Found (The Last Watcher Series) Book One (20 page)

“
Yes, I suppose.” I told
him.

“
Yes, well. How ready are
you for this?”

“
Ready as I could possibly
be.”

“
Hmm, well. You’re a smart
girl, and we wouldn’t want you making the wrong choices, now do
we?” He asked me. I wasn’t really sure if he was hinting on
something or just trying to crack me.

“
No, we don’t.”

“
Yes well.. I welcome you
then. Soon, you will be one of us. You will come in great measure
of help you know. We will need to fight off all your angry
protectors.” He told me laughing. I still didn’t understand who
else could possibly protect me. I had no one but Tae and Kierce.
I
had
a brother,
but they killed him. Now I was going to join them.

“
No.. thank you sir. I don’t
need the welcoming.” I told him honestly with respect. Even though
he was not someone I would like, he was still an elder.

“
You really are a fine
girl.” He told me with a slight smile on his face. The wrinkles in
his face made me curious on how he grew this old. I never thought
that hunters were capable of doing that, or even getting sick for
that matter.”

“
I know this may be weird to
ask. But why are you this.. old?”

“
Ahh, you noticed. I’m half
human, if that’s the way you’d want to put it. Whatever I had
within me did not agree with being a hunter. I myself, fell in love
with a hunter while I was still an innocent man. She tricked me,
and tricked me good. I earned where I stand right now, and that’s
where I’ll leave it.” Samuele told me. He didn’t answer much of my
question, but I don’t think I wanted to know the answer. It seemed
like one of those, ‘If I tell you, I’ll have to kill you’ kind of
thing.

“
Oh well, that’s plenty for
me then.” I told him, looking away, hoping I could leave. It felt
strange being around this man. Something felt out of place. He
seemed to notice.

“
Amabel.. Surely this isn’t
what you want, but you will learn to like it.” He said with more of
a statement than opinion. He knew how I felt about this whole
situation. He knew it all. I saw him nod at someone outside the
door, and at once, Argem came in to lead me out.

“
I can walk through a
doorway by myself you know.” I whispered to Argem.

“
Yes, but it’s very
disrespectful.” I guess they had cultures that I would need to
learn as well.

I tried very hard not to think about
tomorrow. When it came, I was planning to just set my mind to
another state. Instead of Argem standing at the altar, I would
imagine someone I loved. Someone so precious to me. I would imagine
Tae. I can picture him standing dressed in a tuxedo with a white
rose in his front pocket of the jacket. It would pop from his skin
being so tan. I can hear him saying it already ‘My Amabel, my love.
Oh how beautiful you look.’. I felt a sudden tear escape my eye.
Without hesitation, I got rid of the evidence that I was such a cry
baby.

I enjoyed the rest of the day in the
backyard, enjoying the view of the lake and the colorful birds that
were flying around the mysterious island. There wasn’t a single
cloud in the sky. Surely, the wedding couldn’t possibly be that
bad. Yet I can picture myself being in a room full of hunters, the
ones who have drank human blood. The ones who have killed the
people for it. Again, I shivered at the sight. The watcher within
in wouldn’t come out, not when I was about to give it all up.

The day went by quick while I was enjoying
the fresh air. By night time, I decided to head up to my bedroom
and get some rest.

“
Amabel, you may not
proceed. All of the powers within you will lead your way out.” I
heard a voice say. Again, it didn’t sound familiar. It could be my
father’s, but then again, it may not. “Amabel, you may not proceed.
A hunter you may choose, but your powers must stay within.”
Unexpectedly, my sight went from bright as if I was looking into
the sun, to a dark blood red.

“
Tae!” I woke up screaming,
so used to always relying on him when it came to bad dreams. His
presence altogether just made it better.

“
Are you okay my beautiful
bride?” Argem answered my scream.

“
Uhh.. yes.
Thanks.”

“
Well you have a choice
today. Either you get dressed yourself or have someone help you get
dolled up. You decide.”

“
Well.. I’ll get dressed. Do
I have anything to wear?”

“
Well of course you do
silly. May I come in?”

“
I suppose.” Not like I had
much of a choice. Argem listened and came into the room. He held a
small white bag in his hand. The type that could hold in dress
without it getting ruined. My dress.

“
This is for you, as long as
this.” He handed me the dress along with a small box. “That should
get you ready for the wedding.” He told me smiling. His smile
seemed soft. He was really looking forward to it. Why hasn’t he
asked he asked me if I would learn to love him? With that, he left
me to get ready.

I opened the zippered bag to come to find out
if was nothing like the usual wedding dresses. It was short in a
way, and loose on the bottom. It was filled with floral designs,
something from the eighteenth century with a modern touch. It was
pretty, but not my dream dress. Well, this won’t even be the my
dream wedding. I then opened to see what was in the small box that
was weirdly designed. As I opened it, it had more than one section.
They kind of darted out from being closed all this time. The box
was filled with different type of makeup. Blush, mascara, lipstick
and eyeliner. Anything a girl would need, not me though. I didn’t
wear any of that, and today’s occasion did not satisfy me enough to
put that much effort. I noticed a small jewelry box within in. I
reached for it to find out it was a necklace. White gold with a
blue diamond as the center of it. Something any woman would adore.
Without a second thought, I put it back down. “I have my own.” I
whispered to myself, reaching for the necklace I was already
wearing. The necklace Tae has given me. It has never left its
position around my neck. I quickly put on the dress, and looked at
myself one last time. This is what I will always remember myself
as. Tan, warm skinned, blood pumping.

“
It’s time.” Argem told me
at the door. I let out a small sign.

“
I guess it is.” It was time
to give my life away to save my loved ones. To save them from their
deaths.

Red carpet, red covered seats, red curtains
and everyone dressed in white. I started walking up to the alter
without my father on my side. No one to give me away to my soon to
be husband. Argem. No one here that cares for me enough to stop me.
I felt so alone in a room of hundreds. These hundreds of still
bodies were sitting without a single heartbeat, yet all had smiles
and eyes on me. Surely, this wasn’t the time where I could say
‘I’ll be the one in white’.

I haven’t been in this room yet. It was on
the far right of the house, and it seemed as if it was waiting for
me. Everything seemed as if it were planned far ahead. I kept
thinking of the voice I heard in my dream, and what it meant. It
kept telling me not to proceed yet I still could chose a hunter. If
Argem wasn’t the one I was supposed to be with, then why does it
all seem so planned?

The song now began, it was strange in a way.
Not the one I would have picked as I walked down to the alter. My
favorite was Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven. It was the one song
that relaxed me and made me think about the good. It made me wonder
about life, but never the bad. The song that was playing was
mellow. It reminded me of every bad thing I have seen and more. I
pictured hate that appeared during war, and the feeling I would get
as the watcher came within me. It was all wrong, and nothing I
wanted.

I approached the alter without any happiness
on my face. Each step I took meant the end of everything, so I made
sure to take it slow. Time although, could not go by faster in that
moment. As I came up to the alter, Argem put his arm out so I could
join. I stood there for a minute without any movement. I tried to
picture how marriage would be with him, and for some reason, I
couldn’t. The only thing, or person I could think about was
Tae.

“
Are you ready my bride?”
Argem asked me, looking inpatient. I gave out a small
sigh.

“
Uhh.. yes.” I said in
return. I took a step onto the alter, and combined by arm with
Argem’s. This felt all wrong.

“
Good, now we may begin.”
The martial hunter told us. He didn’t look like a priest, so
therefore, I guess he really wasn’t. I’d hope this marriage would
be void because of that, but in this world, under the hunters’ law,
I know it wouldn’t. “Everyone please rise.” He said to the guests
and begun his speech. It was different then what I have seen in
movies. The hunter talked about pointless stuff that no human, or
me in that matter, would understand. I tried not to listen because
I wouldn’t accept any of it.

“
I.. Argem Pence.. take
you.. to be my wedded wife..” I heard him say and suddenly felt
frozen. Pence? He was Kierce’s brother? This was even more wrong.
That’s it. That was the last straw. I couldn’t marry him, I just
couldn’t. I’ll take death instead of getting into this. Kierce
would completely fall apart. His own brother marrying his one and
only love. Before I could reject this and stop this nonsense, there
was banging just outside the room. The guards ran in and my heart
stopped. I felt like I would lose conscious now, before I even knew
what was truly happening.

“
Attack! We’re being
attacked!” The guard kept screaming.

“
Take the girl away! Now!”
Samuele yelled in the group of seats.

“
This is nonsense, complete
nonsense!” Argem now started saying. “Take her away already!” He
added. He seemed furious, but still curious on who was attacking
us. A guard ran up to me and grabbed my arm. I hesitated to move,
maybe the attack was for me. No, I didn’t want to think that. I
couldn’t bear to know that Tae and Kierce would be in danger again.
I started to follow the guard. He pulled me through the main
entrance of the mansion, since it was the only way out of the
current room. As we walked by the main doors, they flew
open.

“
It can’t be.” I said as my
mouth dropped. “Tae! Kierce!” I screamed, but the guard did not
hesitate. He kept pulling me towards the exit in the
back.

“
Amabel! Amabel stop!” Tae
screamed at me and at that moment, everything felt better. I missed
his familiar voice. I missed his tan body and his beautiful eyes.
Most of all, I missed the love I felt from him. “Amabel we’re here!
Everything will be okay!” He screamed to me. Whose we though?
Surely him and Kierce couldn’t take on the whole mansion of
hunters. Especially because of the wedding, there were more than
the usual amount.

The guard kept trying to pull me further and
further away from Tae.

“
I.. can’t.. take this
anymore!” I was now letting out everything that has been bottled
up. “You will not take me away from here! I will not allow
it!”

“
Shut your mouth you filthy
watcher.” The guard talked back. Filthy watcher? I stopped suddenly
and broke out of his grip.

“
Do you not know who I am or
what I can do? Are you this stupid to talk to me that way?
You
must
know I am
not choosing to be married for my own likeness.” I now got closer
to his face and stared his down. “I
will
destroy you.” I said with
determination. With that, the guard did not try to get a hold of me
anymore. He just stood there silent, without any movement. I took
advantage of it, and turned back towards Tae. As I came back to the
entrance of the mansion, I saw something that was no expected.
Chaos.

“
Amabel stay back!” Someone
screamed. This wasn’t Tae, or Kierce. It was a complete stranger
that now turned into a lycan. Someone I have never met before.
There wasn’t just one though, but dozens of them. All different
color and size.

“
Who are you?” I said back
confusion. It wasn’t the time for a conversation though, or to get
any answers. This mansion was a battle scene. Every lycan was
fighting. Each and every one of them were attacking the hunters who
were there. With every second, I saw more blood. The white floors
and walls were splattered in red. The white curtains were now
filthy. Filthy with the hunters’ blood. These lycans were strong
and good at what they were doing. They knew exactly how to
attack.

I tried looking around for Tae again, but
with as many lycans as there were in this mansion, I couldn’t.
Everything around me was shattering. I just stood there, in the
middle of it all. As a hunter tried to get too close to me, a lycan
would take him out. I circled the room in one spot, noticing
everything in more detail now. It was as if the time has slowed.
The statues that were in the corners of the entrance room were
flying, shattering on the floor. The painting on the wall were torn
off and used in defense against the lycans, but it was no use. They
were too strong, too smart. As I continued to circle around myself,
I noticed more. I saw Argem and Samuele standing up on the balcony,
watching down. I caught Argem’s eye, and all I got was a head shake
as he walked away. I looked over next to him, and Samuele has left
as well. Along the other side of the balcony was Luthius. His face
was filled with fear as he saw his kind get torn apart. I wonder if
he noticed Kierce in here as well. Thinking about it, I turned back
to look for him, or even Tae again. I saw no one though, just the
lycans winning a horrid fight.