Chapter 21 Vesper
Vesper
“Vesper!”
Tate’s arms wrapped around my middle, and I froze. I’d been unsure of how he’d feel about the new me, but I couldn’t help but melt into him when he squeezed me even harder.
The wind tousled my hair, so I pulled him to me, afraid that his still-human body might catch a cold.
It had taken some intricate work to get a message to them, but I was glad it worked out. We decided to meet on the outside of the property, close enough for my absence not to garner unwanted attention and far enough that no one would be reporting hunters gathering.
It was quiet, save for the sound of the other hunters Gabriel had brought with him, stationed just over the tree line. They were setting up a small camp, murmuring about what their leader was up to.
“I missed you,” I whispered into Tate’s hair. “I’m glad you’re safe.”
“It’s you we should be worried about, always finding trouble,” he grumbled and pushed himself away from me. Tears shone in his eyes, betraying his true feelings.
My poor, sweet little brother. He didn't deserve any of this, and it sucked that I had to tell him our father had died in a note. I could tell it was bothering him. The bags under his eyes were deep and told me he had been crying far more than usual.
This life was too hard for him. Part of me was glad he wouldn't have to go through what I did growing up, but that didn't mean I was any happier about us losing a parent.
I ruffled his hair and sent him a smile.
“Trouble seems to be finding me these days,” I said with a sigh. “Are you hanging in there? Has Gabriel been treating you well?”
He gave me a sly grin.
“Well, if you really want to know, the organization sent us on a mission to capture these crazed rogues that were shooting—”
“Oh god, here we go again,” Gabriel interrupted, coming up from our right. “He’s fine. If anything, I think he likes living the nomadic lifestyle. What happened to never wanting to see me again, huh?”
He hadn’t changed much, though my eyes narrowed on the tattoo on his neck. I didn't expect bitterness to flare at seeing it intact, but I couldn't help it. That wasn't the only thing getting on my nerves.
Anger flared in me no matter how hard I tried to clamp it down.
“Times change, but more importantly, you’re taking him on missions?” I growled.
Gabriel shot me a look.
“We have to keep up appearances. Jobs don’t stop when our father dies, our sister is cast out, and our mother is missing.”
My slow-beating heart threatened to skip in my chest.
“No sign of her yet?”
Gabriel shook his head.
“I'm guessing Father knew that mission might be his last, so he prepared for Mother to go someplace far away.”
Tate’s grip on me tightened. I looked down to see tears welling in his eyes.
“That’s exactly why he should be kept away from those missions. We don't know what the hunters want with him. Or if the vampire council will take you next. And yet you—”
“Ouch, Vesper! Lighten up, will you?”
I jerked away from Tate, realizing I was squeezing him a bit too hard with my vampire strength.
“Sorry,” I muttered and looked back at Gabriel. I hated the pitiful look that crossed his face.
“How have you been handling… everything?” Gabriel asked, his tone shifting and his expression changing. It was hard for me to believe he cared about me, but it looked real.
“I'm back with Aurelia now, so better than being at the beck and call of some royal vampires.”
“Don't act like you're not at your princess’s beck and call,” Tate teased.
I ruffled his hair. “You'll understand when you're older. I'm fine, really. I’m just… worried you two might be next.”
“They are trying,” Gabriel said with a sigh. “But we kill everyone they send, and you know the organization isn’t about to let all their best hunters go.”
I flinched, but it wasn't because of the word “hunter.” It was because I wasn't one anymore. The identity I had aligned myself with for so long had suddenly and forcibly been taken away from me. It was hard to imagine a world where I wasn't a vampire hunter.
“It seemed to be common knowledge to everyone but myself that the organization uses hybrids.”
“It’s their worst-kept dirty secret.” Gabriel clapped his hand on my back. “We’re just glad you made it through.”
I let myself simmer in the rare warmness between us.
When will I see them again? Will I?
What we were about to do would change the world as we knew it. There would be deaths, and how many of those would be the same people we fought by and loved?
“Now,” he said and cleared his throat. “Tell me what you need.”
I looked down at Tate. He had grown since I’d last seen him, his face and body filling out, and his hair was longer. His boyish look was slowly disappearing.
I wanted to stay in this moment forever. Just being with the two of them and acting like nothing was going on outside our little bubble. But I wasn't here to see them. Just like Cedar had to get the witches on board, I was the only one with a connection to the hunters. Even if severed.
“We are going to finish the prophecy. Kill the last in the Castle line. But… he’s getting stronger, and we don’t know why.
You remember, he beheaded the witches and was going on a rampage, killing everyone in sight without breaking a sweat.
We can feel how much worse it’s gotten now.
” I looked at Gabriel. Originally, I didn’t want to tell him about what the general had done with the witches, but I couldn’t hold it back.
“His right hand, someone from the council, was caught sacrificing witches and taking their powers. Cedar said it was over a dozen.”
Tate’s gasp had me grinding my teeth. I hated how much of this he had to witness.
“Is that what her brother is doing too?” Gabriel asked.
I shook my head.
“His body would need to have a rune carved somewhere,” I said. “From what we’ve seen, he doesn’t have it.”
He loved to show off his chest and back in robes, especially when he was with his feeders. If there was a rune, we, or one of the staff, would've seen it by now. Plus, in order to heal it, he would have to have a witch around, but Cedar hadn't mentioned another one.
“Can he get the magic another way?” Tate offered. “You know, like maybe drinking witch blood instead?”
I shook my head.
“If that were the case I would have magical powers too.”
I paused when I realized the information I had just shared. Tate gave me a small snicker while Gabriel smirked.
“Look at my sister go,” he joked. “A lover of every type. All that’s missing is a human.”
I let out a growl.
“Fine, fine. I’ll shut up,” he said, hands raised. “As far as using witches’ magic that way, I’m not sure I’ve heard of anything like it.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. “You were with the coven for a long time, and we know they’re connected to this.”
“My involvement was limited to seeing the prophecy through. I didn't linger around when we weren't working together on it.”
“Oh! Maybe he’s drinking other vampires’ blood! Or killing them and eating their soul!”
I gave Tate a look.
“What are you reading nowadays that has you thinking that?”
“It’s called Dark Hunger, and it’s an epic comic where the main hero has been fed vampire blood all his life and slowly descends into—”
“Okay, enough!” Gabriel cut him off with a sigh. “Sorry we can’t help you, and you came all this way—”
“I need something else,” I said, turning serious. “He may be getting more powerful, but that doesn’t mean we are giving up. We are recruiting. We need the hunters’ help.”
Gabriel looked at me for one long moment before grabbing Tate’s arm and jerking him away. “Nope. We like our lives, thank you very much.”
I reached out and took his other arm.
“Keep Tate somewhere safe, but I need the hunters. At least a good handful. There is no one better on this earth to kill a vampire like him.”
“It’s not our problem,” he spat and tried to pull Tate away again.
“Wait! You can’t just leave her like this!”
“You colluded with the witches to control my life and oversee the prophecy, but you can’t even offer aid when we are trying to get it done?”
At that, he turned around.
“I am not putting our lives on the line! I worked with the witches to make sure you were protected during the prophecy. That you could see this whole thing through. But what you’re talking about? This is madness!”
“I’m just asking for a few hunters,” I forced out. “Why is this such a big deal—”
“Because you won’t win!” His words settled over us like an icy blanket. “You won’t win, Vesper. Not against someone like him.”
Suspicion rose in me.
“You do know more than you’re letting on.”
He looked down at the ground.
“When it was Aurelia, I had hope. But him? I don’t… I’d rather you abandon all thoughts of the prophecy and move on with your life. No matter the cost. If what you’re saying about all this magic-stealing stuff is true, I… I don’t have hope.”
I stared at him, unable to comprehend the sudden switch.
“That’s it, just like that?”
“Just like that,” he said and tugged Tate along. “For all of our sakes, let’s make this our last meeting until this is over.”
Tate looked back at me with a frown.
“Stay safe!” he called back. “You can do this! With or without the hunters’ help!”
I sent him a small wave.
Thanks to my new vampire hearing, I caught the last bits of Gabriel’s muttering.
“Don’t encourage her,” he hissed. “She’ll get herself killed.”
“I have faith. She got this far, didn’t she? Just think about it, okay? We have more than a few heads who would love a chance to get back at the vam—”
They were far enough away for me to hear anything else.
With a sigh, I looked up at the sky, wondering how on earth I was going to tell Aurelia I failed.