Hunter Academy 3: Blood Ties

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

It had been a little over two weeks since Theo had died. Not much had differed to the point where I caught myself still thinking he was alive. Cael had done nothing to attempt to avenge Theo's death. In fact, most of the vampires of his group barely grieved. There was only one meeting a week ago to inform them of his death.

I suppose that's typical of vampires. With a long life ahead of them, deaths were something you had to get used to, to get over quickly. Whatever quality that the rest of these seasoned vampires possessed to make them capable of this, I didn't possess.  I was stricken with random bouts of anger as I thought about Theo's death, and then moved on to dwell on Eli's plan for me.

I hadn't heard anything more from him, but that was typical of him. He saw himself as invincible; saw his victory in the war as inevitable. To him this was a chess battle, and he was not unnecessarily sacrificing pawns. He was simply waiting, either for me to come to him or for Cael to make a move. His cockiness would be his demise.

I dug my nails into my palms in anger as I waited for both the anger and the pressure in my gums to subside. I would be the one to kill Eli. If no one else would take Theo's death seriously, then the responsibility would fall on me.

I took a deep breath and tossed the crumpled piece of paper in the garbage. I knew what it said, not that it was that important anyways. The various errands I was being sent out on in the name of Cael never were important. I was basically a glorified delivery boy. When I wasn't delivering letters and packages to random locations I was retrieving other things. By retrieving, I meant stealing. Deliveries were the easy task. The more risky ones were the ones I had to steal things. They usually weren't from human establishments. Usually I stole from other vampires or witches.

The place I was breaking into today was a witch's store, masquerading under the name of an herb shop or something of the sort, of course. I didn't know why Cael needed a mandrake root but at least I was helping support his cause.

It was well past midnight when I arrived there, all lights were off in that store and the ones around it. Rather than wasting my time picking a lock I broke it and entered the store. I knew what it looked like but the problem was finding it in this cluttered mess of a store.

Aromas attacked my senses forcing me to hold my breath. I listened for signs that there was anyone else in here but heard nothing. I crouched as the headlights of a passing car illuminated the store.

There were many bookshelves with various herb books and specimens of herbs sealed in glass jars. I ruffled through the desk and in the cabinets but found nothing remotely like what I was looking for.

I growled in frustration before my gaze fell on a closet. This would be the last place I could check on this floor before I would move on upstairs. I pulled open the unlocked door and a flash of light temporarily blinded me. I hissed and lashed out at the blur shape as I waited for my sight to go back to normal.

I heard a shout of pain as I hit my attacker and then before I could react he mumbled a spell and I went flying back. I lay there dazed, watching my attacker walk closer to me, confused at why I found some of this features familiar.

He scowled down at me. "Disgusting bloodsucker," he spat at me. "I tolerate your kind, but when you disrespect me, let's just say you have another thing coming." He touched a bleeding wound on his chest. "I'll make you pay." He dug into the pocket of his black jeans and pulled out a bag with a gold powder in it. "I'll make you suffer."

He dumped some of the powder in his palm and blew it over me. As it touched my skin it began to burn me. I felt like I had been thrown into an incinerator, yet no part of me was touched by flame. My fangs grew and I found the strength to get to my feet. Before he could react I bolted out the door and into the street.

I clawed at my skin but the powder kept torturing me, reacting with me. What the hell was this stuff? How the hell do I make it stop? I knew that I was out in the open, that any passing human would see me, see me for what I really was. But that wasn't my top concern right now.

I heard two sets of footsteps behind me, chasing me. Then I heard the whiz of an arrow being launched after me, barely missing. Hunters. My only options were to run or to attack. However my disadvantage would prove fatal if it came down to fighting.

I continued to run, ducking and dodging every time I heard a warning of an arrow coming towards me. The longer I spent exerting myself under the effects of the powder, the hungrier I felt. My whole body yearned for warm blood, pulsing from the vein of a human, pouring out from the hunters that dare attack me.

I came from a very powerful vampire bloodline. That was something that should be feared. These hunters, they didn't get that. Oh, but they would. With a decision that was born from the chaos of my mind I stopped and darted into an alley and waited.

The footsteps slowed, but they didn't stop. They neared the alley entrance and I attacked. I grabbed the female hunter and pulled her into the alley by her auburn shoulder length hair. She grunted in pain as she armed herself and with one swipe cut her hair leaving me with a handful of hair. She spun around to face me and her eyes widened.

"Damien?" Liz whispered, her eyes scrutinizing me. I felt a tiny bit of shame, but with what else I was currently feeling, it didn't mean much to me. She glanced at her partner, who I saw was Erik.

Her movement caused me to catch a stronger whiff of her scent, I could smell a fresh nick, and the blood made my mouth water. I took advantage of her confusion to attack. Erik moved to stop me, yelled to warn her but both were too late. I was too fast, too driven by my needs.

I could see his expression close off, his lips mouthing the words to a spell. A spell he halted in the middle of because Liz was backed up against me and I had my nails ready to cut into her throat. I could hear her pulse pounding, her chest drawing in shallow breaths in a useless attempt to keep my attention off of her.

He gulped. "You don't want to do this," he said, staring into my eyes. I could see the genuine concern and worry in his eyes but none of that was for me. "We can help you." I hissed. "Just let us help you."

Liz was tense. Part of her was praying that I wouldn't go through with it, the old Damien wouldn't have. But I had been a vampire for too long to care about something like this. Perhaps I would soon turn into a vampire that didn't care about anything at all, just like the others. I suppose I understood the evolutionary purpose.

I chuckled and he flinched. "Guess I'm not the Damien that you remember then. You just don't get it. I don't want you to help me. I'm fine just the way I am," I growled. I gulped, imagining how good it would be to sate my thirst. I could see Erik's face fall as he anticipated what I was about to do.

I slammed Liz into a wall, stunning her as I bit down on her throat, moaning as the rush of blood filled my mouth. I got down quite a few gulps as Erik shouted at me and Liz struggled against me. Then Erik grew quiet and he started chanting a spell. I couldn't pull myself away from Liz, the magic powder had sapped all of my strength leaving me weak and hungering.

Then as Erik finished chanting, I was overcome with a pain that forced me to my knees. Liz slumped down, almost unconscious and Erik ran over to her. His concentration being divided weakened his hold over me and I managed to break it. I stood up and walked away.

"You asshole," Erik muttered. I looked over my shoulder to see him glaring at me while cradling Liz and trying to stop the bleeding. "How could you do this?" His dark hair was dishevelled and he looked half crazed.

I smirked, showing my fangs. "You should really stop that bleeding. You wouldn't want Liz to die because of you, would you?" I laughed as I saw him prepare another spell but I had vanished from the area before he was ready.

Liz's blood had been a temporary fix. But if I didn't find some way to stop this powder then I would be screwed. Perhaps a shower to wash it off would help? Maybe Cael would know. There had to be some way to deal with this.