The Vampire's Rival

We are who we are only because of our past

Dawn eventually washed us with its light. Uriko was sitting across from me, her grip tight on her sword's hilt. She hadn't taken her eyes off me all night, but now she stood up as if to leave.

"You can't leave," I said, standing up as well.

"I need to go find out if she's... you know... dead." Uriko's voice trailed off.

I sat back down and held her gaze.

"You'll know."

Uriko looked at me for a long moment and then slowly sat back down, her eyes never leaving mine. The grip on her sword tightened.

"What is about her? That girl? Why are you so..." it took time for her to find the right word. "...attached?"

We were suddenly interrupted by the man who had followed Uriko to find Hadley's people in the forest.

"Uriko? What are you doing here... with that... thing?" he asked, surprised to see the both of us together.

"Jakaia, Is the girl dead?" Uriko asked him.

The man took a moment to answer, his eyes shifting from me to Uriko several times first.

"That's what I was coming to tell you. She's still alive. Anette says it's impossible, but it's true." Jakaia said, unsheathing his sword and pointing it at me as he spoke to Uriko. "She's not awake, but she's healing. It's beyond unnatural! You have to see it! Kade sent me to find you. You're going to oversee moving her to The Caves. Everyone else is packed up and ready to go. You're the only one left."

Jakaia's eyes settled on me as he said the last words. Uriko turned to face me as well. She was about to say something when a sudden crash and commotion at the middle of the camp caught both their attention. They whipped their heads toward the sound, which turned out to be nothing serious, and I took the opportunity to silently melt into the jungle. From the shadows I watched as the pair turned back to face me and find me gone. Their eyes searched the jungle for a few seconds, but I was well hidden.

"Why were you sitting here with it?" I heard Jakaia ask, as if accusing Uriko of an unspeakable act.

"Let's not keep Kade waiting." Uriko replied. She took one last look at the jungle and then walked back to the main camp.

The Wildlings covered ground through the forest faster than I'd ever thought possible for this large a group of humans. And what's more, they left no trace of their presence behind. It was an impressive feat. They weaved through the thick undergrowth with practised ease, obscuring their tracks as they did so. I kept up with them but stayed hidden, using the shadows of the trees to stay out of sight. Hadley was still alive. I could feel it. Feel her. I hadn't failed. It was important that I stayed close. A newly turned vampire waking up surrounded by humans would result in a massacre.

She would need a guide through the first few days of insatiable hunger when the bloodlust was all-consuming. Masters always had a chest full of blood bags for every Turning Ceremony for that reason. I was going to have to improvise. If she killed every member of this Wildling tribe when she woke up, that would not be ideal. I had already killed an Enclave's Baron and made enemies of most vampires for that. If I alienated the Wildlings as well, I wouldn't survive what was coming under Sleritu's reign. But if I could get to Hadley on time, just as she awoke, I would have a chance to save Kade and his people.

Hadley would also be proof that I was finally a Master. And in three years I would be able to challenge the claim to Lujeo's Enclave, using the time to train Hadley as my Champion to take over Trisca's Enclave.

It did all depend on one thing though.

That when Hadley opened her eyes, they were both green, not blue.