Awakening (The Immortals Saga Book 1), page 7
“Doubtful, considering they come down too often. They don’t want trouble either, so between Emery and I, we’d put money that it’s a coven from the Midwest or East. Maybe Canada…”
“You guys said that Sofia’s coven wasn’t out of the running,” Grace says.
“Yeah, well we changed our mind while you were getting James. It’s probably not them. How long have we been doing this, Grace? They frequent this area too often. They wouldn’t want the attention from one of us, would they?”
Grace shrugs. “I suppose you’re right.”
“Like I said — Midwest or East.”
“How many are there?” I ask.
Emery jumps in now. “At least four or five dozen,” he says.
My eyebrows raise. For some reason I thought there would be more.
Emery continues, “We’re a fairly rare species. Now, keep in mind that’s just U.S. based. Don’t ask for numbers worldwide because I don’t have them. Even though we’re in the club, others are pretty tight-lipped so there’s no way to know for sure.”
“I understand, but with all of this being said, are you actually planning on fighting against whoever it is?” I ask.
Emery sighs, shrugging slightly. “That’s where it becomes a gray area. Where do we draw the line? Bottom line, no pun intended, James, is some vampires aren’t like us and feed on humans. It’s their choice, which we disavow, but frankly, they just don’t care.”
“We don’t jump in until it becomes a problem,” continues Taylor. “At what point we determine it to be a problem — well — it’s one of those things you just know.”
“If the media starts picking it up, which nowadays doesn’t take much, we act quickly,” Grace says. “After all, knowledge of our existence would start wars and change life on this planet as we all know it,” she continues. “Again, if covens behave, we don’t need to jump in.”
“Until it becomes a potential problem?” I confirm.
The three nod their heads to me.
“So, what’s the count at now?” I ask.
“As of now,” Taylor says, “just this one, which isn’t something we’d jump into battle about. It’s a shame and obviously we’re pissed, but we’re not going to risk our safety over one human.”
“After two?” I ask.
“Probably not then either,” Taylor says. “As I said, when we feel a threshold has been crossed, that’s when we jump in, James.”
“How many times have you had to?”
“Twice in the late 2000s and once in the 2010s,” he says. “2011 was my first battle,” he says. “Learned a lot on the spot.”
“I bet,” I reply. “But none since then?” I ask.
Emery shakes his head. “Nah, James. The others must’ve learned their lesson. After all, we’re all immortal so there isn’t much of a turnaround. The vampires who existed in the ‘90s exist today. Our population doesn’t fluctuate much.”
“I’m going to ask a dumb question then,” I say.
“Probably not dumb,” Grace laughs.
“Eh — it may be,” I reply. “How do you kill a vampire?”
“Not a dumb question, James,” says Emery. “There are a few ways; none of which are easy. Way number one — dislocating the head from the neck. Way number two — burning. Way number three — the bite of a werewolf.”
“Wait — werewolves are real?”
“We’re real. Are you really that surprised?” Taylor laughs.
“All this time I always thought they were the mythical ones,” I reply. “What about fairies and goblins?”
“Don’t get carried away now. We’re talking mythical creatures; not kid’s book creatures…”
A chuckle slides through my lips.
“Oh, and nuclear annihilation will take us out too — and everyone else,” Grace adds.
“As fun as it is to debate the existence of others and our impeding demise from nuclear war, let’s get to the point of why I had Grace come and get you,” Emery says.
My smile vanishes and my face stiffens. “Of course.”
“In case we need to spring into action, you need to be trained on proper fighting skills,” he continues.
I nod my head.
“There’s a change of clothes in the bathroom for you, James. Go change into those and meet us on the porch outside.”
I go into the bathroom and put on a pair of athletic shorts and a plain black t-shirt. I catch the reflection of my eyes in the mirror and see that they’re a dark, lifeless brown — a sign of thirst. It’s been two weeks since my last trip into the forest for hunting.
Ironically, it is when my thirst is at its highest that I look the most human. Color appears to return to my skin, my abilities weaken, and everything else about me that has covered up my once-mortal-self fades until I drink again.
Though I know it to be impossible, a little part of me thinks that if I go long enough, maybe, just maybe, I’ll return to being human.
Again, I know it to be impossible.
But it’s still worth dreaming about.
At times, this curiosity of how far I can return to my old life compels me to not hunt — maybe for another week or so — but eventually my instincts kick in and I know I’ll hunt anything.
Anything…
I fear losing control of myself more than anything else. I don’t know what or whom I’d hurt or kill, and I don’t want to find out either. So after two weeks, at the maximum, I always go hunting as soon as I can. At the end of the day, my curiosity isn’t worth killing someone.
Thinking about this, heightens my thirst for the first time in a long-while. I can feel my muscles constrict for a moment. I close my eyes, concentrating, though the desire for blood rages through me.
I know this feeling well, and all it is, at least for me, is willpower. Just hold down the thoughts, fight them back, and return to normal. It’s easy as that. My instincts are strong, but I know myself to be stronger.
At least I hope myself to be.
Regardless, it works.
After a few minutes, the last drops of venom that had been collecting in my mouth cease, and I swallow the last traces.
The venom, though mine, is hot while it runs down the back of my throat, like a sip of a hot drink that you should have let cooled.
I leave the bathroom, and the house is empty as I knew it would be, but still it feels strange being alone in someone else’s house. I quickly move to the front door where the cool breeze flows across my body as soon as it’s opened, like the winds had been pressing into the doorway for a long time.
Taylor is sitting on a wooden rocking-chair. The wooden deck boards groan rhythmically beneath him, while Emery leans against the railing of the deck, cigarette in hand, taking in a puff. Beside him, Grace sits cross-legged.
“There’s the man of the hour,” Taylor announces.
“Everything fit?” Emery asks.
“Yeah,” I say. “Nice and comfortable. Reminds me to get some clothes for relaxing on the couch.”
“You’ve had a century to do that and you still haven’t?”
“Nah,” I laugh. “I still can’t bring myself to try on sweatpants. It goes against everything I knew in my human life.”
“Well, that’s over now, so get with the program,” Grace laughs.
I laugh too. “Good one.”
“All right, all. Listen up,” Emery says, putting his cigarette out in an ashtray. “First thing’s first. Always think logically, but don’t try to outsmart them — try to outsmart yourself. Our focus is that the enemy doesn’t get a good grip around you and never go for an obvious kill. They’re prepared for that and they’ll turn it around on you. Attack from the side and never stop moving. That’s all you need to know for now,” Emery says to me. “Grace go out into the field with James.”
“I’m not fighting her!”
“What, you know you’ll lose?” Grace asks me.
“Fine — Taylor,” Emery sighs, “go out into the field with James.”
“Sure thing,” Taylor replies.
We walk out beneath the moonlight together. Above, beneath a tall canopy of trees, a pair of birds fly out of the leaves, startling me for a moment.
“Get into position,” Emery says.
“Which one?” I ask. “You didn’t go over the basics.”
“Exactly. Figure it out.”
“Er — ” I say as I bend my knees slightly, putting my arms out.
“You’re fighting a vampire, James,” Emery says loudly from the porch. “You aren’t on a high-school wrestling team.”
“I don’t know then,” I reply.
“Walk back a few feet and then stand on your feet; full height with shoulders back.”
I do as I’m told, to which Emery nods.
“Good,” he says.
Taylor backs up as well, tense; ready and knowing. “Okay, James — try to get me.”
He lunges towards me, at full strength, like a catapulting boulder. In a millisecond, I press off the cold earth and soar into the sky, transitioning into a high arched jump, hoping to catch Taylor off guard; unaware of where I am.
He’s running in a circle, maintaining a perimeter of the clearing, but I aim for directly behind him, planning where he’ll be in a few seconds’ time. I see a sudden vision of his plans; where he wants to get me. I can’t let that happen.
Air rushes past me as I drop back to the ground, and my feet press against the soft grass, taking the full impact of my landing.
I guessed right and take off to catch Taylor. I’m only a few feet away, but he’s faster than me. I know this is a now-or-never type of deal.
I muster up as much strength as I can in my thighs and press my feet off the ground, lurching forward into a tackle.
Everything is a blur until I’m suddenly thrust into the back of Taylor, and we both tumble to the ground. My head is racing, catching up to time as it stands now.
“Whoa,” Taylor says from beneath me. He sits up slightly. “Didn’t see that one coming,” he says.
Emery is clapping proudly from behind the railing. “Beautiful, James. Beautiful.”
“Thanks,” I say, standing to my feet. I extend a hand for Taylor to take, and I pull him up and off the ground.
“Clearly, you knew your weakness,” Emery says. “You’re slower than Taylor. That’s smart. You decided to get him from the sky — a basic yet tried-and-true method. It worked. Now, Taylor you try to get James. Then we’ll work on hand-to-hand combat.”
I stand several feet away from Taylor. He presses his feet into the ground, and I do to.
“Ready?” he asks me.
I nod. “Yeah.”
As I thought, Taylor lunges full-force at me. I easily deflect to my left. Not losing his balance, Taylor stops himself before leaping into the night sky.
I see it coming, and I move forward, but spin mid-step, and yet again, evade Taylor.
He groans, frustrated.
Quickly, Taylor begins lunging at me in short bursts, jumps, and even mid-air lunges.
Each and every attempt, I easily avoid. I can see where he’s going to land. I can read his mind — each and every planned move.
I’m surprised. I thought he could read the minds of vampires? If anything, this should be fair.
My mind abilities are my greatest attribute to fighting. I begin to think I’m better at evading than attacking. It won’t win a war but when the enemy gets worn out, then I can go for the kill, I suppose.
Taylor’s anger, while not directed towards me, but towards himself, begins to show strongly. He begins trying larger and more ornate stunts to try to catch me. His accuracy begins to falter in exchange for speed and aggression. For the next several minutes, this continues, until Taylor stops, swearing beneath his breath.
“Tired?” Emery asks.
Breathless, Taylor leans forward, pressing his hands against his knees, while catching a breath.
“Damn…You’re good, Holloway.”
“Thanks,” I say.
“You could read Taylor’s mind, couldn’t you?” Emery asks.
“I could,” I admit.
“Me too! I could read his,” Taylor says quickly, still breathless. “Didn’t help much.”
Emery ignores Taylor, looking at me from the porch. “Clearly, you weren’t thinking of your own moves. Instead, you were reacting to Taylor, yes?” he asks.
“Yeah…” I say in finality, though unsure despite it making sense.
I honestly don’t know how I did it.
I just, well, did…
“Excellent, James,” Emery says. “Great job. Use your skills wisely. You clearly don’t need that lesson,” he continues.
“Do you think he needs more?” Grace asks.
“More training?” Emery asks. “Based on this, I’d say he’s good for now. Hand-to-hand training can wait until later, having seen this. Of course,” he pauses, “if anything comes up, James, you’re open to hearing them, yes?”
“Of course,” I say. “Any knowledge is good knowledge.”
“Suck up,” Taylor thinks.
“I mean — I’ll appreciate whatever you all can throw at me,” I say.
I listen for Taylor’s thoughts, but his mind is silent. I wonder if he knows I heard what he thought.
Either way, he thinks of nothing, and I leave it at that.
A steady rain pours outside by the time we’re all back inside. I shouldn’t be surprised, but it seemed like this rainfall truly came from nowhere.
The windows on the bottom floor of Emery’s house are open to the early morning air, letting in the dampness and the breeze which carries it. The dark gray sky outside lightens slowly on the horizon though the trees surrounding the perimeter of the property are still mere black shadows.
Emery is starting a fire in the other room’s fireplace, brushing his hands together as though that’ll warm him.
Grace sits close to the fire. Her shadow flickers in the soft amber light while I stand at the counter pouring myself a glass of water with ice.
Taylor has his back to me, pouring a small tumbler of brandy for himself.
“Had to make me look stupid, James, did you?”
“What?” I ask. My eyebrows mend together with a tight curl of my lip. “What are you talking about, Taylor?”
“Don’t act dumb. You’re the oldest. Clearly, you had some experience. Now, I look like an idiot in Emery’s eyes.”
“Taylor, I — I don’t know what you want me to say. Honestly, I haven’t, but I didn’t intend to make you look bad. I don’t even think you did look bad,” I say.
I hear Taylor breath out deeply, and he still won’t face me. He raises his glass to his lips and drinks a sip. “Doesn’t matter anymore. Damage is done.”
“What damage?” I ask.
Suddenly, Taylor turns to me. “Like I said — you made me look stupid; incapable of capturing a new vampire.”
“I’m over a hundred — ”
“You know what I mean,” he hisses through his sharp teeth.
“You had the same advantage as I did,” I say. “You could read my mind. You should’ve seen my next move just like I saw yours. By default, we were even.”
Taylor gives off a sharp look, and his eyes darken in that second. “I couldn’t,” he forces out.
“You couldn’t what?” I ask.
“Read your mind.”
“But you said to Emery that you could,” I say confused. “I’m not following you. I thought this was your ability?”
“Of course I said that,” he replies stiffly. “You already made me look stupid. What was I going to say next? Emery, I can read every vampire’s mind but James’. You’re already the favorite. If he knew you had even more unique gifts, you’d be the second coming of Christ!”
My eyes roll, but instead of pushing forth with this childlike bickering, I walk towards the open window, letting the cool breeze of air guide me towards it.
“So, you’re telling me, you can’t read my mind?” I ask after a moment, taking in a breath of the cool air.
“Not one thought,” Taylor replies softly. “Not one.”
“Why do you think that is?”
“Beats me.”
“Do you think I’m — I don’t know — immune to mind-readers?”
“Sure looks like it,” he continues with the short responses.
“Not just you?” I ask.
“I don’t know. I’m only me,” he says.
“Obviously, but how likely is it that someone else can read my mind if you can’t?”
“I don’t know,” he dismisses. “Statistics like that never come up here. I’d assume that it’s universal, but then again, it might just be me,” he adds harshly.
“Taylor, I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I swear to you, I didn’t mean to make you look bad. It’s not how I go about things. I just want to get along with everyone. Honest.”
“Regardless of intent, it still happened,” he says, his tone now softening. “Obviously, it’s not your fault. Clearly, I’m weak when it comes to reading your mind. Maybe it’s an age thing? I don’t know.”
“Want to talk to Emery about it? He may have an explanation?”
“No,” says Taylor. “I don’t need that today. Let’s just go hang out for what’s left of the morning and try to forget about it.”
“Sounds good,” I say.
Without a word, Taylor leaves me and joins Grace on the floor, and I take the chair across from them.
10
BY THE TIME the early morning sun would be just above the treetops, if not hidden, the rainfall has stopped, though thick gray clouds hang low over the canopy of trees.
Emery took Grace and Taylor for an early morning feeding an hour ago, but I stayed back, preferring to catch up on the morning news and nurse a cup of coffee.
Yes, even the un-dead need their caffeine fix. Between you and me, I doubt it does anything, but I like to believe it does, so I still drink the stuff.
When I’m finished, I wash my mug in Emery’s sink and take a dish towel to dry it, and I put it back in the cabinet I found it in.
The appliances within the kitchen are from the early 80s, I’d guess. By the looks of them, they appear to not have been used since. I open the refrigerator and find it to be empty.
