Vampires Realm Prophecy 01 - Child of Light

hunters who met one of them probably never lived to tell the tale.
    There were only a handful of hunters that the seven had to be concerned about, and only one of them made the families worried.
    Was he the one who had followed them last night?
    She’d never heard of a vampire who hunted the hunters before. Her family didn’t have one, and none of the others did as far as she knew. Valentine was unique. She mused that it must take great skill and courage to fight against the hunters and wondered how long he’d been doing it for. Mathias had said that Valentine was three centuries old. How much of that time had been spent working as a hunter for his family?
    “We are here.” Valentine’s voice roused her and she looked at the dull grey metal door.
    He knocked. She moved to stand behind him, waiting for someone to answer and not taking her eyes off the door.
    He pressed his hand against the metal.
    “Cold,” he said.
    She followed suit. It wasn’t just cold. It was freezing to the touch. On looking closer, she could see small intricate patterns of ice crystals near the edges of the door. What kind of place was this? What kind of witches lived somewhere so cold?
    The door creaked open, revealing a set of steps and a small woman. Her silver hair was frizzy and wild, making her round face look even pudgier. She was dressed in dark clothing, her dress skimming the floor as though it wasn’t made for such a short woman. She was pale, her skin almost white in the darkness.
    “You’re early,” she said in a thin voice that made her sound older than she looked, if it was possible. “We need proof.”
    Prophecy looked at the hand she’d extended and then at the other one that held a needle.
    Valentine stepped between her and the witch. “You are not touching her. You know who we are if you have been expecting us.”
    “We know everyone who comes to our door, young man.” She smiled at him, her eyes closing and her cheeks rising with it. “Can never be too careful.”
    She stepped to one side and pointed up the stairs.
    “Follow,” she said and started up them, muttering to herself while she slowly mounted each step.
    Prophecy could see why when she looked down at them. They were covered in a thin film of ice. It rose higher and grew thicker at the edges where it met the wall and her eyes followed it up. She let her fingertips graze the ice that was coating the walls and then looked up at the pale blue light at the top of the stairs.
    It was getting colder the closer they got to it.
    She moved nearer to Valentine when they finally entered the large circular chamber at the top. The walls were thickly encrusted with ice that sparkled like diamonds with an eerie blue glow. She could feel what little body temperature she had being drained from her as she moved further into the room and closer to the flickering blue fire that danced in the centre of it. She realised it was emitting cold rather than heat.
    She looked at Valentine and he managed a brief smile before a door opposite them opened and revealed two other witches. One was a contrast to the short witch that had greeted them at the door. She was tall and thin, her white hair drawn back into a tight bun, making her face appear even more severe than it already looked. Her nose was slim and pointed, her brows arched highly and her chin was long. Her dress was similar to the other witches, made of a dull blue cloth that looked uncomfortable and itchy. It was tight against her body, dipping in at the waist where a belt held it, and making her look even taller than she really was.
    The other witch seemed similar to herself. She was of average height and build, slim but not thin, and her silver hair was long with soft waves kinking it. She looked much younger than the other two witches, her features still delicate and not wrinkled with age. She wore the same type of dress as them and had the same pale blue eyes.
    They moved towards her, the short witch falling into line beside the other two as they closed the gap. Prophecy moved closer to Valentine, wanting to feel that she was safe.
    The tall thin witch clasped her hands together in front of her so tightly that her veins stood out.
    Prophecy leaned back as they all looked her over, their expressions curious.
    “She is so young.” The tall witch looked at the others.
    “Too young.” The short witch frowned.
    “To have the weight of the world on her shoulders.” The youngest witch finished.
    She frowned at