Blood Warrior (12 page)

I opened up the door to see Scar standing there. I was a little disappointed that it wasn’t Kayden, but he probably thought I was some sort of psycho after what had happened. I pushed those thoughts aside. This was no time to worry about that.

“Are you ready, Warrior?’ Scar asked, in that gruff voice of his. I really wished people would stop calling me that.

I shrugged and stepped out, closing the door. “Guess so.”

To my surprise, he patted me on the back. Again, I had to work to keep from wincing. “Course you are,” he said, looping his arm around my shoulder. “Don’t worry, you’ll do fine. You were born for this.”

I nodded slowly. “Yeah, I was.”

We ended up in the same building we had had our meeting with the Council in.

This time, I didn’t notice any of the extravagance, all my thoughts focused on the task in front of me. We ascended the stairs and again took a left down the hallway; except, now, we stopped in front of the red door.

Scar turned to face me. “Don’t worry,” he said. “Clear away whatever thoughts are on your mind and focus on one thing: winning. Nothing else matters right now. Just do what you have to.”

I shut my eyes and took a deep breath, letting his words sink in. Finally, I managed to clear my mind and really focus on my task. I peeled my eyes open to see Scar looking at me.

“Why are you being so nice to me?” I had to know. After last night, I’d thought he’d hated me.

He shook his head, looking slightly ashamed. “I apologize for how I treated you.

But the security of our people rests on my shoulders, and I can’t afford to let just anyone through those gates. But you are a Warrior. Possibly the last true Warrior left, and for that, you deserve to be shown respect.”

I looked down at my arm and my words to Kayden came flooding back into my head. “I’m not so sure,” I mumbled.

He looked confused for a second and then he cupped my face with his rough hands and looked into my eyes. “I am,” he said. “Now go.”

Just before he opened the door and pushed me through, he mumbled, “Who knows, maybe you’ll be the one who will save us all.”

Chapter 25

I stood in what looked like a dungeon. The walls were stone and the place had a cold, damp feel to it. Unlike a dungeon, however, there was an opening in the walls that led to what looked like a dirt floor. Also unlike a dungeon, outside of that opening, I could hear the cheers of a loud crowd and the muffled voice of an announcer.

My heart was beating out of my chest as I walked toward the opening. As I drew closer, I could see rows and rows of bleacher-like stone seats that were jam-packed with people. The announcer’s voice rang loud and clear, and I bent over, clutching my knees, as I heard what he was saying.

We have a new applicant for our school of warriors. Alexa Montgomery will be
facing Daniel Benson tonight in order to gain entry. If she manages to defeat him, she will be
accepted in the ranks and gain Daniel’s status in the academy. Shall we meet our fighters?

I straightened up and was happy when it didn’t cause me pain. Adrenaline always did that to me. And with the amount of adrenaline that was running through me right now, I doubted I’d feel anything if a bullet hit me.

I was dressed in form-fitting sweatpants and a dark blue jacket with a black wife-beater underneath. I was sweating buckets, so I stripped off the jacket, no longer caring if people saw my marks. They would find out soon enough anyway, and the jacket would hinder my movements. I wasn’t even really scared now; I had only one thought in my head:
kill or be
killed
. It was what my Mother had always told me. And even though I knew she wouldn’t be proud of what I was doing, I would make her proud of how well she’d trained me. More than that though, I would make myself proud. I would show these people what it really meant to be a Warrior. Because that’s what I was: a Warrior.

The announcer had already called the name of my opponent and if the crowd’s cheers were any indication, he was already standing before them. When my name was called, I stepped through the opening.

The crowd cheered for about half a second before a silence fell over the arena. I knew what they were looking at, but I didn’t spare them a glance; all my attention focused on the guy standing opposite me. He was about half a foot taller than me and packed with muscle.

I swallowed hard. I hoped his size would give me the advantage of speed.

The announcer seemed to stumble over his words, but I’d heard the only word I’d needed:
BEGIN!

He started toward me. The way he moved, so cautious and calculated, sent my mind back to the Lamia I’d killed in the woods. The images seemed to awaken something in me.

Something I knew I should probably shove back, and something I didn’t.

Finally, he charged and my heart leapt in excitement. I slid just out of reach, turning on the balls of my feet and keeping my eyes on him for every heartbeat. I moved unlawfully fast. The crowd roared in my ears.

He spun and faced me, an uncertainty on his face for the briefest of moments before years of training forced it away. I was not an easy person to stare down. And though his gaze never wavered, I recognized the look behind his eyes. It wasn’t quite fear, more like the look one gets immediately preceding fear; a look of extreme apprehension. The regard one acquires right before everything falls to pieces.

I’d learned that at moments my speed could be ungodly. My strength could too.

But, I don’t believe these things were the reasons my opponent had that peculiar look behind his eyes. It was something else he saw. That same something that I probably should have kept leashed.

Everything around me faded away as I stood staring at my opponent. The crowd melted, colors blending together and faces disappearing. I couldn’t see anything but Daniel; this

boy
standing between me and victory. I could hear nothing but my heartbeat pounding in my ears. I watched his every muscle for movement. Speed and power coiled inside me like an angry serpent. That
other
me broke straight through to the surface as Daniel rushed forward. I waited for the last possible second, then spun to the side in what I’m sure was just a blur of movement to all spectators.

Daniel stumbled over the spot that had been my position a quarter of a heartbeat earlier. I spun around him once more, loving the feel of the power in my body. Mid-turn, I backhanded him so hard my fist cracked like thunder on his skull. Instead of feeling pain in my hand from the impact, I felt a small spark of energy. Somewhere in the distance, a crowd roared.

At that moment, I lost all control. I let go of all the hate and all the pain and all the anger that seemed to be drowning me over the last few days. And I let go of it on Daniel. It felt better than I would ever admit.

I went over to where he was now lying on the ground, grabbed him by the shirt front, and punched him hard in the face. Over and over and over again. With each blow I felt a zing of energy, bits and pieces of that magnificent feeling I’d gotten after taking the Lamia’s life.

I clung to it. Like the continuous draws of a chain smoker to please an insatiable need.

I felt myself departing also, as though I was slipping away, right along with Daniel.

I was allowing myself to become what I’d always feared most. I didn’t care. I understood the consequences of what I was doing, and I didn’t care.

As, I drew my fist back once again, a single voice smashed into my awareness like a stone on glass.

Nelly.

She was screaming my name. Screaming for me to stop. I’m not even sure how I heard her over the pounding in my ears, but I did, and it captured my attention like a bright comet streaking through a blood red sky.

My hand paused mid-air. The crowd still roared. I briefly remember scanning my surroundings for Nelly, not finding her, just seeing blur after blur of unfamiliar face. I looked back down at Daniel, down at my red-stained and steady hands, back to the crowd for Nelly.

She wasn’t there. Not there. My eyes fell back to Daniel. One side of my mouth slowly pulled up.

Alexa! No! Don’t do it, Alexa. YOU don’t want to do it!

Nelly again. I took one last desperate look around. Half of me begged to find her.

The other half just wanted her to shut up. I held completely still, pulled too hard in separate directions to move.

Lex.
Nelly’s voice again, no longer elevated, more so just sad. I remained unmoved. The crowd’s screams continued.
I know you’re stronger than this.

I hesitated. Then, my hands dropped down to my sides. My head fell forward, chin tucked tightly to a heaving chest. After a moment, I dared to look back up at the boy lying in front of me. Reaching out a red-stained, no longer steady hand, I gently turned his head so that I could see his face. Blood was dripping from his mouth and his eyes were completely closed. Absentmindedly, I ran my fingers down his cheek, then rested them on his neck. His pulse beat weakly under my touch.

The monster inside of me shoved hard, urging me to finish what it had started. I almost listened. God only knows how bad I
truly
wanted to listen. Nelly’s words saved Daniels life that day.
I know you’re stronger than this.
I battled the hunger with every bit of strength in me, but still, I could feel Daniel’s life force flowing into me. Sweeter than Tupelo honey. I clenched my teeth together and shoved the feeling away. It took everything in me,
my
energy included.

I only had time to see Daniel’s eyelids flutter, before I passed out.

Chapter 26

I woke up feeling completely drained and found it hard to move my muscles. I also woke up not knowing where I was. I assumed it was some kind of infirmary, because it looked cold and sterile.

I didn’t need to look to my right to see who was sitting there, even though my brain refused to believe who my instinct told me it was. There was no mistaking the feeling.

Kayden.

I closed my eyes, basking in the wonderful high I got whenever he was near.

Without looking at him, I asked, “Where’s Nelly?” My voice came out small and weak.

I opened my eyes and tilted my head so I could look at him. He smiled then, and the sight of it was so beautiful I could have wept. Relief flooded his features as he spoke. “Nelly and Jackson just left. They didn’t want to, but the doctor said you would be fine and I told them I’d stay with you until you woke up. Jackson seemed a little more unhappy about this than Nelly but both of them were ready to pass out, so they said they’d sleep for a few hours and then come back.” He seemed pleased about the Jackson part.

I rested my head back against the pillow. “How long have I been out? What time is it?”

He glanced at his watch. “Three am. You’ve been out for about eight hours.” I shot up to a sitting position when a sudden thought came to mind. It caused me to see spots before my eyes, but I ignored them. “Where’s Daniel? Is he okay? I- I didn’t…kill him, did I?”

Kayden shook his head and gently laid me back down. “No, you didn’t. Daniel is going to be fine.” When I gave him a look of disbelief, he added, “He’s pretty banged up, but he’ll live.”

I sat up again and swung my legs over the bed, ignoring him when he tried to protest. Burying my face in my hands, I said, “I really am a killer.” He pulled my hands away and cupped my face, forcing me to look into his beautiful eyes. Smoothing a lock of hair behind my ear, he leaned forward so that his face was only inches from mine. His voice was soft and low when he spoke. “No. You’re not. You’re not a killer. You did what you had to do.”

I dropped my head an instant before I felt the tears that were brimming my eyes spill freely down my cheeks. He sat back in his chair, pulling me forward onto his lap and cradling me in his strong arms. It felt so right to be in his arms, but at the same time, I felt the emotions that had been burning me for the past few days burst free. I buried my face in his chest and cried. Really and truly cried.

He just held me.

And I just cried.

Chapter 27

About a week later, I was sitting on my bed in my new dorm room, staring out the small window. Not much had happened since my fight. A lot of people I didn’t know had congratulated me for my victory and even more people had asked to see my tattoo. After about a day of this, I had decided to keep to my room as much as possible. I didn’t feel like being treated like a hero for what I’d done, and I was angry that these people could think of it as some kind of honor.

I had been giving a room in the Brocken vampire’s dormitory. I was the only girl in the whole building and the boys had been warned not to bother me. I’m not sure what they’d been threatened with, but no one came by except for Nelly and Jackson. They were worried about me and I couldn’t really blame them. I’d been walking around like some sort of zombie since after leaving the infirmary.

After the infirmary, and after Kayden.

I hadn’t seen him since that night. I must have fallen asleep in his arms because I don’t remember getting back up. But when I’d woken up again, he was gone and Nelly and Jackson were there. I wasn’t sure if Kayden was avoiding me, but he certainly wasn’t making any efforts to see me. This bothered me more than I wanted to admit. He’d seen a side of me that so few ever got to see and for that reason, I felt oddly close to him. If I was being completely honest, I missed that wonderful happy feeling he seemed to bring me. I missed
him
, and I found myself craving the balance his presence seemed to give me. At the same time, I was glad I hadn’t seen him because I was really embarrassed about crying in front of him like I had.

Most of all, though, I missed my Mother. I wished more than anything that she could be here, telling me what to do. It was a little sardonic seeing as how not too long ago, I would have been happy to be making all my own decisions. Now, well, now I just wanted her to tell me what to do. I guess life is just funny that way.