Kindred Series Book One: Rose's Thorns

Chapter 1: Painful Memories

A cricket's chirp or an owls hoot. The rustle of small creatures scurrying in the underbrush or the splash of the fish in the river. It all seemed to be missing, the nightly sounds of forest muted eerily under the full moon and its radiant light. All that could be heard was her own breathing, a woman seemingly alone in the woods. Bright red hair cascaded down around her face and shoulders, dropping nearly to her waist as green eyes seemed to glow almost fluorescently in the pale light of the cool evening. Her emerald green tank top and black jeans fit snuggly to her curves as she stood silently near the river, listening to the ripple of water on the rocks. She seemed almost at peace unless one looked close enough to see the rigid and ready stance she held, her eyes darting about and her nose flared as if scenting the air about her. Tearencia's head swiveled as at long last a sound caught her attention, a rustle near her through the lower hanging branches. Moving to the right she barely avoided the silver dagger that buried itself a mere foot behind her in one of the old oaks thick trunks. Three more followed close behind, each one barely missing their target as Terrie seemed to step from their paths just a moment before they should have struck.

"Come out Zayne!" She called, a small smile curving her lips as she focused where the blades had flown from even as she opened her senses to the area around her in case he'd moved already. "You know I hate fighting shadows."

"Oh you take the fun out of it then little kitten," a deep voice purred from the darkness of the tree line. "But if you wish to see me so perhaps I could humor your desires a bit." Slowly the shadows seemed to shift and move as a creature stepped from the oaks, shrouded in shadow only a few moments longer before becoming cascaded in moonlight. Before her stood a man, perhaps 6'2" in height, with long golden hair and piercing red eyes clad in nothing but black leather. Most woman would find the well chiseled face he had entrancing, but most woman also didn't know that tantalizing man was a vampire ready to tear out their throat. "Is that better kitten?" he asked as he swept into a graceful bow to her with an amused smirk upon his lips.

Terrie scowled at him in disgust, the hairs of her arms raising each time he called her 'kitten'. "You know I despise being called that Zayne and you also know why I am here. You broke the accords. Your kind has sworn not to kill in feeding anymore and you did just that the past few evenings haven't you?" She watched as his playful expression slowly deteriorated to a scowl to rival her own and his eyes seemed to brighten a shade. "What do you plan to do about it hmmm? Do you plan to try and kill me Guardian?" His voice had lost its deep and seductive tone, having been traded for a dark and menacing growl.

"Preferably I'd like you to come quietly so your own kind can handle you as they see fit since you have disgraced them all by breaking the accord, however," she spoke in a flat and calm tone, her eyes never leaving him as she did so. "I know the chances of that are slim to none Vampire. Meaning if it comes to it, yes I will kill you. You have violated the laws of the Kindred Council and as such you will be punished to fit your crimes Zayne. Now will you come quietly or shall I have to sharpen my blades on you tonight?"

She'd barely finished her sentence as Zayne's whole form blurred into movement, his answer fully clear as he attempted to run. Terrie didn't hesitate in the slightest as she took off in pursuit, branches slapping her bare arms as she sped after the creature through less worn paths. It wasn't long before she was directly on his heels, his labored breathing giving away the panic he actually felt as he attempted to maneuver in a forest he barely knew. To Terrie these woods had been like home for too many years and as Zayne turned onto a path she knew led directly to a dead end she smiled softly, slowing herself finally though keeping her body fighting ready as he came into a clearing that was surrounded on all sides by high stacked rocks to block him from going any direction but up or back the way he'd come.

"Come on Zayne, you are making this too easy. You may as well have come quietly." She crouched slightly, keeping her gaze locked on the vampire as she withdrew a silver dagger of her own from her high leather boot before straightening again. "What good did running do you other than guaranteeing you die tired Vampire?" She stepped in toward him as he backed into the high rocks, eyes wide with fear as he looked between her and the blade she held.

"I... I..." For a moment she stopped, beginning to wonder if he might beg to be taken to his own kind rather than feel the enchanted hunter blade she held before him. As she watched him however the fear left his eyes and a deep rumbling chuckle stirred in his chest. "I will not die tonight kitten, nor any other night," he said suddenly through his laughter and the hair at the back of her neck raised as she suddenly realized the two of them were no longer alone. She whirled on her heels too late as a hard right hook caught the side of her head and knocked her onto her back. Disoriented she tried to push herself up but the hit had left her senseless for a moment, her sight too blurred to make out the other person there. In the end she didn't need her sight to know who had managed to sneak up on her, the male's scent enough to make her sick the moment it reached her nose. "Blaine," she whispered, already shaking as the realization hit her.

"Brother you took long enough getting here," Zayne called from behind her before she heard him walking around her stunned body where it sat in the dirt and leafs.

"I apologize Zayne, I had my hands tied with Sonya since she sensed me as I came into town," Blaine's almost musical voice carried strongly to Terrie's ears and she nearly screamed just hearing him after all this time. Finally her vision cleared and she could see him standing before her, hand in his pockets as he watched her with a twisted smile and fangs bared. He looked just like his twin but for the dark red hair falling down to his shoulders and the slightly broader shoulder span under the leather. "Tearencia. My, my, my how you have grown since last we met. How many years has it been? Seven I think? You've become such a fine Guardian since Carolyn died."

The moment he said the words tears of both pain and anger threatened her vision again, her mother's name stirring the painful memories of watching the monster before her beat and drain her mother right in front of her when she was only ten years old. Anger and sadness welled in her breast and Terrie screamed in rage as she shoved herself up and threw herself at Blaine with her dagger still in hand. He easily slid from her path, her movements blind with her rage and leaving her clumsy as he shoved her to the ground. "Oh comes now, is that how you greet an old friend?" His voice was mocking as she pushed herself up on her hands and knees and quickly got back to her feet, spinning to face him with blade ready and fire in her emerald eyes.

"You are no friend you sick bastard! You are nothing but a demented creature that never should have been born!" She hissed the words more than anything as she stood there, shaking almost uncontrollably still. "My mother called you friend, cared for you, sheltered you and gave you a chance to be more in the world and you murdered her! You are dead to me!" Despite her anger she saw something cross his expression, a look of sadness of regret perhaps? Blaine almost seemed distracted as the new emotion flickered over his once amused gaze and Terrie took her chance, lunging at him once more and tearing into his right arm with the blade. He hissed in pain and anger as the blade cut through leather and flesh and into the soft tissue below, his left fist coming out of nowhere to slam into her temple sharply and snapping Terrie's head to the side. She crumbled, unable to see or hear anything but the ringing in her ears as the blade fell from her hand into the grass. Slowly her surroundings came into focus once more though she couldn't move her limbs properly. Zayne was gone but Blaine stood mere feet from her, anger and pain in his expression in a way she'd not seen before from him.

"She betrayed me child, remember that. I never would have killed her if she'd never betrayed me!" Then he was gone, his words a whisper on the breeze as life in the trees seemed to resume with the lack of the vampire's presence.

Terrie knelt there in the foliage for what seemed like hours after that, Blaine's last word circling in her head as she cried silently. "Lying bastard. She never betrayed anyone, and you will die for taking her from me..." She croaked hoarsely, before finally getting up from the ground and finding her dagger. Sheathing it once more in her boot she brushed away the dirt and leaves caked on her knees and began the long trek home, knowing the next day she'd suffer the worst migraine she'd ever had and a possible concussion from his blows. Her aunt would not be happy.