Half Blood Rising
Chapter 2

I turned away from them and took off running, already imagining being trapped in the claws of the High Council. It was too risky. I knew how they operated, and I didn't want to lose my freedom. At the same time, I couldn't believe Tristan had betrayed me. The vampire tried to stop me, shouting something about binding law, but I wasn't listening. I just kept running. He tried to use binding energy, but my "other" nature, the one I knew nothing about, seemed to be immune to it.

I sped through the gloomy streets quickly enough, getting away. Tristan wouldn't be able to chase me in the car, so I knew I'd be all right. It was the middle of the night, so there was hardly anyone out now. Besides, I liked moving through the narrow streets, where access by car was usually limited. Then again, I couldn't walk too far. I was weakened by the earlier attack and lack of food. Moments later, I decided to hide in one of the old abandoned town houses that had seen better days.

My legs were aching like hell, and my vision was becoming blurry again. Normally with my half-vampire strength, I was in excellent shape, but after killing the werewolf, I was drained. His tainted energy had affected me his darkness had stuck to me like glue. I had to wait for it to fade, and sometimes it took hours, other times, days. It took me several long moments to inhale a few deep breaths. This was going to be a difficult night for me. Even my bones hurt right then as I was cursing off Tristan. Then my stomach growled again. Damn him.

I would do a lot right now for a warm meal and a decent night's sleep in a proper bed. Maybe it was a silly dream, but to me, it was a basic necessity. Right now, I had nothing: no money for food, and nowhere to go, and the High Council was after me-that was just great.

Tears forced their way into my eyes. Damn it-when had I become so weak? Never. There was no point in feeling sorry for myself, but at the same time, I'd never been in such a shitty situation before. I'd lived on the streets for four years, but even so, I'd managed to take care of myself.

My mind was in despair. I tried really, really hard to remember someone from my past, anything, even small glimpses of my previous life, but with no results. There was nothing, only an obscure void inside my mind.

Two hours later, I had enough strength to leave the mouldy town house. I decided to climb the fire escape to the top of the building and then walked along the rooftop. This way, I could see everything that was happening on the streets. It had been easy to break into and replace the fire escape; no one had ever bothered me up here. I was alone, so damn alone all the time.

The temperature dropped slightly in the night and it finally stopped raining. I found a spot near the stairs with an old mattress that someone had left behind. It was the only dry place around the building, so I decided to rest there. Five minutes later, the rain began pouring once again, but at least I was dry. As a half-breed I really didn't need that much sleep, but I was so exhausted then, and I closed my eyes.

Tristan's pay had only given me enough to survive. Renting an apartment was way too expensive, and without any kind of paperwork, it was close to impossible. In the very beginning of my existence as a half- vampire, I managed to get a short-term job on the black market. My boss had used me. I was getting paid at the time, so I didn't care how hard I needed to work for it. Besides, I didn't speak Ukrainian, and no one in that line of work understood English.

After a year, I'd become fed up working for minimal pay. I wanted a proper job, or at least some sort of education. That had been an option, too, but I needed an address, an identity. No one wanted to deal with a homeless half-breed. It had quickly become the story of my new life.

More tears flowed down my face, but I quickly wiped them away. I had always played the hard-as-steel Jaymin, never showing my emotions, and now I couldn't replace my way back to the "old me."

Tristan had shut that door for me. Tracking convicts and killing them had taught me resilience, and it had given me other valuable skills, but I couldn't do it any longer. Once he decided to get someone else involved, I was done. I couldn't rely on getting paid for it anymore. Now the High Council was on to me. I was even more fucked than I realised.

My stomach was growling very loudly at that point. I didn't know how, but eventually, I drifted off to sleep. The werewolf's victims haunted me in my dreams. I fought with them; I shouted that it wasn't my fault, but they wouldn't listen.

Sometime later, I was awakened by the noise from the traffic below. It was humid again, and I was used to waking up stinking like a pig by now, especially during a heat wave. I dreamed of a hot shower, but first I had to get something to eat. My head was spinning a little, and I knew it was from the lack of food. There were no more tears-I was done with it. After surviving for so long, I couldn't just give up.

As I made my way down to the streets and started walking towards the north, of course, people stared. I was used to it by now. I probably had blood stains all over my clothes, and Ukrainians tended to be extremely nosy. Around eight o'clock in the morning it was already twenty-five degrees, so I had to prepare myself for a scorching hot day. I walked for about a mile, then killed a few hours trying to replace something to eat in the bins, but other homeless humans had already beat me to it.

Around midday, the King's Bar opened, and I hid inside, escaping the heat. There weren't many people there, and as soon as I showed up, the barman gave me a sharp look. I didn't look particularly appealing, but he couldn't just throw me out without a reason. This place always stunk of blood. A lot of supernaturals hung around here, but it was too early for any of them to be there now.

I headed straight to the bathroom. Luckily, I would be able to wash myself and change my clothes. I only owned two pair of jeans and a few T-shirts. I only showered when I had some cash on me. My other top stunk of burnt fish. I'd visited the local market a few times last week, so maybe the fabric soaked in the smell. Either way, after I left the restroom, I looked more like a human girl.

A few Ukrainian girls passed me on the way to the bar. They were giggling, talking about makeup and boys. For a moment, I imagined being one of them, free of all my problems and worries. I was daydreaming and not looking where I was going, then a split second later, I crashed into someone, hard. I lifted my head, seeing that it was another vampire. He was pure, ancient, maybe? I didn't know how I could tell, but as soon as I met his eyes, I knew I was right. A strong jolt of electrical current shot through me.

"Watch where you're going, hen?" He spoke in English, and he had the strongest Scottish accent I had ever heard.

He was damn handsome: tall, lean, with longish light-coloured hair and a muscular chest. He wore a white shirt that stretched across his massive form and revealed much of his ripped muscle beneath. I only had a glimpse, but that was enough for me to know that he was from a higher caste. And he smelled heavenly, too. Crap, this wasn't what I was supposed to be focusing on. I was heading to the bar, hoping to get some food. He stared at me like I was a bag of dirt, so... he was an arsehole.

"Whatever, man," I snapped, annoyed he'd talked to me like that, calling me that name, and I felt judged instantly. The corner of his mouth lifted into a smile, and the colour of his eyes intensified. We gazed at each other for a few more seconds, but then he broke eye contact and carried on walking.

His scent was overwhelming, clinging to me and penetrating my system. What the hell was wrong with me? Somehow, he'd pushed away the vile, dark energy that had been inside me.

I hurried back to the bar, not thinking much about the fact it was way too early for any vampire to be out in the daylight. I just wanted to flirt with someone who could feed me. Sometimes when I made an effort, I was convincing enough. This bar served a lot of lonely souls who craved attention.

Moments later I saw Pedro, the manager of the bar. He was standing by one of the tables and scanning the space. I'd been certain he was off today, and now his being here complicated things for me. Pedro knew how I operated, and he had kicked me out of here a few times before, so I knew I needed to bail.

Swearing my bad luck, I turned and headed downstairs, towards the long corridor where that arsehole vampire had just vanished. Someone once told me that there was another way out of here. I didn't want to leave yet, but at the same time, I didn't want to face Pedro; he enjoyed making my life difficult. The King's Bar was the only place in Lviv that opened in the morning, and where most of the supernaturals were usually welcome.

Moments later I made a sharp turn to the right, and I could hear someone talking.

"We have been waiting for you, Lachlan. It's been a long time," said a deep voice, sending shivers racing down my spine. I moved closer to the wall, thinking I must have just stuck my nose into someone else's business. This was just my luck.

"What do you want, Marcus?" another voice said. "I'm a busy man. I have no idea how you found out I was in the city." I recognised the thick Scottish accent and the aura. He was the vampire I'd bumped into earlier on, the vampire who mocked me.

I didn't think I was welcomed to eavesdrop, but I couldn't make any rash moves, either. They could sense me, and I was still too weak to defend myself. "The Elite Academy is missing one of its best students. You know of whom I'm speaking about?"

I leaned over, trying to see the supernatural who was talking. He was a mage with a strong aura. He had a thick beard and stocky features. He was powerful, I could sense it. What he said made me curious. He could only be talking about one academy: Saint Kilda in Bucharest. It was one of the most prestigious schools for vampires and other creatures in the world. Only the elite were taught there.

I backed away to my right, hiding behind a few large barrels. The handsome Scot was on the stairs, but I couldn't really see him. There was another person there, too, standing further to the mage's right. I could only see his profile, but I suspected he was supernatural, too.

"Is this why you summoned me here? To waste my time?" the vampire replied, using the same mocking tone of voice he had when he'd called me a hen. "We both know Casimir isn't right for that place." The mage's features hardened. He obviously didn't like his tone.

"We have our ways; we could easily change the minds of some of the board members," another supernatural, the one who was standing to the right added. "Once we eliminate the female, the others will follow through."

It was time for me to leave. I didn't want to hear anymore-it was none of my business. The mages were much more powerful than vampires and extremely unpredictable. However, the Scot stepped closer, and if I moved, he could most likely sense me, so I was stuck.

He didn't seem happy at all, and I could see his expression. It was dark in here: only a dim bulb lightened the space and it was flashing, too.

"I don't want to hear about it," the vampire said. "You made a huge mistake reaching out to me." Seconds later, he turned on his heel and started walking back up the stairs. I was trying to comprehend what had just happened, when the mage spoke again:

"He was always a fool. I thought his father's reputation meant something, but we were wrong. Use your influences, Percy, and eliminate Dagmara. We can bribe the rest of them. The board has been strict with their selection process for far too many years. The boy won't talk, he has too much to lose."

"I'll replace a way to change his mind. He has a weakness-everyone does," the other mage continued, and I was cursing myself for being stuck here now. "This task won't be easy. We need to make it look like an accident. Two board members: one female and one male."

"He's a coward, but never mind, we will replace another way," Marcus, the mage, stated. "Casimir deserves his place in the academy, and he'll get in once we eliminate the two." His voice caused vibrations of energy inside my heart.

I could hear another voice coming from the other side. Someone was speaking in Ukrainian right above the stairs, and I tripped, panicking, then leaned too far back. Then I felt someone's hand grasp my arm. How the hell did he get to me so quickly?

"Little half-breed, how long have you been standing here and listening in?" the mage asked, squeezing my arm so hard I thought he was going to break it. Panic lanced through me as I tried to gather my strength to push him off. There was no time and he hurled me across the corridor. Pain shattered through me when I crashed against the wall. Everything happened so fast, and stars danced in front of my eyes as my head slammed against the floor. My arm felt like it was broken in half, and even more pain exploded throughout my body. There was blood, and when I looked down, I discovered there was a blade shoved inside my ribcage.

"She heard us-kill her and clean up. The humans are coming, and we can't afford to be seen." I heard Marcus say, then there was darkness scattering across my vision, and pain. The other mage attacked me with his magic, throwing everything he had towards me. I was so done.