DESTINED, jasper hale [book 01] ✓

vi. instances of fate

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𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐃

❀ 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘹: 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘦

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𝐤𝐚𝐲𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞

     THE SUN RISES ABOVE the distant mountains, and the day that Kaya has been dreading has come. Looking over at Jasper, she sees his red eyes smile at her as if he hasn't a clue what day it is, and she feels dread beginning to pool in her gut. What exactly is going to happen today? Is she going to live or die? The questions pile up inside her, and Kaya knows Jasper can feel her unease and conflict, but he's not giving her anything to go on. Biting her lip, Kaya sits in the sunlight and soaks it up as much as she can just in case this is her final day.

     Hour pass, and Maria calls Jasper and Kaya in to train the newborns.

     A newborn not much younger than Kaya herself stands across from her, and she instantly knows that today is going to be a test to see which newborns stay, and which ones Jasper is required to dispose of. In a blink, the young being launches at her — his form is good, but his aim is severely off. Kaya easily steps to the side to prevent herself from getting hit, but, at the last possible second, he hits the ground and spins, darting towards her. Impressed, she wraps her hand around his throat and slams him against the hard ground, having only slight trouble keeping the struggling newborn from escaping her hold.

     Maria smiles.

     He passes.

     Kaya releases him and he instantly jumps at her, burying his teeth into her neck and attempting to bite her head off. Snarling, Kaya tears him off her body and throws him at Jasper, who catches the newborn by the back of the neck and then slams him face-first against the ground. Raising her hand to her throat, she feesl a wound, but no blood. Under her hand, it heals, but she knows that there is going to be an everlasting scar. The newborn raises his head and glares at her, causing Jasper's eyes to flicker to Maria before the honey blond easily rips off the head of the vampire under him.

     Jasper tosses the head over the other side of the stable and then walks over to Kaya, his ruby eyes trained on her throat — more specifically, the new scar that will be added to the assortment she already has. Gritting her teeth, Kaya fights the urge to yell at the feeling of the newborn's venom spreading through her body. Jasper feels her pain and instantly backs away, knowing that the next person who touches her is going to end up dead, without a doubt.

     A young girl moves to stand in front of Kaya, her red eyes wary, and Kaya knows that she cannot kill the girl. Her name is Eunice, and she was only turned two days ago. Almost reluctantly, she charges at Kaya, feigning an attack at the older vampire's head to raise her defence so she can deliver a sharp strike to Kaya's abdomen. Accepting the feint, Kaya raises her arms, but moves faster than Eunice and blocks the strike, catching her wrists and flipping her. In response, she forces her body around and drags Kaya with her. Grinning, Kaya follows and throws her to the ground, foot ending up resting on her neck as her red eyes stare up at Kaya with fright.

     Maria walks over to them and looks down at the petite newborn. "You're skilled in combat."

     Eunice flinches lightly but still shakes her head. "No, ma'am. I was just following my instincts. I've never fought a day in my life."

     "You're a natural."

     Hours pass and soon the sun dips below the mountains once again, and the feeling in Kaya's gut worsens when she sees Maria whispering into Jasper's ear so low that none of the other vampires can hear her, even with our enhanced hearing. His red eyes dart over to Kaya for a second before moving to a young boy — perhaps fourteen or fifteen — and sadness appears in their depths. Someone is going to die tonight, and someone is going to live. That much Kaya is aware of, and she has already accepted her death if it is to happen.

     Jasper walks over to her and holds out his hand, his red eyes unreadable and almost emotionless. There's a small flicker of pain in them. Not hesitating, Kaya takes his hand and allows him to pull her up off the ground, and then out into the cool night air. Once out, he releases her hand and then walks back into the stable. Moments later, he returns with the young teenager, a joking smile on the taller male's face, while the younger and shorter of the two laughs at something Jasper had said.

     They sit beside Kaya, the young boy in-between Jasper and herself, and ahe can't help the smile that grows on her face at the innocence of the newborn, but it's a pitying smile. He is unaware of the rules Maria has made in order to keep her army strong and taking the territories of the south for her own. It's a harsh rule, but that's the cost of warfare. The loss of lives is merely a fact and a given in war. 

     At those thoughts, Kaya feels horror rush through her, and then Jasper's sympathetic gaze moves to her. Shaking her head as if to loosen the indifferent thoughts that have grown in her mind, Kaya gives her infatuation a reassuring smile. 

     As soon as that smile recedes from her face, Jasper pulls the young vampire against his chest and wraps his right arm around the younger's neck, the latter's hands moving up to claw at Jasper's arm. The honey blond's eyes fill with pain as he tightens his hold on the darker haired boy. Kaya takes hold of the newborn's head and rips it from his body, watching as the body in Jasper's arms goes limp and falls to the ground as Jasper releases it.

     His face turns pained and all Kaya can do is hold him.