NEON LIGHTS jane volturi

TWO

Training began at dusk. Riley pulled the newborns from their pastimes and into a large circle in the middle of the room. Standing in the middle, he placed them into groups based on their size and age category and instructed each one to fight until there was one left standing in each separate circle, then he grouped the winners together and let them go at each other. The last one to win got to break off from the others for their choice of sustenance, which options carried from college girl, to accountant, to prostitute, etc. Anyone Riley was sure wouldn't be missed too badly.

So far Valerie was doing well for her size and age, but she wasn't doing so well compared to the rest of them. She'd managed to be the last one standing in her own, small circle, but had gone down pretty quickly during the second round.

Bree was doing worse. She was easily one of the youngest here, barely fifteen when she was changed, and half as skinny as most of her opponents. Valerie would do anything to make her way over to the poor girl she'd come to love like a sister, but she'd seen what Riley did to those that didn't follow his rules.

"Ready!" Riley called for everyone's attention, which he was immediately granted. He waited a few moments, forcing everyone to anxiously await his order. "Start!"

Chaos erupted once again, a young woman being tossed over a large man's—Bruce—shoulder. A middle aged man was thrown into their circle, taking out the man that was charging for Valerie, who immediately ducked under another's spread legs, kicking them in the back and sending them tumbling. Another grabbed her arm that was about to come into contact with a short brunettes face. They pulled it behind her back so hand she could hear the bones snap. She let out a yelp of pain before it slowly started mending itself back together. Holding her injured arm to her chest she forced her head back and into the stranger holding her so hard she would of seen stars before. They let go and she turned, scanning her other opponents who seemed, more or less, held up for the moment.

Bridget, a tall blond woman was engaged with Bruce. James and another man she hadn't met yet we're brawling very close to another pair from a separate circle. That left her and this man who had mostly recovered. Before he had the change to attack her once more, she turned and kicked him in the face hard enough to snap a normal humans neck. However, they were no longer human so he only fell to the ground for a moment.

Exhausted from hours of combat on a near empty stomach, Valerie paused for only a moment before she was lifted into the air by her shoulders and slammed into the ground so hard she felt tiny little fracture form in her rock solid skin. She lifted her hand to her face, accepting defeat before Bruce had a chance to shatter her head completely. She quickly rolled out of the way as Bruce slammed James right into the spot she'd just been laying in.

This was how her night went. Hours and hours of getting thrown around like a rag doll and throwing others around just as violently. Every once in a while he would switch up the circles, carefully placing anyway he thought would make for an interesting fight. Valerie got her ass handed to her several times. Being a small teenage girl basically translated into 'i-am-an-easy-target-hit-me-first' for anyone that rivaled her in those two categories. It didn't matter how many bones she broke, how many vampires she launched across the room, all anyone saw was her physical stature.

That is, until her gift made itself known. She had her arms pulled behind her back, A strangers rough hands attached firmly to her head. Valeries eyes had widened in fear as she realized how likely this fight ended in her own death. Her eyes met Riley's, who's cold eyes showed no sign of stepping in. That's when an ear piercing shriek escaped her captor. It started in her hands that were grasping Valeries arms tightly, working it's way up her arms and to her face. It wasn't long before her entire face was engulfed in flames. She looked back in terror as the woman screamed, begging for release.

Then the flames extinguished, leaving no trace of their existence behind. She stared wide eyed at the woman she'd just set on fire with quivering lips. "Holy shit," she whispered to herself.

"What the hell?" The woman yelled angrily, looking traumatized. "She just set me on fire! Aren't you going to do anything?" She asked Riley.

The man shook his head, looking like he'd just received a puppy for Christmas. "Are you hurt?" He challenged, not even bothering to look at her.

She scoffed, slamming her shoulder into mine and muttering "Watch yourself bitch," as she made her way out the large doors and into the night. She was gone in a blur.

Valerie stood still in the same spot she'd been in for what seemed like an eternity, but was surely only a few short minutes. She couldn't believe what she'd just done. She just set a woman on fire for fucks sake! Forgetting the fact that she had literally just been trying to kill her, Valerie let her guilt consume her. She was having absolutely the worst day in history.

Riley clapped her on the shoulder proudly, like she wasn't a horrific, murderous monster that, on top of literally eating humans, could now set people on fire. "Victoria is going to love you," he assured. Valerie's mouth dropped open, moving like it was attempting to form words but ultimately remaining silent. Why wasn't he killing her? If he didn't surely that other woman would come back and do it herself. Then another thought crossed her mind.

"Who's Victoria?" She asked. As far as she knew this was the first anyone had heard of this Victoria.

Riley laughed humorlessly, clapping her shoulder one last time before letting go and stalking off. "All in due time, dear." He promised over his shoulder. "All in due time."

When the shock finally wore off and she accepted she wasn't getting any more answers from anyone, Valerie finally let her senses take over. She wasn't sure when the delicious smell first washed over her, but she just realized she'd been breathing it in for quite some time. Her frantic nerves finally relaxed as she inhaled deeply, letting the wonderful scent consume her. She turned slowly, crimson eyes scanning over every dark, hidden crevice. Despite searching for several minutes, Valerie was ultimately unable to locate whatever had enveloped her senses. It began to fade, and soon it was pushed to the back of her mind.