A Break of Day (A Shade of Vampire #7)(47)

“All right, now let’s go,” I said.

We both pulled ourselves up onto the narrow bridge, trying to keep our heads down and not be noticed. The walkway swayed unnervingly as we walked along it. I dared not try to estimate how many feet we might be above the jungle floor. I kept my eyes straight ahead.

At the end of the bridge was a wide platform. Its floorboards spanned the width of a dozen trunks. We had reached a cluster of some of the smaller tree houses. Derek nudged me and pointed to a human girl who’d just entered a construction ten feet away from us.

She’d left the door ajar. We walked over and Derek dared to peek his head inside. He pushed it open further and beckoned me inside. The stuffy room we entered was bare save for primitive cooking facilities and a stained mattress. The girl sat in the corner mending some clothes. She almost jumped out of her skin when we loomed overhead.

“Shhh. It’s okay. We’re not going to hurt you.” I held up my hands as a sign of peace. “I’d just like to ask you, is there a particular place that human recruits are brought to?” She looked at me with fear and confusion. I coughed, realizing I needed to play my role better. “You know, when us Hawks take you away from your homes in the mortal realm, is there any particular place you are gathered?”

“Mama!” she called, getting up and rushing into a room at the back of the building.

A blonde woman who looked to be in her mid-thirties came rushing out. “What do you want?” she asked.

I repeated my question. She cocked her head warily. “Why are you asking me that? You should know better than I.”

“Just answer her question, will you?” Derek took a step forward.

“There is no particular place.” She scowled. “We’re shoved into little boxes like these wherever there’s space.” With that, she grabbed her child and retreated into the back room.

“Where do we start?” I turned to look at Derek. “There are thousands of these tree houses.”

“I don’t know. Let me think.” Derek scratched the back of his head. We stepped out of the tiny tree house back onto the bridge.

“What are you two still doing here?” a voice boomed from behind us.

I whirled around and there stood the same Hawk we had met back down in the “Lower Layers”.

“Follow me,” he ordered. Derek and I could think of nothing else to do but obey his command. I thanked the heavens that the Hawk didn’t immediately take flight and expect us to follow him by air. Instead, he walked. We followed in silence, not daring to say a word. We passed along one shaky walkway after another, past hundreds more tree houses identical to the one we had just visited.

After what felt like half an hour of walking, the little tree houses were becoming fewer and fewer and being replaced by the larger constructions. We stopped outside a massive oval construction, a trunk of a tree running right through the middle of it. We stepped through the entrance and found ourselves in some kind of auditorium. Rows upon rows of Hawks were seated on platforms that covered the rounded walls from top to bottom.

So this must be the Battalion.

Without a word, our escort closed the door on us.

It was dark inside save for bright lights that shone down on a raised platform in the center, where two Hawks addressed the packed audience.

“… And we should expect that their first point of refuge will be the volcanoes.”

“Indeed. But this time, we shall not let them within even fifteen miles of them…”

The voice of the second Hawk sent goose bumps running along my arms.

Arron.

I tried to open the main door but it wouldn’t budge. Any attempt to force it open would attract the unwanted attention of at least fifty Hawks perched on benches near the entrance.

I looked back at Derek in panic.

We’d better hope to God our disguises hold up. What this Battalion full of Hawks would do to a vampire in their midst…

Chapter 35: Derek

Sofia and I were beginning to attract attention with our insistence on standing by the entrance, so we relented and sat down in spare seats as close to the entrance as possible. Sofia trembled beside me and I reached out to grasp her hand, hoping to instill some form of comfort in her.

As Arron continued to address the audience, we ducked down as much as we could without looking strange.

“… And from today, the humans must all be kept strictly contained to their designated area. We can’t afford to allow the leeches access to any fuel. As you all know, being near their blood alone, without even tasting it, can serve to strengthen their influence…”

Each Hawk’s eyes were glued on the two men on stage. Sofia’s eyes widened. She clamped a hand over her mouth.

“Dad!” she breathed.

Sure enough, Aiden was sitting a few rows along from us. Although he had been transformed into a Hawk, his vibrant eyes and hair that matched Sofia’s were unmistakable.

Before I knew what was happening, Sofia slunk out of her seat and, crouching down low, made her way to where Aiden was seated. Her head disappeared from sight as she arrived next to Aiden’s seat. Aiden’s head swiveled around and his body jolted as though he’d just been electrocuted. His head bent and his mouth moved furiously. Then he composed himself and looked straight ahead as if nothing had happened.

Sofia crept back to me.