Chapter 18 #2
Vander and I grew closer through our time together, in trust and bond.
Cold nights spent alone with him among the trees waiting for vampires to creep out in the darkness forced me to trust him with my life.
If we were alone, he made me watch from the branches while he killed the vampire.
He quizzed me on what I needed to know for the final exam coming in May.
Sometimes we went out with others, but most of the time it was just him and me.
Once the snows came, and the nights were bone-chilling cold, vampires were harder to find and some days the temperatures were dangerous for us.
Even talk of the attacks from Nocturnus were few and far between.
Vander explained vampires often slept for days at a time to conserve their strength in winter since prey was harder to find, but when they did come out, they were more vicious than before.
There were times I knew we weren’t far from my home, and I wanted nothing more than to go see my family.
I missed them and winter was always a hard season.
The sun rose later and set too early. They were trapped inside even longer.
I used to get more carvings done in the winter than I did during all of the other seasons combined, out of sheer boredom.
The night Vander and I wrestled for the book seemed almost like I’d imagined it.
Nothing like that had happened again. He stayed on his side of the room at night, and I stayed on mine.
He snuck away more frequently while he thought I was sleeping, to do whatever it was that he did—secret missions to fulfill his vendetta against his sister’s killers possibly.
Beast and Dred left us alone, although I still kept a close eye on Beast. I hadn’t forgotten his threats.
All through winter, we assassins ate our meals inside the main hall where the roaring fires kept it warm and cozy.
On many blustery days we still trained outside to prepare for all seasons, but we wore long, black, fur-lined coats.
When the temperature dropped hazardously low, we moved to the indoor fighting hall.
Day after day of training, and I finally began to excel in sword combat.
On the nights Vander left, I would stay up, practicing moves and fighting sequences.
I still wasn’t the best at throwing weapons, but this I’d gained confidence in.
After endless hours, it was finally as if my body was made to use a sword, like my soul knew it. I was obsessed.
When it came to combat without weapons, I wasn’t the greatest striker, but I could beat Celine, Taewyn, and sometimes even Falcon in take-down and submission moves. Not Vander, not unless he allowed me to.
Off and on, I worked on a bone carving for Vander.
It took me a while to decide on something.
I wanted it to have meaning and purpose.
And after fretting about it for too long, I went with a shielding knot for protection.
It was special to my people, though I wouldn’t tell him the true meaning behind it.
It was the symbol that many of the men wore as a pendant in Neverglade.
For his, I added a viper circling the edges of it. I still had work to do on the finer details of the scales and eyes.
I read books when I had time, about love and adventure and mythical creatures.
I retained information well, so I didn’t feel the need to study about Drakthar and history every night.
Most of the past battles I read were to help me know what to do in the future, but also to understand what life had been before Nighthaven.
Life expectancy had been shorter, and it was even more dangerous than now.
Many humans had been thralls kept in prison camps to be pulled out at the leisure of a vampire.
It wasn’t until the ducai grew in number and the guilds were formed that things shifted.
My appreciation for Nighthaven and the guilds increased the more I learned.
When the first hint of spring came and the snow began to melt, Vander took me to the rooftops of the city.
The sun warmed my black clothes, and I had to shield my eyes from the glare off the icy patches.
I crouched near the end of the roof of a high-rise multi-home building along one of the main roads in Nighthaven.
We’d been up on these rooftops many times in the last couple months.
Vander would often point out different places we’d be able to explore once my training was finished.
Apprentices weren’t allowed to go into the city for pleasure unless we were granted a day off.
I was looking forward to becoming a level one assassin if for nothing more than extended freedom.
The smells of fresh-ground coffee beans and baked goods from shops on the far side of the street drifted upward.
We’d skipped breakfast on the way out and I had half a mind to climb down there and get something to eat.
It was like Vander just forgot to eat sometimes, which I couldn’t comprehend.
I’d never forgotten a meal. But assassins didn’t often walk openly in public, and I imagined it would cause a stir for us to drop down and order a cup of coffee and a biscuit.
I almost wanted to do it just to see people’s reactions.
With the temperature finally above freezing, people shuffled along the sidewalks.
A group of children in heavy coats and hats chased each other around a colorful fabric stand.
There was an argument over payment at another storefront.
A man dropped to his knees in front of a beautiful young woman.
I couldn’t hear their conversation above the sounds of the city but people around them cheered.
It would seem they were a happy couple now engaged to be married.
I watched a man swipe a necklace off a table while the merchant was distracted with another customer.
No one else seemed to notice the thief. I was learning a lot about people by observing when they had no idea I was there.
Thieves, stolen kisses in back alleys, arguments inside homes as I ran across their roofs.
Vander dropped beside me and handed me a foil-wrapped hard candy. I popped it into my mouth to discover it was huckle-berry flavored. He’d taken up a habit of sucking on candies or mints lately, and I benefited from it. I think I’d tried every flavor under the sun by now.
“The second apprentice game is in two days,” he explained.
I nodded, as if it hadn’t been on my mind for weeks now.
Everyone had been talking about the game of Vampires versus Assassins the first week of March.
I’d been nervous about the approaching date.
This wasn’t only about winning for the reward of a day off, it was revenge for our embarrassing loss last time. “I forgot all about it.”
He tugged down his mask to flash me a smile. “No, you didn’t.”
I smiled back. “Of course not, V.”
“V?” he drawled.
“No? I thought I’d try it out. You know, Viper, Vander, it fits for both.”
He shook his head. “No.”
I snickered. I had to get him out of his seriousness sometimes. “I’m ready for the game.”
“I know you are. I’m impressed with how much you’ve improved since your first day here. You are even better at the sword than Smoke and she’s trained for years. But I doubt she’s been as dedicated as you have.”
“You know why.” I took a deep breath of the cold air and watched my breath plume on the exhale.
Today it was warm enough with the sun shining for me to layer two long-sleeved tops instead of wearing a coat.
“I need my family to be safe here. None of you city dwellers have to think about that. I haven’t even seen my youngest sibling.
He or she will be a couple months old now. ”
He chuckled. “You still don’t see yourself as one of us?”
I nudged his arm with my elbow and winked. “You can dress me up and tattoo me LOA, but I will always be the wild girl from Lothleton.”
He laughed again. Oh, how I loved his laugh. It warmed my insides and made my stomach flutter. He stood up, and I mirrored him. I’d followed his lead so often it was simply natural.
“Well, maybe we can sneak off and see them,” he said. “I told you in December if you could beat me at the sword we would go.”
“I thought you were joking. I’m not supposed to until after I graduate my apprenticeship.”
“I think I’m aware of that.”
He knew how much I wanted to see them. I’d mentioned it a few times while we were holed up in our room during a blizzard.
He missed his mother and sister, even the father who disowned him, but he wouldn’t go see them.
Not even his sister who worked at the scholars’ building.
I tried to talk him into it one day, but he said he was barred from the scholars’ building too.
His father was one of the seven head council members and had that authority.
My mother and the new baby weighed on my mind. Birthing and nursing a baby at her age would be hard on her. Although I knew my father, grandmother, and sister would step up to help any way they could. My brother was no help with a baby.
“So can you beat me yet?” He smiled mischievously.
I narrowed my eyes. “That’s really not fair. You know I can’t beat you, oh mighty one.”
“What’s with the names today?”
“It’s what we call you behind your back.”
“No, you don’t.” A slow feline smile. “But I’ve heard you and your little friends say other things about me.”
“Oh?” Celine could be downright dirty, so I hoped he hadn’t heard.
“As if you don’t know.”
“I don’t.” I raised my brows in challenge. “Do tell.”
“Handsome, of course.”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, you caught me. Vander the handsome. We sit around and talk about those abs and that face all supper long.”