by M. R. Polish
“Where is he?” I choked out. Breathing was still extremely hard and painful.
“He’s dead. Maztic is taking him away now. Once we had him physically, he couldn’t dematerialize.”
“Good.”
He ran his thumb down my cheek. “I’m so sorry. I keep failing you. Every time we are close you almost die.”
“Neither one of us knew he was here. You can’t blame yourself. You saved me.”
He picked me up and carried me back to the house.
“He got through my protection spell. I didn’t think of magical beings. I only protected the area from dark magic and vampires. It’s my fault. He was a Crossbreed. I should have known better. I knew he had magic,” I whispered against his shoulder. How many times had he gotten through and watched us from a close distance? The thought made me sick.
Ailaina was at my side as soon as we walked in the house. “Oh my gosh! What happened?”
“Vampire,” Jarak said as he laid me on the couch.
“Es.” I looked over at the door. Luna walked in the house, still with a tint of red around her nose where she tried to wipe the blood away.
“Luna.” It relieved me to see her.
“It’s not good.” She walked the rest of the way to the couch from the door. “I went to help Maztic dispose of the body, and we saw them. All of them.”
“Luna says they saw them, and there are more of them.” My voice quivered.
“More of what?” Ailaina stiffened.
Being so weak made it harder to sit up, but each moment I felt better. My body began to heal itself, but it still hurt.
“I saw Ree and also about twenty other vampires, but I’m not sure who they are. I know they are vampires because I could smell the metallic odor they emit. There is no telling how many were Crossbreeds. From far away they all smelled like vampires. Newbies more likely.”
I pushed on the arm of the couch for support as I forced myself to stay sitting. “I bet some are the missing people from that bus.” I relayed what Luna said to Ailaina and Jarak.
Jarak nodded in thought. “How far away?”
“They are hiding, about one or two days walk from here.”
“If I could regain my strength we could surprise them. You know, have the upper hand.”
“Es, do you know what you’re saying? This is Ree up there.” Jarak sat down next to me.
“I know, but if she’s here it means she wants to kill me.” I hoped someone else would take her out for me. I was selfish, and wasn’t sure I could follow through with it, even if it wasn’t her, but I refused to say anything to Jarak. “Besides, you’re the one who told me no vampire is good. Right?”
“Okay. I just want you to be alright.”
I leaned over to lie down. My strength still zapped. “How do you kill a vampire anyway?”
“The usual. Stake to the heart—behead them, and then burn the body. If they are a real vampire you won’t need to behead them, they will turn to ash. It’s only the breeds that you have to do that.”
“Oh yeah, the usual.” I wanted to gag at the thought of doing that to Ree—or even Meadow, when the time came. I needed to put my mind far away from those thoughts.
“I’m gonna go patrol with Maztic for a bit. If you need me, call for me.” Luna licked my hand and disappeared.
“I don’t think I told her thank you. I really love that wolf.” My eyelids felt heavy.
Ailaina sat down next to me, running her fingers through my hair. “She knows sweetie.”
The energy around the room filled me, and I focused it on my wound. I knew it would be better soon. As it was, the sharp pain had already dissipated, but I was still sore and worn out. Ailaina pulled the blanket from the back of the couch over me, and I closed my eyes.
Twenty One
Esmerelda
I sat down on the lodge pole swing outside on the porch. I enjoyed watching the silhouettes from the trees dance around the house as the sun began to set. My knife wound from that morning had healed, and I soaked in the energy from Mother Nature. I was still a little sore when I moved, but I was certain I wouldn’t feel anything by tomorrow.
“Hey beautiful.” Jarak walked outside and handed me a steaming cup of hot cocoa. I reached an arm out of the warm blanket I had wrapped around me to grab the cup.
Mmm, I breathed in the sweet smell of creamy chocolate and covered the cup with both hands, savoring the heat as he sat down and wrapped up in the blanket with me.
I rested my head on his shoulder. “I think I know someone who could help us.”
“I’ve been thinking about that, too.” He stroked my hair as we talked.
“Really? Who?”
“We’re not the last of our kind, you know.”
I hadn’t thought about other Guardians before. “There are more of us?”
“Well, not like you. You’re one of a kind… Who were you thinking of?”
“My dad. Well, not Torres, although I’m sure he’d be useful, too.”
Jarak nodded. “I think that’s a good idea. You should have him here. Besides he might prove to be useful, he did work as a supernatural marshal. Okay, so you call Bry and I’ll make a call as well.”
We sat in silence, and watched the stars twinkle overhead while the crickets chirped. Somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled, but instead of fear, I felt peace. The wolves were family.
I hesitated as I dialed the cell number I’d known since he’d gotten one. How would he react to me asking for help? What if he didn’t want anything to do with me, with everything that’s happened? My heart raced.
It rang twice before he picked up. “Hello.”
“It’s Arabeth.” I held my breath. It sounded weird to hear that name again. I had just gotten used to Esmerelda.
“Ara?” His voice sounded worried. “Are you okay? Where are you?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I need your help though.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Its, uh, Mom… She’s a—um, vampire.” I could hear my heartbeat in my ears.
“Where are you?”
“Outside of Stanley, Idaho. I don’t think I could give you directions, but we can meet you in town.”
“Ara, I’m assuming you now know what you are. Use your power to make a protection barrier until I get there. I’ll call this number as soon as I’m in town. I’ll leave right now.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks.”
We both hung up. I hoped Jarak’s call went as well as mine.
Jarak
“Did you get through the block yet?”
Maztic slumped to the floor of the small guest room. “Not yet. Hela has a strong barrier and nothing I do is getting through to him.”
“Well, don’t give up. I know it’s been years since we’ve heard from them, but it’s time they know where Es is at. They need to be here. More than anything, she could use her parents.”
“I’m not giving up, but it would be useful if I could at least feel where my alpha was at. I will find them.”
“Good. I just hope she forgives me for keeping my knowing them a secret.” I exhaled a long breath. Nothing about who I had to call next was going to go well; I could feel it in my bones.
“Not if you keep thinking that way. You never know, he might surprise you. Besides, he’s family, and family always sticks together.”
“Not Ian. You know as well as I do that he blames me for Esmerelda’s disappearance. And, after the last phone I made to him, he might go all crazy on me. But, then again, he might not care anymore. He’s just not normal when it comes to Es, and what I told him might have drove him over the edge.”
“I guess you’ll find out soon enough.”
I dialed his number and waited for him to pick up.
“What do you want?” Of course he’d answer with an attitude.
“Hi, Brother, nice to hear from you too.”
“Fine, you want a family connection. How’s this—Brother, what the hell do you want?”
“Okay, I’ll cut the chit chat and get right to it. I need your help.”
“No.”
“It's about Esmerelda.”
He was silent, and then I heard him clear his throat. “My Esmerelda? The one you’ve kept from me?”
“Look, I need your help to protect her. You’re one of the best Guardians, or you would be if you ever cared for anyone.”
“What do you mean protect her? What kind of trouble did you get her into? Where is she?”
I cleared my throat. “Um, yeah. She’s with me at the cabin.” Dead silence filled the lines. “Ian?”
He released a deep breath and then I heard a click. I knew he’d come. I wasn’t sure what would happen once he got here, but at least he would be here and I’d deal with that when it happened. He would always come when it came to Esmerelda. Love did that to a guy.
Esmerelda
“I’ll meet you at the bottom of the mountain.” There was no way I’d go down that trail in a vehicle.
“Es, come on, I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Yeah, I don’t think so. I’ll take the long way down, you know, on foot.” I planted my feet in the dirt beside the truck. I wasn’t budging.
He sat in the truck’s driver’s seat, propping his foot on the side step, I scooted between his legs waiting for his answer. “Okay, but one hour and you be there, understand?”
I nodded. He pulled me in for a kiss before twisting around and shutting the door. The engine growled as it came to life.
“You two should just get together and get it over with.” Ailaina watched beside me, with her arms folded.
“Oh stop it. I’m not even sure what we are. One minute it’s all kisses and butterflies, the next he’s moody and pushing me away. I don’t know. I know this might sound strange, but I’m not sure he’s the one for me.”
“Really? You think that?” We both turned to walk back into the house.
I stopped, looking back at the truck. “I don’t know. It’s hard to explain. I like him, but I don’t think I can handle the mood swings. Besides, I’m competing with a ghost.”
“A ghost?”
I held my hand up. “Don’t ask.”
I checked the clock on his cell phone he left for me. It was barely ten thirty in the morning. I was going to have get going down the mountain to reach the bottom in an hour, but I still needed a minute. Seeing Bry again had my nerves all jumbled.
We walked back into the house and straight to the kitchen. I could easily magic food now from the kitchen, but it was enjoyable doing things myself. I closed the fridge door after snagging a cheese stick and a couple bottles of water, handing one to Ailaina.
I saw a movement from the corner of my eye and I froze. Bringing my finger to my mouth, I told Ailaina to stay quiet. She moved to the corner and waited. Setting the water on the counter, I pressed my back up against the wall. Tiptoeing myself to the edge, I peered around the corner by the stairs.
A hand clamped over my mouth as soon as I leaned to look. I screamed out against the intruder’s hand as he pressed his tall body up next to mine, giving me no room to breathe between him and the wall.
Ailaina flung herself on him, pounding her fists onto his back like a mad woman. “Let her go!”
“Shhh, unless you want to be blood bait,” the stranger growled with a deep whisper. She stopped hitting him and darted to the wall next to me. Her eyes were wide.
Cobalt eyes gazed down at me as if they knew me, as if they searched my soul for recognition. They looked familiar, but I had no clue who he was. His almost black hair had a rough texture and was tousled, giving him a sexy bad boy hairstyle. Small stubble showed off his five o’clock shadow. “Esmerelda,” he whispered.
A bang echoed outside the front door and he tensed as if remembering the situation.
I stopped protesting, and he released his hand from my mouth, but he never moved his body away. If anything, he pressed closer to me. “Someone’s broken through your protective spell. There are two blood suckers right outside.”
“How did you know about the spell?” I whispered back.
“I could sense it around the property. I walked around until I found the break. It’s not a large one, so it has to be from someone who isn’t near as strong as you are, but it's still enough to let the vamps in.” He stepped just a half step back. It was enough for me to glance down and fully see his black jeans and matching t-shirt.
His muscular arms were tense and ready to fight. I was all too aware of his closeness as his body heat radiated to mine. His legs pressed up against mine, and it took all I had to remember that I didn’t know who he was. There was something about him that I knew, but I couldn’t place my finger on it.
“Who are you?” I questioned.
“Ian. Jarak’s brother. It’s not exactly the way I wanted us to meet.”
My eyes must have given away my surprise that I tried to hide. That must have been where the familiarity in his eyes came from.
He smirked. “So, he hasn’t told you about me.”
“He doesn’t talk much about his family… or past.”
“Do either of you know how to kill a vampire?” His husky voice was quiet, changing the subject.
I nodded. “Yes, Jarak told me how, but I haven’t done it.”
He handed me a wooden stake from a duffel bag, his other hand held two more, one of which he handed to Ailaina. “Here, take this and force it through the heart. After you do that, I’ll take care of the rest of the job.” Was it concern laced in his words? Why would he be so worried over me, especially since he didn’t even know who I was?
He let his hand linger on mine.
I grabbed the stake, pulling my hand away from his and swallowed hard. They were about six inches long and fit easily in my grasp. Leather straps covered the handles and burned designs were intricately carved into the tips. At that moment, everything became real, and I wished I’d taken the death trail down the mountain with Jarak.
A footstep on the wood floor sounded from the entryway. Ian held his finger to his mouth telling us to stay quiet. He peeked around the corner and raised two fingers.
My heart sped up. I wasn’t sure I could do this. I took a deep breath as he slipped away from me. He nodded and took off toward the front door. I followed him.
He flung himself on one of the prowlers, tackling them to the floor. I froze. The other vampire was Ree.
The stake in my hand became heavy.
“Surprised?” I didn’t have time to register what she said.
Cocking her head, she gave a sinister laugh and threw herself at me, knocking me to the floor. I pushed at her, trying to get her off me. I didn’t have time to know if Ailaina was okay or not as I struggled to get Ree off.
Ree’s fangs brushed against my neck but never punctured the skin. I fought with everything I had, but she was so much stronger. I pulled energy from Luna and held Ree up, keeping her away from my throat.
I didn’t have the strength or speed she had, but I had magic—and a wolf. It was hard, but I remembered my training with Victor and pushed all I had at her, sending her flying into the wall by the stairs. I held my hand out, keeping her there. I could feel the energy from Ian’s fight with the other vampire build in the room, giving me more than enough power to restrain her against the wall.
Luna appeared by my side, her snarling growl rumbled through the house. I knew she’d be there to help if I needed it. Grasping the stake tight in my hand, I walked toward Ree. Closing my eyes, I shoved the wood deep into her chest. Tissue tore under the pressure, then a loud crack from the tip of her sternum breaking. I pushed the stake through a thick wall of muscle I knew was her heart.
Opening my eyes, I didn’t let go but stood there immobile, staring at her face as she went limp. Warmth covered my hand as her blood flowed down it. I could no longer breathe. Everything around me spun, and I became sick.
Ian came up behind me, removing my hand from the stake and I backed awa
y, slumping to the floor on my knees. Ree’s body drooped to the floor. Her once pure skin turned dark and looked burnt. Her flesh became ash and crumbled away.
I wasn’t sure how to feel as I watched him walk to the kitchen and grab something from his bag. I cringed. It looked like a machete, but I hoped I was wrong. Luna strolled over to me, and I buried my face in her fur, peeking out just enough to see Ian.
He ambled over to the first vampire he’d taken down. Squatting beside him, he lifted his arm with the weapon and forced his hand down, beheading him. My stomach twisted. I turned away from Luna and threw up. I refused to open my eyes again, but clutched Luna’s fur in my hand. I breathed through my mouth not wanting to smell the pungent scent of death that filled the cabin.
Ian’s hand rested on my shoulder. “Come on you need to get outside.”
I gagged and fought to keep from throwing up as he led me past a headless body and outside the house. The smell of the metallic blood wafted through the air and clung to my skin.
“Wait! Where’s Ailaina?” I twisted, wanting to go back for my friend.
He continued to urge me outside. “She’s fine. Actually, she passed out at the first sign of blood. She’s safe on the kitchen floor.”
“Oh. I can’t believe I just killed someone. I’m gonna be sick again.” I doubled over and spewed—again.
“You’re gonna have to get a stronger stomach if you’re gonna live through this.”
I glared at him. “I’ve never killed anyone before.”
“Get over it already.” He wiped his bloodied hands on his black jeans.
So much for having a caring sibling—Jarak’s brother was a jerk. I pulled the cell out of my pocket and looked at the time.
“I need to leave. Tell Ailaina, I’ll be right back.” I gave him no explanation. He didn’t deserve one or need one. I used the energy of the forest to give me the speed and accuracy I needed to get down the mountain. I wasn’t sure how it worked, but I let the momentum take me and nothing but blurs of trees passed me by.
I hit the dirt road before the highway and spun around when I heard Jarak’s truck. Blinking wildly, I couldn’t believe I made it down the mountain so quickly. The truck swerved before coming to a stop. Jarak jumped out. “Es, you scared the crap out of me! Why are you standing in the middle of the road?”
