She smiled, but her eyes were sad. I knew what she was thinking, because I was thinking the same thing. Who, in this room, might not be here in a few days time?
“We don’t have much time left to prepare,” Gabriel said. “Amelia, stay with Ren. The rest of us will be in the basement.”
Amelia nodded and took Ren from my arms.
“Should I contact the shifters now?” Patrick asked.
Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yes, that would probably be best. You do that and the rest of us will spar.”
Amelia stayed in the nursery as the rest of us headed back to the basement and Patrick left.
For the rest of the day I was in a state of shock. I went through the motions and listened carefully to everything Gabriel was telling us, but I was vacant…a shell…and I knew I wouldn’t be whole again until my daughter was safely back in my arms.
* * *
“Excellent,” Gabriel smiled as the shifters strolled into the house behind Patrick a few hours later. “I can work with this,” he rubbed his hands together.
Once all the shifters were in the house—close to thirty of them—Gabriel said, “I assume Patrick has already explained everything to you and you understand the risks?”
They nodded, their murmurs of agreement echoing around the room.
“How many of you are wolves?” Gabriel asked. Many hands rose, fifteen…almost twenty.
“What are the rest of you? Any birds? Falcons? Eagles?”
“I’m a falcon,” a man with oiled black hair stepped forward.
“As am I,” a woman, whom I assumed was his wife stepped up beside him.
“This just keeps getting better and better,” Gabriel’s smile was so wide it was a bit frightening. “You two will be a great advantage to us. When you’re both in falcon form you can communicate telepathically, correct?”
They nodded.
“One of you will scour the skies and look for anything amiss, then report back to the other, who will be on the ground with us.”
They nodded again. “We can certainly do that,” the man said. “Jasmine will fly and I will report.”
“What are the rest of you?” Gabriel repeated, addressing the remaining, unknown shifters.
“Panther,” a lanky guy, no older than nineteen raised his hand.
“Tiger,” a small teenage girl said. She looked like a little doll, and I had a hard time imagining her as a menacing tiger.
“Cheetah,” a dark skinned man with the deepest voice I’d ever heard, spoke from the back of the group.
“Cheetah.”
“Cheetah.”
“Panther.”
“Is that everyone?” Gabriel asked. When no one else spoke up, he nodded. “I need to go over the map with you.”
He pulled out the piece of paper he’d sketched the layout of the Originals hideout on, and held it up. He went over the same details he’d told us.
“The plan is to leave tomorrow morning and strike the following day. The Originals are nocturnal, so striking during the day is our best bet at survival.”
I closed my eyes. Why did Gabriel have to keep reminding of us the fact that death was imminent? Ever since I moved to Rome, I had continued to watch the ones I loved die. I vowed this would be the last time I would ever be faced with this. I looked around at my family.
Jonathon.
Patrick.
Diana.
Joseph.
Danny.
Mason.
Vivian.
Viola.
My mom.
My brothers.
Even Gabriel.
It hurt to look at them and know that in a matter of hours they could be dead.
It wasn’t fair.
Hadn’t I lost enough?
“Hey,” Jonathon murmured, wrapping his arm around my waist. “Are you okay?”
I shook my head from side to side. No, I was definitely not okay. But I didn’t want to say those words out loud.
“Everything will be fine,” Jonathon whispered in my ear.
“Don’t say things that you know aren’t true,” I snapped.
I was getting angry—angry that I had to deal with this once more. I didn’t want to say goodbye. Vampirism held the promise of immortality but it was nothing but a lie. Even to a vampire, forever, was nothing but a mirage.
I crossed my arms over my chest and headed outside.
I needed to get away—a moment to clear my head.
Jonathon, of course, followed me.
I leaned against one of the stone pillars that held the roof aloft. I closed my eyes, listening to the sounds of the city. Everyone else’s life went on while I was stuck in hell.
“What if we can’t get her back?” I finally asked him.
“We will,” his voice was fierce.
“How can you be so confident?” I asked.
I opened my eyes in time to see him shrug. “I can’t think about the alternative.”
“I wish I could do the same,” I breathed. “But all I can think about is losing her…losing everybody, and being left all alone to go crazy.”
“That’ll never happen, principessa,” he grabbed me and pulled me to him, placing a tender kiss on my head.
I wish I could believe him.
* * *
My eyes continually flickered to the clock. I knew in my gut that this could possibly be my last night with my son. Jonathon and I lay in bed, with Ren in-between us, watching him sleep. I circled a finger lightly over his cheek and his little tongue flicked out.
I smiled.
“Everything will be okay, principessa,” Jonathon whispered, so as not to disturb Ren.
I wished he’d stop saying things like that, because it was a lie. Everything wouldn’t be okay. Whether we won this fight or lost it, nothing would ever be the same.
“I don’t want to talk right now,” I muttered, irritated.
Jonathon sighed. “Kylie-”
I held up a hand to silence him. “Please, just leave me alone right now. All I want to do is look at Ren and pretend that they didn’t take Makenna and that we aren’t about to start a war. Okay?”
“Okay,” he sighed again, holding Ren’s tiny finger carefully between his thumb and index finger.
A small smile graced Ren’s face at his father’s touch. I leaned over and kissed his tiny head. I hoped for Ren’s sake, that his life was always this peaceful.
Chapter Nineteen: Action
All of the vampires were fed and ready to go. The shifters were already outside waiting with the Coven.
Patrick, Danny, and Mason stood with Amelia saying goodbye.
I held Ren in my arms, terrified to let him go, but I knew I had to hand him over to Jonathon. He deserved to say goodbye too.
“I love you, so much, to the moon and back a thousand times,” I whispered to Ren before handing him to Jonathon. I took a quick mental picture of Jonathon holding our son, before I escaped out the door.
I couldn’t be in there a second longer. It was like I was suffocating.
I descended the steps and leaned against the stone wall of the house.
I felt like the weight of the world was crashing down on my shoulders and I wasn’t strong enough to withstand it.
I scrubbed my hands over my face. I had to stop thinking so negatively. I was strong enough and we’d make it through this. We had to.
“Kylie,” someone interrupted my short moment of quiet. With this many people around it was impossible to find a quiet moment to yourself.
I turned my head and forced a smile. “Hey Colton.”
Wayland and Tyson stood behind him.
The three guys were members of the Coven and had been best friends with my now dead friend, Isaac. Seeing them was like a kick to my gut, a reminder of someone else I had lost.
“So, you’re a vampire now,” Wayland chuckled.
“Yeah,” I nodded, “I am. Married too and a mom.”
“So we’ve heard,” Colto
n smiled. Sobering, he added, “We’re sorry about your daughter.”
“We’re going to get her back,” I repeated what everyone else kept telling me but I had a hard time believing.
“Yes, we are,” Colton grinned and high-fived the other guys. I was pleased that even after everything that had happened they were still just three carefree guys. They deserved that.
“How have you guys been?” I asked.
“Busy training,” Tyson shrugged.
“Did you know Isobel left?” Colton asked me.
“No, I didn’t,” I shook my head. I was a bit shocked to hear that Isaac’s sister had left. I figured after Isaac’s murder she would immerse herself into the Coven even more.
“Yeah, found herself a vamp. What are the odds?” Tyson chuckled. “Can you believe a vampire hunter and a vampire are soul mates? Mindboggling.”
Now that was definitely shocking news. Isobel was one of the biggest vampire haters out there. I guess the saying was true; karma is a bitch.
“Is she doing okay?” I questioned.
“Seems to be fine. She doesn’t really call any of us much,” Wayland shrugged. “Her parents were devastated when she disappeared so soon after Isaac’s death. No one heard from her for months. Then one day she called her dad and told him she was in the States and her boyfriend is a vampire. At that point, they were so happy to hear from her that they don’t even care that she’s with a vampire. Not that you guys are that bad or anything,” he winked at me.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” I joked.
“Principessa,” Jonathon appeared behind me, his voice worried. “You disappeared.” He rubbed my shoulders.
“I needed a moment,” I shrugged.
“Ciao,” Jonathon nodded at the three guys. Addressing all of us, he said, “The vehicles should be ready. If not, I expect Gabriel is about to lose it.”
“I’ll see you guys later,” I waved at them. I hoped I saw them later. Preferably in one piece.
I let Jonathon lead me away and into one of the waiting vehicles. It was a black Chevrolet suburban with tinted windows. Gabriel sat in the driver’s seat, fussing about something, with Patrick in the passenger seat. Danny, Mason, and my mom were squished in the third row. I sat in the middle of the second row, between Jonathon and Joseph.
Jonathon entwined our hands together and I looked over my shoulder at the massive stone mansion that had become my home.
“We’ll be back,” Jonathon assured me.
* * *
The air in the vehicle was thick with tension. We’d been in the car all day, and night was falling. None of us had spoken in a long time and no one appeared to be about to break the silence. We were all lost in our thoughts, probably wondering how we were going to die. At least, that’s what I was wondering.
I mean, let’s be realistic. We didn’t stand a chance against the Originals and their Guarde. They’d lived so long for a reason.
And since they took Makenna, they’ve forced us into action sooner than expected.
We. Are. Not. Ready.
A few days of preparation isn’t enough to take down the Originals.
I look up towards the front of the car and Gabriel’s jaw was clenched tight. He was as worried as I was. He knew we didn’t stand a chance…and yet, he was still here…ready to fight for us.
I didn’t like Gabriel at all when I first met him, but after I got to know him better…he’s actually pretty decent. He’s had a hard life and has found that it’s easier not to make attachments. But after everything with Selena, it’s like he decided that a life alone wasn’t worth it.
“We have to stop for gas soon,” Gabriel grumbled. “Stupid American piece of crap. It’s always hungry,” he hit the steering wheel with the palm of his hand.
I contained a laugh behind my hand. Leave it to Gabriel to be the one to make me laugh without even trying.
Gabriel pulled out his cellphone to let the others know we’d be stopping soon.
About ten minutes later, he pulled into a gas station and hopped out. The rest of us stayed seated. Even though we were squished together in the car, being vampires, we didn’t get stiff.
In no time we were on the road again. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. I took a few deep breaths and—
The vision started slowly, like a fuzzy picture on the TV slowly coming into focus.
Eventually it cleared and I could see the five members of the Originals standing in a circle, Isaiah—the only one in white, held Makenna in his arms.
“Is it true? Is she really Corrin?” One of the others asked him.
“It is true,” Isaiah spoke. “See,” he pointed to the mark on Makenna’s skin, “it is Corrin’s birthmark.”
They gasped, moving closer to the baby, gazing down at her in awe.
“I thought she was lost forever,” one with pitch-black hair reached for the baby but Isaiah didn’t relinquish her.
“I told you she would come back to us,” Isaiah smiled and his pointed teeth were menacing.
The vision began to fade and I came to with a start.
“Did you just have a vision?” Jonathon grinned.
I nodded.
“What did you see?” Gabriel asked. His eyes were trained on me, not wavering, but the car didn’t even swerve out of the lane.
“The-the Originals,” I stuttered, “with Makenna. They called her Corrin. That’s their sister’s name…Isaiah said that…the symbol on her arm is in the shape of a birthmark that Corrin had.”
“That’s good news for Makenna then. The longer they believe she’s Corrin, the better.”
“Ugh,” I groaned, “I feel like I’m getting a headache.”
“Vampires don’t get headaches,” Jonathon’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“It’s a seer thing,” Gabriel explained. Addressing me, he said, “You should expect to get a headache after every vision.”
“Oh, isn’t that lovely,” I rolled my eyes. “I’m immortal and I still can’t escape one of the most annoying things about being human.”
“Don’t be so dramatic,” Gabriel chuckled. “You’re such a drama queen.”
“That may be true,” Jonathon grinned, “but you’re my drama queen.” He kissed my forehead.
“Seriously though,” I massaged my temples, “this is beyond any human headache.” It felt like someone was repeatedly taking a sledgehammer to the back of my head. “How am I supposed to fight with this?” I bit my lip.
“It should go away within the hour,” Gabriel assured me.
I let out a sigh of relief. I didn’t want anything to distract me from destroying the Originals and getting my daughter back.
I closed my eyes again, hoping that would help the headache.
A while later, I heard Gabriel say, “Welcome to Romania.”
My eyes popped open.
We were here.
* * *
“From here we go by foot,” Gabriel announced, turning onto a nonexistent road, and parking the car on the outskirts of a forest.
We slipped from the car, all of us on edge.
“I’m going to speak with the Coven,” Gabriel informed us. “They need to know the way, because we’ll,” he pointed to the vampires gathered and the shifters, “be much faster than them.”
I watched him stalk off, my hands shaking with adrenaline—did vampires have adrenaline?
“Calm down,” Jonathon rubbed his hands up and down my arms. “You’re not going to be able to think straight if you’re wound this tight, principessa.”
I knew he was right. “I’ll try,” I told him, counting to one hundred in my head.
Gabriel returned a few minutes later. His only words to us were, “Follow me.”
He took off like a bullet out of a gun and we hurried after him.
I stretched my legs as far as they would go, the green of the forest blurring around me. At any other time, I would have thought it was beautiful. But not now.
Jonathon ran be
side me. The rest of our family ran to the left and right of us.
We were all together, and I realized that this might be the last time we were ever united like this. When we left the house yesterday, I had refused to hug or say anything to the people coming with us, because if I said goodbye, it made the fact that someone could die even more real.
After about twenty minutes of running, Gabriel came to a stop.
“We need a report,” Gabriel spoke to the falcon balanced on a nearby tree branch. It took off into the sky, circling around.
Suddenly, the other falcon transformed in front of us. I resisted the urge to cover my eyes at the man’s nakedness. I glanced down at the ground, toeing the dirt, as he spoke to Gabriel.
“There’s three Guarde about a mile from us, they’re spread out in a triangle formation around the compound.”
Gabriel rubbed his jaw and turned to all of us. “We need to split up into three groups. All three Guarde need to be taken down before they can signal that we’re here. We have to move fast,” he eyed each of us. “This is not the time to fool around,” he glared at Mason.
At that moment the Coven broke through the trees, slightly winded from their jog. Gabriel repeated what he’d just said for their benefit.
“We need vampires, shifters, and Coven members, in each group. You all have to work together. Taking these three out will be relatively easy compared to what’s waiting for us inside. Don’t get cocky,” with that, Gabriel went about separating us into three groups. He purposely separated the couples.
“What?!” Jonathon glared. “No way! I’m staying with Kylie!” He reached for my hand, entwining our fingers together.
Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose. “Don’t make this difficult, Jonathon.”
“I’m not leaving Kylie,” his jaw was set.
“Fine,” Gabriel rolled his eyes. “I don’t have time to argue with you.”
“Jonathon-” I started.
“No,” he looked down at me. “I’m not leaving you.”
“Okay,” I whispered, giving his hand a slight squeeze. I wasn’t going to argue with him…if we died, I didn’t want an argument to be the last thing we remembered.
Gabriel gave us further direction on where we needed to head. After a pause, he said, “Ready?”
“Ready,” we echoed.
“Let’s take down these suckers—no pun intended,” Mason grinned, trying to lighten the mood. It worked.
Forever (Fallen Series Book 3) Page 20
