Blood and Water (Blood Trilogy)

Chapter 1

The world is full of magnificent beings that exist in close proximity. Some parts of the earth were untouched, evil deeds were left uncovered and unpunished in the shelter of the woods and wilderness. Some of these creatures look like humans but possess magical abilities, therefore being able to live amongst people, undiscovered. Some of them hide away deep in the woods, afraid to be heard or found. Here, two worlds are merged into one; the bustling city of the human world, and the enchanted lands of Tristain.

Tristain is protected by the magic of the Elf kingdom, no satellite picture could ever capture the majestic fortresses, canyons and castles. Tristain's inhabitants were of Royals, Nobles, Knights and Commoners. The Royal Kingdoms of the Vampires and Elves had an ancient feud over which would rule the lands of Tristain, but the elves had always come to victory. Both kingdoms had their nobles and knights; villages and towns were often in the middle of the two kingdoms, where the commoners would frolic. Some secret bases were planted and built, deep into the forest off the towns, but often left unexplored and undiscovered.

Deep in the forest lived a girl called Acacia, whom led a quiet life. Her and her mother, Evonne, lived in a cottage deep in the heart of the forest, where only they knew their way in and out. Everyday they would have juicy berries and fresh meat, with no one disrupting their peace. Nothing was wrong with the life they led, Acacia loved the tranquility and serenity of it all. Nothing made her heart race or skip a beat, until one very morning when the sky was clear and the sun hung high in the sky. The clouds had travelled elsewhere, taking the breeze with it.

"Acacia! Come down! It's time for breakfast!" Acacia heard the shrill voice that belonged to her mother and took a last glance in the mirror, before she reached for the door handle and stepped out of the room into the corridor.

Briskly, she walked through the red carpeted corridor towards the stairs at the end, landing one foot after the next, carefully over each step as the staircase creaked below her weight ever so slightly, down to the kitchen to help her mother to set up the table.

"Morning, mother." she planted a kiss on her mother's cheek and took the toast and butter out and laid them on the table, tucking a strand of stray burgundy coloured hair behind her ear as she leaned over the table.

"Morning, dear!" her mother responded musically. There were a few envelopes on the table that were decorated with golden imprints in shapes of vines with her mother's name on it.

"To...Evonne... mother! You have mail!" she raised her voice slightly so she could be heard from the kitchen, but there was no response. "I'm going to open it for you!" she exclaimed before she began tearing open the flap that concealed the message within. It was peculiar, Acacia saw small words printed on the envelope through the unfolded sheet of paper and found it strange that someone would send a letter with just a few words.

"Don't touch that!" the envelope was violently snatched out of her hand. Acacia furrowed her brow and watched her mother open it hastily. "How many times have I told you that it's not polite to go looking into other people's things?" Evonne hissed, putting the envelope along with it's contents away into the folds of her robes.

"I didn't even read it!" Acacia protested, her turquoise eyes enlarged in confusion as she stood to face her mother.

"Don't be rude to your mother."

"Rude?" Acacia scoffed. "I don't think it's rude when you ask me to do it every morning, I'm only doing what's routined. You're being super weird." She pointed out, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Just sit down and have your breakfast!" Her mother commanded. Acacia flinched at her mother's explosive behaviour before sighing in disbelief and spinning around to walk in the direction of the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Evonne furrowed her brows at her daughter as she fumbled with her robes uneasily.

"I'll come back when you're back to normal." Acacia placed one hand on the door knob before the door burst open abruptly, sending her flying backwards to the ground. She groaned and reached up to rub her head, regaining her composure as she propped herself back onto her feet.

"Evonne?" a deep voice sailed through the air as a man in a black suit and tie, with sunglasses sat uncomfortably on his face stood in the doorway. He was tanned and his body filled his suit like air did in a balloon, it seemed odd that he wasn't sweating underneath all the layers of clothes.

"Oh yes, hello Gaston." Evonne chirped, walking towards the door next to the man with dark skin, who now stood in between Acacia and the wilderness.

"Who is this?" Acacia asked with a tinge of frustration in her voice, as she dusted off her sweater. Her eyes shifted from the man in the doorway to the woman next to him. With her question unacknowledged, she attempted to shuffle herself through the gaps in the door frame, but the man shifted to fill them, stopping her from exiting.

"Will you excuse me? I would like to get out of this house." she requested, her frustration spreading through her body in waves of heat.

"I can't let you do that."

"Why?" Acacia shuddered as the glaring sunlight made its way through the gaps, drawing lines on the wooden floor. The girl was met with silence. "I'm sorry but you can't tell me what to do, excuse me." she tried again, putting up a strong front and taking a step towards the exit, hoping the man would let her pass.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that." The man repeated, not a muscle in his body moved in her favour. "I'm here under Evonne's orders to take you."

"Is this some sort of joke?" Acacia looked from that man to her mother once more, her turquoise eyes widened in confusion. "Where will I be going?" she asked, as she took a step back, raising a brow.

"That's classified. It would be much appreciated for you to cooperate with the experiments and tests." Acacia's eyes flashed from left to right, looking for a way out of this sticky situation, as she began to move backwards slowly. "You have two options, come with me quietly or I'll have to take you by force."

"That's not even answering the question!" Acacia grabbed a nearby vase and threw it in the man's face before turning to run into her mother's arms. She felt the unfamiliar throbbing of her heartbeat in her ears as they heated in fear. "Mom, help!" she pleaded.

"Darling, where else would you be going? Be a good girl and follow the nice man that's come to take you." her mother chirped, a wide smirk painted on her face. In despair, Acacia pushed her mother aside and raced towards the stairs. Gaston started after her lunging at her foot, his fingers clasped around her ankle as he pulled her to the ground.

"Get off!" Acacia shrieked while kicking the man off and scrambling up the stairs in hopes to escape. She sprinted through the corridor, pushing over tables to slow her pursuer and burst into her room at the end of the corridor. Quickly, she slammed the door shut and locked it behind her. She frantically pushed her dresser, tables and chairs against the door, and began hastily packing her necessities into her rucksack. She slipped a knife into the front pocket; though she had never thought she would ever need it.

"Open this door or I will open fire!" a booming voice came from behind the door. She was running out of time. Shots were fired, one of the bullets skimmed Acacia's cheek, splitting her skin, but she didn't have time to react. She ran to the window, tearing it open and sat on the window pane looking once more at her bedroom, which was now in a wreck.

"Do not make me shoot again! Open the door!" the rattling of the door knob could be heard as the man's voice split the air. Acacia shivered in disbelief of her mother's betrayal. Tears sprang to her eyes, she was actually running away. She was going to jump out of this window and never return.

The door burst open and she propelled herself off the window pane, ready to hit the bushes below. But her marble shaped eyes widened at the horror as the ground opened and swallowed her.

She was roughly pulled out of the netted ditch, struggling and kicking, but was shot with a tranquilliser and carried over the shoulder away from the house. Her vision blurred as she felt her body fall asleep under the tranquilliser's command. The image of a burning house forever etched in her memory, and the final thing she saw before her world became nothing but darkness.