I grinned at her. “Well, you and Dad will be there to keep an eye on me, won’t you?”
She smiled back before picking up her own uniform from the bed. “You bet,” she muttered.
If my father had not instilled in me a love of mechanics and sub navigation since I was a child, I doubted I’d be standing here right now. Some of my most cherished childhood memories were of crouching alongside my father in a submarine, working on fixing something, or sitting in the control seat with him showing me how to maneuver. Now that I’d reached the age of nineteen, I wanted to use my skills for something meaningful.
And my parents understood that, as did the majority of other parents in The Shade. Long gone were the days when they used to hide their children away from the world in an attempt to keep them safe and sheltered—like Derek and Sofia had done initially with my cousins Rose and Ben. The ethos of parenting on our island had changed drastically in the past two decades from protecting to actively encouraging children to develop skills to help the outside world. All of us who expressed a wish to join the League underwent vigorous training, not just in combat, but also in other areas like first aid. Although, in theory, I’d have no use for anything other than my skill with machinery, I’d been prepared thoroughly like the rest.
I swept my straight black hair into a tight bun before grabbing my backpack, which I had already filled with a bottle of water, snacks, and some extra-warm clothes in case we hit a chilly spot.
My mother eyed me before placing her forever-cold hands on my shoulders and squeezing gently. Now she had a look of pride in her eyes, which I definitely preferred to her look of concern. She kissed my cheek. “Well, look at you all grown up,” she said.
“Yeah,” I muttered, half yawning. I really wasn’t used to getting up at this hour…
Glancing at myself in the mirror again, I had to admit I looked pretty kickass in this suit. It made my tall, slim body look lankier than ever—definitely not the build of a fighter. But, being fairly tight, it did highlight some musculature in my arms and thighs that I’d forgotten I had, built up from years of working with machinery.
“Vivienne, Vicky,” my father called from outside the room. “Are you two done in there? We need to leave.”
“You can come in,” my mother called back.
My father opened the door and walked in, towering over us in his own uniform. His eyes warmed as he took me in. “You look so grown up.”
“That’s what Mom just said,” I said, chuckling.
Then my father’s eyes fell on my mother. “How come you’re not dressed yet, darling? I just got a text from Sofia. Everyone’s waiting for us.”
“I’ll be quick,” she said. I could see she had been so absorbed in getting me ready that she had forgotten about herself.
My mom went to the bathroom, leaving my father and me alone.
“Come with me while we wait,” he said.
He led me out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. On the counter were three small silver guns. He picked one up. “You remember how to use one of these?”
“Yup,” I said.
“Okay.” He made sure the safety catch was on before handing it to me. “On the inside of your jacket you’ll find a secret pocket. Put the gun in there and keep it there at all times… As your mother and I have told you, anything could happen.”
As we arrived in the clearing, my eyes shot straight to my four fellow new recruits, Arwen, Grace, Brock and Heath. They smiled at me as I made my way over to them.
“Hey.” I waved, arriving at their side.
“Sleepyhead.” Grace smirked, a teasing spark in her turquoise eyes.
“I was held up, okay?” I said, raising my hands in surrender.
“You look pretty,” Arwen complimented me.
“You do, too,” I replied, and it was not an empty complement. Arwen, with her chestnut-brown hair, eyes the color of light oak and caramel skin, had a natural, exotic beauty that shone through whatever she was wearing.
“And how awesome do I look?” Brock suggested, raising his dark brows, his green eyes traveling from one of us to the other.
Arwen giggled.
I nudged Brock in the shoulder. “Your head is big enough.”
“Will everyone please stand still now.” My uncle Derek’s voice boomed through the clearing. “We’re doing a final count.”
We fell silent and waited until he’d finished. Then it was time for all of us to head to the huge black submarine—a submarine that had been granted to us by the US government.
“Catch you guys later,” I murmured as I made my way toward Kyle. The two of us boarded the vessel. We headed to the control room and took seats. If they would let me navigate this one, it would be the largest that I’d ever had experience with. I watched intently as Kyle began preparing the controls. Although my dad was as expert as Kyle, being a vampire, he was useful for things other than navigating the sub.
“We’re all in.” Ben’s voice came from somewhere in the back of the submarine.