is right, we must destroy him.” At his words, several nearby vampires and guard cheered loudly, throwing their fists up into the air. The urge to thrust my fist in the air with them alighted within me.
His words lifted my lips into a smile despite the evil we would soon be fighting. It was time we all pushed aside our fear and embraced our vengeance. I knew I had to do the same, and the little voice inside me that I usually kept caged up needed to be released. Everyone kept telling me I needed to control my anger, but maybe they were wrong. Perhaps I needed to release it.
Eli and Bennett gave me a tour of the make-shift sparring area. We walked past training mats as men and women fought each other with severe intensity. The speed at which they moved was mind boggling. I knew vampires were fast, but the guards were visibly quicker. I stopped at one particular mat where a girl, shorter than me, lifted a male vampire twice her size off the ground by his throat before slamming him back down. He grunted loudly, his face reddening at her fierce grip before she released him with a deep growl, offering her arm to help him up.
“I’m guessing she’s one of yours?” I asked Bennett, with a smirk.
He smiled, pride blossoming out of him in waves. “Yeah, one of my best. That’s Kyri.” At the mention of her name, Kyri looked up, giving Bennett a devilish grin before calling on her next opponent in a stern tone. I couldn’t help thinking she was a miniature, female version of Eli. The crowds around her mat were rapt with attention, observing her every move with intensity. She might have been small in stature, but I could tell there was nothing small about her.
“Impressive,” Arrick commented, as we watched Kyri send her next opponent flying into the gathering crowd.
“That she is,” Eli added. “Had I known she was capable of such strength I would have put her against Bennett in training long ago. She’s been holding out on me.”
“She’d kick my ass!” Bennett joked. “I’m glad she started training with me.”
“Who hasn’t kicked your ass?” I asked with a giggle before sidestepping Bennett’s attempt to playfully punch my arm.
“Hey! I beat you fair and square.”
“Once!” I teased. “It’ll never happen again.” My cheeks burned from the intensity of my grin. The immense pleasure I felt beating Bennett that night training still played vividly in my memory.
“I let you win,” he said, trying desperately to save face in front of everyone.
“If you say so,” I said, giggling and taking Arrick’s hand as we made our way past more training guards.
“We’ve decided to name our new guard the King’s Snake,” Eli said, bringing our conversation back to business.
“They’ll be a tactical, covert force that delivers precision and deadly attacks to our enemy. Their main objectives are to protect the royal family, and strike down generals in Baal’s forces,” Bennett joined in, all the laughter gone from his voice. For a moment I had seen the Bennett that I once knew, but it was quickly replaced with the new, hardened Bennett. As with everyone else, the attack and the reality of what we were facing had changed him.
“The King believes we need to be prepared for the possibility that we could lose this war. That when all the guard is gone, the King’s Snake will be the last line of defense,” Eli said with finality.
“Certainly it won’t come to that?” I asked. I didn’t even want to think of losing as an option.
“We hope not, but we must be prepared for the worst.”
“I understand.” I pulled my attention away from a pair of vampires that were sparring with two long staffs and turned toward Bennett. “Congratulations,” I said, leaning in to give him a hug.
“For what?” he asked, looking almost nervous by the attention.
“We couldn’t have done all this,” I waved my arm around at the massive crowd, “without you.”
He shrugged. “I’m not doing anything that anyone else wouldn’t have done.” I’d never seen Bennett look so uncomfortable about praise before. Normally, he hunted down every opportunity to get the attention focused on him, fishing for any compliment he could get. Had everything that had happened humbled him, or did he just feel uncomfortable because I was the one saying it? I was utterly baffled by his reaction till I caught sight of Arrick’s expression. It was written clearly on his face