chapter 4:2
875 Words
4.2 Golden Eyes
Had Nika not been here, sliding into a protective
position in front of her, she might have bolted.
Instead, she huddled closer to Elliot as Jade and
Miles flanked them, the Nefili students creating a
triangular shield of bodies.
Meanwhile, Dante gazed toward a patch of dark
sky through the tree canopy. "Magnificent. The
moon is twice the size it was last month."
When he regarded them again, his eyes flickered
from gold to brown, and Lu sucked in a small
breath.
"How... " Jade murmured, seeming to notice the
bizarre change as wel
Before anyone could dwell on it further, Nika
demanded, "Who do you work for?" Despite her
petite stature, there was something vicious in her
stance. A feline ready to pounce.
Dante's brows flicked up. "I don't work for
anyone."
"We should go," Elliot whispered, but Nika ignored
him and took a step forward.
"Is Dante Azzara your real name?
A sideways smirk. "Maybe."
"Are you a keeper?"
Lu warily glanced at her sister-friend. What was
Nika doing?
Dante c****d his head, the movement jerky and
unnatural. "What do you think?"
For a heartbeat, Nika was silent, assessing him.
"You're no keeper" she said. "The way you walk,
the way you talk, the way you dress. You're
something else."
"You're smarter than people give you credit for."
Another grin. "Tell me, how did you acquire that
gun in your waistband?"
Nika bristled, and Lu suddenly noticed the position
of her hand. She'd been reaching toward her back,
where her red hoodie barely concealed a
protruding shape
Dante chuckled and tapped his nose. "I can smell
the belabane."
Belabane-a magical flower that grew in areas
with heavy Daemonstri populations. Nature's gift
to humankind, since the black blossom excreted
nectar that was toxic to supernaturals, and could
be used as a deterrent against any member of the
Daemonstri race.
Despite the danger it posed, the Vigil purchased
belabane-infused bullets from human
manufacturing companies across the globe, and
keepers often used them to eliminate Inferni
attackers.
Normally, Lu would have scolded Nika for carrying
around such a weapon. But as Dante Azzara
stepped closer, she found herself grateful for her
sister-friend's extreme protective measures.
Nika whipped out the gun and aimed it at him.
"Don't come any closer"
"I don't want to hurt you."
"Well,I have no qualms about hurting you."
Dante halted, chuckling, and Nika's free hand
twitched behind her leg. It was a gesture to Jade,
almost as if to say, Go, find help.
Jade shuffled behind Lu, but the distance between
their huddle and the dirt path seemed as vast as an
Ocean. They had one advantage over Dante, at
f i---
least-numbers. If Jade was fast enough, she could
dart back to the campus, while Miles and Nika
detained him.
"Such great fierceness for such a small person," he
taunted.
Nika snarled, and had Lu not suspected the young
man of being a thief and liar, she might have pitied
him. No one underestimated the Halfblood
Bastard and escaped without regretting it.
Dante glanced at the sky again. "As much as l'd
love to roll around in the grass with you, I'm
running low on time. So... do exactly as I say and
no one will be harmed"
As he spoke, Jade continued inching around them,
so achingly slow.
"Put the gun down, Nika."
"Like hellI will."
Dante sighed and muttered under his breath.
"What do you want?" Nika said. "Why are you
here? And why did you steal the journal of
Konstantin the Keeper?"
"Those questions are far more complicated than
you think."
were clever."
Behind Lu, Jade stopped her dripping advance
toward the dirt path. "Holy s**t," she breathed.
"Golden eyes. It's one of the traits of"
"Volkari" Nika finished.
Impossible
For Lu remembered reading it in textbooks:
Today, there are three Daemonstri races-Serafi,
Nefili, and Inferni. But a century ago, the last
members of an additional race had roamed the
earth. Volkari were wild men and women whose
unique ability of transforming into wolves..
This time, when Dante smiled, four fangs snapped
out of his gums. "Put down the gun and tell your
friend to stop sneaking away. Or she'll get ripped
to shreds."
Lu barely heard a word. She was still trying to wrap
her mind around Dante's claim. The fangs meant
he was definitely a member of Daemonstri-kind,
but to which race did he belong?
He couldn't have been a Serafi, for they were
known for sylphlike figures and skin that emitted a
subtle light. Instead, Dante's physical appearance
suggested he was a Nefili, naturally athletic and
vigorous. But if that were true, his eyes wouldn't
have glowed. And as for Inferni... Well, Lu
doubteda member of that bloodthirsty race would
have lasted this long without indulging in a snack.
"But Volkari are extinct," she thought aloud.
Those eyes pinned her into place. "If you require
proof,I can give it to you."
When no one replied, Dante raised two fingers to
his lips and whistled a wavering note. Heartbeats
later, leaves rustled and twigs snapped in all
directions. Movement in the periphery had Lu's
head turning, and she could have sworn the world
stopped spinning as four horse-sized wolves
emerged from the shadows.
- Writer
