Jade let several days pass safely hidden away before she ventured out again. She wasn't ready to risk running into Victoria again. Not when she was still so hungry and without a strong hold on her control. The girl drove her senses wild unlike any human she encountered before. She didn't dare think too deeply into why that might be. When she had gotten a proper meal, watching the hunters scurry like lost ants when they realized one of their members was missing, she headed to a stream to clean up.
She didn't make a habit of being seen when she was in close proximity to the town, but should she be seen she didn't want to raise any suspicion. The very few who have seen her never got a good look. She disappeared into the shadows too fast. There had only ever been two people who knew. One never caused her any trouble, but the other was a problem she intended to solve. Once she was home, she properly cleaned up before heading back out.
Victoria's house was slightly bigger and stood on the opposite side of town than her own. She could easily spend most of the trip hidden in the trees, but as she got closer, she would have to venture inward. The house wasn't too far in, but it definitely wasn't close to the border of surrounding trees as she would have liked.
She carefully picked her way through, keeping to the back ways, quiet streets, rooftops, and the occasional busy road when she couldn't bypass it any other way. She stepped into the backyard of the Vega household. She took a moment to center herself then let her senses roam. Sound, smell, movement, vibration. She became one with her surroundings. No one was awake. There were no neighbors out and about.
She waited for a single person to pass by across the streets before making her move. The trees weren't close enough to the building to bother climbing. She sensed Victoria asleep on the second floor. The window on the right would give Jade access to her room. She approached the lattice fence built into the outer wall. It was overgrown with colorful and sweet-smelling flowers that bothered Jade's sensitive nose. She scowled and blew air out through her nose to clear it, took a breath through her mouth, and then held it. Only then did she hoist herself up and began climbing.
She started cautiously, mindful of any weakness in the structure, but it didn't even creak. The craftmanship and woodwork was strong, and both aided in a quick ascent. It took her part of the way up, but she had to make use of her sharpened nails to climb higher. She readied herself and kicked off, quickly scaling the last stretch of wall, grabbing the window's ledge in seconds. She figured that the quicker she traversed over the surface, the less likely she would let her weight linger too long and create marks. She didn't want to leave any trace of having been there.
Movement inside made her freeze. She waited until it subsided then reached up to push open the window. When it was open enough, she pulled herself the rest of the way up. She slipped in and shut the window behind her to cut off the breeze. If it got too cold, she might wake up. Jade stepped further into the room, slightly hunched and taking each step with precision.
Her steps were light, but even they couldn't avoid the creak in a board toward the middle of the room. She froze again, looking to the human asleep in bed. She only rolled over. The moon's pale light swept over her serene features and Jade froze for a different reason. Vulnerable.
It would be so easy to silence her. Jade shuffled closer, eyes resting on her exposed throat. She licked her lips, her stomach growled, her teeth sharpened, but she held back. It was just her usual reaction to prey within reach. But she didn't need it, nor did she want it.
It was just her opportunistic predator tendencies. She could ignore it. She forced it back, but her eyes still glowed, unable to remove them from the young woman. She deftly climbed on the desk across from the bed, all without taking her eyes off her target. She crossed her legs and leaned back on the wall, just staring.
She carefully breathed in and out, adjusting to the overwhelming smell of her scent permeating everything around her. She could do it. She just had to focus and relax. Waste of a meal.
No. Victoria was an ally. A friend. Or, she would be if Jade could just relax. So that was where she stayed, paused in time like a statue, not moving for hours. The morning was fast approaching by the time Jade managed some semblance of calm.
She had gotten her defenses to come down, fought back her instinct to attack, and was mostly unaffected by the delicious scent in the air. It was all she could do for now. It was time to leave. She hopped off the desk and headed for the window, stopping only to sweep over the space for any sign that she had been there. Satisfied, she slid out the window, closed it, and let go of the ledge.
She caught herself easily in the grass below and darted in the direction of the closest route back into the line of trees. And to safety. The sun slowly rose above her, lighting up the world and stripping her of shadows to take refuge in. Just when she thought she would be seen she cleared the last of the buildings. Hurry. Hide.
Without delay she turned away from the waking town and ran deeper into the trees. She took the long way around. She wasn't in a rush to get home, not if it meant being spotted, so she wasn't going to risk cutting into town like she had last night.
The sun was fully in the sky by the time she came out behind her little cottage. It was a relief to be back home. Her stress level had been too high for too long. She walked in and went straight to bed, falling heavily onto it. She could feel every muscle unwind. The familiar surroundings helped lull her to sleep.
When she jumped awake, she was aware that most of the day had passed her by. She exhaled heavily, blowing away a dark lock of hair from her face. In just a few hours she would have to go back and repeat the process. It was the only way she could think of to desensitize herself to Victoria's unique scent. It would be the first step of many that would make it easier to be around her.
She dedicated herself to the task every day for a week. Every day she dodged unnecessary dangers she normally didn't have to deal with. Every day she forced away engrained instincts. Every day she endured unwanted stress all in preparation to one day meet Victoria again. On better terms. But the training paid off no matter how hard it was at times. She was seen twice, once by a hunter. She was almost caught once by the Vega matriarch who had stopped by to check on her offspring, the night she suffered a nightmare. Jade practically threw herself out the window when she sensed her approaching. She felt helpless watching Victoria cry in her sleep, wishing she could do something. But her mother calmed her distress. The older woman lingered once Victoria went back to sleep so Jade turned in early.
Every third night she practiced hunting animals, mindful of how many she needed that could equal the level of satiation she felt when she hunted a human. It was a cheap substitute, but it was better than nothing and would help her space out her need to consume human flesh. Victoria wouldn't appreciate that part of her, but she would have to accept it if she wanted anything to do with Jade. It was a part of herself she couldn't change. What she was didn't allow it.
During the day she remained unreachable to the persistent young woman. She had to give her some credit for showing up every day in an attempt to catch Jade off guard. But Jade was ready for her. She was accustomed to her presence now so that she could never be surprised by her again. She could pick out her heartbeat among many if her scent didn't tip her off first.
But like clockwork Victoria would show up and speak through the back door where she couldn't be seen by others. They would no doubt question her or word would get back to her family. She was in too deep to get caught now. She couldn't give up either. She refused to.
One day she would meet the elusive creature and learn everything there was to know. She would be the friend and companion that Jade needed. It was on a day Victoria didn't expect when Jade made her next move. She sat around the backyard of the silent cottage for two hours, hoping she would see Jade, but she never did.
She was heading back home when she had a feeling that she was being watched. It sent a shiver down her spine. The wind picked up and added chills to her skin. She rubbed at her arms and kept walking, her gaze meeting every person she passed. No one looked suspicious, and a subtle glance behind her proved no one was following. She reined in her mounting discomfort and hurried home. The feeling went away when she made it inside and she was able to relax.
She finished her lessons with her mother and went through dinner without its return. But then, when she excused herself to bed, it came roaring back. She stepped into her dark room and gasped at the shadow by her window, a pair of glowing eyes meeting her own.
She shut the door behind her when her knees went weak and she stumbled backward. It closed with a bit of force, prompting concern from her father. She called back a reassurance that she was fine, but it was absent of much thought. All her attention was on the sight in front of her. She couldn't quite believe it. Jade had come to her. The moment was one she waited for, and yet she didn't know what to do.
"Hey," she whispered. Her voice wavered and she could have hit herself for the stupid greeting. Of all the things she could say to the mysterious being before her and that was what came out of her mouth.
