To The End

Training

Jade let several days pass safely hidden away before she ventured out again. She wasn't ready to risk running into Victoria again. Not when she was still so hungry and without a strong hold on her control. The girl drove her senses wild unlike any human she encountered before. She didn't dare think too deeply into why that might be. When she had gotten a proper meal, watching the hunters scurry like lost ants when they realized one of their members was missing, she headed to a stream to clean up.

She didn't make a habit of being seen when she was in close proximity to the town, but should she be seen she didn't want to raise any suspicion. The very few who have seen her never got a good look. She disappeared into the shadows too fast. There had only ever been two people who knew. One never caused her any trouble, but the other was a problem she intended to solve. Once she was home, she properly cleaned up before heading back out.

Victoria's house was slightly bigger and stood on the opposite side of town than her own. She could easily spend most of the trip hidden in the trees, but as she got closer, she would have to venture inward. The house wasn't too far in, but it definitely wasn't close to the border of surrounding trees as she would have liked.

She carefully picked her way through, keeping to the back ways, quiet streets, rooftops, and the occasional busy road when she couldn't bypass it any other way. She stepped into the backyard of the Vega household. She took a moment to center herself then let her senses roam. Sound, smell, movement, vibration. She became one with her surroundings. No one was awake. There were no neighbors out and about.

She waited for a single person to pass by across the streets before making her move. The trees weren't close enough to the building to bother climbing. She sensed Victoria asleep on the second floor. The window on the right would give Jade access to her room. She approached the lattice fence built into the outer wall. It was overgrown with colorful and sweet-smelling flowers that bothered Jade's sensitive nose. She scowled and blew air out through her nose to clear it, took a breath through her mouth, and then held it. Only then did she hoist herself up and began climbing.

She started cautiously, mindful of any weakness in the structure, but it didn't even creak. The craftmanship and woodwork was strong, and both aided in a quick ascent. It took her part of the way up, but she had to make use of her sharpened nails to climb higher. She readied herself and kicked off, quickly scaling the last stretch of wall, grabbing the window's ledge in seconds. She figured that the quicker she traversed over the surface, the less likely she would let her weight linger too long and create marks. She didn't want to leave any trace of having been there.

Movement inside made her freeze. She waited until it subsided then reached up to push open the window. When it was open enough, she pulled herself the rest of the way up. She slipped in and shut the window behind her to cut off the breeze. If it got too cold, she might wake up. Jade stepped further into the room, slightly hunched and taking each step with precision.

Her steps were light, but even they couldn't avoid the creak in a board toward the middle of the room. She froze again, looking to the human asleep in bed. She only rolled over. The moon's pale light swept over her serene features and Jade froze for a different reason. Vulnerable.

It would be so easy to silence her. Jade shuffled closer, eyes resting on her exposed throat. She licked her lips, her stomach growled, her teeth sharpened, but she held back. It was just her usual reaction to prey within reach. But she didn't need it, nor did she want it.

It was just her opportunistic predator tendencies. She could ignore it. She forced it back, but her eyes still glowed, unable to remove them from the young woman. She deftly climbed on the desk across from the bed, all without taking her eyes off her target. She crossed her legs and leaned back on the wall, just staring.