Hunter Academy 3: Blood Ties

Chapter 5

 Chapter 5

I could feel the air that was displaced from the blade’s movement on my face. I was so close that the blade just cut off a wayward strand of hair. The glinting blade moved up once more. The conveyor belt moved me so that my neck was directly under. Then everything just stopped.

It was cruel to stop it like this not knowing when the machine would be turned on again and that it would be my time to die. I stared up at the blade for a few more moments before I craned my head to look at Eli and his two minions.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

Eli laughed. “You didn’t think that things would end for you that easily, did you?” When I didn’t reply he cocked his head. “Oh, no, Damien, I wouldn’t let you take the easy way out. I still want you to come over to my side. The only choice you have is whether you want the easy way or the hard way.”

“What are you talking about?” I spat.

 Eli waved a hand and Twin Two walked over and freed me from the conveyor belt. I rolled my shoulders trying to get rid of the lingering adrenaline coursing through me. The twins regarded me carefully but they had nothing to worry about. I would bide my time until the perfect moment to strike and I would take it and shut down this whole evil organization lead by my maker.

“This was the easy way. Since you clearly still don’t want this you’ve chosen to be forced to choose my side the hard way.”

My eyes narrowed. “I’m never going to come over to your side so of course I choose the hard way. It means I get a chance of never seeing your face again.”

Eli grinned darkly. “I don’t think you understand the choice you’re making. So I will enlighten you. By you choosing the difficult way that means that I will slowly torture and kill everyone you ever loved or were friends with. After having seen enough friends and family die you will willingly join my side, if only to spare however many remain from following suit.

A chill went down my spine but I refused to show him that his threat got to me. hopefully by the time that Eli got his hands on anyone I cared about I could help Cael figure out a way to defeat Eli once and for all.

Theo had already died for Eli’s stupid plan to get me on his side. I wasn’t about to let anyone else fall victim to his insane schemes. At least the only people Eli knows I’m close to live in town and are vampires. He would never be able to find out about my family or Liz and Erik. At least I hope.

I rolled my eyes. “You do that. I’m still not going to join you. I’m not evil.” I walked past Eli and the twins not pausing to analyze what was in Eli’s black eyes. He was more trouble than he was worth.

“That’s not what I’ve heard,” Eli replied.

I paused, glancing over my shoulder at him, unable to resist. “What are you talking about?” Eli smirked knowing he had caught my attention despite my efforts to seem unbothered. But he didn’t say anything. I scoffed. “Whatever.”

I moved to keep walking but Eli nodded to twin one. “Tell him what you told me just recently.”

Twin one nodded, fixing his dark gaze on me. “It’s funny how you say you’re not evil. But surely someone who wasn’t evil wouldn’t viciously murder a girl in a back alley because he couldn’t help himself,” he hissed.

Twin two feeling left out decided to chime in. “Lola Ross, just another one of your victims from the past year that will never see their families. Families that will never get closure; never know what happened to their children. Only an evil person would do that to someone.”

Eli shrugged. “So I guess by that definition you are evil, my son.” He winked. “Don’t worry. The evil side is more fun. Don’t you love the rush you get as you drain the life force of a human?” I didn’t respond but Eli went on. “Yes, yes, I can tell that you do. Its part of what I saw in you that night that convinced me to turn you.”

“Thanks for telling me your thought process,” I retorted. “Can I go now?”

Eli’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not finished,” he snapped. He gestured to the twins. “The twins have been by my side for a long time. But what I’ve been looking for was someone who could fill the position of my second in command. Neither of the twins had that leadership material or the spark that one needs for such a thing. They’re mindless thugs that are here to carry out some of my more difficult and less glamorous tasks. Menial grunt work.”

The twins glared at me as if it was my fault that their maker was insulting them so blatantly. I put my hands in my pockets. “I still don’t care.”

Eli silenced me with an icy expression. “I’m informing you of what role you will have when you join me; the role that I specifically will groom you for.” His eyes searched my face, waiting for a reply but finally he sighed. “Fine, you may go. Seek out your weakling leader, Cael,” he spat with distaste. “Remember this, you may try to defeat me but in the end it won’t be enough. In the end you will stand by my side as my second in command.”

“Consider me warned,” I replied, my tone bordering dangerously on sarcastic.

And with that I spun on my heel and walked out. With no other mode of transportation back to Cael I had to walk. I surely wouldn’t bother the twins to give me a lift back. My phone had died and I had no money to pay for a cab.

When I got back to the house it was full of activity. As I walked up the steps to the front door, three people walked out, barely paying me any attention. Either something was going down or Cael had found out about the car crash. Did he think I was dead? Had he recovered any remains of Theo’s body?

I headed downstairs without knocking. Cael was hunched over his desk, listening to one of his men listing some information. There was a crowd of people around the desk and I pushed my way through, ignoring the protests.

I cleared my throat and the person talking sighed in irritation as he moved his gaze to me. His eyes widened as he recognized me. At the sound of silence Cael put down his pen and looked up, following the speaker’s gaze.

He surveyed me and stood up, palms placed on his desk. “Everyone leave the room except for Damien,” he commanded. The room emptied quickly. Cael rubbed the back of his neck. “What happened?”

“Eli sought to speak with me,” I growled. “He got the twins to bring me to him. They crashed into the car. They drove off with me as the car blew up. Theo didn’t get out.” My hands clenched into fists.

Cael’s grey eyes were saddened. “You’re sure he didn’t somehow get out?”

I shook my head. “There was no way he could have. The only way he could still be alive is by some kind of miracle.

Cael took in the information. “Then what happened?”

“The twins brought me to an empty factory where Eli was. He tried to make me join his side with no fuss but when that didn’t work he threatened that he would go after anyone I’m close to until I make the decision to willingly join him.”

Cael sat down, watching me carefully. “And is that what you want? Do you want to be on his side?” I frowned and shook my head. How could he think that? “Okay then. So we just need to move up our plan. Eli needs to be stopped.”

“What do you need me to do?” I asked.

“Rest up. Tomorrow I will send you on a few important errands. I’ll get someone to bring you down to me when I need you,” Cael instructed. He flipped through some papers on his desk but he seemed at a loss of what to do next. Theo’s death was a great loss to everyone in Cael’s group of vampires. I never got too many details on how Theo knew Cael but it was obvious they had some history.