[book one]
The game was simple: A contest comprised of three unique challenges, designed to test a human's strength physically and mentally, their personality compatibility, and their chance of survival.
The prize was excruciatingly tempting: The ch...
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SOPHIE'S BLOOD FROZE inside her veins as a whirlwind of chills raced down her spine. It was obvious the guy was a hunter; he wore the same tattered clothing as the last one and had the same murderous glint in his dark eyes. He remained still, partially concealed within the shadow of the tree behind him.
Aubrey let out a startled noise. Both she and Sophie dropped into defensive crouches. Neither had heard or smelled the hunter approach.
"The sunlight," Aubrey hissed under her breath.
The hunter frowned at her. "Sunlight dulls the senses of a vampire. It makes you easier to kill. Shouldn't you know better than to wander a forest at midday? Forests are full of predators."
More rustling sounded as several other hunters stepped out from behind the foliage. Each harbored a set of weapons. A long broadsword was clutched tightly within the hands of one while another hunter remained perched atop a tree branch, an arrow nocked and aimed at Sophie's head. Sophie struggled to come up with a plan, a way to escape unharmed. But the hunter was right. The sunlight hindered her supernatural abilities. The senses that she normally relied on as a vampire were utterly useless.
"What do you want with us?" Aubrey demanded. She straightened from her crouch and stood tall, her head high. Her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides. "If you're going to kill us, then go ahead and do it. Don't just play with us."
The original hunter stared at her. His dark eyes seemed cautious, yet thoughtful.
Another hunter, who held two wickedly curved daggers, glanced toward him. Her head was wrapped in a dark scarf, only her eyes visible like an assassin. Those bright green eyes glinted. "What's the hesitation, boss?"
"I've never seen a vampire outside the walls of the academy," the original hunter said. His expression became quizzical. "At least not in several hundred years. All vampires retreated to that castle ages ago."
The other hunters faltered. The hunter in the tree lowered his bow, his scarred brow furrowed. The female hunter hesitantly stepped out of her defensive stance, her eyes narrowed. Sophie looked around nervously, happy that the weapons were not aimed at her head anymore.
Aubrey unclenched her fists. "We ran away from the academy," she explained.
"And why would a privileged little vampire like you do that?" The female hunter asked, tugging her scarf down so that the rest of her face was visible. Freckles speckled her skin and a small scar sliced her upper lip. She placed a hand on her hip, glowering at Aubrey.
Sophie and Aubrey exchanged a small glance.
"We learned about some horrible things going on behind the scenes at the academy," Sophie said. "And we think that the Headmaster must be stopped."
The female hunter skewered Sophie with a lethal look. Aubrey moved closer to Sophie, standing protectively beside her. Sophie ignored them both, focused on the original hunter's hard gaze. He seemed to contemplate their words. Then he closed his eyes and exhaled sharply.
"Enough," the original hunter murmured, returning his guns back to their holsters at his sides. His eyes fluttered open and he stared at Sophie, dark eyes glimmering with something unnamable. "We won't kill you. But you won't be allowed to run free, either. We will take you back to our camp and our leader will decide what to do with you two."
He turned away and started to walk. The foliage seemed to reach out toward him, prepared to swallow him whole. Sophie clenched her jaw. "And what if we don't want to go back to your camp?"
He glanced back at her from over his shoulder. "Then you will die here. Your choice."
"Not much of a choice," Aubrey muttered.
The hunter with the bow jumped down from the tree. He followed the original hunter into the maze of trees and bushes. The female hunter marched over to them, a dagger unsheathed. She stopped just beside Sophie and snapped, "Move it!"
Sophie felt like cattle as she was herded forward through the forest. Aubrey walked beside her, her expression guarded. Her arms were folded across her chest protectively. The female hunter marched behind them, grumbling irritably under her breath. Another hunter had taken the rear, his own weapons drawn and ready in case either she or Aubrey attempted to run.
The original hunter led the pack.
His hands remained clenched at his sides and, with every twenty steps, would involuntarily twitch toward his guns. His body was lean, yet muscles seemed to ripple beneath his tattered tank-top. With each step they took, Sophie memorized another feature of the hunter. He seemed so familiar. His facial structure, his long dark hair. She was almost certain that they'd never met before.
Yet she swore she knew him from somewhere.
"He seems oddly familiar," Sophie murmured to Aubrey, glancing at her from the corners of her eyes. Aubrey furrowed her brow and stared at the back of the hunter. She remained silent.
It didn't take long to reach the hunger's camp. Said camp was, ironically, an actual abandoned campsite. It looked as if it had been pulled straight from a horror movie. The towering trees separated, creating a small clearing that sat just beside a murky brown lake. Several log buildings were scattered around the shore. The largest of them was labeled with a massive sign covered in moss and faded paint. It read: "Dining Hall". It sat farthest from the water's edge, with a cluster of smaller buildings beside it.
The original hunter started toward it. He seemed to relax more and more as they approached the chipped doors.
"Just what is this place?" Sophie heard Aubrey ask.
No one answered. The doors to the dining hall were pushed open, and a mixture of laughter and chatter rushed forward to greet them. Sophie's eyes widened as they entered the room. The dining hall was huge and rustic, with massive picnic style benches lining the center of the room. Most of the room's occupants sat at the centermost table, which also happened to be the largest.
The chatter died as Sophie and Aubrey stepped into view. Heads swiveled toward them, eyes wide and glimmering with murderous intent. Aubrey moved closer to Sophie, eyes wide.
"What's the meaning of this, Tadashi?"
Sophie couldn't understand the horrible sinking feeling that appeared in her gut. The voice...it was so familiar.
Tadashi, the original hunter, faced a shadowed figure that sat at the very head of the table. He bowed his head and said, "We found these two wandering around in the woods. Both say that they are against the academy. I've brought them here to you so that you could pass your judgment."
The shadowed figure stood, moving into the light. The figure looked familiar as well. Her hair tumbled over her shoulders in golden blond waves. Her expression was stoic, yet her hazel eyes were wide with shock and locked on Sophie's face.
Sophie stared right back. Her heart had stopped pumping inside her chest. An explosion of pain and ice had engulfed her, the achy coldness seeping through her organs. It twisted her lungs like wet rags, rendering her unable to breathe. Her mouth seemed unable to close. The shock was unbearable.
