The Life and Death of Isabell by Hannah Lyles (digital e reader .txt) 📖

started to close slowly. I knew I wasn’t supposed to feel this way. But I desperately missed the feel of her skin against mine. So I slipped my hand into hers and gave it a small squeeze. he looked to my face and I gave her a small nervous smile. I had no idea what I was doing but I just knew I didn’t want to hurt this beautiful creature. She smiled back and gently squeezed my hand. All the jewels in the world couldn’t compare to her smile.

I followed this creature of contradictions through the dimly lit forest to my doom or destiny. We walked in silence except for every once in a while, Zoha would glance back at me and say my name joyfully, giggle and speed up for a moment or two. It wasn’t long before we reached a cliff face. There was an opening to a cave about twenty feet up. But there was no way to get there. It was a sheer cliff, with no footholds that I could see. In a sweeping motion Zoha picked me up as if I weighed nothing. There was a rush of wind and we were suddenly standing in the cave entrance.

“Home” Zoha stated setting me down. There was nothing that I could see, but she took my hand and led me down farther into the cave. I had to totally rely on her because I couldn’t even see my hand in front of my face. She dropped my hand and I started to panic.

“Zoha? Where are you?” my voice went shrill. There was a sharp clacking noise and a fire was lit reveling the small cavern we now stood in. The fire sat in the middle of the round room. Opposite the cave entrance laid animal pelts and furs, large enough for two people. This is where Zoha sat, waiting for me.

“Isa?” she held her hand out to me, I went and sat next to her. My stomach chose that time to rumble, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten all night. Zoha laughed while I dug in my satchel and pulled out some berries and munched on them, watching the fire. My mind was racing with questions but I finally settled on one. I leaned my head against Zoha’s shoulder. She looked at me delightedly.

“Zoha, how did you become like this?” I asked her, and I felt her shoulders stiffen. There was a long silence. I sat up and looked at her.

“I’m sorry you don’t have to tell me.” I took back my question. She looked sad but thoughtful as if deciding if she should tell me or not. I took her hand in mine trying to comfort her. She looked at me and gave me a sad smile.

“Real home far away. Over lot water. We live in trees. Man like you come. Yell things. Killed all. We fight. He bite, Diata, me, bite him. Diata stab him with hunting stick. He die, Everyone die, Diata live, I live. We come here. On wood in water.” Her broken speech painted a picture in my head of a village being torn apart by a vampire unable to defend themselves. The entire village destroyed, I’ve never come across wreckage like that but I’ve been told stories of entire villages being wiped out. I squeezed her hand and asked the question called to mind after her story.

“Who is Diata?” Zoha smiled warmly at the name.

“Sister.” she said struggling with the ‘r’.

“You have a sister? Where is she?” I asked looking around the cavern, as my heart began to pick up speed.

“Hunting” Zoha answered looking at my wrist. Could she hear my pulse? I knew I had to ask the question, the one that would change everything depending on her answer.

“What do you hunt?” she gave me a shy smile and patted the animal furs under us.

“Animals” I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

“You don’t kill humans?”

“No. Animals, or Diata”

“You drink from Diata?” I asked, she nodded and squeezed my hand.

“Sun soon” she warned me her head titled towards the entrance. “Stay?” she pleaded.

“I need to go home. Can you put me back on the ground?” she looked sad.

“Come back?” she asked, I nodded and stood holding my hand out to help her up. She reached behind her and pulled out a small pouch. She pulled out a string of beads and tied it to my wrist. It was beautiful and like her I had never seen anything like it. She took my hand and pulled herself up. She picked me up bridal-style and another gust of wind surrounded us for a couple of moments longer. Then we were outside on the ground. She gently placed me on my feet. The sky was greying with the first sign of dawn. Zoha looked towards the sky and then too me.

Her face leaned towards mine and in a matter of seconds her lips gently brushed mine and like a gust of wind she was gone. Moments too late I felt my cheeks turn crimson and my head went dizzy with the adrenaline. Killer who had been patiently waiting at the bottom of the cliff walked over to me. I glanced at the sky again and there was a hint of orange.

“Home Killer, go home.” I told him. He took off in a fast pace and I followed in suit running as fast as I could. The sun peaked out from the horizon as I made it to the perimeter. I carefully circled around until I found Rim. He smiled as he took in my out of breath state,

“Feeling better?” he asked handing me his water-pouch. I took a couple of drinks, trying to slow my heart and breathing.

“Much better, thank you,” I told him honestly, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that was true. I thought of Zoha and I felt my cheeks redden again.

“Shall we?” Rim asked titling his head in the direction of the village, the sun rising steadily in the sky. A new day, a new chance. We walked silently. Rim didn’t ask where I went or what I did; and I didn’t offer any information. He dropped me off at home pausing to talk to my parents. I went straight for my room.

Ike sat up in bed, sleepily petting Killer, who I assumed jumped through the open window and woke him up. I climbed over the two, to my side of the bed.

“Ike?” I said. He looked over at me and answered with a “hmm”

“I need to talk to you later, at our spot,” I told him as I drifted off to sleep, tired from the events from the night before.

Ike woke me up in the late afternoon and he waited for me to get ready. We didn’t talk the whole way there. The quiet weighed down on us, knowing that what we talked about here would change our lives.

We climbed to our cave and Ike set out a blanket, along with some food. But neither of us ate.

“Have you told the elders about Ann?” I asked him. He nodded.

“I did. Last night while you were out. Like we thought, they don’t approve. I’m going to have to leave soon. Will you come with me?” he asked once more.

“About that. Ike I think I’m in love.” I told him, he looked shocked.

“With who?” he inquired, obviously thinking of anyone it could possibly be.

“A girl, named Zoha.” I said watching him. He got really quiet.

“Ike, do you think a vampire could be good?” his eyes got wide at that question.

“She’s a vampire! What are you thinking?”

“She’s different I swear. She doesn’t even drink human blood. She’s really nice.” I pleaded my case.

“She hasn’t hurt you?” he asked concerned but quieting down as he considered my words.

“No she’s actually helped me quite a bit.”

“Were you with her all night?”

“Yes, she told me about what happened to her, and Ike, she’s a victim, I swear.”

“How did you meet her?” he said asking another question, I told him about the night I killed the other two vampires, I told him everything, including how she made me feel, how I didn’t want to marry a Norn, or stay here, or go with him.

He listened patiently, until I ran out of things to say.

“What do you think Ike?” I asked my heart in my throat. I waited for him to tell me I’m insane, that I was the world’s biggest idiot. But he didn’t,

“Do you truly love her?” he asked, I thought long and hard, and I believed I did.

“Yes, I do.” I stated affirming out loud what I knew to be true in my heart.

“I’ll support you then, but if she ever hurts you, she’s a dead woman” he promised me. We then began planning how we would leave the village. Pack only the essentials, tell no one, and we would leave at nightfall.

The next few hours blurred together and before I knew it, I was on the back of my horse, ready to leave. But fate had other plans. My horse was too loud and I ended up getting caught. I was put in the pit, to sit out the decision of what was to be done. They knew I had planned to leave them, and that wasn’t allowed.

Night fell and I worried about what Zoha thought, was she worried, was she going to come find me? I hoped not for it would be a death sentence. There was a scream and the men yelled. In the commotion, the wooden barrier over the pit flew off, and she was there. My golden eyed angel.

“Isa” she breathed out in relief. She jumped in, and held me in her arms. Her lips met mine in a fiery embrace that left me breathless, the wooden barrier was pushed back over the pit, and I was aware of the villager’s eyes upon us.

“Isa? We go?” she asked starring at the barrier in horror. I held her in my arms and cried. I knew we wouldn’t make it out of this alive. Someone threw a spear and it imbedded itself in my right calf.

“No!” Zoha screamed in rage, followed by a string of words in her language, only this wasn’t musical it was anger, and hatred. I lost track of what was happening, pain taking a hold of my mind. The next thing I knew Zoha laid beside me a spear in her stomach. She reached a shaky hand towards mine, ignoring the pain, I crawled closer to her and took her hand. She squeezed so tightly that I’m sure my hand was broken. But I couldn’t let go, that pain would be far worse.

A ladder was put in the pit and the men of the village came and tore us apart. I cried out at the loss of her touch. Strong arms held me back. While I would have run to her if I could. A sharp pain reminded me of he wound on my leg as someone ripped the spear out of it. They tightly bound my leg and carried me up the ladder after Zoha.

They had tied her to a post, and she cried out my name in heartbreaking cries. Someone was screaming loudly, and I couldn’t see who, until I realized the screams were coming from me. I yelled her name I begged and pleaded. For them to let her go, my father came and slapped me, so hard I couldn’t breathe. I heard Zoha scream in rage, then pain. I forced my eyes open. The children threw rocks at her instructed by their parents. I screamed, cried, and cursed every single person there. Men took turns, cutting her skin and watching her bleed.

Her golden eyes never left mine, filled with pain, suffering, and sadness. There were cheers and laughter coming from all around us. My father was cheered on as he pushed the stake through her ribcage into her heart. I couldn’t breathe. Then mother lit her on fire.