Isadora's POV
Being pinned against a slimy, cold wall by a burly human with a silver dagger to my heart was not how I had planned my night.
We were down a wet, dark alleyway, away from the view of other humans. I'd hoped we'd be able to talk it out here, but these hunters were out for vampire blood, and I was restricted from killing humans.
Would hunters count?
"You don't want to do this. Trust me." I said calmly.
The dagger didn't move away, though; it was just pressed against me more firmly now. I could feel the cool, sharp steel piercing my skin lightly.
"Funny," he muttered in a thick Russian accent, a smirk on his face, "Most people beg at this point."
I laughed, a melodic sound that made him stare, "Well, I'm not most people."
That made him pause.
Just enough.
His grey eyes narrowed, studying me more carefully now. Not just as a target now, but as a problem.
"Then explain something to me," he said, voice low.
"If I let you walk out of here… how do I know I can trust you?" I almost laughed as he said the words.
He couldn't, but I can't tell him that, at least not while he had the dagger to my chest. It definitely wouldn't kill me, but it would hurt like hell. At the same time, how did he expect me to sell out my clan?
Why did I always end up in situations like this?
Sigh.
Heavy is the head that wears the crown.
"Answer me, dammit," the words nearly drowned by the overwhelming stench of cigarettes coming from his lips as he, slamming my head into the wall, came unbearably close.
Now I was pissed. I could easily take him AND his two lackeys without so much as breaking a nail.
"Haven't you heard you shouldn't put your hands on a lady? It's very, very ungentlemanly of you." I said sweetly, and with a tinge of sadness in my voice.
I didn't move, not at first. Just a slow inhale, a quiet exhale… and then the air shifted.
The man in front of me stiffened, his eyes widening as he fell, scrambling backwards on the floor. His friends had got over their shock and had their guns pointed at me... I'm sure they hadn't shot yet because they didn't want to draw attention to us. Wise.
"Your eyes", My Russian hunter blurted, finger pointed at me, "What are you?"
"Your worst nightmare".
Behind him, one of the hunters faltered, his grip tightening on his weapon as if he suddenly wasn't sure why he was here anymore.
I tilted my head slightly. I didn't want to kill them. They were as weak as insects.
If I wanted to, I could step into their minds, unravel them thread by thread, trap them in nightmares so vivid they'd forget what reality even was.
And the most terrifying part?
I wouldn't even have to touch them.
The shot rang out before I even saw who pulled the trigger.
A sharp crack split the air, too loud, too sudden, and then pain tore through my side as the bullet struck.
I staggered back a step, more from surprise than impact, my breath catching in my throat.
Silence followed.
For a second… no one moved.
Then I looked up.
Slowly.
The one behind him, the nervous one, still had the gun raised, his hands shaking like he hadn't meant to do it. Like he'd already realized his mistake.
Ah.
So that's how this ends.
A soft laugh slipped from my lips, low and quiet, but it echoed strangely in the narrow alley, almost likeit had a life of its own.
"You shouldn't have done that." removing the bullet from my side so the wound could heal.
The man in front of me tightened his grip on the dagger. "Don't—"
Too late.
I lifted my gaze to meet his.
And let go.
The world didn't change.
But they did.
The alley dimmed. It hadn't really gotten darker but it felt like it had. Like something unseen had settled over the place, heavy and suffocating. The air thickened, pressing against their lungs.
The man with the gun blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then his expression broke.
"No… no, no—" he stumbled back, lowering the weapon as his eyes darted wildly around. "It's not real—"
But it was.
At least to him.
I stepped forward, ignoring the dull ache in my side, my heels clicking softly against the pavement. Slowly.
"You see it, don't you?" I murmured.
His breathing turned ragged.
Behind him, the second man cursed, grabbing his shoulder. "What the hell is wrong with you? Get it together!"
He didn't respond.
Because he couldn't.
Not anymore.
The first scream tore out of his throat without warning; raw, terrified, guttural. He dropped the gun, clutching his head like he could claw his way out of whatever nightmare I'd placed him in.
The leader's attention snapped back to me, eyes sharp now. Despite his efforts to hide it, I could see he was afraid.
"What did you do to him?"
I tilted my head, considering the question.
"Nothing," I said lightly. A half truth.
Then, softer -
"Just showed him something he couldn't handle."
He lunged. A fast and desperate attempt, but useless.
The dagger flashed toward me—
—and stopped.
Right at my throat.
His arm trembled violently.
Not because I held it.
Because his mind no longer belonged entirely to him.
I leaned in, close enough to feel his breath hitch.
"You asked if you could trust me," I whispered.
His pupils dilated.
Confusion flickered.
Fear set in.
"Here's your answer."
I let my power slip deeper.
His grip slackened instantly. The dagger clattered to the ground as his knees buckled, his body collapsing under the weight of a reality noone else could see.
The alley fell quiet again.
Except for the soft, broken sounds of two grown men unraveling in their own minds.
I exhaled slowly, the pressure lifting as I pulled back—releasing them just enough to leave them breathing.
Alive.
My gaze flicked to the last one—the one who hadn't moved since the shot.
He was staring at me now.
Not with anger.
Not even with hatred.
But with something far more satisfying.
Fear.
Good.
I pressed a hand lightly to my side, glancing down at the blood staining my clothes.
Annoying.
Then I looked back at him, offering a small, almost polite smile.
"Next time," I said softly, "aim better."
The silence didn't last long.Footsteps echoed from the mouth of the alley
Just then Allison ran down the alley, a look of shock and disappointment on her face,
"Isadora, what did you do now?" She exclaimed as she saw what was left of the hunters and then the blood stain on my dress.
"They started it" I sighed, "and besides, I didn't kill them"
"Oh no. Your father is so going to kill me. What do I say? This isn't good" I left her to have her breakdown in peace. I sorely needed a drink and this alley was way too depressing for me.