Blood & Bone: The First Vampire's Mate

Chapter 4: The Blind Seer

The sirens in Ashthorne Academy only ring when someone will die.

Aria knew this. She sat up in bed. The lights in the room turned red. The red light flashed on and off. The walls shook small.

Leon was already at the window. His back was straight. His hand still had black stain where he cleaned her blood one hour ago.

"Perimeter breach. Many," he said. He was not talking to her. He was hearing Alpha call in his head. "Ashthorne territory."

Aria's legs were weak. The black lines on her arm went back inside, but her bones still hurt. Cold sweat was on her skin.

"Leon, wait—"

He wore his jacket. His eyes turned gold.

"I have to go. Now."

"What about me?"

"The wards around Academy are still on. Nothing can come in while I am gone." He came to her fast and held her face. His hand was too hot. "Stay in your room. Do not go out. Promise me, Aria."

More sirens started. Low sound. Shouts came from yard below.

"You cannot leave after you said there is cure—"

"I know." His jaw was tight. "But if Ashthorne falls, nothing else matters. Lock door. I will be back before morning."

Then he was gone. Door closed. Lock turned from outside. Click. He locked her inside.

One minute she stood there. She heard his steps go fast down hall. She heard sirens. She heard howls from forest around school. Many howls answered.

Her grandfather's bloodline. Curse. Black blood came from her nose and mouth this morning. Thick. Bad smell like rot. Leon wiped it and his own blood made sizzle sound when it touched hers.

And there was laugh.

Three nights ago she could not sleep. She walked to edge of woods behind dorm. She heard laugh. Not animal. Not human. Low laugh from trees. She ran. She told only Leon.

She cannot sit here.

She cannot wait inside locked room to cough black blood again, wait for sirens to stop, wait for Leon to say cure is not real.

Window was only way out. Second floor. Wall with leaves. She climbed it many times as child when grandfather said never go to woods.

She tied hair back. Put on boots. Opened window. Cold air came in. Smell of pine and smoke from Ashthorne side.

Her boots hit tree line, world changed.

Sirens became low, like heard under water. Air became cold. Trees were very big. Three people cannot hold one tree. Top of trees blocked red light. Only grey light left.

Forest felt wrong. Floor should have dry leaves and sticks. No. Floor was soft. Black moss that went down when she stepped and came up after. No bugs. No birds.

Trees had marks.

Long thin cuts on every tree at head height. Fresh. White sap came out like blood. One black drop came from cut and fell. It made hiss on moss.

Something big made marks on every tree.

"Seer?" She whispered. "Blind Seer?"

Grandfather told her about Seer when she was seven and sick and had nightmare of woman with no eyes. He said if you are lost, find woman who sees nothing. She sees everything. He laughed after and said story only. But his hands shook.

Legend said Seer lives where forest ends, inside tree that died but never fell.

Aria walked deeper. Heart beat very fast. Air heavy. Laugh from three nights ago was gone, but feeling stayed in bark.

Then she saw it. Very big oak. Middle split open. Inside dark small room. One candle burned inside. White fire that did not move.

Inside, on root shaped like chair, woman sat.

Very old. Very still. Skin like paper on bone. White hair long with leaves and small bones inside. Black cloth tied around eyes. Lips moved, talking low.

Mouth dry. "Are you the Seer?"

Head moved, listening behind words. Slow smile, too many teeth, sharp.

"Granddaughter of Alric. Little star who bleeds black. I waited for you to stop knocking outside and walk in."

Aria stepped into hollow. Inside warm. Smell of earth and old smoke.

"My grandfather sent me. He told stories about you."

"Alric told many stories. Most were lies to keep you alive." Old hand lifted. "Come. Let me see you."

Aria knelt. Seer's hand was cold, dry, nails yellow like claws. It touched her face. Eyebrows, cheeks, jaw. Light touch that made her shake.

"So young. So bright. And so eaten."

Fingers pushed hard on temples.

"Open mouth."

"What? No—"

"Open."

Aria obeyed. Seer came close, blindfold face near. Breathed in deep.

Then jumped back.

Seer fell back fast, chair-root broke. White candle fire went up to roof, big shadows.

"No! No, no, that cannot be inside child!"

Aria fell back on moss, heart beating out of chest. "What? What is it?"

"Black blood? You think that is curse? Child, that is only smoke. Fire is deeper!" Seer held own head, blindfold fell a bit. For one second Aria saw under - not empty holes, but white eyes, no color, only grey mist moving alone. "That laugh in woods was not for you. It was from you. From thing that lives under your skin!"

Hands shaking. "My grandfather said our bloodline cursed. Men went mad..."

"Mad? They did not go mad, they were made empty! Alric thought he can run by leaving old country, by taking human name, by hiding you among wolves! Foolish, brave Alric! This is not wolf curse. Not vampire curse. Older than both. This is First Hunger, one your grandfather's father's father stole from and could not pay back. It waited three generations for strong body. You."

Cold everywhere. "How do I stop it? Leon said journal. Cure."

At name Leon, Seer's head turned fast to her.

"Alpha boy? One who loves you so much he would burn world? He is right, there is one way. Only one way people whisper."

Seer crawled forward, held Aria's hands hard, bones hurt.

"To kill hunger that old, need heart older. To wash black blood clean, need blood that never died."

"What does that mean?"

"First Vampire. Not small vampires who run your Academy. First one. One made when moon first bled. Ten hundred years old and heart still beats once every hundred years. If you cut it out while it beats, if you wash in his blood while heart still warm... it will burn old thing out of you. Or kill you fast. No middle."

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The Seer has given Aria an impossible price to pay for her life. Will she really hunt a First Vampire, or is this a trap? Drop your theories in the comments, and don't forget to 'Follow'—Chapter 5 is going to change everything."