The Hunt

Chapter 30

Darren:

Everything has changed. Everything. We're walking back to through the trees, back to the village. I see the wooden huts ahead. See them clearly and sharply with my new eyes. I smell the forest around me, hear the life. It's intoxicating. The scurrying and crunching, the life and death going on, ignorant of the changes.

But it's not as intoxicating as her. If I would follow her before, now I would do anything for her. My thoughts are consumed with her, and blood and the newness of it all. I have only vague recollections of my human feelings and senses. My memories are complete, but my emotions, feelings, instincts and impulses are different. I don't feel like a monster. The human teachers have it wrong.

"What just happened..." I begin to say. She puts a finger to my lips and I stop, tensing.

"Shhh now. We have a battle to start, a war to win. There will be time." She says. I nod and resist the urge to take her into my arms. She's stronger than me anyway. Her voice is commanding. "Don't mention it to anyone."

I nod my head again. Who would I mention it to? I know no one. My mind drifts back to Percy, my human companion. Did the master consume him as he did with Frank? I'm strangely empty about it, almost numb. What happened to Jack? I feel a small stab, a small return of human feeling at the thought of Jack. But it's fleeting.

We've reached the start of the stone houses and there are a few vampires around. They cast furtive glances at us but won't hold our gaze, quickly looking down, or bowing to Alesco.

I follow slightly behind as she walks, tall and erect, through the stone houses and past the house of the master. The houses change again into wooden huts. More and more vampires are gathered here. I recognise the two vampires from earlier, moving up the path towards us, the ones who dragged Percy in for the master, the ones I fought with.

"My lady." One of them says. They both bow.

"Tell me of the preparations." She says.

"We are ready. The fighters are gathered, we have selected the best. The rest will remain to protect the youngsters and mothers. We are waiting for the master to come, we will need his magic."

"Anything else?" She says.

"Yes, my lady." Says the other vampire, Brendan. "Your mother insists upon joining the battle. We have told her to remain, but she listens not."

Alesco looks throughtful at that. She opens her mouth to reply but stops. Another vampire is moving towards us from the crowd. "Brother!" She calls out to the oncoming vampire.

Draven and Brendan step aside as the new vampire arrives. He looks at me, flaming red eyes piercing me, x-raying me. There is a look of suspicion on his face. "You!" He says.

"Yes, it is I," I say. I hear the deep tones to my own voice, the smooth rhythm it now holds.

"Wynn, what brings you?" Alesco says, ignoring his suspicion, ignoring his comments.

"Are you sure about what we are doing, Alesco?" He asks. "Your mother is refusing to remain."

"I heard." She says. "Let her join the battle, her fate is in her own hands."

Wynn is looking at her. He looks as though he's never seen her before. "What has become of you, sister?" He says.

"I am as I should be. When you have tasted human blood as I have, when you have seen as I have seen you will know. Trust me."

Something flickers on his face. It looks like his trust is waning, he seems unsure. She sees it. "Brother, we will rescue father. He will know what to do."