General Sterling

Three

Ada

    The thing about these camps is that those who are stationed here after they leave never really leave. It's an extended sentence or a voluntary one. General is the highest rank someone can get in here but killing the man in charge is the real challenge. 

    Armadian has everyone here eating out of the palm of his hand. Being friends with him is on the top of everyone's survival lists. A direct feud or fight brings the higher-ranking officers to check on their precious General to make sure he's not dead or on the brink and if he is, they want to know who's to replace him. 

    The General had informed me we were being watched for weeks. I knew we were going to attract a lot of attention but I never guessed my ticket out of the place was going to waltz in through the front doors. The Major General, Philippe Solokov. 

    Solokov was born into Aristocratic Royalty.  He is the heir to the ice throne in Siberia. The colder it is the stronger he is just like me and my flames. The higher grounds of the building aren't as cold as the first three levels. Which is why the General needed me to... relieve the first lieutenant of his duty.

    I didn't know this was his plan. Not that it makes a difference. I can still hold my own. I can't say the same for Charlie. I've been training her. Giving her targets and she's executed them flawlessly but Solokov's younger brother, The Brigadier General is an animal. Answers to the calling of the beast inside of him just like my little sister. This is what we are bred to be. The heir takes the heart of the father, the in-between make the family proud, and the youngest takes pride in the blood. It's the vampire way.

    "We heard you're having trouble," Philippe smiled at the General before the two of them exchanged an embrace followed by Edvard Solokov. 

    "Not really, bitches man," Armadian smirked looking over at me from across the room. 

    "The heir to the dragon throne from the new world?" Edvard smirked looking over at me. 

    The man is a beautiful specimen. Cold green eyes, that only hold the temporary amusement of his time. His broad body excels over his brother's even being the youngest. Something Philippe must resent his brother for. 

    "The big one?" Charlie asked sitting across from me blocking my view. "You know I won't make it out of that," 

    "I'm barely going to make it out of the other, if I make it out at all," I whispered leaning back against the wall. 

    "We don't have to do this," she said softly pressing her back against the wall before sliding all the way down to the floor. 

    "You don't have to do this if you don't want to. You're still mine. I'd wait for you outside. I need to get out of here. You're not the only member of my family. I've taught you what you need to know to survive. None of these mother fuckers have s**t on you," I understand her hesitation. I know she's smarter than most. She sighed. 

    "What if you don't make it?" 

    "Not an option for me," I looked up at her to show her I'm serious. She nodded standing up. "I should kick your ass for even thinking that,"

    "I'll see you in a few years then," she rolled her eyes and walked into the dormitory. 

    "I'm fine," the general said going into the guard headquarters. I pulled the first lieutenant blade out and sighed. 

    This is it. I'd be leaving this place to fight a war. A war that has taken from me. A war that might never end. I laughed before I stood up and began to walk around looking through the rooms where I will be staying for the remainder of my time here. I can feel it. The tension of those on this level. All of them looking at me as a potential target. It's doing something to me. Something that's making me lose the control I try to keep a grip on. I'm going to forget the grace my father taught me to hold my head up high with and I am going to rampage through these halls. 

    This level isn't like the others. No one here is living in filth. The floors are clean, the males aren't moving around looking for prey. They all look tired like establishing their dominance isn't what they're here for. I stopped in front of the wooden that read First Lieutenant above the door frame. 

    I pushed the door open to see my things had been placed on the perfectly made cot. There is a chair and a writing desk. A barred window and another door. I looked around and sat on the bed letting out a heavy sigh. 

    It's a mind game. I had figured that out from the moment I had stepped foot in this place. The first level was to ensure conditioning survival. The second level is so that we can exercise the training we all had to endure growing up. This level is known to test limitations. It brings out the ugly in us. So, I've heard. If that's what this level did, why the commodities? Why the hell is everything clean? Why is everyone here behaving? 

I looked up when the General knocked on my open door. I stood up glaring at him keeping up the act. 

    "Welcome to the last stage of your stay here. As the first lieutenant, you have responsibilities," he tossed a small leather book on the bed. "You will be briefed by Major General Philippe Solokov," 

    "Before you allow him to come back here, tell me why you don't want me here?" I asked. He sighed. 

    "Ada..." 

    "Tell me," 

    "The formers who lose their masters, the formers who are turned by other formers. They are all reduced to something we call Maveth," 

    "Undead?" I asked looking up at him. "That's what mortals call us. They think we're undead because we're immortal. They need to find a reason," 

    "No, they call us undead because of the people that have been turned by masters. We call it a mortal death. When a former turns a human there's no stability for it. They lose their minds. This isn't out to the public because we keep it contained. King Edward has the seekers catch them and they're shipped off to the camps where they're all gathered and in the last stage of the camps, they're released. There will be times when everything is blocked off and you will be trapped here with those things. The only way out is to kill them all," 

    "Is that how Mathew died?" I asked. He looked away. 

    "That's how he made it look," he whispered. 

    "He?" I demanded. He pointed at the small book on the bed. I grabbed it. 

    "Turn it to the last page," I opened the back cover to see my brother's name written in between two other names. "Solokov set your brother up so that Homer Culligan could take his place. It's not that I don't want you here. You're going to be tested while the paperwork comes in anyway. Make sure that piece of s**t doesn't leave this room," 

    "Last question, sir," I stopped him. He looked up at me and smiled. "Why do you care?" 

    "Your brother saved my life when we were invaded by the packs in Excaliber. He killed three wolves protecting me when one of them nearly ripped my throat out. He stuck his fingers in my throat until the healers were able to come find us. Is that all Lieutenant?" 

    "That's it. Get the hell out of here," I sat back. He smirked walking out without glancing back at me. 

    I opened the book to go through the guidelines of the first lieutenant. It falls on me to take care of the woman on this floor. From anything that the males could do them. Us, because the males on this level are the stronger ones. The ones who have proven themselves worthy repeatedly and have come out on top. The ones I didn't want to mess with downstairs. 

    The sound of footsteps echoed in the quiet corridors outside my room. Several doors were shut as I settled myself on the bed under me. My door was pushed open. Two guards and Solokov walked in shutting themselves in with me. I briefly glanced up at all of them before looking back down at my book uninterested. 

    "You attacked the General, Lieutenant, and failed to kill him," Solokov stated, taking a seat in the chair that went with the writing desk in this room. Having this many bodies in here makes this room look significantly smaller.

    "I wasn't trying to kill him," I said without looking up at him. "I was proving a point. The General said something he shouldn't have," 

    "And you think you're in your right to put him in his place?" 

    "I don't think I'm in my right. I know I am," the two other guards growled at me. Everyone loves Armadian Sterling, the Queen's lapdog. 

    "This is how this is going to go. The four of us are going to have some fun while we wait for the dinner bell to go off. Until then, you're stuck in here with us, sweetheart," he grinned. I laughed. 

    "That's funny. From where I stand. It looks like you're stuck in here with me," I pulled up my legs and kicked the iron dresser to block the door to keep them from leaving. 

    Solokov motioned them to attack. I kicked one in the face making him stumble back while the other lunged at me. I lifted the first Lieutenant's blade and pushed it through this i***t's skull. His dead body dropped down on the bed and bounced off leaving a trail of blood. I flipped the blade in my hand and threw it at the other guard. The blade went through the center of his face before he fell on his knees and toppled over. Solokov still didn't move. 

    "You're a fast little thing aren't you?" he asked like he didn't have a care in the world. 

    "I have my moments," I shrugged. He nodded taking his gloves off and placing them on the writing desk like he was going to come back for them once he was done with me. That's cute.

    "He did say he couldn't help himself. It's rare for a female of our kind to have the confidence you do. The skills. What do you think is going to happen, Adaleigh? Do you think you're going to leave this place to join the armada as your father did before you? 

    "You think the males of our people would welcome you with arms wide open. That's not how it follows for pretty little vampiresses such as yourself. Armadian has a mate. He wouldn't bond with you even if it killed him. You don't mean s**t to him. You aren't s**t in our world. Why do you fight when there is nothing left for you out there?" 

    "You say those things as if you knew me well. I don't want the General to bond with me. I enjoy our times together sure but there are bigger and better d***s out there. You think I give a s**t about the Armada? That's cute. A feeble-minded i***t like you doesn't know what having ambition is. You're f*****g pathetic. Just like the rest of your icy Siberian bloodline," 

    The air in the room swirled as he pulled the coldness in the air into him. It left the heat lingering. The i***t doesn't even know he's giving me the power to beat him. I stepped back as the ice began to form on his feet and the wall behind him. His arms began to frost over until ice formed around his hands in the form of solid icicles. 

    "You're dead," he growled.

    "You should have done your research, Solokov. There's a reason why you're here," I laughed at him. He charged at me. 

    I lifted my hand taking the warmth in the air surrounding myself in it, melting away the ice. I caught his bare fist in my heated hand. He cried out falling to his knees in front of me. It dawned on me that this man had always used his power to defeat his enemies. His training came from the strength of his affinity. He wasn't trained like I was. He doesn't know what physical pain is. He's never had to endure it.

    The sound of someone pounding on the other side of the door made me glance back briefly before I looked down at him and sighed. I straightened my hand and pulled back. With the tips of my fingers, I aimed for his neck. My claws dug into his skin-piercing through until I was able to rip through the other side. I took his head off and tossed it aside. What a mess. Here I thought he was going to put a fight. 

    The dresser toppled over landing on the headless body before it skid across the room and the door was fully opened. Younger brother Solokov rushed in looking around until his eyes landed on his brother's head on the other side of the room. 

    "You f*****g t**t," he shouted turning to me. 

    "He started it," I shrugged. "He tried to have the guards hold me down. I had no choice," 

    "You can't challenge her. She's a higher rank than you are now," the General stopped him, looking over at me. 

    "Yeah, and you can die along with the Solokov legacy. There are only two of you right? If I have this right, you're the heir to the Siberian Kingship," I smirked. He turned to look at me with anger in his eyes. 

    "I will be coming for you as soon as another heir is born," he growled before he left the room. 

    "Good luck with that," I shouted before I lied back on the bed. 

    "I'll have someone come clean this s**t up. Try not to kill anyone in the meantime," the General shook his head.

    "I'm starving," I stated. He stopped and glanced back at me. 

    "Dinner will be served shortly," I got up and pulled the first Lieutenant blade from the guard's face and handed it to him. 

    "You ranked up without losing it. It's your job to pass it on," he winked. "I'll see you later," 

    He walked out leaving me alone. Minutes later a group of females walked in and began to clean up. I walked over to Solokov's gloves and took them off the desk. I waited outside for them to finish up. Which took a while considering there was blood everywhere. Most of my clothes and exposed skin are covered in it. They removed the cot and brought in an actual bed. 

    "Major General your quarters have been cleaned. We filled a bath and have set out new clothes for you. Dinner is in ten minutes. The dining hall is at the end of the corridor to your left," she bowed before she walked off with the other females. 

    I looked inside to see that they had taken everything and cleaned everything out. Even the scent of blood is gone. I shut the door behind me before stripping these bloodied clothes off. I walked over to the massive metal tub to see a towel on the desk next to it along with a couple of scented milk bars that sat on a washcloth. I took one and climbed into the cold of the water. 

    This is the first moment alone I've had since coming here. The closest to having a bath was using my drinking water to wash the blood from my face and arms. This milk bar smells like roses. I looked down at the water to see that the clear color had turned murky with the soap. As I used it and the washcloth to clean myself the white turned into a filthy brown color. It sickened me to know that it had come off my body and from my hair. 

    Once I was done I dried myself off without using the towel. The sizzling sound of the water against my skin made me smile. I pulled my clothes on when the sound of a bell went off outside. I walked over to the door adjusting the straps to my leather bottoms to see everyone walking out of their room and over to the end of the corridor. Charliegh's eyes caught mine. She smiled coming over to me. I tossed her the spare milk bar. She caught it in her hand and smiled looking up at me brightly. 

    "Are you serious?" she asked. 

    "Yeah, perks of being at the top. I guess. There are a couple of water buckets inside try not to make a mess. I'll wait for you out here," I instructed. She nodded looking around before she went inside. 

    After a while, the General walked into the corridor and looked over at me. I didn't linger on him too much. I always try not to. I hate that he means enough to me that I won't kill him and that I am forced to entertain him when he requires my attention. I mostly hate that when I see him, my body wants him. 

    "What are you doing out here?" he asked crouching down in front of me. 

    "Charliegh is inside," I informed him. He nodded understanding. 

    "Should have known you'd bring your little girlfriend with you," 

    "Jealousy isn't a good look on you, General. What would the Princess think?" I sassed. He smirked. 

    "I'll remind you when she tries to take your head off," we both laughed. "I thought he'd be a lot harder to kill," 

    "So did I. I guess I thought all of us were trained like I was. My dad f****d me up pretty bad. I doubt either Solokov knows what it's like to feel pain. They rely on their powers," 

    "You feel guilty because it wasn't a fair fight?" he asked confused. 

    "I'd have to care in order for me to feel guilty," I scoffed. He smirked. 

    "What about the two guards?"

    The door opened and Charliegh walked out. I stood up to see she looks like a completely different person. Her skin is fair, beautiful. What I thought was dark hair is light almost blonde. I laughed shaking my head. She was just dirty. Wow. 

    "Your hair is light brown," I stated. 

    "It is," she nodded. I handed her the first Lieutenant blade. 

    "Make me regret handing you that and I will kill you myself," I warned. She smirked flipping it in her hand. Three men walked out of one of the rooms. The last one is adjusting his pants. The blade cut through the air hitting the side of his head. 

    "What the f**k?" the General blurted out.

    "Don't look at me. You never told her not to kill anyone on her way to the corridor," 

    I shrugged as we made our way towards the body. Charlie pulled the blade out of the man's head. Inside the room, a woman tried to hide her tears as she quickly got dressed. Thank you. She mouthed as we continued into the dining hall. This is going to be an easy year for her if the undead doesn't get her.