Moments bled into an eternity. Golden eyes, like molten pits of fire, pierced the blackness. Eydis knelt beside the unconscious Callista, curiosity battling with an unseen urgency. Her hand, poised over the gas mask, hesitated. This human scent was…
“Eydis, we must go now. Adrian's men are coming," Lionel warned, his voice low and urgent, two unconscious werewolf bodies slung over his shoulders.
Eydis sighed. Her gaze lingered on the face obscured by the mask, the memory of the fierce celestial blades flickering in her mind. "Until next time, hunters," she murmured, her voice a silken thread laced with amusement.
With a whisper of movement, she melted into the shadows, her form a phantom swallowed by darkness. Lionel followed close behind, a silent shadow himself. In her arms, the unconscious form of a female wolf was cradled, swept away into the night like a fallen leaf on the wind.
"Callista."
"Callista, Are you alright?"
The world swam into focus, the rhythmic beeping of a nearby machine a harsh counterpoint to the throbbing ache in Callista's neck. Her vision blurred as she tried to piece together the fragmented memories of the brutal alleyway fight. The Queen's golden eyes, like molten fire, burned into her mind.
“Callista?" A familiar voice, laced with raw worry, cut through the fog. Indigo materialized beside her, his warm brown eyes filled with relief. "You're awake. Thank goodness."
Callista rasped, "And Damien? How am I still breathing?"
A hint of a smile played on Indigo's lips. "He's alive, thankfully. You, however, took a nasty blow but managed to hang on."
Dread coiled in her stomach. "My cover… blown?"
"Not entirely," Indigo assured her, his voice calming. "The mask, though damaged, recorded the audio. Want to see?"
Callista's hope flickered as she watched the distorted footage. Blurred silhouettes and muffled sounds offered no answers. "Did Damien remember anything?" she asked, frustration tightening her voice.
Indigo shook his head, his brow furrowed. "He said he couldn't recall her face. Like... she deliberately obscured it."
Callista's disappointment was immediate. Just then, Indigo rewound the footage. A faint murmur, a man's voice urging someone to leave, emerged from the static. "Adrian," Indigo confirmed, his eyes glinting. "A lead. And good work, Callista."
The compliment felt hollow as a wave of nausea washed over her. The encounter with Eydis replayed vividly in her mind – every predatory movement, the effortless dismantling of their defences. This wasn't just any enemy; this was a force of nature cloaked in an enigmatic facade.
The night stretched long. As the crescent moon peeked through her window, Callista, restless in Indigo's guest room, tossed and turned. Unable to sleep, she escaped into the cool night air, the city lights blurring into a kaleidoscope of colour.
Drawn back to the alleyway, she found it eerily clean, no trace of the brutal battle. A cigarette, once a tool to mask her scent, now dangled between her fingers, a nervous habit she couldn't shake.
A question gnawed at her: why did Eydis let them live? The Queen wasn't known for her mercy, seeming content to eliminate anyone who crossed her path.
Then why were they spared? A single snap of the neck, she reflected, would have been enough. And why was the Queen allied with werewolves? Were there bigger forces at play, a hidden agenda she hadn't considered?
Her reverie was shattered by a chilling scream. Adrenaline surged through her as she sprinted towards the source, her senses on high alert. A man, his face contorted with a twisted sense of righteousness, held a woman at bay. Her fangs, bared in a desperate plea, glinted under the harsh neon light.
"I mean no harm, please," the woman whimpered, her voice raw with fear.
The man, deaf to her pleas, plunged his blade into her chest with a sickening thud. In a flash of blinding light, the woman disintegrated into dust, leaving only a deflated hospital blood bag to mark where she once stood.
The hunter, his eyes gleaming with a disturbing sense of accomplishment, turned to Callista. His voice, dripping with misplaced pride. "Another monster put down. The world's a better place, isn't it, doll?"
Unease curdled in Callista's stomach. This wasn't justice, it was cold-blooded murder. She stared at the man, a chilling echo of her own ruthlessness reverberating in her mind. They were taught to see vampires as monsters, devoid of any humanity. But as she looked at the discarded blood bag - a desperate attempt to survive in a hostile world - a seed of doubt began to sprout.
Haunted by the encounter, Callista wandered the streets until the first rays of dawn painted the sky. Sitting in her car, she questioned everything she thought she knew. Where had she gone wrong? Were the lines between monster and hero truly so blurred?
Soon, Callista found herself in the familiar embrace of the Celestial Academy. The vibrant blooms of the spring garden stood in stark contrast to the turmoil brewing within her. Eydis' chilling encounter lingered in her memory, a constant reminder of her own limitations. Yet, normalcy, however unsettling, persisted here. The gag-inducing public displays of affection (which she desperately wished she could unsee with bleach), the discreetly gruesome feeding rituals. Even the princess, a constant thorn in her side, seemed to exude an unsettling cheerfulness.
"Speaking of thorns," Callista muttered under her breath, as a honeyed voice, dripping with playful arrogance, sliced through the air.
"Miss me, my elusive Astra?"
Athena, resplendent in a flowing white dress, glided towards Callista, her perfectly manicured nails glinting in the sunlight. Callista swatted away the feeling of warm breath tickling her ear, the sensation akin to an irritating fly buzzing around a fresh wound.
"About as much as I miss a raw liver smoothie," she countered. Unfortunately, the princess seemed immune to rejection, effortlessly gliding at her side like a shadow.
Athena smiled, a hint of regal challenge lurking beneath the surface. "Such a ray of sunshine, even at this ungodly hour. One can only wonder how you manage to… keep yourself warm through the long nights."
Callista felt a familiar heat rise in her cheeks, an unwelcome and inconvenient sensation. She hated how Athena's words, laced with their usual double entendre, always managed to get under her skin.
"Do you grace everyone with such insightful conversation, Princess? Or has your brooding canine companion taken leave today?" she retorted, her voice sharper than intended.
Athena's perfectly sculpted brows arched in amusement, a genuine smile warming her features. It was a smile that, much to Callista's annoyance, held a hint of something undeniably captivating.
And terrifying. Callista could practically taste the impending innuendo dripping from the vampire's lips.
"For someone who claims I'm a thorn in your side, you seem awfully invested in my personal life, dear Astra," Athena purred, drawing nearer. Her lips lightly grazed Callista’s ear, eliciting shivers that danced between irritation and an inexplicable allure.
Perhaps, she thought, a thicker jacket wouldn't hurt.
The hunter scoffed, the term of endearment grating on her nerves yet strangely lingering in her mind. "And is it unbecoming of a princess to stalk her… prey?” She couldn't help but notice how the princess' piercing eyes lingered on her every move, an unsettling warmth blooming in their depths.
Athena’s eyes glinting with an unreadable emotion as she countered, "Prey? Never considered you that, Astra."
"Then why the constant attention if it's not my blood you crave?" Callista challenged, but her crimson eyes widened as a fleeting blush, quickly masked, stained Athena's flawless skin.
Their gazes locked, a charged moment neither could break. Athena leaned in, her voice a husky whisper, "Blood? With your delicate frame? I find a more robust physique more… satisfying."
Callista, despite being only slightly shorter than the princess, growled in annoyance at the implication. That explained why she kept the brooding silver-haired werewolf around. Yet, a strange irritation flickered within her, an emotion she couldn't quite place. She scoffed, “Works out perfectly then, doesn't it?"
Athena's grin widened, devoid of fangs, a playful gesture. "But I wouldn't say no to a different kind of offering, should you ever find yourself... reassessing your preferences." Her hand, swift and unexpected, reached out to brush a stray strand of hair behind Callista's ear. The touch lingered, a spark igniting on her skin.
Callista's breath hitched. Despite the heat rising in her cheeks, she managed a retort, her voice laced with a strange vulnerability, "Only in your wildest dreams, Princess."
The princess chuckled, a genuine melody that seemed to pierce through Callista's icy exterior. "Are you suggesting I should be dreaming of you, how bold!" she teased, leaning in a touch too close. The faint scent of smoke clinging to Callista's hair, a lingering whisper of a restless night, reached Athena's nose. "Though, hasn't anyone told you smoking is a known health hazard, dear mortal?"
Callista, noted the hint of concern lacing in the vampire’s voice, a warmth blooming in her chest as she retorted, "Does it work on you vampires? Then by all means, please, breathe deeply.”
"Threatening a princess before breakfast? Tell me, Astra, did you have a rough night, or…" Athena's gaze swept down Callista's outfit, lingering for a moment before returning to her eyes, a mischievous glint sparkling within. "A particularly productive one?"
Callista fought the urge to swat the princess away. Maybe a flamethrower would be more effective. She turned on her heel, a muttered curse escaping her lips. Was this infuriating vampire insinuating… something? The lingering scent of blood still hung in the air, but strangely, it no longer repulsed her as much. The encounter, despite its frustrating nature, had been a welcome distraction, a break from the turmoil within her. She wouldn't admit it to Athena, but her playful presence had been strangely comforting.
Athena watched her go, a kaleidoscope of emotions playing on her face. Her golden eyes crinkled in amusement, lingering on Callista's retreating figure. "Adorable," she murmured, a hint of something deeper playing on her lips.
Callista Art
