golden bird to be kept in a cage. Why was I not allowed to risk my life, this was the path I chose? I was never meant to be a doll on display. Alec looked strained, like he was struggling not to say something. Finally, he took a breath. He placed his hands on my upper arms and gazed at me.
"Understand, we're trying to keep you alive. You don't know what would happen if they got their hands on you." The silver in his eyes swirled hypnotically. I blinked, suddenly aware of our proximity. He had moved closer, as he had been talking. I cleared my throat and backed up, breaking the contact.
"I just don't understand why I'm different!" Exasperated, I ran my fingers through my hair. Pacing back and forth across the room, "I appreciate you want me alive, but why would they target me?" My gaze was sharp on him. He bit his lower lip.
"This is a discussion better had with your father. It's his orders I'm following." He answered, like the good soldier he was. He had been with my father for millennia. Rumors had it, since the beginning. I sighed, suggesting I talk with my father was like suggesting I argue with a brick wall. The chances of me getting answers were minimal. I let out an exasperated breath and threw my hands in the air.
"Maybe I will talk with him, then." I said. He crossed his arms over his chest and raised a brow.
"Go for it." He quipped back.
"Fine!" I yelled indignantly. I placed my hands on his chest. He paused in a breath and stared down at our contact. I began slowly pushing him backwards, towards the door to my room. As we made it to the doorway, he gripped the frame to stop me from pushing him. His bulky figure was heavy. Not like I could move him if he wanted to be still, regardless. He let out a low growl, and his eyes flashed.
"Stop leaving without a guard." He spit out. I growled in return and slammed the door in his face. As I heard the heavy thuds of his footsteps recede down the hall, I sighed and leaned against the heavy oak door. I moved away from the door and plopped down on my bed, sitting with my legs crossed. The rebellious side of me wanted to march right back to the window and head out into the night, but the intelligent part of me knew it was only a couple of hours until dawn, and although it looked to be a dark day, it was time for me to rest.
I thought about my encounter with the young hunter earlier, his conviction when speaking of the sins of my race. I thought about trying to track down a killer in the Atheneides, how we would even go about that. Then, to even get into their memories, I would need to sample their blood. The sampling of vampire blood would slowly turn my eyes more silver unless I drained one completely. After the awakening, our eyes go from blood red to metallic copper, signifying the connection to our gods.
Some of my kind viewed humans as a lesser race, something that exists to serve us as we are descendants of the gods. They kill indiscriminately; they drain their victims to death. Some enjoy maiming and torturing. It depends on the clan and the families. The Atheneides were a ruthless family. Descendants of the goddess of war and wisdom, they believed themselves above humans. If that's who he's had experience with, can I blame him?
I lie back against the pillows, staring at the antique chandelier that hung from my ceiling, above the center of the room. The lights from my candles refracted across the room, creating a dazzling light show. I let out a deep breath. Tomorrow I would have to present myself before the council and the founding families. It looked like I also needed to talk to my father.
In the distance, I could see the rain slowing. The pink light of the morning was visible over the mountains in the distance. I pulled the cord next to my bed and my blackout curtains descended. Leaning over to the bedside table, I let out a small breath to blow out the candle sitting there. I burrowed myself under the covers and let myself be slowly lulled into sleep.