Red Dyed Eyes (Dead Blood Series: Book 1)

Chapter 1

 "Ivy! The whole family is waiting!  Let's go go!" her mom yelled up the stairs. Ivy stretched and rubbed her pale green eyes.   Checking the clock she realized it was 10:14.

 "Shit." she mumbled under her breath as she rushed to get dressed. She threw on her favorite ripped skinny jeans and a black tank top, grabbing her combat boots and rushing down the enormous halls towards the grand staircase.

 "Finally" complained her aunt, giving her a scowl.

 "Dear God Ivy, your  hair reminds me of a bird's nest. Honestly how many times have I told you to look presentable." her mother criticized as she immediately started brushing and pulling her hair into a ponytail.

 Ivy's mother, father, Aunt Annie, Uncle Brian, Aunt Lillian and cousins Edward, Ryan and Paxton were all dressed, waiting and wearing the family trade mark jacket. It was a black leather jacket with a large folded collar and the Marlowe family crest on the back.  The crest consisted of a green shield with a gray border and two crossing silver arrows.

 Her grandfather walked over with a smile on his face and handed her a leather jacket."The first hunt of many my child.  Make me proud." She shrugged the jacket on with a dreadful face. Her grandfather reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "Is something wrong dear?"

 "Nothing granddad.  I'm just a little nervous." she lied.  Her grandfather stretched his face into a smile, believing her lie.  Ivy was skilled with many weapons, fighting tactics and had only one fear, but she dreaded hunting vampires.  She just didn't understand her family's hate for them.

 In fact, she had always been very interested in them from a young age.  One night when she was six she got lost in the forest by the mansion that she lived in with her family.  She had sat down by a twisted tree and waited, angry that she couldn't find her way home.  Ivy had kicked the tree in anger and someone had fallen out of it. A pale boy stood and looked at her.  He looked around ten and when he smiled it revealed sharp, white fangs.

 "You found my hiding spot.  I'll have to try harder next time." he had said before sprinting away and out of sight. Ever since then she had been curious about the creatures she was raised to hate.

 "In your own little world sweetie?  Gotta stay sharp for the hunt." laughed her father, handing her crossbow to her. "Alright, let's go people!" he said in a more serious tone, leading the family out into the darkness. The nine of them walked in total silence, splitting off into groups of three on the trail of a group of vamps her Uncle Brian had been tracking.

 Ivy was grouped will her twin cousins Ryan and Paxton and it was impossible to tell them apart. Both of them had the family's natural red hair, chocolate brown eyes, were six feet tall and always had a stupid mischievous grin on their faces.  Ever since they were kids they always played tricks and tonight was no different.

 "Hey Paxton." whispered Ryan threw the silence.

 "What?" Paxton asked and they both broke into a random fit of annoying giggles.

 "Will you to grow up?  For Christ sake, you're both nineteen and you act like four year olds!" Ivy hissed, trying to keep her voice down and failing.

 The twins squished close behind her and in unison said, "Shhh, we're supposed to be hunting."  They giggled some more.  Ivy huffed and continued to track, trying to ignore the twins. Once Ryan and Paxton noticed that she was trying to ignore them they raced off into the night, swerving between trees. Ivy ran as fast as she could but just couldn't catch up.

 "Assholes!" she whispered to herself as she leaned against a tree to catch her breath. Ivy quickly glanced around as she tried to figure out where the two devils had run off to, then determined she didn't care. If those two idiots abandoned the family it wasn't her fault.

 She got back on the trail when a chill made her whole body shiver, feeling like someone was watching her. She turned and was met only by trees and darkness.  Keeping a watchful eye, she continued on the trail, but she couldn't shake the feeling of being followed.

 She made a sharp turn and was face to face with a tall pale boy. He laughed at her and slowly continued toward her.

 "Come to the forest often?" When he smiled she saw his white fangs and panicked. She held up her crossbow and shot a wooden stake into his stomach, completely missing his heart.

 The boy looked at her and frowned.  "Now why would you go and do a thing like that sweetheart?"