“I didn’t mean to make it harder for you,” he said patting my hand. As he did so he spotted the ring. “Oh, and what’s this?” he was being coy. Gavin put his arm around me and beamed at his father.
“I’ve asked Rachel to marry me, and she’s said yes.”
“Well, well, well. You’re a brave one you are. I do hope Bossy won’t be too upset. You might have to get her permission first. When is the big day?”
“As soon as possible. After tonight I’m going to ask Angus to lift the guardianship.”
“So you’ll finally be coming out of this stale old hole in the woods?”
“Looks like it.” Gavin’s father seemed like he had been waiting a long time to hear that.
“Thank Heaven. I think fifty years in here is enough. Do you still want to work on at the logging company? I can’t hand it over to you right away of course because that would look fishy, but if you still want to run it I’ll hand it over to you in a couple of years.”
Gavin’s eyes grew thoughtful, “I don’t know.”
“Well you take your time and think about it. I started it for you. If you want to sell it off and keep the money you can do that too. Not worth what it used to be of course but you’re welcome to whatever you can get out of it. Of course you’d still have to put in an appearance on the job.” John could tell his son needed more time to think it over. “No rush,” he said, “let me know.”
“I will.”
“Well I’m going to be getting out of your hair now. I’ll see you in about half an hour Gavin. And you missy, I guess I’ll be seeing you after this is all over at a wedding.” He bent and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “You’re marrying up son,” he said. “It worked for me, but don’t tell your mother I said that.” And with that he left us alone again.
“I didn’t think he’d offer me the business.” Gavin seemed to be in shock. “I thought he had given up on me.”
“I don’t think parents ever really give up on their children,” I said. Then something he had told his father came back to me. “What did you mean when you said you had to ask Angus to lift the guardianship?”
“Oh, you can’t marry your guardian. That would be, well, incestuous, in the clan’s eyes.”
“What if he says no?” this was a bump in the road I hadn’t been prepared for.
“We’ll convince him. If we can’t, Dad can convince him. They go back centuries. It’s just a formality, nothing to worry about.”
“You think so?”
“Of course. I’m over eighty years old. I’ve waited decades, just short of a century, to find you. I won’t let anything stand in the way of our marriage. That you can count on.”
“Angus didn’t want to turn you, and I convinced him of that and it’s turned out to be very good for the clan, whether some of them want to admit it or not. If you hadn’t seen what was coming we’d all be sitting ducks right now.”
I looked away but he pulled my face back to meet his.
“He’s going to owe you,” he said. “He has no right to ask you to help protect him, give you minimal time to prepare, and possibly save his life. It wouldn’t make sense for him to deny you any happiness you had coming after that.” It sounded iron clad.
“You’re right,” I said.
Chapter Twenty Five
Everyone had already gathered in the courtyard when we arrived. The vampires from all four clans were in one group, and the satyrs stood off to the side with the four nymphs who had asked to be included at the last minute. When they saw us enter three satyrs stood directly in front of Aries so I couldn’t see him. Hermes gave me a slight nod of courtesy which I politely returned.
It was about a half an hour before full dark, still too bright for the revenant army to be effective, but I was guessing that as soon as the sun was completely down they would make their appearance. Angus had said that Samuel would want to make the most of this night, and that probably meant an early start. If he wanted to keep whatever was left of his revenants after the fighting was over, we’d have to be done before sunrise so that they would be able to burrow in the ground.
“As far as we know, this is the night,” Angus began. “I want to thank you all for coming, and I want to make it clear that when this is over, should we be successful, we have every intention of paying this debt back to you.” In a way I couldn’t help but feel guilty for asking Holly to take me to see Malcolm. Angus wanted to handle this all on his own, and asking for help in the vampire community was tantamount to groveling.
I was torn between coming clean when this was all over, or keeping it hidden and hoping nobody but me and Holly ever knew the truth.
“I will now take my leave,” Angus said. “James is going to go over the specifics one more time as to where you will be placed and what to expect.” He gave me a tilt of his head when he passed by indicating that I should follow. I stood there for a moment in hesitation. Grabbing Gavin’s hand I squeezed it hard, not wanting to let go. He sensed my apprehension and squeezed back. Then, turning to face me, planted a gentile kiss on my forehead.
“Everything’s going to be fine,” he said giving me a forced smile. “I’ll see you on the other side of this.” He pulled me into him and kissed me. We embraced one more time and whispered our ‘I love yous’ to each other. At the last moment before I was about to break away he took my left hand and planted a kiss on the ring he had given me. “I’ll see you soon,” he said.
I had to turn away, I didn’t want him to see the doubt, which I was sure would be registering. I could feel his eyes on me all the way to the door of the sanctuary and when I turned around to give one last look, he was doing the same.
With a heavy heart I followed Angus and Mariah to the council room. They motioned for me to sit at the table, but not before Angus handed me a sword and told me to strap it on, “just in case,” he said. We sat in silence for a few moments. I drew several deep cleansing breaths to try and prepare myself for the task at hand.
“Begin anytime you’re ready sweetheart,” Mariah said. She was being very sweet, and I was almost beginning to doubt Holly’s interpretation of what had happened to me...almost. I closed my eyes and focused in on simply listening to the activity in the courtyard for a few moments. James was still giving instructions on who would be posted where. Gavin, his father and most of the vampires were going to be outside, along with the satyrs. The nymphs would be inside with just a few vampires, including my friend Sandra and her clan. I had seen their skill and somehow, even though I thought we needed more on the inside of the grounds, knew they would be able to tackle whatever came their way.
James gave the order for everyone to get in position. “They’re moving out,” I said. There were also two guards in the room with us and when they heard this they took their place outside the large doors.
“If it comes down to it, there’s the door we’ll be going through.” Angus was pointing at the floor.
“I don’t see it,” I said.
“Right there.” Sure enough there was a hatch. I had never noticed it before, but it was there. “If for some reason you only go by yourself you just pull up on the ring, and lock it when you get inside. It’s a tunnel. It leads out to the other side of Soldiers Cove Pond.” I nodded in understanding and continued to listen in.
The noise from the inner courtyard and the outer sanctuary were indistinguishable, it was just one big field of sound. Actually it was one big field of silence because right now. The only sound was of breathing, and a few low chuffing noises the satyrs were making, along with the slight gentile beating of wings.
“Nothing yet,” I informed the other two. I could tell they were anxiously awaiting anything I could tell them, as there was no way for them to see or hear things firsthand themselves. I sensed the mood both in the council room and outside. It was a mix of nervousness, fear and adrenaline. The overall mood was just that they wanted it over, and I shared that feeling one hundred percent.
“It will be full dark in about
two minutes,” Mariah said. The countdown was on it seemed, all systems go. I was sick with worry for everyone, but of course, mostly for Gavin as we all sat in silent contemplation.
If Samuel would show at full dark on the nose that would mean the revenants would have had to burrow somewhere close by last night.
I cleared my mind and opened up my mental hearing. I tried to tap into Samuel but got nothing. Whatever he was doing I couldn’t tell, perhaps he had learned how to shield himself from me. After a few moments I decided I was too worried to fully concentrate on that. I scanned the minds outside the sanctuary until I found the one I was looking for.
Gavin was in a sharp state of focus as he waited. I was sure two minutes were up by now. It was full dark and the revenants were safe to come out anytime to follow the orders of their vindictive master. The only orders would be to kill and take over the sanctuary, then to find Angus and kill him, and anyone else who wouldn’t swear allegiance to Samuel.
I can feel you Gavin thought directly at me. I tried to see if I could send a thought back to him but the sudden communication seemed to only go one way. He was aware of my presence and could send me a message, but I could not communicate with him. For a moment I thought about getting out of his thoughts and leaving him alone. I didn’t want to distract from his focus, but a few seconds later another message: I’m glad you’re here. At least if I could follow his thoughts without being a burden I’d know that he was still alive, that gave me some small measure of comfort.
Something was wrong; it was too quiet. Something should be happening. I didn’t know whether to feel relief or embarrassment. Everyone was gathered here tonight on my word; and how much was that really worth? I had been a vampire less than two weeks and had assisted our clan’s leader to have us stand ready to defend our lives.
Then it happened. There was a rustle of sticks and leaves that had been left over on the ground from the fall. They’re right under our feet Rachel!
“They’re here!” I said. “Coming out of the ground all around them.” Angus and Mariah shared a look of concern.
“See if you can follow what’s happening out there.” When Mariah said that she motioned to the door. There was something about her hand that bothered me when she did that. Something was off. I wanted to read her thoughts, but she was sitting right next to me, it was too risky. If she had something to hide I didn’t want her to realize I was digging around inside her head while she was sitting there with that sword strapped to her back.
Closing my eyes I focused in more closely on Gavin’s thoughts. There was no verbal communication now, only action. He was completely engrossed on the task at hand. I pushed through the darkness and the sound until I got a picture, I was seeing out through Gavin’s eyes. It was hazy and confusing at first, but I pressed on and the image became sharp quickly.
The earth was moving beneath their feet as makeshift graves yawned open allowing revenants to make their way out. The graves were deep and sometimes two or three would emerge out of one plot. They were even more grotesque than the first one I’d encountered. A revenant with yellow eyes, peeling ashy skin and a mouth filled with soil was charging toward Gavin. I flinched. Gavin raised his sword with speed and brought the blade down on the horrible creature’s neck. This one was no more.
Unlike true vampires these creatures did not dissolve into ash when they met their deaths, but instead sloshed and oozed into a sort of primitive gelatinous mass of blood and bone. Gavin pursued another with his sword stretched out ahead of him. The creature then jumped in the tree and disappeared. He looked around but saw no sign of it.
Then, all along the path where they had slumbered, the revenants were leaping high into the trees, and not coming down.
“What’s going on?” Mariah demanded. At the sound of her voice my concentration automatically shifted to her thoughts, which had been what I was trying to avoid entirely. I saw clearly inside her mind, the ring and hands I had seen in my dream was hers. I must have been watching her fantasy that night. What I saw in her thoughts now was different. I saw what she had done.
The reason the revenants were disappearing into the tree tops was because Mariah had hidden pendants in the branches. She was secretly hoping it would work; that Samuel had enough control over this army to give them the knowledge to search for and use the pendants she had so carefully placed there. I quickly opened my eyes breaking the contact.
She looked at me questioningly. I couldn’t tell whether or not she knew I had just read her mind. The traitor who might be the downfall of Angus’ leadership was his own right hand. She was sitting close enough to kill him if she wanted to. What was she waiting for?
“The revenants are out and the fight is underway.”
“Do you know how many there are?” she asked me.
“I can’t tell, it’s such a mess. Let me keep trying.” I closed my eyes once again and pretended to be reaching out to the grounds. I was really sitting there trying to decide what to do. How was I going to warn Angus when Mariah was sitting right next to me? Did the people fighting in the woods know that when the revenants disappeared in the treetops that they were actually on the grounds? If they didn’t I needed to warn them too.
I opened myself up again to see if I could reach Gavin’s mind. I did so easily and could see him and the others hacking at branches and pushing trees over, looking for the demons.
Inside! I screamed in my mind at him. They’re all inside!
Gavin came to a standstill, I didn’t know if he’d heard or felt what I’d been trying to say; and then I heard him yelling.
“They’re on the grounds. Everyone in right now!” I was relieved to know that either he’d figured it out on his own, or somehow I’d warned him. He was on the grounds now and I could see the revenants and vampires fighting it out.
“They got in.”
“No,” Angus whispered to himself.
“Do you see Samuel?” Even if I had I wasn’t sure I wanted to relay this particular piece of information to Mariah.
“No, not yet,” I said. I followed the events through Gavin’s eyes. He was doing well. So far he had not been injured or cornered. He was on the offensive and trying to help others who were in a bind.
A few feet away he saw two revenants closing in on Sandra. He bolted toward her as she succeeded in killing one by driving the sword through its heart, but while she did that the second raised its clawed hand and hit her with such force that her head came right off her shoulders. Her body fell to the ground, and then a moment later, turned to ashes. Gavin was only half a second too late. He raised his sword again and cut the creature in half.
Remarkably it began to grow another lower body, but before that process could complete itself he raised his sword again and cut off the head, reducing this one to a bloody mass as well. Gavin went on killing, but I was catching glimpses of others who were not so lucky.
The body of a nymph was lying in the field. Blood was leaking from her mouth and nose as a revenant had bit a large chunk out of her side. This seemed to serve as a distraction for a couple of them and they knelt next to her body, feeding greedily on her exposed intestines.
Several satyrs took the opportunity to use that as a diversion and killed them as they fed on the poor dead girl.
Suddenly the ground shook with a huge crack. Gavin spun around coming face to face with Samuel. His eyes were dark with rage, his jaws unhinged. He bared his fangs at Gavin and raised a sword. He had come down too hard and fast for Gavin to get his own sword up in time and so when Samuel struck, he severed Gavin’s sword hand.
The sword fell to the ground with a clang but Gavin grabbed his second sword with his other hand and began to fight him off. I felt the horrible pain of the hand being severed, and then the discomfort as it grew back, all the while wondering how he was going to get the lost sword back while fighting for his life.
From the corner of his eye I saw Gavin’s father quickly run over and throw him the lost sword. Now they
were both fighting Samuel; and both of them with two swords each. Samuel didn’t seem as though he found this to be a problem however. As Gavin and his father struggled to fight him off, he took them on with ease. It was evident that he was powerful and more than ready to take on and kill whoever got in his way.
Samuel spun around as he heard Hermes approach to help, but before Hermes could do any good, Samuel thrust his weapon outward skewering the poor satyr through his stomach. Hermes fell to the ground attracting a cluster of revenants. They smelled the blood and were quickly on him. Hermes had not died right away; the revenants took care of that by ripping his body open with their jagged fangs and eating him alive. His horrifying screams were too much for me to hear. I broke the contact on purpose and decided to focus on the one place I could help.
I sat for a moment and fought with everything I had to push down my anger. Mariah had helped to visit this carnage on us all and I wasn’t going to let her kill Angus. My mind was going a hundred miles a minute; I had to think of a way to get her out of here so I could warn Angus and get him into the tunnel.
“Oh no,” I said. “I need my ring.” I put my hand in my pocket and eased the ring off my finger.
Slamming her hand down on the table she began screaming. “Well you can’t go get it now,” she said.
“I’m not leaving here without it, and if I leave for a minute to go get it you won’t know what’s going on. Please Mariah, can you get it for me. You’re the quickest.” She looked skeptical.
“Take a guard and go retrieve it,” Angus said.
“Angus that’s crazy.”
“Go! Quickly! We owe her that much,” he told her. Mariah stomped out of the room and we heard her yell at one of the guards to accompany her.
“What is it?”
The moment I thought it was safe I swiftly moved to the hatch in the floor and opened it. “Time to go,” I said.
The Vampires of Soldiers Cove Page 19
