Chapter 9
Mina looked at her, "W-What? You saw him?!" she asked in shock.
Faith growled, "The bastard was lucky I didn't get to him."
Leah replied, eyes narrowed, "He got away. I saw him run before I could actually fight him." What a coward. Probably recognised me after he attacked me, and bolted.
Private stammered in fear, "S-So a m-member of The Illusion is still o-out there?" Oh dear.
Faith, as she helped Mina stand, glanced at the small penguin. "It's alright. One Death-Wolf alone isn't nearly as strong as The Illusion was" she said reassuringly. With that said, she turned her attention completely on her vampire friend once again. Mina leant against her, unable to walk on her right leg, and her arms were draped over Faith's shoulders. She was so weak.
Skipper's usually hard expression, softened at the sight. They really are close to each other. He cleared his throat, "We should head back to HQ," he turned to Mina, "Kowalski will tend to you."
Mina was sitting on a bench, the penguin habitat, with a bandage around her wounded leg. Faith sat beside her, a look of pure concern on her face, "Are you alright now?" she asked softly.
The vampire sucked in a breath, "Yeah. The pain in my skin hasn't stopped, though. Neither has my weakness" she answered.
All of a sudden, the penguins jumped in front of them, seemingly from nowhere. Private smiled, and then it faded when he looked at Mina. Giving a little cry of surprise, he jumped back. She doesn't look well at all.
Mina, ignoring the small penguins expression of worry, asked, "Where have you guys been?"
Skipper answered, "Securing that the zoo won't be opened today. We can't risk anyone seeing you three."
Kowalski inquired, looking around, "Um, where is Leah?"
Mina answered, "In the time that we've known Leah, we've noticed something. She has a… different way of dealing with things like injury of her friends. She just needs to b alone for a while."
Private nodded, and then a question came to him. He asked, "Excuse me, but how long have you know each other?"
Faith explained. "Mina, Leah and I? Well. Mina and I have known each other since we were kids,"
Mina continued, "We grew up in an orphanage together. The orphanage was for people like us. Vampires, werewolves, half Death-Wolves like Faith…kids that nobody wanted because we were different."
She clung to her mother's leg as they entered the strange place. It was a very large, old mansion that looked like it had been taken out of a horror movie. Even the area surrounding it gave off that appearance. The trees were bare and dark, the sky was a gloomy gray, and a crow was perched on the top of the staircase, that lead to the large front door.
Her mother ascended the staircase and knocked on the door. The crow beside her cawed, causing the young vampire increase the distance between them in fear. The door opened, and a tall, slim man appeared. He smiled a warm, inviting smile. "Good evening," he bent down to her, "Are you Mina?"
She nodded with a small smile, "Y-Yes sir" she answered timidly. The strange man, she decided, was not as scary as she had expected.
Her mother said to him, her tone completely businesslike. "Thank you again for taking her."
The man's expression softened further, "Must I really take her? She is only nine. Surely you can find some way to,"
Her mother interrupted sharply, "My word is final. I don't want her." She cringed at the phrase. It had echoed in her mind for years, for she had heard her mother say it thousands of times to her father.
The strange man nodded solemnly, and then outstretched his hand to her. "Please come with me, dear Mina" he said. Shyly, she placed her hand in his, and saw how gigantic his hand looked compared to hers.
She glanced at her mother, who glowered down at her. "Go on, Mina" she instructed coldly.
The kind man led the little vampire inside, before glaring furiously at her mother, who gave him a look of indifference. Then, she walked away without turning back.
The man shut the door, and Mina, looking around, asked. "What is this place, sir?"
He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair, "This, dear Mina, is your new home" he answered softly. She nodded, but was still confused. New home? Did her mother sell her to the strange man?
The man in question took her hand in his once more, and placed a gentle kiss on it. Looking into her eyes, he asked seriously. "Do you know why you're here, dear Mina?"
She nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes, "B-Because my m-mommy doesn't w-want me" she sniffled.
The man nodded, but then smiled kindly at her, "But don't worry, my dear. This is an orphanage, where children are given good homes. I'll make it my mission to look after you" he said honestly.
Private, close to tears because of the story, sniffled, "Th-That was so sad."
Skipper, who was beginning to tear up as well, muttered, "Stay strong, Private. Think manly thoughts."
Mina smiled, and continued, "He was indeed very nice. I soon found out that everyone called him Mr. Crestwood, because no one knew his first name, so that was what I called him. When I arrived, he sent Faith to show me around, and we talked along the way, because we were the same age."
Faith nodded, and added, "I'd been at the orphanage ever since I was a baby. My parents," she sniffled, attempting to fight back obvious tears, "M-My p-parents left me at Mr. Crestwood's d-doorstep, because they d-didn't w-want me." She took a deep breath, and finished, "The orphanage burnt down seven years after Mina arrived. Everyone escaped, but we got left behind. We met Leah a few days after she's been cursed. She didn't really trust us at first, but we became best friends, as you know."
Skipper, surrounded by too much sadness, belly slid away. Leah wouldn't force me into teary-girly things. I'll find her.
He found Leah a few minutes later. She was punching and kicking one of the padded walls outside the Children's Zoo, and doing so very impressively. Skipper observed her for a few moments, watching her movements as she managed several difficult kicks and punches. So this is how she does it. She attacks stuff.
Leah, after delivering a perfect roundhouse kick to the padded wall, sensed someone behind her. She stiffened, "Who's there?" she snapped.
The lead penguin walked out from his hiding space. He raised his flippers, "Relax soldier, it's just me" he answered.
Leah smiled, "Hey" she replied.
Skipper smirked, "Nice moves, by the way" he commented.
"it's how I deal with stuff" she responded with a shrug.
All of a sudden, the rest of the penguins rushed over. Private said, worry in his eyes, "Skipper! Faith just took off!"
Leah whirled around, "What!?" she asked in alarm.
Kowalski replied, "She sniffed the air, and must have smelt something because she growled, then phased into her Death-Wolf form and ran off."
The black haired girl shook her head, "She wouldn't leave Mina's side when she's in her current condition, not without a good reason" she said.
All of a sudden, Faith ran up to them, still in her Death-Wolf form. She looked at them all, her expression one of apology, before dropping something in front of them. She had held it in her teeth, and it looked like it had been ripped off of something.
Private picked it up, and gasped, "Sk-Skipper" he said in fear. The leader waddled over, and Leah and rest of the penguins crowded around the object.
A torn piece of blood red silk.
Leah locked eyes with Faith, who remained in her Death-Wolf form. The half-breed eyes narrowed, and she gave an abrupt nod. The black haired girl asked curtly, "Did you find this not far away?"
Faith nodded again, and growled low in her chest in anger.
Kowalski asked, "Did you smell her?" He received the same reply.
Leah said knowingly, "She smelt her, and then went after her. She tried to attack her, but Genevieve was too fast, so she only managed to grab a piece of her cloak." Faith nodded again, and smiled slightly.
Suddenly, a white streak of what looked like electricity flashed across the sky, towards the penguin habitat! Seconds later, a loud explosion erupted from the habitat. It sent mild tremors through the entire zoo. The group looked towards the habitat, and gasped. Smoke curled from the habitat, and the entire thing was as black as ash.
Alice immediately ran towards the habitat, screamed, and snatched her walkie-talkie from her pocket. She turned it on, and demanded into it, "What happened!?" She listened for a few moments, and then snapped, "Well, how am I supposed to know?!" The zookeeper tapped one of the pieces of broken habitat, and moved back instantly. "It looks like some sort of…electrical shock that caused something in the habitat to spark, and then blow it up," she scratched her head, "I haven't seen electrical wires do this before" she said. With a shrug, she walked away, grumbling something about the amount of money the repairs would cost.
The penguins and girls walked out from their hiding space, and Kowalski said. "Skipper, by my calculations, it was no ordinary electricity failure."
Mina, who had seen the entire thing, narrowed her eyes, "Nope. It was Genevieve. This looks like her work, since she has electricity magic."
Leah looked at the piece of blood red cloth that was in her hand. At that moment, one thing only was on her mind. Genevieve had done too much. Not only had she hypnotized a Death-Wolf to kill her parents, but she had the nerve to show up years later and try to kill her friends! A fire burned in her eyes, as they narrowed dangerously.
She wouldn't be the same. Not anymore. The girl dug into her pocket, and pulled out her Guardian Sword. Flicking her wrist so it would go to its full size, she sighed heavily. The sword had been given to her by the fox herself, so that she could kill Death-Wolves properly.
Leah laughed bitterly. She placed the piece of cloth on the ground, and sliced it once with the sword. Tightening her grip on the Guardian Sword, the young girl placed it in both hands, and traced the non-sharp edge with her thumb. The decision was made.
She was no longer just Leah, a cursed Guardian.
She was a mercenary.
A mercenary for herself.
Her mission was simple, but would give her great delight. She smiled sadistically at the sheer thought of it.
She would find Genevieve….
And she would make the bitch suffer for what she had done.
…
There it is folks! Book 1 completed! Book 2 will be started soon.
ALERT! ALERT! INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT MESSAGE!
As you know, I have decided to add romance in the next book. But I can't decide who should get the guy! I'm trying to decide between Leah and Faith and it's REALLY HARD! Please help me! I will be forever grateful! Post who you think should get the guy, in a review, and why (if you want), and the most popular choice will be the girl that falls in love. PLEASE HELP ME!
P.S: The inspiration for Leah, came from a Beauty and the Beast fanfiction series I'm reading. It's called the "Claiming" series, and the author's version of Lumiere is a completely badass sort-of-mercenary. I based Leah somewhat on him. So, as a little disclaimer: any small similarities that you see between Leah and Winterstarfire's version of Lumiere, belongs to the wonderful Winterstarfire.