Disclaimer: I do not own the House of Night; this amazing series belongs to P.C. & Kristin Cast. Though I do own the OC, Nettie. And she is me; this is my story if I was to be Marked by a Tracker. Consider this My House of Night!
CHAPTER SIX
Shadows
Dancing shadows upon the wall sent a shiver down my spine. I didn't stop walking but I moved closer to the walls, finding sanctuary beneath a lamp, so that my shadow was directly beneath me and I wasn't confusing my own shadow as someone hunting me. Even though I was somewhat terrified I wanted to find the owner of the shadow, no, that didn't seem quite right I needed to find them. My name, Nettie Kuran, was once again whispered around me, beckoning me forwards like a caressing wind. Taunting me but also playfully brushing against my skin, calling me with urgency.
Whoever the voice belonged too I felt a sense of calm spreading through me, almost warming me at the gentle sound of the woman's voice, I felt protected for some reason. As I stepped forward once again, I kept my fingertips against the wall and kept moving. The desire to never stop until I found the person or thing, clawed at my body and my mind. Without much clarity of thought I began to step slowly, my heart racing in my chest at the thought of actually finding someone. The shadow seemed to slip around the corner, always just slightly out of reach, I strained my ears to listen, trying to hear something anything. Then I froze, the sound of soft footfalls reached my ears, growing softer with each second as they began to move out of reach.
I whirled around the corner, prepared to confront whoever it was but nobody was there; dark strands of my hair flew around my waist, tickling my neck and face. Brushing my messy fringe out of my eyes I let out a huff of frustration, if only my sister could see me now, she would think I was from some bad spy movie, skulking around the shadowed halls like this. But I wasn't going to give up, this was the third time I had seen the shadow and I was trying to prove to myself that I wasn't seeing things and that there was someone there. Even thought my blood almost cried out to them begging for an answer, I felt strange almost airborne as I tailed whoever it was.
My breathing was coming in small shallow breathes as I moved so I didn't make too much noise and give away where I was if they could hear me. My chest no longer burned with each breath and I wasn't coughing anymore, I hadn't realised until then that since I had entered the House of Night I felt, surprisingly better. But my nose was still running slightly, with only the lightest of aches in between my eyes. Maybe it was the aftereffect of being Marked by the Tracker. My shadow was cast against the wall, sometime surprising me when the gaslights flickered, causing my shadow to shift and distort.
A faint noise caught my attention, or maybe it was the ceasing of noise, where I had been following the sound of soft footsteps was now complete and utter silence. Hugging close to the wall I stopped and listened, straining to hear nay noise, anything in this shadow filled corridor. I listened quietly and thought I could hear the sound of the wind, a drip of water, leaves rustling on trees, the crackling of the fireplace. But there was a slight buzz to it as if the noise was somewhere inside my head, beckoning me, calling me onwards. Nettie, my name was whispered from within the shadows and I stiffened, waiting for anything, even the sound of a pin drop. I nearly gasped as my prayers were somewhat answered, and I heard a noise.
A laugh caught my attention, it was filled with mirth and noticeably masculine. Without pausing I stepped around the corner and froze in shock. A man stood in the shadows of an alcove, his back to me as he stepped into the corridor. He was tallish and slender, like you would expect of most male vampires. But there was something in the way he moved that told me he was young, and not just vampyre young, but he must have only been one or two years older than me. His dark black hair seemed familiar, curling in a way that was both gothic and sexy along the back of his neck.
A gasp escaped my lips almost like a sigh as a sense of familiarity swept over me, his back muscled tightened as he heard the noise as if he too expected someone to jump out at him, "It's you…" I trailed off my voice calm as he began to turn slowly. My heart thudded in my chest even as I thought I was handling this better than I thought I would have in this predicament.
Hazel eyes watching him as he turned around slowly, painstakingly slowly, a part of me ached to see his face. And I blushed at the longing that seemed to race through my body at seeing him again. My eyes widened as I saw his handsome face. He was pale, just as all vampyres I had seen so far should be. But he had that beautiful inner flame that the High Priestess had, that I hoped one day I would see in me. Rather than pale creamy skin I was hoping I would look like I was lit from within by a candle, or a star. Then my eyes hungrily roamed over his adult Marking, that strange ancient looking mask that seemed to give him an air of mystery and a sense of seductive darkness.
A smile curved at my lips as I watched him, waiting to see if he had recognised me. After all he had met a depressed girl, who longed for something else something more, even though I had gotten amazingly good at hiding it from people. I wondered if he would recognise me now that I stood before him, proudly showing the beautifully exotic sapphire crescent that now sat between my eyes, that I knew that seemed to mark me with an air of wildness and power. Brushing my hair back, I tucked a stray strand behind my ear, watching him for any sign of recognition to sparkle in the depths of his endless blue eyes.
A strange emotion shot through his eyes, I couldn't quite discern it from the shadows that still obscured his features, a slightly swirl of recognition followed by a strange blankness overcoming his face even as I noticed how his eyes seemed to shine with… longing? Raising his head he stared at me full in the face, his eyes even bluer than I had remembered and his hair was shinier and blacker, more dangerous almost in the shadowed halls than in the daylight. It was like he belonged there in the shadows, amongst the darkness but a thought ran through my mind, of course he did, after all he was a vampyre.
Once again my eyes found his filled in sapphire-blue crescent moon that seemed to glow with an inner light, and I followed the strange mask-like tattoo. The way it framed his eyes, trailed along his brows and over his well-defined cheekbones, the stunning patter of interlocking knots that formed the shape of the mask glowed a rich sapphire against his pale, luminous skin. I longed to run my fingers over the strange swirling knot, run my fingers through his hair; I guess something had happened to me when I was Marked, because now I felt completely insane and well, strangely alluring.
I felt like I was in a daze, he seemed different here, taller, more well- wild and dangerous than he had been walking around in the sunlight. I wondered if it was just because that I could see him for real now or because the way the gaslight flickered shrouding his handsome face in darkened shadows every few seconds. With a shock I realised how stupid I had been, this wasn't where I belonged, well I didn't mean that I didn't belong at the House of Night because I was a Fledgling now and honestly, where else was I to go?
But I didn't belong here, in this corridor following what to me was the Night Personified. He was handsome, agonizingly so but he seemed to radiate such power and well Night-like power that I shivered slightly even though I didn't feel cold. Which I considered to be quite strange because I was scantily clad in a simple black dress, with my shoulders and back bare to the night cold. But maybe this was one of few of the changes I would be going through as I progressed into Changing into a vampyre.
He was a vampyre. And to be exact he was in the favour of the Goddess as she had made him a Tracker, I wondered for a moment how the Goddess would choose someone to be the one to Mark he children of Night, was it a coincidence or were they fated for it. A sense of rightness spread through me at the thought of this handsome man being in the service of the Goddess, perhaps he had needed it more than he or I would ever know? But something, a part of me realised that the Goddess was changing our paths for us, not in a sense that she was controlling our destiny but she laid a path out for us and if we strayed she would always be there to help walk the path of the Night, even though now this path for me was filled with light.
I realised I was somewhere off with the fairies and he was watching me closer, blinking for a moment I cleared my thoughts as my eyes met his for what seemed like eternity, but was really just a second. And then widened in hock as he smiled at me for the first (and that I hoped wouldn't be the last) time, revealing perfect white teeth. Even though he was a vampyre, he seemed young to me, like recently Changed, it was in the way he held himself, the way he smiled. Like he was still getting used to the power he now held inside himself like a raging fire or crashing ocean.
But there was a sense of arrogance to his feature like he knew I was mesmerized by his blue eyes and exotic tattoo, feeling myself flush beneath his gaze his smile intensified into a grin as I stood there like a moron, wondering what to say.
"Nettie Kuran." His voice sounded just like the first time he had spoken to me, when he had Marked me as a Fledgling, dark like rich blood and seductive like warm melted chocolate. Even the sound of my name falling from his lips sent a shiver down my spine, we were alone in this corridor and I still didn't know what to say.
There was a slight wistful air to the way he pronounced my name, almost like a prayer. Stupidly, I didn't even question how he knew I had changed my name already. I just figured that like Astra he had some Intuitive knowledge that enabled them to know things they shouldn't about the Fledglings, and whether or not we were lying to them. My cheeks flamed crimson when I realised he must know half or if not all of the things I had thought about him. He smirked at me, and I guess that was my answer.
Whirling around, I thought about running when two things happened at the same time. The strange presence that had been beckoning me for so long called to me once again, but this time there was a sense of urgency to their voice. As if they were concerned or perhaps scared. I wasn't sure which, but I worried for them and myself. And the second thing caused me to fall to my knees in agony. Pain exploded from between my eyes, radiating along my forehead and spiralling down around my cheekbones. On my knees was when I noticed it, a statue stood proudly in the alcove where the vampyre had been standing, a beautiful woman in long flowing robes.
"Nyx!" I whispered, a shout resounding behind me as I felt warm hands touching my bare shoulders, heat flared through me, as the Tracker whispered something to me, something reassuring but I didn't know what. His arms moved around me, attempting to support me somewhat as I fell forward, but he was there to catch me, and hopefully this time he would stay.
His voice faded as another whispered to me, calling me and drowning out everything else. Come to me my daughter, come to me child of magic. Come… the whispering voice was fading as darkness creped along the edges of my vision; you must embrace your destiny. The whispering voice began to slowly recced, but it was feminie and filled with such ancient power. As a warm sense of calm spread through me I allowed myself to relax, even though I was practically laying in the Tracker's strong embrace, my head resting on his shoulders as I fell into unconsciousness. I sighed at the feeling of the rhythm of his heartbeat against my ear that resounded like the soun beating drum. But as I fell into unconsciousness I wasn't sure if I was going to wake up.
Read & Review: So what did you think? And writing about Erik romantically was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. Initially I was going to have the OC fall over and hit her head but I thought this was cuter, being held in his arms like that.
I have realised that the OC, Nettie and Erik haven't been really introduced, he knows who she is but she doesn't know his name. But when she does find out, it will be awkward, at least that's how I want it to be, it may change.
And now, the next chapter is going to be interesting, well at least I hope it will be. Please tell me what you think?