Fall For Me ((The Tate Chronicles #1)) (2 page)

“You,” he said vehemently.

“Yes, us,” Archer laughed.

“There were rumours your lineage died out. I didn’t think it was true.”

“Yep, unfortunately for you, we’re still here.”

In a flash the man came at us again. I gave him top marks for bravery, or was it stupidity? Archer spun on his heel and I watched with a smile as he drew his weapon from his belt, stabbing our victim in the chest. Archer was right, this one wasn’t too bright, pretty much running into his own stake. He turned to dust and fell to the ground in a heap.

“Fancy that, thinking he could take us on,” Archer said, shaking his head.

“You’re getting too big for your boots, you know?” I said, as I turned to walk back towards the shed.

We lived in the middle of nowhere. Ok, not quite, but close enough. Our parents died when we were young, and Pa passed away almost a year ago. It was just the two of us, the last in the Tate line.

“Dad would’ve been proud of you,” I said, playfully punching Archer’s arm as we walked. “Maybe not the attitude, but your skill is second to none.”

He smiled slyly and pushed me hard. Did I mention he was strong? Before I hit the ground I orbed and came round to land in front of him. I pushed his chest with both hands and sent him flying backwards. Did I mention I was strong, too?

“You don’t take compliments very well, do you?” I
 
said, hands on my hips. “And you know I’d kick your butt in a fight.”

Archer laughed, jumped to his feet and brushed himself off. It had been hard after Mum and Dad died. We were only five but I could remember everything, another part of being me. Archer only had fragments of memories, but I wasn’t so lucky. Every memory has been filed and locked away right from the very beginning. Archer was my sixth brother and twin in the Tate family. Every generation bears a son, the Hunter, and a daughter, the Protection Angel. After all, Archer was human and could get himself killed. He may possess strength, speed and heightened senses but like I said, still human.

As the daughter I’ve never had a family of my own. I couldn’t if I wanted to anyway, it’s forbidden. After I help train and protect one generation, I’m born into the next, usually a short time before we hit twenty-five, and the cycle goes on … and on. I knew what I was getting myself into when I agreed to take on this mission, so I couldn’t complain. With the first convicts came the first vampires, the fleet ships were the perfect place for them to hide. When things started to get out of hand I was sent to Hopetown Valley; my first indefinite assignment and the first away from England. Over a hundred and fifty years later it gets a little repetitive, especially since I can’t die. I can be wounded and hurt but my healing abilities kick in pretty quickly. I’m like a guardian angel but more—solid.

“Are you looking forward to tomorrow?” I asked as we walked down the rocky path towards home.

“Let me see, school. That would be a no,” Archer said, rubbing his chin.

“Come on, Arch, it’s our final year, then we’re out in the big wide world.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, Gracie, we’re already in the big wide world.”

That was true, and I hated being called Gracie.

I stopped in my tracks and grabbed Archer’s wrist. Something was wrong, I could feel it. To avoid making a sound, I spoke in his head. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that, our thoughts are connected. It’s something I’ve been able to do with every one of my brothers, but it can get a little complicated. I can hear other people’s thoughts but it’s not a constant stream, I have to actually be listening, which makes it easy to block things out. It’s sort of like a light switch I can turn on and off in my head. On the flip side, obviously people can’t read my mind. Generally speaking, humans aren’t mind readers, but they could hear my thoughts if I let them by forcing my way in. This, along with reading feelings and pretty much knowing everything about someone just by looking in their eyes, comes in handy. I said it’s complicated, and sometimes being an angel isn’t easy. There are a lot of things I don’t actually want to know.

Truck, now,
I said to Archer.

He nodded and we scurried over to the old Bedford farm truck that was rusting away in our carport. The rickety structure sat on the edge of a clearing that made up the centre of our property. It had enough space for five cars, but only three were in use. The far one was occupied with various pieces of farm junk that had accumulated over the years, another housed our black Defender. The big truck in the end space hid us in its shadow.

Moonlight streamed into the clearing. From our vantage point I could see three figures on the far side standing in the shadows, and their voices travelled to us easily on the breeze. I listened carefully but couldn’t hear any names floating around in their thoughts. I didn’t know who they were; I did however know what they were talking about.

“She’s close,” one voice said.

“Good, I’m getting sick of chasing her. Is she really worth all this?” said another.

“Of course she is,” the third one snapped. “She’s the key to everything. Just think how powerful we’ll be.”

Key?
Archer asked. I shrugged. All I could get was they were after a pretty blonde girl. We watched as the three figures sped away in a blur of motion.

“More vamps,” I said, getting to my feet. “I haven’t seen them around before.”

“Well, they won’t last long,” Archer replied, standing up as well. “We’ll take care of them.”

I wasn’t in a hurry to chase them; I knew we’d catch up with them sooner or later. Besides, we’d done enough hunting for one night and we needed some rest.

After I took a few steps, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Archer froze, sensing something, too. I whipped around to face the way we’d come, then flung my right hand in front of my chest and caught a wooden stake before it could pierce through my skin and reach my heart. Its sharp point tore a hole in my black T-shirt, but the cut it made on my skin healed almost instantly. There went another top though; I was getting tired of having to replace my clothes.

Crouching just off the path, shielded by the ferns and undergrowth, was a slender figure dressed in black. Her face was perfectly pale and surrounded by wavy strawberry gold hair. The girl’s black eyes glistened in the moonlight and I gasped at what they revealed. Before I could gather my thoughts and even think about delving into hers, she was gone, another blur through the trees.

“What was that about?” Archer said, letting out a long breath.

“She thought I was a vampire?”

“Obviously, duh!”
Archer gestured at the stake in my hand.

I let it drop to my side. “She’s the one those vamps are after. I saw her face in their minds,” I said, staring into the forest.

“If she’s a vamp, and thought you were a vamp, why was she trying to stake you? I didn’t think they killed their own kind.”

“They don’t,” I said, turning to walk home. “It’s like an unwritten law.”

What I didn’t tell Archer was what I’d read in her eyes. She was different, and in all my years I’d never seen a vampire like her.

JOSH

Monday Morning

B
oarding school was the ultimate test. I swear the idea was created by some mad lunatic scientist who wanted to experiment on the cause and effect of teenage life experiences. I was glad to be starting my final year as I didn’t think I could take much more. No escape from school was every teenager’s nightmare, and I envied the students who got to walk out the front gates at the end of the day. Living in the country was great, but it definitely had its drawbacks.

The drive from our property near the small town of Flats End took a couple of hours. I lived on a cattle farm with my dad and spent most holidays helping him out. We wound along the highway as fast as the old
ute
would go, and that wasn’t very fast. The scenery was breathtaking and had a calming effect. I liked staring out the window and watching the hills roll by.

I needed to be calm. I’d spent the entire Christmas/New Year break rehearsing how to let my girlfriend down gently. Even though she lived across the creek, we’d only seen each other twice since school let out last year, and neither of those times seemed right to break it off. I was beginning to think that no time would be right to tell her I didn’t love her any more. I was actually hoping she’d get the message from being ignored.

“You ok, Son?” Dad asked as we rounded another bend. “You seem a little distant.”

“Abby,” I replied, reminding him of my plans.

Dad chuckled but smiled at me warmly.
“The ups and downs of teenage relationships.”

“Three years, Dad. Do you think I’m throwing everything away?”

“That depends. Do you love her?”

“I thought I did, but not anymore.”

“Then no,” Dad replied.

We spent the rest of the trip in silence. The early morning air had been crisp, but as I stepped from the
ute
onto the school’s gravel driveway I could feel how hot the day was going to be.

“Well, another year. Your final year,” Dad said as we stood at the big wrought iron front gates of Hopetown Valley High School.

“Yeah, final year,” I replied with a tragic half smile. I pulled my suitcase from the
ute’s
tray and threw my backpack over my shoulder.

“Hey, come on, Josh. I thought you liked it here.”

“I do, Dad. It’s just with Abby and…” I trailed off.

“I know. I miss her, too.”

Dad knew that my mum’s death still affected me even though she died over seven years ago. He thought I hated coming to Hopetown Valley because I didn’t want to leave the farm, and him. That was mostly it, but not the entire reason. Mum was buried in the school’s cemetery and I preferred not to have her so close. It’s not that I didn’t love her, she was a great mum; it was just distracting. I knew I wouldn’t be able to stay away from her grave and I’d be there more than I should.

“See you term break,” I said, giving him a smile I hoped was more convincing. After watching my dad drive away, I pulled my case towards the gate. The monotonous drone of the cicada’s song was all around me and a magpie stood on the gravel with one clutched in its beak. Oh to have a simple life, like a magpie or a cicada, but maybe not the cicada since it was being eaten. I passed through into the school grounds and instantly heard a familiar voice.

“Josh, you’re here.” My girlfriend, Abigail West, came walking quickly towards me. “I’ve been wondering when you’d show up.” Her pretty face was plastered with a huge smile. She threw her arms around my neck and gave me a tight hug.

“Here now,” I said, giving her a quick half-hearted kiss on the cheek. I pried her off and continued to walk towards the boys’ dorm.

“I came in last night,” she said, then jabbered on about some new girl and how she thought she was weird and god knows what else. I blocked her out.

“Joshua Chase, are you listening to me?” Abby stood in my path and put her hands on her hips. Short of pushing her out of the way I was forced to stop, too. Her platinum blonde hair flowed loosely over her shoulders. She looked more confused than angry, and for a second I wondered why I’d made the decision to break up with her. Then it all came flooding back. Abby may have been beautiful, but she was shallow and we had lost our spark. I was just an accessory to her; something she could show off to her friends. There was no love in our relationship and it had taken three years for me to notice.

“Abby, I just want to get to my room and unpack.”

“But I didn’t see you much over the break. Josh?”

Oh boy, this was going to be harder than I thought. But I suppose, how do you tell your first love, the girl you’ve spent the last three years with, the girl that you first … well you know, that it’s over? The way she looked tugged on my heart strings but I had to be strong, I needed to stay focused. Now was probably as good a time as any to say what I’d rehearsed.

“See here’s the thing,” I began.

I watched as her face fell and her beautiful features contorted into a crumpled mess. “You’re breaking up with me, aren’t you?” she whispered.

My prepared speech flew out the window. I had absolutely no idea what to say. What could I say? Nothing was going to change the way I felt, or how much she hated me in that moment, and trust me, I could tell she
really
hated me.

“I can’t believe you’re breaking up with me.”

Her hands were shaking and tears spilled down her cheeks making her mascara run. I hadn’t even said anything and she was already crying. The good guy in me wanted to take her in my arms and hold her until she stopped, but I knew it would make it worse. These things had to be done like ripping off a Band-Aid, quick and in one smooth motion.

“I’m sorry, Abby. I just don’t love you anymore.”

Reluctantly, I left her standing on the path to the dorms. I walked past a few other students and I’m pretty sure they could hear the sobbing. It was loud. Claudia Spencer, Abby’s best friend, came down the girls’ dorm steps wearing a questioning expression. She glanced from me to Abby then offered me a reassuring smile. Claudia had known this was coming. Our whole circle of friends did, everyone but Abby.