Bloodlines and Shadows

My mind was wide open; my gift was causing my already wild brown curls to whip around me. But the Vanguard needed this. We all knew we were losing this war, so it was imperative that this time we got the mission right. I wanted to crack my neck, I had been holding this position for what seemed like forever. It was ridiculous that Adien and Wes came with me today. I was the best at stealth and those two were all brash and brute strength.

They were valuable to the Vanguard, but not the best for covert missions, like this one. I however was lethal and could be stealthy. It was well known with the others in the Vanguard that I was the most valuable weapon in this war.

Standing there I thought back to my old teacher. I was 14 when she discovered my gift. It was something rare and not many even the oldest among our kind had possessed this skill. It was considered one of the ancient gifts and mostly forgotten for the most part, since so few living vampires had it.

I was only a third-generation vampire and yet here I was being the one to cover this dilapidated cathedral in storm and fog. I kept lighting out of it, that would bring light. Why Malachar thought this was a good place to hide some of his power was beyond me. Why did he even have to rise up in the first place, to me it seemed everything was going fine and for the most part our species was happy.

We had a good system going, at least that is how I saw it. The society of the Vampires was hidden from the humans. They didn’t know we existed and thanks to our forefathers we had built a whole hidden society that kept our existence unknown. I knew some of the Purist didn’t like that at all. It was probably the reason Malachar rose up in power, so quickly. He wanted to rule the whole world. He wanted anyone who didn’t meet his qualifications of being what he called “True Blooded”, though everyone referred to those with a full vampire lineage as ‘Purists’, to be put death.

Those in the Order, who followed Malachar, wanted to breed humans. They wanted to make it, so that humans were cultivated like cattle, under Malachar they were all food, and my kind, us 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation Vampires, what they referred to as Dhamir, where to be put down for being mutts. What a load of shit, I thought.

I saw a head of wavy red curls running toward me. “Beatrix, we have to go.” In that moment I was glad he had that bright red hair. I would have been likely to miss him with the clouds I laid. Our species may have great eyesight, but fog was hard to see through not to mention the pounding rain.

“Where is Adien?” I said as he yanked on my arm. “Stone Head is here we have to go.” He yelled. That fucking guy? He was a member of the Order and the right hand of Malachar we had found out a year or so into the war. None of us in the Vanguard had any idea who he was. All we knew was whomever he was, he was powerful and on the wrong side, Malachar’s side. If he showed up, that particular fight would be a win for the Order of Blood.

“Where is Adien, we can’t leave him.” I shouted over my rain. Wes opened his jacket, and I saw a little mouse, poking out of his coat pocket. So, he had transformed, of course he had, I should have known. Another gift our kind could have. “Drop the storm Beatrix, we need to make the jump out of here” “Did you get the thing?” “Beatrix make the jump you are the best out of the three of us, do it now.” Wes screamed. I caved and listened to him. I dropped the storm, I had created.