It was two days later. Everyone was hurdled close to the main campfire. The levity from two days ago was long gone. And it wasn't just misery now. Fear permeated the group. The cold bit harder and reached deeper with every unsuccessful day they hiked through the rainforest. Hadley was being crushed by the pressure to deliver. There was mumbling and grumbling around her, but even now, no one was brave enough to come up to her face and say it: she had condemned them to death.
The last two days had been hell. Rain had woken them up two nights ago and it had continued raining for two days straight. They were wet, cold, muddy, miserable, scared and sleep deprived.
And they were so hopelessly, hopelessly lost.
"Hey you? What are you thinking about?" Teroi cheerily asked, jumping over the log she was leaning on, crouching next to her and putting his hands out close to the fire.
He'd been out in the woods with Drew looking for Brownie. A few days ago, the dog started disappearing into the woods, hunting for rabbits and squirrels, draining them of blood and bringing the bloodless corpses to Crystal and Billy. They were freaked out when Brownie first did it, but now they looked forward to it because it meant an easy dinner. But Brownie hadn't been back for two days, and Drew was inconsolable. He decided to go after the dog, and they had to force him to stay with the group. To ensure Drew wouldn't run into the woods on his own the first chance he got, Teroi eventually agreed to accompany him on a hike to search for the dog. A quick bark from the other side of the fire confirmed they had found the little rascal.
Hadley sighed, blowing into her hands before reaching for the fire again.
That happy bark was the one good thing from the last couple of days. And if it had come back with a carcass from another hunt, it meant hot broth to chase away the bone chilling cold in addition to hugs from the loveable canine.
"I'm thinking about how I want to crawl into this fire." Hadley grumpily replied to Teroi, pulling damp tablecloths tighter around herself, extremely annoyed by his bizarre cheeriness.
"I've got just the thing," Teroi whispered conspiratorially. He made Hadley face him. "Come on. I found something that you'll definitely want to see."
"I'm not leaving this fire, Tee." Hadley insisted.
"I promise, you won't regret it, Lee." he said with an annoyingly smug, happy, lopsided grin.
Not having anything else to do, Hadley relented. She dropped the damp tablecloths and followed Teroi. They walked for about five minutes and just when Hadley was about to start complaining, she saw it. The full moon was showing off tonight in a cloudless sky, and its white glow lit billowy, swirling clouds floating on the little lagoon ahead of them to create the most whimsical image.
"Is that...?" Hadley couldn't say the next word because she was afraid to have the illusion cruelly shattered if it wasn't true.
"Yup! It's warm!" Teroi confirmed, bubbling with excitement.
He giddily skipped towards the little steaming pool, stripping off his clothes one by one with each step.
"What are you doing?" Hadley called out, caught up in the whimsy.
"I'm going in, obviously!" He called back, laughing. Finally naked, one of his hands covering his crotch, he waved for her to follow as he gingerly made his way over the rocks and into the water. "Come on!"
Hadley laughed and pulled off all her clothes too, following his tracks. The moment her ice-cold foot hit the water, she moaned. It was heavenly. She carefully waded in, eager to submerge her whole body into the warm, almost hot, water. Despite the steam, the water was crystal clear, moving gently beneath and around them. Teroi called her over to him.
"There're some rocks here you can sit on here," he said.
She swam over, enjoying how the warm water lapping over her back contrasted with the cold air exposed by her broad strokes. She wasn't a fan of swimming, but the pool wasn't deep, and this warm water was beyond glorious. The others would love this!
"We should go get the others!" Hadley excitedly announced as she sat next to him on the rocks he'd pointed out.
"In a bit," he said, his deep voice reverberating through her, adding to the steamy, warm, alluring atmosphere. "You've been pretty stressed out the last few days. You deserve to relax a little."
She answered with a slow sigh.
He was right. She was wound up tighter than a ball of knotted yarn. Everything was going wrong, and she didn't have the courage to admit it to anyone. If she'd been alone, getting lost wouldn't have mattered as much. But everyone was relying on her to know the way. Especially Ruqwik, who was getting more and more agitated as the days slipped by. And her eyes... the blue and green rings were growing thicker and thicker... The last few days, the vampire would sweep her hair over her face to cover her blue eye, and stay in the forest shadows when they made camp. Hadley didn't want to think about what would happen when red was finally banished from the vampire's eyes.
"Hey," Teroi bulldozed through her thoughts. "Stop that. Stop worrying for just a few minutes and relax. Here, let me see if I can help."
Teroi rearranged them so that he was sitting on a higher rock, partially out of the water behind her, his legs folded at the knees and to her sides. He began slowly kneading her shoulders, upper back, and neck. As he did so, he pointed out the knots, naming every muscle and tendon as he worked to loosen them. Before long, Hadley was a puddle of goo in his hands, looser and more relaxed than she'd been in months.
"How do you know so much about eye colour, muscles and tendons," she asked as she closed her eyes and let the water swirl her deeper into nirvana. "Are you a Medic?"
"No, nothing as cool as a Medic," he replied, slipping back into the water beside her. "But I was a student."
He waded over to her.
"Remember when I told you that as a Progeny you're taught different ways of how to be a vampire by different vampire mentors," he said, floating until he was right in front of her. "In this case, my teacher was another Enclave Baron, a close friend to Lujeo. Her name is Trisca."
"And what did Trisca teach you?"
Teroi swam closer, their faces only inches apart. He gazed into her eyes for a long moment before he finally answered.
"She taught me how to please a woman."
He kissed her then.
It was soft.
Unassuming.
Light.
He pulled away and smiled.
"And..." Hadley breathed, barely above a whisper. "...were you a good student?
"You could test me," Teroi replied in the same, low tone. Coupled with his deep voice, the words echoed through Hadley, reaching her core.
He kissed her again, but with more fire this time. Hadley gave in, welcoming him in and exploring him too. She didn't mind letting go for a bit and enjoying a little no-pants dance, especially having been so incredibly tense and anxious for days. She figured that she could give herself this one night without worry. If anything, it would help maintain her sanity in this hell she'd led them into. And, after talking with the girls a few days ago, she couldn't deny she'd been curious about men.
About Teroi.
Hadley had noticed the stark differences between their bodies several times now as they'd bathed in the river, but she'd never seen the dildo-like appendage between his legs this rock hard as it pressed against her stomach. Teroi's hands found her waist in the water and pulled her up against him. She hooked her hands around his neck to help without breaking their kiss. The erect appendage pushed against her molten core. Hadley stopped the kiss. She looked into his eyes, a question in hers. He paused and looked right back, moonlit droplets sparkling like diamonds in his brown hair and dripping down his face. He smiled as he gently pushed into her.
It was slow and deliberate and steady and oh so delicious.
They kept eye contact up to the point where Hadley couldn't stop herself from closing her eyes and rolling her head back in pure bliss as he pushed in right to the hilt. They stayed that way for a few seconds, fitting against each other. Then Teroi pulled out, as slow and as delicious as before. Hadley lay her head on his shoulder as he moved his hips back and forth, first slow, then quick. It didn't take long before stars exploded behind Hadley's eyes and Teroi came to a shuddering stop, falling off the edge with her. Warmth bloomed inside Hadley, and they held on to each other for a long time.
"Do you still want to go get the others?" Teroi asked, in a breathy whisper.
"In a few minutes," said Hadley, equally as winded. She looked up at him, eyes hooded with lust. "Or maybe an hour?"
*
The next day was much better. They were delighted to find there was a collection of several hot springs in that small area, a much-needed morale booster. But it was more than that. The hot springs were on Hadley's map! Aunt Zee had waxed poetic about them and their supposed healing powers over several pages of the diary. Hadley wasn't certain about the healing powers, but those hot springs were definitely godsend on a cold spring night. The downside was that the hot springs were completely out of the way from where they were supposed to be heading. Still, it was a clear landmark that Hadley could finally use to find her bearings again.
"I asked the mothers to come watch the children. They'll be here in a few minutes." Hadley said, walking up to Jamila who was entertaining the children as they played in a shallow pool of the hot springs.
"You did?" Jamila asked, letting Hadley pull her close.
"I did." Hadley confirmed, giving her a coy smile.
"Why?"
"I can show you better than I can tell you." Hadley whispered, moving even closer.
Jamila laughed. "That's cornier than all the corn we harvested last summer. And that was our best year yet."
Hadley laughed and kissed her. The mothers arrived then, stating their gratitude to Jamila for giving them a few hours to themselves. Hadley led Jamila away into the trees where she'd laid down their sleeping tarp and tablecloths. She covered Jamila with kisses and little nips as they settled down on the tarp, loving her little laughs and giggles at the nips. They made out for a while. For Hadley, every kiss was an apology. An expression of gratitude. A promise.
She pulled away and looked deep into Jamila's golden eyes.
"I'm sorry." Hadley whispered. She felt tears sting her eyes, but they didn't fall. She wasn't sad. She was angry and disappointed at herself. "I'm sorry I left the Compound without saying goodbye."
"You could have explained it to me," Jamila replied. "I would have understood."
"I didn't know how to," Hadley said. "I still don't."
Jamila smiled, but her eyes showed dismay.
And need.
"I'd never purposefully hurt you, Jay," Hadley assured her. "And now that we're here beyond the wall together, I can't believe that I ever thought I could do this without you."
Jamila kissed her. Hadley's cheeks were soon wet, but her tears hadn't spilled yet. These were Jamila's tears.
"Hey... hey..." Hadley whispered, her own tears taking this as a signal to fall. "Don't cry."
Jamila buried her head in Hadley's embrace.
"I don't want to be the one to hold on too tightly and cling to you, only to suffocate everything we have between us." Jamila whispered.
"You never have to worry about that, Jay," Hadley said, deciding there and then that it didn't matter that she was disconnecting. Even if she would forget how to, she would spend every day for the rest of her life showing Jamila just how much she meant to Hadley in every and any way that she could. "Cling as tightly as you want. I'll hold on just as tight."
Hadley hugged her even closer and stroked her hair. They stayed like that for a while, falling asleep in each other's arms.
That evening, a few hours later, Hadley and Jamila decided to organise a feast – a celebration of finding the hot springs. They had fish from the river not too far away, Brownie's contribution of a massive possum and the last of the canned food from the Compound. Hadley was feeling pretty good about herself and the situation. They would get back on track to the Wildlings tomorrow and she was confident that this time she would find the tribe she was tracking in a day or two.
"She's truly awful on that thing!" Hadley hugged Jamila and whispered in her ear as they watched Billy dance while treating them to another hilariously horrible, but fun, harmonica concert. Crystal attempted to provide vocals and the kids clapped along, enjoying every second of the tone-deaf pitch swings from both girls. Sitting on Hadley's lap, Jamila leaned back into Hadley as she laughed at the musical shenanigans.
Everything was going great, until Hadley felt Ruqwik's power swirl around the camp, covering it like an invisible cloud of smoke! The feeling was nowhere near as abrasive as the first time she had experienced it, but it was still disturbingly acrid. Hadley froze. She hadn't felt Ruq in days, the vampire having chosen to permanently stay in the shadows away from everyone. And this projection wasn't because she was jealous of how Jamila was snuggled up against Hadley next to the fire. This was different. And Brownie's subsequent growls confirmed that something was very wrong.
Brownie never growled.
Hadley slowly reached for her whittling knife, which she always kept sheathed to her belt these days, turned to her side, and threw the knife. It flew straight and true, missing the vampire's right eye by less than an inch. And only because he'd been fast enough to reach up and stop the blade between his palms.
"I can see why you like her, Ruq," the leering grin this vampire man wore transferred perfectly to his voice.
Jamila stood, grabbed a piece of burning wood from the fire. Hadley reached for her harvest bag and unsheathed her machete with a satisfying swish. The revelry ceased. The camp went silent. Jamila flanked Hadley, standing tall and strong. Teroi and the other men moved close to them, completing a wall in front of the children and the mothers. Ruqwik stayed in the shadows to the side, under the trees, just past the reach of the fire light.
She was always hidden now.
"What are you doing here, Josal?" Ruqwik spoke from the shadows.
Her guttural voice sent chills down Hadley's spine. It meant her fangs were down, which could only be bad news. Hadley's muscles turned into steel coils.
There was a faint rustling as Ruq walked closer, but she stayed hidden.
The vampire was usually silent when she moved.
"This wasn't the deal." Ruq said.
Josal threw Hadley's knife into the forest floor and turned away from Hadley to face Ruq. "You're damn right, it wasn't."
"You're supposed to be at the mansion," Ruqwik's voice stayed garbled through her dropped fangs. Hadley tightened her grip on the machete and widened her stance, her mind running through every offensive fighting scenario in her training with Aunt Zee.
"As a matter of fact," said Josal, laughing a little. "Can you believe that I found Tristan in one of the rooms? Dormant! The idiot overdid his fasting for the festival and missed all the gory fun! I always knew that one day he would go too far. Always trying to crawl further up Lujeo's..."
Ruqwik cut him off. "That still doesn't explain why you're here."
Hadley wondered what this was about and what it had to do with her and her friends.
"I came to find you, Ruq. To see if you needed any help with..." Josal twirled his hand. "...whatever this is."
"Ruq," Hadley interjected, tensing her muscles even more, ready to attack. "Tell me I can kill him."
Josal laughed. "Such spunk! She's the one you want to Sire to become a Master, am I right? I hope I'm right! She's perfect!"
"What is it you really want, Josal?" Ruqwik asked, irritation colouring her voice. "Or I'll let Hadley here give you a new smile with that blade."
"Ladies, please! So hostile," said Josal. Then he got a little bit serious and looked right at Hadley. "No offense, but you guys look terrible and smell worse. I caught your scent from miles away. You're lucky the vamp dogs are terrorizing Juginta's Enclave out in the east. They'd have sussed you out in a second. From how they're moving, the dogs will be doubling back. I suggest you're not out here when they do."
"Josal..." Ruqwik pulled at his name, her patience clearly wearing thin.
"Listen," Josal said, his voice trembling ever so slightly. Hadley's stomach sank, her fear ratcheting up a notch. Ruqwik was doing it again. She was hurting the man without having to touch him. Like the vampire who'd hurt Drew. "There's a place I know that's only half a day's walk away. It belongs to our mutual friend, Trisca. Remember her? It's a place you can all freshen up with a shower... or two. And you can top up on supplies. Maybe the humans can even stay there and then you, Ruq, can get yourself a Turning Circle, turn this spitfire of a girl here, become a Master, and then come back to Lujeo's with me before anything too nasty goes down."
Trisca?
The same Trisca from Teroi's stories?
Turn this spitfire of a girl?
Hadley didn't like this conversation.
"And who knows," Josal continued. "Maybe you and Trisca could get to talk, catch up on old times. You know she's always had a soft spot for you, Ruq."
Trisca and Ruq?
The Trisca who'd taught Teroi how to please a woman?
Hadley's teeth hurt from how hard she clenched her jaw.
"Hadley? What do you think?" Ruqwik turned to her.
Hadley couldn't hide the surprise at having Ruq ask for her opinion. Hadley turned back to Josal, who seemed equally as surprised as she did, if not more.
"What's this place you're talking about?" Hadley asked.
Josal answered, sharing vague sounding directions.
Hadley was torn. On one hand, this vampire was offering a safe space for the group. A place they could shower, relax, and maybe even escape the vampire dogs. On the other hand, Aunt Zee's map finally showed a clear trail from the hot springs to the Wildlings. However, Hadley had gotten lost following Aunt Zee's directions more than once. They had found the hot springs by accident, which had been their salvation, but she couldn't hope that the same blind, dumb luck would lead them to the Wildlings. Especially not if there was an inkling of truth in what the vampire said about vampire dogs hunting them down. She turned to face the others and found everyone's eyes trained on her.
This wasn't just about her.
And Conception Day was only three weeks away.
Hadley looked back at Ruqwik and nodded.
It wasn't an easy choice, but it had to be made.
"Tell Trisca to expect us tomorrow," Ruqwik said.
"That's alright. I'll stay and be your guide. We'll leave early tomorrow morning," Josal said. He turned to Hadley and smiled. "We don't want you getting lost. Again."
A lead weight settled in Hadley's stomach.
"Now that it's all organised and agreed upon, why don't you come closer to the fire Ruq?" Josal said. Hadley's hand on the machete twitched as he walked past her and closer to the fire. Josal's eyes never left what would have been Ruqwik's face, hidden in the shadows. "You must be cold there."
Hadley felt the crackle of power and turned to Ruqwik. Despite being hidden in the shadows, Hadley knew the vampire's gaze was boring into Josal, who was frozen in his tracks, his eyes wide with terror. Ruqwik was punishing him for his insolence. But Josal had just promised them a sanctuary, and Hadley was hoping he'd lead them to it. Ruqwik couldn't kill him. Not yet. Hadley handed her machete to Jamila and walked over to Ruqwik, joining her in the shadows and gently placing her hand on Ruq's forearm.
"Ruq, don't." Hadley whispered into her ear.
The vampire pulled her eyes away from Josal to Hadley.
"He deserves it."
"I know. But you can't. We need him." Hadley sighed.
Ruqwik released a frustrated sigh and turned around to walk deeper into the trees, where she stayed these days.
Away.
"Are you okay?" Hadley asked, reaching for Ruq once more.
"I'm fine," the vampire lied.
"Your eyes," Hadley gasped softly.
Even though the fire wasn't close enough to fully light her up, this close to her there was enough light for Hadley to see the danger. The red in the vampire's irises was close to her pupils. Almost all gone. Her hair still fell over the side of her face, effectively covering her right eye. Hadley reached up and gently pushed Ruq's hair back, revelling in the feel of soft skin beneath her fingertips. Ruqwik moved deeper into the shadows, her eyes darting to the campfire then back to Hadley.
Hadley looked back at the campfire, then at Ruqwik.
"Does Josal know about you? About you being part Venom?" she whispered.
Ruqwik shook her head.
"Does anyone?"
The vampire shook her head again.
"What would happen if he did? If they did?"
Ruqwik stayed silent, still gazing into Hadley's eyes. Hadley's insides squirmed at that look that always felt a little too intimate for company, even though no one was probably looking at them this deep in the trees' shadows.
"Nothing good," Ruqwik whispered.
Hadley thought about that, coming to the only conclusion that made sense.
"You have to feed." Hadley said.
"I will. Tomorrow. When we get to Trisca's settlement." Ruqwik said, her voice devoid of emotion.
"It sounds like a good place to rest," Hadley said. Lead weight of distant worry settled heavily in her stomach. She knew nothing about this Trisca and she didn't trust that vampire Josal further than she could throw him. She walked Ruq deeper into the trees. "But it sounds a little too good. We don't know what we'll be walking into. What if the first people we meet are vampires and they see your eyes? Or, what if Josal sees your eyes in the light of the sun tomorrow morning?"
Hadley struggled to control her breath and think through her racing heart. She was about to do something that was either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid.
She couldn't decide which one it was.
"I can help," Hadley's whisper was so low, she could barely hear it herself. "I want to help."
Ruqwik stopped walking and tilted her head.
"Are you saying what I think you are?" the vampire asked.
"Do you think that I'm saying you can drink my blood?"
Ruq stayed silent for a few seconds, honing Hadley's anxiety to a razor's edge. What if the vampire rejected her offer?
"Are you?" Ruq asked.
Hadley looked back at the now distant campfire before grabbing Ruqwik's forearm and leading her even deeper into the trees. The moon wasn't bright, but it was enough to vaguely light their way.
"Yes," Hadley still whispered, even though they were far enough that no one could possibly hear her.
Hadley pushed her nerves down, determined to do this now that she'd made the choice.
"If you're sure..." Ruq started.
Hadleypulled back her hair, tilted her head and exposed her neck.