The Hunt

Chapter 33

Ambrose:

I have been asking since it happened, since the master and the director disappeared over a week ago. I've been asking her to change me back, to make me a vampire again, but she's forbidden it. My own daughter. She is no longer a vampire. She is not human. She seems to be both. She has the strengths of both and weaknesses of neither.

When the two disappeared, the master and director, over the trees, a silence descended in the forest. It felt like an eternity, but then things started to change. A breeze rose from the forest floor, swirling leaves and rustling trees. Above, the sky was merging. Where once the light and dark were split they were now becoming one, combining into night. The black sky of the eternal darkness swallowed the light blue of the day light, chasing away the wisps of white cloud. We were bathed in the blue light of the moon, humans and vampires alike.

All eyes turned from the changing sky and found my daughter. Alesco. She who was neither vampire nor human, she who had fought with speed and strength surpassing anyone here. The air was thick with tension. Humans held guns, unsure. Vampires stood ready, safe in the night, poised and ready to strike.

She looked around slowly. The look on her face was one of hard determination, she showed no signs of the battle just fought. "Alesco?" I'd said, not sure what I wanted to ask, not sure what words would follow.

She looked at me, the look in her eyes silenced me. She was thinking, beneath the mask of determination she was working out what to do. 100 years of hunting and fighting is not forgotten with the flight of the instigators.

"Drop your weapons. Drop your tensions. You saw with your own eyes that you have been deceived. You are not each other's enemies." She said, her voice carrying through the trees. She was looking from one side to the other, watching, waiting, judging.

"The island can support us all. The time for fighting is ended."

I watched, worried. The tension was thick, pressing in like fog from the sea. And then Wynn stepped forward from the vampires and fell to one knee. "I am with you," he said.

"Me too." Another vampire, the one called Darren, stepped forward copying Wynn. I looked behind me at the gathered humans, looking from face to face, trying to judge the feelings and thoughts passing through their minds. A human close to me stepped forward, dropping his gun to the forest floor. "I am glad to see an end to the fighting." He said. He did not drop to his knees but raised his right hand in a salute.

The ice was broken. More and more men dropped their guns and joined the salute, more and more vampires knelt before her. I couldn't believe my eyes. My own Alesco. My attention was so absorbed watching that I did not notice the figure approach me. My human senses were useless.

"Ambrose," Leila said as she stepped up behind me. I felt her hands on my shoulders. Strong hands, squeezing with an almost crushing force.

"Leila?" I turned and embraced her, folding her into my arms. She hugged back with such force I felt the air leave my lungs and I let out a gasp. I felt my heartbeat speed up as though compensating, as though forcing the blood to move. She let go.

"I'm sorry. I forgot my strength." She said. But she was smiling at me, amusement in her eyes.

"Leila, you have to change me back!" I say, louder than I meant. I would be able to be rid of the weak flesh, the frailties of my human form.

"Of course." She said, still smiling a mischievous smile. "How did you like being human?"

"No." Alesco's voice carried over to us. "You will remain as you are."

"But..." Leila and I started to speak at the same time and both stopped.

"We will discuss it later." The tone of her voice silenced us both. I looked around. The atmosphere was much lighter  now. Most of the guns were on the forest floor and all eyes were on her.