Page 10 of Marked Resistance
Dammit.
Oriel handed me a brown manilla envelope. I nodded and turned to leave.
“And Kid? Remember what I said.”
I paused and held my breath.
“Keep your eyes open and your mouth shut. Maybe you’ll live.”
In other words, stay quiet and see everything.
Like a shadow.
I nodded and headed through the door. I’d open the envelope when I was alone to find out where and when I would report, and to who. I cared for Kristopher and Tack, but this chapter had closed. I had no choice but to move forward and leave them. We were at war with four other clans and had a faction of humans resisting all vampire kind. With this kind of life, nothing is secure.
I had a new team to join.
Chapter Five
Being the oldest, strongest Shaye vampire alive meant Duradel had command, and the rest of us had to follow. He led with reckless abandon as if he had no real direction for our part in the war. His penchant for constantly moving his base of operations provided those of us on the outside of his inner circle with his mindset. Duradel cared for only himself. Cowardice ran through his body like poison and spread to the rest of the clan, but no one dared to oppose him. No single Shaye vampire alive would be able to defeat him in single combat. Rumors circulated of a growing number of discontented Shaye, but, no one would admit to wanting to end Duradel as a leader.
Duradel moved the capital from city to city with such randomness and at any given moment, it would be damn near impossible for anyone to make an attempt at organizing a coup. It seemed he would shift locations whenever he got even the smallest hint of danger to himself. Whether it was true or not, it explained why he would change capitals and command centers. Command’s location was Dobgar, which made it the current capital of Shaye.
I arrived in Dobgar and headed straight for my assignment. Known for its lumber and forestry and having exotic spices, many of us favored the city because those spices would help flavor the food we’d consume whenever we weren’t drinking blood. I trained in Dobgar when I first joined the elite. Surrounded by rammed-earth walls, it had the distinct military advantage of being able to muster a number of vampires in case of attack.
I cocked my head to the side as I took in the view of the city. Say what you want,I thought.Duradel is no fool. He chooses his places wisely. It’s a shame we’re always the ones on defense,I sighed.
I proceeded through the city till I came to a group of Shaye vampires who trained in a general store located on a well-lit avenue with guard towers. Fallen leaves, and an ominous quiet, covered the empty street outside. The general store was a log and large single-story building, with a brown tile roof and a small enclosed deck. It was once a barracks, so it was perfect for training. Once inside, a collection of arms and armor greeted me. A crossbow sat on the counter and the walls were covered in paintings and faded advertisements. Leaning against the counter were two vampires, one female who looked up when I came in, and one chiseled male with his back to me. He appeared to be entranced by a set of papers spread out on the counter in front of him.
The female jutted her chin in my direction. “You Zenobia?”
“Yes,” I answered as she eyed me. “You can call me Zee. Is this where I report?”
“Reveal your mark,” she barked. “Or die where you stand.”
I tensed my jaw and exhaled. “Okay,” I stated with a hint of sarcasm.
If a vampire claimed Shaye as their clan, they would have the tattoo of a lion somewhere on their body. Mine was tattooed on my left shoulder right above my breast. She gave me the once over and then turned around and pulled her hair up to reveal her mark lion at the base of her neck.
Satisfied, the female faced me and spoke again. “I’m Ilanis Nailo. This is Xavier Lockhart. Let me see your papers.”
My eyes narrowed, but I pressed my lips together into a slash to prevent anything stupid from coming out. We’re losing the war and more and more vampires deserted our forces by the day, so my mind understood the redundancy. It was better to be safe than sorry. Annoyance still showed in my body.
I reached into the travel bag I carried on my shoulder and handed her the envelope I received from Command. She had almond-shaped gray eyes, thick, wavy, gray hair worn in a style like an animal's ears, and an hourglass build. Her blue uncomplicated and businesslike outfit set off the fairness of her skin.
Ilanis studied me as I moved before she snagged the documents. She kept a close watch on me as she thumbed through the papers on the inside of the envelope until one piqued her interest. After a moment of study, Ilanis shoved the papers back into the envelope and handed it back to me.
“You’ve been ordered to join our Fang Ranger team because we had an opening,” Ilanis continued. “We’re November squad.”
“Why? Was July too hot?” I joked.
Her eyes flattened, and there was an audible sigh from the man by the counter.
I coughed. “Sorry. Please continue.”
“You don’t need to know how or why a space opened up for you,” Ilanis growled. “Just know that it did. And let me give you some advice. You’re a youngling, and as that little joke you told shows, you don’t know your blade from your ass. I don’t trust you, but if you can learn to keep your mouth shut and do as your told, then in time, perhaps, I’ll trust you a little.”
Great. I went from Kristopher to this asshole.