Chapter 8 ∣  Understanding

-Lucca

If that being inside of her has caused her to almost die twice...I'm not buying that she's completely in control again. Sure, Evie appears to have her blood magic back, but to what extent? Is she the one controlling it...

...or is it the unborn child?

My biggest fear, could it potentially kill her when she gives birth?

I'm not hiding anything.

I lie.

I can't believe I'm lying to her. If she knows what I'm thinking, she'll worry than she already is. We need to focus on finding Erebus, and the last thing we need is both of us with sidetracked minds.

Don't give me that. I know you're lying.

I trust you...can't you trust me?

I don't blame her...

"Evie, open the door, now!" I growl, deciding it won't be a very good idea to break down the door and cause an alarm. As it is, we look like an old married couple who are having a disagreement. It doesn't need to escalate any further than that.

In the next second, Evie stands in the open doorway. The sudden rush of the door opening has her hair flying around her before settling around her form once again. I hold my ground, watching her eye me suspiciously.

"If I find out that you're lying to me, I promise that you'll regret it," she narrows her eyes and her voice holds that same signature tone that her father has. I reach out to touch her arm, but she just shifts around me, pulling herself as far away as she can. I don't like doing this to her, but I'm not about to cause her more worry about my concerns. She needs all her strength and focus on finding Erebus, traveling across the Drake Passage, then we will be standing in the snow...

Evie wanders toward the queen size bed, pulling the covers back on the furthest side and then sliding in.

Emotional much?

I sigh, taking a few strides toward the bed and mimic her movements. Loosening my boots and kicking them off, I take Erebus' journal and place it on the nightstand bordering the bed on my side. Taking my jacket off, I slip in next to her, leaning on my side and wrapping an arm around her waist.

She growls at me, placing one of her hands on mine and pushing it off her.

"Are you serious right now?" I feel the hurt and anger rushing through me. All I want to do is comfort her, I know that she was worried about her parents. I'm not helping with my secret, but that is for her own good.

"Dead serious," she replies flatly, her back facing toward me.

I've had enough, wrapping my arm once more around her waist and pulling her gently against my chest. She tries to wiggle away from me, the attempts at prying my hand from her waist are useless this time.

"Lucca, stop!" I can hear the pain in her voice, a concealed sob only slightly escaping.

Rolling her onto her back, I entrap my arm at her side and lean on my free arm, hovering just above her. Evie gazes up at me with tears in her eyes.

"Evie?" I ask, but she just turns her face away from me.

I lift my hand from the side of her body, placing the palm softly against her delicate face and slowly bring her beautiful whitish-blue eyes back to me. She may suspect that I am hiding my feelings from her, but this isn't totally about me.

"Evie, please tell me," I whisper, "what's this really about?" Her faint breathing and steady heartbeat is the only sound in the room, our eyes locked. I brush the pad of my thumb along her cheekbone and ask, "Please?"

"What if this just turns into an all-out war?" Her voice is quiet, almost afraid she'd just jinxed us. "What if Erebus can't solve this and the vampires and hunters fight to the death? What if countless innocent humans get caught in the crossfire?"

"Ev-"

"What happens to us?" The tears slide from the corners of her eyes, trailing down her cheeks as she breathes in deeply.

I brush the tears away, my voice strong as I state, "I will never let anything happen to you ever again. If the world descends into chaos, then so be it and I will keep you in Antarctica when we reach there. I will never let you go, I will always protect you."

"Luc-"

"Evie, I love you more than anything else in this world. I would give my life for you, take away all your pain, and stand as your guardian until the end of our days. I don't know what the future holds...but I promise it will have the two of us in it," I smile at her, watching the fear and anxiety lifting from her shoulders. I see the sparkle coming back to her eyes as a renewed fight and love mixed within her.

I lean down, placing my lips gently against hers. This isn't a lustful or demanding kiss. It's simple, sweet, and loving...and to have her return it lights up my world once again. I know she loves me, but to completely put her trust and faith in me is something I wasn't sure she ever could do. With her type A personality, she rarely relinquishes her control, and now she's handing it over without a second thought.

"I love you, Evicka," I whisper, pulling away from our kiss, running my hand down her neck, between her breasts, and resting on the bump at her abdomen, "and I love him just as much."

Evie is equivalent to a human who is about six months along. I'm not sure how much longer this pregnancy will last, or if anything else will happen to her.

**

-Evicka

We stand at the southernmost tip of South America, the Drake Passage appearing further than it is. I'm apprehensive that I might lose control with us over the vast expanse of open water. I know there is land in the distance, but it doesn't ease my mind.

"I'm right here," Lucca's voice washes over me, taking away all my fears once again as he wraps both his arms around my waist, resting them over my growing abdomen. Something that had been so easy for me to do when I was after the remaining three coven leaders, is suddenly not within my reach.

But, I trust Lucca...with my life and that of our unborn child.

"Ready?" I ask, keeping the pitch of my voice even, afraid I might give away my doubt.

Lucca's arms leave my body, rolling up the cuffs of his jacket. His fangs elongate, sinking them into the inner flesh of his right wrist, and then immediately releasing it to do the same to his left wrist. Pulling his lips away, he concentrates on slowing his body's healing process...which is practically impossible for a pureblood. The regeneration rate is incredible, but I need more blood for the two of us, then I had when I ran off on my own.

Placing both my palms down and my arms at my sides, I pool the blood together, trailing it in front of the two of us. As it takes form, the round disk begins to hover slightly off the ground, sighing with relief.

"That's good," I morph the blood and the disk becomes completely solid, Lucca wound's closing right on my cue. I'm not exactly sure how this is going to work out...after all, I'd only carried myself, I'm not certain how much concentration I will need this time.

Enabling myself to do this once before, force me to break my link with Lucca.

"Lucca?"

"It's alright, I know," is all he says, understanding me before I even speak. I nod, pushing lightly off the ground and landing on the solid blood. Lucca follows my actions, standing beside me as he glances around at his new surroundings.

"Are you ready to fly?" I giggle childishly, as I'd been the only one to ever experience the rush of gliding over the Earth.

"Heh, yeah..." he isn't so excited.

Oh well.

The blood disk soars up into the sky, feeling the warmth between Lucca and I suddenly shut off. It feels like he's a million miles away, even though he's standing right next to me, attempting to look braver than he feels.

It isn't more than ten minutes before I feel weak, my strength being siphoned away once again.

Oh no...not again.

"Evie?" Lucca's concerned voice brings me back as I notice the mass of Earth in the distance. I exhale slowly, sinking down to my knees as I place both my palms against the floor of the disk, concentrating completely on this moment in time. If I lose my connection, we will plummet down into the ocean.

"Evie!" Lucca's voice is slightly faint, as he collapses to his knees right next to me, securing a strong arm around my lower back and placing his hand on my shoulder. "Evie, look at me."

"I-I can't, I ne-need to focus," my voice falters as I keep my eyes on the land, picturing us already standing on the shore.

There...almost there.

"Lu-Lucca...what are those lights?" I ask, the green, red, blue, and violet hues dancing across the night sky.

"Evie...it's the southern lights," Lucca's voice is next to my ear, holding me to my consciousness as I feel like giving in to the overwhelming sleepy feeling coursing through me.

Snow...

I feel myself falling, my eyelids fluttering closed. Lucca's voice isn't near me, just the feeling of my body falling through the air and the steady sound of the waves over the ice cloud my senses.

The air leaves my lungs as I land against something, my eyes opening slowly and tilting my face up to see Lucca. He catches me in his arms, my body slowly giving up the fight.

A high pitch croaking sound startles me, my eyelids lifting open and my head turning away from Lucca's chest, leaning my cheek against it.

"Is that?" I breathe out.

"Yes, Evie," Lucca's voice is far away again, "those are penguins."

**

-Killian

Michael and Kato know that evading can only get us so far. Why is it that we are running away from the hunters? Does our strength not overshadow their own?

Lucca and Evie don't want us to kill any of the hunters unless our lives are threatened.

If this is the case, another world war is about to take place, and our purebloods are either missing or captured.

"Are we going to alert the other covens?" I ask, Kenzie running at my side as I glance over toward Michael, the rest of the coven moving at full speed inland.

We can hide...but not everyone is so great at that.

I sigh, watching Michael's eyes narrow on something in the distance. He abruptly halts in his tracks, Emily almost crashing into his back. Kato also stops, his attention being pulled to the left side of the forest.

Kenz.

Yeah, I know, they're here.

Kenzie is already moving toward the back of the coven, triggering the alarm that we will be standing and fighting.

Killian, I believe it is time for you to fade away.

I couldn't agree with you more.

Michael nods toward me as I glance around at the shadows surrounding us. I breathe out slowly, feeling the shift in my eyes and my fangs elongating. I can feel myself dematerialize, my energy linking with the darkness, enveloping me like a warm cloak.

Killian, wait!

Kenz, it's going to be alright. I'll be guarding you all from the shadows.

It's like you've been injected with the undiluted silver shit...I can't smell your scent...I can't even sense where you are.

I'm here don't worry. Be thankful we can still communicate. This was my position once within Locaine's coven, you know that.

One of his assassins...

Yes, Kenz, now stand and fight with everyone else. Watch over those hunters, especially Janie.

Kenzie can take care of herself. I'm not worried about her. I'm concerned about some of the weaker coven members, and those hunters that Evie had cared for with her entire being.

Darting and weaving in between the thick forest, the trees pass by me at incredible speed, not realizing I'm moving on par with a pureblood once again. Wherever the shadows are the darkest, I can glide over it like slick ice, sweeping the area in less than five seconds. The hunters are surrounding us, but I can't sense any rangers. Considering the position our coven is in, this news lightens my spirits.

I launch off the forest floor, landing on one of the many branches that provide a ceiling of leaves overhead. I notice Michael and Adam turn their attention to the first of the hunters, slowly emerging from the protection of the trees. The one advantage they have, they are throwing away without a second thought. This must come from not being led by a ranger...

Perhaps this will be easier than I thought.

My targets will be those who carry ranged weapons. I won't let them take down my companions so easily. So, far, I haven't seen any carrying guns or bows.

Now...let's see exactly what you're planning.

A female hunter shifts beneath the branch I'm resting on, her sword and dagger at the ready as she cautiously scans the area. Too bad she doesn't have the common sense to look directly above her. I can't really blame her though, for she won't be able to see me anyways.

I land silently behind her, materializing momentarily, wrapping my left arm around her body as I pin her arms to the sides of her body. Her weapons leave her hands, my right-hand cupping over her mouth as she attempts to alert her hunting party. Her struggling doesn't last long, my fangs sinking deeply into the side of her neck.

Fortunately, if Evie is right, hunters don't take on the ability to smell blood the way vampires do with our heightened senses.

During her final moments, her blood memories rush through me. She was there when Locaine and Annika were captured. She had freed Kadessa's bonds and given her a compound bow, only to threaten Zak with it as she handed Zak over to this hunter. Darius jumped in front of Annika, saving her life. Lucca had been escorted from the small chamber as Locaine, Annika, Rynn, and Eryx had been taken, prisoner.

I release my hold of the hunter, her lifeless body falling to the grassy floor with a small thud. She didn't see anything after that point, readying with these hunters to come after us. Evie is right about one thing...Orion hadn't planned this attack, it was all Enock and Kadessa's doing.

My presence still masked by the shadows, I fade away into the darkness once again, focusing on the small traces of blood that linger in my mouth from the hunter. Closing my eyes as I kneel on one of the branches, I tap into the hunter's subconscious, manipulating their movements. As I had suspected, most of these hunters are blood-related.

Narrowing my eyes on a hunter across the clearing, I force my way through the barrier within his mind.

I really don't want to be here...Orion said there wouldn't be any more fighting.

My eyes lift to another hunter.

Enock and Kadessa betrayed him. He took me in when no one else would. Orion protected us and now we've turned our backs on him.

The female standing just a few yards away seems afraid and unsure.

I'm so afraid of Enock! He's taken the peace we have worked so hard for! Orion wouldn't want this, he wants this fighting to end. Now I'm stuck out here killing those we are supposed to form an alliance with. Can I do it? Vampires are much more powerful. I'm so scared.

A male hunter comes up behind her, pull her into a quick hug as the tears shine in their eyes.

They don't even want to do this...

I lift my head in the direction of the coven, Kato already having killed two hunters, their bloodied bodies cast down to the ground. Emily has her fangs embedded into the throat of a hunter as he'd tried to knock her to the ground. He will pay for his mistake with his life.

Evie...

My life had centered around protecting Annika, and then, more importantly, seeing Evie grow up to be the most headstrong and different vampire I'd ever met. Thanks to her inbred hunter side, she had brought all this change, wanting to end this as much as Orion did.

These hunters believe in him...

I believe in you, Evie. You're strong, just like your mother and father. Please find Erebus.

Oh no...I don't want to die...

I gaze down at the same female hunter, the male dashing away from her and heading toward the coven.

Kenz, behind you.

Kenzie immediately sidesteps to her right, the hunter flying right past. She reaches her arm out, wrapping her hand around his neck and crushing his windpipe. His screams are muffled as she snaps his neck with the flick of her wrist, discarding his body onto the ground.

Thank you.

The female hunter begins to cry, dropping to her knees and hugging herself with her arms. I notice the emotions of two-thirds of the hunters' present, feel the exact same way that she does. They fear for their lives and the betrayal of their leader, Orion. They have been forced to blindly follow the orders of the two rangers.

Why can't we all just get along?!

The hunter holds her head in her hands and releases a sob. Her breathing quickens as her heart accelerates.

Adam is in front of her in the next second, snatching the front of her shirt and viciously dragging her to her feet.

Adam, stop!

Thankfully, he halts, his bloodstained eyes locked onto the fearful hunter, his fangs glistening in the moonlight.

Give me one good reason why I shouldn't end her useless life?

She doesn't want to kill us. The hunters hiding and lingering back, they don't want any of this. They were forced by Enock and Kadessa. They follow Orion and want the same thing he does.

Adam's growl is animalistic, his breathing is slow as he searches her face, trying to see what I have. He finally shakes his head and drops her onto the ground. The shock on her face as she backs away from him and up against the tree has me worried for a moment. But she doesn't attempt to reach for her weapons.

Why? Why did he do that?

Her chest heaves up and down, eyeing Adam with curiosity as he lowers his voice to say, "If you value your life and those of both races, you'll take those of you far away from here. Leave this place and go back to where you came from."

"Y-y-ye-yes," she stutters, slowly rising to her feet and clumsily running off toward the west. As she passes hunters, she motions for them to leave. Many of them follow her, but there are those that remain. They believe in Enock and Kadessa's orders, seeking to destroy us.

Where are you, Killian?

Wouldn't you like to know?

Adam's eyes lift, uncloaking my presence as the last of the hunters fall at the hands of the coven. He glares at me before saying, "You could have killed that hunter at any time. You really believe in Evie and Orion?"

"I do," I land on the ground beside him, "she never once wanted to kill us. If this fighting really is going to end...we need to meet them halfway."

"That still doesn't change the fact the Locaine and Annika's lives are at risk. Letting those hunters go back to where they came from...what if Enock or Kadessa loses it and decides to kill them in their rage? Their hunters turning on them will relinquish their power and hold over them...they'll act without a second thought," Adam glares at me, fearing for their lives.

"No, if they wanted them dead, they would have killed them already," I reply, Kenzie walking over to us as the rest of the coven is recovering from the assault, "besides...I'm going to go after them myself and at least watch over them."

"Killian, no!" Kenzie refuses to let me go into the lion's den.

"I know the path to their underground haven. I've seen everything I need to know. I'll just have to search for where they are