Chapter 4

VICTORIA

Seeing Dave stand there with his family tore my heart into pieces. This cannot be right, I kept thinking.

“Did you really for one second think that Dave De'ville was genuinely interested in you?” Mother asked before we left. It hurt to hear it from her too.

“I am sorry, mom. I did not mean to,”

“You did not mean to do what, exactly? Disgrace and embarrass yourself, or endanger the safety of the pack? What exactly did you not mean?” Her words are fierce and fiery.

“I am sorry,”

“When are you not? That is by the way. We have a problem to deal with. Mobilize everyone. Can you do that, Victoria? Is it too much for you to handle?”

“I will get right on it, mom,”

“You had better, and it would do you good not to give this simple task up, as you do everything else,” with that she walked out, leaving me in a crumpled mess of tears.

This happened before we left the fort.

“Why are you doing this, Anthony?” Mom asked Dave's father.

“Revenge,” he replied with malice coating every syllable.

“Revenge? What are you here seeking vengeance for?” Mum asked.

“This has nothing to do with you, child. I am here for the primordial,” Anthony's voice changed suddenly, taking a tone filled with power. His face breaking into a smile.

“There is no primordial here. Even you know that,” mom said.

“I know things you have no idea of,” he replied calmly.

“Say for instance there is a primordial here, do you really think we would give them up easily?”

“I knew you would bite back. I was counting on it. Carnation,”

The air was tense and taut with tension, you could cut it with a knife.

“Victoria,”

“Yes, mom?” I answered with my heart in my throat.

“Run,”

“What?!”

I was so confused. I have lived all my life being told I was a disappointment. I have lived half of my life being called a pushover… a coward. And now, she was telling me to do the very thing she has complained about for one hundred and eighteen years.

“No matter what happens here, never return till you know you are ready to return. Go, now!”

“What is happening, mom? I am going to stay and fight!”

“I know I have been very hard on you, but you must know it does not mean I do not love you. I do,”

“Why are you saying this?”

“I love you, child. Now, run, because our lives depend on it,”

I hated that I actually did want to run away. Anything to keep me from confronting the vampires. Anything to keep me from confronting Dave about his betrayal.

“Asa, take her and leave now!” Mum commanded. She used The Hold. She tries never to use it.

“Let us go, Vee,” Asa implored.

In that moment of hesitation, chaos erupted. The vampires were attacking and bodies were already flying in the air. I could see Dave trying to get close to me, fighting his way, and bitterness coated my heart. My brother jumped in front of him and engaged him in combat.

“Lincoln, no!” I screamed.

Daniel was nowhere in sight.

“We are leaving now,” Asa grabbed me and made to run into the woods, but we were suddenly circled by a group of vampires. We shifted partially and joined the fight. We held our own, but we were outnumbered by their sheer numbers.

“We have to find a way out of this,” said Asa, ever the strategist.

“How? There is no way,” I said as I tore at flesh and ripped limbs apart.

“There is always a way,”

“I feel like giving up,” I started crying.

Asa looked at me with a look akin to pity, disgust and disappointment, all in one.

“Follow me,” she jumped onto a high tree branch, broke off two branches and used them as stakes, clearing the way forward.

“Ugh!”

Something slammed into her. Someone slammed into her. Anika, Anthony's consort.

“Where do you little dogs think you are running to?”

“Who said anything about running?” Asa said as she got up.

“Oh, you are still alive,”

“If you for one second thought you could kill me, then you are more stupid than you look,”

“Big talk for a puppy,”

“Are you going to throw slurs around all day, or make a move, you spineless batling?”

They stared each other down, and I stood transfixed at a spot, crying and hating myself. Anika launched at Asa, but Asa countered it easily and threw Anika the other way.

“You little bitch,” Anika bellowed and ran at Asa. I knew I should do something, but I could not bring myself to move.

Someone slammed into Anika, another vampire. Coming at the direction he came flying from, was Igor, large and menacing.

“You both can leave now,” he said in a rumble.

“I will take care of this one,”

“Thanks Igor,” Asa grabbed me by the arm.

“My only regret in life was loving you, Anthony,” I heard my mom say.

I stopped dead on my track, and watched them circle each other.

“Why did you have to leave me?” Said Anthony.

“Anthony, you are several centuries old. You should know some people work out, and some do not. It is nothing so deep,”

“Why did we not work out? It is I, who is meant to be with you, not your husband,”

“Can you even hear yourself speak? You sound crazy!”

“But it is the truth, Juliet. I am still in love with you,”

“What did you come here for?” Mom said sternly, like she was talking to someone else.

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence.

“You know what I am here for, Keeper,”

“You will not get it, Varak,”

“Where is she? Where is the primordial? Where is your daughter?”

“Gone,” mom said bracingly.

Asa grabbed my hand and bolted into the woods. Anthony's guttural bellow rented the air, and my mom's howl followed, sending the woods into an eerie quietness.

Many thoughts raced in my head - my mother and Dave's father were once in love? What is happening? What does running away mean? When do I get to return home? What is a primordial, and how am I connected to it? And most importantly, who is Varak and what does he want with me? My world has become a tunnel, and I am falling down.