Chapter 13: Reservations

*VICKY* I slowly moved forward from behind the bin and watched as a slow smile appeared on his face. Once I stopped, he walked off the roof's ledge and softly landed right in front of me. He then removed the hat and in the sunlight, revealed his pale face. His cheekbones were very prominent, and there wasn't a single strand of hair on his head. His eyes were a deep golden yellow—the sign of a superior Kindred. I know because I had the same colored eyes. From his appearance, I could tell he wasn't much older than I was when I turned. Forever twenty, but from his display of confidence, he was well over 600 years old. With Blood Hunters, this was very common. In the era of war and famine, many people chose to join the Predators and become a Blood Hunter to survive. This was before the Kindred law and before it was illegal to turn a human against their will. It was all about getting to the next day—and what better way to ensure that then to become immortal and more powerful? "Who are you?" I asked, trying to find my voice. "And what're you doing here? If the Elder's find out—" "Fuck the Elders," the man spat out. "They do us Kindred no favors. Life was simpler and better when the law didn't exist. When we could do what we pleased." I sighed. There was no reasoning with a Blood Hunter on the ways of the law. "What do you want with Leon?" I stated, changing the topic. "Nothing to your concern," he said, moving around the alley, almost cat-like. "Just doing my job." "It is my concern," I growled. The man paused, and then a smile spread across his face. "He's your Blood Bond, isn't he?" A short chuckle fell out of him. "This is too good. Do you know who he really is?" Truthfully, no. I didn't. I had only met him a few days ago—but our connection was undeniable. Plus, there was no way the Goddess would pair me with someone sinister. "I have a good idea," I retorted with a slight sneer, showcasing my fangs. At this, the man's giddiness dropped, and he took a step closer; his fangs glistened in the mid-day sun. "You need to be sure you know who you're dealing with, Vicky. Remember, a bond is a lifetime. We don't want the wrong kind getting eternal life." How did he know my name? Whatever, I didn't care. I only cared that Leon remained out of whatever he had planned. "Was that a threat?" "Think of it more as a warning," the man replied. I opened my mouth to respond—to tell him to back off—but before I could blink, he was gone. I was seething; my nerves were at an all-time high. I needed to alert the Elders—there was no way I could do this alone. So, I reached into my pocket and released a bat notification to inform the Elder Messenger. We needed to catch him, and sooner rather than later. I debated for a while on whether or not to return to the Kingsland. The Elders would be on alert now and know to keep an eye on the Blood Hunters and Predators. With their help, I could focus on the upcoming events—only now, I knew I needed to turn my focus to Leon. Not only to keep him safe but also to make sure I learned exactly what the Blood Hunter meant. After deciding against it, I returned to the community and, finally, home. I opened the door to my bedroom and immediately climbed in, letting sleep take me over. *** A streak of firelight flashed through the darkness, illuminating the night sky. I rode a white stallion; the black armor and blood-red dress made me stand out in the sea of bodies. A mass of troops stood in front of me with their backs to me. I was being guarded. Suddenly, a horse galloped up beside me. A man with a longer, crisp-cut beard, looked to me. "Your Majesty, the Allied Holy Order has arrived. A total of 45,000 people." I stared into the distance and saw a silver-white line on the horizon coming toward us. The other party was well-equipped and well-trained. "Karovhas sent a message demanding us to put down our weapons and surrender quickly. They promise to only kill you and let others go." At this, I laughed hysterically. The entire battlefield trembled under my laughter. I picked up the iconic blood-red scythe and pointed it at the sky. "I, Victoria, the Blood Moon, swear to the heavens that none of Allied Holy Order shall be able to make it home alive today. We will feast on their land here. Warriors, we will be their nightmare. Let's enjoy eating the flesh and blood of the enemies! Let the hunt begin!" The men and women behind me roared. I couldn't see the expressions of the humans opposite me, but I guessed it must be very exciting. I spurred my horse and rushed out. Behind me, the Blood Knights followed closely, all crying their own battle cry into the night sky. *** I jolted awake to find the entire house enveloped in darkness. I sat up in my bed and tapped the lamp. I hadn't had this dream in a long time. My whole body ached, and I stretched fiercely. I checked my notifications on my phone—but there was nothing from the Elders or their messengers on the community boards. My stomach growled. To be honest, I felt awful. I casually took some leftover fruit and meat from the fridge and stir-fried it a few times before putting it onto a plate. I grabbed myself a glass of red wine to compliment the taste and situated myself in the chair when my phone rang. Again?! Unknown number. Classy. I hit the green button, ready to reem out anyone who dared to interrupt my dinner, no matter how late it was. "Hello?" I said a lot harsher than intended. "Vicky?" My heart stopped, and I instantly regretted my tone. "Chef?" "What have I told you about calling me 'chef' or 'sir'?" He sounded exhausted, and when I heard Osip's voice in the background, I immediately knew why. "Sorry," I automatically apologized. God—can the scent of the Blood Perfume really work through phones too…? I was disgusting myself with my compliance. "I hope you don't mind—I got your number from the directory at the hotel." Usually, I would mind; my privacy was important to me. But when it came to Leon, I found I was pretty much always out of character. "Oh, uh, no. What I can I do for you?" Osip's voice rang through from the other side of the line. It was distant and almost inaudible. I heard Leon reply, and then a grumble come through from her before he returned to our call. "What do you have planned for tomorrow afternoon?" Tomorrow was Saturday, my first free amount of time to let this all sink in and decide how I would approach things with Leon and my heart. Not even to mention the Blood Hunters. "Nothing that I can think of," I replied. Fuck. "Great. Can you be ready for 2'oclock?" I paused. "Do you mind if I ask what for?" Leon shuffled around, and I heard a grunt before he finally settled in. "Osip wanted me to call—she has a certain look for all of the part staff, and as a chef, she thought I'd be best suited to take you out for new jackets to match the color scheme." I was surprised. Osip was letting Leon be alone with me? Wasn't that the whole reason she wanted me out of Kingsland Hotel? "It is," Leon continued. I had to laugh at this. Of course his abilities worked through phones. Why wouldn't it? "Do you want me to send the car to get you at your house, or should we meet elsewhere?" "Elsewhere," I blurted out. I couldn't risk more humans showing up unannounced in Kindred territory—if the Elders found out, I'd be in serious trouble. "Maybe the Cricket Shoppe, on 82nd St?" "Sounds like a plan." Even if he could hear what I was thinking, he was doing a good job at hiding it. I expected, after his last sentence, for him to hang up—there was nothing further to say. But he didn't, and neither did I. Instead, we sat in silence, listening to the sound of one another breathing. He knew he should hang up; I knew I should. There were so many reasons this wouldn't work out. Between him being my boss and my personal complications, it was a recipe for disaster. And yet, we both stayed. Then I heard a startling woman's scream come through the line and Leon's voice trickle through, followed by a softened 'damn!'. "Sorry, Vicky. I have to go. I'll meet you tomorrow. 2'oclock at the Cricket Shoppe. See you then." And with that, the phone line went dead.