Sean’s eyes fumbled to see what it was that Zane eluded to, but all that was there were his family heirlooms. Sean looked back up at Zane to find him lost in bewilderment.
“Tell me, have you ever relished in someone else’s life force?” Zane’s eyes were wide. “Breathed it in, let it fuel you?”
Whether he was distinguishing between the bloodlust or feeding, Sean couldn’t tell, but he wasn’t about to ask. They’d entertained him long enough, given him enough chances to release the woman.
“Of course, you haven’t. Not yet,” Zane said with disappointment. “Do you even know what you are—don’t answer that. I can already see the blank look in your eyes. Tell me this then, when I say Krv Devata, does that do anything for you?”
For the first time since the Awakening, the voices that screamed at Sean’s soul, the ones he’d learned belonged to the life essence flowing through everyone, silenced. Like the words had been a command. Like they’d finally satiated the bottomless hunger he’d felt since his brother’s murder. Sean felt himself drawn to those words, despite not wanting to be drawn to anything that came out of Zane’s mouth.
“This is your final warning,” Mara chimed in. “We already contacted the Awakened Authority. They’ll be here any minute. If you leave the woman alone, we won’t interfere with your immediate departure.”
Wickedness magnified tenfold in Zane’s eyes. “Is that so, dolly?”
The cloying nickname made Sean cringe almost as much as it made Mara.
Zane folded his arms. “You and I both know this pocket of Texas is at the bottom of their list of priorities, evidenced by the condition of that meager excuse for a sanctuary you ironically called Surviving and Thriving.”
As Sean felt himself blanch, he was grateful to see Zane’s attention had been on Mara and so he hadn’t noticed the effect he’d had. It was a bold attempt of a lie on Mara’s part, but Zane was right. Even if AwA decided to come to their aid, it would take them at least a day to get there. Though they had the upper hand, Sean’s group couldn’t hold them off for that long.
Already Zane was growing impatient, and his perception of invulnerability only seemed to grow as he took a deliberate step forward to square off with Sean. “You do know we’re so much more than ‘blood guides,’ don’t you, Seany? We are the chosen. We alone were given the birthright of speaking to blood, to command life itself. Only we can put an end to the evil that lingers here and reunite our people once and for all.”
Sean couldn’t pull himself away from Zane’s azure gaze. Or maybe it was more than that. Although Zane’s character was easily questionable, and despite knowing that he was a manipulator and liar, there was something about what he was saying that kept Sean listening. It was as if Zane had answers to questions Sean had never even asked.
“The problem is that you have no clue. We don’t just control blood, you see. It fuels us. It wants us. We own it. The blood is our destiny, the only way we will ever win the war to come.” Stepping in so close that their noses practically touched, Zane continued in a seductive whisper. “My brother, allow me to show you just an inkling of your true potential. Leave these insignificant pests behind. By the After, make them your first tributes to a new Sanguinatore lifestyle. Embrace the power within you.”
“Leave,” Mara growled, suddenly appearing at Sean’s side. “Sean already knows power, power that doesn’t come from brutality.”
Zane stared her down for a moment and finally shrugged. “We’ll see how long that lasts. Soon you will beg for us. You’ll want to know what it’s like to belong to a brotherhood of people who truly understand you, to be a part of something bigger than yourself.”
They had to act, and though it would be risky, it was the only option left.
“I already am.”
They held each other’s gazes, neither backing down from the battle of will.
But from such close proximity, what Zane couldn’t see were the two shifters, Ryka and Meeka, who began whirling their hands, and then their arms. The ground beneath everyone shook, but it was only the section supporting the Sanguinatore party that rippled.
Sean couldn’t see their faces, too focused on the finite changes to Zane’s awareness, as his minions dropped into a deepening pit of sinking gravel and dirt.
Zane turned back just in time to see the others’ heads as they bobbed below ground-level.
It was the mistake they’d been waiting for.
Sean watched as their plan unraveled and Mara’s hand stretched forward to the nape of Zane’s neck, seizing the moment of distraction.
Startled, Zane spun around to meet her. But he was already too late.
Eyes already glazed white, Mara let her power flow. Sean knew there was no escape for Zane; he already belonged to her. A blue light danced around Mara’s eyes and seeped from her outstretched fingertips to stroke Zane’s temples.
All it took was an instant, and Zane’s eyes went ghost as well.
What went on inside her target’s mind was unknown to Sean, but she’d once described it as like being a spider and spinning a web of influence through every synapse and neuron, until it was all a tangle of silk under her sole control.
Once her eyes resumed their natural color, she lowered her hands to her side. In a hushed voice, Mara gave Zane his instructions.
It was rare that Sean got to see Mara’s power in action, as she so frequently insisted on training only her physical skill, so admittedly, he was skeptical their plan would work, especially once Zane began yelling.
“Foolish girls! Your insolence would cost you the life of the woman you claim to want to save!” Zane barked. “Return the earth, stop toying with my men, or I swear to you I will end this woman’s life, and let her blood haunt you for eternity.”
Wearily, Sean looked to Mara. The sly tilt of a grin told him he had nothing to worry about though. It was then that he heard it, the new song of a thumping heart. He found relief that the woman had been released and Sean signaled for the shifters to do as Zane had demanded.
With ease and haste, Ryka and Meeka twirled their fingers again until the ground resumed its former shape. Atop it stood—or laid, tumbled over—the disoriented and disgruntled Sanguinatores, sounding eager for an order to retaliate.
“But perhaps you’re right. We’ve stayed here far too long, and the blood of an Unawakened isn’t worth all this trouble. Consider her a gift, a show of good measure.” Zane looked over his shoulder to the group of lackeys behind him, some more confused than others. “Come on, we’ll have to find another way to teach our boy here that life is ours for the taking.”
The smirk he cast next made Sean snarl, even if it wasn’t hostile, but just part of the act of being a tyrant.
One by one, the group of thugs shoved past Sean and the others and he ignored every shoulder check. They weren’t worth it, at least that’s what he had to keep telling himself. They’d get what was coming to them soon.
As the last one passed, the others came in tighter around Sean.
“What did you tell them?” Carson asked.
Mara shrugged. “His people will be told that they’re pillaging other communities. But in actuality, Zane will be leading each one of them to the Awakened Authority, where they will report themselves on charges of unsanctioned usage of Awakened power, murder, and whatever other AwA policies they have broken.”
While Mara had the attention and praise of the others, Sean shuffled past them, his eyes set on only one thing, one person.
Chapter Sixteen
Graciela
Even as she watched the last Sanguinatore disappear around a corner, Graciela still couldn’t believe her eyes. They’d somehow managed to get them to leave and without any more bloodshed. She was utterly dumbfounded.
Most surprising of all though was that she was still alive.
The new group, led by the man named Sean, crossed the road to Graciela. Still weak, she leaned on the hood of the police car. She prepared herself to say thank
s, but if Santiago had taught her anything, it was that everything came at a price these days.
“Thank you,” she said when they were within earshot. “I don’t have much, but you can have this bottle of water for your trouble.”
Gently, Sean pushed it back toward her, a warm smile playing at his lips. “We have water. It’s you who could use it, after what you just went through.”
“She’s lucky to be alive,” a fit woman a few steps behind him said with a scoff.
Their rejection of her water caused her heart to thump. Graciela had nothing left to give. “What do I owe you then?”
“Owe us?” sympathy felled Sean’s face, a look of warmth in his eyes. “You owe us nothing. We’re just glad we reached you in time. Are you all right?”
Graciela nodded, and even that small amount of movement jarred her world. But she wasn’t about to unleash her burdens on them, especially not after all they’d done for her already. “I’m fine, thanks to you.”
Now they’d both be fine, her and Santiago. It looked like they’d be able to make it to the community in Texas after all. She wondered if this group was headed to or from there.
Looking at each of them, they seemed trustworthy enough, so she wanted to ask. It wasn’t in her nature to distrust. But sharing any information, even the seemingly benign, was always disapproved by Santiago.
“I should be going now,” she said hurriedly.
“Wait!” Confusion and concern broke through Sean’s voice, but Graciela did her best to ignore it and began stumbling down the road in no particular direction other than anywhere but directly back to Santiago.
She couldn’t risk them following her to him.
Murmurs spread among the group, about where she would go, if Zane’s power had done more damage to her than they knew. But Graciela kept walking, using cars and walls for support to guide her away. Certainly, the group of Sanguinatores had made Santiago lose consciousness. By now, maybe he’d be awake though. There was no doubt that if he was, he’d be worried sick about her.
“She’s not alone,” squeaked the voice of a young, teenaged girl, peeking from a doorway down the road from which they’d came. Before Graciela could protest, the girl continued unveiling secrets. “She has a brother. He’s by a tree, just outside of town.”
Sheer terror ripped through Graciela. She didn’t know how, but somehow this girl knew more than she should, as if she’d scouted the area—as if she’d already found Santiago.
“Adelaide!” the woman with short hair reprimanded. “Didn’t we tell you to stay hidden until we came for you?”
Closer behind Graciela than she expected, Sean’s voice also responded. “Not to mention we’d like her to know she can trust us, not to make her think we’re threatening her and her family. Sometimes, it’s not wise to give up people’s thoughts if they’re supposed to be secrets.”
The girl hung her head and scampered to join the group.
So she hadn’t found him. But if what Sean said was true, then that meant only one thing. “You’re a listener?”
“I’m sorry,” Sean said. “She has a special gift, and she’s still learning when and when not to use it. Can we start over? My name is—”
“Head Sentient Sean Turner, leader of Hope, and a powerful blood guide,” the woman at his side said.
Most of the terms caught Graciela by surprise, but one word in particular caught her attention. It insinuated something larger than what she saw before her. It hinted at community. “Are you a leader of a sanctuary?”
Sean almost seemed to blush. “Sean is just fine, and yes, I guess you could say that. The overbearing woman next to me is Mara. She’s quite nice, once you get to know her.” He sent a challenging look Mara’s way, which she returned with an eye roll. “As I was saying, we don’t mean you harm. When we heard the commotion, we decided to investigate. When we saw what was happening, well, we acted. Of course, at that time we thought you were alone. Is your brother all right? Was he attacked too?”
Uncertainty still lingered, but the more he spoke, the more she found herself trusting him, and she didn’t feel foolish for it. They seemed like genuinely good people. If they’d wanted, they could’ve kept walking and left her for dead. But they’d stopped.
“I know you’re nervous,” Sean continued. “You can’t just trust anyone anymore. I don’t blame you for being cautious. All we can give you though is our word. I run a sanctuary…”
Graciela’s ears perked at the mention of the word. Could this be a serendipitous encounter, one that could lead her brother to safety and hopefully save his life? The man continued on as her thoughts spiraled with possibilities. Either she could trust this group, or she couldn’t, but the only way to find out would be to give it a try.
Swiftly, she dropped her backpack to the ground and rummaged for the flyer inside. It had been one of the only belongings they still had.
Graciela shoved the flyer into Sean’s face, almost falling forward from the effort. “Is this it? Is this your sanctuary?”
Sean examined the tattered leaflet. “I can’t believe you have this. We handed these out forever ago. Where’d you find it?” His eyes went to her finger pointing at the dot in Texas. His expression sobered. “I’m sorry to tell you this, but they’re all…gone.”
Her eyes bulged with tears. “No, it can’t be.” All hope was lost. Without that sanctuary, Santiago would die. It could be as soon as next week, it could be by the end of the night. “No!” Graciela fell to her knees and buried her sobbing face in her hands.
Sean offered his condolences, and everyone but Adelaide became quiet. “She didn’t live there,” the girl said matter-of-factly. “She’s worried about her brother. He’s an empath just like Carson!”
“Hey-o,” a different man in the group sang at the mention of an apparent fellow empath.
Graciela offered a pleasant, but pained grin. “I suppose you already know all of my secrets, so what’s the point in hiding?” Graciela wiped her eyes, the tears flowing more slowly. “We’ve been traveling for months. At first, we were headed to a rumored California sanctuary because it seemed larger than the others. Santiago believed they’d have more resources, that maybe they’d have answers. But his condition is deteriorating. We weren’t even sure we’d make it to Texas in time, let alone to the Pacific American Union.” A lump caught in her throat, mutating itself into a painful cough. It brought more tears to her eyes.
“Did you say California?” asked Mara.
When Graciela looked up, Sean was pointing at the starred community in the Pacific American Union. “This is Hope, the sanctuary I run.” Then he exchanged a look with Mara, a plea of some kind, though Graciela couldn’t say for what.
Mara seemed to understand his code and replied, “If we save the boy, we’d lose Zane.”
“I know,” Sean nodded. “But we’re not that far from the utorian.”
The more they spoke, the more confused Graciela became. She wasn’t sure what they meant by losing Zane, nor what a utorian was.
“We could make it. But it would mean—”
Sean’s eyes squeezed tight. “I know what it means. But we don’t have any other choice. We’re not going to let him die here. There’s nowhere else for them to go to.”
“I agree.” Mara straightened and turned back to the others. “Ryka, Meeka, and Trey, I need the three of you to work on creating a barricade. Block all paths from where the Sanguinatores left us that would lead to the utorian. Once we do this, once I sever my hold on Zane, we’ll need to stall them for as long as possible while we make a run for it.”
Though more of the pieces were coming into play, Graciela still felt lost in a fog. Something about it made her nervous though. The way Mara talked about the plan, it sounded like it might instigate unwanted attention from the Sanguinatores again. Graciela turned to Sean. “What does she mean? What are they…what are you going to do?”
He didn’t answer, not directly anyway. “Take us to your brot
her. He’ll make it to California. We know a shortcut.”
Tears of joy filled her eyes. Everything else ceased to exist, all the panic and fear and unknown. All this time, all that they’d gone through, everything was finally coming together.
Eagerly, Graciela led the way, prepared to hike up the dune, but she stopped short at one of the backyards. “Santi!”
He was lying face-first on the ground, barely breathing.
Mara followed closely behind her. She examined him quickly and clicked her tongue when she felt his ribs through his shirt. “You’re right,” said Mara with quiet sincerity, “he wouldn’t have lasted much longer.”
There was a small moment, almost unnoticeable, where Sean and Mara shared a look that somehow Graciela understood to mean that they were forfeiting something to save him. Though she didn’t know what it was, it made her all the more grateful for it. Their sacrifice would not go unrecognized.
With her hand on his forehead, a blue glow emerged from Mara’s fingertips. Wisps of the light danced around her fingers, seeping through his skin at his temples. In a trance, she exhaled loudly and began to take control of him. Graciela stood motionless as Mara’s eyes whited out. The blue shined through his skin, just as it had with Zane, illuminating his body from the inside out.
It was like she breathed life into him. Over a small collection of seconds, Santiago appeared healthy again for the first time in months.
Renewed, he began blinking awake, and Mara backed away. Graciela wanted to rush to Santiago’s side, to ask him how he felt, to tell him she was safe. But Mara’s hands braced her, and the women stared straight into her eyes.
“We don’t have much time,” Mara said, frightfully grave. “Now that I’ve released Zane, him and those Sanguinatores will be back.”
Chapter Seventeen
Santiago
Santiago woke in a frantic state when he heard the voices of strangers all around him. Not many, but enough that he knew he and his sister were outnumbered. He was less alarmed when he found Graciela crouching at his side, unharmed.
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