END ROADS

CHAPTER 34: ROGUES, REGINA'S MATE

What the…? Am starting my night with a bunch of rogues? I dodged behind a tree concentrating on what they were saying.
“This was one of our best, there must be another crew then” a man stated.
“But the two covens passed by a moment ago” another said
“We threatened three covens, Flames coven hasn’t shown up” the first growled.
“Keith is rude and ignorant. He won’t show up, then it means there is another uninvited party present” that got all attention of all the others.
“Spread out, find the intruder!” the leader commanded
What? I thought I was…my thoughts were cut short when a hand dropped on my shoulder. I closed my eyes turning around nervously. Opening them I came face to face with a mischievous young vampire. He opened his mouth to call the others over but I covered it with my own hand. He glared reaching for my throat. I dodged, kicking him off balance swiftly. Once he was on the ground, I draped one hand on his neck the other reaching for his chin then I pulled. Separating the head from the body easily. Dark blood splattered on the ground. I made for a run immediately. Dodging behind trees for cover.
I had dodged behind the third tree when I came face to face with another vampire. I reached for the daggers swiftly slicing his throat cross ways. Blood splattered on my face. I frowned running ahead. I came face to face with many more I pulled their heads off or simply sliced their throats and kept running as far as I could go. I came to a stop when I encountered another much older vampire.
“How long will you be running?” he asked coldly.
“Not long I guess, coz I got a task to finish at the moment!” I answered teleporting behind him but he was swift to turn and grab my neck. I stiffened tightening the grip on the stained daggers.
“Not too smart” he mocked, I twisted in his grip my eyes turning bloody red. He tightened the grip his other hand reaching for the dagger on his waist band. I used the opportunity to tighten the hold on my daggers and slice the hand gripping my neck. He loosened up dropping me to the ground. I kicked his legs sweeping him to the floor, then he smartly moved his uninjured hand and drilled the knife into my leg. I growled rolling up towards his head and sinking the two daggers into his neck. Blood smeared as I reached for his chin to tear his head off his body. I laid down panting for a moment before I shot to my feet dragging myself away.
Once I was sure I was a distance away. I sat in the dirt leaning against a huge tree closing my eyes. Like hell, I have killed more than twenty vampires and now their dark, dirty blood was smeared on my face, hands and dagger. I stayed there for a moment waiting for the wound to heal. Once it was healed I begun moving following any scent that was different from the smell of the wild, forest and trees. I walked for long then I was tired, I had forgotten I was a human in a vampire’s body. I looked around noticing a tree with thick branches. I crawled up the tree easily leaning against it and closed my eyes. I drifted off to sleep almost immediately.
I woke up in a stat falling off the branch. Damn! I completely forgot I was sleeping on a tree. I sat up looking around, it was already dawn, a cold day, cloudy with not even a single sun ray. Perfect for vampires. I closed my eyes concentrating on finding the scent that was different. I detected one, it was a distance away almost a mile. This was going to be a run!
Fixing the bow properly on my shoulder and the daggers I went in full vampire mode and sped off like a bullet through the dense forest.

I halted when the scent became stronger and more distinct. I crept forward slowly…careful this time. More rogues, I circled around them keeping an ear on the few who were chatting, not anything useful at all. Casual chats, and they were not of the same crew as Dom. So…they were minding their own business not causing trouble. I left them speeding off seeking more scents that were out of place.
I crossed the long wooden bridge carefully, beneath was a deep gorge with dirty water flowing harshly. I was afraid of heights that is the first thing and second, the bridge was shaking so badly. I was half way when a figure emerged at the other end a young man…not man a vampire. He stared at me with a creepy smirk on his lips.
“You slaughtered my friends, and you thought I would let you go?” he asked out loud. I decided to pretend.
“Slaughtered your friends?” I laughed nervously “I don’t know what you are talking about!”
“Don’t pretend in front of me when your hands ere smeared in their blood. And am not letting you cross this bridge alive!” he declared drawing his sword
“You are not going to do what I think you want to do are you?” I asked trying to buy time to come up with a plan.
“Oh yes I am, it’s good you know it in advance” with that he cut the rope holding the bridge. The bridge trembled violently. I held onto the edges as it got free swinging violently towards the other edge. I grabbed the edges tightly for my dear life. I began sweat, the tiny heartbeat in my chest shook giving sudden thuds. I swallowed keeping my eyes high in the sky trying not to think how deep the gorge was. I began panting my hands sour due to the straining.
The young vampire watched me for some time before teleporting away. I struggled to keep myself in position. I hooked my leg between the woods and twisted the other around the rope on the left. One hand held the wood behind my neck while I used one hand to unhook the rope on the right from the bridge. It was tough spending all my energy on keeping myself alive. It took me a whole twenty minutes to unhook part of the rope. Balancing on my legs I tied the rope on the wood above my head. I reached for an arrow, as I extended to find the bow, the ruined bride trembled. I reached out to keep balance and the arrow slipped off falling into the abyss. My heart lurched I swallowed fighting to keep calm. I reached for another carefully and tied the other end of the rope on it. Aiming for the stump left after the vampire ruined the bride I released the arrow.
I smiled at myself as the arrow hit the target perfectly. I hooked the bow back on my shoulder. I broke a piece of wood from the bridge holding it on the rope. Now this will be suicidal but it was worthy trying. I had made myself an artificially cable car… a wrecked one. Inhaling deeply I unhooked my legs from the wood and rope and pushed myself forward. I kept my eyes forward to avoid panicking and releasing myself to my death. I was almost on the other side when the rope on the wooden bridge broke. I panicked grabbing the rope for my dear life. I pushed forward climbing the rope towards the top. I was trembling in complete panic. I reached out for the stump but the arrow broke too.
Shit! Instinctively I grabbed the vines pushing myself forward grabbing the stump. I pushed forward climbing to the ground. I slumped down eyes closed. That was…close. I wanted to kiss the ground badly.
Sitting up I stared at the bridge on the other side, useless little nothing. I snapped my fingers setting it on flames. That is for being useless. Then a pain shot through my heart. Hell…was that beyond limit? This body was weak…
I watched the bridge combust recalling the measures I had taken to save myself. Completely human like, yet I had abilities…foolish, I could have simply teleported like hell? Or floated the way Grey always did…Grey! I smiled at myself bluntly. I miss that guy already.  Getting on my feet I began seeking the scent of the vampire that had tried to kill me. There you are, I sped into the trees I saw his frame standing by the cliff side. I sneaked forward then he spoke.
“I knew you would make it, and for now am very angry. I don’t mind having a drink from a beautiful vampire as you!” he said turning around his eyes bloody red he grinned mischievously.
“Your mate could have done that with all due respect and full consent” I said
“I have no time for such pathetic ties girl, I love my freedom and what I do” he begun approaching.
“Oh really, so you don’t even have a place of belonging in the first place?” I continued.
He glared his lips curling up some more “you are so inquisitive and am not a lover of answering questions”
“Sure enough you are not” I nodded looking around “And is the life of being a stray kid better than settling down in one place and making yourself useful on something?”
“Am not a stray kid” he roared.
“Sure you are, otherwise you wouldn’t be this hungry hunting a vampire warrior for a single meal. How miserable”
“Are you insulting me?” he furrowed his brows burning in rage and anger
“Easy stray kid, don’t take it to heart. Why don’t you focus on finding your mate other than aiming for a target you are going to miss anyway?”
“You are confident in yourself aren’t you?” his eyes shifted to their normal brown colour. He was a good looking fellow maybe twenty and it was clear he didn’t like what he was and what he was doing either. I studied his thick frame, wide shoulders, long legs and dark hair. Chummy but lost. I huffed sitting my back resting on a tree.
“What can a chummy guy like you do to me surely? You’re so damn easy to tame”
“Am not docile!”
“Sure you are, so you also broke free from your coven too and followed Dom? Pretty ugly isn’t it? Did he force you or you were spellbound too” I asked casually
“Don’t you dare…?
“Am not daring boy, am already doing it!” I cut in grinning wide “You are regretting what you did, you want to get your footing back but you have no way out, isn’t it?” I huffed staring a distance away “decisions have consequences sure enough, didn’t you know this. Now see how miserable you are, you can’t even find a meal without a struggle. What a fool you were”
“You…” he charged towards me furiously aiming to grab my neck. I pushed his hand away easily, kicked his leg and twisting him around. He was about to fall away from me when I grabbed his shirt pulling him towards me. He stumbled falling into my arms. I draped my hand over his shoulder keeping him close. He stiffened glaring up at me.
“Easy, didn’t you see that?” I asked my lips curling up.
He was staring deep into my eyes, something shifted deep inside me as if the body I was in wanted to rush off and leave me stranded. I held it in closing my eyes to keep hold on myself. He kept staring when I opened my eyes.
“You are so damn easy to tame” I stated looking at his handsome face he was relaxed all of a sudden. This didn’t look anything close to normal.
“You okay?” I inquired in confusion but he kept staring.
“Something…I am feeling weird around you!” he answered shifting away, he sat before me staring
“How weird, like let me know then I will come up with a theory” I suggested
“Like a mating bond…but it is crooked because your spirit is bound to another and not mine, but your body is quite responsive” he answered slowly.
My brows furrowed as I tried to think then…fuck…me! My eyes widened, his narrowed.
“This is funny, oh god save my butt” I hissed under my breath standing up. He followed staring at me the whole time.
“Any theory?” he inquired
“One that will blow your mind. Entirely” I answered
“Am ready to hear it” he said firmly.
“Find a private place, then I will show you!” I said.
“Follow me” he sped off and I followed as fast, we halted in front of a cave, he pushed the climbers at the entrance aside and got in. I followed through the uncountable curves then we came to a stop in front of a section with rocks curved into stools, sofas and a table. They looked unreal.
“You live here?”
“No, this is my hiding place when I want to be alone” he answered showing me a seat, he sat as well waiting for me to start talking.
“Explaining will take too long and it will be hard for you to understand, so I rather show you” I said.
His brows knitted “Vampires don’t know the mirror magic”
“Don’t underestimate me, come on take my hands” I offered him my hands which he took uncertain. My body tingled responding to a simple touch. This was annoying. I closed my eyes trying to relax and race back to the times I was in the cemetery with Flora. I relayed everything to him through the mind linking skill. What we talked about, how she transformed me into Regina’s body and my mission.
When he had seen the necessary I pulled back panting. My head stung…yeah this vampire body was definitely not mine and it was too weak for my power. I squeezed my eyes shut holding my head trying to calm down.
“You went beyond the body’s limit” he said
“Sure I did “I answered opening my eyes he was giving me a strange look “What is it?”
“Am just amazed that you are David’s daughter yet you are not working with him” he answered
“Tsk, he wasn’t the best father after all.” I answered “so it seems, I stole your mate’s body for my mission. Then boom, we met” I answered
“And you know the princess of the northern Crescent castle. Like hell, you are so lucky!”
“Lucky you say? She freaks me out especially when her sister comes along” I answered dismissively
“Which sister, you know they are seven of them”
“Felicity” I answered
His eyes widened in terror “sure enough she can freak you out, that lady is very evil. I have never seen any of them but I have heard stories about her. She is the most untrustworthy being on earth”
“I thought so” I whispered nodding. We remained silent for some time.
“So, are you going to bring my mate back? If Flora doesn’t underestimate you, then I surely wouldn’t dare. She said you are the only one who can do that so when are you planning to unite the body and soul for my sake?”
I leaned against the stone wall staring at the rocky ceiling. “I seriously have no idea how am going to do it. I wish I could, coz there is a time she entered my dream and told me…
“What did she say?” he inquired with interest
I sighed “that her man is alone, waiting for her. He sits at the edge of the cliff playing his flute and talking to her. Hoping they will be united someday. I didn’t know it was me because she also said, Becky is Grey’s mate and that can’t be me!” I dropped my gaze to my dirty sneakers
“So she sees me, but we can’t communicate…I wish I could talk to her.” He dropped his head “you saw right through me Becky, you were right, am miserable, am lonely am frustrated and I regret detaching myself from my people. I have lost, I was foolish!” he was sad
“I wish I could help you, but I seriously don’t know what to do” I answered him feeling sorry for him. He stood up and sat down again shifting the rocky table then removing the top. He extracted a flute from inside and gave it to me.
“When you will be returning her body back to the casket, place this there. I might die in Grey’s hands as well and lose the chance of ever being happy with my mate this will keep her company” his brown eyes turned glassy and my heart squeezed.
“She won’t be happy if I let you die, I will keep you safe” I tried.
“You can’t, Grey and Angelica from the Spikes coven are not easy people to deal with. You won’t win against them” he sounded hopeless
“I will try…” he smiled bitterly standing up to leave, I raced after him blocking his way.
“Wait, where are you going?” I asked
“I don’t know”
“Come with me…we should do this together” I suggested
“Impossible, am a stray soul. Honesty is one thing I don’t know” he said frankly.
“You can try, I mean for the sake of your mate that won’t be too hard for you!” I suggested then he smiled
“How lucky is Grey, you are such a smart girl!” I blushed…since this damn body wasn’t mine, it was untameable around its soulmate.
“He’s not my mate” I scolded
“I doubt that since when I tried to get through to your spirit, I heard a distant growl pushing me off. I don’t know maybe him or someone else, can’t tell” he shrugged it off.
“I remember you were hungry, hope you don’t mind drinking from your mate’s body!”
“That is dangerous” he warned
“I can hold back, my spirit is not as stubborn” I answered with a little pride. He nodded and stepped closer.