Fighting For Survival

Chapter 3

I stood waiting in line at the train station to purchase a ticket. The line was moving incredibly slowly, but I didn't care. I couldn't stop thinking about what Ben had said. It must have been a lie, but how did he have my old bracelet? With more questions than answers, I stepped forward in the queue. Chow had given me a promising lead about my heritage, but I had a sinking feeling that it would be a dead end. After looking for answers for so long, I knew not to get my hopes up. Sighing, I stepped forward again, wishing this queue would go faster. Glancing around Grand Central Station, I looked at its size and the history within the walls with awe. As I rechecked the giant clock, I noticed a shadow move from the corner of my eye. The shadow hid behind a pillar, and a bad feeling began to creep across my skin. The shadow then made the mistake of stepping out and looking my way—a hunter. Trying to keep calm, I turned back towards the queue, my face expressionless. Pulling out a compact mirror from my bag, I held it up. To the average person, I would just look at my complexion, but I used the mirror to see the hunter behind me. I knew he wouldn't be alone and more would be nearby. I had to get out of here, fast. Waiting until he moved back behind the pillar, I made my move. I grabbed my duffle bag, quickly slipped from the queue and headed towards the ladies' room. Hunters knew what I looked like, so I always carried an emergency appearance change just in case.

I had made three more hunters by the time I reached the ladies. Great. I knew I had only a few minutes before they came looking for me. I could change my look in less than that. I smiled at an older lady as I walked in, heading straight for the middle stall and closing the door. Throwing my duffle bag on the toilet, I was soon grabbing a blond wig from the bottom of the bag. I hastily put my hair in a bun and secured the wig. My hair was distinctive as it was auburn like my mother's and stopped halfway down my back. The bobbed blond wig would throw them off. I grabbed the blue contacts to match the wig, as my original colour was violet. It was a sign that I was a dhampir, so I mostly wore coloured contacts around humans. I threw off my jacket and reached for a floral top opposite to my black tank top. I needed to pull off the girly look; this top was the best way to do it. Grabbing the heels from my bag to match, I quickly changed my shoes and threw everything in my bag. Zipping it up, I turned on my heel and strolled out the door. All I wanted to do was run. But I knew better and had to leave at an average pace, so I didn't attract attention.

As always, the train station was busy, which I was grateful for. It was the perfect cover. I walked towards the train station exit and had to find a new means of transport to get to my new destination. I slid a pair of sunglasses and scanned the station for signs of hunters. My path was clear. The doors were just a few feet away when a hunter crossed my path. Tensing, I kept walking and could feel my heart start to race. The hunter glanced over me before moving on to someone else, and I let out a breath I hadn't realised I had been holding. I was safe for now. Sliding into a taxi out front, I asked the driver to take me to the docks. I would bribe someone with money to allow me safe passage on their boat; my parents had been loaded, and the money had passed down to me. I couldn't bring myself to spend it, only using the minimum to get by. I didn't want my dead parent's money. I didn't feel as if I had earned it. I wanted my parents alive.

It was only a short journey to the docks. I thanked the driver before leaving. Scanning the marina, I looked for a wealthy vessel. You could always count on the rich wanting more money, even if that meant they looked the other way. They just loved money. I looked for the most expensive yacht I could find, and soon, I stood before it, smiling. It would do just nicely. Grabbing my bag, I stepped on board, listening for movement. I turned as a man came up from inside the yacht, and he looked surprised to see someone standing there. I gave him my most charming smile.
"Hi, I'm Sophie. I'm looking for someone to ride me on one of these beautiful yachts." I put on my sweetest voice and tilted my head slightly, twirling a hairpiece. The man broke out into a grin and stepped forward.
"Well, I think that can be arranged. Where are you heading, my dear?" Leaning forward, I kissed him on the cheek and giggled. He looked as if he had just won the lottery. I wanted to roll my eyes; humans were easy to charm—especially men. Most supernaturals were very attractive to humans. We have flawless skin and soft features, and I was physically fit from training. I knew I looked good physically, and I always used it where I could take advantage.
"I'm heading up to Portland." I replied, fluttering my eyelashes. The man nodded.
"You're in luck; I can drop you off. I'm heading to Belfast for business. Why travel by yacht, little lady?" I understood his curiosity. I could also see he wanted to get to know me and have a good time. He was in for a shock.
"Why travel by train when you can travel in style?" I giggled. He lapped it up like a dog; men loved compliments on their boats.
"Right this way then. I will show you to your cabin unless you want to share mine." Seeing the lust in his eyes, I wanted to gag. He must have been in his fifties with a beer belly and a tan that was orange and fake. He wore a white linen shirt that was too small for his stomach and left the top four buttons undone to reveal his hairy chest and gold chain. Sleaze. This type of guy had been married at least four times and always had a woman at least twenty years younger. I gave another giggle and waved my finger, tutting.
"Now, now. We have just met you, cheeky devil!" He laughed and gestured to me to proceed below deck, following extremely close behind. He was wearing far too much cologne.

Portland was as quiet as I expected it to be. With a population of 635,000, no wonder it was peaceful. I was used to the hustle and bustle of New York and concrete giants, not a quiet city with lots of green space. The rest of the ride on the yacht went quickly. Once we had left the harbour, I finally relaxed and knew I was safe from hunters. Gary, as I finally learnt his name, kept trying it on with me until I got so fed up and put him in a headlock and threatened to chop off his balls. He was reticent after that and stayed away. I spent the rest of the journey in my cabin, reviewing the information Chow had given me. A witch in Portland supposedly was at least a few hundred years old and knew about blood magic and the old ways. The supernatural world has come a long way in the last few centuries, from roaming freely amongst humans to killing each other, hiding in plain sight amongst humans, and having democracy. Each supernatural species has its laws and is led by a king and queen. The king and queen from each species meet once a year to discuss ongoing issues within each of their worlds and make peace treaties. They are called the royal council and would decide on new policies, and if a crime were so horrendous, they would decide their fate. Nowadays, there is hardly any fighting between species, and each species takes care of its affairs. It was rare that anything needed to be brought before the council.

According to Chow, this witch was high-ranking years ago and influenced the council before disappearing from the grid. No one knew where she had gone or why. There were rumours that she wanted to take over the council and was exiled before she could do anything. Other rumours were that her mate was murdered, and the council refused to investigate. Each supernatural being has a 'mate', a person humans call their soulmate. That one person meant just for them and would balance each other out. Some people spend decades travelling the world looking for their mate, and others find them close to home. It has been said that when mates find each other, they instantly know they are meant for each other. There is meant to be an undeniable spark, and once they mark each other, they are bonded for life. Some people have lost their mate and go on to find another relationship but know their mate can never be replaced. Others have rogue, leaving their homes and families behind, living off the grid, and wandering the earth. They tend to have become crazy from the pain of losing their mate and can be dangerous individuals as they are known to attack others.

Somehow, Chow tracked her down and gave me an address. I didn't have a name, just the address. After consulting maps, the address was at the edge of Forest Park, a vast nature reserve. It was a perfect hiding spot for someone supernatural who didn't want to attract attention. After leaving the harbour and finding a very convenient hire care place, I drove across Portland hoping to see this witch. I had no idea what to expect, and I didn't have much experience with witches. They were good at keeping hidden from humans and other supernaturals; from what I had heard, they could be unpredictable. After a few wrong turns and some cussing, I found the address. It was a small house with a small front yard that backed onto the forest. I parked opposite the house, looking for any movement through the windows. Nothing. Sighing, I didn't know what I was expecting.

Taking a breath, I exited the car, headed across the street, and rang the doorbell. Fidgeting, I brushed against my back, checking my silver knife. I glanced behind at the small, very well-kept yard. There were boarders of flowers and pots all over the front porch. The lawn was in peak condition and a vibrant shade of green. The garden looked as if it should be in a magazine. Just as I was about to turn and leave, I heard footsteps approaching the door. I took a deep breath and waited. A woman who looked in her twenties opened the door smiling; as soon as she saw my face, her smile dropped. "I knew you would find me eventually."