Burning Souls (F.T Sequel)

Chapter Sixteen

I'm getting tired of not being able to sleep.

I realise now that I took the simplest things for granted as a human. Okay, not fully human, but still. It could go from merely being able to wake up with bed hair in the morning, or eating Alice's signature scrambled eggs. Now, the only thing I did when the others were sleeping and Caleb was busy with his boy toy, was stare at the ceiling, or go over plans with Dominic and Hunter, as I'd done last night. It becomes excruciatingly boring at some point.

But today is Christmas morning.

That at least, pulls a small smile on my face. I turn my head towards the window, watching the golden sun rays peeking over the snow-capped mountain tops and letting the sky shimmer in marigolds and candy floss pinks. The snow glistens under the early morning light, and if I listen intently enough, I can decipher the beginnings of the birds' songs. That, and Julia's obnoxious snoring.

She makes a very unattractive sound in her sleep, and rolls onto her back, punching the air suddenly while lost in a dream. I stifle a laugh. I grab a pillow behind my back and throw it at her at full vampire force. Or at least as much half-vampire force as my human side will allow. She bolts upright, eyes cracked open slightly, saliva dripping down the corner of her bottom lip, and her hair an unimaginable morning mess.

"What was that?" She asks in a zombie-like voice, looking slightly dazed as she takes in her surroundings. Then, her eyes go completely wide and she jumps from the bed. "IT'S CHRISTMAS!"

I watch her with amusement as she runs around the room like a wild woman, "IT'S CHRISTMAS OH MY GOSH IT'S CHRISTMAS I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S FINALLY CHRISTMAS IT'S-" As she opens the door and prepares to throw herself out of the room Dominic steps in, and she collides face first into his sweater-clad chest. She stumbles backwards and looks around with confusion. "Ow." Then, she looks up to find Dominic staring at her with a self-satisfied smirk. She narrows her eyes at him, her body now completely aware, and takes a step back, always keeping her heavy gaze on him. "Out." She says pointedly, nodding towards the door. Of course, as expected, he takes more steps into the room and dramatically, slowly, tauntingly clicks the door into place. "I could have been naked."

"Now that would have been a sight." He replies evenly, fixing a now cool gaze on her. She shakes her head and walks past him, punching him on the arm forcefully. He doesn't seem bothered.

"Dick." She mutters, and then she's out. When the door shuts again and we're alone, Dominic groans and rubs at the place Julia had hit him.

"That hurt? Seriously?" I ask with a disbelieving laugh. He looks at me with narrowed eyes, and looks towards the shut door.

"Little feisty thing."

"Anyway," I swing my legs over the edge of my bed and stand to face him, still wearing the same clothes from yesterday. "What brings you here?"

"I wanted to talk to you before we join the others." He tilts his head down to fully look at me. "Listen, this might be Christmas, but we don't know when the Elites will attack again, and we need to be out at the end of today. We'll have the element of surprise, and we can camp some distance from their base. Everything, in complete discretion. Do you understand?"

"Yes," I reply monotonously, "We've already gone over this three times."

"Just don't let all of this Christmas spirit faze you. Always be ready for an attack. And tonight, if everything goes after plan, forget about the Hunter you know."

My eyes go wide at the last part of his speech, and alertness spreads through me. "What are you talking about?" I say quietly, dreading to hear the answer. But he merely looks at me for another second, before he turns to walk away. He seems to think twice about it though, because he suddenly freezes, and without looking at me, I can feel his thoughts opening up, just as they'd done that first time in Hunter's office. "What are you doing Dominic?" I whisper. No reply. I can already feel the stabbing pain of the headache. Soon, his thoughts will come crashing into me. But this time, I'm prepared. It's still not pleasant though. I can feel his mind suffocating mine to take over my head, pulling me into his thoughts. I hear myself scream before darkness rolls over me and I plummet to the ground.

...°...

Cold.

That's what I sense first. I can actually feel the cold. Vampires aren't supposed to feel anything. Bumpy, rust-colored bricks stare back at me from their randomly placed spots on the three walls. That's when I notice. I'm against the third wall. I try to look up, but I freeze instead when I feel something tighten around my neck. I want to look down, but I can't do that either.

There's a cuff around my neck, pinning me to the icy wall. The stones are harsh against my back, and my arms and legs are strapped in cuffs as well, holding me upright, elevating me off the ground. I can feel the violent trembles shaking my body with fear, I can feel the hollowness of the room swallowing me while, and the musty scent of an old basement suffocating me.

Vampires don't feel. Especially not the cold, as we are literally dead.

So why do I feel everything?

That's when I notice something. I barely manage to flick my eyes to the side, and that's when I see. My skin is brown. Not white, not even tanned... brown. I'm not me. I'm in a different body. Oh no...

I take in the clothes that I'm wearing, all dirty and ripped and tattered. How long has this body hung here? It must be human. She must be human. I glance downwards to see the swell of breaths, moving up and down erratically with her breathing. Human. A chill rolls over me, over her. What is she doing here?

Then it hits me.

This basement, I know it. Those same walls, now that I look at them more closely are circular, and threatening. An ugly metal gate separates this freezing room from he only exit, which is a dark corridor seemingly swerving up into spiraling stairs. This is where I was first brought when everything started. Back before I knew about vampires. Back when Chase and Jay kidnapped my sister and I. This is where Hunter drove a knife down my arm as I was stuck to this same wall, relishing in the taste of my blood.

The Torturer.

I feel my eyes drifting shut as fatigue slams into the tiring body. The metal gate shrieks and my eyes fly open with shock when a very familiar man takes, taunting, slow steps down the stairs. My whole body begins to thrash against the painful holds wildly, but the beautiful, cold man merely smiles at me. It's a cruel, horrifying smile, pointed canines gleaming in the faint light that protrudes from the flickering gas lamp.

The man is holding a huge knife in one hand, twirling its point around against one finger. He watches it as if it were a beloved pet, and his crazy grin widens. Black, bottomless eyes look back at me when a hopeless sob escapes  my lips. Escapes the woman's lips. The human women.

Hunter takes a step towards me, and the metal of the knife flashes hauntingly  as he passes under the lamp. His smile falls and a dark passion transforms his face into one of pure, beastly savagery. "Shall we begin?"

I scream.

...•...

My eyes fly open and I stare at the plain ceiling of Julia and I's bedroom in the cabin, my mouth sealed shut with dry lips. My throat feels dry, and I have no words. Dominic's face appears above mine and he looks down at me, no trace of remorse or compassion whatsoever. He's just unveiled and shed some light on Hunter's terrifying past, and yet he doesn't seem at all bothered. His thoughts are a dark place.

"Merry Christmas," Dominic says coldly. He extends his hand down and hoists me up to my feet with a distant look in his eyes. "Time to join the others."