Eternal Redemption - Book Two ✔

Chapter 1

The late summer air was crisp and warm. A light breeze swayed the high tree tops and the soothing sounds of waves hitting the sandy beaches filled my ears as we ran on the road that wound itself along the shorelines. We kept a steady pace, still wanting to cover as much ground as possible before the sun rose, but since I was still new, running too fast for too long could wear me out like it would any human. But I wasn't – a human that was. Not anymore. It'd been exactly eight nights and two hours since I'd woken up from my Change. I tried not to dwell on it too much, but it was hard not to, of course it was hard. I'd spent seventeen years as a human, fighting every day for survival against the creatures who I was now one of. I still wasn't completely sure I was comfortable being like this. It had taken days for me to not break everything I touched because I kept forgetting my new strength.

Sure, there were upsides to this new and improved me; I was stronger – a lot stronger and I was faster, covering so much more ground than I'd ever been able to before. We had covered roughly one quarter of the way in these eight days since we'd left Los Angeles and headed North towards Seattle. For my father. I still couldn't believe that he was alive. Not only that, but that Nox knew where he was.

Nox.

I glanced sideways at my companion, my maker, to be more precise. He was also my teacher. He'd used the word Sensei, but seeing as I hadn't known what that meant, we'd stuck with teacher. Apparently, there was a lot to learn about being a...a vampire. I struggled with using the word so I tried not to. But Nox had been so kind, so patient as we travelled. The most challenging of it all was the feeding part. The first few days, Nox had gotten me bagged blood so I could get used to drinking it. Where he had gotten it from I didn't know and his answer when I had asked had been vague. It was gross at first, to even think about gulping down this thick red liquid, but the moment the first drops hit my tongue, I'd gone practically ravenous with thirst, tearing into the bag so fiercely that it ripped and spilled down my chin and neck. I must have looked completely crazy to be honest. But Nox hadn't done anything; he said it was normal behavior for the first few feedings.

Nox turned his head towards me, probably noticing my staring. His crimson eyes a stark contrast to my sapphire blue. That was one thing I rather liked about my Change. Because of this power I had inside of me, this magic, my eyes had changed to match it. I was still able to control the energy I could produce. Nox said he hadn't known how changing me would affect my powers, but so far all it had done was amp it up. I could practically feel it humming in my veins and it felt incredible. Powerful.

"We should be in San Francisco before sunrise," Nox announced. I cocked my head. So far we'd avoided any cities, sticking to the coastal route, mostly for my sake. I could stare at the ocean all night long. The vastness of it all was so mesmerizing and I couldn't believe I'd gone all my human life and not seen it once.

The powerful waves crashed against the boulders down to my left and I inhaled the tangy and salty scent. Even though it wasn't necessary for me to breathe anymore, I liked how my senses had been heightened. I could smell everything around me over a mile away. Nox had told me it was good training in distinguishing different scents, particularly humans and even others like us. I hadn't been aware that vampires smelled different than humans, but Nox explained that they had a certain smell to them, from the bloodlust he'd said. I'd tried to sniff it out on him, but not having a regular human to compare it to I couldn't smell the difference.

"Will we be able to see the ocean from San Francisco?" I asked, taking in another glance of the waters below us. It felt weird, running and talking without being winded even the slightest.

"It's a coastal city, so yes. In fact, it's almost completely surrounded by water."

I couldn't keep the smile from my face upon hearing this.