Ebony Fire
Chapter 3
"Well," She sighed. "You've been busy." She walked towards them looking up at the poorly built fortress. They all nodded and smiled.
"Not the best house you've ever seen…"Vitro said. "But it'll have to do until we…move."
"Wait until you see the inside." Javier said.
"So, what was it like being around humans all day?" The youngest brother, Star rushed to Tarantella.
"Well," She chuckled. "It wasn't easy…"
"Come inside…" Vitro and the others began to pile in the inadequately built house. Or…so you'd think if you only looked on the outside. Inside was a citadel of décor. Many paintings on the walls and plants hanging off the ceiling. You'd think millions of vines would be surrounding the floor when it's most likely a mere thousand.
"Well…" Tarantella said as she gazed around the room. Vitro gave a smug grin as he turned to look at her. He then leaned over and laid his hand on her shoulder.
"My child," He said with a smirk. "I've been watching you and your progress with that boy today. Stay focused on your undertaking…" His face became dull and serious. She nodded once as she stared right back at him. He then stood straight up and looked back at his sons.
"Alright boys…" He said proudly. "I think we deserve a little reward for our days work…" The room filled with silence as Vitro tilted his head to the side with a vast grin.
"Let's hunt." Everyone sprung out of the house in various directions with striking momentum. Many of the boys went straight to the dark allies of the city as Vitro made two of them stay behind. He called them close and began to whisper.
"This is Tarantella's first real hunt…" He said. "It's about time she learned to kill. She hasn't attempted to eat anything since the change. I want you both to make sure she kills something. If she starves, our plan becomes fatal." They nodded and proceeded to their obligation.
Tarantella is now alone, or so she thinks, deep into an unknown forest near town. She's hoping of getting away with just killing an insect or something else less significant than an actual person. That way, if his "father" asks if she killed whatever thing, she won't have to lie.
So far, she has killed at least over a hundred nats and beetles. She continued to kill more just to calm her nerves. As she did, she began to think more about Edward. How she wants to know him more and get closer to him. Almost aching to see his hypnotizing golden brown eyes. Suddenly, interrupting her thoughts, the sent of human blood comes across her. Her hands began to quiver as her body quickly follows sue. Her eyes wide and as she becomes fretful to run away. But something is making her stay put. She covers the bottom half of her face with her hand as she began to breathe hard and fast. The human is closing in fast. In fact, it is now standing underneath a tree she is resting on playing with a leaf of some sort. Also, to add to the scenario, the human is a simple male child…young blood. She suddenly hears the dark sinister voice echo in her head again.
"Do it…" Her mind growled. "It's in your nature…you can't fight this." She began to tilt her head over as Vitro did when he announced the hunt. She fights back her grin as she grips on the branch. Her strength eventually takes its toll and snaps the branch in half. Causing her to slip and slid down. She claws the sides of the tree to slow down. As she came to a stop, she found herself face to face with the male child. She presses her back against the tree to make as much distance as possible. The boy looked up at her with a curious look. His fair skin brightened with his ocean blue eyes.
"Who are you?" He asked. She continued to stare down at him with a look filled with anxiety. Her hands clenching as the bark began to interlock with her fingers. The sun began to beam on her skin. The boy continued to gaze.
"Wow…" He sighed. "You're pretty…" Tarantella gave a quick smile as she continued to shake.
"Hurry! While no one is around!" The voice echoed again. "Do it!" She subconsciously began to glare straight ahead.
"Shut up…" She said under her breath.
"Are you ok, lady?" He asked taking small steps closer. She attempted to step back farther knowing the can't go through the tree…well, at least not while the boy is watching. Knowing boys his age, he'd go telling the mail men in the country. Her mouth then creased open as her breaths became hard and slow. Her fangs flared as she glared down at the ground.
"Whoa…" The boy exclaimed. "Awesome teeth!" She quickly caught herself and covered her mouth.
"Hey, are you a vampire or something?" Both are completely unaware of Javier and Tyson high up in a tree near by watching.
"What is she doing?" Javier exclaimed.
"If that were me, ugh, I'd make sure there wouldn't be a finger left!" Tyson said with his teeth clinched.
"Come on…kill the boy before you starve to death!"
After a long pause, Tarantella felt to have no choice but to nod her head. Expecting the boy to scream and run away, she hears him exclaim,
"Cool! A real vampi-!" Before he could finish, Tarantella had his mouth cupped.
"Not…another…word…" She said quietly. "You may not...wait, how old are you?"
"11…" The boy answered.
"Listen, no one knows we exist. And we need to keep it that way…" The boy then began to nod his head.
"Oooh, I got cha." He said as he leaned close. "This is between you and me, right?" She hesitated, but she nodded.
"That's it!" Tyson exclaimed. "I have to-!"
"No, you idiot!" Javier couldn't stop him in time. Tyson charged down towards the boy. Tarantella turned quickly to look.
"No…" She said quickly. "Come on!" She picked up the boy and put him on her shoulder as she began to run away from Tyson. The boy looked up to see what she was running from. He saw the red eyes of her fellow "sibling"
"Whoa…" He said to himself as Tarantella swiftly jumped into a high tree. She started to swing and jump from an assortment of branches as Tyson quickly followed.
"This is awesome!" The boy shouted. A look of determination was on her face as she continued to run. Finally, she made it to the end of the woods to a near high way. She jumped a great length to make it across the street. Tyson stopped and glared at Tarantella and the boy. Knowing that there are to many bystanders coming by for him to attack him now, he punches the side of a tree and storms off. Being sure of his absence, she puts the boy down on his feet beside her. She then looked down at him and asked,
"Where are your parents?" He pointed over to her right to see them taking pictures of a rare endangered woodpecker. She kneeled down to face the boy and laid her finger in front of her mouth.
"Tell no one about me…" She said. He nodded with a dazed look. The woman taking pictures then looked behind her for the boy.
"Brandon?" She said with a question. "Honey, where are you?" Brandon looked back at his mother and then in front of him. Tarantella had disappeared.
"So…cool…" He said to himself.
"There you are!" The woman grabbed his hand and began to pull him. "Come on, it's time to go."
"Mom," Brandon said. "can we come back next weekend?"
