The immortal exhaled deeply as she snuggled closely to Cassandra. She had lost her charge. It had only been momentarily, but she had still lost her.
The one thing Elissa had learned in the entire ordeal was how easily she could curse Cassandra. As she held her charge tightly, listening contently as her breathing had eased considerably, Elissa now knew that when Cassandra asked her again, she would give her charge exactly what she wanted.
But not until Cassandra was old enough. Elissa would not allow her to exist as a child for all eternity. That had already been decided. It had already been shown.
Elissa closed her eyes. Instead of failing to have her senses on full alert, she listened to everything. There was the crackling of the fire. There was the steady rhythm of two beings breathing. There was the wind which continued to bluster throughout the night. At least the snow had tapered off.
Still, it would be some time before Elissa would be able to leave the hut. The only fear she had was keeping Cassandra properly fed.
There was the other fear. Two days. Elissa would have to feed in two days. There was no way she could feed upon Raven or Cassandra. Not even a little snack.
Elissa closed her eyes. She would deal with it when the time came. For now, she would concentrate fully on her charge and making certain she was healing properly.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()
The two days were a blur for Elissa. They consisted of caring for both Raven and Cassandra. It was something she had never wanted, but now she wouldn’t be without.
The need to feed was creeping up on Elissa. She had attempted to keep it from her mind, but soon she would have no choice. The fact the snow had continued, off and on for the past few days, would cause travel to be detrimental, even for the vampire.
Cassandra remained weak from the illness. It had taken a great deal out of her. She was slowly recovering. She had graduated from broth and toast to solid food. Though she knew the food reserves were dwindling rapidly.
“You need to feed.” Elissa snapped her head away from the stove. She had been preparing venison stew with the last of their venison and potatoes. “I may have been out of it the past few days, but I know.”
Elissa tilted her head as she studied her charge. “How is it you knew?” The vampire had always thought she was so careful around Cassandra. The last thing she wanted to do was to scare her.
“I can see the look in your eyes.” Cassandra straightened the blanket draped across her lap. She had graduated from the bed to the chair by the fire. It had helped with her chills.
A heavy sigh escaped Elissa. She had thought she could hide anything from anyone. “And just what is it do you see in my eyes?”
Cassandra could sense this conversation was causing Elissa to become more uncomfortable the longer it went on. “Your eyes darken to a nearly violet shade. I see you licking your fangs. And you have trouble looking at me when it’s near time for you to feed.”
“And how old did you say you were?” Elissa attempted to use levity. She didn’t like the fact she could so easily be read. It wasn’t as harsh with it being Cassandra who was reading her, but still.
The child shook her head and laughed. “You know very well how old I am.” Cassandra made certain she was gazing in azure eyes. “You need to go within the next two hours. Raven is here. She will protect me.”
At the mention of her name, the pup’s head rose from the blanket covered foot it had been resting upon. Raven allowed for an adorable growl, before she licked her lips. It was as if to say she could taste the blood of whoever came near her best friend.
“I better go now. The snow is still coming down. I’ll be lucky to escape through the window.” Elissa eyed her charge. “You’ll be able to shut it after I leave.”
Cassandra nodded her head. “It will do me good to begin moving around some. And before you say it, I’ll be careful when breathing in the cold air. I don’t want any setbacks. I want to get healthy. I know we can’t travel until spring, but there’s so much I could be doing and learning between now and then.”
“We’ll do it together.” Elissa knelt before her charge. “I can’t do this thing called existence without you anymore. It was too close.”
There were tears in the corners of Cassandra’s eyes. “You know how I feel.” It wasn’t like the young girl to not say her feelings aloud. But she was too raw still.
“Yes, I do. Now you two be good. Shut the window behind me as soon as you can.” Elissa rose easily to her feet. She slowly made her way to the window. “Don’t forget my sword. Use it if you need to.”
Cassandra watched as Elissa attached the double scabbard to her back. Only one sword was placed in the scabbard. As soon as her vampire had made it through the window, Cassandra shut it tight once again.
A slight shiver ran up and down Cassandra’s spine after having felt how cold it had dropped. Christmas would definitely be a white one.
Instead of returning to her seat by the fire, Cassandra decided she could attempt to clean the hut. Not that Elissa didn’t keep it clean, it just wasn’t to the standards Cassandra was accustomed to.
After sweeping the wooden floor, Cassandra set about mopping it. While the hut was small, it was big enough that it took all the remaining energy just to settle on the bed once again.
Raven instantly was by Cassandra’s side. The feel of the wolf beside her was nearly as comforting as when she was held by Elissa. Not that she would tell either of them that.
Emerald eyes shut the instant her head hit the pillow. Between being sick and cleaning, she was beyond exhausted. Hopefully she would be able to sleep until Elissa returned.
The low rumbling by Cassandra’s knee caused emerald eyes to open immediately. The room was only lit by the embers of the fire. She cursed not having added more wood to the fire before attempting to sleep.
The shattering of glass caused Cassandra to sit up faster than she should. Her head spun as she reached out for the sword she knew would be within reach.
Growling became the only sound Cassandra could hear for the next few seconds. Then she heard something she would never forgive herself for. There was a whimper. Not unlike the one Raven had emitted when Cassandra had struck her with the branch in self-defense.
“All alone.” The voice was more than familiar. It was terrifying. “We’ve been tracking you two for a very long time. It was so nice of Elissa to leave you alone.”
Cassandra’s vision was finally able to focus. She stared into dark eyes. There were two other vampires flanking Devlyn. Raven was still at the vampire’s feet. Cassandra could see more than a hint of blood running down Raven’s face.
Without thought, Cassandra stood. Just like at the campsite, she held the sword pointed at what she hoped was the heart. And just as before, Cassandra used every thought in her mind and every emotion in her soul to call out for Elissa.
Chapter 13
The frigid air hit Cassandra. Her lungs were not ready to face the below freezing temperatures just yet. The hilt of the sword felt as if it was frozen to her hands.
As with the last time Cassandra had faced down Devlyn, she chose not to respond verbally. She would attempt to find any opening she could. Since Raven was not able to protect her, the only real chance she had was hoping Elissa would return.
“Silent.” Devlyn kicked Raven out of her way. The pup remained silent. Cassandra hoped it was only because she was unconscious, not dead. “Do I scare you that much?”
Cassandra kept her eyes focused on Raven in hopes of seeing any signs of life. That wasn’t to say she couldn’t see how Devlyn and the other two vampires were slowly edging themselves toward her.
“I should.” Devlyn reached for the back of Cassandra’s nightshirt. Instead of grasping cloth, the vampire came up empty handed.
“It’ll be easier if you remain still.” Devlyn attempted to grasp the child again. This time she managed to grasp the blade of the sword. The vampire howled in pain. “You stupid girl.”
&n
bsp; Devlyn attempted to backhand Cassandra. Once again, the young mortal was able to keep from being hit. The vampire growled. Her frustrations were mounting.
There was the possibility that Elissa had turned Cassandra. But there was the scent of mortality upon the child. Had Elissa somehow instilled some of her essence into the girl?
The other two vampires had retreated. They had never seen their leader in action. They glanced at one another. This was not an elder one should follow without question. Look what Elissa had already done to the clan. That should have been reason enough to oust Devlyn.
“Enough!” Devlyn used her vampire speed. She had Cassandra by her long blonde locks. “Now I want to leave a present behind for Elissa to discover. That means your drained body.”
Cassandra didn’t even think. She merely turned so that the sword would thrust upwardly. When she felt resistance, she pushed with all the strength her recovering body could muster.
There was a thud when both Devlyn and Cassandra’s bodies hit the floor. The cold air was mixing with softly falling snow. The vampires stared at the sight before them. Unbelieving what a mortal could have done.
The young girl managed to stand enough so that she could make it to the bed. Cassandra hated leaving her only weapon behind, but she had needed to distance herself from Devlyn. She needed support.
When Cassandra glanced at the window, she found the vampires that had accompanied Devlyn had disappeared. Emerald eyes once again were upon the lone vampire.
A gasp escaped Cassandra as she realized what she had done. Devlyn was staring at her with empty eyes. The sword had somehow been thrust through her jaw into her skull.
Cassandra could feel her stomach wanting to rebel. She only barely made it to the open window where the frigid wind punished her skin and eyes as soon as she had stuck her head out.
Time escaped Cassandra as she continued to dry heave. Several thoughts entered her mind. She had to see if Raven was all right. She had somehow cover the window to minimize the wind. She had to do something about Devlyn’s body.
But the thought that was lingering near the surface the most was how Cassandra had actually taken a life. It was to some an undead life, but Devlyn had existed until she had tangled with the mortal. There was no returning, no matter how much blood she consumed, from a sword embedded deep within her brain.
A whimper caused Cassandra to tear her eyes away from the soulless body. Raven had attempted to stand but had immediately fallen limp to the floor.
“Hold still.” Cassandra retrieved the worn blanket she used as Raven’s bed. She placed it in front of the stove. The fire was refueled before she carefully gathered the growing pup in her arms.
The barely audible whimper nearly caused Cassandra to stumble. She placed Raven on the blanket. Gently, she checked where the blood had trailed from her mouth. It had already stopped. When she attempted to touch Raven’s belly, a low growl escaped the wolf.
“I hope your ribs are only bruised.” Cassandra nearly stumbled over the still body. She attempted to keep her eyes from the still form but it was impossible as Devlyn remained in the middle of the hut.
Cassandra retrieved some rags and began cleaning the blood from Raven’s mouth and neck. The pup licked her hands. “Is that your way of saying you’re gonna be ok? I hope so. I love you. I’m sorry you were hurt protecting me.”
“What in blazes happened here?” Elissa was suddenly kneeling beside Devlyn’s still body. She turned her attention to Cassandra who was shaking. Was it because of the cold or because of what had transpired?
“She hurt Raven. She was going to kill me.” Cassandra managed not to stutter or cry. It was a miracle for both. “The two vampires that were with her simply disappeared after I…”
“You did this?” Cassandra couldn’t look Elissa in the eyes as she nodded. The vampire shook her head. Devlyn was a heinous being and yet her charge felt guilty for ending her existence. Cassandra truly was an amazing being.
“Finally, she’s not going to harm anyone again.” Elissa moved with speed as she managed to tack up the blankets across the window. If she couldn’t figure out something better soon, they would have to seek some other kind of shelter.
After securing the window the best she could, Elissa knelt next to Cassandra. Her charge’s hand rested upon Raven’s head. “Is Raven ok?”
“I cleaned her mouth. I think there was a cut inside her mouth.” Cassandra was absently stroking Raven’s head. “I’m worried about her ribs. Devlyn kicked her hard.”
“Let me. You keep touching Raven.” Cassandra nodded as she moved out of the way. Elissa gently probed the pup’s ribs. “I’m proud of you.”
Cassandra’s head whipped around so fast she became dizzy. She remained weak from the illness she had suffered. It took a moment for her head to clear. “How can you be proud of me?”
“You kept your cool.” There were only small growls from Raven. “I think they are just bruised. We’ll have to be careful how we handle Raven the next week or so until they are fully healed.”
While the news relieved Cassandra, there was the fact Elissa was proud of her. How? “Yes, I kept my cool. But Raven was still harmed. And I took a life. I’m…”
Elissa sat so that she could pull Cassandra onto her lap. She moved closer to the stove so that they were both touching Raven.
“There’s something you have to learn.” Elissa kissed the back of Cassandra’s head. “Whether you live in the mortal realm or the immortal one, life isn’t easy. You have to make choices. In this case, Devlyn put you in the worst possible position.”
The vampire waited to see if Cassandra might offer her own idea of what Elissa was thinking. When her friend continued to remain silent, she knew she’d have to continue.
“Devlyn made you choose between taking a life or losing your own. And more importantly protecting another life.” Elissa felt Cassandra’s body stiffen. “It’s like with those six men a couple months ago. I’d already saved two of their lives once. I knew they’d keep coming after us. They gave me no choice. And if I had been here, you wouldn’t even be able to recognize Devlyn.”
Cassandra swallowed at the thought. She knew what Elissa was saying was right. It didn’t make it any easier to accept. “Did you feel this way the first time you…”
“Fed?” Cassandra nodded. Elissa took a deep breath as she gently leaned her head on her charge’s. “It becomes different once you are immortal. But even today when I have to feed to exist, I feel a sense of loss and guilt.”
Hearing that Elissa still felt guilty helped a little. Still, Cassandra wasn’t certain if she would ever be able to overcome what she was feeling now.
“I don’t know what else to say.” Elissa held her charge even tighter. “Except, with time, things always look different. Whether it’s our regrets or if it’s our triumphs.”
This was one time when Cassandra felt all of her youth. She wished she had the same faith as the conviction Elissa had spoken with. She just didn’t know.
“For now, let me get rid of our friend here.” Elissa reluctantly placed Cassandra on the floor. Raven glanced up at her. She winked at the pup. She could have sworn she winked back. “It means another blast of cold air. Sorry about that.”
Cassandra attempted to shield herself from the sounds. First was Elissa removing her sword from the body. Second was cleaning the blade and placing it by the door.
There was a blast of frigid air that caused Cassandra to begin shivering. She moved closer to the stove wishing she had a blanket around her shoulders.
The sound of hammering caused Cassandra to jump. She glanced at the window. She couldn’t see Elissa but knew it was her repairing the window.
After the hammering stopped, it wasn’t long before the frigid air was nearly nonexistent. She felt a blanket wrap around her. She heard the sultry voice in her ear. “You need to get back to bed. Take Raven with you. You both need your rest.”
Without a sound, Cassandra slowly rose
to her feet. She was about to pick up Raven when she saw the empty space where the pup had been. She smiled sadly at Elissa who was carrying Raven over to the bed.
Elissa tucked the duo in bed before sitting in the chair next to the bed. She hoped the shutters she had managed to secure over the window would be enough to ward off the chills for Cassandra.
There was another issue. Emerald eyes stared at the ceiling. Elissa knew the expression. She’d seen it on many faces over the millennium. For people with good souls, it meant something had been lost.
In Cassandra’s case, the young girl had lost her blood innocence. Elissa could barely remember losing her own. Yet, she did remember how she had felt.
Elissa had felt nothing. It wasn’t because she had a good or bad soul. It was because of who had been her mentor. Devlyn had attempted to teach her that vampires were above all other beings and it didn’t matter what they did to them.
The more Elissa thought about it, the more she was convinced Cassandra had been right. While she still wasn’t certain about cursing her charge, she knew the soul she had would keep her from becoming an animal.
As Elissa watched as Cassandra managed a fitful sleep, she realized something else. The more she was around the young girl, the more of her own humanity was returning.
The thought caused her to smile. Elissa never thought she would ever even glimpse her own humanity. Ever. She owed Cassandra more than she could ever repay. And she’d only known her for less than three months.
Chapter 14
Spring was only about a month away. They had settled into a routine. Cassandra went to school for six hours. Afterwards, she stopped at the general store and made any purchases or trades they required.
Elissa spent her days working hides she took from the feeds she required, but also from hunts. They had earned enough money to fix the window and buy several store bought dresses for Cassandra.
Raven was happy about remaining with Elissa during the day as she usually was allowed to roam free. It was as if the wolf had a sixth sense and knew when Cassandra had returned to the hut.
Bonded Souls Page 8
