Vampire Slave Series: The Prophecy

Chapter Eight

Jude’s POV

The images danced behind my eyelids as vivid as real life. Amabell twirled in that red dress she wore the first night. She smiled and laughed, watching me with those crystal eyes. She wasn’t scared of me. And I didn’t hate her. I knew I was awake because I didn’t sleep. So what was I seeing? What was this?

Mary’s laughter followed her as she joined Amabell. She wore her black leggings and one of her favorite shirts of mine. She looked as beautiful as always. And she wasn’t angry with me anymore. She grabbed Amabell’s hand and held the other out to me. I reluctantly took it and let her lead us up a hill towards a large oak tree that sat at the top. When we reached the tree Amabell and Mary sat down crossed legged. Mary patted the spot next to her, flashing me those eyes I’ve stared back into so many times. I couldn’t help but oblige.

I smiled as I watched them happily laugh at some secret joke. It was a strange feeling to feel anything but anger and hate for a human, but seeing the way she made Mary happy…It made me happy that she was here.

“Look.” Mary pointed.

I turned just as something lunged at me, razor sharp teeth striking at my face.

My eyes flew open and I jumped from my bed, ready to fight. My fists were balled and I held them in front of my chest. Waiting.

Nothing was there.

I needed fresh air.

I ran out of my room like that monster was chasing me.

A few paintings stirred in their sleep but none of them woke up. This was the perfect time to walk through the halls to clear your mind. Everyone, even vampires, slept in their pictures. My mind was swimming with thoughts and it hurt keeping them bottled up. Bensen walked the halls as well, making sure no slave had gotten out or was walking the halls. He nodded to me as I passed. The sound of his heavy boots hitting the floor echoed off the walls and slowly decreased the further he got. I passed a few empty rooms and a few minutes later found myself standing outside Amabell's door. The hard wooden door was the only thing between me and her sleeping body. Curious, I cracked open her door but didn't see her in bed. I slipped in and quietly clicked the door shut behind me.

The room was the same as when I first dropped her off but a few pieces of clothing on the floor. My eyes followed the trail of clothes to the bathroom, which was shut and the light shining out from the bottom. The sound of the shower running came from the other side. A small whimper caught my attention and I pressed my ear to the door. She was crying. Should I go in and help her? Maybe she was in trouble. The shower turned off just as my hand touched the handle. I stepped back and searched the room for a place to hide. An old wardrobe sat against the wall near the door. I was in it quicker than it took her to get out of the bathroom, which seemed like forever. When she did exit the bathroom, she was wrapped in a white towel. I couldn't tell if she had tears running down her face because she was soaking wet. Her hair was slicked back and ran down almost to the middle of her back. She sat on her bed and placed her hands between her legs. A few more whimpers left her lips before she busted out crying.

What was this girl crying about?

That’s when I saw the blood dripping down her neck. I squinted through the dark to see two puncture marks there and the anger rose up from my toes throughout my body. “Son of a b***h!”

Getting bit by a vampire wouldn’t change someone into one. If a vampire had no intentions on changing a human they would usually mark you by biting you. This would let others know that human was taken.

"Hello? Whose there?!" I bit my tongue when she spoke. Whoops.

She didn't wait to see if anyone was going to reply. She ran to the bathroom and slammed the door shut. Once I heard the click of the lock I busted from the wardrobe and out the door.

Didn't I tell that low life not to leave any marks? She's back there suffering because of him! I was going to rip him apart!

"Jude!" Jordana screamed after me. I was half to Mark's room when I spun around to meet her angry glare.

"Not now, Jordana!" I growled. She stopped close to me. She was the same height as me, maybe an inch taller, so we were eye level to each other. I had stared back into those deadly eyes enough times to not give a s**t about her bickering.

"If you let Mark have Amabell one more time I'm going to-"

"You're going to what? Tell my father?" I

She leaned away but wasn’t bothered by my shouting.

"No, I'm going to deal with you myself," she almost whispered. She was worse than my father. "And then I'm going to turn you into the Elders!" I scowled at her and held her gaze for another minute or so before she turned around, her hair smacking me in the face, and stormed off. Her heels clicking the floor was more annoying than Bensen's huge boots. I rolled my eyes behind her back and stood in the middle of the hall, alone.

Well, as alone as I'll ever be. Our shouting had woken up a few pictures.

**

I had to know what was happening to me. Why was I seeing these visions? Why was I feeling these strange feelings for this human girl? I didn’t want this. I wanted to make my own choices, love who I wanted to love. This prophecy was taking over my life.

I had to stop it.

There was one person I knew who could answer all of my questions. Someone who was just as old as this prophecy; who knew everything about it and what was going on.

Elder Thomas.

He was the only elder I went to for these things. Since I was a child I went to him more than I did my own father. I trusted him more than anyone.

I found him where I always did. Sitting front row at the temple vampires used to pray to their God. I wasn’t a spiritual man myself. I hated coming to services as a child. But I loved listening to Elder Thomas’s stories. They never got old.

I quietly walked over and sat right behind him. I leaned forward to see his eyes closed, his hands resting in his lap. “Jude. Come to listen to the Lord’s word?” I smiled to myself.

“How’d you know it was me, Thomas?” I knew what he was going to say. The same thing he said every time I showed up here.

“I can smell the anger inside you.” His eyes cracked slowly and he turned to me. His warm smile always put me in a good mood. The wrinkles in his face were deep, showing off his old age. There was a kindness in his eyes that you couldn’t find these days.

“I came to ask you some question, if you have the time, Elder.”

He took a deep breath in and leaned forward, pulling himself up from his seat slowly. His back was hunched over as he walked towards the isle. I stood and followed him. “I always have time for you, my dear son. What is it you need to know?”

“The prophecy…I want to know how to stop it.” He was quiet as we walked into his small office. He directed me to close the door and I did. Once he sat behind his desk and got comfortable, his eyes watched me like he was trying to figure me out.

“Stop it?”

“Yes. I don’t believe in these laws. I don’t believe that a thousand year old prophecy gets to decide who I am to be with. It’s not right.” I swallowed hard.

He remained silent. His eyes fell from me to a book on his desk. His fingers brushed the leather cover, his hand shaking. “Do you know what this is?”

My eyes fell to the book. I did know what it was. I’ve seen in many times before as a child. It was meant to be mine. “It’s my mother’s book.” Tears pricked at me eyes. I quickly replaced the sorrow with anger. “That’s got nothing to do with me!”

“Oh but my dear Jude, it does.” He smiled. “Your mother believed in a better time. She believed that the planet wasn’t meant for wars and hate. Your mother knew that one day this world would either be at peace or be covered in blood. She knew you were special the day you were born. I remember that day like it was yesterday.”

I didn’t want to walk down memory lane. I wanted to know how to stop this thing before it goes to far. I could feel something in me changing. Something inside of me wanted to reach out for the human girl and I hated it. “Your mother believed in the prophecy and knew it was your destiny. She died knowing in her heart that you were meant for something great-“

“No offence, Elder Thomas, but I didn’t come to talk about my mother.” He paused, disappointment on his face. It was a look I knew too well. Mary, Jordana, my father…my mother. They are looked at me like that daily. I was a disappointment to them all. Even more so than Mark.

“Of course.” He leaned forward in his chair. “The only way to stop the prophecy is if one of the two dies. The prophecy can not be if one of you is dead.”

Was I willing to go that far as to kill this girl? There was no way I could pull something like that off without Mary or my father becoming suspicious. Make it look like an accident. Maybe Mark got a little rough with her in the bedroom. Amabell would be gone and Mark would be tossed in the cells. That would kill two birds with one stone.

But I would have to make it look like I was giving into the prophecy…