The Rogue Pureblood Vampire | 18+✔

Book 4⌇7. The Fallen Commanders

Chapter 7 ∣  The Fallen Commanders

-Maverick

"Uhh," The trees pass us by, Orion moving quicker than any hunter I've seen before, thanks to being turned into a vampire, he is able to keep ahead of me, "umm...uhh—Orion? Where are we?"

He ignores my question, continuing to run until we come to the edge of a small town. Just like every other small and remote town out here, the sign for this one is almost missed. Half of it is broken and as Orion moves closer to the buildings, I stop running, walking up to the half-broken wooden sign.

"Ple-an mp," I brush the fallen snow away from the top of the sign, narrowing my eyes on the letters, but I just can't figure out exactly what the sign reads as.

Orion rolls his shoulders, stretching while he gazes out to the snowy mountaintops, the runes of the town looks like no one inhabits it any longer. Letting the snowfall to the ground, I walk toward him, my eyes prying into everything they can, gazing at the broken homes and shattered lives.

"Pleasant Camp," Orion states somewhat coldly, but not toward me, more like a distant memory.

"What is this place?" I ask, walking around, my heightened sense of smell picking up the faint, but the distinguishable scent of blood, "Why did you bring me here?"

Orion replies calmly, "I brought you here, so you can understand the past and what led to this treaty being signed."

"I know a little..." my voice trails off, the scent of blood becoming stronger as I near Orion.

"I had Kadessa and Enock capture your mother," Orion begins and I tense, not having ever heard of this part of the story before, "her and I, we shared the same want and desire to see this world come to terms and bring about peace. Lucca nor Locaine would ever allow any hunters or myself willingly close to her, so, I had her captured and brought her. Well...beneath here." He motions to one of the broken homes, hiding dark secrets within.

I don't speak, feeling angry that he had taken my mother away.

"I didn't know she was pregnant with you at the time, not until I was about to have her killed," Orion appears remorseful, his actions are what caused that battle to take place, the one Cristela was talking about, "instead, you began to siphon her very life and at one point, caused her heart to stop. I brought your mother back more than once, my only hope for peace residing in her."

I breathe out slowly and ask in a hushed tone, "Why is there blood here?"

"Kadessa slaughtered Henri, because of your grandfather's mistake. She was a very talented and powerful ranger, just like her brother and I hadn't realized their growing betrayal until it was too late," Orion sighs, frustrated with himself, as though he could have done something to stop it from spiraling out of control.

I know a Henri, he is talked about a lot, just like many other missing coven members I hadn't ever met. Did this feud cause their deaths? Is that why I never heard anything about where fate carried them?

"Come, Maverick," Orion ushers me away from what had been a battle for lives, pushing open the door to the broken home. He kicks a rug away with his boot, revealing what appears to be a secret trap door. I edge closer, closing the door behind me and feeling an uneasiness take root in my chest.

Orion pulls back the latch, revealing a dark tunnel that runs down into an underground road. He descends the steps, taking them two at a time while I follow behind him, my eyes capturing every part of the dark entrance. When we reach the bottom, Orion heads to the far wall, a tunnel splintering off and half hidden from plain sight, our footsteps and breathing are the only sound.