Vampires Rule // Colby Brock

~| 52 |~

Training continues for a couple of weeks. Whilst the vampires all stay in the same groups, us witches switch around. Last night was the third time I'd been with Colby, Jake and Corey, and I can safely say that I see why blackout me liked them. They're fun—except for Colby, who kind of just broods off to the side—and are willingly to joke around unless something serious is going on between all of us, like one conversation we had recently.

As it turns out, dickheads like the leader who chose to be a dick have lots of friends who don't like when they're brutally murdered. The vampires did this to Silent Leader's whole crew, leaving nothing but a few stragglers, who I've been told have been hunted down.

"They were more of a nuisance than they were worth," Elton had said when Lilly asked why they'd do that.

Colby surprised everyone by adding, "And they messed with the wrong fucking group."

And something told me he wasn't just talking about himself and his clan, but my coven, too. But he's still giving me that strange cold shoulder thing he does to avoid having to tell me everything I want to know.

We have one clan in particular who has multiple members sharing soulmates with the silent leader's clan, so they're out for revenge. Devyn and Corey hadn't been careful enough, and whilst out, she'd almost died. The only chance at having her survive was changing her... which kind of shocked me—because they did it. Now, she's a vampire who struggles every time she's around us. She does her best, but I see it in her face; feel it oozing out of her.

The only vulnerable of us is Tara, since she's the only human left of the girls now, and our quickest, easiest solution for that has been having her with someone twenty-four/seven. Luckily, Jake can't take his hands off of her for more than a couple of minutes anyway, so she's protected and we can mostly go about our business.

But we've been preparing in case this clan have any leeway when it comes to fighting. Silent Leader has specific capabilities that draw other powerful groups in, it's why he didn't like it when Colby's clan said they wouldn't become one of his accessories, and why he hates witches: we're better than he ever could be. He's a control freak—one willing to kill just for more under his reign. But now he's dead and we've got a likely-powerful clan breathing down our necks.

Oh, one with a witch on their side, too. Fucking wonderful.

Today, we are choosing to meet with this clan to see if we can make some sort of peace treaty. I'm under no illusion: they want to meet somewhere they can get the upper hand over us. They don't want peace, why would they? While Lilly is preparing her speeches and pretending, I am throwing punches at mid air.

Just as I throw a powerful punch that, if it hit someone's face, could kill a man, my necklace gives me a shock, then my knuckles connect with something.

I suddenly cry out in pain, unusual white flashes hitting my mind. My legs might give out under me, I don't know, I just feel weak. And the flashes don't stop for a couple of seconds.

"Jake!" I hear someone exclaiming. "You dumbass, you can't touch her, remember?!" The voice is female, but I don't recognise it in my slight daze.

The only thing I can tell now is that someone has their arms beneath me, wrapped around my back. I'm not being picked up or anything, I'm being held where I started to fall. Knowing I'm not strong enough to open my eyes yet, though, I keep where I am. Tingles travel up and down my spine pleasantly, giving me a slight kick.

"Sorry! I forgot, I'm just working on habits." This is a male voice—definitely Jake, from context.

"Well, it's been long enough that you shouldn't have muscle memory like that anymore. Besides, you know how serious this is!"