Chapter 7 #2
I chuckled to myself as I finished tying up my boots. Darian stood in front of me, his expression a mix of annoyance and concern. “Don’t tell me, but you know if Vespera ever finds out and questions it, you can’t hide it.”
“Lucky for me,” I said with a small grin. “I can shield my mind.”
Perks that I had a witch in the family from somewhere in my family tree.
“That’s another problem, if she ever found out what you can do, she won’t hesitate to torture you to break that block.” I stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to convey some reassurance.
“That’s why I’m careful and quiet,” I replied. “She has plenty of other hunters who do the more important jobs, like you.” I kept that reminder tucked away. He was Vespera's little puppet, and I couldn’t risk sharing too much with him.
I loved the man, but I couldn’t trust him when it came down to that witchy bitch.
He eyed me for a moment longer, contemplating my words before giving me a subtle nod of understanding.
“Now that you’ve kissed and made up, let’s get this meeting over with so I can crawl back into bed.” Kieran chimed in as he finished lacing up his own boots and throwing on his worn leather jacket.
“Oh, and Darian, there’s another unwashed cup in the sink.”
We both erupted in laughter, the sound echoing off the kitchen walls, whilst Darian stormed back into the kitchen.
“You two are insufferable,” he grumbled, but I could see the corners of his mouth twitching despite himself. Kieran just grinned, completely unfazed, and I couldn’t help but feel a little lighter despite the tension looming over us.
As we stepped out of our apartment, the harsh daylight assaulted my eyes, and I squinted against the brightness.
We were headed to the creepy, oppressive building that Vespera lived in, the council building attached to it.
I couldn’t stand any of the council members—those pompous assholes with their holier-than-thou attitudes.
I was a hunter for one reason and one reason only.
To protect the people in Velmore and kill vampires or anyone who was a threat to them.
I despised vampires the most, all of us did.
The hatred ran deep, rooted in the scars of the past, ever since the Ashen war.
King Draeven had tortured, experimented on, raped, and killed countless witches back then, igniting a firestorm of fury that still burned in our hearts.
That is the only reason why I followed the council’s orders and Vesperas.
We had a common enemy, so I followed the laws that were set, but deep down, I couldn’t follow them when it came to Cherry.
She was just a witch, someone worth protecting and not an enemy.
She didn’t want to be registered, and I noticed the fear in her eyes at the mention of Vespera, even though she wouldn’t admit it.
Gaining her trust was my priority, and I liked getting to know her.
I had no idea how long I was going to keep her a secret from my brothers.
The thought gnawed at me, a constant reminder of the precarious balance I was walking, caught between loyalty and the weight of my convictions.
Several women passed by, throwing flirty smiles at Kieran as we made our way through the crowded streets. He revelled in the attention, winking back at them with that signature smug smirk of his that made him irresistible to them.
The moment they noticed Darian at his side, their flirtation turned to panic, and they scattered like startled birds.
“Could you at least smile? You’re scaring all of them away.” Kieran pouted like a child.
Like I said, he’s a grumpy fuck, but loves the attention of women because they give him one of the things he craves the most, attention.
The other being alcohol.
“No,” Darian said and began walking quickly.
Before it could turn into an argument, I spoke. “So, what’s this meeting about anyway?” I asked, genuinely curious if either of them had any intel.
“Vampires were spotted over a week ago,” Darian replied as he kept his gaze in front of him.
“That’s nothing new.”
“They were spotted during the day.”
I already knew that.
Kieran’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief. “That’s impossible,” he glanced at us both as we waited for the gates to open.
Darian remained impassive. “Well, we’ll find out, won't we?” He said, eyes locking onto mine briefly before he strode through the gates as they opened.
I followed, heart racing, already dreading the weight of the revelations that awaited us in that meeting room.gd
Taking a deep breath, I followed him till we reached the doors of the council building, which opened automatically, revealing the deep red carpet that muffled our footsteps as we walked inside towards the staircase.
Golden handrails glimmered in the dim light.
At the very top, a massive window framed the scene outside, and the sunlight illuminated Vespera, who was standing at the top with a group of witches.
Her dark brown hair was styled in a sharp bob that framed her angular face, accentuating her piercing, deep brown eyes that felt like they were looking straight through my soul.
Vespera was tall for a woman, her presence commanding.
She had subtle wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and between her eyebrows, but the woman was actually much older than she looked.
As we reached the top, her gaze shifted to us as she stopped speaking to the others, and thank fuck that high-pitched girlfriend of Darian’s wasn’t here. The look in her eyes was predatory as she looked at Darian.
“Good morning, Darian,” She greeted him, then her attention flicked back to us. “Vale and Ashford, how lovely of you to join us on time.”
It always grated on me how she addressed us by our last names, a constant reminder of our lesser status in her eyes.
But of course, her precious Darian received nothing but a first name and her respect.
Kieran nudged me; he knew how much it irked me.
We both shared that frustration, but we learned to swallow our pride and accept it.
I’m a great guy like that.
As Darian spoke to her, I looked around to see if any familiars were lingering. I couldn’t spot any; they were more than likely tucked away somewhere or already in the room. They didn’t really bother me; the only one that creeped me out was Vesperas.
That damn three-eyed shadow panther, Nyx. Now, that was something to watch out for. It was creepy as hell. The beast could see through illusions and lies with its third eye. Like I said, it gives me the heebie jeebies.
Oh, and it also had poisonous fangs; one bite could kill you.
“Now that everyone is here, let’s get this over with so you can return to your duties.
” Vespera's voice rang out, smooth and commanding as she strode down the hall toward the meeting room.
The other witches were the leaders of each faction, followed closely behind her, their presence crackling with power.
As I stepped inside with Kieran, the other hunter behind us, my eyes immediately landed on Nyx.
The shadow panther was sprawled out on the windowsill, her sleek, midnight-black body stretched lazily, her three eyes shut in what looked like sleep.
Thank fuck for that.
“Creepy as fuck.”
I didn’t disagree.
Shutting the door behind us, we took our seats at the far end of the table beside Darian and the other Hunters. Jasper, a friend of mine, was next to me. Vespera stood at the opposite end, her sharp gaze sweeping over each of us, assessing and calculating,
Whatever she had planned, I had a feeling none of us were going to like it.
“As some of you may already know, more vampires have been slipping into Velmore. Some were even spotted in broad daylight.” Her voice is calm. “Which means King Draeven has started his experiments again.”
A tense silence followed by hushed whispers broke out among the hunters.
“That guy is a sick fucker,” I heard Jasper mutter next to me, and I gave a slight nod.
“He isn’t just targeting witches anymore. Fenris has confirmed that shifters in Zyphora have started disappearing, too.”
I exchanged a look with Kieran. Zyphora had always kept to itself, a realm of shifters who rarely involved themselves in our conflicts.
Many years ago, certain shifters were hunted for various reasons.
Humans, in their desperation, sought to use them as weapons against magical creatures and others like the demons and vampires.
Some even captured them for cruel experiments, attempting to harness their abilities whilst still clinging to their own humanity.
Something similar to the Vampire King, but he wanted to create something stronger than any of us, and he did it in the sickest way.
Darian sat stone-faced; his fists clenched so tightly as he listened to her.
“What do you suggest?” Circe spoke up. “We can’t afford another war like last time.”
Circe, despite her small frame, carried an unmistakable presence.
As the head of the Emberthorn Order, she trained the high-level witches and warlocks for battle, and she wore that authority well.
Her fiery red hair—half shaved, the other side falling in tight curls—was a striking contrast to the colourful tattoos decorating her skin.
Her phoenix familiar, perched high in the corner of the room, let out a low, rumbling trill, its golden feathers flickering with embers.
Vespera now sat and leaned back in her chair; her eyes were on Darian, who was still as a statue.
“Tomorrow night, we strengthen the wards and with any luck, that will keep them out. We are doubling the patrols—more hunters at the borders. I think the King is looking for someone, and I want eyes on anyone new to the realm. I want checks on everyone who lives here, in case somebody is living here unregistered. If you find anyone, bring them to me straight away, and if they refuse,” She smiled cruelly.
“Kill them.”
No one dared argue with her. This was war, and mercy was a luxury we couldn’t afford if the King was starting his experiments again.
My mind wasn’t on any of this; it was on Cherry, my Cherry.
Well, technically not mine. Not yet, anyway. But I was going to change that.
“We keep seeing a woman in our dreams,” Birch spoke up, drawing all eyes to him.
As the head of the Astral Sanctum, he and his seers were tasked with unravelling visions of the future. They are only able to see bits and pieces, never a full picture; no seer has the kind of power to see visions fully, or even change them.
His dark skin gleamed under the lights, and his rounded stomach was evidence of his well-known indulgence in the doughnuts served after these meetings and God knows what else.
His white, unseeing eyes also unsettled me.
And his snake, Hydra, has skin a bright white with shimmering black stripes and matching eyes.
Vespera studied him. “Anything else?”
Birch shook his head. “No, it’s a blur, can’t tell what she looks like apart from white hair or who she is, just she has a lot of power.” That gained Vesperas' attention.
My foot tapped restlessly against the floor.
White hair.
Cherry has white hair. We need to change that so she can stay with me. I don’t care what the others say; she shouldn’t be out alone in the whispering woods. If they question who she is, I’ll tattoo her myself on the wrist with the branding every witch gets that’s registered.
The dragon, on the other hand, we will cross that bridge when we come to it.
A cold knot of unease twisted in my gut.
“Okay,” Vesperas' tone was cold, maybe a little shaken. “If you or any of your seers see anything else, I want to know immediately.”
Birch gave her a solemn nod.
Then she looked at Kali. The leader of the Deathveil Covenant, the necromancer witches.
She had almond-shaped eyes which were a dark grey that swirled, long inky black hair, and lips painted a deep purple colour.
Her familiar was a large crow with the same colour eyes, named Cyrus, and it was perched on her shoulder.
“Kali, if any vampires are killed and require questioning, I want you there. We will need your necromancing magic.”
Shit, she’s mad.
Yes, they can bring people back from the dead, but they never come back normal; they are always a little more crazed, nothing like what they were before dying.
Then her sights were set on us three. “You will patrol the Whispering Woods; Darian will join you once he comes back from our travels. If you have to camp out there, do it. Everyone else, I want house-to-house visits. I don’t care how long it takes—if King Draevens' target is here, we will find them before him.”
I cleared my throat and looked around. The other hunters looked on edge, some a little bored.
“Darian, stay. The rest of you can go.” Chairs scraped against the floor as everyone stood, moving towards the exit. Darian remained seated, glancing up at us as we passed by him.
“Can you keep an eye on the twins for me? Looks like I will be gone for a bit.”
Kieran clapped a hand on his shoulder and quickly removed it, remembering his hate for touch too long. “No problem, we will see you when you get back.”
As the door shut behind us, Kieran grabbed me and pulled me towards the bathrooms, the only place you can speak freely without anyone listening in. He checked all the stalls, then locked the door, turning towards me with a scowl.
“What’s your problem?”
“What?”
“Ronan, don’t act dumb, all the way through that meeting, your leg was shaking like you just snorted a line of espresso beans. I know that twitch. You're nervous.”
No, I can't tell him.
I can’t put him at risk.
“Maybe I had ten cups of espresso this morning.” He gave me a deadpan look.
“We all know you like your girly fancy shit.” True, it’s delicious, and I’m man enough to love that shit and admit it.
Someone started banging against the door and shouting through it. I walked over, and Kieran stopped me. “If you’re in trouble, you need to let me know. So, I can help.” I nodded once and unlocked the door.
“I know.” Then I walked out the door, ready to head to my Cherry and try to sort this shit out before we both end up dead.