Winter Hurstbourne is a competitive, strongwilled, and utterly beautiful warrior in training at the Nightmare's Base Academy, Inferno. She has an attractive best friend Cole, great skills and her uncle is the leader of their coven. But when a mysterious Guardian boy vows to find her at all costs, the world she knew shatters. Trying to piece the truth about her past, among learning what she really stood for, her heart is torn between her best friend and the mysterious boy who has claimed to sweep her off her feet. Nightmares and Guardians battle head to head, but in the end, she is the one to choose which side she really belongs to, and which will become non-existant.
Prologue: “Mihi vindicatam,” Seventeen-year-old Cole Bloodsbane dropped the bloodied blade, its hilt slick with silver. The vicious blood had scorched his fingertips, turning them a blackish gray. He kicked the now crumpled body off his foot and swore. The silver blood had seeped onto his steel boot, the leather already being devoured by the damned liquid. He swore and looked over his shoulder. “Nice job.” His partner said, concealing his weapon. “You were almost as good as me.” Cole snickered. “Watch it, Reiner. I could take you with one blow.” Reiner picked his way over the pools of silver blood; ashes were all that were left. “Why do you use that phrase?” He asked. “‘Vengeance is mine, ”’ He quoted. “It seemed right for the occasion.” “What occasion is that? A funeral?” Reiner laughed and muttered something like “insurgent”. As they picked their way through the darkened streets of Los Angeles, the glow of security lights sent faint beams onto the pavement. Through the gaps between buildings Cole could see the dark outlines of dumpsters and cardboard boxes. As they made their way to Archers Row, it was lit quite brightly, with white flames flickering in metal baskets that hung from black streetlamps. It was oblivious to humans, of course, with the twinge of glamour, it looked like the two boys were entering an old abandoned road that had been blocked off. Rising in the distance Cole could see the towering spirals of the Conservatoire, black and gold. The road rapped around the front like a sleeping snake, the white flames leaping out of their baskets. Just as they reached the gate, though, Cole heard the faint patter of footsteps behind them. “Reiner.” He warned. “Wait. I hear something.” He drew his sword and turned, Reiner mirroring his movements. He crept through the shadowed streets, his eyes alert and his ears listening. Suddenly, a scream pierced the silent air. Cole ran toward the sound, whipping into a narrow alleyway. The screaming had stopped, but Cole’s heart was throwing itself around in his chest. “This way.” Reiner bolted to the left, his blade reflecting the streetlamps above. Another scream ripped it’s way through the night, louder and more strangled. Cole followed him, clutching the blade so tight the hilt was leaving marks on his palm. “Hurry.” Cole urged as they took off down the road, slipping and sliding through the puddles of standing water. They skidded into a much larger alley, dead ended by a large concrete wall. It the very end of the alley, covered by shadows, was a pile of trash. Cole approached it cautiously, his blade raised. As he got closer, he realized the pile he thought was trash was really a body, with ragged clothes that were torn to shreds. “It’s just a body.” Cole said, feeling Reiner at his side. “Been here for quite sometime.” He heard him sigh. “We shouldn’t get involved. It’s the human authorities’ job to- Oh, look! It moved!” The body had moved, rolling out from the ball it was curled up in. Among the rags, a small face appeared, dominated by matted silver hair and bright silver eyes. The girl couldn’t have been any older than twelve, although the dirt and bruises on her face made it hard to tell. “Good Lord.” Cole breathed, bending down to look in her eyes. He reached to touch her face with his fingertips. She cringed back, trying to get as far from as she could. As she moved, Cole heard chains scrape the pavement. “She’s chained to the wall.” Cole said, standing back up. Reiner was looking down at her, his face ashen. “Do you want me to…” Reiner motioned to the girl with his chin. Cole nodded as Reiner squatted down in front of her. “Hey.” Reiner said, his voice soft. “It’s okay, we’re not going to hurt you, but you have to let us help you.” When she didn’t respond, he looked up at Cole who shrugged. “I- I didn’t mean to…” She said, so quietly, Cole barely heard. Lifting her head, she looked at Reiner with innocent eyes. “What happened?” He asked, laying his hand gently on her shoulder. She shook her head and buried it back under her arm. Her hair was long, Cole realized, as it spilled over her arm and brushed the ground. “Will you let us get you out of those chains?” Reiner asked, looking down at the rusting twines of metal. “We can take you back with us.” Cole kicked Reiner lightly and glared at him. Reiner only shrugged as she nodded and dropped her arms. Cole gasped. Her arms were covered in black marks, running from her shoulder to her wrist. Scratches etched all along her inner arm, dried blood was caked everywhere. Although it wasn’t the amount of blood he saw; it was the color. Not scarlet like a human or silver like his, but gold. Reiner helped her to her feet, his hands under her arms. “Cole, will you please get those things off her?” As if remembering himself, Cole kneeled down in front of her, clasping the metal ring in both hands. He gripped it and pulled-the metal falling into two pieces at her feet. He moved to the other when she spoke. “Your not like others, are you?” At that Cole looked up at Reiner in astonishment, his hands shaking slightly. Reiner shook his head. “I guess you could say that. Why do you ask?” Cole could see the Reiner’s hands were trembling as well, and was trying hard to hide it. “I’ve seen you walk by before, in that window across the street.” She pointed to the building with darkened windows. To humans, it just looked like a closed-down bank. Without glamour, it was one of the nightclubs for their kind, run by some friends of Cole’s. “Other people walk by like nothing is there, while people like you go in and out all the time.” She raised her shoulders in a shrug. “I didn’t think anything about it until I asked-” She looked at her feet, Cole’s hands around her ankle. “‘Nothing is there, you stupid girl.’ She had said. She slapped me across the face, saying that I was…” Her lip quivered. Reiner pulled her to him, hugging her lightly. Cole saw a tear slip down her face as Reiner cradled in against his chest. When she pulled away, she was wiping the tears off her face with her palm. Cole felt his heart tug, as if weeping for her. “All done.” Cole let a smile creep across his lips, looking at her emotional face. She smiled too, her silver eyes brightening. Reiner helped her walk as she limped down toward the mouth of the alley. As they rounded the corner, she looked up at Cole. “Are we going to that pretty place, with the spiraling towers and white fire? Um…” She sounded hopeful. She tapped her fingers against her chin. Then her face lit up with recognition. “Archers Row! Are we going there?” Cole could only nod, trying to hide his thunderstruck expression. He looked over at Reiner for support. “Yes. How do you know about it?” Reiner questioned as he held her up. His ebony hair was a startling difference from her silver locks. She just looked back out at the road ahead of them, a smile pulling at her lips. “It’s amazing what you can hear when your chained to a wall for two weeks.” She looked back up at Cole. “Besides, you guys walk around like no one can see you or hear you.” Her smile got wider as she studied Cole’s face. “Is vengeance really yours after all, Cole?” Beside her, Reiner made a half-strangled noise.
“I can’t believe she can see us. Do you think…” Reiner let the fragment hang in the air between them as he peeled his shirt off, revealing burn marks across his chest, a gash along his side. Cole shook his head as he took off his weapons belt and hug it on the wall. The weapons room was a stark white, with whips, switchblades, bows, arms-length blades and daggers hung. Along one wall, practice dummies were lined, most had blades still protruding through their chests. “I doubt she is a Nightmare. Did you see her blood?” “I saw.” Reiner whispered as he pulled on a black T-shirt. “Kristin took her to get cleaned up.” He thought of their worker, her short-cropped hair and snappy attitude. Cole whipped a knife off the wall, spinning in in his hands. “I just wish I could find those no good, son of a -” “Cole!” Kristin stepped into the room, her black dress barely skimming her mid-thigh. “What are you? No vigilante will be ordering me around, and that includes you, if you keep talking like that.” She snapped. “What’s gotten into you?” Reiner looked startled. Cole looked at the knife in his hands. “Nothing.” and he threw the blade, hitting the dummy square in the chest.
Good constructive feedback would be awesom; if there is something you think should be added, changed, or something you like, please don't be afraid to post below. Thanks. :)
Prologue:
“Mihi vindicatam,”
Seventeen-year-old Cole Bloodsbane dropped the bloodied blade, its hilt slick with silver. The vicious blood had scorched his fingertips, turning them a blackish gray. He kicked the now crumpled body off his foot and swore. The silver blood had seeped onto his steel boot, the leather already being devoured by the damned liquid. He swore and looked over his shoulder.
“Nice job.” His partner said, concealing his weapon. “You were almost as good as me.”
Cole snickered. “Watch it, Reiner. I could take you with one blow.”
Reiner picked his way over the pools of silver blood; ashes were all that were left. “Why do you use that phrase?” He asked.
“‘Vengeance is mine, ”’ He quoted. “It seemed right for the occasion.”
“What occasion is that? A funeral?” Reiner laughed and muttered something like “insurgent”. As they picked their way through the darkened streets of Los Angeles, the glow of security lights sent faint beams onto the pavement. Through the gaps between buildings Cole could see the dark outlines of dumpsters and cardboard boxes.
As they made their way to Archers Row, it was lit quite brightly, with white flames flickering in metal baskets that hung from black streetlamps. It was oblivious to humans, of course, with the twinge of glamour, it looked like the two boys were entering an old abandoned road that had been blocked off. Rising in the distance Cole could see the towering spirals of the Conservatoire, black and gold. The road rapped around the front like a sleeping snake, the white flames leaping out of their baskets. Just as they reached the gate, though, Cole heard the faint patter of footsteps behind them.
“Reiner.” He warned. “Wait. I hear something.” He drew his sword and turned, Reiner mirroring his movements. He crept through the shadowed streets, his eyes alert and his ears listening. Suddenly, a scream pierced the silent air.
Cole ran toward the sound, whipping into a narrow alleyway. The screaming had stopped, but Cole’s heart was throwing itself around in his chest.
“This way.” Reiner bolted to the left, his blade reflecting the streetlamps above. Another scream ripped it’s way through the night, louder and more strangled. Cole followed him, clutching the blade so tight the hilt was leaving marks on his palm.
“Hurry.” Cole urged as they took off down the road, slipping and sliding through the puddles of standing water. They skidded into a much larger alley, dead ended by a large concrete wall.
It the very end of the alley, covered by shadows, was a pile of trash. Cole approached it cautiously, his blade raised. As he got closer, he realized the pile he thought was trash was really a body, with ragged clothes that were torn to shreds.
“It’s just a body.” Cole said, feeling Reiner at his side. “Been here for quite sometime.”
He heard him sigh. “We shouldn’t get involved. It’s the human authorities’ job to- Oh, look! It moved!”
The body had moved, rolling out from the ball it was curled up in. Among the rags, a small face appeared, dominated by matted silver hair and bright silver eyes. The girl couldn’t have been any older than twelve, although the dirt and bruises on her face made it hard to tell.
“Good Lord.” Cole breathed, bending down to look in her eyes. He reached to touch her face with his fingertips. She cringed back, trying to get as far from as she could. As she moved, Cole heard chains scrape the pavement.
“She’s chained to the wall.” Cole said, standing back up. Reiner was looking down at her, his face ashen.
“Do you want me to…” Reiner motioned to the girl with his chin. Cole nodded as Reiner squatted down in front of her.
“Hey.” Reiner said, his voice soft. “It’s okay, we’re not going to hurt you, but you have to let us help you.” When she didn’t respond, he looked up at Cole who shrugged.
“I- I didn’t mean to…” She said, so quietly, Cole barely heard. Lifting her head, she looked at Reiner with innocent eyes.
“What happened?” He asked, laying his hand gently on her shoulder.
She shook her head and buried it back under her arm. Her hair was long, Cole realized, as it spilled over her arm and brushed the ground.
“Will you let us get you out of those chains?” Reiner asked, looking down at the rusting twines of metal. “We can take you back with us.”
Cole kicked Reiner lightly and glared at him. Reiner only shrugged as she nodded and dropped her arms. Cole gasped. Her arms were covered in black marks, running from her shoulder to her wrist. Scratches etched all along her inner arm, dried blood was caked everywhere. Although it wasn’t the amount of blood he saw; it was the color. Not scarlet like a human or silver like his, but gold.
Reiner helped her to her feet, his hands under her arms. “Cole, will you please get those things off her?” As if remembering himself, Cole kneeled down in front of her, clasping the metal ring in both hands. He gripped it and pulled-the metal falling into two pieces at her feet.
He moved to the other when she spoke. “Your not like others, are you?”
At that Cole looked up at Reiner in astonishment, his hands shaking slightly.
Reiner shook his head. “I guess you could say that. Why do you ask?” Cole could see the Reiner’s hands were trembling as well, and was trying hard to hide it.
“I’ve seen you walk by before, in that window across the street.” She pointed to the building with darkened windows. To humans, it just looked like a closed-down bank. Without glamour, it was one of the nightclubs for their kind, run by some friends of Cole’s. “Other people walk by like nothing is there, while people like you go in and out all the time.” She raised her shoulders in a shrug. “I didn’t think anything about it until I asked-” She looked at her feet, Cole’s hands around her ankle. “‘Nothing is there, you stupid girl.’ She had said. She slapped me across the face, saying that I was…” Her lip quivered.
Reiner pulled her to him, hugging her lightly. Cole saw a tear slip down her face as Reiner cradled in against his chest. When she pulled away, she was wiping the tears off her face with her palm. Cole felt his heart tug, as if weeping for her.
“All done.” Cole let a smile creep across his lips, looking at her emotional face. She smiled too, her silver eyes brightening. Reiner helped her walk as she limped down toward the mouth of the alley. As they rounded the corner, she looked up at Cole.
“Are we going to that pretty place, with the spiraling towers and white fire? Um…” She sounded hopeful. She tapped her fingers against her chin. Then her face lit up with recognition. “Archers Row! Are we going there?” Cole could only nod, trying to hide his thunderstruck expression. He looked over at Reiner for support.
“Yes. How do you know about it?” Reiner questioned as he held her up. His ebony hair was a startling difference from her silver locks.
She just looked back out at the road ahead of them, a smile pulling at her lips. “It’s amazing what you can hear when your chained to a wall for two weeks.” She looked back up at Cole. “Besides, you guys walk around like no one can see you or hear you.” Her smile got wider as she studied Cole’s face. “Is vengeance really yours after all, Cole?”
Beside her, Reiner made a half-strangled noise.
“I can’t believe she can see us. Do you think…” Reiner let the fragment hang in the air between them as he peeled his shirt off, revealing burn marks across his chest, a gash along his side.
Cole shook his head as he took off his weapons belt and hug it on the wall. The weapons room was a stark white, with whips, switchblades, bows, arms-length blades and daggers hung. Along one wall, practice dummies were lined, most had blades still protruding through their chests. “I doubt she is a Nightmare. Did you see her blood?”
“I saw.” Reiner whispered as he pulled on a black T-shirt. “Kristin took her to get cleaned up.” He thought of their worker, her short-cropped hair and snappy attitude.
Cole whipped a knife off the wall, spinning in in his hands. “I just wish I could find those no good, son of a -”
“Cole!” Kristin stepped into the room, her black dress barely skimming her mid-thigh. “What are you? No vigilante will be ordering me around, and that includes you, if you keep talking like that.” She snapped.
“What’s gotten into you?” Reiner looked startled.
Cole looked at the knife in his hands. “Nothing.” and he threw the blade, hitting the dummy square in the chest.
Good constructive feedback would be awesom; if there is something you think should be added, changed, or something you like, please don't be afraid to post below.
Thanks. :)