Jasper POV
That plane ride took an amazingly long time. I can't believe humans take that trip regularly, it was irritating for me, I couldn't imagine having to deal with human weaknesses on that flight. We landed in Melbourne and then had to take another plane to Adelaide, where we rented a car to take us where we needed to go.
The others were fascinated by the barren landscape, reminiscent of a sci-fi movie. Texas was similar, but so different at the same time. Bella especially was having the time of her life, being her first overseas trip since the fated Italy trip.
"Where to Pete?" I asked.
"All I know is we have to stop at the next town, and then run west. I'm not sure how long for, but I'm sure I'll know when we get there." Peter smirked at me, knowing I didn't like it when he left things open ended.
The next town was Yulara, a blink and you miss it town at the base of one of Australia's only claims to fame, Ayres Rock. We were truly in the middle of nowhere now, and as we continued on I only became more confused as to what our purpose was here.
Thankfully it had taken us a little over 12 hours to get to the town, and it was the middle of the night, so we were able to begin our journey on foot right away. We left the car parked off to the side of the road, and began our run.
Peter took the lead, following his gift.
"Not a gift!" He shouted out to me.
Cheeky little fucker, always knows what I'm thinking. At least he's not as bad as Edward. Bella fell in step beside me and arched her brow at me.
"What do you think we're running into?" She asked.
"I'm not sure, but the further we go, the worse I feel. I don't think whatever it is will be good."
Bella frowned, worry colouring her face. I sent her some confidence, and reassurance. Whatever we walked into couldn't be that bad, and I wasn't worried about anyone in the group. We had all taken turns training Bella in combat over the years, just incase one of our pasts caught up to us.
And Bella was a firecracker. Her shield proved to be way more powerful than any of us could have imagined, manifesting in both a mental and physical state. She could trap people in and out of it. It was almost like telekinesis, where she could wrap an object in her shield and move it to wherever she wanted.
We made sure to keep this information under lock and key however. If the Voluri found out about it, the full extent of their army would surely come down in us.
We ran for three more hours before Peter held his hand up in a motion to stop us, and he gestured for us to be quiet. We walked silently for another hour before we heard sounds I never imagined I'd hear again.
Serana POV
"Not like that you pussy! I thought you were fucking trained in combat. She's about to rip you apart. Fall back soldier, as useless as you are, I can't afford to lose you right now!"
The soldier I screamed at scurried back into line, a feral expression on his face. The fresh batch of newborns were absolutely useless, and I was tempted to let them all loose on the opposing army as is, but I knew She'd know if I lost a battle on purpose.
"Major Donalds, take these wastes of space back to the barracks. I'm going for a walk."
"Yes Mam!" He saluted me and began barking orders at the newborns.
I walked out to the base of the cliffs and began dawdling along the baseline. It was always more peaceful along here. The upcoming battle would be a big one and I'd need a clear mind to make it through.
She wanted the territory up north, and the group that held it now had a formidable army. Our scouts had counted the numbers in the hundreds, however no gifts could be seen thankfully. Not to say none would appear on the day of the battle. Gifts were fickle like that, had the ability to show up in moments of extreme emotion. Mine certainly did.
If any were to appear I would have to ensure I got to them first, take out the unstable hosts and then watch the battle become another victory. It would become number 10. Into double digits. I could feel the beginnings of guilt ebb in my chest, but I quickly extinguished them. There was no room for weakness. I thought of all the ways I could overthrow Her again, as always. I had to be patient. I had to keep collecting.
I suddenly heard the small crushing of gravel above me, thanks to the sensitivity in my hearing. I stilled, listening intently for more markers of noise. It could've been an animal, however no animals had dared venture this close to camp in a long time. Their instincts screamed at them to run as soon as the smelled our boundary line. And this noise was far too quiet, far too calculated to be a wild dingo or kangaroo.
I closed my eyes and felt for the essence of the being above me. Or beings I should say. Five of them to be exact. Spies, sent to collect information on our army. I quickly scaled the cliff, ready to dispatch whoever dared to come this close.
The five vampires stared at me in shock as I leaped over them. I crouched down, my fingers stretching into claws as I prepared to engage. I scanned the three males and two females for gifts so I could erase them from existence first. As I did my sweep I faltered. What?
My fingers relaxed of their own accord and the growl emanating from my throat fizzled out. What was happening, why could I not stay focused?
The gentleness and awe in the middle males eyes told me he was the key to the answers I sought.