“We’d better win this,” she whispered. “I need a night out. A smoke and an ale sounds divine right now.”
“I thought you couldn’t smoke anymore?”
“It’s my night off. I’m doing what I want.”
I laughed quietly. I didn’t understand the pull of tobacco. It reminded me of the old, wrinkled men in the longhouse with stained, dirty fingers and half-rotted, yellow teeth.
Once the selections were finished, we huddled in a group. Vander stepped into the center. All eyes went to him. There was a reverence among the apprentices. Their legend was about to speak, and they’d hang on every word. I wanted to say I didn’t see the appeal, and I wasn’t under his spell, but I would be lying to myself. There was a magnetism that came with someone who was as frightening as they were attractive. Sometimes I found myself simply watching him like I was drawn by some unforeseen magic.
“Good evening, vampires.” He smiled darkly and everyone snickered. He unrolled a yellowed parchment, revealing a map,and pointed to the area of the city lined off in red. “Commander Ace gave a better speech than I can, so I’ll get straight to it. This is the region of the vampires and where you’ll find your hiding spot.” He waved over three assassins I didn’t know and hadn’t seen before. Two men and a woman I assumed weren’t normally part of the apprenticeship training this year. “These three are your hostages and are marked with a green scarf around the neck. The assassins, who will wear blue scarves, will attempt to take them from you. To win, they must find your hiding spot and take the three hostages beyond this line by midnight. They will take part in judging your performance.” He ran his finger over the map where it was marked, near a building named Etterdam’s Library. “Your job is to hide and not be found. If you are found in the allotted timeframe, you can and are expected to protect your hostages. This part of the game can get bloody, but you as an individual are allowed to surrender. If you are too injured to continue or if someone has you in a position where they are seriously hurting you, I expect you to surrender by tapping out, raising a hand, or voicing your surrender. Once you’re out of the game, you cannot help your team. I also expect you to back off when someone surrenders. Do not engage further or there will be punishments.
“There are no weapons allowed. If you have one on you, give it to your trainer. Anyone caught with a weapon will be punished severely. By me. And trust me, no one wants that. Does everyone understand the objective and rules?”
Everyone collectively muttered “yes” and nodded.
“Good. As Commander Ace said, tonight is a time to start earning a name for yourself, and I don’t know about you all, but I’d like a night off for debauchery and drinks at the pub, so let’s win.”
Cheers and whoops rose into the night air. I grinned, curious about what sort of debauchery he meant. Taewyn bumped his shoulder excitedly into mine and threw a fist into the air.
Falcon stepped into the circle. “You have a twenty-minute head start to find your spot. Trainers will not assist you, so you will find your location to hide and defend your position on your own. Our team will wear red scarves. Your trainer has yours. Do not take it off until the game has ended. Remember, you cannot be seen by the townsfolk. Work in the shadows, on the roofs, whatever you need to do. Your hostages will follow willingly to the hiding place, and they will not try to run if the assassins find you. An assassin must touch them for the hostages to follow. Once an assassin touches the hostage, you will have to subdue your opponent to get the hostage back. If you have any questions, ask your trainer.”
Vander held out a red scarf. I wrapped it around my neck and tied it at my throat. “Be careful of Beast tonight. I have a feeling he’ll look for you.”
“I’m sure he will.”
“It won’t just be stupid comments. Don’t directly engage in a fight with him. You’ve improved more than even I expected, but you’re not ready for him. If you do find yourself in trouble, use evasive moves and get away.”
I nodded, trying not to let the dark thoughts get the better of me before the game even started. “I bet I’ve killed more vampires than him. Maybe he should fear me, the vampire slayer.”
He chuckled. “I’m sure he’s shaking in his boots.”
“He should be. I’mterrifying.”
“Don’t let him break your face or I’ll have to break his, and then I’ll have to beat Dred’s ass too.”
I smiled. “Wow, Viper is feeling protective tonight. Aren’t I special?”
He deadpanned. I wondered how many of my offhand comments he would put up with before he snapped one day. “Just avoid him. Please.”
“You expect me to run? I’d earn a reputation alright, just not a good one.”
“Not run, I’m saying don’t get into hand-to-hand combat with him. Find other ways to fight.”
“I will do my best. I wouldn’t want to ruin your legend status by getting myself pummeled,” I drawled, rolling my eyes. “And don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone your secret.”
“What secret is that? I fear I have a few of them.”
“That you’re scared of my father, and what he’ll do if anything happens to me.”
The corners of his eyes crinkled with his smile. “Your father is a little scary, Bonecarver. He looks like a bear.”
“He kind of does.” Everyone started to leave, and I couldn’t distract myself any longer. “Where will you be?”
“Around, but you won’t see me unless it becomes necessary.” He glanced across the courtyard at Dred and Beast. “You’re faster than him. Use that to your advantage.”
“Come on.” Taewyn grabbed my elbow. “We’re leaving.”
I smiled over my shoulder at Vander. “Hopefully they won’t find our spot and we win. I’ve never participated in debauchery. It sounds fun.”
