23

vonne didn’t need a week to make up her mind. By beginning of the third night, she already devised her plan of escape.
The place they stayed at on the third night was a condemned farmhouse. During the day they slept in the damp basement, and at night they hunted animals. David and Zachary urged Evonne to hunt any animal she could catch, believing her time haven-hopping kept her from learning any real skills. They were surprised when she brought down a deer on her second night.
But when they said she could have any animal she could catch, Evonne was surprised that they meant rabbits, as well. David caught one for her on the first night, more or less a peace offering from their earlier talk. Inwardly, she turned her nose up at the thought of killing a rabbit. It wasn’t that she thought it was cute, but the fact that the little thing scarcely had enough blood to fill a small glass. This wasn’t living to her. This was scraping by on diet food.
While they rested for the day, Evonne heard them mention Florida and Louisiana. She’d been to neither state, and wasn’t sure why they wanted to travel there when David told her he wanted to go west. It really didn’t matter to her. All she need now was the right opportunity to make her escape.
As Evonne woke to an empty basement, she tried once more to call out to Gabriel. She didn’t know if her attempts worked, or if she was fooling herself into thinking they did, but each attempt left her feeling calm and certain about her course of action. I just have to fool them long enough.
The house was another dump. The smell of the mold was the first thing she noticed when they arrived; the remnants of rat droppings was the second. And as she stepped out of the house the following night, the smells saturated her clothes. She took a light sniff of her shirt and winced. A roll in the dirt would smell better, she entertained.
Evonne looked around the dilapidated yard and found the car Zachary used to drive them there. She was certain it wasn’t originally his, but “borrowed.” Beyond the tall weeds sat the woods, concealing the old house within miles of its untouched hills.
Evonne headed off the porch for her nightly hunt.
“Remember our agreement.”
Startled, she found Zachary standing by the corner of the house. She looked at him, ready to reply but was stopped as he continued speaking.
“You aren’t allowed to hunt alone,” he reminded.
She crossed her arms. “All right. So whose turn is it to babysit me this time? You trailed me last night.” She glanced around the depressing property. “Where’s David?”
“I’ll get him,” he offered, disappearing around the corner.
Evonne’s eyes went back to the woods. She wanted to run—her body begged her to run. Too soon, she warned herself. Running now and they both would be on her trail. Stick to the plan.
David rounded the corner and headed for the woods, not even looking in her direction. With that brief gesture, she could sense his annoyance with something, whether it was her or the situation. Evonne kept her mouth shut as she followed him into the woods. There was no reason to test her ground with him at this moment.
The further they walked, the more she wanted to speak. She had nothing against David. She was beginning to think he used her as a reason to run away.
After a mile into walking, Evonne finally willed herself to speak. “Where are we planning to go after we’ve worn out our welcome here? Another shack?”
“Zachary knows of a place in Louisiana,” he replied, keeping himself a few strides in front of her. “It’s a much finer establishment.”
“A haven?”
“It’s not a typical haven. They operate by their own rules.”
Evonne remembered Demetrius telling her about these types of havens. He looked at them as nothing more than organized nests—a blatant critique on sanctioned havens. They operated by their own rules because they refused to bow down to the rules set in place by the Six.
“So there’s no humans there,” she concluded.
“No. They survive on animal blood. They get the blood from private dealers within the slaughterhouse industry. There are many places like this, but they’re frowned upon by the places calling themselves ‘true’ havens. A haven is any place vampires can go to feel safe. So by that definition alone, this is a haven.” He gestured to the house behind them.
“That’s your opinion. If there’s no humans, then I don’t want to go.”
David stopped walking and faced her. “That’s the thing. We can exist without relying on humans. Animals give us enough nourishment.”
Shaking her head, Evonne replied, “You’re right. That’s existing, not living.”
“You’ll get used to it. Gabriel shouldn’t have pushed you to drink from humans.”
“I’ve killed before,” she said, baiting for a reaction.
“Hunters are one thing—”
“Innocent people. I’ve killed innocent people before.”
He stared at her, concerned at what she was saying and how casually she said it. “How many?”
“The first time was two college kids who were camping. The three after that were in England… I’m not sure if werewolves count. But there were five while we traveled across Europe. And there’s been plenty of others I wanted to kill because they got on my nerves.”
“It’s that thinking right there that needs to be corrected,” snapped David.
“Corrected? You’re saying that all of Gabriel’s teachings were wrong?”
“Let’s just say that he isn’t the best role model.” He continued walking. “When we get to Louisiana, you’ll see a better way to live without humans.”
I doubt it, she wanted to say. Don’t reply to him. He won’t listen to reason. He’s still in denial. This is the only way he can accept what he is without losing his humanity. She could see her old self in him, that pathetic, young vampire who refused to yield under her new nature. David had the makings of a powerful vampire: respected, feared, and loved by others. But Evonne had no respect or fear for him, and she wasn’t sure if her love remained. She was beginning to see him as a coward.
Evonne sensed the deer first. As David became aware, his body slipped into the mode of predator. His eyes locked on the animals as he led the way, keeping themselves downwind. Evonne settled her foot on a dry twig, intentionally snapping it. The deer stopped walking and snorted the air. The eldest doe stamped her hoof on the ground. In a flurry, the deer took off, their slender legs driving their bodies away from the possible threat. David ran after them.
Following, Evonne wasn’t focused on the deer, but rather David. All of his energy was centering on the animals. A fighter jet could fly overhead and he wouldn’t break the chase. Judging his speed, she waiting for the right moment.
The deer split up, one going left and two going right. David went left, while Evonne seized her moment and went right. The deer couldn’t have chosen a more perfect direction. Evonne mentally recalled the road nearby; two lanes offering an easy getaway. As the deer changed their direction once more, Evonne left their trail and ran for the road tucked somewhere in these woods.
This was it, her grand plan—outrun them. There wasn’t anything else she could do. With her senses picking up everything, she felt her nervousness heighten. No one followed her. Was it really that easy?
Evonne felt the force of something on her back, its weight pushing her into the ground. She slid across the forest floor, the damp dead leaves and debris caking to her clothes. As she lay there, debating on her next move, the unmistakable presence of a vampire loomed over her.
“I knew sooner or later you’d run,” said Zachary, “but I honestly wanted to believe you would keep your end of the bargain.”
Sitting up, Evonne sarcastically lied, “A rabbit caught my attention.”
Giving him no time to react, she leapt for Zachary and threw her fist forward, aiming for his face. He leaned to the side and avoided the attack. In the moment it took for Evonne to recover, Zachary grabbed her arms, pinning her back against his chest.
She trashed against him, unable to shake free. “I’m choosing to leave now! You can’t keep me here!”
“And where will you go?”
Her body quieted as she answered, “I’ll figure out something.”
Before he could reply, Evonne threw back her head, smashing into his nose. Zachary let go as his hands covered his face. She went for him again, the only course of action her only means of escape. Ripping his hands from his face, Evonne pulled him close and bit into his neck twice, once to open his flesh and the other to keep him from pushing her away.
Zachary’s body grew ridged. The pain caused by the exiting blood stunned him. He finally fought against her, one hand grabbing her hair and the other against her chest, each working to free himself.
Evonne drank as fast as she could. Everything about her focused on the current objective; take out Zachary. His blood boosted her own strength, the balance shifting between them as he wilted within her hold. But his blood, even though older than David, was noticeably weaker. She could see the generations spanning from him to the Original Six. He wasn’t from Saros or Gysai’s bloodline. The only image she could gather was an ancient Mayan city and stone pictorials. As soon as the image bounded forth it was gone.
Zachary relaxed within her grip. She drank faster, making sure he wasn’t pretending to grow weak. He then dropped his hands to his sides. Finally, Evonne let go, his body falling to the forest floor.
“You shouldn’t have weakened yourself with animals,” she said.
Using her borrowed strength to search the woods, she located David running toward them. Evonne continued on her path, her legs moving quicker than before. She didn’t want to face David.
The road appeared like a prize to a long race. Her new finish line rested somewhere on either end. Left or right? Evonne chose right. Running once more she spotted a green road sign. The next town was three miles away. She didn’t know where to go from there or who to call. All she could think of was reaching the town.

“She ran,” Zachary said. “When I tried to stop her, she turned on me.”
David looked through the trees, searching for her scent. “How are you feeling?”
“I’ll be fine,” he replied as he sat up. “Let’s just find her before someone else does.”
David helped Zachary to his feet. “With the direction she was running, she was heading for the road.”
“There’s a town nearby. Perhaps we should look there first.”
David glanced at him, judging the strength left in his body. “You get the car. I’ll go after her on foot.”

Evonne entered the town and continued down the quiet, main street. The majority of the town’s activity centered around the college. The campus housed half of the town’s population, and during the summer months, the place resembled a ghost town. But this was mid-May and the students still filled the dorms.
A lone student drew Evonne’s attention as he walked across the campus. Keeping her distance, she watched him and debated whether or not to follow. Though Zachary’s blood still gave her strength, her hunger for human blood heightened at the sight of the student. I don’t need to kill him, she negotiated. I only need enough to get me through the night. And the human wouldn’t remember. It was a trick taught to her by Demetrius—a vital skilled used to confuse the human while feeding. She used it several times when traveling through Europe.
The student walked toward the high-rise dormitory. He had nothing to fear on this quiet campus. The biggest crime to hit the area was the stolen money raised by one of the fraternities.
Evonne kept her distance until he entered the stairwell. Without knowing which floor he headed for, she moved in, climbing the stairs quickly. Her muscles smoothed out her every movement, closing the gap between them.
The student reached the fourth floor and turned. He could feel the eyes of someone watching him.
A blur rushed up to him, pushing him into the wall. The attack wasn’t violent. At first he believe it was another student messing with him as the onslaught of adrenaline subsided. The adrenaline eased further as he saw it was a girl who had a hold of him.
Secure the link, Evonne recalled. She avoided the neck and went for a less noticeable place—inside the elbow. As she bit down and began to drink, the link was forged. It took most of her strength to hold his mind with hers. She encompassed him a sea of nothingness. Everything used to form a thought ground to a standstill. The limited power of Evonne’s mind struggled to keep the hold. It was like juggling for a world record. She wasn’t sure how long she could go on.
The link severed. Evonne continued to drink, her body under the command of her own blood. But this was wrong—this was different. Something else was controlling her. As though the tables were turned, she felt someone watching her.
Evonne withdrew and looked around for this phantom presence. The new, warm blood in her body wanted to grow cold. At the bottom of the stairs stood a vampire. He watched her, eyes ice blue and body void of movement. His black hair was short and cut jagged like a disheveled haystack. Under his wispy bangs, his cold eyes gave no insight into his intentions. He looked like a normal student, dressing in clothes similar to men in their early twenties. But this wasn’t his regular choice of clothing.
The sea of nothingness, once blanketing the human, now seemed to blanket Evonne. Get away from him, her mind begged. Run!
Slowly she let go of the lethargic human and stepped away, her eyes still locked on the vampire. He continued to stare at her. Evonne reached the next flight of stairs and ran for the top. As she broke eye contact, the vampire was on the human before he had time to fall to the floor. Shocked at his speed, Evonne became transfixed by him once more.
The vampire wasn’t shy with his bite as he fed from the human. His teeth tore through the neck like tissue paper, the veins, arteries, and tendons showing no resistance. There was no way for the human to survive the new attack.
The vampire’s eyes locked on Evonne’s. Panic struck her like lightning on a calm night. She didn’t know how to register what she saw. The tug within her blood wanted her to descend the stairs to him, to bow down at his feet and obey his every command. How could he have this much control over her?
Evonne’s mind scrambled again. Staying here was what he wanted. She needed to run. Breaking loose from her blood’s hold, she headed for the roof, the whole time knowing it was a mistake to corner herself.
As she burst onto the roof, she ran for the edge. The ten floor high-rise looked more like a hundred. She knew she had the strength to jump down without injuring herself, but the height uncovered a remaining human fear.
“Evonne Abigail Ingram,” a voice said from behind her.
Evonne whipped around to see the vampire standing by the door, blood still on mouth and chin as he deliberately chose not to wipe it away. It was a visual threat at what was he was capable of and what he planned to do.
This was another one of her fears; a powerful vampire knew who she was and there was no way she could protect herself. She regretted her choice in leaving David and Zachary.
The vampire continued speaking, his voice lighthearted. “Where is that child of mine?”
Before Evonne could understand the gravity of his words, the scene whirled around her as strong hands grabbed hold, one hand clamping on her neck and the other securing her arms. She looked to where the vampire once stood. Her previous fears melted away as she saw Gabriel standing in the doorway. But the confident composure she always saw in him was gone. Reading the strange expression on his face, she realized he was frightened.
The vampire holding Evonne spoke. “There you are, Gabriel.”
Gabriel had faced countless werewolves and enemies all striving to kill him, but this one vampire had him frozen with fear. Only one vampire had such power over him. Evonne’s brief joy became squashed by a new fear. Jovan…
The hand around her neck tightened.
“I had planned for this one to be mine,” Jovan said. “I had so many things to show her.” He moved his mouth closer to her ear as he whispered, “But it looks like my careless child had similar plans. I hate it when my entertainment has been compromised.” His nails pressed harder into the skin under her jaw. “I still have one more to play with. That man and I have more history than he knows. I believe Alexander needs another visit from me. I do have a tendency to grow tired with these small prey when it is the big stag I wish to hunt. What do you think, Evonne? Care to see your brave father struggle for life in our world?”
Gabriel forced himself to speak. “Let her go.”
“You are in no position to beg,” hissed Jovan. “Perhaps when I am finished with her, you and I can pick up where we left off.”
Moving from the doorway, Gabriel took a few steps toward them.
Jovan responded by placing his hand to Evonne’s chest. “These pathetic newborns, even the removal of their heart can be fatal.” He breathed in the scent of her hair. “Oh, Gabriel, how sweet she must taste. And there are so many ways to taste her, as I’m sure you can recall.” He lowered his voice as he spoke to Evonne. “He was the most obedient child I ever had. The way he shuddered underneath me, loving every moment, eagerly taking my blood each time I offered my flesh. Perhaps I could have you both. I can teach you so many things… we both can.”
Evonne struggled against him.
“However,” he said, his words turning cruel, “I never liked the idea of leftovers.” He grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her head to the side.
Evonne’s eyes found Gabriel once again frozen in place, his fear keeping him from acting. She quietly begged him to move. The control Jovan had over Gabriel remained just as strong on this night as it had been nearly eight-hundred years ago.
As Jovan’s fangs tore into her, the pain shattered through every thought and emotion she had. Gabriel was going to let her die.
Gabriel’s eyes finally met hers, pleading for forgiveness. He had no power here—no strength to fight Jovan. Evonne could feel his fear as her blood was stripped away. She wanted to cry out.
Forcing himself to move, Gabriel bolted toward them and slammed his body into Evonne. All three entered the air and tumbled from the roof’s edge.