The Life and Death of Isabell, Hannah Lyles [ebook offline .txt] 📗

question. I then realized that Killer wasn’t resting on my leg anymore. That broke the spell and I looked around for him. I found him resting his head on her legs, which I found to be bare. Except for a short skirt made of animal skin her chest wasn’t covered much better.

“Hunter!” her voice made me snap my head up to attention. She was squinting at me as if trying to figure me out. There was a long silence, as if she were waiting for me to do something.

“Isa, not Hunter” I said simply. She reached her hand to my face. I flinched away from her cold hand, but she ignored it and continued to lay it on the side of my face, keeping my attention on her.

“Isa” she pronounced slowly making sure to get it right. I nodded and she took my hand in her empty one and pressed it against her cheek “Zoha” she said slowly and waited until I repeated her to drop my hand from her face. She didn’t release my hand though, she kept it firmly in her lap. I looked at it for a long moment.

“Isa” she repeated over and over again as if it were her favorite word. She said it until I looked into her eyes. Her focus was entirely on me, and I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks. Her brows furrowed, her free hand returned to my face.

“Hurt?” Zoha seemed concerned, my heart sped up at her touch. I shook my head ‘no’.

“I’m fine,” I said earnestly. She let out a deep breath and smiled her fangs fully in view. I had forgotten she was a monster for a moment. Panic gripped my chest. My limbs froze under her gaze. She didn’t seem like a monster, just different. The desire to run from her released the hold fear had on my legs. I stood and was forced into an awkward bending position because of the iron grip she had on my hand.

“I have to go” I told her quickly tugging my hand desperately trying to break her hold.

“Go?” she asked seeming worried.

“Home, I have to go home,” I repeated panic fogging my mind.

“Stay” she demanded.

“I can’t” a look of pain crossed her face, it made me stop and my panic disappear.

“Why?” tears peaked through her eyes.

“My family’s worried.” I said my breathing slowing.

“I come.” she said determinedly. Standing up she switched her grip to where she could hold my hand and walk next to me. I shook my head.

“You can’t. There are more hunters. They will kill you.” she considered my words, and came up with a decision.

“I take you” she didn’t wait for my response, she just started walking and tugging me behind her. Killer walked next to her like a loyal servant.

“Traitor” I whispered. Zoha looked back at me and slowed her walk until she was walking beside me. We walked in silence and every so often, she would say my name and gently squeeze my hand. I squeezed back and she would smile brightly at me. I kept reminding myself she was a monster, but the conviction wouldn’t stick in my mind.

We reached the guarded perimeter of the village, there would be someone coming along quickly. I stopped and looked at her.

“Zoha, go now.” I said firmly. She frowned at me.

“Isa” she said in a sad tone. If she stayed much longer someone would see her.

“Zoha please” I said urgently, looking around. She started to say something but froze, listening. She squeezed my hand and she was gone. I walked towards the village, my hand feeling empty without hers.

After a few minutes I came upon the one of the perimeter guards, unfortunately it was my father. Without a word he slapped me hard across my face. I tasted the metallic tang of blood in my mouth. Though I didn’t dare lift my hand to cradle my pulsing cheek.

“Don’t miss curfew again.” he said coldly, then he turned and continued his walk around the village. Part of me hoped that Zoha hadn’t seen that moment of embarrassment. Another part thought about how nice her cold hand would feel against my cheek. I walked blindly towards the village thinking about the strange vampire, who didn’t seem evil.

Upon arriving home, I received another slap from my mother. She said nothing and walked to her room without another glance at me. I didn’t ask about dinner. I knew she wouldn’t have saved me any. I went to the room I shared with Ike. He was sitting on the bed. Ike soundlessly held out a large piece of bread and there was a cooked piece of meat sitting on a piece of cloth next to him on the bed.

“Sorry” I mumbled taking the food and sitting down on the fur pelts on the ground. He got up from his spot and took a mud salve from the windowsill, he carefully rubbed it on my cheeks while I scarfed down the food.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly. He was no stranger to our parents discipline, but he knew I got the worst of it.

“I’ll be fine” I said tiredly. He nodded as he took in my answer. It seemed as if he fought the urge to say something.

“On our next free day, will you come with me to the mountain village? To see if you like it?” He asked, I nodded agreeing even if it was just to please him. It wasn’t what he wanted to ask, but I wasn’t going to push him if he decided against it. I finished the last of my food and Ike suggested we sleep. Ike opened the window shutters to let Killer into our room. Mother didn’t like him in the house.

I climbed into bed then Killer hopped up beside me and Ike next to him. The hours I slept earlier did nothing to battle my growing sleepiness. With the adrenaline effects gone from my aching muscles, sleep came easy to me, if only to escape reality for a while.

I awoke the next day in the afternoon to an empty bed and my mother’s loud voice. I changed into new clothes, and walked to the family room. Mother glared at me.

“Took you long enough to wake up!” she said angerly. She looked to my father as if giving him the floor to speak.

“The elders have decided that you and Ike, of sixteen years are of the age to marry” he pronounced, shock stole my voice and my mother continued where my father stopped.

“You will marry into the Norn’s family and Ike will marry Lana in five days.” she finished. I opened my mouth to speak, but her glare silenced me.

“Its decided.” Father said coldly. They left me to my thoughts. I didn’t want to marry anyone, let alone a Norn. They weren’t bad people I just could never imagine myself being happy with them. Tears of frustration fell from my eyes. My freedom was gone with the blink of an eye and no one asked me what I wanted. My chest ached as I choked out sobs, I thought I had more time than this. My thoughts turned to Ike, was he going to tell the village about Ann or was he just going to disappear. Would he take me with him? Did I want to go? Thoughts ran through my head one after the other. Eventually I realized I had made it back to my bed.

As it neared dark I cleared my head, I had perimeter duties that I couldn’t be late for. I made myself go through the motions, forcing myself not to think. Ike had come back home to get his gear for perimeter duties as well, but he had the same quiet I carried. Neither of us spoke as we go into position. I numbly walked forward, counting my steps to occupy my mind. We spaced out in a large perimeter. Large enough where we couldn’t see each other.

Eight hundred and forty-two steps later a cold hand slipped into mine. I wasn’t startled, I didn’t look at her, I just squeezed her hand.

“Sad, Isa?” Zoha asked, and I found that I enjoyed hearing my name coming from her mouth.

“I’m trying not to be” I said softly, fighting back the tears that so desperately wanted to escape. Zoha lifted my arm a bit and slipped under, fitting perfectly next to me. She softly repeated,

She softly repeated, “You okay, Isa, you okay” her presence calmed me and I found myself content with hearing her voice. We stayed like that for a long time, Zoha fitting perfectly beside me a warm presence soothing my soul.

Zoha froze causing me to stumble and the next thing I knew, she was gone. I nearly cried out from the loss of contact. Rim came jogging up to me and I realized it was time for a shift change. He took in my appearance and got a worried look on his face.

“I don’t want to go back.” I admitted. He gained a sad look of understanding and put a gentle hand on my shoulder. Maybe he did understand. Maybe he was forced to marry someone he didn’t love. Maybe the entire village had. That may explain why everyone seemed to never be truly happy.

“What if I told your parents that you stayed to keep me company on my shift. But instead you take Killer for a walk to calm your nerves.” he suggested softly. It wouldn’t be too unusual, Rim was a close family friend and I’ve done it before. I nodded numbly, and he bent to pet Killer, then turned to give me a hug. Rim was more of a parent than my real ones. He was also the reason I was such a great hunter. He believed in me when no one else had. I bid him farewell and walked away from the lit path of the perimeter and into the moonlit darkness.

I followed Killer as he seemed determined to find something. He led me straight to Zoha, tail wagging as he approached her to be pets. She patiently obliged and then walked to me. When she got close, her face scrunched up as if I smelled bad. Though I didn’t think I smelled any worse than a when she last saw me. Before I realized what she was doing, she had her arms around my neck in a tight bear hug. In the back of my mind I realized I should be scared, terrified even, but I couldn’t bring myself to care one way or the other. She held me for a long time. Slowly I relaxed in her arms, breathing in her scent. She smelled like wildflowers and the river, a sweet almost intoxicating smell. Without knowing how, or when it happened, we were suddenly on the ground and Zoha was carefully cradling me as if I was going to break.

All of the stress and weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and I cried for the loss of my freedom. Heavy sobs racking my chest, and tears that burned my cheeks as they fell, all while Zoha held me and murmured words soothingly to me in a language I’d never heard before. Coming from her it was light and musical, and in that moment I felt I could listen to it for the rest of my life and be happy, truly happy.

By the time we stood I was stiff and my body ached. Zoha didn’t seem to have that problem and she paced in the small clearing as I stretched. The moon was starting to set but we had a while before the sun rose. Zoha smiled at me warmth filling her eyes like pools of gold.

“Isa come” she said excitedly holding out a hand for me to take. This was the first time she asked. Zoha had always taken my hand by force, without regards to what I wanted. I hesitated, a look of doubt crossed her face and her open hand