Malevolence - Legacy Series Book Two (The Legacy Series)

by Devyn Dawson

  Abel turned every shade of red I’ve ever seen. Within a breath he was up on Arien with his hands around his throat. “I could kill you in an instant vampire,” he said through gritted teeth. We all got in the hunkered down stance. Mom and Gus inched closer to him from behind as Oakley and I braced ourselves to pounce. “You live because you staked that…that thing, but don’t get the idea we’re your friends.” His clasp on Arien’s throat tightened, “I’m not playing games with you Arien, remember that.” Abel said as he turned around and shifted the quickest I’ve ever seen him do. He ran over to my mom, nudging her briefly before he ran off into the woods. Gus and Dolly followed him as Oakley and I were left with Arien.

  “He is a moody fellow, don’t you think?” Arien said with a smirk. “I guess that’s my queue to go. No need for thanks. I hope to see you soon. Sweet dreams.” He was gone in a blink of an eye.

  I didn’t expect to see Arien in Paris, but secretly I was glad he was there. I wasn’t sure how we would have fought Gunna and I didn’t want to choose between my own mother and Abel. Arien always came across as an ass but he still had a bit of good in him.

  Chapter 16. Relationship

  “Said the king, see if you can catch it alive, and then fasten it to the carriage, and we will take it with us.” ~ Grimm’s Household Tales

  ABEL

  The condo was exactly what you’d imagine in Paris. Everything was off-white and goldish. Chandeliers hung in every room with crystals that bounced prisms of light onto the walls. Oakley and Pru were lounging on the big oversized chair and Gus was sitting on the ottoman telling him a story about their trip to the Vampire Museum. Dolly called to us from the kitchen, telling us to take a seat at the dining table.

  Dolly carried in a silver tray full of croissants drizzled in honey and a kettle full of hot water for tea, if we wished. I picked a random tea bag and poured my hot water over it; letting the tea steep before stealing a croissant to eat.

  “Okay guys, I think we need to make a plan if we intend on leaving France in one piece. I talked to a couple of alphas earlier and we tried to make heads or tails about Pascale.” Dolly sat down at the head of the table and poured hot water over her tea bag as she turned her gaze to Pru. “Pru, I want you and Gus to locate that witch you met, her name was Zanly?”

  “Zany,” Pru corrected.

  “Zany, that’s right. I want to meet up with her and find out what she knows about any rogue wolves in the area. I know she is in thick with Pascale and it is possible he is behind Ernie’s death but I think something bigger is going on.” She dunked her tea bag up and down before taking it out of the cup. The chef had scolded her for not using tea leaves but she told him we wouldn’t use them. She was probably right. “Abel and Oakley, I want you to call the Vampire museum and make an appointment for all of us to go over there. I think if we follow their rules, that lady may be more hospitable. I’m going to work with IT and see if we can figure out what the earth faerie was talking about.”

  “I agree,” I said. “I want to find Allie as soon as possible. Pru was telling me she thinks that the book in the museum may have an old passage in it that might be the antidote to the Human Vampiric Virus.” Why everyone looked defeated was beyond me. “I know it’s a long shot, but I have to know.” Everyone took a sip of their tea at the same time, doing their best not to look my way. “Onto another subject. Gus, I hear you’re the gold medalist in some strongman competitions and one for knife throwing, is that so?”

  “Would you like a lesson in throwing items, like stakes?” Gus said with a smirk on his face.

  “I think we could all use a lesson. I grabbed some sticks from the forest and threw them in the trunk of the car, I’ll go sharpen them,” I said as I stood up to go out to the limo.

  “Wait Abel, I put those sticks on the porch so you don’t have to go all the way to the car. You and I are like one brain,” Pru said as she pointed back and forth between us.

  Everyone laughed letting out a little tension that had built up in the room from all of the vampire talk.

  Gus and I removed the backing off one of the entertainment centers in the guest room. We drew a giant target in the center of the board for us to practice our aim. Gus whittled the sticks into perfect wooden stakes; they were thin but thick enough for strength and perfectly sharpened to penetrate the flesh with the right amount of force.

  All of us gathered in the outside common area with our stake in our hand. Gus showed us how to hold the piece of wood for the perfect throw.

  “Everyone open up your dominant hand with your palm up,” Gus said as he looked around. “Perfect. Now, I want you to put the stake in your palm, the stakes pointed end going the length of your middle finger. Make sure the center is where your second joint of your finger is,” he said.

  “Yes sensei.” I said and bowed, earning a few chuckles.

  Gus obviously didn’t find me nearly as funny as I do; he is all business. We all watched as he took the stake and flung it at the target hitting straight in the middle.

  “Did you notice I held my hand out straight with my thumb holding it in place?” he asked. “Turn your hand over, you’ll notice your hand is arched a little as your thumb holds the stake. Pull your arm back and as you release the stake, flick your wrist and throw with precision.” He turned to face me, “Abel, you’re left handed so it will be a little different for you.”

  “I’m good. The whole world is right handed; I’ve adjusted to fit in,” I said as I pulled my arm back and threw the stake at the bull’s-eye.

  In unison everyone gasped. I shined my fingernails on my shoulder. “What?” I asked.

  “Nice job,” Gus said. “I want everyone to pair up. One of you will be the attacker; the other will be the victim.” He pointed at Dolly and Oakley, “I want you two to pair up. Oakley, you’ll be the attacker.”

  We all gathered around Oakley and Dolly as they stood in the middle of the garden face to face.

  “Are you sure you don’t want Dolly with Abel?” Pru asked.

  “I’m sure. Now I want you to pretend that you are being attacked and over your shoulder a vampire is approaching. As you are being attacked, I want you to throw a stake at the vampire.” Gus said and picked up the target board. “I’m going to hold the board; so please make sure to hit the target,” he said as he laughed it off.

  We spent the next hour swapping partners and staking the target. We had shed our jackets as we worked up a sweat. It was a good workout and fun to be training again.

  I saw the light on my phone flashing; which was odd since we didn’t have a very good signal in Paris. I picked up the phone and felt my heart skip a beat as I read it.

  “Y R U N Paris? AC” the text read. The phone number didn’t register on the display but I had no doubt who the text was from. My nickname for Allie was Alley-Cat… AC. I went inside the house to log on to my mobile account and verify the number the text came from.

  I called our IT department back home to find out if they knew any secrets to hack the number but they didn’t. I had almost given up when I got another text.

  “Go 4 a walk ALONE. Walk 3 blks E trn S 2 blks AC” I stared at the screen making sure I wasn’t seeing things. I grabbed my jacket, zipping it up and headed for the front door, I turned around and went back into the room. I grabbed the stake and put it in my waistband pulling my jacket over the top. I made it all the way to the door when I hear Pru bouncing up behind me.

  Her long red hair was pulled up in a ponytail high on her head. Her grey eyes could see through me but I needed her to let me go alone.

  “Hey Abe, where are you going?” Pru asked tilting her head to the side in that adorable way she had.

  “I want to get some fresh air and clear my head,” I replied.

  She eyeballed me up and down but didn’t try to stop me. I pulled on one of Oakley’s old man hats to keep my head warm.

  I reminded myself over and over that Allie was still my sister and to try not to kill her. I
heard about the way she acted at the party, but I wasn’t sold on the idea she wasn’t putting on an act. She and I had been through so much together; I couldn’t imagine her forgetting everything. I checked behind me a few times to make sure I wasn’t being followed. Pru has a distinct hitch in her gait; I thought she stepped harder onto her right foot making a louder sound. Even when she was pussy-footing around she had the slightest sound in her steps. I passed a worn out looking woman, obviously coming home from work. Her shoulders were slumped forward making her look older than I thought she really was.

  Paranoia was setting in, making me feel a little twitchy. A man was smoking a cigarette on a balcony huddled up like a drug user hiding his secret vice. The sound of the Metro in the distance reminded me that big cities used public transportation. The way people drove in the area and the traffic jams alone would push me to use the Metro. The smell of coffee and baked goods hit me like a brick wall as I turned the first corner. My stomach rumbled a little. I hadn’t noticed the little café when we drove back from the forest. Come to think of it, nothing here looked familiar. I sniffed the air as discretely as possible to pick up a familiar scent but the cold air hurt to take deep breaths of. The street became more and more void of life as I walked to meet Allie.

  The memory of Allie sitting in my room, her veins freshly full of HVV, and her words cutting me to the bone entered my mind. I remembered too clearly. I closed my eyes for a second, letting the memory seep in. It was like living it all over again….watching her jump out of my bedroom window of our two-story house in Piedsville Oklahoma. She repeated over and over that I was a marked man and that soon her humanity would be gone. Her words were so vial and hate filled that it was like being stabbed in the heart over and over by someone you loved. Whoever came up with the saying about sticks and stones were completely wrong about words; they always hurt when spoken out of anger. I shook my head to clear it for this meeting. I didn’t want to kill my sister but I’d do what I had to do to protect my pack.

  I got to the end of the second block, noticing the entire vibe changed. The graffiti, though artistic, depreciated the look of the area. I heard a man and woman arguing about dinner and a small child cried in one of the lofts. I still didn’t see or hear Allie and the first feelings of regret were creeping in. I wrapped the scarf tighter around my neck and held my un-gloved hands to my side. I’d been taught that body language for an alpha was as important as the title. If I crossed my arms, it showed a sign of weakness. I was starting to think that at least with gloves on my hands they wouldn’t be numb. I could feel the stake gently pressing against my spine.

  I heard the bus axels squealing as it came to a stop, the swoosh of the door and the clicking of heels on the concrete behind me. I turned around in time to see my sister step off the bus. She lifted her gaze to meet mine, the malice completely evident.

  “Abel,” she said curtly.

  “Allie,” I replied as I hid the emotion from my voice.

  She was dressed like a horse jockey in stilettos, her hair was in a long braid that fell over her shoulder. I noticed she had a feather weaved into the braid. Her make-up was darker than she wore in the past, with the cliché dark eyeliner and blood red lips. She played up the vampire image; that was no doubt.

  “Where is your posse?” she asked. “I wouldn’t imagine you to go out without them in tow.”

  “Allie, it’s me Abel. You know the one? Your brother? I’m still the one that sat up late at night with you.” I was grasping for anything that would bring forth a tiny hint that my sister was still in there. “I’m the one that took the blame for you so you could go on a date. I’m the one that snuck down the stairs with you on Christmas morning. Come on Allie.”

  “You didn’t answer the question,” She said and tapped her foot.

  “For God’s sake Allie,” I said and she grimaced at the word God. “I came alone. Are you here to kill me? Is that what this is? Why did you want to meet me Allie?” I asked with a crack in my voice.

  “I don’t know why I bother warning you, obviously you don’t listen well. There is going to be a battle soon and it would be in your best interest to stay away; and keep that ninny Pru away too.” Allie said. She looked around as if she heard something and got spooked. “I need to go, but you all should go back to Oklahoma where you belong.”

  I leaned in closer to her, my hand at my side and whispered “When and where?” She shook her head no at me; suddenly she was lost for words. “Come on Allie, you told me that much. Tell me when and I’ll figure out the where. Are you in danger? I can protect you.”

  Her eyes flashed red as she busted out laughing. “You can’t protect me Abel. Don’t you get it? I’m in this for good. Be a good boy and go home. I can’t say any more. You have no idea of the supernatural beings that live here in Paris. Another piece of advice….don’t trust anyone.” She cocked her head to the side and stood stone still for at least thirty seconds before snapping her fingers and said “toodles” she bent her knees and leapt to the top of the building in a flash.

  I take a whiff of the air and turned around to see Pru and Oakley right behind me.

  “Before you say anything; let me be clear about one thing….. I don’t want to hear about it.” There I stood and Allie was long gone.

  Pru walked up putting her arms around me in a big bear hug. “I’m sorry Abe,” she whispered into my shoulder.

  “Me too.” Holding back the sting of tears in my eyes; I took a deep breath letting the cold air assault my nose.

  Oakley patted my shoulder. “Man, I think it is great you trust your vampire sister and all….but I don’t. You have to remember that there is more to you than just being a brother; you’re the Great Wolf dammit. If you do it again, I might have to whip your ass.”

  I smiled at Oakley, knowing he was kidding. “She said there is going to be a battle. She also said that you’re a ninny Pru.” I laughed it off as we turned around and headed back to the house.

  “She called me a ninny? How nice of her to remember me so fondly. On a positive note, she at least reached out to you. She may be stronger than we thought. I wonder what her relationship with Pascale is.”

  Chapter 17. OZ

  “Then he made a vow to take no more ragamuffins into his house, for they consume much, pay for nothing, and play mischievous tricks into the bargain by way of gratitude.” The Pack of Ragamuffins ~ Grimm’s Household Tales

  PRU

  Walking back to the apartment felt like old times, Oakley on one side and Abel on the other. I pulled down the flaps to cover my ears with my knitted wolf eared stocking hat. I couldn’t resist the irony in it. I looped my arms through Oakley’s and Abel’s and did my best Dorothy impression saying “lions and tigers and bears, oh my.” It was like moving two brick walls, they wouldn’t skip along with me, taking away all of my fun.

  We rounded the corner to the apartment and I saw Gus with his back and one foot leaned up against the building. If he’d had on a cowboy hat it would have completed the picture.

  “Nice to see ya’ll have caught up on old times,” Gus said.

  “You’re probably wondering where we went, huh?” I asked.

  Gus pulled a toothpick out of his mouth that I honestly hadn’t noticed until he did. “Well Pru, being that you’re a magnet for fun and excitement, I’d be a fool to try to guess. I however am not a fool, and I followed you and Oakley as you followed Abel. Abel was off having a secret meeting with his sister, up until the moment she heard something and scattered away. Am I right so far?” Gus stood there shaking his head back and forth in disappointment.

  “That is pretty much how it went. I didn’t realize you followed us,” I said. “Can we go inside? I’m freezing.”

  We hung up our gear and all went into the common area and hovered close to the fireplace. Mom was sitting in one of the fancy but shabby chic reading chairs. She was doing a crossword puzzle inside her Readers Digest. She raised her eyes to look at us and realized that something
was going on, so she set her puzzle and pen down on the ottoman.

  “Pru? Would you mind telling me what’s going on?” Mom asked.

  “Nothing I can’t handle,” I said. “Do you have any more of those delicious croissants? I’ve come to realize that the French eat rich food but not much of it and I’m literally starving.”

  “Nice try. Where were you? All of the sudden I was sitting here alone, not long enough for you to get into too much trouble, just enough to start some.” Mom looked at each one of us giving us the stink eye. “I’m holding the croissants hostage until you can come clean.”

  “Not the croissants!” I sighed and plopped down on the ottoman. “Well, Abel apparently got a text message from Allie, and he snuck out to meet her. Oakley and I followed Abel, and Gus followed Oakley and me. Before you say anything, remember you’re the one that is in danger.”