V Games_Fresh From The Grave Read online

  “You're more alive when you drink.”

  “I'll never be alive.”

  My heart tugged painfully.

  Oh, Varick. Why didn't we spend longer making a plan? Why didn't I find a way to remove the capsule of silver in his head?

  My regrets were doing me no good. And yet I was consumed by them, swallowed whole.

  The brush of the wind tugged my hair back and I thought of his hands on me, tucking a lock behind my ear. Stupid thoughts. Why I was having such visions now, while I was stuck out in the middle of the northern sea, was beyond me. I had bigger problems to deal with. One specifically that would equate to my imminent death.

  The hours slipped by and all that seemed to exist was an endless expanse of obsidian waves, meeting an equally gloomy sky. I'd lose my mind out here, sailing into nothingness. A slave to my thoughts.

  My time on Raskdød surely hadn't led me here, to die slowly of thirst in the middle of the ocean? I gazed up at the sky, the stars hanging like jewels stitched into a swathe of black silk.

  The hum of an engine grew in my ears and I ran to the side of the yacht in a flash, squinting into the dark. And yes, impossibly – unless my mind was playing cruel tricks on me - there was another boat drawing closer.

  Helsings or not, I needed help, so I waved my arms to grab their attention.

  A small catamaran soon pulled up alongside me and I called out to the man on board. “Hey! - can you help me?”

  His eyes skimmed over the slim-fitting, gold dress I was wearing. He must have thought he was losing his mind, finding me here in the middle of the sea in a ball gown. I tried to get a better look at him, but his features were obscured in shadows.

  “Are you on your own?” he asked, moving into the light cast by the lantern hanging up high on the yacht above him. His face was young and bristled with hair, his dirty-blonde locks rustling in the wind. He wore a dark brown trench coat and had thick, army-style boots laced onto his feet.

  “Yes,” I answered, my voice quavering from my shivering. “The yacht's out of fuel. Can you take me to shore?”

  “You've come from Raskdød,” he stated, ignoring my question as he narrowed his eyes. I couldn't see the shade of them even as the light swung over him.

  My blood heated up in warning. If this man knew the island, then perhaps he couldn't be trusted. But I couldn't stay on this yacht a minute longer if I wanted to live. “Yes.”

  I prayed being truthful was the right choice.

  “Selena, isn't it?” he asked and my heart stuttered.

  “Yes, and you are?” My gut sank as I guessed he was one of the spectators. I only hoped that he wasn't one of the lecherous ones (not that any of them had seemed to have had any decent intentions towards me).

  “Name's Ulvic, I was doing some business with the Helsings.” He had a European accent I couldn't quite place. Norwegian perhaps.

  I sensed from the added explanation that he was subtly informing me that he hadn't been on the island to watch the games. And that gave me hope, if only a little. “Can you help me?” I repeated, moving toward the edge of the boat and clamping my hands around the freezing railing.

  He inclined his head. “I think we can help each other.” He said no more, maneuvering his catamaran closer and laying a sturdy board between the two vessels. He held out his hand to help me over but I refused it, balling my hands into fists as I carefully crossed the plank, my feet bare.

  I dropped onto the deck and he took me in with an impressed look. I finally saw the colour of his eyes: a dusky grey-blue like rain clouds.

  “Welcome aboard Red Riding Hood. She's not as flashy as your yacht, but she'll get us to land.”

  “Thank you,” I said through chattering teeth.

  “I can tow her if you-”

  “No,” I blurted. “Leave it. It's not mine.”

  He dug his teeth into his lower lip, gazing over my shoulder at the vessel. “Sure is a shame...”

  “No doubt the Helsings can afford a new one.”

  He broke a grin that made his eyes crease at the corners; it gave him a friendly quality I instantly warmed to. Maybe he could be trusted.

  “That they can.” He led me inside and I hurried into the heat of the cabin.

  It was no more than an eight by ten foot space with a couple of threadbare seats. But I dropped onto one gratefully, tucking my frozen toes up beneath me.

  “Where to?” Ulvic asked, taking the helm.

  “Back to Raskdød,” I said, making my decision with a firm nod.

  “Have you lost your head?” He turned to me, wide-eyed. “You just got away from that place.”

  “I left something behind,” I muttered, knotting my fingers together. I had no idea how I was going to reach Varick, or even if he was still alive. But I couldn't leave him to rot in that castle forever. I just had to find a way to remove the capsule from his head...

  “Funnily enough...” Ulvic scanned me from head to toe, giving me an appraising look. “There's something I left on that island myself.”

  “What?” I frowned and he tapped his nose.

  “Something important to me.”

  “Right.” I shook my head, deciding I didn't care what it was he was after. All that mattered was getting back there and figuring out a way to save Varick.

  “But I'm not returning to Raskdød tonight. I'm heading home.”

  I went to interject but he spoke over me.

  “I've got weapons. A tonne of weapons. Some real stealthy gear too...” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “I'm no hero, Selena. But I think you might be. So maybe we can help each other out.”

  My brows knitted together. The word 'hero' did not resonate with me well.

  “Can I come with you then?” I asked, trying not to give away how desperate I was. I still didn't know if I could trust this man.

  “Yes, that's probably wise. Unless you'd like to spend another night out on the ocean?” He gave me a hesitant smile, clearly trying to build bridges with me. For a moment, I got the sense he needed help as much as I did.

  “No thanks.” I smiled briefly, gazing out at the dark stretch of horizon. “You'll take me back to Raskdød tomorrow?” I confirmed, anxious to help Varick as soon as possible.

  “Yes.” His eyes glazed over as he rested his hands on the wheel.

  I'd been floating around in the sea for so long, my only thoughts had been of getting back to Varick. But returning to Raskdød tonight would probably have been suicide.

  Ulvic spoke, startling me out of my reverie as I found his eyes pinned on me. “I can see why so many of the men bet on you.”

  My gut twisted uncomfortably. “Do you know what they do to the girls who win?”

  His face paled as he shook his head. “I can guess.” He glanced down at my skirt. “Did they..?”

  “Rape me?” I finished for him, staring him in the eye until he looked back at me, his cheeks touched with red blotches.

  He gave a small nod.

  “No. Varick killed the man who would have.”

  “The Helsings' Vampire?”

  I cringed internally. “He doesn't belong to them,” I muttered quietly.

  “Wait a second.” His eyes grew dark, holding a dangerous threat in them. “You're not going back there for him?”

  “That's none of your business.” I glanced away.

  “That V bit me. Damn near killed me!”

  “Well you're still standing as far as I can tell.”

  He spat air through his teeth. “That animal needs to be put down. He's dangerous.”

  “Oh and the other Vampires aren't?” I shook my head, the heat in my veins rising.

  “I know beasts. And that one's a rogue.”

  “He is a person!”

  “No, he's a Vampire. A parasite.” Ulvic shuddered. “I don't know why the Helsings keep them around when they had the chance to wipe out their species a few centuries back.”

  My scowl grew until I could barely see through my narrowe
d eyes.

  “You can glare at me all you like, girl, but I know what I'm talking about.”

  A bitterness filled me. “You don't know anything.”

  He shrugged. “You'll see.”

  “What does that mean?”

  He didn't answer, turning the wheel so the catamaran rocked and swayed, cutting a path through the waves. I was starting to dislike my new sailing companion. But I knew it was irrational. The only reason I was standing up for Vampires was because one of them had treated me with some decency. But perhaps Varick hadn't offered that courtesy to many others.

  “Where do you live?” I changed the subject, wanting to keep him on side.

  “South of here. I can't stand all this darkness.”

  We sailed on and I grew anxious at leaving Varick further and further behind. But Ulvic was right. I wasn't going to get anywhere by storming back into that castle and demanding he be released. I needed a plan, weapons, good timing. I just prayed Varick was still alive by the time I got there.

  ◐☼◐

  Dawn; the red and gold haze of it washing over the horizon like a veil lifting from the sky. I ran out of the cabin, breathing in the cool air, relishing the sunrise. As the familiar amber curve peeked above the sea, a knot unfurled in my chest. It was like meeting with an old friend, drinking in the sight of them.

  I dropped to the floor, swinging my legs under the railing and simply watching as it rose higher into the sky. Warmth tickled my cheeks and, although it was only the slightest change in temperature, I drank it in all the same.

  Ulvic's boots appeared beside me, old and worn, and if I wasn't mistaken, chewed.

  I glanced up at him and he smiled. “Nothing like a sunrise, huh?”

  “Especially after going so many days without one.”

  “It's so easy to take it for granted. The sun rises and sets, day in and day out for most. But when it's gone, it's like all hope's been stolen from the world. Another reason I dislike the Vs.”

  “They're prisoners to it too,” I said quietly, recalling Varick telling me how he missed the sun more than anything.

  “Sure,” he mumbled.

  As the sun brightened the world, proving the sea wasn't actually black as coal but in fact a deep, dark blue that glittered beneath the sun's rays, I soaked up every inch of this new, daytime world. Birds swooped over us with screeching cries, their white wings glinting in the light.

  “Where are we heading?” I asked.

  “There.” Ulvic pointed toward an island, dotted between a few others in a wide fjord. It rose to a high peak, capped with snow. “That's Skorpa.”

  “More islands?” I tried to hide the anxiety in my voice.

  “Not a Vampire in sight on this one.” He returned to the helm, steering us toward the vast, rocky mass jutting out of the sea like a jagged tooth. As we drew closer, I gazed up at its sheer cliffs, hoping that this place was more welcoming than Raskdød.

  We pulled into a tiny cove and the catamaran sailed to a halt beside a rickety-looking pier.

  “Made that with my own two hands,” Ulvic said proudly and I offered him a small smile - though It looked about as safe as if he'd bound some toothpicks together.

  I followed him onto the dock, my bare feet numb from the cold. Ulvic had a heavy-looking bag slung over his shoulder that I feared would cause the bridge to crumble with the weight of it. It was large and suede with 'Hund' printed in red letters on the side.

  As we climbed the stony beach, a house became visible through the trees, high up on the hillside. We headed up a dark track that led through the forest and Ulvic started whistling. Not a song but a simple, three pitched tune he repeated over and over, so piercing it hurt my ears.

  “What are you doing?” I was growing irritable with sleep deprivation but I knew I had to be polite to my saviour, even if it was a difficult task at that moment.

  “You'll see,” he said, only furthering my irritation.

  We drudged on, higher and higher until we emerged before an immense house of red bricks and a large wooden porch. The roof was flat-topped, covering the second level of the house which was ringed with full-length windows.

  My eye was drawn immediately from the impressive house, however, to the eight wolves that were lined up on the porch steps. Black, grey, white, a whole range of the fierce creatures, their yellow-green eyes trained on Ulvic.

  I gasped, backing into Ulvic with my alarm.

  “It's alright.” He took my wrist. “These are my wolves. Where's Mekiah?” He addressed the pack and the white wolf tipped its nose in the direction of the trees.

  With a rush of pounding paws, a wolf shot past me, nearly knocking me over with its haste. I gasped, my fingers tearing into Ulvic's trench coat. The animal was the deepest of browns, almost red beneath the morning sunlight as he joined his fellow wolves, taking the top step and bowing his head.

  “Selena-” Ulvic guided me closer and I dug my heels in. “Remember the wolf who helped you in the game?”

  I nodded slowly, unable to take my eyes off of the nine wolves all gazing calmly back at me.

  “He was one of my animals. My...” He hesitated, a smile tugging up his full-lipped mouth as he took in my expression. “My Werewolves.”

  Varick

  Our plan to escape was put on hold for the worst reason imaginable.

  Ignus came for me; it took four men and two shots of silver to knock me into submission. I was tied to a metal trolley - the type used for transporting corpses in a morgue - and was wheeled into the place I feared most in the entire castle.

  The surgery was heavy with clinical smells, burning my eyes and flooding my senses so even the blood of the humans surrounding me became less appealing. White lights glared at me from above and so many metal instruments were laid around the room that I didn't dare count them.

  Ignus appeared beside me, snapping on some latex gloves. “Make the first incision here.” He pointed to my chest which had been laid bare, only my jeans still in place.

  “What do you want?” I gritted out through my teeth.

  Ignus acted as if he hadn't heard me, directing one of the retched nurses closer with a silver-coated scalpel.

  “Come on, don't do this.” I tried to catch the woman's eye, but she obviously knew how to avoid my Charm, not meeting my gaze for even a second.

  The nurse slid the silver blade across my skin, pushing it in so deep that I roared from the pain of it. Due to the lack of blood, my body healed slower than usual, but I felt the sinews trying to knit together as Ignus dug his finger into the wound.

  I pulled against my restraints, but the silver shackles burned my wrists and ankles, driving me mad with the pain. “Ignus!” I roared at him and he finally met my eye, looking bored. His clean-shaven face and bright, young eyes gave him an innocent, youthful appearance. But it was all a guise; he was evil of the purest kind.

  “Tracking device, V. In case you get any ideas about running off.”

  “And how would I do that?” I narrowed my eyes. “You have me in chains.”

  “You're going to be spending time in the games soon. I don't want you getting any ideas.”

  I let out a derisive laugh. I knew what that meant. For whatever reason, the Helsings didn't want me dead. They already had a kill switch in my head, so they were clearly more concerned about finding me if I disappeared than executing me.

  “What do you want from me?” I dropped my head back against the hard steel, desperate to understand.

  “Your cooperation. Training up another V isn't an easy task, Varick. One season in the games should set you straight.” Ignus picked up a syringe, eyeing the dark liquid inside it with interest.

  “What's that?” I asked, sensing the nurses moving closer.

  “Werewolf blood.” Ignus flicked the tip so a beaded red droplet flew from it. “Apparently it can be quite excruciating to a Vampire. Another string I'm thinking of adding to my bow.”

  It was true that Jameson's blood held no a
ppeal to me. The scent of it was bland and metallic, offering none of the allure human blood did. But would it actually be able to harm me?

  I saw what Ignus planned in his eyes and tried to stop him. “Wait-”

  He jammed the needle into my throat, silver-tipped, breaking through my hardened skin. I flexed against my restraints, growling my absolute fury. If I ever got free, I was going to murder every single person in this room.

  At first I felt nothing but a trickling sensation sliding through my veins. Then the whole world was on fire. It was absolute agony, racing under my skin, making me convulse in pain.

  I strained my muscles so hard that one of my shackles buckled. A clink of metal rang across the room. It echoed on into the silence as everyone realised what had happened.

  I was free.

  Screams of panic broke out as I tore myself from the rest of the restraints, my eyes pinned on Ignus. He was out of the room before anyone else, slamming his hand against an emergency button so a glass door slid into place.

  Five people remained, all of them screaming, flailing at the door, desperate to get out. But none of them were ever going to leave this room. I had revenge flowing through me, near-blinded by the pain in my body, but driven on by the need to take out my anger on these worthless creatures.

  I sank into that dark place inside me that was always waiting, returning me to my most primal instincts. And within moments I was feeding on the neck of the nurse who had sliced me open. Her body shook in my hold, making her blood taste of sweat and fear, but nothing could stop me now.

  The next man came at me with a long bone saw; every implement in this room was made of silver, designed to test how far a V's body was capable of being pushed. With a thrust of my arm, I threw him across the room and he slammed into the wall with a crunch, dropping to the floor like a broken toy. The next three deaths were a blur of blood, frenzied feeding and sating the desire in me to drink.

  Carnage awaited me when my thoughts finally realigned. I didn't remember most of it, but my hands were bloody, my chest painted red with every one of their deaths.