Target 206

Dad was pacing. As was I along the carpet. Forming trails on either side of the room that Mom said she’d never be able to erase. I looked over. My eyes only slightly turning. Dad’s head was bowed. His arms pinned behind his back. Seeming as though he were focusing on only pressing his feet further into the carpet. To deepen the straight line that ran from one side of the room to the other.

“You need someone of importance, David.” he muttered.

Though he said my name, I knew he was mainly talking to himself.

“Someone who can reward you with both fear and respect.”

He was basically spitting while putting emphasis on those two words. I couldn’t deny it. Assassins were supposed to be feared. Yet respected by fellow clan members. Especially us Monyortas. Those who wore the “Cat’s Eye”.

“Jared, you know I warned you about getting all worked up like this”, Mom said, in a faint whisper.

She feared Dad. We all knew it. But she was basically trapped inside a cage. So she couldn’t say anything about divorce, or separation. Though Dad was an abusive monster. Except to his precious little girl. One he called Estelle, the little girl he wanted. We all envied her. She seemed so perfect in his eyes. Even though all he wanted were killers. And she never had the guts to kill even an insect. She had Dad wrapped around her finger. Able to make him do things for her that he wouldn’t do for anyone else. She disgusted me. Sometimes I wished myself that I could be assigned to kill her. But of course that was pure fantasy. Dad couldn’t kill his little angel. No, not the one that kept him sane for nineteen years of marriage.

“Dammit Allissa! He needs someone of importance! Look at him, he’s a f**king dwarf!” Dad’s voice boomed across the room and echoed off the walls.

I’d always wondered how Mom and Dad ended up married in the first place. Mom was a very pale, auburn-haired frail woman. Petite, and her features were very delicate. And perfectly proportioned. She liked to keep her hair long, despite Dad’s wishes. And it hung in light waves down to the middle of her back.

Dad, on the other hand, was a large, burly man. He looked as if he were a lumberjack in his past. He stood almost seven feet tall, and his hands were large, and thick. Despite his size, most of it was in his upper body. His legs weren’t all that long. And his hair was dark and was cut almost military style.

Dad was right. I’d caught most of Mom’s features, despite my height. I wasn’t as built up as Dad was, and I didn’t keep my hair short. I grew it out to my shoulders, and tried my best to design it to where it looked different. Unique. I was paler than Mom, but not as pale as Dad was.

Estelle, my older sister looked nothing like Mom or Dad. Her hair was a dark blonde, that hung in graceful ringlets down to the small of her back, and despite her vampiric blood, she kept a light tint to her skin. Not what you’d consider olive-toned, but she wasn’t pale either. Her chest was big, unlike Mom, or anyone on her side, or Dad’s. And she was average-sized for an eighteen year old. Her legs were long, yet thick. And she could almost have the hourglass shape, if you didn’t count the slightly thicker waist.

Max, on the other hand, looked exactly like Dad. A nose that didn’t quite fit in with the rest of his face, and a wider mouth. He didn’t keep his hair short like Dad, but he didn’t grow it out like mine either. Max had dark brown eyes, whereas Dad had yellowish-green eyes, and Mom had blue eyes. Mine were ringed. Unlike anyone else’s in the land we’d lived in. Estelle’s were red, and Akira’s were a dark gray.

You couldn’t quite tell who Akira looked like. She had gotten all of Dad’s good features, and all of Mom’s. She was beautiful. Even for a six year old.

Mom’s eyes dropped. Escaping Dad’s intimidating stare. Dad’s mouth twisted into a self-satisfied smirk, and went back to his pacing. Akira, my youngest sister was asleep in Mom’s lap. With Mom’s fingers running through Akira’s reddish-brown hair.

Estelle appeared to be thinking too. And when she thought of something, she sprung from her rocking chair. The one she claimed hers back when we were both little.

“What about someone from the royal family? The Neeyhahs?” she asked, a wide grin spread across her face. Dad froze in his tracks and spun around. Pointing one of his thick fingers towards her.

“You don’t ever speak of those…animals again! It was them who nearly rendered us extinct! It was them who almost killed your brothers! David cannot be trusted with those things. Their women are seducing little creatures.”

His mouth was twisted into a sneer. I couldn’t deny that then I had the same thoughts about Neeyhahs. But not their women. Estelle wasn’t about to be intimidated by Dad, however. She held her ground. Like I’d always been taught to do. But Dad had a way of putting guilt on me. A way that always pushed me over the edge to do whatever he wanted. I was always the one that did everything for the family. The one that hunted, and brought back food and supplies. The one that took Akira wherever she wanted to go. The one that helped Estelle with her “guy problems”. Everything.

“Well, what about Synyra?” Estelle asked, crossing her arms over her chest. This time Dad was the one to back down.

“Oh, come on, Daddy. You want her dead anyway. Who would be better suited for this job than Davie? Come on.”

She shook his shoulder playfully. She was standing up for me? Telling Dad that I needed to be the one to do this job? That I was the best at it? Or was she just trying to see me crack under pressure? Estelle was a Daddy’s girl. And Max was the Momma’s Boy. I was never favored by either of them. Dad hated me, and Mom was afraid of me for a reason I’d never understand. Dad smiled a little, and held Estelle’s hand. Perfect family moment, I thought. Perfect if it were a family of four instead of six.

I thought for a moment. Synyra was the little girl who Dad’s guards had kidnapped when she was only three. Tried to change her into something she wasn’t. She was born a Neeyhah. And she’d die one. I was certain of that. She nearly killed all of us, after all.

“Alright, Essie. Where does this b**ch live?” I asked, finally emerging from a shell of my own.

Estelle’s eyes widened, and her mouth slightly opened as she cocked her head to the side. A look of shock. I’d rarely ever used that kind of language around Mom or Dad. Dad considered it disrespectful, and Mom just wouldn’t have it. Dad cleared his throat and eyed me suspiciously. Like I was going to harm his precious little angel. Like Estelle was an angel.

Estelle sighed, and freed herself from Dad’s grasp. “Well, she wont be here per say-”

“Ah s**it…” I mumbled. “Does that mean I have to go to Earth?”

“Let me finish. But she’s coming here when Jacob leaves here to go to Earth in a few days. You earn the brother’s trust. You earn the girl’s trust. Once you get close enough, you slaughter the girl, the brother, and anyone else. Take out the girl and the brother, you take out the whole pack. And the pack takes out the whole tribe.” She shrugged. “Simple.”

My eyes widened. I’d be in control of the entire Monyorta clan fate this time? I needed this job. Maybe Dad wouldn’t hate me so much if I proved my strength. And the fact that my blood was just as cold as his was. My eyes shifted over to Dad’s. Catching his yellow gaze. The sight sent chills down my spine, but I ignored it. I needed to do this. I needed this job.

“Dad…” I slowly stood up, and slid down on my knees. In front of him. Pleading. So much for becoming a man.
“Dad please. I need this job. Please.”

Dad just shook his head. I was doomed. He would give it to someone more, as he would put it, capable. Like Max. Who wouldn’t even take the time to get to know her. Just kill her on the first day.

“Get up. Get up off the ground you’re disgracing the men in this family.” Dad said harshly.

I dropped my eyes and slid up. He was going to give it to Max now. The job. The opportunity. The power.

“Come on, Dad.” Max moved from his spot on the wall and wrapped an arm around him. “Second to you, Davie’s the best assassin we’ve got. He’ll take out that entire clan for you. And all he needs to do is kill the girl.”

Dad appeared to think. Then an evil smile formed. A smile that could freeze lava. I shivered again.

“Alright, David.” he walked away from Max, over to me. “You want the job. You got it.”

I smiled at Max, who just simply shrugged. “You owe me big time.” he mouthed, then returned to his spot on the wall. His favoured spot.

“Thanks, Max.” I said aloud, and everyone turned my way. Even Akira, deep in her sleep shifted over to where she was facing me. I swallowed hard. Did I disgrace the family yet again? Something Dad always accused me of since Laura’s death. The little girl he could never have. The one who would be a better assassin than me. The best female we’d have. Estelle was no killer, and Akira wouldn’t be able to handle it. Her body was too fragile.

Max nodded and waved me off, like it was no big deal. He was only a year younger than me. The majority of us were only a year apart. Dad wanted that. So he could have kids he would be able to teach one after the other.

I unzipped my bag, and packed it up with all of my materials. Poisons, knives, swords, bows and arrows, (mainly used for hunting) and my favorite thing of all time. Something they’d call a gun on earth. Only it was specially designed by Dad to shoot bullets filled with poisons. The only thing Dad was good for.

I slid it over my shoulder and waved goodbye to everyone. I’d be gone for a while. Knowing how far away the main city was from where I’d lived. In the middle of nowhere. The largest city in the world. Where the castle was located. Where Jacob was, and the key to the success of this job. All I had to do was convince him to introduce me to his sister. If she’s new here, she needs a guard. Or an escort I thought to myself as I mounted everything on my dragon. A large dumb animal who only knew the basic directions. I wished I could be one of the luckier ones who had the ten talking dragons in the world. Females didn’t seem to lay eggs very often here. So not many more dragons were born. Or if they were, they were raised in captivity. Most talking dragons were killed off due to poachers. Wanting their body parts for gold.

I’d spent weeks traveling to Morecron. The capital of the world. It was located in the mountains. A very cold area. Even I, a vampire who was supposed to be immune to cold, had to bundle myself in blankets.

My dragon landed a few feet away from the city gates. Knowing my bags would be searched, I hid them away with invisibility spells. Sheathing one sword to my waist. One silver sword coated with various poisons.

I managed to maneuver my way through the city without being stopped by any guards. Until I reached the castle walls.

“Whoa there, boy. Where do you think you’re headed?” a city guard dressed in iron armor asked me. He had his helmet closed off to where I couldn’t see his face. I couldn’t help but wonder if that was how all guards in the castle dressed. I shrugged, knowing he wouldn’t be able to see me.

“Uh, I’m…needing to speak with the prince.” I said, trying to sound as respectful as possible.

“No can do, boy. If you are going anywhere, it’s through-”

I was tired of chattering to this strange man I didn’t know. I sighed and unsheathed my blade, slicing through his armor and into his gut. He made a strange groaning noise, followed by a few short gasps before he dropped to his knees and I removed the blade. No one even appeared to notice.

Quietly, I sneaked into the stables, where I just happened to catch Jacob as he was mounting his horse. I’d met my key to the girl.

“Excuse-”

Jacob spun around, a blade already unsheathed and held up to my throat in one swift movement. All I could think was I’m dead.

“Vampire…you aren’t one of our allies. Who are you?” I didn’t answer in his liking, so he sliced open my sleeve, revealing the Cat’s Eye symbol.

“Monyorta!” He scoffed and threw me aside. “You came here to spy on us, didn’t you?” He held the tip of the blade so close to my throat, I could almost feel the icy metal against my skin. I sucked in a deep breath as I tried to explain.

“You…you see…I find this hard to explain-”

“You have five seconds to start or finish your story. Or I’ll finish you.” he pushed the blade closer. With more force exerted. I managed to suck in another breath before attempting to explain.

“I’m what you would call and outcast of the Monyortas. I was kicked out a long time ago, but they never removed the symbol.” Jacob rolled his eyes. He’d obviously heard this before.

“And I heard your sister needs someone to guard her-”

“I have a pack for that!”

“Can they be around her twenty-four seven?” I asked, trying to keep the smirk from emerging on my lips. Jacob sighed and shook his head.

“But she can fight. Believe me. She’d take you out in one blow.”

He spun the sword around in his hands. Flipping twice before returning to my throat. I shivered and swallowed the lump that was forming in my throat. Every part of me wanted to run away and forget I’d ever applied for this job. Only I might not make it out of Jacob’s grasp alive.

“Well, what if she meets vampires? I heard she has quite a weakness to their venom.” I said in a semi-respectful tone. Jacob was standing over me. Intimidating. He was a couple inches shorter than Dad, but obviously had a shorter temper.

“What could you do about it?” he asked, a sneer forming around the corners of his mouth. My throat was dry at this point. I needed to think of something before my head was served on a platter to Synyra for her birthday.

“I-I could offer her protection. I was the best killer in the family. One of them. I can also communicate with other vampires. I know when they’re coming, and my venom kills.” I said, in complete honesty. Jacob rolled his eyes again and ran his free hand through his hair.

“My sister doesn’t need protection.” he replied in a stern, almost sincere voice.

“Does she have an escort?” I asked, my voice becoming hoarse. More afraid of his blade slicing across my throat. I wasn’t full vampire. I didn’t have all the protection I needed. My heart still beat. Now sounding like a kettle drum. Blood still coursed through my veins.
Jacob shook his head. An angry look still flashing in his dark hazel eyes.

“You think you could do the job? I’ll have my guys watching you, boy.” he pushed the blade a little further to where it was now touching my skin. I nodded, my eyes on the blade.

Jacob nodded and helped me up. “But if you fail at this, and Synyra ends up dead, I’ll have your head mounted on my wall. You’ll be humiliated even in the afterlife.” I felt icy fingers run down my spine. I shook them off and nodded again. Jacob sighed.
“My sister comes in two days. I hope you’re ready.”

__END__