“Two, huh?” a gravelly voice responded back, sounding more amused than concerned.
Sabrina herself remained perfectly calm. “I didn’t bring any last year. Making up for it, I guess.”
“Take ’em to the holding area,” came the response.
The window rolled up, and Sabrina slowly accelerated. A heavy exhalation of relief was the only sign that she was more nervous about this endeavor than she’d let on. I heard the tires crunching on gravel, and a minute later, the car came to a stop. She turned it off and opened her door. “Everyone out,” she said.
She guided us from the car toward the sound of people speaking. Here, at last, our blindfolds were removed. The desert landscape was scrubby and barren and contained a collection of ramshackle buildings. It kind of reminded me of Wolfe’s setup, except much more rundown. Two hulking guys with guns strapped to them were chatting amiably with each other in front of the door to a large building, though their faces hardened when they saw us approach. Sabrina repeated what she’d said at the gate, adding this time, “They’re brother and sister.”
One of the guys seemed to like this. “This is a family organization, after all.”
That wasn’t exactly what came to mind when I thought of the Warriors, but I gave him a smile I hoped came across as tough and cool. The guards patted us down, searching us for weapons or tracking equipment. Their examination was brisk and thankfully not lewd in any way. Eddie and I had made sure to leave our phones with Howie, and after finding nothing suspect, one of the guards waved us on through the door behind them. Sabrina started to follow, but a guard shook his head.
“They go on alone,” he said. “You go through the spectators’ door on the other side.”
Sabrina had warned us we’d eventually get separated, so I tried not to let my panic show as she gave us a casual farewell and wished us luck. Eddie and I stepped through the doorway, which led us into an open, dusty arena not unlike where I’d been when the Warriors were holding Sonya. It looked as though it was originally intended for baseball or soccer, but something told me that wouldn’t be happening today.
A few dozen other people lingered in the arena. Some were in groups, some were pointedly solo and eyeing everyone else as potential enemies. Some looked like ordinary people you’d run into at the mall. Others practically had “Yes, I want to join a fanatical vampire-hating group” stamped across their foreheads. All of them were around our age, give or take a few years. The gender split was almost even, slightly favoring guys. Out in the stands, other people were beginning to filter in and take seats. I caught sight of Sabrina and gave her a quick nod before turning my attention back to Eddie.
“She said things start at sunrise,” I told him. To the east, the sky was a burning orange, and the rest of it carried a light purple hue. “Technically, we’re already there.”
“Your guess is as good as mine as to how this’ll unfold,” he said, his sharp dhampir eyes scanning rapidly around as he spoke. Even in casual situations, his natural tendency was to watch for threats. In a high-stakes situation like this, he was constantly on edge.
“I just hope we’re able to—”
My words were cut off by the sound of a trumpet. We all turned in its direction and saw three men wearing yellow robes and golden helmets. I stiffened, earning a quick look of concern from Eddie.
“What’s wrong?” he whispered. “I mean, aside from the obvious.”
“I know two of them. Master Angeletti and Master Ortega. They were at the last gathering.”
“Remember, they can’t recognize you.”
I nodded, but seeing those familiar faces set me on edge. I expected at any moment one of them would point in my direction and declare me an enemy, sending all of these wannabe recruits my way.
But the two masters paid me no more attention than they did any of the other recruits. When the third man—the trumpeter—stopped playing, Master Angeletti spoke, his voice still deep and his gray beard still scraggly. “Do you see that?” he asked, raising his hands toward the rising sun. “That is why we are here, what gives us all life. The sun. The light. We were born to the light, born to goodness. It reminds me of one of my favorite psalms:
Humans are born into the light
Shining good, shining bright
Only evil thrives at night
Let us banish them from our sight.
I nearly choked with laughter, hearing poetry I probably could’ve written when I was ten years old. But Master Angeletti’s face was full of rapture as he spoke, and the other Warriors nodded along approvingly, like he was quoting one of Shakespeare’s sonnets.
“That is the natural way of things,” Master Angeletti told us. “Those who thrive in darkness are not part of the divine plan. They are evil and unnatural, and it is the job of our army to eliminate them and save mankind.”
Beside him, Master Ortega took a turn. “All of you are here because you have shown interest in eradicating that darkness and because your sponsors think you may be worthy to join us. But make no mistake: We will be the ones to decide who truly deserves to serve among us. It will not be easy. You will be tested and scrutinized, your very soul examined. If any of you are afraid or know you won’t have the stamina to face what’s to come, I invite you to leave now.”
Silence fell as he looked around expectantly. A few of the other recruits shifted their stances, but no one made any motions to leave.
“Very well then,” boomed Master Ortega. “Let the trials begin!”
If I’d ever wondered about the fundamental difference between the Alchemists and the Warriors, I soon had my answer. Whatever their flaws, the Alchemists were almost always adherents of the think-first-act-later mindset. The Warriors? Not so much.
Once the opening formalities were out of the way, Master Ortega handed things over to the recruiting director—who, to my complete astonishment, turned out to be Chris Juarez: Trey’s cousin. I hadn’t seen him since the Warriors had held Sonya, and Trey didn’t really talk much about his family after they’d disowned him. Trey had humiliated them by dating a dhampir. Chris had apparently walked the straight and narrow, earning this esteemed position. He strutted out in front of us now, dressed simply in jeans and a muscle shirt that showed off his well-built physique.
“You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t interested in ridding the world of evil,” he told us. “And we’ll eventually determine just how interested you are. But before we get to that, we need to see if you can hold your own if it comes down to facing that evil. Are you afraid of pain? Are you afraid of getting dirty? Are you afraid of doing whatever it takes to keep humanity in the light?” His volume grew louder with each shouted question, stirring spectators and recruits alike into a frenzy. Some of the people standing near Eddie and me shouted back answers. One guy simply let out a primal battle scream that earned cheers from those in the stand. Me, I mostly tried to show excitement and interest, as opposed to the actual shock and disgust I felt.