IZEL

"Izel? What's wrong?" Alek asked me through the earpiece. "I heard you shout, is everything okay?"

I couldn't answer, I couldn't even move. The Vanquisher had a blade against the Roi's neck, but as soon as he called me Izzy, I knew he wasn't a Vanquisher. He was the Masked Slayer. Unmasked.

Daggers!

Did that mean I found my sworn enemy attractive?! My face slowly fell as the realisation hit me and a fiendish smile crept onto the Slayer's lips at the sight of it.

"Like what you see?" he asked, and I could only sneer. Ugh, I couldn't believe I was admiring the Masked Slayer. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Did you miss me?"

"How did you get here?"

"Through the front door, obviously," the Slayer said with a grin as if he wasn't on the verge of killing the Roi. "I agreed with you earlier by the way, when you said the Roi doesn't deserve any honour." His eyes remained pinned on me as he said, "I think I know what he deserves."

The Slayer ran the blade along the Roi's neck, awakening him in the process. The Roi's eyes shot wide open when he realised he had a dagger against his skin and he opened his mouth to shout but it came out as a muffled shout as the Slayer covered his mouth and pressed the blade harder against his skin, penetrating the skin.

The sight of blood knocked me back into my senses.

Without further hesitation, I unsheathed my dagger and threw it, aiming for the Slayer's hand, the one holding the dagger. He managed to shift and my dagger barely slit his arm before sticking in the wall.

I ran toward him, unsheathing my sword. He removed his hand from the Roi's mouth, putting his blade in his sheath and unsheathing his sword within a matter of seconds. Our swords met the other with force, sending vibrations down my arm.

The Roi began screaming rather than moving away from the danger.

"Get out of here!" I shouted, my attention still on the Slayer, trying to get through his defences.

The Roi quickly crawled away from us, scrambling to his feet as he rushed to the door. Which was still locked. He didn't seize his shouting and began banging on the door now.

"Izel? What's going on?" I heard Alek ask through the earpiece, urgency in his voice.

"The Masked Slayer is in here!" I shouted just as he hit my sword out of my grip.

I planted my foot against his stomach before he could swing at me, kicking the air out of his lungs. I grabbed the nearest object near me—which was a vase—and broke it against his head.

"That was my favourite vase!" The Roi rebuked.

"Shut up! I'm trying to save your life here!"

The Slayer barely faltered from the hit, and I swiped at him with a shard of the glass but he kept dodging. Eventually, he caught my hand and twisted my wrist, forcing me to release the glass, but I tactfully caught it with my other hand and jabbed it into his arm.

The Slayer groaned and removed the shard of glass from his arm before releasing his sword, gripping my other hand and pushing me up against the wall.

"That hurt," he growled, his voice deep and threatening.

I heard bangs on the door and I thought it was still the Roi banging against it but then realised they were coming from the other side of the door. The Vanquishers were here, and they were trying to get through.

"Good," I said before kicking the back of his leg, forcing his knee to bend then used my other leg to push myself off of the wall, forcing him to fall back and I fell on top of him.

I removed his dagger from his sheath and brought it down to his chest with full force but he caught my hand mid-air, grabbed the dagger then rolled us over so he was on top of me now.

"Thanks," he said with a malicious smile, "I needed this." He fixed his grip on the dagger and when I thought he was going to end my life with it, he suddenly flung it toward the Roi.

I gasped, looking behind me. The dagger had gone through the Roi's chest, where the heart was. He didn't even register any pain but suddenly crumbled to the ground.

The Roi was dead...

"Izel!" I heard Alek shout from outside the doors.

I looked back at the Slayer, only to find his eyes were already on me, a blank, unknown expression in them and I had no doubt it screamed evil.

"I'll keep you alive, Izzy," he said, the for now hanging in the air between us. With shocking speed, he pulled his dagger from the Roi's body, sheathed his sword and grabbed my dagger from the wall.

All of this he did before I even stand up. The Slayer was before me again and took my arms, pulling me up and bringing me to my feet, a rope suddenly in his hands. He was going to tie me up.

He grabbed my hands and I pulled them back. I knew that wouldn't make him release me—which he didn't—but that it would only bring us closer—which it did—and so I head-butted him, my skull colliding with his nose. He swore and as soon as his hold around my hands loosened I forced my hands out of his grip and grabbed the hilt of his sword. I only managed to unsheathe it halfway before he grabbed my wrist, holding my hand in place.

"Let go," he snarled.

"Okay," I said, and the Slayer's brows rose in surprise as I released the dagger, only to scrunch together in pain when I kneed his groin. Hard.

I used that opportunity to leap behind him and I grabbed my sword from where it was on the ground.

"That was a dirty, dirty move," the Slayer groaned, but I only smirked in answer.

He unsheathed his sword and leapt toward me. Our swords clashed together with each swing, but I quickly realised that he wasn't trying to kill me but was only blocking all of my attacks, all of my attempts to kill him. He was focusing on unarming me rather than killing me.

"Why aren't you trying to kill me?" I asked when he blocked one of my attacks yet again.

"Because you're more use to me alive, dear Izzy."

I snarled, "well, you're more use to me dead."

I feigned him, lifting my sword to strike his face and just as he blocked it I jumped back and lifted my foot, high enough to kick his diaphragm. He gasped and stumbled backwards, and his cough told me I hit him exactly where I wanted to.

His back was bent as he gripped his stomach, trying to get air into his lungs. I wasted no time before I swung my arm to decapitate him with my sword, but sadly, he lifted his sword just before mine met his neck and stepped forward, a sharp sound ringing from the friction of our swords. He grabbed my hand and twisted my wrist—making me drop my sword again—then spun me around and pushed me against the wall.

His dark, hazel eyes didn't leave mine as he pinned me against the wall, our chests rising and falling from the exertion of the fight.

"Go ahead," I challenged. "Kill me."

His lips twitched in the slightest smile but he said, "not yet."

He pulled me toward him before forcing me to the ground, resting his knee between my stomach and chest, right on my diaphragm. I couldn't fight him off of me, not when I was struggling to breathe in air. I wheezed and noted the way the Slayer lifted his knee ever so slightly, reducing the weight on my diaphragm.

"I know how uncomfortable hands tied behind the back is," he said, reaching for his rope and tying them around my hands, "so I'll tie them in front of you, for your comfort," he added with a grin.

"Screw you," I spat.

"You're welcome."

Just then the doors burst open.

"Alek!" I called.

"Time to go," the Slayer said, forcing me to my feet and toward the window.

Alek wasn't phased by the body of the Roi like the other Vanquishers were, but charged toward us. I was already by the window though and the Slayer turned me so I was facing him and my back was to the window. He was going to push me, I realised.

I brought my knee up hard and it made sweet contact with the Slayer's stomach.

"What's with you and my stomach," he groaned then he threw me out the window.

My breath left my lungs in a gasp. The cool air pressed against my back and my body jerked as I tensed, preparing for the pain that would come from the impact of the hard ground. My body hit the ground but I was still alive. I hadn't landed on the hard ground—I realised—but on what felt like a pile of straw.

It was still extremely painful.

A sharp pain ran from my head and down my back. I struggled to get much air into my lungs and the only thing I could hear was the ringing emanating from my ears. I opened my eyes slightly, only to notice the Slayer jumping out after me and when I realised he was going to land right on top of me, I quickly rolled to the side. He landed on the pile of straw like I had, but unlike me, he had his hands to break his fall.

"You were supposed to break my fall," he coughed. "You're no help."

"Screw you," I groaned.

The Slayer took a second before getting to his feet. He picked me up and threw an arm around me but I didn't have enough breath or energy to fight back. The world around me started turning, then everything slowly began to fade to black. The last thing I heard was the shouts of Alek calling my name. He didn't know there was a pile of straw that would break his fall, so I knew he wasn't going to reach me on time.

No one was.

*****

I woke up with a sharp pain in my head. I groaned, lifting my arm to hold my head only to realise I was tied up to a chair, my hands behind my back. Memories of last night flooded my memories and my senses picked up.

I had been captured.

I looked around, taking in my surroundings. Judging by the light in the room, it was morning now, very early morning. I was in a wooden cabin and all typical room necessities were in this one big room. There was a table, a small bed, a small couch by the fireplace, a stove, and a cabinet. There was the main door and another door which I guessed led to the bathroom.

I stilled, listening for any sign of life. I heard nothing but my steady breaths. I was the only one in here. I considered screaming and making noise but decided that the best way to escape would be to remain silent and stealthily escape. I looked around for anything that could aid my escape and my eyes caught sight of a glint near the stove on the counter. A knife. It was a few feet away from me, and since I couldn't stand, I would have to slide toward it on my chair.

Not too difficult.

I pushed my legs back, moving backwards with the chair. Loud groans sounded from the friction of the wooden legs against the wooden floor and I cringed each time, afraid the sounds would give me away.

I paused every second, looking around and when no one came I moved again, and again, and again. The groans seemed louder the closer I got to the knife, but there were only a few groans left before I could reach the knife and get out of the cabin.

I pushed my legs back again but was surprised to feel the chair tipping backwards rather than producing the usual groan.

Oh daggers.

I fell back with the chair, landing on the hard, wooden floor. I noticed the uneven placement in the floorboards, which was what had caused the chair to tip over.

I groaned, shutting my eyes as my head began to pound again.

My eyes flew open a second later at the sound of steps and I was startled to find the Slayer standing right above me, looking down at me with a condescending grin.

"That didn't work out the way you wanted it to, now did it?" He asked, amused.

I sneered at him but he lifted the chair, making me upright again.

"I didn't need your help," I snarled.

"I can put you down again," he suggested.

I looked away, not wanting to answer but not wanting him to put me down either.

"You were unconscious for so long but I didn't even knock you out," he mused.

"You try falling out of a window without anything to protect your head," I spat.

"What kind of idiot falls out a window in the first place?"

"You pushed me!"

"I did, didn't I?" He said with a wry grin, "good times."

Argh, he was so annoying.

"Now that you're awake," he continued, "happy to see me?"

"Not when you're alive," I answered sweetly. "I'd be happier to see you dead."

"Sorry to disappoint," he said before patting my hair.

"Don't touch me!" I snarled. "I will kill you."

"You've said that so many times now. I'm beginning to doubt your commitment to killing me."

"Why don't you untie me and I'll show you just how committed I am."

"Don't you ever get tired of failing?" He sighed. "I mean, you failed to protect your Roi, what makes you think you'll be able to protect yourself?"

"I—"

Crap. That caught me off guard. The Slayer never failed to get under my skin and that drove me insane. If only I had gotten to that knife.

"You're such a—"

"What? Monster?" He asked, cutting me off.

"Monster?" I shook my head, "No, calling you a monster would be an understatement," I jeered. "You're a cold, malicious, heartless, rotten, villainous, grotesque, demonic piece of sh—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down."

"Telling me to calm down will not calm me down!" I barked, "It'll just do the opposite."

"Yeah I know," he smirked. "That's why I said it."

"...I really hate you," I growled.

"Aw, glad we feel the same way for each other, Izzy," he said with a bright, taunting smile.

I sneered but I felt my pulse pick up. Such a good-looking face didn't belong to such an evil being, it wasn't right at all.

"Why did you take me? " I demanded. "What do you want?"

"Your assistance."

I stared at him incredulously and it took me a good while to process what he said. Did he seriously just ask for my help?

"My... assistance?" I asked.

"Yes, I need your help."

"And why would I help you?"

"Because we have the same goal in mind..." he paused, as if for dramatic effect but it only made me grow irritated, "to stop the war."

I only blinked, and despite the situation, I laughed. A humourless, unamused laugh. That was ridiculous coming from a vampire. Why would he want to stop the war when it was his kind who started it in the first place?

"Well," I started, looking at him seriously now. "I'm not doing anything for you. I don't help bloodsucking, cold-blooded, creatures from—"

"Suit yourself then," he interrupted. "But just so you know, you'll help me whether you want to or not. You make great bait."

"...Bait?"

"I'm going to use you to lure in vampires so I can spread the information that I want."

"Use me?"

"Are you aware that the vampires know who you are?" He asked me. "You're the Vanquisher who got her first kill at 13, the youngest Vanquisher to ever kill a Supreme," he continued as he went and took the knife from the table. "The Vanquisher who interrupted the perfect flow of the plan to eliminate all humans because of that tactic of yours to change routines every day. And," he added with a hint of arrogance. "You're known as the sworn enemy of the Masked Slayer."

He stood behind me and placed his hands on my shoulders before leaning forward so he was in my line of sight. I looked to the side and was startled at just how close he was to me.

"So to summarise," he continued. "You're perfect bait."

He moved back and only when he was out of my line of sight did I realise I had been holding my breath. I felt the Slayer's hands take mine, which were still behind my back, and I thought he was going to cut me loose until I suddenly felt a slight prick on my palm.

He had cut me, I realised, slit my palm, but I was too busy digesting all the information he told me to focus on the creeping pain. I wasn't sure whether to be honoured or terrified that the vampires knew so much about me.

"And if you're wondering how I know all that, it's because of the Valcons," he finished, walking in my line of sight again.

Valcons—Valcs for short— were vampire pets. They were ugly creatures. They were birds with thin black feathers, so thin that you could see their wrinkly, pink skin beneath. They had a tiny beak of a nose and their horrid red eyes revolting, constantly moving around in their widely separated sockets.

Vampires could merge themselves with the bird so that they could see whatever the Valcon saw. They merged by sucking Valc's blood—until they were almost lifeless—and then inserting the blood back into their bodies.

It was a great advantage merging with a Valc because controlling a Valc made it easier for vampires to obtain information and relay messages. The Valcons could stay concealed in the shadows high in a tree and listen in on anything, and the vampire merged with it would hear and see everything it did.  It was probably the Valcons that watched the villages, memorising the routines, hidden passages, and daily formations.

You could only merge with a Valc once though, so if your Valc died or was killed, you couldn't merge with another. The only downside was that it was physically excruciating to lose a Valcon because the vampire merged with the Valcon would feel its pain when it died, but the vampire would feel ten times more pain than the Valc itself. 

"So all you have to do is sit in that chair all day long, and stay alive," the Slayer continued. "They'll find you. Or should I say, they'll smell you, because of the blood and all." He began walking away, "when the vampires come, just scream. Loud," he added with a glance over his shoulder.

Then he left, leaving me tied up and vulnerable.

I was so dead.