Page 33 of To Love a Vampire
“I’m a friend of a friend. We don’t want to send in every hybrid the Wanderers have, it’ll look like a revenge ambush for our fallen ancestors,” Asher says, dripping sarcasm into every word. He bumps his shoulder casually against Declan’s as he passes.
A long sigh passes my lips as I trade a glance with Luca who shares my annoyance.
“Both of youwill be in hiding,” I tell them, stopping Asher in his arrogant tracks. He pauses at my side and slowly nods, his now shaggy dark hair brushing against his ears with the movement. “Stay here in the tree line, don’t draw attention to yourselves. I’ll gather a crowd later tonight after the patrols have left the village.”
The village guards don’t linger within the camp after curfew. They’ll survey the homes and keep the wealthier people safe and monitored but they can’t be spared to keep our camp under watch during the night.
Asher reaches out to me, his warm fingers slipping against mine. “I’ll do whatever you ask, Fallon. Just say the word and I’ll do it.”
My heart flutters and I have to look away from him as his words from the other night trail through my thoughts.
“So we’re ready?” Kaino asks as he takes a step toward the camp that is bustling with work in the midday sun that burns down on us.
“Not you. Just Luca,” I say, moving closer to my friend.
Kaino’s dark brows lower, shading his amber eyes.
“Luca isn’t brooding with emotion. The people will like her.” The people are also less likely to guess that she’s a wolf…
The three mystics that I have fully pushed away are now staring down at me. I’ve never been in charge before and for a second I’m flooded with authority. A feeling of power almost and the idea of using it against them crosses my mind for an instant before my passive mood returns.
“I’ll meet you back here at nightfall.”
I remove the belt at my waist, the Crimson Sword swaying in the wind as I hand it to Asher. He stares down at it for a few moments, the sword that was once his but is now mine. I know it’ll only cause more questions and that I should leave it behind, but I feel too light without it resting protectively at my side.
Luca and I walk out into the opening, a few men close to the edge of the woods stop and stare at me, pointing and whispering with shifting eyes as I walk toward the center of the camp.
It takes everything I have not to look back for Asher.
* * *
The camp’s cook, Mrs. Hollis, watches me the entire time that Luca and I eat the sliced apples and the half of a ham sandwich that she was able to spare us. The woman’s mouth hasn’t closed since I walked through her kitchen door. She holds her hands tightly together, the knuckles turning white as she brushes her fingers back and forth, worrying the thin lines and sun spots that grace her hands.
“Where did he take you, the monster? Everyone’s heard, all the surrounding villages, we searched for months…”
The breath catches in my lungs at the use of the word monster. I take a small sip of warm water as I think about her question.
I look over my shoulder, only the kitchen staff and about a dozen intrigued people from outside have wandered into the small room. No guards are in sight. I look to Luca hesitantly, the questioning eyes of the room follow her movements as she weaves around bodies until she’s standing at the door, the sun blazing against her smooth caramel skin.
Once Luca is standing watch, I lean over the table prepared to tell Hollis in a hushed tone what happened. Then I think better of it. My story can’t be told in a quiet voice, the voice I used to own, the unsure girl that required her mother’s guidance. My mother isn’t here anymore, it’s just me.
“He isn’t a monster.” I stand and turn, taking in the dozens of dirty faces that stare back at me. My stomach dips from their attention but I swallow the nervousness down and continue saying what I know has to be said. “The hybrid-vampires are more human than vampire. They’ve been painted as the villain of our world. They’re not. The people oppressing us are.”
My voice raises in a commanding and confident tone that I didn’t know I possessed. Whispers begin circulating the room as I continue speaking. “The mystics are good and kind. Just like you and me they have their flaws.” I pause, realizing how often they celebrate with heavy doses of alcohol and promiscuous behavior, then I shake it off and focus on the people around me. “The mystics are free. They reside in a community just like ours, except the government doesn’t interfere with their lives. They’re free to unite with whoever they like, they’re free to live how they like, with jobs that they enjoy and with as many children as they deem fit for their family.”
The women of the room have fallen silent, no more speculating whispers grace their lips. They stare with pain-stricken eyes as they listen to me speak of freedoms they’ve never experienced.
“We could have that, too. The mystics want us to have that. They want to help us.”
“How?” Mrs. Hollis asks, her hands now fisting a dirty towel.
I think about what Raske wants me to sacrifice for all these mystics to have the lives they deserve. Deep down I know I won’t, I won’t live a life of complacency. I’ve lived that life for years and it isn’t meant for anyone.
“By being informed. By spreading the word. Our government hides the mystic’s freedom from us. They abuse us as well as them. Neither of us should be hiding from the other. Information is something we don’t have, that’s why the hybrids have been misconstrued for generations. Because information comes solely from the group of people that is meant to help us. They aren’t helping us. They’re controlling us. We need to help ourselves.”
A few dazed looking individuals nod back at me and a few remain impassive to my words.
“I’d like you to meet the person that saved me from my life here.” Ky’s face flashes through my mind as well as Asher’s. As well as my mother’s… “Meet a mystic just like Luca.” The room shifts as a single unit, all bodies turning to stare at the beautiful werewolf, seeing her for what she really is for the first time.
