Chapter One

Love, life and family hangs in the balance - with not a minute to spare, loyalties will be tested and the argument of nature versus nature will be the difference between life and death.

 

Chapter One

 

 

 

   There were six of them. Dead eyes crimson red. They formed a circle around my brother and I; cutting us off from Mother. They were going to kill us, like they had Father moments before. What were they waiting for? The sound of heels on hardwood echoed like gunfire through our once safe home. The woman stepped over the lifeless body of my Father like he wasn’t there. But the proof that he had been alive spilt from his body around him, leaving grotesque prints as she moved to stand before Mother.

   “You have a choice,” she said in an angelic voice, “Join me or die.”

   There had never been a choice, not really.

   Mother looked over at us being held back by the monsters, her eyes filled with tears. They closed in pain as they passed over Father. She pulled her hair away from her neck, kneeling as she did. She had made her choice.

   The woman moved faster than my eyes could track; reaching out and dragging Mother closer, she clamped her mouth over her neck. She met my eyes over Mothers shoulder and she smiled. Showing off a set of vicious bloodstained fangs.

   I sat up in bed, one hand at my neck. My eyes took in the dark room around me, registering the bed beneath me, the stone walls surrounding me. I slumped back against the bed with a sigh. Just a dream. A memory, my mind corrected me with a sneer. I threw the blanked back in frustration, telling my mind to shut the hell up. The stone floor was cold beneath my feet, it annoyed me more than usual. I pressed my pinky to the sensor beside my door and after a prick of a needle, the door registered my identity and creaked open. They really should oil those.

   The compound was dead silent around me. Of course it was, everyone was asleep at this time of day. I should be too, I thought idly, but I never slept well during the day time. Odd, considering what I am now; even if it’s mostly a pretense.

   I padded silently down the hall way, trailing my finger over the stone wall as I went. I shouldn’t be out of my room yet. Judging by the feeling tingling down my spine, there was still around two hours before night fell. If They caught me out of my room again I would be shunned even more. There would be questions that I would have to answer, I’d dodged them one to many times.

   I didn’t really care. It’s not like they could control me; something I’d proved many times over. But every time I ‘flaunted’ my differences, they took it out on Mother. That was the only way they could get through to me.

   I found myself scowling at the door to my brother’s room. Shrugging, I stepped closer to listen for signs of movement.

   “You might as well come in,” he said quietly, but I heard him like he’d spoken beside me.

   I pricked my finger on the needle and the door creaked open. It made less sound than mine, a fact a pointed out to Kael.

   “They like me better,” he shrugged as much as he could while laying down.

   It was true.

   “They should still take care of it. The maid hasn’t been near my room in months.” I dropped down onto his desk chair.

    “That’s because you refuse to let her in,” Kael pointed out, rubbing his forehead as if in pain.

   “That’s beside the point,” I told him, “She doesn’t even show up to bug me about it anymore. How does she know if I’ve changed my mind or not?”

   “Have you?”

   “Don’t be stupid. Of course I haven’t.”

    Kael let out a long suffering sigh of frustration and rolled his hazel eyes. People seemed to do that around me a lot. Rising from his bed, Kael scratched a hand over his stomach as he yawned so hard his jaw cracked. “Then you can’t be upset about her not coming.” Kael padded over to his closet and pulled out a sweater.

   He didn’t need it. We didn’t get cold anymore, so much as we got not hot. It was mostly just for show, an act of defiance of sorts, something I usually was found doing. As if sensing my train of thoughts, Kael meticulously put the sweater back on his hanger and pulled out a long sleeved t-shirt instead. I raised a brow at him silently.

   He ran a hand through tangled black hair and refused to acknowledge the look. I shrugged and turned to snoop through the papers on his desk. It was mostly useless junk - at least to me. Maps on places the Nobles had hit, places that were safe still. There was a circle of black around a small town in what used to be (insert small town in US). I tapped my finger against the circle. It was one of the last remaining Safe Havens in the States. The map was jerked from beneath my hand.

    Kael held my eyes as he folded the map and tucked it in his jeans pocket.

   “Again, Kael?” I asked quietly, “You’re helping Them again?”

   “I don’t have a choice, Bryn.” he said, “They asked. I can’t refuse without raising suspicions.”

   I stood up from the desk, my fists clenched at my sides. “Sure you can, it’s easy. You just say no.”

   “They know of my experience with geography, Bryn. What excuse could I have given?”

   “How about after the Rise, you forgot all of that crap?”

   “They wouldn’t believe that and you know it.” Kael said in what I always thought of as his placating tone.

   “It happens,” I told him stonily. “They’re innocent people, Kael.”

   “I know that,” he said quietly, his hazel eyes hard.

   “You’re as good as killing them.” I snapped before storming out. If I stayed any longer he would just piss me off more.

   How could he! Those people were innocent humans. They were in a Haven, they were supposed to be safe. It was the unspoken treaty between Vampires and humans. There is a passive co-existence between Vampires and humans. Humans stay out of the Vampires’ way and the Vampires, in turn, only eat those stupid enough to leave their Havens. Earth is no longer run by humans. It has belonged to the Children of the Night for nearing ten years.

   Nine years ago, there was an Uprising. Vampires had gotten sick of being treated like they were worth less than animal excrement. They rebelled; killing any and all who had publicly outspoken against them. They invaded cities and turned as many people as they could. Not all humans have the strength to Rise. About a quarter of Earths’ population were wiped out. Of the three quarters that are left, one quarter are now Vampires.

   There is a group of Vampires behind it all, they call themselves The Nobles. Supposedly, they are descendants of Dracula himself. What a load of s**t. They’re arrogant a******s who think that just because they can rip a guy clean in half, they run the joint. Bullshit. They got another thing coming if they think I’ll just sit around while they destroy innocent people. They made the wrong choice they brought my family and I into their personal compound.

   I was so caught up with my thoughts that I wasn’t watching were I was going. I ran into a wall - or rather, the unmovable chest of River Santiago, a child of one of The Nobles. He was arrogant as Vampires are, probably even more so since he was raised alongside King D****e and Queen B***h.

   Dark hair fell against mocha skin and over his forehead. His hands moved inhumanly fast and curled around my upper arms. Full lips raised in a smile, black eyes shone with something I couldn't read, “Daydreaming, Brynna?”

   I didn’t pull back, not allowing myself to show discomfort in his presence, or my annoyance at the use of my full name, “Lurking in shadows, River?”

   “Ah, now you know I gave that up for you, mi amor.” One hand trailed down my arm as he spoke, to wrap around my own. He raised it to his lips and brushed them against my palm. His lips were freezing, I suppressed a shiver.

   With us standing so close, I was made embarrassingly aware that I was in baggy pajamas pants that had baby ducks on them, and a thin white tank-top. River had noticed too. He raked his eyes over me approvingly, “Nice jammies.” he said.

   “Thanks,” I said nonchalantly. “I was on my way to burn them.” And I would, now that he’d seen me in them.

   “Interesting concept. Do you burn all your clothes after you wear them?”

   “It’s a new thing. It’s all the rage in Paris.” I informed him in a bored voice.

   “Since when are you interested in anything other than causing troubles for The Nobles?” River whispered in a conspiring tone.

    “Since when is it your business what I do?” I whispered back.

    “You mumble when you’re angry. Something about not sitting around while They kill innocent people?” River said, leaning in close.

    “Blackmail?” I asked in surprise.

    “I’m taking a page from you’re book.”

    “When have I ever blackmailed you?” I frowned, really not remembering.

    “You threatened to tell The Nobles that I’d fed from the maid if I didn’t stay away from you for three months.”

   Oh yeah. Best three months of my life. “Persuasion tactics.” I defended myself.

  “Blackmail.” he corrected.

  “Semantics,” I said with a shrug. “You shouldn’t have done it in the alcove. You were asking to be found.”

   “I was under the staircase. The only way to see me was to go beneath them as well. You were looking for something to hold over me.” 

   “Shouldn’t have given me the opportunity.”

   “You’re very bold. It’ refreshing.” River said with a smile that exposed the tips of his fangs.

   I shrugged his hands away and moved around him. “You’re annoying. I don’t like it.” I felt more than heard him fall into step behind me. He was smiling, the a*s.

   “Most of the women I know are either only concerned with themselves or have no spine.” he told me, liked I cared.

   “All the people I know are selfish, egotistical narcissists’.” I made sure to voice no exceptions. I hesitated only a moment before pricking my finger to open the door. He knew where my room was, but he’d still need my blood to get through. I’d never allow that. I didn’t want him to see inside it though, it seemed like a step in the wrong direction to me. A loss of leverage, I suppose. So when the door creaked open, I pressed my hand against so it didn’t open all the way. After a small struggle to maintain its course, it conceded to the pressure of my hand and froze in place.

   “Ouch,” River said sarcastically. He stepped closer, so that my back was pressed to the door. “Someday, maybe soon, maybe not, you will come to me. Not,” he pressed on, clearly seeing the anger in my eyes, “for anything personal. For help. Maybe you should be a little nicer to me, less I decided to leave you to your own devices.” He ran a finger down my cheek and with one last brush of cold lips, over my wrist this time, he disappeared down the corridor.

   I slipped into my room as the sound of waking Vampires filled the halls. Leaning against the door, I had to force myself to slow my breath.  I didn’t have to do it often, but in the company of Vampires I found myself needing it more than usual. I’d heard rumors, in the past eight years, of Vampires that had extra abilities, besides the mind control that all Vampires have. The ability to control emotions, to time travel. Could River be one of the Vamps that had an ability? Could he really see the future?

   I had been thinking of escaping for as long as I’d been here. I knew I couldn’t do it without the help of a trusted Vampire. Would I pick River? Admittedly, he was one of the only Vampires’ that could stand to be around me, as I’d gone out of my way to repel all of the others.

   Shaking my head I moved to my closet for a change of clothes. I stuffed my pajamas in the back of my closet, fully intending to never wear them again. Fire is forbidden, it is one of the only things that can kill a Vampire, so it was the next best thing to get rid of them. Pulling out a pair of brightly colored jeans -blue today- I tugged them on by hopping on one foot then the other. I didn’t particularly like the jeans, but I knew the bright colors offended the Vampires delicate eyes, so I stocked up on them in our last raid. The t-shirt I choose was navy blue with the outline of the Eiffel Tower in light gray. It was subdued, but even my eyes were sensitive and the pants were bright enough.

   I carefully untapped the large poster of New York off of my closet door to reveal a simple mirror. The myth that Vampires can’t see their reflection is true. I’d been told it was because of their predatory ways - it helped them to blend in while hunting. That was probably a lie. More likely it was just a fluke or something and they’d played it up. Releasing my hair from the elastic I ran a comb through it until it lay, straight as a pin, to just below my shoulders. Vampirism has some pluses. One being that you’re hair goes from whatever drab, dull color it had been to the more vibrant, gorgeous color it was failing horrible at being.

   Kael often calls me the Ice Queen. Based on my looks, I could see where he was coming from. My hair is white blond, heavy on the white. Thankfully, my eyebrows are light blond instead of white. My skin is the color of just fallen snow. So pale that you can see the blue veins beneath my skin. I’d always been like that; I’d tried to tan but it had no effect what so ever. If anything, I got paler.  But it was my eyes that I love.

   In all my life I’d never met anyone with eyes like mine. Not my mother, not my father, not my brother. Nobody knows how I got them since nobody in my family can remember our ancestors having them either. My irises are like diamonds, with grooves as if they’d been carved from glass. And colorless. No, that’s inaccurate. They were white and silver all at once; sparkling like diamonds, like ice.

   I smoothed dark shadow over my lids and gave my lashes a couple of swipes of mascara. A touch of eyeliner later, I was nodding my approval at myself. I smiled at my refection. No fangs showed. Unlike normal Vampires, I can control my fangs - as can Kael. We have to be careful not to let anybody see us without fangs. Vampires don’t like change, they wouldn’t like us being different. Willing my fangs down I covered the mirror and slipped out of my room.