Blood and Shadows - Chapter Two

Here you go guys. I've already started chapter three so please keep reading! Enjoy.
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The cold breeze brushed against my warm face, I didn't mind it. I was already used to this weather. I looked up at the sky absentmindedly. The sky was a light shade of grey, this was how it always was, even in the afternoons, I turned my bored eyes to my surroundings.

The streets were empty, not a single soul to be found anywhere, the plants were either dead or had grown to be black or the darkest shade of green, everything would be the same even at night. The only changes were that at night the sky becomes pitch black and a moon comes out, stars don't even shine here, oh and the residents of this world come out at night. The shadow world was completely different to the human world.

I folded my arms over my chest patiently as I waited for Lucas, my best friend if anyone. The quiet tapping of human feet quietly from down the deserted road and became louder. Lucas slowly became visible and as he began picking up pace towards me dark brown leaves crunched under his feet. I stood on the edge of the curb as he pulled up next to me. I scurried to his side swiftly and we walked peacefully.

"Hey Lexi." He greeted me with an open and happy smile.

"Good morning, Lucas." I smiled softly at him. Normally once I saw Lucas I would lighten up but I was still a little shaken by that nightmare. I didn't even eat anything Annelise had made me for breakfast. I stared out the ground absentmindedly as we headed for the gates to the human world. From the corner of my eye I noticed Lucas studying me non-stop.

"What are you doing?" I asked, with what I knew was a suspicious look on my face. He shook his head to deny anything suspicious.

"It's just that you like you're going to faint any second, you're pale as a ghost. Did Demetri or that Annelise maid do anything to you?" His eyes looked like they were hissing at me, demanding to know the truth. I sighed at his assumptions.

"Translation: Did Demetri or the weird maid try to suck your veins dry?" I rolled my eyes at him. Lucas sulked when I chuckled.

"You've been asking me the same thing every morning for like the past few weeks. Don't worry, Demetri and Annelise will definitely not hurt me, they never have and they never will, despite our jobs Lucas. Besides I'm really fine, just lack of sleep is all." I reassured him, patting his shoulder.

"But-" I cut him off quickly, trying to avoid the trivial subject.

"We're here. I'll go first." I rushed over to the large iron black gates that towered over me. Where the two gates met was a silver lock. The spell-bound gate was the one who chose who was to pass through between worlds and who couldn't, normal humans, some hunters and most residents of the shadow world couldn't pass through but there were some exceptions. But there were other ways to pass between worlds without using the gate but it wasn't always easy.
I placed my hand on the large silver lock and closed my eyes. All you I had to do was say my name and I would be able to pass through.

"Alexus Ivera" I murmured. Strong winds blew past me and I felt the dark presence of the shadow world dissolve behind me along with the winds. I blinked a few times, adjusting my sight to the different scene. It was morning here in the human world as well, except the sky was pale blue with a dim sun in the sky, it was warm around and people were already busy on the streets. I stopped glancing around when a huge gush of wind blew out in all directions but quickly dissolved into small breeze and then Lucas was already hurrying to my side.

Lucas trailed silently behind me as we walked down the aisle in our english class, it was good our table was at the very back of the classroom, but then again it wouldn't matter where we sat Lucas and I rarely ever got caught talking. The unlucky part was that most of my classes consisted of a group of girls that stood out and the thing was that they could make other people's life a living hell whenever they felt like it. The leader of the pack, Olivia Evans, always trying to provoke me and it seemed before I knew it she had a deep passion of hatred for me. She tilted her scrawny shoulders towards the side and in front of my shoulder.

"Hey you should watch where you're going! Are you okay Liv?" A random girl from her group of followers shouted. I just stood where I was and slared at her, warning her to back off. She flinched from me but kept on a tough act.

"Ha. I guess even ghostly freaks of nature can be blind. Why don't you go haunt a mansion or something?" She laughed, causing her followers to copy, but it was obvious in her eyes that she was scared shitless, she just didn't want to look bad. I smirled at her a little and kept walking to my seat, not wanting to start a big fuss. I let my books spill over my side of the table.

'Hurry to your seats everyone!" Mr.Lawrence barked at everyone. After people scuttling to their seats Mr.Lawrence started lecturing the class on the topic of our essay for the next few lessons. I scribbled down notes while I talked to Lucas.

"I don't get it." Lucas mumbled to me all of a sudden. I shrugged.

"It's okay to understand once you get past the muttering between the lecturing." I said focusing on Mr.Lawrence's tiny slanted writing on the blackboard.

"No, not that Lexi. Why do you bother to live in the shadow world when we do our job in this world plus you go to school here. If I lived there I'd go bloody insane in a couple minutes!" Lucas exclaimed at me, staring at me as if I was hysterical. I shrugged.

"I owe Demetri and Annelise. Besides Demetri is the one who's trained me and given me a good life. Least I can do is help him out when he needs it."

"Yeah I know. But you hunt his kind, doesn't that matter?" He muttered.

"Not really, he knows I only slay the ones who harm humans. He's a good guy, so quit worrying." I said smiling slightly, seeing how Demetri is always kind to me. Lucas sighed and I knew it was my victory.

"So, where do you want to meet tonight?" I grinned at him.