Chapter 9

The room is like a perfect magazine cover. I was afraid to sit in case I wrinkle the fabric or stain it with something I don't even know is on my pants for the first time when I had come inside this room. The couch is cream but inlaid with a fine green silk; leaves embroidered so delicately that they might have landed there in spring and just sunk in, but I know they took hundreds of hours to sew. The white curtains are linen, the kind of white that is untouched by hands and devoid of dust. A cursory look to the right shows me the almost hidden cords that are used to open and close them. There is no television, no bookshelf, no dining table, only the chairs arranged around the bespoke fireplace which leaps with a gas flame. The photographs are black and white, not casual family snaps, but arranged to look like such by a professional. Any one of them wouldn't look out of place in a spread of Hello. The floor is a high polished wood, dark and free of either dust or clutter.

The messenger came forward towards me with a stoic face and I picked up the message card from the silver platter.

“Dear Heiress,

The Summit chosen for today will be held at night in a neutral territory where you will have to retrieve an object from the castle of the vampire overlord of Amorentia. The first one to retrieve the object and reach the shores will win this part of the contest.

You will not be allowed to take any of your familiars. You need to tread this path alone.

Prepare well.”

At first I read the message thinking that this must be a joke but I did not find the messenger laughing. There were high chances that we had been attacked by the vampires and our two royal members were lost to them but still they were making us go in the enemy territory as the part of the contest, as if they wanted us to die. What the Council thought, I did not know but I knew one thing that my sister was right in her presumptions and maybe she really did get these feelings which actually happened in real life.

As soon as the messenger was gone with the silver platter leaving the message card in my hand I gave it to Drima who tutted reading it.

“Looks like they are really making you go into enemy territory. Then I don’t understand why the fuck did they not let you go in the morning? The vampires sleep like dead in the morning, it would have been a lot easier for you to retrieve the article,” she said and suddenly there was a notification sound on her tab.

“It seems that they have sent the map of the area so that you can prepare ahead. Come on, let’s get to work, we don’t have a lot of time,” said Drima as she clapped her hands. Immediately she connected her laptop to the printer in the library and then printed out a large map of the whole island and then she set with Deke to map out the path which will be the easiest one for me to take.

But I knew that it was not the path that I could take anyway, because every candidate would be given the chance to take one path and Rubina will take the easiest path. And that will also be the one which will be maximum covered by security guards.

“Then what do you suggest?” asked Deke who was obviously confused as to why I was not going to take the easier path.

“That is because I would have to conserve my time and energy if I have to find the object which might have been hidden in the castle of this vampire overlord. Since it is going to be at night I am pretty sure I will already have to face resistance at the castle. And since the time frame is limited I need to understand that I cannot take too much of my time fighting off the enemies. So tonight stealth is going to be best way for me to retrieve the object,” I said and Drima nodded at my words. She knew that I was saying the right thing.

“Well if you are saying that stealth is going to be the best way and you want tread a path that is going to make the least noise or take the least attention then I have to say that there is a path which I can see but it is not very easy terrain,” said Deke as he rubbed his face absent-mindedly. It was strange how he had forgotten about his brother’s violent death and now he was fully focused on making me victorious. I knew that his pain had not been reduced even by some extent but my wolves were so loyal that they did not allow their personal grief come in midst of their duty.

“What does it involve?” I asked as I crossed my hands.

“Rock climbing,” said Deke as if it was the only way and I smiled. I loved all forms of adventure sports and rock climbing was something I was really good at.

“Then it is settled. Chart a path through the cliff on which the mansion actually stands and then we will decide on the materials I am going to need and also what are the things that I am going to carry,” I said and Drima nodded.

Then she added,” It is also mentioned in the mail that each of you will be allowed only one backpack and all the weapons that you can carry on your body. But I don’t think that you should go for something heavy because the added weight is only going to slow you down and you are of course not going to shift into a wolf,” she said and I nodded.

“Ummm…maybe I will not shift into a wolf consciously but if it is required to fight off the vamps then maybe I might need to shift and for that I would need a set of spare clothes. Not something heavy, a pair of jeans shorts and a t-shirt would suffice, I guess,” I said and Drima nodded again. That meant that it was taken care of.

“It is a good thing that you can see in the dark because otherwise it would have been really difficult because you cannot carry any kind of flares or torch lights. It will attract immediate attention of those bloodsuckers,” said Felicity and I smiled.

“Going in enemy territory without any kind of protection, does not seem prudent. But it has been clearly mentioned that any kind of attack on the vampires might be seen as an act of war and it is against the Peace Treaty that was signed with the Red Queen. So no stakes are allowed,” said Drima as she read out of the mail again and I wanted to punch Torah in the throat. That bitch was hell bent on seeing the throne empty so that the Alpha magic would be up for grabs for the Council itself but I was not letting that happen under any circumstances.

“They have said that we cannot carry stakes but it is not mentioned anywhere that we are not allowed to protect ourselves and not maim them or injure them lethally because anyways those bastards are going to heal. And I can always make make-shift stakes if it is required,” I said with a wink and Drima smiled.

“I am glad that you are still functioning properly under pressure,” said Drima as I heard Luke speaking to me the first time since morning,” You need to make sure that you carry a pack of Vitamin K capsules because in case your flesh or major arteries are torn or cut then it will help to coagulate the blood and will give you some time to heal.”

“Deke, I need a pack of Vitamin K capsules,” I said and even though he looked at me he did not question my command. That was the best thing about having a good soldier. They never questioned you until they know you are wrong.

Drima made me study the entire map until I had memorized each nook and corner in the paths and even after that I knew that I would not be fly prepared for what was coming. Wolves we akin with nature and all that made them remain closer to the forest but we were not very good at handling heights. And rock climbing in the dark with minimal sound was not going to be an easy task. But I was up for challenge.

Finally when it was almost two I felt ready and I had only an hour to eat and get my ass to the Great Hall where we will be hooded and then taken to this island in the cars of the Council and no one would know where we were until we met back at the starting point.

“Are you feeling prepared, Sin?” asked Luke as he nudged the back of my hand while I was finished dressing and making sure that my dark long hair did not get in the way. Felicity was in charge of my hair today as well and Deke was presenting me with the weapons. I chose a serrated knife to go in my boots. It was slick but it was strong and it was edged with silver which would make things slightly difficult for the vampires because it takes longer for them to heal when cut with silver.

I nodded my head and chose a few other blades and shooting stars which were close enough to be hidden in my belt and I told to Luke in my mind,” I am really ready for this. I just hope that I can retrieve this object and win this contest.”

“Just stay steady. Do what you know and always go with your instincts. That is going to be the best help to you when you know that there is no one behind you and you are all alone. But you are never alone. I am going to be with you every step of the way,” said Luke and I smiled. He had been always supportive to me and I knew that today was going to be no different when finally the lunch arrived. I had told Drima that I was not going to carry too much food or anything except a few chocolate bars and I was going to eat before I started the journey and so she had made sure that I had plenty of meat in my food.

Hot dogs, bacon, burgers, cheese steaks were the first things which I saw and without speaking I started eating. Finally after twenty minutes when I was done and absolutely filled Drima and all the other guards and Luke started eating. There was nothing to do so I thought that it would be the best if I waited a while and breathed in the cold air by the window.

I was standing by the window admiring the garden and the blooms when suddenly an arrow wheezed towards me in frightening intensity and I side-stepped it only to find that Rubina was standing below in the gardens with Salazar wrapped around her waist and then she smiled at me and laughed out loud. That fucking bitch…she was trying to kill me and take out the competition…

I was going to make sure that she kissed my feet before the Summit ended and begged for mercy as I killed her.