Turned

Chapter Thirteen.

The next morning, I asked everyone to gather in the woods near the inn. I was the first to arrive crossing my arms over my chest and looking up at the clouds looming overhead where small specks of ice began to fall. My hot breath condensed in the cool air, forming clouds of white mist in front of me, being carried away with the light breeze. A twig snapped somewhere behind me, and turning I found Graham making his way through the trees and into the clearing. I uncrossed my arms, allowing them to drop back to my sides when I turned slightly to face him, the bottom of my trench coat brushing against my calves “I had expected that you would kill me once you discovered what I was” he said, walking up to me, his boots crunching in the snow as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his coat. I followed his movements for a moment then turned to gaze back up at the sky, my mind lost in thought “I have no reason to do so” was my simple reply, my shoulders shrugging slightly when I spoke, eyes closing for the quickest of second when my head tilted down slightly. I could smell the hope rolling from his skin like a cheap perfume dangling in front of my nose. He assumed that the reason that I did not kill him was because of my growing fondness of him “You did not try to harm me, nor do you pose a threat” I quickly snuffed out his assumption, to which he only nodded, jaw clenching as he too looked up at the sky. There was something unsettling about the period of the Shadow Dawn that made my skin crawl and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end “I can understand why you kept it from me” I decided to add, wanting to soften him up a little in hopes of gaining his trust even more. I turned to look at him, a small, forced smile coating my lips, but to him it looked genuine from years of practice to seduce men and get into unauthorized places “But you need not hide who you are, I quite like the Graham Young I know” I paused to place emphasis on my words, lowering my head slightly as if I was trying to hide a blush “Even if he is a dog” he made to reach out to me, his hand moving to caress the side of my face, turning it so that I was forced to look up at him. He leaned down, his lips looming ever closer to mine, but he was forced to stop by the sound of Fiona arguing with Hamish about something, most likely her hatred of me. Hanna quickly made her way to my side, her face covered by the hood of a brown cloak that she wore. Julius was halfway to me when I projected my memories from the night before into both his and Hanna’s minds. Her eyes grew wide, becoming lifeless as the events played out before her, Julius stopped dead in his tracks, his breath catching in his throat “He is a-.” Julius could not manage to finish his words, the sadness of the Varga family still lingering in his gaze as he stared blankly ahead, a dark cloud hovering over him like a curse. Hanna grabbed hold of my arm, hiding behind me as her grip tightened on my limb “Werwolf” she got out, her German accent making the word sound strange when she stuttered it. Despite being a Vampire herself, she still did not truly believe in a world other than her own, the memories had changed that, causing her body to tremble, eyes as wide as saucers as she stared at Graham, expecting him to try and harm her. I raised my free hand to place it over hers gripping my arm. This caught her attention, her eyes darting to my face with worry and fear in their depths “It is alright, he will not harm you” after a few seconds she nodded, but stayed put, hiding her face in my back to not look at Graham. Fiona and Hamish stood silently off to the side, observing as I turned to look at Julius, the memory of Katarina having played out before his very eyes “She…is alive” he was looking at the ground by his feet, his teeth clenching and fists balling at his sides. Hanna raised her head to look at him, her instincts kicking in to carry her over to where he stood, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest. At first, he froze, then realized what was happening, his hand moving to press against her back. When she pulled away, he placed a tender kiss to her forehead, his hand brushing through her hair as my eyes softened at the sight of them “What exactly is going on?” Hamish questioned, Fiona too busy staring at Hanna with envy and dismay in her ruby red gaze. I turned from the pair to look at the slightly older man, not in years but in appearance. His hair was slightly messy with one hand stuffed into the pocket of his pants while the other gripped a lit cigarette between his fore and middle finger “You will find out soon enough” I assured, turning to walk onward through the forest trees, the strong scent of nicotine filling my senses when Hamish took a long drag of his cigarette. My coat fluttered slightly when I moved, the rim of my hat slicing through the chilling breeze like a knife through butter. The rest of the group followed, Fiona muttering her protests while Graham stuck close to me, Julius leading Hanna with a gentle grip on her hand. After a few minutes of venturing through the forest in silence, we broke through into the front yard of the Varga family castle. Roland was waiting for us on the front steps, only wearing a pair of trousers since the cold did not bother Werewolves and he seemed to prefer wearing less clothing items incase he would have to shift to protect Katarina “Why hello dog” I greeted, stepping forward to take a stand in front of him, but his eyes were fixed on Graham who did not bother to hide his face, instead meeting his elder brother’s gaze head on. Roland looked at me when I spoke the word ‘dog’ his gaze narrowing into threatening slits at the nickname “Good morning wench” he shot back which had Julius gritting his teeth as Hanna gasped, knowing more than a few insult words in English. Roland was American which meant that he spoke the tongue fluently, however despite Katarina’s first language being Polish, due to years of education she could speak English even better than Roland could “I must say, I much rather prefer your prior insult” I said, speaking of his use of the word ‘b***h’ with was more befitting of me. He studied me then turned to head back into the castle, pausing for only a moment to say, “Follow me” I sighed but trailed behind, the place looking as abandoned as ever, however on the third floor there was a door that seemed cleaner than the others, one with a gold plaque on it that read ‘office’ in Polish. Roland held the door open for us to step inside, closing it behind him once we were all inside. Katarina was seated in an armchair, holding a silver goblet of animal blood and staring ahead at the wall with an emotionless expression plastered across her face “Lady Katarina” I greeted, bowing my head slightly in submission. Julius was watching me carefully, studying my every move since my manor of addressing her was much more different than when I would address him. Katarina set her goblet down and stood to meet me near the door, looking up at me with lips set in a thin line “Please, call me Kat” she insisted to which I nodded. She did not bother casting glances at my companions, her undivided attention placed only on me. Roland stood near the window with his arms crossed over his black ink-covered chest “There are some matters I must discuss with you in private” she moved past me and toward the door, everyone stepping aside to allow her through. Even though she was small, her aura was larger than any I had ever felt before, influencing everyone around her and forcing them to move when she would will it. I followed, stopping at Julius’ side to say, “Take care of Hanna” before leaving the room and stepping outside, into the back garden that was covered in snow and dead trees. It would be a beautiful sight in the summer, however the eerie feel of it caused for a beauty all itself to be created. There was a small table in the center of the garden where Katarina took her seat, legs hovering in the air from her short height. I sunk into the chair opposite hers, my legs slightly parted as I leaned back while Katarina sat with her feet neatly tucked beneath her, hands folded in her lap “I want to discuss the matter of Roland” my elbow was propped up onto the arm of the metal chair, my chin placed on my balled fist while my free hand gripped the opposite arm of the chair lightly “My parents had entrusted him with the task of protecting both me and my sister in return for money” she began, her face giving nothing away, hair brushed free of its tangles and dancing in the breeze while her black, morbid dress caught in her legs. There was something about her that made her seem as old as time, that something earning her my respect “However my family had recently been murdered and I can no longer afford to keep him as a guardian” she was just a child, unable to inherit the family compony which would mean that it had gone to an older, more distant family member upon her parent’s departure. Julius being eighteen meant that he was old enough to inherit all six of his family’s well-known companies, Xavier having left his beer manufacturing company to me when he had passed away “I would like for you to become my protector, Evana” there was a moment of pause as I mauled over her words. It would benefit me to have her around, her ability was one of destruction that could only come in handy once I would find the location of the Order, however once I would locate the threat that are after Royals and dispose of them, she would leave and that was something I did not want. She was a girl that peaked my curiosity and my curiosity was my weakness “But not only that. Roland’s mate is very ill which is why he needs the money” I listened carefully, my fingers drumming against the arm of my chair as I crossed my legs and tilted my head slightly. The snow was still lightly falling, some of the bits and pieces getting caught in her curls “I wish for you to somehow pay him the remainder of that money for the sake of his mate” she was caring despite her outer appearance which perked my interest even more. I realized in that moment that I was becoming more and more reckless ever since Xavier was killed, my fear of being alone the main cause for my actions and my next words “Then I have a proposition for you” she knew there would be a catch which was why her gold eyes never let anything slip. She was a business woman, raised in the Varga household, therefor she knew what bargaining was and how to determine when a bargain was in her favor or not. I sat up straighter, leaning forward slightly “I will protect you and find a way to pay off Roland, but only if you form a contract with me” there was no point in beating around the bush with her, she was too straightforward to care for such time-wasting acts. She was a beautiful young girl, even at such a young age, I wanted to keep her around and watch her age, to observe her when she would blossom into a ripe young woman. Not only that, I would be well on my way to forming a Court that was close to a Pack in the Werewolf word, except through contracts they would never be able to leave me “I was able to sense that you carry two souls with you” she blatantly said. I was not surprised by the fact that she was able to sense such a thing, most Royals could, however the fact that she acknowledged that something was wrong did cause a small smile to taint my lips, my head bowing to try and hide it behind the rim of my hat and a curtain of raven hair “I am gathering a Court” I admitted, leaning back in my seat. There was only one Vampiric Court in existence and that was the Hollow Night Court located in South America. A Court was considered highly dangerous, however my specific type of Court would be twice as powerful and more menacing due to the contracts “And if I may ask, why are you so intent on gathering a Court?” Katarina questioned. She was a skilled Royal even at her young age, having mastered her ability many years ago at a tender age and able to do many things with just her screams. Her ability was what made her so special, was what I needed to become stronger to be able to defeat the Order with not only my strength but the strength of my Court, however if I wanted to be strong enough, I had to assemble even more members “Why is not important, what is important is that you must think wisely regarding your next decision” I said, leaning my head back slightly to gaze down at her in the chair opposite me. She was silent and still, her lips pressed in a slight frown as she patiently waited for me to elaborate my statemen. She knew when to keep quiet and when to speak “You see, I can offer to protect you but once the threat is gone, where will you go?” it was a simple question that hung in the air like a putrid odor. I uncrossed my legs and stood, my legs carrying me around the table and to the other side of it so that I was standing behind Katarina “Your family has been murdered, you have nothing to return to but a run-down castle with no income to sustain you” I said while I was walking, my hands clutched behind my back and my eyes never leaving her small form. She was staring at the ground, deep in thought, mauling over my words and taking in every detail “What I offer is not just a contract, it is a home for the rest of eternity with a new family” I leaned in to whisper the last line in her ear, turning the tables on her. She was no longer the one backing me into a corner, I was the one in control, the one who knew that if she refused me, she would face a life alone and most likely end up dead. There was no way she could possibly refuse me “Very well” she began after taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders, looking straight ahead and not at me when she continued “I accept your terms, I Katarina Varga will form a contract with you in return for your services” a victorious grin spread across my lips when I stood upright, my hand gripping the back of her chair as I looked down onto her petite frame. She was a combination of kind, strong wise and beautiful mixed into one small body. I turned my head to look off into the distance, my eyes narrowing onto the sight of the town “I already know how I am going to pay off that dog of yours” Katarina tried to look back at me but when she did, I had already disappeared into thin air. For the first time in what felt like years, she smiled, her lips curling up at the thought of being bested by a simple Turned Vampire such as myself, having to call me her mentor and master soon “You taught her well, Xavier” she said to the wind, her eyes locked onto the buildings of the town peeking out over the trees of the forest. Snow was covering the naked branches and falling at a slow pace.

I approached a tavern in town that was mostly deserted for that time of the day, however a large man was stood behind the bar, cleaning glasses when I stepped in. He looked up at me when I entered, not bothering to pay him any mind as I glanced towards the walls, searching for a notice board. On the wall near the door were many posters, hung with sketches images of men and women alike, all wanted for various offences. My boots thudded when I moved, turning to gaze at the notices with their rewards written across them. They were very much like the one that had lead me to Julius in Elgin, however the people on the posters were wanted either dead or alive, they did not seek assistance. My eyes scanned the faces, landing on one of a man with a menacing smile, a blind left eye and crooked teeth. He wore a top hat and a what looked like a suit jacket with a tie. I ripped the poster from the wall when my eyes took in the reward money and turned to leave but what stopped by the barmen “You plan on defeating that guy?” he spoke in Polish, but his words registered as English in my mind. I froze in front of the door, the poster gripped in my hand, paper crumpled and folded as I stared straight ahead. The money was more than enough to pay for even the most expensive medical bill, so it would do, however the higher the reward money, the stronger the target “I’ll bring you his head” I said in Polish, glancing back at him from over my shoulder. If you had killed a wanted criminal, it was expected of you to bring proof of the kill and what better proof was there than his face, severed from his body? I left the tavern before he could say another word and began my hunt, narrowing my search to a part of the area that was run down and would work best for a hiding place since the whole Czech Republic was after him. It was around noon; the snow had stopped falling but the sky was still dark, and the winds were strong. I stood at the top of an abandoned building, my hands stuffed into the pockets of my trench coat as I observed the area. The man was Anton Dvorak, a slave trafficker, kidnapping people and selling them off to other countries as servants for the wealthy. A heavy sigh escaped my lips as I realized what I had to do, shrugging off my coat and undoing the laces of my corset. I tossed them aside, kicking off my boots and removing my belt along with them. I was stood in a ruffled blue top and black pants that I tore and ripped to make them look old and warn, rubbing dust and dirt onto my face and bare arm. I removed my hat and matted my hair as best I could to make it look like I was homeless and fragile. I paused to glance down at my bracelets and rings, they would be a dead give away so gritting my teeth, I removed them and gently set them down on the pile of clothing I hid in the corner of the rooftop. Xavier’s face crossed my mind when he had given them to me as a gift and a small smile lit up my lips “I will not need them this time” I whispered to him, standing upright and gazing out onto the city. I breathed in deeply then dashed for the side of the building, flinging myself over the edge and down a few stories to where I landed on the balls of my feet, crouched on the cobblestone street. I could smell them, sense when as they rounded the corner, finding me standing there with a lost and confused look on my face, eyebrows furrowed and breathing slightly more rushed “Hey, what are you doing around these parts” a guy asked, he was balled and had too many tattoos covering his face as a tight fitted shirt was stretched across his chest. The second man was smaller, more-nimble and looked bored when he saw me, his body relaxed, and shoulders slumped “I-well I got lost on my way back to the orphanage” I lied, pretending to be a helpless little girl with no idea where I was. The larger man narrowed his eyes onto my form as if he was skeptical of me but the smaller one could not care less and started walking away “Follow me then” he instructed, not bothering to even look at me. His eyelids were drooped, and his nose was as sharp as an arrow’s tip. The larger guy grabbed hold of my upper arm and started dragging me along with them “The orphanage is this way” he insisted, his eyes staring forward. I knew it was a lie, I knew they wanted to use me as a slave to sell, but I bit my tongue and allowed them to lead me, tugging and shoving until we reached a small building that looked run down and empty from the outside. It was the opposite from what I had been expecting, they were trying their best to stay hidden from the law “This is not the orphanage, let go of me!” I argued, my eyes falsely wide as I stared at the door that had a maroon blanket dangling in front of it to act as a door. I began to struggle, not using my full strength against the larger man as I tried to pry his hand away. He looked down at me with a glare and shoved me into the building. I tripped and fell onto the concrete floor, my hands and legs moving to push me onto my knees when a loud bubble of laughter echoed through the room “She seems to be quite feisty” a sickly-sweet voice said from my side. I turned to find a third man, skinny and almost anorexic as he grinned down at me. Most of his teeth had already fallen out and his eyes were sunk back into his head, he looked ill and as if to confirm it, his laughter brought on a coughing fit that caused him to cough blood into the palm of his hand “Catch of the day boss” he announced, looking to the side and no longer at me, wiping his bloody hand on his already stained and dirty trousers. I forced myself to start gasping for air, eyes wide as my hands searched for something to use in my defense. It was then that I froze, my head turning when boots thudded against the concrete, heading straight towards me. Anton was walking over, his suit pressed and pristine despite being a criminal with his white eye staring directly at me and the other a beady black pupil. I stayed put as if frozen in fear when he knelt in front of me, his gloved hand reaching out to grip my chin, the smell of sweat overwhelming my senses “She is strikingly beautiful despite the condition she is in” Anton agreed, nodding his head while turning mine in every direction. While he was busy marveling me, I glanced around for something to use to pierce their skin. My claws were only a tool to draw blood, I could control the substance with or without them, but only if I could wound the enemy. I just needed to wound one of them enough to cause them to bleed. My eyes widened when I realized that the sick man had coughed blood before and I began to calm down “She would fetch us a fine price” Anton continued, standing up and shoving my face away, his breath smelt of cigars and whiskey when he spoke so close to my face. He looked to the larger man from before who was blocking the entrance “Get her ready to be showcased” he ordered and the brut of a man nodded, moving towards me. I breathed a laugh, causing them all to freeze as I stood, my legs lifting my weight with ease, not trembling, not bothering to express any sense of fear since there was none. I kept my head down, facing Anton, my hands balling at my sides, fingers wrapping around the blood on the man’s pants “Anton Dvorak am I correct?” I asked, feeling the atmosphere change and shift as the men began to realize that it was a trap. The sickly man began to tremble while the rest only stood silently, watching, the relaxed one not bothering to remove his hands from his pant pockets “I have been looking for you” I opened my fists, causing the blood to pool from the man’s pants to float in the air in front of me. The sight caused him to cough more violently, more blood escaping his lips and forming a shield on all sides of my body. I could feel my own blood boiling, rushing through my limbs and wrapping around my heart, causing my eyes to start glowing and my breath to quicken “W-What are you?” Anton asked as the larger man took a step towards me, his confidence in himself was something to be marveled at. I raised my head to glance back at him, a grin spread across my lips, two lined trailing down from my eyes to my chin, glowing a bright red “It has been a while since I could release you” I said to the beast inside of me, my voice sounding deeper and my eyes lighting with a blood thirty gleam as they locked onto the hulk of a man. I turned, the blood moving with me when I swiped my hand upward, sending the blood like a shockwave out, colliding with the body of the larger enemy. His clothing ripped, the blood cutting deep into his skin as the shock sent him back, out of the building. The sickly man was still coughing, falling onto his rear as he tried to stop the blood from floating up to me, eyes wide as he took in the sight of me. The person now in control of my body raised my hand, holding up two fingers, both index and middle as it locked onto the calmer guy’s figure. The blood wrapped around him like a python and he began to panic, grabbing at the solid blood keeping him pinned in place “Snip-.” it began, separating my two fingers as the edges of the blood rope sharpened, cutting into his flesh “Snip” it muttered, my head lowered as my fingers joined, forcing the blood to tighten until his body was cut clean in half, spewing even more blood around the room, some landing onto my clothes and skin as it smiled at the sound of shattering bones “Time to end this” it turned me to face Anton, eyes cutting into him when he staggered back, trying to flea but the moment he turned to run, the blood took on the form of a woman, blocking his path. He was terrified, the smell of urine touching my nose long before it could be seen soaking through his trousers “Off with his head” the person in control said, grinning as it copied a phrase from a familiar book written by Lewis Carroll called Alice in Wonderland in eighteen-sixty-five. The monster inside of me had a sense of humor and found killing fun, whether it was a she or a he, I preferred to refer to it as a female, something from another world that lived inside my body and only took over when I allowed it to. The blood figure sliced her hand across Anton’s throat, causing his head to pop off his body and tumble to the floor. The figure kicked it, sending it tumbling down the steps and towards my feet before turning back into a simple stream of blood. The sickly man trembled, watching me as I bent down and took the head, the top hat long gone, leaving only tuffs of grey, black hair which was long enough for me to grip, picking the head up and holding it in front of my face “Enough” I snapped, forcing the beast back down into my soul as I lowered the head and turned to look at the man on the floor. I contemplated killing him, but when he coughed again, I decided against it. It was easier for me to stop the beast when I did not want to kill my opponent or when they had already been killed. Previously with Alice, she was still alive, and I wanted it to end, Graham having been the only reason why I had managed to regain control, however if I had somehow managed to kill Alice, I would have regained control over my body afterwards. It was a dangerous move to use when other people were around since I often would kill the innocents, but there was no one of importance there during that time “You will die soon anyway” I said to the frightened man, turning on my heels to exit the building, his dance with death was the only reason the monster had given up on wanting to kill him. The head of Anton dangled at my side as I walked back the way we came to recover my clothing before I would head back to the tavern for my reward money.