Command My Heart ~ Book 2 - The Royal Blood Collection

Chapter 2

Freezing was no longer a term that I could use. I didn't know what to call how I felt at the moment. We were at what they called the lookout. I'd seen pictures of this place but they didn't do it any justice, it was overwhelmingly enormous.

The whole base sat back from the gorge. Rivarno Diablis was a manmade canyon that cut through the land. The humans had created it in an attempt to stop the vampires from making it to their new home. It failed and all it's really done is ensured they couldn't leave.

I lifted up onto my toes, looking over the edge of the gorge. It was a bit hard to see, I mostly saw the cold, hard ground below. The view of the other side of the gorge, it was like a jungle. Overgrown and messy, it was the way that the world was turning without the influence of humanity or vampires.

A cold wind whipped past me, I turned and looked at the odd area. The lookout was just name, it was actually a long room that spanned the entire length of the base. Like the corridor below, it had walls and planks of wood but nothing that would stop the weather. At least it had a roof. If it rained we would remain dry.

This place was like a watchtower for the land around the base and region. The goal of the base was to maintain control at what is essentially a border between the humans and the vampire city that was nearby. The leaders wanted to give a view of safety and how wonderful they were at protecting everyone. But, I'd heard the whispers. The leaders fought for domination and control. This piece of land had been taken over by another leader, one from much further south of here.

I didn't care. So long as my head remained on my neck and there was blood to be consumed, I was happy. Of course, a little warmth in my coffin of a daytime would be nice too but that wasn't the government's concern.

James flicked his head, calling me over. I closed the gap between us, taking the offered binoculars.

"What am I looking at?"

"Have a general look, tell me if you see anything unusual."

Leaning my elbows on the ledge, I lifted the binoculars and looked across the land. All I could see is vegetation. Huffing, I stood up and shook my head.

"Just a bunch of healthy plants. Vastly different to this side of the gorge."

"It is, unfortunately."

"So, what was I supposed to see?"

"Something that is highly classified. The information, what you will see in the nights ahead of you, anything, it does not leave this base. Do you understand that?"

I nodded, worried about what he was going to tell me. Such levels of secrecy were always for a reason.

"For the good of our people, right?"

"And the humans too," James said with a heaviness in his tone. "We don't have a name for it. Before the base was built, surveillance showed that the creature was jumping that gorge."

I stared at him, James nodded reluctantly.

"Yes, there is a creature over there that can jump that. Or at least, it used to be able to. We built this close to the edge for a reason. It soon realized that jumping was no longer an option. Would you like to see one?"

"I don't know, do I?"

James smiled and turned to a cabinet behind us.

"That one out there is not fearsome, in fact, you could pass one on the street and never know."

"So why stop them from coming over?"

He pulled out a slab of meat, taking it to a catapult nearby.